FORSAKEN - Target: Zero

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

The Fourth Sister emerged in the infinite silent void of space. An invisible pathway defined by white lines connected to a vast network of portals around her. Every step she took sent a small ripple under her feet. Disembodied voices echoed from the void surrounding her. She had learned about this place from Shaak Ti's holocron. Everything she had worked for had brought her here, to this moment. A familiar voice beckoned her, "Virra," that of whom had become a second teacher, Master Shaak Ti.

The call guided Virra to a triangular gateway rimmed with symbols she didn't recognize. It began to glow when she stood in front of it, and a scene came to view on the other side. Virra realized what she was looking at, a memory so vivid she could never hope to forget.

Dressed in her Jedi Temple Guard regalia—brown robes, mask under a hood—and the sentries iconic double-sided lightsaber pike, Virra crept through the shadows in the lower levels of the Jedi Temple. She had gone there to investigate a disturbing feeling she had been experiencing during her meditations of late. At first, Virra thought the dark sensation had to do with the grim outlook for the Republican forces in the third year of the Clone Wars. The Jedi High Council had grown fearful the conflict would continue to ravage the galaxy with no clear end in sight. Many Jedi had died, their numbers spread thin, and desperate actions were investigated. This created a tense environment inside the temple, and perhaps explained the faint presence of the dark side within its walls. After conferring with her concerned former Master, Virra descended into the ancient chambers to find the source of the disruption.

Every Jedi youngling grew up hearing the stories of the forgotten horrors lurking within the bowels of the temple; tales meant to keep curious Initiates from wandering off into the long forgotten sub-levels of the ziggurat. Virra could never entertain such fanciful notions in her childhood. Her secretive, unorthodox training left little time for leisure, let alone mischief.

As a Kage, Virra was at home in the gloom. She could see in the darkness and grew more aware in the quiet; not even the keys hanging from her belt made a sound when she moved. So, when Virra heard the rumbling noise of a heavy slab being opened, she followed the sound without hesitation. Melting in the shadows, Virra waited for the source of footsteps to reveal itself. A figure in black emerged from the darkness, navigating the corridors with familiarity. The trespasser couldn't have been more than a few meters ahead, but when Virra rounded the corner, the figure had vanished.

"Looking for something?"

The yellow blades of Virra's lightsaber pike came alive illuminating the interloper. Another Jedi Temple Guard stood behind her, his weapon folded in half, and strapped to his belt.

"I was following an intruder," Virra said.

"Your eyes can be deceived. These levels date back to a time before the temple was built. Many things are veiled within these halls. Only those searching for truth find their way down here."

Virra depowered her pike, leaving both guards in dim light. "I came to investigate a disturbance in the Force I've been feeling when I meditate."

"You heard the call."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me show you."

Virra followed the guard deeper down the forgotten corridors, keeping her pike in her hand. He came to a halt by a large stone threshold carved with archaic symbols. A faint light flickered inside the chamber, accompanied by an ominous humming.

"Have you ever wondered why an order of powerful warriors needs its own security force?"

"To protect the temple."

"Because sometimes Jedi can lose their way."

Virra let the words dawn on her. "You mean the war?"

The guard nodded. "That growing sensation in the Force you've been experiencing is not a disturbance, but a summons."