Whispers From The Dark

[Darth Ayra]

Whispers From The Dark​

​

Wild Space, Mytus system.
Mytus VII.

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

Mytus VII would be a strange choice to most to find an Empire. But then Darth Vulcanus hadn't been an ordinary individual. Within the region known as Wild Space, the world was a barren rock, only known to those who came to use it as a safe haven away from the prying eyes of the galactic superpowers or the unfortunate few that ended up inprisoned in it's penal facility. Before the Sith, it had been used as a place where smugglers could convene to discuss business and so forth. Perhaps then, during a time when becoming hidden was the perogative, Mytus VII hadn't been such a strange choice after all.

The year was 837 ABY. Two years of economic boom and growth by the galaxies superpowers came to a clash, as they vied to take over in the ensuing power vacuum left in the wake of the Four-Hundred Year Darkness, an era in which the galaxy and it's civilizations dwindled under the paralyzing effects of the Gulag virus, both figuratively and metaphorically speaking. In a daring attack, the Jedi Order led the Galactic Republic into the wilderness of Sith controlled space, joining the Mandalorian clans who sought retribution and justice against the Empire for their actions in the years leading up to the excision that left the surface of Dromund Kaas glassed and the Sith scattered across the galaxy, their Empire and asipirations broken.

The New Order, a document charted by Palpatine's Galactic Empire four centuries prior, would be conceived once more by Darth Vulcanus, a Graug Dark Lord of the Sith who fancied himself the successor to Darth Vornskr and the Sith Empire that died during his administration. From the Mytus system, Vulcanus would rally the remnants of the Sith and lead a campaign across the Outer Rim Territories as he sought to create his Empire that would follow the ideals of the New Order.

Leading the charge, Vulcanus would bring his fledging Empire against the Mandalorian occupiers at Dromund Kaas months after the Sith Empire's defeat. Seeking to take back the former capital, the New Order would be defeated through the Mandalorians military superiority and ill judgement on Vulcanus's part. Defeated, the Graug would disappear, leaving the New Order in the hands of a woman that had succeeded Darth Sidious four hundred years after his fall at Yavin.

Ironic, how history repeats itself. Darth Ayra would see an end to Vulcanus's attempts to resurrect the New Order, which would dissolve and eventually become succeded by Romeo Sin's Shadow Empire. Eight years later, the Mytus system has become empty and barren once more. Whispers of the New Order and the Dark Jedi that had followed it during Sin's rise in Wild Space follow their brief and short legacy, yet they remain dead all the same.

Deep underground, beneath the barren surface of Mytus VII, exists underground passageways built during the days of Darth Vulcanus and his New Order. His successor, Darth Ayra, has returned to the Mytus system to revisit them. Whispers from the dark has seen to the former Chancellor of the New Order return to the place in which she had seen to the destruction of Darth Vulcanus's fledging Empire.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Corellia was gone, had been for some time. Jaron was angry, had been for some time. The once proud Corellian transplant who had dedicated his life to the Jedi was questioning everything. How could such evil happen and the light he had been told was so powerful prove to be so weak to stop it. He had changed. The last five years had seen Jaron withdraw from the Jedi, even the ones he called family. War became something he embraced as his Mandalorian heritage was embraced. Jaron learned to kill.

Many campaigns had been fought, a lightsaber in one hand and a carbine in the other. The once humble and meek Jedi now killed with prejudice. There was no such thing as wait to be fired upon to defend yourself. It was kill or be killed. Kill to quench the anger. Fight for the glory of those who have gone before. Destroy because what was held close had been taken. Nothing changed.

Jaron grew more angry, so he pressed it deep. The man knew the answers he sought were not among those who could not weild the force. There were other philosophies, other ways to use the force. There was light, but there was dark.

Darkness covered the Jedi's heart. Finally the void he felt was explained by the very nature of what it was. Jaron Lesan was being consumed by the darkness of what happened, and he liked it. The planet was dark, underground tunnels were everywhere. Jaron's search for answers had led him here, led him to Wild Space. His family was full of good pilots, so navigating uncharted space was not too difficult. There was the force to guide him when he didn't know the way. Darkness was calling.

Charcoal boots touched upon the dirt. His tattered black and gray robes flowed in the wind. The features of his face were covered by his hood. Hanging from his belt was a singular saber, a blue blade were it to be ignited. Despite the darkness which had taken him, Jaron had not parted with the crystal he had found on a hunt with his uncle. This hunt was different. It was intended to be. Whatever Jaron found, it was to be his destiny.

[member="Alicia Drey"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

The underground was made out of duracrete, supported by durasteel beams that kept the barren surface of Mytus VII from coming down and crushing them. Decades from now, the durasteel would begin to welt, as there was nobody to see to their maintence and repair. In that time, the remnants of the New Order would be buried under rubble, lost and forgotten. Finally, the whispers of Darth Vulcanus and the Order of Sith Lords that had usurped his legacy would die.

Darth Ayra held her Lightsaber ahead of her, the crimson beam illuminating the passageways as she moved through them to her destination. They had been designed as a maze, in case of intrusion. If you were not familar with the route, then you could become lost. In the intervening years since the New Order had died, smugglers had gained entry to the passageways, to see what they could find and loot from it's confines. Others sought to use them to hide precious cargo, so that one day they may return to reclaim it. If you came unprepared though, then it was possibly to become lost for days. The Human body can only last for a certain amount of time without food or water. Some species are more versitile and resilient than others, but eventually the darkness creeps up on you. Then you become lost forever.

She knew these passageways, for she had orchestrated their construction in the aftermath of the Sith Empire's destruction. Ayra had succeeded Vulcanus as the Dark Chancellor, leader of the New Order's government, when he had failed to retake Dromund Kaas from the Mandalorian clans that had decimated it. Through the acts of subterfuge and infiltration, she had undone Vulcanus's work. The Sith Order had grown weak. There was only one philsophy that could bring about the promise of the Sith. In their perfect Rule of Two, Darth Pandeima and her apprentice would undo the mistakes that the Sith had made since the fall of the last Sith Lord in their historic order and see too the rise of a new Grand Plan.

But subterfuge and infiltration had only seen to slow progress in the Sith imperative. It had seen rise to the One Sith in the Core. To the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order leading them into the power vacuum that the Sith Empire had competed with them to fill, following the Four-Hundred Year Darkness. To the Mandalorians consilidating their strength and power through the many victories they had achieved. It had followed the Lords of the Fringe to charter Unknown Space and created their own Empire. Even criminal gangs, such as the Black Sun Syndicate and Red Ravens, had risen to challenge the galactic superpowers. The galaxy was a mess.

Ayra and her master would consilidate the assets they had gathered and built in the two decades since their apprenticeship had begun. As she had done at Dubrillion, Ayra would destroy any traces that she and her master had left behind during the initial stages of their Grand Plan, so they could bring the next stage into frutition. It might have taken her weeks to make her way back to the Mytus system; and it would take her a day or two to travel through the catacombs of the New Order, to discover what had been left behind by hers and Vulcanus's administration; but in the end, her hard work would pay off.

Unbeknown to Jaron Lesan, a Sith Lord walked among the same halls and passageways that he did. Darth Ayra moved quickly. In the wake of the Netherworld event, the power vacuum that the galaxy had fought for initially in 835 ABY had been created again, following the destruction of Corellia, the mass disapperance of billions of people and the chaos that had been left in the wake of Akala's attack. The Order of Sith Lords would once more bring Sith hegemony to a galaxy that had been broken over four and a half centuries of trial and tribulation. Ayra quickened her pace, edging closer to the fallen Jedi.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

The halls echoed with each step, masking whatever sounds were in the large maze. Jaron seemed to be walking in circles which only made him grow frustrated. He came prepared, but even then one could only last so long without going completely mad. The architect of these halls had been brilliant in the use of material and space. There was nothing to give away location, and if Jaron had indeed walked in cirlces he would not be aware of it. He hadn't.

There was another sound he heard in the shadow, faint but familiar. He stopped walking to be sure, but he was certain. Thrummmmmm. It was low, muted, kept at a distance, but the sound was one of a lightsaber. The familair hum was a melody to those who wielded it, kept in harmony with the blade of another. Was someone preparing to strike? The only way to know was to stretch he senses out in the force. Darkness, pure and unadulterated darkness. It complemented him, his mood andnstatemof being.

Jaron reached for his own saber. The blue hue would be a sharp contrast to the Crimson of the Sith. Plasma and light hissed to life, and the blue danced of the dark duracrete walls. The bright color would give his position away, but if he was being followed it had already been compromised. This was about getting answers. He hoped whoever followed might have them. He turned.

"Show yourself!"

His baritone voice echoed through the halls. The hum of his own blade seemed to drown out the sound of the other. Darkness would be his ally, or it would be his end. Regardless of which, Jaron prepared to meet it head on. The truth would reveal itself soon.

[member="Alicia Drey"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

Snap-hiss. The familar sound of a Lightsaber coming to life was no stranger to Darth Ayra. Taught in the ways of all seven Lightsaber forms, including their marks of contact and fighting zones, the Sith Lord was an accomplished duelist that had stood toe to toe with the galaxies strongest and most powerful Force-sensitives. She stood at the end of the hall, eyes set on the blue beam that was held up before Jaron. Her own Lightsaber had been held up, so as to illuminate her way. But she lowered it back towards her, ready to defend herself if necessary.

What was a Jedi doing here? It was a valid question, one that sprung to the mind of Ayra after overcoming her surprised that she had bumped into someone down here. But for them to have been a Jedi? It presented an interesting scenario. One in which, for the first time in over seven months, she found herself being drawn into a duel. A standard month had passed since she had given birth as well. Recovered physically, Darth Ayra might have found herself suffering from some rust, if not for the battle she had participated in on Kursid, when the worlds finest warriors and combatants had answered the call of the Sith, as it had been done for generations.

"Who are you?" Ayra shot back to the man's question.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

"You're the one following me," he stated defiantly.

The force quickly told him he was no match for this one. Despite his strength, and skill with a lightsaber, this one was a master duelist. She would kill him quickly, and the red blade told him without much thought either. There was little choice other than to answer her question, but a name, he didn't need to give her that, not yet. His blade lowered from an offensive position to one of a relaxed defense. If it was a mistake he'd be dead before he could regret it. Jaron was not worried, nor did he fear death.

"Someone looking for answers..." came the reply. "Do you have them?"

He didn't ask the question, but if the Sith dug for them, she'd find them on the surface of his mind. If she could offer answers, truth, power, vengence, Jaron would follow her. If not he'd continue the maze until he found what he sought. Whether he found it or not, he would not stay with someone who couldn't give him what he wanted. Jaron desperately wanted to make those responsible pay. Someone started the events that led to the destruction of his world. They would pay dearly.

"The Jedi couldn't, so here I am. I wonder what the Sith have to say about why the light failed?"

[member="Alicia Drey"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

Did the hooded woman have answers? Possibly. Darth Ayra replied to his question. "Even the brightest stars in the galaxy, eventually burn out." The Sith Lord thumbed the ignition button of her weapon. The crimson light went out; and the end of the passageway in which she and Jaron had bumped into each other descended into darkness. The cylinder hilt remained within Ayra's left hand. It would only take seconds to thumb the ignition button once more and dissect the man ahead of her, in the event that he decided to attack. Her senses were attuned to the Force. She could feel and know everything that was around her.

"Jedi have taught the galaxy that peace can be ascertained and made through them. Yet, like all those before you, here you are because you have ascertained that peace is a lie... There is only passion."

Ayra began to make her way up the passage, towards Jaron.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

She approached, but he blade no longer threatened him. He withdrew his own fully. Normally he would light the cavern with the force, but it required the use of the light within him. Jaron had found the light inside him was dim these days. He couldn't light the corridor if he wanted to. Her words rang in his ear. Even the brightest stars burned out. Peace was a.... lie. Yes, it was.

The destruction of his home, other homes, the loss of billions across the galaxy, it taught him peace was a lie. Even when one found peace there came a point where it was snatched up by something else, something deeper. Peace was swallowed by darkness, overrun by passion. The tranquil life was an ideal and nothing more. Darkness was always there, Jaron learned this to be true. What was it this woman could teach him exactly. He KNEW that line. It was the beginning of the Sith Mantra, their code.

"Through passion I gain strength... Through strength I gain power... through power I gain victory... through victory my chains are broken... the force shall set me free."

He knew the words, but did not understand them. They were also a lie. Many Sith who held to this teaching had fallen as well. Replacing his saber to his belt, Jaron had deemed this one would attempt to see him join the Sith before attacking him. He was prize to be won, though only he could make that choice. Before not one bit of his attention would have given to her. His curiosity would have remained his, but now he voiced it.

"Enlighten me."

[member="Darth Ayra"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

Ayra spoke softly as she made her way closer to Jaron. "The Jedi teach that peace is attainable. But look beyond that lie and you will see the truth. Coruscant is the center of the galaxy. It is where the Galactic Republic was made and where Empires have risen and fallen. It was the capital of the Galactic Republic up until the year of eight thirty seven, when the One Sith took it from them. The Sith was meant to have been destroyed by the Jedi Order in that same year. If peace was attainable, how was they then capable of usurp the Galactic Republic right under the nose of the Jedi?"

"Months ago, billions of people disappeared over night. The galaxy was brought into turmoil. The chaos that ensued across the survivors that did not disappear brought entire worlds to their knees. Corellia was destroyed. Look behind our years to the four hundred year darkness. Look further beyond that and look at all the wars that have come and gone. The galaxy needs change."

"Do you want to change the galaxy? Is that why you are here?"

 

[Jaron Lesan]

"Yes..." he stated realizing it was the only way he was truly going to see what he wanted.

In the moment he realized the vengeance he wanted was against the entire galaxy, and that he had no idea how to attain it. This would only add to his journey. Still she had not answered how it was the Sith could possibly be different than the Jedi. Yes, she stated they sought to change the galaxy, but how? What would make them succeed where others had failed. Jaron was still confused, still conflicted inside. He wrestled within himself of what was right and wrong. The fall would not be quick, but he knew inside he was caving.

The light which still remained within him had a firm hold on who he was still. Being here, conversing with a Sith, was the first step of many which would see his downfall, but certainly the Light would try and hold. He did not move back as the woman moved closer. His stance remained determined. She was offering answers, provided he continued to ask questions. It was Jedi of him to be searching for knowledge when what he needed to be looking for was the power he needed. Another sign the light still held. Still the Sith was accommodating him. A fallen Jedi was a prize to be had was it not?

"You sound so sure that it can be done... can it? Can what happened to my home be stopped, can other worlds be saved the fate of mine?"

Always questioning. Though now he was truly listening. His journey to the dark side had begun.

[member="Darth Ayra"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

"Worlds? Certainly. Let us look at the One Sith. Since they usurped Coruscant away from the Galactic Republic, they have defended the Core with an iron fist from the Jedi Order. The Coruscanti live free from the lies and insecurity of the Jedi. They live with a sense of freedom they couldn't enjoy under their rule. Imagine if the entire galaxy was ruled with an iron fist? We know it was done once, long before the four hundred year darkness."

"Through strength, I gain power. Isn't that what you recited? Power is the ability to manipulate your environment. To be in control of it and your surroundings. The Sith understand the concept of power and it is because of that that only a Sith knows the power to bend the galaxy and make it their own. If you had the power, would you have let what happened to Corellia happen in the first place?"

The hooded Sith Lord came to a stop, two steps away from Jaron. She was near enough to cut him down with her Lightsaber, if she choose too. But it was rare to find an individual who could become a useful subordinate. Like stygium crystals were a rare resource, so too were men like Jaron Lesan, who had the qualities to help bring the Grand Plan to fruition.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

She asked a question she already knew the answer to. Jaron shook his head.

"No... I would have done everything possible to see it from being destroyed, even if it meant sacrificing myself to do it."

This was true. Jaron had often replayed the event in his mind to see what he could have done. Perhaps he could have stood in the gap, in a manner of speaking, and brought an end to things before Corellia had been lost entirely. There were efforts to rebuild, but it would never be the same. The Jedi had lost it all, and he was going to get it back, whatever that meant.

The hooded female was now two steps from him, less than that according to Jaron's stride. They would both easily be able to strike and cut each other down from here, but neither did. Their hands were stayed, weapons did not move. Something was going to happen, but Jaron did not know. Was she about to claim him? His life was going to change. Could he in this moment abandon the Jedi way of life. It had abandoned him, so he was betraying nothing. His family had all broken up after the destruction of their world. Jaron was an aimless pilgrim waiting for someone to give him guidance. Would he fall yet, perhaps not, but this woman would show him the way of the Sith.

"You still speak of an ideal. There are those who would say Sith rule is oppressive. For all I can see both sides have failed to change the galaxy. What makes you right, and the Jedi wrong?"

[member="Darth Ayra"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

"The Jedi said that they could stop a disaster like Corellia. I do not deal with fake promises. I only deal in absolutes." Ayra lifted her chin. "What is your name?"

 

[Jaron Lesan]

She could or couldn't. This meant if she could not do soemthing she did not promise. Honesty. Jaron appreciated it. As long as she told him the truth she would have loyalty. At the first hint of a lie, Jaron would abandon her. She didn't need to hear that yet. A name, it finally came to names. This would almost make thing official.

"Jaron Lesan. What is yours?"

He had given his, and now he wanted hers.

[member="Darth Ayra"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Jaron Lesan"] |

"To learn my name is to see past the facade and into the truth, of which has been concealed behind the power that is the dark side of the Force. Jaron Lesan, was it mere coincidence that you and I met each other down here? Or was you guided to me? I surrender myself to the Force long ago and subsequently I made it my property. Are you ready to do the same?"

"I built these walls, these catacombs of a New Order that came and died. It was born out of a thousand year scheme, which came to fruition with the destruction of the Jedi Order. Like the Jedi ideals, the tenants of the New Order were a lie also, for the Jedi were allowed to return. A new way must be discovered if we are to relieve the galaxy and it's suffering."

"The scope of my work and it's depth cannot be comprehended by my enemies, yet here you stand, closer than any of them to seeing past the facade and into the truth. My powers of the dark side have kept entire sectors, star systems, governments and people unknowing of what it is that I will do to end the wars that have crippled this galaxy and reduced worlds to their knees, much like your beloved Corellia was destroyed."

"If you manage to find your way out of these catacombs and back to the surface, then I will give you an opportunity to discover my next whereabouts. In ten days, I will be at the Qixoni nebula within a region of space known as the Colonies. If you find me again, I will tell you my name and more importantly, I will give you the power that you seek to undo the mistakes of the Jedi Order."

Concealing her Force-sensitivity from Jaron, Ayra masked her movement through her skills as a K'tara duelist, a martial art designed to mask the physical movement of the practitioner through no sound. Disappearing into the darkness, the Sith Lord moved away from the Dark Jedi. There was nothing to be found here on Mytus VII to lead back to her or her master. Yet, she had found something that had the potential to be far more important than a money trail.

He know where she would be in ten days time. Would he come after her?

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Just like that she was gone. Jaron knew she was there somewhere, but also knew he wouldn't find her. His direction had been set, her location given away. All he had to do was retrace his steps. Good thing he'd been leaving bread crumbs for a while. It was an invitation to join her, if he could prove himself useful. This was a test and he knew it, the kind he either passed or failed. It was the absolute nature of the Sith. He would or would not. Jaron was either going to join her, or reject her. There was going to be no middle ground with her.

A better part of a day was taken to retrace his steps, and as he supposed there was no sign of the woman. The name of the meeting place was burnt into his memory, etched by a desire to have what she could offer. First he would travel to one other place he intended to seek out answers. Jaron was looking to Korriban. Something was there for him as well, the next step in his descent perhaps. Whatever he would find there would push him further to the darkness, or push him away from it. The Valley of the Dark Lords held its own mysteries.

------

When the time to meet had come, Jaron was there. The nebula was well known to him as a Jedi. The crystals which could be harvested made powerful focusing crystals for one's lightsaber. The Jedi had known this for a long time. In a way it was no surprise to meet here. Where she would be found was uncertain, but Jaron had arrived as instructed. Not knowing what to do other than wait, Jaron reached out across the force and pressed in all directions.

"I am here.... You promised your name...

His mind would continue that message through the force until it was answered.

[member="Darth Ayra"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

[member="Jaron Lesan"]

The Qixoni nebula held the rare Qixoni, a powerful crystal component to a Lightsaber that could be found in the nebula itself. Darth Ayra was here ten days after her encounter with Jaron Lesan. She had been too Balmorra to meet with the principle owner of iBorg, who had brought Hudrel Robotics during her liquidation of assets. Then she had ventured to Kesh to oversee the seizure of assets in Krayt Industries, following the divestment of Titain Industries.

The Sith Lord required a Qixoni for an upcoming project. She was a skilled duelist in the Lightsaber, having practiced every technique available. She was not the best in everyone of them- those duelists that kept to a particular technique would be far more proficient than her- but she wasn't far off either.

She felt the presence of Jaron Lesan and heard his call, whilst the Niathal-class transport she was piloting performed scans on the nebula to locate a crystal to be harvest. Yes, he had found his way to the Qixoni system, but he hadn't found her yet. Concealed within the dark side of the Force and the Qixoni nebula, Jaron only had a few hours to discover the Sith Lord he had met on Mytus VII before she disappeared out of his life altogether.

"Find me," whispered Ayra.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

"Find me," was all he heard in response.

His eyes rolled. How typical. The Jedi would do this as well, always wanting the force sense ability to remain ever sharp and ever vigilant. Stretching out through the force, Jaron felt the words coming from within the nebula. It was the only way to harvest the crystal, and clearly that's why she was here. He was in his own yt-1450, a smaller freighter, but only need himself as a crew. It wasn't the best by any means, but it served him well until he had the credits for something better. He was confident it would hold together in the nebula.

Advancing into the gaseous cloud, Jaron stopped at the view of another ship. It was the only other one on his sensors, though something in the clouds were messing with the instruments slightly. At least good piloting sense ran in the family genes. The man was certain he had found the right ship. Albeit it had taken him about thirty minutes at impluse power to do so. A channel was opened to the other ship as he hailed it.

"I found you," he transmitted, "You promised your name."

[member="Darth Ayra"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Jaron Lesan"] |

"Yes, you have. Dock with my ship." Ayra cut off the transmission, waiting for him to dock with the Niathal.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Jaron did as instructed and engaged the docking procedures. It was clear he was not getting a name until they were face to face. She would likely have something else for him to do as well. This is what being a Sith would be for now, likely. Jaron was going to be in her service. Then again, they had not come to that arrangement, and he had not yet truly labeled himself as Sith. It was only a label anyway. The darkness inside Jaron had only grown in the last ten days, enhanced by his encounter on Korriban.

Pressing the control for the door, Jaron waited for it to open. He crossed the threshold from his ship to hers. In some sense there was symbolism here. Jaron was crossing from one way of thinking to another. It had already really happened, but it was not official. Once aboard, Jaron removed the hood which had covering his head. She would finally see his face.

[member="Darth Ayra"]