Renouncing the Devil: Anobis

[Derrek Fisto]

A cold spring day.

A gentle breeze flowed over ochre fields of grain like running water. The planet Anobis was renowned for its agriculture and mining. So much so that it was surprising to Derrek that the Sith hadn’t tainted it yet. In the times before, times when Palpatine and other Sith ruled empires, they had made it a priority to seize the resources the planet offered in abundance.

It wasn’t resources, however, that brought Derrek planet-side. It was something completely different, it was something far more primal and intuitive. Getting to the planet was a trick however; not many people come to the backwater planet, and not having a ship of his own, the Dark Jedi relied on public transport and generous pilots to get where he needed to go. Typically he would nest in a place for a while, taking in all of the energies the planet had to offer, but recently he had been restless. He had started on a mission to destroy the Sith for what they did to him hundreds of years ago but it had evolved. Now he realized it was far more than just that. Derrek Fisto would have to rid himself of their vile taint first, lest he fall victim to his own greed again. That was what had brought the wanderer to Anobis and that was what had brought him to these fields. He knew he could find a sense of peace here if he looked hard enough.

In the past couple of years the Nautolan had started relying on his emotions less, instead following the flow of the Force and seeing where it took him. At first it was hard, not killing everything that came his way, or not stealing what he wanted, but slowly he was getting the hang of it. He wasn’t the type of Nautolan to have many friends anyways, but traveling alone was quite taxing. It was intimidating to leave his past behind and not even have a sense of self while trying to brave the harshes of the galaxy. It had taken him a while to even get another lightsaber seeing as his was crushed below rubble a few parsecs away on Glee Anselm. Maybe, eventually, he would go there to find it. But as he understood it, the Sith currently owned it and he wasn’t strong enough to fight them yet. So for now he traded his maroon blade for a lime green one

If someone were to be looking onto the horizon they would normally spot the Dark Jedi Master quite easily. Standing over six and a half feet, weighting two hundred and ten pounds, and having frost white skin would make anyone stand out against the rather flat farm land surrounding them. So, to make up for this, Derrek had wrapped himself in green and brown cloaks to mask his appearance. His Force signature was a completely different story, it was still very much pungent in the air. You would likely taste the darkness in your spit if you were nearby.

Combat training had made Derrek notice there was a small cave up ahead, he had seen it on the horizon a night before. You normally wouldn’t notice it but it had been lit up by a pale flame. This flame intrigued him. This was a moment where he had let the Force guide him, he had a reason to believe that this was a path he was destined to walk. He confirmed his suspicion when the ground he walked on seemed to vibrate. He was being led by the Force to this cave. Hopefully whatever was in the cave either didn’t sense him yet, or was friendly enough to not kill him until he arrived.

His murky black eyes kept on his destination without altering. It was nearing sunset now and if he was correct he would see the dim light again. There weren’t many predators on the planet’s surface so the person or thing inside the cave likely didn’t know how stupid it was to light a fire in something as dark as a mountain range, that or they was competent enough to not care. In a few hours, the wandering ex-Sith would find out for himself. Though he still radiated the Dark Side, he had been learning about the Light Side throughout his travels.

These would turn out to be the first steps he took toward renouncing the devil inside himself.

[member="Kahne Porte"]

 

[Kahne Porte]

The Jedi enjoyed the cool weather, from time to time. Kahne had remembered a time long ago when he was in the middle of a battle on the planet of Rhen Var, granted that was far colder then it was here on Anobis. He had grown somewhat accustomed to the cool weather, and it didn't bother him a whole lot. Kahne dressed in his regular Jedi attire and and cloak that billowed around him as the wind picked up in the area. Kahne had heard it in his dreams, an echo in the force that guided him hear and to this general area. The Jedi knelt down a bit noticing smalls subtle changes in the ground foundation that was before him and a bit a head. Prints could be seen but then seemed to vanish again, Kahne had felt the call like this before. Just before he fell into his coma, he felt the call of the darkside. It was surrounding him as he fell into a saddened and guilt ridden state, thus the coma came upon him.

The Jedi often wondered if that was the force's way of telling him not to give up, to keep the strength of hope within him always. The Jedi Master had often referred to himself as a harbinger of hope. He would look at any situation and see a way through, and even if there wasn't one currently it would present itself in due time. Some people didn't have a lot of time, and time happened to be his most valuable currency. Moments in his life that he would have to make due with, and do the best he could and he would knew that as long as he did his best deep down everything would be alright. Kahne stood up and looked up towards the sky and took a deep breath, the cool air flowing through his nostrils and then he exhaled slowly. Kahne glanced around a bit and then in the distance he could see a figure there.

The Jedi Master took a step or two forward and he stared for a few moments, trying to get a fix on what and who it was. Kahne however did in just that moment feel the tendrils of the dark side, whip at the Jedi like they were trying to ensnare him. Or perhaps invite him if that was the case. The Jedi Master moved forward at a rather relaxed pace as he wanted to know what and who this individual was that seemed to have the darkside flowing around him like windstorm.

"Are you lost?" The Jedi shouted towards the individual, not a demanding question, more curious and concerned than anything. However he wasn't unprepared, for when the dark side was present that always meant trouble was on the edge. Kahne however was unsure how this was to take off, it was just a feeling he had.

He knew everyone needed a little help sometimes.

[member="Derrek Fisto"]

 

[Derrek Fisto]

Movement was something that could be felt more than seen. When you were trained how to hunt you were trained to sense the subtle changes in the wind. How a breeze hit the back of your neck could be far more important than most battle techniques when it came to defense. If someone were swinging on your or they were about to take you out from behind you would likely feel a quick breeze before it all went black. So what did it mean when Derrek got the same feeling but it wasn’t an actual breeze? Instinctually he did turn around with a tight gripped hand on his blade ready to ignite the green lightsaber. He was a jumpy person, being a Sith did that to you, and it was hard to break from some habits.

When he finally felt comfortable knowing there was no one chasing him he turned back toward his goal. There was no denying something was off however, his decades of training would tell him that. What the wanderer was unsure of, however, was what the feeling was stemming from. He would find out sooner than he had expected to it would turn out. He was still getting used to following intuition rather than emotions and split second reactions. He had never sought out a calling, instead he would suppress them and go wherever the Sith told him to go and he would do whatever the Sith told him to do. He was essentially a puppet of the Dark Side his entire life. Roots like that were hard to cut.

It was getting darker faster than the Nautolan had expected and he was starting to be able to see his breath. The cold open air was not a place suitable for creatures like Derrek. Even though his species was able to live above water both in heat and in the cold without real impairment did not mean he had to like it. The cave was extremely close now though, so soon enough he could figure out what he needed to find and hopefully get a fire of his own started. There were wisps of the Force radiating off of the cave ahead like his breath in the wintery shade of the sunset. The fields surrounding the mountain were now painted with purples and swirls of light colors in the final minutes of daylight the planet had left.

_

When the question was first posed Derrek was hit with a brick wall. He was disappointed because he let the man get the drop on him, but he sensed something new. This entire trip had been an insight already, and now was time for the action. He knew whoever was calling out to him was bathed in the Light Side, he could feel it from the distance he was and it was getting brighter and brighter the closer he got. He had never had any pleasant experiences with Jedi before, and quite frankly he had not spoken more than two sentence to any of them in his life. The bladesman had been sent to kill them, not negotiate.

The Nautolan let out a deep breath, icy veins pumping black tar like ichor began to swell. The thundercloud of the Dark Side that surrounded him began to crackle, manifesting itself slowly but surely with lightning. This man was another predator all together, one who seemed strong. Fisto was silent at first, focusing his energy on making sure there weren’t more around. “I know exactly where I am, Jedi.” He said sniffing the air around him, his headtails turning over in his cowl like snakes in a bag. They were searching the air for pheromones, he wanted to tell how hostile this Light Sider was. Most Jedi these days had given up the vow of peace.

[member="Kahne Porte"]

 

[Kahne Porte]

The dark side of the force was evident here, however something more was elusive towards the Jedi Master than expected. A spark of light that couldn't be foundered seemed to radiate from the Nautolan. Kahne wasn't here to lecture him though, he wasn't here just to pick and start a fight either. Kahne' wasn't an attack first ask question later type of guy. While things could change if he sensed immediate danger and such, he didn't get that feeling from this individual.

Kahne also wondered if it was the force just playing tricks on him, should it ever be so cruel. Kahne placed his hands behind his back, his cloak billowing around him for a few moments as he walked forward getting closer to him, not uncomfortably close, but at least 10 to 12 feet from him.

"And where exactly is that?" The Jedi inquired while he knew what he was referring to, Kahne said directing this question in a particular way as to try and understand more about this individual. "That is if you don't mind me asking."

[member="Derrek Fisto"]

 

[Derrek Fisto]

The perceptive Nautolan Master noticed when Kahne took a non-aggressive stance, and Derrek too started to think more clearly. He decided to play it slow for now. The Ex-Sith was prone to violence, but if he could avoid it at the moment he would. High ranking Jedi were known to affect the auras of others, to manipulate the vicinity around them and spread tranquility wherever they went. Was that what Zykhan was experiencing? Or was he experiencing his own metamorphosis away from the Dark Side? He was just as confused now on what he was as he had been the moment he opened his dark swirling eyes after hundreds of years of darkness. He would move his still-shaking hands to draw back his taupe hood thus exposing his ashen headtails. They had started to feel constricted and repressed, unable to taste the air around them, much like their owner was starting to feel.

Dozens of replies passed through his mind in response to the Jedi’s question. He was weighing his options, trying to gauge the situation. He did know exactly where he was in this moment, the exact place to which the Force had guided him. Though, on the other hand he didn’t know anything about where he was, nothing on this planet was familiar. He had followed an itch to its end, and now he wasn’t sure if he was going to be left with a rash. “I’m right where I’m meant to be.” His voice crackled with each word, it sounded as though he had engulfed an entire thunder storm. Whatever darkness that had ahold of him was fighting to stay in control. Derrek Fisto wasn’t sure how much longer he could think clearly. He felt like a children’s storybook character who was cursed with a dark beast who emerged and destroyed all in their path.

“I think we were both drawn here by the same call.” The bladesman’s hands were back where back by his side again. Zykhan was still peaceful but not trusting. An emerald blade stood at the ready to be plunged into the nearby Jedi.

Hopefully the Jedi wouldn’t call his bluff.

[member="Kahne Porte"]