Ask Here We Meet

[Wurfuhlla]

It was hard for his master to tell which way was the proper direction to go in. She paced back and forth try to sense anything difference between the two options, but she ultimately couldn’t figure it out on her own. Eventually she had to make up her mind. Then she did, she had chose to go right and informed Wurfuhlla that they would continue on together. So the Wookiee would reply,

“Of course master. I wonder.. what lies ahead..”

The Wookiee began down the path following his master. The feelings of the force were vibrant and wavy. He could feel the ripples, there must have been something causing this. But what? Could just be their minds playing tricks on them, but Wurfuhlla thought it unlikely.

The path was long and dark. The light of his saber filling the halls. The light of the torches grew dim and eventually gone. The tunnel grew colder. The Wookiee could see his breath. The feeling of the force grew darker. More bad than good.

“Master.. we should be careful”

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Careful… The word rang in Vayla’s mind like a groaning bell. She had a feeling where this hall might lead. It descended the darkness with smooth stone, not jagged rock, and every now and then, between the dead torches, there was a carving of a Massassi etched into that stone. The figures looked less than inviting.

Turn around, Vay. Time to go back. Yet the light in her hand beckoned the Jedi onward. No. Whatever it is, whatever waits, I have to find out. I have to find it before someone else does. It was no easy feat, no simple thing, made all the more complicated with a Padawan to worry about. By herself, fear would have been a foreign invader no longer permitted the time of day. For now it was a memory resurfacing.

“Whatever we find, Wur, whatever we discover...I am with you.” She exchanged a look, did not smile, but there was steel in her lips and it would not bend or break.

There was no reason to have a secret entrance in an underground base except to conceal something of grave importance. The two Jedi were closing in on what that was. Light led the way, wrapping around a wall further ahead until a door stood out. This one was much more obvious, its red outline contrasting with the grey-brown rock, a golden handle above what could only be a keyhole.

“Well…” Vayla considered as she looked around. It was a dead end beside the door itself. She did not have a key unless her Padawan had stumbled upon one. They did have the Force, though, and could try blasting the door open? “Any ideas?”

@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

His master seemed a little worried. Maybe there really is something dangerous around here. Th force's tension was so thick, Wurfuhlla could probably slice it with his saber.. metaphorically. The pair of Jedi had come across what seemed to be a door at the end of the tunnel. The was a place for some sort of key but, the padawan hadn't seen one around. Without a key the only option was to force blast it open. Though, that would take some energy. The Wookiee looked to his Pantoran master and nodded as he said,

"I'm ready when you are.."

It was indicate that the force push was the option he was choosing. Being that he excels in the force with his roar, that is how he was going to do this. Once his master went to push he would yell, as he was in his power stance to balance the wave of force shooting from his body. Would this be enough to knock down the door? Who knew. The two would go to force push/roar and blast the door.

At first there wasn't a budge, but Wurfuhlla began to roar harder and felt the door begin to crack a little. It became visible before their eyes that it was cracking. The question is, was there something worth finding in there, or was there something being kept in there for the safety of those outside. Only one way to truly find out.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Wurfuhlla’s roar was loud and mighty. Vayla’s was mighty and silent, booming only from the force of her hand as power rocked the wall and rocketed against the door. It was a tough one, thick and snug in the stone around it, and for a moment the Knight held up another hand to indicate for her Padawan to stop. “Listen.”

There was nothing to hear. If anything was waiting on the other side of the door then it had not clued the Jedi in on recognizing their arrival. Just as much there could be nothing. But on both sides of the door was solid rock.

Vayla recalled the collapsed stone back by the pool, where what presumably was a way into the greater depths of whatever temple this once was had been blockaded by a collapse. She did not want the same thing to happen now.

“This stone may be too unstable to keep pushing, Wur. Last thing we want is to be trapped in a cavein. Let’s see…”

Vayla placed a hand on the door itself. “It’s metal. Likely not resistant given the thousands of years it was built. That also works in our favor because it is now ancient metal. I believe we have a key after all. How about you open it?”

Wur already had his lightsaber out to cast light. She gestured for her student to take his lightsaber to the lock. It would likely disintegrate the mechanism altogether and release the bolts from their tension. Failing that, the lightsaber could always carve a hole into the door.

Either way, the way was open, and the way was as dark as the way they had come.

Flashlight shined around a huge grand chamber that was more designed and decorated than the hallway. There were urns and chests, chalices and candles, around the perimeter. Red rock was smoothed over amid the circular room, reaching all the way up to a ceiling as black as the night sky.

What looked like a black boulder was tethered to the ceiling by a chain. It might have been fifteen feet tall and just as wide. Was that...something glistening around it?

“What have we walked into, Wur..?”

@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

His master had enlightened him of what exactly was sitting in front of the pair of Jedi trying to break into whatever lied beyond. It was a door, but made of ancient metal. This was a simple break in. Wurfuhlla walked forward and jabbed both of his lightsabers into the door and began cutting a circle into it. Once the circle was complete, the Wookiee padawan retracted his blades and spartan kicked the center of the circle.

The circle went flying inside the room and Wurfuhlla led the two Jedi into the room, that was more of a chamber. The decor was nice and elegant. The Wookiee had no interest in what was in the chamber other than what hung from the ceiling. A giant ball with glistening stuff all around it. This was what some would call 'above their paygrade.'

"Master I have no idea.."

Wurfuhlla had answered the question truthfully. He has never seen this kinda thing before. Infact this was one of the first chambers he had ever been in. This journey has been full of firsts.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Vayla had posed a question of which she did not expect an academic answer. This was most definitely not a test for a student of which he could succeed or fail. In fact, his answer of having no answer was exactly what his tutor had expected.

What...is that thing..? The Knight begged her own head, her mind sifting through every kind of calculation and scenario as to what business a big black boulder had chained to a ceiling in an underground Massassi temple. Was it even a temple? Any such structure that still stood (or barely stood) on the world of Yavin IV was more than likely to be a ‘temple’ but was it the only kind of construction? Surely not. What then..?

Vayla found herself circling the construct above her, flashlight highlighting every little glistening detail. It definitely appeared to be a boulder; a giant sphere of stone that was just somehow was wet or something nonetheless. She just then bumped into something, startling herself with a mild yelp. It was a table.

Vayla had been so consumed with that boulder that she had forgotten to survey the rest of the hall. In the center was table after table, many possessing chalices beside urns much like the perimeter, only more than that. The ‘center’, it turned out, was its own perimeter; these tables encircled a larger circle that was entirely devoid of object. It was simply stone...but not simply so…

The Knight let the light lead the way as she walked past the tables, taking a breath at what appeared to be embalming tools, and she might have studied them further had her eyes not glimpsed the central circle in the very middle of the chamber. It was gray-brown stone like the walls before only...not just… There were shades of red, shapeless, and other spots that were black. Is that…

“I think we should leave, Wur…” Vayla decided. “We will report this discovery to the Council. Mount an expedition. The Masters will know whether to pursue this finding or seal it shut forever.” Is that...blood?

@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

It was quite the sight. Nothing like this has ever come across Wurfuhlla before. The large gray furred Wookiee had been puzzled by it's looks. He decided to follow his master around to see if anything in particular sticks out from the appearance. Perhaps it could be something of great value to the Jedi.

That's when he heard his master speak of leaving the chamber and then reporting to the council. The padawan knew something was wrong and began to run to the chamber's entrance of where they came. What did she see? What could possibly make her feel the need to escape this place and head straight for the council? Who knew.

The Wookiee made his exit as he felt the ground began to shake. He looked back to be sure he master was coming along, and when he looked at her he made sure there wasn't anything following. He hadn't seen anything, so he turned and rushed out of the chamber.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

The ground quaked, and the boulder shook with it. Vayla could sense it even before she heard it. That’s not ground. Against her better self, she stole a look at the boulder, only to discover that it was not a boulder at all…

Its glistening exterior slickened and sweated, oozed liquid and dripped like raindrops, and where what should have been a spherical end was in fact a kind of mouth in the shape of an ‘X’ just split.

No mouth… Vayla winced as she darted backward, the ‘boulder’ opening up. It was sudden and swift, followed by a coarse cry to put Wurfuhlla’s own Force-roar to shame. The 'cry' was a sheer, ear-splitting wailing from a maw starved... That was more accurate than anyone could have hoped for.

As the boulder crashed against a wall, a chain reaction sent rubble crashing down in front of the doorway that two Jedi had entered. If one Wookiee was caught careless then he would be trapped beneath that rubble. Otherwise he had hopefully leapt back before daring to cross the doorway.

Meanwhile, Vayla watched the boulder sway; that black ball tethered to the ceiling. But it was no mere boulder. A cocoon… The horror was clear as a figure emerged from within it. It was about the same height and width, just as black, but far more ferocious.

Chirodactyls, otherwise known as Dathomirian bats, were native to Dathomir. How had one found itself here? Slumbering for thousands of years? Is it something else!? Thoughts raced through Vayla’s mind as the winged monstrosity erupted from its haven.

Whatever its origin, however it had found its way to Yavin, one thing was for certain: it wanted these Jedi dead. The beast of the lair flapped its wings and swooped low, its talons and claws like swords.

Vayla dodged and rolled, rising with an ignited saber, and suddenly it all made sense. This is no mere chamber… She licked her lips as her eyes darted about the hall. It’s an arena!

@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

Wurfuhlla could sense danger enough to know to dive backwards. When he landed he looked up and noticed the entrance/exit was buried beneath rubble. How great, the Wookiee was now stuck in here with whatever that thing is and he was unsure of his survival. It was very large, and could probably take half of Wurfuhlla's body in one bite. He readied his sabers though, he thought it pointless due to it being so large.

"What is this thing?"

The Wookiee then ran to stand next to his master. Surely she had a plan for this. The padawan was frightened by the thought of dying in a chamber room. The life of a Jedi sounded great until right now. At this point he was wishing to make it home.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

“Get behind me, Wur!” Vayla cried as she readied her blade for the beast’s next blow. Having missed its targets, it shrieked in anger and hunger. Fine...but me first… Hopefully neither Jedi, on that note. The creature circled its cocoon, its great wings booming through the air as they flapped.

The Knight used the opportunity to scour around the chamber, eyeing over this and that, everything and everywhere. The way in was shut. Has to be another way out! She didn’t see one. Didn’t have time to keep looking. The bat was coming back, its body angled downwards and wings folded into it. It would be on them in seconds.

“It’s going to try to bite us.” There was no time to sugarcoat this. Sixteen years old or not, Wurfuhlla was about to face his fears and he would not be alone. “Do not move until I say go! Then you run left! Behind the beast! Clear!?”

The Wookiee would have only enough time to say ‘Yes’ as the monster thundered downward. There was enough space behind the Jedi to move, but backwards was Vayla’s move. Left was Wur's. She gazed up as the mouth opened, strands of saliva stuck between razored rows of teeth, and the maw was a black hole waiting to swallow her whole.

“GO!”

Keeping her eyes focused on the bat, Vayla timed her escape. She bolted backwards, her dashing leap hastened with the Force, just as the huge head crashed upon the ground. The ancient stone cracked, pieces of floor spewing out. The Knight spotted the single talon on either wing impale the floor to brace the body, and then she darted forward.

Her lightsaber swung left and right, slashing out against the creature’s skull. The first strike missed. The second strike tore a line across flesh and bone but there was clearly a lot of both. The beast howled, lashed out with a talon. Vayla rolled away. If nothing else, she had distracted her enemy so that her ally had the element of surprise.

@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

Wurfuhlla had been behind his master as she spoke. Then she set the plan out clear for the Wookiee. It was gut check time. The giant beast was going to attack and it would go straight for them. His course of action was dashing left out of the way. So when the beast began to strike he heard his master say go. So he did.

A dash to the left and continued running put the Wookiee at the backside of the beast. What is he supposed to do now? Surely his master would continue to have him avoid certain death but if all he did was dodge and never attack. Then she would be put into a fatal situation. Wurfuhlla can't let that happen to his master. One master of his has died already, he can't be the one responsible for the second.

The Wookiee took a deep breath and ran towards the beast. Jumping into the air and landing on it's furry back. With one hand Wurfuhlla grabbed onto the beast and with the other he ignited a lightsaber and shoved it inside the beast. A loud thunderous shriek came from the bat-like monster.

"Leave my master alone!" Wurfuhlla called out in Shyriiwook.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

“PAAAD!” Vayla’s voice stole the chamber as she spotted her Padawan tethered to the back of the beast. His bravery would have to be commended later. His master was as much in awe of how much danger Wur was suddenly in.

The chirodactyl shook the walls with its own voice, roaring out its pain and fury as though the dark side had just personified this creature from thousands of years ago. The theory of that was one to contemplate later. Whatever the creature was exactly was less important than what it would take to kill it.

Toward that end, the Jedi Knight had one hand on one ear since her other was clutching a hilt. It was instinct that did it. The great bat had not just shrieked; it had done so in such a way as to harry the hearing of its enemies. It would be even worse for Wurfuhlla given how close he was to the monster itself.

When the screaming ceased, Vayla regained awareness. Determination surged through her like lightning. “Leave my master alone!” she had heard her disciple deliver. His would not be alone. As a winged talon scraped for the intruder on the beast’s back, then another, Vayla plowed forward as though the air in the chamber was a violent tornado.

“LEAVE MY PADAWAN ALONE!” At that, the Knight tore forward. She was less of a being and more of a blast of wind as she drove her lightsaber into the exposed breast of her foe. It screeched again. She endured the pain in her eardrums. There was no fury in her heart. Only a controlled fire that was not shy about blazing so high.

The blade came out. She slashed. Stabbed. Slashed. Stabbed. The bat suddenly whipped its wings to throw off the Wookiee on its back once and for all at the same time as rearing up. That sent its foot kicking forward. Vayla caught the brunt.

The Knight went flying, crashed into a wall and slumped into a ball...

@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

The beast was trying at all costs to get rid of the Wookiee slashing and stabbing it's back repeatedly, when Wurfuhlla's master had began her attack. It was working for a moment. Then the beast threw Wurfuhlla off. Luckily that's all it was, and he landed rolling to his feet. Then he could see his master sent into the wall and lying on the ground. She was curled into a ball. The Wookiee wanted to check on her to see if she's okay but that would leave them both vulnerable.

When beast noticed her weakness, it was ready to pounce. While Wurfuhlla felt an anger within him. A fiery sensation was forming within him. Hatred for this beast grew. What was this raw power? Where did it come from? Why didn't he have this before?

Wurfuhlla could feel himself become more powerful. Running forward he imagined blasting the beast with this fiery force and then it happened... out of pure anger electricity flew out from his hand and began frying the Chirodactyl. Then jumping toward it he ignited both of his blades and sent them into the neck portion of the beast.

"You will pay for that!"

Wurfuhlla remained on the beast stabbing in different spots with both of his sabers.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Vayla had hit the wall hard. Her back had taken the brunt of the blow. Her head had not been spared. During her flight, she had remembered her training in an instant—rely on the Force in an instant—and one instant later she was already bracing herself. It was not much but it was enough. Had she hit the wall with just her body then she would probably be unconscious.

Yet, something surged within her. Something sparked. It was the sound of electricity. It was the crackle of lightning. Lightning… Lightning. Her eyes flung wide open. Lightning. No! “Wurfuhlla!” The great beast was beneath the Wookiee once more, drowning the chamber in an agonized wail. “No!”

Vayla could see it, but more than that she could feel it. There was fire echoing from her Padawan. There was...darkness. No. Was she overreacting? Her own master would have known otherwise. Half-dazed, the Knight scrambled to her feet.

The beast reared itself upright once more, frantically stabbing for the Wookiee on its back with both of its winged talons. One touch would kill him, impaling right through his body if it landed. It wasn’t just rearing up, though. It’s taking off! The wings gave a mighty boom in what was likely a final attempt to survive.

Wur’s master was on the move once more. Saber ignited in one hand, Vayla channeled energy into herself and released it in her left hand. The air around the monster’s feet came alive in a swirl of misted crystal, then a block of ice suddenly cast around an ankle and glued it to the floor. “You’re not going anywhere! Neither is my apprentice!”

Then, as one, as Vayla covered the distance in an instant, both Jedi slashed and stabbed their blades into the beast to silence its screams once and for all.

@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

This beast needed to die. His anger was helping him. It powered him.. why wouldn’t the Jedi use this to their advantage? It was successful. The strength of the Wookiee was greater, he was faster, he could channel lightning, kinda. And yet, the Jedi refuse this power? Why? It’s keeping the two of them alive. Wurfuhlla turned to see his master yelling ‘no’ and couldn’t help but wonder why, does she believe this beast should live too?

“Master I can end this monster once I reach it’s head.”

Wurfuhlla had been dodging the claws striking. They were just doing more damage to the Chirodactyl. This was good. Wurfuhlla could dodging while moving to the head. At this point it was trying to lift itself into the air. Flapping it’s wings. Something was restricting it though. His master Vayla was responsible.

As she held it in place she jumped onto it and began to sink her sabers into the beast. The cries were horrendous. Deafening even. The Wookiee reached the head of the beast. Winding up his arms he slammed his blades into the eyes of the giant monster. A fading shriek came from the beast. At the same time it was falling, falling from the sky back to the ground. The pair of Jedi held on for dear life as it crashed into the rocky ground.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Vayla had thrust her blade at the one spot where she presumed a heart would be. Withdrew the blade. Thrust in another spot just in case. In the end, the beast had fallen to never rise again, slamming upon the stone ground as the Knight leapt from her opponent and back onto her feet.

Her first priority was to assess the creature. It was not moving. Was not breathing. And no life was sensed from its motionless form. It simply lay there; a mass of black and brown, glistening wings and fur, with its mouth opened to reveal the kind of teeth that would have torn these two Jedi apart. Its eyes were...gone...and no brain was functioning behind it.

Her second priority was to assess her Padawan. He had fought just as hard as his master had, just as determined, but more than that and in a way that was as dangerous as the fight itself had been.

His display of tapping into his emotions in all the wrong ways had not gone unnoticed and would not go unchecked. Some abilities, on the other hand, had to ever be checked.

“Wur…” Vayla paced over, genuinely concerned for his physical state as much as mental. “...Are you okay..?”

@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

After the beast fell to the ground. Wurfuhlla hopped off the beast and began to assess the feats from it. No breath, no life.. no eyes. The Wookiee could only feel hatred towards the beast as he was breathing ever so heavy. His back was turned to his master as he stared at the beast he killed then down to his hands of which some smoke was floating off of.

He felt the touch of his master's hand on his scarred and bleeding back. Then turned around quickly in reaction to it. to reveal that his once soft purple eyes were glowing yellow. The sight of her worry had brought some hatred down. Was she scared for him? Was she scared OF him? What we she worrying about? Why is she looking at him like this? Has he done something wrong?

"What is it master?"

The Wookiee Padawan was genuinely confused on what she was worried over.. they won.. shouldn't that be enough for her?

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Oh, Pad… Vayla winced as her fingers trailed the wounds that licked Wurfuhlla’s back. She had been thrown against the wall, almost knocked out, but he had been torn at, almost killed outright. That, though, was far less worrying than the eyes that just entered hers. No…

There it was. It was happening again. Happening again. Again. All over again. Wur’s eyes had been so beautiful; eyes as purple as amethysts, so filled with life and full of potential. But these eyes… Those eyes...his eyes...his eyes...those eyes…

What had caused this? What had done it? Was it fighting such a monster? Its dark energy radiating from its very fur? Was it the chamber? The Massassi essence? The master getting attacked? Something else? What? What did this? What happened?

Questions raced beside memories, the Knight remembering her previous Padawan, then her own master, and neither was as good a memory as the other.

“Look at me, Wur…” Vayla insisted as she placed a hand on his arm. Her other held the hilt of her saber, deactivated, and she would not ever ignite the blade. Could not. Should not. Would not. “...Look into my eyes…”

Her own danced between his, like a mother holding her son in her arms to just console him and care for him as if swaying to the hum of the embrace...and then holding still. "...Listen to my voice..." Emotion, yet peace.

“You felt anger. You feel power. Does it feed you?" His master shook her head. "Those feelings lead to hate, Wur, and hate will take away your love... Your love for peace, for people, for me, for what is right, for what is bright."

Look into my eyes. Do not look away. I will not. “Remember the hilt in your hand. Remember the weight you carry. Don't let it carry you. You are not alone. I am safe. We are okay. Because we relied on each other... We relied on our compassion." She smiled. “But if you rely on your anger, on your fear, on your hate...then you will end up like the creature beside us.”

Vayla squeezed her Padawan's shoulder. "I will not let that happen." Not again.

@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

It was a surprise to hear her reaction. It was a confusing matter, Wufuhlla had only known that he was stronger now. Feelings had been fueled by his hatred for this beats and... that's what it was wasn't it?.. he let his hatred take over... how did he let this happen? He couldn't feel any control lost. He was in the driver seat the whole time, it was all him. Yet he knew somehow it was different. Then he noticed the air around him was cold. Dark. This was wrong.

All of his hate was fading as he realized what was wrong. Him. The warmth of caring was refilling as tears would fill his still eyes. He was shocked that he had done this. He looked into Vayla's eyes and was speechless. He had never known the darkside and how good it felt. That's the reason the Jedi don't succumb to it. It was too easy...

With tears filling his eyes the yellow slowly faded and changed back to the natural purple he had once before. The violet colors had filled his eyes once more as he wept in front of his master. A traumatizing moment to realize he broke the Jedi rules. Would there be punishment?

"I.. I'm sorry... I didn't... I didn't know..."

The wookiee dropped to his knees as he wrapped his arms around his master. He was scared.. scared next time he won't be able to stop himself.

@Die Shize