Darkness Rising

Emperor Shadow · Darkness Rising

STAR WARS
Darkness Rising

While Katarr burns, Kroprulu is engulfed in civil war.

War rages beyond the borders of the Eternal Empire,

the Kropruluan Sith have declared neutrality in the

conflict between the Republic and the Triumvirate.

The Eternal Empire is under attack by those wishing

to assist Darths Nihlius and Sion in their campaigns

against the Republic. The Royal House Yuan is

fighting a losing battle against The Progressives.

And somewhere, unbeknownst to all, the galaxy’s

last great hope is neither Sith or Jedi… Yet.

Emperor Shadow

3,952 B.B.Y.

On all sides of the mountain range, a great black canvas stretched unbroken for as far as the eye could see, prickled only by tiny points of light, each one with a system of plants- billions in number- and no one had seen them all. At least, that was an assumed truth. For a child, infinity simply takes longer to fill with fantastic creatures and mythical lands. For this child, perhaps he had seen every star, every planet, and every speck of every asteroid of every system. For Roan Deppler, infinity was truly bound by his imagination, which provided for every detail of every star.

No one in his life could ever have guessed what would later happen to Roan Deppler that would have him instrumental in the fate of three galactic superpowers. But very few, even at a young age, would ever admit to being surprised by it. “That Deppler boy is different,” his father’s associates would whisper from behind cups of caf in makeshift diners. What made him different, no one could quite put their finger on. It was something almost supernatural, a kind of wisdom missing from most people, much less others his age. Wisdom itself was hard to come by on Talus.

Talus had no formal government. Nomadic clans and marauders roamed the plains and river regions. The Deppler family came to Talus to escape the ensuing war that was raging as nearby as Corellia. Roan, being ten, was prone to wonderment and wandering and sometimes got lost in the mountains with no real name until he had come to call the whole area The Vail, in honor of his mother. News seldom came to Talus, and when it did, even more seldom was it ever reliable. In fact, Katarr had been destroyed for three months before a whisper reached Roan’s father, Denjax.

And so things existed in such a manner since Roan was six. He could not remember the names, but Roan was fascinated by the idea of the Star Forge. He would spend hours on end exploring the caves of The Vail and pretending to pilot the great Star Forge itself. Four years had passed, and Talus was still the place to call home for the Deppler family. Beyond the atmosphere, the machine of war was crushing dreams for a galaxy. Here, in their home on The Vail, Denjax Deppler provided for his family. Occasionally, the elder Deppler would journey to Corellia and purchase spices and other recreational luxuries inherently absent on the temperate but unsettled Talus. The local populace was grateful and shared resources with the merchant for several years of Roan’s childhood.

Things remained unchanged, and through a pair of macros, Roan could distantly spot a space battle between the Sith and Republic forces. His mother’s bottom lip quavered slightly at the mention of such events, Roan’s uncle was a soldier; and his father merely scowled, for he had no love of the Jedi Knights. There would be nights where darkness fell early over Talus, and his parents would whisk him inside and under the covers. By morning, the landscape had been revealed as pristine and unsullied as ever. But when one scaled The Vail, a small black scar in the distance was added to the chaotic beauty of nature. Impact came frequently to Talus, especially on days when Roan could see the dueling forces in space.

Randomly it seemed, fear gripped Talus, and a fragile peace brokered by men like Roan’s father seemed to be fracturing. Roan could only begin to guess the reason. More than that, he could perceive it. It was as if a storm were advancing over The Vail for the Deppler home. Roan knew the feeling well, but had never experienced such energy before. The storm was no natural occurrence, however, Roan knew. Something was generating the malevolence without regard to his ability to sleep at night. And it was coming closer all the time. Roan could neither mention it to his mother nor speak of it with his father, and so he settled for daydreaming the situation away by clearing the storm with his Star Forge. But the hopelessness was growing stronger each day, his parents surely realized it.

Surely they did, for the next day his father had loaded his freighter and was feeding coordinates for Alderaan. “Why Alderaan,” Roan asked patiently, secured in a passenger seat by his mother.

“Your father’s friend came the other day asking for his help in establishing a spice network, Roan,” Vail answered back patiently. She was lying to him. Roan knew.

“Why is everything so dark,” he asked of them.

There was a pause in which the couple exchanged a meaningful look that Roan could not interpret. “Everything’s fine, son,” Denjax supplied. “We’ll be out of here in no time and you’ll meet some friends your age on Alderaan.”

Roan pondered this for a moment, acted as if he was going to speak, but decided against it. Denjax and Vail again exchanged a look before Denjax turned to pilot the craft away from Talus- away from the storm. The engine roared to life and they sped away from the storm before it broke. However, Denjax knew they could not outrun the inevitable forever. They would find him again, and next time, there may be no early warning.

Emperor Shadow

Captain Saph Reldar was an explorer of legendary proportion. He had charted entire systems for the Republic and been commissioned by the Senate to colonize several planets on what would be the furthest reaches of the Republic. But when Saph Reldar had returned to Derdan II with additional supplies, the colony had been obliterated. A gaping crater where the town should have been was charred black- weapon’s fire. The Sith did not do the colonists the small honor of meeting them face-to-face. For Saph Reldar, this was an atrocity unmatched in the whole of the war. He had seen fleets decimated, whole planets burn- but he did not know anyone who had died until his return to Derdan II.

From the rear viewport of his frigate, Striped Falcon, Saph mourned the loss of the three hundred brave colonists. He had known them all personally, and he had lost his young daughter in the massacre. At thirty-two, Saph could explore the far reaches of the galaxy and experience some of the most bizarre things the universe had to offer, but nothing had prepared him for the sight of total annihilation of his brother, his friends, and his daughter. Leah was a beautiful child, smart, imaginative, her head was above the clouds and already rooted in the stars. That was the reason he had brought her from their home on Coruscant, she was surely an explorer in the making. But no more.

His first mate, a retired Republic soldier herself known as Vass Ta, stood in attention at the door to the suite at the rear of Striped Falcon. She did not speak, a credit to her understanding of the situation, she merely waited for acknowledgement. When it did not come for several minutes, Saph turned to her and wiped a gloved hand across his eyes. Tears were uncommon in such men. Saph Reldar was confident, impenetrably prepared for everything. Yet his curly brown hair and light violet eyes could not hide the pain of the return to Derdan II. “Prepare a beacon noting the names of the dead and leave it in orbit.”

The crisp salute was audible in the taut crimson uniform of Ta, and she turned on a well-polished heel to inform the crew of the captain’s wishes. It would seem like an unnaturally long journey home. The eleven months it would take to again reach the Core would undoubtedly drive some his two hundred space sick. There was no respite for his men now; the last safe port of call in this region of space was Derdan II. The rest of the region was infested by Sith warships of every make and side, patrolling unnecessarily to protect this sector against the Republic. If only the Sith knew that he was the Republic in this region and that his ships had been the only incursion this deep into space since the founding of the Republic.

But Saph Reldar would give the Sith no points for intelligence, the rape of Katarr had made a powerful enemy in the surviving Miraluka, many of whom had sought refuge in the Kropruluan Sith Empire, neutral in this particular conflict. Unwilling or unable to aid their Sith brethren against the Republic, Saph Reldar had in fact received transmissions from Kropruluan outposts wishing him safe travels. Saph could imagine the surprise of the watchmen the night his frigate would reappear on scans so soon. There was nothing to keep Striped Falcon in unfriendly territory.

The colony had been established prior to Sith occupation of this region, and on their return journey, the frigate had been fired on at 0500 hours when most of the crew was asleep. Barely escaping using some weapons of disputed morality and legality, Reldar managed to lead his people safely to Derdan II. Though now that the colony was gone and the Sith knew of it, he was expecting company on the return voyage. He made his way to the bridge moments later after the thought had occurred to him, and perhaps realized too late that their welcome had been overstayed. “Take us out,” he ordered his helmsmen.

“Sir,” Vass Ta interjected, “the beacon has not been finished, it will take more time,” her words slowly became more meaningful and understanding with each syllable uttered. “Well, you heard him, take us out,” she reiterated.

The frigate was coming about when a howl pierced the relative silence of the bridge. The proximity alarm wailed and Reldar deactivated it from his seat near the center of the bridge. “Talk to me, people,” he commanded.

“Three Sith ships, Hunger-class, sir,” one crewman reported. A Hunger-class warship was equally matched by a Hammerhead-class cruiser- and there were three of them. “On an intercept course,” the same crewman felt necessary to add.

“Thank you, Der,” Vass Ta spoke, “Sir, orders?”

Saph Reldar was famed for his tactical maneuvering as well as his fast reaction time, Vass Ta had learned to anticipate just about as well as he. “Calculate the jump to hyperspace, don’t bother for Coruscant, get us away from here and worry about the Core later,” he ordered.

“Republic vessel,” the com crackled to life, “this is Sith Master Nawara Phon, surrender yourselves or you shall be destroyed.”

Reldar stood for a moment and tugged on his uniform before he spoke, “Master Phon, my guess is that you were either a complete failure or extremely second-rate to earn you a commission so deep into space away from civilization. And as a matter of fact, I’m sure you’re the one who slaughtered all traces of civilization in this region…”

“Enough,” Phon ordered through the com, “you shall surrender or die. You have thirty seconds, Captain Saph Reldar of the Republic Planetary Exploration and Expansion Corps.”

Perhaps that was meant to intimidate Saph, but it did not. The loss of close family overshadowed any fun facts Nawara Phon knew about him at this moment. “Master Phon, tell me, how many Sith ships are in this area of space,” Saph inquired.

“Far more than you would imagine,” Phon quipped.

Saph whistled through his front teeth and again he tugged on his uniform. “That’s a real shame, sir, because you see: I now have a duty to destroy them all,” breaking from his conversation with Nawara Phon, he ordered his weapons officer to fire on the support craft but spare Nawara Phon’s flagship. “In the next standard month, these concussion bombs will become standard-issue for Republic ships. You may’ve noticed their ability to overload your shields and cause a headache for insurance firms everywhere.”

The com was silent and the remaining Hunger-class cruiser was withdrawing. A minor victory for a long journey home. “Weapons, how many concussion missiles remain,” Vass Ta demanded.

“Three, Lieutenant.”

“They’ll leave us alone for the time-being, but next time they’ll send more than flunky Phon, that’s for sure,” Ta postulated.

Saph Reldar was a hands-on captain and he placed a paternal hand on the shoulder of his young helmsman, “how’re this calculations coming, Blade?” The question seemed to startle the younger man. He supported for a moment before flipping some switches and reporting a course plotted for five hundred klicks away from Derdan II. “Take us out,” Saph ordered. What none of them could say was goodbye. Somehow, Reldar knew it was in his future to return.

Emperor Shadow

The black-cloaked congregation had met secretly for generations in the Citadel on Thule but had recently been driven out by ambitious Sithlings, as the Kropruluan Empire unofficially referred to the followers of Nihlius and Sion as. The Sithlings had cast down judgment on the Kropruluans and denied them the right to meet in sacred sites under their dominion due to the continued neutrality of the Eternal Empire. It was a politically tense situation, and the crown entertained dignitaries daily, whose mission it was to sway the Empire one way or the other in hopes of ending the war.

And so the meeting location had been moved to the Temple on Kroprulu, far closer to home, but also far less steeped in dark energy. The twelve individuals, cowls drawn high, covering most of their faces, stood in a circle in a plain stone room, itself a circle. Each held a small orb about the size of a human palm and placed it in a weathered basin in the center of the chamber. A light blue mist instantly shot from the cauldron and filled the room. And there was silence unlike anywhere else in the Empire. A recitation of the group’s creed preceded any discussion. In unison, the twelve spoke in perfect understanding and clarity of each other: “My life for Empire, my essence for truth, my hand for good, my heart for justice, my freedom for endurance.”

Barely a breath was to be had before the first speaker commenced. Her only discernable features were uncommonly high cheekbones, full red lips, and locks of black hair. A faint yellow glow on her white skin cast a sickly green tinge to her when coupled with the blue mists dancing in the chamber. “The Fifth Corellian Attack Group was destroyed by Sithling forces three days ago in orbit of the planet Talus,” she paused to inhale sharply, relishing the unwavering attention paid to her, “Elsewhere, long-range scans reveal a Sithling presence in the Republic’s Expansion Zone. The Empire’s outposts sent a goodwill ‘good luck’ message to a Republic frigate preparing to enter the Zone but did not feel obliged to reveal the presence of Sithlings.”

Another in the group, a hulking powerhouse of a man with a booming voice that shook the dust from the stones when he walked, spoke, “Is that to say we now support the Sithlings in their conquest?”

Red Lips shifted her weight to one side and had turned to face Boomer who was in a three o’clock position to her left. “Our mere existence is treason. We are recruited based on our talents and clout in the non-royal Sith community. If Emperor Anarch knew of our plans, he would execute us personally,” she snapped at Boomer but managed to convey the gravity of the situation to the other ten in the circle. Red Lips continued smoothly, “More radical elements have already declared open rebellion against the Emperor, but they will fail in short order.”

A reptilian male hissed, “Then our only hope is to align with the strongest player. The Republic is dying…”

Reptile was cut off by another of the group, a human male, the only attendant wearing gloves. When Gloves spoke, he carried decades or more of personal experience, “The Republic is far from its death throes, my friend. If anything, its strength is quietly gathering in the Core for a tighter offensive against Sithlings, who I daresay are greatly overstretched.”

“Perhaps,” a blue-skinned Sith with looping lip rings uncovered by his cowl spoke, “But that does not address our continued survival. The Inquisitors are getting more and more zealous in their torture and one can barely approach the Temple without the Royal Guard probing.”

Reptile addressed the point, “It is of little concern, our group has survived closer scrutiny than this. As far as the crown knows, we are a myth.”

“And as far as the population knows,” Gloves commented, “We do not exist.”

Red Lips called the conversation back to heel, “I am going to Talus. There were whispers of an unusually powerful Force-sensitive in the area, but since the Republic task force is destroyed and the Sith commander was killed in the assault, there was no way of tracking him. Perhaps I can track the source and exploit it for our advantage.”

A new speaker, an orange-skinned Twi’lek female, added “You should take Waso, his species is quite adept at chasing down talent. Any Force-user the Three Powers haven’t reached can greatly benefit our group.”

“Agreed,” Reptile sounded, “Waso, how soon can you be prepared to leave the Church?”

Waso, unusually placid even in such a stark setting, gently broke the silence. “I must inform the High Prophet. Tonight, at the latest.”

Red Lips nodded and turned to face the rest of the circle, “I have informed my Fleet Admiral that my Lieutenant shall command my vessel while I am on holiday.”

“Good hunting,” Tails concluded.

Red Lips nodded and Boomer walked to the center of the chamber and withdrew his orb and withdrew from the proceedings. It went in such a manner from Boomer’s left for another twenty minutes so as the whole party would not leave at the same time. Secrecy was valued in this organization. Boomer, being the newest recruit, left the chamber before the rest, and so on. Until at last it was but Red Lips and Gloves left in the chamber, he spoke. “You did not reveal everything you know about this Talus being.”

“Do you blame me,” she questioned him.

A smile creased his aging face, a cruel, predatory smile. “Never. Do you have a plan,” he continued.

“He sensed my presence in his mind when I brushed it three days ago. I wanted to go immediately, but I had to make arrangements for a holiday in case my commanding officers grew curious.”

Gloves put one hand on her shoulder to support a steep into the cauldron. He withdrew his amber-colored light and straightened. “Always so careful in laying your traps. Now you know why during your training I pushed you so hard for a career with the Inquisitors.”

“It was never in my future to follow you, Master,” Red Lips supplied him gently.

Gloves held himself a bit higher, “I eclipsed my own master at an early age as well. You just watch yourself. Going after this boy may undo you as you undid me.”

“Never, Master.” The elder man smiled and left the chamber. Her purple orb shone from the bottom of the container and she lowered her cowl for the first time since entering the Temple. Her black hair spilled out. “At least, not yet.”