Space

As the security ship entered hyperspace away from Trulalis, i turned back to those who had accompanied me. "As you all may have figured out by now, this mission was given to us by two of the Sith Masters..." Looking at Vaegir i noted the first of the two. "Lord Furion....." My gave adverted back to the group as a whole. "....and Lord Antillies."

"For reasons of my own, i will not disclose the information in it's entirety..." I looked around to make sure everyone found my relentlessness to divulge my own business, as in truth, it was a system i found reliable among associates- a reason i preferred to work alone. "I too have yet to learn where we are truly headed. Only that our task is one for the history holocrons."

I opened the supply cache, throwing each one of them a small communications implant, no bigger than a hearing aid which would fit snugly within their ear cavity. "We'll use these to keep in touch. Also in here is armor and weapons provided by our Imperial allies. Gather whatever you need and meet me at the star-chart within the hour. Dismissed."

Reaching into the cache, i grabbed two D-11 Blaster Rifles, a utility belt containing a full load of ion, concussion, and thermal grenades- as well as the Imperial provided armor. While the others gathered there own gear, i took the hour to suit up and grab a bite to eat. Clad in the armor with the utility belt attached and the two blaster rifled snug against my back along with the Vibrostaff, i stepped to the star-chart and awaited the others.

((Gather what you'll need in the next post and meet me at the star-chart. Next post, i will give each of you a task.))

"I think the name suits me," said Vothe Kyrik, the Black Sun operative, with a smirk as he glanced briefly at the ID before pocketing it. He noted how Soren read the datacard, then disposed of it properly after he was done with it. It was always a good idea to take safety precautions at every turn, and he wouldn't have done anything different, as a businessman or a Black Sun assassin. He bit back a laugh at the mention of R&R before turning his attention back to the task at hand.

"I read a little about the crystals in the Holocron, but nothing to suggest where on Ilum they're found," he stated. "However, they're suppose to be Force sensitive. Even if we can't sense them, however, I'm sure the Empire would be willing enough to point us in the right direction to help our... entrepreneurism."

His own words made him a bit reflective for a moment. Whatever he did with the rest of his life, the Force would inevitably be a part of it. He hadn't realized how much it could change who he was, and while he was at his core the same, the Force had revolutionized his perception of the universe. At some point, when he wasn't so busy with whatever mission lay before him, he would have to sit down and decide just how much he could let himself change. There were some things about him that intrinsically clashed with Jedi ideals, which he had now experienced first hand and found somewhat seductive. At some point, something was going to have to give, one way or another.

Sasori absent-mindedly set his datapad onto a dock on the ships dash and allowed all his new data to sync to the server that he had acquired while on his ship, including the copies of the legal documents with the New Republic which were so very vital to the future of the Black Sun. He then turned his gaze back to Vothe while he finished explaining his knowledge on Ilum. And Sasori thought on one portion, Force Sensitive.

"Well, if the crystals are Force Sensitive, much like any center of Force Sensitive beings, would we not be able to feel them out with a much larger amount of ease because of the amount of energy they produce? I would think so, but there is really only one way to figure it out."

A blue light flickered on and off on his dash and Sasori sat back down and strapped in.

"Coming out of lightspeed. Broadcasting signal."

((Continued in Ilum thread))

Ku tilted his head not recognizing the names which he figured he should of but he just shrugged. He didn't care if he was remembered or not but the idea of what would happen probably being good sounded interesting. Ku though was more interested at the contents of supply cache. He grabbed a communications implant and put it in his ear. Then he went through the supply cache. He grabbed some simple durasteel armor then looked for a weapon. Ku grabbed a vibroaxe and a T-21 along with the generator backpack for the gun. Grabbing a DC-17 hand blaster he then took everything he had picked and went to put it on.

Ku put on the armor first and was surprised he found armor that fit but enjoyed having the full body suit of armor on. He then proceeded to put the backpack generator for his T-21 on. Grabbing the T-21 he hooked it up to the generator then grabbed the vibroaxe before going to find the one who was leader of this mission. He eventually found his way to star-chart after a few minutes.

"You lie!" Kari screams as she rushes to her feet, fumbling as her legs way momentarily in her rush to remove herself from his side. Her gaze adverts back to his, a look of horror, confusion- and even sadness echoing within her stare. She declares that she has no sister, and within her mind she truly believes it. "How can you make up such a tale?"

Meanwhile Ventra notices her confusion, her dear sister's state of mind as they come to a gentle landing upon Shili. Quiely she touches Lusef's mind once more,shielding her presence from Kari as she does so. "Take her to Angela's grave due east of here.... I will meet you there shortly." With those words she vanished once again.

It was time for Kari's full awakening, and the key laid near where it all began.

Lusef's response is almost cold, though tactlessly blunt might be more apt. "Then you don't have a sister," he responds. "Just because someone shares the same genetic material with you doesn't make them family." He gives a wry smile. "As I told your other sister there, family's good for a quick and matching transplant when needed." The smile fades outwardly, though inside, Lusef smirks, perhaps sensing an opening, which he quickly probes with his words.

"Besides, it's better if you write her off," he concludes. "Decide what you want on that, but such attachments only bring pain. You know this for the Jedi way- attachments lead to desire, desire leads to suffering. It is far better to be self-reliant and to shut off such feelings. Trust your own strength, your own power, and your own will to survive. You acted on it before, and it carried you through. You're alive." His gaze deliberately falls to Kari's lightsaber. "That is your justice, your power, your being. You make do with what you have and what you will. You can cast off feelings of family, even when they are abusive, dangerous sots, and you can cast off other constraints as well and be all the better for it."

He watches her, then decides to push matters a bit further, adding the slightest hint of Force compulsion in his voice- not a mind trick or a directive, but a resonnance to make his words more appealing to the senses. "You can liberate yourself further, free from constraints of family, attachments that lead to pain and suffering, and rely on your own feelings, your instinct. There are arguments... valid ones I think, that one must even look beyond conventional teachings of the Jedi and ordinary laws. One must be free from those attachments and simply trust one's sense of things, one's feelings, and do what needs be done. It is a simpler path," he admits with a smile and a shrug, "and avoids complications. It requires strength though, and I believe you can do it. Trust in your own power."

With that he gives another shrug of benign indifference, smiling pleasantly still. Putting on an air of patience, he waits for Kari to process his words and sort out her feelings.

"Why does he keep acting as if I'm not an only child?" Kari questions to herself as he speaks, confusion still very much present in her idle stare, her emotions apparent through the glossy presence of tears. "Am i not?"

Kari begins to grow weak, her sight slightly urging to dim, her balance unsteady. She feels funny, noticing it quickly before she fell- catching herself and forcing her to sit. Surely Lusef- or rather Faust- had encountered such a thing before, two souls fighting for an existence within one singular body. But unlike the others, this held no partnership with with Alchemy nor dark magic. or this was driven by the Force it's self and countered by the process of cloning.

The spell dissipates as he finishes, her balance returning as she forced herself up once more. His words though, they seemed to tug upon both of her souls, a slight hint of desire for power crossing her mind. She wanted to be free- free of her memories of her mother, free of the possibility of having a sister, free to be the Jedi she wished to be. She was tired. Not knowing where her thoughts came from, she nods. "Can you teach me?"

But without Ventra, Kari would be as imbalanced as her own balance moments ago. Only Ventra knew how to repair Kari's rift between her souls. Faust's taint had begun to take it's effect.

Lusef just nods, smiling warmly.

"Of course I can. You can trust me to aid you, though I can only lead the way. The foundations for this path must be your own."

He takes a seat, assuming a seiza position and motions for her to do the same.

"You must understand the nature of the Force," he intones, his voice taking on a deep resonnance, akin more to Faust than Lusef, his eyes closed. "It is Light and Dark, divided among itself, constantly fighting.... and yet, it is all one Force, a divided, almost schizophrenic being. The same can be said of all living beings. There is harmony and beauty in a forest, and we see the ecosystem there as a cohesive whole, benefitting itself, and yet there is always a struggle for survival- trees rise to height for light and water, only as vines, undergrowth, and fungi struggle from beneath. There is a natural competition among all living things for mere survival, even if the concert of their struggles is harmony."

Lusef's eyes remain closed, but there is no indication his senses are anything but searching and probing. "In this forest... one must be a solitary wroshyr tree... Native to Kashyyyk, these beings grow kilometers in height. They transcend all levels, underground in their roots, ground level, and finally reach the sky." His eyes open and for a nano of a second, there seems to be a blue glint to them.

"That is how a Jedi must be, solitary- roots in the Darkness, underground, knowing what that means and what it entails, for they are human and the Dark is part of us all. They reach the ground, the mundane between Light and Dark, possessing neither- functioning in the oblivious realm between. You have unique fauna and all sorts of molds and vines and fungi- some beasts, some scavangers and parasites, and others that aspire to be more. You dwell among these kinds, who may ascend or descend according to their own nature. Finally, the crown of the tree, reaching towards the Light, always striving, fighting upward...." He gives a measured, whistful note. "That is what a Jedi does. They are solitary trees, rooted, transcending lesser beings, and rising above towards the Light. They survive in a forest that can be beautiful, or nasty, brutish and short."

"You must adapt the mindset of being that solitary tree- to understand your roots, to draw strength in the oh, so human darkness underneath, and use that energy to struggle for the Light and the top, to rise above, to transcend it all. Only from above can you shield, protect, or as happens on occasions... rule those on the surface, those who cling to you for protection. Only then can you fight other dangers. It is a struggle, but you must mentally prepare yourself for it!"

The Grey Avenger blasted into hyperspace and when it did Sasori placed the ship into auto-pilot and sat up from his chair and removed his winter gear, and was back into his dark grey and black robes. After he had put the gear into a bin for washing he turned to the man who took the alias Vothe and only saw the back of the chair. Sasori could not deal with the silence much longer, and decided to speak.

"So, Tirius, I believe it is time for you to get back into your Jedi gear and return the Black Sun ID. No need for it back on Gala I would assume."

Nodding, Tirius Giovanni handed back the ID as he removed his winter gear. He proverbially changed hats, taking off Vothe Kyrik and putting Tirius back on, no longer the Black Sun assassin but again the eager and confident soon-to-be Jedi Knight. He could not erase from his mind what had taken place on Ilum, but neither did he have any desire to do so. What had happened was significant, for in it held the key to his future as he saw it. He had a goal now stronger than he'd had when he left Gala, and from that goal he would draw the sustenance to move along. This was especially important now that Soren had the datacard he had passed off.

Presently, Tirius returned to the cockpit. He still didn't really have anything to say, even though Tirius was a bit more of a conversationalist than Vothe, who had always been intensely private. So he simply sat and waited for either the voyage to end or for Soren to start a conversation of his own.

Whatever happened, he was now as eager as ever to become a Jedi Knight. He looked forward to returning to Gala, having completed all of Kitt's tasks and apparently with them his training.

Sasori grabbed the Black Sun belongings from Tirius and placed them in a laundry basket of sorts next to his and pressed a button where both were sent into a small sonic cleaning section for cleaning. He then turned to see a flashing light indicate they were to come out of hyperspace and Sasori moved wordlessly across the cockpit and pressed on a lever taking the ship out of hyperspace, streaming his friendly coding to get past the patrols over Gala.

Then i am ready." Kari speaks as he finishes his words. "Teach me to find strength and solidarity within my stance amidst the darkness so that i can become a beacon of light for the weak."

Kari looks around momentarily, her senses returned and her mind stretching beyond the confines of the vessel in which she sat. She felt the familiar sounds and sights of her home amongst the lifeforms on Shili as their feelings echoed upon her thoughts. Turning back to Lusef, she wondered why they had came to her home.

"Why are we on Shili?"

Lusef's smile is genuine. A gamble taken, and one that would pay off with great yields.

"We are here because your past is buried here, literally," he states. "Part of moving on means confronting it. Whether you reject it, accept it, or anything in between, it must be met head on. Consider it a trial," he adds, a hint of challenge in his voice, almost goading Kari. "Take with you what you need, and be prepared to meet it head on." Folding his hands into his robes, Lusef nods and departs, waiting for Kari to gather herself, and whatever else she needs, and head onto the grave site.

Kari gathers her things as Lusef exits, despite most of them having already been pack or upon her personal. Her thougths wonder upon what his words had meant, her past having literially been buried here. But as she does, she answers her own questions in the form of her mother, who she now seemed to hate. Catching up to Lusef, the two blades upon her side as well as the lightsaber, she walks in his shadow in more ways than one.

"You meant my mother, did you not?" She questions, her gaze adverting to the smallish Hut she once called home. "To become the beacon of light, i must first face my own darkness."

Meanwhile, Ventra arrives at the cave first, a few things of note within a sack she now carried.

Lusef nods on the way out. "Mother, sister, or whatever other relationship you wish to attach to her. Biologically the latter as I understand, and only stepping into the title of the former, it's up to you to decide what to make of it. Either way, yes, she is buried here, and you have to make your choice. Face the Darkness without fear child, and do not be afraid to step into it- just don't let it reach your heart or consume you and you will be stronger for it."

In truth, Lusef expected her to stumble on this road, and stumble mightitly. If she walked the path without fail though, she would be far stronger for it and that could pose a problem. Frowning at that thought for a moment, he turns back to her, flashing a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I have every confidence in you."

And he did, though for what, he did not disclose. It would be a great irony if he did grow into a powerful Jedi because of him, he realizes, but... well, he would destroy her first if that looked like it would come to pass. Yet, a naggling doubt hung over him... Were things really going according to his plans?

Trecking due east, he heads towards the grave, sensing it within a cave, mostly by the lock he established on Ventra. He steps aside. "Lead the way, Kari, this is your trial. I'm just here to supervise."

She gives Lusef a nod at his expressions of confidence, a more serious look taking shape upon her face. Kari no longer felt as she did when she first came into Lusef's apprenticeship, perhaps something common with maturing, perhaps something else. In truth, she did not know, only assuming the first. And as she shifted her gaze forward, Kari followed him toward the cave she once laid her mother to rest in.

"This is a place few outside my family have ever witnessed." Kari spoke, a hint of pride within her voice. "This is the site of my Pack's Burial Grounds..." Kari turned to look at Lusef as she spoke, making sure he heard ever word. "... And is said to be a nexus of the Force due my family's lineage. Whether it's true or not, i cannot say."

There was a strong presence laying ahead, but whether or not the stories of it being such a nexus was a topic of debate. However, if it was true, it was neither light nor dark- perhaps both - a the Koi line had always held a strong belief that each being should follow it's true nature and was comprised often of both Jedi and Sith followers. Such was evident in Kari and Tori's understanding relationship.

Kari takes the lead, igniting the lightsaber Lusef had given her, it's hue enlightening their surroundings. Step by step it's containments are revealed, primitive paintings upon it's walls depicting the Togrutas many hunts, words written in their native language telling tales of their legends and myths- and as they venture deeper, crystal formations begin to emerge from the darkness.

Suddenly Kari turns to Lusef, the hue of the lightsaber only lighting the side of her face that it's glow managed to reach. But even in it's dimmed light, tears that flowed from her face was visable. Kari's true soul had emerged, if only for a split second. "Master...." Kari speaks through her tears. "I can not do this.... It is too much."

Kari turns away, and at that solemn second, her former returns. Wiping her face free of the tears, she gazes upon her hand with confusion. For now she disregards it, holding in her concerns, unaware of what had just transpired. Instead she ventures farther inward toward the second room where the controls to a primitive security system laid hidden from all save the few who knew of it. Little did she know of the trial that laid in wait for her within the next room, compliments of Ventra.

Meanwhile, Ventra sat within meditation, her presence no doubt masked by the nexus in which she sat, the thousands of Togruta Jedi and Sith that lined their lineage reaching toward the top of the large chamber. Within her mind sat the three trials she held in wait for her dear sister, to awaken in full the truth of her sister's existence, all part of her own plans for Kari. She would see her labors grow into fruition, Faust or no Faust.

Lusef gives a grim nod. His parents lay in unmarked mass graves on a foresaken planet that was his homewold- assuming their bones weren't just left to bleach in the sun. Anastasia he buried himself, her grave unmarked as well. Remembeing back to that war torn hell, Faust shook his head.

"A Force nexus?" he inquires, wondering if this might be useful for other purposes of his own later. Perhaps the massing of the dead and energies here might prove interesting for some alchemical experiments he read about and wished to try. "Interesting," he concludes, "I haven't encountered too many of those."

Lusef trails behind his apprentice, taking in minute details of his surroundings. While their culture was one Lusef never really studied, he did have some appreciation for it based on the little he was able to glean- a culture of hunters, dedicated to the pack... and yet, there seemed to be a strong individualistic streak in this clan that defied what he knew of tradition.

A pack of lone wolves, falling to Light and Dark, each lining up as soldiers in their eternal battle. How interesting.

As they head deeper, he notes the crystals, wondering if perhaps they might be useful for lightsabers or other constructs. If this place was a nexus as well, they might have some other properties. Of course, looting this sacred tomb would be a bad move with his apprentice here, but...

Broken out of his thoughts, Lusef notices a change in posture with Kari, the sign of tears. He gives a grimmace, perhaps expecting this.

"There is nothing to do, child," he admonishes softly. "It's a tomb, a casket for a body long dead. In that sense it's a place, mundane and material like any other." The steel creeps back into his voice. "It's only special becuase of your sentiment and your feelings, the ones you carry with you here. Only here, perhaps can you draw them out and face them head on. Retreat now, and they'll linger with you, burdening you for ages."

Lusef shifts, placing himself in the center of the path they came through, blocking it with his body. "There is no way to go but forward. You cannot go back."

As Kari leads Lusef into the next room, she stops briefly, running her hand across the writings of a Koi legend that dated back hundreds of years- possibly even thousands. But to Kari and Tori, it had long held special meanings to each. For this legend told of two brothers, one that followed the ways of the Jedi, and the other the ways of the Sith. And though they were enemies in philosophy, they remained brothers to the end. They were both considered fierce hunters, but because of their family bond, refused to fight and instead chose to live atop a plateau and argue with one another over the mysteries of the Force. For this, it i said they were granted eternal life in stone. Which is why this place was called twin peaks in the Togruta native tongue.

"Our pack believe this place to be sacred.." Kari proposes, stepping away from the writings and toward the room's center. "They believe it to grant the descendants of all buried here great power and wisdom through life and nature." Kari glances at her boots, her gaze echoing of sadness. "Though i have long cut myself from nature, my family having been Individualists since my mother's..." She pauses. "Well you know."

Kari reaches the center of the room where root like vines hung from the cave's roof, grabbing one and pulling down upon it. Gears hidden behind the inner wall begin to turn and shift as a section begins to shift inward and to the side, revealing a hidden tunnel. Kari, having thought all defenses were deactivated, motioned to Lusef to follow as she ventured down the tunnel and into the sunlit room ahead. Little did she suspect that one defense remained active ahead along with Ventra's own that would send her through trials of her own, a trial of souls if you would.

As Kari ventured into the next room, light penetrating through small holes within it's circular ceiling, corroded away by millennia of rain water. Fauna filled it's entirety.. along the walls, floor, and ceiling.. as well as streams of water falling into pools and mist carpeting it's floor. Kari turns to Lusef. "This is called the Heart of Life, or Room of Light. Above us is this brother Tuik, one of the brothers mentioned in the legend."

But before Kari could finish her instruction, Ventra's presence washed over them entirely. The fog began to swirl and engulf them, and within moments, a light begins to flash before them. At first it is unrecognizable, blinding and confusing. But it slowly begins to fade and reveals before them a haunting memory of Kari's past. Ventra's trap had been sprung and Kari could not escape it. Lusef could had aided, but Ventra knew he would not. or now, Kari would have to face it alone.

It was the same as before, Kari being abused by her 'mother', the young Togruta begging and pleading for her to stop. Deep inside, Kari watched with growing hate as her 'mother' hit her countless times, Faust's implant growing with each break of a bone or tear of the skin. But then Kari notices something unlike before, two faces hidden beneath a nearby table, one's face hidden behind her sister's embracing arm.

"But that face!" Kari exclaims, her gaze falling upon the sister who held her sibling so protectively. "That's me. But how...who?" Her gaze falls upon the child who her 'mother' was beating upon. "Who is this child that has taken my place?"

Kari's hate drifts away momentarily, instead finding pity and sadness for the unknown child replacing it. And as her feelings grow deeper, hope that she would save herself just as she had. But nothing happens, the beating continuing until the child lays limp, her life barely hanging onto it's grip over death. As soon as her "mother' disappears, the two emerge from their hiding and rush to the beaten child. Kari falls to her knees, tears flowing from her eyes as she gazes upon the girl's fallen form. Hate begins to overcome her once again, and as it does, it seems to consume her.

"Angela..." Just as Lusef's seeds seem to blossom, all reaches tranquillity as Kari's true soul finds strength to regain control. "I am sorry i could not save you then." The mist lessens and returns to normal, revealing the hidden garden's exit. "I am so sorry that you became her. But at least through my training, i was finally able to set you free."

Kari rises, tears still filling her eyes. She turns to Lusef. "Let's go..." She states with a cheerful grin before it returns to it's serious state. "I intend to finish this once and for all." With that Kari heads toward the exit and enters the darkened tunnel.

Lusef finds himself watching warily. While not quite an interpid exploring of tombs and lost civilzations, he navigated enough of them, as well as high tech fortresses on his way to deal with bounty heads and marks to intuitively sense that traps were likely afoot. He instinctively lights up his lightsaber, his ears picking up the minute working of gears and other machinery behind the walls. While it only gave the faintest outline of how to open the hidden door (Its activation another sign of Kari's earlier memories returning), it echoed on some other spaces behind the walls, detailing likely spots for traps of some nature.

He silently repeats Tuik's name, making a cybermental recording of it, along with everything else. Later, he would come back to explore this place- if nothing else the possible secrets of Jedi and Sith here made it a treasure- one he would use to its fullest.

The moment the light springs up, Lusef immediate errects his defenses against it, sensing some sort of mental attack. The rush is powerful and for a moment he almost gets a flashback to his past, courtesy of the cave's residual magic...

His parents, his sister, his family- wife & children.... the moment passes and he beats the encroachment back. Instantly realizing what it meant for Kari, he uses his energies, trying to break through the mental images, guessing intuitively what it was testing.

Unable to interfer, Lusef watches, a dark presence hovering, masked and unidentified behind the mother. He senses how it plays out, watching the exchange.

When it passes, he hears his apprentice's resolution, his jaw tightening ever so slightly. He was losing her and had to quickly tip the scales back- against his warnings he could sense Kari embraced and forgave her sister/mother. Following her on, he muses aloud.

"A pity you couldn't save her then, when it mattered," he murmurs softly, pitching his voice with sincere regret. "The power to destroy monsters still in the making, exorcising some with righteous judgment, yet it must be carefully done. Ironic," he muses as if seeing some humor in a light situation. "You were upset with your mother, really your sister, and exclaimed hatred of her, and yet your mother, the real mother of all three of you, might be deserving of it after all for setting off this cycle of violence." He laughs. "I'm joking of course, since a Jedi wouldn't think that, but... there might be some truth in that. A shame you didn't have your power when you were a child. Tragedy might have still befallen you, but there'd be one more innocent spared. Again, you have to trust your feelings here and do what is right... life's too short for regrets, so decisive action is needed sometimes." He chuckles again, "though I suppose these trials will test you enough on that. So let us finish this, mm?"

As he speaks his eyes remain on ahead, seaching, his hand still gripped on his lightsaber- he would not get caught off guard like that again. As for his padawan... no, apprentice, she was emerging stronger from these unexpected trials. Despite the irritation this was causing him, there was, he admitted at least some pride in watching that- though it did raise the stakes as well...

"Violence only begets violence..." Kari murmurs as she ventures deeper down the tunnel. "If i had been trained in the Force by that age, would my sister truly have been saved? Or would i have been the one who robbed her of her innocence? What she did to me was only what she was taught, and if i had saved her from mother... - would i have taught her that life could be taken so easily?"

As Kari enters the second chamber, both find themselves in complete darkness aside from the dimmed light of their lightsabers. Sniffing the air, Kari finds her senses alarmed and quickly turns to Lusef. "Quickly, go back." But it was too late. The chamber's seal shuts abruptly behind them, cutting off their exit. The smell of gas begins to fill their lungs within the barren chamber. "The gas.... It's hallucinogenic."

For a Togruta like Kari, it had a mild effect, meant to induce a spirit walking effect during the Right of Burial Ceremony, a means to communicate with the deceased by partially separating the spirit from the body- a dangerous situation for Kari. But never had a non-Togruta been allowed this far in, so it's possible effect on Lusef was unknown. It was a slow process, taking quite a few moments to take hold. Kari knew she would have to endure it, but she worried about Lusef.

"I...I haven't the slightest clue as to what effect the gas will have upon you." Kari states. "But the door out of here is timed and will not open until long after the gas has taken effect." Kari sighs. "This the Chamber of Darkness, or Soul of Death, and sits below Tao- the brother of Tuik. My Pack believes it to be a way to communicate with the deceased after they have passed from this realm. I've only been here.."

Kari swoons momentarily as the gas's effect takes hold of her mind, but she quickly recovers. As the green hued gas begins to glow- likely due to it's hallucinogenic effect- Kari notices a shadowy figure beginning to form before her. She steps back, falling into a defensive position as if she was awaiting an attack. But to her surprise, she gazes upon herself, or rather a shadow like form of her self. Without warning it attacks, it's darkened aura overbearing her own.

"Wh....What... are... you?" She inquires, her hued blade clashing with it's shadowed blade. Retreating momentarily, Kari reaches out through the Force and sends a wave of energy toward her opponent in an attempt to widen the space between them.

"So Master Aryan was correct...." It replies, a devilish grin spreading across it's face. It's reflexes quicken, dodging Kari's attack and closing the gap as it attacks again. "I do have a sister, a twin no less. Interesting indeed."

"A sis... sister?" Kari attempts to dodge it's blade, but falls short as it burns her left arm with a single scrap across her skin. Grabbing her wound, Kari steps back. "Then that must mean your.... me?"

"You? Haha-haha." It bursts into a laughing fit at Kari's notion, allowing Kari a moment of peace to settle her confusion and thoughts. "I could never be so weak, just as my pathetic mother found out for herself."

With that it attacks again, drawing her blade high as she closes the gap once again. Kari dodges it with moments to spare, granting her enough time to land a well placed push through the force and sending it hard into the surrounding wall. Shifting the blade within her palm to the rear, Kari stands in wait, confused in what was transpiring. Had her soul fallen from the Jedi's path? In truth she had, courtesy of Faust. But little did Kari know of this. As it brushed off the dirt and soil, it stood.

"I will not fail." It screams as it attacks again, it's senses growing more alert and it's reflexes quickening the more emotion it poured into it's self. Kari defends herself, lost in her own confusion. But her self is too much for her to take on, and amidst her confusion, finds herself slowly being defeated. And as the door opens and the gas rushed out, freeing Kari from this spell, finds it once again in control. "I will defeat you, dear sister."

As Kari former soul regains control, darkness fills her heart so. Surely Faust would be proud of his new found Apprentice, but the trials were not yet complete. The final test would define Kari as a whole, and one Ventra did not expect to unfold. Within Lusef's mind, Ventra speaks but four words. "What have i done?"

Lusef doesn't answer Kari's first question outright, though a subtle frown indicates disagreement with Kari's doubts.

Stepping into the next chamber, Lusef spins around as the door seals shut, his lightsaber immediately poised to cut his way back out. The sound and hiss of gas entering triggers a response, immediately causing Lusef to clamp his breath, though some of it entered his lungs.

His eyes dart narrowly towards Kari as she explains its properties- a mix of antipathy for his situation with mingled curiosity- hallucinogens weren't quite his field of study- unless something induced death, pain, or a coercive state, he usually had no interest. Still, for interrogation perhaps?

Head swimming, Lusef stares over to Kari, seeing another version of her fading in and out. Uncertain at first if it was the Force or the gas, he watches, convinced it was real, somehow sharing the vision for a moment.

"Fight it child!" he urges. "Defeat it! Don't let it get you!"

At that, Lusef suddenly knows he should turn over his shoulder and does so, hand gripping his lightsaber.

His eyes widen, catching sight of two specters, both very familiar, occupying a brief scene- one a young boy, not even quite a teenager with ernest blue eyes and blond hair, and a younger sister still with the same sweet expression. The two morph- the boy grows older, harder, his ernest look becoming one of shock and bitterness, then a cool cynicism, degenerating into an icy indifference and then contempt, finally ending with a frenzied madness and overpowering hatred. The girl turns ragged, ill used, and despair and weariness fill her- yet there remains a hope, and a look of compassionate pity.

The two meet again, and Faust in his madness, repays the other with death, a swift, merciful ending from his Sith sword, the madness reaching a crescendo. The scene, from youth to death, plays out in seconds, fixing Lusef in place.

His attention wheels back to Kari as the gas escapes, hearing the final cry of the battle. For a moment, Lusef as he really was appears as a cloud behind him- clothed in white, grinning, and with cold blue eyes.

Lusef hurries on, shaken and irrate beyond belief at what he witnesses- something of his past he thought long dead and buried. A glower on his face, even sensing the rising darkness in Kari's heart doesn't bring him satisfaction, clinically noting its presence.

"Let us be through this wretched place!" he hisses, almost leaning on Kari, his head still swimming from the gas. "We're surviving," he continues, "but the cost is turning rather high..."

((Excuse the Breaking Benjamin lyrics. It just seemed to fit the post, and I'm hoping it'll gain the feel i want from it. Something I've wanted to experiment with for awhile now. Feel free to critique me.))

The tunnel ends and spiraling stairs reveal themselves, descending into the depths of the planet's crust, for beneath it's lush exterior laid the lifeless, long having laid their bodies to eternal rest. And at the bottom laid the final chamber, and within it sat Kari's true destiny. No sooner had they entered, Tori pounced. Before Lusef remotely held a chance to react even in his weakened condition, he found himself thrown hard across the room, incapable of reaching his apprentice before Tori tore herself into Kari's mind and forcing apart the two souls.

Set within a netherworld void, the two souls find themselves lost in mental battle, wills tested by Ventra's presence, each fighting for existence within the body shared. Though Kari's dear sister wanted her real sister back, she know only Kari could decide that. Now would be chance for her to do so if only she decided to truly live. This battle would to decide the victor, and once done, offered no turning back.

<Here I lie forever, Sorrow still remains. Will the water pull me down And wash it all away? Come and take me over. Welcome to the game. Will the current drag me down and carry me away? Suddenly the light begins to fade...>

Ventra: HOPELESS!

Kari(original): I'm falling down.

Ventra: FEEL THIS!

Kari(original): I can't wake up. I can not hold on.

Kari(clone): I will not let go.

Ventra: WORTHLESS!

Kari(original): It's over now.

Ventra: GUILTY!

Kari(original): I can't wake up. I can not hold on.

Kari(clone): I will not let go.

Tori pleads with her sister, but finds her words falling upon weakened ears, her cloned soul having been tainted by Faust's darkened seeds and possessing most of her power. Falling deeper into the Force, Tori forces herself deeper into he sister's torn soul and lends her power in Kari's aid. Kari's resolve strengthens, but also leaves Tori in a weakened state. Not that it mattered to the Sith, for Ventra would gladly lay down her life for her sister.

But somewhere deep inside, Kari hears Lusef calling her name. Perhaps from a memory, perhaps from the Burial Ground her body now found occupancy within. She could not tell. Outside, her presence grew stronger.

<Silent eye goes under, I am not afraid. I can see the daylight shine and slowly drift away. Safe to say it's over. Sink into the break. There's nothing left inside. But I am wide awake. I can hear the devil call my name... >

Kari(clone): HOPELESS!

Kari(original): I'm falling down.

Ventra: FEEL THIS!

Kari(clone): I can't wake up. I can not hold on.

Kari(original): I will not let go.

Ventra: WORTHLESS!

Kari(clone): It's over now.

Ventra: GUILTY!

Kari(clone): I can't wake up. I can not hold on.

Kari(original): I will not let go.

The cloned soul begins to grow weaker, Tori's aid to Kari begins to overpower even Kari's strength that her cloned soul now loosened it's grip over. Little by little she begins to lose her fight for existence. But Tori also begins to grow weaker, not having used such power in so many years. It was beginning to take it's toll on her aged body, and it showed vibrantly as she fell to her knees. But she did falter from her task, and continuously poured her power into Kari. She would die before she lost her sister again.

Ventra: HOPELESS!

Kari(clone): I'm falling down.

Ventra: FEEL THIS!

Kari(clone): I can't wake up. I can not hold on.

Kari(original): I will not let go.

Ventra: WORTHLESS!

Kari(clone): It's over now.

Ventra: GUILTY!

Kari(clone): I can't wake up. I can not hold on.

Kari(original): I will not let go!!

A vibrant light begins to glow from Kari's chest as she hovers mid air. And for one small instance, it's as if you can see the two souls separate of the body, one fading and one pulsating with power. It was in this instance that Tori clasped her hands and spoke a devilish incantation, sending the two souls into a collision and sparking an eruption of blinding light. In an last ditch attempt to be the victor, both souls draw in all their power to usurp the other.

Kari(clone): HOPELESS!

Kari(original): HOPELESS!

Ventra: Now the two are one.

Lusef heads onward with his apprentice, still feeling off balance from the last trial which he was unwittingly drawn into. As he heads deeper in, a thought occurs to him that he was almost heading into the core of Shili- though it would be unlikely that it'd be hollow like Naboo. At that, an idea occurs to him and an encoded cybermental comm reaches back to his ship not too far distant- something to keep the galaxy occupied while he was busy with Kari.

The message sent and to be relayed, he smirked a bit, feeling self-satisfied with that. The moment of elation ends when Lusef walks into a new chamber and his apprentice's sister hurled him bodily across the chamber.

Sailing through the air, surprised at her strength, Lusef slams hard into a wall, bracing himself for impact, sliding down and landing on his feet. Eyes blazing blue for a moment behind his contact brown lenses, a look of pure rage passes over his face before his mask slips back on.

Storming towards the witch, he halts, seeing lines of Force energy swirling around Tori and his apprentice- indeed as if two souls were mixing within Kari. His eyes narrow, realizing that above all, his aid would be needed. Gritting his teeth, he strides over to the two sisters. His lightsaber is in his hand, adjusting the frequency of the sonics in it.

"Kari!" he calls, and though his voice is soft, it resonnates clearly in the chamber, striking a cord with the apprentice he trained. "You have to fight to remain you! Hold on! Fight!"

He walks up to Ventra's side, as if gently placing a hand on her back to steady himself against Tori. Knowing her fight was inside Kari, knowing that her strength was occupied in wiping away Lusef's work, Lusef sensed his chance. While a needle full of slow acting poison would work just fine here, Lusef left that behind on his ship. That thought passes, his eyes watching as the two souls fought and collided. It was odd- both were one, but not... Unnatural and unheard of, a spiritual battle like conjoined twins fighting for control of a body.

"Kari! Fight it!" He yells at the top of his lungs, an unnatural, Force driven shriek that echoes through the chamber. "Don't let go!" He acted then, partially out of malice and spite- but a part of him too did not want to lose his apprentice to her former self.

His shout was to cover up his act, the sonics in his lightsaber activated in a short, controlled burst, hitting Tori point blank as she sank to her knees- the rattling breaking through her internal harmonics and organs. Deadly and undetectable, her body would shake itself apart and slowly stop. Exhaustion from the effort of recombining, you Kari, Lusef would say if asked. He would not let the witch kill his apprentice, for surely losing one's self was death of another kind, far worse than death of the body.

"Kari..." he shouts... his eyes blazing, uttering a phrase that went against his very being. "It's not hopeless! You need to fight!"

He watches, eyes intent, his lightsaber, powercells exhausted, slipping back into his sleeve.

The two were one, but who was the victor?

Deep in the bowels of space a lone Imperial 891c Akorec-class strike cruiser sat drifting in space. It was a specially designed cruiser. It was able to house four small star-fighters, and could be operated by as little as 70 people. But, since Robert couldn't afford to have that many people on his operation. He ad requested an Artificial Intelligence be placed in the ship's mainframe. It clearly had been cleared, and awaited him.

Dropping out of hyperspace, he smiled. This mission was important to the Empire, and he pretty much had a blank check to accomplish it. He piloted his new R-22 down into one of the hangers. Two other hangers were taken up. He smiled. His boys were here. Landing softly in the hanger, the AI greeted him.

"Hello Captain Robert L. McNamara. My name is Lisa. Part number 445. All systems are clean and ready for action. There are four others aboad and awaiting your arrival. Informing now." Lisa said.

"Very good!" Robert said, crawling out of the R-22. He walked back to the cargo hold with a dolly. He unloaded the crate and marched out of the hanger. "Directions. Synthetic lab." He requested of the AI.

She promptly responded. He manuvered the cargo down to the Lab, and started his work on duplicating the armor. Just as he unloaded the container and placed the female suit of armor on a stand, the doors swung open.

"SIR! Ghost, Phantom, Leuitenant Adams and Leuitenant Limon reporting as ordered." A voice called out.

"Boys." Robert turned around, all four were saluting him. He returned it, they relaxed a moment.

"Boys, I fudged up. As your commander, I am sorry. As your friend, I regret putting you guys in that situation. Because I failed you, we have to deal with this mission sooner than expected." Robert turned back to his work. He stepped behind a curtain and stripped off the armor.

"Have you boys been briefed?" Robert asked, slipping into a jumpsuit.

"Somewhat sir." Adams said.

"Alright, what DO you know?" Robert organized a scan on the male set of armor then walked over to the computer.

The five discussed their mission while Robert scanned and made modifications to the armor. They were well versed in the mission aleardy. All of them were eager to put boots on the ground. Even Limon. They just had to wait a few more days till their last three guys showed up. The armor would be ready by then.

Until they showed up, they placed charges around the ship, and made gear bags, then hid them in compartments that couldnt be detected unless they knew they were there. They were sealed, so if they were even knocked, they wouldnt sound hollow.

The remainder of the time would be spent telling stories, mainly about how the 115 got off the ship after Robert died. And how Raven didn't make it....

For the first time in its life, the Lux Aeterna was filled with Force-Sensitives. The majority of Illumination's strike force was on board, as well as a slew of acolytes from other Force-based traditions: Jensaarai Defenders, martial artists from the Matukai, marksmen from the Gray Paladins”¦ there was even a Gand Findsman on board. And despite the fact that having so many members of fringe Force traditions in the same place was something of a dream for Armiena, she wanted to have nothing to do with it.

Eventually, one of the crew knocked on the door and informed her that the refugees were being returned to Acacia. Armiena only departed long enough to perform her duties--Illumination probably would have wanted her to make an appearance in order to disguise their mission as a Jedi op. It wasn't until her hands started shaking that she left the cabin just long enough to eat a meal. When the guests went their separate ways, the Jedi Master left the room to say her farewells, but it was clear that her heart simply wasn't in it.

Once the ship was emptied save for its crew, Armiena just sat in her quarters, spending the entire journey lost in thought. Occasionally, she idly looked over the three lightsabers that Arlan had always carried: his mother's, his father's, and his own. Both his parents had been killed in the war, by one of the Sith””and now Arlan had been killed in a skirmish that no one would ever learn about.

Turning the hilts of the three blades over, she came to a resolution. Armiena would always carry those lightsabers””those weapons were not light, and the burden would be nearly painful without armor. She would carry them until”¦ until the time was right. And Arlan”¦ Arlan would be a Jedi Knight. If she still had any influence in the Jedi Order, she would ensure that Arlan was named a Jedi Knight, however posthumously. Other Jedi had died for less in the past.

”œThere is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force.”

Tori falls back upon her bottom, exhausted and worn out. Silently her gaze adverts to Lusef, as if implying that she knows what he had done, almost expecting it. But she fills neither with hate nor anger, but adorns a grin- as devilish as it may be -and instead calls out to her sister. "Kari."

"Yes?" Kari questions as she stands up. She too looks at Lusef, though at first, one couldn't tell which she meant. Her aura was strong, slightly darkened. She held composure and not emotional duress, her defenses well fortified. But then a glimpse of the victor emerges as Kari turns to help her sister up.

"Look in the satchel i brought with me." Tori speaks, her gaze of an older Kari shifting back to her cloned sibling. "Now that you are whole again, it is time you once again picked up your weapon."

"You think that wise?" Kari wonders, lifting Tori up and grasping a tight hold as her sister nearly slips from her fingers. " I do not think i still possess the skills to wield them with proficiency."

"Take the crystals i left for you on Tatooine..." Tori speaks, furthering her convictions. In truth, even now Lusef's attacks were beginning to tear apart her insides. "Tune them to your soul and rebuild the Jedi weapon you were meant to."

Kari merely nods, turning from the bunch and sits upon her Angela's tomb. Delving into the Force, Kari begins to pour her soul and heart into the gems- a present given to her by Tori so many years ago when they last visited these tombs. To possess two rare crystals such as these, each imprinted by one of her separate souls, was even rarer to be. It would be a long process, and would leave her drained as well. But if this is what Tori wants, so shall it be.

"So you have defeated me Sith..." Tori jests as she turns to Lusef in private. "You won only one battle, yet it cost you the war. To think you were so impatient to best me, yet i have already beaten you. Typical of you and your brethren."

Lusef watches the ordeal, still unsure which of the two souls was dominant. Watching the exchange, Lusef hides his dissapointment- the original Jedi soul remained. For a half-second, he grips his lightsaber tight, wondering if eliminating the padawan and her sister might not be the best option. The Sith was already dead, and the Jedi was a lot less tractable to his advances now. Still a stubborn pride clung to him.

Not yet... There's still time.... my apprentice...

Withdrawing aside with Tori, Lusef doesn't respond to her prodding. To give in so easily to her goading wasn't quite his nature, especially when he sensed a trap in her words. Did she know of his attack? Or was it just intuition?

"The will of the Force remains yet to be seen," he delcares in a neutral and philosophical manner, still smirking a bit. "Tell me, were you so confident that you'd win that you thought you could let me be? If so, I'm curious why you didn't take her sooner, for yourself to train. Or were you so impatient to revive your dead sister in Kari's body you rushed and made a few fatal mistakes of your own?"

The woman was almost annoying with the amount of talking she did about her husband. Had there had been enough reason to do so, he would have just stayed in the cockpit the whole journey to Coruscant. So, without haaving much reasons to do so, he ended up staying in the main hold with the woman, drinking from the bottle of Corellian spiced ale that was onboard the Supremacy that he kept hidden as apart of his special stock. She kept bringing up word such as love and other nonsense that had she paid more then just one third of the payment, he would have shot her in the leg for rambling on. He placed down his bottle of Corellian spiced ale after taking a large swig, and was just in time to catch the last tail end of what she was speaking about.

"And I haven't seen him in four months. You really are doing me and my husband a huge favor Captain Ayion."

Calmin picked up the bottle with a very fake smile and just lifted his chin before he took another swig of his drink. Setting it down again, he could sense that she was staring at him, almost begging to ask a question that she had wanted to ask him since the two meet in the Glow Worm back on Nar Shaddaa. He gave her a look that clearly told her to just ask it. Her constant longing for interaction was starting to get on his nerves.

"I must ask, but your species is blind and can only see through the Force, yet you seem to hate the Force. Why?"

It was a good question, and one that he had gone almost twenty years without answering until now. For some reason, he felt that if he told her, she would shut up and leave him alone. If I'm wrong, I'm stuck with her asking question nonstop until we reach Coruscant. He picked up his bottle and took another swig and then immediately looked out of a viewport near the table that the two sat at on the Supremacy.

"I just simply hate it. If you look at both the Jedi and Sith, users of this Force, they're corrupted beyond what their own minds can foresee. One use the corruption for attack, the other for defense, and neither of it matters when both are corrupt. If I could, I would have working eyes implanted into my head, but apparently, no medic can do that. Kriffing idiots."

Even with his head turned, he could tell that she was staring at him, hesitating to ask another question. He then really longed for an excuse to get up and walk away from a very potentially long conversation upon why he hated the Force. Luck was on his side. The cockpit beeped loudly, needing him to pull the Supremacy out of hyperspace, and eventually, navigate the space lanes of the crowded space above Coruscant. Picking up his bottle of spiced ale, he gave her a half salute.

"Well, it looks like this suicide mission has reached the final stretch. I'm going to go bring us out of hyperspace."

He then took another swig and began to talk up to the cockpit of the Supremacy and the daunting task that laid ahead of him.

Calm hands piloted the Corvette through space, the woman sitting at the helm had long blond hair and beautiful green eyes. Unbeknownst to her, Sokar had slipped into her ship and was now perched upon a panel about 15 feet behind her. His feathers fluttered as a chilling breeze escaped the vent above him. The nuisance was enough to drive him from his perch and force him to close the gap between him and the female.

Through slight manipulations of the mind Sokar had begun shifting again... only this time he chose a form which he generally didn't use. The frame which he now wore was rather small in comparison to even his favored teenager human form... He had a bald head with large crimson eyes, a lean yet incredibly strong muscle structure, hands that consisted of two fingers and a thumb, feet with only two toes, and a tail that matched the length of his entire body. Covering all of this were markings similar to that of the Zabrak's traditional tattoos. All in all, the Imp-like being reeked of malevolence.

And with a bounding leap took hold of the headrest with his left hand, his feet were now resting upon the shoulders of both the chair and the woman; whom had turned in a startle. With one fluid movement of his right hand, Sokar took hold of her throat cutting her cry of fear short. His tail was swift to respond and within seconds had entangled itself around the neck where his hand had previously been.

Allowing his vengeful eyes to pierce into hers, Sokar slowly began to impart some directions directly into her mind. He allowed an internal chuckle to fill him as the woman leaned forward and programmed the ship to pilot towards the coordinates that he'd provided her. As the Corvette adjusted and entered hyperspace, with every passing moment the drumming grew louder and with every beat his tail tightened.

(( Next post on Byss ))

The small vessel drifted in space next to a small moon. The entire station was quiet and dark. Except for one of the labs which had a lone monitor going through processes. It's bright screen illuminated the face of a sleeping Robert.

The computer beeped it was completed with the synthesizing of the suits.

Robert awoke with a choke, and sat up. He looked over the modifications:

1) Improved head shot resistance.

2) Improved blast resistance.

3) PA system

4) New metal woven in to improve resistance.

5) Knife in the right fist, designed to jut out when punching.

6) Night/In-fared/Motion Tracker abilities in the helmet.

Everything else was in place like the grav boots, and vacuum capabilities. He smiled. These would do just nice. He checked the backpacks to see how much space they could play with. The new metal was still warm. He opened the backpack. Just enough room.

Robert closed it and called the gang to the lab. He started to put the suit on even before they got there. He sighed

"Helluva way to spend a birthday." He whispered to himself.