Believe in the Light

[Darth Metus]

The ability to choose.

Of all the miraculous powers and strengths in the Galaxy, it was this simple "skill" that Veriks once vehemently pursued. As the creation of a Sith Lord, freedom was not exactly something that he could easily access. Sure, at times, he had the luxury of roaming the stars as he chose...yet when push came to shove, orders would come out of the woodwork. Veriks would be commanded to the far corners of the Galaxy; and made to do that which he did not especially want to. For years, he stood quietly alongside the sons and daughters of Mandalore: assisting them as required by his Master. Then, in recent history, Veriks was commanded to seek out the budding Empire situated in the Unknown Regions.

And it was here that the Clone rebelled.

Under the guise of obedience did he open his heart to the Imperial mindset. He shrugged off the Dark Side which had commanded his life and saw redemption at the hands of the Knighthood. They were not a midst to observe on behalf of his creator; but rather an Order to stand alongside. The Imperial Knights were his brethren...and like any family, they were only as strong as their weakest link. Veriks did not see himself as incapable. In fact, having survived the wrath of a Sith Emperor, he saw himself as a capable individual. He had access to untold sums of knowledge thanks to his creator, and wielded years of experience due to his various missions.

Yet, he felt as though he still had very much to learn.

To this end, he reached out through the Imperial channels. In an era in the recent past, the Fel Imperium once housed an incarnation of the modern Knighthood. Their Order was united and led by a single man: the Archmaster known simply as Denko. This man was, apparently, a former comrade of his creator...and wielded immense power in the Force. The Light Side was indeed his ally; and as such Veriks sought to learn at the feet of this warrior. Fortune would have it that his reaching out culminated with a meeting...with the location being a rather uncanny spot on Manaan. Veriks made no delay in making the journey across the Galaxy to meet the former Archmaster.

And upon following the provided coordinates, the young Knight found himself diving into the depths of the sea. An underwater cavern was set to be the setting for this momentous meeting, and nothing would forestall Veriks from meeting the elusive Feeorin. A few moments of swift swimming would see his entrance into the cavern, his surfacing, and his making a quiet approach to the man who sat before a modest campfire.

"Greetings Master Denko. Thank you for agreeing to see me."

 

[Darth Metus]

It was no secret that the former Archmaster had a soft spot for the Empire. During the era of complacency on the part of the Republic, it was the Fel Imperium that offered a chance to actually do something against the Darkness. While the Republic eventually acted, their zealous pursuit of the Sith saw unnecessary clashes with seemingly innocent nations. It was one thing to battle Sith, it was another to bully a bystander. As such, Denko placed priority upon aiding the Empire from the sidelines; rather than waste time aiding a corrupt and failing Republic.

As such, when the former Archmaster received an encrypted message from a young Knight, he eagerly accepted. There was no doubt in the Feeorin's mind that the young man had contacted him for one of two things: recruitment or tutelage. Denko would gladly hear the young man...but the former of the potential options was out of the question. At least for the time being. However, he would be a fool not to offer guidance to any seeker of the Light; especially now when the Darkness all but reigned supreme.

As such, when Veriks arrived in his cavern, Denko motioned for him to join him at the fire.

"Well met, young man." he began. "Tell me, why have you sought me out so diligently?"

 

[Darth Metus]

Upon being bid to sit down by the fire, the young Knight complied. He took a moment to shrug his soggy cloak from his shoulders and laid it nearby so that the heat might remedy some of the wetness. He then lowered himself down beside the Feeorin before hearkening to his words. Personally, Veriks thought that his request to meet had obvious motivations...but he obliged the man with an answer nonetheless. "You are the former Archmaster of the Fel Imperium." he said; the air of respect evident in his tone. "I sought you out because you are, plain and simply, one of the best and brightest the Knighthood has ever produced. I hoped that, by meeting you, I might learn your ways...and perhaps, learn to be an even better Knight."

 

[Darth Metus]

Silence ruled the aging Feeorin as he listened to the young Knight's words. Recruitment, it seemed, was not the primary objective. This was good, as it hinted at something that Denko could take heart in. An Order that was stable did not need to reach out to far-flung members to survive. An Order that was strong did not need the power of the past to stand. If the young man was here for reasons other than an attempt to bring him into the fold, then perhaps it meant that the new Knighthood was strong. Perhaps...there was hope for the Galaxy indeed. For a moment, Denko did not meet the gaze of the young man, but instead kept his eyes upon the dancing flames. His response was brief, simple, and to the point:

"My ways are the ways of the Empire."

In that was all the truth that needed to be shared. As the former Archmaster, Denko's "worldview" was significantly more imperialist than other followers of the Light. In his opinion, any member of the Knighthood would think and act in a similar manner as he; for that was what the Order was like. Uniform. Disciplined. Structured. However, the fact was that the young man had not traveled halfway across the Galaxy to hear a blunt response. As such, Denko took a moment to reach out with the Force so that he might understand the Knight beside him a touch more. What he found...were the seeds of the Dark Side.

The young man stood upon a precipice of uncertainty. An unspoken turmoil raged within. The Knight was battling something...and by doing so was making himself a prime target for the Darkness to seep in. Denko did not know what this battle was, nor did the details matter. What mattered was that the young man establish a firm stance within his mind. What mattered...was pure, unshakable intent.

"I sense much doubt within you. A struggle...with something...is clouding your path. I do not expect you to divulge to me every page in your story because of this reality...but what I do expect is for you to take responsibility for yourself. As a Knight, uncertainty can be the greatest chink in your armor; and as you know, a unit is only as strong as its weakest link. You must put an end to this internal turmoil and establish resolve." he began. Then, Denko paused before facing the young man. "I will show you what is possible when you have the power of pure intent. Many doors open. Powerful avenues that will make the Darkness tremble. You came to learn 'my ways', so I shall impart to you the greatest lesson that I ever learned."

 

[Darth Metus]

At first, the young Knight entertained the notion that the trip was shaping up to be a wasted one. Having received such a blunt response to his request, a very small (yet loud) part of him thought that this was the start of a swift and abrupt conclusion. Of course, while this was an incorrect assumption, the silence following Denko's response was not exactly encouraging. In fact, it all but added credibility to the aforementioned train of thought...and that was enough to make Veriks' hands moisten in a nervous sweat. However, he held his peace and awaited some sort of accompanying statement from the former Archmaster, for certainly that couldn't be all that there was to say.

Then, after a small eternity of quiet torment, Denko continued to speak...and what he said crashed down heavily upon Veriks.

Ever since his own personal "rebellion", the young Knight had been...grappling with himself. His election to embrace the Knighthood as opposed to acting in an espionage manner was something that Veriks had kept to himself. He did not voice his choice to his Father, nor did he reveal any of his thoughts to his fellows. On one hand, he liked the fact that he had chosen a path all his own...but on the other, a heap of guilt weighed upon his shoulders. Dagora had given him life and purpose...was it not his duty as a Clone and Son to obey? Was it not his purpose to fulfill the commands given to him? This dilemma troubled the young man; so much so that every day as a Knight brought fresh waves of uncertainty. Of course, on the surface, there was unwavering loyalty and certainty in his actions.

Yet underneath? Well, Denko had hit the nail on the head.

"I...I don't want to be a burden to my fellows. And I don't want to teeter on the edge of uncertainty. If what you say is true, that this makes me a target for the Darkness, then I implore you to teach me all you can. I want to know what 'pure intent' can do. I want the power to stand firm. I need the power to stand firm."

 

[Darth Metus]

Upon hearing the words of the young Knight, Denko reached out. His dominant hand gently grasped his shoulder and a nod of confidence was given. "Just know," he began, "there is not a power in the Galaxy that can 'magically' end your internal struggle. It falls upon your shoulders to bring stability to yourself. I can only show you that which is possible when such peace is achieved. The might of pure intent opens countless possibilities in the Light...the strongest of which you will now see with your own eyes." Having said his peace, Denko retracted his hand from the young Knight and set his focus back upon the campfire. A calm, centering breath was drawn before he began to fulfill the steps laid out by his Master Darron Wraith.

Like all living creatures, the former Archmaster was much akin to a chalice. Unique in comparison to all others, this cup was filled to the brim with all that made the Feeorin himself. Hopes and Dreams. Emotions. Fears and Doubts. All these swam perpetually about within the entity known as Denko. Yet, for these moments, the chalice was completely and utterly tipped over. All that made Denko himself was temporarily cast aside to make room for something far, far greater: the Light. As if drawn like a moth to the flame, the Force responded to the former Archmaster's willingful abandonment of self. He was an empty chalice, open and willing to receive the Light.

In an instant, Its presence was upon him.

Crashing down like a mighty tide, the Light filled the empty chalice with its presence. Every fiber of the Feeorin's being began to shine, as if illuminated from the inside out. Force Light was upon him, and now it was time to direct the energies to a target. Those with wavering convictions or pronounced uncertainties would be vastly incapable of commanding this particular technique. It required complete mastery of one's self: the ability to initiate the purest intent, to mold and move Force Light according their Will. Raising his dominant hand, Denko demonstrated only a small fraction of what was possible with Force Light. At once, he expelled the full force of the energies into the roaring fire...

BOOM!

The collision of fire and gold caused an explosion of light and sound. Then came the smoke...and darkness. Another fire would need to be made, of course, but for now Denko would proceed with his teachings.

"That is the power of pure intent. Force Light: the ability to command and shape the very Light Side into a weapon. It can burn away the Darkness in whatever form it takes. It can purify that which has been stained by the Sith. However, only pure intent can command the Light as thus. To begin, you must settle the storm of your mind...and then you must empty yourself so that the Force can fill you. Give the Light a task, a purpose born of pure intent, and it will obey."

 

[Darth Metus]

Veriks was not naive enough to believe that there was some way of magically solving his problems through the Force. As a Knight...nay, as a Man, it fell to him to rectify the uncertainty which characterized his daily living. To decide whether or not to fully and earnestly turn his back on his Creator would take some time...but at least he now he would witness the benefits of making up his mind. Once the Feeorin had said his piece, the Clone perked up ever so slightly. Having only been exposed to the Darker side of the Force, Veriks was immensely curious in what the Light could achieve. His body, without his knowing, instinctively leaned ever so slightly closer as the former Archmaster centered himself.

And then his eyes widened, for Denko had begun to glow.

Veriks gaped as the intensity of the illumination increased with each passing second...and shuddered ever so slightly as he literally felt the presence of the Light. Unlike the Darkness, it was not a cloying, suffocating sensation. Rather, it was...warm...and almost inviting. In fact, the Feeorin momentarily felt better to be around than the fire burning modestly before them. Finally, after silence and glowing, Denko raised his hand...and practically blinded the young Clone for a moment. The flash was so swift and intense...the explosion of Light meeting Flame was extraordinary...all Veriks could do was yelp and raise his hands.

When it was all said and done, the young Clone was left with his jaw touching the floor. The Power of Pure Intent was Mighty.

"H-How did you do that?" he stammered.