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.
-The Sith Code
A Needle in the Night
Prologue: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire
The torch in my hand illuminated a corridor of dark stone, its flickering light clenched tightly in my rough leather gloves. I cautiously crept through the silent crypts. Although I knew that these catacombs had been abandoned for something like five years, this knowledge did not prevent me from feeling unnerved by the unsettling atmosphere that filled these forlorn halls with a deep sense of foreboding and misery that seemed to seep out of the walls themselves.
This was my third expedition into these ancient tunnels, and during the last expedition I was certain that I was close to my quarry. How frustrated I had been when I had been run off by a final booby trap going off, sending rocks tumbling down to barely miss crushing me and my most sensitive equipment.
This was a last resort and I knew it, there was no way back to the States now.
I don't even know what exactly I'm looking for, but even the slightest chance of something useful is more than worth the risk.
I adjusted the rucksack on my shoulder as the torchlight illuminated the place that I had been forced to turn back at previously. Fragments of shattered boulders littered the earthy floor, the massive stone door just beyond them beckoning me towards it.
I almost fell for it.
Almost.
This was the trap I had fallen for last time, as anyone who approaches this door was bombarded by pumpkin sized boulders that shattered into razor-sharp fragment upon contact with any surface.
I knew all of this, the only question was, how to circumvent the trap?
If it hasn't run out of rocks in all these centuries, then it's likely useless to try and repeatedly trigger the trap. I thought, wiping away the sweat that had accumulated on my brow.
"So, if I can't go through… then perhaps I could go around…?", I murmured.
I shrugged my pack off my shoulder and rummaged through it for a moment before pulling out a leather bandoleer, from with I removed the last of my grenades.
"Let's hope this works," I murmured as he slung the pack back over my shoulder and backtracked about ten feet.
I pulled the pin and let it fly, and then bolted down the hall, gasping for breath as I went.
…
…
KRAKATHOOM!
As the blast went off, I squinted through the smoke and darkness to see if my crazy plan had born any fruit.
The smoke slowly faded, and at once I saw the result of my efforts.
The wall and part of the floor a few feet to the left of the great door had been blown away, revealing the chamber beyond, its seemingly endless darkness taunting me, pushing me forward.
"I have a bad feeling about this," I spoke aloud, and then jumped, surprised at the sound of my own voice.
"Lord, I really need to stop being so jumpy, it very easily could be what kills me." I laughed to myself as I crept around the debris-filled section of the hallway, towards the opening I had created.
Just before I stepped through the opening, I heard a rumbling from above, slowly growing in intensity even as I listened."
"…Shit" I yelped.
I made a desperate leap towards the opening, my hands outstretched, ready to catch myself as I fell.
I only barely made it.
I hit the floor with a dull thud, as the rocks fell in mass with a thunderous crash to cover the entire artificial entrance.
"Ohh, that's going to hurt tomorrow." I moaned to myself as fresh bruises made themselves known on my arms and upper back. I pried myself off the ground slowly, winching softly from the new aches and pains.
As I got to my feet, I noticed that I had dropped my torch in the rush to avoid being crushed.
"Shit, well I guess I'm going in blind, not that I have much of a choice." I cursed.
The darkness seemed to intensify as I stalked forward into the unknown, my eyes straining as they attempted to pierce the overwhelming gloom all around me.
It was at this moment I smacked headfirst into something.
"What the hell, what is this?" I gasped as I grasped around in the dark, trying to figure out what I had run into. My fingers frantically searched for any identifying features, but as I did so, a soft glow brought some clarity to the formerly lightless space.
The object I had rammed into was an antique cupboard with dust-coated glass panels and a thick, curved handle seemingly made of the same dark wood as the rest of the cupboard.
A small brass key sat in the lock just under the handle, just waiting to be turned.
The light seemed to be coming from within the cupboard, dulled somewhat by the thick coating of dust.
I slowly, carefully took hold of the key and gave it a hard turn with a flick of my wrist.
Now unlocked, the cupboard creaked ajar, its contents still glowing, their mesmerizing presence drawing me in with its glistening silver light.
My right hand reached out towards the source of the light on its own accord, causing me to attempt to jump backward in fright.
I was not fast enough.
My fingers brushed up against something deep inside the cupboard just as I attempted to back away, and at that moment, light filled my vision and all sound faded to nothing.
I felt as though I had been frozen in time.
I could not move anything.
I could not hear anything.
I could not feel anything.
And the only thing I could see was an endless, blinding light that seemed to be coming from all directions at once.
Then, all at once, my senses returned to me, just in time for the feeling of rapid motion to suddenly be upon me before abruptly and painfully ceasing.
I hit solid ground with a dull thud, landing in the center of a large open chamber, with unfiltered sunlight shining through a great archway just behind me.
Before me was what appeared to be an entrance hall for some great building, long left to time's cruel hand.
Its walls and floors were the color of midnight, a deep black with the slightest hint of blue.
But most puzzlingly of all was the fact that the entire building felt somehow as if it was a separate world from the sounds and sights outside.
While I could hear the trills of countless birds and howls of what was likely primates, they seemed far off, almost muted. It was almost as if the building in which I stood was diluting everything around it, trying to keep my attention on it instead of what lay beyond it.
As I climbed to my feet off of the cool stone bricks that felt so very different from the rough, earthy floor I felt as though I had just been standing on.
"This is very much not where I was ten seconds ago! How the flipping hell did I get here?"
And then I happened to look down, and I saw what was clutched tightly in my right hand.
An amulet of softly glistening silver sat in my palm.
It was engraved with countless intricate symbols, all far smaller than I thought was possible to carve without mechanical assistance. The circular trinket continuously let off a faint but very noticeable silver light, seemingly coming from each of its engravings.
I attempted to pick up the amulet with my free hand but found that it was stuck fast to my hand as if it had been welded to my flesh.
This is like some kind of magic…
If this is real, then maybe I did find what I was looking for?
I peered around the shadowed antechamber in which I stood, and suddenly what had been previously hidden by the gloom was now very visible.
In the center of the room there stood a gargantuan statue, so tall it almost seemed to be larger than the building itself.
However, the only thing that currently concerned me was the statue's eyes, which seemed to be staring down at me directly. Its stone pupils had suddenly become alit with crimson light, its gaze exuded pure malice and disdain.
Jolts of agony began to run up and down my body as those horrible eyes glowed ever brighter, slowly but surely blinding me to everything but their piercing gaze.
And then, a voice spoke in the midst of all the pain and confusion "Who are you to intrude into my temple? Don't answer that weakling, your goals matter not." The voice demanded, sounding both right next to me and very far away all at once.
This was the moment where the pieces clicked together for me.
A dark temple with a foreboding aura, with an apparent ghost full of mad arrogance, surrounded by a jungle. If I'm right, well, I had a good run.
"Resigned to your fate, are you? Pity, I do so enjoy it when they struggle. Know that your form will be used for great things, such great deeds!" The voice was much louder now, as if it was steadily gaining strength from my very presence.
In an instant, I saw a spectral figure rise out of the darkness and reach out to grab my face.
At the same moment, the amulet that was still stubbornly stuck to my hand flared to life again, much brighter than it had before.
The world faded, and all at once, I was somewhere else.
He was kneeling before his Master, it was happening, at last, he was finally being Knighted.
He felt a massive swell of pride as he got to his feet, grinning broadly down at his teacher of the past decade. Vodo-Siosk Baas looked back up at his apprentice, something like pity in his strange alien eyes.
With a sudden flash, he was again in a new time, a new place.
He strode down the streets of Iziz, on Onderon, thinking about how far he had come. He knew there was a Sith temple of old somewhere nearby, but it's presence In the Force seemed to be muted, dulled in some way, how frustrating this was. Perhaps he could "convince" the locals to tell him its location.
With a feeling of grim anticipation flowing through me, I was swept away from the moment.
He was now within the tomb of the great Sith Lord, Freedon Nadd. After years of searching, finally, the knowledge of the ancient Sith would be his! His sarcophagus had freed his spirit when It was pulled open. At last, a proper teacher in the ways of the Lords of the Sith!
A swirl of darkness and rage took me to another scene.
How dare he! That treacherous rat Nadd tried to possess me! Me! I of course annihilated the fool's pathetic spirit for his insolence, good riddance. Now, apparently, he has trained others, they are threats to me, and they must be destroyed!
A crack of lightning flashed, and when the glare cleared, I held an ignited lightsaber in my hand.
I held my blade to Qel-Droma's throat.
I had been victorious in our duel of course, but it had been closer than I had foreseen.
The boy was strong in the force, that much was true.
And that's when it happened, an ancient Lord of the Sith's spirit manifested itself before me.
Marka Ragnos himself spoke in a tone that demanded respect, and so I listened to him.
He declared that I was to be the next Dark Lord of the Sith, and that Qel-Droma was to be my new apprentice.
Dark Lord, eh?
I shall succeed where the Sith of the past have failed, the Jedi shall fall, and I shall rise.
Forevermore shall I reign!
"And I shall reign again hereafter!" The Dark Lord screamed.
His voice sounds much weaker now, I wonder why? I absently mused, listening to the Sith's ongoing monologue.
My vision slowly returned, revealing the Sith's phantasmal form floating just a few feet from where I lay prone.
But, strangely, the ghost did not attempt to close the gap between us. Although he continued to glare and rant, he continuously stalled his approach. The amulet's relentless shine increased yet again, and the apparition let out a piercing screech.
He then decided that enough was enough, and with a cry of "Die, for it is inevitable", the spirit charged, flying through the stale air like a fighter in an uncontrolled descent.
I attempted to recoil away from the oncoming apparition, but just as it seemed that I was doomed the amulet let out a final blast of light. The sudden light filled the entire chamber with the sound of rushing winds and the crackling of thunder and lightning.
After what seemed like hours of blindness and constant noise, the room returned slowly into focus.
The spirit had vanished, leaving only a head-sized cloud of black smoke which slowly dissipated before my eyes.
I felt strangely powerful at that moment, as if everything in the universe could now be brought under my control. I could feel the pinpricks of life all across this Jungle moon, and beyond it, far away I could sense great beacons of Light and titans of Darkness whose presence seemed to be pulsing and changing constantly.
The amulet did something to him, and now it seems I can feel his power. It feels familiar somehow…
This connection with all living things gradually receded down to a distant but constant sensation at the back of my mind.
And then, the realization hit.
Oh shit, I'm in Star Wars!
I know that I should be terrified, heck, I don't even know what time period this is! But come on, this is my favorite universe! With the Force there is so much I can accomplish!
I jogged through the archway and into the mid-afternoon sunlight that shown over a dense jungle that seemed to stretch on forever.
The Dark Temple from which I had come sat on an island in the center of a vast lake hidden deep in the jungle.
This was Yavin 4, a moon that orbited the gas giant Yavin, and it had been abandoned for centuries.
I need to make a plan, no matter how much power I have this galaxy is still chock full of dangers that could end me if I'm foolish. I'm pretty sure that physical training will be a necessity if I am to ever stand a chance at surviving, let alone doing any of those crazy acrobatic stunts the Jedi seem to be so fond of.
That is if I can ever find a way off this rock.
I very much hope I won't have to wait for the Rebel Alliance to get here.
"I need to come up with plans for survival in every possible era I could be in, which could be anywhere from the Jedi Civil War to the height of Palpatine's Empire." I mused as my free hand tugged at the beginnings of a wild beard.
I hope I'm in a time period I actually know about, otherwise I have no chance.
In the meantime, the best course of action is likely to make my way to the Great Temple, so that I can see if the Rebel Alliance is set up there yet. Then I'll know just how much trouble I'm in.
As I moved towards the edge of the island, I noticed a flash of color at the edge of his vision.
As I turned to face its source, I noticed an apple-sized chunk of a strange crystalline material.
Its surface was a dull purple, but the real reason I had noticed it was the series of elaborate cracks that stretched across the crystal's face. These cracks all emitted light like the light of midday from behind the blinds.
I picked it up without thinking.
It was cool to the touch
Somehow, I knew that it was safe to touch. I think the Force is telling me that this thing is important somehow.
I placed the odd crystal in his pack, nestling it under several packets of food for protection.
I looked out over the river to observe the overgrown jungle. This planet had once been the location of a great battle between the light and dark. In the end, the forces of Light had triumphed, but as always, the Darkness had survived. This galaxy had been caught in-between the endless wars of the Jedi and Sith for millennia. These conflicts destroyed the lives of countless innocents and devastated countless worlds, leaving a trail of destruction and pain in their wake.
Long ago, when I was at the peak of my obsession with Star Wars, I had theorized that the best way to end these conflicts was to fuse the philosophies of both orders and create something closer to the balance that the Force itself seemed to crave.
These thoughts echoed in my head now, as I considered what my goals would be once I managed to leave this planet and enter the larger galaxy.
I will need allies no matter what era I have arrived in. In a galaxy as vast as this one there will always be dangers.
If I am to survive, I should not take chances, I should attempt to stick to what I know and plan around my knowledge when possible.
Hopefully, I ended in the time the New Republic is in charge, but somehow, I doubt that will be the case.
"This is a second chance for me, and it's a perfect opportunity to adopt a new name for a new galaxy." I declared.
"I never much liked my birth name anyway, so instead I'll use the name Septimus." I declared, as I observed the jungle foliage. Branches and vines begin to shift as the wind picked up, blowing my unkempt hair into my face. With a laugh, I continued, "The name probably is more in line with this Galaxy's standards as well as just being a cool name."
As I uttered these seemingly simple words, dark clouds built up upon the horizon. And over the jungles of Yavin 4, thunder boomed, and lightning cracked as the edge of a thunderstorm reached the Dark Temple.
As I stepped back into the temple to get out of the rain, I thought he heard someone whisper to me through the overwhelming sound of the ongoing storm.
However, whatever meaning it could have had was lost, overshadowed by the oncoming storm.
Serenno, 23BBY
Yan Dooku
Count Dooku was not a superstitious man, in fact, he prided himself on his ability to dismiss that sort of nonsense whenever he encountered it. But now, for the first time in decades, something that he could not place was making him paranoid. The Force had been acting differently in the last few days, the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach growing worse each day it went on.
He had contacted his Master about this, of course, however, Sidious seemed convinced that this feeling was simply the Force responding to the rapidly approaching War. He believed that it was the Dark Side becoming stronger as the fall of the Jedi approached.
While he wanted to believe that, his instincts told him something else was to blame.
It happened while he poured over the list of ship and weapon designs submitted by those all throughout the Confederacy. The Force warped and shook as a wave of chaotic, unrestrained power reverberated through it. The Force bucked and shifted within his grasp, trying to get him to give in to his passions. Dooku pushed back against this, forcing his will upon the power of the Dark Side. He peered into the Force, looking for the source of the disturbance.
And then it saw it, a single light stood alone in a graveyard of eons past.
A new player has entered our game.
Writing a SI is something I have wanted to do for years, but it took the encouragement of the amazing people at the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server to get me to sit down and write it.
If you want to join the discord, the link is: 9XG3U7a
I am fairly active there, so if you want to talk to me or ask me questions about this fic, that's the place to do it.
Special thanks to TheBobcat18 and Ghep for helping me pull my ideas into an actual outline.
Bonus Content:
In the future this will be where I answer questions asked by reviewers, as well make occasional comments on Star Wars as a whole.
I also will include Fanfiction recommendations for stories I think deserve attention.