Open Korriban Tomb Raiders

[Vilja Valkaria]

Unknown Abandoned Sith Temple​

OOC:Open to Sith only, preferably Acolytes.​

Vilja was not one for games, but she was a hunter, and when word had reached her ears of a challenge put forward by one of the Sith Lords, she could not refuse. In reality it was not a challenge, it was little more than a test put forward by Darth Stolas to test the acolytes, to filter out the worthy from the unworthy. But to Vilja it was a challenge that had been issued to her, and honor demanded that she answer. So she had decided to make her way to Korriban, hoping to find the artifact that the Sith Lord sought, and prove her worth to him and to her gods. But when she had arrived at the spaceport on Sullust, she had found a droid waiting for her, one of Stolas' thralls, there to observe her. That alone had been enough to irk her, but the revelation that others might be accompanying her was added insult. Did he think she was not worthy of this task?

"Yes," Vilja replied to the droid accompanying her as she descended from the ship, frustration evident in her voice, "I heard you the first time droid. Your Master's instructions are understood, they were not beyond my comprehension the first time you spoke them." The droid, obviously used to being in the company of Sith, fell silent, and began following after her in silence.

She stepped onto the dry, dusty surface of the ancient home of the Sith, and opened herself to the Force like her trainers had taught her. It still didn't come easily to her, but after a few tries she was able to sense something, something that might explain to her why this planet meant so much to the Sith. It was drawing her in, willing her to move, to seek out what secrets lay in the ruined temple. But she waited, if she had to wait for these other acolytes, she would not shame herself by rushing ahead and taking undue advantage of her early arrival.

 

[Kav duAltaire]

The shroud of darkness never left Korriban. In fact, it simmered, begging for those who would use its energy to return and take advantage of what the planet had to offer. Growing up on Vjun, a planet that served as a nexus for the Dark Side, Kav could tell when a planet fed the dark part of one's soul. Kav du'Altaire had only stepped foot on three planets in this wide galaxy, and all three fed Kav's Dark Side. Yet, all three felt different. They tugged on your emotions uniquely. The Darkness that resided on Sullust was current. The Dark Side there was raw, wanting, begging to be released on the galaxy. It had a vigor and impatience to deal its cruelty on the galaxy.

But not Korriban. Korriban's dark energy exuded wisdom and patience. A cruelty and hatred fed into those who were attuned to it. It was evil for evil's sake, and Kav found himself getting calmed by it. The planet had a way of molding his fury into a tempered, smoldering strategy of vicious malevolence. It formed purpose out of his emotion.

And this test, this quest, whatever this was, had placed him here. No doubt, Kav believed, the Force had its hand in this meeting between Acolyte and planet. His yellow eyes opened from his meditations at the sound of a ship landing and one of his peers walking out of it. Her arrival had interrupted his drunkenness from the planet, and the flame of dark fire inside of him flared. But the planet...the ancient wisdom of the planet told him to bide his time.

So, Kav stood, directing his hateful gaze toward Vilja. His lip quivered. She looked ridiculous. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he sent wave after wave of lightning into that metal armor of hers. What would happen to that blonde hair if it was being fried under that iron helmet. Was it Beskar? Would it matter if it was? He would like to find out...But the planet spoke to him....bottle it...hold it....save that rage for your own purpose and a time that benefits you the most.

It was a wisdom he had never been taught until now, and it was the planet that was the teacher. Slowly, carefully, he made his way to Vilja. He stopped about ten feet short of the other Acolyte. "My name is Kav," he said. "I assume we are here for the same purpose."

@Wit

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Korriban was a place Aadya had heard spoken of many times but until now, she had never even come close to stepping upon its deeply tainted surface. Her time with the Jedi had taught her that Korriban was a place of little worth, wholly consumed with darkness and that it was beyond redemption. It was somewhere only the foolish dared tread, so unsurprisingly, Sith congregated there in droves to fall deeper into the darkside.

Aadya did her best to push those lessons from her mind as her ship touched down softly, sinking slightly into the loose sand of Korriban. Even inside the cockpit of her ship the evil presence of the planet seeped through, pulling softly at the edges of her mind with nefarious whispers. It beckoned with innocence masking its venom, and Aadya heeded the call, exiting her ship with determination.

There were already two others gathered it seemed: an unusually armored blonde woman and man who looked like he was severely overdue for a mental health vacation and some self care. Figuring that they too were here for the same reason, Aadya approached them with a look of indifference, however forced it might have been.

Didn't expect to find others here, She said casually, her eyes not leaving Kav as she spoke. Though she had no particular reason, the man's aura made Aadya uncomfortable. He felt.. well, he felt like a Sith.. but different than others Aadya had encountered before. I'm Aadya. She'd overheard Kav give his name, so she figured giving her own was appropriate.

Looking towards the temple, Aadya sighed with a bit of apprehension. She'd never been inside a place like that before, let alone with two strangers who'd probably stab her in the back for a leg up if the opportunity presented itself. Any idea what we might find in there?

@Wit @Isen

 

[Gavin Freyl]

Knowledge. Knowledge is what drove Gavin most of his life. Gaining and understanding knowledge is the key to life and the Force. So when the opportunity to gain more knowledge, he couldn't have cared less where the knowledge was, only that it was attainable. So, this is what lead him to convince a Trooper to take him to Korriban, and drop him off at the coordinates provided by the message that was sent out.

It was rare for him to be seen outside of the libraries and laboratories within the Order's halls, and it showed as he stepped out onto the sandy surface of the planet, his pale skin and red hair glinting in the harsh light. The young physicist had worn his usual brown trench coat and purple scarf to this venture, though he was beginning to regret the scarf. Under the coat, Gavin wore military grade boots and cargo pants, complete with a durasteel breastplate over a black undershirt. The gear on his belt included his sabers, a leather pouch containing his holopad and several tools that he thought might come in handy, and a flashlight.

When he arrived, it seemed that there were already three others who were here for the same reason, because why wouldn't there be, right? Everyone craved Knowledge, because Knowledge was power. Gavin made his way over to the three others, arriving just as they had finished exchanging names and the one named Aadya asked a question to the other two. "I don't know, but it sure as hell better be worth the trouble."

@Logan @Wit @Isen

 

[Vilja Valkaria]

One by one the others arrived, and Vilja studied them as they did. She was not as capable with the Force as the others, so she relied on her other senses to draw judgement. How they walked, how they talked, how they held themselves. They were her new family now, her new clan. But that did not mean she trusted them. Like every family, there were those who earned your trust, and those who did not. She would have to keep her eyes and ears peeled to separate one from the other.

"I am Vilja." She said after the others had introduced themselves, they had shown her the courtesy of sharing who they were, it was only right to do the same. Vilja replied to the droid accompanying her as she descended from the ship, frustration evident in her voice, "This droid," she looked at the droid that still hovered near her head, observing them all in silence, "is here to observe us. Its master is why were are here, to recover an artifact inside the temple." The droid complied by beeping and hovering down to ground level, where it displayed a floating hologram of a small box. Covered in intricate patterns, it was the sort of item you would expect to hold something important.

"I do not know what it holds," she said as the droid rose back to its earlier height, "it would not say. We must brave what awaits within, and recover it."

She paused, waiting for questions, comments, anything, from both the other Sith and the droid. If none arose then she would begin walking towards the Temple.

@Logan @Isen @Phantom

 

[Kav duAltaire]

Much to Kav's dismay, this little excursion had turned into a party of sorts. He didn't come here to make friends or to make nice, and he had no intentions of doing either. Perhaps working together would be a necessary evil today, but he had no illusions of friendship or bonding. Besides, what could be in that temple that all four could take away? An experience? Knowledge?

But what if were something more...tangible. An artifact. A relic. Something imbued with the Dark Side from this planet or from one of the great Siths of the past. Something from this world that they could take with them, something that would provide power over others, prestige among his peers, or the knowledge to eliminate the Jedi. What if...what if only one of them could take the prize home.

A smile crept across Kav's lips. What if that was the test? One item between the four of them? Any Sith worth their salt would literally kill for the chance at such an artifact. He looked at those around him, especially that girl that called herself Aayda that stared at him. Her eyes stayed on him not because of attractiveness. No, he could feel the tinge of fear in her. Good. Very good. His smile grew.

The other male was an interesting fellow. He didn't give his name. But if he couldn't feel the power of this planet and see that the trip was already worth the trip, Kav questioned this no-named Acolyte's connection to the Dark Side. Of course, Kav understood that he had no real way of measuring himself against the others. First impressions can be false impressions to be sure, but considering the competition, if that's what it was, Kav felt like the apex predator among them, the most ravenous, the most prepared to leave them all in a bloody heap in the red sands of Korriban. He would take whatever artifact there was to be had and leave three bodies in sacrifice to the Siths of the millenia dead and buried that called Korriban home.

He clenched his jaws at the conversation and looked at Aayda since she seemed so intent upon looking at him even though it was the armored catastrophe that made the comment. "It is not bravery we need," Kav said, his yellow eyes glowing slightly and his lips still upturned in an unsettling grin. "It's desire. Pure, unadulterated desire." His grin dissipated quickly as he kept his eyes on the girl. With no other words, he made his way toward the temple. The others would either follow or they would not. Kav du'Altaire was quite indifferent about their choice.

@Wit @Logan @Phantom

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

It took everything inside of Aadya not to roll her eyes and laugh as Kav spoke again. Sith had to be the most over-dramatic type of people she had ever met. The Jedi may have been insufferable, but at least they weren't so cringe inducing.

Aadya wasn't sure if Kav staring back at her was some kind of power move, but if so she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of averting her gaze. Instead, she simply raised an inquisitive eyebrow, if to say Kriff around and find out. Though she hadn't been with the Sith long, once lesson you learned quick was not to let it show that you were intimidated or afraid.

Since everyone else seemed to be just as clueless as to what might be inside the temple, Aadya figured there was no reason to continue standing around and talking so she followed Vilja and Kav as they started walking. She thought it was a little weird that they'd be accompanied by what was essentially a spy camera in the droid, but Aadya didn't think she was in any position to object to its presence.

Aadya remained quiet as they approached the outside of the temple, its massive stone doors open, as if it wanted naive acolytes to venture inside of it. Reaching to her belt, Aadya unclipped her lightsaber and held it in her hand but didn't ignite it yet. It seemed prudent to be prepared, but overzealousness might attract attention they could otherwise avoid.

The young Sith would break the threshold of the temple without hesitation, unsure of what they might encounter once inside of its walls.

@Wit @Isen @Phantom

 

[Gavin Freyl]

Gavin nodded along with the statements made, not really one for small talk like this. He decided not to provide his name at the moment, following those who were taking the lead. As they entered, Gavin looked around the massive temple with a hint of wonder and excitement across is face. This was the kind of shit he signed up for, raiding tombs and stealing recovering lost knowledge of the Sith. Gavin was in a twisted heaven, but it was heaven nonetheless.

As the Acolyte made his way through the temple, he would wander off from the group occasionally and take photos of glyphs carved into the walls, saving them for later translation. As the light in the temple began to dim as they walked away from the open gates, Gavin would pull out his flashlight and start shining it around the areas to look at the architecture. Gavin was also stretching his mind out through the Force, keeping watch for any sudden movements from his company, or from anything else in the temple.

"So, you guys think there's a Holocron down there?" Gavin said into the open space as he documented yet another section of glyphs on a pillar.

@Logan @Wit @Isen

 

[Vilja Valkaria]

Vilja was new to the Sith, her initiation into the Order probably more recent than any of the other acolytes present. But even in her short time among the Sith she had quickly learned that they were not all the same, and the same seemed to be true of the acolytes who were accompanying her into the Temple. The man who had called himself Kav for instance was more unsettling than any she had met. That intensity, the smile on his face that didn't seem to look like a smile, and the words he spoke. She couldn't really make sense of it. So as the group walked through the Temple, she observed the others. As the last member of their party went off and wandered away from the group, Vilja stepped closer Aadya. "Aadya, tell me," she asked, making sure Kav could not hear, "are all Sith like him or are they more like you? I must know what to expect, so that I may better prepare myself."

She was about to say more when Gavin returned and spoke up. Vilja was about to respond with a question of her own, wondering what a holocron was, when a sound from up ahead drew all their eyes. The interior was mostly dark, barely lit by cracks and breaks in the alls that let light in. But up ahead, at the end of the corridor they had been walking down, a beam of light fell on the mouth of a doorway that lead to whatever lay beyond. And from it emerged a beast, snarling jaw, sharp claws on four feet, and a wild look in its eyes. As the group looked on two more appeared on each side of it.

"Should have prepared for that as well."

@Logan @Isen @Phantom

 

[Kav duAltaire]

"So, you guys think there's a Holocron down there?" Gavin asked. It was a legitimate question, and in fact one that Kav had been pondering. There were four of them. If it were a single Sith holocron, only one of them could be in possession of the relic. Kav didn't figure they would being drawing straws to decide who would be able to call it theirs.

"If it is something that important," Kav said to Gavin without looking over his shoulder, "deciding who takes possession of it should be a fun discussion, hmm?"

As the group of Acolytes entered the temple and started down the corridor, it was becoming more and more apparent to Kav that he made others feel nervous, uncomfortable. Maybe they thought he was creepy. Maybe they thought he was strange, a loose cannon, but the foundational emotion, the base of those feelings was fear. Kav sucked it in to his body, storing that emotion, feeding off of it. The Dark Side energy that fueled him only increased as they entered the temple and traversed through it.

Kav's Dark Side bath was halted momentarily by the snarling of a four-legged beast. A small curve on his lips upturned as two more beasts took to each side of it. Three beasts and four acolytes. Odds could have been worse. The three beasts started to slowly close the distance between them and the four Sith Acolytes. Kav took one more step forward, the smirk from his lips dissipated and he extended both hands out quickly, the sizzling of lightning whipped through the corridor and the blue/white strands of Force Lightning lit up the space between the Acolyte's fingers and the beast in the middle. The animal yelped, and flung backwards, writhing in pain. Kav, still learning and in need to build up his stamina, released his hold on the animal to conserve energy. The beast whimpered as it convulsed for a few moments now several feet behind the other two. He would live through it. He would be well enough to attack, but the Sith lightning would leave its mark.

"Poor thing," Kav said with fake concern.

The remaining two beasts roared and charged the group. Kav stood his ground. He was curious as to what his peers were made of.

@Wit @Logan @Phantom

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Expect the best and prepare for the worst is the best advice I can give you, Aadya said back to Vilja, shaking her head with a small chuckle. Sith are kriffing weird, dude.

When the beasts arrived, Aadya instinctively activated her lightsaber at the same time Kav had shot lightning from his fingertips. It was actually the first time Aadya had ever seen someone do that. The very smallest part of her was impressed by the obnoxious Sith. The very, very smallest part.

So uselessly theatrical, Aadya said condescendingly to Kav as she reached out with the force to grip one of the other beasts. Yanking it towards her fiercely, Aadya swung her saber and cut the beast in half, sending one piece flying past either side of herself. You didn't even finish the job. Such a typical man.

A smirk creased Aadya's lips as she eyed the remaining beasts, having so easily dispatched the one. She'd let any of the others take a crack at downing one before going in for seconds. You know, just to be polite.

@Wit @Isen @Phantom

 

[Gavin Freyl]

Gavin watched with interest as two members of their group displayed their power and ferocity in both the Force and in Saber Techniques. The young Sith was becoming more and more wary of what exactly he got himself into by joining this expedition. If the thing that they are after really is a Holocron, Gavin will let the other three decide which of them wants to take it. Self preservation is a good skill to have among the Sith.

"You call that subtle? That was just as, if not more theatrical." The Acolyte chuckled as he stepped forward, lifting what looked to be a lighter from his pouch of supplies. He flipped the lid open and turned his gaze upon the only beast to not sustain any damage. With a small flash, the lighter sparked to life as Gavin called to the Force and pulled the flame from the Lighter. The dull orange glow of flames growing brighter as Gavin fed more energy into the Force. When the flame grew to the size of a baseball, Gavin thrust his hand toward the snarling maw of the still standing beast, releasing the globule of flame and launching it toward the beast.

Gavin's open palm snapped shut once the flames impacted with the beast's snout, causing the flames to scatter and then flow into the monster's open maw and nostrils. The beast, now antagonized towards the young Sith, snarled and began running towards Gavin, but the physicist stood strong before his fast approaching enemy. Using the Force the guide him, Gavin willed the flame to grow and spread throughout the Beast's body. Once the flames began to seep out of the monster's mouth and nose, Gavin's fist opened as the flames suddenly expanded, causing the beast's charge to falter as jets of flame began to sprout from it's body.

Gavin sidestepped as the beast's body slid to a halt in front of him. Gavin could tell that the beast was still alive, horribly in pain, but alive nonetheless. "Okay, That was a little hypocritical of me. Sorry."

@Logan @Wit @Isen