Lyrical Light Sabers
The (often musical) Adventures and Misadventures of a Female Sith Warrior.
Authors Note:
The following story was inspired by my habit of listening to Pandora/Spotify while playing SWTOR, with the games own music off. My husband would joke that my characters must run around with a little ear piece that worked much like a blue tooth or mobile device and kill/quest while listening to music. It was also inspired by my fellow Fan Fiction writers. Without you wonderful people, these musings would never see the light of day, let alone the internet. This work follows the storyline of a human female sith warrior. When necessary, I've taken slight liberties with pre-scripted conversations to help tell the story as it needs to be from my characters point of view.
Star Wars The Old Republic, the settings from the universe and the characters from it are not mine, they are the property of Bioware and LucasArts, and now Disney. All songs referenced belong to their artists, they just inspire the scenes. I'm only filling in some gaps in between all the questing and galactic conquests with my vivid imagination. All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.
Chapter One: Ravaging the Temple.
Songs in order of appearance: A Forest ~ The Cure, Situation ~ Yaz (Yazoo), Professional Killer ~ KMFDM, End of Line ~ Daft Punk, Without Emotions ~ Combichrist.
I saw Vette, speaking at me as she holstered her twin blaster pistols. We picked our way across the rubble of the old Sith temple in the wilds of Dromund Kaas. I reached up and pulled my earpiece from my left ear, music blaring from it.
"Geez, Do you ever turn that thing off?" she asked teasingly.
Vette rubbed at the metal half-collar at the back of her neck. I tried to pretend it wasn't there. We had made a deal. If she could behave, it would eventually come off. I hadn't needed to shock her for nearly two weeks.
I shrugged at her, "No. Music helps me fight, gives me rhythm."
"Okay, well where is the thing Darth Scary Man sent us out here to this creepy place for?"
I reviewed the map provided to us by my current master, Darth Baras. Or, Darth Scary Man, as Vette has started to call him.
"Looks like we are almost there. This Ravager device is supposed to be in the 'bowels of the temple', as he put it. I think if we go through this passage here, these stairs should lead us to where it is stored."
"Alright, you're the boss. Lead on."
I nodded, tucking the map pad away and replacing the earpiece. An angry song was thundering in my head. I was definitely ready for some action.
We proceeded cautiously through the passageway, this temple was full of strange things and poor possessed souls who seemed bent on killing us for trespassing, or for fun. I wasn't sure, but it was as perilous as my master had said it may be.
Another group of unfortunate souls came at us from the stairway. It took no time to dispatch them, being they were not the force users they were convinced they were. Their bodies lay broken and bleeding on the ancient stones. We continued.
Reaching the chamber, a stone sarcophagus sat in the center. It radiated dark energy. This had to be what Baras was after. I opened the lid and frowned. Pieces seem to be missing.
"Ugh." I sighed.
"What?" Vette asked.
"Parts missing. Time for another scavenger hunt. A bloody one I bet too. These fools seem to enjoy holding these things on themselves."
Vette made a frustrated, resigned noise from her lips and nodded.
We spent the next hour accosting everything that breathed in that decrepit structure trying to find the pieces we needed. Finally, finally, we had the items. We headed back down to where the main part of the Ravager rested. My Sith sense started to tingle. I made eye contact with Vette and we entered carefully. There was a man and some younger looking students with him. Non-force sensitives.
"It was foolish of you to return here." The older man said to us, striding forward.
Vette sighed, "Uh oh. Looks like we've got another fight on our hands."
The man pointed to the bag I carried. "Those pieces you took from my minions belong to me. They will enable me to exact my revenge on Lord Pharshol." He glanced at the machine behind him and then back to us. "I am Lord Vacuus. The Conqueror of Begeren. The killer of Garatek the Singed. Return what you have stolen or burn!" His voice deepened at the end of his demand.
I stared at him, testing his force potential. "You don't look like a Sith to me." He was another possessed being, a fate I would loathe to have.
"Perhaps your vision will improve in death," he said as he unsheathed a lightsaber.
In turn, I unsheathed my own twin blades and Vette pulled out her blasters. The song playing in my ear was some electronic instrumental, but I found it fitting to the situation. I looked to Vette.
"End of line for them."
We ended up defeating him and his deranged minions with little effort. I placed my saber hilts back on my belt and walked over to the machine. I managed to repair it without much issue and placed the finished item inside my bag. We double timed it out of the temple back to Kaas City and my master.
When I entered his chambers, Darth Baras was waiting for me. I turned off my music. He got kind of mad when he thought I wasn't paying full attention to him. He stood there, hiding behind his intricately etched metal mask. He was wide of girth and short of temper, but in a fairly high position of power when it came to the Sith hierarchy. He was being his usual grumpy self.
"When I sent you into the Dark Temple for the Ravager, I thought it might be the last time I saw you, apprentice. The prisoner grows weaker by the minute. There's no time to spare. Stand back and bear witness." He took the device from me and I backed away, watching curiously.
The prisoner struggled to speak clearly as Baras approached. "You're.. wasting.. your time. I.. will.. not.."
Baras activated the item by placing it on the mans forehead and the prisoner screamed pitifully as dark side forces pulsed around and through him.
"Yes, the Ravager has seized his mind. Excellent! In his condition, we don't have long before the ordeal liquifies all brain matter."
"I hope the results are gory and gruesome." I replied, watching the man writhe on the torture table. I noticed Vette look away, her red skin tone noticeably paling.
"I don't care what we see as long as I hear what I want." Baras replied sharply before turning his full attention to his victim. "Republic worm, you have the information I desire. Tell me everything!"
The man struggled momentarily, he seemed to be having a mild seizure, but he began to speak in halted phrases. "I am.. Republic.. Information Service.. on special assignment to.. verify possible.. Imperial spy.. on Nar Shadda. Commissioned by.. Jedi Council.. acting on suspicions.. provided by.. Master Nomen Karr."
"Nomen Karr," Baras said, voice full of contempt, "That is a name I grow tired of hearing."
The comment piqued my interest. "One of your enemies, I take it, Master."
"My oldest and most hated enemy. An old wound that continues to fester." Baras replied, clenching his fist subconsciously. He turned to me and Vette, "Noman Karr is a Jedi Master who infiltrated the Sith. I rooted him out, then he nearly destroyed me and fled."
I regarded his masked features with a renewed interest. Was that why he hid behind so much metal? Why he had let himself get soft in body?
Baras continued, "He's dedicated himself to proving that the Sith have spies embedded within Republic and Jedi ranks. I've thwarted him at ever turn, but he is tenacious." He turned back to the prisoner. "How did Nomen Karr come to suspect my spy on Nar Shadda? Tell me, Republic wretch, what alerted him?"
The man again seemed to try to resist the artifact's power, but the words came easily enough from his mouth. "Master.. Nomen Karr.. has a new.. padawan. She seems to know.. any being's.. true nature. She senses.. hidden darkness.. and.. untapped purity."
"Astonishing! I've never heard of the Force granting such a gift. Tell me, how does her power work?" Baras prodded the man.
"All I.. all I know is.. when Master Nomen Karr brought her to Nar Shadda.. this padawan sensed.. darkness in your spy.. simply by.. seeing him."
"What is a Padawan?" I asked. I thought I knew the answer, but I wanted to make sure I understood the term correctly.
"That is what the Jedi call their trainees," Baras explained. "It means she is not yet a Jedi. If this young padawan can see through deception and disguise with such little effort, she threatens everything I have worked for." He turned back to the man. "Continue, Republic dog."
"Karr.. believes his padawans ability.. is.. foolproof.. but the Jedi council is.. skeptical," the man ranted.
"I was.. to provide the proof.. but I wasn't able.. to report my findings."
I was intrigued by this supposed power. What if we could get her to work on our side?
"We must know more about this padawan," I said.
Baras agreed, "Yes, my apprentice. Such a threat must not wander the galaxy unchecked."
He turned fully to the man, gesturing at him, his voice getting louder. "Who is this padawan, you Republic pest? Tell me everything you know about her."
"She was found.. on Alderaan. Her power.. first emerged.. while training on.. Tatooine. And.. Jedi sent another.. agent.. to investigate someone she suspected.. on Balmorra..."
I noticed blood had begun seeping from the man's ears. His voice was growing fainter as he spoke.
"He's fading!" Baras said with some alarm. "Is she human or one of the Jedi's cursed aliens? Where can I find her? What is her name?!"
"I have.. no.. nothing.. nothing mo.. mor.. argh!" the agent spasmed one last time, his dying breath ragged in his throat.
Baras straightened his posture. "The Ravager has emptied his mind. That is all we have to go on, a few random pieces within the greater galaxy, where Nomen Karr and his padawan have been."
"It's a start, Master." I replied, hoping to ease his frustration. "That device did the trick."
"You are correct," he said. "We now have leads to follow. Nomen Karr is a relentless crusader, and this Padawan and her unprecedented power threaten everything I have achieved." He walked purposefully away, into his office. Vette and I followed, listening to him speak.
"Your duties are likely to take you to the far reaches of the galaxy. I will need to deploy you at will. You shall have a starship of your own."
I bounced back on the balls of my feet, trying not to smile too broadly. My own starship, what a surprise!
"You've earned it. Go to my personal hanger in the spaceport and claim it."
"You are most generous, Master." I said while bowing to him.
"Save your gratitude. I must ponder our next move. Waste no time. Get your starship in my hangar and wait for further instructions."
Vette pipped up "Yeah, uh, lets go before he tells me to clean all this up, okay?" She pointed back toward the torture room.
I bowed to him again and we departed his chambers. Our next destination was Dromund Kaas Spaceport.
Finding the hangar was easy enough. Every Sith Lord with enough influence had a small section of their own at the spaceport here. I typed in the entry code to the elevator and stepped into the main control area. Noticing a few Imperials working at the consoles, we walked over to the large window facing the bay. Well, I walked, Vette ran. My little Twi'lek was very excited about this. Her black-striped lekku were practically twitching.
Looking out, it was hard not to see the gift. An Imperial Fury class starship. She was sleek and black and deadly looking. Another small grin broke over my face.
"Wow. Take a look at that. We're going in style, now." Vette said, the awe very apparent in her voice.
We walked over to the bay area's entry point, only to be stopped by a male Sith.
"Nice ship. Are you leaving Dromund Kaas?" He inquired.
"You need a lift somewhere?" I asked, feeling generous.
"No, thank you. But I'm glad I caught you before you left. Cellventa Grathan sent me to deliver this token of her appreciation. For all you've done for her, it will greatly enhance this new ship of yours."
"Tell her I said, thank you." I replied.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to do that," he responded. "You see, Cellventa's husband, Lord Grathan, has a different present he wants me to deliver. Apparently, he says you know too much."
"So, he seeks to shut me up."
"He seeks to slice you up." The apprentice said, a gleam in his eye. "Shutting you up will just be a beneficial side effect. I've murdered just about every form of sentient being in the galaxy. And I'm here for you."
I sighed, placing my hand to my forehead then turned from him, rolling my eyes. I had thought that both the mother and son Grathan had been pleased with the development of that little assassination plot. Apparently the son was trying his hand at being a Sith without his mother's permission. Honor was a concept not many Sith understood anymore. I heard him ignite his lightsaber and he leaped over us to block our path. Vette muttered something about 'predictable sithy-ness' and backed up. I reached up, flicked on my music and pulled out my twin red sabers, beckoning him. It took four moves. FOUR! What kind of assassin dies in four lightsaber moves?! Apparently House Grathan's. Maybe the mother had gotten wind of her son's scheme after all. I stepped over his body and walked up the gangway and entered the ship, my ship, for the first time.