Marr

[Lunafox]

Wouldn't it be cool if you were able to see ancient places like they used to be when people still lived in them. I liked that part best!

 

It would be brilliant to see ancient things when they were new and in use. I think it would be exciting, even to see ancient things that haven't been discovered yet, like when Carter and Caernarvon discovered King Tut's tomb. That was actually my inspiration when I was thinking about Hord's tomb and the steps descending into it. I believe there was sixteen of them.

[Lunafox]

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Marr

 

~Chapter Eight~

 

Promises breed hope, but when they are broken, hope falters.

 

During the weeks following the ritual, it became evident that Taxon had no intention of teaching me; nor did he plan to kill me. At least not overtly. Instead, I was confined to the meaningless purgatory that was the dig.

 

I toiled from sunrise until dark. Then came the fights—men tearing each other up like akk dogs for food. Those that couldn’t fight learned to scavenge. Those that couldn’t scavenge grew weaker until they expired in the sweltering sands. After devouring whatever paltry crumbs I could find, I soaked my hands in watered down kolto, wrapped them and slept.

 

Each morning, the survivors were rounded up and taken to yet another dig site. My sole attempt to return to the temple nearly killed me. The desert stretched for hundreds of miles in all directions. If not for my blood connections, I’ve little doubt I would’ve been forgotten and left to die. There was no escape. The dig was all there was.

 

Every day was the same. I would plunge my shovel into the boiling sand, fill it and cast aside its contents. The hole would collapse and refill. I would begin again. Each time I sank the shovel into the sand was a beginning, and for a few fleeting moments, there was hope, that I would find something under the barren sands that would lead me back to my legacy.

 

There were treasures to be found, but they came in the form of lizard eggs and occasionally the lizards themselves. Looking back, I realize these meager findings were, in fact, the treasures I so desperately sought, but at the time, I lacked the perception to see beyond hunger and fatigue. I learned hope dies slowly, but it does die.

 

The temple with its glittering holocrons was a distant dream now, as was the lordly wraith I’d met—the fount to generations of sons of which I was the last. Time tampers with memory until the truth no long seems real. The sithspawn beast I’d mourned had vanished in my arms. My foppish mercurial ally had disappeared as well. How could any of it been real? Perhaps it had been madness all along. Even the guiding voice in my mind had fallen quiet.

 

The sun turned my flesh to leather—dark and stretched tight over the hardened masses of flesh girding my arms, shoulders, and legs. I stood at least a head taller than my peers. I no longer recognized myself. My time as a scavenger came to an end and I became a fighter—one that few wished to challenge. I tore into the meat I’d won—vicious, wary, and as unrepentant as a wild animal.

 

I allowed myself to exist in the mind-numbing simplicity that came with the dig. Before long, all that mattered was the shovel. It was a friend, workmate, confidant and weapon. I had nothing to say and the shovel took no offense. It was content in my silence, just as I was. It understood me. It was mine and woe to anyone who sought to borrow it or take it outright.

 

Every life requires meaning, even if that meaning is as lowly as a well-used shovel. At night I obsessed over it, polishing the durasteel and sharpening the spade edge to a razor’s precision. The shovel lay at my side in bed and I kept my hand on it even as I slept.

 

The mania followed me into my dreams and I woke gasping and horrified when I dreamt the shovel was my partner on Tulak Hord’s fertility altar—but with that dream came the realization that I was stuck in an ever-deepening hole, so deep, the sky was a distant light at the end of the growing darkness. The light shrank to a pinhole, along with my hopes of becoming Sith.

 

Apathy had taken root. I saw no way out of the rut I’d settled into. The dream was an alarm—a call to action—one I would answer even if it killed me. Death wasn’t my enemy. I cursed my own complacency and the dwindling spark in me kindled and flared into a blaze.

 

If I were to become Sith, I would have to do so by my own merit. There was no fate or destiny. I even began to question the Force. And then, as if it were mocking my resolve, I heard a familiar voice outside my tent—a refined voice—one I hadn’t heard in almost seven years. Vowrawn.

 

“Gentlemen…tell me, where do I find Ares Marr?”

 

“Two tents over, my Lord…he’s with his wife,” the foreman snorted.

 

“W-Wife?” Vowrawn stammered incredulously.

 

“His shovel…bet he kisses it goodnight,” one of the men chimed in.

 

“Given the sounds coming out of his tent at night, bet he does more than that,” another howled.

 

The workmen laughed, Vowrawn laughed, and then the camp flashed purple with the static hiss of lightning and no one laughed.

 

I stood the shovel against the side of my bed, just as Vowrawn pushed through the tent flaps.

 

“Sons of the Emperor! Marr? Is that really you, m’boy?” He spread his arms wide as if offering an embrace.

 

My hand opened and closed and I felt a surge of anger. “Where the hell have you been?” I hadn’t heard my own voice in so long its depth and timbre shocked me.

 

“I must apologize for my seeming abandonment…It wasn’t intentional.”

 

“Seven years and not a word?” My fingers curled around the shovel’s shaft and I drew it to my side like a staff. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t bludgeon you where you stand!”

 

“Your anger is understandable.” His gaze fell on the shovel and he licked his lips, no doubt trying to decide if I was capable of backing up my threat.

 

Vowrawn held his hands up and patted the air as if calming a wild animal. “I assure you I did all I could. Taxon made it nigh impossible to find you.”

 

“Spare me your excuses!” I snarled through clenched teeth. “Nothing is impossible for you,” I swore and hurled the shovel at him.

 

He ducked, narrowly avoiding impact. “Were I in your shoes, I too would be quite upset, but I promise you, m’boy, I did all I could. There was a time I believed he’d killed you in secret.”

 

“Upset? Upset!?” I punched the tent pole hard enough to dent the durasteel and Vowrawn cringed. “Upset doesn’t cover it. You left me here to rot. What do you want, Vowrawn? Why else would you be here now?”

 

“Suffice it to say the new quartermaster is more amenable to bribery…the old one, met with an unfortunate end if you take my meaning.”

 

I folded my arms and glared at him as if he were an insect with pearly white teeth.

 

“Taxon has only grown more paranoid with time. When I discovered you were still alive, I came to realize that Taxon would never be careless where you’re concerned. He knows your every move as well as his own. He controls every detail of your life, my friend. I’ve come to set you free.”

 

“You’re wearing my patience.” My fingers rolled over my bicep. “You expect me to believe anything you say…” I shook my head and turned my back to him. “It took you almost seven years to kill a quartermaster and bribe a new one.”

 

“There is somewhat more to it, I assure you, but that is the gist of it. I will say this, the dig has turned you surly, my friend.”

 

I stayed his words with a stab of my index finger. “We’re not friends. Let us be clear on that point.”

 

“I prefer friends, but ally will do, m’boy. The anger you’ve cultivated through the dig is quite stunning to behold.”

 

“It wasn’t just the dig…it was the fighting pits. Only the victors ate. We were treated worse than dogs.”

 

Vowrawn looked up at me. “You’ve grown into quite the strapping young man. From the size of you, I’d say you triumphed often.”

 

“I learned to live off insects…lizards…snakes. Whatever I could kill with my shovel. I’d find clutches of eggs in the sand and ate them too.”

 

“The first time I set eyes on you, I knew you were a survivor, Marr.”

 

“All I’ve done is survive.”

 

“What if I told you, that I’m here to teach you how to live?”

 

“I’d have my doubts.” I stalked across the tent and reclaimed my shovel.

 

“But you will hear me out I trust…”

 

“It costs nothing to listen. Say what you came to say, I don’t have all night.”

 

“We are going to lull Taxon into a false sense of security.”

 

“And how are we going to do that?”

 

“With your death.”

 

“My death…” I raised a brow and stared at him matter-of-factly. I didn’t know if I should laugh or beat him to death. “Taxon will demand a corpse…he won’t believe otherwise.”

 

“Already taken care of, my friend. I’m not without connections. I happen to be well acquainted with the galaxy’s most talented identity forger—a young Anomid named A’tol Dretcher.”

 

“An alien…and you trust him?” I frowned.

 

“No more than I trust anyone else,” Vowrawn quipped. A playful glint turned his eyes to rubies and he reminded me of a rodent. “Aliens have their uses and we would be fools not to take advantage.”

 

“I suppose, I can see the wisdom in that,” I conceded. “Then what? Assuming Taxon doesn’t kill you.”

 

“The best games have the element of risk. That’s what makes it exciting. After your untimely death, you will be free to become Sith.”

 

“How? If I return to the Academy, he’ll know.”

 

“Oh no m’boy. You’ll be resuming your studies here. You see I haven’t forgotten what you said. The temple…isn’t empty, but I suspect only you can access whatever it is you saw. It took me some doing, but I’ve arranged for all your comforts—food…supplies…a slave. Even an instructor.”

 

“I don’t need a slave,” I barked.

 

“Never underestimate the value of a good slave. Nights can be cold in the desert.”

 

I waved him off and frowned. “Who’s the instructor?”

 

“An old friend of yours—Lord Silthar.”

 

I turned around slowly. “You brought Silthar…here…”

 

“He’s quite gifted with holocrons—”

 

“Do you think me a fool, Vowrawn? Did you think I wouldn’t figure out what you’ve been doing all this time?”

 

“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage…prey tell me…what have I been up to?”

 

“When I said the tomb wasn’t empty…Taxon didn’t believe me…but you did. You brought Silthar here in the hopes of claiming the contents of the temple for yourself. Between your rituals and his knowledge of antiquities, you thought you’d take it all, didn’t you? It’s only when you realized you needed me, that I became central to your plans again.”

 

Vowrawn sighed. “M’boy…you’ve been central to my plans for a long time.”

 

“You need Taxon dead…but you can’t kill him yourself. You’ve been biding your time…you need me.”

 

“It seems that for whatever reason, I can’t keep plans secret from you. How refreshing. You’ll be a splendid ally…knowing me as you do.”

 

“There’s more to this, Vowrawn…Taxon has something on you that keeps you under his thumb. You’re a slave to him as much as I am.”

 

“It would appear that the sun hasn’t dulled your mind after all. There would be no sense in denying it. Now that I’m transparent before you…I trust you will take me up on my offer?”

 

I took a long look around the tent, and then at the shovel in my hands. “We have an agreement.”

 

Vowrawn clapped like a spoiled child on Life Day. “Wonderful. We mustn’t tarry. Come.”

 

We emerged from the tent, and I took a long look around the camp. The sun resembled a half yoke on the horizon and the sky consisted of ribbons of colour. Bodies lay strewn haphazardly through the camp, their eyes charred open. Vowrawn had been confident of what my response would be.

 

“You won’t be needing that anymore,” Vowrawn nodded at my shovel as he slid into the driver’s side of his Korrealis speeder.

 

I considered the shovel for a long time but kept it at my side when I slid in next to Vowrawn.

 

“Say goodbye to your old life my friend…”

 

He fired up the speeder and swung it around the camp in a wide arc and then he depressed the detonator remote he’d concealed in his hand.

 

Fans of sand and stone shot up from the grounds surrounding the camp. The tents imploded on themselves as a great sinkhole opened beneath them. The desert swallowed most of the camp whole, and as we veered in for one last look, a large body furthest from the sunken camp could have doubled as my own.

 

Vowrawn snatched my shovel and hurled it out of the speeder. It rolled and landed next to the forged corpse.

 

“Forgive me my friend, but we’re striving for authenticity. It was necessary to dispose of it.”

 

I glared at Vowrawn. “Pray, you’re not next.”

 

((to be continued…))

Edited August 6, 2016 by Lunafox

[MishaCantu]

How absolutely delicious. Seven years servitude has given Marr much, I think, a strength that few sith will ever have. Call it a crucible of sorts. He is growing into the man I admire and it is wonderful to see the transition. I can actually hear his voice deepen in his dialogue.

 

I love how you incorporated Gault's old buddy Dretcher, good show. Waiting to find out what Taxon has on Vowrawn, it must be a doozie.

 

Looking forward to the next revelation.

[wangxiuming]

Vowrawn is as diabolically manipulative as I imagine him to be. I can just imagine the dialogue oozing that friendly and yet contemptuous tone the voice actor in game pulled off. I'm drumming my fingers together in anticipation to see what happens.

[frauzet]

“Forgive me my friend, but we’re striving for authenticity. It was necessary to dispose of it.”

 

I glared at Vowrawn. “Pray, you’re not next.”

 

I am sure if it wasn't for the temple, the temptation to get rid of Vowrawn would have been hard to resist. But at least he's going to take Marr where he wants to go anyway.

Looking forward to the next part.

[Lunafox]

How absolutely delicious. Seven years servitude has given Marr much, I think, a strength that few sith will ever have. Call it a crucible of sorts. He is growing into the man I admire and it is wonderful to see the transition. I can actually hear his voice deepen in his dialogue.

 

I love how you incorporated Gault's old buddy Dretcher, good show. Waiting to find out what Taxon has on Vowrawn, it must be a doozie.

 

Looking forward to the next revelation.

 

Thanks! I always had the feeling that he went through a lot in his life before he became Sith...and I've had the impression that it's not something he likes to dwell on or talk about, so no one dares bring it up. I'm glad that the transition came across well...going from the child to the young man. Dretcher was an interesting character, and seeing that anomids have a very long life span (90+) I figured he could be a young man in this. Knowing Vowrawn, I imagine it's a doozie too lol.

 

 

Vowrawn is as diabolically manipulative as I imagine him to be. I can just imagine the dialogue oozing that friendly and yet contemptuous tone the voice actor in game pulled off. I'm drumming my fingers together in anticipation to see what happens.

 

Thank you I do enjoy his VO actor very much, and even as a younger man I hear the voice. I reckon he becomes even more smooth with age. Right now, some like young Marr have guessed his angles, later, I think it will become impossible. I hope you continue to enjoy him.

 

I am sure if it wasn't for the temple, the temptation to get rid of Vowrawn would have been hard to resist. But at least he's going to take Marr where he wants to go anyway.

Looking forward to the next part.

 

Thanks Given, the almost unhealthy attachment he came to have with that shovel, I don't think Vowrawn realized just how serious Marr was just then. He was not a happy camper. The temptation was there, but I think Marr felt he had a better chance to achieve his goals if Vowrawn was around.

[Lunafox]

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Marr

 

~Chapter Nine~

 

At the end, we understand the desires that drove our folly and fuelled our actions.

 

Thousands of days comprise a lifetime, but of those days, how many of them mold us into who we become? Five? Ten? Twenty?

 

The answer is different for all of us. The first time I entered the tomb of Tulak Hord, I was a boy, awed by the presence I’d searched for since I was old enough to understand the need to find it. I did not expect it to change me, but that day, I died and was reborn.

 

Seven years later, a new man would return in the boy’s place. I would descend into the temple again, but this time, I was tempered by brutal hardship and armed with the knowledge I could survive it. Awe had been replaced by caution and once again I believed I would remain unchanged. I was wrong. The change would be gradual and insidious, but it would come.

 

Inside the temple, shadows gathered to form the wraith lord that would become my master. He rose up from the floor, inky and terrible, but with a voice that would command and seduce legions. “Ares, you’ve returned.”

 

“It was never my choice to leave.”

 

“No. It was mine.”

 

“Yours? Why? Why would you allow me to be sent away?”

 

“You dare question my will, mortal?”

 

“Is your will so fragile that my question would break it? I would know your motivations, spirit. Answer me.”

 

“A spirit…” Hord chuckled. “Is that what you think? You’re a demanding mortal, Ares…but where was your bravado then? Taxon has no power over you. He never did and yet you remained, toiling for him like an akk dog…”

 

“You knew…”

 

“Of course, I knew…I’ve watched you since birth…guided you, molded you. There is no fate, only my will.” Tulak Hord drifted closer to the brazier in the corner of the chamber, the flames bursting to life like a nova at his proximity. He stared into them and became a mix of ethereal shadow and light.

 

“Fascinating…” The wraith murmured, his attention fixed on the fire. He reached forth and caressed the flames almost affectionately.

 

I strode closer to the brazier and stared into them. “What is?”

 

“The outcome…do you see?”

 

“Speak plainly. I don’t appreciate riddles. The outcome of what?”

 

“See for yourself…” Hord indicated the fire with an upturned palm.

 

I stared into the brazier and possibilities began to form but before I could make sense of them, they were gone. All that remained was a mirage with my eyes staring back at me.

 

“You wish to become Sith…”

 

I nodded.

 

“At what cost? What would you offer me, if I were to teach you to become the greatest Sith lord of your generation?”

 

“What is it you want?”

 

“I see you understand…desire is the currency of all men. Learn their desires…and you will own them.”

 

“Not all men…” I folded my arms and held my ground.

 

“See those walls? Every one of them sold themselves to me for a favor.”

 

“My father did not…my mother did not.”

 

“So certain, are you?”

 

I stood silent, but couldn’t hide my doubt.

 

“You’re not as confident as you would have me believe.”

 

“Enough of your games! There are two outcomes…you will train me…or you won’t. But I will not be duped into some foul purchase.”

 

“That is where you are mistaken, Ares. The outcomes are only limited by your sight. You want to know the truth…you want to know if they are here…admit it.”

 

“They are dead…a fact I’ve accepted long ago.” I turned my back to the wraith, and though I tried to avoid the macabre black skulls lining the walls, they were inescapable. Their hollow sockets stared back at me and the questions I dared not ask germinated in the back of my mind.

 

“If you won’t ask…I will tell you. What could they desire, so greatly, that they would give themselves to me without a second thought? I know you’re curious…”

 

“Is this another of your trials? I’m losing patience. Had I known what you were, and what your name meant, I’d have never sought you out.”

 

“Have you never wondered why you were the only one?”

 

“Their time together was short. I expected a Sith Lord, wise beyond imagining, not some trickster…”

 

“And I had hoped for someone rather more malleable…”

 

“You hoped for a fool you could manipulate—another empty skull for your wall. I will afford you no such indulgence.”

 

Tulak Hord chuckled, the sound low and sinister through his mask. “Your father wanted a son—noble and worthy of his legacy. He was incapable of fathering one…so I created you. Right here on this altar. And your mother…your dear fallen Jedi mother— beautiful, tarnished—but ambitious. She wanted you to be more than mere Sith—perhaps Emperor—but I see that isn’t for you.”

 

“You would force your own blood descendants to sell themselves to you for these favours? What foul corruption would make such damning barters with their own kin?”

 

“Clearly, you will not…”

 

“Never. I will form no pact with you…”

 

“Then how will you become Sith?”

 

“By my reasoning, if what you say is true, my mother has already secured my future as one. Only a Sith can ascend to the Dark Council or beyond it.”

 

“I see you’re not one to easily deal away that which you value. Most can’t see beyond their desires. I will be your Master.”

 

“I will achieve my goals without your foul magick or interference.”

 

“Lilin…come forth…” Tulak Hord said, his voice barely a whisper.

 

A pale silver light grew behind me, swelling until the chamber was as bright and cool as a glacier. “Master…what do you desire of me?”

 

I froze, as surely as if my blood had crystalized. Mother. I remembered her voice as a distant echo, filtered through flesh and birth waters, but to hear it, as clear and distinct as if she lived, affected me.

 

“Lilin—your son, a man grown…Ares…your mother.”

 

I hesitated to face her. Fingers curled about my elbow, imploring me to turn around. Her touch sank into my flesh and I sensed the frosty grip of the darkness take hold.

 

“Ares…will you not look at me?”

 

My jaw clenched. “Why…why do you do this? And why do I remain here…enduring it?”

 

I tore free of her touch, ready to abandon the chamber and Dromund Fels for good, but in doing so I came face to face with her. Small and frail, her spirit looked as if it were spun from spider silk and her eyes held the unnatural cast of hematites bathed in blood.

 

“Ares…please. Let me look at you…”

 

“I won’t stop you…but if this is some trick…” I glared at Tulak Hord and flexed my hand at my side.

 

“It’s no trick…” He said even though I turned from him before he answered.

 

The chamber had grown so cold that I could see my breath cloud around my face, but the longer I was exposed to it, the less it affected me. The cold and darkness became a part of me…or perhaps more aptly, I became a part of it.

 

“Is it true…You and my fath—Lord Tacitus are bound to him?”

 

“It’s true Ares. And we would do so again, we have no regrets.”

 

“If he made me…is Tacitus even my father?”

 

“You are truly your father’s son, in every way…”

 

“The ambiguity of your answer is both telling and troubling, Mother.” I ran my hand over my jaw and dropped my gaze to the floor, unable to bear looking into her eyes.

 

“I want so much for you, Ares…please…become who you were meant to be.”

 

“Don’t you mean, who you want me to be?”

 

“My son, I would rather you be the power than the one seeking its favour. My desire is that you become more than Sith—subjugate others, bend them to your will. That is what I wanted for you, above all things…would you deny me?”

 

I sighed and sat heavily upon the altar, my hands dangling between my knees. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Mother…” I raked my hands through my hair and growled my frustration.

 

“I want you to accept…take the boon. Become the Master of the Gathering Darkness and the Lord of Hate…then you will be our Master’s equal.”

 

I stood and crossed the room to stand before the brazier, searching the flames for an answer. What would it mean if I accepted…what would my life become?

 

The flames twisted and coiled to make their revelations to me.

 

I would not be seduced by the darkness; instead, I would become the darkness. I would be its Master and it would be mine to control. I would enjoy its trappings—the knowledge of he who had subjugated it before me—and the servitude of those who sought its favour then and forevermore. Wielding such power wasn’t to be taken lightly and I swore to devote myself to nurturing the wisdom to control it and summon it only when necessary. At that moment, I caught myself and realized I had already agreed.

 

Casual reliance on the darkness was a temptation that came with a price—with every invocation, a fraction of that which made me human would be irrevocably lost, but for all that I stood to achieve it seemed a price worth paying.

 

I turned to face the spirits. “Before I answer I must know one thing…”

 

Tulak Hord nodded and indicated I continue with an upturned palm.

 

“If I become your equal…then it would be within my power to release my parents from servitude, with no repercussions?”

 

“It would be within your right, yes.”

 

“Very well…then I will become more than Sith—a Master of the Gathering Darkness and a Lord of Hate. I accept what my Mother wanted for me.”

 

She beamed up at me, and when she took my hands, I no longer felt the cold. “When I am his equal, I will release you and my father.”

 

“Will you not give us the choice to stay with you?”

 

“No. You will have no choice, as I had no choice. You paid a price to this demon, and here I am, the manifestation of your desires. Do not make presumptions about my favour. Now go. I won’t call on you again until the day I release you.”

 

“If that is still your judgement when the time comes…”

 

“It will be.”

 

The silver light surrounding her spirit diminished and she along with it until I was left alone with Tulak Hord.

 

“You surprised me…I didn’t anticipate your reaction to her or the knowledge she brought you…” He said.

 

“I don’t care to discuss this further. Tell me what I must do to begin…and then leave me.”

 

“You deign to command me?”

 

“It’s not as if you can challenge me…the deal has been wrought.”

 

“I could smite you where you stand.”

 

“But you won’t for two reasons. I suspect there is a penalty if a bargain is broken after you’ve made it, and perhaps you didn’t realize…I watched you when you looked into the flames. You betrayed something of yourself in that moment. You coveted something, and I sense it belongs to me. Perhaps one day, it will be you who will sell yourself to me for that which you desire.”

 

“You’re too arrogant, Ares.”

 

“You’ll find I learn quickly.”

 

 

By day, I immersed myself in my studies, each holocron a trove of ancient history, ritual and saber technique. At night I would leave the temple and return to the makeshift home Vowrawn had prepared for me—an elaborate mansion of tents hidden deep within a series of caves.

Silthar and I would dine together each night and discuss the histories I’d come across during my study of the holocrons I’d inherited and in turn he would instruct me in some of the more mundane skills any educated Sith lord would require.

 

Occasionally we would practice saber techniques, but I quickly learned that he was more scholar than duellist and while a good sport, he was a poor challenger.

 

Vowrawn proved to be more adept with a lightsaber than Silthar and had a talent with Force lightning as well—one I hoped to eclipse. He would join us for supper several times a week and after we ate, we would spar. I learned it was a rare Sith that was accomplished at both lightsaber technique and Force lightning, and I was determined to excel at it.

 

“Marr, your skills as a duellist are developing exponentially. I must say I’m impressed. But then it is a known fact that few duellists could match the skill of Tulak Hord or the old masters.” He dabbed his face with a dry towel and proceeded to recline in one of the comfortable chairs, like a contented lazy cat while I trained.

 

Despite my protests, he’d bought a sleek and exotic blue skinned Twi’lek slave girl to dote on us. He crooked a finger and within moments she placed an elaborate cocktail in his waiting hand.

 

“Sons of the Emperor, Marr. Stop abusing that training droid and have a drink with me.”

 

I sighed heavily and retracted my training saber. “If you insist…”

 

The slave set my drink on the small table between the recliners and I snatched it up and downed it in one draught.

 

She giggled coyly and scurried off, bangles and charms jingling.

 

“So, Marr…how have you been enjoying my gift to you?”

 

“To which gift are you referring?”

 

He clacked his tongue in mock annoyance. “Meekra…the girl that was just here…”

 

“Is that her name? I hadn’t asked…it’s not as if I speak to her.”

 

“Speaking is optional but recommended…I was rather hoping you’d have made use of her. She’s quite attractive…”

 

“She’s an attentive servant…”

 

No sooner had I finished praising her, the Twi’lek reappeared with another tray of drinks.

 

Vowrawn clapped his hands. “Meekra dear, why don’t you dance for us…there are no dancers quite like Twi’lek dancers in all the galaxy…”

 

“I think I can do without—”

 

Vowrawn cut me off. “Drink up, Marr. And enjoy the view. I assure you, it’s quite hypnotic. Think of it as an outlet…every man needs an outlet.”

 

“If you insist…” I downed the second drink and resigned myself to watching the dancer gyrate and slither before me, and though I would never admit it to Vowrawn, the girl’s movements awakened a dangerous hunger I hadn’t acknowledged before.

 

“I think my work here is done…enjoy your evening, Marr.”

 

Riveted by the girl’s undulating belly and hips, I waved Vowrawn away with only the slightest acknowledgement.

 

With the barest summons, I drew her to me and I discovered the darkness is many things—a star-filled sky; the fading ember; an eclipse. It is a sharpening of the senses and the birthplace of dreams. It is freedom and a prison with no bars. It is corruption and desire, desolation and despair, and most of all, it is damnation to all who touch it and a curse to anyone foolish enough to love it.

 

((to be continued…))

[MishaCantu]

Oddly, the last paragraph almost sounds like a parody for the force. I suppose interpretation could be open as to the meaning of darkness and light, in this instance it could be descriptive of both. Both Jedi and Sith lose a great deal of themselves in the search for power, the reasons why get lost somewhere in the sacrifices they make. I think Marr is beginning to understand.

 

In either case, to treat with demons is a risky business, they tend to give with one hand and take with the other.

 

A beautifully written chapter, Luna.

[Lunafox]

Oddly, the last paragraph almost sounds like a parody for the force. I suppose interpretation could be open as to the meaning of darkness and light, in this instance it could be descriptive of both. Both Jedi and Sith lose a great deal of themselves in the search for power, the reasons why get lost somewhere in the sacrifices they make. I think Marr is beginning to understand.

 

In either case, to treat with demons is a risky business, they tend to give with one hand and take with the other.

 

A beautifully written chapter, Luna.

 

Maybe not so much of a parody as me not wanting to write out what happened next with the slave. The slave isn't important in this at all. It's just to show Marr acting like a young guy for once (and one that has been isolated from things like booze and girls)...took a couple of drinks and a pretty slave to get him to 'loosen his tie' a bit lol. And the last line, is a bit of foreshadowing for a future part of the story.

 

I'm glad you liked it.

[wangxiuming]

This chapter in particular kept me hooked from start to finish! Looking forward to seeing what happens next. So many people have designs on Marr, I'm looking forward to these plots all coming to a head in an epic **** storm.

[frauzet]

Casual reliance on the darkness was a temptation that came with a price—with every invocation, a fraction of that which made me human would be irrevocably lost, but for all that I stood to achieve it seemed a price worth paying.

I think, this is my favorite sentence. <3

 

Looking forward to the next part.

[Lunafox]

This chapter in particular kept me hooked from start to finish! Looking forward to seeing what happens next. So many people have designs on Marr, I'm looking forward to these plots all coming to a head in an epic **** storm.

 

I'm glad to hear it. Tulak Hord is a fascinating being, I enjoy exploring him. Hopefully everything will live up to hopes and expectations *fingers crossed*

 

 

 

I think, this is my favorite sentence. <3

 

Looking forward to the next part.

 

Thank you It was one of my favs too. It was just one of those good rare moments where everything just came out the way I hoped. It's nice when the words flow...a lot of times I feel a bit like I'm wrangling them into submission lol.

Edited August 15, 2016 by Lunafox

[Lunafox]

A/N: Sorry for the delay, my cold decided it wasn't quite done with me yet, so I fell a bit behind. I hope it's worth the extra wait. Enjoy! ~Lunafox

 

 

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Marr

 

~Chapter Ten~

 

Once the darkness becomes a part of you, there’s no room for anything else.

 

“Every moment of my life has in one way or another led me here, Vowrawn.” I waved away his offering—a premium Stygian Cognac—one of fifty bottles left in the galaxy.

 

“I must say, you’re far more disciplined than I am, Marr. These last five years—you’ve denied yourself almost every luxury I’ve offered—a rainbow of beautiful slaves; fine drink; expensive smoke, a feather bed…every nicety a man could hope for. I don’t know how you do it. Especially the feather bed.”

 

I chuckled. “You’re aware as well as I am, I’m no saint. Your temptations have caused a few momentary lapses in judgement over the years.”

 

“The very proof I needed or I might have come to suspect you’re not quite like the rest of us. But to deny yourself a celebratory libation on your twenty-first birthday…I think that’s a bit extreme.”

 

“I’ll celebrate when my trial is over.”

 

“I will hold you to that, my friend.” He examined the bottle, his gaze seemingly fixed on the shimmering amber-rose liquid trapped inside. “I can barely contain myself when I imagine the look on Taxon’s face, the moment he learns you’re still alive…”

 

“You never did tell me how he reacted to my demise.”

 

“Oh…” Vowrawn snickered. “He was livid, of course. I still have the scars to prove it. If ever there was a day, I thought I’d been checkmated—that was the one. I was probably a tad more reckless than I ought to have been, but as I’ve said, no risk, no joy—it’s what makes the game worth playing.”

 

“Is everything a game to you, Vowrawn?”

 

“Of course. Life is nothing but a series of games…finance, power, knowledge, women…there are only two outcomes…you win or you lose.”

 

“I believe that to be an over simplified view…”

 

“Marr, Marr, Marr, my dear fellow—you over-complicate things. Twenty-one years young and you think like—well, like a fifty-year-old man. I shudder to think what you’ll be like in another twenty years. Life is not out to get you…”

 

“Of course, it is. We’re Sith.”

 

Vowrawn laughed. “There are times I can’t tell if you’re serious or not.”

 

“I have the distinct impression there is far more at stake, then you’ve led me to believe. What hold does Taxon have over you?”

 

“Your questions are nearly as pointed as that armour you wear. I’m still at a loss as to why you’d deny yourself the comfort of Corellian silk, in favour of that…monstrosity you commissioned.”

 

“The armour serves its purpose.”

 

“You remind me of that Sithspawn beast in the ritual chamber just after we’d met. Do you remember?”

 

“Of course, I remember.” I folded my arms and stared down at him, amused that he couldn’t read my face—an advantage I decided was worth keeping. “What I fail to understand, is why you stayed all these years. Taxon didn’t honour his end of the wager and yet you remained in his service.”

 

“I suppose you wouldn’t believe that I stayed solely for your benefit…”

 

“Vowrawn…” My voice was a warning growl and my hands curled into fists by my sides.

 

“I see you’re not going to let this go,” Vowrawn crossed his arms and the jovial twinkle in his eyes grew canny. “Very well…I suppose I owe you that much. There is something far more powerful than the Force.”

 

“And what would that be?”

 

“The fact that you have to ask tells me you’ve been remiss in your observations of me.”

 

“Quit stalling!”

 

“This is a lesson you would be wise to learn, Marr. Commerce is the true power in the galaxy and money is the language it speaks. The Hutts understand it…the Black Sun understands it, the Exchange, information brokers, mercenaries, smugglers, bounty hunters, the entire underworld—they all understand it. And when one becomes…how shall I phrase this…fluent in the language, one is capable of influencing events across the galaxy—whether for profit or amusement it matters not.”

 

“You’re a criminal…Taxon knows this.”

 

“The word criminal doesn’t quite capture the scope or magnitude of what it is I do, Marr—I dare say it’s something of an understatement.”

 

“That would explain your access to all the women and contraband…”

 

“You sound almost shocked, Marr. I hadn’t taken you for such a puritan. The brothels are only a tiny fraction of my holdings…”

 

“How is it you’re not in prison?”

 

“Haven’t you been listening? Money will buy anything. Not to mention I own controlling interest in several key industries—the CEC, Czerka, Balmorran Arms, Koensayr to name a few…and then there are the shipyards and the mines…forty-three of them at last count. My resources are nearly inexhaustible—and once the war resumes, my investments will yield obscene returns.”

 

“You have all that and can’t deal with Taxon yourself?”

 

“Where’s the sport in that? It’s not as if I’m suffering here, and there are things I stand to gain…things that would legitimize my station among the Sith and in the Empire.”

 

“You’ve wasted years of your life pinning your hopes on me…”

 

“I enjoy good sport, Marr. Can you imagine the look on Taxon’s face when you defeat him? A boy he has struggled to thwart since birth?”

 

“You want Taxon’s seat on the Dark Council…”

 

“Who in their right mind would turn down a seat on the Dark Council? But truthfully Marr…it’s not Taxon’s seat I desire. While Defense of the Empire would be of vital concern to me, it wouldn’t be my focus. My choice of seat would be a start…but it would be a mere stepping stone.”

 

“Surely you don’t intend to supplant the Emperor…”

 

Vowrawn waved me off. “The pinnacle of power, while lofty, is not the most secure position. There’s always some pesky individual looking to push you off—but it is an alluring dream.”

 

“You contradict yourself with this talk of stability and security—what of your love of gaming?”

 

“Oh, I’d still be playing, but of course, the stakes would be higher…and no game is so well played as from a comfortable chair with a good view of the room. Don’t be so scandalized Marr…would you not claim the throne if it were within your reach?”

 

“No…I’ve no need of it.”

 

“Think of all you could achieve…”

 

“I will not waste my time coveting a station beyond my reach or intention.”

 

“You sell yourself short, Marr.”

 

“No. I do not. A wise man practices restraint. Only a fool chases after possibilities and ignores the present.”

 

“But as Emperor—”

 

“Enough. You’re nearly as calculating as that wretched demon I call master. I sense there is still much you’re withholding, but I don’t have time for this. My trial awaits.”

 

“Far be it for me to keep you. Best of luck, Marr. The cognac and I will be awaiting your triumphant return.”

 

*****

 

A fog of frigid vapour met me as I descended the steps leading into Hord’s temple. The sconces blazed with a pale blue fire and the same blue flames licked up from the seals carved into the floor, parting just enough to allow me passage into the depths of the temple.

 

Frost formed over the altar and the skull-lined walls like a white mould. Tulak Hord stood in the corner of the chamber. The same blue fire I’d seen on my way in, blazed through the eye sockets of his helmet.

 

“Progeny of Tacitus…you would be wise to be more selective when choosing friends.”

 

“I have no friends here,” I whispered.

 

“Sith have no friends anywhere. Everyone conceals a knife…the only difference is the motivation that will move them to strike. Betrayal is as pervasive as air.”

 

“Spare me these fledgling platitudes. I understood long ago that we are damned never to know the bond of friendship or love—but loyalty can be earned and must be rewarded.”

 

“You think so?” Tulak Hord laughed.

 

“I know—without a doubt. Were it not for the loyalty my parents swore to Lord Tacitus, I would not be standing here now. They did not betray him, they were loyal unto the end.”

 

“Ares, loyalty is an illusion. Wives betray, husbands betray, children betray. Slaves, masters, and apprentices betray. Friends betray. You will come to see this…in time.”

 

“I will prove you wrong.”

 

“Hah! If the day comes when you can make such a boast—that there is one who never betrayed you, I will grant you a boon.”

 

“You expect me to believe you had no alliances…”

 

“I had two to speak of…perhaps one day I will tell you the story of my general and my dashade—both were effective, but neither was to be trusted.”

 

My gaze wandered past my Master and settled on a blue flame column jutting from the floor with tree-like roots.

 

Suspended over the column was a lightsaber and perhaps the most magnificent weapon I had ever seen.

 

The ebony hilt was smooth and dark, and I sensed the grip was enchanted with blood memory—the weapon would recognize our bloodline through the Force. A trio of sharp metal talons protruded from the blade emitter and I found myself tempted by the weapon more surely than any of Vowrawn’s seductive offerings.

 

Hord turned toward the weapon. “You want this…”

 

“Yours, I trust?”

 

“An extension of myself…my truest ally in life and death.” The lightsaber vanished from its resting place and reappeared in Hord’s ghostly hand. Blazing red plasma kindled in his fist and the weapon growled to life. “Your trial—take my lightsaber…if you can.”

 

“It shall be mine.”

 

“Draw your weapon, Ares. This is our playground…let us make use of it,” Hord commanded.

 

The weapon I’d constructed sprang into my palm at the speed of thought and came alive.

 

The chamber walls faded at my master’s whim, giving way to plumes of ebon smoke. Hord vanished. I strode forward and emerged onto a battlefield. The stench of burning flesh and ruptured explosive casings assaulted my senses. Smoke breached my mask, the insidious tendrils stinging my eyes.

 

I did not recognize the world before me, or even the timespan. It could have been past or future, or some distant now few were aware of. All I needed to understand was that a war raged and we were the balance that would dictate the winner. The reasons for their fight did not matter, nor did their politics. All that mattered was the power of their fading lives and my need to claim the weapon in my opponent’s hand.

 

Hord appeared before me and bowed. I mirrored his respect and then our blades clashed with fury and preternatural zeal. We wove through the embattled troops like shadows, advancing and ebbing like a tide. Those that interfered or impeded our dance were cut down, swiftly and without mercy. I came to understand that they did not see us—we warred on the cusp of reality and the Force. We moved through them like reapers—shadows caught in the corner of their eyes before they fell.

 

The power of the dying blazed all around me but I felt their resistance. Back and forth we clashed, time irrelevant to our waltz. At the top of what I thought was a hill, I paused to take stock, to steal a breath, and it was at this moment, I realized it was no mere hill, but a mound of bodies we had created in our ferocity. I stood at the center of it all, and from my vantage point, I saw that there was not only one mound but many—between us we had obliterated a world.

 

The dying reached every direction and horizon I faced. Their last breaths, their pleas, and their prayers called to me, the influx of voices dizzying. Something within me flickered and grew dimmer, and I recognized the sensation of my disintegrating humanity.

 

My heart quickened and I felt sick, but I could not let him win—to do so would mean my end. Heartbeats, so many and so varied shook the field like a ground quake. I sensed the light in their minds beckoning them away from this coil and I understood what I had to do. The flutter grew to a rivulet and the rivulet became a creek. Humanity poured out of me and for the briefest moment I was tempted to chase it and run screaming from the abomination I was becoming.

 

I fought the temptation to run. I had to win. I had to turn them from the light. My salvation, my victory depended on it. This was what I had to do to become Sith, like my father before me. I drew in their power and I became the darkness.

With the promise that their last desires would be fulfilled, they abandoned the light, traversing the field as an infernal fog made of men, crawling on their bellies toward me. I drew the last remnants of their lives into me and gasped at the heady rush of power that followed. I laughed and I felt nauseated in the same moment. The victory would cost me, but I would not be deterred. I was beyond salvation.

 

Hord slashed at me and I narrowly escaped his advance. “You’re wavering. Your regret will cost you. Do not mourn what you were, embrace what you will become.” Our sabers crossed and gnashed. “Enslave them. Be quick about it. Feel them become a part of you, Ares.”

 

I marvelled at the gossamer-thin cloak of swirling blackened skulls clinging to me. Their lives registered as mere flickers before joining the greater tapestry of power eddying around me.

 

The dance began again, blades slashing and snapping like starving tukata, and the hunger I’d felt in the desert kindled in me and I drove myself against Hord with all that I was.

 

He responded in kind and the tide turned. Slash after slash, I felt my energy dissipate. I’d exhausted all that I’d taken and was forced to rely on what little of my own strength I had left.

 

I tumbled down an incline and my weapon disappeared into the bodies. I lay prone on the field, the smell of blood thick around me. I rolled over and a black shadow descended, hurtling faster and closer until I was certain it would strike me. The saber I coveted snarled above me, hungry for my life, all too willing to impale me. I had nothing left.

 

I thrust my hand upwards to shield myself from the incoming blow. Though I feared it would make no difference, I summoned my lightning. It coiled my arm like a serpent and stayed the blow. Hord vanished again.

 

The saber I’d lost responded to my call and clashed against my palm. I sliced at the air like a madman.

 

The wind howled and the skies opened. Flood rains filled the spaces between the mounds to shift the dead. My footing became unstable and my balance precarious. I slashed, again and again, I knew he was close to me, but I could not rely on my sight alone. The darkness rushed around me and filled the battlefield with night. Confusion seized my senses and I lost my bearings. I felt light.

 

Had I lost the trial? I couldn’t be dead. The wild beat under my ribs reminded me I lived—this day marked the twenty-first anniversary of my birth. I clung to the instinct that drove me as a newborn. I had to survive. I thought of my parents—those who’d raised me and those whose blood roiled in my veins. “Help me…” I pleaded.

 

A sensation of renewed strength flared inside me and I recognized the faith my adoptive parents had in me.

 

Hord’s laughter rang out. “You’re weak—relying on them…as if they’ll come to you. What did I tell you about loyalty and blood! Fool!”

 

“No…it is you that is the fool!” I threw my hands out, the blue lightning I somehow recognized as my father’s power, manifested in a great jagged ball of light, enough to blind the wraith and reveal his position. He raised his saber to block the incoming deluge of electricity and I hurled my saber toward him.

 

Hord’s lightsaber fell to the ground, still locked within his severed hand. I reached out with the Force as the lightning threw back his body and I snatched my prize.

 

“It’s over!” I ignited the spoils of my victory and slashed the air before me. The scarlet blade growled deep—its timbre having deepened to reflect my mastery over it.

 

The dim gossamer outline of my blood family appeared before me. My father extended his hand to me and I accepted.

 

“No father could ever be more proud than I am at his moment.…”

 

“Thank you…Father…Mother. I am his equal now and I release you both from this darkness.”

 

“There is only the Force,” my Mother murmured before they vanished hand in hand.

 

I strode toward my master and offered my hand to help him up, but he refused it. He rose and the shadows carried his severed arm to him and he became whole again.

 

“Your training is complete, Ares…you are—a Lord of Hate and Master over the Gathering Darkness.”

 

“Thank you, Master.”

 

“But you are not my equal. You do not offer your arm to your opponent when they lay vulnerable to you…you strike them down.”

 

“It’s not as if I could kill that which is already dead. Know this…I am at the very least your equal…if not your better.”

 

“Does your arrogance know no bounds, Ares?”

 

I laughed. “You taught me…well. I take my leave of you…brother.”

 

The dark fog dissipated and I found myself standing alone in the temple. I marvelled at the weapon I had claimed and strode up the steps leading outside to the desert, two at a time, but I sensed I was far from alone.

 

Twelve legions of Imperial troopers stood before me, weapons locked, and a legion of red armored guards held Vowrawn and Silthar in stun cuffs.

 

“Congratulations my friend…I see you survived your trial…” Vowrawn called out jovially.

 

“What’s the meaning of this?”

 

“Stop right there. By Order of the Dark Council and Darth Taxon…Ares Marr, you are under arrest.”

 

((to be continued…))

[frauzet]

Your Vowrawn is great!

 

I'm looking forward to see how this turns out. I doubt Marr will want to let go of the weapon he just claimed without a fight.

[wangxiuming]

“Thank you…Father…Mother. I am his equal now and I release you both from this darkness.”

 

“There is only the Force,” my Mother murmured before they vanished hand in hand.

 

It's really interesting to see that tiny bit of light-side influence in Marr's training. A really clever way to foreshadow what eventually happens with Marr ...

 

 

Twelve legions of Imperial troopers stood before me, weapons locked, and a legion of red armored guards held Vowrawn and Silthar in stun cuffs.

 

“Congratulations my friend…I see you survived your trial…” Vowrawn called out jovially.

 

“What’s the meaning of this?”

 

“Stop right there. By Order of the Dark Council and Darth Taxon…Ares Marr, you are under arrest.”

 

((to be continued…))

 

It is so Vowrawn to be casually delighted even after being arrested. I lol'd. Also, twist! Can't wait to see what Taxon's going to do.

 

[MishaCantu]

That wily Vowrawn. He has it in spades that wealth makes the universe turn. I truly love the way you have portrayed him.

He sees the game in every circumstance and he is delightful.

 

Marr will not be pleased to give up his newly acquired and hard won prize. I think Taxon will be in for a surprise as the story unfolds.

[Lunafox]

Your Vowrawn is great!

 

I'm looking forward to see how this turns out. I doubt Marr will want to let go of the weapon he just claimed without a fight.

 

Thank you He's really way too much fun to do lol. Oh, I'm hoping it'll live up to expectations *keeps fingers and toes crossed*

 

 

 

It's really interesting to see that tiny bit of light-side influence in Marr's training. A really clever way to foreshadow what eventually happens with Marr ...

 

 

 

 

It is so Vowrawn to be casually delighted even after being arrested. I lol'd. Also, twist! Can't wait to see what Taxon's going to do.

 

Thank you I don't really see anyone as completely dark or light, I figure most people are varying degrees of each. ^^ And I'm thrilled that you're enjoying Vowrawn, he really is a card lol. Hopefully everything will play out well

 

 

That wily Vowrawn. He has it in spades that wealth makes the universe turn. I truly love the way you have portrayed him.

He sees the game in every circumstance and he is delightful.

 

Marr will not be pleased to give up his newly acquired and hard won prize. I think Taxon will be in for a surprise as the story unfolds.

 

Thank you so much I've had a lot of fun writing him, like Marr he's always been one of my favorites, and I do enjoy playing them off each other. I think you're right, Marr isn't going to be too pleased with things, so I hope it'll live up to expectations

[Lunafox]

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Marr

 

~Chapter Eleven~

 

Justice is determined by a perfect measure of truth and bias.

 

I whirled on the arresting guard. “On what charges? Identify yourself.”

 

“General Nesor Kayin, Imperial Guard. I was sent on behalf of Darth Taxon and Darth Caliginus of the Dark Council to see to your arrest. Ares Marr, you have been charged with apostasy, blasphemy, and augury.”

 

Before I could respond, Vowrawn laughed. “Apostasy…augury! How grand! Silthar and I are only mere heretics.”

 

“For once in your life, Vowrawn—shut up! This is no laughing matter. I’ve renounced nothing and I am no soothsayer. I am Sith.”

 

Silthar said nothing, but his furrowed brow and pursed lips suggested he was fast at work calculating his options. On the other hand, Vowrawn preened with the imperious confidence of an alpha varactyl basking on a sun-warmed rock.

The unapologetic gleam in his eyes coupled with the brilliance of his smile only served to confirm my suspicion; the bastard was enjoying himself.

 

“Taxon claims otherwise. This is a matter for the Dark Council. I am charged with bringing you and your disciples before them and you will comply.”

 

“They are not my disciples!” My hand flexed around the grip of the lightsaber I’d won moments ago. “I will not submit—not to you, nor anyone else.”

 

“You dare resist the Imperial guard?” Kayin snapped and initiated his tech staff.

 

My thumb twitched over the lightsaber’s activator and Vowrawn inserted himself between us to stay my hand. He jerked his head, his gaze cautious and complicit. “Perhaps it’s for the best, Marr. The pieces are at last, in play. Let the game unfold.”

 

I glared at him as if he’d suddenly sprouted another head and a new suspicion germinated in my mind. The timing of the arrest was suspect. Dispatching our captors was not beyond my ability, but if I did, I would be declared a fugitive, and confronting Taxon before the Dark Council was fundamental to my advancement.

 

The arrest would serve to hasten the inevitable confrontation. Though he sported a façade of jovial recklessness, Vowrawn was, without a doubt, the most cunning and shrewd man I’d ever met. While my every instinct railed against surrender, it seemed the logical next step.

 

“I suggest you heed your collaborator, Marr,” General Kayin warned.

 

“He is not my collaborator! Do you not listen?”

 

“If you resist arrest, I will add that to the list of charges too.”

 

“Arrest me then! If only to refute these ridiculous charges…” I holstered my saber and offered my wrists willingly.

 

“Cuff him…” Kayin commanded.

 

A trooper stepped forward to clap a pair of stun cuffs about my forearms. “What of his weapons sir?”

 

“Leave them…”

 

“Sir?”

 

Kayin retracted his staff and attached it to his belt. “I said leave them. A Sith cannot challenge his accuser without a weapon—but if he tries anything, kill them all.”

 

“It’s refreshing to see the Imperial guard still adheres to the old ways…honour has become a rare and precious thing in this day and age,” Vowrawn declared as we were led aboard the Imperial guard’s shuttle.

 

I spent the three-day journey to Dromund Kaas in seclusion. The cell was as wide as my arm span—a box braced by a wide durasteel plank, which served as both bunk and seating. A compact refresher unit suited only for waste disposal was built into the opposite corner.

 

Although a porter brought trays of food twice daily, I returned them untouched. I’d survived on less.

 

At night when the ship grew silent, the darkness reached out to me with its siren’s voice—narcotic and sweet—and the temptation to respond only buoyed my resolve to resist it.

 

I feared time had diluted my hatred toward Taxon, but reflection revealed the vitriol I’d clung to was still there—furious and deep and ready at a moment’s summons.

 

 

The shuttle dropped into the private bay of the Sith Citadel in Kaas City. A dome of amber energy flickered above us, serving to keep the rain and gusting wind at bay. Lightning came down in bright flashes as we gathered at the base of the boarding ramp.

 

Silthar and I acknowledged one another with a silent nod but Vowrawn was nowhere to be seen. Even the guards accompanying us seemed concerned.

 

“Where in blazes is he?” Silthar finally broke the silence between us. “You don’t suppose he—”

 

I shrugged. “I don’t pretend to know. Predicting his actions is akin to herding gizkas.”

 

Five minutes later, cloistered by a half dozen guards, Vowrawn emerged from the stern of the shuttle, teeth flashing—his entire being animated with the feral exuberance of a jackal pup. General Kayin tabulated lengthy calculations on his data pad as they descended the ramp.

 

“My good fellow…no need to concern yourself about my winnings…I’ll trust you’ll put them to good use—but might I suggest a bottle of Whyren’s Reserve? I hear batch number 3803 is extraordinary. We really ought to do this again. I had no idea Sabacc was such fun—and do thank your good captain for the use of his fine quarters. Such a gracious opponent.”

 

The bay echoed with the jackal’s laughter. Silthar and I exchanged incredulous, if not somewhat disgusted looks.

 

“I see you fleeced these men of their wages. Vowrawn…have you no shame?”

 

“Only a little…they were all quite sporting really. You would find the game far more exhilarating if you embraced spontaneity…like me.”

 

Kayin shot Vowrawn a warning glare. “Enough…Council is due to convene within the hour.”

 

“Excellent. I can’t wait,” Vowrawn said.

 

Two pairs of scarlet-robed guards took charge of Silthar and myself while the rest fell in alongside Vowrawn and General Kayin.

 

 

The Citadel, with its gleaming arches and vaulted ebony ceilings, exceeded my imagining. Scarlet banners bled from the interminable darkness above and colossal statues of the Emperor passed judgement with inscrutable stone faces. The Citadel smelled like worn leather, incense, and ozone.

 

While dim, the lighting pained my intolerant eyes and a caustic thrum began to build in the center of my forehead. Even so, I knew I belonged there, in the beating heart of the Empire.

 

Dark robed Sith barely visible against the pristine walls feigned indifference as we passed, but their curiosity grasped at us through the Force, seeking to glean the purpose behind our presence. Were it not for the impending confrontation, I might have savoured my first exposure to a world I’d only dreamt of.

 

The elevator carried us several stories beneath the Citadel. I sensed a palpable shift where the new citadel’s construction met the ancient foundation. This was a place of power, the point where every node of dark side energy on the planet converged.

 

Pock marks and ancient runes marked the stone walls and I was reminded of the ossuary beneath the Sith Academy through which I’d made my failed escape a dozen years ago. The flame-filled sconces flickered, announcing the arrival of two Sith lords.

 

General Kayin and his company dropped to one knee and the troopers remained in tight formation. Silthar and Vowrawn offered shallow bows and I followed suit.

 

“Arise…” The elder Sith commanded. “So these men are Taxon’s accused…”

 

“Yes my lord,” Kayin said.

 

“I am Darth Arctis…Head of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge and this is Darth Demolis…Keeper of Mysteries. You will accompany us into the Council’s chambers to confront your accuser and answer to the charges against you.”

 

“Wait—” Demolis cut in. He strode toward me and looked me up and down with orange vein shattered eyes. “You’re Marr.”

 

“I am.”

 

His lip curled up. “Taxon is a fool to deny you training. I sense the darkness in you—sublime and unequivocal. I understand his fear of you. You are an apprentice no longer—but a true master of hatred and the dark side. How?”

 

“A far greater master than Taxon schooled me in the ways of the dark side.”

 

“And you bear the lightsaber of Tulak Hord at your side…a relic I had believed irretrievably lost.”

 

“My trial was to claim it from my master during battle.”

 

“May I?” With a pass of his hand the stun cuffs clamping my wrists together fell to the floor.

 

“Of course.” I set the saber hilt across his palms.

 

Demolis examined the weapon with the sort of keen reverence one would expect from the Keeper of Secrets. “Tulak Hord’s skill with a lightsaber was unrivaled. I daresay he was the greatest blade master of all time.”

 

“Until now…”

 

“I don’t understand…”

 

“He was my master…I bested him and took his blade.”

 

“How was that possible? Hord has been dead for centuries…”

 

“He revealed himself to me on Dromund Fels as a Force ghost. He took me as his apprentice seven years ago. I was arrested not an hour after completing my trial. I am no apostate, heretic or soothsayer. I am Sith.”

 

“I’m beginning to understand. And what of these men with you—these alleged heretics?”

 

“They are no heretics. Lord Vowrawn served as Taxon’s personal ritualist but defied him in order to assist me. Taxon banished Overseer Silthar from the Academy the day he kidnapped me. He too defied Taxon, in order to assist in my instruction.”

 

Arctis frowned. “That you’ve inspired such actions as a boy—and already in possession of a power base. That is no small achievement. But how is it you’re still alive?”

 

“Taxon refused to kill me—he believed me useful because of my lineage. Septimus Tacitus was my father—Taxon and his forces killed my parents…as well as those who adopted and sheltered me.”

 

Demolis’s thumb flicked the lightsaber’s switch in vain and I sensed his excitement to sample the weapon falter. “This lightsaber—is useless…it won’t activate.”

 

“It only responds to me…”

 

“Show me…” Demolis returned my weapon and motioned for the guards to move back.

 

The blade came alive in my hand, its deep growl a warning. The weapon cast a scarlet aura around me and I slashed at the air to demonstrate its readiness.

 

“I believe I understand. The weapon is imbued with blood memory. That makes you a—”

 

Darth Arctis cut him off. “We’re wasting time…and I don’t care to be late.”

 

“I for one enjoy being fashionably late,” Vowrawn oozed.

 

 

The doors parted at our arrival. The council chamber was smaller than I had expected—underwhelming after seeing the grandeur of the modern Citadel above.

 

Private entrances for every governing Sith lined the perimeter, twelve doors in all. A platform filled the center of the oval-shaped chamber and holo projection units flanked the councillor’s niches. A monolithic statue of the Emperor dominated the far end of the chamber against a field of scarlet. The guard positioned us at the center of the platform and removed Vowrawn’s and Silthar’s stun cuffs.

 

A triad of chimes signalled the start of the proceedings. Dark silhouettes appeared in each council member’s niche, as well as a glowing pyramid denoting their sphere of influence. Their niches remained dark and their faces inscrutable as they took their seats.

 

A bright hot spotlight shone down on us, the light so thick its edge was as defined as a containment field.

 

Darth Caliginus, Head of the Sphere of Laws and Justice stood to address the council. I remembered the name from Kayin’s warrant and took in the measure of the tawny-skinned pureblood. No more than thirty-five, and with his prim posture and mannerisms, I guessed that he came from money.

 

“My fellow councillors, this session has been called to address Darth Taxon’s charges against the accused—Lord Vowrawn charged with heresy. Lord Silthar charged with heresy. Ares Marr…charged with apostasy, blasphemy, and augury. Who speaks on your behalf?”

 

I stepped forward. “I do.”

 

“And how do you plead?”

 

“Not guilty—but I have charges of my own to levy.”

 

“There are channels you must go through to do so…your charges are irrelevant here,” Caliginus warned.

 

“A council that accepts one man’s charges as absolute truth is a corrupt council. My charges will be heard, your channels be damned.”

 

“You dare challenge the Dark Council…its laws and membership?”

 

Vowrawn groaned.

 

“If that’s what it takes…then yes. I challenge this council. Each and every one of you. I will be heard.”

 

Taxon leapt to his feet. “Strike this fool down! Who is he to dictate to us? I will tell you! He is nothing—the arrogant child of a heretic and a betrayer.”

 

“Caliginus, silence Taxon! Or I will.”

 

“You do not recognize Darth Taxon’s position here…I find your lack of respect disturbing,” Darth Cynster said.

 

“No. I do not recognize him as anything other than the murderer of my parents, Lord Septimus Tacitus and Lady Lilin Tacitus. I charge him with those murders, as well as the murders of my adoptive parents Lish and Ailan Marr. I charge him with the destruction and seizure of their property and with obstructing the Sith paradigm—for removing an overseer of the Academy without cause…with kidnapping a Force-sensitive child and denying that child training without cause…I charge him with confinement and extortion. And I charge him with apostasy and wasting this council’s time and my own.”

 

“I will not stand here and tolerate this! Kill him! Kill him now!” Taxon growled.

 

Darth Arctis stepped forward. “I believe Marr has a right to be heard.”

 

“I concur,” Darth Demolis added. “I submit for council’s perusal, an audio conversation captured by our security cams, just prior to this session. I believe it will show the reasons for Darth Taxon’s persecution of this man.”

 

The chamber fell silent while the audio capture played.

 

Darth Demolis paused the audio and rolled his hand. “So you see, Taxon knew this man was a descendant of Tulak Hord…and hoped to use him for his own ends…”

 

“Do you think you will get away with this Demolis? Arctis? You’ve conspired against me for years…and now you think you will use this blustering child against me to further your goals?”

 

“I agree with Darth Taxon, this has gone on long enough,” Cynster drawled.

 

Caliginus clasped his hands behind his back and paced, brows furrowed deeply. “Those in favor of exploring Marr’s counter charges…Mekhis, Demolis, Arctus, Nilaiha and Lied. Those against? Cynster, Taxon, Ignis, Evilor and myself. We have a stalemate…and in the event of a stalemate, the law demands we uphold the accuser of higher status. Darth Taxon…by merit of his title and membership, the advantage is his. I hereby sentence Ares Marr and his conspirators—to death…”

 

“Then I challenge his position, title, and membership.”

 

“This is laughable…you’re nothing. You have no title…”

 

“Oh, but I do. I am a Lord of Hatred and Master of the Gathering Darkness…titles bestowed upon me by my Master Tulak Hord.”

 

“Preposterous!” Taxon cried. “A ghost? You claim a ghost trained you? Hah!”

 

“If the notion is so ridiculous then accepting my challenge should be easy for you. Or are you afraid?”

 

“I fear nothing—least of all you, Marr.”

 

“Then you are a bigger fool than I thought.”

 

 

((to be continued…))

Edited August 28, 2016 by Lunafox

[frauzet]

I enjoyed the voices of the different Council members.

 

Will there be a duel?

*sits back to enjoy the show*

[wangxiuming]

The suspense builds for an epic showdown. It's very interesting how Marr managed to turn his trial into a referendum on Taxon. Is it just me or do I sense Vowrawn's hand in that? And despite the guilty judgment, Marr's taunts can't go unanswered by Taxon, or he'll be in the same place as Thanaton will be with Nox.

 

As always, looking forward to see what's next.

[Lunafox]

I enjoyed the voices of the different Council members.

 

Will there be a duel?

*sits back to enjoy the show*

 

Thanks I'm glad they worked out...aside from Mekhis, I had to invent everyone else, because there is hardly anything about the dark council at that time.

 

Duel? Oh...I'm thinking it's a possibility

 

 

The suspense builds for an epic showdown. It's very interesting how Marr managed to turn his trial into a referendum on Taxon. Is it just me or do I sense Vowrawn's hand in that? And despite the guilty judgment, Marr's taunts can't go unanswered by Taxon, or he'll be in the same place as Thanaton will be with Nox.

 

As always, looking forward to see what's next.

 

Thank you, it's getting tense. I liked that bit too, and it shows that Taxon isn't so beloved by his fellows too...people know he's a jerk. It wasn't so much Vowrawn's hand, as his influence...In spending time with him, Marr has gleaned a bit on how his mind works, and how to twist things in his favour, and by issuing that challenge as he did, Taxon has no choice.

[MishaCantu]

Only Vowrawn could find a Sabacc game in the middle of a s.hitstorm. That gave me quite a giggle.

 

It is always wonderful to see your next post. I agree that Taxon cannot let this challenge go unanswered, it would weaken him in front of the council. Your take on all the members was so intricate I could almost hear each one out loud.

 

I eagerly await the showdown between Marr and Taxon.

[MayhemofChaonus]

Some people claim they could hear the Councillors voices with your portrayals, well I must be deaf then... :$. Not that you didn't do a good enough job its just that you are indeed right when you say we know so little about the Dark Council's members at this time, so "finding their voices" in my head is difficult for me. Still, you did a pretty good job at presenting believable versions of them.

 

Also. Darth Vowrawn is f*ck!ng hilarious! You've done an amazing job at portraying his character on a deeper level. He never fails to entertain me, just as he did on Corellia all those years ago. Truly an honorable portrayal of the character!

[Lunafox]

Some people claim they could hear the Councillors voices with your portrayals, well I must be deaf then... :$. Not that you didn't do a good enough job its just that you are indeed right when you say we know so little about the Dark Council's members at this time, so "finding their voices" in my head is difficult for me. Still, you did a pretty good job at presenting believable versions of them.

 

Also. Darth Vowrawn is f*ck!ng hilarious! You've done an amazing job at portraying his character on a deeper level. He never fails to entertain me, just as he did on Corellia all those years ago. Truly an honorable portrayal of the character!

 

I guess everyone gets something different out of the stories. Some people really enjoyed Vowrawn, like you did, and others thought Marr was the bomb...some people liked the quieter scenes like the part in the hallway with Demolis and Arctis...which I don't mind, it means it resonates with many people's tastes. If I wanted to flesh out the council members more, I could have, but it wouldn't have served this piece, because it wasn't about them...and in dwelling more on each council member it implies they'll become more integral to the story...which at this point, I don't think many of them will...Council members tend to change as often as underwear, especially in the modern age.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed Vowrawn so much, he really is a delight. He and Marr have always been favorites of mine. Ravage too, but I've not had much opportunity for him in this story yet. Thanks for reading and for the commentary.

[Lunafox]

Only Vowrawn could find a Sabacc game in the middle of a s.hitstorm. That gave me quite a giggle.

 

It is always wonderful to see your next post. I agree that Taxon cannot let this challenge go unanswered, it would weaken him in front of the council. Your take on all the members was so intricate I could almost hear each one out loud.

 

I eagerly await the showdown between Marr and Taxon.

 

Thank you! Vowrawn is a card! (tee hee, a card! sabacc card! ) Taxon has to act, no doubt about it I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the councillors too. ^^ Thanks again!