Vaulthunters

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

"Do you understand your goal apprentice?"

"Yes master."

The screen flashed in front of the small child as Elara Blake the apprentice to the One Siths Warlord stood tall watching. Her master had placed confidence in her for this task. The bounty on several jedi was helpful as she could get names and some information. It let her have a better chance to infiltrate and blend in. Not that she really needed to as she stood in the fitted Oracle armor under a brown robe. Her hood was raised and a blue lightsaber was on her hip. The tri-stunner pistol for her use to knock enemies out if needed.

"Repeat your mission."

"Infiltrate Ossus, find a padawan on this bounty and deem her worth."

Her master was skilled though and hadn't let her walk into a trap. The masters magic was nearby with the familiar, her familiar allowing her to see and communicate with her apprentice while projecting for them both a false lightside aura. On the child it was easier, she hadn't stained herself just yet with the darkside so completely she was a beacon. She was dark but not projecting it yet so easier to conceal and pretend as all sith markings on her armor and clothing were removed. The only jedi who had seen her serving the Dark Lord.

"And where will you go afterwards?"

"To the old vaults under the Inquisitors labs, the ones the jedi broke into before Valen."

She had taken the time to memorize it all as needed. She had spent the time learning what she could and now as she walked off the transport looking around Ossus she grinned to herself. Walking through the small crowd towards the temple and towards the padawan dorms. Elara letting her masters pet perch on her shoulder while its golden eyes reflected her masters old eyes. She thought about it all and waited wandering around to learn what she could as night fell on the temple.

"What else is there?"

"Don't reveal myself to them, learn, ask questions and entice. Keep the jedi wandering who I am."

Then night became early morning as Elara rubbed her eyes and grinned to herself slipping into the padawan's dorm easily enough. Her hands searching and watching everything around her. She was observing the padawan's as they slept until she was looking over one, eyes flicking across her as a gloved hand came down. "Corvus.... Corvus wake up." She tapped the girls shoulder, working to remain calm and innocent as she kept speaking.

"Corvus, I need your help. I found something.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Balaya had spent the time, working her magics and she remained focused, from her ship she could watch through the eyes of her familiar as her apprentice went to work doing as she needed. The vaults would be a long trip and she was sending them through the long way, leading them while she prepared. There was one of her masters Blackblade scouts ready to deliver her gift to the girl. A special prize as she slowly worked on the ancient jedi signet ring letting her magics intertwine within it, letting her blood shape what she wanted it to do.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was woken with a jolt of pain. If someone had to wake her by poking her shoulder, why did they pick the one that had just been shot? The bacta tank had done it’s work but it was still red and raw and hurt when…well, when someone poked it in the middle of the night for example.

But then it wasn’t this Padawan’s fault. As Corvus' eyes gained proper focus on the girl in front of her, she wondered if it was in fact a Youngling. She didn’t recognise her and she had striking looks – the sort you’d expect to remember.

Aware she didn’t want to wake anyone else, Corvus nodded and slipped on her robes quickly. She bowed instinctively before saying, quietly, “Let’s talk outside and you can tell me what was so important that it couldn’t wait until I woke up naturally.”

Corvus’ voice was soft and good-natured. She presumed she wouldn’t be awoken unless it was important and she didn’t want to offend the young girl.

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara looked at the other padawan and remained still as she waited and then was moving to a more secluded location she could speak. Her hood coming off as the bald pale head reflected black tattoo's like her people on her. The armor underneath gleaming a little from the plexisteel getting covered quickly. "Sorry I needed to get someone and you are one of the few I actually remember from here. I am Elara, padawan to former master Sophia Walsh before she fell on Alderaan and now I am assigned to the jedi investigating her disappearance. He sent me to search here while he is looking in ASA space."

Elara spoke it and her ton was even, calm with enough... more then enough truth to the lie as she let the familiar on her shoulder continue and look at the padawan. "I need help, my master gave me this. There is a vault under the remains of the old temple that the jedi haven't explored yet. When the jedi were here hiding from the sith they found it and left the way open. Then the jedi built this temple on the entryway down into the vaults and old base. Please I need some help and there might be in the ruins an explanation why the sith are able to turn so many. They were working on brainwashing and more we know that. This could hold many be a trove of information and knowledge."

Meanwhile in the Alchemist ship Balaya continued to work, watching her apprentice and pressing her magic to make the words more seductive. The familiar let her power be felt but not her presence and she pushed that aura of dominance of making others want to do as you say through. Lacing it with her apprentices words as her hand was sliced open and the blood tricked onto the steel. Her words working to create the magic and Balaya slowly was building it up so that it hid itself. Disguised and waiting, subtle and manipulative for the end result. She wanted this padawan not to be like the others and become an angry attack fog but being able to find her when the time came. Being able to influence her that was what she needed.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened to the Padawan’s explanation. She had heard of Master Walsh – although she had never met her.

Elara? It was odd because not only was her face unfamiliar but the name was too. That wasn’t an issue because it was a big Academy and Jedi came and went on a daily basis. But for the young Padawan to recognise her was slightly confusing. However, having been just awoken from a deep sleep, Corvus allowed the thought to slide.

The mention of a vault perked her up though. Ever since the trip to Abeloth, she’d been growing more curious about Jedi artefacts.

“I’m surprised I haven’t heard of these vaults – considering their location but I’m intrigued – please lead on.”

“And since when have we been allowed pets?”

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara looked at her and then at the familiar. "My bird I got to bring after we bonded through the force. My master let me keep it while we fought in the war. Alderaan was dangerous both time and this girl has saved me more then enough." She spoke and turned her eyes back to Vorcus while speaking and moving. "The vaults were hidden when the temple fell on Ossus, I fought here with my master and then on Dac as the shipyards fell." She spoke again with the truth, the real truth but like many things the sweetest falsehood and lie needed that truth and Elara smiled. "I doubt many know about them as most who fought have left to the Silver Jedi."

Balaya listened as she continued with the ring and the metal band gave her a smile. The blood to taint it, the engraving of the jedi orders symbol and the bronze metal was cooling in her hand as she moved with it. Polishing it with a silk cloth until it shined ready to be tarnished by her bladeblade scout hiding it. He looked at her and she smiled speaking as her apprentice lied with the truth keeping her aura and her body able to remain perfectly truthful. False lightside auras needed to be careful. "Take this and hide it in the vaults, use Kaine's tunnels to get down there and the labs hanger. They never found that entrance and that is how we raided Ossus."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened to her fellow Padawan. Her question was innocuous enough and the reply made perfect sense of course – it’s just that she’d never seen a Jedi with a bird on their shoulder before.

“Well if it’s a life-saver, that makes all the difference.” Corvus wasn’t being patronising but she’d mixed primarily with people older than herself and her limited experience of children was those not sensitive to the Force, who were often overwhelmed by a Jedi. Corvus was aware that she was perhaps talking to the Jedi as if she were a young girl and made a mental note to speak to her like any other Padawan.

As they walked, Corvus became more and more alert. She could have used the Force to speed up the process no doubt, but she didn’t see it as a personal tool to be used for trivial things. People all over the universe woke up every day unassisted, so why shouldn’t she?

As Elara continued to speak, Corvus was amazed to hear how much action she had seen and at her Master’s side. Back on Corellia, she’d gone everywhere with her Master. In all of the time she’d been on Ossus, she’d not gone on a single mission with either of her Masters. In fact none had even trained her in the use of the Force.

Snapping out of her malaise, less she became melancholy – Corvus continued to listen to Elara.

The Padawan mentioned the Silver Jedi. It was a topic she’d never discussed with anyone – which seemed odd, considering how many had trained here. “What do you know of the Silver Jedi? I mean, why leave the Order yet retain the title Jedi?”

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

A curious question one more suited for the masters but then as Elara stood there thinking about it. They had learned from silver jedi members or at least gotten one to briefly turn to the darkside. "They believe the Republic has begun to corrupt the jedi order. Much like it did in the crusades long ago. They have went back to the orders roots of not being part of a government and instead have chosen to help all in the galaxy without the dangerous influence that could come from politician's. Or the ease sending soldiers to solve problems can create." Elara knew the tagline but she also knew what her master had gleamed from reports and fighting them.

The girl found the grating using the map and opened with with a squeak from the metal as it protested from disuse. The familiar squawked and she started heading down extracting her shoto saber and with a snap hiss the hot pink blade illuminated the tunnels heading down. "My master believes they are correct however, there is more to a jedi then fighting some have taken to being with politician's both figurative and literal while treating it as a political game instead of their duty. That is why I am here, to see and find what I can down below. It might shed some light why jedi are so eaisly falling under the sway of the sith and how the sith are infiltrating worlds like Tython and took Coruscant."

Balaya watched while the familiar starred at the jedi, she didn't exert power onto Corvus yet but she made it so Elara's words were more empowered like she was echoing one of the wiser masters. Sophia Walsh and Maya Whitelight had helped form some information about the Silver's providing plenty. Her sister fleeing there when she realized the orders actions could be dictated by the chancellor had pushed more. Now was just a matter of seeing where this one who had a bounty on her head fell in the spectrum, already she was waking up once the scout took care of hiding the ring and they went through the labs Seras held... Well she expected something more on her mind then purely jedi business.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded as Elara replied. “I can follow their train of logic. I can’t say I’ve experienced it first-hand but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. I place my trust in Grandmaster Grayson and supplement that with my own observations. If you ask me, there are many Jedi that say they’re part of the Order but treat the Code like it’s a multiple-choice exercise. It’s all or none, surely?”

“And helping all of the galaxy seems a tall order? I mean, things are rarely black and white. I wonder how they decide who to defend from whom?”

Corvus shurugged. She wasn’t expecting an answer but it was always her way to air her thoughts.

She continued to follow her fellow Padawan as they approached the entrance to the vaults. In the early hours – before most Jedi were up – the noise seemed louder than it probably was. But it wasn’t as if they were necessarily trying to be quiet.

When the young Padawan lit the path with her saber, Corvus closed her eyes and used her Force Sight. It had the advantage of seeing 360-degrees and through solid material. The only drawback was the lack of colour vision – but that mattered little in the dark anyway.

The Padawan continued talking of the Silver Jedi. Her knowledge of the subject put Corvus to shame. She shook her head – the concept of a Jedi meddling in politics did not feel right.

“You’re wise beyond your years Padawan Elara. You’ll make a great Jedi one day.”

“What do you know of what we’re looking for? I mean, I haven’t exactly come prepared.”

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"I do not know." Elara said it somewhat ashamed but kept going forward. "But Master Daella came here before she became the apprentice to the Dark Lord, Master Walsh came here before she fell to the Darkside on Alderaan, Master Vulpesen came here before he fell on Empress Teta. These caves were made by the sith to move around and only discovered through luck. If something was down here, something that could pose a danger to the order and turn jedi... masters to the darkside make them serve the Dark Lord then we have to find it. It could endanger the entire academy, it could already have been found and is creating sith ready to deliver the jedi into their masters hands."

Elara said it and she still had the truth, there were others and evidense of something. Darth Junra had infiltrated the jedi temple using the tunnels and turned a padawan when the sith assaulted Ossus for the holocron vault. Then she had disappeared as Hauntruss used magics to infect the padawans and dorms turning them into corrupted servants. There wre to many questions of how the sith got past and turned the groups or had infiltrators within the temple already. Her master had told her this, had shown her this and so each word was truthful leaving out the point of view the child had on the situation.

Balaya continued to watch through the familiars eyes and was amused, Elara had retained plenty of what she had learned from reports and helped with. She was a sponge the sith had worked into a dangerous weapon. If this infiltration went well, if she could get Elara to officially reform the padawan pack with ones working to her end it could prove invaluable when the right moment came. SHe continued to sit there and meditate while she felt them approaching the labs, Seras the butcher of the sith in charge of the death camps... Had enjoyed Ossus and torturing jedi it was still on the walls she knew the blood and scent of ammonia.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened to Elara as she explained. So many great Jedi fallen to the dark side and all came down here.

“Well...that’s a sound argument – but it’s also a little worrying. So many falling after visiting the vaults and here’s just you and me popping down here to have a look. Are we expendable?”

Corvus meant no malice by the phrase and there was no concern in her voice to alarm her fellow Padawan. It was simply an application of logic – one possible reason for their selection.

“Or we’re considered the most light-sided and therefore least likely to succumb? Or not worthy of being tainted? OK, so the list is probably endless. Let’s keep going.”

“Forget the first part of what I said. Just me rambling on.” The realisation of the impact of being told you weren’t of value would be hard for anyone to bear – let alone a young Padawan who had recently lost her Master.

“The Force will be with us. Anyway, tell me about you. What planet are you from - and don't do the planet the farthest from the bright center gag - I've heard it before. About a hundred times!"

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara looked at Corvus while the familiar stayed silent on her shoulder. its eyes watching the girl but she spoke to that. "I think it might be because I was able to hold my own on Alderaan when Master Walsh fell. The Sith who turned her was strong but I was able to get away. Now there are jedi being turned or something dangerous down here, I don't think my master wants to cause a panic. If a team of masters assemble and go into the tunnels below that no one enters that might start rumors or other more dangerous things happening." Elara was thinking about widespread panic with all of the jedi infighting over who might be a spy.

She continued into the lab and lifted the saber up higher to view all of it, blood covered tables and walls with the scent of dried blood, muck and death. This was the butchers lab and she had enjoyed her work, Elara remembered finding the labs when they had been building and well finding one of the many she had. Experimentation on beings from across the galaxy to see how they ticked. She moved a little closer to Corvus and spoke letting her words come out. "I was from Corellia and my family moved to Coruscant, then my master found me and I fought here on Ossus infiltrating the vents and labs."

Balaya continued to meditate but was focused now, her eyes opening as she used the cybernetic implants to access the ships compute then the communications. She sifted through her own memory chips until she found it and started accessing the coms down in the lab. They still had the back up generators, it was doubtful they had turned those off as she spoke. "What are you doing here padawan's your scheduled check in isn't for another two days, the poison isn't ready, the assassin's are not ready. Killing the ones who woudln't convert and follow you is only the beginning we have plans for you."

Elara looked around at the words, she hadn't been expecting that as her surprise was genuine and there was a scanner saying people were down here on the room but not a camera. She looked at Corvus. "They think we're sith.... but... but that means we might be to late. Corvus we need to stop them, we need to to keep going. Who knows who might be in on this. We could end up telling the traitors we are on to them and be added to the list of ones killed." She continued to look around while offering the shoto saber. "I only have a small one, I don't know if you do or not but we need to be ready in case they appear."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded at Elara’s words. They made perfect sense. She was spirited as well as wise it seems.

And then the smell of blood filled Corvus’ nostrils. The metallic tang was so strong Corvus could taste it on her tongue. Through Force Sight the images were odd. Organic but without form – as if coating the walls.

She opened her eyes and saw the blood. Everywhere there was blood. The sight was shocking yet the young Padawan was able to recount her story as if nothing had happened.

And then the voice started and Corvus knew they were somehow being monitored. “You make a lot of sense Elara. We should press on.”

Corvus took the shoto - she needed to take charge now. She’d used Tugoro’s before and although not as familiar with the shorter saber, she knew how to use it. Ready for whoever might be up ahead.

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara looked at her and nodded her need to that order. Corvus was the older padawan, Elara was just the one who had spent more tim in the field. It was a matter of experience and wisdom and she was willing to sit back and allow her to lead. Going forward the lights activated low at first and were showing the lab reports of the experiments to create loyal cannon fodder. Elara pushed forward and was ready to activate her blade as another long hallway flickered the lights at the end. Splashes of light blue while the sound of static crackling came and there was a crash. Someone running from the room in a flash of brown robes under the dim light. Elara moved towards the room.

Balaya continued to watch and held a grin on her face while they were accessing the computers. of the vaults and lab, they were still setup so it was easy. She just needed her image to appear on the holographic display as she eyed the room and the few pieces of equipment inside. There was plenty there for a small coup if it was done correctly but there was more down below and she setup the display of the labs. Serases labs were like a honey comb to properly test and process them almost like a factory. She didn't speak just let her figure sit on a throne imposing and ready to give orders to the other students. "Come before me padawans, if you are nervous and need reassurances then that is within my powers to give."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

If Corvus was nervous, she was doing her best to hide it from the younger Padawan. Despite Elara’s tender age, Corvus wasn’t exactly a grown-up.

It helped that Corvus was adept at shutting down her emotions. Having a natural affinity for Empathy but zero training meant this was a self-preservation act. Otherwise she would be overwhelmed with others' emotions and her own would be impacted. She knew this was why so many other Padawan’s thought she was a cold fish. Most of the time, it didn’t bother her. But sometimes…well that was for another day.

Continuing to take the lead, Corvus remained quiet. Then she saw the lights being activated and heard the sound of static. Then someone running. Corvus was in two minds to call out but felt her duty was to the Padawan at her side. Her safety was paramount.

They moved slowly and surely to the room and saw the computers and the holographic display. An imposing semi-naked figure atop a throne. And then she spoke "Come before me Padawans, if you are nervous and need reassurances then that is within my powers to give."

Corvus glanced at Elara and instinctively moved her left arm to push the younger girl slightly behind her. Corvus stood her ground – but chose not to speak. For now.

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Balaya looked at the girl who was protecting Elara and suppressed her grin as she leaned forward. Her hand enfolding over her fist while she spoke and looked at her. "You are not the padawans who serve me, are you here to swear your allegiance to the dark lord? Are you here to ensure you survive your former friends killing all of you as we march in and reclaim our vaults?" She was keeping her eyes trained on the girl while still sitting there and letting her hands touch the arms of the chair. "You are welcome to what you wish, your rewards for giving the sith the vaults again will be substantial and you will have proven servants of the dark lord."

Elera looked at her master sitting there and she was stood behind Corvus listening. She spoke only in a whisper for a moment. "The sith vaults were never found, the artifacts that hadn't been stolen Kaine Zambrano moved from Dromuund Kaas before the mandalorians and from Korriban before the Republic took the world. IF they are here then we can hurt the One Sith, hurt them like they did us on Coruscant." She let it drift, it was common knowledge the sith vaults had been cleaned out before the old Empire fell it was why they had been searching to try and destroy them, why the Sith had attacked several worlds Kaine frequented.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was trying to make sense of it all. She wasn’t stupid – at least that’s what she was led to believe – but what was presented to her left her struggling for understanding.

As ever, she approached it one problem at a time. Remaining silent was pointless, plus Elara had spoken and Corvus wanted to take the attention away from her young companion and back to herself.

“You are correct, we are not the Padawans that serve you. And we’ll not swear allegiance to any Dark Lord. Only the weak embrace the dark side.”

Corvus wondered how much else that was spoken was true. The Sith were renowned for lying and seeding fear through their falsehoods.

Her old Master back on Corellia used to say that the unreal is more powerful than the real, because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it. So she did not allow the words to worry her, but wondered how Elara would react.

So thoughts of death and destruction; of giving the Sith access to the vaults were pushed from her mind.

Corvus was surprised to hear she was buoyed by the words of her young companion. She didn’t know if they were intended for this hologram, Corvus or just for herself, but the defiance of her message lifted the mood – albeit only slightly.

As contacting her Master was not an option – Master Rekali was not on the planet at present, let alone at the Academy – they were effectively on their own.

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara looked at Corvus and at the rest of the room, there was equipment laid out, set up for small groups to do as needed and poison or infiltrate the temple. Her eyes went to the robes and rings laid out while the familiar on her shoulder continued to watch them. If flew over and grabbed one of the rings in its mouth while squawking for them. Elara moved over and took the rings as she spoke low for Corvus. Her connection to the familiar and her masters mind enough she could speak the words without the hologram moving its mouth or shifting. "If there are padawans, if there are jedi turned they might be using these to plot and plan."

She held the rings and the brown robes. "There could be who knows how many in the robes but these rings, we could use them, we could befriend them and get them to reveal themselves then take them down. We don't know who we could trust in the temple, our instructors, the cooks, the droids can be reprogrammed, the masters across the order have shown that several of them were one sith agents. We can stop them Corvus, we can move to stop the sith converting the jedi on their own world," Elara was grabbing a robe and putting it on while she grabbed a silver ring and slid it onto her finger. She held out the gold one to Corvus. "We should destroy the equipment she she can't tell the others."

Balaya listened to Corvus speak and held a grin on her face at that, moving her familiar towards the rings and robes, There were weapons as well and smaller sith swords for butchering as she finally spoke. "Such a sweet child, you still believe you can fight us but I have turned and seen turned ones stronger then you. Sophia Walsh, Vulpesen, Aarlyn Rekali, Daella Apperine, Cale Gunderson, Marvello Matteo, Akali and so many more who thought like you did, who fought like you will and who in the end came to serve the Dark Lords vision. Their service was inevitable and when I march my legions upon that temple, when I take back what is the Siths. You you bow to me and serve his vision."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus may have been a student of Jedi Lore – but her knowledge of the Sith was sadly lacking (as was her disregard for other Jedi factions). So she was piecing together the bits of the puzzle slower than she should – and it frustrated her.

She listened to Elara and followed her gaze. They probably arrived at the same thoughts at the same time. This was some makeshift laboratory to be used by the Sith to attack the Temple.

The equipment suggested that it had been used recently. This was troubling, as Corvus now wondered who she could trust. In theory everyone but clearly that was naïve. History told her that Sith remained undetected under Jedi noses for any length of time. The Jedi one followed the orders of a Sith Lord without ever knowing what was happening.

Then the bird grabbed a ring. Corvus wanted to stop it but it was too late. Elara took the ring from the creature and spoke. "If there are Padawans, if there are Jedi turned they might be using these to plot and plan."

It was entirely logical and where Corvus’ mind was going. The only difference was, Corvus wouldn’t have picked up the ring.

“Good plan. Risky but good.” Corvus was conflicted. Her brain told her to report what she had found but her heart wanted to solve the mystery for herself. Not for the glory, that was never Corvus’ thing – but for the thrill of solving the problem.

What to do? What to do indeed? As ever, when conflicted, Corvus always deferred to one solution. What would Obi-Wan do?

Patience. Use the Force. Think.

“Not for me to be telling you what to do but, for now, put the ring in your pocket rather than on your finger. You don’t know where it’s been.”

Corvus took the other ring from Elara using Telekinesis and deposited it in one of the pockets in her robe.

“I need to think. To meditate.”

Regardless of what Elara chose to do, Corvus made the decision to go to a state of mind and body, where she could reacquaint herself with simplicity.

She sat cross-legged on the floor and attempted to get beyond the reflexive, ‘thinking’ mind into a deeper state of awareness. This allowed better connection to the Force and for her to assess the information she had but couldn’t access consciously and resolve the conflict she felt within her.

’That woman was…Balaya. I know this now. She was apprentice to Kaine. Kaine died. Balaya is connected to the sithspawn that decimated Alderaan.’ Corvus mind wanted to explore her time on Alderaan and the voxyn but the Force kept her on the true path.

’At the battle of Ossus, Kaine destroyed the temple while Balaya sealed the lower levels of the tunnels and temples off from the Republic with sithspawn. Darth Junra built the academy on sections of the old temple connecting to the lower levels but never sent Jedi to search or clear it out.’

Slowly the logical order of things was becoming clear.

’There is every likelihood that this is a Sith base and untold numbers of Jedi have been turned already. Many have off-world but who’s to say the process didn’t start here? The rings are…’ The truth evaded her for the moment, so she allowed the Force to take her in a different direction.

’The Jedi Code. Defend the Order before your other allegiances. Combat the Dark Side in all of its forms, both within and without, but fight with mercy and passion, not with anger or rage. Defend the innocent, the meek, and the defenceless, even at the cost of your own life. Seek to disarm or remove the ability to fight from your enemies over killing.’

’The rings. Communication devices or means to recognise, or…or what?’

Corvus opened her eyes. She could have been sitting there one minute or one hour, she didn’t know.

“Elara. What you have said makes perfect sense and any good Jedi will do what is necessary to defeat the Sith. But something is nagging at me. The Force. I cannot reconcile all of the facts in my head. We should defer to Grandmaster Grayson.” Corvus held up a hand as if to ward off any objections Elara might make.

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Balaya was still watching them but smiling now while she sat there watching through the holo. She spoke flicking her hand on the datapad built into her gauntlet to turn it off. Elara was standing there looking at Corvus as she listened and spoke moving over to her and kneeling down. She spoke placing a hand on her. "Grandmaster Grayson should know but look at how much infighting has come from suspicions that could never be confirmed. Many have left in anger and frustration if we go to her with no more proof then we saw a sith and she said there were people infiltrating. We'll need more proof, we need one of them."

She kept her eyes trained on the girl. "We chase down the one who was running away, we'll look for the rings on them and work to capture one in secret, find out how dangerous it has gotten and then we will take it to her. She already dissolved the jedi council to place herself solely in charge. We have to be careful, they could be monitoring the holocommunications and messages going out. You know there are ways to communicate offworld easily enough." Elara stood up ready to go but she held out her hand while the familiar went to her shoulder. "We can do this, the padawan pack is something that has solved dangerous situations before. We can do it again and protect the jedi."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was still conflicted. Part of this was that she was cast as the older Jedi in the relationship – something that hadn’t ever happened since she’d arrived at Ossus. And with that, for some reason, Corvus had assumed a position of responsible adult.

The young Padawan made sense. A fleeting glance and a holocron only she and Elara saw didn’t amount to much evidence. Even the rings were inconclusive. They could just be part of some game that Padawans were playing.

Corvus nodded. “I agree, more proof would be sensible before we trouble Grandmaster Grayson. Let’s follow the one that fled and see if she’s wearing a ring. Did you recognise her?”

[member="Darth Praelior"]