Journey to the Darkest Heart

[Ronak]

As [member="Orex Mauda"] was handling the formalities with the dock guard, Ronak took in their environment. For an archeological expedition he would have expected them to land somewhere away from current civilisation and was therefore surprised to find himself in the middle of what seemed training grounds. There were many kinds of alien species uncluding some he had never met in reality before. Were the Sith actually more open for cooperation nowadays?

As he watched the lesson and dispute between student and teacher, his neck's fur started to stand on end. What a stupid and senseless waste - killing a young one who could still learn from mistakes and support his pack strongly after the lesson learned and being positioned in his deserved place in the hierarchy. Teaching a lesson through violence was the usual way of Uvena Prime, but through killing was simply stupid. Noone could learn after they were dead.

Were the Sith so sure of themselves that they did not need every member at their side in case of need? Were they so weak that they were unable to keep a hierarchy through respect and knowledge of the higher one's superiority and had to constantly fear the lowers in the hierarchy to overturn them? There is neither strength, nor power nor honour in killing a weaker one, in particular one you are supposed to teach. They were not thinking for the best of their pack, but for their own selfish best - keeping in place even if undeserved. This was not the way he could follow!

His gaze turned to [member="Valad Yar"] who had described the ones calling themselves Sith in much this way and spoken of a true way beyond this. Whether Ronak would find this way would be left to the future, but the way he observed here and now was definitely not his to follow.

 

[Thom Naudir]

Valad Yar was quite as he watched the body of the student crumble to the ground, the students around it looks nervously between it and the teacher that now proceeded with the lesson at hand. Valad Yar had to restrain himself from acting, from stepping forward and cutting down the instructor for the waste of life. The Sith needed to be firm, strong, and powerful. Only through the full understanding of the Force, and the understanding of how to use knowledge properly would see them to the power they sought after. To kill one as an example to the others was not simply wasteful, it was an insult to the ways of the Sith. Every life lost away from the battlefield was a crippling blow. The student had a lapse of judgement, and brief moment when the answer was not his. He should have been punished, yes, but not killed. Had he been spared then he could have been taught, educated, and turned into a more powerful warrior. There was now one less potential warrior to carry on the name of the Sith, even this corrupted and worthless one. Things like this were part of the reason Valad Yar despised the modern day Sith, and why he believed his plan had to go through even more now.

He turned his head briefly to [member="Ronak"] as the other looked his way, and Valad Yar shook his head quickly in annoyance. They could do nothing for now, and must simply accept what they saw. Valad Yar swore though that he would return to this world one day, and personally butcher and slaughter every single one of these instructors. Those that taught only through fear and punishment were useless to the true Sith.

Valad Yar followed [member="Orex Mauda"] out of the facility there were currently in, his body adjusting quickly to the sudden change in the environment. There was power here, despite the foolishness of the caretakers, Valad Yar could feel it. The expedition would prove useful, whether they achieved the goals of Orex or not. In the distance, Valad Yar could see the Academy proper, the testament to the endurance and importance of Exar Kun and his teachings. Valad Yar would get inside the Academy no matter what, and find the knowledge held within. Nothing would stand in his path.

 

[Mauda]

I stopped just outside Dreshdae, looking down the path toward the entrance to the Academy. One guard stood at the door. He would doubtless ask whether we had Medallions for access. This complicated matters.

"Suggestions?"

I turned to face my partners and motioned towards the door.

"The Academy is known to allow ease of access to Fallen Jedi. But neither of you have much of a past in the Force so that could not work. Other than that, we would need medallions. Of course we could challenge three Students to a duel and take their medallions upon victory but I don't intend to generate undue attention to ourselves".

I offered the latter as more of a last resort if we could not find a way of swaying the Guard and gaining access.

[member="Valad Yar"]
[member="Ronak"]

 

[Ronak]

Ronak noted [member="Valad Yar"]'s gaze on the instructor and could tell from his gesture that he disagreed with this behaviour, unlike [member="Orex Mauda"] who seemed quite content at the sight. Not wishing to stay much longer to witness the scene, the wolfman passed on following in Orex' wake.

A single guard watched the entrance when they neared the gate to exit the academy's site. Orex explained their need for medaillons of access. Fighting against students was not Ronak's favourite way of acquiring it, but if this was without an alternative he would have to take it. Even if the whole area did not look well-guarded enough to make it impossible tot sneak past the guard, the tricky part would not be to get outside to the wastelands behind, but to get back inside where they were likely more attentive.

"Aren't there any officials to announce our expedition to? After all, you were given landing rights, so likely they will give you an allowance and us medallions being your co-workers", Ronak suggested. "If there is no alternative, we have to fight, but the official way would likely be more elegant and create less trouble for us in the long run."

 

[Thom Naudir]

Valad Yar ignored both of them as he walked up the ramp of the Academy, his presence naturally forcing students and teachers alike to step out of his way as he approached the guard. The guard readied himself as Valad Yar approached, the hostility evident in his gate as he came to a stop just before him. The guard opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out as he made eye contact with Valad Yar. Those close enough could feel a sudden burst of Dark Side energy, going back and forth for several seconds before the guards eyes suddenly took on a glassy look. He reached into his own uniform and brought out a medallion that he extended to Valad Yar, briefly bowing his head to the Sith before stepping to the side and leaving the path open.

Turning back to his companions, Valad Yar held up the medallion in the light. "Found one. Lets us move quickly, he will not remain like this for too long..." He slipped the medallion into his pocket as he waited for his companions to approach, before following them into the Academy itself. Valad Yar paused briefly as he looked around at the Academy, the place unknown to him, yet familiar all at once. He felt a connection to this place, much like he did on Yavin Four. The pure connection to the Dark Side of the Force was powerful and all encompassing here. Valad Yar felt refreshed, revitalized within the depths of the Academy. He untied the cloth around his mouth and nose, lowering it so he could breath easier as he looked around.

He felt a tug towards one side of the Academy, a distant voice in the back of his mind calling him. In a moment Valad Yar realized what it was, and smiled. He found found what he had come to look for. Now, it was just a matter of getting to it.

[member="Orex Mauda"] [member="Ronak"]

 

[Mauda]

I watched as Valad took charge of the situation. He calmly approached the Academy Guard and in mere moments, was given a medallion. I would have been perplexed if it wasn't for the waves of Dark Side Energy that I felt come off him in those moments. As I followed Valad's footsteps, down to the main entrance I began formulating my assumptions. He wasn't just an Architect, I knew that. There was plenty more under the surface that I couldn't quite grasp. But over the course of this journey I was sure he'd gradually uncover more of himself. Yet what intrigued me the most was his own personal goal. He was very aware of what he could find here, and looking at him, he was a man on a mission. To find what? That was what ate away at me currently.

As we neared the door I walked close to [member="Ronak"] and leant my head to his;

"Although perceived as nothing but a brutal and arrogant manipulation of the Force, the Dark Side opens the doors to power most men only dream of"

We stepped through the entrance of the Academy and immediately I felt it. The Sith Archives. Buried deep within the Academy was a library containing some of the most sought after knowledge in the Galaxy. Documents covering everything from Lightsaber Forms to Sith History to Manuals filled with Sith Alchemy. But most importantly, it was a repository of the original writings of some of the greatest Sith Lords. Darth Bane and Exar Kun were only a couple of examples. This was why we had made this diversion. All we had to do was find it, copy as much data as possible, and leave for the Temple containing Darth Nihilus' Holocron.

We could all feel it, the attraction. Finding the path was not a difficult task. We made our way across the atrium and into a dark, somewhat hidden corridor. As we neared our objective the collective energy of some of the darkest knowledge became gradually more intense. We were going the right way. Soon we came upon a door, locked and very thick.

"Beyond that door, as I'm sure we are all aware, is the Sith Archives. We take everything we need from it for further study and we leave. No distractions"

I reached out into the force and felt the intricate lock system that sealed this door. Evidently, the ability to contort joints and bones extended beyond living things. With some effort, I managed to force the lock into place and open the door.

rows upon rows of books and parchments. All lined along a vast collection of stone shelves. I could hear the speech of History emanating from each individual document, filling my ears with relentless chatter. I slowly walked the length of the vast archive, eyeing each and every row for useful knowledge. I didn't intend to just steal what I wanted. I wasn't such a man. Instead I opted to bring a datapad with me and scan the contents of every document I found useful.

Soon I came across a collection of pages that bore an ancient looking Lightsaber printed on the front. Briefly flicking through the contents I realised this was a manual describing an unknown Lightsaber Form. Evidently it was written during a time barely applicable to today but upon reading a few pages I discovered that with extensive modification and a unique twist integrated into it, this outdated combat manual could be made into a deadly, modernised Sabre Form. A quick scan with my Datapad and I placed the pages back on the shelf.

I spent the next few minutes scanning as much data on Sith Alchemy as I could find. I had a project back on the ship that would benefit greatly from such knowledge. After concluding my exploration of the Archives I looked over to the pair

[member="Valad Yar"]

 

[Ronak]

The way in which [member="Valad Yar"] manipulated the guard appealed greatly to Ronak. There was no brutality involved, the guard followed the Sith's bidding but not to his own harm, if one ignored the harm received as punishment for letting them pass unauthorised. But that was not really his problem or worry. [member="Orex Mauda"] seemed no less intrigued. "Although perceived as nothing but a brutal and arrogant manipulation of the Force, the Dark Side opens the doors to power most men only dream of", he whispered into Ronak 's ear. This time the wolfman was d'accord with him.

As they entered the academy, Ronak felt a change. Whispers filled his ears such that he would almost have missed Orex mentioning the Sith archives. Promises of power, strength, of the one and true way were audible - some voices sounded cruel, others sweet and gentle, all had a strength and an edge to them. The Shistavanen felt like he almost could not wait any longer, until Orex finally opened the blasted door keeping him from what called out to him. Curiosity itched him onwards. All these books and scrolls, all the knowledge kept within!

Deciding what to focus on was the true challenge, he looked for nothing in particular, but was curious about almost anything. The pained groans from one of the books made him turn away searching another direction. Historical storied might be interesting, but the boasting about battles won and enemies maimed was less than attractive to him. Then, a book caught his eye floating in the air 10 centimetres above the book rest. As he tried to stepped closer the book seemed to push him backward. Anger awakened in the wolfman - do not push me around, book! Not even thinking to turn back, he pushed forward himself, focussing on his wish to sate his curiosity. Snarling and growling, while he pressed onward fighting an increasing defense, until suddenly he stmubled the last two steps and caught himself at the book rest from falling. It felt like he had passed an invisible wall and now reached his goal - the floating book.

"Learn the power of the unseen. Fools think telekinesis is just about moving things in the air. Masters known that moving the right parts of your enemies' physique can prove more powerful than a light saber, so can deflecting an attack thorugh your will alone", the whispering voice promised unknown knowledge. Ronak did not need further encouragement to grab the book. For a moment he thought about keeping it, then he thought better of it. After all this was a library, knowledge was to be distributed, the sources of this knowledge were not to be stolen. This much respect for knowledge and common sense were left for him. As he started scanning the book to his datapad kept in a belt pouch, Ronak read the author's name: Darth Nox.

 

[Thom Naudir]

Valad Yar was silent as he moved through the archives, his eyes taking in the vast amounts of information and knowledge that was kept here. The sheer amount of it was almost daunting, though he kept himself in check as he inspected a small collection of scrolls detailing one of the numerous Sith civil wars in the past. However, he put them down when he felt a pull at the back of his mind, a siren call to a shelf halfway across the room. Here, a small collection of ancient books were haphazardly stacked, as if discarded for countless years. Valad Yar picked up the first one, running his hand across the dusty surface of the book to reveal the title. The moment he read it, Valad Yar opened the book and began reading through the first few pages at a fast pace, consuming all the knowledge within.

Looking back at the shelf, Valad Yar began to inspect all the books, stacking them neatly together as he looked around the room. He spotted a small bag laying on a table, likely left by a student after his studying session. Valad Yar extended his hand and the bag shot to him, and he began to put the books within the bag. He glanced around to ensure no one other than his companions were watching, before walking back towards the table, the full bag making a resounding thud as he placed it on the table. He then extended his right hand, placing two fingers on the top of the bag, while bringing his left hand underneath, forming a small diamond with his fingers. He spoke several words in the ancient language of the Sith, as well as other, harsher words. When he was done, a brief flash of purple flame shot from his fingers to seemingly consume the bag, burning it away to nothing. Finished, Valad Yar reached down and picked up where the bag was, tying it around himself.

It was a simple spell he had learned a few years ago. The bag was hidden from the eyes of most, but if someone took the time to focus and reach out with the Force, they would be able to see it. Valad Yar just hoped no one would be that bothered. Moving back through the library, he began to look for anything else of value.

[member="Ronak"] [member="Orex Mauda"]

 

[Mauda]

Thud

I spun my head to see [member="Valad Yar"] drop an uninspired bag onto a table. He was stood next to a conspicuously empty shelf which quite blatantly suggested he'd collected what he wanted and had no intention of returning it. I personally didn't intend to steal these ancient manuscripts but I wasn't likely to try and stop Valad. Especially not after witnessing an awfully peculiar Dark Side Spell he cast on the bag. Keen to find out more I made my way over to him.

As I crossed between the aisle towards Valad's side of the archive, a voice coming from the entrance stopped me.

"Hey! Who are-"

Before the young student could make anymore noise I extended my blackened right palm and dragged his throat into my grasp at speed. Once I had his arteries in my grip, I tightened my hold and pushed his head beneath my own until he could look nowhere but up into my eyes. I didn't speak, only gazed back at him. While I held him in my grasp I reached out with the Force and began a routine I knew all too well. I probed all the intricacies that made up his body. Immediately, I wrenched his voice box out of place for reasons of discretion. His face contorted in sheer pain, but all that came out of his gasping mouth were broken whispers. The Sith revelled in the power they drew from pain, but not pain like this. With his head parallel to the ancient stone ground, I bent his spine back with tremendous force and concluded his suffering with a loud crack as the back of his skull shattered upon impact with the ground.

I remained bent over for a moment, looking into the glazed eyes of the now dead young boy. Slowly, I rose and straightened my back.

"We can't remain here much longer. Conclude your search and we will make our way to the equator"

With that, I dragged the boys body and placed it in a dark corner, away from immediate sight. I spun on my heel and headed for the exit to the archive

[member="Ronak"]

 

[Ronak]

"R.o.n.a.k, control minds not matter. THAT is true strength!", a voice resounded in his head. Right next to the levitating book a second book which he had not even noticed before became visible now. "I have what you TRULY wish to learn", the voice in his head insisted.

THUD

The sound almost rang in his sensitive ears and definitely snapped his mind out of the trance the book seemed to cast on him. The wolfman required a few moments to gather his thoughts and focus on his environment again. Turning around, Ronak noticed [member="Orex Mauda"] 's handling of the young student which captivated his mind and distracted him from [member="Valad Yar"]. Although his conscious mind was against the unnecessary killing of the young one, something deep within him cheered at the demonstration of sheer strength. "This is only the physical strength - imagine how much more strength you gain by only bending the mind not the body of your enemy", the voice from the book whispered into his mind again.

"We can't remain here much longer. Conclude your search and we will make our way to the equator", [member="Orex Mauda"] announced rigorously dragging his mind again out of his partially entranced state. Yes, they should leave and make a run for it. But the promises of the book still seemed so seductive. After a few moments of hesitation, he made his decsion, grabbed the book and placed it in his backpack while turning to leave archive through the doors they had entered it. Curiosity kills the cat - or Shistavanen possibly. But what does not kill you, makes you stronger.

 

[Thom Naudir]

Valad Yar was surprised by the arrival of the student, and he began to reach out with the Force to dominate his mind when [member="Oren"] Mauda acted, brutally finishing off the student and then hiding the body. It was an effective solution,though perhaps not the best given the circumstances. They could have dealt with the student much as the guard outside, buying them time and covering their tracks. Now with a dead body in the equation, they were on the clock. Eventually the body would be found, and then not only would they be barred from the Academy, they would be hunted across Korriban. This recovery mission had suddenly become a possible close combat operation as Valad Yar saw it. He was glad he had decided to bring his lightsaber with him.

Moving to follow the others, he briefly glanced at [member="Ronak"], a prickling interest at the back of his mind drawing attention to the wolf warrior. Something was there...Valad Yar was certain of that. He did not have time to concentrate on it now, but he would deal with the matter later. First and foremost they had to escape this Academy before the the body was discovered, and they needed to be a long way outside the range of the cannons scattered through the valley before they were hunted. It was certainly going to be a very interesting trip.

Luckily he had already found what he had been looking for.

 

[Mauda]

I paced out of the Archives, satisfied with the information I'd gathered and eager to make headway. The Students we passed were all far from tolerable. Seething with suspicion but never daring to speak.

"He won't be found for a while. Nonetheless, we stand out."

We stormed out of the Academy and quickly made our way towards the entrance to the Dreshdae Colony. Along the way I spied the assortment of Turbolaser Batteries.

"We are now on the final stretch of this journey. We now go to the Equator where I am sure the Temples I seek are located. Valad, you will know more of the structural intricacies of ancient temples than I do. Your help will be needed."

Waving the door open, we re-entered the Dreshdae Port.

[member="Ronak"]
[member="Valad Yar"]

 

[Ronak]

[member="Orex Mauda"] had proved to him again that the anger of the Sith made them unable to respect hierarchy on a long run and thus were weakened by their lack of cooperation. But the youth was not from his own pack and killing another violating their territory was the natural way - it would also be the natural way for the young man's pack, the Academy people. The three of them would turn from hunters to prey quite soon. Although not afraid of a fight, he was worried that he had no experience in defending himself against force attacks or against comattants with light sabers, while he was at it. Thinking of that, he eyes caught the sight of an object worn by the student Orex had just hidden - the hilt of a training lightsaber. It would neither be efficient nor really helpful in combat, but anything even a toy weapon was better than having nothing at all.

Rushing to were Orex was hiding the body, he grabbed the weapon and then placed him in the shadows hiding it again. "He won't be found for a while. Nonetheless, we stand out", [member="Orex Mauda"] showed to be of the same opinion as Ronak. "We are now on the final stretch of this journey. We now go to the Equator where I am sure the Temples I seek are located. Valad, you will know more of the structural intricacies of ancient temples than I do. Your help will be needed."

Leaving as soon as possible was the wisest decision they had made in a while now. There was no point in staying, they needed to move and get out of the academy guards' range, before the hunt would begin. From now on they were pack held together by the common enemy who would hunt them, dependant on each other as none could fight their way out of here alone. Turning from [member="Orex Mauda"] to [member="Valad Yar"] he mustered both and replied their gazes with a curt nod demonstrating that he was ready for anything thrown at them.

 

[Mauda]

The warm air blew over my bare face, a welcome change from the constant cold of the ancient landscape. I quickly pushed past the populace, one that was suddenly more dense than it was when we arrived. After a minute or so of weaving through lifeforms and pushing bystanders every now and then, we reached the entrance to the dock where we had landed.

I paced back to my ship where I was promptly greeted by the inspector who I'd paid upon our arrival. He stepped up to me as I walked and spoke with immediate frankness.

"Hello Again, I assume you're leaving. I hadn't asked for your ID when you arrived, I will need it now"

I flashed him a look and struggled to resist the urge to respond with a violent push. Choosing to ignore the request I walked past him and left him for [member="Valad Yar"] to deal with. With security out of the way I walked up the boarding ramp and headed straight for the helm where I sat and, wasting no time, flicked the necessary switches and began spinning up the engines, preparing for takeoff.

[member="Ronak"]

 

[Thom Naudir]

Valad Yar barely paid the dock official any mind, glancing at him only briefly. The mans eyes went pure white as he stumbled backwards, his weak mind overwhelmed and broken with a mere thought from the agitated Sith. The dock official simply stood in place as Valad Yar ascended the ramp, heading back into the hold. He secured for himself a small spot in the vessel, unloading his bag on a crate and spreading the books out across them. With little time to waste he opened the first one and began to read, his mind devouring the information within the pages of the book as he closed himself off from the rest of the world around him, focusing all his effort on the task at hand.

Each book he had taken was a script written by ancient followers of Exar Kun, the original Sith that created the Sith Academy on Korriban. They were largely ignored by the modern Sith, but to Valad Yar, they were priceless. They would go a long way to educating Valad Yar and those that he would gather in the future, and begin the process for which he would rebuild the ancient legacy of Exar Kun. Perhaps he could find more allies on this mission, perhaps not. But at the moment, he already had aquired something worth the trip alone. Halfway through one of the books though, something caught Valad Yar's mind. It spoke of an ancient holocron stored on Korriban, an ancient one that supposedly Exar Kun himself had created and passed along to his disciples. It had come to Korriban, and had been lost to time. Even better, the last known location was near the site the expedition was travelling to already. Valad Yar would find this holocron, he promised himself as he kept reading, hoping to find more secrets.

[member="Orex Mauda"] [member="Ronak"]

 

[Ronak]

Ronak followed [member="Orex Mauda"] and [member="Valad Yar"] to the dock. Without doubt the two of them were a lot better at handling the dock official in an inconspicuous way than he would be. Considering their flight now, obtaining the amulets was completely unnecessary - good that he had never bothered about it.

As [member="Valad Yar"] headed straight for a chamber without giving them a second glance and Orex turned toward the bridge, Ronak decided to follow the latter. "Do you need support on the bridge - manning guns or something the like in case they find the body too soon?", the wolfman growled his question.

Waiting whether he would be sent to man some station or not, he voiced another issue that bothered him: "We will have to hide the ship after we land, if they follow us or send probes to search for us. Best find a large cave system or otherwise we could try and cover it with sand."

 

[Mauda]

Having finished preparing the Burnt Hand for takeoff, I sat waiting for the engines to complete their spin up and takeoff. As I sat, Ronak approached me from behind,

"Do you need support on the bridge - manning guns or something the like in case they find the body too soon?"

I sat thinking for a moment and tilted my head towards him,

"My position here covers the ships weapons systems. But feel free to take a seat there" I nodded my head to the co-pilots seat next to me, "Just incase I can't remain here. In regards to hiding the ship, a very valid point. This craft is coated in Ferrosphere paint and can't be tracked but an extra line of defence will be very useful."

[member="Valad Yar"]

I initiated the autopilot and allowed the ship to make its way towards the pre-determined location at the equator. I leaned over to [member="Ronak"] again.

"Where we are going, is an ancient complex of Temples built long before some of the most ancient Sith. These Temples are like wells of the Dark Side and are home to the most prized artefacts of the Force, Holocrons. The Temple we will be searching should contain more than two of these holocrons, but only one do I have any interest in. But these objects are not ornate decorations, they contain conscious beings. And although they have been dead for thousands of years, they're powers are still very much alive. I don't intend to activate these Holocrons as the Sith they contain would likely kill us. We will take one and leave. Nevertheless, feel the energy that propagates these structures. Learn from it."

I returned to a relaxed position in my seat and gazed out over the desolate, war-torn desert ahead.

 

[Thom Naudir]

Valad Yar closed the first book he had been reading, bringing his hand up to his eyes and slowly rubbing them as he moved away. The knowledge held within the pages of these books were not simply held in the text. When the authors had been writing them, they had poured their control of the Dark Side into the very pages themselves. As he read the words, the Dark Side energy within the pages was pouring into his mind. The two sources of knowledge put together taught him far more than any normal book could, but the sheer process of learning from them was exhausting. He would have to take time in between reading the books for his mind and body to recover. Rising from where he sat in the hold of the ship, he departed and made his way towards the bridge.

He stepped up into the cockpit and nodded to [member="Ronak"] and [member="Orex Mauda"] as he glanced out the viewport, his eyes taking in the desert that had once been the beginning of the ancient Sith Empires. Shaking his head he turned to his two companions, leaning against one of the walls as he began to speak. "Whatever it is we go to find here, we must be quick. It will not take long for the Sith here to put together our ships sudden departure and the death of that Acolyte. If we do not conclude our search quickly, it will not take the Academy long to locate us. Unless we wish to fight a running battle while searching for your relics, we best find the exact location as quickly and efficiently as possible." What Valad Yar kept to himself was the fact he would be taking the time to look for his own Holocron. If his two companions did not know of it, all the better. This one he sought would truly only be worthwhile to him.

 

[Mauda]

Valad's words registered, but I didn't respond. I slowly brought my ship to a slow hover and stood from my seat. Looking out over the desert below, I laid eyes on a huge Temple Complex. But one stood out from the others. Large and Grand, much more effort put into its construction than the others. I was certain this was the Temple I was searching for. Not only did it look it, I felt the energy within. A collection of the most powerful Sith resided within and the forces that emanated from the structure gave it away.

"If I'm not mistaken, there should be three Holocrons. Darth Bane, creator of the Rule of Two. Immortal Sith God, Darth Andeddu. And he who I seek, Darth Nihilus. An entity no longer living, but simply a gash in the fabric of the Force. I will take his Holocron, but I will not activate it until the time is appropriate. Do Not, activate the other two holocrons. We are not welcome guests and two of us are not Sith. These Sith Lords will not take kindly to our presence nor our ideologies. They will very likely kill us."

Having concluded my briefing, I located a cavern and set the ship down inside. With the pressing threat of Conflict in mind, I left the cockpit and retreated to my quarters. I removed my battered cloaks and looked upon myself. My torso was littered with blaster bolts that never penetrated. Cuts, gashes and pinpricks from my years as a slave. I could hear the other boys, their familiar voices echoed in my mind. Unpleasant voices. Crying out in desperation, only to be silenced by their superiors. Emotions from years past came flooding back and I could feel the anger beginning to breach its mental container. Locked in stasis I watched myself, gazed into my own pain. Exposed muscle tissue in my face flexed and moved. The mirror I stood before began to bend and crack.

The sound of the boarding ramp disengaging and the alarm that accompanied it wrenched me out of my mind. My hands relaxed and I fell back into place. I spun on my heel and outfitted myself with a new set of Cabarello Armour. The boots impacted the metal surface with aggressive presence as I made my way down the boarding ramp and back out into the cold desolation of Korriban.

[member="Valad Yar"]
[member="Ronak"]

 

[Ronak]

[member="Orex Mauda"] assured Ronak that he had the weapon systems perfectly under control and for the main course of the flight he would rely on the auto-pilot. Ronak nodded, as the man agreed with the notion of hiding the vessel in spite of its in-built protection mechanisms. Given that this was the Sith' home-base they would be well advised to not take any risks and rather use an extra layer of caution than be sorry about having been careless.

[member="Orex Mauda"] continued with his advice for the young scout: "Where we are going, is an ancient complex of Temples built long before some of the most ancient Sith. These Temples are like wells of the Dark Side and are home to the most prized artefacts of the Force, Holocrons. The Temple we will be searching should contain more than two of these holocrons, but only one do I have any interest in. But these objects are not ornate decorations, they contain conscious beings. And although they have been dead for thousands of years, their powers are still very much alive. I don't intend to activate these Holocrons as the Sith they contain would likely kill us. We will take one and leave. Nevertheless, feel the energy that propagates these structures. Learn from it."

"I always try to learn as much as possible", he yelped his answer, while taking his seat in the co-pilot's chair. "And I will keep my fingers of any of these holocrons. They are your interest." Ronak had heard about holocrons of course, but he had considered them three-dimensional recordings from ancient times like the holographic projections used nowadays. The very thought that they actually contained more than just information, a conscious mind and part of the being that had created them felt disturbing for him. Coming face to face with an ancient Sith lord able to still manifest even part of his former powers was very unsettling. For a moment his mind wandered back to the book which had spoken to him. Was there a Sith spirit inside it? Should he better just scan the pages and leave it behind or risk awakening such an ancient spirit? Curiosity demanded not to let the chance to find that out pass. Caution asked to get rid of it as fast as possible.

Fishing the book from his backpack he started with the process of scanning the pages into the datapad. Whether he would leave behind the original or not, he was still unsure - curiosity fighting against caution, but none winning the upper hand. From time to time, he would take a glance outside the cockpit's window or at the console's to reassure himself that their flight went well and they did not have any pursuers yet.

The whispers of the book in his ears got louder, distracting him greatly, but he was determined now to not listen to them. The news about the holocron still felt irritating enough. Barely had he reached the last page, as [member="Valad Yar"] stepped into the cockpit - foot steps in the hallway already announcing his coming before he entered. What he had to say however made Ronak prick his ears in close attention. He was perfectly right - they were the hunted now and thus had to be quick, lest their hunters would make their venture even harder than it already was.

The temple complex came into view and truly did look huge. [member="Orex Mauda"] gave them a quick briefing, before concentrating on landing the ship. While [member="Orex Mauda"] prepared himself for the venture outside, Ronak took his own preparations - mainly preparing water and a shawl to dip with it to protect his nose and face against sand or fumes. Other than that he kept his leather armor on as always and the blaster pistol on the belt. For a moment he weighed the training saber he had taken from the dead Sith acolyte in his hands, before turning a switch to activate it. As the reddish blade emerged he held the weapon in his hand slightly unsure. This had a different balance than the vibro-blade he was used to. On the other hand, it might be an additional protection and thus he tied it to his utility belt with a leather strap, before shouldering his backpack and rifle.

As he met the others at the ramp for leaving the ship, he voiced what was on his mind: "Valad Yar is absolutely right with his concerns about time being an issue. Do we have any concrete leads on where to find the holocrons except for the temple complex in general?" Time is an essence of our enterprise after all and it could tip the scale towards their success or failure.