While Malgrith and Drogath sped across the endless dunes of Korriban toward Ali's position, Ali remained seated in the ancient hall below. His body was still, but his mind was fully engaged, as was his connection to the Force. A small rock floated effortlessly in the air before him, spinning in slow, deliberate rotations. Ali focused intently on maintaining the rock's orbit, keeping its speed and height consistent, while ensuring that it reversed direction smoothly every two rotations.
For ten minutes, he sustained this exercise, pushing his concentration to its limits. As he channeled the Force, his Spirit gradually burned away, and he could feel it dwindling with each passing second. Finally, the inevitable emptiness set in, and the rock dropped to the ground with a soft thud.
'I can feel the emptiness,' Ali thought as he exhaled deeply, the odd sensation of depletion stirring from within. It was a peculiar hollowness, a distinct absence that reminded him of the energy he had just expended.
He closed his eyes and turned his focus inward, gazing at the Spirit pond that resided in his mind. Black droplets began to gather slowly at the bottom of his feet, collecting drop by drop until they started to form a shallow pool. He sat patiently, watching as the pond replenished itself.
It took half an hour for his Spirit to regenerate to twenty-five percent of its full capacity. Ali observed this with a critical eye. 'Two hours to regenerate completely… Not bad, but far from ideal. That's too much downtime in a critical situation', he thought, his impatience bubbling beneath his calm exterior.
Determined to push himself further, he restarted the exercise. This time, however, Ali decided to increase the difficulty. He added a second rock, similar in size to the first, and manipulated it to spin in the opposite direction of the first. Controlling the opposing rotations while maintaining consistent distances from the ground required immense concentration.
At first, the rocks wobbled unevenly, and Ali's brow furrowed as he struggled to maintain control. Then, suddenly, both rocks veered wildly off course, smashing into the walls of the hall with a resounding crash. Bits of shattered rock scattered across the floor, forcing Ali to admit that he had overestimated his current abilities.
SHAKE.
Ali's head snapped upward as the sound of shifting sand filled the air. The ground beneath him trembled slightly, and streams of red sand began parting above him. Sunlight pierced through the darkness, hitting his face with sudden intensity. He winced, closing his eyes momentarily to adjust to the brightness.
The soft thud of boots hitting the ground followed, and Ali opened his eyes to see a figure clad in the uniform of a Sith Master descending into the hall. The man landed gracefully, his movements precise and controlled.
Malgrith stood tall, his sharp gaze scanning Ali briefly to assess his condition before shifting his attention to the ancient hall itself. The Sith Lord stepped forward slowly, his eyes moving over the intricate carvings and symbols etched into the massive stone pillars.
"What happened?" Malgrith asked, his voice calm but brimming with authority.
Ali rose to his feet, brushing the sand from his uniform. His expression was composed as he answered, "The sensor led me to the sand above, and then it suddenly collapsed. I lost consciousness from the fall. Your call woke me up, and the rest of the time I've just been waiting here."
Malgrith's lips curled into a wide smile, and to Ali's surprise, the Sith Master began to laugh—a low, almost manic sound that echoed off the ancient walls.
"Incredible," Malgrith muttered between chuckles as he ran his hand along one of the pillars, his fingers brushing against the carved symbols. His eyes gleamed with an intense fascination as he studied the architecture and its markings.
Ali blinked, his calm expression masking his inner confusion. 'Never thought I'd hear him laugh,' Ali thought, watching Malgrith closely. 'I expected him to be furious about the lack of Force energy here, but he hasn't even asked about it.'
"This," Malgrith whispered, more to himself than to Ali, "so much… It'll take me weeks to go through all of it."
The Sith Master's focus was entirely consumed by the pillars, his mind racing with the possibilities hidden within the symbols.
From above, Drogath's booming voice broke the moment. "Ali! Are you there?"
Ali tilted his head upward, shouting back, "Yeah, I'm fine! Can you throw something down so I can climb out of here?"
Drogath's hulking figure appeared at the edge of the opening, holding a rope from his speeder. But before he could act, Malgrith spoke sharply, pulling Ali's attention back.
"Ali," Malgrith said, his tone commanding.
"Yes, Lord Malgrith?" Ali replied without hesitation.
"For the next month, you and Drogath will be under the tutelage of Sith Master Sivara Vel'Rahn," Malgrith stated firmly. "You will report to her for all training and missions. Understood?"
"I understand," Ali said, keeping his voice neutral.
With a flick of Malgrith's hand, Ali was suddenly hurled upward by an unseen Force, soaring through the air before landing on the surface outside the tomb. He stumbled slightly but quickly regained his footing, shaking off the abrupt sensation of being tossed like a rag doll.
Drogath stood nearby, still holding the rope. He dropped it to the ground and gave Ali a questioning look. "Ali, what happened down there?"
Ali waved him off. "Let's head to our sparring place. I'll explain on the way," he said curtly.
The two mounted their speeders and raced across the desert. As the wind rushed past him, Ali's thoughts turned inward. 'I didn't even see it coming', he thought grimly, recalling how effortlessly Malgrith had thrown him. 'I've got a long way to go.'
During the ride, Ali explained the basics of what had occurred inside the tomb to Drogath, including the discovery of the ancient hall and Malgrith's obsessive reaction. However, he carefully omitted any mention of the Sith ghost or his newfound abilities.
They reached their usual sparring location just as the sun began to dip toward the horizon. Ali dismounted his speeder, shrugging off the jacket of his uniform. Beneath it, he wore a skin-tight black long-sleeve shirt that clung to his well-defined physique, the sleek material highlighting every muscle.
"Go all out," Ali said coldly, his voice carrying an air of finality.
Drogath nodded, his expression shifting to one of determination. Without hesitation, he channeled Force Strength into his legs, propelling himself forward with a burst of speed that kicked up a cloud of sand behind him. The giant acolyte reached Ali in less than two seconds, his stance refined, his movements deliberate.
Drogath's fist hurtled toward Ali, cloaked in Force energy that seemed to tear through the air itself. Ali responded by gathering the Force around his open hand, channeling his Spirit carefully to match the incoming attack.
BOOM.
The clash of Force energy sent shockwaves rippling through the air. Neither acolyte budged at first, each pouring their strength into the standoff. For five long seconds, the desert sands shifted beneath their feet, a testament to the sheer power being exerted.
But then Ali took a calculated step forward, pushing Drogath back. He burned through more of his Spirit pond, using telekinetic Force to overwhelm Drogath's raw strength.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Drogath roared, refusing to yield. With a surge of anger, he poured even more Force Strength into his punch, countering Ali's advance.
'Now,' Ali thought.
In an instant, he cut off his telekinetic push, allowing Drogath's momentum to surge forward uncontested. The sudden lack of resistance caused Drogath to stumble, his forceful punch throwing him off balance.
Ali capitalised on the opening, flipping over Drogath with acrobatic ease. He delivered a devastating kick to the back of Drogath's head, sending the larger acolyte crashing face-first into the ground. The impact caused a small explosion of sand, the force of Drogath's fall creating a shallow crater.
'If that punch had landed, I'd be lucky to survive,' Ali thought as he approached Drogath, whose massive frame shifted slightly in the sand.
Before Ali could speak, Drogath used Force Strength to slam his fists into the ground, propelling himself back to his feet with surprising speed. He immediately launched a front kick at Ali, who leaned back just in time to avoid the strike.
"That looked cool," Ali remarked dryly, though his words were lost on Drogath, who remained entirely focused on the fight.
With a burst of Force Strength, Drogath leapt into the air, his hands clasped together as he prepared to deliver a crushing overhead strike. Ali flipped backward, evading the attack as Drogath's fists slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent red sand flying in all directions.
The impact formed a swirling sandstorm, obscuring both acolytes from view. Ali landed smoothly, his senses sharp as he flicked his hand downward, forcing Drogath to one knee with a telekinetic shove.
Appearing in front of the kneeling giant, Ali feinted an attack, causing Drogath to raise his guard. When the real uppercut came, Drogath couldn't react in time. The punch landed squarely on his chin, snapping his head back.
Ali followed with a flurry of punches, each one landing with precise force. Drogath's massive frame staggered under the onslaught, his vision blurring as a concussion began to take hold.
Ali ended the sequence with a flying knee to Drogath's stomach, sending the larger acolyte sprawling onto the ground, where he coughed violently, expelling the remnants of his earlier meal.
Ali watched impassively as Drogath struggled to rise, the sandstorm swirling around them in a vortex of red. The storm created an eerie haze, obscuring everything except the two combatants in its chaotic embrace.
Drogath lifted his head, his eyes scanning the storm for any sign of Ali. But all he saw was the endless whirl of red sand, as though the desert itself was alive and conspiring against him.
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