Private Undead Nightmare

[Silas Westgard]

Objective: Deal with the undead Kahlil left behind on Dathomir
Location: Empire space
Tags: Kahlil Noble

"18...19...20..." Silas said effortlessly as he quickly performed some quick press ups on the matted floor of the ship. He had been doing his personal endurance training for thirty minutes, taking time away from his free section to instead improve himself as a whole. It was not something Kahlil kept bothering about considering he knew Silas was pretty strict himself when it came to his training. Slacking was something the boy wasn't made to do, instead of putting his full attention and effort into something that required a good attitude and patience. So far, it had been paying off greatly.

"37...38...39...40," he said with a sigh before stopping and going to his knees. Taking a short one minute break he reached over to his water bottle and took a few sips to keep him hydrated, enough not to make him have a stitch at least. Right now, they were within empire borders and hidden from any opposing ships with their camouflage. Except, when it came to where they were headed the location seemed to confuse the padawan. Silas didn't know what Master Kahlil had to do with Dathomir, but it was important enough to bring him along with him to check it out.

"Master, why are we traveling to Dathomir again?" he asked openly as he finally fell to his back and began to do a set of sit ups to improve his core. He didn't know where Kahlil was right now, but he was sure to hear him from where he was currently situated "There's... not really anything there" he stated in between his exercise, always making sure to do them properly to make the most out of what he was doing.

​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Once more a tired looking Kahlil came into the training room with a '#1 Dad' mug full of caf to watch his Padawan go through rigorous morning exercises. In a way, it reminded the Master of his first couple of months away from the Sith. Rigorous training to build up his body that had been so weakened and ravaged by the dark. It wasn't the same reason as Silas's own training.

But he could see how absorbed the Padawan would get into it.

"Dathomir has plenty on it's surface. The Nightsisters are a powerful group of Force Users who's powers differ quite a bit from our own. It's important to know about them to better understand your own position in the Force. But, we're here to check out one of my old labs. Make sure nothing dangerous escaped and such."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

"Morning Master"

Silas looked over to Kahlil Noble as he continued his exercise, the ever present "#1 dad" mug in his hands to try and beat away the tiredness Vera had surely brought upon him. The man must have had a whole collection any dad would be proud of by now, after all his whole cupboard was filled with them. Silas listened carefully while leaning up and down from the mat every few seconds, pushing himself to reach fifty so he could take another break and talk to his master properly.

The padawan raised a brow when he mentioned he used to have a laboratory. Silas knew he used to be a Sith, but owning a lab was something he wasn't expecting from his master. It made him think about what kind of things Kahlil was up to during his Sith days, if he enjoyed it or not was a different story.

"You used to have a lab? I presume it was used for strange experiments and weird tests I shouldn't really be told about right?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I was quite the alchemist when I was a Sith. Sorcery was my weapon. That, and the creatures I'd make. Did you know that Nightsisters are particularly killed at a form of Necromancy? They needed a powerful sister to focus on the chant to keep their dead alive to fend off foes though. I set out to.. Fix that, I suppose." Oops. Kahlil chuckled nervously as he sipped more of his caf before he deep dived into his old interests any further. Even as a Jedi he couldn't help but be fascinated by obscure Force abilities. At least now he realized how twisted they could get.

".. So yeah. We're going to my old lab to make sure there's no undead wandering around."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

"49...50"

Silas finally came to a stop and reached over for his cold water again, gulping down a bigger portion than before as he heard his master explaining what he did. A grin formed on his lips when he lowered the water back down, full well knowing that he probably wasn't there to just fix them "I don't know why, but Sith and fixing are not a match at all. There was definitely something else going on" the padawan teased as he got up to his feet, chuckling from the fact he was trying to hide his true intentions.

From the way he explained it Kahlil Noble still seemed to still have the same passion for digging into the unknown as before. Hopefully, that didn't correspond for the sick projects too. "As long as you don't plan on doing weird tests on me anytime soon we should be alright. I can't imagine how Valery Noble would react if I returned undead" he said with a joking nudge of his shoulder as he walked past him to grab a towel. Wiping some sweat from his face he sat down on a chair, giving his body a much needed break.

"Did you leave any surprises for anyone who tried to snoop around in your absence?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Haha." Kahlil snorted despite his fake laugh, but hid that with a sip of his caf. Then shook his head. Well, was about to shake his head no but paused. Had he left any traps for intruders? It would've been a very him thing.

Ah, he should've gone back sooner, while he still remembered more.

"Probably not, but uh, be careful just in case. Or I will end up having to bring you back undead." He teased right back, though there was a serious danger to it if he had left anything behind.

"If you see any writing on the floors or walls, don't touch it. It's probably a rune trap, is all."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

"Well, you'll know who you'll be explaining to if that happens," he said back with one last tease before getting back to the seriousness of the mission. It wouldn't surprise him if he did in fact see rune traps considering Kahlil Noble had a necromancy past. Nodding and taking a mental note of what he said, Silas got back up and stood in front of his master with folded arms.

"Considering you placed them you should be able to reverse the trap, correct?" he asked curiously, looking up to Kahlil with a face that meant business this time. It was fine now and then to have a laugh, but at some point, they needed to get into the nitty gritty of the task at hand.

"Once we have finished looking around, I highly suggest you pick up anything you need before we destroy the lab. We can't let the empire find utilise your work to their advantage."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Maybe. It's not as simple as reversing them as just rendering them useless. If they hadn't already been triggered by any wandering creatures of Dathomir. Oh, right. Avoid the Rancors, if you can. They're uh, smaller. And more deadly here." Kahlil wasn't as serious as Silas had gotten, but he did want the Padawan to be aware of the dangers they were going to run into. Not alone, though.

"When we touch down we'll be meeting up with another Jedi. I figure having another set of eyes to look over my old things would be good. Treat them with respect, okay?"

He paused. Then reached down to pat the top of Silas's head. "If things go bad, you prioritize your own safety first. So long as you're safe, I can handle whatever comes our way. Alright?"

Silas Westgard | Amani Serys

 

[Silas Westgard]

"Understood Master, Rancors as a whole seem to be a pain in the ass as it is," he said in a more serious tone than it sounded. Big Rancors were deadly as it was, but when they were lowered down to the average size of an alien? things will start to get hairy and fast. He took the warning seriously, and he'd make sure to stay away from those little brutes at all costs.

Silas nodded respectfully to the master's request of treating his items with care. If they were any other sith's he'd have no hesitation to smash them to pieces. Although considering it belonged to his master, a man who had long since moved on from that life he'd do his best to handle them with as much care possible "Of course Master, you have my word" he said with a slight smile up to the man.

The padawan kept his frosty blue eyes on him as he patted his head and warned Silas to look after himself more than anything. For a brief moment, the boy's eyes seemed to show happiness from how much he cared for him. But soon enough, he nodded sternly and kept to his usual attitude

"You don't need to worry about me, I'll follow your guidance and act accordingly from it," he said with a no nonsense nod, patting him on the side of his shoulder blade as he began walking towards the cockpit.

"We should be pretty close now right?"

Kahlil Noble Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

Dathomir had already made its way onto Amani’s list of Top 10 Least Favorite Places In The Galaxy. And she hadn’t even been here that long. Witches, rancors, giant bats, zombies, the list of things that would try to kill you goes on and on. Sure, she hadn't run into any yet, but it was the concept of the matter. So why was she here, again?

Friend of a friend. Er, husband of a friend really. Valery had her back on more than one occasion now, and so when word came around that Kahlil was in need of an extra pair of hands, Amani saw it as a favor owed.

Still didn’t mean she liked being here, though. “C’mooon,” She tapped her foot anxiously against the metal of her ship’s exit ramp, all the while her eyes darted back and forth between the ominous landscape and the crimson skies above, waiting for that twinkle of an incoming vessel.

Kahlil Noble | Silas Westgard​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Ah, sometimes it was too easy to forget Silas was still just a boy. Kahlil smiled as he watched his Padawan move to the cockpit. He still really needed to get that kid to relax, but right now he just felt thankful he understood so much about the dangers they were about to face. Just meant it'd be easier to deal with it all. R6 let out a trill of beeps from where it was plugged into the ship, and The Bastion broke through atmosphere a moment later. Hurtling towards the ground only to pause just before impact to land.

R6 didn't like the giant bats either.

Once the ship touched down Kahlil went down the ramp, offering a brief eave to the third of their little trio.

"Hope you didn't have to wait long. Silas, this is Amani. Amani, Silas. I appreciate you coming along to help me clean up some of my uh, past mistakes."

Amani Serys | Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Having strapped himself into a seat in the cockpit the ship broke through the atmosphere of the planet and went with haste towards their destination. They were first going to meet up with a fellow Jedi who was going to help them first, then they'd have the hard task of getting into the lab safely. It would have been easier if Master Kahlil knew what traps he left behind if any. Even so, he was confident they'd be able to get past fine.

Shaking from side to side the ship finally touched down on the surface of the world, conveniently parked next to the ship of their ally. Silas followed his master down the ramp and stop before the knight, where Kahlil introduced him to Amani for the first time.

"Pleasure to meet you miss Amani, I'm sure you're as interested as I am to see what Master Kahlil had been up to?" he said with a friendly smile, offering a respectful bow of his head her way as he did with everyone.

Kahlil Noble Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Thank the Force, they had arrived. Much more time and Amani would have settled for waiting inside her ship. It hadn't been painfully long, but with everything on the docket she was eager to get a move on.

"No, no trouble at all. Glad to help." She smiled and returned the bow to the padawan, "And a pleasure to meet you, Silas. Hopefully whatever your master has inside won't cause us too much trouble," The mirialan offered a pleasant laugh. In spite of the circumstances, she made an effort to keep spirits from being too dour. There would be enough trouble to manage as is.

"The way I understand it, we're dealing with products of Sith alchemy? As it is, Kahlil is not the only one here with some... experience on the subject..." Her smile faltered for just a moment before returning. That experience wasn't just from study, but first hand application. A nuance that may or may not be picked up on by those present. Amani, however, did not dwell on it long, "But obviously you should take the lead on this particular case. Where are we headed?" She turned to Kahlil expectantly.

Kahlil Noble | Silas Westgard​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Ah, more Necromancy than alchemy. Old experiments of mine from when I was still Sith." Part of him was tempted to omit the fault, if to avoid any suspicion from the Jedi Knight. But that'd be pretty counter productive as he was fairly certain there were journals there he signed with his name. Nothing like signing off on sins like a proud scientist breaking new ground. At the time, that's just what he thought he was.

That, and Silas seemed pretty open about it himself. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

"Well, uh. Down. I was uhh.. Well, you'll see." To say he was embarrassed was an understatement, but why wasn't clear until he lead them towards a surprisingly deep ravine. He pointed down, where darkness blocked out the bottom.

"It was a uh, dark time for me."

Silas Westgard | Amani Serys

 

[Silas Westgard]

Silas chuckled along with the knight for a brief moment before setting his sights back on Master Kahlil. He seemed to be saying they were going to start heading down somewhere deep rather than keep on the ground, a prospect that made the padawan unnerved slightly. Confined spaces and going underground wasn't his strongest suit.

While they began traveling down the ravine he noticed how embarrassed Master Kahlil seemed to be from talking about his past. In ways, he understood why and he had no obligation to carry on with it "You don't have to talk about it now if it helps you Master. There will be other times for you to speak about what's on your mind." he said reassuringly to him. Silas wanted to know eventually, but right now probably wasn't the best time for him considering they were about to enter a lab with possible unknown figures still inside. Kahlil was more than welcome to tell the knight in his own time. All the padawan wanted was a place where he could chew on the revelations. In a place like this, he wouldn't be able to comprehend fully what he was telling him.

"Miss Amani, how did you get to know Kahlil?" the teen asked curiously, wanting to know more about the knight he had been recently introduced to.

Kahlil Noble Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

She followed curiously until they reached the gorge, seemingly endless beneath the darkening shadows. "…Huh." Not the point of origin she was expecting. Just looking down for too long struck her with a twinge of vertigo.

"Hey, that's what we're here for," She swallowed the feeling and covered it up with a reassuring smile. Kahlil's embarrassment regarding his past was obvious, and for that she couldn't blame him. It was difficult enough admitting to parts of her own past, actually facing them was something else entirely. But from the opposite perspective, she only saw his distaste as proof of his betterment as a person.

Amani then turned to Silas, "Well, actually this is the first time Kahlil and I have met in person." She glanced between the padawan and his master, "But his wife Valery is a friend, and a woman I respect immensely. So, I guess you could say I'm only doing this for her," The mirialan winked, clearly just poking fun with her last comment.

"What about the two of you? Have you been training together long?"

Kahlil Noble | Silas Westgard​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Nah nah. It's fine to talk about it. I was in a much different place then than I am now. The feeling of helplessness is one of the greater threats to anyone." That he wouldn't go into detail about. Not with both of them, or either of them. Not yet. Last thing he needed was either of them thinking he could still be possessed by his father when in actuality he couldn't.

"Almost a month, maybe two? Valery had a hand in him becoming my Padawan, which isn't too surpr- Oh that's not good."

Kahlil paused as he caught movement down below. There wasn't supposed to be movement down there. Various safe guards he placed should've stopped any wildlife from getting to his lab. His eyes narrowed before he took a step forward to simply fall off the ledge. Curiosity and that unsettling feeling of something going wrong meant no time to waste.

Silas Westgard | Amani Serys

 

[Silas Westgard]

"Ah, Master Valery... everything seems to go through her" in ways he wasn't wrong. Valery seemed to know everyone and everything, almost like a HUB for everything Jedi. It was clear why though, her attitude and kindness to others were second to none so it must have been easy to make friends with people.

"You've come far Master, and if anyone can't see that then they're blind" he replied to Kahlil, looking up to him with a brief smirk as they continued to go deeper. Silas had no worry regarding his past and if there was a possibility he was still working for his father. He had moved on since those dark times and become the person he was meant to be. So far, there had not been a time where he didn't feel safe under Master Kahlil's supervision, Silas trusted him with his life...

"Well, me and Master Kahlil first met when he filled in during a training session. You can thank Master Valery for making it happen" he said as he expected Kahlil to carry on the rest of the explaining which he did to a certain point. Before he could finish Kahlil caught movement down below. Clearly, he must have felt something that was never a part of his lab, forcing him to act fast and accordingly. Without hesitation, the padawan followed his Master down the ledge doing whatever was necessary to stick with him.

"Well from that I presume we won't be alone down there!"

Kahlil Noble Amani Serys Valery Noble ​

 

[Amani Serys]

“That it does,” She seconded Silas’ comment. It was a good thing, frankly; Amani could think of no better representative for Jedi as a whole than Valery. Not even the meeting between master and padawan was free of her influence. How that woman had the time for it all, she could only imagine.

There was little time to dwell on her question before Kahlil had clearly noticed something that put him on guard. Amani reacted in turn, drawing her saber but keeping it deactivated for the time being. “Right into it, I guess,” She followed the pair down the ledge, and toward the lab below, “What did you see?”

Kahlil Noble | Silas Westgard​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil didn't hop to a ledge. He dove right for the bottom.

The Jedi Master disappeared into the darkness, a worried and conflicted expression clear on his face in the few moments he was still visible. Silence, then a flash of green as Kahlil's saber lit up within the haze below. Unnatural darkness was the only term for it. Like a fog, heavy and dense. Obscuring all that could be seen. Except for the sudden addition of another saber. And another. Several others.

All blood red.

Silas Westgard | Amani Serys