Beyond - Legends Dark Currents 2: Vengeance - AU, OC's, 420 ABY

Circumstances will eventually force Daniel to pick sides.

 

Oh no!

Why did Daniel interact with the holocron?!

Curiosity with the Dark Side sometimes leads to falls.

I wonder how this will affect his relationship with his mother. I hope it won’t be as bad as I fear.

Great writing!

 

@AzureAngel2 @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @earlybird-obi-wan @mayo_durron_666

Short one this time. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 4, Part 4: Dantooine, 420 ABY

Vikka put her purchases away while gazing outdoors through a window. Daniel’s behaviour had been odd after they had left the markets but she attributed it to a young mind racing about as it should. This particular day they both had a day off from training with each other and so Vikka respected Daniel’s space and privacy. Her son had long listened to her words and teachings. Vikka sometimes felt that she nagged her son too often during their training sessions. It was somewhat hypocritical of her as she hated being told what to do and considering who his father was.

After Vikka had finished her chores she was overcome by a disturbance in the Force and she dropped everything. She reached out and felt a dark presence. Her first instinct was that Marcus had returned for her, however this was a presence that she had not encountered before. Vikka tried to sense Daniel but she became terrified when she could not sense him. Vikka ran for her speeder with the Force enhancing her movements. Even though Daniel was a man, all Vikka could think about was the safety of her boy. Through the Force she tried to concentrate on the dark presence as well as Daniel but she was rejected and seemingly attacked mentally.

In that instant, Vikka was distracted from guiding her speeder and it jerked into the barrier of the hover lane beside her. The collision caused Vikka to lose control of the speeder and it rebounded into the oncoming traffic lanes where it was struck again by an unmanned cargo transport. Vikka saw everything happen so quickly in front of her. In an instant she used the Force make a barrier around herself. The first roll of the speeder threw Vikka out of it and her Force barrier absorbed the initial violent impact her body made with ground. She then lost control of the barrier after hitting her head with a second impact that her speeder made with another vehicle. The impacts were compounded when she was hit again and again by the now rolling speeder. Vikka’s body finally settled underneath the vehicle when her world quickly went to black.

***

Daniel looked at the odd little pyramid floating in front of him. He felt like he was in the middle of a fog, He could not concentrate on anything else but the holocron. Daniel started to debate with himself whether the holocron was trying to take control of him. Make him fall. Regardless, the presence inside the artifact knew something about his bloodline. Daniel had to find out what that was. Any information about his past that was not from his mother would be welcomed. It was not that he did not believe his mother, it was simply a natural curiosity as he never know his father and the pain of the story limited what his mother would tell him.

“What do you mean my blood? Do mean because I have Force sensitive parents? My mother is a Jedi and father was one as well.”

“It is true that your mother is a Jedi, but your father…”

"What about him? Who was..."

Daniel was inundated with images again and the presence of his mother in the Force. There was something wrong. The feeling was strong enough that he severed the connection to the holocron. When he did, the little pyramid fell to the ground. Daniel collected it and went to his speeder to head home. When he reached the main hover lanes he saw multiple emergency units blocking his path. Smoke rose from whatever had been involved in the accident.

When Daniel approached, he saw an overturned transport and behind it the wreck of a speeder. His mother’s speeder. Daniel approached the first emergency staffer he could find. “What happened here, where’s my mother?”

The older man turned and looked at Daniel with a serious look. “Are you sure it was your mother?”

I can tell by the speeder. That’s her speeder. Where is she?”

“She’s on her way to the medical centre son. She was unconscious. I’m sorry.”

 

Oh no! The Dark Side from the holocron put Vikka in an accident?!

I hope she is okay!

Also I hope she and Daniel finally chat about the father secret haunting them both.

Great update!

 

I sur hope that Vikka is OK and that Daniel will come to his senses
Intense update

 

When a holocron talks back this way and people get hurt, there is darkness ahead.

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @earlybird-obi-wan @AzureAngel2 @mayo_durron_666

Chapter 4, Part 5: Dantooine, 420 ABY

Daniel did not wait a moment more. He returned to his speeder and went to the medical centre where his mother was sent. He burst through to doors and asked for her. When Daniel found her he became devastated with the sight of his mother’s bruised and bloodied face. He gently grabbed her hand and was surprised at how cool it was. Vikka’s breathing was being assisted by a ventilator and the rhythmic sounds every few seconds made Daniel feel uneasy. Seeing her in this state was confusing and he wondered how this could have happened. Vikka was an expert pilot and speeders were incredibly easy to maneuver for her.

Daniel started to ask himself where Vikka could have been going in such a rush when he had discovered that she was travelling at a high rate of speed. Vikka was rarely distracted by anything, especially while piloting a vehicle. As Daniel reflected on this longer he began to feel the pull of the Sith holocron. It was as if it knew he was in distress. Daniel began to make the connection. His mother must have felt the presence of the Dark Side. Only the Force would make Vikka Gratua react so rashly and carelessly. The thought that his mother was reckless was unpleasant and he felt that he was dishonouring her by thinking this way. Daniel began to wonder if Vikka did not trust that he could handle himself in a difficult situation.

As Daniel stared at his mother one of the doctors entered the room along with a medical droid. The doctor explained that there was too much swelling in Vikka’s brain and they had to wait to ascertain the extent of her cranial injuries. As it stood, Vikka had a broken left arm, broken ribs, bruised lungs, and she was seriously concussed. Daniel could not help but try and fathom the pain his mother must have felt during her accident. There was also the possibility she felt pain because of the dark presence around him. She must have feared it.

After Daniel had completed the medical centre’s administrative papers he asked for privacy while he was in his mother’s room. When he felt he was completely alone Daniel reached out with the Force and felt for Vikka’s presence. She had taught him how to search for beings in the Force and Daniel wanted to make sure he could sense his mother. When he did, Daniel felt that Vikka’s presence was faint. Vikka was strong in the Force and Daniel thought that her willpower alone would most likely keep her alive.

Daniel slammed his fist into the wall as he began to blame himself for what had happened to Vikka. Out of the corner of his eye Daniel noticed the holocron began to pulsate again and the beats seemed to be align with his own heartbeat. Daniel took the holocron and placed it on a table within the room. He sat in front of it and got lost in the red glow within. Daniel reached out to it once again. The black pyramid rose into the air and the hue from within began to brighten. The phantasm reappeared in front of Daniel and the young man looked up to meet its gaze. Daniel felt something odd, cold, something sinister hanging above him.

“I need your help.” Daniel said damning the consequences, “I need to heal my mother.”

“Your compassion makes you weak and I am of the Dark Side. I will never help a Jedi.”

“She isn’t a Jedi anymore. In fact she has taught me about the Dark Side and how it corrupts a being’s mind.” Daniel paused for a moment. “I’ve had dreams though. I’ve seen myself giving in to my anger.”

“That is what makes your bloodline powerful. Your father used his anger to perfection until his wretched heart met your mother. He was no true Sith.”

“What are you talking about? My father was a Jedi Knight. How would you know of my father anyway?”

“The Force. It flows through every living being. I have long mastered the ability to read the currents of it and therefore, there is nothing I do not know. Even from this prison. I began seeing your thoughts through the Force as soon as you accessed the holocron. The Force shows us everything as long as you know how to wield it.”

“What does that have to do with my father? Who was he?” Daniel asked with a distinct edge in his voice.

“You’re beginning to sound like him.” The voice paused as if it was considering something. “Your mother’s life will be spared if you bring this holocron to a Sith temple.”

“What for?” Daniel asked. “There’s a Sith temple on Dantooine?”

“I want to return to my final resting place so that I may be attached to a physical body again and be granted eternal sleep. I want to return to Korriban. When I am whole, I will teach you how to save your mother.”

“Korriban is in the Outer Rim. It will take weeks. What if my mother’s condition gets worse?”

“Her presence in the Force is strong. Her body may be weak, but she can sustain herself for some time.”

Daniel considered the words of the spectre and he felt he did not have a choice. He would do anything to save his mother and now he had a chance to back up those thoughts with action. There was nowhere else to turn.

“Fine. I’ll get my ship ready. We leave tonight.”
___

Thanks for reading

 

Oh Oh Daniel, you are getting into BIG trouble

 

It is dangerous to talk to a bodiless voice. For those, as we learned from horror stories, always seek out a body to set foot in the mortal world again.

 

Ack! Vikka is in dire condition... It's caused by her distraction over Daniel and his falling in with the Sith Holocron so far is prompted by his wanting to heal her. All the motives and consequences are going to get all tangled.

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @earlybird-obi-wan @AzureAngel2 @mayo_durron_666

Chapter 4, Part 6: Dantooine, 420 ABY

Master Joy and Darius Baron had finally arrived at the Dantooine spaceport. Darius cleared their landing to the traffic controllers and powered down the ship after touching down. He had not seen Joy for hours while he was piloting their ship. He walked to Joy’s quarters and found the reason why he had not seen her as she was deep in meditation. Darius reached out in the Force and felt how calm and serene it was around the Grand Master. Joy was a model of tranquility and confidence. The ideal Jedi. Before Darius could probe the Force Joy opened her eyes with an expression on her face was anything but tranquil.

“What is it?” Darius asked with concern in her voice.

“Vikka. Her presence in the Force is quite weak. I fear something has happened to her. Also, there is a terrible taint of darkness on this place.”

Darius reached out in the Force and found the same thing. Something had befallen their friend and even worse the Dark Side shrouded the Force here on Dantooine. Every situation passed through Darius’ mind in seconds. Had Nephros come to claim his son? Had Lorn Nyeb come to take revenge against his former Padawan? So many questions and no answers. Darius watched Joy try to use a comm-link to reach Vikka, but nothing

“We need to find her. At least we know to be vigilant.” Darius said.

“Something is very wrong here my friend.”

At the bottom of their loading ramp, a Devaronian female and a Human male dressed in Jedi robes met Joy and Darius. They both bowed to the two Jedi masters before introducing themselves as Sheela and Halsey respectively. Sheela was a slender Devaronian female and a teacher at the Jed Training Academy. Halsey Blud became the Head Master of the academy after Master Exas had accepted his position as a Jedi Council member on Coruscant. Halsey was a veteran of the Cyrax’s invasion and was an ideal choice to head the training facility due to his experience in the field and his enthusiasm for training young beings. He was one of the few Jedi that had studied with Master Joy when he became a knight and came to Coruscant. Sheela was Halsey’s Padawan until she was also knighted and requested to stay with her master after he had been chosen for Dantooine.

“Welcome back to Dantooine Masters.” Halsey opened. “With respect Masters, why are you here?”

"We’re here to visit a friend. Vikka Gratua.”

Halsey had a look of shock on his face. “She’s on Dantooine? How long? With respect Master Joy, why haven’t we been informed?

“We did it to protect her and her son. Dantooine was the perfect place to hide her with the training temple so close to her.” Joy admitted. “Regardless, something has happened to her now. I felt it in the Force.”

“What happened to her? Do you think it had anything to do with the disturbance in the Force we felt a few hours ago Master?” Halsey asked.

“I don’t know, it’s possible.” Joy followed up.

“There was a multiple vehicle accident on a main hover lane a few hours ago.” Halsey paused for a few moments. “The victim was thrown from her speeder and sustained multiple injuries. We heard the report off of the local holo-net on the way here.”

“We can quickly check medical centre records from the temple Master Joy.” Sheela offered. After a few swipes of her finger on a holo-pad she said, “I know where she is.”

The Jedi foursome gathered at the medical centre. Sheen and Halsey went in while Joy stopped Darius before entering.

“I don’t sense Daniel here.” Joy said.

“How do you know? He might be inside.”

Before Joy could say anything Sheena came back outside. “We spoke to the admitting desk and Vikka’s unconscious and on a respirator. She has numerous internal injuries.”

“Did you ask about Daniel?” Darius asked.

“Actually yes, they said that they saw a younger man come to see Vikka shortly after she arrived. He requested the staff to leave the room and let him be alone with her for some time. He left afterwards and hasn’t been seen since.”

“Has he left Dantooine?” Darius asked looking at Joy.

“We have no idea.” Halsey replied. “We can look for Vikka’s freighter but considering she was here in secret, she most likely has it docked in a private bay. We can try to trace it at the temple.”

“Take me to Vikka.” Joy said.

The four Jedi went to Vikka’s room. Joy walked in first to only the sounds from the machines keeping Vikka alive. Joy winced at the sight of her friend. She was disheartened and quickly reached out in the Force to find Vikka’s presence in it. There was a semblance of it and Joy felt a bit better until she then felt the dark taint she had told Darius about orbiting her friend.

A Dark Side presence had been there. It was not a presence she had felt before unfortunately but it meant that she could rule out Lorn Nyeb and Darth Nephros coming here. Joy could feel that this presence was an ancient and malevolent being. Was Daniel with them? Joy was concerned for the young man. Daniel had been training since he was a toddler under Vikka but she feared that something or someone like this could overwhelm him with that kind of power. To leave a taint that lingered like this meant it was a powerful being.

Darius was next to enter and he kept his usual stoic face on the outside, but on the inside he was saddened. Vikka was such an engaging and driven person. Seeing her in this state was difficult. Darius recalled the conversations they had in the final days of the war. Vikka was a rock and so supportive of him when he felt he was failing his fellow Jedi. She helped drive him forward and brought help from the most unlikely of people in Darth Nephros. Vikka helped turned the tide of the war for the Jedi and Empire. She was supposed to be at peace here with her son and it was beginning to seem like there would be no peace for them or the Jedi. The dark taint that Joy had mentioned before was prevalent and it was obviously weighing heavily on her mind.

“You can feel the taint here, don’t you?” Darius asked knowing the answer.

“Of course Darius. Someone or something has been here and I’m afraid they’ve taken Daniel.”

“There’s no sign of any struggle Master Joy.” Halsey said from the doorway.

“Did the boy go willingly?” Darius mused.

“You need to find him Darius. I am certain now that Daniel is the key to the looming darkness that has been weighing on my thoughts.”

“You can use the temple’s facilities Master Baron.” Halsey offered. “We have cams all over the spaceports.”

“Begin the search Darius. I’m going to try and heal Vikka through the Force.”

“I don’t want to leave you Joy.”

Joy smiled and took Darius’ hand. “I won’t be far behind you. We need Vikka and the last time I checked I was a better healer than you.” Joy finished with a small smile.

“Of course.” Darius conceded. “I won’t fail you.”

“I know.”

Darius, Halsey, and Sheena left for the Jedi training temple and Joy remained with Vikka. Joy approached the bed and extended her hands over Vikka. Reaching out with the Force, Joy felt for Vikka’s presence and found her to be troubled and afraid. The Grand Master’s ability to connect with other Force users was powerful. Joy could help the injured being’s body heal much faster with the Force by increasing their own natural healing processes. Vikka, being a Mandalorian, was already blessed with their genealogy of healing quicker than most anyways.

As Joy was deep in her trance she could feel Vikka’s presence more and she began feeling Vikka’s emotions. They focused on Daniel and she was definitely afraid. Joy guessed that Vikka was worried about the dark taint that had been on Dantooine and what was Daniel’s relationship to it was. Through the Force, Joy attempted to send reassuring thoughts to Vikka. However, Joy’s main focus had to be healing Vikka’s mental state and then deal with her body later on. The other oddity Joy felt was that Vikka may have been communicating but it was not with her. Joy dismissed it for now.

***

After two hours of being in the healing trance with Vikka, Joy was becoming exhausted. Moreover she was satisfied that Vikka’s mind had calmed and she was focused on healing her body. When Joy rose from her chair Darius stood above her with two steaming cups of caf. Before Joy could ask what he was doing there Darius said, “There’s news.”

“Tell me.” Joy replied taking the cup of caf with both hands to warm them up.

“We found footage of Daniel entering the spaceport with two bags that we assumed were luggage and a few minutes later the Ulik taking off. We don’t know where though. We’re still tracking the trajectory”

“Was he with anyone?” Joy asked expecting the worse.

“No he was alone.”

Joy paused for a moment and looked at her friend unconscious in the bed before admitting. “This is my fault.”

“How’s that?” Darius responded unconvinced.

“I should have persuaded Vikka to stay in the Jedi Temple and train Daniel there. It may have been too much pressure for her to train her boy alone. She never had a Padawan as a Jedi Knight. Perhaps with some experience as a master things could have been different.”

“One thing about Vikka Gratua is she will never crumbled under pressure Joy. She is one of the strongest willed beings we know.”

“You’re right. I just feel like we failed her and her son. I believe we were too afraid that the sins of the father would carry on to the son. Now that may be exactly what happened.”

Darius paused for a moment. “Daniel was alone. There is no reason to assume he was in trouble and I won’t assume he was leaving his mother in this state unless he absolutely had to. He mustn’t have known her condition. Also, there’s more to this dark presence. I think we may dealing with something that isn’t a being at all.”

“A spirit? A Force ghost?” Joy guessed. “Dark Side users cannot reach the netherworld of the Force. Where could a phantasm…” The words trailed off “An item or some type of relic? A holocron most likely.”

“Where would he get one?”

“It doesn’t matter now. We’re dealing with a very powerful force Darius. I need to meditate on this.”

“I’ll continue to search for clues Master. Please be careful.”

“What are you concerned about?”

“I’m worried that this is leading somewhere we haven’t thought of. Holocrons and dark side spirits are different animals than facing off with one in the physical realm.”

“Either way my friend, we must confront them with what we know. The Force will guide us and the light side will fortify us as long as we use it properly. Knowledge and defence.”

“You never stop teaching, do you?” Darius said as he took Joy’s hands into his. “Just be careful.”

Darius kissed her forehead and walked out of the room. Joy remained and looked at Vikka.

“We’ll find him Vikka.” Joy whispered. “I promise.”

 

Wonderful strength and resolve between Darius and Joy.

 

Okay, I'm caught up.. and hooked!

Oh Daniel is in SO much trouble! Putting any trust into a Sith Holocron or phantasm is just asking for bad karma.

I'm glad Joy and Darius are with Vikka, trying to resolve the situation. I just hope they can help both Vikka and Daniel in time.

Nice updates!

 

An ill-fated journey that hopefully will not end like a Greek tragedy...

 

I sure hope Vikka will be alright. Daniel is in trouble. Darius and Joy save him and his mother!

 

Chapter 5, Part 1 420 ABY

The darkness was breaking soon and the light fog that hung in the air would begin to lift in a few hours. The air is cool at dawn and Marcus could see his breath as he stood on a precipice overlooking a calm sea. He had seen this cliff before in his dreams when his mother came to him in a vision begging him not to fall into the darkness. His mother could have changed the course of his life with the love only a mother can show their child. Her death destroyed his father’s heart and his father’s will to raise their child. Worst of all, it brought a self-destructive nature that Marcus followed, albeit in a different way, than that of his father’s.

Marcus had suffered and had lost his faith in everything and everyone after a life of heart breaking disappointments. When he was at his most vulnerable, Marcus was preyed upon by a man veiled in secrecy. Praxis was a powerful user of the dark side and he seduced Marcus with the strength of the darkness within him. Marcus was fueled by his fear, anger, and pain which weaponized a desire for revenge when the woman he loved had died in his arms. Arianna Dern was a Jedi Knight that helped Marcus fend off the Dark Side within him and would have stricken the temptation from him completely if not for the mistakes he made that led to her brutal murder. Lost and alone, Marcus went with Praxis and joined a Dark Side academy on Drummond Kaas where his power grew to the point that he was betrayed and almost killed by the head mistress Darth Erebus.

Marcus destroyed the academy and everyone within it, including his mentor Praxis. He travelled to Korriban and killed Darth Erebus for her treachery under the dark shadows cast by the tombs of ancient Sith Lords long dead. Marcus was then initiated and named Darth Nephros by the spirit of the Dark Lord Tulak Hord. Imbued by the power of the Sith, As Nephros, he declared war on the Jedi and the false Sith that stood in his way on Coruscant. Darth Nephros was a force of destruction as he destabilized the Jedi by killing their Blade Master Brun Sarro and then he destroyed a would be Sith emperor called Cyrax in the final battle for the soul of the Empire.

What Nephros had not counted on was falling in love again. Vikka Gratua, a Mandalorian Jedi Knight showed him a brighter future that culminated in a single night of passion and a trust that made Nephros question everything he had believed about the Dark Side. Their connection within the Force had led to a bond that allowed them to be together mentally even though they were literally light years apart physically.

Vikka had seen beyond his actions and inner turmoil to free him of his restraints and narrow views. Ultimately she rejected Nephros at the end of the war to help rebuild the fractured Jedi Order and rebuild Coruscant.

Alone again, Nephros left Vikka and returned to Korriban to reinvent his dark powers but he was not received by Tulak Hord as his love for a Jedi woman had disqualified him from the Order of the Sith Lords. Darth Nephros had no identity and he even questioned the Sith title of ‘Darth” due to his exclusion. There was nothing left for him.

For more than a decade Nephros wandered the galaxy visiting places of power within the Force. The Maw Cluster was of particular interest to him. Numerous black holes made the voyage treacherous but with the Force guiding him, Nephros made his way through. The Maw held places that the Force flowed either naturally or tainted by darkness. One space station in particular left him with a feeling that there were multiple planes of existence within the Force. Reason being was, the place was littered with abandoned soulless bodies. There was no one there physically but Nephros felt presences within the station. Moreover, he discovered holocrons there that revealed to him that a Force sensitive race called The Mind Walkers dwelled there at one time. They were there to keep a dark entity called Abeloth imprisoned there. Somehow the entity had escaped. Nephros had wondered about the fate of this entity.

The Mind Walkers had more to tell though. According to their holocrons they were able to leave their physical bodies and walk in a realm called Beyond Shadows. This realm held places within it that Force Sensitives could use to reveal the future or even intensify their own powers. Beings that could accomplish such feats were fascinating to Nephros, however none of these Mind Walkers seemed to remain. There was only death there now and the secrets of that station died with the bodies lying within it and with the lingering ghosts. The holocrons named off visitors that held little meaning for Nephros except for two. Luke Skywalker and Darth Caedus.

Luke Skywalker was a legend from the past and his nephew Darth Caedus was a scourge that was put down in his attempt to make the galaxy his own. The Skywalker bloodline was a long and troubled one. Giants now gone and their secrets with them. Nephros unfortunately could learn nothing more here.

Nephros visited an original Jedi planet called Tython where a very old civilization once lived. He moved on to Ruusan where the Valley of the Jedi was drained of its power but still was a significant place where the Force held sway. Ancient Sith Lords ruled over the planet as well. Most notably Darth Bane and the Brotherhood of Darkness which died with Lord Hoth’s army of Jedi at the Valley. Nephros knew one thing for certain, wherever there were Force users, death and war followed close behind. An incredible gift that almost guaranteed a life of damnation. The Sith Code was correct where it declared that there was no peace, it was a lie.

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @AzureAngel2 @earlybird-obi-wan @mayo_durron_666

Thanks for reading all.

 

Marcus' reflections are sweeping in scope as they take in a lot of history and conflict. The Skywalker line has indeed been plagued by war.

 

You write something very thoughtful and wise here. And as a kindergarten teacher I do know that peace is a lie...

Markus travels a lot and his journeys teach him very, very much. For the worst or for the better.

Sith crave knowledge, it is known. But do not also the Jedi believe in life-long learning?

 

revealing thoughts of Marcus. Jedi and Sith, Force-users forever causing war.

 

Marcus's story was very interesting!

Found his thoughts on Force users (light or dark), their history and the recurrence of violence in their wake very intriguing.

His thoughts on Force users and war reminded me of Vision in the Captain America Civil War film when he says:
"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict... breeds catastrophe."

Seems Force users attract similar problems, whether light or dark.

Great update!

 

Chapter 5, Part 2 420 ABY

When Nephros had finally stopped wandering the galaxy he arrived at an isolated planet in the Outer Rim called Scarif. The planet had been scared centuries earlier by one of the most brutal battles during an earlier galactic civil war fought between supposed freedom fighters and the would be conquerors of Darth Sidious’ Empire. Scarif had been one of the unfortunate planets that had suffered an almost extinction level event when it was struck by a war machine, called the Death Star. On the opposite side of the devastated planet there were pockets of civilizations living on the small islands that were still surrounded by pristine rocky archipelagos and dormant volcanos. These populations only moved there decades ago as the planet had just recovered from the environmental damage that the Death Star had wrought.

Nephros had been drawn to Scarif by a past presence of the dark side that lingered there. Thousands of beings had fought and died here and as any planet that had suffered such major losses of life, Scarif had been stained by those violent deaths. The Death Star had struck an Imperial installation in an effort to kill the rebels invading the planet even though they were killing their own Imperial forces. Between the deaths of the two armies, the wreckage of two Star Destroyers, a massive shield gate station, and a Mon Calamari cruiser littered over the crater site the death toll must have been massive. The souls of the lives lost on Scarif contributed mightily to the presence of death.

The new settlers could have never known that after all this time the Dark Side of the Force tainted this beautiful planet. Not many of immigrated newly minted locals knew who had fought in the battles of the past, but such losses of life left deep wounds in the Force. These wounds attracted beings like Nephros that were curious about power and the effects of death on the Force.

Once Scarif was habitable again a space port had been built on Corellia and brought in pieces to Scarif’s surface. The whole city was basically imported module by module and eventually hover lanes were built and extended to multiple islands that were capable of sustaining a population. Shortly after, the scenery, weather, and resort nature of the planet had given growth to an economy that was based on tourism as corporations looked to make credits. However, Scarif fell off as an attraction after crime had risen due to a small security force on the planet. When the corporations began to lose credits they pulled out of their ventures and left the planet. Currently, only a sparse population remained on Scarif, consisting of locals and many small bands of pirates and raiders.

Nephros had come to the system to get lost within Scarif’s jungles and mountain ranges. He was successful as he had hidden himself within the planet’s taint of the Dark Side. It was the ultimate protection from any Force user looking for him. He had even severed his connection to Vikka. Nephros however, attributed this to her not wanting to connect with him either. Even though he wanted to for selfish reasons, Nephros understood that if she did not want to be with him, then he would respect her wishes. It was the least he could do.

Their past contained memories that he held dear but those memories also led to his current seclusion. He once yearned to be alone but the Force had seen fit to bring him two women that altered his life drastically. Arianna Dern led to him embracing his Force powers and then her death lead to his rebirth as a Sith. After he left a trail of destruction terror he met and fell in love with Vikka Gratua. She pulled him from the darkness until she decided to abandon him as well.

On Scarif, the Force had allowed Nephros his solitude near a small village. He kept to himself in the first few years and would only leave his home for supplies and research on the holo-net. He may have been a recluse but Nephros still wanted to be updated in the state of the Galaxy. There was never any mention of major conflicts and any story about the Jedi never showed the identity of the Knights involved. So there was not any hint of what Vikka’s status was. Coruscant had obviously recovered over the years and at one point Nephros wondered whether Vikka would reach out to him, but after a few years he lost that hope and fell further into his depression. He had lost his love and his life as a Sith.

With the wealth that he had taken from Darth Erebus he had legally purchased a home that he lightly furnished it. The house had a large room where Nephros would do his meditations and try to calm his mind. He had embraced the quiet life and focused on sharpening his connection to the Force with the new ideas he had learned on his travels. It was not the type of life he envisioned for himself but Nephros wanted to overcome his self-proclaimed mental inadequacies and evolve into something else, perhaps someone else.

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @AzureAngel2 @mayo_durron_666 @earlybird-obi-wan

Thanks for reading!

 

Superb introspection and excellent details on Scarif's recovery, paralleling Nephros' own sense of new (if not serenity) some sort of acceptance.

 

Great details on Scarif and Nephros. Will he see Vikka again?

 

Chapter 5, Part 3 420 ABY

The village would occasionally come under attack by raiders, but Nephros never got involved with the raider’s extortion industry as one group would keep away another. Not getting involved in the business of the locals was an easy way of not being noticed. That was until Nephros began frequenting a cantina more often than he realized.

Nephros had come to know a local medicine man named Phillip by reputation. Phillip would take care of the village locals without any regard for himself. He never asked for any credits and was astute enough to start a trading network between the four villages that lived on their island. Each village traded their excess goods to supply themselves with things they lacked. The space port and city still had markets that were accessible to all but trading amongst the villages made life financially easier.

Philip could often be seen among the many beings in the village and he was a fixture at the local cantina where Nephros would drink as well. On this night, Nephros was in a particularly sullen mood. Dark thoughts clouded his mind as something stirred within him.

“A man that takes his drinking as serious as you do in here is either trying to remember something or forget something. Which are you friend?”

Nephros glared at the old man sitting a few stools away. “Usually it’s the bartender that talks too much. Are you bored medicine man, don’t you have to someone to save?”

“Right now I want to save you.”

“Save me from what, from who?”

“It looks like from yourself.

“Who said I need help?” He downed another glass of Corellian whisky.

In his thoughts, Phillip knew that this man had a dark history behind him and he wanted to forget every moment of it. The sadness was evident in his dark brown eyes which seemed to have an almost orange tint on the whites. It was not from the alcohol either. It was like they had been stained with an odd colour at one time. There was much Phillip wanted to ask this man. It was the first time that he had encountered a Force sensitive. It was his experience that the angrier a person was the more they needed to divest themselves of their burdens and when someone delved in the dark side, it was much harder.

“I’m saying that if you need to talk about…” Phillip waited to find the right words, “your problems.”

“I didn’t ask you for help, nor do I want it.” Nephros got up from his stool, tapped his credit pad to pay for his drinks and stormed out of the cantina. Normally he would simply exchange nods with the medicine man, however, tonight’s perfectly good drinking session was ruined.

As Nephros arrived at his apartment he noticed the light was turned on from underneath his door. He was not alarmed because there was only one person who could be there.

Nephros walked in and saw Cora helping herself to the last of his ale bottles. “Don’t you have anything else to drink in here?”

“You could go to the cantina and pick something up.” Nephros replied.

“Aren’t you stumbling your way back from there?”

“I’m hardly stumbling, I was interrupted.”

”You’re mad about that aren’t you?” Cora said playfully as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Not tonight Cora.” Nephros pulled her off and turned away with shame. “I’m sorry it happened last time.”

“I’m not. It was nice. Was it me, something I did?” Cora replied placing her hands on Nephros’ shoulders instead. He turned away and she watched him find a bottle and pour himself a glass. Frustrated by him she asked, “Why is it when we’re together it seems like you’re somewhere else? Marcus, what’s keeping you in the past that you can’t live here in the present?”

Nephros had given Cora his birth name when they met for obvious reasons and now he was being forced to give her the answers she deserved. Cora had approached him months ago and at first Nephros had pushed her advances back. In a moment of weakness, the need for a meaningful connection to someone overwhelmed him. Nephros quickly regretted the act after it happened. It had felt wrong and he tried to end all contact with her. Cora though was persistent as she had her own story of hardship that made her latch on to him as he had latched on to her. Codependence at its finest.

Like many beings, she came to Scarif looking for work when the tourism industry was booming. When the system fell upon hard times, so did its citizens. Cora was one of them. She worked odd jobs in a few local businesses to pay her bills and now she was in an all too familiar cycle of unemployment and living a hard unforgiving life.

Cora was a widow and originally from Coruscant. She was a field medic for the CSF and her late husband was a pilot stationed on the orbital battle station Shield. Her husband had died while fighting Cyrax’s forces in a star fighter above the system. He was shot down by the Blood Rock mercenaries. Nephros did not feel guilty about the situation at first, until he began feeling guilty when he started to believe he was taking advantage of her pain. She was beautiful, kind, and compassionate. She deserved more than anything he could offer her.

“Cora, I told you that this wasn’t going to work.”

“What the hell are you holding on to Marcus? We talked about us starting over. We can start a new life together.”

“I’m not someone you want to start a life with.”

“What could you have possibly done that you can’t live with yourself like this? Your guilt will just consume you and prevent you from enjoying anything else.”

Nephros was flooded with memories of Arianna dying in his arms, of himself killing Brun Sarro and Cyrax, and finally he recalled the deaths of the hundreds at the Fobosi Medical Centre due to his callousness and rage.

“Stop pushing me Cora. Go home.” Nephros barked out.

“You’re a bastard Marcus.”

Cora stormed out and Nephros exhaled. He was not relieved, he was angry with himself again. There was much that had happened to him and he had survived it all. The mental toll had taken over his thoughts for a long time. Vikka turning away from him was harder to get over than he had thought it would be. It only added to the anxiousness and stress of his time on Coruscant. Nephros thought he could simply move on. He said on that final day on Coruscant that he wanted discover further mysteries of the Force, of the Sith, to renew his connection to the Dark Side. When he returned to tomb of Tulak Hord on Korriban it was quiet and all he could feel was rejection within the Force. The Dark Side was becoming difficult for him to wield due to his actions and choices. He may have chosen to love Vikka, but it seemed that it had cost Nephros his connection to the Dark Side itself.

Nephros used the Dark Side of the Force to sustain himself and it sated his constant need for power when he had first taken the mantle of a ‘Darth.’ Now, he was just a man. He had cut himself off from the Force, from his once promising destiny. Cora leaving had brought about these feelings again and Nephros was tempted again to reconnect to the Force. He had hid himself for so long. Hid from his past, from Vikka. Perhaps due to shame or he was just afraid of more rejection. Nephros admitted his own grief over the death of Arianna and to cope with the burden, he chose the darkness.

When the dark side boiled within him he had purpose, he had the power to fulfil that purpose. Scarif was a system with a dark history and Nephros could exploit it. If he ever tried, he could draw from the planet and re-forge himself again into a person of consequence and purpose. A Dark Lord of the Sith.

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @AzureAngel2 @earlybird-obi-wan @mayo_durron_666

Thanks for reading.

 

ACK!!!!!!!!!!! Nephros is ;poised on the brink of a precipice he saved himself from before, with dire consequences to many; is he about to go down that road again?