(Ossus)


Torth Rezen ran his finger along the spines of every book on the shelf, some of them twice. He had been doing just that for the last six hours, and was somewhere between mastering the categorizing of books and going insane. Re-organizing the library (not that it had needed it) had been his punishment for laxity of required memorization.

“Laxity..” He scoffed. Torth double-checked the room to make sure there were no Jedi Masters around to hear him say that. He had been a padawan for almost 4 years at the Jedi Academy in Ossus, and though he was nowhere near becoming a full fledged Jedi Knight, he always felt like he was underestimated as a Jedi.

Top of the class in saber techniques, bottom in everything else. He loved being a Jedi. Rather, he loved the thought of being a Jedi. Wielding the eloquent and deadly lightsaber, fighting evil villains, protecting the universe from the Dark Side, that’s what being a Jedi is supposed to be about. They don’t tell you about all the other crap you go through.

Hours of countless studying, rules to be memorized, meditation, and everything else Torth couldn’t stand. Even before he was a Jedi he was impatient and headstrong. That was a mark of the Dark Side. Everything was a mark of the Dark Side it seemed.

“Feh. This looks good.” He said, sliding a book into its place. It promptly fell onto the floor the moment he turned away.

“Damn it all!” he shouted as he snatched the book carelessly from the floor.

“And you wonder why we never allow you to organize the holocrons.” A voice said from behind him. Torth shot around a frown came across his face as he saw who it was.

“I’m sorry Master Jokth. I just…”

”You just lost patience, padawan. You must control your temper. Anger is the path to the Dark Side.” The Master said, folding his arms inside the customary tan robes of the Jedi.

Torth held back a snarl and nodded his head. “You’re right Master, I will try better next time.” Jokth nodded his wrinkled head and glided out the door.

Torth carefully placed the book back in its place and glanced over his shoulder. He had always wondered what kind of information the Holocrons contained. Probably some kind of hidden Jedi knowledge that would elevate him above his peers. That must be why they are so well hidden, he decided.

“I’m going to get one of those Holocrons.” He said under his breath, taking one last look over his shoulder.


Coincidentally, that was the exact same thing a Sith Apprentice had said as he boarded his ship and set course for Ossus.

The chimes and buzzing of the tiny ship brought Bel out of his light slumber. He propped himself up using the second set of arms he had on his back. They were a “gift” from his forefathers’ lack of reason. A mutation caused by too much time under the radiation of a White Dwarf star. He let his eyes adjust to the dimness of the ship, and shook his great head twice.

Bel stood up, not all the way of course, as much as the small ship would allow him. About six of his seven feet. He was always careful not to smash his horned head through the ceiling of his ship.

Bel made his way into the cockpit, taking a seat next to the droid pilot at the command. It was off, or resting, Bel didn’t know. Bel had spent nearly two weeks at the Sith Academy on Xa Fel attempting to learn the basics of flying, and so far he only knew how to tell the droid where to go. Not much, but a start.

He looked out into the streaks of white that zipped past the ship. He was in hyperspace, he knew, but he wasn’t sure exactly what that was. The droid did all the piloting, and that was fine with him.

The white lines seemed to slow down slightly, and then widen. The pilot-droid stirred somewhat, the gears of its motors churning as it clicked buttons on the command console.

“We will be entering real space shortly, master.” It said, still working furiously at the glowing buttons. “We will arrive shortly outside the space around the planet Ossus, and then will begin a landing sequence. Is that correct?” it asked, not looking at Bel.

“Correct.” He said in a low voice. “But do not request proper landing protocols, or attempt to find a docking bay. I want you to land at these coordinates.” Bel said, sliding a chip containing the coordinates into a slot in the droids head. It processed the information at lightning speed then nodded and shut off, its duties done for now.

Bel had felt the call to Ossus shortly after arriving on Xa Fel. Using some of the books in the Academies Library, he found information on the planet. Though he skipped over big words like “disaster” and “abandoned”, he gleaned enough information to find out that there was a Jedi temple on Ossus. And inside that Jedi temple were Holocrons, ancient devices used to store information regarding The Force. It was a simple matter, even for him, to find out the location of the discreet Jedi Temple.

“Entering Real Space now, prepare for re-entry.” A voice chimed. Bel smiled, which looked more like a maniacal grin then anything, but that was alright with him.

“Prepare yourselves.” He said, holding his claws hands up into the light. “There is much blood to be spilled.”

(Short and confusing, but meh... I'm tired (Can't you see? I even posted with the wrong account). You've got your reply... now make something interesting out of it. :P)

Tatane had not been to Ossus in some time. Even so, her visits to it had always been brief, either for business or a personal visit to someone that studied at the academy. Already the halls of the building felt all too familiar, and the living Force reverbrated off of every moving body. It was different, in the Jedi. It was trained. Focused. Just... different.

"You've been gone for some time," murmured the small woman that walked at Tatane's side, her eyes cast toward the ground. Her chocolate-colored hair was pinned up messily on her head, and she moved with a posture that indicated her self-importance. "My curiosity gets the best of me, young padawan. What did Naboo send you out for this time?"

"I would like to satisfy your curiosity, but my dedication to the Order holds me bound to a promise. My lips are sealed, Vessus."

The knight sniffed, glaring in any direction but Tatane's. "I would think that we held no secrets from one another."

"No secrets but our own."

Vessus turned to the padawan and blinked, evidently unsure what she meant by that. She didn't reply, however, and instead drew her robes closer to her body.

Then, the padawan stopped.

"What is it?" asked Vessus, her fingertips brushing Tatane's sleeve. For a moment there was silence. Tatane did her best to identify the subtle disturbance in her thoughts, the ripple in the atmosphere. She felt an emptiness caused by the lack of an answer. She wanted to know, because for some reason... she was afraid. For Ossus? She wasn't even sure.

"Nothing?" Tatane murmured.

Vessus shook her head. "I felt nothing."

When Tatane continued walking, Vessus was at her heels.

"Well?" she asked, her eyes searching the padawan's face. Her expression was one that pleaded for an explanation.... Vessus was always the curious sort.

"I believe Jokth is around here somewhere? Where might I speak with him? Or is there someone else - someone else I can have counsel with at the moment?"

Torth paced quickly through the mostly-empty halls of the Jedi Academy on Ossus. His dark brown padawan robes were hugging close to his body, and his eyes were staring intently ahead. He knew the temple well, and knew which routes to use when he felt like being alone.

He turned a corner quickly and bumped into someone. He looked up quickly to see a brown haired girl he had never seen before and a Knight by the name of Vessus. He managed to blurt out an “Excuse me” Before shoving his way through them.

With every step away from the pair, his heart raced. He knew they would call out his name, demand he return, and subsequently ask him what was in his robes. He cast a quick glance at the Jedi Holocron he had stashed in his robes, but then quickly looked ahead, deciding it was safer not to even think about it.

It was easier than he thought it was going to be. The Holocrons were stored in a room that was supposedly accessible to privileged Knights and Masters. The door didn’t even have a lock. It was as easy as picking the tiny thing off a shelf and stuffing it in his robes.

The padawan rounded the final corner and opened the door to his private room. It was the basic setup for a padawan. A small cot, a desk, a table, and whatever else the Jedi-in-training was allowed to have in the tiny room.

Torth shut the door, and slid the locking mechanism in place. After making sure no one was around, he produced the Holocron from his robes.

It reminded Torth of the great temples he had seen in the holo-pics he occasionally watched. It was a pyramid shape on both sides, making it look like a large, dark blue diamond. The glassy sides were opaque, and a misty substance swirled inside.

He sat down on his bed and sighed loudly. Next came the arduous task of unlocking its secrets.

There it was.

The man knocking into her, his shifty nature, his hurry to escape their gaze.... It was all so very obvious that this was what she had been waiting for.

Vessus watched her face intently as she turned slightly, and gazed at the man as he traveled down the hall. She simply met his eyes as he looked over his shoulder, searching them during that brief glance for some sort of explanation. There was little there, save for the fact that he knew something that he shouldn't... had something that he shouldn't.

Vessus already knew about Tatane's suspicions. She raised a brow at her, then looked back in the direction that the man had disappeared. "What are you doing?" she asked her as she looked back again. "You're just going to stand there? It's obvious that you wanted to go after him."

Tatane narrowed her eyes, still looking in the same direction. "I believe I just found the one that I want to talk to," she murmured. "Forget about Jokth. He's the one I want to speak with."

Vessus blinked, then hugged herself as if there was a sudden chill. "What did he have? I didn't say anything... I didn't want to. You were so silent and still.... Why can't I ever tell what you're thinking?"

A small smile graced the corner of Tatane's lips. "He wouldn't have acknowledged us anyway. Maybe he thinks he got away. Do you think he'd answer the door?"

Vessus snorted. "He'd better. If he has something he shouldn't, I'm going to crush his door down. You seem awfully calm about this.... I seem awfully calm about this...." The Knight trailed off, obviously confused with herself. "Must you always have that effect on me?"

"We have an understanding," murmured Tatane. "That's all."

Vessus opened her mouth to protest that earlier, she had said something to contradict that statement. However, she seemed to change her mind and closed her mouth.

Without another word she strode down the hall, then rounded the corner with Vessus once again at her heels. Her robes fluttered out of her way, and her step was quiet... soundless. Vessus instructed her of which room she knew this man to use, and that his name was Torth - a natural at saber techniques. She said that she didn't speak to him often, but believed that he was odd when compared to the other students.

By the time Tatane had reached the stranger's door, she was more than prepared to disturb him. With a brisk knock, she eyed the door intently. She almost burned holes in it with that gaze, and she awaited it's opening, having every intention to know what and why this man had something that he didn't have permission to have.

Yet above all sense of loyalty and responsibility, there was simply a burning curiosity.... Was this Torth character simply looking to steal the academy's secrets... or was there more? Something deeper? She wondered if it was a good thing to have Vessus with her when she pried into Torth's privacy and business. She was afraid that she might agree with his intentions, and she knew that as long as he had taken something that didn't belong to him, Vessus most certainly would not.

Then again, there was still that feeling of a disturbance in the air. Perhaps this Torth was not the only one.

The small spacecraft landed in the area designated by the droids command, a large valley less than a kilometer away from the Jedi Temple. He had seen it as the ship was coming in low.

It was old, and looked it. The temple was composed of four small domed structures that all connected to a larger, central dome. It was the same tarnished brown color as the robes the Jedi wore, but the some of them temple had been rebuilt after its near-destruction, and now large sections were of the domes were covered in blotchy spots of grey and black.

Bel stepped out of the gleaming silver ship, ducking low to avoid his horns smashing into the ship. He was bent at nearly a 90 degree angle just to get out of the ship. There were few ships specifically designed to fit a 7 foot, 400 Lbs. monster.

He stretched his arms for the first time in many hours, all four of them. Taking a look around, he produced a small locator from a pouch around his waist. He flipped a switch and it came to life.

“Less than a kilometer that way.” He said to himself, looking out into an expanse of arid desert. He couldn’t see the temple from where he was standing, but he would be able to soon.

He looked West, or what he assumed was West seeing as the sun was setting in that direction, and decided it would be best to wait for nightfall before hunting. And nightfall would be soon.

But not soon enough.

With a great bound, Bel took off towards the Jedi temple, his hooves smashing the ground with every step.




Torth almost had a heart attack when he heard a knock at his door. Had he been paying attention to anything other than his new Holocron he would have sensed the two Jedi coming long before they reached the door, but that was not the case.

[I]Damn! It must be those two I bumped in the hallway.[I/]

The boy tossed the Holocron on his cot and quickly began to de-robe. When he was in nothing but his undergarment, he began to hide the Holocron.

“One moment!” he said frantically. “I’m not fully dressed!” He wasn’t sure if they were trying, but he knew that they could detect if he was lying, so it was best not to take chances.

He grabbed the Holocron, cupping it in his hands and searching the room frantically for somewhere to hide it. He had one idea but…

There was another knock at the door.

Jolting him even more, he slid under his bed, grabbing the piece of wood that covered his make-shift hiding place. He pulled out what had previously been in there. Some books that were deemed “less than appropriate” for young padawans, and extra food rations.

He threw the Holocron inside, and quickly closed it. He grabbed the books and shoved them inside the pillow case, making sure just the edge was showing. He quickly donned his robe and said “You may enter.”

Tatane made no hesitation to enter, and Torth would see that as she did, her expression was quite unreadable. Vessus, however, had eyes full of fire, and she raised her hand in preperation to demand that Torth reveal what he stole.

Yet Tatane raised her hand, as if she was Vessus' master. "That isn't needed," she murmured to the hot-headed knight, and the both of them let their arms fall. The padawan turned back to the one before her, her eyes carefully surveying him. Her expression remained unidentifiable.

"It took you some time to reply," she remarked. "Ironic, as you were in quite a hurry in the hall. I hope we aren't disturbing you.... I just thought I'd pay you a visit... just out of curiosity. Maybe a few questions? I haven't been to Ossus in some time."

Vessus gave Torth a glare, obviously itching to say something. Tatane began to scan the room, slowly making her way further in as if she was casually looking for something - which she probably was. Vessus remained in her place, her eyes never leaving the male.

"Of course, you know why we're here," Tatane finally said. "Maybe it's easier just to get straight to the point?" She turned to him, her eyes now flickering with a subtle determination. "So where is it? Though I doubt you'll answer, I'm curious why you've taken it."

Torth nearly unleashed a string of curses as the two female Jedi strode into his room. He pivoted on his heels, quickly tying the robes around his waist and brushing down the wrinkles. He smoothed back his black hair slowly, hoping to stall for as long as her could.

"Ironic, as you were in quite a hurry in the hall. I hope we aren't disturbing you.... I just thought I'd pay you a visit... just out of curiosity. Maybe a few questions? I haven't been to Ossus in some time."

He gave a nod out of nothing more than politeness and said, “Of course I am obliged to answer your questions, Mistress.” He said, staring hard at Tatane. He respected the Jedi he knew, but off-worlders were something different. He wanted her to know that even though she outranked him, respect must be earned.

"Of course, you know why we're here. Maybe it's easier just to get straight to the point?” the off worlders asked. Her gaze shifted around the room for a moment, inspecting it carefully. Torth made sure to keep his mind clear of any guilt, or anything that would give his secret away. He began to run through the categorization of the books in the library, struggling to remember where each one was, and if he had placed it correctly.

If either of the Jedi notices his distraction tactic, they said nothing.

Vessus continued to glare at him, her eyes fixed on his, but he was used to that by now. But that off worlder…

She had an air calmness about her. It made him scared. It made him angry. It made him want to scream.

"So where is it? Though I doubt you'll answer, I'm curious why you've taken it." Tatane said rapidly, her eyes now fixated on him. Torth rocked back on his heels, feigning surprise.

“Mistress, what would you accuse me of? I have taken nothing, nor have I done anything wrong?” He kept his voice steady and smooth, not letting the fear that was nagging at him take hold. “Would you care to explain what you think I’ve done to deserve your indictment? “


*

Night had fallen by now, though a few rays of the massive sun still struggled to the earth. The sky was colored a dark red. In only a few moments the sky would be black.

He was at the Jedi Temple now. As indicated, it wasn’t guarded. There wasn’t even a fence around the complex. A small marble walkway led to the front door, but knocking at the door probably wouldn’t be the wisest of courses. Even Bel knew that.

He had heard the tales of the Jedi in battle. Fierce warriors. They were tricky. They would use illusions and mind tricks of all kinds, he was told by his Sith Masters. Getting a straight fight from a veteran Jedi would be like trying to pick out a certain grain of sand in a whirlwind.

Bel surveyed the area, double checking for any wandering civilians. Jedi Temples were frequented by citizens of all kinds, and he didn’t feel like hunting down any that happened to see him tonight.

Bel crouched down, resting his front arms on his powerful legs. He closed his eyes, and shut the world out. Everything faded away from his senses. He inhaled deeply. And he could smell them. All of them.

Throughout the complex, dozens of them. Walking, running, sweating, laughing. He could literally taste their different emotions. But above all else, he smelled something he enjoyed. Taking another breath, he attempted to decipher exactly what the wondrous scent was. He had smelt it time and time again, but it was lost to his memory.

And then it came to him.

He smelt it on men he had killed. He smelt it on the nomad, before he slew him. He smelt it on the ship pilot before he gutted him. And he smelt it on this boy inside the Jedi temple.

Fear.

Eschewing the consequences, Bel leapt forward, bolting towards the unsuspecting boy.

Though Tatane was carefully gauging the young man's reactions, her eyes simply masked her intentions. Still, he could most likely tell what she was doing anyway, and with that she had little problem. The Force around him was unsteady - as if he wasn't sure what to do, what to think. Perhaps her presence was not welcomed... induced hate, anger, maybe even fear. This in a student at Ossus? It worried her.

"My name is Tatane," she said softly. "I prefer to be addressed that way. I am not your superior, nor do I want you to believe that. You and I are the same - students, Jedi... people."

She averted her eyes, evidently trying not to preach to him about anything. "You seem surprised at our entry," she continued, "but I think you're angry, more than anything. We've invaded your privacy... interrupted something."

"As we have every right to," Vessus remarked darkly. "I saw your eyes. Nervous, hungry. You have something -"

"Vessus," Tatane hissed. "Leave it be."

The woman fell silent.

The padawan turned to Torth, her eyes alive with a need to explain herself, to get him to explain himself. Yet suddenly there was a flutter in the Force, a disturbance that made her hair stand on end and a chill run up her spine. Her eyes widened with this jolt of surprise, and in instants her two lightsabers were in her hands, the familiar sound of them leaving their hilts resonating through the air.

"Something is here," she breathed, already in a combative stance. Though she felt the need to go rigid, to push the others as far away as possible, she let herself forget the fact that she couldn't identify the source of the disturbance. She breathed out, making herself balanced within and without. She felt calm - at peace with the world around her, and yet all the more ready for what was to come.

But it was coming. She could feel it. Whatever it was, she must be ready.

Vessus was at her side in an instant, her orange lightsaber at the ready. She eyed the room warily, as if Torth was no longer there, and it was obvious that she could feel it too. Yet Tatane had not forgotten him, and she turned to him with her mouth open, ready to speak.

All of this in moments. The next move was Bel's.

All reason had left him.

All sensibilities, all logic, all common sense had bowed down to the unstoppable surge of rage that Bel now knew.

The room where the Jedi stood was a small dome-shaped annex on the very corner of the Jedi temple, only a few yards away from him. There was one…no…three of them. One was cautious, wary of his presence. The other was prepared to do battle.

Even the threat of two armed Jedi warriors didn’t deter the beast from his course. If anything, it spurred him on. He kept forward, plowing through a row of lush hedges, and moving closer to his target.

*

Something pulled his attention away from the two Jedi, and Torth snapped his head sideways, looking at one of the walls of his room. There was a tugging at him then, a pull on his mind. Something was looking at him.

“There’s something…” He started to see, but before he could finish he realized the two Jedi had already drawn their sabers. He noted that Tatane was wielding two simultaneously, something he often aspired to do.

Torth wished he had his saber at that moment, even if it was just a training model. He felt so naked next two these two, and he hated that inferiority.

He began to back up, slowly, hoping they would think he was moving towards them for protection, and not the stolen artifact hidden under his bed. He was about to contemplate how he would go about retrieving it without being noticed when a resounding CRACK sent him toppling onto his bed.

*


If he had not been in a fit of bloodlust, he might have thought his next move out a bit more. Not too much more, mind you, but enough to decide slamming full speed into the concrete wall wasn’t *that* great of an idea.

But it was all he had.

The first strike had sent a large crack through one side of the structure, and nearly dislocated his shoulder. But Even a solid wall wouldn’t hold long against four-hundred pounds of muscle.

He hit it again, though with much less force, and sent the crack skittering upwards. And again, and again, each time taking a few steps back and running forward, shoulder barred.

The crack began to widen significantly, to the point where between strikes he could see inside.

And there sat the boy.

The thing that at this very moment was emitting a palpable aura of fear. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of this pitiful thing. He was doing it a favor by ending its life.

Which is probably what the two battle-hardened Jedi were thinking by then.