Private [Solo] Gathering and awakening

[Akyla Rein (Skars)]

Localisation : Elamshen
La jungle qui l’entoure pousse Skars à se dépêcher. Il entend les bruits qui l’entourent, mais ils ne l’affectent pas beaucoup. Il sait qu’il pourra se défendre facilement si le besoin s’en fait sentir. Pourtant, il se demande s’il n’aurait pas dû essayer d’atteindre la grotte avec son navire, même si on lui avait déconseillé de le faire. Il décide qu’il est trop tard pour faire demi-tour maintenant. Il se fraye un chemin vers l’avant avec son sabre en Beskar trempé.

Il s’arrête un bref instant, jetant un coup d’œil à son appareil de poignet, qui lui indique l’emplacement de la grotte - bien que grâce à son entraînement, il puisse de plus en plus ressentir l’aura du lieu, lourd de la Force. Bientôt, il atteint une petite clairière – si on peut l’appeler ainsi, étant donné la végétation dense qui l’entoure encore – où une brèche s’ouvre dans une paroi rocheuse. L’assassin se dirige vers le trou béant. Puis, il s’enfonce dans les ténèbres, faisant confiance à la Force comme on lui a appris à le faire.

 

[Akyla Rein (Skars)]

As he descends deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth, the human begins to feel a kind of humming in the air. He relies solely on the Force to guide him through the darkness. The closer he senses the object of his quest, the louder the humming grows. He presses on.


The cave smells of earth and is damp, but after days spent in the jungle, that hardly bothers him. After several hours of walking, hich take him deep into the depths of Elamsha, he emerges into a vast cavern filled with crystals of varying colors and sizes. Some rise more than five meters high, while others are no bigger than the smallest finger on the assassin's hand. He knows that each one of them could be used to craft a lightsaber. But he also knows there is only one that can create his lightsaber.


He cannot yet see it, but he feels it, a force drawing him closer. Skars follows a series of tunnels branching off from the main cavern, leading to smaller chambers. Finally, he sees it. The humming around him reaches its peak, almost unbearable. The crystal glows with a faint violet light, its core shining white. He knows without a doubt that this is the one, the crystal that will form the heart of his weapon, together with the other components he carries.


He approaches. The vibration, clearly emanating from the crystal itself, resonates through his body. Reaching out, he touches its cold surface. Carefully, he pries it free from the rock in which it was embedded and lifts it to his eyes. The humming ceases. He gazes in awe at the shimmering hues dancing across its surface. Finally, he places it into a small case within his satchel...

 

[Akyla Rein (Skars)]

After retrieving his crystal, the young man quickly begins to retrace his steps, climbing back through the tunnels, still enveloped in near-total darkness. Everything looks exactly as it did on his way in, as if the place were frozen in time and space. The smell of mold, the damp air, all of it remains the same… except for one thing.


A sudden, overwhelming silence now fills the place. It feels oppressive, as though something in the darkness were stalking him, urging him to run. Yet the human refuses to be distracted. True, he longs to get out of here and move on to the task that awaits him, but he has no intention of running like a frightened animal — not just because of a feeling. Even so, he stays cautious, recalling the information the Jedi had given him about this place, and about some of the… creatures that might dwell here.


After about an hour of walking, he finally spots a faint light ahead, the exit leading back to the outside world. Relief washes over him, as if a weight were lifting from his shoulders with each step closer to the surface. The assassin doesn't dwell on the sensation and emerges from the cave.


Finally, he begins his journey back toward the city, following the same path that brought him here. He's startled when he checks the time on his wrist display, it's morning! Yet he could have sworn he entered the cave at midday. That means he must have spent nearly an entire day inside. Skars rubs his temples, then thinks that at least he can use this situation to his advantage, to make as much progress as possible, maybe even avoid having to spend another night in the jungle if he hurries.
Finally, after several hours of walking, night falls. Relying solely on his wrist device for navigation and the Force to avoid nocturnal predators, he presses on, showing clear disregard for the risks he's taking. As he draws inevitably closer to the city, he's forced to slow down and stop several times to steer clear of prowling hunters.


Around the middle of the night, he finally emerges from the jungle, relatively unscathed, aside from a few unpleasant encounters with unfriendly creatures. The remainder of his journey passes easily across the vast steppes bordering the city, which he soon reaches. Without hesitation, he heads straight for the spaceport and boards his ship.

 

[Akyla Rein (Skars)]

Skars seals the cargo hold of the IronHead and makes his way to the cockpit. After requesting clearance for takeoff, he waits a few minutes before receiving approval. Completing his final pre-flight checks, he engages the controls, lifting the ship smoothly off the ground.

He ascends through the atmosphere, breaking free into the quiet vastness of space. Once in orbit around the planet, he sets his next destination: Empress Teta. A moment later, the stars stretch into brilliant lines as the IronHead plunges into hyperspace.


Leaving the cockpit, Skars walks to the ship's second chamber, converted long ago into a meditation room. There, he carefully arranges the various components of his future lightsaber on the floor. Sitting cross-legged, he closes his eyes and opens himself to the Force, letting it flow freely through his mind and spirit.

Hours pass. Then days. The ship drifts through hyperspace while Skars remains motionless, immersed in the dim light of the chamber. Slowly, the components begin to align, guided by his will and the living current of the Force, until they merge into the hilt of his saber.


Exhausted and drenched in sweat, he finally opens his eyes. A shrill beeping breaks the silence, the hyperspace exit alarm. He rises unsteadily, nearly stumbling, and makes his way to the cockpit. Silencing the alarm, he collapses into the pilot's seat.

Before him, through the viewport, his destination comes into view… Empress Teta.