Oasis in the Void

[Kainan Wolfe]

[-SOUNDTRACK: DRAGON OF ZAKUUL-]​

Attn: [member="Hajrah Marjanah"] | [member="Curupira Hawk"] | [member="Srina Talon"]​

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• Yurb
  Kessel Sector

Secrets. The galaxy was full of them. Indeed, they were woven into the very fabric of a universe which was very good at hiding things from prying eyes. Secluded from the attention of the rest of the galaxy, one arid planet in the Kessel Sector was rumored to hide something that had piqued the interest of a certain Sith Lord.

Over the long eons since its fall, Valkorion's Eternal Empire had become the stuff of legends and myth and much had been forgotten. Some secrets survived, locked up in abandoned space stations, or buried away on barren worlds such as this one. The thing about secrets was that, while the universe may go to great lengths to hide them, sometimes succeeding for countless millenia, they did not stay buried forever. Oh, they may be forgotten and lost, but eventually they would resurface.

An eternity has passed since Valkorion was defeated. The night had settled over his fabled empire and his palace on Zakuul had long since crumbled to dust. But now, that empire was resurfacing. Deep within the heartlands of the Confederacy, another Sith Lord has claimed the title of Eternal Emperor. Seeking to resurrect the lost glory of the Eternal Empire, this vassal of the Confederacy hunted for the lost relics of the past.

Such a rumor had brought him here, to Yurb, in the middle of nowhere. In orbit of the forgotten world, space buckled and heaved, tearing itself apart and rearranging itself as it spat out the massive battlecruiser that was the Eternal Emperor's personal vessel.

True to its name, this immense warship had never been defeated in battle. And its commander stood on its bridge dressed in his immaculate military uniform, staring out at the planet below through the main viewport with slitted, feline eyes. Taloned fingers rose and came to rest on the hilt of his terrible longsword, which oozed with the unmistakable aura of the Darkside.

Much to his great displeasure, he could see that there was scarcely any life on this planet. Aside from a few scattered spots of green, the world was mostly dead. Finding anything here, would be a challenge, to say the least. "There," he spoke, calmly pointing to one of the green spots displayed on the hologram that hung in the middle of his bridge. "We set up camp at that oasis. Prepare the shuttles," he commanded and his men scrambled to obey.

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Descending towards the ground below, the shuttle that carried the Eternal Emperor and his companions gracefully pierced the atmosphere of the arid world. Followed by two others just like it, the mechanical bird slowly glided to a halt, wings retracting to allow the machines to touch down on the surface.

Ramps lowered, allowing soldiers and engineers to leave the protective embrace of the vessels. B1 Battle Droids swiftly established a defensive perimeter around the shuttles, while servicemen and technicians began to unload supplies. Setting foot on the dusty world for the first time, the Eternal Emperor drew upon the Darkside and reached out through the Force, seeking the familiar presence of Sith artifacts, but instead found something he did not expect. A speck of Light. "Stay sharp," he alerted his companions and the disciplined soldiers which followed them. "We are not alone here. Come. Let us see who our host is."

 

[Hajrah Marjanah]

Yes, a speck of light, a hidden sapphire amidst the expanse of desert sands and sun burned mountains. She was one of few things living on the entirety of Yurb's surface and even fewer that stirred in the midday heat of such a place. At it's peak in the sky already, the sun cooked this world. Only fools, the desperate, and disturbed faced it's wrath.

Perhaps in this moment Hajrah was all three, but in her own mind she was mostly disturbed. Meditating, as was her daily ritual, the young woman had been suddenly chilled to the bone by an unfamiliar presence in the force. Light and dark made no difference to her though the latter gave cause for greater concern. Secluded from most sentient life for some years now, any presence wasn't to be taken lightly. Something other worldy had happened.

With no lack of haste, Hajrah had gathered the necessities for a trip outside of her cave and into Yurbs sweltering heat. From beneath the shade of date trees, russet orbs caught the streaks in sky and up through a ravine she ran following their path.

Excited, afraid, she wasn't sure what to make of the events but at the forefront of all Hajrah's there was the always the force urging caution. Not until the ships had started landing did she take heed and practice it's heed. On all fours she hid herself and crawled through the oasis' foliage to get a closer glimpse.

Wide eyed, she peered in wonderment as these strangers amassed on her home. Their flying machines, the strange metal men...their clothes all exotic. The smell of grease, perfumes, and and even the detergents in their garments...it was a sensory overload.

Obvious to her was the fact that some where like her, but still they seemed odd. Almost stiff as the metal men but through the force they where colder than desert nights, but one more than the others....

"Stay sharp."

"We are not alone here. Come. Let us see who our host is."

Those words. She knew those words. There had plenty of discussion during this whole process, but it had been largely distorted by number. When he spoke though...she knew though words.

It had been sometime since she had heard or even used basic. A primitive form of Socorran was her native tongue. The moments where passing as she processed until...

"Found her!"

From behind Hajrah heard the voice simultaneously with a hand grabbing her ankle. Call it a survivalist instinct, but without a second thought and in one motion she rolled to her back and delivered a swift kick to her captors head.

On her feet she was in plain sight and ready to run. Strange as they where, the movement of the metal men and the weapons they levelled on her was well recognized. Outnumbered with only a desert to run to...Hajrah remained barreling an angry gaze on the leader of these trespassers.

"Stand down! I mean no harm!"

[member="Darth Tacitus"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Hajrah Marjanah"]​

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• Yurb
  Kessel Sector

There was movement within the shrubbery. A few muffled sounds, then a soldier announcing success, before the unmistakable sound of a hard impact against a helmet. The Emperor's soldiers were as disciplined as the droids that supplemented their numbers and reacted as one, rifles turning around and pointing at the figure scrambling through the foliage.

The leader stopped them with a raised hand, a simple gesture that they obeyed instantly, even as he himself turned around and stepped towards the site of the commotion. Even in this desert heat, he wore a heavy cloak with furred padding on his shoulders and upper back, draped over an immaculate military uniform that bore the many trappings of rank. Despite the heat, he did not break a sweat, in fact there was an unnatural coldness about him, as if some bone-chilling echo of death followed him around everywhere he went.

His left hand rose to rest on the hilt of the terrible longsword that hung from his belt, a weapon that bled horror and darkness into the Force like an open wound. His fingers ended in long, sharp talons where his fingernails should have been and his hair was as white as winter snow. A jagged scar crossed his features, making a deep furrow on the left side of his face. His eyes were slitted, like a cat's and colored gold, burning with the unmistakable fire of the Darkside. There was something unnatural and deeply wrong about him, which hinted at a nature that was not entirely human anymore, but instead something much darker, which could draw upon unimaginable powers.

By his side stood a massive creature, shaped like a wolf but much larger and with thick, black smoke radiating from its fur. The creature gazed around with intelligent, if silent eyes that were the same color as its master's, its interest clearly piqued by the commotion.

His eyes soon found what he had been looking for, what his men had found. Crossing the distance in a few quick, confident steps, he found himself face to face with a young, bronze-skinned woman with hair the color of midnight and intelligent, russet-colored eyes. He seemed to measure her with his alien gaze for a few moments, before speaking.

"Such anger in your eyes," he said, his voice raspy, like gravel, yet as calm and confident as his bearing. "Such passion in your words," the Sith Lord spoke, his tone contemplative, as if he came upon an interesting academic dilemma. "Alas, save your anger for another time. I am not here to harm you, in fact I had not expected to find anyone at all, in a place such as this."

"I am Darth Tacitus. Lord of Admirals of the Confederate Navy and Eternal Emperor of Nelvaan," the Sith Lord introduced himself. "Tell me, what brings you here to this dessicated world?"

 

[Hajrah Marjanah]

Inches above her stood this imperious umbrage of a man with his wolf, his sword, and his army. It all seemed recrementitious, especially on a world like Yurb. Further still was the exuberant display through the force. It had it's effect no doubt, Hajrah was chilled to the bone and a cold sweat had formed spotting the sky blue fabrics of her wardrobe.

She stood her ground only breaking eyesight from Tacitus to look at the soldier to her back and then fixed her eyes back on this Darth Tacitus Lord of Admirals of the Confederacy Navy Eternal Emperor of Nelvaan. It was a mouthful and gave the Tigress of Yurb, Lady of the Oasis and Eternal Empress of Sand a means to subtly place her hands at her waist. A waist where two hilts of her own rested.

"I am Hajrah Marjanah. This is my home. What brings you to this desiccated world?"

Foolish as it was to continue like this with a being who could easily turn her to mush, it was her home. They had intruded.

[member="Darth Tacitus"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Hajrah Marjanah"]​

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• Yurb
  Kessel Sector

The Eternal Emperor raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by the girl's attitude even as he eyed the lightsaber hilts hanging from her hips. "You live here? I'm impressed," he said to her. "Not many people could survive in an environment such as this."

He seemed to consider something for a moment, before continuing. "I'm looking for ancient relics of the Sith. A certain rumor has brought me to this planet, in search of a tomb, or maybe a derelict outpost from the age of an Empire ruled by a Sith Lord named Valkorion," the Emperor explained.

He certainly did not fail to notice that his dark presence in the Force was making her wary of him. "Tell me, Hajrah, do you know what the Sith are?" he asked her. She certainly had not reacted like typical Jedi, who would have whipped out their lightsabers by now, but he still wanted to probe her knowledge.

Once more, he paused, as his sharp intellect dissected the situation, weighing his options. "I have a proposal for you," he finally said, breaking the silence. "If you agree to assist me in finding what I seek, I shall offer you a ride off this rock and maybe even a permanent job. The Confederacy could use more people as capable as you seem to be," he said to her, his tone becoming serious and business-like all of a sudden. "Judging by our scans, this isn't exactly a paradise planet and there don't seem to be any other inhabitants."

"You've certainly done well for yourself until now, but you can't survive here alone forever. No one can, not without supplies and the proper equipment," he said to her.

 

[Hajrah Marjanah]

"You live here? I'm impressed."

Hajrah had little to measure the praise of this Tacitus of many names against, but being her limited galactic experience and sentient contact, his praise was better than no praise. A prideful little grin shaped her lips before his next statement brought her back to reality.

"Not many people could survive in an environment such as this."

She didn't need the reminder. Her daily life was a reminder. The unmarked graves of an estimated 24 generations of Marjanah where reminder. She would be the last to call this oasis home. A home these interlopers where haphazardly mucking up with heavy machines!

Brushing past Tacitus, Hazrah made a beeline towards his assembled crew and towards a group of droids trampling a patch of fruit vines.
Sun burnished arms outstretched as she flicked her hands at these metal monstrosities. Hajrah wasn't sure what to make of them but could tell through the force and intuition they weren't human.

"Shoo! Shoo You! Back away! Shoo!

Whether it was her barreling down on them or the fact Tacitus had followed with, she didn't care. In unison they marched back until she seemed satisfied.

Crouched now in this patch, Hajrah examined the damage. Sorting through vines dotted with yellow flowers she took in her hands small melon like fruits and examined for fractures or smushed pulp all together. It may not have seemed she was listening, but she was.

"I know what Sith where. Destroyers of worlds. Slayers of...jedi," she said looking up to Tacitus and holding a crushed fruit in one hand as if in example. "Death follows you wherever you go. Now you are here."

Realization sat in shortly after she uttered it. The whole purpose of her Tribe coming here was to evade Sith. To evade death. Over 800 years had passed...and now they were here. Tacitus may have meant well in his offer, but she interpreted it as a veiled threat.

"There are ruins here. Whose ruins...I'm not sure. Promise to keep me alive and I will help you find them," she offered and stood from her patch.

Looking beyond the mass of people down what at best could be called a stream she pointed a finger. "Further down is my home. You and a few of your kind can rest there. These things..." she growled looking to the droids, "and the rest should return to the sky."

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Hajrah Marjanah"]​

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• Yurb
  Kessel Sector

The Sith Lord cocked an eyebrow at her curious behavior towards the droids, evidently intrigued by it. He could not fathom the reasons for her evident dislike of the mechanical contraptions, but he was amused by her attempts to shoo them away like a group of children or unruly pets.

At a wave of his hand, the droids backed away, depositing their crate in another spot amongst the shrubbery. Out of curiosity, he followed her to where she was now crouching, unnatural feline eyes scanning the shrubbery with cold, mathematical detachment.

He waited silently for her to finish speaking, before responding. "I'm afraid we Sith do not have a monopoly on the destruction of worlds and innocent lives," he said, his tone sorrowful and introspective, the subject clearly rubbing some old wound. "The Jedi are just as guilty of the same acts, if not more so."

"Aye, death follows me wherever I go. It was so long before I chose to walk the path of the Sith. Death is a constant in this galaxy. The death of beings, of ideas, of civilizations. The galaxy rises, then stagnates, then falls and rises again, never reaching its true potential," the Sith Lord spoke. "Its always the same. Success gives way to overconfidence, complacency, corruption and eventually, destruction. The nurturing of weakness produces weak rulers, which make weak decisions that benefit the few at the expense of the many. Stagnation takes over, where once there was advancement. And then some disaster rolls along and the galaxy collapses."

"It is a pattern that has been repeating itself since time immemorial. The Rakatan Empire... the Jedi Schism... the Yuuzhan Vong invasion... the Gulag Plague. Every period of stagnation ends with the deaths of untold billions. And then the galaxy has to start over from scratch, again and again and again."

His eyes locked onto hers. "I will put an end to this cycle. I will bring the galaxy back from the edge and carry it through into the next era, even if I have to drag it by the neck in chains, kicking and screaming along the way, regardless of the cost, because someone has to, before it is too late."

He flashed a series of quick hand gestures to his troops, which promptly returned to their shuttles. "I shall accompany you alone," he said to her. "Worry not about your safety, I already said that I will get you off this rock and I always keep my word."

 

[Hajrah Marjanah]

Jedi, aside from Sith, was one of the few names Tacitus had said that she understood in some greater capacity. Hajrah's ears perked at the mention, not since her days in training with mother and father had she heard it from anothers mouth. The inference Jedi were mass murderers went largely dismissed, she instead focusing on her interpretation of the Sith's statement.

While not a Jedi in a formal capacity, the young Socorran considered herself one in spirit. Smiling, both outward and inward, but more to herself than to her companion, Hajrah didn't recall ever saying she was one. Taking Tacitus words as an implication, her mood improved as his seemed to sour.

Being no expert in philosopy, hers a life requiring a more practical mindset, Hajrah could offer little as a means of rebuttle. Only the insight of a lone inhabitant on a desolate world.

She reached out and gently pulled on Tacitus' arm to stop them both on their track.

"If I kill all the razor tail, the druyza eat all the vegetation and we all die. If I kill all the druyza, the razor tail will eat me and themselves and we all die. If they kill me, nature resumes." her voice, warm and light, lectured while hoping not to seem sophomoric.

Resuming their path, the greenery and the sand slowly disappeared turning to red rock and mud that cut deep into the surface. It was a path cut from years of flashfloods and overflow from the pool they had started at and ended just infront of an elaborately decorated door cut into the walls of the ravine itself.

Spoiler

Hajrah was decendant of the Ibhaan'l. These nomadic people of Socorro where well known for mudbrick buildings built from what the desert offered them. It was a skill that her ancestors here to Yurb and adapted through the years. This door was a testament.

With an ease that came from years practice more than god like power, Hajrah pulled open the entrance to her home. It was a slow process taken with care so no damage was done but one thay eventually layed bare the true measure of how well the Manajrah had prospered at one time.

What had started as a simple cave system, had been meticulously crafted over 800 years into nothing short of a palatial residence. Natural light filtered fom above and through through open door illuminating a grand foyer dotted with arched entry ways and two levels of balcony. Everywhere hung heritage tapestries telling stories of life before Yurb and in the center of it all, a pool filled from the aquifiers below.

It was evident that some areas had seen disuse, dust and cobwebs a tell tall sign, but for the most part Hajrah had been a vigilant caretaker.

"Your ruins look much like this, but bigger. It will be some days travel."


[member="Darth Tacitus"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Hajrah Marjanah"]​

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• Yurb
  Kessel Sector

The Jedi had taken much from the man who eventually became Darth Tacitus, Sith Lord and Eternal Emperor of Nelvaan. They had taken his first love from him, murdered her in front of his eyes. They had taken away his hard-earned freedom after a childhood of slavery and sent him to prison. They had hunted and hounded him at every step. Moreover, the Jedi beliefs were completely incompatible with his own. In his eyes, the Jedi were not just old rivals or ideological enemies, they were a threat to life itself. It was understandable that he despised the Lightside.

So, when the woman reached out and pulled on his arm, the Sith Lord's reaction was to swiftly tear himself from her grasp as if he had been touched by a corpse. "I will ask you to refrain from doing that again, in the future," he said to her, his tone and posture bearing hints of warning.

"And to answer your statement, I am unconcerned about the wellbeing of mindless creatures such as the ones you mentioned. Do you know why? Because in the greater scheme of things, there is no such thing as a natural balance. Peace is a lie. The universe is, instead, driven by a single, immovable law: survival of the fittest."

"If those creatures go extinct, then they are weak and will be replaced by stronger, smarter, more evolved life forms, who will, in turn be replaced themselves, so on and so forth. My only concern is to prevent the stagnation and decay of civilization, by insuring competition continues to be the driving factor in society. The strong survive and the weak perish. And yes, I am well aware of the harshness of this statement, but as evil as it may seem, it is also necessary. For the alternative is simply too horrible to contemplate," he explained to her.

"Complacency, corruption, hypocrisy and cowardice, these are all weaknesses which must be purged if the galaxy is to continue to survive. It is the only way to avoid being caught unprepared when the next Gulag Plague or Yuuzhan Vong invasion rolls around to throw the progress of civilization back by millenia."

Having finished what he had to say, he followed her the rest of the way in silence, until reaching an ancient sanctuary, one which evidently held a single inhabitant. Once more, he was impressed by the young woman's diligence and craftiness, she had done a great job maintaining the place, despite the lack of equipment and the harsh conditions of her environment.

The woman proceeded to outline what she knew about other ruins, quickly and efficiently. The Sith Lord simply nodded. "That is fine. I am used to traveling on foot through harsh environments such as this one. It will not be a problem."

 

[Hajrah Marjanah]

The galaxy was well off on it's own before civilization and she imagined it would so again if this Darth's doomsday scenario came to fruition. Hajrah might not have had a wealth of experience in these matters of society, but she knew Tacitus spoke not with reason. It was from anger and from greed. She could feel it, had interpreted it. The galaxy had broken him.

Her pity was made evident in the frown on her face but he had made clear she was not to try and console him. Hajrah imagined any attempt would have proven futile anyhow. He could fancy himself Emperor of everything if he wanted to, but the Jedi infront of him would call Tacitus a lost soul.

Turning from her guest, Hajrah started off into room, her voice trailing back before she disappeared completely.

"Sometimes it's the prey that proves strongest..."

It was meant for him to hear, an indirect rebuttle seemingly said to herself. Hajrah didn't wait for the response and left him alone for some minutes before reappearing, blankets in tow.

Tossing them at his feet, the Jedi took heed and avoided his personal space, "Five days on foot through the desert. I'll have us ready by dusk. We'll begin then. After I eat."


[member="Darth Tacitus"]