First Reply Precious Prisms

[Mia Monroe]

The quiet of space was a welcome respite, Mia slept during the hyperspace jumps. The first tru sleep in decades, and despite her busy mind, there were no nightmares, no twisted dreams. Just calm, quiet sleep. It wouldn't last and she knew it. The last jump to Garn she poured over the data she'd managed to gather aboard the Pomojema. The options for ensuring a soul never found its way back into the galaxy after death, were limited. the first and most obvious answer had been the blister traps aboard a sithspawn leviathans back, but for what she needed they were too large, not to mention she had neither the allies nor the resources to find and bring one down.

That left her with one less obvious, and much harder to find source. A prismatic crystal know as a soul snare. Records of them were few and far between, legends mostly, but she knew they existed and all her research pointed her here to Garn. Reversion alarms drew her back to the cockpit, blues lines gave way to whit pinprick stars and a dust coloured planet. Mia brought the Sekairo-class stealth transport down into the atmosphere, activating the stygium cloaking system out of old habit more than any real need.

She extended herself outwards, reaching in the force beyond the ship, stepping wholly into the force and listening for the call of anything with strength in the force. Her hands moved automatically across the ships control, adjusting her course and altitude as she passed over barren wastelands. Eventually coming a stop and landing before a small mountain of rock that bore a ruined tower. She admired it from the cockpit, marvelling that the legend actually had some truth. Perhaps the Order of the Terrible Glare did exist, if they did, she would fine the crystals she needed here, or the ability to make them.

Cloaked ship secured behind her, face obscured by a scarf and goggles to keep out the dust and a small supply pack on her, Mia set to cover the rest of her journey on foot.

 

[Lord Ki]

It had long since been a chapter of his life that had long since been closed, the idea of keeping himself alive even after death. He had done so...numerous, if not dozens of times! But the hour...was drawing near once more, this body was starting to fail. It was not unexpected, given how the body itself had quite literally been subjected to Force Lightning on his last rebirth, to the point where it damaged his physical body to the point that it needed to drain life to stay alive.

No, it was time once again to be reborn. Moving towards the main chamber at long last, the glare of the old crystals reflected off of his body. He long since mastered beyond needing them, a rare art indeed after so long of being near dependent on them. Those were the days...long since past, long since the New Sith Wars. Gasping for breath, he started to stumble and fall towards on the large chairs, nearby was a large stone coffin with three more that made a square. They were filled with the necessary liquids, organs and things needed for him to come back once more to the Galaxy with bodies already pre-made, all that was required was to select one.

In the middle, was a chair and that is where he finally sat, eyes drooping as the life of his began to ebb. Reficite would soon transfer his essence into one of the ready coffins, it only took at this point...time. He felt something nearby, something in the Force but...with his inability to fight, he somewhat hoped it may finally be the true end of his legacy.
Mia Monroe

 

[Mia Monroe]

The climb left her covered with a thin sheen of swear, muscles burning in her legs and heart pumping hard. All of it was its own euphoria, to feel such things again as she breathed deep and even, cresting the peak before the base of the tower began. A gentle breeze swept across the peak, cooling her and she couldn't help but smile. No matter her reservations on Ijaat and Ashin bringing her back, it was good to be alive, to feel all of it.

Taking one last glance at the view, she turned her attention back to the tower and the narrow staircase. The climb was made easier in some places, someone had made repairs, simple patchworks for ease of access. The tower itself seemed mostly ruined save for one or two floors above her that had been properly secured and enclosed. She advanced cautiously, reaching ahead of herself to get a gauge of what was waiting for her. It was fading, but there was a power there. Not an immediate threat but there was always potential.

She'd expected the door to be barred but it open with ease. Mia drew the beskad from its sheath her her back and stepped carefully into the room, closing the door behind her with the flick of a wrist to make it slam and make her presence known, if it wasn't already. She circled the coffins set in the rooms centre, her stomach twisting with disgust before she settled her gaze on the man in their centre. She descended into the slightly sunken dais where he rested, life fading from him.

Extending the beskad, she used it to gently lift his chin. His death was near. "I'm not really in a position to judge, though my resurrection was not my choice. So tell me burc'ya, why I should not put an end to this?"

Lord Ki

 

[Lord Ki]

The voice of a lady, the blade of Mandalorian Iron. The eyes were starting to haze as life itself, was starting to depart in his very eyes. The iris was starting to turn a lighter grey, each moment was surely closer to the last. It was no surprise that others may have come to find things...though he should hopefully presume, to known what it was as his raspy voice spoke with a small cough.

"The same...as all others I told. My life...always returns, the cycle of life begins again. I think the better question for...me, is your choosing of being here. You seek something...something that I learned to imprint onto material itself. Tell me, are you seeing the...the...pris..."

The voice started to drone off as his eyes started to truly fade. The head was slowly try to dip down onto the blade that held the chin up, cutting into the skin as a thick black blood would soon slowly pour out of his body. The life was very faded now, the Force was getting stronger in the area as the hands were loosening their grips onto the chair.

"Prisms...time...time...they exist...why else...life...death....renewal...which..."

The mind was going blank though there may be some time to uncover some truth before his eventual rebirth...granted she knew the right questions to ask in this...strange state he was in.

Mia Monroe

 

[Mia Monroe]

Mia let out a sigh, removing the blade from under his chin as it began to droop. "Not so soon. I have more questions." She sheathed the blade and closed her eyes drawing once more on the force, on her own life energy and transferred a little of her own essence into him. A reverse force drain if you will. Not enough to give him the strength to become a problem, but enough to prolong their conversation, and give her time to decide how to act.

"There, that should keep you breathing a little while longer." She circled him, fingers trailing along the coffins as she did. "Yes I seek the prisms. Only two, though not for the reasons you've clearly been keeping them. How long has it been, burc'ya? How many bodies?" The last word was uttered with a hint of disgust. "This is my third, and I didn't choose it. Given the choice I would have stayed in my own corner of the Netherworld, but other people hold me higher regard. Believe I am worthy or a chance to rewrite my legacy." she shrugged "They won't listen to reason."

She came to a stop before him again eyes watching him carefully.

Lord Ki

 

[Lord Ki]

The life force did indeed keep him alive a bit longer, the eyes starting to show color once more as he gave a raspy cough for a moment as he heaved, his eyes starting to show a blue hue as he was revived, kept between life and death itself. Smacking his laps for a moment as he shook his head, he listened to her questions as the coffins had four different bodies. A Human, a Chiss, a Cerean and a Twi'lek, all of them male and without clothing which may be strange. It was as if he was still in the choice of choosing a body.

"Ohhh this is just like my old apprentices again...lovely." Without much hesitation, he spoke about the prisms though the response probably was not what she wanted to hear. "Most of them are gone, from my time I used a few but I have no use of them anymore but a few still remain...some reverse...reverse engineered." With a small rasp at the end, he shook the head and pointed rather weakly towards one of the large stone entrances, going towards the old throne room.

"As for how many...I lost count to long ago, I passed peacefully and like you, I tried to stay...dead. Instead.....I was forced back...and I died again...it refused to let me stay dead. My assumption is...is....the Force is...needing me or...does not request me."

With a loud rasp its hands would grip the chair a bit more, eyes tightly shut as the life of the old man was starting to fade rapidly again. The body was indeed shutting down, it was only delaying the inevitable now. With a raspy voice, the eyes look up as the color started to fade once more.

"It...it is time. The Prisms...was a mistake, from so long ago. The path...the path it holds...it takes...is not...not....the way...of the Jedi."
Mia Monroe

 

[Mia Monroe]

This time Mia made no move to stop or slow his dying. Instead the folded her arms, and leaned against one of the coffins to simply watch the life fade from him. She'd seen death a thousand times in others, she was unbothered, bored almost. She cast a glance around at the bodies once more and heaved a sigh.

"I am have never been and never will be a Jedi. Its not a path that aligns with my nature." She pushed herself upright again. "Enjoy your sleep, burc'ya, however short. I'll be here when you wake up. You have more knowledge I need and I've no intention of wasting more of my own essence to keep this shell awake when you have more to hand."

Turning her back on him she moved to the heavy stone entrance he'd indicated, heaving the door open with a grunt. A few was all she needed. Two for certain, perhaps four, just in case the first attempts failed. Once she'd plucked the knowledge she'd needed, all that was left was to convince Ijaat Mereel to help her forge her own murder weapon. Of all the tasks, that was probably going to be the most difficult.

Lord Ki

 

[Lord Ki]

Finally, the old Lord of Rebirth had finally passed away after listening to her words, knowing that when it was time...he would have to return to a new form. There was a quiet creaking in the room as there was one last rattled breath. Then the Force seemed to explode in the area with an almighty surge, as if a spirit had been expelled and flowing through the room. The Force felt indeed alive, the Force felt as if it was to never end again! Then three long lines of energy started to be redirected from three coffins into the Chiss Coffin, swirling over it as it drained the lifeforce of the useless bodies.

While this had to occur, she would enter the doorway that was indeed aged. Inside was many parchments of paper, books...and the crying of souls, whispers of them in cages but the prisms she saw...did not contain them, no they were instead in the parchment themselves! The cries came from two books in particular, screams of anger as the Dark Side was severely strong in the room. The prisms that remained however, numbered to nine of them as they were nearly placed on the shelf in front of her, any to be taken at any time.

Within a few minutes, a slosh of liquid be heard as the head would raise out of the coffin as a red liquid sloshed down the body. Standing without being ashamed, he walked over to the shell of the former body of his and disrobed the body, taking the cape to dry himself off before redressing as his voice rang out with sophistication but it seemed to be strained.

"Now...Now...Nowwwww, that take some time to get used to. Knowledge you seek huh? If not ever been a Jedi, then you know how a path can be altered. Never say you may not go down their path, the Force is...strange, a carpet of tapestry to our fates. No matter how hard we try to change it."

Pushing his hands together onto his new hair, he turned to look at her with bright red eyes.
Mia Monroe

 

[Mia Monroe]

"What the feth?" she whispered, aware of the sounds next door but uncaring of them, her attention on the screaming books wreathed in Dark Side energy. Her hand hovered over them, briefly, wanting to touch and then she though better of it, instead reaching for four of the nine remaining prisms, packing them carefully into her supply pack.

A new voice rang out, addressing her directly, and Mia could not help but roll her eyes. She cast the books one last glance, before deciding that was not a button she wanted to press. Not today anyway. "My path has been altered by many over the decades, but it was altered by people, not the force. Its not a tapestry, but a tool wielded in different ways by different people. There's no grand design, there is only birth, death and all the shitty things people do to each other in between." She returned to them room, giving the new chiss body a brief up-down glance.

"Spare me your words of wisdom and your preaching, I've neither the patience nor the stomach for it. The prisms, they can trap a soul that's died in its presence, yes? Can they hold more than one soul? Or will it only take the first killed in its presence?"

Lord Ki

 

[Lord Ki]

"Very well...if you do not wish to listen, I shall tell instead."

He had seemed rather young, perfectly sculpted. Perhaps he had learned how to become better over many, many years of creating new bodies. These were not bodies of others, these were morphed, modified and created in very fine detail. Even the eyebrows looked plucked, arched to the point as if it came out of a holoshow. Turning as he wrapped the robe around the body to ensure nothing was to much revealed, he glanced back at her as a small piece of parchment was pulled from the robe as he read it but spoke differently from the paper.

"It can hold five souls, five at the maximum. Any further, it will explode and reduce your own being into a soul state to where you will be out of your body temporarily. If someone dies, you hold the prism out and concentrate with the Force...mind you, it will require emotion, the feeling of longing, desire and power all at once. Someone could get away if tempted but most of the time, it saps whose soul you take and decide to. Be wary...they are not the most sturdy anymore and creating them is next to impossible now."

Walking around the coffins, he breathed in the fumes as the mind started to no longer fog up. Letting the hand trail against the coffins edge, he spoke once more as his eyes glanced at her with a very thick red gaze.

"One thing...when you carry the soul around, you will hear their voices, their screams, their emotions...it will be draining for someone not used to shutting off their emotions or one that does not feed off of them. Whoever your prey is, if powerful, they will not be drained easily unless you drain them in the Force itself first."

Mia Monroe

 

[Lina Ovmar]

wrong account!

 

[Mia Monroe]

Mia knew something was off but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"I'm not seeking to trap others in them, nor am I seeking to hold onto them once they are used." There was risk, in trusting a stranger. Especially one who was holed up in a half ruined tower surrounded by bodies. But that was part of the reason she'd picked up four of the crystals. Should her experiments prove unsuccessful the first time around, she would at least have spares.

"What are you not telling me?"

Lord Ki

 

[Lord Ki]

There was a small silence at the part of not seeking to trap nor hold onto them. The left hand would rest softly onto one of the large coffins as the eyes trail back over to the human female. Tilting his head as he slowly began, realizing possibly the intent wished for that others may not realize.

"Ahhh...wait, you seek to destroy the soul, to cast it down into the Netherworld isn't it? I am afraid it is not so...simple, if you destroy the container, the soul will become freed. There are ways to cast away someone that is deemed dangerous but...it takes much skill, much patience. If that is what you are thinking I am not telling you...so be it. The other part? I used those containers and the pages to drain the souls of the Force to fuel my rituals long ago. No longer of course but...those were the original use of this strange order."

With the hand outstretched, a small book went into the Chisses hand as it rested softly, opening up as the soft scrapping could be heard coming from the pages. Lists...upon lists of Sith Rituals, all having been taken great deal of time and effort. Things written in regular Sith, High Sith, even scripts that may have seemed extinct now.

"If you believe me of not telling you something, now be the time to elaborate. Playing the game with other souls...to destroy or contain, is not something you should trust in entirely."

Mia Monroe