Fate Of The Jedi: Ascension Part 35

"What's it say?" Ben stepped next to her, touching her lightly on the shoulder. She knew what the contact meant: I am here. I believe in you, even as we stand awash in dark-side energy. And Vestara felt a little-a very little-warmer.

" 'Initiates, you who would master the dark side, prepare yourselves. Leave your weapons, and your former selves, here in this chamber-or depart now and forever in shame, before it is too late to turn back.' "

"They were allowed to go?" asked Ben.

Both Natua and Vestara shrugged. "It probably wasn't like walking away from a sabacc game," Natua said. "They would be, as it says, forever shamed. I'd bet that included exile."

"Or some type of particularly vicious punishment, or ritual suicide," Vestara said. "Whatever the case, they wouldn't live long afterward."

"Do you think the lightsabers were left by the ones who were too scared to go through with it?" asked Ben.

Vestara turned to him. The dark-side energies here, old and patient, were too familiar for her liking, and she knew she had dropped into her former coldness as she responded. "No, Ben. I think if you refused to complete the ritual, your lightsaber was taken and given to someone more worthy. I think these lightsabers were left by owners who didn't survive the initiation."

Natua looked at the weapons and grimaced. "To reinforce fear and apprehension," she said. "Sounds like the Sith for sure. They don't even really take care of their own."

A cold, unhappy pang shot through Vestara, but she kept her expression neutral. "No," she said. "They don't."

"I'm going to make some recordings," Natua said. "We need to doc.u.ment everything we find."

Vestara and Ben stepped back into the main tunnel to give her room to work. "Hey," Ben said gently. "You doing okay?"

She smiled uncertainly. "For the most part," she said. "I think I'd honestly prefer to be fighting Ship than be down here with all this."

"I know. I wish we were. This stuff seriously creeps me out."

Vestara didn't answer. It creeped her out, too-but it also stirred up an unexpected longing. She was between worlds now. She had turned her back on her culture, her people, and their ancient rituals. Soon, she would be embraced-she hoped-by the Jedi, and belong to their culture, and experience their rituals. But now, she felt adrift. The feeling surprised her, and she found herself reaching for Ben's hand.

They stood in silence for a while, hands clasped, until Natua emerged. "Let's keep going," the Falleen said. "This is fascinating, and important data to have, but I'd just as soon not linger."

The tunnel curved slightly, and the three of them followed the path, staying alert for any other signs of ancient Sith activity that had survived the eons. There was no more writing on the walls, or caverns carved into the stone. There were, however, fragments of old bones, scattered pieces of what was clearly equipment, and an increasing sense of unease as they traveled deeper into the heart of the planet. The bones they examined carefully; some of them turned to dust in their hands, but others remained semi-intact.

"Human?" asked Natua.

"Impossible to tell without a.n.a.lyzing them," Ben said. "We only know of the tiny hallucination-inducing bugs. All kinds of animals could have made this their home over the centuries."

"You don't need to protect me, Ben," Vestara said. And from the quick flush of embarra.s.sed compa.s.sion, she knew she was right. "If the Sith left those who had failed where they fell, surely it doesn't matter anymore."

"You wouldn't want to-you know, bury them? Or do whatever the Lost Tribe does with their dead?"

"I'm not a member of the Lost Tribe anymore. And if that Sith's own people didn't care, why should I?"

She had intended it to sound as though she wasn't upset. Instead, she knew it came out sounding brutally uncaring, and she frowned a little. "I didn't mean that to sound as harsh as it did."

"This place is unsettling us all," Natua said, smiling kindly. "I think we've learned about all we can without getting hopelessly lost."

It was a white lie. Vestara could sense that Natua wanted to continue for at least a bit more and was cutting the exploration short in order to make it easier on Vestara.

"Please, neither you nor Ben need to coddle me," Vestara said. "If you want to continue, let's continue. It's better than sitting outside twiddling our thumbs while Luke and the others take down Ship. At least we're doing something useful." She strode forward purposefully. And because they couldn't argue with her logic, Ben and Natua fell in behind her.

The tunnels continued on. And on. As long minutes pa.s.sed with no further discovery, Vestara herself started to wonder if perhaps they had indeed discovered all there was to find. It made perfect Sith sense: provide a single chamber to collect the weapons and warn the initiates close to the entrance, then turn them loose to meet the Dream Singers, letting them lie where they fell. Her steps slowed and she came to a halt as the tunnel opened up into a large, naturally formed chamber, with smaller tunnels leading in different directions.

She had just turned around, her mouth open to suggest they retrace their steps, when they all heard the sound.

It was so soft at first that for an instant Vestara wondered if she had imagined it. But Ben and Natua were listening intently, as well.

"Were there any descriptions of sounds?" Ben asked Natua. "I don't know my geology that well. Maybe caves make noises?"

It came again, a soft, low groaning, and Vestara's stomach clenched. The air suddenly grew cold, as it had in the chamber they had first encountered.

Wordlessly the three activated their lightsabers and dropped their glow rods, automatically moving so their backs were against one another and they faced outward.

"What was that you asked earlier about animals, Ben?" Natua said. Ben didn't answer, and neither did Vestara. She was too busy dealing with the sudden wave of dark-side energy that crashed over them like the ghost of the lava that had formed these tunnels so long ago. The shadows, black as full night and dancing now from the glow of the lightsabers as she and the two Jedi moved them about slowly, seemed like living beings as they surged forward and back.

And then one of the shadows reared above them, and for a second Vestara wondered if her protective mask had somehow been damaged. For surely this ... monster could only come from the darkest corners of a deranged mind's nightmares.

Well over two meters tall, its shiny, sectioned body a deep blue-black, the thing gazed down at them with two pairs of glowing red compound eyes. Its mandibles clacked as ooze dripped from them. Lashing behind it were two extensions looking like a double tail. Each one ended in pincers that looked as if they could lop off an arm with no effort.

Vestara noted all this in the s.p.a.ce of half a heartbeat as it descended on them. Four of its six arms, each ending in a hook, reached out to swipe at them while the hideous head darted with shocking speed toward- "Ben!" Vestara cried. Ben dived away as the mandibles sc.r.a.ped at his mask, rolling on the cave floor and coming up fighting. The instant he moved, Vestara laid into the creature, her red blade sizzling as it bit into the hard substance that protected its body. Natua Wan charged at it as well, and the two women moved swiftly so that the creature was being attacked on two sides.

One of the tail pincers snapped at Natua, taking a huge chunk out of her leg. The Falleen hissed in pain but faltered only a little, renewing her attack while Ben dived at the creature from behind. It let out a terrible, screeching wail as Ben's lightsaber struck at the pincer, burning and blunting it but doing far less damage than it should have, and then whirled to again target the young Jedi. Their blades seemed to have only minimal effect. When the lightsabers struck the creature, their glow dimmed, somehow, as if the thing was draining energy from the blades.

Vestara extended a hand, trying to Force-shove the creature away from Ben. To her astonishment, the creature merely stumbled a little and continued its onslaught. Ben grunted in pain as slaver splashed down on his arm, burning it like acid.

Vestara felt a wave of pain at Ben's injury-a deep, dull ache in her chest-and growled furiously as she charged forward, her lightsaber almost musical, singing an angry song- -singing- The realization struck her so hard she stumbled and lost a precious second. How had they been so stupid!

She knew what the monstrosity before them had to be. They had been unbelievably, unforgivably complacent to think that simply because nothing had been recorded about these tunnels and what dwelled within them, there was nothing they needed to fear.

The monster that had come out of the shadows-which was now attacking Ben-was a mutated rhak-skuri.

Once it had been only a few millimeters in length, a harmless, natural being, but centuries of exposure to the Sith and the energy of dark-side rituals-and quite possibly deliberate alchemical efforts-had transformed it.

"Rhak-skuri!" she shouted. "Come for me!"

It knew its name.

It paused, ever so briefly, in its a.s.sault on Ben, whirling to stare at her with its glowing, multiple eyes, its antennae waving as if in agitation-or pleasure. It Force-shoved Ben and Natua back without removing its attention from Vestara, and for a second she felt heavy and sluggish.

... Ssssssiiithhh ...

The word, spoken in her mind, was like a cold hand clamping down on Vestara's heart.

No. She wasn't a Sith, not anymore, she- ... Ssssssiiithhh ...

It was not harming her, and without knowing how she knew, she understood what it wanted.

It had gone from a simple insect to this monstrous ent.i.ty over centuries. By exposure to the dark side; by honoring rituals in which it had been encouraged to unleash nightmares. And it had learned not to give without taking.

Somehow she understood that it would not harm her. She was Sith. She was one of the things-that-make, and long, long had it been since the Dream Singer had encountered the Makers. But it needed a sacrifice.

It would feed, and remain strong, and serve the dark side.

As would she.

No! Vestara summoned all her energy and renewed her attack. She realized suddenly that only two were attacking the Dream Singer-herself, and Natua.

Ben stood stock-still, ignoring the acid eating into his arm, his eyes wide, his mouth open- -his mouth- Vestara realized with a shock of horror that Ben's mask had been ripped away by the rhak-skuri's last attack. He had inadvertently inhaled the pheromones and was now experiencing horrors that even she could not imagine.

And she understood just how the rhak-skuri fed.

It was a living being. It would consume flesh. But it would also be sated by the victim's terror.

Like Abeloth.

For a fraction of an instant that lasted an eon, Vestara stood as if paralyzed.

Ben was out of the fight, eyes shut, convulsing in terror. He would pa.s.s out soon, if his heart-or his mind-did not give out before then. She and Natua were by no means weak in the Force. But this thing was ancient. And evil. Fed by centuries of terror and thoughts of violence and darkness, it was much stronger than the tuk'ata or other Sith "demons" she had encountered. It had grown powerful on sweeter food.

It wanted her to ally with it. And Vestara knew that unless she and Natua could defeat it, it would have its sacrifice-with or without her aid.

And the sacrifice it wanted was Ben.

THE GROUND BENEATH THEM TREMBLED AS THE JEDI STRODE, PREPARED for battle but with calm in their hearts, toward the ominous cloud that hovered over the city. In the air that stirred their hair like a vile caress, in the very soil beneath their feet, they could feel the dark side.

"Well," said Jaina, "I can't sense Ship specifically. But I'm sure that if even the whole Lost Tribe were gathered in one building raising a toast to Abeloth, I wouldn't be able to sense them, either."

"None of us could. It would be like trying to pick out a single flower in a field full of them," Luke replied. All his senses were alert, but that did not distract him from continuing to work things through in his head. "Natua didn't mention anything like this concentration of dark-side energy in her briefing. This ... is new for this world."

"I think perhaps Saba had the right of it," Octa Ramis said, falling into step beside them. Like all the Jedi, she held her lightsaber, but it was not ignited. "Maybe Ship is here, and he's stirred something up."

"Somethings," Luke amended. Now that he was growing at least somewhat used to the particular nuances, the swirls and eddies of the dark side as it manifested here, he realized that it was not a singular energy they were sensing.

Barv, mitigating his stride so that his friend Yaqeel could keep up with him, grunted that he, too, seemed to think it was an awful lot of somethings, but that he was completely confident it was nothing the Jedi couldn't handle. After all, they were Jedi, and they stood for the light side. Yaqeel looked up at him with soft, affectionate eyes, then away. Luke sensed that she, like himself, wasn't quite as certain as Barv of the eventual outcome.

"Then why haven't they attacked?" Kyp asked. "If these things are ghosts of Sith past, we're practically sitting on their doorstep."

"Perhaps they can't," mused Kyle. "They might be imprisoned-servants chained long ago by the Sith, only able to do a master's direct bidding."

"That doesn't make sense," Jaina said with her usual bluntness. Even in this moment of tense awareness and uncertainty, constantly keeping the darkness from seeping into him, Luke smiled. The conversation was good for them. It helped them feel more in control of the situation. Now was most definitely not a time for feelings of revenge, anger, or a desire for victory at all costs. It was a time for calmness, and tranquillity, and rational thought. These were their greatest weapons.

"Think about what we saw on Korriban," Jaina continued. "The Sith are notorious for leaving guardians or traps behind. To chain a whole bunch of dark-side ent.i.ties and essentially only give them orders to 'sit' and 'stay' is ... well, it's a stupid use of resources, and one thing the Sith aren't is stupid."

"This one agrees," said Saba. "Though it would make our roles as Jedi easier if the Sith were stupid."

Yaqeel snorted, then quickly looked away.

Good, thought Luke. He had never been prouder of his Jedi than now, with Jaina's smart-mouthed but logical comment, and Yaqeel's smothered laughter. They were walking, together, into darkness, and able to think and laugh. In a way, whatever happened next, they had already won.

They paused as they approached a wall that enclosed the city. This place did not have the imposing architecture of a fortress. It was both functional and decorative, but did not seem designed to impose fear and awe on the beholder. The wall was covered in faded designs of hideous, red-eyed, multilegged monsters, images of Sith meditating and sparring, and other designs that Luke didn't recognize. He wished for a moment he had dared bring Vestara, but that would have been far too risky. Natua was a second-best choice, with her newly acquired knowledge, but she was needed where she was. The gateway was a simple metal portcullis. Luke wondered at that, and spoke into his comlink to the other Jedi.

"Stop at the entrance," he said. Gateways, entrances, anything that denoted a crossing from one s.p.a.ce to another-these were places of power. Innocent looking-well, innocent looking for a Sith construction anyway-though it might be, he needed to proceed with utmost care.

He reached out in the Force, probing for an increase in the power of the dark side here, or even a change or shift in the nature of the energy. There seemed to be nothing unusual. Now more curious than wary, Luke lifted a hand.

The portcullis rose easily, grinding slightly with eons of disuse.

"Oh, I really don't like this," Jaina said.

"Neither does this one," murmured Saba, her eyes narrowing. The Barabel's tail lashed.

"Come on," Luke said into the comlink, and the Jedi obeyed. Cautiously they moved into the city proper, all of them looking around, their senses alert to any shift, any change, any danger more immediate than the constant, oppressive hatred that poured from the dark side.

Once the last of them had entered, the portcullis dropped with a loud clang. The sky suddenly darkened, and thunder rumbled. The temperature dropped and the wind picked up. Luke glanced upward at the unnatural cloud that squatted angrily over the city, and saw quick flashes of Force lightning in its depths.

"I'm waiting for the welcoming committee," said Jaina, her voice soft but her body tense and ready to spring into action.

"Yeah," said Seha Dorvald, standing beside Octa. "I'd like for something to happen already."

"Keep your focus, Jedi," Luke said, projecting calmness. "I'm sure it will come, but you must be prepared to meet it. If you are spoiling for a fight, you give it the advantage."

"I am sorry, Master Skywalker," Seha said.

"No need to apologize. Just do it," Luke replied mildly.

The buildings, like the wall, seemed designed more to protect and shelter the inhabitants than to make a show of fearsome power, although they showed the wear of time in the lack of roofs and other disrepair. Other than the increased hostility of the dark-side energies, which seemed curiously still but, like hunting nexu, straining at the leash, there was nothing obvious to denote that Sith had been the former inhabitants.

"This was not a martial world," Saba said. "Their focus was different."

"The tunnels," Jaina said, and Luke felt a flicker of unease from her. "Their whole culture was centered on those rites conducted in the lava caves."

"They focused on the metaphysical, not the material," Luke said, and something settled into place. He was on the right track. "They were not warriors focused on conquering and weaponry, Saba, because they didn't have to be."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful," Kyp drawled.

Luke paused for a moment, closing his eyes and dropping deeply into himself. He extended his perception. They were close to the center of the darkness; close to what this place and these enslaved energies were hiding. A place deep in the planet, close to the mysteries these Sith found so compelling.

What they sought was there. And it knew they were coming.

He opened his eyes. "It's in the center of the city," he said. "The underground hangar. And something is definitely there. Activate lightsabers, and prepare for battle."

As he spoke those words into the comlink, the ground trembled again, more violently this time. Several of the buildings crumbled.

"And whatever it is, it really doesn't want us to find it," said Jaina.

Luke gave her a serene smile. "We're more than a hundred Jedi. Would you?"

She gave him an uncertain grin in return and, igniting her own lightsaber, moved forward. With each step, Luke felt, and knew the others felt as well, the dark side pressing in on them, trying to push them back. He steeled himself and kept moving forward, sending waves of rea.s.surance to those Jedi less certain than himself. There was no censure in it. None of them had been trained to stand against something like this. He was extremely proud of them, and felt them rally at his touch in the Force.

Their path led them to a large open area. Luke recalled what Ben had told him about discovering Ship. Ben had commanded Ship to appear, and it had done so, forming a crack in the surface of the planet and climbing out.