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Into The Dark Side
Chapter 1
Very few things unsettled Brakiss. Being summoned by the Dark Lord of the Sith to the planet Ziost was one of them. The blonde haired man adjusted his black cloak as he walked away from a Lambda-class shuttle and onto the deserted, decaying stone streets of the capital city, a ghost town on a dead world. Brakiss could understand Lord Fenrir's desire to use Ziost as his base operations for most worlds, including Korriban, were no longer safe.
The crisp air of the dawn couldn't ease the chill running down the Dark Jedi's spine as he approached the stepped slopes of the palace temple. Even the air was silent. He pulled his cloak closer to his body as he entered the palace, a cold draft breaking the ever-present silence of the location.
Zeroing in on the Sith Lord's presence in the Force, Brakiss followed the winding corridors to the throne room. Ancient torches using animal fat as fuel lighted his destination. A shadow shrouded Lord Fenrir's throne.
Brakiss knelt before his master. "I have returned, my master," he told the Sith Lord.
"I trust you are pleased with your little Dark Jedi Academy," Lord Fenrir said, his voice deep and cold.
Brakiss removed the hood of his cloak and stared at the Sith Lord's shrouded visage. "I have already turned out a group of core students," Brakiss reported. "Three Dathomiri women and a Hapan male survived the training."
"Lady Gorgon was correct in placing her confidence in the Hapan," Fenrir said, referring to his apprentice.
"I don't place my confidence lightly, my master," Darth Gorgon said as she entered the throne room. Dressed in black armor, her pallid face was framed by flowing raven hair. Her piercing gray gaze bored into Brakiss.
"Welcome back, Lady Gorgon," Lord Fenrir said as he stood, the shadows finally lifting and revealing his face. His long black hair was tied back in a neat ponytail for once, but it was his face that was most recognizable. It was Kyp Durron, the most wanted man in the galaxy. "I trust my other affairs are going well."
"The affairs of the Second Imperium are in good order, master," Gorgon told Fenrir.
Lord Fenrir finally told Brakiss, "You may rise."
Brakiss stood slowly and asked, "What are your orders, master?"
"I need you to pay a visit to Coruscant," Fenrir said. "It seems that the Black Sun is interested in an alliance and I need you to visit their representative on that world."
"It shall be done, master," Brakiss said before bowing. As he walked away from the throne, he locked his blue eyes with Lady Gorgon's gray orbs and immediately regretted the action. She always wanted Brakiss to know his place in the pecking order and the Dark Jedi hated to be reminded.
Coruscant was considered by the New Republic to be the center of the galaxy's political and cultural life. However, Kirana Ti knew that Coruscant was also the heart of the galactic criminal culture thanks to the efforts of the Black Sun crime syndicate. The Jedi Master was crouched atop a gargoyle on one of the city's many skyscrapers cutting into the night sky, her body clothed in a black cloak and hood. She was on a mission.
Kirana Ti sent a message through the Force to her apprentice. Zekk, what do you see? she asked him.
On the streets below, Zekk was clothed in black leather and sunglasses. His lightsaber was concealed within his leather jacket, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets and his long black hair tied neatly back in a ponytail. He hadn't shaved in days, giving him a slightly rough look to fit for his undercover persona. Barak is an elusive cuss, Zekk told her. I still haven't lost him.
Kirana Ti smirked at Zekk's choice of words. The Dathomirian warrior replied, Just stay sharp. I'll be coming down shortly.
Zekk sent her a silent reply through the Force. He wasn't about to lose his quarry. Barak Li was a human male that ranked highly in the Black Sun and was wanted for questioning over the murder of a Senator. The apprentice shuffled through the night crowd on the streets of the upper level of Coruscant. The planet's nightclubs were renowned throughout the galaxy, especially the upper level ones. Barak seemed to like the nightlife.
Barak stepped into a biker bar called the Battering Ram, just as Zekk expected him to do. A few leather clad men and women of differing species stood outside the bar near their speeder bikes, staring at Zekk as he stepped into the club.
The Jedi apprentice's ears were immediately assaulted by the sound of heavy music coming from a holographic band playing on the stage. The lighting was designed to give an almost energetic atmosphere. He scanned the club, watching as Barak made his way to a booth near the sabacc tables. Extending his Force sense outward, he drowned out the club noise so he could pay attention to whatever Barak would say as he approached the bar.
"Corellian whiskey on the rocks," Zekk told the human male bartender as he sat at the bar, keeping his senses attuned to Barak.
Barak sat at the booth where he looked across at a man dressed in a black leather suit. He had close-cropped blonde hair and handsome manly facial features. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up," the man said before he drank ale from his glass.
"I have many enemies," Barak told the man. "So Fenrir sent you?"
Nodding, the man said, "Yes. Your leaders have been sounding us out for an alliance. If this is true, what would you have to offer us?"
"Everything," Barak told him. "I could give you access codes to Borsk Fey'la's toilet if you wanted me to."
"I'm sure quite a few people would like to see that Bothan bastard get flushed, but that's not what we want," Brakiss said before he grinned.
Zekk listened to the conversation, sipping his stiff drink. A Twi'lek female took a seat next to him and flashed him a smile. "Hey sugar," she told him. "I haven't seen you around here lately."
Zekk glared at her and said, "Not now, Kaillay'or."
"Oh, come on," she said before rubbing her blue right hand along his stubbed cheek. "No need to get nasty when you drink. You certainly can get nasty with me again later."
"Now is not the time," Zekk told her, trying to stay patient as he attempted to focus on Barak's conversation.
"Well, you know where to find me, sugar," Kaillay'or told him before she walked away from Zekk.
"She probably carries STDs from everyone in here," the bartender told Zekk.
"Surprisingly, she's clean," Zekk said before sipping his drink and returning his attention to Barak's conversation.
"So we have a deal?" Barak asked.
Brakiss nodded. "I believe we do," he said. "Just direct me to your superiors so I can make this final."
Zekk watched Barak and Brakiss exit the club. Brakiss turned to where Zekk was sitting and flashed him a smile.
"Sithspit!" Zekk yelled. He looked at the bartender and told him, "Just put this on my tab."
"You know, you still owe us!" the bartender yelled as Zekk was running out of the club. "Damned kids," he muttered before looking to another customer.
Zekk cloaked his presence in the Force just as Master Skywalker had taught him to do. Brakiss had betrayed Luke years ago when he first founded the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. And now he was on Coruscant meeting with a member of the Black Sun.
A cloaked woman fell into step beside Zekk. "You sure left in a hurry," Kirana Ti said.
"It's Brakiss," Zekk told his master. "He was here."
The Dathomirian's brown gaze hardened. She remembered Brakiss well. "What would he be doing here?"
"I saw him meeting with Barak," replied Zekk. "Something about an alliance."
"You do realize pursuing Brakiss goes beyond our investigation mandate from Master Solo," Kirana Ti reminded her apprentice.
"Since when has that ever stopped us?" Zekk said before flashing her a grin. Just as he was about to turn around, a red blaster bolt seared through the air right in front of his face to be deflected by the violet-white blade of Kirana Ti's lightsaber.
Zekk quickly dove to the left, rolled on the ground beneath him and removed his lightsaber from inside his jacket. He ignited a cerulean blade after he ceased his roll and stood swiftly. The crowd on the streets was already screaming and running away in a scene of sheer pandemonium.
The gunman was dressed in a simple black cloak and goggles covered his eyes. He fired his blaster rifle at the two Jedi. Zekk moved into action, deflecting the shot with his laser sword as he rushed at his attacker. He pivoted and slashed upwards, shearing through the barrel of the blaster rifle. The gunman fell to his knees and said, "Please kill me. If you don't, my family gets nothing."
"Who hired you?" Zekk asked before moving the tip of his lightsaber just centimeters from his attacker's throat. When he said nothing, Zekk used Alter Mind in an attempt to pry the information from the man. "You will tell me who hired you."
"I will tell you who hired you," the gunman said in a monotone voice as his weak mind was easily ensnared. "It was a woman called Gorgon."
"You will tell me who this Gorgon is," Zekk commanded.
The gunman was about to open his mouth to say something before the veins and arteries in his face became visible through the skin. He screamed as he felt his body being drained of its fluids.
Zekk stepped away and looked for Kirana Ti, but couldn't find her. "Sithspawn!" he cursed before stretching out his Force sense to find his master. He picked her presence up and began to sprint, leaving the mess to be cleaned by the authorities.
Kirana Ti was in hot pursuit of Brakiss. The Dark Jedi had entered the tunnel to the lower levels of Coruscant before he disappeared. The Dathomirian tried to search for Brakiss in the Force, but came up empty. Then, a sensation entered her mind like a shard of hot metal cutting through the Force.
Brakiss had activated his crimson energy sword and was prepared to face Kirana Ti. "You will not interfere in my plans," he told her.
"Brakiss, we really need to stop running into each other," she said.
A grin appeared on the Dark Jedi's face. "It's only been ten years," he noted. "Is Skywalker now teaching his students to be bitter?"
Zekk reached Kirana Ti's side, his blue lightsaber still lit from his last confrontation. "Same old routine?" he asked his master.
The Jedi Master activated her violet-white energy sword just as Brakiss said, "You know, two against one isn't really fair."
Brakiss backed away from the two Jedi and held out his left hand. "You have no honor!" he bellowed before he summoned a flash of light to blind his would-be opponents temporarily.
Zekk shut his eyes and opened them again, just to find he couldn't see. But after a minute, his vision cleared. Brakiss was gone.
Kirana Ti inhaled deeply as she used a few calming exercises to relieve her tension. She then deactivated her lightsaber. "What are you up to, Brakiss?" she thought aloud.
Leia Organa Solo, Rebel Alliance hero, former New Republic politician and Jedi Master, stood alone in her quarters on Yavin 4 as she lit a single candle beside a hologram of Han Solo, her deceased husband. Not long after the formation of the Praxeum, Kyp Durron had come under the influence the ghost of Exar Kun and had fallen to the Dark Side of the Force, using the Sun Crusher on a destructive campaign against Imperial targets. Han had taken Lando with him in the Millennium Falcon in an attempt to redeem Kyp. Neither returned.
The death of Han had forced Leia to retire from politics and complete her Jedi training under her brother's guidance. She had been originally driven by a desire for vengeance and had brushed with the Dark Side during her early years, but unlike Kyp, she had been tempered by the flame rather than consumed.
Luke still blamed himself for Kyp's fall, but Leia would constantly remind him of his successes at the Praxeum. Never having remarried, she gelled well with her twin brother, their skills and thoughts playing well together. Even though Luke had married Mara Jade, their twin bond was still strong and Leia would sometimes have to reel Luke back to reality on occasions.
Her children had taken their Jedi training just as seriously as their mother, for which Leia felt a sense of pride. Anakin was the most talented of her children, but Jacen and Jaina shared a twin bond that rivaled the one Leia had with Luke. They were all too young to remember their father, so they did not understand Leia's observance rituals on what she believed to be the anniversary of Han's death.
The door to Leia's quarters opened. Even without the Force, Leia would have been able to identify her visitor by the sound of his footsteps. She turned in the direction of the door to face her brother. "Hello Luke," she said. Luke's garments were as plain as hers: simple tunic and slacks. It was a sharp contrast to her past experiences as a princess of Alderaan.
"Leia," Luke greeted as he shut the old metal door. "Hard to believe that it's been ten years."
Leia sighed before managing a wistful smile. "There are times that I almost expect him to just walk through the door and treat the last ten years as if they never happened," she stated.
Luke managed a chuckle as he took a seat at the table in Leia's room. "That would definitely be like Han," he commented. "Chewie would definitely scold him."
The smile widened before Leia burst into uncontrollable laughter. Chewbacca had extended his life debt to Leia after Han had told him to take care of her on Bespin. The Wookiee had remained at the Praxeum, a resident mechanic. What Luke had described was completely within Chewbacca's character.
Then, Leia's laughter died almost as quickly as it came. "It's still hard to believe he's dead," she said. "And Kyp is still at large."
"Speaking of his class, I just received a transmission from Kirana Ti," Luke told his sister. "She and Zekk discovered Brakiss on Coruscant, but failed to capture him for questioning."
Leia nodded. Brakiss had been wanted by the Republic for a few years thanks to his involvement with Kueller. It seemed only logical that Kirana Ti would abandon her original mission to go after one of the most wanted men in the galaxy. "He must have grown in the Force if no one could detect him entering or leaving Coruscant," Leia said grimly.
"Indeed," Luke noted. "I've recalled them here for a more thorough debriefing. They should be arriving here shortly."
Yavin 4 was home to Zekk after the catastrophe that killed his parents on Ennth nine years ago. If Leia hadn't discovered him trying to make a living by foraging on the streets of Coruscant, the young Jedi apprentice couldn't imagine what he'd ever have done with his life.
Zekk strolled behind Kirana Ti as they descended the boarding ramp of the cruiser that had delivered them to Yavin 4. Whereas his master was still dressed in plain Jedi garments, his clothing suggested a rebellious streak: black leather trenchcoat, black leather pants, combat boots, a black shirt and a pair of sunglasses. The heat made the choice of dress a bit uncomfortable, but he didn't want Kaillay'or's gift to him to go unused.
"You know, the latest Coruscant fashions don't blend well on Yavin 4," Kirana Ti teased without glancing at her apprentice.
Ignoring the gawking apprentices at the Praxeum as he walked into the Great Temple, Zekk simply said, "Well, the coat was a nice gift. It'd be a shame not to use it every once in a while."
Kirana Ti shook her head as she strolled through the Great Temple, taking the turbolift to the main audience chamber. Zekk followed, knowing that the departure from the original objective was his fault and he and his master would both be scolded for yet another impulsive venture.
Waiting for them when the turbolift opened were Masters Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo. Zekk immediately donned his game face, knowing that it was not in his best interests to be intimidated.
"Kirana Ti," Luke said, nodding to one of his first students. "Zekk."
"We returned on short notice, Master Skywalker," Kirana Ti stated. "We were forced to abandon our original mission due to the appearance of Brakiss."
"Which is what you said in your transmission," recalled Luke. "While I do respect your motives for pursuing Brakiss, you didn't pursue Barak."
"Master Skywalker," Zekk added. "I attempted to pursue Barak, but someone tried to take our lives. Barak managed to get away while I dealt with the situation."
"Needless to say, Zekk's cover was blown," Kirana Ti added as input to her apprentice's story. "Brakiss sensed him and I needed to apprehend him so we could continue our mission."
"I don't believe you made a bad decision," Leia said. "However, the Republic contracted us for this job. Their expectations are sometimes unrealistic."
"If we are to maintain the Republic's trust, we have to raise our expectations as well," said Luke.
"With the power struggle occurring in the Senate, we need to tread carefully," Leia stated.
"We understand," Kirana Ti stated.
"You are free to go," said Luke. "Take a few days off to relax."
Jacen Solo entered his uncle's personal quarters with stealth, drawing on his training to help him move undetected. After his encounter with the Imperial TIE pilot in the forest, he felt as if he needed to be ready for whatever came his way. Inhaling the pleasant scent of the room, a product of Mara Jade Skywalker's intervention, Jacen found what he was looking for on Luke's desk: Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber.
The weapon had been presented to Luke Skywalker by Obi-Wan Kenobi, but lost in a duel with Darth Vader at Bespin. Luke recovered the saber at Wayland and presented as a gift to Mara. When Mara had finally constructed her own lightsaber, the relic had returned to Luke's possession.
Jacen took a deep breath before curling his fingers around the weapon and lifting it from the desk to examine the craftsmanship. Luke had not permitted Jacen to construct his own lightsaber yet, saying his nephew wasn't ready for the challenge. Part of him agreed with his uncle's sentiment, but Jacen remembered that he and his sibling could have used lightsabers in their previous ordeal.
Depressing the activation stud, Jacen observed as the blue-white energy blade emerged from the emitter matrix. He marveled at the notion that a grip so cool could house a blade hot enough to cut through almost anything. Jacen waved the sword a few times, completely entranced by the deadly hum of the weapon. He might not have been ready, but the lightsaber felt so right in his hands.
"Jacen, what are you doing?" Luke asked as he observed Jacen wielding Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber from the door to his quarters.
Jacen immediately deactivated the weapon and looked to his uncle. "Uncle Luke, I just wanted to see what a lightsaber felt like," he said.
Luke approached his nephew, his arms crossed over his chest. "Jacen, neither you nor your sister are ready for a lightsaber," he scolded. "The lightsaber requires a tremendous amount of skill and concentration to wield. You, your brother and your sister have all progressed well and may be ready in the near future, but now is not the time."
"But you hadn't even started your training when Ben gave this to you," Jacen argued, holding up the weapon for emphasis.
"That doesn't mean that I was ready for the responsibility," Luke said calmly. "He taught me the basic lightsaber exercises so that I could open my mind to the Force. It wasn't until I met Yoda that I was able to refine my technique under his tutelage. But I'm neither Ben nor Yoda. How they taught me does influence my instruction, but I show discretion because I feel it is right to." The Jedi Master held out his right hand. "Give it to me, Jacen."
Jacen looked at his grandfather's weapon before presenting it to Luke. "I'm sorry, Uncle Luke," Jacen apologized.
"Cheer up," Luke told his nephew as he took his father's lightsaber. "Wedge has offered to take you, your sister and Lowbacca on a tour of Rogue Squadron's facilities. That's a rare gift."
"Yeah," Jacen agreed, though his mind was on the rare gift he had held mere moments ago.