Aaric paced calmly as he traversed Marka Ragnos's tomb. It did not take him much effort to locate it since busts of the Dark Lord himself dotted its entrance. But it did take him slightly longer than expected to reach it as the surrounding valley was dotted with wild Tuk'ata and members of the Imperial Army whose minds could not withstand the dark side energies, driving them insane. It mattered little, however. Any being who opposed the acolyte were swiftly slain by his blade before they even registered his presence.
The catacombs within were just as relatively dangerous for the uninitiated. Aaric discovered a significant number of other acolytes who failed their tasks and were sent to die, or were too fearful to return without completing their trials lest they face sure death. Thankfully, the tombs were lit by torches with blue flames which never seemed to go out; probably fueled by the very energies which saturated the area. The weak who stood in his way were dispatched with ease or ran away at the sight of him.
After some time, he came across a large entrance; more so than any of the others within the tomb and flanked by another pair of busts of Marka Ragnos. Cautiously, he entered the hallway with his warblade drawn. Eventually, he came across a large room with a high ceiling. At the centre, an ancient Sith carving covered with Sith writings of which Aaric could not read and lit by large pyres of blue flames with skulls within.
Aaric could feel the dark side energies here saturated beyond any other area. It was starting to make him hear things; whispers of death, calls of temptation, trying to make him go insane just like the others. But Aaric was no mere acolyte, blocking the voices out of his mind and making his way to stand before the Sith carving.
If this was the tomb of Marka Ragnos, his beast seemed to have died or disappeared. But he could not be sure. Gazing upon the carving, he remembered the history lessons of the Mecrosa Order and how they supported Exar Kun during his war against the Republic. The lessons recounted how Exar Kun came to Korriban and was anointed by the spirit of Marka Ragnos to serve as the new Dark Lord of the Sith.
Out of instinct, Aaric decided to kneel before the carving and meditate, paying his respects to Marka Ragnos. Concentrating his thoughts and emotions, he focused on the Sith code and recited in his mind:
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me!
Suddenly, a thrum of energy emanated from the carving, washing over Aaric like a wave. A feeling of power sprung forth in the centre of his brain and burst forth his entire being. In a momentary loss of bodily control, his eyes snapped open of his own accord and his pupils flashed purple, reciting again the Sith code in a language he had never heard before.
Nwûl tash.
Dzwol shâsotkun.
Shâsotjontû châtsatul nu tyûk.
Tyûkjontû châtsatul nu midwan.
Midwanjontû châtsatul nu asha.
Ashajontû kotswinot itsu nuyak.
Wonoksh Qyâsik nun!
Upon uttering the last syllable, the pyres exploded; the flames flowing, twisting and turning before coalescing into a ethereal mass of what Aaric could only describe as pure spirit energy. Within seconds, the coalescence rapidly shaped itself into a humanoid figure. At the end of it, all Aaric could do was stand frozen in shock at the figure before him.
Blue skinned, giant in appearance, clothed in ancient robes with a signature two-horned helmet. It was the spirit of the one and only legendary Dark Lord of the Sith: Marka Ragnos himself.
"Who enters my domain?" The spirit questioned with an edge sharp enough to cut steel and which echoed throughout the room.
Snapping out of his daze, Aaric stood fast and straight against Exar Kun's master and replied, "The one who is tasked to slay your beast, my great lord."
The shade narrowed his gaze threateningly, as if annoyed by the acolyte's remark. "Foolish young one. The dead do not suffer the living to pass!"
A wave of killing intent flooded his senses, and Aaric countered by flooding his presence as well. "It does not matter, my lord. On my honor to Exar Kun, Your pet will fall by my hand!"
The former dark lord paused at the mention of his long dead disciple. If this acolyte truly was a follower of Exar Kun, he deduced it would be wise to extract some information out of him before deciding what to do.
"You are either brave or stupid to come here, young one." He growled, "However, I sense great power within. Your eyes speak of intelligence, wisdom and knowledge far beyond others of your age. I can sense your martial strength just by looking at you. You claim to serve my Exar Kun, then tell me what has happened to him since I anointed him Sith Lord. "
"I'm afraid Lord Exar Kun is no longer living, my lord. It has been almost four hundred years since my ancestors last heard of him." Aaric explained, "I serve the Mecrosa Order of House Mecetti in the Tapani Sector. Our order pledged to support Exar Kun in secret when you appointed him Sith Lord and he waged war with the Republic. We have never rescinded that pledge since in belief that one day, Exar Kun will return. I was trained in the Sith ways and its history by my order since birth. I came here to Korriban to train and lead my people to power and glory."
"However," He continued, high-kneeling before the dark lord and bowing deeply. "I too know that to hope for Exar Kun's return is fruitless. That is why I, as sole heir to the leadership of my order and house, hereby pledge our support to you, my lord. I will bring glory to the Sith in your name!"
Silence reigned for what seemed like a minute. Before raucous laughter premeated throughout the room.
"Such ambition! Such potential!" The spirit boomed, "It seemed just like yesterday when Exar Kun and his apprentice Ulic Qel-Droma summoned me and I marked them both Sith Lords! I can no longer sense his presence within the galaxy, and only those who harness true power can manifest my spirit here; which means Exar Kun, in the grand scheme of things, failed. You remind me very much of him, young Sith. However, I sense that you will be able to achieve much more than he ever could!"
His laughter died down to mere chuckles. "Well then, you were tasked to slay my pet are you not? Fine! I shall release my pet from his shackles and you shall free its spirit from its rotting body. Do this, and I will bestow upon you the same mark of power I gave Exar Kun all those years ago."
With a wave of his gnarled hand, a thunderous roar howled within the confines and a tremor rocked the room, dislodging centuries of dust and rubble from the ceiling.
Aaric drew and activated his blade swiftly tensed as the roars and quaking getting louder and stronger, his back against the dark lord's spirit. Aaric did not have the time to see the shade's spirit dissipate with his last words echoing throughout the shaking hall.
At that very moment, the wall opposite the carving exploded; showering Aaric in rubble which he blocked skillfully with the force. When the dust settled, a hulking figure stood in place of the wall; Its head was covered in spines at least the length of a full-grown man. Its arms also covered in smaller spines and wielding claws meant for slicing flesh. Its back was covered by a carapace. It jaws lined with razor sharp teeth and flanked by tusks which bent inward. It was mutated beyond what Aaric was thought possible.
Of all creatures in the universe, Aaric groaned mentally, he just had to have a fucking Tarentatek!