To anyone that has read my other stories, I'm aware that I've been… neglectful, to say the least in updating my other stories in the past few months, and for that I apologize. Rest assured, I will be updating They're Just Missing In Action, Dragon Age: Reconciliation, and Seeing Beyond The Mask respectively in the near future.
For now, I hope you will all enjoy this new fanfic.
To anyone playing or wanting to play SWTOR, unless you have completed the Sith Warrior story, or don't mind it being spoiled, I suggest that you not read this since it obviously contains major spoilers for said character. Also, I'm well aware that as expansions are added onto SWTOR, this story may well become somewhat "obsolete". I may edit it as required, but for now just let me have my fun.
Oh and one other thing, even though the main character is light side, he did not romance Vette (don't worry, I did in the actual game) or Jaesa.
Disclaimer: I do not own SWTOR or Dragon Age, and the closest I come to being associated with Bioware, LucasArts, or EA is being a fan of their awesome games.
Chapter 1: Mysteries Of The Force
As Benevolon meditated aboard his ship, the Fury, he reflected on how much his life had changed and how far he had come in so short a time.
Being a Sith Pureblood had automatically guaranteed him a place among the ancient order so long as he could prove his strength. The thing was… he hadn't wanted it.
Ever since Benevolon had been a child, people had judged him by his red skin as soon as they laid eyes on him; slaves fearing that they might be killed at any moment for the most ridiculous reason; Imperials either licking his boots to try to gain his family's favor or wanting nothing to do with him whatsoever; fellow Sith hiding treachery behind a false smile. In fact, the only true friends he'd ever known in his childhood had been the children of the slaves his family owned. He'd known them his whole life, and he could actually relax around them and simply be a child… It had been nice while it lasted.
When his parents had found out, they'd been furious. His mother had ranted for over an hour about the importance of maintaining the purity of Sith blood and how friends were a weakness waiting to be exploited, until she finally gave into her rage as she took a vibroknife and whipped it across the centre of her son's face in a diagonal line, telling him that that way he would be reminded about the consequences of such foolish actions every time he looked in a mirror. Then to drive the message home his mother had him locked up in a dark empty room with no food and only one cup of water for three days straight.
When Benevolon had emerged, it turned out that he'd been lucky.
While he had been in confinement, his father had systematically rounded up all the slave children that had been his friends, and personally choked them to death with the Force one at a time right in front of their own mothers. Then his father had his guards kill them as well just for good measure. They were all buried in unmarked graves.
Benevolon had been eight years old.
After that 'incident', his parents had redoubled his training, and as he got older it was discovered that he was remarkably strong in the Force, even for a Sith Pureblood. That, in combination with his mastery of the blade had ensured that Benevolon would go to Korriban. There Benevolon had been trained in the ways of the dark side by the greatest Sith teachers in the galaxy, and passed trials of the dark side that consumed those who weren't strong enough.
In the time since, he had become the Emperor's Wrath, the most powerful warrior in all the Empire, answerable only to the Emperor himself, and feared even by the Dark Council. Yet what almost no one knew was that in secret, he followed the path of light. To Benevolon, the fact that a servant of the light had risen so high in the Sith ranks so quickly only proved that the light was stronger than the dark side, and that those who used the dark side were blinded by their own arrogance.
As Benevolon reflected on his life, he was reminded of his companions that had accompanied him throughout his travels. It seemed like nothing less than a miracle that he'd gotten them all to peacefully coexist on the same ship, what with Vette's playfulness, Captain Quinn's unyielding discipline, Lieutenant Pierce's blatant disrespect for authority, and Broonmark's savagery. Yet despite their wildly different personalities, he had gained their trust, and each had sworn to follow him to the far edge of the galaxy if need be. Of all of them though, the one he trusted the most was the one who was currently meditating beside him: Jaesa Willsaam, his apprentice.
When he had first met Jaesa, her Jedi Master Nomen Karr had fallen to the dark side, and her entire world had been turned upside down in a matter of moments. They both remembered the confrontation like it had happened yesterday.
Jaesa stepped into the room where the Sith was keeping her Master hostage. She saw him turn to look at her, and announced "Sith, I have come. It seems I was expected – your men outside let me pass." She then told him "Release Master Karr. Your efforts to draw me out have been a success."
Still restrained, Karr shouted "Jaesa, no! I told you to stay put. How dare you defy me!"
The Sith removed his helmet to look at her with his bare eyes, and as Jaesa finally saw the face of her enemy, she also saw that he actually was about the same age as her, possibly a few years older at most. The idea that this Sith was already strong enough in the Force to defeat her Master, and still had yet to reach his prime baffled Jaesa. "I have long been waiting for this moment." The Sith stated. And Jaesa felt the cold claws of fear grip her as she wondered what he would do now that this moment had come.
Nomen Karr groaned "My sacrifice for nothing! Stupid child. For all your power, you have understood nothing."
Jaesa turned to look at her Master, hurt and surprised that he would say such things, yet when she saw his face, her eyes widened in horror. Master Karr's eyes were red with hatred, and his skin seemed as though it were diseased. She looked back at the Sith who had fought him. "What have you… done to him, Sith? Has this been inside him all along?" She shook her head in denial. "No… it can't be." She could sense the true nature of any being. She would've seen this! "No one can hide such darkness. Somehow you've turned him mad!"
"I only exposed what was lurking inside." The Sith told her.
"Is that what you call what you've been doing?" Jaesa frowned as she considered the history of his actions. "You spared Master Yonlach on Tatooine and my parents on Alderaan. Now… I felt Master Karr slipping toward death but you… you saved him." She studied him with a critical eye. "Your actions belie your station. Is it real or has it all been a trick to get me to lower my guard?"
"I'm not what you've been led to believe, Jaesa."
Nomen Karr roared "Use your power, Jaesa, look into the Sith's heart and you will see!"
Jaesa cast a hesitant and fearful look at the Sith that had defeated her Master, who calmly said "Look at me as long as you like. I have nothing to hide."
"Very well, then." And Jaesa saw who he truly was. "I see... mercy. And fairness, and even perhaps… compassion." She looked at him in astonishment. "You have walked the light path. Sparing Master Yonlach and my parents are true reflections of you." Still slightly suspicious, she frowned "But it is said that Sith embody darkness. How is this possible?"
"Let it be a lesson," The Sith counselled her. "You must never presume anything."
Jaesa's Master spoke up again. "Don't listen, Jaesa, it's all a trick. The Sith has disguised himself and me to cause you to doubt your power."
Jaesa looked back and forth between the two contradictory individuals; a Dark Jedi and a Light Sith. "I… I don't know what to believe." She looked over at her Master. "You told me there was order to the galaxy, that, you would show me the truth. But nothing is true! Both of you are trying to drive me insane!"
Nomen Karr told her that the reason she was confused was because the Sith's master, Darth Baras, was manipulating them all. He then growled "Kill the Sith. Kill Baras' liar and you'll see!"
Jaesa looked at the Sith, who had nothing but sympathy and understanding in his eyes. "You must do what you believe is right, Jaesa."
She screamed "Don't tell me what I must do, I no longer believe in anything!" She drew her double bladed lightsaber. "Defend yourself, Sith!"
She lunged at him with her twin yellow blades, yet just before she could impale him he swept her attack aside with his own lightsaber, which had a single purple blade. She immediately realized that this Sith was the strongest opponent she had ever faced, and she would need every bit of skill she had with both her lightsaber and the Force if she was going to have any chance of defeating him.
Careful to avoid leaving any openings he could exploit, she struck at the Sith once more. Yet despite her renewed focus, in less than a minute her enemy had driven her back again. As Jaesa spun in a defensive stance, ready to block, she saw that the Sith had not pressed his attack, and she grew irritated. Why wouldn't this Sith go on the offensive when he had the upper hand? Then it dawned on Jaesa. He was toying with her!
This process repeated itself thrice more, and every time the result was the same. Panting, Jaesa reluctantly acknowledged that she couldn't beat him with her lightsaber skills. Instead she spread her arms and drew in as much power as she could, then unleashed it all in a ball of pure energy directed at her opponent.
The Sith simply crossed his forearms in front of him, and Jaesa's attack dissolved into nothing against his shield.
Jaesa's mouth hung agape. She'd thrown everything she had into that attack! Yet in less than a second this adversary had conjured a shield that had rendered it completely obsolete. The Sith then extended his arm with his palm facing Jaesa, and she realized that he was finally retaliating. She tried to draw on what little power she had left to create a shield of her own, but the Sith's attack smashed through it like it wasn't even there. Jaesa flew back several meters and painfully rolled to a stop. As she regained her footing, Jaesa became aware of two things. First: the Sith had only used a fraction of his power in both his shield and in his counter-attack. Second: she had lost her grip on her lightsaber.
She looked up to see the Sith running towards her. Her eyes frantically searched the room for her lightsaber until she saw that, of all places, it was hanging on the Sith's belt. Jaesa tried to call it to her, but her foe easily countered that idea with his own power. As a last resort she attempted to call on the Force to act as a shield to protect herself against the Sith's weapon, but found that she had no strength left. 'This is it,' Jaesa realized. 'I'm going to die.' The Sith spun his lightsaber to deal the death blow, and as he finally swept it towards her, Jaesa shut her eyes tightly as she prepared to become one with the Force.
The blow never came.
She hesitantly opened her eyes to see her enemy's blade hovering an inch in front of her face. Jaesa's opponent then took a step back and clipped his lightsaber to his belt beside her own. Panting, she said in a resigned voice "I am… no match." She looked at her opponent in confusion. "You had the opening you needed to kill me and… yet, you held back."
"Your death," He said, "would be a tragedy."
Jaesa's posture straightened as she looked at him with a sudden hope springing up in her chest. "Your actions… reflect only light. You appear to be an agent of the dark side but… it's a mask." Then she noticed Nomen Karr again, and the sight immediately sobered her. "But Master Karr also wears a mask. And his deception is a much… uglier one."
"It's not his fault," The Sith told her. "His connection to the Force is flawed."
Jaesa stared at her feet and muttered "All my life I've put up with deceit and denial. I thought the Jedi would be different." She raised her head to look at the Sith. "You've shown me otherwise. You've exposed Master Karr for what he is. It's your power that reveals a person's true nature. Your conviction and purity bring a reckoning that cannot be denied. I want that."
"Join me," He offered. "And from within the Sith Empire, we can forge a lasting peace."
Jaesa slowly nodded "Yes. I see the advantage of this; so much more can be achieved from within." Relief washed over her like water, and she genuinely smiled for the first time in days. "At last, I feel a sense of purpose, something I can count on."She looked at her chosen new master with all the devotion she had. "What do you wish of me? And… what shall we do with Master Karr?"
The answer came instantly. "He has turned away from the light. He needs guidance, to heal and find his way back."
Her respect for her new master suddenly increasing tenfold, Jaesa bowed her head. "Your wisdom is unrivalled, my lord."
Nomen Karr snarled "Jaesa, I'll see to it that the Jedi disavow you. You will be labeled an enemy of the order."
Jaesa didn't even blink. "Then I'll finally know where I stand with you." Not wanting to part on bad terms she said "You took me as far as you were able. I hope this does not leave you... bitter."
Her new master spoke up again. "With the Council's help, perhaps he will come to understand."
"I wish him the best." With that, Jaesa's attention was solely focused on the person that had suddenly given her life meaning. "I am ready to learn your ways, my lord. And I look forward to aiding you any way I am able."
From that point forward, Jaesa had done more to aid him than Benevolon had ever expected from her. Using her power she had become aware of other light side Sith in the Empire, and she had worked tirelessly to let them know that they were not alone, and to unify them in preparation for when the time came for them to make their move on the Empire. For now though, they played their roles as Sith.
Servant One of the Emperor's Hand had recently sent a message saying that the Emperor's Wrath would be called upon to serve when the time came. So for the time being, Benevolon had given his crew some well earned shore leave. They were all grateful for the opportunity to finally take some R and R.
All except Jaesa; her place was by his side.
Having free reign, the master and apprentice were currently scouting the edges of known space, searching for secrets of the Force while in a meditative state while 2V-R8, the ship's factotum droid, piloted the Fury.
Suddenly Jaesa said "Master, I sense an anomaly of some kind in the Force."
Benevolon opened his eyes. "Can you pinpoint it?"
His apprentice furrowed her brow. After another minute she answered "There should be a group of planets coming up on our ship's sensors. If you can bring us close to the fourth planet from the sun, I should able to guide us down to this anomaly without having to meditate."
Nodding, Benevolon got up to bring the Fury toward its new destination.
As Benevolon and Jaesa departed the ship, 2V-R8 nervously told them that he hoped they came back safe, and that Benevolon didn't take his frustrations out on him if something went wrong.
The Emperor's Wrath sighed "I really need to modify his behaviour core one of these days."
It had been quite a trek getting to the Force anomaly. The landing zone they'd found for the Fury had been several kilometers from their destination, and along the way they'd been attacked by native predators on two separate occasions. But the important thing was that they were there. Now they had to discover the nature of this anomaly, and then figure out what to do with it.
As they got closer to the anomaly, its presence became stronger and more distinct for both of them. When it felt like it couldn't possibly get any stronger than it was, they sat down and began to meditate, silently willing the anomaly to reveal itself. They both stayed like that for some time, yet could sense no difference. When they opened their eyes they were shocked to discover that they were no longer on the side of a jungle-covered mountain, but were instead inside of some kind of alternate dimension, somewhat similar to when they had undergone the Voss trials.
Then there was only darkness.
As Benevolon regained consciousness, he became painfully aware of a throbbing sensation in his head. He then heard a retching sound and looked to his side to see Jaesa throwing up in the sand. He stopped 'Wait, sand? What's going on?' He looked around to discover that they were on the shoreline of a beach. What's more, he could no longer feel the Force anomaly.
"Master," Jaesa groaned as she wiped her mouth and got to her feet. "Where… are we?"
He shook his head. "I honestly have no idea, Jaesa."
Suddenly Jaesa started crying, which immediately captured Benevolon's attention. "Jaesa, what's wrong?"
She sobbed, "This is m-my fault. I'm… the one… who found th-that Force anomaly. If it wasn't f-for me, we… none of this w-would have h-happened."
Her master softly put his hands on her shoulders, and eventually she looked him in the eye. "This is not your fault, Jaesa. You had no way of knowing what might happen when we found the anomaly, and neither did I. It's already been done, and so all we can do now is react to the situation as best we can."
After taking several deep breaths, his apprentice recomposed herself. "Yes, of course." She then looked up at him again. "Please forgive me, Master. Even today I sometimes let my emotions get the better of me."
"There is nothing to forgive." Jaesa's master assured her. "Many people would have reacted far more poorly. I bet that Quinn would be in a complete panic if something this unexpected happened to him. And Jaesa, you don't have to apologize for feeling something. You are a Jedi, but you're also a person."
"Yes, Master. Thank you." Jaesa couldn't help being a little embarrassed that he'd seen her lose control like that, yet it was nothing compared to the warmth she felt from the way he seemed to instinctively know just what to say to comfort her no matter what the situation, even now.
Benevolon murmured "For now though, we need to get our minds back on the situation at hand, and figure out where we are."
Jaesa nodded. "I'm on it, Master." She then sat down and fell into a meditative trance. One of the benefits of her special power was that it also allowed her to be much more aware of her surroundings than most other Force users, which was why she'd detected the Force anomaly before her master had. And if they were now in a different location, the Force signatures she felt should be different as well.
Eventually she got to her feet again and told Benevolon "Master, before, the only beings I could sense were the two of us as well as the native wildlife. But now I am aware of a large group of sentient beings not too far to the east. From what I can tell, the majority of them seem to be human, but I can also sense other intelligent life forms whose species I don't recognize."
Benevolon shrugged "I'm always interested in meeting new species."
Eventually the master and apprentice came upon a city. But was unlike any city they had ever seen before.
Jaesa shook her head in disbelief. "Master, are those… boats in the harbor?"
Her master sighed "I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes, they are." He looked back at his apprentice. "I still don't quite know where we are, but I think it's safe to say that we've come to a very strange place."
Okay, granted it isn't really the best way to end a chapter or to cross universes (or whatever), but I think I've written enough for one day. They'll meet characters from the Dragon Age world in the next chapter (obviously). Right now though, I gotta go and prepare to write the next chapter of my other stories.
Hope you enjoyed, and please R and R.
