Play Testers Wanted Pt. 15

Thorn was a talented Slicer. She had mad security and computer skills. She easily sliced the mediocre alarms protecting the building. Winter took point as we entered with a clean tactical sweep of the office. The office was not occupied, and once Thorn hacked their network she found the secrets the Jedi were hiding here.

"Pre-Republic Force users... temple complex below us. I do not dare dig deeper. The next level of security is a crap shoot at best." Thorn stated.

"Let's go peek and see what is in here and see what kind of tools or machinery they are using." I urged.

We snuck into the heart of the building and instantly we were clinging to the shadows. This was not a storage facility but the dig site itself. The scent of damp earth and exposed roots permeated the atmosphere. Two figures dressed as Jedi historians were approaching the lift that allowed access to the dig. You could tell they were historians from their white under tunics, silver tunics, and the elaborately patterned tabards which reminded me of a mix of a Celtic knot and a computer circuit board. Finishing the look was an obi, or sash, wrapped around their waists which had the same pattern as the dangling tabard neatly tucked under their obi.

I waited until the Jedi took the lift and entered the dig and it returned to the surface. I was about to speak when I saw Thorn's expression. She was smiling and walking towards an unremarkable container.

"Master?" She muttered as she knelt, took out her tools, and picked the container's lock. Thorn opened it and her lekku quivered joyfully.

"Holy..." I exclaimed and clenched my teeth to keep from crying out anymore.

"Are those Kaiburr crystals?" Winter asked. "They look odd."

"Yeah, more like diamonds than crystals." Thorn whispered.

"I have seen the crystals of Ilum and Ossus, but these put them to shame." I stated in shock. "Let us split these up... what?"

"It will take less time if you hold them. We can divide them later." Winter suggested.

"She is right. We need to go." Thorn agreed. I claimed the entire container and we prepared to take the elevator down into the dig.

"Time to kill some Jedi. Follow me to the lift. Keep your weapons ready and your thoughts clear until the opportunity presents itself. No mercy." I whispered as we snuck to the elevator. "When the lift lowers be prepared to be challenged by security. I expect either Jedi Knights or droids or both." Winter giggled and Thorn punched her arm and glared. "What?" I rumbled and they both looked guilty as sin. "Well?"

"You tell him," Thorn said smiling wickedly.

"Fine. I told her you were staring at my asshole earlier." Winter purred.

"She thinks you are going to violate her ass again down there." Thorn hissed clearly jealous.

"I am." I replied. "I am going to pound both of you into submission. Got it?"

"Oh, yes Master." The moaned in perfect unison.

We stepped onto the flat open surface of the lift, crouched, and activated it. The elevator vibrated as it descended into the pit. It was loud too. Anyone below would know someone was coming down. I unhooked the Darksaber and readied to kill anyone we encountered. I heard voices below us.

"Late as always," a male voice stated. "I swear he is sleeping with her." There was a strong emphasis on the word her.

"Satele is too uptight to sleep with a student, no matter how cute he is." A female voice replied.

Time to try out the Wind Sword technique. Once they came into view one of them was in for a world of hurt. If it worked, it would shock the remaining Jedi and hopefully throw them off balance. The lift shuddered and came to a halt. The two Jedi historians we had seen early approached the elevator. I called up the Wind Sword and flung it at the closest Jedi. He barely sensed its presence before it was too late. The blade struck mid torso and cut him in half. Winter used a refined version of pyrokinesis and fired a laser thin beam at the female Jedi as she was reaching for her weapon. She was dead before she hit the ground.

"I will give her this, she held it together," Thorn said a hint of admiration in her voice.

"Search the bodies and see if there are any clues on them." I ordered as I swept the area for droids or more Jedi. While there was no big machinery here there were clear signs in the floor of the cave that they had once been here. This was a serious ass dig they were on. I heard the snap hiss of a lightsaber being activated and Winter's voice.

"Ooh, pretty." She gasped. I looked and saw her holding the female Jedi's weapon. The thing that made her weapon so different was its viridian hued blade. The silver-green color was rare indeed. She deactivated it and tossed it to me. Thorn handed me the male Jedi's lightsaber.

"For your collection." Thorn said. "His uniform is fucked. Winter, would you get hers and fold it up neatly please. We might need a disguise later." They went through the pockets of the Jedi while I kept watch. Winter set down the uniform of the female, food rations, a full water bottle, and what my HUD called a historian's work belt. Thorn found food and water as well as an advanced work belt. "I found a personal recorder Master," Thorn said as she handed it to me. I put everything but the recorder in my inventory. They did not seem interested in things and more into the experience.

We found a defensible position and listened to the entries recorded by the male Jedi, one Jenro Stormcaller. The gist is that after native miners discovered the cave and the high-quality crystals the Jedi swooped in to investigate and claim the mineral treasure. The only other thing of interest was a mention of a crazed droid they discovered and had self-activated. Since then it had been on a murderous rampage. Cool! Any droid capable of killing Jedi is worth making friends with.

"Let us go ladies. We are not far from the entrance to the ruins. I am sure things will only get more interesting once we delve the depths of this place."

We remained on high alert. The main entrance was guarded by no less than four battle droids. Strange for the Jedi to use them they usually used protocol or science droids. The units you can expect to see possess serious sensor arrays and alert the Jedi to intruders. Only in rare occasions when lives are on the line will they employ battle droids. What the hell are they up to? At first, we could only see silhouettes, but their movements were clearly those of droids. It was not until we got closer that we got our first clear look at them. What the hell? I had never seen this model of droid before. They were roughly humanoid except the prominent head piece that reminded me of a wide brimmed straw hat except that it was diamond shaped. It had no features just a single pulsing red optical sensor in the middle of its face.

The droids were armed with two wicked looking energy weapons instead of arms. There was no way of knowing if they possessed personal shield generators. They were a complete mystery, and I felt the thrill of a great challenge course through me. I wanted to holler and charge in but that was foolhardy. Better to get into a position where we could hit them from the shadows and start with an advantage. We squatted down and I traced out a crude map on the ground. I got my point across and we would split up briefly. The ladies would take up flanking positions as close to the entrance as possible and when I rushed the sentries, they would cut the closest droid down and then aid me if necessary. We stood and turned to come face to face with all four battle droids.

"Well... Fuck!" I cursed but the droids did not attack. They greeted us in a language none of us were familiar with. Attacking would be futile and lethal for us. Now that they were so close it gave me a chance to examine their configuration, composition, and the creativity that went into their construction. The bulk of their exoskeleton appeared to be an unfamiliar variant of durasteel. That gave them an extremely robust design. It was the brass, copper, and bronze colored inlays on their torsos, heads, and portions of their legs that astounded me. The markings were identical to the elongated ovals with their intricate geometric designs that I had used on the latest lightsaber I had crafted.

"We need to communicate," I stated to my companions. "Let us try something universal." I conjured a guitar out of shadow stuff and began to play. I chose a particularly challenging piece I had been writing illustrated beauty as well as mathematical complexity. The droids lowered their weapons and greeted me.

"You are designated Darth Valakhor," the lead droid stated in flawless Rakatan.

"How did you know I spoke Rakatan?" I asked.

"Logic dictates," it began. "If you were fluent in the Creator's language then you would have responded when we first greeted you. Since you failed to respond my protocols chose the language of the Rakata next. If that failed, then I would have regrettably settled to Galactic Basic as I was forced to when speaking with the other flesh-based sentients."

"The Jedi you mean." I replied.

"Affirmative. How may we be of assistance Valakhor?" It asked and I felt the smile curl my lips.

"Tell me about this place and if it is not against any directives, I would love a full break down of the Creator's language and your design schematics. I am a bit of a creator myself." I asked.

"I suspected as much. Seeing as the Creators are long dead, here take this and let it serve as inspiration Master Valakhor." It said. The droid reached up as a slot opened and a slender memory card was extruded. It handed it to me, and I examined it on the spot.

"Holy shit," I cursed as I reverted to Galactic Basic. "Their technology is based off Kaiburr crystals." I said as I held up the chip. A third of the chip was an elegantly faceted crystal of the highest quality. The circuit board making up the rest was not limited to a simple linear pattern but a three dimensional one. "Damn impressive!" I switched back to Rakatan. "I will make great use of this. Where can I read this chip?"

"Here... here... or here." The droid indicated on a holographic map it projected from its chest. I studied it and memorized it the best I could. "Be forewarned, the Creators were never a subtle race. The mechanisms are not what you would call quiet. You may have to thin the others out before reading it."

"Ask him about the killer droid." Thorn urged.

"Yes, what is the story with the other droid?" I asked.

"Poor thing," it began. "He and his master came here decades ago. While his master was dying our brother in steel was damaged and shutting down. The human managed to enter the main vault. Left behind we tended to the wounds of the other and repaired him. He has guarded the last resting place of his master since. When the others intruded, he carried out his mission."

"Such loyalty," I remarked and the droid nodded.

"After all, his master was also his creator." The droid explained.

"Thank you for everything." I said with a bow and the droids returned to their posts. "Time to go."

"Will the other droids interfere with us?" Winter asked.

"I doubt it. They seem more interested in maintaining the stability of this place. We are here to gather the contents of the vault, not destroy anything." I replied.

"The Jedi do not fall under their protection then," Talon chuckled. "Excellent!"

"Let's fuck some shit up." I declared.

We passed the droids and under the archway that marked the entrance into the tomb complex. The size of the cavern was awe inspiring. The roof was not often visible and the length and breadth enormous. Over the last ten thousand years or so, since the fall of the Creators the shape of the cavern had been altered by cave ins, earthquakes, and the passage of time. I will give the elder race this, they built things to last. Where the ground had given way the structures, wherever possible, remained at the same position. In many cases this involved technology allowing them to hover in place. There were vast gaps between a stable cavern floor and the floating structures. The Jedi had conveniently constructed walkways to facilitate movement from the floor of the main cavern to the buildings above or below.

It was far easier shrouding our movements in shadows. The cave was poorly illuminated. There were many patches of shadows and darkness. They had marked paths with artificial lighting, but they illuminated only small patches in the overall acreage of this place. The nearest site for accessing the chip was well lit and heavily guarded. I counted six Jedi Knights, half a dozen Padawans, and one Jedi Master for that building alone. Why so large a force for a single building? I wondered how many Jedi the council sent here to investigate these ruins. If the Kaiburr crystals we had taken had been mined from this site then a large force would be worth it.

"We wait." I whispered. "Why so many for one building?"

"Look," Thorn whispered in my ear. "They are leaving."

She was correct. Four knights and their padawans used the bridge to cross to a pillar of rock beneath one of the floating structures. As we watched a golden light enveloped the eight Jedi and the glow reappeared from the edge of the structure above. Teleportation! That explained why they did not need to build bridges to all the buildings. Some of them must possess functional teleportation technology. The Jedi master remained with the four other Jedi. Now was the time to attack. We made our way towards what I thought of as the reading room. The Jedi entered the building leaving only two to guard the entrance. The Knight and his Padawan chatted about the ruins and their hopes for a greater understanding of the Force.

"What do you think caused their extinction master?" The Padawan asked.

"Who knows it could have been disease, natural disaster, or perhaps the Rakata." The Jedi knight proposed. "Once we understand their language their mysteries will hopefully be revealed."

The Padawan was a healthy teenager belonging to the Zabrak, the same race as Darth Maul. His master, the Jedi knight was a human male in his mid to late twenties. They both had single bladed lightsabers at their hips. Winter and Thorn struck out from the shadows. Only until it was too late did they react to the danger. Both Jedi fell to the ground with smoking holes in their chests. I heard the distinct snap-hiss as the Jedi within sensed our presence and intentions.

"Sith!" The Jedi master warned. "Take the women I will face the masked one!"

"Yes Master!" The Knight and his Padawan agreed as we rushed into the well-lit structure.

The Master was a human female, and she was armed with a light pike or double-bladed saber. It was the same length as Maul's but was more elegant with delicate scrollwork. She had both cerulean blades activated and when she saw the Darksaber her eyes narrowed. We crossed blades and I began with form five or Shien. She used Niman or form six with great skill. I had not dueled a truly gifted opponent in a long time. An eerie silence filled the air as the Darksaber and her weapon clashed. Her movements were clean and economic. After a short while I slipped into a light meditation and I could almost anticipate her next move and the black blade was there to soundlessly intercept hers. When we locked blades, hers lost intensity and grew dim.

"What sorcery is this?!" She hissed in horror.

"Deadly gravity turned the Kaiburr crystal into a diamond." I explained. "I rescued it and rebuilt my weapon."

"It should be destroyed," she growled as I felt a hint of fear and uncertainty.

"Your fear betrays you," I laughed and pushed the attack. She had mastered Niman but I held my trump card as I let her fear build. The poison from the Darksaber had infected her weapon. The once clean blue blades were now the color of sapphire or permafrost. She backflipped out of combat range and I felt as she pushed the fear from her mind and sent cleansing energy into her weapon. "Impressive! Join me. Taste the pleasures of the Dark Side."

"I will never join you." She calmly replied. The padawan was long dead and to emphasize the situation Thorn decapitated the Jedi knight. His head rolled away as his body dropped to the floor of the chamber. I felt a twinge of compassion and knew she had trained the Jedi knight herself.

"Were the two of you lovers?" I asked and felt a flicker of rage. What a prize she would be if I could turn her. "Guard the entrance and keep an eye out for reinforcements."

"Yes Master," they replied.

"Now, come on and let us cross blades again. You never truly know someone until you duel." I purred. "I will show you something new."

Her roar of anguish heralded her use of Force speed to cross the distance between us. She came on like a devastating whirlwind. I slipped into form eight and thwarted her initial onslaught. Once more the insidious drain dimmed her blades, but she was too intent upon destroying me. I was pushing her back and into a purely defensive posture. When she attempted to go on the offensive, I drove her down. I relished her growing sense of despair.

"Only your rage can defeat me," I urged.

"Where did you learn this form?" She asked her voice uncertain.

"Not your concern," I fired back as I laughed. "Soon you will break and your journey to the Dark Side will begin."

"No! I am a Jedi Master! I will not embrace the darkness!" She stated proudly. I needed to shatter that pride of hers. I did not want to kill her, but I also did not have unlimited time for this. I pushed to the next level and attacked her weapon. I activated the Ghostfire blade and cut her weapon in twain. She staggered back as I used telekinesis to rip the two halves from her grasp. She bled from several small wounds. The scent of her blood triggered a feeding frenzy. I was upon her and my fangs sank into her throat. "Forgive me mother!" She clung to me as I drained her dry. Her body shook as I fed her my blood and changed her. I held her close as the conversion overtook the former Jedi Master.

"Master..." she purred. "I know you. I had your holocron in my possession during my training as a historian. You are Darth Nocturnal. I should have known you sooner."

"Show me where the reader mechanism is located." I ordered.

"There." She pointed weakly at first, but her body was quickly regaining its full strength. "Let me show you." I let go and she strode with a renewed power and grace. "It is here but it is not functional."

"Do not be so sure," I corrected her. I removed the crystal memory chip and slid it into the slot prepared for it. Generators vibrated beneath us as they spun up to full potentiality. A surge of the Force filled the area. No Force wielder could possibly ignore it. "Be prepared to defend that entrance." I called out to Winter and Thorn.

The ceiling split open and four gleaming metallic armatures dropped down. Three of the segmented bronze arms ended in polished lenses of flawless Kaiburr crystals. The fourth held a man-sized crystal that pulsed like a human heart. The arms moved and took up positions that gathered the light from the main crystal reflecting and refining it until a thin laser thin beam struck the back wall of the structure. A low sound rumbled to life and slowly gained the right volume and steadiness.

"...are the Zeffo. We serve the balanced Force." The voice declared as a holographic image took shape. It looked like the battle droids we had encountered earlier. "If you are seeing this you have proven yourself to our mechanical children. While we perish, they will continue, our only legacy left to us. Approach and speak with us."

My newborn child stayed close but only I stood within the holographic circle. A brief flash of light and the holographic figure snapped into perfect clarity. I listened as it explained the purpose and history of the ruins. No wonder the Jedi had come here. The Zeffo were once followers of the balance. However, like the Je'Daii they split, and the followers of the Dark Side slew their light side brethren. It was the first and last kin slaying in their long history. Violence was unknown to them. They were primarily scholars that delved into the deepest reaches of the unified Force. It became clear they looked too deep for their ultimate prize, immortality and the ability to create life from nothing. Their hubris was their undoing. The Force struck back and sterilized the Zeffo. A few achieved immortality, but at the cost of their entire race. Some reclaimed their sanity and erected this library for those that followed.