Spark of red light flashed inside a dimly lit room aboard the starship. A bright electric current crackled and arced between the palms of a young man seated on his bunk, his expression one of intense focus.
"Force Lightning," Ali muttered to himself, watching the crimson energy dance between his fingers. "Never thought I'd unlock it this soon."
He closed his hands, extinguishing the crackling energy as he leaned back against the wall. His thoughts wandered as he reflected on the ability. 'From the little information in the archives, this is one of—if not the—strongest Force power'.
Closing his eyes, Ali tuned into the sensations within him. He felt the regeneration of his spirit pond, the dark energy replenishing its reserves like ink filling a void. He smirked slightly. 'Once this pool is full, I'll be able to manipulate larger objects with Force Telekinesis… though I still need to measure how much energy each use consumes.'
His thoughts were cut short by a loud growl from his stomach, jolting him upright. "I forgot to eat!" he exclaimed, immediately rushing out of the room to find something to silence his hunger.
The following day, Ali stood by the ship's observation window, watching the red planet of Korriban grow larger in the distance. The morning trip back had been uneventful, and now, the academy's ancient, jagged structures loomed closer.
As the spaceship descended into the academy's hangar, Ali picked up the case containing the retrieved device. Outside the ship, the commander of the troopers awaited him, a wide grin plastered across his face.
"Well done, acolyte. I must commend you once again for—"
Ali cut him off, his tone sharp and unamused. "Commander, you can stop pretending. I know the real reason you're so excited. You'll use my success as a tool to send more acolytes on suicide missions to Vorrath."
The commander blinked, taken aback by Ali's bluntness. "I don't know what you mean," he said, his tone defensive. "Now make haste and deliver the device to Lord Vrixor!" He turned on his heel, attempting to escape the conversation.
Ali's voice carried after him, loud enough for the nearby troopers to hear. "Sure. Just make sure you don't forget to mention how the other four acolytes on the ship died before we even landed."
Ignoring the stiffened expressions of the troopers, Ali made his way to the elevators and ascended to Lord Vrixor's laboratory.
The doors hissed open to reveal Vrixor standing amidst his machines, his hands clasped behind his back. His golden-yellow eyes lit up as Ali stepped in.
"Acolyte, show me the device immediately," Vrixor commanded, his voice tinged with excitement.
Before Ali could respond, Vrixor extended a hand, using the Force to levitate the case out of Ali's grip. The Sith Lord opened the case and carefully retrieved the device. Without delay, he plugged it into a larger contraption.
Ali watched in silence as the blue liquid inside the device flowed through transparent tubes, evaporating into a gas. The vapour traveled along more pipes, ultimately feeding into a large console. Numbers flickered rapidly across a screen, and Vrixor's face twisted into a look of obsessive concentration.
'They're all the same', Ali thought. 'Mad about their research. Just like Malgrith and his symbols in that tomb.'
"What about the data?" Vrixor asked suddenly, turning toward Ali with a penetrating gaze. "Did you recover anything from the research team?"
Ali nodded and retrieved a shard from his comms device, holding it between his fingers. Vrixor used the Force to take it, inserting the shard into his console. He began scanning the symbols and data, muttering to himself as his eyes darted across the screen.
"And my reward?" Ali asked bluntly, cutting through Vrixor's muttering.
"Oh, of course. Follow me," Vrixor said, his attention snapping back to the present. He led Ali to a nearby door that opened to reveal a storage room overflowing with weapons, armour, and droids.
"Choose one item," Vrixor said, waving a hand toward the collection. "Anything you want, but no droids. Acolytes aren't permitted to have them." With that, he turned and returned to his machines.
Ali stepped into the storage room, his eyes scanning the impressive array of options. He paused by a long blaster sniper, inspecting it before setting it down. His gaze shifted to a massive set of armour—something that would suit someone Drogath's size perfectly.
The blasters held little appeal to him. 'With the Force, I can always disarm an opponent and take their weapon'. He continued exploring, eventually coming across an arm guard with a built-in flamethrower. 'Interesting, but not quite what I'm looking for.'
Minutes passed as Ali sifted through the room. His gaze kept returning to the imposing set of armour, the most valuable piece in the collection. Just as he moved to pick it up, a strange sensation washed over him—a faint tug in the Force.
"What was that?" he muttered, turning to trace the sensation. His search led him to a pile of broken armour and damaged relics. Kneeling down, he rummaged through the pile, inspecting each piece. Halfway through, his hand landed on something cold and smooth.
He lifted it—a mask.
The mask was forged from blood-red metal, adorned with intricate black carvings that twisted across its surface like living vines. Its angular crest and pronounced ridge gave it the appearance of a crown, while the recessed eye sockets seemed to watch with a silent, predatory intensity.
'This is it', Ali thought, feeling the faint yet unmistakable presence of the Force emanating from the mask. It was light, almost impossibly so, despite its metallic construction.
He carried the mask back to the laboratory, presenting it to Vrixor.
"I picked this," Ali said, holding up the mask.
Vrixor turned, his eyes widening at the sight. "That ancient thing?" he said, his tone tinged with surprise. "I had nearly forgotten I even owned it. Let me guess—you felt the Force from the mask."
"Yes," Ali confirmed. "Do you know anything about it, Lord Vrixor?"
The Sith Lord smiled faintly, a glimmer of memory flashing in his eyes. "I discovered that mask years ago when I first became a Sith Lord. I was fascinated by its design, but no matter what I tried, it never responded to me."
He stepped closer, inspecting the mask. "However, one of my acolytes at the time was drawn to it, much like you. When he wore it, the mask responded—granting him enhanced Force sensitivity and greater control over the Force."
"What happened to him?" Ali asked, though he suspected the answer.
Vrixor's smile turned colder. "He died. I killed him. Watching the mask respond to an acolyte instead of me… it infuriated me. So I discarded it into that room and forgot about it."
"Are you going to kill me if it responds to me?" Ali asked, his tone flat but his eyes watchful.
Vrixor chuckled darkly. "No, acolyte. Better for it to be used than to rot in my laboratory. But remember this—if the mask does not respond to you, there will be no second chance to choose another item." His voice dropped, carrying a sharper edge.
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