CHAPTER 8
Sleep didn't seem to ease the pain that night, nor did Carletta's best attempts at patching up her wounds. In a desperate bid, she headed for the nearest medical droid she could find, despite having no permission. The corridors were empty all the way to the medical bay and not a footstep was heard when she got there. Within ten minutes she had left feeling a lot more relieved of the pain that allowed for a peaceful, uninterrupted slumber. It was sorely needed, for when the following morning swiftly arose, she was awoken by a guard who informed her to meet with Peligrous and Matturn outside in the courtyard. The air was still cool as she made her way out of the temple. The wounds had healed a great deal, yet the pain echoed now and again. Nevertheless, Carletta faced the two Sith Lords with seldom sign of weakness.
'Seems you endured yesterday's trial more so than Peligrous told me.' said Matturn inquisitively. Carletta said nothing, while Peligrous' nostrils flared.
'Shall we begin?' she asked, gesturing along. Both of them followed her in silence to a doorway carved into the canyon wall and adorned with symbols and a pair of statues eight feet high holding long pikes.
'This,' Peligrous began. 'Is one of the many great Sith tombs. Your task is to enter and retrieve the staff from the tomb of Darth Tiden, a former Dark Councillor, and bring it back here.' Carletta flitted her eyes at the dark cavern.
'But how will I know which one's his? There's likely hundreds of tombs inside.'
'I know.' said Peligrous slyly, bearing a cruel grin. 'Which is why you'll need to feel through the Force to find him. Tiden, like many Sith Lords, left behind his dark energies. These energies are different for every Sith, so it won't be too hard to find him at all. That is, assuming you are knowledgeable enough in the Force and nothing too ... forgiving encounters you.' Drawing herself up and taking one long breath, Carletta bravely walked toward the entrance.
'Oh, and if you come back with no staff at all.' said Peligrous, causing Carletta to halt. 'You'll find those wounds a little fresher than they once were.' Not even motioning any acknowledgement, Carletta passed through the threshold and saw into a damp, still world of darkness.
At first, the corridor was narrow, low and moist. Then, as the path winded sharply to the left, the space opened up before Carletta. She entered what was a long chamber with another doorway at the other end. A row of small holes in the ceiling let in patches of light that revealed carvings along the walls and row upon row of coffins belonging to the Sith of old and recent. Carletta crept past them, keeping her eyes shut and reaching out through the Force. By no surprise, she only felt emptiness, anger, malice, the lingering evil that once lived, now only an unpleasant and draining echo that haunted the living. Instinct told Carletta Tiden wasn't here and so she traipsed through the next doorway. The uneven walls closed in with stone jutting out from the them. The tunnel then careened to the right and the light from the previous chamber faded away, leaving Carletta in pitch black darkness. Reaching for the temple on her mask, she clicked on a small light. At a brisk pace, she reached a new chamber, one devoid of any tombs, but filled with many paths to take. Carletta tried to feel for Tiden's energies, but it proved too difficult – shrouded amongst the echoes of hundreds of other fallen Lords. Carletta simply went with her instincts and chose a corridor on the left. This one was lit with torches and went straight like an arrow, going on for some time until she faced a great stone door with the ancient Sith Empire symbol carved into it. Carletta tried to push it, but the door stood unyielding. A different approach was needed. She carefully felt all around the door, hoping to find a concealed button, yet no success came from it. She almost motioned to leave and try another corridor when she spotted something on the wall. A small, square shaped gap was marked in the stone, urging her to reach inside it. Feeling something circular, she pressed it hard.
Dust rained down on her as the mighty door slowly swung open. Carletta hurried inside. Now she was at a dead end, inside an ornate tomb with the sarcophagus in the middle, standing high on a plinth. Carletta hesitantly inspected it, barely able to translate the Sith words carved into it.
Here dwells the great Lord of Knowledge, Cereb Fo, Loyalist of Ragnos and discoverer of our First Great Holocron. May his legacy forever be remembered.
Carletta stayed there wondering about this Lord. Loyalist of Ragnos? That was easy. He was a servant of the infamous Marka Ragnos, former Sith Emperor over a millennium ago. But what could be the First Great Holocron? The question was shoved to the side when she remembered her task. It was the wrong tomb. Scurrying away, she returned to the previous chamber and chose a new corridor. It went on for a while, but the choice seemed to pay off when Carletta reached another chamber of tombs.
She felt for Tiden's presence and was met with a looming darkness encircling her. Whether it was through instinct, or Tiden's spirit himself that guided her, Carletta believed she headed the right way. The chamber contained another corridor entrance which she took. Suddenly she halted, stealing a glance from over her shoulder. A faint echoing tip tap ringed in her sharp ears. She continued with a renewed amount of caution and changed her pace to a light footed creeping. It was irritating for her to slow down after feeling herself closer to Tiden, but she dared not to take her chances with the memories of her previous challenges still fresh inside her mind. She continued to focus, beginning to pinpoint the deceased Sith, ignoring the noises that sounded closer with every passing moment. In an instant, the noises didn't matter. The end of the corridor revealed a far more ornate group of tombs, one of which stood at the very end of the room.
Carletta approached it, confident she had located whatever was left of Tiden. The lid was heavy and took hard, slow shoves to move it. She looked in and instantly felt pleased with herself. The body wore large armour and robes that concealed its remains and - being held in its hands, was a short, shining metal staff that ended with a pair of sharp prongs. Slipping it out of Tiden's grasp Carletta stared at it in wonder for a second, certain that this was her ticket to becoming an Apprentice. Without even placing the lid back on, she ran back, but on her way she began to notice the light fading. Halting for a moment revealed the walls seeming closer than they once were and a sound of shallow breathing could be heard. Carletta ignited her lightsaber when everything went pitch black, but that did little in guiding her. The space continued to feel smaller and a scuttling noise now followed. The trap had been sprung...