Play Testers Wanted Pt. 15

This is another voluminous tale. I hope you enjoy. If you prefer me to chop these up into smaller bits, please inform me. I am especially proud of this one. I have created my own pieces of mythology to the Star Wars universe. Please vote and comment so I know where I can improve my craft. Thank you for all of your kind words and encouragement. Stay safe and healthy... now part fifteen.

Starting from Scratch:

I knelt and dug my fingers into the sandy soil of Korriban, the home world of the Sith Empire. I spread my fingers letting the grains of scarlet sand fall. I could feel the connection between the falling grains, the ground, and myself to the Dark Side of the Force. So, few possessed this sense and I mused that it must be like being born blind. How do you describe the icy rush of power that set your cells on fire when you collected, shaped, and unleashed the full potential of this primordial energy field? I was Korriban and Korriban lived within me! I stood and looked around.

"I am back!" I called out to the legion of derelict space craft. It was here that I had first studied under my Rakatan master. It was here that I fashioned my first droid, the robot that carried a copy of the Traci A.I. It was here that I learned many secrets of the Dark Side of the Force. If I were to accomplish my task I needed to learn yet more. I must delve deeper and into darker recesses of Sith Alchemy and Sorcery. Truth is the Sith learned what they knew from their former masters the Rakata. I was drinking from their dark well of wisdom. "I am back Master." I stated as I removed his holocron from my inventory.

"Why?" The holographic entity queried as he manifested. "I have few secrets left that are worth plundering." He replied so I told him the bare bone basics of my plan.

"I wish to create an object to enthrall and thus destroy my enemies." I explained. "Surely, in your great wisdom and understanding of the Dark Side you must have come across such a thing."

"The females you breed with must find that tongue of yours irresistible." The alien smiled and continued. "Yes. I know of the ritual you seek. Tell me more of your plans."

"No." I denied him, and he laughed.

"Full marks to my former pupil. Never trust anyone! To claim the scroll holding the alchemical and sorcerous details you must endure the very thing you wish to create. It is not too late to turn back." He warned. "Very well, I will give you the coordinates you desire. This is dire and dark deeds you desire Lord Valakhor. Pray it does not undo you before you can use it on others."

The key component of the alchemical treatment lay in a cave half a day's journey from here. Instead of rushing off I spent a few days scavenging and building a speeder bike for the journey. I did not need to but I sure as hell wanted to. It was a nice bit of relaxation. Sure, I could have simply teleported but where was the fun in that. I delved once more into the corpses of the huge starships. It was clear that I had not been the sole scavenger and it had been years if not decades since my last visit. I would have to work harder to find the parts and components I would need.

I was falling short of the things I needed to complete the bike. To fix this problem I used telekinesis to pull, rip, and otherwise remove walls, doors, and even bulkheads and blast doors. Small treasures were now accessible, and I spent more time scavenging than I originally planned. But I was having fun damn it! The katharsis I felt when I ripped open my first heavily armored blast door was exhilarating. My pile of goodies grew and grew. I was almost satisfied when I uncovered it.

"Move! Damn you!" I cursed as I was forced to create a fine balancing act between raw power and a delicate harmony with a damaged roof and precariously perched wreckage. Too much power and tons of rotted and rusted material would crash down burying completely what appeared to be a secure door. "Carefully... carefully with the plates... that's what Bilbo Baggins hates." I sang as I located the final loose girder and removed it by tugging at the bottom where it rested against the floor. The trashed bracket was still securely attached just above the still sealed barrier. "Yes!" I exclaimed as I removed the smaller scrap that removing the long slender beam made possible. "Holy shit!" I cursed seeing the pinnacle of security engineering before me. "Someone built you for a damn good reason and I want to know what you are hiding."

"Impossible!" The Rakatan exclaimed as he hovered in on his own power. "A Nichien Time Lock... I have heard of them but never seen one."

"I can feel the thrum of power it is giving off." I informed the Rakatan. "This ought to be interesting."

"How did a Nichien ship survive the Purge?" He asked clearly upset. "They were eradicated long before my time."

"Let's get a better look at it then," I stated curious to see what remained and learn why he was thrown off his predictable cool demeanor. I explored the immediate area. Four large and three smaller craft were effectively fused together. The Nichien vessel must have been one of the first to crash and the others slammed into it over uncounted years driving it deep into the ground. I was familiar with several ship designs and most of the wreckage was of Sith or Republic manufacture. One however was unfamiliar to me.

"I do not recognize this vessel." I said aloud and he explained.

"Of course not, it is Rakatan." He stated.

"Why is one of your people's vessels holding a Nichien time lock?" I asked. Silence. "Let me guess. The Rakata saw the Nichien as a threat. They went to war and wiped them from the galaxy. Unable to open the time locks they did the only thing they could, to ensure no one else discovered them they sent these ships to wander the galaxy forever. Just a guess but..."

"Yes." The hologram replied. "You are correct."

"Considering how deep we are this has to be one of the first ships to crash here." I hypothesized. "The hull is damaged over here." I stated as I walked around trying to view all sides of the time lock. While it appeared to be a simple cube that was hardly the case. It slowly became a maddeningly complex task to isolate the time lock. I finally concluded I was dealing with a hypercube, a four-dimensional object stuck in a three-dimensional vault. I found a single break in the containment sphere and prepared to peek and see the time lock with my own eyes.

"Now let me see if I can open this bitch up..." I began when a wave of nothingness washed over me, and I awoke in the Grey Room. Was I in the time lock?

"He is awake!" A familiar voice called out urgently.

"Welcome back," another said with that equally familiar voice.

"What the fuck hit me?" I asked as I got to my feet. "Holy fucking shit!" I cursed seeing the six other versions of myself. Two of them laughed, two just waved, and the last two called for silence. "What happened?"

"Time lock," one of the more serious of the group replied. "This is the key moment. This is the answer we have been seeking." He... I... continued. The featureless nature of the time lock was seriously messing with my sense of balance and ability to simply stand.

"Aw shit," I cursed. "I get it now. I think."

"Oh no, not again," one of my doppelgangers cried out in warning. There was not even time to ask what he meant. I, all seven of me, were lifted off our collective feet and drug towards what visually appeared to be the center of the area. What followed was lots of screaming, blasts of visions and sounds, and blissfully the gift of unconsciousness.

"Mind fuckery at its best," I cursed when I floated back to the top and opened my eyes. I was still on Korriban, but I was no longer where I had been. I had just enough energy to move my head to see my immediate surroundings. "Wilderness it is." I growled as I spotted a bright yellow stone that in my mind was perfect for skipping. It was flat on both sides, the color bordering between lemon and orange, and I could just make out Sith runes along the edge of one side. I tried to pick it up, but my arm was numb and instead of bringing it closer I struck it and sent it skipping across the hard-cracked landscape. I could still make it out since it stood out against the ruddy soil.

I closed my eyes, drew on the Dark Side to heal my body, and get on my feet. The energy was easy to access but my body was reluctant to cooperate. I had read about toxins that blocked a Force user from drawing on their abilities. This was not the case though. I could feel the power coursing through me, but it was just slow as molasses on a winter morning. I was about to curse when a noise caught my attention.

'Shit!' I thought as the thing sniffed the air and approached me. A real sense of panic filled me as my body slowly healed. The breathing of the beast grew louder, and it was clear it would find me before I could move. Only one solution came to mind. I took what little energy I had and altered my skin and hair to match the ground around me. It was a cheap camouflage but hopefully it would work. As it grew closer, I picked up more and more on small details. The clack of claws striking the ground became clearer and closer. I fought the urge to panic as its breathing sounded behind me. I could not see it. I heard one of its footsteps. It was heavy enough for its claws to break the hard-packed surface and sink into the softer soil beneath. The snuffling of its snout was right behind me. If it tracked by scent alone, I was screwed.

It bellowed and I was forced to lock my limbs and bite back a scream of alarm. It stepped over me and I got a worm's-eye view of the thing. It was a Ken'Sang. Even a fully abled Sith feared these brutes. They were strong, fast, and once they locked onto a target rarely gave up short of being killed. Some of the noble houses of the Sith send out potential students to hunt one down as a show of their skills and fortitude. They were only found on the southern continent. If I was there, then there were far worse fates than encountering the Ken'Sang. If the rumors were true, then I might face Dark Side wraiths of the restless dead.

The Ken'Sang lifted its massive snout and sniffed as a sudden breeze blew in. It let out its deep throated cry and raced off away from me. I managed to maintain my camouflage and heal slowly. The sun had set and the first of Korriban's seven moons rose and breeched the horizon. I sat up. It was still a huge exertion, but I managed. Nightfall on Korriban was a signal to the predators to leave their dens. While I could sit up my legs were still non-functional. I looked around urgently and found a niche of rock that was U shaped and could give me protection on three sides. I used my arms to drag myself inside it and continued healing. I snagged the bright yellow stone on my way forward. I was barely into position when I heard them. If one rogue Ken'Sang male was a danger, then a pack of hungry females was terrifying.

I used Force cloak to minimize my aura and to my shock it was effortless for me to perform. The pack sniffed the air and left in the same direction as the rogue male. Were they hunting him or a prey animal? Thrilled to not be on the menu I maintained the cloak and continued to heal. I opened the palm of my hand and read the writing on the brightly colored stone. The characters described a physical location on Korriban. Once I was healed, I could tap into my spatial awareness and discover how far away I was from the coordinates on the stone.

By midnight I was able to wiggle my toes and by dawn I was fully mobile. Like my first visit to Korriban my gear was unavailable even my universe friendly weapons and armor were greyed out. However, all my Force abilities were in the green. Their costs varied and I took notice of the odd variety that were within my ability to utilize. I created a list of affordable powers and kept those ready to unleash. It was time to get my bearings, find transportation, and feed. I was starved. I tapped into spatial awareness and found my location. To my surprise I was less than a few miles from what appeared to be a village, deserted no doubt. The Sith abandoned this place centuries ago.

Speaking of time, I began wondering about the Nichien Time Lock and the other versions of me. Was I getting close to resolving my staggered timelines? I hoped so. I was tired of crossing my past and future. It was a headache of legendary proportions. There was nothing I could do but keep going and see what happened.

"Time to get moving." I muttered to myself as I took on my Sith persona. Naked I headed for the abandoned village. Maybe I could scrounge some rags or discarded clothing, so I did not have to walk about with my pecker hanging out. I was careful since there was a pack of Ken'Sang nearby as well a rogue male. I could defend myself but against a group of lethal predators I did not really stand a chance. It took twice as long as it normally would have to cross the distance. I found no sign nor heard any calls from animal life. This place was a desert and supported little life of any kind. Only the hardiest of creatures survived in this wilderness.

The sun was nearly at its highest point when I felt it, moisture. There must be an oasis nearby. A few minutes later I heard the gleeful cry of multiple females. There were Sith here after all! I still moved stealthily until I rounded the corner of a cliff face and came upon six female Sith playing and bathing beneath a waterfall. Their armor and weapons, primarily primitive but well-crafted spears, lay near a runoff pool fed by the waterfall. The first thing I noticed was their Asian features. Okay, the second thing I noticed was their exotic beauty. I did not want to upset them, so I backtracked a few yards, dropped my Force cloak, and stumbled forward. The laughter stopped and soon I was surrounded by them. They had gathered their spears but not their armor.

They were as tall as I was, muscular yet slender, and radiating enough hate to power the Death Star. The leader, or so I guessed, spoke first. I barely understood her. The Proto-Sith dialect was difficult to dissect but I did my best.

"I am Ghostfire." I said accompanying the words with a gesture towards myself.

"Ghost... Flame..." the leader fumbled.

"Close enough," I replied. "I am not a threat." I needed to establish quickly.

"Ha!" She laughed. "You male... no danger." She continued and the others laughed as well. "Come. Wash. Stink." She ordered. We returned to the waterfall. I stood under the pounding waters and felt the rush of the Dark Side. It must be a minor nexus. I drank up the raw power and the ladies did not miss that. Their leader spoke too fast for me to translate. Clearly, I was not a typical male in their eyes now. I was given bowls that were hand carved from wood and what could only be a chitinous substance. The wooden bowl held a creamy blue substance. The female pointed at the bowl and then her head. Shampoo. And so, it went as I was scrubbed, lathered, and rinsed repeatedly until the stink was gone.

They never offered me clothing as we left the waterfall and returned to their village. The community was nestled under a massive stone outcropping that looked lightning blasted and I remembered the scarlet lightning that was so dangerous here on Korriban. The cleverly constructed stone huts gave me an inkling as to the sophistication of this lost tribe. All was well until I reached the center of the village and the curtain covering the front of the largest hut was pushed aside and the clan leader appeared. She was a few inches taller than me, but what set off all my alarm bells was her bristling aura. She was strong in the Force.

"You slave..." she said addressing me. My emotional reaction was swift, and she felt it instantly. "Slave!" She growled as she tried to mentally dominate me. I created a psychic shield and let her batter against it. Her rage increased until I felt cracks begin to form. My only chance was to give her a taste of her own medicine. I used my negamage skill and absorbed the raw Dark Side energy she was putting out. She staggered back and when her defenses dropped, I walked into her mind, left a clear message, and walked out again. "No slave." She reluctantly growled.

The silence was deafening. I saw knuckles turning white on the weapons they carried but they did not attack. They were far too disciplined to act without their chief's approval. To save face she crossed the distance between us and grabbed me by the chin. She turned my head and noted the differences between them and me.

"Eyes are strange. Nose too small. Brows are okay. He has no rank." She laughed as she touched her piercings. The bridge of her nose was covered with a thin gold plate that was shaped to fit perfectly. To hold it in place were three piercings also of gold. Her nostrils had a ring on either side close to where her nose connected to her face. Her prominent brows were also pierced with bars and loops of precious metals.

"Fight." One of the other prominent females declared. "Give him weapon and see."

"Can fight?" The chief asked.

"Yes." I replied and her upswept almond shaped eyes narrowed.

"We shall see." She snapped.

A wooden staff, made from a hard dark wood that reminded me of terrestrial ebony, was tossed to me. I examined its finely polished surface and fine grain. There were leather straps secured to allow it to be used without losing one's grip on the slick surface. I spun it around finding its balance point and I decided to begin with form one style. We moved to a circle that was set aside from tribal contests. They dealt with disagreements by beating the shit out of each other. We stood on opposite sides and one of the females outside the ring let out a piercing whistle. I moved forward cautiously while she rushed me intent on splattering my brains all over the ground. I easily side stepped her and landed a blow on her left ass cheek. She roared and Force lightning surrounded her weapon.

"Interesting technique." I said as I followed suit and she balked when I was able to mimic her.

"Not possible!" She screamed. "Destroy!"

I was clearly a threat not just to her but their entire way of life. She thrust her weapon towards me and instead of blocking I used Tutaminis to absorb the lethal energy. Once again that hollow silence fell over the tribe. I could feel their fear. I was awash in it and the Dark Side took over. It was time to teach them a lesson. I dropped the staff and closed to hand to hand range. I was much faster than she was. The staff became cumbersome in her hands as I struck at nerve bundles sending blinding pain throughout her body. She crumbled to the ground and I stepped back waiting to see what they would do.

"Go!" One of the females cried out.

"Leave!" Another took up the sentiment.

"Stay... teach..." the clan chief moaned through clenched teeth.

I knelt next to her and struck the points that would free her from the muscle spasms and anguish.

"Yes Chief," I stated sealing our relationship. She kept her place as chief and I did not get murdered to death by the entire tribe. Her reaction was swift, and the others accepted her decision. They wanted what I possessed, knowledge. "See?" I asked and gestured to the village. The chief pointed to one of the warriors.

"Show." She ordered and the other bowed in agreement. They were in many ways like most of the Sith race I had met before and yet the subtle differences were scattered throughout the tribe. The eyes were only the most obvious. The shade of their skin was subtly darker with a smoother texture than the others I had encountered. A dozen other things caught my attention as we toured the village. There were dozens of stone domes that had been worked and smoothed by art and craft. I examined one and found another surprise. Sith hieroglyphs, not Rakatan runes, were etched on the interior to protect and preserve it. This village must be ancient indeed.