(Jedi) A Tale Best Left Untold.

[Denzein]

((OOC: Please note this is open to Jedi characters only - others can ask, but please don't be offended if I say no.))

The dug grunted as the hooded man tossed a credit stick at him in payment for his services. He certainly paid well but the lightsaber on his belt led the dug to believe that whatever he was getting out of this trade wasn't quite worth it... But then it was suicide to challenge a Jedi, he should have been satisfied that the man had deigned to pay him at all. He nodded his head in respect for what was no doubt a hero of their great alliance and drove away, leaving the Jedi on the outskirts of town. Whatever business the man had in the wilds was no concern of the dug's... He just wanted to get back home to feed his kid.

Lecchamemnon waited patiently for the sound of the taxi's guttering engine to fade before striking out into the wilderness, not needing the locator beacon strapped to his wrist to know where he was going. The force guided him and he followed where it led, treading the path he had seen in his vision. There was something of value here in these woods on Malastare, something ancient that had been forgotten long ago. His dreaming had been dark and filled with horror, so he assumed that what awaited him here was also evil.

He was here to uncover the dark side, which was the only reason he went anywhere. What he'd do when he found it should have been obvious to anyone. Should have been.

After many hours of hiking through the forests of Malastare the former grandmaster of the Jedi stopped, closed his eyes and waited. The force swirled about him, well used to being channeled through his powerful form in ways few other life forms could even imagine. He was close. Looking around himself there was only one item of interest: A mossy boulder jutting from the loamy earth in front of him. Lifting it with a thought and casting it aside Lecchamemnon was pleased to find that he'd revealed a passageway crafted of off-world marble. A brief examination, both of the physical find and of the aura surrounding it told him what he was likely dealing with, though he found it hard quite to believe that such an ancient thing had simply been hiding beneath an oversized rock for countless thousands of years. He had found a fragment of the Infinite Empire, an evil government that was one of the main precursors to the Old Republic. The archaeologist in him marveled at the handiwork - the intricate carvings in the arch of the opening, the subtle force-inlaid warnings to steer clear of this place... It was a thing of great beauty.

And yet it was not what the force had called him here to find. There was something else, something of greater worth hidden in this passage that he was destined to find here. The force willed him on and he obliged, not needing the light of day to see as he passed into the inky black of the underground Rakatan citadel. Were he a younger man no doubt his heart would have pounded, he might even have felt a flicker of fear... But he was no young anymore. Lecchamemnon had stared long and hard into the abyss, and smiled as it gazed back at him. There was little in this Galaxy that threatened him, though this was part of his reason for coming in the first place.

He was hunting for a challenge, seeking a way to further hone his mind and body. Simply wandering was not enough, he was growing complacent and that was dangerous. The force, it seemed, had heard his call - it directed him here, to a nightmare long since forgotten by the Galaxy at large. He smiled as he descended further into the bowels, his pace calm and leisurely even here. The force around him reeked of the dark side and he had no doubt that there were going to be... Tests... Down here with him. Whether they be force-altered animals or dread apparitions he had no way of knowing, all he hoped was that they would prove more than a moment's work. Over the decades Lecchamemnon had grown bitter and cynical, he wasn't sure if anything in this Galaxy even had the nerve to kill him anymore.

Then again, the Rakatans had been a brutal and powerful civilisation. Perhaps he had met his match in this forgotten shadow of the past. His smile widened at the thought of his inglorious death in a glorified crypt: He had to concede that it would almost fit. His fortunes had never been good anyway. As he continued he began to sense something all around him, both from above and below. Was there someone approaching the cave entrance above? What awaited him below?

The rogue passed through the deep places of the world, venturing deeper and deeper into a tale that was best left untold.

 

[Rom]

Alistair did his best not to appear self conscious as he stood alone in a spaceport on Malastare. While it was certainly dangerous for Jedi to travel alone, especially in these parts, the Kushiban didn't feel too apprehensive. He was wearing a leather vest over a ratty white tunic and black pants, a small blaster sitting on his hip, his flute sheathed on his back, and a leather rucksack at his feet. With his lightsaber stashed in his bag, his fur shifted to a patchy brown, and a scowl on his face he looked the part of a traveling spacer or musician waiting impatiently for a transport. No one would ever guess that the small creature was in fact a Jedi... in training, at least.

He had been on his way back from Tython to his home Temple on Coruscant when the transport suffered a hyperdrive malfunction; thankfully they didn't emerge in the center of the sun, but they were completely off course in the Malastare system and Force knew how long he would be stuck here waiting for another shuttle going to the Capital. Grumbling under his breath, the Kushiban scampered over on all fours towards a vending droid near the taxi terminals and was about to order a delicious lemon popsicle when his sensitive ears perked up when he heard a dug talking about some old Jedi that he had brought out to the middle of nowhere. Alistair was about to rush over and ask to be taken out to see this Jedi immediately when a passing thought froze him in his tracks.

Most sentients couldn't tell you the difference between force users; they see a lightsaber and that's all they need to know. What if this supposed Jedi was really just a Sith... but what would he be doing all the way out here? Malastare wasn't exactly an important theater in the War. He quickly squashed a tendril of fear; the Living Force was nudging him forward, and terra incognita awaited him out in the wilds of Malastare. Squaring his shoulders, Alistair began to march up to the dug, planning on asking to be brought out to the same site where he dropped off this "Jedi"; if it really was a fellow Jedi, the young Padawan felt he had a duty to aid his brother or sister in any way possible.... and if it was a Sith, he was obligated to try and stop him.

Taking a deep breath and forcing his voice to drop into a low rasping octave, the Kushiban knocked politely on the side of the speeder door to get the dugs attention and withdrew a credit chit from his pocket.

"This is yours if you bring me to the spot you left the Jedi at."

The dug didn't need much in the way of convincing. He looked tired and hungry; the War was driving prices up and making it more and more difficult for the common man to survive. Piling onto the passenger seat of the speeder cab, Alistair sat down to wait while the Dug refueled and called home to inform his wife that he would be out late. The padawan looked far more confident than he felt; while he was certainly no coward, this was the first time he was deliberately stepping out into the dangerous 'Verse on his own. But, it seemed he didn't have much of a choice. The wanderlust was strong in him, and with a thrum of approval from the Force, he knew that regardless of the end destination, the journey would be worth it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They made surprisingly good time out into the wilderness, the whining engine of the speeder only stuttering four or five times -- so long as it didn't explode from beneath Alistair, he didn't rightly care how he got around. It's not like he could drive himself, even if he wanted to. Fuming at his species short stature, he didn't even realize they had come to a stop until he felt a rough tapping on his shoulder and curses in Huttese for him to get out of the taxi. Leaping down out of the speeder, the Kushiban immediately shot off into the woods, his snout pressed to the ground as he followed a strange scent deeper into the wilds. The Force seemed to nudge him forward whenever he paused due to losing the scent, putting him back onto the trail after just a few seconds of confusion.

He didn't know how long he had spent navigating the woods, hiding from other creatures and being extra stealthy, changing his fur constantly to blend in with his surroundings. All he knew was that one minute he was passing a huge boulder, and the next he was rolling down into a hole, landing with a painful thump against a cool marble wall. Shaking himself free of dirt and leaves, Alistair looked around the hallway in amazement, the grandeur of the architecture momentarily stunning him. The padawan was a lover of art and history; to see both encapsulated here before him was an incredible find. Where had he seen this befo...

All wonder and astonishment fled from him without a trace as his memory package helpfully pulled the relevant data from his cyberneticaly enhanced memory. The Infinite Empire... the Rakatan race that had ruled the galaxy with an durasteel fist long before the Republic was ever even dreamed of had built this place. His connection to the Living Force trembled under the deceptive presence of the Dark Side. His worries that he was following the path of a Sith seemed to triple in that moment of realization.

Letting out a deep breath, Alistiar calmed himself by centering himself within the grasp of the Light, feeling safe and secure even in this dark passageway. The Force thrummed with approval as he girded himself to move forward into the darkness. It was time to pursue that flighty temptress, Adventure.

..... Now he just needed to get his legs to cooperate.

 

[Wit]

Moridin seemed to have a knack for getting into trouble with the Council, more often than not it was because of his tendency to do things he was not supposed to or not doing what he was suposed to. This was another example of just such an incedent and would surely cause more trouble for him. He was supposed to be on his way to Tython right not, not only to personally hand in some report to the Council, but also to drop off the kid at the Temple. The kid, Luthair al'Thor's son, was his responsibility until he dropped him off with his Master on Tython, which only made his decision to be here that much more questionable. But he also knew that there was a way and a purpose within the Force that no Jedi had ever trully understood but trusted nonetheless. It was the Force that had pulled him to Malastare, and it had wanted the kid here as well.

He had felt the pull before their last jump, the kid had startd feeling it a little before they had reverted to real-space. He had found nothing on the ship's records to suggest the presence of a Force nexus or for that matter anything related to the Force on the planet, but then he had access to a very limited amount of data at the time. But it still seemed to him that whatever they were feeling was something that had long since been lost and finally wanted to be found. He did not know why, but the thought made him feel uneasy.

---

Kain on the other hand was brimming with excitement. He had never really had an adventur in his short life, and as is the case with all youngsters his age, the very possiblity of being on one was enough to send him to cloud nine. He was glad that Moridin had agreed to bring him along and hadn't left him aboard the ship, but at the same time he was a little uncertain as they walked through the forest towards their unknown destination. Armed with nothing but the Force and his Vor'cha stun stick, he was filled with both excitement and a little apprension at the thought of jsut what they might find.

---

For some time now Moridin had felt a presence ahead of them, a strong presence, and a Jedi from the feel of it. But as they came closer to their destination he felt another presence, a smaller that he had missed because of the pull and the stronger presence. Coming to a stop near a large boulder lying on the ground, he found himself looking at a gaping hole in the ground, which from the look of it had been covered by the boulder till not so long ago. Beyond the hole was a marbled passageway and the two presences, both strong and weak, were beyond.

"Stay close to me," he told Kain as he began making his way in, "and keep your eyes open." As they descended down the hole, they found themselves in a chamber with marble walls and seated in front of them was a Kushiban, a young one by the looks of it, though it was difficult to say with the small species. He could sense that this was the smaller presence he had felt, though he looked nothig like a Jedi. Possibly a padawan, maybe the other presence was his or her Master? Clearing his throat to get the Kushiban's attention, though he must have most probably sensed them by now, he spoke up in greeting, "Hello there my young friend, well met." He sensed Kain's intrigue, this migth actually be the first time the boy was seeing a Kushiban, and if his interest in the Dugg had been anything to go by, the Kushiban ought ot interest him just as much.

 

[Denzein]

The muffled noises from above told Lecchamemnon that he had been followed. It was hard to tell much about his pursuers thanks to the muffling presence of the dark side all around him, but he still knew that they were not as powerful as he. Their candles were as nothing to his smoldering inner fires, though in this place that could very well mean little. Who knew what strange artefacts were down here, just there to be taken? It was not inconceivable for the Rakatans to have created powerful force imbued weaponry or armour, the sort of relics that can level any playing field. He grinned to himself as he continued into the dark, imagining what an impulsive young Jedi might do with such power... Would they see it for what it really was, as he had failed to do in his youth? Would they use weapons forged in the dark of a long night to fight the Sith of today?

Probably was the answer. The Dark Side easily lured the young and impressionable into its embrace, if only because they believed themselves invulnerable. The arrogance and recklessness of the young is the undoing of so many. It had undone even himself... Though this had only become apparent decades afterwards. It was a mistake Jedi had made for eternity, and would continue to make until the Order's final death. That gave him some comfort, to know that he was no different from many others that trod the same path. He was only unique in that it had not yet claimed his life.

That thought almost made him laugh, though he stopped himself. The others above were making noise and had alerted him to their presence, who knows what else had already heard them. He was safer in silence and swiftness, where he could easily cloak himself from sight with the force. Like a shade he passed through the end of the steep corridor downwards, which after a fairly long way opened into a gargantuan cavern. It was a breathtaking sight, even though it was pitch black and he was seeing through the force (as ordinary vision was impossible here).

The cavern was a cuboid room of vast proportions, stretching on for hundreds of metres in every dimension. It was mostly hollow, and Lecchamemnon noted that had he been running as he entered this room he'd likely have fallen to his doom, as the passage he had entered from was about halfway up the side. A narrow ledge with no rail skirted the cavern at his current height, and he could see others on levels both above and below him. Dark archways set into the marble walls all around told him that there were probably multiple ways in and out of this place, though he suspected this was more maze than central hub (though it did also seem to be the centre of the citadel itself).

Looking down into the centre of the massive space he could see a black sphere. It was all but invisible to the naked eye, but to one looking at the thing's force signature it was positively humming with barely contained energy. What it was he could only guess, but Lecchamemnon felt strongly that this was what the force had brought him here for. He smiled, seeing his objective at last... All he had to do now was get down to it. Unfortunately it was at least a hundred metre drop to there from his current level, and a jump from that height would probably kill even him. Instead he had to find a way through this Rakatan labyrinth (for that was what he suspected this place to be, no doubt filled with booby traps and treasure beyond value in the modern Galaxy for those bold enough to risk their lives), and the first step of defeating a puzzle like this was to have a point of reference to start from.

Without a second thought he placed his palm on the marble arch he had just walked through and focused for just a second. When he took his palm away there was an imprint of it left on the marble, visible through only the force and altogether immaterial and non existent were one to actually feel for any markings. When he needed to leave all he had to do was return to this corridor and ascend, simple.

His reference point laid down Lecchamemnon began walking along the left side of the huge cavern's middle ledge. It was precarious and dangerous going as the ledge was little more than a metre wide, but he didn't feel particularly threatened by the drop. He passed by three more archways into unknown rooms before finally choosing one, his force aided intuition meaning he'd found the staircase down to the level directly below on the first try. From this he formed a hypothesis as to the structure of the maze he was in: There are many levels, and many rooms on each level. Two rooms per level are staircases and therefore safe, one going up and the other down. The ultimate prize is at the very bottom of the maze in the central pit, though there is likely treasure in the other rooms - mixed in with various deadly obstacles no doubt. His smile widened, this was a fun game the Rakatans had come up with.

Speeding ahead of the band of Jedi behind him, the grizzled former Grandmaster began to unlock the secrets of the abyss.

((OOC: This is the main room of the citadel, and it is as Lecchamemnon described. There are various treasures and/or traps in every single room on every level of the cuboid cavern, aside from 2 per level which are the stairs. Should you and your characters enter a room that is not a staircase (likely, as the stairs are not labeled... It's a maze) feel free to come up with some devilish traps or encounters of your own, and loot too if you want (though don'g go overboard on this - it should be a challenge). If you don't post the contents of the room I will in my following reply, and if you post an attempt to get at the treasure I'll RP the room's response to your actions - which means I'd rather you not enter a room and successfully clear it in the same post. Obviously loot gets more tempting the further down you manage to get.

As for what the loot can be, the Infinite Empire was pretty advanced and aept dark side force users. Force imbued weaponry and armour (all steeped in the dark side), force resonant crystals for lightsabers (of any colour really), ancient records and holocrons are all up for grabs. Have at it, jedi, and don't forget about the rogue Grandmaster you're all sharing this pitch black cavern with...))

 

[Rom]

Alistair had barely taken two steps into the corridor when two bright presences in the Force approaching from behind him. Relieved that he would have company, Alistair bowed towards the Knight and smiled in a friendly manner towards the child. His voice was a pleasantly high clipped Coruscanti accent that echoed quietly down the corridor, "Greetings, what a nice surprise to meet two other Jedi out here on Malastare... I guess you could sense this place as well? The dark side is strong here... are you sure this is the best place for him?" The Kushiban did not mean to come off as patronizing towards the pre-teen, he was simply concerned for his safety. While he may only be eight standard years of age, in his culture he was only four short years from adulthood. "If you insist on following me, please remember to be careful. This is a Rakatan ruin, a relic of the Infinite Empire. Even if it looks harmless, shoot or stab it until it stops moving. Here there be monsters..."

His own anxieties plagued his speech; he did not want them to leave but his nervousness was probably clear to feel in the Force to the Knight. Squaring his shoulders, he began to take his own advice to go over his own equipment

'I'm not stalling,' the Kushiban padawan thought repeatedly to himself,'I'm simply making sure I have everything I need. That's all.'

He had removed his disguise, feeling that it would be better to identify himself as a member of the Order to whoever had entered before him, whether they be a fellow Jedi or something.. darker. He instead wore the plain beige tunic of the Padawan learners of old, with a thick armorweave padding underneath it, his leather bandolier and pack cinched tightly against his body, his sheathed flute resting diagonally under his rucksack across his back to ensure they didn't interfere with his movements. Clipped to the leather crisscrossing his chest were six powerpacks for the redesigned Model Q6 hold-out blaster pistol he had holstered at his side opposite his shoto lightsaber, the special holsters designed to keep him from tripping over his weapons as he moved from a bipedal to a quadrupedal walking position. Stored within his utility belt were four electrified liquid cable launchers, a rebreather, his comlink, and several compressed food and water capsules, enough for at least three days. The sack, now bereft of his tunic and lightsaber was empty save for a few glowrods and a small datapad holding several... borrowed copies of Jedi text taken from the Coruscant and Tython archives regarding the history of the Order as well as many advanced techniques.

He had everything he could conceivably need, and the Force was gathering around him, pushing the malignant darkness that surrounded them like poisonous fumes away. Nodding his head at the Knight and padawan, Alistair murmured softly, "We should stick together.. I'll take the lead... Knight Zerga, I respectfully suggest that you take up the rear while keeping Inititiate al'Thor inbetween us." And with those final words, he dropped down onto all fours and slowly crept into the darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cracking the glow rod as they walked further into the darkened corridor and holding it in one arm, the small Padawan looked around in a mix of wonderment and horror. The historical value in these ruins of alabaster stone were innumerable. The metaphysical blood running down the walls was staggering. The dark side resided here like a great dragon over it's hoard -- immense in scope and power, filling the entire main room. Dropping the glow rod, the Kushiban quickly vanished into the darkness and marked his scent on the pillar next to corridor leading back to the surface. Combined with his memory package, his chances of getting lost were very low. Popping back up next to the Knight/Padawan team, Alistair grasped his glow rod and raised it high up.

"Rakatan were infamous for their traps and mazes... this place is most likely a death trap. It may go faster if we take a room each... What do you think?"

Keeping one paw next to his saber, Alistair kept his ears perked up and his eyes sharp and cast out with his Force sense; with his advanced senses and the aid of the Force, no one should be able to sneak up on them while they decided their next course of action.

 

[Wit]

Moridin and Kain had followed the Kushiban Jedi into the cavernous entrance, an experience that made young Kain feel like he was plunging into some monster's maw, a thought that only succeeded in exciting him further. Moridin, who had handed one of his lightsaber sot the young Jedi as a precaution, on the other hand was more interested in keeping himself and the two younger Jedi with him safe. He had felt the young Kushiban's anxiety through the Force and did not blame him for it, this was a tricky situation that they had found themselves in.

Reaching the vast chamber, Moridin would keep part of his attention on Kain and the Kushiban, Moridin had picked up hints of what he had done upon vanishing into the darkness and approved of the precautionary actions, but the majority of his attention was on the chamber. Kain's excitement was like a contagious flu and he could feel it affecting him as well, this was something truly remarkable. He might not be a historian, but even could see that they were surrounded by a treasure trove unlike any other, the treasure being both material and academic.

"Yes," spoke up Kain, "lets split up." And with that, before Moridin or Alistair could respond, he had dashed off towards one of the rooms. Moridin, still occupied in taking in the vast chamber, was just a little slow to respond and in that much time a door came slamming down and shut the entrance to the room Kain had entered.

"Looks like our choice has been made for us. We split up, not just to explore this place but to track down that idiot of a kid. Keep an eye out for trouble and be careful before touching anything." With that he headed off into the chamber adjacent to the one Kain had entered.

Kain on the hand had just ignited the lightsaber Moridin had given him, glad that he had it in his hand, he would not have liked being stuck in the dark in this chamber. He had spotted a crystal on the floor as soon as he had entered the chamber, and as soon as he had bent down to pick it up the door behind him had slammed shut. The crystal itself had crumbled into fine dust as he had picked it up. Now he took measure of the room by the light emitted by lightsaber, his eyes immediately drawn to an elaborately designed lightsaber hilt lying on a marble slab in the center of the room. So drawn was he by the blade that he almost missed noticing the fact that the marble slab it was lying on resembled a rather plain looking sarcophagus.

((OOC:Sorry for the late reply, was having laptop problems.))

 

[Denzein]

((Oh I really wouldn't worry, this one borders on Necromancy.))

The foreboding presence ahead of the Jedi vanished, as if someone had turned off a light. They were lost in the darkness now, and Lecchamemnon was content to let them try their luck with the Rakatan labyrinth. He pressed on towards the centre of the cavernous room, moving purposefully for whatever secrets the inner sanctum held. Though sensing his movements was now impossible, to the Jedi it should be clear that people don't simply disappear.

The black phoenix dropped from one ledge to another, bypassing the riddles and traps with consummate ease. There was nothing the darkness could hide from his sight.

The Jedi themselves were in a far more perilous position. Already split up, all they could do was trust that the boy's wits would keep him from any serious harm. Were Kai n to touch the hilt before him, the sarcophagi would open, surely spelling doom for the curious child. The other two had no way of knowing what was boyond the door, but since when did stone ever stop a Jedi? Unless they were being careful to hide their position from any... Others in the labyrinth, the slammed shut door posed little obstacle to the pair.

The force murmured, and a phoenix listened. There were no secrets here for some, yet others were completely blind. The dark side waxed strong.

 

[Rom]

Alistair sighed in annoyance as the young child ran off into the darkness; it was the Knight's own damn foolish decision to bring a child into this Sith-cursed pit and now the little one would likely suffer for it. Dropping his nose to the ground to try and get a scent to follow, the dust and dirt kept the stale air from moving much and denied him an accurate reading; all he could hope to do was pray that the Rakatan love of concentric shapes remained true in this place. Gripping his glowstick in his mouth, the young Kushiban set off into the dark, all of his senses, both physical and the Force, amplified to their limits.

Alistair had only walked for a few minutes when he came across a large door with a computer terminal set up into an alcove in the wall next to it; the screen booted up as he approached and started to warble in a strange and ancient dialect. Frowning, and noticing a slot that seemed to fit his datapad, the Padawan inserted it and nearly jumped when a monotone voice started to speak in basic.

"Non-Creator lifefor*brzzt* detected. Halt *brzzt*. The Library is off limits to those who are un*brzzt*thy."

Alistair's face lit up with a wide grin... a library would be the most likely place to have some sort of record or map of the installation. He could use it to find little Kain... and perhaps claim a few relics for additional study in the archives.

"How must I prove myself worthy of access to the Library?"

The voice seemed to run smoother now, having isolated the various parts of speech and recalibrated it's systems to function on galactic basic. "A test of knowledge and cunning is needed; only the worthy may learn the secrets of the Creators."

Alistair smirked; a test of knowledge and cunning was right up his alley. Perhaps this would be easier than he had thought. "Speak your questions, construct. I'm ready when you are."

"First Question - Identify the three primary life-giving seed world types."

Alistair grinned, this was something any child with a basic understanding of planetary colonization rules and regulations would know... so perhaps only him. "The answer is Oceanic, Grassland, and Arboreal."

The monitor seemed to hum as it processed his answers before the doors ground open with a groan, a great puff of stale air and dust entering the previously sealed room. Alistair grinned widely and went to run inside when the terminal suddenly moved, sliding out of the wall and moving along a previously unseen track to stand at the first of four ringed tile patterns along the floor.

"Now that you have entered the Library, it is my duty to inform you that any further access to the room must be granted by this terminal through continued tests. One must be able to earn the right to go deeper into the library... Four questions, four rings. You must answer each question correctly to gain greater access to the contents of the Library... and should you get the question wrong, the Sentinel Droids will do their duty."

Alistair froze as his keen ears picked up the sound of whirring metal gears and the hum of an activating shield generator. Turning his head slowly, the Kushiban let out an eep of fear and quickly changed his fur to a dark black and grey color, helping him to blend in with the darkness that filled the library. Two droids walked out on four spider like legs from hidden alcoves in the wall, their blaster cannons aiming directly at the Kushiban.

Swallowing his fear, the padawan stood on his hind legs and tossed his glow stick down on the ground after turning the brightness up, filling the room with light.

"Go on then... ask your questions."

And then the doors slid shut.

 

[Wit]

Kain would indeed proceed to touch the blade in front of him, youthful curiosity overpowering caution. As soon as he touched the blade it would start crumbling away, leaving behind nothing but a blue-black crystal atop a pile of dust. Before he could process that information the marble slab began to move, tilting and slipping off the sarcophagus, the crystal slipping off the slab and rolling away on the ground. Kain stumbled backwards, his excitement now accompanied by equal measures of fear. What rose from the sarcophagus drove all hints of excitement and curiosity away, leaving behind only shock and fear.

A terrible and twisted form had risen from the sarcophagus, a small body with bent arms, it was all skin and bones, dried up from the Force knew how many years spent in its tomb.

He looked at Kain for a moment before opening his mouth and speaking in a tongue that Kain did not understand. But he did understand what they eant because at the same time words began resonating within his mind. I smell your fear boy.

At that very moment a lightsaber suddenly erupted from the side wall, the glowing blade slashing through the wall in a large X before disappearing. A moment later Kain felt a surge in the Force and the wall was sent crashing inwards as Moridin pushed against the weakened section through the Force. Stepping in from the adjoining room he would come to a stop as the mummified being turned to face him. "What are you?" He asked in a surprised tone, while slowly edging towards Kain, he could feel the dark side within that thing in front of them, but he did not know who it would attack, him or Kain, better he got in between it and the boy as quickly as possible.

 

[Denzein]

As the Jedi delved deeper and deeper into the labyrinth set out before them, they lost their focus upon the man that had led them there. He had already vanished from their minds, and now the challenges the Rakatans of old consumed them. Where he was the force only knew, and it recoiled from his intent. It knew his heart, and what he wanted from this place... It took a lot to make the living force radiate fear.

Were a Jedi to peer into the murky depths hundreds of metres below, they might see the faintest impression of a figure, hooded and cloaked. There was nothing to sense, though, and the mists ever rolled into new and deceptive shapes. Was something moving down there? What had brought them here?

Lecchamemnon smiled as he approached the floating black globe. He knelt before it, preparing his mind for the task to come. This was all the Rakatans could bring to bear against him? The darkness within him shivered in pleasure, knowing its own strengths. The relics of the Old Ones had grown feeble in their old age, it seemed. Or, perhaps, Lecchamemnon's darkness was enough to eclipse even them. The force only knew, and it was too scared to so much as touch him - willingly. The former Grandmaster took a hold of a strand and pulled, his colossal mind demanding compliance from the living force around him. The dark aura of the labyrinth rippled, as if someone somewhere had disturbed its depths. It was the only evidence that Lecchamemnon was present, that single scream of defiance from the force itself.

The phoenix looked up at the globe, his face shrouded in the dark. He was ready.



The library Alistair found himself in was a repository of ancient Rakatan force lore. It was filled with priceless tomes, all safely guarded by security droids (themselves ancient beyond reckoning and invaluable) and powerful ray shields that would deactivate in sequence should he answer his questions correctly. The place reeked of the dark side, though even the firmly locked blast door didn't hold back the strange emanations from far below - the beginnings of an almighty tempest? Or a sense of impending doom?

Whatever the truth, the voice in the library gave the diminutive Jedi his riddles. They came all at once, as was ancient Rakatan custom. Strangely, the voice distorted as the wave passed through the room - it stuttered before continuing with its pre recorded dialogue. Between each question was a short pause, not long enough to respond but enough time to register the challenge. The questions were cryptic, were they linked? What was the answer? Were they separate, or each the same?

"What is the nature of the dark?"

"What is the purpose of the weak?"

"What rule applies above all else?"

"What is the death of the Force?"

The droids' aims were steady, the Jedi firmly in their sights.



The corpse was old, immeasurably so. By rights it should have been no more than dust on the wind, but there was no wind in this forgotten corner of the world. It advanced slowly upon the pair of Jedi, the only sounds being the hum of Moridin's blade and the relentless footsteps of the undead construct. Its mind-voice spoke again, into the minds of both Jedi.

"I am but a slave to the dark... n... stop.... b... uction. Stand aside, lest I birth myself anew from your flesh..."

Strangely, as the darkness rippled up from the depths its speech was drowned out completely, as if whatever awaited them below outclassed this wretch completely. It plodded towards the Jedi, arms outstretched. It was slow, but did it even intend to kill them?

The force only knew, and it was recoiling in fear.