Chapter 1.5: Decision and Descent

[Tysyacha]

After finding a Sith Holocron detailing the fall of DARTH REVAN--

in his own words--the failed Jedi Padawan TYSY and her mentor

CRYSTAL were treated to a shock by MASTER VANDAR once they

returned to the Jedi Enclave. Fearing that even more Jedi would

turn to the Dark Side once they heard Revan's tale on the Holocron,

Master Vandar has tried to destroy the artifact. The JEDI EXILE,

who is now a prisoner of the Sith, has rescued it from disposal.

 

However, "disposal" is what TYSY faces, as Master Vandar thinks

back with fear and regret on his promise to make her a Knight...

 

"I'm sorry I refused to pursue the Exile while he was escaping,"

the failed Jedi Padawan told Master Vandar. "The truth is, I

don't understand what crime he has committed. It seemed as

if he'd had enough of being pursued, and of being found guilty.

What had he done wrong, Master, if you would please tell me?"

 

"He followed Darth Revan to war," Vandar replied, "back when

Revan was still the Dark Lord of the Sith. He disobeyed the

orders of the Jedi Council to wait patiently for a diplomatic

resolution. He defied us, and for that he was sentenced."

 

Tysy nodded. "I see. As for Revan...you promised to make me

a Jedi Knight, didn't you, if I came back from Korriban with a

valuable Sith Holocron. What could be more important--or

what could have been more important--than Revan's own cube?"

 

"Highly critical this is," Vandar said, "to understand these words

of Revan. Harsh though they may be, they are a clue to discovering

what leads so many Jedi down the path of the Dark Side. I commend

you for finding it, even though I am still intent on its destruction.

Once rescued, the Exile is, or apprehended again, retake it I must.

 

"As for your being made a Knight," said Vandar with some

consternation, long and hard on this I have pondered. Many

Jedi Padawans have come to me, and to Vrook and Dorak,

requesting a rise in their rank. According to the ancient

traditions of the Jedi Order, you are still not a full Padawan,

and thus promote you to a Knight's rank I cannot, Tysy.

 

"Promised I have to induct you as a Jedi Knight into our Order,

but made a very sad mistake, I realize I have. It would not be

fair to knight you when so many others--Passed their training,

they all have, yet you have failed yours. For this mission, for

your bravery and your great find, I will give you increased

power in the Force"--and here Vandar took her hand--"but

my foolish promise must not stand. Unfair it would be to others."

 

"I see," replied Tysy, and she felt betrayed. Sorrowful. Even used.

What good was she now, except to spend her life as an outsider

looking in? She bowed and left, hating not Vandar, but Master Vrook.

[Writer]

Pain. This was Crystal Gray's world. Because of her lightsaber, she had not convinced her Sith captors that she was no Jedi. Their false assumptions led them to torture her in an attempt to turn her to the Dark Side.

 

"Decided to turn yet, Jedi?" one of them asked her.

 

"Not a Jedi," she murmured, conserving her energy for what she planned on doing.

 

"Still won't admit the Jedi were training you?' the Sith leader asked with a laugh. "That other Jedi we captured... he was your Master, wasn't he?"

 

"Exile?" Crystal groaned. Her groan gave way to partial laughter. "No." She rolled over and opened her eyes to stare at her captors. "Haven't you been listening to me? I'm not a Jedi."

 

"Then what are you?" the leader asked.

 

"Telepath, telekinetic," Crystal answered, closing her eyes again. "Almost no Force sensitivity whatsoever... just enough that Force sensitives feel life when they're around me... I'm not a black hole in the Force."

 

"We know," the leader laughed. "You threw us around. You're strong."

 

"Telekinetic," Crystal murmured, squeezing her eyes shut. "Not Force-user."

 

"If not the man you call Exile, who was your Master?" the leader wanted to know. Crystal finally decided she'd had enough. She stood slowly within her cage.

 

"Duste you, Tivzh Tqaxv!" she snarled. He took a step back.

 

"What the hell was that?" he demanded.

 

"Ny oxt mapuahe, ifiov!" she answered, clearly enjoying the fear on his face. Then, she shifted back into Basic. "You think standing outside my cage and torturing me is brave? Face me yourself in single combat."

 

"You think I'm a fool?" the leader spat.

 

"You are if you turn me down," Crystal answered levelly. "Think about it; if I'm nothing more than a Jedi Padawan, I should be no trouble for a Sith such as yourself... right? You have more to loose by rejecting my challenge... your reputation is at stake. Are you going to be the Sith Lord who turned down a fight because he was afraid of a Padawan?" She sneered. "Goom!"

 

"If you're so good, get yourself out of the cage," he challenged. Crystal grinned and unlocked the cage by telekinesis. The leader took another step back.

 

"But..." he murmured.

 

"I'm wearing a Force inhibiting collar?" Crystal finished for him. She pointed to herself and said, "Telepath, telekinetic, not Force-user, ifiov!" With a grin, she lifted her lightsaber from the leader's belt. He reached for it, but it was too late. The lightsaber was already in her hands and lit. He stared at it.

 

"I thought your saber was green," he said. Crystal laughed.

 

"Changes color based on the lighting conditions," she told him. "Outside, in natural light, it is green. In here, under artificial light, it's this purplish-red. Problems?"

 

He shook off his surprise and ignited his red saber. "Only the fact that you're living and free. Do you have a problem?"

 

"Only that you're living and you still think I'm a Jedi," Crystal answered. "Come at me!"

 

He charged and the fight began...

 

((Maybe this is the reason the Exile escaped... don't know, but he can decide ))

[steven]

"You arrested someone just because they went off to fight mandalorian. Boy you guys suck"Said a voice from behind Tysy. When she turned around she saw a man wearing heavy armour and a huge chaingun on his back

 

"Who do you think you are?" Asked Vrook

 

"I think I'm Collus Drake. I also think I'm a republic commando"Replied the man

 

"Another commando?"Said Vrook "What happened to the other commando that was here the other day?"

 

"Thats a very good question. He was ment to contact home base five hours ago. We had a small signal from his com-link. He was last located on Korriban. I'm going to see if I can find him but first I want to know how he was got on Korriban."

[Tysyacha]

"How he 'got' on Korriban?" Vrook's lips curled into a scornful sneer. "This

Republic commando of whom you speak, an impetuous and foul-mouthed

grunt named Zarlak Wolfe, decided to tag along with two young girls that

Master Vandar sent on a dangerous mission to that Force-forsaken planet.

I'm not surprised he got left behind. Stowaways don't usually know when

the ship they so stealthily boarded is about to take off. Such is life for them."

[Writer]

Pain. But not so much now as before. Now, Crystal was using telekinesis to deflect Force storms and other Force attacks. She predicted her attacker's movements by reading his mind. But she was not winning the fight. The Sith was still throwing her around a bit.

 

"Had enough?" he sneered as she was sent flying across the room. As she fell, her forehead was cut by a sharp piece of metal and she winced. She lifted herself lightly to her feet and wiped some blood from her forehead. In this state, she nearly missed the cue for one of his attacks and his saber burned her left cheek.

 

"You're loosing, Padawan," he laughed. Finally, she'd had enough. Gathering as much telekinetic energy as she could, she threw him across the room. At the same time, she launched herself through the air in the same direction. He fell to his back, she dropped to the ground and rolled not far from him. Both sprang to their feet... and waited.

 

Crystal sent a mental image of herself attacking his head and his lightsaber flicked up just enough for her to stab him in the stomach. He grunted and staggered backward. She cut off his saber hand to ensure he could do no further harm and then knelt over him.

 

"I'm no Force user," she spat. "Admit it!"

 

"Telepath... tele... telekinetic," he groaned. She nodded and turned to the spectators.

 

"The fight was for my freedom," she said. "Your leader is dead. Choose another and leave me alone."

 

"You are our new leader," one of them said. All of them agreed and knelt to bow to her. "We will do as you command."

 

Crystal was momentarily surprised. Then she nodded. "Do we have a ship somewhere?"

 

One of the kneeling men nodded and stood. "This way."

 

Crystal put her lightsaber back on her belt, wiped her forehead again and moved to follow him.

 

"One of the first things I'm going to do is learn all of your names," she said. "How many of there are you?"

 

"Five," the man she followed answered. "We are a small group within a larger group, but I suspect you won't want to follow the larger group."

 

"Sith?" she asked.

 

"Sith," he agreed. He paused. "So you're not a Force-user, but you live with them?"

 

"I did," Crystal agreed. She looked at him. "What's your name?"

 

"Lex," he answered.

 

"No longer will I live with the Jedi, Lex," she told him. "I take it your former master was training you in the ways of the Dark Side of the Force?"

 

He nodded and Crystal smiled. "I will teach you the ways of the Rogues, the Shadow Jedi. Few in number, they have mastery over some elements of both sides of the Force and use their abilities for good."

 

"How will you do that when you are not Force sensitive?" Lex wondered. Crystal smiled and tapped her head.

 

"When I lived with the Jedi, I took all training they'd received and were giving from their minds," she said. "During the fight with your former master, I did the same with him. I know how both sides of the Force work. While I cannot use, I can teach."

 

"Here's the ships," Lex said. Crystal nodded, looked them over, and selected one. Her new followers waited for her command. She pointed.

 

"Get that one ready for takeoff," she said. "I'd like to leave as soon as possible."

[steven]

"Hmmmm. Doesn't sound like Wolfe to be a stowaway." The man said to himself. "He is needed by the republic for a mission of great importance and it would be great if you helped me find him. Have you sent any of your jedi knights on Korriban recently"

[Tysyacha]

"That depends," said Vrook, pursing his lips. How much should he reveal

to this man? He decided to be honest, because after all, the commando

did work for the Republic. "The two young girls that I sent to Korriban

were not exactly Jedi Knights, but they were under orders from Master

Vandar. One was a telepath and telekinetic named Crystal, who is not

sensitive to the Force. The other, a girl named Tysy, was my failed

Padawan. She did not pass her training, but Vandar had faith in her."

 

He continued, "Only Tysy has returned from Korriban. Crystal, the

telepath, has been captured by the Sith. I do not know where she is."

[steven]

Collus sighed. "I would like this Tysy to come with me to Korriban. I would like to know where she landed and It would be usefull to have an extra pair of eyes and ears"

He stood their waiting for a responce, he could tell that the jedi were thinking. There was little chance they were going to send a padawan with a complete stranger but Vrook did say she was a failed padawan.

[Tysyacha]

Vrook smirked. This commando was a tough one, but so was Tysy. If he

wanted the girl so badly, failed Padawan though she was, he could have her.

 

"Very well. As far as I know, Tysy is now living near a recently rebuilt

'cantina'--" and here he coughed--"called the Spiked Slime. They now

rent rooms, and Tysy prefers to spend time with petty thieves, Twi-lek

dancing girls, pazaak-playing swindlers, and other scum rather than any

respectable people. I hope the place will not offend your sensibilities."

 

Master Vrook turned and left, but not without saying, "Good luck."

[steven]

"Your the ones with high sensibilities" Whatever that means "The dancing girls is accutally sounding quite nice"

 

The commando left and went to Spiked Slime. He looked around trying to pick out the jedi I wish that stuck up jedi atleast gave a discription. Wait a second theres only two humans here. Myself and her." He looked straight at a young women drinking at the bar. Collus walked to hte bar and sat beside her.

"Exuse me. You wouldn't happen to be Tysy, would you?"

[Writer]

Not long after Collus left the Enclave, a strange ship landed, a Sith emblem hastily painted over on its side. The ramp slid down and Crystal Gray walked slowly down it, trailed by five men. The men, she'd learned were renamed when they'd gone into training under the Sith. Lex, Tex, Dex, Rex, and Jex. They called one another L, T, D, R, and J. Crystal had begun using these designations as well.

 

The six newcomers received many nervous stares and Jedi after Jedi put his or her hand on their saber for the feeling of safety it gave them. For the same reason as the other Jedi were nervous, Vrook felt frightened and cornered when Crystal and her lettered followers approached him. All six looked rather intimidating and all but Crystal were dressed in Sith Robes.

 

"Hello, Vrook," she said evenly, denying him even the pleasure of being called by his title. "Meet my companions, L, T, D, R, and J." The men bowed mockingly as their letter was called and Crystal smiled.

 

"Quite the team, aren't they?" she said. Then, her smile faded. "I have lost all faith in the Jedi thanks to you, Vrook. I have no doubt you're behind the lack of search teams, looking to find and rescue me." She snorted. "I dare not even dream that you attempted to rescue the one you call Exile. As it is, I can only assume he escaped on his own, as I was forced to do."

 

She waited for a moment before impatiently saying, "Speak, you goom!"

[Tysyacha]

Vrook sighed. "Search teams were already on their way, but they

ran out of fuel and had to make an emergency stop on Peragus."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "As far as I'm concerned, miss, your

companions are members of the Sith. How dare you let them

enter this hallowed Enclave! I will have to either escort you

out, or draw my saber and call for my Knight reinforcements."

 

No one spoke for a moment, but Vrook could feel his muscles

getting tighter. He felt the anger flow through him like molten

lava through a volcano that was about to erupt. Control...

control.. He put his right hand to the hilt of his saber.

 

*******************

 

Meanwhile, a surprised Tysy answered the Republic commando.

"Yes...I am the one they call Tysy, short for Tysyacha, or '1,000'.

Did Master Vrook tell you of me? If he did, I'm not sure what he

wanted. I'm his failed Padawan, and technically, I'm not even a

Jedi. I had to pass all my training to do that, and I never did."

 

She took a sip of her second cup of juma juice and waited for Collus to speak.

[steven]

"I'm Collus Drake and I honistly don't care about Vrook. All I care about is finding Zarlak Wolfe. I am to beleive he stowed away in your ship when you went to Korriban. I would like to come with me to the blasted planet and tell me where my old companion was left so we can get him off the planet and so he can complete his mission"

This is easier than I though. My master will soon grant me the rank of knight

[Tysyacha]

Tysy gulped down the rest of her juma juice and stood up quickly.

"Of course! If one of your former soldiers is in danger, and all because

of us--Crystal and me--taking off before we really should have, then

I'll gladly go to Korriban to help you find him. Do you have a ship?"

[Writer]

Crystal laughed. "They are no longer Sith. They follow me and I teach them the path of Shadows, something I think you understand far more than you'll admit, Vrook."

 

She shook her head. "We have no need of escort. We only came to retrieve my belongings and inform the Council that I don't intend to return. They were hesitant to release me to the galaxy until they were sure I could take care of myself." Her smile was fake. "I think I can manage myself now." Her eyes narrowed and the fake smile vanished. Don't you?"

[steven]

"The council menbers told me that she hasnt returned.. Maybe she is being held captive by the sith there...Great! I havn't had a good mission with plenty of action for a year. And I do have a ship, it's pretty fast, fastes feighter in the republic i think. I suggest we leave now!"

[Tysyacha]

Tysy nodded, and off she and Collus flew, hoping to find Crystal and

the Republic commando, Zarlak Wolfe. Collus' ship was indeed fast!

 

**********************

 

Korriban was as desolate as it had been before, only now one glowing

red cube was missing from a certain drexl nest. The planet seethed

with its hot desert winds, as if it were alive and very angry. This

was the place of the Dark Side, the place where Jedi hated to tread.

[Writer]

((Tysyacha, Crystal responded to Vrook. ))

[Tysyacha]

"The Path of Shadows?" Vrook pursed his lips. Crystal might still be of

some use to him, and to the Jedi Order, even if she was quite rebellious

and completely insensitive to the Force. "Interesting. There are two

people on Korriban who might need some shadows following them. One

is a defiant Republic commando who calls himself Collus Drake. He has

gone to search for his fellow soldier, Zarlak Wolfe. The other person is

your former companion on Korriban, Tysy, the failed Padawan."

 

He folded his arms. "I don't know how long two people are going to last

if the Sith find them out. Even though you were not attacked on your

first visit, the Sith most likely know that Revan's Holocron is missing.

Would you and your companions like to help them, or would you rather

visit the Spiked Slime for a few glasses of Tarisian ale?" He snickered.

[Writer]

"You misunderstand the Shadows I speak of, Vrook," Crystal snapped. "No, you disregard that path." She shook her head. "It is not for the Jedi that I will follow Tysy and her new companion. Should they require help, we will be there to help."

 

She glared at him. "But do not expect hourly reports nor reports of any kind!" She and her followers turned to go back to their ship, but, Crystal hesitated for just a second, calling over her shoulder, "And do not make the mistake of thinking I have a drinking problem that matches yours!"

 

With that, she swept out of the room and went back to her ship.

[steven]

Collu's ship lefted off and left Dantooine, then entered hyperspace towards Korriban

"Allright folks. We'll be at Korriban in several hours. Please make youself comfertable and talk. I'm going to sleep. Wake me up if something interesting happenes" The commando then leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes.

[Writer]

((Steven, you'll want to edit your post... Crystal was taunting Vrook about his drinking problem. You were with Tysy... nowhere near us. You and Tysy are on your ship on the way to Korriban.))

[Tysyacha]

((I'm going to have it like the ship has already landed on Korriban.))

 

Tysy turned to Collus when his vessel had made a safe landing upon the

barren and rocky surface of Korriban. She hesitated, because the oppressive

weight of Dark Side energy made her uneasy. "Where do you suppose we

should start looking for Zarlak Wolfe? I don't feel his energy, but maybe

the Dark Side is obscuring it. You think?" She waited for his response.

[steven]

Collus looked at her awarkidly "Mind saying things in less jedi-ish words. I just about got what you said. Do you here that?" He was talking about the sand moving and houling winds. He turned around and in the distant he saw a sand storm dieing out. "You said you landed here,right?"

[Tysyacha]

Tysy nodded. "It was here, or at least I'm pretty sure it was. 90% sure. I'm

sorry if I sound too much like a Jedi, but I guess I'm adopting the habits of

Masters Vrook and Vandar. Very wordy, they are. Oops! There I go again!"

 

She chuckled lightly, but then she stopped. Collus must think I'm a fool,

Tysy thought miserably. Either that, or an over-eager teenager who wants

to prove her worth. I'm still only 16, even though I'm going to be 17 soon.

 

Tysy wrapped her Jedi Cloak almost all the way around her body, covering her

mouth and nose with the long flap of her hood. The sandstorm stung her eyes,

even though it was definitely dying out. She brought one hand down to the

cool metal of her lightsaber hilt, ready to use it if ever she needed to.

 

This being Korriban, Tysy thought she might well have to use it soon...