the darkest sky (chapters 1-6 no revisions)

8/6/2019 The Darkest Sky (Chapters 1-6 No Revisions)

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The Darkest Sky

True Origins

By Joshua Burton

Tell me what you regard as your greatest strength, so I will know how best to undermine you; tell me ofyour greatest fear, so I will know which I must force you to face; tell me what you cherish most, so I will

know what to take from you; and tell me what you crave, so that I might deny you -Darth Plagueis


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Chapter 1

The Boy without a Soul

They say when a newborn comes into the Galaxy, the Force

sheds a single tear into his or her soul. The thing they dont

tell you is what happens when that newborn doesnt have one.

What could have been one of the greatest goods in the Galaxy,

will only be known as the one who took the path of darkness.

This was the one who could never die, but also the one who could

never truly live. This is that boys story

The most vivid vision has always been stuck in his head,

the image of death and destruction. All he could see is his

mother being slaughtered and all of his friends being torn

apart. The worst part about his visions, were that he had no

clue who was doing these things. He would warn his mother every

day of the dangers ahead, but to no avail. He would scream in

his dreams, and become uncontrollable during his training


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sessions. Every day he tried to manage his powers and visions,

but every time he tried to suppress them, they fought back with

more ferocity. The sheer power would scar his thoughts every

night, while during the day he lost all focus on his training.

Tonight was one of those horrible nights. The ones where he

dreamt of death, and could not awaken from his slumber. He began

to scream again in his dormitory, tearing his sheets and clawing

at the air. His eyes began to twitch and roll as his back arched

to the full extent he could move. His spine began to crackle and

break, but he would not awaken from his slumber. His screams

only got louder with each minute of visions he experienced. He

continued to thrash around his bed and scratch his face and

body. He would leave permanent marks of claws around his face

and chest. He finally became quiet and his body slowly retracted

back into a normal state of slumber. His eyes finally opened

after a few minutes of rest, and after he gained his composure,

he rose to an upright position.

He tried to hunch over, but his spine began to pulse pain

and he cringed with overwhelming pain. He braced his back with

his right arm and leaned against the wall next to his bed. His

eyes were not filled with hatred or sadness, but filled with the

void. All he could think to himself was how he could not

understand how he could not feel anything emotionally about his

visions. He resolved his thoughts and turned his head towards


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the window. He slid out of bed, continuing to brace his spine

and limped over to the window. It was still the night time, and

as he looked outside, he just saw a few Jedi Knights patrolling

the grounds. He stared into the sky before returning to his bed.

He laid down, trying to ignore the pain of his back, and closed

his eyes.

The boys eyes began to open and the light from the outside

leaked into them. He covered his eyes with his right arm to

block the sunlight, and looked to his right. He noticed he

forgot to set an alarm on his datapad and was late to his

morning meditation training. He quickly put on his Jedi Padawan

robes and rushed out the door. He realized he forgot his

lightsaber and turned around and pulled his lightsaber to his

hand using the force. He continued to run down the hallway of

the Academy and stopped abruptly half way to the elevator. My

back doesnt hurt anymore. he thought to himself. He touched

his spine as much as he could and noticed that all his scarring

from the previous night was gone.

His eyes stared off as he tried to understand the events of

the previous night before snapping back to reality. He continued

to rush to the elevator and got in, hitting the button to go to

his destination. As he arrived at the room for training, he

fixed his appearance and cracked his knuckles. He walked in the

room, noticing his fellow padawans were in their trances


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already. Jedi Master Kantor looked over at him and slightly

smirked.

Hello Dalagrath, did you wake up late again? he said

while chuckling. Dalagraths face became upset as he walked over

to his spot and sat down. No, I was just busy learning a new

technique. he responded.

Oh? Would you like to demonstrate this new technique of

yours? the Jedi Master stated with a curious look. Dalagrath

ignored the masters voice and began to meditate.

As Dalagrath opened his eyes, he saw nothing but darkness

engulfing everything. He stood up and began to analysis where he

was. He realized he was in his trance, and that he has returned

to his inner nightmare once again.

Your back I see. I was beginning to think that you would

never return to me young one. Dalagrath looked around and saw

nothing but blackness.

Why dont you show your face for once? What do you want?

screamed Dalagrath into the nothingness.

I only want what you want. I want you to be the best in

the Galaxy, and to control everything. I want for you to stop

your visions from becoming true. boomed from a voice in the

beyond.

Dalagraths face became infused with anger and panic. If

you want to help me so bad, why have you not done that already?


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Every night I have nightmares and become engulfed in pain! Where

are you when I truly need you? Silence filled his surroundings

and infuriated Dalagrath even more.

You are worthless! You give false promises of power and

the ability to prevent my mothers death. he screamed out to

the voice.

No, you have only kept me from helping you, let me free,

and I will show you power beyond your wildest dreams. Dalagrath

looked down at his feet standing on pure blackness. He looked up

once again at whatever was out there and whispered Why would I

allow something free that has never shown itself?

Do you truly want to see me? Do you want to see what you

have been locking up for 15 years? boomed a voice.

Dalagraths face became soothed as he tried to calm his

mind. As of now, you only provide false promises and dead ends.

Show yourself, and I might believe you.

As you wish youngling, but I warn you, I am not what you

expect. stated a voice from the beyond.

Shut up and show yourself. yelled Dalagrath back into the

void. He quickly braced himself for anything that could happen.

A figure appeared in the distance, slowly walking toward

Dalagrath. After a few steps, the figure began to ran, and then

sprint towards him. As the figure got closer, its speed

continued to increase until it got close enough for Dalagrath to


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understand what it was. He saw a tall bluish-black skinned

Zabrak with pure black marking all over his body. As Dalagrath

tried to study the figure, it got close enough to touching

distant.

The Zabraks hand quickly reached out for Dalagraths

throat and gripped it tightly. It raised Dalagrath off of his

feet, making Dalagrath cough up blood trying to breathe. The

Zabrak stood there studying the young boy as he continued to

tighten his grip.

You are much weaker than I had hoped for. You seem to be

able to resist me taking control over your entire body though. I

have to give you some credit. the Zabrak stated. He then threw

Dalagrath to the ground, staring at him with no expression.

What are you?! You look like me, but grown up! Dalagrath

screamed at the Zabrak.

Are you that dumb as well? I am the power inside of you,

trying to burst out from your weak body. I am your guidance,

your conscious, your future. Without me, you will lose everyone

and everything. responded the Zabrak with a monotone voice.

Dalagrath lowered his head to the ground, recovering from

the tight grip on his neck. He then rose to his feet and looked

back upon the Zabrak. If you are so powerful, why havent you

just taken my body over?


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Sadly, we are not two separate entities. Without you, I

would cease to exist. And without me, you would be dead by now.

I give you power when you let me. Just imagine what I could do

if you let me use all of our power. The Zabrak did not blink

once during his speech. He only got closer to Dalagrath. I am

not here to help you, or to care for you, but to make sure that

we do not die.

Dalagrath continued to look into the eyes of the Zabrak

taking in all of this knowledge. He winced slightly as he

understood what the Zabrak was saying. So if I let you out, you

can help me control our powers and save my mother?

That is what I have been saying you dumb boy. yelled the

Zabrak.

Dalagrath looked down at his feet, debating on what he

should do. He then got a distinct look upon his face. He raised

his face towards the Zabrak once again and closed his eyes. Do

what you have to. Bring me the power I need to save my mother

from my visions.

The Zabrak smiled as he disappeared from the vision.

Thats the smartest thing you have done. I am just disappointed

that you did not allow me this privilege earlier.

Dalagrath awoke from his meditative trance, standing up

with his eyes still closed. His eyes opened slowly, revealing

his green eyes have become brighter with a yellow tint. He began


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to walk towards the door before being interrupted by the Jedi

Master. What are you doing Dalagrath? You havent finished your

meditation session. You need to sit back down. said the Master.

Dalagrath looked up at Kantor and raised his hand towards him.

The Masters instinct kicked in as he rebuked Dalagraths

attempt at using the force to attack him. Where did that come

from? What is wrong with you? screamed Kantor.

Dalagrath smirked as he then raised his other hand towards

the Jedi Master and using the force, sent lightning through his

fingertips into the Masters body. The other padawans around the

room rose from their trances and screamed in horror of what they

saw. The lightning stopped flowing from Dalagraths fingertips

as the Jedi Master fell to his knees and then hit the ground.

One of the padawans ignited his lightsaber and rushed

Dalagrath. Feeling the force freely now, Dalagrath was able to

sense the anger in the padawan and quickly ignited his

lightsaber and defended from his attack. The blades interlocked

in a flash of blue and green, sending sparks flying in multiple

directions. Dalagrath and the padawan pushed harder against one

another as their faces got closer to the blades. Why did you

kill our Master? screamed the young padawan. Dalagrath just

smirked in response and twisted his lightsaber, revealing a weak

spot in the padawans stance. Taking advantage of the moment,

Dalagrath twirled his lightsaber towards the padawans arm,


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cutting it off at the forearm. The padawans lightsaber

deactivate as his hand fell to the ground.

Lowering his lightsaber, Dalagrath stood tall over the

cowering padawan. He assessed the situation, and realized that

he would be dead if he did not escape quickly. He backed up

defensively to the door and quickly turned to leave before the

padawan screamed at him. Why not finish me?! You have already

killed our Master and cut my arm off! Just finish the job.

Dalagrath paused at the doorway, not looking back into the room

of padawans. His voice was lower than normal as he began to

talk. Killing you would prove nothing. Id rather leave you

until one day destroying you will be worth it. He whispered.

Dalagrath walked forward a little bit before sprinting towards

the nearest exit.

As he ran down the hallway, he could hear the feint cries

and screams coming from his destruction. He only smiled as he

came to the elevator door. The door opened quickly, revealing

two Jedi Knights with their lightsabers ignited. Dalagrath

raised his hand, pushing the two backwards with the force as he

bolted in the opposite direction. Taking a swift turn down an

adjacent hallway, Dalagrath came to a dead end. He rotated his

body to look back at where he came from.

Standing there was the Jedi Knights with their lightsaber

drawn. They had a minimal amount of expression upon their faces


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as they began to move forward. Dalagrath surveyed the area,

concurring to himself that he was going to have to fight. He

ignited his green lightsaber, and with a flash of light he

charged fast as he could. He ducked and let his feet slip as he

span around, ducking under the knights blades. As he recovered

from his spin, he looked up spotting a blue blade about to

strike him from above. He quickly raised his lightsaber to meet

the blue one, sending sparks flying as they clashed.

From his side, Dalagrath noticed an orange blade swinging

at him from the other Jedi Knight. He used his other hand and

pushed against the ground with the force, sending him upwards,

directly over the orange blade passing from under him. As he

fell back to the ground he retracted his blade from the blue one

and struck downwards at the Jedi Knights arm. With a sizzle of

flesh, the knight winced backwards as the other waved his hand

towards Dalagrath. With a quick push using the force, Dalagrath

was sent flying backwards, landing on his back. He spun to his

feet after sliding, reigniting his green blade.

He lowered his stance and pulled his blade to his body,

preparing for the next assault. Just like he had expected, the

knight charged at him with his blue blade. Dalagrath took into

favor the amount of speed of the knight and ducked quickly,

lowering his blade to cut off the feet of the knight. As the

knight flew forward a few feet, Dalagrath raised his hand,


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gripping the knight by the throat using the force. Dalagrath

cocked his head to the right, studying his opponent before

engaging him once again.

Using the force, Dalagrath tightened his grip around the

knights throat. He then swiftly jerked his arm to the left,

slamming the knight against the wall. He continued to slam the

knight against walls and threw him backwards into the hallway

intersection. Dalagrath took light footsteps towards the knight

on the ground, coughing for air.

You seem to be hurting. Would you like me to put you out

of your misery? Dalagrath stated while walking towards the Jedi

Knight.

I would rather die by a Sith, than a traitor like you.

responded the Jedi.

Dalagrath smirked slightly as he retracted his blade back

into the hilt. He turned back looking at the other knight

cowering in the corner. He cackled lightly to himself as he then

turned back and walked towards the knight on the floor. It

looks like your comrade isnt going to save your life. he

whispered as he got closer to the knight. As he finished walking

the few feet between him and the knight, he ignited his blade

once again, raising it to the knights neck.

Killing you would mean something great. A powerful knight

as yourself, being killed by someone so young, would not only


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embarrass you, but bring me power. Perhaps your life is not

worth sparing after all. Dalagrath said with a dark echo

following his voice.

Do your worst, traitor! yelled the Jedi Knight as he

closed his eyes.

I plan to. stated Dalagrath with a calming voice as he

brought back his lightsaber. He then swung his blade forward in

an arc towards the knights neck. The blade halted an inch from

the knights flesh. Dalagraths eyes widened as he grasped his

lightsaber with his other hand, trying to push it into the neck

of the helpless knight.

I see you are troubled youngling. stated a voice from

down the left hallway. Jedi Grand Master Vandar Tokare stood

there, his arm raised towards Dalagrath.

What are you doing?! I must kill him. I need to kill him.

Without his death, I am too weak to save them! responded

Dalagrath with a scarce voice. He then pulled his lightsaber

back and deactivated the blade, attaching it to his belt.

Dalagrath then pulled his arms back and pushed them

forward, sending a shockwave of lightning towards Vandar. The

little green man quickly raised both of his arms, absorbing the

shockwave. Dalagraths face became infuriated as he snarled at

Vandar and pulled his arms backwards. He then clapped his arms

and hands together, sending a disc of force power dashing


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towards Vandar. The Jedi Master spun his arms around, bringing

one of them upwards, releasing a fissure of force upwards,

splitting the disc in half and making it dissipate.

Killing you would be an incredible feat of strength. You

would truly bring me the power I need. snarled Dalagrath as he

stared at Vandar.

Why have you become so overwhelmed with power youngling?

Just the other day you were in training, becoming a top ranked

student. What happened to you? Vandar responded.

You would never understand. You always have been powerful.

I need this power to save my mother and friends. This thing

inside of me promised that it could help me control my powers

and save my loved ones. stated Dalagrath.

Vandars face became overwhelmed with worry as he began to

move towards Dalagrath. Dalagrath braced himself and realized

that he would not be able to kill the Leader of the Jedi Council

without more power. He quickly threw his arm back and pushed a

giant wave of force power towards Vandar. Dalagrath proceeded to

dash off towards a window as Vandar pushed the wave away from

himself. As Vandar turned the corner to follow Dalagrath, he

only saw a shattered window and marks of charring due to

lightning.

Vandar walked over to the windows, pushing himself up to

the ledge with the force. He looked outwards, spotting a single


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figure disappearing into the jungle forests of Dantooine. He

gave a slight frown as he then turned around and went to check

on the knights that were injured.

In the forest, Dalagrath continued to dash into the unknown

and never looked back. After an hour of running, Dalagrath

finally decided to take a break and found a small cave to

recover in. He looked back at the Jedi Enclave, realizing that

he would never be able to go back there. His eyes shimmered with

a bright white before returning to their normal state.

Why would you do that? What did that do besides make me an

enemy of the Jedi? Dalagrath questioned to himself.

A voice in his head hummed back through the force. You

needed to see the true powers you can accomplish when put into a

situation of threat. With allies you depend on others, rather

than depend on your own needs. And you need to train harder.

Hopefully by being hunted, you will train harder and you will be

able to handle my full suite of powers I can give to you.

Dalagrath looked down at his hands being charred from

lightning. All he could feel was the surge of power, and that

gave him the first glimpse of his future. He allowed for his

eyes to close once again, sending him into a deep slumber.


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Chapter 2

Survival

It must have been days before Dalagrath was able to stop

running from the Jedi search parties. The lush marshes of

Dantooine slowed his speed to the point of a one-legged Wampa.

He finally was able to rest his weary body in a hot springs that

he found several kilometers away from the Jedi Enclave. At this

point, he had grown a small knot in his stomach. Whether it was

from starvation or some sort of dark emotion, he did not know.

What was certain was his situation.

He let the springs relax his muscles and mind as he began

to sense the force. He felt the darkness of his soul like a

thorn in the palm of his hand. He sensed an entire planet made

up of light side life force except for his. He knew that Jedi

Master Tokare knew his exact position, but he did not understand


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why Tokare had not come to kill him himself. He pushed this

aside as his body fell deeper into the water of the hot springs.

He had to find a way off of the planet Dantooine and go

into exile, at least for now. If he did not, he feared that he

would be dead within another standard weeks time. He thought of

a few plans that might get him safely off the planet. Maybe he

could catch a ride with an Air Taxi to the nearest Starport, or

maybe he could even augment his abilities of the force into his

running and run there. But then again, the nearest Starport was

filled to the brim with Jedi, and by now the word has spread off

planet of what he had done.

He rose from the hot springs, and dawned his robes and Jedi

Battle Armor. He secured the straps on his equipment, and put

his hilt on his belt. He looked up at the dusk sky of Dantooine

and sighed slowly. I will become stronger for you, Mother. He

whispered until his breathe before lowering his head once more.

He began to replay the images of battle and death in his mind.

His frustration overcame his mind once again. He did not

understand what he was doing. He only knew that what he was

doing was the right thing. His frustration built even more as he

questioned himself again.

Damn you! he exclaimed to himself with a sharp tone. Why

couldnt you have just let me be weak? he questioned. However,

this time no voice inside of him spoke. He felt more alone than


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ever, especially since not even his own mind wanted to

communicate to him. He begged again, giving a helpless grunt

this time. Again, to his disappointment, he got no response.

Dalagrath tried his hardest not to let this affect him, but

being so alone and so hated made him hate himself even more.

Off in the distance he saw a herd of hound-like creatures

howling and sniffing the air. No doubt they were searching for

food. One of them glanced over at him, sniffing the air before

letting out a high pitch howl that felt like it went on for

eternity. All at once, the hounds turned towards Dalagrath,

snarling with blood thirsty eyes. Dalagrath did not panic, but

rather stood his ground and calmly studied the hounds.

Dalagrath knew plenty about Dantooine and its inhabitants.

He did after all, ace all of his Galactic Lore studies at the

Enclave. He knew that these specific hounds hunted in packs, and

at their current distance, which was about 200 to 300 meters,

they would not have enough time to catch him. Quickly reacting,

Dalagrath augmented his legs with power, and felt the surge of

the force push his body forward at an alarming rate.

The hounds fell into the distance trying to run for him,

and he could still hear the bloodcurdling howls that came from

the packs leader. He set the sound aside himself and continued

to burst forward, leaping several dozen meters at a time. It was


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now time for him to make a decision to get off of this planet,

or face the punishment by the Jedi Council.

I guess my only choice is to head to the Republic Starport

and risk my life. He muttered under his breath, obviously

hoping for some sort of response from the dark voice inside

himself. At this point, Dalagrath began to think that it was a

waste of time to talk to that voice, since it obviously didnt

want to talk back. He concentrated his eyes forward, and darted

in the direction of the Republic Starport.


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Chapter 3

Freedom is Valuable

Dalagrath crouched in some bushes about half a kilometer

from the Starport boundaries. He knew he either had to kill his

way to his ship, or find another way to get a ship. At this

point, he safely assumed that if he did force his way in, he

would be overwhelmed and get killed, or worse, be caught.

He studied the surrounding barriers, and watched for

patterns in the guards movements and patrols. He noticed a tall

Human male, covered in Mandalorian armor with the helmet under

his arm. Dalagraths eyebrow rose up as he studied the Human

more. The Human presented a strong feeling and a forceful

appearance to him. He strutted around the guards, not seeming to

belong to them, but rather snubbing his nose at them as if to

say I am better than you.


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He waited until the Human was far enough away before he

darted towards one of the durasteel walls. He used the force to

cushion his powerful charge into the wall, barely making a

breeze roll out from behind his back and the wall. Dalagrath

slid downwards, and crouched slightly, studying the area for his

next transition. Before he could look around the corner of the

wall, he felt a slight breeze pass him on his backside. He

snapped his body around and saw nothing.

He breathed in slowly, trying to calm himself. It is

nothing, just my paranoia. he thought to himself. A deep voice

rose from within him, making his skin crawl. Sometimes,

paranoia is a good thing. It keeps you alive. it stated in a

deep wail.

Oh now you show up. Where were you when I needed you? I

have been running for a week and now I made a choice to come

here. Dalagrath responded. Again, the voice did not respond,

which only further angered Dalagrath. He did not continue

talking to the voice, because to him, there were more pressing

matters to attend to.

As he looked back around towards the corner of the barrier,

he noticed that the Human male carrying the Mandalorian armor

was no longer there. Damnit! he thought. How could I let him

slip past my sight? Dalagrath then calmed his mind, and for a

brief second was able to put all his worries in a mental box. He


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used the force to sense the life force of beings around him. For

what seemed like minutes in his mind, was only a single second

before he sensed the Human. The Human was on the other side of

the wall, around the corner, which was about 10 meters away from

him. Dalagraths mind flinched as anxiety rushed over his body.

He quickly turned around and began to use the wall as an

anchor point for his quick dashes. Dalagrath darted by a few

soldiers and guards as their backs were turned to him, while

other guards he would use the force to cloak their vision from

seeing him. He then arrived at the most eastern part of the

south barrier. He ducked down again, calming himself with a few

deep, but somewhat nerving breaths, as if someone was counting

down his life force until it hit zero. He thought to himself,

Ten, nine, eight, seven and then continued towards an entry

way.

Dalagraths eyes remained closed as he continued to breathe

heavy breaths, counting each one down. Six, five he thought

to himself as he reached the entry way, ducking behind cover

from two guards. He stood up and amplified the force to cover

himself in an invisible cloak, all the while still counting his

breaths. His mind told him all that he needed to know. He could

not only see and hear every life force within a 50 meter radius,

but he could also smell the emotions and thoughts coming from

them.


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Strangely, he could not sense the Human with the

Mandalorian armor anywhere. He did not let this break his

concentration as he continued his countdown. Four, three, two

he thought as he reached the entrance to a Starport docking

station. Still cloaked by the force, he sped up his pace and

opened his eyes to a bright white and blue durasteel wall with a

console at waist height. One. He whispered as he let off a

small smirk.

In a weird way, getting this far made him feel like he

denied death from grasping onto his throat and dragging him away

from the force. He slowly moved his hands towards the console

and stopped himself before touching any of the flashing lights

extruding from the screen. If I do anything, the guards will

notice he thought. I better take cover and wait for a guard to

open this door. That, or until I can make one open it.

He then continued his concentration as he slowly surveyed

the area. At least four dozen guards of multiple races, however

mostly human, stood strewn about the Starport area. The whole

place looked desolate and reminded Dalagrath of a mission he

once completed in the Coruscant slums. He shook the memory from

his mind and saw a slight alley way between two docking port

entrances. He made his way over and ducked slightly before

letting the force release from his body, lowering the cloak

around him.


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He rested his mind and body as he continued to watch for

guards to open the door he needed them to open. Once they did,

he would have to dash to the door and get it. The only downside

to this plan is that he would have to be seen, as the force

cloak would slow him down. He took a deep breath and secured his

Jedi Battle Armor for a small skirmish. It would have to be a

small skirmish. He thought to himself. Anything more than one

or two opponents and I will be overwhelmed.

At long last, he saw two guards in what looked like

commando armor walked up to the console and begun to press

buttons on the console. Dalagrath readied himself and augmented

the force into his leg muscles. The door slid open with a quick

metallic hiss, which cued Dalagraths muscles to move almost by

themselves. Dalagrath flew out of the miniature alleyway and

sent crates of ammunition and durasteel parts flying in all

directions.

He slammed into one of the commandos and knocked him

against the hard metallic wall next to the console. The other

commando flinched before realizing the immediate danger. He

tried to reach for his Blaster Pistol, but was caught off guard

as Dalagrath recovered quickly from his slam and sent a surge of

power through his hand, sending the other commando flying 20

meters into the air. Dalagrath looked back at the four or so

dozen guards reaching for their blasters.


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Dalagrath quickly realized that a few Jedi were disguising

themselves from the force and sight as they appeared before him

and ignited their lightsaber. A field of blue and green lights

rose all at once and the echoes of crackling rung through

Dalagraths ears. His gut felt like a million lightsabers just

pierced him and his mind went into a frantic panic for a mere

second. He snapped his mind back into focus and whispered in a

low, angered voice. If you dont want to die here and now, you

are going to have to give me some sort of power. The voice did

not return an answer.

His angered filled to the brim as he could not take being

ignored by the voice within. His hatred seethed from his body,

as sparks of red lightning flung from his skin. The Jedi

standing around him began to step back a little bit, frightened

at the sight their bear witness to. Dalagraths body began to

grow in muscle as the red lightning crackled louder and his eyes

turned pure black. Why wont you just answer me?! he roared as

he rose his hands into the air.

The Jedi braced themselves as blaster bolts flew past the

Jedi at Dalagrath. Dalagraths hand flung downwards so fast, it

looked similar to lightsabers flying through the air. During the

descent of Dalagraths arms, the ground began to rumble and

crack as sharp spikes of rock spurt from the ground, deflecting

blaster bolts. The spikes continued to rise, faster and more


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precise, impaling multiple guards and soldiers through their

bodies.

Now you feel the wrath of Darth Fenrik! Dalagrath roared

as he continued to grow darker and the lightning grew black

streaks. A few Jedi were caught off guard and impaled by the

rock spikes, while others jumped back, avoiding the initial

onslaught. At this point, Dalagrath fell unconscious within his

own mind. The last thing he saw is one of the Jedi that was

impaled slowly grew red mutating spores on his Rodian body,

squirming his way off of the spikes.

He awoke in his mind a little while later, his eyes fuzzy

at first, but then began to focus. As they focused, he saw

corpses of guards and Jedi lay about throughout the Starport. He

did not feel sorrow nor hatred. In fact, he felt nothing,

nothing good or bad. He hardly even remembered anything that

happened after he leapt out of the alleyway at the commandos. He

stood there, with contemplating eyes, just trying to understand

how this could have happened. He snapped his head upward, and

spotted a few strange red and black looking humanoid creatures

running away from his direction in the distance.

He had no time to study the crime scene. He had to get out

of there and off of Dantooine, especially after seeing this.

Dalagrath turned his body and walked towards the open durasteel

doorway. His leg muscles felt like they were burnt off from the


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amount of power he extruded during his leap from the alleyway.

He took one final glance back at the corpses of innocent people

before slamming his fist against a console on the inside of the

walls. He glanced up and saw his ship there, still as beautiful

as ever. It wasnt a fast ship or one that could fight well, but

it was his ship. He always took care of his ship, no matter how

much it cost, or the effort it took to fix her up.

There you are baby, are you ready to get out of here? he

stated, as if the ship and him had a loving relationship. He

walked under her carriage and past the words The Bright Skyand

into the ship. He quickly got to the cockpit, and punched a few

buttons before hearing the roar of the engines ignite. Thats

my good girl. He stated as he disengaged the locks that held

the ship in place. With a slight shake, the ship began to hover

upwards before tilting skyward and blasting off into space.

As he past the atmosphere of Dantooine, he began to punch

in calculations to head to Hoth via Hyperdrive travel. It was

rare to find a ship that could use a hyperdrive with its own

calculation navicomputer, but Dalagrath saved up enough credits

and installed it himself. As soon as he could, he pulled back

the throttle on his hyperdrive and the blackness of space turned

into blue streaks.

For a slight second, Dalagrath relaxed his body and mind as

he was safe from combat in Hyperspace Travel. Sometimes he


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wished he could spend years in the blue lanes of space and not

deal with any struggles that may come along. However, no matter

what his situation, he could not spend more than a day or two in

Hyperspace Travel.

As Dalagrath let out a small sigh of relief he felt the

cool touch of a modified blaster pistol touch the back of his

head. From this position, not even the strongest Jedi or Sith

could stop this blaster bolt from killing them. A voice stated

with a cocky attitude from behind him. Turn around slowly, or

Ill incinerate your head right here and now. Dalagrath slowly

turned around surveying the man in front of him. How could he

have forgotten and let this man slip his thoughts, he asked

himself. The Human Male stood before him with his Mandalorian

suit fired up and his helmet on.

Who are you? Dalagrath stated with a slight shudder,

obviously from too much power flowing throughout his body

earlier. From the metallic echo and respirator on the

Mandalorian helmet, a voice came out. My name is Cal Orion.


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Chapter 4

Cal

Chills ran up Dalagraths spine as the blaster pistols

barrel stared him in the face like an abyss. He just thought of

the shear pain he would feel the split second before he faded

from the galaxy. He calmed his mind once again and looked up at

Cal Orions helmet. Dalagrath tried to focus on where he thought

the eye visor was and serenely began to open his mouth. Orion?

As in the famous family who was inducted into the Mandalorians?

Dalagrath questioned, obviously knowing the answer. He just

wanted Cal to relax his grip for a slight second.

Cals body did relax slightly after hearing the young

Zabrak speak. Somehow, to Cal, Dalagraths voice reminded him of

his son Ares. It was innocent, yet harsh, and held some sort of

iron will to it. Dalagrath sensed this fall in defenses and

decided this would be his only chance of getting the upper hand.


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Dalagrath focused his will and exerted enough amount of force

energy from his hands to raise him quickly towards Cal. As he

reached up towards the blaster pistol, a quick sharp pain

erupted into his belly.

Dalagrath looked down and saw the durasteel handle of a

Mandalorian Mythosaur Axe dug into his gut. Blood slowly dripped

down his body as he glanced back up at Cal. Kid, if you think I

am going to let my guard down near you, you got another thing

comin. Cal muttered with a cocky attitude. Dalagrath was a fool

for not remembering that most Mandalorians could take down Jedi

Knights, and he wasnt even a Knight yet. In his current

situation, he would never be one.

Cal pulled the handle out of Dalagrath, letting blood spill

from his body. However, Cal was in the Republic Army and

inducted into the Mandalorian culture as a negotiator between

the two. Because of this, Cal knew anything there was to know

about fighting hand to hand. He pierced Dalagrath just enough to

wound him, but not enough to affect him long term. Cal was a

strong willed and passively aggressive type of man. He knew what

he wanted, but would not harm people if it was an unnecessary

act.

I usually dont mingle with the enemy to long, but I got

to admit kid, you have some strange powers for a Jedi. Cal

smirked as he said this, almost as if to make Dalagrath feel bad


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for what he had done. Dalagrath looked up at Cal, this time with

rage in his eyes. I am no longer a Jedi since this voice has

taken over. he muttered. Under the Mandalorian helmet, Cals

face turned sour with questions. Although Dalagrath could not

see his face, he could sense his intentions were now in chaos.

What do you mean? Cal asked. What is this voice you

speak of kid? he continued. Dalagraths eyes did not grow with

anger or fade from it, but they stayed steady as though

Dalagrath did not know if he wanted to kill him or not. He

decided it would not be the best time to kill Cal, especially

since he could hurt his ship he loved so dearly. Why would I

tell a man like you? he muttered with contempt. Cals stance

did not change one bit when he heard this. After all, he was

used to hearing people bash him for his choices.

Cal let off a small chuckle, which from behind the helmet

sounded like an echoing laugh of death. At this point, that is

all that Dalagrath could imagine. This tall figure with a barrel

at his head worked for death, and was going to take him back to

face death. Dalagrath would not let this happen. He had to find

a way out of this situation. Cal lowered the blaster from

Dalagraths head an instant later, which sent Dalagraths focus

into a whirlwind of choices. Kid, at this point you dont

really have a choice, now do you? Cal stated with a smirk.


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I really dont want to hurt you kid, but you are going to

have to tell me everything if I am gonna let you live. he

continued. Dalagraths mind finally came to a stop on the

roulette wheel of choices. He was not going to take action just

yet. Maybe Cal could be used towards a goal. Dalagrath

thought, but did not say. The voice inside of me keeps telling

me to do things, and it gives me power to survive. Dalagrath

then paused for a few seconds, realizing that he sounded crazy,

and a crazy man is usually shot on sight. I am not crazy. I did

not want this. I understand how this might seem like a lie, but

believe me, I just want to get out of here and get away from

people forever.

Cal relaxed his muscles, understanding the dilemma the kid

was so passionate about. So let me get this straight. Youre

the kid that was reported killing two Jedi Knights at the

Enclave, escaped Jedi Master Tokare, and now you just killed

over four dozen men? And not only that, you swear its this

voice in your head? Dalagrath heard what Cal had said, but

hearing it that way made his anger dissipate. His eyes returned

to their normal blackness and his skin calmed to a soothing

temperature. Yes. he muttered, as this was the only word he

could push out.

I know I have done wrong Cal. I hate myself for doing it,

but the more I hate myself, the stronger the voice gets and the


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more bad things it does. Dalagrath leaned forward a bit. He was

glad that the blaster was away from his face now, giving him

room to breathe. Cal looked at Dalagraths lethargic and worn

body, coming to the conclusion that he was unable to continue

fighting anything. Kid. he stated. Youre done for the day.

How about we just sit in the back of the ship and chat?

Dalagraths eyes opened slightly, surprised by what he had

just heard. Not only did he hear a friendly gesture after

killing over 60 men, but the gesture sounded calm and sincere.

All he could do at this point was nod as he stood up. He glanced

at the console, going over the checklist in his head to ensure

that he had enough time in hyperspace to rest. He returned his

focus towards the back and slowly moved foot by foot.

Each step felt like an eternity of pain shooting up his

legs. He never put that much power into his body, and never felt

the type of power that the voice had used. He finally reached

the bed where he slept, which was next to a few other beds for

guests. The entire way there he felt a cold stare from Cal

behind him, watching his every action. At this point, he didnt

care what Cal did. He was too exhausted to do anything but rest

his mind and focus on the force.

Dalagrath let his body fall backwards onto the bed before

lowering his entire back and head onto the comfortable surface.

The feeling of rest came to him as a rush of hydration overcame


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all of his senses. He actually felt happy again, which surprised

him seeing as how the last time he felt happy was a few weeks

before recent events. Cal looked upon Dalagrath and began to

speak in a low, comforting voice. Who are you kid? Dalagrath

glanced over at Cal, looking as though he ignored the question.

After a few seconds of gaining his composure, he responded. My

name is Jedi Pada He paused as he realized that he no longer

held a title within the confines of the Jedi Order.

I guess my name is Dalagrath. I used to be a Jedi

Padawan. Saying those words hurt Dalagrath like a stab to the

heart. He truly loved all of his friends and fellow Jedi at the

enclave, but he had to sacrifice everything to grow stronger.

Cal looked upon Dalagraths face, understanding the loss of

something important. I dont know your past Dalagrath, but you

can always make a new future for yourself. You dont have to run

from the Jedi. he stated calmly. Dalagrath shook his head side

to side as much as he could before closing his eyes once more.

Cal sat down on the adjacent bed and studied Dalagrath once

more, trying to measure his intentions. He has no clue what he

is doing, about anything. Cal thought to himself. Cal then

leaned forward to say something, but by then Dalagrath was in a

force trance.


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Chapter 5

The Perfect Duo

A quick blur of images flashed over the holoscreen that

Jedi Master Eros oversaw. The quick dashes of a young Zabrak

filled the screen as Eros watched. The Zabrak ignited his blue

lightsaber and deflected two blaster bolts of energy towards the

two training dummies walking towards him. The bolts ricocheted

off of the blue lightsaber with a quick hiss and miss the

dummies by a few inches. The expression of the Jedi Padawan was

calm and still, not letting any emotion affect his next move.

As two more energy bolts came hurling through the air once

more, an Ubese around three years younger than the Zabrak darted

in the path between the Zabrak and the dummies. He quickly

ignited his orange lightsaber and spun in the air deflecting the

bolts towards the dummies. As the Ubese finished his spin, he

glanced at the Zabrak before landing, sticking his tongue out at


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him. The Zabraks emotions flared to the roof of his mind and he

then darted forward. The energy bolts hit the dummies square in

the chest, but only damaged the exterior of their armor. The

Ubese looked back at the dummies, seeing the slight damage that

he had caused. Above him, the Zabrak flew over like a guardian

angel, his outline filled with the blue of the lightsabers

glow.

The Zabrak landed on his feet, raising his body up and

deflecting a few more bolts away from his body. He turned his

face towards the Ubese, showing off his light navy blue skin

tone and deep red eyes. You gotta do better than that Araz. he

said as he chuckled. The Ubese Jedi grew slightly annoyed and

sprang forward, dashing past the Zabrak. I am still faster than

you are Jaydor! Araz shouted as he blurred past him. Araz

turned back towards the dummies and realized he was too close to

them and tried to slow his speed.

It was too late as Araz slammed into one of the durasteel

bodies and flopped to the ground. He rubbed the back of his neck

before looking up at the dummies blaster pointed directly at

him. Araz knew these blaster bolts were far less powerful, but

at this distance, it would definitely scar or even blind him. He

closed his eyes as a blaster bolt came rushing through the

barrel. A loud whirling sound overcame the sound of the blaster.


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Although the sound was different, the smell of o-zone from the

gun came rattling through his nose.

Araz opened his eyes and was surprised that he felt no pain

and that he could see still. He focused his eyesight and noticed

a large blue bubble engulfed his entire body. He quickly turned

back towards Jaydor, seeing him concentrate deeply, slowly

moving his hands. He realized quickly that Jaydor used some sort

of force-like ability to protect Araz from the attack. He

smirked and sent a quick telepathic message to Jaydor. Thank

you. he said through his mind. Araz turned towards the dummies

and slammed his fist into the ground.

The earth began to rumble as a giant platform lifted one of

the dummies into the air. Araz then jumped, feeling the blue

armor fade away from him and pulled his arms back. He then

brought his arms and hands together, sending a giant ball of

energy slamming into the dummy, shattering it into pieces of

metal and circuitry. Araz flew back from the force of the blast

towards Jaydor. Quickly reacting, Jaydor drew upon the force

once more and manipulated Arazs trajectory to have him safely

land.

The other dummy began to walk closer and shoot quicker, as

though someone had increased the difficulty of the training

exercise. The metallic arms than dropped the blaster after a few

shots were deflected back at it. The hands of the dummy latched


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onto two lightsaber hilts and ignited them revealing a flurry of

purple and green movements. As the dummy began to enter a

stance, the whirling from inside the dummies circuitry began to

calculate. Parts of the dummys body began to fall off, letting

off a loud metallic thud with each piece. Jaydor and Araz

watched carefully as they saw the dummy transform into a small,

more agile droid.

I think were being tested to our limits Araz. Jaydor

sighed as he murmured the words softly. Araz only nodded without

taking his eyes off of the transformed droid. Jaydor calmed his

mind as he touched Arazs shoulder, seeming to drain his own

energy and put it into Arazs life force. Araz, feeling the

increase in power launched forward 20 meters, reaching the droid

in half a second. The droid brought its lightsabers upward in a

crossover pattern as Araz slammed his lightsaber in a downward

arc. The lightsabers clashed with a sharp hiss, sending sparks

flying in all directions.

Behind the droid, Jaydor appeared out of nowhere and

brought his lightsaber upward. To his surprise, the droid

brought its purple lightsaber downward from Araz and blocked the

blue sword. It then pushed towards both of the Padawans and spun

its body around, swinging both lightsabers in an upward arc.

Jaydor used the force to push his body backwards, avoiding the

blow while Araz launched himself into a back flip, flying five


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meters back. Before Araz could land, the droid took two giant

steps towards him and sliced upwards with both lightsabers. Araz

brought his orange sword across, successfully blocking the blow,

sending him five more meters skyward. The droid then locked its

legs and pushed off the ground, sending it flying towards Araz.

Before the droid reached Araz, it formed itself into a

dagger type formation with its lightsabers pointed at Araz, as

to pierce his body. Araz recovered from the previous blow and

swung his lightsaber sideways, deflecting the lightsabers to the

right. The droid quickly recalibrated and continued its

trajectory, swinging the lightsabers around its body back at

Araz. Quickly, Araz brought his lightsaber towards the droid and

pointed it downwards. A quick clash and hiss of lightsabers

filled the air as Araz held the sabers against the droids. Araz

pushed against the droids lightsabers as they fell down back

towards the ground.

Araz surveyed the area quickly, noticing Jaydor

concentrating to use a powerful force amplified ability. Blast

me! Araz heard in his mind. Araz understood quickly and used

the lightsaber lock to adjust his position, launching himself

into the air a few more meters. He spun towards Jaydor, bringing

his arms back and slammed them together, sending a gigantic

force of power rushing towards Jaydor. Jaydor opened his eyes,

studying the position of the droid and the incoming blast of


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power. Quickly Jaydor slid his body around, pivoting on one

foot. He grabbed the powerful blast with his ability and spun

around, sending the blast hurdling towards the droid.

As the droid landed, it recalibrated and turned to face

Jaydor just in time to get hit by the blast. The droid shattered

on impact, sending pieces flying back over 100 meters. Shortly

after the impact, Araz landed softly on his feet and deactivated

his lightsaber. The hum of Jaydors lightsaber also turned into

a hiss of energy as the blade retracted into the hilt before he

hooked it onto his belt. The met at the middle of the distance

between them and looked at each other. They did not congratulate

each other, they just continued to glance at one another. After

working together for so long, they were able to communicate

without speaking at all. They both knew that they each

acknowledged one anothers power and strength.

Dalagrath rose from his sleep and opened his eyes while

screaming slightly. His breathe was lost for a few second before

he could recover. The voice in his mind was darkened and as

worried as he was. Kill them both, or die! the voice screamed

in Dalagraths mind.


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Chapter 6

Alone

Cal was nowhere to be seen at first glance. Dalagrath,

recovering from his recent loss of air, scanned the visible area

and could not find Cal. Cal? he whispered softly, still not

able to talk loudly. Cal. Where are you? he whispered once

more. Both times, he got no response and began to worry. Why was

he worried though? He actually felt alone and feared that Cal

had left him in the escape pods.

He rose to his feet, his legs still aching from the surge

of power. He leaned around the corner into the cockpit and saw

nothing except the bright flashes from the consoles around him.

He tried to listen closely, but found it was very difficult to

hear anything besides the circuitry running around the ship. The

quick zaps of electricity flung through the air like an echo

when he focused on them. Each zap sent his mind into a painful


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pounding sensation. He continued anyway, trying to find some

sort of reference to Cals voice or movement. After a few

seconds of the repetition of circuitry, he realized he would

have to use the force to sense Cal.

He shut his eyes, and tried to focus on Cals life force

signature, but as he was searching all he could think of was the

dream he just had. Jaydor he thought. Why do I have to kill

Jaydor? I dont understand. His eyes cringed as his body became

overwhelmed with pain. All he could sense was a dark signature

right next to him, so large it actually burnt his thoughts away.

Dalagrath let loose a howl of agony as he scratched as his eyes,

trying to open them. The harder he tried to release this pain

and dark signature, the more his eyes shut.

Finally a voice came from above him, sounding awfully

familiar to the voice he had heard in his mind. It gloomed over

him like a cloak of suffering. Dalagrath. Open your eyes, see

what true power is. It exclaimed with a minor laughing tone to

it. Dalagrath tried his hardest, looking in the general

direction of the voice. He tried to open his eyes once more, but

the excruciating pain from every centimeter they opened was too

much. He decided he had to do something, and quick. He

remembered the power that he used back at the Starport before he

blacked out.


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Dalagrath concentrated his mind, using the pain he was

experiencing as power to full his force abilities. The slight

grunts that came from Dalagrath stopped as he rose to his feet.

Power surged around him, and even though he could not see, the

force showed him the immense amount of force engulfing his body.

It was red and black, made up of pure hatred and agony.

Dalagrath did not fight the power, although he was trained to

never give in to this type of emotion, he continued. He only

smiled as his eyes opened without issue. What he saw before him

was no ordinary being.

The entity floated before him, the jagged black outline of

a Zabrak cloaked by the bleak abyss. Dalagraths power fed his

emotion and attitude, so he did not feel anxious or afraid of

this creature. He took a step forward and tried to find the eyes

of the entity. The only thing he could make out on the entity

was the distinct features of having no legs as if someone had

cut them off with scissors. It floated there, most likely using

the force to keep itself upright and movable. The rest of the

figure was in complete darkness, even though there was plenty of

light to see everything else in the room.

So youre the thing inside of me. Telling me what to do,

and controlling my movements. Dalagrath stated with a calm,

confident attitude. When the figure responded, Dalagrath saw no

movement in its face, as though it was communicated


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telepathically. No. I am you. I control your every movement

because you allow it. You realize that I am stronger than you,

so you let me take over. Dalagrath heard what the figure had

said as distinct as his own voice. The words did not concern

Dalagrath. Actually, it did the exact opposite, infusing him

with retaliation and wrath.

In one rapid swoop, Dalagrath lunged forward and stuck his

hand into the abyss of darkness and seized what seemed to be the

entities throat. Quick gasps of air came from the darkness. In a

raspy, almost breathless voice, Dalagrath heard something in his

head. You see, I can make you stronger. Let me guide you.

Dalagrath shook his head quickly and let go of the entities

throat. It coughed slightly, and took in a deep breath, making

the sound of a hoarse Terentatek. The only way I will let you

guide me, is if you give me the power I need to save my mother,

here and now! Dalagrath exclaimed loudly at the entity.

Under the cowl of darkness, the entity smiled, feeling as

though it had overcome Dalagrath. Kneel before me, and call me

your Master, and I shall grant you this power. It stated with

the same raspy voice, although it was turning back to normal.

Dalagrath took in a small, lifeless breath and knelt down, his

legs still hurting. A loud thud came from the weight of

Dalagrath hitting the floor. I will let you guide me

Dalagrath paused as if he was giving in to all the things he had


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loathed and worked to shun. Then, letting his air out all at

once, he stated Master.

A shattering noise came ringing through Dalagraths ears

and his eyes shut for a mere moment. As he opened them, the

frosty specks of snow engulfed his eyelids and the air froze his

throat almost instantaneously. The immense change of climate and

location threw Dalagrath through a chaotic frenzy. His lungs

tried to adjust to the negative temperatures as his skin began

to tense from the frigid cold. Dalagrath coughed as his eyes

opened and he saw the emptiness of snow and the endless tundra

of white blankets.

He snapped his head and body in all directions, glancing

the area for some answer as to where he was or what had

happened. He found nothing but the colors of light blue and

white as far as he could tell. The rage and power that had built

up inside of him was still there, and he used it to sense where

he was in the galaxy. While dealing with the freezing snow

rushing against his sweaty skin, he finally located himself.

However, to his surprise, he had no idea where he was. It wasnt

that he did not know the Galaxy; in fact he knew it well. He was

on a new planet, one he had never heard of.

Stress overcame him as the snow pelted into his body still,

feeling like sharp needles in this temperature. He had to find

shelter, or die from the freezing cold. He turned his glance


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towards what he thought was east and tried to dart forward,

resulting in a small jog. The cold and his exhaustion were the

perfect things to slow him down and kill him. He thought back

towards his new master and the promises he would grant him.

Dalagrath opened his mouth to speak, but was muffled by the

amount of ice flying in the air.

Finally, in his mind he spoke to his master. Can you show

me the way out of this mess? he asked in a dark tone. The voice

responded instantly, which surprised Dalagrath. I have granted

you enough power to escape from the world safely. However, if

you are to become strong enough for the rest of my offerings,

you must do this yourself. The raspy cling to the voice

affected Dalagrath more than it had ever before. Dalagrath

closed his eyes, concentrating on his inner strength, and

somehow was able to pull something up from the depths of the

force. He had never known the technique or even the name of this

ability, but he used it anyway.

The area around Dalagraths feet began to warm up. They got

to a point where they felt as though they were on fire.

Dalagrath snarled at the pain, and continued further with his

technique. The heat overcame his feet and shot up his body. With

each inch of heat rising, the pain began to rise as well.

Dalagrath flinched slightly and let the heat and pain continue

up his body. In a few seconds his entire body was no longer


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frigid. It was burning on the inside, feeling as though it was

scarring his muscles.

He let the power loose from his caged in body, and in the

blink of an eye, a massive explosion of force overcame the area

Dalagrath stood in. After the explosion faded, Dalagrath was

nowhere to be seen. As Dalagrath opened his eyes, he searched

his surroundings quickly for any threat. He was in a damp cave,

in front of a lit fire and a man lying down next to it.

Dalagraths body loosened itself as the man before him was all

too familiar. He was wearing no armor, just some heavier clothes

for the temperature. Next to him was a set of Mandalorian armor.

Cal? muttered Dalagrath in a soft, yet darker tone. The

man shuffled back a few feet, his blaster in hand and pointed at

Dalagrath. Whoa, Cal! Its me, Dalagrath! exclaimed Dalagrath

with urgency. Cals arm dropped with exhaustion as he gave off a

smirk. Heya kid, I thought I lost you on this frozen wasteland

of a planet. Cal began to stand up as Dalagrath raised his

hand, signaling him to not get up. Cal shrugged slightly and let

his body fall back down.

He had never seen Cal without his helmet, and he was

surprised at how young he looked. He was a rugged male human

with black short hair. His hair had a messy look to it, whether

from combat or just the way he was, Dalagrath was unsure of.

Cals eyes were as green as he could ever imagine. They shined


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with an emerald glow and a slight yellow tint. The only other

distinct feature to Cal was the scar over his right eye, must

likely from a lightsaber. Dalagrath liked the way Cal looked. It

reminded him of his friend Ringus.

Dalagrath sat down in front of Cal on the opposite side of

the fire, against a rugged stone pillar. What happened? The

last thing I remember, I was asleep on my ship. Dalagrath

questioned intently. His ship! He forgot all about his ship

whiling dealing with his new master and the frozen tundra. The

tone in Dalagraths voice got more urgent and he spoke before

Cal could mutter a single word. My ship! Where is it?

Dalagrath struggled to get the words out, but he was more

worried about his beloved ship than his current wellbeing.

I got some good news and some bad news kid. Well, I got a

lot of bad news, but the good news will make up for it. However,

I guess it depends on who you are and the position you are in

during this dilemma. I mean for me, its not ve Dalagrath

interrupted Cal before he could continue rambling. Cal! Shut up

and just tell me whats going on! he yelled at Cal. Raising an

eyebrow and letting out a soft sigh, Cal opened his mouth again

to speak. Kids these days. They got no sense of humor. Well,

here are the facts kid. Your ship is somewhere on this planet,

most likely blown to smithereens. Now, I didnt do this, so


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dont go impaling me with ice lances just yet. He paused

slightly and took a breath, looking at Dalagraths worn face.

The Sith Empire came out of nowhere and we were under

attack, so I flew the ship towards the nearest planet. They

followed close and shot me down on this planet. I shoved you

into an escape pod before I took my own and here we are. Cal

looked at Dalagrath once more, seeing the angered and distraught

face of the young Zabrak. Whats the good news that you

mentioned? Dalagrath said as low as he could, depressed by the

news. Well kid, the good news is You have me to protect you!

As Cal said this, he stood up and stuck his thumb out at himself

giving an overconfident smile.

Dalagrath looked up at Cal with an angry glance before

standing up and turning away. In a dark tone, he muttered out

At least, he paused and changed his tone to a relaxed one, I

am not alone. Cal and Dalagrath shared a slight delight over

the joke in such a drastic situation.

the darkest sky (chapters 1-6 no revisions)

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