Siege of the Force, Alternate Star Wars Universe Story

[Flammable Fun]

Backstory:

I’m not going to bother writing this part formally since I’m basically just explaining the backstory of this SW fanfic.

So, I’m going to try something a little different in this story. I’m using the same Star Wars universe, such as the vehicles, planets, technology, factions... that kind of stuff. Although in this story, I’m going to build my own history, situations, systems, etc. Anyway, there’s a Jedi Order with a GrandMaster, Knights and Masters who have padawans, padawans take the Knight trials when they’re ready, so the Jedi Order is the same. With the Sith Order, though, there are only five Sith- one Dark Lord and four Sith Lords. Everyone else is either a Hollow trooper or a Dark Jedi.

On Kamino, there’s a clone factory. It produced clones for the Republic until the Sith took it over and started using it to producing their own Clone troopers called Hollow troopers. At this point in the story, there aren’t as many Hollow troopers as Clones, but there are almost as much. Also, the Republic ordered a Republic general to be cloned, but the Sith switched it out for a high class bounty hunter who was killed shortly after. However, the Clone facility still had the DNA sample to make clones that were a little darker and more ruthless and unfeeling, called Hollow troopers. Republic Clones wore clone armor similar to the one posted in the picture on the top, and Hollow trooper armor is pictured on the bottom.


Shot at 2007-07-17[
Shot at 2007-07-17

The Jeh Dai (Hip lingo for Jedi XD) Order’s main temple is on Corellia, which I’ll describe in the story. The secret Sith temple is on Dathomir, which will also be described later on. The Sith have been secretive for a very long time and had only recently started to come out of hiding when they conquered the Kamino facility. They’ve still yet to make large commotion in the galaxy.

Anyway, that’s probably all you need to know. I may add a bit more in story as it goes on.

[Flammable Fun]

Chapter I

A man in a dark brown cloak stood at the bar in the cantina, his green eyes glancing around slowly. A band of Bith musicians playing an old tune, some drunk Twi’leks and Ithorians, a couple of Rodian thugs, and a few shady humans wearing clothes that covered their entire bodies.. Then another man wearing a black cloaked walked up to the bar, and glared at the brown robed men. The brown cloaked man pushed away from the bar and went into the back area of the cantina which was almost always dark and never had anyone in it.

The one in the black followed when no one was looking, sticking to the shadows and staying absolutely silent. When he entered the room, he reached for a silver object concealed in his cloak and pulled it out. The one in the brown cloak turned and watched the man. A crimson light extended from the edge of the object and formed into a blade, and the man raised it into the air. Stepping forward, he was about to swing the lightsaber, when the three shady-looking humans in the bar stormed in and drew blaster rifles, one firing a single shot at the Dark Jedi’s wrist. The man in the brown cloaked raised his hand and pulled the saber to his hand almost magnetically.

“In the name of the Republic, you are under arrest.” the brown cloaked Jedi said, with a smirk.

One of the humans with a blaster rifle reached for a utility belt and took stun cuffs, and he locked it onto the Dark Jedi’s wrist.

“Clones, take him to the ship. I’m going to scout out the rest of Mos Eisley to see if there are any more of them” the Jedi said.

“Yes sir.” said the Clone troopers, pulling him away from the cantina and into a Republic cruiser. The ship took off from the sandy surface of Tatooine and sped off toward Corellia.

The Jedi Knight, named Cythor Rajax, started through the city, questioning citizens, but to no avail... not a single Dark Jedi was there. Interesting that a lone Dark Jedi would simply turn up and attack a stranger. Surely there would be an interrogation, so he took off in his own blue Jedi Interceptor and flew to Corellia. The sprawling metropolis of Coronet was a forest of skyscrapers and streets, which was surrounded by golden plains and a few rivers and trees. The highest skyscraper was the Grand Jedi Tower, the main Temple of the galaxy.

Next to it was a large starport with all sorts of Republic ships and essentially a parking lot for citizens’ vehicles and ships. Cythor’s Jedi Interceptor descended down into the hangar and touched the ground, and the Jedi Knight jumped out. Walking through the sleek hangar and into one of the many connections to the Jedi Temple, he stepped into a turbolift and shot up to the top floor in a few seconds. There was a circular corridor surrounding a round room, the Council chamber. He walked to a door and glanced at the green light on the control panel, which signified that there was no meeting and that anyone with a keycard could enter.

Taking out his electronic keycard, he slipped it into the control panel and the door opened immediately. Rajax stepped in and walked to the center, bowing before the Jedi Masters of the Council.

Giving a nod, Jedi Master Jucan Raynd said “Excellent work on apprehending the Dark Jedi in Mos Eisley... However, he refuses to give any information on who he serves or why he attacked you. That alone shows that he has something to hide.” The Bothan Jedi had a coat of gray fur and wore black Jedi robes. “Although, who could have the power or influence to hire a Dark Jedi as an assassin?”

“In the times of the Old Republic, the Sith Lord used to have Dark Jedi work under him... Although, the Sith haven’t turned up in over 200 years. Why would they assemble suddenly?” another Council member said.

“They’ve apparently been working in secrecy.” said a voice from the doorway. As it slid open, a Jedi in dark tan robes walked in. Probably in his late fifties, he had messy, dark gray hair with thick stubble and blue eyes. “We’ve had reports that an unknown party has attacked and taken over our Clone facility on Kamino a few weeks ago... I’m not sure why we hadn’t gotten the report sooner.”

“Grandmaster Arador Kentos, welcome back.” said Jucan.

Arador bowed and took his seat. “Hello, young Rajax. How did your mission go?”

“The Clones and I arrested a Dark Jedi. Successful, I think.”

“Good. Now, I hope you don’t mind being sent on another mission so early, tomorrow to be exact. You will go to the Clone facility and investigate... there will be a great deal of danger most likely, so we’re sending another Council member, Lana Sinthor, with you.”

“Of course not.” Cythor replied. Lana Sinthor was a female Jedi Knight, about the same age as Cythor. She was a human with long, dark brown hair and brown eyes. Also, she was the youngest to be on the Council, and also the only Knight.

“You leave for Kamino tomorrow morning. Oh, and keep in mind there’s an open seat on the Council.” Arador said with a smile. “Now, go get some rest.”

[Flammable Fun]

Chapter II

The masters of the Dark Side have secretly plagued the galaxy for years. These five Sith rule over an army of Dark Jedi and Hollow troopers, each having their own special qualities and each wielding unbelievable power. These are the Sith Lords.

The first Sith Lord is Darth Ravageous. His body’s sheer power makes him a terror that would make even a Jedi Master tremble. As a Zabrak, he has natural warrior instinct, endurance, and will. Other than this, he his consumed by rage and the Dark Side making him a savage monster that can crush almost any opponent thrown at him. The weapons Ravageous wielded were two saber claws attached to his wrist that emitted two saber blades each, forming claws. His Zabrak Tattoo is a single design on his face; the skull of a ferocious beast. There couldn’t be a more suitable marking.

Darth Alluria was another Sith Lord, this one being a female. A human with silverish hair and golden eyes, her ability could seduce anyone with the right coaxing. All she had to do was draw in close, put one hand on his face, caress him, then blast his head off with his own blaster. However, most of the time she just liked to slice them apart with her lightsaber and lightdagger. She was quite the fighter with dual sabers and was a master of stealth, making her one of the deadliest women in the universe.

Next is the great Lord Terantatek. He is one of the only Sith Lords who hadn’t been granted a Sith name, but that doesn’t make him any less of a Sith. Rather than give himself a Sith title, he renamed himself after an extinct monster called the Terantatek, which had titanic strength and fed on the Force power of the Jedi. While Lord Terantatek did not have the power of the other Sith Lords and was perhaps even weaker than them in terms of fighting ability, his skill and knowledge of the Force was what made his name suitable for him. He even went as far as created his own drain ability that allowed him to feed on a Jedi’s very connection to the Force, possibly extending his life length. It is this that the Dark Lord noted when he chose him as a Sith Lord, and he believes that Terantatek is at least a hundred years old. He appears to be half that age.

Directly under the Dark Lord himself is the worst of the Sith Lords, Darth Cryptus. Mastering every lightsaber form to the highest degree and even adding onto them and creating his own style, he is just barely weaker than the Dark Lord. It is this reason that makes him train intensely each and every day, so that one day he might become the leader of the Sith. Cryptus’ race is Korrunai giving him dark skin. He lost his voice when he witnessed the slaughter of his tribe and was put into shock. He would’ve been killed as well if it weren’t for a young Jedi who had left the Order who had saved him. The rogue Jedi trained him in the Force and eventually took him on as his apprentice. Later falling down the path of the Dark Side, he became one of the most mysterious Sith Lords to ever live.

The last is the Dark Lord of the Sith, the most powerful Dark Sider in the universe, Darth Anathemal. Nothing is known about his race or appearance since he completely eradicated his identity from before he embraced the Dark Side, and after he did he concealed himself with a mask, hood, and ancient Sith armor. When this happened, he actually managed to have the Dark Side destroy his old self and replace it with what he had became. He hadn’t mastered all of the saber forms to the degree that Darth Cryptus had, but he was unbelievably talented with his lightsaber. The reason Cryptus hadn’t killed him already was because of his sheer control of the Force and his natural resistance to it. Not many have faced him for two reason; the first is that even when standing miles away from him would have you feel tremors in the Force. The second is that those who had dared cross him had their corpses left at his enemies’ doorsteps... just the sight of the mutilated bodies caused some to go insane.

These Sith Lords, served by the Dark Jedi and Hollow Troopers, were only just making their presence known. Very soon, they would begin a bloody scourge that would burn into the Republic for centuries to come. It was only a matter of time, and Arador Kentos knew this more than anyone.

[Siri_Jaeh_Kenobi]

*reviews just because he asked people to n the c-box*

:p

just kidding. ;)

hmm.. so far i'm interested, hooked, and i so definitely want to read more!

i kinda miss reading star wars fan fics.. :D i love reading fan fics, especially if they're from the movies i love and... *trails off* enough.. :D

anyway, keep up the great work, would certainly like to read more! ^_^

[Flammable Fun]

Chapter III

A flashing storm was tearing across the dark skies of Kamino, reflecting off the sea that dominating the planet. A Type-2 Jedi Starfighter descended from the clouds, coming down on a water-proof landing pad. The ramp of the ship extended, and the two Jedi stepped down from it. Cythor observed his surroundings and started toward the door, and Lana kept her lightsaber in hand.

"Careful, Cythor. This place was attacked, and whoever did it probably left someone... or something behind."

Cythor nodded at her and said "Can't sense anything, though. Give me a second." He focused the Force to his sight and sent it outward, permeating the walls and spanning the facility. There was something, but he wasn't sure. "Let's go. Whatever's in there we'll find anyway."

They stepped through the door that had its lock broken and stepped in. It had a few burn marks, most likely from blaster shots, along the entrance. "Whoever came in was shot at immediately. Most of them apparently missed." Lana said.

"Yeah. Heh, this is just like our first missions together. With master Raind." Cythor said, walking down the hallway."

Lana smiled and nodded, saying "Hey, why aren't you on the Council yet? You beat me and other Masters in sparring matches all the time."

"Well, the Council said-" Cythor was cut off by blaster shots that he dodged with his Jedi senses. He gripped his lightsaber and ignited the blue blade forward. Several shots were deflected by it, and Cythor looked at where the shots were coming from.

A Twi'Lek was standing there with a gun, and Cythor immediately Force gripped him and lifted him off the ground, causing him to drop his blaster. Cythor pulled the blaster to him with the Force and released the grip on the Twi'Lek man.

Lana kept her saber in hand but did not activate it. "We mean no harm, we're Jedi!" she exclaimed.

The Twi'Lek immediately responded. "I'm sorry, I did not know. But so much had happened in these weeks, why didn't you come sooner?"

"We didn't get the signal any sooner, otherwise we would've shown up. Are you a cloner? What happened here?" Lana said, putting away her weapon.

"Yes, I am... Yesterday, we were attacked by strange men in black. They wielded Jedi swords, like you, but they were all red. It came out of no where, they took us by surprise. There were guards patrolling the entrance, but these men cut them down without a second thought."

"Dark Jedi. What did these people look like, exactly?" Cythor said, as his blade shrunk back into the hilt.

"Black cloaks, hooded... they had masks that covered their faces, but their eyes were yellow, but they were so lifeless... They just struck us down, not saying a word, not stopping. I managed to escape, but they did injure me." he said.

"Stay still." Lana said, approaching the Twi'Lek. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and resonated the Force through his body. His wounds came together, and his bruises faded.

"I feel... much better! Thank you, Jedi." the Twi'Lek said, checking on his healed wounds. "Anyway, as I was saying, there was one of these... 'Dark Jedi' that was different from the others. He had very dark skin, but no hood and he had some sort of black armor. He kept cloth over his mouth so that I couldn't see it, but the way he moved his blade... it swirled with such speed, such grace. He was obviously much more skilled than the other attackers. Also, he was able to fire lightning from his hands! It was horrible, I watched my friends burned and electrocuted by him."

"Force lightning... a Sith technique." Lana said. "Do you think...."

"The Sith? They haven't been around in a while. The Council should hear about this. Did these men... by any chance... make any clones?"

"They.... They did. I'm sorry, but there was nothing we could do. They threatened that they had the power to destroy the entire planet, destroying our facilities and killing us all. They gave us specifications for the armor, what DNA sample to use, and how to train them. We worked for weeks before they left with their army... killing everyone except me as they left."

"Damn it... this isn't good at all. Dark Jedi and rogue Clone Troopers? What would they that for other than war?" Cythor said."

"I'm not sure... is there anything else you can tell us?" Lana asked.

"No, I'm afraid not. All they made clear was that they wanted their clones and that they wanted no one to survive."

"I suppose that's all we can do, for now. We should go back to report this to the Council. Come with us back to Corellia, you should be safe there." Lana offered.

"No, it is fine. I have to get some equipment and look for survivors. There's a shuttle in the back that I can take when I'm done."

"You sure? It's not safe here, the Dark Jedi could come back at any time." Cythor said, turning around and starting toward the exit.

"Yes, it is alright. I do not intend to stay here long. Thank you again for healing me, Jedi. Good luck."

Lana smiled and nodded, following Cythor out the door and into their starfighter. As it flew off into the clouds, the Twi'lek turned around and pulled out a comlink.

A raspy, metallic voice answered. But it was like it echoed straight through his mind, like the voice wasn't coming from the comlink. "Did the Jedi come?"

"Y-Yes. They did. I did not t-tell them about your plans, my lord." the Twi'Lek said into the comlink.

"Did you tell them about our army?"

"Well, yes."

"Since you have served me, I will let you live. However, my apprentice has asked me for your services. You will take your shuttle to Dathomir, and my apprentice will come to you and lead you to our temple."

"N-No. No! You have killed my friends, and I'll never serve the Sith."

"I do not like to force other people to do my bidding, nor do I like to kill unnecessarily... But you leave me little choice. Your fate will be the former."

Suddenly, a shock went through the Twi'Lek's mind. He couldn't see, hear, or move. The shock spread through his head and body, and he was lost in a sea of darkness. Falling to his knees, the Twi'Lek screamed as his thoughts were destroyed and his mind was completely altered. The Twi'Lek stood and opened his eyes, which were completely white and vacant.

"Now... fly your ship to Dathomir."

The Twi'Lek turned off his comlink and walked to the shuttle in the facility's garage, setting the coordinates to Dathomir.

[Siri_Jaeh_Kenobi]

that was.. vaguely creepy... :D

carry on.. ;) what happens next?!

[Flammable Fun]

This.... BEHOLD!!!!

Chapter IV

"This news is very disturbing. We have Clones forces, but could they ever this new army and a group of Dark Jedi?" said master Jucan Raynd with a grim expression on his face.

"While that is an issue to be addressed, that is not our main concern. The Dark Jedi aren't an organized order, so I find it unlikely that they unified themselves with leaders of their own kind." Arador Kentos said, stroking his chin. "I fear that our first thoughts may have been correct.... the Sith may have very well risen again."

"I doubt the Sith would be gone forever, no matter how many of them fall. There's always a Dark Side, and while that exists, the Sith can recreate their order at any time." Lana said, sitting in her Council seat.

"This is true. We'll just have to assume that they exist once again." a councilor said.

"Um, there was one more thing. The survivor we found said that one of the attackers looked differently from the others and was much more powerful." Cythor noted.

"That sounds like a Sith to me." Jucan said.

"Perhaps the Sith world of Korriban would hold more clues. Even though the two Sith academies and many Sith temples and tombs were destroyed centuries ago at the Great Sith Scourge, there is one that we neglected to do anything at. It was extremely well guarded, and sending Jedi there would only be suicide. That was a long time ago, though. There are no Sith soldiers to guard it anymore, so it should be fairly safe to explore." another councilor, Jekk Taar said. He was an Ithorian Jedi Master with maroon skin and gray eyes.

"Korriban is a dangerous place, Sith or not. Tukatas and Shyracks infest the mountains and caves. I feel that we would be sending a Jedi to their death." Jucan said.

Jekk Taar nodded and replied. "I see little choice. This tomb may be our only means of acquiring information on the Sith. Obviously there was some reason it was so heavily guarded during the Scourge. I'm not necessarily saying we should, but we could always send a Master. In fact, I will go."

"Very well then, if that is your decision." Raynd said.

"I'll come as well, if you wish Master Taar." Lana said.

"Lana, don't worry about it. I'll go." Cythor interjected.

"I'm afraid you're still too inexperienced for this mission, my old Padawan You too, Lana." Raynd said.

"Very well." Lana said compliantly.

"I've never failed a mission, though. Why can't I go on this one? It won't hurt, will it?" Cythor retorted.

"That's the kind of arrogance that keeps you off the Council, young Rajax." a Councilor said strictly. "You are dismissed."

Cythor was about to interject again, but he thought twice about arguing with the Council. He bowed and walked out of the Council chamber.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I will begin my mission immediately. I'll be taking a couple of Clones with me, should I run into danger." Jekk said.

"Feel free to do so, Master Taar. I hope you're correct and that you manage to find something in that place." Arador said, as the Ithorian Jedi left the room.

As Jekk left the room, he called to the Jedi Knight, Cythor, who was about to step into the turbolift. "Come back for a minute."

Cythor stepped away from the lift and walked to Jekk. "Yes, Master?"

"You can come with me, if you would like. There's no harm in it, and I could use the help."

"Oh, of course. Thank you, Master Taar. Are we leaving now?"

"We are, meet me at Hangar Bay 3. I'm going to get a bit more help for this mission... I have a feeling it will be more than just grave digging."


On the other side of the galaxy, dark skies and clouds cast shadows over the tarpits of Dathomir. All plant life was dead, enormous insects infested the swamps. Then, of course, there were the Force sensitive NightSisters. In their prime, they were a tribe of female Dark Siders; now they were reduced to Dark Jedi serving the Sith against their will, essentially being slaves.

A stone hatch was concealed in the swamp, opening up to a staircase that lead to the hidden Sith Order. It was rather small, being built completely underground, but it served its purpose. A hallway at the bottom of the stairs split into five rooms: a training room, a meditation chamber, a research and archives room, the Council of the Sith Lords, and a large room that would normally be used for item storage, but was now used as training grounds for the new Hollow Troopers.

In the Sith Lord Council chamber, four figures sat at a long table. At the end of the table as a hooded man whose body was entirely cloaked. A hood hung over his face, and all that was visible was a black mask that covered any showing skin. A cold, metallic voice echoed through the other three Sith Lords at the table. "Lord Terantatek is on Korriban, in the the tomb. The Jedi are going there, they know that something is there."

"I still think you should have sent me. I haven't had any victims in such a long time." a woman at the table said, Darth Alluria. She wore a revealing leather suit that showed her pale arms, thighs, and a part of her lower torso, all padded in Sith armor. The small amount of candle light reflected off her silvery hair, with her blood thirsty expression was also visible.

"In due time, Alluria. In the future, there will be a battle. It will all unravel to my plan to gain access to the Tower's summit. That's when everything we've worked for, all of our secrecy and careful planning... but before that, there certain people who must fall." Anathemal said.

Darth Cryptus was leaning back, his arms crossed, his eyes closed. He was in a deep meditation, yet he heard every word his fellow Sith said. However, he did not speak. This was not necessarily because of his voice being gone, or him being in meditation, but even if he could speak... he wouldn't. It was his nature to listen, not interfering and watching how things play out naturally. Then he would make action in any way he saw fit. Until then, his silence seemed to measure the threat that he posed to everyone around him.

The Zabrak spoke. "I will lead our warriors into battle. The Jedi will fall within hours."

"Yes, you will lead the front assault, along with Cryptus. The rest of us will go directly to the tower and reach the top... Before then, though, the Chosen must be killed." Anathemal said, his head low.

"Excuse my ignorance, but what are the Chosen?" Ravageous asked.

"It is something that only Darth Cryptus and I know of. However, it is time I revealed it to you... The ancient holocrons that hold information on the Tower describe three people that must be defeated in battle, stripped of the Force, or brought to the Dark Side. They are known as the Eldest, the Enlightened, and the Savior."

"That seems rather cryptic. Is that all you know?" Alluria asked.

"Yes, but each of the titles refers to a person... I am not sure I understand who exactly, although they are all still alive, none have fallen to the Dark Side, and none have had their connection to the Force severed. Terantatek can accomplish all of this alone, but the only thing I must know is who to target. When Terantatek returns with the holocron, we must seek another holocron... hopefully, the last one. I believe these holocrons contain the who holds those titles, and once we obtain them there will be no escape for the Jedi."

[Siri_Jaeh_Kenobi]

ohh.. the Chosen.. very intriguing... great post.. ^_^

*waits for next post*

[Flammable Fun]

Ok.

Chapter V

Cythor and Jekk Taar stepped out of the Republic cruiser, on a rocky cliff. Korriban's sky was dark, but still maintained an orange glow that spread across the vast desert. Cythor started walking along the cliff, looking down from a slope.

"Is this it?"

"Yes" Jekk said. "The ruins are around here some where in that area, over there." He pointed at a line of cliffs a couple hundred meters away.

"Wait, do you see that? It looks like... a hut. There are lights. Maybe someone lives there?" Cythor squinted at a small structure with a few torches around it. He started sliding down the cliff on his feet and landed on the tough sand below.

"Proceed with caution. I sense a small amount of Force aura inside." he said, followed the Jedi Knight down. Two Clones stepped out of the shuttle and followed as well.

Cythor walked slowly to the hut and called out. "Is anyone in there?"

There was silence, but a dark figure stepped out of the hut. It was hooded and cloaked in a black robe lined with gold. There were ritualistic markings on the robes and a gold chestplate. Under the hood was a black mask, also lined with gold. It had a visor that extended in a line down the middle of it, and it didn't reveal any of his face.

"Who are you?" Cythor asked.

"Someone that you want no part of. Why are you here, Jedi?" said a low, but quiet, voice that echoed from behind the mask.

"Do you have a name?" Cythor asked again.

"Not anymore. If you must address me by something, I am known as the Exile of the Eclipse.... Now, I will ask you again. Why are you here?"

"We're looking for something... a Sith tomb in the hills. Is there anything about it that you can tell us?" Jekk said, approaching.

"You must be talking about the Tomb of the Fallen.... The only thing I can tell you is that you'll die there. Maybe this one.... the human... will survive. He's powerful, that I can tell you."

"My name's Cythor, and I doubt I'm stronger than a Jedi Master. I'm only a Knight. And how do you know how strong we are?

"Ranks and titles mean nothing. And like most Force adepts, I know how strong someone is with the Force."

"You're a Jedi?" Jekk asked.

"No."

"Then you're a Dark Jedi?" Jekk asked, throwing out another question.

"Your questions are not thought out. I do not label myself with your terminology, I am simply a user of the Force... though my connection is almost completely severed."

"How is that possible?" Cythor asked.

"I will not answer any more of your questions... If you wish to go into the tomb, that is your own foolish decision." the man said. He turned into his hut and closed the door, a lock sliding in place."

Jekk turned around, motioning for the Clones and Cythor to follow. They started toward the hills, and made their way to a stone stairway. It led up to a door that slid open once they stepped near it, and the Jedi and Clones entered. It was dark, with a few skeletons and urns in the halls. There was a door at the end, but it was locked.

“Clones... can you blow your way through this door?” Cythor asked, feeling the massive door. It was a few feet thick, made of Mandalorian ore. “This metalwork is Mandalorian.”

One of the Clones spoke. “In that case, we could use a detonation pack to break through. Nothing much more you could do, your lightsabers won’t do much, let alone cut deep enough to open it.”

“Very well, we will use your detonation pack. But place it carefully... It could destroy the structure itself if it’s too close to the ceiling.” Jekk noted.

The Clone nodded and took a detonation pack from his utility belt. He walked to the door and placed it at the bottom, activating it. Motioning for the others to stand back, he used the remote to detonate the pack. It exploded, blowing the bottom of the door and making the hallway collapse around it. The corridor around the door became a pile of rubble, replacing the door with a pile of rocks.

“Hmm... It destroyed the door, but we still can’t get through.” Jekk Taar said.

“No, we can get through.” Cythor said, stepping forward. He raised his hands and drew the Force to his hands, sending a shockwave of Force energy through the air and to the rubble. It was blown back into the room beyond, leaving a partially clear path. “There, no problem.”

The Ithorian Jedi nodded and stepped into the opening, walking into a circular room. Cythor and the Clones did the same, and Cythor observed his surroundings. It was made of gray stone with mounted crystals which emitted a blue glow that illuminated the room. In the center was a pedestal with a cage on it that raised up when they entered. It revealed a cubical object emblazoned with symbols that glowed blue, like the crystals that surrounded it.

“The holocron....” Jekk said, taking it off the pedestal. “It’s an artifact of the Dark Side. We should be careful when handling it.”

“Sir, there’s someone else coming.” a Clone said, turning around and raising his gun at the corridor.

A shadow walked through the opening, revealing a man. He had gray hair with a full beard and almost glowing orange eyes. “The tomb of the Fallen is truly something to behold, is it not?” he said. He had a gentle voice, without a hint of aggression.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Cythor immediately asked.

“I’m... just an archaeologist. Many ruins here on Korriban, yes. An interesting place.... with interesting things. I found this tomb long ago, a little after that big battle the Jedi had here. I wasn’t as weak as I am now, but I couldn’t get past this door. You people got past it, though. Are you Jedi? I can see from your Clones that you’re from the Republic.”

“We are Jedi, yes.” Jekk said. “How did you manage to find this tomb?”

“Ah, I’ve read much about the Tomb of the Fallen... The last place of the Sith. Before they died, anyway. I found it from many clues that drew to these hills. Now I know that it is true.... The holocron is here, and... Well, quite frankly, it belongs to me.”

“I’m sorry, explorer, but the Jedi Order needs this holocron. I can’t tell you much, but we believe this holocron can help us save the Republic.” Jekk said, concealing the holocron in his robes.”

The old man sighed. “I assure you, I will put the holocron to better use... Allow me to show you that it will be put into more capable hands.” He raised his hand, and one of the Clones were lifted into the air. He screamed out loud as his body was crushed inward and his bones were shattered. His neck snapped, and his crippled body fell to the floor.

Cythor and Jekk drew their lightsabers, and Cythor jumped forward. He swung it overhead, igniting a blue shaft of energy. The old man ducked and reached into his bag, pulling out his own lightsaber. He met the blue blade with his own red blade and slashed quickly, knocking Rajax back.

Jekk activated his green blade and raised it up, and the old man had cast a surge of lightning at the group. Jekk deflected it with his saber, but Cythor was knocked back when trying to attempt it. The remaining Clone was sent flying through the air, dead. The old man proceeded to raise his other hand, and the electricity turned red. It passed through the Jedis’ sabers and hit their body, and Cythor felt the Force being drained from him. It left his body through the bolt of electricity and went into the man’s fingers, fueling his energy.

“Ah, that should keep me alive for another five years.” the old man said.

“Who.... who are you?” Jekk said, falling to his knees.

“You can call me... Lord Terantatek.” he replied, stepping to Jekk and raised his saber. “It’s the last name you’ll be hearing, I’m afraid.” Terantatek was not lying as he brought his blade to the Jedi Master’s neck, slicing into his jugular and ending his life.

“No!” Cythor yelled. He struggled into his fighting stance, Form V, Shien.

“How valorous of you... standing up to a Sith Lord. However, no matter how powerful they are, stripping the Force from a Jedi Knight leaves them nothing. At this point, you have no chance of surviving this encounter.” he smirked.

“So... You have returned to your home world.” said a voice from the corridor. The Exile of the Eclipse stepped through the pathway, his hood casting a dark shadow over his gold-lined mask. “It’s time to fulfill my promise... You die today, Rahvin.”

[Siri_Jaeh_Kenobi]

yay! battle!

[Flammable Fun]

Well, it isn't long at all. However, in one or two chapters there will be a much longer fight sceneChapter VI

“You.... you call me by my real name after all this time... I have turned away from the Eclipse. I am disgusted by its weakness, but you.... You don’t even deserve to be called by your real name. You are the Exile, nothing more.” Terantatek said, turning to the caped figure standing behind him. “You are scarred, rejected, and now you are weak. Yet still you plague this universe.”

Cythor looked up, squinting his eyes. It was so hard for him to see, though he recognized the specter as the man he had seen before. The voices were barely audible to him, but even the parts that he could hear made no sense to him. Eclipse...? What’s going on? He tried to get up again, but the Sith had made him so weak. He lifted up his lightsaber, which now felt ten pounds heavier to him. “What’s.... going on? Who are you.... people?...”

“Stay out of this, Jedi. I will protect you, but you will not intervene in what I have come here to do.” He turned to the Sith Lord again. “You are also scarred, Rahvin. You abandoned us, you are nothing more than an exile either. You do not deserve to live after what you did to me.... to the Order. I regret that you won’t be able to live with the pain that has burned my very existence since my exile.”

“If you’ve come seeking revenge for my actions, then go ahead... You are right that I am an exile, like you. But it was a self-exile, and I am a new person now. Rahvin died when he was exiled. Now only Lord Terantatek walks in his wake.”

The Exile spun out an object in his hand. It was black with a golden line running down the side of it. “There is truth to your words... But you can’t run from who you are, who you’ve become. Lord Terantatek is my enemy, as is Rahvin. Whoever you are, I will end your life now.” He held the object up, and a golden blade shot from the end.

He.... has a lightsaber! Cythor found strength from the sight of it, and he ignited his lightsaber.

Terantatek turned. “You are strong... not many people can fight after I have drained them of the Force. But you, like the Exile, will not last long.” He slashed at the Exile with tremendous speed, but was parried.

Cythor lunged at the Sith and threw his blade at his back, but was blocked with a swift spin. Then Terantatek made a strong swing upward, knocking both of his opponents back.

“Now, all this time spent alone and no improvement?” he taunted, slashing at the open Exile. It cut open his chestplate, fusing the material of his robe and revealing his pale skin. “You are truly weak. You were right to leave the Order.”

This spurred the Exile on, and he slashed at him with a flurry of swift slashes. All were blocked, and Cythor took the distraction to stab at the Sith’s head. It burned his skin, but did not penetrate the tissue. Cythor wasn’t close enough.

Terantatek leaned forward as to ensure his survival. “Enough.” he said, sending a Force wave to blow the two back. He walked to the Ithorian’s corpse and picked up the holocron, making his way out of the tomb. After he had made his way past the rubble from the door, he turned and crushed the entire hall down, forming a complete barrier. Giving a chuckle, he stepped out of the tomb.

The Exile got to his feet, looking at the Jedi. “You are lucky you didn’t die... Cythor. Not many survive an encounter with a Sith Lord, let alone an Eclipsan.”

“Why... why did he need the holocron?” Cythor asked, getting up. “What information was in there?”

“I can’t say. It was not an Eclipsan artifact, but it was a tool of the Dark Side. If that man wanted it, though, it can only be a sign of future danger. I fear that your ‘Republic’ will be put under siege from an enemy, the Sith.”

“What is the Eclipse? You and that Sith mentioned it several times.” Cythor asked with a puzzled look on his face.

“An order... a race... Many things. We believed ourselves to be the first indigenous people on Korriban. Sentients, anyway. We formed an order, the Order of the Eclipse. Learning about the Force, studying lightsaber technology that we discovered shortly before out fall when a group of Sith came to our home thinking that they could do what they please. My ancestors slaughtered them all, an honor that I would like to have as well. That man, Rahvin and I are the last of our kind.”

“How did your race get wiped out, then?” Cythor asked. “And why were you exiled, if you don’t mind me asking?”

The Exile turned and raised his hands, seeming to ignore the questions. “Destroy this hallway using the Force.” he told Cythor, raising both of his arms.

Cythor stepped forward and also raised his arms, and using the remaining Force that he had, they both created a shockwave of enormous magnitude, blowing the entire hallway outside. They stepped out onto a cliff, Cythor glancing up at the night sky. “How did your people die?”

The man turned to him now. “I didn’t answer you the first time for a reason, Jedi. That matter is private. Now, do you have any other questions? I’d like to leave this planet as soon as possible.”

“Leave? I never said I was taking you with me!” Cythor said.

“I didn’t ask for your consent. You need my information, and that is the price.”

“Why would you want to go to Corellia, anyway?”


“There is nothing but sorrow and regret left for me here. I feel that you’ll need me if you don’t want your Jedi Order to perish. I am the closest connection with the Sith you have.

Cythor thought for a moment. There was no harm in bringing him, and this man had saved his life and provided information. “Alright, you can come along. Go outside, my ship is nearby.” He said, turning to the corpse of the Ithorian Jedi Master. Cythor walked to it and lifted it up, bringing it outside to his ship.

The Exile glanced at the body. Honoring the fallen was not something that he remembered the Jedi doing, at not the Jedi he remembered. When they came to Korriban, they left the corpses to get covered in sand like lowly soldiers. Perhaps that’s what the Jedi were.

As Cythor secured the corpse in the ship, he lifted the ship off the ground, flying back to Corellia with the utmost speed.


When they arrived, Cythor immediately went up to the top of the Jedi Tower, to the Council chamber. The Exile had followed, wanting to provide information to the Order. Why this stranger wanted to help, Cythor didn’t know. But he knew there was more to it than being a good Samaritan.

They entered, and the Councilors’ eyes were drawn to the mysterious robed figure. The man’s black cape swirled behind him, his hood hanging low over his visor.

“Cythor Rajax… Why have you come?” asked a Councilor. Many of them were absent, since no meeting was in session, and they were all very busy with their Jedi duties. “And who is this that you bring with you?”

“The mission… Jekk Taar’s. Something went wrong. He was killed… by a Sith Lord.”

The whole Council was silent, shocked at this news. “How did this happen? You didn’t go with him, did you?” Jucan asked.

“I did. He offered to take me with him… and it’s a good thing he did. This man with me managed to save me before this Sith killed me… He calls himself the Exile.” Cythor said.

“Very well.” Jucan said, ignoring Cythor’s resistance to the Council’s will. “Are you sure it was a Sith?”

“It was.” the Exile now said. “I knew him. An old… acquaintance of mine. He calls himself ‘Lord Terantatek’. If you allow me the chance to fight and defeat him, I will render whatever information I can to you.”

“You want to kill this man? You seem like a Sith, requesting to fight him. Why?” asked another Councilor.
“Accusing me of being a Sith makes you more foolish than you look, Jedi. The reasons are not your business… You need my assistance, and that is all that matters.”

“And why would we need your assistance?” the same Councilor retorted.

“I know one of the Sith Lords. You apparently didn’t know they even existed anymore until now. If I abandon you now, like I could, the Sith would work in complete secrecy and complete whatever plants they have, striking when you least suspect it.”

Cythor and the Council knew he was right. There were a few nods in the room, and Jucan Raynd finally spoke. “Then if you will help, we have an assignment for you… You will stay in the Tower and find any information on the Sith… Records would be what we are looking for, whatever it may be.”

“Uh, Master. There was one more thing.” Cythor said, recalling the artifact from the tomb. “There was a device. A holocron, I think. The Sith Lord said he needed it and took it from us.”

[Siri_Jaeh_Kenobi]

I'm running out of things to actually say about every post you make.. :p so, sorry because the following would probably suck and be dull and whatnot. >.< :D

as usual, great job, can't wait to read more!

[Flammable Fun]

Well, at least you’re reading it. The only reader, I think.
Chapter VII
The old man stalked through the dark hallway, coming to a monolith. He manifested his dark energy into pure aura and sent it to the door. It slid open, and he stepped into the candle-lit room with a long table in the center of it.
“The holocron. Show it to me.” Anathemal said in his metallic voice.
“Of course, my lord.” Terantatek put the pyramidal object on the table, and the sides came down on the table, flattening with the base. A glowing red orb that was inside the holocron lifted into the air, and Anathemal reached out for it.
Touching the crimson aura, ancient texts flooded the Sith Lord’s mind, one thing prevalent. “Arador Kentos.”
“Arador Kento…? A Jedi Master.” Terantatek asked.
“The Grandmaster. Interesting that this name was stored in the holocron’s data. There is one more word… the Eldest. Kentos is one of the Chosen.” Anathemal said, leaning back.
“Do you think we could bring him to the Dark Side?” Alluria asked.
“No. He is a dedicated servant of the Light… Although almost everyone is in reach of the Dark Side, his sheer Jedi will should prove too difficult to turn. Stripping him from the Force would be equally difficult. I’ve seen how vast his mastery and connection to the Force is. The only way to activate the Shadow Core would involve defeating him in combat. Of course… that isn’t so much easier than the other options.”
***
Days past, the Exile studying in the archives and Cythor and Lana training.
“You, Jedi. I have made a discovery.”
Jucan turned in the Tower hallway, seeing the heavily robed man stepping toward him. “I am eager to hear what you have to say.”
“I have found records from your war… or should I say hunt with the Sith a couple hundred years ago. There is an abandoned base on Talus that you were planning to attack, but you left it alone since the Sith retreated from it and left the planet to cower on Korriban. There were hidden files that one of your spies created saying that there was a heavily guarded object deep inside the base, but it was never looked into. It is probably another holocron.”
The Bothan nodded. “We must go to Talus, then. Do you have the coordinates of the base?”
“They were in the files. Download this information into a datapad.” the Exile said, holding out a blue data chip.
Jucan took the chip and bowed. “We will leave immediately. Would you like to come?”
“No… I feel that Terantatek won’t be at the base, and that is the only reason I would come.”
“Can you be so certain? But it is your choice. We will return soon.” Raynd turned, walking down the hall toward the hangar.
****
The Jedi cruiser landed on a landing pad on top of a large metal structure. The three Jedi stepped out, Cythor walking over to a turbolift nearby. Jucan and Lana followed and they stepped in, activating the old machine. It slowly took them down, the sound of rusty metal scraping against the thick cables. It stopped abruptly, the door screeching open and revealing a dim room. There were vines and moss filling the large crevices that filled the room.
“How old is this place?” Lana asked.
“A few hundred years old.” Jucan walked to a computer nearby, putting a gray finger to a crack in its screen. A spark of green electricity went in and the machine powered up, the screen flickering to life.
“How did you do that?” Cythor asked, approaching Jucan.
“Old technique… difficult to master. I may teach it to you someday.”
He turned back to the screen, glancing at the controls. Jucan hit a button that read ‘Level Control’ and the screen’s interface changed. It showed a diagram of the base that showed that they were on the lowest level that didn’t require security access. He noticed that the doors to the basement were unlocked, so he stepped away from the computer.
“We can go ahead to the lower storage room… the holocron should be there.” Then, he noticed something. There were skeletons littering the floors, and burns left by blaster shots were all over the walls. There was also one corpse that didn’t have the Sith uniform on it. It had Mandalorian armor. “This place wasn’t abandoned, it was destroyed by the Mandalorians. We can only hope they didn’t manage to take the holocron as loot.”
They went to a door, and Jucan opened it using a control panel. They walked down a series of ramps that led them to a blast door that had been blown down. There was a large room with completely dried and permanent blood stains everywhere, Mandalorian and Sith corpses alike. But the thing that drew their eyes was the colossal beast in the center. It was black with six legs, a long head that pointed back, huge fangs, and pincers.
“An Acklay! We must proceed with caution… these beasts are not to be taken lightly.” Jucan said, reaching for his weapon. It had a long hilt, about twice the size of a regular lightsaber. When he ignited the blue blade, the very long shaft of energy formed. He spun his saberlance up, pointing it toward the creature.
Lana and Cythor also drew their respective lightsabers, and the three Jedi stepped toward it. The Acklay turned around and let out a booming roar that almost blew the Jedi back. It charged with full speed, slashing its claws through the air. Cythor flipped toward it, landing on its head. He plunged his saber down into it with speed, but it barely scratched its skin. The Acklay swung Cythor off it, then proceeded to slash at his arm. It cut into the cloth of his brown robes and tore across his skin, blood dripping to the floor.
Lana looked at Cythor’s arm. With determination, she charged at the beast and threw a flurry of swings at its legs. It was injured, but it could still fight. In a scissor-like motion, the Acklay sliced at Lana with both pincers. She ducked under it and stabbed upward, marring the claws. In retaliation, it stepped back and swung at her and Cythor with the back of its pincer, knocking them to the ground. In an act of triumph, it lifted its legs to smash the Jedi to death. But Jucan was already under it, lifting the body up with his arms and lance. Then he spun up, using force in his kick to smash its head backward, taking its whole body to the ground.
Lana and Cythor got to their feet only to see the monster swinging its pincers out from behind and cutting through the Jedi Master’s legs. Jucan fell to his knees from the injury, and the Acklay bit at his shoulder, its teeth seeping into his flesh and muscle as it swung around, throwing him far back to the wall. The Bothan slipped to the ground incapitated.
Lana and Cythor stepped back. His arm brushed against hers as they stood close, preparing to fight for their lives. The Acklay stepped forward, leaning back in an offensive position.
“So, you got a plan, Lana? You were always the one who got us out of these situations.” Cythor said.
“Sorry, not this time. We’re just going to have to fight… I only hope Jucan’s alright and that we can take it together.”
Just as the Acklay was about to stroke its pincers in a lethal attack, it stopped. It stood in place, shaking a little. Then, it lifted off the ground, struggling against its own body. Its entire body was crushed inward, its bones almost tearing out of the skin, letting out a shrill scream as it seeped blood. Then, it stopped struggling and it fell to the ground, dead.
Cythor and Lana stared in awe. Then, they spotted someone standing up on a catwalk. It was a man in a suit of black light armor with a strap and utility belt. He had a piece of cloth covering his mouth, nose, and neck. Only his dark, bald head and deep gray eyes showed. He lowered his arm, which was pointed at the Acklay with his hand in a grasping position.
He jumped down from the catwalk, igniting a red lightsaber as he touched the ground. Approaching the two Jedi Knights, he raised it up.
“He’s a Dark Jedi… Get ready.” Cythor said, raising his blue saber.
“He just saved our life… maybe he doesn’t want to fight us. Who are you?” Lana asked.
The man said nothing. He only glared at them with his steel-colored eyes, raising his blade and slashing at Lana with the speed of a lightning bolt. Cythor grabbed her and pulled her as soon as the blade was swung. Then, he kept his saber in hand, letting her out of his arms.
The man only paused for a second, then continued striking at them with swift slashes. Lana, a user of the Form III, Soresu, was able to parry it with Soresu’s strong defenses. Then, he drew back and swung at Cythor. His Form V, Shien, gave him the agility he needed to evade it, then counterstrike at his enemy’s chest. The man, obviously a master of lightsaber combat, blocked the strike and proceeded to kick Cythor’s wrist, knocking the blade out of his hand.
Cythor rolled backward, narrowly evading a slash at his head, and Force pulled his saber back. “Lana… We need Master Raynd. I’m not sure we can take this guy on our own. He’s obviously toying with us, and he still almost managed to hit me.
“He’s wounded badly. If he gets up, it will take our combined strength to even survive this encounter.” Lana said, blocking the impossibly fast assaults.
Cythor jumped back into the fray, slashing at any possible weak points. There weren’t any. This Dark Jedi was using some form of hybrid, combining Form II, Makashi, and Form VII, Juyo, to make an almost perfect combat stance. The man sliced through their robes, cut through their flesh, bruised them with his hand-to-hand skill, having a counter to every attack. Finally, he used the Force to lift them both into the air. They felt their bones slowly constricting as they lost their breath. Then, he slammed them to the ground. He knew their were still alive, but he didn’t want to kill them just yet.
Turning, he walked over to a massive door. Just like he did to the Jedi, but with much more power, he impounded and crushed the door with the Force, blowing it into the room beyond it. In the center of the room, there was a metal pillar. When he stepped up to it, he hit a button on its control panel to open the pillar, the upper half of it raising to reveal a pyramidal holocron similar to the last. He picked it up, concealed it the rest of his equipment, then stepped out. The two Jedi were on the ground, as he had left them, but there was another Jedi standing there. Jucan Raynd had his lightlance in hand, the shimmering blue blade pointed at the man.
“Sith Lord… I will stop your plans here. Whatever is in that holocron, it can be no good if you want it.”
The Sith Lord, Darth Cryptus, stared at the Bothan. He drew his blade and stepped toward Raynd.

[Ben Zwycky]

Not the only one, good stuff so far :)

[Siri_Jaeh_Kenobi]

And then what happens? Good job... :D *waits.... patiently, for the next part*

Ooooh... you have another reader after all, FF... ^_^

[Flammable Fun]

Nice, thanks guys.

I'm close to finishing the next chapter. If you want to know exactly how the characters look, these are a few pictures of their concepts:

Lana: http://saehral.deviantart.com/art/Jedi-18611301
Darth Anathemal: http://knightsoftheoldrepublic.filefront.com/potd/54919
Exile (picture this, except black with gold lining): http://svoshsphotos.fotopic.net/p4662814.html
Cythor (picture him with a rougher expression and face): http://kei-san.deviantart.com/art/Want-another-throw-9465174

You probably got a good idea of them through the writing (except Cythor, maybe, but he'll be described a bit more the next chapter).

[Siri_Jaeh_Kenobi]

very interesting pictures, and thanks, that helped.

although that got me wishing i could draw like that.

[Flammable Fun]

I could probably draw something like the Cythor one, but how someone managed to make the Lana picture is beyond me. Could be easier than it looks, but it's more than likely difficult anyway.

Chapter VIII

He only needed to stall. His fate did not matter then, not to him. It wouldn’t make a difference if he died, but the death of the two Knights would have a much higher cost. The Jedi Master would not win, that he knew. There was only the need for time.

The Sith Lord, Darth Cryptus, engaged the Bothan. Like the two younger Jedi, he was taken back by the ferocity and precision of Cryptus’ attacks. It seemed that he knew each shatterpoint, each weakness, in Jucan’s stance. From there, it would simply be a matter of sundering his defenses. Then he could go for the kill.

Cryptus swung his left leg around, connecting it to the Jedi Master’s ribs. Like a ragdoll, he was thrown to the side with his lance flying into the air. The Sith took this opportunity to throw his own lightsaber into the air, spinning straight at the lightlance. It sliced through the base of the hilt, just inches away from the essential components. So close.

Jucan swung around, clutching his side. He used the Force to guide his damaged saber back to him, and it briefly shorted out. Even when failed, the Sith’s attack had done some damage. It reactivated after a couple of seconds, enough time for Cryptus to grab his weapon and continue to batter his opponent. Between the Acklay wounds and the tiring strikes from the Sith Lord, his body was ready to collapse, and both of them knew this.

Raynd decided to take the offensive and land his own blow, managing to knock the saber away. Terrible timing. That very second, the lightsaber shorted out again, turning back on just in time to parry a counterattack by Cryptus coming in from above. Even when blocked, it was strong enough to break his stance and send his arms flying outward. Cryptus brought his blade down on the right arm.

As the black-furred arm fell to the ground, Cryptus lifted the Bothan straight into the air with the Force and sent him across the room. The three Jedi were defeated, and Cryptus was about to finish them. But he wouldn’t, not yet. However, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Jedi Master died soon. He left the facility with the Jedi alive, longing for the day he could finally kill them. He was sure that day would come, but there was the slightest hint of doubt. That doubt would dictate his fate, yet he turned away.

****

Days later, Lana stood in front of a bacta tank with Cythor next to her. Jucan was floating in the tank, his wounds bandaged.

“We failed him.” Lana said, looking down.

Cythor said nothing. He only gazed at his former master’s wounds, wondering who the Sith was. The man seemed to have had no emotion, concentrating only on the fight. Why would he leave them alive? Could that have been the Dark Lord? What were in the holocrons? The questions swirled in his mind, a hurricane of thought. He had seen two Sith Lords, so there might have been more. It was them that had taken the clone facility, them that had sent the Dark Jedi. His pale aqua eyes, hollow like glass, seemed to look into a void.

“There must be another holocron… somewhere. We’re going to find it. Jucan would want us to.” he said.

“Cythor, you could’ve been killed both times you tried to go. I don’t think you could defeat these Sith. They’re more powerful than any we’ve seen.”

“But I wasn’t killed. I survived both times… The Exile must have found out something else by now.” he said, walking to the door.

Lana waited a short while, then left the room as well. She started down the hallway, wanting to follow Cythor and see if the Exile had made any discoveries. Stepping into the archives silently, she advanced toward the deeper sections of the archives, places of knowledge only available to the most prestigious Jedi scholars. The Exile stood at a terminal, the light from the glowing screen reflecting off his mysterious mask.

“So, have you gotten anything yet?” she asked, approaching him.

“Yes… There is one more holocron. I have not tracked down its location yet, though. I’d like to find it soon.” he replied, staring at the console.

“I’ll let you work, then.” Lana said, turning. But she stopped, turning around on her heel. “If you don’t mind… Could I ask you some questions?”

“I’m a little busy here. What do you need?” his voice was cold and indifferent.

“I just wanted to know a little more about you. Why are you called the Exile? You don’t have to answer if it’s a sensitive subject.”

Now he turned. “It is. I’ll tell you, though. You seem like you’re careful about these things.” He paused. “In ancient times, there was a race called the Eclipsans. They believed themselves to be the first sentient race of Korriban, besides the ancient Sith. The Eclipsans formed an empire called the Order of the Eclipse, which prospered for thousands of years. We were warriors… Force sensitive. The Eclipsans studied both sides of the Force, the Dark and Light. That is why they were called the Eclipse. They found a lightsaber on the corpse of a Dark Jedi who was raiding the tombs and studied its technology. They found red crystals in our caves and used alchemical processes to make them gold, resembling our eyes, hair, and clothing. Eventually, I was born into this Order.”

“You got exiled from it?”

“My exile was related to the downfall of the Eclipse, as well. As I was saying, there was a council of elders that served as a government. It was comprised of the most powerful and wise of all the Eclipsans. They were the ones that exiled me. How I got exiled…. I disobeyed my orders. One day, the modernized Sith military came to our planet. We lost countless lives, many elders, children…. Everyone. Our leaders, the council of elders, were among the only surviving Eclipsans. They ordered me to fight in a battle to exterminate the Sith outside of our city. I obeyed, but during the battle, I realized that it was a diversion. The bulk of the Sith army had led an assault against our defenseless city. Rather than stay at the battle, I returned to the city.”

“So… you disobeyed your orders to save your city? Is that why you were exiled?”

The Exile nodded. “The Council managed to survive the raid, but our army lost at the battle. I was a general in that battle, and without my command, our army became disorganized and we were annihilated. They thought that I fled the battle out of fear. They slashed my body with a ceremonial blade, creating scars that resembled tattoos. Tattoos that marked me as an exile.”

Lana had sympathy for this man. He didn’t deserve any condemnation for what he did. “What happened then?”

“My old mentor, one of the councilors, left. He said that he would return with a greater destiny for the Eclipse. His name was Rahvin… a Sith Lord, now. The one that killed your Jedi Master.”

“What happened to the rest of your Council?”

“They were hunted down by the Sith. Once that was done, they raided our tombs and set up colonies across Korriban. I couldn’t leave the planet, so I lived on that planet for years. Of course, the Republic came and crushed the Sith like the scum they are. I had the pleasure of killing the occasional Sith patrol that came by. Anyway, is that the story you were looking for?”

Lana replied. “Yes, thank you.” She didn’t think it was a very good answer, considering he didn’t really want to talk about the subject, but he didn’t seem to mind. He went back to work.

***

Days later, Cythor and Lana were engaging each other in lightsaber combat in the training room.

Cythor swung his saber overhead, slashing at an open spot in Lana’s defenses. She moved her saber into the attack’s way, barely blocking it. Cythor moved his saber back, and slashed at her other side with the ferocity of a Krayt dragon, smashing her backwards. This was Djem-So’s style, powerful and quick attacks that had strength directly drawn from the user’s raw power. When utilized by one such as Cythor Rajax, it became a relentless and vigorous force that could shatter the defenses of even the greatest Soresu users. It did just that, as Lana was thrown to the ground, her orange blade shrinking into the hilt.

“Lana, you usually hold out for at least ten minutes before this happens. What’s going on?” Cythor asked.

“Well, it’s just… The Exile has a disturbing past. The Sith took his entire race, and that Sith Lord was able to defeat even Jucan. They’re growing even stronger. Even if we do find out what they’re planning, do you think we could defeat them again?”

“Heh, Lana, why are you even asking that? We took them down once, we can do it again.”

“You sound bloodthirsty, Cythor. Please don’t talk like that…”

“You think I’m turning into a Sith?” Cythor said, laughing.

“Of course not! It’s just… you sound eager to fight.”

“I’m a Jedi. I want to avoid bloodshed, but the Sith are the ones who are causing it. Think of it as self defense, but on a larger scale.”

“I don’t know… Doesn’t seem to fit the Jedi Code to me. I’m not even a fighter like you are.”

Cythor reached down, taking Lana’s hand and pulling her up. “But you’re smart. Hell of a lot more useful than knowing how to use your lightsaber, I’d say.”

Lana smiled, then picked up her lightsaber and activated it again. Cythor smirked back at her, and they once again threw their blades together.

[Siri_Jaeh_Kenobi]

I can't believe I forgot to check this out!!!!!!!!

AWEsome post! yay wanna read more! *crazy about fanfiction lol)