[19 BBY]

[Secure Laboratory, Site Delta, The Hanging Valley, Hoth, Hoth System, Anoat Sector, Greater Javin Region, Outer Rim Territories]

"...this key will get you in, Zayne. There are Covenant Researchers there..." Celeste let out a halting breath, fighting back, pushing away Murr's power as the Ghost glared at her "...they understand Sith Artefacts, maybe they can help me"

"If they don't kill us First! They're the people after us! We Can't..." the other one, the really annoying one, Gryph whined before Zayne Carrick cut him off, placing a hand on her shoulder. Some modicum of strength filling her...

"It's all right Celeste, we'll go..." a firm look at his compatriot, a smile for her "WE'LL GO. Don't worry about us"

Force, how she been so wrong, how had she allowed it to get bad. Celeste gripped his hand "You...you really didn't kill the padawans did you?"

No, that had been her allies, her friends, her mentors, she could feel the truth now, but still...she held him, drawing him close in desperation as she spoke "Then Listen! You must reach Krynda, if what you say is true she would never have allowed it. Something is wrong...and she would want you to stop it! She's devoted Zayne...Not Evil, just like..."

She couldn't finish it, but Zayne could, a sad smile at her "Just like you"

Celeste couldn't help herself even though it hurt, she smiled back sadly. The truth was like that all too often wasn't it? "Thank you"

She let go, laying back in the oubliette, into her prison as the padawan...than man, she'd misjudged, so nearly killed by stabbing him in the back, was the better Jedi and began to reaching up to close the lid "I won't be long. I'll see you later"

'You too' she thought letting out a nervous breath as darkness enveloped her and...

...it was bright?

Celeste gasped, eyes hurting at the brightness above her, trying to shield them with one hand as the other grabbed at side of the oubliette. That was fast, had something gone wrong...

Force her throat was dry, her voice barely a whisper "Zayne?"

Her head hurt...Force she felt weak...the Sith had been right, the blasted thing was a torture device to do such to her "Zayne? Have you...have they...come? Zayne?"

There was noise around her, metallic hand suddenly at her right side helping her sit up...Celeste didn't fight them, blinking her eyes instead as she brought her left hand up her head, rubbing at it to try focus "Did you free..."

...it was a droid?

Celeste struggled to sit up, hand sliding down to her chin, noticing suddenly the armoured man with a lightsaber before her and...

No.

No...No...No...

NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo

"No!" it was a horrified whisper as the crimson tinged translucent form of Karness Murr stood over her, face cold and rage filled "He's...your still here..."

She slammed down her mental defences desperately, but the monster seemed more intented on ranting than trying to dominate her mind for the minute "Curse that fool Dreypa and blasted oubliette! What use is it to live through the millennia if one is trapped inside a box!"

Celeste frowned, allowing the droid to help her out of the box, watching as armoured and masked warrior turned off his lightsaber, gesturing at the others...

...there were others around her she noticed suddenly, three more armoured...Jedi?...the felt wrong but...there were droids she didn't recognise the model of either...

...but that didn't matter, the strange ranting of Karness Murr's ghost getting to her as he clutched the horror at her neck. That vile thing that would enslave her mind, that would make her a monster...lips dry as she forced out the word, the question "Millennia?"

That didn't make sense, that didn't make sense...pain, she to no...

Celeste gripped her head, fighting off the pain, the Dark Side burning into her "How long...how long..."

"Hey! Hey!" the armoured warrior before her said to her, free hand outstretched, but the now unlit lightsaber in a ready stance "Calm down, nobody here wants to harm you..."

"HOW LONG?" she roared at him, stepping forward, forgetting the lightsaber at her own side, the threat of his...the droids, the others, even Murr, the ANGER burning in her veins that wasn't her. Reaching out and gripping that arm, exposed and helpless should the killing blow come. Where was Zayne? His annoying friend? Why was...HOW LONG HAD SHE...HE...NO, NOOO - SHE WAS CELESTE! CELESTE MORNE! A JEDI!...

...been asleep?

"I...don't know?" the synthesised voice replied, weapon still ready, but also trying to comfort her somehow, gauntleted hand gripping her "Um...who are you?"

No...where they? "Are you Mandalorians? The Republic? Does the Republic still stand? Were we...were the Covenant successful?"

"Whoever she is, she's gone off the deep end" she heard from behind her, a feminine, faintly synthesised voice as she felt the Force in the person before her, desperate to hold on...to stay herself...

"No, we're not Mandalorians, though we hire and train with them..." the warrior...the Not-Mandalorians replied holding her, and Celeste allowed him to guide her as she threw her will into ignoring Murr as he ranted about lost time. About lost Millennia, and the unfairness of the universe "...I'm Daron, General of the Grand Army of the Republic, Galactic South. Now, calm down, soooo...who are you?"

It was hard to speak...where was Zayne? Where were the Covenant?

How long...Sith Lies, it had to be "Celeste Morne, I...I am a Jedi...this talisman...you must get...THE RAKGHOULS! WHAT ABOUT THE RAKGHOULS?"

She could feel the warrior...this General tense up in front of her "What Rakghouls?"

"Here...the ones, I tried to...but the...Jebble was overrun...I...I tried..."

Momentary relaxation "Well, that's okay. For one you're not on Jebble, and secondly the last time there were Rakghouls there, the Mandos blasted the place to ashes with atom-splitters...thousands of years ago"

Pain lanced through her. No. No. No. She shuddered, forcing herself calm, pushing down the rage not hers, ignoring the crimson ghost now silently studying the room around her, instead gripping the General's armoured arm "Listen...you must listen to me! The Talisman! Must! Be! Destroyed!"

"The thing you're wearing?" the General demanded, synthesised voice calm, the Force around him cold and focused "Why? What is it?"

"Karness Murr! It is the Talisman of Kaness Murr!" Force, she was babbling Celeste mentally reprimanded herself. Forcing herself calm, forcing herself to ignore the nightmare. To breathe...

"It is a dangerous Sith artefact. It creates Rakghouls. Controls them, as the spirit of Karness Murr is inside...I am fighting him, but I had Zayne seal me inside to hold him at bay till we could return to the Covenant and have safely removed. You must get me to Odyrn, to the Sanctum of the Exalted, or to the..."

The General before her tensed, gripping her arm, voiced cold as his head moved side to side, studying the Talisman "I have no idea what the Sanctum of the Exalted is...nor is there anyone else, the Jedi...the Order is trying to survive a Great Purge right now as the Supreme Chancellor the public elected was a Sith Lord, and we're in the middle of very large civil war against him...and others. There is no one else"

"No" she whispered, no, they couldn't be back...they'd won. The Covenant would never have...

Force Murr's ghost sounded like a happy little baby rancor "Sith?"

Celeste ignored him, focusing on what must be done "Then you must kill me, destroy..."

"Sounds good to me!" a feminine voice answered behind her, the Geneal looking up his helmeted head nodding at the voice.

"Asajj, behave..." then back to her, hand crushing into her arm, a droid taking away her lightsaber as she allowed herself to be dragged over to...there were sigils and ritual symbols on the floor? "...now, you, sit here, now! Explain. You can see this Spirit can't you?"

Celeste nodded, dropping back on her buttocks, then folding her legs underneath herself , righting herself in the Force. Not how she'd planned to die, but Zaybe...Force, had they died because of her?

No, focus on the task at hand "I can. He's standing before me, he's in the Talisman, you must not let him attach to you. It is mobile, and I am holding it prisoner as much as he holds me so. If I die, and your lightsaber fails to destroy it..."

"Aaron, Abigail..." the General commanded, the force of his will slamming down on her through the ritual circle of sorts. The Force pressed down on her body...joined by others, Dark Side taint on them, but she was paralysed now as two droids approached "...grip this item securely. Do not release at any costs. All units if it breaks free open fire immediately. Aaron, Abigail, you will carry the item when it releases"

Metal hands clasped around her throat, but Celeste could only star ahead as the droids took position either side of her, the armoured bulk of the General standing over her...summoning a Staff with a crystal of all things into his hand as the Force hummed around her. She could feel Murr studying the armoured man intently, assaulting her mind as she prepared for death. To become one with the Force at last, watching as the staff thudded off the metal floor...

"Ahhh!" she gasped as the Force ran through her like fire, or an electric current. Not painful beyond the immediate jolt, but Celeste began to breathe heavily as a great pressure descend on her. Pressing her down on her immobilised form, strange, soft, synthesised, chanting filling the air "Hahhhh, hahhhh"

The staff thumped off the ground, the General's cold voice echoing out "Ah, I do see...a phylactery, hello Lich...Karness Murr I believe?"

Celeste couldn't speak, couldn't do anything but groan as the Force poured through her. The Light burning, yet not hurting, just leaving her feeling...full. So full as she listened to the crimson ghost clap ghostly hands "Oh! Ohhhh! Isn't this interesting! My boy, I can offer you so much power! For I am Karness Murr, Lord of the Sith! The Genius! Together we can achieve great things! Overthrow this Sith Lord! Win your war!"

"Oh, I'm sure you say to all the schmucks!" the General replied coldly "But that confirmation is all I need, thank you very much. Goodbye!"

"Ahh...ahhh...ahhhh" was all Celeste could mouth as the Force slammed into her. Through her and into the Talisman, a roaring pillar of Light, of Power...

Murr was screaming...

Murr was on fire...

The world was screaming...

There was Light...

...and then she fell into darkness once again.

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