I don't own Star Wars or any of the characters.
A meeting of the Masers' Council had been called at Akar Kesh. Master Ketu was the only one physically attending the meeting at Akar Kesh. The five of the other eight Temple Masters attended the meeting through holograms.
Kora Ryo was in deep thought. The Twi'lek Temple Master's light coloured robes flowed around her, her hat covered lekku tossed over her shoulders. All could sense the confusion and worry the female Temple Master felt, though she did her best to hide it.
"According to the records in Kaleth, a storm with this much power has only been seen on Tython once before—10, 000 years ago—the day the Tho Yor brought our forebears to Tython. The very Force that guides us seems unbalanced." explained Kora.
The Wookiee Je'daii Temple Master of Padawan Kesh, the Temple dedicated to training Je'daii initiates, Ruhr, roared his own opinion on the increasing Force Storm.
[Every Je'daii felt the deaths when the alien ship crashed. Keen, too, was the sense of overwhelming darkness. Do you believe, Master Ketu, that the crash caused the storm?] wondered Ruhr.
"Yes." answered Ketu.
A small messenger droid flew into the meeting chamber. Master Ketu easily caught the messenger droid, turning it on. A holographic image of Master Quan-Jang appeared.
"Ah…Master Quan-Jang has sent word." said Ketu.
The holographic image of Master Quan-Jang began to speak.
"The Force Storm has made our comms useless—so I hope my little droid gets to you, Master Ketu. You were correct—little is left of the alien craft. The Dark Side of the Force permeates the wreckage and refuses to dissipate. I believe it feels the storm. The dark-side energy focuses on one being—a lone survivor of the crash. Rangers Hawk Ryo and Rori Fenn have followed this being into the Abyss of Ruh. There are signs that Journeyers Tasha Ryo, Shae Koda, and Sek'nos Rath found the survivor first—as well as signs of a battle. I believe they have followed the stranger into the Abyss." explained Quan-Jang's message.
The mention of the Journeyers caught all the masters by surprise. Kora Ryo and Miarta Sek were especially worried for their kin who had travelled into the Abyss of Ruh, a place few had ever come back from alive.
"Masters, gather all at the temples. We must meditate as one and attempt to dissipate the dark-side energy…and this storm. We must regain Balance in the Force…before Tython itself becomes our enemy." ordered Ketu.
XXX
Deep in the Abyss of Ruh, the Force Storm continued to rage. Journeyers Shae Koda, tasha Ryo, and Sek'nos Rath had temporarily taken shelter in a cave while they waited out the worst of the storm.
"Good. Good. We'll just stay here a bit…until the lightning stops. Just until the lightning stops…" muttered Tasha.
The dark energy of the storm was scaring Tasha, driving her to the edge of insanity. Sek'nos Rath was faring much better than his Twi'lek companion. The Sith embraced the dark energy flooding his senses, letting the dark energy dance at his fingertips in the form of lightning.
"You feel it, Shae? The energy of Tython—like a living thing. Dancing on my fingertips. It's like feeling alive for the first time…" invigoratively spoke Sek'nos.
Shae could not hear the Sith, or even acknowledge his existence at the moment. Her mind was clouded as a result of the storm. It caused Shae to hallucinate. To see things that was not really there.
"Mother? Father?" coldly asked Shae.
Two adult humans of Dathomiri descent, identified by the green triangle tattoo on their forehead, stood before Shae Koda. The Dathomiri descended humans were Shae Koda's parents, recognizable by their bright red hair and indistinguishable clothing and armour.
"Shae…child…" said Shae's parents.
"Mother, Father…You—I'll kill you!" shouted Shae.
Shae charged at her parents, the forcesaber activating upon her will. Sek'nos tackled the human girl to the ground, holding her down with all his might. No matter how hard Shae struggled she could not break free of Sek'nos' grasp.
"Enough of this stupid rivalry between you two! Leave Tasha alone!" commanded Sek'nos.
"Let me go, you idiot! Not the princess, my parents! There!" snapped Shae.
"You're insane!" declared Sek'nos.
"No! They abandoned me!" stated Shae.
"They died—gloriously—in the Despot War! At the gates of Kaleth, by Hadiya's hand! You're talking rot! They died as heroes! Their names will live forever in the Tomes of Knowledge! You should wish to die a death so glorious! I do!" exclaimed Sek'nos.
"Let me go and I'll grant your wish!" snarled Shae.
Shae struggled against Sek'nos, almost escaping the Sith's grasp. The Sith and human fought each other, going at each other worse than a predator toying with its prey. Tasha tried to reach out and stop the fighting, but the Twi'lek could not see her companions. The darkness was overwhelming her, clouding her senses, making her blind.
"Sek'nos Rath? Shae Koda? I can't see you. All I see is darkness. All I feel is darkness. Swallowed…sinking…into darkness… I am tied to Tython and Shikaakwa…my mother and father…I can never satisfy both…never satisfy either. Bound to both by duty…torn by duty…" painfully spoke Tasha.
Shae Koda forgot about her anger towards Sek'nos, for the moment. The red head turned her rage onto a new target, the Twi'lek. Charging forward, forcesaber drawn, Shae Koda let her anger guide her every action.
"Your people followed Hadiya, brought death to feed her ambition!" shouted Shae.
"Yes…But they did not know her…" stated Tasha.
"I…don't…care! The witch killed my parents!" yelled Shae.
The forcesaber was inches away from Tasha's throat. One swing and the Twi'lek's head would role free from her shoulders, Shae's need for revenge fulfilled. Tasha knelt before the enraged young woman, prepared for the killing blow. The action surprised Shae enough for her to stay her hand, for the moment.
"Hadiya killed my grandfather and his eldest son, too—because they would not bend to her will. We all dwell in darkness… The storm—it takes us out of balance! The dark-side energies will devour us!" cried Tasha.
Tears slowly fell down Tasha's face. Shae saw the tears in Tasha's eyes, and instantly returned to her senses. She dropped the forcesaber, the weapon deactivating as it hit the ground. The young woman took the Twi'lek's hand, each lending the other some of their strength.
"I won't let the darkness take us…" swore Shae.
Sek'nos took Tasha's other hand, lending his own strength to the two girls.
"No…we won't. We are stronger than that. We are Je'daii." declared Sek'nos.
Sek'nos and Shae pulled Tasha to her feet. The human, Sith and Twi'lek each raised a hand above their head, drawing strength from the Force and each other as they tried to regain balance within themselves.
"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no fear, there is power." began Tasha.
"I am the heart of the Force. I am the revealing fire of Light." continued Shae.
"I am the mystery of Darkness in Balance with chaos and harmony, immortal in the Force." concluded Sek'nos.
Reciting the Je'daii Code gave the Journeyers strength, helping them return to balance.
"That's…better. But if we were affected by the storm, what about the shadow warrior? What about Xesh? How do we find him?" asked Shae.
"Simple. He'll be where everything is darkest." answered Sek'nos.
The three companions continued on with their journey, travelling deeper and deeper into the Abyss. They journeyed to the strongest concentration of dark energy, knowing that's where Xesh and the answers to their questions would be found.
Comment if you like the story.