Ilum

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex smiled. "Well, then, I guess we understand each other." He was perfectly fine with her personal beliefs, and was glad she understood his as much as it was possible for her to.

 

"We're both fully aware of what might happen in the future. But as an old famous Jedi was fond of saying, 'Until the possible becomes a reality it is only a distraction'." He grinned at her again. "We'll deal with any tensions between us as they come, but we've been friends for a long time and not had too many disputes. Of course, there was that time on Roon..."

 

His voice trailed off as he gave her a sly smile, lightening the mood the serious words they had both spoken brought on. Of course, there was a chance that she didn't remember that particular incident, but knowing his luck, she wouldn't have had forgotten.

 

He rose. "Aerec is coming. Do you want the last of this caf? Otherwise I'm going to clean up. I get the feeling we've worn out our welcome on Ilum...and I'm interested to see how the caves have affected my padawan."

[SithAcolyte]

"Sure, I'll finish it then get things cleared up... You go see to Aerec."

 

If Darla had the Force she would have reached out to feel Aerec and see how he was doing. With all that he had been through, there was surely a lot that he still had to deal with. Being in the caves and experiencing visions couldn't have been helpful at all. She wondered what horrors he may have seen or what truths he might have faced.

 

It was difficult for Darla dealing with what Aerec had become. She couldn't help in part feeling responsible for it. Things had been strange before he had left for the caves...

 

Things would be even stranger now that she an Darex had decided to explore the romantic part of their relationship. Aerec must have picked up on the tensions before, but how would he feel seeing it come to fruition? At the very least it would be awkward.

 

Darla found Darex after she'd cleared the cups.

 

"Umm... Maybe we should be... a little discrete around Aerec. At least until we know that he's doing alright after whatever he's had to face in the caves. Maybe give him a chance to get used to the idea."

 

Once more she kissed Darex realising that she herself was still getting used to the idea.

 

"Might not get to do that for a little while." She said by means of explanation with a little smile.

[Darth Furion]

A soft hush fell after her smile, and in that very brief second, darkness once against graced the mind of Darla.

• Why are you on MY planet?

It was more of a feeling than a voice, in some form an impression left on the place. After the message was delivered the darkness broke away and banality once again filled her. However, the cold clutch he once held on here heart could still be felt through his voice, even with here former self lost to her. The sting cut far to deep to be forgotten.

[SithAcolyte]

Darkness penetrated Darla's mind...

 

Why are you on MY planet?

 

The words filled her mind. The presence of another filled her mind.

 

Someone so alien to her, yet so familiar at the same time. She couldn't tell who it was, yet she knew that the name, the face was there... Just beyond her grasp.

 

Darla had no way of communicating back to the dark presence. No way of touching the stranger through the Force.

 

As quickly as he had entered her mind, he was gone.

 

Did Darex feel the presence? Could Darex feel the presence? Or was the mental attack solely upon her? For some reason Darla found her hand in her pocket, clenching the rosary that Julio had given her. Should she tell Darex about it? Was it time for her to share all with him?

 

No... She wanted to protect him form whatever it was that linked her to the Darkside.

 

Darla didn't want to burden Darex with problems that were strictly her own. Instead she simply said.

 

"I've got a bad feeling. I think we should leave this place as soon as Aerec gets back."

[Ulan]

Over the course of his long life, Ulan had lived to be what most would have considered a good person. He had never killed another sentient life, never stolen, and never cheated another person, but like all life, he was not perfect. Deep in the soul of every being is a darkness more terrifying and bottomless than the abyss which surrounded the cave's platform. The same was true for Ulan. No amount of adherence to a code could erase the hate, anger, and destruction his life had caused. In fact, as he meditated, the thought crossed his mind that his life was undeserved because although he had never done any great wrong, he had never fulfilled any great good either.

 

Years had been spent hiding, rotting, on Wayland while innocent people in the galaxy suffered. The strength of the Force now swelled in Ulan, but power and pride were not the feelings brought to his mind. Instead, the overflow of energy only served to remind the stubby man of all the opportunities he had missed. Each moment he had spent on Wayland represented another life lost; another life his talents could have saved.

 

Visions of those lives now flashed before his eyes, brought to him by the powers of the cave. It was his first test as a Jedi. "Do you truly understand the commitment you are making?" an ominous voice asked.

 

The Jedi are servants, tools that belong to the Force. To most it appears as if the ancient order controls the great mystical energy””bending it to their will, but the Force is an entity in and of itself. While it allows itself to be manipulated and controlled by feebler life forms, the Force answers to no man or beast. Instead, as Ulan was learning, all life answers to the Force. Before the Force would allow his journey to begin though, Ulan needed to be cleansed””reshaped in the image of his maker. Despite any effort on his own part however, the dark thick taint spread over his soul negated any effort to achieve total oneness with the Force.

 

Did he understand the commitment? Yes, Ulan knew he was ready to take on the challenge of being a Jedi, but could he achieve the status on his own? No, that too Ulan knew was an impossible task. His past evils would not allow him to represent the purity of the Force.

 

"Done wrong have I, but to be a Jedi, ready I am."

 

The simple words of confirmation were all that was needed. The darkness of the abyss turned white, radiating a brilliant light upwards that encased Ulan in a more powerful, stronger energy than he had ever felt. Not until his death would such a feeling be felt again by the green man. The light shredded Ulan's impurity, eradicating his previous life. The energy lifted his feeble body off of the platform, raising him fifty feet into the air where he was entirely shrouded in light. No longer would he be the stumpy old grouch that had plagued the forests of Wayland. The new Ulan would be pure and just; finally, after five hundred years, he would understand his purpose.

 

Shards of light fell from the ceiling as the stunning display came to a close. Ulan, still suspended in the middle of the cavern, was slowly lowered by a power greater than his own. Gently, the life giving Force sat Ulan back on his feet in the middle of the platform next to his plant.

 

The haze blocking his sight slowly cleared, and as it did Ulan could not believe what stood before him. The tiny seedling had sprouted into a glorious tree. The plant had broken out of its pot and somehow rooted itself in the stone platform. It was obvious to Ulan that the tree was now imbued with the Force, but, he thought, so is everything. This tree was special however, growing from a seedling to a twenty foot tall mature plant in moments. In fact, Ulan noticed as he rubbed the trunk that the tree's bark had a strong stone like texture to it. Never before had he seen a tree of this kind, and the only plants he had ever known to become as hard had been dead and petrified for thousands of years. Gavin's gift was still living, producing brilliantly white, thick leaves that now shaded the platform.

 

Ulan stood back in amazement at the power of the Force, but remembered a task had to be completed. Looking upon the tree, Ulan realized immediately what had happened. The Force had provided him with the tools he needed to complete his mission. The bark of the tree would serve as his hilt, and the leaves””actually light clear crystals””would serve as the focusing crystal of his weapon.

 

This was not a task for his hands to complete, though. The Force had to be the guiding factor in every aspect of Ulan's life. That is what separated the Jedi experience from the Sith. Jedi allowed the Force to guide their actions, but as symbolized in the act of creating a Sith Saber, dark side Force users longed for control.

 

Ulan sat back down, filled with the light of the Force, and released his inhibitions to the power of the great energy. Strips of bark broke away from the black tree and floated towards Ulan. Using a trick he had learned early on from Gavin, Ulan nudged the pieces of bark into an accelerated spin. Faster and faster the flakes rotated creating friction and heat. Small bolts of static electricity sprung away from the rotating mass. The bark turned from a dark black color to a hot red. Each piece mixed and melted into the other making one large massive ball of pliable metal. Ulan's eyes narrowed as he peered into the electrifying, metallic orb. Fingers of light reached from Ulan's mind to the globe to pull and twist the metal into a desirable shape. The Force stretched the metal into an eight inch long cylindrical tube with the slightest of bends to fit Ulan's preferred two handed grip, but before a large chunk of ice fell from the ceiling at a non-lethal speed, the cylinder opened into two pieces, splitting precisely in half to allow for the placement of the weapon's inner workings. Reaching the location of the hot metal, the ice melted to water and splashed over the tube, cooling and hardening the substance, making it incredibly strong and durable. Tendrils of the Force then ripped a piece of Ulan's robe and used the cloth to polish the metal to a fine, mirror shine. Ulan was left with a solid black hilt.

 

"Inside the darkness of this hilt, you will see your new self," exclaimed the long silent, ominous voice. "Infused with the Force, you are the light that separates the night. Serve this weapon well, Ulan."

 

The hilt, hinged open and ready for its inner components, laid itself on the pedestal in front of Ulan. A clear, light reflecting leaf floated towards the ground and, passing by Ulan's green eyes, found its home in the focusing crystal housing.

 

Several more hours passed and, using electronics he had scavenged from his journeys, the inner workings of Ulan's lightsaber were finished. The weapon had only one power switch located inside the hilt and operated by the Force. Ulan would not use the weapon unless guided to aggressive negotiations by the life giving energy. Also, a mystical element not entirely understood by Ulan had fed itself into the metal. None other than the green man would be able to use this weapon unless he was to willingly give, as a gift, the weapon to another lightside Force user. Without Ulan's hand, the sword would be useless. Obviously, Ulan had no way of testing this power, but something in the process had informed him of this particular characteristic.

 

Closing the hilt, Ulan knew there was only one final job to be done. He needed a primary crystal to power his lightsaber. This task would require patience. Ulan walked away from the platform, leaving the tree as a testament to the power of the Force.

[ForceFusion]

Aerec ignited his lightsaber.

 

His lightsaber. Built with his own hands. With his own life, he forged this weapon.

 

The orange glow resonating off of it guided him in the darkness of the gave and Ilum's falling night.

 

The trek to the ship was long and cold, but he made it. He climbed back onto the ship, cold and stiff. His jaw was clenched. He wasn't sure of everything that had happened in the cave, but he was sure that he'd come out...a Jedi. Now, at least, he had an identity. He sighed with relief.

 

"I'm here," he called when he entered the ship. It felt so strange to be around people again. Real people, not just figments of his imagination, tricks of the eye and the Force.

 

He immediately stiffened when he saw Darla. She'd walked away from him in the cave...but he had to remember that wasn't really her. Was it?

 

"I say we head out and find the Grand Master."

 

This was another planet he didn't particularly want to linger on. Though he was proud of what he'd accomplished in those caves, it had changed him somehow. And he wasn't sure how yet. He wasn't sure what to do with Riftor's parting words.

 

He wasn't sure what he'd say if Riftor's voice came again.

 

But he was a Jedi now. He would face that challenge when it came to him.

[Darex Trevelian]

The Jedi Master smiled down at Darla as she gave him a quick kiss. "Yes, I agree." He finished cleaning up the cups from their caf, making sure they were ready to go when Aerec returned.

 

He also mentally prepared himself for whatever Aerec had discovered while in the caves. He had no idea how the young man had changed, but he also did know that change was inevitable. So it was that he completely missed the stiffening of Darla's spine. He glanced up as she told him she had a bad feeling about being here. "I do too. As I said, I feel we've overstayed our welcome."

 

Just then, Aerec returned. Darex noted the lightsaber resting in his padawan's hands, but said nothing except a warm greeting. "Feel free to make yourself something warm to drink," he added. "Ilum is bitterly cold. I wish the Jedi could have found a nicer planet to harvest their crystals on."

 

With a grin, he headed to the cockpit. A few minutes later, the ship entered the atmosphere of Ilum, and a few minutes after that had disappeared into hyperspace.

[Ulan]

Created by the combined spirit of all things living, both in the past and present, the Force guided all occurrences in the universe. Likewise, the binding energy had directed Ulan to his current spot. The Force had created for him, and at the same time helped him create, a lightsaber of rare and powerful design. One piece was missing however. Every Jedi weapon required a central primary crystal. It was the stone, meditated on and placed in the weapon by the Jedi that linked the user to the weapon. Every lightsaber was different, and every lightsaber when in the hands of its rightful owner could be a devastating weapon. The primary crystal made it so.

 

Ulan wandered through a labyrinth of rock formations, passing veins filled with the rare Adega crystals, but he knew in his heart which specific stone belonged to him. The Force had told him where to find the proper gem and, as he walked, drew him closer to the crystal's location.

 

Entering a wide room that seemed to glow from the presence of so many gems, Ulan felt a cold, uncomfortable presence wash down his back. The hairs on his neck stood erect, and in his moment of doubt he reached for the inoperable lightsaber.

 

The glow of the crystals dimmed, and from behind a large formation a dark mass appeared. Ulan was frozen in his tracks. There was no way to describe the beast. Its physical features were non-existent and constantly changing.

 

"This, Ulan, is the darkness in your saber's hilt. This is the filth that covers your soul."

 

Ulan did not understand what was happening. He had just been cleansed by the Force, yet now he was being told the exact opposite. What he did not understand was that the Force had washed away the taint, but every day, in every occurrence of his life, he would have to live as if he were the source of light.

 

"You've come a long way in your training, padawan. Your skill has increased significantly, and your wisdom has tripled during your journeys. There is still more work to be done though. Your task is not complete now, nor will it ever be. You've confirmed your desire to be a Jedi and you will be, but more to learn have you still."

 

The words hung in the air saturating Ulan's ears. He was confused. He had thought creating his lightsaber would be his final task, but now he was being told his training was not finished.

 

"What more to do have I?" he asked, confused and biting back his frustration.

 

"Go to Gala, Ulan. There Gavin will teach you about the true darkness. Only when you allow the light in you to cleanse the darkness in the galaxy will you be a true Jedi. For now, take this crystal as your own and place it in your lightsaber."

 

A perfectly cut gem floated towards the padawan and hung in front of his eyes. He could feel the Force powers dripping off of the stone.

 

"Use this crystal to power your weapon so that you may serve the weapon as you have been commanded. Some day, when you are ready, you will return to this place and harvest the crystal meant for your hand. Go, and know that I will be with you."

 

The stone fit perfectly inside the open casing of Ulan's black hilt. As soon as the crystal was properly aligned, the casing closed shut and floated into the air. Ulan watched as the two halves were seemingly weld together by the Force making the hilt one solid piece with no openings. He knew that he would be able to open the weapon should he need to, but only he would be able to access the internal workings of his weapon.

 

The black hilt floated back into his hand and rested perfectly between his three fingers. With his mind, Ulan flipped the internal switch, and for the first time in its existence the green blade of Ulan's lightsaber pierced the air.

 

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

 

Walking back up the corridor to the entrance of the cave, Ulan once again noticed the drawings on the walls. From his pocket he took some soil and, with the Force, extracted as much green pigment as he could. He spread the chalky substance on the wall with his hand making the image of a great tree at the center of a large domed room. For a time, Ulan's experiences in the cave would be remembered by future Jedi, but eventually, he knew, his life would be swept up in the flow of the everlasting Force.

 

He walked onwards after finishing the ritual and came upon Gavin who was sitting at the cave's mouth.

 

"Cold are you?" Ulan asked with a smile on his face. He doubted that a large number of padawans left the cave smiling, but his experiences had been good. He had not heard precisely what he had wanted to hear, but he could accept his new mission knowing that it would be a useful step in his progress towards Knighthood. Perhaps his old age made him wise and patient enough to agree to the terms, but Ulan felt as if the Force had completely washed through him and now controlled his destiny. He knew he had nothing to worry about.

[Gavin Ryaro]

Gavin smiled as Ulan approached from the inside of the cave. He had not been there for long, but judging by the smile on his face his experiences had been better than expected. The small silver cylinder at Ulan's waist drew a nod of acknowledgement from Gavin.

 

"Cold are you?"

 

Gavin laughed slightly, smiling even more. "Not as much as you would think. The Force has ways of protecting those who know how to weild it. Soon you will learn powers such as these just as you will learn to weild the sword that now hangs on your belt."

 

Gavin let the smile slip from his face and his mood become more solemn. "While you were in the cave I was here meditating and I kept getting the same message." He stood and began to walk, motioning for the small alien to follow him. "It was the distinct feeling that while you have learned the basics and a few of the more advanced things that I wanted to teach you, we are not done here."

 

They had arrived at the ship and were now walking up the ramp. The refuge from the cold was welcome and relieving. Gavin took off the extra layers of clothes that he had donned and moved towards the cockpit. He sat down and began to warm up the ship.The pre-flight would be short and soon they would be on their way.

 

"I feel like we're being called to a certain location, but I haven't yet pinpointed where. Perhaps you have some idea..."

 

((In your next post you can make the revelation of the vision from your last post. then have us go into hyperspace.))

[Kakuto Ryu]

((Not so fast! See: http://jedirp.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1028547#1028547 For Details. Please Acknowledge my conditions if you accept them.))

 

From the mouth of the Crystal Cave a bright light could be seen in the northern sky, gaining hues of orange and red as it grew large by the second. Uriel, Kakuto Ryu's dreaded colossus, shredded through the atmosphere. A curtain of flame engulfing the steep reentry.

 

This isn't right... It's missing.

 

Inside the mech Kakuto Ryu meditated, his mind drawn into the machine to act as it's control. As the biological component of the machine began to blister from the reentry, the pain was channeled into the pilot, acting to fuel the rage that was igniting within the Master. He felt the presence of the Jedi that had come for the crystal caves. His brow sharpened with disgust, and sense of dread began to overtake the air around the mouth of the Cave.

 

Where is it?! That scheming bastard! This is not-

 

A twinge. A shadow. It was gone. She was gone. Kakuto felt the residual sense that Darla had been on this world, but had left.

 

So it was her... But I'm too late. I must repay Furion for this tip.

 

Breaking into the lower atmosphere, the cool air extinguished the the mech, making it visible in the clear Ilum sky. The air from the cave charged as though in an electrical storm--the crystal's magnifying the sensation of darkness that approached.

 

I suppose I will just have to make due with what is left.

 

Trailed by the flare brilliant white Ion Engines, Uriel bore on Ulan and Gavin. Approaching fast, they would have only a few moments to brace themselves--a leisure not often permitted by Sith Master.

[Ulan]

Ulan followed Gavin aboard the ship and bounced into a seat next to his master. The engines hummed to life, gently vibrating the ship.

 

"I feel like we're being called to a certain location, but I haven't yet pinpointed where. Perhaps you have some idea..."

 

Ulan found it intriguing that Gavin had experienced the same thoughts, but the short green alien did not have time to reply to his master. Before he could open his mouth to respond, a dark feeling gripped Ulan's soul. It was a sensation he had not felt since...Gala.

 

Ulan's big, green eyes looked up at Gavin, connecting with his master's thoughts. Approaching, darkness is. The padawan could tell his master had already felt the rage headed their way, and knew they had only seconds to react. Ulan stretched out with the Force, preparing for the impact and subsequent jolt sure to decimate their current position.

 

In the cave, Ulan had witnessed the true power of the Force and now fully understood the limits of its power. He now knew the Force did not comprehend limitations. Understanding this, the green man grasped the hull of the ship with his mind and pulled backwards, away from the impending threat with all of the lightside tendrils he could generate. A second before the darkness slammed into Ilum, Ulan pleaded for his master's help as he inched the ship out of harm's way.

 

((Not my best, but let the games begin.))

[Gavin Ryaro]

A wave of desperation washed over Gavin as his apprentice began to mentally plead for Gavin's help. He let his eyes flutter shut and eased his way into the white river that was the Living Force. All distractions were blocked out and he let the power begin to flow through him. Together the duo managed to nudge the ship into the black abyss of the Crystal Cave. Never missing the opportunity to teach Gavin began to speak to Ulan through the mental bond that the two had forged.

 

Ulan, you must remember this as the next few minutes unfold. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no death, there is the Force. Trust that the Force will protect you and we will be fine.

 

As the ship set down, finally beginning to complete its warm-up cycle, Gavin stood, motioning for Ulan to follow.

 

"We haven't much time. Gather whatever you can in the next few seconds and we will retreat farther back into the cave. Once we are far enough into the cave we will make our stand. The amount of power radiating from this coming darkness is not any small amount. It is the force of a very powerful Sith Master. You must begin to prepare yourself now for what we will face in the near future. This will be the first of many tests that you will face in your apprentinceship and I am fully confident in your abilities. Now come."

 

Gavin gathered a small amount of rations and some warmer clothes before making his way to the ramp. Ulan joined him a few seconds later and they disembarked from the ship. There was no point in locking it, so Gavin left it running and unlocked knowing that if the power coming wanted to destroy the ship and simple lock wouldn't keep him out. Such a pointless act seemed like nothing but a waste of time.

 

The pair made their way deeper into the cave, setting up camp in the main crystal chamber. Gavin drew his saber, holding it in his hands, and knelt, letting the warmth of the crystals heat his body and soul. He trusted that his apprentice would follow suit and that the meditation would prepare both the teacher and the student for what was to come. Now all that was left to do was to wait.

[Kakuto Ryu]

The chest of the mech heaved intentionally at the rock entrance to the cave, the open cockpit seeing the inside the cave for but a moment before it was washed away in a downpour of loose rocks and snow. Entrance to the cave would not come easily again.

 

The Sith Warrior was ejected into the cave from the open door of his cockpit, set free of it's strain for a moment. Stunned by the numbness the relief offered, he rolled down the chasm, using his mechanical hand to asborb the impact. Shards of steel cracked off, panels breaking and releasing oily black blood. He came to a halt within sight of the Jedi's ship, but didn't seem to notice. Without bodies inside, it was just an empty vessel to waste time on--nearly invisible to his malice. Kakuto just watched vagrantly for his the valves in his equipment to close off the wounds in his arm.

 

In the Amphitheater of the crystal cave, the walls began to shine with a silvery blue as the crystals came alive with the force. The air itself was charged, as felt through the hair on their skin raising up. As the Warrior approached the dormant power of the crystal cave reacted. The crystals began to glow in a brilliant show of color, charged with the static power of the Sith's presence. Hues of green, blue, orange, and any other color imaginable illuminated the room, pulsating in sync with the taps of his boots on the cold stone floor.

 

"Jedi and smaller targets--." Kakuto mused, grinning at the tiny green man. The deepest, cruelest part of him was pleased at a chance to play whack-a-mole with one of rare reptilian jedi imps.

 

Kakuto held his pearl lightsaber between his armored fingertips, letting it rest at his side as his mechanical hand writhed, his five fingers merging to three, a spark of crimson radiating from his flattened palm. The spark caught in the dead center of his grasp, levitating between his fingertips. Slowly more joined it, a stable ring of energy gathering in the grip of the Dark Master.

 

"I am so glad you could lead me to this location! You see I always wanted to create a force storm, but I could never maintain such a precise reaction. You see, a force storm happens when the Dark Side taps into a large, inert presence withing the force..."

 

The crystals welled up, flickering in tandem to the light's growth. Suddenly, however, the lights began to fade, as though the curtain were about to fall. The crystals dimmed until the only source of light in the room was in the palm of the Sith Master's hand. Even the glow lamps on the ship had shorted out, replaced with the eerie red. Suddenly the ring began to rotate erratically, moving faster and fast until only a crimson orb could be seen. The sphere of raw force grew until it's blinding red light washed through the cave.

 

"...and attempts to consume it."

 

The Orb of Lightning drifted away from Kakuto, hovering toward the Jedi as if drawn to their soothing nature. It halted suddenly, just outside the Dark Warrior's reach, when his finger found the activator on his lightsaber. In one motion the pearl blade extended, thrust toward the ball lightning before him. This tip rested on the edge for a single moment, then burst through.

 

The orb exploded, projecting arcs of blue through the room. The energy was free, loose-- jumping to the crystals, the Jedi, Kakuto himself, and the cave round them. Bouncing from crystal to crystal, the energy took the brilliance of the cave and magnified it. The cave was alive now--It had been awakened by an attack meant for it alone. The Sith would fight the cave and everyone in it; that much was clear.

 

[OCC: Alright, here's my proposal. In lue of the Exorcist, if you can crowbar my arm off, it would certainly stun him badly while you improvised one. So let the games Begin!]

[Ulan]

Stretched out with his feelings, Ulan took in the swelling of the Force inside the cave, all the while knowing darkness was growing close. It was no shock to him when the entrance to the cave collapsed spewing dust and debris inwards as well as out. The foe had arrived.

 

Evil's presence filled the cave as the tall, lanky, strong looking Sith wandered purposefully into the sacred shrine. Battle was not eminent, it had already begun. The walls sparked to life in reaction to the powerful man; a power that Ulan could likewise feel. It flowed freely off the Sith, around the Sith, and through the Sith tempting Ulan with promises he knew to be empty.

 

"Jedi and smaller targets--" said the Sith, greeting the only other present beings.

 

Ulan sneered at the insulting remark, drawing his hilt from his side. The cool metal adhered to his hand acting as a beacon of light in the face of this man's darkness. So much had Ulan learned while inside the caves, but his lessons were not at an end. This battle, Ulan knew, would be his first test.

 

As the Sith spoke, Ulan could nearly see rivers of the Force rolling towards Evil's location. The power compounded onto itself, ever growing and all powerful.

 

"You see, a force storm happens when the Dark Side taps into a large, inert presence within the force, and attempts to consume it."

 

The lights of the crystals gave way to bleakness. As Ulan stood facing the mighty enemy, it seemed as nothingness had taken over, as if life itself was absent--never having existed. It was a cold, lonely feeling that washed over the green man. In the presence of his master, Ulan had always felt life, freedom, and happiness. The light made things grow, spring forward, and live, but this man perplexed Ulan. He seemed bent on eradicating life, possibly even his own.

 

Then the power was released, and as the orb drifted towards Ulan and Gavin, the short man prepared himself for a collision. He would stand his ground. Darkness, he knew, could not overcome light, for that is not how nature worked. Light pierces the shadows eradicating darkness. Yes, it may appear at times that darkness consumes the light or as if light retreats from darkness, but this was not the case. Darkness exists everywhere, far outnumbering the light. Ulan had seen this fact every time he peered out of the window in Gavin's space ship. Stars are mere specks surrounded by infinite amounts of blackness, but this bolstered the argument for the strength of light. If Good can forever withstand the onslaught of so much Evil, even when for an eternity righteousness is outnumbered, then in no way can Darkness claim superiority. That light was the eternal destroyer of evil is why the old padawan was able to stand his ground in the face of the Sith's raw power.

 

What happened next, however, stunned the old man new to the ways of the Force. A beam of light shown through the red orb, barely coming in contact with the Sith's creation before the power of the darkness exploded, radiating out into every crevice of the cave. The crystals groaned and ached as the impure energy entered their bodies. Ulan himself felt paralyzed by the screaming pain being projected by the rocks. Achieve the impossible this Sith tries to do, Ulan thought.

 

In the face of darkness, Ulan caught a glimmer of light sparkling off of his abysmally black hilt reminding him of his charge. He quickly focused his mind and ignited the short, green blade.

 

"Foolish are you to believe the nature of the Force you can bend," said Ulan courageously.

 

Surrounded by darkness like a lonely star is by the black of space, Ulan pulled on the lightside of the Force to help him pierce this Shadow. Having only an ounce of his foe's ability, and having studied the Force for only a short period of time, Ulan sprung confidently into battle. The hatred of the Sith's attack pounded on Ulan's soul, ceaselessly begging to be let in, but Ulan focused on the only glimmer of hope he had. His old bones lifted anew with the power of the Force pushing the short reptilian off the ground and towards his foe's attack. Darts of blue, green, and red Force energy still exuded from the spot where the orb had exploded and where the pearl colored saber now protruded. Ulan bravely charged into the face of this danger with speed and courage.

 

His green blade sizzled as it struck the pure energy of the Sith's platinum weapon. Ulan feared not the power of this Sith, but instead unleashed his own attack, not as strong as his enemy's, but as powerful as he could muster. As the green man spun to the ground, swinging his blade around his body and grasping the hilt with his left hand, he pushed against the steely creature unleashing a stream of Force energy to throw his opponent off balance, hopefully creating an opening for Gavin.

[Kakuto Ryu]

((OOC: New Proposal--Due to low turnout and interest, I'm very depressed to say I'm going to try to cut this short. While KR's methods may be brutal, let me assure you that I intend to make good on my promise not to kill anyone. That said, I'd like to propose that no matter the result, we attempt to relocate to Gala. Thank you for participating in my experiment, I'm sorry it didn't turn out more epic. Oh, and also...))

 

The Dark Warrior smiled as he bat the Green Saber away, arc after arc, a sidestep and a parry at a time. How unpredictable it was. Such a rare treat to enjoy on the field of battle. He kept his open arm behind his back for balance at a glance, but secretly to try to conceal what he would do next. From inside his shoulder three large steel pistons pistons erupted, arcs of force lightning passing between them.

 

"Didn't you know? The Sith are a bend in the Nature of the force."

 

As the airborne jedi jumped toward him he parried, feeling the force push tilt him off balance. He allowed himself to be pushed, tipping over to expose his back to Ulan on the down turn of his leap. While falling downward it was near impossible for him to dodge the cybernetic hand that swatted him out of the air and three smoking and jagged fingers clamped around his face. With the Ulan Sized Lightsaber, he could barely reach Kakuto Ryu's elbow, which unfortunately was just shy of where he'd have to cut to at least hit flesh. Instead he would strike meaninglessly at at an arm that would yield to no light.

 

When the Master held the Jedi out in front of him, his smile twisted, Madness overtaking his ability to rationalize. When the smile had transformed to quivering grimace, and his eyes radiated an icy fog of blue, all his restraint shattered.

 

Kakuto hurled his arm forward, detaching from his hand from the wrist. For an instant, Ulan hung in the air, free from his captor save for the nigh indestructible fingers clenched around his skull. The pistons sunk into his flesh, and from the open end of the Warrior's open arm came singular bolt of lightning, throttling the fist through the air and bouncing the Jedi off the floor. The claw embedded in a massive crystal, tightly clenching the Jedi's head between the hot steel and the cold blue crystal. Force Lightning acted as the energy binder, channeling energy through the hand and into the crystal behind the Jedi it held.

 

For a mere moment, Ulan was the Eye of the storm, with Dark Lightning swirling around all around his narrow field of vision. It rejecting him in favor of the crystal that was so much more conductive of the Darkside than he. The sound of the pistons ejecting shattered the calm, Kakuto's boots clicking frantically as the lightning grew silent--as if pulled tight. Suddenly the footsteps stopped and his peripheral vision grew dark.

 

Pulled to his fist on his tether of raw hate made manifest, Kakuto's arm was made whole through an massive aerial punch. Ulan's skull was driven into the crystal, shards splintering off on the edge of a spark firing across into the Jedi and his captor. At last the force storm erupted again, this time as a shotgun of crystals propelled by a spray of force lightning. As soon as his grip was loose of the wall he discarded the padawan at the his master's feet. With his back turned to the crystal, he could only sense the fracture continue to grow. The storm washed through him as he watched for the Master's response, stray crystals arcing off his armor while others disappeared into his hair.

 

The storm was growing faster now, as trickles of blood ran down the straight strands of his platinum hair, streaking it in crimson. The Blue haze fluttered from his eyes, his breath frantic as he struggled to contain his unrelenting rage. He raised the lightsaber horizontal to Gavin, pointing at him as if to threaten, Stay right where you are.

 

<<--Killshot Requested-->>

 

((Edited for clarity, upon request. I can make some changes if it's still unsatisfactory.))

[Gavin Ryaro]

((Defense Post))

 

Gavin stood back and watched as his apprentice flew into battle. Though it was a little more brash than he would have liked it made him realize how much his apprentice still had to learn, as well as how much Gavin still had to teach him. Even though Ulan somewhat managed to hold his own through the first part of the small fight it grew increasingly clear that there was no way that he would beat the Sith Master on his own, espescially not one of Kakuto Ryu's degree. The one thing that kept Gavin from interceeding at this point was the fact that it would make an interesting trial for Ulan and it would be the first of many that the little alien would have to face during his training.

 

As Gavin watched his padawan's head be devoured by the sheer power of the Force that Ryu displayed he knew that it would soon be time to act. His hand slid to the hilt of his lightsaber as he waited to see what would happen next. The Force storm that followed was nothing short of breath-taking seeing as Gavin had never seen such a display of brute Force power. Through the bond that they shared Gavin could feel his apprentice's determination begin to falter, though he doubted it would be erradicated for a very long time. Though small in size the alien had more will power than most of the people Gavin had met in his travels.

 

When it was all over, Gavin slowly looked up to see Ryu's lightsaber leveled at his chest threateningly. Stay right where you are. This brought a slight smirk to Gavin's lips. He could feel his apprentice's almost lifeless body laying only a few meters away and knew that if he were to give up his apprentice would die here. He needed to end this quickly. You wish.

 

With this thought in mind Gavin feinted right and ducked left, drawing his lightsaber from its resting place on his utility belt and igniting it in one smooth motion. The molten bronze blade sprang forth to block the onslaught that was coming from his dark foe. The strength behind the attack suprised Gavin causing him to take a step back. The two beams of energy broke and they pair once again came at each other, creating an intricate dance as they traded off attacking and parrying each other's blows.

 

During this rendition of an ancient art Gavin was forced to split his attention between deflecting the Sith Master's attacks and deflecting the Adegan crystals that were being thrown around by the Force storm that Ryu had created. Unfortunatley even the best duelists faltered sometimes and Gavin was by no strech of the imagination the best duelist. He felt a sharp pain in his left arm where one of the rather larger crystals had decided to lodge itself with the sound of ripping human flesh. This event catapulted Gavin to a time not so long ago when he had built his lightsaber in this very cave.

 

It had been a long and arduous task but it had been ultimately very rewarding. During the few days that he had been submerged into the depths of the Force he had had many visions of the Jedi Masters of lore. He remembered the empowering feeling that they had given him and how much more insight they had given him in the Force. Perhaps they could help him now.

 

Like most in the Order Gavin preferred to duel with both hands, but was very adequate with either hand in a single fashion. He let his left had float free from the grip of the now sweaty hilt and used it to balance himself. The limb itself was all but useless but that didn't deter Gavin from his primary objective. He called on the Force, not exactly sure what he was doing, yet completely determined in whatever it was. He was rewarded to see the spirits that had previously visited him walking gracefully from the stony walls. One of the more prominent forms caught his ear quickly, stating bluntly, "Remember your training."

 

This was something that Gavin had heard many times in the few years that he had been with the Order but it held new meaning now. During his solitude on Dagobah he had learned an interesting skill from one of the holocrons he had taken with him and now was his chance to see if all of his training had payed off. He parried one final stroke from Kakuto's lightsaber before calling on the Force to aid him in flipping backwards bringing himself to one of the elevated rock formations. Though this would only buy him a few seconds before Ryu would follow him it should have been all the time he needed.

 

He began to invade his opponent's mind, looking for the trigger that was sure to be there. The pain and suffering that he felt was almost enough to turn him away from the mind to continue the fight but the vision of his apprentice's limp body was enough to bolster his resolve, as were the Jedi spirits that were now attacking the Sith Master. Finding what he believed to be the section of the subconcious mind that he desired Gavin sent a powerful blast of the Force into his opponents head with the hopes of numbing his body and disrupting his equilibrium enough for Gavin to turn the tides of the battle.

[Ulan]

((Defense Post))

 

"Didn't you know? The Sith are a bend in the Nature of the force."

 

The Sith's words were the last Ulan heard before pain struck his small frame. Cold, hard, metal reeking of darkside powers wrapped around Ulan's head, pressing on the alien's long, pointy ears. The Giant Evil held Ulan suspended in the air leaving the two foot tall padawan to wiggle and squirm. Through the gap in the Sith's fingers Ulan could see the twisted smile on the man's face fade into an image of hate.

 

Gavin...

 

Ulan's cry through the Force did not have time to manifest. With a last ditch effort, Ulan swung his green blade at the Sith's elbow, extending his dual phase blade to its full length of three feet, but before he knew if his attack was successful the Sith's hand detached from the wretched arm and flung Ulan into the air.

 

The green man slammed into a hard wall of stone forcing the air from his lungs. Green blood trickled down his forehead as the fingers of the mechanized hand pierced through Ulan's flesh and into the rock. Quickly, with his right hand Ulan tried to free his body from the claw, but before he could drop to the ground a storm of Force Lightning pelted his body, passing through the dark hand into the large crystal. Fire and ice competed for control of Ulan's miniature frame, burning and cooling his muscles and organs all at once. His lightsaber dropped to the ground, clanging against the cold stone as his limbs stretched out writhing in pain.

 

MASTER...

 

Darkness closed in, and hope seemed lost when a sudden jolt pushed Ulan's feeble head into the rock formation. Evil invaded Ulan's body, beating down the door of his soul and raping the light within. It was an unnatural event that would later perplex Ulan, but at the time ate away at his life just as the Sith had promised to consume the power of the cave.

 

During the seconds Ulan's head burned within the crystal, the padawan was fused with the living essence of the cave. A small sparkle of light burst into flame like a new star in the farthest reaches of the galaxy even as Ulan's eyes closed, giving way to unconsciousness. As Ulan had stated, this Sith knew not what he was doing. Nature had a way of balancing its self, and although the padawan was young in the ways of the Force, his knowledge of life was ancient. While the darkness ravaged his soul, Ulan slipped into another state of being, retreating to the miniature sparkle of light that still lurked in the depths of the crystal.

 

When the Sith was finished having his fun, Ulan's limp body was tossed across the room, landing at Gavin's feet. Green blood matted Ulan's black hair to his damaged skull. Shards of glowing crystal, fused with darkside taint, stuck out of the back of the padawan's head as he lay on the ground waiting to become one with the Force.

 

Ulan, said a faint, angelic voice. Awake, Ulan. He needs you.

 

The short, stubby old man twitched and moaned as the other two duelers battled. In the distance Ulan could see a peaceful world far away from the fear and danger that still filled his aching body.

 

Ulan. It's not time, Ulan. The feminine voice once again came to him, pricking his ears. The source of the peaceful sound filled Ulan with a familiar, healing warmth, and just before he opened his big green eyes, Ulan saw the face of his former master.

 

Lightsabers clashed together creating the epic sound of plasma sparking against itself. Ulan looked up through blurred vision to see his master, Gavin, leap off a wall. The padawan had no clue what the master had in store, but with life renewed Ulan could sense the dueling power of light and dark escalating. With the crystals whirling around the room, the sound of sabers beating against each other, and a new presence filling the room the room felt as if it would explode with the Force.

 

Ulan saw the Sith grimacing, intending to kill Gavin with each and every blow. In a final effort, the padawan focused on his still illuminated lightsaber which lay on the far side of the room, unnoticed, sizzling against the stone floor.

 

The hilt twitched as Ulan reached out with his last ounces of power. With the wave his is three fingered hand, the blade spun into the air soaring straight towards the back of the Sith. With Gavin distracting the evil man, Ulan hoped his simple effort would be enough to end the conflict.

[King Kheldar vos Correlli]

On KR's KS against Ulan: KS successful. A valiant effort for defense by Ulan, but insufficient to grant a proper defense against the physical punishment and Force techs used by KR.

[Kakuto Ryu]

The warrior's chest gaped open, bleeding. He had not counted on Ulan carrying a dual phase lightsaber, and for his mistake he had suffered deep gash to his side. A heap of cauterized flesh could barely be seen through a wide scar in the bone white armor, a severed piece of his lung trying to escape from his ventilated body cavity. Were it not for the lightsaber resistant armor, it seemed likely he would have been cut in half for his error.

 

He fought back Gavin's blade, giving ground to his opponent. Slowly trickles of blood emerged from the edges of the Warrior's lips to match the crimson streaks in his hair. The amount of energy it took to compensate for his wound far exceeded the rage he drew from the agonizing pain that accompanied it, though the merciless warrior would never dare allow it to be seen in his movements. When at last the Jedi withdrew his assault, Kakuto stood prepared for what he had in store.

 

Linking minds with the warrior was a dangerous pursuit, his psyche a dark and twisted labyrinth that hid only nightmares. When Gavin made his move it was not without repercussion, the psychic path between exploding backward violently--forcing him to share in the memory had wrenched from Kakuto's Mind.

 

It was warm, a comfortable sensation that started from His fingertips and led up to His elbow. Darkness over took Him. He felt the grit of duracrete beneath his knees. Suddenly, a vibration from the warm fingertips carried like a shockwave throughout His body. Then a sound, a low, dull, quick sound, pulsing in time with sensation He felt in His hand.

 

The coppery stench of blood swirled in His nostrils.

 

His eyes opened to see a Jedi knight writing in pain on the ground. His own arm disappeared inside a gaping wound in the Jedi's chest.

 

Another pulse. It vibrated His soul, beating desperately within His grasp. Faster. Weaker.

 

His hand clenched into a fist. Warmth swirled around His hand. The pulse ceased.

 

Kakuto's eyes opened to find the Jedi's green saber piercing through his shoulder, Ulan's feet resting on his back. As though in a state of shock the Warrior turned his head slowly to aim a dreadful gaze at Ulan. The Lighsaber and it's wielder froze in place through the invisible grip of the force, the air turning cold while his madness engulfed eyes pierced the Alien. His Blood caked lips parted slowly his chest inflating as he drew in for primal howl.

 

And then, Silence.

 

When Gavin would awake from the nightmare, he would find the cave empty save for the ever-growing force storm and the Sith's Warhammer encased in a gigantic crystal at it's nexus. The cave's exit had been torn open as though by an explosion, and on the wall near Gavin's ship he would find a three words--written in blood.

 

Darla

Cloud City

[SithAcolyte]

A lone X-Wing dropped out of hyperspace near the planet Ilum. It's occupant a burning beacon in the Force. The last time she had been here, she had been merely a whisper. Her presence so diminished that she barely registered. Barely alive. Now she seemed to burn with life, with energy.

 

Darla knew that the Force was with her, but she wasn't quite sure if she would have the control over it that she used to. The energy the flowed through her, around her, guided her... it was raw. Unfocused. But it was there. That was the thing that was important.

 

She couldn't be sure if the Force had abandoned her or if she had abandoned the Force.

 

After her vision it was all so clear. She knew what happened Maybe she didn't fully understand it, but she was getting there. Her death had been brutal. Her mind, once it had been reborn, couldn't grasp what she had been through. As a result her mind had blocked her from those memories and blocked her from the Force.

 

Julio Furion...

 

The last time she was on Ilum his voice had entered her mind and warned her away. She had been unnerved, afraid. She had fled. But now she wanted to know why. She wanted to show Julio what she had seen inside her own mind. Share with him what had happened. He too had forgotten what had happened. Darla wasn't sure why....

 

Whatever it was, that was why she had been drawn back to Ilum. Something told her that she would find something there. It was a gut instinct. Perhaps the Force was guiding her to where she needed to be.

 

When she landed on the icy surface of Ilum Darla climbed out of the ship's cramped cockpit and checked the very small cargo area in the back. There was barely enough for a few small bags and Darla hadn't packed anything herself. Luckily she found a survival kit with a few days worth of rations. The Ship's astromech beeped at her. Darla had forgotten that he was there.

 

"Sorry little guy, I need you to stay with the ship. Don't want you freezing up out here."

 

Rummaging through the bag, Darla greedily at one of the rations. She had spent several day in the cockpit with only the Force to sustain her. It was bland and almost tasteless, but it felt so good just to be eating something. There was enough energy in one of the ration bars to keep someone going for a day. Although she was still hungry, Darla stowed the other rations, knowing that she would need them. She took a large gulp of water and then stowed both the rations and the canteen in her bag.

 

The orange flight suit that Darla was wearing was more than adequate to protect for from the snow, it was designed to be protective in the void of space in case a pilot needed to go EV. Darla took off the helmet however, it was a little bulky. She took a small blanket and bandages from the survival kit and fashion a make shift head scarf and cape. Covering her lower face to protect it from the cold. Lastly she put on a pair of goggles. Darla wasn't sure how long she would be out in the cold, she wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for, but she was adequately insulated from the freezing weather and had enough food for several days.

 

Hopefully I won't be here for several days...

 

All of a sudden, Darla new where she needed to go.

 

The caves!

 

The caves would serve two purposes. She was fairly sure that Julio wasn't on Ilum, so that wasn't the reason that to Force had drawn her to the planet. Firstly, she could gather a crystal to build a new lightsaber. Now that she was reconnected with the Force, it was the best weapon that she could own. Secondly there was a chance that the caves would grant her visions. Although Darla had never experienced visions in the caves herself, both Aerec and Darex had. If she was being drawn to the caves, perhaps the Force would grant her a vision, show her another piece of the puzzle.

 

With that in mind she made her way through the snow-scape. She focused on her breathing and quieting her mind. After several days of drawing on the Force to sustain her, she felt somewhat exhausted. The last thing that she wanted was to run out of strength halfway there and die in cold, her destiny unrealised. The puzzle of her death left unsolved. Especially when she had come so far, rediscovered so much of what she had been.

 

Breathing steadily an Force her stiff limbs onwards at a steady pace, Darla finally made it to the caves. It was slightly warmer inside, sheltered from the bitter winds. Darla unwrapped her mouth and pulled her goggles up onto the top of her head. She felt a presence nearby!

 

Darla hadn't been expecting to find anyone there. The person she felt had a strong Force signature. Possibly a Jedi. There was a taint of darkness nearby. As Darla probed she got the feeling that it was an echo and not coming from the person that she could feel nearby. They were two very distinct entities.

 

Just to be safe, Darla drew her blaster before she went any further. As she got closer to the person the dark taint became stronger. There was something familiar about it. Something about it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

 

No! It can't be... Not after all this time...

 

Turning a corner, blaster held out at the ready, Darla gasped in horror at what she saw. A Jedi knelt on the floor, shaking with either shock or from the cold. Above him, scrawled on the wall n what she knew was blood were the words...

 

Darla

Cloud City

 

She knew exactly what they meant.

 

Memories flooded her. She pushed them aside, not wanting to remember what she had witnessed all those years ago. The very first time that she had ever had a run in with Kakuto Ryu...

 

Dropping her pistol she rushed over to the Jedi.

 

"What happened here? Are you hurt?"

[Gavin Ryaro]

Gavin's thoughts were rushing around in his head in an incomprehensible flurry. Dreams and visions had come and gone but only one thing was perfectly clear: the complete and utter darkness that had attacked him. During his brief invasion of the Sith Lord's mind he had seen many things that would stay with him for longer than he liked, but the pure evil energy that had caused him to lose consciousness had been the final straw. His mind had been overwhelmed and he hadn't been able to deal with what had happened.

 

He awoke to a young woman kneeling over him. "What happened here? Are you hurt?" He let out a soft moan before attempting to roll over onto his back. When that failed him he slowly let his eyes flutter to a half-way open position and locked gazes with brownish green eyes that were his would-be savoir. Her brown hair seemed shades lighter than what it should have been as it reflected the illumination from the crystals that were scattered around the cave. The orange jumpsuit offered a sharp contrast to her distinct features.

 

"Wha-what happened? Ul-ulan, where's Ulan? Where's Ry-ryu?"

 

A flash of light. A look of shock. A wave of anger. And then, silence. The storm raged on around him. And then, nothing. The black abyss consumed him and there was nothing until now. Now he had a way out and he needed to take it.

 

"Wh-who are yo-you? Why d-did this happen?"

 

With his final statement he allowed his head to rest on the stony ground. All he wanted were answers.

 

((Not the best post ever, but with what I could do in this post it's the best you'll get))

[SithAcolyte]

The man seemed just as confused as Darla was. He was asking her what had happened. She looked around the cave. The man had spoken two names, Ulan and Ryu. One of which she knew the other she didn't.

 

Closing her eyes Darla walked over to the blood stained wall and pressed her hand against it. She focussed on the Force and closed her eyes. A vision of a tall white haired man filled her mind. He scrawled the words across the wall, she felt a taste of delight coming form him. Then he left the cave carrying a small green skinned humanoid.

 

Darla didn't need the Force to understand what was happening.

 

"Ryu... He took you're friend away, the green man. He wants me to go to Bespin. It's a trap to lure me to him."

 

That much was clear but Darla didn't know exactly what he wanted with her. He either want to capture her or ruin her, perhaps both. The memories that she had of him were still hard to face up to. Their history was twisted and compliacated to say the least. She had loved him, hated him, tried to destroy him and tried t save him.

 

The idea of facing him agisn filled her with dread. But she couldn't ignore the ivitation. She couldn't let an innonce being get tortured orkilled because she was too afraid to do the right thing. By saving his life, Darla felt partly responsible for all the chaos and pain that he had caused since. Espcecially now. with these two Jedi being targeted just to get her attention.

 

"He has a vendetta against me you could say... I'm Darla. That message is for me. I'm sorry that you've been dragged into all this. I promise you that I'll do everything that I can to save your friend Ulan."

 

Darla took off the blanket that she had wrapped around her shoulders to keep herself warm. She helped the man into a sitting position and wrapped it around him.

 

"Do you have a ship nearby? I came in a starfighter, so we're a little bit screwed if you didn't." She held out her hand for the man to shake. "Darla Sar, sorry to meet you under these circumstances."

[Gavin Ryaro]

Gavin was slowly beginning to remember what had happened as this woman, Darla as she had called herself, began to fill him in. Ulan and Gavin had made a valiant effort but in the end the Sith Master had overpowered them. Everything after his attempted invasion of Ryu's mind was a blank to Gavin but he knew that Ulan didn't have long if he was indeed still alive.

 

As the woman offered her hand Gavin took it slowly as he was still recovering from his previous ordeal. "Gavin Ryaro, pleased to meet you, though I too wish it could have been under better circumstances. I do have a ship and I would sincerely appreciate any help you could offer to help my apprentice."

 

Gavin painfully made his way to his feet. He looked around and it became very apparent that the two needed to leave quickly. The Force storm was growing and would soon consume the entire cave. Perhaps when they had rescued Ulan he could come back and destroy the evil that Ryu had brought to this sacred place but for now his apprentice's life hung in the balance and that was not something he was willing to gamble with.

 

"We need to leave soon. This storm can be dealt with later but Ulan may not have much time."

[SithAcolyte]

"No, I think you're wrong." Darla said, them further explained what she meant. "Your apprentice is in grave danger, don't get me wrong. But I don't think that Kakuto Ryu is in any hurry to kill him. He needs an audience. He won't kill your apprentice until we get to him."

 

Darla was sure that she was right, she knew Kakuto very well. If she knew him as well as she thought, then perhaps she could give herself up in Ulan's place then he and Gavin could go free. That was what she hoped for but she didn't mention it to Gavin. She needed him to come with her so that he could get his padawan to safety. If she told him what she was doing then he may try to stop her.

 

"We've got some time. We should try to get to Bespin as quickly as possible, but not at the expense of being prepared. Kakuto Ryu is a monster. You're only alive because he's toyong with us... We'll need to be prepared."

 

Darla helped Gavin to his feet. She remembered the reason that she had come to the caves. Reaching down Darla picked up one of the crystal, a pale violet. It would do. She felt a chill as she listened to the Force storm that Kakuto had created.

 

"Don't worry about that. I'll fade on it's on without Kakuto here controlling it. Let's head back to your ship. Gavin..." She placed a hand on his arm. "Don't worry. We'll get Ulan back in one piece."

 

Darla was unsure and nervous but put on a brave and calm face in front o her newfound comrade.

[Gavin Ryaro]

"I believe you."

 

Gavin deeply appreciated the compassion that his new companion was showing him in his time of need. He allowed her to help him to his feet as she spoke her piece. He could hear the truth in her words and knew that there was absolutely no point in arguing them. The storm could wait and he had enough trust in Ulan to know that the little alien could take care of himself well enough.

 

"Alright, let's get to my ship and figure out where we want to go from there."

 

Gavin led the way deeper into the cave where his ship had been stored. He input the code that lowered the ramp and quickly moved up the ramp to the awaiting warmth that his ship offered. He had spent far too long in the unrelenting cold to not appreciate the relief that the shelter offered.

 

"Should we head straight to Bespin or is there somewhere that you need to stop first?"

[SithAcolyte]

Darla was relieved to out of the cold and once again inside a decent sized vessel. The X-Wing's cockpit had been cripplingly small. She didn't know how she'd done it all those years ago, when she had travelled mainly instar-fighters. For several years she had been aboard fairly decent sized ships with her companions.

 

That's what it is, you've gotten used to having having company and now you don't like being alone.

 

The thought made Darla feel a little bad about abandoning her friends the way she had. Especially Darex. However, she would never be able to live with herself if any harm came to him because of Kakuto Ryu.

 

Gavin seemed friendly and brave. He was making his own choice to go up against Kakuto. Although Darla didn't want to see him get hurt, she had no attachment to this man. So if t did happen, it wouldn't be quite so hard to take.

 

We haven't even left and already you're worried about losing!

 

Darla wasn't a Jedi. Emotions ran too deeply in her. Although she had a good control over them a lot of the time. Sometimes they controlled her. Sometimes she let them control her.

 

"Well... I think we could do with weapons and armour. I don't have a lightsaber, but I picked up a crystal from the caves. If you have any spare parts that I can use to make the hilt, that would be great. But we could do with some other weapons too. I've seem Kakuto Ryu almost shredded to bits, barely alive and he still keeps fighting. Even if you cut both of his arms off with a saber he'd probably still come at you and rip your throat out with his teeth..."

 

Darla took a deep breath.

 

"He's that bad..."

 

And I'm the girl that fell in love with him?

 

She didn't mention that bit to her new friend.

 

"Gavin... We might not come out of this alive. If you see a chance to get Ulan out of there safely take it and leave me. I'd hate to see you get hurt by that monster..."

[Gavin Ryaro]

Gavin's facial expression quickly became concerned. He would do anything he could to make sure that his apprentice survived this terrible ordeal but his duty as a Jedi was to preserve all life and that included Darla's.

 

"While my apprentice is my first concern in this matter I promise that I will do everything I can to make sure all three of us come out of this alive. That monster has taken away something very dear to me and getting hurt by him would be a small price to pay to ensure Ulan's survival."

 

He turned around and dug threw on of the cabinets that lined the small ship. He came up with a tiny bin that contained the few parts that would Darla would need to create her lightsaber.

 

"You can use these to create your hilt. Everything should be there. I always make sure to keep extras."

 

Gavin set the bin down on a table and made his way to the cockpit. He started the pre-flight checks to make sure that they cold hadn't damaged the ship in any way.

 

"Should I set course for Gala then?" he called back into the main cabin. It had been a while since he had been to the Republic's main base and it would be a good chance to restock on supplies. He just hoped that Kakuto would hold his rage long enough for the pair to get there.

[SithAcolyte]

Gavin seemed determined to save his apprentice no matter the cost. There was little that Darla could do to dissuade him. She couldn't help but worry that he didn't know what he was letting himself in for. But he was a brave man and ready to face evil itself. Darla had to admire that.

 

She looked through the components in the bin that Gavin had placed on the table in font of her. It was a good thing that he kept spare parts. It would make things a lot easier for her. She would get to work while they were in hyperspace.

 

" I was at Gala before I came here. They were under attack by some combined Sith/ Imperial force. It might not be safe there.  "

 

Darla thought about it for a few moments. She was even more out of the loop with Galactic affairs than Gavin. There was nowhere else that she could think of for them to go to in order to get supplies and weapons. 

 

The alternative would be buying what they needed and Darla didn't have a credit to her name. For a moment Darla thought about Darex and Aerec. She hoped they were alright. Perhaps when this was all over she would find them again. Perhaps they were on Gala. She kind of hoped not. Darla needed to face Kakuto alone and couldn't bear to have the people she cared for caught in the crossfire. 

 

"It might be safe on Gala now. I mean, it's worth a check. To be honest I don't know where else we could go to get what we need. Gala it is."

 

The ship was now above Ilum, after talking about it with Gavin Darla in put the co-ordinates for Gala. 

 

"We can drop out on the edge of the system and scope out the area before we get too close."

 

(( ooc: Continued in space, just trying to get things moving along.)) 

[Nokrt]

The Amaunator had gone out of hyperspace to be confronted by a glorious sight. Surrounding the Space Station above Ilum was the Battlegroup the Emperor had promised him. In front of him was an Imperial Executor-class Super Star Destroyer flanked by an Interdictor Cruiser, two Victory Class Cruisers, and two Imperial Star Destroyer's. It was a glorious sight to see the Grand Admiral's full commission from Emperor Deton in front of him. Nokrt smiled and then turned to his crew.

 

"Men," he called out to gather the attention of the crew, "You are the best that a man of my position could ask for. Therefore at this moment all of you are being transfer to the newly christened Super Star Destroyer Amaunator. This ship is being renamed the Jyggalag. All men are to report to their officers and await your turn to board the Amaunator.”

 

At this point he turned to Lieutenant Galen. And nodded.

 

“The Jyggalag is not going to be your vessel, Lieutenant Galen, but you will not join us on the new Amaunator either. Instead you are going to head to the Star Destroyer Black. Captain Il’kal will make sure you have all important documents concerning your command, he will be commanding the Jyggalag and will continue to train you in commanding your own ship.”

 

The Grand Admiral saluted to his men and made his way toward his shuttle sending a Force message to the Imperial Knights as he maneuvered through the crowds of Imperials all getting ready to transition to the new Command Ship.

 

”All of you are to go together to the surface of Ilum and work as a group to find Lightsaber capable crystals. You will be able to sense caves which hold these crystals with the Force itself as they are all over the planet. Beware, this is a planet of year round winter wonderland ensuring only the most ruthless of beasts exist on its surface and more than likely around the crystals themselves. Report back to the Amaunator when you have finished gathering your crystals.”

 

The Grand Admiral had arrived at the hangar bay and boarded his shuttle which took him to the Super Star Destroyer awaiting his arrival.

 

 

((1000 words a piece minimum and collaborate. Wookieepedia Ilum and you will notice your most common natural enemy will be Gorgodons. Though I intend to throw more your way. I want at least 5 posts a piece for this.))

[Kento Galen]

"Yes sir," Kento simply stated as the Grand Admiral left the ship. He was excited, that was the word. He'd finally be in charge of something he was tired of being the stupid disposable assasin/bounty hunter he once was. He now was gonna be able to show his potential. He then turned to Captain Il'kal and said "Sir, may I have the needed documents?"