Chapter 12
I would like to thank my reviewers, those who added my story to their alerts and favorites, and to all anonymous readers.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or Prototype.
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Voren kicked the covers from his bed and swung his feet over the edge, resting them on the cold marble floor. He rose with an audible grunt. Taking a deep breath, he tilted his head from side to side; working out the knots in his neck and shoulders. Content, he scooped up his lightsaber from the nightstand beside the bed. The silver cylinder had several black markings; he had based its appearance from a symbol he'd seen in the Enclave's archives, its origin could even be traced back to the early Jedi. The handle felt familiar and solid in his grip, this lightsaber belong to him and no other, a reassuring feeling.
Moving silently through the hallways, he slipped through the courtyard, careful to avoid the watchful photoreceptors of the GE3-series protocol droid guarding the area. Continuing on, the first rays of light hit him unprepared, blinding him momentarily. He soon found himself standing alone in the main training dojo where he not so long ago created his lightsaber. The blade, radiating with energy, cast a blue hue over the room. His muscles groaned as he began practicing the sequences belonging to the aggressive form of Djem So. It focused on ending a battle quickly by immediately striking back after a blow. A prolonged fight could have unforeseen consequences and put a higher strain on both the mind and body, it was the logical choice and it came easily to him.
Several months had passed since he began his training at the Enclave, several months of education, martial prowess and meditation. All of it had gone better than he imagined, he never had to fight as hard as the others, never had to meditate as long as the others, and never took as long the learn a new sequence when training. Master Zhar himself expressed his surprise by saying he'd done in months what others couldn't do in years.
The blade hummed as it maneuvered through the air, blocking out all other sounds. This however escaped him completely; all his concentration lay on defeating his imaginary opponent. His imagination always created a tall menacing figure, a darkness he felt must be defeated for the safety of the galaxy. Voren felt this figure was familiar somehow. Perhaps his subconscious created a foe for him to overcome or to warn him of what he might become should he stray from the Jedi path.
As his focus increased, so did his speed. The air hissed as the blade became an extension of his will, he went on the offensive, pushing his dark foe back as his attacks went faster and faster. He leapt high in the air, striking as he passed over his opponent. His feet landed hard on the surface and the blade sliced his opponent by the leg. With one quick blow the battle ended. Satisfied, he powered down his lightsaber and let out a breath. He'd finally defeated his imaginary opponent; before he'd failed two times.
He fell down on one knee, holding his head. His mind was assaulted by blurry images, taking the form of a dark mausoleum. At the end stood a free-standing structure, with three "arms" extending outwards, a ball of energy formed in the middle. The small spherical ball extended and sent out a bright light, blocking everything from view.
Voren opened his eyes and the pain receded from his mind. This dark structure felt evil, corrupted by the dark side. Standing up and holstering his blade by the belt, Voren went for the door. He needed to consult the council on this.
He leaped through the entrance to the council chambers, determined to make sense of this vision. To his surprise, the council had already gathered and engaged in a conversation with Bastila. Judging by their less than amused expressions, it must be something serious. But what he needed to discuss he felt was at least of equal importance, he approached them with firm steps.
"Masters, there's something I need to discuss with you urgently." Voren said.
"Yes, we were about to send for you." Master Vandar announced.
"Why?"
"Young Bastila has told us about a vision she just experienced."
Bastila nodded. "I saw a structure; it was infested with the dark side. There was a holoprojector of some kind."
"I had a similar vision. How is that possible?"
"It seems you've formed a force bond with Bastila." Master Vrook explained as he carefully traced his jaw-line. "It's quite possible she shared your vision."
Voren raised a brow. "Force bond?"
"We believe it was formed due to your experiences on Taris. It's a link between you two which allows communication of feelings, thoughts and images over a great distance."
"So we're connected? That's a good thing?"
Master Vandar nodded. "Indeed it is. As this vision is connected to you both, you need to seek out this temple and uncover its secret."
Voren spread his arms broadly. "I have no idea where to start."
"The masters told me about some ruins," Bastila raised a hand and pointed east. "Its design is similar to our vision."
"Then let's pay these ruins a visit."
As Voren marched east-ward across the Khoonda plains, he noticed the sun reaching its peak and beginning to sink. He'd been walking for hours beneath its heat, the Jedi Enclave now far behind him. If he looked back it would no longer be visible on the horizon, having escaped from sight some thirty minutes ago. He didn't look back as he matched onwards. The heat hadn't slowed him; neither would the threat of being attacked by a Kath hound pack.
Still, he was troubled. This was the second vision he's had since beginning his training at the Enclave, a feat highly unusual even for the revered Jedi Masters, and he'd sensed the power it held. This construct, it was alive with the dark side. Yet the feeling had been faint, distant and... familiar. He could best describe it as the feeling one get when almost remembering something important, and then having it disappear completely from your mind. During his march, he'd expected it to somehow make sense, or for it to disappear from his mind. It did not.
Instead he'd felt nothing. No noticeable change at all. He and Bastila were only a few kilometers away now, he'd already seen a couple of pillars with strange symbols and they seemed to intensify in numbers the closer he got to the ruins. Pushing his thoughts of doubt aside, he quickened his pace. He wanted to explore the ruins and get answers as quick as possible. Despite his concerns, he felt reassured with Bastila by his side. The two of them together were a formidable team, of that he had no doubt.
A few powerful rays of light penetrated the clouds, similar to a beacon, revealing a small valley in the distance. The ruins lay sprawled out before him, hidden behind a large concentration of totems. He briefly considered stopping to analyze the markings adorning the totems, and then rejected the idea. As far as he could see, the markings had nothing to do with his vision. He continued on through the maze of totems, briefly scanning one particular sign he'd seen on several pillars. It showed a humanoid creature, with a tall cranium along with eyes protruding from each side of their heads, being worshipped by several different species. He recognized some as Human, Selkath, and another as a Duros. Unfortunately, there were several creatures he'd never seen before.
Escaping the maze revealed an entrance up ahead, an open entrance. Not surprising, scavengers had probably taken everything of value long ago. But what he sought was not trinkets or ancient valuables; his single purpose was to get answers. As he got closer, he could make out intricate designs carved all around the entrance. Above, something was written in a language he didn't recognize. The craftsmanship had probably been awe inspiring at some point, but the ravages of time had taken its toll.
He still sensed no change in the Force as he passed through the threshold. From this distance, what's inside was even hidden from the force. He ran his fingers along the edges of the entrance; whoever had broken the door had done it long ago. Nodding towards Bastila, he marched on into the darkness. The long entrance tunnel had been filled with the same designs as on the totems, Voren more and more came to the conclusion that this ruined structure had most likely been a place of worship, a temple to these shark-like humanoids. The entrance tunnel connected into a large passageway, half a dozen meters in the room filled with an eerie yellow light.
Reaching for his lightsaber, he entered a defensive stance. Yet, no attack came.
"It seems the lightening-system has been set to react to our presence." Bastila said.
Relaxing, he continued down the passageway, finding his way past various smaller chambers before arriving in front of a sealed door. The door flew open by his touch, revealing a four-legged droid. Its one eye sprung to life, scanning them with its photoreceptors, screeching at them in a language he'd never heard before.
"Do you understand that?" He asked.
Shaking her head, Bastila answered. "Unfortunately I don't."
The droid shook slightly, screeching in another language.
"The droid can probably understand us, and is trying to communicate."
"I can reproduce all the languages spoken by the slaves of the builders." The droid announced.
Voren raised a brow. "That's the Selkath language if I'm not mistaken."
"Yes, a dialect spoken on Manaan. But why would this droid be programmed to speak ancient Selkath?"
Voren observed to wall. "The markings show a humanoid species being worshiped by several others, perhaps this droid belonged to that race?"
"Communications was vital to make sure the slaves performed according to the builders wishes." The droid explained. "But you are not of the slave species, nor are you of the builders. You are like the ones who came before."
"The droid must refer to Revan and Malak. They most likely encountered this droid when they explored these ruins." Bastila said.
Nodding, Voren asked. "Why are you here droid?"
"I am the overseer, stationed here to enforce discipline among the slaves and ensure the completion of the Star Forge. At its completion all the slaves were executed and I remained to guide any future builders seeking knowledge of the Star Forge."
"And what's a Star Forge?"
"It is the glory of the builders and the apex of their Infinite Empire. It is a construct of invincible might, a tool of unstoppable conquest."
Bastila raised brow. "Most likely a weapon of some sort, can you provide any more specifics?"
The droid paused for a second. "It is a construct of invincible might, a tool of unstoppable conquest."
"Limited knowledge banks, figures."
"We know Revan and Malak explored these ruins fully, and most likely Malak is using this Star Forge in order to conquer the Republic. We must discover what it is."
Voren nodded, walking to the opposite end of the room. "I'm guessing something of value is behind this door. But I see no opening-mechanism."
"Only the worthy may pass." The droid announced.
"We could cut through?"
Shaking her head, Bastila answered. "No, it'll take too long. Search the other rooms."
In all earnestly, getting inside the hidden chamber had been all too easy. A basic understanding of life- and death-giving planets was all the knowledge required. Voren observed his female companion as he stood in front of the large chamber doors, she seemed unfocused and uncertain. Strange given the number of deathly situations she's been in, he forced her worry away and steeled his mind. The answers he seeks might lie on the other side, and he wouldn't let a little worry stand in the way. Not when he was this close.
The doors pulled away with a hiss, revealing a large dim-lit chamber. Unlike the other chambers which had been scavenged and suffered damage, this one seemed completely untouched. He didn't see anything of importance, until he arrived half way through the chamber. At the end stood a three-legged structure, the same one he'd seen in his vision. The machine hummed and sprung to life as he approached, unfolding its three "arms" while revealing a projector orb. The orb originated from the bottom, and slowly levitated one-and-a-half meters into the air before expanding, revealing an image with marked locations.
Approached the device, Bastila observed it closely. "This seems to be some-kind of holographic image-based database. And it's radiating with the dark side."
"Yes, I feel it too. " Leaning closer, Voren continued. "I recognize these planets, Manaan and Kashyyyk."
Bastila nodded. "And these are Korriban and Tatooine. We must most likely visit all these planets if we want to discover the location of the Star Forge."
Voren's disappointment was clear; he'd expected to learn more. What is the Star Forge? Why defeating his dark imaginary foe would cause him to have a vision? And why he couldn't escape the feeling that he'd been here before? None of it made any sense, and there were only one path open to him now. He'd need to visit all these planets and collect the data stored inside the Star Maps, perhaps then he'd finally have his answers.
The march back to the Enclave went by in silence, and explaining the situation to the council had taken sometime. The council needed time to analyze the proper course of action, and it was no surprise when they suggested him and Bastila hunt down these maps. A small strike-team would be able to move fast and unnoticed; he now only had one problem.
"Mission, Zaalbar and Carth have signed up and are all up to speed on what needs to be done. Now all we need is a ship."
Bastila gave a hesitant smile. "May I suggest we contact the Mandalorian we met on Taris, he proved himself very capable."
"Agreed, and this other guy. Mercer was it? He has a ship. I don't particularly like his methods, but he is an interesting individual."
Bastila nodded, interesting indeed.
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Au
So this chapter was obviously focused on Voren, and basically followed the game. The team is soon together again and then we'll have some more of Alex's craziness. I'm still deciding what to do with Juhani, I never liked her so most likely she'll only have some small role in the story or not at all.