**Chapter 401: Malachor I**
**Dagon's POV**
The *Akatsuki* sliced through the void toward Malachor I, the smallest and most mysterious planet in the cursed system. I stood on the bridge, explaining what I knew to the team gathered around me.
"Darth Tanis was an ancient Sith Lord who created the superweapon in the Sith Temple on the planet Malachor," I said as the consular cruiser began its final approach. "I explained this the first time I visited this planet in the first week of the war and got no holocron."
"Master, the planet… it feels strange," Zule said, her golden eyes narrowing as she stared at the viewscreen. The rocky, scarred surface of Malachor I loomed ahead, bathed in an eerie, unnatural light.
"The whole temple is a riddle, to be honest," I replied. "But we might have to walk a bit."
As the ship landed on a relatively stable plateau near the ancient ruins, I ordered the crew to stay put. "Remain on board and keep the engines warm. We won't be long."
We disembarked into the thin, acrid air. The ground was covered in petrified statues — frozen figures of long-dead Sith and Jedi, their faces twisted in eternal agony or triumph. The wind howled through the broken spires of the temple complex.
"Whoa, what happened here?" Kayla asked, her Zeltron senses picking up the lingering echoes of pain and power.
"The Sith superweapon built in the temple," Nox explained, his voice carrying the weight of ancient memory. "Every Sith always tried it — if I build a big weapon, I will control the galaxy. But as history proved, too much passion without logic leads to our defeat."
"Yeah, that is why we're going to the temple," I said. "It has the holocron that acts as the key to the temple, which means access to the temple archives. I hope they are still active — it's kyber-powered, after all."
"Where did they find so much kyber?" Stella asked, looking around at the massive, crystal-veined structures.
"This temple was made at the time the Sith Empire still had the Star Forge, so the Sith made a ton of kyber from dying suns and stored them in their temples across the galaxy. There might be more hidden temples," Nox explained.
Ahsoka walked close to me, her hand brushing mine. "Master… this place feels wrong. Like it's watching us."
"It is," I said quietly. "Stay close. The temple tests those who enter."
Flare shivered despite her Pantoran resilience. "I can feel it too. Old anger. Old power."
Visenya kept her camera rolling, capturing every detail. "This is going to make incredible footage. The lost Sith temple… the team that dared enter it…"
Chewbacca growled a low warning, his bowcaster ready.
Ethan's voice came over the comm from the ship. "I am monitoring your vitals. If any of you flatline, I am authorized to launch a rescue drone. Try not to flatline."
I chuckled. "Noted."
We pressed deeper into the ruins. The petrified statues grew more numerous, some still clutching broken lightsabers or ancient Sith artifacts. The air grew heavier, thick with the dark side.
Nox walked beside me, his purple eyes scanning the shadows. "I remember stories of this place. Tanis was obsessed with creating the ultimate weapon. He poured his soul into it… and it consumed him."
"Sounds familiar," Ahsoka muttered.
Zule stayed close to my side. "Master, if the holocron is the key… what happens if we activate the temple?"
"We get answers," I said. "And hopefully Ashara's holocron. Or at least her location."
Kayla smiled encouragingly. "We're with you. All of us."
**Scene 2**
We reached the massive entrance to the inner temple — a towering archway sealed by enormous stone blocks etched with ancient Sith runes.
"Okay, where is the key?" Visenya asked, still recording on her camera.
"There is no key," I explained. "We must lift the stones to gain entrance."
"What if we—" Ahsoka ignited her lightsaber.
"Ahsoka, wait!" I activated a Force bubble just in time, blocking a sudden electrical blast that erupted from the runes. Blue lightning crackled harmlessly against the shield.
"The Sith are known for their traps," Nox explained.
"True, but if you are powerful enough…" I said. I reached out with both hands, channeling the Force. The massive stone blocks groaned and lifted slowly into the air, hovering as we passed beneath them. I kept holding them, muscles straining, sweat beading on my brow, until we were all safely inside. Then I gently lowered the stones back into place.
The inner chamber was vast, dominated by a Sith holocron resting on a central altar. The holocron pulsed with deep red light, ancient and hungry.
Nox stared at it. "Only someone willing to risk oblivion would be worthy of the power of the holocron. The altar is separated by a deep chasm."
I didn't hesitate. I Force-jumped across the chasm in one powerful leap, landing lightly on the altar platform. The holocron hummed as I approached. I picked it up carefully. Power surged through me — knowledge, secrets, warnings from a long-dead Sith Lord. I jumped back across the chasm, landing beside the group.
"Okay, mission accomplished," Ahsoka said, relief in her voice.
"Nope. Just another part still," I replied, tucking the holocron securely into my belt. "We need to reach the core archives. The real secrets are deeper inside."
The group pressed on, navigating the temple's labyrinthine corridors. Traps sprang at every turn — collapsing floors, poison darts, Force-illusions of long-dead Sith Lords whispering temptations. We worked together seamlessly: Ahsoka and Zule deflecting blades with their lightsabers, Nox and I shattering illusions with raw power, the others providing support and covering each other.
At one point, a massive stone guardian awakened — a Sith construct of living rock and dark side energy. It swung a huge fist at Stella. She dodged, firing her blaster. "Not today, rock-head!"
Flare leaped onto its back, stabbing with her lightsaber. "Take this!"
I channeled a concentrated Force push, shattering the construct into rubble. "Good work, everyone."
Kayla wiped sweat from her brow. "This place really doesn't want visitors."
"Ancient Sith temples rarely do," Nox said with a grim smile.
Finally, we reached the central archive chamber. The kyber matrix core hummed with power, ancient crystals glowing in a massive lattice. I deactivated the matrix carefully, then began stripping the most potent crystals for our use.
"This will power new weapons, new ships," I said. "And give us an edge the Sith and Jedi of old never had."
Zule watched me with quiet pride. "You really do change everything you touch, Master."
Ahsoka smiled. "That's why we follow you."
As we prepared to leave, the temple seemed to sigh — as if acknowledging our success. We returned to the *Akatsuki* with the holocron and a fortune in kyber crystals.
The journey back to the fleet was quiet, but the bond between us felt stronger than ever.
Malachor I had given up its secrets.
Now, the real work could begin.