Jedi X

Within the abandoned archives of the Conclave of Haruun Kal sits a small holocron fashioned in Electrum and Kyber upon a solemn table, an almost natural presence emanating from its warm and embracing presence. Within its recordings, it presents its self as a youthful Togruta, twin tonfas nestled upon her hips and the Je'daii Ranger star upon her vestige. Activating It will cause the visage to appear and speak: The Triumvirate Arcana A Study and Acknowledgment of The Force and the Sentient Aspect by Kari Koi - Je'daii Ranger Constructs of the Natural Force The Force, in its very nature, is unaligned and harmonic, neither dark nor light by Galactic Standards in its endeavor of life and existence. For Light and Dark is a concept created by sentience and morality. No. In its barest, primitive form, the Force is Life. For the fauna may kill out of necessity of survival, or in the same breath, give its life to protect that of its cub. Only through the constructs of the sentient mind has morality based good and evil as two sides of the same coin, forever separating the two and knocking the Galaxy into chaos and division, and shifting the ecosystem of the Force into an irreversible imbalance. The term balance, as well as Lights and Dark, are aspects created by the sentient mind. For without sentience, Life and the Force, cannot be defined outside the natural realm. Intertwined and connected, it is birth through death, and rebirth. A never ending cycle that holds very little purpose outside its natural order. Each being, though connected, yearns for life until death beacons it. There is no malevolence. There is no intent. It simple is, both in the Living Force and in the Cosmic Force. The Living Force, as well as the Cosmic Force, together create what we call the Unifying Force, or the Natural Force. Life passing into Death feed the well that is the Cosmic Force, each adding to the overall will of the Force for continuation of the cycle, and those beings born from the Cosmic Force rebirth the life within the Living Force create the continuation and bond the two together as the Unified Will of the Force, the Unifying Force. It is the thirst for life that bind and birth such a bond that transcends concepts such as time, space, and existence. It connects everything, from the speckles of dust that blows upon the wind to the rage of the Rancor defending and feeding its young. For the Force is Life. And in its unbridled presence, the Natural Force continues peacefully and harmonic. But sentience has added another aspect to the Force, whether intentional or not, a plague upon the Natural and Unified Force. The Darkside. A plague upon the natural and unified order, it corrupts and bring imbalance to the Force. For sentience is a will that transgresses with its own will, and with sentience, the will becomes that of the individual. Sentients are counterproductive, preferring their own against that of the natural will, coming with self awareness and an all consuming thirst. Where the fauna are in tune with nature, sentient beings have their own nature, filled with emotion and intent. And like a cancer, they spread their intent against the Force, or seek to bend the Force to their own. Since the discovery and understanding of the Force, this has always been the case. Some attune themselves to its will, but far too many seek to control it. Add in the trials of Life, and you will see and understand why so many do. For with the self awareness, emotions become more powerful than logical thought. And as the Force becomes corrupted in those who are sensitive to it, it easily corrupts those, and spreading upon the Unified Force as a whole. It is a lesson that first began with my Order, and a lesson I learnt across numerous lifetimes. Self awareness does not always warrant superiority. The Jedi and the Light What first began with my Order has split the Unified Force into four different aspects, albeit three of the four remain in a uneasy alliance. For the Jedi, the descended Order of my own, the Je'daii, continue to study and gain the enlightenment we originally sought with the Unified Force. It requires a lifetime of training and better understanding to truly reach what we found so easily. But with the Sentience aspect, a lifetime is the only true path. For on a Galactic Scale, a lifetime can seem so insignificant, but for the Sentient, it is everything. Only through devotion of this act, can its true understanding be attained. But like my Order, The Jedi have found and have faced the devastation we found for ourselves. Very few can service for the Light through their entire lives, leaving those who fall, either condemned forever or a lesson that leaves scars upon the soul. And yet, even the most devoted can easily be blinded, making such falls even more sufferable. For a sentient to truly bind themselves to the will of the Force, they have to strip themselves of their individuality, a task deemed near impossible for most. Only then, can the will of the Force be truly enlightened. The Fallen Jedi For most Jedi, falling isn't a question of if, but when. And when a Jedi does fall, most often then not, they cause immense pain and devastation. Some realize the truth of their individuality and walk away, self imposing exile or simply disappearing. Some, like most Grey Jedi, simply find a different means of serving wherever the Force takes them. Then there are other, those who stumble or even fall into the Darkside through moments of strong emotion or succumb to their individuality. These Jedi become known as Dark Jedi and usually seek out the Darkside and the Masters of its plague against the Unified Force, an Order forged from those who were banished by my Order and those who followed it; the Sith. The deeper the fall, the more likely they are to seek out the Sith, just as my own sister did when she sought to rebirth me. But until they have found the Sith, they are not completely lost to the Light. They lose sight of the Light, but cannot wield the Darkside either. Only within the ranks of the Sith can they truly blind themselves to the will of the Force, presenting the option to redeemed these fallen souls. And the most important aspect to remember is this: Not all who serve the Light are capable of giving up their individuality. This is the common reasoning behind falls. Whether it be emotions, repetition, or even disagreement, all hope is not lost. And this most important aspect is the path for redemption. But neither can be forced upon them, and if redemption leaves no other alternative, death or imprisonment must become it for these lost souls. If they are left to live freely, they will eventually become Sith, and with more Sith to aid the corruption of the Force, the stronger this disease will become. The Sith and the Darkness What began with my Order now ends us here, in the darkest corners of the sentience we present. Whether fallen Jedi amongst their ranks, or born into them, these Sith bring the destruction of the Unified Force. They claim to seek their individuality, but the truth is much deeper and darker than such a claim. No. What they seek is something they have yet to realize or understand. They seek destruction of Life. Blinded by the corruption of their own reliance on emotions and individuality, they poison and corrupt the Force, exerting their will upon it and everything it connects to. Life becomes corrupted. Flora and fauna become poisoned by it. And the deeper they delve into the Darkened Abyss, the deeper their corruption grows and the more it spreads. What was once natural and harmonic is now unnatural and chaotic. And the more the Darkside spreads, the more it's intent does. Wherever it is found, chaos and strife will be abundant. And it's cycle will only continue, an unstoppable will until it trangresses completely and snuffs Life from existence. For this is the truth of the Darkside. It is the opposite of the Unified Force. It seeks to kill the very host it inhabits, and in doing so, fails to see that it will destroy it's self. The path of the Sith is absolute. It is condemned the moment it is started. And once began, there is no plausible redemption, for the corruption is too great and the individuality is lost to another. Ending Notes Though I have lived three lifetimes, two as a Jedi and in my final, as a Je'daii, I have seen the rise and fall of many Jedi and Sith. My own story is one of transgression, chaos, greed, and desire. To aid in the prevention of more following those who both murdered and rebirth me with darkened hearts and ill intent, I leave behind these collected notes and thoughts within this holocron for the Jedi who follow after my departure for my own exile. Know this, Protector of Life, individuality is a construct to impose a will of our own as sentients. We are no more infallible nor superior than any fauna that we feast upon, just as they feast upon the fauna and flora that nourishes them. Learn this lesson well, or eventually become the thing you sought to stand against. For now, I seek exile and peace. To walk away from this repetition of War and Darkness in search of truer understanding. Three lifetimes of it has left my soul a weary one. I would say that you are welcomed to follow, but I can neither turn back now no more than you can follow and not spread this knowledge. Though I may return one day, the Force willing, I am unsure. For now… Farewell traveler. May the Force be with you…. The holocron's recorder stops playing, the nestled presence within fading into the nether, leaving behind the realm it lit just moments before. There's a lingering mixture of emotions such as hope, compassion, sadness,and even a hint of peace. And placed upon the table by the holocron is the Togruta's Tonfas. Whoever she was, she left behind everything she owned as an individual. Even her Je'daii Ranger's Star, still encrusted with layers of dirt and blood, all set aside as if she shed everything about her.

Kari couldn't help but burst into a chuckling fit as the girl revealed her intent, patting her leg and nearly knocking over her cup from the notion. This girl had came to a Jedi Temple in search of the eternal Jedi and Sith conflict? Believing that the Jedi would even house such knowledge in such a place. Gaining her composure, Kari sat back upright, her legs still crossed, as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Forgive me little one. I do not laugh at you..." Kari spoke, a hint of laughter in her voice before she cleared her throat and continued. "But do you really believe the Jedi would house such knowledge here? That the Sith would house such knowledge at their ancient Academies? Both fear the knowledge of each other to ever house such things, let alone keep it historically accurate." "But I feel your pain. It was a lesson that I too had to learn on my own, and is one I am still learning. After all, though I was a Jedi Padawan once upon a time, the man I thought to be my Master was a Sith that managed to infiltrate the Jedi Order and used me to nearly destroy the Temple at Gala." When Kari spoke the second time, her tone was regretful, almost sad, and held a sorrowful seriousness in it. Even by reading her body movements and gazing at her eyes, once could clearly see it. And though it was a pain she had nearly rid herself of, the occasional thought still brought up the painful scars it left upon her soul, especially where it concerned Lusef and his training. She was just thankful that she had finally laid to rest the part that drove her family apart. "As for the Jedi, there are many incarnations. Some are true to the name and title, others who stray for the sake of their own crusade, and a few who walk finely upon the edge of the light, tempting themselves with the darkness they choose to fight. It has been this way for millennia, and will likely be that way for millennia to come." Kari shifted her gaze toward Nia inquisitively. "What happened to shake your faith, if you don't mind me asking?"

Kari's brow furrowed briefly as the girl spoke, the Togruta's mind falling upon caution. "And what knowledge do you seek in old ruins that you cannot find in populated Temples?" Kari could sense the girl's troubles, but digging around in old Temples such as this one usually bore darker intents. As she poured herself another glass of water, offering to do the same for Nia, she found herself curious. The girl did not seem nefarious or malicious, but why would someone attuned to the Force be creeping around old temples when access was so much easier to be granted at Felucia. Perhaps something happened to the girl? Or someone was forcing her to find something unknown? Kari didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet. "I'll make you a deal little one." Kari spoke after she took a sip and set her cup aside. "Tell me what it is you are searching for, and I will gladly aid you. I know this old Temple like I know the ground beneath my feet, and I can likely point you clearly to what you seek."

Kari chuckled softly with a smile at the girl's questions, feeling her reluctance to trust. Whatever she had gone through, it made her very wary of others. "It is hard to explain what I am." Kari spoke, stopping mid chew to remember her days here at Haruun Kal. "I was once an Adept here at the Temple, though that was many years ago." Kari remained in silence as she finished her meal, her gaze not wavery from the temple as she finished, as if she was lost in deep thoughtful memories here within. As she finished the meat, she poured a glass of water and washed what remained down before her gaze shifted back to Nia. "I was a Jedi once, twice even." Kari spoke with a chuckle. "But now I am neither Jedi nor Sith, both philosophies trivial and incorrect to me. I walk alone, letting the Force be my guide, finding its balance within myself." Pouring water into the second glass, Kari offered it to Nia. "And what of you, young one? What drives you to visit abandoned Temples?"

"No, child." Kari responded, her voice soft as a subtle chuckle erupted from her lips. Slicing the meat near the bottom, she turned and placed it over the fire, the fire briefly picking up as the meat dripped over it. She smiled and turned toward the newcomer, a being of an aquatic species she had seen before, but never knew the name of. "Come, sit. Are you hungry?" Kari motioned to a small makeshift table with beaten cushions surrounding it just on the other side of the fire pit near the entrance of the tent before plopping down across a few as she laid across them. "Forgive my intrusion earlier." Kari spoke apologetically, the Togruta's eyes meeting that of the young Nautolan with kindness. "I felt your presence upon the Force, and I grew curious as to why you have come so far into the Wilds." Kari watched attentively, curious as to what the girl would say and how she would respond. She had already felt her timidness, her caution. So Kari remained distant, letting the girl come to her. Hearing the sizzling of the meat, and smelling the aroma of the spices upon it, Kari reached out with the Force and plucked the two steaks from across the fire, pulling them toward the two and letting them settle upon the plates. Then Kari reached behind her and grabbed her flask and two cups, pouring each of them a small bit of water into each. "Perhaps you seek the Jedi?" Kari proclaimed about as much as she questioned, her cuspids tearing a small bite of meat from the bone and began to chew. Swallowing, she finished. "Or perhaps something else?"

It had been a few weeks since Kari had arrived at Haruun Kal, the Togruta Je'daii having long set up her encampment inside the Conclave's Courtyard, near its outer entrance. This was where it all began, where her training started, where the point of this life had taken its singular path that led to her standing upon its soil once more. Kari stood in its halls, her bare feet cold against the dusty durasteel halls. So much had changed in her life over the last decade, yet this place abandoned and left empty had only remained as it was, preserved by the nature that had reclaimed it in it's own. Her purpose for coming here was of a different nature, wounds left by her previously unnatural existence. Yet, if there was one here, she was blind to it. For all that remained of her here was mere memories of her days as an Adept to the Jedi Order, a hopeful with no Master until the day that Lusef Aryan came into these halls and plucked her from it. Running her hand against a stuck door, she placed her forehead upon it, gazing down at the crowbar still laying where she sat that day. It seemed a lifetime ago. Just as she smiled, a clutter of noises ran out as Ghost rounded the corner, bumping into some old container bins and knocking them over. Her aura went on alert in the moment, but she shook her head at the T3's clumsiness. So much the two shared, over two lifetimes, maybe three now as she glared down at her original form and the orange skin she remembered so well. Tori's treachery may have been in good intentions, but she was thankful to be back in her own form, feeling whole again, complete even. Grabbing her cloak, she adorned it and began her trek back outside the ruined Conclave. As she exited, she gazed up at the setting sun, wondering if she would find Gala exactly the same, the wounds in the Force that Tori created closed now that Kari was whole again. She could only hope. Signaling Ghost to follow, she made her way to her tent and began starting a small fire using kindling she had gathered. But as she started the fire and began preparing the meat, something felt aloft in the distance. She felt a presence approaching, one of kinship and confusion. Reaching out into the Force, Kari cautiously brushed @Nia Doarr's mind. "Welcome"

The next few days for Kari went by like a passing Mynock. She spent most of it cleaning and dusting the old hut, tossing out the cages that had been most of her pain, and over all tidying up her old homestead. There were moments when memories flooded back, causing tears to form and flow, but for the general time spent, her memories were of her childhood and the good moments she remembered, however few they were. And with each passing evening, Kari made the small trek to where Ban had stationed himself and left a meal for her companion whether he ate it or not. But as the third day came, Kari stood outside in the sun, her bare feet dug into the sand as she gazed at the finished product. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she smiled. The old hut looked livable again, as if she had fixed it up to stay. Yet, that was not the case. She simply wanted it to remain, just as she would in spirit. Taking a drink of water, she sighed. For the first time in a long time, she felt no pain, no anger, no imbalance. It was almost as if the Force had willed her life to this very moment, and she smiled at the thought. Gathering her things, and loading them aboard her ship, she made a small detour to Ban one last time before she would leave, if only to say goodbye. "Ban." She yelled as she made her approach. "Just wanted to say farewell my friend and goodluck. Think I'm going to head to Haruun Kal next, just to make sure there isn't any residual effects lingering there as well. If not, I'll head to the Temple at Gala then. If you ever need anything, do not hesitate to hit up my comm. I owe you more than you know." She paused, letting his words reach her from afar, before she turned and departed. It was a casual departure, almost as if a weight had been lifted to never return, and the walk back was one of the few enjoyable walks she had had in many years. But as she grew near her ship, a sudden sadness rushed over her and she gazed back briefly in Ban's direction. In truth, she had grew a sense of reliance and attachment to the human, something she hadn't done in many years. Turning away, she climbed aboard her ship and in minutes, blasted away from Shili into space and then hyperspace. Next stop would be Haruun Kal.

Kari's eyes fluttered as she smiled and gave an approving nod, her lekku shifted against her vestiage. In truth, she had half expected his answer, especially given what she had just gone through and how much aid he had truly given. Reaching into the satchel she had gather from her former host, she tossed a cred stick in his direction with more than enough compensation for the job he had done. He had deserved more than she could offer, so she did not worry about what part of it belong to her. "I can do that, or you can take Tori's ship as a bonus. It lays just on the other side of the ridge north of here, maybe an hour walk at best." She spoke with a unhindered smile, a sense of balance having settled across her soul since her form returned. "But if you decide to take it, I think I will stay here a few more days and leave this chapter of my life behind me on a good note thanks to your aid, even if you feel it isn't deserved, my friend." With that said, Kari took another bite and grabbed the flask of water laying near her thigh. ((I've never really described Tori's ship or named it, so have at it.))

Kari smiled. She hadn't forgotten her promise, and with a nod, she answered his question without a word as her canine cuspids tore a fresh piece of meat from her own stick, her gaze staring out into the vast void above them. Shili had always held a semblance to her state of mind when it came to her thoughts and plans, letting nature take its course and guide her to where she was meant to be. But now, back in her own skin, she silently questioned its symbolism. Scrunching her toes in the dirty beneath her feet, she pondered his question. "I honestly haven't really thought about it in truth. With Tori's programming of Ghost and her plans here, I figured it would end here." Kari began to speak as she swallowed her bite, her gaze focusing upon the sky. "But given what happened here, and the wound I produced during birth, I'm wondering if there are other places disturbed by me." Kari let her words linger. Tori's ritual here to bring her back had started this all, but Kari had visited many places during her second life and it stood to reason places that held significant attachments to her could have also been effected, which made her mind wander to Gala, the place where her mind literally broke during her confrontation with Faust. Or perhaps her tutelage as a youngling on Haruun Kal. Both could very well have remnants of the wound that she was. Perhaps not as strong as Shili, if at all, but it wouldn't hurt to investigate. Her gaze shifted back to Ban. "I was raised at Haruun Kal as a Youngling after the death of Angela." Kari spoke, taking a sip of water to moisten the dryness of her mouth. "But Gala was where my guidance under Faust boiled over and I lost myself. Either would make a good place to start investigating, if you're still willing to aid me farther." Kari was leaving the choice up to him if he did intend to aid her a little more.

When Ban began to stir, Kari was gazing up toward the stars, a serene gaze glazing over her eyes as she sighed and looked over toward him. It was true. She felt complete again, whole, no longer an abomination condemned due to her sister's actions. So when she smiled, handing him some meat that had been broiled over the fire, it was genuine. She may have not fully understood why she still lived or how her true form had been restored, but here in this moment, none of it matter. "I'm better. Thanks for asking." Kari replied to his question, an awkward uneasiness briefly settling over her at what he saw. "I apologize for everything that happened. I didn't know that Ventr... Tori held such power, nor of her plans down there. I should have know the dangers ahead of us when I led you here." Yet, despite her forward apology and the sincerity behind it, a part of the Togruta was happy that he had been there. For if he hadn't, she could have lost herself eternally, being reborn as many times as Tori planned until it was finally gotten right, countless souls lost to her sacrifices. But now, everything had returned to it's natural order and her homeworld had found its balance again. And for that, she was forever grateful.

Kari wept, knowing that in Tori's darkened heart, that her family was eternally lost. Tori had corrupted their souls, twisted them into darkness, and because of that, they were lost to its chaos. This broke Kari's heart more than anything. But Tori had chosen this path, walked it with absolute disregard, and because of it, she condemned them, and Kari only survived by allowing them to their fate. Such was the the price they had to pay to the natural order of the Force. But why was she spared? Kari had been willing to pay the price herself even though, like her mother, Kari did not ask for Tori or Angela to make such travesties in her name. So why did she still live and breath? This puzzled Kari in ways that even she could not comprehend. Wiping the tears from her eyes, feeling a brief hand upon her shoulder before it disappeared with Ban's fate into unconsciousness, Kari looked back with a chuckle at his snoring form. He didn't even know her, and yet, her fought for her when she was all but lost in her memories. Truly, there were good people out there in the Galaxy, and it gave her the feeling of hope like none had ever had before. Rising, she shook a little bit with trembles as she got used to her new form, or rather, her original one. But she managed and was soon sitting at the small pool at the cavern's center, looking at the moon filled sky reflecting in the water as much as her own, not having seen this face in many years, almost seventy in fact. Taking her hands, she palmed some of its water out and drank, feeling it's cool touch flow down her parched throat, it being a weird feeling to be alive in her own form again, even her tastebuds different. And when she was done with the moment, and her confusion passed, she gathered her things including her sister's momento, the Sith Mask Ventra had worn for years before she walked over and stood over Ban with a smile. When Ban had regained himself, and awoke from his deep sleep, he would find himself and Kari back out on the plains, Kari enjoying tastes from her homeworld through her own form around a small lit campfire, the smell of roasting flesh seared on a small metal rod. If he had any questions, Kari would gladly answer. After what he had done, he deserved them. Or he could enjoy her cooking, a treat in an attempt to repay a debt she felt she owed. But until he did awake, Kari sat in silence, taking in the moment and pondering on why and how she survived.

Kari could feel Tori's power coursing through her soul, through Angela's soul, through all of their souls. Through Tori, they had all became connected, and in that moment, Kari held a revelation of clarity. She could see everything, from Angela's intent and broken heart, to Lynn's own pain and regret for what she had done, and even Tori's own hate filled and misguided deeds to resurrect and restore the family she had always believe should have existed. Fueled by the moonlight upon the nexus, and their souls hovering above their forms, Kari felt and knew all as Tori began her final preparations. With a humbled sigh, Kari closed her eyes. Tori may have knew how to wield the power of the nexus, the darkness created by the wound fueling it farther in its despair. But Kari could see the truth behind the wound as clearly as if she had created it and understood her role as her mind melded with each. "Róa Storminn" Kari's voice spoke as her form stood up against Tori's pull. "Láttu náttúruna eins og hún var." Her voice echoing of the language of Tori's knowledge as Kari used the wound created by her birth to counteract her sister's own. There was no more hate, no more pain, nor pity or endearment with her ghostly gaze as Kari gazed upon her sister. Only the gaze of neutrality, of knowing the natural balance and the way things should be stared back at Tori through Kari's eyes and in that moment, Tori knew. Tori released her grip upon the otherworld, turning her plight one last time upon her sister in a last ditched effort to bring her dream to fruition. But it was in that moment that Tori sealed her fate, Kari not even activating her blade in retaliation as Tori's red blade found the Tonfa's guards deflecting her kinetic attacks as Kari stood there. Slowly the nexus began to grow unstable, the price of the darkness fueling it no longer capable of feeding off Kari's emotions, and turned its attention to the only darkness that remained to sustain it. And though understanding filled her heart, Kari still wept as the nexus began to attack her sister, using the very same methods Tori had used against Kari as it prayed upon Tori's own. Visions of Tori's life began playing upon the mist, from her fall after Kari's death in search of a means to restore her sister, to her delving deeper when Kari killed Angela, to here and now as Tori viewed Kari's act of betrayal. And in her final moments of despair, Tori's final attempt to reach out to feel her sister's touch one last time as Lynn and Angela's forms lept to devour what remained of her darkened soul as the nexus claimed her as it's own, sending a wave of energy that resounded in all directions and leveling even Kari and closing the wound that once resided within it. Darkness claimed all as the moon above eclipsed, and when Kari stood up, igniting her blade to see, she stood in disbelief. Kari knew that when Tori fell to the darkness of the Nexus, her own fate would be sealed with the destruction of the form she had been imprisoned within, effectively sealing the wound as well. But as the indigo hue enlightened the area, she found her own form whole, flesh and bone once again after nearly a century in rot, her organs functioning as she could feel her heart beat and her lungs breath as she gazed to where her family was last seen, only dust and cloth remaining. Walking up to the pile of dust and cloth, Kari dropped her Tonfas to the ground and hit her knees in tears, the only sounds echoing throughout the cavern were drops of water and her wails as she finally let herself weep. ((Shout out to @Ban Ulfson for this amazing development as well as the idea behind this final post to end Tori's reign of terror upon her sister. Finally, after a decade, this chapter of Kari's life has closed.))

Nature... At its primordial core, Nature was beastial, wild and untamed, neither dark nor light, balanced and intertwined by life and death. And Kari was stuck between both, neither dead nor alive, neither light nor dark, beastial, driven only by her primordial nature as her gaze found its self fixated upon Tori and the crimes she had committed both against their family, herself, and the Nexus which fed them. The Force had weighed her heart and found her severely wanting, Kari's soul there to collect Tori's toll after finally being freed from the prison Tori now inhabited. And yet Ban defended Tori, Kari's glowing gaze shifting from her sister's toward his own with a beastial snarl. She had corrupted the Force, twisted its currents and bound her soul in such an unnatural way that it wounded the Force its self and left it bleeding. And he defended this? Kari's soul could not believe this. Tori had to be punished. The natural order demanded it, entrusting her with the price Tori would pay for such heresy. Even as the indigo and crimson blades scrapped against each other in the struggle of the two Togrutas, Kari's focus solely fell upon Ban in this moment of disbelief. And it was because of this, that Tori managed to land a blow that sent Kari sliding backwards into a stooping slide as she grasped at the hole where her ribs once were. Kari snarled again, standing and flipping toward Tori with a solid kick from her position as the blades struck and intertwined on multiple occasions, Kari's plight relentless as she turned a deaf ear to Ban's words. Blow after blow would land, sparks erupting about like the celebration of Yavin's Day, when the Rebel Alliance managed to defeat the Empire nearly two centuries before, as Kari vowed to finish Tori here and now, her crimes unforgivable and knowing she would never stop no matter how many times she chose to overlook her out of love. And once Tori had met her end, Kari, finally, could be granted the peace she so desperately desired and return to the Force and its eternal embrace. It had to be done. There was no other way. To close this wound, to restore the balance of nature here, Tori had to answer. And despite Tori's attempt to defend herself and stave off her sister, Kari proved to be the better as with a final swing, cleave off her left arm and leg, leaving Tori at Kari's mercy. And in that moment, Kari would not give her any. "Kari, stop!" Angela cried out just as Kari brought her blade up for the final blow. "She did this for you, for us. Mother always blamed us for his actions, blamed us for her misery. Don't you remember?" Kari lowered her blade and deactivated it upon hearing her sister's voice, feeling the true presence of the youngest sibling within the corpse behind her, feeling her grasp at her legs. "I am as guilty as she is, both of us choosing to give our family a second chance. It was a part of my soul that was used in the ritual, a part I gave gladly so that we would be whole again." Angela's hands grabbed even tighter as she ached to climb Kari's form just to reach her face. "We didn't anticipate what it would do to me, so if she is to blame, then so am I." Kari bent down, falling to both knees as her hands cupped Angela's face as Kari's soul began to ache knowing this. They should have known better, they should have left well enough alone, Tori especially because Angela could not touch the Force like she and Kari could. There were some things even the Sith knew better than to delve into, equivalent exchange being too heavy a price for anyone to pay, and this cost Angela a part of her own soul, the part that was capable of love and endearment. It was all beginning to make sense now, and in that brief moment, Kari wanted to forgive. "Angela" Kari cried out, embracing her sister for the first time since she slew her so many years ago, the shimmering of Kari's soul illuminating outside the leathered form of her true corpse as tears flowed from her face. And in that brief moment, Kari turned to reach for Tori too, only to see her sister laying there at her feet as the moon encompassed Kari's form near the pool. "Tori? Nooooooo!" "Vekjið móður og endurfæðist á ný og látum okkur endurfæðast í gegnum ykkur." Spoke Tori as she grasped at their souls, the wound behind them ebbing by the moon's flow. "Láttu vilja minn ganga í gegnum sálir okkar." ((5)) Great spar.... I've really enjoyed this despite the fact that this turned really more into a plot than a spar. @Delta73 @Fieldgrey

Tori chuckled vigorously at the sight of Ban's own torment, the visual plagues of her sister's pain playing upon his own amplified by her own justification. As the two corpses retained their assualt, Tori simply watched and waited, pulling on the power of the wound, focusing her energy on what would come next. The sun had set and by now the moon began to pierce the tomb's veil, its light illuminating the mist and Kari's memories just as they began to foretell the rest. The mist began to grow even thicker, the illuminated scenes playing next the realization of Kari's past the first time, the young Togruta standing over the fallen form of Angela, a spitting image of Lynn. And then it spanned across Ventra's own as she wiped cleaned her sisters memory yet again and dropped her off at Haruun Kal as an orphan to the Jedi Order. Yet, something happened that Ventra had not planned on, the arrival of Vladimir Faust portraying himself as the Jedi Lusef Aryan, causing the Sith Master to come out of the shadows of her sister's life and be reintroduced. As the scenes of Kari's training under him began to unfold, hidden in the mist, a figure began to stir after nearly over a half a century, its brittle form leathered by it's time within the catacombs. Lifeless, it rose from its tomb, the sounds of scratching and clanking as its bones climb upright, causing even Tori to glance in its direction in wonderment just as her form stiffened in its ensnare as the mist only grew thicker. And from the shadows a raspy voice echoed.... "Seek" Tori's form floated stiffly into the air, horror filling her gaze as a flesh less hand erupted from the mist that surrounded it, causing both Angela and Lynn's forms to halt their attack on Ban and become stationary, the heavy breathing within the mist as grizzly as a beast, the power coming from it even stronger than Tori. "The" The voice from beyond snarled as Tori's form flew across the catacomb's entrance and landed with a hard thud, knocking the wind out of her as the moon's light began to pierce the thick mist surrounding the lifeless form and reveal a third Togruta in skeletal form, its eyes glowing with knowledge and rage as it stepped forward into the light. "Truth" It yelled as its hands out stretched to reclaim the tonfas that once belonged to it, igniting them upon reception as its gaze fell upon Tori. And amongst the mist, only a singular memory remained playing. It was Ban's voice echoing in the backdrop of Gala, intertwined with the memory of Aryian's own voice reaching out with the same words. And with that, Kari pulled upon the Force around her, her blades slicing Lynn and Angela down a second time as she charged toward Tori, the wound in the background crackling with kinetic energy. As Kari's blades met Tori's, sparks erupting with dramatic flare as they intertwined each other's ensnare, Kari's true face reached out to Tori's. "Die." ((4))

"Look at them Kari...see them, remember who they were" Came across as whispers to Kari as she was bound within her own consciousness, there to be heard, but not loud enough to drown out the hauntings of her own mine and noticed. For Kari was reliving her own past lives continuously, without Tori's compassion nor remorse, the Sith Master determined to hold her sister off just long enough to complete the ritual. For once the moon rose center, it's light falling upon the pool, the wound would empower Tori's spirit to rip Kari from her form and replace it with Lynn, memories made to grant a better life for the three that would grow within it's womb. All Kari could do was lay within the darkened pool, watching the memories of her past unfold, feeling the emotions within tear at her heart. She could still see and touch the face of her first Master, the stubbles upon his human face as he smiled at her, her love for him tugging at her as it shifted to her last memory of him, the report of his death splitting her heart in two, her new Master's hands more wandering than what was formal as she cried. Then she witnessed his attack on her, his jealousy, his greed, his lust as he took from her what he prized most. and then the darkness that followed, the empty void of her death and the peace that she found within it. As the battle ensued outside her mind, Tori's fogs of war left an enlightening view of Kari's mind and visions playing all around them, their point to distract him. He could see Kari's painful past being played out amidst the encircling fog as his attackers continued relentlessly, unhindered by mortal restraints and empowered by Tori and the wound. and all Tori could do was smile, her attempt at prolonging the inevitable becoming apparent as a success, the last rays of the sun disappearing behind the mountains and the cave growing dim and dark outside the illuminations of the sabers and mist. There was one fatal flaw in what she was showing, even as the ritual that led to Kari's rebirth began to play... Next came Kari's rebirth, the cries and wails of the infants soul drowning out as Tori snuffed the child's soul as she called upon that of her sister's within this very cave on a night just like tonight, the full optical of the scope a rare and draining task. And then the twisting of the spirit's memories and suppressing the power that it held so that it wouldn't destroy it's creation as it was placed within the soulless form. and in a brief moment, the screams and cries return as Kari had been reborn, the tear apparent within the Force cracking as it did so. And as Kari grew, raised by her youngest sister until her death played out, it became ever apparent Tori's one fatal flaw, the wound growing as Kari's life grew harder and harder, just as her first life did. "Kari...seek the truth." The wound was not created by Tori when she rebirthed her sister. The wound it's self was Kari's own soul, and it's attachment to the place where it was reborn. Only here, in this place, would the pieces of the puzzle be put into place, and something even Faust had overlooked while here nearly a decade ago just before Kari went nuclear, the power this wound provided from two lifetimes converged into one place. Kari was the abomination, the wound upon the Force. and only she could close it. ((3))

The memories within Kari's mind kept her locked away, flashes of Lusef's face haunting her relentlessly as she struggled within. Their chance meeting on Haruun Kal where Kari had been raised as a Jedi Padawan after the death of Angela, her training under him on Tatooine where she was far removed from the Order for his nefarious motives, and Gala, where he revealed to her the hidden truth of her existence and of his purpose. Over and over again, the events that broke her played at her, plaguing her mind and her heart. Slowly she began to feel faint, as if a part of her simply wanted to fade away, her existence removed and her soul finding peace in the abyss, her vision clouding as she began to close her eyes. But then.... "Kari, I know you can hear me, listen to my voice. You can fight this. You must fight this." Her gaze shot open as she screamed with all of her might, the Togruta within began to fight again against her sister, her oppressor. For too long had Tori held sway against Kari, the sister bond that bound them deeper than most could ever understand. But now Kari began to use that to her advantage. Even as the memories began to hasten their onslaught, Kari blocked them from her mind, focusing solely upon the voice she heard echo in the darkness, her hands stretched out in an attempt to reach for it. On the outside though, Ban would see a different view. As soon as he spoke his words, Ventra stretched out her arm and grasped at his throat, the elongated invisible tentacle attempting to wrap its form around the intruder's neck as she hissed in her displeasure at him. "I told you to stay out of this Kosai. Know your place or else..." Yet, before she could finish her expressions of disdain, her body rocked, her gaze looking in sheer unknowing as Kari's fight within began, Ventra grasping at their shared mind and the two voices screaming in unison as her hands reached up in agony. Her form began to contort, and her exposed skin seemed to crawl as if something underneath was attempting to get out just as the two souls both began to illuminate the battle within. For Ban, all he would see is the contorted souls both seeking inhabitance, only distinguished by their true visages and the body simply stood in deathly stillness, the visages of Kari and Tori nearly impossible to tell apart save for the auras they emitted and both different from the body they possessed. For for Tori and Kari, the playground was quite different on a plane where time stood at a standstill, incapable of moving within the empty abyss they dwelled in, floating upon the currents that breathed life into them. "Leave me Tori." Kari pleaded with her sister, tears within streaming down her face from both what Tori had done to Kari as well as the loving bond she still held for the Sith Master despite of it. "I will not ask again." "I will not dear sister." Tori replied, a smirk across her face as she laid their afloat. "Our family deserves this, a chance to be reborn, a chance to redefine their lives. And you were created for this very purpose. I will not let this chance escape us." "This is not natural, Tori. This is an abomination of the Force, perverse and unnatural." Kari replied, her gaze shifting to meet the mirrored version of her sister's. "Nothing good will come it. Trust me. I would know." "So you condemn us, Kari? Tori questioned, her own gaze meeting Kari's in return. "To let the lives that me, Angela, and Mother be the only chance we recieve?" "The only one condemned is me." Kari spoke, a smile adorning her face despite the tears still flowing down her face. "When I die and leave this body, there will not be no afterlife for me. I have made my peace with this." "Foolish sister. I won't let my life be for nothing." Tori spoke with fierce rage as foam flew from her carnivorous cuspids and lips. "I will finish what I started! Before Kari could react, Ventra had regained control of the body once more, and this time locked Kari even deeper into her own mind with memories of her lives flashing before her eyes. Kari would know all of her pain, unbridled and without remorse on Tori's part as she severed the sisterly bond they shared and took complete control. And in that moment, a mere millisecond since their departure into their shared mind, Kari's visage all but disappeared as Ventras returned, her glare at Ban fueled with rage. "You were warned." Ventras began to wail her arms in oddly motioned circles, sweeping her feet around in an almost rythmatic dance as she began her chant, the three blades around her encircling her in an unsettling stillness with their points pointed down. "Stig op og blive talt. Søg din hævn og ved, at det er herlighed." She chanted over and over, her gaze never leaving Ban until she finally stood erect as the blades drove themselves into the ground before falling upon the floor deactivated. And in that moment, ghoulish groans filled the cavern as Lynn and Angela stood upon their feet once more, their hollowed eyes matching Ventra's own as all three stared upon Ban. Without warning, Lynn and Angela attacked. But unlike before, their forms were more limber and agile, encased in glowing auras that would negate any energy that attempted to strike them. And at the rear stood Ventra, her cold gaze and focus poised solely upon the action unfolding before her. It was nearly time, as the sun was beginning to set and the moon was full tonight. Just like it was that very night years ago. ((2))

Sparks flew and rocks grew slithers of molten as Kari's attacks became unrelenting, the devilish display of her study under Faust apparent. As a Practioner of Form VI, the duel bladed variant known as Jar'Kai, Kari was well versed in keeping her opponent on the defensive, rarely yielding enough leeway for the tables to turn. Tori knew this, and it had played to her advantage. But for Kari, all she could feel was her blood boiling at the sight of her former Master. Again and again she strove to disarm and dismember him before her, the Mask adorning her face whispering the melodies of sweet revenge as it fueled her intent. Little could she nor Ban have guessed the true intent and purpose of the Mask as they two danced about the caverns. The two were seemingly deadlocked in both skill and power, both knowledgeable of the Force, but capable duelests as well. Kari could almost immediately foresee every strike and blow before it came, the young Togruta's ability in the Fighting Sight developed by the Aiing Ti aiding her as the clash of blue and purple lit up what remained in the darkened corners of the cavern. And all Tori could do was remain bent over, her smile hidden beyond the shadows that draped her face until finally, Ban managed to provide space between them. It was in that moment that Ban's voice managed to reach over the whispers in Kari' mind, and for a brief second, revealed the face of her opponent beyond the smoke screen causing Kari to grasp at the Mask that was bound to her face, unsure of what was real and what wasn't. A glare from Tori fell upon Ban, and before Kari could manage to free herself from its binding, Kari's form became constricted as it was lifted into the air, Tori's hand extended. "Tsk, Tsk." Tori spoke, her hand gripping Kari's form so tightly that the flesh began to peel and fall. "You should have played your part Kosai. Now I have no other choice." As Tori's form fell limp and upon the ground behind Kari, the mist grew thicker as it began to swirl swiftly around the levitated Togruta before it became confined beneath the Mask, Kari's memories of Faust locking her away in her own hate filled mind, releasing her suspended form to fall upon the ground where it remained briefly. Ban would be able to hear Kari's screams though they were not verbally expressed, sounds of pain and terror escaping upon the ripples of the force as Tori took possession of the body. "You may be stronger here, but I am limitless." Tori and Kari's voices spoke in unison as Kari's form came to stand, the Togruta in control stretching the form to her control. "I will have this body. My family will be reborn." Kari's tonfas, as well as the red blade clipped upon Tori's demented and soulless form came to hover around her, encircling the witch slowly at first as she adjusted to Kari's body, but grew faster. With a smile, Tori reached out Kari's hand and sent one flying his way, striking at his blades before another soon followed as the other returned. Kari may have been proficient in using Jar'Kai, but Tori was never one for close quarters combat. And because of this, she was highly skilled in Telekinetic Combat, leaving her free hand open to gather the Force within its statically charged palm, and releasing the hate filled electrical current it ignited. ((1))

The chamber doors began to creak as they slowly parted, a crepid old form draped in dark garments slowly pacing out of the inner catacombs, her face hidden by the cloak's hood. But there was no mistaking the montrols and lekku that it covered, nor the presence that emanated from it. Almost beastial, Kari's snarled at the form, her carnivorous cuspids exposed as she spoke. "Ventras" "Greetings Dear Sister." She spoke as she lifted her face to greet her gaze. She chuckled, and poised Kari a question. "Why do you still despise me so after everything I've done for you?" Kari's eyes lit with fire at Tori's words, as if capable of lighting her sister ablaze with hate filled intent. Spinning her tonfas within the palm of her hands, Kari gazed upon the decaying flesh that shown under the light from above, not nearly as rotted as Lynn's and Angela's, but just as sickening for Kari to see, and just as sickening as the hate she felt swelling in her heart for the former Sith Master. Tears still plagued her eyes, but her gaze remained void, fueled by the rising darkness within her heart as she stood there, a statue of her own making. "You're unnatural, an abomination. You should have stayed dead after Lusef..." Kari's voice stopped mid sentence, realizing she still called him that despite it being a false name he chose to bare, something they both knew all too well "When Faust slew you." "Death isn't permanent, sweet Kari." Tori spoke in return, taking the seat by the pond where Lynn and Angela had resided, a devilish grin crossing her face. "You of all people should know this. After all, your form now, your new life, is a product of my work. I made you dear sister, brought you back to life after it was ended so abruptly, gave you a second chance. That is the love of a sister, is it not?" "You call what you did love?" Kari's voice spat back at her sister, spit spewing as her words escaped her hate filled mouth. "You stole the life of an innocent infant, and replaced its soul with my own, brought back from where it should have remained. And because of it, Angela suffered the same affliction that mother did, hating me for my existence and me not knowing why." "Yes, yes. And then you killed her when she snapped and tried to take your life." Tori spoke, her words irritated and emphasized with the shooing motions of her hands. "I thought our dear baby sister stronger than that, but that was a miscalculated consequence of our mother's abuse." Tori stood up and made a cautious approach to Kari. "But that won't happen again. This time I can make it right. This time we can all begin anew. And we can use this body of yours to do it. All I'd have to do is erase the memories of Mother's attack and replace them with memories of love." "No Tori. No." Kari pulled away, causing Tori to flinch back as well, Kari staring at her sister with almost horror now at such a suggestion. "How could you even think that? How could you think that I would even begin to consider letting you destroy more lives than the ones you already have? I have to live in this body until I die, a body not of my own, stolen from a soul that will never know the joys of life." As Kari began to back away, a vague mist began to creep into the cavern and surround them, not limiting sight, but eerily creeping in around them from the catacombs below and empowered by the wound that resided before them. But Kari could not see this beyond the scope of her own disgust. All she could see was her sister and the foul creature she had become. To Kari, she was pitiful, pathetic, downright sickening. And her intent was to cause more of the same pain that she had inflicted upon Kari through this life and into then next not only to her, but to her sister and mother? Kari could no longer stand to see Tori like this. She had to be put to rest, here and now. Walking toward Tori now, she raised her blade out to her side, intent to strike Tori down when Tori screamed, causing Kari to stop. "Kari, look out, behind you. Tori screamed in horror, her form bent down to one knee with a look of fear that even caused Kari to pause, the skin of her form catching a chill as she went to turn. "How is it even possible?" Kari questioned as she saw Faust behind her as she turned, those unmistakable blue eyes glaring back at her. "Quick. My mask. It will protect you. I can't have him kill you." Looking upon her former Master's gaze sent chills up Kari's spine, his sheepish grin glaring back at her with intent. She knew he was still alive. That was her reason for leaving Tython. But meeting him hear of all places? Perhaps he knew more of Tori's intent than she thought and came to end it once and for all. Kari looked down at the mask in her satchel, briefly contemplating letting him. But as she deactivated one of her tonfas and reached in to grab it, she knew she had no choice. Tori may be misguided, but she knew Faust as pure evil with malicious intent. If she didn't kill him here and now, there was no telling what he would do with the knowledge Tori held. Placing the Blade upon her face, Kari reactivated her blade and readied herself. Faust would die here and now, by her hand, and Tori would find the rest she needed for eternity. "Your mine finally Faust." Kari yelled, charging in with the feriosity of a wild beast, leaping into the air with the intent of her right hand dropping the first of her blades downward at his head. "Today the Galaxy is free of your reign." Her voice echoed as she fell downward into her strike. (5 post spar with predetermined outcome as agreed, no deaths, with Chris and Tim overseeing)

Kari could hear his words, feel his serene sincerity, and nodded in agreement. But as she took a step forward, the rotting carcasses of Angela and Lynn both stood, arms reaching out as they called upon Kari. Kari, frozen by fear and want, could do nothing as they made their approach, tears flowing from the Togruta's eyes even as they embraced her, the feel of their rotted flesh upon her skin sickening her and yet she still could not move. "Join us Kari." They spoke in unison, their voices like whispers upon the wind as they crossed the veil into the living world. "Come with us. Tori awaits us. We will be a family again." "No!" Kari shouted in disgust and anger, her shout reeling with the Force as it shoved her mother and sister backwards, her sobbing hindering her thoughts and her heart breaking as her gaze fell upon them. "You're dead. You're all dead. Please. Rest in peace." But despite her pleas, despite the begging she gave and the ache she longed for to return them to their graves, she couldn't, nor did they relent upon their calls to her and their reaches for her form. And all Kari could do was sob, one hand on her aching chest while the other grasped at her forehead. For most, this simple sight would be enough to drive them mad. But for Kari, it was worse. It was driving her to the point of wishing her own death just so she didn't have to choose. Despite what her mother and sister had done to her in life, they were family, and because of that, she loved them dearly, long forgiving them in her heart. "Come Kari. Step through the wound." Angela whispered into her ear, a subtle caress of Kari's montrol. Lynn leaned over, kissing Kari's forehead like a dutiful mother would, only causing Kari even more pain as she had ached for such a thing her entire life. "Let us join Tori on the other side, like Lusef intended." As Lynn spoke these words, a cold aura set upon the atmosphere around them, chilling the air nearly into crystals. Kari's sobbing quit, her form limber as her gaze lit with fire. The two rotting corpses squealed with unfelt pain as the twin indigo tonfas blazed to life through their forms before they slunk to the ground, seemingly lifeless once again. Her tone was void as she spoke, as was her emotions, as she stood there in her stillness, her gaze as lifeless as the two at her feet as it shifted past the wound and into the chamber beyond. "What did you say?"

For Kari, the crevasse was familiar and full. But for Ban, it would likely be a dark and dank cave littered with bugs, humidity, molds, and algae. Basically any old cave he would trek through. But this passage had been trek more times than could be counted by Kari's people, a holy and sacred place where they buried their dead with hopes that their souls would rejoin the Force that gives life to all. But as they grew closer to the cavern within, an unnatural aura would begin to surround them and attempt to persuade them. Kari walked with slight fear in her heart, and it seemed to grow as their trek drew them closer. However, it wasn't the aura that Kari seemed to notice, but it was something darker that laid deeper within, a power not of this world. Some would call it a scar, others would call it a wound. But the tear in reality that laid at the entrance only spoke of the unnatural feeling that Kari had spoken of earlier, something that her former Master was great at creating. But this wasn't a creation of Faust, at least not intentionally. No this held the presence of another, a presence very similar to that of Kari's own, only more sinister. Kari stops briefly, the echoing voices calling at her name in unison as they neared the cavern's entrance. At first, she seemed spooked by it, but in a brief second, a happier aura emerged from within her and she dashed toward it. "Mother? Angela?" She questioned as she darted ahead, tears flowing from her eyes leaving their imprints upon the stones that surrounded her in her dash. But what laid in the cavern wasnt possible, at least not in the natural order. For as Kari came into the opening of the large cavern, with it's natural display of light that reached in through the cavern's open ceiling, sat Angela and Kari's mothers rotted forms upon the pool of water that collected the rain. Kari gasped and screamed. "No Tori. What have you done?" It seemed Tori wasn't just a Master of Illusions.

"Darkness and Light are but two sides of the same coin, existing within the nature of every living creature. It's as much a part of the Force as it is with you and I." Kari spoke, her gaze fixated upon the mountainous range and the caverns that ran below it, the catacombs where her people had buried their dead for millennia upon millennia. However, it was severely evident that what she felt was against the laws of the natural order, the Togruta curling and expanding her toes in a repetitive fashion. "I cannot put in words the unnatural aura that I feel, only that I feel it, cold and crepid as it may be." Kari shifted her gaze back to Ban, a look of hesitation and subtle fear in her eyes. "It is familiar, yet unknown. And it calls to me, asking me to come to the Catacombs. I won't deny that it scares me, Ban, a sense of fear that I have never felt before in either life I have lived." Yet despite the fear and unease that Kari felt, both she and Ban knew it was going to lead them straight down the rabbit hole so to speak, and while they still could turn around right now and leave, it would plague Kari worse than even her past two lives ever could. As Ban was left to briefly ponder on her words and what emanated from within, Kari's gazed shifted back toward the Catacombs, small bumps rising up upon her soft orange skin as her emotional state made her vulnerable to the fear she felt. Perhaps she wasn't ready to truly face what laid ahead of her, but she still had to tread forward even if Ban chose not to follow. But if he did, perhaps because he was there, she might just overcome it. Perhaps this was why the Force brought the two together. "I am going in." Kari spoke without looking back, her fists clenched despite the trembling that engulfed them. "Prepare yourself if you follow, and remember my words of Ventras. She is a Master of Illusion and Manipulation. There is no telling what traps lay ahead of us." And with that, Kari began her trek down a long winding crevasse behind the hut that delved into the mountain's side and led to a large cavern just inside it. It was there that the entrance to catacombs would be found, and at its heart, the nexus.

Kari smiled almost gleefully as her gaze shifted around, spreading her arms out as if she almost wanted to yell the thumping she felt in her chest as she stretched out her small toes in the sand that had risen from their landing. Just ahead of them was a small mountain range with a hut at its foot, the grass nearly as they were surrounding their sides and rear. Kari simply pointed in the direction of the small hut which mirrored in the distance just barely upon the horizon. Her worda escaped with both excitement as well as dread, perplexing as she uttered them. "We're home." On the outside, Kari mimicked a small girl returning home after a long trip that took her across many worlds, lapping up the smells, taste, and sight of home. But on the inside, there was hesitation, gloom, and weariness, like someone who returned to a darkened manor full of horror and spirits of the past. And in truth, it was both for her. Motioning Ban to follow, Kari slowly made the half hour walk to the hut. The hut sat in shambles when they arrived, much like it did when Kari and Faust came nearly a decade ago. As she approached the door to turn its handle, Ban could easily see her unwillingness. But despite this, she turned the knob and the door opened. The abandoned hut upon entry, sat a room to the left that held memoirs of Kari's past, mostly dusted pictures of Angela and what appeared to be their mother, none of them containing Kari or Tori and both standing alone. Kari's gaze barely adverted to it as she moved deeper inside, a room to the right past the living area that had been left untouched for nearly a century aside from the single impression that was left by Kari's former Master, his own dusted over since. And in the back stood a door with a lock dangling open, Kari's gaze fixated upon it. She stood before the door for what felt like hours, her breathing labored by the emotions she fought to withhold, tears still managing to fall before she finally reached her hand out to open it and reveal its dungeon. Like the other two rooms, it was dusted over as if it hadn't been touched in many years, the sun barely shining through the boarded windows. But what separated this one from the others was the cage within that replaced where a bed should have been. Bending down, Kari reached her hand out and slowly slid her fingers across its metallic frame before unlatching it and letting its door swing open before she stood back up and walked back outside. It was evident that a part of Kari did not want to be walking down memory lane, but there was also the part that knew it was a path she must walk if she was to figure out her sister's purpose. Outside in the fresh air, Kari was frantic in her pacing, running her fingers across her montrals and headdress before grasping at her mouth to fight back the tears. Kari may appear strong willed and full of purpose. But this place always held a deep emotional scar and imbalance within her, and it was noticeable. Taking deep breaths, Kari slowed her pace and looked off toward the mountains, distinctly the caverns that ran beneath it, the nexus within swirling with darkness that even the local fauna could feel. Turning to Ban, Kari questioned him, speaking for the first time, her voice slightly trembling with the emotions she was still fighting. "Do you feel it?" One could see why she had always worn boots, stifling her connection with both nature and her emotions that ran through her roots upon Shili. And in her barefooted state, the connection had returned with gusto, flooding her form with its entirety. But Kari felt the urge to feel it, to know it once again, and in return, become one with again. But this also posed a dangerous opposition for her, her hand tightly gripping the Sith Mask in secret through the lid of her satchel. "The nexus has grown unnatural."

The intricrate web of a woven dream was as mysterious as the concept of life, its knowledge sought by all, but understood by none, at least in a true sense. For Kari, it was but a distant memory, one of the few in a handful that she had managed to make, but for the outside world, it was anything but. As she laid there asleep within her bunk, a darkness began to stir about her like a misty fog, unclear and impenetrable. It rolled about her form like a bank, seeping from its origination in a trove of black cloud. Her form sat up, her hands removing the boots she generally wore to separate herself from the life she used to live, and when she stood, the flesh of bare feet stood against the cold flooring. Kari looked out across the horizon toward the setting sun, her feet dug into the sand and wiggling her toes as her gaze shifted toward Tori with a smile. The two were around fourteen or fifteen years of age and Tori smiled back toward Kari before the two shifted toward their Masters swimming just off shore. It was a time of peace and tranquility for the two, their life upon Shili but a distant memory save for their promise to return and free Angela from their mother's wicked grasp once they had finished their training and became full fledged Knights. But by now, Tori had begun to see the feelings in Kari's eyes change, her sight lost upon the older Knight that had taken her as his Padawan. Tori reached over with her exposed foot and caught Kari's calf, a serious look in her eyes as Kari turned in disbelief. "You know as well as I that it will never be Kari." Tori spoke with general concern for her beloved sister. "The Order barely approves of those who have no connection, let alone Master and Padawan." Kari's gaze turned toward the view of their Masters, a look of sadness rushing to her face as the wind blew against it. "I know Tori. I just can't help myself. He's kind, caring, sweet. He even rushed over to me last week when I fell from that blasted tree." Kari spoke, her hand running across the nearly healed broken ribs that laid beneath the field dressing around her waist. "Its not like he'll ever return it. He's nineteen and I'm his Padawan. And even if I wasn't, and stood as an equal, I doubt I will ever be more than a younger sister." Kari sighed, her hand secretly grasping a handful of sand out of Tori's view. "Its probably for the best." With that said Kari threw the handful across Tori's form, squealed, and sprinted off even in pain. The two dashed across the sands in playful manner that continued even into the night, through training and past dinner of which consisted of a local delicacy, and almost until bed time when the two laid out from exhaustion with pillows still hand. The two Masters outside chuckled, knowing the sisters had finally given up, causing both to smile as the final remnants of consciousness slipped away. But outside this delicate dream, Kari's form roamed the halls of her ship in a darkened daze. Her lifeless eyes hid behind the Mask of Ventras as the cloak of dark mist covered her form, seeping downward and into the air as it landed and swept outward upon the durasteel floors. From beneath the mask came an unsettling moan from beyond the veil, Ghost carefully following his Master with delicate and weary protection. Kari's eyes shot open when the klaxons blared upon their arrival, the Togruta Je'daii nearly leaping her feet as she gazed out the viewport of the cockpit toward Shili. Grabbing the controls, Kari quickly and out of instinct began running the numbers for reentry as the shields came up to protect against the searing heat, the mixture of blue and orange not your usual sight to awaken to. It wasnt until they had landed that Kari realized she was far from her bed and held no recollection of how she managed to get to the cockpit. "We're here Ban." Kari spoke after knocking on the door of his quarters, her gear strapped across her shoulder and hip. A few moments later she disembarked and as her feet touched the dirt of Shili, Kari realized that she was barefooted. Keeping this to herself, she wiggled her toes in the risen sand, felt its welcoming warmth as she turned to gaze toward Ban. "If you haven't been here before, let me be the first to welcome you to Shili."

"Could use a bit of sugar.. Kari jested with a laugh as she propped her own self against a nearby counter, taking a sip as both hands grasped the warm cup. "But in truth, most prefer it's natural taste with a dash of milk to overcome the bitterness. Unfortunately, I havent had very much time to restock my supplies." Kari's mind wandered back to Coruscant and the Mandalorian invasion, then the attack at Dark Sun station after, which she purposely avoided. She knew how the outcome would be, the ties between the Black Sun and Sith Empire laid thickly upon the loose tongues of the underworld. She sighed as she stood there staring out the viewport of the hall that led to the room she had placed Ban in. Her time to cross paths with the Sith was coming closer, but it still had a bit of time before it arrived. Some could describe it as a feeling similar to when one knows the time of their own death, but for Kari, it was more a sense of divination. "I suppose one could say that I was never a Jedi myself." Kari spoke, her gaze falling back upon Ban as he apologized for not faring her news well. "I was never one to follow the rules even in my former life, quick to temper and slow to rationalize my actions. It wasnt until my mind was nearly torn apart before I grew as a person, and even then, it still took nearly a decade to completely overcome it." Tossing the last bit of tea into her mouth as she threw her head back, Kari refilled both her and Ban's cups before setting the pot aside off the burner, the tea now having reached it's full saturation. "What doesn't kill me and all that. Kari took a few more sips, goosebumps rising across her form as she shivered from the full strength bitterness that the tea had brewed to become. It was an uncomfortable taste to be sure, but its calming and relaxing benefits were well worth it as the aura around her grew completely mellowed and the tension she held completely withdrew. It nearly mimicked the effects of alcohol, but at a lesser degree and didn't affect one's motor capacity or reaction time. "I cant exactly say that I understand your role in all this myself." Kari finally spoke, her gaze staring down the cup in thought. "But given our unusual meeting and the timing of Tori's message, I felt it best to invite you along and offer the compensation for such a job. In truth however, I feel better knowing that someone is here to have my back, even if only for the credits." After a few minutes of silence, Kari finished her second cup and looked toward Ban. "We should be arriving in just a few hours, so I suggest we get some rest. It'll likely be day break when we arrive and we don't want to be lagging." Kari chuckled, excusing herself toward her quarters. As she laid down in her bed, she took out Ventra's mask, her eyes tearing up both in sadness and in anger. She had moved on for the most part, but Tori was her sister, and knowing that only returned the pain. How her beloved sister could fall so far was still a mystery even to her. Grasping the mask tightly against her chest, Kari drifted off to sleep.

Kari chuckled at the forefront of of her pain, not realizing how the recount of her tale could throw someone off so well. To her, it was her life, known and lived. She never considered someone having any better than her own. After all, with the Sith, the Black Sun, slavery, murder, terrorism, war, and hatred having ran rampant throughout the Galaxy, tales such as hers seem to come dime a dozen. Some far less, but just grueling as the next. To know someone had lived a better life than her despite the odds stacked against them gave her a sense of enjoyment. It meant that there were still a semblance of balance left untouched. "You have nothing to apologize for." Kari spoke with a heartily smile as she activated Ghost who sprung back to life. Looking down upon her arms, gazing upon the Ashla and Bogan mural tattoos that adorned her arms, she again chuckled. "I suppose I do carry my life upon my sleeves more than most, but it is the life that made me. We would all do well to know each other's lives as such. Then perhaps we could truly understand one another better." Kari motioned Ban to follow her, originally intending to lead him to the beds he requested, but instead detoured into the a small kitchenette like area where she placed a pot of water on to boil and gathered some small herbs from a shelf to grind and add to the water when it began to percolate. Once it had, she added the leaves to it and gathered a couple of tin mugs as it sat there simmering. "Forgive me if my tale made you uncomfortable, but aside from preventing my never forgetting again, there was another reason I wished you to know it." Kari stirred the brew and poured it into the tin cups, handing one over to Ban as she blew upon her own to cool it before she took the first sip. "Where we are headed upon Shili is the crypt of my family. But it's also a small nexus within the Force. There's a chance you may see part of it just as Lucef did all those years ago." Kari carefully took a small sip of the bitter tea, feeling its calming effects flow over her as the warm water washed down her esophagus and hit the pit of her stomach, warming her chilled body up slightly. She never understood why, but hyperspace held an unnatural chill to it whenever she found herself traveling it. "But even if not, given the unknowing we're walking into thanks to my sister Tori, I felt it was best if you knew everything. Tori was a Master of Illusion and Deception, a Seductress among Seductors. She held a natural affinity to turn any situation into a benefit for her. So we need to be careful once we arrive. Once she was halfway through her cup, Kari pointed behind Ban. "Those are your quarters there, just down that hallway. Mine are just opposite. We've still got a few hours ahead of us until we reach Shili, so resting would be a good option if you need to. I, myself, plan on at least having one more cup before I turn in."