Star Wars: The Wrath Knight

[Tavek-Rauken]

Introduction

 

Hello everyone. First, thank you for reading my story.

 

I want to let you know that I have a thick skin, and am very welcome to critique, comments, be it good or bad. I'm an aspiring writer and I need to know whether or not my writing needs improvement in areas. Can you imagine, doing something for years and never knowing if it's good or bad -- you just do it? And when asked if its good or not, no one answers you. Then one day some big-wig official comes and tells you everything you're doing has been wrong, or could have been improved. Do you know how silly you would feel? Well, that's what I'm afraid what will happen to me. So please, if you have ANY comments, please tell me so I know how I'm progressing as a writer.

 

This story I will post as often as possible. If you enjoyed this story, or want to see more of my work. Please, go to the link in my signature to see some more of my work posted on Jukepop.com. It's a safe website, and a good community for writers. I definitely think you should check out the website (at least) if you have the time.

 

Disclaimer

 

This story takes place during the events of Star Wars: The Old Republic. The story may allude or hint at certain events going on within SWToR but never does it go into explicit detail of any event going on in the game. If there are any events that may be filled with spoilers be they minor or not, I will place a disclaimer at the beginning of the chapter.

 

As this is a fan-fiction, some of the elements in the story may not exist or have been altered to fit my knowledge of the Star Wars universe. Please excuse any incorrect time lines, materials, objects, lore, etc. My knowledge of SW is rusty and so I try to keep to the accuracies as best as I can.

 

 

About the Author

 

I'm from New York, 22 years old, and I've been writing for the better part of 8 years now. I've not been published officially, but through my college's Newspaper, Serpentine. In it, I've been published 3 times, and I've been its secretary for about 3 years. My hope is to be published by a big-name publication sometime in the future, (or a small publication, I'm not that picky). I'm currently working on 2 small novels. I've finished (but am still editing) the first in a series, but I'm withdrawing from publishing that until the time is right.

 

My greatest inspirations for writing come from George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, and Poe's works. My forte is more-so Fantasy and Horror than Sci-fi.

 

Veterans of SWToR will possibly remember me from back in the 2010-2011 days before the game's release when I posted, re-posted, and re-re-posted the origin story for my character(s). I was a much weaker writer than, and I feel as though I've improved tremendously. If anyone remembers my work: it was bad. I still have some of the last chapters I wrote floating around on Deviantart, somewhere, so I believe.

 

As I've mentioned at the top, writing is my intended career. So if you see anything I'm doing right and/or wrong, please point it out so I know what to work on in the future. I want to live with warm sheets, not cold streets, when I succeed from the home of my parents.

 

I hope you enjoy my story!

[Tavek-Rauken]

Prologue

 

Apprentice Veylan tugged her bed sheets closer to her chest, shivering. Space was cold, she knew that. But she never imagined it would be quite so frigid that her body refused to adjust. Having grown up as a slave on Tattooine, and then being dragged to Korriban to become Sith – her time in space was sparse. But it had been months since her master, Lord Thresh decided to embark on the expedition of finding ancient secrets. She came to notice that Sith loved ancient secrets. She dared to consider it a fetish of the Empire.

 

Another cold brush against her bare ankles made her scrunch into her own form, like a little ball on a hard mattress. The cold oft became so fierce she woke up in the middle of the night with some of her flesh exposed. Once covered, she would fall dutifully back to bed. The worst evenings exposed her to seven or eight interruptions of naught but chill. She woke up late most mornings, or groggy enough that even a cup of caf did little to perk her spirits.

 

The light of her quarters beeped, and Veylan threw off her sheets in angered dismay. She felt her face hot and red with rage. Her fist came down on the communication pad on her nightstand, and a white-blue hologram beamed to life. She took in a breath, ready to scream. But when the image of her wrinkle-spotted, long haired Master Thresh came into view she instead slipped off her mattress and onto one knee.

 

"M'Lord," She said, simply. A bead of fearful sweat sprouted and trickled down her neck.

 

"Apprentice Veylan, I have need of you at the bridge. Be here in no less than fifteen minutes. Wear your armor, girl."

 

So it was said, so she followed. Veylan flipped the lights on and quickly garbed herself in her apprentice attire. Grey on red faux leather covered up her body, while hard boots and thick gloves wrapped her digits up to the joints. At her hip she attached her lightsaber, a small thing of grey metal and a spiked top. It took her six attempts before she managed to create it successfully, back on Korriban. Lord Thresh shook his head more and more with each attempt, she remembered. But when she completed it, she beamed with liveliness and felt invincible… Until she realized she had more work to do long before she became a fully-fledged Sith.

 

At the mirror, she squinted at her sun-kissed frame. Her flesh had lightened since her voyage into space, but the base darkness was yet apparent. Hazel eyes looked more like bantha pu-du than anything attractive, especially by Tattooine standards. Her nose was small like a button, often poked by her Mother when she was still alive. The memory of her filled Veylan with sorrow that she forced down with anger. She resumed. Her chestnut hair she threw into a bun then pulled back to make a tail. It was as formal as she could make herself.

 

The voyage through her Master's ship, Terrorator (a name she loathed to say out loud), was as natural to her as breathing. A long grey hallway down, an elevator up, a few turns right and left, and then another floor up by elevator – again. The soldiers gave her base respects as she passed: erect salutes. She did not pay them any mind.

 

The bridge of Terrorator was wider than it was long, and through the glass she saw naught but the empty black canvas of space dotted with countless white specks. It was a Gage-class transport, and from the outside looked like a long triangle with tiny wings. When Veylan first looked upon the Imperial Fleet, she remarked to her Master that all the ships looked like triangles with wings. That earned her a smack in the head and three days reduced rations. Since then, such comments she kept to herself.

 

She trekked through the long empty midsection of the bridge to the front of the deck where her Master stood – and not alone it seemed. His other two Apprentices, Haen and Jarik were knelt before him. Jarik was slender but tall, less of a fighter and more of a thinker. He was slimy as they came, with words that looked like honey but tasted like bile. Haen was thick as durasteel, both literally and figuratively. And although Haen was sweet, and a potential… ally, Veylan had to remind herself that he stood in the way of her Lordship – just like Jarik. Veylan took her place between her two peers, knelt and silent. Their Master kept his back to them.

 

"Finally," Their Master began in his old, raspy voice. "After years of study, and six months of travel, we found it." He turned to them and Veylan dared to glance up briefly. Master Thresh's face was covered in wrinkles and scars. Long snowy hair poured down to his chest, and a thick beard often brushed his collar. Rubbing his facial hair, Thresh took a fresh breath and resumed. "The Argent."

 

"The Argent, Master?" Jarik spoke up. "The Argent of the Rakatan Nokte?"

 

Master Thresh nodded. "The very same one," He clasped his hands over each other and snickered between soft wheezes. "Admitting, it's not in the shape I imagined it to be. But it's there. See for yourselves, Apprentices. Captain? Bring it up." Master Thresh commanded, stepping aside while glancing at a terminal.

 

The nearby Captain Anthony Drellin rapidly typed at his console. From a nearby panel, a white-blue hologram appeared before the trio where Master Thresh once stood. The ship appeared as a long base like an oval, and four sharp wings like triangles attached to its body. Two smaller ones on top, two longer and wider wings on the bottom.

 

"What are its measurements and present condition, Captain?" Jarik inquired.

 

"Three hundred meters long, not counting the wingspan. Twenty meters high, and thirty meters wide. Most of the vessel's length is atmospherically sound, but lacking oxygen." Captain Drellin replied. "There's at least one hangar available to dock within."

 

"Yes, good, perfect," Master Thresh rubbed at his chin again, humming lowly. "You three shall lead the expedition into the vessel with a small task force. Find what relics you can carry, the rest catalogue. I imagine the Bridge will be of great help."

 

"Master," Haen spoke up, his voice strong and booming. "You have been after the Ardent for months… But you never explained why you seek the Ardent so desperately so."

 

"Ah, no? How silly of me." Master Thresh shrugged. "The Ardent is one of the last key vehicles used by the Rakatan Nokte. The Nokte were a fierce group of warriors and Force Users who, according to the translations, literally imbued their bodies with the Dark Side of the Force. So much so, that their physical appearance began to alter to dramatic degrees."

 

"And you plan to imbue such energies into yourself, yes?" Jarik asked.

 

"Not just I," Thresh waved his hand as a synonym to a head shake. "But for all the Empire's forces. I plan to bring a swift defeat to the Republic. And the foundation of that defeat begins here and now." Thresh pointed to the floor, opting for dramatic effect.

 

And here all this time I thought you wanted the advancement to elevate yourself to Darth, thought Veylan with a grin.

 

"So, prepare yourselves, and don your equipment. You'll be leaving shortly. We're on our last approach vector to The Ardent now."

 

Veylan was rubbing her eyes when the shuttle took off. The cramped quarters of the ship's dark, steely interior left little room to maneuver, but it was secure. So she told herself. Haen and Jarik took to sitting across from her, while the other seats were filled with Imperial troopers fully dressed in black and crimson armor.

 

Veylan was given a pilot suit to wear, just like her peers. The collar piece was wide like a medical cone, which made it feel clunky. The rest of it was tight on her body. If one strap was just slightly out of place, she would feel it. She tried to flex and move her arm, but the motion was slow and sluggish. Sighing, she reached for the helmet almost a size and a half larger than her head and slipped it on.

 

Darkness claimed her vision at first, but then the interior of the device hummed to life. She flipped her cooler to max to soothe the temperature inside. Interior lights allowed her to see the contents of the shuttle with enhanced clarity. Sterile air filled her lungs, untouched by the common chemical cleaning that the Empire used to keep their territory grime-free and shining. She tapped at the side twice and blew into the microphone in test.

 

"Hello?" She asked. A nearby trooper gave her a thumbs up.

 

"You should be careful once we get inside, Veylan." Haen spoke up. He scratched his short head of hair, frowning. "No telling what could get you hurt."

 

"Th-Thanks, Haen," Veylan allowed herself to smile with the helmet blocking his view of her face. "Take care of yourself as well."

 

"Aw, what delicious love birds you two are," Jarik interrupted, fluttering his eyelashes in mockery. "Shall I get you two some cups of Corellian wine while you saunter your way towards a bed room?"

 

Veylan turned to Jarik with furrowed brows and barred teeth. Her anger bubbled within her, tickling her flesh with heat. "Watch yourself, Jarik." She warned. "Just because you don't have manners doesn't mean you have to compensate with excessive vulgarity. Best keep such tasteless comments to yourself in the future."

 

"Oh, I'm shivering in my boots from your threat. Shivering!" Jarik performed a mocking tremor of his body. "If you can't keep yourself calm from a simple jest, then you're too hot-headed to be Sith."

 

"Leave her be, Jarik." Haen clasped a hand on Jarik's small shoulder.

 

The slender Jarik looked down at the meaty arm before glancing back to Haen's strong-jawed face. Scoffing, he threw a hand up in dismissal. "Yes, fine. I'll leave the little flower be."

 

"Jarik!-" Veylan began.

 

But the cackle of the intercom silenced her. "E.T.A. 30 seconds to docking."

 

Jarik gave her a single sly grin before slipping his helmet on. Haen mimicked his peer.

 

Veylan waited. She felt the hum of the engine subside, the gradual shift as the shuttle turned on side. Then a swift and sudden rocking that rippled through the interior. She glanced at the troops and her peers in wonder. They looked back with shakes and glances of their covered heads that hinted at the same confusion.

 

"What's with all the chop, pilot?" Haen inquired.

 

"The atmosphere of The Ardent – it's making entrance a little difficult. Trying to compensate, M'Lord." The pilot replied.

 

"When we return, the Captain will be punished for his incompetence." Jarik warned across the comm. The troopers remained still in response.

 

Moments passed before the rocking gave away. Veylan breathed a sigh of relief. Then the shuttle came to a gradual stop. When the green light flashed in the chamber, the troopers stood up. One by one they marched out of the vessel. Veylan watched Haen and Jarik leave before her. Then she followed them.

 

She went halfway down the loading ramp before she slowed and stopped to gander. The hangar was made of a black material, but even darker than that. To her left, she spotted the Terrorator in the distance. To her right, the rest of the ship's hangar. No fighters or other vessels were docked. It was empty as could be, save for ramps jutting forth from each of the six floors. The troopers were spread throughout the entire bottom floor in seconds, each in pairs of two – five duos in total. She walked down the rest of the ramp then met her Sithly peers.

 

"The atmosphere's gravity is a tad bit weak," Jarik announced while looking down at a wrist-mounted pad of his. "Strong enough to support us, but I wager we could jump a little higher than on most worlds."

 

"Oxygen?" Haen shrugged.

 

"Barely existent. The atmosphere is made up of five percent oxygen, the rest is mixed gases. A Sith, with substantial training could last five minutes at most." Jarik lowered his arm. "Best keep to the objective, yes? The bridge would house the best source of information. Troopers, break formation as planned." Jarik waved towards the soldiers.

 

Two groups broke to follow the Sith, the other three groupings separated to travel throughout the ship. Jarik and Haen fought for leadership, but it was often Haen who bullied his way to the front. Veylan was content with playing the spectator.

 

Luckily, the doors were unlocked. Despite little power the portcullises slowly creaked their way open as the groups passed by. Each hallway was rectangular and black. Bits of wiring and panels were exposed here and there, but otherwise it seemed a stable ship.

 

Veylan pulled out her holocommunicator pad and summoned her Master. She had questions. The device blinked to life and revealed a choppy image of Thresh. "Master, whatever happened to The Ardent? The ship seems quite intact." She glanced up several times to ensure she was following behind her peers.

 

"The Ardent was but one of the many vessels in the fleet of the Rakatan Nokte. The Nokte's fleet vanished sometime during the death of the Rakata Empire. Not from battle. Not from mutiny. Almost every planet that contained record of the Nokte showed no hint as to where they may have gone. They just… vanished."

 

"So… Anything could have happened to them?" Veylan swallowed hard. Her mind was beset with a flurry of troubled theories.

 

"Yes, any- … Thing. App-… lan? I- … Bre-… Up... Can't… He-" The holocommunicator broke into a static so fierce that the device overloaded on itself and cut the communication altogether.

 

Cursing, Veylan put away the device and marched up the rest of the line with her fellows to further along their journey. But by then, the portcullis to the Bridge was before them. They entered the chamber slowly. Veylan could not help herself from gawking in awe.

 

The Bridge was still functional. Terminals were still lit up, and lights shone on some of the empty chairs. The room itself was that of an oval. Chairs below the ground floor and high above were connected to various different consoles, most dead but some still alive. Veylan headed for the center of the chamber which was a raised platform. Floating panels of light danced around the edge of the round podium. Upon closer inspection, Veylan realized they were consoles. She reached for one of them and found that her fingers stopped against the holographic texture. Giddy and awe-struck, she withdrew her finger.

 

"This is amazing!" She declared, spinning once. "Who knows what old, ancient knowledge lies here!"

 

"Yes, absolutely wonderful," Jarik yawned. Veylan glowered at him.

 

"I'm surprised if the ship is in such good condition… Where are the bodies?" Haen crossed his arms, humming.

 

Veylan's giddiness died away. Yes, she thought. Where are the bodies? She looked to the platform's consoles and tapped at another one. The lights flashed purple and yellow before it vanished. Annoyed, she tapped at another one. That one flashed green and purple before disappearing. She scoffed and reached for a third. Before she touched it, Haen called out to her.

 

She looked to Haen, saw him pointing, and turned around. She gawked and gasped at the newfound sight.

 

The center of the platform contained a hologram of the Terrorator. She stepped towards the hologram in wonder. Around her the dead consoles began to light up, one after the other. She looked to each of them, trying to track them until it became impossible. Together, the consoles formed an image of the Terrorator as a fully colored holo.

 

"Is that-" Jarik stammered.

 

Then The Ardent wailed with a monstrous cry. Veylan fell to one knee, yelling at the painful bellow ringing in her ears. The image of the Terrorator was there… then a long streak of green fused with an inner black interrupted the vision of the ship. When it disappeared, the location of the Terrorator was replaced with a sphere of exploding orange.

 

"What?! No!" Jarik roared through the chamber. "That's… That's impossible! This ship has barely any power! How could-"

 

At once, the lights went out. Blackness covered every inch of the room, save for the inside of Veylan's helmet. She fumbled for the controls and activated the flashlights. Two beams of white appeared on top of her helmet, shining forward. Unconsciously, her breathing accelerated. She swept her vision through the chamber, looking over the podium for her peers. She saw Haen's lights go up. Then Jarik's. Half a dozen more lights activated off the rifles of the troopers.

 

A soft gasp filled the room. Like a heart beating back to life, it grew louder with every pulse. The lights filled the chamber sporadic at first until one by one the white beams centered on the front of the bridge. Veylan's heart froze and her limbs turned to ice. The lights fell on a silhouette so dark none of the details of the entity showed. It was a black shadow, humanoid in shape, but deformed. Nothing about it was human.

 

A yellowed set of teeth flashed by its maw and it charged.

 

One of the troopers flew through the air as it made contact. Blood splashed throughout the chamber, caking some of the flashlights to censor the white as red. Screams and cries filled the communicators as the shadow danced from edge to edge. Veylan saw four lights fly away before she had enough. She turned and ran back the way they came.

 

Haen and Jarik were hard on her flank, Jarik beat his arm against her side to bully his way through. Haen, for whatever reason, remained by Veylan's side. She was ready to charge down the hallway when Haen grabbed her arm and spun her aside. "This way!" He called and turned a corner. Veylan spotted another flashlight go out in the hall of the Bridge before she bolted forth and followed her peer.

 

Down, right, left, right, and right some more she followed the giant ahead of her. It did not feel like the way she came in – Now she regretted being on the holocall with her Master. If she stayed her curiosity, she would have remembered the landmarks. Panting and heaving amidst her sprint, Veylan felt her legs giving out beneath her. But when she heard the vicious gurgling scream and snarl of the attacker almost at her heels, she sped up. She begged and prayed for the Emperor's strength to fill her.

 

The sight of the hangar filled her with hope. Haen grabbed her by the wrist and urged her on to the shuttle which was still parked. But just as they approached, the loading ramp retracted. "No! Stop! We're here!" Veylan shouted into her helmet. In the last dwindling spec of light, she saw Jarik on the other side of the ramp staring back at her. "Jarik, you kriffing nerfherder!"

 

Just as the shuttle lifted and turned to blast away, a shadow swooped down from the top floor and penetrated the center of the ship. The shuttle bucked on side and spun overhead. Veylan saw the ship coming and ducked beneath the spinning wingspan to save herself. When she hit the floor, Haen struck it next. And then a second time. She whimpered within her helmet as Haen's red essence trickled from his waistline.

 

Then the ship crashed into the far-side of the hangar. Fire and debris exploded coating the interior in orange flames and ruins. She looked up. For one single moment she saw the monster chasing her, staring back from the shadow of a hallway. When it stepped forth the orange light shied it away and it retreated to stare and snarl at her with reddened teeth and large yellow eyes.

 

For a moment she saw it and thought of the Rakata – but where their heads were high, this one's was long. Where Rakata's eyes were wide off of its head, that creature's was narrowed and pressing inward. Claws in place of fingers. Hind legs in place of straight ones.

 

Veylan looked up to see half a dozen more of the beasts glowering at her from the upper terrace of the hangar. The cackling orange fire sent shafts of light throughout the chamber. Flames licked the air while smoke bellowed above. Shaking her head, the Apprentice tried to remember her training. But fear and terror filled her instead of empowering her. She stood and ran for the furthest corner of the hangar.

 

When the door opened, a pair of yellowed teeth greeted her, scarcely a breath away from her helmet. She turned around and tripped. She fell belly-first with a groan. Then she slid away, dragged by a strong grip on her ankle. She clawed at the metal ground, screaming in rage and terror. She saw the orange flames for no more than a second before the door closed.

 

Then darkness claimed her.