Dark Legacy

Chapter 2 - Token

Anakin stands frozen for a moment, looking at the place where the apparition had been before shaking his head firmly and putting it out of mind. If anything, the Force seems to be more peaceful around him, and he senses that his trial is nearly complete. Of course, the Dark Side could draw on his fears to make him face them. Had he failed, he doubts it would be anything nearly as peaceful as this.

He can now feel a strong pull towards the front of the room near the alter, so he slowly approaches. In the middle of the alter, he spies the source of the weird bluish glow; it's a crystal of some sort which is somehow being powered enough to light up the room. The tug Anakin feels in the Force leads him straight to the alter. Aside from the odd light source, he sees a yellow kyber crystal laying there innocently.

Slowly, he reaches out, mechanical fingers brushing over it. He jerks back in surprise when he realizes that it's calling for him. "You feel it, don't you?" one of the Sith spirits whispers. Somehow, they'd flooded into the room without his even realizing it. Maybe they were always here, but he was too distracted to notice.

"The crystal is calling your name," another agrees. "It's yours."

"I have a crystal," he retorts, stubbornly refraining from touching it again. "I don't need another." And he doesn't. If he takes this one, his lightsaber will be gold.

Derisive laughter echoes around him. "You cannot refuse your own crystal," a spirit taunts.

"It's your token," adds a second.

"It's languished here for centuries," a feminine voice concurs, "Waiting for you."

Their sudden change in attitude makes Anakin wary. Before, they were taunting him, but now, they're encouraging him. Are they trying to lead him into a trap, or did he really pass all the trials? He doesn't think he should ask them. Hesitantly, he picks it up, surprised how it hums happily in his palm. Maybe it's simply the Force nexus, but this kyber crystal seems far more alive than any he's ever encountered before.

"Make your sacrifice." The words, this time, are spoken in a commanding tone, and Anakin understands. The spirits are an integral part of the Sith trials. They try to hinder and stop the would-be Sith Lord from completing the journey, but upon completion, they bring an ancient relic which is to be taken in exchange for something else. There are so many treasures down here, that Anakin can readily see how each apprentice could find something.

But now, the question is, what will he sacrifice? Under no circumstances does he want to leave his blue crystal here. They probably wouldn't appreciate it either – actually, they probably would view it as a symbolic disconnection with his Jedi origins. He doesn't want that. That's not what he's trying to do here. His red crystal, on the other hand, would be the perfect choice. He can almost feel it crying softly in his pocket. Because of the torment inflicted upon them, red crystals always seem mournful.

Honestly, Anakin isn't even sure why he'd brought it with him. It's not as though he needed it. Something had told him to bring it, so he did, and he's suddenly grateful. By sacrificing his red crystal, he will symbolically be casting off the old Sith teachings of warfare and accepting upon himself the new ideals to which they are striving. It's – it's perfect. He pulls the crystal out with his left hand, reverently laying it on the alter. For a moment, the room glows much brighter before dimming once more.

"We can't approve of your decisions," a Sith spirit finally acknowledges, "But you have still been proven worthy. Go forth, Lord Vader, and lead your Empire."

That wasn't exactly what Anakin had expected, but he quickly banishes the strangeness, slipping the yellow kyber crystal safely into his robes before slowly retracing his steps to return to the outside. Hopefully, he shouldn't have near as much difficulty leaving as he did entering. He really, really doesn't want to fight off any more Sith hounds or other nasty creatures native to Korriban. He'll have nightmares for weeks – not really – of the giant Hssiss he saw. Based on his limited knowledge, those dark lizards have a Dark Side poison within them, and he doesn't want to get tangled up with it. At all.