AN: I can't believe I'm doing this. I've written a lot of fanfics over the years but this is where it really began. Elements of this Star Wars story have been in my head since I was five-years-old. Just so you know, don't expect any canon characters or events to be referenced. I'm really just using the setting, terminology and some of the lore as my playground to have fun and go nuts.
Prologue:
WAR! For over thirty years the galaxy has been trapped in a struggle between the democratic Galactic Republic and the oppressive Sith Empire. Jedi Knights, Guardians of the Republic lead the Grand Army in combat against the powerful Sith Lords across the cosmos.
On the edges of Republic space, Jedi Master Lian Clowd trains the next generation of Jedi at the Academy on Yavin IV. Meanwhile the Grand General of the Sith Military Darth Mallow leads his forces in a conquest to snuff out the future of the Jedi Order.
Chapter 1
A Republican transport exited hyperspace. The gas giant Yavin cast a shadow on its fourth moon. Master Clowd's flagship-The New Dawn- stayed in orbit monitoring anything coming in or out of hyperspace. For such an important planet so close to the Sith Empire, it wasn't well guarded. And unbeknownst to the Admiral aboard the New Dawn, this transport had long since been hijacked.
"Are you sure this will work?" Darth Mallow asked. They had commandeered this transport when it made its last stop at the planet Gala. On board was Darth Mallow, three members of the Sith Inquisition, a battalion of their best battle droids, a pilot, and Darth Zanatos.
"My dear delightful Darth Mallow, have I ever lead you astray?" Darth Zanatos responded. It had been Zanatos who proposed an infiltration mission. He was the head of Imperial Intelligence, a powerful Sith Lord in his own right, and a high ranking member of the Sith Council.
"Shuttle Relief, what transmit your pass code." An officer on the New Dawn radioed the stolen shuttle.
"And here we go." Zanatos grinned as he placed his hand on the pilot's head. This was no imperial pilot. This was the original pilot for the shuttle, a man who would have all the current Republican passcodes. He was no match for Zanatos' powers of persuasion, powers that put Jedi mind tricks to shame. The pilot did everything that he was ordered to by the Sith Lord.
"Codes accepted. Proceed to the moon below."
The sith pair touched down in the forest a few kilometers away from the ancient Massassi temple that was being used as the Academy. Darth mallow could already feel their presence. Chief among them was that of his old master, Lian Clowd. This would be the perfect chance to cut off another tie he had to the foolish Jedi Order. Surely after this day he would be one step closer to surpassing the Emperor.
"Inquisitors, with me." Darth Mallow said.
"Mallow, I'm sure you're eager to strike down such a powerful Jedi but remember why we're here." Zanatos warned.
"Focus on your own goals." Mallow warned. "What of the pilot?"
"A weak mind but a strong heart." Zanatos said as he turned his back on the Republic pilot. "He'll be of no further use to us." With a clutch of his hand, the wicked Sith Lord used the force to strangle the pilot in his seat. The pilot died, kicking and choking as Zanatos watched in glee. "Now, let's get this party started shall we."
Meanwhile at the Jedi temple a training session was ending. Sia Rayne had once again defeated her older brother Bale in combat. His back was on the ground. She held out her hand and he rejected her help. He had grown impatient with his own growth. Feelings of jealousy were already taking hold.
Sia and Bale, along with their younger brother Abe had been training on Yavin IV for over ten years now. Bale was seventeen, Sia was sixteen and young Abe was only twelve. They were all three powerful in the Force. Sitrus Valur, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order had predicted that these three would tip the scales in the Republic's favor. Because of that they were to receive far more training than a Jedi would usually get before being assigned a master. Such powerful individuals were too great to throw away on the frontlines of war at such an early age.
Bale took a shower and went to Master Lian's quarters. He wished to speak with the Jedi Master to see what he could do to get stronger. As he approached the door, he heard Lian talking with Master Sitrus.
"Whether they are ready or not, the war is coming your way." Master Sitrus said. "He is coming for you, coming for them."
"Sia may be ready to be taken as an apprentice. Bale is close but Abe is still far away." Lian argued.
"Then you will continue their training on Coruscant. Yavin IV will be attacked within a month's time. If the girl really is ready, then you will have redeemed yourself in the eyes of the other council members."
"Thank you Master." Lian said.
Bale's fist clenched. For a brief second he was angry. He was older than Sia. He should be the one ready by now, not her. Lian must have sensed the boy's anger because he came out right away. The Jedi had a scraggly gray beard and shoulder-length hair to match. He was of average height, barely taller than his student. His eyes were sunken, shaken by a lifetime of war.
"Master?" Bale said. The young man was caught off guard.
"In a battle of power, no two are created equal." Lian said. "Do not fret that Sia has surpassed you in combat. She is well attuned to the Force whereas you are still trying to make it your own. But, you are a better pilot than her. You can do the things she can't. You should be standing with her, not…"
"I've heard this speech before master." Bale cut the old man off. "I want to know if there's anyway I can get stronger."
"There isn't." Lian shook his head in disappointment. "All you can do is try to be one with the Force."
At that moment, near the temple a great fire began to blaze. Lian's body shivered. They had come far sooner than expected. In an instant, two dark spectors had descended on the peaceful planet and were already sending shockwaves that were making the planet scream in agony.
"What is it?" Bale asked.
"Pack your things. We're leaving."
By the time Lian made his way to the main hangar the forest in front of him was up in flames. Blaster bolts zipped through the air. The Republian soldiers and their complementary battle droids took cover against the assault.
"They came so suddenly." The commander said.
"I know." Lian said as he drew his lightsaber. The blue stream of energy made a low hiss. "Come on out!" He commanded. He reached out with the force. Three smaller shadows were racing towards him. In the meantime, he deflected the incoming blaster bolts back at their attacking droids.
A female inquisitor lunged from beyond the flames, swinging her red lightsaber at the Jedi. He effortlessly deflected the attack and moved in for a strike. She was quick on her feet and backed off. The Inquisition was one of six factions working within the Sith military complex. They were trained for one thing, dealing with force sensitive individuals. Whether that meant capturing them, turning them to the dark side, or executing them depended on their target.
"I've always wanted to kill a Jedi Master." She said as she entered her stance. From the flames two others joined her side. One used a double-sided lightsaber and the other had two lightsabers. The one with two was a young man, smaller in stature to both of his peers. The third inquisitor towered over the others. He must have been a lasat, or some other larger humanoid race.
Lian removed his robes. It had been ten years since he last engaged in a serious duel with his lightsaber. The three inquisitors attacked in unison. They were always trained in groups of three and taught to use teamwork to bring down the superior Jedi Knights and their masters. But Lian was a master of Form Three. His lightsaber moved like a fan, blocking and parrying all their incoming attacks.
He kept his eyes closed, letting the Force alone guide his actions against the five blades. The trio were getting more impatient. Even though they were the ones gaining ground none of their blades touched the master's skin. A Republic battle droid targeted the female inquisitor and fired. She quickly deflected the bolt back at the machine, but left herself open.
Lian reached out, pushing her across the hanger with the Force. As she fell, he opened his eyes and began to gain ground. The brutish inquisitor tried spinning his lightsaber. His grip was too loose, and a single well placed strike sent it flying out of his hand. Lian used the Force to turn off one of its blades and pull it into his hand. He reversed the grip on his own blade and stabbed backwards, sending both lightsaber blades through the brute's stomach.
As the female inquisitor returned to the battle, Lian switched from Form Three to Form Two- a form better suited to dueling. He used the dead inquisitor's lightsaber to hold off the woman while he focused on overwhelming the defence of the young man. With an upward slice, he burnt through the man's helmet and killed him instantly.
He then turned his attention onto the final inquisitor. Alone, she was no match for even an average Jedi Knight, let alone a master as experienced as Lian Clowd. With a combination of swift strikes he broke through her guard and sliced one of her hands off. He then kicked her backwards, picked her up, slammed her into the ground and then through her against the wall.
"Hahaha." She started laughing as her helmet came off. She was a Mirialan with sith tattoos all over her face. "It's already too late."
"You're the one who lost." Lian said as he stepped towards her.
"Three inquisitors for the future of the Jedi Order. I'd call that a fair bargain." She laughed as she pointed her own lightsaber towards her chest. "All I had to do was distract you. For the Emperor!"
Before she could ignite the lightsaber to take her own life, Lian used the Force to rip it out of her hand. He closed the distance between them and struck her on the head, knocking her out. Without the inquisitors, the battlefield became more clear. There were still two massive shadows, one of them was near Sia and one of them was near Bale. He had to save them. Which one he would go to first depended on the size of the shadows. By far the larger one was near Sia. And it was all too familiar.
"No...Sia!" He gasped as he felt the presence of his old apprentice.
Sia broke from the temple guards holding the rear entrance. She flanked a trio of droids and made swift work of them with powerful sweeping strikes. She preferred Form Four as it complimented her athletic physique and acrobatic leanings but she had also dabbled in Form One and Three.
The fair-skinned brunette took a deep breath as she stood over the smoldering wreckage of the droids. The living Force called to her. It had been there her entire life. But she couldn't help but feel a deep shadow in the Force. A memory. Something she had forgotten and couldn't shake. She and her brother both had a hard time remembering what had happened to their family ten years ago. But now, that shadow was here, on Yavin IV, right next to her.
She turned to face the shadow. Her blood ran cold as she faced lord of darkness. He had hidden his presence from her up to this point. A red lightsaber hung ignited at his side. He had pale skin and a bald head and wore shimmering black durasteel armor.
"Sia Rayne." He called to her and held out a hand. His voice was hollow. She could sense no anger or hatred coming from him. Only an icy chill that froze her in place.
"How do you know my name?" She asked.
"Search your feelings and clear your mind. You already know the answer to that."
She blinked. It was like she was no longer anywhere near Yavin. She felt drops of rain on her skin. She heard her mother's cries. A red saber was clashing with a blue and a green one. She heard the splintering of wood. Felt a massive weight and a warm liquid trickle on her face. It was a memory. Her she and her younger brother clung tightly together. A dark shadow had invaded her household back then too.
It felt like minutes had passed but it was only a second. Her left hand was wet. Was it sweat or rain? Her head felt like there was a drill breaching her mind. Her legs shook and threatened to make her fall. All the power she knew she had was being caged by threads of darkness.
"Stay out of my head!" She screamed as she lunged with her sapphire blade. The Sith Lord blocked the attack and shrugged her off with a single hand. She rolled on the ground and attacked his legs. He batted away all her swings and shoved her with the Force.
"You have so much power but you haven't even begun to tap into it yet." He said. "Let your emotions flow through you. Only then can your chains be broken. Only then can you find out just how strong you are."
"Shut up!" She screamed. She didn't know how, but she knew this man. The shadow that had followed her all this time was him. He had been there the night it rained. The night her house collapsed. The night her parents died.
"Yes." He hissed. "Let go of everything that is holding you back. And you will gain power that surpasses that of any Jedi."
"I'll never join you!" She lunged forward with a stab and was batted aside. Meanwhile a Republic Gunship descended down on the temple with reinforcements and air support.
"Sia!" Lian shouted as he approached the pair. The gunship released its payload at the Sith Lord. Sia jumped backwards and was assisted by Lian's force pull. As the smoke settled, the shadow stayed standing.
"A shame that I could not kill you here my old master." Mallow said as he slowly disappeared into the burning forest. "But that is my signal to leave."
As soon as he was gone, Sia dropped to her knees. Tears started falling down her face. She was back at that place in her memory. She saw that man strangling her mother before getting beaten back by Master Lian and Master Sitrus. It was happening all over again. The same Sith Lord had attacked her home twice now.
"Who was that?" She asked.
"That was Darth Mallow." Lian answered. "A Sith Lord second only to the Emperor in terms of power."
"But who is he to me?" She asked. Lian frowned. He was blocking her from prying into his thoughts. But she didn't need the Force to know there was shame there. There was something the old master regretted that he wasn't sharing.
"Where is your brother?" He asked.
While that had been going on, Bale raced through the halls of the temple. He was chasing a shadow. The shadow taunted him. Everytime he thought he had caught up it had already moved away. A dark presence had infiltrated the temple and nobody seemed to notice except him.
He turned a corridor and saw a hooded figure strike down a Jedi Knight and two padawans in the blink of an eye. A third padawan, a Togruta that Bale only knew in passing, was injured and at the shadowy figure's mercy.
"No!" Bale lunged forward, his lightsaber already drawn to intercept the assassin's blade.
"Ooh, so much passion." Violet eyes shined from beneath the hood.
"You'll pay for what you've done." Bale said.
"Oh if there was any karmic punishment in this galaxy I would have died long ago." The figure stood defiantly and started forcing Bale's blade back. "This temple was built by the Massassi, cousins of the original sith." The figure had completely gained the upper hand. "How ironic for it to be used as a Jedi Academy."
"I don't care about any of that." Bale said as he swung wildly at the sith.
"You care not for knowledge, but what about power?" The word caused bale to hesitate. "Ah yes, your emotions are an open book. Use your hatred, strike me down and you will know a power beyond that of mortal understanding."
"Shut up!" Bale's shout cracked the stone walls of the temple. He raised his lightsaber above his head and brought it down onto the Sith Lord. Then there was darkness. His mind blacked out. And all he could feel was emptiness.
AN: Well that was fun. I'll continue this whenever I can. I have a lot of cool things I want to do with this story. And it'll be a good way to get my own Star Wars fix since a lot of the new comics and movies just aren't satisfying. So, until next time, may the Force be with you.