Private They Say Fear Keeps Even The Local Systems In Line

[Vazz]

A Sith was nothing without an apprentice.

Or something like that. Vazz himself hadn't put much thought into it, but as the Sith continued to spread their influence and the Jedi once again began to take notice, such beliefs were starting to make him wonder if, perhaps, he should at least take one for himself. It's why he was here on Korriban at least. There was an acolyte there that seemed to fear nothing at all. It could be a strength, to some.

If anything it just made it a fun target for Vazz, if nothing less. Putting fear into people, enemies or otherwise, was just something he loved to do. So he went to the Academy. Explained nothing he didn't have to as he found the girl he'd heard about. Even after the failure of her last mission, she still acted defiant and crass to those around her. He just smiled as he stared down at the Chiss that had been summoned to stand before him.

"Come along, Acolyte."

Ansisa

 

[Ansisa]

An apprentice was nothing without a Master.

Though Ansisa liked to think she was something, unbeaten in any game of strategy, rarely beaten in duels with her fellow acolytes. But she was oh so very bored of fighting with children in the proverbial sandpit that was the academy. She had her feet up on on of the long benches, brow furrowed as she concentrated on the datapad in her hand, while the other lazily made her lightsaber hilt spin slowly above her fingers.

Something hard knocked her feet off the desk, the librarian glowered down at her. The lightsaber dropped into her palm. "What?" Ansisa snapped.

"There's a Sith Lord here for you." she reached over and plucked the datapad out of her hand. "Go, Acolyte, and may your presence never sully my sight again."

"Finally." she breathed, pushing herself up and heading to meet the mystery Lord.

Oh so disappointed was she. It was no one she knew, no one that had even passed on her radar as a being of note. She gave him a slow up down look, disgust flashing across her face, before it was rearranged into a polite smile. "I though the dog was supposed to heel." she muttered under her breath.

"You asked for me, my Lord?"

Vazz

 

[Vazz]

The Defel stared for a moment longer. His ear twitched, just subtly, at her muttered words, but he didn't seem to react to them. Not yet, at least. Instead he just cracked a wide, toothy grin as he instead turned to leave. "As I said, come along." He even patted his leg as he walked. She wasn't going to be able to stay here now.

She'd already started to dig a hole with her arrogance. How much longer until she realized if she came back she'd be thrown right to the bottom of the totem pole as a failure of an apprentice? It might be a bit before that crossed her mind. She certainly carried herself with the confidence of someone who didn't understand failure.

"I have use for even a failure like you. You enjoy the fight, right?"

Ansisa

 

[Ansisa]

Ansisa's eyes narrowed only slightly. Clearly, he had heard her. A small impatient sigh was blown through her nose as she stepped forward to follow him, half a step behind so she could at least take pleasure in glowering at the back of his head for turning her own slight against her. there was a part of her however, that wanted to test that boundary. If her insult would pass by so easily, where was the line?

She bristled at the mention of her failure, anger flashing in the force. She brought it under control, clenching her jaw.

Bith was not her failure. Retreat had been the only option after the rest of her associates had fled. And yet, still she was marked with the same brush. Arguing against it was futile, this much she was certain of.

"Evidently." Her reply was short. She wasn't going to give him anything else to work with until she knew what she was walking into.

Vazz

 

[Vazz]

"Good acolyte."

Yes, he was absolutely going to lord that over her a bit more as they walked from the temple and out into the desert sands of Korriban. Though not towards any ship. He had a destination in mind, a mission to complete here on the Holy World no less. He just needed capable fodder to ensure it's success.

It truly was a good thing the Academy had been reopened.

"There are people to fight. You're going to fight them. Simple enough, mm?"

Ansisa

 

[Ansisa]

Another spike of irritation, was quickly squashed.

This one was making a point of getting under her skin, she wasn't going to let him.

"On the surface, yes, it seems simple enough." But when was anything ever that simple? She pulled a scarf over her mouth as winds picked up. She hated the desert and the sand, but her own explorations of Korriban had given her many an experience worth her time, so she had at least come to respect it.

"May I ask for whom and who?"

It was the politest way she could come up with ask 'who the feth are who and who the feth are you sending me to fight'

Vazz

 

[Vazz]

"You can ask whatever you like."

It didn't mean he'd answer, of course. And he certainly didn't this time. There was a wait and see approach he preferred, especially with someone as brazen as this acolyte had proven themselves to be. He wanted himself an acolyte to train, but there was a matter of.. Housebreaking. He barked out a chuckle aloud at the thought, but didn't elaborate as they neared the destination he had in mind.

The caverns. They were forbidden to Acolytes simply because of the creatures that resided within. There was kyber to find for those who were dumb enough to break the rules and somehow survive, but it wasn't an easy task. Or at least it shouldn't have been. Some of the acolytes who'd grown disillusioned with the Sith had made their way in, carved through the creatures, and made themselves a camp to survive in.

They were growing stronger, and that was a problem to Vazz.

"You're going in there and you're killing anyone you come across. The caverns are forbidden for a reason, and you've my permission to punish those who break those rules."

And she'd be his distraction. The Defel was fully planning on slaughtering all the people within himself. He could, easier than he'd readily say. His abilities were well suited for this sort of task. But he was lazy. And making her take all the attention of the people and the creatures within would only make it easier for him.

"You've a lightsaber, don't you?"

Ansisa

 

[Ansisa]

Ansisa noted that he did not answer either of her questions, though the latter eventually became apparent she still had no idea who he was.

She was no stranger to what lie within the caves, the kyber in her lightsaber had come from there. She nearly lost her life getting it, as if in response to her memories, the scar running along her back itched. It had been a good lesson. She knew of the creatures and of the defectors. Fine, so she was to go on a killing spree, a small smirk tugged at the corner of her lip. Well at least he was giving her something fun to do.

She rolled her eyes at his question. "No, I'm a pacifist." she retorted with sarcasm, plucking the lightsaber from her belt as she did. "What a ridiculous question."

She waited for instruction to go. If he wanted to play the game of dog and master, she'd play it within an inch of its life.

Vazz

 

[Vazz]

"Snarky. Arrogant."

The Defel raised a hand, and with it brought the Force to his will. All to disassemble her lightsaber and bring over the Kyber that was housed within to his waiting claws. He lifted it as if to inspect it, but he already knew what he needed about the crystal. And, well, this was never about the crystal. He just grinned as he looked towards the Chiss.

"Well? Go on. Enjoy the slaughter why don't you?"

Without her lightsaber. There was no denying she was skilled, and the acolytes in the caves would fall to her without much struggle on her part if she was smart about it. That wouldn't do, not at all.

She needed fear.

"show me why you're so overconfident."

Ansisa

 

[Ansisa]

Ansisa's face fell. "No! Wait!" the lightsaber that had taken painstaking hours to put together fell apart. Her eyes followed the crystal into his claws and her jaw set. "Bastard." she hissed.

She cast a glance at the cave entrance, her confidence wavering. Shyracks, she could deal with, K'lor'slugs too, but if a terntatek had taken up residence liek they were so known to do then she was in trouble. As for the defectors? she cared about these the least. You didn't need a lightsaber to kill a person, you just needed the force.

Shooting a hateful glare at the Sith Lord, she pulled free her cloak, tossing it aside. "I'm coming back for that fething crystal." She turned on her heel and marched into the cave, sticking to its edges where the shadows were longest. A small knot of fear grew in her stomach but she set a plan in motion. Avoid the fauna, find the defectors, kill a few, steal a weapon. Simple.

Ansisa swallowed hard.

Vazz

 

[Vazz]

"Sure you will. Or you won't."

It didn't matter to him. He wanted an apprentice, but it would be pointless if she wasn't someone who could be humbled. She could die, and he'd just find someone else. And, well. She was going to be a distraction for him anyway. He tucked the crystal in his pocket as she stormed her way into the caves, the disappeared from view.

The Defel turned invisible to follow. Hid himself in the Force. Somewhat. The acolytes that were surviving in here had a different sort of trick to make sure the usual temple guards that'd be sent after them couldn't get them. They had a 'pet' of sorts. A terentatek they utilized to hunt and kill anyone who got too close to their hideout while they themselves hid from the beast.

It was smart. Vazz could get around it if he tried, but he was lazy. And, well. This doubled as an important lesson he figured. She could handle a lot he imagined, but when it came time, she'd be fighting something he knew she couldn't. Fear was important.

He would make sure she felt it.

Ansisa

 

[Ansisa]

Ansisa hugged the edges of the cave system, stepping on light feet. She might prefer all out assault on an open front but that didn't mean she lacked the skill to sneak, it just wasn't her preferred method. But then that was the point, wasn't it? To take her out of her comfort zone, to test skills that she may not have had an opportunity to display.

The path forked ahead of her, a swarm of shyracks roosted in the high cave ceiling, their gentle ruffling of wings the only noise she could here. She knew if she went left, it would take her past the k'lor'slugs nest and towards the crystals acolytes often perished retrieving. She knew for sure the old male terentetek that was down there was undefeated. The scar on her back itched and she repressed the creeping sensation of fear, and headed right.

The path sloped down, pushing deeper under Korriban's surface, the odd lantern here and there told her she was on the right track. The surface was uneven, a misplaced foot dashed pebbles, sending them skittering in all directions. The Shyracks responded, two of them, only to be dashed against the cave wall with a force push. Flimsy things.

Holding still to make sure that was all, she strained her ears to listen for anything else, her eyes grown accustomed to the gloom, but not so well she could see into the deep crevices and high ceilings that the light did not cast a dull glow over. She let out the breath she was holding, and carried on, stepping lighter, watching where she placed her feet. Eventually the tunnel levelled out, opening into a large cavern with three other entrances. Tucking behind a pillar of stone, she waited and listened only stepping out when she was certain in was clear.

Which way?

Pausing, she search the floor for a sharp stone, pressing it into the flesh of thumb and stepping back to the tunnel she come from, she drew her thumb down the wall, marking it as her way out, before brushing it with dust. It wouldn't stand out to anyone not looking for it, but she'd sense it and the way out. She tucked the stone into her pocket just in case and stepped into the chamber fully, searching the ground for tracks, pausing at each entrance to listen and extended herself in the force searching but nothing came to her. With an annoyed sigh she came back to the centre of the chamber and closed her eyes.

Opening herself up to the darkside, of which the cave was seeped in, she listened instead to that, to its call. Ansisa opened her eyes with a small triumphant smile, finally taking the centre path.

Vazz

 

[Vazz]

Vazz followed. He crept along in the shadows, keeping enough distance so she wouldn't be able to sense him and yet always had her in his sight. Or at least close enough for him to be able to sniff her out if he had to. Not to watch over her though and ensure her survival. If anything, it was the opposite. She was smart, knew the paths.

She'd found her way in here when she shouldn't have, he figured. But he wasn't going to let her little past escapades give her much of an advantage. She wanted to avoid the Terentatec.

So, he'd bring it to her.

He whistled. Just a simple, haunting tune that echoed through the cavern unnaturally. Loudly so. It wasn't long until the path she'd chose to avoid had the creature within stir. And the roar of the Terentatek echoed out as the aged beast rose from it's slumber. No, Vazz would make sure she would have to survive by the skin of her teeth. Or die in the process.

All the others would die regardless.

Ansisa

 

[Ansisa]

Ansisa froze, the hairs standing on the back of her neck as the whistle filled the cave. It sounded like it was coming from every where. She pressed her back against the cave wall, heart hammering. FI she didn;t work out where it was coming from and silence it soon...

A roar echoed through the tunnels. The old bull was awake and the tough terentatek would come quickly. She couldn't go back, going back would have her run directly into his path. Fear had her momentarily paralysed. Heavy foot steps shook the cave floor.

Karan'sis'atrob get a grip of yourself.

The thought snapped her out of her paralysis. She took off down the tunnle at a quiet but rapid run. She'd need an open chamber to survive this. Terentatec skin was know to be lightsaber resistant, so even with one the odds were against her, but without? She'd need to use the environment to her advantage.

Vazz

 

[Vazz]

The whistling grew louder. Vazz stuck close to the acolyte, watching from the shadows to better lure the Terentatek towards her. He had his reasons, of course. They were notorious hunters of Force Users. Of all kinds. They weren't the type to discriminate between Sith and non Sith, and the Defel knew better than most that even his ability to hide sound and light wasn't enough to hide his scent from the beasts.

Ansisa was bait for the Terentatek, not a hunter for the runaways.

As the thudding of the ground grew louder, though, he stopped whistling. Smiled as he saw the clawed hand of the aged creature grip the corner of the tunnel leading into the open chamber the Chiss had picked. Venom dripped heavily from it's maw as it came into full view, and locked it's one good eye on the Chiss herself.

A deep roar escaped it as it charged forward, and Vazz left deeper through the caverns to find his actual prey. If she survived by the time he came back, he'd help.

Maybe.

Ansisa

 

[Ansisa]

The ground trembled beneath her feet as she ran full pelt at the far wall, the beast hot on her tail, the force bunched in her legs as she reached the wall, running it it half way, before pushing off as the beast skidded trying to slow his advance. Ansisa leapt over him, landing sprawled like a cat as the Terentatek slammed headfirst into the cavern wall, shaking pebbles from the ceiling.

It gave her the briefest of moments to assess her surroundings. Stalagmites grew tall around the edges offering her cover however brief, and high above stalactites wobbled dangerously. There was easily a couple of tonnes of rock up there, just waiting to come down, it wouldn't kill it, in fact she was pretty certain this old bull couldn't be killed, but it would hurt and it would slow him enough for her to make her escape.

It was dawning on her now, that the wolf had never intended for her to fight anything. Ansisa was bait, nothing more. And if she survived?

A test like no other. It earned him a smallest amount of respect.

Behind her, the beast shook his heavy head and turned slowly, intelligence glinting behind its one good eye as he brought his claws to his mouth, coating them in the venom dripping there. Fear rolled up her spine, gave her focus as she backed away slowly, ready to begin the game of cat and mouse. The old bull lowered his head an bellowed at her, she bolted, pushing for the other side of the vast chamber, for the stalagmites, a lightening bolt thrown wildly behind her to lure him into giving chase again.

Vazz

 

[Vazz]

Vazz stalked through the halls like a shadow. Literally, actually. As a Defel he absorbed light passively, letting his form become little more than a pure shadow with his glowing red eyes. His real form was just another play of illusion, giving him detail, form, color. But right now, it was easy for him to just meld into the darkness of the cave.

The Acolytes that had run away to hide here, they had a very simple plan. Use the Terentatek as both a guard dog and an alarm. They could sit comfortably, waiting to hear if the Terentatek got it's meal and wait to pick up the scraps, or flee if someone truly powerful had come and killed it. Only acolytes were actually brought into the caves. It was 'banned' for anyone to come in, but that was only for show. They didn't have to worry, not much anway.

It was a clever idea.

But letting them enjoy the comfort of such a pathetic life had runs it's course. They were delaying the growth of their peers. Threatening the future. The first hadn't realized something was wrong in the slightest once Vazz arrived to their camp sight. They hadn't realized their head had been cleaved from their shoulders, only thinking that they'd for some reason fallen over.

The others were more aware. And their panic only fueled the Defel further as he grinned and brandished his lightsaber.

"Vacation is over, little ones."

Ansisa

 

[Ansisa]

Ansisa heard their screams, echoing off the cavern system walls, they came from everywhere at once, but she was so engulfed in her own survival she didn't dare give them a moments thought. The defel had found his prey, that was all she needed to know. She slid under the terntatak's swing as his claw cleaved through another stalagmite. He'd wizened up to her luring him into charging into walls after the last two headaches, but his bellows of frustration, and the wild swings at the caves structure were helping. Each sound, and strike shook just a few more pebbles from the high ceiling.

But Ansisa was tiring, over excursion in the force was catching up with her. The claws were getting closer and she was getting slower. Coming out from her slide between his legs behind him, she stumbled. Fear clawing at her heart, she tucked into a roll as she felt the swipe coming for her. But she missed the second swipe, the one that seized her about the middle.

Feth.

She twisted in its grasp, panic clawing at her throat, a scream escaped her. She was lifted to his mouth, the stench unbearable. No, Ansisa would not die like this, she would not die as worthless bait

Fury and fear entwined giving her more power, and she pulled her arm free of the grip. lightening erupting from her hand into the creatures mouth, lancing for his one good eye. Their external skin might resist such an attack but their mouth, the soft eye? No. The creature bellowed in pain, launching Ansisa away from him, his claws tore up her side as he did, she collided with the far wall with such force she felt her shoulder pop out of place.

She slumped forward, pain, racking her. Poison working its way through her body already. "I will not." she pushed herself up to her feet. "Be beaten." her hand extended to the ceiling as the terntatek relocated her, his prey and moved slowly into the centre of the chamber towards her. "BY A BEAST LIKE YOU!" she screamed at the terntatek, reaching into the ceiling and pulled with all her might in the force. for a heartbeat and another step from the terntatek, nothing happened, then everything happened.

Loosened by the beasts own strength, two tonnes of rock came crumbling down, burying him. He bellowed in pain and was silent. Ansisa, covered in a fine layer of dust, smeared with sweat and moved forward cautiously. He wasn't dead, but he wouldn't be moving anytime soon. She choked back a sob of relief, before pain lanced up her side. One arm hung loosely at her side the other, clutched her wounds. She made to move toward the caverns exit, but her legs gave out beneath her.

So instead she simply stay there, kneeling on the cold hard floor, fighting to maintain consciousness.

Vazz

 

[Vazz]

The whistling returned soon after the beast had been trapped. Vazz stepped down the hall, calm and smiling as he glanced to the rubble rather curiously. The Terentatek wasn't dead, though it certainly was pissed by all appearances. It'd probably claw it's way out soon, search for it's path to revenge. On the Chiss that had been the one to bury it, no less.

Vazz crouched before her, his body draped in the absence of light. No features, just his glowing eyes and a body of shadow that all Defel looked like naturally.

"Acolytes are forbidden from entering these caves you know. Do you understand what that actually means for you? I did not hide that fact from you."

Ansisa

 

[Ansisa]

Ansisa blinked hard try desperately to keep the shadow in focus, eyes like hot coals peering at her. Breathing was becoming difficult, her limbs becoming like great weight, threatening to pull her down. She was dieing and he was just going to sit there and watch. Silent tears carved track down her dusty face as he spoke.

Was this really it for her? She was to die, a failed acolyte, dishonouring her family. They'd strike her name from the records and pretend she never existed. Fear held her in its grip, fear of death, of being forgotten. just another body claimed by the Forbidden Caves.

"Punishment..." she managed to croak in response to him "...death."

She drew in a deep shuddering breath. "I don't want to die." she whispered.

Vazz