Stirring Up an Anthill

[Riamah]

Ra almost felt bad on failing her tutor, but not quite. To ere is to be human, she would just strive to meet his standards. Nodding at his words and knowing they were true, every action taken by somebody the consequences rested on their shoulders alone.

"Would an outdoor setting be adequate?"

She raised her eye brows at the figure and waited for an answer from him.

"I can't think of any place that would be indoors that would be private."

[member="Daxton Bane"]

 

[Daxton Bane]

"Outdoors would be fine as long as I have direct access to sunlight so I can recharge my fuel cells. Be forewarned that although this is a test, it will all feel real. The test itself varies from student to student. Some have used it to exceed their limitations while others have crawled up into a ball from fear. It is only fair I warn you before hand should you may have second thoughts about this."

 

[Riamah]

Ra listened to the hologram and wondered what was going to happen in a week. She could actually go to the location she was thinking about now. Her eyes narrowed as he continued to speak. The gold in them showing what she felt about waiting the week.

"I'm not scared of a test. As you said it will feel real, but isn't and won't actually harm me."

Pacing slightly, her hand on her chin Ra looked at the professor.

"Why do I have to wait a week? I'm strong enough now."

[member="Daxton Bane"]

 

[Daxton Bane]

"You might claim not to be scared but it takes time to scan the training ground while keeping my power cells up. Besides I want you to make more of the training drones until we have an even half dozen. That should suffice for purposes of practice and training, bear in mind that the strongest of storms begins life as a simple breeze. Be patient, my student and all shall be revealed when the time is right."

 

[Riamah]

Giving the now inactive pyramid a dirty look, Ra went about making sure she had all the items needed to make the training droids herself. Over the course of the week, she worked on making four more of the little balls and at the end tested to make sure each one worked.

On the sixth day, Ra traveled to the location she had in mind. Scouted the area and found it to be just as lonely as it had been the first time she was there.

Waking up the hologram the next day in the clearing, Ra waits while it activates and scans the area.

[member="Daxton Bane"]

 

[Daxton Bane]

@Ra'a'mah

The holocron takes several minutes to scan the surrounding area before the instructor appears. "Welcome to your first holo scenario. I will controlling all the drones and they will assume the shape of your opposition, you can strike the holo images and they will act based on standardized racial profiles. This scanrio is called Tomb of Anubis. Your task is to infiltrate the tomb, deal with the opposition and claim the artifact called the Eye of Horus. The scenario ends when you get the artifact, you will fail if you are rendered unconscious for whatever reason. Questions?"

A cool breeze wafts through the area and the robes moved unison, as he awaits for her reply.

 

[Riamah]

Ra listened to the instructions given by the Professor. Everything was perfectly clear and she had no questions. She had brought all her weapons, not knowing exactly was in store for her. Though the staff and blaster were mostly useless in her hands, her love was her knives. She two up her sleeves and two in boots and of course the spiked ball in her braided hair.

Giving him a shake of her head.

"No, I have no questions."

She had no concern for her safety and trusted that at most she would go unconscious. However, she also felt confident she could disable whatever headed her way.

Standing in the middle of the clearing, her staff on her back, blaster on her side and her knives hidden, she looked empty handed. Ra waited for the exercise to begin.

[member="Daxton Bane"]

 

[Daxton Bane]

@Ra'a'mah

The entrance is old and worn stone, covered with roots and dirt as if the earth tried to swallow it whole but spat it out instead. Precious little light pierced the gloom, as the inner areas quickly descended to pitch black darkness. Unless there is an additional source of light it will hard pressed to make details of the inner passageways.

Should the Force be used, the way forward would be clear as if under the light of the afternoon sun. Furthermore one could sense the presence of other lifeforms, who or what is unclear but their presence could be felt.

 

[Riamah]

For a moment, Ra just stood in disbelief at what she saw. It looked and FELT so real. Knowing this was a test though, she tried to get out of her shock quickly, not knowing what was going to be thrown at her or when. She also knew it would be far more than just physical training so opened herself to the Force, allowing it to flow into her. Having been training, Ra no longer needed to closer her eyes and meditate to feel the Force, all she needed was to reach out and it was there.

The scene in front of her changed. What had been a dark and forbidding entrance to a tomb, now was lit up but the color subdued. What looked like hieroglyphics were carved on the exterior of the door frame, but they weren't colored in. Instead any color that had been there, worn off by the ages.

The interior was similar, but had color at least. Writing and carvings covered the wall, telling a story. What that story was, Ra had no idea. Great trials were passed, beasts fought and victory gained in the end was what it looked like.

Walking in, Ra went in without her weapons exposed, just using the Force to guide her. She did keep her hands on the hilts of her knives, prepared for anything to attack her. She felt the life of her little probes, but changed. They were something else entirely.

[member="Daxton Bane"]

 

[Daxton Bane]

@Ra'a'mah

The life readings were not those of simple probes, these possessed a menacing sense of foreboding. Should she pause to observe from the darkness, she could see a pair of humanoid figures in light body armor, they are armed with light repeating blasters with electric torches to push away the darkness. They haven't seen her yet, and if she stayed put they might miss her completely as they continued their patrol.

 

[Riamah]

There was the sound of voices in front of her, Ra stopped moving to listen to what was being said and see who or what was there. Two people on patrol and making small talk between them. Having the feeling if she didn't disable the two of them, they would eventually find her, she brought out her blaster as quietly as she could, made sure the setting was to stun and fired off two shots. One for each guard. She had not brought any rope to use for this exercise-something she would remember if it happened again. Seeing the now sleeping guards, Ra walks over to them and tries to find something to tie them up with. Using the belt from one them, she gets them laying back to back and secures their hands as tightly as she could.

She knows that won't last forever, but hopes it'll be long enough for her accomplish her goal. That of finding the artifact.

[member="Daxton Bane"]

 

[Daxton Bane]

@Ra'a'mah

The ambush went off perfectly, with both guards downed before they realized they were under attack. With both secured, she could sense another patrol nearby, if she was careful they could be avoided all together since they were on a parallel path. Alternately she could tKecthe, out as well just to be sure they wouldn't pose a problem later on.

Closer inspection of the unconscious guards revealed that they were Geonosian in origin, while the stun blast had knocked them unconscious, it would only probably last for half an hour before they stirred awake again.

 

[Riamah]

Ra figured the guards would be out for another half an hour and others were further down. She didn't know if these unconscious guards were supposed to meet up with the others at a cross roads of some kind, she decides her best course of action would be same.

Slinking along the wall, staying in what she thought were shadows, she approaches the next set up guards. Again aiming her blaster, she fires off two shots to stun them.

[member="Daxton Bane"]

 

[Daxton Bane]

@Ra'a'mah

The second ambush nearly was as successful, the first guard crumpling as it got hit square in the back, the other one was struck a glancing blow on the shoulder. It dropped its weapon as it scrambled to stay upright, reaching for the weapon that was on the floor, the numb arm hanging limpless at its side.

 

[Riamah]

Ra saw the first guard crumple, knocked out from the stun blast of the gun she carried. The second guard was hit, but it hit the arm and disabled only that. Ra was on the guard in a flash, using the Force to enhance her speed.

She knew how to disable a person with her knives. It would hurt a person, but not kill them. The moves would prevent the person from being able to move for a while. She also pushed the weapon away from the patrol guard before it reached it.

[member="Daxton Bane"]

 

[Daxton Bane]

@Ra'a'mah

The hologram was so lifelike and believable that one could forget it was just an illusion, as the guards eyes widened in fear as it feebly tried to ward off its attacker as she appeared from the shadows but ultimately failed. Her blows were painfully accurate as the fear quickly overtaken by unconsciousness as it joined its companion in slumber. There were no further signs of any patrols so far but she would have to move quickly just in case the guards were noticed missing.

Descending to the lower floor she arrived in a portal which opened to a narrow walkway flanked by massive statues along the sides. Each statue weilded a large stone blade, which formed a crude arch overhead. Closer inspection showed that the walkway was actually a path of white, grey and black stones, worn flat from countless ages of being tread upon. Peering over the side, she could see a deep abyss lined with wicked looking spikes ready to impale anyone who fell off the path and into the darkness below.

 

[Riamah]

Satisfied with her work disabling the patrol guards, Ra moves on, knowing the previous guards will be waking up soon and may even be missed by this point. She hurries her steps down to the next level.

At the bottom of the stairs was what looked like a portal of some sort and a narrow path over a deep chasm. Stopping for a moment to peer at the stones and statues on either side, she wonders if a special path needs to be followed to safely cross the abyss below her feet. Deciding since they are all equally worn it is unlikely a special key is needed to cross.

[member="Daxton Bane"]

 

[Daxton Bane]

@Ra'a'mah

As she was about to take a step forward, several things registered in her head at the same time as her Force infused senses began to register them. The path wasn't inclined as level and worn as it initially appeared, in fact, it seemed like it intentional to give the false sense of security. A dry metallic smell of old dried blood steadily grew thicker as one proceeded up the path, as if the further one went the more blood was spilled, although it was hard to determine how far the path went through a thick gloom which reduced line of sight to a few meters. The statues bore an aura of menace, as if appearing more that what they seemed to be. What little could be seen was that they seemed to be large reprepresentations of Genosian warriors with fangs bared in perpetual snarls. Something about the blades they held overhead seemed to tingle a warning on the back of her mind.

 

[Riamah]

As Ra was about to step onto the path in front of her, the worn appearance changed. Some stones were worn, while others were still quite smooth as if they weren't to be stepped on. The statues on either side of the ravine seemed to develop almost souls. The weapons that appeared to be stone at first glance took on a new look, a sharper detail to them.

Having the feeling if she didn't hurry, both they and the guards she disabled up on the first level were going to wake up and find her, she struck out across the chasm.

She extended her senses out as far she could to try and feel for what was all around her- ahead, behind, above and below.

[member="Daxton Bane"]

 

[Daxton Bane]

@Ra'a'mah

Initially nothing seemed to change, as she quickly made her way forward. Her hyper sensitive senses allowed her to pick up the sound of dripping water in the distance as if condensation fell from unseen sources from high above her. It was these hyper sensitive senses which picked up barely audible click as she took another step, allowing her a warning as the blades high above her head began to swing back and forth along the pathway in what appeared to be random trajectories. One small miscalculation and she could be chopped in half or knocked over the side and fall into the darkness below.