Another flashback! Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. I enjoy all your comments and they encourage me to keep going. That said, the next chapter might be a little bit longer in coming. Real Life (TM) stinks.
I took cover as I heard the rustling behind me. Even in the fading light of the day, I was able to recognize him. He crouched along awkwardly, as if he thought he could move silently and undetected. But there was nothing stealthy about him, especially in that. I stepped out from my hiding spot, nearly startling him. "Malak, what are you doing?" I asked with angered disappointment.
"You said to meet you out on the plains at dusk," he said slowly with slight confusion.
"I mean with that outfit!" I hissed pointing to his ridiculous high-collared costume.
"Well, you are wearing yours," he said pointing to the dark robe and cloak he had given to me.
"Yes, to conceal myself—we aren't supposed to be out here, remember? If I am seen, no one can say for sure who it was. But you…you manage to stick out even more in that thing!" I grumbled. Malak slumped a bit.
"Oh, well, too late now. Besides, there is nothing I can put on that would properly disguise me," he sighed. "I am certain no one saw me. The students are too busy studying, and the Masters are in the practice arena making last minute preparations for the show tomorrow. I think they are brushing up on their skills too…I TOLD you Vandar knew you let him win."
"He better practice. Our rematch will be tougher than the first duel three months ago," I warned as we began to walk through the tall grass.
"What about letting the Master win in his own school?"
"I am tired of this backwater academy, and after tomorrow, I intend never to set foot here again. So tonight is our last chance--we have to get in," I grumbled.
The ruins came into view as we rounded a small outcropping of stones. The last of the day faded from the sky. Malak ignited his light saber; the blue glow danced across the sealed doorway.
"Stand guard, I am going to meditate. I almost had it last time, I know what needs to be done to get this damn door opened," I growled as I knelt before the door.
I dropped into a deep meditation; I could feel the energy all around me; dark side power. I resisted it before once I found it here. But I knew now I needed to tap into that source if I wanted to be strong enough to break the Force shield placed here by the forgotten ancient Jedi. I reached out for it carefully, wishing to take only enough to serve my purpose. But the contact flooded me; I felt a surge of power fill my mind and body. Even with my supposed masterful command of the Force, I had never known such a sensation. I was delirious with the effect: all things were possible; I could not be denied any desire. I concentrated on the door; in mere moments, I had vaporized the barrier. The door fell open with nothing more than a thought. I opened my eyes and smiled at my results. Reluctantly, I released the power. It seemed to linger, but I finally felt it ebb away. I was strangely hollow once it departed.
"You did it!" Malak cried enthusiastically. I heard him take a deep breath, a gasp-like rattle. "Can you feel that? The cold, the dark…"
I stood and looked ahead into the nothingness of the entry. The darkness called, beckoned me forward. "Come on," I said without looking back at him. The darkness engulfed me; he had not followed. "Malak, what are you waiting for?" I called back to him. Finally a soft blue beam appeared.
"I really don't think we should be here. Dorak was right. There is an evil energy here. And from the looks of things, it was a temple after all," he said moving his blade around to shed light on the room.
I ignored him and moved deeper into the area, finding another door. This one was not sealed; it opened freely. The next room had its own light source from above. An old droid stirred to life as we approached. I reached for my saber hilt, but the droid only studied us and emitted a series of strange sounds in a language unfamiliar to me.
"Did you catch that?" I asked Malak, not taking my eyes off the machine.
"You are the language expert," he shot back as an answer.
"Maybe it wasn't a language. This thing looks old, probably broken just sitting down here all this time," I wondered out loud. I glanced around: a few dusty piles of remains were near some doors to the left and right. The droid spoke again; this time it caught my attention.
"That sounded like Selkath, but off," Malak said.
"It asked us if the builders sent us," I explained.
"Builders? What, of this temple?" Malak asked looking around.
"You wear the sacred raiment of the Builders," the droid continued "but you are not the Builders, nor are you the slaves." Malak and I looked at each other, at the robes he had made for us. So that old etching, the pictograph Malak had found did have something to do with these ruins. The architecture did seem familiar as I looked around the chamber.
"What did the text say about that temple scene?" I whispered to him. Malak seemed to think with all his might.
"It said the engraving was found past Malachor V in the Outer Rim; some experts thought it supported a wild theory, something about a legendary Infinite Empire," he offered. "I think that's what it said…" he added weakly. I glared at him. "Hey, I saw these cool clothes, and, well…" he shrugged sheepishly. I shook my head; he really, truly was an idiot. Image was all that mattered to him. But for once, maybe I could turn his fumbling into an advantage.
"Just follow my lead," I slipped softly to him. I turned to the ancient machine, addressing it loudly. "We come from the Builders of the Infinite Empire. We are here to check on this remote outpost. It has been a while since the Builders have been here, they seek a status report. We wear the symbol of their authority so you may recognize us."
"You must prove yourself worthy before you are given the knowledge of the Star Forge," the droid answered.
"The Star Forge?" Malak blurted before I could stop him. He earned yet another castigating glare from me…was he going for some record tonight?
"Yes, the Star Forge, the pinnacle of achievement of the Builders. It is the glory of their knowledge. Only those worthy may know of it."
"We are ready to prove ourselves," I answered quickly. Now it was Malak who gave me a look of astonishment and dread.
"Once you have passed the test, the door will be unsealed. That which you seek lies beyond," the ancient machine whirled around, indicating a doorway behind it.
"If we are not deemed worthy?" Malak asked.
"Then you die."
"Great," he mumbled as he followed me to the left-hand door.
The test was not as difficult as the guardian droid that attacked us on sight. We made short work of the machine and I quickly answered the questions asked of me at the old computer terminal. I was amazed the interface was compatible with my current technology; it readily accepted my datapad, and moments later, it was communicating in Basic. We then moved to the right-hand room to repeat the process.
"Was that it?" Malak asked as we headed back to the main room. "That was the big test? That was nothing!" he boasted.
"Because I was answering the questions. At least one of us paid attention in class," I chided.
"That wasn't all that tough of a question," he shot back.
"Well, that is true, but the answers sure gave you a rough time. Arboreal is NOT a death environment. You don't know what that word means, do you?" I teased as I looked back. I did not get the chance to fully enjoy his discomfort. As I looked to him and away from my path, I stumbled over some debris on the floor. I cursed sharply as I spun back to kick the offending pile of trash. That was when I realized what I had tripped on was actually the remains of some unworthy applicant for the secrets of the Star Forge. The bones were nearly reduced to powder, the clothing dusty and tattered. But one item remained curiously untouched by time. I reached down and picked up the smooth metallic mask.
"Disgusting," Malak grunted. I brushed off the dust and webs, uncovering a fearsome design in black and red etched into the smooth surface. I held it up to my face as I looked at Malak.
"How's this?" I asked. My voice reverberated with a mechanical buzz as it escaped through the small opening near my lips. Malak shuddered.
"That thing is scary. Put it back…I mean, it didn't do him any good," he said dismissively pointing to the bone pile. I pressed it closer; the narrow slit at the eyes provided an amazing amount of visual area. The mask seemed to be a perfect fit. I fastened it under the cloak hood. Malak viewed me mournfully. I tried to hide my smirk, but then realized with the mask, he could not see me smiling at his sadness. My grin widened further.
The ancient droid said nothing as we approached the door at the back of the chamber. It unlocked and fell open with a touch. Malak peered cautiously inside as I marched through undeterred. We found ourselves in yet another anteroom, a single door ahead of us. The dark side was oppressive in this chamber. I thought on how it had nearly overtaken me at the main entry, where its influence was not as great. I halted my progress, thinking, reconsidering. I began to pace, unsure of my next move.
"The dark side is strong in this place," Malak announced as he moved closer to the door. He appeared to drink it in. "I can feel its power!" He seemed to regain his composure as he watched me approach the door. "Is this wise? The ancient Jedi sealed this archway. If we pass beyond this door, we can never go back," he cautioned.
He was right, I knew he was. But this wasn't about right or wrong. It wasn't even about what I wanted; it was about what he did not want. He did not want to see me self-destruct because of what he had done; he did not want me to throw away my training, my life, my existence because of him. But it was too late; I was already undone, unmade. There was no going back; not back to the Council or to the way I was.
"The Order will surely banish us," he intoned sadly as I activated the final seal.
The panel fell away to reveal a metal structure placed unceremoniously in the center of the room. Without hesitation I made my way towards it. I felt as if I were being drawn to it. Malak hung back a moment before following, still pleading with me.
"Are the secrets of the Star Forge so valuable? Can its power truly be worth the risk?" he asked as he came to stand alongside me.
The arms of the structure opened like a blossom. A small orb floated from the base and displayed a detailed dimensional star chart. We both studied it in silence for a moment.
"This can't be it," Malak said at last. He seemed almost relieved, that we had avoided some terrible fate.
"No, it is a navigational chart," I pointed out. "Look, these are planets, that's Manaan…maybe that's why that droid knew Selkath?" I wondered. "But this thing is corrupted, whole quadrants are missing."
"Yeah, that looks like Tatooine, and Kashyyyk," he said moving around the display.
"And Korriban, the Sith planet," I said staring at the small reddish-brown sphere hanging in the field of projected stars.
"So this is nothing, then," he said. "This isn't a Star Forge, and I know there isn't anything like that on any of those planets."
"But maybe there is another map like this one, a Star Map hiding on those worlds with more information."
"Maybe, but so what? We have no way of getting there without explaining what we are up to," he shrugged. "I am glad this thing is so worthless. We don't have to tell the masters we were here. Besides, I don't know how we would get it back to the enclave, or how we would destroy it if it had been a danger to the Republic," he sighed.
"It isn't worthless, Malak," I said as I took out my datapad and downloaded the map. "All those dead sentients rotting in the outer rooms wanted this. I think we need to learn what is out there, waiting to be found."
"Let's just leave an anonymous tip with the Republic, let them deal with it then," he offered.
"No, this is up to us—we were the only ones able to get this far, right? This is our destiny, Malak, this is what the Force has in store for us, why we are a team," I appealed to his vanity. "We will discover this Star Forge and save the galaxy from it, or even maybe use it for the good of the Republic somehow." Malak seemed lost in thought; I could see him considering the parade he would receive upon being hailed a hero.
"We still have no means of traveling to these other planets in secret. Our every move is carefully watched by the Council," he protested.
"Then we leave their critical eye. I think it is time we acted on your proposal, Malak…we will join the war effort against the Mandalorians."
"What does that have to do with this?" he asked in complete confusion.
"Here is the plan," I explained, my thoughts rushing to me in excitement. "We wait until another devastating defeat is handed to the Republic, and that will not be long in the making. We decry this wanton destruction of life and disregard for civilization and insist the Council act… which we know they will not. We then recruit as many Jedi as possible to our noble cause: the more, the better, so we avoid rousing suspicion and we will get lost in the throng of deserting members. Then we go off and join the war. Under the Republic, we will have access to ships and transports, and we will not need to answer to anyone when we wish to travel anywhere." Malak's eyes began to dance with anticipation and appreciation for the scheme.
"Yes, we would be doing two good deeds at once—halting the war and finding this artifact. That is perfect!" he shouted. "But do you think the Republic will listen to us, let us lead them so completely? They have one plan from you, and like you said, they do not know who you are…"
"This mask will hide me well enough—they will listen to my plans and tactics. And you will be at my side, Malak, to make sure it happens."
"I will be there, Revan, I will always be there," he swore solemnly.
As if he had a choice, I thought.