On the planet of dangerous myths, shocking fables and unspoken legends, there is also beauty. Dispersed around the untamed world are flaws; cracks formed through thousands of years. Glacial rivers rushing and destroying cliffs, racing and scooping away the soil and digging crevices untouched by all but a handful of explorers from ages long past. Isolated at the southern tip of Ilum, this particular ravine is close to the planet’s core. No-one ever dared to dive directly down into the darkness of the ravine, instead opting for laser drills that bore a tunnel into the nearby glacier. Uncharted and unexplored, this passageway is a place of nightmares for those who venture to its depths. The half-eaten carcasses of explorers who have met an untimely end litter the ravine’s descent—a warning to those who might choose to venture too far. Whether these men and women fell to their deaths, or had been murdered remains lost to the long-forgotten histories of the ravine.

The antechamber of the Crystal Cave is wide and cavernous with a winding walkway carved out of the stone itself and smoothed over with glacial elegance. The pathway ascending upwards to the top of the cave where a resilient sheet of ancient stone weathers against the raging winds from Ilum’s winter skies. At the base of the walkway is a platform of old stone used for meditation in times past.

Leaving the main antechamber leads to other tunnels carved and abandoned by miners and treasure hunters. Glinting like candlelight against the unforgiving darkness of the deep and untrodden cave, multi-coloured clusters of kyber crystals reflect the light into the deepest crevices from the surface. Untouched for a millennia, the value in this chamber once sparked an entire battle between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. The sides of the cavern stretch vertically, terminating in a vaulted arch that was carved with embellishments some time ago. On each side of the walls, various ports and alcoves distinguish in the light. Some are known to be rivers of purified water, as displayed by the translucent sheets of ice glistening along the alcove walls.

The Knight kneeled down to observe the luminescent kyber crystals before her. Each reflected its own beautiful hue, practically humming with energy and light. Alara couldn’t help but smile as she gazed upon such natural charm. Her heart grew with anticipation as she glanced over each crystal. Which would she choose now? You could never have too many kyber crystals, or so she liked to tell herself. If there was a way to gain more power, Alara Deathbane would find it. That’s just the way she is. Her thirst for more led her down here in the first place. She almost forgot all about the dark and chilling cavern all around her. She wasn’t even bothered by the corpses, monsters, and danger that she had to go through to get here. She felt, for once, some peace within her darkened heart.

A set of eyes joined her in the cave. The male Quarren loomed carefully, but quietly, observing the Sephi who appeared to be spending a few moments in bliss. He recognized her immediately, and a slight smile went across his tentacle-textured face. He stuck closely to the shadows, and decided to see what the Sephi was up to.

Alara reached her hand toward one crystal before her. It flickered in several different colors. Blue? No, red! But wait... green? The crystal, nor the Sephi could make up her mind, so Alara decided to reach for another. This one seemed to flicker in random arrays as well. Perplexed, the Knight bit her lip with a furrowed brow.

“Do you forget your training, Lass?” Lexiconus Qor finally spoke up, stepping out of the shadows. The Battlemaster gave her a smile, and knelt down to her side.

“Huh?” Alara turned around, hovered her hand over the lightsaber strapped to her belt, and then let out a slight sigh, “Oh, sorry Lex. Hello. I’m not exactly sure as to why the colors keep changing in the crystals.”

“Oh Alara... “ Lex placed his tentacled-hand on her shoulder, “I think we both know why the colors keep changing.”

“Oh?” Alara’s frown turned into a cautious, unsure cocked eyebrow. She wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but she felt almost tested.

“Alara…” Lexiconus took his hand from her shoulder and sat cross-legged beside her, “You’ve obviously been… wrestling with yourself lately. A lot is going on with you. I can sense it within the Force.”

“Wait.. Wha?!” Alara jumped up, “Excuse me?”

Lexiconus sighed, stood up, and wiped the dirt from his cloak, “Yes, Sephi. You’re at war. Within the Force, and more importantly within yourself. What’s going on?” Alara growled, “That’s enough Lex. I don’t appreciate people telling me what’s going on in my head. I know what’s going on in my head. I own it!”

“Easy, easy. No need to get defensive. I mean it out of kindness. Something's obviously bothering you. How can I help?” he stepped towards her.

Alara suddenly felt a twinge of guilt and a shock of heated anger within her. She killed her parents just recently. She thought she was over it. She thought no one knew about it. Did Lex find out? How? She did not meet his glance. The Sephi felt as though he was reading her mind during her moments of hesitation.

Suddenly, with a huff of detest, Alara grabbed her lightsaber and ignited it before the Quarren, “I don’t know what you know, and I don’t know how you figured it out, but whatever your inquisitive brain has learned about me can’t leave this room. I hate to do this to a friend, but I see no other choice, Lex. You shouldn’t meddle in affairs that aren’t yours!”

“Alara, relax. I didn’t mean to offend you,” The Battlemaster stepped back, holding his hand towards her cautiously while using the other to retrieve his saber, “We don’t have to talk about it if you’re not ready…”

The Knight roared and leapt towards her new opponent, lightsaber held above her head, “You will not ruin this! YOU WON’T!”

Alara attacked him with ferocious and relentless speed, her lightsaber swinging at Lexiconus in a multitude of arches, stabs and swipes. His ruby blade ignited and cross-guarded the mighty thrashes at him. He tightened and controlled his defense, patiently waiting for the right moment. It was a blessing of the Force. Acting rather on commands and instinct than memory, Lexiconus back-peddled from the kyber clusters. With his back against the wall, the Force urged the Quaestor.

Duck! Now

Dropping to his knees and rolling aside, he was only a slither away from Alara’s powerful sweep. Cutting a stalagmite in half, the rock cut the combatants apart and crumbled into an explosive dust cloud. He needed to get through to her sanity, but Lexiconus was unsure how.

“Alara, please stop this madness and listen to me! You are not thinking straight!” The Quarren pleaded, but as he stared into the bloodshot eyes of the female, who was panting and sweating heavily, he could see his words were useless. The Knight leapt over the rock pile and continued her overwhelming assault, trenching the ground with cinders and molten limestone. His shaky hand holding the lightsaber in front of him, Alara battered down on it, forcing the blade closer to the Quarren’s face. The smell of cooked flesh crept into her nostrils as his blade sliced and scarred his tentacle.

“Argh! Alara, stop!” Lexiconus lifted his off-hand from the stony floor and focused on the Human. He summoned the strength of the Force, calling it to lift her from her feet and threw her across the cave chamber. She crashed into a loose rock pile and a curtain of dust formed around her landing site, while smaller rocks tumbled around her crater. The Quarren coughed heavily into his hand, blood spitting into his palm, as he forced himself to stand. While the dark side began to subconsciously stitch his body to normal parameters, Lexiconus cautiously approached Alara’s landing site. He felt the pending anger from her mind, mixed in with pain and fear. Another rock tumbled from above and she grew in fear.

“Alara! Get out, now! It’s going to kill you!” The Quaestor pleaded. He limped forward and began to lift the rocks from her body, throwing them into a crevice nearby.

*She has to stay alive. The kyber chose her, not me…”

The Sephi coughed steadily and sharply for quite some time. Her head throbbed with pain, anxiety, tiredness, and fear. Alara spat some blood towards some pebbles lying next to her and attempted to get up. She howled in pain as she realized there was a large rock holding down her leg in an awkward formation.

“Look what you’ve done! Why did you have to get your nose in other people's’ business?!” Alara growled. Her stomach suddenly dropped. The vulnerability of her position came to realization in her mind. He could kill me easily now. He’d have no trouble at all with slicing my neck in half. The thought of this sent a shrill of fear and adrenaline through her body. The Knight focused with all her strength and managed to muster enough strength to push the large boulder to the side. Alara breathed a sigh of relief and hopped up, attempting to gain her footing despite the injured, most likely broken leg.

“Are you okay?” Lexiconus questioned with a concerning air, offering her a tentacle. Alara glanced at the tentacle, then looked at Lexiconus.

“Why are you still here? Don’t you want to ruin my life?” Alara interrogated loudly, brushing off dirt and blood from her legs. She ignored the gesture for a moment. The panic and anxiety still crept throughout her body, but something within Alara told her to wait.

“No. Not at all, Alara. You’re not quite in your frame of mind. Do you want to talk about something?” the Quaestor offered his tentacle to her again.

The Battle Sergeant paused for a moment, but accepted the kind offer and took his tentacle in her palm. She didn’t speak a word.The Quarren swung her arm around his shoulder, and began to pull her towards a platform next to some water. “Sit down, Alara. You need to rest a moment.”

They sat in the quiet for a few breaths. Alara scooped up some water in her hands and began to drink slowly.

“Look at this place… isn’t it beautiful? Glistening in all sorts of hues and light?” Lexiconus sighed, his tentacles rested upon his thighs. He turned to Alara, who seemed to be staring intently at the Quarren next to him.

“Why are you here?” Alara questioned.

“Ahh. You’re realizing that I’m not here to kill you. Good. I came to visit. Look at the kyber crystals. However, it seems that you had the same idea, right?” Lexiconus smiled politely.

“Yes. I really admire kyber crystals. I always scope out a new one here and there when they call to me,” Alara blinked rapidly, unsure of what to think of her situation.

“Aye. They’re a beautiful sight to see. One can never have too many,” the Quaestor made small talk, trying to think of what next to say. He knew that if he breathed even the slightest negative comment, Alara may spark up again.

“So what’s going on, Alara?” he took a chance, cocking his eyebrow.

“It’s…” Alara sighed, “It’s complicated. I just don’t know if I should involve anyone else. Too many people are getting hurt.”

“Well,” Lexiconus reasoned, “Will you be okay? Are you in any sort of danger?”

The Sephi woman looked at the Quarren’s face and saw a set of eyes with emotion she didn’t see that often: concern, care, and possibly even friendship. Despite all that Alara had done, whether he knew what it was or not, she didn’t expect to see such feelings in a glance towards her like that. She slightly teared up a bit. The Knight began to rub her eyes violently.

“I, I don’t know… As of right now, no. I don’t think so. We shall see how it goes,” she replied.

“You know you have a friend in me, right? I’m here to help you. Always,” Lexiconus placed a tentacle on her shoulder. Alara looked up with glassy eyes and shuddered with emotion.

“Despite how I hurt you?” Alara sniffed slightly. Her belly twisted up with all sorts of emotion. The embers inside seemed to be cooling down, but her anxiety was way up.

Lexiconus chuckled slightly, “Yes. It’ll heal. Awkwardly, but it’ll heal nonetheless.”

The Knight stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating what to do next. It seemed as though her anger and frustrations had calmed down. What was this...light feeling? Whatever it was, it felt slightly nostalgic to her. She was unsure why.

“I recommend that you allow me to take you to the nearest point of civilization. I’ll wrap up this slice, get your leg looked at, bring you to the local cantina, and buy you a drink. Sound good?” the Battlemaster offered. With a slight smirk, Alara nodded, thinking that perhaps rum would settle this tight knot in her gut.

“You don’t have to give me explanation either. I’ll understand if you want to keep quiet. However it is rather damp and drafty in here. I wouldn’t mind a cantina complete with a fireplace,” Lexiconus laughed. Alara chuckled alongside him. The Quaestor stepped up from his seated position, and offered his tentacle to the Sephi once again. She took it, almost instantly, and stepped up as well. The two hobbled towards the cavern’s exit. As they left the cavern, a nearby kyber crystal flickered in a amber/yellow hue. Perhaps Alara wasn’t consumed by evil after all.

Alara shoved the rocks from her body, one by one they tumbled from the pile and collected nearby. Her bloodied face shook with rage as her teeth bared and snarled, she wasn’t done with Lexiconus just yet. The Quarren retreated from his attempts and walked back to the crystals, noticing a yellow crystal glowing brightly. Lexiconus caught the glint of the gem in his eye, it was rough and callous on the edges, blunt and angular, but nothing a simple sanding down couldn’t fix.

“You stay away from my crystal!” Alara roared as she stumbled from the rock, her lightsaber ignited and by her side. Her bloodshot eyes targeted the Quarren with fury. She began to swing and stab at Lexiconus, determined and unrelenting in her cause. The Battlemaster ignited his lightsaber and brought it between them to defend himself, but her strength was too much for him.

Get away, you’re going to die!

His controlled and precise ripostes were good to block, as sparks and hissing from the blades surrounded them. But with each strike, Alara overwhelmed the Quarren. He blocked a ferocious uppercut, and Lexiconus collapsed onto the floor. His head whacked the stone, and he fell into a hazy state. The Quarren slowly looked back up to the Human, his lightsaber rolling from him, and forced himself to stay alert.

“That crystal is mine, and you will not take it from me!” The Knight roared with command. She reached down and snapped the crystal from its cluster, then stirred into the beauty. Its amber and pristine state locked her eyes.

“Do not let its power take hold of you, Alara. You are stronger than this crystal. It is just that, just a crystal.” Alara slowly looked to Lexiconus as he talked her down from the rage, which he noticed pass her by as her expression returned to a calm but exhausted look. The Knight nodded with agreement and rubbed the dust and blood from her cheek.

“You’re right. You’re absolutely right, a simple crystal will not rule me. I am a Jedi.” She wanted to bolster her confidence with her own words, but Lexiconus could see her brow frowned and her eyes filled with worry. She wasn’t exactly confident in her own skills. But the Quarren wasn’t a mentor. He wanted that crystal.

“Give it to me, Alara. I will take care of it for you, make it sharp and precise for your weapon.” He extended his hand as he requested the amber jewel. Alara’s own hand shook and reserved the crystal at first, but she dropped it into his hand and sighed with relief.

“If I do not have that crystal back within the seventh night, Lexiconus. I will come for you and I will murder you in your sleep. You will not know what day, or what time, or if at work or home. But I will end your life. And collect a debt owed.” She spoke with a confident purpose, but it didn’t phase Lexiconus. He brushed off the threat with a shrug of his shoulders, and stood from the rubble. Inspecting the crystal closer, he could see the flaws of its surface clearly, a small crack, a few scratches and chips, but nothing the droids of the workshop couldn’t clean up. The Battlemaster commanded the Force to tug his lightsaber back into his open hand, and approached the Human, his hand firmly on the hilt.

“What should I do about this small crack here? It may cause instability.” He placed it closer to her face, his lightsaber faced to her stomach. As Alara’s eyes inspected the severity of the crack, he quickly ignited his ruby blade and stabbed her with surgical precision. Her mouth gaped open in shock, choking on blood as her face went pale and her eyes widened. The Battlemaster swiftly yanked his blade through and out of her side, then shoved her to the ground.

“I will not be beaten by a simple, stupid Knight! You will rot in this cave as a reminder to all in Excidium! Imperium will never bow down to your scoundrel ilk!” He roared into her pale face, but Alara was already gone. Lexiconus wiped the blood from his gills and started to head for the exit. He reached into his waistcloth and pulled a holocommunicator out, and the image of a commander appeared. He saluted promptly, and awaited his order.

“Dispatch a shuttle to pick me up from the Ilum crystal cave, I’ll place a flare for you to see.” Lexiconus ordered as he tried to catch his breath, the commander nodded to someone off-screen and the Quarren turned off his device. It was time to leave this tomb.

I need a shower, or just a soak in the bay. Maybe a bottle of port…