Ask Ghosts of the Past

[Arla]

Per my new OP template, thread is death enabled​

Malachor was a world so often overlooked within the Sith Empire today. Although it's location had been discovered when the Sith had retaken that land traditionally labeled "Sith Space" most had never seen fit to travel to or set foot on this barren world.

Arla, however, was not most people. She craved the knowledge that others lacked and a deeper understanding of what it meant to be one with the Shadow. With that goal in mind, she had landed on Malachor with the goal of not only searching the old temple, but searching out rumors of an old academy hidden away on the planet, and delving into its secrets.

By all reports, the Malachor temple - although partially destroyed - could only be accessed with two Sith: traditionally a master and apprentice. For that reason, Arla had been forced to conscript an acolyte.

The Explorer had touched down on the surface, and Arla had wasted no time in disembarking and letting her gaze sweep across the barren, literally dead landscape under the surface. She wondered what kind of weapon could have all but buried this massive temple or if it had been originally designed like that. So much history of the Order had been lost, but that was why people like Arla were here: to dig up the past.

She turned back to the acolyte with her and pondered for a moment. She'd heard some of the rumors about her origins within the Sith, and wondered if they were true. If they were, she could prove quite an interesting source of information, and Arla would have been lying if she said that hadn't at least partially motivated her interest in the woman.

We'll start with the temple and then move to try to find the academy later, she said, motioning first to the massive temple ahead and the battlefield full of ashen figures that littered the space between it and them.

 

[Renata K'Sahn]

The trip to Malachor had been quiet and typical of most excursions Renata had undertaken with higher ranking Sith. She couldn't help but wonder if being icy was a prerequisite for promotion within the Order, though it probably just came with the territory. It wasn't like ranking up in the Sith Order wasn't fraught with its own brand of peril.

As they exited Arla's ship, Renata noticed as the Champion turned back to her and seemed to think for a few moments. Renata wondered if it was something she had done or if Arla had a question that she wanted to ask, but nothing came out except for the next set of instruction.

Surprising there is any academy left here to find, She said before starting to head towards the temple that loomed in front of them. What happened here?

All things considered, Renata was fairly naive about a lot of galactic happenings, especially ones that happened in the past. Her Jedi training hadn't really gotten to the history part before she was taken from them, and Sith training never really seemed to focus on things outside of kill or be killed.

It left gaps in Renata's knowledge that she was somewhat embarrassed about, but she didn't shy away from trying to fill those gaps by asking questions that might have obvious answers to most.

As they walked past the ashen souls of a battle long past, Renata could feel the power in the darkside that radiated from Malachor. It piqued her interest intensely. She had never been to a place that felt so.. powerful. Well, except for maybe Korriban .

Are we looking for anything in particular?

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla shrugged slightly, her demeanor slacking slightly as Renata asked about the academy and what they were doing here.

Honestly, it might not be. The academy was started up thousands of years ago and presumably wipe out during the battle. Thing is: I don't know of anyone who's actually gone looking for it, she explained.

She walked on through the battlefield, feet leaving impressions in the ash and soot wherever they walked.

Battle of Malachor. It was a Sith temple that the Jedi assaulted, she said, having done a great deal of reading herself before coming here. She pointed up at the top of the temple where parts of the pyramid were mangled now.

During the battle, the pyramid - a superweapon of sorts - detonated and wiped out combatants on both sides, she said.

What academy are you from? They didn't teach you any of this? she asked, a neutral, silvery gaze looking back at the woman. It wasn't a strong recommendation for the work the academies did: teaching people to fight and kill, but not to think. One more reason for her to continue considering creating her own arcane academy.

As for what we're looking for... she paused a moment in thought. That was a broad question. ...data on the weapon here, old techniques, historical documents. Anything else of interest, she said.

She came to base of the ruins and keyed the side of the wall for the controls to the elevator. Just enough room for two as the small lift ascended the side of the temple. The entire place had an eerie vibe, but it radiated an aura of power beneath it all. A promise and a whisper of something more that was just outside of their reach.

 

[Renata K'Sahn]

Renata didn't immediately answer Arla's question about which academy she'd attended. Formal academic training was something she'd always wanted but.. never really got. Under the observation and tutelage of Aadya Rasheer field training was much more common. Feet straight to the coals.

Renata couldn't deny it was an effective way to train someone to do very specific things. Not a lot of time for aspirations or general study. Unfortunate, but it had molded her into a capable Sith. Well, mostly capable. Still, Renata hoped that Arla wouldn't judge her too harshly for not having a formal Sith education.

I didn't, not really. She said finally, shrugging her shoulders a bit in an attempt to play it off. The majority of my training has occurred under Champion Aadya Rasheer. I believe me and several others were placed under her charge when she uh, kidnapped us from the Jedi on Yavin several years ago.

As she and Arla made their way to the elevator and began their ascension into the temple proper, Renata pondered over the things Arla had told her about Malachor. She found it surprising that the Jedi of all people would have left such devastation to fester unabated after a battle.

Eventually, the elevator reached its destination and the doors slid open, revealing a long abandoned hallway covered in the thick dust of passed time. Renata exited the elevator, her eyebrow arched in curiosity and her footsteps muffled as she kicked up a bit of the dust as she walked.

There must be a reason no one has come looking here, Renata said, turning to look at Arla. You can feel the power of this place in the air. It hums with the darkside more than anywhere I've ever been.. Though she didn't really know why, Renata spoke with a whisper to her voice, as if someone could be just out of sight eavesdropping on their conversation.

That, or anyone who's ever tried never makes it back to tell anyone about it.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Oh well, that was certainly interesting. So the rumors that Arla had heard were true. And the woman had taken on multiple acolytes at once as well. It was a shame that she didn't seem to train them to develop their minds.

Well, your lack of knowledge about the history of the Sith should be remedied, she said. I highly doubt that if the Jedi taught you anything about the Sith that it was exactly "accurate," she said.

They ascended and came to the hall, taking a deep breath as she came to the first of the giant stones that needed to be lifted.

Yeah, it's strange, she agreed. Although she didn't know it, the last time anyone was here - Darth Maul, Darth Vader, Ahsoka, Kanaan, Ezra, and the Inquisitors - they had nearly all blown themselves up.

This test is why the temple requires two, she said. We have to alternate lifting the stones. Prepare yourself, she said. She reached out and lifted the first into the air before stepping under it, straining under the weight. Renata would need to lift the next so they could step under and Arla would release the first before lifting the third. On and on they would go for nearly a dozen stones before they came to the central room with an abyss opening at their feet that seemed to stretch forever. An abyss she wasn't sure anyone had ever searched...

Thoughts on being in the Sith versus the Jedi? Speak plainly, she said. She was curious and had no patience for half-answers.

 

[Renata K'Sahn]

Lifting stones? Well, that didn't seem too difficult. Renata was glad that at least the first test she would do in front of Arla was one she was capable of doing. While her knowledge about the history of the Sith might have been severely lacking, her aptitude and ability to command the force certainly was not. Aadya had made sure of that, at least.

As Arla lifted her stone and stepped beneath it, Renata did the same for the second stone. She found it surprising how heavy the stone was, faltering just a little bit as she shakily lifted it into the air and stepped beneath it.

I was only with the Jedi for a very short time, maybe a year or two. Renata said as she and Arla continued alternating lifting and lowering the stones. But even at a young age I found their teachings.. questionable. The Sith's emphasis on self-reliance and personal strength are much more appealing.

Renata could feel the heft of the stones starting to drain her just a little bit. They seemed to get heavier and heavier as they went along, though she refused to fail Arla. Renata wasn't one to shy away from challenges, even if it might have been smarter to do so. She would push herself as far as necessary.

I've had many opportunities to leave the Sith, but I've never felt compelled to. I've seen the Jedi and their failures at the hands of pretty much anyone who has encountered them. They are weak and I would be wasted there.

As they approached the final stone, Renata held the heaviest one she'd hoisted so far in the air above her head, a bead of sweat forming on her brow as she stood beneath it. Renata waited patiently for Arla to lift the last stone, not complaining despite her discomfort.

What do you think of the Jedi? She asked, hoping for a more thoughtful answer than the ones Sith typically gave.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

It was certainly a good thing that Renata was determined not to fail because failure would mean certain death. At multiple tons, the stones could easily crush them, and that was no accident. In the Sith only the strong were privy to the secrets of the Dark Side. Those who fell short were disposed of. Or at least, that used to be the way of the Sith.

As Arla bent down to look into the abyss below, she thought about the question that Renata posed. What did Arla think of the Jedi? She wasn't really sure she was qualified to have an opinion.

Don't think I've ever actually met one, so not sure I can really say, she said. She held her hand up over the abyss and let an orb of light form before flinging it downward. It fell down and down and down, and Arla let out a little hmph.

Her gaze rose to the central pedestal which was damaged and mangled, now hanging on by barely its foundations that extended deep into the pits of the ground.

I do know they have a tendency to be arrogant and think that the Force belongs to them. They came to pillage our temples on Dathomir before. It didn't end well for them, she said. But the truth was, she asked in part because she wanted to learn more.

Suppose I thought you might have more insight, she said. After what seemed like an eternity of looking down into the hole, Arla looked over to Renata. Arla knew techniques for getting herself across or up the side of the thing, but that wasn't going to help Renata.

We need to go up there, she said, pointing to the upper area. I can scale the wall, but I doubt that's a skill you've learned, she said. In fact, it was a skill most Sith never learned.

Have you learned to levitate? she asked. Many Sith and Jedi used it during meditation. It was hardly what one could consider "flight" but it could be used to slowly ascend upwards if need be.

We need to take a look at the weapon's firing mechanism, she explained.

 

[Renata K'Sahn]

Never met one? Renata asked, a sense of curiosity in her voice as she arched an eyebrow. The way the Jedi used to tell us made it seem like every Sith goes out and hunts Jedi for sport. Champion Rasheer did little to convince me that wasn't the case.

Arrogance isn't the word I would use. Ignorance seems more appropriate. Renata said as she went over to peer down the hole with Arla. It gave her a small sense of unease standing on the precipice of what seemed like an endless way down. Logically she knew there must be a bottom, but that gave her little comfort. Above everything else, the Jedi want to control. They will deny it, but they are liars.

Gaze trailing Arla's pointing, Renata at first was unsure of how the were going to get up there. Her interest was piqued when Arla said she could simply scale the wall and her mind went first to wondering if the Champion was hiding spider legs beneath her clothes.

I have, yes. She answered with a nod of her head.

Letting the force flow around her, Renata focused her mind and slowly began lifting herself with her own telekinesis. It wasn't smooth or necesssarily pretty, but she was able to accomplish the goal in the end. Renata rose through the air and eventually - likely a little after Spider-Arla had managed to get up there - found herself in the upper area.

I wouldn't imagine the firing mechanism could offer much information at this point, She said when finally catching up to Arla. Though, maybe we could figure out what they used to fuel a weapon so powerful. I'm sure the Empire would be interested in that sort of thing.

Since Renata had little experience in well, pretty much anything they were doing here, she would let Arla take the lead in investigating the firing mechanism. She just hoped that the Champion didn't accidentally set it off some how. Renata much preferred being alive than atomized.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Some Sith do, she agreed. But some Sith are also... she paused a moment, trying to think of the term. ...a little shallow. I don't have any inherent ill-will toward the Jedi if they'd stay out of my way, she said.

She nodded in agreement about what Renata said. Yes, the Jedi did want control, didn't they? Her Mother had always talked about how half the galaxy was just the Jedi Empire. Things had changed since then, though.

Arla took several steps back as Renata began to float, and she closed her eyes. She summoned the ur-spirits near and channeled first the Speed of the Toocha and then the Touch of the Kiin'Dray. She darted forward and leapt, letting the Shadow flow through her to propel her through the air to the central spire before her fingers clung to sheer wall, her feet also binding through something akin to a telekinetic grip. With the Touch of the Kiin'Dray, she began to scramble up the side of the spire and ascend out the top to come to the pinnacle of the temple.

It was largely in ruins, and she hummed slightly in annoyance that Renata was probably right: the firing mechanism was probably not going to tell them much. It was largely destroyed.

It channeled from here, she said, though truthfully, she was also a bit out of her element. While she knew the Shadow and even Sith sorceries, she didn't know technology as well.

Wait, can you hear that? Or feel it? she said, pausing and frowning. I think that's a kyber crystal! she exclaimed excitedly. She started digging down, lifting and moving stones with the Force, dropping them into the abyss hole before realizing something.

We might need to go down. To the core of the temple, she said. In other words, the abyss. No time like the present.

So if you weren't taught anything about Sith history do you even really understand what being a Sith is? she asked as she started preparing some downward levitation. As it turned out, Arla was in a teaching mood, though whether Renata was interested would remain to be seen. Despite everything else, Arla definitely had a nerd streak that she had inherited from both of her parents.

 

[Renata K'Sahn]

Renata suddenly found Arla very intriguing, she had not expected her to have that opinion of Jedi. Shit, she didn't expect any Sith to feel that way. It made her want to learn more about the rather aloof Sith Champion, but Renata also didn't want to come across as overly eager or annoying.

I do feel it! Renata said, her eyes widening a bit in surprise as she started to help Arla move stones out of the way before the Champion stopped suddenly and she followed suit.

When Arla mentioned having to go down into the abyss, Renata peered over the edge and stared down into the looming depths below. A sigh of apprehension escaped her lips as she thought about diving into such an unknown, but her trepidation was quickly overruled by her curiosity of just what they might find down there.

I know the code. I know the darkside, albeit it not as well as you. Renata said, pulling her gaze away from the abyss for a moment and turning it to Arla. I know what I want and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get it. But if that isn't enough to understand what being a Sith is, then maybe I don't.

Kicking a stone off the edge of the platform, Renata shrugged before adding. And if that's the case, you should teach me.

Without another word, Renata took a step off the edge of the platform and began plummeting downwards into the darkness. She was confident enough to stop her landing with the force, not wanting to become a fine paste layering the floor of an ancient Sith temple.

Renata couldn't help but smirk just a little as the inky blackness swallowed her whole.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla thought about what Renata said, and it was certainly on the right track. It was her first steps into the Dark Side, but being a Sith was more than just the first steps, even if they were the right path. She supposed that was why she was still learning, and it was something Arla could help with.

You're on the right track, she said, stepping over to the abyss as well before taking the leap off. She closed her eyes as the inky blackness swallowed her, letting her mind reach out into the energy field that bound her to everything else. She could suddenly sense the floor far below, and as it approached, she pulled on herself, letting the drag of the Shadow pull her back from slamming into the ground as she landed gracefully on the floor.

With a wave of her hands, she thrust one of her palms upward and a trio of glowing green orbs hovered above her head, providing an eerie green illumination to the otherwise blackened nothingness down here.

Nothingness apart from the electrical cables leading deeper underground, no doubt wherever the kyber crystal was.

Talk to me about the Sith Code, she said as she walked deeper into the abyss.

It seems like most Sith can spit out the words, but they don't really understand it. Not like the old Lords did, at least, she added. It probably seems stupid and tedious, but it's the foundation of everything, she said. If more Sith really understood it, they would have fewer dabblers with the Dark Side and more actual Sith. The irony, of course, was that Arla saw herself as a Nightsister before being a Sith, but that wasn't relevant to this conversation.

 

[Renata K'Sahn]

The heaviness of the darkside Renata felt as she fell through the darkness was an odd feeling; one of stark contrast to the freedom of weightlessness that came with the freefall. Before long, Renata could sense the impending presence of the floor beneath her and reaching out with the force, she slowed her descent enough to land with the faintest thud of her boots hitting the ground.

I don't find the Code stupid nor tedious, Renata said honestly as she looked around, grateful for the vision Arla's globes of greenlight provided. She saw nothing of immediate interest, but the foyer was never the most interesting room in the house. It was actually one of the things I found most compelling about the Sith. Especially in contrast with the code the Order espouses.

As they walked, Renata's eyes followed the tangle of electrical cables that lead deeper into wherever they were going, her mind elsewhere as she contemplated the Code and Arla's instruction to.. talk to her about it.

Nwûl tash. Dzwol shâsotkun. The language of the Old Sith, though she had never heard the language spoken, Renata had taken some time to memorize the first few lines of the Code. Her diction was probably off a little bit, but the tomes she'd managed to find containing the language had done a half-decent job at describing how it was spoken. A whisper somehow still guttural, but still flowing in its viscosity like river of slowly congealing blood. Peace is a lie, there is only passion.

A line that Renata had pondered a lot. It ran in direct opposition to the first line of the Jedi Code, or at least the one she had been taught. Even though Renata hadn't heard that Code spoken in nearly a decade, she still remembered it - every word. Something that she'd tried to forget many times.

The necessity of conflict is the intent, I think. Without it we simply stagnate and decay. We learn so little from peace, real progress only occurs through strife. To attempt to stifle this or control it is simply folly.

Looking toward Arla, Renata arched an eyebrow in curiosity before asking: What do you think?

She also couldn't help but wonder if they would find any other living things down here. She sort of hoped they wouldn't. No telling what kind of monsters and danger lived down in the deep.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Yeah, you're on the right track, she said, pressing on through the darkness, and though she sensed danger ahead, she didn't actually seem to tense up or acknowledge it yet. They definitely were not alone down here.

Renata made a good point, and even hit on an angle that Arla hadn't really thought about before. Conflict and competition are the natural order. Evolve or die is the way of nature, and that is what the Jedi try to quash, she said.

The Nightsisters did pay homage to the Winged Spirit, and that was where things differed from the Sith. The Sith believed only in the power of the Fanged Spirit, but the wise individual saw the potency of both.

Growth and nourishment and revitalization do have a place, but not at all costs. Death is a natural part of life, she said. Ironically, the Jedi have their little line about "no death" but that spits in the face of the Force itself, she said. The Jedi were... well, they could potentially have their uses, but they certainly not if they stood in the way of the truly great.

Sometimes the weak have to die in order to feed the strong, she said. Take all predators out of an ecosystem and the grazers feed until there's nothing left, famine sets in, and everyone dies. That's the "utopia" the Jedi want, she said with a sigh and a shake of the head.

Passion is the key to everything. Do you know why? she asked.

 

[Renata K'Sahn]

Renata listened intently to what Arla had to say, taking a bit of pride boost to her ego as the Sith Master seemed to agree with what she had said, or at the very least hadn't scolded her for being totally off base and stupid - something she had seen quite a bit from other higher ranking members of the Sith.

Thinking on the final question Arla had posed, Renata found herself struggling a bit to come up with a reason why passion itself could be the key to all things. It made sense for it to hold a high importance, it was in the very first line of the Code after all. And then she remembered something she had read in one of the few dusty tomes she'd managed to get her hands on and find the time to immerse herself in.

"To think us creatures beyond the need of simple passions is a delusion."

She had thought the line odd and a little debasing when she'd initially read it, but its truth began to come to focus now that Renata thought about it through a different lens, her perspective widened by the things Arla had said.

Passion is what keeps all things, from simple creatures to the most evolved of us, alive. Without it we are nothing. Passion gives us strength we otherwise would not have and suppressing this only fosters weakness.

Renta said it with confidence, but there was still a tinge of unsureness in her voice. Whether she would admit it or not, Renata wanted to impress Arla, to show that she wasn't just another fledgling acolyte meandering only to die face down in the mud like most of them did. She was not canon fodder.

Plus, maybe she would get lucky and Arla would find her interesting.. interesting enough to maybe even offer to train her for real.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla pressed onward as they spoke, and the tunnel began to grow wider just before she answered. She entered a room that the tunnel had led to before she finally lay eyes on the thing she had come here for: a kyber crystal the size of a huttball suspended in a large variety of contraptions.

Her mouth dropped open slightly and her face lit up as she saw it. For a moment, she had almost forgotten she hadn't answered Renata's statement yet.

Yes. Passion is what makes life worth living, she said. Take someone who has lost their passion and set it aside. They may be alive, but they're not living. Not feeling the wind whipping through their hair on the back of a rancor or the thrill of victory over an adversary, she sad, her fingers sliding along the smooth edge of the crystal.

Or the power of the entire galaxy flowing through their veins, she said. She thought back a moment before remembering something she'd heard from an old Sith Master's holocron. Unlike so many, he had supported "fear" more than "anger" as a source of power in the Dark Side.

How can you push past exhaustion. Fight harder than possible and longer than possible without the most natural emotions that drive every living creature: fear and the will to survive, she said. Though she had put her own spin on it, the words were the Sith Lord's.

We won't be able to dislodge this without finding the runes anchoring it in place and breaking them, she said, quickly switching back and forth between business and the interesting side conversation they were having. There were numerous branches leading off of this main chamber into tunnels of their own, and Arla had that sinking feeling that not all of them were empty.

We should be careful, I do not think we're alone down here, she said, and yet she immediately went back to their conversation like she hadn't just warned about impending danger.

And so, then, what is the true goal of a Sith? she asked. This was the question. That question so many disagreed on and the question that meant everything about who a Sith was. The truth was, Arla was even still figuring out parts of it.

 

[Renata K'Sahn]

That's one of the things I never understood about the Jedi. How can one achieve anything if they are always concerned with 'serenity' and bottling up the things that actually make you, I don't know, human?

Renata spoke a bit candidly as she and Arla poked around the massive kyber crystal. When the Sith Master mentioned the possibility of having to break runes to dislodge it from its prison, Renata found herself incredibly intrigued by the idea. She'd never done anything like that before - hell, she'd never even really seen real Sith runes before.

Unable to keep an arched eyebrow of concern from raising when Arla mentioned they might not be alone, Renata quickly shook it from her face. She didn't want her to think that she was afraid or anything. Aadya hadn't trained her to feel fear in the face of potential danger. In fact, she'd been trained for the opposite. To run headfirst - smartly, though - into whatever made you afraid.

Arla's last question knocked around Renata's mind for a few moments and honestly, the girl was a little unsure of her answer. What was the true goal of a Sith? It seemed like one of those questions where the answer was different depending on who you asked. But there had to be an actual answer, right?

Renata was sure of it.

Tilting her head towards Arla, she said the only thing that came to mind. The only thing that really made sense.

Freedom.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla headed down one of the passages, following the trail of power she could feel emanating from the runes. She didn't anticipate them being terribly difficult to break after thousands of years of natural decay, but she would have to wait and see.

That is what I would say, she agreed. That answer, however, seemed to be in contention among the Sith today. Most of them didn't seem to know what they were fighting for or why.

As Arla pressed onward, she arrived at the runes in question, carved into the stone.
Belli olmak! she said, putting a hand against the rune as flecks of red spark shot from her fingers. The runes all began to glow a deep, fiery red so they were far more visible.

Hm, she said thoughtfully for a moment before reaching out a hand. More wisps of red smoke appeared from her hand.

Gidermek! she commanded with authority, focusing her power on the runes. The stone cracked in two from bottom to top, tearing through the runes and breaking their power with hiss followed by a screeching sound as if some spirit had been banished.

Hm, she said again before turning back to Renata. Off to the other one, she said, continuing on with their conversation like nothing had happened.

So then, Renata. What is it that you want? Why are the Sith the right choice for you? Any number of positions in the galaxy could give you power, she said.

 

[Renata K'Sahn]

Renata watched with unabashed curiosity and interest as Arla got to work banishing the first runes they came across. While she wasn't familiar with the words that Arla spoke when she conjured the magick, Renata assumed it was probably ancient Sith. Though, it did lack some of the harsh guttural tones that Renata had come to associate with old language.

II don't know if I would definitely say the Sith are the right choice for me, She said honestly, casting a glance toward Arla to gauge her reaction to such a statement. But the Order does seem to be the correct choice right now.

Truth be told, Renata had been offered very few choices when it came to the course of her own life. Even the Jedi, who of course had asked her if she wanted to join, seemed more of a voluntold type of situation more than anything. Her parents had been so quick to trust the Jedi, to give her away with such ease.

And then of course, came Aadya Rasheer. Renata had had very little agency when it came to that "choice" too. Very few times if any had anyone deigned to ask Renata what she wanted from her life. As such, she wasn't quite sure how to answer Arla's question.

With the Sith, the path to freedom and power seems the most straight forward. She said as they continued their search for the next runes. But it has crossed my mind that at some point, I may outgrow what it is they have to offer.

While thus far their galivanting through the musty and dusty temple corridors had been without incident, Renata couldn't help but feel a touch of unease as they ventured further. She wondered if Arla's banishing of the runes had caused something in the bowels of the temple to stir.

It danced on the ripples of the darkside that pulsed throughout the entire place, and whatever it was felt very unfamiliar to Renata. More primal energy than she was used to which made her think it wasn't another person traipsing around in the dark.

Do you feel that? She asked, her voice a hushed whisper. Something is coming.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla set off down the other tunnel in search of the other set of runes as Renata spoke. She considered what the girl said for a moment, but didn't speak right away. There was a lot of dissect in a statement like that, and Arla was certainly not one to talk when it came to exclusive loyalty to the Sith.

You have to find your own path, no one can choose it for you. People will be more than happy to make you a pawn or underling, and you might be satisfied with that, but there are many competing theories out there about the nature of existence, she said.

She sensed the same movement ahead, and nodded when Renata asked if she felt it.

Yes, be ready, she said. The further down this tunnel they pressed, the more bodies - and pieces of bodies - she saw. She was beginning to understand why no one had ever claimed the kyber crystal.

It was only as she neared the end and felt the power of the runes, that she finally saw the beast that guarded them. She didn't know how long the creature had been down here, but she was not a fan...

She placed her hands together and started channeling the Force, sending out a wave of energy into the creature to knock it backwards, only for it to seemingly barely move and roar in anger. Excellent. She hated it.

 

[Renata K'Sahn]

Before Renata could ponder over what Arla had said the two were swiftly confronted by the kind of creature she assumed only existed in weird scary holovids. It was the size of a bantha and was a hundred times as ugly.

Oh what the fuck, Was all Renata could manage to say as Arla let loose a wave of force energy that seemed to do.. almost literally nothing to the hulking bug.

The beast's roar echoed off the ancient stone walls of the temple, knocking dust and bits of debris down from the ceiling. Renata's lightsaber snapped to her hand, its blade igniting in a flash of crimson. While she was desperate to become adept in the force the same way Arla was, Renata was much more proficient with her lightsaber at this point in her training.

Plus, she'd never met a bug that couldn't be squished. Or in this case, sliced up into pieces by a beam of plasma. Taking off towards the bug, Renata was met with something she hadn't quite expected and was forced to think on the fly - on the beetle? - to avoid it.

As she ran towards it, the bug opened its disgusting mouth and lobbed a glop of bright green acid right towards her. Doing the only thing she could to avoid getting liquified, Renata dove forward with her lightsaber extended. While her dive wasn't particularly graceful, she was still able to catch the left front-most foreleg of the bug and slice it clean off.

The spray of the acid still sent a couple of trickles that hit her, burning through her clothes and into her skin but dissipating before extensive damage was done.

Though, Renata was now beneath the giant bug and staring straight up into its tooth-lined maw, her eyes widening a little as she hoped to high hell Arla would do something and she wasn't going to get eaten alive or worse.

@Phoenix