Old Habits

[AMCO]

Voss. A world of mystery, of prophecy, and of obscure secrets. A world that served as the beating heart of the League of Voss, until the Sith tore it out, stomping any and all resistance underfoot. Adrian had been there, had seen it fall. As was to be expected of a calamity of this scope, knowledge would be lost. Ancient knowledge. But perhaps not irretrievably.

The Shrine of Healing had been inaccessible to him, but no longer. Since the time of the invasion, a search had been performed and he had been accepted into the ranks of the Saaraishash. A mere Initiate, but that just made it all the more sensible to send him to give it another once-over. To see if any further scrap of knowledge could be uncovered, any more of the Mystics' obscure lore found. Of course, he had been the one to personally request the assignment after clearing out a nest of dissidents on the world. That was not to say that the Saaraishash supervised his every move, far from it, but he needed their permission to enter the shrine. Even if it was only a formality, given the no doubt lacking security due to forces being rerouted to core Imperial territory to handle the recent surges of unrest.

Airspeeder zooming across the sky, away from Voss-Ka, he took the time to enjoy the moment. In truth, he quite liked the Voss. They were an odd people, that much was true, but he found them much more enjoyable than most commoners. Much more... interesting. It was a shame that so many of them had chosen to support the mad Jedi of the League, but he did not hold that against them. They were a reasonable people, and he was sure they would come to embrace Imperial rule, given time and sufficient convincing.

As the sleek repulsorcraft eclipsed a plateau, the Shrine came into a view. And what a shrine it was. It had received some damage in the fighting, but the ancient structure stood as proud as ever. A testament to the very qualities he so admired about the Voss. Surrounding it were some scattered squads of legionnaires, among them a few walkers, no doubt intended to prevent the Gormak tearing down this proud monument while it was vacant. Sending an Imperial authorisation code, he moved to land in front of them, a trio marching forward to meet him. If he was being realistic, he had to admit that he was unlikely to find anything after the thorough investigations of his peers, but one never knew. If it was one thing the young Sorcerer did not lack, it was confidence in his own abilities.

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[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

Voss had been a home to Jairdain for the longest in her life since her planet was destroyed. This had been the first place she had come after that happened. Sadly within her first year and when she was a padawan, she had been taken captive. Luckily, she had been rescued and while recovering from that ordeal, she had become a Knight of the order. Returning to Voss, it had become her home again.

Soon after her return, those people that had rescued her were attacked. Not one to sit it out, she went along with the Silver's to help defend them against the Sith that were attacking them. During this encounter, Jairdain had arranged for her to be allowed to stay in a transport above the battlefield and bring Battle Meditation into play. This started a whole new life for the then Knight.

On the planet of Charros, she was captured by Krest under the guise of a bounty hunter. Taken to the sith capitol of Bastion, over the course of almost a year, Jairdain was broken down. Her beliefs and mind shattered in the process. However, that light within her fought back the entire time and would not give up. Once she gained her freedom from Krest, Jairdain's mind slowly pieced itself back together. Once again, she returned to Voss.

When the Silver's left, she had not gone with them. Her life's path kept her allied with them, but it also kept her separate. She had maintained a house here on Voss, but now with the Sith Empire here, she knew it wouldn't last. Already having packed her belongings and moved them off, she snuck back to pay one last visit to the Shrine of Healing.

Having once been sith, she no longer felt she could call herself a Jedi. So now she followed a far more neutral path, a combination of light and dark almost equally. At the sight of the destruction caused here, her aura would certainly be dark enough to fit in with the sith. She had no fear of being found or discovered. She found it unlikely she would actually be met by anybody that might know her.

That was about to change though...

Walking into the Shrine, she let out a distressed sigh. Balling one of her hands into a fist, she would actually let out an almost howling scream of pure rage and punch one of the walls. Letting out a grunt of pain and shaking that now slightly bloody fist, she was about as mad as anybody would ever see her.

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

"My Lord." Bowing deeply, the Legionnaire, or rather Lieutenant, going by the rank pin on her chest, pointed towards the Shrine with a flourish of her arm. "Your credentials check out. We'll make sure no stinking savages disturb you." Smiling in acknowledgement, Adrian stepped out of the repulsorcraft, fine leather soles touching down on the packed dirt. He clearly wasn't the only one who disapproved of the Empire favouring the backwards Gormak at the expense of the Voss. They had been a little to cosy with the Jedi and the League that followed them, but they were still clearly the superior species and by far the superior culture, at least as far as Adrian was concerned. Civilised beings had to stick together, and all that.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I have every confidence that you would emerge the superior force." Allowing his lips to briefly quirk upwards into a slight smirk, he nodded in acknowledgement to her and the two Legionnaires behind her, before heading towards the temple. He had sensed disgust, not hatred, from the young Lieutenant. That pleased him. The Gormak were primitive, depressively so, but that was no reason to hate them. Dislike them? Yes. Pity them? Certainly. But hate? That could only be unproductive. They would never be model citizens, but perhaps, with the right guiding hand, they could be raised to some semblance of civility.

For now, at least, his thoughts were elsewhere. He had never had the pleasure of stepping inside the Shrine of Healing at its prime, but he could still see the glories of the past evident in the stonework. In a way, it was saddening. The Shrine was only half of the puzzle, now that the Mystics no longer occupied it. But perhaps, in time, their tradition would flourish once more. Many had perished at the hands of the Sith, but many yet lived. Some had even sides with the Sith, citing visions of their own as the reason.

As he made his way up the stairway, he felt a surge of rage from within. Rage... tinged with a certain sorrow? Its source felt familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. The presence felt dark, but there was something wrong about it. A certain callback to something he would rather forget: The Sith-Imperial sacking of Coruscant. The sheer scope of the carnage had disturbed him, had made him briefly question their purpose there, before the lure of knowledge had called him to action.

Frowning slightly, he strode into the entrance hall, polished rancor leather boots thudding against the floor. He had an inkling, a vague notion as to who it might be. But what she was doing here, he could not possibly imagine. Whatever the case, he would not be caught unprepared. As he approached the presence, he steeled his mind. He would not be caught unprepared, not again.

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[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

From days in the past Jairdain was still a familiar face to some of the Voss still here. One of them ran up to her with some concern coming off of her.

"Mystic, what is the cause of alarm? Why are you here?"

There were tears in her eyes as Jairdain turned to appear to look at the acolyte here. ​

"Tera Lon-shok, it is nice to know you survived this destruction. Did any of the other Mystics live?"

The young Voss woman nodded, but that motion was lost on the blind master. What she did pick up on was the positive answer through the emotions of her. It was a relief to know this.

"Yes, Tenrrel Mo-lok and Bendak Maug-vi are here. Some others went into hiding and no word yet on if they lived or died. We did lose so many though. Shen El-toll was the greatest we had and she died. Most of us adepts made it through as we listen, watch and learn. You outsiders come and go through time, the Voss remain."

It might sound racist, but that was how the Voss were. Mystic or not, Jairdain was not biologically a Voss. The conversation did partially calm her down and Tera wandered off once she came to the conclusion she wasn't going to cause any additional damage to the Shrine.

As Jairdain was close to the wall she had just punched, she leaned against it and wiped the tears from her eyes. Hearing the steps of Adrian coming up behind her, she sense they had met before briefly on Coruscant. Taking just a moment longer, she ran a hand across her forehead before turning to face him still leaning against the wall.

There was no attack that came from her...yet. That anger at the situation still lingered about her, but it wasn't directed at him.

"Did you help with this?"

Letting out a sigh, she stood up fully and appeared to look at and maybe through him. Her gaze was unfocused, but it was clear her attention was on him.

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Striding through the cavernous entrance, Adrian began to see the damage, though some of it had already been repaired. A scorch mark here, a hole made from a shattergun there; occasionally, there were even gashes in the stone as if from a lightsaber, or spots of dried blood that had yet to be washed away. He had not been present, but he had read the report. The Saaraishash, eager to secure the secrets of the Mystics, had stormed the Shrine, slaying the Commando defenders in droves. The Mystics, the healers, were supposed to be spared, but war was never clean. Especially when many of them resisted, many of them were willing to give their lives to protect the secrets held in the deepest reaches of this ancient structure.

In the end, they died in vain. The Saaraishash always got the knowledge they sought. In many ways, the event frustrated the young Sith. The Voss, in their wisdom, must have known that resistance was futile, so why had they sacrificed so much? Some, certainly, considered them stubborn fools, but Adrian thought otherwise. In his eyes, the only logical answer was that their deaths were a distraction, a gambit to allow them to secure some of their greatest secrets. Of course, he had no proof, and even if he did, he would be reluctant to share it with his superiors. They would come down, hard, and many more would perish. Perish for nothing, he suspected, as he doubted they would be able to extract the truth from the Mystics.

With a start, he was pulled from his musings. Voices, from the direction of the presence he had been encroaching upon. A presence, which he was now sure he recognised. It had seemed strange at first, but there was no doubt in his mind; it was not easy, after all, to forget the presence of someone who had been in his mind, or at least broken through his mental defences.

Frowning slightly, he cautiously stepped closer, catching the last part of the conversation between the two women, before the young Voss took her leave. Their tones seemed familiar, surprisingly so. Then the raven-haired woman turned towards him. He had expected anger, he had felt it, but now he felt the sorrow too; not his vague displeasure, but the pain of loss. She made no aggressive moves, she did not even look straight at him. Odd.

"No, though I was on Voss when it happened." Sighing slightly, he continued. "None of this ..." At that, his hand flourished outwards, as if pointing out the damage. "... was supposed to happen, you know. The Saaraishash wanted the Mystics' secrets, but no one wanted their deaths."

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[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

Now it felt like it was just the two of them here. Nobody else was around or nearby, but people moved in the background. He said he was not here when this happened, but that he had been on Voss at the time.

"Your kind wanted to wipe away any and all trace of the Silvers here. They are as much outsiders as the sith."

Her statement sounded very much like something a Voss would say and this case, Jairdain was playing the role of a Mystic. She had gone through the trials here and that might be unknown by most. Certainly the Jedi didn't know and now within the Sith, only Adrian knew.

"I'm not going to attack you here and as long as you are with me, no Voss will raise a weapon. Here I am entitled as a Mystic. Follow me please."

Turning away, but keeping her focus on him, she would lead him around some corners, down a ramp to a large open hall. There was a barred door at the other end and flights of stairs along the sides. In the middle of the hall was a stand that held a crystal unless it had been destroyed when the Sith came.

"If there is a crystal there, please touch it."

She had already been through this ritual and unable to sense or feel if that stone was there. It made no real difference if it was and at this time Adrian would feel nothing from it. Waiting on him to answer, she leaned against the wall near one of the flights of stairs.

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

It was interesting, how much like the Voss she sounded. Yet unlike the Voss, she was wracked with emotion; they were not unfeeling, not at all, but they had their own views, their own way of dealing with hardship. She was different, but there were still plenty of similarities; her way of referring to the SIlvers, for one. It was interesting to hear her compare them to the Sith, considering how they had first met as she defended the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. At first, he had thought her a Jedi, at least a Jedi with certain darker inclinations and a willingness to use more brutally efficient techniques, but now? Now he doubted it.

In a way, she felt much like their mystics, neither light nor dark, but something in between. Driven by his curiosity, he quickly followed her, head swivelling to look towards her as they walked. "Tell me, how come you, a fellow human, call yourself a Mystic? I was not aware any but the Voss held that title and the knowledge that comes with it."

Whatever her answer may be, he would follow her down into a long hall, an ornate stand holding a crystal occupying its otherwise empty centre. It looked like an object of some significance, though it had mostly been left alone. A few scratch marks on the pedestal seemed to indicate that someone might have tried to remove it... bloody philistines. That was not, however, what most caught her interest. Her statement was odd, seemed to indicate that she could not see it with her own eyes. For a moment, he was confused, then his mind wandered back to when they met earlier; when her face had been turned towards him but her eyes seemingly unfocused. Now that, was an interesting development.

"An object of ritualistic importance, I take it?" Walking cautiously forward, his right hand stretching towards it, he allowed his fingers to fall softly on the glowing crystal, all the while preparing himself for a potential backlash; the Voss were grey, not lightsiders, but he had heard of their history with the Sith and feared that their very artefacts might be imbued to ward against his kind. If so, he had no intention of being caught off guard.

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[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

Deciding not to mince words with him at this time, Jairdain kept herself facing forward as she lead him to the hall with the crystal.

"The Shrine of Healing has always been open to anybody. The Mystics, acolytes and those in training practice their skills on those that come. There are trials to go through to become considered a Mystic and only about one third of those that go through them come out alive. It is likely why so very few outside of Voss make it through. It can be difficult to think like one."

Apartial smile was​ given when he mentioned the knowledge that came with being a Mystic. They had reached the hall by then and she observed what he did when faced with the crystal. With that hand of his, he might be able to sense the latent power within it, but as of yet, he would not be able to touch it. It did not recoil or pull away from him. More it would feel like his attempts to get in were rolled away like trying to mix oil with water.

"It is. Right now without going through the Trial, you won't be able to access what is within that crystal. Your people wanted it, but they can't have it either. The role of the Mystic isn't to fight so much here. Every one of them was a commando at one time though so it is not wise to underestimate them."

In going through the tri​als, she also spent a very short amount of time as one. It proved to the Voss she wasn't just here for their knowledge, but that she was willing to become one of them.

"These times of trouble, that part might be able to be skipped. The trial can not be though. Are you wanting the knowledge that goes with being a Mystic? If that answer is yes, then again follow me please. You have some studying to do."

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Only a third survived? Those were terrible odds, terrible indeed, but they did little to deter Adrian. The young Acolyte, in his arrogance, was convinced that the odds simply did not apply to him, that whatever he faced, he would find a way to overcome it. Of course, he did not say so out loud; he had learned long ago that "excessive" pride in one's own abilities tended to invoke annoyance more than anything else. "Clearly, that isn't the only obstacle. If thinking like a Voss was the only requirement, then that couldn't possibly explain such a mortality rate..." Instead of asking her directly, he simply let the unspoken question hang in the air. Perhaps she would tell him, perhaps it was a secret. Whatever the case, he would not be easily deterred.

Having followed her instructions, his hand stretched towards the crystal, but rather than the backlash he had feared, his fingers merely slid of its surface. Or rather, off the air next to it. It did not feel like a force field, but whatever it was, it prevented him from touching it. Perhaps a security measure designed by the Mystics, ingenious in its subtlety?

Curious. He wondered how the Trial was connected to the crystal, perhaps it changed those that went through it somehow, or left a subtle impression? Whatever the case, he would do his best to get to the bottom of it. He had never been able to resist a good mystery.

Chuckling mirthfully, he responded in a cheerful tone. "Have I ever not wanted knowledge? Yes, I think I'll see what you have to show me, though I'd rather you stayed out of my head." While his tone was cheerful, his mind was guarded. Call it being careful, call it being vindictive, but he had never been able to forget an attack upon his person, even when he was arguably at fault. Still, he wasn't the sort of person to let that sort of thing get in the way of amassing more knowledge; especially not from as enigmatic a source as the Mystics of the Voss.

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[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

When Jairdain gave him the survival rate of those tested, it seemed she sensed some surprise or shock from him at first. He made the observation that there was more to the test than only thinking like a Voss, but it was not within her rights to reveal what went on in the testing. Her own test had been quite interesting, she felt what each person went through was unique after the questioning happened. What he would face might be different than what she did. It was also something he would be facing alone when it was time. She could question him, but the trial would be faced alone.

When he chuckled and responded the way he did, she couldn't help but smile. Turning slightly so he could see the motions she did, one of her hands would come up and hover over her heart slightly, her other would be palm outward to him. Not in a stopping motion but more as indicating factor.

"I promise not to get into you head in the same manner that happened before."

The hand held out in fro​nt of her now altered and was held more like she wanted to shake his hand.

"We were never properly introduced. I am Jairdain Ismet. Formerly a Jedi and Sith Knight. Now thanks to the actions of the past, I am a Master of the Force."

After the introduction was done, provided nothing else happened, she would turn around again to continue leading Adrian up the stairs that had been next to the wall she was leaning on before. They lead to a top platform along the outer rim of the hall. Assuming these rooms had been invaded by the sith when they took over the planet, Jairdain did know of the secrets held here.

Walking up to one of the rooms, she went in and waited for Adrian to join her. The door closed on its own after them and she continued on. It mattered little what was here in these first rooms. These were more open to public or those that came here in need to healing. Beds, cots and items to make one comfortable. Nothing of any hidden or secret knowledge could be found.

As they progressed further, the quieter things got and the harder it was to see. Finally she stopped and took a left at what appeared to be a solid wall. Following along the wall just a little she stopped again. Turning to face Adrian again, she paused a moment before speaking.

"Close your eyes. I'm going to lead you to some of the ancient teachings of the Voss. These are held almost sacred to them and rarely are outsiders allowed to view them. Do you trust me enough to take you there?"

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Responding to her gesture with a nod, he found that he believed it; his opinion of Jedi had been low indeed ever since Dubrillion, but her position as a Mystic made her far more credible in his eyes. Not as credible as a Voss Mystic, but then again, few sentients were as reputed for their credibility.

"Well met, Jairdain. I am Adrian Vandiir, Acolyte of the Sith and novice sorcerer."

Clasping her hand, he smiled slightly, her introduction intriguing him. Jedi "falling" to the Dark was not too uncommon, but few ever turned away from the Dark Side once they had tasted its sweet power and been drawn in by the promise of greater power still. He had always considered the Jedi to be a bit foolish, those who left the Sith to join in their delusions doubly so, but a more neutral path was far more sensible to him; if they found greater power in variety, then all credit to them.

Letting go of her hand, he followed her up towards the upper platform, the pair drawing stray glances from the Voss they encountered as they passed deeper and deeper into the Shrine, though none saw fit to stop them and question what they were doing; perhaps it was fear of provoking another Sith attack, though Adrian found it much more likely that they recognised his companion. The Voss were not, after all, known for their cowardly nature.

Finally, they arrived at, or rather close to their destination. He had to admit, her behaviour confused him slightly. Clearly, it couldn't be the passage that was secret, as he already knew its location. Nor could it be viewing the information itself, unless she intended to read it all to him. Still, he was willing to play along, at least for now. Despite the oddity of the request, he had never been able to resist the lure of knowledge.

"Trust is quite the commodity, in this galaxy of ours, but yes, I'll do as you say."

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[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

"Trust is indeed something difficult to fully find these days. However, what I have said are true. While you are with me, no harm will come."

She did trust him to clos​e his eyes as she requested though. Once he had done that, she felt along the wall they were standing next to until she found a trigger on one of them. Surely the sith had not known of this small stone and another door opened where there was none before. Taking a hold of his arm as she stepped through, this door would close silently behind them.

"You may open your eyes now and wander around freely. Touch anything you want, but cause any harm and you will answer to the Mystic's."

Jairdain would let go of him and motion to the hidden archives in front of them. To one side was an area set aside for the purpose of study and she walked into the area where some tomes were held. A small device was held in her hand as she scanned the titles, a voice could be heard saying what they were. Finding the one she was after a few minutes of searching, she set it on the table along with her device.
​
"Adrian, if you are sure you want to go through the trials yourself, you need to study this book. It is in the ancient Voss language and I find it unlikely you know how to read it. This device can translate the writing."

If he did as she asked a​nd started to look through the writings, she would pass the time in meditation. The Voss knew they were there and at certain times food would be brought for them. Bedding was also provided for when they grew tired. How much time passed, Jairdain did not know, but when Adrian was ready she would be there waiting.

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Eyes closed, he heard the soft, ever so soft, sliding of rock against rock, then he was led through a gap where a solid wall had once been. A secret door, then; that would explain the secrecy, though she was greatly underestimating him if she thought he would not be able to find the opening mechanism at a later date, should he so desire. Or perhaps not. Perhaps she was confident that he would undergo the Trial and die, or receive permission to access these archives at will; perhaps then, this little display was nothing but an empty gesture, more symbolic than practical.

"Of course. I would never do harm to a source of knowledge such as this." His tone could have been slightly petulant, but it wasn't. He could hardly blame her for stating the obvious, not when he would have done the same, were the positions reversed; his fellow Sith had, after all, made a terrible mess here not too long ago. No, he could have been offended, but he was far too busy taking in the sights. Absorbing the glorious vision of these hidden archives.

He was eager to read as much as possible, to peruse at his own discretion, but this was not the time for that. Not when he had a Trial before him. His thirst for knowledge was all but unquenchable, but he had not survived the Academy by not taking Trials seriously; some did, of course, but that was more luck than anything else. Say what you will about the young Corellian, but he had never been one to place his life in the hands of lady fortune.

"Thank you, Jairdain. I'm sure it will be most enlightening."

... and it was. It was a complicated thing, the ways of the Voss both simple and obscure described within. It might have been a daunting task, but he never stopped to think about that sort of thing; no, as always, he threw himself at the knowledge, eager hands softly gripping the tome and eager ears listening as the device made its translations. He had no doubt it would have been better to read it as it was originally written, but this would have to do. He had the time to be thorough, but learning the language of the Voss? That would have been excessive, even for him.

With a soft thud, almost imperceptible due to his careful handling of the book, he closed the book. There was still much he did not know about the Voss, but he had learned much, much more than most outsiders ever would. He had spent days, but to understand the Voss, truly understand them, would take months, if not years. For now, what he had learned would have to do.

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[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

Access to these rooms was something carefully watched and observed. If he had approached this room without a Mystic as a guide, the commandos would have what they could to prevent him from entering. It didn't matter to them that he was sith, this rule applied to anybody that didn't have the right to be there.

When he replied he would not cause any harm, she nodded and took his word for it. Their brief encounter on Coruscant had actually told her a lot about him. It might also have done the same for him.

Being as empathic as she was, Jairdain sensed his excitement that he held within himself.

"In that single volume is the knowledge you need to know for the trials."

Those days he studied passed peacefully and Jairdain felt comfortable again. With his careful handling of the ancient text, she knew he would be a good person to have here.

"I am going to give you a choice. The first part of the trial can be done here through a series of questions given by me that you have to answer. As a Mystic, it is something I can do. Your other option is go in front of three other Mystics and have them question you. After you have completed the first part, then the physical trial begins. There I am unable to accompany you. It is in that trial most fail and why I say that as long as I am with you, no harm will come. You could get hurt or even die. Is this still something you are prepared to do?"

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Adrian had always been interested in various force traditions, an interest that had only grown after he had learned of his own force sensitivity. Whereas some Sith were arrogantly dismissive towards the ways of others, he thirsted for their knowledge, longed to dissect their traditions and examine their relative efficiency. He was a scholar, yes, but he was no traditionalist. No, he was a scientist, first and foremost. Even if some would find the very prospect of scientifically examining the Force ludicrous.

For that reason, he had already known much, and many more pieces fell into place as he was reading. He was confident he could learn much from the Voss, confident that that learning could help him develop his own theories, his own unique twists on Sith philosophy. Of course, he had to succeed in the trial first, but he had never been lacking in the confidence department. Especially in regards to the first test, which seemed to be right up his alley.

Smiling slightly, he nodded his head firmly, voice confident. "I've never been one to back down at the first sign of danger, not when knowledge is on the line; or did you think I was on Coruscant due to an eagerness to participate in a neverending war?" Perhaps mentioning that whole debacle wasn't the wisest, since he had been on the side of the aggressors, but he held no regrets. Well, except that he wished he had been able to recover something more than a datacron from the Force-cursed agricultural corps. "As it stands, you may ask away; unless, of course, it would be considered more appropriate by the Voss to stand before a trio of Mystics?"

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[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

In a way it was because of the Sith that Jairdain was even a Mystic here on Voss. If she had never caught the attention of Krest and kidnapped by him, her mind and belief would never have been shattered. While she had eventually seen through the lies, brainwashing and deception, her recovery had been just as shattering. At the end of her time with the Sith and her on her return to the Silver's, she had been brought to the Shrine for healing. Here her mind had been pieced back together and she had decided to take the test to be a Mystic.

They had required her to spend a short amount of time as a Commando, but had given her easier duties than what a Voss would have been put through. She had studied the same text Adrian had just got done with and been questioned by three Mystics for the first part of the trial and then faced what the Shrine put her through. She had no idea if that was the same for everybody that did the trials or not. Part of the secret involved.

When he said the choice was hers, Jairdain nodded and stood up.

"It is more customary to be questioned by three Mystics. I will be one of them. Follow me to where the trial begins."

She would lead him back​ out the way they came with that secret door closing silently behind them again and out of the hall. Various twists, turns and always moving upward, he was lead to the pinnacle of the Shrine. Here a golden door stood. Stopping just outside the door, she raised her hand and it opened for them. Inside the lighting matched the door and it appeared to be a room covered in gold.

"Please kneel at the alter."

After speaking that, Jairdain took a breath and also took on the same spiritual appearance that the room did. She was no longer fully corporal and when he saw her next, she was on the other side of the alter with two Voss Mystics. They waited for him to get into position before beginning. Timing was in the hands of the applicant and they were patient. He could look around, take the time he needed, but they would not speak to him until he was at the alter.

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Nodding in acknowledgement, Adrian followed her out the hidden door, watching curiously as they went farther and farther upwards. His fellow agents of the Saaraishash had been here, of course, but he was not authorised to access the reports, and so had no idea what he might find. Still, when he saw the golden door, he knew that they had reached their destination. That the trial would soon commence.

As it slid open for the woman beside him, he entered behind her, his gait slow yet confident. He did not know what he had expected, but this was not it; the sheer level of gold-coating was enough to shame the most ostentatious of Sith residences, though the Voss somehow made it work. Of course, the fact that the pair themselves, which were soon joined by Jairdain, matched the room in their incorporeal splendour made it all seem more fitting. He had no idea whether it was a mere illusion, or something greater, but he supposed it didn't really matter. Illusion or not, the trial was what mattered, and that was where his focus would lie.

After taking the time to prepare himself mentally, as well as admire the elaborate patterns that marked the walls and roof of the chamber, he slowly walked up to the altar. Kneeling smoothly, he looked up towards the trio of spectral-looking mystics, his face hard to read but a glimmer of excitement visible in his eyes. He was ready.

---

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[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

He may or may not be aware of how important his answers were going to be in this trial. With the little amount of time he was given to study here, Jairdain hoped he would pass. No names were spoken by the other two Mystics and instead they went right into their questioning. After each asked what their question was, time was given to Adrian to answer correctly.

If he understood the messages in the tome he ready, then he would know he needed to put away thinking like a sith and an outsider. Here, he needed to think like a Voss and that was far different than almost any other people.

"A Mystic has the vision of Voss killing Voss. Should that civil war be stopped?"

"Who is right? The interpreter or Mystic?"

Finally it was her turn to ask her question. Looking at him in the same impassive manner the Voss did, Jairdain broke her silence.

"A Mystic saw a vision of his own death. Should he live or die?"

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

 

[AMCO]

Just like that, the Trial began. There were no introductions, no grand speeches or pointless ceremony. As a trio of impassive faces gazed down on him, there was only their questions and his answers.

As the first question was spoken, Adrian took a moment to gather his thoughts. His first instinct was that civil war, of any kind, was something that needed to be prevented, but the way of the Voss was not so simple. "Depends on the details of the vision, but my instincts say no. War amongst the Voss is unfortunate, but if it is prophesied then it is either unavoidable or for the greater good of the Voss."

The second question, on the other hand, was much simpler. It was the unflinching core of the Voss mentality and anyone even remotely aware of them and their way of life should know the answer. "A Mystic's vision is infallible; any mistake must be on the part of the interpreter."

Then came the third, and final, question. More so than the first, this one made him hesitate, though he knew the answer that was expected of him. He knew the answer, but he would never himself accept it. Not if his life was on the line. "The Mystic should die, unless something in the vision would indicate otherwise."

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[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

The only sign of life from the Mystics in front of Adrian were some shared glances between them as they listened to his answers. As a race, the Voss themselves were quite gullible. Not fully trusting of outsiders though. Most of the time, they remained neutral to the influences of the galaxy. Only when the vying forces required them to make decisions did they do so. Their own conflict with the Gormak were enough for them.

So as he answered, the two true Voss accepted all of his answers. Jairdain did as well, but she knew the truth of his feelings when he answered the questions. After the entire trial was completed, she would like the opportunity to speak with him. If he made it through alive, sane and in one piece.

When the questions finished, the two Voss faded away as if they had never been there before, but Jairdain remained. As she stepped away from the alter, her appearance reverted back to normal, but the golden hue of the room remained.

She openly walked over to him and would place a hand on his upper arm to guide him to the door of the next part of his trial.

"This is as far as I can take you right now. Go through and we will meet again when it's time."

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]