Chapter XXXI

With all of the coral and fungal overgrowth that accumulated around the doorway, Bao couldn't help but liken the doors to a giant beast opening its mouth. As they had passed through the underlevels of the Temple – a long-abandoned section of the ancient monastery not even Darth Krayt had been able to remodel – the analogy continued. The walls were completely encased by thick layers of yorik coral. The air was musty and humid, and only years of experience prevented Bao from vomiting upon contact with the smell of rotting rodents. He felt as if he were being swallowed whole.

At the front of the group, he and Val inched forward carefully, Val's rangefinder engaged and Bao's hand on the hilt of his lightsaber. Behind him, a queasy Riko was clutching Niner's hand tightly with his right hand, his left rested on the hilt of his lightsaber. Jade seemed...preoccupied, something was diverting her focus. Bao suspected he'd have to keep her close.

Now that they were inside, they were in the process of completing their first objective: before they could free the imprisoned Jedi, they had to retrieve their lightsabers.

The group's tactics were clear: until they reached their destination, they must remain unseen. Mandalorians were expert hunters and trackers, and Jedi Shadows had been trained to hunt down any sign of the Dark Side they found, resulting in a high sensitivity to any trace of the Force. Bao and the others couldn't risk giving their opponents any clue to their presence whatsoever until they freed the prisoners. While Bao understood how to see through the Shadows' aura of stealth, his attempt to replicate them wasn't as successful: he couldn't hide himself as effectively as they had, nor could Riko or Jade. They could only conceal their presences in the Force: they could still be spotted by sight, sound, or by technological means. Even the slightest slip in the smoky aura that concealed their presence in the Force – if the sound of their feet attracted the attention of a Mandalorian commando – they would be discovered, hunted down, overwhelmed, and killed.

So they continued – silently, cautiously – through the abandoned hallways. Gradually, the claustrophobic crust of the yorik coral gave way to cavernous tunnels of sandstone and duracrete faintly illuminated by flickering red lights. In some instances, walls were partially or completely demolished, surrounded by traces of rusted scaffolding. Other times, the Sith ruins gave way to ornate, grand halls supported by giant pillars with massive elliptical carvings for windows. If the schematics Artoo held in his memory banks were accurate, they were in the western quarter of the Temple, near the base of the mountain at the structure's heart.

"There should be a terminal nearby," Riko muttered to himself. Beside him, Niner was whimpering. Both of them would have to learn to still their tongues on a mission like this.

Bao extended his senses further outward, looking for any sign of the rippled veil that marked the concealed presence of a Jedi Shadow.

He felt something. Not Shadows, but hardened predators. Mandalorian Commandos.

"Incoming," Val whispered. Wordlessly, Bao ushered the group back behind a pillar.

He sensed the Mandalorian commando approach, scanning the cavernous corridor. Beside Bao, Jade was reaching for her lightsaber…

"No," Bao whispered, moving his hand to block hers, "We can't be seen."

Jade hesitated, and Bao smelled a whiff of fear...and anger. Then she lowered her hand. No one moved a muscle until the Mandalorian was gone.

"All clear," Val retracted his rangefinder and advanced into the next room, which consisted of a walkway suspended near a pool of frothing waters. Bao recognized the scent of a Dianoga, and his suspicions were confirmed when a tentacle burst through the water.

Scavengers, he thought as they made their way across the bridge, Feeding on the ruins.

His mind turned back to Jade, the emotions he had felt from her in that brief moment. She was terrified, afraid. But there was great anger there, too.

Bao couldn't help but wonder if this place, her old home, this temple – brought back memories of her father's betrayal.

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to reflect on this right now. He would simply have to watch Jade and be ready in case something went wrong. And he'd have to trust that Riko could do the same.

Jade was surprised at how familiar the Temple felt. It was nothing like the temple on Atarashi'ie. In lieu of the naturalistic, stone-hewn monasticism of the mountain-carved monastery, this place was large and grand. This temple held more in common with the Imperial Palace than anything else. Even the parts of it that were still clearly Sith still felt more like the home of a royal than a school for Force-users.

"Wowww," Niner whispered softly, sharing Jade's bewilderment, "Why it really big?"
"I'm not sure," Riko replied.

Eventually, the group made their way into a cavernous chamber that stood out vividly from the Sith aesthetic. This more monastic chamber was vast and grand, with rows of plinths. Jade recognized the architecture: the Jedi had similar memorials on Atarashi'ie and Ossus.

Though many of the contents of the memorials had been removed and relocated to Atarashi'ie and the other Jedi academies and sanctums across the galaxy, the physical structures still remained. Each one was a stone plinth gathered from the deceased Jedi's homeworld. In some of the more intact memorials lay a flickering holoimage of the dead Jedi, a plaque containing their name and some words from their loved ones, and an empty transparisteel-enclosed cavity that had once held their lightsaber. Jade recognized names such as Galen Marek, Ganner Rhysode, Bazel Warv, and even Jacen Solo.

Upon seeing the last name, Jade was confused, wondering why they would immortalize Darth Caedus here.

From the look of things, either the Jedi had managed to restore this room before abandoning the Temple or the Sith had left it intact, whether to mock their enemies or honor them.

"I'm surprised the Sith didn't raze this place to atoms," Bao commented, confirming Jade's latter theory.

"I read that Darth Krayt respected the Jedi," Riko replied, "At least, as adversaries."

"He had a funny way of showing it," Val added, "I count one ahead. Probably a Shadow."

Jade resisted the urge to draw her lightsaber. They had to remain unseen.

"Let's be cautious," Bao instructed, "Observe, but do not interfere."

Steadily, they crept towards the end of the room, where they found their target. He stood by a table, sorting through a pile of cylindrical objects. Jade's eyes widened as she realized they were lightsaber hilts.

Suddenly the Shadow stiffened with surprise, before glancing back towards the memorial, his hand moving to his lightsaber.

Bao and Val ushered the group behind the plinths. The shadow kept his gaze upon the memorial, his brow furrowed in concentration. Jade wove her aura of stealth about her like a cloak. She couldn't let herself be seen.

For almost a minute, the Shadow surveyed the room, until he eventually sighed in relief, and returned to his work, dividing the lightsaber hilts into two piles.

"This must be where they're keeping the lightsabers," Riko whispered.

"What's our plan?" Jade asked. A part of her itched to draw her weapon.

"We wait," Bao declared, "Meditate until he leaves. This shall be an exercise in patience."

Concealing her impatience, frustration, and shock, Jade reluctantly nodded. She wasn't sure if Bao's strategy was right, but she didn't want to blow their cover unless it was necessary.

"You should set yourself to low power mode, Niner," Riko suggested, "We might be here awhile. It'll help you pass the time."

"Is you sure?" the little droid asked, trembling.

"I think so," Jade added, "We'll wake you up if anything goes wrong."

"Okay," Niner said, with a greater degree of relief. Jade couldn't help but find it interesting that she was picking up his moods and emotions with as much ease as organic beings. She guessed that was the simple result of spending so much time with Riko.

Within the vast monument, Niner went into a voluntary sleep. Artoo engaged his perimeter sensors to maximum. Val trained his rangefinder on their target and kept his finger on his concussion rifle. And Jade, Riko, and Bao meditated.

With her eyes closed and her environment quiet save for her breathing and that of her companions, Jade's mind could only focus on the environment around her.

Being trained as an Omnist, she had seen light and dark more as counterparts than opposites. Her dad – Tau – had taught her that the light side provided guidance, the dark, power. A passion for justice and love for life was just as important as love and empathy. It wasn't until she had met Asharr that she had truly seen evil as the Jedi viewed it: a fire that burned for its own sake, no matter how much of the forest it destroyed. A whirlpool that sucked all in and destroyed it.

This Temple had a shadowy mist to it, a fog that permeated through every corner. It was quiet, yet omnipresent. Jade felt it coalesce in her mind, and if she listened, she could hear the faint echo of screams.
There had been a similar mist on Nyr'itz and Dromund Kaas. However, on Dromund Kaas, it had felt more primal and wild. On Nyr'itz, it had felt faded, distant, yet it cast its shadow over the planet.

This was more intense: churning, roiling within the barriers the Jedi had erected to keep the energies contained. Jade felt like she was trying to meditate in a hurricane.

I can think of no greater symbol of the Jedi… Asharr whispered in Jade's mind, Than this ruined palace.

Jade gasped. Asharr knew she was here!

"Jade!" Riko whispered, grabbing her hand. Jade instinctively quieted her presence, hiding it within the temple's ambient energy.

She sensed a burst of alarm from the Jedi Shadow. He had found them.

"We've been discovered," Bao said grimly, "We must get those lightsabers, quickly. Stay together, and do not let your guard down. Go!"

Riko, Jade, and Bao ignited their lightsabers and charged the Shadow. The Shadow brandished an emerald saber, meeting his enemy's blades with circular parries of his own. When Bao or Jade charged him, he flipped and weaved across the back of the chamber, evading their blades with an acrobat's grace.

Jade ran towards her opponent as he parried and evaded Bao's blows and jabs, striking out with her green blade. The Shadow evaded and delivered an uppercut kick to her jaw.

Jade staggered back, her head spinning and tasting blood in her mouth, just barely managing to stay on her feet. She might have been open to a killing stroke from her adversary if such a strike wouldn't leave him vulnerable to Bao or Riko's blades.

Her head quickly cleared, and she brushed off the pain. Once again, she had gotten too used to wielding two lightsabers. After this mission, she'd need more practice with just one.

Thankfully, her problem had a simple solution awaiting her on the table. She extended her hand and mentally grabbed the closest saber. It flew through the air and into her grip. It wasn't until she ignited the white blade with a mechanical hiss that she recognized the saber as the weapon of an Imperial Knight, the same hilt template her mother had used.

Any thoughts towards the acquisition of her new weapon were swept aside when the Shadow parried a low blow from Riko's blade, leaving him vulnerable to a mortal wound across the back from Bao. He toppled to the ground, dead.

"He was trying to delay us," Bao noted, "He knew he couldn't win. Val and I will take point. Grab the lightsabers and store them in whatever you can."

"Got it," Riko agreed. Jade reluctantly nodded. She was a little too eager to practice with her new lightsaber.

The two teenagers and the droids rushed towards the table. As Artoo and Niner opened their chest panels, Riko removed his backpack and opened it.

"Alright, we gotta hurry," he muttered.

"How many should we take?" Jade asked. If her estimate was right, there were at least forty lightsabers here.

"I don't know, all of them?" Riko suggested. He had a point. They didn't know how many prisoners were here, or which lightsabers belonged to the living or the dead.

"We'll carry as many as we can," Jade decided, and then started grabbing hilts and loading them into Artoo's chassis.

Val engaged his rangefinder and raised his concussion rifle. He and Bao took up position within the rows of memorials, using the plinths as cover. They stood side by side, for it wasn't wise to split up when the enemy could hide themselves with illusions.

His visor's thermal mode casting the world in shades of red and blue, he scanned the hallways ahead of the memorial, waiting for any signs of movement. For several minutes, the only sounds were that of his own breathing within the helmet and the hum of Bao's lightsaber.

"Wait," Jade's voice – though faded by distance – still broke the silence, "I recognize this. This is Master Sab'io's lightsaber."

"Pack it up," Bao's voice was somber with loss, "Hurry."

Though the Trandoshan remained focused on the battle ahead, Val knew that the words had held an effect on him. Master Sab'io's name was famous on Corellia. She and Bao must have been friends. They might have even been contemporaries.

They'd win this battle in her name.

The first outlines of opponents appeared on Val's rangefinder. Twelve armored individuals that could only be Mandalorians, led by two armored figures with capes…

"We're finished!" Riko declared over comms, "We're ready to go!"

"Meet us up here!" Bao commanded, "We must move fast!"

"Too late!" Val replied.

The enemy burst into the room, Verpine shatter guns in their hands, firing a wave of pellets that violently impacted the stone plinths and raised storms of dust and rocks around Bao and Val.

"Retreat!" Bao instructed. The duo moved back into the array of graves. Val raised his concussion rifle and fired, the recoil of the weapon almost causing him to stumble. The force of the blast staggered three of the Mandalorians and reduced the wall behind them to rubble, leaving a cloud of dust in its place.

The leaders of the group – a pair of Duros dressed in the red armor of Imperial Knights – ignited their white lightsabers and rushed towards Bao. As their blades met, five of the Mandalorians trained their weapons on Val.

The weight of the seven lightsabers stuffed into Riko's backpack impeded him only slightly. He could still fight.

"Get behind me!" Riko commanded Artoo and Niner. He ignited his fiery orange blade.

"There's too many!" Val's voice echoed through the hallway and on Riko's comlink, "We gotta hold out here."

Riko surveyed the room. There were no other exits.

"Protect Artoo and Niner!" Jade suggested, "I'm going to help Bao and Val!"

"Wait!" Riko gestured to Jade to stop, "We're trapped. We can't fight our way out."

"Time for another crazy plan?" Jade asked.

"Looks like it," Riko requested, "Artoo, pull up the schematics for the Temple's ventilation systems. All levels."

The astromech obliged, projecting a three-dimensional map of the Temple's western quarter, displaying the ventilation system as a series of red-highlighted tubes snaking through the floors...

"I found an escape route!" Riko declared over comms, "Get to my position!"

Bao's duel with the two Imperial Knights was a tenuous one. Imperial Knights all sported segmented plating that spanned the length of their arms made of cortosis, and contact with the rare alloy would quickly short out Bao's lightsaber. The Jedi was forced to hold his lightsaber close to his body, resorting to jabs and parries to keep his blade out of the range of the Knights' wrists.

He flipped back, landing deeper into the rows of monoliths. He extended his hand, and curled it into a fist. The rocks around him started to fracture and break apart until they began to topple.

The knights were distracted, focusing all of their attention on slicing through the hail of stones that began to fall and fly in their direction. Bao extended his hand, and unleashed a powerful blast of telekinesis. The Knights tried to block his sudden display of Force power only to fall back, with a hail of toppled stones, boulders, and dust separating the combatants.

Bao knew he didn't have long. He hurried through the stacks to reunite with the rest of the team.

Following Artoo's directions, Riko made his way towards a section of the floor which was placed directly over the nearby ventilation tunnel.

"Cover me," Riko instructed Jade. She nodded.

He plunged his ember blade into the ground, straight through to the hilt. Acting with haste yet cautious to avoid burning himself on the superheated permacrete, he cut an imperfect circle in the floor, conscious of the fact that this was his first time doing this.

"Wow," Niner was clearly mesmerized.

Once Riko finished, he withdrew his blade from the ground and gestured to Jade. She nodded and let Riko take a step back before she began.

Extending her hand, Jade gently raised the slab and set it aside. Riko peered down into the tunnel. It looked like they could walk through it.

"I'll go first," Riko suggested, "Scout out the way."

"Alright," Jade nodded.

Moving to his feet, Riko took a deep breath and leapt down into the air duct. The round tunnel was spacious, almost cavernous. The air was chilled, causing him to shiver slightly.

"Follow me!" Riko called up, "Hurry!"

Niner was the first to follow, yelping as the impact of his wheel hitting the floor caused the metal to clang. Artoo quickly followed, smoothing his descent with a pair of internalized jets.

Above Riko, the sound of blasterfire intensified, and for several seconds, he stood anxiously as he waited for the others. Then the tunnel rumbled slightly with the muffled sound of an explosion, and Jade, Val, and Bao jumped down in turn.

"We've delayed them," Bao said, "Go!"

With Riko leading the way, the group ran down the tunnel. For minutes that felt like hours, they hurried down the tunnel, silent save for the chill of the air within. Eventually, the dark tunnel brightened slightly when they reached an air grate. Looking outside, Riko saw a stairwell. Artoo's map indicated this would lead to the Sith-built prisons.

Stabbing his lightsaber into the grate, Riko slowly and carefully cut it open. Once he had carved a glowing rectangle of molten metal, he kicked the dislodged grate aside, and leapt into the stairwell. This part of the Temple was very much Sith: reduced illumination, greater shadows, walls that looked like they were bare stone… it uncomfortably reminded Riko of the ruins on Nyr'itz. There was a chill in the air that unnerved him to the bone.

"Follow me," Bao instructed once the others joined him, leading the charge.

After traversing the stairwell and moving down the next few hallways, Val lowered his rangefinder, set his visor to infrared, and scanned the corridor ahead, where the entrance to the prison awaited.

"I count three Mandos," Val noted, "Can't see behind the doors, though."

"Be careful," Bao declared, "They'll try to ambush us. Skipping stone, Val."

Val nodded. Riko and Jade both looked confused.

"Skipping stone?" Jade asked.

"You'll see," Val smirked.

Up ahead, the Mandalorians took up position within the vast corridor, intending to catch the team in a crossfire.

What they weren't expecting was a concussion grenade, thrown by Val, its speed amplified by Bao with telekinesis. Just as the commandos realized what was happening, two of them were blasted against the walls, the impact cracking the stone. The last one was luckier, merely left dazed. He quickly ignited his electrostaff, only to be assailed by Riko, Jade, and Bao simultaneously. Against their flurry of blows, he was no match, and he fell to a strike from one of Jade's sabers, joining his companions on the floor.

"There's the door," Val noted.

"Artoo!" Riko yelled.

The astromech quickly took initiative and interfaced with the door's access terminal. Val had a quick second to catch his breath before the action resumed.

Jade's heart hammered as the blast doors opened, revealing the Temple's prison complex. The circular chamber was a vast honeycomb of cells, sealed by force fields. The design of the room was pure Sith, with angular supports and dark lighting. It was quiet, and dim. Though Jade saw humanoid outlines in the cells, the only signs of life were whispers.

She delved deeper into the Force, sensing a roiling torrent. The dark nexus she had felt was much, much stronger here, making it difficult to see the auras of any prisoners within the cells nor the robed figures guarding this place.

Jade was certain that Asharr wasn't here. She could still feel her presence, and knew that the dark lord was being held somewhere else.

"Split up!" Bao ordered as the team charged into the complex.

"Stay close to me," Jade requested.

Riko nodded. The active combatants split off into three teams: Riko and Jade to the left, Bao to the right, and Val and the droids providing fire support.

As Riko and Jade charged towards the guards, one of them – a Shadow with vivid red vambraces that looked out of place on his brown robes – faced the duo, igniting a green-bladed saberstaff.

Intimately familiar with each other's strategies, Riko and Jade employed all of their talents against their opponent. Armed with two blades once again, Jade easily settled back into her old rhythm and forced the Shadow into a tight defense with a flurry of strikes and blows, her blades a torrent of white and green light. Riko complemented her with quick jabs and strikes with his ember blade in an attempt to find a weakness in the Shadow's technique.

As Riko and Jade engaged one of the two Shadows, the other fought against Bao's stalwart defense, their blades clashing in a storm of aqua and violet light. As sabers clashed and friends and foe grunted with exertion, Val took up position at the edge of the room, scanning for additional Shadows or Mandalorian reinforcements. He was prepared to intervene if any additional trouble befell Bao, Jade, or Riko.

Val's helmet detected signs of movement...above him!
He heard the roar of a jetpack as a pair of Mandalorian commandos descended from the ceiling, kicking Val's rifle out of his hands. Val tried to land a punch, but one of the commandos grabbed his arm and wrapped themself around his arms and torso, ensnaring Val in a tight grip. The second commando trained a wrist-mounted projectile on Val's neck.
Behind his visor, Val smirked as he raised his foot. He simultaneously kicked Gripper in the chestplate and moved his arms to break Gripper's hold and stagger Wrist Rocket's arm. Now freed, he proceeded to land a second kick to Wrist Rocket and turned to whack Gripper's exposed throat with his gloved hand.

As Gripper struggled to catch his breath, Val knocked aside Wrist Rocket's vambrace, pulled out his pistol, jabbed it into a gap between their beskar plating and belt, and fired.

As Wrist Rocket fell to the floor, Val turned to Gripper, who unleashed several strikes on Val, knocking his pistol out of his hands. Val grabbed his opponent's wrists, faced the Mandalorian, and impacted his helmeted head with his own.

As Gripper staggered back, discombobulated, Val quickly grabbed his helmet. The Mandalorian struggled to keep Val from removing it, to which he responded by kneeing an unarmored part of his opponent's body. Tossing his enemy's helmet aside, Val followed up by whacking Gripper across the temple with his gauntlet, knocking the commando into unconsciousness.

After cutting down the last of their opponents, Bao assigned Val to watch the exit. He turned towards the prisoners, taking count as he listened to their whispers:

"Is that…?"

"Jade? Jade Skywalker?"

"Are we getting rescued?"

"Bao?"

"Bao-Sklar Pierce? Is that you?"

Bao stopped counting as he realized that something felt...off. Something was missing. Reaching out through the Force, he realized with shock that he couldn't sense any of them in the Force. It was as if the dark energies of this place hid their presence.

He wasn't surprised. The dark side was very strong here: this chamber was the nexus of it.

Bao counted that thirty-two of these cells were currently filled; largely by padawans and younger knights. His heart sank as he realized what must have happened to all of the Masters the Shadows had hunted.

Still, this group was a tiny margin: there were still hundreds of Adherents out there who had no idea what was happening. And they would know the truth soon enough.
"Everyone," Bao declared, "We have come to set you free. If we can work together, we will escape this Temple together. "

"Uugghhh aarrragghuuhw?" a familiar voice – which resembled a roar – called out, "Raaaaaahhgh uughghhhgh uughghhhgh!"

Bao suddenly felt a jolt of relief. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Master Lowbacca?" Bao asked as he turned towards the source of the sound. In one of the cells, he saw a bandaged Wookiee with a shock of dark hair, a renewed burst of weariness and hope moving him to his feet.

"Council Master!" Bao almost raised his lightsaber in celebration, "You're alive!"

Lowbacca – a renowned veteran of Luke Skywalker's era – had survived the assassination of the Council: he was living, breathing proof of Tau's actions. Lowbacca was a good friend and would make a powerful ally.

"Wuuh," Lowbacca replied warmly, "Huurh raaaaaahhgh uughguughhhghghghhhgh huuguughghg uughghhhgh!"

"Yes we should," Bao declared, "Artoo, open these cells!"

Artoo immediately turned to the nearby interface port.

"Vreet-breet-deet! Beet-deet-deet!" the droid exclaimed in alarm.

"What happened?" Bao asked.

"He can't turn off the cell doors!" Niner translated.

"Is there a control junction?" Riko asked, "Some kind of outsourced generator?"

"Vreet-Bwoot!" Artoo answered.

"What?" Niner responded, "Chance they work without power is absolute zero."

"What does he mean?" Bao asked.

"They're not connected to any kind of power source or computer system," Riko stood there, perplexed, "I don't understand it."

"What?" One of the padawans asked.

"How are we going to get out?" Another added.

"Try to figure it out in the next few minutes," Val declared, "We have a lot of company."

"Val, watch the exit," Bao ordered, "Riko, Jade. We must find a way to open these cells, and quickly."

"And us?" Niner gestured to himself and Artoo.

"Keep monitoring the Temple's computer, Artoo," Riko suggested, "Niner, you guard him."

"Me shall protect you!" Niner sounded like he was trying to instill confidence in himself as much as Artoo. The astromech simply grumbled.

Bao turned towards the barriers, pondering how they could somehow hide their occupants in the Force.

In the dark miasma of the Temple, the barriers were like whirlpools in the heart of a frothing ocean: the energy of this place was concentrated into them. Each one was darkness made physically manifest.

"I sense it too," Jade observed, "There's something...off about those prisons."

She looked towards the nearest cell, "What is it like for you?"

"The dark side is strong in this place," a deep, commanding voice directed Bao's attention towards a cell on his right. Within it, he saw a tall, muscular, purple-skinned Keshri woman dressed in crimson armor, whom he recognized as the renowned Imperial Knight Akarta Mae. She stared at him with an analytical, weary gaze.

"We can still feel the Force within ourselves," she explained, "But the energies of this place have cut us off from everything else. I can't sense you, nor anyone else here."

The concept baffled Bao. He wondered if the answer lay in the past.

He walked towards the wall between two of the cells, placing his hand on its cold surface. Closing his eyes, Bao tuned out his surroundings and made his mind into a cave, looking for the echoes that pervaded this place…

Many years ago, a Sith Lord – a man with a very old, powerful presence in the Force, clad in dark, spiky armor that slowly burrowed into his flesh like a parasite – had meditated here with his closest subordinates. His mind was awash with the throngs of a great victory, yet his satisfaction was absent, tempered by the pain of his affliction and the knowledge that much still remained in his consolidation of power. He regarded this place with familiarity, a slight hint of nostalgia.
The Sith Lord put aside such things, and focused on the task at hand. This place would be his myrmidon's theatre, a place to gain information from captives and transform his enemies into his allies.

The Jedi had used this wing of the Temple to detain those who had lost their way. Under the care of their healers, the lost and the afflicted would slowly find their way back to health and the light. Now, he presumed, the Sith would use it for a similar purpose.

The following years left a dark imprint in the Force. Countless sessions of torture and agony had been wrought within these walls. Jedi, Imperial Knights, and Force-users from other ideologies and those unaligned had been subject to great agony under the gaze of a dispassionate, calculating woman. Those who had been broken would be welcomed into the Sith. Those who had not were subject to Darth Maladi's experiments until they died, their bodies torn apart in horrifying contraptions…

"This was a torture chamber," Bao gasped, staggering back, "Darth Krayt used to break Jedi here."

"Any ideas on how to break these barriers?" Jade asked.

"No," Bao's brow furrowed, "Nothing. The past just...overwhelmed me. The echoes, the energy, they feel...warped."

Tau might have also learned psychometry techniques from Kali'sto. Perhaps he had learned to manipulate the echoes within this nexus, perhaps creating an imprint that somehow masked the memories of how he had constructed these barriers.

"Any other details you can remember?" Riko asked.

"There were machines here," Bao recalled, "The Sith used interrogation chairs. I don't think Krayt used these cells in the same way Tau has."

"What do you mean?" Jade asked.

"Krayt physically and spiritually tortured his victims," Bao mused, "Tau said his own techniques were inspired by our forebears on Tython." He looked up to face the captives.

"How have the Shadows treated you as prisoners?" he asked.

"They've just watched us here," a young woman with alert grey eyes – whom Bao recognized as Sab'io's padawan, Jenna Mar'ik – responded, "They ordered us to meditate. They said that we'd look inward, slowly connect with our dark sides, and that it would align us into balance."

Bao begrudgingly found that more humane than anything the Sith employed. At least Tau showed some measure of empathy in his scheming.

"I think the barriers are powered by the Force," Jade suggested.
"By the Force?" Riko asked, "How?"

""I," Jade's brow furrowed, "I'm not sure. The barriers. They feel like mist. It's like when the Shadows conceal themselves in the Force, it's the same kind of energy…"
"Wait," Riko interrupted, "What if it's just an illusion?"
"What do you mean, Riko?" Bao asked.

"The Shadows hide themselves in natural Force-energies," Riko suggested, "Like a cloaking device, they bend the Force around them. Maybe these cell barriers work the same way."
"Force Illusions," Jade replied, "Maybe…"

"That is possible," Bao mused, "This place is a nexus of the Dark Side. It's clear that the Shadows have found a way to harness it. However this place works, it is designed to overwhelm the captive until they fall to the dark side."

"Maybe that's the test," Jade said eagerly, "Once you've tapped into the dark side, you can break through the barrier and you can leave!"

"If we surrender, we can leave," Mar'ik mused from her cell, "But how do we break out without giving in?"

"See through the illusion," Riko suggested, "Just like you taught us, Bao."

Bao's mind flashed back to the past few days on the journey to Coruscant, and the impromptu lessons he had given as he, Riko and Jade worked through trial and error to not just replicate the cloaking effect of the Shadows, but see through it.

"I see a squad coming!" Val warned, "Mandos and Shadows!"

"Both of you assist Val," Bao ordered, "I will try to free the prisoners."

"Come on, Jade! Val needs us," Riko ignited his lightsaber. Jade hesitated, then nodded, grabbing her weapons.

As Riko and Jade joined Val at the entrance, Bao looked closely at the red barriers in the Force. The cloaking effect of the Shadows could be pierced if one looked for a subtle rippling in the Force, the slight sensations that emanated from gathering and concentrating surrounding energies together. As he worked, he heard Riko speak.

"We should use the skip…"

Suddenly, Bao's surroundings vanished. Before him stood Tau Skywalker: the wise, compassionate, intellectual Jedi Master. Bao was kneeling, a student staring up at his master and friend once more.

"Come with me, Bao," Tau said warmly, extending his hand. Some lingering part of Bao wanted nothing more than to take it.

It was at that moment that he understood. This was the imprint Tau had placed within this temple. Tau's prison was a trial of the spirit, challenging its prisoners at their core. When Bao tried to analyze it, it dredged up his broken friendship with his old master.

For all his accomplishments and experience, he had always defined himself as Tau Skywalker's apprentice. Tau had been his mentor, his best friend. The wounds of his betrayal cut as deeply as the transparisteel storm that the fallen Jedi had used to maul his former apprentice. Without his master, Bao had felt adrift, a feather within a hurricane, unable to anchor himself.

Bao moved to his feet and looked his fallen master in the eye.

"I am sorry, Tau," he declared, "I never could."

I am Bao-Sklar Pierce. Master to Riko Nai-Jal, friend to Val Fett, crewmate of the Wild Nomad. Jedi Knight. Adherent to the Light.

The illusion of Tau Skywalker faded, and Bao returned to the material plane.

"...ipping stone trick you and Bao used," Riko finished the same sentence he had started when Bao's vision had begun. No time had passed in the physical world.

Bao delved through the Force and looked again. The darkness of the prison was illuminated by the vibrant auras of thirty Jedi and the determined, martial presences of two Imperial Knights. Bao felt fear, anxiety, doubt, anticipation, and resolve. He felt a slight ripple in the Force at the edge of each cell, but he could see the barriers for what they were: nothing more than an illusion.

"Jedi, Imperial Knights," Bao spoke loudly, addressing the entire room, "The loss of the Force in this place is just an illusion, just like those conjured by the Shadows to cloak themselves. This prison is designed to test the spirit of its captives, to break them. But you are Jedi, you are disciples of the Light, you are stronger than this place.

Let my voice guide you," Bao continued, "This is simply a trial of the spirit. Close your eyes. Look inward. Confront what the Temple shows you, accept your doubts and challenges, and you will defeat them."

The prisoners followed his instructions and began to meditate. Fueled by his acceptance and determination, Bao let the Force flow through him and reached out to the prisoners, projecting strength and resolve.

The barriers began to dispel as the prisoners confronted the darkness of the Temple. One by one, the illusions started to vanish. Red barriers were dissipating, like water evaporating in heat.

"Dweet-Dreet!" Artoo exclaimed as the Padawans and Knights left the cells, some anxious, some joyful, all relieved.

"We brought your laser swords!" Niner explained, happily rolling up towards the prisoners. Following Riko's lead, the droids placed the lightsabers on the ground for their owners to retrieve. The last of the cells emptied as the first wave of freed Jedi joined Val and Jade at the edge of the prison hall.

"Form a defensive line!" Bao commanded, "We must be a solid wall so we can weaken their forces and push them back! We're not going to die trapped in here."

Lowbacca roared as he brandished Master Sab'io's lightsaber and ignited its golden blade.

Despite the grim certainty of imminent battle, Bao couldn't help but smile as a rainbow of lightsabers ignited, a sea of Padawans and Knights uniting into an army. At the head of the bulwark, he reignited his own weapon, ready to fight.

Tau Skywalker had killed many masters and leaders to seize control of the Jedi Order. Now, the Jedi Order was ready to fight back.