Private The Darkness of Dathomir

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

With a steadfast and determined pace, Sakadi approached the large and ancient structure. Her position would shift from the left side of the stone bridge to the right, and back, to avoid the rays of scorching sunlight that crept over the cliff's edge. Dathomir was not a place she liked to visit. As if the flora and fauna weren't dangerous enough already, the lingering presence of the Dark side was one she just couldn't ignore. It emanated from this place like a well of power, but not in the sense that she had felt on Dathomir during her prior visits. This was different. It felt warped, even. Was this perhaps a side-effect of the mysterious magick?

Tilting her head a bit, Sakadi studied the text carved in the black stone of the building's entrance. She spoke no Sith, and neither could she read Dathomiri. Perhaps she should've dug up some of the memories of the Nightbrothers who had blocked her path to the tomb. They had been fierce opposition, but nothing the Master couldn't handle. Although she had to admit, the energy bolts fired by the archers moved faster than she had anticipated. Nonetheless, she had managed to force her way through. The few who she failed to immobilize had undoubtedly returned to their village to gather reinforcements, but against that time she would already be deep inside the tomb. And she highly doubted that these fanatics would dare enter their sacred grounds.

With her hood raised, Sakadi climbed the stairs that would lead her inside. Whatever was inside here, was unnatural. Even in a place such as Dathomir. She wasn't exactly fond of aiding a planet so tight in the Dark side's grip, but sometimes even the tiniest bit of light could help.
​

Nezira Viresh

 

[Nezira Viresh]

As Sakadi made her way deeper into the mountain, she would start to notice carvings on the walls. One of the carvings depicted a large black bat form with powerful legs and wings for arms. Its head had the form of something like a Nexu, but much more oval-looking. Piecing red-painted spot for eyes, giving the creepy feeling that they followed Sakadi as she walked, almost as if it was alive.

further down the carving, was a sea of humanoid people performing some kind of ritual, which had smoke coming out of a painted fire, forming a green luminous coloured mist-smoke, looking very much like the magick Sakadi had seen Nightsisters use. She would find more and more carvings of the same large bat-like creature and a sea of humanoid people performing all manners of rituals to please the disturbing animal, who was treated as if it was a god among ants.

A sudden flapping of wings and a black blur past behind Sakadi seemingly stopping high up on a small broken pillar, followed by a short raspy call of drawing at Sakadi. It was a jet-black raven, looking down at the Jedi Master with a curious tilt of its head. It was almost as if waited to see whether or not she would continue down the now expansive hallway, cawed out in the rocky interior. Multiple archways towered over the path deeper into the temple. At the end of the path, was a massive gate carved out of the mountain, decorated in foreign patterns and markings that wouldn't make much sense, if they couldn't speak Dathomirian runes.

However, the gate blocked Sakadi from continuing further and deeper into the mountain. If she actually headed for the gate to examine it, she would receive a craw from the raven and then flew to the gate, landing on an archway, looking down on Sakadi.

To the right of the gate, was a stone table, broken off at the bottom. But like the carvings on the wall, the painting depicted the bat-looking creature roaring, outstretched wings. The humanoid people stood gathered around a bowl, filling it with blood, or not exactly blood, but much more red smoke-like liquid.

While Sakadi most likely doesn't know much, if anything about Nightsister rituals, culture, and beliefs, the red smoke-like liquid in the carving, looked eerily like the dark side. Between the bat-looking creature at the top of the table, and half-broken off the bottom of the humanoids, was a gate. The gate in the carving seemed to be painted to lit up with the same dark red colour as the dark side was coloured in.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

The unnatural aura of the Dark side grew thicker as she entered the temple. The cold would've made her shiver, had the body glove she wore under her tunic not been outfitted with body temperature regulation. The Jedi Master would pull a small lantern from the utility belt hidden underneath her cloak. It provided her with just enough light to study the carvings.

She knew little about the religion and mythological figures of the nightsisters. It was clear to her that the bat-creature was identified as a god, but to what end? Why did the nightsisters serve him, and him specifically? Slowly, the Jedi would stroll through the tomb's central hallway with her lantern held high, studying carving after carving.

The Force warned her of a second lifeform shortly after it appeared, although it did not identify the creature as dangerous. Perhaps it was just a lost soul, or worse, an observer. In any case, it didn't seem like it would try to harm her. And on a world like this, she might as well consider it an ally. After briefly locking eyes with the avian, she would advance again.

She could see how the darkness of the temple could be terrifying to some, but not for the luminous beings that were the Jedi. The Force was so obviously volatile and turbulent here that she even doubted the nightsisters had ever visited this tomb in recent years. That trail of thought brought her to one, unavoidable question. Who did this tomb belong to?

The large hallway grew smaller over time, until it finally ended in a large, stone entrance. She couldn't read the letters that were carved in the door's sides, much less comprehend what they meant. But the painted wall on her left told her all she needed to know. There was likely no way to continue without a sacrifice, but was that truly worth it? The magick of the nightsisters had many strange effects. For all she knew, granting this 'god' a single drop of blood could drain her of all her strength. Slightly shaking her head, Sakadi would place her lantern on the dusty flagstones. There had to be another way to get through this..
​

Nezira Viresh

 

[Nezira Viresh]

It had suddenly gotten eerily quiet around Sakadi and the avian was nowhere to be seen. It was as if the sound itself had been drained from the area without the Jedi left. That silent broke suddenly when the sound of whispers, mixed with a crackling echo of short bursts of hisses appeared behind Sakadi. Further back the corridor, from where the Jedi Master had come from, stood another person covered in shadow, covering most of her. Unlike the Nightbrothers who Sakadi could feel sneak up on her, this woman came out of nowhere, appeared out of thin air.

"You trespass stranger," pointed the newly arrived woman in the shadow, out. "Why?" Asked the woman almost immediately after pointing out that Sakadi was a place she wasn't supposed to be. Not much of the shadow-covered woman could be seen from where Sakadi stood, as the other woman stood at one of the first archways of the corridor.

Some of the few things and features Sakadi could see was the colour of her clothes with only faintly the dark grey, and her very pale white skin. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out this was a local to Dathomir and not a foreigner.

The greyish-blue eyes looked Sakadi over, slowly drinking in the features of the Jedi, getting a feel for how she looked. For a few minutes in the shadow by the right side of the archway, stepped Nezira out of her spot as she slowly started to walk towards the next archway holding up the mountain-ceiling. With a total of five archways forming the corridor, there were three archways for Nezira to get close to Sakadi and the stone gate.

The Nightsister didn't act threatening but did have a tense posture if she had to fight with the trespasser at the end of the corridor.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi barely noticed the change in aesthetic, her gaze fixed on the different carvings that decorated the inner walls of the tomb. The Force was her ally, and it was always on the lookout. The Nightbrothers had a distinct presence in the Force, and so did the Nightsisters. At first, she had experienced difficulty distinguishing their presences from the volatile and violent wildlife. But the more time she had spent here, the easier it had become. Therefore, the Jedi Master had utter faith in the Force, and her own ability to comprehend it.

The warning came in the form of a cold breeze that swept over her conscious mind. It denoted the presence of something new, something attuned to the Dark side of the Force. It wasn't one of the Nightbrothers, but it was definitely related to them. It could only mean one thing.

Calm, confident and without fear, the Jedi Master would turn to the woman standing in the shadows. The whispers and desperate cries that accompanied her made Sakadi assume that this woman wasn't here for pleasantries. Something that was confirmed by her tone, which was far from friendly. Looking the young woman up and down revealed much to the Jedi Master. She was a native for sure; a Nightsister most likely. Chances were that the Nightbrothers had informed her of the Sephi's intrusion.

Sakadi tilted her head slightly ajar, her sky blue eyes staring deep into the witch's grey blue eyes. "Don't you sense it?" she asked, a little surprised why the Nightsister asked for a reason. "The Force is unbalanced in this tomb. Violent, and in motion. It's unnatural, even for Dathomir. I followed the summons of the Force, and it has led me here." Turning her back to the Nightsister, Sakadi's gaze would shift back to the carvings. "Something evil rests here..." The Jedi Master would stretch out her hand, touching the cold stone that housed the carving. "It stirs in its sleep. I can sense it. If no measures are taken, I fear that it may affect Dathomir on a grand scale." It wasn't as if she cared deeply about the planet, but all life was sacred according to the Jedi. And she had to adhere to the code. The mystical and often unpredictable will of the Force had led her here. And her intent was to find out why.

​

Nezira Viresh

 

[Nezira Viresh]

Nezira knew of this place, its importance and what it represented. She had been at the ancient temple once along with a couple of her other sisters a long time ago now. How this Jedi found out about was a bit surprised to the Sister and she guessed her force helped her. She sensed the Jedi was powerful and probably a really experience fighter, but so was Nezira and the Nightsister doubted the woman in front of her, knew what the Ichor was capable of.

Walking out of the shadows, revealing herself, the Nightsister looked at the large stone gate and then looked back at the Jedi turning her back to her. It did look like the Jedi didn't know how to continue or she did but didn't want to perform the ritual. "This is one of the temples dedicated to the Fanged God and you are not to continue. Leave Dathomir at once, or face the consequences" warmed Nezira, slowly nearing Sakadi by the stone gate.

Nezira's pupils lit up with the ghastly luminous green colour and the same coloured misty-smoke clouds formed around the Nightsisters hands, caressing and dancing across her skin. "One chance, Jedi, leave now" explained Nezira, stepping to the side, pointing in the direction of the entrance and actually given the Sephi a chance to leave without a fight. However, Nezira was prepared for a fight, if the Jedi didn't leave or even if she attacked first. Sakadi was actually quite lucky, not many Nightsisters loyal to Dathomir would give strangers or trespassers the chance to leave peacefully. At least those that followed the Fanged God.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Her explanation fell on deaf ears. Could this young Nightsister not sense the impending doom that would soon befall this place? The Dark side surrounded this place like a curtain, and continued to gather its strength. It was not the tempered and ancient Dark side energy used by the Nightsisters, so it surprised her a little that none of them had gone out of their way to investigate this place in the past few days.

Apparently, the nightsisters considered this tomb to be a temple dedicated to their 'Fanged God'. Another swift glance at the carvings gave her just a little more clarity on the subject. The bat-like creature likely was this fanged god. But if the nightsisters considered this place to be a temple, what did that mean for the amalgamation of Dark side energy hidden deep below? She was certain that this place was a tomb. Perhaps the structure was even older than the nightsisters themselves; it would certainly explain the change of the structure's purpose.

Sakadi remained unfazed by the nightsister's show of power. Her vibrant blue eyes tried one last attempt to find understanding in the now burning green eyes of the nightsisters. When she failed to find any hint of concern or understanding, however, the Jedi Master would simply nod. "Fine." the feminine voice would echo through Nezira's head. "I will not meddle with the affairs of your planet. Pardon my intrusion, I meant no disrespect. Oh, and may the Force be with you. You'll need in a couple of days." She stated, her every motion still calm and graceful as she walked past the Nightsister. Perhaps the Jedi seemed unarmed, unready and open to attacks, but should the Nightsister decide to go back on her word, the consequences wouldn't be to her liking.

​

Nezira Viresh

 

[Nezira Viresh]

An sudden rumble of high magnitude, shook the whole hallway, making dust and small rocks fall fro the ceiling. Nezira looked surprised around them, sounded like it came outside of the tomb thought the Nightsister. Actually pushing by Sakadi, standing in her way and then continued to walk towards the entrance, which soon after shook again after another loud rumbling. As Nezira got closer to the entrance, the feeling of something cold, hit her, as if death had just been caused, which made her extremely on guard, since she couldn't feel her Brothers outside.

Turning again, furiously, "what did you do?!" Demanded Nezira to know, green electricity crackled in the palm of her hands. However, her question to Sakadi was answered by another voice behind Nezira. When the Nightsister turned around, a figure stood by the entrance to the hallway, shrouded in a dark cloak covering his body with a mask jet black mask with glowing orange light by the eyes and mouth.

"She did nothing, little witch. I did" explained the masked man. Looking past Nezira, at Sakadi, "I must say, your help in discovering this tomb is much appreciated Lady Sinvala. However, I have no further use of your... let's say, involuntary and unknown assistant." explained the cloaked stranger, making the front of the cloak slide open, as his body is revealed to be in full battle armour, much in the same design as the helmet.

Nezira's face grimaced as she launched her attack at the stranger with powerful green lightning, casting a green luminous glow on the whole hallway. To Nezira's surprise, the attack did nothing and was redirected away to the ceiling. Not only that but with insane speed, not even she picked up his attack as he reached out with the force and sent the stranger Nezira flying through the air.

The Nightsister crashed into one of the pillars with a hard slam and crashed down to the floor. "Tsk tsk tsk, know your place in the galaxy, little witch" taunted the stranger, almost with humour in his tone. Looking over on Sakadi, causing his voice to have a much more pleasant but slithered tone, much like politicians. "Now, where were we. Oh yes, you were leaving Lady Sinvala, don't mind the little witch. She and I have things to discuss" said the Stranger, standing to the side, letting Jedi Master pass. He even bowed a bit, making a hand gesture towards the entrance for Sakadi.

What Sakadi immediately would pick up, was the dark side, it shrouded him like wildfire. It felt absolutely insanely corrupted, making the Dark Side of the force ooze off of him. It almost felt as if the Dark side tried to break free from him. Without a doubt, this was not one to underestimate.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi felt the presence before it moved within her sight. It was a presence unfamiliar to her as a presence, but the sort was familiar to her. It felt familiar to her own experiences with the Dark side decades ago, which could only mean one thing.

The nightsister accused her of the carnage that had spread outside. Now that she expanded her own presence, the Jedi Master felt how the surrounding area had become devoid of the Nightbrother's presence. Nezira looked quite threatening, but Sakadi could instead be found gazing over her shoulder, calmly assessing the threat that had just made itself known.

Whoever this person was, he was powerful in the Dark side of the Force. She took note of his strength, fully aware of her disadvantage. She could've likely taken him, had she not encountered him just above a Dark side nexus. It was going to be an uphill battle, but she still stood a decent chance, should push come to shove.

The mention of her name, "Lady Sinvala" caused the Sephi's gaze to narrow. Who was this man, and how did he know her? Sadly, she would be given no chance to respond, as violence erupted sooner than she expected. The nightsister was violently thrown to the side after a casual flick of the man's hand. It was almost as if the Dark side was oozing out of him, and this had just been a small release.

Directing her focus toward regulating her breaths, Sakadi allowed herself to fall deep into the Living Force. The Light Side wrapped around her like a thick and comfortable blanket, welcoming her to its warm embrace. What little presence the Living Force had in this tomb rallied behind her presence, forming a beacon of light in the Force that would surely make her opponent squint.

Her breathing exercise acted as the foundation of her focus, causing the Jedi to slip into a deep state of battlemind. "Surely you must understand that if I'm leaving out of respect for the natives..." Sakadi began, directing her telepathic words at the bowing stranger himself. She made sure to keep her intentions shrouded, using her extraordinary skills as a mentalist to make herself incredibly difficult to read. "So are you!" simultaneously with the final part of her sentence, she released a thundering wave of telekinetic energy on her opponent. The chances that he, from his gallantly bowing position, would be able to defend himself in time were abysmally low. Sakadi knew that this wasn't the type of opponent that would be taken down by a single Force Push, but that wasn't her intent. All she wanted to do, was honor the nightsister's wish. They weren't welcome here, so they would take their inevitable battle outside.

​

Nezira Viresh

 

[Nezira Viresh]

amazingly, the dark masked stranger just took Sakadi's attack, but not out of surprise, but out of joy as he was slammed against a wall.

The moment the Jedi Master exited the tomb, she was met with what looked like multiple squads, all led by same black-cloaked armoued warriors. There were even a couple of Mandalorian bounty hunters or at least looked like Mandalorians. Everyone aimed their guns at Sakadi, the armoured warriors ignited their red-coloured blades, ready for a fight.

A familiar and pleasant voice came behind the Jedi Master, "leaving so soon Lady Sinvala? When we're so close to receiving a true understanding of the force?" Asked the cloaked dark sider. There was almost an anticipation for Sakadi to lash out at him or his men, almost as if he had peaked deep into her subconscious and discovered the pull she had towards the dark side. "Come along little performer, we have much to discover and so~ little time within our fleshy bodies" invited the armoured stranger, reaching a hand out to Sakadi, standing just by the entrance to the tomb.

"Or you, of course, could try your luck and then what? Flee from your responsibility to protect the galaxy from evil?" Asked the stranger and disappeared back inside of the tomb.

If Sakadi followed the dark sider back inside of the tomb, she would see Nezira frozen in place, most likely done by this stranger. Lifting the frozen Nezira a few inches above the ground into the air without a second thought, he turned to see if Sakadi would follow. If Sakadi did follow, he would smile behind his mask, and say with a rather sarcastic tone, "good girl, your parents would be so proud" hinting he might know more of Sakadi's background, that he let on as he started to lead them back to the stone gate.

Sakadi would quickly feel that some of the soldiers would follow her, make sure she wouldn't do anything stupid to their leader, always having their blasters aimed at her.

Coming back to the stone gate, Nezira was let free of the Force Stasis, who first touched now with her feet, but lost balance and fell to her knees, "you have no right to the Fanged God's powers, they are not for you, thief!" Hissed the young Nightsister, looking up at the armoured man, staring daggers at him. The armoured man looked back down to Nezira, grabbing her chin "Sadly, you don't really have anything to say in the matter" explained the stranger with such a warmth to his voice, like a father speaking to his child.

Turning to Sakadi, "you figured out what needs to be done, to open this tomb. Do it, or those you hold dear will suffer... please" ordered the armoured man.

However, if Sakadi didn't follow the dark stranger back into the tomb, she would be bombarded from all corners. The bounty hunters would get into the air, the armoured squad leaders would dash at her actively trying to kill her followed by the 20 or so soldiers firing their blasters at her.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Her Force push struck the dark figure, throwing him back a couple of metres, until he slammed against the archway that formed the entrance to the tomb. As she followed him outside, however, she was greeted with a rather unpleasant sight.

The firing squad had their weapons ready, waiting for the signal to rain down fire upon her. In one swift glance, the Jedi Master concluded that there were about 30 in total. Four dark side warriors, twenty armed soldiers and five armoured bounty hunters. They looked Mandalorian, but given their aversion for the Empire, she doubted that they were part of the famed warrior culture. With the element of surprise, she would've been able to incapacitate the majority of this force. But sadly, the Force hadn't granted her this opportunity. Plus, the dark figure would've kept her occupied long enough for his men to gain the upper hand. It was clear, the Force didn't want her to fight this battle.

Sakadi would study the expressionless helmets of the firing squad, neglecting the dark figure who got up behind her. She did, however, respond to his remark. "There is no true understanding of the Force to be found in this temple. All you will find is the true essence of the Dark side; pain and suffering." she stated, her features betraying none of her thoughts. The Jedi radiated patience and confidence. She was at peace, one with the Light side of the Force. She still held on to the energy of the Light side. To any who could sense the Force, it was like watching a lighthouse in the middle of a dark and stormy night. Alone, yet powerful and unwavering. The temptations of the Dark side were undeniably strong here, but there was much that kept her firmly rooted in her Jedi beliefs.

As the dark figure continued, the Jedi Master would finally turn to face him again. She had no choice here, for the flow of the Force was clear to her. Slowly she ascended the stairs, sensing the dark warriors following behind her. She suspected that the Mandalorians would act as sentries against the alarmed nightbrothers and nightsisters, while the loyal firing squad would eventually join them inside.

Sakadi shrugged off the insult that followed once she entered the tomb. She had dealt with many haters in her past as celebrity. That was why provocations and insults did little to her.

Once inside, her gaze immediately shifted to the nightsister, who was released of the figure's grip. Their short exchange of words revealed nothing new. What did spark her curiosity, however, that the figure had made no move to kill her nor the nightsister yet. Most Dark siders released themselves in the Force like wild animals, throwing themselves at anything that moved in a merciless slaughter. She didn't want to admit it, but she know what that felt like.

The man turned to her, demanding her to open the tomb, "or else". A slight smile played about her lips. Of course, she had no desire to see the nightsister on the receiving end of the Dark side's violence, but did this man not realize that she held no one dear? After all, There is no Emotion, there is peace..

Sakadi stepped forward, her clasped hands hidden under the long sleeve of her dark brown cloak. She had examined the bowl already, but she was reluctant to actually try anything practical there. Approaching the sinister piece of stone, the Jedi Master took another look at the device. This time, she wouldn't look at it through the Force. While it was a powerful ally, it could actually be an obstacle as well. Circling the stone, the Jedi's eyes would narrow. This was no advanced device. No, she had to think like a nightsister. Think primitive.

"The tomb has been sealed with blood. I suspect that blood will be required to open it again." She hesitated for a moment, her gaze shifting between the dark figure and the nightsister. "And not just any kind of blood. The blood of a nightsister." It was all speculation, of course, but it sounded plausible. Sakadi could've sworn that the figure was smiling behind his mask, as he gestured for the soldiers to bring the nightsister forward. "One drop will suffice. Take any more and I will retaliate. Sakadi warned them, knowing that her words still carried weight, even while she was outnumbered. One of the soldiers would grab Nezira's arm, keeping it in a tight grip above the bowl. The other would draw a military vibroknife, and make a slight cut in the palm of her hand.

No one dared to speak as the seconds slowed down, every person waiting in anticipation for something to happen, as the nightsister's blood dripped on the stone. Immediately after, Sakadi felt a spike in energy coming from deep below them. But that wasn't the only thing that happened. Slowly, the stone began to turn crimson. It was followed by a loud rumble, as the middle of the large gate opened, revealing a small passageway to the other side.

Not wanting to hear the nauseating "ladies first" line, Sakadi would place a hand on Nezira's shoulder, as the Jedi Master urged the nightsister to follow her inside. She would force her, nor would she pull at the nightsisters tunic. The Jedi master wasn't her enemy. No, the Sephi was patiently waiting for signs from the Force. To make sure that Nezira understood this, the Jedi Master would reach out. Her attempt would be so subtle that not even the dark figure would be able to catch it. She was a masterful mentalist after all, and only few rivaled her in skill.

"Don't struggle please. I know this is sacrilege, but we must wait for the right opportunity if we wish to stop them." Her message would echo through Nezira's mind like a gentle breeze. The Sephi hoped she could count on the nightsister, for all help was welcome.
​

 

[Nezira Viresh]

The cloaked man didn't even seemed bothered by Sakadi statement about the true understanding of the force, "Oh I'm sure your Jedi teachings had told you that my dear. The Jedi does love to fear the unknown" added the Dark Stranger having Sakadi and Nezira going back to the stone gate. The Dark Stranger thought about it, making sense of what she suggested and looked the two of his men, nodded once, and saw how they grabbed the Nightsister, pulling her over to the bowl.

Nezira fought hard against the soldier's grip, but they were too much for her, given she wasn't exactly physically strong. A third soldier had to help the two others when they got Nezira to the bowl and had to force the Nightsister to hold her hand over the bowl. As the knife cut blood, Nezira hissed, baring teeth when the third soldier cut her.

The stranger just waved his hand nonchalant, "Lady Sinvala, I'm not barbaric, I still have use for my little Nightsister. We are after all entering an ancient Nightsister tomb. Do use your clever little mind next time before you speak, though, I do know it can be difficult for you kind" replied the Dark Stranger to her warning, while also directly insulting her order and her intellect at the same time.

However, Sakadi was correct with the Dark Stranger's men. The loyalist was indeed following behind the cloaked man, while the Mandalorians were nowhere to be seen inside the hallway. As Nezira had been let go, she stood with her fingers pressed to the wound on her hand, listening without saying anything. Feeling Sakadi's hand on her shoulder, she heard the Jedi's message, however, it fell on deaf's ears. She scoffed and pulled her shoulder away from the Sephi's hand and faced both the Dark Stranger and the Jedi.

"I hope the Fanged God devours you all!" She hissed with such spiteful venom in her voice, before walking through the open gate and disappeared inside of the pitch-black tomb. The Dark Stranger looked to Sakadi, "witches" he said with a light chuckle as if this was amusing to him, raising his hand for the Jedi Master to enter as well with his gesture. Not that she was given much of a choice anyway.

When they all entered, they couldn't see a thing as there was no light from the outside, but they could feel stone steps going down. After a few minutes, they could all feel a flat stone floor and with night vision, the soldiers quickly found old touches hanging on the walls. The soldiers started to bring in a few generators in the room with large cables they connected to them. After that, tall yellow light-poles were placed in each corner, lighting up the pitch-black area.

The first thing everyone would notice was the much more crud paintings depicting something that didn't really make much sense at first glance. The room led the group further down and deeper into the tomb with only the footsteps to echo around them. The Dark Stranger didn't say much, the soldiers knew better than to small talk on the job and Nezira ignored everyone.

Two soldiers would layout long wires while two others carried the light-poles, which they continued to place as the group went deeper and deeper in the tomb. After maybe half an hour of walking in the same looking barren hallway with crud paintings of something sacrificing something in white paint, they finally entered an enormous cavern. Standing by the start of the massive stone bridge, carved out of the rock a small speck of luminous light from high above. The light lit up the sides in the massive cavern, showing a glimpse of an abandoned city, carved into the sides of the cavern. If one would look over the long and wide bridge, they would only be greeted by darkness, unsure how deep it went.

The Dark Strangers finally spoke up, breaking the silence, "my my, who knew your kind had the knowledge of producing something like this" said the clocked warrior, both insulting and testing if Nezira would attack him, which was something Sakadi easily would pick up on. Nezira just stared daggers at the clocked warrior and stood her ground, not jumping at his insulting taunt, which did show a slight disappointment from the Stranger.

While Nezira still hated that the tomb had been open and most of all, that she had been forced by strangers to do it. But she would be lying, if she wasn't a little bit curious about this place, now that she stood in this ancient and abandoned city of probably ancient Nightsister clan. She wouldn't even know how far back this city went, thousand maybe? At least, long enough to be forgotten.

"Let's continue" ordered the Dark Stranger, giving Sakadi a friendly gesture of "please... continue walking, lady Sinvala". Though he acted like a gentleman to the Jedi Master, he still very much held an intimidating posture and area around him.

The city itself was made out of a beautiful stone carved stone, painted in all manners of shades of yellow and red. Even though the colour had faded by now, there was still a prominent sight of colours on the buildings. They also found a lot of pottery with beautifully crud design, bowls and many other household items the witches also used today. However, they also started to notice something else when entering a large house to get deeper into the city, was the large pear-shaped cocoon, hanging from the ceiling. It was made out of brown leather, wrapped around with matted red-coloured rope, helping to hold it up. A bigger than a humanoid and not moving.

The cocoon made some of the soldiers unnerving, seeing something so alien-like, that didn't go near it. The Dark Stranger found it interesting though and ordered a soldier to check it out, which he did reluctantly. "Well?" Asked the Dark Stranger, "I'm not sure, the bio scanner didn't pick anything up inside. Whatever was placed inside of it, are long gone" explained the soldier, looking at his bio scanner, which was used to scan for life. Then he turned to Nezira, "why don't you tell us what that is, little witch" ordered the cloaked warrior. When he received no answer, he reached out with the force, causing the girl to start chocking heavily for air. Looking at Sakadi, seeing if she would attack or otherwise violently try and stop him, which he almost wanted and gave her an "I dare you" tilt with his head. All the soldiers even aimed at Sakadi, ready to fire.

If Sakadi didn't, then he would turn his attention back to the Nightsister, "ready to talk?" He asked Nezira, waiting for her answer. The young Nightsister fought to resist, but blacken spots started to blink in front of her, dangerously nearing a blackout and more precisely, her death. "I ask again, little witch, what are those things? Nod if you're ready to speak" he asked again, showcasing a bit of anger in his voice.

Desperately needing air, Nezira gave in and as the Dark Stranger dropped his grip on the Nightsister, she fell to the ground, gasping for air and coughing for a couple of seconds. Kneeling down by Nezira, the clocked man held the Nightsister's chin, turning her head to face his faceless mask, "what. are. these. cocoons?" He asked now more annoyed by the girl than amused.

Still coughing for air, Nezira managed to gather a sentence, "It's our way of preserving our dead...!" She coughed loudly, inhaling a big chunk of air in her lungs before she was pulled up by two soldiers. Happy with his answer, he rose up, standing tall again, "See, that wasn't so difficult, now was it?" he asked, going back to his gentleman-ish self. "Keep moving" ordered the Dark Stranger, which made the soldiers shove Sakadi and Nezira to walk.

However, if Sakadi had her attention on Nezira, she would have noticed, that the girl withheld information about the cocoons to the Dark Stranger. What the group soon discovered, was that the whole city was filled with these cocoons, some places even had clusters of them, hanging in open plazas in the city.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

The many stinging rebukes of the Dark side practitioner made Sakadi raise an eyebrow in response. He didn't seem to grasp the true dangers of this place, only ever focusing on the faults and flaws of others, instead of trying to see the bigger picture. The same could be said about the Nightsister, who declined Sakadi's request in a rather unfriendly manner. The remark that followed from their captor made the Jedi Master shake her head in disapproval.​

The small passage led the group to a dark and musty hallway. The air was thick and difficult to breathe, but perhaps more noticeable was the faint scent of mold in the corridors. Perhaps the vases contained food and organic material long ago, which the mold had feasted upon.​

Sakadi followed right behind the Nightsister, confidently striding through the pitch-black corridor without any missteps or caution. She didn't need her eyes to see where she was going. For she was the Light itself, acting like a beacon in the Force which illuminated these hallways. Through the aid of the Force, Sakadi could continue, without needing the artificial lights brought in by the soldiers. Sadly, her sight through the Force wasn't just limited to her alone. The four warlords followed behind their leader, taking fifteen of their men with them. The other five were in charge of the lights, falling a little bit behind, as they carried the electrical lights through the now dimly lit hallways.​

After a long and silent walk, apart from the echos of their footsteps, the hallways made place for an old, stone bridge. The years had not been kind to it, as Sakadi lost count of the amount of large cracks visible in its surface. The dim light high above them revealed only a part of what once was a great and flourishing city. At the sight of the city etched in stone, Sakadi's gaze would shift to the Nightsister, her mind prying for any information on this subterranean city. But all that seemed to be in the Nightsister's conscious mind, was her curiosity. This place was as unfamiliar to her as it was to the Jedi and the hostiles.​

​

The Sephi didn't need the gallant words of the dark figure to continue their exploration. With the calm and patience only found in Jedi, Sakadi crossed the bridge. It brought her to the center of the city; an ominous place that felt strange and conflicted through the Living Force. The cocoons that hung from the stone ceiling didn't go unnoticed to her either. Neither did the sheer number of them. The hostiles seemed to take an interest in them as well, for one of them was forced to scan a cocoon. Of course, the scan gave no useful readings. This place was ancient; mere scanners weren't going to tell one much about it.​

Of course, when he turned to the Nightsister, he received no answer. What did he expect? Once again, the Sephi was reminded of the Dark side's lack of patience and their favored easy path. The pinching gesture, choking Nightsister and raised blasters were another perfect example. It was clear to her that he just wanted answers, while trying to provoke his other captive. Instead, Sakadi would cast a rather uninterested glance at him. "If you enjoy choking young women so much, do get yourself a mistress." she nonchalantly projected to the minds of all beings present. She had no desire to hide her feelings, and the expression on her face was enough to indicate how little she thought of him and his men.​

The response of the Nightsister was rather unnerving. If this was how they buried their dead, then what disaster had befallen this city?​

Nezira Viresh

 

[Nezira Viresh]

While the Dark Stranger didn't show any reaction to what Sakadi projected to his mind and the soldiers and other Dark Siders most likely didn't dare to react, out of fright for what their master would do. Continuing through the truly massive city of stone really gave the feeling that once this might have been sprawling with life, now forgotten to time itself. Seeing all the cacoons displayed all around them in the thousand if not more, Nezira was truly taken back how many there was and it transformed into more anger towards the stranger. Because if this was filled with these cacoons, then this stranger forced her to disrupt the spirits and disturbing the spirit was the worse thing one could do in her opinion.

While there wasn't any road signs or other indications that they could see, which would point them in a certain direction, the Dark Stranger did seem to know the general direction he wanted them to go. Glancing to the Jedi beside her, Nezira wondered if she could get the Jedi to perform some sort of distraction, in order to get away from the armoured warrior and his goons.

Looking around them as they went down an open plaza street, or what looked like the main street of a sort. Noticing her surroundings and calculating the distance from the middle of this wide plaza to the empty houses, the Nightsister started to form a plan. The ultimate plan was to get out of here and let these people get trapped forever, but that would mean that she in the first place, would have to getaway. Nezira did think of asking the spirits of this place for help, but that would require time and she would need to be uninterrupted for a few seconds of chanting.

The Dark Stranger, walking behind Sakadi and Nezira, with his men spread out and flanking him, kept an eye on both girls at all times. Just the smallest sign of shoving against him would make him react in much worse kind. He did notice that the Nightsister started to look a lot more around the place, know it didn't cause him to be alerted of anything more than just looking.

After another half an hour of just walking in silence, Sakadi would hear a voice, a very familiar voice. It was the Armoured Warrior, projecting his own voice as Sakadi would. "Do you feel it Lady Sinvala? Do you feel the pull of the darkness?" Asked the Dark stranger inside of Sakadi's mind.

If the Jedi Master reached out to feel her surroundings, she wouldn't find any darkness in the force. But, if she reached further out, reaching for the edge of the force, an overwhelming pulse of darkness called out to her. Though, it was a different kind of dark side, different from the Dark Side that the Stranger pulsed from his being. This one was more pure darkness, clean of any tampering from the Sith or any other individual. But, unlike the Dark Side that the Sith used and control, this was an uncontrollable force of nature. "I can almost taste it" projected the Dark Stranger to Sakadi's mind. However, what they both felt, was faint, giving them both the indication that it was deep beneath the ground of where they were now.

Walking deeper and deeper into the city, they would start to notice that the roads started to get smaller and the empty houses looked more and more in ruins. Even signs of battle in the walls had survived the millennium of time degeneration of the city. One of the Dark Stranger's apprentices broke from the main group, to walk over to one of the walls of a house. Upon closer inspection, it confirmed his thought, "Master, the claw marks, aren't really claws, but fingers and nails from humanoids. Something happened here, which most likely led to the death of the witches" explained the apprentice and returned to the main group.

"Interesting, most interesting" commented the Dark Warrior and started to notice the road started to slope down. A smile spread across the Dark Warrior's face, they were going in the right direction. "Set up camp, we'll continue tomorrow" explained the cloaked Warrior as the men started to set up camp. Sakadi and Nezira were grabbed by two soldiers each, holding a tight grip around their upper arms and wrist, in order to lock them behind their backs. If Sakadi didn't fight against it, would her wrist be put in some very alien-looking handcuffs, along with Nezira.

After that, they would be placed on the ground, back to back. "You can thank the Mandalorians for these fantastic handcuffs, made specifically to keep force users from using their powers" explained the Dark Stranger almost with a grin under the helmet as he held the Jedi Master's chin in his gloved fingers. As he let go of Sakadi's chin, he turned around to give some soldiers direction. Meanwhile, the apprentices and two soldiers were tasked with keeping watch over the two girls.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala