The Tomb of Ajunta Pall

Together Djaeric and Korey crossed the sandy dunes of Korriban.

The sandstorm had finally settled a great deal, allowing for better visibility. And finally, on Djaeric's fourth day in the scorching desert things were finally beginning to look good for the man and his companion. Finally, within view of the duo was a large black tomb. though the distance was still quite aways ahead, just being able to see their goal was enough to breathe life into Korey, who was beyond tired at this point.

" There it is!" Korey shouted excitedly. " Finally, after all this walking... We're finally there." The joy of being within reach of her goal brought life into her tired being.

And Djaeric as well, found relief.

A few more days with no water and things might not have ended well, for either of the two. But thankfully, it seemed that wasn't going to be the case. But then again, this was still a tomb of a dark lord, and Djaeric doubted crossing the desert was the hardest part of this trial.

" Come on, we're wasting time standing here. Let's keep moving." Djaeric told the woman.

It took them a few hours, even being close, but eventually Djaeric and Korey finally set foot inside the Tomb of Ajunta Pall and immediately, their senses were shrouded by the sheer dark energy radiating throughout the entire tomb.

Korey felt as though a shroud of darkness had been cast over her being, suffocating and heavy in nature.

While Djaeric felt as though his entire body was being powered and elevated unlike anything before. The dark side pulsated through every fiber of his body, and slowly that energy seeped through every cell, like a battery being powered by the sun.

It took both of them a few minutes, but after getting used to the strong energy, both of them came out feeling different.

" That was.... Terrifying." Korey muttered. She was sweating badly, and her breathing was shaky. It took the young woman a few moments to truly adjust before she was able to stand up straight again.

" What are you talking about? Hehahaha! That was amazing!" Djaeric's laughter was odd and uncomfortable to hear. Korey looked at how his body shook and trembled and thought maybe he had lost his mind.

But that couldn't be far from the truth.

In fact, Djaeric had never felt such a rush in his life. His eyes were glazed over and the bright blue orbs, for just a moment, had turned completely orange.

Korey was terrified.

Djaeric took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Breathing in deeply and trying to command the energies within his own body.

It was hot and felt like a burst of lightning had penetrated is very core and ignited the flickering sparks into a roaring flame.

Korey watched this, and as Djaeric meditated and fought against the flow of his own energy, Djaeric started to emit this burning orange glow, like the sun.

It felt warm, all encompassing, strong. Korey felt the force washing over her and could even feel it seeping into her own body, helping the energy still in turmoil find rest. Her shaking was gone, and her breathing had truly relaxed.

It was bliss.

However, as she felt herself being washed in that warm glow, there came a piercing stab, like a knife in the dark. The ominous feeling hiding behind that glow was darker than even the blackest of nights. The rage and anger fueled by years of pain lashed out like a vicious viper biting into the neck of its prey.

It stared at Korey, but never struck.

A warning if she had ever seen one.

In her mind, Korey made the mental vow to never betray this man. Because if she did, that snake would strike without hesitation.

The glow slowly disappeared and finally Djaeric opened his eyes, returning to his former state of being blue eyes and all.

" Are... Are you alright?" Korey asked the man.

Djaeric took a deep breath and exhaled it before standing up straight. He looked over at Korey and nodded.

" Yes. I'm fine. In fact, I feel better than ever." Djaeric told the woman. He could tell from the look in her eyes that Korey was obviously frightened. " Don't worry. You are safe. As long as you are with me, everything will be just fine." Djaeric had no intention on bringing harm to the young woman, as long as she remained neutral to him and didn't betray him she was fine.

Korey nodded in response.

" Come on, we just arrived. We still need to find spindral and complete his trial." Djaeric muttered.

" Right,"

Djaeric nodded and led Korey into the tomb.

The tomb was dark and the walls were dirty and covered in moss, a testament to how long the tomb had stood. Multiple statues covered the walls, most likely reflecting the image of the ancient Sith lord, Ajunta Pall, himself.

" Do you hear that?" Djaeric asked Korey.

" Hear what?"

As the two continued into the tomb, Djaeric suddenly heard a familiar sound. It was the sound of blasters being fired.

" Blasters." Djaeric spoke. " That means there are people nearby.

A little further in the tomb, sergeant Cormun along with his troops were fighting back a smaller horde of the slugs.

" Damn these things. They keep coming back." Cormun muttered. The combined efforts of Cormun and his men, managed to beat back the slugs. But there was no telling how long until they came back. But no one else could make it into the cave, not since the last acolytes came through.

However, the sound of footsteps behind him drew his attention away from that, and towards the newest arriving acolytes.

" You there, Acolytes!" Cormun called out to Djaeric and Korey as they walked down the stairs.

Korey was immediately relieved to see other people other than themselves for the first time in days. Djaeric on the other hand, was still wary of the man.

" Who are you? What do you want?" Djaeric asked the man.

" I am Sergeant Cormun, fifth infantry company, current regiment. Can I talk to you?" The man asked.

" We're in a hurry sergeant." Djaeric told the man.

" This won't take much of your time." The man stated.

" Fine, what is it?" Djaeric asked.

" You're one of the slaves Harkun, brought in on the last transport, right? Here to prove yourself to the blood thirsty overseers?"

" That is right. Do you have something in mind?" Djaeric asked. This was a good chance to maybe make some acquaintances. Maybe a helping hand in the tomb.

" Well, this is your chance to help build ties with the imperial military as well." Cormun explained.

" That sounds good to me."

" Smart." Cormun stated. " I am here commanding a high target mission to exterminate Kor'Slugs in this tomb. I'm sure you've ran into them at least once on the way here. The Kor'Slugs are horrific things, with mouths bigger than your head. I've already lost three squads of men fighting them. The bloody beasts come in packs. The bigger ones are large enough to swallow a man whole." He said.

Djaeric looked around the tomb ahead, and saw bodies, of slugs and Soldiers, littered amongst the path.

Djaeric noticed that the slugs on the floor were similar to the ones he killed before, but these ones were much smaller. Probably younglings, he thought.

" I see. So, you want our help in eliminating these Kor'Slugs, am I right?" Djaeric asked.

" Yes, precisely." Cormun responded.

" What, will we recieve in return? Surely we can't just do this for free." Djaeric told the man.

" I don't have much for credits right now. But I'm sure we can come up with something."

" Credits are useless to me. You're a traveling unit right?"

" Yes."

" Then you have supplies, such as water. And if that's the case then I'll make you a deal. I will handle these Kor'Slugs, and in exchange you give us water and information. Deal?"

" That works, just fine."

" Alright then. Tell me what it is you need me to do." Djaeric told the man.

" Simple. The Kor'Slugs breed too fast, so we targeted their egg chambers and planted explosives. But along the way, we lost the charges and the device to explode the chambers that the Kor'Slugs were using. If you can plant the last of those charges in the chambers down this hall and far to the right, where the Kor'Slugs are heavily sheltered, then you can bring me back the detonator and I'll blow the chambers apart. And in exchange, I'll tell you what I can and give you enough water to finish your journey towards the Academy."

" Alright, then. Korey, let's be on our way." Djaeric told the woman.

" Y- Yes, right away."

Korey stuck close to Djaeric as he walked over the bodies of the fallen slugs and Soldiers, and though he didn't seem to mind them, Korey was certainly disgusted by the creatures.

" Uhm, Djaeric, are we really going to kill these things?"

" Well, we kill them, or they kill you." Djaeric told the girl.

" Well, that's fine and all. But I don't really know how to fight."

As soon as Korey said that Djaeric nearly fell over face first.

" What do you mean, you don't know how to fight?" Djaeric asked.

" I was a farmer, not a fighter. And i wasn't even that much of a farmer, I just helped move the crops, I didn't work in the field." Korey told the man.

" So, you've never used your blade before?"

" Not really no. Not until recently. But even then, I just swing it around." Korey explained.

" Alright. Well.... We have time and I guess; I can teach you something to survive. But you better learn quick." Djaeric told the woman. " Take out your training blade."

" Yes, sir."

Korey grabbed the blade saddled on her back and held it in her hand.

" Focus on me. Do what I do." Djaeric told the girl.

Korey nodded and watched as Djaeric pulled out his saber.

" There are four basic moves that you need to know. Grasp the blade with both hands, not just one. Swing the blade at your opponent's vital points, aim for the joints, the elbows, the kneecaps, the neck, these points are where an enemy feels the most discomfort! You hit someone in the kneecap, and you'll knock them off balance. You hit them in the elbow, and they'll lower their arms in pain. Use this opportunity to thrust your blade into their throats or chest, if you want to kill them. Of course, if you can't make those strikes, then try for the arms or the legs, disable them. That's it. Got it. Now, to make it simpler, think of it like a dance, swinging for the right side of the neck is 1, swinging for the left is 2. You want to use these two moves first. It'll help you set the pace for dueling, and if your opponent can't keep up with you, then it'll allow you to take his head faster. Of course, if he manages to repel these two strikes, then the next two moves are for disabling. Step 3 is for the right arm and elbow, and step 4 is for the left arm and elbow. 5 and 6 are simple, merely direct the blade at your enemies hips. 5 is for the right hip, and 6 the left. Got it?"

" I think so." Korey responded.

" Okay, try to hit me." Djaeric told the girl.

" What?"

" Just talking about it isn't going to help you, now grab your blade and try to hit me!" Djaeric exclaimed.

" But I don't... I mean."

" Trust me, Korey. You won't be able to kill me." Djaeric said that with a confident smirk on his face. He looked at her as if she wasn't a threat at all.

" If it'll make you comfortable, we'll walk through it slowly first. Now, start, from the top and move down. I'll call out a number and you try to hit me. One!"

Djaeric raised his sword and blocked Korey's strike.

" Good. One Two!"

Djaeric called out the next two strikes, and had Korey repeat them over and over again, until she got used to the movements.

It took some time but after repeating the two moves a couple of times, Korey was able to replicate them without hardship.

" Good. Good, now. Let's try three and four. Now alternating between three and four might seem a little uncomfortable at first. But you'll get the hang of it. Now 3 and 4."

Korey lunged at Djaeric swinging her blade at both of his arms and Djaeric deflected them both.

Once again, they repeated this process of training. Her movements becoming less and less clunky.

An hour later, and Korey was sweating from swinging her sword so much.

" Alright. Not bad, Korey. You learn fast. Now that we've gone over the steps. Let's try putting them into actual practice. I'm going to attack you, and you defend against me and try to strike me."

" Not... Not that I don't appreciate this... But don't you think we should get those charges and blow those chambers now? We spent a lot of time in here already."

" It doesn't matter if we try to get those charges, if you can't defend yourself in the process. There's likely going to be a good amount of Kor'Slugs and even if there aren't, the chances are not worth the risk. So, until I am certain you can at least defend yourself, we are going to keep doing this. Now, let's go. Run through all six of them at once and try to hit me." Djaeric exclaimed.

Korey was tired and her arms hurt, but Djaeric left her with very little room to argue, and in a way, she knew that what he was doing was trying to teach her to survive.

Djaeric defended himself against the young woman's attacks, and quite easily knocked her saber out of her hand with one swipe.

" Again, pick it up. But this time, stop trying to brute force me. I'm a man. I'm bigger than you and stronger than you in a physical battle, you will never beat me. Luckily for you, sword fighting isn't a brute force battle. It's skill. Use your own natural skills. You're smaller than me, use your speed and your flexibility to strike at me in different ways. Those techniques I taught you are good for practicing the basics, but finding your own style is important as well. Get down lower, strike at my legs, focus on those. Make me dance with you. Play the battle on your terms, not mine. Now, come at me again."

Korey nodded and grabbed her blade, rushing Djaeric once more, but just like the last time, she was completely defeated.

" Again."

" Again."

" Again!"

This process repeated itself over and over again. Korey would get knocked down, and Djaeric would have her stand up and try again.

Truth be told, he didn't expect her to land a hit at all, he just wanted her to be able to understand the movements and protect herself. But it was remarkable how fast she was learning. Maybe she did have a knack for sword play. Or maybe he was just a good teacher.

" One more time." Djaeric told the girl.

He raised his sword up to his face, one handed, and gestured for the girl to attack him.

Korey, feeling the frustration lashed out at Djaeric. She lunged at him from a low angle, as close to the ground as she could go, and tried cutting at his ankles, only for Djaeric to deflect the strike and move out of the way as she rolled towards him.

" Nice."

Djaeric swung his blade down at the woman, and Korey rolled again, before throwing her saber at Djaeric's back.

Djaeric swung his saber backwards and deflected the strike, before turning around to strike her again.

" Good, staying low and forcing me to expend energy. Smart. But you need something else. Your striking is fast, but predictable, try using your body more.

Korey, lunged up at Djaeric, surprising him a little. She stabbed straight at his chest and Djaeric deflected the saber away once again, but this time she followed it up with a kick to his face, actually hitting him and making him stumble back slightly.

Seeing an opening, Korey tried to strike, Djaeric. However, before her saber could make actual contact, Djaeric quickly jerked his arm back and swatted the saber away, knocking her down once more.

" Damn it!" Korey cursed out in frustration as she was put down.

However, instead of being met with that damned stare and the attitude from before, she looked up and Djaeric had a smirk on his face.

" Good job, you used your anger properly and actually landed a hit. I'm impressed. Truthfully, I didn't expect it." Djaeric told the woman. " You used your advantages just fine, and although your saber skills still suck, you at least have what it takes to defeat these slugs. But it is not enough. You are a good woman; I can tell you have a kind heart. But that's not enough to survive here. I don't know what slavery was like for you, but for me and many others, it was hell. And there isn't anything we wouldn't do to ensure we never had to go back. We would do everything in our power to survive, even kill. And you... Korey, if you don't get things under control, you will be the first to die."

The look on his face said it all. If the true weight of the situation hadn't set in before, it had now.

" I'm not saying this to hear myself talk. I'm saying this because I want to see you live to the end of this. And if at all possible, find your own freedom. Live your own life. The life of warrior isn't suited for all of us. But for those who are ready to sacrifice it all. Keep my words deep within your heart. Break your body, train until it falls, seek the power and fight to claim it. But never jeopardize your heart. Never change who you are."

" Yes, sir."

Djaeric patted Korey on the head.

" Good. Now, let's go. We have a tomb to blow up." Djaeric muttered.

" Yes sir."

Djaeric pulled Korey to her feet, and waited until she was ready to resume their way into the tomb. Their mission was simple, kill the slugs and blow the chamber. That couldn't be too bad.

Could it?

..............

The two of them searched for some time, but it wasn't too long before the duo discovered the regiment of soldiers.

" Here we are, search them for the charges and detonator." Djaeric told the woman.

Korey nodded and together they searched the bodies of the dead men and women.

Korey felt bad about having to rummage through their belongings, but Djaeric reminded her that finishing their mission was the best way to pay tribute to their sacrifice.

" Got the detonator." Korey exclaimed. She raised the detonator in the air and showed it to Djaeric as she stood up.

" And I found the charges." Djaeric stated. He stood up, with a belt long of explosives in his hand and walked over to Korey to grab the detonator.

" Come on, with this we should be able to finish Cormun's mission." Djaeric told the woman.

" Uhm, about that, weren't there supposed to be a horde of these slugs? Where are they?" Korey asked.

It was a good question, and one that Djaeric had for some time.

" I do not know, but I believe that we will find them in time. So, be cautious, turn your blade on and attack anything that moves." Djaeric told the woman.

Korey nodded.

Djaeric led the way towards the back end of the tomb, where Cormun had told him the Kor'slugs would be swarming.

It was dark and quiet, not a good combination for sure.

Each creek, each tremor, every drop of water sent shivers up Korey's spine, and she would have every right to be afraid. Except she wasn't, because Djaeric was right in front of her, calm and in control.

" We're here, get ready." Djaeric told the woman.

Korey nodded and held her training saber tight to her chest.

Djaeric took the lead and walked into the chamber ahead of Korey with his saber already drawn. Carefully, he walked into the center of the broken room, inspecting each and every stone in his sight for any sign of a surprise attack.

Slowly, Djaeric approached the center of the room, which was full of eggs. The moment Djaeric laid hands on the eggs, the ground beneath him started rumbling and suddenly six Kor'Slugs erupted from the ground.

" Watch out!" Korey yelled to Djaeric.

Djaeric dropped the charges and quickly dodged out of the way, evading the Kor'Slugs appendages as they lashed out at him for touching their offspring.

" Kill them." Djaeric commanded.

He rushed the Kor'Slugs, leaping in between them and started cutting them. Each strike he threw, each swing of his blade was majestic, and powerful. Korey was impressed at how easily Djaeric was tearing through them. It was as if his blade was a natural part of his body the way he maneuvered it.

" Watch out you fool!" Djaeric yelled.

After dispatching the last from of the Kor'Slugs, Djaeric noticed more coming from behind Korey.

Hearing the warning, Korey turned around and luckily, for her, managed to strike the giant Kor'Slug behind her across its mouth, cutting the top of its head off.

" Pay attention! We have to fight our way out." Djaeric told the girl. " Fight, or die, Korey. Fight or die."

Korey raised her saber; it seemed the girl was finally ready to fight.

As more Kor'Slugs came crawling into the chamber, Korey swung her blade left and right, cutting into each Kor'Slug that attacked her. An ineffective way of fighting, and still sloppy, but better than what she was capable of before at least.

" Was that... Was that the last of them?" Korey asked.

" The children at least." Djaeric told her.

" The children? What do you mean the children?"

" The Kor'Slugs I killed in the desert were much bigger. These are significantly smaller than the giant slugs I killed." Djaeric told the girl.

" What do we do?"

" We leave, and fast, before mama comes back." Djaeric told the girl. " Let's go." Djaeric told the girl. He ran out of the chamber with Korey right behind him, and when he was certain they were a safe distance away, he pressed the detonator. The resulting explosion rocked the entire tomb. Everything shook, from the pillars to the statues. Everything.

" Is that.... Why was it so powerful?" Korey asked the man.

" They needed to close the chamber completely. Guess they wanted to make sure they got the job done completely. Still though, I think that might have been a little much, even for me." Djaeric told the woman.

" Well, I'm glad we can at least finish this up. The sooner we find Spindral, the sooner we can get out of this death trap."

" Yeah... Come on, Korey. We need to find Cormun." Djaeric told the girl.

It was a quick walk back to the front entrance of the tomb, neither Djaeric nor Korey were wasting time on this. It had already been four long days since the start of their trial, and they still needed to meet Spindral and make their way to the Sith Academy.

It wasn't long before they met the sergeant again.

" I don't believe it." Cormun muttered. " It had been so long, I thought you were both dead. But when I felt the explosion, I knew the job must have been done. So, tell me... Did you, do it?"

" Yes, Commander we did. Now, I believe it is time for you to hold up your end of the deal." Djaeric told the man.

" Straight to the point, I see. Well, allow me to thank you for completing what we couldn't first." Cormun told the man.

" Of course, Cormun."

" Here you go, we filled two flasks for you. That should be enough to for you to get through the rest of the tomb and get to the academy."

Cormun held out two flasks full of water and Djaeric took the both of them and handed them to Korey.

" And I believe you also had something you wanted to know."

" Yes, we were sent here to see a man, a hermit named Spindral. But we do not know his location, nor do we know how to get out of the tomb. If you could tell us, it would be greatly appreciated."

Cormun nodded.

" I see no problems with that. But instead, take this." Cormun reached into his armor and pulled out a small circular device.

" What is it?" Djaeric asked.

" Wow, you must not have had much technology where you came from. It's holomap. This has the entire tomb and every other known location on Korriban charted out on it. Not usually something acolytes would have. Though I think you've earned it for avenging my men and helping us complete our mission." Cormun told the man. " Though I must warn you, to keep it hidden. And do not allow others, except those you trust to see you with it. The Overseers might not care, but Harkun is a bit...."

" Of an asshole?"

" Yes. That." Cormun responded.

" I see. Thank you, Sergeant. You have been a great help. Make sure you and the rest of your men get out of here safe and sound."

" Same to you."

Finally, with a map in hand, Djaeric and Korey took their leave and began making their way into the tomb, it was finally time to face their first trial... Together.