Centuries Old Relic

[Jake Daniels]

"Look at them." The Cloaked Woman said as Jake stared at the burning wreckage of Umakos ship. She was once more dressed in the same dark robes that she had been in prior; the only visible aspect of her physical features were maroon colored lips that seemed to smile at the sight. Behind them stood a structure; the temple in the white sands that consumed Jakes current desires. Yet here he stood, staring at the destroyed freighter. The ship itself was nearly snapped in half and now rested in an L shape on a dune. The cockpit was engulfed in flames, the engine simple smoldered. There were no signs of Umako and the crew. Daniels knew they were still on the ship.

"This isn't real." Jake replied.

The Cloaked Woman turned to Daniels and with a crooked smirk said, "Good boy. Now you're learning. Before you even have to guess, I dropped you again the moment you sat down at the table to fiddle with your lightsaber. It really is quite easy to get into your head. I mean, lets be honest, I thought the mind of a man whom had been trained by one of the greatest Sith of her time would have had stronger mental defenses than you."

"Let's just get to the damn point of this little visit already." Jake replied. He wasn't in the mood for anymore games.

"I warned you the last time what your current path would lead too. The probability of that premonition is now becoming an eventuality. Yet you do not care. You are still gungho running full steam ahead to your own damnation. You body continues to fail you. You mind is splintering. Even with your Masters Dagger, that still wont be enough to hold everything back for long. That's like using chewed gum to try and hold a crack in a damn. Its going to fail. For what?" The Cloaked woman asked.

"For them." Jake replied.

The Cloaked Woman raised a gloved hand and snapped her fingers. Instantly the scene returned to Daniels residence; specifically his family's graves, "For them? You mean the people you let down?"

Jake felt the anger boil inside. The rage at yet another perverse intrusion of his mental capacity. He was tired of Umako's stalling to get Jake where he needed to go. He was tired of this Witch and whatever games she was trying to play. He wanted his family. He wanted them now. "Get out of my head and leave me alone."

"Make me." The Cloaked Woman replied.

"What are you? Seven?" Jake asked about her childlike response.

The Cloaked Woman simply laughed, "Far from it. Yet if you can't even have the mental strength to stop intrusions like this what makes you think you'll have the strength to complete your mission on Ambria. Do you even know whats in that temple?"

"The End." Jake replied.

The Cloaked Woman nodded, "Yes. You aren't going to be the first to try and enter there. No one has gone in and come out the same. Most perished. Some whom managed to escape simply weren't the same. They went mad with what they saw. Yet again; Darth Gravis is simply going to gungho it like he always did."

Jake took his gaze off his Lysanders headstone, "Get to your god damn point." The thunder in his voice, the burst of orange and red that flooded the yellow of his iris, the darkness that swirled around. For the faintest of moments Jake watched as the Cloaked Woman flickered. He had, for a slight moment, nearly removed her from his psyche'.

"Close, but as they say on Dantooine, no cigar." The woman laughed. "The last time we spoke I warned you. If you brought them back on the exact path you are currently following, you will die. What if I told you there was another way to get them?"

"How?" Jake asked.

The Cloaked Woman smirked, "Kneel before me. Here and now. Call me Master. I will then give you all of the power you seek."

"Piss off." Daniels said. "I am and forever will be the Apprentice to my Master. In this life and the next. Now and for eternity. Take your little offer and shove it where only a proctologist would go."

"I will enjoy breaking that defiance in you on Ambria, boy. You and I are going to have a lot of fun. A lot of it." Then as she let out a laugh that turned into a cackle, everything went black.

 

[Jake Daniels]

The air of the bathroom was filled with a thick steam. The mirror above the sink was fogged over as was the shower door. Inside the sink a large pile of tangled light brown hair rested. A combination of thicker beard and thinner hair, both types showed light glimpses of grey. A symbol of an aging human body. Beside the sink was one of the two shaving kits. Its lid open, blade, soap, and brushed scattered about. On the floor, in a neatly folded pile were the dirty clothes Jake had been wearing. The same clothes he had worn for days. His boots sat by the toilet with both socks rolled up in each boot. A towel rested on the toilet lid itself. As for his Masters Dagger, the gift the Noghri loaned to Jake, that rested on the back of the toilet. It was never far from him.

The man himself stood beneath the shower head. One hand was pressed against the shower wall. The other rubbed over a newly shaven head. His eyes were closed. His mind was focused. Through the force he reached out. As far as his presence could go. Desperate for any inkling of his Masters lineage yet still he was unable to target anything. He was being pulled, continually in a multitude of directions; the strongest of them being Ambria. The planet they now found themselves on.

The ship arrived an hour earlier. Jake had awoken not long before the shower. Rania and Cody thinking he simply had just passed out. Yet Daniels knew he had once again fallen victim to the Cloaked Woman. What she said still weighed heavy on his mind. He was about to enter a temple that would prove to be the end of the road. But how? What exactly would he face inside. While Umako piloted the ship, Jake knew he had to be ready. He had to get ready. In his heart, after two and a half months alone; it would all change. He'd find the lineage. He'd find the power. He'd bring them back. All of them.

Daniels took his time washing his frame. The clear water turned brown as the man ensured their wasn't an inch of flesh that wasn't scrubbed. His only regret was that he hadn't chosen the scent of the body wash. In all honesty, Jake wasn't exactly a 'citrus scent' kind of guy. It was still better than the combination body odor and musk. After his frame was rinsed the first time, Jake washed a second, then a third. He gave his face, then his hair a decent scrubbing as well. With his time in the bathroom, the man looked as though he were a few years younger than his forty two. When Jake felt the presence of darkness he knew they were growing close to the temple. Umako had been searching for Jakes relative description for some time.

"Gravis?" Rania said while knocking on the door.

Daniels shut the water off and grabbed the towel from the toilet, "Come in."

Rania opened the bathroom door. She watched as the Fallen Knight finished covering his lower half. Her eyes though weren't focused on any forbidden region, they were focused on the dozens of scars that covered his body. It became clearer to her now; the physical pain that the man had been through. Smugglers and thieves had rough lives but nothing like what it appeared the Knight had been through. Were all Yellow Eyes like him? Were they all so incredibly damaged or was this unique to him? A man whom used his body as a weapon and for no other purpose?

"What did you need?" Jake asked. He hated being stared at.

"I am just dropping these off. A fresh change of clothes." Rania said.

Jake noticed their look immediately, "My robes?"

"Not the ones you've had. I did take their design however and contacted a friend on Alexandrite Cove. He was quick and designed this set. They were a combination of white, red, and black. The left shoulder held a very important symbol. The Family crest of the Shamalain's. It was a distinctive mark, one that only one family truly use. A red and black combination served as a background for a white tree of life. The robes were perfect. They would serve their purpose.

"Thank you." Jake took them with his free hand, the other still held the towel in place. He watched as Rania scooped up his soiled clothes and socks. Daniels motioned that he'd clean sink. When she vanished, the Fallen Knight simply sat on the lid of the toilet. The pile of robes rested on his lap; his thumb gently rubbing over the family crest.

"Umako said we're near." Rania added.

"I know." Jake replied. "Tell him I'll be ready in ten."

Rania took a moment to stare at the man whose icy eyes simply remained on the crest on the robe, "It is a beautiful design."

"Yes. It is." Jake mumbled. "Let me get dressed in peace."

 

[Jake Daniels]

Daniels quietly emerged from the bathroom. The robes fit pretty well. Created in a multitude of layers they offers adequate protection from sunlight for Jake, allowed the man to move around stealthily with ease, and the hood helped to hide his face by casting a shadow over it. Ultimately though the robes design was created for two purposes. The first was to set Jake apart from any other Sith Apprentice of his time. While many wore all black robes, had elaborate masks, and body armor, Jake stood out. When he made his appearances, people took note. The second was the symbolism of his Master. There was no mistaking it; the robes illustrated a singular point. Darth Gravis was the hand of Lady Silencia and the Shamalain Family.

At the dining table Jake again fiddled with his lightsaber. Off and on he had fought with the wiring for several hours. With a quick twist of the tweezers he stuck the final piece into place before gently setting the crimson gem inside. While Rania watched, Jake placed the cover back over the hilt. After securing it with its various screws, the man clipped the saber to his right hip.

“You’re not going to test it?” Rania asked as she tossed his soiled clothes in the trash.

“No.” Jake replied. He’d test it if needed in the temple.

“Wow, doesn’t someone look all ‘rawr’!” Cody joked as he made an appearance. “Umako’s found something.”

Daniels set his backpack and messenger bag on the dining table before following the Smuggler into the cockpit. Umako brought the ship around in slow circles. The ships engines kicked up sand which helped to reveal a large dome structure with three large spires event spaced in a triangular pattern around it.. Two of the spyes seemed intact. The third spire was damaged. Half of it had been destroyed, its remnants no where to be seen. It did leave a nice opening for Jake though.

“Hover above the damaged one.” Jake said pointing to the half gone stone structure.

“Why? I’m sure I could kick up enough sand to find the entrance around the base of the temple.” Umako replied as his attention remained focused on the large central pyramid.

Jake knew better, “This planet belonged to the Sith eons ago. Their temples dot the planet. Sith Temples hold traps. Simply walking through the main entrance increases ones chance of encountering them. If I drop in through the damaged spire I’ll hopefully avoid some of them.”

“Some?” Cody asked.

“Sith are unrivaled in their trap making. It’s inevitable that I’ll come across one or two.” That was a very conservative estimate. Jake anticipated there may be more inside.

“So be it.” Umako said. Slowly he brought the freighter into to a hold position above the damaged spire.

Daniels made his way to the dining room where he began pulling out his harness and rope. Wrapping the harness around his waist, he fastened it much like a belt. Using the rope, he did a triple knot on one end and handed the other to Cody.

“Tie it off against a side handle. Ensure it’s tight. When I’m in, I’ll unhook. Pull it up. When I’m done you’ll drop it back at the same spot.” The Knight instructed.

Cody nodded.

“Take this.” Umako said. He handed Daniels a small ear piece; the same sort they used on their various other mission.

Daniels slid the hearing aid sized device into his left ear. Immediately he heard a second of static as Umako turned on their ships comm links. Jake gave a thumb up telling him it was operational. It was a nifty little device. Jake pressed a button once confirmation it work and there was sudden silence. If he pressed it again, the comm would link up. It allowed for moments of privacy if necessary.

Rania hit the hatch release and a ramp slowly decended near the rear of the ship. Ambria was hot. Incredibly hot. Thousands of grains of white sand bounced around harmlessly as the engines continued to kick things up. When Cody tied off the rope in the ship, Jake yanked on it. It held. Cody in turn yanked on Jakes harness. It too held. It was always better to have a second set of hands to check things over. After all, Jake may have been a stubborn Sith but safety did come first.

“OK Graves. On my mark. Three… two…” Cody went wide eyes as Daniels simply jumped out. “Damn him! Didn’t wait tell one!”

 

[Jake Daniels]

Cody grabbed the robe and helped to ease it down. Umako, seeing the strain Cody was under helped. Holding a one hundred and ninety pound male wasn’t as easy as one expected. Add in the effects of Ambrias winds which howled with the engines and it made it even more difficult.

Outside Jake held on to the rope attached to his harness with one hand. The second hand reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a flare. Cracking it against the harness, Daniels dropped it. As his body continued to lower towards the opening in the damaged spire, he watched as the flare fell into and finally rested on what appeared to be a stone slab. As Jake carefully navigated into the opening, his feet pressed down next to the flare. With a kick, Daniels knocked it over the edge. To his relief it notices a spiral staircase that went down the remainder of the spire; the flare falling perhaps two hundred meters before meeting the temple floor.

Jake unhooked his harness then pressed the comm in his ear, “Cody, pull the harness up. I’m safely in.”

“Copy.”

Daniels watched as the harness was pulled skyward. Once it was free of the spyres opening, Jake turned his attention back to the stairwell. He cracked a second flare and held it in front of him. His eyes focused as best they could to the combination of shadow and red fire. The stairs were made of a well constructed stone. None seem to be damaged. That didn’t mean Jake didn’t take each step with extreme caution. Above he heard the engines of the ship as it flew away.

“Gravis, we’re away. We’ll be two kilo’s south of the temple.” Umako said.

“Understood. I’m heading deeper in.”

“Copy.”

Jake held the flare towards the walls. Every inch of it was covered in a form of calligraphy art. Elaborate designs of geometric shapes. Each seemed to be etched into stone wall and of varying colors. Reds, Greens, and even some Blues. What purpose they held? Jake had no clue. As Daniels continued his decent, his eyes caught sight of an object on the floor. One step just a couple feet down had an elevation to it. As the man knelt he noticed it was a square stone plate. Very thin. Almost unnoticeable. Had it not been for the flare’s flames dancing and the shadows around moving, Jake would have missed it. Reaching into his pack, Daniels took one of his rolled up bunches of rope. Coming several feet back up the stairs, Jake tossed it.

The moment the rope hit the stone plate, a long but thin spear shot from the well. At its tip was a metal point. Just looking at it Jake knew it would have had enough force to impale whatever poor sap had triggered it. Reaching out with the force, Daniels pulled his rope back to him. The spear was then sucked back into the wall. Curiously Jake again tossed the rope. Yet again, the spear shot from the wall. It was motion activated. Pulling back on his rope again, Jake put it away. Raising his palm towards the plate, Daniels twisted his wrist. The thin stone plate cracked, then shattered. The spear vanishing back into the wall. With a swipe of his hand, the cracked plate fell over the side of the spiral stairs to come to a rest next to the flare below. Then and only then did Jake continue his descent.

 

[Jake Daniels]

When Jake reached the bottom he picked up the first flare, which by now was nearly out and tossed it through a small doorway opening. The illumination showed the beginnings of the large central chamber. Still holding onto the second flare, Daniels cautiously entered through the doorway and peeked out. This was where he felt the darkness; the torrent of energy forbidden to most in the galaxy. The Dark Side pulsated in the large chamber; its power all consuming. It both nourished and drained the Fallen Knight who tossed the second flare outward.

The flare smacked the floor, then fell into a small crevice. Instantly yellow flames emerged from the floor. They began racing around the temple floor, lighting everything around it as it followed a course. When the flames drew near, Daniels glanced downwards and notices that the crevices in the floor were filled with a an oil. How it was placed there and why were a mystery unto themselves. As he took several steps back, Jakes eyes fell onto the center of the room.

The central chamber was not nearly as big as the outside of the temple seemed to make it. Above him was the dome. The walls and pillars of the central chamber all held the same artistic calligraphy. Geometric shapes in various patterns and designs dotted the area. Yet his icy blue eyes remained fixated on the center of the room. Surrounded by two small rows of flames was a pedestal. On the pedestal sat an octagonal shaped object. Jake knew immediately that it wasn’t a holocron. It was an archive of sorts.

“Its protected.” The Cloaked Woman spoke as she came to a stand next to Jake. “By a very powerful spell.”

Daniels grew startled and backed away. His foot stepped onto the wrong stone as an arrow shot from a nearby wall. The Cloaked Woman held up a hand and stopped the arrow mid flight. With a twist of her wrist the arrow snapped and fell harmlessly to the floor.

“I do not wish to harm you. I wish to help you.” The Cloaked Woman said.

“How do you know about this place?” Jake asked.

“Like you I was called here. My call happened several years ago. When I got here however, like you, I knew something was off. There were the obvious traps you would expect. Spears, arrows, and some others. The trap I never could get passed is right there.” The Cloaked Woman pointed towards the pedestal.

Jake finally noticed it. Skeletons. Several of them and of different species. Some had their clothes smoldering due to be so close to the flames, each seemed to have a lightsaber nearby. “Sith.”

“Yes.” The Cloaked Woman replied. “All of them Sith. Apprentices, Knights, even Lords. All having received the same call in the force that you and I have.”

“How did they die?” Jake asked.

The Cloaked Woman glanced at Daniels, “Because they feared death.”

“What?” Daniels asked skeptically. The Cloaked Woman slowly removed her hood to finally reveal her face. To Daniels astonishment and shock, he recognized the woman immediately. “Rebecca Hernandez.”

Rebecca smirked, “Glad you remembered me.”

“How is this possible? I should have felt your presence the moment I first met you.” Jake responded.

 

[Jake Daniels]

“Really now?” Rebecca asked. “I had just thawed you out of cryosleep. Your body was still adapting. Your connection to the force was pretty much shot. I knew I didn’t have to hide my presence on the force around you simply because you couldn’t completely use it.”

“How’d you even find me.” Daniels growled. “Why unthaw me?”

Rebecca began a slow pace around Jake, her eyes taking in his new robes, “These aren’t the ones I left for you.”

“No. I found a better tailor.” Jake insulted.

‘Hey Jake. Need help?’ Daniels heard Umako ask.

“Enough of them.” Rebecca snapped. A flick of her wrist shattered the mechanical device in Jakes ear.

The man hollered in pain and fell to a knee. Blood poured out as he desperately tried to pull several pieces of metal and wire free. “You crazy queen.”

Rebecca came to a stop in front of Jake and glared down at him, “See. Look who you’re kneeling too now.” Daniels attempted to leap up but Rebecca was faster. Raising her hand she lifted the Knight into the air and shoved him against the nearest wall, “When I first came here I saw the skeletons. I knew immediately something was off. At first I thought it was a creature of some kind or perhaps an unseen arrow trap, spear, hell even a blade. But as I got close I saw the shimmer. Do you know what a Sith Hex looks like? Under the right lighting, when you draw close enough, you can actually see it.”

Rebecca then turned her attention to the walls, “The Calligraphy looks like random junk to the untrained eye but the shapes, the way the patterns seem to rotate. I learned quickly that it was a spell. The walls were serving as a warning. When I deciphered the art I learned the type of hex that protected the object in the middle. One so masterful in its design that no Sith, past or currently present could dare dream of breaking it. That was until I found you.”

“I spent years searching for a way to access that archive. To learn its knowledge. Then, on Dantooine of all places, I stumbled across old news reports of the Sith Military making a day trip to the planet during the height of the plague. I investigated the area they were rumored to have been and came across your chamber. Frozen and long forgotten, there was a Knight. I planned to unthaw you. Torture you for what you knew. But then I learned your name. Darth Gravis.” Rebecca slowly turned her gaze back to Jake. “I delved deep into that head of yours. I learned about what you lost. I learned about what drove you. More importantly I learned what you were willing to do to get them back.”

Daniels jerked against the force hold that Rebecca currently held him in, “Let me go!”

 

[Jake Daniels]

Rebecca laughed, “And what? You’ll try and attack me with your non-working lightsaber? Fine.”

Daniels fell to his feet. Once more he placed a hand to his aching ear and pulled another piece of metal from it. Again more blood came out. The icy blue of his iris’ vanished. As Jake reopened his eyes, they had once more turned yellow.

“Oh scary.” Rebecca mocked, “I can do it too!” With a single blink her eyes change from a deep brown to a yellow-orange.

“Who are you? Really?” Daniels asked.

Rebecca sighed, “I was known as Darth Bacuole. I was renowned amongst the Sith for being able to infect the minds of my enemies. When I received my vision to come here though, to gain the knowledge I long sought, other Sith didn’t like it.”

“Why?” Jake asked.

“Because I killed anyone whom tried to stop me. I was banished. Can you believe it? They banished me! A keeper of knowledge.” She replied.

“Yeah. I can see why. Who wouldn’t want to banish a crazy woman.” Jake mocked.

Rebecca raised her hand. Daniels gasped for air as he felt his lungs squeeze. Pounding on his chest as though trying to remove whatever retraint held him the Knight was brought to his knees. Then just as quickly as she had started Rebecca ceased. “I am not crazy.”

Jake coughed violently as he removed his packs. Reaching into one he pulled a water bottle out. The heat of the flames surrounding them, the force attacks from Rebecca, they were leaving the Knight parched. After having his fill, he pour some into his injured ear, then tilted his head. A few more tiny pieces of metal fell out.

“So what the hell does this have to do with me?” Jake asked.

“What’s the one common trait of a Sith.” Rebecca asked. “The fear of death. I don’t care who you are in the One Sith, Sith Empire, Sith Brotherhood, or whatever little boys club that’s currently going on. Every true Sith around the galaxy fears their demise. No Sith wants to die and no Sith is willing to die. Death unfortunately is an inevitability for every living thing. Even those who claim to be immortal will one day cease to exist when time itself stops. But what if there is a way to cheat death?”

“So you want to live forever?” Jake asked. “Doesn’t seem like much of a goal. Trust me; life isn’t worth living.”

“Not unless you have something to live for. I want to live and rule. I want to be called a Queen, to punish the Sith that banished me. You, you want to live so you can bring back your family; you live for them. Yet you are willing to sacrifice everything to do it. Even your own life. I’ve seen it. Inside of there!” Rebecca tapped Jakes forehead, “That is why you aren’t truly a Sith. You do not fear death. You welcome it so long as it gets you want you want. The lives of your family. That is why the force calls you here. You can do what no one else can. You can pass through the hex and retrieve that archive.”

 

[Jake Daniels]

“Why not just say you don’t fear death and get it yourself?” Jake asked.

“It doesn’t work like that.” Rebecca replied. “Only someone who truly, in their heart, does not fear the end, can pass through the hex.”

“So I get this archive and then what?” Jake asked.

“You give it to me.” Rebecca replied.

Jake laughed. Rebecca smacked him.

“You expect me to just give it to you?” Jake glanced at the archive. Something inside of him pleaded with him, urged him to go fetch it. That was his purpose for being here. That was his reason. This archive was going to have his answers.

“You can’t use it. I know your skills. You can weild a lightsaber but you do not possess the power necessary to use the spells it holds.” Rebecca replied. “I do. Give it to me and I will bring your family back.”

Jake didn’t even need to think twice on this. If he fetched this object, it would be his. No one other than he and the Shamalain lineage would use its knowledge. Hell would have to freeze over before Jake did anything for Rebecca. Daniels slowly knelt down and began going through his bags. He slid his final two flares up his right sleeve while getting a second bottle of water. As Rebecca watched and waited for his answer, Daniels decided to test something.

Finishing half the bottle, he screwed the top back on and threw it towards the pedestal. It smacked the hex, which momentarily shimmered in the light. The bottle fell straight into the flaming crevice in the floor.

“Nothing but a person can get through the hex. You.” Rebecca said. “So join with me Gravis, fetch me that archive and together, as Master and Apprentice, I will bring everyone back for you.”

Jake sneered. He turned towards Rebecca then spit the bit of remaining water in his mouth into her eyes. She shouted in disgust and turned her face. That’s when Jake reached out in the force. Siphoning the darkness around him, Jake shoved both of his hands outward. He used a telekentic push of his own to launch Sith Lord backwards.

She hit a pillar and though momentarily dazed, Rebecca laughed. “So you do have some fight in you. I did say we were going to have a lot of fun.” Coming to a stand she cracked her neck in both directions as she looked for the suddenly vanished Gravis.

“So let the fun begin.”

 

[Jake Daniels]

Rebecca walked around the main hall. She cautiously glanced around the pillars. She looked up at small overhands that protruded from the walls. In her time in Jakes mind she understood the mans skill. When he wasn’t locked up or controlled the man was much like a ghost. She reached out in the force but the vast amounts of dark energy in the temple seemed to help in hiding the Knight.

“You’ve never had an Apprentice.” Rebecca said as she continued her slow, steady, and cautious pace around main hall. “That is interesting. When Sith receive their promotion from Apprentice to Knight, all are eager to train future generations of Sith. Yet you do not. Why?”

Jake remained hidden, refusing to answer or give up his position.

“Sith are taught that if we look for certain traits in Apprentices, then those traits in that Apprentice will be our undoing. Yet we need to continue our tradition of training future generations. We found a loop hole. No Knight nor Lord took an Apprentice on longer than absolutely necessary. We did not want to risk being usurped in our position like in the old times.” Rebecca reached out in the force and shattered already cracked pillar. “You were treated different. In the recesses of your mind I saw everything. I saw your training. I saw your loyalty. I saw that you were not like others of your time. You were not part of the training mill. Show up one day, get trained, then leave. You showed up. You stayed. Like an old Sith. That makes me wonder.”

She continued to reach out in the force, “Why did your Master choose you? If she chose a successor, then she would inevitably be succeeded. If she chose someone hungrier, then she would be devoured. If she chose someone quicker, then she couldn’t dodge the attack. If she selected someone with more patience, then she wouldn’t block the blade at her throat. If she chose someone more devious then she just created the blade that will killer her. If she chose someone more clever, then she’ll never know her end.” Rebecca turned the moment she heard the sound of footsteps. Jakes knee met her temple, knocking the Lord to the ground. Rebecca extended a hand and launched the Knight away.

Jake twisted and turned in the air, landing on his feet. To his relief, his knees held. He continued to allow the dark side to flow through him, to fuel his internal fire as he once more went into hide and seek mentality.

Rebecca pushed up and smirked, “Nice attack. However you only got the edge because the darkness in here impedes my abilities to completely sense you.” She was truly enjoying this game of cat and mouse.

It didn’t matter to Jake. He now knew he could hit her. That would be his plan. Hit. Run. Hit. Run. He’d wear this woman down.

“Back to your Master. I can tell she wasn’t a stupid woman. She chose you for a reason; a purpose. Yet why keep you as an Apprentice? You are highly codependent on her. Hell, you’re the only man whom needs constant reassurance from his Master in the entire galaxy. Let's not forget your the only Knight whom is 100% loyal to his former Master. You don’t truly think for yourself and when you do you screw things up. Perhaps that’s why she chose you? Because she knew that a meat head like you would stay loyal and never prove to be a viable threat to her own power base.” Rebecca then caught a sense of Jake.

Daniels remained kneeling behind a pillar. He could feel Rebecca growing closer. She knew where he was now. The only way for Jake to get out of this was to fight. He listened to her footsteps as she grew closer. His good ear heard her shatter the first of the trio of pillars he was near. She walked sever steps closer then shattered the second. When the man heard the cracks in the pillar he knelt behind, he struck. Jake waved his hand and sent a small glob of fiery oil towards the Sith Lord.

Rebecca raised a hand and stopped the oil mid air. Jake sent a second, then a third. Each one being stopped with ease by the Sith Lord. Rebecca smiled, pushed the burning blobs of oil into a singular larger one. She shattered the pillar Jake was behind then launched the scalding oil towards him. Daniels then struck again. Using his speed and limber agility, the man rolled to the side, pushed off a stump of one of the trio of shattered pillars and connected a kick into Rebeccas shoulder. The Sith Lord fell to the ground but launched a telekinetic push then sent the still mid-air Daniels flying.

Jake once more twisted and turned, landing on his feet. After sliding to a stop, the man rubbed his knees. They continued to hold up. His yellow eyes began to show signs of an orange overtone. The often ridiculed Knight continued to feast off his Masters essence from her dagger. Combined with the Darkness of the temple, Jake was able to hold his legs together.

"You're like a fox." Rebecca said as she rubbed her shoulder. "That must be why your Master chose you. She trained you to fight like this didn't she? To be her weapon and nothing more. I could grant you so much more power. All you have to do is let me. Just get me the archive and I will share that power. I wont mistreat you like she did. I will show you your true potential. You could become so much more..."

Daniels remained hidden once more. He closed his eyes and allowed himself the briefest of moments for meditation. The greatest lesson his Lady Silencia ever taught him? Always fight with a clear and focused head. That would be the only way he would best someone of much higher caliber than him; Sith Lords and Jedi Masters included. Jake wasn't going to fall for this womans cheap talk and empty promises.

"But if you must insist on this display of defiance then so be it." Rebecca smiled. "Two nice hits on me, Knight. You know how a hunter takes down a sly fox? They break its legs."

 

[Jake Daniels]

Daniels watched from a distance as Rebecca continued her pace around the main temples hall. Her hands were ready; palms facing outwards while she fought against the vast darkness to try and pinpoint the Knight. He continued to move about, waiting for the precise moment to strike. Reaching out, Daniels quietly lifted a piece of rubble towards her. With a wave of his arm he launched the stone towards the Sith Lord. As the rubble flew across the room, Daniels charged her from another point. In an attempted vice grip, Jake hoped that he could distract her long enough to land a another hit.

His hope vanished as the Sith Lord placed a palm towards the rubble and again stopped the flying object. She pointed a palm towards Daniels and froze the Knight in another tight unseen force grip. Jake struggle, using what essence of darkness he could to try and break free but the much more powerful Sith simply held him in place. She allowed the rubble to fall harmlessly to the floor. Taking her now free palm, the Sith Lord pointed it towards Jakes knee. With a flick of her wrist, the woman dislodged the kneecap. The small boney covering slid to the outside of his right leg. Jake screamed in pain; more so when she allowed him to drop to the floor.

“See?” Rebecca asked. “The fox isn’t so sly when its gimp now is it?”

Jake scooted back several feet, both hands on the injured leg. He couldn’t say anything. His mind was too focused on the agony of his knee.

“Now, you had your fun.” Rebecca said. “Now it’s time to give me what I want.”

“Go suck a lemon.” Jake smarted.

Rebecca raised a hand and began applying pressure to Daniels knee. The Knight writhed in pain as the blood curdling agony echoed through the chamber. No amount of siphoned dark energy was going to nullify this. The injury simply hurt. It hurt a lot.

“Your memories are a marvel.” Rebecca said releasing the pressure. “I am able to see every battle you have ever been in. Every fight you have ever partaken off. You truly have no fear. Even against insurmountable odds; you will always defy those stronger than you.”

Jakes voice trembled as he tried to gain some level of composure, “Get to your point.”

Rebecca turned her attention towards the archive in the middle of the room, “Even when you face certain death, you are defiant. Your life is in my hands and you show absolutely no concern. I offered you a chance to bring your family back. I offered you the opportunity to be with your wife and raise your sons. You spat in my face.”

“You weren’t going to do any of that.” Daniels replied. “I’ve known Sith Lords stronger than you. There is one defining trait for every single one of you; you lie.”

Rebecca laughed, “That we do.”

“Yet you know what? You’re still going to get me that archive.” Rebecca turned her attention towards Jake.

 

[Jake Daniels]

Daniels chuckled, “You know, for a Walking Monkey, you sure don’t listen.”

Rebecca unleashed a torrent of pain upon Daniels. Her palms faced the man as she twisted and molded his body. Unlike force lightening, this attack was unseen but completely felt. The mans muscles began to spasm, his screams were deafening, his body twist, turned, and jerked wildly. Yet moments before he was too black out; Rebecca ceased her assault. She allowed Jake to slowly come into a seated position. The man again placed his hands on his knee.

“Even if I had actually wanted to help bring your family back, that offer is now gone.” Rebecca hissed. Her tone, her demeanor took a much darker turn. With a wave of her hand, Daniels body was sent flying across the room. He landed near his packs, his body crossing over several crevices of flames which smolders his robes.

Grabbing one pack, Daniels pulled out his last bottle of water. Making quick work to guzzle much of it down, the man put out the few spots of burning cloth with the remainder. Then he turned his attention to his knee. Jake had injuries like this before. There was one way to fix this and one way only. Taking a closed fist, Jake smacked the knee cap as hard as he could. The bone popped back into place with a snap that sounded like a rubber band. He screamed out; agony the only thing in his voice.

“That sounded like it hurt.” Rebecca said as she drew closer. “You have guts. I will give you that. It wont be enough. Get me the archive. You and I know I won’t let you live. If I did all you would do is hunt me down. I will however make it a quick death. A warriors death.”

“Piss off.” Daniels snorted.

Rebecca leaned down next to Jake. She slugged him, cracking the Knight across the face and sending him to the floor. His face met flame. Instantly Jake tried shoving back but Rebecca pushed against him. Using her weight on his back, the Sith Lord forced the Knight closer to the fire. The heat seared the side of his face. Small then larger blisters formed near his right eye. The smell of cooked meat filled the air. Still, the flames hadn’t touched flesh yet.

“Maybe I will resurrect your family. Maybe I will help you bring them back. Then your going to watch me have my way with your queen and your two brats. You will watch them die all over again. This time though… it will be your fault.” Rebecca sneered.

‘Crack.’ That’s the proverbial sound that echoed through Jakes mind. A wall came in, suddenly shutting the Sith Lord out completely. The scattered thoughts suddenly focused; the pulls on the force ceasing in this moment. Jakes eyes, once yellow with a hint of orange changed to orange completely for red consumed them. The Knight took in the Darkness like a child would their mothers love. Jake shoved himself up.

Coming to a stand with the Sith Lord behind him, Daniels fell backwards. Rebecca was crushed between the nearly two hundred pound Knight and the stone floor.

 

[Jake Daniels]

Jake tried to roll away yet Rebecca wrapped an around his neck. In an attempted choke hold, she refused to let go. Jake swung at her, missing as she bounced her head from side to side to avoid the incoming but wild punches. That’s when Jake remembered the two flares up his sleeve. Pulling them out, he cracked both against his belt. Their red flames burst outward. Jake smashed one into Rebecces arm which wrapped his neck. When she ceased wiggling, he shoved the other one against her head. The woman screamed as the flames tore into her cheek.

Jake used this moment to roll away while still holding both flares. As Rebecca tried to get up, Daniels used a telekinetic pushed. He shoved her down and away, causing the woman to land on a crevice of flames. She screamed as she rolled, desperate to put out the flames that began engulfing her. The woman cried, sneered, and cursed at Daniels whom remained standing; though most of his weight staying on the left leg.

“I am so going to kill your family. I’ll bring them back. Kill them again. Bring them back and then just repeat the process over and over again.” The woman snarled. She came to a stand, showing the damage Jake had done. The flare had punched a hold clean through a cheek while the other had several burned her forearm. When she raised her palms towards Jake she attempted another attack… yet nothing happened. “What!?” Again she tried. Again she failed.

“You’re exhausted.” Daniels mocked. “I’ve seen this happen before. Your body is starting to wear down. The heat of Ambria, the heat from these flames, your constant use of the force, and now the injuries I caused you? You’re tired.”

Rebecca sneered, “I don’t need the force to kill you. I have something you don’t.” Reaching behind her the woman pulled her lightsaber into view. With a simple movement of her thumb the crimson blade activated.

Daniels, his iris’ a deep red, dropped both of his flares. He reached down and unclipped his own lightsaber.

“It doesn’t work!” Rebecca laughed. She came rushing in with a downward slash.

Her blade was met with the emergence of Jakes, “Say’s who?”

The Knight, not knowing if the saber would work, put his faith into himself. Moments before entering the temple he had hastily finished setting its components up. This was the first test. Fortunately it didn’t fail him.

Crimson blade to crimson blade, the Lord and Knight connected time and again. The difference was that Jake wasn’t attempting to go on the attack; the man was simply playing defense. Each blow from Rebecca was met with a stronger defense. It was only minutes before the Sith Lord grew frustrated.

“I was in your head. I saw how you fight. I know your abilities.” Rebecca said in frustration. “I should be able to best you. I’m a Sith Lord!”

Daniels said nothing at the rant. Instead he focused on his plan. The fight had changed. It was no longer a battle of force abilities and stealth. It was Knight to Lord, saber to saber. This was Jakes fight. This was where he excelled and always would.

 

[Jake Daniels]

Jake simply stood as he was, turning when needed, to block her blade at every moment. His ear still bled, his knee still ached, and his blistered burned face throbbed. Yet none of that was what truly consumed the man. As the sound of pops from saber to saber filled the middle chamber, Jake could only focus on what she threatened. She was going to kill his family.

‘Crack.’ Another snap within the already fragile mind of Jake Daniels occurred. The darkness within the man continued to build. The something changed. Daniels no longer played defense. In a burst of fluid saber strikes, Jake took the Sith Lord off balance. He pushed, prodded, and knocked her away with superior leverage and strength. Even as Rebecca managed to summon some minor force attacks centered out telekinetic bursts, they did little to nothing to Daniels who now knew what he was going to do; what he had to do.

He positioned their bodies so that Rebecca was stuck between the hex protected archive and his blade. Slowly the Apprentice began pushing her back. The Sith Lord, desperate to get out of this pincer move tried her own counter attack. Jake wasn’t having any of it. The Knight met the Lords blade. He swung up, then down suddenly, catching her off guard. His blade tore through her hilt. The now destroyed lightsaber fell to the ground while Jake held the point of his blade to the Sith Lords face.

“You have so much potential.” Rebecca said in a suddenly soft voice.

Daniels simply didn’t hear her. Within the recesses of his mind, the Knight replayed what she had said just minutes earlier. This woman threatened to bring back his family just so he could watch them die? She threatened his family? HIS!? Jake snarled. He slowly lowered his blade, shut it off and clipped it back to his waist.

Rebecca was quick to act, “Stupid man!”

She launched at Jake who landed a punch directly to her nose. Rebecca’s head snapped back as blood poured out from both nostrils. Jake didn’t stop. He grabbed her shoulder, pulled her in and unleashed a dozen or more punches, one after another. Brutal. Savage. Unrelenting. Her words. Her threats. All replaying in his mind. The pain he felt when he learned of his sons sickness; then his wife's. The pain he felt when he learned of their deaths. The pain he felt when his Master and his Men forced him into the cryochamber. The agony he felt when he awoke centuries later; forgotten and cast aside by time. Alone. Desperate. Weak. The agony he felt realizing he was forsaken by the very woman whom had promised to never abandon him like the Jedi had.

Every punch reflect this emotion. Rebeccas cried, gasped, pleaded for the Knight to stop. She raised her hands feebly to block the hits. They still found their mark. The more she pleaded, the harder Jake hit. This wasn't a chivalrous Daniels. This was a grief stricken husband and father who had to listen to the threats of a Sith Lord. This was a man whom simply had enough.

Jake pulled his Masters blade from its sheath on his lower back. As Rebecca whimpered, Daniels held it close to her chest; between both breasts and against the sternum. The woman peered at the Knight through now black swollen eyes, pleading for mercy. Jake showed none. He pushed the blade as far as it would go. Rebecca clawed at his face, leaving deep scratches as she screamed. Daniels pulled the blade free, let it drop to the floor, then summoned the last bit of rope he had in his pack.

It flew through the air, landing in his palm. Still, Jake did not let Rebecca fall to the floor. The Knight had finally lost it. Wrapping the rope around Rebeccas now lifeless neck, Jake positioned himself so his back was to hers. In the distance he spotted Rania and Cody, both having watched the majority of the fight. They now watched as Jake rocked back and forth, yanking on the rope as it tightened around the Sith Lords neck before finally… a release. Rebecca Hernandez’s head rolled one way while her body simply fell another.

Jake sneered and shuddered as the flood of dark energy radiated from him..

Rania got sick and lost her stomach out of sight. Cody simply went wide eyed. Daniels snarled and turned his attention towards the archive. The galaxy would now know just what Jake would do to anyone… anyone… whom tried to stop him on his quest to get his family.

He summoned his Masters knife to his hand. He felt his Lady Silencia’s presence on the blade. Its nourishment, its familiarity, it became too much in this moment. Glancing up as though staring into the heavens Jake let out a emotionally charged and pained scream, “Master!” His voice echoed. He felt his presence on the force, his small signature launched outwards in all directions. Then the man slowly came to his knees.

Placing his head into his bloodied hands, Daniels simply wept.

 

[Jake Daniels]

The heat of the temples flames had dried out Daniels eyes. He simply couldn’t cry any longer. His voice was gone. The emotional cry had exhausted his voice. The blood on his hands, face, and robe had dried and caked as the heat seemed to cook it. In this distance, Rania and Cody cautiously approached Jake. The Knight heard them yet made no movements. They approached with increased hesitation. Rania began collecting Jakes bags while Cody kept his focus on the kneeling Knight. His rage still consumed him. The darkness still nourished him.

This wasn’t a Gravis that Cody had ever seen before. He had seen Gravis angry but never to the point of losing his mind. How a man could use a rope and his body to rip the head off of a woman; it was unfathomable. Smugglers and Pirates were brutal. They would kill anyone if they needed too. Death itself was an every day part of life. Yet to be so close, to do it in such a personal way, there was more to this. It had to have damaged Gravis’ soul; that is if Gravis even had one. Cody wanted to ask why. Why would Jake beat a woman so brutally then just stab her? If she was beaten, why kill her? If her killed her then why desecrate the body tearing her head off?

Cody was no more than a meter from Jake and he could see the Knight more clearly. His shoulders, back of his neck, and the back of his robes were drenched in crimson fluid. The womans blood was everywhere; covered large swaths of his frame. Cody saw the mans injured ear, the bloody scratches to his face, and the burns to his right eye. This wasn’t just a fight. This was a war. Did all Yellow Eyes fight like this? Were all Sith this brutal in their encounters? None of the holo recordings from various planetary news organizations ever showed such ruthlessness. It was always waving glow sticks and blasters. Yet here Gravis had fought and killed; using nothing but his hands, a knife, a rope, and his body.

Even Cody knew not to push a now completely unstable Gravis any further. He spoke with the utmost respect. He used Jakes full Darth title, “Darth Gravis?”

Daniels crimson iris’ glared up at Cody. So red, so bright, they almost looked like they glowed with the way the temples fires reflected on them. Instinct kicked in and Cody backed away; hands up in a submissive manner.

No matter how out of it Jake had ever been, the man still kept enough sanity to decipher threat from non-threat. Even in heated battle, the man never killed an innocent. Cody wasn’t a threat. Rania wasn’t a threat. Yet the darkness still swirled through him, around him, wrapping him like a blanket. It was smart to stay as far away from Jake as possible.

Coming to a stand, Daniels turned his attention towards the archive. The hex. The danger it possessed. Jake didn’t fear it.He didn’t fear death. He welcomed it. He wanted it. The man was tired. Sheathing the blade back into its hold on his lower back Jake simply walked forward. With no resistance felt, he past through the shimmering hex. His boots crushed aged bone. Glancing down, the man simply used a telekentic burst to send the rest flying away. Much like he had for over four hundred years, the remains of these people would continue to be ignored.

His red eyes glance at the archive. Without hesitation the Knight picked it up. This simple device, this archive of apparent knowledge, was the answer Jake was looking for. What it contained, along with the scrolls he had previously collected, was to be enough to bring back his family. All he needed now was the power necessary to use whatever spells this archive held. Simply stepping over the head of Rebecca Hernandez, Jake made his exit.

 

[Jake Daniels]

.::.Three Weeks After Ambria.::.
.::.Honoghr ~ Daniels Restored Homestead.::.

There was a knock on the bathroom door. Jake glanced at the door as Rania’s head peered in. She was afraid. He could see the uneasiness in the Twi’leks eyes as she opened the door further to reveal that she was holding a set of new robes. Same coloring and style as the ones worn on Ambria. Those had been burned. There was no amount of washing that would have removed that amount of blood. Rania set the fresh robes on the floor then glanced at Jake, whom simply rested in a steamy bath filled with bubbles. There was even a hint of citrus in the air.

“Thank you.” Jake said before looking away.

Rania glanced around the bathroom. On the walls near the bathtub were printed news reports and pictures of people and planets. She knew full well that Jake was in full hunting mode. He found a new target and it was all because of a simple poster in a medical clinic.

The state in which Jake left Ambria; wasn’t normal. Not even for him. Exhausted from his confrontation with Rebecca Hernandez, the man had been taken to a clinic on some third rate planet. Why? Because people didn’t ask questions. The Doctors that examined Daniels when Umako and Cody assisted him in didn’t give the circumstance of his bloody robes a second glance. They believed the story that Jake had been involved in a violent speeder crash. The scratches to his face were attributed being tossed from the wreckage; the same with a busted ear drum. The burns blamed on the fires from a mangled wreck. The Doctors didn’t even ask where the accident occurred. There hadn’t been one. They didn’t care. They only focused on their patient.

Jake had been there for two days. Doctors did what they could to help the scratches heal. They ensured the burn would not infect but more importantly that the eye itself would heal. It would. He hadn’t loss complete vision in it though there appeared to be a larger blind spot in his peripheral. His knees though. They were shot. The Doctors were stunned that the man could still walk. A frail body. Knees that appeared more worn down than a neglected speeders transmission. A mind that didn’t appear there. Through the two days he had been there Jake hadn’t spoken once. The Smuggling Trio did.

Umako. Rania. Cody. They stayed. Even after what they witnessed him do with his hands, they remained to ensure he would be ok. On the second day, everything had changed. That was the day Daniels saw her. An image that even Umakos little computer program failed to spot in all of its searching through public files. On the wall in an examination room that Jake had been moved too, the man saw a face so familiar, it was terrifying. Fear. Anger. Resentment. Passion. Love. Remorse. All of it flooded him as he stared, wide eyed, at the face of a woman whom should have been dead. He tore the poster from the wall and demanded to know who this was.

The Doctors, fearful themselves at the sudden temperament change from a previously placid individual, gave him a single name. That’s all Jake needed. Umako brought every back to Honoghr. The construction crews were forced to hurry their development on the home. Daniels then used his little mind trickery to convince them they had been paid. He then sent them away. Yet he didn’t immediately dive into research on the name he had been given. Jake instead had done something that no one expected. He sought out the Noghri.

For a week after his return Daniels stayed in their village. He returned to dagger of his Master. He also asked for a favor. The man handed over the scrolls and archive he had collected and gave the Noghri a simple order; hide it. The plan was brilliant. Unless Jake called for it, the Noghri would keep it hidden. Even if someone knew Jake had this particular amount of information, he didn’t know where it was. He had forbidden the Noghri from telling him. They and only they knew where the information needed to raise his dead family was. It was safe. During the remainder of his time with the Noghri, they helped to heal his mind.

Death tore at a mans soul. Taking the life of another person, regardless if one was Sith, Jedi, or Unaligned, it scarred them. Daniels having already been unstable had been pushed to the breaking point. Under the care and guidance of the Noghri Elders and with serving as the Blacksmiths Apprentice for the time, a level of stability was back in his mind. That still didn’t mean the damage was healed. It was there. It would always be there. When he returned home, Jake moved in. He took down his messy tent, burned the trash, and made himself at home; or as at home as someone like Jake could be. It still was empty to him. He still wanted his family.

The Smugglers rarely saw Jake. They were allowed into and out of the house only to collect items from the basement that they then sold. They allowed themselves in to ensure Jake was eating. He was. Daniels mind, though unstable, was focused. Now that he was home; now that his promise to return his Masters dagger to the Noghri was fulfilled, the man focused completely on the woman in the poster.

That same poster torn from the wall of the clinic was now taped to the wall on the opposite side of the bathtub. It had a piece of red thread go from her to an image of a planet that had its name written in black pen “Byblos”. Byblos then had several pieces of red string that shot out in various directions. Each stopping at either another image of the woman Jake had found or a news article about an organization called the EVE Foundation.

“You know her, don’t you?” Rania asked as she came to a sit next to the bathtub. She glanced at Jake who’s eyes were so filled with emotion that Rania simply couldn’t tell what he was feeling.

“I… don’t know.” Jake replied. She looked so much like his Master. So similar in so many ways yet there were small imperfections, better yet differences, that told him in his gut it wasn’t her. It couldn’t have been. Those small differences that only someone whom had been close to his Lady Silencia were compounded by the news articles.

“She’s a hero.” Rania said. “I’ve heard of the EVE Foundation before. They help those in need. Umakos been looking up info on her too. The woman goes into places even smugglers won’t to get aid to those that truly need it.”

That’s why Jake was confidant this couldn’t have been his Master. His Lady Silencia wouldn’t go out of her way to help people she didn’t know; not unless it suited some preplanned endeavor. This woman. She wasn’t his Lady Silencia. Yet… her physical appearance. It was so bloody similar in so many ways. If she was a Shamalain… if she was a descendant of his long since passed Master, why was she helping people?

Daniels adjusted his body in the tub and came to a full seated position. Besides being incredibly relaxing, baths helped Jake think. He soaked hours a day in them. He did his research into this woman in them. One of the few simple pleasures Jake could say he allowed himself to enjoy. As he stared at her image, then the line leading to Byblos, Jake knew what he was going to do. His body had three weeks to recover from Ambria. His mind seemed, for the moment, to be holding together.

Jake pushed himself to a stand and grabbed a towel. While Rania averted her gaze, Jake patted his body dry and stepped out. He motioned for two black knee elastic knee braces on the counter, which Rania handed to him. They were insulated elastic bands that helped to keep the skin warm. Warm knees meant no limping. As Rania kept her gaze away, Jake dressed in his red, black, and white robes; the Shamalain family symbol still present on the shoulder.

“I know I thanked you for these but thank you for all of them.” Jake said as he looked at Rania. She hadn’t just acquired him one or two more sets of robes. The woman had gotten him several. More than enough so that Jake wasn’t wearing the same sets on consecutive days.

“You’re welcome.” Rania replied.

“Tell Umako to ready the ship.” Jake ordered.

The Twi’lek nodded. No one questioned him. Not anymore. Not since Ambria. He had the knowledge to bring his dead family back. He just needed the power. He needed the Shamalains. It was time to go to Byblos and meet an apparent descendant of his Master. It was time for Jake Daniels to meet Amorella Darke.

Fin.​