Shining Crystals

[Mykes Vatak]

Mykes Taff piloted the shuttle, he had been teaching himself, bettering himself with his piloting skills for the future that he had in mind. Onboard with him was his husband, [member="Tom Taff"]. They had come to Ilum, for one purpose. For finally, the time had come to obtain their lightsaber crystals. Mykes was little more than just excited. It was overjoyed. And nervous. Surely it would not be that easy, it could not be that easy. And he had a deep sense of something dark and foreboding ahead for them.

He turned his chair to Tom, and smiled. "We're entering the atmosphere now" he said, the ship shuddering slightly. "To think that now is the time...we're one step closer. To think that we have gotten this far by now..."

 

[Ravenfire]

Tom sat waiting in the ship. They were slowly descending to the planet ilum. They had came to obtain some new lightsabre crystals especially since [member="Mykes Taff"] had never had a lightsabre and Tom's had been made for another. The two blades where not his own. They never would be. He could use them all he likes but they would never be his lightsabres. Same with Rex's old lightsabre in his office. It was not his to own, not his to use.

He smiled back as his husband turned too look at him. Tom still had the lightsabres by his side, they were useful even if they weren't his. "Excellent Love." The ship shuttered slightly but it was barely noticeable. "One step close to what dear? giving you a lightsabre or something else?" Tom was slightly confused as to what Mykes was meaning but he had also felt the dark and foreboding thing approaching them as well.

 

[Mykes Vatak]

Mykes turned back to the controls, easing in their approach to the snow covered surface. There was meant to be a cave not that far from here as it shook, landing. "One step closer to being Jedi...or, well achieving a new goal. Getting our own lightsabers...one step further along the path set by..." He was about to speak of Rex, and thought of him in the back of his mind. No doubt [member="Tom Taff"] heard his echoed thoughts through their force bond.

He got up from his seat, pecking his lover's cheek as he passed to the ramp and activated the ramp as it descended. Cold air blew in, chilling him. "Should have brought a thicker coat." Mykes pulled a coat he had with him over his shoulders, walking down the ramp into the ankle deep snow. "The cave....should be...that way." He pointed to their right. The scanners had said so.

 

[Ravenfire]

Tom smiled as they landed. He tilled his head to the side as Mykes said to being a Jedi. "Love you know we are not Jedi. Especially not me. We don't train in the Jedi ways they have a separate code and everything. Yes getting some lightsabres would be good." Tom heard the sentence end hearing the final part. "My father Rex never had a plan for us. He just taught us because we had the power to change things in the galaxy, beyond that he had mp further plans. I can show you his journal if you would like." Tom had finally gotten past Rex's death although he kept the last name for his own reasons.

Tom walked out into the snow with [member="Mykes Taff"] as he kissed his cheek back for earlier. Tom smiled before using pyrokenesis to warm the temperatures around them so it would be warm enough for the jacket Mykes had brought. "The cave will be warmer especially since it's the wind that was really cutting." He then walked towards the area Mykes had said the caves where moving inside to be able to end his force concentration on the pyrokenesis around himself.

 

[Mykes Vatak]

Mykes sighed. "Well...well what are we then?" he asked. Surely Rex had a plan for them, right? Why attempt the training of them. He wished he had gotten to know before...he sighed again, pushing those thoughts out of his mind quickly. There had to be some path for them, and this was it but where next after, he did not know. Of course, [member="Tom Taff"] had an answer for him. So that they would have the ability to change the galaxy, power to make a presence. Make a change. But, is that what Mykes wanted? Lately he had been wondering, should they try?

Mykes smiled at the cheek kiss, and got close as he felt the warmth surge through them both. "I very much dislike the cold..." he muttered, still a bit shaking from the chilly weather. From that point he led them, holding onto his partner across the snow covered ground. They made it to the caves, and as soon as he was in he got up against one of the walls, looking inside while rubbing at his arms through his coat.

 

[Ravenfire]

Tom smiled at Mykes hugging him and using pyrokensis to warm him up again before making it so that Mykes own power caused it instead. "There that should keep you warm it's drawing a small amount on your force powers but not enough to affect you in any way." He then looked around the cave. "I guess this is where we part ways and try to find our crystals. If I remember old galactic lore, to receive your crystals you had to go it alone." He smiled at Mykes kissing him one final time before wandering off in his own direction.

He wandered for a while before hearing screams. He ran forwards toward the screams when he saw a scene playing out in front of him. His parents where being killed. There was three people standing their, just as before but this time he could see their faces. One was a chiss, another was a mandalorian or human but they had some form of mandalorian tattoos of a clan he had never seen before and the last was some kind of energy vampire. Each held a lightsabre, one had a very black blade, another a violent red blade and the last one had an orange blade that was more red than yellow making it a dark orange. He stood their watching it as it played out again and again before him.

 

[Mykes Vatak]

Mykes nodded, and with their Force Bond was able to keep up some warmth by trying just what [member="Tom Taff"] was also trying. It helped, but still it was cold. Mykes reached out to Tom but it was too late, he was off. "I...I love you" he managed out after the kiss, and then turned onto his own path. It was set out before him. He took a deep breath, and surged onward. As soon as he had begun, he felt something, a tug. But he couldn't feel any pain, and he could not feel the emotions of his lover. It worried him, but he shrugged it off as perhaps Tom had purposefully closed him off for a reason. Perhaps painful memories.

He went on, and almost slipped. Looking down, Mykes saw a large crack and breathed with relief. Had he missed his footing, his leg would have been caught in there. And that was not a chance he could take, not in here with the possibility of being trapped down here.

 

[Ravenfire]

Tom watched the scene over and over again. He had yet to notice the falling of his force bond with [member="Mykes Taff"] he was so engrossed watching this scene again and again before the chiss looked up right at tom. Holding the black blade above his head he looked at tom with satisfaction as he sunk it back into Tom's mothers chest. Suddenly the scene changed and it was Tom against the three. Each had their blade up speaking as one. "Well young man it is good to see you again, now you shall understand the trappings of your past."

Then the chiss stepped forward bowing before Tom. "Dark Lord Claw we came to recover you bring you back to where you belong. My brother had no idea what information he gave me when he dropped you into my lap." Then the mandalorian man who bore the unknown clan symbol stepped forward bowing as well "Commander Tom Taff it is good to be in your employ again. We will follow you to the ends of the galaxy. For you not for the mand'alor." Then the final energy vampire stepped forward bowing deeply. "You and your cousin shall rule us one day, neither of you shall escape that destiny."

Tom looked at the three in horror as he listened to it all and remembered his cousin [member="Lance Claw"] . How had he forgotten. But it didn't matter as current day Lance appeared at his right hand side and his aunt [member="Rachel Taff"] showed at his left. Lance didn't speak but he pulled a blade and dagger out and took a dash at the energy vampire. Rachel looked at the Chiss "Brother you shall not have him while I draw breathe." She then took him on. Tom looked at the mandalorian man before responding "I am your commander no longer. You are released from your ties from me. Go back where you came from." The mandalorian man looked up as he activated his red blade and stroke at Tom legs. "NO!!!! You shall not escape me that easy."

 

[Mykes Vatak]

Mykes Taff continued onward, watching his footing now. It had been a close call and he kept walking, slipping on the icy ground here and there. Something felt strange in these caves. Something felt off, as if something was ringing through the ice walls. As if he could see a shape behind him, yet nothing would be there. As if he was being followed by his own reflection, yet it was not his. He could feel his mind tumbling over itself, trying to get a grip on reality. But it kept throwing him off.

Suddenly, something went by. It looked like... "Tom!" He looked afraid, standing there in horror. Mykes pushed aside everything, all caution to the wind. He ran for him, holding his hand out. Mykes did not know why but he felt Tom needed his help...And in doing so, forgot the floor. It gave way under his leg, he fell in and shouted out in pain as if the leg had popped. He looked down, his organic leg was caught in a crack just wide enough to fit only his leg. Lifting up only lead to pain.

He looked up, and Tom...Tom was gone. There was no Tom, he was never there and that realization made him hit a clenched fist into the ground. Mykes was trapped here...and it was one of his worst fears.

[member="Tom Taff"]

 

[Ravenfire]

Tom watched slightly as the others fought for him but due to that the mandalorian almost got the hand up. Tom jumped backwards watching refusing to fight for the time being. He had viewed most likely how his parents had died. Three people had killed them. One he felt almost certainly was [member="Rowin Taff"] when the man had still been well a Chiss and in his own body. The mandalorian before him turned into a young boy.

The boy looked similar to someone else as it turned into his nemisis who laughed. "No, you where there too. No, no no no." The man laughed again "How close are you too falling, how much longer before we take you as we need to." Then it changed again. The scene was a bunch of sith troopers in a firing line being controlled by the man again. Someone was brought forwards with a bag on their head.

The bag was taken off their head as it was revealed to be [member="Mykes Taff"]. Tom's eyes went wide as he saw Mykes batter and bruised in front of a firing squad as they all fired. Tom screamed as his nemisis walked up to him "You give up yet?" Tom grit his teeth and shook his head as he walked himself infront of the firing squad waiting for the shots. He shut his eyes as the blasters sounded........

 

[Mykes Vatak]

Mykes contained himself. He was trying to be steady but already his breathing was quickening. Time seemed to drag on. Help would come, surely? [member="Tom Taff"] must have found his crystal, and would be searching for him now...right? The pain of his surely injured leg throbbed up his thigh. Again, he tried to pull himself up and let out an agonized cry. Mykes decided if he was to get through this, first he had to get in a more comfortable position. So, slowly, he leaned back. Wincing as moving caused more pain, holding himself up by his arms. And his eyes went over his leg. Reaching over with one of his hands, he ripped at his pants just where a part of his leg was out of the hole, and grimaced.

Swollen, purple. It felt cold on his bare skin now. He was trapped, there was no getting out of this alone. Desperation was already beginning to take hold. How he recalled being pinned during his workings. How he lost his first leg...

Mykes shook his head. He was already losing the flow of time, already lost how long it had been. He was already losing his head. Leg throbbing, and his vision was getting dizzy from the pain as time ticked on. And then...there was that ringing. It was so close, beckoning to him. Taunting him.

 

[Ravenfire]

Some time later on........

Why hadn't there been a second firing. He had heard the first one, he thought that would be it but nothing happened. They had to be screwing with him. They had to be. He'd finally had enough opening his eyes looking around as he was back in the cave. Everything else was gone. Their was nothing else here except for two twinkles in the caves wall. Tom looked at them and as he looked closely it was two crystals. One was light blue and easy to pull out of the wall as he looked at it over and over again.

The other was a dark green. It was harder to get out of the, he had to use his pyrokensis to remove the crystal from the wall. He looked at the two of them and could see the designs of his weapons in either hand incorporating the two. Finally having his crystals he decided to check on [member="Mykes Taff"] but couldn't really feel him at all. It was odd and must have been the cave. As he walked back to the start again he thought on what had occurred.

He had a cousin. Someone he hadn't thought of in a long time. At some point he needed to find him and catch up. The other thing was Rowin had known of him earlier as he had killed his family, possibly in an attempt to hunt him down or perhaps for no reason at all. But if he had force sensitivity it was likely lance did too. He just hoped lance was okay. The energy vampire was interesting because Tom was as far as he knew a full blooded echani. Perhaps he needed to check his family records on eshan again.

 

[Mykes Vatak]

Mykes felt the pain getting to him and soon, he blacked out. How much time had passed since, he did not know. But next he opened his eyes, there was no pain. He was on his back, and he felt...happy. Working on a ship inside a large hangar. The sounds of sparking welders and clanging metals were all around, but one thing he heard was a laugh. Lifting a wrench up to the cockpit, a hand came out and grabbed it. "Thanks, Mykes!" That voice...he knew it from somewhere. Mykes laughed, and got back under the fighter, working away.

There was a thud and Mykes pulled out again on the wheeled tray he was on, looking up to a face peering down. They were...well, he couldn't say cute. Something in his mind told him that he never would call them that, not to their face. But he always smiled to them. Brown hair, dark green eyes and pale freckled skin. They were at least his age. And he remembered. They were training engineers, the both of them. They were a family friend. "Say, Mykes. Ever...ever thought about flying?" Mykes shrugged. "I dunno, maybe. I'm more of a grounded person, you know that." The boy just laughed. "Come on, I bet you'd be one of the best pilots on this ship here...we could take it for a sp-" "No, no joy rides. I said no last time, and I say it again." The boy pouted, and then retreated back into the cockpit. But Mykes was still smiling, something about the conversation...it felt like it had happened a lot...but the something struck him as the ship creaked. He knew this part...And he dreaded it.

The ship's landing gear snapped. It fell, pinning him. He screamed out. And there was another cry out of pain. With the landing gear, the cockpit door had malfunctioned. He could barely see the hand of his friend. Others in the hangar rushed over to help. Something was burning. He remembered vaguely screaming out to save...but to not save him. It all went by so fast. The cutting of his leg, the explosion. And then he woke up, once more in the caves.

[member="Tom Taff"]

 

[Ravenfire]

Tom finally made it to the entrances of the cave system again his new crystals in his pockets. There was no signs of [member="Mykes Taff"] he thought for sure the man would be here already given how long Tom had been. He almost wanted to go find him but he knew the rules of the lore was that the person had to go alone and face whatever met them there. Tom sat down in the snow shivering slightly as he waits for the man. He hopes Mykes shows up soon.

 

[Mykes Vatak]

Mykes breathed in. He knew that boy, they were a close friend of his. And he hadn't saved them. To his knowledge they were lost in a fire. The ship explosion, his leg. Mykes had briefly been believing, that perhaps it was time to step away from the affairs of the galaxy. From all way in the galaxy, stay away from it all. Hide away, just the two of them...but this. This made him feel different. "I have to help people...I won't let another fall in my place...never again."

With renewed energy, he felt that he had to save [member="Tom Taff"]. Mykes felt he must need him, as did everyone else. And he began to formulate a plan. Taking his metal leg, he twisted it off, disconnecting it. Then, holding it to the ice he slammed it down. Over, and over and over, desperately. The leg began to crack just as the ice did and soon, it gave way. He fell through, falling onto his back. He groaned out in pain. In his leg, a mangled metal limb. And to his other hand...a strong presence. Reaching out, he took it in hand and brought it to his face. And there it was. A glowing crystal. He had done it. Mykes Taff, had passed his test.

 

[Ravenfire]

Tom finally got up and decided it had been enough time. The sun was beginning to set on the planet. If they stayed much longer they would be stuck here. He walked along the path Mykes might have taken before finding a hole and spotting him. Tom jumped and slid down to where his lover [member="Mykes Taff"] was and picked him up. As he did feeling the bond start back up again as he used some of his force powers to null the pain and begin moving back towards the entrance holding Mykes.

He could see Mykes metal leg was broken off and battered as he also felt Mykes crystal in his hand. He kissed his lovers forehead as he carried him out of this place. "I love you Mykes Taff, now lets go home before the weather gets any worse." He smiled crafting Pyrokensis around them as they moved to the ship.

He boarded the ship placing Mykes down on a bed as he went to the cabin calling up Genesis and ordering her to fly them back to Noverskaa as well as get someone prepped to help Mykes with his leg. He then left letting the AI carry out her orders before she could quip back. He went and lay with his lover cuddling him close before falling asleep.

 

[Mykes Vatak]

Mykes Taff looked up, catching his breath. He had his crystal in hand, metal leg in the other. His gaze up, and then he caught sight of his lover peering down. He waved weakly up to him. And Mykes managed a weak, "I love you too Tom...and I hate these caves and the cold" he murmured, managing a weak laugh at his own words. He held the leg, as if it would help later. Perhaps to rebuild the metal limb. But his gaze rested upon [member="Tom Taff"] as he was carried along.

Mykes lay down in the ships cabin, taking it easy with his breathing. Crystal still in hand, slowly he fell asleep cuddled up next to his lover. Dreaming sweet dreams, the ice caves incident already behind him.