Play Testers Wanted Pt. 07

"Fantastic!" I exclaimed. "What are the first two things?"

"Patience. Center yourself, for what I must share is dire and an ongoing threat to the entire galaxy. We do not know their real name. The records of those that came before us call them the Old Ones. Long before hyperdrive technology was even developed their image was painted in caves or fashioned of stone or wood, or bone in hidden temples or places of power. They persist. I have studied their migration from the Unknown Regions to the Deep Core. They are patience itself. I first believed they traveled via sublight vehicles, and I still feel that early on that might have been the case. However, their primary mode of invasion was a rare and recently rediscovered discipline I call Spirit Travel."

He proceeded to describe what I knew as Astral Projection. It allowed the practitioner to send out their essence and wander near and far. Dark Siders could use it to spy or learn the layout of victim's homes. Light Siders could use it for bask in nexus points of raw Force energy. The advanced version of this power allowed the user to travel in spirit form to a distant location and then teleport physically to the new point in time/space. My teleportation was limited to a celestial body this raised it to epic levels.

"The Invisible Invasion continues. Now be seated and let me impart upon you the first lesson."

I began with slipping my body and walking around the ship. My first attempts were slow and didn't last long. I barely took a few steps before I snapped back into my body. I practiced until I was mentally exhausted and then Xim and I would break in her new body. She was eager to try out other species such as Twi'lek, Togrutan, or even Sith. Traci offered her the same list I had used when I first arrived here. After my first successful Astral Projection my HUD chimed. I had leveled up and after hoarding every point I had earned I maxed out Kiai-Jutsu. I had finally learned Death Song. I could kill with my voice. I had a surprisingly number of slots left and if I was to get home, I felt like Astral Projection was my key. Just to be sure though, I looked at my active quests.

'Homeward Bound: Get to Tython. Find the Infinity Gate.'

"Hold on. It would mention mastering Astral Projection, but it didn't. What the hell? I had gotten here, and it was clearly planned, but why?" I asked myself. "Rakata... no. Sith... no. Xim... no. Alchemy... no. I don't get it. What the hell else... oh hell." My voice fell to a whisper. "An ancient darkness was behind the corruption of the princesses. Could that be the Old Ones?"

It made sense. It wasn't a mistake that I had run into those things. They must have somehow projected themselves to New York. Shit. I lay down in the captain's quarters and plopped on the bed. I stared at the ceiling and felt a chill. I had thought Doctor Doom was a great threat, and he was, but compared to a race like this he was reduced in my eyes. They were a threat on a galactic level. Galactic. Oh shit, what if they hadn't been isolated to Earth. Maybe they had spread out already or worst yet, what if they had started on another world besides the Earth? They might have been 'out there' for centuries or millennium. They could be on countless planets. I shivered at the thought.

"What is wrong?" Xim asked wearing her albino Twi'lek form. She wore new shapes the way other women changed shoes or jewelry. I didn't blame her. I liked shapeshifting a lot too.

"The holocron was very illuminating." I shared and she pouted.

"Have you eaten?" Xim asked her pout turning to a frown. "Come in. He's hungry." She ordered and two female Sith walked in. "Can I watch again?"

"I don't mind. Come here, I won't hurt you." I purred as the Sith undressed and lay next to me.

Xim moaned and ordered the slaves around. I kissed their lips and then moved down and as Xim watched intently. My fangs extended and I bit the first slave. It was a shallow nip and was enough to provide me part of my sustenance. I licked that wound and then turned to other Sith. She rolled atop me and pressed her naked breasts against my chest and begged for my 'kiss'.

"UNNN, Yeah! MMMMM Master!" She whimpered as her hands tugged down the pants to my robes. As I bit her, she wrapped her hands around my erection. "Deeper!" She begged as she stroked me. "That's it!"

Xim climaxed and I knew she had been touching herself long before she arrived in the cabin. I drank from the second Sith and her orgasm almost made me nick the artery I had so carefully punctured. I held her tight to keep her from thrashing about. I quickly licked the wound to seal it. She rose up and as Xim looked on impaled her soaked sex on my cock. Xim begged me to summon the double dragon. I never could deny her. She joined us on the bed as the first Sith sat on my face and Xim straddled the upper erection.

I missed this kind of attention after long months of training in the wilderness. When I got back to Susan and the others, I was going to wreck them all in short order. I wanted that as much as I did to master Astral Projection and creating my own holocron.

I summoned the serpent tongue and let them slither into both the Sith's holes. She howled in surprise while the other two see-sawed on my cocks. I ran down my stamina meter until even Xim was exhausted. I felt like the conquering hero and she let me have that moment. The next night she would have hers.

Two weeks went by faster than I would have imagined. We came out of hyperspace in orbit around the legendary world of Tython. It was one of the possible places where the Je'Daii Order began they were the forerunners of the Jedi Order and Sith Empire. Two moons orbited the planet. One was strong in the light side and the other the dark. The Je'Daii followed a balanced view of the force before they abandoned it and clung solely to the light. We scanned the surface and found a strong power source and plotted a course to land nearby. The Star of Alderaan settled lightly near the Je'Daii Temple of Knowledge. I adopted a new shape startling Xim and the Sith. I chose a Togrutan male feeling a Sith might not be so readily accepted. I searched the wardrobe on the vessel and changed into civilian garb.

"How do I look?" I asked and Xim smiled grimly.

"You've been keeping secrets." She purred. "You owe us, doesn't he ladies?"

"Yes." The Sith demanded.

"Oh, by the way, you are all free. If you wish to serve me, you'll do it as paid employees or equal partners. Is that understood?"

"YES!" They cried out happily.

"I thought I knew how to inspire." Xim giggled. "Welcome to the crew ladies."

"Follow my lead please." I asked and they all agreed. "Come on Traci, let's see the welcoming committee."

The ramp was lowered as no less than a dozen Je'Daii met us outside. I strode down the ramp with Traci close. Once I set foot on the grass, I felt like an internal circuit had been established between the planet and me.

"Whoa." I gasped in surprise.

"He is a sensitive!" Umber the Twi'lek master exclaimed.

"Wait." One of the human masters suggested. "Observe."

"I sense it as well." Trianna, a stunning Echani female, declared. "He is in balance."

"Interesting," Juuna, the female Miraluka, noted. "Welcome to Tython. Let those that will disembark and share a meal with us follow. The Grandmaster awaits within."

"Thank you, you are very kind." I stated and gestured for the others to stay aboard the ship. "I will return after dinner." I suspected the Sith's ties to the dark side wouldn't be welcomed by the Je'Daii or the planet itself.

Day and night do not exist in hyperspace. We landed just as the sun was hitting the horizon. We acclimated to the current terrestrial time. It wasn't exactly jet lag, but two weeks cooped up in hyperspace can be a bit stifling. I was eager to pick the minds of the Je'Daii and discover their origins if I could. The temple was carved out of the living rock much like the one I had seen on Ossus. Each pillar that supported the roof of the temple was a former grandmaster or a master that had distinguished themselves in the service to the order. I did notice that most of the images carven into the pillars were nonhumans. I reached the threshold of the temple just as the last light of the setting sun vanished. No one missed the sudden surge of power as it coursed through my body. There were hundreds of students practicing various disciplines in groups of twenty and they all stopped and looked at me as Xim leaned in close to whisper.

"What the hell just happened, and why are they looking at you?" She asked beginning to fidget. "Why aren't they staring at me? I am gorgeous am I not."

"You are stunning." I admitted. "But uh... I suspect they sensed my unusual nocturnal nature." I explained.

A bell sounded and the entirety of the temple's occupant's assembled for evening meal. As guests Xim and I sat at a table set aside for the lesser masters. A hooded figure strode into the dining hall and took up their place at the high table at its center. That must be the grandmaster, I thought. He pulled back his hood and gestured for us to sit.

"I'll be damned." I cursed quietly when I saw the grandmaster. "He's an Iridonian."

He belonged to the same race as Darth Maul, but his skin tone was closer to human Caucasian, but he still possessed the crown of horns that marked Iridonians or as they are more commonly known as the Zabrak. The grandmaster stood and addressed everyone assembled.

"We have guests tonight and we welcome them. I wish you to treat them with respect and if you have questions for them, do not overwhelm them and be generous and answer their questions as well."

Students brought dishes of food to the tables and we ate. Many of the students were curious about us and I smiled whenever I noticed anyone looking in our direction. Xim ate up the attention and I let her have her moment. There was a sense of peace and after the nightmare I had faced on Korriban it was like an emotional lifeline.

"What brings you to Tython?" Umber, the Twi'lek master, asked.

"A treasure map would you believe." I replied and she smiled. "A star map fashioned in the form of a garden. A single stone obelisk marked Tython. So here I am."

"Who was your master?" Juuna, the Miralukan, asked. She glanced at me and smiled. While the Miralukan where physically blind they could perceive their surroundings through the Force. I wonder what she saw when she looked at me.

"She was from Dathomir originally. She taught me the basics and a few combat forms." I kept it vague since I wasn't sure how many forms were currently being taught. Had they even progressed beyond form four?

"When you say basics, what did she feel they were?" The Echani asked as she watched me intently. The Echani were a near human race with long silvery white hair, pale blue eyes, and a culture surrounding a warrior code. I was aware that their chief belief was that the only way to truly understand another was to fight them. Only through combat could the true self be revealed.

"She pushed me physically as well as mentally. I developed my telekinesis with a delicate touch and then later building up raw power. I practiced on two spices that looked similar and I would pluck out the few grains of one she chose."

"A clever way of developing your ability to sense an object and then manipulating it." The Miraluka declared. "Anything else we might find interesting?" She asked smiling. It was difficult to judge her beauty since the upper half of her face was covered and she wore her hood up all the time.

"Elemental work was equally important." I replied. "Condensing water vapor out of the air, conjuring flames, affecting stone, and so on."

"You'd make a formidable addition as an instructor." Umber, the Twi'lek, suggested as she forked a piece of her salad. "If the Grandmaster were in agreement." She continued. Her dark blue skin bordered on indigo which made her silver colored eyes stand out all the more.

"You'd have to earn a spot among the masters first." The Echani growled good naturedly. "I am sure we could each learn much about the other through combat." Her words an echo of the Echani belief that words paled in comparison to the truth through dueling.

The questions ended and my mind drifted back to Korriban and how different it was to the culture of Tython. I remembered the smoldering ruin of the House of Krenn. More memories were dredged up.

Flashes of the thing in the crypt still haunted me and those around me felt it. I had become a disturbing factor, so I removed myself from students and teachers alike.

I reached a large crescent shaped balcony and below was a lake that extended far out into the wooded region near where Xim's ship was parked. It also appeared to extend under the temple. The water was placid at first but when I looked down ripples formed across its mirror-like surface. Was I doing that or was it something else? I continued to gaze downward and reached out to touch the energy around me. The ripples slowly faded until the pool once more stood placid.

"Admirable control you display." The Grandmaster informed me as he stood to my right. "You are well taught for a non Je'Daii. Where were you instructed?"

"Ossus initially, I have collected holocrons to supplement my education since then."

"I see. What brings you to Tython?"

"As I shared with some of the other masters, a treasure hunt of sorts." I stated watching his expression. "I think the Echani wishes to test my mettle."

"She sees in combat what the Miraluka perceives without eyes. I trust their judgement. Stay here as long as you need and perhaps, you'll show us what you've learned in your travels. I must admit I am curious. The Rakata left behind many mysteries upon their passing from the galaxy."

The murmuring inside grew louder as the students began to make wagers. It must be the Echani. Word must have leaked that she wished to fight me. The Grandmaster smiled as if a wayward child had overstepped their bounds. I requested a change of clothes for the duel. I was taken to a sparring circle and given plain grey pants to wear. The Echani wore a dark grey top and matching trousers.

"Do you prefer armed or unarmed combat?" She asked and I shrugged. "Excellent! Let us begin with wooden swords and progress from there. They are made from a local tree that is harvested and found in abundance in the Old City."

"The Old City?" I asked as I got a measure of the sword's length and balance.

"I will show you later if you wish." She stated as she centered herself. "Whenever you are ready."

I decided to start with Shii-Cho or form one and work my way up. She took up a standard defensive position using Makashi, or form two and so I took up the offensive. She was fast and very skilled. I switched to Makashi after one of her gorgeously performed parries. I laughed when she picked up the shift and kept up easily. The students were quietly observing when the Echani pushed her position and went on the offensive. I fell back to defense and Soresu to see where she was going. I recognized the more aggressive Ataru or form four. I shifted to Djem So and matched her aggression head on. She faltered as she faced the unknown form of combat, but she adapted and learned quickly. A part of me didn't want to shame her in front of her students, another knew that if I let her win, she'd consider it a slap in the face. I pushed my obvious advantage and disarmed her a short time later.

"Who was your Master?" She asked gasping for breath. "I've never seen that form before."

"Step aside, my turn." Juuna declared.

"As you wish." The Echani snapped as I swapped out my sword for a wooden staff.

"Let us see how you handle something that requires two hands." The Miraluka purred and I fought back the obvious response.

I began in Soresu a great defensive style. She went on the attack and I soaked in her determination. I suspected viewing me through the Force gave her an edge. Could she see where my attention was being focused? If that were the case, then it was time to pull the plug on that. I used the Force cloak technique and withdrew my presence. The Miraluka cried out in shock and placed her staff between me and her.

"What did you just do?!" She gasped. "How did you do that?! Tell me!!"

"No. You want me to teach you, earn it." I told her as I dropped Force cloak and waited. She assumed a new stance and I smiled at her renewed determination. "Good."

Juuna was a bit reserved to begin but when I pushed her, she pushed back. I'll give her this, she was a gifted fighter and a wonderful tactician. In the end her staff clattered to the floor. The Twi'lek was next and she chose hand to hand combat. We began much closer to one another. Umber was easily the fastest and most skilled of the trio. The strikes and counterstrikes were accentuated by blocks, parries, and even the occasional throw. It only became more intense with her adding kicks while I used tumbling to avoid and absorb her assault. Instead of simply resolving with a disarming move I was forced to pin her. She didn't make it easy, but thanks to Morelen's training I used a painful grip to bring her down.

"Well done, and not one discipline used to determine the winner." The Grandmaster noticed. "But we are Je'Daii and the Force is our ally. Can we see how you deal with more complex conditions?"

'Ding! New Side Quest Accepted: Threesome of Terror.'

"Sure. What did you have in mind?" I asked as the trio took up positions with me in the middle of their little triangle. "What are the winning conditions?"

My HUD chimed and I pulled it down and read the details. It was simple enough. Each of the three masters would wear a jewel and I had to either remove or damage it with a precision attack. The faster I was the more experience I would earn. I looked at the beginning points and drooled. There was enough there to level up at least once if not twice.

"Precision attack eh?" I thought aloud. I swiped over to my skill tree and thought over which skills and talents I would raise. It was then that I saw it and my strategy was decided. "Grandmaster, might I take a look at these gems you speak of?"

"Of course, you may," He replied in his perpetually smooth and placid voice.

A metal tray was brought over and upon it three jeweled bracelets. I hummed a little tune and pitching my voice until the gems quivered in their settings. Now that I knew the frequency, I could use Kiai-Jutsu to shatter them at will. I wanted those points badly if I was going to face Doctor Doom and survive. I picked up the battle staff and informed them I was ready. I took up my starting position as the ladies put on the intricately woven bracelets. As they surrounded me, I prepared to strike and shatter all three stones with one vocal attack. I placed a clock in my field of vision and when the Grandmaster began the challenge it would count down.

"Are the combatants ready?" The Grandmaster called out and we nodded. "Excellent. Begin!"

"Kunnn-Shah!" I cried sending the full power of my voice against the gems. I was rewarded with the sound of shattering glass. Not just the stones but several windows blew out as well.

"Stop! The contest is decided!" He declared and the masters looked at me and then the Grandmaster. "Examine your jewels, he has won the challenge."

"I'll be damned." Umber cursed her lekku twitching angrily.

"How?" The Echani growled angrily.

"Clever!" Juunan happily noted. "How did you do it Master?"

"His voice." The Grandmaster declared. "He created a destructive vibration that shattered the crystalline matrix. Clever indeed. Now, how about we see how you handle them in earnest."

I pulled down my HUD and leveled up. I raised my engineering and elemental skills. I hoarded my talent points until I had a clearer path in mind. Something would come along to inspire me and speaking of inspiration a new feature had been added, combat music. I could select from a list of songs to inspire me in battle. I clicked on the icon and let it randomly pick something.