The Wastes of Ambria [completed]

[Daria Nytherciria]

Already spectres of the past had returned to haunt Severen. There was much he was to be held accountable for, and not for a moment did I doubt that these men was justified in their accusations. As much as justice was called for, however, now was not the time for penance to be done.

“There is no need for confrontation,” Daria spoke, with resolve. The Force radiated subtly from her being, influencing the minds of the shadowy figures. Confidence and strength carried in her voice, compelling the men to back down.

[Severen Morkonis]

The crowed laughed in retort to her attempt at using Jedi mind tricks, they were a race that of which can withstand such rape of the mind, they were humanoid but ones which a stron will and dominant mind.

' You're Jedi mind tricks to not work on us SISTER! but you're saber might and so we will leave you this day, you are a lucky man Severen that you have such destinguished companions or we would throw you in the lake to be eatern, i assure you.''

With this, the ring leader waved his hand and he with his bandits vanished behind a sand dune to the east.

' Severen, well i guess we figured out my name now, huh?' His old face looked into the direction that they had walked to and ten back to Daria. ' Severen Morkonis-er me must have angered them in such a way that my death would have been payment enough, i must have been quite an evil bastard!'

[Daria Nytherciria]

“It does seem that you accumulated a few enemies,” Daria observed, watching until the last of the attackers had vanished, until she could no longer see them or feel their presence through the Force.

“At least we know your name now… Severen,” she added, smiling somewhat weakly. Saying the name aloud brought back old memories, memories she suppressed as soon as they came to mind. Shaking away thoughts of the past, she gathered up her cloak.

“We’d better get going then, just incase they decide to come back with some friends.”

[Severen Morkonis]

' Those kinds of people dont have friends, just allies' Severen said his voice seemed as if he already knew about them and their racket. Perhaps he did, he just did not know. He trudged on through the sand ahead of her as if leading the way, his head bowed.

The village ahead of them was dirty, much like tatooine, dome shaped buildings, nothing symetrical, the occassional speeder passing through, the town was nothing special. Your typical desert city.

' I wonder what my former selt thought about this place, its hardly a bloody mecca for life is it?' he said as he made for the town, Darias ship easily viewible within the the one single landing slot there. ' What did they mean, mind tricks?'

[Daria Nytherciria]

“I’m not sure,” Daria lied, as they grew closer to her ship. “Perhaps they recognized that I wasn’t human… there are a lot of false truths spread about my species.”

The excuse sounded plausible. It was true that many people did not understand the Miraluka, and as such tended to fabricate stories about what they were capable of doing.

“Here we are.” She smiled and motioned to the modest, sand-beaten YT model ahead of them. It was unmarked and was as plain as could be, so as to appear entirely unassuming. The interior of the ship was as standard. It was neat and tidy, with no clutter to be seen.

“It’s not much,” Daria smiled, “but it’s home.”

[Darth Stratus]

FLASH

*****************

' Daria, my sweet Daria, how you are so blind to the true nature of the force! How i pitty you and you're former master for even daring to choose the Jedi' Stratus opened his arms wide, saber in hand and ignited, its purple glow peircing into the redness of Darth Stratus' blood red mask.

Stratus was covered in head to tow in a full black robe made of soft silky material though looked as tough as iron, his hood was up and upon his face a red mask which had only a slit cut into the steel for view. He towered over Daria like a bird of prey of its submissive feast.

' You cannot possibly imagine the true potential of the Darkside! Come to me Daria, come and embrace my tutorlidge!'' His voice rasped, it sounded dry and metallic as if a robot was speaking for him.

There surroundings was urban though as a spectator Severen could not understand where it was, it was dark and wooded, deep within the vines of gigantic trees that reached into the sky and out of site. This dream this vision...it was far to fantastic to be true, surely?

Whomever the masked figure was, it began to circle Daria, his arms wide, welcoming a strike, or submittance.

[Daria Nytherciria]

Opposite the masked Sith stood a slim figure in a tattered brown robe. She was somewhat breathless, yet now stood her ground with firm determination. The shadowy undergrowth of Kashyyyk had provided a good hiding place, but it simply wasn’t good enough. No matter how hard and far she ran Daria could not escape the past. Not while Stratus still lived.

The hilt in her hands crackled to life, the red beam extending with a hiss.

“It is you who is blind to the true Force, Stratus. Open your eyes to what you have become. It is never too late to change…

Redeem yourself.”

[Darth Stratus]

' You are a fool Daria, a fool that fails to see her own mistakes. You are a clown to the way of the Jedi, people see you as an outcast, a freak! Do you really honestly trust that he allowed you into his training because you were special? Because you were one with the force?' Stratus said, inclining his head to the left quite sarcasticly.

He continues to circle her, his arms wide open in welcome of anything she could possibly attempt, or to surrender his eyes blazing in her direction.

' You are misguided, Child. The Jedi Masters of the order will only think for themselves as did you're master, they will gain from you're racial abilities if ever you meet them, Daria and gain political advantages! Dont you see this Daria? Dont you see that they will use you?'

He gestured to her with a gloved hand, his fingers curled slightly as if lurring her in towards the darkness of the force.

' Heed my words Daria, you will do better to part from the light side, it is a lie, a folly and you have been entangled into it all! You're master was simply a trickster!'

[Daria Nytherciria]

Through the Miraluka’s eyes, the Force seemed to warp and writhe around Stratus, as though it ached to be near him.

“And you would have me believe that I would better serve the Force by submitting to your will? I won’t be your pawn.”

[Darth Stratus]

' Pawn?' Spat Stratus, his body language revealing a genuinly suprised position. His armes lowered slightly now as if his body had lost an amount of hope on the matter, as if dissapointed.

' I am not like the Jedi, old friend, i do not use people to my own gain, this is a choice for you, a choice for you to be who you are meant to be, to do with the powers that you wish rather than what you're master has forcefully taught your young mind!'' His head now bowed towards her like he was concentrating sole on 'helping' her see the right in this matter.

' He poisoned your'e mind Daria, not only poisoned it against me but also towards the force itself. You were brought up to hate us Sith yet how do you truely know, except from the biased opinion of your old man that this is the true way? Hmm?'

[Daria Nytherciria]

“I do not hate you,” Daria corrected, frowning somewhat.

“But I do know your kind. I have witnessed your truth, seeing you slaughter my Master and his apprentices… seeing the Emperor corrupting the Republic, taking away our freedom. My ancestors witnessed your truth, as the Sith wiped out their entire planet.”

Pausing, the Jedi Knight shook her head.

“You say this is a choice – I made my decision long ago and I stand by it.”

[Darth Stratus]

' Then-' Stratus began, taking his saber within two hands and raising it above his head so that the top of the hilt was just above his eyes. '-You leave me little choice ether, Daria.' With that and in such a quick motion, Stratus brought down his saber so that it came crashing down upon her young body in a powerfull downward arc.

[Daria Nytherciria]

As the two warriors blades met, the image in Severen’s mind vanished in a flash of white.

“severen… Severen… Severen can you hear me?”

Daria’s voice broke through the haze, full of concern. She had sat Severen down when he had seemingly passed out of consciousness. Now crouched in front of where he sat, she held his shoulders lightly. She recognized the signs of a vision in the Force and had been powerless to pull him out of it until the scene played to its natural conclusion.

“I think you’d better have a lie down…”

[Severen Morkonis]

Thoughts raced through his mind, images still present in his mind that would never cease to haunt him from this day fourth. His eyes were speckled with dots that made him feel sick and they prickled as if electricity was flowing through them. More than that, he was exsausted.

' Who are you? Really?' He said meeting the eyes of Daria.

[Daria Nytherciria]

Daria met his gaze with conviction. “Who are you?”

[Severen Morkonis]

A quick burst of anger hit him like a bolt of lightning, he flung her arms away from him, pushing her backwards into the durasteel of the hull.

' You lied to me!' He said barely containing the audio volume as it raised with every word. ' Who are you, who is Daria?!' His eyes piearced into hers, even though the cloth that hid them.

' Tell me!'

[Daria Nytherciria]

“Calm yourself,” Daria, getting back to her feet. She sighed. Already she could feel his awareness to the Force was returning. “I won’t lie to you. I am a Jedi… and we have met before…”

[Severen Morkonis]

' Who are i?' he said immediatly his eyes digging into her like daggers, who knew what this gaze did when he was what he was before. 'And what really happned Daria?'

His mind was racing, full of possibilities, full of situations, a Jedi wanting him dead? there was only a handful of possibilities. Only a few would make a Jedi want his former self dead.

[Daria Nytherciria]

“I don’t want to harm you, Severen. I’m only here to help you,” she assured, feeling his temper rising. “I can tell you what happened to me, but you must calm your mind… your indignation is fruitless.”

[Severen Morkonis]

His face was ridgid, his anger getting the better of him but his thirst for knowledge overcoming his hunger for anger, he sat upon the table that Daria had been pushed back against in Severens attack.

' I am sorry-'' He said bowing his head apologeticly ' You must understand i'm-i'm at a loss to know what to do or say, what is going on Daria?' He asked in a wistful sigh.