Chapter 2: New Cathoria
The room carried a cold darkness that was without motion and without sound. It was a complete void for the imagination to run rampant with fear and speculation; yet within this room stalked two figures. Any sound they generated echoed loudly, even the shuffling of there feet would generate a loud rumble of sound. This room was a training tool for the Sith to improve their assassin skills.
A pulse of red glared brightly in the thicket of nothingness and it grew into a long beam of light. A second red beam suddenly appeared in defiance and they collided. But as quickly as they appeared and connected, they both vanished. For two hours this routine had been happening as two Apprentices sparred against each other. It was a mind numbing style of training that Uthar Wynn, of the Sith Academy, had generated for the Sith Assassin class of Dark Jedi. The darkness concealed each of them and only the one with the most stealth would prevail.
Again a lightsaber flashed its roaring red blaze as one of the Sith Apprentice swung at what was believed to be an opponent, yet nothing was there. Suddenly another red blaze appeared from behind and buzzed against the Apprentice's back shoulder. Had this not been a training exercise, using harmless light sabers, the Jedi would have been killed.
"Complete." The computer stated into the room. The lights flared to life and the victor was revealed.
The room was monstrous in scale and only two people sat in its center. To the upper left of the room's front, sat an observation room. Here anyone could watch the duel in plain view with the aid of light enhancers. Inside the observation room were Edranus and Captain Bellmore.
Bellmore sighed heavily. "Twenty two contestants and the victor is the female. She has become quite powerful in the past two weeks. Your training regiment has proven useful for her." Edranus ignored the captain's brief satire and exited the room. "If she is going to be your apprentice, you should be mindful of how much you teach her. I'll be on the bridge if you need me."
The door closed and Edranus continued on his way. His cloak and hood covering him, he was an impressive sight to behold and fear was caste upon all that saw him. Yet there was one exception; Mana. She never showed any concern or fear of his presence and strength.
Edranus entered the training hall as the other twenty two apprentice grumbled amongst themselves. They all had battled to earn the recognition that Edranus would give to the winner, but in the end it was Mana who had proven victorious. As Edranus crossed the threshold into the training hall, each of the apprentices bowed in respect. They then parted the way toward the center, where Mana stood in anticipation.
"Master." She bowed.
"You are to be commended, Mana. You have proven skillful with your lightsaber and your use of the Force." The young apprentices around the room all nodded in agreement. She had bested them all over the past few days. "Thusly, you have earned your title as Dark Jedi. Take your place at my side." From beneath his cloak, Edranus extended his right hand and gestured to his side.
"As you wish, master."
Edranus then pulled his hood from his head and revealed himself to the Sith before him. "Soon we shall arrive at the first world that our probes have discovered. You will all be assigned a support troop of soldiers, and we will scour this world for the Terentatek. My orders are not to be broken, and Mana shall be seen as my second in command. Anything that is found should be reported immediately, and failure will not be tolerated."
Edranus stepped forward and crossed his arms across his chest. "This world is inhabited by the Cathar. They must have fled here many years ago, but do not sympathize with them. We are here to fulfill an order by Lord Revan, and we will not let the Cathar interfere with our plans. Avoid them unless they are in your path. If they appose you, do not hesitate to kill." Edranus turned and began to exit the training hall with Mana closely behind.
"Darth Edranus, we have arrived at the Cathar Moon. You are needed on the bridge."
"We shall be there momentarily."
Mana quickly walked up to Edranus's side, "how shall we disperse the troops? The Cathar will not let us search their planet without reproach. Perhaps we should crush them first?"
"An all out assault upon this Cathar world would be a pointless waste of our resources. My plan is simple, Mana, we search for the Terentatek and only confront the Cathar when we must."
Mana smiled wickedly. "Malak may have been your teacher, yet you think a lot like Revan; a deadly combination. That is enough to make anyone tremble at your feet."
"And your praise grows more flattering everyday." Edranus pulled his hood upon his head and the two of them bordered the lift to the bridge.
"Darth Edranus," Captain Bellmore addressed as they boarded the bridge. "I have scrambled the fighters to run a protective flight pattern around the ship. It would appear that the Cathar have generated quite a civilization. We've detected numerous ships preparing to intercept us."
"You brought us out of light speed to close to this system … captain." Edranus calmly stated. Yet everyone could sense the frustration within his voice. "I told you I wanted this to be a quiet ordeal."
"How was I to know that the Cathar had built such an extensive scanning network? They're merely vermin refugees from the Mandalorian Wars."
"And your arrogance bores me, captain. See that you do not make another mistake. Despite your years of experience, you can be replaced."
"Forgive me." Bellmore displayed no such remorse in his words, but merely stated it for the sake of pleasing Edranus's mood.
"I do not grant forgiveness, Captain. It must be earned." Edranus glared sternly at the captain and then turned to walk off the bridge. "I will let you deal with the formalities of the Cathar defense force, if that is what they call it. Mana and I will be going to the first search coordinates. Disperse the rest of the Sith search parties as detailed in the search plan."
Bellmore nodded as Edranus walked of, but looked to Mana as she stepped closer. "If you fail Edranus again, captain, I will kill you. You will not be the weak link in his conquest … Iridonian." Mana turned and followed Edranus from the bridge.
Bellmore ignored her idle threat, despite the severity of it. His Zebrak blood knew hatred well, and he had learned many years ago how to deal with it; plus he had no plans of arguing with a Dark Jedi.
"Raise the shields and notify the fighter pilots to be prepared for anything. As per our orders, we will not attack first. Let them come to us. If they wish to fight this battle ship, then we will destroy them without delay. Notify all landing parties to prepare to disembark." Bellmore clasped his hands behind his back and glared at the tiny moon below.
- - - - - - -
Cutting through the atmosphere without regard for any of the Cathar warning transmissions, the lone shuttle and its two fighter escorts made their course toward a densely packed rainforest upon the equator. The blue-green vegetation matched well into the planet's green atmosphere, and the forest stretched for miles without any sign of civilization.
Mana monitored the transmission from the Cathar. "They are calling it, New Cathoria. From what I can make of it, they have yet to settle upon any of the Southern continents."
Mana pulled away from the scanner. "Pilot, bare to these coordinates. There should be a clearing or a landing structure of some kind. The Cathar have sent several hunting parties to this area over the past few years, as part of their training rituals. We will use their landing area to gain access to the forest."
"Yes sir." The pilot banked hard toward the coordinated zone and they landed upon a tower platform several hundred feet above the dense forest floor. The platform was large enough for the shuttle and the two fighter escorts to land. The rear ramp of the shuttle opened and twenty Sith troopers quickly exited and fanned out across the platform. Mana and Edranus then slowly walked down the ramp. Edranus wore his hood, even in the heat of the tropical forest; his armor regulated his body temperature well. Mana wore Dark Jedi robes, yet she had slightly modified them to her taste. She wrapped her waist with a red belt, and upon each arm she wore forearm guards which she used to carry her lightsaber and shield units. Her trusty Sith Repeater rested tightly upon her belt.
Mana stepped up to the Sith Sergeant. "Position your troops, Sergeant, and guard this platform. We will take five troopers with us as we search the region. The Cathar will come, contact me when they do."
The Sergeant nodded his head in response; his red armor marking his rank. "Yes Sir." He then turned to his troops and began to assign orders. "You five, protect our masters. The rest of you, break out the defensive turrets and begin setting up a command post. Move out."
- - - - - - - -
The stairway to the forest floor coiled around the landing tower's support beam. Journeying by foot seemed to take forever, and most of the Sith troopers were already dreading the walk back up, but for now they only concerned themselves with what lie in the thicket of the jungle. Three troopers led the pack, with Mana and Edranus following, and two troopers pulled up the rear. Once they reached the forest floor, they quickly realized how hard their search would be.
Mana sighed as she knelt closer to the ground. "The vegetation is denser then I first thought, master. Looking for tracks will be difficult."
"Let go of your vision, Mana. There is a strong darkness here. Reach out and you can feel it." Edranus stepped forward and pointed toward a south western direction. "It grows from there."
Mana followed Edranus's gaze. "Yes … I … I can feel it. It is wild and untamed. It is unlike any Force form I've ever sensed."
"It is strong, and far from us. It is also masking its power well … as if it knows we are coming." Edranus began to walk the unbeaten path, pushing aside the thick brush as he went.
Mana turned to the troops, "Fan out, but stay in visual range."
The trek through the forest was cumbersome and dark. Dead trees, thick foliage, mud pits, and wildlife littered the forest floor, and made navigating difficult. After forty minutes of walking, the group stumbled upon a pack of wild animals. The wild dog like beasts rushed toward them, snaring with their razor sharp teeth. The Sith troopers stepped forward and fired their blaster rifles into the mass of them, cutting them down easily. Mana, being the specialist and intrigued by nature, quickly examined the carcass of one of the dead beast. She found nothing special about the creatures and watched as Edranus pushed on without her. She huffed at his none concern, and quickly caught up to him.
The forest was dim even at the height of mid day, and as the sun began to set the forest became increasingly mysterious. They had now been walking for several hours. The sounds of the nighttime predators filled Mana's ears, yet she found it soothing. There was nothing as alluring as the mixed sounds of the night. Unlike Nar Shaddaa and its bustling cities, this world was teaming with thousands of different life forms.
Mana was suddenly covered by light as she turned to a nearby trooper. "Turn off your search light, unless you want to make yourself more of a target. There's no telling what form of predators hunt these woods." The trooper quickly responded. "The rest of you, pull into a tighter formation and have your weapons at the ready." Visibility was less then ten feet in the dark and Edranus stopped his forward progress. He drew his lightsaber, but did not power it on.
"Master?" Mana questioned as she unclipped her saber as well. "Is it here?"
"No. But the Force is swelling around us." Edranus looked the area over, but not with his eyes. His eyes had been closed the moment the sun set, and he had been relying solely upon the Force to guide him. He felt something. Something was watching and following. Following and waiting. Waiting and studying. He quickly turned his head to his left, Mana felt it as well. It was stealthily quiet and her memories of the dark room training came to her. She readied herself, but did not turn on her lightsaber; she would wait for the last second. The two of them drowned out the noise of the forest, the strange alien creatures that were constantly chirping around them. They focused on the unknown, the unseen, and relied solely on the Force to locate it. Edranus silently stepped toward the unknown follower just a green glow erupted in his path; a lightsaber.
Edranus swung his hilt and powered on his blade in one motion. The two blades clashed, sending white flash across the area. The troopers pulled up their blasters and looked for a clear shot, while Edranus and the unknown assailant dueled. Mana kept up her guard but did not interfere. She instead turned her attention to the opposite side of her group. Another presence was coming up from behind. She exploded into action, leaping above the Sith troopers heads, some twenty feet, and lowered her lightsaber against another blade.
The troopers split; three went to aid Mana and two with Edranus. They watched, in the darkness of the forest, as their masters valiantly fought off the other two figures. Mana handled herself well against her opponent, yet often found herself being pushed back. Edranus, on the other hand, seemed to completely dominate in his battle. The figure he fought was in constant retreat, yet Edranus did not slay it. He was almost toying with his enemy.
Mana stumbled backwards over a log and the Sith troopers fired upon the opposing figure. It gracefully deflected all of the blaster bolts and that gave Mana the chance to stand and Force push the aggressor to the ground. She lunged, and her blade pierced the creature's side as she pushed the lightsaber across its torso. A grunt of pain exhaled from its lips as it died and Mana jumped to Edranus's side. She landed behind his opponent and was instantly greeted by its lightsaber. It was skilled, much more skilled then her earlier opponent. Even while it was defending itself against Edranus, it was quickly defending any and all of Mana's attacks. She was suddenly kicked in the chest and stumbled backwards. She ducked just as the enemy swung for her head.
"Mana, get clear! I can handle this one." Edranus seemed gleeful during the fight. Yet he clearly out matched the opposing warrior. Edranus used the Force to choke it, but it resisted. The opponent then countered with a Force push and Edranus stumbled slightly, but merely brushed it off. Mana could see that the difference between them was not in their Force powers, the seemed Equal, but Edranus was clearly better at sword play. The creature then jumped into the treetops, but Edranus followed leap for leap; it was on the run.
Mana clipped her saber hilt to her armguard and jumped into the treetops behind them. "Troopers, hold here!" She followed as best she could, but Edranus and his enemy was much too fast. Bright flashes ignited ahead of her as their lightsabers connected repeatedly, and that was the only clear signal that she was indeed following them. Suddenly she caught up to them and she watched as Edranus knocked the saber from the creature's hand.
A heavy female voice screamed, "I yield!" She was terrified that her life was soon to be extinguished.
Mana landed at Edranus's side upon a massive tree branch, gripped her lightsaber and stabbed toward the defenseless warrior. Her lightsaber came within inches of its face as Edranus gripped Mana's arm, stopping her from splitting the creature's head in half.
"Master?"
"Not yet." Edranus simply answered. "Stand Cathar." The female figure stood before Edranus and Mana, her cat like face shined red from the glow of Edranus's saber. "I sense good within you, yet I also sense the chaos of the dark side. What is your loyalty, Jedi?"
"I … I have none." Clearly she was afraid, terrified of what would happen to her.
"Her fear is strong, master." Mana smiled.
"The one that was with you?" Edranus questioned toward the Cathar. He Forced the question upon her, pressing it into her mind as if he was pulling the words to her lips.
"My training partner…" She could not resist.
"Are there anymore of you out here?"
"In various regions… but not here."
"Then you know this area well?"
Her eyes began to roll upward, "Yes."
"Guide us and live."
"…yes…" She collapsed as Edranus released her from his mind grip.
"Master, are you certain of this?" Mana nervously questioned. "She fought against you."
"I have her lightsaber, and she knows she can not fight the both of us." Edranus clipped his hilt to his belt and gripped the uncounscious Cathar around the waist. He then jumped down to the ground several dozen feet below. Mana disappointedly followed as she wished she had killed the female Cathar; in her view, anyone that opposed Edranus deserved nothing short of a quick death.
- - - - - - - -
The forest once again gave into the light of dawn. The darkness retreated into the dense foliage beneath the canopy of bushes and shrubs. The troopers shouldered their blasters as they walked back into the make shift camp, while Edranus and Mana discussed the fate of the still unconscious Cathar woman.
"I don't trust her, master. I killed her ally, and I am sure she will not forget that."
Edranus pulled his cloak upon his shoulders and looked into Mana's grey eyes. "The dark side is not just killing and struggle. We must still use our heads. She knows this terrain much better then us."
"Very well, master. I do not question your ways. But I will not let her go unwatched." Mana tied on her armguards and walked out of the tent. Edranus looked into the corner at the Cathar woman still lying unconscious and bound in cuffs.
The Cathar wore lose fitting camouflage clothing, which blended well into the green and brown of the forest floor. Her skin was a dark toned, but her prominent face stripes still blazed with a bright orange. Her facial structure was very strong, and one long bundle of hair stretched from the top of her head. Judging by the hair's length, Edranus estimated her to be no more then twenty years of age. He walked closer and kicked her foot, startling her awake.
The Cathar's blue eyes stared ferociously back toward Edranus as she jolted upward, springing to her feet with cat like reflexes. Even bound by the hands and feet, she easily jumped to her feet and backed into a corner. A deep growl filled her throat as she struggled to free herself, but Edranus gripped her throat with his left hand and smirked at her fiercely.
"You live because I permit it. You breathe because I have a need of you. Serve me, and you shall see something I normally do not share; compassion." With a wave of his hands he unshackled her ankles and stepped away. Instinctively, the young Cathar dashed forward at Edranus's exposed back. Yet he was much too fast for such a useless tactic. He spun on heel, raised his lightsaber hilt, and planted the lens of the blade upon her forehead.
She gasped as she felt the cold steel against her shaven head. She stumbled backwards, gazing cross-eyed at the hilt of the Dark Jedi's lightsaber hilt. Edranus pressed harder against her head, pushing her to the ground and forcefully holding the hilt to her head. He need only press the power source and the red blade would instantly stab through her skull.
She cringed and screamed as she held up her hands in a surrendering fashion, "Please! NO!"
"For one who is so skilled with the blade, you have very little courage." Edranus sat upon her stomach, his massive form dwarfing her completely. He pushed harder upon the hilt, forcing her head into the tarp flooring. "You should face death with honor, Jedi."
"I am no Jedi!" She tearfully screamed.
"You are skilled in the Force. You can not deny this!"
"We have teachers that know the way of the force, but we are far from being Jedi! Please … don't …" In her terrified state she placed her hands upon Edranus's chest and began to physically push him away; yet she did not have the strength to do it. Edranus gritted his teeth at her touch. It was soft, yet forceful, and it took him back to better time; a moment in his past that he had long ago forgot. He wanted to slap her hands away, wanting to push the sensation aside, yet he felt something more; he could not sense the Force within her. She could no longer summon the Force to her aid.
"If you want me off of you, if you want to live, then push me off!"
"Please … no…" she continued to cower.
"I will turn on my saber, and its blade will sear through your brain in a heart beat! You will die, cowering like a sad child and as a shame to all the Cathar that have trained with you! Use the Force … push me aside!" Edranus felt it. She was slowly focusing her power as she began to summon the Force once again. "Use your fear and hate… use your power …" An explosion seared around Edranus's chest, as the Cathar attempted to use the Force to push him aside, but he blocked it just in time. He released her and stood. He attached his hilt to his belt and glared downward at the sobbing Cathar.
"What is your name?" He pulled his cloak tighter around him, enveloping himself in his dark persona.
"… Sebrani." She tearfully wept.
"You fell that, do you not? That sense of accomplishment, of conquering your fear and harnessing it." Sebrani dried her eyes as she looked up into the darkness that swirled around Edranus. "In fear, you lost your focus. But fear can be your ally. It can make you stronger, more ferocious in combat, and aid you to see clearly. Stand Sabrani, there is much that your teachers can not show you … yet I can." Sebrani stood to her feet, yet still looked up into the towering form of Edranus. "I am Darth Edranus, loyal servant of Lord Revan."
"Revan is your master?" Sebrani questioned with a shocked gasp.
"Yes. And as Revan has shown me, I will show you the true power of the Dark Side. You will never fear, you will no longer cower, and you shall have the power to never run from any opponent. I could use a warrior with your strength by my side, and I can teach you how to harness your fear."
"I … I can not. The Dark Side is forbidden to us. My tribe, they … they would cast me out."
"I have come to your world searching for a creature of great power. A creature once hunted by the Jedi Council. When we find this creature, and capture it, I will take you to your tribe and you will show them your new abilities. Then you will decide what you wish to do. All I ask is for you to listen to what I have to teach you. The decision to follow me is yours." Edranus turned and walked out of the tent, leaving Sebrani to contemplate his words. Mana awaited him just beyond the tent.
"I heard her scream. Did you kill her?"
Edranus stood before her, "No. I will not kill her. I will turn her. She will make a valuable asset to our cause, but she has much to learn." Edranus could see the ferocity boiling within Mana. The more she thought of it, the more she loathed the idea, yet Edranus knew that he needed Mana to learn to work with Sebrani or his plans would fail. "You will accept this, Mana, you have no choice. Now, fetch her and keep her at your side. You will not harm her without justification. I want her alive."
Mana fumed as she walked away from Edranus, to his amusement. Edranus watched as the five troopers began to break down the tent as Mana and Sebrani walked up to his side. Sebrani held her head low as she toyed with the cuffs upon her wrists. He walked on, letting the group follow behind him. Within himself, he was not sure why he spared her. It was true that he could use her strength, but beyond that there was something more. He looked over his shoulder as Mana gave orders to the Sith troopers, Sebrani gazed at him deeply as if trying to probe his thoughts. He easily blocked her from his mind. She could not hope to see past his vale, but none the less there was something he felt in her.
This Cathar female had awoken something within him, something that had been buried under years of hatred and Sith training. He would keep Sebrani with him, to understand the stirring emotions twirling within his mind. Edranus knew that he could have killed her, and partially he began to think that he should have killed her.
Notes: Moving into the correct direction, and building more into who Edranus really is. Seems to be moving slowly, but I ask that you be patient. All good things must have a beginning. Sorry for the shortness, but I think the majority of the chapters will be this long.
soulguard