Jewel of the Force III: Malice of the Jewel

Xander Vos · Jewel of the Force III: Malice of the Jewel

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-Emergency Meeting Room – Coruscant- 96 ABY -
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The hubbub in the room murmured as softly as the trickling water of the fountain situated in the middle of the grandiose meeting room. It was one of dozens located within the Senate Rotunda on Coruscant, but this one was quite different. Most turbolifts didn’t even have access to the floor that this room held a large influence over. Those who even knew about it – outside the Supreme Chancellor’s office, there weren’t many who could claim to have the honour – only knew that it was the most secure place on Coruscant without a doubt. Years of developments in sound-proof technology had been devoted specially for use in this room, making it the most impenetrable place in the Senate Rotunda. Meetings that took place within it would reach only the ears of those present.

Since the war with Miedo that had concluded a quarter of a century ago, little had stirred the Republic such as recent events had, calling into use for the first time this meeting chamber. The Supreme Chancellor looked grave as she murmured to an aide, a woman from Naboo, Jierra Sabé. Those gathered had slowly trickled in, and were made almost entirely of Jedi, the guardians of the Republic since it’s birth millennia ago. The Sith were also represented. Not the monsters who had invaded Bakura, the Jedi’s throne world ten years ago, but more civilised Sith, Sith with a passion for equality, upset with their former Emperor Paxis, who had arranged for his death after he refused to allow them credence.

One faction, however, was still conspicuously absent. The Chancellor knew she would not begin the meeting until the Mandalore, Narum Taal, and the dozen of his finest men he had promised for the mission that would take them to the far off world of Belkaden, on the Galaxy’s fringes. Belkaden, a planet that would typically be an unknown world because of its distance from the centre of the Galaxy, had become a household name almost a century ago, when the Yuuzhan Vong, invaders from another Galaxy, had arrived.

Terraforming the world, it was only due to the quick thinking of a Sith convoy in the nearby system of Sernpidal that had been able to save the tarnished world, and drive away what had at that time been believed to be the entire invasion force, but was soon learnt to have been merely the precursor to the larger invasion.

Once again, Belkaden had become known for the wrong reasons, and the Supreme Chancellor knew that time was of the essence, for the threat that had been discovered there, whilst having lain dormant for so long, would surely act soon, knowing that it had been discovered.

Finally, with a hiss-snap of the turbolift doors opening, the suited man stepped forth, his dozen finest at his back, their weapons holstered and clearly depleted of power, although the Supreme Chancellor knew there was no doubt that they had concealed weapons which were fully loaded and dangerous. They were, after all, most probably the thirteen most dangerous men in the Galaxy – even Jedi found their speed and voracity to be too overwhelming at times.

Supreme Chancellor Cha Niathal cleared her throat, immediately killing the murmurs of conversation, before speaking in the gravely voice customary to her species, “Thank you for gathering here at such short notice, the effort is much appreciated.” She nodded once at each of the three factions, noting that Taal had chosen to remove his helmet, a sign of respect and camaraderie rarely seen by Mandalorians – she noted that the other twelve men had remained helmeted.

“Recent evidence has come to light surrounding a joint venture by the Sith and Jedi half a century ago, to the ancient Sith world of Korriban,” she said, eliciting a hushed whisper between some of the younger Jedi and Sith, who had indeed heard of the mission in history lessons, “The ‘Jewel of the Force’ as it had been nicknamed in the summary of the venture I was given only weeks ago, was believed destroyed after the individual last corrupted by it, broke free of its trap, and melted it with a Force technique,” she said, and smiled apologetically, her eyes blinking soothingly, “Forgive me I have little knowledge of these things.

The Jewel, which was believed destroyed, has apparently managed to survive, or perhaps another existed, on the far off world of Belkaden. Perhaps it lay dormant beneath the surface, drawn forth by the action that world has seen in the past fifty years, and has finally come to life, but it seems the Jewel has corrupted the survey team station on that world, and had somehow managed to grow a sizeable following of creatures of all sorts, in a corruption that has spread slowly but surely. Our survey team, worried after quite some time with no response from the team, investigated and discovered the alarming evidence, and recorded it for those of us present today.”

Niathal paused, and nodded to Sabé, who began the holo-recording, which was shaky enough to have been from a hand-held holo device. The images showed a tall, towering spire of a building in the middle of a large clearing in a rain forest, on Belkaden. The spire seemed to be alive, as it shook backwards and forwards, almost vibrating. Even as the assembled crowd watched, the tower grew a further few inches, and the ground around it grew murkier.

“Thank you Jierra,” Niathal said, and the recording halted, “We have come to the conclusion that the Jewel is slowly killing the planet as it draws power to itself, presumably in an attempt to launch an invasion on another world, or some other fiendish end. What we’re afraid of is the fact that this Jewel seems to feed off the Force, an obviously integral part of our defence,” she said drawing forth a few dry chuckles from the older Jedi present.

“Whatever the case, we must deal with this efficiently and at once. Whilst it seems centred on that continent, it may soon spread to corrupt the entire world, which would make it next to impossible to stop,” Niathal said gravely, and glanced to Taal, “I have asked Narum Taal to lead the expedition, and he has courteously volunteered the services of a dozen of his men, which I thank him graciously for. Of course, not all of you gathered have to participate, but your corresponding leaders saw fit to bring you to this meeting, so they obviously believe you capable of joining.”

She paused, making it clear that it was time for others to speak.

Rive Caedo

Ishiir'rodam'makarutuus, usually just referred to as "Sheer" didn't want to be the first to speak up. So he stayed quiet and kept to the back wall of the room.

Chiss had become a more common sight in the galaxy over the past decades, but he still wasn't surprised when he noticed one of the Mandalorians staring back at his glowing red eyes. The armored girl tried to look away when she realized he was returning her stare, but he held her head in place firmly by exerting the Force.

Telekinesis was Sheer's only real talent. He could exert other Force skills, but only to degrees matchable by the most inept of Force students. So, he had opted to become an engineering and slicing expert for the Sith.

On his arms were two outwardly identical brushed cobalt metallic bracers that extended from his wrists nearly to his elbow. The blue metal matched his skin, but their bulk made it obvious that they weren't part of his body. They were heavy enough that he had to use the Force to move his arms at any natural speed. They held dozens of tools within their frames (the only one constantly exposed was the lightsaber emitter at the end of each of them). Sheer considered using the Force to reveal their hidden weapons and tools - simply to show the Mandalorian that she wasn't he only one with tricks literally up her sleeve, but decided it was ill advised in this room.

He released the girl's head and continued to wait for someone else to speak up first. He smiled slightly when he saw the Mandalorian girl's back stiffen and shudder slightly. Apparently all he had needed to do was hold her against her will for a moment to disturb her - the weapons display he decided against was entirely unneeded.

Lord Embeion

Urwens eye's glided across the room looking at the many strained faces. Keeping his peace for the moment he let himself be relativity unseen under his hood. He was to wait for the Mandalorians, Jedi, and Chancellor speak again before he was permitted. The old man rested his eyes and decided to listen instead of observe. He felt his lackeys would do a fine job on the observation half.

As the Mon Calamarian was speaking the words "Sith world of Korriban" stuck out in Urwens head. Like a child waiting to open his presents on Christmas morning. The word Korriban itself made the Sith all giddy and devilishly cheerful.

Xander Vos

Narum Taal stood silently, a cold feeling gathering in his gut as he watched the information play out before his eyes. If what they said was true this could spell the end for not only the Jedi and Sith as Force Users, but everyone everywhere, as the Jewel spread throughout the Galaxy, feeding on living organisms to gather its strength.

"How can we be sure this is the same thing as on Korriban?" He asked.

Niathal turned in his direction, "The scouts who saw it were lucky enough to be a group who remembered the Jewel, and, in an act of bravery they have been commended for, managed to remove a sample from the Temple you all saw in the holo-vid. The scans revealed it was made of an organic compound similar to the metal Laminanium, which as you know, is self-replicating, in the event it is damaged, so that it can repair itself. This organic compound, whilst similar to Laminanium, is also subtly different, as it is able to replicate using a form of mitosis. Whilst mitosis is usually used for repair or growth, using energy from the mitochondria to do so, this Jewel uses a stronger form of mitosis, dividing at huge rates in a small amount of time, by drawing on energy from the cells of other organisms. The conclusions the scientists reached was that whilst it appears inorganic - which is why it registered the name Jewel, its shiny, hardened surface leading to this classification - it is certainly organic, matching descriptions from the group of Jedi who were sent on the expedition fifty years ago."

Narum nodded satisfied, "So how are we meant to destroy it?"

"The scientists subjected the sample to intense cold, intense pressure, intense heat, and to vacuum, and none seemed to affect it in the slightest but-"

"Then how the frak do we destroy this?" Narum interupted tersley, well aware that several of the Jedi and Sith were now staring at him.

"But," Niathal continued coldly, all former warmth radiated by her upon his arrival rapidly falling away, "The Jewel did respond to combinations of the four tests. If it were, for example, subjected to vacuum and intense heat at the same time, for instance being shot into a sun, it would be completely destroyed, the scientists were adament of that."

"Oh sure, where are we going to find a sun lying around on Belkaden to push that huge Temple into?" Narum asked sarcastically.

"There are always other possibilities," Niathal reminded him mildly, "Intense pressure and heat would be able to destroy it, as well as other combinations. It seems the Jewel acts as an extremophile, able to resist extremes of any kind, but it becomes 'overwhelmed' when faced by more than one extreme at a time, and this exterior protection breaks down, revealing the inner structure of the Jewel to the extremes, and it begins to break down at a molecular level."

Lord Embeion

Darth Embeion lifted his head and spoke " Couldn't we just dig it up and tow it into the solar systems star? By the sounds of it, it doesn't seem like such a structure would have roots." he paused. ". Or couldn't we simply burn fuel on it? I'm confident enough in the Force to create the vacuum.". He knew it would have a 99.5% fail rate but the morale of his men mattered more at the moment.

Lord Vexen

A Sith master by the name of Si stared in amazement at the holovids of the so-called Jewel of the Force. He had heard of the Jewel before, and even considered using it for his own. Then his eyes opened when he heard the name Korriban. That Jewel had drawn its power from the dark world and it inhabitants. If Si tried to use it, it would drain his of his life, then toss him aside like a fruit being squeezed into juice.

Si waited and observed in the shadows not far from Lord Embeion. He heard Lord Embeion speak up, but decided it would be best if he himself did not. Si had been smart enough to figure out that Embeion's plan would be nearly impossible, simply because there were not enough men to muster a presence like that. Si watched and waited to hear more information from the Jedi.

Rive Caedo

"In my experience," Sheer spoke up now, "if you find that an enemy has enough armor to withstand two blaster shots before it goes down..."

Through precise, long practiced, nudges in the Force against pressure points on the interior of his long bracers, Sheer activated four of the compartments.

From the largest compartments of the bracers, on the side facing the thumb of each arm two oversized repeating blasters unfolded and snapped forward placing their grips firmly in each of Sheer's blue hands. A jointed metal attachment still connected it to the open compartments, ready to draw them back inside at a moment's notice.

From two much smaller compartments at the wrists, tiny cubes popped up and from each of those two small blaster barrels telescoped forward.

The deployments were nearly silent, due to each action being executed by the Force rather than mechanics.

".... Then you should play it safe and hit them with six." He glanced at Embeion, "If you find an enemy has at least four weaknesses - don't place your faith only in two."

Xander Vos

Niathal nodded at the Chiss Sith, who despite the unnesescary show of force, had raise the point she was trying to convey, "Precisely. The reason I have drawn together each of the three of you - Mandalorians, Sith and Jedi - to Coruscant was the fact that with the three of you combined, you should be able to defeat this Jewel. If you can't, then no one can."

She gazed solemnly at them in turn, then nodded to each leader, "I'm sure there'll be little need, but you should each confer with your men and women and decide on final teams to tackle this problem. Those who don't wish to go should not be berated, because the Jewel is well known for the havoc it has raised in the past and is not to be taken lightly."

Lord Embeion

Embeion shrugged the insult off as he knew it was coming. But he couldn't help wanting to crush the insect in its own home and to believe it was one of his own. Beating down on his bottom lip telling himself this was not the place for torture he turned to the Chancellor waiting to see what she has to say. While doing so he couldn't help but put his own card on the table and placed his hand on the end of his knee revealing his Lightsaber up his sleeve.

The Chancellors face started to turn pale and she couldn't help but notice the growing tension in the room. The Manadlorians were to aggressive for there own good and with Sith in the room all anyone could hope for not having 750,000 volts of electricity shot down there spine or for blaster holes.

Darth Embeion listened to the Chancellors word and had already selected his team long before hand. He was in fact pondering on who the Jedi would bring.

Dakoth

Res Carrum shifted nervously within his armor as he peered out the narrow slit in his tinted visor. He would have preferrred a nice deep Sarlaac pit over the obscenely lethal company the Mandalore had seen fit to surround them with. His chin rested in tense anticipation on the button inside his helmet that would release several sealed compartments within his armor, which might at least allow him to die fighting.

He wasn't at all comfortable in this kind of setting, if he wasn't tucked in a corner with a Sniper Rifle, or crouching behind a wall with a vibroblade, he wasn't happy. Res couldn't with much honesty say he would prove of any effectiveness if every Sith in the rather open room decided to draw sabers.

Right now, with the exception of the Chiss, that didn't seem like much of a likelyhood. Both castes of force users showed visible concern over this Jewel trinket.

Xander Vos

Elys Jya gazed passively around the room, her arms clasping one another beneath her robe, the typical Jedi gesture of peace and good-will. The heated clash between the Mandalorians and the Sith disturbed her nearly as much as travelling on a mission with Sith as company and supposed allies.

But the Council had been adament, she must commit to this mission, or else a lot more than just her life could be lost. She turned, glancing amongst the five other Jedi she had brought with her, and, already sensing through the Force which of them was eager, sent out a sensation through the Force, reassuring those who were concerned, giving them the feeling that it was alright to return home.

Turning back, her team of herself and two other Jedi decided, she awaited the Supreme Chancellor's final announcement.

"The teams are decided?" Niathal asked, and when the Sith Embeion, and Jya nodded, she nodded her own head, and turned to face the Mandalorians.

"All of my ner vod shall be joining me," Taal said, in a silky smooth voice, a smile of superiority on his face, at the fact that unlike the Jedi and Sith, none of his men and women were deserters.

"Very well. I have obtained a small cruiser for the journey to Belkaden, and it awaits you in the hangar. You have been supplied with a pilot only, and the ship shall leave in an hour. Here are the details," she said, handing a datapad to Taal, Embeion and Jya, knowing that had she handed one to only one of them, there would have been and uproar.

The three teams bowed to her once, then turned, and slowly left the room through each of the three turbolifts.

Lord Embeion

"Just one thing, I travel with no Jedi. I will be taking my personal ship with my own pilot. You may be the most powerful personal in the Republic but no man will tell me that I have to get along with Jedi and galactic slime." Without further word Embeion stood up and barged out of the room with his minions following. He figured he needed to put himself on top so that the Mandalorians would think twice before shooting him down. He already knew the Jedi wouldn't dare jeopardize the mission.

*Hanger Bay*
Moments later the Sith arrived at the Hanger where his VT-49 Decimator was having a last minute tune-up. Several feet away from the ship Embeion turned to face his brethren " Those who wish to serve for the Empire step forward now. Those not wishing to fly to there death turn back now." he paused " Those who don't come will find there own way back to the Throne and inform the Council.".

Dakoth

"With any luck he'll get shot." Res muttered under his breath, keeping his outbound comm off so that only his stiff-backed mandalorian Brother standing at his side would hear. Only an infantesimal loosening of posture indicated his comrade's agreeance. It was of no concern to him however, the Sith slime could abandon his Allies and run off if he so chose, it would just mean that the enemy had less ammo to hit him with, well whatever ammo strange sentient jewels possesed anyway.

Lord Vexen

Si accompanied Lord Embeion to the hanger bay. When Embeion made the call for volunteers, Si stepped forward. "I volunteer, Lord Embeion".

Rive Caedo

"I don't want to go." Sheer said. Embeion cast him a glare.

"But you'd never keep this antique flying without me, so I suppose I have no choice. Lest the engine catch fire mid-jump." This wasn't far from the truth. The VT-49 model was almost 100 years old and almost qualified as historic starship.

Xander Vos

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-Azure Light YT-3600 Light Freighter– Hyperspace en route to Belkaden
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Narum Taal settled into the passenger cabin on a holo-couch as he contemplated his surroundings, as the Supreme Chancellor's designated pilot initiated the jump to Hyperspace.

Whilst Taal would have preferred the familiar surroundings of the Darasuum Copad III, his own personal craft, he understood the logic behind having the three teams in the same craft to begin to know each other and become familiar with each other's way of thinking. The Sith, the stubborn fools that they were, had been arrogant enough to declare they would take their own craft, and Taal and his ner vod had remained with the Jedi on their pre-designated craft.

Glancing around he watched as Suul and Porsh began a game of dejarik, studying the board intently in a hope to gain an insight into the other's thought patterns. Taal smiled. Even on a freighter in Hyperspace, they were both alert to the movements around them, and not betraying a single negative emotion, keeping any boredom that they felt tightly bottled within, true soldiers.

Glancing around, he noticed that the three Jedi huddled together in a corner, murmuring to themselves as they glanced at the thirteen Mandalorians arrayed around them, bristling with dangerous gear.

He sauntered over casually to the leader of the Jedi, a rather striking woman, with the smooth features of a woman from Chandrila.

"You're not a Council Member, are you?" He asked her, as she glanced up at him.

She managed to keep the surprise from her face, although her voice betrayed it, "How did you know?"

"I've interacted with my fair share of Jedi, I know how you lot act. As much as you claim uniqueness, each rank within your society has a set of mannerisms, and you lack the stiff, regularity of a Counsellor," Taal replied.

She smiled appreciatively, and it struck him that she thought he had paid her a compliment, rather than just making an observation, "You're right, I'm just a Jedi Master, the Council hasn't seen me fit to give me a chair at the present time."

Taal nodded at her, "Perhaps this mission shall convince them of your worthiness. My ner vod are capable, but it is always handy to have Jedi at our backs and by our side. Mandalore the Inconquerable found your kind helpful on several occasions, if my history isn't too rusty."

"Mandalore the...?" Jya asked, apparently clueless as to the historical figures in Mandalorian society.

Taal's back stiffened visibly, "Mandalore the Inconquerable, our leader before Mandalore the Impregnable. You may perhaps know him as Korus Zhett, I believe he encountered several Jedi from your Order on numerous occasions, and even seeked shelter with them following a particularly hideous encounter with the Dark Lord Vader."

Jya nodded in recollection, "Ah yes, that name rings a bell, I believe he was involved in the Kalibann incident, and other incidents following it. He was an honourable man, and the Jedi remember him fondly from his days spent at the Temple."

Taal nodded, "He drew much from that time, he brought back invaluable knowledge to Mandalore when it was liberated from the Empire, and made us a better people."

They paused, and Taal reached up to remove his helmet - which he'd replaced following the meeting - and smiled at her as she gazed upon his chiselled, handsome face.

"Well, perhaps you should get some rest, we need to conserve our energy for our endeavors ahead," he said, smiling again, and moving off to spectate Suul and Porsh's dejarik match.

"I certainly will," Jya replied, a hint of coyness in her voice.

Taal smiled to himself. He liked the Jedi, and he certainly like Jya.

Lord Embeion

The small group of Sith had already been in hyperspace for some hours. Embeion had called everyone to the main bridge. One by one they came through the side doors and stood in front of Embeion in the Captains chair. He waited for the last one to arrive before beginning. Some moments later a drunken Apprentice stumbled in. "Ay everyon! Srry i'm ait!"the drunk spat out before realizing were he was. He gave a quick cough and stood up straight " My apologies Lord. I shall accept whatever punishment you deem fit!"

"Shut up and get in line!" Embeion didn't have the time nor patience to deal with it at the moment so he decided to forget it. This happened on rare occasions, usually the Dark Lord loved the opportunity to torture someone until whatever sanity they had left was gone. But he would need every willingly Sith to fight today. " I called you all here for you to voice your opinion in this grave situation. You will be given one chance to speak so make it worth our time."

Xander Vos

The jungle lay dormant, barely a sound could be heard from the once lively plantation. Only ten years before, the planet had been thriving, finally recovered from the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of sixty years prior, the planet had been full of life, lush and bountiful.

Now, however, it was dark, corrupted somehow, and yet nothing visibly seemed wrong with the world of Belkaden.

The world hung in space, suspended almost, by the glowing citadel that stradled it, large enough to be seen from space, and constantly growing, constantly spreading.

A ripple of pseudo motion, and the two craft emerged from Hyperspace, to hang above the world, as it orbited below them.

Taal whistled softly from his position on the bridge of the Azure Light. He had seen holos of the world, had seen holos of what it had become, but nothing prepared him for the pure wrongness that he felt emanating from the planet; he didn't need the Force to feel it in the core of his being.

Speaking of. He glanced over at Jya, who had gathered with her two fellow Jedi, and was whispering with them, furtively glancing out the viewport occasionally. It seemed that they felt what he could feel as well, so perhaps he wasn't imagining it.

Whatever the case, they needed to get down there, and fast, and end this monstrosity.

Lord Vexen

Si stood in the line. When no one else walked forward, Si stood up. "Lord Embeion, I would like to know, why are we doing this? One such as you could surely handle the power of the Jewel, right?" said Si.

Not very long...but I needed to post so I could stay in the mission.

Lord Embeion

"This Jewel is beyond us all. As much as I would love to use it.. we can't. Only a fool would try to take on such power. But history tends to repeat itself. So we shall see" Everyone felt the ship come out of hyperspace. The planet could be seen through the front dash and it was as grim as they could imagine. Luckily thats just how they wanted it. " Report on the Jedi and Mandalorian status Lieutenant"