[center][b]~| Day 2, 13:20-13:25 GST |~
~| Xid, Prison Bunk B|~[/b][/center]

Nightmares again. 

Though he tried to mediate a calmness within his mind, the memories resurfaced like bad habits and refused to let him go. His skin was icy with sweat pouring across the surface and the dampen sheets plastered to his figure. It tangled about his limbs during his tossing and turning movements, all the while his mind was trying to purge itself from reliving his past. Nothing he did seemed to have been successful so far. While the memory played out, Xid's body curled into a tight ball to rid out the emotional storm about to rock through his very being. The thoughts picking at age old wounds he had thought were scabbed over and faded into scars. Instead, they were merely festering under the flesh. 


[center][u]Mirror, Mirror, Who's the Darkest One of All?(Part 2)[/u][/center][i]

[u]Belsavis[/u]

Xid followed Sela, their bare feet padding quickly across the prison's steel flooring and moved deeper into the complex. His eyes couldn't help but wonder, feeling the excitement within his core buzz and fill him since his experience with the abrupt shift in climate. It was a technological miracle to alter a planet's natural subzero conditions into a creating a tropical paradise, especially when it came to keeping it hidden from the naked eye. Yet here he was, currently walking within such a wonder. Awe emotions tingled in his core causing Xid to harden his mask over his excitement, his eyes keeping track of both his master and his whereabouts. His hands folded into his tunic sleeves to prevent his nervous picking of his cloth while he managed to keep a steady pace during their escort toward their quarters within a makeshift barracks.

Movement, unexpected and sudden, caught his eyes when an ancient warden droid floated. Without a second thought, his head to whip about to watch it eagerly until it passed out of sight. He had barely realized his feet had paused to allow the thing to continue by until Sela sensed his absence then spoke calmly, yet firmly in her tone toward him. “Xid, you're falling behind. It isn't a good idea to dwell within in one place, at least not until we've reached our quarters first.”

Those words were enough to break the short lived spell over his fascination. Flinching at the realization he had been caught, Xid's head jerked back to note her words were all too true to his horror. His teeth gritting and trying to resist the urge to cry out for time to catch up, the teenager quickly tried to cut the growing distance by speeding up his pace. Sela merely shook her head, her lips curled into a light smile, keeping her eyes on his approaching figure until he was walking right beside her once more. He watched her head turned back to the Commander and realized he hadn't paid the least attention to Xid's blunder, the Padawan silently thankful for it.

Unsurprisingly, his eyes roamed again to the scene surrounding them. The current section they were in held a high security vault, all units designed and housed many non-humanoid prisoners. Their cells seemed to accommodate each individual species living conditions like some maximum, high tech zoo rather than a prison a Republic civilian would've imagined in their wildest dreams. However, at first glance, the containment cells didn't look like much but each one was far beyond qualified to imprison their current subject with little effort as well as care for them. Animals from meat eating Rancors to other bizarre and unidentifiable creatures, many he couldn't completely identify accurately, were all well settled within their habitats. Their forms meandering around various landscapes where their various calls echoed within the prison. Sounds of all kinds filled his ears as his eyes noted several droids were hovering from one cell to another, each carefully monitoring their status.

Xid couldn't help but wonder, in a grim way, what would happen if a glitch or malfunction was discovered within the security measures. Would the subject be purged and repaired made, or completely eliminated? If the later, what happened to the remains? Were they-

He abruptly stopped his swirling of questions for two reasons: the first was the obvious fact he had no answers, and the second was it was a grisly line of thought. Considering what Sela would say, his mind pushed aside the line of thinking grudgingly. His eyes turned to his master, his silence lasting for several more minutes before his curiosity began to swell within his core. It tingled and itched his insides, pestering until he finally asked his master one of the most and least morbid questions twisting within his mind. The question he felt was most important yet simplest one.

“Master Sela, why are we here? You've mentioned very little, save that it involved my talents and technology. Currently, I find it interesting but I don't quite understand.”

While waiting on an answer, his eyes studied his master in the usual admiration he held since they first met. The dark complexion and calm demeanor, Sela held herself in alignment to the very ideal image of what many expected to see from a master of the Order itself. Her dark, tightly bond curls were placed within a ponytail at her head back while her arms folded within her sleeves. Her walk was evenly paced enough to allow him to keep up easily as she absorbed his question, seeming to ponder over it for the right answer. Deeming he had waited longer enough, she replied in a teacher's tone and hinted at slight amusement over his naive question. “Filled with so many questions that one finally bubbled to the surface?”

Xid blushed at her correct assumption, his teeth gritted to hide his guilt and eyes averted from hers. It merely made the woman chuckle at being right then continued in a light heart chiding. “Sometimes watching and observing is the best teacher, one you can learn much more from than merely asking numerous questions you deem important.”

Letting the words sink in, she seemed to stare into the endless and ever winding tunnels ahead with a thoughtful expression. “However, I believe you do deserve some answers. Even if it will help ease your anxiety and feed your curiosity. Sadly, I suspect it will only increase your questions rather than quiet them.”

They turned to the right, still keeping the captain within visual range, when they heard him point then mention their destination dead head. Xid, his curiosity ever present, jerked his eyes upward to see the door entrance just meters away. It took him several moments to conclude what that difference was: silence. Utter, complete silence created a void where the prior cell block's active, noisy cellmates filled with their endless cries. Wondering about the matter, his eyes shifted to the tunnel sides where several cells displayed their prisoners locked within stasis and stared blankly with voided, empty eyes toward the very hallway center the trio causally walked down. Lights flickered and formed their padlock cages while many were fixed at the prison's center and barely moved a single muscle, giving the best impression of a stuffed creature Xid had ever seen done.

Strangely, even with all his reading within the Jedi Archives between Tolun Fi and lessons, he couldn't fully place a single entity Sela and him passed along the way. Some feature or coloring was always off when he managed to identify it which ended up secretly frustrating him at his failure. Part of him, deep inside, shuddered at the thought of those trapped inside this complex ever seeing the light of day and the damage they could devastate upon countless innocence. Xid shuddered then hastened his pace, forcing out the thought, as his desire to be out of this place got the better of him. His mind was immediately distracted by Sela's voice answering his earlier question.

“The technology on this planet, as I'm sure you can tell, isn't like any other from this current date. It is rather old and dated far back to an unsettling and depressing time where an alien race once enslaved entire cultures and people. They tampered with DNA, planetary climates, and more as experiments. To do this, they used force-based technology. An area of expertise you're rather adept by nature.” His master took a breath then continued onward, getting slowly to the point of the conversation. “The Order and Republic is hoping to use your ability to improve their own defensive systems for planets and aid in defending activity against Sith. This can hopefully turn the tide within this horrible war, limiting the lives lost.”

Xid blinked in surprise. His expression adjusting to the given factors before biting his lip, his eyebrows scrunched together then released. Sela was correct to assume it wouldn't answer enough questions and instead, bring up more as the first one popped into his mind. Was the assignment was long term or passed to another after he figured the difficult part out? How did technology and the force related within the machinery, causing them to work in seamless union? Was it possible to replica? A small sense of sickness settled in his heart and drifted down, bottoming out into his middle where it spread to coat his stomach in a heavy sensation.

Seemingly to note his uneasiness, Sela attempted to honey over his worry with reason and reassurance. “Don't worry, whatever you discover will be applied defensively. The Jedi Council wouldn't have loaned us to the Republic's disposable if it risked creating a planet shattering device. To dwell on the possibilities of your good intentions will merely tie your stomach into knots, at least over factors you can't control. Especially before there's cause to be concerned.”

When the end of the hallway was almost upon them, Sela slipped back into a quietness which allowed him to think on what she had told him. Passing the last cell, something broke the uneventful experience and tossed the small group's quiet walk into chaos. An item clicked causing the green light to turn red suddenly. An earsplitting alarm shattered any peace and flooded the air all around them. Instinctively Sela's hand raised. The force pulled her lightsaber to her side, her eyes scanned for the immediate threat only to see nothing. Xid on the other hand shoved his hands over his ears, a vain barrier against the pain lancing into his hearing, making his teeth grit in pain. His blue eyes widen while he tried to seek out the source of the disturbance as his voice tried to retrieve answers from his master. “What's happening? Why is the alarm going off? Is a prisoner escaping?”

There was little time for a reply to his questions before his heart was filled with dread.

It happened too quickly for his mind to register what caused the wet, sticky sensation leaking through his tunic, the source centered at his middle. His eyes lowered to it, Immediately he spotted the nasty gash, one spreading from side to side, which had cut through the tunic easily. It sliced past the fabric into his skin underneath and from the look of it, had hit something rather vital. The shock numbed his mind to the supposed pain. Distracted, he failed to defend himself against the needle-like teeth that sank into where his shoulder and neck connected in the following up moments. Their points pushed past the skin into the muscle. A fresh wave of blood was drawn.

The Padawan, his awareness sparked by the need to survive, tried to jerk out of the grip. His caught muscles and flesh tore in the thing's mouth before his navel wound started to burn like acid. Whatever had seized him was setting his body on fire causing all his pain to surface again. Xid didn't have time to react when something thick and scaly wrapped around his torso, squeezing tightly. It jerked him closer before he could fully escape. The pressure immediately constricted his lungs, preventing him from breathing as he gasped for air. The tail, his mind finally piecing together what held him, stiffened then whipped him instantly to the side. He easily was shoved off his feet and came to a hard stopped when his figure slammed into the wall. At having the wind knocked out of him, Xid crumbled into a heap.

Agony instantly flooded his mind causing the sickness to spread through his being, his lungs unable to scream in pain. An unnatural shudder rippled through him that turned quickly into a shiver, his limbs becoming helpless. His mouth opened and heaved, failing to get air into his lungs. A queasiness swept through his stomach causing it to rise to his throat. A moment later, he vomited everything he had eaten in one instinctive motion. The sour taste collected in his raw throat and he moved against the wall, pressing tightly against it. With each breath, he tried to rein in his system back into line. Already his mind was trying to get to his feet. Still trembling, all he could manage to do was forcefully prop himself upright on his side. His head was still spinning around and around, making his vision blur slightly, disorienting his awareness. Any remaining color in his skin drained away creating a white pallor. Xid struggled to hoist his head above the mess, finally his feet managing to get under him only to stumble again. His body tossed back on to his side then into a ball. Mentally, he cursed his weakness.

That was when his ears caught the buzzing hum from Sela's light saber. His eyes lifted to see his master's green blade glow and come to life in her skillful hands, her fingers tightening on the handle. In reflex, her legs fell into the familiar stance for attack. Her head eyeing the threat that had attacked her Padawan, she quickly moved toward Xid's fallen figure. Weakly he lifted his head to watch his master's approach while Sela bent down and checked his breathing with her fingers, assessing the damage with a touch. They both knew something was wrong but all she could do was hope he could ride it out, uttering a quiet command to stay put. Clearly struggling to keep from falling onto his side, Xid merely nodded faintly. He continued to fight whatever was coursing through his veins.

Something howled in fury, inhuman and dangerous, causing him to cover his ears to protect them against the harsh sound. Sela's attention shifted to the immediate threat as it closed in on her. Their escort, recovering from his shock, finally unstrapped his blaster and fired off three shots. His boots scuffling toward the down Padawan quickly only to be halted by Sela's words.

“Commander, first let's deal with this threat then we can attend to him.” She shot forward, her saber coming at the beast's right flank causing the large alien to flip over to the left.

It hissed again, the frill on its domed head flared out in aggression while it swiped out with one of its humanoid hands. Three claws sliced through his master's tunic when she rolled away. It seemed frustrated at the miss, its head pulled back to rise upright and over the older woman as if sizing her up. Its figure had thin skin lining the decreased muscle underneath giving it a scrawny look with flesh stretched from the humanoid arms to the digitigrade legs, not helping its malnourished appearance. A roar revealed several needle like teeth. The head bobbed side to side to study his master's motions before it lashed out a long tail, the forked end made to clip her legs only to hit air when she flipped backwards. Her form was magnificent despite her past injuries, assisted by the force, as she barely cleared the attack.

Meanwhile, Xid was still fighting the haze that swelled within his head. His focus split between trying to identify the threat and yielding into his own weakness. His mind was still able to sear a hasty image of the beast within his memory. Its hide was a dark green with black and yellow stripes, the surface pattern marred by faded scars. This alone was enough to tell him that the beast was a fighter, if he couldn't already see that for himself now. The crest on its dome, eyeless face raised in alarm as the Sela's saber came close to nearly nicking it causing it to retreat a bit. The size was large and his mental calculations estimated it was about that of a horse like beast he had seen on other planets. A predatory and aggressive beast- possibly frightened or starved from stasis- was doing what its instincts demanded of it.

If it wasn't for the fact his master was the 'prey' in this, he might've found the beast rather fascinating.

Seeming to have guessed the same thing, he spotted Sela's hand raised and tried to link with the animal's mind. To sooth and calm its pain, only to frown in confusion at her failure. She jerked back when the creature's forearms lashed out for another attempt to rip off her limb. Her efforts were in vain and instead, seemed to have angered it more.

The scuffle was enough to attract the security droids. Two quickly arrived on the scene, their appearance was enough to distract the beast's attention from his master toward them. It erupted into another howl of warning. Ignoring it, the first droid charged into the fray to subdue the beast and return it to its cage. The result from its effort was easily casted aside when the monster whipped about and used its tail to send it crashing into the nearest wall. Metal screeched, easily cracked by the impact, causing Xid's stomach to churn in sickness not related to the inner conflict happening within his own body. The creature wasted little time, its legs pounded upon the dazed droid then pinned it to the floor with its hind leg claws. Three, long fingers seized the first tiny niche it could find then thrust its bony head into the droid's. Once, twice, and finally three times it happened before the droid's metal brain caved in under the pressure.

Not ceasing, the animal pulled away the outside to reveal wiring, gears and more underneath. At reaching the inner 'guts' it tore out them through the gape until the droid was disabled, now just a machine husk that was casted away. During the brief struggle, the second droid had pulled in close. A suicide move, the droid propelled at the beast where it slammed into the side hard enough to cause a loud, violent crack of one of its ribs. Hurt and surprised, the prisoner's hands clenched its side. The droid didn't stop its assault. Instead it slammed into the beast again, sending another shockwave through its being and filled the prison block with another frustrated cry that echoed through the halls.

Allowing herself to break away from the engagement, Sela started to rush to Xid's side again. Her body had fallen onto one knee over him as she again, noting his visual struggles, check his vitals. Her connection was worrisome because she could sense his pain and stress. Xid smiled weakly when he finally managed to push his body to lean his back against the wall, bring him to sit upright. Blood soaked through his shredded tunic but thankfully most the flesh was still there. However, something was still wreaking damage on his inner immune system. It raced within his veins, each one felt hot and feverish, when he heard a fresh sound of metal being ripped into again.

Xid turned to see the last droid torn to pieces easily. A strange thought, his eyes widen in horror, crossed his mind from his observations: this thing seemed to know the droid's weak points far too well and easily took them apart within moments. Pushing his dread to the side, he asked Sela a question in a raspy voice. “What is that thing?”

Still frowning, Sela's answer was simple. “Something that was left behind I'm assuming. And we need to get it back into its cage.”

Her head darted back to the cell where the creature came from and mentally seemed to debate with herself a moment, coming to her next conclusion to be left up to him. Her arms wrapped his about her neck while she tried to ease him back onto his feet again. “I'm going to work on getting it close to its cell, can you close the door again?”

“I think so... Something doesn't feel right. I think the impact crushed some of my ribs.” Xid admitted through gritted teeth, his side hurting when she pressed into it.

It took a serious amount of control not to push her away and risk crumbling back into the ground. His breathing increased and deepened instead. His other hand reached out for the wall as a support, the other cradled his side where the throbbing was strongest though he barely touched it. Sela hesitated, for a moment, before she finally let good and he reminded upright.

A few more droids had arrived on the scene but the beast was dismantling them left and right, the whole time using its energy effectively. Yet, despite its purposeful movements and minimal effort, its movements were becoming tepid. The high adrenaline rush from earlier was already exhausted and now it was just delaying the finale. This gave Sela a chance to gain the upper hand. She stepped out from under him, her hand raised then gathered a Force Push within her palm. With a simple gesture she whipped it out at a downed droid, sending it right at the beast. The empty thing bounced off its target gaining the creature's attention.

Its dome turned to the master's direction, hissing softly, in its pause. Falling to all fours, it started its attacking at the master and seemed to recall her earlier limitations. It nimbly strayed in and out of her range while the master tried to severe the forked tail or a limb, each time missing just narrowly. The whole time she struggled to keep the earned distance between them as the pair danced about.

Trying to ignore the dangerous combat happening just in front of him, Xid crept inch by inch to the cell's control panel. Brief moments, he would risk a sparse glance toward the individuals to determine how much time he had left. Each one attacked and retreated, their skills surprisingly close in power though his master was the more obviously experienced.

On reaching the cell, his hands carefully taking off the case cover. In that moment, he wished Navi wasn't still at the ship and instead on hand. Sela had insisted they first track to the prison complex than could return later for the droid and their belongings. Part of him wondered if she was worried Navi might've went off exploring when they first entered and that was why he had been forced to leave his friend back on the ship. His thoughts were interrupted by a sense of urgency sent by his master causing the padawan to focus in the present. He didn't know how to splice but he could make it where the cell would never open for a long time-at least without his help- which seemed the best solutions currently.

When Sela positioned the beast just outside the cell door he had finally finished sabotaging the panel, then replaced the cover once more. Its patience drawing to a close, the beast coiled then sprung at the master's exposed side. Instead of countering it, she rolled to the side and applied all her force energy into its legs on its landing. She jerked back causing it to become knocked off balance. The surprise attack seemed to have done its trick, the forearm jerked back painfully causing its face to collide into the ground. Its body skidded across the smooth cell where it came to a halt by smashing into the far wall, carried by its momentum. Xid's hand smacked the panel button the instant it cleared the doorway. High energy created a wall, blocking it from getting out and trapping the beast within.

On realizing the trick, it let out another angry roar that almost sounded like a curse at them. Acknowledging his task was over, his legs managed one step when they gave out from under him. He collapsed where he stood. Xid was numb to the ache from the impact, his vision darkened edges closing in on his sight, and the last image was his master rushing to his crumbled figure. Her shouts distant, muffled by his weakness. In the end, the fight against slumber was a fruitless one. It won in the end no matter how much he tried to fight it and his eyes closed.[/i]

“NO!” Xid shouted. This voice echoed from the bunks to the main section of the prison as his body bolted upright, his fingers clutching his sheets twisted about his thin figure. Sweat drenched him in a chill that made him shiver alongside the fear prickling along his spine. It was a dream... it was a dream. The words repeated over and over within his head, each time trying to convince himself it wasn't real. With no true believe in his own logic, Xid's hands flung away the clinging sheets to reveal a fade, healed over scar across his navel. It wasn't bleeding or peeled wide open, mere just a scar.

Relieved it was nothing more than a nightmare, Xid flopped backwards upon the bed. And quickly regretted it when his side made its injury known, his arms wrapped about and clenched it. His head turned to examine it noting the purple coloring had increased making him sigh in frustration. Not wanting to risk falling asleep again, he decided it was time to get back up. Carefully he raised upright as his legs flipped over to the edge, gingerly placing his soles against the cold, metal floor. Testing his strength, he leaned upon one hesitantly. It seemed to hold so he applied more weight, followed by the other, and gradually lifted to his feet. His other hand placed on the bunk post, he didn't' let go until he was certain his legs could withstand his full weight.

Inch by inch, Xid dragged his bare feet to the doorway. His hand trailed from the bunk post to the wall and remain there, pressed firmly for balance, during his padding to the main complex. Being idled had only made his condition worse and though he didn't feel well enough to tolerate company, being alone was much worse for him now. It left his mind to wander into things best left forgotten as he cautiously padded into the main section where other Jedi seemed to be collecting. He had discarded Lea's robes for now and snatched his trousers, mildly damp now, from where she had laid them. Though he would've been more comfortable using his own tunic and robe to cover his scars, they were still pretty wet since they took the most water during his slippery clash with the bathroom floor.

He knew he likely looked as terrible as he probably felt. Then again his mind could be exaggerating everything he felt was normal. Casting his doubts away, the Knight made to get dressed before anyone arrived to check on him. He was sure his outburst was likely to draw attention and though he didn't feel well enough to tolerate company, being alone was much worse for him now. Some scars were beyond healing, festering thanks to the atmosphere of the ship, which deeply concerned him inside. How long would he last until he lost his sanity completely?