Mission to Prakith (Darth Wyyrlok)

"I do know some of your secrets. The tomb on Korriban in which this holocron was found was not the real tomb of Darth Andeddu. That much my research shows me. If it were found&hellip;if Darth Andeddu reawoke&hellip;" "Would that make you worthy? Perhaps&mdash;if you survive the journey."

- Darth Wyyrlok, and the gatekeeper of Darth Andeddu's holocron

The mission to Prakith was a quest undertaken in 137 ABY by the Sith Lord Darth Wyyrlok, third to bear that name. The necessity of the mission was born out of a need by Wyyrlok's Master, Dread Lord Darth Krayt to rid himself of the Yuuzhan Vong implants that were threatening to end his life. After tirelessly researching ancient Sith secrets for answers, Wyyrlok consulted the Sith holocron of the long deceased Dark Lord Darth Andeddu, who was known to have preserved his essence for a time after his own death. The Chagrian Sith then traveled to the Deep Core to Andeddu’s homeworld of Prakith, searching for information that would assist Lord Krayt.

Wyyrlok managed to find Andeddu's Keep, where he encountered a previously unknown Sith cult called the Malevolence&mdash;one who worshiped Andeddu, and also refused to allow Wyyrlok further entry into their domain. The Sith Lord would not be denied, and he easily killed all the cultists saved one named Gerlun, who managed to revive Darth Andeddu's deceased corpse at the cost of his own life. Andeddu's body then engaged Wyyrlok in a duel of Force abilities, a battle that Andeddu ultimately lost. With the ancient Sith Lord dead for a second time, Wyyrlok returned Andeddu's body to its sarcophagus, and sealed it within. His mission, however, was partially unsuccessful, as Wyyrlok was still unable to obtain any information in Andeddu's vast collection of Sith lore that would help him in the preservation of Darth Krayt's life. He did recognize what was truly killing the Dark Lord&mdash;the fear that he would not survive to see his dream of a stable galaxy under Sith rule fulfilled.

Background
"We require knowledge only you possess. You animated your own body after death. Your mind functioned. Your body responded to its commands. We require that knowledge and you, a holocron, are obliged to give it." "Obliged? I am obliged to share my knowledge only with those Sith wise enough, powerful enough, to command it. You desire my secrets to preserve the life of that pretender."

- Darth Wyyrlok, and Darth Andeddu's holocron



Before becoming Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth A'Sharad Hett was captured by the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong species, and implanted with their Yorik-Kul slave seeds. Though able to combat the effects of the seeds through his growing strength in the dark side of the Force, Hett was slowly loosing his battle with them. By 137 ABY, Hett had assumed the mantle of Dark Lord and renamed himself Darth Krayt, but the coral seeds still threatened to turn him into a mindless shell of a man. For decades he was able to sustain himself through healing trances and extended periods of stasis, being looked after by the most trusted of his servants, the latest of them being Darth Wyyrlok the third. Despite being the most learned of Krayt’s Order in Sith lore and ritual, Wyyrlok was still unable to find a way to cure that which afflicted his Master. Thus, he consulted the holocron of an ancient Sith Lord named Darth Andeddu, who was known to have reanimated his flesh after his own death. The gatekeeper of Andeddu’s holocron refused to reveal its secrets to save Darth Krayt, whom it considered a pretender to the Sith legacy. Only after Wyyrlok alluded to actually reviving Andeddu’s body did the gatekeeper reveal the location of Andeddu's Keep, on his homeworld of Prakith. Wyyrlok immediately set out in his personal starfighter to the Deep Core, in search of Andeddu’s domain, as well as his coveted life-sustaining abilities.

Arrival on Prakith
"Intruder! Intruder! Intruder! Intruder!"

- Voices of the Malevolence cultists, as Wyyrlok enters the Keep

Once he arrived on Prakith, Wyyrlok entered the dilapidated fortress of Darth Andeddu, and was soon confronted by members of the Malevolence cult, guardians of Andeddu's tomb. Refusing to allowing Wyyrlok to pass, they approached him with ignited lightsabers, intent on killing him. However, the Chagrian Sith displayed his proficiency with Sith sorcery, using illusions to trick the cultists into killing each other. All perished except for one, Gerlun, who swore fealty to Wyyrlok and led him to Andeddu’s tomb. With Andeddu’s holocron in hand, Wyyrlok was instructed by its gatekeeper to place the holocron on Andeddu's body to revive him, and thus learn all his secrets. Wyyrlok refused, and was instead content with simply learning what he could from Andeddu's vast collection of books and scrolls. In an attempt to avenge himself on Wyyrlok for defeating his fellow cultists earlier, Gerlun used the Force to grab the holocron and placed it on Andeddu's body, and to both of their surprise, the holocron was burned out as Gerlun’s own life force was drained and Andeddu’s restored.

Confrontation with Andeddu


Although Darth Andeddu had been revived, he refused to share his knowledge with Wyyrlok, believing and stating that true Sith do not share power. He then attacked Wyyrlok with a barrage of Sith lightning, but Wyyrlok easily absorbed in the palm of his hand. Andeddu challenged Wyyrlok to a duel, immediately Force-pushing him away while creating illusions of massive rocks which he then hurled at Wyyrlok. An accomplished sorcerer in his own right, Wyyrlok was not so easily bested, and quickly saw through Andeddu's mindforms. It was then that Wyyrlok realized Darth Andeddu had a fear of death, and he created illusions of lava and flames destroying all of Andeddu's books and scrolls. Andeddu, who was mortified by the destruction of his precious artifacts believed Wyyrlok's illusion to be real even as the Chagrian Sith turned the lava and flames against his opponent. Thus, Darth Andeddu perished a second time, consumed by the his own fears of dying.

Darth Wyyrlok placed Andeddu's soulless body back into its tomb, and proceeded to study much of the lore in Andeddu's collection. However, nothing that Wyyrlok found in Andeddu's Keep spoke of any way to heal or preserve life through the dark side of the Force. Taking a few of the books and scrolls, he left the keep and returned to his Master, unsuccessful in his mission.

Aftermath
"The old ways&mdash;your ways&mdash;have failed. Here, now&mdash;we are the Sith!"

- Darth Wyyrlok to Darth Andeddu



Eventually, Darth Krayt did uncover a way to finally rid himself of the seeds, but was unable to make full use of the power. Having been lured into a trap by the Jedi and Imperial Knights, Krayt subjected himself briefly to the healing powers of another ancient Sith's spirit known as Karness Muur, who was using one of the Jedi as a host body. When battle ensued, Krayt was mortally wounded by one of the Knights, but had discovered Muur's technique for destroying the slave seeds. Again he turned to Darth Wyyrlok, ordering that he place Krayt in a bacta tank so that his current wounds could be healed while he grew strong enough to complete the purging process that Muur had started. Instead, Darth Wyyrlok enacted one of the core philosophies of the Sith, and betrayed his Master by murdering him with a lethal blast of Force lightning.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Legacy 27: Into the Core

Notes and references
Misión a Prakith