Vaxxtal on Kaas

[Jaron Lesan]

Jaron had needed a Sith for this one... and to keep his movements, and master, a secret from those he knew, Jaron did not reach out to the contacts he already had. There was a benefit to spreading his work out among so many. Not one person would ever have the full picture of what he was doing. Jaron didn't either, but the more tasks he completed the more complete the picture became. He could not afford to let others see more than one piece of it. For all anyone knew, Jaron was simply searching out rare crystals for study and application.

This time Jaron was traveling with a blonde, or would be. His inquiry had produced her interest, and they had agreed to meet on Dromund Kaas. The destination would eventually be the Dark Force temple, a Sith stronghold historically, and Jaron knew because of this, he would need their assistance potentially. For the moment, Jaron was waiting for this current partner in crime at the cantina in the space port just outside Kaas City. From there they would rent speeders to get to the ancient temple and begin the search.

As he did with the last crystal, Jaron was searching for one that was already shaped. This meant they were looking for a lightsaber, or two, that were different in their construction. Jaron hoped the search of the temple would not be empty handed. If it was they had several other options on the planet before he would have to locate another. His hope was they could find what they needed here.

Sitting on a stool, closest to the door, Jaron waited. He had a glass of whiskey in front of him, and mug of caf next to that. His drinking habits were awkward, but they were his own. The Dark Jedi was his own man, and that was enough for the time being.

[member="Melori Raaf"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Her sister had left for an indefinite period. Of late, Melori had sought out her own training, so the absence of her Master was not a significant obstacle. Plus it allowed her free reign to go where she pleased.

So she travelled in her new ship. She’d already taken it to be her preferred mode of transport. There was a delicious irony in flying around the galaxy in her middle sister’s Jedi ship – but this was hers and had always been hers. And it had cloaking and could house a fighter if needed, so she most definitely preferred it.

And she had something to do en route too. Her sister had left her a copy of the document they’d discovered on Korriban. Except she’d not translated it, so Melori was having to learn the ancient Sith language to first translate and then learn from the flmsi she’d been left.

She approached the planet where, according to legend, where freedom comes to die and saw the landscape below. Kaas City. It sat in the middle of a jungle and clearly housed millions of inhabitants. Heading to the appropriate district, she landed at a hangar on the outskirts. From the amount of trees around them, she’d have said it was outside of the city, but she’d let the local politicians sort that one out.

Clad in her usual simple black robes and cloak, with its hood up), her saber was not visible, but her gauntlets were, tucked into her belt, she strode into the cantina. She didn’t know why she was here exactly but she’d answered a request to journey here and explore and her sister had told her to get out more, so in a way she was only doing what she was told.

She saw the man she’d been in contact with sitting just inside the door and so she immediately sat next to him.

“Well, I’m here. What’s next.” She rarely did small talk. Time was a precious commodity to her.

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

"The temple of Dark Force. We're going to rifle through every nook and corner until we find a Vexxtal crystal."

Forward and to the point, well at least one knew where they stood. The blonde was attractive, her robes simple. She was more Sith than most in the fact she went right for what she wanted. She'd get him in the temple if such a guide was required. Besides, there was bound to be obstacles. There always were.

"First we need to get some speeder bikes, unless you want me to drive you around?"

Clearly he was teasing her, but would she see it that way. One never knew, but at least he tried to break the ice. Downing the rest of whiskey, Jaron tossed credits on the counter and stood to his full height. His own robes, a charcoal and crimson colored set, flowed behind him as he walked. His hood was pulled over his head as they ventured outside.

The temple was situated in the jungles of the world. It was a fun drive as they dodged trees and other things which could have made them crash. Jaron enjoyed the rush of adrenaline which came from the danger, though his skills as a pilot and driver kept him very safe. Stopping at the base of the stone steps, Jaron grinned.

"Well that was fun!"

[member="Melori Raaf"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori nodded at the reason they were here. She would have bet on the temple - but the crystal she couldn't have guessed at.

“If we find more than one, finders-keepers?” Her voice was quite matter of fact but she seemed quite pleased at the prospect. She then cocked her head to one side. “Are they particularly rare?”

She was nowhere near as good a speeder rider as he was. Once or twice she nearly came to grief as she endeavoured to eep up with him. She needed the Force on more than one occasion to avoid wrapping herself around a tree.

Once they reached a marshy area, she knew they were close - she’d done her homework. And the feeling was a second clue. This area was a Dark-side nexus - she could feel the Force without even sensing it, so strong was it. It filled her mind with its power and promises.

She dismounted. “Fun? It was exhilarating, near suicidal and overwhelmingly risky.” Her face cracked into its first smile. “Yes, you could say so.”

She nodded towards the temple and the statues guarding the main entrance. “Are we expected, or is there nobody home?”

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

"Naturally, you keep anything extra we find. My master only wants the Vaxxtal. Any artifacts or other things that interest you are yours to take."

Jaron had no answer for the rarity of the crystal. All he knew was no one knew the source worlds on which they grew. That knowledge was lost. From one view point they could be rare, but they could be in abundance on a world somewhere yet to be rediscovered by the explorers of this time period. So he just shrugged. Besides, he'd been off speeding through the jungle by that time anyway. He had been glad to see a smile on the blonde's face when she said the ride had been fun. The bikes traveled at such high speeds they really were dangerous to pilot through the jungle as they had, but Jaron couldn't help but enjoy the thrill.

"If you'd rather ride with me on the way back, I am certain I can mind trick the rental counter clerk into thinking he only gave is one."

It was a solid gesture knowing she had nearly crashed several times on the way to the temple, which was clearly a place of steong darkness. The sensation was thick and almost tangible. Jaron started up the stairs right away as her quesrion about a welcoming committee was raised.

"I don't know. I'm not meeting anyone else here, but if anyone, or anything, is here, I don't expect them to roll out the red carpet and lay out a welcome mat for us to wipe our feet on. I'd stay on your guard if I were you. Darkness like this does attact unwanted attention."

Jaron pushed the large, heavy, stone doors open and stepped into the main chamber. They would begin exploring in the area which made the most sense, the armory. They were certain to find lightsabers there with the right crystal.

[member="Melori Raaf"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori listened. This was not usual for her. Previously she’d either worked alone or with her Master. This was the first time she’d simply gone along with a plan and known few of the details. Was she regretting coming along given the circumstances? Not at all, but she was out of her comfort zone – but then, as she progressed she expected she take on more and more missions where the details would be withheld, all she’d know was the priority.

“If it’s of value and not nailed down, I’ll pocket it – you can be sure of that.” She smiled again. “And…” she drew out the word on purpose, “I can make my own way back fine, thanks.” Even if she couldn’t, she was never going to admit it to him.

But she shut up as he opened the large, heavy, stone doors open. The main chamber was oppressive – but in a way Melori liked. And as expected, they headed for an area of the temple that made most sense right away – the armoury.

Of course, others might have something to say on the subject, so she kept her wits about her and the Force closer still.

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Nothing.

Jaron huffed. He was visibly upset, and the room would explain why. It was completely empty. An abandoned temple might boast an empty armory, but there would be cobwebs, dust, dirt, filth. This room was swept clean. There was not one speck of dust, or the stringy mess of a cobweb visible anywhere. The room was well maintained, and recently emptied. He looked to his traveling companion.

"We are not alone."

It was an obvious statement, but it did bear uttering. Reaching beyond them through the force, Jaron searched for any signs of sentient life. They was a large mass of lives gathered in the central chamber of the temple. This would likely be the main gathering place, and from it came the sense that great evil was being done. Cults. Jaron had heard of them. They followed the Sith teachings, but were powerless to harness the power. Many tried to bring the Dark Lords to life once more, but usually failed to provide the proper vessel for such a thing to take place. Jaron didn't sense anyone who was force sensitive other than the blonde with him, so he was certain they would not succeed. However, crystals were used in such ceremonies at times.

"This way," he said exiting the armory, just as a large claw swiped at his head.

He ducked and pulled his lightsaber to retaliate. His eyes met with a gundark, and Jaron smirked.

"They have a gundark..."

[member="Melori Raaf"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori did the same sweep of the room and came to the conclusion she expected her companion to reach. Clearly someone was taking a great deal of pride in what should be an empty building.

She shrugged but figured that anyone diligent enough to keep this place spotless would no doubt have tidied anything of value away and that might provide an opportunity to find Jaron’s crystal. Anything else would be a bonus.

“We are not alone.”

The words reached her ears almost in unison with the attack on him. If he’d sensed the creature or was simply commenting on what she’s surmised…well she’d have to ask him later. Presuming they both survived.

For he’d just avoided having his head removed by a fearsome looking creature. Almost two metres tall and sporting four arms, it was covered in short brown hair.

Unless she was wrong, this was a gundark, which meant this was most likely a female and somewhere nearby was a tribe of them. She was also aware they usually hunted in groups and hoped this was on its own as for two Acolytes, it presented a real challenge.

She grabbed her saber but given her companion was up close and personal with it, she connected to the Force, her blue eyes morphing yellow, and she tracked its overwhelming emotion – hunger – back to its mind. There she attempted to utilise Beast Control, something her sister and Master had shown her back on Ambria.

She did not try to control it outright, she didn’t have the time for that, but she planted the idea that it was overwhelmingly tired and wanted to go to sleep – right here and right now. If nothing else, it might make it sluggish and easier to fight.

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

The beast was growing weary, likely the doing of his partner for this trip. The skill she was using would come in handy, and Jaron needed to devote more time into practicing it. As a Jedi he had not pressed to learn that skill too much, but he could see how having control over beasts could be an asset. As his partner, he hoped this was not part of a hunting pack, and indeed simply the guard of the building they were in.

While the beast was disoriented, Jaron cut the legs out from under it, or was that just the bottom set of the arms. Anatomy wasn't his strong point. He just knew the beast was trying to kill them, and if they didn't kill it first, it would succeed. Really it was kill or be killed, and Jaron was never one to hesitate in that game at all. Of course wounded animals did become angry, so Jaron had to duck a few more swipes again, but thanks to the help he received from Melori, Jaron was able to drive his blade into the gundark's heart, leaving the beast as nothing more than a lifeless shell laying on the floor of the temple.

Jaron noticed at this point how well manicured the floors were as well. Someone certainly was caring well for the temple, and they would have to assume this place was being used still. There may be other gundarks, so Jaron kept his eyes open as they moved down the corridor toward the center assembly area.

"That was a close one... maybe let's avoid more of those things, okay?"

[member="Melori Raaf"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori kept the mental barrage going as Jaron fought the beast. The conflicting messages the brain was receiving were at very least confusing and disorientating it.

She couldn’t stop it swiping at her partner a few times – he was dismembering it as she worked after all – but he was able to finish it quite swiftly and without any apparent damage to himself. She was satisfied how they’d worked as a team and found it odd that she’d taken the mental route in the combat – but if nothing else it made her experiences more rounded.

She nodded at his advice. “I’d say we got lucky this time, I wouldn’t want to have to face two of those.”

She glanced around. “For a disused temple, it’s certainly free from dust. My bedroom isn’t this clean. I suspect we’ll have company sooner or later and I’m guessing they’ll be armed with more than just brooms and mops.”

For she too had sensed the presence of others. They may have been cloaked, but she suspected they were not Force-sensitives. “And I suspect you’re heading this way to meet them?”

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

"Usually I would give you some mumbo jumbo about why I don't believe in luck, but for once, I'm inclined to agree... very lucky. Two would not be fun, because beast language is not something I took the time to learn."

A weakness, some would see it that was, but Jaron made up for it in other ways. His skill with a blade was certainly evidence of the amount of time he practiced with it. While others were more force power leaning, or combat leaning, Jaron found that a combination of both made an effective weapon. Yes it meant he would never be overly strong on either side, but he would not be overly weak either. In his estimation, that would make him better than his enemies in at least one thing. The only question that would need to be answered was whether that was good enough.

"We are heading to meet them, though I'm content to stay in the shadows until we know what we are dealing with exactly. I am sure you sensed the dark nexus in the exact center of this building. It's ritualistic. The immaculate condition of the building is as if they are preparing for an arrival of a special guest, and I'm sure it isn't us."

Jaron continued forward. He never stopped moving ahead as he spoke. The man was certainly on a mission, and if he was right about his hunch, then he had a reason to hustle toward the gathered crowd. Jaron took high to the rafters, and motioned for Melori to follow. The height would give them a good vantage point to see, and the shadow would keep them well concealed. As Jaron suspected the group of cultists were performing a ritual of some kind, and right in the center of the rounded dais, sitting on a stone slab, were three Vaxxtal crystals.

"Well wouldn't you know..." he pressed to Melori's mind. "Looks like all we need to do is get rid of a few cultists and steal the crystals..."

[member="Melori Raaf"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori reflected on his words. She hadn’t realised until she came across other Acolytes how patchy training was. Perhaps she’d just been fortunate to have a Master that was also her sister? And she was acutely aware she’d used the luck concept again. In this world, she believed, you made your own luck. The harder you worked, the luckier you seemed to become.

Her sister was the one that specialised in Sith magic and rituals and once more she mused on how she’d come to rely on her on these occasions. Too reliant. She made a mental note to resolve it.

Once more she followed his lead. He was certainly assured of himself and she was still content to play the able assistant role – if he was worthy, he’d lead them to success. If not, she’d be sure to tell his next of kin how he met his demise.

So she moved into the rafters with him, her nimble footwork assured even at height and she stared down with him at the group assembled below. And of course she saw the crystals. Although from here she could not be sure what type they were.

‘I presume you have a plan?’ She responded in kind and wondered internally just how good these cultists were. Not at fighting but at performing rituals. What they did not need now was some malevolent spirit.

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Jaron nodded.

"A real simple one... Kill them before they can complete the ceremony. The last thing we need is some pissed off dead guy coming after us."

There was a cultist chanting, and standing just in front of the crystals. Jaron reached into his mind, and with a thrust of the force, dropped the man where he stood. This caused panic among the rest of the crowd. Tomes flew open as the cultists were trying to double check whether they had missed an important step in ceremony itself. As it stood, the death of one served to end the ritual, but it would not keep it closed for long. The chaos was their moment to move.

"Kill who you can, and take what you can. I only need two crystals. Anything else is yours to have."

Jaron jumped from the rafters as his crimson blade ejected from its resting place. Cutting through the flesh of the cultists who opposed him was easy, but tedious work. Some ran off out of the chamber, but Jaron was not concerned with them. He needed the Vaxtaal crystals, and he would have them for himself. He was quite certain though, if he had known what the other cultist had gone after, he would have cared a bit more that they were leaving. Hopefully [member="Melori Raaf"] would keep them occupied.

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori nodded. She liked his plan, it was straightforward.

No sooner had she considered his thought process than she was aware he was using the Force and one of the cultists dropped down dead. Taking this as her cue, she was already on the move, as his encouragement to kill and pillage reached her mind.

She had an eye on the prize but made sure her immediate focus was on the rabble in front of her. As she landed, her saber was already drawn. The twin blades made short work of the first couple of cultists – but as they started to crowd around her, she twisted the hilt and now wielded two single sabers. Remembering Darth Ferus’ words about how the fourth Form was poor in a group encounter, she jumped over the closest cultist and cut him down from behind.

She was constantly on the move. They may have lacked weapons to really hurt her and none seemed able to use the Force, but a lot of bodies were always a challenge to deal with. So she kept ensuring she was on the extremity of the group, able to pick off one or two at a time.

When their numbers were reduced to just two, they decided their likelihood of success was minimal, so fled before her. She looked across at Jaron. He too seemed to have dispatched those that challenged him. And then she checked out the crystals. Three in total, two for Jaron and one for her. But before she made a grab for it, she took stock of her surroundings, ensuring there were no nasty surprises before she took the crystal.

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Melori had taken care of the cultist with precision just as he had hoped. Her choice of weapon and form was interesting indeed, and while Jaron had preferred a single blade, he saw the value in what Melori had done. This he tucked away for later. When he had the time for it, Jaron would construct a second saber, though he was certain he would never make a staff.

Her eyes looked greedily at the crystal, but then diverted. Jaron was not as careful, and reached for what was his regardless. The ceremony had been disrupted, and they would not be having to deal with any traps. Cultists would not put traps in their assembly room. Then again, there was always the fact the cultists had those large scary beasts. One of them could bust through at any moment. All Jaron needed was the Vaxxtal, so he looked at Melori.

"I've got what I need. I say we get out of here, or go view a different room. Gotta keep moving in case they have more of those nasty monsters."

[member="Melori Raaf"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori sensed no immediate danger and listened to Jaron’s words. Finally she allowed her eyes to drop to the crystal and she pocketed it.

“A good return so far.” She looked in the direction the cultists had fled in, her eyes once again a shade of blue. “Are they worth pursuing or did you want to go deeper into the temple? Did your research show the likelihood of any more spoils to share?”

Once more she looked around. It wasn’t right to say it had been easy so far, but she was expecting something more challenging. Not that she was wishing for any misfortune but she was on edge none the less.

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

"I am certain there is more here if you wish. The crystals were all I was sent after. My master has no concern with anything else, and at the moment neither do I."

Jaron was eager to see the crystal collection done. His master was not telling him anything beyond each crystal. The man was frustrated by it. Though his company seemed a suitable diversion from it all, so he indulged for a moment.

"There is more here, artifacts, holocrons. The temple is littered with ancient relics if you are one to explore history. This place is a dark nexus itself, and the dark side will lead to items of interest. Just feel it out, and lead the way. You followed me, I'll return the favor."

Jaron nodded and motioned for Melori to decide what they would do next.

[member="Melori Raaf"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori pulled a face. “I’m not entirely sure that we’ll be tripping over stuff but there are always things to find if you look hard enough.”

“Given the planet and the little information you gave at the outset, I did my own research. This planet was home to the Prophets of the Dark Side. Darth Millennial and that crowd. Not if we could find something on Precognition, that would be worth the search. I’m not expecting a Holocron, but a journal or something? Anything we can learn from.”

She walked as she talked, leading them through each ad every room. “Stuff that’s survived won’t be anywhere obvious. But the good news is that I’m a master in hiding things, so I know where to look.”

She smiled as she talked and in each room she checked the flowing, moved furniture away from the walls. Not once did she look in a drawer or a cupboard. “And we need to use our eyes, anything that’s remained unclaimed won’t be shouting out with a Force aura.”

“So, tell me about you, given we could be looking for some time and I hate silence.”

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

"It seems we need to head to the archives, or discover where these prophets made their personal bed chambers. Journals, naturally, are usually kept in personal quarters."

Her natural inclination seemed to be in agreement with him, as they hedaed toward the hall which took them to the bed chambers the temple offered. Melori was busy moving furnature about with the force, but Jaron was more interested in the places she didn't seem to be looking. Often times as a boy, when Jaron had things he didn't want his Aunt and Uncle, especially his Aunt, finding, Jaron would hide them under the floorboards, or in the ceiling just above the light in his room. Jaron looked for signs the floor or ceiliing had been disturbed in someway.

"About me? There is not much to tell. My Parents were wealth, but force blind, so when I manifested force use I was sent to my Uncle Judah, a Jedi, to learn how to control it. He was on Corellia. We all were there, watched it happen. I was powerless to stop it. Once we all got to a safe place, I set off on my own to try and figure out how to prevent something like that from EVER happening again. I needed power to do that, so I began searching places of power, dark side energies. I met my master in one of those places, and I met another Sith in one of the tombs on Korriban where we managed to make Ludo Kressh appear and teach us Force Rage himself. After a few days of delay, I met up with my master again, and have been running errands for her, meeting different people along the way. Some leave impressions, others do not. I serve in exchange for secrets... Its the way of things until I can overthrow my own master."

Jaron noticed a panel on the wall which seemed toyed with. He moved closer to insepct it, but it was simply a warp in the construction material, likely from the age of the building.

"And what about you? What led you down this path, or have you always walked it?"

[member="Melori Raaf"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori listened as she searched. Beds were moved to look for obvious and even less obvious loose floorboards. Bedside cabinets were pulled back to reveal any holes dug into the walls. The best hiding places required a quick access – if discovered you had to secrete what you shouldn’t have quickly. Plus you couldn’t let just anyone see what you’d taken or where you’d put it. The Jedi were like that – full of goody-goodies. And keeping it close to your bed was always the best option. If others came snooping they’d find it hard to explain their actions to others – even if you weren’t there yourself.

So stuff like bottles of Corellian whiskey, or food from the Academy canteen, or datacrons from the library. Anything really that she’d wanted as a young teenager but was unable to own. The taking was the thrill, not the keeping.

His history was interesting…”I’m from Corellia,” she added. “Don’t care if I never go back.” There was no emotion in her voice, no bitterness. More ambivalence.

“So yeah, I was once a Youngling. Technically never a Padawan as they all thought I was too much trouble and nowhere near as good as my goody-goody sister. Truth was, I sucked at using the Light-side. They were probably right to overlook me. But one day I tapped into the Dark-side of the Force. And it was magnificent. I was way more powerful than I’ve ever been before. This is very much who I am.”

She pointed into the far corner of the dormitory from her currently kneeling position. “From this angle, I’m sure there are some raised floorboards over there, the one in the corner. If I was going to hide stuff? I’d pick a corner bunk. Do you want to check it out?”

[member="Jaron Lesan"]