Vaulthunters

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara shook her head while she looked at the ring and spoke. "I don't know if that is going be easy." Elara displayed the ring, simple metal engraved with the jedi insignia. "I don't sense anything frm it but my abilities to sense aren't as good as yours, I am better with a saber." She slid the ring onto her finger and it felt comfortable and warm but having been warmed with her body heat that made sense. "It doesn't feel different, what about yours? Do you feel anything?" She looked at her, jedi had used signet rings for centuries to identify themselves to each other and different people. Metal bands made from the same material as saber hilts.

Elara stood there and was feeling the robes as well as the rest of the stuff. "I didn't recognize who it was but then I haven't been on Ossus for awhile, I have been fighting on the front line with my master. I was hoping you did or could think of a way to find them." Her eyes flicked around the room and she started to disable the equipment to ensure the sith lord couldn't communicate with them or anyone else while looking out the entrance. "IF we chase them down we need to be able to find them with the other padawans or they could be a knight or a master. They could have who knows how many in on it. Maybe you could identify and find them with the force. Maybe the ring has clues."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

When Elara mentioned sabers, Corvus was aware she still had the shoto – and handed it back.

Elara was right. The Force would be the solution to the problem. She looked at the ring on Elara’s finger. To Corvus it was a vulgar thing. She dressed simply and for practicality – eschewing make-up or any clothes other than Jedi robes.

Ignoring the ring, Corvus closed her eyes and allowed the Force to flow through her. Force Sense could be used to identify someone’s feelings or even the future but for now she was using it to identify where the Padawan may have gone.

And there was that niggle again – but Corvus put it aside and focused on the task in hand.

As the Force binds all living things together, Padawns are taught how to recognise these bonds and how they interact. Corvus’ training started over ten years ago and she was proficient. She also managed to combine the ability with her Force Sight – and couldn’t always tell where one skill ended and the other started. She wasn’t as proficient as many of the Masters and some of the Knights here, but she was good enough.

The Force told her there was an undercurrent of danger, but that was to be expected. Corvus zoned out this sensation and focused on the residue of the Force the Padawan would have left as she departed. It was feint but it was there. An almost transparent trail that indicated her direction of travel.

“I believe I can follow their trail.” Until they encountered the aura of multiple Jedi it was probably a good bet.

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara gave a nod of her head while she held the blades ready and spoke. "Then lets go" Her hand went for the bird to fly and Elara was running down down the hall expecting Corvus to point the way. She could do the fighting but chasing another jedi who had been running. She was guessing it was one of the blackblades in disguise which wasn't a bad assessment as the path went down and eventually came out into another room. Elara moved activating the blades for a moment in a wash of pink and violet light as up ahead there were crates of old equipment. Elara moved to the wall and found a door leading out.

"Come on." She kept moving and looked, they were at the bottom of the river bed and she knew what was nearby. "There are honeycombs of caves under the water, the aquatic jedi used that at one point in time. If this is how they are getting in and around it would explain things. We are going away from the academy, to you know if there is a landing pad around here or a clearing? Someplace they could have ran to?" She turned back to look and remained very still and ready for anything. Corvus was being more resistant to it but getting her alone was easier, isolating her, trying to lead her to the right path.

Elara stood ready for anything and let the light filter in while she closed her eyes and let the familiar go to her hand. She was working on focusing the need and slipping her comlink into its claws while her eyes were still adjusting disguising it as a movement to adjust the beast. Then he was flying off and down towards the river as Elara spoke. "Corvus you are older but I have been fighting for my master since I was eight, I know how to fight and I know we can do this. Come on lets go break up some troublemakers and save the academy might even find the secret vaults buried underneath and then you'd have all that knowledge to bring back."

She worked using her masters technique of be honest, be truthful and appealing. Jedi might not seek rewards but knowledge was prized and getting dangerous knowledge was something they shoudl want to do. Because if Corvus didn't find it, didn't secure it from evil hands... Someone else might misuse it, they might be corrupted, they might be the ones selling out the jedi. She was smarter then that, she knew she could resist the temptation of falling in the presence of sith knowledge or just dangerous knowledge. She wasn't like them, she wasn't like Elara and that was what Elara and the familiar were projecting to entice her. That nagging though in the back of ones mind.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus found herself rushing to keep up with Elara – even though she was supposed to be leading the way.

Finally they found reached a door. Outside was an area Corvus had never visited. Aquatic Jedi? Corvus was aware there was so much about the Academy that she knew so little about.

At Elara’s question, she shook her head. She was unaware of any place nearby where a ship could land.

Elara’s suggestion sounded both plausible and – dare she admit it – exciting. “OK, where to next?”

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara looked at Corvus and nodded as she was thinking about where they could go. She knew her ship and the blade blades would be nearby not for more purposes then having something with weapons and equipment. 'We'll search and we what we can find with no evidence all we have going for us is that we chased someone.." Elara moved to look as she started to climb down and offered her hand. "We'll look around, if they are still here we might be able to see them in the area. They didn't go back to the academy, maybe we can find their goal and protect it. We know we aren't traitors.... we can protect it from ones who might take it and give it to the sith Corvus."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus once more marvelled at Elara’s sense of purpose. If she was ever a Knight, she’d be proud to have a Padawan with half of the qualities of Elara.

“OK – let’s stick together and look around. You seem to know this area better. If you were to hide somewhere around here, where would it be?”

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara looked at Corvus and gave a nod as she continued to head down towards the small river. She was still dressed in the armor under her robes and clipped the sabers to her hip while she touched the sand. The boots sinking in as she stopped and pointed seeing a small barely worn away sections where heavy boots had touched down. She was moving slowly and listening while she spoke having the familiar come to her shoulder as she moved and kept going towards the open mouth. They were going away from the academy and the other jedi which was what mattered to her as she spoke.

"Alright we'll swin from here to the river mouth and search." Balaya could hear her apprentice while she had the scout on his holodisplay at the ship. "Ensure they can follow and find you, we want them to only have one path... and jam the communications in the area. Once the sun starts to rise we shall ensure they can see you and the ships. Lure them to Faustin and let them chase you through the academy there, we will push them. I shall break her and Elara needed to be tested against one of the most dangerous creatures in the galaxy. Perhaps she shall live because her little friend decided the greater good was to use the darkside."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

They moved towards the river and Corvus saw Elara pay close attention to its banks. She looked where the young Padawan had pointed and saw the boot marks. “OK, I see them.”

When Elara explained her plan, Corvus was slightly unsure. It was one thing to chase Padawans in the Academy – but this way was leading them further and further away.

But the infections enthusiasm of her younger companion swept her along. Corvus mused that this probably how she used to be on Corellia. Always the risk-taker, known as the reckless one. But that was some time ago and years change people. She had left the Corellian Order and its insular ways and embraced the Jedi Order and honoured the spirit of the Code where others looked to see how they could get away with abiding by just the words written.

“OK, we’ll swim but exercise some caution Elara. Confidence can be a weakness. Be mindful of the here and now.”

Removing her robe, and folding it neatly on the river bank, she entered the water and swam towards the river mouth. As she moved through the water, Corvus reflected on how close she'd become to Elara in such a short space of time.

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Corvus kept Elara on her toes as she came out of the water and she shook herself off, the two of them were out here and now chasing a padawan in disguise that they could catch and interrogate. She could use it to push further at her, she wanted to see how far she could get this one going but needed to focus on her mission. Elara turned to her and ran a hand over her head as the familiar came back to her. "Understood." Elara had a grin on her face now and was moving as she listened to the familiar, it was speaking to her just like her master could and she could see where they needed to go. Now it was just a matter of doing it and getting there the right way. "This way come on"

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was used to swimming, there were enough lakes on Corellia – but the last time she’d been in the water was during a Padawan trial back on her home planet – to get a customary orange lightsaber crystal. And whilst she was in those underwater caves, her Master died in the electrical storm.

She had to push those thoughts from her mind. She’d just prompted Elara to keep to the here and now yet she was falling foul of it herself.

As they reached the far bank, Corvus did her best to ignore the fact that her body weight had almost doubled due to the water. Elara acknowledged she had listened and Corvus was pleased for that.

But Elara’s infectious grin was still there. Funnily that’s what Master Rekali always said about her! “OK, lead on.”

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara moved nodding and going at it, the trail was easy to follow when it got away from the water and where it could be washed away, the blackblade doing his job as she came to a rock and looked over seeing the shine of the two ships. "Down" Elara dropped down and looked over her shoulder while she motioned with her hands while mouthing the words. 'Three ships, four people, weapons.' She was thinking about what could be done and listened to her bird as it perched there on the rock. Her master on the other end and she internally was smiling as her masters plan came to her mind. Elara didn't move at first just yet making sure she was ready and brushed herself off. "We'll take them out quickly, do you know how to stun them?"

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus allowed Elara to scout ahead. Sometimes she wondered if the jibes about being bookish were actually justified. Elara seemed more at home out here than she was.

Corvus sighed inwardly, that was the problem with the rules of the Order at present. Padawans couldn't leave the planet by themselves – and with her Master so busy, her opportunities to go off-world were limited in the extreme. Corvus dismissed this thought. It was disrespectful to the Order and she should know better!

As Elara followed the trail, even Corvus could see that they'd made little effort to cover their tracks. At the word ‘down,’ Corvus dropped to the ground. She nodded to Elara as she mouthed the initial words. At her second suggestion, Corvus hesitated. It was one thing to follow them, another to engage them.

But the thrill of the chase had intoxicated Corvus and she wasn't going to back down now. Whispering she said, “I'll need one of your shotos in case they have blasters – but I know how to stun them, yes.” Not for the first time, it would be training outside of the Jedi ranks that would be most useful now.

And so Corvus readied herself – as she just knew that Elara would take the lead.

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara didnt have to move just yet, she presented her shoto for Corvus and looked over the rock again. Not seeing anything but she knew some of the dangers here. They weren't ones to hold back, they would be trying to kill her which was why as she thought about Corvus she was stronger. This jedi was weak, had potential but was weak and she stopped only a little as the familiar told her to wait for a moment. The sound of another ship was incoming. Elara looked up at Vulpesen's defender class, the jedi master turned sith lord had left with Balaya his jedi ship.

"That explains that part." What better way to get to the planet and through jedi space then with missing jedi ships. It wasn't to hard since several still use their ships given in the campaign against the sith. That Elara looked towards Vorcus and the only thought she had was to charge and work to make sure she was taken. She pushed the thoughts aside and much like everything else kept it buried under deep thoughts of this jedi code. She went to move and felt her master on the ship as they arrived she could escape if needed or have other plans while it started to open and Elara charged over the rock activating the violet blade with a snap hiss.

"Lets go Corvus."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus took the shoto and held it in her right hand. Like Elara, she was aware of the new ship arriving, they both reacted involuntarily to the sound of it incoming.

As Elara rose and charged to the site of the ships, Corvus marvelled at her bravery whilst making a mental note to remind the young Padawan of the pillars of the Jedi Code – and specifically about recklessness. They were always advised on self-restraint and not to ignite their lightsabers and rush straight into battle. If a Jedi ignites his lightsaber, he must be ready to take a life. Going in like this ruled out more peaceful options.

Sighing, Corvus followed Elara over the rock – the shoto she held not yet activated. Corvus chose to match Elara’s speed. Her Teräs Käsi training afforded her extreme speed – even without the use of the Force – but that was something she could use if and when it required.

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Balaya stepped out of the ramp, the communications jammer from her datapad for the area enough but she had come here to see in person this padawan Elara had lured away. Taking a moment now when she felt and saw Elara coming down at them. The blackblades dressed like jedi moved to use blades she had forged for them with Kaine, her hand coming out as she spoke pressing that aura that she had given the battlelords. Command and dominance that made other soldiers to afraid not to fight for those commanding them." Stop!." She moved forward towering over all of them and letting all thirteen feet nearly of her height in heavy armor under the warden's cloak while her hydrastaff slithered on her arm.

"We have guests, your friends from the academy, be polite and do not kill them, capture them, break them to your will apprentices. Make them beg to turn to the darkside and then you may hurt them." She kept a smile on her face while her cybernetic eyes tracked corvus letting the vong biots to their job. She was if all else failed prepared to let the gila stomach infect the child and send her back to her friends. "Come children, don't you want to know the power of the darkside?"

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus saw the woman that was imposing as a hologram walk down the ramp from the ship. In real life she was – well she was very, very tall. And she was even more formidable than her significant reputation suggested. The colour of her skin, the choice of dress – or lack of it. The cloak, the hair. Pushing these thoughts aside, Corvus focused on the facts.

Balaya towered over the Padawans near her. Corvus scanned their faces but recognised none. She wasn’t sure if that was good or just a fact. Nobody she knew there was good, wasn’t it? And perhaps – just perhaps – they weren’t actually Padawans.

Corvus wasn’t sure if she should be glad they wanted them alive. Either way, for a fleeting moment she considered running in the opposite direction. She would die rather than be a Sith. For some that was just a phrase, rhetoric. For Corvus it was true. She'd promised too many along the way to ever fall to the dark side. Even that holocron on Abeloth knew the truth of it. But being outnumbered and outgunned was never great odds.

Why oh why did she have to mention the odds? That fixed it, she’d stay and fight. Plus, she couldn’t see Elara making a tactical retreat.

As speed didn’t necessarily result in victory, Corvus slowed – conserving energy. Let them come to her. She activated the shoto and immediately fell into the Center of Being stance – allowing the Force to flow through her.

[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Elara looked at her master and Corvus as the girl went into a stance, she charged and knew what could come from it. Her saber slashing into the one padawan before she felt a crack and the area they were in echoed. Ringing and blood from her face as she was flung into rocks smacking her head with it rolling to the side. She was still alive and felt hands grabbing her as her ears were ringing. She opened her eyes while being kept there on the ground in front of Balaya while the large zeltron spoke. "Take her inside, she is insurance." Elara felt herself blacking out, even if her master took it easy being smacked around by a thirteen foot being with cybernetics wasn't fun.

Balaya clenched her fist as she spoke looking at the jedi with the small saber, her smile appearing while she stalked forward withdrawing a large whip that gave her more reach nearing her own bodies size. She didn't have to fight at range with a saber but there was two gleaming on her belt as they pulsed with the crystal she got from the Pius Dia ship and the lignan they had gotten. "Your friend is coming with me little jedi and you'll be joining her unless you do as I say." Balaya waited there and had her whip ready to strike while the taloned fingers of the armor appeared. "Come and show me little jedi, show me all you are so I can teach you how feeble you are."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

What unfolded in front of Corvus was like a nightmare. Any concept of a long and drawn out battle was dissipated in seconds.

The young Padawan didn’t last past the first blow as she went down in a heap. If anything, Balaya’s words encouraged her. Dead people aren’t insurance. Of course it could be a lie but Corvus didn’t want to believe that.

Corvus stood her ground. There was no point in engaging this giant of a woman in a fight. And even less in attempting to join her in a battle of words.

Corvus considered her options. Flight was one. Linking to other Jedi and calling for reinforcements was another. For the moment, she decided to just hold her position. Quiet and with as much dignity as she could muster.


[member="Darth Praelior"]

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Balaya looked at the girl as she stood there and held a grin on her face, more enjoyment of the situation then was merited sure but then it was going to be well worth it in the end. One step forward and the snap hiss as the whip activated and shimmered with crimson energy, two steps and she had closed more of the distance while pushing her presence on the girl. If she wanted to flee it was a possibility but they could be long gone, no real problem off of her plate. They had other prospects and Corvus only served to show getting to Ossus was possible. That they didn't need a fleet to get to their temples.

"What is a matter padawan? Don't you want to talk? Ask me to surrender? Demand to know what my plan is? Wonder how I got here? So many questions or are you simply wondering if you can make it to your academy before I catch you and drown you in the river?" Her smile remained on her face while she stood there while pushing that presence of a battlelord to oppress and dominate. "If you talk to me child I could make you so much more. You could join the others who have become kings and queens of the galaxy. We could offer you power and knowledge Corvus, we can make that bounty for your head go away."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus remained impassive. She hated generalisations (if that wasn’t an oxymoron in itself). But sometimes they were valid. Siths telling lies was one of them.

All Sith being the same was a cause she didn’t subscribe to however. For the simple fact that all Jedi weren’t the same. Yet, in her few dealings with the Sith, they’d acted as if Jedi were homogenous. She couldn’t blame them; many Jedi viewed their opposite number in the same vein.

And here she was. A young girl to all intents and purposes, facing a powerful woman. Stripping away the Force aspect it was a mis-match. Adding it in only made matters worse.

So Corvus looked for whatever positive she could draw from the situation. She had to, because the alternative was to just give up and die. Corvus had already decided there was no option to surrender and zero chance of turning. So death was the only choice on the table.

She smiled to herself. Only a matter of days ago she’d been chatting to Tugoro about death. She remembered her words. ‘I’m a Jedi and one day I’ll join the Force. That is inevitable. All that remains to be seen is what day that is.’ Well perhaps today was that fateful day. Corvus was not frightened of death. She’d given up that train of thought on her journey here to Ossus. That didn’t mean she wanted to die of course. But as an option in the current situation, it was one of the favourites.

It would be fair to say that all of these thoughts didn’t flash through her mind in the few seconds that elapsed. Rather they were days, months and even years of contemplation and the memories of those internal debates are what surfaced now.

Balaya was clearly enjoying the situation. Power was clearly important to her. She cracked her whip a couple of times – looking to judge the distance between them. She had the range over Corvus for sure. And Balaya kept talking. Why do they always do that? Perhaps Corvus’ silence was unsettling?

A phrase from an ancient holocron came into her mind. Why did they always do that? ‘He who fears something gives it power over him.’

Corvus didn’t fear Balaya – she didn’t need to. Fear was a pointless emotion. And in denying her fear, she denied Balaya power. Of course Balaya didn’t know this but that didn’t matter.

Corvus face remained impassive – still in that meditative state. Not trusting her own judgement or instincts but trusting in the Force. Believing in the Force to guide her when the moment was right. She’d always berated other Padawans for trying to bend the Force to their will. To effectively fight it. It knows what you seek and will find a way. Trust in it implicitly.

Corvus felt the dominating presence of the Sith Lord moving ever closer, oppressing her. Aspects of her Teräs Käsi training kicked in without conscious thought. She would be ready to anticipate a strike that would threaten her and she closed her mind to any mental based attacks.

And so she stood there. As impassive as she was before Balaya spoke. As relaxed as if this was a lesson with Master Vosra on improving her Soresu Form. And his words echoed through her mind. ‘Never give way to doubt. Doubt cripples a Jedi, only with trust in the Force can you find strength. Governments, groups, people - all can fail you. Even you can fail you, but the Force cannot fail you.’

[member="Darth Praelior"]