Ain't No Sass in Our Kaas [Silver Sanctum Dominion of Dromund Kaas]

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Lock the doors? Well she wasn't opposed to them being able to be protected while they were searching through things. It could even come in handy as she moved to the door they entered closing it and using the old lock. Wasn't sure if it would hold if something heavy struck it but standing there for a moment she turned back around watching the other padawan while moving to look at the other set of doors. They were barred with a small beam as she put it down and checked it so they could remove it as needed before looking back at Sorel. "Alright doors are good, now we can take the time to do as you like and look around."

She was looking at her while walking over and placed a hand on her shoulder looking over at the other books. "See anything interesting? Never know what these sith might like." She was interested in seeing some of the things and looked her over with a smile on her face while pulling one fo them out. "So same question, what is the strangest force power you have seen Sorel? I am sure there have been some unnusual ones out there." She was excited by the prospect of seeing some of the really interesting abilities and focusing on them before moving her one hand to open the book with a small creak coming out of her throat. "Spooky."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel’s smile at their progress and camaraderie vanished abruptly at the mention of checking out the books. “No,” she said, a little forcefully, and quickly realised her tone was too serious. “I mean, I’d rather not. If it’s interesting, it shouldn’t be read, should it? Temptation to the quick path to knowledge is a standard approach of the dark side isn’t it? That’s what I was taught. I mean, I’m not saying you shouldn’t read them, but I know myself well enough. I’d rather not look, and then I can’t be tempted.”

She would not admit to her new friend that she was actually frightened to touch one – for fear she might be physically sick. Such was the strength of the memory of her old Master that she would not dare to even contemplate reading anything the Sith had written – especially anything interesting. She simply did not trust herself enough, given her own Master succumbed to the dark side. Spooky did not do it justice.

And she knew the Force ability she’d quote under different circumstances. A Jedi Master using Force Lightning. But that was not something she was going to share. So she used one her Master was known for and she understood a little. “I’d say Crucitorn. Even a minor ailment could be amplified to seem to the subject to be a major injury. It stopped many duels before they got going, the enemy fleeing or surrendering because they believed they were so badly hurt.”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Looking at the girl as she seemed adamant the padawan gave a nod of her head in understanding. She had her own experience and wasn't one to force such a thing while thinking about it with some attention on everything. Taking her hand back while she offered a smile that was also kind of sad. "Don't worry, I know that look and only kidding Sorel. We'll find something else we can do." She was rather just enjoying this right here, getting to interact with another padawan whom well she had more in common. SOme of the others seemed to like being brooding emotional wrecks and think they were edgy... Only Sorel reminded her of being with her sisters... Focused and determined instead of trying to be cooler as she looked around. "Hmm crucitorn is something I heard about and it sounded strange but interesting. If you can find a way to stop a fight and not prolong it that doesn't mean just killing people I could see some value in that."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel listened to Orihime. She was more of a kindred spirit than most Jedi of her age. Most of the Jedi she’d encountered were in training – either receiving or giving learning. But reports she’d read and stories she’d heard, it seemed that over the millennia Jedi had become less like the Jedi she still imagined them to be and more like generic Force users that fought evil. And whereas she saw the Code as defining and supporting in equal measures, she felt others dismissed it as unhelpful, vague and limiting. She was no Dark Jedi, she would never use the dark side and wondered lately if that made her the odd one out. Thankfully Orihime made her feel less like the only one with her viewpoint. Even if she was in the minority, she was at least not alone.

“That’s OK, I don’t mind you checking them out. And who knows what else we might find in this place.”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

She shrugged to that, really there wasn't much she wanted to learn... if anything she was more interested in other stuff.... like an entire library and it couldn't all be filled with 'And with this power of the force' She knew there had to be other things darksiders felt passionate about besides like power and ruling. Even terrible evil leaders indulged something like artwork or writing... They could find the lost book of poems written by a sith lord that are all sonnets about a lost love or something. Or they could find paintings one did of the landscape between genocides.... really there had to be more. Even if she found the darkside evil there had to be more to the people then just a monster or murderer. "I am just curious if there is more things then like power talks and magic or something. Like artwork or poems something that shows they are just evil. Something to understand."

 

[Ranik Keeran]

[Due to the issues I've been experiencing, I unfortunately neglected this. Is this over? May I still post? I just need to complete my story, and it doesn't need to branch across three threads, haha]


All of a sudden, out of the darkness, a Sith Spawn attacked him. He quickly jumped away and dropped his glowrod, activating the night vision in his cybernetic eye as he thrusted forward, now engaging the enemy. Officially fighting, he was seriously rusty from over a decade of staying in hiding and out of the action. However, his cybernetics kept him in action and in the right mindset, helping him take it down, but he would need to train after this to regain his strength and focus. As he felled the initial Sith Spawn, he noticed a small group approaching him, and this was going to test him. It wasn't just a fight against ancient alchemized creatures, but his senses and abilities were being tested and tried in the dark, hollow, cold and empty ruins of a once proud Sith Academy. Before the fight began, he applied some Kolto to his body, and quickly injected some immunity for the next fight. He had to prepare now, as after he dealt with these creatures, there was something farther in the darkness, and it was large.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel felt her face flush. She’d acted rashly and without consideration of her friend’s feelings or needs. It was entirely likely the library contained more than just tomes on Sith magic. It stood to reason. Sheepishly she unlocked the door.

“You’re absolutely right. We should check them out. Catalogue them even? Spells, fiction, poems, political writings, training techniques. There is probably much to learn here without the risk of falling to the dark side. I’m sorry,” she said again and smiled weakly. “I jumped to a conclusion way too quickly. Please forgive me.” And with that she started to move the books around the shelves, initially basing her decision on the title and setting aside those that were ambiguous, for review once the obvious ones had been organised.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime looked at her with a nod of her head, yes they had been being careful but Sorel understood the idea... the want to find more. There was always a lot of things they could work "It is alright, given things that have happened being careful is important and I do not blame you. Whatever happened seems to have left a mark as as for my family." She didn't talk about it much but the darkside was there with her mother as well, not her but someone they all cared about while she was looking at some of the books and there was some things thre but it wasn't as interesting as she could tell. Maybe a few of the things here for early history of the planet or a book about botany. "There are some things here, books on flowers and this goes about some of the food places that were in Kaas city."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel was pleased she hadn’t damaged their new-found friendship – and potentially upset her Master too. She had been too sensitive and at least she understood and could act accordingly going forwards.

Sorel wondered what she was expecting to find. Sith were people and people had various interests. In fact she picked up a copy of a study of swamp wampas and became engrossed in the book. It seemed they were native to the planet and a cousin of their Hoth counterparts.

And then she stumbled across a guide to the Kaas City arboretum – which looked simply stunning. She showed the book to her fellow Padawan. “This we should find.”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Now she was getting into it and oh a place they could go and try to discover. "Ohh that sounds exciting, there is a lot of places we could try and find with this guide." She was liking the idea, they were here... why not have a guide to go exploring rather then just try to stumble upon things. It was far better and more enjoyable before she set the guide book aside for them, the others like ones about plant and animal life on the world were there in their own pile. Ones that were talking about history and ritual from the empires well those were in a small pile off on the far side that they could let others look through. Mostly she was dividing it for anything with a chance of history or dangerous sounding title was away from them. She had a smile on her face. "Anythign interesting in your piles?"

 

[Ranik Keeran]

Ranik wasn't so much worried about the creatures he was facing, but the fact that these underground ruins stretched deep, and who knows what was beyond them. He had already traveled deep and it was a problem remembering the paths he took since there were so many. He engaged the next group of Sith Spawn, and they proved a match for his rusty skills. He wasn't sloppy, but he was getting hit. He was getting tired as he was killing them, his prosthetics and cybernetic limbs starting to creak up, surely... he was going to need new ones at some point, knowing you can repair things but eventually, they get old. As he slashed against them, having to cut several times, as some were armored, and continuously back off so others didn't flank him, that, or cut them instead. This tactic wasn't going to work, as he only killed a few as the rest came clawing at him. He sheathed his swords and and drew his slugthrowers, beginning to fire off rounds. He had a passion for sword play, but he had the training, experience, and mastery of his slugthrowers, which made his primary skill. However, even as he started dropping the Sith Spawn, he wouldn't be done yet. The figure farther in the dark had approached much faster than he anticipated, and tossed the Sith Spawn out of the way. In his night vision, he could see the beast sniffing the air and giving a roar, what was this thing... and why was it enraged to kill him?

 

[Ranik Keeran]

Ranik had to move quickly to get out of the way and out of the beasts reach, which was about as far as Ranik was tall. But he didn't get out of the way fast enough, as one of the Sith Spawn that were pummeled out of the way of the beast was hurled towards him and and forced him into a wall. His cybernetic arm had been bent in the forearm region, the crystasteel shattering since it was so thin from the force. He was unable to appropriately use his cybernetic arm now, as the mechanical rods, joints, and other items were either stretched, snapped, or inoperable. He had to think fast, and a dangling arm would do him no good. He pushed the dead Sith Spawn off anf stood up, reaching to his Cybernetic arm and engaged its removal procedure. It fell off and he moved quickly, trying to get around the beast, sheathing his slugthrowers and drawing his Target Blaster. He fired off a couple shots, hitting its legs and face. It didn't entirely affect it, more aggravating it, but it dazed it enough so that Ranik could make his move.

 

[Ranik Keeran]

As Ranik attempted his move, the one he thought would help him, which most likely would... he didn't take into account his changed weight, losing his arm. His footing was slightly off as he came around the beast, which put him into an altered path, allowing the beast to see him. The beast charged him and Ranik was unable to counter in time, only barely enough to escape the beasts grasp, but not the physical blow thrusted upon him. Ranik was forced to the ground as he heard the beast made an ear-splitting roar, trying to readjust himself as he tried to recover from the friction that he experienced due to sliding against the ground. The blow also struck his stomach, causing his synthskin sac to move about and almost tear, the weapon inside pressing against his organs and outer stomach. It could cause serious damage if done again. His partially mechanical spine was also affected, and it was extremely painful to stand. He took a breath and took more kolto, it was slow but it was all he had at the time. He also used the small amount of bacta he carried on him, just for the pain. He got his footing fixed and went for the move again, firing at the legs a few more times than last, then at the face.

 

[Ranik Keeran]

His idea was going to be extremely harder compared to doing it with two hands, but this beast wasn't just going to let Ranik run. And with his cybernetic leg needing a lot of attention, he wouldn't get ten feet from the beast if he were to run. He fired a few more times, making its leg sore and dazing its face... at this point it was all he could do. Then he threw the Target Blaster at the beast, hoping he could get it back after, but if it had to be, a sacrifice was fine. Now that his hand was free, he reached for one of his Vibroblades, thrusting it into the the leg as hard and deep as he could, drawing the other Vibroblade after. He moved as the beast swiped at its own leg, and came back to thrust the other one slightly higher. The beast suddenly swung its body to the side to hit Ranik, and he tried to dodge, but he was still thrusting the Vibroblade inside it. He fell to the ground once more, twisting his ankle of the right cybernetic leg, making it stretched and lose. When he had these body parts in mind, he never thought to face such a massive beast, he was even hesitant against wookies, but this is something that would never have even crossed his mind.

He rolled out of the way as the beast became enraged and swung at anything and everything, smashing its clawed fists where Ranik was. Ranik stood up, ignoring the pain of the off-balance leg and his spine, drawing his last slugthrower, the one he sheathed earlier. He point blank shot at the creatures feet and then aimed upward at its eyes, just before dropping it to grab his final Vibrosword. He jumped onto the side of the creature, still trying to avoid its spiny looking back and climb on the vibroblades he shoved into it, along with a flimsy leg. Using the vibrosword to help get a grip and climb, he rose to the beast head and held on as it flailed. At the precise moment he got his footing and balance, he rose the vibrosword and struck it into the beasts skull. Without the strength of his cybernetic arm, he used the combined body weight of his legs and torso, and used his legs to clutch at anything and pull upward, forcing him down.

 

[Ranik Keeran]

The beast threw Ranik off as he lost his hold on the beast, but it shook and tried reaching for the blade, limping on its right side from the Vibroblades until it started to twitch. The more it reached the more it tried to reach behind it, causing it to lose balance and fall to its right side. Ranik desperately and quickly crawled out of the way as the beast fell, cracking its skull against the ground and nudging the Vibrosword with such a force, it pushed it in and angled it. Ranik was panting as he crawled to the wall nearby and sat up against it, looking over to the beast as it laid. He watched it twitch a few times before it sounded like it stopped breathing. Ranik was done fighting, he needed serious medical treatment, fixes to his cybernetics, and generally just a good rest. Even now, his cybernetic eye was having technical difficulties, cutting in and out every now and then.

But it wasn't over, not by a long shot. The scuffle echoed through the dark halls and attracted more creatures, Ranik thought more Sith Spawn. He leaned against the wall he slid against as he slid up it, trying to stand. Suddenly slouching as he realized it was some sort of desk, or container. He felt around to search for some kind of handle or device to open it. Once he did, by miraculous placement and coincidence, he found the device he was looking for. The scuffle moved them from the place he started fighting, and forced him into a smaller room off the beaten path. But finally, he found the Black Cipher, and he was done with this place. He could have attempted to look more throughout the ruins to find the other items the man had asked of him, but he just couldn't fight anymore.

 

[Ranik Keeran]

Ranik looked to the beast and the ground, to gather up his weapons that he had tossed. He was in pain, and his ability to walk and run had been inhibited, but the sounds of creatures were growing louder, and he had to get them quickly. Before he left the room, however, set up on some sort of pedestal, he saw an old book out of the corner of his cybernetic eye. It was very old, but it had ancient symbols on it, and separate from all the others he had seen before. It seemed like it was made of importance by being placed in this area, and in such a way. He decided to grab it, maybe it would hold value to the man he made the deal with to go into this crapfest in the first place, especially since he wasn't going to even try and look for the other items.

As he left the room to try and remember the way he had taken, he saw his cybernetic arm and his other slugthrower, quickly grabbing it as he heard sounds nearby. He slugged the arm onto his back and began searching for the original path, just as one of the sith spawn that heard the fight and blaster fire came running at him. Ranik had no time to stick around or be quiet, so he angled the slugthrower up and fired off on the sith spawn, going back to his search.

 

[Ranik Keeran]

Once more, he met with the first sith spawn he killed, he ever killed, right by the way he originally took to get to this location. As he began to follow it, he knew the other creatures were nearby, as they were twice as close as before... they had to be where the dead beast laid. As he glanced behind him as he tended to, thankfully, he saw them sprawling from the darkness. He turned the slugthrower to aim behind him and start firing as he quickened his pace. It almost felt like a maze, or maybe it was small, just enormous hallways, darkness and circles that made him feel like he may get lost at any second. But thankfully, he saw light coming up, and it had to be the way he came in.

He kept firing at the sith spawn, trying to get away. Before he got to the exit, he sheathed his slugthrower and took one of his ABC Scrambler grenades and tossed it toward them. Hopefully it would affect them at least similar to the target blaster on the beast, putting it in a daze, or making it sore. He would use that to cover his escape as he wedged out of the ruins. Exhausted, in pain, and finally in the clear, he gasped for the fresh air and clambered to his ship. Putting in the coordinates and starting a message to the man, stating he would be on his way with precious cargo, and requested medical support upon his arrival.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel was so preoccupied with the books she’d previously suggested they avoid looking at that she was almost embarrassed when she realised Orihime was talking to her and she wasn’t paying attention.

“What? Oh, sorry, I was reading.” She gave a cheeky grin. “Lots about the local flora and fauna and a few on places of interest around here.” She blew dust off one such book. “The buildings may not still be here, but it might be worth a look another time? And did you know a species of Wampa lives here?”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

"I did not." She was rather liking this and ooh going on a tour. WHo knew what they might be able to find here in the rubble. It woul at the very least let them know where they were. "Though tour books about the places could come in handy and when the rain lessens we can go and see. Maybe make a small trip out of it." LEarning and exploring were the best ways but doing it in the rain and storm... Not so much... plus they would be able to do it while they were possibly a little stronger and more trained in case something dangerous might show up. Locking the doors might have helped in case any of the creatures came upon them or some of the others. "Anything else look interesting?"

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel touched a few books as she talked. “Places to visit, a few on creatures and quite a few on Sith sorcery and magic. Then lots of boring ones, kind of run of the mill text books you might get in any library. History, geography. Sith poems, short stories and even some memoirs, not that I’m in to reading what ancient Sith Lords did on their day off.”

“What about you?”

[member="Orihime Ike"]