Star Wars: Rise of Darkness

[MarineAvenger]

Know Only Pain Part Three

“Even if I told you, you would never find it. There is a reason we have survived while you strut around the galaxy waving your lightsabers around. There is nothing more you need to hear, and no more I need to tell you.”

Again Thaurr chuckled briefly. “As much as I want to point out the irony in that statement, I think there is plenty more you need to do. Let’s start with you telling me where your little Empire resides and how to get there.”

“Go to the center of the galaxy and if you are flying into a black hole you have arrived.” Kel simply stated.

“Do not mock me, Sith.” The lights in the room flickered. “You best adhere to my requests.”

There was a beep coming from Kel and he looked at his wrist, starting to chuckle a bit.

Thaurr stood up, a deep red glow forming around the emitter of the lightfoil on his hip. “If you insist on being this childish, perhaps you need a stronger hand.”

“And I insist you call back your lackey, you will need him shortly.” Kel smiled and a few moments later, there was a large explosion and the room rocked as the durasteel wall was blown open and three figures walked in, their green maws open and hissing as the Transdoshan hunters walked in. “Every hunter within a hemisphere knows we are here now Thaurr, and they know exactly where we are.” Kel flung the chair behind him using the Force and thrust both his arms forward, sending a shockwave at both Thaurr and the hunters as he picked up Nira and she hung onto his back as he dashed out the hole the hunters had made.

“Coward!” Thaurr exclaimed as he absorbed the blast. “Amat! Let’s go!” Without missing a beat he accelerated into a pursuit, leaving Amat unable to catch up with his incredible pace.

Kel ran as fast as he could, using the Force to assist in propelling him forward, his red blades slashing anyone or anything in his way. Putting his communicator to his lips he shouted, “Selena, where are you!”

“I’m en route. This isn’t exactly easy, you know?”

“Just do it!” Kel continued to run, the blaster bolts and hunters making moving hard but he liked to think the same was happening to Thaurr.

Yet, not too far behind, almost a bullet of pure Dark Side energy, Thaurr had little issues making his way through the streets, leaving only a whirlwind of destruction behind him. The presence was gaining fast and became ever more oppressive.

Kel didn’t need to look back to see he was right on him. “Selena!”

“I’m right on you!” She responded, a hum of engines being barely heard over the screams of the crowds.

“Nira, just hang on, we are almost away.” Kel told the girl on his back, she only nodding in response.

Kel braced himself and closed his eyes, building up the energy around him as he neared the edge of one of the streets, a large drop over the railing. Gritting his teeth, he jumped into the air and the two plummeted downwards.

Without hesitating Thaurr followed him over the ledge, using the Force to further accelerate his fall. “Where is your confidence now, Kel?!” He yelled.

Kel closed his eyes and concentrated, having to raise his voice to be heard over the wind as he fell. “Nira, you need to trust me, alright?”

Nira was silent, just gripping onto Kel hard. “Everything will be alright, I just need to know you trust me.” Nira nodded vigorously and Kel nodded as well, opening his eyes and twisting himself rightside up. The ship came soaring from above and went on a deep dive, firing at Thaurr as he fell. The ship started to dive straight down at a 90 degree angle. The back ramp opened up and Kel pushed himself forward as the ship slowed and he put Nira against the wall he landed on and left a dent in. “Get her safe, I have business to take care of!” There was no time for a response as the ship began to straighten out and Kel ran back off the ramp and jumped up, directly at the fast approaching Thaurr.

After deftly having avoided the few blasts from the ship and seeing the two briefly enter it, Thaurr caught Kel as he jumped at him and threw himself onto the ship. The two now faced each other standing atop the ship. “Where do you find all these people, Kel? More Imperial captives you freed in your amazing escape from the Empire you love so dearly?” Thaurr was now visibly seething.

“I never loved the Empire, I merely tolerated it. I joined for power,” Kel fanned out his arms. “Well I got power, and it cost me dearly. I’m no hero Thaurr, but I know damn well that I am a villain.”

“And I am sure your limited knowledge of the Force is entirely worth it.” Thaurr drew his lightfoil. “But it does blind you from what you have unleashed here.”

“I’m no Sith Lord…!” Kel yelled, pulling off his cloak and letting it fly away, pulling both his lightsabers back off his belt and igniting them. “But don’t count me out just yet!” Turning over the lightsabers, he pushed their ends together and twisted them together, spinning the now double saber around and Kel’s arms crackling with purple lightning, the same empowering his blades.

“Oh good. For a moment I thought you would not have enough sides to that lightsaber to hit yourself with.” Beneath Thaurr’s feet the hull started creaking.

Kel gritted his teeth and for a moment, weighed his options. On quick thinking, he deactivated his combined lightsaber and put in back on his belt, holding up his clenched fist and jumped up, using the momentum the ship was going at to propel Thaurr into Kel’s fist.

As Kel got close to Thaurr, the Draethos dove down, leaving his blade up for Kel to collide with.

Kel felt the presence of the blade as Thaurr brought it up, Kel maneuvering his body in such a way that he twisted and used a slight Force Push down on the hull of the ship that jerked the vessel a bit but cleared Kel over the blade as he flew over his opponent. However that wouldn’t be the end of it, as Kel reached out and grabbed Thaurr using his powers and dragging the other Sith off with him.

Alas, pulling a fortified Force Warrior from the hull came as no easy task. Thaurr turned his own power against him, grabbing Kel with the Force the same way the Pureblood had tried on the Draethos, pulling him into the hull before rising to his feet once more.

Kel groaned from the impact on the hard metal exterior, a small bit of blood being coughed up as he rose to his feet. Staring down his opponent, Kel drew his double saber once more and activated the blades.

In turn, Thaurr holstered his hilt, fortifying himself onto the hull again. “How do you intend to harm an immovable object, Kel?”

Kel weighed his options in his head, seeing not a lot of ways to get the opponent off the ship as he was anchored in place. However, Kel saw one option and he brought his communicator to his mouth. “Selena, bring us into space.”

“What!? Are you crazy, you are still out there.” The female alien protested.

“Just do it.” Kel simply ordered, a few moments later the ship starting to ascend, the angle steepening as Kel braced himself to the hull as well. “We both won’t last forever Thaurr. One of us will eventually give in, and I have too much on the line to fail now.”

“You are not the only one with help, Kel.” At that moment the ship was intercepted by Amat, who opened fire from Thaurr’s freighter. The shots were centered on Kel and the bridge.

Kel grimaced at the monumental task of having to stop the cannon shots, losing the ship and dislodging Thaurr all at once. However, there was a secret Kel had kept, and now was as good a place as any to show it off. “I am no ordinary Sith Thaurr!” Kel closed his eyes and slowly, dark energy emanated from his body, a dark veil of red overshadowing him as the Pureblood’s eyes glowed a deep crimson color. Without holding out a hand, the cannon shots stopped where they were, as if plucked straight mid flight and being held in place. With a flick of his hand, the shots went back at their origin, Kel than focusing his attention on Thaurr.

“Witness the power if a Dark Council Assassin he roared, the hull under Thaurr’s feet starting to shake and crumble. “If I cannot move you then I will rip out the platform in which you stand.” With a deafening crunch, the spot where Thaurr was standing flew up beneath the Draethos and with his footing gone, Kel blasted Thaurr with a wave of Dark Side energy, sending the enemy flying off the ship and towards his own.

 

[Grelite]

Know Only Pain: Part Four

As the piece of hull tumbled and he saw Kel’s ship appear above him he focussed his energy and pushed himself at incredible speed back onto the ship, Amat narrowly dodging the debris after having avoided the bolts fired back at him. “I’m flattered you’d destroy your own ship to defeat me,” Thaurr taunted as he got his footing on the back of the ship, “but now it’s my turn.”

Again the hilt on his hip started glowing from the emitter as Thaurr focussed on the Force, drawing in whatever power he could. At first it might have been unclear what he was attempting to do, but before long the ship Amat was flying moved over the one they were standing on, Thaurr’s hands raised toward it as he controlled its motions. “Swatted like the pathetic fly you are.” Thaurr brought the ship down onto Kel and the ship below him, barely leaving enough room for himself to stand.

Kel closed his eyes and braced himself, putting up his hands in the bottom of the starship as if he expected to lift it. His power surge made him strong but trying to lift a ship that is pressing down on him at a steep angle was not the best of situations. He growled as the ship pressed against him and gritting his teeth, Kel’s body began to crackle with deep purple sparks dancing off of him as he charged himself up. All at once, Kel released a powerful Force Storm into the ship, using his duress, pain and hatred of his enemy as more fuel to pump into the brutal attack.

Thaurr reached out and put his hands on the electrified ship, cackling as he absorbed the energy expended by his foe. He continued his push using this new energy, determined to crush Kel between the two vessels.

I can’t keep this up much longer...my energy can only keep up for so long… A bead of sweat rolled down Kel’s forehead, his arms becoming heavy as the ship pressed him closer and closer to the ground. This might...be the end… Kel closed his eyes as the stresses of the ship became greater and greater, and slowly, Kel was on his knees.

Where do your ideals lie? A voice called out in his head. The pureblood gritted his teeth at the voice, the memory rushing back to him.

***

The sun beat down on the sandy ruins of Korriban, the talk of acolytes and soldiers disrupting the peace of the Sith planet. Kel sat crossed legged on a rock, deep in meditation as he tried to focus in on the long dead whispers of the long dead Sith Lords.
“What are you doing?” A voice called out, Kel slowly opening his eyes to see a smiling face leaning against the rock next to him, the person the smile belonged to quite pretty in her own right, with brown hair cut short to her shoulders and freckles dotting her face.

“I am trying to concentrate Yulani. My trials are tomorrow and I cannot be put off or taken by surprise now.” Kel closed his eyes and tried to get back to his meditation.

Yulani was silent for a few moments before she made a ‘tsk’ noise and hopped up on the rock she had been leaning on. “You know, it is alright to take a break every once and a while you know, it won’t kill you.”

Kel merely rose an eyebrow. “And tell me, how many have been stabbed in the back for doing exactly that?”

“You're missing the point.” The human looked up to the orange sky and sighed deeply after inhaling a large breath of air. “You’re really missing out you know?” She teased in a sing song voice.

“Yulani…”

“Come on, just a few minutes, then I will leave you alone.”

Kel grumbled and he loosened up, looking up at the sky as well. “You know you can’t slack off your whole time here, don’t you? If you don’t become an apprentice soon, the Overseers will not be happy…”

“I got it under control, you have no need to worry!” There was silence between the two of them, the sounds of the planet just filling what they could not say.

“What are your plans...after you get chosen I mean?”

The pureblood thought to himself, just shrugging his shoulders. “Whatever my master requires of me.”

“Well you aren’t going to have a master forever, you have to have some sort of plan?”

“Yulani, I really do not want to get into this discussion again, I told you last time to drop it.”

She held up her hands. “Hey, fine, whatever...but you need to ask yourself this the next time you blindly follow someone who you follow out of fear rather than loyalty.” Yulani turned to Kel and gave him a soft look. “Where do your ideals lie, Kel?”

***

The memory was the last he had of his friend, the next time he heard her name was from gossip that the Overseers got tired of wasting resources and disposed of her like a defective tool. Yulani was one of Kel’s closest and only friend. It was her death that gave him the resolve to get stronger, and the will to break free of his chains.

With a loud roar, Kel fought back against the weight of the ship, every strained muscle and tired fiber of his being washed away as he was flooded with a new found energy. Slowly but surely, Kel lifted the ship off of him using his own power over the Force, looking at Thaurr with death in his eyes. “I...will NOT fall!” Dark Side energy fueled his powers once more but as he used his energy to push the ship away, Kel raised his hand and using a Sith Art taught to him, a beam of Force energy shot out at Thaurr and Kel began to siphon the Sith Lord as he had done to Kel.

“So you are a Sith after all…” As the beam reached for Thaurr he spread his arms and fell from the ship, landing atop his own. Using his natural telepathic powers he let the words echo in Kel’s mind as the ship dove underneath his. A Sith after all…

Kel dropped to his knees in exhaustion, his body numb and every muscle in his body protesting the slightest movement. The battle was over, at least for now but Kel knew in his mind that Thaurr would be back, this time prepared for what Kel had to throw at him. Forcing himself groggily to his feet, Kel walked to the hole he had made in the hull and dropped down into it, instead of landing on his feet, crumbling to the ground.

The door to the ramp shot open and Selena ran to Kel, slightly panicking about the condition he was in but finally got in the right mind to pull Kel out of the room and close the door before the ship actually broke atmosphere. As Kel laid on the ground and Selena rushed to get a med-pack, Nira was off to the side, just looking down at Kel as if she could actually could see him. Approaching him slowly, she fell to her knees and put her arms around the Pureblood, silently sobbing to herself although she could make no noise or shed no tears. However Kel didn’t need to feel her emotion to know she was sad, as his own eyes teared up slightly before his eyes closed and he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

Thaurr stood on the bridge, staring at a collection of ships in orbit of Nar Shaddaa. As one of the ships exploded and a small freighter raced away from the explosion Thaurr turned to Amat. “We are done here.” Moments later their ship jumped away into hyperspace, leaving only an echo in the Force behind.

 

[MarineAvenger]

Unforeseen Evil Part One (MarineAvenger and Grelite)

Ryson sat crossed legged in the cargo hold of the ship, his normal clothes sitting neatly folded by the door and the teen alone. He outstretched with the Force and tried to make contact with any Force presences that stood out to him. None of significance stood out and he let out a defeated sigh, letting his shoulders slump. With a slight lurch of the ship, indicating that they had arrived at their destination, Ryson stood up and walked over to pile of clothes and began to put them on.

Dressed again in her old Jal Shey armour, Ferona exited her chambers into the map room. She sat herself down in one of the seats. Since the events on Tatooine she had been more quiet, spending more time alone in her room. She stared at the floor, waiting for the crew to be assembled.

Elira walked out from the cockpit and stretched her arms, a small amount of black smudges around her face and a slight grin as she sat down next to Ferona. “Hey, you alright? Haven’t seen you out much.”

Ferona nodded briefly. “Just a little stressed,” she mumbled, “that’s all.”

Elira’s smile fell for a bit and she leaned forward, putting her chin in her hand. “Look, we are a crew now. If you have a problem...well, Melia may not be the best person to talk to and Ryson hasn’t exactly been out much either, but I can still listen to you.”

For a moment Ferona looked at Elira, before returning her gaze to the floor. “It’s just what happened back on Tatooine… I am beginning to wonder if I can ever truly escape the Sith.”

“I don’t think you're the only one to think that to be honest.” Sighing a bit, Elira put a hand on the older woman’s back and rubbed it a bit. “Everything will turn out alright. We just have to take it one battle at a time. It might take a while, but I am sure we can do it.”

“Thanks, Elira.” Ferona sat up and tried to give her a smile, though she’d be hard pressed to find it. “Is everyone ready for the treetops?”

With her coat flowing behind her, Melia strolled into the map room placing a holdout on her belt and she rolled her eyes. “I just hope we are not here too long. I would prefer to be away from anything with a Czerka stain, even if their hold here was weakened some years back. Apparently they had a Wookiee slave trade set up here but they revolted and now they are free. The company remains...however slightly that is.”

“I doubt we will have to deal with Czerka,” Ferona noted, “the Wookiees hate them as much as you do.” She got up and paced around the projector. “I have been here before, some years ago. Shortly after the Wookiees threw all the outsiders out.” She stopped to glance at Melia and Elira. “I can speak with them, which will likely be necessary should we want to go anywhere beyond the docks.”

The archeologists smirked and crossed her arms. “Impressive. I do not know many who can talk to the Wookiees.”

Ferona merely responded with a dismissive nod. “Where’s Ryson at? I’d expected him ready to get out there by now.”

“I think he is still in the hold. Would you mind checking on him, I need to get our packs squared away before we leave.” Elira stood up and stretched her back, walking back towards the cockpit with Melia following her close behind to help.

With an exasperated sigh Ferona headed for the hold. After a brief knock on the door she entered. “We’ve arrived on Kashyyyk, Ryson. We’re all pretty much ready to head out.”

Ryson stood with his back to the door, wearing his normal black flight suit though he didn’t say anything in response, not moving at all.

“Ryson?” Ferona walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

He jumped slightly and looked at Ferona, shaking his head and smiling. “Sorry, must have zoned out there. What were you saying?”

“Are you alright? What are you doing back here anyway?”

“Yeah...I’m fine I just thought…” He looked back where he was staring and shook his head again. “Just thought I felt something for a moment there. I can’t explain it.”

Ferona shook her head. “Look, we have arrived on Kashyyyk and are getting ready to move out. Just warn us if you feel something again, okay?”

“Y-Yeah, sure.” Walking over to a stack of crates, Ryson took his two sabers in hand and slid them into the holsters on the back of his flight suit along the waist. Walking to the door, he stopped and looked back at Ferona, sticking his head outside and closing the door to the hold. “Can I ask you something before we head out?”

Ferona raised an eyebrow. “I mean, sure. What is it, Ryson?”

“What…” Ryson looked unsure for a moment and closed his eyes. “What was it like channeling the dark side? I mean, why are the Jedi so afraid of it?”

 

[Grelite]

Unforeseen Evil Part Two

With a slight tilt of her head, Ferona looked at Ryson. “I don’t know that much about the Jedi, the Jal Shey I knew often noted how both Jedi and Sith were religious. Not that they did not respect the Jedi, but they felt that their approach was strange, perhaps even dangerous.” She paused for a moment. “As for channelling the Dark Side of the Force… It is strange. You can unleash everything that you have felt within you and there is no holding you back. It can feel liberating and is certainly addictive.”

Ferona stared at Ryson intently. “It is a path to quick power, a path that seems to be one of instant gratification. But the Dark Side consumes all who wield it. You wound yourself for power and nobody can take that forever.” Shaking her head, she turned around. “The Jal Shey select only those with the strongest will. Those who are least likely to give in to temptation. Still, training is slow and use of the Force is minimal, almost used solely as a guide. And yet, despite all your guards and all your willpower, the corruption of the Dark Side can take a hold of anyone. It is best avoided entirely.” With that, Ferona fell silent and stared at the floor again.

The silence carried on for a long while before Ryson turned around and opened the door to the hold. “Come on, I guess the sooner we start the sooner we get to know why we are even here.”

“Just give me a moment, I’ll be right behind you.” Ferona took a moment to calm herself before following Ryson out.

Back in the map room, packs were laid down in the chairs, Melia leaning against the far wall looking bored and Elira just finally pulling her shirt over her head and throwing it to the side, grabbing for a fresh one.

“Have you no shame?” Melia asked the twin, averting her eyes even though the other girl still had under clothes on.

“What? We are girls and Ryson is my brother. I doubt there is anything we have secret from one another.”

“Elira never was one for subtlety.” Ryson announced walking in, going over to T4 and giving the droid a quick look over.

“You two are weird.” Melia concluded.

“You live with a twin all your life, you get used to it.” Ryson said without looking up from what he was doing.

Not paying much attention to the conversation in the map room, Ferona moved in the direction of the ramp. “Are we all ready to move out? I could use some fresh air.”

“Yes, please.” Melia quickly sprinted out behind Ferona, leaving Elira and Ryson to just look at one another and share a chuckle, Ryson’s sister throwing on her shirt and jacket as he finished with the droid and followed the others out of the ship.

As the stepped out, the crew took in the actual vastness of the tall standing trees. The wooden platforms surrounding the large trunks, interconnected by a network of bridges, spanned out for what looked like forever. “This place is a lot bigger than from what it looked like in the cockpit.” Elira commented, staring up at the tall plants.

“It goes down much further than the furthest tree you can see, so try not to tumble down.” Ferona led the group along the walkways to a small hut on the side of the tree.


The door was quickly opened after she had knocked and the crew was greeted by a Wookiee, letting out a roar in Shyriiwook when he saw Ferona. “Good to see you, Neophyte Aldena!”

“It is good to see you too, Tarrhan, but I am no longer a Neophyte.” Ferona replied to him in Common.

“Aha! I knew you had it in your to become an Advisor.” As far as it was possible to discern, the Wookiee seemed fairly excited. “So these three are your students?”

Ferona bowed her head. “Tarrhan, my Mentor is no longer with us. I am no longer Jal Shey. I’m afraid our visit is neither diplomatic, nor simply visiting a friend.”

Tarrhan changed his posture, standing more upright to look over the group again. “Oh, that is unfortunate to hear. There was talk of naming the embassy building after him, but the Republic decided otherwise.” He scratched his head. “Then what brings you to our forest?”

“We do not really know. This human child has had visions of this place, but does not know why. Likely something here that disturbs the Force. Any idea what that could be?”

For a moment Tarrhan remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. Finally he replied: “There is one thing that might be connected. I mean, it seems just about as strange as your story. Someone came through here, dressed in white, requesting access to the Shadowlands. With him he had a long bundled object.”

“The Shadowlands? Why did he want to go down there?”

“He did not tell us and has not since returned.” Tarrhan stepped out of the hut. “Look, Ferona, I know you want to go down there and I know my protests will fall on deaf ears. So please, let me escort you to the elevator.”

Ferona nodded to the Wookiee. “Thank you, Tarrhan.”

As the crew followed Tarrhan to the elevator Ferona shared what the Wookiee had told her. “The Shadowlands is the name for the forest floor given to it by the Wookiees. They share stories of dark creatures living down there, a place they only ever send their banished.”

“I wonder why an outsider would be interested in it?” Melia asked, eyeing their large guide warily.

“I doubt this is mere coincidence. This must be why we are here...whatever this is, we will find answers down there.” Ryson said in an authoritative tone.

“Either way, Tarrhan found it strange enough to mention. Few enough outsiders still come to this place.” Ferona added.

 

[MarineAvenger]

Part Three

The group finally came upon the elevator. Tarrhan turned to Ferona and put a hand on her shoulder. “I wish I could convince you not to go down there. So please, try not to stray too far.”

Staring up at her furry friend, Ferona smiled. “We will return, Tarrhan, I promise.” She then stepped into the elevator, waiting for the rest to follow.

The others got on and turned around, Elira looking at the lift with slight wonder, Melia looking bored still, T4 just chirping to himself, and Ryson staying close behind Ferona with a worried look. “We could be walking into another trap.” He whispered, looking at Ferona and finding his hand moving unconsciously to the weapons at his back. “I don’t like this.”

“We are way past doing only things we like, Ryson.” As Ferona said that the elevator started descending to the forest floor.

The rest of the ride down was done so in silence, no words being exchanged as the group stepped off the wooden contraption and into the shadowy forest floor. “This place feels...off…” Ryson said.

“Then we better get moving. I don’t plan on being down here for too long.” Ferona looked around, trying to see if there was any hint as to in what direction to head.

Looking around, Ryson began walking forward, his face hard. “This way.”

Melia and Elira earning a glance at one another, they quickly followed suit along with T4. Ryson continued on, seemingly leading them further off the path but as if knowing where he was heading. Pushing through the brush. the group appeared in a wide, circular clearing in the forest. Ryson scowled and shook his head. “There is nothing here...I could have sworn I felt something…”

Ferona walked up beside Elira. “I think we should keep a close eye on Ryson. He has been acting strange ever since we got to this planet,” she whispered.

Elira looked worriedly at her brother and nodded. “Yeah...it is like something in him is different. I can’t put my finger on it but he seems...off. I guess we will have to-” Elira’s body suddenly tensed, her mouth wide open as if she was in mid sentence, Melia doing so as well and even Ryson stiffening. T4 whirled fast in confusion, looking up at Ferona, who was unaffected.

Her eyes darting across the perimeter, Ferona tried to sense what was going on. “What the- T4, are your sensors picking up anything?”

A small dish appeared out of the top of his head, whirling around in a circle, moments later the droid beeping in affirmation.

“You have a smart droid with you.” A voice boomed, the sound of it deep and cold but had an unnerving smoothness to it.

“Who are you, what have you done to my friends?” Ferona demanded.

“They have been merely incapacitated. Cannot have them interfering.” There was a jostle of branches across the clearing, a man squatting down, clad in a white robe and cloak, a long bundle on his back. His eyes were closed, though his face was dirtied and had a small stubble of white hair, long white hair falling down to his shoulders. “You were a fool to come here.”

Ferona glared at the man in white. “Why me? What do you want from me?”

“Because I could feel your strength, and the corruption that lays within. I must purge you, as is my duty.”

“Purge?” Ferona’s hand drifted to her hilt. “Who are you?”

The man rose slowly, standing on the branch and reaching to the bundle on his back. “My name is not important. You will not live long enough to care about it.” Ripping the cloth away from the object, a long, gray staff was in the man’s hands, a single cyan blade protruding from the top with a press of a button. Opening his eyes, they were a pure white, no iris to be seen. “Prepare yourself to become one with the Force!”

With her hilt now in her hand, Ferona took a readied stance, the blade not yet active. “You use the words of Jedi. If you are, then you are attacking the wrong person.”

“You speak honeyed words to hide a veil of darkness. You may lie to yourself and to me, but you cannot lie through the Force. The dark side clings to you like a stink, and your demise will put an end to it. May you find peace in the afterlife.” With that, he jumped from the branch with great speed and power, landing softly on the ground a short distance from Ferona, holding the lightsaber pike down at the ground as if expecting Ferona to make the first move.

Ferona took a step back. “You are mistaken. I seek redemption from that past. Regain the will I had as Jal Shey.”

“Once the seeds are sown, the corruption only spreads, there is no getting rid of it by sheer willpower alone. You must kill a weed by destroying the roots.” The man rushed forward, swinging the pike in a wide arcing sweep, burning parts of the ground from the contact of the blade.

Barely leaping out of the way, Ferona felt the wave of air from his sweep. “Then destroy the man who corrupted me.” She stepped backwards again. “He is the one beyond redemption, not I.”

The man stood, holding the pike in a single hand and before moving for another attack, he turned his head slightly. “How can this...it seems I was mistaken…” He said in a low tone, barely audible to Ferona. Turning on his heel quickly, he charged in the other direction, directly at Ryson.

Seeing what he was headed for, Ferona quickly jumped into action, activating her blade and going for an interception.

The man was fast, but it was quickly apparent how weary he was despite his built look. Swinging his blade in another arc, it was quickly caught by Ferona’s blade, but just barely. “I will handle you later, for now I have more pressing matters.” Spinning around in the other direction, the man let Ferona stumble forward and sent a kick towards her.

Ferona fell forward, the kick in the back not coming easy. She groaned in pain but tried to clamber to her feet as quickly as possible.

The man was already upon Ryson, bringing his pike back for a thrust forward aimed at the center of the teen’s back.

Throwing out her hand, Ferona attempted to pull the man away from Ryson using the Force.

The attempt was successful, pulling the man away just before his blade reached the boy, the man sprawled out on the floor, having to pull himself to his feet slowly. “How can you protect him? Do you not feel the corruption within his mind!” He yelled, finally standing on his feet and staring at Ferona. “He radiates dark energy, and thus he must be stopped before he spreads it to the others. You already have it within yourself, but the strong presence was from him, not you entirely. This must be done!”

“I cannot let you killed him, he is not the source!” Ferona yelled. “If you truly believe in the removal of corruption, help us get rid of it otherwise.”

The man tensed, staring down Ferona. “I...I can’t...there is no other way...he must die! He will only turn on you!” His voice was uneven and rough, a tinge of doubt contained within it.

“You are the reason we are down here. Let us leave this dark place,” Ferona pleaded, “and he might not be doomed to walk that path.”

His grip on his pike tightened, the man looking at Ferona with a worried look. “I was tricked once...and it cost me the life of my Padawan...why should I trust your word!?”

Ferona deactivated her blade. “I have little more to give your than my word. And I am not certain we can be saved from this corruption. But I do believe it is better to try than to just give up and destroy. If you surround yourself in death, what will keep you on your path?”

The man took a step forward but stopped there, looking to the ground and shaking his head. “You...you are playing with my head…”

“It is this place...” Ferona gasped. “We have to get out of here, this place is corrupted. Evil.”

“N-No! It is…” The man put a hand on his head, “Why can’t I think straight?”

“This darkness, it is ancient, it runs so deep.” Her eyes drifting to the surrounding woodland, Ferona found some clarity within her own mind. “Its corruption is subtle here, like it hides itself but is ever whispering in your mind...” She turned to the man again. “Please, you must realize this place is evil. We have to get out of here before it starts affecting us, too.”

It took a bit of time of standing there, the man clad in white holding his pike tightly in his hand and staring at Ferona, unsure of himself. Finally, he deactivated his blade, slowly placing it on his back. “I...I am sorry…” He looked to the three others, and he raised his hand, the three falling to the ground. “I used the Force to put them into stasis. They will be stiff but otherwise unharmed. I came here for answers. The Force sent me a vision of this place and I fled for refuge. My ship was brought down in the Outer Rim. We were escaping group of assassins but they had caught up to us. My...my Padawan was killed…”

Ferona had ran toward her companions, seeing how they were doing. “Please, let’s just get to the elevator. You can tell us everything when we are away from this place.”

The man nodded slowly, walking over to the group and helping them. “Come, let us leave.”

 

[Grelite]

Unforeseen Evil Part Four

Melia and Elira rose a bit sluggishly, holding their heads. “Ow...I feel like I was run over by a Hutt…” Melia noted.

“We have to get back to the elevator as soon as possible. Are you good to walk?” Ferona assisted them in getting up.

“Uh...alright…” Elira said annoyed and tired, letting a yawn escape her.

As Ryson stood up, acting a little better than the others but his face looked distracted, staring off into the woods.

Ferona grabbed Ryson by the shoulder, trying to turn him toward her. “Come on, Ryson, snap out of it. We have to leave.”

He nodded, though he made no attempt to move. “This place...I feel…”

“Ignore it, Ryson! This place has only darkness!” She tugged on his arm, trying to drag him along.

Ryson tried to run along, but whenever he tried to look forward, his head snapped back to where he was looking, as if something was drawing him in. Suddenly, he fell to the ground and let out a pained yell, gripping his head as if he feared it would split in half.

“What is wrong with him!?” Elira exclaimed, rushing to her brother’s side.

“We are running out of time. Just get him to the elevator.” Ferona insisted.

The man in white, grabbed Ryson by the collar of his flight suit, hefting him up and throwing Ryson over his shoulder. “Run.” He stated, bolting in the direction of where the elevator was located.

Ferona tried to rush Elira and Melia along, following the man holding Ryson.

Reaching the wooden construction, the man laid Ryson down on the ground of it, waiting for the three women to climb on as well before he flipped the lever and the wooden basket began to ascend.

At the top they were awaited by Tarrhan, who helped the group out of the elevator. “What happened down there?” He asked Ferona.

“The Shadowlands, Tarrhan, the Shadowlands happened.” Ferona let out of a long sigh of relief. “I do not ever want to go back down there.”

The man nodded his head in agreement, sitting on the ground and hanging his head in exhaustion.

Elira was still by her brother’s side, holding his hand and staring at him worriedly. Halfway up, his screaming stopped, but he was still shaking slightly. “What caused this to him?” She whispered, looking up expecting somebody to answer.

“That place has been corrupted by the Dark Side. Those sensitive to the Force and unfamiliar with its influence can be influenced by this.” Ferona crouched down beside Ryson, putting a hand on his forehead. “I have a feeling he had been feeling the influence since we landed here. It is probably best we leave as soon as we can.” She stood up and turned to the man in white. “What of you? Has your mind cleared?”

He nodded, putting a hand on his head. “I still hear the call of the dark forces...but they will pass with time.”

“We had best get back to the ship.” Ferona put Ryson’s arm around her neck. “Elira, help me support him.”

She nodded, wrapping his other arm around her neck and helping Ferona along.

Melia just sighed to herself, looking up at the Wookiee and giving him a nod in farewell, following the others, leaving the man sitting on the ground, watching them go.

“You know, I half-expected him to follow,” Ferona remarked, “but I guess he wants to solve his internal struggle first.”

Elira rose an eyebrow and looked at Ferona. “You almost sound like you want him to come.”

With a sigh Ferona responded: “He has lost so much, stuck in a place of darkness… I guess it’s just a little too relate-able.”

“Like we really need another mouth to feed? Honestly, he did try to kill you and Ryson after all...who knows if he could lash out again and not know it?” Melia said, crossing her arms and looking to the side.

“Huh, so you were all conscious during that? I guess you’re right, though.”

“No…” Ryson said weakly, the word barely escaping his mouth.

A worried look appeared on Ferona’s face, but she remained silent as they carried him onto the ramp of the ship. Finally laying him down on his bed, Ferona advised Elira to keep an eye on him, herself retreating into her chambers without another word.

Melia watched as Ferona retreated into her room and slowly sighed, walking away to go raise the ramp.

“I am coming with you.” A voice said to her right, Melia raising her holdout and firing without thinking, the man in white who had been sitting on a durasteel crate near the door to the workshop area. He held up his hand and the blast was deflected away, earning a sigh from the man. “Relax.”

 

[MarineAvenger]

Part Five

“Geez...you scared me half to death.” Melia mumbled, placing her holdout back on her belt.

“Where is the woman?” He asked plainly.

“In her room, down the hall, and it is the room all the way down at the end.” She turned and went to the ramp, punching in the panel the code for the ramp as it began to close.

The man reached the room, tapping on the door with his knuckle and waiting for a response.

Ferona opened the door, surprised by the man standing in the doorway.

“May I come in?” He asked, his face plain and hard without expression.

“This room is a little small, maybe we should just talk in the main room.” Ferona said, hesitantly.

He nodded, standing to the side and waiting for her to lead the way.

She made her way into the map room and sat down in one of the seats.

The man took a seat across from her, putting his pike against the side of the seat. “I am sure you have questions for me, so why don’t we begin?”

Ferona put a hand to her head. “Alright. Let’s start simple. What is your name?”

“My name is Lan Talir Audrok. As you can plainly see, I am Arkanian.” Lan held up his hand, but instead of having four fingers, he clearly had five. “Though I am not entirely pure. My family’s bloodline was somewhat muddled over the generations, so I am slightly different from your average Arkanian.”

“Ferona Aldena,” she said, nodding her head toward him, “human.” Ferona looked around. “We’re basically on the run from the Sith. From what I understand, you were in a similar situation?”

Lan nodded slowly, his face still showing very little. “We were on a Republic ship looking for a place to hide amongst the Outer Rim planets. We were found and shot down. For about a week we were prisoners, until I escaped though my...apprentice was not as lucky…”

“Where were you held prisoner?”

“Tatooine.” He simply said. “After I escaped the desert, I boarded a ship, not caring where it was heading and I ended up on Kashyyyk. I descended into the Shadowlands to escape, to find sanctuary but instead, I was slowly corrupted.”

Ferona’s eyes widened. “Wait here for a moment.” She got up and left, returning half a minute later. She handed Lan the robes, braid and broken hilt they found on Tatooine. “I assume these belonged to your Padawan. A vision sent us to Tatooine before we came here, to Kashyyyk. I think we found your crashed ship.”

Lan ran his hand over the robes, breathing deeply to himself picking up the broken hilt and looking at the cords attached. “I gave these to her...there is no doubt these belonged to my apprentice.” He rubbed his eyes, letting a sob betray him. “I had clung to the hope she may have escaped...that she may have lived but now...now I know…”

“I’m sorry.” Ferona sat down beside him. “We barely escaped the agents of the Sith there as well. But now, with Ryson in the state he is in, I wonder why he got the visions he did and if we were wise to follow them.”

“The Force works in it’s own ways. Perhaps it is guiding you along on a path you do not understand now, but will come to in the future.” Lan rubbed his eyes once more and sat back in his chair. “I grew up on Arkania...I barely remember any of it before I was taken for training. Seem like so long ago. Now I am 28 and still have about 100 years ahead of me. If I survive that long. These Sith seem to be anywhere the Force is prevalent.”

“Tell me about it. Growing up on Coruscant wasn’t always easy, but it certainly wasn’t this.” Ferona stood up and gave a concerned look in the direction of Ryson’s room. “I guess we’ll have to see what our next step is once he recovers. For now, I am tired. Maybe Elira can find a place for you as well.”

Lan nodded to Ferona, but raised an eyebrow, looking behind her. “May we help you?”

Elira stood wide eyed, shaking her head and looking at Ferona. “Something is wrong…”

Ferona immediately ran toward Ryson’s room.

Ryson laid on his bed, thrashing around as if having a nightmare and mumbling something under his breath, his skin light and his body covered in a cold sweat.

“Ryson...” Ferona crouched by his bedside, “I don’t know what to do to help him.”

Ryson lashed out, his voice rising and his body acting as if he was being tortured. Over and over, he repeated a set of numbers, over and over and not saying anything else.

Lan walked into the room, kneeling beside Ryson and looking at him worried. “Can you hold him down?” He asked, turning his head to look at Ferona.

She nodded and took hold of Ryson. Lan took a deep breath, reaching out his hand and placing it on Ryson’s forehead, the teen reacting as if his hand was hot plasma. Lan’s face was one of hard concentration and after a minute, Ryson’s thrashing stopped and the teen was calm once more, his skin still pale and sweaty.

Nearly not daring to let go, Ferona finally let herself fall back, letting out a long sigh. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. He is under stasis right now, not as severe as before but he shouldn’t have anymore episodes. I trained as a healer at the Temple but I have never seen something like this…” Lan closed his eyes again and sat down next to Ferona. “I was not lying back in the forest. This boy has been severely corrupted. I don’t know how long until he loses all control...this may be out of my hands.”

“There must be something we can do to reverse this corruption.”

“I will do all I can but without knowing what is specifically affecting him, I fear it would take the work of several Masters to completely cure him. What I would like to know is what those numbers were...”

Ferona called over T4. “Any chance you recorded those numbers Ryson mentioned?”

T4 chirped happily, replaying the numbers over again.

“I don’t recognize anything about these numbers. Why would an affliction of the Dark Side cause this?” Ferona sat down on the side of the bed, sighing.

“Well...maybe they are coordinates.” Melia said, standing in the doorway and looking at Ryson, a bit of worry on her face. “I mean, Ryson has been seeing visions...could he be having one now?”

Lan put a hand on his chin and looked at Ferona, shrugging. “It is possible. those touched by the Force are known to have premonitions in their dreams.”

Ferona shook her head. “If they are coordinates, how would we know where to split them? And what if it is a trap left by whatever dark presence affected him?” She put her head in her hands.

“There is no use just sitting here and not at least trying, Ferona.” Lan put a hand on her back and added, “I will do what I can for him but right now, we have to track down this lead.”

Looking up, Ferona nodded. She stood up and stepped through the doorway. “Come on, T4, let’s compare this sequence to the star charts.”

The droid rolled out of the room behind Ferona, Lan taking a final glance at Ryson before leaving the room as well. Melia stood by the side of his bed, taking a seat beside it and reaching over to place her hand on his.

As T4 reached the map, he inserted his connection cable and began to reference the number sequence against the galaxy map. One by one, the sequences came up empty, either somewhere in the middle of nowhere or the numbers just not making sense. Finally, the last sequence was put in and it showed an area of space on the fringes of the Unknown Region. T4 turned his head to Ferona and confirmed that was the last possibility.

After staring at the marked locations for a while, trying to come up with a reason the last was not the only viable location, Ferona eventually just sighed and said: “As much as I hate to admit it, it looks like we will be headed for the Unknown Region.”

“Oh, great...heading into a section of space vastly unexplored by anyone at the wild ramblings of my sick brother...I think our odds are pretty good.” Elira commented, holding her arm in worry.

“I am entirely open to suggestions. Anyone know any Light Force Nexus nearby?” Ferona fell back in a chair.

“The Force works in mysterious ways. We will just have to see what plans it has for us.” Lan said, crossing his arms and staring at the map. “In the meantime,” Lan looked to Ferona, “Get rest and prep yourselves for what comes for us in the future. I will focus on healing the boy as best as I can.”

Getting up and walking toward her room, Ferona only hesitated to cast a glance at Ryson’s room. “I don’t feel good about this.” She just stood there a few seconds more before entering her room.

 

[Grelite]

Unforeseen Evil Epilogue

Thaurr emerged from his quarters and made his way to the bridge. “Good timing, we’re just coming up on them,” Amat remarked as Thaurr entered, “looks like they have not found your tracker yet.” Thaurr stood silently beside Amat, looking at the freighter in the distance as it drifted toward the planet. “We are headed elsewhere, Amat.” Amat looked at Thaurr questioningly. “Take us into the Unknown Region.”

 

[MarineAvenger]

Rise of Darkness Part One (MarineAvenger and Grelite)

No day had passed without Ferona spending at least an hour by Ryson’s bedside. Between her worried looks and helpless sighs, she tried her best to sense at the turmoil in the boy’s mind. Afraid of the corruption within herself she tried to limit her presence, but found herself unable to stay away from him for too long as she grew restless with worry. As such she sat beside his bed as the ship ventured into the Unknown Regions.

Lan stood in the doorway of the room with his arms crossed, looking at Ferona about as worried as he did when he looked at Ryson. The Arkanian had done his best to try and heal Ryson but progress was slow and he just simply didn’t have the proper knowledge to deal with Ryson’s affliction. “You need rest. I can look after him just fine, you needn’t worry yourself too much about this.”

Ferona shook her head. “I cannot sleep. Not now.” She turned her head to Ryson. “When I close my eyes I only hear his terror. I fear we acted too rashly and can only blame myself.”

“Whether that is true or not, the simple fact is when we arrive at the planet we are going to need you to be at near perfect. This place is unknown for a reason and with Ryson down, we need your skill. Rest for a few hours, eat a simple meal, do something but sitting here does nothing for either of you.” He said in a soft, sympathetic voice. Walking up behind her, he put a hand on her shoulder. “Go. I will watch him.”

After staring at Ryson for a few more seconds and letting out a long sigh, Ferona got up and left the room to head to her own.

***

Elira looked out the window from the pilot’s seat, staring at the blue funnel that they headed farther in to and tapped her foot impatiently as she had gotten bored rather quickly with the somber mood on the ship. The only person she had to talk to was T4 and he was usually no fun. Standing up and stretching her back, she fell forward as the ship came out of hyperspace. When she steadied herself on her feet and looked out again, she looked at the planet with wide eyes. Blackness covered the skies and from what could be seen from the clouds, the planet had a distinct orange look. Taking a few steps backwards, she nearly fell on her butt again but managed to keep herself up. “Yeah...definitely regretting this decision now.”

Elira’s head quickly swiveled around when she heard shouting, Lan’s voice calling out for Ferona, or anyone to come.

Within moments Ferona stood beside Lan, having had next to no rest, wide awake when she heard him call.

Lan stood there silent, looking down at the boy with shock. “How is this possible?”

Ryson laid on the bed still, his skin having lost a little bit of color but his eyes were open, staring up at Lan and Ferona.

“Ryson?” Ferona started. “Ryson, are you alright?”

He nodded his head slowly, grabbing his head and groaning a bit. “What...where are we?” He asked, his voice hoarse from not having much to drink the past few days.

“We’re on the ship. After you passed out on Kashyyyk...” Ferona looked at Lan and then back at Ryson. “Well, in a desperate attempt to find a way to help you, we set a course for a set of coordinates you mentioned in your sleep.”

“Oh, I was mumbling huh?” Ryson smiled and pulled himself to sit upright with a bit of effort and grabbed his head again. “Anything else happen?”

Ferona sat beside him on the bed. “You were out of it for a long time. Lan had tried to help you with his knowledge of healing, but it seemed like you were not getting any better.”

“Well other than a little weak, I feel fine.” He gave her a weak smile and turned in the bed to try and get up. “Just give me a few hours, I will be as good as new.”

Passing a worried look to Lan, Ferona stood up. “We best make sure how you are doing. This sort of corruption does not pass easily.”

“What corruption? Ferona, I am fine, I just pushed myself a little too hard, that’s all.” Ryson tried to take a step forward but nearly fell to his knees, having done so if Lan had not caught him.

“Listen to me boy, this is nothing to take lightly. Better people have had worse after effects, take it slow.”

Ryson nodded, grabbing Ferona’s arm and using her for support. “Did I really make you worry that much?”

“I have seen what the Dark Side can do, Ryson.” Ferona turned her gaze to the floor as she helped Ryson stand. “I have experienced how it can tear a person apart.”

“I will be fine, I promise.” He gave her a smile of encouragement but in his mind he had just as much doubt as she did. “You really have changed since we first met. I can’t believe we went from almost killing one another to this.” Ryson grinned widely but let out a painful cough, shaking his head and returning to the grin.

“Well,” Ferona said, trying to form a smile but failing, “you did try to steal my ship.”

“Really? After what you two did and you are sore over nearly stealing a ship? What is the galaxy coming to.” He said in a joking manner.

Ferona shook her head. “Either way, I think we have arrived. We need to decide what to do.”

“We should wait in orbit for the meantime. Let Ryson regain his strength and allow us to try and formulate at least some sort of plan.” Lan stated.

“A plan to do what? I still don’t know why we are here.” Ferona tried to guide Ryson back to his bed.

“To not get ourselves killed. Never said it had to be a good plan but something is better than nothing.”

Again Ferona averted her gaze to Ryson. “Well, he is the one who got us here. Maybe Ryson can find out where to go from here.”

The teen nodded and he took his spot on his bed. “Give me time. I am a little tired right now.” He laid down and closed his eyes. “I will be fine, you guys don’t have to stay.”

With a brief nod Ferona left the room and threw herself into one of the seats in the map room, rubbing her temples as she tried to recentre herself.

Dropping a food pack into Ferona’s lap, Melia took a seat next to her and began to bite into a fruit. “You look worried.”

Ferona raised an eyebrow at Melia. “You almost sound surprised.” She started opening the pack. “How are you holding up?”

“Honestly?” Melia took another bite and waiting until she swallowed to answer. “About as well as you I presume. I...heard everything. He seems...off. I mean he talks the same and his mood is the same but something is not right.”

Ferona only nodded as she bit into the food.

“Only time will tell whether we are truly on the right path.”

 

[Grelite]

Rise of Darkness Part Two

Hours passed as the crew waited above the planet, Elira handing out jobs to everyone whether it was something important or something menial. From what scanners could pick up from the planet, they were going to need breath masks and light clothing. There wasn’t a lot of data to be picked up but it was what they could find out.

Ryson came out of his room, a little color returning to his skin though not a lot, and he was largely able to move like before. However he was a lot more quiet and the way he got things done were more rushed. Whenever someone asked him if he was alright, he just responded with a nod and a stern look.

When the crew was ready, Elira brought the ship down to the planet and the crew got ready for whatever awaited them on the surface. By Ferona’s suggestion, Ryson did in fact guide them to an exact location, Elira landing in a clearing of jungle and everyone piling off.

They walked for a couple hundred feet and the jungle soon cleared to a cliff face, a lone city in the distance within a massive crater, Ryson staring intently at it until he finally shook his head. “What we want lays a little further from there. We don’t exactly know who those people are so we should best avoid them if we can.”

“Is it in the crater as well?” Ferona inquired. “Otherwise we might as well go around.”

“Not sure, I can’t tell from here. Though we might as well go around. We can always go down later. We have a lot of walking and it is scorching out here so we better move. Make sure your rebreather is on right and let’s try to be inconspicuous.”

“If we travel a small distance from the ridge, we won’t be spotted from within the crater.” Ferona noted.

“Right. Let’s be on our way then.” Ryson took the lead, following his senses as he lead the group onwards. The trek was long and the added foliage and heat didn’t make things easy on the group. They occasionally came upon lava rivers in which they had to backtrack and find a route around it. Overall, the mission took time but from the look of things, light wasn’t going down and there was always illumination.

As they neared closer to the presence Ryson felt, the crater began to descend down into flatlands, a massive volcano in the distance. As the neared it, a large structure came into view, a large Force presence emanating off of it. “I...think this is what we were meant to find…” Ryson said, looking at the large, black building. “But what is it?”

A chill descended down Ferona’s spine. “I am beginning to wonder if following your visions was ever a good idea.”

Ryson took a deep breath and let it out slowly, taking a few steps forward subconsciously before soon he was walking towards it.

Ferona looked at Lan and Elira briefly, before running up to Ryson and putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hold up, we probably should not approach this directly.”

“But…” Ryson looked into the woman’s eyes and he turned his gaze at the building. “We have to figure out why I am here. Ferona I have to know why this place is calling out to me.”

“And we will find out at our own pace. We don’t have the best track record going in head first.” Ferona then took a moment to stare at the structure, her gaze seeming fixed momentarily, unable to avert, before she shook her head and looked Ryson in his eyes. “Yes, patience is probably best.”

He looked like he was about to protest but he simply nodded. “What...whatever you say.”

Nervously scanning their surroundings, Ferona led the group around the courtyard in front of the building to a smaller entrance on the side. “Looks like a way in. We best uh...” As she walked closer to the doorway she came to a stop and stared up at the onyx tones of the structure once more, seemingly captured in something that had caught her attention.

“What is it?” Lan asked, trying to look where Ferona was.

A moment longer she maintained her empty stare before turning her head to Lan. “Wha- Sorry, did you say something?”

“Yes, I asked what you were staring at.” He said in a hard voice.

Ferona shook her head. “I don’t... Nothing, I just don’t like this place.”

“Neither do I.” Lan told her. He looked at the building and shook his head, stepping back. “W-We should leave...now.”

“Ryson, what do you think?” Ferona returned her attention to the group.

“No...we should stay…” He stated half-mindedly.

Lan took a step forward and grabbed Ferona’s arm. “We must. Do you not sense it, it is the same as on Kashyyyk!”

“No! We must stay!” Ryson outburst.

Shocked by the outburst, Ferona took a step back. “Ryson, please calm down. We are trying to look out for you.”

“I don’t need you to look out for me. You aren’t my mother! She died long ago and I don’t need you-” There was a sharp smacking sound and Ryson fell over, Elira standing over her brother with a pained look on her face.

“Listen to yourself right now Ryson! This isn’t you!”

He stared up at her and rubbed his raw cheek, shaking his head.”I-I’m sorry...I don’t know what is happening to me…”

“Allow me to explain.” The dark figure of the Draethos appeared in the doorway. Before the others could react Thaurr flicked his hand and Ryson was thrown toward him, into the building, the door slamming shut behind him.

Outside Ferona leapt toward the door and started pounding on it with her fists. “No!” She yelled.

“Just as Thaurr had told you, Ferona.” A voice from above them sounded. Amat rose to his feet, several Darksticks in hand. “And you delivered as planned.”

Lan took a step back, his lightsaber pike in hand and activated. “What is he talking about? Do you two know each other Ferona?”

Without responding to Lan she activated her blade and leapt up to Amat, colliding with him at break-neck speed, sending the two toppling out of sight from the group.

***

“Get up, Ryson.” Thaurr towered over the boy as he lay in the dark corridor of the corrupted tomb. “You came here for answers, so get up and I will give you just that.”

Ryson looked up at him and scrambled to his feet, pulling a lightsaber from his belt and activating it. “You!”

“Yes, it has been a while, but you followed your senses and it led you to you destiny.” Thaurr seemed unintimidated by the glowing blade.

“What are you doing here!?” Ryson exclaimed, his hand tightening around his weapon.

Thaurr chuckled softly. “I could ask the same of you, Ryson. We are here for the same reasons. You seek answers, you seek purpose, you seek strength. I can offer all of this, as such the Force brought us both here.”

Ryson looked at him, puzzled. “Why?” He simply asked.

“Who knows,” Thaurr shrugged, “perhaps it is your desire for these things, perhaps it is simply how things are meant to be.”

“No...it isn’t supposed to be like this...you are evil…” Ryson took a step back, suddenly unsure of himself.

Thaurr turned around and took a few steps down the corridor. “And you know exactly what things are supposed to be like? You who can tell good from evil so easily yet draw your blade at the sight of an old man? You do not know me, Ryson. Now, I offer you my knowledge and you are advised to take that offer.”

“Do not...act so defenseless. You killed my dad...you are the murderer...you-” Ryson took a deep breath, a bead of sweat rolling down his head.

“This again?” Thaurr sighed. “He was not your father. He was a Jedi and like all other Jedi he was doomed to perish because of his hidden evils.” He turned his head to Ryson. “Now you best take my offer, otherwise...”

Ryson took a deep breath. “B-But…” Ryson looked at the ground and he licked his lips. “What about the others?”

“Those children outside? They were merely the means to get you to where you are now. Your path ahead is alongside me. Once I have given you all you want, you may try to avenge what I did to the man who tried to hide you from your destiny. Alternatively you could refuse.”

“I can’t just leave my sister...she is the only family I have left…”

Thaurr took another step down the black corridor. “She has fulfilled her task. Staying with her now will only hold you back. You cannot live with your family forever, Ryson. You have to be your own man at some point. Besides, if you refuse my offer you will be stuck in here and this place will surely destroy you.”

Ryson looked at Thaurr and his hand shook. Slowly, reluctantly, Ryson’s finger moved to the activation button of his lightsaber and he deactivated it.

“A wise decision. Now,” Thaurr motioned toward Ryson with his hand, “follow me into the darkness.”

 

[MarineAvenger]

Rise of Darkness Part Three

Ferona and Amat had brought their fight further up the volcano in a furious conflict of metal and light. Amat relished the motions of conflict, landing one of his darksticks deep into Ferona’s arm. She was able to beat him away and recover her stance, but he seemed to have endless endurance, pushing Ferona further up the volcano as the battle raged on.

The heat from the magma became nearly unbearable as they neared the top, thick smoke surrounding them as they tried to land hits on each other. Without hesitating Amat threw himself onto Ferona, the sharp point at the end of the darkstick mere inches away from her face as she tried to hold him off. When a sudden gust of smoke hit Amat in the face he fell back, coughing into his breathmask, trying to clear his eyes with his hand.

Seeing this Ferona took this moment to regain her posture and channel the Force, sending more of the thick smoke into Amat’s face. One hand covering his face, another swinging a set of darksticks around violently, Amat took one step back too far and lost his balance on the edge. With a violent howl, Amat disappeared into the smoldering opening and Ferona collapsed on the ground, clutching the wound on her arm.

***

Thaurr had led Ryson on a path through the depths of the tomb, no corner here did not seethe with the Dark Side. “Taking power takes hardship, you know. It is never easy, as much as the Jedi like to call it the easy way.” Thaurr could barely be seen in the darkness and with the ever present corruption it was difficult to keep up. “It takes focus and inner strength. You need to know what you want and stay on target. If you do not, you will get lost and be destroyed.”

Ryson remained silent, pushing himself to keep up with Thaurr.

“We are almost out, you just need to stay focussed.”

Minutes later the two emerged on the other side of the volcano, a small landing pad had Thaurr’s freighter parked on it. The Draethos looked around as they approached the ship, letting out a short grunt. “Looks like it’s just us. Let us get aboard and leave.”

Ryson nodded his head, taking a last look back at the building and walking forward, following Thaurr closely. Shortly after the two had entered the vessel, it took off, leaving the planet behind and disappearing into hyperspace.

***

Lan ran up the slope of the volcano, calling out Ferona’s name. When he finally spotted her, he ran up and dropped to his knees. “Are you alright?”

Looking up at Lan, blood still flowing from the wound she held, she barely managed to bring out a few words. “Where is Ryson?”

“We have not seen him.” Lan forced Ferona’s hands off of her wound and began to heal it. “There was...T4 picked something up on his scanners...it was a ship.”

Ferona lowered her head, staring blankly ahead. “I could not save him...” A tear rolled down her face. “Now it is too late.”

“It is never too late Ferona. If it was him, we can still save him, but we need you as well. Do not blame something you had no control over. You tried…”

She stood up, pacing away from Lan. “It was not out of my control.” Ferona turned around and looked at him. “That Draethos, Thaurr, he had me join this crew to guide Ryson along a darker path. When I realized what I was doing I tried to guide him onto a better path. But I had underestimated the corruption Thaurr had put in place and I realized too late.”

“You what?” A voice said behind Lan before he could speak. Elira was standing there, her pistol leveled at Ferona and tears rolling down her eyes. “How could you...we trusted you...we accepted you into our crew...you were one of us…”

Ferona only lowered her head in shame, dropping her hilt onto the rocky slope.

“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself? You handed my brother over to the same Sith who killed our father, and you can’t even say anything in your own defense!?”

“Elira, that is eno-” Lan tried to say, but was cut off when he looked to Ferona himself.

“No, she is right. I betrayed the crew. Now Thaurr has Ryson under his thumb and it is my fault.” Ferona glared at Lan with red eyes. “All I do is get people hurt.”

Lan looked to Elira-who still had her blaster trained on Ferona-and he knelt down next to her, putting his hands on her arm and continuing to heal it.

Ferona pushed Lan off of her. “Just leave me here.”

“I will not.” He stated sternly, reaching for her again.

“Why? I do not deserve anything less.” She tried to hold him off.

“Then you are a fool Ferona Aldena.” Lan told her, putting his hands on her shoulders and making her look at him. “You sit here and wallow in your failure and that boy is truly lost. So just stay here, allow Ryson to truly fall but I will make sure that he at least has a chance to redeem himself, much like I am giving you the chance right now.”

“I am a fool,” Ferona cried, “but I do realize what Thaurr can do. We stand no chance against him. If you think he will let you try to redeem Ryson, you are a bigger fool than I.”

“Who said I am giving him a choice.” Lan said sternly. “There is a light in that boy, one that I did not even see in my own padawan. As long as Ryson lives, there will always be light in him. I am determined to make sure he sees it. There is no question of trying, it is a question of whether I have your support or not.”

“And what could I do? So far all I have done is lead people to suffering.” Ferona put her head in her hands.

Lan sighed loudly and he grit his teeth under his breather. Not thinking with his head, Lan reached forward and he put his arms around Ferona. “Enough.” He told her. “You know that is not true. Even I know that is not true. There was a part of you that lived before the Dark Side and you can still reclaim that person. There are no certainties in life Ferona. There is always hope, just as there is always despair. You are not lost, just as the boy is not.”

For a moment Ferona hesitated, not knowing what to think. “What about Elira? She will never let me back on after what I have done.”

Another pair of arms wrapped around Ferona as the girl fell against her back, sobbing loudly. “Please...help bring my brother back...he is all I have…I don’t care...please, just help us…”

Tears now streamed down Ferona’s face. “I- I will do what I can.”

Lan nodded his head, looking at Elira who had gotten off the older woman. Lan remained, holding Ferona as he tried to help her to her feet. “Come on. Melia and T4 are waiting for us.”

 

[MarineAvenger]

Old Friends and New Allies (MarineAvenger, Grelite, and PrismaCube)

The holographic display of the galaxy map lit Thaurr’s face as he stared at the blinking dot from the tracker, still actively transmitting, closely studying the path it had taken. In the past three days he had focussed so much on keeping Ryson in tow he had nearly forgotten his secondary goal. Now that they were surrounded by the darkness emanating from every crevice on Yavin IV he could once more focus on this, carefully planning his next move.

Ryson was sitting on his bed in the room Thaurr had assigned him, staring down at his hands as if they had felt different than before. The more and more he had been traversing the darker sides of the Force, his connection to it had grown and the more he wanted to reach out and grab hold of the power, to use it as if it physically hurt him not to do so.

Thaurr titled his head toward the ramp of the ship. “Ryson, get out here. We have company.”

Ryson looked at his closed door and sighed, grabbing his flight jacket and pulling it over himself, grabbing his two lightsabers and putting them in the holsters on the back of his waist, walking out and meeting with his new master.

The ramp lowered as Thaurr and Ryson approached. “You left without me, Thaurr.” Amat’s voice was harsh, he was covered in burn marks and he was clutching his left arm. He growled at the sight of Ryson. “But a warrior survives to see you complete your goals.”

“I had not anticipated this much tenacity from you, Amat. I am surprised you survived your fall.” Thaurr turned to Ryson. “Please, Ryson, help my old friend out. He deserves that much.”

Ryson nodded grimly, reaching behind his back and taking out one of his sabers, activating it and slowly approached Amat. Before the burned hunter even had a chance to react Ryson had stabbed him in the abdomen, pulling it out and slashing him once on the chest for good measure, deactivating the blade and putting it back.

“Good, we have other business to attend to.” Thaurr turned around and walked back to the map room.

Not giving a second glance at Amat’s corpse, Ryson followed Thaurr closely without uttering a single word, just staring at the map with a slightly confused look.

“I came upon a rather strange man on Nar Shaddaa. A Sith, it turned out, but not one from the faction I was taken in by.” Thaurr turned to Ryson. “No, this Sith Empire lurks in far darker and more distant shadows and I intend to find out more about it.” He turned back to the map. “I had placed a tracker on his ship during our conflict and now that I have you by my side I am sure we can find out more together.”

“What do you plan to gain from finding this Empire?” Ryson asked with a hollow voice.

“Knowledge is power, Ryson. Never forget this.” Thaurr made his way to the cockpit and had the ship set course for the system indicated by the tracker. The ship took to the sky and disappeared into hyperspace moments later.

 

[Grelite]

Old Friends and New Allies Part Two

With a hard thud the Tw’lek was slammed into the wall, held up against it by the Force. “What do you know about the previous owner of the ship, then?” Thaurr had his hand held out as he kept the man suspended on the wall, his apprentice behind him. “Try not to skip out on any details.”

“A-A not much! He...he just said he needed the credits and would take what he could get! When I questioned him about why he needed the money so badly, he wouldn’t say! Last I saw of him he got on a shuttle with his two companions travelling down into the undercity! I swear, that is all I know!” The Twi’lek was speaking in a high pitched galactic basic, obviously a second language to him, desperate for his life.

Thaurr squinted at the man. “Have you had anything done to the ship since you bought it?” His cold stare pierced the man as he exerted slightly more pressure on him through the Force.

“I’ve only been patching up some rough spots in the hull, that’s it!” The Twi’lek pleaded, squirming around.

“Good, then you won’t mind if we have a look around.” A sharp snapping sound meant the end of the man, his body falling slumped against the wall. “It is time to put your talents to work, my apprentice.” Thaurr motioned for Ryson to follow him to the ship.

Ryson followed closely behind, not wanting to allow himself time to look at the man’s face. Reluctantly, Ryson asked, “What do you need me to do?”

“Remember your little tour of the galaxy? You learned to hone a rather useful skill.” The pair walked up the ramp of the ship. “I need you to sense out the ones who used to own this vessel. With any luck they are still on the planet.”

“I…” Ryson looked around and took a deep breath. “I can try.” Closing his eyes, Ryson tried to drown out everything around him, both tangible and those through the Force, the teen feeling the world slip away from him as sand would falling through a person’s fingers. Soon, there was a complete void, nothing but Ryson in a sea of nothingness that felt cold to him. Willing himself to go further, soon Ryson felt a warmth and he followed it, reached out as if to touch it with his own hand. Before Ryson knew it his eyes were open and a sweat covered his forehead. “They are still here...I felt them but they are on the move.”

Thaurr placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Well done. Now let us push this one step further. Where are they going, or rather, where will they be?”

“I...can’t do that, Thaurr. That isn’t something I can just call up. I hardly understand how I summon my visions at all...it just sort of happens.”

“Nobody said it would be easy. Call upon the power within you, demand it assist you. The power is yours to take, don’t let your doubt hold you back.”

Shaking his head, Ryson closed his eyes again and let the world slip away once more. When Ryson was in the void once more he tried to summon forth the Force as he wanted to use it, but no source of warmth came, nothing showed him what he desired, the void only grew colder and it shattered away like glass, Ryson stumbling slightly and having to brace himself against the wall. “I-I couldn’t…”

Thaurr sighed. “If you cannot demand power you will forever remain this weak, Ryson.” He put his hand on Ryson’s head. “Let me show you.” The Draethos’s power flared up wildly as he channelled the Dark Side of the Force through Ryson. Using the boy’s mind as a focal point he forced the visions into his own head, a process which brought Ryson nothing but extreme anguish. Once he was done he let go, staring at his apprentice. “Now get up, we have a vision to pursue.” He turned around to walk away. “Hopefully you will not fail me again next time, or I will be forced to repeat this process.”

Ryson coughed violently, looking up at Thaurr with a pained look. Although his legs screamed out in protest, Ryson forced himself into a standing position, a wave of nausea rushing over him. Steadying himself, Ryson turned and slowly walked out behind Thaurr, wishing with a sense of longing that he could just take the ship and leave, but knew full well that would mean certain death.

 

[PrismaCube]

Old Friends and New Allies Part Three

There was little silence within the undercity of Coruscant. Kel was thankful he had his mask on, as it muffled much of the noise from the outside. Nira and Selena were not so lucky. The Miraluken girl was being brought around on Kel’s back, holding on tight as she was having a hard time coping with the illness Kel had yet to get treated. He had bought a couple of items from a hospital after they first sold the ship, having to use more credits than he would have liked, a huge chunk of profit they could have otherwise used down the drain.

Selena on the other hand was different, wanting to buy anything she could get her hands on and each time being put down by Kel. He didn’t know why she didn’t understand that they needed to save up in order to leave the damned planet, and he was past tired explaining it. Stopping in a rather shady bar, Kel sat them down in a corner and ordered the cheapest food they could.

Out of the corner of the bar a dark hooded figure started to approach Kel. “Pureblood sith, I can feel your power, what is someone like you doing here?”

Kel stared up at the hooded figure and his hand moved to the blaster at his hip. “How do you know what I am? Who are you?”

Seeing Kel reach for his blaster the hooded figure did not react slightly. “I’m just a nobody, not important, but you… Your power is overwhelming like someone I used to know. It is not hard to tell what you are, only one species in this entire galaxy is able to possess such power, but a part of you is resisting it.”

“So...you’ve been to the Unknown Regions?” Kel shook his head. “You really are stupid to approach me like this. So what do you want?”

“You underestimate my stupidity, I’m well aware of my risk here. I want to know if you come from the Sith Empire or if you are just someone running from it? I’m looking for someone who I have traveled with for a long time, if my sources are correct he is somewhere out there amongst the Sith Empire. So tell me are you part of the Sith Empire? I’m merely looking for someone to accompany me, I even have the credits if that is what you want.”

“No one worth saving goes into the Unknown Regions, especially those who don’t want to be found. Besides, I am done with the Empire so whoever it is you are looking for is not worth my time or skin.” Kel said coldly.

“I guess then there is a small difference between us, I would die for this man. However the Sith Empire is not the same without him, so I too am a deserter from the Empire. May I ask you to take me with you then? I assure you I will be more worth taking along then leaving. Still I ask you to let me help you; my ship still has a few empty rooms and could be entirely at your service.”

“Who are you looking for anyways? I have never heard of anyone being so important disappearing.” Kel shifted in his seat, wondering whether or not to just kill the guy and leave. If he knows this much about the Empire then he is already more trouble than I need.

“You might have heard of a small, unimportant event called the Mandalorian Wars. Revan and Malak two more unimportant people, who rose up and fought against Mandalore himself.” The hooded figure moved his hand toward his side. “Your thoughts are probably about killing me, I assure you one wrong move and my HK-48 unit who has been standing behind you this entire time will put a blast right through you red head. I only want to accompany you, my reasons are more or less my own. I assure you I won’t be any trouble.”

The hooded figure removed his hood, a modified mandalorian helmet was uncovered. He raised his hand and called HK-48 to lower his weapon. “You can call me Valkur.”

Kel did not move, putting his chin on his knuckle and saying, “Nothing is stopping me from crushing your droid into scrap and collapsing your windpipe. So unless you want us all to get along I suggest you tell me why you are so adamant about going back to a place you never had a right to visit before? You are nothing more than a fallen Jedi, a shadow. You have no right to be called a Sith.”

“You might be stronger than me, but trust me I won’t go down that easily. My HK-48 is made out of pure Mandalorian Iron, you lightsaber is useless and I will use my Force against yours if you even crush a single bolt of his. One thing's for sure your two companions won’t survive.” Valkur nodded at HK-48 and HK-48 raised his weapon towards Selena.

“To the whole fallen Jedi thing, you might not know everything about me, it is true I used to be a Jedi but that was years ago, I have had many Sith masters in the mean time teaching me all there is to know about the way of the Sith. Calling me a Jedi is but a scratch on the surface of my history.”

The room seemed to grow heavy at the amount of power that emanated from Kel, the barrel of the HK unit’s blaster folding upwards rendering the weapon useless. “Know when you are outclassed. Let me make one thing clear, you travel with me and you do not complain. We may return to the Empire and we very well may not, that is my call to make. Don’t ever assume you are the one in control here.” Standing up from his seat, Nira reluctantly having to let go of Kel’s cloak so that he could look at the Sith. “No more run arounds...who...are you...looking for?”

Valkur looked at his droid’s damaged blaster, then back to the slightly taller Sith. Not emotions could be seen through the helmet.

“Revan, Sith Lord and servant to the Emperor, incase my small hinting has not made it that obvious yet.”

Valkur turned to the doorway of the bar. “But I accept your demands, you won’t even know I’m there.” Walking past his HK unit he pushed a small button on the metal head.

“Query: Master why have you turned off my poison dart?” Valkur continued walking out.

“I will await you at the port.”

Kel laughed from under his mask, watching Valkur. “Revan is dead. Your mission is for nothing.”

Stopping shortly before the exit Valkur stopped. Tables, patrons and chairs started to float around him, throwing off anyone on sitting on a chair, lights started to flicker shortly. “ You were not there! You wouldn't know if Revan is truly dead, as long as I do not see his dead body there is still hope!” The tables, chairs and patrons were dropped to the floor and Valkur exited the bar, followed closely by the HK unit.

“You know...you didn’t even ask if he had a ship.” Selena commented, pushing away the crappy food she took one bite of.

“Oh I’m sorry, would you have liked to do the talking?” Kel asked, picking up Nira, the little girl placing her head on his shoulder.

“I don’t know, give me a few days and I could really enjoy talking with him.” She gave a coy smile and proceeded to walk out, leaving Kel wondering to himself why he let himself get into these situations.

Outside Valkur turned to HK-48, “That went better than I had hoped for, I was sure he would strike me down for a second, but my feeling was right he has become distant to the dark side of the force. But it is still strong enough to overpower me.”

“Statement: Master I do not think it is wise to follow this Sith on his travels.”

“No it might not be, but it is the best chance I have received in the last couple of months, and it is still better than sitting in a bar all day.” Valkur looked to the sky for a few seconds. “Silla…could you have been right all along?”

 

[MarineAvenger]

Old Friends and New Allies Part Four

From the shadows of the hangar Thaurr inspected the ship. “They have not arrived yet, we best use this to our advantage.” He pulled out a small device and attached it to his datapad. After a set of calibrations the tracker was ready for planting. Guiding it with the Force, he placed it in a small crevice on the ship, activating it as it touched down. “Mask your presence, Ryson, they will be here soon and I would not want to startle them. Stay out of sight and observe.”

Ryson reluctantly nodded, looking upwards, the teen used the Force to help propel his jump upwards and he knelt down in an open vent shaft, having a good look at the hangar.

Keeping track of his apprentice’s movements Thaurr disappeared into the shadows, feeling someone approach. Using the essence of the darkness that surrounded him he masked his presence, completing his vanishing act.

Valkur and HK-48 entered the hanger. “Where is he? I do not want to spend any more time on this planet.” As he approached his ship he patted a little dust off and entered the code to open the door.
“HK, wait out here while I get the ship started.”

“Statement: Shall I blast anyone else coming in here?”

“No, just warn me incase anyone suspicious shows up. I will call the control center and request take off shortly.”

“Statement: As you wish Master.”

It was not long until Kel and his companions arrived in the hanger, the Sith looking around and then back at the ship. “We ready to leave?” He asked the HK unit.

“Statement: I have given the master a signal of your arrival, please wait here he will arrive shortly.”

Valkur opened the vessel’s door shortly after. “There you are, get in I have permission to…” Valkur stopped talking for a second. “...take off.”

HK-48 entered the ship followed by Valkur. Kel followed the HK unit closely, letting Selena walk ahead of him as he adjusted a sleeping Nira so that he could carry her more easily.

“I do not have a medical droid or anywhere you could put your comrade, but my HK-48 unit is equipped with basic medical needs in case you need someone to be looked after, but that aside I have a question for you, were you followed? My HK-48 picked up a single presence inside this hanger, might just be a worker but I just want to make sure.”

“We have been eluding another Sith who has been chasing us but I have seen no sign of him since coming to this planet.” Looking around he said, “I fear that is no longer the case.”

“In that case I will ignore it for now, hell maybe I would even negotiate with them if they are willing to talk.” Valkur said with a slight change in his voice as he sat down in the cockpit. “But for now we should get out of here, got any particular destination in mind?”

“Anywhere other than here.” Kel took a saber off of his belt just in case, placing Nira down in a seat.

“In that case let’s go, hang on everybody. Punch in the coordinates I provided you with HK.” The vessel’s engine turned on and the hanger bay door opened with an alarm going off telling anyone near by to stand clear. A couple of seconds later the ship vanished into the air off into space.

Emerging from the shadows Thaurr looked up as the vessel disappeared from sight. Once rejoined by Ryson he said: “Now you know who we are following, I hope you paid attention.”

“They felt strong...and those HK units are no pushovers.” He stated, looking at the sky.

“Then it is a good thing all we need from them is information.” Thaurr turned to Ryson. “That said, once we face them, you will be more than prepared to handle them, should it come to that.”

“But you haven’t even taught me how to fight. The only reason I know how to fight is from what I picked up from my dad…” Ryson shook his head, “I am not ready.”

Thaurr grumbled at the boy. “As soon as we are back on Yavin I will change that attitude problem of yours.” With that the two headed back to their ship.