Star Wars: A Master Possessed (RedOneFive & Serena_Knight)

[RedOneFive]

@Serena_Knight

The First Order's reign of terror over the galaxy had crumbled a scant few years ago; it's war with the Resistance costly and destructive, despite the victory for the Light. The Galaxy was in the process of rebuilding itself as best as it could, and a cosmos of mystery and possibilities awaited those rearing to seize it. Palpatine had unearthed scores of Sith relics in his maddened effort to centralize all power under himself, the ancient Sith Empire had a reach greater than even his, with Dark-Side users of all races, colours and banners exerting their fractured will upon the nearest piece of unclaimed Galaxy.

While the Jedi where only a shadow of their former self, one Master and Padawan had dedicated themselves to hunting down and securing as many of these artifacts as they could - ones left over from the Empire and First order, as well as the Ancient Sith Empire.

Master Zagreus, a human Jedi, was what passed for a 'Jedi Master' these days, was the leader of this artifact-hunting duo. He stood 6 feet tall with dark auburn hair and stubble, and the simple robes masked his own fit physique, built from years of adventure, and the ramshackle armour underneath. His blue eyes looked out the window at the dusty planet his small ship had landed upon, and the imposing mountains on the horizon. The only indication on this near-desolate waste that a Sith had once ruled here was the crumbled remains of a statue, sheltered from the desert winds by an alcove it had collapsed into.

He hiked himself and his Padawan, their gear in tow with a trusty little droid, to examine the statue closer. The desert breeze was unwelcome, and his face squinted as he looked at the crumbled rock before them. "That's the likeness of Darth Xivron alright... but I don't see any entrance. A Master of the mental plane... he doesn't appear as imposing as the great warriors, does he?" Master Zagreus mused as he stroked his chin, his hood sheltering him from the worst of the dust, "Be on your guard, Padawan. The sense of this place is quite unlike anything I have felt before. What do you think?"

 

[Serena_Knight]

The mission itself had made her uneasy. With no Jedi council to talk too and having only been a Padawan for three years she felt unnerved by being on this mission. Rei Skywalker was setting up a Jedi council and bringing in Force users from all over the galaxy.

She herself had been found by Rei and brought to the temple and trained and then her now Master had taken her under his wing. Snapping herself back to the present day and looking at what lay before her and her master.Looking at the Sith Lords statue she felt a lightening bolt go down her spine. “I find it unsettling Master.” She said and thought she heard someone speaking to her and turned.

The traveling droid looked at her and beeped then looked over its shoulder. She tried to smile finding it difficult. She walked past her master and into the temple wanting to find this artifact and be back at the Jedi temple as fast as possible. “Don’t worry Master. I will be.” She called over her shoulder and saw statues of sith on the walls. A man with horns on his head with a double sided light saber, one with a cape and face covering with a suit of some kind.

 

[RedOneFive]

Zagreus sighed as he watched his Padawan stride into the temple, the entrance-way crumbled yet flanked by imposing statues of figures past. Before she disappeared into the dusty gloom, he compelled himself to follow, grunting softly as he made the few short bounds over the piles of rubble. She wasn't the only one that found the mission unsettling, though he did his utmost not to show it.

As they entered through the gap she'd found, he steadied his breathing and let his eyes adjust. It smelled dry, even slightly musty, the air here sheltered from the currents of the desert winds. The shadows seemed to flicker as he focused in and out, centering his vision on the outline of his proceeding Padawan. "Padawan! Use your light!" he called after her, rummaging in his robe for a handheld glowlamp.

"Do your best not to let your impatience guide you, young one," he added as he caught up to the young woman under his tutelage, "when one is impatient, one misses things." In truth, he was probably a bit cheeky calling her 'young one'. It wasn't exactly like he was a wise Master of the Old Republic, just... older than her.

The temple proved to be a maze, and he had the small droid leave a breadcrumb trail of lit markers for them to navigate back out. Their small amber glow was like a lifeline to the surface, even if they didn't light up much of the area around them. They could see them, that's what mattered. He stayed close to his companion as they progressed, down stairs and into the depths of this place. His feeling of unease grew. The air felt heavy, and sound echoed in the inky black darkness, illuminated only by their hand-held lights. "Padawan, tell me a little about yourself. The conversation will help both of us, I feel. Did you ever explore places like this as a child, perhaps?" he chuckled to himself dryly "Dark places I mean, not ancient Sith Temples."

Eventually, a faint red glow was visible ahead of them. He guided the pair of them towards it...