Public Sleepy Hollow

[Darth Hollow]

Jakku, Day 135

The desert is hollow.. a empty place where the sands stir on a canvas of nothingness. Here scavangers and farmers in their folly try to make a living.. there skeletons in time grounded down into the dust…

The empires of old have left there derelict vessels that these parasites use as shelter and to scavenge from. In the haul of one starship a band of scavengers will find more than they bargained for…

Like little children they with glee sink to the depths of One Destroyer, teasing and childing one another ad they take their torches looking for something of value.

“We should hurry! The sun is setting” said one Scavanger.

The other with a fave mask of metal as it cut said, m
“You worry too much.. there is nothin down here.”

One of the Torchers was cutting at a door, the molten trail softening the metal so that he could pry it open with a metal bar. Inside he found a becta tank that was broken and wires descending like Sarlaac tentacles. Two others entered,
“What is this place?”

Lights flickered on and off in reds and oranges.

“How is that possible? There is no power source.” Said one Scavanger.

Then they heard footsteps.

“What was that?”

One of Scavangers fell on his knees and began screaming,
“Arghh! Make it stop! Help me! Help me!”

The Scavanger nearest him grabbed at his friend.
“Sam! Come on! What is that? Argh! Its horrible! We have to get out of here! Aaaaaah!”

The Scavangers outside were busy torching, when one heard heavy breathing as if through some screen or holes, and turning he saw a black mask and let out a shout out his torch dropped. The nearest scavenger stopped cutting, sparks sprinkling the floor.

“Balak?”

He walked in his tattered tan clothes and mask and found the forch burning out and the line cut by a molten slash. He heard a hum and saw a red glow and figure that turned tossing the arm of his friend. He began to back away, his eyes trembling, his breathing shallowing, and his blood turning cold.
Lord Hollow reached out his hand, his black leather fingers which made the scavenger stop. The Lord of Fear came to him and moved his mask to the terrified face of his victim. He placing his black hand on the man’s face who cried out.

Stumbling out of the great hole of the Destroyer’s thruster was the scavanger who roller down a sand dune and ran as he screamed. Standing in the black circle was Hollow and his ignited lightsaber as he let out a shriek in the Force that echoed across the land.

 

[Darth Hollow]

Riding a speeder a scavanger saw the man shouting and falling on the sandy soil, he came to a stop, the engine humming.

“Get away! Get away! He is here!”

The Speeder Scavanger sat in gus seat and titled the handles and front nose.

“Who is here?”

The Babbling Scavanger shouted,

“Inside! He is inside! I want to die!”

He began to bear his head against the Speeder Bike.

“Hey! Take it easy!”

The Scavanger with The Speeder placed him on on the back seat and took off towards the Cratertown. There they sought out the Doctor who began to examine the tortured Scav, the Doc was a Med Droid from a bygone era.

The droid used some crude intruments and began taking vitals as the scavanger thrashed on the table, his body shaking and contorting in violent gyrations.

Outside the Speeder Owner was met by the Med Droid who said,
“Preliminary Assessment finds not injury in the body. Though his neural activity is spiking from my own readings. I lack the tools to do more.”

The Speed Scav said,
“He mentioned He, that someone did this to him perhaps.”

The Med Droid paused,
“Unlikely, a hallucination perhaps due to the strain from heat stroke.”

The Speed Scav shook his head,
“I have seen plenty of cases of heat stroke, this is not it.”

The Med Droid’s white eyes fixed on the Scavanger,
“As I said his neural pathways have unusual activity. I am afraid nothing can be done with the limited tools here.”

The Scav marched to his Bike and threw his leg with a tan cape over the side as he hummed the engine to life. He headed to great Star Ship, a trail behind him of wake that looked like mirage of clear water flowing behind him as he came to the Star Destroyer. He left his bike idling as he got off and drew a Vibroknife and entered into the great circle opening that once served as a thruster. He walked in the dark, and felt his foot kick against something, a torch. Taking it up her flicker the switch which clicked and clicked till it sprung a flame to life. He began searching, he found some welder gloves, and cap or two. The ajar door drew his attention as he stepped into the dark and found himself surrounded by bladk tubes and pumps, many hanging as if ropes and it was then he saw faces in them, he drew back as he turned and one face was inches from him, the eyes white.

“What in the Force?!”

He began to back away towards the door when the face of tied up scav shook and its mouth opened and a voice came forth,

“Brave of you to come alone..”

The Scav held his knife up,
“What are you?!”

There another body strung up moved and it spoke,

“Fear..”

The Scav felt himself grabbed by a hand and he jumped, his heart beating as a drum. He left the room, stumbling out and dropping the torch which went out, his breathing accelerating as he fumbled in the dark, then a bright light sparked above him, and hus face was bathed in red light, his eyes trembling as he cried out.

“Arghhhh!”

The Bike outside idled as emerging from the great ship’s ion drive was a figure in complete black that came to the Speeder Bike. Throwing his leg over the side, his black cape flowing as the light now faded, his leather hand taking the controls as he took off in a shot heading for Cratertown…

 

[Darth Hollow]

Cratertown was quiet at nightfall, wind whispers past shutters and bright orb lights danced in the darkness as sand flew past in sheets. Those in the streets were heading to cantina, Ergel’s Bar, or dong the last serve of Portion Distribution.

As a gust of wind came the hum of a speeder bike. A shadow caste on the buildings of hood and cloak that made it appear a phantom. One Scavanger was walking towards the Bar when felt it,

“Ooh! A chill.. do you feel that Dart? Dart?”

The engine of the Speeder echoed between the buildings as it arched around the corner and came nose first at the Scav he cried out,
“Argh!”

Some in the market that was closing heard the faint cry, one Teedo stepping out began walking towards where the sound came from and found a hat with tan flaps. The short pointed head one looking around saw a flash of light and then hum, a speeder bike swooping past with a red blade that cut down another Scav when the the crowd in market began to scream, a head rolled towards the Teedo and perfectly was ditected into the hat. The Creature dropped it when it levitated up and the face of the Scav contorted and made the Teedo flee.

Fear began to fill the crater as a cauldron, The Hollow was now teeming with what He sought most. Among the people was one who drew a vibroaxe and ran into the street listening for the engine, The Darth honed in on this champion who rose to fight, Soem others drew Cyler Rifles, whom the Champion commanded to take to roof tops, they opening fire at the Speeder Bike and the Phantom upon.

Lord Hollow swooping towards the Champion leapt off into air and glided as vulture in air, his cape as great wings, bolts flying past, some through it as he landed. The Champion charged with swing that was stopped by some field of air between the palm of his black glove. The roof top riflemen aimed and fired, the bolts stopping in mid air like sparks of gold they held around Lord Hollow and then flew back at the snipers, finding purchase in chest cavities and heads as they tumbled off the roofs. One managed only to get hit in the shoulder and ducked down.

The Champion beat at the field of The Force around The Lord of Fear’s hands, who then snapped his cross saber to his hand and immolating the red and orange fire of the saber began to swing it to meet the steel with clove in two and tapping the neckline of the Champion made him fall, but he did not give up, he reaching his hand at blaster on the ground, his will so strong, when Hollow felt it.. the blaster at the behest of this eager Defender flew into his hand and he began firing, The Darth deflecting the bolts with his blade and drawing closer. The last sniper took aim and fired, a bolt went through Hollow, no sign of it stopping him, and then the Champion got some bolts of his own through, which halted Lord Hollow, the bolts flew as sparks into blackness of his being who fell on a knee and raising his cross saber up was hit with another volley and fell backward from the force of cycler shot. The crossguard lightsaber flew out of hand, and the Champion quickly hailed the body with more shots, smoke rising from the Hollow as incense of victory. The Bold One then grabbing the lightsaber and held it up, looking at it. Some Security came with blaster rifles, taking hold of the Lord of Fear. He was lifeless as they carried him off to an isolated building with a cell. They took chains of black steel and wove them around him, fixing them to the wall. Once secure they activated a ray shield. Outside The Champion was met with cheers as he held the weapon and raised it up. He was ushered into Ergel’s Bar where a victory round was ordered. There he stood at the batr and downed some Rodian Ale as he examined the strange weapon as people patted him on the back. The Sniper who helped he raised a glass to him and nodded.

He then turned his attention to the weapon once more…

 

[Darth Hollow]

As the celebration continued at The Bar, a Doctor, Ms. Swann, made her way to the cell. She wore a lab coat and was rather refined in comparsion to Jakku’s local. She had come from Corellia to make a difference, setting up clinics on outer rim worlds that needed treatment most. Her short and wavy blond hair rustled as she was permitted to override the ray shield. She held a data pad and spoke notes,
“Patient suffered a dozen bolts, two from a cycler rifle. Is unresponsive and..”
She took a scanner, and looked at he pad with raised brow.
“No heart beat..”

The Guard stabding with a muzzle pointed at the Patient said,
“Is he dead? If so I need to notify the Burial Crew.”

Dr. Swann did some more scans.
“Patience.. the readings I am getting make no sense. His physiology appears human.. and yet none of the organs are behaving normally..”

The Guard asked witb unease,
“What do you mean?”

She turned to jittery jailman,
“I need to take him my clinic for a more thorough examination.”

The Guard shook his make shift helm and flaps.
“No way! It took enough blaster fire to drop a Bantha just to take him down. If he is dead.. I will call the Gravedigger.”

Ms. Swann turned with a sharp look, her green eyes fixing on the Guard.
“My oath as medical officer is to do everything in my power to help my patients.”

The Guard replied,
“Look Doc, we only called you to confirm that it is dead. This patient of yours is responsible for many deaths! Just tell me it is dead.”

Ms. Swann sighing nodded,
“From what I can discern with my limited scans. He appears to be deceased.. but..”

The Guard interrupted,
“That is all I needed to know. I will call the Gravedigger at once.”

As the Guard left Ms. Swann took a syringe and drew some blood which she put in a phial, and looked at it, it was a red so black it appeared as oil.
“Fascinating..”

Stepping out to the two other Guards she said,
“The Jailer has given the patient over to my care. Please help me carry him to The Clinic.”

The two looking at her gave nods and hoisted Lord Hollow, chains still fasten to him. Ms. Swann walking before them as she looked at the blue screen in her datapad, and ran some preliminary diagnostics on the blood.

The Clinic was oval structure of white with pillars of reinforced steel. Inside the Patient was brought to Room 3, where he was laid on a table on the ground. Ms. Swann pressed a blue button and the table floated to her level. She set a white bar to scan the whole body of the Patient, when she went to remove the mask, a hand grabbed her wrist with a sudden jerk. The Guards drew their weapons.

“Calm down boys.. that is a reflex action.” Said the Doc as ahe removed her wrist.

She set the scan and stepped out of the room as she looked at a screen that showed the inner parts of the Patient.
“It is human, and a he.. what is that?”

She zoomed in when the front door of Clinic opened and The Jailor came and said,
“Dr. Swann! I did not give you permission to move the body!”

She met the Jailor and said,
“I am preforming an autoposy.. you want proof he is dead, it is the only way..”

The Jailor gave her a stern look.
“Doctor.. we have enough evidence to bury it.”

Dr. Swann clinching her teeth said,
“If there is a remote possibility he.. not it.. is alive, I will not hand him over to be buried alive!”

The Jailor made a fist when the scan completed and Dr. Swann went to the screen and looked at the results.

“Well.. he is dead..”

The Jailor said, “As you thought earlier.. now can we..”

Dr. Swann shook her head,
“No.. that cannot be right..”

The Jailor sighed,
“What now?!”

Dr. Swann turned,
“The tissue in his lungs.. its been dead a long time.. how?”

The Jailor shaking his head said,
“So he is dead.. let’s get on with it!”

She turned,
“Listen! This man was seen walking and fighting with lungs that according to my scans have been long expired! Where is the one who dropped him?”

The Jailor wrang his hands,
“At The Bar, why?”

Ms. Swann said,
“Bring him here, I need to know what he saw…”

 

[Darth Hollow]

The Champion was greeted by the Jailor who said to him,
“You are needed at the Clinic.”
The Victor nodded after another drink of ale and placed the saber in his coat. His spiked red hair bent under hands raised in adoration of his efforts. Reaching the Clinic, he was greeted inside by Dr. Swann.

“Hello Gareth, thank you for coming.”

Gareth took a breath,
“I have no injuries Doc, if that is what this is about.”

Ms. Swann directed him over to the glass room where The Patient residing. The Champion almost drew the lightsaber from his cloak, and said,
“What is that Thing doing here?! I thought it was detained..”

Dr. Swann nodded as she sat on a white stool with rollers.
“Yes, I had him brought here for examination.”

The Jailor chimed in,
“A autopsy you mean..”

Ms. Swann turning gave a nod.
“Yes.. I need you to tell me what you saw when you faced him?”

Gareth held his hand on his back neck and said,
“He was able to stop my axe with his hands.”

Dr. Swann typing on the datapad, made a further inquiry,
“As in some martial art movement?”

Gareth shook his head.
“No, something between his hands and my blade.. a field that was not seen by the eye.”

She looked up at him and stopped tapping the screen with his finely cleaned fingers.
“What you are saying is.. he stopped your weapon without touching it?”

Gareth nodded, the Doctor got a grave look that turned her face very pale.
“Come with me..”

As she stepped away to a separate area of the Clinic, The Jailor and some gaurds stood outside Room 3.

“I have had enough of this.. help me take him to the graveyard.”

Dr. Swann took Gareth to a seperate room and said,
“What you saw.. did The Patient do other strange things?”

The Champion took out the Crossguard Lightsaber and held it out, the handle of dark graphite color and said,
“He held this.. it cut my axe in two.”

She took it hand and examined it, with a motion the vent blades snapped out like burning edges, and a long blade shot up in front of her face as her eyes trembled, and her mouth hung open.
“Oh god.. he’s..”

The Jailor and two guards moved in to remove the cords from The Patient, when the lights went out.
“What in the hell?”

One of the Guards began to choke and levitated into the air and was thrown through the glass. The Jailor and the Other Guard ran to their comrade,
“Devan! Devan!”

Rising up slowly Lord Hollow allowed his cape to almost liquify in appearance, the shadow casting around him as he turned. The Jailor and Guard turned,
“What in the farrik?! Open fire!”

The Doctor and Gareth ran to the sound when flying past was another Guard screaming as bolts of red followed him. Ms. Swann and Gareth dropped low aa they heard a scream,
“Uh-ah-ahhhhh!!!”

There was sound of lightning and the Jailor was thrown past, blood coming out of his mouth till it former a halo of red around him. Gareth took up his blaster, and peeked around the corner. It was so dark and suddenly a cieling light swung down and past him as if plucked from its spot. It landing with assorted cords, sparking. Seeing movement Gareth fired some bolts, the loud recoil making “pe-yow!” The shots lit up their position when the pistol was grabbed by an invisible hand, The Champion trying to hold on to it.
“Ugh! I cannot hold on to it! Doc use that thing!”

She shouted,
“Uh! Right!”

She pressrd ignitor and the twin vent blades sprang out and the longer third blade rose out, she then darted past Gareth. She then came flying back on her back, and the lightsaber made clang as it landed near her, it then began to scrap as it was being dragged away. Gareth letting go of the blaster pistol that slipped away into the air, he landed on floor and grabbed at the hilt, feeling the pressure of what was pulling it.
“Argh!”

The blaster flew into shadow and then bolts came flying at them. Gareth threw his weight in the hilt till the pull ceased and he took it up and lit the blades anew.
“I am not afraid!”

Two chunks flew at him and he cut at them, looking at the pieces of blaster at his feet.

“You will be.. you will be afraid..”

Lord Hollow stepped into view, his mask peering at this Champion.

“I defeated you before! I will do so again.”

The voice of the Darth poured into his head,
“You do no know the power of the dark side…”

Holding the saber near his shoulder Gareth poised to attack replied,
“The dark side?”

Debris began to shake, glass and falling desks began to raise and fly at The Champion who cut them with his blade, when he felt the wind knock out of him as a bolt of purple archer and knocked him into a wall. He dropped the lightsaber as smoke rose from his chest.

“You have only begun to test your power.. I saw you call the blaster.. and that is the only reason you draw breath..”

The Hollow One pointing his black leather finger trips to strike Gareth with four more bolts, knocking him against the wall, each bolt was singular, and the Champion felt himself burn inside as he slide down the wall as he cried out.

Dr. Swann came to as she saw The Lord of Fear raise up Gareth. She grabbed a piece of debris and slunk towards them, ready to heft up the pipe and strike when she felt it be pushed back,
“Your hands are for healing doctor.. leave the maiming to me.”

He softly threw her back as he knocked Gareth out with a jerk of his hand and causing his head to smash into the wall. Emerging outside the Clinic Darth Hollow dragged the Young Man out, people streaming out to see. Pointing his hand bolts of lighting shot out into sky as purple gnarled streams that made the Cratertown folk stepped back in terror. A Speeder Bike came barreling towards The Darth who laid Gareth on the back before hopping into seat and took off towards the Great Arch and then away into the desert…

 

[Darth Halitus]

Wrong Account.

 

[Darth Hollow]

Gareth awoke dangling from the nose of a Star Destroyer over a great chasm, a chain of black steel holding him there as he shifted, ahaking the chain which then drew him upward where on the top haul he saw the figure in black mantels, his mask peering at His captive like prey. With swift move of his hand the hilt of a lightsaber immolated and hummed as he began approaching the top of knoted chain.
The voice of the Darth piercing Gareth’s mind,
“Set yourself free before I cut the chain.”

The former Champion scrambled, and shook the great links, with each step Lord Hollow made a thud that beat the haul with leather boots. Gareth felt panic seize him,
“There it is.. I feel it.. your fear.. look how it motivates.. stripping away principles and platitudes till there is only one emotion.. one will.. to survive…”

Gareth got one link untangled but not before Lord Hollow was already upon him. The crackling crimson blade drew near the links and The Darth said,
“Severe the chains.. surrender to the fear, let it become anger.. let it mature to hatred..”

With those words The Lord of Fear cut the knot of linked metal, sparks flying into the air, and Gareth began to fall, sweat pouring down his face as he pulled the torn chains till his hands were free and he disappeared over the edge.

Darth Hollow walking to pointed nose of the Starship said,
“Perhaps I was mistaken..”

Looking down with his mask he then turned away and began to step away, when a hand reached over the nose and Gareth coughed as he pulled himself up. The Lord of Fear turning looked upon the Champion he laid on his belly, prostrate, panting. Hollow approaching, his boot toe at his face.

Gareth looking up said,
“You.. mentioned.. the dark side..”

Lord Hollow nodded,
“The True nature of the power you have only touched..”

The Champion rose to his knee,
“You can teach me to wield it?”

Hollow tilting his helm then gave a nod,
“I can teach you to master your fear, harness your anger, and inhabit hate.. the cost will be dear and you will never be the same..”

Gareth looking up into visor said,
“I told you before.. I am not afraid.”

Lord Hollow took a step,
“You will be.. you will be.” (Quoting Master Yoda, Empire Strikes Back)

After s pause his voice echoing in Gareth’s head said,
“Rise..”

The Champion stood on his two feet. Lord Hollow’a cape of shadow blowing in the wind as it covered Gareth’s face as a shroud.
“You shall be called Darth Vesperus..”

The cape then fell and The New Apprentice’s eyes were now circled of molten light akin to the sun.

“What now?” Asked Darth Vesperus.

Lord Hollow looking to the rising sun said,
“We make this world tremble.. we will show the desert the power of fear…”

 

[Cordelia Dimitte]

Jakku, Day 156

Cordelia had come to this desolate world to get lost. All her roads had led to dead ends, The Sith, The Jedi, and The Dark Hand. It was fitting she was here, nowhere, a literal representation of the state she was in.

She went over in her mind the opportunities squandered. Now she let herself waste away, her hair was in disheveled, and her faced etched in dirt and dust. As she walked in Cratertown, she did her best to fade into the hustle and bustle of miners and scavs, when as she walked she sensed someone was shadowing her. She turned and saw a figure in a red hood that then disappeared. She made haste to threshold of a shop, when she bumped into someone, and she saw it was that very figure,
“Pardon me.. I..”

She felt it, that familiar chill of darkness she had with ardor tried to bury in her noble pursuits. She had even given it a moment on a world called Mortis. It was why now she was lost.. haunting Ergel’s Bar.

 

[Darth Vesperus]

Vesperus frequented the market, he searched the sea of faces for prey, a worthy challenge. His Master haunted the outskirts, but he preferred to be in middle of all the heart beats, that with a touch he could still. It was on this particular day he sensed it, someone was pulsating with The Force, a girl that was trying to go unnoticed. He began to shadow her in his rather loud attire, the reds marking him as an acolyte. And yet despite her seeing him, he got the drop on her. Her voice was horse and devoid of confidence.

“So feeble.. so frail.. how pathetic..”

One of his eyes was shrouded by his long red bangs, and then it glowed as molten stone. He began to prob her mind, sifting through the cobwebs of memory and saw faces, and felt her emotions. He stepped back and looking at her with disdain.

“You are not worth my time..”

He then turned as he threw his red hod over his head and disappeared into the crowd. He made his way to the Star Destroyer, the lair of his Master. Therein he approached the Becta chamber and stood with arms crossed.

“When will we leave this waste of a world Master?”

 

[Darth Hollow]

Lord Hollow stirred, the Becta Tank was retrofitted and black liquid bubbled inside, his hood turned at the voice of Vesperus.
“This wasteland holds many secrets.. The Sith hid many on the worlds of Korriban, Dromund Kaas, and Exegol.. their strongholds..”

The liquid in the tube began to take shape and show Cratertown, and the rest of Jakku.
“The greater secrets they buried beneath words neither their Empire or the shell of the Republic that stands would find..”

Down in crator a structure of circular shape appeared in the black oil map.



“Can you feel it my apprentice? I told you that you would know fear..”

The Lord of Fear had been searching all this time for the Cradle of Bogan. A place so forbidden that no legends contained it, for what lurks there was purposely forgotten by Sith. Such places called to Hollow, a gateway into the deeper darkness. It was for this reason he had come, drawn by the echoes, with no holocrons or mentions in the archives of either The Jedi or the Sith, the only way to find it was to undergo a process, a rite that had made him hollow, as Doctor Swann had discovered. His organs were necessary sacrifices to open the door to the lost powers.

Looking at Vesperus with his visor, he could see the shiver, the tremble between his temples. This made the Master proud, he was controlling his reaction flawlessly. Perhaps he was ready for the test.

“Now.. about the One you encountered in town.. bring her to me.”

 

[Darth Vesperus]

Vesperus watched as the black goo formed a map of Jakku. A strange phenomenon to be sure, the structure His Master revaled do illicit a chill in him. He felt the swirls of the darkness around him play at his emotions, making him feel timid, which he fought with an anger, he refused to recoil, to show weakness. As His Master spoke of secrets he grew restless, he was not interested in lost cities, he wanted off Jakku, to take his training to the stars.

To his suprise he was at last given an assignment, to round up that “pathetic lifeform”, that girl who had an aura of power and yet was fractured and unable to tap into it. He felt the impulse to question his Master, when he decided against it, he had been waiting to be trusted with a task to prove himself, though this felt beneath him.

Rather than protest, he said simply,
“Yes Master, it will be done.”

Turning from the Becta Tanl he headed down into thruster vents of the ship. A Swoop Bike can barreling out as it headed for Cratertown. He went over in his mind why The Master wanted her, she was weak and unworthy of training…

 

[Cordelia Dimitte]

The Darksider had searched her mind and then left with the words that she was not worth the time. She had to agree, all her best laid plans had gone awry. She had lost friends and perhaps her own future. She had tried to live up to principles of the Orders, and in every case she had failed. Now she was a wandering, alone as she had always knew she would be. So many roads before, had she stayed upon them she might be somewhere different. Now here in the desert, she was to face the desolation that dwelt within her. Had she greater courage, she would take her lightsaber and out an end to this miserable existance. She even hoped that Acolyte would cut her down, and she would be free to face whatever afterlife awaited. Would it be Chaos or the Netherworld? Or something else? She really did not care, she simply reached for his saber, and held it in the hut.
“Help me old friend..”

She snapped the lavender blade to life and held it aloft. She then closed her eyes, and held the tip to her breast.
“Take me home..”

There was loud boom of some Swoop coming near and suddenly the door was thrown aside. She turned to see the Darksider from before,
“I thought i was not worth the time..”

 

[Darth Vesperus]

Vesperus plucked the lightsaber hilt out of her hand.
“Turns out I was mistaken.. my Master requires your presence.”

The Acolyte eyed her, she was a curiosity as he saw darkness swirl in beams of light.

“Before I bring you to him.. answer me this.. what are you?”

The Armored Warrior eyed her with his pentrating gaze, his right eye glowing through his ginger bangs. He tapped his gloved finger on a hilt with impatience channeling jnto durasteel. He could prob her mind, but that had not given him accurate results, if Lord Hollow wanted her, then he had miscalculated.

 

[Cordelia Dimitte]

With great force he took her weapon which she had just contemplated throwing herself on. Perhaps the Light was watching out for her after all. Cord had sunk to a low, a crisis of identity and so when this Brute asked her a question probing at that she replied,
“I do not know.. I use to see things clearly. I was dedicated to the Dark as you are, then I tried to be a Jedi.. and lost a friend.. a dear friend. Then I became a Huntress.. cutting down your kind. Now I find my enemy is myself.. in truth I wish I could go back and be my Father’s Daughter.. a Demitte, and help my brother in the burden of our dynasty.”

She looking at this Warrior, all the hallmarks of a Sith who would serve in the Empire as a Saber, full of eagerness to prove himself, to prove worthy of the mantel of Darth.

“I promise to come to your Master without resistance, if you will but answer me the same. Who are you?”

 

[Darth Vesperus]

The account of this Paradox before him made Vesperus raise a brow.
“Well you have been around.. playing all sides.”

Her query about who he was made him reply with a sharp tone,
“Nobody.. this world is ‘Nowhere’ and I rose from the sands everyday in the misery of clawing out a living as everyone else.. then I felt it, that fire beneath the surface.. one day it rose to the surface and then He chose me to be his disciple.”

Stepping closer to her he showed no hint of pleasure being close to a pretty girl. Truth is she was not his type, and yet her aura of shadow and light had hin interested. Then again he had not met a Jedi yet and perhaps they felt the same.

“I have given my answer, now come with me.”

He stepped outside and threw his leg with his red cape over the swoop bike seat and revved the engine. He waited for her to come out and considered what Lord Hollow wanted with her.

 

[Cordelia Dimitte]

Cordelia gave a smile,
“I am happy for you.. purpose matters greatly.”

The Brute seemed somewhat self aware, to heat humility from a Sith made her reconsider her intial assessment. Most Sith were boasters unless they held great power, and if he was taught thus by This Master, it meant whoever they were must be a powerful Sith Lord.

She followed out of he hut and got on to back of the swoop bike, placing her arms around the waist of the Darth. She rested her cheek on the back of his scarlet hood and cape. The Swoop taking off like a shot as she now was to be taken to the Master. The question of what she would do haunted her. Would she revert to Sith path? She had on Mortis. Would she fulfill her oath as a Dark Hand? Or would she make an entirely different choice. The Acolyte she now clung to had put it plainly, she had played all sides, and now she would have to decide what path to commit to, The Light, The Dark, or Neither.

 

[Darth Vesperus]

Lord Vesperus piloting the swoop towards the Ship Graveyard felt her tighten her grip as he increased speed, they passed through twin wings of a Tie Fighter rising out of the sands, and then past an X-Wing tilted up with nose pointed to the sky. They inched towards Star Destroyer in the distance.

They made a turn as he headed into great circles of the thrusters like a gate. Once inside he hit the brakes with swift motion of his hands, coming to a complete stop. He felt her still gripping him at the waist and said,
“You can let go now..”

He felt her hands relinquish and he swinging his leg over got off the bike and said,
“This way..”

He led her through labyrinth of corridors and ladders of gray steel till they came to the ajar door. Entering in, there was utter darkness. He ushering with her hand said,
“Enter.. and remember this.. it is unwise to resist my Master..”

 

[Cordelia Dimitte]

Cordelia watched as relics of past flew past as the swoop made its way to the Star Ship. When they entered the thruster she strained her neck to look at the great vessel and then once in, she at the Warrior’s behest removed her hands and followed him through a maze of ducts, corridors, and ladders that finally culminated at a door that was open with nothing but shadow inside. She instantly felt the presence of the One therein and the warning of The Acolyte.

She stepped inside the room and the door sealed and steel pinched as if permanent. She felt her heart racing as she felt her emotions being tapped by a foreboding. Whoever was at work was master at the craft of causing a craven reaction, and had she not known the dark side intimately she would have panicked. Instead she took a breath and said,
“My name is Cordelia Demitte. You probably already know that.. still where I come from proper introductions matter.”

 

[Darth Hollow]

The Lord of Fear watched the Anomaly step into his chamber. He felr her resist his atrempts to illicit a primal fear. As he read her feelings as a scroll he found the key, she volunteering her namesake confirmed what he divined.

“I see you do not respond to the fear of harm. Your familia training serves you well. And yet there is a fear that eats at you.. I can feel it..”

He began to walk around her as he immolated some candles and peered at her woth his visor, his black hood rustling.

“Your fear feeds on regret.. a fear that you shall never know your place again.. you even yearn to end the gnawing at your soul.. considering the solution of saber. You do not fear death, you fear living on in this state.. I may be able to help you with that.”

He drew closer to her, her youth and brokenness amusing, considering. The Jedi had done their work.

“Make no mistake..I do not seek to seduce you, I have no need of another apprentice. What I need is a sacrifice. There is nothing left for you in this galaxy Cordelia.. you lost Balun Dashiell , he was dear to you, I feel it, and your brother Callan Demitte cannot save you; as for your Father.. you have already made peace with him.”

Reaching out with his black glove at her face he said,
“How long can you waver between the Light and Dark before it tears you apart? If ever there was someone who needs The Netherworld, it is you.”

Lord Hollow felt his words preforming surgery, cutting into her mind and heart, the effort required little of his power. She wore her feelings, all one had to do was reach out and they could know all they needed to this Daughter of Demitte.

 

[Cordelia Dimitte]

Cordellia considered his words in her fractured state. She had tried to begin anew, to be a Jedi, then to be Hunter of Dark Siders. Nothing had worked and now he offered to end it all.

“Only Jedi go to the Netherworld. I am not sure I meet that requirement. If I die in a state of Darkness I go to The Void. To a torment without end..”

She let out a great sigh.
“Misery without end.. misery in life. Perhaps I ought to do as you Sith do, channel that into making everyone miserable!”

She stretched out her hands and let flow bolts of lightning that struck The Lord of Fear. Causing him to burst into a great cloud of shadow.