The Fools Die Young

[Alora]

Rhen Var
Northern hemisphere
4:00 am local time, early sunrise​

Tar'ja kicked the hatch open, applying the Force. The metal ramp swung open into the cold air of an unwelcoming world. Tar'ja jumped out the frame and 'looked' around.
Rhen Var, the blight on the face of the galaxy. Another frozen world like Hoth. Young Sith wrapped her clothing tighter around her shoulders. The Force could sustain you for some time and protect you from cold or heat, but only so far. Tar'ja found some thick robes and a jumpsuit equipped with temperature regulation system and protective layers which could withstand the blasting cold, but she didn't know for how long the batteries would hold. Then she looked around and examined her ship.
The old Lambda-class shuttle was half in the snow, his right wing torn off by the crash, the left one deformed and pointing into grey sky. For all she knew the shuttle was trashed beyond repair. The long-range comm system was dead along with most of the other equipment. She couldn't call for help now, but she doubted anyone would answer her even if she could. She wasn't one of the Crusaders, she was just another acolyte dumb enough to run off from Korriban in search of some ancient treasure and crash on the dead world without any supplies, aide or experience in surviving such places. Her star wasn't bright or colorful and it will die out very soon. Unless she finds a way to get off this blasted rock.
Tar'ja found all the surviving supplies she could find and packed them in a backpack, along with few extra batteries for the suit. She put the fur robe on, hiding her head beneath the massive hood, wrapped a scarf over her face and slipped the backpack on her back. She locked the pack's straps around her weist and clipped her lightsaber on the belt. Hiding her hands inside long sleeves she left the crashed shuttle behind and began walking in the general direction of the fortress she came here to find in the first place.
The fortress belonged to an ancient Sith Lord, Darth Mekhis. She was a Sith Lord during the Great Galactic War. She ruled from that outpost until the jedi lead by Satele Shan invaded it and driven the Sith Lord away. According to ancient texts and notes Tar'ja found in the archives of the Korriban academy, Shan ordered the place locked up and guarded, with no living person allowed inside. Nothing was stated about what frightened her so much, but the event lead Tar'ja to believe that this site wasn't robbed and pillaged like most of the rest, be that a fortress, a temple or a tomb.
What interested Tar'ja the most is that this Darth Mekhis was a Sith scientist, one of the few who experimented with the Force as well as with technology, merging it together. This was something she would love to learn about and she knew no better place to do it then the one she was headed to.
But something happened on her approach. The shuttle systems went out, some of the circuits and chips burning out almost instantly. The ship crashed miles away from her destination. And now she had to reach it on foot. By her rough calculations if there wont be any storm she'll reach the place in 2 days. But that was an optimistic assessment.
Adjusting the pack on her back she walked across the crash site and started towards east.

 

[Ral]

The VX-700 light freighter that Jedi Knight Kai Sera had "borrowed" from a spaceport on Klatooine dropped out of hyperspace with a crash and a very loud bang. His tan face grimaced as he checked his control console. Red emergency lights were flickering and yellow warning lights pulsated as he tried to figure out what had just happened. Turning to his trusty astromech, the dark-haired knight motioned to a nearby plug in socket. "Arthree, plug in and see what in the kriffing hell just happened!" Without a moment's hesitation the droid squawked an indignant response and began rolling over to where he was ordered. Checking his navigation computer, the knight was relieved to see that he had made it to his destination. "Well, it looks like we at least made it to Rhen Var, thank the Force. Looks like the ruins I want to reach are located in the north." Pulling on the control yoke, Kai found the freighter to be sluggish and unresponsive, glaring at his droid, Kai shouted, "Arthree, what's going on? Why aren't the controls responding?!" The astromech let out a mournful and pessimistic whistle, it's green and clear domed head swiveling to look at him. "What do you mean primary hyperdrive just bit the farm and it took out the main engines? Well fix them!" The droid whistled back its answer. "Fine, whatever. Looks like we're in for a rough landing then!"

Buckling himself into the pilot's seat the Jedi Knight knew he would have to fight this ship the whole way down. And with the fact that there wouldn't be a landing strip anywhere near he was headed Kai knew that it would almost certainly be in for a crash landing. The planet loomed closer and before long Kai found himself looking at flames of reentry washing over the light freighter's shields. He had picked up a lot of speed and with only secondary thrusters and maneuvering jets the Jedi was hard pressed to reduce his speed to something much more manageable lest his ship break up. The puffy white clouds of the planet filled his view screen and Kai had to check his map to make sure he was still heading towards the ruins. Thankfully, he was so all he had to do was try and make it there in one piece, and that's where the rub was. At his current heading he would still be several kilometers short of the ruins. Grimacing, Kai gripped the controls tightly as his ship sped through the cloud layer only for him to see a white sheet of snow a thousand feet below him. Swearing to himself, the knight did his best to pull up and even switched the repulse lifts on hoping to help soften the inevitable impact as the ground quickly became closer. Then with a sudden crashing roar his ship plowed through the snow in the middle or a wide valley. The crash had the affect of knocking the Jedi unconscious for a few minutes, and when he awoke he found that his forward view screen was half covered in snow, but otherwise intact.

Taking a deep breath Kai unbuckled himself and began to gather up the things he knew he would need in this environment; his time on Orto Plutonia serving him well. Opening the landing ramp to the ship, Kai told his droid to get started with the ship repairs. Starting out onto the open and untouched snow in his snow gear, Kai began to make his way towards the ruins. He knew not what awaited him here today, but after the debacle on Endor he thought it would be a good time to set out on his own. For many weeks he had been having dreams of icy ruins, and after consulting his holocron he was convinced it was Rhen Var. Now he was here, and now he was going to be putting his faith in the Force.

 

[Alora]

Rhen Var, 13:00 local time​

The vision of the ruins of the ancient fortress hung just above the horizon when Tar'ja stumbled over a rock and fell forward into the rough snow. It was past midday and still it was freezing. Tar'ja tried to keep the cold away with the Force, the suits batteries all went out and hour ago. But she wasn't trained well enough to keep the concentration up. Even her Sight flickered, the world gone blurry. Miralukans didn't need to concentrate hard to use the Force Sight, but the fact that Tar'ja was loosing it showed that her brain didn’t function properly. She felt dizzy. She lost the feeling of her fingers and toes hours ago, the arms and thighs felt like ice.
She tried to lift herself off the ground, but her hands shook and she fell back into snow.
Something flickered in the distance, she tried hard to concentrate on it but lost. Something alive. A beast maybe.
"Now you die, you stupid girl," - Tarja thought to herself. "Either you'll be eaten by a dumb beast or you simply freeze to death on this Force forsaken planet."
The Sight went out, the world going dark, and Tar'ja lost consciousness.

 

[Ral]

Stomping through the snowy wastes of Rhen Var the Jedi Knight wondered what in the Force had brought him to such a desolate place. Still, Kai would take snow over sand any day; the young man hated Tatooine and every other desert world with a passion that would have been unbecoming of a Jedi. Not like Kai cared if it was unbecoming or not, it was the way he felt; sand was annoying to him, and heat was uncomfortable. Some might say snow was the same way, but Kai found the white substance to be rather beautiful. Bundled up in his layers of waterproof coats and pants with a large pack on his back which contained survival gear necessary to stay alive in the cold wilderness, Kai slowly made his way north as he followed the Force.

After a few hours of travelling Kai began to get a funny feeling in the back of his mind. It felt like there was something out there tugging at him, trying to get him to come towards it. Of course, Kai still had no idea what he was doing there much less what was drawing him closer. All he could do is move forward and wonder, which is exactly what he ended up doing. It took him several minutes to cross a high, steep ridge of snow and ice. Once he crested it he looked down in the valley below. Scanning the white expanse before him his eyes were quickly drawn to a dark form in the snow not too far away. Squinting, the knight couldn't quite make out what it was down there, but he was certain it wasn't native to the planet. Reaching out with the Force Kai focused his senses and tried to figure out what it was, after a few moments he could sense that it was in fact a lifeform; one barely clinging to life at that. Realizing the urgency of the situation Kai began sprinting down the hill. It took him a couple of long, difficult minutes to make it through the deep snow to the figure's position.

Upon reaching the figure, Kai knelt down in the snow and turned it over. It took him all of four seconds to realize that the figure was female, a Miraluka at that, a Miraluka with a lightsaber. Kai froze up for a moment; he was certain this was not a Jedi and judging by the distinct dark side presence within the young female before him Kai gandered that it was in fact a Sith. Judging due to her incapacitated state she probably wasn't a Crusader; dying out in the frozen wastes of Rhen Var didn't sound like something a Sith who survived to Crusader would do. Her rank and affiliation was irrelevant to him at this moment though. She was a person in need, and she would die if he didn't help her. Unfortunately, Kai didn't know where to go. He hadn't spotted a cave or someplace to take shelter in, and as he looked up at the sky he saw that the sun was getting low; the knight might have an hour or two at best to find some shelter. Frowning, Kai jumped up and reached out in the Force; surely there must be someplace nearby where they could take shelter. A tug in his mind pulled him to his left. Opening his eyes, Kai saw the opposite ridgeline from the one he came down on. Drawing the Force into him, Kai used the energy to propel himself forward. After a few minutes, Kai came to what looked like a long, thin patch of ice. Following the ice towards the ridge, Kai felt the urge to blast it with the Force. Drawing in the energy from around him Kai let loose a burst of telekinetic energy. Snow flew everywhere temporarily blinding Kai, but once everything settled, he noticed that there was now the formation of a hole he could crawl through. Good enough... he thought as he raced back to the unconscious Miraluka.

Pulling her lightsaber off with the Force, Kai placed it on his belt before removing picking her up. It took him considerably longer to get back to the cave with the woman on his back, but he managed to get her there. Pushing her through the opening, Kai followed her through. Inside the stone cave, Kai set up a sort of camp with space heaters and unpacked some of his gear. He took a thermal blanket out and covered the unconscious Miraluka with it. Wondering who she was he dug through her pack a little, but outside of a few scrolls and the old odd-ends, Kai didn't find anything of consequence. Preparing to make some food, he waited for the young woman to awaken, so he could ask her what she was doing passed out on Rhen Var all alone.

 

[Alora]

Tar'ja's sense of self wandered for long time. Visions of something vast and dark clawed at her mind, sending her into the darkness of nightmares. Inside her brain she was drowning in the sticky and viscous blackness. And it filled her insides, burning with ice-cold acid of insanity.
But at some point the darkness receded, leaving her scorched mind in peace. At least for a time. Tar'ja slowly opened her eyes, her Sense returning slowly.
She wasn't in the snow, sprawled out on the ice-desert surface. She was in what looked like a cave. And she was covered with a warm blanket. A few steps away from her a young man was squatted in front of the heater, warming his hands.
- Water… - Tar'ja managed to whisper with a hoarse voice.
The man turned to her, squinting. Then he stood up and came to her side, putting a flask to her numb lips. Tar'ja sipped, but she couldn't yet feel her lips so the water mostly spilled on her chin. But she managed to make a few gulps. The man screwed up the cap on the flask and attached it to his belt and placed a palm on her forehead. Tar'ja felt a slight tingle from his hand. He was using the Force on her. And it felt very different. In a few moments the blistering pain in her head and limbs retreated if not stopped and she lost consciousness again. But this time without the nightmares.
Next time she opened her eyes it felt like a middle of the night. The man sat a few steps away from her, reading what looked like one of her journals. Tar'ja shifted a bit under the blanket and the man looked up at her.
- Keep still. You suffer from almost fatal frostbite. I managed to heal most of it, but you still need to rest.
Without answering Tar'ja turned her head and fell asleep again.
Hours later she woke up. The man was heating something what looked like a canned food on a portable heater. Tar'ja tried to clench a fist and her fingers obeyed. She moved her hand along her belt and found nothing.
- Looking for this? - asked the man without looking at her. His finger tapped on a lightsaber hanging from his belt. Her lightsaber. And it hanged right beside another one. Tar'ja tilted her head slightly, studying the man. His aura was very bright, but it had no shade of red or orange. It was a mix of blue and green. The man was a Jedi.
- Water, - Tar'ja asked with a voice still weak.
Man approached her and put the flask against her lips. She drank hungrily. She didn't drink it all, but the water was warm and so sweet to her dry throat. Man closed the flask and put it away, looking at her with studying eyes.
- You're a Sith, - he said without any preamble. His face was rather calm, but his eyes were constantly scrutinizing her.
- And you're a Jedi, - she answered with a hoarse voice.
Man shrugged and walked back to the heater, taking the metal can of it.
- Well, this gets the obvious stuff out of the way, doesn't it, - he said, looking back at her. - What are you doing here?
Tar'ja was silent for a few moments.
- I could ask you the same thing.
- Yes, you could. But it was I who dragged your frozen butt across the desert. So I think you owe me some explanation.
Tar'ja thought for a long minute before answering.
- Knowledge.
The man actually laughed at her answer.
- What? Knowledge? What kind of knowledge you could possibly get on this ice rock? How to freeze your butt to death in as less time as possible?
Tar'ja didn't answer.
- I looked through your books. Looks like you're some kind of scholar, aren't you? Pretty impressive work I'd say, something one could not expect from a Sith.
- You think we're all savage killers and murderers, driven only by hunger for power and dominance.
- Yes, that’s about it.
- Well, you're wrong.
They sat in silence for long time. Then the man brought a warm can to her and put it on her knees along a short plastic fork.
- Eat. Your body needs calories to heal, I burned most of what you had to Heal the damage.
Tar'ja studied him for a few moments.
- Why would you?
- Why would I what?
- Help me. I'm a Sith, I'm your enemy.
Man was silent for a time.
- I don't believe in letting someone die a rotten death just because they are too young and stupid. Even Sith don't deserve that.
Tar'ja didn't reply. It was strange that a Jedi would risk his life (and even being on this world is risk enough) to save an enemy. It sounded like a Jedi of old, when they weren't too busy with politics, scheming and after the war, surviving. This one actually sounded like he was determined to help people. Without a word Tar'ja reached inside her clothes and pulled out a single sheet of paper. She handed it to the Jedi.
He took the page and looked through the text. Then he looked up at her.
- Is that why you're here?
Tar'ja nodded.
- But that's nonsense. The thing never been confirmed, it's just a rumor.
- No. It's not.
Tar'ja pointed at the small leather-bound notebook lying on top of her backpack. Jedi took it and handed it to her. Tar'ja shuffled through the pages.
- In the archives of the Korriban academy I found a journal of the Keeper of Heresies. It's like your Keeper of the Archives. The journal is centuries old. But in it there's a note that a Sith Lord, Darth Mekhis, reported an unusual encounter with an ancient ship. That ship. She stated that it is a valuable find and requested additional ships to persue it and take it for the Sith Empire.
- And?
- And nothing. Nothing in the journal I found stated if she succeeded or not.
- And you hope to find the answer here.
Tar'ja nodded. The Jedi sat silent for few minutes.
- Why would you search for it? If what you say is true and the thing really exists, although I doubt it, why search for it?
Instead of answering Tar'ja brought up her left hand and pushed a few buttons on her wrist-mounted commlink. A low static sounded in the still air of the cave. They sat without speaking, listening to the recording coming from the commlink. When it ended, the Jedi looked at Tar'ja's face.
- It's dangerous. It's dangerous to all of us, any living thing in the Galaxy.
Tar'ja nodded.
- Indeed.
- You think you can find it? You really believe that?
- I do.
The Jedi was silent for a few moment, still staring at the commlink on her wrist.
- And if you do. What happens if you will find it?
Tar'ja shrugged.
- As you said, I'm a scholar. I want to study it. It holds secrets more ancient then any of our Orders.
- This thing is of the Dark Side.
- Oh, forget about the Sides, the Force has no sides. The darkness or the light comes from within.
Kai looked at her, his eyes narrowed, his face stern but thoughtful at the same time.
- I don't care about ancient secrets. If this thing exists and sails among the stars, we need to stop it.
Tar'ja actually smiled at that.
- Looks like we're walking the same path. At least for the time being.
The Jedi nodded.
- If we find it, we need to figure out a way to stop it.
- Well, that would be me, wouldn't it? But I want it's secrets first.
The Jedi contemplated for some time. Maybe allowing this young Sith a chance to learn a few secrets of the ancient thing was not a too high price for a chance to stop the ancient evil.
- Deal.
Tar'ja smiled wider and extended her hand. Reluctantly the Jedi extended his and they shook hands. A Jedi and a Sith.
- I'm Kai, - he said.
The Miraluka tilted her head, a smile still shining on her face.
- Tar'ja. It's a pleasure to meet you, - she replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. But only a hint.
Jedi tilted his head backwards roaring with laughter.
Now what they needed to figure out is how to get to the fortress.

 

[Ral]

So, her name was Tar'ja. She didn't look too bad considering she was a Sith Acolyte with half of her face covered by a typical Miraluka eye covering. But from what he could see the woman had an odd shade of caucasian skin he hadn't seen before, somewhat tanned, with long raven black hair. The fact that the other woman was surprised at Kai's compassion and willingness to help her, a lonely Sith Acolyte, the "enemy" was amusing to him. Almost cute even. There was a simple fact that the Miraluka was about to die and the Jedi were supposed to help people in need. It didn't matter if they were Sith or not, and in Kai's mind a thing most Jedi forgot. Sometimes the best way to combat the dark side was not with aggression and a drawn blade but with compassion. It took a much wiser person than Kai, who had a much better gift of foresight to know whether helping someone in need would have dire consequences. Simply put, Kai was unsure whether helping Tar'ja would come back to bite him, but he couldn't live and serve as Jedi wondering about all the possible consequences of helping someone. It wasnot his job to wonder if doing a good deed would go unpunished; only to do the good deed when it was required.

According to Tar'ja there was an ancient ship, one of the dark side which was either hidden on this planet or possibly traversing the nearby star systems, an evil ship known as the Boundless Fury. The Miraluka woman had several scrolls, journals, and recordings on her; some referenced the ancient Jedi, others the ancient Sith, many did not contain information about either order but simply talked of the Force. From what Kai could skim, the ship Tar'ja was looking for was ancient indeed. The knight could understand the scholar's desire to research, uncover, and understand things, especially something so rare and interesting as this ghost ship. But Kai had a bad feeling about it, and while he also wished to learn and know more, he believed that the ship needed to be stopped for there was something complete unnatural about it; something that no one, not even a curious Sith Acolyte should know.

Kai told the fairly good-looking female to rest and regain more strength after she had eaten her share of food and drank more water. For his part, Kai meditated quietly only a few meters from the girl. Viewing her through the Force was interesting as Tar'ja had a rather unique appearance; her aura was a dark grey with traces of red threaded throughout her presence. It was rather fitting, for she did not seem as evil or deranged as some of the Sith Kai had learned about, and naturally he knew deep down that not all Sith were insanely evil. If anything Kai found himself preferring Tar'ja's presence to that of Jorath's, the giant Sith he had encountered on Tatooine. Naturally, an attractive and intelligent young woman was much more of a threat than a brooding and particularly blunt Sith, but Kai found Tar'ja's presence to be more likeable than that of the other Sith he had encountered, like she hadn't given herself fully to the dark side yet. Watching her sleep was also oddly relaxing and soothing, something he hadn't expected. It was odd, and Kai wasn't entirely sure why he felt that way. Perhaps it was because she wasn't completely a Sith, well not yet anyways. Maybe with some luck Kai could help this Tar'ja realize that she doesn't need the Sith to learn.

Morning finally came, and Kai made the two a light meal before packing up what he had come to call as camp in a cave. The knight offered Tar'ja one of his spare thermal coats which he had kept rolled up in his pack. After they had packed up they were about to leave when Tar'ja motioned to his belt. Looking down Kai could see that she wanted her lightsaber back. Frowning, Kai looked at the Miraluka. "Don't," Kai started as he reached down to grab the Sith's hilt off of his waist. As he did so Kai began to gather up the Force around him, calling on the energy that flowed around him and tapping deep into his connection ready to throw her across the cave or draw his own blade if she tried anything. Handing it to her, emitter facing her chest, Kai finished what he was saying. "Make me regret this."

With that the knight handed over the lightsaber. If Tar'ja looked upon Kai at this instance she would be able to easily see the currents of the Force flowing around him as he glowed brightly with the power of the Force. Once he was sure he wasn't going to be attacked Kai followed the acolyte out of the cave coming out onto the large snowy fields that covered the surface of Rhen Var. They began walking, heading in the direction the knight believed the fortress where they wanted to be was located, and Kai decided to hear what Tar'ja had to say for herself. "So, I noticed that you had a lot of information on the Jedi Order in one of your journals there. Is there a reason you have so much information on the old order?"

"Knowledge is power..." Came the reply as cold as the snowy fields which they traversed that very instance.

"This is true... so why did you join the Sith then?" Kai asked ad he glanced at the raven haired woman.

There was a long moment of silence between the two of them before Tar'ja finally responded with a curt reply. "This isn't relevant to our current situation."

"Do you have any friends then? People that will come looking for you? A master perhaps? Someone who knows where you are?"

"No... I traveled alone." Came the reply several moments later. Kai frowned at that.

"That sounds so lonely..." Kai almost whispered as they trudged through the white fields of ice and snow before them. After several minutes the knight finally spoke again. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to teach you the basics of Tapas so it will be easier for you to survive the cold."

Tar'ja looked at him rather surprised and nodded. With a smile and a light chuckle Kai began to explain to the acolyte how Tapas worked. It was a rather simple power that allowed one to sustain themselves in cold environments which would normally kill or incapacitate someone. "Remember to draw the Force into your body and focus it. Let it sustain you, let the Force flow through you and allow it to energize andrestore you. It may take some time but you'll find that with some practice it's a very useful skill to have."

Kai waited for Tar'ja to begin attempting to practice the power before giving her any more advice when suddenly Kai stopped. Tar'ja looked at him oddly for a moment, but then she realized Kai had sensed something below them. It seemed there was movement directly beneath their feet. Waving his hand over the snow Kai caused the white powder to be moved revealing a trap door that he had almost missed entirely. Frowning, the knight pulled it open with the Force and looked down into the blackness below. "Well this should be a bit more interesting, ladies first!"

 

[Alora]

While they walked across the frozen surface the Jedi, Kai, attempted to make a conversation. Tar'ja wasn't used to making small talk, so her replies were mostly short. Then, surprisingly, Kai explained and showed her a technic to keep away the cold with the Force. It wasn't that difficult or complex, just needed some practice. Tar'ja tried her best and felt the cold retreating, her limbs getting somewhat warmer. It didn’t feel like tropical heat, but the cold became bearable.
Then Kai suddenly stopped. He pushed with the Force and the snow scattered revealing a circular trapdoor on the ground, some 500 meters from the actual ruins. Tar'ja crouched beside the opened black hole and "looked" down. It was dark, alright, and not just for the lack of light. There was something down there.
Without further hesitation Tar'ja jumped down the opened well. With a frown Kai followed.
The descent wasn't long, Tar'ja landed on the rough floor only a second later. Kai landed beside her. With a twist of his hand he turned on the flashlight and aimed it down the long narrow corridor. Tar'ja didn't need the light, but being alone here would be very discomforting. In a way she was glad the Jedi was here.
In silence they started walking.
The journey took them about fifteen minutes before the reached their first barrier. A large circular door made of some dull grey metal. Arcane symbols were ran over it's surface, lines twisting and coiling, forming some sort of an image. Stepping back to light the whole door it became clear that the lines of symbols formed a portrait, a face of what looked like one of the ancient sith species. Kai and Tar'ja exchanged glances.
Gathering up the Force Kai punched the door, aiming to push it in. Nothing happened. Then suddenly a low sound came to their ears, like a grinding of rusted gears. Then it grew quiet again. Kai wanted to try again, but Tar'ja caught his hand. Coming up to the door she placed her hand on the cold metal. It felt familiar, something she felt a lot of times before. Lowering her hand she wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her lightsaber. Yes, the same metal.
- It can't be forced open.
With a slow intake of breath, Tar'ja reached out to the Force and placed her hand on the door again. The dark red currents swirled around her, the Dark Side gathering. And silently the door shivered and slid open without a single sound. Tar'ja stepped in motioning for Kai to follow.
What the encountered on the other side was a large chamber, a circular hall with a pyramid-like pedestal in the center. Looked like they entered some kind of a throne room through the emergency exit.
On top of the pedestal stood what looked like a throne. And on that throne sat a skeletal corpse. It was dressed in bronze armor with long red sleeves falling on it's knees. Although the fabric of the clothing has almost rotted away and the metal was covered in dust and rust.
Tar'ja slowly approached the pyramid and stepped on the first stair. The air moved, like a soft breeze against her skin. And the corpse raised his head.
- Ash azgh ass fesss…
The sound came from all around them, not loud, merely a whisper but it punched Tar'ja off the stairs. Kai stepped up beside her, his lightsaber in his hand, ready to defend or attack. Tar'ja gripped his forearm.
- Ass hess shie ssah, - she said in a hissing voice.
The corpse tilted his head, his empty eye sockets staring straight into Tar'ja's face.
- No need to speak the language you do not understand, child, - came the voice, more focused on the corpse above them. Although the jaws of the dead didn’t move an inch.
- I come for what was lost, - Tar'ja said with more confidence in her voice.
The voice boomed with laughter, the raucous sounds echoing from the stone walls around them.
- You come for the forbidden knowledge, child? The Lords of the Sith feared what it showed. But you think you can take it. Is that ignorance or stupidity?
- It's hunger. And I will take it.
- You will try, - answered the corpse, and Tar'ja could swear that it smiled, although lips and skin on it's face rotted away centuries ago.
The voice retreated, replaced by a low hum. Something else was here. Something was moving in the dark. Tar'ja looked around and her lightsaber sprang to her hand, the blade flaring up to life.
Corpses. Skeletons. The animated dead all around them, no less then fifty, limping towards them from the alcoves in the walls. Some carried spears, some swords. They moved in total silence, only the barely audible shuffle of their feet against the stone floor could she hear. And she saw their auras. Grey, swirling around them, rippling, like it wasn't theirs.
Kai was standing next to her, his lightsaber drawn and ignited.
Without another word they launched at the army of the dead.

 

[Ral]

Much to his surprise and also partially to his chagrin, Tar'ja dropped down into the Force-forsaken darkness below disappearing out of sight almost immediately. With a heavy sigh and a frown, Kai grabbed his lightsaber off of his belt holding the ornate hilt in his dominant hand and muttered to himself, "Here we go again..." Obviously, this was not the first time Kai had dropped into pitch black holes. After only one or two short seconds of falling, Kai's feet touched the floor below. The Jedi Knight was glad he didn't sense the impending danger of an attack whether it be from Tar'ja or something unseen. Being too dark to see, Kai reached for the flashlight he had on him, holding it in his left hand he twisted it on until a beam of yellow-white light shown out of it.

Beside him the young Miraluka woman stood examining the area they were in. Shining his light down a narrow and equally dark corridor the pair began to move. Kai wasn't afraid of this place, or of the dark, but that didn't mean the young man didn't feel slightly disturbed at being in such a place or appreciate having the company with him, even if it was a Sith Acolyte. For some odd reason, he felt that Tar'ja was somewhat appreciate to have Kai there with her as well. An odd coupling to say the least; a young knight and a blind girl stumbling their way into the darkness looking for an ancient power that might not even exist. Though, Kai ended up thinking to himself, it nothing existed on this world why was there a mysterious hole in the snow and a tunnel to someplace unknown? Kai didn't know, but he was sure he was about to find out.

They continued walking down the narrow passageway in near perfect silence. It was mostly a straight shot down the corridor, though Kai was certain they were walking at a very shallow angle downwards for at least part of the way. After what seemed like a long time, several minutes at least, but probably longer, the pair came to what seemed to be some kind of barrier. At first it looked like some sort of circular portal that blocked their passage, like a doorway or gate of some kind that was sealed completely shut. There seemed to be some sort of runes, or glyphs, or something of the similar sort carved into the surface of this round door that Kai couldn't quite make out at first. Taking a step back with the Sith next to him the image became clearer as the Jedi was able to get his torch to illuminate most of the surface of the doorway. The door seemed to have the carving of a Sith Pureblood's face on it. The knight didn't recognize it, but that didn't mean Tar'ja didn't.

Watching her reaction, the knight stood back as he gathered up the Force and punched it at the doorway. Unfortunately, nothing happened, though Kai might have guessed he wouldn't have been so lucky. There was a sound that could be heard though that reminded the dark-haired man of gears moving, perhaps grinding was the better term, but attempting to move nonetheless. Frowning, Kai wondered if he did it again if it would force the door to open. As he gathered up the Force Tar'ja managed to catch his hand. She shook her head at him before approaching the doorway. Placing a hand on the metal of the portal Tar'ja paused as she grabbed the hilt of her blade causing Kai to raise an eyebrow at her suspiciously. She muttered something about the door not being able to be forced before inhaling. Kai could feel the dark side gather up around her, its presence weighed heavily on the knight as he didn't particularly enjoy the feeling, but he clenched his jaw and stood there waiting. The door shuddered and opened silently, something Kai found himself scratching his head about.

Stepping in behind Tar'ja Kai followed her into a large circular hall which contained a pyramid-shaped structure or dais in the center. On the dais there was a throne occupied by a skeleton in armor and robes, all of it old and worn looking as though it could fall apart by simply breathing on it. Kai hung back a little as Tar'ja approached the throne. As she took her first step up the stairs Kai could feel the air move. The air felt heavy and dark, but also old and stale as well, like it had been exhaled out of something long dead. Much to Kai's surprise the skeleton raised its boney skull and seemed to stair at them, or at least her before speaking in an incomprehensible language. Or perhaps it wasn't the skeleton that was speaking, but the room as the sound seemed to originate from all around like a whisper from just behind your ear. And as Kai heard the sound he saw Tar'ja thrown off the stairs with unexpected force.

Immediately, the knight stepped up next to her his lightsaber ready to defend against any physical attacks that might come towards them, and also so he could check on the girl next to him. She seemed fine, but she managed to grab his forearm before replying in what sounded like it could be the same language he heard earlier. Then followed a short exchange between Tar'ja and the skeletal corpse sitting on its throne which ended with the Miraluka drawing her lightsaber, its bloodshine blade springing to life in her hand. Just as she did Kai noticed movement out in the dark as something began to approach and Kai's platinum blade burst to life with an enthusiastic snap-hiss as he stood next to her.

Before him was a small army of skeletons, all slow and lumbering towards them with crude and archaic weapons. Looking to Tar'ja, Kai smiled warmly. Have at it, then! And with that Kai leapt into the mass of corpses. His silver blade flashed around him as he weaved an arc of white energy through their numbers dismembering and slicing a dozen of the skeletons in only a few short seconds. Kai could feel the Force flowing through him as he focused his mind and controlled his emotions dodging to the side and ducking under the wild and horribly inaccurate attacks of the skeletal legion. The knight's training in Soresu and Ataru was proving to be quiet useful as the defense provided him an excellent fall back against the corpses' attacks and Ataru's mobility and speed meant that they could barely touch him when he went on the offensive. Looking to Tar'ja he could see her red blade moving through the skeletons near her chopping them down as they approached. Smiling at the girl, Kai turned back to his messy work.

A skeleton attacked from one side and Kai through it back into its comrades with the Force. From behind a horde of skeletons approached rather quickly for the lumbering masses of bone which they were. Drawing in on the Force which sustained him, Kai focused it into his hand where he sent a burst of pure energy out through his fingers. The energy manifested itself in an arc of green lightning which split and forked as it moved away from him and towards the reanimated corpses. As the lightning hit several attacking skeletons were thrown several meters back, smoke rising from their forms. Taking the momentary respite to look towards Tar'ja, the knight was surprised to see that her crimson blade had turned a bright electric orange. Kai blinked a few times as his eyes registered what he saw. The man could have sworn it had been red, in fact he was certain of it! Then as he watched he saw that she was moving rather fluidly around, her motions swifter and more efficient, her attacks more precise. Whatever had happened, she seemed to be "in the zone" as he reached out to feel her, and oddly enough she didn't seem to be drawing on the power of the dark side, or any of the related emotions. Instead, she seemed to be using... well nothing, she seemed to be simply reacting and counterattacking.

Kai continued to cut through the dead bodies that moved towards him feeling no disgust or pleasure from his work. They were already dead, he wasn't killing living things after all. And yet, they kept coming no matter how many he slew with his blade or crush with the Force. A tingle in his mind told him of danger and he immediately turned around to see that a corpse had gotten behind Tar'ja and was about to attack while she was overwhelmed with attackers from the front. Oh no you don't! Reaching out, Kai gripped the skeleton tightly with the Force. Drawing on his own protective instincts, Kai crushed the bones of the corpse until there was nothing but pulverized bonemeal. Sending a burst of Force energy, a supply that was quickly dwindling now, towards the horde that was on Tar'ja, Kai managed to knock most of them back and away. However, the distraction was about to cost him dearly as one of the skeletons managed to grab hold of his blade arm and wrench his hilt away from him. Swearing to himself, Kai wasn't worried about the blade being used against him, the Solari crystal in the hilt meant that only a true Jedi could wield the weapon, but now he was without a weapon at all except for his slugthrower pistol which he feared would be useless against the undead. The same undead who were almost about to dig their long boney fingers into him when Tar'ja appeared out of nowhere slicing the skeletons into twos and fours with her orange blade. In that moment Kai watched as the Miraluka seemed to effortlessly cleave her way through and Kai had to admire and appreciate the seeming grace she had while doing it. She almost seemed... beautiful, if one could be such a thing while in the midst of a melee for their life. Kai's mind snapped back to reality and he grabbed his hilt back to him and began to defend himself from several of the corpses that had come in from behind him. No sooner had Tar'ja moved on to a new group then did the last begin to stand up reanimated. This caused Kai to think, exhausted as he was becoming at this point, once he had thrown back several more of the undead.

The knight moved to where the acolyte had positioned herself so they were now fighting back to back. If he was going to distract himself by trying to answer the question on his mind he wanted to at least have his backside protected. Reaching out into the Force Kai felt the dark energies that shaped, twisted, and animated the corpses to resemble some form of life. Following the currents back to the corpse on its thrown, the knight didn't waste much more time in drawing the perfectly obvious conclusion staring him in the face. With a slight boost of energy from the realization and the hope that it meant, Kai looked over to where Tar'ja was behind him as she cast down another corpse. "Tar'ja, it's the throne! Or, I mean, the skeleton on the throne in the red robes and the old armor! He's controlling them somehow by using the Force. He might be the one causing them to reanimate! We need to stop him, you go after him, I'll cover you!"

 

[Alora]

Tar'ja moved like in a dream, the world around her became liquid. Her mind was empty, just a single thought pulsing at the center - "End it!"
She sliced and chopped with her saber, the blade dancing and swirling around her, bashing off the incoming attacks and cutting the advancing corpses in pieces. But They just kept coming. Somewhere beside her Kai was fighting, his lightsaber swinging at the attackers, cutting off heads and slicing the bodies in two. But Tar'ja didn't care, she couldn't think about it. Her mind turned into a void. Void free of any thoughts, emotions and feelings. Even awareness of her surroundings faded. She just kept going.
At some point Kai rammed his blade between an incoming sword and Tar'ja's neck, pushing the skeleton with the Force. Tar'ja swung around, rolling over Kai's back and swinging her lightsaber upwards cutting a walking corpse in two from crotch to the neck. No emotion, no passion, no peace either. It wasn't what Sith taught, nor was it the Jedi's way. It wasn't Dark and it wasn't Light. It was something different. Total war. Either you end it now, anyway you can, or you die. And the void swallowed her mind.
The blade in her hand seemed to be living it's own life, swinging and swirling around. Sometimes Tar'ja could swear she felt it nudging her into movement, sometimes it twisted slightly in her hand, altering the angle and apparently saving her life.
Then, through the emptiness she heard a voice. It was muffled, like coming through a great distance. She pushed the skeleton in front of her into the wall and turned her head. Kai was screaming at her, some words she couldn't quite make out.
- It's him… him… Up there!...
That didn't make sense. Unless…
Tar'ja looked up at the corpse on the throne. It still sat there, motionless and very dead, but somehow still staring at her. And then it hit her. It was the conduit. The vessel of the Force energy that brought this miserable dead fighters to life.
Tar'ja jumped. She didn't know how exactly she did it, but she flew over the heads of the advancing skeletons and landed right in front of the throne. Her blade stopped an inch from the dead man's neck.
- You think the dead fear your weapon? - came the booming voice.
Tar'ja looked into those depthless holes the corpse had for eyes. And she nodded.
- Lords of the Sith fear death more then most of the living beings in the Galaxy. That’s why we always seek a way to immortalize ourselves. And you're no different, whoever you are.
Silence followed. Tar'ja didn't dare turn her head. But the skeletons stopped as one. Some of them froze with their weapons raised to attack Kai.
The dead Sith Lord stared back into Tar'ja's face. One eyeless against another. One dead, the other empty.
- Death is lighter then a feather. But eternity is heavier then the world. We are fools to seek it.
After these words the skeletons fell. They simply crumbled down into piles of bones and dust. Kai looked around and saw that they were once again alone in the great chamber.
Tar'ja still stood with her blade against the dead man's neck.
- You come for the forbidden knowledge. I will give it to you. But you will give me something in return.
- Name it, - Tar'ja said without a moment's hesitation.
- You will end the eternity.
For a few seconds Tar'ja stood motionless, then simply nodded. The voice turned into a breath of wind, like a long sigh, and the corpse finally dropped his head onto his chest. Something glistened under his chin. Tar'ja reached out and pulled a simple necklace from under the corpses clothing. It was a thin metal chain with a pendant hanging on it. A slim, diamond-shaped crystal of deep scarlet shade. And it glowed from the inside.
- Remember. All knowledge comes with a price. Now do what you promised.
Tar'ja looked at the corpse one last time and then swung her blade, cutting the head off the shoulders. It fell down and rolled down the stairs with a distinct dull sound of dry bone hitting the stone.
The pendant fell loose and Tar'ja lifted it to her face.
- We're done here, - was all she said and turned her back on the headless corpse. As she stepped down from the pyramid she turned to the way they came from and stepped over the head of a long dead Sith Lord. Without as much as a glance around she went for the exit, the glowing crystal clutched in her hand. Behind her the corpse on the throne ignited in flames and burned into ash in mere moments.

 

[Ral]

Seeing Tar'ja leap over the heads of all those skeletons was fairly amazing to Kai, though he had such feats of skill and strength before he hadn't honestly expected it from the young woman. Though the knight didn't have time to marvel or wonder at what he had just seen for he was still in the middle of a fight with these infernal corpses that just wouldn't stay dead. Drawing deep into his Force reserves, Kai tapped into his own potent connection and focused the energy of the universe into his outstretched palm once again causing a burst of emerald electricity into a trio of corpses causing them to slam into their peers as they were tossed back away smoking and charred. Then they all stopped, Kai's saber was preparing to block a pair of attacks when the skeletons halted midswing. Looking around curiously, the dark-haired knight saw that Tar'ja was speaking to the skeleton on the throne. Then all the corpses around Kai faded and dissolved into dust and ash. Surprised, the knight's eyebrows shot upwards as he watched Tar'ja pull something off the skeleton's neck before decapitating it with her blade. When she declared they were done here Kai nodded, a smirk on his face. "Works for me. The sooner we get out of this tomb the better."

Kai followed Tar'ja out if the chamber, ignoring the flames that devoured the corpse on the throne. They walked together up and out of the tomb in silence through the way they came in. Kai used the time to allow his own connection to the Force to replenish and rejuvenate his own Force reserves until they reached the hole on the ceiling which led to the outside world. Letting Tar'ja get up first, Kai followed her shortly thereafter.

"Good to be out of there, don't you agree, Tar'ja?" He asked as he pulled himself out to see her looking at the necklace she had removed from around the head of the corpse on the throne. Pointing at the diamond he asked: "And what exactly do you want to call that then?"

"Yes, snow isn't much better though." A frown tugged at her lips as she looked at the necklace. "I'll tell you later..."

"Right..." Was his response as he shook his head dismissively before looking out on the vast open expanse of snow and ice fields before him. They were still about half a kilometer short of the fortress, but now that they had done their business underground Kai couldn't help but feel their part on the planet was mostly over; now they had to get to space. But before they could do that there were a few burning questions on his mind. "Actually, Tar'ja, there's something else I want to talk to you about... while we were down there fighting you seemed to change a bit; you became, like, empty almost like you weren't there at all. It was very... odd to me. I've fought against Sith, Dark Jedi, and sparred a few of my own Order and it didn't seem or feel like anything those Force Users used... And your blade color changed too from red to orange. Do you have any idea of what I'm talking about or know why it happened?"

"No, I dont know what or how it happened. I just lost it. Like tripping and falling into the emptiness." She spoke her voice was her usual cold and detached which made Kai wonder if really even cared. Glancing at him the Miraluka motioned for him to take the lead. "It is time to leave. You have a way off this planet, no? My ship crashed, so we should take yours"

Kai chuckled a little at that last part, "Well, I did have a ship, but it crashed. My Droid is repairing it, though. I don't know-" He started when his comlink buzzed. Grabbing it, the knight activated the small handheld devices and held it up to his head where a series of low whistles, chirps, and squads came through. Kai laughed at the timing as he listened to his droid's report. "Well, suppose that was fortuitous. Mt droid just finished the basic repairs. We might need to do a little once we get back, but we should be fine to leave on my ship. C'mon it's going to be a bit of a walk to get there."

Kai started off motioning for Tar'ja to follow him. They began to make their way slowly through the ice fields towards where Kai's borrowed ship had crash landed in the snow. It was quiet for a while as neither really had anything to say; Kai was still unsure what he was doing on this planet with an acolyte and what had just happened back in that tomb or whatever it was. If it was the Force that was guiding him then it surely had something strange in mind for his future. Finally, after a long enough silence they came to an easy stretch of shallow snow, "So, Tar'ja, you did pretty good back there, ya know that? Quick thinking, and you seemed to handle those skeletons pretty well, too. You're pretty decent a fighting, I'll give you that. I'd say we made a pretty good pairing back there; a good team. Interesting to think about a Jedi and Sith making such a good partnership, makes you wonder how many times that has happened before, huh?" Tar'ja remained mostly silent, the only noise escaping her lips sounded like the noise one makes when they are unsure of what to say, and the look on her face was even more puzzled. Laughing heartily, Kai shook his head, "Don't tell me that's your first compliment! Wow, you really don't have any friends do you? I can't imagine not having friends... well don't worry, you won't have to worry about that much longer. I think we're well on the road to frienship." Kai looked at the young woman and gave her a wink with a warm grin. Tar'ja seemed even more shocked and speechless, but Kai figured that was normal.

They traveled across the planet for the next few hours until they finally came to Kai's crash light freighter. "Well, this is it, it may not look like much but it'll get us off of here." The knight remarked as he hopped inside. Finding his astromech he conversed about what needed to be done before grabbing a hydrospanner and going to work. It took about another hour before they could get everything online and in working condition, meanwhile Kai left Tar'ja to her own devices. When they were finished he returned with a bit of a smile on his face. Sitting down in the pilot's chair he asked, "So, where to?" As he began the start up sequence for the ship. Within a few quick minutes power had been completely restored to the entire ship, and they still had hyperdrive. Putting power into the repulsors, the freighter lifted off of the ground. Pointing the nose skyward, Kai punched the throttle and the two took off.

 

[Alora]

While Kai was busy in the cockpit Tar'ja took a seat in the central compartment of the freighter. The crate wasn't something grand or even stylish, it was a crude vessel designed simply for transportation. But Tar'ja cared nothing for that. She was long past from the wishings of lavishes, elegance and wealth.
She took a seat at the small table and pulled out the pendant she got from the dead Sith Lord.
- Interesting object, - came a voice from the side. Kai stood there, leaned against the frame of the cockpit entrance.
Tar'ja nodded to him and looked back at the bright red crystal in her hands.
- Care to explain? - asked Kai taking a seat opposite from hers.
Tar'ja opened her palm and held out the crystal. Kai folded his arms, clearly reluctant to even touch the thing. Tar'ja smiled.
- You don't see it, do you?
- Don’t see what?
Tar'ja smiled wider.
- Of course. I have the Sight, like all of my people do. I don’t see things like you do. For you I guess this thing looks like a gem, a decoration, a jewel stone. But it's not, not really.
Tar'ja looked down at the thing in her palm. The small crystal glowed with radiant light, fluctuations of colorful rays emitted from the core of the pendant, bending around it. It was a thing of beauty. But it also was something else.
- I believe you are familiar with the nature of a holocron.
Kai nodded.
- Not the Sith ones though.
- It matters not. The overall structure is the same. We just differ on form and contents.
She turned the crystal in her fingers.
- Well, this thing is something similar. It is a storage for information. But a much more simple one. There is no guardian, no-one to explain the contents of it. And it wont give you anything unless you ask for it.
- So you ask whatever you want and it will give it?
- Not exactly. The amount of the information can be huge, but much less then you can store inside a holocron. But to access it, you need to ask what you need. You need to know what is stored inside, otherwise you wont know what to ask for and it will share nothing.
She lifted her face and "stared" at Kai.
- And guess work wont help either.
- So you think this thing contains information about that atrocity? The Ship?
- I believe it does.
To open an ancient Sith artifact, there was always required the Force. And only the Dark Side ever worked on any of them. So Tar'ja touched the thing with the Dark Side of the Force and sent in a mental image, a request. She didn't know how it worked or what kind of reply would she get, but she compressed everything she knew so far about The Boundless Fury into a single thought and sent it in. The glow from the crystal shone brighter and then… it lashed out. Darkness sprang out of the pendant, enveloping her mind, trapping it, shutting it down. And Tar'ja collapsed on the floor.
When she came to her senses she was lying in medbay, a breathing mask over her face. Kai was standing over her, brows furrowed with unmistakable concern. Tar'ja turned her head and "looked" around.
Kai seemed to notice the movement.
- Tar'ja? - he called with a soft voice.
- How long? - she asked, her voice weak and trembling.
- Five hours.
Tar'ja nodded.
- Look, that thing is dangerous. The computer diagnosed you brain-dead after I dragged you here. Only you heart never stopped beating and you breathed by your self. I decided to apply the assistant breather anyway, just in case.
- Yes, I'm no use to you dead, am I. Worry not, I'm not brain-dead. And I know the Ship now…
- Forget the bloody ship for at least a minute, will you! - Kai barked. The intensity in his voice seemed to surprise him as well. - That thing could have killed you.
Tar'ja studied the man for a minute. He wasn't radiating anger or frustration, he seemed to be just worried and a little scared. That concern for her seemed genuine.
- You were worried for me, weren't you?
- Of course I was bloody worried for you.
- Kai… That's so sweet.
The Jedi threw his hands up in frustration and left the medbay.
It took another few hours for Tar'ja to recover enough to stand on her feet and leave the bunk. Kai was standing near one of the consoles in the main compartment, studying the screen. Looked like comm station, with a long list of transmission records and messages. Tar'ja looked to the side. The pendant still laid on the table. Kai obviously never even touched it. But now it didn't glow, it was dull and blank. No matter, it did it's role.
Kai looked back at her. Tar'ja nodded signing she was okay, but she still held herself upright by leaning against the wall.
- So now what?
- Dagobah.
- Going to explain why?
Tar'ja sighed. This one was inquisitive. But so was she, so she could understand his position pretty well.
- Every Ship needs a port, an anchor.
- You saying this thing actually is moored there?
- No. But it did. Millennia ago. On Dagobah we will find the trail.
Kai nodded and went to the cabin. Tar'ja felt much better already, her feet stopped trembling and she could stand upright unaided. Then she felt the ship's hum rising, engines flaring to life. And in a few moment the ship jumped to hyperspace.
Kai returned to the central compartment.
- It's gonna be at least 17 hour flight.
Tar'ja nodded.
- And what are we going to do for this long?
Kai thought for a few moment, then a wide grin lighted up his face.
- Care for a sparring match?
Tar'ja stared.
- I'm barely keeping on my feet.
- Use the Force then. Let it take your weakness. C'mon, maybe I'll teach you a thing or two.
He unclipped his lightsaber and switched it on. Tar'ja was unsure if it was a trick, a way to end her in the most humiliating way. But the Jedi didn't show any hostile emotions. More then that, he radiated… amusement.
Tar'ja unhooked her weapon from her belt. It felt strange, the blade didn't ignite at the instant she activated it through the Force. It felt… unwilling to fight.
- Red again, - said Kai. - You know, you have to tell me about this thing, never saw anything like it.
Tar'ja smiled.
- Maybe… later.
Kai nodded, his grin never fading.
In a moment the ship's interior filled with a loud clashing of lightsaber blades.

 

[Ral]

Kai found that Tar'ja seemed rather attractive for a Miraluka female as she sat at the small table in the hold and gazed upon the red crystal pendant she held in her hands. They discussed it for a little and Kai quickly discovered that the necklace was in face a storage devicr, or at least the crystal was, very similar to the way a holocron might work; something Kai had much experience with considering the knight had taken a class from a venerable master on how to create a holocron, though it was still something he had yet to do. But he was sure that one day he would be able to create a holocron, and on that day he would present it to his old master where she would be able to record her life, knowledge, and experiences into.

Then Tar'ja had to go and access the bloody crystal. The knight could feel the girl call on the dark side to do it and it caused his skin to crawl and the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end; he obviously didn't like the feeling. But his discomfort didn't last long as he quickly recognized Tar'ja collapsing to the hard floor of the starship. Panic overtook him as he rushed over to where she lay. She felt slightly odd through the Force, her life presence was still strong though, so he wasn't going to just leave her there prostrate on the floor. Picking her up, Kai moved her light body to the small infirmary on the ship which consisted of a single bed and some basic medical equipment. When he hooked her up to the machines his heart sank, according to them she was brain dead. Oh no, you are not dying on me. Kai thought as he channeled the Force into her. He didn't know what he was doing, but as he tried to channel the Force Kai could see that everything else about her was fine, and since her life energy was still strong he believed she would come out of it eventually.

Sitting back in his seat, Kai waited. Hours passed as finally the monitors blimped as Tar'ja stirred. Her head rose off if the pillow Kai's heart soared out of the slough it had been in for the past five hours. He smiled as he called out to her, happy to see her awake. The conversation quickly changed as he told her that it was dangerous what she did, his voice full of concern and worry. It didn't matter that she was a Sith; she wasn't like the rest of her ilk; she was different; she was special. Tar'ja quickly realized about his concern and seemed to tease him calling him sweet. Throwing his hands up he left the room.

A few hours later Tar'ja managed to get on her feet and come visit him in the main cabin as he looked over a few messages from his fellow Jedi and friends. He did his best to answer a few of them, but his mind kept drifting back to Tar'ja and so he became distracted. So, when she finally emerged a relieved smile crossed his face before they discussed where to go next. It seemed Dagobah was the next place they would go, so Kai entered the cockpit, turned the engines on and set course, making sure to avoid Imperial way stations on the way there. In a few seconds the ship jumped to hyperspace and the blue-white vortex twirled before him. Kai informed the Miraluka that it would be seventeen hours to make it to Dagobah, it was on the other side of the Galaxy after all. She asked what they would do in the meantime and his mind quickly raced through the possibilities. Finally he offered to spar with her as he was curious to see what she could do.

Leading her back to the main hold he unclasped his hilt and activated his silver blade with a grin. Watching her Kai felt a small sense of amusement flow through her. As she activated her blade he noted that it was red again. Odd. Kai made a comment and Tar'ja smiled on return saying that she might tell him about her blade later.

And so their blades clashed in flares of yellow light as red encountered silver. The blades screeched as Kai and Tar'ja engaged each other. The Miraluka wasn't bad, but it seemed that for the most part she was only using the basics, reacting as the Force gave her insight into Kai's attacks and counter attacking when she saw an opening. During their time her blade never turned orange and Kai never felt her enter the void state that she had earlier. As a result her moves seemed less graceful and precise. The knight wondered if the acolyte across from him had any advanced lightsaber training. As Tar'ja blocked his riposte, she spun around and brought her blade around in a horizontal slash. Kai moved his silver saber into a position to block with the blade pointed downward. As the blades flashed and crackled as they clashed Kai brought his blade around quickly in a disarming twirl. Their blades arced a circle through the air as Kai forced Tar'ja's blade away from her, allowing Kai to step in and sweep her feet out from under her. As she landed on the cold metal floor, Kai smiled at her as he leaned over her looking into that blank faceplate as he wondered what she looked like under it, his blade deactivating. "Very nice, Tar'ja, you have some skill for a scholar."

Tar'ja looked puzzled by the compliment as she "stared" at him curiously. Kai extended a hand and pulled the female up onto her feet. Noticing that her hair looked a little disheveled from the sweep, Kai raised a hand to tuck a loose strand behind her ear. Tar'ja took a step back as she was unsure what he was trying to do. He chuckled as a grin spread across his face. "I'm not going to hurt you, you've just got some hair... here." He brought his hand up and tucked the black hairs behind her ear as Tar'ja stood stock still and awkward. Kai laughed at her. "Well, how would you like to learn an advanced lightsaber form? As it just so happens I know a couple and have a way of showing you the rest. If you want to learn them that is."

"I guess I could learn something..." She replied hesitantly as she looked down at her own hilt.

"I think I know the perfect style for you, one second..." Kai chuckled at the girl and her hesitancy. She was amusing if not cute at times. Kai returned a minute later holding a fist-sized crystal and metal tetrahedral. His own holocron. Activating it, Kai asked for the basics of Form VI, Niman. The Gatekeeper of the holocron began to instruct in its history, it's development, and then went into the basics including its beginner velocities which Tar'ja practiced. Despite not being a particularly combat oriented Force User, she seemed to pick up on the basics quiet well and was eager to try her hand at something new, and luckily for her Niman was perhaps the least intense form as well as being the easiest for someone like her to master. Kai was quite pleased with her progress after just a few hours. "Well, I think that was good enough for one day. I need to get some rest, feel free to help yourself to the ship's stores or to keep practicing. You didn't good today Tar'ja, I feel there will be a lot we can learn from each other as we become friends..." Tar'ja once again seemed stunned at the comment. Picking his holocron up, Kai turned to leave. "I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Tar'ja.'

Kai left for his own small quarters on the ship where he went to sleep almost instantly waking up when the proximity alarm went off. Standing up, Kai quickly dressed and left the room as he grabbed his belt and put it on his hips. Sitting down, Kai took over the controls. "Hey Tar'ja, you might want to come up here, we're about to enter the Dagobah system." He announced over the intercom. With that Kai deactivated the hyperdrive and the world they had been headed to zoomed into view.

 

[Alora]

Dagobah
Southern hemisphere
2 hours to dusk​

The time spent on the trip to Dagobah left Tar'ja puzzled. This guy, a Jedi though he was, was starting to show her some strange signs of affection. She couldn’t understand half of them, but the glow of his aura was unmistakable. She saw it many times even before she left her home and entered the Korriban Academy. Jedi are supposed to be calm and free of emotions, that's what their Code dictated. But this one seems to be braking the rules.
Not that she really minded.
And then he taught her how to use lightsaber properly. It was a sixth form, one of the least aggressive, but without any significant flows either. She grasped the technic pretty quickly. This could be good for defense and if you combine it with the Force it could be deadly. When Kai retreated to his cabin Tar'ja spent the remaining time training and practicing the form. Kai didn't leave her with holocron but she had the base moves and stances of the form in her head and could easily practice on her own.
When the ship exited the hyperspace a big, light green planet was slowly revolving beneath them. Kai was sitting in the pilot's seat when he called her. She entered the cockpit and unintentionally put her hand on the headrest of his seat.
Kai looked at her with curiosity. During the flight Tar'ja changed her outfit. In the ship she found a pair of tight black breeches made of thick leather, so she put them on, cutting her ankle-long skirt in wide ribbons. Her narrow and heeled shoes were changed for knee-high boots with thick soles. And over the top of her chest she put on a simple plastoid vest. Her hair were tied in a long ponytail reaching down to the middle of her back. The mask still covered her eyes and forehead and around the neck she wrapped a dark grey scurf. Probably to cover her mouth if need be. Swamps could be stinky.
- Hey, you look good, - said Kai somewhat cheerfully. Tar'ja glanced at him, watching the ripples of emotions on his aura. Oh yeah, there definitely were emotions and pretty strong ones. But she ignored them. They had work to do.
Somewhere beneath those thick clouds and among the swamps and forests lay their next objective. Another treasure, hidden somewhere. But how do you find it on a planet?
Dagobah had few significant points of interest, one of them being an ancient cave filled with Dark Side. But that didn't interest Tar'ja much.
She pushed a button on the console and a three-dimensional holographic image of the planet sprang to life. It rotated slowly and Tar'ja looked at it intently. To her Sight it was a dull thing, almost non-visible. But she didn't try to "see" anything, she was calling on the Force to guide her. She clutched the pendant hanging from her neck on reflex. And then she saw it.
- Here, - she said pointing at the spot on the surface. - Take us there.
- But there's nothing there.
Tar'ja turned her face to Kai.
- Trust me.
Kai shrugged and entered the coordinates into the landing program.
The descent was uneventful and in few minutes the ship hovered over the wide lake among the thickest jungle forest both Tar'ja and Kai has ever seen.
- Land.
- Uh huh, and sink in? There's no reading on the depth of the lake, it may be hundreds of meters.
But Tar'ja was adamant.
- Land.
Kai stared at her for a few moments.
- Fine, but if we sink, you're pulling the ship out.
He took the controls and slowly lowered the ship into the lake. The landing gears touched the surface and sank into the water. But in a moment they hit something solid. The ship shuddered and rested, standing on some mysterious surface right under the muddy water.
Tar'ja patted Kai's shoulder.
- Isn't it you who supposed to be teaching me to trust the Force? - she asked with a sarcastic smile and exited the cockpit heading to the boarding ramp.
Kai shook his head and followed her out.
The ramp lowered and sank. Without hesitation Tar'ja walked down and jumped into the water. It reached just under her knees.
- Let's go, - she called to Kai.
- You know where to?
She turned to him, her hand clutching the pendant hanging from her neck.
- I believe I do.
With one hand around the necklace and the other holding a hilt of her lightsaber she started across the water towards the dark forest. With a sigh Kai followed.

 

[Ral]

As Tar'ja walked in Kai almost immediately noticed that she had changed her clothing. Her new outfit was surprisingly attractive, Kai felt his emotions rise as he looked at the young Miraluka female standing before him in the small cockpit. Looking at the hand she placed on the back of his chair, he raised an eyebrow at her. He complimented her new appearance, but she didn't give him an odd look. Kai thought he felt something from her through the Force, but he wasn't sure what exactly he was feeling from her. Was it an attraction that he felt from her? If it was it seemed to be suppressed underneath her own desire to see her quest through.

Kai waited for Tar'ja to tell him where to land. She brought up a holomap and eventually pointed a place out that she said was where they needed to head to. After a quick discussion about the location the Jedi made the descent into the planet's atmosphere. Once they were hovering over the place that Tar'ja had told him to fly to, she then told him to land on the water. Something that seemed rather odd to him and he said so, but at the girl's insistence he landed anyways. She tapped him him on the shoulder and gave a sarcastic smile while making a comment about him supposed to be teaching her to trust in the Force. Kai rolled his eyes at remark, but as he did he was sure he had felt something special in that moment, something different, something that could easily develop into something much more intense, but for now it was something small. Standing up he muttered, "I'm not the one getting visions from some ancient piece of Sith jewelry."

The Jedi Knight followed the Sith Acolyte to the boarding ramp where he sighed as she stepped off into the knee high water. Shaking his dark outer cloak off, the young man proceeded to chase after Tar'ja into the dark water. It didn't take the pair long to make it out of the water, but when they did Kai's boots were soaked and filled with water. Motioning for Tar'ja to wait a moment, Kai removed each boot and poured the water out of them onto the damp soil. With a heavy sigh, the dark-haired knight shook his head. "I'm beginning to hate this planet already, Tar'ja. This better be worth it!" He remarked as he slipped his still wet boots onto his soaked feet and stood up.

Tar'ja gave a half smile as she "looked" at him. "It will be. Aren't you Jedi supposed to be free of emotion and calm?"

"Are we? I never got that memo. We're not like the old Jedi Order, you know? We don't shun emotions like the old Jedi did. Having emotions are normal, several of our members have taken husband's and wives and had kids. Hard to do all that when you're not allowed to have emotions. Now, we're expected to be in control of our emotions so that they do not control us. But havingfeelings, emotions isn't an unJedi thing. It's generally expected that we control the negative emotions most of all: anger, hate, jealousy, greed; the feelings that often bring Jedi to the dark side and cause them to fall. Having those feelings is normal, though, acting on them and using them to empower you is dangerous. As far as the Force we don't use our emotions to help us, it's strict discipline and focus." Kai explained as he began walking now feeling the Force around him and sensing that he was being pulled towards a certain place in the distance.

"Well, you're certainly not like any Jedi I expected to meet." The Miraluka Acolyte stated matter-of-factly as they walked along through the dense jungle foliage and into the dense mist and fog of Dagobah.

"I'm not your average Jedi... and well... yeah. I guess you could say that I have found that rigidly adhering to dogma to be a naive and foolhardy way of doing things. Life can't be planned for or addressed in the narrow confines of whatever your side teaches. That being said, I do believe in what the Jedi do and what they stand for, so long as they serve and protect others. None of the politics and dogma that plagued so many generations of the Order." Kai shrugged as he walked next to Tar'ja, gripping his silver hilt in his dominant hand. Glancing at the woman next to him, he opened his mouth to speak again. "Besides, you're not exactly what I think of when I think of most Sith. You're pretty smart, and your scholarly nature seems to be in opposition to the stereotypical Sith. The last one I recall meeting as big, and about as smart as two rocks rubbed together."

Tar'ja could only shrug and laugh loudly at what Kai had said, a small smile formed on her lips as she looked in his direction. "I'm not like those kinds of simple arrogant Sith, I'm one you might call the crazy oddball of the family."

Kai was happy to see that the woman had developed a bit of a sense of humor during their time together. The knight chuckled lightly at what the girl had to say about herself in relation to her Sith brothers and sisters, though a small part of Kai felt that she didn't actually consider them to the same as her. They and her were more than the normal part of the family and the crazy aunt or cousin. It was more like she was a whole separate mindset from most of her contemporaries. With a smile he nodded at Tar'ja, "Well, in my experience the crazy ones were always much more interesting and more fun to hang around then the normals, and especially the dumb ones like the acolyte I forced to flee me on Tatooine. Imagine this big old beast of a human running away from little old me. It was an amusing sight."

Tar'ja smirked at him and gave a light-hearted laugh before becoming quiet again. They walked for some time through the thick, damp jungles. Kai could feel that whatever was ahead of them was getting close now, the Force was getting stronger, and the knight felt it's energy pressing in against him from all around with every step they took. Finally, a structure of tall stones arranged in a circle appeared in front of them. Taking a step inside of it, Kai could see a black sarcophagus in the center. Turning to the girl on his side her raised an eyebrow. "Do you feel it? The Force is strong in the place." And although he didn't say it he was certain it had a very strong taint of the dark side, although from what he was unsure. Then out of the corner of his eye he spotted movement. Rotating his head to face this motion he instantly saw a large lizard over five meters long in length moving towards them. Gripping his hilt tightly in his hand Kai prepared to activate it but didn't instead glancing at Tar'ja and speaking. "Uh, Tar'ja, what is that?!"

 

[Alora]

But the beast wasn't alone. Few more crawled out from between the trees into the ring of stones. Tar'ja looked around at the beasts crawling out of the shadows. "Not again" Tar'ja thought drawing her lightsaber. But Kai caught her arm and silently pointed at the forest around them. Tar'ja "looked" harder. The beasts were crawling all over around them. Hundreds of them. Even with their weapons and Force powers there was no way they could kill that many, they would be overrun.
- Lets not make this ugly, shall we? - said Kai, lowering his weapon and extending his hand, palm open towards the approaching beasts. Tar'ja saw the currents of the Force reaching out from him, touching the beasts' minds. He tried to sooth them, turn them away.
But that never worked.
The animals stared at him with their yellow eyes and roared. Bright red shone around them, they were definitely enraged. Whatever Kai was doing it wasn’t working. Stepping forward, Tar'ja slapped his hand down, breaking up his Force touch. At the same time she gathered the Force around her, darkening, weaving the Dark Side around herself, manifesting a dark cloud around herself. Then she pushed it outwards, the black mist of the Dark Side energy spreading out from her. Kai stepped back from her, clearly shocked. The cloud of Dark Side reached the first animal and touched its mind. The red glow of rage almost instantly receded, turning dull orange or yellow. Fear. And the beast stepped back. Then another stopped roaring, lowering its ugly head to the ground and slowly retreating. And another, and another. One by one the beasts crouched to the ground, clearly scared out of their minds.
But Tar'ja was weakening. She wasn't trained enough to keep up this kind of concentration and power. If the beasts don’t scatter before she looses it they probably would be angrier then they were. And that will be the end of the journey.
And then suddenly she felt a rush of power. The Force streamed through her, amplifying her strength. She felt it somewhat differently, more… light?
Kai was standing behind her, both hands extended in her direction, streaming his own Force into her. That was unexpected, but welcome.
The black mist of terror rushed in all directions, engulfing the primitive minds of the lizards. And the beast ran. Howling like a Utapau varacryl they scattered, hiding in the forest.
Tar'ja let go of the Force, and fell to one knee, exhausted. Kai came up and helped her up.
- That was a dark thing you did. Very dark indeed.
- Yes. But I did save our lives.
Kai didn’t reply, but she could feel he agreed.
Tar'ja froze. She could feel him?! She looked at Kai, who stared at her with the same bewildered expression. She let go of the Force, but somehow it still lingered around them, keeping them linked somehow. Like a… bond?
Kai slowly took a step back. Then another one. Tar'ja was staring at him intently. As he retreated nothing really changed. The link remained, she could feel his confusion, and weariness, and… by the Force… attraction? "You've got to be kidding me…"
Suddenly a broad grin spread on Kai's face.
- Well, that is unexpected, - he said. And Tar'ja could feel his confusion turning into amusement.
- You telling me?...
With a grunt Tar'ja stood up and made a few steps towards the black sarcophagus in the middle of the structure.
- What, you don't wanna talk about it?
- No, I don’t. Not right now.
As she lay her hand on the black surface of the stone lid she felt a spark of cheer through the bond. She could bet that Kai was laughing at her, silently but at the same time as loud as a Naboo waterfalls. Tar'ja shook her head trying to push him out of her mind. Nothing changed. Well, she'll have to deal with it later.
- So what's inside it? - asked Kai coming to her side. She could still feel his amusement and some strange joy, but they retreated deeper, giving space to curiosity and weariness.
- Something called "Hand of Fury".
- Right.
Tar'ja touched the pendant on her chest.
- This is "Heart of Fury". It gives knowledge about the Ship. The "Hand" is supposed to give one ability to "touch" it, whatever this means.
- So we going to roam the galaxy, looking for the rest of the Fury's organs?
He tried to joke, but Tar'ja felt his growing concern.
- No. We need the "Crown" and "Blade". "Crown" to "see" it and "Blade" to submit it to your will.
- Both of them "…of Fury", aren't they? These guys weren't very creative with names.
- No, they cared more for the content.
- Well that sounds promising.
With a push of the Force the lid slid to the side, revealing a tomb. Remains of a strange being rested inside. It had an oblong head, with eyes sticking out from both sides of the skull on a short stalks. It had a slim body and three fingers on each hand. The figure was mostly bones now.
- Rakata.
Kai nodded. The ceremonial outfit has decayed. The only object not touched by time was a wide bracelet around rakatan's left hand. The bones of the hand seemed a little darker in color, but that didn't matter. Tar'ja reached down and grabbed the metal bangle, pulling it off the corpse with no delicacy.
- Is that it? The "Hand"?
- Yes.
- Doesn't look like much.
- It shouldn't. Looks don’t count for much with those guys, - she nodded towards the dead Rakatan. Without a second thought she put the bracelet on her left hand.
Nothing happened at first, but then the surface of the bracelet rippled like a mercury. Tar'ja screamed. Kai jumped forward, trying to rip the bracelet of her, but Tar'ja swayed and he missed.
Falling on the ground, she screamed, clutching her left forearm with her other hand. The air filled with the smell of scorched flesh. The bracelet on her wrist seemed to melt and the bright silvery liquid slowly spread outwards, slowly covering her hand and forearm all the way to the elbow. Along with Tar'ja's screech a low hiss sounded from the thing. A thin white smoke was coming from under the spreading metal.
Tar'ja kept screaming and beating her feet against the dirt, rolling on her back. Kai tried to hold her. He attempted to touch the spreading liquid metal, but it burned his fingers. He trued to pull it off with the Force, but the thing resisted. It was as if he couldn't even grab it with the Force or even touch it. It created some sort of barrier around itself, blocking the Force.
In a few minutes Tar'ja passed out, loosing consciousness from the amount of pain her brain couldn't withstand.
Kai, shaken almost into unconsciousness himself, picked Tar'ja's frail body up and carried her back to the ship. It took him much longer then the time spent on the journey to the Stone Ring. Few times he stopped and laid Tar'ja on the soft ground, checking on her. She still lay unconscious. But the life in her was strong. She wasn't dying at least. Pursing his lips he picked her up and continued towards the ship.
When he reached it he put her in the medbay again and took the scanner. He ran it over her left hand.
It looked like the metal solidified, turning into what looked like a silver ornamented glove or gauntlet. Unfamiliar patterns ran over the surface of the hand. The scanner couldn't say anything about the amount of damage the thing caused to the flesh, but it stated that the bone structure was intact. Kai tried other tests, but all of them failed. And then he understood. There was no flesh under it. The thing burned it all, leaving only the bones. He examined the edge of the gauntlet closely. It went almost to the elbow. The edge was wavy and it looked like it fused itself with the flesh of Tar'ja's arm. The dividing line was distinct but it didn't look like the gauntlet was put over the arm, in was the arm now.
Through the bond Kai couldn't feel anything distinct, just Tar'ja's heartbeat and pulsing life.
Dropping on the nearby chair, Kai rested his elbows on his knees and hid his face in his hands.

 

[Ral]

Kai didn't like what Tar'ja did using the dark side of the Force like that, but it was better than being eaten to death by the mass of giant monstrous lizards that surrounded them. The knight wasn't sure how the girl managed to draw and the Force in such a way, but he could tell it was tiring her; it must have been much more intensive than Tar'ja had expected. So, Kai began channeling his own Force power into her and after a little more time and effort the young Miraluka managed to repel the massive lizards. However, there was one unintended and unintentional consequence of the connection he made with her; it created a Bond through the Force. Kai recognized the feeling instantly. Oh hell, not again... The young Knight thought to himself, it made sensing her much easier now. Grinning at the girl as he sensed something in her for him, perhaps something she hadn't fully realized yet, but it was there. Tar'ja seemed adamant that she didn't want to discuss the bond that had just formed between the two young adults, he could sense that she was focused more on what they had come for. With their tentative safety secured the pair could approach the large sarcophagus. Inside was a dead Rakata and Tar'ja grabbed a bracelet off of its wrist. The Jedi Knight had a bad feeling about the bracelet, but before he could tell Tar'ja she had already clasped it to her wrist.

It only took a few seconds before anything happened, but as soon as it started Kai knew he shouldn't have let Tar'ja put the damned bracelet on her wrist. Her screaming pierced his mind and Kai could feel the pain she was experiencing through their bond; it felt like his own arm was burning. The Jedi did his best to remove it, but short of cutting her arm off there was nothing Kai could do to help her. And cutting her arm off wasn't an option for him, not unless she told him to. The metal formed into some kind of elbow long glove on her forearm and finally it stopped, and Tar'ja was unconscious on the ground next to him, Kai almost being overwhelmed through the pain and agony he was experiencing through their bond. Feeling Tar'ja through the Force he could tell she was alive and that her spirit was still strong.

Taking the girl back to the ship, Kai hooked Tar'ja back up to the medical bay. After running the rests he learned what he had feared, the metal and burned off the flesh if the forearm, fusing with the skin at the elbow. It worried him, if the other artifacts they found had similar experiences on the young woman in front of him he worried that the she wouldn't be able to survive them. Burying his face in his hands Kai forced himself not to lose control. But the fact was Kai had started to feel something for Tar'ja, something real, something he couldn't ignore. With a heavy sigh he eventually stood up many hours later after there was no change in the Miraluka's condition. Kai walked around thinking about the girl in his infirmary as he wasn't sure what to do with Tar'ja; she had grown on him and he didn't want her to keep torturing herself with these things, but he knew how important finding this infernal ship was to her and that if he tried to stop her she'd try to just do it without him, and he knew she'd probably end up getting herself killed then.

A light was blinking on the communications console. Sitting down, Kai noticed that it was a general distress call issued by one of the nearby deep space stations that merchants and haulers used to refuel while on way to Bespin to pick up their cargo. It seemed a massive ship had jumped in and was attacking everything in the area. Immediately Kai felt a dark brooding feeling in his gut, he knew that it couldn't be a coincidence. Rushing to the cockpit the Jedi set course for the station. As soon as the ship jumped to hyperspace Kai could sense Tar'ja and he quickly made his way back to her.

When he arrived he noticed that she had just woke up with a start, her skin covered in a cold sweat. "Tar'ja! By the stars I'm so happy to see you awake." He exclaimed as he walked over to her briskly and pulled her up into a tight embrace. The young man felt happy to see the Sith he had come to call his friend awake. "Somehow you always end up waking up in my medbay, huh? You should really probably stop that. How are you feeling? You don't look to ho- well, too well." He asked her, the concern in his voice was apparent, but he tried to cover it with an easy laugh at the end. Waiting for Tar'ja to respond he frowned, "And how's your arm?"

Once Tar'ja was done explaining he smiled at her, but it was a sad smile full of concern and worry. Standing up he explained they were currently headed to a space station, which sent a distress call. When Tar'ja tried to say something he shook his head a placed a hand gently on her shoulder before telling her she needed to get some rest. What she went through wasn't an easy thing. Leaving for the cockpit again, Kai sat down in the pilot's seat and waited for the ship to reach its destination. When it did, the small freighter dropped out of hyperspace and into what looked like a graveyard; the destruction of the space station was almost total. All that remained of it and it's support facilities was unrecognizable debris, and the ship that did it was already gone. With a heavy frown on his face Kai returned to the medbay. "Come with me, I need to show you something." The knight helped Tar'ja up and into the nearby cockpit. Sitting her down he let her try and see what the area around the ship look like through the Force. "It did this, didn't it?" Kai looked to the Miraluka for her response before looking back at his console. "So, where to now?"

With Tar'ja's answer Kai set course for Bestine. A water world and the location of the Crown of Fury. Whatever it was, Kai only hoped it would be less invasive than the last two artifacts they had encountered. Or at the very least that Tar'ja wouldn't collapse and force Kai to drag her unconscious body back to the medbay, though he wasn't going to bet money on that.

 

[Alora]

Tar'ja woke in cold sweat.
- It's moving… - she whispered.
Kai was nearby. When he saw her awake he pulled her in a tight hug, something Tar'ja wasn't expecting. But she felt his deep relief through the bond. The world was still blurry, but she managed to sit up on the bed.
- How's your arm? - Kai asked. Tar'ja stared at him for a few moments and then looked down at her left hand.
It wasn't what she expected to see. She vividly remembered the burning pain, the flesh melting off her hand and forearm. She expected to see a stub, but instead it was something else entirely.
She lifted her hand to her face, examining it. It looked like it was made of solid silver, covered in intricate patterns of lines and curls. And then she tried to flex her fingers. They obeyed, waving. She made a fist. Again, the hand obeyed. It was strange for she saw no joints. The metal just bent as if it was not metal at all but something soft and yielding. Like rubber or supple plastic. She touched it with her other hand. No, it was definitely metal. She punched the nearby steel wall with her metal fist. It banged loudly, exactly like metal against metal, and on the wall appeared a hollow dent from her punch. She never felt any pain. But she could feel her hand, could feel the touch.
- Feels okay. Strange though.
- I bet. I was worried sick, thought that the thing was killing you.
- Maybe it was.
Flexing her hand she lowered it down and looked at Kai.
- Our time grows shorter by the minute. The Fury stirred, it moves. It comes for us.
- Us?
- Not us two. Us, the people. The living inhabitants of the Galaxy. We have little time, for it grows stronger. And it started to kill.
Kai nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder.
- Have some rest. We wont achieve anything if you'll be stumbling from exhaustion.
Tar'ja nodded and lowered herself on the bunk again.
She didn't know how much time has passed before Kai returned and tapped her shoulder.
- Come with me, I need to show you something.
With his help Tar'ja stood up and walked to the cockpit. Outside lay a sight of destruction. It was a space station, fur sure. Tar'ja could recognize the docking grapples and communications array. All torn to pieces. The space around them was filled with debris and remains of the construction.
- It did this, didn't it?
Tar'ja nodded. The Ship destroyed the station without even any effort. But there were no signs of blaster or laser damage, nor of rockets or torpedos. It just ripped the thing apart.
- Did it ram it? - asked Kai, probably guessing the same thing.
- No, - Tar'ja slowly lowered herself in the copilots seat. - It tore it apart.
Taking a slow breath Tar'ja started talking, telling Kai what she learned so far.
- This Ship is basically the most powerful thing in the Galaxy at the moment. It has known war in it's most ugly form, where you don’t aim to conquer or beat into submission, you aim to destroy totally. Obliterate. And this thing is capable of it.
- Meaning it can destroy worlds.
- Worlds, stars, maybe even star systems. But it's crippled now, it's power is lessened to a minimum. It slumbered for millennia, hidden somewhere on the edges of the Galaxy. But it has awoken. It tasted fear and pain of beings it destroyed. Now it wants more. But it will take time for the Ship to come to it's full might. I don't know how much time, but it may be less than we have to reach it.
- Strange to hear such concern about the Galaxy from a Sith.
Tar'ja eyed Kai and grimaced.
- We are conquerors. We always wanted to dominate the Galaxy. But never to destroy it.
- Sith destroyed worlds in their time.
- True. But that was not the purpose, it was a tool. To scare the other worlds into submission. The Ship has different goal. I don’t know what it is, but it's not domination or conquest. It may be something much worse. Death to all life. And that is something that doesn't bode well with me.
Tar'ja took out one of the journals she kept while doing her research back on Korriban. All the mentions of th Boundless Fury she could find were there. The thing was a monster. If it attacked nothing could stop it. It tore apart fleets, even worlds. Some of the destabilized planets, ones with the crust ripped apart, leaving the world flooded with magma, were Fury's victims, millennia ago.
- You see, the Ship feeds on emotions. It attacks ships, space stations, even devastates worlds. It's power is almost unlimited. But it never destroys instantly, it always takes it's time, ripping the target apart a piece at a time. Why? Cause it's the fear and pain it needs, not the destruction alone.
Kai looked through the pages of the journal.
- Explains why it never attacked uninhabited worlds…
- Exactly. Even the ones flourishing with life is not of any interest to it unless it has sentient population. Animal emotions don’t lessen it's hunger, too primitive, too… tasteless.
Kai nodded. Through the bond he felt her stress, deep concern and fear. She was really scared of what the thing could do.
- We'll find it and we'll stop it, - he said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Tar'ja nodded absentmindedly.
Kai sat in the pilot's seat.
- So where to now?
- Bestine. We're going to Bestine.
- What do you think is out there?
- The Crown.
Kai nodded and plotted a course for Bestine. The ship jumped in a few minutes, leaving the graveyard behind.

 

[Ral]

Sitting in the pilot's chair of the light freighter they were using to travel the Galaxy in hunting for this ominous ghost ship of death, destruction, and the dark side. He didn't jumping halfway across the Galaxy looking for some rumored artifact that would possibly help them find and destroy this ghost ship they were chasing after like a wild Bantha in the vast deserts of Tatooine. Turning away from the hyperspace vortex in front of him, Kai ended up watching the young Miraluka Acolyte sitting across from him. Tar'ja seemed to be busy off in her own world as she studied her own notes; she seemed to have countless parcels and pads of paper or scrolls in that bag with her as always seemed to have a new piece of paper in her hand. What she seemed to be able to learn that was new from pouring over the same set of notes for hours Kai could only guess at. With a sigh he finally leaned forward as he looked at Tar'ja, there were things on his mind and on his heart that he needed to ask her about. "So, do you want to talk?"

"No, I need to-" The Acolyte began with a wave of her hand as she continued to read over the stack of notes in front of her.

But before she could finish, Kai smiked as he continued speaking. "Good, because there are a few things that I would like to discuss with you if you're fine with taking about them... like this bond we've seemed to develop with each other."

With a little sigh Tar'ja pushed the stack of notes and scrolls away from her as she looked up from them and towards the young Jedi Knight across from her. "Fine, what is it that you would like to discuss about this bond of ours?"

"Well, our bond isn't the only thing that I would like to talk about with you, but I figure it would be a good place for our conversation to start." Kai smirked at the Sith across from him as he sat back a little trying to relax before continuing on. "So, what do you think of the bond? I think it's rather exciting; I haven't bonded to a Sith yet, of course. So, I'm interested to see where it takes us."

Tar'ja hummed thoughtfully at Kai as he spoke before "looking" out the view port to the hyperspace beyond it. "It was unexpected. I'm still getting used to it all. But I'm sure you know that, you can feel it through our bond, just like how I can feel what some of your thoughts and emotions are... you're not making it difficult to hide, ya know?"

The knight chuckled a little at the girl's response to him. She was certainly right to a point; he could feel the girl's strong emotions through the Force much easier than what he should have been able to. Not only that but he could sense her feelings for him through the bond. There was an attraction there, as well as some uncertainty, some doubt. Kai was probably the first true friend she had and shown her real compassion and affection; she probably had no idea how to handle it. Still, there was something else he was feeling, but he couldn't quite identify it. "Yes, well... that was something else I'd like to discuss if you don't mind... it's obvious there are some feelings that we have for each other and it might make things interesting... honestly, I'm a little curious as to where it will go, if you're willing to let it grow that is."

Tar'ja turned and stared at Kai for awhile as he spoke her face a mixture of puzzled and completely surprised. What he said was the truth, however. He had developed some kind of feelings for her, and he'd like to see where they ended up going, but that would be up to Tar'ja to determine. He could feel the attraction coming from her tempered with her own shyness and uncertainty mixed with the weariness of recent events as well as the determination to find her goal. Finally, she pursed her lips and shook her head her voice was sad. "No Kai, it wouldn't work out. You're a Jedi, I'm a Sith. We're supposed to be enemies, we shouldn't even be working together. Any relationship we'd have would be full of confrontation."

With a sigh Kai laughed. "Weren't you the one who said I should see past factions and that there wasn't a light or dark side to the Force? Well, if you honestly believe that then you can make something work between us, or at least try something temporary to test the waters ya know? I'm willing to put aside our differences and give it a shot if you are." Reaching out, Kai grabbed her left hand and began to rub it reassuringly not yet realizing he had grabbed the cold metal hand. It only took him a few moments to realize it and then he was a little sad.

Looking at it she frowned and she pulled her hand away from his clearly sad as well. "Maybe. We'll see, yes? First let's focus at the task at hand..."

With a bit of a sigh Kai shook his head as he reached up to tuck a strand of loose black hair behind her ear. "I'm willing to put the differences of our respective factions aside and just focus on each other and the true nature of the Force if you are... but whatever, I guess there are more pressing matters." Turning away from her the young knight prepared for the rest of their journey.

It didn't take too much longer for them to get to Bestine. The fact of the matter was that it was much closer to where they set out from than Rhen Var. Finally, they exited hyperspace high above the blue ocean world. Sending in a forged code to the Imperial control tower, they approached and Kai followed the girl's instruction to a specific island out in the middle of the vast ocean. As they made their way Kai could sense the presence of the Dark Side growing stronger. Something was down there that was full of pain or anger or fear, or maybe all of them. It was hard to tell from his current position. Descending the ship to the surface, Kai placed the freighter down on a low hill next to a sandy beach. Turning to face the girl he stop up and place a hand on her shoulder. "Ladies first, dear."

 

[Alora]

Bestine IV
Noon​

Tar'ja stepped down from the ramp and looked around.
- So what are we looking for?
Kai looked a little restless. Their "adventure" seemed to be taking a toll on him. He looked around wearily, expecting another trap or trouble no doubt. Tar'ja could understand his feelings perfectly. And literally. His caution and weariness pulsed through the bond.
With a soft smile on her lips Tar'ja sent a reassuring pulse of affection through the bond. Kai froze in his tracks and stared at her. That was definitely unexpected for him. But it did take his mind off the possible danger ahead. If only slightly.
- We're here for the Crown.
- The one to "see" the Fury, I remember. But what is it? Where is it?
Tar'ja shrugged.
- What it is I don’t know. But I believe I can find it.
She pointed at the tall mountain which was cracked in two by some earthquake very long time ago.
- There.
They started walking towards the mountain.
- This Crown you say. Your research didn't give you anything on it?
Tar'ja shook her head.
- My research got me only as far as the Heart. And even then I never suspected that I will find something like this, I expected a holocron, a tome, and scroll. Anything but what we found. Just a knowledge, a record.
- So the Heart told you about the Crown?
- Yes. The crown is an artifact, as old as this one, - she lifted her left silver hand. - It gives one the ability to "see" the Fury. I don’t know what exactly that means, the Heart doesn't share academic knowledge. It just… flashes images and feelings into your brain. So I have only a very general idea of what it is. But it's a Crown, it's something worn on the head.
Kai nodded. But deep inside, he was very unsettled. What if that thing turn out to be just as violent as the Hand? But the Heart wasn't violent, it didn't damage the woman in anyway. So maybe this Crown won't be either. He felt some warmth through the bond and realized that he was projecting his concern for the Sith lady through the same bond between them. And she reacted.
They walked the rest of the way in silence for two or three hours before coming to a wide and dark cave. The hole in the mountain was filled with stalactites and stalagmites, making it look like a giant stone maw. The entrance was wide, but the cave went deeper. Kai turned on his flashlight and illuminated the cave. It became much more narrow after twenty or so paces from the entrance and went deeper into the mountain, going down with a slight incline.
- We're going there? - Kai asked. Tar'ja nodded silently.
Kai looked back at the dark way and took a few steps in. Tar'ja followed, her step a little more firm then Kai's. But then, she could "see", what they were walking into and prepare herself.
The narrow tunnel was filled with darkness the normal eyes could not see. It swirled like a dense cloud of total blackness. Like black ink. But there was no avoiding it.
Following Kai she stepped into the darkness and the world faded away.

Buzzing. Something was buzzing in her ear. She reached up and slammed the alarm-clock on her bedside table to silence. Then she rolled over in her bed, determined to get some more sleep.
"It can't be…"
- Talia! Get up, you lazy girl! You're going to miss the feast!
"It can't be…"
She turned on her back and looked around. It was a familiar room. It was HER room. She was back in her parents' mansion. She sat up, examining her surroundings. The room was hers, but something was wrong with it. Slipping off the bed she stepped up to the bookshelves. "History of Republic", part 1 through 10. "The founding of the Je'daii Order" by Ketu. "The secrets of the past" by Luke Skywalker.
"This is wrong!"
- Talia, you up yet? - a woman burst into her room. Tar'ja stared at the intruder, startled.
- Mother?...
- Who else did you expect? Master Yoda?
- But…
- Hurry up, dear! You're gonna miss it all!
Tar'ja… or Talia… still stood there, puzzled and speechless.
- Come, come, dear. Your dress is finished, put it on and come down. We need to make the final preparations before the guests start arriving. Hurry up! - with that her mother disappeared in the corridor.
Talia looked down at herself. The plain white nightgown was gone, replaced by a beautiful blue silk dress. She touched her face. The dark mask she vaguely remembered was gone too. Instead, her eyes were covered by a velvet band, decorated with embroidery and a few jewels.
Stepping out into the corridor she appeared on the top of the wide staircase, leading down to the dining hall.
"It's wrong… there weren't any dining halls downstairs. And no such wide stairs…"
At the foot of the stairs stood a large group of people. Among them stood her mother surrounded by people in grey and brown robes.
- Of course I knew she would succeed. My daughter is going to be an outstanding Jedi…
Talia froze. Her mother was doing it again. She was embarrassing her in front of her Masters. By the Force, she could invite the whole Jedi Counsel here just to celebrate her passing of the trials and becoming a Jedi Knight. Talia couldn't bare the shame any longer. She will return to the Temple and never come back here again. She will devote herself to her Jedi life, she will help people and maybe even help drive the Sith away and restore the Republic. She will…
"This is all wrong!"
- And of course she will have a great future, won't she, Master Ghess.
- Ummm… Definitely, Talia shows much promise…
- Of course she does, my daughter is the most promising Jedi of the age, isn't she? I'm sure you will consider her closely for the next advancement.
- Ummm…
Talia couldn't bear it no longer. This will turn out really ugly if her mother will keep up like that. Sometimes Talia wondered if she should just kill the woman and be done with it.
"But I did… I killed her… I killed my mother"
The world shivered. All the people below her was looking up, staring right at her face. And their eyes were holes. Not like hers, not like any Miraluka's. They were depthless, like a pit into darkness itself. Talia took a few steps back.
- This isn't real! You're not real!
The figures, loosing shape and becoming more of a grey ghosts with those pits of blackness for eyes, were closing now. Slowly they were coming closer and closer, each step bringing the end nearer. And their eyes were sucking in the Light. Just a few steps closer and they will eat her soul.
- I deny you! You are not real. And I am not Talia! My name is Tar'ja!!

Bellowing like an enraged terentatek, Tar'ja ripped herself out of the nightmare. The world around was still dark, but it wasn't as black as before. Somewhere far ahead she could see a soft glow, an object shining in the darkness. But it was so far…
Gathering her resolve Tar'ja took another step forward. The world faded away again.

 

[Ral]

The whole thing was unsettling for Kai as he walked forward with Tar'ja at his side; he didn't like it, the whole situation smelled like Bantha poodoo, but he noticed that Tar'ja seemed to warm him with her own affection for him when he started having his more serious doubts. Every time she did he would turn to look at her and give her a soft smile in thanks. Kai appreciated what Tar'ja was doing for him even if it was slightly surprising to feel her opening up to him like that, like she admitted she had feelings for him and wanted him to know the woman he had felt something for was by his side through all of this. It wasn't so much that Kai needed the reassurance, but he wouldn't deny that it felt good to feel Tar'ja's feelings for him, much better than the darkness that was creeping at the edges of his mind. Eventually, they came to a cave in the side of the mountain where Tar'ja told him they had to go into. The cave was dark, and Kai felt the dark side even stronger here, pressing in all around him. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling to him, but he still hated it nonetheless. They proceeded inwards and onwards and before Kai's mind ended up fading from reality and into another world.

The water lapped at the shores of the lake house his family owned on Naboo. It was a sunny day and the slight, soft breeze felt nice on his face. A voice called out his name behind him and he turned around to see who it was. The voice was both familiar and unknown to the young Jedi. It was an odd thing for him to hear a voice that was both known and completely unknown to him. As he turned around his eyes were met with the sight of a middle aged man with odd eyes and raven black hair. Oddly enough, Kai felt like he could trust the older man who strangely looked a lot like the young Jedi.

"How long are you going to stand out here staring at the lake, son?" The man asked. Son? The word ran through Kai's mind. Of course he was his father. His mind froze upon that realization. Kai didn't know how father. This had to be a dream of some sort.

"Dad? No, this can't be real... this isn't right." Kai whispered quietly to himself as the man closed the distance between them. With him this close Kai could see what made his eyes seem so odd. The ice blue eyes were fogged over, like they were atrophied.

"What do you mean this isn't right, son? It's a big day for you. It's your sixteenth birthday! Today you are going to come with me to join the Sith!"

The Sith? No that can't be right. Kai was a Jedi Knight he wasn't going to join the Sith. With a hand on his back Kai's "father" took him inside. Only, it wasn't the inside of his family's lake house, it was completely different. They were in a great hall. There his mother and his first mentor were standing with smiles on their face.

"Your mother and grandmother are very proud of you, my son. They know you will go on to do many great things with the Sith. You are your father's son after all." Grandmother? The old Miraluka woman who had shown him the Force was his grandmother? How was that possible? Questions flooded his mind. "But there is one more thing to do before we leave. One last test to prove you are committed to this path."

"No, this isn't right. This never happened. It couldn't have happened..." Kai said to himself.

His father continued on. "You last test is to kill your mother." Eyes widened as everyone present stared back at one another. Then with a sudden rush of motion the Old Miraluka was holding his mother and a lightsaber was in his hand, its blood red blade shining brightly. "Do it, son. Make me proud!"

"No. I can't. I won't!" With a frown Kai's father raised his hand and Kai could feel his arm being manipulated by the Force.

"I won't allow you to fail this test. You will comply and pass this test whether you want to or not. Now kill your mother or I will make you do it." The man stated coldly as Kai's arm was raided upward against his will.

"No, I will not! I am a Jedi Knight not a Sith! I will never take an innocent life and you cannot force me to!' Drawing in Kai exploded outwards with a powerful blast of telekinetic energy.

Then he awoke with a start and looked around. He could see a dull light in the distance but he was alone. Kai couldn't feel Tar'ja nearby and that worried him; he wondered what was going on. "This is just great..." The young Knight thought to himself as he tried to process what had just happened.