Before - Legends Echoes of the Force (Kotor Era, Chapter 20 out now! 2/26/11! Jedi v. Mandalorian v. Sith - Epicness)

LaForzaViva:Yeah, its something I wanted to try out. It made it feel more like a movie, at least to me. I'm always testing new stuff out but I'm glad you notice! And I'm not a grammar nazi, soooo. Haha!

Thank you for all reading! Two more chapters until the finale! Thank you for all reading!


Chapter Sixteen:
Watch the World Burn: The Price of War

Darth Malevolus studied the information in his hand. Everything he needed was right before him, everything he needed to draw out Aaryn Karsa and find out who this rogue dark side user was and stop him for ruining the Emperor?s glorious plan. The question still hung in the air though. Who had gotten this detailed information and why had they given it to him. Someone knew about his plan, his mission. Someone knew about Darth Malevolus. Perhaps it the Emperor's spies. His network was vast and spread through-out the galaxy. Even he knew nothing about where his eyes and ears were placed and he was considered one of the top Sith Lords in the True Sith Empire.

Maybe this information was a trap? Perhaps he would surely die if he followed this source of information. Being a Sith meant one had to get use to the tangled web of deception. He stood in his personal craft, looking at the datapad when he heard footsteps behind him. Must have been his Bothan slave, but the Bothan was always quite. He did not wear heavy boots.

?Nice lightsaber. Very cool handle,? An unfamiliar voice said behind him. The hair on his neck, or what was left of it from the fire of the explosion, stood up. Malevolus whirled around glaring at a Man in Black leaning in the doorway.

?Ouch. You're face looks horrible,? The Man in Black cocked his head to the side.

Malevolus ignited one of his red lightsabers, it quickly snapped to life.

?You did this to me,? Malevolus replied. It was the man he was hunting. Right here in his ship. The Force was on his side.

?I did? I'm truly sorry about that, but then again you Sith like to look all pale and creepy anyway. So you can see that as a favor, really.? The Man in Black shrugged.

?You are no different from me, Sith.? Malevolus pointed his lightsaber. ?I don't know why the Emperor apparently trusted you, but our time has not come yet. You are drawing too much attention. We have prepared for the day we will overtake the galaxy too long for you too go rogue and expose us,?

The Man in Black busted into a mock laughter. The sound of which made even the Sith Lord feel highly uncomfortable.

?Oh, that Arkanian thought I was a Sith too! Even you think so!? The Man in Black slapped his knee. ?Oh, I've fooled everyone! How wonderful.?

?You aren't a Sith?? Malevolus raised what was left of his brow. The Man in Black extended his hand.

?You can call me Rhandell Flagg. Pleased to meet you,? Malevolus glanced at the pale hand before him. The Man in Black shrugged, licking his lips and folded his arms.

?Some people are just rude,? He muttered to himself.

?I will kill you,? Malevolus sneered, tightening his grip on the lightsaber.

?No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!? The Man in Black shook his head, his medium long white hair whipping back and forth. ?You don't understand do you? I am God.?

?You are a god?? Malevolus almost laughed to himself. He was dealing with an insane dark side Force user.

?No, not A god, I am THE God. You can't stop me, you can't kill me even if you tried. I sweep my wrath across the galaxy and bring all of MY creation back to the Dark. For out of the Dark it was created, and back into the Dark the universe will fall. I have come to usher all of us back to the Dark. For only the Dark exists. We are nothing, YOU are nothing!? The Man in Black was no longer playful. He was slowly approaching Darth Malevolus, his eyes blazing white. There were no more pupils.

?I will destroy your Emperor, I will destroy the Jedi Hero Revan, but before I get to have that much fun...first I will destroy Aaryn Karsa. And you will do it for me.?

Malevolus couldn't move at all, but he could still speak. He s

Nice post with the action. And keep Aaryn safe and let him find his love.

So Revan can do the Achilles move eh? Good little nod there, same with Revan having the same saber color as Aaryn

Devious planning by Fett, but the Mandalorians aren't just going to go down fighting, they're going to go down fighting with tactics! I like it, though I'm going to miss Paket for sure.

Eagerly awaiting the next, as always!

Yes, you caught the Achilles move! Good job! I thought I was going to be able to finish Echoes before Christmas, but I haven't even worked on it since I finished this last chapter haha! After Christmas though, look for the ending soon! I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas! and a Happy New Year, but I'll see you before that.

Great Story!

I'm loving the fast paced action of this story, the mystery and intrigue which surrounds Aaryn is delicious...do we find out what happened to him during those two lost days while he was 'dead'? Did the force revive him or was it something else?

Mandalorians and Sith, working together? Fantastic!

Can't wait to read more.

Cheers,

Why thank you good sir! I am glad you are enjoying Echoes of the Force. Aaryn's first adventure can be found on the first page of this fic and its called Whispers of the Force. You don't have to read it, but it definitely adds to the story. And we WILL find out what happened during those two days eventually. Its pretty important to the entire story and the mystery of Aaryn.

Woh! I can't believe we're so close to the end of this one already. There's Revan's revenge for Eres III to handle and Jove to rescue.

And this whole God character to figure out. This isn't going to be a clean or easy conclusion for any of those guys.

Well, ahem, it's been a while. Hehe. This Christmas break sure has taken up a lot of my writing time. With a new Kindle, a Playstation Three, and a girlfriend my writing time has been sucked dry. But never fear! A new chapter is here. I hope you enjoy. One more before the finale to Echoes of the Force. Oh boy. I hope you enjoy.



Chapter Seventeen
At Wit's End

?Walkin the mile, walkin the mile.?

Tick-tick-tick.

?Walkin, walkin,?

Tick-tick.

?Why, hello there sweetheart,?

A dark figure blocked the harsh white light that was flooding the cell. She didn't look up though, she kept her eyes glued to the floor. She could hear the four armed T'surr grin his nasty smile. His fangs were a stark contrast to the rest of his darkened figure. What always unsettled her the most was the four red glowing eyes. The Iopous Prison guard of this level had taken a special liking to this particular human female. Two of his arms hung down on through the cell while his two lower arms held a very powerful Y-98 Verpine blaster trained on her.

?Today isn't going to be a good day,? He said in accented basic. ?Wanna know why??

She didn't look up, but her heart beat was beating faster now.

?You are being released,? He said, shaking his head. She glanced up at him. ?Got your attention, do I??

She didn't say anything at all. She knew why she was being released. He had said it when he had been strolling to her cell, clanking his gun across the bars of each cell. She hated that awful tick-tick-tick. Many at Iopous referred to their death march as the Mile. It was her turn to walk the mile.

?I'm gonna miss you,? He laughed. He stood there for a moment longer and then continued on his way, chanting in his normal ritual before the death that could come.

?Walkin the mile,?

Tick-tick-tick.

Jove Sunflare looked up from her cell, tears welling in eyes.

Tick-tick-tick-tick.

***


?So ol' Zayne couldn't make it himself?? Maverick asked, his boots crossed up on the table before him. They stood in a semi-circle aboard the Divinity, waiting their new guests who would help them retrieve Jove from prison. After coordinating several hyperspace jumps, they decided they would meet some of Zayne's Rogue Moon workers out in deep space away from prying eyes of both the Republic and the Mandalorians. Aaryn was standing with his arms crossed, glancing at Maverick.

?No, unfortunately he couldn't. We've got enough people to do it though,?

?So who'd he send?? Maverick asked.

?I guess we'll see, won't we?? Kaylee said, perhaps a bit harshly. Maverick raised his brow, a little shocked by Kaylee's reaction.

?Well, well, well. Have some hidden anger, do we?? He asked. ?Geez, I was just asking a question.?

Kaylee had a some trouble hiding her smile. Serick, Dyson, and Ta'sa also stood waiting for their guests to lock onto the Divinity and enter the ship. They could all feel Aaryn's nervousness and anxiety about rescuing Jove, and they were all ready to get on with the extraction. Silence fell upon the crew for a few moments.

?I've been to Iopous before,? Maverick said with a hint of seriousness. ?Almost impossible to get in unless your a prisoner and even more impossible to get out.?

?You got out, didn't you?? Aaryn said.

?Good behavior,? Maverick smiled.

?We can handle it,? Aaryn sternly said.

?Guess it all depends on who Zayne-o sent us,? Maverick put his hands behind his head.

?Their here,? Gep said through the com. The docking hatch turned, white steam pouring into the hatch between the two ships. Whoever it was, they were talking. Loudly. It almost sounded like arguing. The two Rogue Moon workers stepped through onto the Divinity.

?You are an idiot,? A female voice said. Her beautiful features stood out tremendously with her almost pure white skin and blue tattoos on her face and arms. Standing next to her was a smaller fur-ball.

?My mother would never say that to me,? The smaller fur ball said. The pair stepped into fu

Karsa v. Malevolus! Gonna be a good showdown for sure. I also liked Maverick's tension with the Gryph, that was fun.

yes waiting for a showdown and Aaryn should come out of it with his love.

Excellent post

The excitement is building! And why is that man in black so keen on getting his hands on Aaryn. I'm looking forward to the finale.

Hello all! Just an update to my loyal fans, I hope to produce the next chapter AND the finale of Echoes of the Force within the NEXT TWO WEEKS. So bring a bag of popcorn, M & M's, Kleenex, and a Lightsaber to protect yourself. Get pumped.

Chapter Eighteen: Still At Wit's End

The ruby colored lightsaber swept gracefully across the Aqualish face, creating a deep, cauterizing gash. The Iopous Prison guard managed to let out a small squawk before death could take him away. Darth Malevolus stood over the body and stretched out his hand, touching the Aqualish's temple and began pulling out any memories he could about the whereabouts of Jove Sunflare. All he gained was that she was somewhere on the ninth level detention center. The massive alarms hurt his hears, and made him angry. But that was a good thing, because he was a Sith. It fueled him.

The two-faced Sith Lord turned, seeing that the several inmates trapped in their cells were beating on the doors screaming for their freedom. A small smirk came to his cracked face, and then an idea occurred to him.

Darth Malevolus turned, heading away from the way that would take him straight to Jove. Instead, he was heading for the medical ward. That?s where they kept the crazies. It was time to create a little chaos. The Man in Black would be proud.

***

?Something appears to be going on,? Gep said, reaching over to click the several knobs and buttons on the control console.

?What do you mean?? Ta'sa asked, sitting right next to him. He looked up, wide-eyed. The Twi'lek shook his head, his lekku wiggling in his anxiety. Ta'sa noticed. He turned back towards the transparisteel, looking at the hulking mass of Iopous Prison sitting in deep space. Ta'sa squinted, noticing that a red light was flashing all over the exterior. Ta'sa turned his green head slightly, glancing sideways at Gep. He seemed just as nervous as he was. Gyrph and Jarael had come up with a very impressive plan to infiltrate the prison and break Jove out. The Gyrph was going to impersonate a slaver, by the name of Darson Glyodheiro and practically woo the warren into either taking Jarael as a prisoner or his own personal slave. Once convinced, Jarael would break in and find the location of Jove and the rescue would begin. Ta'sa had his own doubts about the plan, and wondered what would happen if Gryph could not convince the warren to even talk to him. Either Aaryn placed too much confidence in Gryph's incredible ability to lie, or he was actually that good. But now it looked like everything was about to be shot to hell.

?They haven't hailed us yet,? Serick mumbled behind them at the communications station.

?Yeah, this doesn't look good.? Gep commented as they still made their approach.

?I have a bad feeling about this,? Ta'sa whispered more to himself.

Back deep within the ship, in the darkest corner of the cargo hold Jedi Master Dyson Gynt sat crossed legged with his big, black bulbous eyes shut. They snapped open. His heart sank. He reached for his wooden staff, gripping it so hard he thought he might even gain splinters from it. It was a presence he had not felt since the Great Sith War. It was a Sith Lord. A Sith was on the prison block.

Dyson stood up and gulped loudly. He knew what he had to do.

In the main cabin, Aaryn sat silently with Kaylee as they continued to approach the prison. Kaylee could feel the anxiety rolling off him, and she didn't need to the Force to even detect it. He kept wringing his hands together, and she could see the sweat on his hands despite the cold temperature of the cabin. He was nervous, and that was understandable. Not only did he have to worry about the rescue itself, but Jove didn't have any idea that Aaryn was actually alive. She knew it had to be hard for him, time after time running into people who expect you to be dead. Kaylee laid a hand on his shoulder. He blinked, looking at her.

?I'm scared,? He whispered.

?We are going to do this, Aaryn. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.? Kaylee tried to reassure him but she hardly sounded confident. Aaryn forced a smile for her.

?What if she doesn't want me, what if she hates what I have become.? Aaryn ran his hand through his now growing hair. He felt the scar from his forehead through his

WOW explosive indeed and now the finale. Get Aaryn and Jove together

So much action in there! I love Gryph's ploy to get them docked. If he's not pretending to be one thing, he's pretending to be another.

That fleeting moment of Aaryn and Jove together had me going, and then the Mandalorians came in out of nowhere! I doubt we've seen the last of the Sith either.

And as a you're-almost-finished present, here's that picture I promised you ages ago:

[image=http://www.deviantart.com/download/195353782/whispers_of_the_force_by_songofamazon-d38b3xy.jpg]

At least I did get it done before you finished the sequel. I'm anxiously awaiting the finale now!

SoA: Holy cow! Thank you so much. They all look great. You the bomb.

Alrightly folks, here we go. Here is the first part of the Finale. I was going to wait until I finished the second part, but this ended up being way longer than I thought it would be. The first part is about 13-14 pages long, and the second part will be almost as long or longer. It's like a chapter out of Republic and Rebellion! Being so long. Anywho, I hope everyone enjoys this. It's been almost a year since I was getting close to ending Whispers of the Force. These characters have really come a long way, and as you'll see the mysteries are starting wrap up. I've got some recomended listening for you guys too, to listen while you read.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAcajVxX4q4

This part really inspired me for the very first part of this chapter. So you should listen to it while you read. If your a Lost Fan, then you'll probably enjoy this chapter alot!

I'll have some more recommended listening too for next chapter too! I hope you all enjoy.




Chapter Nineteen: The Battle of Heroes
Part 1

A film of dust covered the ancient relic, yet it still didn't hide the strange script and hieroglyphics etched into the monolith. Lit by a small torch of light, the hieroglyphics and ancient script appeared almost to be moving in the light of the fire. The hieroglyphics showed amazing feats and acts of strange beings on the very top level of the monolith. Just above the beings was a source of light, illuminating all. Moving a line down the monolith showed the shadow of the source of light, the opposite of all things. Light and dark. Going down further, the beings were engaged within a battle. From the land to the skies, the battle took place. Placed within the middle of the monolith the light source is divided, and instead of an orb of all light it is now only half. The other half is black. Just below the half light, half dark is a throne with a heavenly being seated on it. A griffin and a gargoyle sit below the throne ? facing each other.

The monolith dominates the center of the room, but sitting near the wall wear the torch light is hung within the wall is a younger looking man. At least he appears to be a man. His dark blondish brown hair reflects the flame light also as he works hard with his bare hands, stretching fabrics and threads together. A few days growth of beard adds to the handsomeness of the man that is working. His white shirt hung loosely over his well kept body.

He weaved the intricate threads together into a hanging display similar to the monolith. Setting down his knife after he completed cutting the ends of a particular thread he whipped his hands on his brown pants. Making his way out of the room he stepped out into the crisp, cool air ? and let the wind blow through his hair. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and continued walking out onto the sandy expansive beach before him. Beyond a crystal clear ocean stretched almost endlessly, but yet it did end with majestic peaks touching the beautiful sky as far as the eye could see. His bare feet splashed into the body of water and he bent down, splashing the cool water across his face. Leaning his head back to gaze into the bluish, purple sky he smiled seeing the three moons, each one a little closer than the other plastered across the sky. Letting his hands dangle by his side, he enjoyed the view for a moment. Behind him, he heard the crunch of sand. His smile faded just a bit, but he didn't turn.

?Finally,? A voice called from behind. ?It took me a long time to find this place, I've needed to talk with you.?

Behind him stood the Man in Black, his smile and his head cocked and his feet planted firmly in the sand.

Reaching down into the cool water, one last time the man washed his hands and turned to face the Man in Black.

?Talk about symbolism, eh?? The Man in Black laughed. Regrading both of their choice of clothing.

?What do you want?? The man asked, walking back

This new Elias has me very, very curious. He seems to be the foil to the Man in Black. You're really moving towards tying up all sorts of loose ends. I'm psyched for the next part!

Waiting for the final part. Great scenes and what's Elias doing?

Nice piece of artwork SoA

Alrighty folks, get comfy, get some popcorn and something to drink, make sure you use the bathroom - it's kinda long - and get ready for the ride of your life! The finale to Echoes of the Force is here! Ah boy. It has truly been a pleasure writing for you guys. Thank you for being the best readers in the world. You've encourgaged me to keep going even when I didn't want too. The third and final instalment to the trilogy will be titled Star Wars: The Currents of the Force. Look for it this upcoming summer!

I've got some music for you too listen too while you read!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gMbMyo7fc8

Okay, when you see the ** thats when the music should be hitting about 9:00 minutes into the song. You should know the part when you get to it. = ) Enjoy!



Chapter Twenty
The Battle of Heroes: Part Two

Darth Malevolus docked his ship amidst the chaos of the beginning battle of Duro. The dark side of the Force was livid in the very cockpit. He felt like he could almost taste in the air. He closed his eyes, and let the feeling fill his body and cocked his head back. It was like he was getting drunk off the dark side of the Force. When his eyes finally rolled back down, he stood up slowly to exit the ship to retrieve Jove Sunflare and bring to The Man in Black.

But standing in the way was an aged Nautolan, holding a large wooden staff.

?I cannot let you pass,? Dyson managed to say. Malevolus laughed, unclipping both of his lightsabers.

?Who are you?? Malevolus asked.

?Jedi Master Dyson Gynt,?

?Ah, well Dyson Gynt you are going to die.?

?I am prepared, are you?? Gynt asked.

?I will die when he allows me too,? Malevolus sneered. Gynt frowned, tightening his grip on his staff.

?There is more of you? More Sith?? Dyson asked. Malevolus laughed like a crazy person, like the Man in Black.

?There will be nothing but him. I must do what he says. And soon, the rest of the galaxy will too.?

Dyson clenched his jaw. Obviously this was much worse than they had anticipated.

?What do you want with Jove?? Dyson asked. He could feel it in the Force. They were about to fight. Dyson began breathing deeply, letting the Force flow into him.

?I do not want here, The Man in Black wants her.? Malevolus said, as if everyone should already know this. Before Dyson could say anything else Malevolus lunged, sneering as he did with both lightsabers blazing. Dyson ducked out of the way and flipped over him, bringing his staff to whack his head. Malevolus dodged the attack and managed to cut off one of Dyson's head tails. Dyson cried out in pain, and was momentarily distracted. Malevolus entered his lightsaber into Dyson's stomach. Dyson coughed, his black eyes looking down at the lightsaber that was sticking through his gut. Malevolus and his two-faced sneer was the last thing Dyson saw once he fell to the ground.

Malevolus stood over him.

?Now I'm off to get Jove, and you didn't stop me Jedi Master.? Malevolus used the Force to throw Dyson's body off his ship and down the ramp.

***

Darth Malevolus held on tight to the struggling Jove thrown over her shoulder. The presence of the dark side was stronger than ever. The orbital city shook violently. The Mandalorians must have started firing on the city. Perhaps he shouldn't bring the woman to the Man in Black, but instead kill her now. A sharp pain entered his brain, almost bringing him to his knees. Jove began to hit his shoulder with her cuffed hands.

?Stop,? Malevolus ordered standing back to his feet. He saw rounding the corner the two Mandalorians, Jagi and Ding pursuing him. He yelled in fury, sending a burst of Force lightening out. The two soldiers stopped, hiding behind the corner they just rounded. Jove yelled out for help, calling for Aaryn.

***

?What was that?? Kaylee asked as the city shook.

Aaryn and Serick looked up, all around them. ?We need to hurry,? Serick said.

?The docking bay isn't far, it's just down here

WOW what a fight and ending. Do't let us wait long for the sequel.

A great read and story. Thanks for sharing it

Great finale that isn't actually a finale! This isn't over yet and I can't wait for the rest of it! Will Aaryn be able to work with the Mandalorians? Or Jagi? You've got a lot of ground to cover in your last part.

My deepest apologies for being away, JediDingo. Your loyal reader just finished and all I've gotta say is wow. Also, perfect timing - I got right to the 9 minute mark at the ** - thanks for sharing the song both before and again during the final chapter.

It's been a wonderful ride through 2/3 of your trilogy, and as usual I am quite excited for more.

The inclusion of Elias, clearly "Jacob" from LOST, was a great touch. Since I know the twist, the deflection you presented in the duality was good, but I can't wait to see the reaction when you make the big reveal.

Continue your great work, I will always be here to read and comment for you! Until the next.

great story

Well, thank you Paige!. And thanks to all who have read this story! I figured while I am thanking you, Reader, I would give you some hints and things to think about while waiting on The Currents of the Force. Perhaps it would be a good idea to go back and look at who Elias talked to, and what specific action he did to those he did meet. Also, what's this about a Throne? I am currently working on a short sort of "in between" story that takes place between Echoes and the upcoming Currents of the Force fic. It really moves and sets up important set pieces for the finale. I can't wait for all of you to read it!