His name was Darth Mageddon and he was a god of the Dark Side, a Sith Warlord. He wielded two double-bladed light sabers and his skill with the blades, legendary. This day was initiation for the 8 Adepts hoping to secure their title as Sith. All they had to do was live through the hunt on which Mageddon was leading, a hunt into the Passage of Doom on planet Dreadnos IV. At 7’4” 355 lbs. Darth Mageddon was a site to behold. His jet black hair was braided a full three feet down his back and held in place with various bones of those who had challenged him and failed. His eyes like many of the powerful dark aristocracy were fiery red. The sabers he carried were of special importance to him. One was a design identical to his former master’s. The other had belonged to his former master, whom he killed to acquire it.

The hunting party had already began to prep their ship for take off, when the flight officer reported to Lord Mageddon that the storms on the planet had picked up far too much to land on the surface, they would have to abort. It was unknown if the lowly officer had seen the swing coming, but it wouldn't have mattered. To dodge the swing of a Dark Lord meant certain death. But he did not know that to endure the hand of Mageddon meant the same. It became apparent as his head parted ways with his body. “He died poorly.” The voice was as imposing as the man/god. At hearing it one of the party lost control of his bladder and wet himself. The powerful Dark Lord often had this affect on the weak. He had felt the release of this young fool and striking out through the Force, broke his body like a dry twig. The sight caused another near him to vomit and he was broken as well. No one else moved. “If I have to go on this hunt alone, so be it. Weakness is not tolerated in the Sith and if anymore of you show this trait, I will tear you all apart.” No one else breathed.

They finished their prep and boarded the Sith Annihilator on a heading for Dreadnos IV. While not visibly shaken, inside many of them were more afraid than any previous time in their life. They knew this planet from their studies. Dreadnos IV, the planet of suffering. At over 145 degrees Fahrenheit and with 2.5 times standard atmospheric pressure, the planet could literally cook you alive if exposed for more than 10 hours. The storms only made things worse. Winds at up to 125 miles per hour and tremendous lightning, it truly was a planet full of suffering for those irrational enough to venture there.

They were traveling to the most dangerous place on Dreadnos, the Passage of Doom, where the Magnaraks dwelled. A full 10 feet high and covered in igneous rock, their name was well deserved. They were known to kill all who entered their domain. Only 6 had been brought back from Dreadnos as trophies, one by a 10 man Sith infiltration squad, the other five by Lord Mageddon, alone.

“We have arrived my lord, shall I prepare the drop suits?”

“Prepare them for the children, I have no need for one.”

The apprentices took offense to being called children but no one dared to utter it. When the party was finished suiting up, a flight officer opened the back hatch. The true danger of their business here became readily apparent as a lightning strike flew through the opened hatch, killing a nearby officer.

“Let’s go”, Mageddon ordered and with that, through himself out of the opening.

The drop was a mere 3 miles to the surface. The powerful Sith lord eased his decent through the Force while the rest of his group used thrusters to slow their fall. With an impact that left a depression 3 feet into the rocky soil, Darth Mageddon reached the desolate landscape. The others arrived a few minutes later and found out immediately how hard it was to stand, let alone walk in winds above 100 MPH. Mageddon moved with ease, like a ship cutting through the water.

“We have less than 10 hours to capture our prey and return here before your meager bodies are baked to the core. Follow me and you may live.” With that, he began forward. It was only 2 clicks to the opening of the passage and it would take 5 times as long to reach in these conditions than their own world. Keeping up with Lord Mageddon in this environment was next to impossible. His powerful legs moving effortlessly against the wind, showed no signs of being slowed by the steady onslaught of weather and debris. Just then, 2 more enormous bolts of lightning screamed out of the clouds. The first, ignited a member of the party, the second headed for Mageddon who ignited his blades and crossing them before his body, bore the full brunt of the strike. The man behind him exploded into flame, and the 4 apprentices who remained were blown to the ground. Darth Mageddon, like an obelisk of black granite, never moved. As he switched off his twin instruments of destruction, he turned around to survey the damage to his party. “If you can stand, then come, if not, die.”

As they reached the mouth of the passage, they could see that the path through was clear. They entered cautiously staying close to the "monument to Sith" who walked before them. Scanning the sides of the cliffs, they waited for any sign that an attack would come. Then it did.

“This is why were here!” Mageddon yelled as a Magnarak warrior dropped behind the party and seizing one of the apprentices, tore him in two. The three left ignited their light sabers and assumed a defensive position. The beast attacked and two countered from the front while the other flanked his rear. The two in the front swung their sabers but barely dented the thick igneous rock covering the enraged Magnarak. He swung around full decapitating the man who had circled behind him. The fierceness of the blow startled the two so that they lost their footing in the high wind and fell backward, hitting the ground hard and losing their blades. As the creature ran toward them, they searched frantically for the weapons they had lost but could not sense them in the storm.

The Magnarak was almost on them and finally leapt hoping to crush them both. He made a fatal error in ignoring Darth Mageddon as the Dark Lord’s fist connected with his chest and obliterated him. Turning, Mageddon found that 5 others had joined the fray and now encircled him, hoping to finish off this devil with which they were familiar. They had seen him before, this man who could kill them, this dark god. They were mistaken. Mageddon once more ignited his sabers and was upon them all. The two remaining hopefuls watched with eyes wide as this legend ripped through the pack like a cracking whip, twisting, turning. His quickness was more than mere speed, it was as if all stood still but him.

Killing 4 and binding one, he ordered the two remaining Adepts on their feet and back to the pickup location. He hoisted the 700-pound Magnarak on his shoulder and followed, whether or not he used the Force to lighten his load is unknown The far smaller party reached the vessel now standing by. Tossing the monster in the hold, he turned to them and said, “No one ever survives a hunt here with me. That is why you came along. Your masters thought you to be unworthy of the Sith and asked me to take you along, to die. However, you still live.” The two remaining men stood as tall as manageable, bowing to Darth Mageddon.

“It is unfortunate that you live only because I saved you and not because you saved yourselves. Your part in this journey will end here”. He seized them by the throat, one in each of his massive hands and having broken their necks, tossed them from the ship.