Play Testers Wanted Pt. 15

"No map this time." I muttered.

The text continued and mentioned that nobles rarely left the home world unless the community required income or information. The builders and scholars worked together to improve the quality of living of their race. The warriors and assassins went out to earn coin as mercenaries, assassins, or even taking over a key individual. They would use a potent crime boss or member of the mercantile class to funnel wealth back to the others. It was not unknown for generations of these societies to be secretly controlled by a Vath. The lifespan of a noble spanned centuries or even millennia.

"Not good." I said as the last panels hinted at a possible immortal stage and the wanderer stage where this symbiote sought out the perfect host. If they managed to find one, they would bond and maintain that host indefinitely. What happened after that was left unsaid and remained a mystery. The last historical reference was the destruction of the Rakata. That was thousands of years ago. Were they still out there? Had they gone extinct again?

As I stood there contemplating the effect of a shadow society running galactic economics I was torn back to the present. The grinding sound was that of a holocron appearing from a sliding stone panel. I plucked the red pyramid shaped device from its socket. The hologram projectors went dark, the room shook violently, and a portal appeared a few feet from the obelisk. I saw cracks forming in the ceiling and clearly it was time to evacuate. I threw myself through the portal as the chamber collapsed under the heat and pressure of the invading magma.

I came up from a shoulder roll outside the star ship graveyard. The partially assembled jet bike stood unmolested. The Rakata holocron activated. My former master seemed genuinely surprised to see me appear out of thin air. I replaced my new robes and mask with my grungy work clothes. I had a lot on my mind and finishing the bike would help me clear my head and let my subconscious process everything I had learned. I took out my tools, portable workstation, and went to work.

"Master." I said after a few hours of silence.

"Katatadande?" He replied using the term for one equal speaking to another of the same rank.

"Were you aware that the Sith had gods?" I asked and the holocron fluttered. I had never seen that happen before.

"How... yes, I know of the Four Pillars of the Sith." He replied. "What of it?"

"I encountered them during a brief interlude since you last saw me." I said and waited.

"And yet here you stand," the Rakata said his voice cold and menacing.

"If not for your superior training I would surely have perished." I praised him and left the rest unsaid.

"You are dangerous." He said and the holocron went dark.

I smiled and replaced the power coupling, it looked frayed and worn. I was singing to myself as I finished machining the last portion of the bike's outer shell. It was streamlined and polished to perfection. This beast would slice through the air like a blade. It was not until the bike was finished that I noticed its general similarity to another bike.

"Akira bike, guess you are getting a candy apple red paint job." I said aloud and chuckled. It got its final touches and I fired it up. I tweaked the engine twice during rest breaks. After a mere three days I had a top of the line jet bike. It was fast, armored, and had enough fire power to deter anything I would likely encounter.

Sunset of the fourth day I headed out. I blazed across the lurid landscape of Korriban towards my goal. I pushed the limits of the bike to see just how well I could put things together with just scrap. I impressed myself, an easy task to be honest, and reached my goal in under six hours. The lush river valley had a lake in the middle fed by a tributary of the river. Rolling grass topped hills stood between me and the lake. An abandoned village skirted a portion of the lake and just beyond it the ruins of Sith fortress. It still had the distinctive double spire that I had seen elsewhere on Korriban and off world. I felt the pull of curiosity, but I had already had too many distractions. I continued onto my goal.

The cave was midway up a steep cliffside overlooking the valley and the lake. I could have just teleported up, but where was the fun in that. I shifted to my Katria Forgemaster form and popped finger and toe claws for the climb. I picked a cheery tune for the climb and before I knew it, I had reached the entrance. The mouth of the cave was ten feet high and perhaps six feet wide. I slipped inside letting my night vision guide me. The walls of the cave were decorated with primitive drawings from a prehistoric Sith tribe. That was my guess at least. I tried to decipher the pictographs and best initial interpretation was that this cave was held sacred. I could get nothing more now.

The floor of the cave dipped sharply after only twenty feet from the entrance. Three tunnels branched off the main one. I reached out with the Force and felt a disturbance in the left tunnel. I chose to go down that way. The surface of this passage had even more murals. They were more sophisticated and told a story. It showed a figure struggling and confronting strange looking creatures. He survived and brought out a red gem which was depicted on the wall of the tunnel by a piece of red quartz imbedded in the rock. The tunnel split three more times and each time I followed the will of the Force. There were more drawings and they appeared to be warnings regarding the red jewel.

The air began to take on a sharp acrid scent and the sound of dripping water. The cavern echoed the patter of the falling water. Faint light filled the chamber from glowing fungus scattered across the cave. The center of the cavern was dominated by a brine pool. Water dripped from the roof along stalactites and fell into the pool. My task was to find the single blue stalactite and catch twenty drops which would be enough to create the chemical component I required. The blue stalactite was dead middle of the pool.

"Of course, you are." I growled as I took out the container I had prepared for this portion of the ritual. I drew on the Force and leapt over the pool just as a drop of the precious fluid fell. I caught it on the fly, but it was hardly a pretty action. The second crossing was a little better. By the tenth jump there was little effort to it. By the fifteenth I had added a forward somersault. On the last jump I could feel the drop of water and caught it in the container effortlessly. I sealed it and was about to leave when I heard stone grinding against stone. The throne and dais supporting it rose from the depths of the pool.

"What the hell is that?" I remarked as the water drained away from the skeletal figure on the throne holding in its left hand a massive scarlet jewel. There was a strange radiance pulsing from the gem. I found myself unable to tear my eyes away from it. At the same time there came an irresistible urge to possess it. The very spell I had come to craft was being used upon me. I felt my feet moving on their own. I knew that if I touched the stone I was doomed. I had to resist it. I drew upon the Force. It felt so far away. My physical strength meant nothing here. The only thing that had any merit was my willpower. I felt myself sinking into the ruby depths of the alien gem. If was fear that saved me. Fear ignited my anger until it reached flashpoint and I was able to close my eyes. All that for a single physical action. I felt the blistering heat of its all-consuming hunger. "Fuck you too!" I screamed as turned my head away and cracked my eyelids open. When the throne was raised it also lowered the pool's level. A path was revealed on either side of the cavern. I closed my eyes and with another burst of the Dark Side I turned and step by step I walked towards the side of the cave.

"Nocturnal." A voice whispered. "Darth Nocturnal... is that you?" Are you fucking kidding me? Why now I thought.

"Yes." I lied.

"Shed your blood and prove yourself to me." The voice grew stronger taking on a definite feminine quality to it. I pulled the Svartalfar dagger from my inventory. It hit like a truck if I had a target to fight. "My pool. Shed it into my pool." She purred hungrily. "I know your blood... beloved."

Here goes nothing. I opened my eyes enough to orientate towards the pool. It was only a few steps away. The cavern was lit with a purple radiance now. I dare not let my eyes drift in the direction of the stone. That was purest folly. I took one step and then another. I extended my arm over the pool, pressed the blade of the dagger upwards toward the palm, and cut my flesh. My blood spurted into the pool for a moment as my healing factor closed the wound in mere seconds. I sheathed the dagger and waited to see if my bluff worked.

"So young and so fresh," the voice declared. "I have waited for this day to repay your passion. Reach out and touch my mind. I will show you how to defy the spell you came here to claim."

No guts no glory I thought as I reached out and brushed against her mind. It felt like triggering the spring of a trap. I was pulled into the Astral Plane and not just any portion but her kingdom. I hovered in my Katria form and waited for the games to begin. Time does not really exist in that ethereal realm. It could have been moments, or it might have been centuries. The maze situated itself out of thin air. The stone walls were dark red, the floor flawless white, and the ceiling jet black. I was naked and the feeling of danger permeated the air. I walked along the initial hallway before three possibilities stood before me. I heard that if you place your hand on the left-hand wall it will lead you to the center. I would give that a try. I raced along following the path sinister. I reached the center but that was just the beginning of her little trap. I was drawn to the center of the maze's heart. The soft grinding sound caught my attention as a pillar rose from the floor. Atop the pillar was a cuirass that appeared to be crafted of flawless clear glass. There were characters etched on its surface, but its transparency made it hard to make them out.

"Resist... if you can." She laughed.

"UNNN!" I grunted as a switch had been flipped. The pleasure made it harder to resist the urge to touch the torso armor. I clamped my right hand around my left wrist. It was clear that someone had put not just master level skill but love and attention to detail. My entire body was shaking as I tried to resist. It felt like someone was eating me out and it had been so long since I had taken on a female shape. "Must not touch!" I growled when a second tongue went to work on me and slid into my ass. "I call foul!" I roared as she laughed.

My fingertips brushed the cool smooth surface of the cuirass. It felt like a cross between rubber and flesh. It sprang and enveloped my torso. I cursed as it began spreading. Was this a symbiote? My arms were drug behind my back and sealed in a single piece of the clear material. I hate armbinders! The cool sensation expanded down my legs and feet. A strip of the material slid into my mouth and formed a gag. Finally, my head was covered leaving my vision distorted by the material.

"You look so cute, but I think we can both call this attempt a failure." The voice announced and I agreed. "Let's give it another go, shall we?"

I was unexpectedly back at the beginning of the maze. It was different in every way. It took me twice as long to find the center. The cuirass was black this time. I tried so damn hard but when it engulfed me this time, I could not see anything when it covered my eyes. I will not lie I was scared shitless. I hated the sense of being utterly subjugated. It took me six more times to fight the compulsion. My hate was a palpable thing. It burned throughout my entire soul.

"That was the fastest time yet. There have been many before you, but none cracked it as quickly as you." The voice congratulated me. "I think the others grew to like it."

"Why this damn thing?!" I growled as the voice laughed.

"For each that seek my guidance a different fear is manifested." She explained. "Take it and use it well. Consider it a second pet for you to entertain your friends. Not everyone is so aggressively against being restrained. I have fond memories in fact of those events." She paused before continuing. "Shall we move up to an intermediate level?"

"Shit," I cursed. "Fine. Let us do this." I shuddered.

The second maze was a three-dimension flooded maze. I shifted to a Selkath, an amphibious race, and swam my way through the challenge. Instead of a pillar rising out of the floor a patch of inky blackness was squirted into the water. I could tell instantly by the way it moved that it was alive. The thing opened its eyes, all of them, and that is when I felt the compulsion. My hate was not up to it. I screamed as my body moved of its own accord and swam into it. Once more I was engulfed and the thing sprouted mouths, tentacles, and those soul shattering eyes.

I woke at the beginning of the maze and I was so enraged I slammed my fist against the floor cracking it. I stoked my rage as I tackled the maze a second time. I never let it fade. In fact, by the time the shapeless thing appeared my anger was white hot. When the things eyes opened, and the psychic gauntlet was thrown I felt I might just win out. It was not easy by any stretch of the imagination. I drew on all the real-world things that were upsetting me to help fuel my fury.

"I will not submit!" I screamed as I fought to control my body.

"I see in your mind, work smart not hard." The voice stated distracting me. I woke later at the beginning of the maze. I was about to lose my temper when I stopped and took a mental step back. I had been reacting through this entire ordeal. Why was I able to be manipulated? What was being exploited that I was missing? The Force was at work. I moved into a meditative position, closed my eyes, and focused on the unseen that was at play here. If I did not solve it at this level, there was no way I could survive the last advanced level. I tapped into both sides of the Force to try and perceive what I was missing. It took what felt like forever to discover the mechanism used by the insidious enchantment. The voice was right I was working too hard to fight off the effects.

All things generate the Force. The curse takes advantage of this. It is attracted to the field created and attacked the larger sources first and then worked its way down. Sentient beings being the top of the list short of nexus points and the like. The best defense was to minimize one's Force signature so in this case Force cloak was key and critical for success. I raced through the maze and before entering the center I reduced my aura to that of a gnat. It was so weak that the trap did not trigger. I was given a passing grade and received the last two rewards to go with the cursed cuirass I had already received. For defeating the mid-level, I was given a gleaming silver collar that would make a thrall of any humanoid sized creature. The crowning achievement of mastering the highest level I was gifted with a handsome mirror. I was warned to only use the mirror as for the direst of punishments. I was told nothing more.

I returned to the living world. My jet bike stood unmolested at the foot of the cliff. I never saw the being behind the voice and deep down I felt my sanity was the better for it. I climbed down and leaned hard against my bike. After mentally recuperating I picked out my music to help pass the time while I returned to the graveyard of ships and the Rakatan. I straddled the bike, powered it up, and as it raced forward the first notes of the first song blared in my ears. I blinked away the tears and welcomed the cathartic wash of rage and pain I had endured in the maze slowly purge from my system. By the time I reached my destination I felt lighter somehow. I summoned my dinner in the form of one of the wild cattle that roamed the wilds of Korriban. I used Force drain and slowly sapped its life force to sustain me.

"I am proud of your ever-growing strength," the Sith Lord praised me. "Allow me the opportunity to instruct you on creating the compound you will use for your trap."

I did not miss the change of when I first found the holocron. The Rakatan had been pompous and arrogant. Now, he treated me as an equal if not his superior. I approved. I observed the mechanics and listened to his warnings. The curse could and often did come back and bite the creator as often as it enthralled its victims. I created a small amount of the compound first to make sure I was successful. Following that I used up the rest of my supplies and had just enough for my little project. I stored the alchemical substance carefully, spent one last night in the barren wilderness of Korriban. I sat before my fire and listened to the song of the Dark Side. It was a strong vibrant thrum that permeated the entire planet. My first visit here it nearly overwhelmed me. Now, I accepted it as easily as I did the touch of the planet Tython, the home of the Je'Daii. I found myself at home here and I welcomed it.

The Trap:

When you hunt monsters, you need to find the right bait. In this case it was greed. I would use their desire for wealth and power to undo them. I had taken my first step and found the ancient Sith ritual that was the linchpin for the trap. I still needed the right bait. In this case it was a treasure map. Who does not want to discover a map and follow it to a shit ton of gold, jewels, and other things? As I built identical star maps Whisper, my Twi'lek companion, was aboard my ship the Ivory Wraith to spy on my enemies. Once she returned with the data, I would examine it and choose my killing ground. I returned my attention to the partially constructed orbs and assembled them side by side.

"Perfect," I said as I closed the housing on the second sphere. "Now for the hard part." I set one of the spheres aside, it would be my hero prop later. I took the second device and opened it. I placed the high explosive inside it and carefully closed it again. It was in all respects a next level thermal detonator. I removed the vessel holding the alchemical mixture in it. I placed the shielding above the workspace to keep me from seeing what I was doing. I blindly and carefully removed the lid of the container. I picked up the paint brush and began singing the vocal component of the spell. As I painted the surface of the sphere the song triggered the mind-altering effect of the alchemical formulae. I reached out with the Force and levitated the sphere and finished painting the bottom of the orb. I continued to sing as the compound dried.

"Shit, I am never doing that again." I cursed as I placed the lid over the enchanted globe. I was shaking from the sheer mental drain of singing and levitating the damned thing long enough for it to dry. I left the cave and strode out towards the body of water. I stood and took several cleansing breaths. I had been so caught up that in my task I had not heard the return of the Ivory Wraith and Whisper.

"Master." She greeted me with a gesture to join her on the shore of the blood red lake where she was fishing. "I have missed you however I have not been idle. I have discovered much regarding your foe." A data pad was snuggled near her hip. I sat next to the crimson skinned Twi'lek. I settled my head on her shoulder as I powered up the tablet. The files were solely dedicated to the head of the Brotherhood Guild and his closest friends.

"My spy network collected much," she paused and then continued. "You are not going to like what you read." She stated her voice soft to not alarm the fish. "Chapter two is key to his success." I jumped to that chapter and bit back the scream of rage.