Chapter Nine: Ascents
Vault Ten. A large chunk of the reinforced door lay cut and thrown across the chamber, edges still aglow with the heat of molten metal. Acolytes carefully maneuvered in and out of the breached chamber, carrying in their arms an assortment of crates and lockboxes of varying size. Some resembled small jewelry boxes, others industrial containers, all holding items and artifacts lost to the Sith long ago.
Lorrik and Jresh watched over the proceedings from a distance, standing resolute at their apparent victory. Between the entering and exiting students, the pair peered into the emptying vault, seeing only a quaint repository of items categorized and arranged along the floor and wall-lining shelves with utmost order. The vault itself was large enough for only six of the acolytes to share the space, and even then they were brushing against one another's shoulders.
The apprentices were arbiters. Protectors. Secondary to the students' continued efforts. As much as it had been a victory for the pair, the acolytes had to believe it was theirs as well. They handled the artifacts. They gathered and collected them without fear that their spoils might be taken away.
As the motley group of acolytes removed the final containers, the apprentices felt a dark inkling in the back of their minds. An itch they couldn't scratch. An announcement in the Force. Something wholly unfamiliar and yet somehow not. The warrior and inquisitor quickly looked toward the source, but the more they focused their attention on it, the more they realized it lied hundreds of meters away, and the more they realized precisely what it meant.
"You felt it, too, right?" Lorrik cautiously asked of his partner.
"Yes," Jresh grimly confessed.
"Syrosk…" Lorrik muttered. "It's faint, but I can still feel a part of him holding on."
"Defeated, but still alive," Jresh stated. "Why is that?"
"I don't know, but we need to get moving. Now," Lorrik answered. The inquisitor released a sharp whistle, catching the attention of the nearby acolytes. "What was your extraction plan?"
"The shuttle that dropped us off is supposed to come back to pick us up," one of the acolytes explained.
"Fortify your positions here," Lorrik advised. "Keep a watch for the shuttle, but don't linger outside, and don't hesitate to flee should the building come under attack. Understood?"
The students offered their nameless protector a series of hesitant nods and watched as he and the Pureblood fled from the chamber.
Lorrik and Jresh moved down the corridors that fed into the vault chamber, frantically making their way toward their master. They had no knowledge of the buildings between themselves and their destination. No idea if the path would be unobstructed or if one even existed, but they would persist, driving themselves forward regardless of whatever trouble might await them.
"If Syrosk was defeated, you know what this means," Jresh stated, still able to hold a conversation at a full sprint. "It will fall to us to deal with Tash."
"And that is entirely what I intend to do," Lorrik replied, keeping pace with his partner. "We're going to deal. No need to needlessly risk ourselves or the other students."
"And if he's not receptive to our dealings?"
"Then we convince him by any means necessary."
The Pureblood offered a dutiful nod, accepting of the possible future they had embedded themselves in. Neither apprentice truly believed themselves capable of handling a Dark Lord of the Sith, but they could not afford to falter in the presence of one another. They each stood strong for their companion, giving the other something to believe in. Their power was their own, but they freely offered it to their partner, bolstering one another in a loop of confidence and determination.
Emerging from the tower out onto the previous outcropping, the two Sith began surveying their surroundings, looking for some possible way to proceed. The gap they had leapt across comprised one of Coruscant's many skylanes, open paths for airspeeder traffic. The lane stretched far into the distance in both directions, creating a large space between the two 'blocks' of buildings. The area beneath the outcropping, the area they had previously traversed, offered only shadows as the base of the towers touched the Coruscanti Undercity. But further down the lane, there was more than an urban abyss separating the two neighboring sectors.
A series of walkways and plazas provided a route for pedestrian traffic between the skyscrapers to the west, the direction they were heading. A fair distance below them, the Sith studied their design, following the pathways with their eyes all the way to their destination. Sighting the building that held the eleventh vault, Lorrik and Jresh saw the intensely damaged state it found itself in. The facing side had been ripped free and deposited upon the walkway below, the vacant innards of several floors open to the Coruscanti skyline.
"That doesn't look good," Jresh stoically stated.
"No. No it doesn't," Lorrik grimly replied. "But we have to get over there."
The Pureblood positioned himself at the overlook's edge and peered into the depths below, only to find a sizable distance rested between themselves and the lower path. In addition to a disparity in elevation, the path itself didn't connect to their building.
"I don't think we can jump this," Jresh admitted.
"We could make it, but the impact would be much worse this time around," Lorrik explained. "And if the walkway doesn't even make its way over here, moving through the building would be waste of time."
"So would standing around and discussing out options," Jresh calmly declared. The warrior placed a foot atop the short barrier that lined the outcropping's edge before beckoning his partner to follow. Pushing himself off, the Pureblood leapt forward, but instead of falling, his hands firmly grasped the miniscule ledge at the base of one of the building's many windows. He halted himself, studied his position, before leaping laterally, only to grasp another tiny ledge a few windows over.
The inquisitor followed his partner's lead, carefully positioning himself near the outcropping's edge, before planting himself upon the building's outer walls. The ledges that lined the exterior were thin, barely able to accommodate the apprentices' fingertips. But an innate resolve and determination allowed them to maintain their grip, even as the threat of a metallic abyss rest below them, even as the cacophonous echoes of war rang out around them. The warrior would blaze a path and the inquisitor would mimic his movements. They would move over a few windows, then drop down a few windows, slowly maneuvering themselves into a position where they could adequately reach the walkway below.
Jresh would release his adamant grip, dropping numerous levels at a time before effortlessly reaffirming his grip upon the tiny ledge that awaited him multiple floors below. Meanwhile, Lorrik moved much more conservatively, each movement calculated and brief, inching himself into the next position with due caution. His companion below him, the inquisitor was determined to match the warrior in pace and capability, but found his grip loosen as an unexpected explosive rocked the neighboring sector. The Human's fingers slipped from their narrow purchase and he was sent plummeting into the depths below, only to find his descent suddenly interrupted by his partner. The inquisitor opened his bewildered eyes to see the Pureblood maintaining his grip on the ledge with a single hand, whilst the other held a firm grip around his forearm.
Lorrik offered an appreciative smile alongside a confident nod. Jresh replied with one of his own, releasing his grip and allowing the inquisitor to grasp onto the ledge beneath him. The pair continued their staggered descent, switching between lateral and vertical movements as they approached the end of the building's outer face. The walkway was still out of reach, its nearest point connecting to the neighboring building. But instead of an entire skylane separating the two, a gap of only a few meters lay between the adjacent skyscrapers. Determining the remaining drop to be negligible, the Pureblood found whatever surface he could dig his hands and feet into, before pushing himself off the exterior walls of the building. The warrior leapt toward the walkway below, absorbing the impact with a swift tuck and roll. As Jresh moved to his feet, Lorrik followed in his wake, landing upon the walkway beside him with a similar flourish.
The two Sith steadied themselves as they studied the path ahead. Before them stretched a long winding walkway, fed by paths connected to each building along the way. As close to a street as one could find on Coruscant. In another time, it would have been a construct of sensibility and reserved grace, the linear plaza that made up its spine offering polite flora in the form of tended gardens and potted plants. But the invasion had shattered the pleasant image. Shattered stones and scrapped metals littered the surface of the walkway, a fine layer of dust and ash providing a harsh blanket. The flora had been broken, wilted, or burned by the surrounding battle, leaving only limping, blackened husks in its wake.
But as the apprentices studied the way ahead, their only concern was with whether or not it would impede them. And it would not. The Sith began their sprint down the walkway, circumventing whatever rubble of debris stood in their way. They ran and ran, the broken face of their target building never leaving their sights. Almost a kilometer rest between them and the open tower, but Lorrik and Jresh pushed themselves to their limits, opening themselves to the Force, letting it enhance their speed beyond what any standard Human was capable of.
The faster they moved down the pathway, the slower time progressed. Once more they found their senses heightened, capable of perceiving and distinguishing the numerous sights and sounds around them, but one held supreme in their minds. The slowly fading life of their master. A light beset by encroaching darkness, ready to be snuffed out at a moment's notice. For all their master's attempts to keep himself separate from his students, he had forged a bond with them. Not as intense as the one the companions shared, but strong none the less.
Minutes passed. Reaching the branch of the walkway that connected to the targeted building, the Sith saw their path obstructed by a large pile of rubble. The missing exterior of the levels above had been deposited below in a mangled heap that completely blocked off the tower's entrance. The crumbled mass stretched upward at a steep incline, giving anyone skilled enough to traverse it a path to the fifth floor, but it would do nothing for the dozen more levels that rest between the apprentices and their target.
"I can barely sense Syrosk," Jresh stated, staring up toward the massive hole in the building's exterior.
"And I can't sense anything else," Lorrik replied. "If we're lucky, that may mean Tash was already taken care of."
"If we're lucky."
The pair steeled themselves, taking their first steps upon the fallen debris and beginning their slow ascent. Finding whatever purchase they could, they climbed whatever leaning slabs of rubble lied in front of them. Hands and feet coated in dust, the apprentices traversed the pile before the refuse could collapse beneath them. Reaching the crest of the hill of debris, the Sith grasped ahold of the building's exterior and began climbing the side of the skyscraper. As the rubble shifted and crumbled beneath them, the pair paid it no attention, focusing only on moving up the vertical surface.
Lorrik and Jresh grasped ahold of whatever ledge they could. The tiny outcroppings surrounding the building's windows provided something to grip, but the journey up the wall proved much more arduous than their previous descents. The inquisitor took the lead, the warrior followed in his wake, ready to catch his partner should he fall. But he would not fall. He would not fail. After coming this far, after getting this close, neither would allow themselves to halt their progress. Level by level they ascended, pushing themselves up one floor at a time, bracing themselves as they inched toward their goal.
Passing over crumbling ledges and shattered windows, the Sith endured. Even as his limbs ached, even as shards of glass from broken windows dug into the inquisitor's ungloved hand, the Human continued, his companion trailing his every movement. Lorrik kept his gaze firmly set ahead, unwilling to look back, unwilling to look down. He had come too far to alter his course.
Moving up a dozen levels, Lorrik finally reached the lower threshold of the wound etched into the building's exterior. With no more wall to climb, the inquisitor dragged himself into the exposed chamber ahead of him before offering a helping hand to his partner. With somewhat solid ground beneath their feet, the apprentices stopped to catch their breath, looking up at the remaining levels above them. An explosion had carved a rough sphere of destruction into the tower, its edge just gracing the chamber holding the eleventh vault.
Lorrik and Jresh looked upward and inward, the faint presence of their master still present, if fading. The jagged edge of the room's ceiling rest beyond their respective reaches, but so long as the Sith were together, they would not be limited. The warrior cupped his gauntleted hands together in front of him, providing a foothold for his partner. The inquisitor stepped into the Pureblood's palms before being launched upward a moment later. The Human scrambled to get a grip on the crumbling edge of the ceiling, quickly pulling himself up to the next level. Reaching down, Lorrik offered a hand to his companion, which he promptly took hold of after taking a mighty leap. The inquisitor let out a low groan as he slowly lifted his partner's considerable weight, dragging him onto the floor beside him. The pair lied on their backs, taking deep breaths, struggling to hide the signs of creeping exhaustion.
"Alright," Lorrik muttered from the floor. "Just two more to go."
A soft slap sounded out in the chamber of vault eleven. Syrosk stirred from his seated position, groggily rocking his head as he studied the room. Through his hazed vision, he saw no motion, only the breached door on the opposite side of the chamber. Believing his mind to be slipping, the Sith Lord lowered his head as the last vestige of life fled from his body, only to hear another quiet slap. Raising his gaze, the alien saw a pair of hands reaching over floor's wounded edge.
The Lord couldn't believe his eyes as he watched his apprentice lift himself up and onto the chamber floor, lifting his partner up shortly afterwards. The Human quickly darted his gaze across the room before focusing on his wounded master. The apprentices kept their heads low and crawled over to Syrosk's side.
"Syrosk," Lorrik whispered. "What happened?"
"Tash… won," Syrosk slowly rasped, casting his gaze toward the breached vault. The apprentices looked across the chamber, unable to see beyond carved door, but sensed the powerful presence that resided within. Somehow it had managed to remain hidden from the pair's minds until this moment. Whether it spoke of the source's weakness, or strength, they were not sure.
"No he hasn't… not yet," Lorrik softly muttered.
"Listen, Lorrik," Syrosk struggled to vocalize as his body grew cold. "This… my fault… I should have…"
"That's enough. Save your strength."
"It's… a bit late… for that…" Syrosk muttered, coughing as he released a low chortle.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Lorrik declared.
Before the Sith Lord could offer a response, the inquisitor placed his left hand over his master's abdomen. A soft luminance began to emanate from the Human's palm as healing waves caressed and penetrated the alien's wound. Syrosk felt a warmth in his core, the first feeling he could recall in the past few minutes. The warmth grew in intensity until it was burning hot. The Sith Lord's stomach churned and wrenched as pain overtook his core, but it was somehow preferable to the numbness that had consumed him prior.
Bone sprouted and fused. Muscle and sinew wrapped and connected and new flesh formed around it. The inquisitor was healing his master, repairing the damage Tash had wrought. Lorrik focused his mind, struggling to maintain his poise as the effort sapped what remained of him. As the inquisitor rescinded his hand, Syrosk looked down in disbelief, the previous void bored into his armor and gut now filled with regenerated flesh.
The Human grew weak, legs threatening to buckle under his weight. Carefully, he sat himself down, leaning against the wall beside his master. Jresh crouched in front of him, checking his partner and making sure he was okay, only to receive the Human's dismissing wave. Lorrik offered a gentle smile as his breaths grew more labored.
"I may… have overexerted myself," Lorrik said alongside a broken chuckle.
"Why…" Syrosk muttered, still weak, but no longer feeling on the brink of death.
"You may not have been the best master, but you were still a good mentor," Lorrik replied. "Besides. The chance to prove you wrong was too great to pass up."
"Prove me wrong?"
"You thought you'd die here, remember?"
"I stopped believing that a while ago," Syrosk admitted.
"I'm sure some small part of you still thought you would," Lorrik teased.
"Guys," Jresh interrupted.
Lorrik lifted his gaze to see his partner looking toward the breached vault. Looking across the chamber, the inquisitor saw a dark figure begin to emerge from the prized room.
"Stay put and stay quiet," Lorrik advised his master. "We'll handle this."
The Sith Lord offered no protest, alive but still suitably defeated. The inquisitor lifted himself from the ground with the help of his companion, and the two apprentices made their way toward the center of the chamber. They walked side by side, footsteps heavy with the gait of exhausted legs. They marched forward, unfaltering toward the shadowed figure ahead, steeling themselves for the inevitable confrontation.
Tash stepped into the light of the open chamber, cape swept to the side by the invading winds. Around his neck hung an ornate amulet, its red gem pulsing in sync with its wearer's heartbeat. The Darth's eyes fell to the two Sith approaching him and a subtle smirk crept upon his lips.
Lorrik and Jresh remained stoic as they laid eyes on the powerful figure, finally putting a face to the name they had heard time and time again. The elderly Human's face possessed its share of new wounds and dried blood, but it wasn't enough to disrupt his charismatic visage. He was tall, his body maintaining its athletic physique well into old age and encased in a suit of heavy armorweave and hardened plates. But drawing their attention was the oppressive, pulsating crimson glow emanating from the amulet around his neck.
"We keeping with the plan?" Jresh mentally asked of his companion.
"Assuming my legs don't give out," Lorrik mentally shot back. "Stay alert."
The apprentices continued their journey forward, stances rigid as they came to a stop in front of Tash, the two forces just outside of one another's reach.
"Well, I take you two are some of Syrosk's apprentices," Tash cordially declared. "A Pureblood, you must be Jresh. And the Human, you must be Orrik."
The inquisitor's eyes deadened as the air seeped from his lungs. Gathering himself, the young Human straightened his posture. "It's Lorrik."
"Ah, my mistake," Tash genuinely apologized. "My apprentice spoke well of all of you."
"I assumed that's why you offered us the chance to join you," Lorrik replied.
"A chance you declined," Tash stated.
"I wouldn't say that," Lorrik admitted. "As we speak, the other apprentices are out helping your students collect the contents of the vaults."
"Mighty generous of you. Although I'm curious as to how you managed to locat them by yourselves. I had assumed Syrosk's presence here was him exploiting the connection we still possess."
"You know how it is, the more people you involve, the less likely it is to control the flow of information," Lorrik explained.
"Did Vai tell you?" Tash asked.
"If only it had been that easy," Lorrik joked. "Had to get the information from one of your instructors."
"You're rather resourceful. Though the simpler method would have been to just ask."
"Simpler, yes. Buy not as effective," Lorrik declared. "Didn't want to you knowing we were involving ourselves until the right time."
"Which is obviously now," Tash stated.
"Correct," Lorrik replied. "It allows us to negotiate on more equal terms."
"Negotiate?" Tash repeated, his warmth slowly fading. "So you intend to come out ahead in all this?"
"Somewhat, though my interest lies in benefiting the acolytes," Lorrik explained. "I intend to see that they walk away from this ordeal with the recognition they deserve."
"I don't see where the negotiating comes in," Tash declared.
"Well, the thing is, I know you say you're doing this all to benefit your students, but I have my doubts," Lorrik admitted. "I know Vai believes you, but then again, that seems to be your strong suit. Syrosk believed you when you said you were out to change the next generation of Sith. The students believed you when you promised to deliver them to greatness. The instructors believed you when you told them they were to be sacrificed for the war effort. No doubt you've had to lie to certain parties to keep your operation undeterred, the only question is whom? Perhaps you truly are the benevolent Sith who is undermining the institution to aid these downtrodden outcasts. Perhaps you're just manipulating them into serving your own selfish goals. Maybe you're doing a little of both. But at his point, I really couldn't care less about your motivation or your methods. The truth is, all I care about is the result of today's trials, where the students are given their lives back, where they are finally given the standing they deserve in the Empire. The thought had crossed my mind, that if you were doing all this for selfish reasons, you might not find yourself sufficiently motivated to follow through with the promises you've made. The acolytes believe their efforts here will earn them recognition amongst the Sith, as ignorant as some of them are of their current standing. I intend to see that their beliefs were not misplaced."
The elder Human stared at the younger one with a firm arch of his brow, pleasantness draining from his face. "You speak of intentions. Not actions."
"You're right," Lorrik replied. "Well, I can see now that you targeted this particular vault, as evidenced by its location in relation to the others, as well as the current artifact you have draped around your neck. Before, I had thought maybe the other ten vaults were simply an elaborate ruse to make sure you could access this one with relatively little resistance. That you didn't care if the acolytes lived or died. In response to this thought, my friends and I decided to assist a few of the classrooms. Although my partner and I chose to divert our attention here, the others currently control the contents of their vaults. Five by my count. Almost half the total haul. Now, if it turns out you weren't lying, that you truly intend to use the contents of these vaults to elevate the students' standing, then we'll happily turn over whatever artifacts we recovered back to you. However, if not, we'll hold on to them, and use our yield to do what you refused to. You'll be left with the gains of yourself, your apprentices, and the classrooms we didn't manage to support. If you really only wanted the contents of this particular vault, then congratulations, you succeeded, and you really shouldn't have any objections to either scenario."
The Darth patiently passed his gaze over the younger Human and the silent Pureblood. Tash's lips began to quiver and curl, until a light chuckle began to pass between them.
"You got me," Tash confessed, raising his hands. "All I really wanted was this amulet." Lowering his hands, the Darth moved one to gently caress the still glowing red gem that hung from the chain. "You see, this belonged to my master. It was the source of his power. It was how he maintained his control over me for as long as he did. After all these years, I wanted nothing more than to hold it in my hands. You see, before he died, rather than allowing me to inherit his belongings, he had them removed from Imperial space before we had even revealed ourselves to the galaxy. They were recovered by the Jedi, and placed in these vaults. But this piece, this piece right here, I knew I'd find it in this one. And now I finally have it. That which defined my master."
Tash moved both of his hands around the pulsing amulet, almost petting the item, when without a moment's notice, he tugged at the jewel, breaking the chain and ripping it from his neck. Clenching a fist around the amulet, the Darth pulled back before throwing the artifact out the opened side of the chamber, sending it plummeting to the depths of Coruscant.
"I hated my master," Tash nonchalantly declared. "But you're right, this venture wasn't entirely unselfish. You needn't worry, however. For the other items, I have something much greater planned."
"So you do intend to help the acolytes?" Lorrik asked.
"Now what did I say about intentions and actions?" Tash coyly replied. "Now, I'm going to have to ask you to relinquish the contents of the other vaults."
"I'd be more than happy to," Lorrik declared. "Of course, I'd need some sort of proof that you were telling the truth. Until then, consider them to be in… escrow."
Once more Tash offered the firm arch of his brow. "You are playing a very dangerous game."
"This is no game, and I am not playing," Lorrik stoically stated. "I've given you your options. Use every item from every vault to help the acolytes, or take what you've earned so far and walk away. It's up to you. Pick a third option, are you're going to have to go through me and my partner and six more just like us. Of course, I'm sure one of your apprentices would be none too thrilled to learn you murdered his son, so you'd have to face him as well. And when your other apprentice learned all this wasn't for the acolytes' benefit, I don't think you could count on his support either. There's a way in which we all walk out winners, it's just up to you to make the right call."
There was a heavy silence that consumed the chamber, only the whistles of the passing wind and the echoes of bombs ringing out in the distance present. Tash passed his gaze between the two Sith before him, staring at the stalwart inquisitor, the silent warrior. They stood tall, unrelenting in their stance and demeanor. Finally, after a prolonged quiet, Tash release a low, droning cackle.
It was Lorrik's turn to offer the arch of his brow. "I'm sure you can-"
The inquisitor was interrupted as he and his partner were violently thrown backward as Tash flung out his hands, releasing a powerful telekinetic wave. The pair fumbled through the air before impacting several meters back, sliding a few more beyond that.
"You insignificant curs have the audacity to interfere with MY plans? To steal from MY vaults?" Tash shouted
Lorrik and Jresh came to a stop on the other side of the chamber. As he slowly writhed on the ground, the inquisitor released a low groan.
"So much for negotiations," Lorrik muttered.
"Backup plan?" Jresh whispered as he lifted himself from the ground.
"Backup plan."