Jedi Artisan 013

After spending a night in the shaman's hut, Zane & Shaak Ti snuck the former captives out of the village, and with the help of Zane's ‘odds manipulation’ took the long way around, evading those pesky Acklay. 

Escorting Dain & Chec to their shuttle, the mission was 80% complete, and Zane had turned to Shaak Ti, proposing that they explore the nearby temple. 

“Absolutely not. The journey here alone was a major waste of time. We haven't even begun the negotiations.” Shaak Ti strongly disagreed once she heard his suggestion. 

“C'mon Ti Ti, you can't tell me you aren't drawn to the temple, right?” Zane asked with a confident smirk. 

Mimban had a few peculiarities, and one of them was the Kaiburr crystal. A giant crystal, and super focus, it buffed Luke's power by a whopping ONE THOUSAND TIMES bonus. Furthermore, it granted him the power of super limb healing, something he never possessed before. When Vader was influenced by it, it granted him temporary control over Force Lightning. 

Anyway you sliced it, this was a rare opportunity. Of course, the Kaiburr crystal didn't work beyond the confines of this temple, which was a bummer. But as a bonafide Jedi Artisan, how could he not be interested in this item? This was practically the perfect grinding spot! He could only imagine what he might be able to craft under its influence! Although swamp world sucked cheeks, it did have this one silver lining. 

Shaak Ti crossed her arms, and reluctantly nodded. “Very well, but we need to be back by evening.” 

“Always so responsible, where'd I be without you?” Zane joked, and pulled her in for a close hug. 

“Probably in some ditch.” She muttered. Rolling her eyes, she didn't pull away as per usual, showing that all his hard work was beginning to pay off. 

“Now we can get to the interesting part.” Zane grinned, rubbing his hands together like a two-bit villain. 

“You mean the part where we traverse this creepy ancient temple riddled with traps designed to kill intruders?” Shaak Ti sarcastically remarked, and side eyed him like he was a lunatic.  

“Exactly. Finally, something relaxing. Pretending to be a God is such tiresome work.” Zane let loose with an overly dramatic sigh. 

“Your definition of relaxation is…troubling.” 

“Well, don't just stand there staring at my derriere, let's go.” He countered, already striding toward the temple entrance with his white lightsaber drawn and illuminating the way. 

The structure loomed before them, half-sunken into the swamp, its massive stone statues worn smooth by time and rot. Vines draped over cracked pillars, and a faint, unnatural darkness pooled from within the doorway. Zane didn’t hesitate in his stride, and was constantly flipping a cred to help him determine the most optimal path. 

Shaak Ti followed, more cautiously.

Entering a narrow corridor, they were met by a blast of cool air, and the sound of dripping water. Their footsteps echoed softly as they bypassed old artwork depicting scenes of sacrifice. The stone floor was patterned with uneven tiles, each slightly different in color and design. For a moment, Zane felt like a famous archeologist, and wondered if they'd find something absurd down here, like a giant snake. 

During his trek, he noticed something amiss, and came to a sudden halt. 

“What is it?” Shaak Ti came to his side, and looked around wearily, yet couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary. 

“See these? They're pressure triggered paved steps. This primitive design is probably full of poisoned darts, maybe something more creative if the builders were feeling inspired.”

He said in a lazily academic tone, pointing at the floor, and then tube-like holes in the side of the wall.

She frowned at the floor. “You can tell that from a glance?”

“I can tell that from the fact that this entire place screams ‘please don’t walk here unless you enjoy dying.” He stretched his arms over his head, casual as ever. “Alright. Let’s see…”

Without another word, he stepped forward, and Shaak Ti felt her blood run cold as her lovable idiot didn't wait a second to formulate a plan! 

A sharp click echoed in the hall, and sensing danger, Shaak Ti’s hand snapped to her lightsaber forward, preparing herself to bat a poisoned dart away. 

Zane, meanwhile, had already begun to advance. 

He moved with an almost leisurely grace, shifting his weight just as a volley of darts shot from the walls. They hissed through the air, striking only empty space. Zane pivoted, stepped onto the edge of a tile rather than its center, then lightly hopped up vertically. A stream of darts shot out below his belly, and when he landed, he went prone, like a hunting cat. 

Performing a cartwheel into a handstand, several more darts shot out between his legs. He weaved through the tiles like a dancer who was moving to his own beat. 

At one point, he paused mid-step, glancing down. “Ah. Double trigger. That’s cute.”

He tapped the tile ahead of him with the tip of his boot several times, causing darts to be fired prematurely, then strolled through the now harmless gap. Within seconds, he reached the far end of the hallway. Not a single dart had touched him.

Zane turned back to her, and spread his arms.  

“See? Isn't this relaxing?” 

Shaak Ti walked through after him, and not a single dart was launched at her, as Zane had already exhausted the supply. On one hand, she felt like she should be touched. Zane had done this to protect her. However…she knew better. 

 “You’re enjoying this, aren't you?” She said, marching up to within inches of his face, and stared into his eyes. 

“Immensely.” He replied with a curled eyebrow. 

“They should've kept you locked in the laundromat you call an artifact refinery.” Shaak Ti huffed. 

“Why, my dear, then how ever would we have the time to see one another?" Zane smirked, and cupped her chin. 

“Hmph.” Shaak Ti turned her head away, her cheeks blushing purple. She then advanced, leading the way. 

Zane stroked his chin, and followed after her. His little Togruta was just too cute! 

Pressing deeper into the temple, they came across a wide, circular chamber. Upon a raised platform sat an ancient instrument. It resembled something between a keyboard and a series of stone chimes. The keys were uneven, worn by age, with some cracked or missing entirely.

Zane stopped again, this time with a thoughtful hum.

“What now?” Shaak Ti asked, waving at the dead end. 

“I’d wager the ground drops out from under us if the incorrect melody is played. Probably into something unpleasant, like spikes, acid, maybe even a river.” Zane whispered as if he were telling a ghost story. 

Shaak Ti rolled her eyes, and pointed at a sealed doorway. “Why don't we just cut that open with our lightsabers?” 

“What logic is this?!” Zane hissed. “We have no idea how thick that stone door is, it could take us several minutes to dice our way through that! Besides, isn't it the Jedi Way to experience native cultures, and respect their traditions?” 

Shaak Ti had her hands on her hips, buying none of it. “Says the man who pretended to be a God less than 10 hours ago.”

“Semantics.” Zane muttered, then, ignoring the beautiful red aliens’ judgemental look, walked up to the piano-like instrument, and brushed the dust off the keys with a wave of his hand. 

 “Observe. This is likely tuned to a specific sequence. Hit the wrong note, and…” He said, tapping one key experimentally. 

A second later, a deep rumble answered him as a section of the floor behind them dropped away into darkness.

Zane glanced over his shoulder. “Yep. That.”

Shaak Ti stepped back from the edge, peering into the pit. “Charming.”

Zane smirked, then cracked his knuckles. “Alright. Let’s not overthink this.”

He flipped his credit several dozen times, and after figuring out the pattern, rested his fingers over the keyboard. Then, one by one, he pressed them.

A low, resonant melody echoed through the chamber. The notes were surprisingly beautiful,  and a pretty song that was even acknowledged by the Force entered the chamber, and temporarily soothed the soul. Zane’s head tilted slightly as he played, as if listening to something only he could hear.

Closing his eyes, he entered something akin to a trance. Although it was heretical by modern puritan Jedi standards, he had found that the best way to refine an artifact with the Force, was to take his understanding of something, or his feelings from a lived experience, and pour these concepts into an object. Cooped up in the Temple, he had actually run out of inspiration, and hadn't been able to make anything for the last two months. Now that he was out on an adventure, this outside stimulus was just what he needed! 

Losing himself in the melody, it wasn't until half an hour later that he opened his eyes. Shaak Ti was nearby, and at the sudden cessation of the music, she too opened her eyes, and stood up from her meditative trance. Sensing her aura, it felt like she had grown perhaps 5 to 10% stronger in the Force. 

“What was that?” Shaak Ti asked in an ethereal tone. The glow of the Force around her made her appear spiritual, like a fairy not of this universe. A brief vision played out, and Zane saw a future in which she became a great Jedi…he also saw her multiple death scenes. 

For a second, Zane was lost in her transcendent beauty, yet also felt his heart twist. Steadying his breath, he made a silent promise to himself, that he would never allow his best friend to meet such a tragic ending. 

“Zane?” She asked in concern. 

“Heh, sorry for worrying you. I'll see if this feeling can be replicated later. Seeing you growing stronger like this…it relieves a stone weighing over my heart.” Zane lowered his head, and murmured. 

“Dummy.” Shaak Ti sighed, and of her own volition, pulled him in for a comforting hug. 

Zane’s mind wasn't occupied by any crass thoughts, and allowed himself to be taken in by her warmth and care. Love wasn't just about what happened in the bedroom, and right now, the chill of the temple had all but vanished in her caring embrace. 

Composing himself, he patted her on the shoulder, and gestured towards the now open stone door that had slid into the ground at some point. 

“See? Easy peezy. We even gained something from all this.” Zane said with an easy grin. 

Shaak Ti regarded him carefully, but decided not to confront him on his sudden change. 

“What was that beautiful music?” She asked once again. 

“It hummed to me.” Zane replied with a shrug. 

“…Zane.”

“Look, I’m a simple man. The temple hums, and I hum back. We understand each other.” He said, wiggling his fingers at her, he then turned to enter the next room. 

She sighed, though there was the faintest hint of amusement spreading across her face. 

The next corridor was quiet…too quiet. The ceiling arched high above them, supported by ancient beams that looked far less stable than the rest of the structure.

Zane was mid-step when he heard a click from behind. Freezing in place, he slowly, he turned his head toward Shaak Ti.

She stood a pace behind him, and just to the left, with one foot resting squarely on a slightly raised stone.

A second later, a deep, grinding sound came from above. Mechanisms were opening, and it almost reminded him of the sound of a bowling ball going down the lane. Zane glanced up just as a massive, cylindrical boulder came rolling down from the ceiling. 

“You know, this is why we walk single file when traversing the temple of doom.” Zane wagged his finger. 

“Not now, Zane!” Shaak Ti huffed with an annoyed shout. “This time, we're cutting through it!” 

“How pedestrian, we could simply run into the next room, or with a flick of my hand, I could stop-” 

“Zane!” Shaak Ti commanded. 

“Oh very well. The things I do for love.” Zane sarcastically muttered, and held his lightsaber high. 

The boulder crashed down toward them, and they moved as one. Two blades, crossing in perfect harmony, sliced upward. Moving at super speeds, the pair of Jedi diced through the massive rock as if it were as weak as styrofoam. Bits and pieces slammed into the ground on either side of them, sending up a cloud of dust and debris.

Zane deactivated his saber, brushing a bit of stone dust off his shoulder. “Well, that was fun.” 

“Sorry for triggering the trap.” She hung her head in shame. 

“Eh, like I said, it was fun.” Zane shrugged his shoulders. 

“…You’re not going to say anything else?”

Zane rolled his eyes. What a woman! If he was with his bros right now, he'd be ribbing them a new one, or they'd be laughing at what just happened! 

“You did help cut it in half, so I’ll let it slide.” He said in a joking tone. 

Her lips twitched slightly at his words. “How generous of you.”

Zane stepped over one half of the ruined boulder, already moving forward again. “Come on. If that’s the best this temple has, I’m starting to feel insulted.”

Shaak Ti followed, shaking her head faintly. “You realize most beings would consider surviving even one of these trials an achievement.”

Zane clasped his hands behind his head, strolling deeper into the darkness without a care in the world. “Most beings aren't mystical space wizards. What is the adventure of a lifetime for them, is for me, merely another Tuesday!” 

~~~~~~~~

AN: Writing this almost makes me wish I was writing an Indiana Jones story. 

In case you missed it, I did a surprise drop of Lightside Sith 005 the other day.