On the Wings of Valkyrie

Chapter LXXVI

Luna stumbled up onto aching legs and began exploring the tunnel that led away from the Moon Pool. Despite the fact her lightsaber was out and lighting the area, there was still some sort of odd shift she felt in the air as even the blade of her lightsaber did no more than light her and a few inches ahead. She wandered through the near black out for what felt like hours, though she couldn't tell for sure, before emerging in a grand hall that was lit from the moons outside, parts of the ceiling having long since fallen away.

The ex-Shadow allowed her lightsaber to hiss off as she ventured forward.

"I know this place," Luna whispered to herself as she spun around to get a look at the detector surrounding her, at the thrones resting on raised daises, faces glowering down at her. Goose flesh ran over her skin even as she grinned in excitement at the discovery, now certain of the fact she'd escaped the vision—perhaps even the water had been an illusion and her damp clothes were wet from sweat, Force knew. "This is the inner mausoleum of the Great Temple."

"So the girl knows where she treads," a harsh voice murmured in Sith, sounding as though it came from everywhere at once.

"My lords, forgive the disturbance of your rest," Luna quickly said, bowing down in the direction of the numerous thrones where the bodies, preserved through the darkside, of numerous Sith judged her.

"Rather respectful, for someone who came to steal," another voice noted. It too seemed to come from all directions.

"I came for knowledge. Not talismans or objects of power."

"But power you seek," another voice hissed.

"We do not share our power or knowledge with mere apprentices."

"Especially apprenticed traitors."

"Unless you come to take your place early...."

"I am afraid I don't know what you mean," Luna responded cautiously as she stood to her full height, danger sense pricking though for the moment she knew better than to fear.

"The most loyal rest with their master," one of the voices said, this time it had a slight direction, if only due to there being a slight breeze as though there had been a change in pressure. The girl looked at the throne the words seemed to have originated from to find the bones of a Sith resting in it's chair, mummified tuk'atas on either side laying on lowered sections of the dais like all the others.

"Vader's Shadow...."

"Vader's Eclipse."

"Have you come to take your place?" the voices asked. "To sit with us and wait for your Master to join us?"

"I'm not dying today," Luna stated firmly.

"So sure are you...."

"Yes," the girl stated as she began walking further down the hallway, ignoring the following whispers. "And even if I were, I'd like a private grave."

"She is independent now."

"So it seems."

"Turned loose, perhaps? Or was her training completed?"

"She has light in her."

"Not a Sith."

"The Emperor of Numberless Worlds was right. The Shadow is no Sith."

"Yet. She has no master. We can complete her training. She is not far."

"Yes."

"Of course."

"Perhaps."

"Darth Sidious would not be pleased."

"He does much, but has no right to interfere with us."

"You wish for knowledge, child?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I do my own research," Luna responded, even as she noticed something off in the row of thrones. First off, this particular one was empty, clearly waiting for someone. Secondly, instead of an empty spot for tuk'ata on the right hand side of the throne, there was a second chair. Smaller, ment for a lesser person who was to join whoever in the afterlife. Perhaps these Sith took their wives with them like the Egyptians or something. Egyptians were buried with servants at least, if not wives as well.

"Allow us to....help you."

"Is this what you meant by me taking my place?" Luna asked as she read the words inscribed in the dais the empty thrones rested on.

"It was determined you would take your place with us at Vader's side since you were weak but devoted to our teachings. But now you are the Sith's youngest legacy should you complete your training.... Perhaps a new throne will be built should you take our offer."

"Neither I nor Vader will be buried here," Luna growled, gathering the Force before shooting the larger chair with a bolt of Sith lightning, destroying the throne.

"Not Vader...."

"But we can still take you."

Luna found herself surrounded by the Sith spirits, dect in armor with glowing eyes, ancient swords in their hands. With a cry of a thousand souls, they sprung on her. The ex-Shadow's saber flashed out, attempting to block a few blades in order to dodge the majority of them only for the swords to move through her blade. As though dancing, she spun to the side so that most of her vitals were better covered and screamed as the blades cut through her flesh. Luna stumbled away from the spirits, again finding herself in a closed circle—no, dome. The spirits were floating too, ensuring she couldn't use the Force to leap out of the situation.

New plan! What weapons work with ghosts? Luna asked herself even as she felt a hundred hammers come down on her mental shields. Can't use the Force as a weapon, this is their territory. They would overpower me easily if I went too deep and allowed a hairline fracture in my mental shielding. Saber won't work. Don't have a Force-imbued blade nor the time to research how one is made and make it. There has got to be....

Didn't the other Luna say something about that sai she gave Anakin on Earth? A piece of her soul or life force was in it so it worked on the living and could work on spirits as well?

How did she make the blasted thing?

She was doing an astral projection (no way I can do that surrounded by Sith spirits if I don't want to risk possession), grabbed a gun, and used her life force to recreate it into a weapon, Luna recalled even as another bunch of spirits went for the attack. She deftly dodged, though she wasn't able to dodge all of them and was forced to allow several hits to land on her arms. Unfortunately, for the girl, the Sith didn't stop and continued attacking. Luna's aching muscles couldn't keep up and before she knew it, the ex-Shadow found herself on the ground, dizzy from a hit to the head and confused as to how she got there.

"Yield, foolish girl."

"Let us become your masters."

"We can make you powerful."

"Good girl."

Luna gasped, sensing her mental walls had been breached. She gathered herself, struggling to push the invasion back and out of her mind, but it was like a titlewave, trying to drown her in darkness, feeding on her fear as it tried to use it against her.

"Give in. Let us in."

"Never," she growled, struggling to push it back even as she felt herself being pulled away from her senses. I will not yield.

"Silly Shadow. You never had a choice."