You Were Followed

[Soldiers By Kage]

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Klatooine​

Near midnight​

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The Jen'ari were scum. False Sith worshiping long dead idols and leaning on the past instead of looking to the future. Raria was no more then a slave to them until they found she could use the Force, and even then she became little more then an elevated tool for her master's use. An abusive and abrasive pureblood deeming her lineage her power over actual skill. Perhaps it was fortunate just how much the young Zabrak truly hated her master.

It gave her power, and the desire to find something more.

And more was offered. A nameless figure from an unknown group who was searching for information on the few remnants of the Jen'ari like her master offered lessons in exchange. True lessons of the Force, not some moment for Darth Tiatatsa to show off her skill and arrogance to Raria and force the young woman to find scraps of knowledge from the otherwise brutal beating it was.

This was the first meeting after being given the deal by the shadowy figure. Raria was instructed to come alone, so she hitched a ride on a freighter as a stowaway to go undetected. Stepping out into the Hutt controlled spaceport she tugged her cloak up, the black hood covering her horns and features from prying eyes.

From the corner of her eye she thought she saw something. Someone. But she didn't think anything of it. She had hid on a random ship, no one would be able to follow her here. She was just paranoid. Quickly she made her way through the darkened streets to the coordinates she was given.

"Hello? I'm here, as promised." Her voice was horse and soft, clearly a symptom of the large jagged scar on her throat. It hurt to talk, but she wasn't sure how else to get the attention of the shadowy figure.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Raria"]

The garage was unlit, seemingly messy, and mostly open- until Raria spoke. Then, the door of the garage shut quickly, plunging the room into darkness.

"You are late."

A light blossomed in front of Raria as chemicals mixed. The faintly green glow framed Ophidia's face in deepest shadow, making her seem to almost step out of the darkness itself. Then again, who says she did not just do that?

"And we do not have much time." "I assume you made sure you weren't followed?"

She eyed the acolyte intently. Her eyes still looked like burning embers between the heavy shade and green chemical light.

"And that you do in fact have the information I asked you to retrieve?"

She was being harsh, but no more harsh than their arrangement demanded. Information was the currency with which Raria paid for real teaching in the secrets of the Sith and the true nature of the Force.

Without currency, their arrangement would fail. If discovered, it would potentially lead to disaster.

 

[Soldiers By Kage]

"No." She rasped out her response, signing at the same time. It was far easier to sign then speak for the young Zabrak after all. She pulled out a small datapad, holding it out for [member="Darth Ophidia"] to take. It contained various bits of information on Darth Tiatatsa; her contacts, travel schedules, plans. Enough, hopefully, for some training as promised. Raria glanced around the room curiously. A garage was certainly an interesting place to meet. Discrete, though not as glamorous as Raria expected a spy's life to be. Childhood fantasies of double o sevenlike scenarios had entered her mind.

"Now, teach?" More rapid hand signing. Her master always hated when Raria used sign language, but it was a habit learned from the years after the scar. When she was still a slave.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Raria"]

"Good"

Ophidia's words were accompanied with signing. She, for one, found the language quite useful.

Taking the datapad, the Rattataki swept through the files and skimmed the contents to make sure she had what she needed. It was a well put together folder, not perfect, but well done for a beginner. She would develop well.

"Yes" She spoke, signing along "Now we teach"

The datapad was placed in a bag, and a pyramidine object was extracted. Ophidia held it gingerly in her hand as she turned to face Raria again.

"This is a holocron" She had made up a gesture for 'holocron' as well. "And I will teach you to open it. Once you know how to open this one, you may open others as well."

A wry, knowing smile spread over her lips, making her eyes narrow.

"This is not the first one you have seen, I gather. Your captor has others, valuable ones too." "Handle it with care. You don't want anything to break inside."

The holocron was not quite finished as it was Ophidia's own and she was still filling it with her teachings and experiences. However, the security measures and a gatekeeper was already present.

"Remember what we learned previously? Close your eyes and exhale." "Reach out with your senses."

 

[Soldiers By Kage]

There was a wave of relief from Raria as [member="Darth Ophidia"] met her signs with a practiced grace. For the first time in a while she felt that she could finally speak to someone. The young Zabrak let the smallest of smiles slip, before her eyes fell on the holocron. There were dozens in her master's private chambers, horded over the years for Taitatsa's personal and exclusive use. This information on how to use them was something Raria was never given.

And learning it now meant she could steal knowledge from her master far more efficiently.

She took a deep breath as she took the holocron from Ophidia, and as instructed closed her eyes and let out the breath, expanding her sense of self through the air and to the holocron itself. Slowly the bottom corners began to twist, and the top rise as she began to unlock the knowledge within.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Raria"]

Besides the general usefulness of signing, Ophidia had found that speaking the preferred language of a student lead them to engage better in the lesson. And, in the case of Raria, it had made it easy to turn her against an inept master and corrupt, heretical order.

Even now, as Raria was starting to unlock the holocron, Ophidia signed along with her words. She knew Raria did not look at her, but force users had a distinct awareness of their space. Perhaps, subconsciously, the acolyte could read the signing without seeing it.

"Good. Nice and slow."

As the holocron opened, it first glowed with red, then began leaking an opaque black. First it was like a mist rolling out over her fingers. Then, it focused like rays that cut and swallowed the light.

"Let it lead you there."

The rays begun to focus and coalesce into a singular ray as the parts were moved.

 

[Soldiers By Kage]

She could feel it. It was the first time the young woman even noticed she could feel [member="Darth Ophidia"] sign beside her. How often had Raria just feel the signs and think she just saw it out of the corner of her eye? The Force was truly impressive. With that thought out of the way however the Zabrak began to focus on the task again, letting the holocron guide her. It unlocked, floating before her, darkness spreading and swallowing what little light there was until it felt as if she was floating in an endless void.

Her eyes opened as she glanced around, seeing nothing. A frown took over her features as she glanced around. "What's.. This..?"

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Raria"]

"This" The voice was twofold; it was both behind her and in front of her, both below her and above. "-Is the Codex Umbra."

The voice was clearly that of Darth Ophidia, and while it was as clear as though she had whispered it in her ear, the voice sounded somehow hollow, as if spoken from far away. It had a strange presence, as though it's reverberation could not only be heard but also felt, almost seen.

"It is my Holocron, the repository of all my knowledge."

A chuckle bounced between the garage walls.

"And more." "Objects such as these contain great knowledge and power, but they also hold traps."

The voice coalesced behind Raria. The air thickened as though it hung with a heavy cloud of smoke. A cold hand, skin ashen grey, touched the outside of Raria's elbow. The black fingernails threatened to dig into her skin, but remained just so they were felt. But its source was nowhere to be seen.

"Are you trapped, or are you free?"

 

[Soldiers By Kage]

A cold sweat formed on the back of Raria's neck. A trap? Of course. Sith always protected that which was most valuable; knowledge. The Zabrak had been eager, but she should of been cautious as well. Only a fool gives things away for free. Or a coward. [member="Darth Ophidia"] was neither. Was she trapped? She could still hear. Feel, if they were both a bit disjointed. Was her mind in the holocron?

Or was this the result of the trap messing with her mind in reality?

She could not see, but she turned her head regardless, trying to make out some semblance of where they were. So far, nothing. "Trapped. But.. I will be.. Free." Her hoarse voice rang out as she reached for the vibrodagger on her hip. Darth Tiatasta hadn't deemed the Zabrak worthy of a lightsaber yet, and only allowed her to wield this dagger. Tiatsta was truly expecting Raria to die.

The young woman poised herself for a fight, readying for the trap she had eagerly sprang on herself without a second thought. She would be free, no matter what.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Raria"]

A laugh echoed, bouncing here and there in a disorienting patter, growing and shrinking in volume as though she came closer and went away. She seemed everywhere and nowhere at once.

"Young fool." "Do you think you can stab your way out?"

A series of scrapes and cracks resounded around her as the ground seemingly cracked open and tall panes of a mirrored material shot up into the dark to encase Raria in an octagon of mirror panes that seemingly stretched on forever in either direction.

The mirrors showed a reflection of Raria and a reflection of themselves, making a maze of thousands upon thousands of mirror images stretching on in what appeared like an eternity. At the corners, frost crept along the mirrors, sealing them together like a single mass.

And in the corner of one mirror, and then all the mirrors, there was Ophidia, smirking.

 

[Soldiers By Kage]

Raria tensed as something seemed to change. She was about ready to jump at the closest pane of glass when she realized that all they were, were mirrors. Her brow knitted together as she scanned over each. Her reflection. Oh how she hated her reflection. All she could see was the scar on her neck, the one that symbolized the torture and humiliation she was subjected to as a slave.

She wanted to strike, but paused once she saw the single mirror of [member="Darth Ophidia"] .

And then all of them.

Her gaze quickly fell to each as she seemed to shrink, an un-trusting glint in her eyes. "Trap.. Or test?" Both, if the Sith were anything like her master. Only the worthy would receive the knowledge. The Holocron must be no different. For now she studied the mirrors, looking for the differences, if there were any. There must be something more to this.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Raria"]

At first glance, there was no difference in the mirrors. Even the frost seemed to grow in perfect, symmetrical patterns. It was so even and perfect that one could suspect it was unreal, had it not been for the real cutting sensation of the cold against one's digits.

As Raria watched the mirrors, the figure of Ophidia showed her hands: One ashen white, one a dark, dull grey. She looked to the right, down at her ashen hand as she raised it in front of her. She turned it palm side in, palm side out. Was it perfectly timed in every mirror, or was there a start and an end? She put one finger in front of her lips in a soundless 'hush'. The Dark, right hand formed its fingers into a snap.

Snapsnapsnapsnapsnapsnapsnapsnapsnapsnap- It went around the room again and again.

Where did it start? Where did it end?

It stopped.

Ophidia held up three fingers. She curled down one, then the second.

 

[Soldiers By Kage]

If it wasn't for the cold chill and the shiver born not from it but from fear, Raria might of stopped to appreciate the sight [member="Darth Ophidia"] had shown her. The mirrors acted in what seemed like perfect unison, and she had little choice but to try and find the difference to get out. And when she started to count down? Panic filled the young womans mind. No more hesitation, she lept forward and brought the dagger down upon the mirror where she thought Ophidia was first to act.

Raria needed to do something, or she'd just be trapped.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Raria"]

As Raria plunged her dagger where she thought the pattern started and stopped, the blade went straight through. It did not impact and shatter the glass, but rather sailed perfectly through nothingness. It became instantly apparent that there was no mirror there. Rather, the mirror was further down and bigger, fit perfectly into a forced perspective. Mist parted for her hand.

Ophidia stepped back and out of the frame after having counted down.

The path ahead moved into a T-intersection leading into new octagonal spaces. It looked identical to the previous one. There was a sound, two sounds, one the patter of footsteps, one a distant laughter. They came from opposite ends.

If Raria tried to turn back, she would find herself cut off. Every octagon she moved into excluded her from the previous one.

She would have to pick her path carefully.