STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Initiation

In that case, the anger boils up inside you and you lash out at 'Ciira' with all of your hatred. She stumbles backwards and dissipates in a splash of water on the misty forest floor.

And then you are released, and standing in the midst of a clearing. An ancient gnarled tree resides in the center, black and awful, its tangled roots reaching out into the damp forest around it.

"Rianna!" Vash is yelling from the other side of the clearing. "Why can't you hear me?!"

Rianna is going to take a moment to catch her breath and at least attempt to get her anger under control.

"What do you mean, why can't I hear you? Where did you go?!" she snarls at him.

"Where did I go? Where did YOU go?!" Vash yells.

You can sense that his emotions are heightened as well; he's just as angry as you are, at the moment. With lowering your own, you are having little luck (having not passed a Willpower check).

"Me?! I went nowhere - I was here with whatever lives in this forest trying to KILL me and very nearly succeeding!" Rianna shouts back, stalking across the clearing towards him. "A whole lot of help you were!"

"What are you talking about?" Vash yells. "You vanished the second we entered the forest! And then you... then..."

Vash looks about the clearing, suddenly aware of it.

"What IS this place?"

Rianna just glares at him for a moment.

"Oh, now you've figured out that this place isn't right...I don't know entirely. I know there are...things here, Rand says are from when the Sith were here before...and I don't like the things they do."

"Huh," Vash says. "Yeah, I put that together already, thanks. This place is alive but it doesn't feel right at all."

Vash starts walking in a circle around the gnarled black tree in the clearing, eyeing it cautiously.

"I don't like this. We should leave."

"Finally, you said something intelligent..." Rianna mutters. "Yes, we should leave. I'm not in the mood for being killed by ghosts."

Vash is in agreement. Oddly enough, this time when you look for a way out of this dreadful dripping grove, the path is readily apparent. You pick your way through the trees, which still rain chilly droplets on you as you pass, and you still feel as if you are being stalked, but eventually emerge out into the sea-washed rocky plains at the edge of the "dead" forest.

Rand is waiting for you.

"Very good," Rand says, giving a mock applause. "You have passed another test, and this one was not of my creation!"

"And just what was the point of this test?" Rianna snap, still angry and frightened, and trying to resist the urge to punch Rand in his smug face.

"You used the Dark Side," Rand says. "The Sith were always concerned as to whether or not their disciples were truly dedicated to the Dark Side. They call them 'mirror tests.' A very effective method for measuring progress from their students. In this case, it was utilized as a trap.

"One which you escaped. Congratulations."

"It was a trick," Rianna stated, flatly.

"I did not force you into the forest," Rand says. "But it IS a very interesting landmark on this damp, barren wasteland."

"You sent us out to explore, knowing full well we'd end up out here," Rianna responds. "How does it even exist here?"

"I cannot pretend to know the intricacies of such a thing," Rand says.

"But I'm sure you'd love to know all about it..." Rianna grumbles, in a thoroughly foul mood.

"Let's go. I want to get far away from...here."

"As much as I would like to live on for an eternity," Rand says, "I'm not sure if this would be the way I would want to..."

-

Rand will lead you back to the underground camp that you've made, where he offers to treat you again for passing this little test.

The choices, as before, are the following:

a) Have some damage removed

or

b) Improve a stat (which still isn't Agility)

Damage removed, please...

This time, all Rianna needs is a relaxing soak in the bacta tank. As mentioned, the cave is well-supplied with a full medical facility, something you suspect Rand put together over time.

You can take 15 damage off for this rest period, putting you down to 25 damage.

The damage sustained from the forest spirits was, thankfully, imaginary.

-

The others give you some space after the experience with the forest. But after your bacta treatment and some time spent to yourself, Rand meets with you.

"How are you feeling?" Rand asks.

"Physically? Somewhat better. Everything else...I don't know. Everything feels just...wrong," Rianna replies. She was rather enjoying being left alone. "What do you really want?"