[fic] Shrouded in Darkness: Yuthura Ban's Tale

Darth_Yuthura · September 18, 2008

To loyal fans:

This is an update, but not a new chapter.

I'm going back to the beginning to overhaul Shrouded in Darkness. Most of the present chapters will have very limited changes that do not directly change the plot. I'm correcting grammar, spelling, past tense problems, and other flaws like these.

There will, however, be some significant additions worth going back to reread. I will update everyone on my progress and specify which chapters have been significantly modified from the first drafts. I know that this is a very cheap way of updating this story without having to write all new chapters, but I think you'll like what will be added to the prior draft.

Chapter six has a new ending that will lead to an original chapter 7 soon to come!

Chapters updated: 1 - 6

Burnseyy · September 18, 2008

I miss the quick installments. When ever shall this great story have a chapter 35?

Rev7 · September 19, 2008

^

I also agree. Thanks for the information though Darth_Yuthura!

Endorenna · September 20, 2008

How did you get chapters out that fast!? Dang!

Well, I just finished this. Took me three days. I really like the story so far. I didn't know I could turn Yuthura to the Light Side! I'll have to do that next time through. I thought 'Meeeeeeekul' was the only one I could turn.

I didn't like the parts where Yuthura and Trevalyon were 'giving into their animal instincts', but it makes sense that they would do that if Revan were to fall in love with her instead of Bastilla. BTW, I really like it that Revan jilts Bastilla! That's just priceless! You captured Atris perfectly. Same with Vrook. (I loved the part where Yuthura made him run the course again! )

I'm a little skeptical about Ross in the Sith Base. It's not hard to grasp that both he and Yuthura have to act like Sith if their mission is to succeed. Why is he having so much difficulty with this? And about those technicians being killed--I don't buy that he's so all-fired upset about Yuthura killing them. If he's really seen battle, then he knows that people die in war. It's what happens. Even Jedi realize that. They might not kill their prisoners or kill without neccessity, but they usually know that someone has to die, and if it's not them, it's the enemy.

Just mentioning.

Keep up the good work! I eagerly await more!

Darth_Yuthura · September 21, 2008

Just letting everyone know that I started this story a long time before I started releasing the chapters on a semi-weekly basis. I also had a significant amount of free time to go wherever my imagination could take me. I do have a some proto-chapters lined up, but need to go back in order to clean up some mistakes before I can proceed.

I am taking advice that has been given as well so I'm finding it's faster and easier to make corrections than to keep churning out new chapters, so I won't deny that I'm taking an easier path. If anyone is dying from the suspense, I'll send a private message with what happens next, but realize that the coming chapters are still open to change.

I am also going to take into consideration how I introduced Ross and a few other characters. I won't make any extremely drastic changes, so the story will remain largely intact. Sorry to disappoint.

Endorenna · September 21, 2008

Disappoint? (looks around) Darth Yuthura, I don't think any of us are exactly 'disappointed'. Try 'about to die to know what happens'! (Don't send me the PM, I want to read it )

Rev7 · September 22, 2008

Disappoint? (looks around) Darth Yuthura, I don't think any of us are exactly 'disappointed'. Try 'about to die to know what happens'! (Don't send me the PM, I want to read it )

QFT!

You really are an awesome writer Darth_Yuthura, whether you like it of not.

Darth_Yuthura · September 26, 2008

A new chapter 7 and 8 are up. Post #16 is original, so I'm officially updating the story here.

I also added a part with Bastila and Yuthura speaking alone about the other's crimes. This is the start of chapter 8.

PS: The chapter after that will be changed as I come back to it, so there will be two chapters of the same number as the revisions are made.

Darth_Yuthura · September 30, 2008

Another original chapter has been added. Chapter 8 is completely new, so this post is not for content that has simply been changed, but added to the original story. Feel free to comment on any new content, but be sure to make it explicit that you are addressing something from page 1 and not the later chapters.

I would appreciate feedback on the revisions and whether new content damages or enhances what you've already read through. I will not simply make a minor change and call to an entire post that has already been read through.

Until the last chapter (34) has been redone, there will likely always be a discrepancy in the story between the revision and the first draft that don't yet match. Any original chapters will ultimately add to... not replace the first drafts posted. Although there are OFFICIALLY 34, this story has gone through 36.

Darth_Yuthura · October 16, 2008

SiD will resume normally from now on, but I will continue the revision. This chapter will be numbered to take into account the new chapters I will add in the revision.

-----

The blast from the explosion was deafening. After the flash was a dense cloud of the explosive byproducts. Powerful explosives often contained toxic materials that were deadly if used in confined locations. I was a fool to forget that the computer core room was both confined and air tight. Although there were only trace amounts of the toxic particles in the air, they would have filtered through our lungs and killed us slowly if we could not get out of there.

Ross warned me about the limited time we had before we would start choking on the gas and said we had to get the door open. At first, I was very calm, but quickly discovered that it had been sealed by the fire suppression system. I tried to override it, but knew that getting out of the room was going to take too long.

The smell of the explosive residue on the air had a pleasant odor like inhalants, but I knew that it was slowly killing us with each breath. I reached to my side, but remembered that my lightsaber was confiscated earlier. Of all the times!

As a last resort, I attempted to tear the door of its hinges with the Force, but it was going to require a concentrated burst of force directed to fracture the metal. I reached out and focused the Force to break the bonds of the very metal... a delicate act, but as I began to hear the door groan under the stress, I my concentration began to break up as I began choking.

Ross grabbed my shoulder hard and rotated me to the left. “You have to hold your breath! The you’re drawing more toxins into your lungs with each breath. Do you not know the breath-control trance?”

My choking was getting worse and I shook my head because it was too painful to answer verbally.

“Gag yourself if you must! The toxins will kill you before you run out of oxygen!”

I couldn’t understand the nature of the breath control trance, so I could not understand how Ross was able to speak while not inhaling or choking like I was. The choking was getting worse, but I fought the reflex that was forcing the air out of my lungs to inhale more of what was killing me. I covered my mouth to gag myself as Ross ordered, but I was in agony and couldn’t believe that this was how I was going to die... suffering to endure for as long as possible while I slowly blacked out.

Suddenly, I realized that there was a technique I knew that would have worked, but it meant leaving myself vulnerable and likely a liability to Ross if I didn’t establish it properly. A hibernation trance was not meant to last for less than a day, but considering all other options, it was my only chance to survive. Of course, I only had a window of about two hours that I HAD to revive myself before the fighters were on their way. But the difficulties faced with short-term hibernation was that the bodily functions might not have become completely dormant and I would have lost consciousness, but kept breathing.

I concentrated all my effort into reducing my breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and all other bodily functions as rapidly as possible. What normally took at least a minute I did in only ten seconds and I fell into almost perfect stasis.

The hibernation and breath control trance were equally difficult to perform, but one allowed for the user to continue functioning while the other involved losing consciousness. If I didn’t come out of it in time, Ross would have had to go on without me.

I felt reality draining from me and allowed the force to keep me alive. I did not know how long I would remain in that state, or if I could bring myself out of it early; but I had to sustain myself with the force until I could allow myself to breath again. Darkness took me and I vaguely remembered seeing Ross hover over me and almost breaking my concentration. Even then, I could not fall out of the trance.

-----

(Five years ago)

Korriban was a truly desolate and terrible world. Deserts spread across its surface as far as the eye could see, yet it held many traits of a temperate; or even tropical planet. For every dune sea was a landscape carved by flowing water. Valleys could be seen from space, but there was nothing that explained why there were no bodies of water or clouds overhead.

The planet was a rock, but there remained traces of life in the few areas where water had not yet evaporated. There was one such cave near the Academy and it teemed with the presence of Tek-ata and Shyrans that often ventured into the valley searching for food. Although they weren’t accustomed to being out in the burning sun, they could endure long enough to be a nuisance to the students.

My first impression of the sith was a strange combination of fear and disgust. Sith hopefuls, as they are called, flooded Dresdea with their presence; unaware that they were just waiting to be slaughtered. None who couldn’t hear the force were admitted into the Academy, so they either gave up or died trying to prove themselves.

Since I was already admitted into the Sith Academy, I didn’t have to stand around in the colony all day watching foolish, yet innocent people be tormented by real sith. Alfred said it was my responsibility to help those in need, but I just left them to their fate. Anyone who was foolish enough to come to this place should have known the risks. It was their choice to come.

-----

After being invited into the Academy, I was given a few hundred credits to do with as I pleased and a room to myself. The small open alcove was open to the public, so I didn’t leave anything behind to be stolen. I had no idea what was in store for me, but I hoped it would lead me on the path I was meant to walk.

The sith were unlike the jedi in every way, but in another light, there was nothing indistinguishable between the two. Both involved mastering one’s emotions in order to control the force, but where the jedi focused on freeing themselves from their feelings, the sith used those emotions to achieve their superiority. After my treatment at the hands of the hutts, I suppose that I was destined to conquer my anger and use it against my former oppressors.

I waited for the other sith to arrive so I could start training as soon as possible. At some point, I saw who I believed was an instructor and he noticed that I was just waiting around with nothing to occupy my time. “Have you been into the Valley of the Dark Lords?”

I shook my head.

“It’s quite a sight. There are many great ruins that are being uncovered as we speak. It might even give you an opportunity to get a lead on your competitors.”

“Competitors?” I asked.

He looked at me as if confused. “You don’t know much about the sith, do you?”

“Not much more than rumor. I doubt any of it is true.”

“Well if you have questions, Master Uthar would be the one you should go to. I think he’s in the Valley right now if you are interested.” He nodded and bowed. “Welcome to the Sith Academy.” Then he kept walking along.

I have been told to never trust a sith, but that one seemed interested in helping me. That man was not like the nuts that I’ve seen in Dresdea... maybe they become more disciplined as they get older?

Either way, I wasn’t interested in just sitting around doing nothing; so I followed that advice.

-----

The Valley of the Dark Lords was not nearly as remarkable as I was lead to believe. The old ruins didn’t seem any more interesting as the ruins near the Dantooine Academy; and these were supposed to be the tombs of ancient sith. I guess I was just expecting more.

As I walked down the path, I ran into three students that were returning to the Academy. I was still dressed in commoner’s clothing, so when I came into view, the alpha dog of the three broke off and got in my way. “Hey guys... look what we’ve got here. They admitted one of the hopefuls. What do you say...?”

I stepped out of the way to go around him, but he kept blocking my path. “Not in your life, buster.”

One of the thugs took that as amusing. “Ooh... she’s got some spirit. Maybe you can’t handle her alone?” That one came behind me and sandwiched me in between the alpha and a wall.

The alpha pushed that guy aside. “She had to have been clever to get past the guard... I’ll give her that much.” He put his head right next to mine and whispered. “You wanna be a sith? I can make that happen... how about I give you a lightsaber?”

I was absolutely offended at such a remark that I instinctively slapped the bastard across the face. The force of my slap was enough to push him back and give me an opening through him and the wall. After I was through, I turned around to see the guy’s nose was bleeding from the hit.

He rubbed his face and nose to discover the blood that started running out his nostrils. Then he looked up to me in great anger. “You think you can defy me? I can do anything!” Then he reached for his lightsaber and activated it.

I reached to my side and was reminded that I left mine on Dantooine. I should not have been so stupid! Surprise and fear were clearly visible on my face as I found myself at the wrong end of a lightsaber. If I had my sword of light, I would have just charged in and emerge victorious, but I only had my wits to protect me.

The guy just casually walked towards me with the saber in his left hand and wiped away the blood from his nose as he and his friends approached. One of them said, “Why not make her our personal slave? Surely it’d be much more fun.”

The alpha was not interested. “Anyone stupid enough to attack a sith isn’t worth the trouble.”

The last guy’s comment about taking me as their property filled me with great anger and hate. It seemed to surge through me like it did did on Dantooine, but I remembered the outcome and wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

When the guy lifted his saber to torment me, I kept perfectly still, displaying fear so he would let his guard down. When he started taunting me, I unleashed a force wave at the three, throwing them more than ten meters away. Then I sprinted in the opposite direction, towards the valley.

I kept looking back to ensure I wasn’t being followed, but only heard one shouting at the top of his lungs. “It doesn’t matter where you run, coward! I’ll hunt you down and kill you!”

Panic started flooding through my soul as I ran as fast as I could to find a place of cover. Maybe if I could find a decent hiding place, I could out endure them in the blazing heat. Maybe they would stop searching or I could figure out how to reason with that guy. That was a lot better than trying to confront them on their terms, but I could not let them think I was just someone’s escaped property; I wanted to kill that bastard.

I saw at least one come into the valley, but I avoided putting my head over the boulder that was between me and their eyes. This was almost like being an escaped slave again; they would not stop hunting me until one or three of us are dead. I didn’t know if I should have tried to go around the valley and return to the Academy, or keep hiding from them and wait until I can fight back.

I was on the roof of the tomb of Naga Sadow and kept track of the three to ensure that I wouldn’t be found. As I saw two of them breaking off the chase, I had a great sense of relief. If I had only one to deal with, then all I have to do is wait for him to get distracted and... the word ‘kill’ didn’t stick in my mind very well.

After I ducked my head from behind the boulder, I realized I was not alone. It was a bald human male in his early twenties. The expression on his face was one of great anger, but with a strong degree of control. I pulled back against the rock as if expecting him to lash at me, but he didn’t.

“Fear is clouding your mind isn’t it?”

I was afraid of the man, but I was not cowering... I was on my guard with a defensive stance. If that guy had a lightsaber, I could escape with a force jump.

He saw right through me and knew that people often take up a defensive stance when they are afraid. “If I wanted you dead, you would be already. So sit down.” He gestured for me to get behind the boulder. I squatted instead... enough to comply, but not leaving myself open to attack.

He walked up and sat down normally as if this were just a day at the park for him. His back was against the wall in a relaxing manner while I was in an uncomfortable squatting position, but I didn’t want to let my guard down. He didn’t face me as he started talking. “Most sith masters say that a true sith is to be without fear. Terror clouds your senses and you do not hide it well. Those three students saw it and that was why they confronted you.”

I turned to face him directly. “They thought that I was just a hopeful who managed to sneak in. If they knew I could harness the force, they would have just ignored me...” I was starting to lose confidence in my own explanation and got quiet by the end of that statement. “...wouldn’t they have?” I asked.

His eyes were closed. “Perhaps. If you were competition however, they wouldn’t have just toyed with you; they would have killed you the instant you showed weakness. For now, they consider you a coward and are likely to just ignore you.”

I looked at him, confused. “I don’t understand. You said that if I showed weakness, they would kill me.” I stood up and was on my guard for the next question. “You see me as weak; so why did you not just kill me? Why are you even speaking to me?”

He opened his eyes and turned to face me directly. “You are not weak. You ran away from that fight and were called a coward; a true sith would not have allowed such insults to go unpunished.” He paused a moment to let it sink in. “That often leads the majority of our best students to an early death.” He pointed his right index finger at me. “Darth Malak would have had you executed because you ran away from them, but Master Uthar thought more highly of you than them.”

“He would think highly of a coward?”

He shook his head. “You were outnumbered three to one. They had lightsabers. There was nothing cowardly about retreating... even Master Uthar recognized that you made the best choice in that situation.”

I became a little more relaxed and wanted to know more about the one speaking to me. “And what did you think?”

He gave me a look as though he didn’t care one way or another. “I despise sith students who gang upon the others. Master Uthar is the strongest of us on Koriban, but even he could not take on three of his best students if they combined their efforts. Darth Revan was back stabbed by his apprentice; anyone could have done what Malak had performed.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Master Uthar recognizes the difference between a weak student and one who is simply ignorant.” He pointed towards the valley. “Those three are not going to last a week, but your potential in unknown.” He stood up and gestured me to do the same. “You will come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

A look of agitation came from his body language, but quickly faded as if I had just insulted him out of ignorance. “In the future, you don’t talk back to your superiors. Fallen jedi are granted some amenities that other students are not, so do not interoperate any compassion from your superiors as weakness.”

“I understand. I didn’t mean to sound objective, but I would like to know what is going on.”

“I’m doing my duty. Master Uthar has appointed me to dispatch vultures like those three and safeguard more talented individuals when they first arrive.”

I looked at him as if admirably, but I didn’t know what to make of being regarded above the rest. I thought that sith don’t endanger themselves for each other. This was a welcome change to the ways of the jedi, who restricted the elite by burdening them with the problems of the ungrateful. It was comforting to be the one who received the protection.

I stood up and nodded to the stranger. “Alright... I trust you. Lead the way and I’ll follow.”

His expression became very scornful. “Never trust another! Don’t put your life into another’s hands, or they will have control over you. I am only going to protect you for as long as you show potential. If you do not learn to handle yourself, you will be dispatched as well. Do not mistake this for compassion... that is something we all must be free of. If you become a great sith, then you strengthen the Empire.” He gestured for me to go ahead and in front of him towards the Valley of the Dark Lords. “Master Uthar is waiting... you may either follow me or keep hiding from them.” He turned around and started walking down the path alongside of the tomb.

He feigned no interest in whether or not I followed, but I kept close. I found it odd that he would walk with his back to me... if I had a weapon on me, I could kill him. “May I ask a question?”

He didn’t turn around. “Just ask it.” His tone was one that seemed to get less pleasant the more polite I was to him. I was always taught to act with manners all the time when I was a jedi. He must have realized that was a jedi trait and was frustrated that I was not very direct.

“You have frequently left yourself open to attack. Why do you have your back to me? If I had a hidden weapon, I could have killed you.”

He stopped where he was and turned around slowly to intimidate me with his expression. “I do not leave myself vulnerable. If you wanted to kill me, I would have felt it and acted accordingly. There is nothing reckless about turning my back on you... you are not that foolish.” Then he turned his back to me again and kept walking deeper into the valley.

I saw two of the ‘vultures’ wandering in the direction of where he was walking. I saw a path that could have lead us away from them and wanted to go in that direction, but the stranger simply said “Don’t be a coward.”

I wish I could have more confidence in that, but I soon saw the one with the bloody nose come into view and it was evident that they saw me. At that moment, I kept my eyes fixed on them, but kept close to my escort. When the three approached, the alpha vulture looked extremely angry and wanted to retaliate.

I was on my guard and bracing myself for a looming showdown. When they activated their lightsabers, the one in front of me pivoted on his left foot and almost instantly came between me and them. “Turn around and leave.”

“This isn’t about you Bandon. Don’t get involved.”

“If you do not turn around and do as you are told, then it will.”

The alpha looked at me from behind ‘Bandon’ and I could see the wheels turning in his head. I found his perplexed expression very amusing. The sight of a sith master standing up not only for another, but for a coward must have blown his little mind. He then looked at Bandon and almost started laughing. “Are you actually standing up for her? Is this compassion... from you?”

“If you think it is... then does that mean you wish to challenge me?”

I could see fear in the guy’s expression. Clearly this Bandon was intimidating... that’s what I wanted to be in the eyes of the hutts. The other one stepped back to at least 3 meters away. “I just want the twi’lek. This has nothing to do with you...”

Bandon stepped right up to the guy, who still had his lightsaber ready. I didn’t understand why he just put himself in the reach of one holding a lightsaber. “I ordered you to walk away. If you do not obey, I will kill all three of you. Do not say another word, or it will be your last.”

The three had their eyes fixed on Bandon and slowly withdrew with their lightsabers still ready. When they were about 10 meters away, Bandon barked contemptibly “Cowards!” and turned back to the valley to keep walking without even addressing me.

I didn’t know if he just expected I would keep following, or if that was why he brought me out there; but I got behind him again and looked back as the three vultures stared at me with great contempt. I got the impression that I was in a worse position than before. If I had simply vanished, they might have forgotten me, but Bandon may have made me an even greater target than before. If someone had wronged me and had the grace of a master, I would have been more determined to deal out punishment. Although Bandon had protected me, he did not eliminate those guys and escalated their perception of me as a coward.

Those vultures had to be dispatched as soon as possible. I knew that they would be a threat who would not back down until they were dead. Already I had enemies and I had only been on Korriban for a day, but at least I was recognized and had the favor of the headmaster. I just hoped that whatever reason I was favored would remain that way.

Bandon lead me to the entrance to one of the tombs, where a few students and a master had been working to excavate a large stone pillar which had broken to pieces and buried. Unlike the pillars that were standing in the valley, this one was well preserved from the ancient time it came from. There was writing carved along the sides that was eroded, but still readable to one fluent in the language of the ancient sith.

The group used very simple tools and delicate techniques to brush away the sediment without harming the inscriptions. The master looked very engaged by the experience; his excitement was clearly visible while the rest of the students were bored and uninterested in playing archeologist. Every now and again, one would use more modern tools, such as a holo camera and recording what they found onto a data pad.

While we approached them, I had seen and heard the master shouting at a student with extreme rage. His voice echoed off the walls of the valley and I seriously started to doubt my reason for coming to this world. Never did I hear even Vrook shouting in my face like the master was to the student. I could not hear exactly what he was saying, but his hands gestured to some rubble that appeared to have just been dug up. I could tell that the student had recklessly extracted an artifact and destroyed the surface of. As Bandon brought me closer, I watched his rage get ever more intense.

Shortly after that, the student was lifted off the ground with his hands around his neck. The sight of a master attacking a student was a significant change from what I was used to. The common jedi tradition was that masters would put the safety of their apprentices before themselves. I had been walking normally, but the sight of such a radical departure from what I’ve come to know hit me as though I had just hit a wall.

What followed was one of the most gruesome executions I’ve ever witnessed... and I’ve seen many on Sleheyron. Never had I seen a person eviscerated alive. His scream lasted only a fraction of a second before his body was ripped apart, spreading flesh, bones, and blood splattered everywhere.

I was on the brink of screaming in horror, but I forced my mouth closed with my hands to not draw attention to me. I was terrified and sickened beyond anything I had ever been before. Although I had seen Omeesh commit terrible acts upon his slaves, there was nothing that compared to the raw potential of the force. Never had I seen someone’s flesh be torn apart so quickly that the organs continued functioning for even a few seconds after death.

All that remained of the student was a twisted pile of flesh and bones with almost nothing left that was distinguishable. All the blood had spread across at least a two meter radius, staining the ground red almost to where I was standing.

A few seconds after the student’s death, Bandar started laughing as if to give praise to master Uthar for such a display of brutality and cruelty. His laugh reminded me much of Omeesh’s sadistic sound. “Brilliant! Just when I think you’ve mastered the art of execution, you show that the possibilities are unlimited! You are just brill...”

Uthar barked back in anger. “Shut up! I didn’t do it for anything other than to deal out proper punishment!”

I continued holding my mouth closed with my hands, but not to keep myself from screaming. I was getting queasy and had to keep from vomiting, but knew that there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening.

Bandon spoke to Uthar without the excitement in his voice. “What did he do that enraged you to such a degree?”

Neither one's attention was on me until I turned away, fell to my hands and knees, and expelled everything I had for breakfast onto the ground. I was so sickened that I couldn’t keep my head about me anymore... it was suspended above the puddle of partially digested food that I couldn’t keep down.

Silence had befallen everyone around me. I could not see Uthar and Bandon, but I knew they were watching and wondering if I could really become a sith. Considering what I’ve learned of them, I was expecting to die right there; but I didn’t hear footsteps or lightsabers blazing. I knew that I had disgraced myself and would not have been regarded as worthy as I had first hoped.

After an agonizing few seconds, I heard Bandon speak to Uthar. “Master, are you sure of this one? Even for a fallen jedi, she’s rather pathetic.”

I heard a few footsteps crunching the sandy soil as Uthar moved beside Bandon. He wasn’t addressing me, but he spoke just loudly enough for me to hear. “She has potential, but her mind has been polluted by jedi teachings. Her strength in the force and the anger she possesses are equally impressive.”

“Then why not just break her?”

Upon hearing those words again... the last time from Omeesh... I raised my head as faced Bandon as if all the anger and hate that I have tried so hard to bury had begun to resurface. I must have lost all control of myself because I wanted to kill Bandon and didn’t care whether or not I stood no chance against him.

Before I could, Uthar looked in my direction while he gave an answer. “Not this one. We can’t force the sith upon her; she must embrace it willingly.” Uthar started walking towards me with an odd expression. It was almost as though he were impressed with me... it had to be a trick.

Bandon crossed his arms and shook his head in frustration. “Well in the meantime, what do you think the other students... even the masters would think about giving her protection? It doesn’t much matter to me, but imagine how many more corpses and how few students we’d have after that. Is this one worth that much to you?”

Uthar turned his head to face Bandon, but I couldn’t tell his expression. Then he faced me again and took a knee to speak. “I sense much anger within you. It must have been difficult for you to spend four years trying to repress those feelings, hasn’t it?”

I remained silent, not because I was afraid, but because I didn’t care to reveal everything to just anyone... I never even told Alfred about those feelings. I certainly wasn’t going to tell a sith.

Uthar was content with just silence. “The jedi... did they respect your emotions? Did they allow you to be what you were meant to, or did you have to become something that you were not?”

I had wanted so much to hear that question. I had always thought that, but was never allowed the freedom to choose who I was. They said I had that freedom... as long as I chose to be one of them. That was not freedom at all. I nodded slowly and as if hypnotized. “They claimed to be guardians of the peace... yet they ignore the ones most in need. I demanded justice; they forgive those who trample upon the very people they claim to protect! When I followed their example, the masters struck me down because I acted and they wouldn’t! They struck me down because I threatened their positions!”

Uthar smiled proudly. “They wanted you to accept mediocrity... to surrender what made you stronger than they were, but you knew that your anger gave you the power they couldn’t wield. That is why you came to the sith isn’t it? We are not bound by any restrictions other than those we place upon ourselves.” Then extended his hand to under my neck and gestured me to stand all the while displaying one of the nicest smiles I’ve ever been given in my life, not one of friendship, but more as if to give encouragement.

When I was standing, Bandon started staring either at me or Uthar, but his patience was being stretched. I looked directly into Uthar’s eyes. “What do I have to do?”

“You are free to think or act exactly as you choose, but remember that the strongest always rule. If you are perceived as weak, you will be treated as such. If you demonstrate your strength to competitors, then not only will they leave you alone, but you will become the dominant one.” He reached behind his back and took hold of something attached to his belt and held it in front of me... a lightsaber. “The darkside is who you are. Your anger gives you strength. Be what you were meant to be.”

-----

I had come back to reality almost as rapidly as I left it. A huge, desperate gasp came as I lifted my head, followed by painful coughing. I was no longer in that room filled with toxic smoke, so I was breathing clean air, but the toxins that I had inhaled earlier had hindered my breathing.

After a moment of darkness clearing from my eyes, I slowly came to feel my surroundings again. I felt extremely cold, as the body would do when dormant, and I was shivering and numb. I was on a bed and covered with a blanket, so I was in a medical facility.

I had a breath mask over my face with a hose attached to a tank of pure oxygen. There was no point in fitting one on me, given that I wasn’t breathing at all until now. In fact, I should have been in the morgue if I appeared dead. Ross must have gotten me here.

Then I looked around, but didn’t see him. On a table next to my bed was my lightsaber, which I grabbed desperately. As I did, something clattered on the floor that had been under the weapon. Despite being cold and out of breath, I pulled the mask off and threw the blanket aside so that I could reach over to see what it was. It turned out to be a sith notepad with an encrypted message on it, obviously from Ross.

When I tried to view it, I was asked a security question to verify my identity: ‘Who is your apprentice?’ I entered ‘Ross,’ but the answer was rejected. What was wrong? I tried the same answer again and saw I didn’t get the classic case-sensative password.

Then I put in ‘Ross Senegal’ and hoped that was how his last name was spelled. It unlocked the message...

-----

Master Yuthura,

Your plan worked. The security didn’t even suspect us. I knew that you were still alive, but could not bring you out of the stasis trance. I had no choice but to continue without you.

I have no idea when you will wake up, but if you do before the attack, you must determine whether I was successful or not before you escape the base. I could not access the computer core without your expertise, so I must breach security for the last two AD towers and will likely be caught. I just hope that I can sabotage both AD towers before I’m discovered. If I’m caught before that, you must complete the mission and destroy the last target for me. Don’t worry about the prior targets. The charges are almost impossible for the sith to disarm w/out the remote detonator code.

If I’m caught, I will not surrender to the sith and likely will already be dead. If I should be captured, don’t try to rescue me, whether the attack has already happened, or all three AD’s have been disabled. Just get out of there.

If these are to be my last words, then I just want you to know that I have no regrets...

-----

The message continued on, but I didn’t read the rest. I had to find out what time it was and learn what happened to Ross. I couldn’t bear the thought that he went on without me, but he put the mission before himself and I had to confirm what had happened and whether I still had a job to do.

I didn’t know why I was in a medical facility, but there was no one around to tend to me. There were also no patients, which meant the attack hadn’t yet happened... or it had and failed. There was a computer terminal in the room and I logged onto the net to see what the situation was and found the security database.

My heart sank when I saw two intruder reports, one at the computer core control room, and another near a defense installation. Instead of checking to see whether Ross was dead or alive, I saw another file that had the word ‘sabotaged’ in it and accessed it.

I was relieved to see that Ross had indeed taken out all three targets without me. The time index of the file showed that all three AD towers were disabled an hour ago... Ross must have detonated them prematurely, but what about him?

My heart was racing and beads of sweat were collecting on my forehead, despite my body temperature still being low. I was dreading the prospect of seeing the report and learning of what happened to Ross, but at the same time, I was desperate to know.

When I opened the file, I knew.

Endorenna · October 16, 2008

Yes! Another chapter!

I really liked the flashback into her Sith past. That was freaky! Now I know why I hate Uthar so much!

Any idea when the next chapter's gonna be? I wanna know what's gonna happen to Ross!

Darth_Yuthura · October 16, 2008

Yes! Another chapter!

I really liked the flashback into her Sith past. That was freaky! Now I know why I hate Uthar so much!

Any idea when the next chapter's gonna be? I wanna know what's gonna happen to Ross!

I know how much people hate cliffhangers, so I'll just skip with that. Of course, I can't get spoilers to work, so I can't throw that bombshell out there.

I'll be posting much sooner than just 45 days ago, but I'll also be writing for 'Prior to Exile.' I've got a story arc coming after she returns from AR159.

I REALLY want feedback on my revision chapters! I have posted in regards to completely original chapters added to the story... new conflicts instead of the same things being written differently. Bastila makes an earlier confrontation as well as Yuthura being caught drunk while the Council deliberated on her acceptance. Please at least tell me that you don't care at least.

Endorenna · October 16, 2008

Whoa, I didn't know you made such drastic changes! I thought you were just fixing grammer!

Soon as I have some time, I'm going to go back and read what you fixed! I'll need about an hour. I like to read good stuff like this slowly.

Darth_Yuthura · October 16, 2008

Whoa, I didn't know you made such drastic changes! I thought you were just fixing grammer!

Soon as I have some time, I'm going to go back and read what you fixed! I'll need about an hour. I like to read good stuff like this slowly.

Yeah, I guess that it must have been taken the wrong way. I have explicitly stated which chapters were original, but I am revising all the story as well, but not enough to notice a difference. If I post about a revised chapter, it is ONLY when I have added something significant, otherwise, assume I just made simple corrections not worth going back for.

Chapter 6 - 8 are completely original, but there are some additions to prior chapters as well... but hold to the same plot.

Thanks for reading.

HIGH ON PIE 14 · October 18, 2008

What happens to Ross?!!

Oh, a cruel cliffhanger DY. Sorry it took me a while to see this, I been so busy this week. I liked the flashback a lot. I was always curios about Yuthura's early experiences at the acadamy. Uthar seemed very accepting yet his harshness came thrtough clearly in his talk with Yuthura. I think that was done perfectly. He is not a hack and slash obvious evil to her at that point. She sees his cruelty, but he a "kind" to her while telling her she has a choice, but then telling her if she wants to surevive she will have to toughen up.

Excellent job here! I will make sure to go back and read your revisions when I get the chance.

~HOP

Darth_Yuthura · October 22, 2008

Given how disappointed I was with that "The Old Republic" announcement, which killed all possibility for an authentic KOTOR III, I am fed up with cliffhangers. NEVER again will I do what Lucasarts did with the conclusion for TSL. The worst cliffhanger is one in which the conflict is officially unresolved.

Here is to ensure I don't follow Lucasarts' example: Ross was not killed.

The next chapter is in progress, but is still at least a few days away.

Burnseyy · October 27, 2008

Okay, D_Y asked me to post these, as due to his ban he can't. So here it is:

Chapter 41

No, Ross wasn’t dead, but he might as well have been. There were many fates worse than death and being captured by the Sith was most definitely one of them. The Sith had been recording sessions where Ross was being tortured and transmitting it to the Republic station over the last few days.

It was a sickening feeling to watch Ross being subjected to Force lightning, beatings, and psychological trauma. I feared that they were trying to turn him to the Dark side and that I was too late. Each day since he was captured, they transmitted live video, but it had ended two days ago.

When I watched the last video, I saw he was growing weary, but I didn’t think that he had yet broken under the torture. Unlike the last three, the fourth video ended after only two hours where the other sessions were much longer than that. It didn’t make sense that they would have stopped transmitting unless... something happened.

I quickly went to check the security reports on that day and discovered the prison facility had been broken into. Among the files was some extra footage of the last session which was not transmitted to the station. It turned out to be quite interesting:

As Ross was screaming from the pain of Force lightning, the Sith who was conducting the session received word that the facility was under attack. He intended to have Ross moved to a secure location, but shortly after being unshackled, the door to the interrogation room was blown open.

Coming into view was a cloaked and masked woman who went directly for the Sith, but was quickly beaten. Before he delivered a killing blow, Ross had attacked him unarmed and gave her the distraction she needed to escape death. But Ross paid the price... his left arm to be precise.

At that point, I gasped at realizing that I may have been watching his death, but then something else grabbed my attention. When Ross’s arm was severed, the woman started screaming in pain as well, grabbing her own arm. They shared a Force bond!

When the Sith interrogator saw the connection, he laughed. “Tell me, is it lethal?” Then he prepared to kill Ross, but the woman went at him with great ferocity and killed him easily with anger flowing through her.

When the fight was over, she hovered over Ross and turned him on his back. After examining the wound, she threw him over her shoulders and carried him out.

I was stunned at what I had just seen. Ross had lost an arm, but also shared a bond with another. Who could it have been?

--

I had spent nearly an hour going through whatever files I could in the database, hoping that I could uncover something that could help me find Ross, but things just got stranger and stranger as I learned more. In the last few days, the Sith forces have been tearing themselves apart as the 4 Dark Jedi started fighting amongst themselves for command.

Unlike at the academy on Korriban, these four have been using their followers to attack each other rather than facing their enemies directly. None of them were female, so it couldn’t have been any of them who took Ross.

I leaned back in my chair, wondering who had rescued him and where she could have gone. Although she was masked, I knew it wasn’t one of the other Jedi from the Fuel Station. She had to have been either a sith, or someone acting independently. Given that the second option only narrowed the number of candidates to almost any Force-sensative in the Galaxy, I could only narrow down the options among the Sith within the base.

After evaluating the records of the Dark Jedi, I found that there were seven originally stationed, but that number dwindled to three over the last six months; two female. Neither one seemed to be like the one who screamed in that video. It was odd to make that judgment without even speaking to them, but I just didn’t think either one did it.

After nearly an hour of searching, I found the record of another Dark Jedi who had arrived shortly after Ross’s rescue... a woman. Her photo in the profile and the voice seemed to match, but she clearly arrived a few hours iafteri/ Ross was rescued. Despite that, this Alexus Seagate was the one.

--

I was quite astonished at everything that’s happened that I walked through the base with more anxiety than fear. I didn’t know how Alexus would react when I approached, but I had prepared myself for the possibility that I would have to extract the info from her. When I thought about what I would say, I realized that I would have to expose myself if I hoped for a peaceful solution. If that didn’t happen, we might end up clashing lightsabers... and I was in no condition to fight.

That hibernation trance weakened me significantly and if we got into a fight, she would have a significant advantage over me. Even if I had been in my prime, she would have been a challenge, but in my weakened state... If I had any sense, I would have just tried to save myself, but something was drawing me to discover the truth. Who could possibly have had a bond with Ross? Was he still alive? Could I convince her to tell me without revealing myself? I just didn’t know.

Among a some medical supplies left behind, I found a pair of adrenal boosters and some combat rations. If I had to fight, at least I could make up for my weakened state. The rations were freeze-dried, but they were not safe from rodents. All 6 packages were torn open and some were completely consumed, but I desperately needed to eat. I took whatever remnants didn’t have teeth marks or insect larvae and managed to get enough of what was left to ease my hunger, but it would have taken hours before it did any good. Before I left to find this Alexus, I injected myself with one of the boosters and would save the second if and when I needed it.

--

Alexus was currently stationed in one of the command centers on a routine shift, so I went directly there, verified my identity to the guards, and was soon in front of her. Since she was new around this place as well, she wouldn’t have been surprised to see a ‘Sith Master’ she didn’t recognize, so she would have respected my rank above her ‘Dark knight’ status. That still didn’t keep her from admitting that she didn’t see my name among the other dark Jedi.

“Are you Alexus Sapphire?”

“Alexus Sapphire.”

“Yes, Alexus Sapphire. Are you her?”

She turned her gaze away. “No. You must be mistaken.”

I folded my arms in an intimidating manner. “Don’t mess around with me. I know you are Alexus.”

“Then why did you ask a question that you already knew the answer? When you need to identify someone, you’re not supposed to say their name in the question, otherwise they could answer yes or no.” She glared at me. “What do you want?”

“I would like to speak with you in a less public location.”

She stared at me for a short moment as if to read if I had hostile intentions. Then she looked back at a uniformed officer. “You are now in command. I’ll be back shortly.” Then she faced me again. “There is an office nearby that belonged to the late Darth Polenin. He probably wouldn’t mind if we used it.”

--

I found it odd that she just dropped her position when confronted by a complete stranger, but I was a Master after all. She was just following the chain of command, but if that man in the video was Darth Polenin, why didn’t she take credit for his death? Once elevated to Grand Master, she could have done anything she wanted with the Sith on this base.

After entering, she stood by the doorway and asked. “What is this about?”

“Close the door. We don’t want any of this to become public knowledge.”

“If this is about some plot or scheme, I want nothing to do with it, so don’t ask.”

I tranced over to the door and pressed the control to slide it shut with Alexus still in the way. When she tried to move to the opposite side before it closed, I pulled her into the room with the Force. She didn’t take kindly to that, but I started speaking before she could threaten me. “I know that you are the one who captured the Jedi yesterday.”

She dropped her shoulders in annoyance. “I’ve been through this already. I was not even here at the time it happened. There was no way that I could have done something like that from afar and I can’t be in two places at once... it would be nice though.”

I tiled my head and raised an eyebrow. “The time index on the records are perfect, so I believe that you didn’t change the records. You were, however, the one who did it.”

“Do you have any real proof? Why would I do such a thing even if I were here? What...”

I cut her off. “You came here for the sole purpose of rescuing the Jedi. You share a bond with him and that’s why you came to this miserable planet at all.”

“I have a better hypothesis... The Jedi was only a padawan, but the master was never found. That master was the one who shared a bond and she came to rescue her student.” Everything fits and if she could have remained hidden for days, surely they both escaped.”

I paused a long moment, wondering if I had to reveal myself in order to get her to talk. “It wasn’t the master who rescued him.”

“Oh. How did you come to that conclusion?” She asked as if gloating her innocence.

“The one who saved him didn’t have lekku.”

She stared at me for a moment before realizing the severity of the situation. Terror clouded her mind and she went for the door to escape.

“That wouldn’t be in your best interest.” I slowly moved between her and the doorway. If you told them that I was the master, then it would bring up the next question of who was in the video. It was clearly not me, so it had to be one of the other Sith. How long do you think it would be before they find the truth?” I stepped up to her. “We are now in this together, whether you like it or not. If you expose me, you will expose yourself. If you want to keep breathing, you must help me and Ross to escape. Once that’s done, you could come back as if nothing happened, or you can return with me and be free to do whatever you want with your life.”

She was stunned at being discovered by the master and being discovered in spite of the airtight alibi of hers. Alexus just stared at me for a long moment to consider the consequences, but eventually nodded.

I gave a small smile and nodded as well to inspire cooperation. “Where is he?”

She sighed deeply. “He’s alive, but I had to drug him to remain unconscious. I couldn’t risk his thoughts being sensed by the other Force-sensatives.”

“He had suffered severe injuries before that. Did you stabilize him before injecting him with drugs? Where is he?”

“He lost an arm, but it won’t get infected. Other than that, he’s just as you left him... why did you leave him anyway? I thought Jedi don’t abandon their padawans.”

“It would take too long to explain. I need you to take me to him.”

“Not yet. Do you even have a means of escape?”

“Don’t you? You seemed to plan your arrival quite well. Did you plan your escape as well?”

“I did, but I didn’t exactly consider that a group of rebels would hijack the ship I arrived on. The base is now locked down and anyone trying to leave would be discovered. And even then, they would not have a means to get off this world.”

“I do. And if you want to escape as well, I could provide it.” I said.

“No thanks. I just want to get through this as discretely as possible. As long you don’t screw this up, I will help you to get out of here. And after that... please don’t make me rescue him again. You’re the master... keep it that way.”

I saw great frustration within her, yet I didn’t really know why she rescued him at all. “You and he share a Force bond. How did that come to be?”

“It wasn’t by choice, I’ll say that.” She hit a wall in anger. “When the little was being tortured, he was transmitting his pain to me. I tried ignoring it for a while, but there came a point where I couldn’t stand it anymore. It was like the more desperate he was, the more painful it became for me.” She paced around for a moment. “I abandoned my post and followed him here so I could save him and then return him to you, the Jedi.”

I nodded, but then I came to realize who I just found. “Alexus... that is not your name, is it?”

She looked at me over her shoulder. “It is, but Ross knew me by another.”

“Alastria.”

She looked almost as though she were holding back tears as she nodded. “So he never had forgotten me. What did he tell you about me... about us?”

“Not much. He said you went off to fight in the Mandalorian Wars, but never returned. He thought you had died.”

“I thought he had as well. I remembered losing the bond between us slowly, but there came a time when it seemed to die altogether. I haven’t felt him since until only a few days ago.”

“I never heard about that bond, but I guess I never asked him about that. How did he react when he first saw you again?”

“He never knew it was me. I just wanted to return him to the Jedi and leave forever.” She stated.

“Well now is a time to plan an escape. If you want to get off this world, you and I will have to get back to the Republic fuel station. From there, you can do whatever you want with your life.”

“Alright, alright, but if you do something stupid, I won’t hesitate to kill you. I’m doing this for myself and only myself. Got it?”

I raised my hands to gesture acknowledgment. “Lead the way and I’ll follow.”

--

Ross had been taken into an abandoned building that had once stored fuel for Sith fighters, but was only collecting dust with no fighters to supply. Alexus said that it was the most unlikely place the Sith would look for a captive padawan. Before she opened the door, she turned to face me. “You are not going to revive him, are you? You don’t even know what you’re going to do after this.”

“I’ll get to that, but for now I need to know if he can walk on his own or if he’ll have to be carried out.” I stated before opening the door myself.

Before I could go in, she held me back. “I’m staying out here. As far as he knows, I’m still dead.”

I raised an eyebrow at what I just heard. “Aren’t you the least bit interested in speaking to your brother? You and he shared a bond and I think you would both like to talk to each other...”

“This is not the time for that. Once we’re gone, then we will have all the time in the galaxy. Until then, I don’t want anything to do with him.”

“Fine. I’ll not say anything to him.” After that, I went into the building, which was dilapidated and filled with rusting canisters of fuel. Most of them were spent and thrown aside while others were neatly stacked and would explode with just one spark.

Ross was at the far end behind a few empty canisters. When I moved them out of the way, got down on my knee and checked his left arm to see for myself that it indeed was severed. I know what I saw on the video, but it just didn’t seem real until I saw for myself. It was almost like seeing the corpse at a funeral instead of the cremated remains.

I saw that it was not as terrible as I thought. The arm was only cut off to the elbow, but it looked like the joint wouldn’t have to be replaced. Prosthetic limbs were more powerful than the originals, but were not as reliable because artificial joints don’t have the nerves or the means to heal like flesh. And usually the greater the scale of the joint, the more difficult it becomes to work in unison with the flesh.

The wound was not properly dressed. Although the lightsaber sealed it from infection, the elements would have eventually opened the wound and the blood pressure would have dropped if the coagulated blood was worn away with time. I ripped off a piece of my cloak and covered it properly.

Before I could wake him, Alastria yelled from the outside. “We can’t linger here! Do whatever you must so we can plan our next move!”

“One moment!” I shouted back. After I turned my attention back to Ross, I put my hand on his forehead so that I could stimulate him in spite of the drugs that were keeping him asleep.

He lifted his head and stretched his limbs, but soon turned his attention to the phantom arm. Then he saw me hovering over. “Yuthura... what happened? What’s going on?”

“It’s alright, Ross. I came back for you and you lost your arm to save me. We are still in danger, though. Can you walk?”

“Wait, no. It wasn’t you who came for me. It was someone else... she seemed familiar...”

I interrupted. “I’m sorry Ross, but we don’t have time. Can you walk?”

He leaned forward and I pulled him up by the healthy arm to his feet. The drugs made it difficult for him to keep balance, but he could move on his own. “Yeah. Where do we go from here?”

“You’re going to have to stay for a while, but I’ll be right back for you. The whole base is locked down and we need to come up with a plan.” I explained.

Alastria came running in with great concern. “Something’s happening out there.”

“What?”

“I hear vehicles starting up. I think that they are mobilizing for an attack or something.”

“We’re at the far side of the base. If they are planning to attack the Republic outpost, we can get a pair of speeder bikes and outrun them.”

“I think they’re getting closer. I don’t know if we can reach the speeder bike hanger even if he could run. We should stay where we are until they pass by.”

“No. If they are getting closer, then we must have been discovered!”

She stared at me in utter horror. “This is what you had planned all along! You wanted me to deliver the Jedi into your hands and then have me killed!”

“No! I’m his master and they are coming for me! We have to escape!” I desperately shouted.

“A Jedi couldn’t just break in without attracting attention.” She protested.

“I was with the sith, which was why I was selected to infiltrate this facility. I’m a Jedi and Ross is my apprentice.”

“Surrender him, or die!” She pulled out her lightsaber and held it just centimeters from my heart.

I was almost in panic because I had the means to stop her, but I didn’t want to kill Ross’s sister in front of him. Although he apparently didn’t recognize her, I couldn’t afford to do it. “Alexus, you have to trust me. It’s your only hope. If we work together, we can escape this place... all three of us. If not, you will be against all of them.” I gestured to the troops gathering outside. “Even if I were lying, would the alternative be any worse? But if I’m being sincere, you can escape the fate that awaits all Sith. It’s only a matter of time before the Republic destroys them or they destroy themselves.” I paused for a moment. “Please... we can all escape this together, but if you can’t trust me... trust Ross.”

She looked at me for a long moment, but then looked to Ross almost as if to hear from him that it was alright to trust me, but he remained silent. After looking at me again, she lowered the lightsaber and retracted the blade. “At this point, what have I left to lose?”

“Or what have you to gain? Now, are there any other speeder bikes than those on the other side of the base?” I asked.

Before she could answer, I heard someone outside shouting outside. “Alexus! Surrender the Jedi!”

She looked at me almost apologetically, but I didn’t acknowledge it as I went to the entrance to see what we were facing. Through the crack in the door, I got sight of a Dark Jedi, various troops, two tanks, and a few speeder bikes scattered throughout the formations.

Alexus came up behind me and gently touched my shoulder to get attention. “What do you see? How many are there?”

“Too many to fight off. One is a Dark Jedi. Do you know who he is?” I moved away from the crack and see took a look for herself.

“Most of the Force-users here are unremarkable. I’m more concerned about all those blasters that would be aimed at us.” She said as she faced me.

I replied, “We need to take him out first. If we both attack him at once...”

“We’d be up against dozens of blasters focused on us! I can’t fight and block at...”

“We’ll have all those blasters firing on us anyway! At least if we are fighting at point blank range, he’d have to block the incoming shots as well.” I turned to Ross. “Once he’s down, I need you to take his lightsaber and help us fend them off. I know you’re wounded and in no condition to fight, but I need you to watch yourself so that once I get a speeder bike, I don’t have to worry about you.”

“What if the fight doesn’t go as anticipated? Things often don’t go according to plan.”

I stepped back from the doorway and unclipped the lightsaber from my waist. “No, they don’t.” I looked at Alexus as she held her lightsaber in ready position. “If one of us should fall, then the other must take Ross and escape. There is no sense in risking two to save one, but whichever of us it is, Ross must be with the other. Do you both understand?”

Alexus looked at Ross for a long moment almost as if expecting it to be the last time she could tell him the truth, but I couldn’t let her emotions get in the way. I grabbed her shoulders and put myself centimeters from her face. “Alexus... I need you to stay focused. When this door opens, it will not end until we are all safely back at the Republic station. After that, then you tell him.”

“Tell me what?” Ross asked.

“It’s no concern of yours! I need you both for this to succeed. Stay behind one of us, Ross and take his lightsaber once he’s dead.” I faced Alexus again. “After that, you follow me or Ross will know the way back if I don’t make it.” I ignited my lightsaber and got by the door. “Whenever you two are ready... remember that this will not end until we are all back at the fuel station.”

They both nodded. Alexus ignited her lightsaber as well. “Let’s get this over with.”

Rev7 · October 28, 2008

Yeah! A new chapter! Good job D_Y!

HIGH ON PIE 14 · October 29, 2008

Hey DY, hope to see you back soon. Thanks for posting Burnseyy.

This was a very interesting chap. Alastria...that was an unexpected twist. I like where this chapter has taken the story and how it set the stage for what I'm assuming will be a fairly large battle sequence. Great stuff, DY, I'm glad for the update to this great fic! Glad to see the inspiration back.

~HOP

Darth_Yuthura · October 31, 2008