What the Thunder Said: Quest for Ashla Part 2

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The Omega-13 fighter carrying Mariella Map and her new padawan, Sdon, was pulled from hyperspace by the gravity well of Yavin IV. The moon lay serene and quiet in the deadness of space, but neither Jedi felt the stillness. Through their journey they had had each other.

The R-5 unit had done most of the navigating, allowing Mariella and Sdon to once again commune in melded meditation. Though Mariella had never heard Sdon speak aloud, she knew him to be very bright, and eager to learn. Their bond had worked well in dispelling most of the anxiety Sdon was feeling over being thrust into a new life. The Neti Padawan had lived for twenty years and known nothing but security and unity with his people, and Mariella was able to provide a little bit of that. She was glad to do it.

As the ship entered atmosphere, Mariella and Sdon exited their trances, becoming fully alert.

"R-5, have you identified possible locations that the sword may have been taken to?"

The droid answered in the affirmative and displayed a map with a handful of points highlighted. As if connecting the dots on a scatter-graph, the force granted Mariella a vision of all of the possibilities. She knew where to go. She selected one of the locations.

"This one...lay us down as close to it as you can."

"But how do you know, Mariella?"

Sdon's voice was familiar, as in her mind she had heard it many times, but Mariella still started slightly to hear it aloud.

"You may call me Master, or Master Map, Sdon...The force grants visions to those who can be still enough. You will learn to sharpen your instincts and to trust them."

The padawan nodded and the droid began navigation to a clearing about ten miles away from their destination. The thick trees prevented safe landing anywhere closer.

Fault lines in the force lay along the boy's curious face as he examined the instruments in front of him for the tenth time. Not safe for him here.

As they landed, Mariella knew why. The force worked in mysterious ways. Many of them Mariella understood...most she didn't. She had a strong feeling for the coming moments, but no understanding. Only the dull ache in her stomach that told her that this place was not safe. Her Padawan was not safe. She was not safe.

[Deleted]

The cockpit hissed open, and the alert Jedi knight sprang from it, onto one of the pronged wings of the craft. Extending a hand and a mental warning backward, she indicated that Sdon should stay put. In her hand she held the two-way communicator from the ship. Her sharp green eyes scanned the thick tree-line.

*There is something waiting here...something dangerous...implacable.*

She could tell that her Padawan was feeling her apprehension, even though he did not understand.

"Come, Sdon...cautious now...don't fall."

The Neti and the Knight descended to the ground. Mariella still scanned the area, as much with her eyes as with the force. Nothing definite. Not yet.

Wrapping her arm around Sdon, Mariella turned to the R-5 unit.

"I am taking the communicator, and will check in every two hours. Should I fail to report, send an emergency message to Corbenic. I am authorizing unmanned take-off if you can do that."

The master felt a tremor of fear course through her student at her words. He nearly shook as she began directing him away from the ship.

"Never fear, Sdon...fear is a path to the dark-side."

She was not sure whether she was reassuring him, or reassuring herself. They moved toward the trees anyway, stepping under the dark canopy. With Sdon trailing slightly behind her, Mariella focused her senses on moving toward their destination. She wished that the force would show her a bit more.

They travelled for four hours at a pace that wore on even Mariella's patience. Sdon was young for a Neti, and still moved like a child. It was difficult for him to keep up, and the young Knight found herself compromising her desired progress for his glacial gait. Raising the communicator to her lips, Mariella checked in with R-5.

"All is well, so far."

An answer in the affirmative. A shiver from Sdon through his raw reaction to a disturbance in the force. A hot flash of danger in Mariella's mind, and the spider-web of possibilities laid out in front of her. The Knight dove, covering Sdon and tackling him to the ground as three sharp metal discs flew through the space that they had just occupied, embedding themself in a tree.

Mariella looked up, not seeing the source of the attack, but feeling it as though her hand laid on it. Something large, intelligent, and intent on killing them. She quickly melded minds with Sdon, who shrank down to a size that would be relatively easy to carry. Then, scooping up her Padawan, Mariella ran as fast as she could.

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The heat of the day was dying, but that barely made Mariella's flight any easier. The Knight ran quickly, but was far from frantic. Several minutes into the chase her perception through the force had allowed her to pinpoint no fewer than four predators on their tail. Whatever or whoever their pursuers were, they were far faster than she was, and she had had to rely on cunning several times to give them the slip.

Mariella and her Padawan were running out of space to maneuver, but she had managed to circle back and head toward her ship. The holdout blaster under the seat would hopefully provide some form of protection against their attackers.

Already Mariella had sustained two injuries from the flying metal discs that her foes employed, in addition to the scrapes and bruises acquired in her flight. She kept telling herself that it would not be long until she reached the ship. As it turned out, she was right. The ship came into sight, but something was wrong. The force granted her a vision of a possibility. A crack in the fabric of the moment.

Diving, the young woman did a tuck and roll into the clearing, the force propelling her behind one of the landing struts of her craft. Two deadly metal discs sailed harmlessly over her head, and six more clamored off of the metal of the strut. She would need to move extremely quickly for this to work. Luckily R-5, realizing that she had not reported in time, was already on high alert. He had opened the cockpit as she approached.

Rushing out from her protective place, Mariella tossed her Padawan into the pilot's seat, utilizing the force to flip the switch to close the hatch. She did not have time escape into it herself, as the attackers were now entering the clearing. A tense fear gripped Mariella as she saw them.

From the tree-line emerged five lumbering behemoths. Dark red in color, they were humanoid, but just barely. Their yellow eyes were set on her, and their facial tentacles bobbed wildly with their movement. Ancient Sith. Massassi.

"R-5, take off, send word to Corbenic. Get Sdon to safety."

The engined hummed to life. They would need to warm before R-5 could use them to take off. Mariella would need to protect her Padawan while he was vulnerable, and was determined to do so at all costs. She sprung into action, diving away from the fighter and toward the beasts in front of her.

She lifted her hand, deflecting two flying discs with slight force pushes. Reaching out with her mind, the Knight used the only tactic she could think of at the moment. The force had given her the knowledge that these being were force-sensitive, and had been using the force to track her. She knew of a technique that would be exceptionally effective, if only for a few moments.

The Massassi closed the distance quickly. So quickly. Mariella only had the chance to attack two of them before they were upon her. Her mind reached out, subtly touching and influencing theirs. Bringing all of their senses to bear at once in the application of Malacia. The creatures immediately stumbled, unsure of their balance. Soon they were on the ground, dizzy and vomiting. It was not as effective as she had hoped it would be, but it had bought her valuable time. Now she would only have to deal with three attackers.

The massive axes that served as arms for firing the discs made formidable close-combat weapons, which Mariella found out the hard way. Dodging one, blow, she caught the but of another in the lower ribs of her right side before she could wheel away from her attackers, slipping between two of them at a prompt from the force. She was relying on her intuition to survive.

Dodging back and forth, Mariella managed to lead the red monsters back toward the trees. The two that she had attacked were still in the dirt, which was very good for her. She managed to pull the same trick on a third, the largest of the five. She saw his pupils dilate, letting in too much light just before he hunched over in sickness. The other two now slowed, confused by what was happening. However, they did not stop, and their slow, although skillful, attacks continued to push Mariella back.

*Just a few more moments...*

The Young Knight's thoughts raced. Reaching out with the force, she pulled the weapon of the largest Massassi into the back of the head of one that was still standing. It bounced off of his thick skull, stunning him, but not knocking him down. She had reached the tree-line, and could see the ship beginning to lift off. However, she could also see the afflicted enemies starting to rise. The ship floated skyward, picking up speed. Sdon was safe.

Giving a sigh of relief, Mariella turned and ran once again.

[Deleted]

Several minutes passed, and still Mariella ran. She could think of no other place to go but the location that she had marked on her map from her star-ship. She was without a weapon, and the Massassi on her tail had quickly become immune to her sensory attacks. She was nearly at her destination, and quickly running out of room to maneuver.

The trees began to thin, and strange constructs of stone began to appear as the young Knight pressed on, straining to maintain her pace and keep ahead of her pursuers. The sky was darkening. As night was falling a storm was rolling in. Mariella felt the first few drops of rain against her hot cheeks, but payed them no mind. The grass gave way to a decrepit pathway of stone, and Mariella was grateful for the more even surface to run on.

A large, black door came into view. Mariella's senses picked up the five monsters on her tail, barely forty yards away. They had stopped hurling their discs after the clearing, possibly no longer seeing the Knight as an easy target, or otherwise preferring the close kill. Mariella shook her head. As she approached the door she realized that it was a dead end; not a door at all, but a slap of obsidian.

She reached the smooth surface, running her hands over it as the first flash of lightning stabbed the sky and the rain began to pour down. No way through. Wheeling around, Mariella raised her hands in defense as the Massassi slowed their gallop, forming a semi-circle around her. Pressing her back to the wall, Mariella summed up the situation as the rain began to soak through her tunic. The black surface was cold against her back.

The largest Massassi, the leader, unclasped the cloak that he wore at his shoulders, stepping forward and hefting his massive axe. He let out a guttural bellow of challenge that shook Mariella to her core before beating his chest and charging forward with terrifying power and speed.

His foot struck the stone and time stood still. His powerful muscles were driving forward, toned by years of fighting and killing. Countless broken bones and torn muscles had healed and culminated into a warrior that could crush Mariella with a single blow. The force flowed through Mariella's perceptions, granting her insight to this. The force showed her all of this, but would not grant her any other answer than the one that came to mind.

Lifting her hand, the Knight knew what had to be done. Her foes would accept no peaceful words. There was no escape. She had no sword. In that moment, the cracks in the universe centered on Mariella and her charging assailant, and there was only the force. Only one Shatterpoint.

Raising both hands, Mariella felt only the will to destroy; to kill for her own survival. Thunder pealed from the sky, and lightning stabbed through the clouds that blanketed the planet. Forked lightning flew from Mariella's fingers as well, cutting through the air and finding her foes.

The white-hot force energy raked at the lead Massassi, searing his flesh and finding his every weakness and destroying him utterly. A wild howl escaped Mariella's throat and the lightning forked further, striking out at two others, bringing them to their knees with the pain. The sound of her own lightning was more terrible than any cracking thunder that Mariella had ever heard. It was the sound of her soul breaking.

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The first Massassi's smoking corpse lay on the ground, unrecognizable as the proud warrior it had once been. The other two were not so unlucky, but the force claimed them. The remaining two Massassi's eyes widened in terror and they began to flee. Reaching her hand out, Mariella sent her fury at them, aiming it, preparing to unleash it once again...but she held back.

Falling to her hands and knees, Mariella panted with the exertion. Another crack of thunder, as if the heavens themselves were mocking her.

*One, but I count two...who is the one who walks always beside you, always in the shadows? Mariella Map, who walks in the light, and serves it with her whole heart...but who is the other who walks in darkness? Who is on the other side of you...Surely the same Mariella Map.*

That is what the thunder said to her as she knelt before the darkest of doors. The voice of the thunder was inside of her now, accompanied by a sickly sliding sound. A faint hand on her shoulder...Mariella looked up and saw nothing but blackness. The inside of the structure as black as the door that had protected it. The young Knight stood, drawn to something inside. She walked toward the darkness.

The coolness of the dark chilled her slightly, but it was good to be in out of the rain. Good to not be running. A strange power surrounded her. The deep voice in the thunder...the hand that forked the lightning. Somewhere here.

*Welcome, Mariella Map...settle in. You are safe here.*

"Wh-who are you?"

A pause, but the unmistakable impression of bitter laughter.

*A spirit forgotten in the darkness...*

And then nothing. Stillness as quiet as a tomb. Dead as a stone. For the first time in her life Mariella felt true loneliness. She sat down in the darkness and wrapped her arms around herself. The dark-side of the force was heavy here, and she had been crushed under its weight. The abilities that the force granted her were wonderful and terrible all at once. Twice now she had been shown possibilities, and twice she had destroyed the lives of her foes. The dark-side was powerful here...powerful in her. Laying back, Mariella let go of it as the tomb closed around her.

[MikDaTv]

The PMC Franklin exited hyperspace over the planet Yavin. It's pilot skillfully plotted a course that would take them directly to the fourth moon where he would enter the moons atmosphere.

Jor sat in the cockpit at the sensor console. His eyes were closed and as they grew closer to the planet he reached out and embraced it. He felt the soldiers in the ships hold, the ships crew, the beacon of life on the quickly approaching moon. "Scan all com frequencies. See if you can raise her on her comlink" Jor ordered, not bothering to open his eyes as he did something similar but with thoughts.

The com officer adjusted his equipment and spoke into his mic. "Jedi Knight Mariella Map. Knight Map come in. This is Ranger PMC Franklin inbound to the fourth moon. Knight Map do you copy over?"

Jor shut the sound of the com officers hail out of his mind and concentrated on the planet. Something had happened there. Something had happened there recently and Jor feared Mariella was involved. There was a darkness on the planet that was very much awake. Last time he had been here, he had felt no such active dark presence. Something had woken it up or brought it with them. He caught a quick glimpse of Mariella being engulfed in a dark room but pushed that vision aside. He needed to find her, not worry about her. Mariella, i'm here. It's Jor. Reach out to me. Link your mind to mine so i can find you.

[Deleted]

The moisture from Mariella's tunic collected on the cool floor in a puddle around her. Legs pulled up to her chest, Mariella lay completely still save for the odd shiver against cold. The stillness was suffocating. Her senses felt nothing but the darkness, both inside and out. Then a whisper. A reminder of a life lived long ago. Something reaching out to her.

*Mariella, i'm here. It's Jor. Reach out to me. Link your mind to mine so i can find you.*

Someone calling her by name...Master Jor!

She reached out, only to have her mind stabbed by some unknown force. The shock caused her to gasp; a sound that echoed off of far-off walls that she could not see or feel. A torturous situation...allowed to hear, but not to speak. She would have to allow Master Jor in some other way then.

Thinking back, she remembered the words of Master Garion. She repeated them aloud as she dragged herself to her feet. An old story about redemption.

"Ah, see...they return..."

To her knees now.

"Fallen so far, yet never out of reach of the light..."

Wobbly. To her feet.

"The path of the righteous is beset on all sides, yet they take refuge in the path of balance and good..."

Standing straight.

"They return..."

Closing her eyes, Mariella reached for the force. She had heard it said that the darkness always existed, and that the Sith simply dwelt within it. However, the Jedi had to create their own light. A light that would shine brightest in the darkness.

As she inhaled, she felt it. The calm assurance that she had found the path once again. Opening her eyes, she faced the darkness with her own light, a light that cut through the darkness like a knife.

A howl in the force seemed to shake the planet, but Mariella knew that she could not let up. Her inner beacon had to be unrelenting. The evil around her receded to the very walls of the tomb, exposing the horrors there. Countless souls swirled around her, repelled by her own bright flames. A smile touched her lips.

However, her victory was short-lived. The darkness rallied, surrounding her and crushing in, battering her center. After a few moments she was forced to surrender, lest she be destroyed. Falling to the ground, she was greeted once again by the cold and the feeling of laughter.

[MikDaTv]

Jor felt it. He felt the spot of bright white in the pool of black. His hands flew over his console but his eyes remained closed. "Helm, i'm feeding you coordinates. Get use there double quick."

The pilot nodded. Jor concentrated on that beacon. Gotcha. Calvary is coming. Stay Safe.

Jor got up. Before walking out he turned toward the pilot. "Stealth systems on, rig for silent running and find us a nice place near those coordinates for a drop."

The pilot gave a thumbs up and Jor walked out, heading down to the hold where Hunter One was waiting. "Hunter One, get ready for a drop. We're looking for one Jedi in this dense jungle. I suspect she's not in open jungle though. I think she's in one of the temples that dot the surface of the moon. This one probably built buy the late Exar Kun."

Jor cracked his neck and stood by the deployment ramp while the 32 other soldiers strapped their repulsorpacks on and loaded their rifles. Lieutenant Church yelled at the men to get ready. A red light came on in the hold and the pilots voice came over the intercom. "ETA to DZ, 3 minutes. Standby Hunter One."

Jor tapped his gauntlet against the cargo door. Lieutenant Church tapped his com twice to send the affirmative to the pilot. They all waited the 3 minutes in a tense silence until the light changed to green and the pilot yelled over the com, "Ready for drop."

Jor hit the door open control and the cargo door slid open. The open air rushed past his head and he started motioning for the troopers to do their thing. The troopers jumped out by squad, with Lieutenant Church and Jor leaping out last.

Their repulsorpacks slowed their descent easily and they all touched down in a grass clearing a half mile south of the coordinates Jor had given. Jor grabbed lieutenant Church and went face to face with him. "You get to those coordinates Lieutenant. I don't care if you have to sprint the entire way. I'm going ahead of you."

without waiting for a reply, Jor took to the sky. His repulsorpack lifted him off the ground and the ion rockets in his feet and back kicked in, propelling him into the air. He zoomed towards the spot, seeing the stone structure with the black door. His boosters screamed as he strained them to their limit as he decelerated and touched down next to the door.

Behind him, he sensed two eyes on him. The beings that they belonged to advanced out of the foliage. They were huge and red and mean looking but nothing Jor hadn't seen before. "Look fellas, i don't want to fight, but i don't have time to deal with your right now, so turn around and leave or i'm going to use your heads to break this door in."

undaunted by the threat. The lead Massassi warrior advanced a few steps, holding a massive, two handed broadsword. Jor's lightsaber shot out of it's hidden compartment inside his right wrist and into his palm. The green blade extended and lashed out, striking and slicing the broadsword in half. He twirled his wrist and in the next instant the Massassi's arm was on the ground. "I warned you. I warned you but you just wouldn't listen."

It took a moment for the pain to reach the Massassi's brain but he finally began to scream as he reached over to clutch his stump of a shoulder. His friend charged forward with the intent of avenging his friend but Jor had other ideas. He snapped his fingers and suddenly there was a snake in his hands. His amphistaff had uncoiled from his waist, slithered up into his hand on command. Jor hurled the creature at the advancing massassi.

Even if you are the largest, toughest, most skilled warrior in all of existance, when an old man hurls a potentially poisonous snake at you, you'll take a moment to consider pooping your pants. The Massassi dived out of the way and scurried on all fours away from the snake. The amphistaff however was not interested in continuing the pursuit and returned to Jor, slithering up his leg and back into his left hand. "Would either of you like to try that again?"

The Massassi retreated back into the foliage, eying Jor with a particular hatred in their minds.

Jor returned his attention to the obsidian door. He doubted he'd ever be able to break through it. It was coursing with the dark side. Enough energy to make it indestructible to anything but full on bombardment from orbit. Jor was not stupid however. He sidestepped a few feet to the left, facing the brown colored granite that made up the rest of the structure and drove his lightsaber into it. It resisted his every move, but he torqued his saber around, digging it into the stone as far as he could and removing a sizeable chunk of it from the side of the structure. I'm coming Mariella. I'm coming.

[Deleted]

From her place on the floor Mariella could sense Master Jor. It was as though he was but an arm's length away; as though if she could only reach out she could touch him. The black walls were simply too stiffling.

As Jor's lightsaber dug down it would find that the entire tomb was made of the same dark obsidian. Unyielding. However, Mariella could feel every gouge of the blade as though it was touching her. A threat to her. She knew why he had come...to end the wickedness that she had wrought here.

Despair filled her, and she began convulsing on the black ice of the tomb's floor. A moan escaped her lips, and her anguish escaped with it. She was defenseless against the darkness that she had found here.

[MikDaTv]

Hunter One had caught up in record time. Every single one of them was breathing heavily from their sprint to this location through the forest. Jor waved them over. "Men, the jedi we're here to get is on the inside of this structure but that door isn't going to bust open for just anyone."

Lieutenant Church caught his breath and pointed to the door. "Can't we just blow it? Obsidian isn't known for it's structural integrity. A shaped charge should do just fine."

"Not in this case i'm afraid. That door can withstand plenty of punishment. Plus..." Jor reached a hand into the hole he had made in the side of the structure and pulled a chunk of rock the size of his head out, revealing that the whole structure had been made of the same evil stuff. "It's not just the door."

"So whats the plan?" Church asked.

"Your going to shoot me." Jor answered.

"Come again?" Church asked.

"You and your boys are all going to empty a few rounds into me. it sounds stupid, and you probably don't get it, but you don't have to in order to pull the damn trigger." Jor said. "We don't have a lot of time for me to explain"

"I'm just to assume that you'll do something with the force to make it all right." Church stated.

Jor nodded. "Yep. Now do it."

Church nodded in response and gave a shake thumbs up. He turned to his men and flipped the safety off on his rifle. "Ok boys. You heard the man. On the count of 3, everyone is going to fire 5 shots and 5 shots only!"

There was a sound of weapons being racked and charges being slid into place. Jor found it very disconcerting but he wasn't about to back out. He closed his eyes and got firm mental grip on the obsidian door in front of him. "THREE..." Ok you evil bastard thing. Try picking on someone your own size.

"Two..."

"One!"

The sound of 32 blaster rifles all sang out in unison five times. The scarlet bolts of death struck Jor and he absorbed them into his body. Channeling the energy and converting it into the Force. He Force energy gathered from the blaster bolts and grabbed the obsidian door with it, pushing it inward with all the power he had gathered.

He could feel his insides burning as he channeled the blaster energy through his body and out of his hands, but he pushed the pain aside and focused all his attention on the door. He would have a hell of a time healing after this.

[Deleted]

Mariella felt the disturbance before it happened. Master Jor was at work. Working to reach her. To end her. She stood with fury in her heart as the door was blasted inward, dodging the massive construct as it rushed inward. Her dodge took her to the floor hard, but she did not mind. She had a singular purpose in mind.

Rising to her feet, she raised her hands again. She would not allow him to destroy her. As she advanced the warm air from the outside struck her like a hot wind. She caught sight of Master Jor, and the darkness receded. All that was left was an inescapable weary feeling. She stumbled forward, falling to her knees, crawling toward the light...stuggling harder than she had ever struggled, lest the darkness keep her. She reached it...saw the fading sunlight of the day touch her hand...and passed out.

[MikDaTv]

Jor lunged forward and caught Mariella as she passed out. He picked her up in his arms and turned around, rushing out of the structure. He was running on his cybernetics and the Force now. His human parts were severely burned within the XAN Suit and his heavily nanomachine laden blood was rushing to repair it.

"We're out of here. Lieutenant, have your men drop a beacon on this structure. I want it marked for later orbital bombardment then secure us a landing zone." Jor said as he laid Mariella down on the soft dirt outside by the troopers. One of them ran over with a first aid kit.

Jor ran a hand over her body, feeling with the Force for any injuries or illness. Thankful that there was nothing physically wrong with her, he sighed in relief. "Get her on a stretcher and take her to the landing zone."

He stood up and turned around, heading right back into the structure at a walking pace that suggested he wanted to punch someone in the face. As the shadows overtook him, he ignited his lightsaber and stared into the black. "What did you do to her?" He asked out loud.

[Deleted]

Nothing but the silent impression of laughter greeted Jor. The spirit had long dwelt silent in the tomb, and intended to stay that way until an advantageous situation presented itself. It would not be able to overcome this Jedi Master so easily with the subtle tricks that it had used on Mariella. The inky walls of the tomb seemed to expand and contract as a chest would with the delight of the mischievious spirit inside. Jor was wounded, and it would take its chances at claiming his body.

The spirit of Exar Kun, though still weakened by the efforts of Nomi Sunrider so long ago, appeared to Jor Halcyon. Lightsaber in hand, it advanced on him.

"I did nothing to her that she did not will herself...do you know what power you taunt here, Jedi?"

[MikDaTv]

"Yep." Jor said. He deactivated his lightsaber. "What is it with you bastards? Why can't you ever just die? It makes being a good guy a lot less fun. Especially with bush league Sith like you."

Lieutenant Church shouted into the structure from the doorway. "Master Halcyon, the beacon is in place."

Jor waved back towards him to step back. "Got it, take her back to the ship. I'm right behind you."

The lieutenant jogged away and back to his men. Jor returned his attention to the spirit. "You know what the Force tells me right now?"

[Deleted]

Exar Kun eyed the Jedi with distaste. Arrogant. He would make a good Sith if he were ever converted.

"I care not for what the force tells you...what is it to me?"

The walls of the tomb swelled again, the force embuing them with power as Exar Kun laughed. He advanced a few more paces on Jor.