Dark Sun Rises: Chapter 3
Onyxa had used the free time she had to familiarize herself with the grounds around the Academy, as well as spend some time with Overseer Rance in the training field. It was not until twilight descended that she made her way back within the Academy halls and once again towards Tremel's office. She caught the tail end of Tremel chewing out an unknown man just before entering, who when dismissed sharply by the none too pleased Overseer, turned heel and got out of the office as quickly as he could. The man didn't spare even a glance at Onyxa. As such, she deemed whatever the conversation had been between him and the Overseer of little consequence, at least for the moment. Tremel stood from his chair, once again moving about his desk to lean against the front of it. His grey eyes took her in, and as ever they appeared to be judging Onyxa as he took in her return. Crossing his arms comfortably over his chest, Tremel began his debriefing of Onyxa's latest trial.
"You made some interesting choices, I was informed." Tremel began, continuing onward when Onyxa only nodded in response and said little. "First Solentz, the assassin. She attempted to kill an Imperial spy but was unaware of her client's affiliation. You assigned her to Imperial Intelligence. I commend you, that was excellent thinking. Never waste a potential resource."
Onyxa allowed a very slight smile to form on her face at the praise before returning to a neutral expression, nodding at the Overseer before listening as the man continued.
"Now Devotek, the former warrior. He wanted trial by combat, but you simply struck him down."
Onyxa eyed Tremel and could not read the man's expression at all. Did he approve? Did he disapprove? There was a pause that seemed to take forever, and for the faintest moment of thought Onyxa began to wonder if Tremel was merely testing to see if she would break and show any nervousness before him. If that was the case, she stood resolute, her will set in stone. She had made her choices and would stand by them for the rest of her days. Dwelling on the past only clouded the mind for the present, potentially obscuring future decisions as well.
"Perfect." Tremel finally commended, "That man was utterly useless."
For a brief moment, Onyxa remembered the stare down she had had with Knash over a similar use of disrespectful sentiment. This however was Overseer Tremel, not a foolish grunt beneath her. There was a time to force respect through strength, and there was a time to realize the cold truth of words spoken for what they were. This was simply one of those times. Devotek the champion had long since perished, a shell of who the man had once been was all that remained when she had made the decision to kill him. Onyxa again nodded to Tremel in acceptance of the praise.
"And of course, the forger you sent back for more torture, even though he continually claimed that he was innocent." Tremel commented, finally standing fully, arms uncrossing. He moved to Onyxa, then clasped a hand over the one free shoulder. "A strong decision. Better to leave no stone unturned, yes? It's always better to know the truth beyond any doubt."
Onyxa then, for once, finally allowed a full smile to come to her face. Tremel saw such and smiled back. She had passed the test, there was no denying such. That of course meant there was now a push to get Onyxa through and in position to challenge Vemrin. Tremel moved to sit behind his desk looking intently at Onyxa, back to business.
"Because I forced you into the Academy ahead of schedule, Darth Baras will predisposed to judging you severely. And by severely, I mean fatally. We must hurry to your next trial. Every moment that passes we risk discovery before we're ready."
Kill the beast of Marka Ragnos.
The third challenge had been laid out by Overseer Tremel. As far as instructions went, Onyxa could not possibly receive a simpler test. At least that was how it seemed at first glance. Find and enter the tomb of Marka Ragnos. Find the Sith alter within. Meditate there amongst the flames and wait for the beast to appear, then slay it.
Of course, she knew all too well, nothing was ever quite as simple as it was made out to be. Marka Ragnos had been a strong and powerful Sith, one that sought his legacy and artifacts protected. This beast left behind to serve as the tomb's guardian was therefore just as strong and would not be easily killed, otherwise some lesser acolyte would have already dealt with the beast. The fact she was being sent, and that Tremel had taken much time to warn her thoroughly about not underestimating the danger that the beast presented, was enough to warrant a cautious approach. Onyxa subsequently made her preparations for departure at first light, not wanting to waste any time. She had debated about setting out immediately, but the truth was she wanted the time to be well rested and ready. Or at least prepared as best she could be, she thought.
In truth, Onyxa felt like she had a jumble of thoughts running through her head, despite her efforts to remain focused. She'd been going non-stop since first arriving on Korriban, and it seemed such was not going to stop anytime soon. True to form, the sun had barely broke over the surface of a new day and she had already departed.
The tomb of Marka Ragnos was not far from the Academy, and Onyxa walked at a steady pace for only an hour or so before finding herself directly at the tomb's entrance. She had gone over the data pad with the fully mapped layout a few times on the walk, memorizing the image and where she needed to go. Much like her previous trials, she had no illusions the tomb would have enough traps, beasts, and likely a few scavengers and acolytes that would get in her way. Unslinging the war blade from her shoulder, Onyxa stood staring down the stairs leading into the tomb. Taking a moment to calm herself, to find her center, she knew there was no point in wasting any more time. Blade out at and carried at her side, Onyxa headed down to confront the beast.
Finding the meditation chamber had not been overly difficult. It was roughly a half circle in shape, with a high vaulted ceiling that seemed to fade into the darkness surrounding it. Several urns surrounded the chamber, each one alight with deep azure flames that danced hypnotically, casting the large tablet in the center of the room in a pale and eerie light. Upon closer observation, Onyxa could see that the sith code was written upon the tablet, faded with age but still carrying a unique sense of power.
She knelt before the tablet, placing her war blade in front of her and closed her eyes, clearing her mind to meditate.
She knew not how long she stayed there in front of the tablet, time seemingly distant and forgotten as she gathered her thoughts, willed her power to the surface. A current of air tickled her skin, then paused and reversed itself as pressure from the outside waxed and waned. The cycle repeated itself at inconsistent intervals, creating invisible eddies that brushed against her skin like fountains of roiling water. Her breathing was calm in comparison to the assortment of other sounds that propagated outside the Sith tomb. Chief among them was the clattering of small rock across the floor from the small animals scattering about and the steady 'doink… doink… doink…' of condensed droplets striking the floor just off to her left. Of the smells, none were new: blood from open wounds, sweat from the heat and other hazards found within the tomb, and mold that festered within the remains of the beast's unfinished meals. A part of her mind was beginning to wonder if it was a bad thing that she was unaffected by the stench now.
And then she felt it. A surge of savage fury and rage, a thunderous rumbling and even stronger tremors in the earth as the beast caught her scent and charged in. Onyxa wasted little time with the fight now upon her, already standing and war blade in hand. With a mighty bellow, the beast of Marka Ragnos was upon her, its black eyes alight at the prospect of the fresh meat that had wandered so willingly into its midst.
Onyxa recognized the creature as a Terentatek, a Force-resistant, monstrous being in every sense. Its size was truly massive, standing more than double, maybe even triple her in height. Stone grey in colour, back plated and spiked, with wickedly long arms, bulging with muscle and made for crushing its prey. All Onyxa could sense from it was its near blinding anger, its insatiable hunger. All she could focus on were its double rows of serrated teeth and claws. Its first attack was as powerful as it was sudden, both massive hands raised high overhead and crushing down upon the spot where Onyxa had been standing just moments before, her Force-assisted leap moving her out of harm's way at the last second.
She ended up landing behind the beast, not waiting for the Terentatek to turn and face her before charging forward, the Force gathering to her side at her command. Sparks flared into existence as her war blade slid off the armoured flesh of its leg without harming it, then again as her second attack to the other leg was met with the same result. A massive swipe forced Onyxa to leap away, the Teretatek's claws digging up an entire section of the floor where she had stood. Roaring in fury, it attacked again and again, each swipe an attempt to either grab her in its mighty hands or smash her into oblivion.
She could already feel the smile forming on her face as she danced back and forth, death itself waiting for her to make that one fatal misstep. This was a challenge she had long since been waiting for. One that would push her abilities to the limit, and she planned to enjoy every minute of it. When all was said and done, she would either emerge from the tomb victorious, stronger than before, or she would die and be forgotten. A fitting fate destined for all who could not prove themselves worthy of living.
