Salvation

[Xai Fell]

Ilum, 1 year ago​

If the boarding ramp were not made of Durasteel, Xai imagined that it would have been ripped from it's home as it began to creak downward. Barely an inch had retracted before the full power of Ilum blasted through the opening and hit her like a frozen punch in the face. She was barely able to raise her hand and protect her face before the snow bbegan to coat it, but the cold soon had its claws dug deep. Double checking her supplies, she pulled her hood up and descended down the ramp, closing it behind her and leaving the Yamato to weather the winter storm on its own.

The location was clear, land at the coordinates, pass through the caverns and climb the ridge to find the Sacellum of Ilum. The only thing not clear was the damn landscape itself, the blizzard kept her from seeing more than a few meters in front of her, leaving her with only her instincts to go off of. She wandered around for what seemed like an hour, but ultimately all she found were her own tracks and she could only vaguely make out the sound of her cursing herself for going in a circle. Another hour later, and she finally found a dark void among the white abyss that led into a cavern free of the snow. Tossing herself out of the waist deep blanket, she hit the ice face first and slid a few feet into the system, catching herself moments after.

From there, it was just a matter of following the cavern and not slipping, lest she endure the 20-minute hell of getting up from under all the layers she wore. When she finally reached a clearing, the ice and cold gave way to stone and metal, the Sacellum standing before her unbroken and steadfast against the planet's bite. Climbing the small ice wall, she finally crashed through the front doors, small tufts of snow spilling into the main hall before she closed them and collapsed against the hard metal surfaces.

She probably should have come to the Academy instead of here...

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

One Year Ago~

The Sacellum was brand new. In fact, some of the walls and interiors were still in construction. The hangar wasn't completed. The lower sanctum still off limits as it had not yet been explored. Many stories would be told here on Ilum. It was a shame that Xai was coming here when she was, though in time it would be a blessing. Had she arrived later in the year she could have been welcomed by the Sacellum guards Eriana would eventually come to post. Or better yet, a decent radio to signal her closer into the mountain so the poor thing wouldn't have to get lose in that d*mned blizzard.

As she passed through the large metal doors, the discredited doctor would find herself in a large atrium made of stone and rock. There was no decorations yet, but one day would house holy symbols of the Church, and also of the Sith Empire. There was however a large alter in the back of the atrium with rows of pews arched toward it. The place was empty currently, but the lit torches on the walls suggested someone had been around recently. They offered very little heat, sadly, which is why the church was desperately trying to get things in working order as quickly as possible.

Almost on cue, another door would open off from the side (out of view) and in would walk Lady Eriana Fox. She was dressed in her usual Sith Maruarder armor tailored to her frame as a corset, as well as wrist vambraces and shin guards for combat. Her shoulders were bare in terms of durasteel plates, but under her armor she wore a heavy leather suit that covered her from the neck down. On her waist were her two most trusted weapons: Eriana's identical curved lightsabers that when activated produced twin red beams.

The head priestess of the church, also known by the name of The Confessor for her interrogation techniques, had long black hair which she kept behind her back, and long bangs that came slightly in front of her gray eyes. Lady Fox also had another name, and that was of the blind Sith. She'd been born blind, and often said she was chosen by the Dark side because of it. "I was born in Darkness. The Darkness chose me." Aside from everything on her person which was black, she was actually wearing a heavy white cloak perfect for the chilly weather; on the back of the cape stood proudly the symbol of the Empire, to which Eriana had only recently defected to (the two factions had not yet been unified).

"It seems another curious Sith has found my hidden temple." Eriana's hand moved to her left blade on her hip. "Which side do you pledge your allegiance to?"

There was no right or wrong answer her, for Eriana was essentially asking a trick question. Well, technically the girl could say she was a Jedi. That would be one hell of a wrong answer. Not likely though for the blind Sith would have smelled the Light coming from miles away. Eriana was testing the girl to see if she would say the Imperial Republica (for which Eriana was previously aligned to), or the Old Empire (which was currently overtaking the Sith as a whole). But more importantly, Eriana wanted to see if this girl was aligned to the Dark side. That was the crucial answer. It didn't matter to Eriana which side she came from because she'd intended this very church to be a way to unify the Sith. Then again, the doctor could always declare she didn't have an allegiance, but Eriana didn't know that yet.

 

[Xai Fell]

The merest whisper would have set Xai on edge, but the sound of a door scraping open had her blaster in her hand and aiming straight for the passage before more than a heartbeat had passed. As the seconds ticked by, and the footsteps drew nearer, the back of her mind started to wriggle forward a little, the conversation she had with the Sith Acolyte replaying in her mind. He had told her to come here if she wanted to learn the ways of the Dark Side in a more private place, without all the backstabbing. She had come to a fair distance and put up with some pretty annoying kark along the way, she was not about to be denied if this was just some cruel joke on his part.

Her eyes fell on the priestess immediately as she rounded the corner and, instantly, she knew it wasn't a joke. She didn't know how she knew, there was just this...feeling of assurance, like she knew in her bones that this was where she was meant to be. Though the fact that the priestess was so damn hot probably had something to do with that, she would happily get up close with someone in that armor any day. Priorities though, she was here for a reason, and it seemed she knew it too. While not exactly accurate, her statement about her being a Sith was still a hopeful prospect in her head (if she could survive just joining).

Xai lowered the blaster as she asked the first, and probably the most pivotal question to her immediate safety: whom did she serve? She recalled the Acolytes words telling her to reply with only one of two answers since both were honest and acceptable. On one hand, this civil war was rapidly going the Old Empire's way, and on the other, every Sith served the Dark Side in some capacity...maybe it was just irrelevant in the end. She drew in a deep breath and her hand grasped the door behind her, pushing against it and letting herself heave up into a standing position again, staring hard into the Sith's blank glass bulbs.
"The Dark Side and the Sith brought me here, I serve them both," She replied, standing her ground. It was an evasive answer, but as she understood it, such things were common with the Sith - politics were just another type of battlefield. "My name is Xai Fell, I've come here to learn the ways of the Dark Side...who are you?"[size]

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

The Sith was not put off by the sight of the gun, for she'd fought against plenty with blasters. But she knew the will to use said weapon was not in this girl at the moment. She was merely holding it for her own protection. And when she realized the woman in front of her was not a threat, she lowered it and adjusted herself against the door frame for support. She then explained to Eriana that she was brought here by the Sith, as well as the Dark side, She served both causes. A noble answer.

Introducing herself as Xia Fell, she would then say she'd come to learn the ways of the Dark side. This peaked Eriana's interests. If she hadn't already known about the Dark side of the Force, why did she say the Sith had sent her. Or, was she being extremely literal. The Sith "actually" sent her here to learn. Curious. But the idea excited the blind Sith. A fresh mind wouldn't be tainted by all the sinful rules of the past; the Rule of the Strong specifically. That was the worst idea ever bred into the Sith religion. If Eriana could she'd wipe it away forever and shun the very mention of it.

The woman would then ask whom she was and Eriana replied, "I am the head Priestess of this sacellum. I am The Confessor, Lady Eriana Fox. Now if you wish to learn about the Dark side, I take it you wish to join my church then? I'm curious, and be specific please, how did you come about finding us here?" Eriana needed to know what was the real reason she'd flown all the way out in wild space when she could have just as easily gone to Korriban to learn. Or Coruscant as she herself had. Why come to Ilum?

 

[Xai Fell]

For a few moments, the woman in front of Xai seemed to pause, like a predator toying with what to do with her food. She had to admit, the sight of her just standing there and staring at her, despite being blind, was pretty unnerving. Most of her outfit, hot though it was, seemed designed to evoke a certain...there was a word for it, she was sure, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. All she knew was what she felt, and this woman felt like the type that would offer a warm hand and honeyed words, take you to her table, and then stab you in back while gleefully informing you that you were dinner all along...she really needed to stop watching so many Holos - this wasn't Silence of the Leatherwings.

She holstered the blaster as she started speaking again, explaining herself as she did to her. Lady Eriana Fox, High Priestess of the Sacellum of Ilum...and apparently all alone, if any of the place was something to go on. She looked around for a moment, noting just how empty it all felt. She got the feeling that she probably wasn't meant to be here just yet, probably why that Sith told her to get her head on straight before heading into the Unknown Regions blind. She looked back down at the woman, now asking for details, and she gently set her bag down and went over to a small seat, sitting.
"Well, suffice to say, I was found in a bad way by a Sith Acolyte and he helped nurse me back to health...as well as waking the Force up in me. He told me that if I wanted to repay the Imperium for saving my life, I should go to Korriban or Ilum, but he said Ilum was more private had less backstabbing sooo..." She trailed off a little, not sure how to handle things - she wondered if the Sith were prone to stabbing people that liked to complain about the back than the front.

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

After asking her what her reasoning for being here was, Xai would then move to sit in one of the seats nearby. Eriana moved her hands behind her back and followed her to stand at the end of the pew. Her eyes stared straight ahead towards the back door, but she was still listening. Xai told her tale as she'd been in rough shape lately, and was found by an Acolyte. Apparently this wake up call had even brought to light the latent Force potential within her. While not too uncommon, she would like to hear more about this in a different setting. Some people out there had the Force and didn't even know it. Cases like that fascinated The Confessor.

Xai continued to say that this Acolyte had directed her to Korriban, which is what Eriana had expected to happen. But he then also mentioned Ilum with the aside that she'd be less likely to be stabbed in the back here. That made the blind Sith chuckle a little. She wondered which of her Acolytes had saved this girl. It had to be one of hers, Speakers, as she called them. No one else would know that much about the Sith church and direct them right towards it. It was odd though that this person didn't take credit. How unlike a Sith to do. Perhaps her teachings were working after all.

"I see," she would say as she uncurled her arms to move past the girl and sit beside her. She sat literally side by side so their legs and shoulders were touching, a very very odd thing to do. Then, with her gloved hand, would rest it on top of the girl's leg. To Eriana, this was a normal thing. It was her way of connecting to people because she could not see them. Nothing else.

"Everyone here is welcome in my church. But there are certain rules that need to be followed. Though they are simple in nature, they must be followed. First off, you must understand that all here within these walls are equal. I am no stronger than you, nor are you better than any of your new brethren. You are new here, and that can be discouraging. But your brothers and sisters are here to lift you up. Do not forget that. We are on the verge of a unified faction. Soon, all will be equal. Our church starts there. And hopefully, in time, the Rule of the Strong will end.

"Do you know the Rule of the Strong? Well, it is a plague on the Sith and it breeds betrayal and mutiny to its ranks. The idea basically states that the strongest of us deserve the right to rule. Power and the act to convict it. While the principle has merit, the Sith had been murdering one another in cold blood for the chance to climb the ranks faster. But just because one is a strong warrior, does not mean they have what it takes to rule over their people. Does it? I chose not to think so, which is why there will be none of that here.

"Second rule, in accordance with the first, there are to be no fights between you or any other members. Here we are equals. And we honor the Dark side by understanding that we are all its children. The third rule, actually works out best for you, young one. My third rule is normally to forget everything you know about the Force. But you, know nothing. You are a blank slate that can be molded to the best of its ability without being tainted."

Eriana gave a smile and would clap the girl's leg twice, "But humor me. What do you think the Force is? What is it about? What does it mean to be a Dark or Light user? A Sith or a Jedi?"

Again, there was no right or wrong answer her. A matter of philosophy like this could be debated back and forth for hours on end. To which Eriana has done with her peers on occasion. But Eriana felt the need to weed out any incorrect thoughts now before they infected Xai's newly opened eyes. Only then could she be the best Sith she could be.

 

[Xai Fell]

Xai turned away from the Confessor for a moment, mulling the question over in her head. What did the Force mean to her?

Her mind drifted back to when she woke up, the explanation of where she was, how she came to be there...and the rush. The Acolyte had pressed his hand against her forehead, that was all, but it felt like that single touch was akin to a cold wave of beautiful cleansing water flooding through her brain. A sweet cold overtook her, waking her mind as if she had been both pulled from an ocean but also dunked in headfirst simultaneously. Sounds and smells seemed to come from everywhere, drifting past her ears and nose at a mile a second, her mind barely able to register them before they were lost again. Everything brightened and sharpened, even the furthest of images being like standing mere feet from it, and her body brimmed with almost uncontrollable electricity, a fire in her that never left...it was beautiful.

"The Force is...a higher form of living. Everything feels clearer, looks sharper, life feels more vivid and colorful. Everything feels like it's worth living for again...it gives meaning to the meaningless." She muttered softly, her face sinking slightly. Thoughts of before that night tried to resurge in their alcohol infused haze, but Xai quickly shoved them all aside and looked back to her new host. "Beyond that, I don't know, and that's part of the reason I'm here...Mistress? Master? My Lady? I'm not sure." She shook her head quickly, looking down and smiling at the feeling of her hand on her leg. It was cold, but the movement sent small tingles along her skin. "The point is...I'm here to learn, if you'll have me."

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

Eriana waited patiently for her new initiate to comprehend the question, and more importantly, but the thoughts together in her mind. The Force was not something that could be explained so easily. Everyone had their own interpretations of the mystical entity. Finding out where they stood wasn't as much an answer for Eriana, it was a test for Xai herself. A form of soul searching, in its own way. She would then go on to explain to the head matron that the Force was something higher than those of the living. Very true. Very perceptive. Xai then put it to words that when she connected with this higher power the world around her seemed cleaner and sharper, more in focus. And it told her to live again.

This was a good response. The Force gave purpose. To someone who'd been drinking away their sorrows the Force could be a way to connect with the world once more rather than trying to drown it in liquor. Letting those emotions out were part of the very code that made up the Sith way and allowed one to connect with the Dark side. Fighting those feelings was the way of the Jedi, and the way of stagnation. Which is why the Dark would always win. Always.

Xai would finish by saying she didn't really know much else beyond that, and then struggle to come up with a title for the woman, a respectful one that is. Eriana chuckled for a second and then interrupted her, "Lady Confessor, if you please." She then let Xai finish by asking if the blind Sith would have her, for she'd come to learn. "Your heart is in the right place. And I would be a fool not to welcome you into my home. Initiate Fell, welcome to the Sacellum."

With another smile she would tap the girl's leg again and then rise, gesturing her to move out of the pew and into the isle. She would start then making her way towards the front of the church -fully expecting Xai to follow her though she said no such thing about it- and would from there head to a staircase in the wall which would curl up and take them to the second floor of the room they were in. While she walked, she would continue to comment on the matter at hand.

"The Force is indeed a higher power. It gives us strength. It gives us a purpose and a calling. Some of the Sith say that this gift is a tool we must use and bend to our will so that we can grow stronger. While this is true in a sense, we must remember where it comes from. My belief, and what I hope you will see, is that the Force should be praised. It gives us these gifts so that we become strong and being thankful for them allows us to cherish it. Here, we praise the Force for what it has given us and in return we have Faith in its path. True spiritual belief will always be a person's greatest weapon. Don't you agree?

Now, there are two sides to this power, the Force I mean. A Dark, and a Light. For eons the Force has been divided into such and we are Force sensitives have questioned which side is stronger. The Dark is what we worship here. The Dark proved to be the higher power as demonstrated by the Exiles who fled the way of the Jedi five centuries ago. The Dark allows us to channel our feelings, our emotions, our anger and our hatred, to use that fire inside us to fight for something stronger. But that doesn't make us cruel."

Eriana turned the corner and would start to leave the second floor and head into the halls beyond the main entrance, "There are those of us in the Empire that kill without mercy. Some do it for greed. Some just do it for power. I do not condone that. Here, we worship the Dark side as a means to serving it. I have killed plenty with my own hands because through the Empire I serve the Dark side's will. But I do not kill needlessly. There is always a reason, and always a motive. Never forget that."

Turning another corner she would now be at a room that resembled some sort of living quarters. How the Sith seemed to navigate this temple so effortlessly given her condition would likely surprise the new doctor very much so. In the barracks, the blind Sith then effortlessly made her up another small flight of stairs and around the benches and tables to where there were beds and dressers lining the walls. Most of them had personal effects on them, insinuating they were occupied. But Eriana walked to one that was clean and empty. She stopped and held her hand to the bed, clearly meaning for Xai to set her things down.

"Your first task here before I even allow you to take your Baptism is to learn the Code of the Sith. Repeat after me. Peace is a Lie, there is only Passion." Eriana waited for her to repeat the words, then did the same with the rest of the code, taking a pause with each line to allow Xai to say the same. "Through Passion, I gain Strength. Through Strength, I gain Power. Through Power, I gain Victory. Through Victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall set me free."

When she was finished Eriana would then nod her head, "Very good. Repeat those words. Memorize them. Commit them to your very soul. But not just the words, take to heart what they mean. Get acclimated here, and then come and find me when you can tell me what each of these phrases mean. Talk to your fellow Speakers, those are those who have been Baptized here. Learn from them. Hear their stories. When you are ready, we will talk about the next step."

And with that, Eriana would turn to leave the room allowing Xai to learn the next steps of her journey. However long that would take her...was up to her.

 

[Xai Fell]

A wave of cold satisfaction washed over Xai hearing those words...Initiate Fell. It had a nice ring to it, but it could always be better. Of course, that would all come later, for now, she just had to acclimate to her new surroundings and actually learn how to harness the force before she could do anything else. She rose from the pew and followed Lady Eriana, her ears listening intently as her eyes wandered the Sacellum. There was something...strange about it. In some ways, the curves and angles of the walls and corridors felt intrusive, oppressing themselves on the inhabitants as if they were closing in on you, but in other ways, it felt like she could relax here, like she was...well, maybe safe wasn't quite the word, but she felt more comfortable or at home here. When she finally came to her own room, the first thing she did was drop her bag on the bed, collapsing on it and practically shutting down. She kept listening to Lady Eriana though, her head being the only body part still moving. She took in her final words a little more than the rest, pondering on them when she walked away.

"The Force shall free me...

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2 Months Later

Xai's kata had become a daily ritual now, her body often sweating buckets mere minutes after waking up. Posture and control was the intent, grunts and thrusts and jabs and strikes cutting through the air as she centered herself for the day. Through each movement, the Dark Side flowed through her, through each stance, she drew upon its power, through each strike, she harnessed her despair, and in every brush of wind against her sweat-covered face, she felt life return to her and electrify every nerve. When she finally showered and dressed, half an hour had already passed and you could make an ice sculpture with the sweat she had shed. She had her breakfast, trained with her training saber, practiced against some training droids, and then retreated to her quarters to read and meditate and learn more about the force. It was a comforting routine considering the chaos her life had been just mere months ago, and it was good to know that she had people she could rely on for help. The only problems she was having nowadays were the nightmares, but those weren't worth thinking about...

She looked around her room, still as barren as the day she had been given it, and she spotted a book laying by her bed. It was a primer, something she had yet to finish for her training, and breakfast wasn't for another little while, so it seemed a good use of time. She snatched it up and flumped onto her bed, opening the book at the last page she read.

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

It had been two months since Eriana received her newest initiate. The woman was taking to her training with a fierce devotion. It was commendable really. And Eriana wished to reward the woman for her efforts. On that random morning she would come calling. She didn't even have to announce her presence for the members of the church would be able to feel her coming; that was the extent the Dark side had over her. The blind Sith would enter into the barracks and continue up the stone stairs heading towards the long row of beds and half rooms. She came to a stop as she had before in front of Xai's room and would turn to face her. Her eyes stared straight ahead at the wall while her arms were gently folded behind her back.

"Good morning, Initiate Fell. How goes your training?" She would wait for an answer then speak again. "I think it is time we head downstairs. Will you accompany me, please?"

The question was a platitude. Obviously she was expected to follow. Turning away from the bed she would begin to walk back the way she came. She said nothing, merely letting the Force flow through her as she always did. The blind Sith would move the both of them down the barracks and to the main floor, before traversing further back into the temple where they began to descend a long flight of stairs. As they walked, the walls became less and less stone before only the path at their feet was solid ground; the rest of the walls and ceiling were made of solid ice. The only light was given from torches lining the pathway at certain intervals. Yet, The Confessor did not need such tools. They were for the members of the Sacellum.

The two would come out into the first of many icy chambers where two flags separated a large window (which on the other side was Eriana's personal chambers). The floor would start to become less and less constructed as the pathway of stone turned into solid ice as well. If one wasn't careful, they might slip on the ice. But the blind Sith moved with such grace it was like nothing had changed. All around them, Xai would feel the Dark side of the Force chilling her to the bone. It was something she should be somewhat used to now, but it was still ever present. As such, the walls occasionally had a Kyber crystal sticking out of it, some larger than others, some barely visible at all. One day, Xai herself would pick one and forge her first lightsaber (should she so choose).

The path would continue on as they moved from chamber to chamber by intersecting hallways made of ice until they came across one that had a river flowing through it. They followed that path further down into the planet until they came to a large open chamber with a waterfall. It was stunningly beautiful, and not just because of the lights dancing off the Kyber gems in the ice. The water had such a brilliant collar to it, for it was made from the same Kyber in the walls. It was literally the purest water anyone would ever find.

Moving to the surface of the pool Eriana would begin to lower her clothes and drop them carelessly on the ice. She said nothing, still letting Xai's mind wander and imagine what would happen. Eriana continued until she was wearing nothing at all and then moved herself into the freezing waters. When she was covered up to her chest she finally turned around and held her hands out to the initiate.

"Come and join me. We will begin to cleanse you for your baptism."

If Xai wished, she could do the same as Eriana just had, but she'd likely never survive that temperature for long. How Eriana was doing it was beyond her knowledge. Even still, she was welcome to come in as she was, or dress down to her comfort level. Eriana had not said one word either way about the task, nor would she unless asked. If Xai did question further on the matter of clothing, Eriana would explain she was free to do as she pleased. Normally, the blind Sith would offer robes for her initiates during this step and make the event a public feature within the church (Xai had even watched someone else go through this process), but Xai was getting a special treatment today.