Star Wars Infinities: The Warrior
By Christopher W. Blaine (darth_yoshi@yahoo.com)
DISCLAIMER: The characters and situations contained in this story are ©2003 by George Lucas and are used herein without permission for fan-related, non-profit entertainment purposes only. This original work of fiction is ©2003 by Christopher W. Blaine and may not be reproduced in part or as a whole without the express permission of the author.
CHAPTER 17
Malakie could feel the eyes of the rebel soldiers upon him as he made his way into the jungle, past the perimeter fence set up around the base. The guards were by now used to the exotic looking man that the female soldiers whispered about and the way he went out to explore every day.
Nobody dared to follow him, as he was fearless in the way he went about. Not even the toughest rebel would dare to go out into the jungle without a blaster and spare power pack. Yet Malakie went out everyday and returned at night. The rebels allowed him to stay because he provided good recon, never suspecting that each night he was using the Force to maintain his control over Tycho and the stormtroopers.
Once he was far enough away, he opened his mind. The moon of Yavin was filled with the Force, an almost magical place for those who could sense it. It was no wonder that Exar Kunn had come here. Malakie had continued to grow in the Force, becoming stronger every day. Even his mother was starting to show signs of improvement. She no longer looked ragged but she still planned to take the body of Winter for herself. It was a shame in a way for Malakie found Winter pleasing to the eye, so different from the scarred witches of Dathomir or the military-types that worked the old prison.
The Rebels had access to the Imperial holonet and every day new information about the changing galaxy was relayed to him in casual conversation with some of the soldiers. His own people had integrated well into the Alliance and were also feeding him intel on matters that were not discussed in the open.
Mara Mothma had been missing for several days and Malakie had only recently learned that the Empire had destroyed her home world. That surprised him, as he could never imagine a weapon powerful enough to render a planet to dust. Mara had taken it very hard and he felt her pain through the Force. He had not sensed the destruction of the planet, but the spirit of Exar Kunn had explained that he was not in tune enough with the galaxy, not the way Mara was. It was his limited experiences that gave him tunnel vision when it came to the Force. Malakie could kill and manipulate but it was hard for him to just feel.
Mara, on the other hand, appeared to use her abilities to sense everything. She was a natural gambler, a dealmaker and he could see why the Rebels valued her so much. It was she, along with the mysterious Talon Karde that were making the deals to get supplies into the hands of the rebellion with limited funds. He knew that she must be under tremendous strain with the obliteration of Chandrilla and he wanted to reach out to her.
That was something strange and he had asked his mother about it. Gethzerion had cackled and patted his knee. "You are falling in love! You sense power in her that manifests itself far beyond the physical beauty. In her is the essence of the Jedi, even I can sense that. Her parentage is powerful!"
Exar Kunn had explained it differently. "It is natural to be attracted to females, especially ones that don't dither on about pointless things. I have sensed this Mara Mothma and know she is a force to be reckoned with. You fear her slightly and it intoxicates you."
Malakie did not care about the reasons, only that he did not like the feeling it left in the pit of his stomach. He had killed many people in his life, but he had never truly cared about anyone. His mother was simply a companion, someone to share his adventures with, but he could not honestly say he loved her. He never knew his father and all of the lovers he had taken while reaching manhood meant no more to him than a pair of shoes. Yet, this Mara had begun to stir something else inside of him.
Passion, he supposed, was being awakened in his cold soul. Even Darth Maul had possessed passion. All Dark Lords had a passion. Darth Vader had been passionate about his wife and now Malakie was being just like him. Was it right to be that way? Hadn't Vader killed his father? But, Exar Kunn reminded him often, that was the nature of the Sith. The strong survive by decimating the weak. The weak slow down a society, they prevent the march into the future by making the strong pace themselves. Better to burn hot and fast then low and slow Malakie thought, using a favorite phrase of the X-Wing pilots.
Speaking of which, he told himself, the morning patrol should have been passing over him. He checked his chronometer and then looked up just as five of the star fighters passed overhead. He reached out with the Force and felt each of the pilot's minds. Tycho was not up there, but that was to be expected. He had already qualified in the use of all of the fighters the Rebels used and was now working with the senior officers on tactics. It would prove to be very useful information in the future he was sure.
Exar Kunn had been very pleased when he had discovered that Malakie was keeping his own spies in the Rebel camp. He explained it was a good exercise in using the Force to stretch one's abilities so. Malakie had taken the compliment in stride, knowing that he had much to learn if he was ever going to get to the level of expertise that his father had achieved.
You worry too much about your father and not about yourself, the disembodied voice of Exar Kunn whispered to him as Malakie stepped off the beaten trail and moved silently through the brush. In this exercise, he had to use the Force to trick the electronic sensors that the Rebels had put out in the forest to warn of any type of sneak attack. The Sith do not worry about such things!
"Tell me, Master," Malakie said as he somersaulted over an infrared trip line. "Does that mean Darth Deceptra is weak because of her dedication to her child?"
Yes! She coddles her son and makes him weak. It is not enough to simply control the Force or to wield a lightsaber, you must have a purpose that better serves the Dark Side. Instead of serving her master, Palpatine, she serves her apprentice! Because of that, she is doomed to failure!
"What of Palpatine himself? What is his weakness?" Malakie landed and used the Force to call up a small whirlwind to scatter the leaves to remove traces of his passage as he headed down to a small stream.
Palpatine is blinded by paranoia! He has allowed his confidence, that ability that gave him his position, to degrade into fearfulness. He forgets the Dark Side and puts too much trust in technology!
"But technology provides us with the tools we require to achieve our goals, does it not?" Malakie patted the lightsaber hilt at his side. It was not yet complete as each component had to be won through a series of tests.
Technology is nothing compared to the Force, always remember that. Star fighters, blaster and battle stations will come and go, but the Force is infinite. Through it we see the past, the present and the future. In the Dark Side we become one with the order that holds the universe and governs it!
"Master," Malakie started and then stopped. A large snake was moving through the underbrush, stalking him. It was at least four meters long, more than enough to take on a human. Unfortunately for the reptile, Malakie was far from being human.
What is it? Can you not continue a simple telepathic conversation while you deal with this threat? If this is such a challenge, then perhaps I was wrong to select you as an apprentice. Perhaps you would be better suited as a Jedi padawan!
Malakie was instantly enraged at the very thought of serving as the stable boy for the Jedi order. He knew enough about them that it sickened him to think that such a lifestyle had even been prevalent at one time. The Jedi worshipped weakness and corruption and it was the reason their flame had been blown out in the galaxy.
The snake was not aware that Malakie had guessed its intent, its instincts taking it on a path just off to the side of the dark warrior as he made his way down a second path. Malakie picked up its hunger through the Force; the Rebels had scared off most of the larger mammals and the snake was desperate to find food. To it, Malakie was nothing more than a rather tall primate.
Malakie's mind wandered between paying attention to the snake and his seething anger at Exar Kunn's remarks. He could hear the Dark Lord laughing from his spectral home within the Force. Anger began to turn to white-hot rage and when the snake finally lunged out, fangs bared to deliver the venomous bite, Malakie reacted just as quickly.
His vision changed and he saw the world through the Force, his eyes becoming nothing more than commentary to what his senses were now experiencing. He witnessed the movement of the snake and even witnessed the potential future of where it did bite him, but he also experienced knowledge that told him at least four ways to avoid it.
His movements were a blur, a dance of martial motion as he brought his fist up and energized it with the living Force. The snake, color-blind, could not detect the shimmering blue field that surrounded Malakie's hand. There was a small crack of thunder that shook the immediate area and a spark of light.
Then there was nothing.
Malakie was drenched in sweat and there was a pain in his left temple. His fist was steaming as the blood of the snake boiled away. At his feet lay the squirming, rolling body of the headless creature. The skull of the snake was gone, completely destroyed.
Excellent! You have taken the first of many steps towards becoming a true warrior of the Sith!
"What the hell just happened" Malakie asked as he slowly slid to his knees. His hand was now beginning to hurt and he saw that there was a piece of bloody bone sticking out from between two knuckles.
You have experienced Force-enhancement, a skill used by both the Sith and the Jedi both. By drawing upon your rage, you projected the Force into your fist, transforming it into a weapon of nature! The Sith use this for offensive purposes, the Jedi use it for defensive.
"I didn't feel anything…"
In time, you will be able to deflect blaster bolts with your palms!
The young man smiled at that thought. He got back up and pulled the bone shard from his hand, licking the blood. It was very hot, still charged with the Force. As he started to walk again, he pulled off his shirt and wrapped it around his hand. It wasn't so much to stop the bleeding as it was to keep the insects away. He hated insects. On Dathomir, they sometimes were as thick as a fog and only his control over the Force kept them at bay.
His chest heaved as the adrenaline dissipated from his blood and his heart slowed down to its normal rate. He wondered if all Dark Lords experienced such things in battle. The world had seemed so different!
Now you will begin to understand the battle-lust that once consumed all of the Sith and set them on a path of conquest!
"Master, why is it that the Sith are now so small in number?" Malakie asked as he began to jog. Despite his battle with the snake, he was not permitted to be late.
Internal politics and pointless squabbling. Eventually, it, like the corruption that defeated the Jedi, brought down our numbers. After that, it was decided that there must only be two leaders, a Master and an Apprentice.
"Leaders?"
Exar Kunn chuckled. Many have interpreted this to mean only the Master and Apprentice, but it is impossible for two to administer an empire of order. There must be a clear and defined leadership and that leadership must never be afraid to use whatever means at its disposal to maintain that order.
"Unlike Palpatine, correct Master?"
Yes, the Emperor is a failure. It is time he understood what a true Sith is.
Both Malakie and Exar Kunn laughed for several minutes over that comment.
