The Origins of Hate Ep I - A Dark Star Rises

[TerrekCorso]

Star Wars The Old Republic: The Tales of Twisted Fate

 

The Origins of Hate, Episode I - A Dark Star Rises

(BTC 16)

 

 

 

Prologue – Thrown In to Darkness

 

Darkness filled the cavernous pit. The sound of droplets falling in to puddles of still water echoed throughout the space, accompanied by the slight trickle of tiny streams that flowed down the cracks of the cold stone walls. Suddenly a loud screech broke the eerie silence, followed by a rusty mechanical croon, as the ancient doorway, slowly, began to creep open. Light burst in from the corridor beyond, only to be swallowed by the vastness of the cave. A young boy stood silhouetted in the doorway, his shadow stretching out in to the seemingly endless darkness.

 

Terrek stood and peered in to the darkness, but saw very little. The light that pierced the room from the corridor behind him grew ever fainter. It seemed to be swallowed up by the cavern, like a caged beast on the brink of starvation. Terrek felt a startling fear build inside of him and he turned to his master, only to be startled even further. Standing inches before him was his master, whose shadow engulfed Terrek’s own as it stretched out in to the pit. The fear gripped hold of his mind and before he knew it he was falling back, down, in to the darkness. His back slammed against the cold, moist, stone of the pit floor and he cried out in pain. Through tears he starred up at his master, veiled in shadow by the lights behind him. Terrek reached up with his hand as the door began to close. The same screeching and crooning, with which they had opened, echoed more ominously as the doors, slowly, crept in on each other. Though he could barely see, Terrek thought he noticed a wicked grin grow on Valentin’s face, as the last of the rays of light were locked out of the room with a loud clunk of colliding metal.

 

 

Chapter 1 – Memories of a Blissful Day

 

Terrek stared across the classroom in utter boredom. Usually Galactic History was one of the classes he could actually pay attention to. But, ever since they’d started looking at the history of Ithorian cultivation across the galaxy, the class had lost some of its flare. They had recently finished with a brief overview of the history between Wookies and Trandoshans and Terrek was positive that the teacher’s avid descriptions of the Kashyyyk forests during those past lectures had been to prepare them for the dullness that they now experienced. The young Wookie, Wrrlmum, sitting next to Terrek was busy carving a pattern in to the top of his wooden desk. Completely fixated on elaborating his design, Wrrlmum was obviously just as disappointed and bored as Terrek. Across the room he could see a Zabrak girl twirling her red hair around one of the short horns protruding from her skull as the class dragged on. The only thing I’ll remember about this is Telos. Terrek thought to himself as their teacher mentioned the planet yet again before the sound rang out signalling the end to the torturous lesson. The children rushed out of the class in their usual frenzied delight at supposed freedom.

“Wait for master Vale! Kids!” the teacher called out after them sternly.

“It’s alright, I’m here.” Master Vale’s voice called out cheerfully from around the corner of the hall, moments before she herself appeared, a smile filling her face.

“Follow me now young ones. We’ll get you to the gardens for your botany class.” She added as the children fell in line behind her and followed.

 

As soon as they arrived, the young students rushed over to their own little plots.

“Okay, remember we nurture nature, so be gentle and patient with your plants.” Master Vale yelled out after the dispersing group of youths.

“Only pull it out if you know it’s a weed.” She added before the little red headed Zabrak girl nearly knocked her off balance rushing to her plot. Some of the plants were common to all of their plots, like t’iil and malla, but the rest master Vale had let them pick themselves. The Zabrak girl had covered her plot with medicinal herbs from her home world; ongmuel, redweed, lesset and greybush. With exception to the lesset they were growing nicely, which had its chances diminished by her need to grow a bush with Hwotha berries right next to it. On closer inspection she could see that her redweed leaves had holes in them, which meant she had bugs on her plant, the very idea made her shiver and squeak.

 

Across from her an Ithorian boy, who had been especially attentive in the recently ended galactic history class, tended to his own little garden which outshone all of his classmates by an astounding degree. blueleaf shrubs swayed between rows of donar flowers and Ithorian roses. In the back the corners were covered in protruding masses of starfruit and tremmin. This was his favourite place in the temple, his own little garden plot, it reminded him of home.

 

Next to the Ithorian’s plot was Wrrrlmum’s, who also had a keen green thumb, though his garden was more a display of his abundant appetite, with lots of chyntuck, rillrrnnn and wasaka. The only thing he was growing that wasn’t food, unlike his botanical neighbour, was some kthysh vines which, so far, had consistently failed to do well. Wrrrlmum let out a small howl as he confirmed his plant still refused to grow.

“What do I always say? Follow the root.” Master Vale said as she knelt down to the young Wookie’s level and began to guide him through the stages that seemed to remain the same, regardless of the plant.

 

Terrek’s plot was a reasonable mediocre, or so he thought. His t’iil and malla had grown well but the plants he’d chosen himself seemed to be less than he expected. The bowvines were refusing to ripen and the few that had were badly bruised. On top of that his zeltron pop-pepper plants were only producing small, roundish, peppers to his disappointment. He had gotten his hopes up, with the plants having grown so large, that the peppers also would be huge. If he had spent any time on his home planet he might have known that they were supposed to be that small.

“You need to pick some of those peppers Terrek there redder than you.” Master Vale joked as she came by the little vermillion boy on her round through the students.

“But they’re still so small.” Terrek protested and master Vale kneeled down to the boy’s level. With a big smile on her face she said “They’re supposed to be, look.” She plucked one of the little peppers and popped it in her mouth. Her cheeks flushed, the smile faded and her mouth opened as she desperately sucked cool air over her tongue. Finally she gathered the courage to swallow, which happened loudly, and was swiftly followed by calls for water as Master Vale ran to relieve her burning mouth with tears running down her face. When master Vale returned, Terrek felt a familiar presence and suddenly perked up.

“Master Strago’s back.” He said joyfully.

“Patience Terrek, I’ll bring you up to see him after class. I’m sure he’s here for a reason too.” She retorted, attempting to settle the boy’s anxiousness at the return of his real master. Lately it had become more common for masters too be away from their padawans, many of them venturing to places unfit or unsafe for the young ones.

 

Meanwhile, not too far above them, a shuttle carrying Valentin Strago docked at the Jedi Temple.

“This will not be long, you will wait for me here.” said Valentin sternly, emphasizing various words along the way. He did not wait for a reply, merely turned and descended the ramp walking briskly along the docking bays and in to the heart of the temple. One burning question was etched in his mind. What are they summoning me for now?

 

 

Chapter 2 – The Power of Information

 

The scampered clatter of three metallic feet echoed through the stone halls of the ancient temple as Dr. Raxle Zythor hastily made his way back to the lab complex. As he entered, and the droid legs met with the metal plating of the annexed lab complex, he was again subtly reminded of his condition and the full scale of the vengeance he would soon achieve. Anxiously he made his way past unlit examination chambers and toward the genetics laboratory. His mechanical tail appendage, curled over his head like a scorpion’s, swayed slightly as the short tripodic droid legs carried the doctor through the vast complex.

 

The door to the genetics lab snapped open as he approached.

“Initiate sweep.” He whispered. The tail swept back and forth from its vantage above the doctor. Before long the scan of the lab was complete.

“No micro frequencies detected. One Conscious life-form found, identified Doctor Raxle Zythor.” The Adv. Mobility Droid reported plainly in its mechanical voice.

“Excellent A’em’dee Eight (AMD 8). Run sample analysis and match through the imperial genetics database.” He commanded the droid while revealing a vial, containing a particularly curly hair sample, from his lab coat. The tail appendage, AMD 8’s head, manoeuvred over and took the presented object from the doctor, while its legs moved them over to the primary lab interface and plugged itself in. Raxle brooded impatiently during the analysis, the sweet taste of long awaited vengeance stirred in his mind. For the first time, replaying the cursed events that had maimed his body, he did not swell with anger. Soon he would know the identity of the miserable fly that had cut him in half so many years ago, and with that knowledge, a meant to balance the debt. With the memory playing over and over in his mind he could wait no longer.

“A’em’dee Eight, open a secure channel with the duke.” He snapped impatiently. AMD 8 responded swiftly, hastily carrying Raxle to the holoterminal. An extension cable ran back to the lab’s main interface, keeping AMD 8 plugged in and working on the genetic sample. A wry grin grew across Raxle’s face as he awaited an answer to his call.

 

Eventually the call was answered, to Raxle’s disappointment, by the duke’s wife.

“Lady Jade, what a pleasant surprise.” He lied.

“Doctor Zythor.” She acknowledged, though a disgusted look crossed her face. “Xim is currently indisposed; can I give him a message?” She added in contempt.

“We shall see if you can… soon.” Raxle said warily. His gaze flicked back and forth between the projection on the holoterminal and the display of data streaming on his datapad. Ever since his lord’s secret order had been discovered, Raxle had suspected the duchess to be the mysterious ‘Eye of the emperor’ that held watch over their meetings. The majority of the evidence had already ruled the duchess out as a suspect. However, the Doctor’s cautious nature would not allow him to divulge anything until the droid had finished his analysis of the sample, or so he rationalized it. More likely, the doctor’s long standing prejudice against her would not allow for him to pass up an opportunity to mock her.

 

When the duke’s father had still been alive the union of the house of Jade with anything but the purest of sith’ari blood lines would have been considered unforgivable. Now nothing but a weak human sat next to the steward of the true emperor.

“Genetic comparison complete. Approximate match found.” AMD 8’s mechanical voice rang out across the lab and immediately Raxle examined the results on his datapad.

“Approximate is not what I want to hear.” Raxle snapped back at the droid before turning to address the duchess. “One moment please Lady Jade.” He added as he flipped a switch on the holoterminal, disrupting his end of the communication.

“Do I need to send you for a memory wipe.” Raxle threatened AMD 8

“Please doctor, do not. The subject…” the droid pleaded but was cut short by the doctor.

“The subject is thirteen, somehow I doubt she’s the woman that cut me in half twenty years ago!” Raxle furiously interrupted in a fit of rage.

“The subject’s genetic markers highly suggests that she is a direct relative of specimen IOU7983 – A.” AMD 8 continued and the rationale cooled the doctor’s temper.

“Compile any record on the subject, search for relatives; guardians; emergency contacts; benefactors.” The doctor frantically listed possible avenues of further search.

“Unfortunately Doctor Zythor, I have, and found no documentation of any living relative. Even the subject’s birth record seems to indicate that the girl spontaneously appeared in Dromund Kaas General Hospital.” The droid interjected before his master continued to ramble. Raxle’s fist thudded loudly as it violently collided with the desk under it.

“However, I have discovered the following still image.” The droid started to explain as it sent an order to display the image in question. Doctor Zythor remained unimpressed, seeing nothing but a badly framed shot of a curly blonde haired girl sitting in her room.

“Notice the framed picture next to her bed.” AMD 8 continued, enhancing the section of the image in question. It showed a woman holding a, somewhat younger, version of the blonde girl.

“Using facial recognition patterns I have been able to deduce that specimen IOU7983 – A is a sample of human hair that most likely derived from Jan Roseland.” AMD 8 concluded.

 

The cynical smirk on Raxle’s face returned as he removed the disruption on the call to the duchess.

“You can call back when you’ve resolved your petty little problems doctor.” She sneered and began to turn off the link.

“Wait, please… tell my liege… The eye is open.” As Doctor Zythor spoke those words, moments before she ended the call, lady Jade’s eyes widened in astonishment.

"Perhaps I should have your memory wiped A'em'dee Eight. You're becoming far too clever." Chuckled Doctor Zythor. The pleasing satisfaction of nearing vengeance had returned.

 

 

Episode I: A Dark Star Rises will continue in a subsequent post

 

In case you've missed it, this story is preceded by...

The Legend of Terrek Corso, Ep I - A New Destiny

 

Edited May 15, 2013 by TerrekCorso

[TerrekCorso]

Chapter 3 – The Cavernous Pit

 

Terrek woke up in confusion. He didn’t know how long he’d been in the pit; the darkness obscuring his perception of time. Sounds echoed through the cavern, disorienting him as he whipped round to face the ever shifting sources. His legs gave way, the sheer panic of his situation seeping deep in to the very core of his being. As he sat there he realised that he no longer knew in which direction the door was. He was breathing heavily and the fear forced upon his mind the idea that he could not stay where he was. In a slow, panicked flight he stumbled forth, through the dark. His arms waved out in front of him, searching for a wall, as he peered through the void ahead.

 

Finally Terrek felt his hand hit the cold hard stone of a wall, giving him the slightest bit of relief. He started to follow the wall, his hands running along it. “Ah!” he screamed. His hands burned and ached as a slight wet sensation began to run across them. The cavern was so dark he could barely see them. But he didn’t need to; his body already told him he was bleeding. The cave’s wall was covered in jagged bits and sharpened stone edges pocked out randomly. The young boy’s eyes teared as the pain of the cuts swelled over the palms of his hands.

 

Desperately he tried to calm himself. His mind clung to the memories of countless mornings spent meditating with his fellow padawans at the Jedi Temple. The words of master librarian Barrezz repeated in his head. “breathe calmly…soothe your mind.” It took some time, but slowly Terrek’s frantic breathing subsided. His panic lessened, though it was not to last. As the sound of his own breathing calmed, he could hear the others. All around him Terrek could hear frantic panting, he was not alone. The ominous noise echoed; enveloping Terrek’s senses, as figures crept out of the surrounding darkness. Shots of forceful pain knocked him around as he was assaulted in the dark. Frenzied screams and pained cries escalated as the bashing progressed. Finally, a blow to his jaw knocked him in to the cave wall and Terrek collapsed.

 

 

Chapter 4 – Memories of a Fateful Day – coming soon in a subsequent post