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Post by philly on Nov 4, 2006 22:19:09 GMT -5
This is a final version of Origins. It's in a novelized format instead of script. Enjoy.
Name: Atredious Age: 15 Height/Weight: 6'0" 180lbs Appearence: Dark brown hair, brown eyes. Wears black Luminos robes. Weapons: Single hilt red lightsaber Background: Atredious is the youngest of Isaac's children. He lives with his father and siblings on the Luminos home world of Terresta. Atredious' quick temper and constant willingness to fight for what he believes in often gets him into trouble, but his brothers and sister have always been there to get him back out of it.
Name: Terentius Age: 27 Height/Weight: 6'4" 195lbs Appearance: Long brown hair and blue eyes. Wears dark blue Luminos robes. Weapons: Single hilt blue lightsaber Background: The eldest of the four Luminos, Terentius strong and skilled warrior. His ability with a blade matches even that of Isaac himself, and Terentius has recently taken his father's place in training his younger siblings. Brave and always level headed, Terentius has strong sense of right and wrong.
Name: Eva Age: 24 Height/Weight: 5'11" 130lbs Appearance: Long auburn hair that hangs down past her shoulders and green eyes. She wears brown Luminos robes. Weapons: Single hilt green lightsaber Background: The second eldest of Isaac's children, Eva is caring and kind hearted, but that certainly doesn't mean she is afraid to mix things up when she has to. Eva's mastery of the force is unmatched and as such she is far more dangerous in battle from a distance then from up close.
Name: Constans Age: 20 Height/Weight: 5'9" 185lbs Appearance: Short black hair and hazel eyes, he wears gray Luminos robes. Weapons: Single hilt purple lightsaber Background: Constans is the second youngest of the four Luminos children and dispite his youth he is very wise. Constans' knowlegde of Luminos teachings and history makes him a formidable fighter; his technique is nearly flawless. Constans always thinks things through logically, and in a tight situation he is always calm, cool, and collected.
Name: Isaac Age: Unknown Height/Weight: 6'3" 200lbs Appearance: Blond hair and blue eyes, he wears white Elder robes. Weapons: Single hilt gold lightsaber Background: One of the five Elders of the Luminos, Isaac has recently come to question his position. Corruption and hidden motives among the other members of the council has led Isaac to feel that he too is somehow responsible for these injustices. With the doom that now lay ahead of Terresta, Isaac now sees that he will have one last chance to save the Luminos and clear his name.
Name: Ludovicus Age: Unknown Height/Weight: 6'4" 210lbs Appearance: Short dark hair and black eyes. He wears white Elder robes. Weapons: Single hilt gold lightsaber Background: An Elder on the Luminos council, Ludovicus and Isaac have never seen eye to eye on anything. Because of this, Ludovicus has grown to dispise Isaac over the years, and has been just waiting for the opportunity to unceremoniously dispatch him. And with the arrival of the black hole, he just may have his chance.
Name: Marcus Age: Unknown Height/Weight: 6'1" 190 Appearance: Long brown hair and deep red eyes, he wears white Elder robes. Weapons: Single hilt gold lightsaber Background: The head of the Elder council, Marcus is a stern authoritarian. He has no sense of humor about his job and executes it with a cold and icy disposition. Marcus is very disturbed by Isaac's recent questioning of the Elder council's motives, and he feels that it is about time Isaac was silenced.
Name: Carashi Age: 28 Height/Weight: 6'2" 185lbs Appearance: Long silvery hair that hangs just past his ears and blue eyes. He wears black ninja attire. Weapons: Katana, Single hilt dark core blue lightsaber Background: Abandoned by his mother at the young age of five, Carashi has lived a harsh life that has planted the seeds of hatred for all Luminos within him. Carashi learned first hand the true nature of the Elder council and he has sworn vengeance on the Luminos for the circumstanses of his life. Lost and filled with anger, what Carashi ultimatly wants is to find out where it is he really belongs.
Name: Splin Cell Age: 22 Height/Weight: 6'5" 210lbs Appearance: Brown hair and green eyes. He wears a tan military jacket and brown pants. Weapons: Blaster pistol, katana, Single hilt blue lightsaber Background: The second son of James Cell V, King of Coruscant, Splin has always lived in the shadow of his older brother, James Cell VI. After his brother went missing after a battle against the infamous space pirates, Splin vowed to find him and bring him back. What he had found was his brother murdered by a pirate's sword. Splin also found James' journal, which told of the horrors the royal army had perpatrated upon the people of Coruscant. Realizing that his father was the true evil here, Splin ran away from his royal background and joined the pirate group, the Libertas.
Name: Ajunta Pall Age: 31 Height/Weight: 6'0" 185 Appearance: Long black hair and dark eyes, he wears black metal armor. Weapons: Katana, Single hilt red lightsaber, Moujuu's blade Background: A veteran of Coruscant's royal army, Ajunta Pall recently defected from his duties and joined the radical pirate organization known as the Libertas. Ajunta was their leader until Carashi arrived and took his place with his mysterious powers. Ajunta has worked hard to try and reclaim his position, learning the ways of the force as taught to him by Carashi himself.
Name: Anjuu Age: 56 Height/Weight: 5'10" 170lbs Appearance: Blond hair and blue eyes, he wears dark gray Kumori robes. Weapons: Katana Background: The cheiftain of the Kumori village, the sage like Anjuu is both wise and mysterious. Upon first meeting Carashi, Anjuu is somewhat suspicious of his motives, but in time he learns to trust him. Anjuu sees great potential in Carashi; one might even say legendary potential...
Name: Raina Age: 25 Height/Weight: 5'7" 125lbs Appearance: Long flowing black hair and pale blue eyes. She wears dark ninja attire. Weapons: Katana, Single hilt green lightsaber Background: The daughter of Anjuu and a skilled Kumori warrior herself, Raina is very protective of her father whose health has recently been waining. She was almost ready to give up hope until the night she met Carashi and saw in him the potential for greatness... and perhaps, much more.
Name: Jack Razor Age: Unknown Height/Weight: 5'9" 150lbs Appearance: Short black hair and dark eyes, he wears black ceremonial robes. Weapons: Katana, Single hilt red lightsaber Background: The details of Jack's background are widely unknown. Even though he claims to be from the Kumori Village, no one there seems to be able to recognize him. Despite the mysteries that surround him, Jack is young and enthusiastic in his willingness to assist Carashi, which he somewhat hesitantly accepts.
Name: Shokun Age: Unknown Height/Weight: 6'6" 220lbs Appearance: Unknown Weapons: The Dark Side... Background: The head of the mysterious Samasu, Shokun's intentions seem to be nothing less then reviving Anemos, the Kumori King of Evil from legend. Shokun is convinced that Carashi is somehow key to all of this, but how? And what exactly does the Samasu have planned for the rest of the Kumori?
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Post by philly on Nov 4, 2006 22:20:08 GMT -5
“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a people in constant struggle for power. Without law or any form of government, it was civil war without end. Until one day a man rose to the forefront and offered a solution…
This man promised peace, he promised order and to unite all the systems of the galaxy as one. They thought they’d found their savior, but what they got was a tyrant. This dark tyrant wrought famine, fear, disease, and death upon his people. The more they suffered the more his power grew…
The people prayed for salvation from their gods, but none came. Billions died, and those who survived lingered only to pass on a living hell to their children. The tyrant was unstoppable and none dared oppose him. Then, one day, when all faith had left the people and it seemed as if there was no hope…
He appeared. Cloaked in light and wielding a mysterious power, the hero came and destroyed the tyrant; freeing the galaxy from darkness. The hero’s name was Lucias and he had been sent to save the righteous from the brutality of man. The tyrant, who had been given the name Anemos, fought Lucias. But the wicked hand of man was no match for the light. The righteous one banished the beast into the void, vowing that as long as he and his children should live, the beast shall be oppressed.”
~Excerpt from the Book of Lucias[glow=gold,2,300]A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
STAR WARS
Origins of the force
The ability to bend reality as one sees fit, a mystical energy force that surrounds and binds all life together. The force is a power wielded by an ancient species known as the Luminos. These ancestors of Lucias have preserved justice in their galaxy for thousands of millennia, but now twilight is upon them and soon night must fall.
The planet Terresta is the last world in a galaxy about to be completely swallowed by the black hole at its center. Time and space distorts as doom lurks around the corner for the Luminos home world. A once mighty federation of hundreds of planets is now down to one, and its people struggle to make peace with their fate.
One of the elders of the Luminos council, Isaac, lives on Terresta with his four children. Fed up with the inaction of the Elder Council, Isaac now seeks to take matters into his own hands and save the legacy of the Luminos, before it is too late…[/glow] Chapter One: Har Megiddon The full moon shines brightly as the only light in a pitch black sky, the stars have all gone and the sickly glow of the moon is all that reassures us we are still alive. I’ve been told it wasn’t always like this; there was a time when the sky lit up at night like a sea of diamonds. There was no darkness, no black holes to swallow us up as we slept, no fear, no pain. The Luminos do not age past adulthood, and so we are told we can never die. I wish I could believe that. My father is one of the elders, the original five sons of Lucias who have lived here on Terresta for over a thousand millennia. Wise beyond comprehension, no one dares to question them; and perhaps we don’t need to. All would seem calm and peaceful, and every bump in the road can easily be smoothed with the simple reassurance that it is all for the greater glory of Lucias. My father, however, sees things differently. Isaac, the youngest of the five elders, I can only describe him as an incredibly sad individual. I’m only fifteen years old and even I can see that. Terentius says that we mustn’t burden father with undue questions, that he is a very important man who has enough distractions in his life. But still… I can’t help but worry. It was brisk night in late autumn that I found him sitting atop that hill, the hill that over looked Megiddo, the golden capital city of Terresta, its large marble structure with their polished golden roofs glistened in the light of the moon. Towering pillars stood before the entrance of the elder temple that was positioned triumphantly in the center of the city. Just beyond the pillars one could see the torches inside illuminating the massive golden colossus of Lucias that graced the temple’s main hall. From atop the hill, the architecture that made up the city brilliantly wove together in a display of geometric perfection. Isaac sat under an olive tree, garbed in the white robes of the elders. He had bright blond hair and blue eyes that gazed sorrowfully upon the city before him. I had spent all evening searching for him before finally finding him under that tree. It was clear that something was bothering him, he hardly even noticed me as I approached him from below; his hand lightly stroking his chin. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, what was he thinking at that exact moment? But I could not articulate such questions properly, so I went with the obvious question first. “Father, what are you doing here? Supper’s ready, you’re going to be late. Father?” He didn’t respond. He just continued to stare. Finally he looked up at the moon. “Tell me Atredious, what do you feel when you look at the full moon?” I didn’t know how to respond. What kind of a question was that? What did that have to do with dinner? My mind was racing trying to come up with the response he wanted to hear. “Uhh, well… I don’t know? What should I feel?” “Ha ha ha… How should you feel…” He smiled as his eyes scanned the sky, straining to locate any stray point of light. “Why does that surprise me? I didn’t ask what should you feel, I asked what do you feel?” “I don’t understand.” “Hmph… of course not… Atredious, do you know what today is?” This I knew. “Of course! Today is my birthday!” “Heh, well yes it is that, but what I had meant was, do you know the historical significance of this day?” “Can’t say that I do.” “Today marks the millionth year that the Luminos have watched over this galaxy.” “Wow… and all on my birthday!” “Yes, you always were special Atredious… I know you would’ve gone on to accomplish great things…” Would’ve? What could he have meant by that? At the time I could not begin to comprehend the destiny that would befall me, I was only a child, how could I? I watched as my father sank back down into a depressed funk. “What’s wrong Father?” “Nothing… nothing’s wrong.” He stood up and dusted off his robe, then placed his hand on my shoulder. “We should hurry home, your brothers and sister are probably wondering where we are.” I stared up at him, still with concern on my face. He shot me back an odd sort of smirk. “Come on, I’ll race ya.” I smiled back at him. “I got you beat this time old man!” I ran down the hill with my father close at my heels. That was the last time I would ever laugh with him. I never was as truly happy as I was that day ever again… * * * The next day, the sun rose over Megiddo; its light somewhat stolen away. Still the crystal waters that flowed in the fountain in front of the elder temple reflected a thousand sparkles of light. Isaac rushed past and up the steps into the temple; he hurried by the colossus and into the court room where five pedestals stood at the end of a long corridor. The door creaked as Isaac entered, his every footstep rang off the walls making it impossible for the other elders to not notice his tardiness. Isaac took his place atop the last pedestal on the right and fumbled with his papers. The elder immediately to his left, Ludovicus, glared at him with the kind of distain one normally reserves for only the most foul of creatures. Ludovicus was a tall and loathsome man; his features were as rough and ridged as his personality. Finally he snapped at Isaac, unable to hold back any longer. “Isaac! You’re late!” Isaac glanced up from his papers and noticed the dissatisfied look on all his brother’s faces. “Oh, I am sorry for the delay. It was my son’s birthday yesterday and I had promised to spend the entire day with the children. I guess I overslept.” Ludovicus leaned toward Isaac, almost taking satisfaction in his brother’s blunder. “That is no excuse! Either you will be here on time, or you will not come at all. Is that clear Isaac?” “Of course.” The elder in the center, Marcus, cleared his throat. Marcus was a well built man with long brown hair that dangled in front of his fiery red eyes. His voice boomed through the halls of the temple, and he always spoke in a very stern authoritarian manner. “Enough! Let’s get on to business. Isaac, you have the floor.” Isaac nodded and gathered up his papers then stepped down from his pedestal and before his brothers. “Thank you master, umm… on behalf of the people of Terresta, it has come to my attention that our evacuation policy is somewhat lacking…” “Get to the point!” Ludovicus called out. “Um, yes, well the point is I would like to request of the council….funding for the possibility of a mass evacuation of Terresta.” The elders looked at each other, then back at Isaac. Felix finally stood up, he had short spiky black hair and blue eyes. He spoke very softly. “Mass evacuation? Whatever for?” Isaac stared at them blankly, they knew what he was referring to. “Well, the black hole of course. You all have seen what has happened to the other systems, if we hope to avoid such a fate we must have a plan.” Ludovicus shook his head. “I find your lack of faith disturbing Master Isaac. You know as well as any of us that the book of Lucias clearly states that the day that Terresta is to meet its end, is the day that Lucias shall return and save the Luminos from destruction.” “I know the passage, Master, but we must be prepared for all possibilities; including that Lucias may not come.” Sylvanus quickly stood up. He, like his brother Felix, was very soft spoken. “You forget yourself, Master Isaac!” Ludovicus grinned at Isaac, almost toying with him. “To suggest that the book of Lucias is anything less then the absolute word of Lucias himself is treason. I will not have you endangering the morals of our society with your…” “If we do not act now, tomorrow we may not have a society! My Master!” Isaac was irate, he was tired of these games. But he knew he had no power to stop it. “Order!” Marcus yelled, slamming his gavel. “You know the laws of our society, Isaac. These crazy ideas of yours are not to leave this Temple; I will not have mass panic on your account.” “For a million years have I dedicated my life to the Luminos. I only want what is best for our people, and the people demand to know why nothing has been done to solve this problem!” “What is best for our people, Master Isaac, is at the discretion of this council, not the people.” Isaac lowered his papers, visibly trying to contain his anger. “So you will do nothing, and leave your fate in the hands of that black hole!?” “I put my fate into the hands of Lucias, Master Isaac,” Marcus said, “as should you.” “… As you wish, Master.” Isaac lowered his head and left the court room, a very bitter look about his face. The other elders exchanged glances before finally speaking. “He knows too much.” Sylvanus said, looking at Felix. “Can we trust him?” Ludovicus leaned back in his seat, staring at the door as it slowly shut. “We shall see soon enough…” * * * That day I had spent most of the morning in my room doing my meditations. Even though all Luminos already could naturally use the force, we constantly trained to hone our skills. There hadn’t been war for hundreds of years on Terresta, but Father would push us as if we’d just been drafted into the army. He always warned us that war was inevitable; I guess I just never believed him. The front door slammed hard, jolting me out of my meditations. I could hear Father grumbling about something, and I knew something was wrong. I slowly crept down the hallway and hid behind the kitchen table as I listened to Father talking to my oldest brother Terentius. Terentius was a tall and handsome young man; his brown hair came down just past his ears, hiding his pale blue eyes. Terentius was also a great warrior. He was always Father’s poster boy, constantly lecturing the three of us as if he were an elder himself. Out in the backyard, Constans and Eva were practicing their saber techniques. Eva was the second eldest, and not a bad duelist herself. She had green eyes. It was quite an amazing thing… our mother had green eyes, other then that I’ve never seen another person with green eyes before. Eva’s long auburn hair danced freely with the wind as she spun around, parrying Constans’ blows. Constans was of medium build with short dark hair, and even though he was very young, he was also very wise. He’d spend hours locked away in his room pouring over ancient Luminos tomes. And then there’s me, Atredious, the youngest of four children. I myself had messy dark brown hair that always found new and interesting positions from day to day. My eyes were just as dark; Terentius always said that a warrior should present himself respectfully. In the old days, back when Terresta actually had an army (and when there were actually other systems to go to war with) the warriors then were known as Jedi Knights. No one knows exactly why, but the Jedi Knights were the epitome of elegance and were highly revered. I think that’s what Terentius wanted for us, to be like the Jedi. Terentius walked over to Father as he leaned over with his head in one hand and clutching one of the chairs in the living room with the other. “Father? You’re home so soon?” “Fools!” Isaac suddenly cried out, “Nothing but old stubborn fools!” Father stood up straight and began pacing frantically about the room. I ducked lower behind the table so not to be seen. Terentius continued to follow his every step. “Trouble at the council today Father?” Father suddenly stopped and turned to face Terentius. “Trouble? Trouble isn’t the half of it. They still do not heed my warnings!” A sort of blasé look came over Terentius. “Oh come on now, you should have faith father. We have existed for nearly a million years and just to be destroyed within the blink of an eye…I do not believe that shall be our fate.” “Terentius…” Isaac turned away from his son, he was almost too ashamed to look him in the eye. “I am as ardent a religious man as anyone, but search your feelings. Surely you can sense the doom at hand.” Isaac turned back to Terentius, anticipating his response. “I do feel something,” Terentius began to stare off into space, “I feel… empty. As if there is nothing in the force beyond these walls, and that there never was.” “Listen to me son, we have to get out of here. There is very little time left, much less then the council has revealed.” Terentius looked up at Isaac, somewhat perturbed. “How long?” “A day… two at most.” “Are you certain? The elders said it would take years for the…” “The elders wish not to create panic! And they do not want to accept what they know to be true. I would also choose not to believe it, if not for the warning in my heart…The Luminos shall fall unless we act.” The room went dead silent. I could hear my heart thumping in my chest; I struggled to quiet my breathing. Finally Terentius spoke. “You’re not well Father, I think maybe you should lie down, get a handle on things.” Terentius took Father’s arm, but he quickly jerked it away. “I don’t need to lie down, damn it! I need to take action… my own son doesn’t believe me…” Isaac stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind him. Slowly I rose from my position behind the table and approached Terentius. “Is it true what Father said? Are we going to die?” I asked. Terentius didn’t look at me, he just closed his eyes and smiled. “Do not despair little brother; have faith in Lucias.” “Should we not also have faith in Father?” “He is not himself,” Terentius finally looked up. I could see in his eyes that there was a lot on his mind. “Once a few days have past, he’ll come to his senses… and don’t you have training today?” “What’s the point of combat training?” I groaned, “There hasn’t been a fight on Terresta in over a hundred years!” Terentius smiled at me; that smug “What I say, goes” kinda smile that just burned me up inside. “A Jedi Knight is a keeper of the peace, and as keepers of the peace we must always be ready. Now go fetch your brother and sister and meet me at the sanctum.” “Yes sir…” I sighed. I turned away from Terentius and exited the house out the back door. Sure enough, there in the garden I found Constans and Eva finishing up their dueling practice. Constans flashing his purple saber in a Shii Cho defensive saber form, while Eva put forth the offense with her green blade. Father had given all of us lightsabers; no one accept the elders ever carried such weapons anymore. He always seemed to be preparing us for a war. Terentius’ lightsaber was blue and mine was red. I always liked the red color; something about it filled me with an emotion I could never adequately describe. I watched Constans and Eva finish their fight as finally Eva stuck out her hand and shoved Constans back using the force. She stood over him and pointed her lightsaber down at his neck. “Hey, no fair! You can’t use force powers during a saber duel!” Constans complained. “All’s fair in love and war, brother.” After the battle I ran over to them. “Constans, Eva!” “Atredious? Is it time for training with Terentius already?” Eva asked. I shook my head. “We’re not going to train with him today.” Constans finally picked himself up off the ground and brushed himself off. “What are you talking about? We train with him everyday.” “It’s Father, we have to help him.” Constans and Eva exchanged glances then looked back at me. “What’s the matter? Is he sick?” Eva asked. “No, just come with me!” I grabbed the lightsaber off of my belt and ran off down the hill towards Megiddo. Constans and Eva hesitantly followed in step.
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Post by philly on Nov 4, 2006 22:22:14 GMT -5
“To be Kumori, is to be alone. If there is one simple and unavoidable truth in the entire galaxy, it is this; for every yin there is a yang. For in every light there is darkness, and in every shadow there is the gleam of hope. To have fallen so far and still have learned nothing, that is man’s true failing…”~Ancient Kumori ProverbChapter Two: From the Frozen Abyss The full moon shines brightly in the night sky, the trees and the ground are covered with a fresh sheet of snow. In a tree outside of a remote hut I silently watch her enter the kitchen. Just seeing her fills me with a fantastic rage; I begin to draw a twisted sense of satisfaction from the frozen air stinging my hands and face. Who am I? Is that really important? I was told it wasn’t, from my first breath of life I was shown how harsh this world can be. Luminos and humans look exactly alike, the only difference is in the blood, but that’s not what they’d have you believe. My mother was a Luminos… my father was not. On Terresta, only those of pure blood are granted any rights, any self respect. My father was found and executed for his crime; the crime of loving a Luminos woman. They never said they’d killed him, there was no trial, no public execution, no funeral, no obituary… but we all knew. The elder council never announces its crimes; it just commits them, and they smile as they do so. I was given my father’s name, Carashi. His death struck an unholy fear into my mother. Fear was understandable if not even forgivable; but how she acted upon those fears, there can be no understanding for that. I was just a small boy, maybe five years old when it happened. I waited by the window every night for him to come home and tell me stories of his day, and about his home world. One night he came home late, he told mother that he was stopped by the temple guards while he was in the city. He wanted to pack up and leave immediately, but I wouldn’t let him. I begged him to tell me a story… and finally he caved. In the middle of the story there was a knock at the door, two strange men dressed all in black asked him to come with them. I asked him where he was going; he told me that everything was fine, and he’d be back soon to finish the story… I am still waiting… My mother did what she felt was right. She knew if they found me with her we’d both be killed, so she decided to save herself. She took me far out into the wilderness and let me out by the side of the road. Her last words to me were; “Be strong Carashi, understand your destiny.” I understand. I understand that these Luminos are not as righteous as they claim to be. The council may have the others fooled, but not me. I spent my life struggling to survive, teaching myself to fight and to hide. For a long time I sat in the shadows and watched the atrocities committed by the Luminos, but no more. This night would be different, this night I would have vengeance. I watched her as she dried one of the dishes from the sink with the cloth that hung across her arm. She was older now, but I knew it was her. A cold breeze blew through the old woman’s kitchen window. She poked her head outside glancing around before finally closing it. As she turned, there I stood, garbed in dark ninja attire and a mask that covered the bottom of my face. She dropped the dish as she recoiled, I could sense the terror coursing through her. “I have returned to you now.” I smiled under my mask as she struggled to respond. “W-who are you?” She managed to say over the trembling in her voice. “Come now, you expect me to believe you don’t recognize your own son?” Her expression was blank as I slowly pulled down my mask, my long silvery hair hid my facial features, but somehow she still managed to find my blue eyes and suddenly she was overcome with disbelief. “No…” She shook her head fiercely, “I have no son!” “Why do you deny me Mother?” She stared at me some more, she knew why I was here. “You… you can’t be… Carashi?” “Yes, Mother. It is me.” She moved toward me to hug me, but I quickly backed away. Tears began to fill her eyes. “I’m so sorry son…” “Sorry? Sorry!?” Her tears began to anger me, what did she have to be sorry for? “No Mother, I’m sorry. Sorry for you.” “I didn’t mean for it to happen like this!” She sobbed. “Happen like what? For me to be left in the wilderness, a five year old child abandoned. No home… no family?” “You don’t understand…” I’d had enough, I reached for the hilt of the katana I kept at my side. I slowly removed it from it’s sheathe. The terror in her eyes was priceless. “No, I understand.” Her eyes widened as I stepped forward. “What are you doing!?” she cried out. “All I ever wanted was your love, but that was too much for you. I remember what you said to me that day. ‘Be strong Carashi, understand your destiny.’ Well I understand Mother, I’ve been strong.” I quickly drew my katana back and thrust it through the old woman’s stomach. “Be strong for me, Mother…” It all seemed to happen in slow motion; she staggered forward, clutching at me before finally sliding off my blade and collapsing to the floor. I watched as the blood pooled around her. Looking down at my hands I could see that they were stained red. Outside I heard people talking, suddenly there was a knock at the door. They had heard the screaming, I had to escape. Soon I found myself trudging though the thick snow pack into the frozen abyss. The sounds of the Luminos guards behind me kept me going forward, but I could not go on for long. My legs were spent and then soon gave out; I fell face first into the snow. The world around me danced and twirled before finally fading to black.
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Post by philly on Nov 4, 2006 22:23:05 GMT -5
“The former world of man, having been unfit to bare the seeds of the chosen, was abandoned by Lucias. And so he came to the promised land, a world he named Terresta. Lucias brought law to this world and created life that would uphold that law. These sons of Lucias he named the Luminos, keepers of the force. The blood of the Luminos is a gift from Lucias himself, and maintaining its purity must be the Luminos’ gift to him.”
~Excerpt from the Book of LuciasChapter Three: Massacre at Megiddo A large crowd gathers before the steps of the elder temple. They pack in elbow to elbow listening to a single man atop the stairs as he screams and rants. That man is Isaac. “Flee for your lives! Gather up your loved ones before it is too late!” The pedestrians began to nervously clamor amongst themselves. Finally one of them spoke up. “The other elders have told us that there is no immediate danger… we should not question their authority!” Some of the other members of the crowd voiced their agreement. Isaac raised his palms in the air in an attempt to settle them down. “The elders have blinded themselves from the truth! Search your feelings friends, surely you know what I say is true!” Slowly the crowd began to agree with him, but then an odd hush came upon them. They were silenced by the presence of the four other elders emerging from the temple flanked by five temple guards. “Isaac!” Marcus called out, “What is the meaning of this!?” Isaac turned to the other elders who now stood before him. “I am simply telling the people what it is they need to hear.” “You are inciting anarchy! You will stand down at once!” Marcus shouted, his anger becoming visible. “I will not.” Isaac’s statement caused the crowd to stir once again, Marcus’ face began to turn red with rage. “Then you are under arrest, Master Isaac. Guards!” Isaac reached out his hand and a lightsaber flew out from beneath his robe and into his hand, a sleek golden blade shot out of the hilt; gold was the color of the elders. “Stand down!” Isaac shouted to the guards. Marcus’ face twisted in disgust as he stared at Isaac. “What do you intend to do Isaac? Do you intend to kill us all, in front of all these people?” “Heh,” Isaac laughed, “It matters not. The way I see it, we’re all dead men.” Ludovicus stepped forward and carefully unclipped the lightsaber from his belt. The golden blade exploded outward and Ludovicus could not help but smile. “I have waited a long time for this, my old friend.” Marcus quickly turned his attention to the crowd. “Go back to your homes! Now!” Marcus shouted, “There is nothing to see here!” “If you leave now you die!” Isaac snapped back, “If you stand and fight, you live! It’s your choice!” Ludovicus shook his head as he raised his saber. “Not smart.” Ludovicus lurched forward and he and Isaac began to exchange blows in brilliant flashes of gold. Both of their saber styles were equal parts graceful, fast, and deadly accurate. I arrived just in time to observe Ludovicus attack Isaac. “Father!” I shouted. I turned back to Constans and Eva who were still following close behind me. “Come on, we have to help him.” I ignited my red saber and rushed forward through the crowd, Constans and Eva did the same. As we pushed and shoved through the mass of people, they too began to build up the will to fight. We found ourselves leading the mob as we began up the steps of the elder temple. Marcus squinted his eyes at us then turned to one of the figures dressed in black standing besides him. “Guards!” “Yes my lord?” “Kill them.” “As you command.” I continued to charge up the stairs, my lightsaber in hand, when suddenly the five elder guards impeded my path. They each ignited a lightsaber whose core was a deep black, a faint gray glow seemed to ooze off of the dark blades. Wordlessly one of the guards leapt high in the air over my head and, upon landing, swung his lightsaber, decapitating one of the pedestrians. The man’s head rolled down the marble stairs followed by a river of blood. The other pedestrians froze, they were in shock. Without hesitation the four other guards sprung into action. They leapt and flipped through the air, slicing the onlookers apart. On top of the steps, Isaac and Ludovicus’ golden blades locked as each pushed up against the other. “You see what you have wrought, Isaac,” Ludovicus said through his clinched teeth, “with your fear mongering.” “Fear mongering!?” Isaac replied, “Fear mongering has been the business of this council for almost a million years! We will no longer be afraid.” Just then, Felix, Sylvanus, and Marcus walked up behind Ludovicus and ignited their own gold lightsabers. Ludovicus smiled, and then shoved Isaac back. “It’s over Isaac. May Lucias have mercy on your soul.” Finally I made my way to the top of the steps. Constans, Eva and I ran up between our father and Ludovicus. “Enough!” I yelled, “Don’t kill my Dad!” Ludovicus gave me a disgusted look, then slowly lowered his saber and turned it off. “It will take more then children to save you Isaac,” Ludovicus said, “Take him to the dungeon!” “And what of the children?” Felix asked. “Their fate will be the same as his.” “NOOO!!!” Isaac yelled out as loud as he could, but was quickly silenced by a strong blow to the head from behind. * * * The sun set that day over Megiddo, its rays no longer reflecting off the elder temple, whose steps were now stained with blood. Deep within the catacombs of the temple, Isaac sat on a dank dirt floor, unconscious and chained to the wall. The room is almost entirely dark except for the dim light from a single wall torch. A violent tremor within the earth shook Isaac awake. As his eyes scanned the darkened room, he could barely make out the form of Ludovicus standing in the shadows. “Wha…” Isaac muttered, “What was that?” “Your black hole it would seem,” Ludovicus stepped forward into the light. The glow from the fire gave him a hellish demonic look. “The planet is being torn apart. These tremors have been rumbling all night.” “Where are my children?” “Oh don’t worry, their destiny will be the same as yours… along with the rest of this planet. A pity really…” “You knew… then why!?” Isaac lurched forward, but was immediately recoiled by his chains, “Why kill all of these people? Why not give them a chance!?” “There never was really any hope for them… sinners every last one of them! Lucias will not save them, they deserve their fate.” “So you’re going to just let the Luminos die?” “Oh no, the Elders and I have arranged a special evacuation shuttle. There is room for five, a shame you won’t be joining us…” Ludovicus smiled ear to ear with satisfaction. “You bastard…” Isaac was interrupted by another violent quake that shook the entire room; bricks began to fall from the ceiling before the shaking finally ceased again. Ludovicus began to examine the walls. “The tremors are getting worse… I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a shuttle to catch. See you in hell Isaac. Hahahahaha!!!” Ludovicus laughed uproariously as he slammed the dungeon door behind him. Isaac vigorously shook his chains, trying to somehow tear them from the wall, but it was to no avail. Finally when he stopped struggling, he heard a voice coming from the shadows besides him. “It’s no use you know,” the voice said, “You should be thankful… they didn’t have time to torture you…” Isaac gazed curiously into the darkness toward the source of the voice. “That voice… you’re…” “Oh… so you do remember me. Yes, I’m Carashi. The murderer and freak is how I believe your brother put it.” “I thought you were scheduled to be put to death…” “Hmph,” Carashi chuckled to himself, “I guess the elders decided they were going to have a little ‘fun’ with me first.” Isaac slowly looked down towards the ground; he stared at the shackles now around his wrists. “For what it’s worth… I’m sorry.” “Yeah… so am I…” * * * Through the darkness of the night, a lone figure in a brown hooded cloak navigated the corpses that lay before the elder temple. As he made his way up the steps, two shadowy figures crept up behind him. The man ignited a blue lightsaber and quickly spun around, slicing the guards in two. The man slowly pulled back his hood; it was Terentius. Terentius entered the main hall of the elder temple, where Constans, Eva and I were unconscious chained to the foot of the golden Lucias colossus. Terentius turned off his saber and ran over to us; he began to shake me violently. “Hey! Hey wake up!” The three of us slowly emerged from our stupor, completely oblivious to how we’d wound up in our current predicament. “Terentius!” Constans said, “Thank Lucias you’re here!” “Be careful Terentius,” Eva warned, “The elder guards are sure to be around here somewhere.” “Don’t worry, I already took care of them.” “All five of them?” I asked. “Five?” Suddenly, behind Terentius, three dark lightsabers ignited. Terentius immediately did a back flip up over the guards, landing behind them as he ignited his blue blade. He skillfully engaged all three guards, spinning his saber all about, blocking their advances. With a flick of his wrist, Terentius decapitated one of the guards and quickly spun his saber around his back to cut the second guard in half. The last guard leapt at Terentius who simply stepped aside and impaled him from behind. Terentius then returned his attention to us and cut our chains. “Are you alright?” Terentius asked. “We’re fine.” Eva replied. Suddenly a massive tremor rocked the temple. Several of the pillars in the main hall crumbled around us. “Let’s get out of here, now!” Constans yelled, already on his way out. “No!” I shouted, “We can’t leave without father!” “Father?” Terentius asked, “Where is he?” “They’ve taken him to the dungeon, deep underground.” I replied. Another quake shook the ground, cracking the marble floor and knocking the four of us off our feet. Terentius stood back up immediately. “Come on, we have to hurry!”
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Post by philly on Nov 4, 2006 22:24:02 GMT -5
“And when the end comes it shall strike with fire and with the sword. The evil one will come and slay his brother, but even in death Lucias is with them, and they are granted renewed strength. The heavens shall swallow the earth and the old order shall pass away. But be not afraid, for those chosen by destiny shall endure, and they will know what true power is.”~Excerpt from the Book of LuciasChapter Four: Trial by Fire Outside of the elder temple, the city of Megiddo burns. The Earthquakes have toppled buildings and have sent the city’s residents fleeing into the streets in a mass panic. The sky above the city seems to bend and distort as the very light of the fires below is bent by the black hole. Inside the temple, my siblings and I make our way deep down below ground until we finally reach the dungeon. The floor is littered with debris that had crumbled off the walls. Father sat at the far end of the room, still chained to the wall. “Father!” I cried out. He slowly raised his head, and strained to adjust his eyes to the light. “Is that… oh no. What are you still doing here? You have to go, now.” “We’re not leaving without you Father.” Eva said. Terentius and Constans used their lightsabers to cut Isaac’s chains, then they both helped him to his feet. “Thank you…” “I’m sorry Father,” Terentius said, “for not believing you earlier. If I’d have been with you, none of this would’ve happened.” “Oh son, this isn’t your fault,” Isaac said as he placed his hand on Terentius’ shoulder, “Hurry, we have very little time.” As we began to leave, suddenly we heard the vibration of chains coming from the shadows. A voice groaned from the darkness. “Who’s there? Please, don’t just leave me here.” We all looked at each other; Terentius spoke up. “Who are you?” “Please, you must cut me loose.” Terentius looked over at Father and he slowly nodded. “Cut him loose Terentius…” Terentius nodded and walked off into the shadows. He ignited his lightsaber and we watched the blue blade flash as it cut the man’s chains. Terentius then emerged from the shadows with a man in black ninja attire, he had long silver colored hair and the bottom of his face was heavily scarred. “Thanks kid!” The man said. He then quickly ran off and up the stairs. “Wait! Who are you? We should stay toge…” Terentius was interrupted by another violent quake that stirred up the dust in the room. “Right!” Terentius said, “Let’s go!” We ran out of the dungeon and up the spiraling staircase. Another tremor began to shake the temple, but this time it did not stop. The shaking became more and more intense as we made our way through the main hall and back out onto the temple steps. Suddenly the front of the temple shattered as the Lucias colossus crashed through the front wall and slammed into the steps, barely missing crushing us as we made our escape. “Where do we go now?” Terentius asked. “To the spaceport,” Father gasped as he struggled for breath. “What good will that do?” Constans asked, “All the ships are probably gone by now.” “Trust me…” Father said. He led us through the streets of Megiddo, the buildings crumbling all around us as we shoved our way through wave after wave of panicking pedestrians on our way to the spaceport. Finally we arrived at the gates. Father ignited his lightsaber and cut off the hinges, then kicked the steel grating inward so that we could access the port. Sure enough there was still one shuttle on the launch pad; the four elders were loading it up with all sorts of treasures. “Ludovicus!” Father suddenly shouted, his voice echoed through the air. The four elders dropped what they were doing and turned their attention to us. “It’s him.” Marcus said. “He should not have come back.” Ludovicus replied, igniting his lightsaber. The other three also ignited their sabers and begin to approach us. Father quickly ignited his blade as well and the four of us immediately followed his example. “Don’t make this difficult, Isaac,” Marcus yelled, “You have lost!” “No!” Father shouted, “The corruption of the elder council ends here! We will be taking that shuttle, and the Luminos shall live on as Lucias truly intended!” “You and your brats might as well go lie in a ditch somewhere and wait for your judgment!” Ludovicus snapped back. As I stared into my red blade I could feel my emotions taking control again. “It is you who shall be judged!” I yelled. “Cute, kid,” Ludovicus said in a condescending manner, “But like your daddy said, we’re all dead men.” All of us raised our sabers and prepared to attack when suddenly a massive explosion burst from deep within the earth between us. A giant fissure now separated us from the elders and our shuttle. All around us similar explosions began to occur, followed by towering geysers of magma. “The planet is being ripped in two!” Felix shouted. Ludovicus stepped forward and swung his saber over his head. “Then we must finish them quickly!” “They’re already dead, Ludovicus,” Marcus said, “Come, we must flee now!” “Why Marcus?” Father yelled across the fissure, “Why did it have to come to this? The Luminos are supposed to be protectors of the peace, and you leave us all here to die!?” “You and I both know there was never any peace, Isaac. It was all an illusion.” “There was peace once…” Father replied, “There could be again!” “We’ll never know now, will we? It was a dream, Isaac. An impossible dream!” Marcus stopped to observe the chaos around him. The sounds of horrible screams and the crumbling of the earth filled the air. A strange awed look came over Marcus’ face. “The prophecy will come true…” He said, “Just as it was written, ‘And the heavens shall swallow the earth and the old order shall pass away. But be not afraid, for those chosen by destiny shall endure, and they will know what true power is.’… Peace is a lie Isaac… there is only power!” “You shall not leave while I still draw breath!” Father answered. Marcus shot a sinister smile at Isaac. “Then you shall die knowing what real power is!” Slowly Marcus’ eyes began to glow bright red. Ludovicus, Felix, and Sylvanus’ eyes all did the same. The five of us raised our lightsabers when Marcus raised his hand sending five bolts of lightning screaming through the air and striking Father hard. He was flung backwards and into the ground. “Father, no!” I yelled as I watched Father writhe in pain. “What was that!?” Eva asked. “I don’t know,” Constans answered, “but whatever it was, it was out of our league.” “No!” Terentius shouted, “We can take them, together.” “Bring it on whelps!” Ludovicus called back, “You won’t live long enough to regret your stupidity!” The four of us used the force to leap up over the chasm and engage the elders on the other side. We each attacked one of them, and I was lucky enough to draw Ludovicus. We both circled around each other, sizing up the other’s technique. “Foolish boy,” Ludovicus hissed at me, “I thought your father would’ve taught you better!” “I am a slow learner.” Ludovicus swung his saber at me, but I quickly ducked under it and charged back with a flurry of my own. Ludovicus seemed surprised that I could match him blow for blow. Finally he unleashed a point blank force lightning that surged through my body and sent me flying backwards. Ludovicus slowly walked up to me as I lay on the ground, my chest and face burning from the attack. He raised his saber up to deliver the finishing blow. “Courage is useless,” he said, “Now die.” Just then, the sound of something whipping through the air caught Ludovicus’ attention. As he looked up, he was immediately struck in the chest by a gold lightsaber. Across the fissure I could see father on one knee with his arm extended as Ludovicus keeled over. I fought though the pain, slowly rolling over to see Sylvanus and Felix lying dead as well. Terentius, Constans and Eva were now fighting Marcus, who struggled to fend them off. “Give it up, Marcus!” Terentius yelled. “Never!” Marcus bellowed back, “If I go down, I’m taking you all with me!” Marcus clinched his fist and it slowly began to glow with an inner light, he then slammed it into the ground. The impact shattered the earth that the three Luminos were standing on, causing it to slide down into the enormous fissure. A rising river of magma raged down below as my three siblings now clung to the edge. Marcus slowly walked up over them. “Heh,” Marcus snickered, “Where is your Lucias now?” “Right here, Marcus!” Father performed a force jump over the fissure and landed next to Ludovicus and me. He opened his hand, summoning his lightsaber from Ludovicus’ chest, and then quickly shot me a smile before turning his attention back to Marcus. “Still alive I see,” Marcus said, “Look around you Isaac, where is this so called ‘peace’?” “I have just as much blood on my hands as you, Marcus,” Father replied, “I have to live with that. But I still believe there can be peace.” “It is nothing but a dream, my old friend.” “This dream could be a reality; a true Luminos knows this… You are not worthy of the force.” Marcus squinted at Isaac, and then raised his saber. “Then finish it!” Marcus ran at full speed toward Father. Just before he could strike, Father ducked under his blow and flipped him up over his shoulder. With one last desperate swipe, Marcus raked Father across the back with his lightsaber before falling down into the chasm, and to his doom. Father fell to his knees as Terentius, Constans and Eva pulled themselves out of the fissure and limped over to his side. I too pulled myself back to my feet and joined them. “Come on Father, let’s go.” Terentius said, tugging at Father’s arm. “No…” Father replied, calmly pulling his arm away, “It’s… it’s too late for me now.” “What?” I was shocked, he couldn’t be serious. “Go,” he said, “Leave me here to die with my people…” “But Father, please,” Eva begged, grasping at Father’s robe. “Go!” His shout caused Eva to slowly release him. Her along with Terentius and Constans hesitantly rose back to their feet and began to walk away. But I did not move. “Come on Atredious,” Terentius called, “We have to leave now.” “I’m staying,” I answered. Father slowly turned to me and looked into my eyes which began to fill with tears. “Don’t be stupid… go with them Atredious…” “If you’re not leaving… I’m not leaving,” I said. Father smiled at me and gave me a hug. “Atredious… you make me very proud son. Yes, my body will die here today; but my dream will live on.” “You can’t,” I sobbed, “You can’t leave us…” “Death is a natural part of life, Atredious. Accepting that is the first step toward peace. Promise me Atredious… promise me you will go on and fulfill my dream.” “Father, no…” I found myself barely able to respond as I fought back the tears. “Promise me!... Promise me the Luminos will be a great people again.” “…I promise Father…” I mouthed the words in almost a whisper. “Go…” He said, silently closing his eyes and leaning back against a rock. I wiped the tears from my face and stood up. I then ran to the shuttle, looking back only once before closing the hatch behind me. I gazed out of the window as we blasted off into space. I was able to catch a glimpse of my reflection and noticed the scars from the lightning. As our shuttle cleared Terresta, I could see the crack around its center. Then, with a tremendous jolt, the planet broke in two. “Prepare to make the jump to light speed,” Constans said behind me. “What coordinates have you punched in?” Terentius asked. “Does it matter?” “I suppose not,” Terentius said, “May the force be with us…” I turned back to the window and watched with tears streaming down my cheeks as the two halves of Terresta crumbled under the gravity of the black hole. Then, with a flash of light, it was all a memory…
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Post by philly on Nov 4, 2006 22:24:47 GMT -5
“In the beginning there was life, and through life there was the force. Then there was man. While the force itself was neither good nor evil, man was all these things. His capacity for good is only matched by his ruthless bloodlust and war mongering. Man is to be feared and suppressed; he will kill his neighbor and poison his land. His blood is a curse upon the galaxy and should be removed at all costs. He will use all tools at his disposal to gain what his primitive brain desires above all else; power.”
~Excerpt from the Book of LuciasChapter Five: Enter the Cell Again my mind wandered, drifting off into the nothingness left by my past… and looming in my future. It has been nine years, but often I wondered if I made the right decision. That day nine years ago, those kids freed me from my prison, and I left them to die. Sure they were Luminos, they deserved their fate. But still… doubt casts a shadow over everything I do. It’s a miracle I’m even alive today. After those kids busted me out of prison, I managed to commandeer myself a shuttle from the elder guards. There was only one guard, the others apparently never showed up. I drifted through space for years and years before my shuttle was intercepted by the Libertas. A rag-tag group of freedom fighters from a near by star system, the Libertas had been fighting their planet’s monarchy for years now, trying to stop the expansion of the planet’s cities from destroying their jungles. They were all human and none of them had ever heard of the force. With my powers they gave me respect, they made me their leader. I don’t know why I accepted… I guess I was just happy to finally belong. And so it was, that for a short period of time, I was happy. But of course, that was not meant to last. I was standing on the bridge of our headquarters above the planet, Libertas Station, when one of my subordinates, Ajunta Pall, came running through the door. “Carashi! Carashi!” Ajunta yelled as he ran up besides me, “The report has just come in, we tracked something that came out of hyperspace above the planet and crashed into the jungle.” “What was it?” I asked. “We don’t know, sir. But it was the same model of ship as the one we found you in.” Ajunta’s words left me speechless. How could that be? One thing was clear, if the ship was from Terresta, it would be imperative that we reach it before the royal army. “Listen to me Ajunta,” I said, “Go into the jungle and bring anything alive on that ship here to me. Is that understood?” “Yes sir!” “And Ajunta!” He turned at the door as I called to him, “Bring the kid with you.” He nodded and exited out of sight. * * * On the planets surface, deep within the jungle, a shuttle sat in the middle of a swamp. Smoke rose from the craft due to its recent journey through the planet’s atmosphere. Slowly, two young men wielding blasters approached the wreckage. “What do you think it is?” Spin asked Ajunta. Splin was a young man with a pale face and green eyes. His brown hair was neatly combed back and he wore a tan military jacket with black pants. Ajunta had long black hair that hung past his shoulders, his eyes were black as well. “I don’t know… but I think Carashi does.” Ajunta answered. “Really? Why wouldn’t he tell us?” “It doesn’t matter, we have orders. Let’s go check it out.” Ajunta jumped into the swamp and waded through the waist deep water towards the ship. “Ajunta! Wait!” Splin called after him. Ajunta slowly lifted the hatch and entered the shuttle, Splin was following close behind. Ajunta readied his blaster as he searched the ship. Slowly he entered the cargo hold. “Whoa… Splin, come here and take a look at this!” Splin hurried into the cargo hold next to Ajunta. The room was filled with all sorts of treasures and alien technology. “Look at all this stuff,” Ajunta said, “Some pretty high tech equipment…” “Yeah… I’ve got a bad feeling about all this…” Splin slowly backed out of the cargo hold. A light down one of the corridors caught his eye. He followed it to its source, the medical room. Inside were four hyperbolic chambers. Ajunta entered the room and walked in past Splin. “Who are they?” Splin asked, “They look so… human.” Ajunta’s eyes darted around the room, finally settling on a locker in the corner. He immediately walked over and began fiddling with the handle. Soon he was able to get the locker open; his eyes widened as he reached in. “What’s this?” Ajunta said, retrieving a lightsaber from the locker. “Better take it with us,” Splin said. “Hey! What are you two doing in here!?” A man in military fatigues brandishing a blaster rifle entered the medical room. Ajunta quickly hid the saber underneath his shirt. “We were just having a look around,” Splin answered. The guard stared at him hard, and then lowered his rifle. “Oh, Prince Splin. I apologize; I didn’t realize it was you.” “That’s alright,” Splin said, “Don’t worry about it.” “You two should get out of here, the royal army is going to be taking control of this area. Splin, you should go see your father, he’s been looking for you, you know.” Splin turned and looked at Ajunta who nodded back at him. “Very well, we’ll leave immediately,” Splin motioned for Ajunta to follow him and the two men left the ship. Outside, they watched as several royal troops entered the shuttle. “It’s a shame we couldn’t recover all of that technology…” Ajunta said. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll find a way to get it back,” Splin replied, “I’m going back into the city to see my Father, you report this to Carashi.” “Got it.” The two men split up and headed their separate ways. * * * In the middle of the lush jungle, spewing thick black smog into the air, there stood the metropolis known as Coruscant. A vast cityscape that was constantly expanding its borders, Coruscant was surrounded by a massive wall that’s purpose was more to lock its people in then to keep intruders out. At the city’s center, there stood a large palace atop a mountain of steps and statues. Splin slowly made his way into the palace and past the guards into the throne room. He walked across the long red carpet and knelt before the throne of the King. King James Cell V. James was a repulsive sort of man, overweight and always gorging himself on lavish foods and wines. He watched his son kneel before him with a pronounced frown across his face. “You summoned me, Father…” Splin said. James glared at the boy before finally responding. “Where have you been!?” He said, spitting as he spoke. “I was in the jungle Father, investigating the UFO that recently hit.” “You were with that Ajunta boy again, weren’t you?” Splin looked up at his father. “Yes father, he is my friend.” “He’s a menace!” James shouted, his voice bouncing off of the walls, “I told you to stay away from him!” “I am not a child anymore, you cannot tell me who I may and may not associate with.” Splin said, maintaining a calm tone of voice. “You are the son of the King, and as such your behavior reflects upon me! You will do as I say!” “Of course, my lord,” Splin lowered his head and stood back up and began to leave. “Hmph!” James sneered at Splin, “At least your brother had more respect!” Splin stopped where he was, he kept his eyes ahead of him. “I am not my brother.” “Unfortunately…” Splin did not respond, he continued out of the throne room in silence.
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Post by philly on Nov 4, 2006 22:25:48 GMT -5
“You cannot battle the darkness within your heart, just as you cannot battle the light either. Only when these two forces are in balance and working as one, can you achieve any measure of peace.”
~TenkaiChapter Six: Reunion My eyes slowly peeled back and the blurry scenery that surrounded me began to come into focus. Bars. It was late at night and I found myself sitting in a prison cell with my brothers and sister. I had no idea where we were, or how long I had been out of it. I was the only one awake, so I went over to Eva and began to tug at her arm. “Hey… Hey wake up!” “Wha…” Eva slowly emerged from her hibernation; the others began to awaken as well. “Where are we?” “I don’t know,” I replied, “But it looks like we’re not getting much of a welcome.” Terentius began frantically patting down his robes. “My lightsaber… it must be still on the ship.” “More likely they have it,” Constans said, motioning in the direction of a guard standing outside the cell. “You there, guard,” Terentius called out, “What’s going on here, why are we being detained?” The guard smiled, showing off his brown rotted teeth. “Heh heh, well lookie who’s awake. You know exactly why you’re here, space pirate! They’re gonna throw the book at ya.” “Space Pirate?” Terentius said. Constans waved his hand in front of the guard, using the force to affect his mind. “Where are our lightsabers?” Constans asked. “… Lightsabers?” The guard’s expression was blank. “I’m not sure they know what a lightsaber is,” Eva said, “Let’s just get out of this cage.” Constans nodded and waved his hand in front of the guard again. “You will let us out of this cage.” “… I will let you out of that cage…” the guard droned back. He slowly raised his key and unlocked the gate. Just then, several other guards rushed into the room. “Hey! Don’t let those pirates escape!” One of them yelled. Without hesitation I extended my hand and lifted one of the guards off the ground using the force and then threw him up against the wall. The other guards looked at each other then quickly scurried out of the room. “Hehehe, that was entertaining,” I laughed to myself. “Don’t do that again,” Terentius scolded. “Hey, lighten up. I was just having a little fun.” “If we want to prove to these people that we are innocent of whatever crime they’re accusing us of, we’d do well not to go around terrorizing them.” “Sorry…” “Come on,” Terentius said, “Let’s find are lightsabers and get out of here.” We slowly pushed open the prison door and glared down the dark hallway of the palace. As we snuck out, the bright lights outside of the window caught my attention. The city was massive, much larger then Megiddo ever was. Unlike Megiddo however, this city was not of marble and gold, but of steel and concrete. The city was gray, and the sky above could hardly even be seen through the thick haze. As we finally reached the end of the corridor, we came to large throne room packed with guards wielding blaster rifles. On top of an altar in the center of the room there sat three lightsabers. “There they are…” Terentius whispered. As I examined the shapes of the sabers on the altar, I quickly realized that mine was the one that was absent. “Hey, where’s mine?” No sooner did the words leave my lips then did I feel the barrel of a rifle jam into my back. “Move, pirate,” A voice behind me said. I raised my hands into the air and the four of us entered the throne room. As we stepped in front of the throne a heavyset man feasting on a silver plate of fruit was revealed. He raised his hand and the guards behind us removed their rifles from our backs. “Welcome young ones,” the man said, “I’ve been expecting you.” “Who are you? Where are we?” Terentius shot back. “I am King James Cell the fifth, and this is my kingdom, Coruscant.” “Care to explain what the hell’s going on here?” I shouted. “Hmph,” James scowled at me as he bit into the flesh of an apple. “Such arrogance, but I think you’ll soon learn some respect. Guards!” The guards all raised their rifles at us. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dream of depriving you of a fighting chance. Your weapons are on the altar in the center of this room, if you survive long enough to reach them; then perhaps you will live.” “What is this, some sort of test?” Constans asked. “You might be saying that,” James grinned malevolently as he stood up and backed away into the shadows, “Good luck.” We all stood back to back as James disappeared from sight. Terentius turned and nodded, then extended his hand sending the three lightsabers flying towards us. Terentius, Constans and Eva ignited their sabers, while I was left with no choice but to stand cowering behind Terentius. “We can get out of here only if we work together.” Terentius said. “But I don’t have my lightsaber!” I protested. “Just stick close to me,” Terentius responded, “I’ll take care of everything.” “Oh, great…” The guards took aim with their blasters and Terentius raised his saber. “Ready,” he said, “… Now!” The four of us jumped high into the air as the guards fired their rifles. The blaster bolts all missed and struck the guards standing on the other side. As we landed, I stayed behind Terentius, shoving guards aside with the force. They were completely and utterly no match for us. We easily overpowered the guards with our force powers and took them all out. When the last one fell, the sound of James clapping his hands suddenly echoed off the palace walls. “Impressive young ones,” he said, “Most impressive. Those are some interesting powers you have there; maybe you can help me…” “And why should we do that?” I asked. “Because I have your ship… and all of the goodies you had onboard with you. I don’t know who you stole that ship from, and quite frankly, I don’t care. If you help me now, I’ll wipe the slate clean and you’ll all be free to go.” “What do you want us to do?” Terentius interrupted. “Help me with a little pirate problem I’m having…” “Who are these pirates?” Constans asked. “Recluses, savages, beastly sentients of the foulest sort! They land on our planet and raid our city, they have no honor. You’ve seen my troops fight, they’re quite pathetic. They’re powerless to stop these pirates, pirates with powers similar to yours.” “These pirates use the force?” Terentius asked, finally turning off his lightsaber. “The force? Is that what you call your power? Whatever it is, my troops are no match for it. The pirate leader, a man who calls himself Carashi, is the source of all of this. Until he arrived, we had no problem fending those pirates off.” We all exchanged worried glances, who could this Carashi be? And what exactly was it that the King expected of us? To kill Carashi? Finally Terentius spoke up. “Where can we find this, Carashi?” “The pirate space station orbits this planet, you will find him there, and I will provide a transport. Go to the station and kill Carashi. Do that and I will pardon you from your crimes.” “What crimes!?” Terentius shot his hand in front of my face to silence me. “I will have some of my troops escort you into the jungle,” James said. Terentius lowered his head and turned to leave. The rest of us followed his lead. A devilish smile spread across James’ face as we left the Palace. * * * On Libertas Station, Ajunta quietly walks out onto the bridge and approaches Carashi. “Ajunta…” Carashi said with a puzzled look on his face, “You’re back sooner then I expected.” “Carashi, sir, we have finished our investigation of the UFO that hit the planet earlier.” “And what did you find?” Ajunta calmly reached into his robe and pulled out a lightsaber, then presented it to Carashi. He slowly took the saber from Ajunta’s hand and stared into it. “What is it?” Ajunta finally asked. “Luminos…” “Sir?” “What else was on that ship, Ajunta? Tell me everything.” * * * Back on the planet’s surface, the four of us were led into the jungle by the royal army. When we finally emerged from the thick vegetation, we came upon a large spaceport, short one shuttle. “Wasn’t there supposed to be a transport here?” I asked. One of the troops flipped on his wrist communicator. “Corporal, we’ve got a problem here.” Suddenly, as if from no where, a dagger came flying through the air and struck the trooper in the head. As he collapsed to the ground, the other troops began scrambling around in a panic. “It’s an ambush! Defensive maneuvers!” One of them shouted. The troops quickly got into formation, standing back to back all around us. There was nothing but silence. Suddenly a rustling in the bushes drew their attention. As the troops turned to look a man in black metal armor leapt up behind them and swiped one of their heads off with his katana. The troops quickly turned again and from the bushes came three more daggers that struck the remaining troops square in the back. We found ourselves standing alone amid the bloodied corpses. “That was good,” Terentius said. From the dark jungles, two men in black metal armor revealed themselves. “Are you the survivors of the UFO that crashed in these jungles recently?” One of them asked. “I suppose we are…” Terentius said, “And who are you?” “I am Jurran Reed. My associate here is Splin Cell.” “Cell? Isn’t that the King’s name?” Eva asked. “It is,” Splin replied, “I am the King’s son.” “Then why are you working for these pirates?” “Pirates!? Heh,” Splin laughed, “One man’s pirate is another man’s freedom fighter.” “That man you call King is the real pirate,” Jurran interrupted, “He spent all of the planet’s wealth and resources building his ‘grand city’. He has stolen our land and forced us out into the jungles. When we simply tried to reclaim what was ours, we were treated as criminals.” “My father has run a propaganda campaign, branding these people as pirates,” Splin said, “I too had believed his lies, until my brother discovered the truth.” “Do you know of a man called Carashi?” Terentius asked. “Yes, he is our leader. He has requested your presence, which is why we are here.” “You’ll take us to him?” “It will be our pleasure” Jurran said, leading us back towards the jungle. Jurran and Splin showed us to a clearing where a small transport was well hidden. We all huddled into the ship and took off into space. “Excuse me,” Eva spoke up, “Splin was it?” “Yes, miss…” “Eva.” “Eva… what is it I can do for you?” Splin leaned forward in his seat, I wasn’t sure I totally trusted his intentions. A man who would betray his own father, something seemed out of place. “You mentioned something about your brother discovering the truth,” Eva asked, “I was just wondering, what truth you meant?” “My brother… was James Cell the sixth, my father’s first born son and heir. My father wasn’t always the way he is now… He loved my brother…” “And you?” Eva asked. “James was everything I am not, a soldier, a patriot, and completely loyal to my father. The day he marched off to fight the pirates, he gave me his old sword. He said to me ‘If I should not come back, fight the good fight brother. It will be up to you to preserve justice.’…I never saw him again. I searched for him, but all I ever found was his journal…describing the horror that the royal army had inflicted.” “That’s terrible…” “That’s why we must fight.” “We’re here,” Jurran interrupted. The transport floated up to a crude looking black metal structure and docked in a small hanger bay. Splin and Jurran led us out of the hanger and onto the main bridge, where a man in black robes stood staring out into space. He was flanked by another man with long dark hair. Slowly the man in black robes turned to us, his robes covered the bottom part of his face. He reached up and pulled the cloth away from his face, revealing his scarred flesh. “Well, well, well…” The man said, “Isn’t this quite the unexpected reunion.” “You…” Terentius staggered, I stared at the man, straining to figure out where I had seen him before. “So… It would seem I am not the only one to have survived the destruction of Terresta.” My eyes widened with the man’s words. He was the prisoner we had freed in the temple dungeon. “Who are you!?” I asked, “How did you get here?” “I am Carashi, and I like you, have spent the last nine years drifting through space, searching for some kind of purpose.” “Nine years…” I mouthed the words to myself, could it really have been that long? “I was found by the Libertas, they took me in, gave me a home. In exchange I taught them to fight, to use the force and defend themselves.” “You taught these humans how to use the force!?” I shouted, “Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” “Dangerous!? Hmph! No more dangerous then a Luminos. Humans are not born with an affinity to the force like the Luminos; they have to be trained to feel it. Most of these warriors only have a very basic connection to the force, if any at all. Only my apprentice Ajunta Pall has truly mastered it.” The man with long dark hair stepped forward and nodded. “You speak as if you yourself are one of them,” Terentius said. “In many ways, I am,” Carashi answered, “My father was human. And he was murdered by the Elder council for loving a Luminos woman.” “I’ve heard enough!” I shouted, “My father was not a murderer!” Carashi looked at me; his face was calm, but with a very sad expression. “Isaac was a good man,” he said, “But there is no greater evil then a good man who does nothing. Your father is just as guilty as the rest of them, as all of you!” I felt my blood boiling with anger, I stepped forward but Terentius quickly pulled me back. “Why is it that you summoned us?” Terentius asked. “I wanted to see whose side you were on. Typical Luminos, it seems you’ve already aligned yourselves with that tyrant in his steel palace. I’m afraid you won’t be leaving this station.” “Wait!” Splin suddenly called out, “It doesn’t have to be like this, Carashi. These are good people; I think they’ll help us.” “They’re Luminos,” Carashi said, “They know nothing of honor.” “Please Carashi, with their help, we may be able to finally end this war; bring about peace.” “Peace!? Ha! A fine fairy tale, for the Luminos there can be no peace, only satisfaction.” “You’re wrong,” I yelled back, “There will be peace again, and if you don’t believe it then you’re only going to hinder us. We don’t need the help of some half blooded criminal anyway!” “You’re not helping,” Terentius scolded. “We don’t need his help,” I said, “If I had my lightsaber I wouldn’t need anyone’s help.” “Oh, you mean this…” Carashi reached into his robes and pulled out my lightsaber. “Give that to me,” I demanded in a very stern voice. Carashi sneered at me and tossed the saber at my feet. I summoned it to my hand and then clipped it back onto my belt. “Very well,” Carashi said, “Let’s do this.”
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Post by philly on Nov 4, 2006 22:26:33 GMT -5
“Fear is a state of mind. Only by breaking down the barriers of the mind can one tap into the true potential of the body.”
~Ancient Kumori ProverbChapter Seven: The Wall Carashi’s apprentice, Ajunta Pall, was sent by Carashi to lead our mission. He led us back into the hanger and into a small military air ship, most likely stolen from the royal army. It was just the four of us, Ajunta, Splin, Jurran, and maybe fifty troops to try and take the capital. Needless to say, the odds were stacked against us. As the ship lifted off, Ajunta stood up and pressed a button on the console in the center of the room. A holographic map of the city of Coruscant suddenly flashed up on the console’s surface. “Alright, here’s the situation,” Ajunta said, as he began to slip into his black metal armor, “As you can see the capital city is well fortified, getting in won’t be easy. The entire city is surrounded by a giant wall, and there are four heavy gun turrets situated on each side of the wall; north, south, east, and west. This makes landing any of our aircrafts directly within the city simply impossible until those turrets are taken out. That’s where you come in.” “No sweat,” I said, running my hand through my hair, “Those troops are nothing but lightweights. We’ll have those turrets down, no problem.” “If the royal army were the only ones defending the capital, then trust me we’d have taken it by now,” Splin interjected, “No, there’s something far more dangerous that guards those walls. Any of you ever hear of a beast called a Rancor?” “Should we have?” I asked. “Rancor are ferocious beasts, reptile like with large teeth and claws,” Splin explained, “My father breeds them and lets them loose in the jungles around the city walls. Those damn things won’t let us get within one hundred meters of it. But if you really are who Carashi thinks you are, then they should be no problem for you.” “Sounds like fun…” “Once the turrets are offline, the rest of us will join you at the entrance of the palace,” Ajunta said, “At that point overthrowing the King should be relatively easy.” “So you’re just going to stay up here during all of this?” Constans asked. “Splin shall remain with the fleet,” Ajunta said, “And I shall be assisting you. Prepare yourselves; we shall be arriving at our drop point shortly.” Our ship cut down through the atmosphere and flew low near the tree tops. We landed in the middle of the jungle, where Terentius, Constans, Eva, Ajunta and I all jumped off. “We’ll see you inside the capital,” Splin said as he closed up the hatch and the ship took off again. We now found ourselves alone in the jungle. Ajunta reached into his armor and dusted off an old compass. “Tell me you know where we are,” I said. “Don’t worry, I’ve navigated these jungles thousands of times back when I was in the royal army.” “You were in the royal army?” Eva asked. “Yes… it was a long time ago.” “Did you fight with Splin’s brother?” Ajunta stared into the compass for a while before finally stuffing it back into his armor. He never made eye contact with Eva. “I did, but only very briefly. He died shortly after I was assigned to his squadron.” “So why did you end up joining the pira… err I mean, the Libertas?” “I have my reasons…” “Look,” I interrupted, “Let’s just get to this wall. Once we’re inside the city there’ll be plenty of time for pleasantries.” “He’s right,” Ajunta said, abruptly unsheathing his katana, “Our mission comes first. Follow me, and stay close; who knows what James has lurking in these jungles.” * * * After a long hike, we finally came to the clearing before the city walls. The base of the south turret tower was surrounded with at least 200 royal troops. “I count… about five Rancor in this area,” Ajunta said as he leered through his binoculars. “How do you want to do this?” Terentius asked. “You, the girl, and the other guy go in on the left. Me and the kid here will take the right.” My head immediately perked up. Me and him? “You got what it takes junior,” Ajunta asked me, crouching behind a bush. “Just don’t get in my way and we’ll be fine,” I replied, glaring back at him. “Good. Terentius, go on.” Ajunta raised his hand up and motioned Terentius, Eva and Constans off to the left. As they disappeared into the brush, Ajunta stood up and directed me to follow. We crawled along on our bellies out into the tall grass of the clearing, making sure to stay low. “We’re going to have to make the first move,” Ajunta whispered to me, “You think you can take out that Rancor over there?” “Heh, Just watch.” I stood up from my place on the ground and ignited my lightsaber, instantly attracting the attention of the troops. “You there! Drop your weapon!” One of the troops shouted at me. I simply smiled and then whipped my lightsaber at the nearest Rancor. The saber spun through the air, curving around as it slashed the Rancor across the neck just before spinning back towards me and into my hand. The Rancor let out a terrible screech and tumbled to the ground. “Full alert!” the troop yelled into his wrist communicator, “Release the Rancor; I repeat, we are under attack!” Just then, I saw the flashing of three lightsabers behind the squadron as my siblings began their attack. Ajunta shot up behind me and swung his katana around above his head. “Fun time,” he said to me as he passed. A smile spread over my face as I charged in toward the troops. Meanwhile, inside the palace, King James was stuffing his face with food when one of the palace guards rushed in to deliver him the news. “My lord!” The guard shouted as he rushed into the throne room. “What did I tell you?” James snapped back, “I am not to be disturbed during lunch!” “But sir, we have an emergency. It’s about the south tower, there is an attack!” “Then quell it! Can’t you see I’m busy?” “Um, yes but I think you should know… the four mercenaries you hired… they’ve gone missing…” “What!?” James suddenly stood up from his throne, spilling his plate of food. “They’re gone sir… and now there are five pirates attacking the tower; four of which are wielding glowing swords.” James’ face twisted with anger as he slumped back into his seat. “Carashi…” he growled. “Sir?” “Damn him! Damn that man!” James picked up his plate and hurled it across the room in anger. He then stormed out of the palace, flanked by several guards. Back outside of the city walls, we continued our attack, skillfully cutting down wave after wave of royal troops. I raised my lightsaber and ran at high speed into a crowd, twirling and slashing my saber as I passed. Finally I tossed the saber through the neck of an oncoming Rancor, and then summoned it back to my hand just in time to deflect a blaster bolt back into the face of a royal trooper. In the midst of the chaos, Ajunta came up besides me and grabbed my arm. “Follow me!” he shouted before running off toward the tower. I continued to deflect blaster fire away from him as he cut down the troops guarding the tower’s entrance. We went inside and climbed up a spiral metal staircase to the top where the south turret sat overlooking the city. As the troops in the turret nest converged on us, Ajunta stuck out his hand and clinched his fist, crushing all of their rifles with the force. I then easily dispatched each of them one by one. “Quickly, grab the controls to that turret!” Ajunta shouted, pointing to the panel at the turret’s base, “Take aim at the other three turrets and open fire. Be quick about it, we have to take em all out before they can even realize what hit em!” I grabbed the turret’s control stick and rotated it toward the east tower. As I eased back on the trigger, suddenly two concussive blasts exploded out of the turret and slammed into the east tower. A tremendous fire ball shot up from the tower as the bricks crumbled away. “Now the others!” Ajunta shouted at me, “Hurry, hurry!” I quickly twisted the control stick and the turret jerked towards the north tower. I wasted no time firing off several shots that barely missed the palace and obliterated the tower on the other side of the city. As I turned the turret towards the west tower, I could see that it had already begun to spin towards us. My palms were sweating as I spun the turret around as fast and violently as I could, and then fired on the west tower. It crumbled in a spectacular pyrotechnic display, just like the others. As I stepped back away from the panel, I could see that Ajunta had taken the time to rig the south tower with several explosives. “Good work, rookie,” He said as he activated the timer, “Now let’s haul ass!” We scurried back down the spiral staircase and shot out of the doors. Terentius, Constans and Eva were just finishing off the last Rancor. “Take cover!” I yelled. We all hit the deck and covered our heads as the south tower shattered with a massive explosion. When the dust finally settled, our path into the city was made clear. “Tell Splin to begin the landing,” I said as I stood back to my feet. Terentius, Constans and Eva hurried over to join us. “Good work. Where’s Splin?” Eva asked. “I just sent the signal, they’re on their way now,” Ajunta answered. “Come on!” I shouted back as I ran off into the breach, “It aint over yet!”
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Post by philly on Nov 11, 2006 23:43:13 GMT -5
“The sun rises and falls, the moon waxes and wanes, and every child who is born shall eventually die; but the Luminos are eternal. Through Lucias, all who walk the path of the light shall withstand the test of time.”
~Excerpt from the Book of LuciasChapter Eight: Revolution With the turrets down the Libertas now flowed freely into the city of Coruscant for a final showdown with the royal army. These Luminos had indeed proved to be just the thing we needed to gain the upper hand against royal army, but still… I couldn’t help but feel that somehow this would all end badly. “Carashi, the city has been breached!” Jurran said as he came running on to the bridge. “I know… what of Ajunta?” I asked. “Splin is landing our men now. It appears that he was able to destroyed every turret… and decimated the royal army’s outer defenses.” “And what of the Luminos?” “Sir?” “Prepare my shuttle, we’re going in.” * * * Back on the planet’s surface, Splin’s ship landed in the courtyard outside of the royal palace. The Libertas quickly are swarmed upon by troops from the inside. About 200 meters away, Ajunta observed the action through his binoculars. “There!” Ajunta said pointing toward the palace. “What is it?” Atredious asked. “Splin… looks like he’s in trouble.” “We have to help him!” Eva shouted, igniting her lightsaber. “Splin can handle himself,” Ajunta said, “We have to find the King. If James escapes, this whole mission will have been in vain.” “I don’t care, I’m going in!” Eva charged off in the direction of the palace, leaving the others behind. “Eva!” Atredious called after her. “Looks like we don’t have a choice now, let’s go,” Constans said. The Libertas stood back to back, surrounded on all sides by the royal army who were brandishing blaster rifles. Splin raised his katana over his head and his men followed his lead. One of the royal troops raised his arm into the air, and then quickly brought it back down heralding a rain of blaster fire upon the Libertas. They were dropping like flies as they charged forward, Splin stuck his blade out in front of him and trusted it through the torso of the nearest trooper. As he withdrew his sword from its victim, he was suddenly bashed in the side of the face with the butt of a rifle. As the gunmen turned his blaster around to finish Spin off, a green flash abruptly sliced the rifle in two. The trooper watched in shock as a lightsaber twirled through the air and back into the hand of Eva. “You want him? You’ll have to come through me!” Eva shouted as she caught her lightsaber. The troops all turned their attention to her and raised their blasters, but did not fire. From behind them, James Cell slowly made his way out into the courtyard and stood over his son. He looked down at him in absolute disgust. “I should’ve known you’d betray me…” James said in low and angry voice. “Father… you don’t understand.” “Enough!” James snapped back, “Look at you. A pirate, how could you dishonor the memory of your brother like this? Dishonor me!” “James would’ve fought at my side,” Splin replied, his words cut through his father like a knife. “James was a great warrior,” James growled back through his teeth, “You are nothing!... Finish him.” The troops turn their blasters to Splin. Eva is about to leap in to assist him when suddenly something above grabbed her attention. “Look!” Eva yelled, pointing up at the shuttle coming in for a landing. “Shoot him down!” James shouted before turning and running back toward the palace. As the troops pummeled the shuttle with fire, I grabbed the lightsaber from my belt, a little memento from the head of the elder guards; this dark core lightsaber gave off a soft blue glow. I took the saber into my hand and leapt out onto the palace steps in front of James, my blade aimed for his neck. “We meet again, King James,” I taunted at him with a smile on my face. “You…” He growled. “For the tyrants, it ends today,” “You have already taken both of my sons from me,” James said, “You might as well finish me too.” “It is you who drove your sons away,” I replied, “One such as you does not deserve a gift as precious as family.” “You would know…” James’ words conjured up on a sensational sense of rage within me. I immediately drew back my lightsaber. “Carashi, no!” Eva shouted at me. But it was too late. With one solid swipe, I had lopped the King’s head clean off. I felt incredibly empty as I watched what was left of that tyrant cascade down the stairs. I looked up from James’ ruin to see Spin and Eva finishing off what remained of the royal troops in the courtyard. Slowly I made my way down the steps to join them. “Why did you do that?” Eva asked as I approached, “He was unarmed, we do not kill prisoners, it’s not the Luminos way.” The word “Luminos” caught my attention. I quickly looked up into her eyes. “You’d be surprised how little you actually know of the ways of the Luminos,” I answered, “…And who ever said I was one?” Eva did not respond, she turned her attention back to Splin. “Are you alright?” She asked. “I’m fine,” Splin said, rubbing the side of his face, “It’s just a flesh wound.” “Here, let me help you,” Eva said, gently placing her hand onto Splin’s cheek. Suddenly it began to glow with an intense light, and when she removed her hand, the wound was gone. “Wow… better then new!” Splin exclaimed, “How did you do that?” “It’s the power of the force,” Eva replied. “I wish I could use the force like that… you think you could teach me?” “Teach you? Well uhh…” Eva was unable to answer before Ajunta, Atredious, Terentius, and Constans came sprinting up behind her. “Eva! Are you alright?” Constans asked. “I’m fine… James is dead.” “Excellent,” Ajunta interjected, “That was indeed quite a show you guys put on. I never would’ve guessed you would use such power.” “Yes, but it is how we use such power that is the true challenge,” I stepped forward and turned off my lightsaber. “So what happens now?” Terentius asked, “Will you lead these people Carashi?” “Me?” I had never thought about it really. Me, become the ruler of Coruscant? It was too big. Such an awesome responsibility, these sorts of temptations are better to be avoided. “Yes you!” Atredious shouted at me, “You’re the one who sent us down here on this crazy coup, if not you, then who?” “I don’t know,” I responded, “I’ll have to give it some thought.” I turned and headed for the palace, leaving them in the courtyard. I needed to be alone for awhile. * * * Later that night, I found myself slumped down in James’ old throne. The city was quiet as the Libertas moved in. My eyes darted around the room until finally a silver platter that had been knocked onto the floor caught my attention. I rose from my seat and lifted the platter up off of the marble tile. For the first time I saw my scarred face stare back at me in the brilliantly polished finish of that platter, and I knew that I could not go through with this. “Carashi…” Splin’s voice tore my attention away from the man in the mirror, “Carashi, are you alright?” “I can’t do it, Splin,” I answered, collapsing back into the throne. “Can’t do what?” “This city needs a change… but I can’t give it all that it requires, it’s not for me.” “But we need you. No one else here is fit to lead, not even me. If only I had your power…” “Power?” I chuckled half-heartedly, “Why in the world would you ever want such a thing?... A terrible curse it is…” “What do you mean?” Splin asked. “The force is an awesome gift,” I answered, “but the Luminos wield it like a small child with a proton rifle. They try to make laws to contain those who would misuse such abilities; but laws only make power that much more tantalizing.” “I don’t believe that these Luminos would abuse their power. They’re good people and are already very powerful. Why would they want more?” “Hahaha,” I couldn’t help but to laugh, “Good people… If only…” I lifted the platter back up and stared at my scarred face; a face that bore the marks of power. “It is a terrible thing,” I started to say, still staring into my reflection, “To live in fear, never knowing when your time will come. All my life they had hunted me like an animal for the crime of existing. You see, in order to maintain power one must have control; and fear can be a very effective form of control. The Luminos claim to stand for peace and justice, but my trial was anything but just…” As I recounted the events that had transpired that day nine years ago, I could see all of their faces again. The five of them were sitting atop their pedestals, looking down on me as if I were some sort of beast. “Carashi!” Marcus boomed, “You are charged with the defamation of the name of Lucias, and the murder of a pure blooded Luminos woman. How do you plead?” My demeanor remained icy and unfeeling. I would not give them the satisfaction of seeing me crack. “Guilty…” I mumbled underneath my breath. Sylvanus stood up, “The punishment for your crimes is death, Carashi.” “No, no, no!” Ludovicus interrupted, “He won’t get off that easy! Ending this murderous freak’s miserable life would be doing it a favor!” “Our laws are clear,” Isaac said, “Anyone accused of the crimes in which this man is guilty must be put to death.” “And in the eyes of the law, he will be,” Marcus interrupted, “Felix, record in the log that the prisoner Carashi was killed by hanging for the crime of defamation and murder.” “Yes master.” “And Ludovicus,” Marcus said, “Take him to the Labyrinth; see that he spends the rest of his days in inconceivable pain.” “With pleasure,” Ludovicus snarled, grinning at me. I quickly turned to Isaac, he stared back at me. I could see that he was having mixed feelings about what had just transpired… but he said nothing. “Such is the will of the council,” Marcus shouted, “May the will of Lucias make it so!” Marcus slammed his gavel and the sound reverberated inside of my head… I tossed the platter back onto the floor and looked up at Splin. “Fear is the route to all evil, Splin. The Luminos fear that which is different from them, they fear to lose their power. I will not become one of them.” “But Carashi… there is good in them. Why can’t you see that?” “Believe what you want,” I said, “But I will not accept this power, and I will not leave it in the hands of a Luminos. Ajunta shall take my place. I pray that together, you and he will uphold the ideals of justice… but I will have no part of it.” I stood from my seat and began to walk past Splin, my head in my hand. “Where will you go?” He asked, “Will you ever return?” I paused at the window. Gazing out into the night sky at the full moon, I felt a cold breeze rush in, numbing my face. “The force shall guide me,” I finally answered, “I shall return… when the time is right. Goodbye, Splin.” I pulled my mask back over the lower part of my face to hide my scars and exited the room. Someday we may meet again, and hopefully on that day, I will be the man you all think that I am… * * * The next morning outside of the palace, Ajunta Pall sat in the courtyard sharpening his katana when Atredious came down the palace stairs. “Ajunta!” Atredious yelled, “Have you seen Carashi?” “Carashi is gone,” Ajunta replied, “He left last night.” “Gone? Gone where?” “Who knows,” Ajunta said examining his blade, “He always was a little shifty. But it’s no matter, he has left me in charge.” “You!? Why you?” “Why are you so surprised? Clearly I always was the best one for the job. And I know that you didn’t want that pirate Carashi to rule.” “I think it would be best if my siblings and I shared the power,” Atredious answered, “It is too much for just one man.” “Hmph,” Ajunta chuckled to himself as he returned his katana to it’s sheathe, “Maybe you’re right. Perhaps… you could help me.” “Me? What about Terentius, Constans and Eva?” “Do you really think that they can be trusted?” “Of course I do,” Atredious answered, growing a bit frustrated with Ajunta’s presumption, “Why wouldn’t I?” “No reason… maybe it’s all in my head,” Ajunta rose to his feet and walked away from the palace toward the city, “Consider my offer Atredious, I’ll be back for your answer shortly.” * * * Meanwhile, deep in the abyss of outer space, I found myself meditating on my shuttle. The hyperdrive had been set to no particular destination, I had decide to allow my destiny to find me. As I sit alone in my chamber, the memories of the endless tortures flooded back to me. That man had poured all of his hatred and his anger into me and left me for dead. And Isaac… he could have stopped it, but he did nothing. He wasn’t sorry until he was chained to the floor next to me. My mind continued to go over the events of that day until a faint electronic sound awakened me from my meditation. I carefully got up and followed the noise to its source. The sound became louder and louder as I approached the back of the ship where the hyperdrive accelerator was. Something was attached to the front of it that was producing the faint beeping sound, as I leaned in to inspect the device my eyes widened in horror. *beep* 5 *beep* 4 *beep* 3 *beep* 2… “Oh crap…” Suddenly an electronic pulse surged through the ship, knocking out all of the electronic instruments onboard. I ran through the now darkened corridor to the cock pit and sat down at the controls punching every button I could in a desperate attempt to regain power. Nothing would work. Outside of my cockpit window, I perceived a large dark object closing in on me fast. It was a planet. What was on it was impossible for me to know, but I had little choice now other then to make a crash landing.
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Post by philly on Nov 17, 2006 1:11:14 GMT -5
“To truly become one, you will have had to become lost in both light... and in darkness. Only then, after reaching the very edge of the soul and returning anew on the other side, shall you take up the blade of both yin and yang and at last bring balance to the force.”
~Kumori LegendChapter Nine: The Kumori As my ship broke through the atmosphere I strained to keep control. I steered toward a lake which I perceived through the tree tops; the ship hit the water like a ton of bricks and I was thrown up against the window. I quickly picked myself up and opened the hatch; luckily the water wasn’t all that deep. I swam to the shore and pulled myself to my feet, in all the excitement I hadn’t yet had a chance to observe my surroundings. A lone mountain shot into the sky in the distance and the rest of the landscape was covered by large trees. I concluded my best bet was to head for the mountain. I walked for a long time and soon night began to fall. It became cold. Very cold. My breath condensed in front of me and my damp clothing clung to my skin like sheets of ice. I knew I would never make it to the mountain as is, but I continued forward despite myself. It wasn’t long before my mind began to play tricks on me. I was certain that I could hear the elder guards behind me; I was running through the woods on Terresta, my hands stained red. Suddenly a shadowy figure passed in front of me. I couldn’t have imagined it. Just then I could hear something behind me… I was being watched. I paused, my heart seemed to halt. I slowly wrapped my fingers around the hilt of my lightsaber. Without hesitation I ripped it from my belt and spun around only to be met by hundreds of natives cloaked in black, their hoods concealed their faces as they pointed katanas in my direction. I promptly dropped my lightsaber. “Heh… umm… my mistake,” I said, clearing my throat. The natives did not respond. A cold breeze whipped through the trees and sent a shiver down my spine. “Uhh, you see… my ship crashed in a lake. I am in need of transportation… if you would be so kind?” Only silence. “Yes, well, I’ll just be on my way then,” I turned only to see that they were behind me as well. I was completely surrounded. My eyes darted back and forth, waiting for them to make their move, but still they did nothing. Finally my patience ran out. I extended my hand and summoned my lightsaber, then ignited the dark core blade. The natives lurched backwards and slowly lowered their swords. I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on. Slowly, from behind them, a man cloaked in gray stepped out before me, his face also was concealed behind a hood. “That power you wield,” the man said, “Where did you learn it?” “What power?” I asked. “You willed that sword to your hand without touching it. Surely obtaining such power is something that required many hardships.” “Heh, the force is a gift that all Luminos possess.” “Luminos? Is that what you are?” “No…” I looked down at my hands, I could still see the blood, “I am Carashi. My home planet, the home of the Luminos was destroyed. My ship crashed in a lake some ways back.” The man slowly raised his hand up, gesturing toward my face. I then realized that my mask was off. I quickly brought my hand up to my mouth and felt the rough edges of my scars. “I sense much pain in you Carashi…” “Who are you?” I asked. The man slowly pulled back his hood. He was an older man, although his hair had still maintained its blond color. His eyes were a pale blue and immediately I could sense that this man had great wisdom. “I am Anjuu of Shadows,” the man said, “Chieftain of the Kumori, the shadow people. We have lived here peaceably on Chinine without any outside influence for thousands of years. And now you Carashi fall from the sky carrying such a heavy burden…” “Look, Anjuu, if you could just help me repair my ship, I’ll be on my way. But for the time being, I’d really appreciate it if I could get out of this cold.” The slightest of grins appeared on Anjuu’s face as he stared through me. “Come with me,” Anjuu said. He raised his hand into the air and the other natives backed off into the woods and seemed to disappear. “Where are we going?” I asked. “There is something I must show you,” Anjuu pulled his hood back over his head and led me through the woods. As we made our way through the dense trees, it was not long before I could see the lights of a village. As we cleared the tree line I suddenly noticed an imposing stone tower in the center of the village. “This is our home,” Anjuu suddenly said, “It is a hidden village, only those among the Kumori could ever find it. All others are doomed to wander the forests, lost for all time.” “Oh? Nice of you to lead me here,” “This way…” Anjuu continued to lead me through the village and to the round base of the tower. He waved his hand before the door and slowly it creaked open. Inside was a winding spiral staircase that led to a room at the very top of the tower. The room was well lit by candles and the walls were covered with fascinating paintings that seemed to depict stories. “We’re here,” Anjuu announced, lowering his hood. “Homely,” I answered. My eyes scanned over the detailed pictures that covered the walls until finally something caught my attention. I slowly approached the wall and placed my hand over a picture of a beastly human-like creature raining down lightning on a village of people. “What is this?” I asked. “Stories,” Anjuu replied, “Passed down through hundreds of generations by the Kumori.” “This one… I’ve seen this before…” I removed my hand from the wall and observed the picture immediately to the right of it. The beast was cowering beneath a man in the sky who seemed to be made of light. Anjuu watched me with restrained curiosity as I continued to examine the walls. “That,” He finally said, “Is the legend of Moujuu,” “Moujuu?” “Moujuu is the spirit of darkness. Legend tells us that Moujuu was made into flesh in the form of a man named Anemos. Anemos of Shadows became King of the Kumori and brought about an age of darkness unlike any ever experienced before on Chinine. The dark side had consumed him.” “The dark side?” I asked. Anjuu slowly raised his arm and pointed his finger at the drawing of Anemos spewing lightning down on the villagers. “When ones heart is not in balance… they fall victim to the beast within,” Suddenly images began to rush through my head. Memories of the Luminos and the endless tortures at the hands of their force lightning. “What happened to Anemos?” I asked. “For ever yin, there is a yang,” Anjuu explained, “and so it was inevitable that through the darkness of Moujuu, a man of light would arise. Akari, the spirit of light. This man used his gifts to seal the beast away and promised our people that he would someday return…” Suddenly it hit me, how could I have been so blind as to not see it before. The similarities were overwhelming. Anemos of Shadows… could it be the same Anemos spoken of in the book of Lucias? And this man of light, this Akari, could he be Lucias himself? “This one,” I said, tapping my finger against the drawing of the man of light, “What is that?” “That is the covenant, the promise made by Akari to our people. ‘As long as the blood of light remains pure, the beast shall remain sealed.’ This is what legend tells us.” “Lucias…” I uttered under my breath. “Yes,” Anjuu answered, “How do you know him?” I slowly turned from the wall and toward Anjuu. “Tell me everything.” * * * The next night I sat with the other Kumori around a large bon fire on the outskirts of the village. Anjuu climbed up onto a stone altar that stood before the fire. “This altar,” Anjuu said, “Is the site in which Akari sealed Moujuu away for all time, his blood acting as the covenant between the Kumori and the gods. Carashi, son of Akari, you wish to become Kumori?” I slowly looked up at Anjuu. “Son of Akari”; it was a double edged sword. The title of Luminos was one in which I was never particularly proud. But with the Kumori, perhaps here I have finally found what it is I have been searching for. “Yes…” I finally answered. “To be Kumori, is to be alone,” Anjuu said, “You must sever all emotional attachments. Until your heart finds true balance, any bonds you make will only place you and the ones you love in danger. You must become a phantom, a memory, an illusion. Do you understand?” “I am already all of those things,” I responded, “I have lived my entire life in solitude, the shadows call to me.” “Good,” Anjuu said, “There is no darkness, there is no light; there is only balance.” “I am ready to learn. What have you to teach me?” “I cannot teach you anything until you learn to find what it is you seek within yourself.” Anjuu reached into his cloak and pulled out a fist full of strange powder. He then cast the powder into the fire. “Fire is a window into the soul. Gaze into the flames Carashi and find what it is you seek.” The Kumori around me began to chant in a strange language. Slowly the fire began to rise and the flames turned an unnatural blue color. I remained fixated on the inferno before me. Steadily the chanting began to fade away, I found myself drifting through darkness. I soon became very aware of my own breathing. Every gasp of air echoed inside my head. My eyes focused on a figure in the distance. A man, he was familiar somehow. Carefully I stood up and approached him, he turned to me and I could see that it was Isaac. “You…” My words were stern. “Carashi, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for your father to die.” At the mention of my father, I quickly grabbed my saber and ignited it. “You didn’t mean for it? What are you trying to say, Isaac? That you murdered my father, but I should forgive you because you had good intentions? Well good intentions cannot save my father and they cannot save you!” “Accepting death is the first step toward peace. Remember that Carashi.” Isaac’s words fell on deaf ears. I couldn’t understand how he could say that. My anger quickly became more then I could handle and I swung my lightsaber at Isaac. He immediately shot his hand out and caught my blade in mid air. I was stunned. “Good,” Isaac said in a voice that chilled me to the core, “Become vengeance.” Isaac raised his other hand and lightning exploded out all around me. I quickly ducked and covered my head. Slowly I lowered my guard and found myself back on Chinine in front of the bon fire. Anjuu stared down from his altar at me; the Kumori around me were silent. “Now that you have been given a glimpse into your soul and have seen that you are mortal,” Anjuu said, “Now you can become something more…”
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Post by philly on Nov 23, 2006 17:22:20 GMT -5
“The Luminos are the guardians of all peace and justice. Despite your neighbors sins you must always seek their redemption.”
~Excerpt from the Book of LuciasChapter Ten: Of Traitors and Tyrants Twilight spread over the steel structures of Coruscant, flooding the city in a soothing orange glow. In the court yard in front of the palace, Constans strolled through the garden, admiring the dying sunlight as it reflected off the palace’s towering spires. Eva wandered down the steps and stood along side Constans, looking off in the same direction as he. “Good of you to join me, Eva,” Constans finally said, “It’s a wonderful palace, isn’t it? The way it catches the setting sun…” “It’s lovely,” Eva answered. “Indeed… reminds me of home.” Eva turned to look at Constans; the smile on his face had faded away. “I have a feeling there is more on your mind then architecture,” Eva said. “Do you remember what Father said to the elders on Terresta?” Constans asked, “He said, ‘There was peace before, and there can be again.’” “What of it?” “Well, what if this is our second chance? Our chance to correct the mistakes of the past, create a new council, a stronger council, just as Father had envisioned.” “And who would be the elders?” Eva asked, “Us? Constans, you’re only twenty years old, you can’t be an elder.” “The four of us together are more then capable of upholding order on this planet. Trust me.” Suddenly, in the distance, the sound of footsteps caught Constans and Eva’s attention. Ajunta Pall entered the courtyard from the city followed by hundreds of Libertas. “Ajunta? What’s going on here?” Constans asked. “Oh, you didn’t hear?” Ajunta said, “Our friend Carashi has decided to take an extended vacation, and he has left me in charge of things in his absence. Now, if you would be so kind as to step aside.” Constans and Eva exchanged glances, and then looked back at Ajunta. “Where did Carashi go?” Eva asked, “We need to speak with him.” “Heh, heh,” Ajunta laughed, “Oh I have a feeling we’ve seen the last of that pirate. Coruscant is now under my jurisdiction.” “But what about everything Carashi had planned to do?” Constans asked, “Creating democracy, giving Coruscant back to the people!” “Mmmm… nah. Jurran!” Jurran Reed stepped forward and stood at attention. “Yes sir.” “See to it that our Luminos friends find their way out, and make sure to extend our appreciation for all that they have done.” “Very good, sir.” Ajunta Pall continued up the steps into the temple as Jurran and the other Libertas quickly surrounded Constans and Eva. “Jurran, what are you doing!?” Constans yelled, “You know this isn’t right, this is not what the Libertas stand for!” “It’s out of my hands… I’m sorry,” Jurran stepped forward and unsheathed his katana; the other Libertas did the same. Eva quickly ignited her lightsaber only to have Constans stick his arm out in front of her. “No, Eva. There’s no need for this… they win this round.” Meanwhile, inside the palace, Terentius, Splin and I stood in the throne room as Ajunta barged in. The son of a bitch had come back… and I knew why. “Atredious… good to see you again,” Ajunta said with a cocky smile on his face, “Have you considered my offer?” “Offer?” Terentius said, “What’s he talking about, Atredious?” “This planet belongs to the Luminos now, Ajunta,” I answered, “We will never bow down to a human.” Ajunta’s eyes began to burn a hole through me, although he didn’t seem too surprised at my response. Suddenly the Libertas poured into the room behind Ajunta; they quickly surrounded us. “Splin!” Ajunta shouted, “Fall in!” Splin stepped back away from Ajunta. “What are you trying to do here Ajunta?” Splin asked, “Carashi trusted you.” “You are either with me… or you’re with them,” Ajunta responded, “Choose.” Splin glanced back at me and Terentius, then back forward at Ajunta. He closed his eyes and slowly lowered his head. “Very well,” Splin said. He then suddenly unsheathed his katana, “Then I am with the Luminos!” “Hmph,” Ajunta chuckled to himself, “So be it, Luminos,” Ajunta readied his sword and the other Libertas did the same. Terentius and I both ignited our lightsabers. “Careful, Splin,” Ajunta said, “This isn’t your daddy’s royal army. Why don’t you do like Carashi and run for cover.” “Since when, Ajunta!?” Splin shouted back. “Pardon?” “Since when have you been entertaining these delusions of grandeur?” “Ha ha, I think you misunderstand,” Ajunta said, grinning from ear to ear, “It has always been my intention to someday rule over Coruscant. Of course, your incompetent father stood in my way. That old coot never did trust me, but I still had the loyalty of my men, and thus the Libertas came to be.” “So you were just using us,” Splin said, “Manipulating us in your own quest for power.” “I wouldn’t go that far, these men know as well as I do that there was a need for a change in the monarchy. My only regret is that your brother had to go all ‘high and mighty’ on me… he’d have made a much finer soldier then you…” Splin was suddenly silent, a look of malaise spread over his face. “You,” he finally uttered, “You killed him?” “I don’t foresee you losing too much sleep over it,” Ajunta shot back, “You’ll be joining him shortly,” Ajunta stepped back behind the Libertas and headed for the exit, “Take them.” The Libertas immediately swarmed upon us, I quickly spun around only to have my jaw met abruptly by a Libertas’ black metal fist. Then everything went dark. * * * “I think he’s coming around…” Everything around me was blurry as the light began to flood back into eyes. I then realized that there was a large crowd standing over me, but I couldn’t recognize any of the faces. Suddenly someone grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet, it was Eva. “How are you feeling?” She asked. “Walkin on sunshine,” I said, rubbing my jaw, “Where the hell are we?” “The jungles,” Terentius stepped forward, “We should be safe from Ajunta’s forces here for now. And you, you’re lucky to be alive. After you took that left hook, I had to carry you out on my back; we barely made it out in one piece.” “I guess I should be thankful… you going to introduce me to your friends?” I asked Terentius, motioning toward the crowd. “We were with the Libertas, just like you,” One of the men said, stepping forward, “My name is Miles Drake. When Ajunta Pall decided to seize power over Coruscant, we were the ones who objected… He took our equipment and left us out here to die.” “Well, I suppose this is what we get for giving power to a human,” I said, “Real good Carashi, real good!” “Calm down,” Terentius said, “If we’re going to stop Ajunta, we’re going to need some organization.” I turned to Terentius with a very cynical look on my face; he might as well have had three heads. “Are you serious? You want to go charging back into that city with maybe a hundred men who, oh, by the way, don’t have any weapons, and expect to have anything less then a massacre?” “The weapons are a problem that we will deal with,” Terentius answered, “but we can give these people a weapon that is more powerful then any sword.” “And what is that,” I asked. “The force.” “Oh no,” I said shaking my head, “You’ve seen what came from Carashi teaching Ajunta Pall to use the force, it’s far too dangerous.” “Give us a chance!” Miles suddenly shouted, “We’re more then ready for any challenge!” “Ready are you?” I said. I couldn’t help but smile at the upstart, “Well then perhaps you’re ready for this?” I quickly flicked my wrist, sending a rock flying at Miles. It cracked him upside the head and knocked him to the ground. “Pathetic… these men are not worthy of the force.” I slowly turned away and began to walk off. “They just need time to learn!” Terentius shouted after me. “I think not,” I replied, “Tell Mr. Drake when he wakes up, that if he’s still ready for any challenge I have plenty of rocks waiting for him.” Terentius helped Miles back to his feet as I disappeared into the jungle. Splin sat alone, watching the whole incident as Eva came up next to him. “Mind if I sit here?” She asked. “Not at all,” Splin said, “What’s the deal with Atredious?” “He just misses our father.” “Were you close to him?” “We all took his death hard,” Eva explained, “but Atredious most of all.” “I know how he feels… when my brother died, I directed my anger at my father. I was so convinced that it was his fault that I blinded myself to the real murderer who was right under my nose.” “Anger will always cloud your judgment, even if you have the best of intentions.” “It should’ve been me,” Splin said, “Father was right, I’m not my brother and I never will be. Sometimes I think we’d all be better off if our places had been switched.” “I don’t believe that,” Eva said. “But you never knew James.” “Well, I know you.” Splin smiled and averted his gaze away from Eva. She placed her hand on top of his. “You can’t live your whole life in another man’s shadow, Splin,” Eva said, “You have your good qualities too, and I’m sure you’ll see them before the end.” Splin watched as Eva stood up and walked away, a smile still on his face. Eva walked over to Terentius and Constans who were collecting bamboo sticks for the men to train with. “You guys know we aren’t going to take a city with bamboo.” Eva said. “Yes, we’re going to need to get some real weapons at some point,” Constans answered, “And I think I know just the thing.” “What’s that?” Eva asked. “You remember the items the elders had stored on our shuttle?” Terentius answered, “Well among them was a stockpile of unused lightsabers. If we can find where James hid them before Ajunta…” “I see,” Eva said, “And how do you plan to do that?” “Two of us would have to go ahead and infiltrate the palace,” Constans explained, “It’s a risky mission, but our success depends upon it. Eva, you wouldn’t mind, would you?” “Of course not,” Eva answered, “I’ll leave as soon as possible.” “I’m going too!” Splin suddenly shouted, walking up behind Eva. “Are you sure Splin?” Terentius asked. “I’m sure. This is something I have to do, for myself.” “Very well then. May the force be with you both.”
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Post by philly on Nov 23, 2006 21:47:20 GMT -5
“The force is but a tool; it does not define me.”
~TenkaiChapter Eleven: The Trial of Shadows A dense fog wrapped all around me as I made my way through the maze of dead trees. I gripped the hilt of my lightsaber tightly as I sifted my way through the detritus that covered the ground. The silence was broken when a voice rang out, it seemed to come from everywhere. “A Kumori strikes in silence and leaves no trace of his presence. You must become nothing more then a shadow and a terrible thought!” Two Kumori suddenly emerged from the fog and attacked. I quickly rolled forward and used the force to shove them back from whence they came. Then, two throwing stars shot out of the mist. I ignited my lightsaber and destroyed them both with a single spin. “Well done, Carashi,” through the fog, Anjuu revealed himself. He placed his hands together and the fog slowly lifted. “You truly are a guardian of the seal. Perhaps you are ready.” “For what?” I asked. “For the trial of shadows.” “I am ready to be a shadow.” “I believe you are,” Anjuu said, patting me on the back, “Come with me. Your final test awaits.” Anjuu led me deep into the darkest part of the forest. The bare branches twisted in all sorts of unnatural ways as the trees seemed to loom over us. Finally we came to a large cavern in the cliff face. Something about it sent a wave of terror through me; I could almost hear the low sounds of breathing, as if the cave itself were alive. “This cave, Carashi,” Anjuu said, “Is saturated with both the dark and light sides of the force.” “Dark and light?…” If there was indeed light within this cave, then why did it strike such fear in me? “Yes… the fire allowed you a fleeting glimpse into the soul, now it is time you truly looked into the mirror.” “The mirror… what will I see when I look?” “Only what you take with you,” Anjuu said, “Don’t get me wrong Carashi; you may not like what you see.” I looked away from Anjuu and back down the gullet of the cave. My heart thumped in my chest as I slowly entered. Inside, the cave was pitch black. I felt my way around the damp cavern for what seemed like a long time before finally seeing a light in the distance. As I reached the light, on the other side I came out onto a massive battle field. Both sides wielded lightsabers, slaughtering each other before a grand temple. There was a man in black armor with a long black cape standing with his back to me, watching the battle unfold. “You there!” I shouted, “What’s going on here?” The man did nothing. I walked up behind him and placed my hand on his shoulder when suddenly his head twisted off and rolled down the back of his body, landing at my feet. The face was that of Atredious. I quickly recoiled, the body in black armor still standing with its arms folded across its chest. Slowly I looked back up at the battle and the horrific reality of it set in. The city that I saw burning before me was Coruscant. Suddenly, the body of the man turned to me, a black fog oozed from the neck hole. It spoke to me in the same language as the Kumori, its voice echoing all around my head. “No in atrum; addo vita ut Moujuu…” The armor grabbed a black lightsaber on its belt and ignited a dark core blade that was surrounded be red flames. I ignited my lightsaber as well and charged forward. I swung through the armor, but it was as if I had caught nothing but air. The armor plunged its saber into my stomach, causing me to fall to my knees. The battle scene faded away as everything around me turned dark again. I struggled back to my feet; I didn’t seem to be wounded. “Get a grip, Carashi,” I said to myself, “It’s all in my mind…” I sat back down and tried to center myself. I closed my eyes and had drifted off into a meditative state when suddenly a bright light hit my face. I stood back up, shielding my eyes in amazement at the anomaly. The light slowly took the form of a woman, a woman I knew all too well. “Mother… It can’t be, you’re dead,” I was hardly able to find the words. She was wearing all white and she was younger; how I remembered her as a child. “Yes Carashi, it’s me,” she said. She looked so sad, “I’m so sorry Carashi, I made a terrible mistake. After your father died… I was afraid. It doesn’t excuse what I did…” “Stop,” I interrupted, “What you did was wrong. And however justified my anger was… I should not have let it consume me.” “Can it ever be like it was, Carashi?” She asked me. I looked up and into her eyes. “No. I am Kumori now, and to be Kumori is to be alone. In order to leave my past where it belongs, I must learn to forgive those who have hurt me… and pray for the forgiveness of those whom I’ve hurt.” She smiled at me as the light enveloped her once more. “You have become so strong… my son,” with those words the light faded and I was left once again in the dark. This time, however, the fear was gone. I felt as if there was nothing in the world that could possibly faze me now. * * * After three days and nights within the cavern, I finally reemerged to find Anjuu and the other Kumori waiting for me on the outside. “Congratulations my friend,” Anjuu said, smiling, “You have passed through the darkness and the light, you have traversed the very edges of your soul and have come out on the other side unscathed. Today, you are a shadow.” One of the Kumori handed Anjuu a set of black robes which he then turned and presented to me. “From this day forward you are Carashi of Shadows… guardian of the seal.” “Thank you sir,” I lowered my head and accepted the robes, “It is a great honor… but I still have many questions.” “Heh heh, still eager to learn I see.” “Knowledge and power must act as one if you are to truly become a great warrior.” “How very true,” Anjuu said, “I foresee great things in your future, Carashi of Shadows. For now, you must rest. Tomorrow, you will have your answers. * * * Late that night, I tossed and turned as I slept in my hut in the Kumori village. I was suddenly jolted from my nightmares by the sound of my door banging against the wall in the wind. It must’ve been blown open. A chilling breeze swirled through the room. I got up and put on my new black robes and went to the door. As I was about to close it, something on the air caught my attention. In the distance I could hear the faint sound of someone singing, it sounded like a woman’s voice. As if hypnotized, I left my door wide open and wandered off into the woods toward the source of the singing. Despite the freezing cold of the Chinine night, the heavenly notes I heard filled me with strange warmth that allowed me to press on. Finally I came to a stream. The light of the full moon reflecting off the water gave the forest an eerie glow. That’s where I saw her, long dark brown hair and dressed in gray ninja robes that fit snugly against her body. As she sang, the fireflies all seemed to dance around her. I ducked down behind a tree to listen, the song was in the Kumori’s native language and I didn’t understand a word of it. But nevertheless, it was still incredibly soothing. As I closed my eyes to listen, the singing suddenly stopped. I looked around the tree and saw that the woman was gone. As I swung my head back around, I was met by a katana at my throat. “Isn’t it a little late for you to be spying on young women?” I looked up and saw her holding the katana to my neck. Her blue eyes seemed to glow in the moon light. She was so beautiful. “You…” I knew there was a katana at my neck, but that was all the more I could say. “My name is Raina,” she said, “and you’re a dead man if you don’t tell me what it is you’re doing here.” “No, wait!” I said, “Forgive me, I was just walking through the woods when I heard your singing. Such a beautiful song, I had to see where it was coming from.” She looked at me suspiciously before smiling and removing the katana from my neck. “You’re that new guy, aren’t you?” Raina asked, “The one who crashed in that spaceship.” “Yes,” I said enthusiastically, “I’m Carashi of Shadows.” “Carashi, huh? The others were right, you do carry a lot of pain with you…” “What makes you say that?” I asked. Raina motioned toward the scars on my face. I suddenly became very self-conscious and placed my hand over my mouth. “I had almost forgotten…” I said as I slowly brought my hand back down. “I’m sorry…” “Don’t be,” I said, finally standing up, “All this balance and meditation…I almost forgot who I was.” “Well?” Raina asked, “Who are you?” “Wha?...” the question caught me off guard, “Well…I don’t know. I guess…I never really knew.” “Heh, you’ll fit right in here.” Raina said with a big smile, “If you’ll excuse me, I really must be going.” Raina turned and began to leave. I started after her before catching myself. “Wait!” I shouted, “That song… what does it mean?” Raina just continued to smile at me and turned back around. As she walked off she continued to sing her song. It echoed hauntingly through the night air as she disappeared from sight.
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Post by philly on Nov 29, 2006 1:57:44 GMT -5
“And all who take up the sword in the name of Lucias shall set aside their emotion in the name of peace. A warrior abandons all thoughts of ignorance and opens his mind to knowledge. In the heat of battle his hand is stayed, passion becomes serenity. Amid the chaos of war the champions of Lucias shall find harmony. For the Jedi there is no death, there is only the force.”
~Excerpt from the Book of LuciasChapter Twelve: Return of the Jedi The labyrinth of the elder temple would seem a paradise when compared to the hell which I have endured these past few days. Lingering here in the wild, training these witless men to master the force, and for what? To conquer, to kill? Or maybe to simply satisfy Terentius’ longings for a golden age long forgotten. The return of the Jedi is what he calls these men, these pirates. And I cannot think of a more vicious insult to such honored warriors. The Jedi were the champions of Lucias, the great guardians of Terresta, and the shining sons of all Luminos. That Terentius would invoke their name when referring to these… humans, it’s unfathomable. But so he does, and the more I watch the more I find myself thinking of Father and of home… and of the promise I had made to him. My heart became heavy with the thought of giving these humans such power; my siblings were beginning to forget. To forget the smell of the air as the sun’s first light poured over Megiddo, to forget the words of Lucias and his warnings against the wicked hearts of men, to forget our Father… and his dream. It was a hot and sticky morning, just like all the others, when I awoke to the sounds of bamboo clacking together and of Terentius shouting directions. I picked myself up and made my way into the clearing. The men sat and watched as Terentius demonstrated several sword techniques with Miles Drake, who still bore a mark on his forehead. I couldn’t help but chuckle. Then I noticed Constans sitting alone, away from the crowd jotting something down on a sheet of paper. I casually walked up beside him and peered over his shoulder. “Busy, brother?” I asked. “I see you’ve decided to grace us with your presence today Atredious,” Constans said, never looking up from his paper, “Are you going to help, or have you come to complain some more?” “Help? Help what? When the time comes, I will fight, but I will not be a part of this. Do you not see at all what is going on here? Have you already forgotten the teachings of Lucias?” “Atredious…” Constans sighed, he stopped his writing and stared forward at Terentius and Miles, “I have not forgotten, but the corruption of the elder council has caused me to reconsider some things.” “What are you saying?” As Constans paused I quickly glanced down at what he had written: The Jedi Code: There is no emotion, there is peace; There is no ignorance, there is knowledge; There is no passion, there is serenity; There is no chaos, there is harmony; There is no death, there is the force. “I’m saying that it was a lie, Atredious. The Elder Council could’ve easily manipulated the contents of those texts.” “I don’t believe that,” I said with emotion welling in my eyes and my voice, “and Father did not believe that.” “He was deceived, we all were,” Constans said, finally turning to look at me, “Look, you don’t have to help if you don’t want to. Just remember, Terentius, Eva, and I, we’re on your side.” I turned away from Constans and began scanning the crowd. “I know… hey, where is Eva anyway?” “Terentius sent her into the city to recover our weapons from Ajunta’s forces.” “What!?” I shouted back, “He sent her in there alone? What could he be thinking?” Constans avoided my gaze, I immediately knew there was something he wasn’t telling me. “What is it?” I asked staring through him, “Tell me!” “She’s… not alone,” Constans finally uttered, “Splin went with her.” With Constans’ words I abruptly straightened up. How could Terentius do something so stupid? And Eva… So many thoughts raced through my mind in anger that I was unable to respond. I collected myself and stormed off into the jungle. “Where are you going!?” Constans shouted after me. “To find my sister,” I replied. * * * By the rubble of the west tower a legion of Libertas quietly march past. After they have disappeared from sight, out of the brush Splin and Eva immerge and make for the city. Splin climbs to the top of the rubble and helps Eva over as the two make their way into the streets of Coruscant, streets that Ajunta Pall has constantly patrolled by the Libertas. “Alright,” Splin said, crouching behind a building and leaning around the corner to check for more guards, “It looks as if they have the army spread out across the city. That’ll make things easier inside the palace, but getting there is going to be the real trick.” “The sun will set in a few hours,” Eva said, “Don’t you think we should wait for the cover of darkness before we make for the palace?” Splin stood up and looked at Eva with a smile on his face. “You’re probably right,” Splin turned to the building he was leaning against and began to examine the outer wall. He then noticed one of the shattered windows. Splin quickly walked over and peered inside. “Perfect!” He said turning back to Eva. “What is it?” “Looks like an abandoned warehouse of some sort, we should be able to hide here until dusk.” Splin looked both ways down the street before unsheathing his katana and bashing in the glass of the window with the sword’s hilt. He examined the frame to make sure there was no loose glass. “After you my dear,” Splin said, lowering his head and gesturing toward the window. “Thank you, sir,” Eva answered with a smirk on her face. She climbed into the window and Splin followed after her. Inside, the warehouse was massive; the floor was littered with large objects covered by white sheets. It was dark and dusty; only a few beams of light soaked through the thick glass windows and cast a dull glow about the room. “What is all this stuff?” Eva asked, patting one of the white sheets creating a large cloud of dust. “No… it couldn’t be…” Splin approached one of the objects and lifted the sheet. His eyes suddenly lit up. “What is it!?” Eva asked impatiently. “A ship, one of the fighters from the royal fleet, my father must’ve stored these away here years ago... the Libertas probably have no idea they’re here.” “Maybe we could use them,” Eva suggested, “I’ve always wanted to fly…” “Heh, heh,” Splin began to laugh to himself. “What’s so funny?” “You want to fly? Well I could teach you someday, I’m not a bad pilot myself.” “I’d like that,” Eva smiled at Splin as he coyly looked away. “Eva… there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you…” Splin said, fumbling with his words. “Yes?” Eva looked inquisitively at Splin as he struggled to avoid her gaze. “Umm, well uhh… I was wondering if…” Splin’s eyes locked with Eva’s and suddenly his will weakened, “if you would help me with my force training?” Eva leaned back with a half disappointed look on her face that Splin was too frazzled to even notice. “Of course I can,” Eva said softly, “What is it you want to know?” * * * Back in the jungle, the sun begins to set on yet another day as Terentius wraps up the days training by addressing the men. “Rest now gentlemen, your training has been arduous, and tomorrow you may be called upon to fight,” Terentius paused for a moment, scanning the faces in the crowd before him, “Back on my home planet, Terresta, we called the defenders of peace and justice Jedi Knights. The elders used to tell us, ‘No one can kill a Jedi,’ well men, I’m sorry to say, that is not true. A Jedi can be killed… but what you stand for, peace and justice… nothing can kill that. Understand, we do not go into that city as conquerors, we go as liberators.” The men were quiet, not one dared to utter a word. Terentius smiled and lowered his head. “Sleep. The time is coming.” Terentius walked off and the crowd dispersed. As Terentius began to collect up some of the loose bamboo sticks, he was approached by Constans. “Quite the speech,” Constans said, “But do you think they are ready? With such little training they may be more of a danger to themselves then to the enemy.” “They’ll be alright,” Terentius said, leaning the bamboo sticks up against a tree, “They already have a connection to the force from their training with Carashi, all they need now is to hone their skills.” “Terentius, for even the best of Jedi it would take years for them to properly hone their skills, and even then victory was not assured.” “You’re starting to sound like Atredious, you worry too much brother.” Constans’ face went blank. He reached into his cloak and pulled out the paper he had been working on earlier. “What’s this?” Terentius asked. “They can kill the men, but not the idea,” Constans handed the paper to Terentius and walked off. Terentius read the page, a subdued sort of smile about him. * * * As darkness fell over Coruscant, the sound of the Libertas marching became more and more prevalent. The light of the moon seeped in through the shattered glass casting long haunting shadows across the warehouse floor. Silently Eva craned her head about out the window, looking for passing guards as Splin stood patiently behind her. “The moon is so bright,” Eva said staring mystified into the sky, “Even with all the haze that covers this city… its light still shines through…” “It hasn’t always been that way,” Splin said. Eva took her attention off the moon and turned to Splin. “What do you mean?” “There was a time when we were unable to see the light,” Splin looked off over Eva’s shoulder and out the window, “When the thick smog that I had built up over my head blinded me from the beauty of the rest of the universe…” “And what changed that?” Splin looked back down at Eva. “Do you not know?” Splin felt his will weakening again as he stared into her deep green eyes, but this time he did not hesitate, “Since the day I first saw you I have been unable to get you off of my mind. Where before there were only thoughts of grief and sorrow, for my brother, and my father… now there is light, there’s hope. And whenever I look at the full moon, I can feel it.” Through every word, Splin’s eyes had not left Eva’s. As he finally turned to look away, Eva lurched forward into his arms. Both of them stared at one another, slowly they leaned in closer, their lips almost touching when suddenly they were thrust apart by the sound of shattering glass. All around them the windows were being punched in by Libertas guards. “How could they have found us so quickly!?” Splin shouted. “I don’t know, but we’d better find an exit, fast!” Suddenly the sound of glass ceased and an eerie calm spread over the two captives. Then the silence was broken by torches being hurled through the open windows. “They’re trying to smoke us out,” Splin said, “Looks like they want a fight.” Eva extended her hand and summoned her lightsaber from her belt, igniting its green blade. “They want one; they’ve got one.”
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Post by philly on Nov 30, 2006 2:40:07 GMT -5
“Long ago, when the gods gave birth to the planets and the stars, the first life was created, and thus the force came to be. These angelic beings, or the Intangibles as they have come to be known, had been blessed by the gods with an immortal soul and with immense power. The gods had given them everything, but still it was not enough. The Intangibles’ lust and greed drove them into darkness, to betray the very masters who had created them. Lost and starved of power, the Intangibles were banished by the gods, doomed to live with their hunger for all time.”
~Kumori LegendChapter Thirteen: The Shadow of the Mountain The next morning I awoke feeling lighter then air. It was as if all the weight, all my cares and troubles had been lifted away and I was only left with sound of her beautiful voice serenading me inside my head. I strolled out of my hut and into the forest, admiring every branch of every tree along the way. Finally I came to the clearing where I agreed to meet Anjuu, he sat meditating on a tree stump as the sounds of my footsteps drew his attention. “Ah… Carashi, you seem to be in high spirits. Are you ready, my friend?” “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, inhaling a deep breath of the morning air, “It’s a beautiful day for training!” “Excellent. Well since you already are experienced in the force, I’ve decided to place you in my advanced class. The other students will be along shortly.” No sooner did the old man say it then did another Kumori emerge from the trees. This guy was built, tall and muscular with short gray hair; he wore a black sleeveless shirt with black pants. I watched him as he made his way toward Anjuu. “Good morning, Senshi,” Anjuu said to the man, “I hope your trip was productive,” “Good morning, master,” Senshi replied, “It was, and I’m more then ready for action,” “Oh, Carashi! Pardon me, where are my manners?” Anjuu turned to me and beckoned me to come closer. I did so hesitantly, “Carashi of Shadows, meet Senshi of Shadows, my top student. He has spent the last three months training alone in the mountains.” “A pleasure to meet you, Carashi,” Senshi said with a smug smirk on his face, “I’ve heard a lot about you,” “Funny,” I replied, “I haven’t heard much about you,” I extended my hand to shake his, but he simple turned away. “Well that doesn’t really surprise me,” Senshi said, running his hand through his hair, “All that flashy stuff isn’t really my thing, doesn’t seem very Kumori-like to me. Although, I’m sure it works for someone like you.” I began to get the feeling that I wasn’t going to like this guy. The good mood I was in to start the day was almost completely wasted until I heard a familiar voice coming from the woods. “Daddy, I’m here! Sorry, I’m late!” Raina emerged from the trees and ran up besides Anjuu. Suddenly I had forgotten all about that jerk Senshi and found myself entranced once again. “No worries my dear,” Anjuu said, “I just wish you’d tell me where it is you go all night,” “I told you Daddy, training.” “Yes, yes… oh, Carashi. I’d like you to meet my daughter,” “Raina…” The word came from my lips almost subconsciously and Anjuu stared at me, puzzled. “Oh… you’ve met?” I suddenly snapped back to my senses. “Umm well, yes. Briefly.” “It’s good to see you again, Carashi,” Raina said smiling at me. As quickly as I had come back to my senses I found myself stupefied once more. “Yes well!” Anjuu interrupted, “Let’s get down to business, shall we? You’re fist test today shall be a test of endurance. Your task; a race to the top of the mountain… using no shadow teleportation.” “What!?” I shook myself out of my stupor after hearing what Anjuu had said, “You want me to race up a mountain against this guy!?” “What’s wrong Carashi?” Raina asked playfully, “Don’t think you can make it?” “Umm, well that’s not what I meant!” I shouted back, desperately trying to think of someway to regain my dignity, “Uhh, all I meant was that perhaps we should give Senshi a head start, because I’ve been climbing mountains since I could crawl!” I winced at the sound of my own words, watching the others’ blank expressions. “Is that a fact?” Senshi asked. “Umm… maybe?” “Very well then,” Anjuu said, “Senshi and Raina shall begin now, and Carashi in an hour.” “What!? Wait, no!” My whole plan was exploding in my face. Send Raina out alone into the wilderness with this walking bicep? “Is something the matter?” Anjuu asked. I watched helplessly as Senshi put his arm around Raina and the two walked off into the woods toward the mountain together. “Nothing…” I sighed. I gathered myself up and sat down on the tree stump. It was going to be a long hour. * * * Later that day I found myself hiking alone through the woods, muttering angrily. The thought of Raina and Senshi, together, laughing at me made my blood boil. I had just reached the foot of the mountain when in the distance I heard someone cry out for help. I followed the cries until I came to a river where a young man clung to a tree branch amid the raging current sweeping by him. “Please, somebody help me!” the boy cried out. “Hang in there kid! I’m coming!” I frantically scanned the shoreline for something I could use. There was a tree, half uprooted, leaning out over the river. I extended my hand and used the force to push it into the water, its roots still clinging to the shore. I jumped up onto the trunk and navigated my way out to where the boy was stranded. “Give me your hand,” I said to the boy, extending mine, “Come on, this tree is perfectly safe.” The boy gave me his hand and I pulled him out of the river and onto the trunk of the tree. Just then, it began to uproot. Without hesitation I grabbed the boy and performed a force jump back toward the land just as the tree detached and was washed down stream. The boy stood up and began ringing out his black robes. He was of medium height, if not a little short with spiky black hair and dark eyes. “Whew,” I said struggling to catch my breath, “That was a close one, wasn’t it? How’d you get out there anyway?” “I was hiding up in tree when the branch broke and I fell in,” the boy explained, “Thanks for saving me, Mr. …” “It’s Carashi.” “Carashi… hey, aren’t you that freaky guy from outer space!?” “Yep,” I sighed, “That’s me…” “Cool!” the boy said, staring at me in fascination, “Is it true you can shoot lasers out of your hands?” “No… it’s called a lightsaber. Look kid, I’m sort of in the middle of a race right now, so if you’re alright, I really should get moving.” “A race, huh? Can I come with?” “How old are you?” I asked. “Seventeen… why?” “I think you should go home to your parents… umm… what did you say your name was?” “Oh, I’m Jack. Jack Razor.” “Jack Razor… well Jack, you’re going to have to be in top shape to keep up with me because I’m climbing all the way to the top of that mountain.” “So? I climb that mountain every week,” Jack said, “Only an idiot could get lost climbing that thing, ha ha ha ha!” “Yeah,” I muttered, “And I guess it takes a genius to fall in a river…” “What was that?” “Nothing. Come on kid, we’re way behind.” “Oh really,” Jack said with his arms folded across his chest, “Well I just happen to know a short cut…” I stopped in my place and slowly turned back to Jack. “What did you say?” “A short cut to the top of the mountain, come on, follow me!” Jack smiled and ran off into the woods. With a deep breath, I gathered up my supplies and followed after him. * * * The sun was growing lower and lower in the sky as I continued to follow Jack through the woods and up the mountain side. Finally we came to a fork in the trail. Jack suddenly paused in front of me. “Well,” I said impatiently, “Which way is it?” “Left…” Jack said reluctantly, “No, wait! Right!... I think…” I was not amused. I stared at Jack as if I could kill him, and I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have. “What do you mean, ‘you think’? I thought you climbed this mountain every week!” “Hey, easy there chief; okay, so I may have embellished a tad, it’s all good though, I’m 70% sure it’s right.” “Great!” I shouted, throwing my arms up into the air, “I’ve been following you for five hours now and you don’t even know where we are! Now I’ll never beat that meat head to the top of the mountain.” “Hey, what are you getting so upset about?” Jack asked, “You’re a shadow right?” “Yeah…” “Well why don’t you just use your shadow arts and teleport yourself to the top?” “Because…” I answered, “That would be cheating…” “So?” The kid may have been annoying, but he had a good point. “You know what? You’re right! I’m not gonna sit back and let Senshi hog all of the glory! I’m gonna win it for her!” “Her?” Jack asked, “Her who?” “Err umm… no one. Come on, let’s go.” I grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled him into the shadows with me. Then slowly we both disappeared. * * * On the mountain’s summit, Anjuu sat quietly atop a rock as Jack and I emerged from the woods. He didn’t seem too terribly surprised to see me so early, or that I had picked up some company. “Well!” I boasted, “I don’t see Senshi anywhere! I guess I beat him handily.” “Senshi? Oh no, he and Raina arrived over an hour ago,” Anjuu said, “They got tired of waiting for you so they went off into the woods together. They should be returning any minute now.” My jaw dropped, I couldn’t believe it. Just as I thought the pounding in my head couldn’t possibly get any worse, Jack spoke again. “Senshi and…. Raina, eh?” Jack said, smiling at me and nudging me with his elbow, “Friends of yours?” “And who might this be?” Anjuu asked. “This is Jack Razor.” “I fell into the river,” Jack interrupted, “I would’ve drown if Carashi hadn’t stopped to save me.” “Indeed? Impressive Carashi,” Anjuu said, “Jack Razor you say? Odd, I do not recall anyone by that name in the village…” “I like to keep a low profile,” Jack replied, never losing the smirk on his face. “Hey, look who finally showed up!” From down below I saw Senshi and Raina approaching. “Carashi!” Raina shouted, “You made it!” “Heh, yeah well… I just got a little held up,” I answered, rubbing the back of my head. “Nothing a tough guy like you couldn’t handle I assume,” Senshi shot back. “Cut it out, Senshi,” Raina said. “Well, now that we’re all here,” Anjuu started, “We can begin the final test for today.” “Final… test?” I asked. “The duel,” Anjuu answered, “Carashi vs. Senshi.” “As you wish master,” Senshi said lowering his head. Jack walked up beside me and whispered into my ear. “You think you can take this guy? He’s huge.” “Don’t worry about me,” I answered, “Just watch.” I stepped forward and smiled at Senshi who quickly unsheathed his katana. I nodded my head and Senshi suddenly rushed forward, swinging and slicing his blade at me as fast as he could. I bobbed and weaved, dodging his every advance, he then came across with a horizontal blow that I ducked under. Then, all in one motion, I spun around and unsheathed my own katana, slashing it by Senshi. He paused for a moment, checking himself for injuries only to have his shirt come apart. “Whoa,” Jack leaned over to Raina, “Carashi’s good…” “Yeah…” She answered, still focused on the battle. “Enough!” Senshi shouted in anger, “No more games, fight me!” “Are you sure?” I asked. “This is a duel isn’t it? Give me your best shot!” “Very well…” I lowered my head and beckoned Senshi to attack. As he came at me, I dodged to the side as fast as I could, then spun around and force pushed him into a tree. He hit with such velocity that he bounced right back off, I grabbed him by the hair and placed my katana to his neck. “Game.” I said. I could hear Anjuu clapping behind me. “Very good,” He said, “Perhaps someday when I’m gone, you will be the chieftain of the Kumori.” “Where did you learn to do that?” Jack asked. “Terresta…” “Terresta?” Jack said curiously. “It’s a long story,” I answered. “Yes well, that is all for today,” Anjuu said, “I will help Senshi back to the village, I expect to see the rest of you back here first thing tomorrow morning.” “Even me!?” Jack asked. “Yes,” Anjuu sighed, “If you must.” It was getting dark, and the cold was starting to set in. We all headed off in our separate directions. As I made my way down the mountain I gazed up into the sky as the first stars of the night began to appear. “Beautiful, aren’t they,” I heard her voice behind me. I immediately stopped and spun around to find Raina standing there. “Excuse me,” I said. “The stars…” Raina said, staring up at the sky, “Although I’m sure they don’t seem like anything special to you, having traveled so far.” “No, I agree…” “You don’t mind if I walk with you, do you?” “Of course not!” I shouted back, quickly adjusting the volume of my voice, “By all means…” We began to walk down the mountain together, so many thoughts rushed through my head but I still couldn’t think of anything to say. Finally she broke the silence. “That was an… interesting match you had, how did you do that?” “I’ve had a lot of time to practice,” I answered. The painful memories of training alone and fighting off the elder guards suddenly flooded back over me. “What happened to you?” Raina asked. She reached out to touch my scarred face, but I quickly pulled away. “I’d rather not talk about it…” I said. I wanted to tell her, but I just didn’t know how. It was in the past, and some things are better left that way. “You know, you’re not the only one who’s been through hard times,” She said. I perked up and turned to her. “Do you want to talk about it?” I asked. “Not quite yet,” She said with a smile, “Well I guess this is where we part ways…” “But, the village is that way.” “I’m not going back to the village,” Raina quickly leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek that stopped me in my tracks. “Goodnight, Carashi of Shadows,” As Raina walked off into the woods, she began to sing again. I continued to watch her with my hand pressed up against my cheek until she disappeared from sight. * * * Elsewhere on Chinine, a dark sanctum sat in the midst of a foggy marsh. Tall deformed trees grow all around it with long sheets of moss hanging from their branches. A shadowy figure lurked through the night and entered the sanctum. On the inside he came to a room lined with candles that provided very little light. The figure in black robes walked through the room and knelt before an altar. From the shadows behind the altar, another man emerged, as if from nowhere. He was dressed in all black armor and wore a skull shaped mask over his face. “I have returned, my Lord Shokun,” The shadowy figure slowly pulled back his hood. It was Jack Razor. “Excellent, and what news have you of the off worlder?” Shokun asked. “The blood of Akari does indeed flow through his veins.” “How can you be certain?” “I have seen him fight,” Jack answered, “Such powerful and elegant use of the force, only the seal can do that.” “Why did you not simply kill him?” Shokun asked. “I do not think that would be very prudent, my lord. His strength is too great; I could not have taken such a risk.” “What do you suggest then?” “We will have to find an alternative method,” Jack said, “There are more ways to destroy a man then simply attacking him outright…” “Good, see that it’s done,” Shokun answered, “This ‘Carashi’ could be the one we’ve been looking for; the last remnant of Lucias. At long last justice shall be done upon the enemies of Anemos!” “The Kumori are weak and unprepared,” Jack said, “They are ready to fall…”
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Post by philly on Dec 16, 2006 20:55:38 GMT -5
“Woe unto he who holds the memory of the dead in higher reverence then the fate of the living; for it is he who shall see the legacy of his fathers fade, and the light fail.”
~Excerpt from the Book of LuciasChapter Fourteen: Fallen Angel In the dark recesses of the jungle, I navigated my way through the night and toward Coruscant. My every thought dwelling on my sister, alone with that human; every passing second filled me with rage. “Filthy Human,” I thought to myself, “I swear if he so much as touches her…” if he touches her then what? Kill them? Kill them both? No, I couldn’t. Could I? My mind drifted in and out of the possible scenarios, fantastic and horrific as they may have been, but at the time, perfectly rational. Finally I came to the clearing just before the city’s walls; smoke was rising from within. My gut told me that where there’s smoke, there’s Eva. I immediately unclipped my lightsaber from my belt and rushed into the city. * * * The warehouse in downtown Coruscant stood enveloped in flames. Outside it is surrounded on all sides by the Libertas. Suddenly a massive explosion tore a hole in the front of the building, knocking the soldiers back. From within the inferno, a man wielding a katana rose to his feet and rushed out toward the disheveled Libertas. Splin leapt up into the air and attacked, thrusting his sword downward into the nearest soldier. The other Libertas quickly swarmed upon him only to be knocked aside by a wave of the force from Eva who also emerged from the burning building. She and Splin stood back to back as the Libertas reorganized themselves. “Well… looks like this is it,” Splin said, “At least we can die with honor.” “Don’t say that,” Eva answered, “Can you still not see it?” Splin looked up into the sky, straining to see past the thick plumes of smoke rising from the warehouse. A small break in the ash allowed the slightest ray of moonlight to escape and catch Splin’s eye. He smiled. “Come on!” Splin shouted, “We can still make it to the palace… together,” Splin raised his katana over his head and with a loud war cry, rushed forward into the mass of armor and steel before him; Eva not hesitating to follow after him. The two sliced and cut their way down the main street of Coruscant that led directly to the palace steps. As they advanced forward the Libertas just kept on coming, one after another until it became almost useless to fight. Splin and Eva made a desperate dash for the palace gates. Eva extended her hand and used the force to break open the gates. As she and Splin passed beyond them, Eva spun back around quickly used the force to reseal them, knocking over one of the courtyard statues to brace the gates. “That should hold them for now, but they’ll find another way,” Eva said, “Quickly, we must hurry!” Splin nodded and the two of them rushed up the palace steps and disappeared inside. * * * It was still dark in the camp when Terentius sounded the wake up call. The men stumbled out of their shelters and into the clearing where Terentius and Constans were already waiting. “Gentlemen!” Terentius shouted through the thick morning air, “The time has come, we can delay no longer. Coruscant needs us now!” “What about our weapons?” Miles asked. The others began to murmur in agreement. “Your weapons are in the process of being procured,” Constans answered, “But we cannot wait; smoke has been rising from the city for hours now… I fear the worst has happened.” “You are Jedi Knights,” Terentius said, “The force shall be your means of defense. Now form up, we march to Coruscant!” The Jedi all formed ranks behind Terentius and Constans and they began their march into the jungle. * * * In the shadows of the palace, Splin and Eva snuck past the guards who seemed to be oblivious to the goings on outside. Splin led Eva down a long set of winding stone stairs and into the palace vault. “This is it,” Splin said pushing open the wooden door, “This is where father kept all of his most prized possessions. My guess is your lightsabers are in here.” Inside the vault was all manner of junk piled high and deep. The walls were lined with shelves where books and trinkets had been incoherently placed. The entire room was coated in a layer of dust as if it hadn’t been touched in ages. “Look at all this junk,” Eva said, “This could take years!” “Years we don’t have, my dear,” Splin answered, “What did the container that you kept the weapons in look like?” “It was a chest… from the elder temple. It would have had the elder seal emblazon on it in gold.” “The elder seal?” Splin asked. “The sun rising over a battlefield strewn over with the corpses of the dead; it is supposed to symbolize Lucias’ rise from the darkness, freeing the Luminos from death.” Splin looked all around him and began tossing random things off of one of the junk piles. Eva slowly closed her eyes. “What are you doing?” Splin asked, “Give me hand here,” “The lightsabers contain crystals with special properties… perhaps I could feel them through the force…” All around her the room was cold and dead, there was little for Eva to feel. But suddenly something caught her attention and Eva opened her eyes. Splin watched as she made her way to the back of the room to a chest covered by red cloth. Eva whipped the cloth aside to reveal the glimmering golden emblem. “Look at that…” Splin said gazing into the brilliantly crafted seal. Eva slowly pushed open the lid of the chest. “Some of them are missing….” “Looking for something?” Splin and Eva spun around at the sound of the voice behind them to see Ajunta Pall standing at the vault’s entrance. Eva ignited her lightsaber. “Wait!” Splin shouted, “Let me handle this.” “But Splin, he’s too strong. There’s little chance you could beat him alone…” Splin turned to Eva with a smile on his face. “Don’t worry Eva, I don’t need to hope anymore.” Eva turned off her lightsaber and nodded, “Toss me one of those,” Eva reached into the chest and tossed up a saber that Splin grabbed out of the air, a blue blade shot out from the hilt. “I’ve waited a long time for this, Splin,” Ajunta said as he reached into his robe, producing a lightsaber of his own. Upon igniting it the room around him turned blood red. “At last the house of the great James Cell will fall.” “Eva!” Splin shouted, “Take the weapons and go! I’ll hold him off.” Splin quickly extended his hand and with power he didn’t even realize he had, knocked one of the junk piles toward Ajunta. He raised his hand and stopped all of the objects in mid air. “Is that all you’ve got?” Ajunta swung his arm back across his body and the objects came flying back at Splin. He managed to dodge most of them only to have a large crate coming right at his head. Suddenly Eva leapt in front of Splin and ignited her lightsaber, slicing the crate in two. “Thanks,” Splin said, “Now go!” Splin quickly turned around to find Ajunta standing over him. He desperately fought off Ajunta’s advances as he swung his lightsaber at him. In the midst of the chaos, Eva picked up the chest and headed up the stairs. When she finally reached the top she was surprised to find the palace completely empty. Pressing onward, Eva continued to carry the weapons to the entrance. However, outside she no longer could hear the sounds of the guards banging at the gate… only silence. As Eva emerged onto the palace steps, she froze. Dropping the chest, her eyes scanned over the scene before her in horror. Bodies were strewn all about the courtyard, most of which were in several pieces. Libertas were skewered on the fence posts and the gates lay twisted and broken on the ground. The light of the setting sun caused the entire courtyard to glow red. Finally she saw me, crouching atop one of the statues in the courtyard that remained standing. I leapt down and onto the steps before, unable to hide the blood that stained my robes. “Atredious?...” Eva whispered in a voice that seemed almost afraid. “Where is he,” I responded as I examined her. I could smell his stink all over her. “Where is who?” She answered, still a bit overwhelmed by the graphic scene before her. “Don’t give me that,” I snapped back, “You know damn well who! Where is Splin?” I thought that seeing my sister would calm me down, but it only made things worse. That she would try to hide this from me; she knew what she was doing, she knew what it would mean, but she was doing it anyway. At that moment I hoped with all of my heart that Splin was still alive, so that I may have the pleasure of finishing him myself. “Splin is still inside,” Eva finally answered, “But why are you here?” “I’ve come for you, now let’s go!” “No, wait!” She shouted, “You can take the weapons, but I have to go back and help Splin!” “Forget him, Eva. He’s only a human, it’s not worth risking your life over. Now let’s go!” “I can’t leave him!” “Why the hell not!?” “Because I love him!” Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, the wind was suddenly knocked out of me. “Y-you… love him?” I gasped. Eva quickly turned away from me, tears in her eyes. My face twisted under the pressure as I struggled to contain my rage. “How?” I asked, “How could you? How could you dishonor our father like this? A human? Do you care nothing for his dream?” “What dream!?” Eva suddenly shouted back, “That’s all it ever was Atredious… a dream. We have a chance to make things right now… to do what our father couldn’t. He would not have wanted us to follow down the same path he took.” “No!” I yelled, “You don’t understand him, none of you did! You all thought he was a fool, you didn’t even believe him when he tried to save you from your own deaths! I made a promise… and that’s all I have left. I will fulfill my oath, no matter what it takes.” “What are you talking about Atredious? Father and all the other Luminos… they’re dead. How many more have to die to see this impossible dream come true?” “As many as it takes…” With my words suddenly Splin came limping out onto the steps. His leg was cut up badly and his left arm was pressed up against his chest. Eva quickly ran over to him, helping him stand up straight. “Splin!” Eva shouted, “Are you alright, what happened?” “Ajunta, he… what the hell happened out here?” “Judgment,” I answered. As Splin looked over at me the fear in his eyes filled me with a sense of power unlike anything I had ever felt before. I saw that he was clutching a lightsaber in his hand, “So… you think you’re a Jedi Knight?” “Atredious, don’t,” Eva pleaded, but still I ignored her. I ignited my lightsaber and began to walk toward him. “You think that just because you can perform a few cheap tricks, play with a lightsaber and violate my sister, that that makes you a Jedi?” “What are you talking about, Atredious?” Splin asked, “I thought you’d understand…” “Oh no, I do. It is you who fails to understand… the universe belongs to the Luminos, and all who do not believe as such shall meet the wrath of the almighty Lucias himself!” “It doesn’t have to be like this, Atredious,” Splin said, “Why are you doing this?” “Because that was the last wish of a dying man.” With that I raised my saber to the air. Eva lurched forward to grab my arm, but I quickly grabbed her and threw her aside. Then, I plunged my saber deep into his chest. I watched as he fell to the ground and struggled for breath. I watched as my sister ran over to him and wept over him, then kissed him. I watched all of this, but still I felt nothing. The pain was still there, the anger had only grown worse. “Splin!” Eva shouted as she cradled him in her arms, “Splin, don’t go! Please, don’t go!” “Eva…” Splin choked out, his eyes fixated upward on the moon in the young night sky, “It’s ok…” “Splin… you can’t go… I love you,” “I… love you too… thank you,” Eva kissed Splin one last time and laid his head down on the ground. As she continued to weep uncontrollably I walked up behind her. “Atredious!” The voice stopped me. I turned to see Terentius standing at the palace gates with Constans and the so called Jedi. Eva stood up and ran down the steps into Terentius’ arms. As he tried to console her, Constans scanned the area around him, finally stopping on me standing over the body of Splin. “What did you do Atredious?” He asked me. “He did what had to be done!” From behind me Ajunta Pall emerged from the darkness. He walked up to Splin and kicked the lightsaber away from his hand, and then slowly he turned to me. “I told you,” he said, “Didn’t I? They cannot be trusted. Only you have the power to rule over Coruscant.” I stared at him for a moment, not saying anything. Then I turned my attention back to Constans. “It ends now, brother,” I shouted, “Either you will join with me and rule over these people… or you will choose to bind your fate to theirs… and be destroyed.” Ajunta smiled grimly behind me as Constans stared back with a stoic disposition. “That is how you feel?” he asked. I answered by raising my lightsaber and Ajunta then ignited his as well, “Then I’m sorry, brother… Father forgive us.”
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