Before the Saga The Apprentice (OC)

Title: The Apprentice
Timeframe: Around 232 BBY
Characters: Original Characters
Summary: The Apprentice has one mission. If he succeeds, if he can face the challenges that come his way, he will rise.
Notes: So this is my first attempt at writing for the Star Wars universe and I've tried to write it so it could easily fit into both Legends and Disney Canon

The Apprentice

The Apprentice exited his ship into the humid air of the jungle. He took a deep breath, breathing in the smells of the planet he had landed on, his finely tuned senses picking up every bird call, every growl from every predator that surrounded him. He raised his modified macrobinoculars and looked through them, scanning the vegetation. He smirked to himself as he came upon the peak of a structure, a temple. His target. With the rangefinder software disabled by his master the Apprentice did the calculations in his head, three days walk. He lowered the macrobinoculars and placed them in their holder on his belt.

Taking a moment, he assessed his options and his resources. He had been given strict orders not to land the ship at the temple, his master would know, and he could only use what resources and materials were on the ship, his master would know. That left him with very little, a modified macrobinocular, a vibroblade, a few ration packs, some rope, and a blaster with only a small amount of charge left in it. It would be a challenge to complete his task but that was the point, this was his final task as a mere apprentice. Complete this and he would rise. He nodded to himself before twisting round to lock the ship up. As he twisted, however, a shooting pain coursed through him taking him by surprise. He let out a gasp and fell to the floor in pain. The wound that festered on the side of his body sent out another shooting pain through his body and the Apprentice’s mind flashed back to the circumstances in which he had received the wound.


The Master and the Apprentice stood together in silence, looking up at the wreck of the spaceship that stood in front of them. “The ship will get you there and get you back, but no more my apprentice. I have seen to it.” His master stated simply, a smirk present on her face as it always was when she presented these tasks to him. The Apprentice nodded in silence, he had learned long ago that silence was a formidable tool in his arsenal, if you were silent ordinary people tended to speak more to fill it, sometimes with useless words but other times with useful and important information. Even though this would never work on his master, who had taught him it herself, it had become a habit of his and one that was not easily dispelled. His master’s smirk deepened, and she turned slightly towards him. “Inside you will find all you need to help you.”

Once again, the Apprentice nodded before starting towards the ship. He had only gotten a few steps when he sensed danger behind him, he moved quickly to try and avoid it but moved too slow. He let out a grunt of pain as a blaster bolt hit him in the side and he fell to one knee. He looked up at his master, feeling anger and pain surging through him. His master still had her smirk on her face as she tossed the blaster to him. “Just to make things a little more interesting.” With those parting words she pushed with the Force, sending him sliding up the ramp into the bowels of the ship, leaving him with only his pain, his anger, and his task.


Jerking back to the present the Apprentice grabbed the pain and the anger that coursed through him and called on the Force to sustain him. He rose to his feet and shook off the memories of the past, steeling himself for his journey as the Apprentice headed into the jungle.

During the first day of his journey the Apprentice found the journey an easy one. He could sense creatures watching him as he moved and could feel their eyes on him. He expanded his awareness outwards, picking up the movements of the creatures. He smiled grimly to himself as his awareness hit upon something big, he stopped and closed his eyes to focus. After a moment he opened his eyes and nodded to himself, it was a Rancor. He ran through his inventory again, taking note of the significant lack of offense materials he had that could hurt the fearsome beast. The beast was a distance away, at least 2 days away he thought, possibly a guard, but it never hurt to prepare in advance. He chewed his lower lip thoughtfully as he ran through his options before chuckling to himself a little. He had forgotten his greatest tool; the Force. There was no greater tool than the Force and he would use it to overcome the Rancor.

The next day as he was moving through the jungle the Apprentice came across a small clearing. In the clearing there lay a small pool filled with water and a statue of some woman from the distant past. The Apprentice approached the statue with curiosity and examined it. The statue was looking down into the pool with a satisfied smile on it’s face but at the same time the Apprentice could sense that the subject of the statue had held great power, her face appeared soft and gentle, but the Apprentice knew that she had been a hard and fierce warrior.

The realisation came to him in a flash; she was one of the Sith of old. He turned away from the statue and regarded the pool, taking his water bottle from his belt. He scooped down and filled the bottle, taking a long drink from it, it tasted fresh and cold with a slight metallic twang to it. He eyed the pool suspiciously for a moment before looking back at the smirking statue. Shaking his head slightly he continued on his path towards the temple.

As he moved between the trees he could feel the heat sapping at his already depleted strength, his blaster wound impeding him further. He knew he would need to rest soon and meditate but he was resolute in his determination to get a little further before then. As he took a step, he felt his strength leave him and he stumbled and fell, he let out a gasp for air as he felt his throat closing on itself. His mind flashed back to the water at the pool and the smirk on the statue, poison. It was the only thing that made sense to him. Still gasping for breath, the Apprentice reached through the Force into his body, seeking out the poison. He managed to identify it but found that he lacked the strength to destroy it. He let out another gasp and clawed at the dirt, pulling himself along. He became dimly aware of a creature approaching him and he weakly lifted his head to look. A small bird had hopped down from its tree to examine him, and it eyed him curiously. With the last vestiges of his strength the Apprentice reached out with one hand and grabbed the bird. It let out a cry and struggled to escape but the Apprentice held on and squeezed. He kept on squeezing, feeding off of the creature’s pain and life as it died. With a final squeeze the Apprentice killed the bird and fed of its death.

With some of his strength restored he dove deep into himself, found the poison, and destroyed it, eradicating it from his system. He shakily got to his feet and looked up at the trees surrounding him, there were a number of the same birds looking down on him. He reached out and could sense their puzzlement at what had happened to their own kind. He smiled coldly and reached out with the force taking hold of all of them. He slowly squeezed and fed off of their suffering. He drew their pain out, giving himself more to feed on, before finally snuffing their lives out. He let out a breath as his strength returned and he elected to make camp for the night.

On the third, and final, day of the walk he encountered the Rancor. The Apprentice stumbled upon it quite by accident. He had been sat on the floor, meditating, gathering his strength, when the creature came bursting out from the trees. He had risen from the ground as the creature examined him, he could feel the little black eyes fixed on him, feel the curiosity of the creature as it tried to fathom why this new prey was not running. For the Apprentice he stared back at the creature, marvelling at it’s mass and muscle and sheer power it held. It truly was an apex predator in this environment...until he had arrived. The Rancor let out an almighty bellow and started to close the distance between it and him, outwardly he kept calm and patient but inwardly he marvelled at the speed the creature could move at. When the creature was only 50 meters from him the Apprentice raised a single hand up and reached out with the force, touching the creature’s mind.

The Rancor stumbled to a stop as it felt the unknown presence touch its mind. The Apprentice flinched slightly as he felt the creature’s mind fight against his, a further reminder of the injuries he had suffered on this mission and how much he still had to learn. Shaking his head, he shoved his wavering thoughts aside and delved into the Rancor’s mind, the temple was close but the creature shied away from it due to the presence of something, or someone. The Apprentice frowned, had someone else come here for the object he had been tasked with retrieving? As before he shoved the thoughts aside, he would face that when he arrived at the temple. Seeking the Rancor’s predatory instincts, he found them and enforced his will upon them, forcing it to moan slightly as it was bought under his dominance. Keeping his control on the creature he stepped closer to it and placed a hand on one of the creature’s legs, feeling the sheer power and muscle that resided in it. For a moment he contemplated using the Rancor to travel the remaining distance and using it to help him confront the unknown being already at the temple. Just as quickly the Apprentice discarded the idea, the temple was close, and the Rancor had already shown that it’s aversion and fear would not allow it to be of use.

The Apprentice closed his eyes and delved further into the Rancor’s mind, once he had found the right spot his pushed hard, the creature let out a moan and knelt low as he forced the creature’s body to shut itself down, killing itself. The creature fell with a loud thud as it died, the Apprentice eyed for a moment before dismissing it from his mind and moving on to his ultimate target.

The Apprentice let out a sigh of relief as he entered a clearing and the temple. Up close it was bigger than it had first seemed. It had a large base with four towers thrusting up from the corners and meeting in the middle to create a form of pyramid. Moss and vegetation were slowly encroaching on it and had fully overtaken one corner of the temple and was beginning to overtake more portions of it. A large entrance whole was situated directly in front of him and he could feel the call of the object he had been sent for. He took a step towards the temple and stumbled as pain from his wound washed over him. He gritted his teeth and shoved the pain aside before taking a quick sweep of the surrounding area.

With a jolt he stopped and pulled his Force presence back into him, restricting his access. He had felt another Force user. Had his master sent another? Was this a further test? Had she broken the rule of two? With the Apprentice having restricted his access to force so severely he could feel his wound all the more clearly now, the pain emanating from it threatening to take him under into the nothingness of unconsciousness. He shook his head fiercely, he still had things to do, he still had his mission, his task. He let out a cry of pain as he stumbled and fell to his hands and knees, his vision beginning to darken. With a final gasp he fell to the ground. Dimly he could hear a voice calling out to him but he was already lost to the numbing embrace of oblivion.

 

Fascinating. Interested to see what happens next.

 

Second, and final, part of my fiction
The Apprentice (Cont)
The steady drip of consciousness invaded the Apprentice’s mind, slowly waking him from the oblivion that had claimed him. As consciousness took over and brought him fully out, he became aware of the sound and heat of fire and the presence of someone close by. With his access to the Force still restricted he was forced to rely on the sense that a normal being was forced to use in their normal boring lives. He was laying on his back with the fire on his left-hand side. He could feel the soft, wet texture of the vegetation of the ground and could smell the aroma of cooked meat. “I know you are awake my friend, do not be afraid. I mean you no harm.” A soft, youthful voice sounded from where the Apprentice had thought the unknown being had been. Cautiously, he opened his eyes and turned his head in the direction of the voice. His gut tightened as he was struck by a sudden attack of nerves. Sitting next to him attending the fire was a member of the Jedi Order. They were young and clad in a brown overtunic and white base top and trousers. A green sash seemed to be tied around their belt. From what the Apprentice could tell from what he could see and the voice he assumed the Jedi was a padawan. The Jedi turned their head to look at him and smiled reassuringly.

Inwardly the Apprentice smiled, the Jedi was definitely a padawan and a female. Her long black hair was pulled tight into a ponytail apart from a single braid that hung free and broadcast that she was a padawan. Her skin had a red tone to it and a pair of spikes or horns jutted out from her head; a Devaronian. Despite himself the Apprentice found himself fascinated by the padawan, female Devaronians were not known for having horns and yet this one did, granted they were only small but the points of them remained. “I am padawan Saral T’Venk, you can call me Saral if you want.” Saral smiled again while the Apprentice kept silent, examining her. “You’re probably wondering about my horns; I know it’s unusual for female Devaronians to have them. I don’t know why I have them, I’ve never been able to find out. They just make me unique…. I found you not long ago and I had to help you obviously. It’s part of a Jedi’s obligations to help a citizen in need. I’ve tended to your wound as best I can, but we should really get you to a proper medical facility, how did you get shot? And why are you out here on this planet? My Master sent me here to retrieve an artifact from the temple over there.” She stopped talking and pointed at the temple he had been sent to himself. Saral laughed to herself a bit. “Sorry, I’m a little nervous and when I get nervous, I talk a lot. If I carry this mission out successfully, I’ll be allowed to go to the opening of the new space station that’s being opened soon.” She stopped and took a breath, calming herself.

“Sorry, I’m doing it again. Do you remember what happened to you?” She asked and the Apprentice shook his head. Saral frowned before her expression cleared and she smiled, “that’s okay, we’ll find out what happened when we get back to Coruscant, but first,” she stood up and faced the temple. “I need to finish my mission, I will return citizen, don’t worry.” She took a deep breath before heading towards the temple, the Apprentice watched her go, his eyes narrowing as he watched her enter the temple and disappear inside. He waited a few minutes before getting to his feet. He winced slightly at the pain in his side, his wound still hurt but it had been greatly improved by the padawan. For a brief moment he felt jealousy and appreciation for the Jedi ability to heal using the Force. Just as quickly though he pushed the feelings aside and headed towards the temple while reciting the code of the Sith in his head. He steeled himself before he headed into the temple.


He moved quickly and quietly through the temple, towards the centre, towards the padawan and the goal of his mission. As he entered the central room of the temple, he spotted Saral approaching a raised dais on which a small red pyramid was resting on. Even with his Force presence drawn in considerably the Apprentice could feel the darkness radiating from it. He cursed to himself as he stepped forward and accidently disturbed a rock, causing Saral to look over her shoulder at him. “Oh! What are you doing here?” She asked curiously, her face still naively trusting. “I was curious,” he spoke for the first time in days, his voice cracking slightly. Saral hesitated slightly before nodding, “I see, okay but stay back citizen. This artifact is very dangerous.” The Apprentice looked around the room quickly, taking in every detail, every potential weapon, every potential method of eliminating the Jedi padawan. He smiled as he spied a precarious looking large rock hanging from the roof. “I can’t do that Saral,” he stated as he made a move towards her, “you see, I have a task as well.”

As he moved towards her, he slowly let his force presence return to his full potential. Saral looked on in confusion as he advanced on her, her arms hanging impotently at her sides. “I…I don’t understand.” She uttered in confusion and the Apprentice smiled nastily. “It’s quite simple, my master sent me for that holocron. And I will not fail her!” His face twisted into a snarl as he threw forth his Force presence, took hold of the rock and brought it crashing down towards Saral. The padawan gasped and he felt her reach out with the Force, seizing hold of the rock and arresting its movement. The Apprentice growled as he drew on the Dark side of the Force, trying to overpower Saral. He could feel the tension in the air as the Light and the Dark came together in a deadly battle. “I…. I….don’t….understand. Who are….you?” Saral managed to get out as she obviously struggled to prevent the Dark side from overwhelming her. “You stink of fear padawan, fear I can use!” He snarled out and drew on the fear pouring out from Saral, drew on her fear and fed on it, used it to overpower her. With a final yell the Apprentice pushed, and the rock dropped onto Saral.


Silence returned to the temple, apart from the soft panting of the Apprentice. He moved slowly towards the rock, his ears picking up the soft sounds of something whimpering. He found Saral, still alive, pinned by the rock. Curious despite himself, he looked down on the padawan, tilting his head to the side slightly as the Devaronian tried desperately to cling to life. “Help……me,” Saral gasped out and the Apprentice smiled coldly before lowering himself, so he was closer to her level. “You asked who I am. I am of a long line which will see you and the Jedi end permanently. I am a Sith.” He felt a rush of pleasure and adrenaline course through him as he spoke the words. Saral’s eyes widened in disbelief, “not….possible…” She uttered faintly and he just smiled, “it doesn’t matter what you think Saral. You’re dead, you just haven’t accepted it. But I’m taking the holocron, goodbye Saral.” He stood up and moved towards the pedestal, ignoring the sounds of pain coming from Saral.

He looked down at that holocron, felt the power and the Dark side coming from it, and took it in his hand. He smiled to himself as he turned and headed towards the exit, Saral now banished from his mind. At the exit he stopped and turned to face the room again, he scanned the floor quickly and saw a single lightsaber close to the rock that held Saral, it must have been hers and been thrown from her by luck. He reached out and called it to his hand. It shot into the palm of his hand, and he examined it curiously before igniting it. A bright shaft of blue power erupted from the innards of the weapon and the Apprentice moved the blade around experimentally before nodding and powering down the weapon. He took a final look around the room before leaving it.


Outside he turned and looked at the temple, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He reached out with the Force, reached out to sense all the creatures around him, he was tired, he had used up so much energy already but a true Sith was never without power. He latched onto the creatures around him and drew on their life force, drew it into him. He held it tightly, formed it into a single destructive force, then aimed it at the centre of the temple. He smiled to himself as he heard the temple crumble and opened his eyes to see it collapsing in on itself. He nodded as he witnessed the destruction, now all evidence of his presence was gone, as was any evidence of the battle. With any luck the blind Jedi would chalk it up to a tragic accident.

He turned and headed back into the jungle to his ship.
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Three days later he left the planet.
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When he returned to his Master, he found her in the same spot he had left her, as if she had not moved since he left. He limped off of the ship and dropped to one knee, producing the holocron and offering it to her. He kept his head bowed as he felt the Sith artifact plucked from his hand. “You have done well” he heard his Master state, her voice soft but with the hint of steel that always accompanied her. “But….that is not all you have bought back is it.” She stated and the Apprentice winced slightly before presenting her with Saral’s lightsaber. “Ah I see….and the owner will not be coming back?” He shook his head, “she suffered an….accident.” He replied and heard his Master chuckle. “Yes I see, it seems you have much to tell me. Come....Darth Mortem.”

Darth Mortem rose to his feet and followed after his Master, a smile on his face. “Yes my Master.”

 

Good story, but a promotion from Apprentice to Darth? Come, Mortem, Lord of The Sith. Oh... Wait... This is WAAAY after the Old Republic era. The Sith Empire is long, long gone... Most of my Star Wars experience lies in the Old Republic era. I am most unfamiliar with the Rule of Two era, so this seems a bit different to me.

The Sith's hatred for the Jedi continues to be strong. So strong that it doesn't even occur to him to show even the slightest bit of gratitude for her saving his life.

On second thought, Apprentice to Darth makes sense when the Rule of Two is in play. I was thinking that for an apprentice, he was executing some highly advanced Dark Force techniques, but with the Rule of Two, it makes perfect sense.

Like I said, at the outset, it was a good story. I was waiting for the Padawan to pull out some mad Jedi skills on him, but it looks like, from her, "not... possible," reaction and the fact that her master sent her on this mission wholly unprepared, shows how unexpected it was for her to run into a Sith lord.

With the way he covered his tracks... I wonder how long before the Jedi finally figure out that the Sith are still a thing?

 

Thanks for reading and leaving comments
Yeah, so wrote it with the idea that this happens around 232 BBY. The reference to the space station could be seen as a reference to Starlight Beacon, but equally there is nothing explicit so this could easily fit into both Disney canon and Legends.

But yeah, by this point the Sith are l, trying, to keep quiet and letting themselves fall into obscurity

 

I had a thought...

The Darth Mortem left her for dead, leaving her to suffer an agonizing death, pinned under that rock.... Sure, he collapsed that temple, but what do we do when buildings collapse? We dig through the rubble to recover the victims....

So, what if her master went looking for her padawan, and having found the temple collapsed, decided two things. One: complete the mission and recover that holocron. Two: recover the remains of her padawan. She comes back with a small expedition of heavy duty work droids and other specialists in rescue and recovery operations, and finds her dead padawan. Beside her padawan is written in her own dried blood, "Sith."