First Reply In Ashla's Shadow

[Alicio Organa]

TYTHON, ASHLA'S CRATER
TOMB OF THE ABANDONED SITH

For thousands of years, this temple has been my coffin. This fortress, my prison. This sanctuary, the noose around my neck. Betrayed by friends, pursued by enemies, driven underground and forced into a corner, I had no choice but to fill in my own grave. But after all these years, something unearths my ancient cage. A force that shatters the planet itself, excavating my front door. With my home exhumed, the Light will soon flock to me like piranhas to a wounded animal, to eviscerate what I have left. My artifacts. My knowledge. My power.

I call to those with the will to claim them first. I give them freely to you, should you prove worthy.


​

The call had been insistent in Alicio's dreams.

Ever since arriving on Tython, after the great battle, there had been a presence behind the Count's eyes as he slept. Not a voice, or a face, but an instinctive chill of eyes watching him. Judging him. Considering him. Every night, he tossed and turned aboard his ship, waking with a sharp breath, and the image of a shadowed, hidden entrance imprinted into the backs of his eyelids. Every day, as he salvaged what remained of his refugee camp on the planet after a horrible Sith attack, he felt a pull into the crater-pocked wilderness, like a whistled melody on the wind.

One day, he had been too curious. So he ventured out, procuring a mask from one of the displaced Tythonians, covering himself not in the fineries of a noble, but the travelling clothes of a pilgrim, lightsaber secured secretly at his side. He drove a shuttle out over Tython, until he felt he should land, and walked for hours through ruptured earth, decaying vegetation, and a twisting of the Light Side that gave the Alderaanian nausea. Still, he traveled on, guided by a noxious song in the air.

Alicio had questions. Truths he had to explore for himself.

It was then that he saw it. From the top of a jagged hill, looking down in a furrow carved into shattered Tython by it's fallen moon, an old, rounded entrance made of stone slabs echoed with the feeling of the Dark. The masked figure stopped in his tracks, peering down at the doorway beneath, and feeling a distinct chill creep up his spine.

He suddenly regretted coming alone.

- OPEN -

 

[The Deluge]

Wearing: Mother's Flesh (Brain Demon Catsuit)

Armed with: Parental Rights (Red Saberstaff)

Mercury Pistol

Dashade Sonic Disruptor


She had to be here.

Had to be.

Upon her rebirth as a Brain Demon Cultist, The Deluge learned the sacrifice of Rebecca Io had not been in vain. Tython lived, it's surface ravaged by death and suffering.

Ample, fertile ground for a newly minted Dark Side Cultist.

She still was testing her power. Still thirsted to prove herself. It was only natural she would make the journey here, The Unholy Spirit she worshipped whispering of hidden treasures disturbed from their rest deep underground by the shattering of the Planet's surface.

She had concealed herself with the Force during her arrival, but quickly realized that due to sheer level of suffering Tython experienced, all but the most alert Jedi would not feel her darkness, terrible and boiling though it was, and even the alert would have to be all but right next to her.

She had walked the field of battle in fascination once upon the surface, striding over the dead. She paused in quiet reverence as she came across the bodies of fellow citizens, slain in battle fighting the Maw, some still clutching their weapons, Droid and Organic alike lay next to each other. The Unholy Spirit would surely take them into herself...

It was then, walking through the fields, that she at last saw and felt this great spot of Darkness, freshly arisen by the shattered moon.

...and someone else.

She kept her presence hidden as she approached...

Alicio Organa

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio surveyed the scene beneath, grey eyes narrowing behind his wooden mask as he took in all he could. He considered, for the briefest moment, turning around and forgetting this place, before forcibly wresting the thought from his head.

He had to see. He had to know.

The Count took a few quick breaths to psych himself up, and slid down the side of the hill. Dirt broke under his heel, tumbling ahead of him and reaching the bottom of the hill seconds before he did, planting his feet on solid ground once more.

The door was made of solid stone, marred by an age's passing, broken by the Force of Ashla colliding with the planet. Underneath the spiderwebbing cracks across it's surface, Sith text could barely be seen. Alicio had to take a moment to translate, running a hand along the writing.

Welcome, Sinner
​

The place stank with the Dark Side. For the second time, Alicio wondered if he should leave. Return to his camp, his life. Worry about corrupt Alliance officials and scheming Alderaanian nobles. Save another group of refugees after their homes had been destroyed. Be powerless in the face of another Sith raid.

No, he couldn't. Not when he knew a solution could be just behind a broken, old door.

- The Deluge -

 

[The Deluge]

The Deluge stopped hiding with The Force as she at last approached the hill top. Her catsuit was hospital white, making her a pale blot standing out from a surface of Ashen Gray and blood.

She saw the man examining the stones.

She knew he was someone who wouldn't have normally come here. In her own past life, that had applied to Rebecca Io herself.

All of this would have been a no-go to her. All of it.

"Go on..." she encouraged Alicio Organa . "Bask in its whispers...let it's mystery call to you...The Dark Side welcomes the Curious...the willingness to explore..."

 

[Alicio Organa]

As The Deluge ceased her stealth, Alicio detected her Song in the Force. It was a confusing jumble of tastes, few of them good. The flavors were overwhelming, ancient. Terrifying.

The noble wheeled quickly, grey eyes widening behind his painted mask as the woman approached. His first instinct was to recoil, taking a step back into the umbral doorway. It was on a second thought that he palmed his deactivated lightsaber, obviously unused to drawing it.

To his credit, Alicio composed himself quickly, drawing himself up, and glaring at the stranger.

He let the power from Introspect's crystal sharpen his focus, the world splitting into two images as he cautiously peered a heartbeat into the future. 'Who are you?' he heard his future self say.

"Who are you?" Alicio couldn't hide the suspicion, the fear, in his voice. "You aren't from the camp. Are you Sith?"

The Darkness consuming the valley intensified, seeming to like the word. Something from behind the door was watching, and apparently took pleasure in what it saw.​

 

[The Deluge]

The Deluge felt his suspicion as her and her blue eyes went to pinpoints as she focused on him, his figure reflected in her eyes.

"I am Deluge. A preacher of The Dark Side..." she admitted quietly, gaze raking him over.

"It is good that you have come here..." she trailed surveying the ancient Stone Door. "The suffering of this planet has given this powerful ground amidst a land of heathens vigor. It calls out to the willing...and for those strong enough to take it, great wisdom can be had. And Power. Is that what you seek, sir?"


Alicio Organa

 

[Alicio Organa]

Well, if you go looking for the Dark Side, don't be surprised when it finds you.

Alicio's disposition didn't change as the woman introduced herself, remaining still and stoic as a statue, but he did look away for a brief moment to return his lightsaber to his side. His noble upbringing was obvious in his perfect posture, and proper countenance, as he responded.

"Hello, Deluge," he said, trying out the syllables of her name. He pondered a moment whether to return with his own name, or perhaps a pseudonym, before disregarding the notion. He'd rather not reveal who he was to a Dark Side Preacher, nor was he confident in lying to one.

"It calls out to the willing...and for those strong enough to take it, great wisdom can be had. And Power. Is that what you seek, sir?"

"It is." Despite the off-putting situation, Alicio felt a stab of relief. He wasn't the only one to have heard the call, which was some comfort. At least he wasn't losing his mind. "There are people that rely on me. I need to be able to defend them."

There were so many people that wouldn't approve of what he was doing. Hell, he didn't approve. "I need to know if I can find that power here. Which means I need to get through this door."

- The Deluge -

 

[The Deluge]

The Deluge pondered his answers. Her stare never left him. In fact, she never seemed to blink.

He was a Nobleman. His posture and tone all but gave it away.

"To protect who you care for. One of the most powerful motivations for seeking out the Dark Side. You fear your loss. You know the anger and hate you would experience for who or what would do it. And from that, the suffering you would experience at them being taken from you. Your motives are excellent bases for which to begin your journey."

The Deluge got closer to the door, holding out her hand and feeling its power coursing through it.

"This door was made with a special lock, a series of heavy stone blocks which can only be lifted with the Dark Side. You will have to tap your hatred if you want to go any further." she explained before turning to Alicio Organa

"Be warned however. It is easier for a Rancor to pass through the XCiter of a Blaster than it is for a content person to unlock a Sith Tomb."

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio had never felt so unsettled by praise before.

The masked man was still as the Deluge spoke, outlining the path set in his future. There didn't seem to be any surprise or shock from Alicio, as if he had tasted of the reality she envisioned already. As if he had already seen his future. As if he were trying desperately, hopelessly, to stop it's manifestation.

His eyes trailed the cultist as she approached the Sith-marked stone, explaining the mechanism. He turned his attention to the door, quietly taking in the information, and battling silently with himself.

Last chance, his conscience said.

I need to know, he replied.

"I've never been content."

Alicio's hand grazed the rough stone of the door, reaching with his feelings. He tasted the lock, it's desire to bring out his worst. And he gave it, freely.

He let loose his fear, his anger, his hatred. Of failing his House, his cousin, his galaxy. Of the constant wars that cost the common people everything, of an Alliance flawed and corrupt, concerned only with constituents and trade disputes, every march of progress an uphill battle. The uselessness of it all, the hopelessness.

He thought of his vision. His people, his friends and family, dripping away to nothingness. His desperate need to hold on, to save them, to save everybody. The crushing sorrow of every failure was a weight on his shoulders. Each death was his fault, his responsibility. If only he was a little stronger. If only he was a little smarter. If only he was a little more.

"I only want to help," Alicio murmured.

With a sound of grating stone, the door swung open, the booming crash of it hitting the wall echoing into the yawning darkness.

- The Deluge -

 

[The Deluge]

The Deluge felt a wave of delight watching Alicio Organa tap into the Dark Side to undo the lock. He had taken the first step. The Deluge came forward.

"An excellent display. But it is one thing to momentarily embrace it. It is another to bask inside it... follow me, seeker. You are too new to this to fully understand the dangers of a Sith Tomb."

The Deluge descended down stone steps and beheld the ancient Sith Writing on the walls, the Dark Presence getting stronger. Cramped but carved passageways. She wagered it wasn't that large, as a large tomb complex would have already been detected and looted. That said, it was a definite well spring of Dark Power.

She went ahead a bit, and stopped as she came upon the mummified corpses of a Jedi, still clutching a rusted Lightsaber. The tomb was lit by Ancient running lights powered by geothermal energy.

She knealt down and picked it up, flashing it on. The yellow blade sputtered to life for a second before dying. No sign of what killed him. She could already feel the ancient power of the tomb already trying to affect her mind, as it would surely be trying to affect his.

"The tomb will attempt to trick your mind to protect it's secrets, and it will take immense Force of will and concentration to resist the effects. But it will become easier the more you use the Dark Side, and take the tomb's energy to control and empower yourself."

 

[Alicio Organa]

"An excellent display. But it is one thing to momentarily embrace it. It is another to bask inside it... follow me, seeker. You are too new to this to fully understand the dangers of a Sith Tomb."

Alicio took a deep breath, once more containing the (coincidentally) deluge of emotion he had released. Brief forays into using the Dark Side were not new to the Count, but they were few and far between, each instance beginning with a burning heat as he channeled his feelings, and leaving him with a distinct cold afterwards.

It didn't matter how it made him feel, as long as it worked.

Alicio followed the Deluge into the darkness, noting with some relief that the lights were still operational. He only stopped when she did, looking on with equal parts disgust and interest as she knelt at an old corpse.

Her musings on the nature of this place were received well by the Count, who crossed his arms in front of him, thinking hard. He would have to remain vigilant. Keep his guard up at all times, not that he wasn't already entirely on-edge.

Alicio became aware of the presence at the edges of his perception. The feeling of watchful eyes had followed them in, surveying their every move. Fueling his fear and paranoia. If Alicio concentrated, he swore he could hear words swirling in the Dark.

Come closer, sinners. Claim what I give to you.
​

"Did you hear that?" Alicio kept his tone even. "Or are ominous greetings included in those tricks you mentioned?"

- The Deluge -

 

[The Deluge]

"I heard it..." The Deluge confirmed to Alicio Organa , closing her eyes. Indeed, there was a voice. Harsh but tempting.

Where are you? she asked mentally, feeling herself pull ahead as she went deeper into the tomb.

There was a sealed door ahead. Sith Writing. Two separate chambers on its sides beckoned, practically polluted with Dark Power.

"Another Sith Lock... heavier..." The Deluge noted, turning to Alicio Organa .

There was a wailing in the distance. She couldn't tell how far away it was.

"This lock cannot be opened the way the first one was. There are separate access points to different parts of the lock, and we must each access them at the same time to open the door properly. But I can sense the darkness warping the area...hissing at me...there is some sort of deadly trap waiting for us in either section, I eager. Which one do you want?" The Deluge asked. "We're not getting ahead unless we put our necks on the line. Such is the price of Dark Knowledge. You must always be ready and willing to suffer."

 

[Alicio Organa]

Come closer. Find out for yourself.
​

Alicio continued down into the tomb, having gripped the hilt of his saber in his hand, keeping an arm's length away from his dark guide at all times. The brown and blue mask he wore was cast in the grim orange lights of the tomb, lighting his peering eyes beneath.

Every once in a while, those shaded eyes darted back and forth, trailing shadows that weren't there. Tricks indeed.

When they reached the door, Alicio spied the Sith writing, taking a moment to decypher the text as the rules of the barred gate were explained.

Take what is given, said the left side of the door. Give what is taken, said the right.​

"Everyone would do it if it were easy," Alicio said, his resolve unshaken. "I'll go right."

The nobleman stepped up to the entrance of the right chamber, hesitating at the doorway. He activated his blade, cool blue and violent black plasma lighting up the shaded corridor. He seemed to roll a thought around in his head, before speaking up. "Good luck, Deluge."

As soon as he entered the alcove, a rumbling sound pierced the quiet, and a stone door closed behind him.

- The Deluge -

 

[The Deluge]

The Deluge nodded, taking the left chamber, pondering the advice of the scripture as she did. The Unholy Spirit was silent within her as she went deeper into the chamber.

She activated one end of her red blades, the crimson light casting a bloody glow on a machine consisting of four energy Pylons. Two had rings of colored energy swirling around them.

The Deluge walked up to them in fascination, examining the ancient controls.

It was a machine for transferring energy rings between each other. An ancient puzzle lock. A similar one was supposedly in Naga Sadow's tomb.

There was a creaking of gears and spikes jutted out, the ceiling slowly starting to lower...

"Oh, crap..." The Deluge hissed, quickly going over to the controls, trying to figure out the nature of the puzzle lock...

Alicio Organa

 

[Alicio Organa]

As the door collapsed behind him, Alicio felt his resolve waver for a moment, before wresting control over it once more. He gripped his lightsaber a bit tighter, taking solace in that sliver of light within the darkness.

He tentatively stepped into the room, Introspect held loosely at his side, attempting to lean on his double-sight. He found it difficult to tap into the future, even as his skin pricked with the dread of danger from all around.

With the sound of grating metal, a granite pedestal arose from the ground. At the top of it was a button, in the palm of an ornamental handprint.

Alicio curled up his lip, inspecting the obvious trap from all angles, and even running his hand along the walls to check for another way out, with no avail. Seeing no other option, the Organa stepped up to the button. He cautiously reached a hand out, grazing his fingers over the area.

Nothing comes without risk, Alicio thought to himself, placing his palm on the button.

Horrible, tearing, burning pain erupted from his palm, quickly spreading up his arm. Alicio cried out, pulling his hand back from the button, cradling it gingerly, and watching on as a symbol appear on the pedestal above the handprint.

2%.

Alicio's eyes widened with understanding. He removed his glove, looking at what lay underneath. The palm of his hand had begun to bruise black, along with part of his wrist. The wounds looked as if the inside of him had been burnt, but his skin remained intact.

Despite the pain, Alicio clenched his fist.

The nobleman returned his hand to the pedestal, a fire in his eyes.

- The Deluge -

 

[The Deluge]

As The Deluge worked calmly, trying to figure out how to operate the Console, she saw it charging up from what Alicio Organa was doing, finally giving her the opportunity to power the Console and then operate it. The spikes continued to lower, but she worked very carefully. She smiled, sensing his pain.

Don't fight the pain. she advised telepathically. Take the pain into yourself. Let it fuel your effort.

She couldn't help in that moment, but think on the situation with Percival Io as she said that. The amount of hatred he felt for the Cult and the horrible pain it caused him to see her that way would have made him a powerful Sith had he The Force. Oh, well. No one was perfect.

Carefully, The Deluge worked, carefully transferring each colored ring of energy in a specific sequence from one pylon to the next, The spikes got lower and lower until The Deluge successfully transferred the last ring of energy to the top of the Pylon where all the other rings had been transferred.

The spikes stopped and began retracting. The door at last opened.

The Deluge stepped out, looking for Alicio.

 

[Alicio Organa]

27%

Alicio didn't even register the Deluge's telepathic contact, as she would sense only two things from the Count's mind. Shooting, burning, unbearable agony, and an extreme amount of willpower forcing him through it.

48%

As he held his hand down on the pedestal, the pain continued up his arm, across his shoulders, down his back, up his neck, until everywhere hurt.

86%

The Count growled, snarled through it. Pain is an illusion for a body concerned for it's safety. Alicio didn't care. Therefore, the pain didn't matter.

Suddenly, the agony stopped, and a secret door on the other end of the room opened. Alicio wrenched his hand away from the pedestal, dark steam coming off in waves from his covered form. He thought about looking at his skin, but decided against it. He figured he wouldn't like what he saw. He took one last glance at the pedestal.

It had stopped at 97%.

Alicio didn't like the connotations of that.

But at least he survived. With shaky legs, he made his way out of the chamber, finding the strange cultist on the other side. "Hello," the Alderaanian said, as if he hadn't just been in the worst pain of his life. "Glad to see you made it."

There was a long hallway ahead of them, that seemed to open into a final, large room, although everything was so dark, it was difficult to see what lies ahead.

- The Deluge -