Even as light faded from her, she remembered it. And now, as darkness faded from her, the Betrayer was no more a threat. The world around her sunk into darkness, the rumble of the collapsing academy and the husk of the planet splitting at the seams was to be her requiem. She listened to it, at peace after her last pupil had forgiven her. "May the Force be with you and your compatriots, Meetra Surik..." She whispered to herself, hearing the faint whirr of a ship's ion engines as it fled the collapse of the planet.
For the first time in a great many years, a smile crossed Kreia's lips. She had done well with this one, as she had with Revan. The sweet embrace of Death was something she would gladly welcome, even with the prospect of returning to the Force. She felt the platform beneath her give way. The weight of her own aging body dragged her down. She could have saved herself if she desired, but to live in such times as would come was no simple life, especially not for someone of her age.
Revan and Meetra would have to handle the Emperor themselves. She trusted them to at least hold him at bay, if nothing else. The strength of Tenebrae, or Vitiate, or whatever he dared call himself now, would still be overwhelming. They would have to last until the future came to pass. Many a century. She trusted both. They had been her pupils after all. The Exile and the Revanchist would survive.
They had to...
What?
... Kreia was normally one to believe that her return to the Force would be far more tumultuous, considering the views she, alone, held against the damnable master of their universe. She did not expect the serenity that followed her landing into nothingness. Audible around her was the noise of chirping avians, her senses picking up much more. The rays of a foreign sun fell upon her face. She could feel the tingle of grass against her hands-yes, hands.
Her eyes opened. She was blinded for but a moment as they adjusted. A blue sky with clouds scattered like random swipes of a brush lay above her. She blinked, breathed in, then out. Her lungs had filled with the fresh air of an unknown place. First, she slowly lifted her left arm toward her face and noticed five digits and a palm attached to what was once a stump, a wrist that had had nothing on top mere moments ago.
She paused, her mind blanking hard as she brought the hand toward her face and felt below her eyes. She tracked the hand as she ran her fingers across her cheeks, then blinked. Straightening up, the woman shook her head, confusion overwhelming most of her senses. She could still think straight, however. There had to be some sensible explanation for her sight and hand returning.
She blanked again, feeling her body. Though a Force user could maintain their bodily functions with the aid of the Force itself, even at the old age Kreia had been at, they still felt some of the effects of aging if they let it get out of control. Standing to her feet, the woman soon realized a multitude more things that also raised a dozen more questions each. Her body felt much younger than it had any right to be.
She quickly descended, having found herself awakened atop a hill, only to halt in front of what seemed to be a small lake. She crouched down and looked at herself in the mirror reflection of the water. Running a hand across her face, she murmured, "Impossible..." her own voice faintly younger, less rough. She licked her lips, caressing her own unblemished face and staring straight at her eyes.
She blinked, her lips narrowing, before she looked at her hair, which still lay caught in the same decorated ornaments of gold and silver as she had worn when she met the Exile firsthand. Her robes were the color of the old Order ones, instead of the night-black of the Sith and even her skin color had turned from the grey, corrupted tinge to a more pale, normal tone.
She swallowed empty, feeling her mouth dry, before leaning forward and gently cupping some water in her hands. She lifted it up to her mouth and drank heartily, feeling the sweet taste which she'd thought she would miss the most post-mortem. She heaved a sigh after sating her thirst, then stood up and checked her equipment, making note of the presence of three familiar lightsabers.
The hilts floated from beneath her robes and ignited as she held her hands only slightly forward. Three lilac blades glimmered around her in the shape of a triangle. It was then she realized that she did not feel the Force around her. She blanked, stowing the lightsabers, then looked about. Kneeling again and running a hand over the grass, she sought any signs of the planet being alive.
She felt something, but most definitely not the force. Awed, the woman looked at her own hand and took a moment to focus, her eyes closed. A short, stunned gasp escaped her mouth. She shifted uneasily, standing to her feet, then looked around. She was the sole being with the Force here, the sole 'living' creature in the eyes of this parasite that had taken so much from so many and forced unto them roles they did not want.
Even with the sole signature of the Force present being her own, some relief washed over the woman. She sighed, pulled her hood over her head and started walking down from the green hills. She sought civilization, safety. Something prowled the shadows in the distance. She could feel it now, as her mind attuned to the place. It was not the Force, certainly, but perhaps she could still feel what was coming.
Half-an-hour's walk ahead, the woman now crested a hill as a pillar of smoke rose in the distance. As she reached the hilltop, she paused as she saw it. A small encampment fell under attack... And... Beasts of black manes and bone-white armor attacked. Twisted mockeries of the natural order, wounds in existence, in reality, soulless... She felt them from here...
Behind the outpost were ancient structures and ruins, standing tall, scratched and broken, perhaps the remnants of what was once a civilization in this area. Seekers of knowledge, under attack by dark beasts that seemed like something a Sith would bring forth from the Darkness. An interesting, if terrifyingly sad image, Kreia thought as she stared. What could she do, anyway? She had died. Her views did not shift. One should learn to help themselves, not rely on others.
... Something urged her on, however. Urged her to help from the back of her mind. Was it the Exile's influence, perhaps? No, she would not reach her all the way out here, wherever 'here' was. Revan was also far away, with her, one would presume. The two would fight together, but Kreia was alone here. She was alone, of course... And these beasts might well target her next.
Apathy is Death...
Her eyes widened. Her own words to the Exile, even were they in Ludo Kreesh's tomb, where she might have easily passed off as an apparition. And, in this case, it would be quite literal. Not just a death of the self, but a physical death in this case. Who knew what tricks those beasts had? Before long, Kreia had soon realized she had taken her first physical step toward the outpost.
With a frown, she murmured, "What have you done to me of all people, Meetra Surik...?" before a surge of the Force poured through her body, the world around her slowing. Another step forward and the woman boosted her own agility, a burst of speed sending her lancing forward. All three of her Lightsabers emerged from her coat and ignited, with the first beast in sight. She raised her hands and swung them forth, the trio of blades dancing through the air, an arc of death. The first blade made contact with a beast's back, vivisecting it.
A second swipe, this one diagonal to the right, cut a beast's leg off and allowed Kreia to detach one of the swords from the trio, puncturing through the rune-covered bone mask of the monster, killing it, too, instantly. Like a motorized saw through the trunk of a tree, Kreia cut through a wave of beasts with the grace and finesse she was so used to wielding, even as an old woman.
She skidded to a halt in front of the outpost. much to the stunned guards, three of which stood there with wide eyes. Her hood had flung off her head, revealing her more young appearance. She was not a spry Knight by any means anymore. No, she had maintained an air of elegance, perhaps having had her biological age reduced to her thirties. That was when her hair started graying.
She looked to the guards and asked, "Any injured?" with uncharacteristic concern.
"N-No... Grimm don't much leave wounded, ma'am..." The guard, a young human male, replied, staring with wide eyes at the woman before them, "H-How are you...?" and he seemed to lack words as he pointed at the Lightsabers floating around her. Kreia hummed. Indeed, no Force meant that the locals would be awed by what must've been feats of magic.
The growls of the beasts ahead took her attention away from the matter. She replied, "An explanation for another time. Summon something to evacuate your people out of here... I will take care of them," her voice calm. The man nodded, presumably already having done that. Kreia, meanwhile, watched the monsters slowly take steps toward her and the outpost itself, a series of tents with one having communication antennae sticking out of the top.
The first beast charged headlong toward her. Not a very smart one, much like a young kath hound. Brash and eager. She brought her blades upward and down in a line, splitting the beast in two as each passed through like a hot knife through Corellian butter. She snorted a bit at the thought of that expression, before spinning around and swinging the blades again, this time independently. A pair of 'Grimm' as the local had called them collapsed to the strikes, while a third had a deep, glowing gash in its mane.
This one was a taller, wider beast with spines poking out of its back. It roared at her, charged and swiped down with its claws, but Kreia lifted her hand, focusing a bout of the Force's own through it into a shockwave that staggered the beast, throwing its hand back. She spun and, with some flourish, cut the beast's head off in one swipe. She thrust the left blade through the head of another, then sent the third flying through three of the beasts, glad it could pierce their strange flesh.
She could feel the fury reverberating off of these monsters, an insatiable hunger that was unlike anything she'd seen before. The good news was, however, they died to a Lightsaber just about as easily as anything else. It seemed as if they were wounds in the normal order of life. She would cauterize them if that was truly the case. She hummed, watching more and more beasts pour in.
She recalled the powers she had learned, the strengths behind the Force itself, and soon remembered the Force was her tool here. Yet another smile, this one predatory, appeared on the woman's face as she pulled her lightsabers back for defense and let energy surge at her fingertips. As more and more beasts gathered, Kreia let loose, feeling the surge of electricity pass through the bones of her fingers, lancing forward.
An arc of electricity sliced through the air and made contact with the first of the beasts, searing through its body and piercing through the thick black hides, then going onto another creature and another. The burst of electricity cut through the swarm, thinning them out significantly enough that several of the surviving beasts staggered at the attacks. Kreia sighed, relieved, then dropped to her knees. That had taken more out of her than she expected.
She stowed two of the Lightsabers, keeping a third in-hand for any other stragglers that might dare charge her. She spun the weapon, brandishing it, then gazed upon the beasts themselves as the drone of jet engines came from overhead. She paused and looked up, only to see four figures drop into the midst of the fight. The four were color-coded, with the one clad in a red cape wielding a scythe, the white, a rapier, the black with two blades and the blonde with... Fists?
Huh. Oh, well, if it worked, she supposed. She dropped back down to her knees, feeling the strain that the Lightning strike had enquired taking its toll on her. She bowed her head, breathing as she shut off her lightsaber and holding onto her side. Closing her eyes, she let the sounds of combat fill the air as the presumable four-girl team cleared out the hostile beasts from around the outpost.
She felt a hand land on her shoulder and looked up. The red one, a young woman with silver eyes that she felt more than the other three for some reason, smiled at Kreia and asked her, "Hey. You okay?" to which the brown-haired elderly Jedi hummed affirmatively. The girl smiled at her and stood up, extending a hand. Now, Kreia would've usually berated someone for helping her, but something had truly changed inside her for her to simply take the hand.
She bowed, "My thanks..." and hummed at her own attitude.
"No problem, heh," The red one smiled, "You part of the researchers here?"
"No," Kreia replied, watching as the guards brought the researchers out, before turning to the girl and saying, "I am a simple traveler."
"Sure, ya are," The blonde stated as she approached, her lilac eyes glimmering and her smile bright, showing her pride, "According to what the folks here say, you have floating laser swords, though, so..." and Kreia looked over to the people. The guard that she'd saved smiled awkwardly at her, causing her to sigh deeply. The blonde looked to her and asked, "Anyway, uuh... What's your name?"
"... Kreia," The woman replied after a moment of thought, putting her hands together and hiding them beneath her robe's sleeves, "You four are...?"
"We're team RWBY!" The red one beamed at her, her posture denoting the childlike wonder of an innocent soul, "I'm Ruby Rose! Team Leader! Nice to meet you, miss Kreia!" And Kreia immediately felt a sort of warmth from her, a glow that she had only seen in two other people before. A soft smile crossed the old woman's lips. The sole person here she could easily feel was Ruby, strangely enough.
"Indeed. A pleasure," The white one spoke, hands behind her back and a more regal posture, straight and focused, "I am Weiss Schnee. Ruby's combat partner." to which Kreia could only look upon her with some semblance of pity. She felt something from her as well, though much less so than from Ruby. Hers was an attitude of tiredness, of some degree of bitterness toward the world itself. Odd.
"Blake Belladonna," The more mysterious and wary of the four spoke, pushing a strand of black hair out of her eye. This one was more reserved, to the point Kreia could only faintly feel her presence, though even she shined bright as opposed to the long-disappeared creatures that these 'Grimm' represented. The girl said nothing else, so Kreia's gaze went to the blonde.
She grinned and gave a quick salute, "Yang Xiao-Long. Sup, lady Kreia?" And just from that, Kreia could already tell Yang's archetype. She quipped and said, "I'm Blakey's combat partner," while the 'elderly' woman gave her a once-over. Eerily familiar brashness as a certain smuggling scoundrel she had worked with during her time with the Exile. Though she seemed far more... Open than Atton, at least.
"So, if you're a traveller, miss Kreia..." Ruby hummed, then smiled and offered, "Why don't'cha join us on the way to Beacon? I'm sure you got a lot of cool stories to tell!" words which took the Jedi-turned-Sith-turned... Something? By surprise. She nodded, wordlessly tagging along with a jovial Ruby and her friends as they boarded the strange transport. Sitting herself down next to team RWBY and watching as the surviving researchers tended to their own, the woman couldn't help but feel a little off. Like she did not belong here.
This world seemed bright, even with the encroaching darkness of the Grimm... Hmm, the Grimm. She looked to Ruby and inquired, "May I ask a question?" only to receive a quick nod from Ruby. She cast another long glance at the Researchers again, then turned to Ruby and asked properly, "Are these 'Grimm' a common threat across your world?"
The confusion in the girls' eyes told her as much as she needed to know. Still, Ruby did answer, "Y-Yeah...? Haven't you met them on your travels?" before watching the woman lean back into her seat, seemingly confused. Or, well, as 'confused' as one could get from this. She was more than likely on an undiscovered planet, yet to be touched by the wider Galaxy, but that would not explain the lack of Force...
She looked to Ruby and shook her head, surprising her and her team-mates. She spoke, "It is perhaps best if I talk to your leadership before I decide on a course of action..."
"So, the Headmaster..." Yang hummed, "Alright, I guess..." before she looked to Ruby. The girl nodded, wary and a bit surprised that Kreia would be coming from a place that hadn't been touched by the Grimm. Honestly, it was also kinda cool to take into consideration, or so Ruby thought as they sat silently on the flight back home, pondering the presence of the very motherly woman beside them.
Kreia hummed, turning as the aircraft began its descent to stare out of the window. What she saw surprised and somewhat awed her, admittedly. A large campus, brimming with life and students, a beautifully intricate, yet somehow simple design of roads, pathways and such leading to various important buildings, all with the center-piece that was the central clock tower, a glimmering emerald 'beacon'.
As they descended and landed, Kreia had tuned out the girls' discussion about her and various other items, simply following them toward the tower wherein she would begin her discussion with the leader or leaders of this place. The Beacon Tower, as it seemed, was the tall structure in the middle, a fitting name for a strange building. Ruby had let her friend return to the place's dormitories as she lead Kreia up to the top.
She turned to her, however, and Kreia immediately noted the excitement in her aura. With a smile, Ruby asked, "Can you please show me that laser sword the scientists mentioned... Pleaaaase?" And she gave her puppy eyes. Kreia, for the first time in her life, felt an overwhelming desire to protect the young one as her heart skipped a beat. And, of course, a second desire was to acquiesce to her request.
With a nod, the woman pulled out one of her Lightsaber hilts, then thumbed the button. The weapon's lilac beam expanded upward two feet, illuminating the otherwise dim elevator as it travelled up. Ruby gasped, awed, as she ran around the weapon with all the velocity of a Jedi utilizing Force Speed. Except Ruby also seemed to drop the petals of a flower as she ran. Various questions assaulted Kreia's hearing like a flurry of sonic detonations before she decided to metaphorically put her foot down. She stopped Ruby mid-speed burst by grabbing onto her hood, then told her, "If you will be have during my meet with your Headmaster, we can talk more about the functions of a lightsaber as soon as I see to what he wishes from me. Does that work?"
Ruby beamed and nodded quickly. Kreia averted her gaze, simply patting the young one on the head and stowing her lightsaber underneath her robes after shutting it off. The two walked out into the wide office as soon as the doors opened, with Kreia noticing the vast mechanism of the clock working around them, the clicking and the clanging of gears muted by what seemed to be soundproofed, tinted glass. Below, above adn around them, a clock worked as it would normally.
And ahead, a sole desk stood, three chairs surrounding it. One stood 'behind' the desk, back against the window that was also the clock face. And sat behind said desk, an elderly-looking man, his hair silver as the metals around and eyes colored amber, hidden behind a pair of comically-small sunglasses. The clothes he wore denoted an air of elegance, though Kreia could feel something deep within him. Something similar to what she felt from young Ruby Rose beside her. It was dark.
Ruby, however, seemed none-the-wiser as she greeted, "Good day, Headmaster! Here's the lady I told you about! Miss Kreia, this is Headmaster Ozpin."
Kreia looked Ozpin over. She hummed and greeted tersely, "A pleasure," before trying to put a 'pin' on Ozpin himself, trying to understand the man. Something felt awry about him and she just could not pin what exactly, although the fact someone as delicate and friendly as young Ruby Rose showed no averse reaction to him could mean one of two things:Either he hid it very well from non-Force users, or Ruby just... Didn't see anything wrong with the man. Naive, though she supposed she couldn't blame her.
"The pleasure's all mine," Ozpin replied, finally showing his own smile. Kreia felt... Uneasy... She soon realized the feeling she had around the man was due to experience. Had the man lived long, or were her senses tricking her into a rash decision on matters of the man ahead of her. He turned to Ruby and told her calmly, "Thank you for bringing her over, miss Rose. I take it the mission went well?"
"Oh, yeah!" Ruby gave a thumbs up, happy, "Miss Kreia over here really made it easy, actually. She thinned the horde of Grimm out!"
"I see," He hummed, turning to the woman. He opened his hands and added, "I suppose I should thank you. I had half expected team RWBY to require the backup of a Second Years' team that was also in the area..." And he saw Ruby faintly pout, as did Kreia. The two elders let out short chuckles at the girl, with Kreia pausing to berate herself for that reaction mentally. Ozpin told her, "I will take over chatting with madam Kreia for now, Ruby. You may return to your team."
Ruby smiled and nodded, "Alright, headmaster. See you, miss Kreia! Take care!" before she stepped back onto the elevator.
"... A true light in the darkness, I see..." Kreia whispered, hands interlaced within the robe.
"Indeed, she is..." Ozpin replied, with Kreia turning toward him. He spoke, "The scientists gave quite a strange description of you, madam Kreia. A lot of questions have arisen courtesy of the quick report I received."
"I suppose you will want an explanation..." Kreia hummed, "Very well, provided you agree to give one as well? Where do we begin?"