Dark Futures - Hands of Darkness

8/10/2019 Dark Futures - Hands of Darkness

1/30

HE HANDS

OF

DARKNESS

DARK

FU URES


2/30

Dark Greetings,

I am Shadow Secondus, last guardian of the Hands of Darkness. Over

the past few weeks I have been plagued by repeating dreams and

nightmares of things that may or may not come to be. he nature of

these dreams eludes me, perhaps they are truly visions!

It is said through the "orce we are gifted visions of many possible

futures. In some we are triumphant, in others we are defeated, and

then there are those where our fates are shrouded and uncertain. In

the end it is down to us to forge the future we wish for ourselves,

it is only through our actions and strength of will that the

greatest possible outcome we could desire will come about.

#s last Shadow guard of the Hands of Darkness I have collected in

this tome $ust a few of these dreams in hope that upon reflectionthey will make more sense...


3/30

Surion

Captain Ataris of the Galactic Federation Triumvirate, in the year 145 ABY, is in pursuit of a

Sith vessel hich escaped Coruscant three days !efore" The #ntel provided tells her that on$

!oard is the %ar& 'ord of the Sith himself, %arth (ihl"

Their )ourney ta&es them into the deep core, into the Tenaerath (e!ula" As they enter far

enou*h they find themselves &noc&ed out of hyperspace and forced to proceed sloly, at su!$li*ht speed"

After days of uncertainly driftin* throu*h the ne!ula they find the Sith vessel doc&ed to a

derelict space station datin* !ac& to the time of the old repu!lic" They cautiously head inside

only to find that, not une+pectedly, the entire craft is completely a!andoned" Ataris cre

!e*ins to e+plore the vessel in hopes of findin* %arth (ihl" -n their ay they stum!le across

many mysteries" They find an entire level filled ith stasis pods, hich appear to !e holdin*

imperial troops in !lac& armour" They find la!oratories ready for use and surrounded !y stores

of dan*erous to+ins" #n the computer they find references to the architects of the la! such as

Fectious, Si.sa and Surion" Further still they find rooms devoted to Sith Alchemy and

Sorcery"

Finally, the purpose of the vessel is revealed as they discover an enormous li!rary" They find

that a *roup of Sith named the /ands of %ar&ness enacted a prophetic ritual toards the end

of the Second Great Galactic 0ar, spurred !y their prophet, %arth %erriphan ho foresa its

!itter end" Throu*h the ritual they sa the future of the Sith once more, as the ancient

prophets !efore them had" This prophecy told of a time hen the Sithari had failed, and the

!lood of the Chosen -ne ran thin" #t promised ten thousand years of dar&ness if the !lo

as struc& at the appropriate time" And so the /ands of %ar&ness collected hat folloers

they could and !uilt a space station devoted to storin* poerful eapons and research to !e

used in that distant time" The completed vessel as named The Blac& Cradle, si*nifyin* itspurpose as the fortress from hich they ould allo the trueSith to !e re!orn"

The li!rary does mention this prophecy caused a split ithin the /ands, ith some choosin*

to remain !ehind as their !rethren disappeared into the deep core" #t is li&ely these stra**lers

)oined the Sith in the (e Sith ars that ould follo"

The discovery of the prophecy !y the team propels the station into loc&$don and releases

ravenous Tu&ata into the hallays" The diminishin* cre of captain Ataris find themselves

fi*htin* off the !easts as they continue their search for %arth (ihl" Their panic&ed .uest ta&es

them throu*h a level similar to the first" As !efore it is filled ith Stasis 2ods, only these

appear to !e filled ith Sith, some of hom are the once e+tinct pure!loods" The level iscalled the /alls of the Chosen and is different from the loer area due to the force$attuned

crystals attached to each pod"

Finally, they reach the upper$most level, called the /all of the Shado Council" This hall

contains seven stasis pods, of an ornate desi*n, ma&in* them appear more li&e sarcopha*i"

3ach one is adorned ith a force$attuned crystal placed upon the head displayed on the lid" At

the centre of these seven fi*ures %arth (ihl can !e seen, pleadin* !efore an invisi!le entity"

At first Ataris is confused, !ut soon it !ecomes clear that the crystals allo the Sith inside to

communicate and o!serve, even thou*h their !odies remain froen in time" /er realisation

comes too late, hoever, as the plan of the Sith is revealed"


4/30

The /ands of %ar&ness are aitin* in the %eep Core, o!servin* all that transpires from their

immova!le !odies, aaitin* the si*ns their prophecy foretold" They ill allo none to !etray

their location !efore the time is ri*ht and so they set their dar& hounds, the Tu&ata, on all

trespassers ho ould !etray them"

The last scene tells us that Ataris as una!le to outrun the !easts as she is ritin* don her

e+perience in order to )ettison the data from the station, hopin* to arn the Federation" The

fate of the %arth (ihl and the /ands is left unclear, !ut it is su**ested the time the prophecypredicted is drain* near"


5/30

Khaellios

And ith those final ords, 2adm Amidala slipped aay into unconsciousness"

Some time had passed, the !ody had already started to *ro cold, hen one of the Senators

handmaidens appeared inside the medical !ay" There as no!ody else in the cham!er at that

point" The youn* oman, ho !ore a stri&in* resem!lance to the Senator li&e all of her

handmaidens did, cautiously made her ay toards the medical !ed" But rather thanmournin* the death of her master, she unveiled a syrin*e from the inside of her sleeve and

then, ithout a second thou*ht, the handmaiden plun*ed the needle strai*ht into the Senators

chest"

#t too& a fe seconds, !ut suddenly 2adms chest rose as her !ac& curled and her eyes shot

ide open, the youn* Senator cou*hed and *rasped for !reath as she fell !ac& onto the !ed"

The Trauma Shot seemed to !e or&in* as intended and had returned the !eloved 2adm

Amidala !ac& to the livin*" The handmaiden let out a si*h of relief, *ivin* her mistress a

moment to recover"

/er throat felt dry and her voice as still a !it hoarse from the amount of time spend near the

!rin& of death" She loo&ed pale" The handmaiden !oed her head o!ediently, presentin* a

tiny ooden !o+ ith a clenched fist carved into its !lac& lid as ell as a small !lac& ornate

&nife"

3irta opened the ooden !o+, the inside as inlaid ith red velvet and held one of the

Taoin amulets, it as said to render the earer invisi!le to the Force" She .uic&ly helped

2adm put it on !efore she !e*an to undress and then aided her mistress in doin* the same,

helpin* her into the servant ro!es as they sapped their attires around" For a !rief moment a

set of in&ed mar&in*s lit up across !oth of their forearms, a shimmerin* purple *lo that as

.uic&ly concealed a*ain !y the fa!ric of their clothes"

0ith those ords 2adm slit the small !lac& ornate &nife alon* the len*th of !oth of the

handmaidens arms" The cuts erent deep and faded aay almost immediately, as if they had

never !een there to !e*in ith, !ut 3rita !e*an to noticea!ly deteriorate almost immediately

after"

The handmaiden sloly drifted aay, !y all indications a natural cause of death, and lay there

lifeless on the medical !ed in the same ay the former Senator had only a fe shorts

moments a*o"

The %ar& 'ord of the Sith, only &non to history as 2adm (a!errie Amidala, pulled up thehood of the servant ro!es and disappeared into the hallay, never to !e heard of a*ain"

Ana&in ould mourn her death and *ro into a true 'ord of %ar&ness under the *uidance of

%arth Sidious, her actions had ensured that the *ala+y ould once more &no at least si+

years of %ar&ness, )ust as her prophecies had foretold"


6/30


7/30

6Come, :edi" Come to us and see hat mysteries of the Sith you may unloc&"7 #t as the

central fi*ure spea&in* alone this time"

The :edi felt compelled to follo, he stepped forard as the platform moved to meet him" At

the lip of the pit, the :edi )oined the *hostly fi*ure on the suspended platform" 0ithout

arnin* it !e*an to decend into the dar&ness !elo"

6;y name is Terr


8/30

Former reciprocal apprentices, the :edi and the necomer, duelled ith all they had for a fe

!rief minutes" #t as the necomer ho ended the fi*ht" After *ainin* some distance, she

simply deactivated her purple !lade and stood aitin* for the :edi to cut her don"

Terr hispered in the :edis mind, 6Shes ea&, not orthy of our order"7

The :edi sun* his sa!er for the ;aras nec&, stoppin* inches from her flesh" 6You are

foolish, and for that you ill die"7

63nd this"7 Terr as insistant"

The :edi faltered, deactivatin* his !lade" 6# cant""" (ooooo> # ont do this> This is not the

ay" #t as&s too much of me" # cant &ill my friends and allies"7

6 (o you cant"7 ;ara spo&e at last" 6Trust in your feelin*s"7

6 # as deluded too easily8 # thou*ht # could control the poer"7 The :edi as startin* to

overpoer the dar& cloud in his mind" 6#nstead # lost myself to it" # have failed"7

6Yes, ?atarn"7 Terrs voice faded from the :edis mind as he spo&e" 6Youve failed .uite

completely"7

After a !rief e+chan*e ith ;ara :ade, ?yle ?atarn as himself once more" The pair .uic&ly

vacated the temple to return to the (e =epu!lic" ;eanhile, in the temple, the spirits of the

/ands !ecame dormant once more" They ould patiently aait a ne potential herald to

!rin* a!out their return"


9/30

Siqsa

San*ha arrived alone, earin* her !lac& uniform, in contrast ith her !lond hair *athered up

in a !un" A special transportation had !een arran*ed for her only" 6%octor San*ha> Are e in

some &ind of dan*er97 erupted immediately the doc& officer as she disem!ar&ed 6


10/30

The to reached the rec&a*e, an elevator as mounted to reach the top of the crashed

ancient ship from outside"

60hat do you see97 as&ed the director hen they finally mana*ed to enter in the command

dec&, from an openin* cut in the hull" 0hen the doctor loo&ed in the dar&, ancient

surroundin*, she reco*nised the insi*nias of the Sith 3mpire" Soon, hoever, her attention

as captured !y a completely !lac& spherical o!)ect, ith an appro+imate diameter of to

meters that as floatin* immo!ile in the middle of the !rid*e" 60hat is that97 as&ed the

doctor loly, her eyes fi+ed on that rare phenomenon" 6As # thou*ht, you can indeed see"""

Technically is a snu! dodecahedron, thirteen conve+ iso*onal nonprismatic solids" 0ould you

!elieve if # told you that it shapes are re*ular ithin a picometric precision97 as&ed the

director" 6Thats our o!servational error threshold" =eplied the doctor, distracted" 63+actly,

that means it could !e a!solutely precise and e ouldnt !e a!le to verify it, do you &no

hat that means97 as&ed the director a*ain ith a pressin* voice" 6#t means it has not !een

manufactured, not !y a sentient !ein* and nor !y a droid7 =eplied the doctor, finally turnin*

a*ain on the director, the cold and detached attitude she shoed !efore as *one and left

place to an in.uisitory !ut at the same amaed *ae" 6Theres one more thin* !ut you should

see it !y yourself7 said the director, movin* toards the e+it on the hull"

The to *ot closer to the o!)ect" 6/o many are aare of this97 as&ed the doctor" 6A fe,

they are currently under detention" The others have !een persuaded that a !ioeapon has

evaded our security protocols and that the area is unsafe7 replied the director" 6# see, thats

hy you called a .uarantine"7 replied the doctor" 6Yes" But the stran*eness doesnt end here,

feel free *ive it a closer loo& !ut dont touch it and maintain a safe distance, e dont &no

hat could happen" This mi*ht !e ancient Sith sorcery or somethin* li&e that" After all our

scout team disappeared, ho else could e e+plain that9 #f the %ar& 'ords discover eve

someho dama*ed an artefact so precious ed !e dead !efore e can realie it""" so e

avoided any &ind of close$up interaction ith this thin*7" The doctor i*nored the directors

considerations and ent closer to o!serve the surface of the o!)ect"

#n that a!solute !lac&ness she could see her reflection on the o!)ects perfect faces" 6Amain*

isnt it9 (othin* is reflected !y its surface !ut your ima*e" 'oo&, no #m standin* !ehind you

and yet you cannot see me""" as # cannot see you7 continued -r*an from !ehind" 6Are you

tellin* me that this o!)ect reflects only one person at the time97 San*ha told him as she &ept

loo&in*" 6(o, it allos you to see only yourself, and that is hat orries me more7" 60hat do

you mean97 as&ed the doctor a*ain" 6%ont you understand9 #t can choose hat you can see

and hat you cannot> 0hy the only thin* its surface can reflect is yourself9 Any source of

li*ht *oes in !ut is not displayed""" e+cept your reflection" And that is""" the choice of a

sentient !ein*7 e+plained the doctor, a mi+ture of ae and amusement in his voice" 6So are

you tellin* me that this thin* is alive97 as&ed the doctor, &eepin* her *ae on the o!)ect !utma&in* a fe steps !ac& 6#nterestin*7 she added in the end, folloin* -r*an outside"

=ain aited for the rest of the day in her room, meditatin*" 0hen the ni*ht fell on the

compound she left her room, earin* her assassin ro!e, a lon* !lac& cape that covered all the

!ody, leavin* only the face !are" The droids put to survey the rec&a*e ere easily disposed

!y her dou!le handed li*htsa!er" 0hen she arrived !efore the !lac& dodecahedron she raised

a hand, advancin* toards the mysterious o!)ect and o!servin* her reflection mirrorin* her

movements" She could feel nothin* comin* from ithin and yet hat stood !efore her could

only !e created throu*h the force" #t as the only e+planation8 no instrument could produce a

similar perfection" 0hen her hand met the surface, the hand of the reflection *rasped her arm

and pulled =ain inside" #n a !rief instant she mana*ed to thro the li*htsa!er aay ith theother hand, attemptin* to leave a clue !ehind for her apprentice !efore she disappeared" /er

perceptions num!ed and as she loo&ed !ac& she sa the orld outside recedin* more and

more far aay until nothin* remained !ut !lac&ness"""


11/30

0hen =ain opened her eyes she as standin* in the middle of an enormous empty hall,

adorned ith ruddy panels made of stone, filled ith drain*s and inscription in the ancient

Sith ton*ue, illuminated !y red ener*y *lo!es, re*ularly positioned over the alls" 0hile she

as loo&in* around, confused, a !lac& hooded fi*ure appeared !efore her"

6The Sithari died !y your hand, # can feel it"7 said the mysterious individual, a oman from

the tone of the voice" 60ho are you, and hat is this place97 replied !ac& %arth Dannah"

6This is hat is left of my order, a simulacrum for posterity" 0e ere once Sith 'ords ho

served the same 3mpire that in the end !etrayed us and hat e stood for, !ein* eradicated

!y the short si*ht of pathetic, ea& Sith prEtendants""" and # as &non as the 2rophet of

%ar&ness7" 60e sacrificed our physical essence to preserve our spirits in the realm of the

force and !ecame force ielders, outside from your &noled*e of space and time !ut ith

*reater perception of !oth, and no, than&s to you, !alance ill !e !ro&en>7" ;any other

fi*ures appeared !ehind the hooded oman and )oined her voice in unison and encirclin* and

forcin* the %ar& 'ord of the Sith on her &nees usin* their poer"

6The mi*ht ill fuel the re!irth of the Sith as the %ar& side ill *ro day after day, until our

reven*e ill !e complete7"

The after day Bortr -r*an found the Sith eapon on the !rid*e dec& of the rec&a*e" There

as no trace of San*ha and rei*n of Co*nus had )ust !e*un"


12/30

Vedere

#t as the end" The =epu!lic stampeded from system to system as the Sith had in the early

days of the Great 0ar, sloly !ut surely dismantlin* and eradicatin* all that as left of the

Sith 3mpire"

The /ands of %ar&ness had fled, loo&in* to preserve the !elief, the dream of a true a*e of

dar&ness" The 2rophet they had folloed all those years !ecome entirely secluded, she mayeven have !ecome an odd sort of drun&, ho could say"

#n her drun&en stupor she had a *reat vision, a real one" (ot li&e the fa&es she and those

!efore her had claimed to have over all those lon* years"

A *reat !lac& circular o!)ect"


13/30

Tear

Harlem

/arlem sloly came too" /is head felt fo**y as he dra**ed himself up from the floor,

!lin&in* aay the sleep from his eyes"

What happened, where am I?

Sloly the fo* cleared from his head" /e loo&ed around as the sin&in* feelin* settled in the

pit of his stomach"

Please no .. NO!

The holdin* cell hummed softly" -utside a couple of his collea*ues ere hunched over a

small ta!le, playin* a *ame of dice to pass the time" -ne, the one they called ?roich, loo&ed

up" /e eyed /arlem, dread passin* over his face, !ut it as replaced as .uic&ly as it came"

=eplaced ith dis*ust"

How dare he, how dare you!

/arlem launches himself at the !arrier, teeth *rindin*, fists clenched hard enou*h to dra

!lood from his on palms" All his ra*e, all his an*er futile as he lashes out"

Blindin* an*er !ein* all he &ne as he !eats himself into unconsciousness a*ainst the !arrier"

Wyn-Jon-Sunn

The :edi stepped off the shuttle onto the cold dec& of the or!ital station" /is sun&en eyes

loo&in* out over the cre that had arrived to meet him"

/ed made visits here !efore, to the ;oon of #sil #, or rather the station that or!ited the

forsa&en roc&" isit to the moon itself and its atmosphere as for!idden, !y command of the

Council" But none of those that visit had !een li&e this" Somethin* should have !een done

sooner"

A =epu!lic Soldier stepped forard" 'ieutenant 2rede, as hed come to &no him"

(o hoever he as actin* Commander of the space station" /e loo&ed drained, in every

sense of the ord"

6;aster Sunn"7 /e continued to meet the :edi, his relief palpa!le"

6# cant tell you ho *lad e are youve arrived"7

0yn$:on formed a thin line ith his mouth, his e+pression severe as he !oed"

6For*ive me for not arrivin* sooner" /es still alive97

6 # "" # suppose he is yes"7 2rede replied as he !ec&ons for the :edi ;aster to follo"

HHH

0yn$:on eyed the man !ehind the !arrier" /e loo&ed to !e in his thirties" 0iry, a little tallerthan avera*e for a serviceman" /is uniform torn and hands !loody pulps" The !ac& of his

head !ears a sollen lump" Around him, !lood is smeared around the cell, all his on, spread

in one of his many rampa*es hes made as he attac&ed his confinements"


14/30

60hy havent you restrained him97 0yn$:on as&ed"

2rede drops his *ae from the :edi, *lancin* at the crumpled fi*ure in the cell for a moment"

#t too& so much to su!due him, e feared hed escape or &ill more of us if e dropped the

force field"

60hen did he start actin* differently97

II #ts !een a hile no, pro!a!ly three months #d say may!e Sir, Ah ;aster :edi" (ever

thou*ht it could lead to somethin* li&e this" /e as )ust *ettin* snar&y ith everyone, a !it

erratic, li&e missin* a shift here and there""" 2rede trails off"

60asnt till the &illin*s started that he *ot real cray ;aster :edi"7 ?roich chimed in"

60e never thou*ht hed actually follo throu*h"7

6Follo throu*h97 0yn$:on as&ed"

2rede shot him a loo& !ut the 2rivate carried on re*ardless" IIYeah""" 'i&e, hed )o&e that ed

all !e sorry hen ere dead, crap li&e that""" /e started to say more stuff li&e that, # neverli&ed the *uy !ut, he erent anythin li&e this"

II There asnt any solid evidence" 0ed have done somethin* if e &ne it as him" 2rede

added hastily"

/o lon* !efore you &ne it as him9 0yn$:on as&ed"

2rede too& a moment to respond" II/e"" #t asnt until after the fourth &illin* that it !ecame

clear" The first couple" They loo&ed li&e accidents" An airloc& malfunction, or a softare

*litch ith the ventilation"

/e as an en*ineer" Good ith thin*s li&e that" The female soldier ho as still sittin* at

the ta!le commented"

2rede nodded" /e as" The accidents happened a month apart" They loo&ed li&e user error,

or a maintenance pro!lem" 0e had our suspicions !ut the Commander ouldnt consider it"

The third death convinced him" 0hen e found a *uy ith ah caved in s&ull an a !loodied

hydro$rench ne+t to him" ?roich loo&ed *rim"

;m" After that they started to !ecome more fre.uent" /e vanished after the fourth death" (o

trace of him" 2rede said" 0e found remains in the air ducts of someone livin* in them" After

e flushed him out, he ent on an &illin* spree" /e as after the Commander, ho he

eventually *ot too" 2rede places a hand on his temples"

#ll say it a*ain, ere )ust *lad youre here ;aster :edi"

0yn$:on remained silent for a fe moments, noddin* softly" /ad someth$ /e turned

sharply, loo&in* at the cell to find /arlem standin*" he as atchin* them, from inside, his

head coc&ed at an unnatural an*le"

#n an instant the prisoner launched himself a*ain at the !arrier, actin* li&e a rapid animal as heclaed at the ca*e" The :edi reached out a hand as he tried to touch his mind, forci!ly calmin*

him" #n that same instant somethin* lashed !ac&, re!uffin* his attempt and lashin* !ac& at the

:edis mind"


15/30

0yn$:on snatched his hand !ac&, *rittin* his teeth"

I've not elt a presene l"#e that or a deade...

/arlem loc&s eyes ith the :edi, never ta&in* his eyes off him as he hammers the !arrier, each

hit deliverin* another shoc& to his !ody, his final stri&e *ivin* him a lar*e enou*h dischar*e

to thro him !ac& unconscious"

0yn$:on atches him for a lon* moment !efore 2rede spea&s"

Thats hy e didnt ant to *o in there and restrain him"

The :edi *runts" # understand"

%id the prisoner have any interaction ith the planet" -r anyone else !een succum!in* to

similar symptoms9

#ll *et the reports from the past si+ months, ;aster Sunn" Thou*h # dont thin& there as

anythin* in particular" # too& a loo&" And there has never !een a &illin* her as lon* asanyones !een stationed here"

The :edi ;aster nods a*ain" /is hooded eyes atchin* the unconscious !ody of /arlem

inside the cell"

$h"s "s the start o someth"n% &"%%er. I an eel "t...

$he ult

/ed !een porin* over reports for the !etter part of the ni*ht" 0or&in* his ay from si+months all the ay to the present" /e found it !etter to read throu*h them all ithout studyin*

any in detail yet" Get a rou*h !ac&*round and a clearer picture of the entire event, rather than

oomin* in on a particular instance prematurely"

/e &ne the !ac&*round of #sil # already, !ut also ent over it as ell for *ood measure"

The moon and surroundin* space of #sil # had !een rava*ed !y a Force 3vent" 0hat as

&non is a *roup of %ar& Siders ho formed a cult, had come here" The ritual that they had

enacted lead to the chain of events that had devastated the moon rea&in* death over the

entire surface"

-ver to centuries a*o, after the Great 0ar had finished, and the 3mpire had !een driven to

the !rin& of e+tinction once a*ain, the :edi had hunted don all that remained of the Sith

3mpire in the =epu!lic" Trac&in* don dar& side practitioners ith a ruthless efficiency,

fearin* the resur*ence of the 3mpire" #t as certain they had succeeded !y all !ut a fe

paranoid :edi"

=umours !e*an to surface almost to hundred years after the Great 0ar, rumours of a

shadoy cult" (o name as *iven to them, their actions seemin*ly unconnected" ;ost

dismissed these outri*ht" But one, ;aster ?avatia, ould pursue these rumours" /er crusade

seemed pointless and for almost a decade it proved fruitless, until at last her la!ours yielded

results" She and her 2adaan found evidence, evidence that couldnt !e i*nored !y the :edi

any lon*er"


16/30

A cultist" They didnt thin& he could !e a leader, thou*h he shoed unprecedented resistance

to any attempts to see into his mind, or manipulate him into revealin* any information" #t as

clear this dar& sider had received trainin* on a level not seen in adepts"

/er ords, ith the nefound poer !ehind them no, dre more to her cause amon* the

:edi" 'eadin* a formida!le folloin* no, she set out, huntin* don the shadoy cult"

For five years the :edi lead !y ?avatia hounded the dar& siders, capturin* a fe !ut never

deliverin* a &illin* !lo never findin* more than hints at somethin* !i**er"

At last, the :edi captured a cultist ho, unli&e the rest, as ea*er to share hat he &ne in

return for leniency, ?avatia too& his or&s ith caution and acted"

/e told of a plot, one hed only heard hispers of" A ritual, somethin* that could consume the

life from a planet" #m!ue those ho enacted it ith the poer they consumed, *rantin* them

the poer of somethin* *reater than anythin* &non"

The Cultist &ne nothin* of here, or hen" -nly that it as part of the Greater plan"

?avatia and her :edi redou!led there efforts" Blurrin* the lines of ri*ht and ron* in the

relentless pursuit of the Cult"

#t as the :edi /i*h Council that alerted her to the Juarr Sector" A distur!ance in the Force,

somethin* poerful enou*h to reach across the Gala+y to them, sha&in* it to its core"

The hunters fell on the Juarr sector ith the full mi*ht of the =epu!lic fleet" All they could

muster alon* ith enou*h :edi to !rea& the !ac& of hatever the dar& siders mi*ht have to

thro at them"

0hen they arrived, it as all too clear here the distur!ance as occurrin*, the moon, #sil #,

a once lush and vi!rant )eel, as crum!lin*" The life of the planet and all else on it, as

!ein* consumed"

The fleet descended on the planet, its arships movin* overhead of the ne+us, the focal point

that as creatin* the horrific event"

The poer of those on the surface as devastatin*, arships ere pulled from the s&y, the

minds of those a!oard driven to insanity, turnin* on their on ships"

Su!duin* the dar& siders on the surface as no lon*er a possi!ility, their ne found poer,far !eyond the capa!ilities of any :edi present"

The ships still functionin* unleashed their payload, !om!ardin* the ;oon ith enou*h poer

to rival the devastation on Taris" At first, the stren*th of those on the *round held, !ut the

relentless !om!ardment from the s&y eventually !ro&e throu*h" 0ith their defence !ro&en,

the cultists felt the full force of the !om!ardment, !loin* them into o!livion"

;aster ?avatia survived the !attle on her fla*ship, thou*h many of her :edi, alon* ith her

2adaan died" She turned into a hermit, spendin* most of her time on Tython, in meditation"

The moon stayed hole, a miracle considerin* the punishment it had received, hat lifemi*ht have !een spared from the efforts of the cultists as annihilated !y the !om!ardment"

To this day it remains lifeless"


17/30

HHH

0yn$:on sun& his head as he finished, even no, the dar& presence of the planet *naed at

him" Alays there, di**in* at the !ac& of the mind"

/o did this happen""" Soldiers arent affected as e force practioners are !y this sort of thin*"

#s /arlem Force Sensitive, is that hy he as driven to this9

0hen # touched his mind""" it asnt him" (ot another entity, !ut almost"""The old :edi let out a si*h, returnin* to study the reports"

$he oun"l

0eve received your report ;aster Sunn" ;ost trou!lin*" Grand ;aster Gronti Borello

said" /is ima*e on the holopro)ector flic&erin*"

IIYoure sure that this is the cause9 Another Council mem!er chimed"

0yn$:on nodded" # am, this is the only instance in the last year of contact of this sort"

3n*ineer /arlem as amon* those ho intercepted the transport, he had direct contact ith

the passen*ers"

II (o one remains of the transport ship to .uestion97

II #m afraid they all perished, ;asters" The or!ital team launched a rescue operation, /arlem

as amon* those" The ship as !rin*in* supplies to the #sil station hen they e+perienced

catastrophic en*ine malfunction" The vessel drifted until the rescue could scram!le" By the

time they reached the dama*ed ship, most of the cre had already perished from e+posure to

space"

II By the time the ship had !een cleared, it had drifted close to the atmosphere of the moon"

Close enou*h that hat corruption still lin*ers there, could have affected him, in my opinion"

;aster Gronti nods as 0yn$:on finishes" And, hat of the other cre that participated in the

rescue9

II They seem ell ;asters" # e+amined them personally" They ill !e travellin* !ac& ith me

thou*h for .uarantine alon* ith 3n*ineer /arlem"

IIery *ood" 'et us hope this is an isolated incident" =e*ardless, ere sendin* a small detail

of :edi to atch over the area, if there are any more pro!lems, ell !e ready to intercede"

0yn$:on !oed to the holo*ram of the Council in front of him" #ll arrive !ac& on Coruscant

in a fe days"

II;ay the Force !e ith you"7

IIAnd ith you ;asters"7 /e disconnected the feed"

#t had !een almost a standard month since hed arrived" The strain of it as !e*innin* to

sho" 0hatever it as that still held say on the planet, had a ay of *ettin* under your s&in"

insinuatin* itself in your thou*hts and ei*hin* you don"


18/30

I p"ty whatever Jed" are ass"%ned here. I should have addressed that w"th the oun"l. Why

d"dn't I? When the oun"l sa"d they would &e send"n% Jed" .. I #new "t wouldn't &e prudent.

$he (ar# S"de o the )ore "s stron% here, &ut "t doesn't seem to aet the rest o the sold"ers.

$hey seem "ne. *naeted. Only mysel and Harlem, o&v"ously h"m. +re we"%hed down &y

th"s plae.

$he (epart"n%

/arlem as in his cell, still tied to the cot, still heavily sedated" 0yn$:on studied him" By

ri*hts his mind should !e utterly cut off" -nly the deepest of his su!conscious still active"

As hed found thou*h, hatever had driven him to his madness as still ith him" /is mind,

churnin* ith malicious thou*hts, Still active, still conscious, even if his !ody as effectively

shut don"

etter " I ended h"m. We'd &e re-

The :edi ;aster cau*ht himself mid thou*ht" The shoc& of hat hed !een thin&in*,somethin* that he ould never have thou*ht normally" %is*ustin*"

And yet, even as he re)ected the thou*ht, they still had an allure, somethin* arm, somethin*

pleasant a!out them"""

HHH

'ieutenant 2rede stood in the doc&in* !ay that held the shuttle" Than& you a*ain ;aster

Sunn" 0ed !e *lad to finally put this !ehind us" /e *lanced !ehind the ;aster as /arlem

as carried on his cot into the ship" Folloed !y the other soldiers that had participated in the

rescue" They loo&ed *lum, !ut not alto*ether sorry for leavin* the station"

/opefully this ill !e the only incident ell face here, if anythin* stri&es you as off, or any

of your men" %ont hesitate to call" The :edi ill !e &eepin* a close eye from no on"

The 'ieutenant nodded !efore salutin*" Force !e ith you ;aster :edi"

Force !e ith us all" The ;aster smiled ithout merriment !efore folloin* the others onto

the transport"

As the doc&in* !ay cleared the :edi settled into the coc&pit, the droid ho acted as co$pilot

completed the preliminary fli*ht chec&s"

;aster Sunn, youre cleared for launch" The voice came throu*h clearly on the comm"

0yn$:on too& hold of the controls" Glad to finally !e in the drivers seat as it ere and *ently

lifted off the dec&, *lidin* it out of the doc&in* !ay" Flyin* as one of the fe activities he

really too& pleasure in" And more than anythin*, he as *lad to !e leavin* this place"

The current location of the -r!ital Station, in li&e ith the near!y planets, and Sun that they

ere all circlin* meant he had to pass around the moon to the other side, *ivin* a clear run

for him to send the ship into hyperspace"

An hour later he arrived in position, T%$K the droid, *ave him an affirmative on the course as

it finished its calculations"


19/30

As 0yn$:on reached for the lever, ready to send them into hyperspace, the presence at the

!ac& of his mind came rearin* to the forefront" sendin* an a*oniin* )olt throu*h his s&ull"

/is hands clenched around the arms of the pilots chair, leavin* impressions in the metal

here hed held on"

/e fou*ht the attac&, tryin* to ride it out !efore he reached for the lever a*ain" Another attac&

lanced throu*h him, only dimly aare the starship as movin*" 'urchin* !ac& and forth as

the thrusters fou*ht a*ainst hatever had it in its *rip"

As 0yn$:on fou*ht a*ainst the !attle ra*in* in his mind, the ship continued to !e dra**eddon, not !y somethin* as sophisticated as a tractor !eam, it as as if a hand had reached out,

closin* its fist over the ship as it dra**ed it !ac& to the moon and the *roin* e+panse of the

!lac&ened surface"

Alerts ran* out across the !oard as the ship suffered under the strain" The hull *roaned,

crea&in* as if ready to collapse in on itself" The comm li*ht flashed incessantly from the cre

compartment"

Sloly !ut surely the *rip ti*htened on the ship as it sloly !ut surely as it fell to the surface"

An e+plosion sounded from the en*ine room as more alarms sounded, si*nallin* the loss of

the thrusters"

(o at the mercy of hatever as dra**in* them don, the attac& in the :edis mind ceased,

the pain recedin* as .uic&ly as it had come" /e ent throu*h a calmin* techni.ue, his eyes

flashin* across the console in front of him" 3n*ines non$responsive, life support failin*" /e

reached out to the survival &it, puttin* on the re!reather and ma&in* his ay to the hold here

the rest of the soldiers and their prisoner ere"

/e could feel them closin* don the distance of the moon rapidly, soon they ould impact

ith the surface" As he stum!led forard, the ship still roc&in*, he reached out to sense for

the life forms ahead in the car*o hold, he could only feel a fe dim si*natures" =eadyin* his

li*htsa!er hilt, he opened the hatch to the car*o hold"

The hold as in chaos, an e+plosion from the ad)oinin* en*ine room had torn throu*h the

!ay, &illin* most of the soldiers" A fe, !loody and shell$shoc&ed ere stru**lin* to *et to

their feet as he loo&ed to the cot here /arlem lay, he sa only the empty restraints" #*nitin*

his !lade he stepped forard and in that instant, the Force called to him, *ivin* him a *limpse

into hat as a!out to happen" ith !arely a fraction of a second to act, the :edi ;aster

released his hilt, rappin* himself in a cocoon of the Force as the ship impacted ith the

surface"

$he Hands o (ar#ness

;aster Sunn ao&e ith a start8 it too& a moment for him to recall hat as happenin*"

Gatherin* the Force to himself, he stood, al!eit tentatively, surveyin* the si*ht !efore him"

Around him lay the rec&a*e of the ship" The crash had turned hat as once a car*o !ay

into the open$air )un& yard that 0yn$:on no stood in" /ere, he stood on the dar& side of the

moon" 'ittle li*ht shone, only the fe emer*ency li*hts that still flic&ered *ave illumination

to the scene"

=eachin* out ith his senses, the :edi felt no life around him" The other passen*ers ere

&illed, of that he as certain" /e stum!led out of the rec&a*e, tryin* to find somethin*,

anythin*" As he loo&ed around, seein* throu*h the dar&ness ith the Force as his eyes, he

realised, the crash si*ht stood only a hundred meters or so from the (e+us of the planet" The

(e+us the Cult had created centuries !efore"

/e could see li*ht, intertinin* ith itself risin* up li&e a pillar of fire into the s&y" %ran !y

a desire he could not descri!e, he made his ay across the e+panse" 'ittle care for anythin*

!ut reachin* the centre of this ne+us si*ht"


20/30

0$hy am # here9 0hat do you ant from us> /e called out, losin* hat composure he had

left"

From inside the fire, hued ith purple, stood ei*ht silhouettes, shrouded !y smo&e" As 0yn$

:on loo&ed around, the fire had surrounded him" The fi*ures facin* him in a semi circle"

Their voices echoed in his mind, deep and !oomin*, cuttin* to his core" 0eve aited a lon*

time for your arrival"

0e &ne you ould come to us"

0e called"

The :edi loo&ed around, desperate" /e *athered the Force to himself, !efore fallin* to his

&nees cho&in*" /is poers deserted him here, only the dar& side could !e felt" %eep, pressin*

in on all sides, cho&in* his every movement"

0ho are you9 0yn$:on as&ed, still on his &nees

From the silhouettes he could feel the scorn, their lau*hter and malice that they poured on

him" /e felt only despair"

2erhaps e should tell him"/e as chosen"

/e is honoured"

The :edi clun* to his consciousness, desperate to hear ansers, even hile dreadin* hats to

come"

After our defeat, e ithdre, our poer diminished !ut not *one"

0e aited"

Gathered our stren*th

(o, e are ready to return"

0yn$:on *asped for air, havin* to support himself ith his hands to stop from fallin*"

0e )ust needed a vessel"

(ot )ust anyone"

Someone orthy of our poer"

0e called you"

%espair ashed over the :edi, his head felt so heavy"

How ould th"s have happened, how ould they have surv"ved?

0e than& you, 0yn$:on Sunn"

As he collapsed to the floor, he *limpsed the fi*ures !efore him as they mer*ed into one,

advancin* on him

As he fell into the void, part of him elcomed it, for he &ne he ould !e re!orn"

The /ands of %ar&ness incarnate, the first of many to usher in the (e -rder"

0ho could oppose them no"""


21/30

Garrunix

%ust muffles your footsteps" 0hen youre *oin* .uiet L hen you dont ant them to &no youre

comin* L you al& in the dust, you cral in the dust" But hen youre marchin* don a dar&ened

corridor in your moment of triumph, youd much rather your !lac& )ac&!oots ma&e the satisfyin* clac&

of hard synth on durasteel dec&in* that you *et used to on the *antries of the Advanced 2ro)ects

'a!oratory" -r, at least, that # *ot used to"

#t had ta&en us days to !reach the L uh L catacom!" #m sure the :edi ouldve loved to have e+plored

the outer layers@ the ones that &ept our tools meltin* and a*in* to rust as e du*" The ones that &ept

the very core of our 2atrons find safe for L nine hells L millennia, # *uess" ;e and my team, ere test

pilots" #ts not our place to try and fi*ure hat eird arcane stuff &ept these ancient alls from

!uc&lin*, or hat madcap poer supply &ept the steady pulses of crimson flashin* don the tunnels L

li&e emer*ency li*htin* on a dyin* fri*ate, !ut ithout the dan*er" And # dont &no ho it &ept

everythin* intact, hile still leavin* enou*h dust to coat everythin* in a solid inch of *rey"

(onetheless, our 2atron anted it to !e us that !reached" /e said ed feel all the !etter for it"

Giaseela $ the tile& L as the one to *et the overhead li*hts on" # dont &no ho she did it, # as

!usy inspectin* the artor& on the main corridor at the time" But hen she did, other thin*s flic&ered

in, too" Before, half$ay don the *loomy corridor, the solid$copy paintin*s stopped, and emptysoc&ets prevailed" 0hen the main poer flic&ered on, the holo$ima*es returned" So # as al&in*

don the corridor, passin* portraits left and ri*ht, each timestamped and named" -n the left, some sort

of =attata&i$li&e *uy, ith a *rey face and a name li&e a farmer from !ac& home" -n the ri*ht, a *irl

hos tattoos loo&ed li&e they ere the only thin* &eepin* her from )umpin* out the frame and

shan&in* me somethin* aful" The carved names ere full of dust" The dates !arely had any space

!eteen them" #f # as to haard a *uess, #d say it as their service periods, !ut li&e # said@ #m a test

pilot, not a historian"

# &ept al&in* don that corridor, passin* face after face" Some smir&in*, some proud and starin*

ahead ith fire in their eyes" Some !lue, some *rey, and some furry" ;ost seemed to !e cy!or*d, too"

Thats not somethin* you can tell at a *lance, noadays, !ut these cy!ernetics ere prominent, !ul&y,

)uttin* out of faces and coverin* entire eyes" # stopped, and properly loo&ed at one, crossin* myuniformed arms over a standard issue fla&$vest" A human, ith a durasteel implant formin* some &ind

of eye$patch, an andro*ynous face and lon*$*ron hair nonetheless shaved into intricate patterns, to

sho off yet more intricate, tri!al$es.ue tattooin*"" The name !eneath as in huttese, and after a !it of

ipin*, read easily enou*h, thou*h #ve not met a man named 6'ymi7 yet in all my travels" Too& a

moment to thin& on the space of time !eteen the service dates, !efore an interruption from one of my

forard team"

The to of them ere lit up at the mouth of the corridor" The a!ra&, Ar&tora, had called me up@ he

as already )ammin* his arm throu*h his !laster car!ines carry$loop, and starin* around li&e a ide$

eyed child" # could have applauded our resident cy!or* $ /e+ameter $ for his ariness, thou*h" /is

!laster stayed in his arms, pannin* ith mechanical surety across the room" And then # as in" The

li*hts ere already in full !eam L not for me to see the dramatic reveal of flic&erin* li*htin* outlinin*

a mysterious rooms contents, /e+ and Ar&y had already ta&en that pleasure !ut #m fairly sure only

the latter much cared for the dramatic effect L !ut # nonetheless *ot a lovely vie"

-ne of the anti$*rav pads had malfunctioned L hells, it still had arnin* tape and a fe lon*$dead

porta!le !eacon lamps scattered around it L and one of the !eauties had dented the floor, !ut the other

to still floated, animated on eddies of anti$*ravity from !elo, and ma*netic loc&s from a!ove"

0irin* trailed from the ceilin*, plu**ed into the rounded noses, ancient dia*nostics lon* since

finished" 2ipes spurted from hummin* *enerators, slippin* into the trian*ular en*ine$pods" To

spread in*s dipped don to meet a fe corru*ated !oardin* ladders, so thin that they more or less

loo&ed li&e they could carve throu*h a !attleship four times their sie and fly out the other end ith

nou*ht !ut a scratch to the !lac& and crimson paintor&"


22/30

'ar*er !y a factor of three than a ulture$class starfi*hter, each in* as lon* as one of those ne

%elta$K Aethersprites that the :edi *et to fly around in, these thin*s really did dominate the room" A

central pod, ith those &nife$in*s sept to its fore, !laster cannons as lon* as #m tall !olted don

the len*th of the inner in* they ere !reath$ta&in*" ;useum pieces, !ut a *reat pile of ancient, lost

technolo*y" The sort of thin* you )ust dont see noadays, !ut""" 0ell, may!e ell see their sort

flyin* the void once more, sooner or later"

-nce a*ain, the a!ra& interrupted my reverie" /e as holdin* a uniform )ac&et L as dar& as the

starfi*hter ith the same style of crimson accents L in his on !lac&$on$red hands" :ust !eyond, /e+had the mule of his car!ine in some &ind of !lac& cap" 2roddin* it $ as thou*h he as some no$tech

sava*e ith a sharpened stic& $ shuntin* it around in the dust" The cy!or* may lac& a sense of

dramatic flair, !ut # am not so impeded" Crouchin* made my fati*ues ride up, !ut it too& as much

effort to smooth them out as it did to flap the dust off the cap, and my *loved thum! did a *ood )o! as

to clean off the he+a*onal pin at the mid$point a!ove the pea&" A !it of ru!!in* pic&ed out the details,

five arros from the centre to each corner !ut the uppermost, here a clenched fist pointed up toards

the void" # alloed myself a ry smile, and slipped the cap on ithout compunction L pea& first, the

rear !and fittin* perfectly a!ove my ear"

# let the to men of my forard team see my smile, noddin* to the ide$eyed a!ra& as # left the

finally unsealed han*er !ay" ;y !oots retraced the distur!ed dust, muffled to near$silence" Around me,

e.ually spaced, alon* the strip$lit corridor, the eyes of the previous inha!itants stared, smir&ed,

*loered and smiled self$confidently don at me" A fe ore the same cap as #, and all had the cap$

pins sym!ol em!laoned upon their arms and across their hearts" A thousand miles up, the asteroid

rin*s o!scured the second solar !ody" The old a!andoned moon as !eautiful, in its on ay" # smiled

$ passin* our tool crates and slippin* !eteen the le*s of a fe of our =econ Transports L # smoothed

my uniform, and flic&ed on the holo$communicator panel" The !lue ima*e of a ro!ed fi*ure flic&ered

into form"

6Juite imposin*, Captain"7

The voice as a lo croa&, the sound of the dry throat hose orders # had folloed for a *ood fe

years no" # felt comforta!le enou*h ith the imposin* fi*ure to spea& fran&ly, !ut even # ouldntavoid !ein* succinct@ 6# felt so, Chancellor" Your vault has !een !reached, and the cache has !een

recovered lar*ely intact" Three separate starfi*hter classes, and uniforms L as your intel su**ested"7

To lon* fin*ers came from his dar& ro!e, as he stro&ed his sharp )a" 6Good" Good" You have done

ell, Captain,7 There as real pride in his voice, the &ind of pride that ended up !ein* mirrored ten$

fold in yourself8 /e had this amain* a!ility to ma&e you &no L ith a certain tone and a fe sparin*

smiles $ that all the or& you had *one throu*h as utterly orth it" # felt my chest puff out that much

more $ stretchin* my )ac&et taut L !efore he spo&e a*ain, 6And Captain9 # have diverted an All Terrain

Tactical 3nforcer to secure your discovery" You may tell the rest of your s.uadron that they may rest

easy toni*ht"7

# couldnt help a arm smile, and # !oed the pea& of my cap to the flic&erin* !lue ima*e@ 6#t ill !edone, Chancellor 2alpatine"7

2alpatines lips curled into a smir&, and as he raised his hood, that little satisfied smile as all that as

visi!le8 6# e+pect nothin* less" %ismissed, /idden %a**er -ne"7

# saluted, and the holo$ima*e faded to nothin*ness" # turned on my )ac&!ooted heel, duc&ed under the

loered !arrel of an AT$=Ts main *un, and sauntered my ay !ac& into the mouth of our catacom!"

:o! done"


23/30

Ashwalker

%ar&ness ill rei*n eternal here, a city of corruption, despair afts throu*h the air as if an ensnarin*

!east circlin* the mee&, the fearful and the desperate, The 2lanet that shines !ri*htest holds !ut the

*reatest dar&ness ithin its *rasp" Civilians !rea&in* the la daily, (o!les treadin* on the ould$!e

dontrodden and all the hile all remain o!livious of the dar&, the dar& it has alays !een there,

eatin* aay sloly and su!tly" Senators remain here feedin* their *luttony, their *reed, un&noin*ly

pushin* the shados further toards the heart of all thin*s here, :edi"

:edi ho have stood as 2rotectors and %efenders for a thousand years, and a thousand more, staunch,

stoic and utterly clueless for !eneath their very noses lie many ho ould see& their donfall"

2oliticians lead !y a !ein* ho has at many times stood !efore them as friend, as shield as ally"

%ar&ness here affects all and none may escape the shado it cast"

But !eneath this surface somethin* else as *oin* on, a *roup remained not :edi, nor Civilian in

nature, these are !easts of another nature entirely once they stood tall and proud and yet no they must

!ide their time, aitin*, alays aitin* for the ords spo&en !y their 'eader, yes their 'eader, a

fi*ure &non to them as 2rophet, 2rotector, Teacher, she alone holds them to*ether, her ill !e done

throu*h their continued support and valued service, hile she ines and dines in finery movin* the

2olitical 2ule pieces for the ;an she aids, under the surface her small *roup hispers into ears,

spreads rumour and fact in e.ual measure and all the hile stand as vi*ilant as the encroachin*

dar&ness over the orld"

Althou*h their *lorious 3mpire no lon*er remains, they ould !ut still clin* to their values, Sith" Sith

they are, no and forever, Althou*h their *roup is small in num!er, many yet remain ho have alays

remained, those ho held titles upon hi*h, no yet as ever use them, a ;an tall and fiercely devoted a

para*on of the %ar&ness he ould follo, his devotion to the 2rophet &nos no e.ual, )oined ith him

a small and petite 0oman, her face covered in a col of crimson and !lac&, fe ords escape her

mouth, !ut isdom is carried ith them all, a diplomat !y trade also, .uietly spo&en in nature, a tall

and slender man )oined entinin* oath ith many others, another oman remains, her s&in as !lue as

the oceans of ;anaan and yet her eyes remain red and shaded, her stance of a Soldier not a Sith, many

others stand near them, shaded and shadoed !y the dar&ness of here they meet"

They spea& of many thin*s in hushed tones, they had fallen far !ut yet endured for dar&ness alays

endures" The 2rophet once more appears !efore them, as she had countless times !efore, she spea&s in

a commandin* !ut calm voice as her crimson eyes flare at all she crosses *ae ith8 6%ar& Greetin*s

to all"7 in retort received ith !oin* and &neelin* in &ind as she nods she ould !ut spea& a*ain, her

tone methodical and melodic as the ords pour forth8 6# !rin* nes to all ho follo the dar&, that the

Supreme Chancellors plans are nearly into fruition, you have !een tried and tested for years upon

years, e have !een !ro&en, !ent and hunted, and throu*h your faith to the dar& times ahead, e my

dears yet still remain"7


24/30

The folloers of the dar& step forth, some risin* from their &nelt positions, hile one fi*ure remains

in the dar&ness, only !londe strands of hair may !e seen flic&erin* in the ind that flos throu*h the

meetin* place, ever atchin*, !ut his part is unimportant" She ould nod to him, only !ut once, !efore

refocusin* and spea&in* once more8 6ery soon, e ill !e called to helpMTo reform and re!uild

hat should never have !een ta&en from us, the Supreme Chancellor moves his pans and pieces even

no, and e *o to assist here and hen needed, for it is time, that people ere once more afraid of

the dar&"7The 2ara*on of dar&ness, he ould step forth, his eyes meet the 2rophet !efore loerin* themselves in

a shoin* of continued and everlastin* loyalty 62rophet7 he ould spea&, his voice deep and

prolon*ed 6-ur time ill come soon9 Yes9 Can these ords you spea& !e true9 #s our trial finally

over97 She ould smile, a comfort and a reassurance in themselves 6%ear Tchela&, you have

remained at my side, for years !eyond measure, # spea& true, as # alays have to my people, our time

ill soon come7 She ould then allo her *ae to slide sloly across all others8 6dere, ?hayar,

Yavmirian7 as her eyes *ae further, more of her folloers step into the shaded li*ht 6?haellios,

Si.sa, all of you ho remained, ho held true to the oath of dar&ness, our time ill !e upon us soon"

Are you ready to !rin* !ac& the ay of thin*s as they !ut need to !e97

Those assem!led ould all !o their heads spea&in* as one 6Yes 2rophet, let us !rin* !ac& the

dar&ness that has !een sleepin* for far too lon*"7 She ould nod li*htly, as she ould !ut e+tend her

hand outards" 6Go, e ill !e*in layin* the first steps today, soon, very soon the :edi shall fall, and

%ar&ness ill rei*n eternal"7


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Khayar

e&"rth

6A lon* time a*o in a *ala+y far, far aay7

Centuries after the end of 'ord itiates Sith 3mpire, and centuries !efore the destruction of the :edi

-rder as planned !y the %ar& 'ord Sidious, the =epu!lic finds itself listenin* to stories of an ancient

Sith Starship, anderin* aroind the Gala+y, appearin* on hat appear to !e random orlds at random

times, only to disappear as someone tries to move closer to it"

The Senators *ro scared, and as such the :edi -rder decides to ta&e the matter in its on hands,

sendin* a small team of :edi ?ni*ht, led !y a ;aster, and this ;asters 2adaan, to investi*ate"

-n the planet Alderaan, their small starship mana*es to *et close enou*h to land in the ancient Sith

Starships han*ars"""

6-&, ere here, ;aster Telaris" (o hat97 as&ed one of the three :edi ?ni*ht"

6(o e *et out7 saids the :edi ;aster, a tall, muscular man ith hite hair and eyes"

3veryone prepared to fi*ht, !ut as they loo&ed at the youn* 2adaan, a youn* Tile& *irl of *reencolored s&in, they shivered" Shed never !een a *reat duelist, her s&ills lied mostly in her tele&inesis

and use of the Force, !ut her focus as still lac&in*"

6(ima, youll stay close to me7 said ;aster Telaris, calmly, as the *irl nodded"

The :edi all sloly and carefully al&ed out of their small starship and had a *lance at the han*ar"

'ots of ancient starfi*hter layed there, in hat seemed an a!andoned decay" They had a loo& around

and recorded no si*n of life" As such, they settled for a standard e+ploration"

After e+plorin* most of the starship, the :edi arrived on the command dec&, here a dar& hooded

fi*ure standed, *lancin* outside at the planet Alderaan, visi!le throu*h the indos" The :edi

prepared to fi*ht, ta&in* their li*htsa!ers in hand and enterin* their fi*htin* stances" ;aster Telaris

remained !ac&, to protect his 2adaan" The !lac& hooded fi*ure turned !ac&, and stared at them, hisface shoin* contempt"

6 You have trespassed, :edi7 he said"

6 You have trespassed first7 said ;aster Telaris in response"

As the man *rinned, many shados appeared around the small :edi team" ;any ere !lac& hooded,

resem!lin* each other, and they all holded red !laded li*htsa!ers, some dou!le!laded" The :edi

prepared to fi*ht, !ut hile the shados ere a!le to fi*ht properly, the :edi erent a!le to slice at

them, no matter hat" Soon enou*h, the three :edi ?ni*ht ere dead, and the ;aster as forced to run

for his life, ith the 2adaan in to"

They arrived .uic&ly to their starship, !ut hat they sa outside the han*ar as not open space" They

sa an endless vorte+ of ener*y, and &ne instantly that there as no escape"As the !lac& hooded man appeared in front of them, !loc&in* the ay to the starship, the :edi ;aster

and the 2adaan prepared to fi*ht for their lives" Shados surround them as they surrounded the

?ni*hts earlier, !ut this time they did not attac&" They )ust standed there, a circle of shados -ne of

them, a crimson ro!ed fi*ure, al&ed past the shados and *lanced at !oth the :edi ;aster and the

Tile&, then hispered somethin* to the !lac& hooded man, that nodded" -ther fi*ures arrived and

standed !ehind the !lac& hooded man, and *lared at the :edi ;aster and his 2adaan, hile the

crimson one &ept tal&in*, lo so that the to :edi couldnt hear him"

The fi*ures all too& a neutral stance, e+cept the to most prominent ones" The to motioned at the

:edi to move closer, and too& position in the center of the circle"

6# ould have never ima*ined to see this happen7 said the crimson, !one shoulder padded fi*ure"

6(either ould #7 confirmed the !lac& hooded man"

The to :edi remained silent, the youn* Tile& 2adaan remainin* sli*htly !ac& so that her ;aster

could protect her !etter"


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6 0e have no need for you7 said the !lac& hooded fi*ure as he pointed at ;aster Telaris, ho

promptly fell to the *round, dead"

The 2adaan fell into desperation, &neelin* don and cryin* at the loss of her ;aster" The !lac&

hooded man then stepped !ac& )oinin* the others, a !lac& armored oman approachin* in his place"

6 =ise up, child7 said the crimson man"

The youn* 2adaan did as she as told, and *lared at the !lac& hooded man"

6 You seem to have the s&ills e need, youn* one7 said the !lac& armored oman, as she approached"

6And ere sure you can do hat is needed7 added the crimson man"6 The choices you have are to either learn from us, and reclaim hat as lost, or die alon*side your

!rethren7 said the !lac& armored oman"

The youn* Tile& &ept cryin*, !ut nodded at those ords, sayin*@ 6# dont ant to die""" Teach me"7

The crimson man nodded and *lanced at the !lac& armored oman, ho nodded appreciatively

asell" The shados surroundin* them disappeared completely, !ut the fi*ures remained" As the

crimson man !ec&oned the Tile& to follo, the !lac& armored oman too& her place amon* them"

There as a fair num!er of them, !ut the ones that seemed most prominent ere five"

A dar& ro!ed oman ith hat loo&ed li&e a horned helmet"

A dar& clothed one ith crimson hair"

A red hooded, tall, muscular, mas&ed man"

A !lac& armored soldier, a helmet coverin* her face"And a !lac& ro!ed oman ith a !lac& mas& coverin* her face"

They all nodded as the crimson man introduced them"

6;y 'ords, my 'ady 2rophet""" This is the one ho ill carry on our 'e*acy7 he said"

6($(ima"""7 said the Tile& 2adaan, still scared 6;y name is (ima"""7

The oman ith the horned helmet nodded, !ut *lared at the Tile& 2adaan ith contempt, !efore

revealin* her identity@ 6%arth %erriphan, 2rophet of the /ands of %ar&ness"7 The second oman, the

one ith dar& clothes, introduced herself as 6%arth

#nanivis, Shado iier of the /ands of %ar&ness"7

The red hooded man called himself 6%arth Fectious, Shado /and of the /ands of %ar&ness"7 The

!lac& armored soldier removed her helmet, shoin* her charmin* Chiss *rin and commented@

6Colonel Yavmiran, Shado /and of the /ands of %ar&ness"7And finally, the !lac& ro!ed oman added@ 6And #m %arth ayne, Shado /and of the /ands of

%ar&ness"7

The Tile& *raciously !oed as the five introduced themselves !efore disappearin*, to*ether ith

everyone !ut the crimson man"

6As for me7 the crimson man added 6You ill call me ;aster" Come, time is short and theres much

to learn, for you"7

A lon* time passed as the crimson man trained the *irl, shapin* her into a charmin* leader, a cunnin*

ruler and a poerful Sith"

From time to time, other fi*ures appeared to help him ith his efforts" The youn* *irls pro*ressesere remar&a!le, her mind as shaped in that of a Sith .uic&ly, ithout hoever compromisin* her

personality nor her already smart thin&in*"

A !lac& and red armored man, ith a scary mas& coverin* his face, one day !rou*ht a fe /olocrons,

from hich the *irl learned everythin* a!out hte history of the people she as no *oin* to continue

the le*acy of"

A Tile& mas&ed oman encoura*ed her to &eep tryin*, in many occasions"

A !ald man helped her hone her fi*htin* s&ills"

A dar& hooded, ;iralu&a oman shared her &noled*e of the Force, of her Si*ht"

Sometimes, even those the *irl met the first day came to chec& up on her"

The !lac& hooded man teached her ho to focus her mind, and the !lac& armored oman instructed

the *irl on ho to conceal her nature"

Surprisin*ly, time seemed to !e non influent on that Starship, as the *irl never needed to rest or eat,nor the :edi corpss seemed to decay" /er trainin* as ithout !rea&, continous, and she turned into

possi!ly one of the most poerful Sith of the time"


27/30

6#t is no time for you to test yourself7 said the crimson man at a point"

6Yes, ;aster, #m ready7 the *irl ansered"

6You ill no fi*ht a*ainst me, Force a*ainst Force7 the crimson man continued 6And afterards, if #

)ud*e you ready, your Apprenticeship ill !e over"7

The to dueled usin* only the Force, as to Force ;asters ould have, the fi*ht spectacular !oth

visually and physically, as they countered each others moves ith *reat s&ill, and it too& hours !efore

the crimson man as satisfied and called the duel over, *ivin* her a orthy ne name" %aesha,

6=uler7 in rylothian" That ould have !een her Sith (ame"

A solemn Ceremony as held on the command !rid*e, the corpses of the :edi ?ni*ht still there, !ut

no!ody cared"

All the fi*ures ere in there, creatin* a sort of corridor from the elevator to the command dec&" /er

;aster, the crimson man, as ready to al& her to the set of stairs that limited the path she as

alloed to al&"

As they al&ed there to*ether, the fi*ures !oed their heads sloly at them, and in the end the

crimson man left her in front of the stairs, ta&in* place at the side of the 2rophet, to*ether ith the

three Shado /ands"

6The time has come for you to leave us and continue our 'e*acy7 !e*an the 2rophet 6But you ont

!e a!le to do it on your on"


28/30

As the Tile& realied the ma*nitude of the *ifts she as *iven, she !oed her head, !ut it as not

over yet" /er ;aster stepped closer, a pair of !racers in his ri*ht hand, and a small /olocron in his left

one" The !racers entered the !a* alon*side the rest, !ut the /olocron remained in his hands"

6This !racers ill allo you to resist those foolish enou*h to re!el a*ainst you7 continued the 2rophet

once a*ain 6And""" # thin& your ;aster has somethin* personal for you"7

The crimson man nodded and said@ 6This /olocron ill return active upon your departure" #t holds all

of my secrets and memories, youll find them enli*htenin*, #m sure" ?eep it for yourself, its not

meant for others"7The Tile& *irl too& the /olocron from her ;asters hands in an incredi!lyrespectful ay, and placed it delicately in her !a*, !efore returnin* her focus on the 2rophet, a*ain,

her ;aster standin* at her side, no, rather than returnin* to his place"

6This is all e can *ive you to allo you to uphold your role in the time to come7 concluded the

2rophet in an imperious tone 6But ere sure youll achieve everythin* that can !e achieved, than&s to

those" -r perhaps, &noin* you have those" (o leave, return to your people and fulfill your role"

Claim your 'e*acy, revive ours, and ma&e it ta&e its ri*htful place in the Gala+y" That of the rulers"7

The youn* %ar& 'ord !oed out of respect to the 2rophet and her allies, to*ether ith her ;aster,

!efore claimin* her !a* and returnin* to the starship, sloly"

(o, outside the han*ar, the planet Anderaan as visi!le, they returned to the Gala+y" 7#t is time for

you to depart, youn* one7 said the crimson man, !efore lettin* the Tile& enter the small :edistarship 6But dont for*et your place" =emain calm, &eep your focus, and youll achieve everythin*

you ant"7

6Than& you, ;aster7 responded the Tile& *irl 6# shall ma&e you proud"7

6# already am, youn* one7 said the crimson man in a nostal*ic tone 6# already am""" (o *o, claim

your place in the Gala+y"7

0ith those ord, he disappeared in a crimson could of smo&e" The Tile& returned to the ship and

left, forever" But the man reappeared ri*ht there, *lancin* at hte ship as it returned to Alderaan"

;oments after, the ancient Sith Starship returned to the sidespace here it had remained until that

moment, and all the fi*ures appeared around the crimson man"

6 #t is done7 he said"

6 #t is7 the 2rophet commented 6But #d have never dreamed to see such a person claim our le*acy"7

6 0ell, she has much to share ith us7 commented the crimson man 6And ith me in particular"7

6 %id you tell her97 as&ed the !lac& armored oman"

6 (o, hy ould # have97 as&ed the crimson man 6#t ouldnt have !een of use to her, after all" She

may fi*ure it out, eventually""" But at that point, thats not *oin* to !e an issue"7

6 ?hayar""" #ts amain* ho you have !ecome similar to us all7 commented the !lac& armored

oman in a calm, neutral tone, *lancin* at the crimson man"

6 After all this time9 # dont thin& so7 commented the crimson man, respondin* to the comment in an

e.ually calm tone"

6You &no, #d have never thou*ht you to !e the family type, ?hayar7 commented the !lac& and redarmored man 6But # *uess you are a man full of surprises, after all"7

7# am, 'ord Tchela&7 responded ?hayar 6As # shoed you all in many occasions, if you recall"7

'ord Tchela& lau*hed inside his mas&, and after sha&in* his head, disappeared"

6 #m still surprised you *ot to have such a"""7 commented the Tile& Sith oman 6"""=ole"7

6 0ell, 'ord Sinya7 as ?hayars response 6# am surprised myself" But # *uess the Force led us to

this, someho, as the :edi ould claim" -ther than that, # dont &no hat to say"7

'ord Sinya smiled and lau*hed in a crystalline voice, !efore al&in* aay and disappearin*"

The !ald man turned to al& aay as ell, !ut ?hayar commented 6Than&s for your help in teachin*

her some martial s&ills, 'ord ?haellios7"

6(ever thou*ht #d ta&e it on me7 he muttered, !efore disappearin* as ell"

The ;iralu&a oman simply nodded !efore leavin*, !ut ?hayar too& a moment to *reet her properlyith a@ 6;ay %ar&ness serve you ell, 'ord edere" Fareell"7

She nodded in response and disappeared, leavin* only hte 2rophet, ?hayar, the !lac& armoured

oman and the !lac& hooded man there"


29/30

60ell ?hayar, # have to *ive it to you7 commented the !lac& hooded man 6Your actions prooved .uite

positive"7

6 Than&s for your ords, 'ord Surion7 said ?hayar in response 6Thou*h #m surprised after all this

time you decided to say it" #m honoured"7

?hayar !oed as 'ord Surion disappeared"

The !lac& armored oman moved to ?hayars side then, commentin*@ 6Youve !een a *ood

Apprentice" And no # see you !ecomin* a nice ;aster" # trem!le in anticipation to see hat ill

!ecome of your latest Apprentice"7

6;y than&s, ;aster7 ?hayar than&ed her as she disappeared as ell"6#ndeed ?hayar, your methods are .uite unorthodo+, !ut you usually reach your tar*et no matter hat,

as %arth Si.sa &nos7 said the 2rophet ri*ht !efore disappearin* 6:ust dont let this drop" Thats not a

possi!ility no"7

6# ont7 commented ?hayar, remainin* in the han*ar to *lance outside"

As the youn* Tile& returned to teh :edi, she as never discovered to !e a Sith, !ut mana*ed to end

her trainin* and !ecome a :edi .uite fast, than&s to hat she learned on the ancient Sith Starship, the

:iaas)en"

#n years, she !ecame a famous :edi ;aster, and !e*an entan*lin* herself ith the =epu!lics various

ministers, !uildin* such a lar*e poer!ase that no matter hat the =epu!lic had to face, it alays

alloed the /ands of %ar&ness to survive ithin it"

?hayars Force 2hantom appeared only once to %arth %aesha, to tal& to her ithout veils" She already

&ne hat he anted to tell her, !ut findin* out that her family ori*inated !ac& in the Sith 3mpire,

hen a Sith and a Tile& fell in love, motivated her even more to or& hard to ma&e the /ands of

%ar&ness rule as they should alays have"

Centuries later, as the =epu!lic as reshaped into the first Galactic 3mpire !y %arth Sidious, the

/ands of %ar&ness continued schemin*, maintainin* !alance !eteen the 3mpire and the =e!els from

the shados" 3ven after that, they alays made sure that any menace to their rule as Sith as

dispatched !y the :edi"

By *roin* that stron*, the /ands of %ar&ness achieved hat no!ody had !efore@ illin*ly or not, the

=epu!lic and the :edi alays or&ed for them, as they aited for the !est moment to claim command"

The day has not come yet, !ut theres a *uarantee@ once it arrives, there ont !e failure" The /ands

ill rule"

;ay %ar&ness serve you ell""" %ar&ness protects"


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Dark Futures - Hands of Darkness

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