Filling a Void

[Darkwasp]

Senali
- A small moon orbiting the planet of Rulan. Its brilliant blue planet-wide ocean was dotted with hundreds of thousands of small islands. The sands, stones, and rock that formed these isles were as versatile and beautiful as the mass that they constituted. For millennium the Senalis and the Rutanians warred with each other; only finding precarious peace when the two world leaders offered to swap their first born sons, in a bazaar exchange program. It was a tradition that had resurfaced, and continued to this day.

The Manullian rested on the soft sands of small deserted island on the southern hemisphere of Senali. A large patch was flattened and formed into a makeshift, but natural, landing pad; just big enough for the modified freighter to land. It was a plot of land that was maintained by barely functioning service droids. They had tended to the location for a little over 15 years, and the coarse crystalline sand threatened to clog their servos and other important components.

Terris Rolan-Baatch descended from the ship’s port side landing ramp, her platinum eyes squinting to protect themselves from the bright midday sun. Senali seemed hotter than she last remembered. Perhaps she had come at this sector’s summer season. It didn’t matter. As long as the secret facility was still functioning, they would have cool conditioned air.

”Come on, Variik! The mainframe should be over this way.” she called back into the ship.

Terris gave a small acknowledgement to the droids that quickly moved to clear the sand that the Manullian had kicked up upon their arrival, before heading toward a tree-line that was permeated with exotic fruits and flora. The colors were just as beautiful as she had remembered, and some of the fruits appeared to be ripening. Moving deeper into the small forest, Terris moved aside some of the forest’s overgrowth to reveal a small metal door.

”I thought I was getting paranoid or growing crazy, when I first had this created. Now it seems that it came in handy for you.” she admitted, turning to Variik. The mainframe had pinged her that it had received a datastream, and unfortunately the relay uplink seemed to have failed. They had to actually travel to the small installation in order to retrieve that data.

 

[Paradox]

The young man smiled as the sun lit his face. He was used to a bright world with plenty of sun, so this planet reminded him of home; albeit with less water. But no sooner than he had thought this than a pang of sadness and regret ran through him. He remembered having dinner with his mother, father, and brother. It seemed like the life of some stranger in a half-remembered dream. He walked after the Echani Jedi and couldn't help but study her for the umptenth time. The color of her hair, her body motions, and her personality. He had met a Jedi once, his old friend Jaab who had set him on the path of light, and she was so different from other Jedi. She confused him.

He peeled his eyes away from her before she might notice and shook his head to clear his thoughts of the strange woman. He looked among the forest as they found a small metal door. "You really believe it's Morril? That he might have information on...my brother? It's been years and I haven't been able to find a single clue as to his whereabouts until Nar Shaddaa. Now all I have left are memories of blood and ash. And the word of an Imperial."

How did the galaxy, the Force, become so unbalanced?" He was mainly talking to himself now. He stared off into the distance away from Terris. He often felt alone at times. His brother, as fallen as he was, was all he had left. He had no one else. And deep down he still believed Kirik can be saved, he could still be redeemed.

 

[Darkwasp]

Terris tapped at a small numeric pad next to the metal door. There was a loud clicking sound, but the door did not move on its own. It was an archaic design that had a handle, which the Echani tugged at. It took a few heaves, but the heavy door finally relented and swung open. When she had commissioned the facility, she didn’t want any fancy gadgetry that might produce frivolous signals or attract unwanted attention, so everything was designed with a sort of minimalist propose.

”The only other people that would possibly use this array, are a few Jedi that I happen to already be in contact with. It has to be Moril.” she responded, with an abundance of hope and optimism. ”Hopefully he has some information that you can use.” she continued, rubbing her palms together in excitement.

Terris paused at Variik’s statement of the balance of the Force. It brought up memories of the conversation with Skhai that she was trying desperately to forget. She flicked a small switch that illuminated a sharply descending staircase. Traversing the staircase, she entered a room that was 8x8 meters; most of which was taken up by a large computer bank. She moved to the terminal, and began typing at its keyboard. Various pieces of code and script sped across the monitor, as she accessed the file that she received from Moril. ”The Force is always in balance. It just depends upon your perspective. Many people confuse balance with stability, and unchanging equality. In actuality; sometimes Ashla is in control and sometimes Bogan is.” she said quietly, as she finished what she was doing.

The Jedi moved to the staircase, but did not ascend. Instead she merely pointed to the terminal. ”Your information is ready for you. Would you like privacy?” she offered, gesturing that she could head upstairs to give him the privacy that he might need. ”When ever you feel ready, I’d like to hear about you and your brother.” she remarked, with a warm smile on her face.

 

[Paradox]

"No, you can stay. If you want that is." In truth Variik was a bit nervous at what this information was. He didn't yet have a good handle on his emotions. Most new Jedi could say the same, but he had other reasons that he had not yet told anyone. He has the potential for dark and light far more than most because of the origins of his birth. He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair, a stark contrast to Terris'. "Alright...let's see what you've gotten yourself into brother."

He pressed a button on the console and a holo flickered to life of one Imperial Liaison Officer Morrill. He fidgeted with his uniform before turning to face whatever was recording him. "This is the first of many messages for Imperial Special Operative Idej. The prospect named Kirik has been handed over to the Sith Order for initiation. I have a report on that and also a preliminary report on how he first came to our attention."

"Let's see; yes, the 'Lorrd Incident.' Here it is." Morrill sat down and typed a few keys on an unseen terminal. "Lorrd, primary a world that stored knowledge and also served as an agri-world, was being plagued by a group of deserters turned pirates; the Unsung. A pretentious name, as in the unsung heroes of the Imperial military. Grunts who believed they were overlooked long enough. Fools. That should have been their name. Anyways, we were receiving reports of a Sith that seemed to be combating them. However records showed there was not a single Sith within the Lorrd system."

"So naturally the Order dispatched one of their own to investigate whether this was rumor or a Dark Jedi pretender." Morril flicked as his shoulder, ever the neat freak, and tapped a few more keys. "The Sith found the site of a recent attack; a small village with a sizable food store. The Sith, still unnamed, found only one survivor. The entire settlement had been slaughtered in the battle between the Unsung, Imperial soldiers, and the unknown assailant..."

"No..." Varrik said, sadness creeping into his eyes. His voice nearly a whisper as he heard the casualties and damage. Saw pictures of the carnage. He recognized the lightsaber wounds on soldiers and civilians alike. "Brother could you have possibly fallen so far...so fast?"

"...and incalculable damage to the crops." Morrill sipped some water as he concluded the report. "Now, onto the update on his status. It's not much I'm afraid but it's all I have at the moment, though I should send another report before the end of the month. He is now on Dromund Kaas studying with a Sith Sorceror, I know not this Sith's name, but I will uncover it. He seems to be trying to learn dark secrets before he is ready. He's very ambitious and seems nearly obsessed learning the secrets of flame. As well as the secrets of taking life and I don't mean simple killing. That's all for now, Morrill out."

Varrik sat down on a dusty chair heavily. He was stunned, he didn't know what to think. His brother was falling fast but he still believed he could be save; he could be redeemed. He just needed a chance. He still believed, he did. But he felt lost and alone again. He sighed, "Well...that could have been better....and worse."

 

[Darkwasp]

Terris nodded and leaned against the wall, as Varrik began to access the information that they had received. Her pale face twisted slightly when the image of Moril emerged from the holo emitter. She would have preferred to turn the arrogant Imperial over to the Hutts; sealing his fate. She was rather disgusted that she had to let him go free. The possibilities of him hatching more devious plots to root out Rebels and Jedi turned her stomach. Even hearing his shrill voice again was like a vibroblade slowly sinking into her eardrum.

One didn’t need the Force to hear the pain and sorrow in Varrik’s voice. It was obvious to her that his worse fear had come true; that his brother had succumbed to the sordid temptations of the darkside. As the message continued, the harsh realities of Varrik’s brother’s situations became unmistakably clear; Kirik was now a Sith.

Terris moved silently and gracefully across the distance between them; placing a gentle hand on the shoulder of the man, who was now slumped in the dusty chair. Her hand gently rubbed his shoulder, as he let out an exasperated sigh. In honesty, she had predicted his brother’s course; however she had hoped that he’d be located on a more accessible planet. Dromund Kas was far too deep into Sith territory to try to sneak in to. They would have to wait until Kirik was closer to the border, in order to arrange the brothers’ meeting. Until then Varrik would have to train. Meetings between Jedi and Sith never went smoothly; whether they were family or not. Kirik was hungry to learn, which meant his power would be great when the two met. Varrik would have to be strong in both mind and body in order to come out on top.

”It’s time to start training. If you plan on speaking with your brother again, you’ll need to be prepared. These meetings rarely go well.” she offered, looking down at the man.

Based on what she heard from the information, and assuming she could trust Moril, she knew what Varrik needed to learn. Though she couldn’t necessarily train him in those things, she had access to those who could. With Cotan off on missions to complete his Knighthood, she had an opening for a Padawan. She was already deeply involved in Varrik’s life, she might as well see him through it.

 

[Paradox]

"It’s time to start training. If you plan on speaking with your brother again, you’ll need to be prepared. These meetings rarely go well.” Terris offered, looking down at the man.

He was silent a few moments and put his hand on hers without turning around. He let it linger only a moment before he stood up and looked at the final image of the transmission; his brother. But his eyes were cold and he sported a scar from his left temple to his right eye. It was so faint it was barely noticeable unless you knew it was there or the light caught it right. But otherwise he was exactly the same as Varrick himself. Varrik clinched his fists. "He got the scar when we were playing in the creek...I slipped...and he dove to catch me...the cut bleed so much but he smiled and said, 'I don't care. As long as you're safe Var. I want to protect people, but you and mom and dad especially.' He was so kind and compassionate...before...what drove him to this? And what drives him now?"

"What..." A single tear fell unstrained, he moved away from Terris; feeling more alone than he had since he had lost his family than his brother. "What happened to us? He was always so strong, stronger than me. Better than me. He was always more powerful with the Force, more selfless than I sharing whatever he had with anyone, and he always drove me to be better...why, how could he fall? He was a brighter light than I..."

Then he whispered silently. "Why wasn't it me?

 

[Darkwasp]

Terris stared down at the glimmering holo-image of Kirik, as Varrik regaled the tale of how Kirik got his scar. They truly were identical twins. One would be hard pressed to tell the two apart without the existence of the wound. She could tell how much Varrik looked up to and cared for his brother; a relationship that she never had with her siblings. Unfortunately as the man asked his questions, she had not heard enough to give a specific answer. Instead, she could only generalize.

”Choices…” she answered, letting the word linger in the air for a while before continuing. ”Sometimes we choose to blame ourselves for a loss or not being able to prevent a loss. Sometimes we choose to take the shortest path to power, in order to defend or loved ones; not realizing that we are lost in the darkness.” She allowed Kirrik to pull away, as she travelled to inspect a dusty old mug that sat in the corner of the room. ”Sometimes we choose revenge…” She glanced down at the singular clean spot, left by the vacation of the glass mug. Perhaps she should have assigned a droid for cleaning, while she was away. She smiled fondly at the cup, as she used a thumb to remove a layer of dust from its side. Komad Industries it read on the side, with the company’s familiar logo emblazoned behind it. She placed the cup back within its nest of dust, and turned back toward Varrik.

”Of course, I cannot give you an accurate guess without knowing your story.” she concluded, looking upon him with caring eyes.

 

[Paradox]

"Are you sure you wish to know my story? Our story? It seems a tale of happiness and hope, but quickly turns into a tragedy." Variik turned to the Echani woman. He sat back down and took several deep breathes. It had been so long before he had told anyone; not since his former master. "It all started twenty-three years ago when a Jedi and a Sith, both masters of Niman, engaged one another on an unnamed world along the Outer Rim. They were the last survivors of a vicious battle involving the two orders just before the war truly began and it was time for a winner to be decided."

Variik's voice grew quiet as he continued to mention his parents, "The Jedi was Arellia Kell, known as the Healing Light among the Alliance forces. She was a pale, blond beauty that used her power to heal and protect. She knew she had to win to warn the galaxy of the return of the Sith and the inevitable war to follow."

"The Sith was Thraxx Ak'Thaar, known among his peers as the Burning Devourer. He was a dark skinned, raven haired fury known for burning his victims or consuming their life force. He was determined to extinguish her light so their arrival would remain veiled unto his order was ready to strike." He loved his father, but not what he had once been and done but accepted him and cherished his memory all the same. "Crimson and azure lights flashed upon what was to be their last battlefield. The duel raged for hours, shaping the ground with scorch marks and craters as each fought harder than they ever had in their lives. Never had either one met someone so perfect their equal; few practiced Niman and fewer still mastered it. As the day turned to night then to dawn, the battle began to turn."

"Gathering the last of her strength, Arellia unleashed a blast of Force energy that threw Thraxx fifty yards where he slammed into a cliff face. His energy was spent. She limped to the fallen Sith, preparing herself for the final blow. But just before she struck a presence made itself known." He said as he sat forward as his father used to when he told this part of the tale. "A hulking Sith known as Glaive had been waiting for the duel to near it's end. He had watched from the wreckage of a transport, planning on absorbing both of their energies once he knew neither would have the strength to defeat him. The monster of a Zabrak smiled viciously as he ignited his saber and charged, the ground trembling with his steps. Arellia attempted to use Force Push against him, but was too weak to call forth the required strength. Then it was too late and he was upon her. With one powerful blow he planned on separating her from her head...but, a twist of fate intervened."

"Thraxx, using a sudden burst of speed, rose and rushed forward; tackling the behemoth. He missed his swing at the Jedi but managed to knock her to the ground. The force was enough to knock the breath from her and make her see stars. Then in one motion he pivoted and grabbed Thraxx by the throat. As he prepared to impale the man, a soft whistling was heard through the air. Glaive grunted, a confused look on his face." Variik smiled softly, as he always had when he heard this victorious part of the story.

"He looked down only to find an azure blade through his chest. Both men fell heavily to the ground as Arellia rushed over to retrieve her blade and defy fate yet again, by attempting to heal Thraxx. He fought her weakly at first but then laid still, confused as to why the woman he had been trying to kill was healing him instead of ending his life. Why had she saved him in the first place? She could have let Glaive kill him and then thrown her blade." He sat back, still smiling lost in the memories. "He looked into her eyes...and felt something he never had before; love."

"So they ran. They ran together. Away from the Jedi, away from the Sith. Away from the coming war. It wasn't a fairy tale. They often fought and considered finishing their duel, returning to their respective orders as the conflict was just about to begin. Until the we were born that is. After two years of running and a strange, tense romance. They brought into the galaxy we two brothers that cemented their love and washed away all doubts. Variik and Kirik, the Twin Souls. We moved from place to place as as we grew and the galaxy was thrown into conflict as the Sith revealed their presence in full. Until we finally settled in anonymity on Broest; a small agriworld." He paused and was silent for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts.

"I'll skip the golden years...some memories are still to painful, but suffice to say we were happy. We trained and stayed hidden. The Imperium ignored us for awhile, even after Coruscant fell." Variik's eyes grew a bit more distant. His voice grew softer and one could her the sorrow beginning to enter his voice. "Then they came to Broest. Was it luck or fate that brought a Sith there to supervise the takeover of the local government? Regardless he sensed all four of us and we sensed him. Desperate to stay apart from the conflicts of the galaxy and the Sith's iron grip, we fled to a spaceport only to be cornered. Knowing there was no way out without a distraction and knowing they would need strength to survive, Arellia kissed her family goodbye and.........rushed the Imperium forces. It's hard to say what happened after that...I block a lot out. But I remember father's rage. More than anything he wanted to slaughter them all, save mother. But the noose was tightening and he had to protect us. So he hijacked a transport and fled before Imperium reinforcements arrived."

"The...the next few years were hard on us. We were a broken and weary family. We moved from place to place, only to be hounded by the Imperium at every turn. Finally father wouldn't run anymore. He dropped us off at a hostel on Nar Shaddaa and led the pursuers systems away. He made his last stand on the same unnamed world from all those years ago where he had met mother." Variik slumped a bit but managed to sit forward and clasp his hands together, resting his head on them. "I only know this...because we tracked him down after our eighteenth birthday. We found the battle site and...his body. Then we had...a disagreement and our own duel...that was the last I saw of him...until now. He was determined that joining the Sith would help him honor father and gain the power he needed to avenge his family. I told him it was the Imperium's and Sith's fault our parents were dead, but he wanted to kill only those responsible and then control them."

"I wanted to seek out the Jedi. To help others and to bring, not vengeance, but justice and peace....like mother would have wanted." Variik sighed. "We parted ways..."

 

[Darkwasp]

Terris leaned against one of the dusty walls within the small room, as she listened to Varrik once more. He wasn’t long into his tale when it had already become one of destiny; a battle between light and dark. The quarrelling siblings, Ashla and Bogan, would each be denied a victory in their struggle; defeated by a force that neither seemed to fully understand: love. Ashla and Bogan were not without their spite, however. The two sides demanded a resolution, one that would come in the form of the combatants’ offspring. Fate would give the offending couple twins; one drawn to the light, and the other drawn to the dark.

Kirik already aspired to emulate the abilities of his father. The Force was conspiring to have the twins finish the fight that was it was robbed of, so many years ago. The unnamed planet would be their battleground, and this time only one would walk away; either the light, or the dark. This was a proposition that saddened the Echani. Surely there had been enough battles between then and now for the fate; for the Force to be satisfied. Why did two people, who cared so much for each other, have to be forced into such an inevitable conflict? Terris sighed deeply.

”Vengeance is a powerful motivator. The only way I see this ending with you two reunited; is for you to catch the individuals responsible, before your brother falls too far into the darkness.” the ivory trussed Echani stood up straight and began approaching Varrik. ”Approaching your brother before handling those individuals will only result in conflict. We should capture those responsible for killing your parents first. What do you think?”

 

[Paradox]

"I suppose that is our best and only course of action," said Variik with a small sigh. He fixed a few loose strands of his dark hair away from his face, standing up and looking to the holo-image of his brother once again. "But while I've been searching for my brother, I have also been looking for those responsible for the deaths of my mother and father. I haven't learned learned much but it seems the same Sith was responsible. I've never been able to get a name or even a face. Where would we start?"

He copied the report from Morrill onto a datapad and pocketed it. It may hurt him to read the contents again but it could help in the future. He turned back to the beautiful woman with a sad smile, "This won't end well will it? This path that we're on? I want to believe he can still be redeemed. It's never too late...right?"

((OOC: Sorry for the meh post, but that's all I could think of at the moment))

 

[Darkwasp]

Terris continued to lean against the wall of the mainframe room, as she digested the information that was given to her. With the Jedi spread all over the galaxy – and being constantly on the run – the resources normally available to them were now nearly nonexistent. Knowing that she was not particularly the best of detectives, the Echani referred to the Novellas of her youth.

”Well since we don’t have a face or name, perhaps its best if we returned to the scene of the crime. We’ll see if we can’t come up with some sort of clue to help us.” she said with a nod. It certainly sounded like something an expert detective might say.

Terrris’ eyes dropped at the sound of Varrik’s second question. The chances of the situation ended in an unsatisfactory manner, were high. Fortunately for Varrik, she was stubborn, and once she put her mind to a problem, she wouldn’t stop until it was solved. She pushed her self off of the wall, dusted her hands off, and made her way to the exit.

”The future isn’t written in stone. We just have to win the race against time. The further your brother falls, the harder it will be to bring him back.” Terris motioned for Varrik to follow her. ”Do you have the coordinates to planet that you mentioned? You can enter them into the computer, while I alert the Council to what we’re up to.” she requested, as she climbed the steep stairs back to the surface.

 

[Paradox]

”Well since we don’t have a face or name, perhaps its best if we returned to the scene of the crime. We’ll see if we can’t come up with some sort of clue to help us,” she said with a nod. It certainly sounded like something an expert detective might say. Varrik looked away for a few moments as a flood of emotions went through him. He struggled to control them and realized, deep down, he always knew he would have to return there. He looked back up as the silver haired woman continued, responding to his second question. ”The future isn’t written in stone. We just have to win the race against time. The further your brother falls, the harder it will be to bring him back.”

Terris motioned for Varrik to follow her, which he did but deep in thought. He watched the back of her head as thoughts of everything that had transpired and other thoughts moved through his mind. She spoke again as they climbed up the steps to the surface once again, ”Do you have the coordinates to planet that you mentioned? You can enter them into the computer, while I alert the Council to what we’re up to.”

"Demonsgate. It's called Demonsgate." He said the name of the planet along the edges of Wild Space in almost a whisper. "I'll enter the coordinates...shouldn't take long to get there."