Star Wars: The Darkness Within

[thelightfang]

Light shoved Traver and grabbed both blasters out of the air, having let his lightsaber return to his belt. He pointed one of the blasters at their owner's head, maybe a foot away from the couple of steps he had taken while retrieving the blasters, and the other at the recently shoved Traver's chest which was a few feet away.

 

He spoke to the latter:

"You may want to put your weapon down, unless you want to get shot."

[Chevron 7 locke]

Zarev was about to speak when the situation erupted into complete and utter chaos. He watched in shock as Corsail tried to throttle Varik after Varik kicked him in the shin and then threw his blasters at light who easily caught them.

 

"Now that is enough, Corsail.",

 

Zarev walked over to Corsail and knelt down next to him. "Listen Corsail, I like to think that jedi have infinite reserves of patience but your seriously testing my limit. I don't know what your problem is, but it ends now. If you continue with these actions, I will lock you in the cargo hold, is that clear?"

 

He continued staring at Corsail as he raised his voice. "Everyone, back onboard the ship. We have a mission to complete and each minute we waste puts more space between us and Voleran."

 

He looked up at Varik. "Get him onboard and don't let him near any weapons. I'm sorry Corsail, but I'm finding it very hard to trust you right now."

 

"You may want to put your weapon down, unless you want to get shot."

 

Zarev got back to his feet and looked at him. "Light, Traver, we need to get to Balmorra. Traver, get ahold of yourself and light, please put your weapons down. We all need to remember that we're not enemies."

 

Zarev turned to look at Avriela. "I would suggest that you simply get onboard and stay near Vlalkor at all times. I'm sorry, but it looks like for the moment you're not going to have your lightsaber and I don't trust Corsail not to try and shoot you."

 

Avriela nodded and quickly went onboard with Vlalkor right behind her. Zarev turned to Per'dra. "If you could just keep an eye on her I would really appreciate it." He then turned to look at Varik who still had Corsail pinned. "Remember, keep an eye on him."

 

Zarev shook his head and headed up the ship's ramp. He then turned around and motioned everyone to get onboard.

[thelightfang]

Light moved quickly up the ramp, as soon as Zarev finished speaking. He held on to the blasters and went to the cargo hold, where he hid them. He then got down on both knees and meditated, waiting for the others to get settled so they could take off.

[Warlord664]

I don't know what your problem is, but it ends now. If you continue with these actions, I will lock you in the cargo hold, is that clear?"

 

"My problem? Are you blind? He kicked me in the shin!" he said as he lifted himself of the ground.

 

"Oh let me guess, the sith spirit made him do that too. Not that it matters, as far as you're concerned Zarev, Varik could cripple one of our crew members for life and get away with it, oh thats right, he already has, I seem to recall a twi'lek in the medbay right now."

 

He could have continued on longer but he knew the jedi wouldn't listen to anything he said. He quickly brushed the sand off his vest and walked to his quarters.

[LDR]

"Oh let me guess, the sith spirit made him do that too. Not that it matters, as far as you're concerned Zarev, Varik could cripple one of our crew members for life and get away with it, oh thats right, he already has, I seem to recall a twi'lek in the medbay right now."

 

"I'm just going to ignore that.", Varik said, with a scowl.

 

"Just so you know, I kicked him in the shin to disarm him. I feared he was going to shoot at Light and Traver, again.", he said to Zarev.

 

He walked down the corridor and leaned on one of the walls, sighing to himself.

[thelightfang]

((OOC: I'm going to be moving, and I'm not sure that I will have internet for a while. In the event that I am unreachable for long enough and my character needs to act, LDR can dictate Light's actions.))

[MsFicwriter]

Per'dra nodded to Zarev, locked her own lightsaber in the ship's armory, and then headed for the medbay. Within it, there was far less testosterone and far more peace and quiet! After closing the medbay door, she told Avriela, "I'm sorry I disarmed you, but after what just happened, I think we all need to lose our weapons for a while! Seriously, I don't know what's gotten into everyone, except maybe Zarev. If this continues, we'll all be dead before we reach Balmorra, and the Sith won't even be to blame!"

[Chevron 7 locke]

((Okay everyone, off to Balmorra! ))

 

"Oh let me guess, the sith spirit made him do that too. Not that it matters, as far as you're concerned Zarev, Varik could cripple one of our crew members for life and get away with it, oh thats right, he already has, I seem to recall a twi'lek in the medbay right now."

 

 

Zarev couldn't help but clench his fingers into a fist. Corsail was one of the most irritating people he had ever met. That and the fact that he seemed to have an almost paranoid attitude towards everyone else.

 

He watched through narrowed eyes as Corsail stormed up the ramp and headed in the direction of his quarters.

 

"Just so you know, I kicked him in the shin to disarm him. I feared he was going to shoot at Light and Traver, again.",

 

Zarev nodded as Varik walked up the ramp. "I wouldn't put it past him to be honest. I honestly don't know where his paranoia and anger come from but I for one plan on keeping an eye on him."

 

 

 

Shan

 

"I'm sorry I disarmed you, but after what just happened, I think we all need to lose our weapons for a while! Seriously, I don't know what's gotten into everyone, except maybe Zarev. If this continues, we'll all be dead before we reach Balmorra, and the Sith won't even be to blame!"

 

Avriela nodded her head in agreement. "I don't really blame you, If I were in your position I would have taken your weapon as well. And I believe that your correct, At the rate everyone's anger is increasing there may be fire-fights in the corridors soon enough."

 

Avriela looked over at Per'dra. She couldn't help but think of the image she had seen in Zarev's mind. The one of Per'dra.

 

"So tell me...how long have you known Zarev? And why do you think he trusts me? I mean, If I was in his position I would trust me.

 

Zarev turned and watched as Vlalkor and Traver both walked up the loading ramp and it closed behind them. Vlalkor immediatly headed for the cockpit and quickly entered the coordiantes for Balmorra. The Shan gracefully lifted up into the air and immediatly headed for the sky.

 

Vlalkor activated the intercom "Attention everyone, entering hyperspace in...three...two...one!"

 

The Shan paused for a moment as it's hyperdrive engaged and shot it into hyperspace.

[Yukub]

Traver looked angry at Light but saw that he was in a disposition. He walked away, angry.

 

''Do whatever you wish. But I don't trust her. And neither should you.'' He got to his room and shut the door, when the ship popped into hyperspace.

 

''I can always throw her out of the airlock.''

[MsFicwriter]

"I can always throw her out of the airlock."

 

Per'dra, sitting near Avriela in the medbay, shivered when she heard Traver's joke. Had the former Sith heard it? To ease the tension, the Jedi Knight quipped, "He means me. In case you didn't notice, he's not fond of Jedi. Whether he has a good reason to distrust us remains to be seen..."

 

Avriela wasn't laughing. With her face flushing hot, Per'dra continued, "I have not known Zarev long, but it seems like we've been acquainted with each other forever! I first met him when I returned from a potential suicide mission to...to..." She trailed off. "All right. It's time to tell the truth instead of hiding behind this veil of secrecy. You once served the Sith; maybe you could tell me if you knew any of the people of whom I speak. One of the Jedi Masters, Lenina Karos, went rogue before Voleran did. She was a spy for the Sith. However, what she really wanted to do was take down both Orders, and institute her own galactical rule. You may think this madness, and it is.

 

"While committing espionage on behalf of the Sith, she had my own Master, the late Yun Xiaolin, tortured and used as a puppet candidate for the Galactic Senate. When he failed to secure the nomination, however, she had him captured and murdered before I could find out where she'd taken him! She used him as bait in order to get to me, because Master Karos knew what I was capable of. I'd been a prisoner on Korriban, and had slain my chief captor, a pure-blooded Sith named Pfon Urazhai. Karos wanted me either dead, or fully obedient to her will. Her will was to rule the galaxy through a combination of puritanical, draconian laws and iron-fisted rule. The Sith were evil in her eyes; thus, they deserved to be exterminated. As for the Jedi? They were too weak to do whatever was necessary to secure "true galactic peace", and so they also had to be exterminated. How I defeated Karos remains a mystery."

 

Per'dra gave a start. "Check that! The Force helped me, although for what reason, I do not know. I nearly fell to the dark side in that final battle, because my hatred for Master Karos was on the brink of surpassing anything and everything that was good in me. As for Zarev? He was the one who hung a medal of honor around my neck for bravery, not noticing my dreadful scars.

 

"I'm not a hero. A hero never would have fallen as far as I did, and that's what I'm hoping you'll understand. I'm just someone who survived a living nightmare, waking up at the last possible moment before it consumed me.

 

"Why do I think Zarev trusts you? He's always believed in redemption..." With a slow smile, Per'dra told Avriela, "No airlocks will be opened on MY watch!"

[Chevron 7 locke]

"He means me. In case you didn't notice, he's not fond of Jedi. Whether he has a good reason to distrust us remains to be seen..."

 

Avriela shook her head and smiled slightly. "It's alright, I think that he means me. And if he's not fond of jedi then I can only imagine what he thinks about a former sith on this ship. I honestly think that he might be planning some way of killing me."

 

"All right. It's time to tell the truth instead of hiding behind this veil of secrecy. You once served the Sith; maybe you could tell me if you knew any of the people of whom I speak. One of the Jedi Masters, Lenina Karos, went rogue before Voleran did. She was a spy for the Sith. However, what she really wanted to do was take down both Orders, and institute her own galactical rule. You may think this madness, and it is.

 

Lenina Karos...That name sounds familiar. "I think I've heard the name before, but it was when I was running from the sith. I may have heard it in a cantina. Like I said, I've been running for quite awhile."

 

"Check that! The Force helped me, although for what reason, I do not know. I nearly fell to the dark side in that final battle, because my hatred for Master Karos was on the brink of surpassing anything and everything that was good in me. As for Zarev? He was the one who hung a medal of honor around my neck for bravery, not noticing my dreadful scars.

 

"I know the feeling of the darkside...or rather I used to before I ran." Avriela said quietly. The feeling of falling...of betraying what you once stood for." She smiled slightly. "I wasn't always a sith you know, In fact, I was taken to the sith academy against my will."

 

A mental image of the way that Zarev saw Per'dra flashed through her mind. The faint smile remained on her face as she thought back on what she had seen in Zarev's mind as a sudden thought went through her mind. Is it possible Zarev is in love with Per'dra? It would explain some of the things I saw in his mind.

 

"I'm not a hero. A hero never would have fallen as far as I did, and that's what I'm hoping you'll understand. I'm just someone who survived a living nightmare, waking up at the last possible moment before it consumed me.

 

The former sith thought for a moment. "I...I'll think on your words." She said quietly.

 

"Why do I think Zarev trusts you? He's always believed in redemption..."

Avriela smiled brightly for a moment. "I hope that other jedi believe the same way you and Zarev do. I've never told anyone else this, and I hope you and I can keep it between us but at times, I've honestly thought of going to the Jedi."

 

Avriela laughed nervously. "I'm not lying, I'm scared that eventually I'm going to run out of luck or make a mistake one day and someone will end up killing me." She looked up at Per'dra. "Do you think...the jedi would give me a chance if I surrendered myself? Or would they just kill me?"

[MsFicwriter]

"The Jedi Order makes a special point never to kill prisoners who surrender," Per'dra replied. "That is one of the critical differences between us and the Sith: we believe in redemption and making amends, while the Sith slaughter those who fail them, deeming them little more than disposable waste. As I am only a Knight, I would have to consult with my new Master about your joining the Order. The final decision rests not in my hands, but with the Jedi Council on Tython. However, if you prove yourself in this mission to track down and apprehend Master Voleran, that will certainly be a great point in your favor! I, for one, would welcome you into our ranks, and so would Zarev." All of a sudden, she blinked. Hard. "You were taken to the Sith Academy by force? What happened?"

[LDR]

"I'll get back to you later, Zarev.", Varik said, walking away.

 

He walked towards the direction of the medbay, and saw that the door was locked. He gently tapped at the door.

 

"Per'dra, it's Varik. May I come in? If you're in the middle of something, I could just come back later.", he asked through the door.

[MsFicwriter]

Per'dra rose. "As long as you promise you won't do Avriela any harm, come in." She heard the quick metallichiss of the medbay door as it opened. "Is there something you'd like to talk about with us?"

[Chevron 7 locke]

"You were taken to the Sith Academy by force? What happened?"

 

Avriela stood completley still for a moment as the door to the medbay opened. She turned to look at Varik and than turned back to Per'dra and smiled. No one had ever asked about her past before. She didn't mind sharing stories of her time before the sith, it was her time that she had been with the sith that she prefered to keep quiet about.

 

"It started many years ago, As you may or may not know, if a force sensative child is found in the sith empire, they are taken from their parents who give them up willingly or are taken by force."

 

She smiled sadly. "I was one of those who was taken by force. I don't remember much of my parents but one of the sith instructors once told me that they tried to smuggle me out of sith space to the jedi order. The ship carrying my parents and I was caught close to the border. My parents were executed and I was taken to the academy. Or so I was told."

 

Her eyes took on a slightly haunted look. "My time with the sith was horrible. I tried to escape several times but I was always brought back and tortured for a few days."

 

She turned to look at Varik. "Eventually, I was taken by a master but I just didn't have the heart of a sith. My master...well she tolerated my actions but my fellow students did not. When my master died...They all turned on me and I was forced to flee."

 

She turned to look at Per'dra and than back at Varik. "If you would like to hear more than I would be happy to share but I should warn you, the rest of the story isn't pleasant."

[LDR]

"As long as you promise you won't do Avriela any harm, come in."

 

"You have my word.", Varik replied as he entered the medbay, closing the door behind him.

 

"Is there something you'd like to talk about with us?"

 

"Once she's done, yes.", Varik said.

 

He leaned on the wall, and listened intently to Avirela's story. It struck him that everything he had thought about her before was wrong. Still, he couldn't help but feel at least a little bit wary of her still.

 

"If you would like to hear more, then I would be happy to share. But I should warn you, the rest of the story isn't pleasant."

 

"Life is rarely pleasant.", Varik replied. "Continue, please."

[Chevron 7 locke]

"Life is rarely pleasant. Continue, please."

 

"It was shortly after my latest escape attempt that the instuctors at the academy decided that it time for me to take a life."

 

Avriela's eyes took on a haunted look. "It was a jedi...they had tortured him for weeks, subjected him to horrors that I can't describe, drugged him and subjected him to hallucinations that caused his mind to snap. They threw me in a locked room with the jedi. They threw him a lightsaber and then they threw me one."

 

"The jedi may have been driven mad but he was still a very cunning opponet. At times I thought that I was going to die but in the end, I managed to kill him." She turned to look at Per'dra and Varik. "I'm sorry that I had to take the life of one of your fellow jedi, but from what I could tell there wasn't much of him left."

 

"It was after the fight that I found that the real reason they had thrown me in with the jedi: My master had been killed earlier and the news had reached the academy. I assumed that they were going to keep pitting me against opponets until I died."

 

Avriela smiled darkly. "My fellow students decided that I was a disease among the sith for my tendancy to show mercy to my enemies. But my actions had made me a friend: A smuggler by the name of Virez. He had once been detained for trying to steal sith artifacts and the sith had decided to leave his fate in my hands."

 

A single tear appeared in Avriela's eye but she wiped it away. "Virez thought he was going to die that day but I let him live. To be honest, I underestimated him: Virez managed to break out of the cell later that week and he helped me escape from the room. Together, we managed to get to his ship and escaped Korriban."

 

"I should have known that the sith that would have came after us after we went our seperate ways but I didn't. I later found out that Virez was killed by a bounty hunter on Tatooine shortly after our escape and it was after that that I found that the sith were tracking me and were going to kill me as soon as they caught up with me."

 

"I was forced to run for nearly two years and I was forced to kill at least seven sith who managed to track me over the years. In fact, thats how I ended up on Tatooine. My ship was shot down and I fled into the desert. My opponet tracked me into the desert and fought me but I managed to kill him. And thats when you found me nearly buried in the sand."

 

Avriela shrugged. "Thats my story."

[thelightfang]

Light woke from his slumber, which he'd found he'd fallen into after having little to meditate on and being able to sleep in just about any position. He walked towards the cockpit, enjoying the familiar hum of the hyperdrive. He heard the group talking in the med bay, but figured three was plenty company. He completed his course and found Vlalkor in the pilot's seat.

 

"Crazy stuff happened back planet-side. Has anyone filled you in?" Light queried at a moderate volume.

[LDR]

"Thats my story."

 

"Well, that sure is a hell of a story.", Varik said with a grin.

 

He paused, and then quickly added, "I'm sorry, that was rude. It must have been hard for you to recollect those memories."

 

His back started to ache as he continued to lean on the bulkhead.

[MsFicwriter]

"Seven Sith?" Per'dra was more than impressed. Frankly, she was amazed. "If you managed to slay them all and survive this long, then the Sith have sorely underestimated you! It's a good thing you're with us now, however, because if our enemies are smart, they're going to send a veritable army after you soon. if there's one thing they can't stand, it's being defeated, and 'overkill' is probably their most often-used strategy. Which will mean bad news when it comes, but..." She almost stood up, but didn't. "There's something I haven't told you about my final battle with Lenina Karos, and it's already coming to haunt me."

[Chevron 7 locke]

"I'm sorry, that was rude. It must have been hard for you to recollect those memories."

 

Avriela shrugged. "It wasn't that difficult to be honest. You rescued me from the dunes of tatooine and I feel I can trust you...well, You and Per'dra here. The others would probably shoot me on sight."

 

"If you managed to slay them all and survive this long, then the Sith have sorely underestimated you! It's a good thing you're with us now, however, because if our enemies are smart, they're going to send a veritable army after you soon. if there's one thing they can't stand, it's being defeated, and 'overkill' is probably their most often-used strategy. Which will mean bad news when it comes, but..."

 

The former sith smiled. "One of the main reasons I have survived so long is because although I didn't have a teacher for long I did manage to learn a few tricks. The shadows are my ally in battle, I have the ability to cloak myself with the force and make myself hard to detect. Of course it doesn't always work, especally when I'm alone and there a large group of people looking for me."

 

"There's something I haven't told you about my final battle with Lenina Karos, and it's already coming to haunt me."

 

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Avriela said quietly.

 

 

Bridge of the Shan

 

"Crazy stuff happened back planet-side. Has anyone filled you in?"

 

Vlalkor grinned. "I was there for some of it. But I am a bit confused as to how we managed to pick up a former sith in the middle of the dune sea. I wouldn't mind someone explaining that. As for what happened with Varik...I'm not going to lie I was a bit concerned but he seems fine now."

[LDR]

"It wasn't that difficult to be honest. You rescued me from the dunes of tatooine and I feel I can trust you...well, You and Per'dra here. The others would probably shoot me on sight."

 

"Funny, not too long ago, I had wanted you off the ship.", he said with a slight grin. "I apologize for that as well."

 

"There's something I haven't told you about my final battle with Lenina Karos, and it's already coming to haunt me."

 

"Karos? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the name.", Varik said, raising an eyebrow.

 

The uncomfortableness of his back became a nuisance, and promptly moved to sat in a chair in the corner of the room.

[thelightfang]

Light waited a moment, collecting himself before beginning.

 

"The short version is usually better so, let's see...

We all battled Varik. We incapacitated him, found out he was possessed by Tulak Hord, and exorcised Hord's spirit. We stood around for a bit, when Varik heard a plea for help through the Force. He, Traver, and I took off to track it down. We found the sith-woman, Avriela. She was covered in sand, so I helped her out with the Force. Varik took her weapon and left, just before everyone else showed up, minus you and Kif obviously. Corsail started acting all crazy, shot at me, Traver, and Avriela. We weren't wounded, but it was completely unnecessary."

 

Light paused for a minute, not sure how the Havoc squad soldier was taking all of this. He decided to continue up to where everyone split ways on the boarding ramp.

 

"Everyone started to board, Corsail was all kinds of upset about Avriela coming on the ship. Varik tried to return her lightsaber, Per'dra took it. Everyone minus Corsail and Traver were okay with at least hearing her story, but Corsail flipped again. Traver was freaked out to. I held my lightsaber to the back of Traver's head untill Varik disarmed Corsail and threw his blasters to me. I plucked them from the air and trained them on Corsail and Traver untill Zarev resolved the situation. Then, everyone went up the ramp and to where they wanted to go. I think that's it."

[Warlord664]

(I'm not going have internet connection for a while, not sure when I'll be able to post again)

 

Corsail sat on the edge of the small bed inside his quarters, starring at the wall. Are the credits really worth it? He thought to himself, The jedi on this ship are unbearable.

 

He clenched his fists as he felt a sting of pain coming from his arm from where Varik had thrown his grapple hook. Everyone on this ship despises me, I should have just avoided the republic like i've been doing, it's only a matter of time before the empire destroys the republic anyway.

 

He closed his eyes as he remembered hearing the news that the empire had taken control of his homeworld, his entire family was killed. "What good is the republic if they can't defend their core worlds!" he shouted. Focussing his anger on a wall light he shattered it, blowing it into a thousand pieces across the small room.

 

He stood up, amazed by what he just did. "I have to learn how to use this power" he said outloud to the empty room.

[MsFicwriter]

Per'dra immediately rose from her meditating position in the medbay. "What just shattered?" she asked herself as well as the group. "I intend to find out." The sound seemed to have emanated from Corsail's quarters, so she rapped on his door. "Corsail? Are you all right? What broke?"