The cool ground felt good as I caught my breath. Despite the brevity of the shootout, manipulating all those bullets was mentally exhausting. In the end, more training was needed.
In my hand was the cross-peen hammer that I had just received from the Smith. In the center of the metal at the top was a kyber crystal that seamlessly blended into the tempered steel.
I tossed it up in the air, flipping it. It landed back in my palm with a comfortable weight. The hammer felt like an extension of my body in a way that I had yet to feel with my lightsabers on the other side. Was this because of whatever Shaka put in my body?
Feeling a shift in the force, I glanced up and noticed my padawan walking over. He was tailed by a haggard looking Olivia and Lyle. It looked like they had been through hell.
I observed them for a moment as I twisted the hammer in my hand. "Are you two alright?"
Olivia glared at me with her usual irritable expression. "You little shit."
I sighed. "Did you get anything?"
Lyle nodded, clearly eager to share his gains. He held up a holocron and a scalpel-like knife with a small kyber crystal embedded under the blade. He cleared his throat and spoke with a hoarse voice. "Aside from being an agent for his majesty, I am a surgeon."
I nodded. "I'm not quite a doctor, but I'm a decent medic."
He smiled. "Good to know.
Then, I turned to Olivia. "What about you?"
She casually pulled a knife from the sheathe on the backside of her belt. It had an elegantly carved wooden handle with a kyber crystal embedded in it. The blade was serrated. "I've always liked knives. So much simpler than guns."
I smiled. "Interesting." Lastly, I turned to the one I really cared about. "And you, my padawan?"
Leighton pulled his two swords out. The katana and tanto style blades that he had already been using now had a kyber crystal embedded in each of them at the base of the blade.
I nodded and smiled. "Wonderful. It seems that we've all received an inheritance. We can figure out what to do with the other 6 later."
Olivia put her knife away. "What about you, kid?"
I tossed the hammer up in the air, flipping it once more to show off the sizeable kyber crystal embedded in it. "It won't be useful now, but I have a feeling that it will come in handy quite soon…"
Olivia took a deep breath and rested her hands on her hips. "So what happened while we were… you know what I mean."
I nodded. "I understand. That was an interesting experience. Anyways…"
I went on to briefly summarize the events that occurred while they were in "another place."
Lyle sighed as I finished. "We'd best continue then."
I nodded as I reached back and put the hammer in my backpack. "Alright everyone. Let's move out!"
We took a right out of the mausoleum and went down the hall. I no longer needed my headlamp as the braziers were now ignited.
The flames danced upon the oil filled basins. Our shadows followed suit, painted across the floors.
These halls were quite plain compared to the previous areas. There were no ornate carvings, no designs, just plain stone.
We went down a flight of stairs. Then we crossed over another stream of water that ran through a chamber.
After heading down another flight of stairs and then walking for a few minutes down another plain hallway, the temple opened up into a massive hall.
There were two rows of towering statues. Each of them was holding a weapon or tool and no two were alike. None of the statues were broken but they were faded and worn. The magnificent details they had undoubtedly once had were no more.
Izzy walked up to me with a tablet in her hand. "I see three sets of footprints on the thermal scanner."
I nodded and walked further into the room. She would have told me if they were lying in wait. "Thank you, Izzy."
I kept walking until I reached the other side of the room. It was the size of a large gymnasium.
On the far side of the room was another pedestal. This one was significantly larger than the ones in the mausoleum. What did this one say?
I took some photos to translate it and then imported them into the app. After just a few seconds this time, I had my answer.
There wasn't much text on this pedestal. However, the lettering was quite large. It merely said, "Trials of Priesthood. Display your power to prove yourself worthy of entry."
I smirked and let go of the reigns without hesitation. The power coursing my body grew in a rapid crescendo. I heard a whoosh as a muffled boom smashed through the air. I quickly took it back before I lost the opportunity. Control was something I needed to work on.
A clicking sound came from the pedestal. Then, there was the sound of stone grinding against stone.
I looked up and found that a wall panel behind the pedestal was sinking into the ground. It was easily a foot thick. Above it was a brazier that ignited with a white flame.
Several sets of footsteps approached me from behind. Tucker was the first to comment. His deep voice echoed through the hall. "What is that?"
I felt humbled and calm for a reason I did not understand. "My path forward."
Tucker stepped past me and looked into my eyes with a furrowed brow. "What about the rest of us?"
I shook my head as a comprehension of what was happening formed in my mind. "Unfortunately, this is a trial that only force sensitive beings may enter."
Tucker sighed, his eyes exposing the helplessness he felt. "I see... We'll wait here then."
I nodded and turned to my padawan and Jedi companions. "Release your control for a brief moment."
Leighton nodded without hesitation and released his control. He quickly took it back. There were some more clicks and then another panel sunk into the ground with a white flame igniting above it.
Olivia and Lyle followed suit upon seeing how it worked. They felt what Leighton did, so they had no troubles.
Then, there were 4 doors and 4 smokeless white flames. Each of us had a path forward.
I glanced at the others before my eyes locked on my door. "We don't have time to delay. I'm heading in."
I walked towards the opening and then entered without any hesitation. As I did so, a strange energy washed over me. It felt as if I was being probed.
Then, the energy receded. This was followed by the wall panel reemerging from the ground. I was now sealed inside.
As it closed, I felt a tinge of doubt in my mind. Was this what needed to be done?
I shook my head, pushing away the doubt. This is what I was here for. There was no other option.
Once the panel was set back in place, darkness consumed me. This wasn't like the night where one could see their own silhouette. This was absolute darkness.
I closed my eyes and welcomed the living force into my body. There was little else I could do. However, upon doing so, I realized that I couldn't feel anyone. In fact, I was unable to sense anything beyond these walls that enclosed me.
With careful steps, I moved forth. Just a dozen steps and then I hit a dead end. My hands touched the walls around me and confirmed my suspicions. There were no other paths. I was trapped.
I sighed. A hope emerged from my subconscious. This all better be worth the trouble.
With nothing else to do, I unclipped my rifle and placed it against the wall. Then, I sat down cross legged and rested my hands on my knees.
Clearing my mind, I sucked in a slow and deep breath. I held it for a few seconds before slowly letting it out.
What I estimated to be several minutes passed. I inhaled, held, and exhaled over and over again. It was slow, but my mind cleared of everything. A clarity came over me that I had never felt before.
It came to a point where I was able to hear my own heartbeat. The sounds of my blood rushing through my body entered my ears like a raging river.
Then, there was a slow and creeping prod in my mind. Was someone or something else there?
Suddenly, I felt as if my soul was pulled from my body. Everything went white.
Seconds ticked by as the white slowly faded into color. I was in a room that appeared to be a lounge. It was spacious and had an ancient feel to it. Everything was made of sandstone and the décor was vibrant in color.
There were several couches, some coffee tables, a small pool with a waterfall, and leafy green potted plants. One wall of the room was almost entirely missing. There was just a railing in its place. Beyond the room was a line of palm trees. They swayed with the slight breeze that tickled my skin.
Beyond the palms was a vast desert. The desert, however, was not bare. Three megalithic pyramids pierced the skies as a beam of light appeared to be projected from their peaks.
Suddenly, a voice with a thick middle eastern accent came from behind me. "And arrived he has."