'This place is bigger than I expected.'
Was the only thought in my head as I wandered deeper into the depths of the tomb. This one seemed to have been intended more as a maze than a tomb, probably a result of the Sith Academy that used to be here in the past using it as a way to test initiates.
Although I knew I hadn't been there more than 1 hour, it felt like several hours had passed since I entered with Sabine and Maul. Still, I knew exactly where the 2 were, as, thanks to Kreia, I had learned the ability to memorize someone's signature in the force, so no matter how much someone like Maul hid his, I would still sense it. The only downside to the ability was that for that he had to have felt the individual's signature at some point, at least once.
'I'm getting impatient.' I thought as I continued to walk down one of the corridors of the tomb. 'Still, I must be patient, patience is a virtue and a great one. I won't be able to get better until I understand. At least that's what Kreia said and so far despite her strange mannerisms, she tends to be right in what she says.'
It was then as I was finally leaving the hallway that I found myself at a crossroads, 2 roads in front of me.
"Hmph."
I quickly decided on the one to the left, not for any specific reason, but because I knew that if it wasn't the right path I could always turn back at full speed and go the other way.
So I went into the path, hoping to find the star map. However, once I got on the path I started to feel something, a strange sensation, as if someone was watching me.
Even so, I didn't let this be noticed in me, so I kept walking the same as before without varying my pace, however, I made my right hand was gradually approaching my lightsaber almost touching it, in case I should prepare to face someone or... something.
So I drew my lightsaber, illuminating the hallway with its crimson glow.
It was then that I noticed that inside the narrow hallway I was in, there were time-worn Sith inscriptions carved into the walls. A light breeze was blowing through the structure, carrying with it a smell of dust and death.
I continued to advance cautiously, my lightsaber still on, casting a crimson glow that barely managed to pierce the gloom of the place. If I was right, that path would lead me directly to Naga Sadow's tomb.
As I rounded a corner, however, a guttural sound reverberated through the corridor. A low, primitive, menacing growl. It made me stop in my tracks, my senses on high alert. Then I saw it at last.
Emerging from the darkness with heavy, brutal movements, a Terentatek rose in all its monstrosity. Its thick, leathery skin seemed tough even for a lightsaber, and its fangs dripped with deadly venom. The creature, a devourer of Force users, did not need to see its prey to detect it. It sensed it. It seemed to detect me almost immediately, for it roared with fury, as it attempted to lunge at me without hesitation.
I barely had time to jump back, dodging the monster's claws by inches. In response, I launched a diagonal slash with my lightsaber, but the creature barely flinched. As I well knew, the Terentatek were Force-resistant, which meant that conventional strategies would not work. I would have to get creative.
I rolled to the side, while avoiding another swipe from the beast that shattered part of the wall to my right. Debris flew in all directions. I took advantage of that moment of confusion and, with a burst of speed, ran around the monster, looking for weak spots.
The creature roared again and swung its huge arm at me. I quickly jumped over the attack and, with a somersault, managed to land on the Terentatek's back. I thrust my saber into one of the natural chinks in its bony armor, causing the beast to bellow in pain. But the creature was undeterred. It jerked violently, throwing me against a nearby column.
The impact was brutal. I felt the air escape my lungs as I hit the rock, but I didn't even have time to recover as the Terentatek was already charging at me again, now more enraged than before.
Without thinking, I looked at the ceiling, it was cracked, probably as a result of my battle with the beast, so I used the Force to pull it and made it fall on the creature, releasing a rain of debris. Huge boulders fell on the Terentatek, forcing it to stop its advance. Taking advantage of its momentary daze, I instantly got up and ran forward at high speed, performing a precise slash at one of its leg joints.
The beast howled and fell to one knee, its mobility reduced.
I subsequently leapt over a wall, propelling myself with the Force to gain speed and height. In midair, I spun on myself and descended with all the power I managed to muster, intending to drive my lightsaber into the creature's skull. My crimson blade plunged into one of the crevices of its bony armor, piercing through its thick skull and reaching the brain.
The Terentatek jerked with a final spasm of resistance before collapsing with a dull thud. That's when I slid off its back, breathing heavily.
It took me some time to catch my breath, the experience being honest had been terrifying, after all I knew what those beasts were capable of and I knew very well that defeating one was not easy even if you were an excellent duelist.
As I was catching my breath, however, I felt someone's gaze.
A shiver ran down my spine. It wasn't a simple feeling of being watched, it was something deeper, more ominous. I immediately put myself on guard, turning on my heels with the lightsaber still on. But the strange thing was that I detected no presence in the Force. There were no fluctuations, no echoes of murderous intent, nothing. And that meant only one thing: whoever was there was someone dangerous enough to mask himself to my senses.
Emerging from the shadows of the tomb, an imposing silhouette revealed itself. The dim light of my saber illuminated his figure, and what I saw left me momentarily bewildered. His armor was unlike any I had seen before. It was not simply metallic or forged in the traditional styles of Sith or Imperial warriors. No, this one looked alive.
Dark, organic bony plates fused with his body, moving subtly with each breath, as if they were an extension of his own flesh. The intricate spines and protrusions that ran along its limbs gave it an inhuman, almost grotesque appearance, as if it did not belong to this time or this universe. His helmet, twisted and riddled with jagged lines, evoked the image of an ancestral predator, with eyes hidden behind the gloom of his visor, but whose gaze I felt fixed on me like an invisible edge.
For a moment, an instinctive sense of primal danger coursed through my body. He wasn't just a warrior. I didn't know if he was a Sith. I was something else. Something that didn't quite fit what I knew.
My grip on the saber tightened and I took an instinctive step back, assuming a defensive posture.
"Who are you?", I blurted out cautiously, as my eyes scanned every detail of his figure.
The way he moved, his relaxed yet menacing stance, indicated that he was no mere acolyte or random wannabe. This man was a warrior forged in combat, someone who had lived and breathed war for a long time.
The stranger did not respond immediately. Instead, he barely inclined his head, as if sizing me up, gauging my every reaction, every small adjustment in my posture. Then his voice echoed in the gloom, deep and full of authority.
"You have proven yourself worthy by surviving the beast. But that was only a minor test. Now... let's see how far your power can take you."
His response caused him to feel confusion.
"Test? What do you mean?" I asked with a frown, but got no more than a brief moment of silence before the attack came.
Without warning, the figure lunged toward me with overwhelming speed. I barely had time to react when its crimson red lightsaber emerged with a fiery snap, slicing through the air with deadly precision. I instinctively raised my own weapon to block the blow, and the collision sent a flash of sparks around us, fleetingly illuminating his sinister helmet.
The force of the impact forced me to retreat several steps. His blow was not only powerful, but calculated. He was sizing me up, testing my defenses. It was not a careless or impulsive attack, but the movement of an accomplished duelist. His stance, his technique... everything about him screamed experience and absolute control.
I had no choice but to respond. With a swift movement, I swung my saber and attacked with a series of thrusts aimed at his torso, seeking weak points in his defense. But each strike was deflected with chilling ease. He moved not with the urgency of someone fighting for his life, but with the calm of a predator toying with its prey.
Suddenly, I felt an invisible pressure on my arm, as if something was trying to immobilize me. But what really alarmed me was that it wasn't the Force. It was something else... something I couldn't explain. I managed to free my arm with a quick twist, but that made it clear to me that this enemy had tricks I didn't fully understand.
"Impressive," he muttered in an almost amused tone. "But we're just getting started."
In one fluid motion, he raised his free hand and launched a flurry of energy projectiles from his gauntlet, forcing me to jump backward to avoid them. Before I could steady myself, he was on me again, his saber descending in a lethal arc.
I knew I couldn't stand alone on the defensive. If I wanted to get out of this alive, I had to find a way to change the course of the fight.
I took a deep breath, focusing on my opponent's every little move. I couldn't rely on the Force to anticipate his attacks, but I still had my instincts and experience. If I wanted to win, I had to be more than a skilled duelist; I had to be unpredictable.
With a quick spin, I deflected his next saber strike and launched a feint, a feint that he seemed to anticipate, blocking with ease. However, that distraction allowed me to change tactics. I deactivated my saber at the last instant and lunged at him, using my own weight to push him back.
The move seemed to take him by surprise for a brief instant, but his strength was formidable. He steadied himself almost immediately and responded with a brutal kick to my side, knocking me back with a grunt of pain. I couldn't match him in brute strength, so I had to take the fight to my ground.
Taking advantage of the space that separated us, I took a lower position and began to move with speed, attacking from unexpected angles. I jumped to the stone wall and propelled myself from there to launch a downward slash, which he blocked with his saber, but this time the force of the impact made him step back.
That was what I needed.
Without giving him respite, I pressed the attack with a flurry of blows, forcing him on the defensive. My enemy deflected every move with precision, but now I was dictating the pace of the fight. I saw a minimal opening in his stance and spun on myself, throwing sand from the ground into his visor with a low kick.
The trick worked. He instinctively covered himself to keep the grains of sand from obstructing his vision, and in that key instant, I slid my lightsaber down, striking the hilt of his weapon with enough force to disarm him.
The crimson saber fell to the ground with a metallic clank.
Before he could recover, I swung my saber around and stopped it just inches from his neck. We were both breathing heavily.
For an instant, absolute silence filled the tomb.
He bowed his head slightly, as if assessing the outcome. Then, with unnerving calm, he stepped back and raised his hands in a gesture of controlled surrender.
"Interesting," he said in his deep voice. "You have passed the test."
I deactivated my saber, not taking my eyes off him. "Who are you?"
The stranger didn't answer right away. Instead, he barely tilted his head, as if deciding how much to reveal to me. Finally, he said in an enigmatic tone:
"Someone who has seen the past...and the future."