Competition
From a dim white globe of light in the middle of the ceiling, three evenly spaced columns of ribs and folds ran down the black walls of the dome-like central cavern, so that the latter appeared like the inside of a large, empty sea-urchin shell.
Where the wall curved into the floor, each column divided into an imposing, oval doorway opening into dark tunnels. Atop one doorway was carved the familiar octopus motif, on another the image of a gigantic arthropod with a grimacing face and spines pointing in all directions, on the last one was carved a strange crinoid with its feathery tube feet embracing the sides of the door. Below each door, elongate dark brown plates resembling a cross between dead kelp or palm leaves and the elytra of a flying insect, reached up to close off the portal. Despite their tough appearance the plates were very pliable and would yield to a gentle push.
And below this the column of ribs and folds continued towards the centre of the smooth floor, where it converges with the two other columns under a circular, stepped platform decorated with encrusted sky-blue crystals and faint carvings of otherworldly and unwholesome creatures, as well as what appeared to be a circuitory of thin cracks extending down the platform onto the floor ( and, though barely visible, on the walls ), through which an eerie green glow leaked from beneath the cold black stone.
On top of this platform there sat a cylindrical glass tank capped with a gold and bronze top from which weird and delicate apparatuses hung both within and around the tank. The container was filled with a glowing, lime green fluid in which a dark, blurry figure was suspended.
Now the plates sealing off the octopus-door convulsed and shakily parted, as if a gust of wind from outside the cavern had pushed and flattened them onto the floor. After a moment they sprung shut again.
A faint distortion occurred a few steps away from the central platform, which soon condensed into a vague wavering humanoid figure. The next second the rippling subsided and the now clearly visible Grey Templar starred up at the dark shape within the tank.
It was fogged all around by tiny rising bubbles, as if something had excited the contents of the tank just recently. Within this Zeratul could make out the immobile silhouette of a gigantic creature, much larger than a protoss, but could discern nothing of its exact appearance, except for dim hints of a segmented exoskeleton and prodigious claws.
For a moment Zeratul gazed quietly into the tank. The sense of weariness that had weighed down on him a moment ago was temporarily overcome by fascination and excitement.
Touch the crystal…
The voice which sounded disturbingly like a certain terrible entity that Zeratul had encountered before, pulled him back from his reverie with a start. "Wh … what are you ?"
You know full well what I am … that's why you came …
"Yes – I want answers."
The mysterious voice fell silent.
"Who is Samir Duran ? What did he mean by the Completion of a Cycle ? What will happen to my people – "
Patience, First Born … you will know when the necessary events unfold …
"Then what part can I play in all this ?"
Silence for a few more seconds, as Zeratul stared at the shadow within the tank for any stirrings, any signs of life.
Take the crystal …
With a sigh, Zeratul looked down at the stepped platform before him. It was lined with rows of Khaydarin crystals of various shapes and sizes, amidst the frightening imitations of organic forms carved into the surrounding stone. Which was it referring to ?
The Grey Templar bent down and reached out to feel the stonework with his hands, looking for clues and trying to infer the details behind that last instruction. As he groped along the reliefs of shells, tentacles, scutes and tubercles, he came to a thin crack which encircled a foot wide slab of stone with arthropod appendages projecting out and curving in towards the centre, where a few of the articulated limbs held on to a smooth, ovoid Khaydarin crystal, like the underside of an overturned crustacean hugging onto a precious egg.
Zeratul gripped onto the statue's stone limbs and tugged gently. The whole slab slid out of the surrounding stone by a centimeter, and at once the lime green glow in the glass tank dimmed a little, while the sky blue luminescence in the ovoid crystal intensified.
Excitedly, he yanked the whole artifact out, leaving behind the deep, foot wide cast of the top of a trilobite, and gently placed it onto the floor before him. The green light of the glass tank did out, while Zeratul was bathed in the bright blue flickering radiance of the crystal.
The latter held the Grey Templar's gaze. It seemed to speak to him in a barely audible, yet penetrating voice, appealing to his subconscious and leading him on to an unknown destination.
Touch…
Zeratul held out his hand towards the artifact and slid it past the menacing claws of the stone trilobite, which, under the unsteady light, appeared to unfold away, allowing him passage.
Just as the tip of his longest finger was a mere milimetre away from the surface of the crystal, Zeratul heard faint, distant voices, and abruptly pulled his hand back, stood up and looked around.
These were real, discernible voices, and they were getting louder, as if someone were approaching the central cavern, from a tunnel other than the one through which he had entered.
Instintively, Zeratul threw his cape over his body and backed away towards the cavern wall behind him, while focusing his mind on bending light around himself, ready to dash out through the octopus door behind him at the first sign of disaster.
Now far to the left of the octopus door, the leaf plates under the relief of the spiny insect shuddered and were pushed back onto the floor as two figures in brown robes and a third in a white robe stepped into the cavern, still engrossed in their boisterous conversation. Each carried a straight thin sword with blades made of a bright coloured light.
-
"- It's still alive ? but - " Kart exclaimed, then gasped again in wonder as he beheld the vast central cavern which he had just entered.
"The creature meant to challenge us. That much I could sense through the Force. It could have been guarding something important." Keeping a straight face, Farid turned off his light sabre and walked towards the huge glass cylinder in the centre of the cavern. The black vertical third eye on his forehead narrowed both out of curiosity and in response to the improvement of lighting as compared to the dark tunnel the trio just came through.
Behind him, Kart and Enri followed suit.
Farid stood a distance away from the glass tank and stared into it, stroking his beard and frowning. "Perplexing … just a moment ago …"
Leaving the Jedi Master to talk to himself, Kart and Enri circled the stone platform, taking in every detail and contemplating the alien workmanship that went into crafting this edifice.
"Wow, have you seen this before ?"
"In my dreams perhaps." Enri replied. He did not shrug, nor did he follow up with any of the crazy antics that usually accompanied his witty comments. He studied the stone structure with a blank, detached expression.
Now they were on the other side of the platform, and Kart was suddenly aware of a strong blue light shining up from somewhere near his feet, he bent down and noticed a medium sized black stone artifact sculpted to resemble a bloated trilobite holding a glowing sky-blue crystal close to its belly.
Squating down, the young Jedi examined the strange light source. The more he stared at it, the more he felt drawn to it, and the more it seemed to occupy his mind. He forgot where he was, what he had done. There was only one place to go, and that was towards the bright blue light.
Touch …
Prodded on by the mysterious inner voice, Kart held out his hand.
Let all grievances be redressed, all wrongs avenged …
The blue light intensified and flickered profusely. Again, the trilobite's legs seemed to unfold.
… I am the power you seek –
Kart was awoken by a strong, slightly wrinkled hand holding on to his outstretched arm, and with a start, he looked to his right, to see Enri squatting down beside him.
"Careful, lad." Enri pointed to the carvings on the stone platform. "It says, 'See No Touch' !"
Kart followed his finger and saw nothing but chaos. Segmented cords weaving in and out, rings of curved teeth pointing into circular mouths, smooth eye-like half spheres peering out from among a mass of unnamable monstrosities.
"Come on. You can read that ?" Kart raised an eyebrow.
Now Enri shrugged and laughed. "Not really. Maybe it says,'Keep off or we will eat you !'"
"Or, 'talk to us, we feel so –'"
A loud rumbling sound. The floor trembled. Kart and Enri stood up and looked around in panic, their hands reaching instinctively for their light sabres. Various terrible scenarios flashed through their minds. A large cruiser was landing on the plateau, or perhaps an underground stream was flooding and bursting into the tunnel systems, or perhaps a hidden volcano was erupting and it was molten rock flooding and bursting into the tunnels, or perhaps it was an epic, apocalyptic –
"Follow me ! Now !" Amidst the din caused by the unknown upheaval, Farid managed to get his friend and apprentice's attentions. The latter two ran immediately ran after him as he dashed off towards the wall, close to the insect door, with speed that belied his age.
"Keep off the centre of the cavern. It's coming !"
Thin cracks shot out from the sides of the crinoid door on the another side of the cavern and into the surrounding wall. Without warning, a titanic, dark shape crashed through the portal, sending rocks and dust, and torn rubbery rags hurtling in all directions.
The enormous object skidded over the floor and crushed the glass tank under its weight. Slowly, it unfolded into a gigantic feather star with a black globular body as tall and wide as two persons laying head to feet. Rows of grey scutes and short spines ran vertically and converged at the top where it opened into a circular mouth lined with a ring of seven tusk like teeth which curved inward. From the sides there extended seven tentacle like arms. Each was roughly six metres long, a metre thick and tapered at its tip into a cluster of round, unblinking black eyes. Rows of translucent brown tube feet ran the length of the arm. Some ended in cup like suckers, others in wicked black pincers and hooks.
Thin beams of light shot out from the tunnel beyond the shattered crinoid door, and struck the creature, sending up puffs of smoke where they hit. The latter let out an ear-splitting bellow which sounded like large sheets of metal being bent and crushed, and then fell silent and stopped moving. It sagged and its appendages drooped onto the floor.
Now the laser blasts stopped, and several twig thin, angular figures filed in through the enlarged portal. They were identical to each other, and there was a dull metallic luster to their bodies. Their mantid like heads swiveled about on rod like necks, scanning the cavern for danger. In their skeletal hands they carried their heavy blaster rifles.
Behind the droids there came two figures in black hooded robes, of a similar design to that worn by the Jedi, except for the hood and the black colour. Their faces were intricately tattooed, and they glanced around suspiciously with shocking yellow eyes. And behind these was another imposing figure in a black hooded cloak. The latter's face was completely hidden in shadow.
"Dark Jedi." Enri spat.
Kart's face contorted into an expression of deep hatred. He leaned forward and gripped his lightsabre tightly. Immediately Farid laid a hand on his apprentice's shoulder and pulled him back. "Easy. He is Sith" They both eyed the figure in the black cloak.
Sensing Kart's hostile intent, one of the yellow-eyed Dark Jedi stared in his direction, and snarled. "Republic dogs …"
The figure in the black cloak followed its attendant's gaze across the cavern and spotted the three Jedi standing with their backs close to the wall far to its right.
"Ah, my friends." The figure spread its arms. The tone of its voice brimmed with sarcasm. "I hear the Jedi are disinterested in material wealth … but what do I see here ? Have you come in search of treasure as well ?"
"Well at least we were not so interested as to bring in a whole army here ! Haha !" Enri chuckled and grabbed his belt, bringing his hands close to his light sabre while appearing to be in a jovial mood.
"Shut up, old man." Growled the dark jedi who had just insulted them. "We have dozens of blaster rifles aimed at your throat."
"Oh frightening ! I guess this is it for us, my friend." Enri leaned towards Farid, wrapped an arm around the latter's shoulder and whispered softly so that only the Jedi Master could hear. "I have the hot-headed one covered. You take the rest."
For a moment Farid glanced down at his comrade in surprise.
"What … You are the Master here !" Enri smiled. "Besides, the young lad does need some experience." He peered towards Kart.
Shaking his head, Farid took a deep breath, pulled his usual straight face and addressed the crowd before them. "No need for threats. Please allow us to leave this place and you can carry on -"
"Hahahahaha …" The Sith Lord burst into a sinister laughter that echoed throughout the cavern.
"I don't think so, old man."The hot headed Dark Jedi turned on his light sabre. A metre long rod of red light shot out of its hilt. He leapt forward, somersaulting over the line of droids, landed on the floor before them, and sprinted towards Farid with a savage scream, his lightsabre raised over his head in preparation for a downward slash. The other dark Jedi followed suit.
Enri and Kart held up their own lightsabres and charged forward to meet them.
-
Across the cavern, Zeratul watched the exchange with amusement. Terran-like aliens with glowing swords ? Now that was something you would not see everyday.
Slowly, trusting the power of the Void to keep him invisible, he walked over towards the artifact which had rolled some metres away from under the seemingly lifeless body of the overgrown echinoderm, thrown back by the impact the latter had made when crashing towards the centre of the cavern.
Perhaps, he could take it, and sneak out through one of the tunnels, while these clowns fought each other to the Void knew what end…
-
Blinding sparks flew as Enri and his opponent locked blades again and again. Gripping his lightsabre tightly in both hands, the Dark Jedi swung wildly and repeatly at Enri in wide arcs. Each time, the older Jedi would seem to parry away the blow with just his right hand holding on to his weapon, while keeping his left hand behind his back, as if to mock the younger warrior. Enri's calm and confident smile enraged his opponent even more, and the latter's strikes became more desperate.
Gathering all his strength the young Dark Jedi waved his weapon high above his head and brought it down upon Enri with the force of a massive falling hammer.
Enri was well prepared for this kind of attack. He placed one foot far behind the other, ducked slightly and brought his lightsabre up to meet the his opponent's downward swipe.
Having a less steady footing, the Dark Jedi was thrown backwards by the reaction force. He staggered and steadied himself.
Now Enri lowered his lightsabre and sighed. "Calm down, lad. You are getting crazier than I usually am."
Seeing his chance, the Dark Jedi leapt forward and pointed his weapon forward to impale his enemy. Enri quickly stepped to his right to avoid the deadly rod of light. Having closed the distance between them, his opponent halted right before him, and spun round, swinging his lightsabre at Enri's shoulder, forcing the latter to duck.
Using the momentum of the spin, the black robed warrior brought his right leg up and kicked Enri in the face, throwing him a few metres backwards onto the floor, where he lay flat on his back.
"Owww…" Enri looked up just in time to see a rod of bright red light above him.
"Die ! Old man !" The Dark Jedi shouted as he brought his light sabre down on Enri's head.
Immediately rolling away from the attack, his head just centimeters away from the tip of the red blade of light, he finally brought his left hand forward and threw a clump of dust and stone at the Dark Jedi's face.
Temperarily blinded, the latter coughed and staggered.
"Floor dust. Always grab a handful before going into battle !" Enri laughed as he slashed at the Dark Jedi's hand with one precise swipe of his lightsabre.
The younger fighter yelped in pain. His lightsabre flickered off, its hilt clanged onto the floor in two pieces.
"Now its my turn !" Enri turned off his lightsabre and leapt at his stunned opponent like a bear pouncing on a deer.
-
Kart held up his light sabre before him and rather than an inch thick coloured glowing rod, a bright white, hair thin thread wrapped in a shimmering, translucent blue surface shot out from the outer end of the hilt, like a very straight, long, and steady flame.
For a moment his opponent was confused by the weird appearance of his weapon, a look of doubt showed in the flaming yellow eyes.
Kart took the opportunity to stab forward at the head of the black-robed figure. A red rod of light was flung up to block his weapon and the latter was deflected by several centimeters. Pulling back, it cut cleanly up through the side of the Dark Jedi's hood.
The rags flew off to reveal long red braids, and the Dark Jedi's facial features more clearly to Kart, who leapt back with a start. "You !"
-
"Cease this madness ! " Farid shouted as he approached the figure in black cloak.
In reply the latter simply continued laughing. In front of him the droids pointed their blaster rifles towards Farid. Before they could fire, though, their weapons flew from their hands and smashed into the wall behind them, as if someone had reeled in invisible strings tied around the rifles. Some of the droids toppled over as a result of the unexpected phenomenon.
Farid lowered his hand and closed his palm. "If you must fight me, do so as a wielder of the Force !"
"Indeed !" The black cloaked figure held out his own hands.
Instinctively, Farid held up an ignited lightsabre just as bright blue bolts of lightning burst forth from the tips of the Sith Lord's fingers and arced towards the Jedi Master.
Drawing a deep breath, Farid let the Force flow through his weapon and felt a stinging pain in his palms as he absorbed the destructive bright blue sparks into the glowing blade of his light sabre. Had he reacted slower or been less experienced in the Force he would now be writhing in unbearable pain from Sith Lightning striking his body. But the Jedi Master's concentration never faltered and he held his ground.
Laughing, the Sith Lord barked an order to his droids. "Go, finish what we came here to do !"
His mechanical minions stood up in attention. Then all at once they ran towards the medium sized artifact lying in the centre of the cavern.
Two metres away from the artifact the first droid jerked up and fell backwards, sparks flying off its face and chest as if it had hit an invisible wall.
-
Zeratul held his breath as the droid collapsed before him.
As the other droids stopped in their tracks, he extended his warp blades and dropped to a battle ready stance. They had been alerted to an invisible enemy, and he did not trust his shield to hold off a whole squadron of mechanical fighters.
The droids spread out and circled the spot where their colleague had fallen, surrounding Zeratul in the process.
Three droids stepped in and approached the centre of the circle.
Instinctively, Zeratul dashed away from the centre, towards one side of the circle and swung his blades in a wide horizontal arc, slicing two droids cleanly in half across the waist.
As the latter's severed body parts dropped down onto the floor, Zeratul felt the weight of several droids bearing down on his shield, which sparked and threatened to give way. "Adun help me !" He muttered as he let a hundred years of mind-blade training take over.
-
The Sith Lord stopped laughing and stared in shock at his droids falling over and breaking into pieces at every impossible angle. "Imbeciles !" he shouted angrily.
Farid noticed that as well, and now he laughed,"It seems whoever built this … temple … took rather elaborate measures against theft !"
The hissing, crackling lightning died down and dissipated, as the Sith Lord refocused his attention towards the centre of the cavern.
-
Zeratul slashed downward, cutting the last droid in half. He took a large gulp of air into his tired book lungs and turned towards the artifact on the floor.
Then he gasped in shock as the stone trilobite appeared to roll off by its own accord, then fly up, across the cavern, and into the hands of a figure in a black cloak standing in the crinoid door.
"Again I must do everything by myself !" The figure shouted "Let's go ! Another time, Jedi."
The figure turned and walked out into the dark tunnel. From somewhere else in the cavern, a figure in black robes limped after his master, followed by another figure in black robes whose hood had been shorn cleanly in half, flaming red hair trailing behind the head.
Zeratul clenched his fists in anguish. No, he thought, I must have the artifact ! Exhaustion and frustration clouded his judgement, and despite a slightly blurring vision, he dragged his feet forward, staggering after the black robed figures like a murderous zombie after fresh meat.
Then, his toes got caught in one of the columns of rib-like designs on the floor, and he fell forward, hands stretched out before him across the floor.
Still, he glared ahead at the crinoid door, and at the now faint figures hurrying in their own fashions towards it. As the unbearable anger and desperation welled up within him, his eyes flared a brilliant blue, and a ball of bright blue haze with a white hot core condensed and swelled up between his palms.
Thick bolts of bright blue lightning erupted out of the ground all around him and jumped towards the hapless Dark Jedi, and past them into the tunnel beyond. The sparks bore through their bodies just as they stepped through the doorway and the two dropped to their knees. Tortured cries escaped their throats and reverberated across the cavern walls.
"No !!!" Someone shouted, and from the corner of his eye Zeratul saw a red haired figure in dark brown robes run towards the doorway as well.
Shocked, Zeratul shoved the glowing energy ball in his hands into the ground. The Psionic Storm died down, leaving a thin swirling mist and clouds of floating dust sinking through the air. His head felt heavy, his lungs burned and he found it hard to stay awake. To his chagrin, he realized that by channeling the light energies of the templar he had flushed out the energies of the Void, making him visible to every other living thing in the cavern.
Every other living thing …
A loud, familiar bellow sent chills down Zeratul's spine. With great effort, he turn his gaze upward and stared in horror through the mist at the titanic silhouette of a monstrous crinoid with six metre long arms lifting itself clear off the ground with a thick stalk plunged into a hole in the centre of the cavern floor, just metres away from where Zeratul lay. The reawakened third guardian of the temple turned its attention on the nearest sentient being it could find, bringing the tip of one of its arms down on Zeratul until he could see its tube feet waving over him, and its black eyes staring down hungrily at him.
As his vision dimmed, as did the glow in his eyes, he heard quick footsteps approaching him, followed by rods of light flashing overhead.
There was the 'ploplop' of rubbery appendages dropping onto the floor, and then a faintly familiar voice whispered to him.
"Enough fighting for today. Come with us …"
-
(Yup, enough typing for today.
I still haven't decided at which point in the Star Wars timeline this story should take place.
Suggestions will be very appreciated !
About "no gender-related theme", it is to the effect that if you replaced a male character in the story with a female, or vice versa, there should be no difference. I have doubts about "no romantic theme" though, but no promises in this story.
Have a nice day/night.
Starspawn07)