Before - Legends Victory - Kessel Run Challenge 2023

Before I get to your latest story, I just want to reply to this:

I understood that; it's just that I found it interesting that two padawans of roughly the same age – and, in this case, one is sent to deal with the other's turn to the dark – were both victims of abuse as children. It doesn't really look like the Jedi are dealing with these particular issues very well, even if it turns out that Vizif actually orchestrated all this to get Xova to talk about the abuse she endured at her uncle's hand.

Interesting also that, in Success, Stevus is again a child slave – when, in the PT, Anakin having been a slave was clearly a rarity. I also liked how you described the structure that a slave society has, with tiers of slaves and an upper class of sorts "who know stuff". I've worked with several people who were victims of the modern-day versions of slavery and it's still the case up to this day.

It's interesting that this is the reputation the Jedi would have in Nal Hutta. There seems to have been a plot of anti-Jedi propaganda by the Hutts to keep their slaves from counting on the Jedi to free them.

Lol, if I hadn't identified this crew yet, I would now!

I can just picture Vizif and Xova rolling their eyes as if dealing with an annoying sibling. And now wonder Stevus has no effing clue what Vek is saying!

HA. Vizif may be rolling her non-eyes again, but Vek has it right.

I didn't find this cheesy/sugary/lovey-dovey at all! I thought it was a great perspective on how a little kid would perceive all this under his specific circumstances, and the setup you gave for this slave society under the Hutts made it very realistic. Now of course I want to see Vek and Xova locking horns over how to care for Stevus once he's in the enclave, but I'm sure you'll find an opportunity to show us just that!

 

Seven or eight... sure, we'll go with that. And yes, not being hurt can sometimes be the best outcome for many of us.

We shall have to see - and hope. With that bunch at the enclave, it's anyone's guess as to whether he'll get lost in the shuffle or end up a Sith Lord. Thank you for reading/replying!

Ah, then it was I who misunderstood. And yes, Xova was extremely reticent to talk about such things - as I believe most of us would - and Vizif had to get it out into the open somehow. As a Master, I doubt she could have bonded with her padawan and not known what had happened, but Xova was always too angry or distant to speak. This brought it out into the open in an undeniable way.

Thanks. I guessed there would be tiers of folks in slavery, kind of like how people get into tiers just about everywhere. Servants in a household are organized that way, and in school, there's definitely a hierarchy - at least here in the States. Makes sense that slaves would be same. Just sadder because they have no freedom at all.

Exactly right. Fear of the outside - making the Jedi seem even worse - would keep most slaves content with the horror they know, rather than the horror they don't know.

Most people have no effing clue what Vek is saying. Hell, half the time, he doesn't know, either.

lol, oh you of so much confidence. Thanks for reading/loving my stories.



Speaking of stories, here's the Week 8 challenge!

Title: Warped
Author: Vek Talis
Length: Vignette
Timeframe: 171 years before KotOR 4127 BBY approx.
Genre: Dark romance/Very AU
Characters: Vek/Nur'rovo EDIT: (Ve'rovo, you might say ), possibly some others you may recognize.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars and never will.
Note: This is for the Kessel Run Challenge. May the Force have mercy on my essence. Word count = 2,630

• Write an AU (alternate universe) story of at least 400 words where a character ends up in a committed romantic relationship with someone other than the person they ended up with in canon or in your existing AUs. That’s right, guys, it’s time to break up your OTP, or never let them get together in the first place. Whether or not the characters are happy about this turn of events is entirely up to you.
• Minimum 400 words, no maximum limit

Explanation: In honor of the Mirror Universe of Star Trek (you Trekkie fans know who you are and what the Mirror Universe is), I give you this fic. If you are familiar, I hope this will please you. If you're not familiar, you could go Google, or just read this story.

Warning: there may be scenes that might offend, something on par with Episode III in severity.



~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Young Hoit had been battered, bruised and abused for days aboard the transport. The ship itself was a rundown wreck. Many systems shorted out frequently during the run from Dubrillion. Showers of sparks rained down as Hoit huddled in the cargo bay. A kindly woman hugged him tightly; she was not his mother, and perhaps, the fear inside her Hoit could feel made her hold on to him for her sake as much as his.

They'd been traveling for days with barely any rations to go around. The Sith troopers were harried enough during the flight from their pursuers to care little for what happened to their human cargo.

The woman who comforted him came back from the food line empty handed one morning. Her expression was... lost... empty. She had nothing left.

Hoit was too small to take anything. Instead, he scurried along. A sense that prickled the flesh on his arm made him stop. Some careless Aqualish who was trying to hoard supplies had a few protein bars hanging loosely from a pocket. Licking his lips, Hoit's stomach prepared to growl. With effort, he focused on the spot, and the pangs subsided; the noise might have given him away.

The Aqualish met with some resistance from a couple of hungry humans. Hoit could see their aura - desperate, on the edge of starvation. The Aqualish shook his fist at them, threatening to pound them if they didn't get back. He offered food for credits. Sadly, the humans had none.

Hoit watched and waited. The humans eyed the Aqualish. The boy saw the determination in their gazes, felt them coil for an attack. When they did, the Aqualish was ready, fists clenched. He beat back the attack, but in the process, two of the protein bars slipped farther out of his pocket.

Quickly, Hoit pounced. He grabbed the bars as the desperate scene played out, returning to the small cubby where the woman and he had been sheltering, a smile on his face. But the woman was gone. She had taken the rags they lay on, huddled together in the nights as the ship rocked to and fro.

All Hoit could do was sit and cry, wrapping his arms around his legs, drawing himself up into a little ball as he weeped. What would he do now? Suddenly, the ship shook violently. A second shake brought a distinct sound of metal on metal. The ship had docked. Somewhere.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Welcome to the Sith Republics." Darth Despare, diminutive, green, stepped forward as the ramp came down from the transport. "We will aid you as we can and pray a new, better life awaits you here in Bu Arbage."

Humans, Aqualish, Devaronians began filing from the cargo bay, spilling out into the capital of the Destrius system. They looked tired, ragged, on the edge. Life in the Galactic Empire was never easy for those about whom the Imperials cared nothing. A few droids rolled or toddled along, showing that a few of the denizens had once had money, at least some. Now, they had what meager belongings they'd managed to smuggle from Drubillion.

The planet had once been part of the Sith Republics. Indeed, only three weeks prior, Imperial battle cruisers had appeared in the skies above the world. The Republics had been unable to muster enough of a defense. It was a terrible ordeal for those who managed to escape and those left behind to face the oppression, mass confiscations, rapes and massacres that usually accompanied Imperial conquest.

A hooded figure strode up beside Despare. "Do you know if any of these sentients may join our military forces, Master?" He was human, wise and capable. His rank, Sith Master, stood below Despare, but he captained a capital cruiser, while Despare remained one of the Sith Lords, a cadre of some of the most powerful who led the Order in their bleak defense against the onslaught of the Empire.

"Not as yet," Despare answered with a sigh. "Likely some, but have a look as they exit." A sudden jolt of the Force. "There is a boy," Despare said, pointing inside. "The Force surrounds him. It binds him."

The Sith Master closed his eyes. "I sense it too, Master. He should be trained, of course."

A black haired, tan skinned child staggered from the vessel in the next moment. Despare watched the Force swirl around him. Instinct took over and he stepped forward, beckoning the boy. "This way, lad. What is your name?"

At first, the boy seemed reticent. Despare released his inner turmoil, allowed the boy to sense his aura. "I'm Hoit, sir," the boy said after another moment's thought. "I'm alone. I'm scared."

"Good, Hoit," Despare said. "Fear will make you fight harder against the enemy. You will need all your strength, I suspect."

Alarms began to blare across Bu Arbage. The Sith Master looked to the blue skies. "Perhaps the ship's pilot wasn't as thorough as we'd hoped, Master. It seems it's been tracked."

"See to the defenses of the city, Master Sunrider," Despare said, glancing up. He reached out, took Hoit's hand. "Come, I will make you my own apprentice. You have much to learn, but the Force flows through you."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Blast those pesky peasants off the bleedin' landing pad," Vek said as he sat down in the co-pilot's seat. It had been his idea to let that last transport get away, track it back to its source. Now that they'd discovered this pathetic desert planet, he wanted to make the most of his time here.

"But of course." Cerulean headtails waggled as Nur'rovo, piloting the vessel, put her into a dive, clenching the triggers as she did. Blasts rang out, guided by the Force, that energy field which demanded obedience but provided power in return, clearing the deck of the useless bodies.

"I always obey," Nur'rovo said, turned to Vek and stuck out her tongue, then ran it along her upper lip sensuously.

What did she see in him? She was powerful, she was wealthy, she could have any man - or woman, for that matter - in the Empire. The Twi'lek was one of the Imperial Council, after all. Yet when she first became a Master and showed up in the enclave on Dantooine, she'd taken notice of the Knight. Flirting was fun, for sure, but he never really expected it to go anywhere. After all, he was just a FrAG. FrAGs were relegated to desk duty, mostly. The most powerful were either culled as too dangerous, or stripped of their powers.

But there was no denying the sheer animal magnetism they shared. They could talk for hours about anything or nothing, and it felt like minutes. When a prospect of conquest - or revenge - arrived, they were equally voracious in its application.

Now, however, Vek became thoughtful. The Force presence he'd felt on Drubillion was... there. He pointed. "That child. I knew he stowed away on a freighter." The child in question, Hoit, Vek thought was the brat's name, had been brought to the enclave, ripped from his parents' embrace. The boy was strong in the Force. He needed to be trained, brought under heel in the Empire, or he might cause trouble one day.

Hoit had escaped Dantooine. Vek was certain he could track the child, even though Nur'rovo and Iobat weren't convinced anyone could.

Nur'rovo closed her eyes, slowly nodded. "You're right, Vek." She batted her thickly lashed eyes at him. "I knew you'd blossom into a fine Jedi one day."

"Right." Vek couldn't help roll his eyes up into his head. Nur'rovo threw back her head and laughed.

In a flash the Twi'lek sprang from the pilot's seat, straddled Vek in the co-pilot's. Her legs were long. The slit of her outfit revealed smooth, toned muscle. Of its own accord, his hand came to rest on the taut yet silky flesh. She rocked her hips forward, creating a quite pleasant sensation against his robes.

"You keep up the good work, Vek, and this could get... complicated, between us." She bent down, wrapped her sexy lips around his. Her tongue briefly sought his, then pulled back and she was gone from his lap as quickly as she'd appeared. "Let's go take care of business first... lover."

He could hardly argue with that. There were definitely throats to choke out there.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Lightning crackled. Master Nur'rovo's hand stretched forth. A surge of electricity fried one of the Sith troopers in his armor. Vek grabbed another with the Force, raised him up while squeezing, not too fast, no no, the suffering had to be complete before he'd discard the pathetic remains.

Imperial forces landed in synch. Mundanes charged forth, blaster rifles and vibro blades in their hands. Crude weapons, Vek thought as he blocked a blaster bolt with his saber. They may as well throw their feces at us.

That was a bit unfair. He knew blaster bolts could kill the weak and slow. They killed mundanes, after all. But any Jedi who was preoccupied or useless enough to let his or her guard down for even a moment, deserved what they got. Life wasn't about kindness, it was about survival. However you clawed your way into a position of power was the right way. Keeping that power through strength and mindfulness was the piece that separated the successful and the dead.

"Through that doorway, Master," Vek called. There was another being in that adobe hovel. At least one, but no one would stop him from collecting young Hoit as his own apprentice. Not even Nur'rovo. She had her own apprentice, of course, but he was well on his way to becoming a Knight.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Go and make preparations; I suspect we will need to escape here soon enough." Darth Despare sighed heavily. If the Sith Republics were ever to turn the tide against the Empire, it wouldn't be today. The Empire had come to Destrius in force. It had been a sanctuary world, hidden from the Empire where the Sith could train in safety. No longer.

The Zabrak Sith Knight bowed her head in acquiescence. "Of course, Master," she said, turning to the Togruta beside her. "Come, I will need your help with the cloaking device of the transport, Tech Babry."

"Will we be safe?" Hoit's fear was palpable. It might have even been what drew the Imperials. The boy would be a wise and kind Sith one day, or a powerful conquering Imperial.

"I am not sure," Despare said wearily. He reached for Hoit's hand.

"I'll take that hand... And the kid it's attached to." Jedi had just burst through the door. Tall, arrogant, he gave off an aura of reason which perplexed Despare only for a moment. No one ever said vile creatures like this couldn't have logical reasons for what they did.

The human Jedi was followed by a Twi'lek female... one all too familiar to Despare. "Nur'rovo, it seems we meet again," the diminutive master said.

Her blade immediately sprang to life. "This is the last time you meddle in our plans, Despare," she snarled, right before leaping at him.

Darth Despare bounced off a wall, blocking first a strike from Nur'rovo, then one from the human. He twirled over the human's head, to land behind, but the human stuck his blade behind him to block Despare's strike.

Nur'rovo unleashed a blast of Lightning, but Despare blocked it easily with a raised hand, before bounding over a table to take another swipe at the human. He, in turn, tried to wrap Despare in a Force grip. He was strong, stronger than he should have been. He must be a FrAG, Despare thought as he wriggled free of the grip.

Despite his agility, Nur'rovo waited until he was fully engaged, blocking a flurry of strikes from the human, to unleash another jolt, just a single bolt, of lightning. It caught Despare in the flank as he had barely begun a movement away from it. The bolt knocked away his blade and he spun down to the floor. He heard Hoit gasp.

The tip of the human's blade hummed in Despare's ear. "Ready to become a fried, green tomato?" he asked ominously, though Despare didn't understand the reference. Neither, apparently, did Nur'rovo. At last, the human shrugged shoulders and raised an eyebrow. "Your loss, shorty."

Despare took what he thought would be his last breath. However, a familiar presence tingled at the edge of his senses. Ah, my old apprentice, he thought just as the human's blade rose.

Darth Saij burst into the room in the next moment, the black veil she wore fluttering at the movement. A few Sith troops came in behind her, weapons at the ready. "This way, Master," she cried as Nur'rovo crossed blades with her.

The human leaped back to block young Hoit's path. "No no, little one," he said. "You'll not get away from me like you did against those fools at the enclave."

"Hoit!" Despare reached out for his blade, but the human Jedi pulled it to him first. Now, he ignited both blades, crossed them at Hoit's throat.

"Better think again, Darth." The human Jedi grinned viciously. Though Despare doubted the human would so easily take such a young life, he knew Nur'rovo would if she found the chance. That left the Sith Lord only one option: retreat in the hope he could rescue Hoit another day.

"Let's go, Saij," Despare said. They hurried to their escape shuttle, hopeful Xova and Babry at least had the cloaking device functional. They might survive to oppose the Empire another day, then.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

With Hoit resting in the crew quarters, Vek trotted up to the cockpit, triumph making his feet as light as air. At first glance, it appeared empty.

Then, bare blue arms grabbed him, pulled him to the side. Nur'rovo was naked. She planted a vicious kiss on his lips that hurt and felt better than anything he'd experienced before. When he broke the embrace, he leaned back to take in her magnificent curved features.

"You did it, Vek," she whispered, her voice hoarse with anticipation. "I knew you had this in you."

Unfortunately for her, he hadn't been aware of what he had in him, not until they'd arrived on Destrius. He leaned forward, pressing his chest against her breast to drink in her sensuous lips again.

This time, it was she who pulled back. Her crystal blue eyes searched his momentarily. "I know you doubted yourself, but I had faith in you, Vek."

"I thought one had only oneself to rely on?" he asked, also searching her orbs. Since he'd arrived here, he'd been taught only one law: survive. However, and by whatever means possible. The Jedi Order was far removed from what they'd thought... where he came from before. In fact, it almost seemed like everything was... backwards here.

"Being a member of the Imperial Council grants us some vision, Vek." Nur'rovo practically purred in his ear. "We have so much responsibility, after all, we have to be the wisest. And everyone needs allies, Vek, people around us who help keep us strong, and who we help in return."

When she kissed him again, there was open invitation in the actions of her tongue. She broke the kiss again to suck his ear lobe. "You and I can be a great team, Vek. Joined in blood and love." She pulled back, activated her lightsaber. Before he could react, she'd carefully sliced open her palm.

Without thinking, he did the same. They joined hands. He was soon removed of his garments as well, as their passions erupted from there. Yes indeed, this would be a fine pairing. And he could see how far he could go before he didn't need her anymore.

~fini

 

Veka and Nur'rovo a pair in this universe gone mad. Just like Kirk and number One in Mirror Mirror with all the loving and being cruel to others. A great AU with Sith the good ones and the Jedi bad.

 

I'm most fond of Mirror Universes *reads on avidly*

Such uncommon common sense, she's just so reasonable!

 

I told you on PM already that evil!Vek was a sight to behold, but now I've read this story more carefully I'm going to confirm it

I loved all the switcheroos here in the Mirror Universe, with the Sith Republics fighting the Empire and Vandar, Xova and Vizif being gentle Sith. I'm also curious to know which Sunrider that was supposed to be. But Tech Babry is back and still in her role as a tech – and Xova was much nicer to here, so yay!

Loved that Vek's Earth-based snark is a constant in this universe, and how it still baffles everyone

And poor little Hoit! Man, that kid never gets a break, does he? It was heartbreaking to think that he escaped from the Jedi enclave again, yet didn't find salvation in this universe either.

Heh. Makes sense that in this universe, stabbing each other in the back would be what Jedi do. No wonder that Vek's video game knowledge of the Jedi wouldn't be helpful around here!

 

Thanks! The one missing Mirror was The Next Generation. Can you imagine how much of a villain Patrick Stewart could be? No gentle Picard there, with a Klingon war dog to call on when he needed to remove someone from the bridge, lol.

We shall see how 'reasonable' she is... perhaps. If the right prompt comes my way and I continue this.

Ulic Sunrider, just an OC. I could call him the Great Great Uncle of Nomi. She won't be born for somewhere around 120 years, so... maybe? Maybe in this Mirror universe, Xova's uncle was a good guy - and by that I mean he was dead before he had the chance to abuse her so maybe she is more than a little different.

Especially himself.

Yeah, if I get the right prompt before this challenge is over, this might not be the last y'all see of the Mirror. And maybe Hoit still has a chance...

Especially Jedi in this era, where they seem to stumble around doing all kinds of damage without realizing it - when they're supposed to be the good guys, lol. Thanks for reading!

Thanks! Sometimes the 'bad' romance is the best. Or at least the steamiest.

Yes, Vizif = Darth Saij. Going for benevolent or sad names for Sith, since they aren't evil in this one.

I know, lol. At least he's still alive and kicking for the moment.

The steamier the better - or the badder. I appreciate your opinion, Master, as always. I'm glad you think I'm doing passably.

 

Title: Warped 2
Author: Vek Talis
Length: Vignette
Timeframe: 171 years before KotOR 4127 BBY approx.
Genre: Mirror AU
Characters: You'll just have to guess.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars and never will.
Note: This is for the Kessel Run Challenge. May the Force have mercy on my essence. Word count = 481

• Write a story between 300 and 1,000 words in the form of a dramatic monologue. This can be either poetic or prose in nature, but the idea behind the dramatic monologue should be observed: a speech or narrative where a silent listener is addressed, in which the speaker inadvertently reveals aspects of their character while describing a particular situation or series of events.
• Word limit = 300-1,000 words

"Desperation. Sadness. Vulnerability. These are terms for the weak minded, apprentice. You are young, yes, and so may be forgiven a time or two, but mark this: if you are weak, there are many who would prey upon you. I'm not exactly the most sought after Master in the Jedi Order, but there are those who would kill you for a chance to have a Master."

"Between you and me, Hoit, one may be forgiven for compassion to a brave but vanquished foe, but only so long as you can be certain he or she will never trouble you again."

"Forgiveness as a whole, on the other hand, is pure folly. If someone betrays you, be it as simple a thing as your confidence, rest assured they will betray so much more, should you allow them further purchase in your life. Feel that the Force has smiled upon you, then, if only your confidence is betrayed."

"A Jedi must always be wary of others, as they will stab you in the back, given a moment's opportunity."

"Vigilance. Accountability. Vengeance. These are the words to which you must cling. They will not comfort you in the night. They are words of responsibility that weigh you down and push you on to find new conquests, new sources of power."

"Because power is a meaningless term on its own. Absent the ability to chastise oneself, the outside world will step in and take away all you hold dear. And so you must be hyper-vigilant, lest your enemies plunge their daggers into your throat as you lie sleeping."

"You must hold yourself accountable for your own actions and mistakes, for you will make mistakes. The best rise above them... or find a way to turn a mistake into a weapon to vanquish a foolish foe."

"And lastly, young Hoit, a Jedi respects vengeance. When the one who has wronged you lies at your feet sobbing, desperation cast upon their puling face, if you show weakness, if you show too much compassion, if you falter, you may yet yourself be undone."

"The Force does not respect one who shies away from vengeance. Yes, my old master, who taught me this most valuable lesson and then attempted to slit my throat when he thought I was sleeping... you too learned a valuable lesson, did you not? You learned that a FrAG loses the need for sleep. But you learned that the hard way, didn't you, my former master?"

"At any rate, you will learn these things, Hoit, or you will perish and someone more worthy will take your place. Now, I have waxed philosophical long enough that Master Nur'rovo undoubtedly thinks I have ignored her messages and is looking for another beau upon whom to exact her womanly wiles. Should I miss such an opportunity, heads will roll; oh, yes, heads will roll. Back to your regular studies."

 

WOW more dark Jedi education. I love these Mirror Jedi with the dark Force

 

Mirroriest mirror ever!

Yup, that's the thing - just like in gossip, while you're listening to popcorn-munch-worthy tidbits, the back of your mind asks, "But what will they say about me when my back is turned?"

To quote Skipper, "Dear, sweet, naive Private, friends are just enemies who haven't attacked yet."

 

All of these have been wonderful entries!

I particularly liked your Week 7 & Week 8 responses. You did a fantastic job writing a child's POV with Stevus, and Week 8 was a great blend of action, romance, and evil that made it a dark, but really fun, read.

Great work all around, and I can't wait to see what you do with the remaining prompts!

 

Oh dear, Dark!Vek is dark! I really feel for poor little Hoit in this Mirror Dimension. It gives such a different meaning to his original appearance in Victory. In the prime!verse he chose death over separation from his family. In this one, what would be the ultimate victory?

Now I'm curious to find out more about this storyline, and who this former master was!

I'm not sure why you said you weren't satisfied with this entry. I think it's an amazing use of the prompt, and the tone is just right!

 

Thank you, @earlybird-obi-wan *bows This has been a very fun challenge; I'm sorry to see it almost over.

Thank you! Beyond the challenge, I wonder if the evil plot bunnies will bite so I can continue this cracked mirror.

Exactly. Those who gossip most are often most frightened of what others think of them.

Too true. Thanks for the paranoia!

Poor Vek shouldn't have revealed that little tidbit about himself, now should he? Especially not to the padawan who might one day use that knowledge against him, eh?

Thanks!

You are too kind.

Another one coming up. Gonna use my empty bye week to write the planned last Vignette - I already have the basics lined up - should be... interesting, maybe?

For Hoit in this universe the ultimate victory might be survival with his sanity intact. And thanks! I think all of us have the potential for a Dark Side, and Vek definitely has a nasty streak in there somewhere - thankfully it's in the cracked'verse.

You and me both!

Thanks. It's not something I do very often: use dialogue to relay a thought or idea, lol. I'm pretty stingy with the talking, usually. Just like Vek.





And Now for Something Completely Different - a man with a tape recorder up his brother's nose. Or else the Week 10 challenge!



Title: Future
Author: Vek Talis
Length: Teeny weeny story
Timeframe: 171 years before KotOR 4127 BBY approx.
Genre: Angsty-Monologue (yes, I'm trying it again )
Characters: Warning: New OC: Ra'an Na'al
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars and never will.
Note: This is for the Kessel Run Challenge. May the Force have mercy on my essence. Word count = 185
Extra Notes: The context of this will become clear to anyone who chooses to read my current, non challenge related fic, which shall remain nameless because this is about a challenge, not advertising my other fics.
Prompt:
Write a story between 100 and 400 words, and include these three words: carmine, intoxicate, solace




"The Jedi sought to sweep the truth under the rug, so to speak. But I know better. I, who have traveled galaxies, gazed into the gaping maw of nebulas, scoffed at supernovas. I am on the trail, fool Jedi. With my new guide, I will sweep away the old guard. Even the Sith, the poor, misguided twits they are, will bend the knee to the true meaning of the Force."

"Carmine are his eyes, bleeding wisdom to intoxicate me, fill me with the undeniable truth."

"I listened to the Jedi prattle about peace, knowledge, serenity, harmony. Fa! What is peace without war? What is knowledge without ignorance, serenity without turmoil, harmony without dissonance?"

"And finally, what is life without the empty, festering void? Ah, my ignorant masters, puling over simplistic matters as if that grants you wisdom? You will gain wisdom as you gaze into the black and see your own eternity reflected in the shimmering emptiness."

"Oh, Doctor Devner, where did you hide that last secret of yours... Yes, now your failure - and my solace - is complete. And now I search for the key to unravel... everything."

 

This being is truly dark wanting to exterminate Jedi and Sith alike. A great response to the 10th challenge

 

Nihilists, unite! This reeks of total disillusionment, and I pity the fool who succumbs to that. How far can this philosophy take him or her?

 

Before I get to the new story:

I'm the sort of person who plans out things in meticulous detail before I come up with any storyline at all, so I want to say here that I find it amazing that you can write things in such a convincing way even when your pantsing it. From that little bit of text, I was convinced that you had a specific background in mind for this AU, but apparently not! I hope the plot bunnies come out of the hutch for you, so that we can read more.

Back to Future now ( ): I went and read the latest chapter of Loss this morning (and I'm hoping to make time for a proper review over there during the weekend) so I think that I know who the speaker is! What I find really interesting though is that they're claiming to want to take on the Jedi and the Sith, and even though this monologue sounds pretty Sithy to me, it makes for an interesting (fraggy?) twist. I guess I'll find out more in the other thread!

 

Thanks, as always @earlybird-obi-wan You are a delightful reader/commenter/writer.

You 'pity the fool' Mrs. T? The philosophy with take them only so far as there are weaker enemies in his/her way.

Fraggy is the question, is it not? and I think yes, you may be on to something as to the speaker in question. AND, there may be a bonus of this 'new' character in the last piece of the Kessel Run challenge. Even if none of the characters remember it later on. (not telling what that means, nuh-uh. )

Your guess is as good as mine, Master. And in this case, yes, that is correct.

Thank you. Yes, even the simplest dichotomy, there would be no light (as in sunlight) if there was no darkness and vice versa, to me shows that very little can exist without its natural juxtaposition. And yes, an explosion - or implosion in the purest meaning of the term - of both extremes might be just what this person is aiming for. Heh. Heh.

We're getting close to the last fic. I'll be sorry to see this challenge end. Monday will be my first post of the last story. I'm hoping the bunnies will bite for more of the Mirror universe, though. Have to get through writing my current fics, though.

 

Title: Helter-Skelter
Author: Vek Talis
Length: Vignette - multiple posts
Timeframe: 171 years before KotOR 4127 BBY approx.
Genre: Twisted
Characters: Probably the whole OC gang
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars and never will.
Note: This is for the Kessel Run Challenge. May the Force have mercy on my essence. Word count = 5,551

Further Note: I was trying to pay tribute to the ST:TNG series finale, All Good Things... with this fic. I shall let the Trekkies out there let me know if I was successful.

Long vignette (2,000+ words)

• Write a story using a reverse narrative, or a backwards story. This could be a story where the final events occur first and the first events occur last, or it could be a story where time literally flows backward rather than forward.
• Word limit = minimum 2,000 words, no maximum limit
• Entries due Monday, April 3rd at 11:59pm EST

Day 0 Hour 0

"This is a disaster," Vizif said as the party hurried down the last corridor to the small room at the end.

The bloodied body of Tech Babry lay stretched along the wall, Administrator Lessel beside her, hands to her own throat, as if the victim of a Force choke. Vek, ever the optimist, knelt beside Babry, touched the side of her neck, where the carotid artery is on a Togruta. It was easy to see she was dead, but he was always looking to save everyone, while ignoring himself. Foolish ideology, Xova thought as she watched him.

The master shook her head sadly. "The entire enclave, slaughtered. Is this why we were sent on that wild porg chase?" The bodies of Knights and padawans were scattered about in the upper levels. None of the Knights were holding their lightsabers, as if they were killed before they knew what was going on.

When Vek remarked on this, Xova snarled, "It doesn't matter. We're aware of what's going on and we can end it. Or did you not notice I have my lightsaber in my hand?"

"Well and truly noted, my fellow Knight," Vek said, giving her a bow at the waist. "As to the wild porg chase, Master, perhaps whoever did this required that one or all of us be absent for their plan to come to fruition? An inside source, possibly?"

"Possibly," Vizif granted. "Did the Unifying Force tell you that, or did you just speculate yourself?" Xova's former master was still a little bitter about what he tried to do when Xova was given her test. The newly Knighted Zabrak wasn't quite as happy with Vizif's vitriol against Vek as she thought she'd have been.

And her venom hit home, for he cast his eyes to the floor and said nothing further. Xova guessed Vizif would get over it soon enough. It was enough that Xova had at last opened up to her master about the sexual abuse she's suffered at the hands of the sorry excuse for a man who'd raised her. Before the Jedi rescued her from that foul creature, at any rate.

Purple sparkling light shone from beneath the door to the private training room at the end of the corridor. A shadow slid along the length before receding. Someone was in there, all right. Xova activated her blade, the crystal blue mingling with the shades filtering from the doorjamb.

Vizif activated her blue blade as well. "I don't know what, or who we'll find in there, but this is one time where we shouldn't be cautious," she said. "Whoever has done this might possibly be lying in wait, or have another victim we may yet save."

"As you say, Master," Xova said, relish laced in her voice. This is what she lived for: taking it to the bad guys.

Vek's yellow blade hummed as well, the light blending well with the blue of the others' sabers. "I will endeavor to cover your attacks, Master, Knight," he said, bowing his head to each in turn. He wasn't much with the blade - his training session with her long forgotten - but he made up for it through the Force. And, Xova had to admit to herself, though he didn't do well with the other saber forms, he made more of Shii-cho than most padawans who were eager to learn Makashi or Soresu, as Xova had been.

As they stormed into the private training room, Master Nur'rovo hung in the air, the life sucked from her frame. The soft blue flesh was sunken, tinted a light, deathly brown as her legs kicked their last, her lungs heaved one more time, her eyes rolled back into her head and she gave up the ghost.

Cackling, the mad woman behind the corpse exploded into wrath. Some infernal device stood behind her, sickly yellow strands of light connecting the master and the monster. When Nur'rovo dropped to the floor with a final thud, the villain turned her full attention to the Jedi. Carmine light screeched from her body, filling in the shadows and crevices of the room, swallowing whole the purple and yellow light that had once held sway.

"Ra'an Na'al," Vizif said. "I suspected you were involved in this somehow. You must stop this madness before it consumes you."

"Pathetic Jedi." Na'al launched the words like daggers at her foes. "Did you think I'd come crawling back to you... my old friend? Do you remember that last night, as I lay in your arms? You'd told me it was foolish to seek answers outside the Jedi, even as you made love to me. How far outside the Jedi way was that, Vizif?"

Xova gaped at her master for a moment. Love, or compassion, was necessary for a Jedi. And Xova wasn't naive enough to believe no Jedi ever spent a night with another Jedi from time to time - except Vek, she'd have bet anything he was a monk in disguise - but never had she thought of her master that way.

When Vizif remained silent, Ra'an Na'al sneered and continued. "I could have killed you as you lay sleeping, naked in every way before me, but I knew there was a better fate for you than that, my precious." The last two words were spoken with such acidic sweetness that Xova felt as though she needed a bath.

At last, Vizif screeched, raised her saber and charged at the golden haired villain. Taking her cue, Xova growled and followed. Even Vek leaped toward Na'al, his blade outstretched.

And then it happened. Na'al simply wasn't in the same place from one moment to the next. It was as if something - that infernal device behind her, maybe - gave her powers far beyond the natural, even supplemented by the Force. Xova froze in place. It felt more than the Force holding her still, as if supra-cosmic hands had stopped her in her tracks.

Vizif slashed and cut in every direction, instant fury filling her, augmenting her natural abilities. She used Ataru like a master with twice her experience. But it made no difference. Ra'an Na'al seemed to allow the saber strikes to flow right through her and she took no damage. Vek slid up beside the villain, the Force gathering around him, but she caught his attempts, turned them back on him, one after another until he was dead, slammed into the far wall of the training room.

Vizif, exhausted, struck out with the Force. Na'al laughed with glee as she kicked her former love in the ribs, stealing the wind from her lungs. Vizif doubled over and Na'al slid her blade through her back, down and out through her stomach. Xova screamed, but her voice was empty. The device glowed bright red, flashed its fearsome light across the room, as if growing in its own power.

"The Je'daii of old held greater power than we can ever understand," Na'al said as Vizif dropped to the floor. She was more than dead, she was... empty. Xova felt her - and Vek's - energy draining into the device. It filled Ra'an Na'al up with some kind of vicious power. Something beyond... everything Xova had ever perceived.

"Carmel Drybeam, Je'daii fool," Na'al said, turning her attentions on Xova. She was hungry. "You foolish girl, nineteen thousand years ago, you could have had it all, but you refused to see the power of darkness."

Na'al strode toward Xova as the Zabrak tried to move in any way. The Force drained away from her. Not a muscle in her body would work. She was fully trapped and couldn't even feel what kind of energy was doing it. It wasn't the Force, of that she was certain.

"At last, I have discovered the means of total power," Na'al said. "The Jedi denied me these things. They said I was mad, as did the misguided Sith. They said being a FrAG was a curse. Now they are consumed. Now they add fuel to my power, my purpose. It is the end for everything, including you, my young friend." Her grin was porcelain, as if carved by a madman on the face of a helpless doll.

Na'al's blade activated and Xova felt no more pain.

 

Evil Na'al slaughtering, consuming everything like a Borg.
Scary with Vek and Vizif finding the Jedi after their Porg hunt

 

Ooooookaaaaaay. I'm not a Trekkie, so I can't comment on the TNG finale similarities, but sheesh, this was quite the opening salvo for the final entry of the challenge! A body count of 6 named characters, and however many unnamed ones, just like that? Alrighty then. I'm off to re-read Loss and try to figure out what's going on with that devilish contraption that absorbs Force powers

 

Na'al is a pretty scary character, isn't she? And she won! Oh, no! Speaking of the Borg, they are pretty awesome aren't they? Absolutely loved the allusion to the tennis player Bjorn in First Contact by Alfrie Woodard, lol. "Sounds Swedish".

Yes, be very afraid, mwuhahaha! How can our heroes possibly counter the fact that they've already lost?!?!?! They can't, can they?



Post 2: This one is bit short, but I have a post for each day of this week. Thanks for reading and a big thanks to the lovely hostess and all the participants and readers of this great challenge!


Day 0 Hour -1

Their ship touched down, S8 powered down the engines, began a routine check of all systems. Vizif reached out through the Force, trying to contact Master Iobat. Before they'd left, she'd been concerned at how someone could have murdered a Knight within the enclave - not long after poor Master Vandar died in his sleep - and gotten away so completely. To come back empty handed from their mission was nearly devastating to the master.

The enclave looked quiet. Iobat's essence was nowhere to be found. As a fellow Miraluka, they shared a bond through the Force that could be ignored or cultivated. Vizif didn't care for Iobat's ways all that much, but she was grateful to have another of her kind around. When he seemed absent, she began to worry.

A wave of Force swept into the party, heading out from the enclave. Xova hardly seemed to notice, but Vek grabbed his forehead. That was a potential sign the Unifying Force was speaking. Vizif was still angry at him for what he did during Xova's trial. But hurts faded with time and she loved him like a brother; she just wished he'd think before opening his mouth sometimes. She also recognized he was better at reading the Unifying Force than anyone she'd met before, save Vandar. Poor, dead Vandar.

"Whoa," Vek said after the wave passed. "That was... intense."

"Don't tell me: the Unifying Force said you're going to say something you think witty and arch an eyebrow," Xova chided.

He did indeed arch an eyebrow then. "I'm entirely shocked and surprised to learn how neglectful are your own studies on the Unifying Force," he said half seriously. "And I'm sarcastic, not witty; there's a difference."

"Oh, enough, Vek." Vizif turned to glare at him. "Didn't you feel that... emptiness in the enclave when we arrived?" When he didn't answer right away, her hands went to her hips. "Well, what did the Unifying Force say?"

For a moment, he closed his eyes, tried to get a sense of what she was feeling. Slowly, he nodded. "I think we'd best get in there and search, Master," he said. "What I felt from the Unifying Force was... convoluted." Xova snorted. "Not in the way it often is," Vek admonished the young Knight. "Almost as if jabbing me from..." his eyes went far away, "the future."

"Now's not the time to worry about that," Vizif said decisively. Something was going on down in the lowest level of the enclave. "I'm sure you just felt that, yes?" Vek nodded, cast a gaze toward the enclave. Xova grabbed for her lightsaber hilt.

For once, Vizif was inclined to agree with her most recent padawan. She too unhooked the hilt from her belt. Thankfully, Xova had opened up about the abuse she'd suffered. Though Vizif was no longer her master, she was still working with the Zabrak on coming to grips with her anger about the situation. Though now might be the best time to utilize anger in its proper form - as a means to exact justice, and then be released into the Force.

"We should get in there," Vek said, still looking thoughtful. The Force swirled around him more cohesively than Vizif had seen in a while. He'd become distant after her chiding. Maybe he was more sensitive than he looked, or maybe he just felt it more from someone so close. Whatever the reason, Vizif would have to have a talk with him as soon as they dealt with this debacle.

The main floor of the enclave was quiet. Too quiet. Xova's blade ignited. Fear gripped her. Fear, and it's ever present ally: anger. "Where is everyone?" Xova asked in a whisper.

"Over here," Vek said, kneeling nearby. He'd slipped away while Vizif and Xova were looking in another direction.

"Don't sneak away like that again, Vek," Vizif said. But then, she stopped short. A void in the Force spread toward her. It crept along toward her bowels, carrying a familiar presence. Cold, icy blue flesh. She knelt down, touched Master Iobat's hand. He hadn't been dead long, so it was a surprise to find him so cold.

"You feel it too, don't you, Master," Vek whispered. "An old presence, along with ancient... yearning."

"Emptiness," Vizif agreed.

She sensed Vek stand; he was agitated in a way she'd never felt from him before. It was genuine worry, not for himself, for she'd never seen him concerned with his own wellbeing. "We'd better head for the lower levels, Master," he said. "I suspect that's where we'll find the answers we're after."

 

scary with Vek his usual witty self

 

Thank you, @earlybird-obi-wan It gets even more confusing from here on in, so prepare for the ride.





Day -1 Hour -8

The night was chilly. Then again, maybe it was the mood. Vek slipped his arms into the sleeves of his robe. Smoke from the funeral pyre blew off into the faces of the gathered. The diminutive form was still. It once held knowledge, wisdom, strength. Now, it lay prone, allowed the flames to lick its cold flesh.

This isn't supposed to happen, Vek thought. This can't happen. How did this happen?

Nur'rovo, Iobat and Vizif were the only other masters here. Vek glanced around at the assembled Knights and Padawans. Could any of them have seen anything? Vandar had supposedly been alone in his quarters. Died in his sleep. What a crock, Vek thought. Almost independently, his feet began to move. It wasn't unusual for Jedi to come and go at a ceremony, though as the senior Knight present, someone was bound to take notice and complain.

Too kriffing bad, Vek thought as he walked casually - in lieu of full on running - toward the enclave. Someone wasn't here, someone who might help him learn more. He practically burst into the lower level of the enclave, plodded down the hallways toward one specific set of quarters, pressed a button. "Yes?"

"This is Knight Talis; do you have a moment?"

The door slid open. Tech Babry's voice echoed from the fresher room. "Enter, if you care to."

Vek strode in. Babry came out of the fresher room, towel wrapped around her. She stopped short. "Oh, Knight Talis, I didn't know it was you."

Vek replayed the last thirty seconds over in his mind as his eyes wandered down the slick, silky smoothness of her legs. Silently, he kicked himself. Hard. "I thought I'd announced myself," he said quietly.

Aloshla shrugged her shoulders, arresting the movement only half begun when the towel, affixed between her breasts threatened to come undone. Her attire already left little to the imagination. With great effort, he found a spot on her ceiling at which to stare.

"That comm unit hasn't worked in some time," she said absently. "I've been meaning to work on it, but I'm so busy with everything else." She almost popped up in the air.

Why did the word pop just come into my head? Vek asked himself with an internal groan. Though he'd recently lost the need to sleep, most of this other senses and desires were still fully functional.

"Where are my manners," Babry said playfully. "You're sweating, Knight. Would you like a towel to wipe your forehead?" She made as if to give him hers.

"No, I'm golden," Vek said hastily. He tried not to watch her smile giddily at him. "Erm, Tech Babry, Aloshla, I find I am in need of your assistance."

"Yes, yes?" She seemed all too eager to provide just the kind of assistance that would get him talked about in the enclave for decades to come.

"Can you help me discover what really happened to Master Vandar?" He saw the light vanish from her eyes almost instantly, though it was replaced very quickly with... anticipation?

She recovered very well. "We can call up the enclave data on the computers. See what happened." She turned to the console on her wall, turned back suddenly. "You don't believe he died in his sleep?" When Vek shook his head, she shuddered. "That means someone here... lied."

"What do you mean?" Vek asked. He stepped toward the console and Tech Babry.

"Well, Master Iobat made a declaration before he even opened the door that Master Vandar had become one with the Force in his sleep," Aloshla said as she began to type into the console. "Accessing through the Control Panel, Security and Networking, ah, here we are, encrypted surveillance."

Vek raised an eyebrow, then instantly felt foolish as Knight Xova would all too likely chide him for his predictable curiosity. "You seem very familiar with those systems, Tech."

"Don't worry, Knight Talis, I never watch you as you meditate, alone in your quarters at night. All night, instead of sleeping," Babry said nonchalantly as she recalled older cam logs.

Why that doesn't suddenly make me feel all warm and cuddly inside, I'll never know. Vek watched Babry sidelong as she worked. In short order, there was a vid of Master Vandar, resting comfortably in his bed. In the next instant, his life signs disappeared from the readout. "Replay that, if you please?" he asked. "Can you slow it down to a crawl?"

Babry typed furiously, stopped as the images slowed down significantly. There was a brief flash of purple light, the split second before Vandar's life left him. His energy didn't dissipate into the Force, either. Upon the slower replay, Vek watched Vandar's essence get swallowed up into a void.

The Unifying Force slapped him in the face. It spun him around, physically. He literally found himself facing the opposite direction. When he turned back he stared at the still image. "The Unifying Force." He heard himself whisper the words, though he hadn't meant to say anything. He got a grip on himself, nodded to Babry. "Thank you, Aloshla; you've been very helpful."

Before he got to her door, she said, "Kni- er, Vek?" He turned around, only to try and find that spot on the ceiling again, as Babry's towel had dropped to the floor. "Oops," she said innocently, bringing her right hand up to her mouth. Behind the gesture, he could see the wisp of a smile.

Why do I suddenly have a yearning for the gently sloping hills and valleys across Dantooine? Vek asked himself as he turned on his heel, managed to escape Babry's quarters.

Back outside on the grassy plain, he paused only momentarily to gaze at two hills rising in the distance. He shook his head, turned, and almost bumped into Vizif. "Vek, where have you been?" his old master demanded.

He knew she was still angry at him, but this couldn't wait for their usual banter. "Tell me what you think of this, Master?" Vek touched her arm, used the remnants of their bond to relay what he'd seen and felt through the Force.

"No, that can't be," Vizif said, her voice a ghostly whisper. It was just an image, just a fragment of a possible future.

"Master, you know I've never spoken of the future in... concrete terms," Vek said and she could only nod, as it was the truth. "Please believe me then, when I say I know Vandar can't die. Not for centuries. This," he spread his arms to encompass everything, "is a terrible lie and we must break out of it. And Xova is the key."

Slowly, Vizif nodded. She seemed about to say something, but then there was a flash of light.