Yavin IV - Sanctuary of the Emperor
[member="The Slave"], [member="The Matador"], [member="Darth Saarai"].
"Master Asurael, we need to do something. I can feel death in this place, the people suffer while we stand here."
"We don't know what we face, blindly rushing in won't do us any good, Bernard."
"And sitting here while they die will?"
"Bernard! We cannot simply arrest the leaders of this community based on our feelings, remember the code. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. Let the Force guide your actions, not emotions."
"I apologise, Master. But I can feel the creeping darkness, surely you do, too? Remain here with the others, I will go look around on my own."
His master sighed, several moments passed in silence between them as the Vahla was still trying to deceive the other Jedi in the opposite corner of the room. The older human's expression was reflective of deep thought but changed to reluctant agreement when he spoke.
"Very well, but be subtle. We don't want the Vahla thinking we're planning something we have no intention of doing."
"I won't disappoint you, Master."
With a parting nod, he walked over to the Vahla with a confident stride. "I will be returning to our shuttle, something has transpired that will require my attention there." The Vahla simply nodded and smiled in response, feigning his approval when in truth he was conflicted, something that Bernard picked up on through the Force. They were hiding something and he would find out what that was.
The door to the corridor outside opened with a hiss, followed by quiet rumbling in the distance, rumbling that had been absent inside the room. The Jedi was immediately curious. Through the Force, he felt darkness approaching, as well as the darkness within the sanctuary itself. Further down, close to where they had led him and the others through. He remembered feeling a distinct unease there, something he'd intended to ask the Vahla about, yet he never gave the opportunity to do so. As he walked the rumbling grew louder and louder, however. The closer he got to the entrance of the Sanctuary the louder it grew, distant, yet familiar. It took a moment until the truth of the situation clicked. The sanctum was being attacked. The distant rumbling was not some kind of thunder, it was the explosions of laser fire, dampened by the structure's enormous stone walls.
Immediately the urgency of the matter became clear, the Jedi were needed in the defense of the Vahla, despite what they had been told, despite what he had felt from this place, these attackers cast a far more ominous shadow within the Force, a shadow that would consume all life if left to its own devices. He turned to go back to the other Jedi, but an explosion rocked the building, one quite close. The attackers had gained entry, yet there was no blaster fire he could hear following it. He couldn't sense the shadow there, but the threat felt more immediate, the blast had come from only a few corridors away. If he did not come to the rescue of the Vahla there, he feared no one would.
"Master Asurael, the Vahla are under attack by dark forces." He spoke into his communicator.
"We know, the very talkative Vahla just asked for our help."
"He did?"
"Yes. I don't yet know what this threat is, but we cannot let these people die. Meet me at these coordinates, the Vahla told us to help evacuate there."
"There was an explosion here, I need to go help the survivors."
"Bernard, I trust you to handle yourself. Check on the people there, but come to meet us immediately afterwards, do you understand?"
"Yes, Master Asurael."
"May the Force be with you."
"And with you."
After their exchange concluded the young Jedi immediately made for the origin of the explosion. The corridors he rushed through were few, all leading towards the entrance where they had come through only a short while ago. The final door opened and he was greeted to what appeared to be a small war zone. There were several dead bodies at the wall opposite the entrance, a rather large hole in the wall as well as a burning wreck of some machine. Close to the entrance stood a lone man, a bloodied sword in his hand, a long and thin trail of blood splatters lead away from him towards the corpse of a Vahlan that was left dead at the entrance. Yet the most striking part of the picture was the haunting sound that painted the undercurrent of this scene. Something that seemed to belong in a concert hall, yet so very twisted that it was hard to recognise it as true art, though perhaps that is exactly what gave it that honour?
Bernard steeled himself, drawing a fairly ordinary blade from its sheath at his side. The silver blade shone brilliantly in the artificial light, the dancing flames reflected on one of its halves. Its point was directed towards the figure standing with the already bloodied sword. The expression on Bernard's face was almost emotionless, except for intense concentration that surfaced as he assumed the opening position of the Third Form. Without a word he stared at the intruder, waiting for his first move.
