The Acolytes

[Aellin Tedronai]

Dromund Kaas
[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

This ruin had once been the foundations of an Empire.

Long ago, decades now, Dromund Kaas had been the sight of one of the most powerful Empires in the galaxy, spanning the outer rim, the Tingel Arm, and even partially into the core. Now it was but a ruin, a pale shade of the past. The mandalorians had seen to the planets destruction, it's foundations torn and it's cities burned to the ground beneath the rubble of Asteroids.

The Primeval had tried to fix it, they had tried to make it great again, but they had failed in their task, failed in that endeavor like in so many others. Aellin knew this, he had seen it happen, or rather, his parents had. He frowned slightly, walking among the ruins as though they were an old home. Kaas city had once stood here, a massive expanse of high rises and citadels that stood to defend the darkside, now it was just another ruin, another wreck. He wondered briefly if all great tides would bring this, if eventually Coruscant itself would be nothing but a ruin. A frown pulled at his lips.

He shifted, moving through the dust.

There was something here that had been forgotten, a token that had been left by others. Most hadn't realized that it was here, most had likely thought it destroyed, but within the Archives, deep in those ransacked buildings, that was where he would find it. Aellin knew that it was still there, knew that he would find it. The object was unimportant to most, completely without note. It would still be there.

Or so he hoped as he walked through the ruins.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Aellin Tedronai"]

The blue skinned creature rummaged through the rubble, overturning stones and garbage and tossing them aside arbitrarily. The ruins of Dromund Kaas were not a location that he had ever visited, though they held an ancient and rich history filled with vibrant curiosities. It was for this reason that the Arue'tii had traveled to the planet which had been recently abandoned and left to fester. Kaas City had once been great, a watchtower over the world and it's Dark Side affiliates, but as all things must, it had crashed and burned. Abelain groped at another pile of rubble, sending a heavy stone into the wall with unnecessary force and creating a fissure in it's structure. For all the wealthy things that may once have been cast upon the place, the entire thing seemed almost destitute, abandoning it's glory and riches at the same time people had left it.

Naturally, not every individual had left, that much was clear by the occasional scent of the air, indicating a blood presence on the periphery of his senses. Additional evidence was provided in the form of the consistent scavenging and plundering that the once proud place had suffered, leaving valuables even scarcer than they may originally have been. Angrily, the Arue'tii arose, cape kicking at a particularly nasty splotch of dust and sending it airborne as he rose. The search thus far had been fruitless, only a handful of minor items that contributed essentially nothing of any real value.

An idea flickered into existence, and found it's ignition heightened by a steady stream of thought on the matter. Perhaps he would stalk one of those other varied and scattered scavengers in hopes of finding their riches, and then he might challenge them to them or even offer to share in them with assistance offered in return. A new, fresh scent mingled in the dirt and grime filled ruination, striking an iron smelling freshness that was lacking in much of the city. Idea firmly implanted in his mind, and a plan still grasping at formulation, the Arue'tii set off in the general direction of the scent to seek out the newcomer, creeping quietly towards them.

 

[Aellin Tedronai]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

Aellin did not notice the creature within the ruins, nor would he have cared if he had.

He was here with purpose, he was here with an ideal, no a plan. The records would be found within the old archives, the archives that were located well within the planet deep down in the recesses beneath the old citadel. He knew this, he had seen it, he had seen the plans and visited the archives when he had been but a child. It had been a trick then, an old journey that he had taken with his brother Baelid. They had been but children then, young, foolish, but they had managed.

Things were different now of course.

Baelid was dead, and Aellin was no longer a fool.

No. He knew what he wanted here, and as he stalked through the ruins of the old citadel he could feel the power and strength that came from this place, the divine authority that hailed from Dromund Kaas. The feel of it, the idea, it was beautiful, it filled him with strength, with a desire for conquest and destruction. He took a deep breath as he wound his way to the center of the ruins, heavy durasteel plating and massive chunks of stone crushing the entrance that he sought.

His hand extended, he began to concentrate.

The force began to shake the very air, vibrating and burning it, then suddenly the rocks began to shift, budging, crawling away from where Aellin wanted to go.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Aellin Tedronai"]

The Arue'tii finally laid eyes upon the fellow scavenger, wondering for a brief moment at what he was searching for. No doubt, if they were a common scavenger they would be looking for riches or artifacts to trade in for riches. However, there was always the faint chance that they were archaeologists, attempting to locate treasures in knowledge that far outweighed those that could be found in gold and precious gems. Abelain rested his hands against a broken chunk of wall that once served as the corner of a building, using it to maintain his covert activity of spying as well as to provide support in terms of leaning.

When the stranger set foot towards an old citadel, Abelain continued his vigil, taking keen notice of how the man stalked the building with an air of familiarity about him. It was evident that the construct had been shut down by eroded stone and metal having fallen into it's entryway. Then, the wonderful activity occurred which marked the man as a potential ally. With hand extended, the fellow began to shift and reorganize the composition of the blockade, eliciting entrance into the destitute building.

He was a Sith, and Abelain as well was of their frightful order. They might well have been searching for similar things, and with their strengths combined they might readily achieve their goals with expeditious activity. The Arue'tii began to approach, moving from cover to stand directly behind the man, albeit separated by several meters of distance. "Greetings, Sith." He spoke from behind his chitinous 'smile', the words only slightly corrupted by the barrier.

 

[Aellin Tedronai]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

The reaction was instant, a blink and one would have missed it.

All the power, all the focus, all the strength in the force that Aellin had been pouring into the removal of the rubble was quickly redirected towards what he perceived to be this new thread. Within half a second a lightsaber found it's way to the Acolytes palm, it ignited with a loud snap-hiss, resounding into life with a blaze of red plasma. He rounded on the voice that had interrupted him, shifting his feet with a flourish of his cloak and turning to the creature that had spoken to him.

The force carried through him, his off-hand bubbling with a build up of power as he regarded the monster.

"What." Aellin began, a harsh growl to his words. "Are you?"

The Sith Acolyte didn't really have time to fight, didn't really have the want or the need to do so, but this creature...whatever it was did not appear friendly. It had greeted him as Sith, which was of course a correct assumption, and the familiarity to it's tone implied that it was not unused to his kind. Aellin supposed that the creature could have been Sith itself, the meager potential in the ability to sense others allowed him to glean a bit of the monsters strength, though it was hardly enough to make a judgement.

He would simply have to wait.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Aellin Tedronai"]

The surprising speed of the scavenger seemed to support the hypothesis that Abelain had already held, that this individual was indeed a Sith. It was difficult to tell how powerful he was however, and there was no indicator based on his current actions as many acolytes knew how to move objects with their minds, as did many lords. The Arue'tii found his hand gliding down his side, grasping at the lightsaber hilt there and eerily slowly withdrawing it from it's leather fetters. With it's own snap-hiss it displayed a crimson blade, casting faint red light upon a nearby shadow. Abelain recognized it would be wise to defuse the situation from violence before any irreversible actions were taken by the inferior species.

The question presented to him was a hint humorous, though very correct. It was unlikely that many beings in the galaxy had ever met one of his kind, especially with how specific their government was about letting explorers out into the vast dark void that was space. Abelain found himself approaching, albeit, very slowly so as not to trigger hostile repercussions. He spoke, his voice deep and rising from within the chest only to slither out from behind the chitinous 'smile' that protected his mouth: "I am Abelain Narv'uk, descendant of Sarith, explorer of The Order of Hazarin, and acolyte of the Sith."

With his statement given, Abelain waited for a response to indicate whether hostilities would indeed reign supreme or whether calmer heads were preserve the peace that the dead city had earned in blood. Still, the Arue'tii had no intentions of being foolish and could already feel his off-hand reach for the Sith vibroblade sleeping at his side, an ancient beast holding the writings of an archaic language, it awakened at the beck and call of it's master only when given a promissory note that blood would be spilled. Hence, Abelain kept it silent in it's restless slumber, ready to wield it into brutish combat should the need arise.

 

[Aellin Tedronai]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

He still did not quite understand what the thing was. Sith was clear, but the creatures species was unknown to him. This was not too surprising, Aellin hardly claimed to be a scientist or researcher. He had never met half the species in the galaxy and he was entirely sure that he did not know of many thousands, yet this thing...It was unpleasantly monstrous. The better part of him told him to slaughter this monstrosity, to see it done and ended once and for all.

Yet his curiosity got the better of him.

This creature was clearly strong, strong enough to warrant the title of Acolyte and the name of an explorer. Aellin had no doubted that it was as strong as he, perhaps more so, the thing after all built differently and with a body that was honed for Killing. That in it of itself interested Aellin more than anything else. Was this creature meant to murder? Meant to kill?

It was an interesting prospect, especially given that the Sith so often were naturally inclined towards the darker arts of life. Killing, murder, it was a necessary thing when one was a Sith. He knew naught of the policies of the power that sat at the great Galactic Core, but he knew that within the Tribe killing was how one truly sought to elevate themselves. It was through power and through force that one moved through the ranks, the slaughter of innocents helping things along as the passage of time brought strength.

"I did not ask, who." Aellin continued. "I asked what, are you?"

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Aellin Tedronai"]

The Arue'tii began to more closely examine the Sith as the distance was closed between them with gentle and inching steps forward. He took a deep whiff of air, sucking in the atmosphere and scenting the blood of the being in front of him. At first glance, the Sith had appeared to be at least humanoid, though with the additional olfactory sense providing it's support, that thesis was resolved and an exact species was identified for the lone scavenger: Human. It was a useful ability, though not quite as difficult to determine as one might have imagined. In his time in the galaxy, Abelain had felt the iron scent of blood in many nearby individuals, and soon he had begun to notice the similarities that members of a certain species possessed which others simply did not within them. This unintentional defining trait assisted greatly when determining the level of threat that new individuals possessed.

There was no doubt that the Sith possessed far greater mental abilities than Abelain, especially when one considered that he did not know any Force powers or talents. When one considered all of his skills, even his swordsmanship was lacking in the finesse that many warriors found natural. Instead, he clutched to his name a surprising strength of form as well as his powerful hide. It was with these tools of life that he carved his destiny. That destiny had not been decided as of yet, though it lurked off in the distance, awaiting it's signal to finally reveal itself to the Arue'tii and lead him to a path of glory.

The warm and humid air of the place felt good as he breathed in another taste of air, allowing it to flood into his system and warm his lungs with it's heat. If one could avoid the dust and debris that still floated about the air, it might even have been enjoyable. The Sith gave his question again, repeating his previous interrogative and clarifying that he did not desire knowledge of whom he was speaking towards, but rather what it was that he had engaged in conversation.

Abelain flicked dirt off his red cape as he prepared an adequate answer, and then simply settled on, "I am an Arue'tii, we are a species new to the greater galaxy. You will not have seen many of us." Simple and to the point.

Having given two answers and not asked a question yet, Abelain felt entitled to begin his own interrogative: "Who are you?" The voice rumbled.

 

[Aellin Tedronai]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

His fingers tightened around the lightsaber, his hand beginning to turn to a white knuckle grip.

The creature didn't seem to be threatening him, nor did it seem to want to kill him, at least not yet, but one couldn't always trust monstrosities such as these. There were many aliens in the galaxy, many creatures that Aellin did not understand or know, this...Arue'tii was certainly one of them. It looked threatening enough, towering over him and leering at him with eyes that he could not pin down for the life of him. Every instinct in his body told him to slaughter it, to end its existence here and not let it go on.

Yet he thought better of it.

His finger slowly slipped down the length of his lightsaber, the crimson blade winking from life. Aellin kept the cylinder within his palm, not hooking the weapon back on his belt just yet. His stance also remained the same, threatening, strong, ready to move at any time. He was well aware that the creature could likely kill him within half a hear beat, slaughter him within a moment and see his blood splashed upon the rocks all around them.

Aellin shifted slightly, looking the beast in the eye. "I am the lost."

It was the best answer that the creature would get.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Aellin Tedronai"]

It was not in Abelain's nature to ally himself with inferior species, but as of yet he had noticed that it had become much more common. Perhaps it was some form of taint from having been near them for so long, but it seemed unlikely that was the case. Rather, it seemed far more likely that he had realized that even if they wouldn't match up to all of his standards, they had their uses in terms of stopping bigger threats or in solving problems that simply could not be fixed by only a single individual. The Arue'tii awaited a response to his own interrogative, hoping that through it he could gain some insight into the background of the character ahead of him. As he observed the Sith deactivate his lightsaber, he had hope that there might be a mutual alliance between the pair yet. At the unspoken signal, Abelain flicked his own saber off, allowing it to return to it's slumber at his side.

The answer that was given was cryptic at best. The Sith described himself as being 'the lost' though that did not seem to be a title or a position that would normally be found in any organization. Instead, it sounded very much like another way of saying that he was an independent person without the assistance of a larger group. That was curious because; according to what he knew, the One Sith were the only current Sith organization in existence. That begged the question on whether there were more orders of blackness spread throughout the galaxy in hidden places where the greater groups would never find them. Curious, Abelain made a mental note to ask later.

"Lost one, what are you doing in this place?" He questioned, swinging his arm around to gesture to the broken city surrounding them, "Are you searching for something as I am?" The Arue'tii locked eyes with the human, attempting to ascertain hidden knowledge from their movements, though such a study was futile both at this distance and in total as he was untrained in such psychological skills.

 

[Aellin Tedronai]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

The creature could at least hold a conversation, more than he would have expected from most beasts that appeared like it did. His fingers flexed on his lightsaber one last time, and then slowly Aellin dropped from his stance. It was clear that this creature did not mean to fight him, and perhaps if he did not kill it then Aellin could get some use out of it still.

"Yes." He answered.

The Acolyte could have kept it at that, could have stopped his explanation and simply left the beast, but an idea formed within the back of his mind. Cooperation was often something that was ignored by most of the Sith. It was true that his family had cooperated with Tribe, true that the One Sith cooperated, they were unified after all, but this was something different. Both of them, he and the creature, were an unknown entity to one another. They knew they were Sith, and that was all the detail that they knew.

"This city once contained archives." He explained further, his hand still upon his lightsaber. "They were raided, long before this world was burned, yet I believe that the Archives still contain a piece of information, something that would be valuable to me."

Only to him.

He needed to know where the ship was. He knew that it was buried on Raxus, but not where.

The records would tell him.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Aellin Tedronai"]

Abelain felt the last pieces of tenseness escape from his body as the Sith removed his aggressive stance. It seemed that they would be allies indeed, though what would hold their minor alliance together would yet be told based on the answer given by the man. Naturally, they were both creatures of greed in that it was likely not in their nature to give services rendered for no reward. That was an assumption on the part of Abelain, at least in speaking of the Sith, it did seem unlikely that he would be part of the dark order without being at least somewhat without selflessness. After all, wasn't that one of the primary tenants of their code? To take what one wished to take and do what one wished to do for the sake of the greater good?

The response was fascinating. The Arue'tii had assumed that there were treasures of some value littered throughout the destroyed city, but he had not considered that there might be archives. They would no doubt be flowing with valuable information that might lead to even greater riches should they be taken before wise scavengers had the same ideas. There might not have been an immediate reward in it as many would hope, but being able to view the archives and their treasured information could well prove to be richer than any puny and broken artifacts.

"Archives?" He spoke, solidifying his thoughts, "You say they were raided, but you say they hold information valuable to you? Would there be knowledge that may be valuable to myself as well, so that we may both benefit without stealing the benefits of one another?" There was no need for them to fight for whatever riches were stored there; at least as long as there were enough for them to both be granted adequate shares.

 

[Aellin Tedronai]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

He frowned slightly.

Working together? With this creature? The idea was distasteful, even somewhat disgusting to him.

Aellin didn't like this monster, it was civil enough, but it's appearance...it left much to be desired. His fingers curled around the hilt of his lightsaber, his hand slowly tightening as he replaced the weapon upon the small of his back. He would at least show half a sign of cooperation, allow the creature to sit at ease. If it were to strike he still had the force, and that would give him time enough to draw his weapon once again. A frown pulled at his lips. Was he actually considering this? Working with the creature?

"It is unlikely you'll find anything of true worth." Aellin answered the monster honestly.

"Most of the archives were raided. It's holocrons were stolen, ancient Sith scrolls pilfered." He remembered well hearing of that. "You'll find records, long lost datalogs, small details about the Old Empire that once reigned here before it was destroyed by the Republic. Nothing of true value, at least to most."

Those records were what Aellin wanted.

It might not have seemed like much, but he knew of a ship. A prototype vessel that had been built by the Empire. Long lost now, broken and thrown away, the vessel had been scuttled after the Empire's fall. Aellin did not know to where, nor did he know the why, but he knew that the ship was located somewhere on Raxus Prime. That knowledge would be pin-pointed by the discovery of the datalog, hopefully showing Aellin exactly where the ship had been taken on the grand Junkyard world.

That was the hope, anyway.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Aellin Tedronai"]

Abelain observed the words that the man spoke, evaluating the potential rewards imagined in his mind. It was apparent that at least some of the knowledge would be useless, that was simply the work of scavengers, as well as basic outdated knowledge. Still, it was unreasonable to consider the idea that all items of value had been stolen by depraved and petty looters. The most common scavenger was likely uneducated, poor, and covered in grime and filth that smothered any hint of worth within their awful lives. The thought was tainted with disdain, as though they were not even worth considering and that their impact was minor to the point of being infinitesimal. The next words spoken by the Sith helped to alleviate that thought, and it seemed as though the only things to be found were records.

Records could be quite useful in determining the location of resources that had been allocated to remote parts of the galaxy, and so the Arue'tii retained interest in the quest to locate the Archives. Abelain cast a final glance around his surroundings to ensure that nothing had been missed, and then fully returned his attention to the Sith. He could only wonder at what the man was searching for within the Archives, there were far too many possibilities to list. No matter, there was a purpose served in working with the Sith, especially if the rewards panned out in the end were indeed as valuable as Abelain hoped.

He met eyes with the man, speaking through the 'smile' that was worn across his face, "Those records and lists may hold wealth within them. It is possible that resources long lost may be found within... After all, they would not have been written if there was no purpose in their existence." The Arue'tii gave a nod towards the entrance which had been carved by the mental faculties of the Sith, "Do you expect resistance or security measures that might deter intrepid explorers from within, or do you assume that it shall be empty of hostile forces?" The man likely knew more of the Archives than did the foreigner, and it was best to be prepared lest one be surprised by unexpected assault.

 

[Aellin Tedronai]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

"No." Aellin said flatly. "It is unlikely that anything survived. We stand among the ruins of the citadel, the very center of the citadel. The security for the archives should have been this citadel. Once upon a time there were a hundred Sith Lords roaming these halls, thousands of Acolytes. The Archives did not need additional security."

There was a tunnel that would lead to the Archives, an elevator shaft.

That was the only real defense that the Archives would now have, save for perhaps a thick durasteel door. Had this been two or three decades ago things would have been different, very different. Yet now, now with Dromund Kaas completely destroyed things were not as harsh as they seemed. He supposed that was the way of things, the decay of once great statues and buildings. He frowned slightly, shifting and moving towards the entrance of the Archives.

"I doubt we will meet with much resistance. Perhaps wayward creatures that have made their way into the old structures." That was the only thing Aellin could really imagine would get in their way. Even after the destruction of the surface by the Mandalorians Dromund Kaas was still teeming with creatures of death and destruction.

Aellin wouldn't doubt that some of those monsters had made it into the Archives.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Aellin Tedronai"]

According to the words of the Sith, the citadel had been the security for the Archives. It had once stood proud and mighty among the surrounding landscape, filled to the brim with powerful lords and aspiring acolytes. Now that it was destroyed however, it would gradually from it's high rank of glory to the mires of obscurity and desolation that seemed to proceed all great things; both structures and empires, people and lands. Despite that, the revelation that the citadel would be empty from stray security mechanisms or organisms was a relief to the Arue'tii who was familiar with tomb-looting and encountering such ancient practices among the fallen of the inferior species of the galaxy. Those experiences had not been pleasant, and they were better forgotten than relived.

The speak of various wildlife sneaking into the structure brought up glimpses of memories from his time scavenging the tomb of Tulak Hord in search of his famed holocron. Within that structure had lain many monstrosities, and it seemed likely that such beings of cruelty existed on this planet as well, albeit with enough differences to require varying strategies from those that had been employed in that dark and dirty prison of corpses. There was a certain sense of safety that the Arue'tii felt upon further reflection. The entryway into the place had been covered over with rocks and debris, that indicated that should any creatures reside within, they would likely be farther away from where the pair of explorers would enter.

It was also the hope of Abelain that such creatures would stay within range of their entrances, and logical reasoning stated that they would likely need to leave to find food and drink, unless both things were inexplicably provided within the Archives. Naturally, if it was to be used as the primary fortification for withstanding sieges, it likely contained vast stores of both of these things, but there was hope that it had either all been eaten up, or that it had been constructed initially devoid of such vital resources. Nevertheless, Abelain gestured towards the entrance, eyes locking upon the Sith.

He spoke, "After you, you know this place far better than I." Besides, if a creature did jump out, it would devour the Sith before it reached him.

 

[Aellin Tedronai]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

He said nothing more to the creature, finding that further conversation would only drive this task to take longer than it already had. The doors to the archives lay just ahead of him, and with a single wave of his hand he forced the two durasteel plates apart. There was a slight whirring noise, the tearing of steel and the grinding of gears as the force pressured the doors to fall apart and into the wall. His fingers curled slightly, falling back to his side as a breath shook him.

Aellin had waited so long for this.

Nearly a decade.

It was a step closer to what he truly sought, a step closer to all that he had worked for. Ever since Baelid had usurped him, ever since his parents had mitigated him to the roll of second child he had known he'd wanted this. Power lay within his grasp, or rather, a step towards it. He shook slightly, then stepped through the doorway.

Beyond the double doors lay a long hallway, now broken and bent half into a ruin. At the end of the hallway sat a turbo-lift shaft now devoid of it's vehicle. Blackness entered the hall, no light or torches left to illuminate the path. From the small of his back Aellin pulled one of his lightsabers, igniting the weapon and using it's bright red hue as a means to show him the path. The Acolyte half turned towards the beast, waving for it to follow him towards the turbo-lift.

They would have to be careful, lest the Archives fell upon them.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Aellin Tedronai"]

The blue skinned explorer stepped into the citadel after the Sith, taking notice of his prowess with mental abilities. He himself had difficulty manifesting the abilities, no matter how much he tried. In the end, he blamed his lack of ability on the lack of knowledge rather than a lack of natural talent or of a disability in the subject of Force powers. Thankfully, he made up for it with other useful items such as his powerful hide or his ability to scent beings that stepped into a surprisingly large radius around himself. It made him an expert at preventing ambush, and he found himself consistently scenting the air in the search for the iron smell that would indicate a living being stalking throughout the ruins of the once proud structure.

Blackness overtook the room as it was entered, though it quickly found itself pushed away by the glow of the Sith's lightsaber. The Arue'tii reached for his side, withdrawing his own saber and igniting it with a distinctive snap-hiss. Crimson light poured off the blade, grasping onto the fringes of shadow and lapping at them hungrily as though to devour them into itself. The turbo-lift shaft lay still, it's beast of burden having died and it's vertical path now laying desolate and empty. It was a shame that such technology would simply rust, and he made a mental note to study the exact mechanics of the turbo-lift at a later date. The deep void that led downwards seemed to have no end in that encompassing darkness, and he turned to the Sith for an answer.

His people were so far behind the galaxy in terms of common technologies, and he constantly found himself lost when introduced to grand machinery and it's inner electronic workings. It was his purpose in the galaxy to learn, and to gather new and wondrous items and volumes of knowledge to return to Ghul. That goal was supported by his own personal goal to become powerful, after all, any great civilization required great people to help guide them along their path of enlightenment. It was for the good of his people that he became mighty, that he could defend them from vile threats and vicious antagonists.

It was for the greater good.
Wasn't it?

 

[Aellin Tedronai]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

Aellin waited a moment, leaning down the turbo-lift shaft and peering into the darkness.

There was no doubt in his mind that this went down far, the Archives being located several miles beneath the surface of Dromun Kaas itself. That was why he was so sure that the Archives had survived. They had been created deep beneath the reaches of Kaas City, placed there was a form of security. This Lift was really the only way into the Archives as well, there being only one entrance. He frowned slightly, his eyes darting to the monster for a moment before it slowly moved back towards the turbo-lift shaft.

"We climb." Aellin said as though it would be simple.

With his off-hand the Sith Acolyte pulled a length of wire from his belt.

It was the same material that most Jedi carried, Aellin himself having taken the length of it from the corpse of a man who had tried to kill him weeks earlier. He had known that eventually it would come in handy. Slowly Aellin hooked the wire to the edge of the lift shaft, testing it's hold for a moment before simply look at the creature and then shrugging. With a half heart toss Aellin threw the length of wire down the shaft. It would reach about half way, and from there both he and the creature would be able to use the force to fall safely.

Aellin of course went first, not trusting the creature within the dark. The Sith hooked himself onto the wire then quickly jumped into the dark, keeping one hand upon the wall and the other on his lightsaber to light his path. Slowly he climbed down until eventually he fell to the bottom of the shaft, landing with a soft thud.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Aellin Tedronai"]

Peering into the abyss below brought to mind stories of dark creatures and monsters that awaited for travelers to come near, and then snatched them into their waiting maws with tentacles or other grasping appendages. Nothing ever came from that waiting shadow, and Abelain observed as the Sith withdrew a surprisingly long length of wire which was promptly dropped into the pit. The Arue'tii waited carefully for the sound of it striking the floor beneath, and was somewhat alarmed when it never did. Still, there was a chance that they would be able to reach that point and then separate themselves from the wire, using the Force to slow their falls until they reached the bottom. What was something apparently not considered was how they would get out once they were down, though Abelain did not wish to add further worry to an already anxious drop.

He was not sure if he was truly capable of slowing himself with the Force, though given that the alternatives were turning away in cowardice or dying, he decided that such a thing would be simple enough to learn. After all, he simply needed to think of himself as a falling object, and think of the ease that falling into something soft would bring. Abelain decided he would review that mental doctrine as he climbed down, hoping to perfect it before it's execution. The Sith attached the wire onto the shaft, and leaped into the darkness, disappearing from vision except for a faint silhouette created by his lightsaber.

Abelain would likely take a slower approach, especially since he didn't entirely trust the wire to hold his weight. He assumed that he weighed more than the human, though such a thing might not have been true. The Arue'tii extinguished his blade with a dying hiss, and grasped onto the wire, using his sharp elbow to drag along the wall at a speed which was still quite rapid, but obviously somewhat slowed due to the excess friction. After a moment of falling, he began to notice gentle sparks flicker off of the chitin, and wondered if they would be visible directly below creating a shower of embers.

All the while he thought of the Force, and it's applications, and their inner workings. Once he reached the end of the wire, he rapidly removed his elbow from the wall, taking note of the excessive heat that it had incurred and dropped. In his mind's eye he imagined himself, falling rapidly down. Suddenly, he imagined slowing to a mediocre fall, something that might have occurred if one were to throw a ball gently into the air. When he finally struck the ground, it was with considerably less force than he otherwise would have struck, and satisfaction flooded his system at the successful application of the Force.

Relieved, he spoke to his companion, "Now that we are down here, I must inquire how we will be making our way back to the surface after our expedition is finished."