The Calling19:21 May 07 2008
Times Read: 799
Something i've been writing for a while, any feedback is welcomed.
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I had come to Mustafar to bury the past and start afresh, much had happened and after the recent battle. I was disillusioned with the galaxy and everything that had happened. So I planned to use Mustafar as a break. The force is weak here, and the way I was feeling just now that suited me fine; the sun barely penetrates the thick atmosphere, so it’s pretty much permanent darkness. I had been sitting in the cantina in the menxis facility; it has a strange feeling compared to every cantina i have been into, this one has the feeling of hope and promise. Not the hopeless dead ends i am used to feeling and it's refreshing to a tired spirit. News of the receent miner strikes, flows around the room dominating most of the conversations. I walked past one of patrons, a nervous looking character; he smiled and begged for my help. As I turned to leave I felt the slight weight tug at my pack. But ignored it, at least they weren’t stealing from me. Sleep evaded me as ever nightmares of past battles and faces haunted my dreams, but tonight something was different the constant whispering over the sounds of the battles. “Set me free, the corruption is not complete. Release me.”
I woke up sweat beading down my chest. I sighed heavily “Why cant i be left in peace.” Then I remembered and smiled “Ah of course it makes sense There is no peace, only passion.” The so called sith code had been making a lot of sense recently and this was another reason for my trip away from everything, I was afraid of the calling I could feel. I knew the power that flowed around me when I released my anger, it was intoxicating and I felt a relation to those poor spice addicts. I wanted more power, but I was afraid. So I took myself to a place where, no outside influence could try and persuade me. I had stopped my training and my lightsaber and robes lay in a small metal footlocker, under the simple bed. I struggled out of bed donning some clothes and padded back to the cantina. I ordered a drink and moved into the corner of the room, from where I sat I had an excellent view, yet was able to remain pretty well concealed. I let my mind relax and the quiet murmur of conversation washed over me. “Strange crystal… bad luck… corruption.” I opened my eyes and looked around. Realising I must have fallen asleep. I finished my drink and headed back to my room.
The whispering washed over me as I opened the door, hissing from age and lack of maintenance. I could hear it tickling the back of my mind and gently caressing my spine. I listened to the words, flowing round my mind seducing me with thought."I can make you powerful again, this broken shell pains me. Release me and i will show you the power to rule a galaxy." “ENOUGH STOP THIS NOW.” I strolled over to the crystal carefully picking it up, it felt warm to the touch and I could feel the warmth coursing through my arm. I stuffed it into my backpack. And slid the small footlocker from under the bed. The thin layer of dust told me all I needed to know, I wiped the dust away, like so many bad memories. Sighing heavily I snapped the lock and opened the box. The hilt caught the light and seemed to glow in the box, I could feel the power calling to me and as I took my saber in my hand I could hear the words flow through me. “My Master has returned, my Master is strong again.”
I ignited my saber the light dancing around the room, free again. I pulled my hood over my head and stepped out into the corridor. The light changed, I felt a red mist begin to wash over my vision. Closing my eyes i felt the familiar grey change the world, life seemed so much simpler when viewing with the force, peoples emotions flowed from them like flame from a sun, the voice seductively whispered, “My master is powerful once more, he has returned to take up arms. The power of corruption is yours to wield. They will try and stop you. Kill them, KIll them all.” The guards came skidding round the corner, three of them together. The first I killed with my saber, thrusting the blade through his eye. Smiling I crushed the other into a nearby power conduit. The sparking and screaming stopped eventually and the darkness was broken by the gentle light flowing from my saber, in some circumstances it could be called beautiful. The third guard tried to run, “Stupid fool” I hissed. Concentrating I felt the power flow into my hands and with a gentle flick the lightning arc across the corridor, feeling its way across the metal panels, it licked across his body, I felt his screams in my heart and it gave me more power. I was slightly saddened when he stopped screaming and when the light faded from the corridor, the only aura I could pick up was fading fast, the dying aura reminded me of a small sun, flame gently fleeing from the sphere, I smiled and stepped over the bodies.
“The Jedi temple, south of the planet is where we must go master, find the ruins and find the key.”
I stalked through the outpost, guards appeared and guards died, the power flowed through my veins and my heart and I felt drunk; high on the power over life and death I held. All the time the voice snaking through my mind. “I feel your power growing my master; soon you will be strong enough. soooon.”
I stepped outside, the dry air, gently stinging my throat, and my eyes. I blinked killing the nearest miner, and stealing the speeder bike I shot off into the Mustafarian night. The lightning crackled and flowed from the tower, reminding all those that were near by the power it held over the planet, I could feel it flowing around. “You see it master. You feel it. This planet is alive it dances with the force. Not dead as you thought, just hidden. She calls to you through the hidden force, find her.”
I closed my eyes and twisted the throttle on the bike, swerving around the lumbering masses of lava fleas, and the snapping teeth of the more dangerous wildlife. The lava fountained high into the air, cascading across the thick hide of the beasts as they fed. The scream of engines and they scattered, as the bike skidded to a halt at the edge of the lava lake, the heat shimmered across the lake, and the lava flow nearby cascaded majestically over the side of the mountain. “Do you feel it master? The power flowing through the lava. She’s coming master. She has missed you terribly!” I closed my eyes, feeling through the force, I saw the blood red aura, swimming slowly towards the shore, the power of the dark side flowed from it like water. And I could hear another voice, over the insidious whispering. “Heim come to me, come back to me my love.”
I dropped to my knees and began to frantically chant my mantra
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 free me.
I could feel the power coursing through my veins, it screamed through my mind and made the world spin. “She has missed you terribly master, now she has come to be by your side.”I clenched my eyes shut afraid to open them, the aura had found the edge of the lake, and something began to emerge. I forced my eyes open; the shock of what I was seeing nearly drove me to the brink of madness. The bald skull blackened from the heat and fire slowly emerged from the lava, some strands of hair, miraculously survived the heat, clung like weeds to the skull. The eyes a piercing red that matched the aura, weeping tears of pure lava, the figure emerging. Stepping from the lava like a woman would step from a warm bath, a vision from a hell I couldn’t describe. The fire coursed gently across the thing that scrabbled forward. Blackened flesh hung lifelessly from bone, licked with fire and weeping lava. “The force will indeed set you free my love.”
“Feel her power master, feel the force flowing through her veins. She is strong in the force a perfect companion for you.”
The scene before me felt very surreal, this thing had stepped from the lava and the voice in my head was talking about companionship. I ignited my saber and attacked, it ignited its own saber with a blade of pure lava that spat and hissed as it flowed from the hilt. It kicked me backwards and I moved backwards in the soft ash. I looked up to see the creature advancing on me. “Closse your eyess use the forcce to look at me, ignore thiss broken sshell.” Despite every part of me screaming not to I closed my eyes, the vision that stood before me was more angelic than it was demonic. “My god but how.”
“She came back to you master, your power was like a magnet and it drew her back. Take her as your apprentice, make her strong again.” The voice coiled around my mind, forcing itself into my ear so I had to listen. I opened my eyes amazed at the transformation that was taking place before me, sinew and muscle began to wind there way around the bone and soon I could see pearly white skin begin to form. I watched in awe, as the form began to take shape. The face only partly reformed, the beautiful eyes pulsed red, against the pale skin that reminded me of Hoths snow. I looked on in shock and awe as the body reformed but when I looked at her face I screamed. It looked like someone had drawn a line through beauty, half of her face was pale flawless skin and the other half of her face was the broken, disfigured skull I had seen a few moments ago. I pulled a cloak out of my backpack and wrapped it around her naked body. “Her strength returns master, she is strong in the dark side. Stronger than you are be wary of her.”
I rose to my feet shock still painted like a picture across my face, she smiled. “Hi Hun, you look rough.” She slapped me lightly and then pulled me in for a kiss. I recoiled in shock, looking at her face. “I I Don’t understand, you can’t be real. You’re dead.” I closed my eyes using the force to look upon her. The blood red aura, like the edge of a sun, and her body seemed to glow and shine. “I don’t care anymore. Peace is a lie. There is only passion.”
“Find the ruins, they are here. Feel the power flowing around them, it moves and it calls for its master.” I turned my back on her, deciding to forget questions just now. We set off across the ash, moving in silence. The lightning splitting the sky and increasing the feeling of power.
The temple floated into view, as I expected it was a ruin; the walls had crumbled many years before, a sign of the neglect that had befallen this once great place. Buildings torn down, broken towers showed just how vast the complex would have once been, they stood like guards of a glorious past. If you listened carefully you could nearly hear the whisper of many great Jedi crowded into the great hall, or the clash and hum of sabers in the training area.
“The traitor waits, can you feel him? Find him and KILL HIM!” I looked round she stood silently behind me, the cloak pulled over her head hiding her… disfigurement. I looked around the scene before me, and smiled. “Scavengers” I grabbed my saber from my belt and ignited it, I stalked into the main camp that had been set up in what was once the great hall. Steel tents had been set up, and all around were boxes of artefacts and other stolen treasures. I swung for the first scavenger that came to investigate the bright colours of the saber blades. She had done the same and so the intricate dance began. Both whirling sabers and graciously killing everything that moved.
Our movements were synchronised and a perfect pairing. Lighting rained from the sky and I used the power, redirecting it through my fingertips. Saber in one hand flowing through the dance, lightning was jumping from the other. I began to laugh. I could hear the voice swimming through my mind. “The master is strong, he ahs found the power.” I flipped the ignition switch on my saber the silence deafening. “We have done it my lord, they are dead. What now?” she asked slightly breathless from the gentle exertion of the battle.
I closed my eyes looking around with the force; I saw the gentle licking of white flame around a faint aura. “There is a Jedi here, kill it.” She bowed her head. “It is done my Lord.” She set off in his direction her aura unmistakable, the power radiated from her, and it made me giddy to see her again. I set off to watch the fight. I arrived as she had dispatched the last of the guards around the tower. She threw her hood back and ignited her saber, that strange crystal that looked like lava flowing from her hilt. The Jedi was meditating infront of the broken tower; he looked up and recoiled in shock at the vision before him. “Through passion I gain strength.” She advanced on the still kneeling figure that slowly rose to his feet and began to walk backwards in shock. “WHAT DO YOU WANT” the fear was evident in his voice. She replied sweetly “I only seek one thing, that which my master has asked of me. Your death.”
She lunged forward catching the Jedi on the back foot. A saber was suddenly in his hand and the battle began. I found a spot nearby on the wall and watched. “She is strong master, she was an excellent choice.” She parried every blow the Jedi tried to strike her with, and I could see her lips moving, I closed my eyes and concentrated to hear her sweet voice, I caught it floating gently on the wind. “Through strength, I gain power.” With her words her actions became faster and I could clearly see the Jedi failing.
I found a spot nearby on the wall and watched. “She is strong master, feel her power flow through her blade.” She parried every blow the Jedi tried to strike her with, and I could see her lips moving, I closed my eyes and concentrated to hear her sweet voice, I caught it floating gently on the wind. “Through strength, I gain power.” With her words her actions became faster and I could clearly see the Jedi failing. He tripped on a piece of fallen stone and i smiled, she had him now. I could hear the murmur of conversation floating on the wind. “Why do you hold on to your hatred, peace can set you free.” he stuttered fear tainted his words, and poisoned his aura.
“You truly are a blind fool. Peace is a lie, my hatred is not what holds me together, you know nothing of the power of LOVE.”
I could see him frantically scrabbling about in the ash trying to find some sort of weapon and stall for time. I remembered something I had been told a long time ago. “Pray if you are every at the wrong end of a weapon your adversary is an evil person, for they will drink your fear and gloat. A good person will kill you without thinking twice.” I sat forward watching this development carefully. “A true test my master, a test of her loyalty indeed, if she fails KILL HER” She swung the saber neatly severing his head from the rest of his body, gently flames caught his robe and the body was consumed by flame. She calmly reached into the burning robe and withdrew a few small shards of crystal. “She has done well, she found the shards of the master.”
“There is a place you can sleep nearby, an abandoned mining facility. Broken bodies litter the rooms, and saber burns adorn the walls. But you will be safe there tonight.” I called my speeder bike and jumped on, feeling the slight pressure as she held me close, the smell of her strong in my nostrils. I throttled the bike and we shot off in the direction of the facility mentioned. Arriving outside I saw the huge boulders blocking the entrance, the smell of decay and an old fear clung to the warm acrid air. “Something bad happened here.” I slipped from the bike and looked for a way around the boulders, finding a small opening I dropped to my knees and squeezed through. The doors screamed in protest and refused to open; I ignited one end of my saber and began to cut a hole in the door. The feeling and smell of the melting steel comforting. Kicking the last part through the stale air gushed past me and for a moment I was certain I heard a voice. I ignored it and slipped inside.
The smell of neglect was overpowering and the musty smell that went with a crypt was evident. A lot of people had died here. I kept the saber ignited and stealthed through the facility. I had heard stories of automated defences and rogue security druids stalking the corridors of these places. I felt her presence behind me and it gave me strength knowing she was close by.
The silence of the place was only broken by the gentle hum of the lightsabers and our breathing no-one had been there for a long time. The glow from the sabers bounced off the walls giving us enough light to see where we were going. The atmosphere was dark and oppressive and at the edge of hearing I was sure I could hear the clash of sabers and the screams of dying men.
“My lord I feel strange here, there is anger and fear flowing through this place like a river. What happened?”
I took a deep breath, inhaling the feelings and smiled as I felt my connection with the force grow stronger. “A massacre, at the hands of a Jedi. More than that I know not.” The main room was full of bodies, they had not decayed fully the facility acting like a sealed crypt, the skin was like leather, and it was obvious from the faces they had died in fear and terrible pain. I found one of the old bunk rooms near by, throwing the resident body into the corridor I strolled over to the bed and lay down to sleep.
I lay down and closed my eyes feeling her lay beside me, what was happening I didn't understand. But lying here in this place full of death and suffering, I had never felt so alive.
I relaxed my mind and felt myself floating across the lava and land of this planet. "You must find the one called Xos, he was not a strong enough master and he failed to find the shards. Kill him and take what is the masters." the scene changed and I could see a distinctive small island, orbital guns stood proud defenders of this once war ravaged place, and the familiar scavenger huts squatted near by. "He is here, wandering the area, madness flows through his mind., fear gripped his heart when he found out the full extent of the power at his hands. Use her to find him and kill him."
I sat up on the bed and turned to her, "Waken my love its time to fight. Find Xos. Kill him and bring me his shard. Do not fail me." she stirred gently "It is done my master."
She stood from the bed and left the room, stalking off into the surrounding darkness. I relaxed back into the bed, her smell lingering, overpowering. I spent a few moments trying to take stock of what was going on. "She is not real, not capable of love, nor emotion. She is the dark side incarnate. A product of this place and she can never leave." I heard the voice in my mind, not the insidious whispering but a strong kind voice. "The crystal you hold must be destroyed for its nature is betrayal; it will betray and kill you. When the time is right. Do not hide it. DESTROY IT!"
"Lies listen not, I gave you power, I showed you the way, destroy me and you lose the power. Fear me not my master."
I slipped into a fitful sleep, the sound of screams, and sabers clashing flowed through my mind like a river. Above all this I could just hear a voice "Love is a lie, the darkness binds her, and she is incapable of love. Ask her what she remembers. Ask her of the nights under the stars, in Das Imp. Ask her if she loves you?!" I stirred in my sleep, I felt like I was speeding across the landscape, homing in on a furious looking battle near by.
It was her fighting, the hatred twisted her features. Her eyes burning and tears of molten lava flowed down her cheeks. "Is this the woman you loved? Is this creature capable of love? Watch." I watched the battle, turn in her favor and when she neatly severed the head she began to laugh. "No that is not the Kes I knew and loved." she reached into the robe and pulled free a shard of crystal, the light from it bouncing around the landscape. Magnified by the strange glow from her saber blade. I nearly missed the black armored storm trooper as it stalked silently behind her, and fired a stun baton into her lower back. "KESSSSS" I sat bolt upright on the small bunk.
"She betrayed you master, now the inquisitors are here. Find the shards, forget her. FIND THE SHARD!"
I screamed into the darkness. Grabbing the crystal i spent a few moments rooting through my backpack, pulling out the silver sphere I smiled. Spending a few moments binding the crystal to the sphere. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU CAN’T DESTROY ME.”
“Your right, I physically can’t, but I have a sneaky suspicion a thermal detonator and the heat of a lava pool might do the business.” I carefully placed the detonator into my backpack, and headed off in the direction of the central volcano, I knew where Kes had been and I hoped I could pick up the inquisitions tracks from there. I hated the fact I knew little of them apart from scare stories and rumours from my travels across the galaxy. All I knew was no one expected the inquisition.
“Why my master, why destroy me. I gave you the power of life and death. I showed you the way.”“no I already had the power over life and death I chose not to use it. Yes you showed me the force flowing just out of sight on this planet. But I longer need you now. Your insidious whispering is driving me to distraction.”
I left the relative safety of the bunker and jumped onto my bike, speeding off towards the towering mass of rock, and lava that dominated the central plains of this planet.
The lava flowed high from the side of the volcano, the broken starship littered the area, debris spread for miles across the area. The miners were always locating strange things. It seemed the planet itself was trying to help them discover the past and this was just another way of that occurring. I sighed deeply finding the small bridge, tossing the detonator in the air, I caught it and asked “Any last words? Or are you finally going to be silent?”
“The master is awake; the master will strike you down like the others. The power of the crystal is unstoppable.” It suddenly clicked; I was only a pawn in a very deadly game of cat and mouse. This shard had tried to use me and I had let it happen. Pushing the detonator button I waited a few seconds and threw the thermal detonator as far as I could. The silver sphere rotating off an axis due to the weight of the crystal attached to it. There was a barely visible splash as it landed in the lava and I smiled.
Turning away I got the fright of my life when the detonation happened. The huge plume of super heated lava, rose a hundred foot in the air, and began to balloon outwards with the shock from the explosion. The waves of lava rose and began to flow faster than water outwards and the scream above the noise was deafening. I used the force and ran from the sight before me, although majestic and powerful I realized quickly it was going to be a world of pain if I was caught by any off the waves. Rushing towards the shore.
I felt the whispering dissipate and the last words I heard flow through my mind were "The pain is gone now, I am free." I sped away from the incoming waves, and smiled. There were a lot of questions flowing around my mind and fighting for answers. I silenced them all and concentrated on the moment, "The here and now gives me strength, strength to overcome my adversaries." I knew nothing of what I was rushing to fight, all I knew was they wore armor of the blackest night, and they would be well trained. They were hunters of the Jedi. Making them a dangerous adversary indeed, still I have strength and the power of the dark side flowing through me.
I arrived at the spot i had seen in my vision, the landscape exactly as i had seen. The things that were different included the broken corpse, of the Jedi. as i approached i could see the perfect burn mark, where she had severed his head. I failed to notice the troopers silently surround me and the first i realised was when i heard the voice. I looked up from the corpse, seeing the bald headed inquisitor, and the black armored storm troopers, menacingly pointing rifles in my direction.
"Ah I am glad you arrived; keep your weapons on him men. If he moves kill him." The bald headed inquisitor smiled. "Do you know who I am or why I am here? Of course you will not. I am here because a chain of events has been put in motion. The one called Leiowyn struck down the Emperors hand in a saber battle in Restus. This has forced us to track down as many of your kind. Unfortunately for us she disappeared a short time afterwards and as yet we have not tracked her down. She was our first choice, for a replacement." He nearly spat the words in distain. "We give your kind a choice; so far the answers have been... Well incorrect." His sly grin told me all I needed to know. "How many of my kind as you called them, have you butchered?" I watched him cautiously, as a predator would watch the next meal, as he padded around the circle of heavily armed storm troopers, my saber hummed gently, casting the gentle pink glow off the black armor of the trooper. He laughed "We are the empire we do not butcher people, we re-educate them."
I calculated my chances of striking them down. I would have to move very quickly and was unsure what kind of wounds I would receive. If only they stepped forward, they would all be in range. He continued padding his eyes locked with mine. "Your father mentioned you once. Said one day you would be a great asset to the empire. I can see it in your eyes. You would be a fine addition to our cause." The mention of my father took me off guard, and I fought to quickly regain my composure. "You didn’t know he was an inquisitor? Of course you wouldn’t have. Did the one called Loki tell you who killed him? We found his body on Dathomir; it must have been some fight."
I broke eye contact with him, looking at Kes’s broken body. She had been tied to a post and they had clearly beaten her, the saber burns across her body, were clearly visible. No breath forced her chest to rise and I could only guess she was dead. He followed my eyes and smiled. "Ah the abomination, worry not about it. The thing has been eliminated, it was too powerful to let it" he paused for a moment "Live."
I locked eyes with him again, and killed my saber. He smiled and said. "You are the first of your kind to make the right choice. Men take one step forward, commander seize his weapon." The troopers took one step forward, and the commander moved into the circle, and began to reach for my saber. A smile began to tug at my lips and spread across my face. "You know what they say Inquisitor General" I never blinked and he was clearly disturbed by the smile, out of the corner of my eye I saw the commander reaching forward, and I judged the gap to the troopers. "They say through strength I gain victory." Time seemed to slow down and as the head of the commander, bounced twice on the ground, the words started to filter through. "MEN FIRE, KILL HIM!" too slow I thought, and began to spin, the saber blade blurred through the air, and the scene was lit by the furious gunfire. I stopped sweeping and drove the saber into the chest of the nearest wheezing guard. Silence descended, I locked eyes with the Inquisitor once more. "You made two fatal mistakes, master inquisitor. The first was you didn’t kill me straight away and the second!" I paused for a moment letting the death rattle of a guard pass. "You ordered them to step forward, putting them in range." I advanced forward, he stepped backwards, fear tickling across his features and giving me strength. "You failed in your mission, I do love a failure." I swung my saber towards his neck, and was slightly surprised to find the blade connected with my own. I kicked him square in the chest, and the battle began. He was well trained in saber techniques and the battle was evenly matched, back and forth it raged neither gaining an upper hand. I roared in rage and drove forwards; attacking him with all the strength and speed I could muster.
I could see the strain and shock on his face. "Incredible" I could hear him whispering over the din of the battle. He miscalculated an attack and I used the opportunity to strike. Drawing the blade across his windpipe I laughed gently. As he fell to the ground clutching at the wound. Words were mouthed furiously but no sound followed. I saw him scrabbling backwards across the soft ash, towards the circle of dead troopers. He reached for a blaster and I swiftly removed his hand. Placing a foot on his chest to stop him moving, I drove the blade of my saber into his skull. Killing the blade I walked back to my bike, the sound of silence broken by the bark of the engine springing to life.
I sat there, the engine humming gently, and took stock of everything that had happened. The inquisitors’ comments and how easy my anger had been to control. Was it as bad as everyone said, No its not. "Hello Heimdalls Kesi." I looked towards the voice floating across the air, the figure sat on a nearby rock, looking directly at me. His tattered robe signified he was a Jedi, and the blue glow from him meant he was one with the force. "Who are you?" I asked rapidly losing patience with the constant interruptions. "My name is not important I have been called many. What is important is my mission and for that I need your help. I have watched you for a while now. You have done much good here. And I need your help!"
"Wait let me guess some evil, is hell bent on destroying the galaxy and you need me to save it." I asked, I shut off the engine of the bike, and walked over to him sitting close by.
"Why not do it yourself?" I asked.
"As you may have guessed this planet swims with the force and it was not always the fiery landscape you see now. Trees and swamps once dominated this landscape. There was a terrible battle here, many Jedi and Sith died. But one survived, and now his power grows, he holds an item where many souls are trapped and the souls must be freed and the crystal destroyed. This I ask of you. Heimdalls Kesi, redemption can be yours if you succeed." I sighed heavily and pondered for a moment what he had said, "Hmm what is it you want me to do." I asked.
He explained the mission and I set off back to Menxis, I would have to find a hermit, who had located a significant shard of the relic, but it had driven him insane. As I sped across the landscape I laughed. "Never In control of my own **edit** destiny."
I arrived at Mensix, the corpse of the miner had been removed, I thought back trying to remember how long ago I had broken free from this place. But I couldn’t remember. Wrapping the force around me I shuddered gently at the cold. I hated using the force to disappear the cold always chilled my very bones, still I wasn’t here for another fight although it could have been quite fun. I smiled and slipped into the facility. I navigated the halls, surprised at the number of armed guards stalking the corridors. I knew where I was heading and when I arrived the technician looked confused when the door opened and closed of its own accord. I walked up behind the tall technician and grinned childishly. “Time for some fun.” I thought. I took a few steps back and said. “I can see youuu.” I could see him drop the tool he had been holding and spin round. The quiet hum of the druid as it whirred across the room. “H-Hello is anyone there?” the gentle tickle of fear, evident in his voice. “I’m behind you.” I wandered over to the nearby work bench looking at the blue tinge my skin had taken… “Hmm I can’t stay cloaked much longer.”
I picked up a spanner and threw it in his direction. He bolted for the door like a startled animal. I closed the distance quickly, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground. The blue tinge of my skin and the icy grip must have been terrifying. “What is the password for your computer terminal?” I could see him struggling in my grip, fear painted delicately across his features, I could feel his pulse racing. “P-P-Please don’t kill me.” His voice shaky and a little hoarse from the pressure I was exerting on his throat. “Last time what is the password for your terminal?” I looked into his eyes, fear danced across them and I smiled gently, exerting a little more pressure on his throat. He blurted it out quickly, begging me to let him go. I relied simply. “I can’t” and snapped his neck. The lifeless body collapsing to the cold floor. I quickly accessed the terminal, finding the information I required. Wrapping the force around me I shuddered at the cold and slipped out of the facility.
The location was near where I had fought the inquisitor and seen her body for the last time; I hadn’t even said my goodbyes. I had walked up to her broken corpse lifted her lightsaber and left. I skirted round the ruins and headed for the location, as I arrived and jumped from my bike I skirted around the small valley looking for some sign of life, the wind whispered gently through the valley but no sign of life could be found. I heard the screeching before I saw the beasts hurtling towards me, igniting my saber they didn’t get a chance to bite. “Strange” I muttered and turned my attention back to the task at hand.
I heard the muttering whispered on the wind and looked around to see the hermit, wandering through the valley, his clothes were tattered and he held the crystal in his hands reverently. The Blistmoks. Swarmed around him like eddies through water. “The whistling the voices. They won’t stop. Wont stop.” I turned and strolled towards him. “You have something I am after, old man. Give it to me!” He looked at me, his eyes betraying the sheer madness of his mind. “Your outsider, outsider not safe here, the Blistmoks like outsiders. They whisper to me and keep me company in the dark. Outsiders don’t.” I concentrated and forced my way into his mind. “Give me the crystal.” I said. He began to stretch his hands towards me, the crystal glowing gently in the darkness, just as I leant forward to get it. He snapped his hands back. “Outsiders are not welcome here.” He screeched and the four Blistmoks swarmed in for an attack, dispatching them quickly I turned to the old man. Putting more pressure on his fragile mind, “Give me the crystal.”
He dropped to his knees, extending his hand; I grabbed the crystal feeling the warmth pulse through my arm. “You made the voices stop. THE VOICES STOPPED!” he knocked me backwards, and when I turned back to him he had a saber in his hand. The red blade shone deeply in the weak light and glinted off the glasslike sand. He swung sloppily and I easy side stepped; I drew my own saber parrying a few of his weak attacks. He screamed in rage and ran at me. Concentrating through the force I picked him off the ground, and used the power to crush his windpipe. He dropped, silently. I strolled over and picked up his lightsaber, the hilt was of a design I had never before seen, intricate designs swirled around the hilt, which was tempered to a golden colour, a two handed saber i ignited the blade, surprised at how easy and natural it felt to hold, swinging it around i realised it was perfectly balanced for combat. I slipped it into my pack, and turned to leave.
“Did you have to kill him?” I heard the voice and spun round. Staring into the eyes of the blue glowy guy from earlier, “You saw what happened, he attacked me, so yes I had to defend myself”
“There is a fine line, between defense and brutality. And I fear you may cross that line far too often, you leave a wake behind you. Temper your anger or it will destroy you. Now the next part of your mission, the Jedi temples here had a… unique architecture. They channeled the force through conduits. When they were destroyed these conduits were shattered. But the force still flows through them. Find them and recharge the crystal at each one.”
“But how will I find them?” I asked
“Use the force” and with that he faded, back into the nether.
I sat down the soft ash, giving me the feeling of momentarily sinking. The feeling passed and I closed my eyes, calming my breathing and clearing my mind. I reopened my eyes looking around; the gentle halos of white light caught my eye. I noted the locations and sped off, the ruins were located at every compass point. I quickly followed the instructions wedging the crystal into the broken conduits, the force being absorbed and magnifying its power.
When I arrived at the last ruins I realized something was wrong here, the force felt odd, the swirling eddies and flows I had seen at the other ruins, were absent the force was flowing like a river. I followed it to an undisturbed building; the heavy stone plinth in the middle of the floor caught my eye, carved with a strange tongue, the glyphs made the picture clear. They showed a circle of cloaked figures, chanting. With one figure standing at the head of the circle. The next glyph was of an explosion, shards of broken glass thrown in all directions and the circle broken. It showed the planets, moving closer together and the ground ripping asunder with fire flowing through. “What happened here?”
“The Jedi thought they could use the power of the crystal to end a war. They were wrong and all but one paid with there lives, Yes the war ended. But it was a victory with a cost that should never have been paid. The death of a planet and the loss of so many lifes He swung his arms in a wide circle, encompassing the broken ground and rivers of fire flowing through the once beautiful landscape. "Would you class this as a victory?"
“One survived the explosion and for many years he has slumbered in the temple below, with the crystal. He is a being of immeasurable power, because of the crystal. But it is saturated with the power of the dark side, and it has corrupted him beyond all recognition. Your task is to kill him, and destroy the crystal.” I stared through him, feeling the dark side energy flowing through the ground.
I nodded “What must I do?”
I paused for a few moments, laying my pack on the ground and unpacking the saber I had gathered, carefully opening my fathers saber I removed the banes heart “Time to give you a new home, my friend.” I gently opened the Hilt I had recovered from the old hermit, staring at the amazing workmanship that had gone into its construction. I gently slotted my Banes heart into it, and reassembled the hilt. Igniting the blade, I smiled as it sprung to life. The power pulsing gently through my hand, I swung the saber a few times, feeling the balance point. I reassembled my fathers saber and gently placed it back into my pack. “Time to leave your shadow.” I stood up and moved over to the slab of rock.
I used the force, lifting the heavy slab of rock, and throwing it into the nearby river. The stale air rushed past, sighing as though freedom was long overdue. I jumped into the hole, looking around cautiously. The cavern was dark the orange glow creating long flickering shadows, that danced in the pulsing orange light. The huge chunk of crystal was suspended in a frame of ornate bronze. The old man appeared again. “This is it, we are so close now. It must be destroyed, quickly do it now.” I ignited my saber, the purple glow from my blade, fighting abck the creeping orange glow. “GET AWAY FROM THERE!” I heard the roar of anger and looked around, to see the towering figure storming towards me. “YOU OLD FOOL, A CHILD TO DO YOUR DIRTY WORK. I WILL NOT BE BEATEN, Heimdalls step away and leave or be destroyed.”
I stepped over to the crystal and touched it, I felt the power flowing from the crystal, the power wrapping itself around my heart and mind, I dropped to my knees as the feeling made my head spin. “YOU FOOL, YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUE POWER OF THE DARK SIDE.” The feeling passed and I rose back to my feet. “IMPOSSIBLE, ONLY I CAN HAVE THE POWER.” He drew his saber and ran towards me, striking wildly. I felt the blades connect and I could feel his power and his hatred flow from him like water. “Heimdalls you must defeat him, you have the power of the crystal flowing through you. USE IT”
He drove me to my knees his strength, unbelieveable. I fought back and forced myself into a standing position, grinning as the shock spread across his features. i kicked him back and swung my saber. The battle flowed across the room, neither finding an edge. But both tiring quickly, i concentrated and pulled more of the force around me strengthening my armor and my tired bones and heart renewed. I pulled all my hatred and fear and shaping it into a dagger i drove it into my heart, bellowing in rage i fought him to his knees. He swept my legs from under me and as i landed i felt the pain shooting through my arm. He scrabbled through the dirt grabbing his saber and advancing. i lunged at him taking him offguard and hit him square in the face with my saber hilt, the blood gushed from it and he squeeled in pain, his vision blurred and i could see the tears of shock flowing down his face. He swung wildly and blindly and i easily parried his attacks. I could see he was weakend and it gave me some more strength.
through the wild tangles of hair i could see the pure hatred and slight tinge of fear in his eyes.They told me all i needed to know and without breaking contact i surged forward. The battle was nearing its end, his attacks became wilder and sloppier. The voice began in my mind as a whisperbut grew in volume distracting me from the fight. "Your redemption is at hand." the female voicewhispered through my mind. "So much anger, but soon you can leave it behind, you have made greatprogress and fallen so far into darkness. But the light can still penetrate it and lead you back. BELIEVE!"
He made a foolish mistake and the grin spread across my tired features, i used it to full advantage and struck at his throat. Hearing the high pitched shreak that eminated from him as both hands rushed to close the wound, now gently dripping black. "Its over!" his eyes gripped mine and his hands squeezed tighter, his high pitched wheezing formed words. "You have freed me from this hell, a
war is brewing in the darkness. Take the crystal protect it and when the time comes use its power."
his eyes faded ad his body keeled forward into the puddle of darkness spreading from him. "Remember Talus." The voice flowed through my mind again, i staggered over to the glowing figure of the old man. "My work here is done now let me leave." he looked at me sadness flowed across his features. "Im afraid i cant, you need to destroy it!" the anger pulsed "DESTROY WHAT?! Hes dead its over." i turned to look at the crystal its gentle hypnotic pulsing lit the temple, and i could feel the power calling my name. "Remember Talus. Dont forget." the voice drowned everything else out, and i screamed. "WHAT ABOUT TALUS! LEAVE ME BE!"
"Heimdalls, FOCUS. Take your saber and destroy this evil, end it then you can be free."
Thoughts of Talus, my recovery from the shot that nearly killed me. Kes dragging me half dead into the medical facility and the kind people who had extracted what was left of the bullet. The lazy days we had spent discovering each other and generally letting the glaxy slip us by. Those had been times of bliss before the war, before everything changed.
The voice snapped my attention back to the present, the old man screamed at me "TAKE YOUR SABER AND DESTROY THIS INFERNAL THING. YOU ARE STRONG NOW DO IT!"
Despite his words i found my hand drawn to the crystal, it pulsed hypnotically, feeding the force within me. I felt the power flowing through my veins and knew what i was going to do. I raised my saber above my head and stalked towards the crystal. The old man sighed in relief "Thank the force Heimdalls, thank the force, you have done it." as i stood before it saber raised i saw my reflection and my future in the pulsing reflections, cast by my blade. Two paths lay before me at the end of one death and at the end of the other... well.
I killed my saber and reached forward, the shock blowing me backwards and i crashed through one of the statues surrounding the edge of the temple, flakes of marble floated through the air like dust, the wind roared and i thought i could hear laughter and crying. I looked around dazed, to see the empty stand where the crystal had been. The old man had somehow destroyed it.
"Heimdalls i am sorry, but i knew you would take this path. The anger has clouded your mind and your aura truly is a dark one. I have destroyed the crystal your kind will never be allowed to win. Now go leave me to my misery, and my damnation"
I screamed in rage, surging across the room like water. and driving my saber through the ghost. "As i thought Heimdalls, you cant control your anger. So many have been down this path before and so many have fallen. I stopped counting. The dark side is strong. But you had a chance for repentance."
I grabbed the nearest shard of crystal, hearing the old mans laughter peircing through me. "Take it, although it still has some power in it. You will only be reminded of your failure. Goodbye Heimdalls Kesi"
COMMENTS
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TaintedAngel14
23:04 Mar 07 2009
ohhh..my god 0.o...its like..wow...i loved it..