Aurum: Return of the Wardens (ask first)

[Chloe Blake]

The large towering stones were covered in a thick layer of moss and vines, the carved surface barely visible under the thick growth.

Here, in the depths of the jungle, yet untouched by the Horde, stood the massive stone structure used as a keeper of time. Here the sun, moon, and the stars were used as celestial guides to document time.

But they were also used as a guide.

A guide to the hidden sanctum.

Bare rocks and dirt would crunch under her heels, as the Warden went stepping into the midst of the stone guardians of an ancient civilization. Here, surrounded by the shadows of the past brought a measure of awe to the Warden, but none the less reemphasizing her mission.

In the center of the circle stood a small stone altar, which upon twin statues depicting Asha and Bogan; light and dark, in perfect balance.

In the shadow of a stone Selab tree.

Her breath left her.

Trembling fingers went reaching over to lightly graze upon the stone surface, every detail of the weathered stone taken to memory.

She was here.

From her pocket, her hand quickly plucked an ancient chronowatch, the decorative Selab tree matching that which stood in front of her.

There were reasons why she was the orator of tales, myths, and legends of lore.

They were all clues. Clues to a past and tied to an ancient Order whose purpose was the sole protection and non proliferation of knowledge from those who would take needless advantage of it.

With a steadying breath, Chloe’s fist drew tight against the metal pocket watch, a grim determination sweeping her face.

In the next instant, she began her search around the statue itself.

A small indenture big enough for her to slip her hand in within the roots of the tree gave way to a small handle. A latch.

Flicking it soon sent a rumbling of the area under the stone tree, as it began to slowly turn and slide across the ground revealing an opening.

A flight of stairs.

Quickly, the Warden adjusted the satchel at her back, and there was a faint snap hiss as her silvery blue lightsaber came to life. A light to illuminate her surroundings.

Without further ado, the young Warden went delving into the entrance of the hidden sanctum temple.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

It seems the Warden of the Sky Blake needed a bit of companionship on the journey to Aurum, and she asked the droid HK to join her on the expedition.
Anyhoo, he followed silently behind her, his body covered in older tattered robes and bandages, covered currently by unmarked armor for a bit of additional protection, he softly tapped the ground with a staff at his side, a Spear of Rae actually, but just one he used as a staff at the moment, its phrik tip rapping at the ground.

In his right hand he held the hilt of his training lightsaber, deactivated, he followed behind Chloe in soft, quiet steps.
"A stone Selab tree, how curious."
He muttered, looking over the decorative botanic structure out of stone.

The droid watched in silence as Chloe reached into the roots and flicked a switch, another entrance opening among the old ruins of this place.

She has activated her lightsaber, and so did HK, letting the white blade's radiance of light and the Light Side illuminate their way.
"What do you think we will find here, Chloe?"
He asked miss Blake quietly.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="James M Parker"] [member="Isley Verd"]

On his way to the ground, a blaster shot slammed into his ribs, and he rolled painfully as he landed. Uneven ground kept him covered, just barely, as he cracked the breech of his Mandalorian shell gun. Two eight-gauge shells slotted into place, the gun snicked back together, and he flopped the heavy double barrel up over the rise, bracing the iron stock in his shoulder.

One shot was incendiary, the other concussion. He fired them simultaneously. A wave of flaming overpressure roared into the Horde guards, setting flesh and greenery alight, throwing bodies everywhere. Parker was, as usual, a lucky fether; there was little enough chance he'd take the brunt of that shot.

But as the resulting wave of hot air rippled past the death zone into the cave, Jorus admitted to himself that he'd meant the heat to melt Parker's arm and bleed him to death.

Still just barely under cover, he struggled to reload. The blaster bolt had splashed against his ODF armored underlay, the one he'd worn ever since Daxton Bane put poisoned needles through his gut. It still fething hurt.

 

[Chloe Blake]

A sharp jab of pain would go echoing within Chloe; a distant cry of the Force from her faint connection to [member="Jorus Merrill"].

It was a dull ache, nothing to suggest his death, but it was enough to flare a flame of panic within her. Another prayer was uttered to the heavens in supplication.

Kalahira, look over him. Shine your light and guiding presence over him. Bless him with your armor of protection.

It was a good thing [member="HK-36"] was here with her. Perhaps it was his presence and his question on just what they would discover provided the reminder of their purpose.

“The past, Baron Ach Kay,” she said with a slight tremble in her voice as she led them down the ancient stone stairs.

“Keys to the past that should be protected from those who would abuse them.” she confided, the pale silvery blue light from her saber revealing the moss and ivy covered worn stone, as they delved deeper into the Sanctum.

Carved glyphs upon the stone would tell a story of the ancients. Light and Dark and the balance between. Soon, they were within a large atrium, one that split into nine different wings.

They were here.

“... This is it.” she told HK, her long blonde hair shifting over her shoulders as she held her saber high.

“The Temple of the Je’daiii.” her blue eyes went to lock upon Hk’s red photo-receptors. “We must hurry and find the library vaults.”

 

[HK-36]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

HK nodded simply to Chloe as they came upon the autrium, he held his saber in the air as well, looking upon the glyphs and symbols on the walls, taking in their messages
"Ah, yes, the Je'daii, you know, Chloe, once you are as old as a Whipid Sorcerer's farts, a question can be brought up, from who can you learn history?"
The droid followed behind the young Corellian Warden, glancing to meet her blue eyes with his red sensors before looking back to their surrounding, keeping aware,
"The answer is quite simple, actually,"
HK looked briefly once more to the glyphs of the Balance,
"Those who came before even me."
He quipped, looking down each wing, as far as his sensors would allow him,

"No time to waste then, lead on."

 

[Chloe Blake]

There was no time to waste.

Chloe gave a nod towards [member="HK-36"], "Let us go." they were on a time limit. Holding her saber high, Chloe took a couple of steps forward to stand in front of the nine archways before them.


Nine different paths. Nine different wings. "This will go faster if we split up," she told the Baron. Cerulean light would shower across the sigils carved upon the moss covered stone. It was more than sigils -- but a vast pictorial representation of history. Je'daii's history.

The exodus from Tython, the rebuilding of their culture, their philosophy. There were representations of the Kwa and various double sided pyramid representations scattered through out.

In the center, just over the fifth archway, one would see the rise and fall of the sun and moon. Carve representations of balance.

"Betwixt light and dark... you will find truth." came her soft murmur. her saber shining upon that particular door. "Follow me!" it was a hunch, but she had to trust in it.

Time was running out.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

"This will go faster if we split up,"
The droid nodded slightly,
"Yes, because that always goes well."
Looking down one of the corridors he has found a narrow doorway to the side, unassuming little doorway in the wall.

"I think I may have found something."
The droid muttered out, stepping through the doorway.

Suddenly, clamoring and clanking would be heard from the doorway, objects crashing and falling over, the droid stepped out with an ancient metal bucket on his head, still trying to catch things through the doorway,
"It was just-"
More clamoring was heard as the droid struggled to put things back in their place, overwhelmed by shower of objects. Finally, the noise stopped as he was able to deal with the objects through the doorway, taking off the bucket from his head and putting it back in its place as he closed the ancient doorway.
"It was just a maintenance closet."

HK muttered out in explanation as Chloe found something in the fifth archway, something that she was willing to follow, convinced it was the right path.

The droid only nodded, following in quick step after the adventurous farm-girl, he trusted her, her instincts, and knowledge enough to get them to their destination.

 

[Chloe Blake]

Needless to say, a small bit of humor was perhaps the right kind of medicine needed for the situation at hand. However, Chloe would not have the time to fully appreciate it.

She could feel the faint connection through the Force that Jorus was not in a mighty fine state.

"Keep an eye out," Chloe said in warning, sweat and grime already a thin layer over her face and clothes. Running amuck in a jungle in the wake of the Horde occupation wasn't a mighty clean job.

The long length of the corridor was wrought with old cobwebs, dark and holding the faint lingering scent of moisture. Before she knew it, the came upon a larger chamber.

Holding her saber up high, Chloe attempted to gather her bearings, trying to see just what was up ahead and around. They had to find the library.... or the vaults.

She doubted they would be so easily found. Thankfully, Ach-kay was here to help her.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

"Keep an eye out,"
HK slightly glanced to Chloe, following her, his hands clutching a light-saber and a shatterpistol,
"You are the one who has that need to blink,"
He retorted back to her.

As they made their way through the narrow corridor, he was a sentry they needed, unyielding gaze he scanned and tracked as deep through the stone structure as he could, thankfully nothing stood in their way.

Until they have found themselves in the large chamber, looking about the droid started to tap his foot on the chamber floor, examining it for any patters, trying to see if sound of his tapping in different spots would reveal any empty space beneath the stone slab of the floor.
"You know, there was always something that made me wonder about the Je'daii, their beliefs in Balance were based on the celestial bodies of one system, yet they could have just as well be based on the planet itself."
He kept tapping and rapping on the stone floor with his foot, giving out the same dull noise of metal hitting stone,
"In many cultures and beliefs it is the skies above and heaven that is associated with light and good aspects of after-life, the Light-Side, if you will,"
The machine drawled on,
"While it is underground, deep caves and abysmal tunnels, that are associated with punishment and negative aspects, the Dark Side, for the closer one goes to the Core, the hotter and darker it gets, you get things like explosive pockets of gases, brimstone and sulfur, nasty stuff."
His job continued,
"But the space between, the mantle balancing on this set of scale, that is where the life is born. Earth, soil, ground itself, that is the balance and womb from which life in all manners of shapes and sizes comes. So, where should one seek the Balance on all planets alike?"

Finally his foot hit a part that gave out a more empty sound, a hollow space, HK looked up from it to Chloe,
"The soil itself."

He would lower to the spot, feeling it about with his hands and scanning for any mechanism,
"The question now is, how we get this bloody thing to open?"
HK would look up from it to Chloe,
"You see anything, Chloe?"

 

[Chloe Blake]

“You are brilliant, Ach-Kay!” Chloe said with growing excitement, in light of the pressing sitution they were in.

He was so very right. Often times the heavens would be associated with the light, while the dark caverns underground would be akin to those of the dark. And betwixt those worlds, balance could truly be found.

A mechanism…. A mechanism. Her boots had swirls of dust rise as she sent her saber waving back and forth, approaching the walls for any kind of clue or detail.

“You have to hand it to the Je’daii…” she would say in turn, murmuring over her shoulder as her blue eyes went skimming over ancient hieroglyphics of the sun and moon. The saber went drifting to the left, the scene would change, beasts of all manner would be revealed, flying rancors and …

An image of Tython.

Her heavens and stars over a stone carving of earth.

The impressions were deeper here, with carved out hollows. Embeded in the center, would be the ancient symbol of light and dark intertwined.

Light and dark.

Chloe would reach out, her fingers lightly running over the dusty and grime covered glyph, running over the lip of the indention.

Only to discover that a subtle pressure upon that plate depressed it, and all around them the ground and walls would shake as if caught in an earthquake. The ground gave a rumble, and the hiss of a broken seal would break the roar as the ground under [member="HK-36"] slowly began to open in a circular motion.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

"I- I am also single."
The droid muttered out in response,

He was still on his knees, feeling over the ground, looking for any key-holes or pressure plates in his immediate location as Chloe checked the walls and images of- flying rancorns?

That's a thing?
Rancorns were already a forest-living species, I suppose, maybe they could grow a membrane between their bodies and long arms to glide from tree to tree like a huge, murderous sugar-glider.

HK stood up, about to answer Chloe about handing it to the Je'daii as he started to rotate slowly, standing in the center of the mechanism,
"And I have to hand it to you as well, Chloe."
The droid said, his head staying still, looking at Chloe as his body rotated with the mechanism on the floor, in a bit creepy show of the rotating abilities of his joints.

Finally he would look down into the opening, down the stairs that were revealed to them, as he stepped off of the center of mechanism and onto the stairs,
"Ready to descent into the Vaults, Chloe?"
HK asked, waiting for her to join him

 

[Chloe Blake]

Sure steps would bring Chloe to [member="HK-36"] ‘s side in no time, her cerulean silver saber held out to illuminate the path.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” came her quip, before taking the plunge -- and going in first. She felt like a tomb raider, and any other time, she’d have been making lighthearted jokes about it.

Right now, however, her concern was on Jorus and everyone else. Kalahira make sure they stay safe.

The air was damp here, and there were a few critters crawling along the floor and the walls. Thick roots hung from the ceiling, having centuries to break through the stone and dirt.

The scent of oil would wrinkle her nose. Oil? she would muse, prompting her to glance over to her right. There, along the wall, was a long thin gutter of sorts against the wall, carved in. A frown drew over her face.

Fingers went over, lightly tapping the slick surface. She brought it up to her nose and took a whiff.

It was oil.

“Hk-kay…you wouldn’t happen to have a lighter would you?” she would ask him.

 

[Rexus Drath]

(( I'm sorry guys I got a new job and I've been working a lot of overtime I completely forgot about this RP >_< I will post ASAP))

 

[HK-36]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

HK looked over to Chloe at her question, exploring the depths of the structure with her,
"Well I have a wrist-repeater and we both have lightsabers, although that may burn too hot and damage the gutter."
He walked up to Chloe, next to her, looking down at the gutter,
"Although sometimes, all you need,"
HK extended his hand towards the oily surface,
"Is one, little,"
Electricity suddenly crackled up along palm of the droid's glove and between his fingers, the systems of his electro-gauntlet,
"Spark."
Bringing the palm down towards oil, the sparks and arcs that danced about his palm touched the surface of oil.

And so, the sparks begun the flame, and flame turned into a river of fire as it spread along the gutter, running quickly along the carved stone structure.

 

[Chloe Blake]

One little spark was all they would need alright.

Before their very eyes, that spark of fire ignited the oil within the gutter in a whoosh of flames, only to calm as it ran down the length of the wall, illuminating the vault area with it’s primitive light.

It would follow a set path, the gutter revealing itself to merely be a method of allowing light into the chamber. From one wall to the next, it would connect alongside other gutters, rising up to reveal another wide staircase and then lining the far wall in a circular pattern.

Flames of gold and blue would reveal more hieroglyphics, all scenes of Tython, bearing the tale of the Je’daii and their origins.

Awe would go bathing Chloe’s face as the flames finally connected from east to west in the center, revealing the stone perches of glittering dust covered items.

There, in the center was a double sided pyramid shaped holocron that was seemingly shaped in the form of a golden colored Tho Yor. Along side it were other ancient tomes, weapons, and two more polygon shaped holocrons.

To the left, the symbol of Xesh would be carved into the stone under a dark crystal pyramid structure. To the right, a flying rancor would be etched along the stone pillar that particular holocron sat upon.

“... I think we found the vault.” came Chloe’s low voice in awe.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

HK's photoreceptors followed the path of the flames, scanning over the large vault that the flames illuminated, letting them behold the great collection of knowledge and information,
"How do you suppose they put that flame out?"
The droid queried, referring to the gutter of fire,
"Do they have something like a central irrigating system to put the fire out all at the same time or had they go up and down with those buckets we have seen before?"

HK begun but his attention was taken by the stone pillar with more of those flying rancorn etchings on top of which a holocron sat, although the droid didn't really knew what a holocron was, he never had a need for information on those items, as he cannot use them anyway, not having a presence in the Force with which he could activate the Force-sensitive item.

"Oh, that thing looks neat, dibs on that."
The machine said, pointing out the holocron, to make sure Chloe knew what he was talking about.

It took him a couple of minutes to walk down all those stairs and get in front of the pillar, but he would be finally able to grab the holocron.

He would hold the device in his hand like a hand-axe, swishing it around in the air as if he was smacking somebody with it,
"Yes, this will do fine, I will call it-"
HK raised the holocron in his palm
"The Night-bringer!"

Glancing about once more, he noticed the collections of ancient tomes,
"Say, Chloe, do you suppose they have works on Crystallurgy and Force Imbue techniques in there?"
He asked his companion for her opinion, slightly juggling the ancient holocron in his hands.

 

[Chloe Blake]

Needless to say, having [member="HK-36"] react so with an artifact that is well over twenty thousand years old that is as delicate as spun glass made Chloe reach out with both hands to gently take it from his hands.

“Ahh.. please.. Please be careful.” she said in advisement, “Not everything is as sturdy as you Baron.” she said in passing, carefully holding the relic in her hand. The symbol of Xesh was decorated across the pyramid type structure.

“Xesh…” It will need further study to determine just who it belonged to.

[ The name is Tau .]

The abrupt voice would come from the holocron upon Chloe’s touch, sensing the Force within the woman as a small darkhaired male appeared hovering over the pyramid.

Chloe’s eyes would grow wide. “Well that ain’t a sight one sees everyday.” she made in commentary, glancing over at the Droid beside her. “Now ain’t the time to sit for tea and crumpets and wonder if there is anything having to do with crystallurgy.”

[ The tomes from Anil Kesh and Vur Tepe would have more information on that. ] came the voice of the holocron gatekeeper.

Blinking, Chloe gave a sudden glance back at the pyramid holocron. “Mighty grateful.”

Turning to the Baron, she gave a nod “Collect as much as you can.” she began to slide her satchel off of her back. In it, she had a couple of nifty little pill boxes HK would be more familiar with. The sturdy boxes would be large enough to safely transport the three holocrons back to the Aurora.

First would be ‘Tau’, then the one perched on top of the pillar with the winged rancor. The name Shae Koda would be etched along the bottom.

Finally, the double pyramid would be last.

And much like the first, it activated upon sensing Chloe’s touch, reacting to the Force.

Only this time, instead of a near human, the small image of what Chloe could only describe as a Kwi appeared.

Only that Kwi were not sentient enough to speak basic. [ I am A'nang, the last of the Tythonian Kwa.]

Things could only get more interesting after that.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

"Then I shall,"
HK answered to Chloe on comment for him to be careful,
"But I still want to claim that holocron for Abregado-Rae, not for myself but for its people, and future Observer Protectors who will replace me."

As the little person from one of the holocrons appeared, HK just shook his head, muttering about Jedi tricks as he just gave a sharp nod at the mention of Anil Kesh and Vur Tepe sections containing more information on the subjects he was seeking.

He did not need to take the tomes for himself, all he had to do was read them, his memory would take care for the rest until he can write their content down once more in safety of his office and its hidden facilities.
The droid grabbed few of those pill boxes,
"Anil Kesh and Vul Tepe, got it."
He repeated as he went off to start loot- collecting knowledge of the ancients.

However, once he got to these sections he found rows filled with books, for the knowledge of these temples would not contain just the works on specific subjects of Crystallurgy and Force Imbue, but general study of Alchemy.
"That is a lot of books, better get to work."
The droid muttered to himself before quickly grabbing the nearby tome, flipping the pages in his quick hands, as the equally quick mechanical eyes read off the contents of the book, saving it on the banks of his memory.
Once he was done with the tome he placed it into the pill-box, grabbing another to continue the process, it would take just few seconds to get through a tome at the time, but it wouldn't be that soon until the droid would get through the section.

However, eventually he would find the knowledge on subjects he was concerned about, but with it, also the ancient knowledge of Alchemy the Je'daii held in Anil Kesh and Vul Tepe.
Knowledge he himself found more or less useless, but others would not.

 

[Chloe Blake]

Undoubtedly, Chloe was a bit too distracted gather what else HK said, she was too busy with wide eyes staring at the holographic Kwa form of A'nang.

"Oh by Kalahira's mantle..." she would whisper only to blink as the image would instead say. [ Kalahira? No, I am A'nang.]

"Mighty fine pleasure. Sorry for stuffing you in this pill box." she would say, knowing that while her mind spun at the knowledge of having A'nang's holocron, she dare not waste valuable time.

Jorus and the others were still out there.

Needless to say, Chloe was not surprised at [member="HK-36"] 's quick ability to absorb information. However, she was nervous considering the tomb's age.

"Just.. careful with your flipping." she would remind the droid. "If you so desire, that is fine. " Considering the baron was a droid and was not Force sensitive, that was perfectly alright by her. She also knew that the Baron would not abuse it.

It was Xesh after all. Well.. Tau. That was a name she knew all too well.

She was quick, and with HK helping her, quicker. This is where his pill boxes came handy, and by the time they were finished, they had as much of the important items packed. Tomes of Mahara Kesh, Stav kesh, Vur Tepe, Kaleth, Bodhi, Akar Kesh, Qijong Kesh, Padawan Kesh and Anil Kesh.

"Let's go," she told HK, sliding the heavy pack onto her shoulders and back. She quickly picked up her comm, fingers deftly moving over it. A small curse fell from her lips. They needed to get above ground.

With that, she began to head off down the small steps towards the exit. "Need to get out of here and get Jorus and the rest." she said, worry clearly written over her face.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

"Do not worry, I know how to be careful with those things."
The droid answered just as a page flew out from the tome, he quickly grabbed it before Chloe could notice, putting it back in the book, between incorrect pages, and closing it as if nothing happened.

With that the last of the books were packed up, at least the last of those they could bring with them, and the droid helped to carry the heavy load.

"Remember to close the entrances on our way out, perhaps we could return one day and transport the rest of the items."
HK reminded, they wouldn't want the Horde getting their hands on anything they could use that was left behind, if there was anything else they could loose that HK or Chloe haven't already snatched.
"If Jorus and the rest are in some kind of trouble, it is unwise to bring the tomes and holocrons into a fight as well, they could be captured."
The droid pointed out before adding,
"Perhaps we could split up, you go to the transport and start it up, you are a better pilot than me, take the tomes and holocrons with you so they will be safe, in mean time I shall go to Jorus and others' position in order to provide aid, if they require it."
He offered then, following behind Chloe in quick step, no need to waste more time than they did,
"Up to you, Chloe."