Star Wars: Rise of Darkness

[MarineAvenger]

Journey to Dantooine Part 2

Night fell not soon enough and Ryson walked off the ramp of the ship stretching out the cramps from sitting all day. He would never admit it but his sister was a wiz when it came to pazaak. Lucky for him they didn't play for money or anything like that or else he would be one poor person. T3-H7 rolled off the ship shortly after him sporting the new upgrades to his sensors, interface and combat capabilities with newly equipped blasters, flamethrower and a shock arm.

Ryson breathed in the moist night air after a small drizzle had made the terrain wet and muddy, which would make things harder for him to sneak into the ruins. His sister had patched the robes up and he decided it only proper to wear them into this Jedi enclave. He pulled up the hood and sheathed his vibrosword on his back and the pair moved into the night.

It took them a short while but the walk to the ruins was not that far from the Khoonda administrative building. When Ryson spotted the building he pulled a communicator out of one of his sashes and put it to his mouth. "Elira, I have reached the ruins. No one seems to be here so I will make my way in and if the scavenger reports are right then the top floors have been picked clean so I will be making my way to the lower levels."

Elira responded not long after. "Got it. Be careful Ryson. There have been reports of kinraths down there as well and I don't want to be the one who has to drag your sorry butt out of there."

"Keep saying that and I will start to think you don't believe in me." He smirked and added, "Don't worry. I have T3 with me so if I get into any danger he is with me." He put the device back into his belt and was about to moved out of the shrubbery in which he was hiding but stopped himself as he saw a group of three people approach the entrance of the Academy. Two of them were heavily armored and the third was...

"It is her...she is the one I saw. I know it." In between the two men was a tall girl who looked in her teens wearing what looked like a long lab coat over a pair of tight pants and a turtle-neck sweater. He observed as the three walked into the ruins and he looked at T3 who gave a cautious whistle.

"Don't worry. We won't go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds us." Ryson and T3 popped out of the bushes and made haste towards the entrance.

The reports seemed to have been correct as the duo had found no resistance on the top level, as well as nothing but cleared rubble and empty rooms. He had expected to see at least one or two things but there wasn't so much as a power pack that had been left behind. Disheartened by the fact that the place had been plundered clean. Ryson and T3 walked through a large door and descended into the lower levels and were on high alert for anyone, or anything, that would be waiting for them down below. As the two of them neared the end of the walkway the sound of blaster fire and a far off yell of a man caused them to stop and ready their weapons.

Running down, the came onto the second floor and scanned the area for any insects. Seeing no enemies, they were left with a dilemma; left or right?

The droid let out a series of beeps and whistles and Ryson nodded in agreement, it was the best plan they had. T3 set out to the left and Ryson took the right path. He checked each room as he progressed down the long corridor and found that even those were mostly plundered. He even found rooms with scrapped droids and blown conduits which seemed to be why it was somewhat dark in the lower levels. As he stepped out of the room rubbing his neck he caught a glimpse of a white coat swirling around a corner in his peripheral vision.

He moved to the corner just in time to see the blonde girl walk into a room on the left. Ryson walked down the hall, his steps light so that the nearby kinraths would not be alerted to his presence. He turned into the open door as a pack of the insects came around the corner. He held the blade tight in his hands and when he turned around he was met with the end of a hold-out blaster, the fiery blonde behind it.

"Who are you and why are you following me?" She asked with authority and Ryson held up his hands, dropping the sword.

"I could ask you the same thing." He said in a cold tone, giving no hint that he was a little scared and surprised.

"I am the daughter of a high ranking Czerka archaeologist sent here to examine the tombs, now answer my questions or I will leave your corpse for the kinraths."

She sure leaves a first impression. "My name is Ryson Orrak and my reasons are my own."

She didn't seem pleased by the answer and her grip tightened on the tiny blaster. "Impossible, there is no way that your last name is Orrak. Jedi Master Nevalin Orrak never had any children. It goes against Jedi belief."

Ryson was stunned to say the least by the mention of his father's name. "How do you know my father's name?"

She looked at him suspiciously and grabbed a datapad out of a satchel she had at her waist. "My father has spent the past five years researching the Jedi. The name has come up more then once in our expeditions."

Ryson looked at the notes on the datapad and handed it back to her. "I am his step son. I took his name after the council allowed the adoption."

She looked him up and down and slowly put the hold out back in her holster , but in no way lowered her guard. "That would explain the robes then. There is no way that a random person would own something as intricate as those."

He bent down and picked up his sword and placed it on the sheath on his back. "So what happened to the goons that followed you in here. With armament like that I doubt they would let someone like you slip away."

"They were goons who were left over from the Battle of Khoonda. This was supposed to be our last expedition into the ruins before we left the planet. We got ambushed and the stupid mongrels tried to stand their ground rather then escape. I escaped."

"You know, you talk high and mighty for an archaeologist."

She narrowed her eyes at him with disdain. "My father is the archaeologist. I am merely his assistant. I prefer the scientific field rather then the dirty field that my father seems to prefer. I just help when he is busy."

"So, are you the reason this place is so cleared out?" He asked

"No. It seems someone else had gotten to the easy pickings before us."

Ryson nodded and watched as the blond girl pushed past him. "Where are you going?"

"This was clearly a waste of time so I am leaving. No sense in staying around."

He walked after her and stood in the hallway. Before she could leave he called out to her. "I told you my name, but you never told me yours!"

She stopped in her tracks and turned her head back towards him. "Melia Aeroth. Now keep your voice down before the insects come swarming." She vanished out of sight and Ryson reached for the communicator in his sash. "T3, head back to the ship...this mission was a bust."

 

[Grelite]

How long has it been? Ferona walked aboard the ship carrying supplies from a local market on Gravlex Med. Looking at her Master’s locked door she sighed, not sure if it was relief or boredom she felt. Five days he has spent meditating in that dark room of his. Five days locked inside. If it wasn’t for his presence, I would have assumed him dead by now. She carefully ordered and stowed the supplies, even if Thaurr would come out of his room this would last them a month in relative luxury.

As she sat down and glanced over at the locked door it popped open with a hiss. This startled her so much she fell backwards from her seat. Thaurr stared for a moment at his pupil as she lay on her back on the floor, piercing her with a look of disapproval. “It is time to get us a hunter.” Ferona got up, rubbing her back. “A hunter, Master? What for?” Thaurr moved toward the bridge and Ferona followed. “To track down a certain individual, of course. What else would a hunter do?” “Right, and where do we find one of those?” The ship started to lift into the air, a large hauler coming into view. “From that prison ship, obviously.”

─────────

“Captain, we have a ship approaching us. They are asking for permission to board. Do we proceed to hyperspace?” The crew looked toward their Captain, knowing their delicate cargo would not allow for unexpected visitors. As the Captain was about to speak he suddenly hesitated and the bridge of the prison ship was overcome by silence. “Stop the ship, I will go to the airlock to welcome our guests.” He spoke not with command, but with a monotonous voice almost not his own. Yet his crew was not to disobey their commander and they let the unidentified ship dock and two strangers boarded the transport vessel.

“Welcome to the Meddan Rock, please follow me, I will take you to your cargo.” The Captain started guiding the two guests to the cells. The crew did not know what to think of their Captain openly allowing these two strangers to see their prisoners and as the three headed for the cells, one Lieutenant decided to contact Gravlex Med about the presence of non-crew aboard their vessel.

─────────

Amat sat in his dark cell sulking at the tiny window in the door which allowed barely any light to enter the small room the Kerestian had been thrown into only several hours earlier. He heard footsteps come down the hall and soon the only light was blocked. Standing up to look through the little window the door opened and he saw the Draethos and human accompanying the Captain in the doorway. The Captain threw Amat his gear, uttering in the same monotonous voice: “You are being transferred into the custody of our two guests here.” Amat inspected his Darksticks; they were all in the same condition as when they took them from him.

Then he heard a voice from down the hall yelling: “Captain Undoza, you and your two compatriots are under arrest for treason and bribery, surrender yourselves.” The old Draethos looked over at Amat. “Looks like you get to see if your skills still hold up.” Amat merely nodded and put on his gear before stepping out of the cell finding he was barely taller than the man who delivered him his freedom. “The Kerestian is out!”, one of the crew screamed from down the hall and several armed guards came running into the corridor. “Stand down, we will shoot!” The Kerestian already had two Darksticks in his hands.

─────────

Captain Undoza was shaken violently by a guard as he awoke and saw the bodies of his crew being carried out of the corridor. His hearing was slow to catch up, but he could tell the guard was yelling at him while keeping him at gunpoint. He saw the cell of the Kerestian was open and his heart skipped a beat. “What happened? Did Amat escape? How-”, he stopped himself, remembering the gun pointed at him. “What do you mean ‘what happened’? You let him out and let him kill your crew! The board is going to want your head for this, so get up and do not resist arrest.”

Spoiler: References

Gravlex Med
Kerestian
Darkstick

 

[Grelite]

Name: Amat
Age: 38
Homeworld: Kerest
Race: Kerestian
Gender: Male
Height: 2.11 m
Weight: 106 kg
Force Sensitive: No
Occupation: Hunter/Tracker/Murderer

Equipment:
-Several Darksticks
-Kerestian Armour
-Hunting Rifle

History:
Like many of his species, hunting was like drawing breath to him. Perhaps what made his story more interesting is that he was not stuck on Kerest. More interesting so, what got him to leave. It was in fact another warrior; Thaurr-Vann.

It was on Kerest that he met a warrior who matched him in battle. Not a Kerestian, of whom all he had met he had proven more powerful, but an old Draethos who visited the planet out of interest for the warriors of Kerest. He moves as no combatant he had ever faced and though Amat was beaten in battle he was spared. It made him curious; perhaps there were other warriors out in the Galaxy to prove himself against. A Galaxy to hunt, in fact. Requesting to join the old Draethos on his journeys, he hid his true intentions and was accepted onto the ship.

During their travels Amat saw many places, planning ahead his hunt, learning how the people of the Galaxy travelled and lived. He learned of Jedi, of Sith, of Mandalorians, of bounty hunters through Thaurr and one tale struck him with awe. On Kashyyyk they heard of a bounty hunter who seemed to have legendary hunting skills, never failing to take down a target, a story that made Amat itch for the hunt. This is when he showed how well he could apply what he had learned and tracked the bounty hunter, bringing Thaurr along.

Thaurr watched as Amat attacked the hunter and killed him, never giving him a chance to react. Both were disappointed. Thaurr by Amat, who turned out to be nothing but a brute in his eyes and Amat by the bounty hunter, who seemed to be unimpressive when confronted by surprise. The two split ways and Amat started hunting alone, tracking down and killing all hunters who he had heard tales of. It was not until years later that he was finally caught during one of his hunts, sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Spoiler: References

Kerest
Kashyyyk
Bounty Hunter
Mandalorian

 

[MarineAvenger]

Journey to Dantooine Part 3

Ryson sat on his bunk with his legs crossed and his chin in his hands. He was let down by the fact not only was the floor cleared out but that he still had no answers. His dreams had showed him the encounter in the hallway but there was still the one about Melia laying dead in what seemed to be a small battlefield. He was lost in a sea of confusion and he had no idea where to go or what to do and he wished that his father was here to give him some form of consolation. Instead of his father, his sister walked in to the dorm holding her arm at her side and sat on his bunk.

"Ryson, not all is lost. We could still go back to the ruins and keep searching." She put a hand on his arm and the action made him look into her eyes but he just shook his head.

"No, there is nothing left for us down there. Even if there were still scavengers around I doubt that we could find anything useful or not sold at a ridiculous price."

She tilted her head and gave him a look that seemed to stare right through him. "There is something else bothering you...isn't there?"

He nodded slowly and she sat back. "You know you can tell me right?"

He nodded again silently and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Before we arrived on Dantooine I had a dream. We were here on the planet and I saw this...girl. She was laying in the middle of what looked like a battle zone and she was dead. Last night I saw her. She was in the ruins and I met her face to face. Elira...she knows about our dad. Her father is an archaeologist who studies the Jedi. She says she has information on him and I don't know what to do. Should I go after her and try to get that data in hopes of finding something or do we just continue and forget about her?"

She listened to him and he half expected to hear her laugh or call him crazy. "Then go after her."

He perked up at his sister and he looked at her with confusion. "Well, we can't just let an innocent person be killed. There is a reason you had that dream, and if we just let this girl die...well that isn't what dad would do."

Ryson looked at his sister and gave her a soft smile. "We don't even know where she is."

"Well, what did you see in your dream? That might give us a clue as to where she might be."

He thought back to the vivid dream and tried to bring back the small details. "There was...a-a lake and...it was hilly. The house wasn't that big and there w-were crates scattered everywhere."

Elira got up off the bed and went to the main holoterminal in the middle of the room and brought up a 3D map of Dantooine. "So we are looking for a hilly area with a near-by lake and has received a large shipment recently..." She put int he information and a blip appeared o the map. "There, this is the only place that comes up. An abandoned farm only a couple of miles away."

He patted his sister on the back and he ran to the cockpit, his sister not far behind. The engines revved to life and thy began to take off, soaring into the sky.
..................................................

The ship landed on a flat strip of land not far from the lake and Ryson, Elira, and T3 exited the ship and made their way to a ridge that would overlook the tiny home. Like they had predicted, the abandoned home was teeming with activity. Heavily armored thugs with heavy rifles on their backs were carrying crates onto a near-by ship and a middle aged man was holding a blonde haired girl a the front of the house. That is her, and that must be her father...

His sister looked at him and asked, "So what's the plan? Waltz in and tell this girl you just met that you saw her die in a dream?"

"Exactly." Ryson stood up and slid down the hill towards a line of crates that were lined up and waited for a guard to walk near his position. He picked up a small rock and slammed it against the metal crate and got the guard's attention, causing him to walk towards Ryson. He steeled himself and slammed the rock against the guy's head and knocked him out. He slipped him out of his armor and dressed in the over his robes, even then the armor still a little loose on him.

He walked across the field and kept his head low as he approached Melia and her father. Melia caught sight of him and called out to him. "What is it? Don't you have work to do?"

He perked his head up and saw the shock in her eyes. "Ryson...how did you...what are you..."

Her father stepped forward and looked at Ryson with curiosity. "This is the the Jedi boy...please you must tell me about their customs what were they like, what did they eat! Oh so many questions such little time!" He was practically giddy as he adjusted his round glasses.

Melia rolled her eyes and pulled Ryson away out of the sight of the guards and away from her obsessed father. "What do you think you are doing!? Why would you follow me here."

"Melia, you need to listen to me something is wrong here I know it and you have to go away for your own safety." He let it out fast and even he thought he wouldn't believe him in her position.

"What are you talking about?"

"Listen Melia, I had a vision. It was night and this place looked like a battlefield, and you were dead." She shook her head and sighed as she rubbed her eyes.

"Alright then. You can go and take your delusions with you and I am going to go back to work so I can get off this planet." She began to walk away but Ryson grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Melia listen to me. I saw you dead. There is something you don't know..."

Before he could finish he could hear a gruff sounding man call out from the front of the house. "Alright boys! Time to back up and get out of dodge we have been called back to HQ. Take anything you can carry we are moving out!" Ryson pressed Melia against the house and he looked around the corner, just able to hear the conversation between the man and Melia's father.

"So we are all ready to move out? All the data uploaded and stored?"

"Yes! U-um I mean, affirmative sir..."

"Good. Where is that pretty daughter of yours? Wasn't she just here?"

"Yes she was. She j-just stepped off for a breather this unexpected trip must be getting to her." He let out a nervous laugh.

"Well that is too bad. I would have liked to see the look on her face."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh you poor fool did you really think Czerka would leave loose ends?" A blaster shot out and there was a thump of a body hitting the ground. Melia's eyes shot open and she tried to run out of the place behind the wall but Ryson grabbed her and pinned her against the it, covering the cries that began to come out of her mouth and the constant slaps he got from her.

If the man heard her he didn't give any indication, but he could hear the sound of two boots approaching. Ryson's eyes widened and he pushed Melia on the ground and grabbed his vibrosword that was hidden under the armor. The two goons turned around the corner and Ryson slammed into the closest and swung his sword at the other, causing him to stumble back. Ryson approached and the guy grabbed his hand and kneed him in the gut causing him to drop the sword and kneel over. He pointed his rifle at Ryson's head but he tackled him with his reserved strength, cracking his skull against the corner of the house, the goon not moving and his chest not rising.

Ryson raised an eyebrow and said out loud. "Wait there were...two." He turned around and saw as the man's finger was on the trigger but he fell as Melia shot him with her hold-out and the two met gazes and ran around the house. They arrived just in time to see a ship rise into the sky and zoom off. Melia looked over to her father's body and rushed to his side.

Ryson gave the signal and both Elira and T3 came down from their positions. They sat around as Melia sobbed over her father's body and it was around the time the last rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon. Elira waved her hand at the sobbing girl and nudged her head in her direction at Ryson and he walked over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Melia..."

"That bastard killed my father. Just like an animal. I will make him pay."

Ryson looked at his sister and she rolled her hands.

"Listen Melia, I know you must be hurting. Me and my sister lost our father not to long ago so we have gone through this as well. Come with us. There is nothing left for you here."

She looked up at him with puffy red eyes and she grabbed onto him and squeezed him hard. After a little bit he helped her up and the four proceeded to the ship.

 

[MarineAvenger]

The Next Steps

The ship slowly floated above the green planet just orbiting slowly as the passengers on board decided what to do next. Ryson was in the cockpit as Elira showed Melia her bunk. In his hand was a blue and green holocron; the device the smallest of the ones he took but it was the one that meant the most. Inside was a recording of when he and Elira first arrived at the temple on Coruscant. Whether Nevalin liked the sentimental value or there was some other reason but the first was why he liked it. It reminded him of better days. He looked up as Elira walked in and leaned against the door frame with a thermos in her hand.

"Hey, you doing all right?" She asked with a sympathetic smile.

"Need you ask? I don't know how to feel. I mean, we saved Melia that is true but I couldn't save her father. I couldn't even find any leads on where to go next."

"You blame yourself to much Ryson. You can't do everything. Something will come up eventually..." A knock on the metal doorframe caused Elira and Ryson to look at Melia who had her satchel on her side.

"I have some things you need to see. Seems only fair considering." She walked out and the two siblings looked at one another and followed the blonde haired girl to the holoprojector. She inserted a small disk into the slot and a map of the galaxy came up, multiple points all along the map lighting up.

"Melia...what is this?" Ryson leaned against the projector and stared at all the point across the map.

"They are all the known locations of Jedi ruins me and my father visited over the years. Some known by Czerka, but most not."

Ryson stared at the map with awe. He rubbed his mouth and chuckled in excitement at how much of the Jedi Order still lived on. "Melia...you are the single most greatest person in the galaxy." Elira smacked him upside the head and that caused Melia and her to laugh. "Where do we start?" He asked overwhelmed to think straight.

"You tell us Ryson. You are the Jedi." Elira toned in, trying to hide her excitement as well.

He looked at her and shook his head. "I not a Jedi! I don't have formal training, I don't even have a lightsaber."

Melia gave a coy smile and threw her bad at Ryson and he caught it just in time. "What is this?"

"I may have lied when I said the place was completely cleaned out. Look inside."

He flipped open the top and put the contents on a nearby table. Inside were parts and holocrons, even a few crystals. "Oh...my..." He looked back at Melia and she held up her hands.

"Hit on me again and I am pulling out the holdout." She stated.

Elira came up and hugged her brother. "Seems you may become a Jedi after all."

He hugged her back and looked back, only to see Melia had left the room.

 

[MarineAvenger]

Shackled: Free Behind Bars Part 1 (Grelite and MarineAvenger)

The ship dropped out of hyperspace with a jolt and it sailed it’s way to the large station floating over the planet of Telos. Ryson smiled and looked over at Elira who was sitting in the co-pilot seat and she returned the gesture.

Melia just looked between the two siblings and she stared at Citadel Station. “What are we doing here? I thought we were going to start looking for the Jedi remnants?”

Elira looked back to her and though she was a little annoyed the other girl ruined the moment she just simply stated. “This is where me and Ryson grew up when we were little. It is a long story but lets just say this is where our adventure first started all those years ago.”

She had no idea what to make of the two siblings and just stood in silence as the ship landed in a near by hangar bay.

“Besides, we need supplies and have some business to attend to first. We know people here that we need to see.” Ryson stated as he powered down the engines.

Elira perked up and looked at Ryson gleefully. “Y-you don’t mean!”

Ryson nodded and she jumped up squealing like she did when she was younger. It had always been a habit of hers to squeal when excited. “I can’t believe we get to see him after so many years! I wonder how he has been doing?”

Elira ran out of the cockpit to get ready and Ryson slowly got up but was stopped by Melia when he tried to walk out. “Who are we going to see exactly?”

Ryson smirked and put a hand on Melia’s shoulder. “I guess you could say we are going to see our second father…”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

After the crew found the apartment number for their contact, Ryson and Elira stood in front of the door of the man who had helped them in what seemed like forever ago. Ryson gave the nod and Elira excitedly knocked on the metal door and a minute later the door opened. On the other side was a sleepy looking man with short black hair and a trimmed beard on his jaw. Seeing the two youths the man shifted the glasses on his face and smiled widely as he hugged the two teens.

“I can’t believe it! I never thought you two would actually…” A woman’s voice came from the apartment and the man ushered in the two. Sitting on one of the couches, a young woman sat with a little girl and the two looked up, the older woman giving a soft smile. “Hey guys.”

Elira looked between the man and the woman and she jumped excitedly towards the older woman. “Gale, I can’t believe you two actually got married!”

Gale hugged the girl and the small toddler looked up at the hugging girls. “Who is this mommy?”

Elira let out a huge ‘aw’ as she knelt down on the floor. “And you two had a beautiful daughter as well! So cute!” Elira hugged the small girl and it caused the toddler to giggle.

“So you two finally got together like we were pushing for, huh Rhem?” Ryson teased.

Rhem chuckled and he put a hand on the back of his neck. “Yep, happened almost right after you guys left. Ari came along a year later.” Rhem smiled softly as Elira lifted the girl up and began to play with her. “You two were like kids to us. After you left we figured it was time that we started a real family.”

Ryson crossed his arms and smiled as he watched his twin. “It is nice seeing you again Rhem…”

Rhem sighed and he moved to get the two of them to the couch. “I tend to have that effect on people.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

“Sir, you cannot bring those into Citadel Station.” the clerk at the Citadel Security checkpoint at the hangars pointed at Amat’s Darksticks. “You did not submit a permit, so please. We will take those into custody and they will be returned to you when you leave. That or you leave them on your ship.”

Thaurr stepped forward, staring into the clerk’s eyes. “They are religious artifacts, I’m afraid he simply cannot part with them. Nothing to be worried about, truly, just let us pass.” The clerk fell into a blank stare. “Very well, I will let you pass.” And with that the three were aboard Citadel Station. “Lead the way, Amat.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Melia walked through the clean halls of the station and looked around impressed on the progress of the project. She heard about it when her father first joined Czerka but she never imagined she would actually visit it. She took a trip on the shuttle system and found her way in the market module. Visiting many shops, nothing really caught her eye as she browsed. As she walked past the near by cantina a strange looking group of people passed by her and she swore she could feel a slight cold feeling. Melia just shrugged her shoulders and entered the cantina, hoping that she could take her mind off recent events.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The apartment complex was fairly quiet, people were either inside or elsewhere, none took routes through the complex to reach another place since the shuttle system had been established. In these more sparse surroundings Thaurr could sense they were indeed in the right place. He approached the door of the apartment and rapped on the door.

Gale held up a hand to her husband and she got up to go see who was knocking. When she opened it she was surprised to say the least at the figure behind the knocking. “Um, who are you?”

 

[Grelite]

Shackled: Free Behind Bars Part 2

“Amat, leave the boy to me, you can take care of the rest.” The Darksticks already in hand, Amat dove forward to the figure in the doorway.

Gale screamed and she fell backwards at the alien who jumped her and she tried to crawl away before he could grab her.

Both Rehm and Ryson looked at each other and Rehm ran to his bedroom for his gun and Ryson ran to the front of the apartment to see what had happened. Elira tightly clutched the little girl in her hands and she got up to put her somewhere safe.

When Ryson saw the people at the door and Gale trying to crawl away he held out his hands and the man going after her flew backwards. Stunned by his own power Ryson looked closer at the alien in the doorway. “You!”

Thaurr looked at Amat before his eyes went back to Ryson. “It seems I arrived just in time and as did you.” He grabbed Amat by the arm before he could jump at the woman again. “You come with me and no one here will have to go through what your father went through.”

Ryson’s face darkened as he stared at the Sith Lord and he fought all instincts to reach behind him for his hidden weapon. “Tell me why I should believe anything you say.” He practically growled.

“I am an honourable warrior, boy. I keep my word. Back at your home, I fought your father alone after he attacked me and did not pursue you or your sister. Besides, I have had every opportunity to kill everyone in this apartment by now and instead I am giving you a chance to save them.”

Ryson clenched his fist and looked down. “What...do you want from us? Why come here now?” He looked back up with a look of pure hate on his face.

Thaurr let go of Amat, who held his stance as if he were ready to pounce. “What I want is for you to come with me. Once we are on my ship I can answer all your questions and no one will be harmed.”

Gale looked up at Ryson as she got to safety. “Ryson...you can’t go with them! We can beat them we can…”

Ryson held up his hand. “I won’t have your family put in danger. Fine...I will come along.”

“Wonderful. Amat?” Amat look at Thaurr, let out a brief growl and then walked out of the apartment to stand alongside Ferona. Thaurr motioned toward Ryson for him to come outside.

Ryson looked back at Gale with a sad face and walked out the door slowly. As the door closed, Gale began to cry and Rahm ran from around the corner. “Gale! What happened?”

She looked up at him but was horrified to see Elira behind him. “T-they...took him…”

Elira gave a look of despair and she fell to her knees. “No…” She put her hands over her face and began to cry as well.

As the trio escorted Ryson to their ship, Thaurr ordered Amat to search the boy, taking any items they could find. Once on board the ship, Ryson was locked in a small room with only a bed and a seat by a small desk. From inside the room the voices of the crew were muffled and it was not until Thaurr stepped into the room that he was first spoken to. “You may find this hard to believe, but I was once a Jedi.”

Ryson sat without a sound and just leered at the alien.

Thaurr sat down on the bed. “This was long ago, back when carrying a lightsaber meant carrying a charge pack to have it hooked up to. None of that fancy lightsaber throwing, that’s for sure. But you are not here for a history lesson.” The old Draethos looked at Ryson with renewed intensity. “When I became a Jedi all I had known was the warrior culture of my homeworld, I had no knowledge of societies in the Galaxy. As a Jedi, however, I was kept away from that, I did not realize it at the time, but I was. It was not until I became a Knight and was allowed to partake freely in society outside of the Temples, as far as Jedi allow, of course.”

“This exposure to public view made me realize the truth about the Jedi. That they take in children when they are young and impressionable and keep them away from society so they can cultivate their minds just the way they want to. They are a cult based entirely on brainwashing and keeping to themselves.”

Thaurr paused, taking a moment to scratch an itch on his chin. “Your father may not have realized this, but he hid you away on that farm. Away from society, to keep for his own. I do not blame him, this is what the Jedi taught him to do. What I did was liberate you.

“Since your freeing, what have you done? Sought to reconnect to the past you lost? Have the Jedi already poisoned your mind so much? This is why I brought you here. So you can cut your shackles to the past. Let the Force set you free.”

“You have done nothing. All you did was kidnap me and try to justify it with ideals. My past died when my parents did. There is nothing you can say that will make me try and think you are right. You are just another Sith looking to darken the galaxy a little more. If anyone has shackles here it is you.”

“That shows how little you know of the Sith. All you probably know is what some Jedi told you. I won’t bother you with such trivialities as ‘evil is a matter of perspective’, but there is something you must understand. Sith understand that the Force can lead them to freedom through power, , through strength, through passion. A Sith does not live to make other feel worse, but to make the Galaxy a better place. I broke your first chain and it will be up to you to unleash your own capabilities. I gave you anger, anger you can use to give yourself strength.”

Ryson chuckled and put a hand on his arm where his tattoo was hidden underneath his clothes. “Who knew that people existed that are so blind by what hey follow that they don’t see the flaws in their own system.” He looked up at Thaurr and gave a cocky smirk. “You also overlooked a minor detail. I am not a Jedi. Just a pretender.”

“If you were a Jedi you would have been dead a long time ago. Your disconnection from their cult is what gives you a chance to become something greater. I know you spent time with the Jedi and that you learned some of their tricks, but they also betrayed you.” Thaurr stood up, moving toward the door. “Do you know how we first found you? I will tell you: a Jedi betrayed the locations of all who had once been in their Order. One whom had the trust of your father, only to lead him to his demise.”

“What do you mean? Nevalin told me that he told no one of where he went...how could someone find that out?”

“Either he lied to you or he was foolish enough to think he could hide himself from the Jedi. A Jedi who disagrees with the Order has especially much to fear. Do you know what they do to those who abandon the Order?”

Ryson shook his head. “Considering you are still here they obviously don’t kill deserters so you can’t put that lie in my face.”

“No, no, what the Jedi do is far worse than simply ending a life. A Jedi who abandons his principles is stripped of rank, of his weapon and what makes it so terrifying: stripped of his connection to the Force.” Thaurr slowly approached Ryson. “Before you ask how I still command such power if that is what they do; I have the advantage of understanding the time I have. I had to be a nomad for hundreds of years, bide my time through patience and cunning. Luckily I escaped during a time of war, I never exposed my views but simply disappeared. I escaped being stripped from the connection that defines us, a fate worse than death.”

 

[MarineAvenger]

Shackled: Free Behind Bars Part 3

Ryson shook his head. “You must be confused so let me clear things up. My connection to the Force does not define me. I was who I was before it, and I will still be me even after.”

Thaurr chuckles briefly; an ominous sound in the tiny room. “There is no before, you were born with this connection. It is in your very nature, you have felt it your entire life and you may never notice until it is gone, should that ever happen. You used the Force to defend yourself from my apprentice aboard the ship and you used it to save that woman from a deadly blade. Denying that is lying to yourself. I know you know this, you know you know this. Think to yourself, what have you been doing since your father died? Finding a place to live, to become a farmer, settle down? I think not.”

“I have been searching for answers. My father gave us the place, we just needed to take the first step.” Ryson got up and pointed a finger at Thaurr. “And you are not a part of my answers. All you do is do things for your own selfish gain. The Jedi may not have been perfect but you are worse.”

“Selfish? Me? I come all the way out here to help you. I have answers but you seem to be too blind to ask the questions you want to. Surely it is not too late for you to open your eyes. It is the Jedi who are selfish, taking such potential away from the Galaxy, hiding them in their temples away from real life. All I want is to help you understand what you are capable of.” Thaurr put his hand on Ryson’s shoulder. “The answers you’re looking for; I can help you find them.”

Ryson looked at his hand and stared into the old Sith’s eyes. “Is that what you said to her? Answer me this, did she come willingly or did you force her hand? I could feel her pain when we fought. Nevalin always said you can see a person’s true self when you fight them.”

“That seems a rather violent view on life and that coming from me. You have likely misinterpreted Ferona’s pain. When I found her she was in pain, she could not come to terms with the betrayal between her and her Mentor. She joined me because she understood that I could offer the aid she needed to overcome that pain and use her powers to free herself from her doubt.” Thaurr stepped back toward the door. “So let me ask you: what made you abandon your father when he attacked me?”

“He told us to run. We knew we couldn’t stay safe forever. It was all part of the plan...except that he wasn’t the one to escape.” The teen looked at the door. “And unless I hear her say that I highly doubt anything you say at this point.”

Thaurr thought for a moment in silence before turning toward the door. “Alright, it seems you are too stubborn at this time to look beyond the blind adherence the Jedi in your life have taught you to follow. Just think about what I said.” With that Thaurr left the room, leaving Ryson to contemplate their conversation.

Ryson sat down on the floor and he did his best to try and calm down his heart rate. He took in deep breath after deep breath but in a little while it did almost nothing to calm his nerves. Instead he got to the ground and started to push himself up; knowing full well he would need to be in top shape in order to escape.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

After nightfall the ship fell silent. All lighting in and around the ship were dimmed, making the figure in Ryson’s doorway barely recognizable. Ferona moved a finger to her lips, signaling Ryson to remain quiet as she handed him the items Amat had taken from him. In complete silence she motioned him to follow.

Ryson didn’t know whether or not to follow the woman but even if this was a trap it was a way out of the room. He got up from his bed and put all his items in place and made his way with Ferona.

Soon enough the two had quietly snuck outside the ship, still sitting the Citadel Station hangar. She quietly whispered: “I think we’re clear.” And started walking toward the exit.

Ryson did not follow and he stood where he was. “Go back…”

Ferona turned around, a frightened look on her face, replying quietly but insistently: “I am not going back. Even if he does not kill me for this, I do not want to continue my suffering by his side.”

Ryson crossed his arms. “You had a chance to escape when we fought back on Treum. You didn’t leave then so why should I believe that you should want to leave now?”

“Look,” Ferona started, “we need to get out of here now. I can talk all you want out there, but I’ll say this for now: I did not know then what I know now. You were right, I was deceived.” Then she turned around and left the hangar.

Ryson had no choice but to follow and he walked behind her in silence. When they were safely away from the hanger and on a shuttle Ryson finally broke the silence. “Why did you really join Thaurr?”

Ferona stared at her feet, remembering the pain from that moment on Malachor V. “I killed my Mentor.” She paused, clenching her fists. “Thaurr tricked me, turning my fear into doubt. I do not remember activating my lightsaber, only his body falling to the ground.” The looked up at Ryson. “For the longest time I thought it was my own doing. That I killed him because I was a coward. But he was always there, Thaurr was always there, poisoning my thoughts with his presence. And when you faced me on the ship, that was the first time in a long time I was given the chance to think more clearly. After our encounter I could see I had been manipulated when I was weak. That Thaurr was the one who activated my blade when my Mentor approached.”

A single tear fell down her cheek. “His presence, his words, they’re poison. Draethos are natural telepaths and he uses it to manipulate the thoughts of everyone around him.” Her stare went back to her feet. “And I am ashamed to admit that while he had me in his power I taught him what I knew of Jal Shey persuasion techniques. Techniques he has perverted for his own means, leaving me only further in his grip.”

Ryson leaned against the wall of the shuttle, listening to the story. He didn’t know if he could believe her though, so he went the cold route. “How do I know you are not using these techniques on me now? For all I know he is in the shuttle behind us coming after me.”

Ferona looked at Ryson, taking a moment to think about a response before letting her head drop. “You don’t. I understand your distrust and it’s not unfounded. I want to prove I just want to escape him, but I do not know how.”

“Why stick with me then? You know he will come after me and if all you want to do is escape you are picking the wrong person here, lady.” The shuttle came to a halt and the doors slid open. “You may have helped me escape, but I am not the one to explain your case to further.”

“I have several reasons to stick with you. Firstly, I do not have a ride off this station. Stuck here I would be tracked down instantly. More importantly he hunts you too and I know how he tracks you. What point is there in helping you escape if you will be walking into his traps again? I can get away by helping you get away.”

Ryson stood in front of the door and looked at Ferona. “Like I said, there are others you need to prove yourself to.” They walked out the door and found themselves back in the same residential module that Thaurr had taken him from. Ryson ran towards the apartment, not caring if Ferona could keep up. When he slammed his fist against the door he waited impatiently for it to open.

When it finally did Gale stood on the other side with a blaster in her hands; the weapon trained at the door. When she saw it was Ryson she dropped the weapon and ran to him throwing her arms around him. “He is back! He is back!” She yelled hysterically into the apartment. Moments later Elira ran around the corner and basically tackled him to the ground when Gale moved away.

 

[Grelite]

Shackles: Free Behind Bars Part 4

“I am fine Elira. Please, stop your crying.” Elira got up and wiped her teary eyes.

When Gale saw the woman behind Ryson she grabbed the blaster again and pointed it at her. “You! You were with the men who took him.”

Ferona raised her hands, hoping Ryson would explain what happened.

Ryson put a hand on the baster and he made her point it down. “She will explain. I need you to listen.” Gale hesitantly put the blaster down and allowed Ferona to enter her home. Everyone took a seat on the couch and they listened as the woman plead her case.

When she was done Elira stood up and pointed her blaster at Ferona. “This is a load of bantha fodder. She is just trying to mess with us using this lame sob story. I say we send her on her way and even that is merciful.” The fire in her eye told Ferona she was not in a joking mood.

Ferona glared at Elira, melancholy replaced by anger. “You do not know what it is like to have to be around him. When the man responsible for the death of someone you cared about a lot is the first thing you see when you wake up. I need to get away from that and I do not want anyone else to have to experience that. Right now I am the only one who can prevent you people from being found again by him, and because I know what will happen when he does, I want to help you.”

Elira didn’t lower her weapon but instead brought it closer to her head. “Let us not forget you and your master killed our father! So do not talk to meet about losing someone close to you. He was the most important thing in our lives! He gave us a home and a place to belong after me and Ryson spent our childhood as slaves. So you have no right to talk. If it wasn’t for you, we would still be at home with our dad!” Elira was on the brink of tears and her finger tensed on the trigger, a voice in the back of her mind telling her to pull the trigger.

Tears welled up once more in Ferona’s eyes. “I am sorry. I understand that loss, I really do. My Mentor was like a father to me. And he… Thaurr made me kill him. Having that on your conscience… Being around the man who caused it…” She lowered her arms and head. “I would rather be dead than be around him again.”

Elira’s hand shook as she tried to hold back her tears but in the end she just dropped the gun and walked away.

Ryson picked up the weapon and he put it on the table. When he stared at Ferona he didn’t know what to make of the woman. He couldn’t tell if she was being truthful or what. “No matter what happens we need to leave now. Thaurr will realize we are missing.” Ryson turned so his back was to Ferona and he reached into his pocket and began to work on something.

Ferona wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. “Yes, you’re right. Everyone needs to get out of here. This station isn’t safe for any of us. Just tell me what to do, I can show you how to cover our tracks.”

Ryson turned around and in his hand a yellow blade ignited from a black hilt, the point of the lightsaber pointing at Ferona. “You will stay with us for now but if you do anything...anything that puts me, my sister or anyone else in danger I swear to you I will not hesitate to put this through your chest.”

Ferona merely nodded, staring down the yellow blade at Ryson.

The lightsaber deactivated and Ryson put it on his belt and walked to go to his sister. A short while later, Melia and T3 came to the apartment; apparently the both of them looking for Ryson and were updated on the situation. Melia’s reaction was one of suspicion but she did not speak about the matter any further. As the crew walked out of the apartment, Ryson stood in the doorway of the apartment, Rehm and his family stood waving goodbye.

“So what will you do now?” He asked with a worried tone.

Rehm sighed and he looked at his wife. “Gale has some family on Alderaan. We were thinking about moving there for sometime but now it seems we have motivation to do so.”

Ryson nodded and Gale hugged him one last time and the teen left the family behind.

 

[MarineAvenger]

The Next Steps Part 1 (MarineAvenger and Grelite)

The black and grey freighter was making good headway through the hyperspace lanes, the crew inside doing the most to put some distance between them and their pursuers. Ryson stood in the central room with a holoprojector of the map Melia had, trying to decide where to go. For now, their guest was staying in the dorm with him, though he couldn’t complain too much, he was bound to get a roommate eventually. He sat down on a chair and put his chin in his hand. “What to do...what to do.”

Ferona sat quietly in her seat, observing the hologram trying to make sense of the displayed map. Her meditative position helped her clear her mind as she tried to figure out how to approach this situation. “If you’re asking me for suggestions, you’re going to have to explain what I’m seeing here.”

Ryson looked at the guest and shrugged his shoulders. “Wasn’t asking but any help could work.” Ryson pointed to the marked points around the galactic map. “Melia’s dad was an archaeologist of Jedi sites and ruins. These are all that spots that either have ruins or they have visited.”

“So if you are trying to decide where to go next, why not pick one at random?”

“Because if we do that, then we just waste precious time.” Melia told her as she entered the room. “We need something to set us on the way, but our leader here hasn’t had any inkling.”

Ferona kept staring at the map. “What are the details on these locations?”

“Some of them we visited personally, some of them we were planning to, some we got for a handful of credits. Nothing stood out between all of them, just ruins and dead jedi.” Melia finished with a sigh. “How have you even gotten this far with so little?”

Ryson looked at Melia. “As I have stated before, our father set us on this path. After we travelled to Ossus, I had a vision of Dantooine, after Dantooine we met you, and then we headed to the Citadel Station for supplies and some nostalgia. That is it.”

“A vision?”, Ferona looked over to Ryson, “perhaps that is your answer. Meditate on the Force, it may help you find where to go next.”

Ryson looked at Ferona and shrugged his shoulders. “Worth a try. Not like we have many ideas.” Ryson stood up and looked down the hall. “I guess I will be in the cargo hold for a while. Join me or get some rest. I don’t really care.”

Ferona sat up. “If you need any help with meditation, I can help. That is, if you want me to help.”

“I got the gist of it while on Ossus but any help is welcome.” Ryson and Ferona walked to the hold and the door came together with a clank. Ryson looked around on the floor and told her. “Sit wherever you want.”

Ferona sat down in a meditative position near the centre of the hold.

Ryson sat next to the woman and closed his eyes, bowing his head. “Let us begin.” With the only noise to be heard being the humming of the engines and the light breathing of the two occupants, minutes passed as Ryson’s irritation began to rise. Around ten more minutes passed and Ryson gave up. “Nothing…”

“Relax, these things do not come to the impatient.” Ferona took a deep breath. “Do not focus on your desire, but clear your mind. Before you can see yourself elsewhere you must establish yourself here.”

“What is that supposed to mean? I am clearing my mind. Plus how can I establish myself here if I am...already here.”

“Did the Jedi not teach you of the nature of the Force? Your connection to the Force leaves an impression of yourself in it wherever you go. It is how you can detect others who share this connection and it is that which you need to sense of yourself. If you cannot find yourself through the Force here and now, how will you do this elsewhere at another time?”

Ryson looked at the woman confused. “Wha...who do you think me and my sister are? It is not like we were taken in at a young age and trained. We work in the Archives of the Temple to pay off a debt. Sure we got some informal training with weapons but they weren’t training us as Jedi. Did...didn’t you know that?” Ryson asked with a half smile.

“You think I know everything about you? All I knew was you were not a Jedi but had had some Jedi skills. You said you were taught a little about meditation on Ossus, as such I assumed it was a Jedi who instructed you on this. So, do we need to start at the very beginning?”

Ryson scratched his cheek. “Well...lets just say that it was a Jedi who taught me. He was a friend of my dad. I took a small trial and he just gave me some brief pointers. So far, we have just been winging it and hoping for the best.”

Ferona let out a brief sigh. “It is worse than I thought. So you do not know the nature of the Force and yet you attempt to wield it. No one ever warned you this might be dangerous without guidance?”

Ryson shook his head. “I didn’t even know I was force sensitive until only a little while ago. Apparently the Jedi knew but never told me.”

“Well then, let us start from the top. I am sure you know everything is connected by the Force, which allows those who can leave impressions in the Force to influence the world around them. Of course everything leaves some impression on the Force as all is present within it and connected to it, but you and me, we can influence what we leave behind.” Again Ferona sighed, realizing she was reminding herself of her Mentor when he first taught her. “Anyway, when you faced me in the darkness on that ship, you used your connection to the Force to find me. But now you need to sense what impression you leave yourself.”

Ryson nodded in comprehension. “Tell me what to do then.”

“Clear your mind and rather than trying to find something elsewhere, focus on the here and now. Focus on what you are.” Ferona stood up. “Come on, here is a good exercise.” Ferona gestured for Ryson to stand up.

Ryson stood up and raised an eyebrow. “What now.”

“Move your arms as you focus.” Ferona started slowly waving her arms in fluid motions in front of her. “Like this. Try to sense the impression you leave behind in the trails of your arms. It will help you understand what to look for to identify yourself.”

Ryson couldn’t help but chuckle as he did the same. “Good thing the door is closed, we look so stupid right now.”

Ferona raised her eyebrow as she watched Ryson. “This ‘stupid’ technique is used by Jal-Shey to keep track of their own impression. They cannot allow themselves to become corrupted as diplomats while still being involved in society.”

“Still looks stupid...” He muttered as he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate.

“Keep your breathing calm and your mind clear. Focus.”

Ryson did as he was told and tried his best to clear his mind, but after a bit, he got nothing. “Still nothing. All I felt was my arms cutting through the air.”

“Look, try and remember what you did when you faced me in the dark. Try to recreate that moment.”

“How am I supposed to do that? That was in the heat of the moment. Can’t very well recreate that.” Ryson sighed and walked to the door. “This is hopeless, there is no way that…” Ryson stopped as his hand touched the door.

 

[Grelite]

The Next Steps Part 2

“If you cannot do this simple thing, what do you hope to achieve on your hunt for Jedi knowledge? And you definitely cannot rely on a dangerous situation for your instincts to kick in. Without control you will be likely be lost to your own haphazard nature.” Ferona held out her hand, preventing the door from opening. “I think you need to try again.”

Ryson made a shushing sound and he closed his eyes again. “What...is that?”

Ferona tilted her head. “What is what?”

“That sound. It is light but I can hear it. It almost sounds like...humming. Not like the engines but a song of some kind.”

Ferona tried to listen intently, trying to pick up on what he was talking about.

Ryson closed his eyes once more and concentrated hard on the sound and nothing else. He chased it as if it was a child chasing after a small animal and when he reached it, an image opened up in his mind. “It...it is Elira. She is working in the cockpit and she is...humming while she does it. How can I hear her from across the ship?”

“Well,” Ferona started, “you either have amazing hearing, or you focussed on the wrong person.”

“It was like I was there, standing over her shoulder. I could see her as if I was watching a dream.” Ryson turned his head to Ferona. “Is...this the Force?”

“Sounds like it.” She lowered her hand. “And it is a good start. Since you can identify your sister here and now, perhaps you can try and find her elsewhere in another time. Unless you plan to go to your next location without her, she ought to be where you want to be.”

Ryson nodded and when back to his spot on the floor, and closed his eyes to concentrate. Over time, a soft white glow appeared around Ryson and his face looked perfectly at peace. In the vision, Ryson could see a large, sprawling desert with the sun beating down like a fiery inferno. Another location appeared in his mind, this one cool and misty, with trees that seemed to climb high. Ryson opened his eyes again and looked at Ferona. “I saw something.”

Ferona nodded. “I know. Let’s inform the others.”

Ryson opened the door and called out for the others to join them in the central hold. “Melia, can you cross reference the map with two location descriptions?”

Melia twisted her mouth. “I could, but there are thousands of planets in the galaxy and a couple hundred we have marked.”

Ryson nodded and said, “Just do it. The first planet is sandy and hot. Didn’t look like it was even habited.”

Melia nodded her head. “That can only be Tatooine, out in the Outer Rim.”

“The second was cool, had giant trees that reached up high.”

“Sounds like the forests of Kashyyyk. Wonder why we would need to go there?” Melia stated putting her chin in her hand.

“What do either of those places have to do with the Jedi? What do your notes say?” Ferona asked.

Melia looked through the notes. “Not...much actually. No ruins or places of interest. It is strange that we would go there for seemingly no reason.”

“Well whatever the reason, Ryson saw us go there nonetheless. We should at least check them out.” Elira told the group.

Ferona sat down and looked at the map again. “Where on those planets would we go, then? As far as I know Tatooine is all desert and Kashyyyk has a lot of trees. But if we’re chasing destiny here and seeing where we’ll end up, I’m all for it.”

Ryson looked over the map and crossed his arms. “Then it is settled. Tatooine was the first planet I saw so we should go there first. If we don’t find anything worthwhile...then we move on and if that is a dead end. Well, there is always next time.”

“I guess that means preparing for hot weather. Anyone have some lighter robes I can borrow?” Ferona remarked as she got up.

Ryson put his hands up and walked out, leaving the girls alone. Elira looked at Ferona and said, “Everything I have would be way too small on you.”

Melia shook her head as well. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to grab much clothes I don’t have anything light, just like you.”

With the touch of a button Ferona brought up the map for Tatooine. “Looks like there is a settlement here, probably has supplies we need to survive the planet. If we are heading into the desert we will need to stock up anyway.”

Melia grimaced and crossed her arms. “I don’t like this one bit.”

“If you have a better suggestion, I am all ears. But I don’t see any other plan.” Ferona threw herself back into her seat, her hands in her hair. “Besides, it’ll be good to breathe some fresh air again.”

Melia shook her head. “It is not the plan I have a problem with, it is that.” She pointed to the settlement info and stated: “The Czerka Corporation has a foothold here.”

“Yeah, so?”

Elira stood up and took a step forward. “She and her father worked for Czerka when we found them. Then...they let her father go...permanently.”

Ferona lowered her arms, staring at Melia. “Ah, I’m sorry.” She paused to look back at the map. “Unfortunately we have little choice but to deal with Czerka.”

“I don’t need pity, but I will make sure the person responsible burns for what he did.” Melia had a fire in her eyes and looked at the other two girls. “I am going to take a nap.” With that Melia walked off to the dorm.

Elira sighed and looked at Ferona. “Forgive her, she can be a little bossy and stuck up but she is nice deep down.”

Ferona nodded briefly. “I think we can both understand her reservations and I still admire you and your brother for being able to put up with me for the same reasons. Let’s just hope her desire for vengeance does not consume her.”

Elira looked Ferona up and down. “Guess we could say the same for you. Why don’t you go get some sleep too. We will wake you if anything changes.”

“If you’re going to plot a course for Tatooine, remember what I told you about hyperspace tracking.” With that Ferona got up and went to sleep in her designated quarters.

 

[MarineAvenger]

Shifting of Balance

The rain pattered lightly against the moist ground as a speeder rushed out of the forest with blaster fire erupting close behind. The rider swerved from left to right, alternating sides to prevent a blow from landing on his ride and potentially damaging something vital. The fire quickly died down as the pursuers could not match the speeder's acceleration on foot and the person on the back sped quickly off to Kaas City, the center of the Sith Empire.

Kel Tri'al halted the speeder as he neared the fringes of the metallic city scape and ditched the speeder, rigging it to blow should anyone try to activate it. Pulling his hood up over his head he walked to the near by guard checkpoint where cautious guards eyeballed him. "State your name, rank, and business."

Looking up with piercing, menacing yellow eyes, the red skinned Sith crossed his arms and glared at the soldiers. "I am a Sith apprentice on an important errand for my master. Now get out of the way or I shall report your insolence at once."

The guards stiffened and stood at attention. "Yes sir, sorry for the misunderstanding," The guard threw out. "Won't happen again!" He tried to reassure.

"I don't need your sniveling, just make sure it does not happen again." Kel walked past the guards and one of them let out a sigh of relief as the Sith left them alone.

His feet clanking against the metal expansion, Kel traveled with haste to the center of the city, keeping his hood low but walking with the authority of a Sith. Looking around at the crowds in the street, he quickly typed in a passcode and the door slid open, entering and quickly sliding the door to the abandoned apartments closed. Laying his head against the durasteel wall for a moment, out of sight from the outside. Walking up the stairs, Kel walked up two flights of stairs and stared at the door located down the hall of the empty building. Putting a hand on the door, he slowly pushed open the door and walked in, looking around.

The room was dark except for the little bit of light that escaped in threw the cracks of the drawn curtains and the light from the outside the hall with the door open. It was a small apartment, but bottles and empty food canisters and wrappers littered the place and there was a pungent smell of drugs in the air. In the corner, huddled in the corner with a cloak too big for her, a small girl had her legs drawn up to her chest, her small arms, much like sticks of a branch, were holding them in place so her head could lay on them. Her breathing was slow and soft as the girl dreamed like many young kid did, of what Kel could not be certain.

His face took a more dark tone as he walked across the small apartment, his cloak flapping behind him as he made his way to the single bedroom. Opening the door, a knocked out woman laid on the bed with a bottle in her hand and her top hanging from the side of the table next to the bed.

Kel cleared his throat loudly, startling the woman awake as she looked around the room for the source of the noise. "Oh it is only you." Letting out a soft yawn and stretching her arms in the air, the woman rubbed her eyes and looked at Kel. "You enjoying the view?"

Kel did not smile as he crossed his arms. "What are you doing? I told you to watched Nira until I got back, yet here I find you passed out in the bed missing your top layer of clothing."

The woman smiled seductively. "You know you always picture me like this." She teased.

Kel walked to the table and threw the shirt at the woman. "Your pheromones don't work on me Selena."

The pink skinned Zeltron harrumphed. "You are no fun. I just wanted to play with the big bad Sith..."

Kel shook his head. "Taking you was a mistake. I should have left you on the streets." Kel tried to walk out of the room but Selena grabbed his shoulder and tried to turn him around, but failed as the Sith pureblood was a lot stronger than she was. "I didn't ask for you to save me!" Selena stated, "I was perfectly content with my life!"

Kel threw his hands up in the air. "You were pumped full of drugs and passed around the Kaas nobility like a child's toy. You were half dead and beaten when I found you in the gutter, so be grateful I gave you this opportunity."

"Oh a Sith with a conscious! I thought all of you, especially you purebloods didn't give a Hutt's slimy butt about other people than themselves." Selena stated. "Oh I get it! This is all about you! You like the control over women, is that it?"

Kel got close to the Zeltron's face. "Don't talk as if you know anything about me!" Kel stormed out of the room and shook the Miralukan child. "Nira, wake up. We need to go."

"Where to?" Selena asked.

"What do you care, you aren't coming with." Kel stated simply. "If your life is so great here, then by all means stay. I am getting Nora off this planet." Kel picked up the small girl as she held up her arms and grabbed a bag off the wall.

"Wha...you can't leave without me!" Selena quickly put on her top and readjusted it so she could cover what little the top could.

"Watch me." Kel walked out of the door and Selena scoffed and ran after him. "Oh no, you can't abandon me that easily. Me and you are lovers, so we have to stay close."

"We are not lovers. I am dropping you off at the nearest back hole that we find." The red skinned Sith informed the Zeltron.

"Well then I am just going to have to hold onto you tightly then." The female wrapped her arms around the back of the Sith and tried her best to keep up with his long strides.

She changes her personality so quickly. Selena definitely is a strange woman. The trio did not exchange anymore words as Kel had hailed a taxi to the spaceport. When they arrive, Kel turned around as they neared the hangar that contained his ship. He quickly handed Nira to Selena and turned around, pulling out two lightsabers from his hip. "Get Nira on the ship. I will hold our pursuers."

Selana looked around but saw no one. "I don't see no..."

"Now!" The Sith barked.

Selena looked worringly at Kel but ran off to the elevator and took it down to Kel's personal hangar. As the elevator departed, two black robed figures parted the crowd as if spectors themselves and stopped simultaneously as the saw Kel. "Our master has declared you dead." The first figure took out his lightsaber and activated it.

"And dead we shall make you." The second added, pulling a double bladed lightsaber off of his back.

Both of the enemies activated their weapons and Kel did the same, staring intently at one another with a sense of tension and death looming not far. As if by clockwork, all three activated their weapons and advanced towards one another.

Kel's two lightsabers shone a blood red, the same color as his skin while the enemy with the single blade had been a dark orange and the other a violet color. Kel met the two attackers, blades clashing with a 'zap', Kel turning himself to avoid the swing of a blade while attacking and defending against two opponents at once, a battle that would be hard for even a trained Dark Lord. However, Kel stood his ground, blades whirling around in a dance of death that with even one misstep could end with the consequence of an ended life.

Kel was pushed backwards as the two opponents hurled him backwards with a combined push and he skidded against the floor, his weapons flying from his hands. The two approached once more with murder on their minds. "Looks like this was an easy battle."

"Our master expected more of a fight, but alas, a win is a win." The second figure added.

"Yet the taste of victory is bitter when not achieved in the heat of battle." The first concluded.

Kel jumped up to his feet and stared down the opponents. "Look, he still stands." The first noted.

"Good, makes the kill more fun." The second added. The second figure ran forward without the first and had his weapon activated. As he swung the blade Kel ducked under it and grabbed hold of the long shafted weapon. Kicking the gut of the second attacker, Kel spun around and embedded the end of the second blade into the man's abdomen, pulling it out as the dead enemy fell to the ground limp.

"Brother...You will die for this!" The first screamed with a hiss as he ran at Kel. His blade was raised high and he yelled the whole time as he tried to close the distance. Kel just held out his hand and lightning flew across the gap between the two men. The blue electrical bolts slammed into the opponent, causing his back to arch in an almost inhuman way as he screamed out in agonizing pain. Kel quickly approached with the dead man's blade in his grasp.

The opponent fell to his knees and his short circuited lightsaber fell to the ground with a clatter. "How...Master promised us..."

"Your Master lied to you. For your insolence you shall pay the ultimate price."

The man held up his hands defensively and cried out in a, 'no' but the attempt at self preservation was futile. The violet blade sliced through both of his arms cleanly and removed the man's head from his body, causing cries and shrieks from the crowd that had gathered to watch the battle, the guards to scared to even raise their weapons.

Kel looked over the crowd with impunity. Turning around, Kel entered the elevator and pulled his hood up over his face once more.

Spoiler: Characters

Kel:

Nira:

Selena:

 

[MarineAvenger]

The ship dropped out of hyperspace and casually cruised along in open space as Kel gave a sigh of relief that they were finally gone from Dromund Kaas. The Empire did not take kindly to traitors, the Sith even more so, especially after Kel smuggled away a prospecting student. He watched as stars twinkled in the distance and the living expanse of the galaxy opened up in front of him. Selena was in the back hold, most likely sleeping the days away like the lazy person she was. Nira however, snuggled up in a chair directly behind Kel, the small girl not making a sound.

Kel stood up and knelt down in front of the helpless child, pulling back her hood and staring at the bandages around her eyes and neck. Nira was a Miraluka, a humanoid species who was strong in the Force but were born without eyes, only having vestigial eye sockets, causing them to wrap their eyes in ceremonial hoods or eye masks. Nira had no such adornments so had to settle with the poor wrappings.

The bandaging around her neck however, was a different story entirely. Nira was a prospecting acolyte in the eyes of the Sith and being a member of a near extinct race made her an even more valuable prize. She was brought to Dromund Kaas as to be assigned a Master and trained in the dark arts but a competing acolyte saw her as a threat and tried to kill her, slicing her throat with a blade. The boy was caught in the act and luckily Nira was spared from the hands of death, only to be left mute. From what the reports of the incident suggested, the boy responsible was no longer alive, but tortured till his mind broke and was fed to the Tuk'ata.

Touching the girl's cheek, she recoiled at his touch but after a second she relaxed and put a small hand on the pureblood's. Kel couldn't help but smile at the gesture and he stood up, walking to the door only to see a waiting Zeltron leaning against the wall. "What do you get out of this?"

Kel walked past the woman but she followed. "What does a 22 year old Sith Warrior get out of smuggling a small girl of the Imperial homeworld, causing us to be wanted by every known Sith and Imperial citizen?"

Kel stopped and turned around looking Selena directly in her eyes. "She is not cut out for a life in the Sith. She would more likely be killed and disposed of like waste then get anywhere in the Sith hierarchy. She is to..." Kel struggled to find the words.

"Innocent? Is that what you would call her? I thought you Sith types stole children from their homes in the middle of the night and trained them till they succeeded or died?" Selena accused.

"We are not all blood thirsty monsters. You would do well to remember that." Kel continued walking away but this time Selena did not follow.

The door to the meditation room closed shut and Kel got to his knees and bowed his head. "Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken...the Force shall set me free." The Sith pureblood repeated the code over and over in his head as he tried to calm himself.

Where do your ideals lie?

Kel was greatly saddened as the voice played over and over in his head. A voice he had grown accustomed to and had grown to love. "She always did try to get me to be a better person...didn't you Yulani?" Kel chuckled at the thought of the girl and stood up before he lost the strength to. "I am sorry...so, so sorry." Kel reached into his robe and pulled out a silver chain with a red color crystal attached to it. "You will always be with me..." Placing the necklace back in his pocket, Kel exited the meditation room and went back to the cockpit, relief flooding him as he saw it was empty.

Sitting down and inputting some coordinates into the console, the ship's hyperdrive slowly started up. Staring into the expansive space outside, Kel pushed the lever forward and the stars seemed to stretch and pull back as the ship jumped and a blue funnel surround the vessel.

 

[Grelite]

Dune's Shadow - Part 1 (MarineAvenger and Grelite)

The freighter descended rapidly on the sandy planet of Tatooine, their LZ a starport in the city of Anchorhead. As they neared, Ryson had handed out packs and credits to all of the crew. The plan was to split up and get the supplies they needed and to not draw much attention to themselves, the threat of Thaurr finding them on the back of all their minds.

“So who is going with who, and who is getting what?” Ryson asked the crew as they assembled in the main hold.

“Based on who here have the most experience travelling under these conditions, that being Melia and yours truly, it’d make sense to split us up and you two have to fight over who will get stuck watching me.” Ferona had gotten a little more relaxed about their situation and allowing herself to let go was something that felt more liberating than whatever she thought she had been doing seeking companionship in Thaurr.

“I might as well go with Melia,” Elira stated. “We need some bonding time.”

Melia rolled her eyes but otherwise didn’t complain.

“That settles it then. Now for as who gets what…”

There was an annoyed beep from the end of the room and T4 rolled in.

“Ah, just the droid I was looking for.” Ferona walked over to T4 and patted it on the chassis. “I’d love to have this little guy with us out in the sands; not getting lost is a great asset in the desert; but he’d likely need to get outfitted with some port protection for him to roll with us in the sands.”

He chirped and rolled his head, rolling off to go and check on some last minute things before the departure.

“Alright...as I was saying,” Ryson intoned. “I suggest you two girls get the provisions and us three will go get any clothes, weapons or otherwise sorted out. Oh, and if we could find a map that could probably help us a lot, though I doubt the Dune Sea has been explored much.”

“You got it!” Elira jumped cheerfully.

“Great, we get the boring job.” Melia complained with a groan as well.

“Think about it this way; we need to get weapons and clothes, all of which are probably sold by Czerka and you have to get food, which the most likely scenario is sold by local vendors so I say again...We get the clothes and weapons, and you get the provisions.” Ryson pushed back at the scientist.

“Fine.” Melia grabbed Elira’s arm and she stormed off with her in tow as Elira gave a slight wave to her brother and their guest.

“They seem excited.” Ferona noted as she checked her lightsaber was well-hidden. “Here’s to hoping they don’t spend all those credits on bantha jerky and we’re stuck out there without water.”

“With our luck they will spend it all on water and not get any jerky.” He looked over his own weapons and tucked them into pockets on his pants, the deep pocket just barely holding the two lightsabers. “Now we just have to outfit a team of five from one of the most stingiest corporations in the galaxy...this is going to be easy.”

Ferona chuckled briefly. “You forget the excellent diplomat you brought along.” She raised her hand toward Ryson as she remembered her Mentor used to do. “Just let me do the talking.”

“Oh I am sure your booming personality win them over. No doubts at all.” He teased with a grin before whistling for T4 and walking towards the ramp.

The heat of Tatooine came bearing over the crew as soon as they exited the ship and Ferona could have sworn she trailed sweat all the way to the Czerka outpost. While Ryson and T4 inspected the goods, Ferona managed to live up to her word and got them a small discount that almost made it as though they had just purchased the supplies from a corporation less focussed on emptying the pockets of anyone who dared step foot in their outpost. Ferona could not wait to change into more comfortable clothes, but first they had to drop by the droid mechanic to have T4 looked at for his expedition into the scolding sands.

Ryson had taken the time while Ferona was away with the mechanic and changed into his lighter clothes, stretching his arms in the sleeveless top. The rest of the stuff was held in a pack slung on his shoulder and he waited outside for business to be finished.

Getting T4 set up was a routine procedure for the mechanic and it did not take long before the pair exited the shop. “Looks like we are ready for rendezvous.” She stopped to look Ryson’s outfit up and down. “You might want to cover up a little more. The suns are no friend to exposed skin.”

“I worked out in the sun for the past couple of years, I know how to handle and prevent a sunburn.” He looked up at the sky with squinted eyes and chuckled. “We have a couple of cloaks in the bag, so I think I will survive.”

Not soon after, Melia and Elira arrived and showed them the supplies, thankfully not entirely one or the other of food and water. Grabbing their clothes, they quickly disappeared to change and returned with smiles.

“Now that we have everything squared away, we should be good to move out.” Ryson told the four.

“So where are we headed?” Ferona figured she would ask.

“Well…” He pulled out a datapad and tapped it a few times. “No idea. But there are some places of interest out in the desert. A...reported crashed starship not too far from the settlement. A Raider camp off to the east; we might want to avoid that. And there have been an unusual amount of disappearances out in the dunes to the north. Normally the population would just write it off as people dying from the desert but there have been quite a few witnesses, often referring to the disappearances as the ‘work of ghosts who could appear and disappear in the blink of an eye.’ End quote.” The leader informed them.

“Eerie.” Ferona shuddered. “Maybe the crashed ship and the disappearances are even connected. I would suggest we have a look over there first.”

“I concur. Perhaps we could even find out why Ryson’s visions led us to this fiery ball of dust.” Melia said with her arms crossed.

Ferona raised the hood of her cloak over her head. “Well then, let’s get going.”

 

[MarineAvenger]

Dune's Shadow - Part 2

The five moved out of the city through the north gate and headed towards the southwest, towards the reported crash site. If rumors were to be believed, people had been out already scavenging what they could, mainly Jawas and hunters who had been out and about. It had taken around 45 minutes but they finally found the site and approached with caution. It looked to be a small Republic Counselor ship that had crashed nose first into the sand and was about a third of the way implanted down.

“Well damn...I wonder who the poor soul flying was.” Elira stated with wonder as she looked it up and down.

“More importantly, what is a Republic ship doing so far in the Outer Rim?” Melia added.

Ferona stared at the site for a while before turning to Ryson. “Are you sensing anything from the ship?”

He shook his head. “Nothing, though that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything here.” He took his blaster off his hip and shot it at the sand near the ship, causing a rather large explosion. “Though I would like to know who mined the place.”

“Well spotted.” Ferona noted. “T4, do you think you can find and disarm those mines?”

T4 chirped in reply and went about carefully going through the sand and disarming what he could pick up on sensors. All in all, around twenty mines in the 15 minutes it took him.

“That is a lot of firepower for a scavenged wreck.” Elira stated, watching as T4 wheeled off with the explosives.

“Whatever is inside, someone wants to keep everyone else from getting to it. We best be on our toes if we are going to go in there.” Ferona inspected the mines T4 had scavenged. “These mines alone are worth more than any weapon we saw them sell at Czerka.”

“This couldn’t be Czerka, right? Why would they need to rig this place with such expensive ordinance and be so open about the site?” Ryson asked as he approached the ship cautiously.

“With the resources they have, I doubt it.” Following closely behind Ryson, Ferona inspected the hull closely. “It is likely someone working either alone or in a small group if they need to set up these kinds of defences.”

“Guess we will find out soon, huh?” Ryson took one of the hilts of his pair lightsabers out of its pocket and held it towards the hull. “Ready?” He asked Ferona.

Ferona took a moment longer to stare at the hull. “I definitely do not like this, but I guess I am.”

Ryson activated the weapon and the yellow blade hissed to life as he thrusted it into the durasteel hull and began to cut a hole in it for the duo to enter. When he was done, he deactivated the blade and returned the hilt to his pants. “Ladies first?”

“Such a gentleman.” Ferona said in a sarcastic tone as she pushed the loosened piece of hull into the ship’s corridor. The sound of durasteel hitting the floor paneling echoed through the ship and Ferona stepped hesitantly into the dark.

Ryson followed closely behind and the inside felt like an oven on the inside, the heat making the air almost hard to breath. “We won’t be able to stay in here long…” Ryson stated as he tried to make his way through the slanted halls.

Using only their lightsabers for lighting, navigating to the bridge was no simple task. Still wary of traps, Ferona held her breath with every step they took.

Ryson did his best to try and check every room as carefully as possible as the two advanced, the silence more eerie than anything. “No bodies, no broken electrical panels...this is odd to say in the least.”

“I thought you said this place had been looted already?” Ferona whispered. “Why would they give you false info?”

“I have no idea.” Ryson tensed as he say the door to the bridge and he looked at Ferona. “You ready?”

Ferona brought her blade to her side and nodded to Ryson.

He cut a hole in the door and stepped through, the bridge covered in a thick layer of dust but otherwise undisturbed. “What is going on here?”

Ferona stepped onto the bridge, inspecting the panels. “Should we get T4 in here? Maybe he can dig something up out of the logs.”

“Maybe…” Ryson’s head perked up and he looked around the room. “Do you feel that?”

Ferona closed her eyes and focussed. “It is faint. I am surprised you picked it up before I did.”

He looked around, trying to pick up the direct source of the presence and walked to the corner of the room, wiping away some dust and revealing a small piece of metal, almost looking like the pommel of a lightsaber with long cords attached to the end. “Take a look at this. Perfectly straight cut.” He stated, throwing the object at Ferona.

Running her fingers through the cords, Ferona closely inspected the piece. “A strange thing to find. No signs of struggle… Where is the rest?”

“That is what I would like to know.” Ryson muttered. He stood up from his crouched position and walked to the door. “We should leave. Who knows if whatever did that is still nearby.”

Momentarily distracted by her own curiosity, Ferona looked the bridge once over again. With little to go off of she quickly gave up. “Alright. Let’s move.”

Getting up, Ryson proceeded to leave the bridge with his companion behind him out the way they had come out from. Back into the outside, it was almost a relief from being inside the ship, Ryson not noticing beforehand how drenched he was.

The rest of the crew came to meet the two and both informed them of what they found, or how little they found. “So...ghost spot?” Elira asked. Her brother just looked at her and she sighed. “Ghost spot…” She sighed disheartenedly.

The team was on the move once more but before Ryson began to move, he gave a final look around the landscape, hoping to find anything.

Ferona glanced over at Ryson, seeing him stare off into the distance. “Yup, still a big old desert.”

“I don’t know why but I have a creeping suspicion that we are being played. By whom is something I wonder if I want to find out.” He responded, still glancing about.

Ferona sighed. “If we are, then it does not want to be seen. Let’s just get moving and stay on our toes.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “Try not to let the paranoia drive you crazy.”

“Trust me, I have you three girls driving me to insanity already. Besides,” He shrugged his shoulders. “A little paranoia never killed anyone.” He walked in the direction of the others, but kept his hands hovering near his weapons anyways.

Clasping the pummel in her hand, Ferona drew the hood over her head with her free hand. Following the party in the rear she cursed the boy’s ignorance as a tear fell in the sand.

It took hours trudging along in the hot sand for them to reach the supposed location of the disappearances, the group coming close to the border markers that Czerka had set up to warn people not to venture too far out into the sands. However, there was nothing other than the markers, not buildings, no animals, nothing. Just sand dunes spreading out in all directions, nothing giving off anything suspicious.

“You know...there is a distinct possibility that the people who vanished did so because they were just stupid. We could be out here for no reason.” Melia called out to the others as she desperately tried to fan herself.

“It is definitely a probability but seeing as how reason events have shown, I would highly doubt that statement.” Ryson growled a bit as their investigation seemed to turn up next to nothing to help them. I honestly hope I didn’t bring us all the way out here for nothing...I won’t hear the end of it if that is the case. He tried to shake the thoughts from his head and stopped suddenly as he quickly turned around. “T4 stop!”

 

[Grelite]

Dune's Shadow - Part 3

The droid had turned his head as he was about to stop moving forward but a blast erupted from the sand and sparks flew from the droid as his head spun around at high speed and he let out a high pitched whine as he sputtered out and fell over.

“There was a...mine there…” He finished as his arm dropped in defeat. “Damn it...who knows how long it will take for us to reactivate him.” He approached the droid and knelt by it. “Who the hell leaves an EMP out here anyways?”

Ferona threw her backpack into the sand. “Without attendance it’ll take hours for him to reboot.” She walked over to T4 and poked his chassis. “Who’s got a screwdriver?”

Melia sighed and reached into her pack, pulling out the tool and tossing it to the older woman.

Ferona deftly caught the screwdriver and popped the droid open. “If I can just activate this auxiliary servo...” She mumbled to herself as she pried through T4’s circuits. “... I can bypass the delayed reboot systems and get him to start from his backup power supply.” She dug around in the droid for a minute. “By the Force, when is the last time you cleaned him?”

Ryson looked over at Elira and she looked down at the ground. “I was busy alright?”

Ryson just rolled his eyes and shook his head. “You really need to learn when-” There was a shooting pain in his leg as something jabbed it hard, another hitting him in the ribs as a long quarter-staff was around his throat, a man with a menacing black mask behind him as others decloaked and had their staffs out as well.

“Hands up, now!” The man with his staff around Ryson’s neck demanded.

Alerted by the voice, Ferona looked up from the droid, her hands still buried inside T4, just finishing the bypass.

“I said now.” He demanded, his hold tightening on Ryson’s neck.

Ferona rose slowly, raising her hands.

“Sir...look at their waists.” One of the guys told what Ryson assumed was the leader.

“Jedi? Perfect, seems our trap worked perfectly.” He chuckled beneath his mask. “Our master will reward us handsomely when we bring him their heads.”

Ferona lowered her arms and scoffed. “You serve the Duumvirate? And here I had you lot judged as pirates.” She pointed at Ryson. “Before you lop his head off, you might want to reconsider terminating a Sith agent.”

“A Sith agent?” The captain hesitated. “Y-You can’t be! W-We would have seen you before...or our master would have told us of your arrival!”

“I know you are unfamiliar with subtlety, but your Master is not told the in-and-outs of all operations. You of all people should know the Galaxy isn’t exactly welcoming us.” Ferona took a step toward the Captain. “Now, stand down.”

He hesitated, looking at his men and then slowly turning his head to look at Ferona one last time. “If that is true...what are the codes for this sector?”

“Codes?” Ferona exclaimed, a little louder. “You think I can find the access codes when you fried the circuits of our droid?!” She reached out through the Force, starting to choke the Captain. “I should strike you down for your insolence right now.” She held her grip long enough for him to reach for his throat and release Ryson. “You are lucky I need someone to clean up the mess you made.” Then she released her grip.

He rubbed his throat and called for his men to fall back. Ryson got up and quickly trudged over to Ferona. “We can’t let them go! What if they inform others we have been here and they learn the truth, the whole sector would know we are here.” He whispered to her.

Ferona gave T4 a quick kick and he whirred back to life. “That’s why we’re following them. This is why we’re here, remember? They will lead us straight to their master.”

“Y-Yeah, I guess but they could have been bluffing as well. Their master may not even be here.”

Ferona looked up to make sure she still knew where they were headed. “Look, even if they could deceive me, they still believed us enough to let us go. Now we need to get moving before we lose them.”

“Yeah...sure.” Ryson adjusted his cloak and hid his lightsabers behind it. “Probably should conceal these better, huh?”

“If we survive this, that is probably a good lesson to take out of this ordeal.” Ferona remarked as she started her stealthy pursuit.

Ryson rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Thanks ‘Mom’.” He mumbled as he followed close behind.

 

[MarineAvenger]

Dune's Shadow - Part 4

Using the wind-carved dunes as natural cover, the five followed the squad across the desert. Despite all the walking they had done today, Ferona felt renewed energy now that she had a clear purpose in mind.

The suns were beginning to inch near the horizon of the dunes by the time the team of six enemies had arrived at their base camp. Their camp was set up on a relatively flat piece of land in the middle of the dunes and they had several tents set up, as well as a small ship off a ways away and a large terminal in the middle of it all. The team dispersed while the leader had approached the terminal and activated it, bowing before it before standing up. From the team’s position, they couldn’t see who the person they were contacting was.

Ferona focussed on the Force as she laid atop a dune, scanning the campsite with her eyes. “I don’t think their master is physically present here.” She whispered to the crew. “I suggest you guys cover me while I sneak into the camp.”

“Not that I doubt your abilities, but are you sure bounding into the camp is wise?” Melia criticized. “Your information does us nothing if you wind up captured.”

“I did not come all the way out here to just observe a camp from a distance.” With a fluid motion she slid down the dune opposite the side the camp was on ever so slightly. “And knowing what is going on in that camp could make the difference between our survival and our deaths. I don’t know about you, but between me getting captured and all of us killed, I tend to choose the prior.”

“Fine then…” The scientist mumbled as she laid against the dune with her arms behind her head. “Let me know if she gets caught, I am taking a nap.”

“You sure are lazy.” Ryson told her.

“I have been walking all day and my feet hurt, you want to be the one to tell me ‘no’, tough guy?”

“Whatever.” Ryson finally told her, watching the camp carefully.

“Good to know you guys are watching my back.” Ferona mumbled as she started making her way around the outside of the dune to align herself with the camp in a way to minimize line-of-sight with any guards. She briefly scanned the camp again before gliding down the dune toward the camp. As she approach she saw a guard walk up into line-of-sight, but with a flick of the wrist she had him look the other way to inspect a sound behind him. Within a few seconds she had herself up against a tent, in full cover. After taking a moment to catch her breath she pulled out the screwdriver, stabbed the tent and created a small opening. Once inside the empty tent, she thought to herself: I’m in.

The tent itself was relatively plain, with two mats for sleeping, a small footlocker off to the side with an encrypted lock and very little else.

Keeping all her senses on high alert she peered out the entrance to the tent. She figured if she could shadow a guard she would be able to get deeper into the camp with the smallest chance of detection. As she noticed a guard approach she hid back inside and waited for him to pass. As he did she focussed her mind on his in an effort to pull off her greatest deception. Using the Force to trick the mind of another was something she had not managed to master during her time with her Mentor, but she hoped her time around Thaurr would have improved this skill. No better time to put this to the test.

As soon as the guard passed she slipped out of the tent and followed right behind him. Taking a left deeper into the camp he first halted and looked around. Ferona was sure he looked right at her, but as he did not react she knew she had his mind on lockdown.

Ryson looked on as the woman did her sneaking with both wonder and suspicion, not forgetting what she really was in the past.

The guard looked away from Ferona and continued on his path, moving away from the inner camp and moving back to the outer perimeter. The captain was near by at the terminal but was talking in a low voice.

Ferona hid between two tents in the inner camp, digging herself into the loose sand. As she lay in the cooling sand she listened intently to the conversation.

“-uch we could do sir. The cruiser was taken down nearly a month ago and very few people on this dead planet seem to care. Sure, some have come but not many who fit your description.” The captain explained.

“I don’t really care about your failures captain, I care about your results. Tell me more about this group you had encountered.” The voice was strange, not gruff or old sounding but it was definitely not a regular human voice.

“Well...there were five of them, sir. Three females, one male, and a droid. They were most likely Jedi.”

The unknown person made a ‘hm’ sound. “Captain...did you actually see them use the Force?”

The captain was silent a moment. “Um, no sir. But I am more than positive that they were carrying lightsabers.”

“I am not an idiot captain. How are you positive that these people were Jedi? We have seen more than on one occasion where people had stolen the artifacts from people they had killed or tombs they had raided. I do not see why I should bring myself or any more of my agents to the planet based on your whim. Now get me something solid or it is your neck on the line!”

“Y-Yes my lord.” There was a silence and the blue light of the hologram cut out. “Damn it all...I should have captured them when I had the chance. We kill one Jedi and he won’t even send someone when we think we have another. I question these Sith sometimes.” The captain walked away from Ferona’s position and went into a tent.

Ferona rose slightly and checked her surroundings. As soon as the coast was clear she darted toward the captain’s tent. Under cover of the night she snuck alongside the tent and settled for a hidden position behind the tent to listen to what he was doing inside.

The was some riffling noises coming from inside, most likely the captain going through a footlocker and it quickly stopped when he shut the thing with a bang and moved to go outside his tent. “Damn it...the temperature is going to get very low, very quickly. There is no way we can go searching for them now, if they haven’t even left yet.” He put his hand to his waist and pulled off a communicator, calling back his men to the camp for the night but to make one final round on their patrols.

With the captain outside of his tent, Ferona slipped inside and hid. She held her screwdriver in one hand and put her other hand to her hilt. Between the darkness, her cloak and her skill in deception, she was confident in her ability to stay out of sight.

Once again, the inside was plain if not slightly bigger than the last tent, this one only having one mat instead of two and a larger footlocker and round container in the corner.

Ferona took the pummel from her pocket and set it on the sleeping mat before hiding in the corner next to the entrance. She figured the captain would see the pummel as he entered and be distracted enough that she could make her move unnoticed.

There were a few shouts from outside and the captain strode into the tent rubbing his neck and beginning to take off his mask when the shiny object caught his sight. He looked around and his hand gravitated towards the blaster on his hip as he cautiously approached the mat.

In a swift move, Ferona put a hand over the captain’s mouth and the screwdriver to his neck. “Don’t even try to grab your weapon,” she whispered. “One wrong move and you won’t ever get to shout commands at your little camping buddies ever again.”

 

[Grelite]

Dune's Shadow - Part 5

The captain smiled under her hand, a soft pressure pressing against her side as the barrel of a smaller blaster was in his other hand. “One thing you learn in my line of work, always keep two guns.” He stated under her hand. “Now please remove your hand from my mouth, this seems silly.” He rolled his eyes. “You think I am stupid enough to scream?”

“Actually… Yes.” Ferona spun around him, keeping her hand on his mouth and throwing him on his back. With the hand with his blaster behind his back and Ferona on top of him, she established her dominance in the situation. Pointing the screwdriver at his throat once more she said: “I do think you are stupid enough. Now, don’t move. Next time I won’t be as gentle.”

He chuckled a bit. “Always liked a feisty woman. I heard you gave my second in command quite a shock. Advantage of the uniforms, never know who the leader is.” He tried to shift a bit and sighed. “So...what brings you here my dear. I doubt you're bringing the kids on a field trip, and you don’t really look the motherly type, so what gives?”

Ferona pushed her tip of the screwdriver against his throat. “What we are here for is none of your business. I only want two things from you.” She looked him right in his eyes. “First, you’re going to tell me what your little girl scouts are doing out here. And then you’re going to send a message for me. After that I will leave and you will leave us be.”

“Girl scouts? You don’t give us enough credit. If they were girl scouts, more of them would be in my tent. Anyways, I don’t have to tell you anything about our mission. You kill me you lose out either way, and none of my other men will spill anything. We have more to fear than you, but if you are nice I might talk a little so I would suggest being gentle.”

“That is not how this works, buddy,” she said as she pried at his brain through the Force, “We are on the same team, as I thought I had explained to your friend. But if you are hunting us, I doubt I could call us that. We are here for the same reason as you, are we not? Just tell me what you know.”

The captain chuckled again. “Really? I mean...really? You try using mind tricks on the captain of the team of people sent to hunt you guys down? I know some of my men are daft but not me, hun.”

“So you are saying there is a zero percent chance of you complying to my demands?” She snarled, applying more pressure with the screwdriver.

“Oh I am sure you could try and try again to make me. I am sure I would break eventually but you don’t have that kind of time, neither do I. So kill me now, kill me later, either way everyone dies. Now are we going to waste more time or are you going to get off me?”

For a moment Ferona contemplated her options. “Perhaps you are right.” She moved her face closer to his. “Your second in command has proven far more malleable.” With that she drove the screwdriver into his throat, letting him splutter as he tried to scream in pain but could not. After he had breathed his last, she got off of him and searched him. The search turned up very little other than a communicator, a datapad with information that mapped out the local areas and a third, even smaller hold-out blaster. Taking the communicator and datapad, she also picked up the pummel from the mat. Before making her exit, she decided to briefly check the lockbox and container.

What Ferona found in the container was shocking. Inside was a pair of dark brown robes, looking very simple but they were a Jedi’s, that much being clear. On top of them, a lightsaber missing the bottom end laid in broken components and the strangest of all the objects was a braid of white hair, one that a Padawan would have. She quickly collected the items and made her way out of the camp as stealthily as she had gotten in to meet up with the rest of the crew.

Ryson was waiting for her huddled up in his cloak behind the dune, Melia and Elira snuggled together asleep. T4 was beside Ryson, his lights off but his head turning at Ferona’s approach. “What did you find?”

“As suspected, they are linked to the situation in the crashed ship. Unfortunately I could not find much more information about that. I did, however, find this.” Ferona handed Ryson the hilt and braid.

“Well that answers one question…” He looked the over and sighed, shaking his head. “And brings up a lot more. I am getting two different force presences from these. They aren’t from the same person.”

“They are out here hunting Jedi, Ryson.” Ferona gave him a concerned look. “I overheard their leader talk to their master. He doesn’t seem to care about us. As soon as we get off this planet, we won’t be pursued anymore.” She nodded toward the items in his hands. “But if what you are saying is true, then I’m guessing you don’t want to leave just yet.”

Ryson looked at her and he shook his head. “No, we are leaving. If you found these, it can only mean one of two things...either they are both dead, or they have escaped. Whatever the scenario, I don’t feel them here.” Ryson looked at Ferona. “Didn’t...didn’t you feel the Force presence on these?”

“I’m trained to understand people, Ryson. I don’t have your gift.” Ferona looked over at the rest of the party. “We had best get moving at first light.”

“Uh...forgot to mention those two are out.” Ryson informed her. “Don’t know when Elira was out but next thing I knew they were snuggling up to one another like they were sisters. I was half tempted to wake them up just to show them how stupid they looked.”

“That’s fine,” Ferona said, “try to get some shut-eye yourself before the first sun rises. I will keep watch.”

“You sure? You should get some sleep first. I am already wide awake.”

Staring for a moment at the sand, she nodded briefly. “Alright, but wake me up in a few hours so you can get some sleep, too.”

Ryson nodded and sat back down in the sand, huddling in his cloak to keep warm and staying on watch with T4 at his side.

As Ferona laid down in the sand and went through what just happened in the camp she closed her eyes and wept. She fell asleep an hour later, curled up within her cloak.

 

[MarineAvenger]

Know Only Pain Part One (Grelite and MarineAvenger)

From the blackness of space, a ship fell out of hyperspace and made the long descent towards the smuggler’s moon of Nar Shaddaa, a rest stop on the way to the core worlds out from the Unknown Reaches of space. For Kel, it seemed like a waste of time he didn’t need, worried for any retaliation his masters may have sent after him for deserting, if they had even cared for the betrayal. Unfortunately, Nira was not feeling right, having come down with a cough and a fever, so no matter his thoughts on the situation he had to get the girl some sort of attention, even if the medical attention he would find wouldn’t be top rate, it would be discreet.

Kel informed Selena to stay with the ship as he took the Miralukan girl to see help, something she begrudgingly agreed to, knowing a fight with him was like trying to tame a Rancor. Herding along the cloaked girl, the Sith Pureblood wore a plain gray durasteel mask from his time as an apprentice to cover up his face, a Sith being seen on a world like this no doubt causing problems, especially with any hunter on the planet hearing rumors of a Jedi and her crew being spotted.

However Kel had no interest with the Jedi, or the hunters but merely wanted to get in and get out. Finding a place that was at least somewhat sanitary, Kel risked using the Force to get the bill free at the desk, and proceeded to wait outside the clinic, wanting to see if anyone suspicious had followed them or otherwise.

Thaurr stomped past Amat as he made his way off the ship. “Is it her?” Amat asked as he chased after the old Draethos. Without a change of pace, his answer was merely: “We’ll see.”

The two made their way through the streets, Amat following Thaurr’s lead closely. “Those other hunters know not what they do, thinking their trap will go without flaw.” Amat had been talking to Thaurr about his detailed opinion of the other hunters every chance he had gotten, convinced he was superior in every way. “That is why you are with me, Amat.” Thaurr barely listened to his ranting at this point, he had to get to his target before it got away.

Kel was leaning against the outside wall of the clinic with his hood pulled up and his head down, hopeful that his attire was not suspicious among the large crowds of people making their ways to where they were going. It was nearing the end of the day so slowly the amount of pedestrians had slimmed but a good amount still mingling.

More than a few times Kel had been approached by multiple people, the situations ranging from a small time hustler trying to get free credits, a working girl or alien, or someone trying to sell him death sticks. Each time he turned them down, not wanting anything to do with the people on the miserable rock. He felt as if his ears were on the verge of popping from the pressure he felt from the Force on the moon, the sheer amount overwhelming, but in no way as severe as on Korriban. If he tried he could try and reach out to any source that called out to him but ones that stood out were few and far between, and the attention from doing so unwanted.

Suddenly a severe Force presence stood only meters away from Kel. A tall Draethos flanked by a fierce-looking Kerestian were scanning the area, obviously looking for something. For a moment the Draethos stared at the hooded figure leaning against the outside wall of the clinic before turning to his comrade. “In there.” Thaurr said, pointing toward the clinic, and the two made their way inside.

Kel stared at them as the two entered, put off by the strange aliens enough to debate whether or not to go in himself. Putting his wrist up close to his mouth he got in contact with Selena on the other end. “Prepare the ship, we may be leaving shortly.”

“Is there trouble?” The Zeltron asked in a sleepy voice that indicated she had been drinking.

“We will see.” Kel ended the talk and he turned inside to enter the clinic.

From inside the lobby a voice from down the hall could be heard. “Sir, you cannot go in there.” Followed by a scream.

Kel ran down after the source, pushing past the receptionist as he tried to stop him, pulling a blaster he had gotten off his hip and holding it tightly.

Inside one of the rooms Amat had the Mirakulan pinned down beneath his Darksticks, the Draethos was nowhere in sight. “You are coming with me.” The Kerestian hissed. Next to the door was the body of a nurse, blood pouring from her throat onto the floor.

“Release her!” Kel yelled, his blaster trained on the bounty hunter, his hand steady and finger on the hairpin trigger of the modified weapon.

“How noble of you to try and protect her,” a voice from behind Kel said, “but you also have to consider protecting yourself.”

“Back off. You have no idea the trouble you are getting yourselves into. Now release her, I will not repeat myself.” Kel stated, keeping his eyes firmly on the shaking girl.

Thaurr sighed audibly. “Why don’t you put that silly little thing down before you hurt yourself.”

Kel was silent, thinking to himself the best way to handle the situation. I do not wish to make a scene, but this situation may require more than a blaster. I will deal with the repercussions later. “I told you I would not repeat myself.” Kel dropped the blaster in his right hand and turned around, using the now free hand to shoot out Force Lightning as he used the other to pull the Kerestrian off Nira with the Force.

The Draethos stood his ground as small patches of blue Force energy seemed to light up where the lightning struck. Thaurr saw Amat fly off of the Miralukan, positioning himself in mid-air with his Darksticks pointed toward Kel as he flew toward him.

The Pureblood stopped Amat before he neared him, careening him hard into the wall as Kel turned and added a second hand of lightning into his attack, backing up slowly to get closer to the girl.

The lights in the room flickered, Thaurr bracing himself for just a moment before launching himself toward Kel. Surrounded by a veil of Force energy he aimed to dash right through Kel without any regard of what was along the path.

Kel’s lightsaber was in hand as the crimson blade flashed with a deep hiss and the Sith raised the blade as he spun and brought the blade down on the approaching Draethos.

In an instant Thaurr was upon him, holding the Pureblood’s blade his bare right hand, his other around his throat, starting to raise Kel off the floor. “So what are you, then?” Thaurr demanded as Amat approached the pair from the side.

“I’m your...worst nightmare!” Kel kicked his leg forward, pushing off Thaurr and using the Force to help assist him backwards as he ripped himself from the alien’s grip and his second blade was in hand.

Thaurr took the hilt from his belt. “Then I suppose being civil is out the window.” The lightfoil ignited, its own fiery blade adding to the red hue the room now had. He started slowly pacing toward the left, to circle around the dual-wielding Sith.

Kel kept on his toes, a blade pointed at Thaurr and another pointed at Amat, Nira grabbing onto his cloak from behind in terror. “What do you want with her? You are obviously no Jedi.”

“So now you want to talk.” Thaurr took a more relaxed stance. “But our reasons are our own.” He motioned to the girl. “Luckily for you, I am not unreasonable. You can bargain for her. Give us information and we will let her leave unharmed.”

“Funny how you said only her.” Kel mentioned, still looking between the two.

Thaurr chuckled. “A keen observation. It may or may not be related to your aggressive behaviour.”

“You came after her, that I can not allow. She has been through enough to let me stand idle while your thug was holding her down.” Kel responded. “Now who are you, and what do you want.”

Two chairs were gently pulled forward, one behind Thaurr and one close to Kel. Thaurr deactivated his blade and sat down and motioned for Kel to do the same. “Please, sit. What introductions can be made in such a tense situation?”

His mask hid his expression but Kel eyed the hunter and he turned his blades over, deactivating them and putting them on his belt hidden under his cloak. “Fine, but call off your hunter. Have him wait outside so no others get the drop on the meeting that will no doubt reach the wrong ears.” Taking a cautious seat, Nira climbed onto Kel and she buried her head on his shoulder, shaking

 

[Grelite]

Know Only Pain: Part Two

“Amat, make sure that corridor remains clear.” Thaurr motioned toward the door. With a brief nod Amat exited the room, followed by another shriek only seconds later. “I apologize for my associate's… Crude methods. He gets a little carried away sometimes.” Pausing for a moment, Thaurr put his hand to his chin. “Now, where were we. Oh yes, I am Thaurr-Vann. There is not much more to it.” He pointed his almost dagger-like fingers at Kel. “And who are you two?”

Kel stared at Thaurr with complete contempt but his mask made his eyes appear black so nothing gave him away. “Kel... Kel Tri’al.” Nira was still silent, clinging to her companion and not wanting to move. “She is Nira.”

“Well met, Kel, Nira.” Thaurr nodded to both. “Are my observations correct in that she is Miralukan?” He reached out to Nira’s mind through the Force, sending her the whispers of doubt. Kel is putting you in danger. He wants to see you harmed.

Nira hung onto Kel harder and shook harder. L-Liar…

Ever since he took you in, you have seen nothing but pain. All he knows is how to hurt people.

N-No! He saved me...he took me away from...them!

Kel looked down at Nira and back at Thaurr. “What are you doing?”

“I call it deduction,” Thaurr answered, “cannot see; clearly present in the Force; strapped to a Force User like he’s made of sugar… She is obviously Miralukan.”

Is he really better than them? He kills people without hesitation. He uses the Force only for pain and deception. How do you know he has not tricked you?

Because I know him, I don’t know you...and you are trying to trick me…!

You do not know me? I am you. The instinct you pushed away when he clouded your mind!

Thuarr shifted in his seat. “So I guess the questioned seemed to rhetorical… What brings you to Nar Shaddaa?”

Kel put an arm around Nira and she relaxed a bit. “She was getting sick. I took her here to get her a doctor and treated, something you ruined.”

“Ruined?” Thaurr seemed genuinely surprised. “I resent that. She would have been cared for perfectly had you not thrown Amat into the medical equipment on the wall and thrown lightning at me.”

He only tries to keep you to himself, regardless of your condition.

“I was not the one who went after a defenseless girl.”

Go...go jump in a Sarlacc.

“Were you not? You are clearly not her father.”

He has poisoned your mind with his lies.

“I was the only one to protect her. I took her away from a life of servitude.”

S-Sh-Shut up! Get out of my mind!

“Servitude? What could even the cruellest of people need out of a young girl?”

He has driven me from you before, but you know you want to be free from his oppression. Making you sick to keep you relying on him. Do you think a servant of the Dark Side could really do anything that does not benefit himself? His actions are selfish and put you in danger.

Nira jumped up from Kel and she opened her mouth but no sound coming out, just the sound of breath exiting her mouth. Kel was already up and by her side, his hand at his side. “What are you doing!” The Pureblood demanded, his mask making it even louder.

“What exactly is this sickness? It seems pretty severe.” Thaurr said calmly. Another scream could be heard from the corridor. “Perhaps I should took a look at her.”

“You won’t lay a finger on her.” Kel said coldly.

Nira gripped onto his leg, nodding her head in agreement with her protector.

Thaurr shrugged briefly before continuing his interrogation. “So who were these people who held her captive?”

“Stop avoiding my question.” Kel warned calmly. “What is your game here?”

Tilting his head slightly Thaurr stared at the cold mask. “What questions have I avoided? I have made perfectly clear I want either information or her.”

“Information on what? Our pasts are not your business to get in to.”

“Well,” Thaurr began, “I happen to disagree. The past is my business.”

“In what way? What are you?”

“What I am is not important. All you need to know is that in order to determine what your futures will be, I will need to know your pasts.” Thaurr tapped the chair’s armrest lightly with his index finger.

“At least tell me who taught you before I continue.” Kel insisted.

Thaurr looked puzzled. “Who taught me? Why do you care? I was taught by many and most of them have long since passed away. People with names history forgot before you were ever born.”

Kel was silent, just staring at the Draethos. “She was a prisoner in her home, a slave, worked by her masters till she was weak and then beaten afterwards for fun. They took her voice, I took their lives.”

“And who, might I ask, are they? And how did ‘they’ get their hands on a Miralukan?” Impatience grew in Thaurr’s voice.

“When an Imperial noble wants something, he gets it.” Kel stated. “And that is exactly what happened.”

For a moment Thaurr pondered over what Kel just said. “Imperial? What Empire is this again?”

Kel was actually surprised. “But I thought…” Kel’s hand remained at his side. “The Sith Empire.” putting his other hand to his ask, he released the latch and pulled it off, revealing his red face.

Somewhat taken aback, Thaurr was not sure how to respond to this information. After a few seconds he simply chuckled. “Well isn’t this rich. You stole her from an Empire whose mark you forever bear.” He leaned forward. “So where does this Sith Empire reside?”

“So you truly never have been then.” Kel said to himself. “You have no right to know, False Sith.”

“You still protect an Empire you think sent me after you? How curious.” Thaurr waved his hand through the air. “Even though that information might very well grant the girl her freedom.”

“She has never been captured yet. Do not think yourself my better, that sort of overconfidence only leads to death.”

“I think you are the overconfident one here. Risking the girl only for the sake of your own arrogance?”