Chapter 1 Son Of Dathomir

When I was reborn, I was beyond thrilled.

Death had always been such a frightening subject, and when I finally… died. Well, I've never been particularly religious. Not an atheist, just agnostic, I guess? I used to go to Church too, had all that Sunday School crap, but it was all pretty grim.

And if I'm being honest, there's a bit of skepticism there.

With that said, I tried my best to believe, or at the very least I tried to be a good person, because that's just something you should try to be without the fear of eternal damnation. Whenever I was asked about religion, I would say Christian, but mostly out of obligation.

Of course, when I got sick, I started taking it a bit more seriously. Then a lot more seriously.

I explored every religion. Every belief, every paradise, everything that could be learned about the life after this one. Because at the back of my mind, there always stood this crushing fear, that at the end of this life, it's just curtains close.

Fade to black.

Like sleeping for eternity, the state of mind where you simply do not exist. If the thought of that doesn't scare you, then congrats. Pretty sure you're fearless. Braver than me, at any rate.

And then one day, when the sickness was at its worst, I did what we all had to do at some point. I died. I want to say it didn't hurt, that I went peacefully into the great beyond. But that would be a lie.

I went kicking and screaming, clawing for just the chance to hold onto sweet, sweet life a little longer. There are some fights you can't win. Frankly, I can't hit cancer in its face. My last regret. From that life, anyways.

I did mention I was reborn, right?

It was pretty remarkable. I went from kicking and screaming into the void, to kicking and screaming out of… well not a void. But, you know, Anyways, let's just ignore that little detail. I promise you the how of how I got here is a lot less interesting than where I ended up.

Dathomir.

Yeah. The Dathomir.

Well, Dathomir about a millennium or two before Talzin, Ventress, Maul, and all the other interesting natives were born. But still Dathomir. And get this, I was reborn as a Zabrak! Pretty cool, right?

Wrong.

It turns out, getting used to a new body, especially one in its infancy is a pretty rough process. That's not to say I didn't like the new body. It was nice, just needed to get familiar with it. And honestly, even having to inhabit a Hutt is a lot preferable to being dead.

Still, there were a few minor difficulties. Like having two heartbeats instead of one. Or the horns. Honestly, the horns are the worst of it. I need special pillows because of them, and I can't wear most hats. Otherwise, the changes weren't too bad.

Some were actually kind of cool.

You know how on Earth, we're taught not to judge each other by the color of our skin? While I still agree to that in theory, no one should be prejudiced against because of something as dumb as race (especially because I'm part of the minority, now), I have to say. Literal red skin is awesome.

The tattoos, less so. But that's because I found out the hard way that those aren't natural. You just get tattooed from a really young age. I was not a happy five year old. On the bright side, they do look cool.

Kind of like Maul's. Exactly like Mauls. I may have definitely remembered his tattoos and had them copied onto me. What can I say? It felt fitting, I look just like him. I kind of sound like him too. Well, the Starkiller/Witwer version of him.

That wasn't the only thing I had in common with him though, as I found out around the age of six. I'm not sure how most people find out they're Force Sensitive, but I really hope it's not by throwing some of the more aggressive wildlife off of a cliff using only your mind.

Speaking from personal experience, it can leave a bit of a lasting impression.

Of course, after that, I didn't just stop using the force. I started… experimenting. Wouldn't you? I wasn't really equipped for the 'Skywalker training regimen'. No training droids, helpful spirits, or any speech impaired Muppets to teach me the ways of the Force.

So, I taught myself, using the only thing I could feasibly use. The environment.

First it was simple stuff. Can I move three of these rocks at the same time? Can I lift this boulder three feet into the air? Could I mind trick this creature into moving in that direction? When I found the answer to all of these questions to be yes, I started getting more challenging.

I ripped entire forests out from their roots. I've sent boulders into the atmosphere and smashed them with a flick of my wrist. I commanded packs of rancors, just to make them attack each other! And I had only begun to test myself.

It was apparently clear to me that I was more than just strong in the Force. I was powerful. Like, Vader combined with Palpatine powerful. And it showed.

My village treated me respectfully, but with caution. Some of them against my notice have seen glimpses of what I could do, and they were beyond impressed. The wiser ones tried to use me for their own purposes. The goal of every politician: build your power base on the labors of better men.

Pity for them that I wasn't so foolish.

Their reactions, their 'subterfuge', were good practice, however. Examples of the masses I would be up against, in the years to come. So, I watched, I listened, I learned, and I waited. My time would come sooner or later.

And every day that passed under Dathomir's red skies, my power grew.

…

The Empire has come.

Not the Galactic Empire, nor Revan's, and certainly not that travesty 'The First Order'.

No, the Sith Empire had come to Dathomir. Looking for slave labor, if the hordes of my people leaving this world in chains were any indication. Sickening. Every slaver I find will not be leaving this planet in one piece. Not even the ones I let live to send a message.

Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm so unhappy.

Shouldn't I like the Empire. Won't it teach me how to properly control my powers? Wouldn't I want to be Sith. And to those people, I have only one question. Why the hell would I want that?

Sure, the Sith have flashy powers, and some stylish gear, but they are evil incarnate.

Murderous, conniving, backstabbing little would-be space wizards. I want nothing to do with them. Except for their robes, their lightsaber colors, and also their powers. But that's from a purely aesthetic mindset.

The Jedi lack the certain kind of flair I'm into.

Not that I'm sure I'd want to be one of them either. They're very detached from society, at least the ones that follow their own rules. And the only way someone's making me celibate is if they cut me in half at the waist… Wish I didn't put that image into my head.

Regardless, while I definitely find them more preferable to Sith, I wouldn't be caught dead wearing brown robes. It would clash horribly with my complexion. I think I'll try a more, aggressively neutral route.

Keep the force 'in balance' and all that crap.

Which, admittedly, is easier said than done.

Back in my old life, I already had a temper. It burned bright, burned fast, and by the time it shriveled out, I was left ashamed or embarrassed. Now when I get angry at someone, I… Well actually I just leave. I find someplace quiet, and pace around angrily, trying to stomp out my fury.

Doesn't really work.

I've been trying a few other methods. Ideas I got from fanfiction as well as the occasional chapter from legends. Not from the cannon, though. Cannon makes it pretty clear that in order to be a good person and a force sensitive, you should never feel anything. Ever.

Which, as I might've said, doesn't really work for me.

Or anyone else that wasn't raised in a monastery.

So, yeah, alternatives were attempted. Meditation was my first, and obvious approach. Every Jedi seemed to do it, and when they did, they always looked calm. I gave it a try, and it wasn't bad. Just... perplexing, I guess.

At first, I tried to detach myself from my connections. My village, my friends (what few I had), my new body, everything. I just let go of it all and gave my mind to the living Force. Wow. I know I said I wasn't very religious, but this…

There was just something so hypnotic, so eye opening about realizing how big the galaxy really is. Of being a part of that galaxy. I felt every living being on Dathomir. The good, the bad, I was one with them. It was- words can't begin to describe it.

That whole 'One with the force.' spiel, might've had more to it than I gave it credit for.

And then I felt more.

To be more specific and less cryptic, I felt what they felt. Every creature, every bright luminous being that lived on this nightmare of a planet. From our humblest villagers, to the mightiest rancor.

I felt hungry, yet sated. I felt weak, yet powerful. I have experienced every joy, every delightful moment there was to be found on Dathomir. But… nothing couldprepare me for this overwhelming sense of anger, of fear.

I was afraid.

In my terror, my panic, and paranoia, I searched for an outlet, an escape. There was none to be found, of course. I had chosen a hidden cave, for which I conducted most of my… experiments, So that I could never, as I like to call it, Vader, any nearby friends, or family members. I.E: Kill them while blinded by the Dark Side.

This was my undoing. All of my caution had felt pointless, wasted. I needed to rid myself of these feelings before they devoured me. And so, I did the one thing considered taboo across all Force users.

I… cut myself off.

It wasn't like- I'm not sure how to compare it to simple terms. I'll try, but forgive me, if my analogies seem inadequate.

A healthy man may decide to measure how much he could safely drink, before he loses much of his sobriety as well as his control over his own inhibitions. He could do this, by taking a few drinks, and performing some small test, to make sure he was in control.

When he would fail his own set standards, he would stop drinking, and remember his limit from there on. Even though in the future, he may seek to expand his tolerance. I tried something similar whenever I- this may sound evil-, whenever I called upon the Dark Side.

But that, that was just a precautionary test, one that was safely calculated, and would leave no lasting damage. I could ease myself off of it. Cutting myself off from the Force, however… that was a different story.

You may think of it like, pouring a bucket of water on someone having a nightmare, or sedating someone before surgery. You would not be entirely wrong, but…

Disconnecting, even briefly, can leave lasting effects.

It was only a second for me to regain control, rejoin with the Force. It welcomed me back like a prodigal son. A mother who hugged her child, after years of being apart. Such was the nature of the Force.

Time meant very little to it. Certainly, far less than us, the ones who were sensitive to it.

I regretted my actions immediately, but the Force forgave me in its own way. I think it understood how I felt. Better than I'm sure I did, in fact. All the same, I swore never to do it again.

And based on the warm feeling that passed through me, I think the Force approved. It was a welcome reassurance. And one that guaranteed my mediation would require a different approach, moving on.

With that said. I believe I should focus on more pressing concerns.

No more distractions. The Force clearly won't allow it, and frankly I couldn't really get it out of my head, anyways. The Empire's presence, seeing my people captured, feeling their dread. It wasn't hard for me to connect the dots.

Dathomir had no relationship with the Old Republic, so it's not about the war. And since I could feel that many of the prisoners leaving this world were not even force sensitive, I gathered that they didn't come looking for new acolytes either.

No.

I won't deny it. I won't feign ignorance.

I know why they've come.

And I will not allow it any longer.

Tomorrow, I'm going to speak with them. I will negotiate the return of my people, and end all current and future hostility with the Empire. We've suffered them long enough. And should the Empire refuse my terms, well…

Then Dathomir shall be their tomb

…

"Wrath." I was greeted by the current chief of our village. The last one was 'escorted' off world about two weeks ago. And he was the fourth chief to assume that role within the last year. No wonder my people were terrified.

Ah! I forgot to introduce myself earlier, didn't I?

My apologies, I was a bit distracted. Well then, my name's Wrath Krine, son of Kyra, one of the Mother's prized students, and Malice. A father I had never met, as he was swiftly killed by my mother upon discovering her pregnancy.

Cultural traditions, am I right?

"Riot." I eventually offered in return. It's fun to keep the people around here waiting, especially when I know how unsettling I could be. What? It's not like we have much in the way of entertainment on Dathomir. Nothing that wasn't obscenely violent, anyways.

And yes, before you ask, I know our names may seem a bit… strange.

Especially because it's only the males that have to take up these silly, vicious sounding names like Curse, or Raid. It's unusual, I get it. But cultural. So, don't poke any fun at it. Or you're technically a racist.

The term is racist here. Not spacist. I checked. Boy was that an awkward conversation…

Riot continued to look uncomfortably at me while I mused. Eventually I decided to take pity on the poor chief and gestured for him to speak. "Go on." I added with a wave of my hand.

"I am… uncertain of this plan of yours." He expressed his doubt hastily.

"Oh?"

This should be good.

"With respect," Chief Riot was quick to begin, almost stammering, as he tried oh so valiantly, to kiss my ass. So that I wouldn't kick his to the curb. "The Empire is- it's massive! Their strength is unparalleled. And if we allow you to, to bargain with them, we may never see you again."

"Worried for my health?" I asked him amused. Doubtful.

"I'm worried for our people." He emphasized. "Just as much as you are."

"Then act." I spoke harshly and abruptly, catching him slightly off guard. Good. I never want my opponent prepared to counter. Regardless of whether it's physical or verbal. "You've commanded us to fight. You've proposed for us to hide. You've suggested that we beg the Nightsisters for their protection."

I paused, slightly seething, before releasing some of my anger into the Force. Righteousness is fine on occasion, but vengeance, anger, that can be blinding at the wrong times.

"All of your brilliant ideas have failed. Even when they were attempted by three men far greater than you, they were still fruitless. So now, finally, I offer you a real solution. One that may actually work. Tell me. Why do you cower from mere words?"

"Words with the enemy." Riot argued, swallowing slightly as my glare deepened.

Hmm. I may be getting to them more than I thought.

Riot mustered his courage, and bravely continued. "They are merciless, unyielding. And most of all, untrustworthy. Whatever deal you deal you make, they'll break in a heartbeat." Considering that Zabraks had two apiece, that was saying something.

"Leave negotiations to me." I warned Riot carefully. In hindsight, it may have come off as threatening.

It genuinely wasn't. I just highly doubt that any Sith would have taken Riot seriously.

While their philosophies may vary, at their core, the only thing that Sith generally respect is power. I have it. Riot… not so much. They'll at least hear me out before killing me. Well, before they try to kill me at any rate.

They would fail, obviously. You know, 'do or do not'. No participation awards in this galaxy.

Still, I'm our best chance at ending things nonviolently. Although personally, I don't really mind either way. These guys are slavers, murderers, and probably worse things that haven't been named yet. If I had to fight them, it wouldn't weigh too heavily on my conscience.

Again, I'm just trying to avoid all those bad, Dark Side habits. Better safe than sorry.

"And relax." I placed my hand on his shoulder as what I intended to come off as reassuring. Based on his shudder, I don't think I succeeded. "I have everything in hand."

"Be careful that this is true, Wrath." Riot instructed me solemnly, reluctantly accepting that he couldn't change my mind. "And not the truth they want you to believe. You are the strongest among us. If you fail..."

I sighed bitterly. "Just have the men I requested ready. We leave within the hour."

…

My entourage, left much to be desired.

I had asked for our strongest warriors, our most skilled beast tamers.

Instead, I have been given boys barely out of adolescence, and novices I wouldn't trust to teach a dog to roll over. I'm not sure if that's one last snub from Riot, or if it just speaks to how diminished the Empire has left us.

Either way, it doesn't put me at ease, knowing this is the best they could give me.

Let's just hope negotiations go well. Speaking of…

I felt them before I even heard their footfalls. Their mere presence is revolting. Cold. Cruel and malicious, the Galaxy's most notorious mass murderers. In case, I haven't been clear, Sith.

I sensed the Sith. Then they sensed me.

I've suppressed most of my power, but there was still a not inconsiderable amount shining through. The mere glimpse of my power was enough to momentarily stun them. Typical Sith. Oh so cocky, until someone more powerful comes along.

I think I'm going to enjoy this.

"Welcome." I spoke sinisterly. I'm not evil. But they don't know that. Turning around swiftly, I watched their Sith yellow eyes widen in surprise. "I trust you had little trouble finding your way here?"

"Some." The younger one, an apprentice perhaps, spoke first. He did not appear as devoted to the dark side as his master, but I blame the youth for that. He still had his dark skin, even if his eyes had taken on a sickly shade of yellow. "Your wildlife took some offence to our intrusion."

I chuckle softly. "Yes, I'm afraid Dathomir rather delights in tormenting it's inhabitants. Particularly, outsiders."

The older one paused, recognizing the unspoken threat immediately for what it was. "Thankfully, those among us who follow the Dark Arts, never find difficulty in culling unruly creatures." I heard the undertone, I know. The Sith Pureblood, who I assumed to be the boy's master still had his red pigment, meaning he wasn't as corrupt as sounded.

Even if his cunning eyes held a warning gaze.

"Is that so?" I asked rhetorically.

"Indeed." The Master continued, a slight smirk adjourned on his face. "You will find the Dark Side is a pathway to many powers some consider to be… unnatural." Palpatine's definitely suing. "But I sense you already know that."

Shit. I'll need to work on mental shields more. Maybe I could try that trick Atton Rand had, counting cards inside my head, I mean. As soon as I learn how Pazak works here. Eventually… I might choose something else though, I'm not a big fan of games of chance.

"And I sense that you're stalling." I reply, a knowing smile that showed off far more teeth than appropriate accompanying my remark. "We are not here to discuss the nature of the Force."

"Of course not." The Master agreed. "We are here to discuss the terms of your surrender."

"Surrender?" I chuckled, without humor. "I believe the Sith need to work on their Diplomacy."

"This is how Sith negotiate." The Master opened his comm and spoke to a holo recording of an old man in a military uniform. "Commence fire, Commander. Do not cease until I have given you permission."

"Yes, my lord." Commander Old Guy answered, before the holo was disconnected.

I was about to ask what they were firing on when it became abundantly clear to me. The sounds of an orbital bombardment was clearly recognizable, and given the smoke suddenly blowing out of my village, I had an idea or two about where they were ending.

"What are you doing?!" I exclaimed, panicked. This was not going according to plan.

"Negotiating."

…

I left Dathomir the next day in chains. Uncertain if I would ever see the red skies of my home ever again. My last, bitter regret, was not having a more thorough back up plan.

...

And leaving the first chapter off on a cliffhanger. I know, I suck. But I'll post a second chapter in two weeks! IF this gets enough follows, favorites, and reviews. So give me your questions, comments, and concerns!

Do you like it? Do you hate it? Is it something you want to see more of it, or should I scrap it? (Which I totally will do if this doesn't get enough approval.)

You decide!