KOTOR III: In Search of Darkness

[MsFicwriter]

Headmistress Visas cringed and then nodded. "I feared this might be so. Several of us seem to be affected by this phenomenon, this Pulse, each in his or her own way. Knight Kael, I believe it's emanating from the planet of Malachor V, though by all rights it should have been completely destroyed. Did not Bao-Dur and his helpful remote activate the Mass Shadow Generator? Didn't the Exile, along with us and the rest of his apprentices, not see it being torn asunder? Something is seriously wrong, and my suspicion is that the core remains intact. If we Masters are going to investigate, I need for you to..."

 

Before she could continue, a wise and reserved man named Jolee Bindo strode into the middle of the Enclave. He had become the Academy's premier medic after his own mentor, Revan, left for the Unknown Regions of the galaxy.

 

"Headmistress Visas?" asked Jolee. "A young Czerka Corporation tech has come to us after being referred here by the company's clinic. She has a headache, but it's no ordinary kind. There's nothing physically wrong with her. I can't find any swelling or concussion of her cranium. She's fine, or should be. The thing that puzzles me is whether her symptoms are Force-related."

 

Dead silence.

 

"Am I speaking out of turn, Headmistress? If so, I apologize."

 

"You are not," replied Visas slowly, and motioned for everyone to follow her - including Kael, V'nessa Talt and Valean. "Come. Let's go see her all together. This mystery is growing more strange by the second, and worse as well."

[Chevron 7 locke]

"Come. Let's go see her all together. This mystery is growing more strange by the second, and worse as well."

 

Valean nodded her head and began to follow Master Visas along with Atton and Quirzar. All the while she had conflicting thoughts over what could possibly happen in the near future. One on hand, she was curious as to what was causing all this, on the other hand, she was worried about what was causing this.

 

She stopped for a moment as she sensed a minor disturbance in the force. It was there one moment and gone the next. "I'm sorry, did anyone else feel that?" she asked cautiously. The trandoshan nodded his head. "I can feel it. It is a hunter. Only a hunter would try to hide itself."

 

Atton looked at Quirzar and raised an eyebrow. "Not bad for someone who just found that they were force sensitive."

 

Quirzar smiled a tooth filled smile. "I have hunted for many years. I understand the how the hunter hunts."

 

 

Above Dantooine

 

A small one person ship soared through the atmosphere of Dantooine, it was shaking slightly as it hit atmospheric turbulence a few times but other than that it was doing well.

 

The hooded figure sitting at the controls reached out through the force as she brought the small ship in for a landing near what her scanners were telling her were the ruins of one of the old estates. She could sense many force sensitives on this world...but she wasn't sure if they were Jedi.

 

Or Sith.

 

As the small fighter came in for a landing, her left hand grabbed the lightsaber in the small compartment next to her pilot's seat. The texture and weight of the lightsaber made her feel a bit safer after what she had been through.

[LDR]

Icarus harrumphed and promptly followed the others. He rubbed his head as he felt another pulse.

 

"I don't like this one bit."

 

Malachor V - Ruins of the Trayus Academy

 

Daimonos got up with a groan, nearly collapsing under his own weight. The screams were gone, that was a plus. The disturbance he felt in the Force was much clearer now, and it emanated from deep within the Trayus Academy. He didn't come here for nothing, and strode across the walkway into the academy. Thankfully, the academy wasn't as unstable as he previously thought it was. Ruined spires lay spewed across the floor, and massive fissures throughout the walls were commonplace. As he continued forward, the halls were unsettlingly silent.

 

The stone monument at the end of the great hall was split, its contents spewed across the floor. Much of it was simple knowledge he had no need for, and passed it by as he reached an alcove. The bookshelf there fared no better, as ancient manuscripts and datapads lay scattered and shredded around the area. There were many bodies laying on the floor, none of which were decomposed - as the Mass Shadow Generator managed to extinguish all life remaining on the planet. Some of the bodies bore lightsaber marks, others force trauma and blaster bolt wounds. The presence of the bodies of old allies made Daimonos uncomfortable as he continued forward.

 

Making his way through the ruined academy, his results were the same. More bodies, more wreckage, and more information forever lost. He managed to come across a Hurrikaine crystal in one of the rooms in the cellblock, and soon found a workbench to integrate it into his lightsaber. His next sight, however, was disturbing.

 

Right in front of the doorway leading to the Trayus Core, was the body of a shattered man of gray flesh. It was reminiscent of the planet itself, with fractured scars so deep they resembled the planet's valleys. His body looked as if it was permanently in a state of undeath and decomposition, although now it was completely lifeless. It was Darth Sion - the Lord of Pain.

[MsFicwriter]

MEDBAY, JEDI ENCLAVE, DANTOOINE

 

"You say you only started having this headache today?" asked Jolee Bindo.

 

"Right, at around 0500 hours," replied the Czerka Corporation technician. "I was bemoaning having to get up and go to work because of it, but I didn't want to miss our Mandatory Team Meeting. However, when it came time to get on the shuttle, I almost doubled over in pain. I'd even taken three pills before leaving my apartment. Instead of heading for the office on campus, I got off at its CzerkHealth Clinic, available exclusively for corporate employees. Either the flesh-and-blood physicians there were too busy, or they didn't think it was worth their time to scan some living data-entry drone's head. A medical droid examined me, designation N1-O1, and told me I was perfectly fine."

 

The female tech winced, gritting her teeth. "Figures. They don't want to treat me. How can I be in this much agony if there's nothing physically wrong? N1-O1 suggested that the medical personnel at this Enclave might be helpful if I wanted a second opinion, and you bet I did!" She looked anxiously at Jolee.

 

"Miss," he said in an even tone, "I believe your symptoms are Force-related."

 

"Hmm?" She looked even more worried. "You mean the Force that Jedi use?"

 

"And Sith," he added, "although neither of us should jump to conclusions. Ah! It seems we have visitors," he told her, "many of whom have been having the same sorts of issues with their noggins today." He warmly introduced everyone who had suddenly come into the medbay at the same time. "A droid wouldn't be able to notice symptoms of this nature, whether they present themselves physically or not. That's why I'd...like it if my colleagues examined you, and compared their own signs of cranial pain to yours. May we, miss?"

 

"Of course," the technician replied, nodding. "By the way, I'm Yeira Karitta." Suddenly turning back to Jolee, she asked, "Why would a CzerkHealth droid refer me to you and your fellow medics? The last time I checked, Czerka Corporation and the Jedi Order weren't exactly on speaking terms."

 

"It all has to do with an exiled Jedi named Vadim Turil, who got a little too greedy and professionally cozy with your company in his day," Bindo replied. "He helped Czerka gain control of the restoration zones on a dying planet called Telos, and now the relationship between your corporation and our Order has...improved." He shook his head. "I can't say I agree with it, but at least it brought you to us. Let's see if everything's 'perfectly fine' or not." He began to meditate, laying his leathered yet soft hands upon Yeira Karitta's head.

[Warlord664]

"Come. Let's go see her all together. This mystery is growing more strange by the second, and worse as well."

 

Kael followed behind the rest of the group, extreamely uncomfortable being around so many people. They felt it aswell, obviously. If a weak force user like me felt it of course the masters would have...

 

As they entered the medbay, Kael saw the technician the old man was talking about earlier. Kael was curious about what was going on but he stayed in the back and remained silent, and he made sure his pet did the same.

[Chevron 7 locke]

Outskirts of the Jedi Temple

 

The cloaked figure slowly looked around the Jedi Temple grounds as her mind was flooded with memories of her time amongst the Jedi. Not all of them were good. Her Master had tested her once while sparring and she had fallen to the dark-side as a result of that test. A man she considered her best friend had managed to bring her back to the light-side.

 

So many years...So much has changed. She thought as she looked at the Jedi Temple. It looked as if part of it had been rebuilt after the bombardment by Darth Malak.

 

The cloaked figure looked on and threw back her hood to reveal a battle scarred cathar face. Her eyes were filled with hope as she slowly began to walk to the Jedi Temple.

 

Juhani had returned.

 

 

 

Jedi Temple

Medbay

 

Jolee closed his eyes and began to focus as he tried to determine the cause of Yeira's symptoms. Jolee's hand shook slightly as he continued focusing. After a few moments he pulled his hand back and shook his head.

 

"I can sense that something's wrong. But I can't determine what exactly is wrong. It's confusing."

 

Quirzar quietly pushed his way forward and looked at Jolee and than at Yeira. "I sense this. I can hunt it." He said quietly as he placed his leathery hands on the Czerka woman's head. "Do not fear. Quirzar will find this."

 

The trandoshan closed his eyes and could already sense something...wrong. Wrong with the woman but also wrong with himself in a different way yet somehow the same.

 

Quirzar will find you... The trandoshan's thought's echoed the force as he tried to track down the source of whatever it was. And for a brief moment...he thought he had it.

 

It was than the Trandoshan for one of the few times in his life was stunned. In his mind...he saw a battle scarred world twisted and cracked by the forces of Gravity itself, the wreckage of hundreds of ships caught in an unstable gravity field.

 

This world was covered in the cloak of the dark-side.

 

The Trandoshan pulled his hand back quickly. "I saw a world...cracked and twisted. Hundreds of destroyed ships caught in orbit. The dark-side is strong there. It is everywhere and everything."

 

I have heard of worlds like that. But I have not set foot on them.

[LDR]

"I saw a world...cracked and twisted. Hundreds of destroyed ships caught in orbit. The dark-side is strong there. It is everywhere and everything. I have heard of worlds like that. But I have not set foot on them."

 

Icarus crossed his arms and stepped forward.

 

"I have. It's Malachor.", he said. "And I think it's clear we need to head there as soon as possible."

 

Malachor V - The Trayus Core

 

As Daimonos walked down the bridge, he was in awe. The Core was remarkably unscathed compared to the rest of the academy. He stopped and stood in the center of the claw-shaped altar, and began to meditate.

[MsFicwriter]

"I wholeheartedly agree with you, Knight Icarus, but by we," Headmistress Brianna emphasized, "I mean anyone with your own rank or higher. That means Padawans Valean and V'nessa, along with Quirzar, will remain here. You three have only heard of Malachor V in the Histories of the Jedi, along with information you've perused in the Jedi Archives. However, you've barely seen one-tenth of what we have concerning that planet. The power of the Dark Side runs so strongly through Malachor V, even now, that you would be consumed by it almost immediately. Not even Darth Traya, once a Jedi Master, could resist it."

 

"Does that mean you will all be heading into the heart of danger and leaving us here? With no Masters or Knights at the Enclave, it will be unguarded. If any Sith remnants are on Dantooine, they'll attack us posthaste. We won't be able to defend ourselves against such a threat, or even against raiders."

 

"That is true, Padawan Talt, and that's why I'm leaving Master Atton behind. He has mastered tricks of the mind that can protect him against the Pulse. If this matter is settled, Knight Icarus, I need you to come with me and Headmistress Visas." Brianna beckoned to the Twi'lek. "The rest of you may return to your personal quarters."

 

"Wait," interjected Yeira Karitta, not knowing protocol. "What about me?"

 

"Either you have been sensitive to the Force since birth and have not known it, or else you have become sensitive. I believe the latter is the case. Jedi can sense midichlorians in the blood, which power Force sensitivity, and you barely have the tiniest quantity of them. Still, it is enough for you to feel this malevolent Pulse, which is why it's so worrisome. If it's 'flipped you' like a switch in terms of the Force, and it's evil, it makes me wonder why we haven't been able to do so. Why does the Dark call you, but not the Light?"

 

"Beats me," V'nessa Talt grumbled under her breath, frustrated.

[Chevron 7 locke]

"Does that mean you will all be heading into the heart of danger and leaving us here? With no Masters or Knights at the Enclave, it will be unguarded. If any Sith remnants are on Dantooine, they'll attack us posthaste. We won't be able to defend ourselves against such a threat, or even against raiders."

 

"That is true, Padawan Talt, and that's why I'm leaving Master Atton behind. He has mastered tricks of the mind that can protect him against the Pulse. If this matter is settled, Knight Icarus, I need you to come with me and Headmistress Visas." Brianna beckoned to the Twi'lek. "The rest of you may return to your personal quarters."

 

"With all due respect to Master Atton, What happens if we're attacked with overwhelming force?" Valean asked quietly. "I've learned from studying that all it can take is one shot to cripple or kill an opponent and that applies to us as well."

 

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Atton muttered. Valean looked mortified. "I'm sorry Master, that came out wrong."

 

Atton laughed and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, I understand where your coming from. But don't worry, I learned from the best and I think I can take care of anything that's thrown at us."

 

Jolee was listening to the exchange of words and sighed. Atton seemed a bit overconfident and that was a dangerous trait for a Jedi.

 

He could feel something in the force. Not the pulse from earlier but something else...something familiar.

 

He turned around and reached out through the force to try and identify it.

 

Old friend...a familiar voice called through the force as whatever it was sensed his actions. It appears that the years have been kinder to you than I.

 

Jolee was shocked enough that he actually could feel his own shock through the force, most likely the others could sense it as well.

 

"Master Bindo?" Valean asked quietly. "What's wrong?" She asked again as the doors to the temple medbay opened and a battle scarred figure hesitantly walked through.

 

"Jolee..." Juhani said quietly as she walked towards him. "I...It...I am so glad to see you again old friend." She said quietly as tears began to form in her eyes.

 

Jolee Bindo couldn't believe his eyes. He had thought she had died during the purge but he had apparently been wrong. And he couldn't be happier that he was wrong. Jolee held his arms open and the Cathar hesitantly paused for a moment before returning the hug. Jolee looked at the Jedi in the room and the woman from Czerka.

 

"Everyone...this is Juhani." He said quietly as the Cathar woman began to let the tears of joy and relief run down her face as she began to shake slightly from crying. "And she traveled with me during the Jedi Civil War." He said quietly as he let the Cathar Jedi continue to weep while he hugged her.

[LDR]

"If this matter is settled, Knight Icarus, I need you to come with me and Headmistress Visas. The rest of you may return to your personal quarters."

 

Icarus nodded and proceeded to follow the two Masters.

 

"It was wise to not bring the Padawans along." he said. "They would have slowed us down and been a distraction, and we can't afford that on a mission that requires the utmost focus."

[MsFicwriter]

JEDI ENCLAVE MEDBAY, DANTOOINE

 

"Hold on a minute," Yeira Karitta said. "By the way, nice to meet you, Juhani." She smiled and blushed, embarrassed at her momentary lack of manners. There was something else about the Cathar that intrigued her, and not only because she'd never met one. "You're telling me I can use the Force?"

 

"Not necessarily," V'nessa Talt replied, "because people are sensitive to it in varying degrees. If you were sensitive enough to become a Jedi, our Masters would probably have known it before now...please don't ask how. Long story, not enough time." She grinned sheepishly, and Yeira quirked an eyebrow. "What we know for sure is that you are sensitive enough to feel this Pulse. That's bad news, especially if it's emanating from Malachor V."

 

"What can we do, then, especially if all of you Padawans will be stuck here? Your Masters may be going there to figure this all out, and we just suffer?"

 

V'nessa cleared her throat, knowing that if Yeira were a Jedi, she would be disciplined severely for her lack of protocol. "I'm as frustrated as you are. I'm affected, as is Valean, as is Kael - everyone in this room who's not a droid."

 

"Excuse me," said N1-O1, "but even we can detect certain anomalies."

 

"Through the Force?" asked V'nessa testily. "I don't think so, N1-O1. In the meantime, I think you're exactly right, and we shouldn't be left behind. Our minds are weaker than those of our Masters - not that we're dumb, but we don't have the prowess that they do when it comes to mental defenses against Force attacks. Sure, we need to be protected, but in my opinion, that doesn't mean we can't help. What good is all our training if we can't use it?"

 

"Do not be rash, Padawan Talt," N1-O1 said, "and expose yourself to greater danger than you've been taught to handle. Malachor V is quite a crucible."

 

"Hmm. I never knew that droids had a sense of the poetic."

 

"I do." Yeira winked. "S4-M1, or Sami as I call her, has just that particular quirk. If this planet is such a testing ground, it will either make or break us. Whatever we do, we have to find out what's behind this Pulse, and why people such as I, who didn't even know they were Force-sensitive, can feel it all of a sudden. Who knows? Maybe other people can, too. That means they're in danger just as much as we are. As soon as possible, let's stop it."

 

"How?" blurted V'nessa. "We can't just steal a starship and head there."

 

Yeira's eyes gleamed. "We won't steal it. We'll borrow it to save our minds."

[Warlord664]

Kael wanted to go with them as he watched the masters walk off. I should have been promoted to knight ages ago. If my master would actually spend a little time finishing my training.

 

Kael's thoughts were interrupted when he heard what the others in the room were talking about.

 

"How?" blurted V'nessa. "We can't just steal a starship and head there." Yeira's eyes gleamed. "We won't steal it. We'll borrow it to save our minds."

 

Kael's eyes narrowed. "Are you planning on disobeying the masters?"

[Chevron 7 locke]

"Hold on a minute," Yeira Karitta said. "By the way, nice to meet you, Juhani." She smiled and blushed, embarrassed at her momentary lack of manners. There was something else about the Cathar that intrigued her, and not only because she'd never met one. "You're telling me I can use the Force?"

 

Juhani managed to calm herself and stop the flow of tears with no small amount of effort. For her, the past years hiding in the shadow lands and being on the run from the sith had been a living hell. She had seen things that had haunted her dreams for years and would most likely continue to haunt her, such as the man with the glowing red eye who seemingly refused to die.

 

But now she was safe. Among friends. And hopefully the one who had hunted her across the stars was dead as well.

 

She turned to look at the woman who had spoken and took a closer look at her for a brief moment. She could sense the force in her, but it was not as strong as it was with Juhani herself.

 

 

 

 

 

"We won't steal it. We'll borrow it to save our minds."

 

Valean shook her head. "We shouldn't do it. From what I understand, the masters have had experience with this world. We should leave it to them to handle this unless they absolutely need it."

[MsFicwriter]

V'nessa opened her mouth to rebut Valean's argument, but Yeira spoke again:

 

"Don't you see? You're in a terrible double-bind that goes like this: If you DO obey the Masters, you're damned because what if the Pulse grows stronger, and you're unable to counteract it? Unfortunately, if you DON'T obey the Masters and go to Malachor V by yourselves, you might get killed or conquered by whatever's plaguing us. I think it's silly that the very people who are supposed to be teaching you are telling you to rely on blind faith that they'll be victorious. We're not children. You can help, if not defeat this Pulse or the planet outright. Your strength may not equal theirs, but are you helpless? Certainly not. I may only be a Czerka tech and not a Jedi, but if I had my way, we'd take a stand."

 

"Let's hope we don't fall," V'nessa said to her, "but isn't that a Jedi's life? We've been taught to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good, and if you can feel it, Yeira, then you've become a part of that 'good'. It shouldn't be an abstraction."

[LDR]

Daimonos basked in his meditation within the Trayus Core. It brought him a sense of tranquility, so to speak, on this silent and desolate world. The Jedi will pay for what they have done, he will make certain of it. However, his meditations interrupted; he felt the pulse again. It was stronger and clearer. He was uncertain about its origins, but he was certain about one thing - whatever it was, he was confident he could use it to bring about his vengeance upon the Jedi.

[MsFicwriter]

Yeira Karitta sighed. "If I were you, I'd collar one of the Masters and force them to take us along, but that's the Czerka code, not the Jedi Code. My company takes what it wants, and doesn't ask nicely. In this case, what you want is to be included, even if you get yourselves killed in the process. Right?" No one spoke. "Right?" Reluctantly, V'nessa Talt nodded.

 

"Okay, then. Now that that's settled, who's the most likely to come over to our side? If not, then how are we going to steal a starship right from under their noses?"

[Chevron 7 locke]

"Okay, then. Now that that's settled, who's the most likely to come over to our side? If not, then how are we going to steal a starship right from under their noses?"

 

Valean was about to argue in favor of the masters but she stopped short. The woman from Czerka had a point. A valid point. The Master's were assuming that they would be victorious even though they knew almost nothing about this threat.

 

"I will join as well." She said simply as she turned to Juhani. "You had to have arrived on a ship, correct?" She asked. Juhani nodded. "Yes. But it only has room for one."

 

Juhani's eyes watered for a moment as she wiped her eyes. The Temple looked so...different than what she remembered. On the outside and the inside.

 

"I will accompany you as well." She said quietly. "I have a feeling that you won't be stopped by my words so I will make sure you survive." She said.

[MsFicwriter]

Yeira winked. "Thank you. So that makes four of us: me, Master Juhani, Valean and V'nessa. We're going to need a bigger ship, then, and a bigger distraction. Are there any other vessels at this Enclave, in case you Jedi need to take a long trip to save the galaxy?"

[Chevron 7 locke]

"Thank you. So that makes four of us: me, Master Juhani, Valean and V'nessa. We're going to need a bigger ship, then, and a bigger distraction. Are there any other vessels at this Enclave, in case you Jedi need to take a long trip to save the galaxy?"

 

Valean shrugged her shoulders. "I believe that the masters have taken one of the few remaining ships and the others are most likely locked down. Is it possible we could take one of the vessels at the Dantooine spaceport?"

 

Juhani thought for a moment. "What about a civilian vessel? They would most likely have room for all of us."

[MsFicwriter]

Yeira nodded. "That would work, and that way we could pay for it instead of steal it."

 

"If the Masters are going to punish us for what we're about to do, I would really like to avoid adding theft to our resume right off the bat," V'nessa Talt added pertly.