Belsavis: Watch Your Back

[Ashin Varanin]

"I said lock it down," Ashin snapped, and they descended into the deeper catacombs. Warm air and high ceilings; ancient, inert droids. No major opposition, just huge, wide-open doors.

"And here it is. If we go in there, we could save the universe, but it is most certainly a trap. Make your final choices and make them now. As for me, I'm going in."

The Dark Lord of the Sith ignited her sky-blue lightsabre and strode through the gigantic doors.

 

[Darron Wraith]

"I would never back down from anything, lets do this together shall we Empress?"

Snap-Hiss

Two azure blades sprung to life from his twin electrum plated hits as Darron thumbed the activation switches on both.

Standing side by side with Ashin, he moved stride for stride for her as they went through the doors. The darkness of the place was almost repulsive to one so far in the light as he was, and his current company didn't help. Had it been any other Jedi besides himself they would have most likely been nauseous, and their senses would have been blunted to say the least. Darron didn't allow it to happen though, the shadows would be with him everywhere he went. That was the gift of the dark, and it was what made his company needed in this time. Darkness was everywhere, but they would be needed to fight Omni as well, despite their differences. So it was with absolute confidence and faith in his present company that he walked into the encroaching darkness, both literal and what he felt in the Force. His skills were needed just as much as the other threes, and he would fight to protect them as much as he would any other life.

You and me would have been as brother and sister in another life, I won't let you fall on this day. Or in the approaching storm with Omni, I know you aren't pleased with what I did to Spencer. Lets drop our differences though, this is a conflict we need to work together on.

"I am sorry though."

Darron turned to look at Ashin one last time before forming the superconducting loop necessary for Vaapad. Channeling his will to win, and all of the darkness within himself, he emptied himself of all other thoughts. As he did this, he could feel the storm within growing, and all the darkness around began to flood into him, be it from the place they where at. Or from those he was calling comrades on this mission, Darron pulled it all in. Yet his face remained deadly calm as he kept pace with Ashin. The loop had been formed, and he was skirting the penumbra of the darkside, turning it into a weapon of absolute light. Yes, he would go to battle to save civilization with those he would normally call enemies. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and this would qualify. Why else would the two most absolute expressions of the Force be working together? A part of Darron felt sorry for Omni, for whatever had made it, and for what swift vengeance the two Orders of the Force would bring upon it.

Well...almost sorry.

 

[Soeht]

Many side-paths branched off from the massive passage Darth Apparatus opened. At the end of the main hall though, Darth Apparatus could have been seen toiling with another console if Darron, Ashin, Spencer, and Anaya reached him. He stood on a higher level on the other side of a large room from where Ashin's party would have entered. The level he stood on was at least ten meters above the ground. No means of reaching him were visible, yet the main path ended at that room and once more split into two smaller paths. To the sides of this second level ledge were two entrances. Therefore, one could assume that they would have to either climb up ten meters or walk down these paths in order to reach Darth Apparatus. At the center of the wall mirroring where Ashin and her companions would have entered was a narrow path leading further into the Tomb. This path also began on the higher ground that Darth Apparatus stood.

Standing with Darth Apparatus was a humanoid, primordial droid. It faced the grand hall where Ashin could have came from - not stating anything either in basic or binary. As Darth Apparatus worked the console, the Tomb shook. No doors that could have been seen opened, yet a vast number of mechanisms began to twist and turn. The ancient prison had come alive again - most likely to release certain captives deep within its bowels.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer stuck her tongue out at Anaya knowing that if she continued this petty argument Ashin would get irritated and probably pinch her nose trying to stop the oncoming headache. Spencer nodded seeing that this was the final stop to decide if they valued their lives or something along those lines. Spencer quickly followed Ashin having no doubt in her mind where she belonged. Turning her attention to what they needed to do, Spencer stopped and closed her eyes. She started to hear things and she needed the movement of feet to stop so she could listen closer. The girl waved to make people stop moving, everything seemed to move and turn with in the structure they were in. Finally after a moment she looked towards Ashin.

“Well this rather uneventful trip is going to get eventful. So what's the plan Ashin?”

The woman remained unmasked since there was no reason for her identity to be hidden. Instead of drawing sabers, Force lightning started to gather around her left hand. Sparks appeared from thin air and focused in her palm as she looked around seeing the doors rise up where they stood. Looking over at Anaya she grinned.

“Is that fear I sense in you oh great Champion?”

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya glowered at Spencer back as they moved forward, imagining the various ways she could cause the girl pain when she waved them all to stop. Fear shivered through Anaya and she adjusted the grip on her two sabers. She let out a low laugh at Spencer's stab at her emotions. "You want to be careful with that sharp tongue of yours, plaything."

Her anger rose rapidly as she drew on the verbal attack to give her strength and allow her to delve deeper into the darkness "You might just cut yourself with it."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

They stayed with the main corridor, trusting their instincts, and entered a gigantic chamber. Ashin glanced at the side tunnels, then the ten-metre climb up to where Apparatus stood. A deliberate hatred boiled up in her, for the man who had called her here to trap or convert her -- the man who had suborned her fleet and shattered Kuat.

The man who had given her her Darth name, then given his strength to her challenger. That, at least, was ambiguous in purpose, but today she was not inclined to give Darth Apparatus the benefit of the doubt.

Nihilus had consumed a world from orbit, and Ashin was no stranger to that hunger. She raised her empty hand, and a ray of golden light connected her fist with Darth Apparatus's back, clear across the huge chamber. A lock turned in her mind, a door opened, and then she was attempting to drain the life from him. The life, and the Force. Weakness was weakness, energy was energy, and her hunger requested both.

 

[Darron Wraith]

Sometimes, one just had to simply not ask questions and go with the flow. This was one of those times.

While the GrandMaster of the Jedi Order despised the very power that Ashin was using on the man known as Apparatus, he couldn't argue with it at the moment. The group had moved as one as the prison had suddenly come to life, though they quickly discovered the reasoning for that. Blue eyes looked up at Apparatus as he watched Ashin attack.

 

[Soeht]

At the moment Ashin threw out her hand, Darth Apparatus swiftly turned around to face the Sith Empress. His right hand stretched out, palm facing the group below. Upon spreading his fingers, the golden arc separated into five smaller streams and touched his fingertips. A crack echoed out in the chamber the moment the light touched him. What energy Ashin sought did not seem to reach her - as there was nothing to be felt.

The droid at the Darth's side quickly moved to finish typing a few things into the console. A rumbling in the Tomb continue to grow at the final moments of the droid's actions. When the droid was done, Darth Apparatus walked toward the nearby doorway on his level to leave the sight of the party below him and travel further into the Tomb. The primordial droid with the Sith Lord followed him - its back hunched over and its head on a swivel as if afraid of being attacked.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin's eyes narrowed, and the yellow light faded. "No, you fething don't," she snarled. She gathered her full might in the Force and leaped across the chamber, something closer to flight than a jump. All the while, she focused on the potential for a counterstrike; Apparatus, if he was there at all, might hit her with some manner of attack while she was in midair. But precognition yielded nothing, nor did instinct, and her feet skidded on the platform that held the huge doors. Apparatus and the droid continued down the passage ahead of her.

Her hand hovered above the alien console for a moment, and her eyes half-lidded. By instinct, she depressed certain keys with telekinesis, and the doors began to close.

Her lightsabre deactivated, and she padded down the hall after them.

Some answers were only for her.

 

[Soeht]

The further down the path one went, the more one would feel the intense vibrations of the Tomb. Gusts of air flowed through the narrow path - as if large bulkhead-like doors opened and created a vacuum for the air to fill.

At the end of the hallway would have been yet another large chamber. It was not quite as massive as the room before and the ceiling was but one story high. A massive console at the back of the room, brightly lit, would have been the first thing one may notice. However, to both sides of it stretching back toward the entrance, one may have noticed six cylinders split three-and-three and mirroring each other in a line. These empty cylinders were open and could have a human easily fit inside them.

Standing in front of the console, Darth Apparatus faced the entrance with a lightsaber in his right hand - ignited with a bright red blade. The primordial droid was out of sight yet still nearby.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Behind her, a door shut with a thud. Perhaps the others had made it through in time; perhaps not. She rather hoped not.

Ashin stripped off her parka coat and let it fall, never taking her eyes off Apparatus. The simple hilt at her belt unclipped itself and rose to her hand, and a sky-blue blade ignited. The weapon's construction subtly echoed Exar Kun's lightstaff, though without excessive self-indulgence.

"You called me here, baited me here, timed your progress exactly right -- if you were ever here before now. You're here to kill me or, far more preferable to you, assimilate me. I put a Blood Trail on Kaine Zambrano without his knowledge, when he escaped. The things I've learned and guessed...

"Tell me, Apparatus. Tell me about...Csilla."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer seeing Ashin move, followed quickly. The entire thing was a disaster and she wasn’t in the mood to just sit here and watch the Empress handle it alone. It seemed the other two were to distracted to even do anything at the moment. Chasing down Ashin she slide under the door and remained quiet as the woman spoke to the former Dark Master.

Removing her coat as well she dropped it behind her. She stopped the Tapas and closed her eyes trying to relax herself and recover some of the energy she had used. Spencer still felt a bit weak from what had occurred earlier.

 

[Soeht]

Darth Apparatus stood without movement. Despite the lack of features on his mask, it was clear that his eyes were locked onto Ashin, not glancing at Spencer for even a moment.

"W͟͞h̀҉͢at ͢is҉̶̢ ̡̀͠i̡͜t ͝҉ỳ͟o̢ų͝ ̡̀͢w̸i͏̷͢ş͝҉h ͏t͏o̢̕ ̵̕k͝͞n̶̨͟ow̨ a̢b̢o͝ųt̛͢͢ ̵Cs̷̵il̵̵͜la͏͟͟?͞ ͡҉T̀h̸e̶͠r̶̀e҉ ҉i̢s ̀͟͠m̷̛u̴ć̀h̛̕ ̸a̧͜b͢o͜u҉͡͝t̢͘ it͏̨," answered Darth Apparatus, his voice plagued by some sort of distortion.

A sickening sensation in the Force would have permeated through the air as soon as Darth Apparatus spoke. Even the rest of Ashin's group, should they had remained outside of the chamber, could have felt it.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin glanced back at Spencer - but even she could ignore a loved one, in a moment that required such focus.

"Something happened there. The beginning of the end. My instincts tell me it remains important -- if for no other reason than that it, the one data point that meant anything, has been so carefully ignored in this modern incarnation of your master's war. Why was Csilla so important -- and why, Apparatus...

"Well, why? Even Kaine couldn't answer my questions to my satisfaction. What is Omni's desired end result? Droid civilization? Cyborgs? Evolved organics? Uploaded consciousness? Technological singularity?"

 

[Soeht]

"S̵o many q̷u̢e̶st̀io̵n̴ş," replied Darth Apparatus.

The Darth's stance relaxed a bit, as if beckoning an attack.

"Ẃh̀a̧t happe̸n͏ed on ̨Cşi̴ll̸a̕?̸" he continued with a tilt of his head, "A͘s ̨y̕ou ͡s̡aid̵, ̶the bègi͢nn̵i̶n̨g ̸of͜ ̛t́h̴e̴ ̵en̶d.̸ ͘Y̸et̛,̴ ͢i͟t̢ d̢i̧d ̶n̢o͢t work͠ ̧a̡ś ̵I͟ wish͝e͡d̀. ̀A̕s f̧ar͞ ̕a̷s̵ ͟O̵mn̵i'̛s ̕goal҉,̧ I thou̸gh͠t yo̵u͞ ̷wer̢e̵ int͡e̢llig̢e͝nt̷ ͢en̕oug͡h̴ ͞t̢o͝ ͜re͏a̷l̢i͢z͟e ̢th̸is̀. It is the̡ ̴harb͟įn̢ge͠r̴ ̨o҉f̧ ̢you͞r ͢pe̵rf̨ec̛ti͝ǫn͘ a̷nd́ asc͞en͏da͡n͏cȩ. ͠Sub̵mi͟ssi͡o͘n ͢i͟s t̶o͢ evól͟vȩ ͡a̴n̢d ͡r̴i̡s͏e ̧to ̛t̢he pin̵nácl͝e ͞of̵ li̢fe͠."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Religious platitudes and terminology. Give me biological or technological specifications. I want objective precision, not proselytization."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer remained in the corner, her hand over her mouth as she was feeling sick. The force power that emitted from Apparatus was powerful. Her head felt as if she was going to explode, but she did her best to remain quiet.

This is crazy...

She thought silently.

 

[Soeht]

"You͢ ͟ar͡e ̶fl͢aw̢ed̷," Darth Apparatus declared, "I ͜am͏ ce̵r҉t͝ai̕n ͞yo͠u͟ h̶a̸ve ̢r҉e͞a̢l͝iz̵ed ̷t̛his͢,͏ b͞ut́ you are̷ i͟nferi͡or̨ ͏to̸ ͜m͡e i͘n ͢ev͘e̷r̨y as͡peçt.̷ I̕ ̵am ͠st̴ro̴nger and fa̢ster҉ and͝ c͘o̡mm͡a͡nd ҉g͏r͜eąt̴er ͏mentaĺ ͘ap̶ti͠tud͞e̵ th͝a̕t y͏ou ̢co͝u̕l͟d͝ eve͏r͜ re͜a͢ch҉. ̛C̛y͘b̡e̶rn͢etic̸ś ̸hav͝e been ͝w̢òv̕èn͢ ̸wi҉th҉in̸ m̵y f̧le͟sh an̵d au̸gm̶én̢te͢d ͞me past what͠ ̛m͢y na̡tu͜r̕a̢l ̸ab͟il͠i͡t͞ies e͜v͘e͜r ̨c̀ou͞ld. ҉My ̷bo̡dy'̵s̸ lif̧e͠ h̴as b҉ęen̨ ̀ex̕te҉nde͏d͝ ̷f͝ar ̴bęyon͟d any me̵ans͝ o͞f ̷or̵gani͠c tec̕h͞n͢o͠l̢o̧gy͜ ̸o̷r ̸t̶hȩ ́dark ̢s҉id̷e.͏ S͘u̸ch͝ is҉ the͝ ̛gift̵ ̶Om͢n͘i des͝i͞re͞s͟ ͟t͞o ́b҉ęs͞t͞ǫw͡ to t̀he̷ ͞gál̢axy - ̢w҉h̸et҉her̢ yoú ͏a͡cće̴pt ͜it ͠o͘r̷ n͠o͝t͘."

There was a slight pause as Darth Apparatus's stance tensed once more. He then said, "I͝ ̛w̶illi͟n̢gl̸y took t̛h҉e̴ ͟of͢f͡e͜r -͘ ̵b͞e̶fo̢r͢e͡ I còuld ͘n̸o͢ longer̀ dis̵ag̨r̕ee͘ ̧w̕i͜t҉h ͞Om̸ni҉'͞s m̧a̵n҉dat̛e̕.̨ ͜Compár̶e͟d̢ ̀to ͜a̸ş ̕I̶ wąs b̡e̸fǫr̕e,̀ I am҉ ḿưch mor͜e͞ ̧p̢ow̷er͝f͞ul n̕ow͡, far greater th̶aņ y҉ou ̴co͠ul͝d hope̷ to reach. T͏h̢e͟re̛for̢e,̸ it͠ ̷is͜ a̧s̵ ͝I sa͘y -̡ submişsi͜o͡n ís t͠o҉ e̷volve to ͏t̡he̸ pìnǹacl͞e̴ ̢of ͝l͞ife̶."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"That was precisely what I needed to hear."

She gestured at the cylinders, standing open and ready. "And so these are the mechanisms of our conversion?"

Spencer. Lightning on me. NOW!

 

[Allyson Locke]

Blinking quickly, Spencer gathered up the force in the palm of her hand. Currents surge through her as the lightning sparked. Trust, it was the one thing she had learned from Ashin and Velok. Throwing the lighting she focused on Ashin's back and drove the currents into the woman.