Chapter 139
After pulling out of hyperspace and as they neared Korriban, Ari felt an overwhelming sense of dread overcome her, becoming stronger as they neared the planet. Perhaps it was the fact that the ship couldn't pick up any life readings. Or maybe it was the fact that there appeared to be nothing there, aside from mountainous features. There were no trees or vegetation of any kind. Or maybe it was something more.
Landing on the planet, Ari could feel the wind attempting to toss the ship about. A firm grip on the controls, she landed and shut down the engines. The dark sensations she felt were stronger and she focused on steeling herself from letting them overtake her. She was a Jedi. The Force was with her. With that assurance, she opened the cockpit. The wind felt oddly cold on her face as she secured her robe and survival pack. She walked along the wing, then jumped to the ground, Force and training making her capable of landing with the ease of a feline.
"R4, stay here." The droid beeped in protest and Ari sighed. She turned back to face the droid, her hair whipping in the wind. She brushed it out of her eyes before answering. "If we need to leave right away, it'd be best if you were here. I have the comm in case. Alright? Besides, it is rocky and wouldn't be easy on you."
R4 moaned sadly, but stayed there.
She turned in a slow circle, scanning the area. The land was hard under her boots, crunching on small pebbles as she moved her feet. The sudden, sharp cliffs seemed ominous, jutting out from the earth.
Another gust of wind hit her and she felt a shudder run through her entire body.
Ari turned to face the wind as she closed her eyes and slowly opened herself up to the Force. She could feel the Dark Side all around her, but there was no other choice but face the oppressive Dark Side.
She felt a pull in one direction and realized that was where she had to go. "I'll be back soon, R4," she told the droid, shifting the pack on her shoulders and heading in that direction.
The walk, which should have been simple, was not. The wind often would pick up without warning and at times, it sounded like a low, animalistic groan. The dim light from the sky cast shadows that seemed to move as if they were alive.
More than once, Ari stopped to look at the surroundings to see if there was any sight of the fortress. She couldn't imagine him hiding it in some place like a cave, yet there was no sign of any civilization. It made Tatooine look as if it was a thriving metropolis in comparison.
How far and how long she walked, Ari wasn't certain. However, as she climbed over a sharp incline and saw what laid before her, she gasped. Never before had she seen such a sight. She immediately knew what she was looking at. Valley of the Sith. Filled with tombs of the Sith that had inhabited and trained on this planet many years ago. The very sight made her feel nearly sick to her stomach. There were so many and even with her shields up against the Dark Side, she could feel a pull to them. As if they were calling her name. Calling her to them. To become a Sith.
The crumbling statues and monuments seemed to be alive in a sense. She could spot one monument that had fallen, various part of it scattered among various other pieces that had decayed from the once mighty Sith. Its head seemed to be staring at her, causing a sharp shudder to travel down her back.
She shook her head forcefully. "I won't be like you. I'm a Jedi," she whispered. From her left, she heard a skittering sound and saw four odd creatures. She recognized them as wraids due to pictures she had seen on Tatooine. They were mostly killed off on Tatooine, but apparently they lived here too. Odd considering the differences in habitat. One of the large, pink-red reptile looked at her. Ari could immediately see the large claws and the sharp teeth. However, it just looked at her for a moment. She remembered what she had read. They didn't attack unless provoked, and apparently these creatures didn't find her a threat. At least, she hoped not.
She stood there for a few minutes until the wraids wandered off, heading in the opposite direction and Ari let out a sigh of relief. She had heard that the Sith had brought some animals along with them, but hadn't expected any to have survived. She would have to be careful.
Steeling her resolve, she started into the valley. Each stop closer, she could feel the darkness closing in on her and the sensation of being watched grew. Without appearing too nervous, her eyes scanned the area, not willing to lower her shields in this place. Her breathing sounded loud, even as the wind picked up in intensity. Using one hand to attempt to shield her eyes from the blowing sand and the lose wisps of hair that had escaped the braid she wore, she looked for the signs of a threat. The wraids had left her alone, yet she had a feeling that not all creatures here were so easily managed.
Yet, as she reached the furthest most landmarks, she felt a slight sense of relief that nothing had attacked, yet it worried her at the same time, because among the statutes, an attacker could remain hidden. She tried to shake away the thoughts as paranoia, but wasn't finding it easy to do so.
All of a sudden a howl, one that was not the wind, was heard. Ari turned quickly to find the source, but she couldn't find it. One hand reached down and rested on the hilt of her lightsaber. At least she knew she was right. She wasn't alone. For a brief moment, she found herself wishing Luke was there. However, she had to this on her own. This was her test.
Another howl was heard, this time, it sounded closer. Ari stopped and scanned the area. She felt nearly blind due to her shields and slowly, carefully lowered them.
It felt as if a wave had crashed over her and she could feel the Dark Side radiating as intensely as the twin Tatooine suns. It stole her breath away and she had to focus on keeping it at bay, reminding herself that she was a Jedi.
Gaining control of the situation, she was thankful for the Force because at that moment, she could sense where her attacker was coming from. She ignited her lightsaber with a snap/hiss, jumping back as the large tuk'ata jumped from a nearby statue, landing where Ari had just been standing. Its glowing red eyes stood out in sharp contrast to the blue fur covering its large body. Its sharp claws and teeth made the wraids look as threatening as baby ewok. Its tail whipped back and forth and she saw the sharp ridges on its back. She had heard of these creatures from Siri. Better known as Sith hounds, they were known to guard tombs.
Ari had a feeling that if there was one, there were more, but this one was her primary concern. Dropping her pack and cloak on the ground, Ari never took her eyes off the creature. They faced off and started to pace in a circle. Then something unexpected caught Ari's attention. The creature wasn't just growling. It sounded as if it was speaking some language. The whispers from the tombs grew louder and Ari realized it was saying something in the Sith's language.
Yet, Ari couldn't focus or dwell because at that moment, the creature attacked. Ari jumped to the side, narrowly being missed by its claws as it swiped at the air. At the same time, she swung her lightsaber and could tell from the creature's pained yelp that her lightsaber touched the creature.
Furious and injured, the tuk'ata lunged at her again and Ari used the Force to leap over the creature, swiping at it twice. A few drops of the tuk'ata's blood, which was so dark blue it was almost black, fell on the sand.
This seemed to work well, as Ari continued this pattern twice more. As she was about to try it a third, halfway during the jump, the tuk'ata's tail hit her in the chest and Ari fell to the sand, ribs screaming in protest. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. She looked for her lightsaber which had fallen and saw it was out of reach and deactivated.
The tuk'ata seemed to see that it now had the upper hand. It stalked closer, this time truly growling. Ari knew that she couldn't risk another jump. However, she had the Force on her side. Reaching with one hand, she called her lightsaber to her, igniting the blade immediately.
As the blade appeared, the tuk'ata attacked again. Ari felt one of the claws rake along her right side as she rolled away from the tuk'ata and swing the lightsaber at the creature's neck.
For a moment, everything seemed to stand still. Then, the head of the tuk'ata fell and rolled twice the sand. Ari watched as the red in its eyes faded, no longer seeing anything. Its body collapsed where it stood and Ari watched as some of the blood mixed with the sand.
Ari sat there for a few moments before she deactivated her lightaber. She kept it close though as she pulled her bag over, glad it was within arm's reach. She took out the bacta and water canteen she had and using a minimal amount of water, cleaned sand from the sounds before she rubbed the bacta on cuts she had received. They weren't as deep as they could have been, but they still stung and she was concerned the smell of blood could draw other creatures in the valley.
While tired, she knew she had to continue. Putting her lightsaber back on her belt and once more donning her cloak and pack, she continued her trek through the Valley of the Sith.