The Sith are eternal (solo thread)

[Darth Zilti]

(Transferred from Private Forum: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/46201-the-sith-are-eternal-solo-thread/)​

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Maja sat in her darkened bedroom. She’d been reading the holofiles for days, only pausing for brief naps. She’d eaten rarely – her time as a starving member of the underclass for the majority of her life meant this was something she was used to – despite her recent opulent lifestyle.

For she now sat on an enormous bed in an apartment on the luxurious Libertalia paid for by her sister. Her big sister. But not just any big sister, her big sister. The Sith Lord. To Maja she was simply Silara but to others she had an official title. [member="Darth Vitium"] apparently. She was still trying to get her head around all this Jedi and Sith business – hence the homework.

And in researching the title ‘Darth’ – because apparently it symbolised something or another – she’d stumbled across another who was honoured with the name too. Someone whose life resonated with her. The girl in question was called Rain. This was not her real name but one she adopted due to some obscure local superstition.

Maja was not her real name either. She had no idea what it was. One day she’d find out and whoever denied her the birthright that her sister had enjoyed would pay. There was no element of ‘if’ in her thoughts, just ‘when.’

And Rain had met a stranger on a planet she’d ended up on by chance. And that person had shown her she was Force-sensitive.

Maja had met Alexandra on a planet she’d ended up on by chance. And she’d shown her she was Force-sensitive.

Both of them had left their respective planets with a Sith Lord (she was picking up the lingo now). Rain was given a task – to make her way across the stars to prove her worth. To demonstrate she was worthy of being the Apprentice to the leader of a new Sith Order. Silara on the other hand had lavished her with gifts and had promised to make her a lightsaber.

But sitting here, reading all about Darth Zannah’s life, the more Maja became convinced that Rain’s destiny was her destiny. To prove to her sister that she was creditable to being trained in the ways of the Force. Not to be given it as a right just because of her bloodline, but because she was worthy.

So she sat and read. And re-read and re-read until her mind was made up. She knew what she must do. It wouldn't be quick - but things worth fighting for never were. She'd waited her entire life to find Silara. A few months more would be worth the wait.

No doubt there were those that would profess that fate and the Dark-side of the Force had conspired to present the Master with a suitable apprentice. Maja would not be counted among them. She was learning about the power of the Force, but moreover, she believed in herself. She was no pawn of prophecy, subject to the whims of an inevitable, inescapable future. The Force was a tool she must come to use to forge her own destiny through strength and cunning.

But for now, the fate of Zannah (or rather Bane) was lost on her.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja went to the drawer in her bedside table. She opened it and pulled out the red crystal she’d found in the unhatched kinrath egg on Dantooine. It was rare but it wasn’t enough. But she studied it, feeling a connection with it that felt like it must be the Force.

Wherever she was in the apartment she could feel its presence and she practiced trying to connect with it - but in vain. Without any formal training she didn’t know what to do. But for now she held it loosely in her hand and trailed it over her body, wondering if there would be any physical reaction to it.

Finding none she put it back in the drawer and turned back to the datafiles. Logic said there was one place to start - the records of the Invisible Market. But logic felt wrong somehow. If she was to prove herself as a worthy Apprentice, she needed to start using the Force - even if she didn’t know how. So she instead relied on her intuition - which Alexandra had hinted was in some way linked.

And her intuition told her two things. Firstly she needed to better understand Rain. To visit the places she’d been, to try to understand her journey. The second was to follow the trail of the crystal she sought from the very beginning. She had no logical reason to know why this would work she just did. And she knew she had to trust her intuition.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja had packed a light bag and planned to set off the following morning in her rented shuttle. But that night she’d slept badly and dreamed plenty. Firstly there were visions of Silara. She was somewhere cold - there was plenty of snow - and there was someone with violet eyes and a lightsaber to match. No doubt a Jedi her sister was about to dispatch. And there was something else there. Not a direct link to Rain, but certainly an indirect one. But try as she might, she couldn’t get close enough to see it.

And then she saw a whole range of strong images and emotions. She saw a lightsaber with two blades and Rain holding it. Then she saw a bald man with a beard and a combat droid. But interspersed with these images was a planet. It had three moons and she recognised it from her studies. It was Ruusan. She had to go to the planet where it all started.

 

[Darth Zilti]

In her rented ship she approached the planet.

It was, she thought, a quite unremarkable planet to look at but was so very important in her journey. The girl was brought here and left for dead. She was dismissed as having low abilities with the Force but she’d survived the Thought Bomb. And she’d killed here for the first time. Maja didn’t know why but she felt this was important. Rain had allowed herself to give in to her emotions in a way that Maja couldn’t. Or rather wouldn’t. She’d always had a temper but over the years had attempted to reign it in. She wasn’t powerful enough to follow her whims, so had to control them.

Of course she’d twice punched Jedi knowing full-well their power and thought nothing of the consequences. And she remembered the day when she’d met Silara. How her emotions enabled her. How they seemed to fill her with power. She’d read how Rain had used the Force without training and wondered, just wondered, if she could do the same.

As she touched down, she sat and stared at the land stretching out in front of her. Here it all began almost a thousand years ago – and here it would start again. And then she saw one and rushed off the ship.

By the time she disembarked, ahead of her were hundreds of the creatures, the native sentients of the world. Globe-like and covered in green fur, they quite literally bounced their way across her field of vision, following the wind. She stared at them with wide-eyed wonder and was only finally aware that one had stopped near her. Its tentacles were gripping a nearby rock, to stop it sailing away like the others.

‘Po goes where wind says. Maja goes where rain says.’ His voice was in her head and sounded quizzical. ‘Why Maja follow rain?’

She stared at the Bouncer for a few seconds. Could he read her thoughts? There was only one way to find out. ‘No, not rain. Not…’ she pictured rainfall in her head. ‘Rain.’ Now she recalled one of the many images of Darth Zannah in the hope that he would understand.

She could sense the creature’s confusion but finally its comprehension. ‘Maja not Maja,’ he said. She didn’t know why it was a ‘he’ but she just knew. ‘Maja seeks Rain and seeks Maja too.’

There was a long pause before it added. ‘Maja finds Rain. Maja finds Maja. Force tells me you be here now. Force says you sad. Force says one day happy but sad because happy. Po says heart knows truth and Heart will lie to Maja. Listen to heart but not to Heart. Po helps Maja, yes?’

Maja shook her head. ‘No Po. I know you want to help but I don’t understand, my heart either tells the truth or it lies. It cannot do both. Help me understand.’

Po released his hold on the rock and the wind took him. ‘Make sense when it makes sense…’ And with that he was gone.

Returning to her ship, she sat and stared into the distance for hours before finally giving up trying to fathom the Bouncer’s words and instead she plotted a course for Onderon.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Arriving at the Japrael system, Maja had the sense that she had to make up for lost time. By this stage, Rain had killed and used the Force – even against her own Master. Maja had just been outwitted by a telepathic balloon.

As she approached the planet, she sensed the proximity of Dxun – there was such a Darkness emanating from it. But turning her attention back to the planet, she avoided civilisation and headed for the jungle. Travelling lower and lower, she finally found what she was looking for – a small clearing. If this wasn’t a ‘landing-pad’ she didn’t know what was.

She paused for a few moments. What she was about to do was both stupid and reckless. But necessary. If anything was going to help her in her quest, this place would provide the answers.

She knew their numbers had dwindled but the fact this clearing had been so well-preserved told her their numbers were still sufficient to chance an encounter.

She stepped out into the clearing and as expected, wished for and feared she saw movement up ahead. It had to be a beast rider. There was a rush of adrenaline as she reflected on the parallel with Rain. But by now her ‘mentor’ had killed a handful of people whereas she had, at most, punched a couple of Jedi. And they were soft ones too.

She stepped forward and…looked for the Force. There was nothing. Her arrogance may have blinded her and this thought started to nag at her. Eroding her confidence.

“Hello missy,” the man called from the edge of the clearing. “You don’t look lost, so I’m asking myself what you’re doing here.”

“Looking for you,” she responded, her voice suddenly fragile.

“Really?” He rubbed his pock-marked and stubbled jaw. “Seems like you found me. So, what you going to do with me?”

Maja smiled weakly , and felt what colour she had in her cheeks draining away. “I…”

The man returned the smile – but he didn’t just call, he raised. Suddenly she felt frightened. Perhaps the Force would present itself now? But it didn’t.In a flash he was upon her and grabbed her by the throat. “Listen missy, nobody comes here without paying the penalty. You’re alone, that much is clear. And no hero is going to come along and save you, so I say we found you, not the other way around.”

Maja was aware that three more ridewrs were now filing up behind this man. Like him they were unkempt with straggly hair and were unshaven. And like him they held menace.

“Now you’re pretty and young. That’s worth something to a lot of people.” He glanced back at his accomplices with a sneer as he gently but firmly backed her up until she felt a tree pushing into her spine. “And I’ll wager you’ve had a man before, so it’s not like I’m going to damage the goods any.” He licked her face, the aroma of death-sticks lingering on her skin. Over his shoulder she could see the others drawing lots and forming an orderly queue. That was their first mistake.

Maja closed her eyes for a second. Surely the Force would present itself now? She felt…nothing.

The man frisked her and found the saber crystal in her pocket. “Collector are we?” he said and giving it the once over he tossed it to the ground. He threw her crystal to the ground. Her present to Silara. The only thing she’d ever been able to do for her sister. Her sister!

She dropped her head and closed her eyes again. For a couple of seconds she was still and silent – ignoring the man. Emotions welled in her but one more than any other. Anger. Beneath the man’s hands, she trembled slightly. He snickered, assuming it was about him. Second mistake. Slowly her anger began to rise. And with it, the power of the Dark-side.

She couldn’t tell you what she did next. One moment her eyes were closed and the next she felt a tremendous release of power – and it came from her. She opened her eyes and saw four men. No, four corpses spread out over the clearing, their heads lolling at grotesque angles atop broken necks.

It had started and it felt…good.

 

[Darth Zilti]

It was as if someone had removed the doubts and fears she had been experiencing during her time journeying here. Dissipated by the display of raw power she had just performed. She still didn’t know what she did or how she did it, but she was no longer afraid or uncertain about her future; she finally accepted who and what she truly was. Or at least, what she was capable of.

She cradled the saber crystal in her hands. She was in two minds. Did she follow the path of the crystal she sought or should she continue to follow in Rain’s footsteps.

The records showed little of Rain’s early training. She knew she went to the world of Ambria with Bane. But because he sought to keep his new Order beneath galactic notice, the time was full of secrecy. But she knew of Rain’s first task and decided to set a course for the planet. If she was to learn all Rain knew, there could be no short-cuts. She was off to find a neek.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Ambria was no more or less interesting than any other planet. But in her current quest it was vital – for it was here that Rain was first taught by Bane.

She located a cave quickly enough, near the shore of Lake Natth to spend her time. And a kilometre from where she’d set up camp, she’d found a large family of neeks. They were small, reptilian herbivores and about a meter in height. They stood upright on their hind legs, using their tails for balance, with short forelimbs good only for digging up shallow roots or carrying small nuts. And they had long necks and tiny heads with small, toothless jaws that resembled beaks. How Rain found them appealing was beyond Maja. She found them repulsive to look at.

In terms of training, it was somewhat false. Her aim was to copy what Rain did. She was sure the learning would present itself at some time. Her task was simple enough – to bring one of the neeks to the camp, alive and unfettered.

As expected, she sat near their home and they would flee at the sight of her, scampering off to disappear into the crevices in the rocks surrounding the caves where they made their home.

Even if she could control the Force, she knew they were immune to its effects, so she had to exercise something she was not known to possess – her patience. So early each morning she made her way down to the entrance of the cave, where she would sit cross-legged and simply sit there. Sometimes she played with her lightsaber crystal. Other times she would think of Silara. But she would remain there for hours, then calmly get up and return to her camp in the late afternoon, only to repeat the process the next morning.

For the first three days she was completely alone, but on the fourth day the neeks began to show themselves. Cautious at first, they would dart out into view and scamper past her, well beyond her reach. By the tenth day they had clearly grown accustomed to her presence, and would sit and stare at her, only a few metres away. By the third week one particularly curious youngling, not even as tall as her knee, came close enough to her that she was able to reach out and touch it.

After that she started bringing food to her vigil, as Rain had done. Letting a small morsel sit in the open palm of an upturned hand at her side. The same bold little neek would approach her, balancing its fear against the smell of the nuts. She found herself cooing to it softly, and eventually it gathered its courage enough to rush in and snatch the morsel away before scurrying off to the safety of its cave.

Now she began to position herself farther and farther away from the cave and each day the neek would come looking for her. A week later, she got up to leave and found the neek began to follow her. She took soft, slow steps so as not to startle it. It was near nightfall when she arrived, her pace turning the relatively short distance from the lake back to the camp into a three-hour journey.

There was her sleeping tent in the camp; in front of the cave and in addition there was one for storing food, and a third for clothing and equipment. The tents were arranged in a three-quarter circle, facing inward toward the cooking fire.

As she sat down, the neek came to sit alongside her. She knew what to do. There was no Master to order her to kill the creature. In a way this was harder. She could cheat and say she could have killed it and let it live. But where was the learning in that? No, she had to reach down and gently pick up the creature and with a swift motion she snapped its thin neck.

She expected the grief that welled up inside her. But it was balanced by a sense of accomplishment. It was one thing to kill someone you’d grown attached to because you were ordered. It was quite another to do it because it was necessary. And that was the Sith way. It was a tool – no more and no less. And now it was no longer required. Rain and by definition Bane had taught Maja well today.

She threw the creature into the cooking pot and lit the fire under it. And she felt good.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja considered travelling to Serenno but discounted it. The trail of learning was cold due to incomplete records, so she decided instead to head to the Myyydril Caverns on Kashyyk.

Here she was a little reticent for the first time. She knew the broad location of the subterranean caves located northwest of the town of Kachirho on the Wookiee homeworld. But she knew it was populated by many dangerous beasts, as well as an exiled tribe of Wookiees. But she had a blaster and the Force and she just hoped that would be enough.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja landed on the Wawaatt Archipelago on the outskirts of Kachirho. As the saw the city that spiralled around the trunk of the near thousand-foot high wroshyr tree that sat in front of a large blue fresh-water lagoon, she knew she had to tread carefully. She didn’t think her Force presence was strong - due to her inability to use the Force - but in turn that left her vulnerable.

As she approached the gates of the tree city, a carved archway said something, no doubt in Wookiee speak. It could have said anything as far as Maja knew. As long as it didn’t say ‘We eat red-heads’ she’d be fine with it.

Fortunately most of the locals spoke Basic as she couldn’t understand a word they said - assuming it was in fact words. And the other non-natives in the local store pointed out which of the food and drinks were suitable for human consumption.

So armed with a back-pack full of food, some essential medicines, a map and the largest blaster she could carry she set off for the Myyydril Caverns.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja had been all over the galaxy, which ought to make her something of a natural when it came to foreign planets. But the inside of one hangar looks pretty much the same as any other. So wandering through the Kkowir Forest felt alien to her – which of course was reasonable as that is exactly what it was.

She’d toyed with the idea of finding a guide but decided that Rain would have gone it alone, so she should. And the thought had crossed her mind that perhaps she was eulogising the former Sith Lord and that the truth might have been more pragmatic. But Maja was strong-willed. Others would no doubt call her stubborn but she preferred to think of herself as determined.

So she headed north-west through what had been described to her as the "Dead Forest." It certainly lived up to its name. As she approached the gate that was marked on her map, she was primarily impressed by how grey the area was. But more than that, until this point she didn’t realise how many shades of the colour existed.

Moving forwards, she recounted the advice she’d received in the store. She should travel directly to the caves – but they’d all advised her against it. And she should avoid the Kerritamba Tribe's village as well as the Sayormi. Now here she’d had to listen to a dispute – one half of which she didn’t understand as it was spoken by a Wookiee. The local had insisted that they are ghosts that live in the lower levels of the forest. The other point of view was that they were simply evil beings that wanted to destroy the forest. But they were unanimous in the view that she should avoid them.

They’d also agreed that she should keep clear of webweavers – some huge arachnid, but non-sentient species. Maja wondered who thought it was a good idea to bring them to a place like this in the first place. But the main piece of advice was to keep as well away from the Dead Forest Area of the forest as possible.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja made her way past the Dead Guards who protected the Forest gate. She wondered briefly if there was some password or ritual to undergo but in fact they simply opened them as she approached and closed them with a loud and rather worrying thud as she passed through.

The shades of grey simply increased the further she walked. She was not prone to fear but the quiet of the forest soon became oppressive and there was genuinely a feeling of being followed. She had no idea if this was the Force talking or just paranoia. So she simply pulled her jacket tighter around her, tightened the grip on her holstered blaster slightly and pressed on. The smell was equally domineering. It was the aroma of death and decay. Of rotting vegetation and the hint of so much worse.

She had been briefed on the flora and fauna of the forest, including what was and more importantly, what wasn’t safe to touch. The names now whirled in her head; uller, urnsor’is, shadevale venomstings. None sounded promising. But it was the giant arachnids she kept a closest eye out for.

Ahead the trees, as dead as they were, formed a natural tunnel – their branches interlocking overhead, some times as low as ten feet. This reduced the light available even further but as her lamp was in her backpack, the option to stop and find it was less favourable to putting up with a little dark and to keep walking.

So she picked up her pace. Not quite a run but a very, very fast walk. She was aware of a scuttling noise, it sounded like someone was tapping on the tree trunks with a lot of small knives in a rhythmic pattern. But she could see the end of the natural canopy and felt that if she could just make it to the end she’d be safe.

Something made her look up. Maybe it was the Force? Maybe it was just that primitive instinct for self-preservation. Regardless, what she saw was a black shape growing ever more quickly larger and larger and then - nothing…

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja awoke and was aware she couldn’t mover her hands. Or her legs or anything for that matter. She was able to mover her eyes however and saw that she had been trussed up in some fine rope – which she figured was probably spider’s silk. The giveaway was the fact that she was currently held in place on the centre of a spider’s web. And she wasn’t here for the sake of her health.

She was able to move her head slightly with a lot of effort and so took in a larger picture of her predicament. She was high in the trees and to her left was what looked like a ball of the same material that she was wrapped in. Initially she thought it must be the starter to her main course but finally she head tiny clicking noises. Something – no make that lots of somethings were eating their way out of the silk. So her prognosis was right. Hundreds of baby webweavers were hatching and she, no doubt, was going to be their first meal.

She considered her options. A nano-second later, she considered them again. None. Perhaps when they started to eat her she might be able to summon the Force – but then they might poison her first, so she couldn’t rely on that option.

And then she heard something louder moving closer from behind where she was bound. Was this mummy and daddy come to see their little ones? The humour was most certainly lost on her.

It was then that she felt the web beneath her vibrate and then heard a gentle ping as a strand snapped. Then another, then another. Suddenly she felt hands grab her and realised she had been saved. Her delight was short-lived as she realised who had been doing the saving. She recognised them from the stories in the store. Sayormi. The ones that liked to drink human blood apparently.

 

[Darth Zilti]

She was carried down from the trees and could now count her ‘saviours.’ There were five, all men. And they made no attempt to communicate with her and although they weren’t exactly gentle, they didn’t manhandle her too much. So she lay trussed in the silk bodice and waited to find out wherever they were taking her.

An hour or so later she was aware the smell of death increased and the Dead Forest was becoming even more dead if that was possible. Soon she saw primitive huts built from animal skins and rather alarmingly were decorated with bones and skulls. Scarecrows made of wood and bones marked the boundary to the territory

Now she could hear speech but she could not make out the language. Voices were raised, that much was clear. Perhaps they couldn’t decide who would get first drink? As this thought entered her head she was unceremoniously dumped on the floor and a knife made short work of the cocoon she was trapped in. She glanced up to see up to twenty men around her with short and very sharp looking blades trained on her. She decided under the circumstances to leave her blaster exactly where it was.

The crowd of men parted and a woman stepped forward. Like them, she had dark skin and grey robes but she also had long and wild hair and Maja felt a presence about her – similar to that of her sister’s.

The woman circled her and talked in her strange tongue. Another woman stepped forward into the man-made circle but the first stared at her and the interloper retreated. The queen – for Maja could think of no better descriptor for a woman that was clearly in charge – produced an old leather bound book from her pocket. She rifled through pages and stabbed a finger when she reached a section she clearly felt appropriate. She put the book away and stepped forward to Maja. She almost timidly reached out with a hand to touch her face. Maja stood as still as could be – still aware of all of the weapons pointed in her direction. Suddenly the woman snaked out a hand and grabbed one of Maja’s hairs. Scuttling away she fiddled with something with her back turned. Then she walked around the circle, brandishing what was in her hand. Maja could now see it was a doll, with her own hair wrapped around the head. If the situation wasn’t already strange, Maja would have freaked out now.

The queen returned to Maja’s side, talking non-stop. Suddenly her hand reached out for Maja’s and a long fingernail cut Maja’s palm. The single drop of blood landed on the doll’s body and the queen cackled with glee.

But the laughing turned to some strange song. Maja did not understand the words but knew instinctively that it was calling on some dark magic. Finally the queen took the same nail and carved an intricate pattern on the doll’s face. Maja instinctively clutched at her left cheek. It was if the woman was carving into her flesh. But there was no blood, no broken skin, just a searing pain. And then, nothing…

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja was getting a little fed up with this process. She opened her eyes gingerly and was aware she was being surrounded by more of the warriors she’d encountered earlier. Once they saw she was awake they pointed along the trail, nodded and then, as one they walked away – presumably back towards their camp. As soon as they had gone, Maja searched in her bag for a mirror. Holding it up she could see an elaborate pattern that looked as though it had been tattooed on her face. She touched it but found no pain, no texture to suggest it had been inked on. In fact, the nature of the tattoo looked as though it was years old, with a slight bluing around the edges.

Unsure of what to make of it all, she repacked her bag, grabbed a large drink of water and a candy bar. Eating as she walked she surmised she had little choice to but carry on with her original quest. But she had some research to do when she got back to civilisation.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja headed further into the forest. As she approached the area the map showed was the entrance to the caverns, she stopped and found a vantage point amongst the myess blosoms overlooking the area. As she suspected, it was adjacent to a small village, home of the Myyydril Tribe.

Even without the advice she’d received she knew enough not to try to simply wander into the caverns in plain sight of the Wookiees. Grabbing her rucksack, she grabbed a drink and a candy bar and settled down for nightfall. But before the sun set, she pulled out the mirror again. The mark on her skin was fading – but she had no idea how long before this process would stop. She hoped it would go away entirely but for now had more important things to worry about.

And she dozed as she waited, trying to get as much rest as she could. Her recent bouts of unconsciousness had perversely helped but she needed some natural sleep. When her eyes closed for the fourth or fifth time, she saw in her dreams a woman. She was bald and had markings on her face – like Maja’s in colour but a different pattern. And she heard her speak.

"I am fear. I am the queen of a blood-soaked planet and an architect of genocide. I have helped to crack the galaxy in half with this war and conquered every enemy I have ever faced—including death. All except for you."

Maja knew there was a connection, maybe more than one, but here and now she could not fathom what it was.

 

[Darth Zilti]

It was dark and she hoped the camp was as asleep as it looked. There were a couple of sentries but they were preoccupied with guarding the camp, not the cavern. So she slowly made her way into the mouth of the opening to the cave and slipped inside. Her knowledge of their layout was limited. All she had were the journal notes from the N-K Necrosis project. And all they said was that the area she was looking for was at the deepest part of the deepest part of the caverns. But did deep mean the furthest back or the lowest point?

Given no other choice, she pressed on using the moonlight and the rough wall to guide her and as soon as she thought it prudent, switched on her flashlight to illuminate the way.

 

[Darth Zilti]

She quickly found out the Myyydril Caverns were a huge system of subterranean caves. She was glad of the map and location tracker for keeping her heading ever deeper into the caves.

She was also pleased the various groups that had lived down here previously had been dealt with but the local wildlife was always going to present a problem. She despatched one uwari beetle that clearly had designs on her and apart from regular stops to drink and eat, she pressed on deeper and deeper into the cavern.

She was amazed at the variety of flora and fauna, from radiated crystals that illuminated the cave around them to what clearly were toxic mushrooms. As tempted as she was to help herself to the former, she pressed on – her prize was far greater.

And after hours of walking she found what she was looking for. It was nothing special any more, but once it was the workshop of Doctor Nycolai Kinesworthy.

 

[Darth Zilti]

She’d done her homework well. Here was where the N-K Necrosis droid was assembled and where the Bane’s Heart crystal was both used to assemble the droid and was subsequently stolen by spacers. What she was looking for she didn’t know – other than it felt right to be here.

She glanced at the broken equipment, no doubt picked over by numerous scavengers and relic hunters over the years. She didn’t expect to find anything of value here. She was in a way surprised to find as much as she did. But instead of leaving straight away, she walked around the equipment, allowing her hand to stray over the various pieces of metal, almost caressing the machines.

And she could feel…something. Her awareness of the Force was not sufficient that she could tell precisely what she’d identified. But it was like the day she’d found her crystal in the kinrath egg. But she did not get her hopes up. This sensation was far weaker and she knew that the crystal she sought had been sold on the invisible market.

She could also sense death. As ever, she didn’t know how or why, but she felt it. As ancient as it was there was some faint echo of the emotion – no doubt so powerful at the time. She traced her hand over the wall and every now and then found a spot that felt warm to her mind but not to her hand. She wondered if this is where the guard’s bodies were shot and their blood had decorated the walls.

She turned to leave but felt a strange sensation. In her mind she saw the saber here, in the machinery that is now old and useless. In her minds eye the equipment was as new and a bald man was placing the crystal in a special chamber. And then buttons were pressed and the crystal was altered in some way. She could see it as if it were happening now but could not fathom what was being done. She simply ‘knew’ it had been altered. And that Rain was displeased.

She looked around. Where had that thought come from? It had entered her head without bidding and she found it uncomfortable. It was as if the crystal was communicating with her across hundreds of years. But then, all she could see was the crystal. Rain had died so long before the experiments here had been undertaken.

Accepting she could learn no more – and wishing to get some much needed food, water and rest, she made her way slowly and carefully back to the cave’s entrance.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja made it back to the cavern’s entrance before dawn and so was able to slip away before the village awoke. Her desire to sleep was countered by her survival instinct and the latter won by some considerable margin. She made good progress to the edge of the Forest, went straight to her ship and fell into a deep, deep sleep.

The dream started with a woman speaking. She could see no face just hear the words.

“But during your time away, you must not forget what Dathomir has given you. Although space is cold and empty, Dathomir's wilderness is lush and rich. It may be years before you return, so never forget the place that birthed and nurtured you—you will always be a Nightsister."

And then the dream changed, and she saw her sister again – fighting on the ice planet before drifting into a dreamless sleep. But just before she woke up, another vision came to her.

She was aware of a planet. It resonated with the Dark-side of the Force. She saw four moons and the land was beautiful – in stark contrast to the aura she could feel. And it felt oddly undiscovered. Known yet uncharted. And then she saw beautiful snow covered mountains, the tops hidden by whisps of cloud. And despite the harsh nature of the elements she knew there were people there. And one woman in particular. Brown hair and eyes, she could see her going about her daily duties and then chat to someone. And she heard her name. [member="Petra Cavataio"]. And then she was aware that the woman was…naked?

She awoke and as always remembered her dreams. But she knew she must not let them distract her from her chosen path – for she should continue on her search for Rain’s legacy, but she remembered every detail. For later.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja sat at the computer on her ship. It was basic but she wasn’t looking to do any major slicing – not that she could even if she had the right hardware. Or software, or whatever it is these geeky types used.

But she knew of one. [member="Cryax Bane"]. On one seedy planet or another she’d managed to run across some gang called the Red Ravens. Bunch of low-life scum – not that she would ever let them know she thought that of them. At least, not yet. Not all the time she was still Maja.

She’d been toying with what she’d call herself one day. Rain had chosen her real name when she’d apprenticed to Bane. Maja could do that – if she ever found out what it was. Perhaps Silara could help, although she’d found her sister reticent to talk about their parents the few times she’d brought it up. She’d put it down to the fact that she was probably ashamed they’d given Maja away but kept her. Yes, that was probably it.

But that wasn’t getting her anywhere. So she spoke to someone who spoke to someone who gave her a connection to Cyrax. Apparently he was a big-shot with the organisation now. But a favour owed was a favour owed.

Six hours later, Maja realised that a favour owed plus a significant number of credits equated to the information required. It was a good thing her sister had set her up with a seven-digit expense account. Sooner or later she was going to have to generate her own funds. But first she needed power. For power gave her the opportunity to take whatever she wanted, credits or not.

So armed with a name, she set off for Nar Shadaa. Not the final destination she knew, but the man she needed to speak to was there – and he only spoke to people face to face.