The Gathering [Invite Only, PM if Missed]

[Nefertari Sovint]

Nefertari ventured into the crystal cave. Passing [member="Kiren sepherus"] on the way
"May the Force be with you" she said to him with an affectionate smile. Already she could feel the Force leading her towards a crystal. One wouldn't do here, at least two were needed. This place was neat; thousands, perhaps millions of Jedi had been here before Nef. Walking along the icy floor, she came to a fork in the path.
"A choice" she thought. One path led straight, another to the left. She took a credit coin out of her robe.
"Heads I go straight, tails to the left"
The coin flipped tails, but slid down the straight path. Nef went after it and slipped on the ice before sliding down a slope she had not noticed before.

 

[cowboyrepeater]

Walking past the durasteel frame, Layna walked into the antechamber. She had known the gate would open. The Force did not lie to you, you only lied to yourself. She stopped and took in her surroundings.

The first thing she noticed was the high concentration of Light side energy. Even Ossus wasn't this strong. Layna thought that with this much energy, she could lift an entire Z95 Headhunter. Maybe even more than that, maybe even a freighter.

The surroundings took her next, the sacred temple centuries old. Off in the corners were bunches of crystal in blue and in green. She saw ramps sloping up gently and mouths leading further on. Layna reached out through the Force, seeking.

The resonance was small at first, hardly noticable. The youth concentrated, eyes closed and she felt it in the distance. Somewhere her crystal called out to her. It's voice was far away so she began to walk toward it.

She walked past the others and began down a ramp. Stopping, Layna gently probed bunches of crystals on this level. No, not here. The voice of the crystal called again just a little louder.

Farther down she walked...

 

[Nefertari Sovint]

Nefertari landed at the bottom on her side with a hearty THUD. After getting up and dusting the snow off of herself. she could see a rocky clearing dimly lit with blue and green light. In the center was a stalagmite of clear ice with a crystal trapped inside. The Force called to Nefertari about this crystal. Going up to get a closer look, Nef noticed something.
"Strange...This crystal is too small to use in a lightsaber..."
Still, the crystal called out to her. And if the Force had some purpose in mind for Nef and this crystal, that was good enough for her.

As she raised her metal hand to smash the stalagmite, she heard a voice behind her
"I can't let you do that, Nefertari"

 

[Catherine Soja]

She looked to [member="Sabena Shai"] and smiled. "Yeah sounds like a plan. who is going with who?" She asked. The corellian looking at those assembled here. The temple looked pretty thats for sure the ice and metals merged and mingled almost perfectly.

 

[Jsc]

Sam took a comfortless seat on a large stone formation and smirked towards [member="Jack Rand"] . It must have been lost on him what kind of life changing experiences happen here. She lamented the muggle. Being a wizard was so much cooler than it looked.

"Commander? Do you require a book to keep you company? I've brought my Pad."

She held up her computer device and tapped it against her helm. Mmm. As handy to a distraction as any cell phone. Longer battery life too.

"Might I recommend the topic of this Temple perhaps? It might give you a better idea of what is going on down in those dark, dark tunnels over there."

Sam pointed towards the caves and smiled.

"Unless. You don't go in for a good mystery? Hehe."

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

As each of the Jedi entered the temple, Gherron began to look around, as if analyzing each and every crystal there. Feeling the light sense of energy coming from his padawan, he put a hand on [member="Rael sul B'an"] 's shoulder. "This is for each Jedi to partake in alone. Each of them, just like you, need to find their own strength." Walking a small distance away from the kaleesh then, he reached into the force to see if anything spoke to him. Nothing yet. He'd keep trying, all the while keeping his eyes on the others with him. Strange, he felt like just another chaperone, with a large portion being padawans. Not that it as a bad thing, he rather liked being responsible for something. In a second, he noticed the absence of one of the padawans. [member="Nefertari Sovint"] was her name, he believed. Straying from the group, he went in search for her...

 

[Kosuke Yamauchi]

[member="Aaralyn Rekali"]

"Master," Kosuke said, "Mind if I stay with you?" He too began to sit in meditation, but his seated position was quite strange. He balanced on his right leg, knee bent so his thigh turned at a ninety degree angle compared to his lower leg. His torso remained upright, and his left foot folded over his bent thigh, as if sitting, but still standing on his right foot. His hands came together as if in prayer. "I did not come to find a crystal, I came only to imbue my blades with the Force, much like the others will with their crystals. I guess I only came because I didn't want to be left out, this is kind of like a rite of passage, I suppose."

 

[The End Narrator]

Aaralyn adjusted herself within the confines of the pad once more as students and Knights alike departed. The visage of [member="Kosuke Yamauchi"] came before her and as he spoke, she could only listen and nod softly before a hand would rise from her lap.

"Padawan Yamauchi, it is more than the crystal for some in this journey." Another soft nod before she groaned, leaving the confines of the meditation pad in the center of the room. Slowly she stood up and brought her hand down to rest upon his shoulder. "For some, it's that rite of passage - it's the connection to the Force that comes with it." She would kneel down next to him and gesture to the caves. "The crystals are only the physical aspect of the trials, in essence..." She turned her hand over and gestured once more, palm up. "The spiritual aspect is what comes from within those caves."

Her hand slowly fell down to her side as she sighed softly. "Enter the caves Padawan Yamauchi, meditate within and call upon the Force...You will find your purpose here." It was all she could really say, she could let him stay with her but he would gain nothing. No real sense of fulfillment on this journey - and that isn't something she wanted for him as a student.

 

[Catherine Soja]

Once she was deep enough in she began to feel a presence. She then saw it a crystal down deep at a flat ice base. it was thick enough she could easily walk it. Also a dusty snowy like coat gave it friction. But as she got down she stopped. From seemingly no where she saw a red beam walking toward her a shadowy figure carrying the red blazing saber of a sith stepped before her. her throat felt dry her pulse quickened. Alone she stepped back only to fall. The figure whos details seemed shrouded by darkness and the robes it wore swung at her missing but striking near by objects destroying them. She screamed as another strike almost hit her. Falling over he looked up as it stood before her. She then looked up her mind having to break the fear in her. She remembered that this was a test it was meant to let her see fear in this case the fear of dying helpless. She redeemer then she wasint helpless. Pushing back with the force the image broke down some and stepped back. She blinked and stood up slowly pushing again breaking it down almost fully. It charged her then and she shouted smashing it with a huge shock of force power. Breathing heavily after the illusion was gone. Slowly she walked towards the crystal. As she finally got there she touched it and it felt...warm amid the ice here. The blue crystal glowed briefly. Finally she remembered what an instructor told her. The lesson made sense now. "Your light saber is a tool your means of defending yourself is and always should be the force." A light saber was but a focus for the force without the force the crystal the saber it meant nothing. She took the crystal now and walks back toward the entrance. There she went to present her finding to [member="Aaralyn Rekali"]

 

[Bubák]

The united effort of the Jedi group bore fruit and soon Elizie heard the ice crack and move. Her eyes snapped open to witness the spectacle again, see how the massive blocks of ice parted from the entrance and moved aside to make a way for the Jedi. Once everything grew silent again and most of the fine powder made of ice joined the snow below the cliff, the deed was done and everyone could see the Jedi Temple that’s been hidden beneath. Gazing at it in silent amazement, the Arkanian girl allowed a smile creep into her expression before her legs carried her towards the massive entrance.

The room looked exactly the same as she remembered it. The numerous statues still silently watched those who passed through the room, forever frozen in their move representing one form of lightsaber combat. That child-like excitement threatened to fill Elizie’s heart, just like it did the first time she witnessed the majestic beauty of this place, but this time she resisted the urge to admire every statue and unusual architecture; a mere smile was enough to let the others know her mood. Her milky white eyes shifted towards Master Rekali as the woman sat in the meditation circle. The eyes of the noble darted then towards the entrance itself; there lied the tests and crystals.

Pacing closer to the caves, the white-haired teen could almost hear the Force itself calling her name in a whisper audible only by her. This was a way she had to take alone; even if she intended to go through the caves in a group, the Force would undoubtedly separate them unless it wished to put their ability to work together to trial. With the few supplies she took, the girl offered the others one last glance and encouraging nod before she spun on her heels and vanished in the caves.

Walls of impenetrable ice soon surrounded her in this massive labyrinth. One could easily get lost in the massive structure of tunnels, especially with the Force giving each visitor a different vision. The young noble had a guide though; the Light Side of the Force. When the path branched, she trusted her instincts and the guidance of the mysterious power, picking one and foregoing another. Soon she realized she walked the same path as during her first journey. Interesting.

Something cracked. And again. The girl scanned her surroundings, trying to find the source of the noise, as it appeared to come from all directions. Her gloved hand reached out and touched the wall to her right, observing as her fingers caressed the glass-like ice. It was then that she caught a glimpse of a shadow quickly passing through the tunnel, away from her. Another Padawan? No, it couldn’t be; as far as she knew, she was the only one going through this particular section, although the tunnels often connected. Was this the start of the visions? In split second, Elizie decided to pursue the vision and see where it led her. So far, the Arkanian could not sense the Dark Side, indicating this vision to be leading her down the right path.

Rushing through the smaller and bigger chambers, the young Padawan soon noticed she could not see any other way other than the one that the Force manifestation travelled through. All other passages vanished as if they never existed despite the fact she remembered the paths branched quite often from her previous journey. Ignoring it for now, the Arkanian rounded another corner and caught up with the being from her vision, watching it from behind; a young woman with white hair reaching to her shoulders.

Elizie gasped as she came upon the realization she followed herself; the version of her that visited Ilum some time ago. But what was it supposed to test? Cautiously, the teen approached the Arkanian and attempted to place her hand on the illusion’s shoulder. Yet as soon as the four-fingered hand was about to touch the illusion, the Arkanian created by the Force turned to dust and crumbled, vanishing from existence. Letting out a surprised yelp, the Padawan took a step back, her back hitting the wall where a hallway used to be.

“You are finally back,” her own voice resonated within the Padawan’s mind, yet she knew it to be a voice of another Elizie, one that existed only within the caves on Ilum, “I have been waiting for you.”

The Arkanian sat on the freezing ground made of ice and focused on the Force, silently reciting the Jedi Code for herself. She had defeated the vision once, she would do it again. The point was to act as a Jedi and ignore the tempting offers the Dark Side proposed. No fighting either; it was not a way of her Order to attack unless lives were endangered, and even then they had to fight with compassion and mercy, their mind clear of all emotions that had the potential to cloud their judgement.

“You have already proven to be capable of resisting the Dark Side. That is not the point of this test,” her own voice said again, this time echoing through the walls that enveloped her. The white eyes of the Arkanian could only watch as darkness filled the hallway and focused into one point in front of her, materializing into a copy of Elizie Adasca; this one did not sport Jedi apparel though; wearing expensive noble garb that showed both her status and her allegiance to the House of Adasca, the illusion radiated confidence and arrogance alike, her presence demanding respect. Elizie, the real one, calmly watched the apparition, her face showing no sign that could give away her feelings.

“Do you like my clothes?” the illusion asked, watching the silent expression of the sitting Padawan, “I know you do! It certainly suits me much better than that… whatever you wear. I cannot believe you left everything to live like this. No luxury, no fun, no power; why to leave it all behind, you don’t even believe in that religion?!”

The Jedi offered a different answer from what the vision expected. “You are not real. You do not exist. You are just an illusion. Anything you say is entirely irrelevant,” stated the Arkanian calmly, “Nothing can made me doubt the Jedi way. Peace clears my mind and keeps me focused, mercy and compassion lie within my heart and the Code guides my actions. I am devoted to the tenets and the Light Side; I am a Jedi.”

“No, you are not,” the copy of Elizie laughed, “You are a racist noble from Arkania. Do you remember it was your greed and lust for power that brought you to the Jedi in the first place? You could not have changed that drastically; as much as you tried to kill your former self, you will not be able to do so.”

The Arkanian did not respond. Continuing to sit in her cross-legged position, she started to repeat the Jedi Code again, this time muttering it under her breath. “There is no emotion, there is…,”

“You can sing it pretty well, yes. You wouldn’t have made it this far without saying it at least five times per day,” the illusion mocked her, “And yet I say your belief and faith are not sincere, as much as you believe they are. Prove me wrong.”

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

While he searched for the lost Jedi, Gherron had to remind himself what he had told his own only moments earlier. She would be found eventually, but it was her test, not his. He trusted in the force that she would be safe. After all he had to give the younger Jedi some credit. this age of Jedi proved to be more resourceful than most before. He had no doubt of this. Venturing through the caves further, he soon went even further than he had dared to go the last time. As he continued on, he noticed that the force was stronger, the deeper he went. He even managed to spot a few off-color crystals, some purple. That was new. A sudden chill made him stop in his tracks. It wasn't the cold from the planet, no, he'd gotten used to that. It was a strong dark side presence. 'Thats impossible...', he thought to himself. 'You can't be here.' "Can't I?" The voice echoed his thoughts exactly. Instantly, the voice matched up with an image in front of him. The young Sith he'd fought on Coruscant, just over a year earlier. Bringing his hand up to touch the scar on his face, he remembered it now. The battle had almost siphoned his will to be a Jedi. He'd felt so much rage, so much anger... Dropping his hand t his side, he set his jaw in determination. He was stronger now, and he wouldn't give in. "Step away. Now."

The Sith didn't budge, of course. He was simply here to test Gherron's will. "Come on jedi, fight me." His face twisted into a smug grin. He somehow knew... He knew Gherron couldn't refuse a challenge. slowly, his hand went for his lightsaber. When it was only an inch away, he stopped. Clenching his fist, he let his anger fade. "I won't fight you. Not this time." He watched as the ghost dissipated into nothingness, leaving behind a small opening in the wall. Crawling inside, he noticed the glow of a purple crystal. His prize.

 

[Ayden Quell]

Ayden Quell made the treacherous descent into the network of tunnels that was the Crystal Caves of Ilum. The subterranean atmosphere was dull, damp, and dingy -- at least to the eye of a Non-Force sensitive. To one who could touch the Force this place was magical. There was a mystical electricity to the air, you could almost hear it. In every dark crevice and crystalline structure there was beauty to be found.

To find it, all you had to do was look.

As the young Padawan trekked along, his eyes suddenly found a benevolent blue light. It was a ball of light, only a centimeter or two in diameter, but its glow bathed the entire tunnel he was in with its navy-blue hue. It danced and sang before him, twisting and climbing its way through the air. Then it zipped before Ayden's face and seemed to buzz, calling him to follow. The blue orb waltzed away and then swiftly departed down into the depths of the cave with the young Human in tow. It was a game of follow the leader. Eventually the orb took a sharp turn around a corner and then the light disappeared. When Ayden rounded the corner, he saw the last thing he ever expected to see.

His mother and father.

An ecstatic glee enraptured his whole being. He had not seen his parents for over five years. "Mother... father... is that you? Mother, you're alive! Oh, mother, how I have missed you! ...Wait, what are you two doing down here?" he paused. No response came from the images that were his parents, though his mother wore that same gentle smile he remembered so fondly. "Oh, nevermind that!" Ayden stumbled forward, to wrap his arms around his mother's body, but when he did her image disappeared. He expected a warm, maternal hug and got in its place a cold and numb slap on the face. Just like that... she was gone.

"Father..." Ayden looked pleadingly over at him. His last encounter with his paternal unit went horribly wrong. His father could not even look at him back then, staring idly with utter indifference. That was the same thing he did now. Not recieving a look from his father was worse than any evil glare. It was as though Ayden did not exist. The silence was defeaning. "Father..."

Then, with the most malicious and fiendish stare in his eyes, as if wishing eternal damnation, his father turned abruptly to his son. "You killed her. You disgraced our family you pitiful wretch and you killed your own mother."

Ayden dropped to his knees, utterly in shock. He sank down and felt as though the cave itself was enveloping his entire body. An invisible pressure dropped on his shoulders. He sank further, and further, and further. He was paralyzed with despair, distress, and complete desolation. Whatever faint glow had once been inside Ayden's heart now disappeared into a suffusing dim light. It was a faint reminder of what he had once possessed and lost.

Now there was only a whisp of smoke. All hope diminished. The darkness descended.

 

[Nefertari Sovint]

[member="Gherron Vael"]
OOC: Nef is a knight. She's just never been to Ilum before. Just so you know.

IC:
Nefertari knew this voice, but how could it be?
"I must, there is someth-" Nefertari was cut off mid sentence as she was spun and dipped. Before her eyes was a somehow solid apparition of a man she knew very well indeed.
"Will you have me again?" the apparition asked, running his hand down Nef's body.
Nefertari stepped back, lightly pushing him away. "No, you have been dead for over 600 years now."
The man looked surprised "Your eyes are still prettier than the crown jewels of Corellia"
"Nathan, stop. No apparition is charging up my loading ramp; and I know you are dead, I saw you impaled."
"I guess I'm just a relic of the past now...Blackstar and Sovint will never happen"
Feeling a sense of impending danger, Nef flicked out her datadagger. The apparition of Nathan Blackstar ran himself onto the blade. As he went for the second and last time, Nef kissed him and shed a tear. The crystal was now hers to take.

 

[cowboyrepeater]

Layna Akhora had been walking alone for some time now. She was growing frustrated but every time she would go to turn back, it called. How many blue and green crystals had she passed. She had lost count.

Finally she stopped in a side cavern and shouted,

"Why am I even here!"

"I keep following you but I'm still no closer," she went on "I keep following the Order and the Code but I am no closer!"

She froze when she realized what she had said, eyes wide. That was very close to blasphemy. It sounded dangerously like what a Sith would say. Part of her felt ashamed but another part made her ask aloud,

"Who am I supposed to be, I can't live up to the stories!"

Like all Younglings, she had been told of their histories. The stories told of mighty warriors and wise sages but she felt like nothing next to them. Tears of shame, of frustration, confusion and despiar rolled down her cheeks. She sunk down to her knees and hung her head.

Not knowing what else to do, she reached out to the Force. It filled her with the warmth and comfort it always did and she felt reassurance. It spoke to her without a voice. It told her that she could only be herself and no one else.

She looked up smiling through the tears. For the first time, she could accept that being herself was good enough. Then she heard the voice of the crystal, just beyond the next entrance. She rose and walked towards it.

As she walked through the naturally curved arch she heard it began to sing. Layna laughed with joy, the music was sweet! There it was on the far wall, just higher than she could reach. She didn't reach with her hands but through the Force.

Instead of seizing it, Layna caressed it like a child. It came away from the wall and floated to her like a snowflake. It was lighter than the others, she saw in the illumination. The crytsal was blue, like the waters of a tropical world's oceans.

She realized what it meant. She would be a shield for the innocent, a Guardian, and the Force would guide her to what was right always. It came into her outstretched palms to rest. Layna Akhora laughed with child-like delight.

 

[Garik Reed]

10 YEARS BEFORE. KALEE. RAEL SUL B'AN'S BIRTHDAY.

Rough, desert sand blew through the air. Even at night, Kalee was still pushing 100 degrees. At least, to anyone who wasn't a native, it would've been hot. Alas, two Kaleesh still sat around a fire. The had small, rabbit looking animals on the ends of their spears. Together, they watched as they stuck their kill into the fire, preparing their meal. "This is the life of a warrior, Rael." A gruff, male voice said across the fire. A young, short Kaleesh boy looked at his father. In honor of growing up, he had been given his first tribal mask, and been taken on his first hunt. It was a coming of age tradition among his tribe. "Yes, father." The boy squeaked. A grunt escaped the Chiefs lips. His headress was more adorned than the boys. Feathers and paint created a mask any Kaleesh would be jealous of. "I guess, since you're a man now, you deserve to know a few things about our people. First, your tribe is you're family, they are your first priority, always. If you know this by the time you become chief, you and your people will flourish." The elder Kaleesh took his food out of the fire, and looked at it. He grunted again, and stuck it back in. "Second, never show mercy to a Huk." Rael had heard of Huks before. The ancient enemy of his people. However, they boy had only ever seen drawings. "They will rip your claws off as soon as you give them the chance." Rael nodded, a fearful look in his eyes. He had seen the wounds warriors came back with after fighting a Huk. The chief took his meat out of the fire, and ripped into it with his mandibles, making a crunching noise as its bones broke. "That's pretty much the gist of it...oh, and thank you, Qymaen jai Sheelal, for our glorious hunt." Rael pulled took his meat out of the fire as well. He repeated the same prayer, and dug into his first kill.

ILUM. THE CRYSTAL CAVES. PRESENT.

As soon as the entered the temple, the Kaleesh Padawan started moving deeper into the temple. Rael never knew where he was going, but here, he had a strange mental tug, pulling him deeper and deeper into the caves. He ignored the rest of the group, and continued on his way. As he walked through the tunnels, his boots making a strange noise when they hit the rocky ground, he started to hear a noise. I know that noise, he thought. It was a whooping noise. The Kaleesh started to pick up the pace, twisting and turning through the tunnels.

Soon, he was in a full run. By this point, he had recognized the noise. A noise he heard in the far off distance as a boy. It was battle cry of the Warriors' of his tribe. Rael had no idea where he was going. All he knew was that the noise was tugging him deeper and deeper into the caves. Eventually, he arrived at the source of the noise. Rael stood at the end of the tunnel. In his eyes glimmered the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

A massive cavern lay before him. In its center, a battle was raging. Rael recognized his people. Their garb, their weapons, the fierce fire in in their eyes...all of these things he had seen before. And the opposing army, that he only recognized from stories. Tall bugs stood above his people, claws and mandibles slashing down. Huks, Rael thought. He charged into the cavern, determined to aid his people. The warrior added his cry of war to theirs.

As he entered the fray, he realized he was going in with no weapons. He snarled at the thought, he would die defending his tribe, and would do so honorably. Rael jumped up onto a Huk, clawing at it. It screeched, trying to find Rael on its body. The Kaleesh saw the opportunity, and threw their spears at the Huk while Rael distracted it. The beast fell, the closest Kaleesh yelled out their war cry. Rael plucked one of the spears out of it, and turned around, jumping back into the fight,

He felt himself fall into something. Not the Force, no, this was different. This was instinct, it led him to his target, and led them to their death. For what felt like hours, Rael stood by his people, yelling. He ignored the Huk limbs falling to the ground. As he plunged the spear into a Huk's chest, Rael heard a voice. 'Rael, you're better than this.' He knew the voice. It was his master's, [member="Gherron Vael"]. He ignored it, and kept on fighting. 'You are a Jedi, not a savage warrior.' The voice was more firm this time, and it stopped Rael dead in his tracks. The sounds of battle faded from his mind, and the Huk's ignored him. Rael fell to his knees, dropping the spear.

I am a Jedi. Rael thought. He closed his eyes, and bent his knees, resting on his feet. The Padawan set his hands in his lap, and calmed his breathing, and his mind. I am a Jedi. I am a Jedi. He repeated the mantra in his head, over and over again. He felt the Force envelop him, felt it pump through his veins. He did this for what felt longer than the battle. What felt like years. Finally, he opened his eyes, and the battle was gone. No Huk's, no Kaleesh. Only a lone Jedi Padawan. His yellow eyes were drawn to the ground, where a blue light was glowing

 

[Nefertari Sovint]

"オラ!" Nefertari shouted as she punched the ice spike coming up from the floor. It gave a satisfying crack and Nefertari lifted the top part off. As she had expected, the crystal was too small for a lightsaber. She put in a satchel, she would eventually find what to do with it. Turning back, she noticed that she could simply force jump back up the slope she fell down. Doing so she could feel the other crystals she came for calling out to her.

 

[Jack Rand]

Jack smiled as [member="Sam Jhovna"] teased him about going into the cave, but it quickly faded as he looked to the cave mouth. The feeling of something pulling him towards it came back. It made Jack uneasy, he didn't like space wizardry and all that jazz. He ignored the feeling as he turned back to Sam. "I've seen scarier things than this cave, like this one Hutt girl..." Jack's story quickly trailed off into obscurity.

Jack then turned back to Sam. "So do you want to go first or shall I?" Jack attempted to hide his nervousness behind a false visage of courage by doing his normal smile, but he still didn't like going into magic caves.

 

[Kiren sepherus]

Darkness, that's all Kiren could see as he quietly made his way down the caverns of the cave. He was relying mostly on touch to lead him and it was getting him no where 'All right, just calm down Kiren.' He thought to himself before stopping 'Your not going to get anywhere in here with touch alone. This place is designed for jedi so use the force…' he sighed before closing his eyes and sitting down.
He slowly opened himself to the force and saw it in a whole new view ​'Woh…' Kiren thought as he opened his eyes, the cavern he was in had a light at the end of the tunnel and Kiren could sense something powerful at the end of it.
"Good job Kiren." He said confidently to himself before making his way towards the light.

He slowly stepped into a room at the end of the cavern, he looked cautiously around it for any traps before completely stepping in.
There was nothing in here, the light had just been an Illusion ​'Great…' he sighed to himself before he heard a sudden start up of motion.
He turned around to see a durasteel door slam shut the mouth of the room, "No, No, No, No!" he shouted as he ran towards the door and began banging on it.

He kept this up for quite a while before deciding to stop, his fists were rubbed raw and there was no sign of the door moving any. 'Ok Kiren, think calml-' his train of thought was stopped as he saw a large hole in the floor ​'That wasn't there before…' he slowly made his way over and peered in.
He could not see anything in it thought there was a strange presence coming from it. "Alright, if this is what my test will be for my crystal, then so be it." he said before leaping into the hole.

Blackness, all there was, was blackness.

 

[Ayden Quell]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0odJkzHAqo

Got bitten fingernails and a head full of the past
And everybody's gone at last
Sweet, sweet smile thats fading fast
'Cos everybody's gone at last
Don't get upset about it
No not anymore
Theres nothing wrong that wasn't wrong before
Had a second alone with a chance let past
And everybody's gone at last

Well I hope you're not waiting
Waiting 'round for me
'Cos I'm not going anywhere, obviously
Got a broken heart and your name on my cast
And everybody's gone at last
Everybody's gone at last

The image of Ayden's parents were no longer with him. Now he was totally and utterly alone. He was choked to his very core with desolation. Sorrow, misery, grief... these were his friends now. They wrapped their tender arms around his body, sung him sweet lullabies, and took the pain away. These were false securities, Ayden knew, but he yearned for the ruination just as much as it wanted him. Much to his chagrin, he had given up. Yet, a dull ache still survived, a small flicker of light, and even though the radiance was removed with the agony, there was an inner bastion of hope that refused to be quelled.

 

[Jsc]

Sam shook her helm. Oh, alright. Might as well get her money's worth. She hoped down and waved to [member="Jack Rand"] ,

"Come along then. It's a far better aspect then sitting out here for an hour."

The Knightess unsheathed one of the twin saber-staffs and handed it to Jack,

"Inside this lightsaber is a Force Crystal that I am attuned to in a very special way. Carry this item with you at all times and I will be able to find you anywhere in the universe. For now, let's call it a good luck charm. In case we get lost."

She walked beyond the threshold and paused,

"Now. Let's see what we can find down here, shall we? Hehe. Hopefully nothing too dangerous."

*wink*