Chapter 4
To say the ruins were tainted with the Dark Side was an understatement to say the least. Its very essence gave the ruins life; it's evil yet awesome power bearing down on the two padawans as they entered the temple. Drake had difficulty breathing for the first few moments he entered the ruins such was the intensity of the power present within them. Bastila had trouble focusing her mind as the dark side attempted to entice her with its presence. She glanced at Drake seeing he was calm and collected almost ignoring it's existence now, and she felt safer and more in control. She caught herself taking comfort in him being close and tried to stop herself from doing so, with little result.
"The Dark Side is very strong here…" Bastila murmured Drake looked around sensing a hint of fear in her voice.
"Come on…we shouldn't stay here too long…" Bastila nodded "What else is here do you think besides the Star Map?" Bastila sighed and shook her head.
"I do not know, I'm sorry anything could be in these ruins…" Bastila replied.
"That's what I was afraid you'd say…" Drake approached the door. The structure seemed to shudder slightly as the door slowly opened revealing an ancient droid. The droid looked almost like a crab apart from the tall and thin core body that was held aloft by the four legs.
As the two Jedi approached, it spoke in an alien language. Drake though fluent in almost every alien language known, could not understand a word of this one.
"I couldn't understand that…" he replied. Almost instantly it switched to another unfamiliar language. The language sounded like the Tusken dialect on Tatooine, the once again Drake didn't have the privilege of understanding.
"Bastila do you recognise this language?" Bastila shook her head.
"I think the droid is trying to find a suitable means to communicate with us… it can probably understand us, the only problem is waiting for it to find the right language…" as she finished the droid spoke again. This Drake understood it, he couldn't speak the language but he knew it.
"I recognise that…that's ancient Selkath.
"But why would a droid be programmed to speak Selkath?" Bastila wondered.
"We'll see now we understand it we can find out its purpose…" for a few minutes Drake conversed with the droid, as Bastila waiting patiently for Drake to gain the answers they wanted. After these minutes passed Drake sighed.
"Apparently to gain access to the Star Map we have to pass two trials, one through the left door, and the other through the right…"
"Wonderful…" Bastila breathed, "Shall we?" Drake nodded and they entered the left door. A droid similar to the first one they had just conversed with was within the room. However this one was obviously a combat model as a red shield activated almost the second Drake approached. Drake quickly drew his lightsabre and reflected a number of blaster bolts away from him. Bastila's golden double-bladed sabre came into being as with a snap-hiss the blades extended from both ends.
Drake continued to defend himself until the droid used its flamethrower. Drake rolled to the side, feeling it burn the skin of his right arm, he hissed as it came into contact with the harsh rock beneath him but he ignored the pain as best he could. Bastila was busy trying to get close to the droid, while sending the energy bolts harmlessly away. As soon as she got close she struck, but the energy shield didn't give an inch and she leapt back to avoid a torrent off orange flame.
"This could take awhile…" she said but Drake pulled an ion grenade from his belt.
"Or not…" Drake hurled the grenade at the droid and its shield vanished in a blue explosion. Extended his hand, a small bolt of electricity sparked from his hand and short-circuited the droid and it fell into a smouldering heap. Bastila looked at him suspiciously.
"Was that force lightning?" she inquired.
"No I used a smaller scaled version of it to fry the droid systems, it wouldn't hurt a human being…" Drake clarified but knew he'd get a lecture either way.
"I see, still be careful how you use the force padawan, the dark side isn't unavoidable" Bastila said Drake rolled his eyes as he turned away.
"I know that…" Drake murmured as he approached the console. Looking it over he tapped in a few keys. The language in he didn't understand and the key's he pressed didn't serve any purpose. Deciding he had nothing to lose he spoke to the computer. After a moments silence, a loud beeping answered him and a small receptacle opened. Drake took out his datapad and inserted it into the computer. After a few more moments, galactic basic appeared on the screen.
"WHAT ARE THREE PRIMARY DEATH BRINGING SEEDS?"
"Death bringing seeds?" he muttered as the options: Volcanic, Barren Arboreal, grassland, oceanic and desert. He selected the three options and the computer beeped and his datapad was released. He frowned and looked at Bastila who looked just as confused.
"An interesting test…"she uttered slowly. Drake shrugged and they made their way to the second room. Again another droid awaited them. After the usual deflected blaster bolts routine, a silver beam collided with Drake's lightsaber arm. Drake looked down in shook, as his right arm now burning fiercely was turned into what looked like ice. Drake quickly spun to the left as it took another shot. Bastila looked at him in worry.
"Are you ok?" she called to him as he held his arm, which looked as though it was stuck stiff down his side.
"I'll be fine just watch that beam…" Drake replied. The droid took aim with its blaster and Bastila stepped in front of him to deflect the bolts as they came at him.
Drake at this point thrust his free hand forward and snapped it into a fist. The droid stopped firing paralysed by the force. Bastila ran up to it, and plunged her lightsabre into its core. The droid fell too the ground in a heap and lay still.
Drake glanced at his arm as it the ice like material that encased it melted away. He hissed slightly as the burning of his arm returned and he shook it a bit hoping to get the blood flowing. Bastila approached and used the force to the sooth the pain slightly.
"Thanks…" she nodded as Drake approached the console. After the same plot as before, he named three life bringing seeds, Arboreal, Oceanic and grassland and took his datapad from the receptacle.
Leaving the room they noticed the door behind the droid had opened. Moving slowly and cautiously they moved through. The Dark Side's strength seemed to double with every step they took, its intensity was greater than anything else they had felt up to this point.
The final door opened and within the room stood a strange shell like device. As the two approached it, the machine began to activate. As it opened a small cylinder floated into the air and then turned into what like a galaxy map. Five planets were shown as the map began to take shape.
"This…this must be what Revan and Malak discovered when they came here…" Bastila began obviously surprised at what the map showed. "This is a map…but it seems to be incomplete" Drake bit back a comment he would have liked to send her way and noted the planets.
"Kashyyyk, Korriban, Manaan, Tatooine and Dantooine…" Drake listed "The explains the tests…Kashyyyk an Arboreal planet, Tatooine a desert, Manaan an ocean, Dantooine grassland and Korriban is barren…no volcanic planet though…" Drake thought for a moment. "That might mean star maps like this one are on the other four planets…"
"I was thinking that too, this map cannot lead us to the star forge itself but if we find the others, we may discover the location of the Star Forge that the droid spoke of…" Bastila replied. Drake listed the down the planets and then he and Bastila exited the ruins heading back to enclave.
It the afternoon now; the red glow of the sun as it lowered in the sky was a beautiful sight though neither Jedi had time to appreciate it just yet as they hurried into the enclave.
"Ah you have returned young Padawan…have you discovered what it was Revan and Malak found in those ruins?" Vandar entreated as they entered the chambers.
"We found an incomplete star map within the ruins and the droid that acted as its guardian mentioned a Star forge…" Drake replied. The council exchanged looks of dismay and perhaps slight fear.
"This news of a Star Forge is disturbing, the Council must deliberate on what must be done, and Master Dorak will consult our archives to find any mention of the Star Forge…" Vandar looked at the two padawans "Return to you ship with Bastila and we will summon you when we are done…" Both bowed and returned to the Ebon Hawk.
About a couple of hours later Drake was sitting in the main hold of the Hawk reading a Jedi datapad as Carth walked in.
"Everything ok?" Drake asked as Carth sat opposite him.
"Yeah just fine…" Carth replied rather gruffly, Drake frowned and placed the datapad down on the table.
"Are you sure you've been a little quiet recently" Drake replied.
"Have I been quiet? Well I guess I have since I've been left out the loop for the past few days…" Drake shook his head.
"Well I haven't left you out of the loop Carth…"
"Yeah but you certainly haven't helped matters…" Carth snapped "one second you're talking to me about what's going on and the next its all Jedi mojo and secrets it's really starting to irritate me" Carth looked at Drake who had a patient look on his face "For one thing I want to know what it was the council talked to you about…ever since they've given you this training or mission or whatever you call it…you haven't been saying a word"
"Why don't you ask Bastila?" Drake said slowly keeping his temper in check.
"I'd be more than happy to but she's as closed mouthed as the rest of the council…I'm hoping you're the one who'll enlighten"
"Well first they gave me the mission to investigate those ruins I told you about and they said I have some form of bond with Bastila…"
"You're a neophyte padawan who's been shouldered with the weight entire galaxy why? That's not natural" Carth growled "forgive me but their ways seem kinda strange to me…"
"Look they told me Bastila and I are bonded that's all I'm gonna give you…" Drake said pointedly wanting to stop a potential argument and getting up to leave. By this point Mission and Zaalbar were listening from the hold Mission with a worried expression on her face.
"A bond? What kinda bond? Oh is this more of that destiny garbage the Jedi always talk about?" Bastila had emerged from the crew quarters by this point and heard the final exchange "Well I tell you this much I am not gonna wait around until I'm betrayed again!" Drake stopped dead and slowly turned to gaze at Carth. After everything that had happened he'd thought Carth had a bit more trust in him by now but that obviously wasn't the case.
"I am not going to betray you Carth!" he snapped having finally lost patience, Mission winced slightly at the venom in Drake's voice "I am not Saul!" Carth looked away.
"I guess we'll see about that won't we?" Carth sighed, "Look I didn't mean that way I…no it seems all I can do is insult you right? Well forget it…" Carth stalked from the room into the cockpit. Drake kicked the central computer in frustration and leant on it and sighed. Bastila emerged almost shyly from the point she'd been standing and approached the seething young man.
"Drake…" he looked up slightly "the council have finished their deliberation and have sent for us…" he nodded and she left the ship opting to wait for him to relax. Mission came up to Drake and patted his arm.
"What was that about?" she demanded.
"Carth…just being as mistrusting as always…" Drake took a deep breath.
"Carth's head is as hard as rock, just ignore him…he'll come round sooner or later…" Mission replied Drake chuckled slightly. Sometimes Mission displayed wisdom beyond her years, though very rarely as she was only fourteen.
"He'd better…I gotta go thanks Mish…" she grinned and waved him off as he left the ship.
"Everything ok?" Bastila asked.
"Yeah come on let's not keep the council waiting…" Bastila nodded and they hurried to the council chambers.
"Padawan you have done well in discovering the star map…" Vandar stated as Bastila and Drake stood before them. "We Jedi know that victory over the Sith will not be easy, especially now after discovering the Star Map… action is required"
"I gave consulted our vast Archives but found no mention of the Star Forge, it is troubling the Jedi have no knowledge of such an artefact" Dorak said.
"Still the council is in agreement, we have decided to send you to each of these planets in search of the star maps and to discover the Star Forge's location, yet if we send a company of knights with you, it will undoubtedly draw the full attention of Malak and the Sith"
"I am to undertake this alone?" Drake asked.
"Secrecy is our best weapon…but it would be foolish to appoint you such a task alone…" Vandar looked over Drake "Bastila will accompany you…for there is a powerful bond between you both and her guidance may prove useful to you both…" Drake nodded with approval. Then he sensed the presence of another behind him. He turned to see Juhani approaching from the training room. She seemed shy, hesitant almost, to come any further.
"And Juhani has also asked to accompany you, after great deliberation we have granted her request…" Vandar announced. Drake smiled and bowed to Juhani.
"I'd be honoured…" Juhani smiled gratefully and took her place next to him looking a little more sure of herself.
"Juhani fell to the dark side, so maybe her presence will help remind you of its danger…" Vrook stated critically. Drake felt annoyance at Vrook's harshness towards the young knight as she looked down slightly but pushed it away.
"There may be others who wish to accompany me…" Drake started.
"Of course you're companions from Taris can travel with you, for their skills will be of great help to you and no doubt you feel better having them alongside you." Vandar reassured him.
"Very well, I will not fail…" Drake replied.
"You may return here whenever you wish…but do not allow yourself to become distracted from your goal…" Vrook lectured as he always did. Drake bowed and turned to leave.
"Padawan…" he turned back to Vrook who had a grim expression on his face "before you go a warning for you… the lure of the Dark side is difficult to resist…I fear this quest to find the Star Forge may lead you down an all too familiar path…" Drake frowned at Vrook's words. He spoke as if Drake had fallen before and he remembered Vrook saying something about Revan the Dark Lord of the Sith would return if he was trained.
"I'll keep that in mind Master Vrook" he replied stiffly. All to Familiar path? And Revan may return if I am trained? What does he mean? Drake bowed and left the room with Bastila and Juhani.
"What did he mean by that last comment Bastila?" He asked immediately once they were out of earshot. He saw a sudden painful look caress Bastila's beautiful features.
"It…it was just a warning Drake, Vrook appears very critical at times, but he just wishes his students to become strong and capable Jedi" Bastila struggled with the words, something Drake noted but decided to ignore for the time being.
"If you say so…" Bastila nodded and returned the Ebon Hawk. Drake and Juhani spoke awhile with Juhani apologising for actions. After this Drake learned a bit of Juhani's past and told her a bit about himself before they decided to enter the Ebon Hawk.
"All right well where to first?" Carth asked after he'd learned of their task.
"Tatooine…" Drake said; "I think we should head there first" Carth nodded.
"Sounds good…let's go" Drake nodded and retired to his quarters while Carth took the Ebon Hawk into the sky and it rocketed away and vanished in a white glow as it entered Hyperspace.
A couple of thousand light-years away over an unknown planet a Sith Interdictor ship floated through space. It was armed with a huge array of blaster cannons and had an almost impenetrable shield. The Leviathan was its name and it the most powerful ship in the Sith fleet.
On the bridge of the ship, a man in his late forties stood observing his men. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He wore the suit of an admiral benefiting his rank. Admiral Saul Karath, one of the most the well respected and feared Admirals within the Sith Armada.
As he remained standing where he was, his hands clasped in front of him, another more dominant figure approached him.
This man was bald, with grey tattoo's that adorned his skull and sickly yellow eyes showing his immersion in the Dark side. He was at least six foot two and wore a tight skin orange suit, showing off his imposing physic. His lower jaw was covered with a mask or perhaps a vocabulator as he spoke with a mechanical growling voice. He walked with a sense of unspoken authority, as soldiers were quick to move away from him in fear. Darth Malak, the Lord of the Sith and Revan's successor. Karath turned and bowed as Malak approached.
"Lord Malak the Star Forge is operating at 300 capacity far beyond our expectations…" Saul reported.
"I am more interested in the young Jedi Bastila and her Battle meditation…" Malak growled, "Have you discovered how she escaped the destruction of Taris?" Malak had ordered the destruction of an entire planet, to try and kill a single Jedi who was a key threat to his power, but she and her companions had escaped leaving the planet to be destroyed.
"She was aided by Carth Onasi a decorated war hero with the Republic and a legendary soldier, during the Mandolorian wars he was honoured many times for his bravery…" Saul stated.
"You know this man?" Malak demanded curious to how Saul knew so much.
"Yes Lord Malak…he served under when I still followed the Republic…you could say I was his mentor" Saul replied remembering his time with Carth during the past war.
"Interesting…" Malak said only half-interested in reality "How did you acquire this information Admiral?"
"An eye witness Lord Malak…" the Dark Lord turned to see a rather short individual approaching. He was around four feet eleven and was short and stocky in build. He wore a blue overcoat underneath which was an impressive suit of armour, looking mandolorian in design. He wore goggles over his eyes and had two mandolorian heavy plaster pistols at his waist.
"Calo Nord a Bounty Hunter was present when Carth and Bastila escaped the planet…apparently they left him for dead…" Malak turned to the bounty hunter whom he towered over. To his credit, Nord showed no intimidation.
"A Jedi and a war hero…" Malak growled a grudging respect hinted in his tone "it's a wonder you survived the encounter…"
"I am hard to kill Lord Malak…" Calo stated. Malak nodded.
"Calo has agreed to help us find the young Bastila for a very hefty fee of course…" Saul stated "but I assure you he is well worth the price…his reputation as a bounty hunter is well earned" Malak nodded.
"Her companions are nothing to me Calo…but I desire the young taken alive if at all possible" Calo nodded.
"Forgive me Lord Malak but there is something else…may we have a private audience away from the ears of the common soldiers" Malak's eyes narrowed.
"I trust you are not wasting my time…Admiral Karath" Malak said a hint of a threat in his voice.
"I assure you…you will be very interested in what Calo has to tell you about Bastila's other companion Lord Malak" Saul reassured.
"Other companion? Very well…" Malak turned on his heel and left the bridge closely followed by Nord and Karath to discuss the matter of Bastila's other companions while the men watched them leave with curious expressions.
A few clicks away in cloak was a small star fighter. Inside the cockpit of this ship was a young man of twenty-three years of age. He had dark brown hair with emerald like eyes and was lean, slender and athletic in build. He held onto his earpiece as he listened to the conversation of Malak, Nord and Karath on the bridge.
"Thanks for the info Calo…" he said quietly to himself "I'll see you on Tatooine" He quickly brought his ship around de-cloaked and rocketed into hyperspace leaving no trace of himself behind as the Leviathan remained drifting through the vast nothingness of space.
First glimpse of an OC...I'll introduce him later...in the mean time your thoughts and reviews please!!