Ask Onderon A civilization that took a very peculiar form

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach had something of an epiphany as they rode. Maybe that was too strong a descriptor, but suddenly many pieces of a jigsaw that she didn’t even know existed fell into place. Her dread of thunder was echoed by the animals – it was a universal fear. And although she could not remember a time when she felt emotions, with conscious effort she was able to do so. What if the Force wasn’t enabling her to feel emotions, but was stopping her? What if, at a young age, she’d been overwhelmed with others’ thoughts and feelings and unconsciously built a mental wall against them. She was aware she’d used the Force subconsciously before she was discovered as sensitive to it – and now wondered if this was another manifestation. Of course, this was hardly the time or the place to contemplate it – which was maybe why it came into her mind right now.

They pressed on and soon reached what could pass as tall hills or small mountains in the jungle – the semantics could wait until later. For what was important was not their nomenclature, but the fact that at their base, they had a number of small caves. Aiming for one that would be tall enough for their mounts – but small enough to offer shelter, Fiach kept her focus entirely on the mouth of the cave until she was able to dismount and lead her beast into the opening. It was, she was delighted to see, curved and so took the beast around the corner, where the sound of the thunder was less prominent, and started a fire – before drying the creature down and then doing the same for the pack animal.

Finally, for what felt like an eternity, she breathed out. Tension flowed from her and she smiled once more. In the flickering light offered by the fire, she looked at Aska. “Yes, I accept the phobia is an odd one. Maybe because I have no control over the weather? Who knows…anyhow, what about you? Do you have any irrational fears?”

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Aska pushed the beast beneath her to it's limit as they raced through the jungle, the cascade of rain growing stronger with each passing moment. Before long, it almost seemed as though it wasn't single drops of rain but rather that the group was standing beneath a waterfall and the falling water drenched them to their core. Aska didn't mind, though. It was a nice reprieve from the horrid humidity of the jungle world and while she knew that it wouldn't last, it was wise for her to soak in the moment, as it were.

As they approached the foothills of the mountain range, Aska watched as Fiach took the lead and turned them towards a small grouping of caverns at the base of one of the larger rocky outcrops. Beggars couldn't be choosers in this moment so as the Padawan made her selection of which cave would be their temporary shelter until the storm passed, Aska followed willingly. Dismounting from her Dalgo, the woman wiped the fallen rain from her face with both hands with a sigh of relief though as soon as she had caught her breathe and opened her eyes once more, the creature at her side gave a furious shake that drenched her once more.

"Seriously?" Aska questioned the creature with a stern glare but was in turn met with an affectionate head butt. "I can't even say you're lucky you're cute... Maybe in your own way, I suppose," Aska said with exasperation, rubbing the beast's head between it's eyes before it moved towards the fire that Fiach had built. Following suit, Aska moved closer to the flames and tried to hover her arms close enough to dry off while not igniting her shirt.

The Jedi's question was once that Aska had never really considered. Since her creation in the lab, her entire life had been drills, virtual scenarios and harrowing obstacle courses where death was a very possible outcome. She had been conditioned to face any scenario and not break under the pressure, so what did she fear? It didn't take long for her to figure it out.

"I guess... If I had to really put a finger on it... I'm afraid of being... Alone," Pausing for a moment, Aska stared into the flames and relived her past in the depths of Coruscant, where all she had was scientists examining and testing her and the droids that served them. "I've never really had any family or friends. I've always been on my own, y'know? If I'm afraid of anything, it would be living the rest of my life the way I've lived it up to this point," Shaking her head, Aska pushed the thought from her mind. "That sounded super sappy. Let's just focus on where we need to go once the storm bre-" Aska began but was cut off by a deep growl coming from further within the cavern. "Uh... I think we've welcomed ourselves into someone's den and it doesn't sound like they're happy we're here,"

 

[Fiach Dubh]

They were all drenched – but the confines of the cave meant it warmed up quickly and if you could put up with the smoke, and the humidity that the drying created, it was at least better than riding through a torrential downpour in a thunder storm. At least in Fiach’s eyes.

She tended to the beasts once more, ensuring they were comfortable, fed and watered. Hopefully the rain would stop soon, as what was a positive in being a cosy, confined cave would change in atmosphere when the dalgos did what any animal did a short while after being given food and drink!

As she made sure she did anything and everything possible to keep herself distracted from the thunder, Fiach listened to Aska. To the Padawan, asking about weaknesses was simply a factual conversation and she did not consider the fact that someone might not want to share their innermost fears. Fortunately Aska did not seem to mind being asked, nor replying.

Her answer was odd to Fiach, but then she understood such fears were, at their heart, irrational. What terrified you would seem innocuous to someone else. I mean spiders? Who on earth would be frightened of them? Maybe the two-metre variants on Kashyyyk – but small ones?

And although Fiach lacked social skills, she knew enough not to press the conversation when Aska swiftly changed the subject. But before the new train of conversation could begin, Fiach sensed what Aska and the creatures heard and her hand immediately went to the hilt of her saber – albeit she did not draw the weapon immediately.

“They could be its resident, or maybe they had the same idea we had? Not that it really matters.” Fiach moved to be between the dalgos and the darkness deeper in the cave and finally unclipped her saber hilt from her belt and activated it with a snap-hiss, bathing the area in front with a soft violet light. “So…who have we here?”

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

As the Padawan took the lead, brandishing her violet lightsaber, Aska pulled up the rear with her pistol in hand. The area of the cave directly ahead was soon bathed in the ambient glow of the Jedi weapon and it quickly revealed two separate paths that led deeper into the cavern though the echo of the growling from within seemed to emanate from both directions. Gritting her teeth, Aska took a few steps passed her companion and stared deep into the darkness of each opening. Logically, they should have simply collapsed each tunnel and saved themselves the potential danger of what lay within but just as Aska was about to say as much, the voice from her dream once again could be heard from within, transformed from the growl.

"This way, child. Come closer,"

It sounded like a whisper carried in the wind as it sent an icy chill down the woman's spine, but the urge to follow the call grew nearly impossible to ignore. Did Fiach still only hear the growl of a beast or did she too hear the words spoken? It didn't matter. Aska needed answers. Reaching into her jacket, she pulled her own lightsaber from it's pocket and ignited the crimson blade, casting a dueling hue against the purple glow while keeping her pistol in her dominant hand.

"I think," Aska began as she stared down the tunnel to her right. Every inch of her being told her she needed to travel down this path but it was all instinctual and she knew she had no real indication that this was the right choice aside from her gut feeling. "Let's see where these lead, yea? I can't explain it but I have a feeling that there is something we need to find down there..." Taking a few steps further, Aska called back to Fiach once more. "I'll take this way. You go left," It would have made more sense for them to remain together to ensure their safety in the darkness ahead but Aska still couldn't shake the feeling from this morning that was rapidly growing into a mistrust of her companion. No, what lay ahead was for her and her alone...

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach surveyed the scene in front of her. Two paths. Two choices. She often wondered if such things were sent to try her – as if they were analogies for the path she walked. Left or right. Light or dark? And, given the Force had a tendency to be inscrutable, there was never a sign-post when you needed one.

Aska stepped in front of her and Fiach heard the low rumbling. Was it the thunder, entering the caves from some fissure overhead? No, she was sure it was something else – but what was the something else?

But before she could discuss her thoughts, Aska had taken out her own saber and made a decision. Something felt wrong for Fiach – but given the myriad of challenges they currently faced, she could not pin-point the what or the why, let alone the where or the when. So, slightly reluctantly, she allowed Aska to move ahead and give the Jedi Padawan the left fork.

But every step she took, meant her head was became thicker with foreboding. She felt as though black tendrils were reaching into her mind. The sound ebbed and flowed and as Fiach sought to listen more intently, at times she was sure she could make out words.

“The dark side is always with you...”

“Hatred can give you strength…”

“You could be so much more…”

Fiach wondered if the holocron had been here and somehow tainted the area, or perhaps a creature down here. It was a good hiding-place for sure and left alone, it was entirely capable of spreading its influence.

“Are you prepared to meet your fate?”

A gentle tapping brought her out of her mental deadlock.

Something was watching her – a something she instantly recognised but knew wasn’t real. A tiny creature dressed in swamp-coloured rags with green skin, long pointed ears, and a heavily lined face stood there. Even in the subdued light offered by her saber, she could tell it was not corporeal. But was it a figment of her imagination or entirely external to her mind? In its hands it held a short cane, and it was this that made the rapping noise.

The creature frowned slightly at the sight of the lightsaber. Yet its brown eyes were alive with amusement, if anything. It nodded once at her – in acknowledgment or recognition, Fiach couldn't tell – and the cane ceased its gentle tap-tap.

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

The hum of the lightsaber all but drowned out the natural sounds of the cavern as Aska progressed deeper and deeper into the rocky corridor, though occasionally the crack of thunder from the storm outside could be heard echoing towards her. She had gone in far enough now that the only source of light was the red glow of her weapon as she held it ahead of her with her left hand, the pistol still gripped tightly in the right. Though it had only been a few minutes since Fiach and herself had split ways to explore the cavern, at times it felt like it had been much more. The conversation the two had had in those moments prior of what Aska considered to be an irrational fear danced in her thoughts as the darkness swallowed her every movement. Yet just as these considerations crossed her mind, the voice would return and urge her forward.

"You're meant for so much more,"

Together... Together we can unlock your potential,"

"Just a bit further now, child,"

While the rain had subdued the humidity outside, the depths of the cavern continued to grow incredibly muggy. Sweat beaded along the young woman's hair line and her palms became increasingly clammy which caused the grip on her weapons to become looser than she would want. Still, she needed to see what was ahead...

Coming to a turn, Aska slowly stepped around and nearly dropped her blaster as she saw the structure before her. A giant slab of rock carved into a giant circle laid in the chamber while glowing rocks that spotted the roof of the space cast an eerie red glow that blended perfectly with the one cast from her saber. The hairs on her neck stood as she cautiously stepped forward, taking in the scene with all of her senses.

"What is this place?" Aska whispered to herself as she holstered her blaster and transferred the lightsaber to her right hand, coming closer to the square base of the stone circle monument. Sitting in a layer of dust was a small, black pyramid shaped item no bigger than the first knuckle of her thumb. Squinting her eyes slightly, Aska analyzed the item carefully before reaching out with her left hand and gently brushing the dust off.

"Finally, you have come,"

The voice sounded eerily familiar to Aska and should have came as a shock but she remained serene as she picked up the small object.

"Who are you?" she asked calmly. "Where are you?"

"Turn and face me, child,"

Obliging the command, Aska slowly spun and as her eyes refocused, she let out a soft gasp. Before her was a figure enveloped in dark smoke, glowing yellow eyes cutting through the cloud.

"What are you?" Aska asked. She knew she should be afraid. She knew she should burst through this apparition and return to Fiach and their dalgo. But she didn't. She couldn't.

"I'm what you've been searching for since you were created, child. The final piece of you that needed to be found. And here you are,"

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach had endured a number of such encounters in caves. Not that she found them any more enlightening or less uncomfortable. But she did, at least, have a better understanding of them. They were typically a symptom of what lurked inside your subconscious. Of course, there was a chance they were an external manifestation – which is why you had to take them at face value initially. And…ultimately…trust in the Force to give you answers.

Fiach recognised the figure – which member of the Jedi Order wouldn’t? Was his appearance because he was an historical figure that Fiach trusted, or would he appear here to anyone? The Padawan did not know and would only look to seek answers later.

She lowered her blade and, after a moment, deactivated it as well. She sensed no threat from this apparition. Quite the opposite, in fact – although she was wary that this might be a ploy to lower her defences. But the fact that the apparition was luminescent, she did not need the light from her saber and she trusted the Force to warn her of any imminent threat.

“Do you guard this place?” Fiach asked, gesturing at the cave with the hilt of her lightsaber, that she still held loosely in her hand.

The creature chuckled as though pleased by the question. “Oh no. Only a watcher am I.”

“Then do I stay and speak to you or continue on?”

That earned her a shrug. “Brought you here, the galaxy has. Your path, clearly this is.”

Fiach was suddenly aware of the silence. The sounds of the storm, so obvious only moments earlier, had abated. More likely, she mused, she was cut off from them by the Force. And the humidity had also disappeared and the air was as thick as glass.

Something poked the back of her knee. She jumped. The little creature had hopped off the log and approached close enough to test her with his cane – so lightly and silently that Fiach hadn’t noticed.

The creature persisted, poking her robes and even her lightsaber, dissecting her with intense eyes.

“Something lost, have you,” it said. “A part of yourself, perhaps?”

Fiach recalled her last cave encounter with the Force, and the memory that couldn’t have been a memory that she’d experienced. Of the two babies in the sterile room. Of the words uttered. She was profoundly unnerved by the accurate and unasked-for reading of her situation. It gave credence to something she had been pushing to the back of her mind since it happened.

“Why? “

“Whatever you seek, only inside here will you find.”

The creature settled back with his hands on his cane, staring up at Fiach with so powerful a gaze that for a moment she felt as though she were being looked at from a great height. All trace of light-heartedness was gone.

“Inside?” she repeated.

The tip of the cane lifted, and pointed deeper into the cave.

Fiach hesitated. The insidious pressure of the darkness of the cave ahead grew stronger, and her mind clouded.

“Careful you must be,” said the creature. “The long shadow of the dark side reaching out to you I sense. Fear. Pretend it does not exist, you cannot. Bury it amongst happy thoughts and ignore it, you cannot. Expect it to go away, you cannot. Face it you must. Confront it you must. Otherwise a path to the dark-side within your grasp remain, it will.”

Like a diver preparing for a long descent, Fiach took a deep breath and ventured deeper into the cave.

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Aska couldn't wrestle with the reality of what she was seeing... Or was it all an illusion? The smokey figure descended, the eyes now gone from her vision, and began to swirl around her feet before ascending behind her as it climbed the monument and settled on the top of the giant base before swirling into a giant pillar.

"What do you mean 'the final piece'?" Aska queried as she turned to face the smokey figure once more. Though she didn't feel as though she was in danger, she turned her lightsaber and aimed it directly at the figure, the humming of the blade cutting through the silence of the chamber. "And what do you mean by when I was created?" This ghoulish figure knew far too much, it seemed.

"Aska, my dear. You must know by now... the figure's voice echoed through the chamber as though it didn't have a single source but instead was spoken by the cavern itself. Aska frowned slightly as she watched the swirling smoke, the yellow eyes once again bright and vivid against the darkness. There was something so strangely familiar about all of this...

"How am I supposed to know? What the hell are you?" Aska spat, the agitation in her voice becoming evident. The spectre began to chuckle softly then slowly started to spin, increasing its speed with each rotation. The chamber, though impossible with how far into the cavern they were, suddenly began to blow with wind that seemed to have no source. Raising her left hand to shield her eyes, Aska then brought the crimson blade of her saber back in preparation to defend herself against should the now vicious winds begin to toss materials of the cavern at her. Though as the winds just about seemed strong enough to throw her from her feet, they came to a stop just as abruptly as they had began. Lowering her arm with caution, Aska looked to the spot the spectre had once stood but it had instead been replaced by a significantly more familiar face...

"Now you see, don't you?"

Awestruck, Aska inadvertently dropped the lightsaber to the ground. Standing where the swirling figure had once stood was a woman, but not just any woman. It was like looking into a mirror, albeit the woman ahead of her had a couple decades of aging beyond her own.

"You... You're the Sith I was cloned from..." Aska said softly as though she didn't yet believe what she was seeing. The ancient Aska gave the same lop sided smirk that she herself had given so many people in her short life.

"You and I, we are one and the same. I was confident my children would one day accomplish the task I had set before them. Together, with my knowledge and your body as a vassal... We can accomplish amazing things,"

 

[Fiach Dubh]

It was dark, of course, but somehow the lack of light felt palpable to Fiach – as it were darkness personified. And she’d felt this sensation before – when confronted with the Dark side. As she reached out to the Force, it felt tainted, oily somehow.

She kept her saber inactive, intuitively understanding that any aggressive move that she took might be reflected back at her. And intuition was all she had to guide her now.

Her groping fingers encountered a wall of stone ahead of her. But, instead of a dead end, she found that the cave bent sharply to her right. She pressed on, feeling the Dark side throbbing in her ears and bearing against her ineffectual eyes. The air seemed to vibrate. Every breath made her want to scream – but in dismay or delight, she couldn’t tell.

Another wall ahead of her. This time the tunnel turned to her left. Her grasping hands were now wet with moisture. She could see them now, somehow, reaching ahead of her as he felt her way into the far reaches of the cave.

Through a dream-like fog, she stumbled into a larger chamber, the outer limits of which were obscured. She looked down at her feet but couldn’t see them, either. The ground was hidden by a creeping grey mist. In the distance, almost out of earshot, she heard voices…whispers. She felt drawn to them.

As she followed them, she emerged into a much larger cave. The fog cleared, revealing muddy walls overgrown with roots. The floor was treacherous underfoot. She walked carefully forward, seeking the source of the whispers, but stopped dead on realising that the tangled roots ahead of her were moving.

It was too dark to see properly. The time had come to shed some light on her unusual situation. Igniting her saber, she held it above her head.

The light it cast was red, not lilac. That was the first unnerving derail. By its cool light, she made out something hidden by the roots – and it was this that was moving, struggling against the winding net. She stepped warily closer, peering into the shadows. Was that an arm he saw, with a hand clutching vainly at freedom? Was this a hallucination, a vision, or something that was really happening?

A face shoved forward through the muddy roots. She gasped and stepped back, bringing her lightsaber down between her and the figure caught in the roots. She recognised those features. They were her own: lean and desperate and full of hunger.

Movement came from her right. Another body struggled against the grasping vegetation. It was a figure similar to her but different. The same body shape but blonder hair and a similar but different face. But the exact same lilac eyes.

Fiach looked about for an exit from the chamber, and saw a narrow crack in the stone. She lunged for it, but nor so quickly that she avoided the two pairs of hands that clutched at her. They gripped her Jedi cloak with her own strength, trying to hold her back, entrap her with them, where she belonged. She cried out and pulled free, falling back into the chamber. She raised her lightsabers automatically, thinking to hack his way free.

“Kill me and you destroy yourself.” It was the other figure that spoke.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Then she extinguished her blade. The decision renewed her strength, gave her the courage to continue.

In the now darkness she faced the clutching hands, and pushed firmly through them. Their slippery fingers skidded off her Jedi robes and fell away. Behind her their whispers became moans and then faded to silence. All she could hear now was her own breathing – fast and heavy, as though she had been running. She had been underground for hours, or so it felt. How much farther until she reached the end of the cave and found what she was looking for – or what was looking for her?

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Was any of this real? Aska pondered this thought as she stood before the apparition in disbelief. Days ago she was simply a woman, albeit a clone, searching for a place in the galaxy as she worked in the docks of Nar Shaddaa. Now, she's faced assassination attempts, committed multiple murders in her own right and began an effort to turn her skills into a career of her own but was put face to face with the very woman she was cloned from. Or was she?

"None of this makes any sense..." she finally exclaimed, bringing her hands to her face as she as she stared at the ground where her lightsaber hilt lay below. "How can any of this be real? The coincidence that you would appear here and now? They're astronomical!"

The apparition of her Sith counterpart slowly began to descend from the platform of the monument, sliding through the air with ease before coming to a stop directly before her. The spirit looked below Aska's feet then proceeded to bend down and retrieve the weapon.

"Coincidence? Aska, my dear... Coincidences aren't a reality. Every single action a living being takes is guided and shaped by the Force. That is, aside from those who choose to bend the Force to their own will," Bringing the lightsaber hilt forward, the Sith spirit opened the palm holding the weapon in a flat, forward facing position. Turning her attention upwards after expecting to see the weapon fall back to the cavern floor, Aska stopped her gaze upon the now floating hilt. Noticing that she now had the woman's attention, the spirit smirked as it used the Force to activate the weapon, it's crimson blade humming to life. "You already carry a Sith weapon. You've found yourself in the company of a Jedi. You perform acts that are beyond that of your average citizen on a near daily basis. How can you not see that your destiny is more than that of a mere... bounty hunter?" It seemed difficult for the spirit to spit out the last words. With a scowl, it then pushed it's open hand forward, spinning the hilt as though it were on display in a museum as it glided closer to it's owner. "As I once had..."

As she wrapped her hands around the weapon, the blade descending back within the hilt, Aska pondered all of this. What brought her here? Kiriena Buli, naturally. But to this cave specifically? No, it was the calls she felt in her sleep. The language she was unable to understand and translate. The whispers of the cavern itself. Then, of course, there was Fiach and her search for the... "The holocron..." Aska whispered, staring at the small black pyramid shaped object she had held on to.

"Holocrons are not so well understood. Centuries ago, they appear to have been more commonplace. But now? Sith variants especially are rare – and if the research is to be believed, they seek to corrupt..."

Fiach's words sprang from Aska's memory. These events didn't make sense before... but they did now. Reigniting the weapon and pointing it at the apparition, Aska's face was now bent into a determined glare. "You're not real. I know you're not. Where is the holocron? And where is Kiriena Buli?" Aska demanded but was met with maniacal laughter from the spirit. Spinning upwards, the Sith apparition transformed into the dark cloud once more as it shot into the highest reaches of the cavern before slamming down into the ground, revealing a very real Mirialan woman with eyes as yellow as a supernova, spotted with specks of red, the sinister aura of this woman becoming nearly impossible for even the most naive to ignore as the maniacal laughter of the spirit transformed in the cool and confident chuckle of it's new source.

"Come and get me, bounty hunter," she stated as she raised her hand with an open grasp, an ancient sword soaring across the space before it slapped into her hand.

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach was torn. She was unsure why or how, but there were…somehow… two separate forces at work. One was drawing her ever deeper into what she presumed was the mountain above. The other, well it was less easy to define. It troubled her and she sensed something was wrong. But with whom, and why, she had no idea.

She shook her head, as if dislodging water from her ears after a dip in the ocean. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated. She pushed past the Dark side that clawed at her conscious and subconscious in equal measures and finally she broke free of its oily tendrils and realised what was wrong. Aska. But as quickly as this realisation dawned on her, a greater understanding reached her mind. This was a trial. And not just for Fiach, but for Aska too. And therefore, if Fiach was to be true to herself – true to her beliefs – then she needed to allow Aska to forge her own path.

Strangely contented by this turn of events, Fiach walked into another chamber, this one swirling with shadows. She kept walking, and the shadows rose up around her, forming short-lived figures that loomed and retreated, blocking her path. She tried to force her way past them, as she had with the visions of her other self and her near-self, but found she became confused and disoriented. Her head spun. Twice she found herself facing the way she had come. She put out both hands to stop the world turning. There had to be a way out somewhere, if only the cave would let her find it.

She could hear rain in the distance, and he stumbled toward it.

Thunder boomed...

...and suddenly she was standing in the clinical room once more. Except she knew it was not a memory – at least not one from her viewpoint. Yet something deep down made it feel like a memory.

She saw the two cots – but as try as she might, she could not move closer to them. So…as she had learned so often, and invariably forgot as soon as she had understood, she relaxed. Once she stopped fighting, she felt her vision change. The cots grew larger and finally she could see their contents.

Two babies, maybe six months old – not that Fiach was an expert on children’s development. Both stared towards her yet seem to look through her. What caught her eye was, ironically, their eyes. Both sported irises of precisely the same hue of lilac as hers. She frowned, or at least imagined she was frowning and finally looked down. At the end of each bed was a small clipboard. Both had writing on. The first read, ‘My name is Fiach Dubh.’ The second read, ‘My name is Manuk–’

Fiach fell forward as a large object slammed into her back. And judging by the pain, this was no vision. She was back in the cave and scrambled to her feet to see what had knocked her to the ground.

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Gritting her teeth, Aska lowered the humming saber to a defensive position held ahead of her with both hands. While she had training with a variety of staffs in the depths of Coruscant, the lightsaber she was wielding was a weapon she was unfamiliar with. Once again, Fiach's words vaguely sprung to mind as she had once mentioned that the weightlessness of the blade caused the weapon to be difficult for someone untrained in it's use to find it a practical choice in combat. Deciding she was better off safe rather than sorry, Aska removed her right hand from the hilt and quickly reached down to draw her blaster before raising it and firing off a short volley of three shots at Kiriena. Sure of her choice, she found herself dismayed as the woman ducked and weaved with what seemed to be impossible reaction time, much like the Jedi Padawan had done on Nar Shaddaa. Before she could fire off another round, however, Kiriena raised her left hand and an invisible force grabbed the blaster from Aska's grasp, tossing it across the cavern.

"The holocron I stole from Div... It's taught me so much these last few days, girl. I have powers you could never dream to possess," The Mirialan gloated.

"That holocron is twisting you, Buli! Transforming you into someone you're not!" Aska countered. Though she was trained for combat against almost any possible opponent, a force wielder was not one of them. And she was afraid. "You need to get rid of it before it destroys you!" Was she wasting her time trying to negotiate? Most likely. Still, combat against someone trained in a mystical energy she didn't understand seemed like the worst of the choices.

"My Master has promised me so much and once I destroy you, it will cement my fate in her eyes!" Kiriena exclaimed, clearly ignoring Aska's desperate attempt as deescalation. The Mirialan rushed forward with a blood curling scream as she stabbed forward with the ancient weapon she had summoned, though reading her movements, Aska was able to side step the attack.

"Her eyes?" Aska queried as she shuffled back to put some room between Kiriena and herself, though it was short lived as the woman spun around and slashed the blade in a diagonal motion. Barely able to bring the lightsaber up to defend herself, Aska believed she may actually have the upper hand after all as her weapon should have been able to slice right through the ancient sword. It didn't. Sparks flew as they held the weapons in a momentary lock before Aska brought her blade back slightly enough to allow her the ability to push back and seperate the two. "You mean..."

"This tomb... It's no accident you and the Jedi were brought here! My Master has been pulling your strings for years, girl!" Kiriena growled. "First, I'll kill you and destroy any hope my Master may have of the perfect vassal! Then I'll destroy the Jedi and collect your lightsabers as my own! I will become SITH!"

 

[Fiach Dubh]

A wind sprang up from nowhere, and Fiach felt a cool breeze on her face, that carried the stench of decay. Confronting her was what she could only describe as an animated corpse. They faced each other, as still as if they were carved from stone, the only motion around them that of their hair and robes as the wind toyed with them. Even in the dim light, Fiach could see her adversaries attire was as black as night.

Then, as if by some unheard signal, her opponent moved. The soft sound of the breeze was punctuated by a sharp snap-hiss. The features of Fiach Dubh’s adversary were abruptly cast into crimson relief. Warily, Fiach activated her own weapon with a fluid motion and saluted her opponent with it. For someone who abhorred combat, she felt somehow resigned to it and settled into position, ensuring her opponent made the first move. She balanced lightly on the balls of her booted feet, ready to leap left, right, or straight up. Still her opponent did not move.

Then the cadaver sprang.

Not directly at her, but to the left and past her, leaping upward, turning in the air, and slashing outward with the blade. She felt the blade impact her shoulder and heard its distinctive sizzle. She gasped as the undead Darksider landed, flipped, and crouched back into a defensive position.

And then he was upon her. He hammered her with blows that were more of strength than grace, his dead body still represented all lean muscle. She parried each strike, their blades clashing and sizzling, and ducked underneath the final one. Lightness and agility were her allies, and she used them freely.

Her long, fair hair had come loose from its quickly twisted braid, and became a distraction. She blew upward to clear her vision just in time to block another one of the strong blows.

“Blast,” she muttered, leaping back and switching the blade to her other hand. She was becoming ambidextrous when it came to the saber. “I must remember to get my hair plaited next time.”

She then did something she rarely did – she initiated combat. With a sudden upward leap, she landed on his shoulders, balancing there lightly with the use of the Force, and plunged the lightsaber straight downward, aiming for his back between his shoulder blades. He dived forward, Force-pushing her off, but not before she had touched the tip of the glowing lilac blade to his robes.

He arched, his dive thrown off as his body twisted from the apparent pain; clearly he was not your average undead saber-wielding Darksider.

She leaped as he dived, using his Force push to her own advantage, turning twice in the air and landing surely, facing him. She brushed her renegade locks out of the way. Meanwhile, he completed his dive and came to his feet. Fiach extended her arm with the grace of a dancer. His lightsaber was snatched from his hand and flew into hers. She grasped it and dropped into the Jar’Kai stance, ready to come at him with both blades. He looked up and uttered a sound that could only be described as a growl.

She gestured casually, just a slight jerk of her chin, and a handful of sand flew towards his face. He lifted a hand and used the Force to deflect the grains.

At the same moment, the saber in her off-hand simply evaporated and reappeared in his other palm.

“OK,” she said, sighing audibly, “look like it’s going to be one of those days.”

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Sparks flew as blade met blade, Aska cringing with each impact. Kiriena, while not appearing to be an overly well-built woman, struck with the force of a raging mud horn and had kept Aska on the defensive. Moving to the right, the young clone narrowly missed the humming edge of the sword as it sliced downward. With her free hand, she grasped Kiriena's wrist that wielded her weapon before bringing the hind end of her lightsaber hilt to the left side of the Mirialan's head, causing her to stumble back.

"Just surrender and I'll bring you in with a heartbeat," Aska spat scornfully, attempting to slow her breathing enough to convince her foe that she still had more energy in the tank, though she felt that she would collapse if this continued much longer.

"You're stronger than I would have thought," Kiriena growled as she spat blood to the cavern floor. Straightening her stance, the Mirialan stood tall as she faced the huntress. "I underestimated you. A foolish error I will not be making again," Spinning her sword, Kiriena moved to a position in preparation to pounce. "You and my Master share more than I had believed," With that, the woman lunged forward, but her blade was once again met by the glowing red beam of energy that Aska wielded as she placed her own blade ahead of her, pushing Kiriena's to the left then immediately crouching and spinning a kick to the Mirialan's ankles. As the bounty fell to the floor, Aska straightened out and aimed the tip of her lightsaber downward, hovering it above the green skin of her throat.

"It's over! Have some honor and admit defeat. I want the holocron... Now," Asaka demanded, though as Kiriena laid on her back with the palms of her hands held upward in defeat, she began a sinister chuckle.

"This is only getting started!" Suddenly, without warning, Aska was thrown into the air of the cavern by a propulsion of invisible energy. Though she was able to maintain her grasp on the weapon, Aska found that the Mirialan had disappeared further into the cavern.

"Where's a Jedi when you freaking need one?" Aska complained as she pushed herself back to her feet, collected her blaster and began to chase after her bounty.

@Corbeau

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Unsure if she was fighting a cadaver or some illusion, Fiach kept an open mind and her options open. Without another word, the crimson blade of her undead opponent’s lightsaber flashed into existence and he launched into a furious attack. The first strike, though powerful, was a bit slow.

Fiach easily side-stepped and delivered a hard, open-handed slap to the back of her opponent’s head.

The Dark Jed (or was that Sith, or even rogue Jedi?) rolled with the impact and quickly returned to his feet. He was enraged and obviously intent on revenge. He drew back his saber and started to advance.

Fiach displayed the patient smile of a teacher whose student has just made a fool of himself. Fiach swung the hilt of her saber around at a leisurely pace. The blade almost sang a song of thrumming energy.

Clearly outraged by the Padawan’s show of disrespect, her opponent lunged forward – leading in with a blinding flurry of strikes. Fiach’s smile never faltered as she swivelled with practiced ease, dodging each attack and countering gently with her own. She was still not adept at all-out attack, but had improved steadily over the years – containing untold hours of practice.

The sabers clashed, sparks flying through the air. The Darksider pulled back and drove ahead with a quick slash toward Fiach’s throat.

Fiach twirled her blade, catching strike mid-stroke and spinning her opponent’s saber through its own momentum. The move spun the weapon right out of her adversary’s grasp. Unfortunately for the Darksider, his right hand was still attached to the handle.

The severed appendage, clutching reflexively to the hilt, fell to the ground.

As her undead opponent stared mutely at the stump of his arm, Fiach planted a boot in his chest. The blow toppled the surprised Darksider and he hit the ground stunned.

Dray readied her lightsaber, but before she could finish the job something caught her attention…the sound of another saber igniting.

In mid-turn, Fiach felt the tip of a blade bite into her back. She ignored the wracking pain of her burned flesh and quickly followed through on her counter.

The strong parry drove her opponent back, giving Fiach some breathing room.

The two combatants began to circle, it was another Darksider and appeared to be another cadaver.

Her oppinent took a tentative swipe high to test her defences. Fiach countered easily. The Padawan was quick, agile, and lithe.

The newcomer moved their lightsaber high overhead – the classic first-position of attack.

Fiach adopted a lateral stance – the classic response.

As expected, the crimson blade arced through a downward strike. Fiach parried with a sharply angled up-thrust. Pushing the attacking blade aside, Fiach almost repeated her previous move, but the newcomer pulled their wrist back just in time.

Crimson and lilac flashed in the darkness.

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Chasing Kiriena through the depth of the cave system proved to be a challenge as Aska pursued her target. The Mirialan had evaded any visual contact but her sinister chuckling could be heard echoing through the chambers, causing shivers to shoot down her spine. On a couple occasions, the sounds of her laughter would cause the hunter to stop until she could pinpoint their direction and proceed with her pursuit. Finally, as it began to sound as though Aska had finally managed to close the distance between the two women, it almost felt as though a cold, clammy hand reached up from the cavern floor and grasped at her ankle. Maybe it was simply her over-active imagination, maybe it was reality. It didn't matter. All that did matter was Aska was now face down on the rocky surface, the feeling of warm blood trickling down her cheek telling her she had gashed the side of her face.

"Why run, Buli?!" Aska called out as she scrambled to her feet, still unsure of her enemies position. "Will your Master approve of you being such a coward?!" The taunt was meant to provoke a reaction from Kiriena but Aska couldn't help but believe that it was also intended, in part, to encourage her self to continue the chase when all she wanted was to return to the surface, fly back to Nar Shaddaa and forget this ever happened. Still, she had overcome much in her life and this wasn't going to be what defeated her.

"Don't you wonder what happened to your Jedi friend, girl?" Kiriena's voice echoed through the cavern. "Let's both go find her, shall we?" Aska gritted her teeth, the taste of her own blood seeping between her lips from the oozing wound on her cheek.

"This is between you and me! Leave Fiach out of this, sleemo!"

@Corbeau
((Posted from my phone))

 

[Fiach Dubh]

They stepped back and circled again.

The Darksider took the lead in the deadly dance, delivering an overhead strike that abruptly became a feint and quickly cut low. Fiach inverted her saber and parried the attack, allowing the impact to direct her blade toward her opponent’s neck. He parried, driving the tip of her blade downward; she was ready for it and their blades quickly locked together.

The paused long enough to offer one another an almost imperceptible nod, a grudging measure of respect.

Again they circled.

The undead warrior unexpectedly launched into a blinding series of slashes. Fiach was hard pressed to block the flurry, but succeeded. Barely. Their last furious exchange left her chest aching for air, so she stepped back to momentarily catch her breath. It cost her.

Instead of taking the opportunity to do the same, or probably because they didn’t have to, her opponent came at her like a mad howler beast. Fiach found herself forced into an ungainly riposte that became useless when his vertical down-strike abruptly transformed into a wicked slash that opened her right shoulder. She winced in pain and stumbled away.

Her eyes were glowing with anger now, the fuel of the dark side. She could feel the power surging through her.

But she pushed it away and took a deep breath and centred herself to calm her emotions.

Yet she felt a desperate craving surging in her belly. A soft whisper that wished to control her life began its soft serenade, but it had no effect. She was no longer angry and therefore the silky seductress’s efforts were in vain.

Now Fiach exploded into a series of fluid strikes that sent her opponent reeling back. She carefully measured her attack pattern and telegraphed a move. The parry he no doubt thought she was surprised at forced her saber upwards. Right where he wanted it. At least that’s what he thought.

He attempted to sweep her left leg out from under her, a move that would give him the upper hand but Fiach’s reaction time was better than he expected. She dropped a hand from her saber, using it to block his extended leg. An instant later she jabbed her other arm forward, using the haft of the weapon to smash him in the face.

The blow split his lip and knocked him to the ground. Instinct and years of training allowed him to retain his hold on the saber, which he waved back and forth to ward off any further strikes.

However, a follow-up attack was not forthcoming. She merely stood over her fallen opponent silently. Then she began to laugh.

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

The twists and turns of the cavern had begun to wear away at Aska's ability to navigate her location. Still, she could hear the laughter of Kiriena as she wove deeper into the depths of the mountain and it urged her forward. Worried for Fiach's safety, no longer aware of the time spent apart from her partner, the woman pushed through the exhaustion and confusion that dominated her. While the urgency of securing her bounty was still near the top of her priority list she was now consumed with just making sure that both her and the Jedi made it out of this with the lives... and sanity.

Finally, as though the universe could hear her thoughts, Aska came to a stop in a wide open chamber. Standing in the center was the familiar form of Fiach as she towered over what looked to be a fallen corpse. Or was the body still living? Was it Kiriena? Impossible. She still heard the laughter... Then it donned on her. It wasn't the Mirialan woman who's laughter that could be heard. It was the Jedi.

"Fiach," Aska began cautiously as she slowly took a few steps towards her ally. Something was wrong about her, though ever since they had entered the cave thing's had taken an incredibly odd turn. "Fiach, are you okay? Have you seen Kiriena?"

((Sorry. Writer's block but I figured I'd spit something out))

 

[Fiach Dubh]

The laugh on her lips was humourless. The Sith were proponents of Dun Möch and Jedi of the past had learned to use the art against them. Fiach was a student of the practice and knew that Dark-siders drew power from negative emotions. But she was also aware that angering one, could fuel their own power. So, her choice of not finishing off her opponent and the laughing were intended to deny the undead opponent a source of energy…but she accepted the risk that it might yet backfire on her.

She sighed deeply and the laughing abruptly ceased. And, at the same time, she heard a familiar voice. Without taking her eyes from the saber-waving cadaver, she smiled and spoke to Aska. “Yes, I’m OK. It’s been an…experience down here, but I’m alright. And I don’t think I’ve seen Kiriena – but then I don’t know who she is.”

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Breathing a sigh of relief, Aska advanced into the chasm. Disrupted earth and dragged footprints covered the floor of the cavern, indicating that the Jedi learner had not been searching the tunnels in peace though the corpse at her feet was also evidence enough of that.

"I hear you," Aska began as she surveyed their surroundings. "I ran into Kiriena not long ago. She was..." Aska's words tailed off momentarily as she recalled the events. "Look... I'm glad you're with me. Thing's have taken a rather... Well, I'm in over my head," Aska regretted even coming here. Killing Terrik. Taking on a task without considering the risks. She knew this was a development that she could have never hoped to predict but never the less, this was beyond her. Fiach was right after all, as was the seer back in Iziz. The Force had brought her here and Aska was only just a pawn. Or was she? It didn't matter. Now, more than ever, she needed the Padawan's assistance. "Kiriena has somehow managed to use the holocron and I think it's... changed her somehow," Gripping the lightsaber hilt in her hand tightly, Aska raised it to show her companion. "She has powers that are like yours. I don't understand what's been going on but this cave... There is a monument deeper along the path I explored. I think this is a tomb,"

((My posts are likely gonna end up being weekend only, unfortunately. Work has been crazy busy and is looking to be until winter))