Diamond in the Rough

[Dakota]

THEME.​

The modern state of warfare among the Jedi often discourages scholarly pursuits. There is little time to read, so the thinking goes, when the Sith advance ever closer to the Core Worlds. As the Army marches to combat them, preservation of artifiacts and the recitation of history typically fall to the bottom of the priority list. Jyr'ast, however, sees it differently. Without the study of history, one is doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. And of all galactic histories, none to him is more tragic than the decimation that took place on Malachor. Even while they hung listless in the atmosphere, he could feel the darkness radiate from the planets surface only to be trapped in the air like gas. Their goal, thankfully, gave him something else to think about. During his time in the archives, he'd often read about the various crystals that were lost to the Sith in the great war a century prior. The Heart of Ilum captured his imagination, as did the stories that surrounded its imprisonment. Some would claim that it was guarded by a cult of fanatics dedicated to its preservation, others that it was left in the den of beasts mutated by the Dark Side. Even among the Archivists on Tython, conjecture and legend were typically conflated with well-reasoned theory.

"The stench of death hangs thick on this world," said the Kel Dor, adjusting his breathing apparatus as he began stepping down from the ramp accompanied by Reyna and Master Szaz. The oppressive nature of the Dark Side shook him, despite his own experience in mitigating his feelings. There was something grim about Malachor's surface; the way the dust remain suspended in the air, and how occasional shriek of the beasts that called the temple before them home would disturb the relative stillness of the scenery. "May the return of this sacred relic to its true home begin to heal this broken place." The temple itself lay half a mile in the distance, ensconsed within a cloud of actual fog that abscured most, if not all of its ancient features. What was once a looming symbol of oppression, destruction and suffering has now all but returned to the cradle of the earth, slouching toward the mountainside. As the three grew closer to the staircase that leads into the heart of what was centuries prior the home of students and warriors, its neglect came into sharper focus. The brilliant statues that once heralded the beginning of a new era now lay crumpled in the dirt, symbolic only of their bitter ends.

Prior to entering, Jyr'ast made sure that his robes wouldn't ensnare themselves on the ground, and that his hilt was firmly within reach. As much as he despised the Jedi's sacred weapon—he believed a peace achieved through the blade was no peace at all—even Jedi as fundamentalist-leaning as himself must at some point defend themselves. Reaching into the depths of his robes for a datapad, he carefully dragged a leathery finger across the screen, revealing a holographic map of the area. Because of the limited amount of material written on or from the surface of Malachor, the map itself didn't account for the myriad paths within the temple which have since been lost to time. After examining the image for a few moments, a sharpened black nail pointed toward an atrium within the temple walls. "The crystal is likely in one of the archival chambers below the surface, guarded by Storm Beasts. Shall we?" The light beneath his hands flickered off, and he sequestered it once again beneath his robes as the three of them began ascending the staircase.

@Relent @Arclight

 

[Arcangel]

Jedi Master Szaz could feel the darkness of this world. Stepping off the transport, and into the dusty air, she took a moment to center herself against the darkness. It was thick. Oppressive. It sat in the air the same way the still motes of dust did, even seeming to suspend the dust, taking up the place in between the bright flecks. She shivered at the invisible fog. Her mind thought back to the battlefield on Lothal, the feeling of death in the air. Malachor was much like that, except the feeling had festered and grown to consume the world. This was a world of darkness.

Her ammonia breather hissed as she exhaled, before giving a nod to the Kel Dor Jedi, one who she had seen many times among the archives of Tython. The archives had never been clear on what happened upon Malachor. Doubly so now that they had been destroyed. They were being rebuilt, but such things took time, and much knowledge may have been lost forever. Their footsteps echoed against the in the narrow ravine through which they traversed, the dark stone jutting up around them. This was the only path the the ruined temple. "Malachor is a world of death Jyr'ast. Of that the archives are certain." The dust seemed to part for the trio as they moved through the ravine, making way for the lonely stewards of light on a dark world. "Master Szaz doubts anything will heal the wound that is Malachor, even now it attempts to repulse us."

Indeed, while they walked, the darkside grew thicker around them. Pressing in on them. Seeking to snuff them out.

But it was powerless on its own.

The temple itself was in utter disrepair. Crumbling statues and slouching walls. Szaz clicked lightly. The temples roof looked as if it could cave at any moment. A hazardous environment. But Szaz would not let fear get the best of her. Fear was a path to the darkside. Glancing at the Kel Dor Jedi as he suggested the crystal would be in an archival chamber, Szaz nodded, though the mention of Storm Beasts gave her a pause. "This one would wonder why creatures of the darkside would nest so near an object of the light." She uttered almost absentmindedly, as if to herself, the mechanical tones of her vocabulator translating her native language for those that accompanied her. The sound echoed off the temple walls, and inside, something awoke.

Spoiler: tags

@Relent @Dakota

 

[Logan]

Rey kept pace with her comrades but remained silent, her eyes too busy whipping back and forth to take in all they could through the gloom. The air of Malachor was heavy, but not in the way that made you walk slow or made breathing hard, it wasn't humidity making it thick. It was something else, something more.. alive and menacing, dragging on you as one trudged through the landscape in search of what it was they were searching for. Reyna did not like it here but she knew they needed to find what they came for. She wasn't afraid, though - especially considering she wasn't alone. There was Jyr'ast, although Reyna didn't know much about him. She had always liked Keldor, though, and they always proved themselves capable. The presence of Master Szaz was the most reassuring though. Rey thought the group could handle anything that Malachor could throw at them as long as the Gand Jedi Master was by their side.

The rhythmic sounds of the breathing machines worn by both of her partners gave a small, strange comfort to Reyna as they traversed the ravine that lead to their destination. She wasn't sure why she found comfort in it, but it could have simply been that as long as she could hear those sounds she knew that they were still alive; still breathing. It would be when those small hisses and whirs stopped that Rey would be lost, alone on Malachor: the world of darkness. The thought unsettled her but she did her best to push it out of her head. No one was dead, not here, not yet. There was no sense in worrying about something that would doubtfully even happen. Right? Right.

The words of the Jedi Master thankfully pulled Rey from drowning inside of her own thoughts, and for the first time she decided to speak up. "What makes you so sure there is any Light left here to find, Master?" She asked, turning her head to observe Szaz. "With a long enough time spent, it feels as if Malachor could corrupt anything left here."

Reyna kept walking, the silence from before falling back over her. She wasn't sure what in the world storm beasts were, but would be ready to overcome anything standing between then and their objective; whether it still remained an object of the light they would find out in due time.

@Dakota @Arclight

 

[Dakota]

His steps, in rhythm with the echo of his respirator, echoed througout the halls of the ancient temple. The noise they made were the only ones to be heard for miles, with the lone exception of the gutteral howls of the mutated beasts that made their home beneath the surface. "The power of the Force can heal all wounds, no matter their depth or severity. Nothing, not even this corrupted place, is beyond redemption." Like Master Szaz, his voice sounded robotic and muffled, thanks to his metal rebreather. Perhaps he was a bit optimistic—the surface of Malachor has been made the home of unprescedented suffering over the millenea—but he truly did believe that it could be redeemed. That was the beauty of the Force; the power it had to save, not just heal. But it wasn't just the world that had been darkened to its core, but what remained of its inhabitants. As the three continued to move through the temple's atrium, the moans from beneath their feet became louder and more urgent. The voices of the beasts that guarded the crystal were distinctly inhuman, towing the line between sentience and blind rage. The archives told gruesome stories about the creatures that would be twisted by the dark side, but never offered any examples.

"Perhaps they thought they could corrupt the crystal, just as the dark side had corrupted them." That was his best explanation for Master Szaz's question, but in truth, he still wondered why himself. These beasts had no need for a crystal, corrupted or not. Unless they are under the control of an ancient Sith master and guarding it until their return, he had no other ideas. After a few minutes of walking, the three came to a steep stairway, flanked on all sides by fallen columns and rubble. The stairs themselves, which seemed to lead down into the heart of the temple and into what would've likely been training areas for the students who lived there remained relatively intact. A quick motion from the Kel Dor, followed by a short recitation of what he saw on the map indicated that these chambers would lead to yet another drop, which would lead them to the archival chambers and the Heart of Ilum. He respectfully allowed Master Szaz to take the lead, deferring to her position, before following alongside Rey. With every step down into the bowls of the training arenas, the growling in front of them grew louder still. Moving his loose flowing robe from his left hip, the Kel Dor held one leathery hand forward and, with but a thought, pulled the hilt of his saberstaff from its clip against its belt and into the palm of his hand through the Force. As much as he despised using his weapon, it would almost always be a necessary tool.

At the base of the stairs, the group entered a dimly lit hallway of ancient stone chambers, each of which containing a few seats and a generous amount of space for sparring. In all there were six of these chambers, three on each side of the hallway, with another staircase leading further down into the complex. For the first few steps, it seemed calm. But, as the group neared the end of the hall, the last chamber on the right errupted in a hellish growl, as if a sleeping creature had just been awakened. In the darkness, the dull glow of yellow eyes pierced the shadows, and the reptilian figure became more and more visible. The other beasts, thankfully, were too far in the distance to hear the lone beasts' cry for help, but the gargantuan figure continued to lumber forward, blocking the Jedi's path all the same. Digging its claws into the ancient stone floor, it seemed primed to charge. The Kel Dor readied his saberstaff, not yet emitting the blades. "It must be dispatched as humanely as possible," he said to his comrades, keeping his eyes on the beast. Even if it was threatening his life, he couldn't find it in him to stoop to the Sith's level. What his partners felt was something else entirely, though he felt as though he could count on Master Szaz to feel the same.

@Arclight @Relent

 

[Arcangel]

The young Jedi, Reyna, if Szaz remembered correctly, seemed to doubt that the Heart of Ilum would be found uncorrupted. "Master Szaz understands Reyna Sorn's doubts, but the Heart of Ilum would not be so easily corrupted. Szaz deduces that it would require the concentrated effort of many Lords of the Sith to dominate the Heart of Ilum. Without such concentrated evil intent... the darkness of this world is too unfocused." Her breather hissing as she finished speaking, drawing a deep breath of ammonia. While Szaz felt certain she was correct, an inkling of doubt seeped into the back of her mind. Would they indeed find the Heart of Ilum pure, the power of the lightside holding the darkness at bay? Or would the artifact be found darkened by corruption, the ancient kyber crystal bleeding of the darkside?

Only time would tell.

As they progressed further into the bowels of the temple, Szaz chewed on the words of Jyr'ast. He wasn't wrong. But at the same time, incredibly naive. "Indeed. The force can heal all wounds, with time and effort. But Malachor... surely you can feel the depth of this wound. The intensity of this corruption. What it would take to remove this stain upon the force... is beyond my knowledge." She easily admitted. Though Szaz was wise and knowledgeable in the ways of the force, there was much she did not know, and had no problem admitting so. Pride was a path to the darkside.

The conversation was cut short however, as a gleaming pair of eyes appeared in the darkness ahead, and the room radiated with malice. The creature before them bore nothing but ill intent. It was a predator, and they were its prey.

"Perhaps, though i sense this is a foe that will not be easily overcome."

Even as she spoke, the Jedi master had drawn her saber from her belt. Leaving the blade unlit as of yet, the Jedi Master closed her eyes, reaching a hand out into the empty air in front of her, her conscious brushing that of the beasts.

She recoiled instantly at touching the Storm Beasts mind. A mind so feral and corrupted by the darkside. There was nothing of the light in this creature.

The touch seemed to stir it into action, but instead of charging as it seemed ready to do, it sucked in a deep breath, and exhaled in a mighty bellow. The force screamed of danger, and so did Szaz. "MOVE!" she shouted as she quickly leaped up into the air and to the left, her green hued saber igniting with a snap-hiss, as she flew through the air. Landing gracefully against the black stone wall, feet pressed behind her as she leaned out from the smooth surface, her left hands chitinous digits breaking into the stone, creating a handhold with which to keep herself above the threat. Below, where the Jedi had been before, a sonic blast , originating from the Storm Beast, screeched through the air, before slamming into the stairwell at the end of the hall, cleaving the black stone and sending chunks of debris flying.

"There is nothing but darkness within the beast." Szaz informed her companions, assuming they survived the blast. There was only one way they could get past the creature. It had to be put down. Bending her knees, the Jedi Master released her hold on the wall and pushed off, calling the force to her as she jumped. Flying over the beasts head, her saber lashed out at its face as it in turn launched upwards in an attempt to devour the Gand Jedi. The green lightsaber blade struck the beasts scales, sizzling but not penetrating the beasts outer defenses. Landing behind the creature, Szaz quickly pivoted to face the beasts back.

@Relent @Dakota

 

[Logan]

"I think you underestimate it." She said quietly, keeping pace with Jyr'ast as he fell behind slightly to tail Szaz as she had to allow the Gand to lead. It wasn't that Rey doubted the lightside of the force, much the opposite. She believed in it wholly, but in that belief she had to be honest with herself. If the goodness of the light could cleanse all things then the evil of the dark must be able to defile all things. They were two sides of the same coin, equal in most respects. Only the application and intent were different. "But I hope you're correct."

Rey saw the eyes gleaming in the dark at the same time as Jyr'ast and Master Szaz, her right hand reaching down to her waist instinctively to grasp the hilt of her lightsaber. Even the minuscule weight of the weapon brought her a sense of comfort and confidence in the face of the vile creature that lay in front of them. There wasn't much time for her brain to process much in the coming seconds, her legs seeming to react to Szaz's shout for them to move before her ears even totally heard it. Going in the opposite direction of Szaz, up and to the right, Reyna saw a ledge above them thin enough for her to stand on, at least for a few moments. She watched as the lightsaber strike seemed to effect the beast very little and now her brain was beginning to not only catch up, but leap ahead and start forging a plan.

A massive stalactite hung from the ceiling of the massive cavern, its base so far up Rey couldn't really distinguish its origin. No matter, she wasn't concerned with cutting the entire thing down. Besides, her lightsaber would only be able to carve through so much of it anyway. Igniting the pale violet blade of her lightsaber, Rey held it in a reverse grip with the blade pointed directly away from her body as she jumped straight towards the hanging rock structure. Her blade cut through a large chunk of of the stalactite, maybe a few feet in length from the tip. It separated and instantly began to drop. The massive chunk of rock and calcium, easily weighing a couple hundred pounds landed tip first into the shoulder of the storm beast. The force of the fall coupled with the weight easily dislocated the beast's shoulder, tearing the skin near the clavicle in a way that almost made it look like the rock could have taken the arm clean off it was a little bigger.

Rey reached the wall opposite of wear she had been before and simply let herself slide down it, bringing her saber into a normal, defensive grip and holding it in front of her body. An ear shattering howl of pain erupted from the storm beast's maw as it spun around to find the source of the injury. Rey hoped that Jyr'ast would be able to finish it off quickly, as the clamoring and shrieking could very likely attract the attention of more - and outnumbering the lumbering brutes was something she was far more comfortable with.

@Dakota @Arclight

 

[Dakota]

As the group lept into action, the Kel Dor followed shortly after; challening the Force into the center of his being, he launched himself forward, onto one of the ledges near where Rey had found herself. He'd learned as much as he could about these beasts from the Archives on Tython, but the data was understandably limited. No Jedi alive, at least none who had run off to join the Jedi Lord's crusade, had fought these monsters long enough to understand where their weaknesses lay. In fact, very few fought the beasts and survived. Master Szaz' failed attempt to cut through the reptile's face was a clear enough indication as to why; the power of the dark side must have given their scales the strength to resist the lightsaber, making their defeat all that much more difficult. As Rey cut down the stalactite from the ceiling, he watched carefully as the stone cut through the monsters shoulder, revealing the pinkened muscle. Whatever he did would have to be done quickly; surely it wouldn't wait for him to think of a throrough plan.

As the beast lumbered forward in pain, Jyr'ast found his opprotunity and lept from the rafter, igniting both ends of his saberstaff in a circular flourish, the emerald blades joining the others in bringing light to the darkness. The hum of his blade swirled until he steadied the hilt in his right hand, already having caught the beasts attention. Following his jump from the rafter, the Kel Dor landed uneasily on the reptiles back, with one hand holding firm to one of the sharpened ridges that formed the Storm Beast's back. Seeing that the rock had already cut a sizeable hole in the beast's skin, the opprotunity presented itself. Closing his eyes beneath the metal goggles, he focused the power of the Force into his mind, centering himself so that he could better understand his surroundings and react accordingly. As he clung to the monster's back, it began thrashing about, trying to knock him away, but his focus and tight grip yielded other results.

After a few moments of concentration, Jyr'ast flourished his saberstaff in a circle once more, only to send the emerald blade directly into the shoulder of the storm beast. With no skin to reflect the lightsabers heat, it sunk slowly into the muscle and the bone, and with one final push he had forced it in to the hilt. The beast had been considerably weakened, likely due to the blade cutting through several major organs, but the work wasn't done yet. Forcing himself to push forward on the hilt, his blade began cutting through the interior of the beast's body. It's eyes expanded for a few seconds, only for the light to be slowly drained from them as the heart and spine were severed. The lightsaber left no exit wounds, and the screams of their enemy were quickly silenced.

As the body tumbled to the floor, the Kel Dor disengaged the blades of his saberstaff, briefly clipping it to his belt once again before stepping off. Kneeling down at the storm beast's face, the archivist inside him took over, and he examined the mark left behind by Master Szaz's lightsaber. One sharpened nail on his right hand began to scratch at his chin in thought. He wouldn't take evidence of it now, as they still had a mission to complete, but he had brought extra datapads for a reason. "Impervious to the cut of a lightsaber," he mused aloud. "I doubt we'll be able to lure them under sharpened stone again when we get into the chamber." It necessitated a different way of approaching the beasts beneath them, but for now, he couldn't name what that approach was.

@Arclight @Relent

 

[Arcangel]

The beast thrashed and struggled before finally giving in to death, a final shudder escaping its body. These beasts were beyond anything the Jedi Master had experienced before, not that she had experienced much, having spent most of her time in the archives of Tython before their destruction. Extinguishing her saber and crouching down to examine the saber cut, she noted that though the scales had prevented most of the damage, a small amount of burnt flesh peaked out. "Not entirely impervious, but our lightsabers will not be reliable weapons against these creatures." Szaz stated with a nod. They would have to come up with an alternate way of either defeating or avoiding any further Storm Beasts. She did not like their chances if they fought a pack of them head on.

Glancing around the hallway, Szaz rose and began to head further into the temple ruins. "Let us not linger here." Leading deeper into the ruins, the air grew chill, and the choking press of the darkside grew around them as they neared the lair of the Storm Beasts. Fiddling with her respirator as they walked, Szaz adjusted the flow of gas, reducing it to cut down the amount of noise that the machine generated as she breathed. The black stone walls were slick with an ichor-like layer of slime. The hallway ended, coming to a sudden stop and emptying onto a rocky balcony that overlooked what might have once been a grand hall. Now however, it proved to be the nesting grounds of the Storm Beasts, and the sound of soft, rhythmic breaths of the sleeping beasts seemed to fill the room.

 

[Logan]

Watching her fellow Jedi dispatch the monster, Rey couldn’t help but let a touch of apprehension seep into her mind. These storm beasts were like nothing she had fought before. They were so primal, so tough, and so infused with the dark side that she wondered what kind of dark sorcery went into their creation, or if they were merely a symptom of the evil that permeated the whole of Malachor.

If the Heart of Ilum was still pure, still salvageable on this planet why did its presence not deter such monstrosities from conglomerating around it? True doubt replaced her apprehension now but she wouldn’t articulate it, at least not yet. For the time being Rey would repeat Szaz’s words through her mind like safety-blanket mantra. “The heart of Ilum will not be so easily corrupted.. the darkness of this world is too unfocused.” The words brought her some comfort, but the idea that something as powerful as the heart of Ilum could be corrupted troubled her greatly. What chance did she as a simple Jedi stand against the tides of darkness?

Following behind Szaz and Jyr’ast, Rey came to a halt behind the Master as they approached what appeared to be an old grand hall beyond the rocky ledge where they stood. The slow sound of heavy breathing hit her ears like the whispers of the serial killer when he puts the knife in your spine.

“What do we do?” The words escaped her lips in barely a whisper. Reyna was normally a sure woman, capable and able to take on challenges head on and without a second thought. Now, though, it felt like her mind was clouded. She was unsure of where to go, what to do. The unfocused darkness of Malachor was seeping into her soul, she could feel it and she did not like it. Not one bit.

Inching closer to Szaz like that would somehow clear the fog from her head, Rey waited for her or Jyr’ast to speak up with a plan of action. That wasn’t her forte, not today anyhow.


@Dakota @Arclight

 

[Dakota]

Stepping down to the staircase, he peered down into the ruins of what were once the archives of this temple; the pillars have since fallen, and the lines of storage shelves had been emptied out. Beneath them, three Storm Beasts lay sleeping in various places around the cavernous room, mostly hidden in the darkness. The only thing that gave away their position was the raspy growl they gave when they snored, echoing throughout the area. In the center, he could barely make out what he believed to be a small dot of light, which had to be what they came for. The Heart of Ilum glowed just as brightly as he was taught it did, a golden light that illuminated the cracked earth beneath it for several feet. Despite it, he could sense the uncertainty next to him. He turned to Reyna and put a hand on her shoulder, attempting to reassure her with his aura of peace. He was unsettled, just as she was, but the key was to think of something else. "Focus on the Heart and trust in the Force, and it will get you through it." In truth, he was terrified; he was simply more adept at hiding it.

As for a concrete plan, that was something else. As Master Szaz had said earlier, the lightsaber would no longer be a reliable weapon here. At least not for cutting into the skin of the beasts. Once their thick hide had been dealt with, however, the fight would be simplified. Before descending the staircase, he turned around. The sharpened stalagtite was still there, its tip drenched in blood. Looking over to the sleeping giants once again, he got an idea. "We may not be able to find any sharpened stones on the ceiling down there, but we can take this one with us. We'll be able to surprise one of them with it." They could drop the stalagtite on one of the beasts while it slept, but after they dealt with the one, the other two would wake. The room itself was all but empty, with most of the large objects rendered essentially unusable. They could crush the beasts under heavy stone, but their considerable strength would make that plan null and void. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, another idea hit him.

He turned around to the Heart once again and pointed one sharpened nail toward it. "Perhaps we could use the Heart to our benefit here. It won't fit into a saber at that size, but it may provide more of a counter to their dark energies. Once it's done with, we take it back to where it belongs." He turns to his partners once again, crossing his arms. "Or we could just heft the sharp rock around and lead the other two into traps. I'm afraid I'm running out of ideas."