Acesension

[Corey's OOC]

To say Marek Starchaser was impatient was a bit of an understatement. The Overseer of the System Authority and a member of the Tion Hegemony, Marek was working on improving his offerings for the latter, while keeping his reputation with the former intact. That was what he was working on in the past few months. Since the assassination and resurrection of Salem Norongachi, Marek was doing what he could to help the new government, all the while working for his own ends.
Granted, his own ends were there to protect those he cared about as well.

Flying a Santhe Challenger for any Tion business, and the Vagrant Wind for any System Authority business, the only similarity between the two lives was carrying his slugthrower, the one built from a smelted lightsaber of an ancient Starchaser. In the recent months, he had come to realize, that while he was not using his lightsaber, it might do him well to carry two separate blades.

The first, the orange blade, was made of durasteel in a dark gunmetal brushed finish. It was a dark hilt with a waterproof casing and an orange blade. One that was harvested from the depths of the seas on Corellia.

And that was what brought him to where he was now. Aboard the Challenger he had named Flow, Marek Starchaser was orbiting the world known as Dac. A world his ancestors had helped target during the reign of Palpatine. This was where the family holocron was situated. And Marek was here to reclaim it.

Using the sensors package that he updated using Haor Chall Engineers and their new mining technology, he located the outcropping that was described in the Starchaser datacron, that was now safely aboard the Alndys craft known as Wanderer. This craft was his now mobile base, typically in orbit around Lianna, but venturing to Hypori and Roon every so often.

Taking the flow into Dac’s atmosphere, the Corellian landed on one of the floating cities and gathered his gear. The pistol was traded for a harpoon gun, and his armor had a neoprene underlay with a rebreather apparatus attached.

Stepping into the main area of the floating city, Marek rented a small skiff and was out above the location of the holocron within the hour from landing. “Here goes.” Was what he said, to himself, before diving into the depths.

 

[Corey's OOC]

Clutching the harpoon gun in his right hand, Marek descended to the depths of the ocean. The pressure would start to get to him, and that was when he knew he was close. The armor he had constructed in secret was pretty simple armor. A recreation of the Storm Commando armor of old, with updated materials. Modifications to make it work under water was all that was needed to allow Marek to feel right at home.

A combination of the Force and swimming had him descending and soon he could feel the holocron. As if it was calling out to him. That meant the next challenge was going to appear. The family datacron did not have much in the way of what was to be expected. Truthfully, the datacron only contained minor details of the Starchaser lineage. The Force was not as strong in their family as it was in others. Feats that were typical were telekinesis, the draining of the life force of opponents, absorbing of some of the damage caused by outside forces in a barrier, responding to outside forces, and as one improved in their connection with the Force, the ability to alter the world around them and hurl destructive lightning.

Of the powers outlined, Marek was strong with telekinesis, he could drain other beings from their life force, and he was able to reflexively dodge attacks, though a barrier was never anything he could do. And with the Sith training from Ket Van Derveld, he knew he was approaching the use of lightning and changing the environment. He had no idea how strong the latter would be, but it was worth looking into.

Besides the Force, the datacron spoke of the exploits of Emperor Palpatine, Grand Admiral Thrawn, and the Warbird Wing, an old TIE fighter wing filled with Force using commandos. Apparently the Starchaser during that time was the Quartermaster. It was funny how things came full circle.

Coming out of his reverie, Marek could sense something big approaching, And out of the cave that he was heading to was where it appeared. He had no time to identify the large eel, only knowing that it was casting out electrical charges that were affecting the armor he was in. Firing a shot from the harpoon gun, he pulled himself in along the tether.

Reaching out to the Force as he grabbed on to the beast, focusing the red tendrils of what he knew to be drain, he was extending them, and slithering them over the body of this beast. He could feel the power growing in him as the beast was waning.

Being prepared was half the battle. Expending the excess power, that was the trick. Using the Force to hang onto the beast, and counteracting the fluid nature of the sea around him, he was feeling the crackling of lightning from his hand. Shouting out as the power was coursing through and out of him, he pushed it onto and into the beast.

 

[Corey's OOC]

Feeling it die, that was a part of war Marek would never get used to. When Master Van Derveld was causing death, it was one thing, and when droids were doing it, another. At his own hand? That was another situation entirely. Was working on centering himself, the red tendrils reaching out and around to pull in the last bit of energy and life from the protector of the holocron. When he had his breathing under control, that was when he was going to move.

Swimming into the cave, he could feel the energy, the anticipation. The holocron was reaching out to him, and he was instinctively reaching back. The cave was pulsing, the viridian pulse of the Starchaser synth crystal, and as a result, the pulse of the holocron. He could see it, behind the energy field.

Now that’s great. Was the only thought coming to mind.

Seeing the floating pentagonal prism, he just needed to access it. To open the case… How was that going to happen? Reaching out to the surroundings, a glowing gray light ignited, and what could only be described as someone he knew from another life had appeared. Dark hair, pale skin, and what he knew to be striking green eyes. This was one of the people who his patriarch knew.

“So, there are still Starchasers in this time.” Was the greeting.

Marek knew the name. Lily Ardellian. One of the commanders and comrades of the original Warbird Wing, the woman who led them away from the genocide of the warlords and into the true side of the Empire as represented by Thrawn. The beginning of a branch of Imperial Knights.

“They said someone would be able to find this place. And that was why it was buried here. That when a Starchaser was called to aquatic and tropical environments, the holocron would be in the right hands. And you, dear Marek, you are one that feels familiar.”

He only nodded, looking as the gray glow ignited six stones, each with a letter on them.

“These panels need to be moved to form the Sith name of your ancestor. This knowledge is only attained through word of mouth stories told in private.”

Right, so bed time stories, perfect.

Looking at each letter, and falling into the Force, he reached out. Moving each letter in turn.

Isurus.

He knew he remembered that word. It was what his father had called a breed of predatory sea creature. One that he had only heard from his family, and one that had some semblance of a hero, and villain.

Watching, the gatekeeper, known as Lily Ardellian nodded and faded away, so did the wall. Reaching out for the holocron, and that was when all Marek knew was gone.

 

[Corey's OOC]

The next thing he knew was that he wasn’t under the water. He wasn’t anywhere. He was in his mind, and someone was there with him. Looking up at the man, the one who had dark hair and blue eyes, the same gunslinger, ice blue eyes that he had, Marek nodded. This was something different. He looked around. Where were they?

A beach.

Corellia?

Definitely Corellia.

The Starchaser estate.

How long did they own that land?

Long enough.

“Welcome, Marek Starchaser. I am Davec Starchaser, previously known as Darth Isurus. I am the one whos lightsaber you carry as a gun. I am the one who made this holocron and left this knowledge for one, for you, to pick up and use. I welcome you to your destiny, to your birthright.”

Marek shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Where was his body? Was he not on the planet Dac? He looked around, this was… there were people outside the circle. They were really here?

No, there was a reason, he must have moved himself here. He’d have to check the log. There wasn’t a way to move.

“Where am I?”

“You’re in the holocron, well, not exactly. Your body, and equipment are safe. You are aboard the ship, the one you call the Flow? It’s a beautiful craft. Santhe engineering, just like I used to fly. The galaxy has changed. Currently we are en route to this location, to Corellia. Under the floor of the Estate, where the Starchasers that still live aboard a Star Destroyer at times, hold their wine cellar, there is a forge, and a meditation room. That is where you must go. The holocron will respond when you arrive there. There is where we shall continue.”

The next thing Marek knew was the ship. SeaDee was there, beeping at his body, getting to his feet, he shook his head, to clear it. This was something new. Looking to the droid and the console on the ship, they had a few hours before they were going to land on Corellia. And as the Flow was not a registered ASA craft, he was counting on the trip home being easy, and not being spoiled by Omega Protectorate forces.

It seemed some Starchasers kept nice, to keep the estate.

And he didn’t have to go to the Wanderer. King of the bugs, this one.

 

[Corey's OOC]

The flight was simple. And quick. Not quick enough, when being Marek, but fast with the new engines on the ship. Landing in the Starchaser Estate was also simple. There was no other ship there, and the drone that was taking care of the property greeted him. In his bag was the holocron, something he was going to need to evacuate from this world and contact one of his companions to store. To bring it to Tion. That would be the best place for it. The datacron was aboard Wanderer and this would be in a vault.

Maybe.

He might keep it with him.

Descending the stairs to the wine cellar, Marek was reaching out to the Force, amplified by the time in the holocron, or by the holocron, he wasn’t quite sure. That was what brought him here, after all.

Hands reaching, he was feeling in the low light for… something? A brick? A secret wall. His hands found a stone and pushed, the door slowly opened, inside was a forge, and a meditation chamber. This was where he was going to be spending the next month. He knew that it was going to take that long. To build the lightsaber, to learn what he could from this holocron.

Stepping in, and pulling the prism from his bag, the gatekeeper woke again.

“First, if you are truly going to run a double life between your government and your calling, you are going to need to fully develop yourself. I see you have a lightsaber, one made from starship parts and an orange Corellian crystal. That is good. Now, we are going to assemble another. Using the parts in this forge, we have everything you will need for the hilt, save the crystal…”

And then the gatekeeper stopped speaking. It was as if Marek and Davoc were of one body. Moving to the forge, the next two days were spent forging the viridian crystal that would fill his new weapon, and learning more about the Force.

More about how telekinesis could be used, to slow and speed up molecules. To rip the physical bonds between atoms of enemies and property, to slow down the molecules of friends. To use telekinesis on a grander, and at the same time, microscopic scale.

The Force was able to manage a lot. And this knowledge, breaking and creating bonds at the atomic and molecular level was a new range for Marek, and something that would suit him when he was learning the rest of what was in the holocron. How to make heat, and to dissipate heat from a target.

This would give him the ability to do more with his preferred power. To become more deadly, and more helpful on the battle field.

 

[Corey's OOC]

Having taken a break of his time with the Holocron, Marek made his way into town. He was pulling the Force closer to him nad not bothering with the local populace. The last time he was home was when he was here with Ket and Curupira. And they were getting the attention of the Omega. He wasn’t going to need that sort of heat on him, especially if he was doing what he was here. Chances are he was going to need to get out of dodge.

Calling that much of the dark side to him, even in a bunker, and not one that was nulling the Force. Making his way back to the estate, he quickly grabbed the new lightsaber, and holocron before locking the chamber. He was off world and heading to the Wanderer in no time at all.

In the private sleeping chamber aboard the Flow, Marek was continuing his immersion. He was reaching the Force, reaching out new mental and Force muscles. The Force was finally giving him an outlet for the energy he was taking in. The combat droid aboard the Flow was shooting at Marek, who was absorbing the power of the bolts, an energy sink of a way. He knew that without the Holocron, he wouldn’t be doing this absorbing. He wasn’t one who could make barriers and had to rely on personal energy shields.

There was going to have to be someone to use this holocron to its fullest.

Reaching out to his emotions, as instructed, Marek was nodding. The droid was not going to stand a chance. He had reached out to the Force in this way under the tutelage of Ket, but now? Now he knew how to work it, there was a lesson. He reached to the Force and engulfed and fried the droid.

 

[Corey's OOC]

SeaDee was given the orders to land the Flow on the Wanderer and give the ship’s captain to head out to Tion space. They were going to need to get to friendly space, and not bring the attention of this holocron to the Knights Obsidian. Marek would give the information to Salem Norongachi and Anesia Jy’Vun, and whoever they selected to be able to use this information, he would allow them.

But there was heavy Sith teaching in it. And it wasn’t always the most intelligent move to get the Knights involved with this dogma.

The trip before they reached the Wanderer was learning and using the Force lightning, getting educated and ready with it. Knowing how and when to use it. What it could do. How to make the lightning chase the an enemy, to shield oneself, to disable droids, and run through an enemy’s body.

This could fill in the place that telekinesis had in his repertoire. Not being used during System Authority business, only during Tion, work. Unless he showed up as Darth Peregrus, and not Marek Starchaser, to defend his home.

 

[Corey's OOC]

That was something he was going to need to learn to do. Fight.

Fight as Darth Peregrus, and keep that knowledge away from Marek Starchaser. Come in, and use the Force to help his combat. Show that he was a Sith, he could do what Ket and Anesia and Salem were capable of. Not only move bodies with his mind, but move parts of bodies, move segments and rip teeth from skulls. To use telekinesis on a macro and micro scale. To make things combust, and cause chaos.

To hurl lightning and cause distress. To charge and change the currents of one’s body to stop their heart, to interfere with their brain. To drop a droid combatant dead in their path. The lightning he could feel coursing over his body, the one that would respond to his every whim. To where he directed it. Tackle those he could grab with the Force and hold. Using all the powers he had in him, the telekinesis to stop the body, the drain to weaken the mind, and the lightning to end their life.

This was all building, and it was what the Holocron was stating. It was about constructing Force powers on top of one another. How to best use the traditional body enhancing powers and a barrier to crash into an enemy, how to move quicker, powers that Marek’s ancestor had seen and heard about, but wasn’t able to master.

There was the line in that holocron that was echoing with Marek.

“Maybe you.”

Maybe he could learn these. But they were tales of fancy, weren’t they? Still, the only power listed in any form of education was to Alter Environment. To use the powers he knew, telekinesis to create heat and cold, and lightning, to cause rain storms, lightning storms. To change the weather, cause heatwaves, or even a snow storm, where the worlds would allow it.

Marek wanted this knowledge and dove deeper into the holocron. Davoc and he becoming one and the same. The knowledge of the one passing through the other.

 

[Corey's OOC]

Take the Force, and start with knowing your environment. That was something Marek’s parents ensured in him. He was an expert at surviving in a variety of environments. And that was also due to the fact that he was smart. He was self taught in planetary sciences and each of his ships were loaded with specialized Arakyd/Haor Chall probes that surveyed the worlds he was on and sent the data to his MultiTool.

And that was helping him. He could identify worlds quickly. Maybe part of it was the way he sensed a world when he landed on it. That he could feel what the environment was like around him, or it was just knowledge and know-how. Whichever it was, it was helping him reach his family’s potential. Davoc was making it known that this was the apex power that any Starchaser could achieve. There were rumors of later ones in the tree, after Davoc, before Marek, who could teleport, short distances, into and out of danger, and others who were able to navigate through space as well as an astromech, solely on the Force, but those were isolated incidents. Not anything most would achieve.

Altering the world around oneself? That was something they could do. And it made use of the powers they could do. Calling in the world around them through the Force to mimic its patterns, and getting to work with telekinesis and lightning, charging and changing the world.

Some time during this mental lesson, the Flow had arrived at the Wanderer and the news that Starchaser didn’t want to be disturbed was given out by SeaDee to one of the HYDRA War Droids. Simple enough. He was known to bring guests where he wanted time alone with them around before.

It was similar, but this guest was not something that Marek would parade onto the casino floor. This was helping him become better than he was. As Davoc was stating, this was not a lesson to become the best in any of these abilities, but giving him the push in the direction to learn them, and that practice was the way to make perfect.

And to exercise caution. In the time Davoc was around, being a Sith was something above a Dark Jedi and something feared, by both sides of the coin. Education would need to continue, but hiding this part, and these powers was important.

Marek had planned to fry his enemies the next time he came across them on the battlefield. Regardless of armor. He was a Master of the Force, as seen by the Knights Obsidian, someone that people knew was a specialized user, telekinesis and drain being the only non-passive powers.

This would be a surprise.

 

[Corey's OOC]

But before the surprise, he wanted to make sure he learned what there was to learn from this trip down the rabbit hole of the holocron. How much time had passed? Three weeks? Four? More? When taking the two weeks to make the lightsaber, the total time was somewhere around a month and a half of Marek being gone from the world. On a mission where he had probably (did he?) checked in with @Salem Norgongachi before he disappeared. He knew that Alana Flag was aware, and taking care of the Technate. She was doing the job well.

Maybe she’d supercede him one day.

And with Tion? Sasha probably knew he was gone, or Jared, the two people he felt closest to, and the latter understanding finding themselves in the Force. That was what he was doing, that was what he was always doing. And now, now he found the keystone to get him where he needed to go. The mysteries of the Force were open to him, the ones he could do, they were right here in front of him.

The how to change the environment. That was here. The how, and using the Force in this small field, aboard the ship was not going to prove he knew what he was doing. But putting it to the test! That was what he needed to do! With his mind made up on this, he could feel Davoc pulling back into the holocron, letting Marek have his mind and body back.

Shaking his head, and checking the multitool that was still on his wrist, he wasn’t ever far apart from it, he nodded. It had been a while. Four? No six! Six weeks? A new lightsaber, and a new way to use the Force. Lightning, altering the environment. He knew what he needed to do now. He needed to approach the galaxy.

Bringing his mind back to the forefront. He put the holocron back in the backpack he was carrying. Heading off to the galley of the Bright Star, he had SeaDee follow him. The droid was staying close as Marek remembered the reason for the droid coming.

Stepping into range of the astromech’s recording eye, he nodded.

“This message is to ensure to you that I am, indeed alive, and no rescue mission or searching needs to happen.”

Looking to his droid, he nodded. “Send that to Alana, and Salem, and Sasha. Make sure the groups I’m supporting know I’m alive. I shouldn’t be much longer until I’m making appearances in the galaxy at large again.”

The astromech rolled off as Marek filled a tote bag, one of the cloth ones that the galley had in ample supply with salted nerf, some vegetables, the ones that were starchy and would stay, and two bottles of fresh water. He knew where he was going, and it wouldn’t be that long of a trip.

Not in hindsight.

Heading back to the executive hangar of the Wanderer, where the Flow and Vagrant Wind were being busied over by the insects he was king of, he stepped up the ladder to the red Rassilon fighter. This was going to need to be painted. Storing the two bags carefully, he hurried down the latter and to the Flow. Once inside, he picked up the new lightsaber, the green-blue bladed one, and redonned his armor.

Time to show the galaxy what he could do.

 

[Corey's OOC]

The Rassilon fighter pulled back into real space outside of the gravity well for the world Makeb, a Hutt world outside of System Authority space. He knew it was sort of the world he wanted, aquatic, oceanic, heavy electrical interference, and neutral. Taking the fighter for a quick jaunt around the world, Marek was reaching out in the Force for that one place, that unique spot where he felt he should go. And land. And begin his work.

It was only so that he could test his power, against fauna, and if need be, the occasional person working to fight against him. He wasn’t here to kill sapients, but if it happened? So be it. He was here to cement what he learned from the holocron in his mind, and body. Landing at Talaos City, the black-clad Sith stepped from the fighter and quickly made his way to the outskirt of town, gun on one hip, new lightsaber on the other. With the mask over his face, he was not worried about anyone finding who he was, or identifying the ship.

The one with newly falsified trip history.

He was going to need to find the right place, to pull the holocron out, and to reach into the world and deeper into himself and change the weather patterns, affect the lightning.

Force the storm, as it were.

 

[Corey's OOC]

Darth Peregrus.

He needed to get into that mind set. When he was in this armor, the Force was his. It was what he needed to think. He could shape this farther than pulling power from someone else, he was his own power source. And there was more to do with the power than just move things.

If he could pull power, the electrical power that made everything in the galaxy work, he could send it back just as strong. Twice as strong if he needed. And reaching out to the world around him, that was what he was seeing, what he was feeling. The Zeison Sha part of him was there, that was how and why he was a Master of telekinesis, but there was more to it, the Sith side, the Starchaser side.

Allowing the Force to reach out to the world and pull in and send out the energy that he could, he smirked as he felt the approach of a beast. A predator. Well, this apex predator didn’t know what it was coming after. Seeing the beast in the Force, the Sith turned to approach and accept the pounce. Using the Force to slow his backward fall, Marek nodded. Pulling his right hand back and throwing the open palm forward, he shoved and launched the exoboar into the air. Getting back to his feet and resisting grabbing the pistol, he nodded, eyeing the beast that was circling him.

When it started to charge, this was the time that Marek came back at it. A barrage of lightning came from the tips of his right hand, catching the beast in mid-air. The Sith held the boar there with the Force, letting the lightning dance across the creature’s skin. The feeling of immense power, and pleasure was following him. The pleasure was different than when he threw and pulled the red tendrils of draining power at others, but still pleasure all the same.

And that was when the holocron started to glow.

“And if you think that’s the best thing, you’re mistaken, boy.” Was the voice of Davoc again.

 

[Corey's OOC]

The next few hours were spent undergoing the path it took, and understanding required for Alter Environment. It was different than what he was learning aboard his ship. This was something more. This had a hands on portion. Reaching out to the Force, this world, Makeb, was something he was going to need to bond with. There was so much here. In the world itself, a mineral, something that might be worth collecting? He’d have to speak to Haor Chall about that. It would do him well to have another mining project.
And the world, so alive. The gravity was strange here, but it wasn’t going to affect the atmosphere. Not that much.

Reaching out, Marek was moving particulars, changing the patterns of air. Grabbing molecules and vibrating some, slowing others down, changing the heat, and as such, affecting the wind flow. The heat over the water, over the swampland of Makeb was already starting to heat the water, causing vapor to be created. To rise from the ground and up to the sky. More time later, Marek had more molecules and particulars vibrating at higher resonances, creating more friction, more heat. And that was making the clouds grow.

As he was focusing on increasing the heat in one such place, the cold air above was turning the clouds heavy, and with the air currents moving around one another, the wind was blowing. Marek grinned as he could feel the storm beginning. Increasing, and pulling the heat around him, and up, allowing the cold air to fill in the space the winds were starting to blow, simple modifications of the register of temperatures, and he was creating small cyclones.

Thunder was starting to clap and without much more, Marek could feel the crackle of lightning in the sky. He grinned, a dark grin. This was something he was going to need to work on, with different environments. The Starchaser had the perfect books in his personal library about weather, and how it worked. He could expand his knowledge on that. But until then, he was going to need to get this holocron back to the safety of the Wanderer. Still, maybe Makeb was a world he could work on

That was for some research behind a desk, he figured.

(END)