The Awakening

[Varius]

The cold embrace of night was never more terrible than now... Varius could feel the cold, could feel his heart beating fast... something he was trained to avoid feeling... Fear. He could see what is around him, yet barely understand, it was fire, everywhere, the whole place which seemed to have been a city was in ruins now, dead everywhere. He could not help but wonder what this place was, and more important... What is going on.

Getting up from the ground, Varius looked around searching for answers that seemed to not come. Only when he heard a familiar sound, a lightsaber fight.Moving fast like the wind itself he managed to arrive just in time to see a hooded man in red armor and a helmet fighting a jedi.
He could recognize that one... [member="Corvus Raaf"] one of the most skilled jedi and grandmaster of the order.. he barely even seen her like few times in his life? And even then it was not in person. He did not had time to do anything else, the hooded man disarmed her andkilled her in what seemed to be a few seconds.

Not long after that another jedi was opposing the dark figure, his red lightsaber was always in the air parrying the jedi's attacks. [member="Mantic Dorn"] , his master, his friend and probably the closest thing he has to a family besides Blane.
Varius felt weak, he couldn't move.. he couldn't even try to speak, yet that was about to change.
He could see how the dark sider managed to scratch his master's shoulder pushing him with the force.
"No!" He said igniting his blue lightsabers and running fast to the enemy. Varius jumped on the debris in front of him then immediately stroke the enemy from the air. The man barely managed to parry as Varius was not showing any sign of mercy swinging his lightsabers again and again in different ways hoping he could at least hurt the hooded man... In vain as every single attack was being paried or avoided.

"Get Back!" He could hear in the middle of the fight, his master's words would have been respected, but now he could not give the enemy a chance to defeat him.. it was too dangerous and he was too scared.
"Varius, get back!" He heard again as his attacks begun to cease and his stance slowly turn into a defensive one as the enemy was striking at him with great speed. In the endbeing hit in the chest and his left leg, Varius fell with his knees on the ground looking up at the masked man as he was about to end the young padawan's life.

It was not meant to be, his master immediately stroke the dark sider scratching him a few times until he caught Mantic's hand with his own slowly moving it aside and tightening his grip as if he's ready to crush it. He looked in Mantic's eyes as he stabbed him with the red lightsaber causing his master's to fall on the groundjust like his body.

Varius could not believe what he saw, he could not understand nor think it could ever be true.
He immediately got on his feet taking backhis lightsaber with the force and charging at the sith with terrible shout.

It was so different this time... How can few moments change someone's nature? Varius attacked every time with rage in his heart that was reflected in his steeled blue eyes. They begun to change into the typical brown eyes of a dark sider although he could not stop his rage... he could feel it wasn't right...

Varius stroke once more with his right lightsaber then immediately hit the enemy with his feet making him fall on the ground, he then jumped with the same shout and stabbed the ground with his lightsabers as the sith rolled and finally got on his feets. It was then when he begun throwing the debris at Varius who was either dodging or cutting it with his lightsabers. He was approaching slowly with the same Wrathfull eyes until he suddenly force pushed the enemy making him hit a tree. From there, Varius throwed one of his lightsabers at him only hitting the tree that fell on the ground. The sith was still able to avoid his attacks but not all of them, as he approached, the dark sider attacked him once more this time making Varius get more scratches as the battle became rather chaotic.

Hitting his right hand and disarming him, Varius continued to hit the enemy's chest and leg then force pusing him again. He was coming to him slowly ready to finish him as the helmet of his enemy was rolling on the ground. He could not believe what he saw... It was him.

This strange sith.. this guy that caused all this destruction was him... How would that be possible?
"Use your hatred. Destroy me!" The enemy said as Varius stopped moving in shock.
He could see some sort of red energy around the sith's body healing his wounds, "You're a monster..." Varius said barely controling his anger.

"Monster? I helped you... they were holding you back. Now you can finally reach your true potential, all this power can be yours to command..." The sith said with a large smile."But you don't want that, do you? You wouldn't stand it... You are too afraid of it... Pathetic... Weak..." The sith added.
Varius frowned deeply as he attempted to raise his lightsaber for another attack, yet he was stopped by a force lighning. He kept trying to get closer yet with every step he felt the lightning more powerful and painful untill he finally felt down on the ground.
With his enemy stopping his attack, his face turned to the right to see his own reflection in a fragment of what was once a mirror. In that moment all the pain dissapeard... his eyes were twisted... corrupted... How... Just how could he become like this.. the thing he fought to destroy?!

"Do you understand now, Varius? I am the embodyment of the darkness within, the part of your heart that craves for vengeance, that is empowered by unlimited wrath! And that cries out... for release... We are brothers, Varius, we... are the same."

Varius suddenly woke up breathing very fast and looking around. It was a room, was this the jedi temple? He could not remember, he was thinking only about the dream... was it real?.. Was it a vision?
Jumping off of the bed he immediately went to the window that barely reflected his face. His eyes were the same steeled blue. He never thought he'd love to see them like that again...

It was clear though, he needed help.

 

[Mantic Dorn]

On that morning Mantic woke feeling slightly off. The jedi temple on Chaswa was a sturdy building. The planet was a grim world with a cold climate. Somehow he did not feel the same symbolic warmth the old temple on Ossus had though. This was something he would need to cope with, something to accept.
As he stood from his bed he shook his head. This clinging to material locations was still a weakness he knew he had to deal with sooner or later.

As he looked up in the bathroom mirror hanging over the sink just next to his bed he froze. Two red eyes stared back at him, for just a moment of a blink, then they were gone.
Yet he felt something. A disturbance that called for his attention. He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes, searching and mapping whatever he could find. The strings attached to the short sight were thin, yet clearly attached to him. Running them over he passed through his own emotions, his own past, masters, friends and padawans...

[member="Varius"]

He opened his eyes. Something was amiss with his padawan [member="Varius"]

Today he had been supposed to train [member="Rafeesh"] but this had to change their schedule. Something also told him tgat maybe [member="Rafeesh"] had something to offer in whatever was disturbing [member="Varius"]
Besides, it was about time the two met.

Mantic dressed himself and while grabbing a standing breakfast he sent s message to [member="Rafeesh"] that today's morning exercise was cancelled but if he had the time Mantic would appreciate if he could meet him at the cell of [member="Varius"] - a fellow padawan of his.

He then hurried out and made his way to the students corridor where both [member="Varius"] and [member="Rafeesh"] had a room each.

Stopping outside the door of [member="Varius"] he smoothed over his robe snd knocked.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh had been taking time trying to meditate. The memories still came to him, some with people and places he could no longer place, and those which he could recall. Sometimes he would have mixed memories, part of his past before the stasis and then some from his current time. It was difficult to sort them and it often led to frustration. He had to focus in order to push through the web of distractions. He could feel the Force and was reaching through the memories to touch it.

That was when a message came in. His master had cancelled, or perhaps postponed, the training session. Understandable. Rafeesh could guess at any one of a million things that could make his master need time. This galaxy was in more turmoil than the one he had left behind centuries ago. At least back then some planets had had peace, no everything was so chaotic that it was a wonder that any government could sustain itself.

Wait, there was more to the message. He was asked to come to a fellow padawan's living room. Rafeesh had no reason not to go, his morning was pretty much opened up now that [member="Mantic Dorn"] had called off the training exercise. It was always a pleasure to meet another padawan. Seeing most of the time that they were young and had great potential often helped him fight through his own sense of uncertainty. With that, Rafeesh began making his way to the living space that he had been told of. He would be there soon.

[member="Varius"]

 

[Varius]

Varius closed his eyes for a few seconds then took a deep breathing calming himself he could still hear that voice... "We... are the same." He then opened his eyes looking in the same window seeing the reflection of a sith, one that had red eyes this time. His heart begun to beat fast again as he backed down. "Who are you... What do you want?!" He asked watching the red eyes carefully "What question is that? Don't you know the answer... mister Sunwalker? For so much time I've been waiting, you have seen with your own eyes what the future has reserved for you... I am your only hope of avoiding that. My power is your only hope!"
Varius looked at the man frowning as he continued to talk "All you need to do... is to kill... Slaughter the ones that are trying to destroy my acomplishments, Avenge me, Varius." Varius' heart begun to beat even more fast as he could feel his blood boiling "No..."

"Destroy them!" The reflection yelled followed by Varius angry shout "NO!!" With that he immediately gathered as much power as he could and used to force to shatter the window to pieces.
The reflection dissapeard, yet Varius could still feel it... the calling of the dark side, the turmoil in the force. It was then when he heard someone knoking at the door.
Openning it Varius saw [member="Mantic Dorn"] probably not a big surprise, just the person he needed though, looking back he saw the room being in a rather... poor condition, looks like his force attack also affected other objects around. If you wouldn't know better, you'd think a storm passed through here.

"Master.." He said bowing respectfully "I... I am glad you're here... I seek your guidance..."

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic knocked then suddenly felt his hand freeze in mid air.
A feint touch of darkness rushed over him. Something foul was troubling his padawan.
Then the door opened and he met [member="Varius"] form

Mantic nodded in response to the bow but kept a troubled eye as he took one step inside the small room.
He spared his student any lectures for now as he seemed to honestly be seeking some sort of help.

"Collect yourself padawan, and try to distance yourself from any emotions stirring your thoughts. I must ask for an objective description of your problem." Mantic spoke.

As usual if one did not recognize Mantics approach on the force his apoearance might come off as cold. But deep inside, all he truly wished for was to be able to assist [member="Varius"] in what ever way possible.

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh soon found the room and knocked on the door, he could feel the strength of his master. It was the power of the lightside. At the same time he could feel the unique temptation of the darkness here. He could identify with that, having had it once before he turned and then again after he had come back to the light. He knew the treacherous path, darkness trying to play at every weakness. It was a battle that required much will and help. He knew that he could not have won his fight the second time without [member="Mantic Dorn"].

He hoped that he could assist this padawan, even if they were both of equal rank. He feared that he would be more hindrance that help, but he would try.

[member="Varius"]

 

[Varius]

Varius begun to slowly calm down as he opened the door, he couldn't recognize this one yet there were two possibilities, it's some friend of his master or someone who heard him destroying the window with brute force. "Come in..." He said still confuse and kind of ashamed of himself.
If only [member="Rafeesh"] would know how right he is, Varius could still feel it... the darkness within... He hated it so much.

After a few moments he went to sit down in front of his master for if Rafeesh was here about the window, that could certainly wait, if he was here for Mantic, that was even better. "I had... a vision master... A vision of death and destruction, a world where a dark knight destroyed everything in his wake. I saw him killing the grand master... I saw him killing you." He said with a pause and looking down at the floor. "I was angry... I hated him... I knew it's wrong yet i still hated him, I unleashed my wrath upon him in every attack! When I finally saw his face... the dark knight... It was me."
He closed his eyes trying to recreate that moment "I had seen my own eyes twisted by the dark side... I know it wasn't a dream, I saw another face... Another dark sider staring at me from the window with his red eyes... I can sense it... The taint of the dark side... It's calling to me... There is something dark inside me..."

He wasn't even sure if his master could help him, what if the vision is true? Maybe if he wouldn't get his master involved, he could save him from death, yet what if it wasn't? What if someone is just playing with his mind? He could not understand, maybe even this is part of the enemy's plan to make him so confuse that he would become even weaker.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic offered an inclined head as [member="Rafeesh"] entered. Then he turned his full focus on the story told.
This was not good at all he thought for himself, yet he was not totally surprised either. The dark sides reach was long and very few padawans, or even jedi knights for that matter, had experienced the luxury that he himself had enjoyed. Being brought up in a jedi academy, sheltered from outside corruption.
It had been different for [member="Varius"] - his challenge was greater in that aspect. He felt right about calling for [member="Rafeesh"] - he if anyone could bring another perspective on this, in due time.

A moment if silence followed as the jedi master took it all in to consider their options.

"Well..." he began and knelt down his back making a slight cracking noise.

"Something is broken inside you padawan, no one is without cracks and wrinkles." he added and carefully started to pick up pieces of the broken glass from the floor.

"Now, when something is broken, we must try to mend it. And you have already made one of the wisest decisions regarding mending." he poured some sharp pieces of glass into some of the cloth of his robe.

"It always is easier to go about fixing something if one has help from others." he instructed with an encouraging tone as he continued to clean the floor from the myriad of pieces if broken glass.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh nodded his thanks to [member="Varius"] as he stepped in. He listened to the story, taking in the damage to the glass. He was not surprised at the tale, having been through it in reality. His had not been a simple vision of the dark side, he had fallen. He had known the darkness as an ally, twisted and poisoning. He had been the man to kill and turn Jedi, the one corrupted. He had become the nightmare that this Jedi probably feared. He had been redeemed and it was a gift that every day he was thankful for.

He followed [member="Mantic Dorn"]'s statement with his own, "This is an important step. If you succeed then it will strengthen you. Knowing the temptation allows you to more readily recognize it." He hoped that his master did not mind his input. He was speaking from his own experience.

 

[Varius]

"I thank you... both of you..." He said making a pause, what he was going to ask them wasn't trivial "But there is something dark out there... And I can feel it inside me, it's haunting me, calling me and it won't stop, I know it must be a trap... But I have to face it... The darkness within... It's not something I'd ask from you if I could do it alone." He looked down again and spoke after a few moments "If you two would agree to come with me... I need you to help me with whatever is happening and if needed... If... I fail... Please, do not hesitate to end me." He said looking in his master's eyes, anyone could tell he was deadly serious. Varius couldn't know what this is for he has never experienced such a temptation... such a calling, yet it was a calling that he had to answer to, or be haunted forever. Maybe this was a test he had to face... to face the darkness within him but there was no way he could do it alone.

[member="Mantic Dorn"] [member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic continued to clean up the worst if the glass on the floor. He did not mind [member="Rafeesh"] speaking on the matter at all. He was cautious and made sure to listen to it of course but he had come to see [member="Rafeesh"] coming more and more to a closure with his former doubts. He would have insights on the topic that hopefully could help [member="Varius"].

But as [member="Varius"] continued to speak Mantic frowned and rose.

"While the darkness always threatens us we must not rush into its maw either padawan." he watched [member="Varius"] with genuine concern.

"It sounds to me that you wish to leave? Where too?" he asked not completely comfortable with the situation.

 

[Varius]

Varius took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his master was right in this matter, of course, but what other choice he had, staying away would mean that these visions would consume his heart until there is nothing left, or worse, that they could really be true. Yet in order to answer his question, he had to know the answer himself.
So he he waited... he felt the calling of the dark side of the force and followed it's trail with his senses, it wasn't as hard since probably whatever was there, it wanted to be found. "Byss, A world controlled by the sith. Emperor Palpatine's former "Throne world" if I am correct." He waited few moments before speaking again "It's a trap, it couldn't be more obvious, but staying and doing nothing won't help, the visions will just keep coming again and again, and as a result I won't be able to control myself forever..." He said pointing at the pieces of glass "Whoever is there expects me to come... But that person does not expect me to have someone with me, of that I'm sure of, a friend means another person who can influence me, any smart sith would avoid that, it's always one guy, always alone."

He was thinking more clearly now, he knew the evil had to be cut from it's roots, but he also knew his master was right and he could not walk blindly into a trap. "Besides... I have a... Friend."

[member="Mantic Dorn"] [member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh listened to the other two speak for a bit. He would have to think quite a while about this one. [member="Varius"] was different from himself, Rafeesh had fallen and knew of the temptations and the traps. But that had been so long ago that all that he could really remember were the newer temptations of a turned Sith. His experience was different, yet he could relate some of the feelings. He had not been tempted to go to a planet, he had been taken prisoner and turned eventually on Dromund Kaas. Before that he had had the smaller temptations that Jedi padawans at the time usually had, a war had been stirring then and he, much like the padawans of this age, had been forced to confront the darkness in a way that others did not.

The padawan was partly correct, most Sith wanted to work over a lightsider without other Jedi near, however sometimes it was two that gave the Sith better chance at turning the lesser of the two. The Jedi proper would try to help his or her padawan from turning and the Sith might play off of that and break the padawan. It was a possibility that Rafeesh had used before... He was not proud of his past in the Sith, not at all. But there were insights that he had due to the fact that he had worked to break Jedi.

He had never been one to lure the Jedi to him, instead forcing his way to the target. More often than not he had to pretend to be the good guy, or fight his way through many enemies. He had become good at it. He wondered who this Sith was, that he would try to draw the padawan out, expecting him to perhaps come alone. It struck Rafeesh as foolish, but he was an old Sith, times had changed.

He looked to [member="Mantic Dorn"]. Rafeesh had little to say about this, advice he could not give about whether he should come or not. If his master said they would go, then they would go. If not then Rafeesh would suggest that they go along, but it was not really his place.

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Standing from the floor Mantic inhaled deeply and looked at both his padawans. Was it right to refuse him this quest? [member="Varius"] seemed to feel the force calling for him and there was no question that it would not leave him be. The force was not something that had the habit of leaving the past be. And he as the master must allow the flow of the force to take his padawan forward, yet he decided that he would not allow it unless he could be there and guide him as well.

"Very well Padawan. This is clearly something that you must do, but you will, as you say, not be alone." Mantic nodded to [member="Rafeesh"] and himself.

"We will accompany you to wherever this takes you. As your master, your fellow padawan and as your friends."

Folding his hands he took his classical master posture declaring that the decision had been made. Now it was up to [member="Varius"] to explain where they need to go from here.

Spoiler

Sorry for the late response! If it goes a longer period of time without me replying dont hesitate to poke me about it! [member="Varius"] [member="Rafeesh"]