The Darkness and the Light
Moderator: LadyTevar
Well, well! Speaking of character!
The Darkness and the Light
Chapter Two: A Lesson in Darkness
Two hours later, they were aboard their ship and 50,000 credits richer. Their ship, a heavily modified XGP-1500 transport named the Dark Blade, blasted off without bothering to ask for clearance. (Carratos was a gang-controlled world, after all) In one of the rooms near the stern of the ship, Souran was practicing his kata. Three blows in one direction, spin, kick, jump, hammer punch…it all melded together as he lost himself in the movements.
"That's right," Eran said, coaching him. "Control your anger, or it will control you. Many dark siders fell to the Jedi because they let their rage control them. Don't let that happen. Box it in. Channel it. Strike WITH anger, but not IN anger. Better, do it again." Eran restarted the kata. "Think back, Souran. Let your memories flow past you. Remember that day. The one that changed you life." Yes, Souran thought. I remember.
Several years ago
"I can't tell you, honey," she said.
"Why not, mom?" he asked, angry.
"You're not ready."
"Mom, ever since I started school, I've been called slit-eye, freak, and lizard boy. You always told me my father died when I was little, but I'm seventeen now. I want to know."
Kayra Teer took another sip of her caf and sighed. "You asked. All right. When I was younger, close to your age, I was a dancer at Garvo's Club." Unconsciously, he reached over to take her hands. "Well, one night, there was a special customer. A Trandoshan bounty hunter named Rordraay. Some of my friends said he'd helped out the owner with a nagging bounty, so he got treated to a good time at the club. He was quite handsome, with his polished green scales, almost shining. He took a liking to me, I returned the looks, and…well, you can guess the rest."
He nodded. "You got pregnant."
"Mm-hmm. And I've taken care of you ever since."
He sat quietly for a minute. "I'm gonna go for a walk," he said suddenly.
He stood, threw on his rancor-skin jacket, and left.
"Be careful, Souran!" his mother called after him.
"I will."
..............
After an hour of walking around Nar Shadda, his mind was still full of conflicting thoughts. The son of a Trandoshan bounty hunter and a dancer, he thought. Product of a one-night stand. Where the hell do I belong? A big man stepped up to him. "Hey kid, aren't you out of your league." Souran hissed and bared his fangs. The guy fell backwards and scurried away. Hey, maybe it's not all bad, he thought with a smile.
"Well, well, well," said a familiar voice. "Freakazoid's out for a stroll." Up in front of him were six or seven human guys about his age. He recognized them as one of the gangs from school.
Without missing a beat, he walked right up to the leader. "Back off blondie."
"Make me."
Souran stepped closer, deliberately breaking the boy's space. "I'm not gonna ask again. Back. Off."
"I can't believe this freako's manners. Zed, teach him a lesson." Zed, a burly, dark-skinned kid, stepped up and threw a left hook. Souran caught his arm, held it to his shoulder, turned around, and pulled, breaking it. Zed cried out and backed off. Pissed, but at the same time afraid, the leader motioned his guys to stay back. "We'll show you, bastard. We'll get you for this. You watch your back."
Souran sneered. "Anytime you want me, I'll be waiting." The gang ran off and Souran continued walking aimlessly. After stopping for a quick drink, he decided to go home. About half a block from his apartment, he came across his…door? My door is lying in the middle of the street-what the hell? Suddenly afraid, he ran the rest of the way home, only to find his fears realized. The apartment had been ransacked. "Mom?" he called. Then he ran through the doorframe. "Oh god, Mom!" He cradled her body in his arms. "Mom. No, no." He started to cry. He held her broken, bruised, violated body and sobbed.
"Well look at that! Freako's got feelings!" It was that gang from before! "Yeah, we decided to pay your mom a visit. Not very nice, she didn't wanna let us in. She-" Souran cut him off with an unearthly roar.
Then he leapt at the gang leader, bared his fangs, and tore the teenager's throat out. His Trandoshan instincts, always latent due to his mother's caring guidance, manifested themselves fully that day. Swallowing the mouthful, he rushed the next member, ripping at his face with nails too sharp to be human…
Back in the present
Souran's roar filled the room as he released his anger. He barely remembered the rest of the fight. Eran and IG-99, who'd happened to be on Nar Shadda, had come running to find the source of the shockwaves being sent out through the dark side. They had found Souran standing among the torn and slashed bodies of the gang. Eran's mind touched Souran's, and both knew that they would leave the moon together. Eran had given Souran's mother a good funeral, for what it was worth, and Souran had studied under him ever since. Now, all his energy left him, and he rested his hands on his knees. "Good," Eran said. "Now defend yourself!" Souran's master attacked him in a bare-knuckle brawl. Tired from his katas, Souran was hard pressed to simply block, but as he let his newly refreshed anger flow through him, his strength returned. The two battled, fang and claw, for nearly an hour. Finally, Eran ended the match when he caught one of Souran's arms, then hooked his leg around the apprentice's neck and threw him to the mat.
"Eran," came IG-99's voice. "I have a possible hit."
"I'm on my way. Take a rest, Souran. You've earned it."
"Yes sir." As Eran left, Souran dropped to the mat, too tired to even assume a proper meditative stance. Eran's combat lessons were often painful and sometimes cruel, but Souran would be the first to defend them. Pain was a good teacher. It could bring a man's head out of the clouds and force him to look at his problems. And the sooner you face your problems, he thought, the sooner you overcome them. He and Eran had fought hundreds of times, with staffs, wooden swords, their bare hands, and lightsabers, always with no quarter given, and Souran knew it had improved him. The young man felt himself drifting off to sleep. His last thought as he closed his eyes was, I wonder who our new bounty is?
The Darkness and the Light
Chapter Two: A Lesson in Darkness
Two hours later, they were aboard their ship and 50,000 credits richer. Their ship, a heavily modified XGP-1500 transport named the Dark Blade, blasted off without bothering to ask for clearance. (Carratos was a gang-controlled world, after all) In one of the rooms near the stern of the ship, Souran was practicing his kata. Three blows in one direction, spin, kick, jump, hammer punch…it all melded together as he lost himself in the movements.
"That's right," Eran said, coaching him. "Control your anger, or it will control you. Many dark siders fell to the Jedi because they let their rage control them. Don't let that happen. Box it in. Channel it. Strike WITH anger, but not IN anger. Better, do it again." Eran restarted the kata. "Think back, Souran. Let your memories flow past you. Remember that day. The one that changed you life." Yes, Souran thought. I remember.
Several years ago
"I can't tell you, honey," she said.
"Why not, mom?" he asked, angry.
"You're not ready."
"Mom, ever since I started school, I've been called slit-eye, freak, and lizard boy. You always told me my father died when I was little, but I'm seventeen now. I want to know."
Kayra Teer took another sip of her caf and sighed. "You asked. All right. When I was younger, close to your age, I was a dancer at Garvo's Club." Unconsciously, he reached over to take her hands. "Well, one night, there was a special customer. A Trandoshan bounty hunter named Rordraay. Some of my friends said he'd helped out the owner with a nagging bounty, so he got treated to a good time at the club. He was quite handsome, with his polished green scales, almost shining. He took a liking to me, I returned the looks, and…well, you can guess the rest."
He nodded. "You got pregnant."
"Mm-hmm. And I've taken care of you ever since."
He sat quietly for a minute. "I'm gonna go for a walk," he said suddenly.
He stood, threw on his rancor-skin jacket, and left.
"Be careful, Souran!" his mother called after him.
"I will."
..............
After an hour of walking around Nar Shadda, his mind was still full of conflicting thoughts. The son of a Trandoshan bounty hunter and a dancer, he thought. Product of a one-night stand. Where the hell do I belong? A big man stepped up to him. "Hey kid, aren't you out of your league." Souran hissed and bared his fangs. The guy fell backwards and scurried away. Hey, maybe it's not all bad, he thought with a smile.
"Well, well, well," said a familiar voice. "Freakazoid's out for a stroll." Up in front of him were six or seven human guys about his age. He recognized them as one of the gangs from school.
Without missing a beat, he walked right up to the leader. "Back off blondie."
"Make me."
Souran stepped closer, deliberately breaking the boy's space. "I'm not gonna ask again. Back. Off."
"I can't believe this freako's manners. Zed, teach him a lesson." Zed, a burly, dark-skinned kid, stepped up and threw a left hook. Souran caught his arm, held it to his shoulder, turned around, and pulled, breaking it. Zed cried out and backed off. Pissed, but at the same time afraid, the leader motioned his guys to stay back. "We'll show you, bastard. We'll get you for this. You watch your back."
Souran sneered. "Anytime you want me, I'll be waiting." The gang ran off and Souran continued walking aimlessly. After stopping for a quick drink, he decided to go home. About half a block from his apartment, he came across his…door? My door is lying in the middle of the street-what the hell? Suddenly afraid, he ran the rest of the way home, only to find his fears realized. The apartment had been ransacked. "Mom?" he called. Then he ran through the doorframe. "Oh god, Mom!" He cradled her body in his arms. "Mom. No, no." He started to cry. He held her broken, bruised, violated body and sobbed.
"Well look at that! Freako's got feelings!" It was that gang from before! "Yeah, we decided to pay your mom a visit. Not very nice, she didn't wanna let us in. She-" Souran cut him off with an unearthly roar.
Then he leapt at the gang leader, bared his fangs, and tore the teenager's throat out. His Trandoshan instincts, always latent due to his mother's caring guidance, manifested themselves fully that day. Swallowing the mouthful, he rushed the next member, ripping at his face with nails too sharp to be human…
Back in the present
Souran's roar filled the room as he released his anger. He barely remembered the rest of the fight. Eran and IG-99, who'd happened to be on Nar Shadda, had come running to find the source of the shockwaves being sent out through the dark side. They had found Souran standing among the torn and slashed bodies of the gang. Eran's mind touched Souran's, and both knew that they would leave the moon together. Eran had given Souran's mother a good funeral, for what it was worth, and Souran had studied under him ever since. Now, all his energy left him, and he rested his hands on his knees. "Good," Eran said. "Now defend yourself!" Souran's master attacked him in a bare-knuckle brawl. Tired from his katas, Souran was hard pressed to simply block, but as he let his newly refreshed anger flow through him, his strength returned. The two battled, fang and claw, for nearly an hour. Finally, Eran ended the match when he caught one of Souran's arms, then hooked his leg around the apprentice's neck and threw him to the mat.
"Eran," came IG-99's voice. "I have a possible hit."
"I'm on my way. Take a rest, Souran. You've earned it."
"Yes sir." As Eran left, Souran dropped to the mat, too tired to even assume a proper meditative stance. Eran's combat lessons were often painful and sometimes cruel, but Souran would be the first to defend them. Pain was a good teacher. It could bring a man's head out of the clouds and force him to look at his problems. And the sooner you face your problems, he thought, the sooner you overcome them. He and Eran had fought hundreds of times, with staffs, wooden swords, their bare hands, and lightsabers, always with no quarter given, and Souran knew it had improved him. The young man felt himself drifting off to sleep. His last thought as he closed his eyes was, I wonder who our new bounty is?
JADAFETWA
-
Kelly Antilles
- Sith Acolyte
- Posts: 6417
- Joined: 2002-09-12 10:36am
Back again!
The Darkness and the Light
Chapter Three: Dark Assassin
"What've you got, Iggy?" Eran asked as he entered the cockpit.
"Don't call me-"
"What. Have you got?"
IG-99 pointed to one of the secondary monitors. "A Jedi, just graduated from the Academy. He's angered one of the government officials on Ord Harrlit. Ten thousand credits, dead or alive.
"Sounds dangerous."
"I want this one."
"Huh?" That was new. IG-99 often let Eran choose the bounties.
"I've got a good feeling about this one. I might be able to use him better than these pathetic scraps of trash we've been dealing with."
Eran looked at the droid. "All right. How far?"
"37.54 hours."
"Hit it."
................
A day and a half later, the Dark Blade erupted out of hyperspace, bulleting its way towards Ord Harrlit. As the ship flew in, an asteroid hit its port engine. "The damage isn't bad," Eran announced as he pulled his head out of the compartment after landing. "It'll only take few hours, give or take."
"Eran. Souran. While you repair the engine, I will get our bounty."
Eran grabbed IG-99 as the droid turned to leave. "Wait. Make sure there's enough of a body for ID."
"I know." IG-99 began his search in a very un-droid fashion. Rather than hooking up to the nearest computer, IG-99 boosted up to the top of the ship, sat cross-legged, and steepled his fingers in meditation. For a half hour, he felt nothing. My connection to the Force is draining, he thought. I must find this Jedi! His answer came a few minutes later in the form of a small burst of Force energy. Faster than any human could blink, IG-99 had boosted away from the ship and was running, using his repulsor engine in combination with the dark side to nearly reach the speed of sound. At last, he came to a small house. A man eyed IG-99 as the droid came screeching to a halt.
"And what are you?" he asked. "Some kind of assassin?"
"I am IG-99," he replied. "IG-series assassin droid. I am here for the bounty on your head, Keero Teen."
"Well," the dark-haired man said. "An IG? I thought they destroyed you all."
"They missed one." It was a lie. After the battle of Endor, humans had returned to Mechis III, which IG-88A had taken over. There, they'd found a copy of the droid's memories. Eager to market a new assassin, they had taken the IG-series plans and revamped them, building IG-99 out of duranium molecularly bonded to phrik, two of the strongest metals in the galaxy. Then they had uploaded 88A's data. IG-99 had gained sentience, torn his way out of the lab, and stolen a ship. Ever since, he'd worked according to his blueprints as an assassin. He'd also fabricated a whole new personality, thanks to a salvaged AA-1 Verbobrain. He'd also made a few, nonstandard modifications to himself...
"Well then. You're here, so we might as well get to it, eh?"
"You are logical for an organic." The two lit their lightsabers. IG-99 sensed no surprise from Teen at his choice of weapon. Then the Jedi attacked with a sweeping cut. IG-99 leapt up and stabbed down, aiming for the man's head. Teen, however, had not stayed in one place. He'd hopped left, and brought his lightsaber up. IG-99 barely managed the block. The next attack was a thrust, but, displaying incredible agility, IG-99 dodged it. The two began a long series of slashes, blocks, cuts, and parries. No stage swordsmen could have duplicated their movements. Finally, Teen brought his lightsaber up and dealt IG-99 a glancing blow to the 'shin.' To the Jedi's amazement, the cut only produced a small chip in the metal!
"What? How?"
"Cortiosis ore, mixed with duranium and phrik. Your lightsaber cannot harm me." Teen was surprised, but not beaten, and now tried using a Force push to knock his assailant over. With a wave of his hand, IG-99 dissipated the energy. Now, Teen was shocked.
"How? You're a droid!" The man was so distracted, he didn't even react to IG-99's next cut, which passed through his neck, decapitating the Jedi. IG-99 caught the head before it hit the ground and deactivated the lightsaber. Now, his connection to the Force was nearly exhausted.
Kneeling next to the man's body, he flipped it onto its back and placed his left hand over the heart. A small mechanism he' built into his forearm swung into place, extending a long needle. IG-99 then jabbed the needle into the fallen Jedi's heart and began extracting the man's blood cells. Each one passed through a small mechanism no organic could duplicate, where it was energized and entered IG-99's 'bloodstream.'
IG-99 had had to steal a medical droid and bribe two expert mechanics to lay the system throughout his body. Now, every wire, every cable, every system had a connection to this bloodstream, where living cells carried the Force throughout him, transferring its abilities to him. The drawback was, he needed a fairly stable supply, since the stagnant condition of the cells meant that the Force in them slowly decayed. This Jedi, however, would keep his connection strong for months. Anyone watching the process would have seen the droid for what he really was-a vampire!
The process finished, IG-99 stood and picked up Teen's head. He then burned the body to a crisp. He could not take chances with his system. No one must ever discover what I have learned. The bloodstream had become infused with his own electronics, permeating them, and if he lost the bloodstream, he lost the Force.
...............
An hour later, he brought the credits back to the repaired Dark Blade. Eran gave him a wary look. "Iggy, I know where to go next."
"How?"
"I've had a vision."
The Darkness and the Light
Chapter Three: Dark Assassin
"What've you got, Iggy?" Eran asked as he entered the cockpit.
"Don't call me-"
"What. Have you got?"
IG-99 pointed to one of the secondary monitors. "A Jedi, just graduated from the Academy. He's angered one of the government officials on Ord Harrlit. Ten thousand credits, dead or alive.
"Sounds dangerous."
"I want this one."
"Huh?" That was new. IG-99 often let Eran choose the bounties.
"I've got a good feeling about this one. I might be able to use him better than these pathetic scraps of trash we've been dealing with."
Eran looked at the droid. "All right. How far?"
"37.54 hours."
"Hit it."
................
A day and a half later, the Dark Blade erupted out of hyperspace, bulleting its way towards Ord Harrlit. As the ship flew in, an asteroid hit its port engine. "The damage isn't bad," Eran announced as he pulled his head out of the compartment after landing. "It'll only take few hours, give or take."
"Eran. Souran. While you repair the engine, I will get our bounty."
Eran grabbed IG-99 as the droid turned to leave. "Wait. Make sure there's enough of a body for ID."
"I know." IG-99 began his search in a very un-droid fashion. Rather than hooking up to the nearest computer, IG-99 boosted up to the top of the ship, sat cross-legged, and steepled his fingers in meditation. For a half hour, he felt nothing. My connection to the Force is draining, he thought. I must find this Jedi! His answer came a few minutes later in the form of a small burst of Force energy. Faster than any human could blink, IG-99 had boosted away from the ship and was running, using his repulsor engine in combination with the dark side to nearly reach the speed of sound. At last, he came to a small house. A man eyed IG-99 as the droid came screeching to a halt.
"And what are you?" he asked. "Some kind of assassin?"
"I am IG-99," he replied. "IG-series assassin droid. I am here for the bounty on your head, Keero Teen."
"Well," the dark-haired man said. "An IG? I thought they destroyed you all."
"They missed one." It was a lie. After the battle of Endor, humans had returned to Mechis III, which IG-88A had taken over. There, they'd found a copy of the droid's memories. Eager to market a new assassin, they had taken the IG-series plans and revamped them, building IG-99 out of duranium molecularly bonded to phrik, two of the strongest metals in the galaxy. Then they had uploaded 88A's data. IG-99 had gained sentience, torn his way out of the lab, and stolen a ship. Ever since, he'd worked according to his blueprints as an assassin. He'd also fabricated a whole new personality, thanks to a salvaged AA-1 Verbobrain. He'd also made a few, nonstandard modifications to himself...
"Well then. You're here, so we might as well get to it, eh?"
"You are logical for an organic." The two lit their lightsabers. IG-99 sensed no surprise from Teen at his choice of weapon. Then the Jedi attacked with a sweeping cut. IG-99 leapt up and stabbed down, aiming for the man's head. Teen, however, had not stayed in one place. He'd hopped left, and brought his lightsaber up. IG-99 barely managed the block. The next attack was a thrust, but, displaying incredible agility, IG-99 dodged it. The two began a long series of slashes, blocks, cuts, and parries. No stage swordsmen could have duplicated their movements. Finally, Teen brought his lightsaber up and dealt IG-99 a glancing blow to the 'shin.' To the Jedi's amazement, the cut only produced a small chip in the metal!
"What? How?"
"Cortiosis ore, mixed with duranium and phrik. Your lightsaber cannot harm me." Teen was surprised, but not beaten, and now tried using a Force push to knock his assailant over. With a wave of his hand, IG-99 dissipated the energy. Now, Teen was shocked.
"How? You're a droid!" The man was so distracted, he didn't even react to IG-99's next cut, which passed through his neck, decapitating the Jedi. IG-99 caught the head before it hit the ground and deactivated the lightsaber. Now, his connection to the Force was nearly exhausted.
Kneeling next to the man's body, he flipped it onto its back and placed his left hand over the heart. A small mechanism he' built into his forearm swung into place, extending a long needle. IG-99 then jabbed the needle into the fallen Jedi's heart and began extracting the man's blood cells. Each one passed through a small mechanism no organic could duplicate, where it was energized and entered IG-99's 'bloodstream.'
IG-99 had had to steal a medical droid and bribe two expert mechanics to lay the system throughout his body. Now, every wire, every cable, every system had a connection to this bloodstream, where living cells carried the Force throughout him, transferring its abilities to him. The drawback was, he needed a fairly stable supply, since the stagnant condition of the cells meant that the Force in them slowly decayed. This Jedi, however, would keep his connection strong for months. Anyone watching the process would have seen the droid for what he really was-a vampire!
The process finished, IG-99 stood and picked up Teen's head. He then burned the body to a crisp. He could not take chances with his system. No one must ever discover what I have learned. The bloodstream had become infused with his own electronics, permeating them, and if he lost the bloodstream, he lost the Force.
...............
An hour later, he brought the credits back to the repaired Dark Blade. Eran gave him a wary look. "Iggy, I know where to go next."
"How?"
"I've had a vision."
JADAFETWA
-
Kelly Antilles
- Sith Acolyte
- Posts: 6417
- Joined: 2002-09-12 10:36am
-
Kelly Antilles
- Sith Acolyte
- Posts: 6417
- Joined: 2002-09-12 10:36am
Guri, and as one of the Bastions of SW sticking to Cannon people I have the urge to smack you in RL
BAD TECNOBABBLE!
We can keep blood alive TODAY thats stagnat simply by *Feeding the red-blood cells and whatnot blood is made up of
BAD TECNOBABBLE!
We can keep blood alive TODAY thats stagnat simply by *Feeding the red-blood cells and whatnot blood is made up of
"A cult is a religion with no political power." -Tom Wolfe
Pardon me for sounding like a dick, but I'm playing the tiniest violin in the world right now-Dalton
-
Kelly Antilles
- Sith Acolyte
- Posts: 6417
- Joined: 2002-09-12 10:36am
In any case...
The Darkness and the Light
Chapter Four: Vision Quest
Eran watched as IG-99 hopped up to the top of the ship before falling into a meditative stance. He then shrugged and turned to working on the engine. He lay back on the deck, and pulled himself to the damaged area. "Ion plug," he said, reaching out to Souran, who had the tools.
"Here you go."
A few minutes later, "hydrospanner." Souran handed him the tool. "Connection marker. And while you're looking, find a backthrust inhibitor." A minute later, Eran slid back into view. "OK, test fire it-"
"You bet!" He hit the button.
"No!" Eran started to say, but was cut off by a rumble and a sudden rush of
smoke in his face. "ARRGH! Turn it off! TURN IT OFF!" Flustered, Souran fumbled around for the right button. Finding it, he hit it, and the smoke stopped. He then turned around to find a blackened, angry Eran in his face. "What was that?" the PO'd darksider demanded. "Some kind of JOKE?!"
"Well, you said-"
"Test fire it, WHEN I TELL YOU! You cut me off!"
"Oh! Um...I'm sorry?"
Eran threw an arm towards the door. "You get out."
"But, it was mistake-what am I gonna do?"
"Wander around, get a drink, seek out new life and new civilizations, I don't care! OUT!" Souran ran from the compartment like a scalded cat.
................
Twenty minutes later, Eran collapsed onto his bunk. Because of Souran's dumb mistake, he'd spent twenty minutes replacing melted wiring and had caught an lubrication shower from a damaged pipe. He'd taken a badly needed shower, and now was ready for some well-earned rest. Sometimes that kid can really be a pain, he thought. However, his anger had passed, and he hoped the kid had enjoyed checking out the spaceport. Slowly, Eran's eyes closed and he launched into a dream.
He was flying, flying through hyperspace. Suddenly, the hyperspace tunnel collapsed and he found himself looking at a peaceful, blue-white world. Suddenly, he started. He'd had this dream before. "Eran," a voice said.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "Where am I?"
"Almania," the voice said.
"Why?" Suddenly, he was standing on the roof of a high temple, with only a rock dome above his head. The floor was also stone, and was carved with glyphs Eran didn't recognize. He knew he was high off the ground, since the only things impeding his view of blue sky were to four pillars holding up the dome.
"Come...here..." the voice said. "Eran...come...here." The dream began to dissolve.
"Wait," he cried, but was already awake. "Damn, what's this all about?" For the past few months, the only dreams I've had are about Almania. Why? Unconsciously, he began rubbing the object hung around his neck. The small, smooth black claw had been given to him by a friend as a gift, shortly before his death. Eran wore it both as a good luck charm, and so that he never forgot his old friend. That had been a long time ago, back when he was a teenager on Corellia-"No!" he said suddenly, and stood. "That was a different Eran, in a different life." He clenched his fists and threw the memory to the back of his mind. "I am Eran Scope, wielder of the dark side. I am not a scared young boy anymore. I-" he stopped and touched a scar. The particular one started near the middle of his forehead, ran over his left eye, and ended near his jaw joint. He shuddered as he recalled just how close he'd come to losing the eye. Then he bent over and retrieved his lightsaber. Activating it, he looked at the red blade for a long time. He'd never told anyone his past, not even IG-99. He'd never told anyone how he could never go back to Ralltiir, where he'd attended school, because of the bounty on his head. He'd never told anyone how he'd studied the ancient Sith texts during secondary school, how he'd slowly learned how to manipulate the dark side, how he'd built his lightsaber.
He'd never told anyone just how he'd gotten some of his oldest scars, like the one across his eye. He'd never told anyone how, with his untested lightsaber on the fritz and only projecting about ten inches, he'd cut up six people his own age, including a girl. He'd never told anyone how he'd have to leave the girl he loved because he'd had to escape from the law. "Melissa," he said aloud. "How I miss you." In his mind's eye, he saw her, with her long dark hair, enchanting smile, giggly laugh, and sparkling blue eyes full of life, so unlike his own cold ones. Despite his being a loner, she'd reached out to him, formed a bond, only to have him repay it by running away forever.
Suddenly, Eran turned the lightsaber towards himself and dragged its tip across his bare chest, gritting his teeth as a new scar joined the ones already there. The pain brought him back to reality. "Why?" he barked suddenly. "Why can't a repress these damn memories! They're not me! They're not Eran Scope!" Yes they are, you just don't like facing them, he argued with himself.
That was when Eran heard the communicator beeping. Deactivating the saber, he picked it up. "Yeah?"
"Eran, Iggy just called. He's on his way back."
"All right, thanks." I need to talk to him about this Almania dream...............
"A vision?" the droid repeated.
"Yeah. We're going to Almania."
"Why? What have you seen?" IG-99 asked as they started walking towards the cockpit.
"I don't really know. I see the planet, hear a voice call me, and see a temple, and that's it. Still, I get a strong impression that we should go there."
IG-99 couldn't shrug, but he did make an empty-hand gesture. "We have nowhere of importance to go."
.................
As the Dark Blade rocketed out of orbit, it narrowly avoided colliding with an incoming ship, the Nerfherder Bebop. Inside the Bebop's cockpit, Spike Spiegal spit out his caf and Jet Black hit his head on the console as the crimson arrow-shaped vessel zipped past. "Bonehead!" Spike yelled as soon as he recovered.
"Oh, no. Spike, look at this," Jet said, nursing his head. "Looks like someone beat us to the punch. Keero Teen's already been apprehended."
"Great," was Spike's reply as he lit a cigarette.
"Now what? We don't have any money left!"
"Relax, Jet. We'll find a way, like we always have." Jet moaned, unconvinced. The Bebop continued its descent.
..................
With a flash and a bang, the Dark Blade arrived at Almania. Once they'd set down, IG-99 and Souran hung back, letting Eran try and sort things out. Almost immediately, he pointed to a high spire, which was called the Great Dome of the Je'har. Wordlessly, the three took off running. Arriving at the temple, which had once been a government builder, they started jumping up to the top, using the Force to boost them. Eran motioned for the other two to stay on one level, then finished the climb.
"This is it," he said as he arrived at the top. "This is where I'm supposed to be." He sat down on the cool stone, falling into a meditative state. I am here, he said through the Force. I've come, as you asked me.
"I knew you'd come," said a voice behind him. Quick as a flash, Eran jumped to his feet and spun around. Standing behind him was a tall, muscular, bearded man of perhaps forty. He wore a simple white shirt and canvas-made pants (read: jeans), and his black cape fluttered in the cool breeze. "I didn't know who you'd be, but I knew someone would come."
"Who are you?"
"I am Darth Klaine, heir to the Sith."
The Darkness and the Light
Chapter Four: Vision Quest
Eran watched as IG-99 hopped up to the top of the ship before falling into a meditative stance. He then shrugged and turned to working on the engine. He lay back on the deck, and pulled himself to the damaged area. "Ion plug," he said, reaching out to Souran, who had the tools.
"Here you go."
A few minutes later, "hydrospanner." Souran handed him the tool. "Connection marker. And while you're looking, find a backthrust inhibitor." A minute later, Eran slid back into view. "OK, test fire it-"
"You bet!" He hit the button.
"No!" Eran started to say, but was cut off by a rumble and a sudden rush of
smoke in his face. "ARRGH! Turn it off! TURN IT OFF!" Flustered, Souran fumbled around for the right button. Finding it, he hit it, and the smoke stopped. He then turned around to find a blackened, angry Eran in his face. "What was that?" the PO'd darksider demanded. "Some kind of JOKE?!"
"Well, you said-"
"Test fire it, WHEN I TELL YOU! You cut me off!"
"Oh! Um...I'm sorry?"
Eran threw an arm towards the door. "You get out."
"But, it was mistake-what am I gonna do?"
"Wander around, get a drink, seek out new life and new civilizations, I don't care! OUT!" Souran ran from the compartment like a scalded cat.
................
Twenty minutes later, Eran collapsed onto his bunk. Because of Souran's dumb mistake, he'd spent twenty minutes replacing melted wiring and had caught an lubrication shower from a damaged pipe. He'd taken a badly needed shower, and now was ready for some well-earned rest. Sometimes that kid can really be a pain, he thought. However, his anger had passed, and he hoped the kid had enjoyed checking out the spaceport. Slowly, Eran's eyes closed and he launched into a dream.
He was flying, flying through hyperspace. Suddenly, the hyperspace tunnel collapsed and he found himself looking at a peaceful, blue-white world. Suddenly, he started. He'd had this dream before. "Eran," a voice said.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "Where am I?"
"Almania," the voice said.
"Why?" Suddenly, he was standing on the roof of a high temple, with only a rock dome above his head. The floor was also stone, and was carved with glyphs Eran didn't recognize. He knew he was high off the ground, since the only things impeding his view of blue sky were to four pillars holding up the dome.
"Come...here..." the voice said. "Eran...come...here." The dream began to dissolve.
"Wait," he cried, but was already awake. "Damn, what's this all about?" For the past few months, the only dreams I've had are about Almania. Why? Unconsciously, he began rubbing the object hung around his neck. The small, smooth black claw had been given to him by a friend as a gift, shortly before his death. Eran wore it both as a good luck charm, and so that he never forgot his old friend. That had been a long time ago, back when he was a teenager on Corellia-"No!" he said suddenly, and stood. "That was a different Eran, in a different life." He clenched his fists and threw the memory to the back of his mind. "I am Eran Scope, wielder of the dark side. I am not a scared young boy anymore. I-" he stopped and touched a scar. The particular one started near the middle of his forehead, ran over his left eye, and ended near his jaw joint. He shuddered as he recalled just how close he'd come to losing the eye. Then he bent over and retrieved his lightsaber. Activating it, he looked at the red blade for a long time. He'd never told anyone his past, not even IG-99. He'd never told anyone how he could never go back to Ralltiir, where he'd attended school, because of the bounty on his head. He'd never told anyone how he'd studied the ancient Sith texts during secondary school, how he'd slowly learned how to manipulate the dark side, how he'd built his lightsaber.
He'd never told anyone just how he'd gotten some of his oldest scars, like the one across his eye. He'd never told anyone how, with his untested lightsaber on the fritz and only projecting about ten inches, he'd cut up six people his own age, including a girl. He'd never told anyone how he'd have to leave the girl he loved because he'd had to escape from the law. "Melissa," he said aloud. "How I miss you." In his mind's eye, he saw her, with her long dark hair, enchanting smile, giggly laugh, and sparkling blue eyes full of life, so unlike his own cold ones. Despite his being a loner, she'd reached out to him, formed a bond, only to have him repay it by running away forever.
Suddenly, Eran turned the lightsaber towards himself and dragged its tip across his bare chest, gritting his teeth as a new scar joined the ones already there. The pain brought him back to reality. "Why?" he barked suddenly. "Why can't a repress these damn memories! They're not me! They're not Eran Scope!" Yes they are, you just don't like facing them, he argued with himself.
That was when Eran heard the communicator beeping. Deactivating the saber, he picked it up. "Yeah?"
"Eran, Iggy just called. He's on his way back."
"All right, thanks." I need to talk to him about this Almania dream...............
"A vision?" the droid repeated.
"Yeah. We're going to Almania."
"Why? What have you seen?" IG-99 asked as they started walking towards the cockpit.
"I don't really know. I see the planet, hear a voice call me, and see a temple, and that's it. Still, I get a strong impression that we should go there."
IG-99 couldn't shrug, but he did make an empty-hand gesture. "We have nowhere of importance to go."
.................
As the Dark Blade rocketed out of orbit, it narrowly avoided colliding with an incoming ship, the Nerfherder Bebop. Inside the Bebop's cockpit, Spike Spiegal spit out his caf and Jet Black hit his head on the console as the crimson arrow-shaped vessel zipped past. "Bonehead!" Spike yelled as soon as he recovered.
"Oh, no. Spike, look at this," Jet said, nursing his head. "Looks like someone beat us to the punch. Keero Teen's already been apprehended."
"Great," was Spike's reply as he lit a cigarette.
"Now what? We don't have any money left!"
"Relax, Jet. We'll find a way, like we always have." Jet moaned, unconvinced. The Bebop continued its descent.
..................
With a flash and a bang, the Dark Blade arrived at Almania. Once they'd set down, IG-99 and Souran hung back, letting Eran try and sort things out. Almost immediately, he pointed to a high spire, which was called the Great Dome of the Je'har. Wordlessly, the three took off running. Arriving at the temple, which had once been a government builder, they started jumping up to the top, using the Force to boost them. Eran motioned for the other two to stay on one level, then finished the climb.
"This is it," he said as he arrived at the top. "This is where I'm supposed to be." He sat down on the cool stone, falling into a meditative state. I am here, he said through the Force. I've come, as you asked me.
"I knew you'd come," said a voice behind him. Quick as a flash, Eran jumped to his feet and spun around. Standing behind him was a tall, muscular, bearded man of perhaps forty. He wore a simple white shirt and canvas-made pants (read: jeans), and his black cape fluttered in the cool breeze. "I didn't know who you'd be, but I knew someone would come."
"Who are you?"
"I am Darth Klaine, heir to the Sith."
JADAFETWA
-
Kelly Antilles
- Sith Acolyte
- Posts: 6417
- Joined: 2002-09-12 10:36am
*evil laugh*-
Kelly Antilles
- Sith Acolyte
- Posts: 6417
- Joined: 2002-09-12 10:36am
-
Kelly Antilles
- Sith Acolyte
- Posts: 6417
- Joined: 2002-09-12 10:36am
Without further ado,
The Darkness and the Light:
Chapter Five: The Sith Lord
"The Sith?" Eran repeated.
"Yes."
"Prove it." The man held up his right hand in a fist, the back facing Eran. An intricate tattoo resembling a dragon was emblazoned there. Eran studied the tattoo closely, then touched it. The design seemed to flare at the contact, and Eran knew that it was real. "Okay, so you're a Sith Lord. Are you responsible for my dreams?"
Darth Klaine nodded. "Yes. I sent a call out through the dark side, to see if I could find anyone strong in the Force. I'd begun to think my apprentice and I were the only ones left, but here you are." The Sith Lord began to circle Eran, studying him.
"How did you get up here without my friends and I noticing?"
"The Sith have their ways. My apprentice is especially skilled at silent movement."
"Your apprentice?"
"Yes. Come, my speeder is waiting, and we have much to talk about."
.........
Two hours later, the group had arrived at a small prefab shelter in the middle of nowhere. "This is where you train?" Souran asked.
Klaine nodded. "The terrain is completely untamed, and presents quite a challenge." The Sith Lord paused. "It seems my apprentice is out training."
"I'd like to do a little training myself," Souran said, cracking his knuckles.
"You're challenging me?" Klaine sounded amused.
"Yeah. I wanna see how good you are."
"As you wish." Klaine threw away his cape and took up a defensive stance. Souran took the time to bow, then rushed him. The two began a rapid-fire exchange of blows, neither one having an advantage. Suddenly, Souran felt someone coming at him from the side. He turned just in time to block a kick that would've broken his neck had he not reacted quickly enough.
He threw a punch at the mysterious attacker, and within a moment, the two were fighting just as Souran and Klaine had been a minute earlier. This must be his apprentice, Souran thought. He's quicker than Klaine. A kick came out of nowhere and caught him in the stomach. The wind knocked out of him, Souran fell to one knee.
"If this is your best, you have no business challenging a Sith Lord," a voice said. Souran looked up into the sun and saw his opponent's face for the first time. It was a girl! Her mid-length dark red hair framed her face, and her brown eyes bored into his.
"You're the apprentice?" he strained.
"Lora Camille, Sith Apprentice."
"For a Sith, you're pretty stupid."
"What?" she hissed. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You are unwise to lower your DEFENSES!" As he said the last word, Souran suddenly rushed up from his position, delivering a crushing blow to her solar plexus. She dropped to both knees, gasping.
"H-h-how?" was all she could manage.
"A Trandoshan can recover faster than a human," was all he said. He reached down to offer his hand, but she slapped it away.
"Don't touch me," she said. "I don't need your help."
He snarled. "Okay by me. How about I give you a shot to the spine and make it a little harder instead?"
"Oh, that's it." She shot her legs out and knocked Souran off his feet. She sprang up, but he managed to turn the fall into an awkward back roll and also sprang up. She came at him with a high kick, but he knocked her leg away and fired a blow to her shoulder. It never hit, as she used the momentum from his push to the leg to spin and deliver a heavy kick to the side of his head. The blow would have kayoed any normal human, but not Souran Teer. And not while he had the dark side.
"Big mistake," he hissed. The moment he hit the ground, he pushed off with all four limbs and used a Force push to throw himself onto her, trapping her beneath him like some giant spider. Then he threw himself skyward and came back down, landing with both feet on her ribcage.
"All right," she gasped. "I concede." He yanked her to her feet and held her up while she recovered. They both turned as they heard a clapping.
Eran stood between IG-99 and Darth Klaine, slowly clapping. "Very good, very good indeed. However, are you good enough to dodge this?" Faster than either apprentice could react, Eran rushed them and clotheslined both.
Klaine laughed. "Not one to pull punches, are you mister Scope?"
Eran laughed harshly as the kayoed apprentices started to recover. "Teaches junior to be a little faster on his feet."
"Well, no problem. There's a hot spring near here. Just the perfect thing for these injuries. Lora, take this young man over. I want to talk to the other two for a minute."
She bowed. "Yes, Lord Klaine." As the two stumbled away, Klaine turned to the two bounty hunters.
"I was born here on Almania," he began. "Very few people know it, but a Sith Lord named Hasslatak established an outpost here thousands of years ago. I found his books and tutored myself in the ways of the Sith." He halted. "When the second Death Star was destroyed, I felt the deaths of the Emperor and Darth Vader. Then, I had a vision. The ancient Sith Lords appeared to me. They proclaimed me to be the new Dark Lord of the Sith, and emblazoned this tattoo on my hand. On a trip coreward, I ran into Lora, who was serving drinks in a café. I saw the tattoo that she said had been on her hands as long as she could remember, and I realized that she was to be my apprentice. That was four years ago, and I've been training her ever since."
"What about the Emperor Reborn?"
"The Sith no longer considered him to be one of them, because he'd never brought Vader's body to the ruins on Korribon, where all Sith Lords are interred. I was content to stay out of the way and bide my time." Eran nodded and began telling him the story of how he'd found Souran.
A bit of an interlude. Hope you enjoyed it.
The Darkness and the Light:
Chapter Five: The Sith Lord
"The Sith?" Eran repeated.
"Yes."
"Prove it." The man held up his right hand in a fist, the back facing Eran. An intricate tattoo resembling a dragon was emblazoned there. Eran studied the tattoo closely, then touched it. The design seemed to flare at the contact, and Eran knew that it was real. "Okay, so you're a Sith Lord. Are you responsible for my dreams?"
Darth Klaine nodded. "Yes. I sent a call out through the dark side, to see if I could find anyone strong in the Force. I'd begun to think my apprentice and I were the only ones left, but here you are." The Sith Lord began to circle Eran, studying him.
"How did you get up here without my friends and I noticing?"
"The Sith have their ways. My apprentice is especially skilled at silent movement."
"Your apprentice?"
"Yes. Come, my speeder is waiting, and we have much to talk about."
.........
Two hours later, the group had arrived at a small prefab shelter in the middle of nowhere. "This is where you train?" Souran asked.
Klaine nodded. "The terrain is completely untamed, and presents quite a challenge." The Sith Lord paused. "It seems my apprentice is out training."
"I'd like to do a little training myself," Souran said, cracking his knuckles.
"You're challenging me?" Klaine sounded amused.
"Yeah. I wanna see how good you are."
"As you wish." Klaine threw away his cape and took up a defensive stance. Souran took the time to bow, then rushed him. The two began a rapid-fire exchange of blows, neither one having an advantage. Suddenly, Souran felt someone coming at him from the side. He turned just in time to block a kick that would've broken his neck had he not reacted quickly enough.
He threw a punch at the mysterious attacker, and within a moment, the two were fighting just as Souran and Klaine had been a minute earlier. This must be his apprentice, Souran thought. He's quicker than Klaine. A kick came out of nowhere and caught him in the stomach. The wind knocked out of him, Souran fell to one knee.
"If this is your best, you have no business challenging a Sith Lord," a voice said. Souran looked up into the sun and saw his opponent's face for the first time. It was a girl! Her mid-length dark red hair framed her face, and her brown eyes bored into his.
"You're the apprentice?" he strained.
"Lora Camille, Sith Apprentice."
"For a Sith, you're pretty stupid."
"What?" she hissed. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You are unwise to lower your DEFENSES!" As he said the last word, Souran suddenly rushed up from his position, delivering a crushing blow to her solar plexus. She dropped to both knees, gasping.
"H-h-how?" was all she could manage.
"A Trandoshan can recover faster than a human," was all he said. He reached down to offer his hand, but she slapped it away.
"Don't touch me," she said. "I don't need your help."
He snarled. "Okay by me. How about I give you a shot to the spine and make it a little harder instead?"
"Oh, that's it." She shot her legs out and knocked Souran off his feet. She sprang up, but he managed to turn the fall into an awkward back roll and also sprang up. She came at him with a high kick, but he knocked her leg away and fired a blow to her shoulder. It never hit, as she used the momentum from his push to the leg to spin and deliver a heavy kick to the side of his head. The blow would have kayoed any normal human, but not Souran Teer. And not while he had the dark side.
"Big mistake," he hissed. The moment he hit the ground, he pushed off with all four limbs and used a Force push to throw himself onto her, trapping her beneath him like some giant spider. Then he threw himself skyward and came back down, landing with both feet on her ribcage.
"All right," she gasped. "I concede." He yanked her to her feet and held her up while she recovered. They both turned as they heard a clapping.
Eran stood between IG-99 and Darth Klaine, slowly clapping. "Very good, very good indeed. However, are you good enough to dodge this?" Faster than either apprentice could react, Eran rushed them and clotheslined both.
Klaine laughed. "Not one to pull punches, are you mister Scope?"
Eran laughed harshly as the kayoed apprentices started to recover. "Teaches junior to be a little faster on his feet."
"Well, no problem. There's a hot spring near here. Just the perfect thing for these injuries. Lora, take this young man over. I want to talk to the other two for a minute."
She bowed. "Yes, Lord Klaine." As the two stumbled away, Klaine turned to the two bounty hunters.
"I was born here on Almania," he began. "Very few people know it, but a Sith Lord named Hasslatak established an outpost here thousands of years ago. I found his books and tutored myself in the ways of the Sith." He halted. "When the second Death Star was destroyed, I felt the deaths of the Emperor and Darth Vader. Then, I had a vision. The ancient Sith Lords appeared to me. They proclaimed me to be the new Dark Lord of the Sith, and emblazoned this tattoo on my hand. On a trip coreward, I ran into Lora, who was serving drinks in a café. I saw the tattoo that she said had been on her hands as long as she could remember, and I realized that she was to be my apprentice. That was four years ago, and I've been training her ever since."
"What about the Emperor Reborn?"
"The Sith no longer considered him to be one of them, because he'd never brought Vader's body to the ruins on Korribon, where all Sith Lords are interred. I was content to stay out of the way and bide my time." Eran nodded and began telling him the story of how he'd found Souran.
A bit of an interlude. Hope you enjoyed it.
JADAFETWA
-
Kelly Antilles
- Sith Acolyte
- Posts: 6417
- Joined: 2002-09-12 10:36am
WARNING! PG-13 RATING!
The Darkness and the Light
Chapter Six: Lovers Meet
All the while Klaine had been speaking to the two older hunters, the two apprentices had made their way to the hot springs. "Ah, where have you been all my life?" Souran said, and immediately stripped down to his boxers and fell in. Lora, a bit more modest, changed behind a rock and slipped into the water. Souran lay on his back, letting the hot water soothe his weariness. "So, where are you from?" he asked her.
"Ord Mantell," she said as she set her towel on the rock behind her. "What about you?"
"Nar Shadda."
"Oh. Souran, back there, you said something about Trandoshans. But, you're not a Trandoshan."
"Oh no?" he said, his voice taking on a dangerous tone. He suddenly flipped over and crawled through the shallow water towards where she sat. She got nervous as he kept coming, since, after all, she wasn't wearing anything. Shoving his face right in front of hers, he looked deep into her eyes. "Take a look. Take a real good look." For the first time, she noticed his piercing green eyes and slitted pupils, neither of them human. He licked his lips and grinned, and she noticed his lizard-like tongue and sharp teeth, as well as the way his jaws were set forward slightly, creating an almost imperceptible muzzle. "My father was a Trandoshan bounty hunter," he said.
"I see. I'm sorry." He snorted and went back to floating. For a while, she watched him, admiring his toned muscles, smooth brown hair, and tanned skin. Then she slowly began to drift off.
"Is the wind always so strong here?" he asked as another gust went through the air.
"Yes. Almania has several mountain ranges that intensify winds in the plains between them. As a result, it's almost always a clear, cold, windy day."
"Nice view though," he said, facing her. "Of the mountains, I mean. So, you got any family?"
"I never knew my parents. I grew up with an Aunt who was quite happy to see me leave. And you?"
And made a sweeping gesture. "My father. Who knows where he his? And my mom, well," he rapped a fist against his heart.
"I understand." She watched as he slowly floated to rest next to her. "How long have you been working with Master Scope?"
"Long enough that there's not a single inch of my body he hasn't bruised." They both laughed.
"Lord Klaine's the same way. Since I'm an apprentice, he sees no need to go easy on me because I'm a girl." Souran chuckled and flipped over, resting his chin on his arms.
"Good. Fair. So, do you get any visitors out here?"
"Would you live this far out if you wanted visitors?" Both laughed. "No. Once a month one of us goes back to the city to buy food and things, but that's it."
"No interaction at all? Jeez, I'd go crazy."
For some reason, her temper flared. "What are you talking about? You fly around and the only people you stay with are-"
"Hey, hey! Easy!" He took her hand. "That's true, but we're always stopping off somewhere, to grab a bite, refuel, tag a bounty, whatever, and I always find the time to talk to someone new." He eased towards her so that their shoulders were touching. She gulped. "It's just that, well I grew up with my gang, and I've always been with a group. Being alone...I'd just lose it."
"I see. So have you found someone to keep you company yet?"
He blushed, but recovered quickly. "No. Still looking." On an impulse, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly. When she didn't shout, push, or electrocute him, he leaned in a little further and she responded. Their kiss deepened, and she realized just how alien he was. His teeth were sharper than any human's, and has jaws were packed with muscle, a throwback to his father. Slowly, he moved an arm around her waist, and drew her to him. As she wrapped her arms around his neck-
-both snapped off as they felt a sudden presence high above them! "It's Eran!" Souran said. "And Darth Klaine! They're coming here!" With no time, Souran did the only thing he could think of-he spun around and hid Lora between himself and the rock, his back pressing against her, effectively sitting in her lap. Eran dropped out of the sky with a roar of challenge and landed in the middle of the pool of water, while Klaine landed on the rocks on the other side. With another roar, Eran gathered the dark side to him, forcing the water away and creating a bowl shape around his feet. He punched the air, and an invisible Force push created a wake as it headed towards Klaine. Klaine jumped off his rock just as the push hit and shattered it. Eran threw another blast at the next place Klaine landed, but the result was the same. Eran then put both forearms out, palms up and open, as though he were about to be handed a large object. Tensing, he slowly raised his arms, and then suddenly brought them up to eye level. With a rumble, a torrent of water shot out of the springs and soaked Klaine, who barely stood his ground. Meanwhile, behind the duelists, Souran and Lora panicked and scurried down to keep with the water level.
"You're pretty good," Eran said with a rueful grin. "I thought I had you."
"You are quite skilled, but-hey it's your apprentice!" Oh Sithspit, Souran thought.
"Souran!" Eran said. "You're still here? Where's Lora?" Souran
immediately used all his available energy to mask Lora's presence.
"Uh, I don't know!" he said. "She left."
"Souran, are you all right?"
Sith sith sith! "Uh, FINE! Why do you ask?" Automatically, he pressed harder, trying to keep Lora hidden.
"Souran!" she hissed. "I can't breathe!"
"Quiet!" he hissed back.
"You're acting kind of strange," Eran said with a weird look. "You sure you're okay?" He started to walk over.
"I'M FINE! Don't bother coming over or anything!"
Eran continued walking. "I didn't hit you that hard, did I?" Sith! If he comes much closer, he'll see Lora!
"Uh, no! No, I'm okay! Really!" Eran didn't stop. Instinctively, Souran tried to move deeper into the water, but Lora was blocking him. Using his heels, he tried to pry her ankles apart.
"Don't you dare go in between my legs, you pig!" she growled.
"Like I have a choice?"
"Souran, who are you talking to?"
"No one! Uh, I mean YOU!"
Eran stopped with an eyebrow raised, then sighed. "I suppose I can't argue with that." He turned back. "Hey Klaine, let's go get some food." The two left.
Souran had just enough time to sigh in relief before Lora gave him a violent shove, knocking him head first into the water. "I can't believe you!"
she said as he surfaced. "First you squeeze the air out of me, then you practically burrow in between my legs!"
"You would rather I let them catch us making out!?" he shot back. Lora flushed bright red, redder than her hair, as the words registered. "Look, I'm sorry OK?"
"OK," she said, sitting cross-legged in the water, giving him an eyeful of cleavage as she did so.
"So...do you forgive me?" he asked a little playfully, coming closer.
"Well..." She slowly smiled, then pulled him to her. "Not yet."
As Eran and Klaine walked back to the shelter, Eran suddenly sensed Souran's signature in the Force, and with it was another signature that had to be Lora's. No way, he thought, nearly missing a step. He's not actually...that crazy kid! What if Klaine caught him?
"Do you sense something?" Klaine asked.
Eran threw an arm around his shoulders. "Nah! You're just hungry. Come on let's go!" Klaine acquiesced, and the two kept moving. Souran, Eran thought, you owe me BIG TIME for this.
.............
All three heads turned as Souran and Lora walked through the door two hours later. "Well, well. Look who's here," Eran growled, shooting Souran a meaningful look.
"There you are, Lora!" Klaine said. "Where have you been?"
"And you, Souran," Eran said in an almost threatening tone. "Where, exactly, have you been?"
"Uh," he said. "Training," they answered in tandem.
"Well, now that you're here, I have something to discuss. Sit down." Lora took the seat opposite Klaine. Souran moved to sit next to her, but Eran kicked out a chair between himself and IG-99. He pointed to it and gave Souran an 'obey me or else' look. Not wanting to find out what the 'or else' was, Souran took the chair.
"What is it you wish to discuss?" IG-99 said.
"I want to go to Yavin 4."
"What?!" Eran seemed unable to believe his ears. "We just got here and now you, a Sith Lord, want you to take you to the same moon as the Jedi Academy? Any particular reason or are you just suicidal?"
"Oh, there's a reason. Two reasons, as a matter of fact."
IG-99 leaned forward. "And they are?"
"The first is related to the call I sent out, the one that brought you here. I received an echo from Yavin 4, but apparently, whoever is there is unable to leave."
"Probably an apprentice at the Academy," Eran said, a wicked smile spreading across his face.
"And the second?" IG-99 remained on topic.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that until we arrive at Yavin 4.
"I believe my colleague would inform you that we require a full and complete understanding of our assignment before setting out."
Eran took a sip of his Treebark (root beer). "Well. Although that would be
the case with a hunting assignment, I don't see the rules applying here. The Dark Blade is fully fueled and sitting on the launch pad. In any case, I call for a quick vote. Who wants to go?" Klaine and Lora both raised their hands, and after a moment's hesitation, Souran's joined them. Eran took another sip. "Then it's settled."
The Darkness and the Light
Chapter Six: Lovers Meet
All the while Klaine had been speaking to the two older hunters, the two apprentices had made their way to the hot springs. "Ah, where have you been all my life?" Souran said, and immediately stripped down to his boxers and fell in. Lora, a bit more modest, changed behind a rock and slipped into the water. Souran lay on his back, letting the hot water soothe his weariness. "So, where are you from?" he asked her.
"Ord Mantell," she said as she set her towel on the rock behind her. "What about you?"
"Nar Shadda."
"Oh. Souran, back there, you said something about Trandoshans. But, you're not a Trandoshan."
"Oh no?" he said, his voice taking on a dangerous tone. He suddenly flipped over and crawled through the shallow water towards where she sat. She got nervous as he kept coming, since, after all, she wasn't wearing anything. Shoving his face right in front of hers, he looked deep into her eyes. "Take a look. Take a real good look." For the first time, she noticed his piercing green eyes and slitted pupils, neither of them human. He licked his lips and grinned, and she noticed his lizard-like tongue and sharp teeth, as well as the way his jaws were set forward slightly, creating an almost imperceptible muzzle. "My father was a Trandoshan bounty hunter," he said.
"I see. I'm sorry." He snorted and went back to floating. For a while, she watched him, admiring his toned muscles, smooth brown hair, and tanned skin. Then she slowly began to drift off.
"Is the wind always so strong here?" he asked as another gust went through the air.
"Yes. Almania has several mountain ranges that intensify winds in the plains between them. As a result, it's almost always a clear, cold, windy day."
"Nice view though," he said, facing her. "Of the mountains, I mean. So, you got any family?"
"I never knew my parents. I grew up with an Aunt who was quite happy to see me leave. And you?"
And made a sweeping gesture. "My father. Who knows where he his? And my mom, well," he rapped a fist against his heart.
"I understand." She watched as he slowly floated to rest next to her. "How long have you been working with Master Scope?"
"Long enough that there's not a single inch of my body he hasn't bruised." They both laughed.
"Lord Klaine's the same way. Since I'm an apprentice, he sees no need to go easy on me because I'm a girl." Souran chuckled and flipped over, resting his chin on his arms.
"Good. Fair. So, do you get any visitors out here?"
"Would you live this far out if you wanted visitors?" Both laughed. "No. Once a month one of us goes back to the city to buy food and things, but that's it."
"No interaction at all? Jeez, I'd go crazy."
For some reason, her temper flared. "What are you talking about? You fly around and the only people you stay with are-"
"Hey, hey! Easy!" He took her hand. "That's true, but we're always stopping off somewhere, to grab a bite, refuel, tag a bounty, whatever, and I always find the time to talk to someone new." He eased towards her so that their shoulders were touching. She gulped. "It's just that, well I grew up with my gang, and I've always been with a group. Being alone...I'd just lose it."
"I see. So have you found someone to keep you company yet?"
He blushed, but recovered quickly. "No. Still looking." On an impulse, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly. When she didn't shout, push, or electrocute him, he leaned in a little further and she responded. Their kiss deepened, and she realized just how alien he was. His teeth were sharper than any human's, and has jaws were packed with muscle, a throwback to his father. Slowly, he moved an arm around her waist, and drew her to him. As she wrapped her arms around his neck-
-both snapped off as they felt a sudden presence high above them! "It's Eran!" Souran said. "And Darth Klaine! They're coming here!" With no time, Souran did the only thing he could think of-he spun around and hid Lora between himself and the rock, his back pressing against her, effectively sitting in her lap. Eran dropped out of the sky with a roar of challenge and landed in the middle of the pool of water, while Klaine landed on the rocks on the other side. With another roar, Eran gathered the dark side to him, forcing the water away and creating a bowl shape around his feet. He punched the air, and an invisible Force push created a wake as it headed towards Klaine. Klaine jumped off his rock just as the push hit and shattered it. Eran threw another blast at the next place Klaine landed, but the result was the same. Eran then put both forearms out, palms up and open, as though he were about to be handed a large object. Tensing, he slowly raised his arms, and then suddenly brought them up to eye level. With a rumble, a torrent of water shot out of the springs and soaked Klaine, who barely stood his ground. Meanwhile, behind the duelists, Souran and Lora panicked and scurried down to keep with the water level.
"You're pretty good," Eran said with a rueful grin. "I thought I had you."
"You are quite skilled, but-hey it's your apprentice!" Oh Sithspit, Souran thought.
"Souran!" Eran said. "You're still here? Where's Lora?" Souran
immediately used all his available energy to mask Lora's presence.
"Uh, I don't know!" he said. "She left."
"Souran, are you all right?"
Sith sith sith! "Uh, FINE! Why do you ask?" Automatically, he pressed harder, trying to keep Lora hidden.
"Souran!" she hissed. "I can't breathe!"
"Quiet!" he hissed back.
"You're acting kind of strange," Eran said with a weird look. "You sure you're okay?" He started to walk over.
"I'M FINE! Don't bother coming over or anything!"
Eran continued walking. "I didn't hit you that hard, did I?" Sith! If he comes much closer, he'll see Lora!
"Uh, no! No, I'm okay! Really!" Eran didn't stop. Instinctively, Souran tried to move deeper into the water, but Lora was blocking him. Using his heels, he tried to pry her ankles apart.
"Don't you dare go in between my legs, you pig!" she growled.
"Like I have a choice?"
"Souran, who are you talking to?"
"No one! Uh, I mean YOU!"
Eran stopped with an eyebrow raised, then sighed. "I suppose I can't argue with that." He turned back. "Hey Klaine, let's go get some food." The two left.
Souran had just enough time to sigh in relief before Lora gave him a violent shove, knocking him head first into the water. "I can't believe you!"
she said as he surfaced. "First you squeeze the air out of me, then you practically burrow in between my legs!"
"You would rather I let them catch us making out!?" he shot back. Lora flushed bright red, redder than her hair, as the words registered. "Look, I'm sorry OK?"
"OK," she said, sitting cross-legged in the water, giving him an eyeful of cleavage as she did so.
"So...do you forgive me?" he asked a little playfully, coming closer.
"Well..." She slowly smiled, then pulled him to her. "Not yet."
As Eran and Klaine walked back to the shelter, Eran suddenly sensed Souran's signature in the Force, and with it was another signature that had to be Lora's. No way, he thought, nearly missing a step. He's not actually...that crazy kid! What if Klaine caught him?
"Do you sense something?" Klaine asked.
Eran threw an arm around his shoulders. "Nah! You're just hungry. Come on let's go!" Klaine acquiesced, and the two kept moving. Souran, Eran thought, you owe me BIG TIME for this.
.............
All three heads turned as Souran and Lora walked through the door two hours later. "Well, well. Look who's here," Eran growled, shooting Souran a meaningful look.
"There you are, Lora!" Klaine said. "Where have you been?"
"And you, Souran," Eran said in an almost threatening tone. "Where, exactly, have you been?"
"Uh," he said. "Training," they answered in tandem.
"Well, now that you're here, I have something to discuss. Sit down." Lora took the seat opposite Klaine. Souran moved to sit next to her, but Eran kicked out a chair between himself and IG-99. He pointed to it and gave Souran an 'obey me or else' look. Not wanting to find out what the 'or else' was, Souran took the chair.
"What is it you wish to discuss?" IG-99 said.
"I want to go to Yavin 4."
"What?!" Eran seemed unable to believe his ears. "We just got here and now you, a Sith Lord, want you to take you to the same moon as the Jedi Academy? Any particular reason or are you just suicidal?"
"Oh, there's a reason. Two reasons, as a matter of fact."
IG-99 leaned forward. "And they are?"
"The first is related to the call I sent out, the one that brought you here. I received an echo from Yavin 4, but apparently, whoever is there is unable to leave."
"Probably an apprentice at the Academy," Eran said, a wicked smile spreading across his face.
"And the second?" IG-99 remained on topic.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that until we arrive at Yavin 4.
"I believe my colleague would inform you that we require a full and complete understanding of our assignment before setting out."
Eran took a sip of his Treebark (root beer). "Well. Although that would be
the case with a hunting assignment, I don't see the rules applying here. The Dark Blade is fully fueled and sitting on the launch pad. In any case, I call for a quick vote. Who wants to go?" Klaine and Lora both raised their hands, and after a moment's hesitation, Souran's joined them. Eran took another sip. "Then it's settled."
Last edited by Kuja on 2002-10-12 12:25am, edited 1 time in total.
JADAFETWA
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Kelly Antilles
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Soontir C'boath
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Yea it kinda was in a rush...but it's still gooooooood I like it.
Cyaround,
Jason
Cyaround,
Jason
I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season."
Three hours?! It takes me days to write a single installment of mine. You need to relax and just let the words flow, don't rush the work to please these people, like mobs they will turn on you with pitchforks and torches if you post shit. Better to make them wait impateintly a little so they get quality product.
Wherever you go, there you are.
Ripped Shirt Monkey - BOTMWriter's Guild Cybertron's Finest Justice League
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Ripped Shirt Monkey - BOTMWriter's Guild Cybertron's Finest Justice League
This updated sig brought to you by JME2