Florence Squad: Overlords of Mortis

From "Overlords", "Altar of Mortis" and "Ghosts of Mortis" (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) summaries on Wookieepedia

Chapter 1: Overlords

Mysterious message! A transmission has been intercepted far beyond the Outer Circle, deep in the Crystalline system. Why the call has been made and from where cannot be established. But buried in the message is a Church distress code that has not been used in over 2,000 years.

Master Benedict, Brother Michael and his apprentice Claire are sent to investigate. Fearing a Legion trap, they are to meet with a heavily armed Church cruiser. However, even though they are at the exact coordinates, the Church members and Commander Spider cannot perceive each other. Then communication and power is suddenly cut off, and an irresistible force pulls the Church members' shuttle into a gigantic crystal-shaped structure.

The next thing the three know, they are awakening within the cockpit of their shuttle which has inexorably settled down in an unfamiliar world. As they survey the landscape, which somehow is removed from the natural laws they are familiar with and strangely radiant with cosmic energy, Michael is suddenly addressed by a disembodied female voice which neither Benedict nor Claire are able to hear. The speaker shortly reveals herself, though, calling herself "Fire", asking Michael repeatedly whether he is "the one", and offering to take them to her father Thunder. With little alternative, the Church members take Fire up on the offer.

As they walk along a cliff path, a rock suddenly collapses on top of them, cutting Michael and Fire off from Claire and Benedict. Proclaiming that this was the work of her brother Ice, Fire asks Michael to wait, but Michael instead opts to follow her, sending Benedict and his apprentice back to the ship to try to contact help. The two arrive at the landing site just as night falls, only to discover the shuttle gone. They are immediately after met by Ice, who asks Benedict whether Michael is really the chosen one. With a storm coming, Ice departs, and the Church members are forced to seek shelter in order not to be struck down by lightning; but from his shelter, Michael spots the light of a monastery located on the high peak of a mountain.

As soon as the storm has passed, Michael hastens up to the monastery and enters a great hall in which he meets an old man meditating. The old man tells Michael that Michael is to be tested to see whether he is fit to fulfill his destiny, and invites him to stay for the night. In the meantime, however, Benedict is met by the spirit of his late master, Master Richard, who tells him of the strange properties of the planet as a conduit for cosmic energy and of its inhabitants' intentions with Michael, and warns him that the planet may corrupt Michael if he is unable to attain balance within his soul. At the same time, Michael is visited in his quarters by an apparition of his mother Samantha, and in his pain Michael tells her about his past failures and the guilt which has built up in him. The apparition tells him that Michael is torn because he has defined his own guilt over the massacre of the goats and his secret marriage to Sarah, and when he confronts her, she briefly assumes a monstrous appearance before disappearing. Claire also receives a vision, this time from her future self, who warns her to remove herself from Michael lest his tendency towards negative energy will eventually corrupt her as well.

Michael angrily confronts his host, demanding answers and believing him to be a Legion member. The old man introduces himself and his children as Templars, beings so strong in the ways of cosmic energy that they could not dwell in the material world anymore; as a result, they retreated to this planet to contain their powers by attaining balance within and cutting off any influences from the outside world. He promises Michael that he and his friends are free to leave this world once Michael has undergone a test, for the old man to see whether he truly is the chosen one and for Michael to confront his own guilt.

The next morning, Michael undergoes his trial in the face of an impossible choice: Ice and Fire have kidnapped Claire and Benedict as they went looking for him, and Michael has to choose which one he will save. Michael uses the planet's cosmic energy-amplifying properties to force Ice and Fire to release their captives at the same time and return to their human forms. The old man tells Michael that while he has passed the test, he must still learn about the true nature within himself and asks Michael to take his place as the balancing element between his children, or otherwise endanger the galaxy with his selfishness if he leaves. Michael chooses to leave, however, although he is strangely hesitant to do so ... and he hears the Legion Anthem in his mind as his ship leaves the planet.

Chapter 2: Altar

As Brother Michael, Master Benedict and Claire are about to leave the planet, Michael, while resting from this morning's ordeal, has a disturbing dream in which he finds himself back on the planet. What appears to be a mirror image of himself approaches him, only to reveal itself as Ice, who asks Michael to join him in the Legion and restore peace and balance in the galaxy. When Michael refuses and turns away, Ice turns into a monster and attacks him, jerking him awake. Claire walks into the room meanwhile. Suddenly the ship tilts and starts rocking wildly. But just as Michael prepares to join Benedict at the controls, Ice suddenly appears behind them, kidnaps Claire and jumps out of the shuttle. He shifts into his gargoyle form and flies off with Claire in his talons.

Running into the cockpit, Michael takes over and chases after Ice into a canyon of mist-shrouded rock spires, but Ice puts on a burst of speed and disappears into the mist. Michael flies even faster and instead comes upon a strange tower supporting a huge glowing sphere. Just narrowly avoiding a collision with the structure, Michael is unable to control the shuttle, and it crash-lands back on the planet, in an area dominated by darkness. In the distance they can both clearly see the tower with the glowing sphere on top of it; Benedict assumes that's where Ice has Claire. Claiming it's his fault Ice took Claire, Michael prepares to go for the tower, but Benedict holds him back, desperately cautioning him not to let himself get lured into an obvious trap lest it would yield catastrophic consequences. He suggests consulting Thunder about how to proceed, but Michael nevertheless leaves for the tower. While Benedict ponders how to reach Thunder in the first place, he suddenly finds himself very close to the monastery. Inside her prison cell within the tower, Claire tries to free herself. She hears a voice and then she finds herself in the company of a creature which addresses her innermost doubts and fears. It questions where her master is and claims that he won't come. Claire snaps that Michael will rescue her. It releases her from her chains. It tries to convince her to forget her master, but seeing that she will not willingly turn, it bites her in the arm. Clutching her arm, Claire collapses on the floor, and the creature morphs back into its true form, Ice; his bite now infects Claire with negative energy, and she undergoes a horrifying change.

Ice thereafter joins his father and sister; Thunder expresses worry about his son's descent into negative energy and implores him to let go of it, whereupon Ice lets loose with his anger and blasts Thunder with lightning just as Benedict arrives. Fire who had heard the fight ran to help her father. Upon Thunder's sickbed, Benedict implores Fire to assist him in stopping Ice before he escapes the planet, but Fire, saying it is not Ice's fault as that is his nature, refuses to raise her hand against her brother. Upon his suggestion that she and Michael should combine their powers to stop him, Fire instead leads him to a cavern which contains an altar holding a blade formed by pure cosmic energy, which Benedict is meant to wield against her brother.

Meanwhile, Michael manages to scale Ice's tower and finds Claire waiting for him. Unfortunately, he discovers that she is corrupted by negative energy; Ice infused her with part of his own soul, bringing out her insecurities and resentments along with her other more aggressive tendencies. She leaves Michael a message: either join Ice or he kills Claire. When Michael dismisses the threat she activates her laser gun and viciously shoots at him. Benedict and Fire confront Ice in his inner sanctum, but he manages to separate them by directing Benedict into assisting Michael. As Benedict arrives Claire turns and begins to shoot at them both. During the fight Michael turns to Benedict knowing that they could not defend themselves for long without either harming Claire or her eliminating them. Benedict then pulls out the Templar Dagger he received from the cave altar and suggests they free Claire from Ice's influence. Claire, angered and knowing exactly what they have, continues fighting the Church knights to get the blade from Benedict. Meanwhile, Ice and Fire began a duel using their spell powers to overpower each other. They later began shifting in and out of their beast forms. Soon however, they were interrupted by the recovered Thunder, who hurls them among the Church members. Ice turns his anger against his father, who is unable to prevail against him in his still-weakened state. During the whole ordeal, Claire got up and smirked, as Ice uses lightning on Thunder. Benedict throws the dagger to Michael, but Claire dives, catches in mid-air, then runs up to Ice and hands it to him. Ice thanks her and claims she is no longer useful to him. Ice taps her on the forehead, removing her life force and therefore killing her instantly. Her lifeless body collapses to the floor as her laser gun slides out of her limp hand. Enraged, Michael lunges at Ice, but is repelled by a spell. Ice then turns and prepares to plunge the dagger into his father, but Fire steps in front of her father, taking the blade instead. She is mortally wounded. Screaming with sudden anguish, Ice flees the scene as Michael rushes to Claire's side, only to find her eyes completely rolled back.

With Fire dying, the balance of cosmic energy is upset, and the planet begins to descend into eternal darkness. Michael, kneeling beside Claire's lifeless body, begs Thunder to help her. Fire uses Michael as a conduit to channel the last of her life force into Claire, removing the darkness within her, bringing her back to life. Claire awakens, weak, but alive. Michael hugs his apprentice and asks if she is alright, only to find out that she remembers nothing of what happened to her. Thunder implores the Church members to leave before Ice can take their ship to escape the planet, and warns them that with the balance disrupted, negative energy and the Legion will gain the upper hand in the galaxy. Unable to do anything else, the three Church members leave the mournful Thunder by the side of his daughter.

Chapter 3: Ghosts

While Claire attempts to repair the damaged shuttle for their escape from the planet, Brother Michael and Master Benedict contemplate whether this is the right course of action, with Ice, corrupted by negative energy, still being at large. Michael decides to return to Thunder and seek his help since he has doubts that Ice can be held prisoner on this planet permanently, and meets with him outside the crypt where Thunder has just buried Fire, the Templar Dagger laid upon her chest. Thunder is now determined to eliminate Ice and the danger he poses to the universe, but refuses to accept Michael's offer of aid, since Ice would easily use Michael's power to tip the balance of cosmic energy, wreaking havoc in the galaxy. He tells Michael that cosmic energy will now decide over their fates and to look inside himself for the answer for what is to be done.

When he leaves the crypt, Michael encounters a ghostly apparition of his first Church mentor, Master Richard. Still doubtful about what to do with Ice, Michael seeks Richard's advice, but just like Thunder, Richard advises him to look into himself for the true answer, and tells him to go to a certain place, the Well of Negative Energy, to face his most personal challenge. In the meantime, Benedict prepares to look for Michael when he is met by Thunder, who tells him of Michael's destination but tells him not to interfere. Benedict protests, however, and departs for the Well.

Michael descends into the Well, which lies hidden in the fiery bowels of the planet, where he is met by Ice. Ice attempts to draw him to his side by revealing terrible visions of the future. Fearful, Michael refuses to confront the images and is overwhelmed by anguish. Ice offers to help him change his future and prevent what Michael has seen, and Michael chooses to go with him. When Benedict arrives a short time later, he finds Michael poisoned by negative energy and in Ice's company, who then depart, leaving Benedict behind. Benedict contacts Claire, instructing her to disable the shuttle (just right after she has managed to repair it), but before she can go about the task, Michael arrives. Just in time, Claire manages to sabotage the power systems, get away and recover Benedict. Worried that the two will join forces with Thunder, Ice departs to prevent this, enters his sister's tomb and recovers the dagger.

Left alone, Michael is confronted and questioned by Thunder. Michael maintains that he will cause great suffering in the future. Thunder erases Michael's memory of his future to break the hold of negative energy on him, and the two are rejoined by Benedict and Claire at the monastery. Ice arrives soon afterwards, and Thunder pleads with him one last time to let go of his plans. When Ice refuses to give up, Michael shoots at him, shortly followed by his friends, but Ice proves too powerful for them. In order to strip his son of the cosmic energy which he has bestowed upon him, Thunder takes the dagger and turns it upon himself. Shaken by remorse, Ice recovers and makes peace with his father, just before he is run through by Michael's gun's lasers. With his dying breath, Thunder proclaims Michael the chosen one since he has brought balance back to this world and promises that he will do it again, but warns him to beware his inner self or else he will bring doom to the galaxy. With that, Thunder's body vanishes.

With the death of Thunder, the cosmic energy which has permeated the planet dissipates, and a falling crystal shatters on the tip of the monastery's tower, enveloping the three Church members with a blinding flash. When they come to, they find themselves back in space inside the shuttle and being contacted by Commander Spider. They are confused to learn that only a moment has passed since they lost contact with their cruiser, but recover sufficiently enough to complete their rendezvous.