It Is Not The Mountain We Conquer

[Isla Ashen]

It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. ​

Location: M'haeli

Isla’s small transport set down at the foot of the D’olop Mountain Range, surrounded by a serene nature scene that was topped off with a blanket of snow. Though she had never been to M’haeli before, she had the feeling that she would be very much at home on the agriworld. For Isla came from farm life, she knew what it meant to work with her hands, to labor from dawn until dusk, and to place all hopes of a prosperous year into the seeds that were sowed. Once her shuttle had powered down, Isla’s tall frame rose as high as the cramped space in the cockpit would allow, and she moved to the small cargo bay. There was a pang of anxiety in the pit of her stomach, she was eager to escape the confines of her transport – there was little she disliked more than flying. But at least this time the controls had been firmly in her hands, not the hands of someone unknown, someone that she did not trust.

Today she was not wearing the traditional robes of the Knights of Ren, but a simple outfit comprised of a hardy pair of tawny trousers, a thick sweater, tough boots, and a heavy overcoat that was fur-lined. Slender hands found her rucksack, and she set about filling it to capacity with supplies, rations, and a few canteens of water. There was a single blaster pistol on her hip, for an adventure into the wilds held the possibility of danger. Isla smoothed her fiery red hair back, plaited it simply, and then pulled the hood of her coat over her head. With her rucksack’s straps slung over her shoulders, and the pack resting nicely on her back, she lowered the ramp. Isla’s green eyes took in the mountain range that towered above her; it almost looked like a painting. There was something peaceful about the snowy peaks, but she knew that the cold and the snow would make her climb all the more difficult.

The young woman’s boots moved forward, sinking down into the snow and leaving behind a trail of footprints. It was still morning, and there was plenty of light left to travel by, but her hand touched the light rod on her belt, just to make sure it was still there. Isla pulled a pair of leather gloves from her pocket and slid them over her calloused hands. Despite her warm clothing, the cold still bit at her face, but it was not completely unpleasant. It was refreshing. Isla was a new addition to the fold of the Ren, and she had been living for the past weeks in the Citadel at Starkiller Base on Dosuun. It was a different world than she was used to. She had a wild spirit that was easily broken when kept away from the freedom of nature; Isla was truly at home when under an open sky.

And now, she moved towards the mountains, her heart light and her head focused. For she was not here to journey aimlessly, she was here to find a Dragite Crystal – a most important component for her lightsaber. This pilgrimage to the D’olop Mountains would hopefully provide her with a crystal, and a quiet place to meditate.

 

[Isla Ashen]

The tall trees that grew out of the mountain side were a sight to see, their branches hanging low under the weight of the snow. Isla’s gloved fingertips reached up to touch the tips of a pine tree, but paused as the snow upon the branch threatened to fall upon her. Instead, she drew in a deep breath of the scented air; it was cold and bracing in her lungs. Isla was now making her way up, while there was not a path to follow, there were spots along the mountain side that were not so rocky. Her tall boots made their way fairly easily at the moment, finding spots of ground that were on a gentle incline. However, her way was still quite slippery with snow, and she could already feel the air growing chilled and thin as she went. Though she did not have a specific location in mind for crystal hunting, she figured that she would let the force speak to her, and she would go where it told her. But as of yet, she had heard no whispers from that strange inner voice.

It was time to put her new skills into practice. Isla came to a halt, her hands gently fanned open at her sides. She let her green eyes close slowly, and she located that spark within that she had come to recognize as the force. For a moment she merely focused on that feeling, and then began to reach out. It was as though invisible tendrils flowed from her, and out into the air around her – she could make them stretch far and wide now. With each breath in and out, her connection grew deeper. It was almost as though she could feel her surroundings, the trees, the rocks, and even the breeze that swirled gently about. As she understood it, the force was something that was ever present; it was only a matter of feeling it. However, the Neophyte had only begun to practice the ways of harnessing this mysterious energy. Her lessons were steeped in emotions, and using these feelings inside to gain strength. On a daily basis she felt the touch of those dark parts of her mind, and they whispered softly to her, promises of power.

And then she felt it...

 

[Isla Ashen]

As she stood in the stillness of the mountains there was something calling to her. For a brief moment, it was as though she could see the inside of a cave, but her green eyes blinked and suddenly it was gone. However, there was a strange sense of knowing that lingered in Isla’s mind – it was honing in on a location, like a compass. Isla pushed off the snowy ground, continuing on her trek up the mountainside. She would need to travel briskly, for now the terrain still allowed for relatively easy travel, but that would all change as she made her way towards the sky. Isla continued to walk, her footsteps slowly becoming heavier, her breathing becoming labored, but she ignored any sense of discomfort and pushed steadily forward.

Soon she came to the side of the mountain, there were rocks jutting out here and there. She could already see places to climb up. There was a ledge not far above, if she could make it up, she would be well on her way. As she anchored her foot atop a rock and began to climb, she found herself wishing that she had not packed so many rations. Her gloved hand slid along the rock, feeling for places to take hold. There were times when she felt herself slipping, but she turned her thoughts inward and let her feral side take over. There was anger, aggression, and passion – these things made her feel rooted again. Isla clung to the feeling of these emotions in her chest, and she let the force aid her way up the mountain.

Isla’s hands reached up one by one, and they found a sturdy ledge. With a growl of effort, she pulled her upper body over, and then crawled forward. Her breaths came fast and ragged, and though she was in relatively good shape, mountain climbing was still quite taxing. She blew out a deep breath, letting her gaze fall down towards the ground. Isla was high up now, but she still had further to climb. There were some that might have been intimidated or even frightened by the thought of scaling a mountain, but Isla was not one of them. She found it exciting, the feeling of risk and danger was exhilarating.

It made her feel alive.

 

[Isla Ashen]

She sat perched on the ledge, her rucksack now open wide to reveal the goods held within. Isla took a long drink from a canteen, some of the cold water spilled over her chin. Her hand reached into the bag and pulled out a bag of dried meat, she grabbed a piece and stuck it between her teeth. She gnawed for a moment on the dried jerky, and then angled her stare up the side of the mountain. Now that she was so high up, the wind howled sharply, and its chill cut to the bone. The air was far thinner now, but Isla was becoming accustomed to it, but there were still moments when her body would panic due to her shallow breaths. It was a mild inconvenience. With her small meal finished, she set her rucksack onto her back again and stood up. The ledge was slick, and the toe of her boot tested the surface, she would need to move with care.

Isla pressed herself to the rock, almost like she was trying to hug the surface. After a moment or two of clinging, and she willed herself to move on. It seemed that time slowed, the afternoon began to drag on, and her ever present goal seemed to be stretching further away. But after what felt like an eternity, she pulled herself up to the entrance of a cave. The last legs of her climb had not been without close calls, lost grips and footings, but she made it. Isla ducked into the shelter of the mountain, feeling better now that her feet had found safer ground. She narrowed her eyes slightly, listening to the quiet, and feeling for that pull of the dark side. As she continued further into the tunnel, the darkness grew around her and she lit up a glow rod to illuminate her way.

It would not be long now; she had a feeling that she was growing close, even if it was only the faintest inkling. Her limbs were fatigued, but she put her head down and kept moving.

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla’s pace through the tunnel was brisk; the only sounds inside the cave were her breaths and her footsteps echoing off the walls. Her way was closed in and tight, and she could heart her swift heartbeat in her head. But just when the air felt too thick and heavy to breath inside the small space, the tunnel suddenly spilled forth into a large chamber. Isla inhaled sharply, almost like she had been holding her breath inside her lungs. Her gloved hand brought the glow rod up above her head, casting the area in yellow, artificial light. There was a small pool of on the floor of the cave, and there was a dripping sound, water breaking into the mountain’s interior. Her eyes shifted across the shimmery surface of the water, there were two tunnels to choose from. Once more, she called upon the force, the strange energy mixing gently with the darkness in her mind...

She stepped forward; the toes of her boots met the edge of the water. Isla’s gaze was focused on the tunnel to the right, and she continued forward like a sleepwalker. Into the pool she went, the cold water wrapped around her ankles first, and by the time she had reached the middle, the tips of her fingers touched against the silken surface. It was deeper than she had thought, but now she was coming out the other side. Isla sped forward into the tunnel, she was close now, and she could feel it. That little voice inside was urging her onward, and she would do its bidding. Her hands reached out to touch the sides of the tunnel, they were growing closer, and it was not just her imagination this time. After a few more steps, she found herself crouching, and then a few more sent her down to her hands and knees.

The sides of the tunnel were now pressing against her shoulders; there was a momentary panic and fear that she would become stuck. But she could see the light now, and it looked like she could still make it through. Isla pulled herself out of the tunnel with a thankful smile, she was on her belly now, but soon stood to her full height. Her arms stretched out in front of her, the feeling of relief moving through her whole body. Suddenly, green eyes snapped to the wall of the cave, there was a shimmery crystal peeking out. She was there in the blink of an eye. Isla removed her gloves and let her fingers touch gently against its smooth surface. Now that she was closer, she saw that it was actually a small cluster of crystals.

 

[Isla Ashen]

This crystal seemed to have an aura around it, it told Isla of power, but it also somehow seemed empty. She remembered then that the crystal would need to be imbued with the darkness of the force in order to become truly useful. But first, she needed to separate the lovely crystal from the wall of the cave. Isla let her rucksack fall from her shoulders, and she pulled out a small hammer and a pick. At first she set about working delicately, tapping gently and meekly at the point where the crystal and rock were joined. When she found that she was not making much progress, she let the hammer hit against the pick harder, and watched as little bits were chipped away. This was going to take ages at this rate.

Isla closed her eyes, her frustration was palpable, and she let the rage begin to build. The tools dropped to the ground, and she instinctively found her open palms rising towards the crystal. In an instant, she began to channel her anger; she let the darkness close in all around her. The rock surrounding the crystal was now illuminated in a red; the crystal seemed to be glowing in the presence of the force. As Isla let her emotions run wild, she watched with a wide smile as the crystal’s heart almost appeared to be pulsing. It was working. This power had always been inside her, but she had not known the true reaches of the darkness until now. It was intoxicating. Her mind was already swimming greedily with thoughts of her newfound strength.

Both hands suddenly clenched into fists, and she reached for the crystal with her mind. She focused on what she wanted to happen, and with a burst of rage, there was the sound of shattering. The cluster of Dragite crystals had broken and the pieces now sat lifeless upon the ground. Isla’s eyes snapped open and fell upon the red shards by the cave wall. Slowly she knelt down, her fingers gently picking up the crystals. Though the crystal cluster was now separated into many fragments, there were still some that remained undamaged and large enough to salvage. She had learned a valuable lesson, this power within was strong, and it was dangerous when left to take over. Isla would need to learn restraint; she would need discipline in order to move forward. But this taste of power had only added fuel to the fire.

 

[Isla Ashen]

With two crystal shards cradled in the palm of her hand, she had a seat on the hard ground. Her mind was still reeling, her heart still pounding within her chest. Isla’s gaze shifted towards her bag, nestled safely inside were the other components needed to craft her saber. Despite the fact that planning was not one of her strongest suits, she had put a lot of thought into the type of saber she wanted to create. Now she was nearly ready, but her crystal still needed to be fully imbued with the dark side. It appeared to have a very slight glow now, but she could feel that it was still not strong enough.

Isla glanced towards the exit of the tunnel; she imagined that the world outside the mountain was likely falling into evening. She would spend the night here in the rocky chamber, and do what needed to be done. She took a short while to wind down, have some water, and a few more bites of dried meat. It was not much of a meal, but it would hold her over until tomorrow.

“Time to begin,” Isla’s low tone echoed around the cavern.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor of the cave, she held the shards of crystal out in front of her, palms facing up towards the ceiling. Isla could already feel the force around her; she just needed to fill it with darkness to channel inside of her Dragite fragments. With a deep inhale, she began to access the part of her mind that was normally shrouded with shadows. Memories, emotions, things that were best kept hidden away on her mental shelf. It was as though this part of her had gathered up dust and cobwebs; for they were things she did not like to contemplate.

 

[Isla Ashen]

A pang of resentment – this was reserved alone for the parents that she had never known. Ever since childhood it had lived within her, and growing into an adult had only made it stronger. What had made them abandon her? Why had they never attempted to reach out? Did they not wish to know how their daughter had grown? As Isla let the floodgates open, her emotions took hold of her, for a brief moment even feeling like a noose tightening slowly around her throat. But she overcame the feeling before becoming overwhelmed, and then she decided to take control.

Isla’s skin was crawling, but it was not a sensation that she found unpleasant, rather the opposite. She let her eyes gaze down into the red crystal, and she watched as the force began to channel through her hands. Any time she felt her focus waning, she only needed to remember how it felt to be alone. Though she had grown up surrounded by adoptive brothers and sisters, she had never truly felt like a part of the family. Little had she known that this part of her that made her so very different, made her so much better than the lot of them. If only they knew her now, they would not look down upon her.

She had been away from home for weeks now, but she doubted that they even cared. Had they even spared a thought for her at all? The rage began to boil within, and she poured it down into her palms, feeling it flow like a steady stream. Isla was only starting to scratch the surface of what it meant to use her emotions this way, her power was still wild, still untamed... and there were moments of madness. It was like losing all control for brief flashes of time. But she liked what she felt; she only needed to harness this feeling. For when it could truly be bridled, nothing would stand in her way.

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla’s eyes snapped open, and for a moment she was startled, having forgotten that she had spent the night in the cold, dark cave. Her head was resting uncomfortably on her rucksack, and her body was sore from sleeping curled up for warmth. Though she did not have a way to tell time, she reckoned that she had stayed up through most of the night. She sat up slowly, rubbing the spot between her neck and shoulder, where the muscle was now tight and unhappy. A glinting on the ground next to her caught her eye, and she lifted the two shards of red Dragite. A smile slowly grew on her face as she recalled the moments before slipping into exhaustion.

She could remember seeing the Dragite floating in the air between her hands, keeping it held there by the power of her mind. Isla had truly started to see the potential in her telekinetic skills. She had accessed the darkest corners of her being and still felt quite drained as a result. Her sleep had been restless and had done very little in the way of rejuvenation. Isla’s head was pounding, her hands were shaky and her body ached. But even with all of her current discomforts, there was a very strong sense of satisfaction. Her fingers closed around the saber crystals; she had accomplished what she had set out to do. Now she only needed to assemble her saber, but that would have to wait... for a rumbling echoed all around her. It was not the sound of a fearsome beast, but a stomach that was wanting for a hot meal.

Isla had very little left to satisfy her hunger, but she did the best she could with the few pieces of meat and crackers that had been smashed at the bottom of her bag. Her life was far from glamorous, but she would not have traded it for anything. After a few hearty drinks from her canteen, she set out the pieces that would soon become her new saber. For a moment she just admired them, but it was now time to go to work.

"This is it." She said with a slight smile.

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla’s eyes narrowed and the saber components rose into the air before her, just level with her chest. Her chin dropped just slightly as she bowed her head, gaze still set intently on the shiny pieces. With her hands held below the floating bits, she moved each carefully into place, keeping her concentration steady. The crystal had started to glow once more, feeling the shadowy touch of Isla’s connection to the Dark Side. One by one, the components shifted, until they fit together quite nicely, like a puzzle that had been lovingly completed. The saber dropped from the air and fell into her waiting hands. For a moment or two she was awe-struck, hardly able to believe that she had crafted this weapon.

She let the saber hilt move into her right hand, though she was ambidextrous, that was her most dominant side. Her fingers delicately wrapped around, merely feeling the way it sat against her palm. It felt heavier than she thought it would, but it contributed to a sturdy feel. Her thumb brushed against the activation stud, and the bright red saber sprang to life with the signature snap-hiss. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Isla let the crimson light illuminate everything around her. She listened to the way it hummed through the air, almost like it had a life of its own, a heart beating at its core. Her gaze then found the small knob that adjusted her saber’s power; she slid it to a spot in the middle.

As her blade was powered by Dragite, she knew that it would resonate very strongly – especially when it came in contact with something. So, she wanted to try it out... but not yet on the highest setting. She called upon her connection to the Dark Side once more, and a rock began to float up into the air a few meters away. Isla would have to concentrate in order to hold it there, and to move and the same time. While the rock bobbed a couple of times, she moved to strike, her saber blade cutting swiftly down. The force and a loud crack of the sonic damage to the rock was enough to throw her off her guard. However, with a little time, she would get used to it. But she knew that she would need to exercise caution when using her saber at its highest setting, for even that could prove to be disorienting to the user.

With a very proud air, she gathered her things and set her pack upon shoulders that stood taller than before. Isla made her way out of the cave, her new saber set safely upon her belt. And even though she knew it was quite secure, she found her hand sliding down to touch the hilt every now and then, just to feel that it was still there.