Preserving the Past

[Darth Abyss]

Time never had been to kind to the world of Ossus, especially on the old jedi temple placed on it. Not only had the world been ravaged by Exar-Kun, fallen Jedi and lord of the sith, it also had fallen victim to a failed attempt of terraforming by the infamous vong biotechnology. Still the temple stood, withstanding a history that would have left any other place in ruins. After all the day still came, and the temple was reduced to broken stones and smoke, marking the beginning of the third jedi purge.

Darth Abyss always had been fascinated by the planets history, as many people that marked the course the galaxy took in their time had been there for a while. Exar-Kun, the man who brought the darkness back in a world of light, Luke Skywalker, jedi grandmaster of legendary strength, respected by jedi and sith alike. The vong, the force dead monsters who almost conquered the galaxy. They all had set foot on Ossus, and Abyss could hear their echos in any stone, any piece that was left on the surface.

Normally his motivation to visit an ancient place like this would be to uncover a long lost secret, to find power and knowledge that had been hidden away. Not this time. One day he stumbled over a incomplete and rather uninformative text about the planet, realizing that much of the planets past would be lost if history would repeat itself once more.

Sitting in front of the temple, his mask placed on the ground besides him, he began to draw on a piece of paper, outlining the ruins of the ancient place. Besides the scribble he added notes, documenting and theorising about the damages on the temple. As much as he was a sith he was a historian. He made it his duty to preserve the past for the following generations of sith and jedi alike.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

I'd been doing some research at my home on Voss on the history of the Jedi and I'd stumbled across several references to Ossus. My curiosity had been piqued and after throwing together a bag of clothes and my regular gear I loaded up and stowed my gear aboard my ship The Cherry Blossom. Coming aboard I had the AI ARIES plot a jump to Ossus and begin takeoff protocols, The ship took off and I felt the slight jerk as I hit hyperspace.

Sighing I went into my armory and after changing into some charcoal grey workout pants I walked onto the armor platform. Then speaking to the shipboard AI I said, "Aries, begin the armor and weaponry loadup sequence." There was a slight pause and then a soft sensual voice said, "Yes Mistress, right away." My Beskar'gam armor began being fitted over my body and I shrugged my shoulders as I waited. As the armor sequence finished I noticed I didn't have my helmet on. Odd, that should have happened. The weapons I had been fitted to the magnetic points on my armor and all were charged and ready to go. The armor registered as the weapons were in place and then the mag-locks were engaged.

Glancing over I saw my saber were on the table by my helmet as well, calling them to my hands I placed them on the magnetic points on both sides of my ribs before calling my newest saber to my right hand the saber of Meetra Surik. I was very glad I'd been granted this on Telos becuase it had save me at Malachor...Shivereing at the memory I clipped it into place on my right hip. Feeling her voice enter my mind again Meetra said, "I'm glad to have helped at Malachor Celiana, I'm sorry you had to deal with Traya though I'm glad I was able to protect you as I did."

Smiling I said, "Yeah I'm glad you were there too Meetra. Thank you for doing what you did." I was still getting used to having an active Force spirit attached to my saber but I was glad of it too. Gathering up my helmet I clipped it to my belt and started loading up The Morrigan with clothing, gear, tools and anythign else I might need. From now on it'd probably be a good idea to start splitting up gear and supplies on both ships even if they did function as a single unit. Having finished loading up gear aboard The Morrigan I asked, "Aries how much longer until we reach Ossus?" The holo-projector winked into existence and Aries appeared clothed, but barely in a sexy two-piece version of a toga. This was weird, my helmet hadn't been on my head, my sabers I'd had to grab, and now Aries was....sexy. Sauntering over towards me she said, "Around thirty minutes mistress. You look distressed mistress is everything okay? Is it the new form I am wearing?"

Sighing I said, "yes Aries, everything is fine I was just concerned about you. The new form is....nice. Kinda sexy but not too much so go ahead and keep it. Also find me some clothing options identical to the form you are currently using." Aries nodded and smiling at me winked out of existence. So, thirty minutes until Ossus...well I could find something to do until then.

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

By now the drawing had began to take form, every movement of his hand adding a new layer of detail that he missed in his first observations. The picture was no artistic masterpiece, the stylistic he chose was to simple and pragmatic, yet every line had been made with precision and exactness. More and more words filled the room around the outlines, even rough calculations about the buildings static.

He was completely absorbed in his work, trying to suck into any little detail the place had to offer. After around 20 minutes the paper was filled from one edge to another, and the sith knight had to continue his writing on another one. The notes he wrote would be utter gibberish to anyone but himself, a visual representation of the chaos that his mind was composed of.

If he wanted to make his research useful for anyone else he would have to rework, organise and compile it later on, as he had to so often before, all the times he had allowed his mind to get carried away and roam freely over a piece of paper. This way of working wasn't efficient but effective, as he unconsciously would collect and note any small and unimportant detail without any filtering done by his mind.

He was already filling the third side with words, 30 minutes since he began his work had passed by without him even noticing. To him it could have been only a second since he had taken place on the ground, his mind had lost almost any connection to reality.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

I'd been using the time I had to hone my Echani blades and work on amplifying the power of my blasters I'd also worked out how to boost the power on my swoop bike engines. Then Aries said over the shipboard PA system, "Dropping out of hyperspace into realspace in 5...4...3...2...1 Re-emerging into realspace." There was as slight jerk as The Cherry Blossom suddenly came back into realspace. Aries then asked, "Mistress shall I enable stealth drives and system jammers aboard both ships?" Contemplating that I said, "Yes Aries, enable stealth drives and sensor jamming packages aboard both vessels as well as enabling the ship to ship tracking devices."

I wasn't sure what all would be waiting for me down on Ossus but I wasn't about to let my ship be blown to bits or stolen simply because it could be seen. Leaving a standing order to move The Cherry Blossom just out of orbit I climbed through the airlock and unclipping my helmet from my belt I pulled it on over my head. The HUD flickered to life and began the armor and weapons check of my gear before it interfaced with the flight controls of The Morrigan. Fingers dancing across the controls I closed the airlock connecting to The Cherry Blossom and disengaged the magnetic locks anchoring The Morrigan in place. Triggering the micro thrusters I pushed off from The Cherry Blossom and plotted a descent vector.

Grasping the control yokes and making sure the stealth drives and sensor jammers were active I pushed the yokes forward and rokceted down towards the surface of Ossus. I broke atmo and began a sensor sweep before finding the ruins of the Jedi Temple here, sensors logged one other ship and a single life form in the vicinity of the Temple. My ship was invisisble to sensors and had a stealth field covering it but if the person down by the temple was Force sensitive they'd sense me before they ever saw me. Just to be sure I set down a few clicks from the temple and making sure to grab a spare pack with some meal bars I slung my leg over one of the swoops I'd loaded up on The Morrigan. Opening the ramp door I engaged the thrusters and rocketed out into the jungles of Ossus. Casting my senses outwards as I drove I felt the presence of another Force user. But that didn't mean much, I just hoped whoever it was they wouldn't be Sith, or in the mood to fight. I could deal with Sith I just didn't particularly want to have to ignite my sabers. I was almost to the temple and I knew I'd find out soon enough who this mystery Force user was...

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

It was like something was poking the back of his head, a strange and almost unnoticeable sensation that rested in the outside boarders of his mind. He had been so focused on his work, that the presence that made its way towards him stayed hidden from him, even if that hadn't been intentional. The sensation continued, but he was still to deep in his thoughts to really figure out what it meant.

Only slowly the impulse progressed in his brain, blocked out by the rest of his ideas and thoughts that raced through his head while he was preserving what could find about this ancient place. Stopping the sentence he had just began before finishing it, Darth Abyss raised his head, looking and observing the area the unknown being was walking upon. Ending his process of writing and drawing was like being woken for a trance, his mind feeling like he had just been risen out a all devouring sea.

Rising to his feet, he began to overlook the area from as many angles as possible, his left already tightly gripped around his lightsabers hilt on his belt. He wasn't looking for a fight, as he came to Ossus as a scholar not a sith, and so his weapon would stay there unless there would be any provocation by someone else. In one single motion the mask moved in front of his face, making him seem even more like a being of the darkside.

"Who are you?'


[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

The question came from nowhere, "Who are you?" I honestly wasn't keen to answer the question even though I knew it had come from the Force user but the voice felt demanding...In any case I was just pulling into the temple and I'd be meeting whoever had asked the question soon enough. As I brought the swoop in just outside the temple I wiped the flight log and smoothly dismounted. Slinging my pack over my shoulder I walked through the gates of the temple and was greeted by a sight I hadn't been expecting, a man in a mask and black cloak.

I heard Meetra's voice in my head again and she said, "Celiana, tread cautiously here you don't know this person's motivations." Had to say I agreed with that reasoning quite a bit. Walking into what appeard to be a courtyard I saw that this person whoever they were had their hand resting on a saber. As I walked into the courtyard I pulled my helmet off and clipped it to my belt. Glancing at the sketches I saw what appeared to be...Sith written language. Muscles tightening I looked at this person I said, "I assume you were the one asking who I was yes? My name is Celiana, though I'd like to be able to put a face with a name so if you wouldn't mind removing the mask so I know whom I'm addressing that would be nice." Extending my right hand as I gave him my name was more due to courtesy and how I'd been raised than anything else. More than anything I wanted the mask removed so I could see this persons' eyes. Masks hid your face and allowed for lies to be much easier to tell.

Looking at the sketches of the temple I said, "I never took Sith much for artists, or those who appreciated such things." I hoped the joking tone of my voice would be noticed as I really didn't want whoever this was offended at my word choice...

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

Abyss right moved away from the hilt from his saber, now that the one that broke his focus was revealed to his eyes. A woman, guessing from her looks, slightly older than he was himself. His left moved to his face, slowly pulling the wooden mask down that was hiding his expression to the outside. Without it, she could see the yellow glow of his eyes, twin suns burning like his passion.

"Welcome jedi, a fascinating place we found here, is it not?"

His gaze moved away from her and once more on the architecture of the temple. He felt a grip from the past, a new echo that called through the force. His eyes wandered over the ancient stones, trying to find what he was missing, looking at every small detail in the places surface, yet the point the echo came from was still unknown to him. His voice sounded distracted, his thoughts only half heartedly focused on the jedi.

"I see myself more as an historian than as an artists. I am know as Darth Abyss, but names have no meani..."

He often introduced himself like this, but while he spoke the words it suddenly came to him. The echo was nowhere to be found, because it belonged to something she had brought with her and not a part of the temple.

"This ... Your lightsaber ... I can hear it calling, I can hear it echoing from the past."

His eyes filled with pure, honest amazement. Her weapon possessed one of the strongest links to the past he had ever felt, and he wished nothing more than to hold it in his own hand for a moment.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

Fascinating...Indeed. Looking into his burning amber eyes I said, "Fascinating indeed, Abyss was it? You're the first Sith I've met that didn't draw on me or otherwise promise death and dismemberment. A nice change of pace for sure." He was still looking around as if he noticed something. Then his eyes fell on the saber on my right hip. He said, your ligthsaber...I can hear it calling, echoing from the past. I glanced at him and felt Meetra's voice enter my mind once more. "Celiana, be reasonable.... I have a mental and spiritual link with you but are you sure?" Through the link I answered her and said, "Well if he tries to run off with your saber I can always cut him down...beside he's been polite so far."

Looking into his amber eyes I said, "Interesting that you noticed that particular fact about my saber. What do you know of Telos or the Jedi General Meetra Surik? I ask because it's her spirit tied to that saber and linked to me." Calling Meetra's saber to my right hand I extended the hilt towards Darth Abyss and said, "On your honor I want your word that once I let you hold this saber I will have it returned to my possession. Do I have your word?"

I was willing to extend an olive branch to this Sith he'd been polite to me and further than that he'd treated me with common courtesy and respect. He'd done as I asked and removed the mask and he'd behaved politely. I wasn't honestly expecting Sith to be civil let alone interested in history. He was an interesting one to be sure and if I could work with a Sith there was yet hope for the galaxy. If nothing else this would make an interesting story to recount to Master Gan when we met next...

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

Could this really be true? The blade of the legendary jedi exile that was responsible for the deaths of the three sith Lords that the original triumphirate had been composed of. His eyes widened as he began to think of all the stories the weapon could tell, all the things it had seen. Pain, hunger, betrayal. Stories of revan, of his master. Of Nihilus and sion. Or of Surik herself, a living wound in the force like the dark lords she had meet in battle. His hand slowly extended towards the hilt.

"This weapon was given to you by the force. I will respect that."

In his voice was a hint of sadness, not because he couldn't keep the blade, but because he remembered the lightsaber he once wielded, before the battle of mindabaal. Sure it hadn't had such a fascinating past like this one, but it still had been a part of him, a weapon gifted to him by the darkside in times of need.

As his hand touched the cold metal it was like his body was electrified. He could feel the force flow through him. Many sith and jedi alike had the ability to see into the future to some degree. Like them Abyss had visions of what to come but he was far from talent in the skill of farsightedness. Instead he discovered early in his live that the past was an open book to him, he could hear the echos of past days like only days had gone by since.

Visions, faded memories flowed through his mind. Of war, of pain and hunger and of betrayal. He already knew the story of surik in and out, but seeing it so clearly filled him with utter amazement. Like he had just awoken from a trance, his eyes opened and began to lock on the woman. A whisper left his mouth, his mind still partly wandering through the past.

"Thank you."



[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

The look on his face was of amazement, and joy...Interesting. To think that Sith could find joy in the past. As he came back from whatever vision he had seen he whispered two words. "Thank you." That was...unexpected. Looking into his eyes I nodded and said, "I'm curious what you saw though." Calling Meetra's saber back to my right hand I clipped it back into place on my right hip. "The history behind this saber is vast to be sure. But I'm curious if you saw the Triumvarate and weather it was in Master Surik's time or recently. Because I became Traya recently and after working with others to trap her soul I had to face Sion and Nihilus as well. Malachor while still in Silver Jedi space yet remains a dark place. Being Traya or rather being possessed by Traya was not pleasant at all..."

"In regards to the present might I ask what you're doing here on Ossus Abyss? Most Sith aren't concerned with the past other than to seize the power that previous dark lords held. Yet here you are making sketches of the temple here at Ossus and making notes in what appears to be an ancient Sith dialect. So not only art but history, curious...I wonder Abyss, would you be interested in exlporing the temple with me? As a Jedi I'll have to insist that any artifacts remain where they are but I will allow you to gather any notes, pictures of items or scanned copies of manuscript pages and take those with you. If that's acceptable to you then I'll wait for you to gather your belongings and we'll begin."

I felt Meetra in my mind just waiting, finally I began speaking with her in the confines of my mind while I waited for Abyss. "So Meetra, what exactly did you allow him to see?" I could hear amusement in her voice as she said, "He saw what was relevant to him and his interests. As for specifics he saw memories of how the Council condemned me and attempted to strip The Force away from me. He saw me as a wound in The Force and while he's not wrong that was never the danger even in my day. Master Atris leaked information on a Jedi conclave and Nihilus came, it was the fear The Jedi had that caused them to retreat away from everyone and everything. Which is how Traya was able to manipulate their fears and the Jedi were erased one at a time, then in pairs."

"It worked too, the mass murder I ordered at Malachor V did cause a wound in The Force but I came back to face judgement for my actions. While the wound was never my burden alone. Atris caused the wound when she leaked the information and Nihilus came hundreds of Jedi dead in one sitting but I was nowhere to be found I'd been exiled. Yet I was still blamed ,you see Celiana I was never the true wound in The Force I was and am a wound but after atoning and facing judgement for what I'd done at Malachor the wound in me closed and while it could still be felt I was no longer THE source. Atris took my place with the deaths she caused at Katarr a whole world dead because of her actions. He also saw other memories of mine, and witnessed the deaths of The original Triumvarate. But again those were things most didn't understand."

"You see Celiana while I was responsible for their deaths I wasn't the one who sealed their fates, they were. With Nihilus his lust for power and to feed on life caused his downfall because I was still a wound in The Force. With Sion I dealt him multiple blows that should have killed him but it was only when he accepted for himself that the constant agony and pain he was in wasn't true life that he allowed himself to die. Traya had already lost one hand to Sion and the other she lost to me yet she continued to fight using The Force to wield her sabers. I dealt the mortal blow but again she forced it as I asked, begged her to stop. I was the one who dealt the final blows but it was their choices that ended them and a little known fact is this Celiana. After Traya died the wound in The Force, that part of me that was a wound, it sealed permanantly. So through their actions and my atonement the wound sealed itself. The presence Nihilus felt on Malachor V with you this time was me and he was still affected by what I had been. The scales balanced back out."

With that Meetra withdrew frome my mind and I was waiting for Abyss to gather his supplies and begin a joint venture into the temple of Ossus....

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"I saw the past. I always see the past."

Only slowly his mind returned from the place it had been sucked into, his eyes still looking in the distance without any focus. The words she said where the one thing that finally brought him out of his trance like state, his thoughts now completely returned to the present. Curious, she had been possessed by the spirit of the ancient sith lady. And he meet the specters of sion and nihilus not to long before.

"Weeks ago I traveled to a place where sith go to die. There I participated in an ancient ritual that brought me closer to the darkness. I meet the lords of hunger and pain, I talked to them like I do with you now. This can not be by chance. The force meant for us to meet here."

The force never failed to surprise him with the connections between things that seemed like a coincidence at the first glance. He came to Ossus out of nothing else of academic interest, yet it seemed like this would become a spiritual experience once more.

"Many of my kind are ignorant towards the past. The path of the sith is a path of chaos, of change and evolution. They do not see the worth in learning about what once was. I, on the other hand can see the value the past holds to us, I can see that there are many things we can learn from our history."

Gathering the papers from the ground and storing them he turned to the jedi once more, his words spoken with a patience and control, a trait rare among the sith.

"I will not take anything from the temple, besides knowledge and notes. Let us begin."

Without waiting for her reaction he slowly began to walk inside the temple, ready to gather the knowledge that had been hidden inside. Maybe he would only find jedi myths, but if it was the forces will he would discover why Exar-Kun once attacked the place. Old and hidden knowledge of the sith. His hunger with be satisfied either way.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

So he had met with the Lords Sion and Nihilus...interesting. Following after him I wondered to myself if there was the possibilty of creating a Jedi version of the ancient Sith amulets I was a Jedi but I'd never been interested in simply more power. There was an art to the Sith relics of old and perhaps Abyss knew more. Speakign to him I said, "Abyss I've a question if you don't mind. As a Sith and one who's interested in history I'm sure you've come across manuscripts or designs on ancient Sith amulets...Do you have any ideas on how they were created or the process behind doing so?"

The connection in my mind opened up again and Meetra said, "Celiana...what exactly are you playing at? Why are you asking about that particular knowledge? Those are dangerous forces to be playing with child..." Smiling throught the link I said, "Meetra I'm interested in that knowledge because I believe I can craft my own set of such guantlets but without the sorcery aspect. Merely as a way to more easily and effectively channel The Force. The crystals that served as a focus point in the ancient Sith gauntlets were aligned to the darkness but it could be argued that the Jedi could do the same. Instead of the crystal focusing power it would house some type of Lightside crystal preferably one that had healing properties. Instead of channeling raw emotion and power these crystals would channel the focus and control essentially making them cutting edge tools for channeling The Force to heal injuries and utilize Force powers more effectively. What do you think Master? Foolishness or a good idea?"

I could hear admiration in her voice as she said, "My my child, you are a bold one and clever too. I see no problems with this project and if you've the materials to craft such an item I'd be very interested to see the results. You've my blessing to pursue this and I think your Master would be very intrigued to see what you come up with." Smiling as I felt her withdraw from my mind I entered the temple behind Abyss and began looking through manuscripts stacked in book cases. Hopefully I could find some on healing crystals and battlefield medicine. I knew that I'd have a long search ahead of me but for now I searched the shelves and waited to hear Abyss' response to my questions...

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

What she was asking for was the ancient and dangerous art of sith alchemy, the skill to imbue a object or material with the darkside with centuries old spells and incantations, runes and actual alchemy. It was also a topic he was most certainly no expert on, yet he could at least offer some advice to her question.

"There are several ways to accomplish what are you are asking for. Yet most of them are things a jedi could not do as they require the darkness within."

His hands moved over the ancient bookshelves around him, listening to the echoes once more. He caught himself as his focus began to slip away to the knowledge stored here, instead of giving her a real answer. It did cost him some willpower, but turning to her once more he continued his explanation.

"The simplest way would be a crystal, the same that sith and jedi use for lightsabers. They are naturally attuned to the force to some degree, and can be manipulated to store and channel energy. Or you can channel the force into almost anything without any real aid or ritual, but I heard that this way is less effective and the imbuement will fade over time. The exact process for both is not known to me but if you can find something written by a jedi artesian you might find the answers you are looking for. Maybe you can even find something written by entirely different order, as both the Jensaarai and Jal Shey are know for their skill when it comes to imbuing a object with force."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

Listening to him speak I knew that quite a bit of this was easier to accomplish with embracing the darkness inside. The memory of being possessed by Traya was still fresh though and I had no desire to embrace that darkness. I'd been looking through the shelves and I'd come across a treasure trove of information. Rune-lined scrolls and books with history detailing Jedi using The Force to imbue blades. Tales of the first Jedi swords...Tapping a command into my datapad I began to use the holographic interface to scan the pages of the books as I went through them. The rune-covered scrolls I scanned as well and as I walked through the library I saw through The Force that there were multiple books with a lavender glow about them...

"The lavender ones you'll find especially interesting Celiana. There are quite a few here that will help you in your goals as well with the Phrik and gems from Arkania. I'll tag what I think you'll like." Meetra was getting to know me very quickly and it was a tad unnerving to be honest. I didn't mind though it was nice to have someone from the past that was helping to shape my future... I noticed several other books that she'd tagged. Green on a section of plant-growth and aspects of The Force concerning plants, a gleaming silver on a section of books and scrolls concerning forging and metalwork, and another that was a maroon color that dealt with construction and woodworking. Channeling The Force I lifted the whole sections of books and set them in their different categories I triggered another command that would call a probe droid in from my ship to help with scanning the books into an electronic form.

"Abyss, I'm calling in a probe droid to help with scanning these books into a digital format. Just letting you know so it doesn't startle you."

Suddenly I felt the pull of The Force and following it I found myself in a gloomy and dark section of the library. A panel in the floor opened as I approached and amber lights flickered on in the chamber below. Climbing down I was astonished at what I saw before me, a room of Jedi artifacts everything from armor to swords, even gauntlets...Then along a back wall I saw segments of crystals all of them Force sensitive. "Hello young one, I sensed that you had an interest in creating a Jedi counterpart to the Sith alchemized gauntlets. Here are the crystals and tools to make what you plan to create possible. Anything here is yours to do with as you see fit young one, I wish you luck with your endeavor and may The Force be with you..."

Bowing I said softly, "Thank you Masters." Then unslinging my bag from my shoulders I grabbed several different gauntlets and tried them on before settling on three pairs. Walking back to the rack of crystals I reached out with The Force and felt for which ones were right. I felt a humming in my head as my hands passed over three chunks of crystal. There was a bright cyan, deep forest green and another that was a deep purple. Grabbing those three chunks of crystal and the three pairs of guantlets I carefully wrapped them then set them in my bag. There were also several journals at a desk that glowed with The Force in that same lavender hue as Meetra had showed me and picking them up I carefully wrapped them up before placing them in my bag as well. Taking pictures of everything down here I climbed back up into the library and the panel slid closed behind me locking with a faint click.

The probe droid would be here before long and I was eager to begin looking over what I'd discovered....


[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

A droid. How ... uncivilised. Abyss understood the worth of technology very well, yet in his opinion reading and searching through books, making notes and drawings by hand had one advantage over tech. Not a academic one, but a spiritual one. Some droids had sentience but to the force even those who had are nothing but dead cold metal. Words on paper on the other hand echoed in the force, memories of those who wrote them audible to those would listen. They helped him in his studies and one day his notes would help another to find his way to the darkness. Or at least that was what he hoped for.

Following her through the temple he felt her dedication. He couldn't exactly tell what was leading her, but it had to be the force, the side of it he could only barley touch with his tainted and corrupted mind. When the hidden room was revealed Abyss eyes widened once more. Sure he said he wouldn't take anything from the temple yet she was taking stuff for herself so she surely wouldn't mind if if he would at least take look.

He had no interest in the armor, but like her his eyes at first wandered over the crystals. Quite some time had passed since he lost his saber and one day he had to construct a new one. While he already had a crystal, one crimson red, yet not synthetic, one connected to the darkness, he wouldn't say no to another one. Time had proofed that having a spare weapon would always be a good option. Maybe one of the swords would be more fitting, the war blades made by the jedi were known for the mastery of their craftsmanship that could easily comped with the blades made by sith. His hands slowly extended over the cold metal, wandering over some of the blades in hope to find an echo that was calling for him. In the edge of his eye he watched the jedi, to see if she would intervene.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

I noticed his gaze on the crystals and the blades smiling a bit I waited for it. As I went to pick up the journals I felt electricity and saw green arc out towards Abyss like a hand slapping his away. Chuckling I said, "That's why I told you not to take things that were Jedi Artifacts. They can and do sense your darkness Abyss at least you didn't try for the crystals or armor that would have been...unpleasant for you. The artifacts will let you know if you've been granted access to them or to remove them." Glancing over towards the swords he'd gone to touch I walked over and lifted one from the rack. This would be interesting to see the response I'd get...reaching out with The Force I asked for the Master responsible for this chamber.

"Greetings child, what can I help you with?" The spirit sensed the darkness in the room inside of Abyss and hissed at me saying "what have you done bringing a Sith to this sacred place?!" "Peace Master, This Sith has obeyed all of the rules I've set in place upon him being here and it is my wish to try as I may to help him find his way back. Or at the very least be willing to work peacefully with Jedi in the future. He seems interested in the Jedi blades and I must admit I thought about granting him one of those blades as a gift of peace. Also I believe it might begin to reveal the path back to redemption for him. Do I have your blessing to do so Master?"

There was a pause before he spoke to me and he said, "Sweet child you see more than most, while he is Sith nobody is beyond redemption and you are seeking a path to peace with The Sith. I will grant your request and allow you to grant him one blade and to take one yourself. May The Force grant you clarity in your studies and serenity in battle." With that the spirit departed and I looked towards Abyss and said, "Congratulations Abyss you have been granted the honor of ONE of these blades forged by Jedi Weaponsmiths." Looking towards the blades I picked one up and extended it towards him hilt first. "I offer you this blade Darth Abyss as a gift of peace between Jedi and Sith with the hopes that it will show you things that yet remain hidden to you."

Backing away I walked back over to the weapons rack and removed the blade of my choice. Looking down the blade I gave it a few experimental twirls noting that it was perfectly balanced. Glancing over towards Abyss I slid the blade I'd chosen into a sheath on my back and climbed back up into the main area of the library.

There was notification on my datapad telling me that the probe dorid had arrived. Walking over towards the table where I'd left the books I'd pulled from the shelves at Meetra's recommendation. I began by opening up one on metalsmithing and forging, another on woodworking, another on plant life and aspects of The Force and I set the probe to work scanning those stacks of books into electronic format. I'd sensed distaste from Abyss earlier at this method but there were still the Journals I'd recovered from the store-room and something told me that those words would be laced with the past and that the knowledge they contained would be worth everything here. Cracking open the journals I triggered my datapad to scan the journal pages as I read through them. "So Celiana, find anything worthwhile yet?" Chuckling within my mind I said, "Oh by The Force! Meetra you've no idea..."

I sensed her smiling warmly and after reading the first line I was very startled. "On communing with Spirits of The Living Force, It is with amazement I write these words but it appears that the Spirits of those who've become one with The Force can attach a part of their soul to a physical object such as a weapon, armor, or book. If htis has been done then the next person to claim that item will be Force-bonded to that person or spirit and with the proper knowledge and rituals can be brought back to life through reanimation of a deceased body. I will detail the knowledge and ritual here but I must bring this information to The Council of Masters. Such information is dangerous in the wrong circumstances..."

I stopped reading and in my mind's eye looked at Meetra's consciousness. "Meetra, I can bring you back? Is this why you tagged these Journals for me?" A gentle laugh filled my mind and she said, "Yes Celiana, you can bring me back. My consciousness would still be tied to my saber which if you do decide to resurrect me I want you to keep. You've more than earned the right to wield it for the rest of your days. I expect you're confused a bit at this development...I learned a great deal while I was trapped on Telos Celiana and I would not expect you to perform this ritual without informing your Master. Rasu I believe is her name...Celiana if you decide to do this then I would very much appreciate it but it MUST be your choice. A Master is required to complete this ritual which is why you MUST inform Rasu of what you've found."

"Master Surik, what right do I have to grant life or toy with the natural order of things? I'm fearful of the risks Meetra, if I don't complete the ritual what will happen to me or my Master? What will happen to you? I....I won't lie I've wanted to see you actually see you face to face but I'm not sure this is right...."

I was aware of the sense of her smiling at me then she said, "Celiana that is why the equipment used in the ritual was never found...The project is a Jedi alchemy ritual which is what you were planning to create even before you found my saber on Telos. There can be no involvement of the Dark Side in this ritual. Hence the need for a Jedi counterpart to the Sith Amulets. The body I would inhabit MUST be deceased otherwise I'd be possessing an unwiling host and the use of two pairs of Jedi amulets must be used as well which is why Master Rasu must be the other person to use a pair. I know the scale of what I'm asking is great and I am sorry for the distress this possibility is and will cause you... But I am bonded to you Celiana and wheter or not you decide to pursue this I will remain bonded to you. But...I miss the feel of air agaisnt my skin, the taste of food, and seeing and experiencing life for myself. Celiana I've been doing so through you and I apologize for being what amounts to a parasite. I want to meet you face to face Celiana and I ask a great task of you here but gaurd these jornals with your life child. The Sith polite as he is cannot have this information only ruin can come from it."

"May The Force keep you safe and guide your steps Celiana..."

Closing the cover of the book I slid it and the other journals into place under double-plated sections of my Beskar'gam armor. Well, first the Rakghoul information now I'll be informing Master Gan it's possible to resurrect someone from Revan's era... Hell of a day.

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

Peace between jedi and sith? Amusing how little she understood. The only way the force could be kept in balance was conflict, the eternal fight between light and dark. This whole thing was never meant as an offer of peace and friendship, the only reason she hadn't yet felt his saber in her flesh was convenience. There was no need to exhaust himself in a fight that wasn't necessary. Peace. Peace is a lie.

Yet Abyss had no intention to inform her about this, there was a reason he had been called a deceiver more than once. He would play he little game, make her belief that a man with the blood of millions on his hands was not beyond redemption, that he was only one step away from attuning for his sins.

"I thank you for your gratitude jedi, and I hope one day our orders can learn to coexist. We are not so different in some aspects after all."

His voice was smooth, deceivingly soft and warm, with no hint of the act it was part of. He wasn't just a sith, he was an actor skilled in playing with words and minds, and he had no problem using these abilities if it severed a purpose, even if it meant to play nice with a jedi.

The sith followed her to out of the room, no once more standing between the absurdly large bookshelves that filled out most of the space. The blade he would soon hold in his hands had to be broken once he would leave her behind, the light that lived inside beaten into submission by the darkness within his mind.

While she began her studies, Abyss began to wander between the books, the force leading his way. If there was any knowledge of worth to him, his hunger would find it, even if he wouldn't search for it.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

I heard his words and while they were what I did want to hear I had sincere doubt about the sincerity of them. As for the offer of peace I'd abide by it as long as he would but neither was I a fool. The first line of the Sith code after all was "Peace is a lie, There is only passion." While I didn't totally agree with that I could admit that even this peace was tenous. "Through passion I gain strength." Passion could lead to greater results in regards to things one cared to pursue. But to allow passion and emotion to dictate my or anyone else's actions was foolishness. Sighing I went back to my own studies and began to contemplate the Sith Code as well as the Jedi Code. I didn't totally agree with either if I was being honest with myself. They both had things that were correct but flawed in how they were phrased...

With the journals I'd stored under my armor I began to look at and through the manuals on metal work and smithing. I fully intended to use the blade the spirits of the masters had granted me and as I had an interest in forging my own weapons and armor I felt it wise to learn as much as I could about the craft. I'd offered the blade to Abyss but I again had no delusions about that, in all probability he'd either try to destroy the blade or corrupt it with The Dark Side...Neither was a good thing though the forging process of such blades made them very difficult to do either. These blades could stand up to sabers and Force powers as well, not to mention the process used to forge them essentially shaved a part of the person who'd crafted them off and merged it with the blade. If nothing else I'd tried, the probe was going through the manuscripts on gardening and woodworking both scanning the documents into the electronic database aboard The Morrigan. I'd do a data-dump into The Cherry Blossoms databanks when I returned to be sure I had multiple copies of everything.

Feeling the call of The Force I rose back to my feet and headed down the rows of shelves and running my fingers along the rows of books I felt closer to what I was being drawn to...Looking to my left I heard one word. "Here" looking down towards the shelf I smiled widely. There were several things here, a history of The Echani, manuscripts detailing combat arts and looking down at the shelf I realized there was a keypad with a codeword lock. There were literally millions if not billions of possibilities to this codepad...Fierfeck. Then remembering the tattoo I had along my shoulders and the name I went by as a swoop racer I placed my hand on the keypad and tapped in two words. Evenstar and Firedancer, there was a moment I thought I'd karked it up and then there was a pricking sensation along my fingers... A blood sample? Realization passed through my mind these were records that I wouldn't be able to access unless I knew the keywords and was recognized as Echani...

There was a slight chime and the sound of locks disengaging then the underside of the shelves clicked and whirred open separating out into a cross of four distinct segments. The three at the bottom contained...original copies of Echani combat manuscripts. By The Force! Glancing up at the last segment I saw a variety of data-disks and data-cards. As I began to carefully lifting the books out of their individual cases I heard another click and they disconnected from the cross configuration and reassembled into a solid stack containing the books and datadiscs. The last thing this case did which surprised me was to display a holographic message that said, "May you bear and learn from these well." Ancient Eshanese was displayed momentarily before morphing into a blessing of The Eshanese. "May good fortune rule over you, peace live in your heart and may the stars watch over you."

Bringing my left hand vertically against my horizontally closed right fist I inclined my head and gave a slight bow before the shelves and gathering the re-sealed case containing Echani combat arts and things I had yet to discover I walked back to the table and area I'd been sitting at and slid the small case into my bag along with the other things I'd been granted access to here in the library of Ossus. I silently wondered if Abyss would discover anything like I had here... While I meant him no ill will I shuddered to think of him discovering anyhting of The Ancient Sith here though it wouldn't surpise me either. Exar Kun had desired the secrets kept here in his day and there was doubtless more information than even he'd been aware of here that pertained to The Sith. Shaking away the thought from my mind I resumed my reading of the forging and metalwork manuscripts as my probe droid kept scanning and working through the stacks of books I'd gathered...

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

His eyes closed Abyss wandered through the walls of shelves that shaped the room, searching and focusing only on the force instead of the physical layer of reality. By now he was almost in trance, blissfully ignorant of the jedi that was inside the temple with him. Every book told a story, one he listened to with any touch of his skin on the old paper. None of them where the knowledge he desired, but if he was right, the force would lead his way to find what he was looking for.

Suddenly he opened his eyes, as his hand touched something that wasn't a book in a shelf. In front of him was a door, that seemingly stood unfazed by the grip of time, without any marks of the destruction the temple had fallen to. There was no sign on how to open it, the surface was of an elegant silver, with no words or runes telling anything about it. He tried to listen to an echo, in hopes of seeing how the door would do his biding, but if felt like the light side that lived inside the door was actively blocking out any of his attempts.

"Dammed jedi witches"

He muttered under his breath, thinking of an way to move around the spell that the door was under. Taking place on the ground, and crossing his legs, the sith began to mediate, allowing the darkness to flow through him, and weaving a net of Shadows around his presence. Slowly his mark in the force reduced itself, until only a glimpse of him was to be sensed, to small and weak to be sorted to either side of the force. His hand touched the cold metal once more ...

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

After glancing down at the datapad along my left forearm I noticed that my probe droid had gone through all of the books, scrolls and manuscripts on plant life and use of The Force to aid in that along with the construction and woodworking books. It had sent a question to my datapad asking if it should begin on the books and information I'd been reading. Tapping in the response I sent it to the probe informing it to begin doing that as well. Crossing my legs and half-closing my eyes I stretched out in The Force and immersed myself in its currents.

I'd not been keeping tabs on Abyss but there was something...off. It felt like he was in meditation but switching between the darker side of him and what I believed COULD be the beginning of light. Perhaps the blade he'd been granted had indeed begun revealing a path to him...I could hope for that at least. I began focusing on the vast amounts of knowledge here and drifted....I began with the thought of Master Gan and what we'd been working on together recently. Electric Judgement, I wandered through thought and allowed The Force to lead me as I drifted further into The Force...

[member="Darth Abyss"]