Ilum

[Kautra Nadio]

Kautra felt the ship hit the hard ground, and just as he felt the jolt, a soft, peacfull voice crossed his ears, it was so unexpected that Kautra almost did not notice it.

 

It said but two words "Fire-Crystal"

 

It took Kautra a momennt to figure out what the voice was talking about, but it hit him a moment later, with a vision. The vision was of his cloak, and the pocket of which the Fire-Crystal was resting, Kautra could feel the pocket that held the Crystal become heavy, and then light again, he knew this was what he was working towards.

 

An other vision came to him, it was of a Lightsaber. The saber spit in his mind, as if it were cut in half, and there, Kuatra could see the makings of a lightsaber. He saw a small metalic cylinder, and he knew instantly what it was. the force was speaking to him, through visions. The metallic cylinder was the power core, and i t was surrounded a brownish material, that would shield the power core,

 

Resting above the core shielding, was a small chamber, and in it was the crystal that Kautra had in his pocket, the crystal was sitting in a smaller cylinder attached to the power core. And above that, set another chamber. There were two copper rods sitting parellel from each other, these were the energizing rods, and in between these rods, was a plethera of circuitry, which led to the tapping pin, which was attached to a magnetic ring.

 

The vision pulled away, and there he could see the finished light saber, in all its glory.

 

The force began to leave Kautra, leaving behind all the knowledge it just imparted apon him.

 

Kautra opend his eyes and looked oer to his master.

 

*Master, I think I know how to make a Lightsaber* he said quietly.

 

He stood up, and walked over to his master, waiting to be instructed further.

[Zero]

"The Force's presence on this planet is strong. Many have become lost in it's winding caves and have perished, leaving their presence here. They speak to those who follow their foot steps, guiding them, saving them the fate they suffered. It is unfortunate for them, but it is the will of the force. Like them, you and everything else in this world has a purpose; a mission that the force assigns to them to carry out. My mission has been completed and like many before me, i have passed on my knowledge to those around me, as I am passing them on to you. You Kautra, will be responsible to secure the future of the Jedi Order and the future of liberty and justice. Although powerful, the lightsaber is not a Jedi's weapon. Always use your reasoning, use the powerful mind that has been entrusted to you. Use it always for good, my apprentice. The pull of the darkside is strong, and like the lightsaber, it is not the intended molders of the force. Begin your trek into the caves."

[Kautra Nadio]

Kuatra listend to his wise master, as he spoke of the force, and of our missions in life. A few words stuck in his mind tjhe most though.

 

* You Kautra, will be responsible to secure the future of the Jedi Order and the future of liberty and justice* his master said calmley. This made Kautra perk up a little, no one had ever trusted him with any thing, and now it was his responisbility to up hold the Jedi traditions, and way of life. He knew it was not just his mission, but the mission of every Padwan that was taken on as an apprentice.

 

* Although powerful, the lightsaber is not a Jedi's weapon. Always use your reasoning, use the powerful mind that has been entrusted to you* His master continued. Kautra tooka second to roll this over in his mind, his instincts, and his mind have gotten him this far, but he never thought abou tthat untill now.

 

*The pull of the darkside is strong, and like the lightsaber, it is not the intended molders of the force* His master went on, Kautra had grown up with the dark side pulling at him , so he knew what his master was talking about, it was amazing how Kautra had resisted the dark side for so long, for if it had corrupted him, he would be dead by now.

 

*Begin your trek into the caves.* His master finished.

 

WHAT He thought aloud to him self, his master wanted him to enter a cave, that many people had died trying to get out of, If his master wanted him to do it, then he would, he knew he could.

 

*Yes master, I will enter the cave.* Kautra said this with confidence, but not with over-confidence, for he had discovered that over-confidence was not a good thing. Kautra stepped off the ship into the cold deserted plane. He looked to the giant cave, with reluctance, he shook off the wairness that he was suffering from, he was still a little tired, for he had not slept all that much since joining his master on this journey.

 

He began his trek into the cave, unsure of what was to come next. As he took his first step into the cave, several soft voices floated into his head,

 

* Turn back if you want to survive* was what many of them were saying, but Kautra continued his journey Eventually the voices encourageing him to leave, subisded, and more helpful voices began to appear. Kautra came to the first turn in the split in the cave, one way went left, the other right. Both were pitch balck.

 

Kautra looked back at his masters ship, and saw his master standing by the window, Kautra took a shallow bow, and returned to his decision. The comforting voices started to speak up a little more, encourageing him left. Kuatra looked down the left corridor, and tooka step forward, a tingeling sensation, not unlike the one he had while meditating, came across his body, and he continued down it.

 

The corridor was in utter blackness, and was at a slight slant downward. Luckily the cealing was tall, that way Kautra did not have to bend down at all. He continued his trek through the winding path, kicking rocks and stumbeling as he went. The voices of the ones before hime were constantly shouting things like *watch out* or *wait, not there* as he walked. This was a good thing, for every time he heard their voice, he had a feeling that he was about to hit something, or step on somehitng he would have regreted.

 

Kautra stopped suddnely, the voices had called for his ceasing. He held out his hand, and it fell apon large stone wall. The voices told him to turn right, and continue, he did as the wished, and came apon a small chamber that was partially lit. Kautra looked around untill his gaze fell apon the reminants of a body. It had seemed to been there for years. It skull was looking to the corridor that Kautra had just came from.

 

In its hand, he held a small glowing blue crystal. It appeared simmilar to the crystal that Aryian had given him a while ago. Kautra walked over to it, and took it from the hand of the fallen Jedi. He reached into his cloak to retreave his crystal, only to find it glowing in the darkness of the cave as well. It emitted a faint orange glow in the palm of his hand. He looked to the Fallen Jedi, and felt a harmonious feeling fall over him. There was a reason he had crossed paths with this Jedi, and it was to retreave the crystal from him.

 

He continued to search the fellow Jedi, only to find his Lightsaber. Apon finding this, Kautra stopped and looked at it for a second. Was he supposed to find the Crystal, or the Ligthsaber. The answer came to him in a soft voice of the fallen Jedi before him.

 

*Only the Crystal* It said gentaly to him.

 

Kauta at once made his mind, he was to take the Crystal and only the Crystal. He held the light saber in his hand. He pressed the activation button, and am all to familiar hum crossed his ears, followed by the beatuiful glow of the light saber. The saber felt wounderful in his hands, so much so, that he almost did not let it go. He moved it around in his hands, spinning it lightly, and then decided that it was time to leave. He de-activated the lightsaber, and returned it to its rightful owner.

 

Kautra spun around, and went through the corridor he had just came from, he held the crystals in his hand illuminating the path. The voices had subsided, but were not entierly gone from him. As he walked, he noticed that the path was very narrow, and on both sides was a drop off of about 30 feet or so, on the way into the cave, the voices had saved him from stepping off the cliff. He came to the corridor that he had first entered, and saw the beatuiful Rouge Jedi

 

As he walked out of the cave, the voices came to him with the warrnings the had givin him on his way in. He walked over to the ships entrance and stepped aboard.

 

He looked to his master, and held out his hand with the crystal.

 

*Is this what I was supposed to get Master?* He asked calmly.

[Master Prophet]

The rope that runs from one side of the valley to the other snaps from the wooden spike that holds its place in the ground, danger was just around the corner. The winds blow even harder now, it seems, as the farmer grips to the rope hand rail that goes limp next to him. His frozen hands barely have enough blood to keep warm, but yet he musters the strength to squeeze with all of his might onto the rope, clamping to it for his very life. The already unstable bridge below him now starts to give way and sink deeper into the valley.

 

His footing was firmly placed on the wooden boards below him that would soon give way. His feet slide to the left with the boards as the rope slides lower into the pit below.

 

Using his upper body strength, the farmer rotates and grips to the rope on the right side, the bridge now at a downward angle slope his feet kick and slide off the planks that once held his footing.

 

"Uh" the groan escapes the farmers mouth as his body had to work extra hard to grip to the rope, if he was to make it to the other side, he would have to use only upper body strength and minimal use of his legs.

 

The farmer's eyes begin to look around, for possible exits to this very bad situation. His heart begins to thump harder, realizing that there were only two possible exits. The first by using his pure strength to swing hand over hand across the rope climbing all the way to the other side of the valley. The second by taking his chances and letting go of the rope when it had sunk far enough down, perhaps the fall was not as bad as it looked.

 

He could feel the muscles in his arm begin to hurt, he knew the small fibers in his arm were ripping, splitting, making this a very strenuous task to take. The farmer dangles in the air above with both hands gripped to the rope that shakes uncontrollably in the wind. The voice inside his head spoke to him, in the voice that was very familiar. Though the howling winds blew loud in his ears, he could still hear the voice whispering, calling his name.

 

The sudden realization of the truth was shocking... perhaps he was not meant to make it to the other side, perhaps this was his end. A new voice enters the farmer's ears, a quote of a very wise man, a Prophet, from his past that told him these words many years ago.

 

”œThere will be three times in your life you will turn your greatest ally into your worst enemy. Only you have the power to decide who the winner will be, yourself or the enemy.”

[ObliviousKnight]

With the signature trail of pseudomotion that nobody on Ilum saw, the Ghost Breath became a dark blur against the backdrop of stars surrounding the icy planet. Feeling the slight movement of the ship's hull under her feet, Armiena Draygo rose from her meditative stance and headed for the cockpit.

 

Even as the yacht rapidly descended to the snow-covered surface, Armiena felt as though the temperature of the ship was dropping a few degrees. She shivered visibly at the memory of her last visit to the planet, in which she had foolishly made the trek to the crystal caverns without any protection against the elements aside from her own robes and her manipulation of the Force. Between hallucinations and frostbite, that was a most interesting trip--and if Slaanesh's servants hadn't stocked the ship with a coat, the young woman just might have to make a repeat of the ordeal.

 

Fortunately, there was such a coat, matched perfectly to her size, and extremely warm with an interior lined with white fur and heavy insulation. Unfortunately, the outside was a mix of eye-hurting shades of pink and yellow, in a military camoflague-like pattern. She stared at it, horrified at the overly vibrant colors.

 

She would cope--at least she wouldn't freeze.

 

"Clear skies, but not too many hours left in the day." Armiena observed, having returned to the yacht's cockpit. She had painful experience of just how brutal Ilum's night could be. "You'll never make it there and back before nightfall.

 

"Take this time to work on your hilt--I've got all of the parts and tools you'll need in cargo hold."

[Nitestrike]

With a nod, Brad turned and headed towards the cargo hold. He pulled his robe around him a bit tighter. The frigid world had managed to make the inside of the ship rather cold, although nothing like the outside. He reached the cargo hold as the door slid open with a slight hiss. He stepped inside the cargo hold which held a few boxes.

 

Brad reached out with the Force to pick the one with the appropriate parts. Picking one, he opened it up to find quite an array of metallic objects inside. He began to sort the parts on a table in the cargo hold, knowing a little from work around droids and starfighters. He sat down in the corresponding chair and began to search for parts he'd like to use.

 

Brad started by selecting a power cell. Judging by previous lightsabers he'd handled, he the liked lighter ones better. He selected a few of the lighter power cores seeing their names. He'd heard about certain ones that didn't suffer because of their small size and light build. Luckily he found the power cell he'd wanted, and thus began constructing the other parts of his saber.

 

After a few hours of tough construction later, Brad had completed most of his saber. He had just finished his activation button, putting the additional buttons to adjust length on the side of the box. He attached that whole box onto the round cylinder that resembled the outside of his lightsaber. He carefully connected everything.

 

One last, rather minor, thing was left. Brad attached a belt ring onto the cylindrical tube. He then took the saber in his hand, polishing the hilt until it had a nice, even, sleek shine on it. He attached the crystal saber to his belt after removing the one Dashal had lent to him. It had served him well through his training, but now his own saber was almost complete. He attached it to the right side of his belt in case he'd need it in the cave.

 

Brad left the cargo hold and returned to the cockpit. "The hilt is complete, Armenia. Is there anything else I need to do to prepare for the caves?"

 

Edited February 13, 2006 by Guest

[Master Prophet]

Hand over hand he moved across the rope where he held tight as to not slip into the valley. His realization of his new enemy made the elements seem even more apparent now. The wind seemed to blow much harder, his arms weakened quicker, his legs weighed heavier, and the snow seemed to stab the skin as a piercing knife. The knife of a forgotten friend comes back for redemption, so it seemed. The bridge below him was barely holding on now as the wind abuses the wet twine and rotted wood.

 

Stevenson closes his eyes once more to focus his strength; the ice had begun freezing to his face as he crossed the center of the valley to the other mountainside. The once soft snowflakes are hurdled at the body that dangles like a worm on a hook that lowers into the valley. When his eyes open, he can see, he can see his future... he can see his freedom, he can see his redemption... it was in the symbolic form of the cliff. His eyes focus on the prize, solid land that grows closer and closer. His hands begin to move faster and faster; ignoring the pain that shoots into his arms and back down into his chest.

 

Removing his hand from the rope to extend it beyond his last movement, he feel a slight jolt in the rope, the resistance that was once there disappears ... before another moment passes by the farmer again attempt to grab the rope with both hands.

 

*Snap*

 

The resistance on the line breaks and soon the peg that held the bridge in place behind him comes racing down over the edge of the cliff. His target of the other side was no longer visible as he held on for his life. His hands grab tight to the rope, but the weight was too much to hold, his hands begin to slip as he slides down the rope... burning his hands, cutting them open as he slams into the side of the cliff. The jagged rocks cut into his body as he struggles to hold on the rope. The blood soaks the rope as his moans and cries can be heard echoing throughout the valley. The wind dies down as if wanting to hear the man in pain, but just as soon as he attempts to pull himself up the side, the winds pick up again at full speed. The tears of pain run down his face as the rope becomes more and more difficult to grab, now blood soaked, his hands wrap around the rope as tight as he can. Below his feet dangle, using the cliff to hold him self when his hands thought they could do no more.

 

After the span that seems like days, a bloody hand reaches the top of the cliff where his hand slams against the white snow. His blood stains its purity as his other hand does the same. He pulls himself up to the cliff and lies in the snow, surviving a dreadful situation with brute strength.

 

His enemy would likely not give him much time to breath before making the next move. The farmer slowly rises to his feet; he rips a part of his robe and tightly wraps them around his blood coated hands. He tightens his bandages before continuing on.

 

Taking his first step on solid ground ... headed to the last place he may be able to find answers, the last place, he could find peace. He turns the corner of the next ridge; before his eyes rest on a building in the distance he had not seen in ages. The purity of the structure still intact; he could make out its position, though it was half buried in this blizzard. He could see his past”¦ he could see answers”¦ he could see hope.

 

The Temple.

[Zero]

Dhan-Jaroe turned to reveal a severely burned face, his skin seemingly dripping off. His voice was shrill, and pierced through the cold air in a painful tone. "It is not that simple." Said the dark voice. Kautra found himself once again in the cave, standing face to face with a dark jedi. "In this cave, many are lucky and complete their quest, and others, draw on the true power of the force just to survive. Your friend over there was not strong enough, and would not give in to temptation for survival, and I killed him." He motioned to the skeleton. The dark cave's illusion of the mouth of the cave felt almost real, he would have never second-guessed it. "This is not just a cave of Jedi. We Dark Warriors once pilgrimaged to this spot as well, and many failed, just like our weak counter parts. They are jealous, discontent with their mistake of failing to embrace true power, and they are the voices that guide you to your doom. We are the ones that have lulled you in here, to give you the great secret: the true power."

[ObliviousKnight]

Armiena, still in the pilot's seat, jerked awake and drew her bootless feet off of the yacht's control boards. For a moment, she simply stared out on the darkness of Ilum's night with green eyes, remembering where she was and her purpose on the icy planet. However, she looked worse for the few hours of sleep that she managed to enjoy while Warren was building his lightsaber; there were shadows under her eyes, and it took her longer than her customary two seconds to return to full alertness.

 

Although Armiena would never admit it, she had been having trouble sleeping since the ambush at the Coruscant Memorial. Faust's return from the grave had heralded the return of the dreads and nightmares that she had experienced ever since his genocidal sabotage of Coruscant's shield array. The newly appointed Council Member pushed away her weariness; it could wait for a less urgent moment, for a more hospitable planet.

 

The Jedi Knight eventually focused on the Padawan next to her, and withdrew a miniature cutting tool from her belt. It was much like a vibroblade weapon, only with a much finer edge and optimized for cutting delicate materials such as lightsaber materials.

 

"You'll probably want this--it's a powered cutting edge, and I've always used this type of blade on lightsaber crystals." She flipped it onto the covered blade and handed it to Warren hilt-first.

 

"When dawn comes, it will be time for you to make your journey to the crystal caverns. Bring no weapons with you--except your lightsaber when you complete it. Not that the caverns aren't dangerous, because there are a few critters to watch out for: mostly kinrath, poisonous man-sized spiders, they're easily capable of killing a full-grown adult. However, with the Force, not even they will be a threat to you." There were several ways to avoid contact with dangerous animals with the Force, and the most simple ways should be well-known to Brad Warren.

 

"But for now, we have a few more hours until the dawn. Rest, relax, meditate; do whatever you wish with this time."

 

As always when one was anticipating a great event, the remaining hours until dawn passed agonizingly slowly. Unable to sleep, Armiena spent the time in meditation and a recovery trance and awoke just in time to watch the sunrise. Eventually Brad Warren would hear the whirring of the Ghost Breath's gears as the ship's boarding ramp lowered and Armiena stepped into the blistering cold, sheltered in her horrible coat.

 

She stood there at the base of the ramp, nearly thigh deep in pure snow, and waited to see Warren off.

[Azrael]

Stretching out through the Force, Azrael could feel the presence of several Jedi on the planet. One in particular stood out among the rest. His strength in the Force was godly and sent ripples across the great ocean of energy. Taking a leap from the edge of the mountain, Azrael plummeted headforst down the side of the mountain, waiting for the exact moment to reach out and stop his fall.

[Nitestrike]

Brad slowly came to alertness from the Jedi hibernation trance he was in. He stretched as he crawled off the bunk. Remember what Armenia had told him a few hours earlier, he placed the working lightsaber on loan to him on the bunk. Checking to make sure his was on his belt, along with his comlink and some food capsules if needed, he put on a thick, black coat. With that, he walked outwards towards the cold, harsh world of Ilum.

 

Brad walked down the landing ramp to find Armenia there. Rather surprised at finding her there, he stepped out into the deep snow. "I'll be back," he said as he passed her. He quickly scanned the area of the planet as far as he could using the Force. Feeling a strong Force presence, he headed towards it. It had to be the cave.

 

After walking through the snow for a while, Brad came upon the mouth of the cave. He was immediately hit with the strong presence of the Force. He stepped inside, brushing off some of the snow that had built up on his coat. He ventured deeper into the cave, sensing the presence of the creatures around him. He put on a rather icky presence to keep them away from him as he went to gather his crystals.

 

Brad reached the back of the cave rather quickly and spotted the veins of lightsaber crystals. The sight was amazing for the young Padawan. The crystals radiated in the Force. He searched quickly, trying to pick ones most likely to give off a green saber blade. Finding three, he cut them off of the vein using the knife and then placed them into his saber, carefully setting them up to work properly with the focusing lens.

 

Brad pressed the activation button of his lightsaber, and with a snap-hiss a brilliant green-white blade shot forward. The blade hummed gently as it coursed with power. He twirled it a few times, testing it. Satisfied at successfully building his first lightsaber, he closed it down and reattached it to his belt. He began to walk back towards the ship.

[ObliviousKnight]

Warren's attempt to keep the kinrath spiders away from his juicy, delicious body succeeded. Although the chitter of exoskeleton echoed through one of the passages that his journey took him through, it was clear that it belonged to only one beast, not an entire herd of the man-eating spider-like creatures.

 

However, as he approached the Ghost Breath, it was clear that something had gone terribly wrong during his absence. Carried by the Force over unnatural distances, a single sharp cry of pain reached Warren's mind, then he sensed the slow weakening of a Force-Sensitive presence near Armiena's ship. It was soon extinguished, leaving a terrible void where she had just stood. Not a complete void; nearby, a veritable black hole in the Force stood, his mind returning from its recent state of overpowering rage to that of cold satisfaction.

 

When Brad Warren returned to the yacht's landing site, his fears had been confirmed. The pristine snow surrounding the ebony yacht's form was disturbed recently, and two sets of boots followed each other about the snow as evidence of a grim dance of death. Spot of blood wove a grisly trail amongst the bootprints, making a clear path to the owner of that blood.

 

The trail ended with a gout of crimson blood, which formed an expanding puddle that was beginning to saturate the melting snow... around Armiena Draygo's body. A clean circular puncture marred the left breast of her bloodstained coat, a clear sign of a blow that had reduced her heart to a mass of bloody ash. Her ashen, cooling face stared up at the sky, completely calm despite her demise.

 

Beyond her, a tall, brown-haired man was casually placing a number of blinking devices on the Ghost Breath's curved hull. The spiked end of his Phrik staff was slick with dark blood, explaining how the young woman met her demise.

 

With deliberate satisfaction, the stranger pressed his thumb and index finger to his final explosive charge, and slowly spun to face Warren and simply stared at him with his hazel eyes. For a long moment, his only motion was the swinging of his long white coat with the occasional gust of wind.

 

Finally, he gave Warren a tight smile, and returned his bloodied staff to a defensive guard with an unnecessary windmill flourish. So it would be two Jedi that he killed today...

[Master Prophet]

The farmer did not waste any time, making haste towards the Crystal Temple that stood in the distance. His feet carried him faster than he ever thought they could. The snow provided no resistance as most the time he was so quick his feet barely sank an inch. The temple moved closer and closer and with each passing step memories began to come back to him as the features of the temple began to shine more.

 

"Alas, he stood before its greatness with pleasure on his face; the sanctity of its freedom now giving him his grace." The farmer says as he lowers the hood on his robe; showing a smile. The once beautiful and elegant Temple was now scarred, damaged, and deformed. The entrance sealed shut many years prior by Stevenson himself with a blast that sealed it perfectly.

 

"The tomb of my soul ... the answers to my questions ... and the cage of my enemy. I must enter."

 

The footsteps were soon returning to him, as he finds himself moving up the side of the hill mountain hilltop that the temple was build into. He is quickly beginning to retrace his footsteps, remembering the temple he once found many years ago.

 

*swoosh*

 

The sound of the falling farmer slides down a small tunnel shaft designed for easy exit access. Its small cavern was reserved for emergency exits, but now turned entrances.

 

The footsteps echo throughout the great halls of the Jedi. Snow and ice frozen on the ground can be heard cracking as the farmers feet walk over it. The ice splinters outwards from his boots that firmly plant on the ground. Though he cannot see, he knows the way to his own chambers, the way to his former Councilman's seat.

 

*huh*

 

The sound of his freezing breath can be heard escaping his lips. The moisture from his mouth was no more only to be replaced by chattering teeth that he held back. Stevenson turns the corner and exposes the Councilman's chambers; a light, bright as the sun, shines down on the center of the room.

 

His first footstep smacks against the ground but quickly lifted from the ground as he finds himself being flung through the air. Before his other foot could place against the ground he is lifted into the air as if being shoved. The crystal mirror against the wall provides no padding as he slams against it, soon falling to the ground in pain.

[Nitestrike]

Brad pulled his lightsaber from his belt and activated it, bringing it up into position with a graceful sweep. Assuming his own, slightly modified, stance for Form V, he prepared to attack the slayer of his fellow Jedi. He backed up slightly, staring into his opponent's eyes.

 

Suddenly, Brad leaped into the air using the Force, flipping around halfway towards his opponent, and brought his lightsaber down onto the staff rather forcefully. His opponent nearly staggered, but it did throw off his footing. Brad quickly broke contact with the staff and swung towards the left, than right, than left using finesse more than power.

 

Brad then applied more power to his next blow. The staff of the mysterious man met his own lightsaber once again, but this time Brad held the contact.

 

"So, you decided to kill a Jedi today. Big mistake." Brad then kicked his opponent, knocking him back a few feet. He then backed up and shifted towards a defensive position. Holding back the urge to egg his opponent on, he attempted to influence him with the Light Side of the Force.

 

"If you end this now there will be no consequences. She still might be saved, and if she is I'll let you go free. No one has to die today." Brad then spun his lightsaber idly, bringing it back to its original defensive position.

[ObliviousKnight]

One by one, the Sith picked off each of Brad Warren's attacks with an expert twist of his metallic staff, the tip of the blade whistling in the wind. Each time the paths of his ranseur and the Padawan's lightsaber blade intersected, the two weapons shrieked and light exploded from each impact. The silver and green blurs, accompanied by the flares of light, made for a dazzling display of martial arts... but the Jedi's final blow was blocked dangerously close to his face and temporarily blinded him.

 

The Sith reeled back from the kick, surprised by his foe's willingness to not pursue his temporary advantage and press the attack. However, his face, a grotesque mask scarred with unbridled use of the Dark Side and close calls in training, contorted as he smirked at Warren's invitation.

 

"'Might be saved?'" He actually laughed, finding malicious humor in Warren's naivette. Armiena's body suddenly spilled from the bloody snow and shot towards the Ghost Breath. It impacted hard with the transparisteel canopy of the cockpit, and there was a crack of bone as her head whipped backward against the armored hull. Smiling as she tumbled back onto the snow, the Sith continued. "Oops. I guess that means there's no room for sympathy now."

 

Grinning as he advanced on Brad Warren, he returned his staff to a stance reserved for fighting with short spears. Before he was even in range, the bladed end jetted out towards the Padawan, stabbing unpredictably at his vitals.

[Nitestrike]

Brad winced as he missed a block. His rage had caused him to loose focus, which was most likely the man's motive. The end of the staff gave him quite a gash across his chest, he estimated, but nothing fatal. Brad knew unless he got this man back on the defensive he would not be able to beat him. Finding a strike he could get under well, he caught the staff by his saber and pushed quickly up. The man stumbled back a bit, losing his forward hand's grip on the staff.

 

Brad took the opportunity in full force, using a swift, underhanded diagonal stroke to overtake the man's open side. A trickle of blood began to run down the man's leg as Brad drew his lightsaber away. The man, obviously not too happy about his newest wound, rushed directly for Brad with fire in his eyes. Flipping backwards, using his left hand as a mount, Brad caught the man with a strike from below again while getting a few more meters away from his attacker.

 

The man reeled his staff horizontally. Brad, who had been sensing this, leaped, pulling his legs close to his chest, to avoid it. Landing back in the snow with a resounding crunch, he swung the lightsaber at his opponent's leg, giving him a nice cut along the kneecap as well as slowing his movements. He spun the saber bringing it down on top of his opponent who blocked. Brad kept him pinned below the lightsaber.

[ObliviousKnight]

((Be very careful with posting your opponent's actions.))

 

Even though Brad Warren's successful slash to the Sith's kneecap nearly crippled the strange warrior, he gave no sign of being weakened by the attack, so consuming was his rage. His eyes began to turn bloody as his surrender to the Dark Sider manifested itself in his countenance.

 

Being forced to fight gravity and the relentless advance of Warren's green lightsaber blade, his guard slowly began to retreat towards his turso, until the tip of the energy beam was dangerously close to his flesh. His wrathful eyes clouded over with rage, then an invisible fist closed around the Padawan's throat and lifted him upwards until his feet were dangling from his suspended body. Another fist punched him in the gut, driving wind from his lungs.

 

He gave a satisfied snarl, hesitating on the choice of whether to ashpyxiate him with the Force or to finish him in a bloody fashion with his staff. Finally, he chose the more grisly, and more morbidly satisfying path--to skewer him with the weapon's spiked end. Twirling the Phrik weapon in a windmill motion, he painfully swatted away Warren's legs and threw his body away with the Force.

 

As Warren rolled in the snow, the Sith was on him in an instant. His pain forgotten, he sprinted through the bloodied powder. Channeling his rage into pure power, he leapt from the ground. Midflight, he bellowed in gruesome triumph and angled the staff like a hunter's spear, aiming to drive the weapon into the Jedi's breastbone and end his life in a fantastic gory finale.

[Nitestrike]

Blood spotted the snow along the path Brad had flown over to this spot, breathless, struggling to breath. He wheezed as he rolled, feeling told to do so. He quickly got back to his feet, using the Force to aid him much more than usual. He raised the saber once more, preparing for the man's onslaught.

 

Then, as the man neared him, Brad felt the Force flow through him more than he ever had before. The rage flooded man's attack was vicious and wicked fast, and without the Force at his side to speed his movements Brad knew he would've died. He stretched out, launching the man backwards with the Force and saw him hit the side of the ship as he fell.

 

Brad stood there, trying to catch his breath. He sensed the man's presence still lurking in the silence after that attack. He quickly wiped away the blood around his mouth and winced a little as he got into position again.

 

"You....will not....succeed..." Brad managed to get out between his frequent and painful breaths. He called on the Force once more for his final attack to ease the pain in his wounds. He spun his lightsaber too fast for most people to track it. It was going to help him hide his attack path. He advanced on the man, burning a path in the snow with his lightsaber.

[Dash Antilles]

The Moonlight Flit slowly dropped beneath the cloud layer erupting form the mist in a sudden flash of light as the sun reflected off of it's hull then was cut short as the clouds blocked its rays. The ship gracefully glided down towards the surface of the ice planet, making for a large icy plan.

 

When the ship touched down it was lost in among the ice, masked by the wind and the weather.

[ObliviousKnight]

The Sith rose from the snow, not bothering to wipe the pristine snow from his coat. His tolerance for pain seemed supernatural, as his performance was only slightly hindered his impact against the armored hull of the Baudo-class Yacht. When the Padawan charged, he began a slow retreat under the curved wing of the ship, attempting to gain what little distance he could from Warren's lightsaber despite the thick powder.

 

Oddly, the Sith didn't strike out at the Jedi again, forgoing the traditional Sith philosophy of agressive combat; instead, he only defended himself, purposefully retreating to a specific destination. As he approached the cockpit again, he quickly glanced up, then finally struck out at Warren just as he unleashed another flurry of blows at him. The blunt end of his staff shot out at his favored wrist and struck it before his blade threatened him. Suddenly deadened by the impact, his hand became completely numb, and merely grasping his lightsaber became difficult, let alone fighting.

 

"No, it is you who has failed." His destination suddenly became apparent; just above his head, a nergon-14 charge was fixed to the ebony wing of the Ghost Breath, blinking serenely despite its massive potential for destruction. Smiling tightly at his opponent, the Sith stabbed upwards at the demolition charge, intent on killing them both by crudely detonating the explosive.

 

((Good work. You have my permission to post a kill shot, but leave the gory details to me, please. I need to explain what happened here.))

[Kautra Nadio]

Kuatra was horrified by the Scars on his masters face, and then even more horrified by the fact that he was still in the caves of Ilum. This dark Jedi before him spoke about the "True Power".

 

Kautra looked at this Dark Jedi, but had no sence of his presence in the cave. There was an evil presence, but not a human presence, meaning that he was only a spirit. His mind confirmed thisfor him, the presence looked, and sounded real, but his force presence was that of a spirit. The voices he heard were of the dark Jedi, which meant he could no longer trust them, and that he was on his own for the most part.

 

His mind kicked in for a second, and a thought came to him. What if he was able to conceal his Force presence like some Masters could. the only way he could tell for sure, was to throw a punch and not miss.

 

He though on this for a second, and decided that the worst that could happen, was that he was mistaken, and then subsequently killed by the real Dark Jedi.

 

He lifted his right hand, and decided to throw the puch, just to see what happend...He used his other hand to throw an other punch, if the Dark Jedi dodged the first.

[Nitestrike]

"No!" Brad, using his left hand now, swung swiftly at the man's wrist that grasped the staff, slicing it cleanly off. Then Brad forcefully kicked the man in the stomach. The man fell to his knees, gazing up in pain, and most likely in confusion of how it had come to this.

 

Brad held his green-white saber close to the man's neck. He just stood there, fighting with himself on the right course of action. Would killing this man be proper, after all he had killed the life of another, but would that make it any less wrong for him to kill the man?

 

Hoping he made the correct decision, Brad quickly moved the lightsaber away from the man's neck and then into his chest. After pulling it out of the man, he deactivated his lightsaber and attached it to his belt again. He sat down on the ground in meditation, trying to justify to himself the taking of a life as well as resting after the fight.

[Dash Antilles]

The hatch to the cockpit slipped open, and the icy wind swept across dashes face, ruffling his tawny blond hair. He pulled himself out of the small fighter, taking only what he needed to create a light saber and nothing else.

 

Out side the ship a gust of wind caused snow to fume up around him dissolving him into the background for a few short seconds. He took in a short gasp of frigid air, that burned his lungs, and pieced his very soul. This was not a hospitable planet, Dash pitied its few inhabitants.

 

When in a few short moments dash had oriented himself and struck off in a northerly direction. He didn't worry about where he was going, because somehow he already knew, simply allowing the force to guide him. He took only several strides before losing sight of his ship in the mist.

 

This didn't worry him, as he knew to turn back would mean failure, mean that he had to surcome to the elements, and Dash never, never backed down. There was only one way to escape this forbidding place, and the path lay ahead of him now, towards the famed Ilum crystal caves, not back to his ship.

 

Dash's foot falls made a light crunching sound as his feet fell into the thin crust of snow, he could not see more then three feet in front of him, yet he had already taken the perfect bearing for his destination. And knew that he was nearing it with every stride, although it would take many before he actually made his goal.

 

The Snow Flurries continued, the wind never subsided, and the mist was never weakened as Dash made his long slow trek across the plan. After about an hour and a helf he knew the he was getting close, because the ground began to rise, in front of him, just slightly at fist, but accelerating quickly until it was quite steep.

 

Dash Climbed up the hill side, maintaining the same pace that he had across the plans until he came to a place where the hill dropped away and opened into the mouth of a wide cavern. The Cavern was ominous in appearance, but to one keen in the force it beckoned to be entered.

 

Dash slid down into the first cool damp chamber, glad to be out of the wind. His feet clattered across the cold stone floor as he made his way farther back into the caves reach's.

 

Dash slipped in between small chasms of rock, maneuvering through the smallest of fissures until all outside light had vanished and he was forced to use his head lamp in order to see.

 

Dash continued to Fold his body, in order to fit through the tightest of spots enclosed within a seemingly endless tunnel of clostrophobia. Just when he tough the he would die from asphyxiation found himself entering a large chamber, as big as the great hall in the Jedi temple on Corucant

 

He walked in admiring the grandness of the underground room, and using his light to pear into the far corners and darkest reach's of its walls. It was magnificent, but he never really apritated its true grandness until he looked up at the high ceiling. And when he did he was meet with the sparkle of so many glistening crystals that they rivaled the stars in the sky. The light the was refracted back from his small headlamp was almost blinding.

 

Dash walked to the very middle of the room where a small stone pedestal stood, and took out his light saber parts beginning work.

 

Throughout the hours that fallowed Dash poured his soul into the weapon, allowing it to hold his very life force. His thoughts his dreams, and maybe even a little bit of his physical being were held in the weapon by the time he was done placing the pieces together.

 

Dash saved the most important part of his light sabar for last, once he had put together the power core, focusing pin exc. He reached out in the room with the force allowing himself to become a part of the power in the room.

 

Using the force Dash was directed, if I can even say that he cause it in the first place to use the force to take a single crystal from the roof, and bring it to rest in the center of the pedestal before him.

 

With the final piece of the puzzle sitting withing his grasp dash took the crystal and used it to cut into a vain in his arm, so the his blood flowed out onto the precious stone. For this weapon to be a part of him, he had to become a part of it, so he allowed his blood to flow over the crystal until he deemed the it had been saturated, and held a red hue.

 

Placing the final part of his weapon in its designated place dash brought the weapon up into his right hand and held it in a tight grip. Then triggering it to extended a dark red light flowed forth from the blade, surprising Dash just a little, as he had expected orange.

 

Dash brought the weapon up into the striking position and allowed its scarlet light to shin throughout the chamber. He know realized the he was a Jedi Knight, and full member of the Jedi order.

[ObliviousKnight]

For a long moment, Padawan Brad Warren was allowed to enjoy the silence of meditation amongst the eerie howl of Ilum's icy wind. Armiena's body lay cooling on the in the snow, reciprocated by the punctured corpse of the Sith assassin.

 

However, Warren would eventually notice that all of his wounds disappeared cleanly, as though they never existed. The body of the Sith he had just slain disappeared, and the spilled blood that marred the clean white snow faded from existance. Still, the silence remained.

 

It was broken by a somewhat frustrated, though thankfully familiar voice. "Mother!? Was it really necessary to crack my skull on my own ship?" Armiena rolled over on the snow below her ship and was nearly covered in snow as her body found a particularly deep drift of snow. She slowly crawled out of the powder, groaning at what she suspected was a minor concussion.

 

"Yes..." Came an elder voice, though similar to the Jedi Knight's. "Completely necessary." The white-robed form of an elder woman, similar in stature to the younger Draygo, tore itself free of a snowy prison in the slope just beyond the Ghost Breath. She was clearly amused, not because of the minor harm she had inflicted on her daughter, but her wounded pride and outrage. "I'll see you back on Coruscant." Without another word, Misal Draygo turned and trudged through the snow for wherever she had landed her borrowed ship.

 

During the duration of the "duel", Armiena and Misal had combined their talents in the Force to construct an incredibly elaborate illusion; every detail, every injury of the fight was perfectly choreographed. Armiena, in order to make herself appear truly dead, had invoked an incredibly rare, advanced technique known as "Morichro," in which she slowed her vital functions to almost a standstill. She certainly appeared to be deceased, although her mind was free to float on the currents of the Force and deceive the Padawan into believing he was fighting for his life against a Sith.

 

"As you can see, Padawan, I'm not dead after all. And I believe that we have some business to take care of. Kneel."

 

The signature snap-hiss of a lightsaber's ignition bathed her pale face in cold navy light, and she lowered the blade to Brad Warren's shoulder. "By the power vested in me by the Jedi Council, I declare you a Jedi Knight. Rise, Jedi Knight Brad Warren." She extinguished the blade, then stepped back to bow to Brad Warren--the first bow he would receive as a Jedi Knight.

[Dash Antilles]

Dash stood with the light saber high over his head, eyes flicking into the various corners of the room catching the refracted red light from his own light saber as it shimmered in and out of view magnified 1000 times by the crystals.

 

He stood there for a second just thinking about the events of the last few weeks, the time that had passed between when he had been a single soul in the galaxy tell now, when he was a famed Jedi knight. Most of the experience had been good, and he smiled as he remembered some of the times that he and Aryain had had.

 

But that time was all to short as his memory focus on his fight with Tethyn, reenacting it once again. Dark thoughts clouded his mind, and the vividness of the vison increased.

 

::He was standing over Tethyn once again, hold the cold blade of the sith sword to the mans fluttering throat. He pulled the sword back, and as he did this he light saber swung back through the air. And a smile crept across his face as he swung his weapon down in a swift movement, scraping it across the stone floor of the cave.::

 

When Dash open his eyes they were filled with hot tears, he knew that he would never be that same man for what he had done that day, it was impossible to become what he was once. He had taken a mans life, but at the same time a part of him had been killed, the joyous happy part.

 

Dash's eyes flicked back to the entrance of the chamber as he deactivate his light saber, and place it onto his belt. Then back to the far side of the room where a pool of cool clear water stood.

 

Dash striped off his robes and new weapon placing them on the stone pedestal.

 

He took one deep breath before sending himself diving into the water. When the tip of his fingers first touched the icy liquid shots of pain ran up them from the temperature. Then his arms, and his head, until his entire body felt like it was being stabbed with ice coated needers.

 

The cold sunk into his chest causing his breaths to come short and erratic. The pool was only about ten feet wide, yet when he had taken his dive he had not felt or seen and sight of bottom, it seemed as if the water had filled a shaft that went all the way to the core of the forbidden planet.

 

The water in the pool was not still, but flowed around him as he treaded water to escape its icy depths. The current traced then lines as it swirled across his skin.

 

Dash closed his eyes, and what he saw made him yell. Tethyns pale face appeared before his eyes, as Dash's own voice echoed across the room. ”œGet Out, leave my mine. Leave me to think my own thoughts.”

[Oblivion]

A cold low voice followed the haunting visuals, one that was very familar to Dash for it was the same voice of the Sith in his nightmares had used to coax him into following him into captivity, the same voice that led to this shattered tortured feeling he now felt inside him..

 

”œI shall not become a mere memory...”

[Dash Antilles]

As Dash ran out of the cave, his voice echoed behind him fading into the darkness along with another voice, that of his worst adversary Tethyn. No matter where he ran no matter where he hid he could not escape that voice, he could not escape that face.

 

Dash pulse quickened as he ran across the icy plane, his breaths coming heavy as his feet pattered the snow in a quick paced jog.

 

The weather had improved sense he had first come to the caves, and shafts of light were actually penetrating the clouds and reflecting off the snow turning the entire plan into a blinding white light.

 

Dash increased his pace across the snow, cutting into the crust with quick light foot falls. His breath making long streaks of steam in front of his face, there wasn't a second to lose. Less then an hour after he had departed from the cave, his ship came into view a light on the horizon.

 

The ship hung with icicles and a thin coating of frost had covered most of its surface, diluting its mirror like effect.

 

Dash wasted no time in getting into the ship and preparing it for departure. He had the halo on and was flying the ship low over the plan within a minute of reaching it. Spreading a wave of snow up behind him as he skimmed within 3 feet of the surface of the snow.

 

When he got to the edge of the foot hills dash pulled up on the throttle and shot into the sky, and burring streak of fire.

 

Dash was a hunted man, he was not safe here, he was not safe anywhere.

[Nitestrike]

Brad returned the gesture. "Thank you. I take it we'll be returning to Coruscant now," he said, more or less a statement than a question. He headed back into the ship and the room he'd been using. He dropped his coat onto the bunk.

 

Brad turned around to head to the cockpit and Dashal's old lightsaber caught his eye. He attached it to the offhand side of his belt. He walked out of the room and towards the cockpit where he sat down in the copilot's chair.

[ObliviousKnight]

"Definitely." Armiena was starting to shake uncontrollably against the cold; after spending half an hour in perfect hibernation, experiencing the chill of Ilum's gusty wind was a shock. Grateful to escape the frosty air, the Jedi Knight retreated into her ship... and hyperspace soon after.

[Zero]

The dark Jedi dodged the first punch and blocked the other with his forearm. "Trust your instincts." The Dark Jedi used the force to knock Kautra down and he tumbled backward and out of the cave, back to the feet of his Master, who looked down on him.

 

"Bittersweet victory..."