Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age or Star Wars
Dragon Wars: The Force of Others
Episode 31: Raid
Val Royeaux
Asher raised the wine glass to his lips, smirking as he watched his apprentice practicing. The Kossith giant was using an axe against the shock sticks of two red guards. Much could be said about the skill of the red guards, they had little training in the force, but excelled at close quarters. Kargon was no master swordsman, but he had the strength and rage. Head butting one of the armoured guards, he slashed the man across the chest and caught the other guard's shock stick. He roared through the volts and threw the man across the room. Asher stood and clapped his hands as if applauding a dance.
"Well done, the force can be used to increase your pain tolerance, even negate pain altogether," he walked across the training arena, once the home of a prominent Orlesian noble.
Servants both Orlesian, elf and alien watched with a mixture of fascination and fear. Darth Asher was a handsome, dark haired man who spoke with a charismatic charm. But he was also known as the man whom could see through all lies. He had coerced a cathedral full of people to give up their secrets, enrooted a network of spies and rebels within the capital, and killed the lover of the Devine. He put his hands behind his back and walked to Kargon's side. The Kossith man wore a grey chest plate and shoulder pads with the imperial insignia on it. His right horn had been cut off, and his remaining horn curved like a goat's.
"But there is one thing that the force can help you to do with pain, to use it," Asher grinned.
He suddenly swung his arm around, pushing Kargon against the wall. Volts of lightning stretched from Asher's fingertips, binding Kargon's arms and legs. The Kossith yelled in agony, froth rising from his mouth and eyes watering.
"Those whom draw from the dark side can literally sustain themselves on anger, on pain, try to use it my apprentice, make a weakness your strength," Asher stated, holding up his hand and continuing to bombard Kargon with bolts.
Kargon roared, banging his fist against the wall. He had generated a force wave that make Asher take a single step back. His apprentice landed, dragging his axe across the floor and swinging it towards him. Asher side stepped each of Kargon's swings, easily walking around him, dodging with simple tilts of his head or steps. Kargon's frustration grew as he continued swinging, crashing his axe down on the floor inches from Asher's foot. Asher motioned with his hand, pushing Kargon back. His anger having reached its boiling point, Kargon threw his axe into the wall and raised his hands. He threw his hands forward, and Asher raised his hand in defence. The two force waves collided, throwing many of the people in the room back. Kargon lowered his hands, breathing heavily, like an ox ready to charge.
"Very good, very good my apprentice," Asher said.
He lowered his hand to his chest level, and smirked as Kargon's anger faded. A red crystal floated out of a bag on Asher's waist. It floated in the centre of his hand.
"A synthetic kyber crystal, still capable of generating quite significant levels of power, enough for a light sabre," he stated.
Kargon reached out with the force, taking it from Asher's grip. He grabbed the crystal and huffed.
"Am I done now?" he demanded.
"You're not yet a true lord of the Sith, but you're certainly on the way to becoming one. There's something I want you to do for me Kargon, your new light sabre will assist you in this task," Asher explained, walking back to the table where the wine and glasses had been set.
With the force he poured the wine into a glass, afterwards lifting the glass into his hand.
"It's time to truly test your skill in live combat Kargon!"
Free Marches-Minanter River
"Blessed are those whom stand against the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter, blessed are the peacekeepers, champions of the Just," Sebastian made the necessary motions with his hand and the Starkhaven archers rose with him.
They snuck through the bushes, their signature armour replaced with the garbs of the forest. On another side of the wood, the Dalish Hunter Arianne held onto her bow, other Hunters of her clan beside her. They waited for their quarry to pass, a caravan of prisoners, potential fighters for the new rebellion. The Wagon came around, native Thedas men and women in Sith military garb protected them. Ill trained with their blasters, they would be easy pickings for the ambush tactics that Sebastian devised.
First they tripped the mine, of course on instinct they would look to the explosion that threw one of their comrades up. Hall and Thornton threw off their camouflage cloaks, firing arrows through the throats of the more experienced Storm trooper commanders. Then they threw the smoke bombs down. Sebastian and his corps let out a volley, hitting and downing several of the troops. Arianne then came down with her warriors, drawing their swords and cutting through.
Once the men were dead, Sebastian left the freeing of the prisoners and their armament to Arianne. He knelt by the body of a human boy, gurgling because of the arrow through his heart. Sebastian took hold of the boy's hand and put his other hand over his forehead.
"Maker, gods of the fade, of nature and the universe, the force of others, bless this one for his courage and devotion. Bless whatever he leaves behind and grant them better fortunes, grant him a place in a universe without war, forgive his sins, and forgive our sins. But if it is the will of the whills, for us to face righteous punishment, know that we will fight for redemption and for what we value in this world, as this one fought for what he valued," Sebastian prayed, even when the boy had passed.
"Isn't he getting the prayer wrong?" Hall asked.
"Sebastian believes in the Maker still, in the force too, he believes now that all gods and deities are simply the same manifestation of universal chance and destiny...or something like that, he might have been drunk," Thornton explained.
Rubbing his beard as he stood, Sebastian kissed the Andrastian symbol he held before putting it back in his pouch. Then he turned to his men, hardening his face.
"Take the wagon, take the uniforms and possessions, dump the bodies into the river!"
Green Dale
Bethany summoned her barrier, taking a blast from a Sith fighter. Iapo then came around in the B-28, blowing the fighter out of the sky. It crashed into the imperial line, the troopers firing at the dug down rebels. Nathaniel lifted the heavy bow caster with the help of the Northern allies. They pulled the chord back, opened the bow arms and released a plasma bolt into the imperials. F8 rolled around the imperials, releasing smoke. There was a growling sound, followed by screams. Werewolves moved through the smoke, Fenris with them. His lyrium marks glowed and he cut through enemies with his hands, the werewolves ripping others apart.
"Take that, that, that, and that!" Sera said, sluggishly flying her B-28 and hitting imperial tanks with her bombs.
"BRING DOWN THAT BOMBER!" the Imperial commander yelled.
The Imperial tank hovered over the grass, aiming its cannon at the sky. It fired, sending bolts towards Sera. She barely dodged one, and cursed as another damaged the bomber's left wing. The imperial tank prepared for another blast, but a shadow was suddenly cast over it. A Sylvan reached into the tank hatch, pulling out the pilot and crushing his head. Bethany and her mages then hit the troopers and commander with fire and lightning. A cheer erupted as the rebels gained an upper hand. But Bethany looked at the bodies of both rebel and imperial soldier, she wondered if it was all worth it?
Bendu System-Montilyet trade ship
Josephine looked over the files of the people she had gathered. Good people with good intentions, and great marks as pilots. She was looking forward to seeing the young men and women she had gathered take part in a test flight. All she had to do was get them to Hego Damask. She walked onto the bridge, smiling at the other Antivan natives, and the imperial sympathetic to their course. Captain Antilles had helped the Montilyet trade organisation modernise, and had been a personal friend to the family.
"Soon to be going home Miss Montilyet?" he asked.
"Of course, I'm looking forward to a reunion with mother and father, they have a marriage arrangement for me. We have been exchanging Holo-calls, and the occasional eloquent letter," Josephine explained.
"Marriage, I was surprised marriage arrangements were still common on your planet," the Captain said.
"We would not part with all our traditions, even marriage can be an effective bargaining chip, but the virtue of a bride is less important now," Josephine said.
Antilles laughed, turning back to his work. Josephine looked out of the window, marvelling at the nebulas in the distance, the debris field around one of the nearby planets. Space was truly marvellous to her, and she looked forward to seeing more of it on her terms, or rather Thedas's terms. That future would be a long time, but Josephine had faith in the Maker still and in the numbers. The Sith was like Tevinter, an empire that would fail as most empires did. A beeping sound caught her attention, and Josephine turned to Captain Antilles.
"Something's come out of light speed, Imperial vessel, registered under the Thedas Defence corp." he turned his nose up at the identification code.
The Star Destroyer flew alongside the small cruiser. Josephine looked at the vessel, huge to her but small considering the more advanced imperial craft out there.
"They're hailing us sir," one of the crew said.
"Accept the call," Antilles put on a brave face and adjusted his blue uniform.
A hologram appeared before the captain, a young man in a uniform with his arms crossed. He had a sword strapped to his belt and handsome features.
"Captain Antilles, I am Captain Fausten Thrennhold of the Thedas Defence corp. I understand you recently exchanged goods with Karde station," the young man stated, his voice courteous and calm.
Though from her understanding of the subtleties of business negotiation, she could tell that this in no way made the man seem weak. Even as a hologram, his body language was one of confidence, not arrogance, a tone of control and not demand.
"We did, we had dropped off shipments of materials from Antiva, as well as privately agreed upon items, toys, models of landmarks and wines. In fact we can send you records of the exchange and our cargo if you'd like," Antilles explained.
The captain himself maintained his pose, keeping level headed as he needed to.
"You picked up many passengers, we have reason to believe that amongst them were deserters of the Ford starfighter academy," Fausten said.
"Deserters, by the emperor, I had no idea, I will review my security and the training of my customs agents. If these men are on my ship, I assure you I can deliver them to you without incident if you send me some of the details," Antilles said.
"That will be quite unnecessary," Fausten shook his head. "Concerns of security now fall under the jurisdiction of the Defence Corps. Reviews of protocol and performance will be carried out by officers of the Defence corps, not private parties, under the governing headlines of the Security act section 31 and the import performance commission. My helmsmen will give you further instructions and coordinates, you will dock with our ship and submit yourselves to our inspection," the captain explained.
"Very well," Antilles nodded his head.
When the hologram disappeared, he nodded to the other crew members. Then he turned to Josephine.
"Just as we discussed Miss Montilyet," he said.
Josephine nodded her head and made her way off of the bridge. She broke off into a run to the pilot's quarters.
"Everyone, we need to make our way to the escape pods, now!" she commanded.
The young men and women followed Josephine to the escape pods. They would not jettison all of them, Antilles altered his records to show that they had disposed of six damaged pods. Josephine climbed into her pod with her charges, strapping herself into the support chair. Antilles jettisoned the pods close to the debris field of the nearby planet. They would hide there until he contacted Demask with the news that something had gone wrong. Josephine watched both ships through the observation window.
'Good luck,' she thought.
A rock hovered by the window, much to Josephine's annoyance. But when the rock turned, it revealed a mechanical arm, and a rotating head with a camera on it.
"Maker no," Josephine gasped.
An imperial probe droid, one of quite a few in the debris field. They must have been deployed earlier by the imperials. Fausten anticipated a cover plan. Josephine could already see the Tie Interceptors blowing up the thrusters of the rebel ship. She brought her hand to her mouth in horror as the probe droid began to cut into the pod. Her charges behind her scrambled to get the emergency oxygen masks on. A mask was forced over her head and she looked out of the window, past the probe droid to see one of the pods getting blown open, the droid firing blaster bolts into it. They weren't recovering prisoners, they were killing them.
'No wait,' Josephine narrowed her eyes, seeing that the probe droid was picking up some of the passengers.
That was it, she knew what she had to do, turn herself into a target. In her eyes, her life didn't matter, just the pilots behind her. She unstrapped herself, moved in front of them and braced herself. Josephine was no fighter, she was terrified, adrenaline took hold. The rebellion, the chance for freedom from the Sith was everything to her.
'Mother, father, Yvette, forgive me, I won't be coming home,' she thought.
When the door was blown open, she threw herself at the probe droid. The bolts tore through her chest, and she felt one sear her cheek. One pilot dead behind her, shot in the head. But three alive, three she saved. As the light left her eyes, she looked at the pilots, being grabbed by the probe droids and carried on a path towards the imperial ship. Alive and with a chance to be rescued, those pilots would live to fight another day, she thoroughly believed that. Someone would rescue them.
'Someone will save us,' she thought, her breath fading.
She hung her head back, opened her eyes and let space take her.
On the observation deck of the imperial ship, Dorian watched the probe droids returning.
'I know we had a plan for me to eventually leave father, but...can I really standby and do nothing right now?' he wondered.
Thedas System-Ferelden-Storm Coast
Alistair looked at himself in the reflection of the water, before raising his head and looking towards the Imperial island base. He looked behind him, seeing the Storm Coast rebels with their weapons and the lyrium paint over their arms. Irving put the lyrium paint over his cheeks and imbedded his staff in the boat.
"Are you sure about this?" Alistair asked.
"Would you laugh if I said I was lying before about my confidence?" Irving asked back.
He brought his hands together, focusing his mana, focusing on the lyrium that the other rebels had marked themselves with. Irving took a deep breath, exhaled, then breathed in again. The engines on the boats ignited, and they began charging towards the imperial beach. Coast troopers began rushing to turret guns, and assembling their rocket launchers. A row of troopers marched to the trenches and sand bag shelters, aiming their rifles at the beach line. Alistair couldn't look at his face in the water anymore. He couldn't see his father or brother's faces, the faces of people who failed in two ways to gain independence for their people. One through fighting, the other through appeasement.
'Here I am fighting, using what Daylen left behind, but what if I'm not good enough?' he wondered.
Irving was faced with a similar conflict. Daylen, whom he saw as a son was not here. Yet he took comfort in the fact that something he left behind remained with them. A way to fight, a new way for Irving and other mages to use their magic. Focusing on the lyrium, on his mana and on his cause, Irving shaped his spell. The raw energy swirled around him.
"OPEN FIRE!" the Imperial base commander yelled.
A torrent of red blasts flew towards the rebel boats. Irving stretched his hands out, conjuring a shield to block the blasts targeting his boat. Others weren't so lucky, some of the men on other boats, died, one was even capsized by a heavy plasma bolt. Another went out of control, tipping over and drowning the men on it. Irving and Alistair both grit their teeth together, both fighting the doubt inside of them as much as they would fight the empire.
'Remember,' they both thought.
'I am not my father, I am not my brother, I am not Daylen!' Alistair put his axe on his back and took out the white sabre.
'Remember, thoughts, and words, ARE POWER!' Irving roared in his head and raised his hand over his head.
"Though I am withered, I am still strong...though I have been asleep, I am now awakened...my will is a sword, my thoughts are power...I am one with the force, as all things are...I am with the force, as it is with me! Through light and darkness I walk, never blind, never afraid...through my will and my heart and my determination, I summon thee, warrior of light and darkness! MY SWORD AND MY WRATH! MY BLADEWORKS!"
The blue energy faded out for but a moment. Before the paint on Irving's face, and the arms of the rebels on his boat glowed. Suddenly, the blue energy reappeared. Irving roared, his eyes glowing blue. Alistair had once seen the construct that Daylen summoned. What Irving created was identical, save for the cloak flowing behind its back, and the fact that it held two great blades. One of light energy, and another of dark flames.
'You're still with me Daylen, as I am still with you, as the force is with all of us,' Irving thought, triumphantly sending the grand construct forward.
It took the energy blasts, and when it reached the Imperial line, it span around, dragging its swords across the ground. The giant blades tore through the shelters, throwing troopers into the air. Alistair's boat was the first to land, and he was the first to step off. The white blade of his sabre ignited and he raised it high.
"FOR THE REBELLION!" he yelled. "THE FORCE IS WITH US!"
The rebels stepped off of the boats, those around Irving revealing the mana armour on their arms, and the blades and crossbows that he had summoned for them. Irving's eyes still glowed, even as a drop of blood dripped down his nose. He picked up his staff and thrust it forward. The construct threw one of its swords into the turret, significantly damaging it. Then it flew, raised the sword over its head and crashed it into the turret. The resulting explosion destroyed the construct, and spread across the imperial base.
"FORWARD!" Alistair roared.
Dragging the sabre behind him, he ran with his men towards the imperial forces. As the Shore troopers recovered, Alistair swung the sword around, cleaving a trooper in half. His silver left white lines in the air, swinging into the troopers again and again. The other rebels brought sword and axe down, mana blade and bolt from conjured crossbow. Volleys of arrows stunned the troopers, leaving them vulnerable to Alistair. He jumped into a trench, hacking and slashing the men inside. One bolt flew at him, but he deflected it back at the shooter. Another struck his back and he yelled, fighting through the pain. Grabbing a rifle, he shot the man who shot him, then threw the rifle aside. Another bolt struck his shield, but he kept charging forward. He bashed a trooper across the head, and cut through another with the sabre.
The Storm coast rebels fell in behind him, bringing down more enemies whilst Irving recovered. He drank one mana potion after another, recovering his already exceedingly high mana pool. Fully charged, he summoned a perfect storm. Bolts of lightning crashed down on top of the Imperial troopers. Some ran away, others stood and fought but were cut down, or struck by arrows and blaster bolts. Alistair put his shield on his back, running and slashing two troopers. He looked up at the shadow in the sky, following it across the island, taking cover to avoid Imperial blaster fire. The shadow landed, and the roar shook the island.
"There he is," Alistair muttered.
Vinsomers had unique scale colours, green but patches of blue and yellow. It was chomping on something, bringing it down its throat. After a moment, Alistair learned what it was when the Vinsomer spat a helmet out. It reared its head back and roared at Alistair, lightning surging out of its mouth. Alistair dived out of the way, the lightning bolt crashing into where he once stood. He rolled onto his knees, raising his hands, concentrating with the force.
"Okay, the force is with me, the force is with me, with you too big guy," Alistair said.
The Vinsomer roared again, saliva splashing on Alistair's face. He wiped his sleeve across his eyes and ran out of the way of another blast. The Vinsomer stampeded towards him, swiping with its claws. Alistair rolled and jumped away from it. He raised his shield just as the Vinsomer flapped its wings, throwing him back. The wind blast threw Alistair against some rocks, and the Vinsomer shot at the hill above him. Rubble rained down on him and Alistair kept his shield high, the rocks denting it.
"Come on, come on, let me connect," Alistair threw the shield aside and put his hand up. "Let me form the connection, help me please," he said.
The dragon reared its head back and released the lightning in its mouth. Alistair was suddenly pulled away, rolling down the hill until he reached Irving's feet.
"Your results leave much to be desired," Irving said.
"I'm trying, I'm trying to connect with it but...I can't do it, a few pulls and pushes, doesn't make me an expert with the force," Alistair stated.
Irving could tell from the shine in the man's eyes that he was frustrated, to the point of wanting to cry. He knelt in front of Alistair and touched his shoulder, a warm expression on his face.
"Don't let this be the end Alistair, try again!"
"I'll fail," Alistair retorted.
"Only if you believe you will," Irving said.
"I'm trying Maker Damn it, I am truly trying, trying to believe I can succeed, trying to succeed. But," he shook his head, "I'm not a mage, I'm not Daylen!"
"Of course you aren't, and you never will be, but your deeds can compare. My boy failed, many a time, but each failure was a lesson, which is why neither you nor he must be afraid of failure. Don't think of all that can go wrong because you will never put your energy into what can go right. You will tame this dragon Alistair, you will fight the Empire and you will lead people. Because if all you do is try then you will never truly believe that there is a chance you can succeed. Yes this person beside you might die, you might die, but never doubt your actions, don't doubt yourself," Irving explained.
"I will, I'll..." Alistair struggled to speak and let a few tears out.
"You can do this," Irving stepped forward.
He raised his hand, blocking a surge of electricity that the dragon spewed at him. There was a frightening sound in the air, and blasts suddenly slammed into the ground.
"FIGHTERS!" one of the rebels yelled, only to be thrown upwards by the explosions.
Alistair looked up at the fighters as they fired at him. Irving again was in his way, stabbing his staff into the ground and shielding Alistair from the blaster fire and the electric breathe.
"Maker, give me strength," Alistair whispered. "Force, guide me...how many men asked this of you?" Alistair slowly rose.
"Did those mages ask it of you, until the very bitter end?" Alistair asked.
"Did my father ask it of you before he was cut down?"
"Did my brother ask it of you as he tried to appease the empire?"
"Did world upon world conquered, people upon people enslaved ask you for help?"
"Did you answer them?"
Alistair bangs cast a shadow over his eyes as he walked through Irving's barrier. The dragon's breath shot past him, pebbles shook around him.
"Did they all fail because you weren't with them? Because the force wasn't with them?"
He looked up at the fighters swerving to dodge rocket fire from the rebels.
"If those men die, is it because you were not with them, FORCE! If those men die, is it because you have forsaken them, MAKER!" he yelled defiantly.
He stepped forward, the dragon wavering for a moment before roaring at him. Alistair raised his hand, his eyes hardening.
"We try hard to free ourselves, to live a good life, to be what we must be to be worthy of your paradise Maker. But we refuse to accept that failure is your will, or the Force's will. If however it is, then we don't need your will, we will create our own paradise, our own force in this world," Alistair explained.
The dragon began stampeding towards him, but Alistair remained still.
"Do you hear me? Our salvation will not be the force of your will, or the will of the force, but the force in us! THE FORCE OF OTHERS!" he yelled.
The dragon opened its maw and reached down towards Alistair.
The Sith fighters flew through the clouds, four of them in total.
"Prepare for another bombing run," the squadron commander said.
"No response from the commanders, we're clear to destroy the outpost," said another pilot.
"Readying payload, approaching bombing site!"
They flew down out of the clouds, seeing the island in their targeting view. There was a crackle of lightning, and then electricity surged through one of the fighters.
"WHAT!" the pilot screamed as his fighter dropped from the sky.
Another pilot saw the flap of a wing, just before an object slammed into the side of his fighter. The dragon grabbed the wing with its claws and span around with the fighter in its grasp. It released its hold and sent the fighter flying into the one beside it. Both crashed and burned in the air.
"What the..." the Squadron commander looked through his view canopy, seeing the dragon flying beside him.
It roared, firing electricity from its mouth and destroying the fighter's wing.
"NO!" the pilot screamed as the fighter dived headfirst into the water.
The Vinmark flew around one of the mountains, before returning to its island. Irving stood with the other rebels, looking up at the dragon as it landed. Folding its wings, the dragon lowered its head, and the rider atop it slid off. Alistair ignited the light sabre and raised it high.
"THIS VICTORY IS THE START!" he yelled. "Follow me, and we will strike at the empire, justice for Ferelden, for all the wrongs the empire has committed against us. Take what equipment is left, and prepare to move out!" he commanded.
Irving looked up proudly at Alistair, especially as the other men and women beside him cheered. Looking up at Alistair, at how he stood and spoke now, was completely different from many leaders Irving had seen.
'Now, now he looks more like a king!' he thought.
Next Episode 32: Against the arena
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, sorry to fans of Josephine. I'm a fan too and at first I didn't want to kill her.
But you guys can see now that Fausten's a smart and ruthless threat to the rebellion, I assure you, Dorian sees that now too.
Darth Asher casting: Tom Hiddleston (needs no examples of his performances I'm sure :)
Kargon face model and casting: Florian 'Big Nasty' Munteanu (Viktor Dragon from Creed 2).