Star Wars
A Dark Lord of a Different Kind
Author's note: The history of the Jedi is rather... odd for an organization supposedly devoted to doing the right thing. And their behaviors (which is canon) towards any Jedi who did not wish to conform is rather… um… dark much of the time. I'm not defending the Sith, but… many of the historically senior Jedi are not nice people if you examine their actions. And… to speak ill of the dead, Yoda was on the Jedi council for how many centuries? Which means he had to know about so many of the things the Jedi did (all for the greater good or might we hear the tired old excuse that they were just following orders).
And, let's face it. The Jedi were not the most perceptive folks, I mean… Just look at their behaviors in the clone wars, not winning any IQ contests there. And so much of the teachings of the Jedi, as shown during the Clone Wars, was completely detached from reality. I'm reminded of the statement 'I love humanity, it's people I can't stand."
The Jedi ignored people and instead focused on 'bigger' topics. Whereas the Sith focused on the individual but degraded into the rather silly (only the strongest survive philosophy) which tends to result in endless back stabbing before coming up with the questionable (there will only be two methodology). Now the let's take over the galaxy is a bit more understandable as the Jedi were trying to kill the Sith (back in the original Sith/Jedi series of wars), which, if you're a Sith and the Jedi are out to exterminate you, their behavior is understandable.
LordGrise is encouraging me to alter the Star Wars storyline in having Illyana have a more… permanent impact. I find his arguments most… intriguing.
Part2a: Deep underground at Moraband, in the temple of…
We see a large cavern carved out of black glassy rock with a somewhat slick floor that has various angular rock formations protruding from it. There is a single point of light, a burning sword shaped flame held aloft by Illyana, then the light vanishes for moment to be replaced by a several floating balls of white light that she sends out to flick about the vast volume, various immense sober looking statues carved out of the walls are now shown, male and female.
Ancient Sith was her conclusion as she finally sat down upon an angular block of stone after hours of exploring and examining. This was the place that she had sought, and what she wanted was here, but it was inaccessible to her. This… Force was life based. The incidentals of light or dark was irrelevant to her. But, she did not have the Force, nor did her arts appear to gain her any ability to directly bend it to her will.
At least not yet.
The blobs of light flicked back to burn in the palm of her hand, giving her a very ominous angle of illumination as she sat there in thought. Then the balls of light went out one by one, each time making the darkness grow, until there was only one ball of light burning, before it also slowly faded away, leaving her once again in darkness.
Thinking…
Planning…
Mulling over ideas…
Until finally it come together. A… technique that should unlock what she came here seeking, having identified this temple by searching through what she had taking from the Jedi library.
With a VOOM sound a red light saber burst into life. It was clutched in her right hand and she lazily twirled it back and forth, and then assumed a few sword postures, both defensive and offensive. She found it to be an interesting weapon, rather flawed in the lack of a hand guard as a certain squirrely Jedi could attest to, not to mention the consequence of a mistake as the blade would burn and sever anything it touched. But… it would suffice for what she needed to do and she found it humorously appropriate.
She stood and began to draw glyphs and patterns on the floor using the red shaft of the light saber, causing the rock to bubble and melt as she walked and carved her magic into the very rock along with the figures she drew. One of the patterns she burned into the rock was an immense pentagram that spawned the entirety of the cavern floor. The rising and fading red glow in the black chamber was both eerie and generated odd shadows as she moved about. There was:
The outline of a small creature with a cane.
A woman with a small child on either side of her, all three hand in hand, which morphed into a large cloaked figure wearing some kind of strange helmet.
A female teenage swinging baseball bat at a ball.
A small girl on the shoulder of a large man.
And many others.
The odd shadows did not appear to faze her, when she bothered to notice them. In fact she was pleased as they demonstrated that she was on the right tack as her magics were awakening the temple.
Illyana mused as she worked. Blood would be needed for what she planned to accomplish, a great deal of blood. Unfortunately the dead Sith up above were past being able to contribute as the blood needed to be alive. A smile flickered across here face, well… there were other sources of the kind of blood she needed. Well, what she was doing was likely causing all kinds of ripples. And, after all, the makers of the probe she'd destroyed would likely send…
She paused, then gave a short laugh. The very donors she needed.
As she resumed drawing she began to hum a song, and as she did this, a there was a new shadow, that of an older cowled man, hands raised, and appearing to be cackling in glee.
Oh… what is the song she was humming? It was Abracadabra by the Steve Miller band.
I heat up, I can't cool down
You got me spinning
'Round and 'round
'Round and 'round and 'round it goes
Where it stops nobody knows
Every time you call my name
I heat up like a burning flame
Burning flame full of desire
Kiss me baby, let the fire get higher
Abra abracadabra
I wanna reach out and grab ya
Abracadabra
Abracadabra
…
…
Part2b: Pre Meditation
Obi-Wan was meditating as his small fighter traversed hyperspace having connected to the external hyperspace pod. He had contacted Anakin and arranged a rendezvous point.
He was slowly repeating the Jedi code over and over.
There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force.
Being on the Jedi council, while a great honor, was… troubling. Over the centuries and millennia the Jedi council had done many things that were questionable.
Things that Obi-Wan had never known about.
Things that were not accessible via the Jedi archives for most Jedi.
Things that did not feel… right, nor ethical.
"Burden of leadership the Council has." Had been Yoda's advice. "Hard choices made they did."
Obi-Wan pointed out that. "And you as well Master Yoda."
"Long served I have." Was Yoda's reply. "Not all decided have I agreed with. Your choice of Padawan being one."
A small frown from Obi-Wan. "Anakin."
"Too old he was. Raised not by the Jedi. Problem this is."
"He is now a Jedi knight, well nigh a master, and has his own Padawan."
"Properly raised by the Temple she was, but quick and impulsive that one is."
"Ahsoka can be rash, but these are difficult times."
Yoda shook his head. "Agree I do not. All times difficult are. But dangerous the behaviors of Skywalker are. Attachments to people he has. Infatuations. A Jedi should have not such things. Distractions they are. Senator Amidala, Clone troopers, Chancellor Palpatine, Jedi they are not. From the true path they distract. Such is why train him against this I was. Attachments lead to fear of loss. Loss leads to pain. Pain leads to anger. Such are the paths to the Dark side. Such is why Jedi attachments desire they do not."
Obi-Wan was not in full agreement. "Yes Anakin is far too passionate, but I can't believe that complete detachment from those around us is the answer."
"Listen to your training Obi-Wan." Was Yoda's parting advice.
And so Obi-Wan meditated. He found himself focusing on one refrain over and over.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
But… a thought had wormed its way into Obi-Wan's mind and was clinging hard despite all of his efforts to remove it.
Without passion, what was the point of being serene about anything?
Part2c: Trails of training…
Anakin and Ashoka Tano (his Padawan) were meditating on Force visions, or to be more specific, Anakin was instructing/guiding Ashoka on Force visions. The two Jedi were sitting opposite of each other in Anakin's quarters, cross-legged and eyes closed. Ahsoka Tano had been discovered by Jedi Master Plo Koon among her people on the planet Shili at the age of three and was accepted into the Jedi Order. Like all Jedi, she was raised at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant until becoming Anakin's Padawan at the age of fourteen.
They were awaiting Obi-Wan on Anakin's Flagship, a Venator-class Star Destroyer. Such ships were also known as a Republic attack cruiser or Jedi Cruiser, the wedge shaped Capital ships were the backbone of the Republic Navy. The Venators are a versatile capital ship able to fill the roles of both a warship, capable of ship to ship combat, as well as the role of a carrier with an impressive star fighter complement against the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems as they feature a wide array of hangar space. The forward section of the Star Destroyer features a passage down the middle, with bays for starships on either side. The hangers were mainly accessed by large doors on top of the ship. At the fore of this passage, at the bow the ship, was a collection of hyperspace transport rings. Towards the aft of the passage, doors in the floor could open, leading to a space where Republic frigates could dock. If no cruiser was docked, then the space could be used by personnel to jump out of the Star Destroyer directly onto the battlefield, or to deploy walkers without the need for drop ships. Overseeing the passage was a raised command station positioned at the aft. Even further aft, the Venator-class had two independent docking bays on their port and starboard sides, again protected by blast doors.
Anakin was instructing. "Breath easy… Clear your mind… Let the Force flow and guide your thoughts. Just as the Force guides your hands when in combat, let the Force guide your mind."
"Yes Master." Was the soft reply from Ashoka.
Anakin's voice stilled and now just the sound of soft breathing.
Calmness.
Tranquility.
Peace.
Then, a shared vision between the two of them.
Darkness…
A blazing flash of light sabers as the fighting figures of…
Aniken… Obe-Wan… Ahsoka… and…
The dark visage of Dooko are seen…
A snarl of rage from somewhere…
Angry blue eyes that faded to blazing yellow…
Pain…
Blood…
Screams…
A devil's tail…
The burning silver flame of a sword like none ever seen before…
With a snap both Ahsoka and Anakin recoil and leap to their feet, light sabers igniting as they franticly looked about for the source of the perceived attack.
Ahsoka finally asks as she deactivates her light saber. "What… what was that Master?"
A look of concern and anger on Anakin's face. "The future."
Part2d: Dooku
Count Dooku was gazing out the window at the back of his office. He was at his palace on the planet Serenno, his home. The palace stood on its own grounds, a rectangular area located on a cliff face. There was a long paved walkway that led to the keep and was flanked at either side by three ornamental gardens. In front of the palace's main entrance was a double line of obelisks. The main tower, in which the Count's quarters were located, was over 300 feet in height. It was from the top of this tower that Count Dooku gazed.
Dooku was troubled. The separatist plans were progressing, and were approaching their climax, just not the climax that the separatist thought he was fighting for. Which meant… his plans were likewise coming to fruition. Which would be the height of personal danger for Dooku. But this was not what was troubling him.
The nature of the Sith was that they kept secrets from each other. And so Count Dookuk, or Darth Tyranus to use his Sith title, had his secrets from his Master.
His… supposed master.
That was one of his secrets. Another was the secret that Yodo had shared with him so long ago. The secret of the assault upon the Jedi library. An historical… oddity had been that secret. Filed and archived in the back of his mind, then one day he'd learned of a young Padawan by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and that secret had been filed in a more prominent place in his mind, waiting but of no use.
Until now.
There is a flicker on his desk as a hologram of Darth Sidious sprang into existence.
"Lord Tyranus." Was the greeting from Darth Sidious, who was in reality Supreme Chancellor Sheeve Palpatine of the Galactic Senate, the author of the ongoing clone wars, and in fact responsible for the fighting of both sides, the conflict meant that he kept accumulating ever more power over the Republic.
Dooku turned from the window to face his desk. "Master."
"There is a disturbance in the Force."
"Yes… I have felt it as well."
"A new player has arisen. One not foreseen. I fear that all that we have sacrificed to achieve is at risk."
"What will you have of me?"
"You must journey to Moraband, there dwells the one that must be killed."
"I understand my Master." Count Dooku began to walk towards the lift at the other side of his vast office.
But Darth Sidious was not yet done. "I shall send Asajj Ventress to aid you in this."
Dooku paused for a moment, then continued on his journey to the lift. "As you command."
The lift took Dooku directly to a hanger where he boarded a starship that was equipped with a selection of combat droids.
Dooku began to meditate as the ship left and streaked into space. This was an opportunity to put his plans into action and he need to muse upon this. He murmured a chant to himself as he did this. It was not the chant of the Jedi. It was also not the cant of the Sith. The grey Jedi had once used this chant, and that Dooku was using it would have deeply concerned Darth Sidious if he had known.
There is no peace without a passion to create.
There is no passion without peace to guide.
Knowledge fades without the strength to act.
Power blinds without the serenity to see.
There is freedom in life.
There is purpose in death.
The Force is all things and I am the Force.
…
…
Part2e: Sidious
Palpatine sat alone in his official office as the Supreme Chancellor of the Senate. His plans were so close… close to the victory over the Jedi. Over the Senate. Over everybody. Why… in this very office the Jedi council had sat so many times and been blind to who sat with them. And to think that the Jedi had almost failed to train young Anakin Skywalker. Such utter fools, worthy of only his contempt.
But now. There was this… disturbance in the Force. Like nothing he'd ever felt before.
Different, yet powerful.
Evil.
Hungry.
Raging.
He had reached out with the Force and had encountered nothing but darkness, as if an indifferent black hole stared back at him.
After instructing Count Dooku he had contacted Asajj Ventress and directed her to meet up with Dooku to ensure that the disturbance was properly dealt with. He had added Ventress as he had doubts about Dooku in this. Doubts that had caused him to instruct Ventress to disregard any orders from Dooku that did not involve the elimination of this disturbance in the Force.
It was the nature of the Sith to plot against each other. Of course Dooku had plans that he hid from Darth Sidious, or so Dooku thought; likewise Sidious had his own plans. One was that soon it would be time to replace Dooku with a more… appropriate apprentice. Long had he cultivated Anakin and his abilities had grown in the forge of combat, grown worthy of being taken by the Sith.
But now he was troubled and like the Jedi he sought to meditate upon the Force using the cant of the Seth.
Peace is a lie. There is only Passion.
Through Passion I gain Strength.
Through Strength I gain Power.
Through Power I gain Victory.
Through Victory my chains are Broken.
The Force shall free me.
But the cant did not settle his mind. He… He had bad feeling about this.
Part2f: Darkchilde
Yes…
What she was doing was certainly bound to bring the ingredients she needed.