The Shard of Tython

[Crazy O]

Elisa was sitting on the bridge meditating with the swirling blue light of hyperspace felling the cabin. It was rather soothing in her mind and she simple mediated on the mission ahead of them. She had read everything that the Jedi had on Tython, but a lot of it was still lost to the hands of time and war. She knew that the Codex of Tython was originally broken apart on the planet and the peices scattered across the galaxy near the end of the First Great Schema in order to prevent the Dark Jedi Force from collecting it. While a few of the pieces were kept in Jedi libraries across the galaxy, other were hidden on Jedi worlds or ones with the Order. Over the course of the hundreds of years, several had been reclaimed by treasure hunters and sold to collectors on the black market or to the Jedi Order. However even then there was at lease four or five that should have remained in there hiding places unclaimed. The Tython one should have remained unclaimed as the planet was not on normal star charts, a planet forgotten by many.

When the ship dropped out of hyperspace Elisa looked at the planet over the shoulders of the pilot. It was lush and green; an untouched wilderness which most would see as paradise. "What a blaw world. I guest not everyone could be as beautiful as Ilum." She said with a smile. She then turned to a display of the planet and spun it around. "Try to put us down as close as you can to this location." Elisa marked the location. She had selected it by several description she read about the Monastery of the Follower of Ashla. It was supposedly in a valley up against a the south slope of mountain range with a river running next to it. The river also had a water fall farther up the mountain. She also knew it was in the northern hemisphere and the mountains ran east to west for as longer then a person could walk in several weeks. That limited down the possibilities to the one location. From the world map, it would mean they would need to go up the valley sense the temple would not have a suitable landing location for a ship as large as the Command Center.

[Crazy O]

The Command Center descended slowly into the atmosphere. It did a flyby of the area before the pilot looked back towards Elisa. "It looks like we can land you two clicks south of your designated landing spot." He said as he maneuver the large ship towards a small clearing in the woods.

Elisa meanwhile walked out of the cockpit and head towards Master Zordon's room. She did not enter but just projected her thoughts through the door. Master Zordon. We well be landing two kilometers down the mountain from the monastery. I hope hiking is not a problem for you. She then continued through the ship and waited as the ramp lowered and she walked outside. "Will, I guest it is better then a desert. There is at least snow on the top of the mountains." She mumbled to herself as she looked around the forest and the mountains.

[MikDaTv]

Zordon followed after her, keeping in step behind her. I will manage, perhaps better than you will. Zordon said. it's been a while since he has handled rough terrain but since he didn't have legs to begin with it wasn't something he thought about often.

Every planet is beautiful in it's own way. This one is much more alive with the Force. Zordon commented. He couldn't see the trees or the snow capped mountains like Elisa could but he could feel the planet around him. Navigation would be easy, everything was covered in something he could feel. Lead the way

[Crazy O]

Elisa turned to Master Zordon. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This world maybe alive with the Force; but I still got five other senses that I use to pass judgments. Elisa projected as she started up the valley. The terrain was not that bad; the occasion fallen tree or large rock which Elisa simple hopped over.

For the most part it was a fairly easy trip for Elisa to travel the two clicks up the valley. When they got to a small section of level ground, the old Monastery of the Ashla came into view. The thing was completely overgrown but was surprisingly intact. Now there is a shocker. I would have expected this place destroyed in the war or by Father Time. I guest they just don't build them like the use to. She projected as she walked up to the main door. She grabbed the handle and pulled with all her strength. She then pushed just to make sure she did not make her self look like an idiot. Elia looked at the door then noticed that the hings were completely rusted together. She took a breath and looked at Master Zordon. I am going to see if I can find a door or window that opens without drastic measures. She project to Master Zordon as stated to head aroundd the monastery. She realize that Master Zordon could bow the door open or they could cut the hings, but the this place had over ten thousand years; it would be a shame to destroy it just to get at a small part of a holocron.

[MikDaTv]

Zordon hovered steadily behind Elisa. As they approached the temple Zordon could make it out clearly with his sense in the Force. Even though the passage of time has sapped the power of this place, i believe the Force was used in it's construction. Perhaps sme kind of early version of the Jedi Forge technique, or perhaps just having so many Force users present had caused the Force to seep into it's structure.

Zordon set his tank down on the doorstep to the main entrance. Either way, this place's power has long since dwindled to infintesimal amounts.

Zordon looked over the structure. There was no doubting that it was old. Go ahead, i'll remain here and continue to examine the structure.

[Crazy O]

Elisa walked around the building and came to several window. She walked up to them and looked inside. The building was clearly empty because no one could be felt through the Force in the area but her and Master Zordon. However the interior did not look like it had been sitting for ten thousand years, maybe only a few days. The books were still on the shelf, wood next to fire places and even only half burnt candles. Maybe Tython was not as abandoned as she had been led to believe.

She continued around to the building checking the windows and doors. The place was sealed shut, but the fireplace was not lit. She looked up at the roof and ran at the wall. She pushed off the wall, and using the Force to gain more height grabbed onto the roof and flipped herself up. She walked over to the chimney and looked down. She jumped up and slid down it pushing her feet against either side to slow her decent. She figured Master Zordon would find an easier way in, but this way was the less intrusive and destructive that she could find.

Elisa brushed the ash off her armor as she walked around the main hall. It was lovely structure, large pillars of polished wood, stone floors. It all had a sense of mysticism, much like that of the Force. Along the wall opposite the door was a large statue of a man, she did not recognize him but above it read in an ancient dialect; 'The shining light of the Ashla guide all down the path to enlightenment.' She read this and looked back towards the door that Master Zordon was standing outside. How is studying the outside going Master Zordon. She projected out to him as she walked around looking for a hint were the Shard may be located.

[MikDaTv]

Fascinating. Zordon said. The architecture is fantastic. I think i'll be taking notes. This is a culture that's been lost to us for thousands of years.

True to his word, Zordon began a record using the information storage in his tank. He took still holos of the building along with some personal comments. He transmitted a copy of the data to the Command Center for safe keeping.

Elisa, i am going to call the Jedi Temple and update them on our situation. Keep in contact with me and let me know if you need assistance. Zordon told her once he was finished.

He linked his tank to the Command Center's hypercom and called the Jedi Temple...

[Crazy O]

Elisa smiled inside the Monastery when Master Zordon said he was going to report in. Yes sir. I do not see or sense anything that would merit concern however. Elisa projected to the Jelly. Elisa walked over to a bookshell and removed on of the books. She could only read small snips, the thing was in Tython language, a dead language. She closed it and set it back on the shelf. She simple walked around and open drawers.

She understood that the Ancient Jedi would have taken a lot of the artifacts with them, but even so they would have had to store them somewhere around here when the Monastery was being used, and she did not see a place. She walked back over to the statue and looked at the inscription above it. She then pulled out a holorecorder and took an image of the message. She pulled out her communicator and linked to the holorecorder and pushed a button. "This is Elisa Sedna. Could you run inscription above this statue in the image I am uploading to you through the ships UT." She requested as she waited a few seconds before sending the image.

Elisa stood there looking at the statue while the computer on the Command Center worked. How are you? She thought to herself. She then got a communication back from the ship. It translated the message as 'The **** light of the **** the path ****.' It was the best the computer could do for her. She looked at the message and started to try and feel in the blanks. It no doubt was something about the light of the Force, and something about a path most likely was a path one should follow. She looked around but the room did not look any different then before. So she reached out in the Force and was shocked. There was a current of Force energy moving about the room. She had note noticed it before because it was so faint.

Elisa closed her eyes and slowly walked the current. It started at the statue and weaved around the room. It was strangest thing she had ever felt, but she continued determine to find the shard. She eventually came to were the current ended; which was the fireplace she used to gain entrance into the Monastery. She looked at the fireplace and noticed the carvings along the side. She placed her hand on part of it and the carvings sunk into the mantel. The symbols were the same as the once above the statue; the part that she assumed that said Force. Once they had slide all the way in, the bottom of the fireplace slide away and the exposed a staircase. She reached out with the Force and sent Master Zordon a message. The Shard is not in the ground floor of the Monastery, no surprise there. However I found a hidden staircase leading under the Monastery. Don't worry if I drop off of life signs detectors or radio communication. Well give you a shout out if I find anything of note. Elisa projected before heading down the stairs. Once she was clear of the first floor the stone floor of the fireplace slide back over the staircase. She was unsure how far down the stairs gone, but it was a lot farther then a basement, She suspected it may be a cavern the monastery was built over, but she would not know until she reached the bottom.

[MikDaTv]

Zordon shut the com down and refocused himself on his surroundings. Transmitting his thoughts through the communicator like that was very difficult for him. He didn't understand how Shard could do it.

He acknoledged Elisa's update with the mental equivlent of a thumbs up and then floated up a few feet to begin orbiting the building. He used the holo recorder on his tank to take as many images of the structure as possible. This was a historical landmark to the galaxy, as well as the Jedi order itself. He would be remiss if he didn't take any notes.

[Crazy O]

Elisa walked down the stairs slowly, it was getting dark. She pulled her saber off her back and ignited it. Almost as if responding to the lightsaber activation, a roar echoed from deeper in the cavern. It gave Elisa a chill down her spin which made her made her want to run away. She didn’t however and pushed on down the stairs towards the floor of the cavern.

The cavern itself was massive, her white blade lighting only a small fraction of the cavern. She walked around it, noticing several tunnels which were connected to the main cavern. As she walked by one of them she stopped and looked down it. Something about the tunnel bother her, there was something dark which seemed to lurk deeper down it. She was tempted to investigate, but refrained from fulfilling her desires sense she was down here looking for one of the Shards of the Codex of Tython.

Elisa then noticed that there was off just at the outer edge of the light which her saber provided was a stone altar. She walked over to the altar which had large scratches in it and noticed a wood slivers covering the floor. She thought about it and concluded that it was the box which held the shard. She looked at the damage and came to the conclusion that it was not an adventure or artifact hunter; but a wild animal which must have at something sitting on the box. If this was the case it may be laying somewhere inside the tomb, after going through the animal’s system.

Elisa sat down in the tunnel and crossed her legs. She slowly reached out through the Force, expanding her senses deeper into the cave system. As she went deeper she reached a point when her eyes shot open and her heart started to race. Deep down was a creature of evil, something that seemed to radiate the darkside of the force. Elisa though maybe she should leave but within the darkness she sensed something familiar; one of the Shard. She reached out to Master Zondor and telepathically communicated her attentions. Master Zondor. Something down here ate the shard and now it is coming to do the same to me. Also, this thing does not feel natural. It is consumed with the Darkside, almost as if it was created to kill Jedi. Elisa projected to Master Zordon before standing and gripped her saber. She looked towards the tunnel which the creature was coming down and waited for it to come at her in the open.

[MikDaTv]

Zordon recieved her message and focused on her. He could feel where she was deep in the ground below him and he could feel the darkness that had awakened at her presence. He had never felt anything like it before but he had heared it discribed several times.

Zordon tore the temple door off it's hinges with the force, sending the large metal door spinning off into the forest, disturbing the wildlife. He floated into the temple as fast as his tank would let him. Be careful Elisa. What your feeling is an ancient evil. The Terentatek is immune to the direct effects of the Force. Steel yourself padawan, for it will try and overwhelm you with the Dark Side. Guard yourself and know that I am with you.

[Crazy O]

Elisa stood up and flipped the staff behind her back into her forms opening position. If this thing was immune to the Force, she would do what she had spent the last six months training daily in. This however would be the first time she fought against something evil. Elisa closed her eyes and took a breath. Master Zordon would notices a change in her as she entered combat.

The Terentakek slowly walked into the room which now black because in Elisa's combat style required. Elisa eyes were closed, but she could sense the beast through the Force. She could feel its hatred, its desire to kill her and feed on her blood. This however did not seem to effect Elisa, nor did the creatures radiating dark energy. Elisa simple stood motionless, centered, ready for the fight ahead of her.

The Terentakek let out a roar and charged. Elisa stood her ground, seemly unaffected by the creatures ability to project the darkside. He did not move and when the beast was just about to run her over she jumped upwards using the force to propeller her self up and over it. As she flipped over it, she whipped the point of the saber from behind her back and the white blade ignited, cutting across the creatures shoulder and landing behind it. She flipped the blade back behind her and deactivated the point while the creature screamed in pain, apparently never have failed in such an attack. The creature was hard to read, but Elisa movements were guide by the Force.

The entire fight however was not one of mere movements but for Elisa's soul. Every second she engaged the evil creation, the greater the threat that she could succumb to the Darkside and attack in rage. What was strange was the seemingly lack of emotion on Elisa part in the fight. She felt completely centered, without fear and her connection to her surroundings had never been greater. The creature flipped around swiping at Elisa, she jumped up, thrusting the saber down into the creature arm, allowing it to drag the blade through itself. It then tried to grab Elisa, but she did a backwards handspring, landing just out of the reach of the crearture. It showed as the Terenkatek seemed to swipe, bite, charge or kick her, she simple flipped out of the way, always bring the tip of the lightsaber into the creature, cutting a new wound.

The fight was going on five minute, Elisa was drawing off the Force more heavily to continue the aerobatic feats which she was using in the battle. As a last ditch effort by the creature, it launched foward at Elisa as if asking her to strike it down. Elisa did not hesitate, activating the saber and rocketing the staff upwards into the creatures mouth. The blade slide through the soft tissue and up into the brain. The creature flail violently, hitting the chest plate of the armor Elisa was wearing and sent her flying across the room. She slammed into the wall of the cavern and slowly stood up watching as the creature collapsed onto the spear and drove it clean through its skull. She felt the breastplate of her armor and was shocked to find it not even scratched. The ancient Jedi Master that created it really knew their Jedi Forged, its construction surpassed anything she could hope to accomplish with her limited understanding.

Elisa collapsed on the ground and just laid on her back for a moment. She was exhausted from the fight. It was not easy as easy as she made it look to flip around to avoid the creatures attack. The really impressive thing however was her ability to center herself in the fight, not be effected by the darkness in the creature. It seemed as if while in a heighten sense of awareness of the Force during combat, she understood the very nature of the unified Force; something that was not light and dark but simple a single entity. She could not really explain it, but would need to talk with Master Zordon one day about it.

After a few minutes Elisa stood and walked over to the beast. She summoned her staff from its head and flipped it around sending the blood splatting on the ground. She then activated the tip cut the creature open. She carved out the area around its stomach and removed the Shard of Tython and looked at the small green triangle. "All this work for you." She said to herself. She put the shard in her pouch and then noticed something shining sticking out of the creatures stomach. She pulled it out and looked at it. It was a lightsaber, most likely of the Jedi that was this creatures last meal. She put it in the pouch next to the shard. She would give the saber a place in the library to honor the unknown fallen Jedi. She then turned and headed back up the stairs, figuring they should leave this world.

[MikDaTv]

Zordon arrived just as she arrived at the base of the stairs. He had felt the fight as he had rushed his way down and now that he was there to survey everything through his sense in the Force he took a moment. "What happened here? Tell me everything."

[Crazy O]

Elisa sat down at the base of the stairs and leaned back as Master Zordon asked her to explain. I made my was down here stairs and into this room. It was dark so I activated my saber for light and searched it. Over on the pillar over there I found slivers over wood from what I assumed to be a box that once contained the Shard. It was at this time that the creature from deeper in the cave network must have sensed me and headed towards me. She projected into Zordon's mind starting from her last report.

She looked over at Master Zordon, opening her eyes. I would have retreated back up the stairs, but within the creature I sensed something familiar, I sensed the Shard. So I ready myself for the fight in the same manor as you seen before at the Temple. When the creature approached; I could sense its taint but I have trained myself to be able to separate myself from the surroundings. Wither it be handing standing outside on Ilum or the effects of a dark side creature. I guest the six months Jor was gone and left me alone had its benefit. She projected.

She was originally trying to explain it her being able center herself, having trained nearly everyday sense Jor left her to fend for herself to isolate her spirit from her surroundings. If Jor was their she would have most likely focused on the Force, which would not have worked against the creature. The Force worked in mysterious ways she thought to herself before continuing. When it came to actual combat with the creature Master, my staffsaber gave me a distinct advantage over other Jedi. If I had a conventional saber, it would have to be will within the creatures reach, but my staff put me at the outer edge of its reach. From her I was able to dodge its attacks and launch strikes against it, cutting it up until it made a mistake and tried to bite me. It was then I took my advantage and drove my saber through its mouth and into its brain. I let my guard down for a second and the thing struck me while it flopped around. I was thrown across the room and hit that far. Luckily I was wearing this armor, it did not even scratch the armor even though it hurt like hell. After it was dead I cut out shard and also collected this lightsaber of its last meal. I was planning to place it in the Hall of Memories to honor the Jedi that fallen to such creatures. If you are looking for more details, feel free to read my memories of the fight. She projected into his mind and dropped all her defense should he wise to view the battle from her own perspective.

[MikDaTv]

Zordon listened to her explain the story. When she finished Zordon moved into the dark room and examined the body of the beast "We should take a tissue sample for the Archives. Opportunities like this are very rare."

Zordon glanced around, absorbing the visual of the room through Force. "How much of the temple above have you explored?"