Private Hidden Sanctum

[Valery Noble]

Odryn

​

Outfit: New Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery moved closer to the stone walls, her fingers brushing lightly over the ancient craftsmanship. "This place definitely has a story," she said, her voice echoing softly in the quiet space.

She paused, glancing at the blue flowers Jack had created, their soft glow adding a gentle warmth to the otherwise cold and dark surroundings. "I can still feel faint echoes of the Force here as if it was woven into the walls themselves. It might not be much, but it's enough to make me wonder" She turned her gaze back to Jack, her fiery eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and determination. "We should keep our eyes open for anything that might hint at its ancient purpose — artifacts, carvings, anything that could help piece together the history. Places like this... they don't just fade away. They leave imprints, waiting for someone to uncover them."

With a slight smile, she moved forward, the sense of adventure sparking a familiar light in her eyes. "A long time ago, a secret group within the Jedi used the Sanctum on this planet to store artifacts. Dangerous ones, held within a special resin that suppressed their dark abilities."

Now, he might understand why she mentioned feeling a suppressed presence in the Force.

"Have you dealt with Dark Side artifacts before?"

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

ODRYN
Outfit: Iresine Scout Armor
Weapon: Velona pistol

---

"I've never even dealt with Force artifacts at all. The closest I ever came was with..." A Murakami orchid. Maybe it would be a good idea to not drop that little tidbit right here and now. "...something planty and very, very old." And very much aware. "Though Force-presence-suppressing resin absolutely sounds like something up my alley."

After setting down another flower, he stood up slowly, eyes closing in thought. The spores were bringing up more and more of the temple, and he had a better idea of what they were heading towards. "Hang on, let me..." He raised a hand, palm up, and a slow stream of spores began to pour up from the palm of his hand, floating in midair like orange pinpricks of light. They began to hover in place, gradually shaping into what appeared like a holographic map. Jack's head tilted slightly, and the map snap-oriented to the tunnel/hallway they were currently in.

Two larger dots stood in the holographic representation of the hallway - one green, one purple - as the rest of the temple rubble shaped itself before their eyes. Jack pointed back the way they came, gesturing to a large dome-like room that didn't look like it was part of the original squared-off design. "That's where we fell in - where I fell in." His hand traced along the hallway to where they were now, and onwards to another large opening, this one apparently more squared off. "This... might be an auditorium or foyer of some kind... with some other branches pushing off from it." His finger pushed into the projection, the spores sticking to his armor for a moment before swirling back into place, as he pointed to what looked like an innocuous 'spike' of spores. "My spores can't get past there... I'm thinking that might be where we need to go. Unless.... you wanna save it for last?" he asked, a slight smile in his voice.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Odryn

​

Outfit: New Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery watched in awe as Jack's spores formed a detailed map of the temple around them, the soft orange lights creating a stark contrast against the ancient stone. "That’s impressive," she said, genuinely intrigued by his abilities. Her eyes followed his finger as he traced their path, her mind racing with the possibilities of what lay ahead.

"The auditorium or foyer could hold clues, perhaps remnants of gatherings or teachings that happened here. But that spike…" She hesitated, feeling a familiar tug of curiosity mixed with caution. "It’s interesting that your spores can’t pass through it. That usually means something significant, possibly a barrier or some concealed space. It could be exactly what we’re looking for — or something we’re not prepared for."

She glanced back at him, a smile playing on her lips. "I think we should head there first. If there’s something important, it’s better to face it now rather than leave it until the end. Besides," she added, with a hint of playfulness, "I’m not one for leaving mysteries unsolved. What do you say? Ready to see what’s behind the curtain?"

With that, she turned, ready to lead the way towards the unknown, her hand instinctively resting on her lightsaber hilt, prepared for whatever they might uncover.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

ODRYN
Outfit: Iresine Scout Armor
Weapon: Velona pistol

---

"Head straight on into danger. Nice." He gave her a grin (which was obscured by his helmet), and nodded. "I like it. I'll follow your lead on it." He flexed his fingers, as the spores coalesced back into his palm and slotted away into his armor. "After you."

As they moved onward, he continued to plant a few flowers along the way, careful and methodical. His spore map was updating constantly in the back of his mind, and as they entered the large central area he peeled a small fragment off his armor. "Let's get some light in here," he murmured, taking a small nodule off the gauntlet-light, attaching it to the popsicle-stick-fragment and tossing it up into the air. The fragment sprouted wings, buzzing away and over to the other side of the room, hovering just outside of the 'spike' the spore map had shown. It looked just like any other doorway, if a bit more overgrown, and as the pair approached the doorway they could both see the pile of orange 'dust' on the ground. Jack knelt down to it, cocking his head.

"These are my spores... it's like they've gone dormant." He waved his hand over it, and the spores re-activated, dancing back up into the air and moving forward - before immediately falling to the ground again. Concerned, Jack moved forward to touch the pile and immediately felt a wave of emptiness pour through him. "Houuughh...." He stumbled onto a knee, blinking slowly behind his mask. "Oh fff... wow. Okay.... no projections past here, this place is not conducive to my plants..." The scout glider zipped over to him, and he caught it in his hand before placing it back onto the armor to slip back into the shell.

"I'll be fine," he promised, steadying himself as he got back to his feet. "If I'm touching it, I have control over it.... and this is like a second skin." He tapped on the armor again. "I just can't project anything out from me, so I'm going in without any sensors, spore or otherwise. That Force-suppressing stuff must have an outward field, or something." Jack paused a moment, before pulling his pistol out. "I'm going to treat whatever we find as hostile, so... be warned."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Odryn

​

Outfit: New Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery's eyes narrowed as she observed Jack's reaction to the dormant spores. The sudden wave of emptiness he experienced set off alarms in her mind, heightening her sense of caution. She stepped closer, her gaze flicking from the orange dust to the overgrown doorway ahead. "This is quite peculiar. The resin isn't supposed to work like this," she said, her voice laced with concern and focus.

She placed a reassuring hand on Jack's shoulder, feeling the tension in his muscles. "We need to be extra careful from this point on. Whatever is behind that doorway can affect us both as well. Perhaps something happened to the resin, or something else entirely is causing this emptiness we feel."

Valery's hand instinctively moved to her lightsaber, though she didn't ignite it just yet. She then met Jack's gaze, her expression firm but supportive. "Stick close, and if things get too overwhelming, let me know. We'll have to keep an eye on each other in a place like this."

With a final nod to Jack, she turned towards the doorway, her senses heightened, ready to uncover what lay beyond the mysterious doorway. She stepped past the barrier, and soon looked into a room long abandoned. Walls of stone with strange markings were slowly crumbling away, and the ceiling had already collapsed further back into the room.

But what she focused on most, were the items held within an almost glowing resin.

"Some of these look compromised," Valery noted, "In which case, they can be dangerous."

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

ODRYN
Outfit: Iresine Scout Armor
Weapon: Velona pistol

---

Jack nodded wordlessly at her reassurances, closing his eyes a moment before standing back up on steady legs. Following her in, he felt something akin to a polar water plunge, as the wind was practically knocked out of him. He was prepared for it this time, so he bit back a curse and continued forward, the next few steps easier now that he was 'in it'.

"I've never seen this kind of resin before... What is it?" he asked, reaching down to grab a small fragment of the resin before hesitating. Without touching it - even with the Force, he began to really examine it, getting down to one knee and peering at it curiously. "Is it glowing or is that just a trick of the light?" He was mindful that some of the resin.... containers... were shattered, or at least fractured, and he didn't want to disturb any of it. Who knew what would be the weak point?

He was following Valery on this - this continued to be entirely out of his purview, and he was soaking it in as fast as he could, but this was still very new to him.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Odryn

​

Outfit: New Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"It's called nullification resin," Valery explained as they entered the Sanctum together. "We use it to contain dangerous artifacts, usually those touched by the Dark Side." During her many years as a Jedi Shadow, Valery had located and contained dozens of artifacts with this kind of resin, if not more. It was effective, and it helped avoid the need to thoroughly cleanse each artifact, which came with great risks at times.

"They're glowing," Valery then said with a chuckle, "Not sure why, but probably because of its composition or something." She knew very little about how it was made. She only used it and she wasn't the best at understanding the more scientific things behind the production of these materials.

"Hey, look," Valery said a moment later, her eyes focused on an object in the room. It was a mask with strange symbols on it, no longer contained in resin.

The closer she got, the more she swore that she heard whispers in the dark. Whispers telling her and him to pick it up and put it on.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

ODRYN
Outfit: Iresine Scout Armor
Weapon: Velona pistol

---

"Nullification resin," he repeated, doggedly moving forward. "If it's.... if it's plant based, I can examine it later, when we get out of here..." If it was safe to handle, then there was no harm in pocketing some. He grabbed a larger shard and placed it next to his armor at his hip, which dutifully opened up to swallow and 'pocket' it for later.

"Haaahh..." He blinked slowly, squeezing his eyes with every 'heartbeat'. His 'blood' was pounding in his ears, and it was getting difficult to focus. Whatever it was, it was radioactive for him, and they were getting closer to it. "What did you say?" He looked to Val, before looking towards the mask-thing. "What is that?" he murmured, taking a tentative step towards it. "It.... it's a mask?" His helmet was still very much on, but... "Sorry, did you say something?"

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Odryn

​

Outfit: New Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"The Jedi still produce it," Valery said while she watched him collect a fragment, "I made use of it when I was still a Jedi Shadow. But if you can examine it and develop alternatives or replicate it, I don't see why not." The resin couldn't be used for harm, so she'd never mind if someone outside the Jedi had some of it. If anything, it'd be able to help them contain otherwise dangerous artifacts that some people aren't able to handle at all.

Jack also seemed trustworthy enough.

"Haaahh..."

Valery blinked and turned to him, "Hmm?" she asked, not sure what was going on. She followed him closer toward the mask, her eyes still on Jack, "Everything okay?" she asked, still not aware of just how much the mask was starting to affect him. But along the currents of the Force, it spoke to Jack.

Kill her.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

ODRYN
Outfit: Iresine Scout Armor
Weapon: Velona pistol

---

His eyes widened at the intent radiating off the artifact. No. No no no nonononono. "Valery... it wants me to.... end you....." He was trying to take a step back, to push away from the artifact... but his body was aligned with the Force intuitively, and it was like trying to hold an iron rod away from an electromagnet. With every half step he took backwards, his body seemed to scrape across the floor towards it. "Get... it... away... from... me...." He clutched at his head, the slow throbbing of dark energies pounding in his 'skull'.

He would not kill without reason. He would not destroy without purpose. The balance of life and death must be preserved... and Valery wanted to preserve it too. A small walnut pushed out of Jack's palm, slipping between his fingers, peeling open slowly to reveal a green kyber crystal.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Odryn

​

Outfit: New Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"What?" Valery frowned at Jack's words, then shifted her gaze to the mask. She felt its dark energies, not just lashing out at her own mind, but also at his. Her former training as a Shadow made her extremely capable of shielding herself, but Jack almost welcomed its grip like a magnet.

In an instant, she understood she needed to act.

"Get away from it!" Valery called out as she rapidly dashed for the mask. With every step she got closer, she felt the pressure against her mind increasing, but despite the pain and torture on her mind, she forced herself through until she reached the artifact. Her hand came up, her body positioned between Jack and the mask, and bright pulses of light lashed out at the item, burning away its corruption.

But would she be fast enough?

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

ODRYN
Outfit: Iresine Scout Armor
Weapon: Velona pistol

---

A slow roar built up in Jack's throat. He clutched the kyber crystal in his palm, squeezing tighter and desperately to the Force-imbued crystal, trying to ground himself. Vines and plant matter slid around his hand, creaking into place as he was drawn inexorably forward. Valery's words were a dull echo in his ears, and his eyes were locked on the mask. It almost sparkled with light, and Jack couldn't tear his gaze away.

The buildup of plant matter around the crystal began to harden, and he clenched his fist in desperation. He would not submit to this. To a thing. The roar built up to a scream of desperation, and he found his body surging forward with a frenzied leap. Energy coursed through his hand and he flicked it forward as a crackling surge of green light sliced through the air, down and forwards to slice his target in half.

The cry of help died in his throat, his eyes swimming back into focus as he looked before him at the ruin. Two uneven halves of a smoking mask lay on the ground, singed and scorched from Valery's energies and from Jack's own Forcesaber still thrumming and creaking before him. He inhaled sharply, shaking his head to clear it as he stood back up. His helmet had withdrawn into his suit, he realized belatedly as he touched his face. "Okay.... I'm still here. Valery?" he asked, turning to where he had seen her last.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Odryn

​

Outfit: New Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Each pulse of Force light chipped away at the darkness that radiated from the mask, burning it with light from a pure heart. But despite her efforts, it was a slow process, one that forced her to spend much of her energy. So much so that she didn't register the sudden surge in the Force that rippled along with Jack's movements. With a blade drawn from the crystal in his hand, he closed the distance and-

Valery gasped for air when she watched the blade slice through the mask.

"Did you..." Valery blinked, then shook her head, "Yeah, you are." She looked at him with a relieved smile, but still couldn't shake her worries entirely.

That could have been me.

"Are you alright?" She asked, now finally taking notice that she could see his face. Valery smiled, then reached up to draw a hand through her hair to fix it back in place, "I thought I lost you there for a moment."

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

ODRYN
Outfit: Iresine Scout Armor
Weapon: Velona pistol

---

Jack closed his eyes a moment, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. The Forcesaber crackled a moment longer before withdrawing with a snap and twist back into his arm, the little gem nestling back into the walnut. Opening his eyes, he tossed the small nut in his hand, turning to Valery with a weak smile. "I guess I'm just... really sensitive to disturbances in the Force. It's not something I've explored at length, but I shouldn't be so surprised..."

He eyed the smoking mask, reaching over to pull it up off the floor. Whatever Valery had done to it had purified it enough for him to be able to cut through it.... or perhaps it was his cutting through it that weakened it enough for her to purify it... Regardless, it was done. The mask was destroyed, but Jack was still on guard. "Is there anything else in here we need to be mindful of? I don't... I don't wanna do that again."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Odryn

​

Outfit: New Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"Well, it's good you didn't discover it on your own, I suppose." Perhaps he would have been able to turn away and resist, but there was no guarantee. What if he had run into this place alone and been targeted by this mask? Or another artifact with even more sinister intentions and capabilities. Whatever decisions he made following this encounter, Valery hoped he'd prepare himself in case he ever explored near dangerous artifacts again.

Either through gear or training, there was always a way to protect yourself.

"Most other items seem to be fine," Valery then added, "I don't feel anything threatening at the moment, but there's always a chance that we run into more." She looked at him and smiled again.

She was relieved.

"Now we have a choice to make. What do we do with this collection?"

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

ODRYN
Outfit: Iresine Scout Armor
Weapon: Velona pistol

---

He shook his head, still not quite looking at anything. "I don't care. It's Sith artifacts, so it could be useful for studying, or maybe it's just too dangerous to preserve. Either way, I want next to nothing to do with it without preparing myself beforehand. I leave the fate of this trove to you, though," he added, looking to her with a slight smile. "If you want to keep it and take it with you, I'll help you load it up. Otherwise, I'll help you bury this place for good."

He was still shaken from the pull. It had unsettled him like little else, and he was feeling antsy as a result; he'd need some time to decompress. "I have found a little treasure of my own," he added, patting his hip. "This stuff is nature-based, so if I can track down its tree then I can get some samples and make use of it.... I've got a couple ideas."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Odryn

​

Outfit: New Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"I'd like to close the entrance, but not bury it. No amount of dirty could make this safe." She had picked up on the change in his demeanor and did her best to offer a comforting smile, "I'm going to head back to New Cov and prepare some gear to safely put these away." She even knew a particular Consular who could help her out — someone who specialized in storing even the most dangerous artifacts.

She'd help her address this.

Turning back to Jack, Valery seemed at least relieved that he was already plotting how he'd make use of the resin, "Why don't we head out of here? You can work on that if you'd like, and I'll make sure that nobody stumbles into this place on accident." Perhaps they could even travel together or meet up again.

They made a good team.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

ODRYN
Outfit: Iresine Scout Armor
Weapon: Velona pistol

---

"That sounds good." She had a plan, and that was making him feel more at ease. The sooner this place was behind him, the better. He nodded at her explanation of the plan, smiling a bit more. "And best of luck with that, too."

He took a deep breath, clearing his head a bit as he looked to her, then to the exit. "Getting out of here sounds like a good idea. I know there's still a couple nooks and crannies of this place to explore, but... I think I'm adventured out for today, heh." He gave her a wry smile. "Sorry for the close call there."

He was grateful for her help. And to be honest, he was looking forward to trying something like this again.

---

Valery Noble