Chapter Six – Into the Wilds
A clash of steel resounded, the light skinned and brown-haired acolyte from the jails bring her blade down savagely while her opponent rapidly brought their own up to block. She recognised one of the acolytes fighting and it was someone who she had hoped to avoid or miss altogether.
Thana Vesh.
Favouring Form IV, like always, Vesh had assumed Ataru's opening stance, and as soon as the words, "Begin," had left Rance's lip, launched into a series of lightning fast attacks, her opponent forging the usual ridiculous flourish most Form II practitioners favoured in his hurry to defend. She pushed the male acolyte with brutal ferocity. In her peripheral vision, an acolyte winced as Vesh dealt a savage blow to her opponents' ribs.
Watching the duel, noting each of their strengths and weakness as it would be they who duelled the victor, it seemed little had changed since Aindri last saw her. Good, but rough around the edges, allowing her brashness and explosive temper to rule her actions as her opponent got a few hits in as her attacks became sloppier the more she fell for their taunts. Aindri still remembered the various incidents, murdering eight of the family eight guards – brutalising them to the point they barely looked human when a servant found them mangled in a hall – an entire city block razed to ground when her parents tried to exercise some control over their daughter. She disliked the woman for the simple reason that Vesh her believed her abilities and status as a would be Sith, combined with the wealth of her family meant she was entitled to everything she desired.
Thana bashed away her opponents' blade, and delivered a vicious strike to his head, a loud crack resounding throughout the arena. The other acolyte teetered on their feet before collapsing to the floor, Thana grinning savagely as she delivered a swift kick to their stomach when they fell.
"Well done Acolyte Vesh, but you still need to work on your defences. He was able to get in a couple of hits when he shouldn't have." Called Rance, before pointing to the acolyte lying unconscious on the floor.
"Now someone get this piece of trash out of my sight." Two acolytes scurried onto the stage, picking up and dragging the defeated acolyte from the platform, heading to the Academies medical ward.
"Acolyte Hallow, you're up." He called pointing at her.
Standing she took her place opposite Thana on the stage and adopted Soresu's opening stance. Rance raised an eyebrow at her choice of Form but didn't comment.
"Begin."
Vesh charged at Aindri, swinging her vibrosword at her neck. Blocking the first strike with ease she allowed Thana to press her advantage leading her in a dance of steel, parrying strike after strike. Strikes failing to meet flesh, she felt Vesh's rage build until the Force started to simmer around her. The calmness with which Aindri had defended against her attacks became a red flag to a bull. Locking blades, their eyes meet and she could see the pure fury in Vesh's eyes. It was time to end this. Snarling, Vesh disengaged too quickly and lunged at her wildly. Sidestepping the blow, Aindri stuck out her foot and Thana, who was already off balance by the lack of solid resistance, fell face first too the ground. Aindri pushed down on Thana's back with the heel of her boot, pressing the tip of her warblade against her neck as Rance called an end to the fight.
"Acolyte Hallow that, was an excellent display of lightsaber combat." He told her, nodding his approval before turning to Thana who had sat up with a furious expression on her face.
"And Acolyte Vesh, Hallow had complete control of the fight. She was leading you on from the beginning and you didn't even notice!" Rance shook his head in disappointment before calling up another acolyte to the stage.
"I'll get you back for this." Vesh hissed, pushing past Aindri too storm off the stage. Ignoring the threat, she mirrored the other acolyte as he took up Makashi's single low-handed guard, his thumb pointing down the length of his blade for smaller, tighter, more accurate movements of the blade. Vesh's hate filled gaze focused on her back for the rest of the class.
Tremel eyed the map of the Wilds, an uninhabited area beyond Dreshdae, spread out across his desk, tapping his fingers absently against the cold metal. Hallows defeat of Thana Vesh, one of the more promising acolytes to grace the Academy's halls, showed she was ready he mused, his gaze zeroing in on the tomb he'd selected for her third trial, but Marka Ragnos' beast was dangerous. There was every chance he was sending her to her death.
Tremel snorted.
If Hallow couldn't defeat the beast then she simply wasn't strong enough. Somehow, Tremel doubted that would be the case.
Hallow's presence in the Force danced along the edge of his senses long before he saw her, and Tremel looked up as the door hissed open to see her striding into the door.
"You're here good. We must move on without delay. With every moment that passes we risk discovery before we're ready." Tremel stood and indicated for her to come around his desk, "For your next trial, you are to go to the Wilds and enter the Tomb of Marka Ragnos to slay the beast he left to guard his legacy," He instructed, indicating to an camp marked on the map near a massive cliff face, "You will first need to take a speeder to Dreshdae and then travel on foot to the wilds laboratory. From there you will enter the tomb and sit amongst the flames. The beast will come to you."
Tremel looked up at her with a serious expression on his face, "Do not underestimate it, defeating this creature will take your best effort. I'll see you when the beast is slain, good luck."
Inclining her head in understanding she exited his chambers, planning her route as she walked to her room. The trial itself would not take her long, a few hours at most, but travelling would take a day at least.
The dorm room was empty when she entered and she rummaged through the draw underneath her bed, withdrawing a clean set of cloths and put them in a rucksack along with her datapad; she retrieved food, water and medical supplies from the quartermaster.
Walking down the academies front steps she headed for the taxi pad nodding in greeting to Inquisitor Arzanon, who'd she helped in eliminating traitors in the valley – the badge given in recognition of her service clipped to the inside of her robes – as she passed him.
Swinging her leg over a requisitioned speeder, she revved its engines and swung its nose south, heading off in Dreshdae's direction. Korriban's rocky scenery flying past her she accelerated taking delight in the gruttle purr of the engine and the wind slicing through her clothes. In the distance she could just make out Dreshdae's outline and slowed down as she neared the settlement before turning into the main thoroughfare.
Giving The Drunk Side, a well-known hotbed of criminal activity, a wide berth Aindri parked the speeder outside the spaceport and dismounted, removing the goggles she had been wearing to protect her eyes from the wind. Walking through the streets she passed Dreshdae's military base catching snippets of conversations from soldiers preparing for deployment.
"We really going in there sir? Only, the last few squads that entered the tombs in the Wilds never came back." One of the soldiers asked nervously.
"We have our orders Private, ours is not to question but to obey."
"But, they say the tombs drive people who aren't Force sensitive insane. I've heard the other squads are still down there, howling mad and killing each other." The private protested as his fellow trooper removed a tube from a crate.
"Those men didn't have proper protection. Lord Renning has assured me that these new stimulants will protect us from the tombs protect."
"That's what they said about the aural bands. And the implants…" Their voices trailed off as she got nearer the city wall. Frowning, she closed her eyes, turning her focus inwards to check her mental shields. She was well aware of the rumours surrounding the Wilds tombs' and she wanted to make sure that they were strong before entering their vicinity.
The area immediately outside Dreshdae's walls was littered with abandoned mining equipment and upon exiting the settlement she had to pick her way around it before entering the Wilds proper. A strong wind whipped across the open desert sending up gusts of sand into the air, she turned up her collar and re-donned the goggles to protect her eyes.
It took her a good few hours to trek across the dunes, shifting sands making it difficult to find and keep her footing, before she reached the ravine linking the upper and lower wilds. Ducking in to the ravine, she shivered slightly at the drop-in temperature, the tall cliffs shadowing the valley floor blocking out Horusets' harsh rays. Checking her chrono and her map, Aindri saw she was on schedule and decided to take a break. Setting down her bag she sat on a boulder with her back against the cliff to prevent predators attacking her from behind. Chewing on a ration bar she titled her head back to stare at the sky, her mind flitting back to the conversation between the two troopers, a childhood memory springing unbidden to her mind.
Cracking open an eye, I glance at my uncle before closing my eyes and fidgeting. A stiff breeze skirted the massive cliff we were sitting on, ruffling my hair and clothes. I attempted to concentrate and mediate but the uncomfortable hard packed ground and the sun beating down on my back made it difficult and I continued to fidget.
"Out with it child. You are disrupting my concentration." My uncle instructed, his eyes still closed and breathing even.
"Why are we here?" I blurted out unable to keep quite any longer, I mean how on Ziost is a desert planet so cold.
"Because Korribans' is an ancient darkness my child. Many a weak minded Sith have had they're psyche twisted and broken here." I thought for a moment before snorting.
"I think I'm too stubborn for that." Her uncle chuckled.
"You may be right child. However, it would still be prudent to learn to shield your mind. If not from the darkness then from other Sith." I raised an eyebrow and looked at my uncle quizzically.
"What do you mean?" Opening his eyes', he uncrossed his legs and turned to me.
"Shielding your mind will allow you to protect your thoughts and your secrets. It is imperative, given our orders cut-throat nature." I thought for a moment before realising my uncle had a point, as always and nodded my understanding.
"Now relax. Find that place in your mind where no one can touch you. A happy memory often works best when protecting yourself from the darkness."
"But, doesn't the Code teach us hate is what gives Sith their power?" I asked confused since that was one of the fundamental lessons drilled into any Sith's head, including mine, from birth.
"No, it teaches us that our passion is what gives us power and passion comes in many forms. It's through passion I gain strength, not through hatred I gain strength. Hate just happens to be one of the stronger emotions."
"But…" I started, falling silent when my uncle held up his hand stopping me.
"Child if I explain everything to you, you will never learn to think for yourself. A Code can give you guidance but it is important for you to come too your own conclusions."
I frowned thoughtfully before asking, "Then when protecting secrets from other Sith, I what? Empty my mind?"
"Or crowd it with other thoughts now let's start again. Relax and this time please focus."
A long howl resounded throughout the ravine, snapping Aindri out of the memory. Quickly finishing the ration bar, she doubled checked the map on her datapad, finding that the laboratory was still several klicks away from her current position. Closing her eyes and reaching out with her senses, she scanned the area before looking up at sky, swearing when she saw the suns' position.
"Damn."
Aindri quickened her stride, spurred on by the knowledge that she only had a few hours of daylight left and a desire to reach the laboratory before dusk. With her sole focus being on crossing the sands, she almost didn't sense the beasts waiting in the shadows.
"Asilas."
Turning slowly, Aindri found herself staring at a pack of hound like creatures snapping and growling at her, matted black fur hiding taught muscle beneath.
Tuk'ata.
A loud growl came from Tuk'ata nearest to her standing low to the ground, razor sharp teeth bared and hackles risen as it pawed at the sand. The Tuk'ata pounced and Aindri grunted as her back slammed into hit hard packed sand, instantly bringing up her arm to protect her neck. She hissed in pain, biting back a scream as the beasts' jaws easily ripping through leather and tearing into her skin. Gritting her teeth, she rocked backwards and brought her legs up kicking hard at the beast's stomach. Rolling backwards into a crouch, she thrust out her palms. A blast of Force energy slammed into the Tuk'ata, sending it hurtling backwards into the one behind it. Smashing into the rocks they fell to the ground twitching before falling still. Her attack with an unseen force caused the remaining Tuk'ata to step back and eye her warily. Breathing heavily, she snarled, her anger building, and stepped forward, Tuk'ata scrambling backwards as they sensed her rage. She roared a feral roar, and watched as the Tuk'ata yelped and sprinted away to scrabble up the cliffs.
Feeling her anger drain away, Aindri fell back onto her arse and cradled her arm, adrenalin fading away and bringing back her pain.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, idiot." Aindri hissed. She couldn't believe she had let her guard down like that. She glanced down at her bloodied arm but the ripped leather obscured the wound. She would have to remove it before assessing and treating the damage.
Gritting her teeth, Aindri grabbed the top of the gauntlet and yanked, sucking in air through clenched teeth. Hissing, Aindri grabbed a flask from her bag and poured water onto the wound, doing her best to wash out the sand and blood.
Wound clean, Aindri brought it up to eye level, relieved to see it wasn't too deep, most bites force absorbed by the tough leather. Still, she wouldn't be surprised if it left a scar. Withdrawing a medpac, she gently rubbed the kolto paste into the wound before wrapping it in bandages, tying them tightly so they wouldn't come undone.
Satisfied that her administrations would last until she reached the lab, Aindri pulled on a spare gauntlet and pushed herself to her feet to continue trudging through the ravine, this time making sure to continuously scan the environment for danger. Within a couple more hours, she left the shadows of the tall cliffs and found herself on top of a hill that overlooked the lower wilds. From where she stood, Aindri could make out the occasional ruin rising from the sand, rock carved tombs standing tall and proud in the distance. Just below her, protected by a massive durasteel wall at its front and by a rugged cliff face at its back, was the wilds laboratory, a semi-permeant camp with troopers, researchers and Sith bustling about inside.
Slipping and sliding down the hill, Aindri entered with about an hour of daylight left. She headed straight for the medical tent knowing the extent her emergency treatment would prevent infection was limited, remaining stoic throughout, well aware that showing weakness was akin to painting a target on her back for fellow acolytes.
Haven received medical attention and eaten dinner, Aindri explored the camp. A significant chunk was devoted to its namesake, an open-air laboratory littered with dissection tables and cages housing various specimens of Korribanian fauna. The rest was a jumble of tents haphazardly erected wherever there was space. Wandering into the laboratories central area she came across a Sith Lord, judging from the fine cut of his robes, standing over a table with his hands deep inside a half dissected Tuk'ata.
"A fresh young acolyte, come to view my experiments? Good," The portly Sith removed his hands from the beasts' insides, stripping off his gloves and throwing them in the bin before rinsing his hands, "I trust the sight of a messy operating table doesn't disturb you?"
Aindri stepped closer to the table, tugging on one of the sterile gloves before lifting one of the removed organs, holding it up to her eye so she could examine it more closely. Renning gave a small smirk before throwing out his arm to gesture at the specimen.
"On the surface, this Tuk'ata is nothing special. But I alone can see it. The Force is alive, and it expresses its will in the physical world. This creature was one such form. An expression of pure dark-side energy, aggression made manifest."
Placing the organ back on the table, Aindri arched an eyebrow at Renning guessing, "And we are another of these forms."
"Sith are the highest manifestations of the Force's will." He affirmed, smiling haughtily when he continued, "I've dissected hundreds of Tuk'ata, forging a direct connection to the dark side. Each beast I examine advances me towards perfect unity."
What Aindri felt was anger, not pride or the other emotions she would expect would come with such a 'breakthrough', coursing through Renning and she raised an eyebrow.
"I now stand at a new frontier but find myself thwarted. My most perfect specimen – a Tuk'ata mutant - escaped to the tombs before I could analyse it." The Sith said bitterly answering her unspoken question.
"I could recover your specimen." She offered; having a Sith Lord owing her a favour could be beneficial in the future.
He examined her for a moment before nodding, "My apprentice Malora saw which tomb the mutant beast fled into. Find out what she knows, assist me, and you will be rewarded."
"I'll speak to your apprentice and retrieve your Tuk'ata brain when I head into the tombs."
"You found a great calling in my service. I trust you appreciate that."
Leaving him to his research Aindri looked up at the gradually darkening skies, clouds just obscuring Korriban's blood reds moons as they climbed higher above the horizon. Approaching the wall surrounding the laboratory, Aindri drew on the Force and jumped, landing gracefully on the walkway above. Drawing on the Force to compensate for the lack of light she searched until she found Marka Ragnos' tomb, nestled in a row of cliffs, calculating how roughly long it would take to travel to the tomb, complete her trial, retrieve the Tuk'ata brain and get back. Jumping back down into the camp she decided she'd find Malora in the morning, after all she had no desire to hunt a Tuk'ata in the dark.
Asilas – Shit