15

"Well, that was fun."

Their pilot, a skinny Kubaz clothed in dusty overalls, forced open the landing ramp to their small craft with two swift kicks. Avner followed Bastila and Canderous off the derelict ship, and their pilot tossed a comm unit his way before disappearing back into the cockpit. The ship lifted off in a curtain of smoke and disappeared. He would return when summoned… maybe…

"I'm surprised that thing was able to take off," Bastila quipped dryly, and Canderous grunted in agreement. Yavin IV was all sprawling forests, with trees scaling so high it seemed as if they were touching the blue skies above them. Ferns wrapped around the deep purple bark of the trunks, and bioluminescent orchids flowered along the small trail they found themselves on. It was as if life from all over the galaxy had gathered here to take root and grow beneath the blazing sun of Yavin Prime.

The trail took them deep into the jungle, following the path set out by the coordinates Suvam had provided. Abandoned stone structures of a society long gone began to dot the terrain, great stone blocks winding throughout the trees, organic and nonorganic blending together almost seamlessly. Avner ran his hand over one of the rough edges of a stone monument and closed his eyes. Images flashed in quick succession, telling the doomed tale of a race of red-skinned people, primitive in nature but great warriors brimming with the Force. A man dressed in black wielding a blade of cold blue light swept down upon them like a dark, horrifying storm, enslaving them under the throws of his terrible power. They were broken and brought to task, forced to build these great monuments, twisted by some perverse darkness, their bodies unrecognize-.

"Hey, you okay?" He flinched when Bastila's hand touched his arm and stepped back from the stone; the memories… the echoes of past voices abruptly cut off.

"Yeah…"

"You saw something."

It wasn't an accusation but rather an observation, one he could not deny. One he didn't want to, so he only nodded.

"Psychometry correct? I know Kiffar are innately gifted with such talents through the Force; you can… see past events, memories, even experience emotions from those long gone just from physical contact with an object," Bastila continued.

"Imprints, my people can read electromagnetic imprints left behind by other beings; the wiring in our cortexes allows a Kiffar to pick up on the subtle shifts of a person's electromagnetic field. It's what makes us good fighters and even better trackers," Avner explained while he rubbed his eyes, trying to clear away the remaining remnants of the unwanted images. The Force had little to do with his people's ability; he was of the firm mindset that it all led back to the inherent biological markers found in every Kiffar that allowed them to use psychometry, not some invisible hocus pocus bullshit.

She didn't push back against his beliefs, instead nodding to the shrine he had just touched. It was a towering obelisk engraved with countless sigils, all painstakingly hand-carved into the rock decades ago. "This is a Massassi war shrine. The natives who lived here would erect them for great fallen warriors; it tells their story from birth till death and every accomplishment they ever achieved. Though this one…" She trailed off and frowned.

"What?"

"It wasn't built for a Massassi. This one tells the life of a great sorcerer who defeated them, whose powers rivaled the gods. He brought them into an age of enlightenment, gave them weapons imbued with immense power, and made them great conquerors of this entire world."

"He also brought great pain… darkness." He gazed over the intricate carvings. The language was completely foreign to him, but the pictographs painted a clear tale of the fear and zealous devotion these Massassi had for the terrible magus.

"Yes… the Dark Side can twist even the most steadfast and purest into something… unrecognizable," Bastila says, running a hand over the shrine's sigils.

"The Dark Side?"

"Bogan; it is using the Force in its most depraved form by drawing upon negative emotions like anger, hatred, jealousy, fear, or unrestrained passion. When one submits to the Light, there is a death of self, a sacrifice of one's own needs and being to the Cosmic Force. But the Dark Side… the Dark Side does not sacrifice but possess. It takes what it wants, devours everything in its path, and desecrates all who fall to its influence," Bastila explained, watching him closely before glancing back at the obelisk when his eyes met hers.

He snorted and shook his head. "So the Force has a personality now?"

She looked over at him thoughtfully instead of her usual exasperation when he made the quip. "What do you know of the Force, Avner? Not what you've been told, but what you believe it is."

He was silent for a second as he mulled over her question. The Force… well, it was some invisible entity that gave some beings odd mystical powers but left most of the galaxy untouched. It was there, but not really there… more a metaphysical theory than anything else that was the cause of most of the wars the galaxy found itself in. "It's a power that the Jedi and the Sith have that lets them control people… and move stuff around… make things float."

Her mouth twitched but not in amusement. "Incredible, everything you just said is wrong."

He just raised his brows, waiting for her to continue.

"The Force is not some invisible power that gives someone supernatural abilities. Think of it rather as a formidable ally wound into every aspect of the galaxy; life breathes it… makes it grow." She gestured all around them, to the towering trees and birds flying high above them, to the flowering plants and water that dripped off the dew leaves. "It is an energy that surrounds us and binds the universe together. Every being, every creature, every lifeform is connected through the Force, all living as one… dying as one."

Hearing her talk about the Force and its all-encompassing reach almost made Avner believe that perhaps something more was tying the entire universe together. If he closed his eyes and quieted his mind, he could almost hear every chitter made by the small creatures weaving through the grass beneath his feet, smell every scent carried by the wind, and feel the very thrum of life itself like a heartbeat matching his own. He could feel Bastila's conscious gently brushing against his own. He reached out tentatively, not really sure what he was exactly doing, and returned the gesture albeit a bit roughly. She smiled though he couldn't see it, but he could feel it, and it warmed him like the rays of the afternoon sun.

"Hey! You two done sightseeing yet?"

Canderous' gruff voice snapped him back to reality, and all warmth from Bastila evaporated instantly. The thrum of life around him vanished, and his senses deadened like he had suddenly been cut off from the rest of the galaxy. He shook his head, trying to clear away the last vestiges of… whatever he had just experienced, and took a few steps away from the shrine. Bastila was again watching him closely, and the familiar itch that she knew more than she was letting on returned. He wanted to press her, confront her on the vision they had shared, the visions he had had of her, and get some answers to all the insanity that had infested his life in the past few weeks. But now was not the time nor the place.

"Yeah, we're finished."

"Good, because while you two were enjoying the scenery, I found our missing salvage."

They followed Canderous beyond the abandoned buildings and into the thick foliage, trekking about half a klick through the jungle before the terrain sloped down sharply into a deep ravine. At the bottom sat several grounded speeders surrounded by metal containers and twisted refuse. He slid down the sharp incline coming to a stop beside one of the landspeeders. A single occupant sat slumped over the controls, several charred holes littering his back. Another body lay several yards away, face down in the dirt, and a third was sprawled amongst the rocks, the poor bastard's left eye socket a gaping black cavity.

"Spread out. There may be survivors," Bastila instructed as she examined the bodies furthest from the speeders. Canderous Ordo's jaw clenched, and he looked non-too pleased at being ordered around.

"Didn't realize we were working for you now, Jedi," he grunted while rummaging through some of the crates.

Bastila didn't respond.

Canderous shot a derisive smile at her back. "Not that I would ever work under someone who got defeated by a bunch of street thugs. I think Avner would agree that only a rookie Jedi would find themselves bested by the Black Vulkars.

He was unsure what the Mandalorian was playing at, but Bastila's shoulders stiffened in response to his words. "There were extenuating circumstances."

"Whatever you say," Canderous digressed, but his eyes sharpened, and his voice took on a mocking edge. "All I know is that if we had more Jedi like Bastila fighting against us in the Mandalorian Wars, well, my side might not have lost."

That contemptuous insult sent Bastila whipping around, gray eyes flashing like lightning across thunder-heavy skies. "Bold talk from a broken-down mercenary who served at the heel of those very gangs. I'd call you their pet kath hound, but they at least have enough loyalty not to turn on their masters."

It was a low blow, just as low as the one Canderous threw at her, and Avner was surprised at Bastila's spit. It was the most un-Jedi-like thing he had ever witnessed, and he couldn't help but chuckle lowly, much to Canderous' ire.

His jaw tightened even more, and he grinned cruelly down at the small Jedi who didn't look the least bit intimidated. "Resulting to insults? Maybe if your master had trained your lightsaber to be as quick as your tongue, you could have escaped those Vulkars, you spoiled little Jedi princess!"

She had marched right up to the big man, now standing toe to toe with the warrior, hands clenched tightly into fists. "I was not spoiled! I was given the same training as everyone else in the Order! You are nothing but a…" She stopped abruptly as if suddenly realizing the blatant hostility rolling off her in waves. She stepped back and relaxed her posture, the anger mostly draining from her face, but small hints still remained at the pull of her lips and in the depths of her eyes. "No, I won't do this. There is no emotion; there is peace."

Canderous just rolled his eyes. "That's the problem with you, Jedi. Always going on and on about peace and control, never up for a good fight. Well, except for Revan, I guess. Now there was a man down for a good scrap."

Fury, pure and unadulterated, flashed across her face, and for a second, Avner saw something almost sinister twist her features before it vanished from sight. "Enough, Mandalorian. I won't rise to your bait anymore. Let's just get back to what we came here to do."

She turned away and walked back to the body she had been looking over before. Canderous sneered before offering one final jab. "Whatever you say, Avner and I will make sure you don't screw anything else up and bring the Sith down on this planet as well."

Bastila visibly flinched.

It was the lowest insult yet, and Avner frowned at the Mandalorian. Even though Bastila could be a bit overbearing and very controlling, she didn't deserve words as cruel as that. "Canderous, enough."

The warrior only shot him a surly look, but a twisted grin was still planted on his lips. "What? A real Jedi wouldn't let a few verbal barbs get under her skin."

"She's part of the team, someone trying to help us get out of here."

"Hmph, she's no friend of mine, Avner, and if you're smart, you'll keep your distance too." Canderous said this loud enough that it carried over to the Jedi before going back to rifling through the containers while the Kiffar only sighed and examined the speeders. It would be a waste of energy to try to get the Mandalorian to take back his last comment, the other man firmly set in his misgivings about Shan. He supposed it made some sense; the Mandalorians and Jedi are sworn enemies, both inflicting great tolls on each other during the previous war. But Canderous had taken it beyond the centuries-old rivalry and struck at something deeply personal that he already knew Bastila was struggling with. The tension that had been stifling aboard the Hawk was nearly unbearable now, and Avner wondered how they would ever make it to Dantooine without tearing each other apart.

He ran a hand over the hood of the speeder. The engines have long since gone cold, and several blaster bolts were scattered across the chipped metal frame like someone had sprayed the vehicle with a salvo of blaster fire. Clearly, somebody had attacked the group as they were packing up their salvage and then vanished into the surrounding jungle. But who… and why? He touched the arm of the man slumped over the controls and was immediately assaulted with the sounds of screams and the harsh smell of plasma discharge. It wasn't entirely clear what was happening, but two men stood across from each other, one the current deceased occupant of the speeder and the other individual the corpse lying face down a few meters away; beyond them, a body lay unmoving amongst the rocks.

"Kham, wait! You know me! We've worked together for years," the man closest to the speeder held his hands out in front of him. His words came out distorted, almost slurred, like something was warping his vision when it should have been clear. It was as if some unknown power was obscuring the past events.

The other man just pointed his blaster at the human, his other hand clutching something unseen. This forced his friend to turn and run for the speeder. Kham fired, and several shots hit the other man's back. He stumbled but was able to crawl into the speeder, pulling free a blaster of his own and returning several shots. Kham strafed the speeder with a barrage of bolts before falling to his knees and collapsing moments later. The man in the landspeeder fumbled futilely with the ignition, but his vision was fading fast, life slipping away as he dropped his head forward, body shuddering once before going still.

He pulled back mentally and physically from the dead body before him and looked at the man's hands. A blaster was gripped in his left, his right lying close to the ignition switch. So the men had turned on each other, clearly, something driving them to violence; greed perhaps, or maybe they had discovered something of value, and no one wished to part with it. He approached the deceased man closest to the speeder, the one who had fired first in his vision. He still held his gun firmly while his other hand clutched a strange object. It almost appeared to be some kind of gauntlet forged from dark metal and inlaid with an opaque crystal. He reached forward to pry it loose.

"Don't touch that!"

Bastila was at his side in an instant, grabbing his arm and physically pulling him away from the dead man. He looked at her in confusion, but her gaze was fixed solely on the gauntlet. Canderous strolled up behind them and crouched down beside the body.

"At least the poor shit was able to hold onto his gun. Nothing worse than dying without your weapon," Canderous grunted, spitting near the corpse.

"Keep back, Mandalorian," Bastila hissed.

"What? What's wrong?" Avner asked while Canderous just ignored the Jedi and instead edged closer.

"Something evil hangs over the body; a strong presence of the Dark Side emanates from that gauntlet," she replied.

"What is it?"

"It appears to be some kind of Sith artifact, most likely leftover from the previous Force Wars. They're dangerous relics with unknown powers that can possess or even kill any being unprepared to handle them," Bastila explained.

"These men… they killed each other. I'm not sure why…" he trailed off and glanced down at the gauntlet. Could it have been what was obscuring his vision? It seemed absurd that something so unremarkable could drive three men to murder, but then what else could have done it? Perhaps the Force worked in bizarre, deranged ways.

"There are sometimes dark spirits attached to these things or terrible curses that can drive a person insane."

"Please, don't let this Jedi's supernatural bullshit scare you, Avner. This is nothing more than a piece of junk," Canderous scoffed as he reached for the relic.

"Canderous, no!"

An invisible wall of energy slammed into Avner's chest the second Canderous' hand touched the gauntlet. He and Bastila were violently thrown back, his back colliding with the solid mass of a boulder knocking the wind from his lungs. Bastila tumbled with the unseen blow, flipping once through the air before landing gracefully on her feet, hand coming to her lightsaber's hilt. A few meters away, Canderous' body was contorted most unnaturally. His back was arched backward, mouth opened in a silent scream as the wind whipped around him like a twister. The gauntlet's crystal was glowing a deep red, and it washed over the Mandalorian, who struggled to right himself but couldn't seem to break free from the invisible force that had him trapped. His thick neck cords strained like taut ropes beneath his skin, and veins spidered across his head. He let out a shout, and the cyclone wrapped around his body suddenly stopped, the very air that had been whipping about seemly sucked into the warrior's lungs. He dropped to his knees, coughing forcefully.

"Ordo!" Avner scrambled to his feet and ran toward the other man. Hands wrapped around his forearm, dragging him back.

"Wait," Bastila said, pulling on his arm. Her eyes were trained on Canderous, who began to rise slowly, limbs moving in stiff circles as if he was unfamiliar with them. The gauntlet was now wrapped around his right arm snugly, the crystal pulsing in a congruous rhythm like a heartbeat.

"I'm not sure about this one," the Mandalorian growled, his voice slightly higher than his normal gruff and scratchy like a nail being dragged across a rock. He rolled his shoulders, the joints cracking. "Strong, but simple… nothing to draw off of."

"Canderous!"

He looked up as if just noticing the two of them. His bloodshot eyes narrowed, lips pulling back into a hideous snarl when his gaze landed on Bastila. "Je'daii."

His muscles bunched, and in an instant, the Mandalorian had crossed the distance between them, throwing a quick uppercut to the Kiffar's jaw. Avner barely had the time to throw up his arms before the man's explosive punch connected and hurled him back several feet. He landed in a heap while Bastila weaved between the Mandalorian's frenzied blows. It was not Canderous, the style too wild and uncontrolled like a puppet being jerked about wildly on a set of strings. The Jedi ducked beneath another punch and spun sharply, kicking the warrior solidly in his abdomen before thrusting out a hand, palm forward, sending the man flying. Avner jumped to his feet, pulling his blaster free, aiming it directly at Canderous, whose eyes were now a sickly yellow.

"Don't shoot! Canderous is still in there," Bastila exclaimed. She stood in a defensive position, fists raised in a basic block, lightsaber still strapped firmly to her side.

"What's going on, Shan?"

"Possession most likely. I told you those artifacts are cursed; some harbor malevolent spirits! We have to find a way to separate him from the gauntlet. The spirit is most likely bound to the relic; if we destroy it, then we may be able to free Canderous."

"May?"

She shrugged. "There are no set guidelines when dealing with a possession, so I'm going with the most reasonable solution based on what I know."

"In other words, you're winging it," Avner shot back.

"I am not winging it! If you have a better plan, then by all means," she snapped while edging around a pile of upturned salvage to Canderous' left while he took the Mandalorian's right flank.

"This body is mine, Je'daii! I won't let you take it," the man growled. He stepped in Bastila's direction and immediately crumpled to the ground clutching his head and cursing in a tongue Avner didn't recognize.

Then Canderous' voice broke through. "Fucking… shavit… get out!"

"Avner, now!"

Bastila leaped forward, grabbing the gauntlet while he tackled the warrior to the ground. Canderous vanished like a flash of lightning across the dark sky and howled in fury. The soldier rolled with the Mandalorian, grappling with the other man trying desperately to keep him subdued. Bastila's hands were on the gauntlet now, frantically pulling at its straps and trying to loosen it from Ordo's arm.

"NO!"

Canderous grabbed the front of his shirt and tossed him aside like he was nothing more than a limp ragdoll. He then turned, striking Bastila across the face, stunning the Jedi. He wrapped his hand around her throat, throwing her to the ground while continuing to rain down vicious blows. She tried in vain to deflect the punches but couldn't seem to keep up with the brutal assault. He was going to kill her!

Avner felt something snap, and fire ripped through his body, propelling him forward. "GET OFF OF HER!"

The roar that tore free from his throat startled the possessed Canderous giving Bastila a chance to kick him off her. Avner slammed into the Mandalorian, driving him back with a flurry of powerful blows that left the man's face a bloodied mess. He shoulder-checked the Kiffar away before leaping back, landing high on the ravine's edge above their heads. He snarled down at them, yellow eyes burning with unadulterated hate before disappearing from sight. His chest was still heaving, burning hot with adrenaline and something purely primal. He wanted to give chase, hunt down the other man, and beat him to the ground.

"Avner…"

Bastila's strained voice broke him from his violent thoughts, and he turned. She was leaning heavily against a boulder cradling her side, her face and throat beginning to bloom with ugly purple bruises. His heart lurched, and he crossed the distance between them in three strides, hesitating when he almost took her in his arms. He wasn't sure why he was so shaken by her injured state, it wasn't like he hadn't been around wounded soldiers before, but for some reason, with Bastila, it was different. It was almost as if he could feel her hurt, his own throat aching while his body throbbed as if he had just been the one savagely beaten. It scared him more than anything else he had experienced thus far.

"Are you okay?" A stupid question, but he needed her to say yes, and put his worry to rest.

As if reading his thoughts, she gave him a strained smile. "I'm fine; I'll just be a bit bruised come morning."

She was downplaying everything, and it did little to ease his concern, but he didn't push the issue. "I'll contact the pilot and get him to take you back to the station."

Bastila shook her head. "No, we have to go after Canderous. He needs our help."

"I'll get Canderous. You need medical attention."

"I'm fine, Avner," the Jedi reiterated as she carefully scaled the steep gully. "Besides, you can't possibly save him by yourself. The second you touch the relic, you risk being possessed yourself."

"Doesn't that also apply to you?"

"With my training, I can protect myself from such corruption," Bastila explained. They reached the top of the ravine and followed Canderous' prints through the thick jungle. The trail led them to a steep ridge and, beyond that, a massive temple towering high above the trees.

"His footprints lead that way," Avner said, pointing towards the structure, and his companion nodded. They carefully picked their way down the ridge, the rocky terrain precarious at best. If Bastila was in pain, she was doing a damn good job of hiding it. She kept pace with him and even drove him to go faster, vaulting rocks and fallen logs with practiced ease. He was impressed, not that he would let her know that. No need to inflate her ego anymore. Still, he kept a close eye on her; he didn't want the Jedi to push herself too far. She may be infuriating, but that didn't stop him from caring about her well-being.

The temple loomed before them, cut from the very stone surrounding the structure; its deep gray blocks reaching high into the clear sky. The sanctuary had several staggering levels, each stacked one on top of the other like a jagged pyramid, the very top flattened with several iron poles protruding from each corner. A massive door carved from the rock that made up the temple stood slightly ajar; nothing could be seen beyond the suffocating darkness. He pulled his blaster free and switched on the maglight attached to the end while Bastila ignited one end of her saber. Golden light illuminated their path as they descended into the bowels of the abandoned structure.

"We must be vigilant. These ancient temples are often filled with traps and pitfalls," Bastila whispered to him. The darkness seemed to swallow her very voice, any sound they made falling flat. It was also unnaturally cold, the air dry, dead, and completely still. It set his nerves on edge. They hurried down the multiple corridors, each lined with sconces, some lit with flames that burned low as if the light had to struggle to take hold. They followed the lit torches, Avner taking note on his datapad of their path thus far. It would be easy to get turned around in this vast place, forever lost amongst the twisting corridors.

"This place never ends," he murmured as they stepped into a massive room, the ceiling soaring high above them with the walls covered in intricate carvings. Avner walked the perimeter, looking for a door or any sign of an exit. The walls were all solid stone, though, with no hint of depression or warp that would indicate a doorway.

"Dead end," he growled in frustration as he slapped his hand against the cool rock. Great, now they would have to backtrack all the way to the entrance and try to find another path. Meanwhile, who knew what was happening to Canderous? Bastila was silent, though, eyes carefully examining the large chamber with a pensive look.

"Something's not right," she whispered, and a sudden horrible grinding filled the space. The walls rumbled forward, undulating at different heights and angles and twisting around to form new dividers.

"Shan!" Avner jumped through a section of stone that sealed behind him and desperately careened across the shifting maze springing to life all around them. Bastila moved with ethereal grace, weaving amongst the shifting stone like she inherently knew what would block her path before it did. She twisted sharply to avoid a jutting overhang before dropping into a complete split and sliding beneath the obstacle. Her back arched as she flipped onto her hands, slipping beneath two massive blocks that slammed together, just narrowly missing being crushed. They were within reach of each other now, and he stretched out a hand to pull her close. Their fingers barely brushed before he was catapulted to the ceiling on a rapidly ascending platform.

"Avner!" Her eyes filled with fear as the floor beneath her feet disappeared, and she vanished into the blackness below.

"Bastila!" His shouts were swallowed up by the darkness as the climbing dais took him further away from the Jedi and deeper into the shadowy unknown.