Uninvited

Posted on Mon Jan 14th, 2013 @ 1:29am by Thane & Bomoor Thort

3,219 words; about a 16 minute read

Chapter: Chapter III: Relics
Location: Red Raptor
Timeline: Late, Day Eight

OLD

Closing the door to the training room, he turned to face the rest of the room and outstretched his palms towards the far wall. Clamping his eyes shut, he began thinking through all that Darth Bane had instructed him on perfecting this technique, of calling on memories, people, things, ideas that angered him, that bothered him to the core, to let his anger well and then use it. As images of Axion flew through his mind and the words of preachy and pretentious fools hopped about his brain, a small crackle leapt between his fingertips.

Thane grinned to himself.

NEW

Thane had been able to find one of the few times Kip was not in the kitchen area, concocting some peculiar recipe he had devised during his years of 'gallivanting across the galaxy, learning the true meaning of freedom, of discovering deep and special places in the universe, growing to understand the wonderful and diverse people of the galaxy'.

As he mentally mocked the Devaronian and his seemingly self-appointed position as a deep moral compass, Thane swallowed down the last mouthful of the Corellian spiced ale he had poured himself a short while ago before washing the tankard and putting it back in its place. He was pleased to have found a time when no one else was in the rec room, as it was something of a rarity he had discovered, usually because Kip was cooking something and Berry never stopped eating.

The former Jedi came up to Bomoor's cabin, sensing that the Ithorian was inside. With a firm knock on the closed door, he waited for his friend to come over. It had been, for all intents and purposes, a good day. Berry had shown remarkable aptitude with his old lightsaber that he had given her, and he had also managed to take a step forward in an ability of his own after that, but the ordeal had been tiring, yet he thirsted for more. Darth Bane had a lot to offer him in terms of self-empowerment - the deceased Sith Lord had already proven that - and seeing his success today had left him eager to speak with Bane more, and whilst he knew the holocron would not be pleased with Bomoor's presence, Thane also knew his friend was interested to be present for one of the sessions.

The door swung open to reveal the hulking figure of Bomoor, "Thane," he hummed in a low but friendly tone, "I was wondering when you would be free. You've been quite busy since we made our arrangements yesterday. I've just been poring over my notes on Tython to find something useful."

The Ithorian had a glint in his eye, something akin to excitement about their journey that almost masked the dark intentions that plagued this mission, "I have been trying to decide on where we should set down. From the Jedi notes I have gathered, there may still be some of the ancient Je'daii temples intact..."

He trailed off, "I do apologise for rambling on. It is fascinating stuff, not to mention the many dark side structures there is no record of. How can I help you, my friend?"

"You're not rambling," the Human replied, "it is fascinating stuff; I know I've spent enough time poring over what ancient texts the Archives had and any other tomes I could grab. It's a pity there isn't more readily available about Tython - or those dark side structures you spoke of." In truth, Thane was more interested in those than the Jedi ones. "I imagine the Dark Jedi and Sith would probably be more interested in the Kaiburr and its power," he said, "but I'm sure we'll be able to find our way."

Even now, someone was sitting in he cockpit, navigating their way through the dangers of the Deep Core. Whilst Kip had programmed in a good amount of detail and spent a lot of time guiding the pilot at the time, Thane and Bomoor had been able to pool their Force power to help guide through the dangerous zones, an ancient Jedi technique that was still effective.

"What I came to you about might actually be able to help you," Thane then went on, offering for Bomoor to follow him into his own cabin. "You wanted to see the holocron in action, didn't you?" Inwardly, whilst he knew Bomoor was curious about Bane's relic, he wasn't sure if the Ithorian was fully willing to go through with interacting with it.

Certainly, his friend was a powerful Jedi with a good deal of rational wisdom (unlike many Jedi), but he still seemed quite repulsed by the dark side. Once upon a time, Thane may been similar, but he was also deeply fascinated by it, as well as the powers it offered. Controlling that seemed simple; only a fool would be consumed by their own inability to understand or use such powers.

The Ithorian slowed in his trail following his friend, "Yes, I do think I should see this artefact as it seems to have played a large role in reaching this point in our journey," Bomoor could not deny that he was somewhat fearful of what the holocron would hold. While Thane had not been possessed with the dark side, the holocron had certainly exacerbated Thane's personality. Perhaps it had only brought to the surface what was already there and perhaps Bomoor had nothing to fear by facing the device. Nevertheless, he maintained a certain caution towards the artefact.

Thane opened the door for his friend to enter first, the room surprisingly well-lit and still fresh, thanks to the fan-like device affixed close to the ceiling of the room, a piece Bomoor would recognise from previous longer space journeys with the Human, due to his disdain for travel on larger space vessels.

Peculiarly, he did not suffer from any ill-effects when piloting or if in a fighter craft, but Thane had never been partial to longer journeys. It seemed the fresh air helped alleviate some of the effects, and it was something the Ithorian would benefit it from as well. As per usual, there were various tomes, relics and the like ordered about on the shelves and on his desk, where the terminal was inactive but with papers nearby, a few scrawls across the pages. Like Bomoor, Thane also had an appreciation for the written non-digital form, when possible.

And, of course, the black leather-bound box that Thane had made for himself some while back to house his first lightsaber sat upon the bunk, its lid open to reveal the pyramidal relic within, nestled carefully upon the satin padding within.

Bomoor padded forward and knelt one thick leg down upon the small bed as he leant towards the holocron. The device seemed to rise from the ruby lining of the box, like an ancient temple buried in the sand. Its etchings were dimly glowing a faint red as it lay dormant but they seemed to grow stronger as Thane walked around Bomoor and stood by the Sith device.

"It's that feeling again..." Bomoor commented, his dark pupils eyeing the holocron, "Like a pulling from deep inside. I remember Master Thurius allowing me access to several Jedi holocrons in the past. They had such an aura too but it was not like this. No, this is... I don't know what this is..."

"And the aura was far less potent with those holocrons," Thane added to Bomoor's description as he reached out to the device, picking it up and the red hues growing greater. Just as with when he showed Morgo the device, the peculiar phenomenon of nearby light being replaced by a grim shadow occurred, spreading across the room as a blood-like light seeped about the ceiling and walls, but Thane remained calm.

If anything, the Human was impressed by the grandeur of the device, of its quality and power, all heralding its importance both as a historical piece, but also as a piece of knowledge - of power. "Whilst the principle is similar," Thane explained, turning Darth Bane's holocron before his friend, his eyes locked on the relic, "this artefact is far more than the Jedi ones. Not only is it stronger, both physically and in the Force, but it is also more elegant. Better materials, greater craftsmanship and a more elegant design all lend themselves to a greater capacity for storage, a more intelligent, responsive gatekeeper than can learn and evolve, but actually also contains the ability to affect its surroundings."

He extended his hand out, offering to pass the holocron to Bomoor. Whilst Thane's explanation of the device may have sounded somewhat fanatical in its style, he hoped the Ithorian would recognise it more for what it was: a simple appraisal of the device, and its clear superiority to others.

Bomoor slowly ruffled his shoulders as he looked about the room, the comforting fan in the corner now seemed to be wafting a thicker air around the room. A dense, clinging power that entered the Ithorian's large airway like a smog.

He looked at Thane's outstretched hand and the holocron upon it. His eyes then flicked up to the face of his friend, "I'd rather not hold it...not yet. Can you not open it like before to simply show me?"

The Human looked down at the holocron, weighing up his thoughts. Whilst he had at first agreed to bring Bomoor here to show him the gatekeeper - to show him Darth Bane - he now had his doubts, had his concerns that Bane would not appear, or at that the remnant of the Dark Lord of the Sith within the holocron would berate him over bringing a Jedi Knight before him. Or worse: then refusing to divulge any further knowledge of the dark side and Sith power to him. Would he place this search for power over doing a simple favour for his closest friend.

It did not take him as a long as he expected to make his decision. Darth Bane respected one's individuality, one's own ability to make decisions but then also back them up with reasons and links to one's own power; the choice to take one's destiny in hand and challenge one with explanations that would see one elevate further would be acknowledged by Bane.

It was the way of the strong to be able to make such decisions and impose them, after all.

Reaching out with the Force, Thane - now using more of his malice and aggression to 'season' the tendrils he now let creep into the Sith device - summoned the gatekeeper to the fore. No longer using imagery and visual displays of grandeur to try and impress upon the user the majesty and might of the Sith, Darth Bane's gatekeeper, styled to be a representation of the fallen Sith himself, shimmered into being before the two friends.

Shrouded with a dark veil about his person, Bane grew to a reasonable size, his image like a red-tinted version of a holocall avatar. He was adorned with a crustacean-styled armour that covered his entire artificial body - which Thane now knew to be near-indestructible orbalisk armour - but his cranial tattoos could be vaguely seen through his helmet.

Bane's face rarely changed from anything more than an aggressive grimace, only letting it slip to an expression of dark amusement with a sneer at the odd comment or ideal, but it was his usual grim visage that now met Thane, although Bane's sites were set upon Bomoor.

"You have brought a Jedi," he said simply, in a tone that suggested he was admonishing Thane - his effective apprentice. "Are you thinking to betray me?" He then asked Thane.

Although Thane felt an inner sense of deference to the holocron's gatekeeper - something he never quite had to many of the Jedi Masters - his stubborn and resolute attitude still found its way to the fore. "Why?" He challenged, glaring back at Darth Bane. "Do you fear a lone Jedi Knight?"

Whilst Bane did not quite laugh, he did once again present himself with that peculiar cross between positive and negative emotions, seeming both aggressive and hateful at the same time as finding the situation amusing; that same ever-present and barely-controlled fury flickered behind his once-living eyes at the suggestion. "This Ithorian is no threat," he grumbled dismissively. "He wraps himself in small and protective bubbles, defensive and closed to whatever true power he may be able to grasp; he is weak because he binds himself to his lessers."

Finally, the gatekeeper turned his gaze to Bomoor, in such a way that he seemed almost as if he were the true Dark Lord, the progenitor of the Rule of Two, fully capable of tearing the Jedi Consular to pieces with a thought, and not an inflammation of lattices and Force weaving. Although, in truth, Thane was not certain if he was entirely defenceless, should Bane decide to lash out at his friend. If it even meant anything, his fingers twitched, ready to make a move of his own.

The long-dead Human Sith peered at the tall being. "Wielding a diluted and already-weak power in feeble attempts to protect those without worth. You are no threat, Jedi." There wasn't even much malice left in Bane's voice now, but a sort of apathetic condescension. "Just a pointless waste."

Bomoor glared at the glowing apparition that dismissed him as useless. A quiet anger rose inside him. How dare this Sith toy reject the use of the Force to protect and defend. But what more could he expect from a Sith. It was all about "worthy" use of the Force, usually finding only themselves "worthy".

With a brief glance to Thane, he addressed the holocron, "I see a greater Force, Sith. One that connects to all living things, no matter how insignificant they may seem," The Ithorian was rather defensive, "I believe there is greater power in protecting those you care for than in protecting one's self. Not that you would understand that, you who exist only as a consciousness pressed into the face of this artefact. Do you even feel anything?"

Whilst he saw sense in Bomoor's final statement, Thane could not help but already see more merit in Bane's argument, as well as more solid reasoning. Out of interest, he kept silent.

"And yet, even so," the gatekeeper's artificial but deep voice retorted, "already this mere consciousness already has you on the back step." If it were possible, Bane appeared to be leering further towards the Ithorian. "Already this mere consciousness has you fearing, Jedi. What, then, do you think my fullest power was when my existence blighted this galaxy?" Even though they were marred by the blood-coloured style of his general appearance, malicious golden eyes glinted through the Sith Lord's helmet.

But he did not wait for a reply, but instead turned his head towards Thane, no humour in his expression at all. Instead, Bane scowled heavily at the former Jedi, a deep fury being cast out from within the gatekeeper. "You will not bring him again. There is no place for friends amongst the Sith; they will burden you, weaken you. They will cause you to fail at your most pinnacle moment. They will divert your attention from your greatness... or they may even oppose you."

The gatekeeper then began to shrink in size, Bane's shadowy-grim form slinking away into his holocron tomb, but a final parting echo billowed around, like a light gust of wind. But will you be strong enough?

Thane's eyes never diverged from the Sith holocron, only narrowed further with deeper thought and considerations, umpteen ideas warring for dominance in his psyche. The Human's expression did not change and he did not blink as he deliberated upon those last statements from the Dark Lord.

Bomoor made a grunting noise, "Quite the device..." he murmured, "I can't say the Jedi holocrons were ever quite so moody. Didn't even take the time to listen..."

A pang of concern shot through the Jedi. Is this what Thane now believed? Having been praising the knowledge this artefact had shared with him, had Thane now lost the respect he once held for him?

"I must ask you," Bomoor questioned his friend, "Is that how you see me now? Useless, unworthy...weak?"

Thane's head looked up sharply to his friend, breaking through his thoughts as he only now began to wonder whether or not Bomoor may have heard those passing words from the gatekeeper. "No, Bomoor, that's not how I see you," he said to his friend quietly, still slightly in thought. "You are far from weak, and you are certainly not useless or unworthy - you've proven that time and time again, particularly against other Jedi. By the Force, the very fact you even took the time to investigate and evenly address a Sith holocron is a testament to that."

The red glow within the device had dimmed following Bane's 'departure', but he could still feel the dark presence. "However," Thane then said, "I can't fault everything he said. Whilst I don't agree with only looking out for yourself, I don't believe in anchoring yourself to those who are weak. I mean, you don't help people by letting them get away with their incompetence, you help them through telling them how to do things - to stop them from ruining their own lives and the galaxy for everyone else."

Grasping the holocron and holding it before himself, Thane went on. "Bane's teachings are allowing me to further my powers every day. I see a genuine improvement with every single session. With that sort of power, I can truly have some sort of influence - some better way to help people the way they should be helped... not necessarily the way they want to be helped."

Bomoor clenched his facial muscles into a frown. That last addition to Thane's sentence seemed rather sinister, "I'm all for self improvement," Bomoor remarked, "And you know I do not lend my assistance unless there is just cause but, nonetheless, I would be wary about the advice you take from that construction. People's worth is not so easily judged. Everyone on this rag-tag crew of our's has worth but it is found in many different ways. Do not become blind to that and do not forget that I am here when you need me."

Bomoor gave a nod to his friend, "Now, I think I'd best stretch my legs. I've been sitting in my room for far too long so I think it is time for some work in the Training Room. You can join me if you wish."

Nodding, Thane placed the holocron back into the leather-and-satin box, clasping it shut and placing it away. He appreciated his friend's words - more than he expected - and was pleased at the notion of spending some time with him. "I think that's a good idea," he said, already unclasping his lightsaber hilt from his belt before giving a mischievous wink to the Ithorian. "And I might even wear a blindfold to even the odds."

But am I strong enough?

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