Before - Legends Falling Star (AU Light Side Xanatos) - 9/19 Complete

Timeframe: Approx. 12 years prior to TPM
Characters: Xanatos, Qui-Gon, Yoda and Mace
Summary: All I'll say is look at the dare.
Notes: Written for the Grape Jello Dare Challenge at Jello Anarchy. This bit of evil was my challenge from oe. It's also 5 posts long. Well, at least it's not a drabble.
Dare: From obi-ew: Lightside Xan! Wahoo!
He can?t have an evil or nasty bone in his body or even be tempted to turn. Must be a Jedi. Must be between the ages of 10 and 30. Length of the vig is your choice but it can not be a drabble. And he can not die in the vig or already be dead ie a blue ghostie. Other than that it is up to you.

---

[b]Falling Star[/b]

[i]27th Year of Kaanto[/i]

"Don't waste my time!" the large Trandoshan, Rassk, barked as he backhanded the crimson robed woman cowering before him. She screamed and hit the carpeted floor of the cabin with a thud that reverberated throughout the chamber.

"Shul'ma!" a girl cried out as she tried to leap up but a dozen hands grabbed her arms and robes, pulling her back down. "No!" she cried out.

"Shmi, no," warned one of the similarly dressed women who was huddled in the corner.

The teen struggled, nearly breaking free before once more being subdued.

Before Rassk, Shul'ma struggled to get up, deep red trailed down her chin. "We are followers of Dandha, on our way to Nashua to pray at the Temple of Bhazod Par."

Rassk, the leader of the Black Swarm, a menacing gang of pirates that roved the empty space between the Nas Hadal and Sessus systems stomped about, his clawed feet scraping against the tightly woven carpet. "Pilgrims don't travel in J-Class Seeda Cruisers," he rasped. "You are the wife of Gueise Mishon."

"I?"

With the butt of his blaster rifle, the scaled being silenced the woman's protests and stirred terrified cries from the ladies-in-waiting huddling in the corner. Rassk's yellow eyes darted to each of the three men who stood guard before looking to the women. When Shul'ma stirred, he said, "You are the wife of Gueise Mishon, member of the Hadal Royal Court."

The women murmured softly, save one. Shmi glared at the Trandoshan but remained still as a dozen hands still held her.

He twisted about, looking at the plainly decorated chamber. Though the ship was of quality, the furnishings were sparse at best. "Where is the special cargo?"

"We don't know what you are talking about," Shmi said over frightened whispers behind her. "We are on a pilgrimage?"

The words were cut off when she flinched away as Yawger, one of Rassk's thugs, took a swipe at her but missed.

"What if there really are no jewels?" one of the other men asked.

"They've hidden them," Rassk said sounding quite determined. He grabbed Shul'ma's arm and yanked her to her feet. "I know you are the special envoy to Sessus. Where are gifts to the Emperor?" he hissed.

The fear bled from Shul'ma's eyes. These men were not fools and had seen through their disguise. "I will not tell you," she said evenly.

Rassk pressed the muzzle of his blaster rifle to her abdomen. "Do I have to tear the ship apart to find it?" When the woman refused to answer, he shoved her to the floor and stormed across the chamber to the cowering women. Grabbing Shmi by her long brown braid, he roughly pulled her to her feet. She screamed, grabbing at the back of her head. He aimed the rifle muzzle for the girl's throat. Glaring at Shul'ma, he demanded, "Tell me where the cargo is or I'll kill every one of them while you watch."

The door to the cabin slid open and everyone turned to look. At first, there was only the empty corridor. Rassk nodded to Yawger to check it. As the big man approached, he stopped as a wilted figure in the familiar red robes fell against the metal frame.

Silky black hair spilled loosely over pale features. "My lady," came a breathless whisper.

"You missed a girl, Yawger," Rassk hissed as he motioned to the man. "

 

Ooooh what an intriguing start. I'm glad you've got more for this one! *sits with some popcorn to enjoy the ride*

 

red_rose_knight... Are my eyes deceiving me?!?

I can't wait for more of this intriguing story. I hope you post updates often, as you have done in the past.

Poor Shmi!

Great Start!

 

Oh! A light side Xan! Please PM me when you update.

 

Lightside Xan?! No way! I've never seen that written before Is that even possible?

Seriously though. Great beginning. The wonderful imagery I've come to expect from RRK works. And your Xan is to die for, Lightside or not. What a breath of fresh air.

 

I'm in and intrigued. Will you be doing PMs?

 

OH, goody! I can't wait! Five posts you say?? Hooray!

And gotta Xanatos!

Looking forward to more...SOON!

 

GREAT story! Even though Xanatos is good in the story, you can still see who he will turn out to be. A wonderfully written story.

 

Layren ? LOL, thanks. I hope it stays intriguing.

Whie_Malreaux ? You'll be lucky if you get the updates every few days. No more daily posts for me!

princess of naboo ? You can thank obi-ew for a light side Xan. She's the one making me write this.

whie dreams ? I'm not exactly known for writing Xanatos stories. So I don't know what you are expecting.

Ara-gon ? I guess so, since I've had several requests.

MamaVader ? Well, six now but don't tell anyone.

Leona ? A rare occasion, but I am intentionally making this story "friendly" enough for here.

Jedi princess134 ? Thanks! Hope he lives up to expectations. Too me, light side and Xanatos do not belong in the same sentence.

Thanks everyone for the kind replies. Hope you enjoy this next little piece.

---

[b]40th Year of Kaanto[/b]

There were few things in the universe that still managed to surprise Master Yoda. When those moments occurred, the little Jedi attributed it to the Force reminding him that he is not so wise that he could see everything coming.

The truth was, so little of the last decade had been like anything he had imagined. He had not thought he would take on another padawan, but he did. Perhaps it had been selfish, but at the time, he was a master who had lost a former student and there was a padawan, maimed physically and mentally, in desperate need of a master to keep him on the right path.

Yes, all good intentions aside, he had been selfish, but there was little point in dwelling on the past. After all, there had been benefits, as painful to come by as they were.

Still, he thought, surprise was a good thing though at the moment he worried what it would do to a couple of egos.

It had been a slow going journey up the steps to the gallery and looked forward to taking a rest in one of the tall seats. He had expected it to be sparsely filled in the middle of the afternoon, as not many Jedi were free to watch sparring sessions, but the murmur of voices and the swell in the Force told him it would not be so on this day.

"Ah, Master Yoda," Grayses Naminae said from her place in the very full gallery. "It seems there is but one seat left." She smiled and patted the seat next to her with a furry grey hand.

"Thank you," Yoda said with a nod and hobbled to the seat on the end of the row. Then with surprising spryness, he hopped up on the seat. From his new perch, he could look over the thick stone rail down onto the expansive exhibition floor.

"News spreads quickly," the Cathar master said as she stared down at the pools of white light that spilled over the floor below.

Nodding, Yoda said, "Indeed." He turned to look back at the audience of female masters and padawans and just shook his head. Quick indeed.

A hush fell in the gallery as movement appeared along the deeply shadowed edges of the floor below. The air, filtered and cooled, seemed to stir as if a harbinger of a great storm.

With a bold stride, Mace Windu entered the floor. The master, as always looked calm as he surveyed the area. His long, darkly patterned cloak shifted just above the mottled stone as he took up position in the center of the floor. A small smile cracked his still features as he looked up at the filled gallery.

"He is still young," Grayses said, as if aware of Yoda's thoughts.

"An arrogance," Yoda replied. "Strong it is becoming in the Order as a whole." He paused, hearing his own words. Yes, they were true, but painfully, he knew how closely they reflected one of his former student's beliefs.

Mace shifted the edge of his cloak back, revealing the lightsaber hilt at his hip as he stood there waiting awaiting his opponent.

And he stood there.

The gallery stirred.

Yoda just sat there silently shaking his head.

Soft laughter next to him drew a curious look. Grayses smiled and said, "It seems punctuality is not one of Xanatos' stronger points."

"Always late he is." As his padawan's aggressive, compassionless b

 

Loved the hair jibes!

Your closing lines were verrrry interesting. So, what has happened to Qui-Gon? Hmm? Does lightside Xan = darkside Qui?

Thanks for the PM!

 

Hmmmm Very interesting. Not sure if that is good or not!

Spying the mischievous glimmer in Mace's eyes, Yoda decided to intervene. "Like padawans you two act."

Both men looked at each other and grinned.

"A compliment it is not," Yoda said, trying to hide the fact that he enjoyed watching the two play when they should have put on a serious show for the audience.

"It was only a sparring match, Master," Xanatos said. "It is rare that a Jedi would meet another lightsaber wielder in true battle."

"Rare, but happens, it does," Yoda said pointing a clawed finger at the young man. "Friends become foes and teachers become enemies. Know this you do, my Padawan, better than most."

This was both humorous and worrisome.

I'll wait for more to decide if I'm truly worried or not.

 

Loved the humorous interactions between the two friends. It's so enjoyable to see a humane side to Xanatos.

 

Great update! Mooooore! I hope that seven posts expands into 14!

 

"Rare, but happens, it does," Yoda said pointing a clawed finger at the young man. "Friends become foes and teachers become enemies. Know this you do, my Padawan, better than most."




Hrm, nice foreshadowing there, I think. Looking forward to see what becomes of it. Excellent job, quite thoroughly enjoyed the sparring match. Makes sense that one bald man and one with pretty hair would make cracks at each other about it

 

Ara-gon - Qui-Gon is around?somewhere.

Leona ? It was rather fun writing that duel, I would never have imagined Xanatos and Mace making for such a fun show.

VL ? What, you don't trust me? You should know better by now to always worry when it comes to me.

Whie dreams ? It's so enjoyable to see a humane side to Xanatos.

Well, it is different?

Dan ? Am I going to have to hurt you? You're as bad as oe.

Layren ? You'll find out soon.

Thanks everyone!

---

The soft sounds of stitch machines and murmuring voices seeped through the walls of the Temple clothiers. A massive, hidden warehouse, deep within the ancient structure housed teams of civilians and Jedi alike working diligently to keep the Jedi Order in well-made clothing designed to serve in varied climates throughout the galaxy.

Surrounding the shop that turned out standard and custom cut pieces of clothing were dozens upon dozens of stalls where master craftsmen made special pieces. Each had earned the right to their own workshop to fit and design myriad clothes for hundreds of Jedi.

Master Sarta's old-fashioned designs coupled with his once expertise in lightsaber handling had made him a favorite of the best saber masters in the Order for nearly seven decades. Mace was particularly fond of Sarta's tailoring skills, claiming the special cut of his tunic had improved his movement.

"Do I have to thank you for an emergency appointment with Master Windu this afternoon?" the old man asked as he limped behind his desk and checked his schedule.

Xanatos smiled. "Just a knick to the sleeve. Really, he should have known better than to wear his cloak to a duel."

"Ha!" Sarta laughed as he sank to the chair. "Don't be so smug, boy," he said as his cane thumped against the side of the desk. "He wore it for a reason and you fell into his trap."

Turning about, Xanatos stared at the old man as he finished slipping off his creamy outer tunic revealing the lighter, close fitting undertunic. The deep brown cloth that matched his leggings was mottled and burned away revealing the metallic false arm underneath. "Trap?"

The old man grinned, looking particularly proud of himself. "I put some special weights in the hem."

That was all Sarta had to say before Xanatos felt a flush rise to his cheeks.

"From what I hear, sounds like it worked well." A frown only added to the deep wrinkles that made up the tailor's face. "I'll have to replace that sleeve," he said. "I should have expected so much from you, ne'Hakujin."

"If only you could make lightsaber proof material," Xanatos said as he peeled off his damaged gloves and tossed them to the old man before stripping off the undertunic and picking up a fresh one and quickly pulling it on. It was the same color, but the sleeves were more open. "I'm not sure I'm going to like this," he said, pulling back the cloth to easily expose his mechanical arm. He did not like revealing the fact that he had a false arm from the shoulder down. It was purely tactical, he told himself but deep down, he knew it wounded his pride. He did not like being reminded of it and did his best to hide it, even from himself.

"Don't worry about it, just finish dressing," Sarta order as he stuffed the damaged gloves into the recycle chute.

"If you say so," came the skeptical reply. As soon as he pulled on the reddish-brown overtunic, he noted the change in fit. It was very simple save the wide sleeves that dipped past his knuckles as he stood relaxed. There was only a thin belt to hold the tunic in place instead of the standard wide belt seen on most Jedi. "No tabards," he noted.

"You always complain about them so I came up with something different."

"Oh?"

"Just finish dressing." Sarta spun about on his chair and opened the cabinet behind the desk revealing rows of clothing trays.

As Sarta searched through the trays, Xanatos pulled out another piece of clothing matching his undertunic. He pulled the laced front apar

 

Xanatos laughed as he picked up the gloves and slipped them on. The fit was just right because they, like all of his gloves had been molded to fit his hands.


Behold the Sacred Glove!!!!

 

oe - Behold the Sacred Glove!!!!

Your glove fetish frightens me.

Leona - Bad, bad Mace. LOL

He's full of surprises, isn't he?

I feel bad about abandoning this, not that I could post the sequels here or anything but I figured I would get this story done.

---

Mace leaned forward in his chair and stared blankly across the tiled floor of the Council chamber. The different marbles that made up the starburst pattern reflected the afternoon sun streaming in through the tall windows. Light glittered in his dark eyes as he shifted his gaze toward the blue figure hovering in the center of the room.

The holographic Jedi remained motionless, her dark robes nearly invisible in the dancing light particles, her gaze fixated on the only other being in the room, Master Yoda. The little Jedi sat silently perched in his tall seat. After a moment, he shook his wrinkled head. "Unfortunate this is."

"I don't understand this," Mace said softly as he leaned forward, resting his smooth forehead in a large hand.

"What is there not to understand?" the Chalactan, Eruka, asked, her image breaking up slightly before reforming. "I am requesting a search party."

Straightening, Mace looked the older woman over. "Shirigoraam is a forbidden place. Neither of them should have been there."

"One of the sensors near the landing area had been malfunctioning for the last few months. We had tried remotely to reset it."

"Just one?" Mace shook his head. "Then why bother?"

Eruka frowned. "Correct. Just one. There was no indication any of the other sensors had malfunctioned or has been damaged. All have been reporting without error for the last two years." She shifted, looking to both masters. "No ship could have entered Shirigoraam airspace without triggering an alarm, let alone landed. Still, we felt it necessary to repair the sensor, fearing we would become complacent to it."

Mace looked to Yoda who nodded sagely as he spoke, "Wise thinking. Always vigilant we must be."

Shirigoraam had been under the joint protection of the Jedi Order and the regional Y'Beggar watch, which limited who could access the moon for the last millennia, though that all had changed a few years earlier. Mace had not yet joined the Council when it had happened but with his new found authority had investigated the sealed documents where Yoda himself had pushed to close off the world from everyone save a few Jedi researchers given limited access by the Council.

There had been some protest among scholars throughout the galaxy but it had fallen on deaf ears. They could not understand why such an important archeological site had been closed off to them. It had only harmed the Jedi's standing when no answers were provided.

Perhaps, Mace thought, he was also frustrated by it. He, like so many, had dreamed of seeing the ancient Black Temple where it was said one could see the past and present mirrored in its glassy surface. Yet, as a member of the Jedi Council, even he could not garner permission to visit the remote temple on the jungle moon where it was believed the last prophesies of the Whills had been committed to stone long before even the oldest cultures like the Minos and Zabrak had crawled from the primordial ooze.

At the same time, the more logical side of him understood, at least he believed he did on some small level. There had to have been more than one terrifying incident to drive the little master into seeing the place remained nearly undisturbed.

Then again, that one incident could have been enough.

Ten years ago, on Shirigoraam, in the great hall of the Black Temple, high on Mount D'Sul in the southern hemisphere, Qui-Gon Jinn, for reasons not one truly understood, had turned on his padawan, striking him down and leaving him for dead before vanishing into the ether.

"Master?"

Mace looked up, unable to hide the startle as he realized two sets of eyes were focused on him. "Yes?"

"In another place you were," Yoda said.

Straight

 

My Xan! Glad to see you finishing this here.

 

ARGH! I missed a post!

Xanatos laughed as he picked up the gloves and slipped them on. The fit was just right because they, like all of his gloves had been molded to fit his hands.

Love it!

I'll come back and read the next post soon. I believe in delayed gratification!

 

I'm also glad to see that you are finishing it here. LOL on the garments - even with a false arm, Xan has to look the part. Love all the hints and dark forebodings. Makes everything seem slightly off kilter.

Great job.

 

oe - Glad to see you finishing this here.

I don't know why.

VL - I believe in delayed gratification!

You must.

Diane - LOL on the garments - even with a false arm, Xan has to look the part.

Of course.

---

Some memories were like devils, reaching up from the dark recesses of the mind. Xanatos' brows furrowed even as he struggled to maintain his calm, his center slipping away like sand through fingers.

Sighing, he opened his eyes and stared at the expansive meditation garden that surrounded him as he fell back against the curving trunk of an ancient yarel tree. Golden leaves shifted slightly overhead sounding like whispers. It had been years since he had felt so strangely unsettled.

Pressing the back of his head against the smooth, white bark, he closed his eyes once more and let the Force flow through him. Almost immediately, the memories stirred. Every part of him wanted to close them off, forget they existed, but he knew, as Master Yoda had taught, that doing so was dangerous.

He disliked this weakness.

Allowing the thought to drift into the Force, he focused on the more pressing concern at hand, what was bothering him. He looked into his memories, wondering why they had insisted on surfacing and this time without the usual detached emotions that he had worked so hard to be able to look upon them with. He had even managed, after so much screaming, to release into the Force the phantom pain of his missing left arm.

Sitting straight and cross-legged, her rested his hands on his knees and closed off all outside influences, focusing on the flow of the Force through him. His mind stilled and he felt hollow, a vessel the Force poured into filling up until he was overflowing with energy. All the fears and concerns that had tried to creep in passed and he was completely detached, just as he had been that day when he looked to the mirror-like floor of the Black Temple and saw his lightsaber laying there. It only distantly registered that his severed arm was lying next to it.

Words that had once been his only sounded alien in the fog of memory.

[i]Master? Why?

I see now.[/i] Qui-Gon's words held an amazing clarity. [i]You are riddled with the disease that is devouring the Jedi Order. I should have seen it earlier. You could have been a great Jedi, but your pride, arrogance, and greed will be your downfall.[/i]

Green filled the glassy chamber as Qui-Gon moved, his blade flying through the air with the grace only a master saber wielder could possess. To this day, Xanatos could remember no pain as the blade was driven through his chest, missing his heart by a sliver. Nor did he feel the weapon being withdrawn and driven though his abdomen and back, but he felt the floor and the grit of a thousand generations of dust beneath his prone form.

[i]The end of the Order is close.[/i]

He could still hear his master's retreating footsteps over the stone floor even as he tried to call for help but the wounds had taken his breath. Time existed in some other realm, for he did not know how long he had lain there, listening for the distant engines of his master's ship and the terrible silence that followed.

Still, there was no pain, only the chill stone beneath him.

At that moment, he understood. There was no pain in death, his body had gone cold and all that he was would soon disperse into the Force. While his master had once said it was something to welcome, the truth was it terrified him especially considering his master had delivered him to this moment with no provocation.

[i]I don't want to die, [/i]he had cried. Warm tears coursed down his cheek and spilled to the floor beneath.

Struggling against his weaknesses and his anger?the growing fear?he tried to find his center. He knew if he could just channel the Force, use it to bolster his waning strength, he could get up and try to find help. He could not just lie there and die, it was not in his nature.

[i]Help me, [/i]he begged as if the Force

 

Know Ajax, you do."

Xanatos wanted to scream.

Slowly sitting up, but keeping his gaze cast downward, he said, "For that reason alone it makes the mission personal. You do not want to include me."

Nice to see you on the boards! Your such a terrific storyteller.
SO I don't have much info in the before are most of these characters yours or do they come from EU? Who is Ajax?
Please add me onto your pm list so that I don't miss the final post.