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Knights Of The Old Republic: Darkness Falls


DarthSion101

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"Oh don't worry, Brax, I'll be there." Kira murmured to herself, as she extinguished her saber, "And Yavin IV will be your grave."

She ignored the wondering eyes of the others, and turned back into the corridor, roughly shoving past a speechless Atton.

She needed to settle down. She was afraid that if her temper kept flaring as it had been for the past few hours, she would eventually loose control completely...

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As Kira stormed off, Karda turned towards Jasra and gave her a hard stare. Jasra began to back away.

 

"Jasra," Karda said, in a quite easy but inquisitive tone, "could you explain exactly how Brax knows that we're going to Yavin IV?"

 

She shook her head, averting her eyes to the floor rather than meet his gaze. "No."

 

"No?" Karda gave her an extreme look of doubt. His eyes narrowed inquisitively. "Do you have some kind of link with him?”

 

Jasra shrugged. "I don't know," she said, as she backed away from him.

 

"You don't know?"

 

"What does it matter anyway," she said hurriedly. “You all hate me because of what I….”

 

“I don’t hate you,” Karda said, sighing.

 

“Yes you do,” she said, backing further into the storage area. “You locked me away in here.”

 

“I locked you away for you to cool off and think,” he said. “Not because I hate you.” He sighed. "I just want you to understand that it is a mistake to trust Brax.”

 

“A mistake?” Jasra shook her head. “Brax is not the enemy. The shards are. And whoever else is after them,” she added. “Brax is helping me.”

 

“He is not helping you,” Karda said bitterly. “He’s of the Dark Side.”

 

Jasra shook her head.

 

“He is,” Karda continued, moving closer to her. “He teaches you to use fear and hate and anger to bolster your connection with the Force. The Sith teach the same thing.”

 

“He’s not a Sith!” Jasra insisted, suddenly finding herself backed up against the room’s back wall. “And emotions aren’t all bad. What about love, and passion, and joy….”

 

“Love? What do you know about love? You care only about yourself!”

 

“That’s not true!” she said defensively, now only inches away from him. “I care about Crystal, and Kira, and…and….” For a reason she could not explain, she suddenly reached out, her hands cradling either side of his face, and she kissed him hard on the lips. Then, shocked by her own actions, she ended the kiss as abruptly as she had started it.

 

Karda appeared dumbfounded. “I’m sorry,” she said to him. “I don’t know why I did that.”

 

“It’s the shards,” Karda said softly, although he didn’t back away from her. Instead, he laid his hand on her temple. “Sleep, Jasra,” he whispered, as he slowly drew his hand down the side of her face, using the Force to make her relax. She slowly slid down the back of the wall, her eyes heavy. “I’ll wake you when we get to Yavin IV.”

 

With Jasra asleep, Karda approached Atton. “I’m worried,” he said to the scoundel. “The shards are affecting all of us in different ways, though Kira seems to be the worst affected. When we get to Yavin IV, we must keep a close eye on her. Don’t let Kira out of your sight. And try to keep reminding her that we all care about her,” he added. “’Love’ might be our only weapon against the effects of the shards.” He shot a quick glance at Jasra. “We’ll deal with Brax when it comes to it.”

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"I'm scarred for her." Atton said, leaning back against the wall, looking in the direction of the dormitory, as if he could see Kira through the walls, "Something's happening to her. I'm beginning to think that these Shards may be too strong. Even for her." his voice trailed off as he thought about the implications of what he had just said.

The Scoundrel's eyes turned to look at the sleeping Jasra, then passed back over to Karda. The question he was tempted to ask repeated itself in his head, but as he looked at the Jedi, he could tell that he was just as confused about it as the Scoundrel was. He let the topic be. There would be another time to ask questions...but this, for the moment, wasn't it.

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"He's waking up." Nyssa nudged Tegan, then nodded to the Doctor as his eyes fluttered open.

 

"Ah, Nyssa. Tegan. Did I miss anything?" the Doctor asked innocently, as he sat up, apparently completely healed from his last regeneration ordeal.

 

"Well...," Nyssa said hesitantly.

 

"Kira and Jasra went beserk and had a lightsabre duel," Tegan blurted. "But it's over now."

 

"We think," Nyssa added cautiously. "Although, the shards seem to be affecting nearly all of us now. In different ways," she added.

 

"Oh, dear," said the Doctor. "That's not good. Not good at all." He got up and paced around the TARDIS for a moment, then suddenly brightened and snapped his fingers. "I've got it!"

 

"Got what?" asked Tegan, giving a look to Nyssa who answered her with a shrug.

 

"A way to shield ourselves from the effects of the shards we already have."

 

He punched a few buttons on one of the consoles of the TARDIS and waited for a moment. "Ah!" he said triumphantly as he read the results of his query. "That should work." He began to punch some more buttons.

 

"What should work?" asked Tegan, frustrated that he hadn't really answered her first question to her satisfaction.

 

"Adjusting the frequency of the protection field around the strongbox to encompass the higher points of the multi-fluctuation of the shards' radiative field qualities." He gave Tegan a look. "It's terribly complicated, I'm afraid."

 

"That's quite alright, Doctor," Nyssa interjected before Tegan could say another word. "You just keep right on working."

 

In a moment, a hazy green shimmer encompassed the strong box that held the crystal shards.

 

The Doctor let out a sigh of relief. "I'm feeling better already," he said. "What about you?"

 

"I don't feel any different," said Tegan.

 

"Ah, well, of course you wouldn't," said the Doctor. "You and Nyssa seem to be the least affected." He started towards the door. "Come," he said to them. "We'll seek out Crystal. Perhaps she can feel the difference."

 

"What about the shard that Kira is wearing around her neck?" Nyssa asked. "How are we going to get that one within the field?"

 

"It appears that the shard's effects are amplified when they are near one another. With most of them now shielded, Kira's one lone shard shouldn't have as much effect on the rest of us." He paused. "At least, not until we find the next one. Did Kira say where the next one was, by the way?"

 

"A place called Yavin IV," said Nyssa. "I took the liberty of doing some research on it and...."

 

"Oh, dear," the Doctor interrupted. "I know all about the history of Yavin IV. Evil place, or at least it will be for the next four thousand years. Oh dear, oh dear.... Well, we can't worry about that now. Come, we must seek out Crystal. See how she's faring."

 

And with that, the Doctor headed into the Ebon Hawk, closely followed by Tegan and Nyssa.

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"Mi-Lord?"

Thanatos turned slowly to face his Admiral. "What... is it....?"

"We believe we have found a way to capture this 'Doctor'."

"Explain."

The Admiral consulted his notes. "When his ship, this 'Tardis', flies, it... it combines intense gravometric pulses, accompanied by nelactic particle emissions to create a stable wormhole through space and time. It generates a field of opposite polarity at the targeted destination point. Like a flake of metal placed in a whole, drawn towards a magnet."

"This is... possible?"

"It would require great amounts of power, but it is possible."

"Make it so..."

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"Not quite as twisted, my brain, Doctor," Crystal said, seeing him approach with Tegan and Nyssa. "Still some twisting, still loose thoughts that are not mine..." She cringed. "But more me than before, there is here." She wrinkled her nose. "Must I continually speak backwards?"

 

She sneezed and grumbled about needing water. She glanced at the Doctor and his companions. "If you'll excuse me please, I really must find some water... not sure why, but I sure know I need some..."

 

With that, she headed off to find the water she'd been searching out for almost a half an hour.

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As Jasra slept, she dreamed. Of Kira's golden eyes. Of a deserted temple, surrounded by jungle, but not overgrown, and echoing with the ghosts of those who had breathed their last breath there. Of a jewelled pendant hanging around the neck of a corpse. And as she reached out to touch the sparkling gold stone in the centre, the corspe opened his eyes.

 

"It's mine!" he hissed through a lipless mouth. His eyes flickered to grow into blazing gold fire and a nearly skeletonised hand reached out to her. "Join me...."

 

Jasra's eyes popped open just as the Ebon Hawk lurched out of hyperspace. "We're here," she said.

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Kira's eyes darted restlessly beneath her closed eyelids. Even as she meditated, she could hardly control her mind darting quickly from one thought to another. Brax, Revan, the Shards, Yavin, the activities of the crew, Atton, Revan, and back to Brax again. However, the moment the ship lurched from hyperspace, her eyes blasted wide open. "We're here." she said, unknowingly echoing Jasra's words.

 

~*~*~

 

"She's been acting very strange," Disciple said, joining with Atton in the conversation. "She's become short-tempered, and her actions seem to have no life to them...almost as if they were mechanical."

"Or that they were controlled." Atton commented, staring down into his drink again, "She hasn't been sleeping or eating...hell, I can't remember the last time she laughed...I would have remembered." the last statement came out as a whisper that was hardly audible by any of the others.

"Where is she?"

No sooner had the words left the Disciple's mouth as the ship jerked, announcing their arrival at the planet. Seconds afterward, Kira quickly appeared in front of them. Her eyes darting quickly to each of their faces, she said, "Land. Quickly."

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The Doctor entered the room from the TARDIS.

*Ah, Kira, I have a request. Perhaps we should land on the surface of... where did you say we were landing?*

"I didn't," said Nyssa. " But we're landing on Yavin IV."

*Yes, well then-* he spun aorund to face her. *Did you say Yavin IV?*

"Yes... We read that-"

*I'm sorry, Kira, but I'm afraid I must go on ahead of the Ebon Hawk in the TARDIS alone. There are dangers here you can't even begin to fathom. Secrets only meant for the eyes of a Time Lord.*

"Doctor, what-"

The Doctor pushed Tegan gently out of the way, and entered the TARDIS, closing the door behind him.

 

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor sealed the doors, and prepared for take off. He set the coordinates for a familiar temple on the moon's surface, down in the southern polar region. He flicked a few switches, and pulled a lever. The column began to move, and the engines began to grind.

Suddenly, the lights went out, and the room was lit only by the red lights on the console itself. The engines began to whine, and the grinding raised in pitch until it sounded like a scream. The TARDIS shook violently. Then it all stopped just as fast as it had started. The lights returned to normal, and the room hummed pleasently as it always did. The Doctor examined his instruments - he was nowhere near where he had intended to be. He activated the view screen, but it just buzzed with static. An ominous thump sounded against the door, and the Doctor turned towards the exit. He pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, pointing it at the door.

*K9?* he said quietly. *K9? K9, can you hear me?*

There was no answer. He spared a look over at K9, and saw that his power pack was lying in front of him, pulled open, its circuits strewn across the floor. Nyssa must have been repairing it before they had landed on Dagobah. Realizing that he was alone here, the Doctor walked slowly to the door lever, and pushed it down.

The doors swung open, and he was greated with a horrible sight. The room beyond the TARDIS was a dark and dingy brig, a pile of humanoid bones lying in a corner. He walked towards them slowly, the sonic screwdriver poised for activation. The room was emtpy except for the bones. He bent down in front of them.

*Twi'Lek...* he muttered. He pulled a femur out of the pile. *Except for this...* he said, throwing it aside.

"Correct."

He spun around to face a tall man in a dark grey uniform. The uniform of a sith soldier. But not from this era...

*Who are you? Are you Sion's remaining men?*

"Stand, human," said the man, ignoring the question, his red eyes gleaming.

*Oh please, don't call me human: Just 'Doctor' will do nicely, thank you.*

"You will come with us," said the man darkly, unlocking the cell with a keycard. The forcefield dropped, and he stepped in, flanked by another uniformed man on each side of him. One of them ripped the sonic screwdriver from his hand.

*I would like that back sometime, if you don't mind," said the Doctor politely. *It's the only one I've got left, you see.*

The man threw the tool onto the ground, and it skidded across the floor to the closed TARDIS door.

"Stand," repeated the soldier.

The Doctor did as he was told. They led him through a series of tunnel like corridors, finally coming to an ominously blood stained door. The door opened, and the soldiers pushed him into a dark room. The man with the red eyes stood in front of him.

"We know who - and what - you are. Doctor."

*Yes, well, now that you know my name, perhaps-*

"What are you doing here? The last time 'the Doctor' surfaced, he aided the Republic against Lord Malak, bringing the mighty Sith empire to its knees."

*Ah yes, that would be the last time I 'surfaced' from your perspecitve, I imagine. I was actually here three years from now, but-"

"Why have you returned? What do you intend to do?"

*Ah well, I'm here on a purely personal trip, I assuer you. That business with the Daleks... I need a vacation. This galaxy always provides a healthy distraction. Though I dare say that you wish to secure me to a crude torture device and beat me with your primitive weapons, correct?*

"You dare mock us, Doctor?" said the man dangerously. "Do you know who we are? Do you know how close to death you are at this very moment?"

*Yes, I know who you are. You are the Sith who the Daleks attempted to aid during the hyperspace war. The 'True Sith', I believe is what you will be referred to. But there is something I do not know: How did you survive the Time War?*

Another voice filled the room. A dark, quiet voice that was barely more than a whisper, but still carried the weight of a life time of evil. "They survived.... through me."

The Doctor spun around, and saw another man entering the room - a tall man in a solid black cloak, the hood pulled over his head, masking his face in shadow. He towered over the Doctor, who was not a short man by any definition.

*Who are you?*

The man weezed, and the Doctor assumed it was his version of a laugh. "I am... the beginning.... the end... all that was.... that is... and what will be. I am the Force."

The Doctor looked up at him evenly. *Most likely nothing more than another twisted Sith Lord that the archives of the Time Lords seemed to overlooked.*

The new man seemed to grow taller in his rage. "Watch your tongue, Time Lord... or I will remove it."

*I'm sure you will,* responded the Doctor dismissively. *YOu didn't answer my question: Who are you? You can't possibly be Darth Vanextros: he won't be around for almost ten years. The galaxt should be at peace at the moment. There's no Sith activity logged in the-*

"I am the beginning.... The end. All that was.... that is... and what will be. I am the Force," repeated the man. "I am Darth Thanatos."

*Thanatos... Thanatos... are you sure? I've never hear of you?*

"Take him... to the brig, captain. The Exile will come for him. Especially if he has... this."

He pulled from his cloak a long, thing, yellow crystal. The Doctor stared at it in horror. As Thanatos drew closer with the Shard, he felt himeself growing weaker. "She will... come for him... or the Shard. And she will bring the other Shards with her. The G0-T0 droids did their jobs well."

The Doctor's eyes flashed up to Thanatos. *You mean... this whole time... we've been serving... a Sith Lord?*

"Yes. These events were set in place years ago, at the destruction of Telos. If it weren't for Admiral Karath and his fleet, none of what i have accomplished... would have been possible."

The Shard was placed in the Doctor's pocket. He tried lifting his arm to remove it, but he was too weak. *You... will not succeed.*

"I already have, Doctor... The Exile will come to me with the other Shards... and I will use the Key to destroy the Jedi... and rule the galaxy!"

A fist came at his face, and with the Shard weighing his reaction, it caught him full force. Another one came at his chest, and he felt a few of his ribs crack. His nose broke as another punch hit him square on, and someone kicked the back of his knees. He fell to the ground in front of Thanatos in a miserable bow, gasping for breath through the pain. A foot came down on his spine, and he was pushed to the ground on his chest. Thanatos reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it. "Remove him."

He could do nothing as he was dragged back to the brig, the TARDIS key crushed to dust in the gloved hand of Lord Thanatos. He was thrown into the cell roughly, hitting the side of the TARDIS. Crumpled, bleeding, and finally defeated, the Doctor fell to the ground and wept.

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Jasra suddenly stood up. She sensed something odd, like a feeling something or someone was missing.

 

"The Doctor," she said to no one in particular. "And the Shard. They're gone." She looked around the main hold. "Can you feel it?" she asked Karda. "Or rather, can't you?"

 

Ever since she had helped the Doctor and Crystal, Jasra's emotions surged violently inside her--anger, love, fear--they seemed to meld together, washing over her in intense and uncontrollable waves.

 

"Kira!" she shouted angrily. "What have you done with the Doctor and the shard in the TARDIS?!"

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Kira turned to Jasra, the calm on her face far more frightening than any sneer could ever be.

"You think I did something with him?" she asked. "You're a fool, Jasra. Harming the man would have served no purpose, and why would I send the Shards away from me? And you've let your emmotions become the better of you far too quickly. Again, you are a fool."

She turned to the pilot. "Atton, take her down, now. We will find the Doctor later, once this most recent Shard is collected. His unique feeling in the Force will lead me right to him, and the last Shard. I can sense it on him..."

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As the Ebon Hawk landed, Jasra quietly seethed at Kira's arrogant tone. She'd show her who was a fool. She'd get the shard first. Prove herself to Kira and the others who thought her unworthy and ignorant.

 

Join me... the whispery voice from her dream echoed in her head.

 

Jasra grinned slightly to herself. Yes, she'd show Kira what she was made of. What Brax had made her. What the Jedi had made her. What her years alone had created within her. She'd show Kira and the others.

 

As everyone was preparing to land, Jasra looked towards Karda. He hadn't put up the force field in the makeshift brig since he had put her to sleep. Now he was preoccupied with the Disciple, probably talking about what to do with Kira. He didn't even notice Jasra's lightsabre rising, then floating through the air and into her hand.

 

She quietly tucked it away in the top of her boot. As nonchalantly as she could, she inched her way out of the storage area and around to the ramp area, with the intention of being the first one off the ship. This time, she wasn't going to worry about what happened to anyone else. This time, Karda's assessment of her selfishness would be correct.

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Jasra didn't find just barren land outside the ship though, Brax had beat the Hawk to Yavin and he sat on a log absently, about fifty feet from the lowering ramp. He was carving a small hunk of wood into something.

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The others hadn't disembarked yet. Jasra eyed Brax, frowning curiously at the piece of wood he held in his hands, then looked over her shoulder at the open door behind her. Kira would be coming out soon, and even though it would make it easier for her to get to the temple and to the shard if Brax and Kira were busy fighting, she really didn't want to see them hurt or kill each other. She realised that she cared for both of them, and at the moment, with her mind tainted by the influence of the shards, her emotions were ruling over her logic.

 

She turned back to Brax. "Come with me," she said, quickly approaching him. "Kira will be here soon, and I don't want to see you or her hurt."

 

For a brief moment, Jasra wondered if Brax was going to chastise her for being foolish by getting herself infected by the shard from her attempts at helping Crystal and the now missing Doctor, or praise her for her loyalty to him.

 

"Kira will stop at nothing to gain control of it," Jasra continued. "Come with me, Brax. Help me get the shard before she does."

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A man stood on a nearby precipice, staring down at the Ebon Hawk. His piercing blue eyes scanned the horizon for a moment from a face with a large nose, large ears, and a long, sloping forehead.

She's one of his recent companions, he thought. Jasra Lantill. The time was coming where he would be forced to expose himself to her and the others. Without them, he would never reach his goal...

He reached into the pocket of his black leather jacket, and pulled out a small device. There were a set of numbers on it - a hand held chronometer. He placed it back in his pocket, this time in that of his black jeans.

*The time approaches...* he muttered, his voice accented. *I will find you. Doctor.*

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He frowned at Jasra lightly, and stood up. "If you think that is best." He nodded and tossed the wooden carving at her. It was simple, done with his claws ... but very well done, a simple female humanoid form. "Lead the way." He motioned for her to do so. He had been looking forward to fighting Kira, but ... he would follow Jasra's lead for the moment.

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Crystal came out slowly and saw Jasra talking with Brax. She stared at them for a moment before shrugging and moving off somewhere into the jungle.

 

"Crazy-making glassy-thingy close," she murmured as she moved away. "This-away, that-away... girl doesn't quite understand why she's drawn to it. Ki-Ki knows the draw. Jazzy tried to understand, but still doesn't..."

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The man on the mountain ledge stepped out of site as another female, the one named Crystal, stepped off the ramp. He couldn't expose his presence quite yet. He needed to wait...

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Nyssa and Tegan stepped down from the ramp, squinging in the bright light from the noon sun. Tegan spoke quietly to Nyssa.

"Nyssa? Where do you think the Doctor ran off to? Do you think he's alright?

"I'm sure he's fine," answered Nyssa, looking around. "The Doctor's quite capable of taking care of himself. He'll be back soon. Probably right after we need him most," she added with a smile.

Tegan looked up at the tall cliffs off to the right. The sun was glaring own on her eyes, almost blinding her...

"Nyssa?!"

"What?" asked Nyssa, turning suddenly at Tegan's yell/ "What is it?"

"Up there!" she said, pointing to a spot somewhere up in the cliffs. "I was someone. A man dressed in black. just staring down at us."

Nyssa shielded her eyes from the sun and peered up at the cliffs. "I don't see anything," she said. "It must have been a trick of the light."

Tegan continued to stare up at the cliffs for a moment. "Yes... yes, I suppose you're right..."

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Jasra caught the wooden carving that Brax had tossed her. She traced a finger along the smooth curves, then gave Brax a curious look. She wondered about the gift's meaning, but now was not the time to ask him about it.

 

"This way," she said, and she scurried quickly into the foliage. She had seen Crystal go off to the right. She went straight ahead. The path was overgrown, but without having to look out for anyone else, she navigated it with ease. In a few minutes, she and Brax were well away from the Ebon Hawk and nearing the old temple.

 

Suddenly, with the movement of a large, leafy branch, the side of the temple came into view.

 

Join me... The voice from her dreams called out to her.

 

She stopped and turned to Brax. "Can you hear that?" she asked him. "Someone calling to me..."

 

Before Brax could answer, a deafening roar came from behind her. She whirled around, but she could see nothing. Suddenly an unseen force hit her hard in the chest, knocking her into the air and throwing her back several feet.

 

As she gasped to catch her breath, a large shimmer appeared, and a creature of immense size stood over her.

 

Night Beast... the voice from her dreams said.

 

The Beast stood there, claws out, growling, its mouth gaping and saliva dripping from thick formidible teeth. But before it could approach Jasra and Brax, a voluminous high pitched sound pierced the air.

 

The Beast howled, swinging its head wildly. Jasra covered her ears, wincing in pain, while the beast fled into the forest, howling and shaking its head in a frenzy. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the noise abruptly ceased.

 

Confused, Jasra turned her head towards Brax for an explanation, and as she did so, she saw a figure of a man, dressed in black, approaching them.

 

"What the...?" She nodded to Brax to alert him to the newcomer.

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"Why don't we simply kill it?" Brax said, looking at this new figure, then to Jasra. A new player? His voice in her mind, it was getting easier to link with her. He had dropped into a fighting pose, his claws were glowing with anticipation.

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*I've been following you - the crew of the Ebon Hawk - since you left Manaan. I am the Watcher. I know a great deal more than you could ever believe possible. But now is not the time. The Shard must be located. Quickly. The Doctor is in danger. Mortal danger.*

A terrible roaring sound filled the forest - he creature was returning.

*On that note, so are we. Come, now!*

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"Into the temple then." Brax looked at the man, and then headed for the temple, his feet pushing down hard ont he ground, he slid his thoughts into Jasra's. and showed her somethign new ... teaching her as he himself did it, how to push her body to the limits, to incre3ase her speed, and agility.

 

(I need to go for a bit, but would like this to proceed, so Jasra please control Brax)

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Jasra felt Brax's presence in her mind and immediately understood what he was teaching her. She was growing accustomed to him, and beginning to feel comforted by the feeling she got when his thoughts mingled with hers.

 

Her speed and agility suddenly increased through the Force, she had little trouble following Brax as he negotiated his way through the remainder of the jungle towards the temple.

 

The Watcher was following them, but as she and Brax had reached the door to the temple before him, they had time to study the glyphs carved in the lintel above the door.

 

"Question....Answer..." the voice from her dreams whispered to her.

 

"It's a riddle," she said to Brax, as she ran a light finger down a line of symbols carved on the wall beside the door. "One of these must be the answer." Her eyes darted back and forth across the lintel, trying to make heads or tails of the symbols.

 

"Ancient numbers," Brax said after a moment. "One, two, three, five, eight..."

 

Jasra grinned. "So we have to choose the next in the series," she said, nodding. "Using a combination of these symbols. They must represent numbers as well." She looked up at the glyphs above the door. "But they aren't the same as the ones here on the side."

 

"Indeed," Brax said with a knowing grin.

 

Jasra snorted. "You know what they mean, don't you," she said to him, more of a statement than a question. She sighed, then took her task in hand and studied the symbols for a moment. "If that's five, and that's two, then this one must be seven," she thought out loud. "And if that one is eight and that's one, then this one might be nine. Two two's, four. Or is that a symbol for addition? Because if that's one and that's three, this one could be four...."

 

All the while Brax leaned casually against the wall, grinning at her.

 

"I think I got it," she said finally. She looked askance at Brax and he nodded for her to continue. Taking a deep breath, she reached out and pushed a combination of symbols. There was the grinding sound of stone on stone and the door to the temple gradually slid open.

 

Jasra grinned at her success, but her grin quicky faded as she cautiously peered inside, half-expecting to see another Night Beast to suddenly appear. But nothing happened. All was quiet inside. As quiet as a tomb.

 

While they waited for the Watcher to catch them up, Jasra fingered the small wooden figurine she still held in her hand. Now was as good of time as any to ask Brax about it. "This is lovely, by the way," she started, suddenly feeling rather shy.

 

She felt her emotions again start to run rampant, the shard still contaminating and tangling her thoughts. Feelings of tenderness mixed with strength, anxiety with hope, fear with security, passion with... She took a deep breath, fighting against the shard's effects as the rush of uncontrolled and unexpected feelings frightened her. "Is there... a special meaning attached to it?" she asked naively.

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