Master Atharias, deeply focused on attempting to feel the will of the Force, doesn't seem to notice as Sylara, Tersh, and Milius head for the lift. It's several moments before he looks around, blinks several times, and then fixes his attention on Nor, busily examining Rak's broken droid.
"
Instructor Nor?" Atharias' voice seems weak, strained. "
What's our situation? Are the students secure?" The master's boots splash in the rapidly rising water covering the landing pad, and he looks down, surprised. "
This shouldn't be..why aren't the Academy's pumps clearing out this water?"
Before Nor has a chance to respond, a strange screeching noise cuts through the roar of the storm. Atharias seems startled--his lightsaber is in his hands in an instant. Raindrops sizzle against the white-hot energy blade. "
Nor!"
* * *
Milius and Pa'Hu exit the lift on Deck six. The hydraulics shudder as the lift starts up again, only to grind to a halt a few moments later, letting Sylara off on Deck seven. Tersh and Verena are left alone on the lift as it begins grinding its way down to deck twelve.
Sylara rushes toward his office, only to find the soft grey door is sealed. A light shines from beneath the door, and small shadows move back and forth. Sylara quickly taps his access code into the keypad, only to be met with a frustrating beep as the door denies him entry.
Meanwhile, Milius and Pa'Hu rush toward the recreation center on deck six. Der'oth sits in the center of the large white room, wrapped in wires and black tech--some sort of virtual simulator. Der'oth is sweating heavily, his arms flailing. He seems to be in a state of panic, too caught up in the simulation to seperate what's real from what isn't.
* * *
The access hatch leading away from Deck four is stuck fast. Tolark strains at it for a few moments, the shakes his head and reaches for his lightsaber. Jilian steps a few paces back.
The lightsaber cuts through the thick pressure hatch slowly. The corridor fills with heat as the metal buckles and melts. A terrible stench wafts away from the hatch--something organic is burning on the other side.
* * *
Tyren said:
"Come along, and tell me what has been going on down here while I've been gone."
Aayla lengthens her pace to catch up with Tyren's stride. She twists the fingers of one hand through her hair nervously. "
Things...are somewhat tense down here, master. The other students are oddly restless. Bri brought an armload of training sabers down here, under Master Sylara's orders supposedly, and the students got at them while Jodan was distracted... Anyway, we had a minor injury. Kyra was hurt, but Meliah is tending to her. Jodan took the sabers away, but he's had a hard time keeping things under control." The scorn in Aayla's voice betrays her bitterness towards Jodan--the emotion is surpising, and the feel of it leaves Tyren unsettled.
As Tyren and Aayla enter the Deeprunner, Magus waves excitedly at them from the pilot's seat. "
Heya! These things are gettin' closer, look," he says, flicking a few keys and bringing the ship's radar to life on the main screen. The Deeprunner shows as a red blob in the middle of the screen, the academy looming grey and green above it. Near the bottom of the screen, two black blobs, each as large as the Deeprunner, are moving slowly upwards. A third black blob is much closer, almost overlapping the glyph indicating the Deeprunner's position. "
What the heck are tho--" Magus is cut off as something slams into the Deeprunner, causing both it and the Academy to shake violently. The students aboard the Deeprunner tumble to the floor, crying out fearfully.
* * *
Somewhere between decks ten and elven, the lift suddenly comes to a halt. The lights flicker, and Verena is tossed to the floor by the force of whatever it is that just struck the Academy, landing at Tersh's feet.
* * *
Jilian screams as the Academy shakes. The partially melted hatch, hanging from a single hinge, falls into the access tunnel, tumbling downward into the darkness. The tube's walls are damp, the air inside is moist, and some sort of grey slime coats the walls in uneven patches. From a floor above, Tolark can hear Hale and Treela calling out for help.
* * *
Der'oth comes crashing to the floor as the academy shakes, still tangled in wires. As Milius steps forward, Pa'Hu puts a hand on his arm. "
is it safe?"
* * *
The storm overhead continues to rumble as the Academy shakes. Atharias and Nor both keep their balance, though Timone squeals and nearly tips over into the water. Atharias stares out into the blackness and rain, his four green eyes suddenly blazing with fierceness. "I
have been blind..." he whispers, sadness tinging his tired voice. "
Nor, forgive me. I did not want to believe it. But there is a traitor within the Academy, and we are under assault."
In the darkness beyond the square of light beneath Nor's ship, something moves. The horrible screech echoes through the air once again, the sound of a beast in pain. Atharias spins, trying to get a fix on the sound despite the distractions of the thunder and rain. "
May the Force help us, Instructor. I fear we will not all survive this night."
* * *
