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Umbara

The Shadow World

 

 

Astrographical Information

Region: Expansion Region

Sector: Ghost Nebula

System: Umbara System

Moons: ---

Grid Coordinates: Q-10

 

Physical Information

Class: Terrestrial

Atmosphere: (Type 1 Breathable Oxygen Mix)

Primary Terrain: Thick Forestry, Hills, Jungles, Rolling landscapes with overgrown plant life

Fauna: Vixus, Banshee

Points of Interest:

 

// Umbaran Airbase

// Umbra, The Capital City

// The Dark Fortress

// Creekwater Coves (Assassin Trinity)

 

Societal Information

Indigenous Species: Umbaran

Immigrated Species: ---

Primary Language(s): Umbarese

Faction Affiliation: Sith Empire, Dark Lord Exodus

 

Defense Rating: (None, but points will be distributed from faction assets when configured)

[High] [Occupied World] [Heavily Militaristic]

 

// Millicreep Droids

// Umbaran Crawler Tanks (IATs)

// Umbaran Hover Tanks

// Umbaran Mobile Heavy Cannons (UMHC)

// Minefields

// (Ground Forces and Fleet Distribution TBD)

 

History:

 

 

// The Umbaran Fortress World; The Shadow World.

 

 

The shadow world of Umbara, after all these decades, was so beautifully removed from the rest of the worlds that were littered all over the black tapestries of space. This dangerously inhabited sphere was sacred to those who were one with the shadows, and became a weapon to those who called it home. To the outsiders, it appeared that a gross inflation of unease dressed the entire planet, and that this wasn't a place that you could just casually roam and survive. The planet saw years of relentless development and made use of the overwhelming resources at hand. This did not mean that they abused resource and starved these lands of life, quite the contrary. As it stood, this once cursed rock had now become an unparalleled fortress world teeming with life in abundance. They used their superior technologies to increase their ways of life and empower their planet to stand the test of time. The plants, the creatures, the people, they were all evolved to the brinks of their evolution with an ingredient of savagery in all their DNA.

 

The Capital was exhausted with industrial armour far and wide and in all places; sciences and automation that far exceeded most of the known worlds had adorned the tall skyscrapers and the framework of each building. These were an enlightened and intuitive people, the Umbarans, a people driven mad with their creations behind their particular solitude. The galactic standard of technology and invention was easily matched and more than likely surpassed in most cases by the kin of this world. Outsiders were too far removed to acknowledge the rapid growth and ascension of this hidden civilization. Dark Lord Exodus had invested a great deal of time and efforts into the people, and it carried forth into their ways of life. His presence was the force that commanded the ripening of Umbara and the people immediately understood the power of his name. There was a marvelous order-of-things buried in the chaotic swarm of the streets and air-ways of the Capital. Semblances of battalions and armed forces channeled through the nooks and crevices of the uncompromisingly active metropolis. Aircraft of all sizes flooded the upper atmosphere, whether enormous enough to blot out the distant horizon or small bevies of grey metal that hunted the skies like wolves for prey. Although trade was selective, their overall wealth of commerce streamlined through connections to underhanded markets as well as a fulfilling of bounties that the hunter guilds provided. Without a doubt though, this was a militaristic environment with the hunger of warmongering running through the blood of this planet.

 

Old description:

Umbara is a terrestrial sphere of sheer phantasmagoria within the reaches of the Ghost Nebula. It is home to the Umbarans, a race of pale near-humans. The shifts between its historic roles could be noted on countless events but becomes more mesmeric when it is learned that it was once under Sith control in 1,002 BBY, when the Brotherhood of Darkness operated a Sith academy on the world that specialized in the training of Sith Assassins. Many Umbarans served as spies for the Empire and offered their unique services in whatever manner that could be. The planet itself however has remained untouched with those hands of false justice and has remained in the bless of darkness. The Umbarans await their most valiant leader even now and prepare for the uprise of a new era.

 

Exodus gets first post.

 

 

((Summary compiled by Exodus. Thank you!))

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The monarch of madness has returned!

 

[Associate of the Illinois Mafia since March 2002.]

[2nd in Command of the Lords of Hate since March 2002.]

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  • Relinquishment. --

The anemic skies of Umbara parted and it's dark, sunless heavens split in twine. An ancient artifact, sleek and burnished to a haunting extent, pushed through the stratosphere with a savage vastness. It was a chariot of Darkness that was as black as midnight and dressed with a cobweb design of fluorescent green; undoubtedly, The Arachnid. The Star Destroyer amassed over the planet without a sound but loomed over it as if destruction could but the only reasoning behind its presence. Below, a series of reconnaissance ships appeared from the once uncharted lands and entered the peerless vessel; how long had these scout ships been here? It was too late now, the information was now delivered.

 

Rapid deployment troops expanded from the craft and an incredible breadth of smaller ships launched onto the massive stretch of land. It was reported that a developed capital was sighted with the indigenous people of this planet and that would be the initial vocal point of this entire scheme. Outside interference was a complication that these men would not have to bother themselves about as this planet was clandestine and eclipsed from the navigational systems of both Empire and Alliance regiments; a ghost planet thought to vanish from this galaxy long ago.

 

Construction would be difficult primarily, but once influence was spread towards the people of this nation, a lack of resources would be a thing of the past. The men sent to this planet were under the rule of a man well versed in the dark arts so even these mens were differentiated and specialized in various arts of their own. The multiple special task forces were soon evenly distributed to critical locations where they would begin the assimilation of these gifted aboriginals; there was no aggressive nature used surprisingly, but a most persuasive method that would guarantee success. As hours, days and time itself passed; this world came closer to fruition.

 

Day 002 | Militaristic Procedures

 

Clouds lined the sky as the sun rose overhead. Distant thunder cracked as Mother Nature did her earthly duties. It was a dreary morning, humid and wet, but a brave woman raced on. The muddy soil beneath her feet sloshed with every step. She had been running throughout the night and she needed to know how far she had run. With a quick thought her helmet flashed with information; fifteen miles from her last check point. She stopped, placed her hands to her hips to gather her breath, and then pulled the helmet from her head. The humid air quickly washed over her face, instantly causing her to sweat uncontrollably. She stood motionless in a wide open field, blankly gazing into the distance.

 

The woman had covered the full range of the plateau. She had climbed down the back side and ran all the way around it, and had finally arrived at the squad rendezvous point; the forgotten and forsaken Sith Academy. A quick calculation of her speed and distance, and comparing that to the squads slow pace, she figured that she arrived roughly a few hours ahead of them; and the estimated time of arrival was noon. She turned her attention to the cliff of the plateau, gazing up its incline to ensure that there was none who still drew breath near this abandoned sect of land.

 

A light mist of rain began to fall and the woman lifted her head into the sky. She unbuttoned the top of her light armor to let the cool water wash over her. She sat down in the field, rocked backwards and rested in the tall grass. The squad would show up in a few hours, and the project would continue, but for now she was able to have a moment; a rarity not given in these harsh times. She pulled out her flask, and took a shot from the intoxicants and frowned when she realized it was empty. She closed it and tossed the bottle to the side.

 

It was hard to believe that three weeks ago she was on the imperial home world, no purpose in life with talent laying to waste until Exodus had found her. The events of this year were weighing heavy on her mind, and nothing could wash it from her forethought. She recalled the events of that eventful day. Mercenaries, sloppy ones, lobbed a grenade into her position not with an intent to harm her but not caring if she got in the way neither. The grenade landed between 'him' and several civilians. She then watched as the dark robed man gripped the boiling ball of plasma, delayed its impact with sheer compression, and fed the violent device back between the teethes of those that sent it.

 

There was now purpose in her life, no more looting the leftovers of what the mercs would leave behind; there was reason. She opened her eyes as the rain began to pass, buttoned up her modified armor, and pulled on her helmet. Her clock read 1158 hours. A hiss of compression confirmed that her suit was sealed and she stood to her feet.

 

”œThis is Recon, does anybody copy?”

Edited by Guest

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  • 2 months later...

The shuttle roared alive, the sound of the turbine powerhouse consumed the silence and then rocketed into the heavens without further ado. On board, the men were focused on their own individual tasks which included an intensive sweep of impersonal machines that might think it useless to track them, the personnel immersed the vessel with aimless flash jumps across the universe before it would at last come upon a darker creation; a mammoth crust of lawless isolation, a planet that was in essence, undiscovered. The pilots spoke a code of words unfamiliar near common folk but it served as underhanded verbal communication in which few knew.

 

The span of time that it had taken them to arrive seemed to continue forever, but once the unlit world came into view, the men wheezed with bliss. Exodus had remained in his chambers amidst the entire excursion, but with such rest came the time for clear contemplation and an impressive cue of brainwork left to churn. It became obvious to those who were asleep or buried within their rooms that a new event was upon them as their destination had been reached at last. The shuttle rocked with impressive force as it cut down the atmosphere with sheer speed and bulleted towards an endless sea of uncultivated forests.

 

It became dreadful how close the ship pulled towards the mile risen wilderness, the trees itself exceeded the sizes of the most prosperous cities, each of them intertwined with vast cables of moss and other such vileness. It was a horrific marshland to behold. It was no sooner that the alarms and the buzz noises of intercoms became alive with fret; some knew how it had to be and the others chose not to accept it. The men who still carried with them the fear of death shook with unease, some even had the balls to whimper and shed tears on the ship of one who would cut down such childish behavior; their time would come.

 

It was now known to the crew upon this ship that there was but one means to access the subversive fortress hidden in and beneath the middle of this worldwide marshland, and this was it. The ship was first clipped as its left wing collided with a massive branch that compared equal in size with itself. The impact pushed the craft down heavier and with an added rotation against the powerful objects of nature; the craft dented, shattered and caught fire in most places but retained its approximate shape. The men within screamed and bounced off of the walls as some of their comrades lay impaled against their own weaponry or with their brain fragments plastered to the floors and walls where the heaviest of commodities were.

 

It was every man for themselves but nowhere to run; undeniably a frightening situation. The pulverized ship made last ditch efforts as it punched through the incredible thickness of another tree and slid into the depths of its oversized counterpart. It was amusing actually, the team, or what remained of it was now knee deep inside a hollowed out, extremely large, bug-infested chunk of bark. The lights of the ship sparked until it died, and there were no sounds to give evidence to existence or even a wounded being. An intrusion of horrid smell swept into the fractured ship and bombarded it with its putrid taste. All was still.

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Julio crawled from the wreckage, his room miraculously in one piece. He had sustained minor cuts and bruises from being thrown against the ships hull, but he could walk. He stood for a second and examined the ship. Totaled. Not even worth salvaging. He turned to try to figure out what what had brought the ship down only to find a forest of giant trees.

 

"I thought I left all the huge trees on Kashyyyk." He said to no one in particular. He looked around for anyone living, but couldn't find anyone. Something in the back of his mind told him to search north, so he complied, seldom questioning his instincts. He discovered the surviving crew in the hollowed log.

 

"Where is master Exodus?"

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The hollow timber was soiled rot; there wasn't even room to breathe. A few men stood confused, shaken and even hopeless without their fearless leader at their side to ease the suspense. Each of them battled to draw wind, their faces drenched with viscid sweat but their efforts halted all at once when the newcomer rose from the ashes unscarred and without a doubt, short of fret. However, their focus wasn't on the man per se, there was a shadow that haunted the darkness just behind Julio.

 

The mood froze and the question still tricked the mind of them all; where was Exodus? That shadow, it couldn't have been and it was impossible in all odds. That was of course not Exodus, but something much, much larger. An enormous insectoid surfaced from beneath the endless shadows and wrapped itself around the ship in one fluid motion. Its body was thick and massive in all meanings of the word, it's antennae at least tripled the size of each of the men here. A reflective sheen of oppressive moist stuck the moss scales that inhibited its body insectoid.

 

As it coiled its breadth over and across the ship, it squealed with a torturous scream in its obvious pain to do so. Nonetheless, the ship collapsed and fell to pieces in mere seconds. All was silent, and the beast understood its next victims; the four men who stood without certain direction as their only escape was a long climb to the unknown. There was little choice, but to defend themselves was their best bet even with the force of their conventional weapons completely crushed.

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Julio saw the men's faces when they saw the behemoth behind him. He remained still, only turning when he heard the ship's hull cry under the strength of the giant bug. He remained froze until the insect set it's sights on them once the ship was through. The men snapped from the mental strain of the crash, lack of leadership, and a giant ass bug coming straight for them. If something wasn't done soon, they'd be picked off one by one by the planet.

 

"To the trees!"

 

Julio broke his stance and ran to the nearest standing tree and began to climb. He began to tear at the bark and limbs, making a quick ascent up the thousands year old tree. It wasn't until he was twenty meters up the tree that he noticed the other men weren't as quick climbing as he was. One of the many things he learned growing up with wookiees was how to climb. Julio could only look helplessly as the other men tried to find a way out, really wishing he had a weapon right now.

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The condensation of the weather warmth began too thicken.

 

The malformed creature noticed at an instant an attempt to escape as one of the lesser men abandoned his pride and ran to salvage what was left of his life. The colossal vermin shifted its entire frame in confusion and then lashed out. The men below did not hesitate to assume appropriate reaction though; each of them dove in their own direction. The first of the three from Exodus' crew managed to reach out and lift an awfully jagged piece of wreckage from the ship ruins to make for defense. The next was a woman who removed from her belt, something akin to a tranquilizer dart; if nothing at all, she could at least numb certain sections of the harsh beast. She dove and fired a full round of eight into its mid-section. The last of the three was the most unfortunate as this man was between the path from the beast and the path from the man who tempted the creature with a chase.

 

The explosive critter dashed forward and shook the planet, it couldn't feel the wear and tear of the ruins against its mid-section from the additional scraps that left themselves all over the battlefield, and so it bled an intoxication of jaded red profusely. However, its quick movements ignored such trivial impediments and literally crushed the doomed man who stood in its path. Each and every bone in his skeleton grinded and shattered to nothingness; there were no screams, there was no time for pain.

 

Its path of destruction did not stop there however, and the multiplied adrenaline from the beast did not help the situation. It opened its mouth and that same notation of condensation aided an almost impossible vacuum of hot air in which the beast conjured as its mouth started to suck in. It was horrific; the amount of slime that clung to the thousands of small and refined teeth inside those jaws of death was enough to cause instant shock. No sooner did a vivacious ball of acidic properties regurgitate from the beast and shoot itself forward towards the tree in which Julio decided to hide within. The acidic sphere leeched onto the tree and melted away the strength of the bark in seconds; the tree moaned in pain and began to split into fractures as the tree started to cave in on itself. It would be a long way down”¦

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Julio watched in horror as the giant bug ripped through the wreckage and flattened a man. Only when the thing turned it's attention to him did Julio come back to reality and take refuge from the spray of whatever coming at him behind the trunk of the tree. He felt the tree start to give way and he looked for a way off. If it collapsed with him in it, he was gone.

 

Damn this thing. What the hell can I do? I don't have any weapons. No blaster is going to touch that thing. I'd need some sort of explosive.

 

He noticed what was left of the crew still had some equipment on them. Maybe they had a grenade? He looked around for a way off of the tree but found the only way was down. The tree shook, making him grab onto a branch for support. The branch snapped under his weight and reduced composure from the liquid the insect spewed on the tree. He found himself falling right over the insect.

 

With all the grace he could muster, Julio turned himself in mid fall, landing solid onto of the beast. Branch still in his hand, he began stabbing furiously at a soft place between it's plates.

 

"I NEED A GRENADE!"

 

((Yes, I know what I'm about to do seems stupid, but I really can't think of a way to kill this thing given I don't have any weapons at my disposal. If you want me to edit this, pm me before your next post. I'll be more than happy to rewrite this if you had some particular way you wanted this to go.))

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  • Lessons Learned ~

 

 

(The lesson here is what most of this board lacks; the ability to structure their posts around not what you do not have, but in fact, what surrounds the scene and what is given to you in that situation. With that, the lesson that comes hand in hand with that is the ability to role-play and interact with again, any given situation. No planning and no predetermined exits; just go with the flow.)

 

Time had a humorous, almost comical means of recurrence when life lessons such as these would present themselves. The fact of the matter was that in this moment, where a violent and established symbol of nature met a few premature individuals on a most callous panorama, somehow”” those individuals came out victorious. It is here where one realizes that the odds are never placed in favor of a certain mark or intention but rather, even one person has the ability to grasp those odds for themselves and alter their own fate.

 

--

 

The boorish plea for an explosive awakened the weakened hearts of his captives. Their adrenaline pulsed back into place as the crew watched Julio thrust a sizeable branch into the extremities of the insect with repeated force. The passion in his eyes; it stole their minds for the moment as each of them wondered what it was that compelled him so. At first, it was obvious that the instinct to live and survive was what drove him but there was without a doubt more to it. There was a power to his aura; the extent of it was impossible to critic but it was there.

 

The oily creature wailed and screeched as its own shell caved in on itself and became brutally punctured. It wrenched and spilled voluminous amounts of rank, mortifying blood smeared with rot from its wounds and oral cavity. The ground beneath the beast churned and kicked up dust with haste which made it hard to witness what would happen next. A hesitation came onto the sole member from the crew who had the last remnant of an explosive device on his self. He couldn't confirm the whereabouts of his teammates due to the restless and prehistoric earthly filth that now clouded the outlook but based on survival alone; he figured his life was more to his own worth and this was the way to ensure his continued existence. He bit on the grenade and tossed it into the squealing unknown.

 

(Excuse my shortlived absence once again, but it is summer after all. =P)

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Julio was getting one of those feelings again. That feeling that seemed to come from no where, urging him action. He pulled out the branch for one final stab. Every muscle moved to push the branch down, deep into the shell of the giant bug. The exoskeleton gave way, letting the branch find it's way to the ever precious organs. He finally heeded the unknown feeling and jumped off of the beast, grenade falling close behind him.

 

He landed with a thud as he leaned forward to ease the fall with a roll. The grenade flew over the beast, finally exploding on the side Julio had landed on. He felt a couple pieces of shrapnel graze his face and one impaling into his shoulder before he shielded for the rain of possibly acidic flying bits of bug flesh. The tree behind him gave him enough cover to avoid bathing in burning half liquid filth. He stood, noting the goo everywhere. A large portion of the insect's torso was missing.

 

Julio cracked his neck and felt for the shrapnel in his shoulder. It was bleeding, but not badly.

 

"We need to sew up my wound before anything else on this planet smells blood." He walked back over to what was left of the crew, dust settling.

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The bloodbath oozed through the atmosphere and cascaded down upon those who were deemed unqualified for the final victorious salute to the now collapsed and malformed creature of nature. One man however proved to be most unfortunate as coincidence struck him in the head; the crew member coward who released the impact of the grenade in a last ditch effort to preserve his own life had been corroded to death as the oily olive blend vacuumed forward from the point of impact and literally burned through his now useless corpse. The others would not mourn as it was not their place too; their objective was to recoup at the fortress by all means necessary. As the creature continued to burn in its own feces, the two remnant crew members assembled towards each other and then towards Julio himself.

 

”œ”¦I'll-I'll have that sewn up in no time.”

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Julio wasn't sure how he should feel. The man had given his life for them, but he felt no real remorse. He didn't feel anything. That is, except for the woman cleaning his wound. It certainly eased the pain, and the wound needed cleaned first, but that didn't dissuade questions from raising in him. The stitches were small and tight. He would would have to actively work at tearing them.

 

"Thank you." No real emotion was in his voice, but that didn't detract from the meaning of the words. She looked up at him. She was beautiful to say the least. Why was she part of the crew though? She obviously wasn't that handy in a fight. She was still shaken. His new eyes could see hers sparkling for a moment before he turned his attention away.

 

"Where was the shuttle headed? We need to make our way out of this area as soon as possible. More will come." He paused mid thought, turning his head to the darkness, almost seeing the other beasts looking at him. "They always do."

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Julio was only slightly shocked by the appearance of the three. He had expected someone to show up sooner of later, but he assumed it to be later. If Exodus had business on this planet, he would probably inform the inhabitants before landing to some degree. Either that, or they would have picked the ship coming in the atmosphere through standard sensors. It was only a matter of time before someone came to investigate where the ship had gone. Judging from their attire, these three also worked for Exodus. At first he followed silently before the sight of the mountain came into view. The establishment the ship had originally been going to would probably be there. He stood amazed at the mountain. He weariness ebbed away at the thought of some form of safety.

 

"I assume this would be our destination?" It was more of an observation more than a question. "Any word of Master Exodus? We couldn't find him around the wreckage."

 

((Sorry it took so long.))

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Son of Darkness

 

The title seemed so odd, beyond the literal implied darkness. But none the less they seemed fitting. The mantle rested well on Julio's shoulder's. The sight of the room was one of countless images he had recently seen that gave an equal sense of awe and fear. The power held within this hall would seem incomprehensible to most. To many, it would merely look like any other library, filled with volumes of text and images that were considered useless. But to Julio, it was this room of possibly infinite knowledge that would open up the galaxy.

 

The sight of countless, unmoving bodies didn't unnerve him as much as he expected. The thought of accepting this unnatural sight with such ease sent a shiver down his spine, though his face remained emotionless. These people understood the gift of knowledge as he did. And that's exactly what Exodus had given him. A gift. When the sheer magnitude of the room faded, the full extent of the conversation came to attention.

 

Exodus thought he had the ability to understand the volumes residing in the library. Not read, but truly comprehend the meaning behind the words. The ideas and philosophies established within the depths of the words. What set him apart from everyone else here? Julio looked around the room, his new eyes darting from person to person, picking up the subtle nuances of each personality. Though none had any real expression on their faces, he could se what separated himself from them. It wasn't his passion. If anything they shared his drive. They devoted themselves to an idea as good as any extremist. No, what they lacked was that spark. He wasn't sure exactly what the spark was, but he knew he had it and they didn't. This thought didn't really comfort him. If anything it unsettled him even more, made him feel out of place.

 

The task had been given to him to build a lightsaber. What an archaic weapon. From what he understood they were rather hard to build, and the plans for making them were a jealously guarded secret. They emitted rather bright light and often made you stand out from everyone else. Not at all ideal. But, if this task was requested for such a gratuitous gift, he would be more than happy to do so.

 

He sifted his way through the still crowd of statuesque bodies to an empty terminal. The system was set up as rather user friendly and he had no trouble finding what was necessary for it's construction. The plans seemed rather straight forward, though the crystals appeared to be a rather complex part of the equation. Another search brought up the history of lightsaber crystals, their properties, locations, and how they were constructed. This brought him to another dead end. Now it seemed that the force was required to create the crystals. His next search brought him to a much larger result, giving volumes after volumes of philosophy, dogma, and history.

 

He had spent hours reading and hadn't even made a dent, but he felt he needed to pause for reflection. He locked the terminal and went for a walk, presumably to get a feel for the complex, but really go get a hold on the situation. He could feel several eyes touching him as he walked down unguarded halls.

 

I was asked to make a lightsaber. This requires that I make crystals. To make crystals I require an understanding of the force. This would appear to be a much larger task than I had imagined.

 

He found a quiet respite and sat cross legged for the first time in a year. He closed his eyes to shut out the world as he focused on the more important ideas filling his mind, the new roads it opened up.

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Quiet suffocated the lower chambers, it mocked the remorse some of the murderers here had at last learned to cope with and punished their minds; silence was of course rumored to manifest the darkest of auras and cradle them into the untenanted minds of those who lacked the secrets of this universe, the secrets of the dark side as it condemned. As Julio opened his naive mind to the silence within this fortress, a snake had slithered inside from beneath his nose and poisoned his blood. It was a temptation, an enticement that craved for the man to unravel its curdled mysteries, to come and answers its call.

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Eyelids fluttered, followed by a sharp, shallow breath. Julio was once again thrown back onto reality. For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was, the dark halls surrounding him seemed to spin. It was only when he turned to notice a cowled figure's stride did the day seem to come alive in his mind. His small respite had been so restful. His body had been screaming at him for what felt like days for sleep and food, but he pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. These were needs that could be put off. Now he had other things to attend to. His stiff body rose, muscles stretching out of feigned entropy. He knew his body and it's limits. He could stay awake for week more if necessary. He could avoid food for another two days. Water one. He had while before he was finished.

 

His footstep echoed through the empty hall. Not really empty. There was something there. Following him. With him. He had to consciously restrain himself from looking over his shoulder ever few meters. It was a felling that couldn't be shrugged off.

 

The library was just as he had left it; full of people but void of life. The terminal was untouched. Everything was the same, but at the same time, entirely different. Something was missing. A glance around the room revield nothing at a cursory glance. Now he began to worry slightly. Something was supposed to be here. He had to find it. Not knowing what it was would drive him into paranoia. He started walking through the library, stepping around people when needed. Memory bank after memory bank revieled nothing but how vast the content of the library really was. It wasn't until he started going deeper into the library, farther into the ill-lit areas did it reviel itself.

 

A lone pillar, roughly a foot diameter and three high, stood seperate from everything else, in it's own niche of the room. On it was a small pyramid, slighly larger than a human hand. Part of Julio desperately wanted to leave it alone, pleading with him to turn around and go back to the terminal. This only pushed him further toward the object. His heart began to race the closer he got to the pillar, and the closer he got, the more he wanted to get closer to it. When he was arms length, he stopped. The pyramid was made of some black stone, looking like it was carved from hand. There were runes carved into the faces, a language Julio assumed to be dead.

 

Reflexively, his arm started to reach for it. Not only his arm, but what felt like his whole being was stretching to caress the ancient object. Before his hand met the pyramid, something inside him beat him to it. A near silent crack reached his ear as the four sids unfold to release whatever was hidden deep within. Small stands of almost jet black ambient lit flooded out slowly like mist, heading for Julio. His golden eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement as he overrode his baser instincts to flee. About a foot from his face, the strands lept at him, straight into his eyes. Julio's head reflexively jerked back an inch from the expected impact.

 

Distant screams of what sounded like a world's worth of sentients echoed in his mind, pleading with him in a foreign language. Images of things he had never witness fused with his mind. Thoughts that weren't his intermixed with his own until he couldn't tell the difference between the two. Knowledge that he hadn't earned burned itself on his mind. His brain felt as if it were on fire. His eyes began to roll back in to his head, his nose started bleeding a steady stream of a much darker version of his blood.

 

When he could hold no more, the strands disconnected and flowed back into the pyramid, which closed in on itself to become a solid piece once again. With it closed, the horrible screams in his ears stopped, his eyes slid back in place, and the flow of blood lessened. Julio collapsed into a limp mass, unable to move. Footsteps ringed in his ears. Two cowled figures kneeled beside him, muttering something, but he couldn't really process what they were saying. Too many things were swimming around in his head. When they continued to speak, he could only make out a small sentence before passing out. To them, it sounded incomprehensible, but to him, it made perfect sense.

 

In umbris protestas est

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((Three days. Just hurrying this along.))

 

The two men that came to Julio's aid knelled beside him. His nosebleed had slowed and his eyes had refocused.

 

"Sir, are you alright? What happened?"

 

Julio continued to lay on the floor, dark whispers crawling through his skill. Every thought he had, along with the one's forced into his head, intermingled, the line between them fading with each passing second. New knowledge burned in his mind like an unholy fire, refusing to be quenched. The two weren't helping him concentrate either.

 

"Shut up. I'm fine. Give me a moment to think."

 

The arrogance. He hadn't earned the right to talk to them in that manner. Granted, their master showed him special favor many doubted he deserved, but he hadn't spent the time in this hallowed place, learning the secrets of the world as they had. They couldn't help but get a little angry at him. It wasn't until he turned to look at them did they quell their anger. His eyes burned with an understanding they had never seen. A confidence that told their most primal of instincts not to mess with him. Only their master had inspired such due fear before. Maybe their master was right in favoring this one. Of coarse he was right. He always was. How foolish of them to think other wise.

 

They couldn't put their finger on it. What had changed in this man so quickly to produce what lay before them? Only moments before they could sense his fear. His uncertainty of what was to come. It was a little pathetic actually. Now they could see that spark of life in his eyes.

 

"I'll need three men to pick up things for me. It would be best if they traveled separately for time, but it isn't necessary." He finally spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence. The two men only nodded in acknowledgment.

 

"I'll need obsidian glass from Mustafar. About a pound of it, but get more to be safe. Are you writing this down?" His tone was commanding. They couldn't help but comply. Something overrode their ego and willed them to comply. They pulled out datapads simultaneously and began entering in the shopping list.

 

"Next, Hijarna stone. This can be found either in the fortress on Hijarna or the fortress Hand of Thrawn on Nirauan. I'll need two square foot of it. I don't know what basic materials you have here, but I'll also need several transistors, wires, magnetic stabilizers and other general purpose parts of all base sizes. I'll need everything in six days. No more. I don't care how you get it. Failure is not an option. Now go." Again, they only nodded and were off.

 

Julio sat in the library a while longer, staring at the holocron. Now he could feel the dark energies pouring out of it. He could hear it's beckoning call. He stood up, standing right in front of it. The temptation to open it again and delve further was great, but he knew he held as much as he could for the moment. It had nothing more to offer him. He picked it up off its pedestal and placed it in the folds of his shirt.

 

He left the library, no longer concerned with the stares of the guards around him. The word had spread. They knew he was different. You could see it in his walk. Much more confident, driven. Nothing was going to stop him and no one tried. He reached a door he previously knew he didn't have clearance for. He stopped just short of the guard, looking up only to meet his eyes momentarily before the guard stepped aside and opened the door. He continued on, turning here, pausing momentarily for a brief stare down and clearance questioning, turning again. His final door opened to a small room, lit only by a red-orange glow emanating from the furnace ahead of him.

 

The furnace was blazing. Normally it would be near impossible to stay in the room for more than a few minutes before leaving to the cool air of the hall. He sat cross legged five feet from the blazing inferno, not even breaking a sweat. He removed his coat and shirt, exposing his pale flesh to the harsh heat. He stared at the fire for a moment, willing the flame hotter. The furnace whined under the heat, but held together. A large block of what appeared to be a cross between mineral and metal lifted from the corner, levitating to the mouth of the furnace. Julio followed it with his eyes, stopping it just short of the opening. His left hand reached to his right and removed his ring.

 

The ring he had since he was a child. The ring his father had given him before his death. The family ring of heredity. Etched in it was a roaring dragon, the symbol of the Furion family for countless generations. The center gem was a rare ruby, bought with war and bloodshed between his family and others, their dominance shown through victory. This was the ring Julio had used as a medium for his hate and anger ever since he could remember. Every time he failed, was injured, or was flat out pissed off, the ring was his main focus. A reminder of what he had lost.

 

Carefully, it floated over to the furnace. As one, the block and ring entered the raging inferno. The holocron lifted similarly out of it's cache and moved to the furnace. He was sure the dark energies used to construct it would greatly enhance his crystals power. Julio's eyes moved side to side and the door to the furnace shut. His vision blocked, he could still sense the metal, holocron, and ring in the flame, feeling the fire rip apart the molecular bonds, breaking it down into a near liquid mass. The ruby proved more resilient to the fire. Julio let this entertain him momentarily; felling that it resembled his anger. It would take more than a raging fire to sunder it. The fire grew hotter and the ruby gave in. Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead, but he couldn't feel the heat. His concentration was devoted to the task at hand.

 

Slowly, the liquid mass began to compress, the lesser elements burning off. Julio used every painful memory at his disposal to fuel his anger. He channeled it through the liquid mass, bending and shaping it to his hate. Weakness would not be tolerated. Only the superior matter would survive this hellfire. He could feel the dark energies of the holocron aiding him in the crystals' formation, just as eager as he to make such a powerful instrument of destruction.

 

---------------------------------

 

((EDIT 8/15/07. I'm not sure if I'll have internet access when it would be possible for me to three day this. Exodus, if you post anytime soon I can edit accordingly when I get my net up and running. I just won't have the ability to post later so I'm taking the opportunity while I can. This would count as the second post of my lightsaber construction.))

 

Through the fire and flame, Julio continued forming his dark creation. The pain and fury of nearly twenty years, aided by the iniquitous energies of the ancient holocron, flowed amidst the conflagration, bending and breaking the material's molecular bonds at his will. Three days had passed since he first sat in front of the inferno. He could have completed the task a day earlier; the crystals would have been more than acceptable. However, he couldn't stop himself from pushing the material further. All the built up rage took it's time releasing itself. He continued pushing himself, refusing to quit until perfection was attained.

 

When he couldn't push the matter any further, the flames died down and the door to the furnace creaked open. Julio opened his eyes for the first time in days, the light from the fire paining his eyes. He took a deep breath, the hot air reawakening his body. The two crystals came out of the furnace. They stopped a foot from his face, their heat burning his face unnoticed. They were beautiful. A word not used lightly. The cloudy black crystals sparkled as the light from the fire shone through, their emanating dark radiance casting shadows upon his mind. The very sight of them rendered horrible images of absolute oblivion into what little humanity survived in his mind. They were perfect. What he found to be a delightful anomaly was that when looking at them through the force, they were nigh invisible. They had the resonance of a pebble. Julio let himself grin at his unusual accomplishment. This could turn out to be an infinitely useful effect.

 

His task partially complete, he decided it would be time to rest. The rest of the necessary components wouldn't be here for another day, that he was sure of. The stone would be the hardest to get, but he felt confident in them. If they weren't useful, they would already be dead.

 

He lay down on the floor, the crystals twisting and turning with the air currents as he inspected them. Not a flaw. He smiled as he felt footsteps coming. One man. Two knocks on the door.

 

”œEnter”

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((Three days yet again.))

 

Julio awoke more refreshed than he should have for sleeping on a stone floor and only getting a few hours sleep. But those few hours were more than enough to sate the needs of his crude flesh. The force was far more powerful than to worry about trifle things like flesh and bone. He had a higher calling than sleep, and right now one step closer to fulfilling his destiny required him to built a lightsaber.

 

A cursory examination of the room revealed that the parts he had requested had been neatly set on the workbench, the crystals untouched and blemish free. He took a moment to marvel at them again before returning to the task at hand. They were works of art. Purely past the obtrusive level, it held within it's confines vast dimensions of virgin passion. Untouched pools, deep with the blessing and burden of sentient emotion. Yet it was such a reserved thing, barely noticeable unless they exposed themselves to you. He thought they resembled the idea of knowledge itself. Ultimately powerful, if you seek it out. Many knew, but what they lack is the understanding to put the ideas to full use. He sighed. So much knowledge in the galaxy, and most of it goes unused or unsought.

 

Hijarna stone was a unique thing indeed. Black, very dense. It was renown of it's ability to soak up energy like a sponge. The stone was even resistant to the blade of a lightsaber to some degree. It wasn't used very often because of it's terrible weight. It's most common use was in archaic military fortresses for it's ability to absorb energy, making many weapons useless on the building. And now he had a rather large cube of it. Julio moved to a dusty piece of machinery. The terminal to it lit up as the machine came to life. A series of beeps could be heard as he began typing commands. His fingers became a blur as the image on the screen began to take place. When the design was to his satisfaction, the block of stone levitated to the machine and positioned itself between to rotating discs. Julio fastened the restraints in place and the machine began rotating the block, at first slow, but quickly gaining speed. A separate arm protruded from the lower folds it holding a diamond hard edged blade. The blade began shaping the block flake by flake. It would be several hours before it would be completed, but his lightsaber hilt was underway.

 

He turned his attention to the obsidian glass sitting on the workbench. Julio's right brow raised and a grimace found his face as he considered how to make the lens. Glass was tricky to work with, but he couldn't have a pre made lens. The obsidian glass was riff with the passion he desired for his blade. Mustafar was a planet full of rage it struggled to hold in. It doesn't have so much a literal dark side presence as an aesthetic meaning. The constant volcanic eruptions and blazing heat resembled unbridled emotion. It wouldn't be any better than standard glass, but it held meaning. Julio smiled as he was struck with an idea.

 

Forged by fire, reforged by fire.

 

The obsidian glass moved into the furnace, quickly giving way to the flame. The glass compressed and stretched until it made a perfect lens. Julio extracted it and set it aside to cool. Now he had to wait on the hit to finish before he could continue.

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Black dust billowed out of the revolving machine, gears crying from friction. It looked as if it may break down at any moment; possibly explode. Julio sat mere feet in front of it, letting loose his dark energies to hold together both machine and ebony stone. The screeching gears continued their piercing scream until a red light turned to green. A shrill tone came from the machine and the door opened. The dust settled and the new hilt was freed from it's restraints. A voice emanating from the more covert constructs of his mind called out, commanding the reformed stone to move. Gravity begrudgingly gave up it's hold as it levitated through the air, stopping just above Julio's resting palms.

 

He opened his eyes for the first time in hours. What he saw was a surprise. Everything he had ordered the machine to do was correct. Every minute detail was present, all the way down to the elegance of the ancient runes carved at the top and bottom of the hilt few would be able to read and even fewer would truly understand. The seam was nigh invisible, and the twisted exterior was exactly how he had envisioned it. However, something had developed on the hilt in it's creation.

 

Small, pale rose colored veins spread lengthwise down the hilt. The more his hand outreached for the hilt, the veins seemed to pulsate. The pace of the pulses never changed, but with each pulse, Julio was momentarily aware of a heartbeat other than his own. The pulsating could hardly be felt. Julio doubted anyone but him could feel it except for him. Somehow he knew these pale rose veins, like the crystals, were explicitly attuned to him.

 

He took the hilt and sat it on the workbench. All the parts were laid out now. All that was left to do was put everything were it needed to go. As simple as the task seemed, it was rather long and arduous work. And then there was the task of aligning the crystals. A series of loud cracks echoed through the small stone room as Julio rotated his neck. Time to finish this.

 

The hilt split open and he immediately began putting together the basic parts. Energy cell, crystal fixtures, everything. He worked at an amazing speed. For never having made such a complicated weapon from scratch before, everything was going together without mishap. After only a few hours, all of the parts were in. He even managed to install the two activation switches on the inside as well. One was turned off while the other was on. If you didn't flip them at the same time, the lightsaber simply wouldn't turn on. Perhaps an unnecessary precaution, but good to have none the less.

 

All that was left was to install the crystals. The heart and soul of the lightsaber, figuratively and literally in this case, crystals were notoriously hard to align correctly. He inserted them in their respective mounts and stepped back. At a glance, one would think they were perfectly fine. And that is why only force sensitives made lightsabers. Everyone else who tried tended to loose an arm. Julio closed his eyes, shutting out the world's distractions to ease his focus. In the oblivion that comes with loss, the two crystals shone like a beacon at sea. He could also see the pale rose veins through the force, pulsating slowly.

 

Slowly the opaque crystals began revolving ever so slowly. First one way, then another, looking through every combination of paths for the energy to go through to produce the desired the result. The crystals were amazingly responsive. It wasn't like moving any random rock wherever you wanted. They almost seemed to want to align properly. To make themselves into the perfect weapon for him. Julio continued moving the crystals until he heard a sort of click in his mind, like the tumbler in a safe.

 

His eyes opened, it was ready. The second half of the hilt rested on top of the first. With a series of twists and turns the intricate lock secured them in place. The lightsaber felt cold to the touch. Even after hours of working on it under a harsh light source, the stone hilt hadn't warmed. He lifted the lightsaber, holding it at arms distance. He could have levitated it meters away and turned it on from there, but that would be out of fear of failure, and he knew everything was exact. Every part had been meticulously checked twice during the process. The force flickered in him and the twin switches flipped.

 

Rich, dark crimson light filled the small room. The silencer he hooked up to the emitter was working perfectly. The hum was barely audible. Julio could feel the subtle anger emanating from the energized crystals, the pale rose veins on the hilt quickening their pulsating in response. He moved around the room, practicing a few basic steps from each form before shutting off the blade and sheathing it up his right sleeve. His task complete, he left the room wondering what his next step was. There had been no word from lord Exodus for quite some time. Perhaps he should continue his studies abroad. His master would surely call for him when the time came to serve him better. He began walking to the hanger.

 

"You are not authorized in the hanger, sir. You lack proper clearance."

 

Julio only stood there, his hood blocking them from seeing into his gold eyes. His mind stretch out and held on to the fragile strands of the two guards. Both of them had felt the sensation before, when their lord was displeased. The reflexively reached for their throats, trying to free themselves from whatever was inhibiting their breathing. When the first guard's face began changing color, Julio released them.

 

"Forgive us, sir. Of coarse you can go into the hanger." He stopped to catch his breath, studying Julio's reaction. "May I ask where you are going, should Lord Exodus come back looking for you?"

 

"He'll know where I am, but should he ask, Coruscant. The Jedi have a rather full archive there I wish to examine."

 

The nodded in acknowledgment and let him pass. He boarded a small shuttle and left without another word.

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  • 1 month later...

The placid, colorless skies breathed despair into the atmosphere. An ambience, a powerful emanation suffocated the planet with a tremendous dark side smear that colored the terrene. The spark of the arcane vessel plummeted from the brim of horizon and landed on a ship port that seemed to climb from an infinite mountain that was enshrouded with a sea of maleficent plantation. As the two exited the vessel, there was a flight of steps that led down into the dark rock. There were those that watched each move that was made, even since before their arrival onto the planet”” but that was of course routine. The walls of the cavern, as they descended, became more necromantic and overall depraved. Exodus moved with a swiftness that ruled out the chance for questions and small talk and instead basked in his indigenous silence.

 

The stairs sooner or later came to an end and their footsteps came to a halt. Exodus turned to face his apprentice with his face now half buried in the shadows that surrounded them. The flickers of torches that were pinned all over slithered up and down the cave walls. He could end the trouble and feed Transcendence all the same with one move; it would be a lie if it was said he did not consider it. However, it was peculiar at the same instance in how subservient this man was when he hadn't a clue of what Exodus truly was. The answer must've been power, and that fact alone meant he was blinded by the feel of it even before now.

 

”œTell me mortal, why do you seek immortality?”

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The word was could almost be felt, the disdain adding chill to the cool air of the cavern. The question had bounds of depth Julio wouldn't have even been able to search through before he came to this planet. Did his master know the volumes he had already taught him? Did it even matter if he did? Would the conversation been different if he had reached his elevation through traditional methods, with the two of them spending countless hours in such a setting, weighing the galaxy around them. Probably not. He had seen the training the Dark Lady had received, and their master had been the same then and now. Distant, uncaring, power in his words but little emotion behind it. Julio found himself shrugging the perplexity off for another, the one fresh in his ears. Immortality. Was that his goal? Ever since he started on the path Exodus laid before him the only thing in his mind was the promised power. At first he wanted it to defeat his enemies, but even that faded as he delved further in his studies. He then wanted his enemies to fear him, wiping away the idea of battle in favor of veiled power, but again this was dismissed. What he truly sought was to see his will carried out. To do what he wished, when he wish, and none with the capability to stop him. Carnal pleasures were nothing to be desired, as they were momentary and only left you with a deeper lust.

 

"Immortality and death are ultimately the only two paths anyone has laid before them. Considering my options, immortality seems like the natural choice."

 

His face was sullen as he stared into shadows. There were so many echoes bouncing around inside his head. Some of them easily understood, conveying lessons he learned long ago. But there were others that flew around that made little sense. They were annoying to no end. They were in a language he could understand, and if he listened carefully he could pick up half a word or even a small phrase, but in the end it always seemed beyond him. As if it were on the tip of his tongue.

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Ubiquitous silence ”“

 

 

The faint luminescence, the eerie echoes and the pause for hope in his answer died in perfect harmonization. Exodus, who now stood outright in the face of the untried human, breathed down upon him as a God to his creation. He stared down into the feeble soul of his apprentice whilst his irises bled fumes as emerald hued as the precious stone itself. Exodus turned his powerful alchemistic-metal crust hand over and while his palm unfolded a lavender smoke that burned into the air. The smoke columned and clouded into the face and nostrils of his apprentice as if to invoke insult; the scent, was paradoxically without scent but carried with it a contagious sensation of rot.

 

He would fall soon as a simple inescapable whiff would deteriorate the sense of control in his body. His brain would without doubt malfunction and fret over such a deficit and would force him to spasm hysterically in search of its control once more. Exodus just stood there, as if he was oblivious to what had happened but even more so, it was if he didn't even care. He stood there, and would watch without passion as the man crumbled in within himself and panicked for pursuit of an explanation. Even more frightening was the fact that in but a moment”” every shaft of light would be sucked from this place.

 

  • ”œ”¦ Then how will you face death?”

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He collapsed to the cold stone ground, his limbs instinctively pulling themselves close for protection. As affliction set in his muscles tensed in protest. His head turned just enough to see Exodus' face, his animal like golden eyes seething with pain and anger as he stared into the nothingness that was Exodus. This couldn't be his end. It wouldn't. The poisons struck a new nerve and his body convulsed. His jaws clinched tighter to avoid crying out, the pain rising as control faded. Memories began to blend together and conscious thought became harder and harder to command. The looming figure before him continued to stare down, not offering up parting words nor advise, only a question.

 

  • ”œ”¦ Then how will you face death?”
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The pleasure of necrosis unfastened from the bizarre mortal. He was released. Exodus however, stood in the same position with the exact same look on his face. He stared down at the man who was curdled before him on the floor as reputable as those shameful rats that inhabited this rotten mountain. It reminded him of himself back when he was imprisoned and enslaved for his first time on Cardia; the flashback made his teeth clench, if he had then what he had now, he would've snuffed the life from each of them in that same instant.

 

”œGet up.”

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The consuming sickness coursing through his body vanished instantaneously, as if were never there. He obeyed the command to stand, his mind and body feeling somewhat numb from the struggle. Had it all been in his head, or some manipulation the unwavering figure before him had concocted as some form of test against his will? Regardless, the eyes of his master betrayed nothing. He spoke of belief. Was that how the force was commanded, because you believed you could? So far, Julio had commanded the force because he knew it would work. There was no thought devoted to the possibility of it failing, it simply worked. In a way knowing is believing. It was odd for him to consider himself a believer. Did believing make it true? His mind was weary of all the questions. He just wanted silence for a moment to think, but the echoes refused to settle.

 

Vision beyond the physical realm began to take over, scenes he had not witnessed began gaining corporeal mass in his mind. The heat of battle spread through his body, oddly refreshing as it contrasted the cold floor. Frame by frame, second by second, he saw through his master's eyes yet again. The gruesome mosaic he presented began to take on more essence as he found himself surrounded by more and more death. With the death of his brothers, it seemed all inhibitions fell. Even the mortal coil couldn't keep him from rising above the insurmountable disparity surrounding him. Each death acted as a stare step, raising him like Icarus beyond reality. When his morbid wings could take him no farther, Transcendence itself what was there to help breach the gap. For a moment, he could almost see it. The feeling of absolution, always out of reach. Julio's eyes fluttered, and the vision passed. As a virgin cheated, he felt robbed. There was more, and it was gone from him.

 

"Show me this."

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Julio walked a distance behind his master, his body still weary from the previous experience. When the pair came to what seemed like a dead end, he stopped. There was something here. It wouldn't be like his lord to get lost. He stood patiently in mild curiosity as events unfolded. As the stone wall erupted upwards, Julio tensed himself, readying for the unexpected. Even as tired as his body was, his mind attempted to always stay alert, especially around Exodus. A gust picked up within the tunnels, sending Julio to the floor. When the wind passed, he pulled himself to his feet, not wanting to look stupid as it hadn't moved his master an inch.

 

A familiar voice arose from in front of Exodus, one Julio had not heard for a while. He couldn't place it, but he was sure he had encountered it before. The face, the stance, it was all somewhere in his past but he simply could not remember the man. He listened to the brief exchange between the two men, noting his master's comment on the meditation chamber. That sounded nice, a reprieve from the world, a chance at rest. He soon cursed his body for it's weakness. His body was fine, as his mind was perfectly willing to remind it until it finally bowed in submission.

 

"Furion. We shall start from the bottom and build up. You will know where to find me."

 

Julio took that as a sign that he had time to himself, should he require it. He pushed the idea of rest from his mind as he walked to the meditation chamber. His mind was excited enough to continue to make up for his body's weariness. He arrived to the room not long after his master, slowing his pace to give Exodus any time needed should any additional preparations be needed.

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