Fragments of the Past

[Venris Helion]

Venris had not been expecting to be sent to the outer rim on a simple 'retrieval mission', much less to be sent to an actual Jedi Temple for what his latest client had in mind. The man who had hired him had a fascination with the Jedi and their history where the average citizen simply wished to disassociate themselves from what they perceived as 'magical' or mystical in nature. The planet was not even named, but it resembled many other highly worlds covered primarily in heavily forested regions.

The moment he had landed, Venris had felt something that seemed so familiar. The Force was strong on this world, it could be felt through every vine and root that twisted at his feet and in every drop of water upon the moist green leaves above. As he left the hired transport behind with instructions to the crew to not stray far or anger the wildlife Venris shut his eyes and for a moment was back in the Jedi Temple where he had been raised. He could almost feel the presence of his deceased Master walking alongside him, reaching out to rest a hand on his shoulder and rouse him from his day dreaming...

And when Venris literally felt that familiar touch, his eyes snapped open and he spun around once, hand gripping the hilt of his vibro blade. Shocked and disturbed, he tried to compose himself and continue on course to the ruins.

After walking for nearly half an hour he came into view of what seemed more like a small city built into the side of a mountain. The majority of the structures had collapsed or were overrun by growths of vines and moss, but the pathways were clear for the most part. Venris was able to ascend a set of grand stone steps and pass through the hollow arch of what had once been the city's gates and walk in a straight line towards the largest structure at the back of the settlement.

At this point he found the doors to be intact and strong enough to keep him from pushing them open physically. With a sigh he took a step back and shut his eyes again, holding out his hands. When he began to reach out with the Force and will the gates to be pushed open he felt as though his master was standing next to him again, applauding his learning of a new skill or succeeding in a task. Whatever was on this world, it just made using the Force feel so...strange in a way.

The doors groaned against the stone floors as they were slowly pushed open, revealing a dark void within. Venris took off his hood and gaze into the shadows before realizing that the sun was beginning to go down already. He glanced out at the horizon where an inland sea met the orange sky, and saw the silhouettes of the world's two moons already beginning to form above.

With a choice between walking back to the ship in the dark or setting up camp here, Venris turned on a hand held light sphere with a squeeze and held it up as he proceeded into the temple. The interior was in far better condition than the rest of the city, it was almost like there was not even so much as a layer of dust to indicate the time that had passed since this place had been abandoned. His boots 'clacked' softly against the floor and sent out an echo with each step he took, pausing when the corridor ended to show him what must have been the great hall of this temple. Multi levelled and vast, large enough to hold a small star cruiser, pillars ascending into the darkness that hid the ceiling above and the architecture generally associated with temples of the Order.

"Wow..." He murmured, admiring the view before realizing something.

There were torches lit in this place, which was supposed to have remained abandoned for at least a thousand years or more. Venris immediately drew his vibro blade and held it at his side while watching more torches flicker to life on the walls and bathe the chamber in a golden glow.

"What is this?" Venris asked himself as he took cautious steps forward into the chamber, counting off the different passages leading out and watching for any movement. "Is anybody here?" His voice bounced off of the smooth stone walls, but nobody answered.

What was this place? Why was it so different from other temples he had explored in the past?

Why...why did he still feel like there was a presence at his side when a quick glance confirmed that he was alone?

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Venris Helion"]​

​

Solitude among the ruins was certainly becoming a thing of the past. More and more the citizens were reaching out to their past to try and figure out their futures. In her capacity as a student of history she was sitting cross legged on the floor a soft brush in one hand a holo recorder at her side, and her blue eyes gazing intently at the cartuches slowly being revealed with each sweep of the brush.

She was not expecting anyone to be here so when she heard the echo of footsteps she felt a slight rise of panic. She quickly turned the recorder off, pushed the brush up behind her ear and stood up looking towards the direction of the voice.

"Yes, how an I help you?" She had to be careful too loud and there could be a cave in and this room where she was working would take weeks to gain access to again. Serena's empathy tickled at her telling her whoever this was he felt a moment of wonder. Serena knew that even Sith could feel wonder, for a moment. She moved to her left, she looked around. Maybe she was imaging all of this. Maybe she should sit back down.

 

[Venris Helion]

Venris froze as he heard a female voice call out to him from nearby. He could feel a sliver of fear in whoever had spoken to him, and sheathed his vibro blade as he walked towards the origin of the voice, just to be safe.

He stepped past a pillar and saw a young woman, rather attractive, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He didn't let down his guard, knowing that no normal person could have pushed those doors aside, meaning this woman was either force sensitive or a product of whatever hallucinations this temple was inflicting on him.

"I was told that this temple was empty," He said, pulling back his hood so she could see his face. "Forgive me if it sounds rude, but what are you doing here?"

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Venris Helion"]​

​

"Forgive me if I don't answer but I have permission to be here, do you?" Serena did not make any unnecessary moves as she looked at this man before her. She slowly opened up her empathy and danger sense to find out if this man was a threat.

So far she did not detect any such thing from him, Are you with one of the schools that's doing the cataloging?" Why else would someone come into ruins. She put her hand on her hip waiting for an answer.

She did not look down at where she stood, or what part of the temple she was in. But if this man was a trespasser she would take care of him right quick.

 

[Venris Helion]

"As far as galactic law is concerned this place is unclaimed," Venris pointed out. "If somebody has claimed it, then it may have been wise to place a sign or something. As for why I am here, I am simply an explorer with a deeply vested interest in the history of the Jedi Order."

He could feel her suspicions just as she could feel his cautious state of emotion. Venris had little doubt that this woman was a Jedi, perhaps from the Order itself. That might complicate things entirely unless he worked out a way around this.

"If you might indulge me, my lady," Venris said while examining a wall marked with glyphs and figures of events long past. "Are you a Jedi?"

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Venris Helion"]​

​

She was not caught off guard by his question of whether she was a Jedi what caught her was should she answer him. "I am a geologist and history major" does that make her a Jedi, and was it wrong to skirt the direct question. If she answered would she be putting herself in danger, and have to be rescued once more. Goddess no she did not want that again.

Finding a place of calm within the force she could see no reason why she should not answer, "I am a Jedi" now to wait for the response, good, bad, aggressive? All school were cataloging this she knew for fact and he was right no one had claimed it in order to allow everyone to have access.

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Serena Bouie"]

Venris chuckled. "I thought as much...and you needn't fear, I'm no enemy of the Order....can't say they like me too much but I don't have any ill intent." He looked around the grand chamber. "I was simply hired to come here, observe this temple, record any interesting facts or findings and then send them to my employer. In, out, no danger or conflict. And I doubt that the two of us have any reason to be at each other's throats, so why don't we be civil?"

He bowed his head. "I am Venris Helion...former Jedi, current freelancer."

Now Venris was gauging her reaction. Some Jedi, upon hearing he was formerly of the Order, would react with suspicion or disgust, believing him to be some Sith or Dark Jedi, or just some lout who couldn't make it in the ranks. Others were more understanding or just didn't care, but that was definitely the exception, given his past encounters with the Order.

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

Serena tilted her head as she listened it seemed to help her focus. He was a freelancer, now what exactly did that mean? It certainly was not part of any training she received a Jedi was a Jedi, unless they were a Sith. So unless he was a Sith which she did not sense within him. No evil intent.

"I am Serena Bouie" she did not say Jedi Knight it felt strange to have to do so. "So you know how to read runes, and discover age, otherwise how would you know what is important and what is just a repeat of something found earlier?"

She kept calm, she wondered if he had skills would he be looking at the altars, and archways here that spoke of several items that had seemed to pass into history.

[member="Venris Helion"]​

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Serena Bouie"]

"I have a limited amount of experience in deciphering what these temples have to tell, yes." Venris nodded. "My brief time in the Order left a few talents that I still carry with me, chief among them being knowledge of the Order's history..." He walked over to a wall dictating the events of some long forgotten event. "And how to make sense of something I've never seen before." Venris observed the glyphs carved into the wall. "What have you to say about this temple, given what you've seen of it already?"

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Venris Helion"]

"I'm still clearing away tons of accumulated dirt and dust." Serena exhaled hard it was tedious work, "plus I'm looking at what materials are in the stone there's a combination but not sure if it's indigenous to the planet" She looked at where she had been sitting.

There was a mentioning of where to find but what it was she had not identified yet. She looked back at Venris "two of the stone containers mention stories from the time of Yoda that would be pretty old. "

Crossing her arms as she thought, "did you find anything?"

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Serena Bouie"]

"I believe I've just found something about..." Venris peered in closely. "...The Great Jedi Purge..."

He stepped back and examined the whole section of wall, witnessing scenes of Jedi Generals leading a legion of cloned soldiers against the Sith and their metal armies of battle droids. Two perfect and massive forces, the greatest militaries ever seen in the Galaxy by that point and possibly to today clashing in the open while behind the scenes a Dark Lord pulled every string. This carving must have been added during the rise of the New Order, when the truth behind the bloody and disastrous Clone Wars had come to light.

He could see the noble Jedi being struck down by surprise, betrayed by the Clones they had fought alongside for years. He saw two Sith Lords ascending to take control of the galaxy for decades and darkness close in until almost all lights had faded...

Blinking, Venris broke out of the trance he had fallen into. "Yes...most certainly the Purge. It would be my sort of luck to stumble upon that particular topic. Apparently this lists the fall of various Jedi who were known to have survived it, the temples and hidden sanctuaries that had endured it...this one included among them I believe." He trailed one hand down the side of the section. "Yes...coordinates, but they've been partially rubbed away. For all I know these listed hideaways could be gone or already rediscovered."

Shrugging, Venris moved onto the next section, which was blocked by some rubble. Taking a breath, he reached out and slowly lifted the fragments of rock up, moving them to the side and depositing them in a pile before exhaling. The rubble had damaged the wall in the middle of what seemed to be a pillar collapsing at some point, but most of it seemed intact. "And this one...strange. This one doesn't have any glyphs or runs on it, just..."

Venris stared at a solitary figure of what seemed to be a woman, set in the middle of what looked like the galaxy with numerous lines reaching out from her like tendrils. "I...don't think I've seen a Jedi carving like this before." He shook his head, getting a strange and inexplicable headache from looking at it. "No indications of what it represents, no warnings or information just...some woman who apparently is the center of the universe." He chuckled softly.

(Spoiler: It's about a particular NPC he's met in a thread that takes place long after this one.)

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Venris Helion"]​

​

The carvings on the wall were of the old Republic, and the Jedi Order that had such members as Yoda, Mace Windu, Bariss Offee names that immediately caught the attention of any Jedi. Serena had seen the image Venris was looking at and only one name from history, from Jedi history did this image seem to link to. Abeloth. But there were so many versions and stories of her that even when the texts are read from Master Luke Skywalker's time something just did not line up right.

there are several women of power that this image could be there has to be more evidence before we can declare who and what the image represents. Serena moved so that she could see the panel from further back. Often it was not the small segment but the entire piece that could give the message. As Serena looked at the panels with everything that was around it, it seemed disjointed. Why have the clone wars so close to this image.

there was no separation, and the other thing the image of the female was before the images of the Clone Wars. Abeloth came after the wars, so....who was this? OR had there been other panels. That was the mystery. The altar she worked on had the ancient Jedi runes on it. Perhaps there was a message in there.

How many points come off the image? The rays could represent something for the time frame. She started looking around again, she had a feeling there was something else in here that added to this panel.

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Serena Bouie"]

"I don't know," Venris answered, examining the edges of the section before he realized that there was something different. "...but this is not an old image. Look at it...every other section shows signs of fading, cracks, damage...but except for some rubble that hit this wall there's nothing to indicate that it's been here long, every other inch of it is unmarked and fresh. It's brand new, like it was only carved recently, a few months or years at best."

He glanced towards Serena. "How long have you been camped here for?"

Venris then began to rap his knuckle against the image of the woman, pressing his ear to the stone surface and feeling along the edges. He shut his eyes and began to immerse himself in the Force, letting it guide his hand...to where he felt a light breeze coming from a tiny hole that most would have mistaken for a light crack between the image and the next section over.

This was no wall...it was a door.

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Venris Helion"]​

​

Serena watched intrigued she rarely touched artifacts without gloves not wanting to damage them or smear anything that might be on it. The stone carvings did show signs but Serena had taken it as imperfections in the stone. Plus she had not examined these, she was too busy looking at the altar piece. It had information she wanted, or at least seemed to make mention of what she was looking for.

Venris was very much the hands on type for artifacts, where Serena was more the wrap it in cloth and care for it type. But as long as he did not damage anything she would keep herself calm, and mindful of everything around her.

Only for a day in this environment she worked best on her own, able to catalogue and sketch quickly. So..what are you listening to?

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Serena Bouie"]

"Why I am listening for..." Venris gently wrapped his knuckle against the stone. "A sign that this wall has nothing behind it."

Venris stood back. "Um...M'lady Serena. Do you care at all what happens to this wall if it means finding out something potentially more historically valuable behind it,mbu any chance?" Of course he intended to break the thing down either way, but in his book it always paid to ask first.

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Venris Helion"]

She was alarmed, " yes I would be quite upset if you break that. " She got closer to him looking at the panel she stepped to his right. She began to run her hand along the edges. "History needs to be preserved Venris we shouldn't destroy it. If this is a door then there is a way to open it"

She stepped accidentally nudging him she looked over, "sorry. I'm sure I can find it" her blue eyes looked at him. Her hand still on the edge of the panel. Serena knew she could find it. She just needed she smiled at him. Even though the panel was not as old still it offered something.

She could feel his presence in the force she wished she could read his intent. He seemed true to a nature but was he a danger to her.

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Serena Bouie"]

Well, he had intended to break it, but he could hardly do it with her standing in front of it. Venris sighed and began to help Serena search for a way to open the door. Pushing on it didn't help, and he couldn't find any switches or levers.

"Nothing," He said after five minutes of searching, "Nothing at all...on this side...but what if that's the point?" He looked at Serena. "Jedi Holocrons are designed to ensure that only one with a mastery of the Force can activate them, and I've seen some temples that are similar in that regard. What if the switch isn't on this side...but the other side and needs to be triggered from out here?" It was a stretch, but it was also all that he had, or they'd be stuck out here unless he convinced her to let him shatter the wall.

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Venris Helion"]​

​

Serena nodded, "Yes that is very possible" Serena stepped back she focused on the door, then to the mechanism within the door she lifted her hand and waved it over the door. This was more than just the trick of opening the lock this was allowing the force to flow freely over her and have the lock know she was a disciple of the force. Though she did not know if it would matter if it was good or bad.

As she focused she waited for the click, the hum, the opening. She narrowed her eyes without hesitation the door slid. Surprised Serena smiled, "Excellent, that was a good idea Venris" She did not just stepped through, she waited a moment, "Do you want to go first?" Only because she had opened the door and he was as curious as she, "Who knows what lays behind there waiting to be seen"

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Serena Bouie"]

"I've learned that when it comes to the Force and old temples like this...there tends to be a variation of danger that no amount of weapons or preparedness can account for, but also a variation of knowledge that no amount of education can prepare you for." Venris said as he pulled out an orb and squeezed it, causing it to light up as Venris stepped into the darkened corridor beyond. "To put it shortly...it could be anything, and not necessarily anything good, bad or significant entirely."

Venris took cautious steps deeper into the darkness, guided by the lightsphere. "This must go deep into the cliffside this temple was carved from...I wonder what is so important at the end of this passage that it had to be hidden."

He didn't bother reaching for any of his weapons, remembering what he'd just said to Serena.

There was sometimes a form of danger that no weapon or preparations could account for, and he had witnessed many such manifestations in temples like this which could not be fought through conventional methods or with crude instruments such as weapons, even the noble and elegant lightsaber. Perhaps this temple held a secret archive...or perhaps whatever was at the end of this hallway could tell them about the woman carved into the very door that concealed this addition, or maybe they were walking into the dark without any way of returning.

As they delved deeper, Venris felt a presence ahead of them that had appeared from nowhere. One moment the corridor up ahead had been unoccupied, but now there was someone barring the way.

"Serena," Venris whispered as the light sphere suddenly died in his hand, "...please tell me you have a lightsaber."

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

Serena reached back to the small of her back and pulled her light saber, "Yes I have it" she whispered as if that would keep what they both believed they saw from coming after them.

If this was real why would she not sense it? If this was real were they masking their force presence, shielding their emotions, and walking in silence?

She looked at the back of Venris' head. "Do you sense anything?" She sensed nothing but there was an itch at the back of her mind tugging. Why was it every time she went out on a dig something always happened?

Well except for one time. For a moment she wondered how Seydon was doing.

[member="Venris Helion"]