Saber Forum

First off, these characters are mine. Nobody is allowed to use them without my permission. I say this, because I don't want people stealing my stories and characters. Just like with anything someone else creates, you need their permission to use it.

Second, this story is not complete, nor edited, and is subject to change.

And third, this is for you guys Karmack and TheDutchman. You are the ones who actually caused me to start thinking about actually writing this into a story. Like I said above, it is not finished, but for now, enjoy Shadow of the Outcast.

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“They’ve come for us.”

Taegin awoke to the sound of his master Denna Eem’s voice. They had been in hiding for the past year. Ever since Order 66 had been initiated, the two Jedi had gone unnoticed by the Empire. They did not know if any of the other Jedi had survived the Supreme Chancellor--now Emperor’s–order to exterminate all the Jedi. They always hoped that some had, but they knew it was unlikely. Now it seemed, the Empire had finally caught up with them. As they quickly packed up their few meager belongings, they could hear the Stormtroopers searching through the woods. They were getting closer, and the two men knew that it would not be long before they were upon them. They were so close now that the sound metallic voices could be heard through the trees.

"Fan out, and search every inch of these woods. Lord Vader wants them found.” They were saying. As the troops began to close in, the Jedi were ready. Over the last year they had learned to use the shadows for cover. They quickly ran. Disappearing into the early morning light, but they could hear the troopers behind them still. “Sergeant, we found their camp. By the looks of it, they’ve only been gone a few minutes. My heat sensors are still picking up signatures from where they slept.” One trooper said. “Good work, we’re closing in.” Said the Sergeant, “Let’s move, they can’t be far away.” As the Stormtroopers began to give chase, the Jedi ran faster. Suddenly they heard it, or rather felt it through the Force. It was something dark and foreboding, like a song full of fear and anger.

“There is only one thing that could be,” Taegin’s master said, “Darth Vader.”

They continued to run, but the song was getting stronger. Closer.

“Keep going Taegin.” His master said, “I’ll catch up to you.”

But the young Jedi knew that it was the last time he would ever see his beloved master again. The bond shared between Master and Apprentice was too great. Teagin knew through a slight tremor in the Force, that his master was going to face Vader. Alone. So he ran. Ran faster than he ever had before. But then he stopped. He could no longer feel the simple yet beautiful song that normally so perfectly synchronized with his own coming from his master. He knew then that Vader had killed him. Denna Eem was a great Jedi, and an amazing warrior, but no one, not even a Blue Zabrak Jedi could defeat the Sith Lord. As he fell to his knees in sorrow and anger, he once again felt the dark song. Though this time it was not just coming from the Sith Lord, but also from himself.

“Join me young padawan, and I will teach to never know pain again.” Came the evil voice of the man who had destroyed the Jedi order.

“I . . .  will join you.” Came his reply.

---

You may have noticed the term "Blue Zabrak", and may be wondering what that is. It is just something that I made up. It is a variation of the Zabrak. Anywhere but on Iridonia, their skin color would be considered black and/or brown, but the color is shaded to more of a grey/blue color rather than the black or brown. They are also distinguished as "Blue", because in their culture they are known to be able to adapt to situations better, and are usually better warriors, and they are extremely rare. Again, this is not Canon, nor is it even Legends. It is something that I completely made up. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this prologue to Shadow of the Outcast. More will be coming, eventually.  ;)

Love the story! Excellent creation with the Blue Zabrak.

I only release details of anything that is already copy written. For example, as a film director/writer, anytime I want to share anything, I upload it to a website that obtain all the rights for me. So if someone thinks they can steal my ideas they will certainly pay for it. Just a recommendation. Most of these sites do charge, but nothing ridiculous. You can also upload unfinished projects and substitute them with finished projects for no additional fee.

Nicely begun Teagin!  I am intrigued, and I'm getting how you're incorporating the musical imagry.  Not as intense as my version, but it makes sense that every force-sensitive would sense the force in their own unique way.

Meanwhile, I cannot wait to see what Vader has in store for his young padawan!  :-)

Karmack

Thanks, I originally was not going to incorporate the Blue Zabrak into my SW universe, but I had to perfect opportunity to in this story, so I did. Thanks for the suggestion too, I may have to check it out.


Thanks Karmack. I liked the idea of it, but I knew since Taegin isn't Knighted yet, he would not be as in tune with the Force as some are, thus only hearing it a little bit. Enough to be recognizable, but not to the point where everything is revolving around the "Song" as in yours.

NICE TR!  I love the perspective/pathos of your beginning: Vader absconding with the padawan.  I would not have considered such a turn, which of course makes for excellent storytelling  ;)

I immediately wonder how Taegin is going to survive his encounter with the Dark Side.  Of course, we grow strong through adversity, so I could definitely see how this series of events could produce a POWERFUL Jedi...heh again if he survives  :D

"Blue Zabrak". TR, it's details like this that work so well in your world building^^  Not to mention the subtle use of the "song;" in your opinion is it synonymous with the Force or more an "effect" symbolic rather of life, death, emotions, etc.?  Again: I would never thought of such symbolism (and between you and Karm, it has emerged as a fantastic interpretation)!  I can't wait to read more!

Oh and I LOVE your title TR  8)

Until next installment, friends  :)

Thanks TD. I went outside and was playing with my lightsaber when this story came to me. Once I came back in, it literally took me about 15 minutes to write the prologue. Glad you are enjoying it.

I'm hoping to keep this book pretty random. Not to the point where you don't know what is going on, but so that I keep throwing in stuff that you don't expect.

As to your question about my interpretation of "song", I'd have to say it is a little of both. To some (Karmack or Arnor for example), it is the Force, or at least a way of viewing it. But to Taegin and Denna, it is definitely more of the "effect" like you described. Definitely both though.

The title was the first thing I though of, and it fits my character so well that I instantly decided to use it. It was a bit of a toss up "Shadow of the Outcast", and "The Outcast's Shadow", but I feel like this one ultimately works better. Let me point you down to the first quote in my signature and you can see why.

And there is definitely more to come. It may be a little, but it is coming. ;)

"As he fell to his knees in sorrow and anger, he once again felt the dark song. Though this time it was not just coming from the Sith Lord, but also from himself."

That's a great line, the metaphor of a song is very interesting, like it has a rhythm, can have ebbs and flows and crescendos much like anger as an emotion can be at times hot, cool, overwhelming, concealed. 

Interesting prologue, I like the way you have the external action (i.e. a lightsabre duel) happening 'off screen' still impacting the 'on screen' psychology of your character. 

Look forward to hearing more.

Thanks. The "song" thing was actually Karmack's idea. In his "We are Gray..." thread, he used it a lot, and I really liked it. You should check out his story, it is really good. (Link here http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=35563.0) But like anything, no two people will be exactly alike in any certain aspect, and that is how it is with me. As a musician, I found it really interesting, and it resonated (no pun intended) with me, so I adapted it to fit my story.

Stay tuned all, because someday soon the next chapter will be coming.

*ding It's "Someday Soon!"  ;D

 :D
I actually haven't had much time to work on it. I have a little bit of chapter one done, but not the whole thing yet. I plan to work more on it today if I have the time, but I have other things that (sadly) are more important.

Hey, just keep plugging away!  We should story no line until its time.... 
*groan*
Ok, ok, bad reference.  Sorry! 

Darth Rowahn strode out in front of his troops. Technically he was not a Sith Lord, but rather an Inquisitor. He was one of the first, and most powerful Inquisitors, and was known to most as Inquisitor Rowahn. However, he had always called himself Darth. After all, he was trained by Darth Vader in the ways of the Dark Side, so wouldn’t that make him a Sith? It was also true that some of his training had been taught by the Inquisitor named Malorum, who was later killed by an exiled Jedi name Ferus Olin. If Olin wasn’t dead by now, Rowahn would have to hunt him down. Anyways, that was not important. Right now what was important was the Jedi they were tracking. A young woman by the name of T’Risha Jord. Rowahn did not actually know Jord, but he had seen her file, so he knew she was a young human about 23 years old, and supposedly had been a strong telekinetic while she was training as a Jedi. Now, 14 years after the Great Purge, she was still training. Training and running. But after two years of searching, Rowahn was finally catching up to her. After about 5 years of training, Rowahn was sent on his first solo mission. It was a simple mission something he’d helped with multiple times. Kill the Jedi, and take his saber. That was his first, but in the 8 years following, he had had many other missions. All had been fairly easy, and he had returned within a month or two. This one however, was taking a bit longer. It had been 2 years since he started, and only in the last about 3 months had he gotten any solid information about where the girl was. Why she was so hard to catch, he was not sure, but he knew he could not return empty handed. He had seen too many fellow Inquisitors and other “Jedi Hunters” return to face Vader’s wrath. Why Vader wanted to sabers so bad Rowahn wasn’t sure, but neither did he care. Never once had he failed, and he wouldn’t this time.

“Fan out, see if you can pick up here trail.” He yelled to his men. He had been here most of the day, and was getting tired. Even the Force could only do so much to keep you going. Taking the saber pike off his back, he sat down. He would rise in another minute or two, but for now he needed to meditate. Not as the Jedi did, using it to calm his mind, but rather to beat the Force back into submission. It was a powerful tool, but one that seemed at times to have its own mind. At times sounding like a beautiful song, trying to bring him back to his earlier self. This could not happen. He would not allow it. Hammering it with rage and fury, the song died down again, into the rhythmic thump. Consistent, and dark.

Rising and placing the saber back on his back, he was about to follow his men, when one of them came running back.

“We’ve found her, she’s about five-hundred meters north of here!” came his metallic voice. “She has not seen us yet, and we are waiting on your order to fire.”

“Hold your positions, don’t let her see you, I will face her myself.” Rowahn replied. Then remembering that the Jedi often would sense the Troopers before they got to them, or else sense the Dark Side, they would often try to escape. “If she moves, kill her. We don’t want her to escape.”

With that, he strode off into the gathering darkness. He soon came upon the site where the troops had said the woman was, but she was already gone. Fleeing into the night, hoping to avoid the fire coming from the Stormtroopers. As Rowahn began to give chase, he was soon amongst the troopers, and gaining quickly on T’Risha. He could see her now, running through the woods, deflecting bolts with her bright green saber.

What a great way to be seen and followed. Ignite your saber so that everyone has an exact location of where you stand. Rowahn thought to himself. He would never do such a stupid thing, but he wasn’t complaining. No, this was fine with him. He could easily see her, and follow her through the nighttime woods.

As he quickly gained on her, he could see where she was running to. There was a ship in a clearing not fifty meters away. If he did not do something now, she would escape, and he would have to track her through space again. Not something he enjoyed doing, especially after doing it three times already. Pulling his saber off his back, he used the Force to fuel his jump. As he fell, he ignited his crimson red blade. He landed about ten feet in front of her, making her pull up short. The Troopers had stopped firing, knowing that Rowahn preferred to kill the Jedi himself. He just stood there, waiting for her to do something. She was good, he could tell that just by watching her. Soon she put her saber into a defense position, readying herself for the inevitable attack. Something wasn’t quite right about her, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint it. As they stood there staring at each other the tension was growing. It was so thick now it almost felt as if you could actually cut it. Then Rowahn moved.

Almost faster than the eye could see, he struck. Thrusting and then slashing with his pike over and over again. The only reason why the girl was still alive was because the Force had sharpened her senses and lent speed to her limbs. As she tried to Force blast Rowahn, he quickly sidestepped before the blast hit him. Spinning as he did so to give his saber extra momentum, he struck at about her shoulders. She blocked the attack, but because of its power and height of the attack, she was left undefended in her lower midsection. Rowahn quickly spun again in the opposite direction, and hit her in the stomach with the pommel of his longer hilt before she had a chance to recover from the first swing.

As she stumbled backwards, Rowahn lowered the saber. He was sweating under his mask now, and longed to open the visor. Even after years of practicing with both the customary Inquisitor saberstaves as well as his saberpike, the weight of the hilt, as well as the crimson blade still tired him quickly. Supposedly the blade got lighter as you used it, but he had never found that to be the case. Still, he had learned and adapted. Using spins to get the momentum and strength he required, rather than brute strength. True, he had plenty of that as well, but he liked to save that for the end of the battle. All of these factors combined caused him to overheat much too fast. This too he was used to, but it was still annoying.

One nice thing was his hilt, It was comfortable, and had a much longer reach than a normal saber would. Besides this, he could use the hilt as a weapon, just as much as he could the blade. He didn’t like having the dual blades, because it was too much of a hazard. One wrong move and you could cut off you head. He much preferred his pike to the staves that he was originally trained on. They did have their advantages, like their auto-spin mechanism, but the disadvantages far outweighed the advantages in his mind. Still, something was not right about her.

As he paced around the girl, she quickly recovered. “I remember you.” The girl was saying, “You were once known by a different name.” But before she had a chance to say more, Rowahn said “You are mistaken. Though I have tracked you for years now, you have never seen me, nor I you.” She once again raising her saber into a ready position, though this time, it was not one of defense, but rather attack. And attack she did. She had speed, Rowahn gave her that, but she was also sloppy. He easily parried or blocked her attacks, even with his saberpike which was not always the greatest defense weapon. Than he realized it too late. She wasn’t sloppy, she was sizing him up, testing his skills. Than the fight was really on. It was all he could do to keep up with her flurry of stabs and strikes. Coming from all different angles and positions. Quickly she maneuvered his blade out of the way, then grazed his leg and blasted him with a strong force blast. Rowahn slid across the ground. He was still able to move, but the pain was intense. The troopers did take the initiative and start blasting as soon as Rowahn went down, but she was already gone. Running through the trees once again, heading towards the ship.

As Rowahn let the pain flow through him, allowing it to fuel his anger, it slowly subsided till all he could feel was numbness. That is when it hit him. He realized what had seemed so wrong about their battle. She is a supposed telekinetic, but not once during our battle did she show prowess in that area. He thought. Not until that last Force blast. Normally I would have avoided it or blocked it, but I couldn’t see it coming. She is good. Then one other thought occurred to him. She said she had seen me before, but I didn’t remember it at first. Now I do. It was so long ago that I had completely forgotten about it. But then she had only been a strong telekinetic. How did she become such a competent swordswoman? This thought was troubling, but he had no time to dwell on it further. The chase had begun again, and it was back to space for him.

---

Well, hope you guys enjoyed chapter one. It is slowly (very slowly) coming together. Maybe some of you will catch some of the other references that I threw in there.  ;) This is still pretty much the first draft, so I will be adding and changing stuff as I continue to write. Mostly just little details, like setting and stuff, but this is a pretty go look at what you will be getting. ;)

Anyways, until next time...

YES! Awesome TR; your scenes are vivid, the action fast-paced and immediately engrossing, the questions that arise need answering  ;). I enjoy the world-building that you have done. The perspective from Taegin's time as a Sith can really allow for pathos to organically to develop^^  I am really looking forward to the trials that I know must be forthcoming  :D

Until next time, friends  :)

*munches popcorn*  Oh yeah!  Loving it!
I am intrigued.  As Dutchman said, the action pulls you in and there's enough mystery to fuel more than a little speculation and suspense.  :-)  I am looking forward to more!

Thanks guys. This story is actually kind of hard to write. I have no idea where I am going with the next chapters. I know the beginning and the ending, but I have no idea how to get there. It may be a while till I get chapter 2 written. I'm glad you like it though. Hopefully I can continue to keep you intrigued.

I know EXACTLY what you mean: I have my beginning and my ending; it's getting the narrative from "A" to "B" that I am face-palming over  :P ;D

Admittedly TR, you and Karm make it look easy  ;).  And take all the time you need  :)

Thanks, but it isn't easy for me. Luckily I know my character, and I also have an interest in fighting, so writing battles is easy for me. But I will continue working on it.

Well you make it look easy, my friend  ;)

I'm with you on that!  Sometimes the middle can be excruciating!  Keep after it though.  This one has great potential!  :-)

Thanks. I think I finally have a decent outline that I can work off of, so maybe I can keep it going.

I do that in longer works.  Write a quick outline of your story, pick a few highlights and then hammer away.  No other way to do it.

With these stories I have a very broad outline in mind at the beginning and I am basically picking the scenes I want to illuminate along the way.  Also these are becoming experiments in first person narrative, something I've not really done before.  I usually write in 3rd person omniscient, like a Tom Clancy or David Weber novel.  But I like this format.  Its .... compelling.

What  I mean by "decent outline" is really just "outline". I had nothing before, but now I have something of an outline which makes it easier to see where I am going.

Yeah I found myself doing this as well TR.  I really wish I could free write organically but without specific planning I find myself falling into admittedly bad cliches  :(

That said, I am eager to read what you've got coming next my friend  :)

Thanks. I haven't had much time to write recently, so chapter 2 might be a while yet, but it is coming.

By the time Rowahn’s ship left Calginax’s atmosphere, he was in his quarters trying to make contact with the Grand Inquisitor so he could make his report. Once contact was established, Rowahn told the man what had happened. “Jord has become a powerful Jedi since the order fell. I am not yet sure how, but she escaped once again.” He was saying, “We are trying to pick up her trail again and. . .” before he could finish the Inquisitor interrupted. “Your men had their blasters trained on her and they didn’t fire? You battled her yourself and yet you did not kill her? Do you have a weak spot for this girl or something? You have been following her trail for over two years now, and the first time you actually see her, you let her go. This form of behavior will not be tolerated. If you do not find her soon, we will be forced to recall you from this mission and have someone else take over. We are trying to make contact with a Jedi Hunter named Caedon Ti-Rell. He has proven adept at hunting and killing Jedi like this Jord. If you do not find her before we make contact, you will be recalled. Is that what you want, do you want someone else to take you place? Find her Inquisitor or face the consequences.”

Rowahn was about to reply when the Inquisitor cut off the call. “It’s Darth, not Inquisitor” he mumbled under his breath in an annoyed tone. As his holoprojector blinked off with a high pitched blip, Rowahn sat down. The movement caused him to wince in pain. He had bandaged his wounded leg before returning to the ship, but a lightsaber wound was painful. He could feel it throbbing even now. Forcing the pain down, and letting it fuel his anger, he rose and stalked out of his quarters heading towards the bridge. When he got there, he asked “Have you picked up the ships plasma trail, or hyperdrive signature yet?”

“No sir.” Came the reply of the pilot, “But we think we may know which way she is heading. From the direction her ship was going when it left the planet, it seems to be heading to one of the farthest outlying systems. We will know more in a few minutes once we pick up the trail.”

“Fine. Alert me when you have it. I will be in my quarters.” Rowahn said as he turned and walked back the way he came. As he walked down the hallway, he passed the medical supply closet. While he generally did not use medicinal supplies to speed up his healing he decided it might be a good idea if he were to this time since he did not know how long it would be until they caught up to Jord again. He needed to be at full strength if he wanted to defeat her, and he needed to make sure that he did not underestimate her powers again. That had been the true reason that he had failed to capture or kill her this time. Still he was bothered by the fact that he didn’t know why he had not been able to see the Force blast coming. Besides that, he had not remembered her. True, it had been about eighteen years since he saw her, and only then it was because he had run into her on accident. She had been walking through the Jedi temple just after being chosen by a Jedi Knight to become their apprentice, and he had not been paying attention then, so literally ran into her. They had both been very young at the time, but he had never thought he could forget her. The way she had lifted him with the Force, much to her master’s surprise, and then looked him in the eyes with something akin to annoyance, but something far kinder. He had quickly apologized and asked her to set him down, but he would normally never have forgotten that. Even now after 18 years or so, the memory scared him. How easily she had lifted him into the air then, almost as if it was an instinct rather than a trained skill. That scared him more now than it had then. If she was that powerful then, I cannot even imagine how powerful she is now after eighteen years, four of which she had been training with a Jedi master. I must be extremely cautious next time I fight her. He thought.

With the supplies in hand, he moved slowly back to his quarters. When he arrived, he locked the door behind him. His men should not be stupid enough to enter without permission, but in that instance that they do, he would not be forgiving. Right now though, he just needed to have some privacy. Many of the other Inquisitors did not have a problem if someone saw them using the Force. In fact, they often would flaunt their powers. Rowahn was different. He didn’t know why, but he did not feel right about using in the open, unless it was in training, or in battle. Meditation was something that he did alone. Always. Maybe it was because he did not think any of the other Inquisitors meditated, or maybe it was because he did not like others seeing him in his most vulnerable state. Whatever the reason, it was something he did alone. Before he started, he removed the original bandage, applied some healing salve, and applied a new bandage. He did not like to use anything but his natural healing ability and the Force to help him to heal, but sometimes he needed to. He preferred to let the pain into his body, fueling his rage, and giving him more focus. So that is what he did. As he sat, he slowly began to meditate. He could feel his thoughts and emotions, they sounded almost . . . happy? No, that wasn’t right, but they definitely were not full of rage, and anger like they were supposed to be. As he meditated, he slowly beat what he could only describe as a song back into submission. This “song” was something only he could hear it seemed, but he could tell it was not from the Dark Side. Something more natural, more balanced than the Light or the Dark. More Light for sure, but definitely something in between. If he went too long without beating it back into a successive beat like a loud drum, it would slowly start to change, both itself and himself. The song became more like a symphony where many instruments worked together to make something beautiful, and he became more in tune with the Force it seemed. Almost as if there was something about it that was perfect. A conductor or . . . Maker, almost. Rowahn could feel it, and he did not like it. It was not the way of the Sith. Not the way he had been trained. He had been trained to be brutal. To let nothing stand in his way. To overcome. But this song was weird. It wanted him to be kind and patient, yet at the same time, hard and confident. Not calloused, just firm and in control.  He needed to be in control, but not this way. He had to be powerful, strong, unforgiving. He had to be like Vader. And this song, it was nothing like Vader. Or the Emperor. Vader had promised that he would never know pain again, and the only way to do that was by being like him. Unmerciful, unforgiving. Nothing could hurt you if you did not have something you cared about. Caring was for the weak, and Rowahn was not weak. He had established that in less than a week once his training had started. Many feared him, and those that didn’t, well, they either learned to, or died.
   
Suddenly, his comlink sounded, awaking him from his meditation. “Sir,” came the voice of the pilot, “we have picked up her trail. It seems that she is heading towards a small system with a single planet.”

“Very good.” Came Rowahn’s reply. “What system is it?”

After a brief pause, the comlink sounded again. “The Octonotil system sir.”

“Set a course for the Octonotil system then. Alert me upon arrival.”

With that, Rowahn returned back to his meditation. The Octonotil system? It is not one I am familiar with. The thoughts came unbidden to his brain. I seem to remember hearing about it once. A small planet but with two stars. Barely habitable if I remember correctly. It is mostly stone and covered in volcanoes. Why Jord would go there, I am not sure. Wait. When I ran into her all those years ago her master had been talking to another Jedi about this planet. That is why I know these random facts about it. Jord must have set up an equipment cache or safe-house because of the location, and anonymity after the Purge. His song began to play faster as if agreeing with him. But he quickly returned to his suppressing of it. He could not allow the unknown to guide him. He had to go by hard facts. And the facts showed Jord heading for Octonotil. If that were the case, then that is where he would go. He had to accomplish his mission. He could not fail again. If he did, who knew what would happen to him. He might never become Vader’s apprentice, and he might never become a Sith Lord. That is not something he could live with. So he continued to crush the Force. Beating it onto submission so hard he hoped that it would not bother to try and bring him back to the light. He had to win. He had to.

Yes! He's back!  I particularly like your story TR as the perspective is the MAIN character's path from Light->Dark and the conflict within.  The suppression of the "song" is the perfect metaphor (honestly, I wish that I had thought of that; such a poignant narrative device my friend; again, kudos to you and Karm  :D). 
I'm really interested in Jord. She seems the counterbalance to Rowahn/TR...or perhaps a mirror of his Light side self. Again, excellent set up for the emerging pathos  ;).

Another part I really like is the inner dialogue and Rowahn's self-doubt; you've set up the perfect dichotomy: a Sith vacillating from rage to harmony.  Brilliant my friend! I can't wait to see what awaits on Octonotil  ;)

Until next installment friends  :)

Oh, nicely done!  Teagin, I love the way you're weaving the song into your view, particularly the conflict our Inquisitor feels when he hears it.  I had considered treading a similar path, but I am going to leave you with this one.  :-)  I am also looking forward to what awaits our dark friend on Octonotil.  There is obviously more coming for Rowahn ... and Jord.  And where better for a Jedi and a Darth to confront each other than a rocky, volcanic planet, eh?  ;-)

I am also intrigued that he hears the song when he is calm and at rest...  And healing.  Perhaps that's the REAL reason he hides these moments?  In his "dark" state he perceives them as weakness or corruption of his Sith training, but deep down...   Yeah.   "I feel the conflict within you.   Let go of your hate!"  ;-) 

Keep it up!  Your style, as well as that of Dutchman (who's story I am also enjoying greatly!) are different and the contrasts are fun and refreshing.  Thank you for sharing!  I look forward to the next chapter, my friend!

Thank you guys. Your praise is really what keeps me going. There are more surprises yet to come, so stay tuned. I love how you can see exactly what I am trying to portray. That either means that I am writing it well, or else you can read between the lines very well. I'm guessing it is the latter, but thanks anyways. Jord has been a fun character to develop. I had no idea what I was going to do for her at first. Then in that first chapter she just kind of came out. Personally I love that she owned him, and now Rowahn is scared of her. Makes it interesting for me to write. Anyways, thanks again guys.

I like the conversation with the Grand Inquisitor, reminds me of KOTOR 2, the Exile leaves Atris alive with the Sith Holocrons, noting as she leaves - "They are Sith, and Sith do not tolerate failure"

There is an interesting irony at play in your description of the suppression of the song.  It seems that this song is emanating from his emotions (albeit positive ones) and he's using logic, task focused thinking to supress it.  The irony I see is that is almost the opposite of the characteristic Sith view point, they typically embrace their emotions far more than Jedi, he's also shutting off a potential path to more power, again not Sith like behaviour.  My understanding is a true Sith could care less whether they draw power from the light or dark side so long as it achieves their goals - The Force shall free me, not the dark side or light side, the force as a whole.  Anyway I'm interested to see how that plays out in future chapters.   

I see what you mean, and honestly, I don't know how intentional it was. I feel like Rowahn has a "flawed" view of the Sith, in that they don't welcome or use "good" emotions, only ones like Rage, Fear, Anger, etc.. I am hoping I can successfully incorporate that into the story a little more as I go.

I think it was intentional as that is essential what these inquisitors are, they are not intended by their ultimate master Palpatine to be true sith, they're like Maul was to Palpatine in the Darth Plaegus novel, just disposable tools, there's no intention to give them a true course in Sith Philosophy, they are just given a crash course in the fastest ways to make them useful tools - rage, hate, ruthlessness. To that extent I think you've done really well capturing that side of them through your protagonist, so its intentional to the extent it is an accurate reflection of what the character is about.

I know I totally get too much into characters heads, anyway keep it up!

What he said!  :-)  Excellent analysis and whether it was planning or instinct I agree that it is spot-on.  These guys are like droids to Palpatine.  They get what they need to do their programmed function and then they're discarded. 

While I'm not great at looking into characters heads, I like doing it too. ;)


Thanks both of you. It has been fun so far, and part of that is because I get to study SW. But I couldn't do it without you guys.

After meditation for a while more, Rowahn arose. They still had at least a few hours before they reached the planet, so Rowahn decided to practice. He would need his skills to be at their peak if he were to defeat Jord this time. Arriving at the simulation room, Rowahn removes his saber. His decides to work with that in a little while. Right now, he just needs to hit something. Every time he fights, he sets the simulation to Realistic. This means that it will watch and analyze Rowahn as he fights, learning how to better defeat him, which in turn causes Rowahn to get better himself. As always, it starts out fairly easily with a couple of “mercenaries”. As the battle begins, Rowahn easily defeats the first wave without even thinking about using the Force. As the waves become progressively harder, Rowahn is forced to rely on every ounce of training he has ever had. Still, he does not use his saber. It feels good to completely destroy all opposition with nothing but his fists and the Force. Adding his saber into the mix would only make the battles easier. Once the battle becomes him against about fifteen highly trained mercenaries who actually “know” how to fight, and fight well, Rowahn finally starts to feel challenged. Still he cannot be defeated. The Empire has trained him better than anything else possibly could have, not to mention his years of tracking down surviving Jedi for their sabers. Finally after about an hour, he decides to pick up his saber. Using a setting that was built specifically for him, he faces off first against Inquisitors, Jedi, and finally Vader himself. Rarely does he even make it to the Vader simulation, and those few times he does, he is quickly defeated. This time however, he lasts about seven and a half minutes before losing the battle. A significant amount of time for sure. Especially to his previous best of three minutes. That’s good, he thinks as he wipes the sweat off his face. Means I’m at least able to anticipate the strikes before they happen. I still don’t know how Jord defeated me so easily.
   
Just then, his comlink beeps. “Sir, we are just coming out of hyperspace. We will be arriving shortly.”
   
“Good, I’ll be with you in a moment.” Rowahn says as he places his saber on his back once more, and walks out of the room.

---

As the ramp slowly opens, and Rowahn walks out of the landing shuttle, he signals to his men to begin searching for Jord. He knows she can’t be too far away, because her ship was spotted about 2 clicks southeast of their position. “She probably already knows we are here, so be sure to alert me as soon as she is spotted.” He says to one group. He turns to another and begins speaking, “Go to her ship and secure it. Make sure she has no means of escape. If there is anyone else around, kill them.” As the two groups move off to their separate duties, Rowahn takes his first scans of the area. It is indeed what he thought. Rocky, and volcanic. There does not seem to be many volcanoes in around him for a ways, but there are quite a few tall spikes of stone. Not mountains really, just random spires sticking into the sky. While they are odd looking, they do look natural, and are definitely interesting. He thinks. I wonder if anything lives on or around them. The nearest one is about one-hundred and fifty meters away, so Rowahn begins walking towards it while he waits for a report back from his men.
   
As he nears the base of the spire, he begins to notice small holes in the side of the colossal spikes. Almost like caves, but far too small for humans. He decides to stop, and see if something will come out. After removing his helmet, and waiting for about two and a half minutes, a small birdlike creature cautiously to the mouth of the whole and after a second begins pecking around. That’s weird, it looks and acts like a bird, but it uses its wings as a second pair of legs. Rowahn observed. I wonder if it can actually fly, or if the wings are too small or too weak. Just then, the creature made a sound strange sound similar to a Wookiee cry, but much more gentle and loving. After a series of chirps reminding him of a mixture between an astromech droid and a Wookiee, the creature flew off at a surprisingly fast rate. No idea what kind of creature that was, he thought. But I could feel the Force in it. A beautiful song flowed and twisted around it, and not just when it sang. It was indeed something unique. As he listened, he heard more of the creatures all around him. Their songs blending together in perfectly harmony. As the strain ended, he looked up, and saw a flock of them flying overhead. The presence of the Force was so strong within them that he felt he could almost see it, as well as hear it. And as they flew, they circled and spiraled around as if following the shape of the song. Absolutely beautiful. They need a name. But before he could think of one his comlink beeped.
   
“Inquisitor, the target has been sighted. Sending the location now.”
   
“Very good Sergeant. I’m on my way. Has her ship been secured?” Rowahn asks.
   
“Yes, we just got the alert that there was no sign of anyone else, and the team has the ship secure. She will not escape that way.” Came the Sergeant’s reply.
   
As Rowahn put his helmet back on, and began to move in the direction that Jord was, he sent one more quick reply. “She is closer to my position than expected. Hold you fire for the time being. I don’t think she will run.”
   
With that, Rowahn took off running. As he came over a rise, he saw her. She was just sitting there, meditating. Meditating and waiting for Rowahn to arrive, so he slowed his pace down to a walk. He could see his men encircling her, he couldn’t see their faces through their helmets, but he could sense their apprehension. That mixed with curiosity as to why he wasn’t already fighting her. Let them watch and wonder. He thought. It’ll be good for them to see how truly powerful I am. As he approached Jord, she spoke. Without looking up she said “You’ve been watching the Synyps haven’t you.”
   
“Yes. Synyps. So that’s what they are called. It fits them. A name implying a strong connection to the Force and an ability to weave the different threads into something beautiful, but in one without actual access to it. Tell me, did you name them?” His questions was one of both interest and intrigue.
   
“Partly. Before order 66. . . Before the Empire. My master and I came here on a mission from the Council. They had heard reports of strange creatures similar to birds, but completely different. We were sent here to observe the creatures, and search through the library databanks for any reference to them. It seems they were unknown, because they were completely undocumented. When we arrived we found them, and as I watched them, I felt as though they were singing to me through the Force. My master said that wasn’t possible. That the Force doesn’t work that way, but I could also almost see the Force around them. Once again, my Master said I was wrong, but I persisted. Finally she gave in, just so we could finish documenting them by giving them a name. I was young, and knew little of the Force, so when I described the flowing patterns around them, and how they seemed to know the Force, she recommended Synyps. I knew it was right the as soon as I heard it.” She finished.
   
“How did you know I was watching them?” Rowahn asked, once again intrigued.
   
“That was easy”, she said. “The Force has begins to swirl in similar patterns around someone who has been near a Synyp. It was just a matter of listening to, and feeling the Force as you came near.” Finally she looked up, and stood. “I knew it would bother you if you did not know about the Synyps, which is why I waited for you. I could’ve been long gone.”
   
“You’re not wrong.” Rowahn replied, “but any chance you had of escape is now gone as well.” While they had been talking, Rowahn had removed his saber pike from his back, and now activated it. As the blade sprang to life with a whoosh, Rowahn moved into a ready position, much like the one he had started with in their first fight. “T’Risha Jord, you are under arrest in the name of the Galactic Empire, and the Emperor. Surrender now, or your life is forfeit.” He said.
   
“I will not surrender to a man who has denied himself, and become someone he is not.” Jord said as she activated her emerald green saber. As she raised her blade into a ready position she continued, “Turn back to the light. It is not too late, but if you don’t do it now, you may never have another chance.”
   
“I don’t need a chance. I have seen the light, and know that the Jedi are wrong. Lord Vader himself showed me the truth.” With that, he struck. Swinging his blade in an overhead arc, and bringing it down at Jord’s left shoulder. Jord leapt backwards, using the Force to lend her speed and agility. As Rowahn’s blade passed harmlessly in front of T’Risha, she attacked. Her saber was already it an adequate position for striking at Rowahn’s head, and since he had swung his saber so far out, he did not have time to bring his saber back to block the blow. Instead, he raised his arm and took the strike on his forearm. I love this cortosis clothing. Rowahn thought, as he looked watched the surprised look of Jord’s face. He only been to Prakith once, and the only clothing they had available for him at the time was a pair of gloves, and a jacket. Still, they had been useful. He had always meant to go back, but he’d been too busy. As the battle continued, he could feel a bruise coming on where he blocked Jord’s saber. Luckily, it wasn’t anything major, and he would deal with it later. Right now he needed to focus on the battle at hand. Jord had beaten him once, and he could not let that happen again.
   
As Rowahn brought his saber over to his side to block an attack, he watched. Desperately looking for an opening to finish Jord, and end the battle. She was too good. Too fast. Every time he thought he had an opening, T’Risha would twist her body, or twirl her saber in a way that would just block the opening. Soon, he could feel himself start to sweat. His helmet once again trapping the heat. It was one of the major annoyances of his clothing. It did not breathe well. Rowahn spun, and blocked an attack behind his back, finishing the twirl with a strike at Jord’s side. She, of course, blocked it, but it gave Rowahn the opportunity he was hoping for. Before she could react, Rowahn kicked her in the stomach. The kick knocked her of balance, but she recovered before Rowahn could make a move. They were now about six feet away from each other, so they began to circle. Rowahn was not a fan of this waiting, but he needed the chance to study Jord again, and see how she would react. But she did not react. Instead, she did what every fighter is trained to do. Instead of reacting, she acted. Levitating some of the stones around her, she slowly moved forward. The debris was now circling her slowly like a tornado, and easily gave her a good foot of space that Rowahn could not penetrate. As she began to close in, she started launching the rock at Rowahn. Some of it he was able to push away with the Force, and some he could block, or destroy with his saber, but it was not enough.
   
Soon Rowahn was backing away from Jord, trying to stay out of the reach of her whirlwind. However, he knew he could not keep it up forever, so he reached out his hand, and summoned a blast of Force energy. Throwing it directly at Jord, and scattering the debris. He had not expected it to throw up as much dust as it did, momentarily blinding him. He could not see the Jord, until her green blade came flashing down through the dust. Raising his saber, he managed to block the strike, but the force of it knocked him to the ground. Suddenly he went flying backwards. The dust had settled enough that he could see Jord, but he hadn’t seen her push him backwards. Before he could recover from the fall, and the push, Jord took off running in the direction of her ship. Immediately the Stormtroopers began firing, but to little avail. Any bolts that came near Jord, she easily deflected as she ran. As she neared the line of troopers encircling them, she blasted them out of the way without even a wave of her hand.
   
Once she arrived at her ship, she quickly dispatched the five troopers, and took off. Before she was even out of the atmosphere, she went to lightspeed. Apparently she did not want to be shot out of the air. Rowahn turned to the Sergeant and asked, “Is the tracker active?”
   
“Yes sir,” Came the reply. “But we won’t be able to know where she is heading until she comes out of hyperspace. Once that happens, we will be able to follow her wherever she goes.”
   
“Alright. We need to get back to the ship. I must make my report.” Rowahn stated as they began to walk back towards the ship.

---

   
“You failed again!” Came the Grand Inquisitor’s voice over the hologram. “I believe that I told you to capture her, or else you would be recalled, and face the consequences. We have made contact with Ti-Rell, and your pursuit is being terminated. Lord Vader has ordered you to return. Caedon Ti-Rell will take it from here.”
   
“Yes Inquisitor. Inform the Lord Vader of my return. I will be there as soon as I can.” Rowahn replied with a scowl, making it well known that he did not like this arrangement. However, he could not disobey a direct order from Lord Vader, or the Emperor. With that, the holoprojector blinked off, and Rowahn removed his helmet, and sat down. This mission hadn’t gone right since the day it began. In the last two weeks, he had fought Jord twice, and lost miserably both times. He had to know what gave her such a big advantage, and how she defeated him so easily each time.
   
Replacing his helmet upon his head, he walked out of his quarters to inform the pilot of their change in course.

YES!!  Glad to see Rowahn/TR back in action!  Speaking of: I kept having to slow my reading instead of hurrying to see what happened next; THAT my friend is GOOD writing  :). As is the dichotomy of Rowahn's actions: he appreciation for the birds (I LIKE their name: synyps; did you come up with that or is it canon?  Either way: excellent detail!).  It's subtle: Rowahn's inner conflict; I like that you give him development so he's not a clichéd "fallen hero."  Instead, one can see that his commitment to capturing Jord is real...but what will happen after?  Again, subtle  ;)

I have to say (and not to digress), you write fight sequences with incredible and vivid imagery: I feel there as Rowahn squares off with Jord.  And excellent job writing Jord; she's an opponent who is both powerful and competent without feeling like a "God Mode Sue". Instead, she's nuanced and, if not necessarily fearful, then understandably cautious.

The training scene: I really enjoyed this; gives a barometer of just how good (bad?  ;)) Rowahn's become!  I really loved how Rogue1 portrayed Vader: as a nigh-unstoppable force, as an implacable entity.  Your " fight" with Simulation Vader perfectly illustrates that!  I like that Rowahn is still pushing himself to progress.  Again: subtle foreshadowing  :)

My ONLY problem is: now I REALLY can't wait to read the next chapter!  ;D

Until next installment friends  :)

Thanks TD. As far as I know, Synyps are completely my own. If they are Canon, well that's great, but it wasn't intentional. Admittedly, I did get some inspiration from them form the Porgs. ::) Anyways, thanks for reading, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Did you catch my slight reference to your cortosis plant?

Matter of fact: I did  ;). Little Easter eggs like that make me smile  :D. Thanks  8)

I have to echo Dutchman's comments.  I really liked the training scene, it gives a good look into where Rowahn's values are at, and how compromised his sense of right vs wrong has become due to his exposure to the Dark Side.  I was disappointed to see him pulled off the pursuit, however.  Just when you do something right...  ;-)

I am very much looking forward to reading more!  Since I suspect that our friend eventually turns, and that Jord has something to do with that, I find myself dwelling on their interactions.  She is impressing me as a patient teacher slowly bringing her student to that "teachable moment".  :-)

Looking forward to more, my friend!

Imperials really need to work on disabling ships...refer Empire Strikes back - "are you sure the Hyper drive on the Millennium Falcon has been disabled"  now this...he's outsmarting himself as much as anything trying to track her and not just having he troops blast her ship to pieces, let alone the pride in taking her on rather than having the troops soften her up first. Combined with a pre fight discussion on the wildlife...he's not towing that Inquisitor line as much as he should be....

Oh, I don't know.  The pride aspect of this reads consistent with those who are Sith or Sith-trained.  Its often a driving force in those who practice Evil as well.  :-)  though I agree with you - she was isolated from her ship, why not just blow the ship as you come in?  Precludes escape.  Then saturation bombard the area she's sitting in.  Especially after your scouts nail down her location.  BOOM.  Dead.  Mission accomplished.

But you don't get the satisfaction of proving you're a better swordsman and more powerful user of the force that way.  LOL

I suspect Vader would have just killed her from orbit.  Probably why he's the Sith Lord...  ;-)

Well don't forget the reason he is on this mission to begin with. It is more than just to kill Jedi. It is also to take their lightsabers. If you bombarded her from orbit, the saber would be destroyed in the process, defeating the purpose of the chase..  ;)

As they dropped out of lightspeed just outside of Byss’ atmosphere, Rowahn was watching from the command room. Byss was a gorgeous planet from space, but Rowahn found that the eerie green glow from the sun once you were on the surface was a bit weird. Many people still did not believe it existed, even though Emperor Palpatine had a huge Imperial citadel on it, and many of the senators and representative from other planets had residencies here. It was not Rowahn’s favorite place in the world, but he had gotten used to it over the past fourteen years. Now that he was here again, he wished he was still on his search, but alas, the Grand Inquisitor Yiaso had recalled him. As the ship made its docking approach in the wing belonging to the Inquisitorious, Rowahn began moving towards the exit. At the docking bay, there were a few Inquisitors and Stormtroopers awaiting his arrival.
   
“High Inquisitor Gaetana. I believed that you were away on a mission to. . . Kewda was it?” Rowahn said as he recognized the highest ranking officer there.
   
“Indeed, but my mission has brought me back here.” She said in reply.

“Are you meeting me here, or do you have another reason for being here?” He asked as they walked down the hallway.
   
“The Grand Inquisitor requested that I escort you to the conference room before I head back to my own operation.” She said in a haughty annoyed voice. “He’s afraid you will not go directly to him.”
   
“That’s not the only thing he is afraid of with me.” Returned Rowahn. “Nor should it be from you.” He turned his head, and stared at her through his helmet. She could not see his face, but she could certainly feel his presence through the Force. They did not speak again, and when they arrived at the conference room, Rowahn entered in, and removed his helmet while the High Inquisitor returned to her own tasks.
   
A moment later the Grand Inquisitor Ja’ce Yiaso and the Dark Lord himself walked into the room.
   
“Inquisitor Rowahn,” Yiaso began. “You have failed in you mission for over two years. Never before have you failed so strongly, or completely. Failure is not a trait of this Empire. We cannot allow warriors of the Empire, and especially of the Inquisitorious to fail. If we allow this attribute to flourish among the Empire’s most elite, most highly trained specialists, what will the galaxy begin to think?”
   
“I have n. . .” Rowahn began before being cut off by the large Zabrak.
   
“You will be given one chance to prove you are worthy of the title of Inquisitor. If you fail again, you will be executed for treason against the Empire.” He said.
   
“Do not fail us again Inquisitor.” Spoke Vader for the first time. “The Emperor has decided to give you one more chance, but only because I spoke of how powerful you are. Yiaso did not want you to have this chance. You owe me your now.”
   
“What is it you want me to do?” Asked Rowahn as the truth began to sink in.
   
“That is for you to decide, but it must be something that will show us where that you are loyal to the Empire, and to the Inquisitorious.” Yiaso said. Just then the door opened, and a tall Pantoran male walked in. “Oh yes. This is Caedon Ti-Rell. He is taking over the hunt for this T’Risha Jord. Your sergeant said that you had planted a tracker on Jord’s ship before you . . . failed to capture her. Ti-Rell would like you to give him the transponder code.”
   
“Of course.” Rowahn replied. As he handed over the code to Rowahn, he quickly memorized it, and then looked up into the gold and black eyes of the man who thought he could defeat Jord. Well, he would see. That is if he found her first.
   
With the exchange complete, Caedon Ti-Rell turned quickly around, and walked back out the door. Rowahn turned back to Vader and Yiaso and asked “Was there anything else?”
   
“No, I believe that is all.” Yiaso replied. So Rowahn picked up his helmet, and simply turned and walked out.
   
Knowing that he would not be allowed to take the ship and crew that he had earlier, and most likely not even a crew at all, he went down to the garage that held the Inquisitors ships. They did not have many one-man Starfighters, and even fewer with hyperdrives, but there were a few of the new TIE Advanced fighters. They were fast, had a hyperdrive, and life support systems in them. That’ll do. Rowahn thought as he looked at the ship.
   
As the bay doors opened, Rowahn lifted the ship into the air, and flew out. He had never flown in this model, so it took some getting used to. However, after a few minutes, he had it figured out, and was soon out of the atmosphere. Once in open space again, Rowahn put the coordinates for the last know location of Jord according to the tracker into the navcomputer, and engaged the hyperdrive. The ship wasn’t spacious, nor extremely comfortable, but it seemed that Jord had come in to the Core worlds rather than stay in the outer rim, which made it a significantly shorter trip for Rowahn. Still, it would be a long trip, and who knows if he would even be able to pick up the trail again.

---

As he dropped out of hyperspace near the last location transmitted by the tracker, Rowahn looked where he was. According to the data, he should be near the planet Twith. He knew little about the planet other than that it had once been constantly at war with another planet, Hyabb. Nothing important had happened there for a very long time. Might be a good place to check out. If I were Jord, thinking to hide from the Empire, Coming straight into the heart of the Empire, would not be something the Empire would expect me to do. But going to a major planet with a large population, and a large Imperial presence would be just plain stupid. But a planet like Twith that has no bearing on the rest of the galaxy, that would be a smart move. He thought.
   
As he moved towards the planet, his sensors started picking up another ship ahead of him. It was a small, heavily modified Pantoran transport shuttle. Caedon. Rowahn thought when he saw the ship. So at least he was in the right place.
   
Rowahn quickly moved his own ship away from Caedon’s, and continued towards the surface of the planet. The planet was basically split in half. One hemisphere was rolling hills, and wide open meadows, while the other was a thick, dark jungle. The both hemispheres were populated, and there were many cities. It was a surprisingly beautiful and natural, yet still civilized planet. It seems the planet had no problem recovering after the war between Hyabb and it ended. It has been a while, but still, it has recovered nicely. He thought as he viewed the planet through the window of the cockpit. As he brought his ship in for a landing, he began scanning for evidence of Jord’s ship. Both with his own scanners, as well as the tracker. It would take a while, and he would most likely have to move his position multiple times, but for now he just got out. Taking a pair of electrobinoculars, he searched his surroundings. He had landed in an open field with nothing around for quite a ways. He slowly began moving away from his ship, and towards the nearest city. They had undoubtedly picked up his ships signature as he came in due to the relative closeness he was to them. The authorities were probably already sending a team out to meet him, and see who he was and what he wanted.
   
He was right. Soon he heard the hum of engines as the speeders came rushing towards him. No matter. He would deal with them. If they got in his way he could always kill them. Rowahn just stood there waiting for them to come to him. When they were a few meters away, they dismounted and readied their weapons.
   
“Who are you?” One of the asked.
   
“I am Darth Rowahn, and I’m here on official business from the Empire.” He said. It was all true, well for the most part. He hadn’t exactly been sent to Twith, but they didn’t need to know that. “I’m looking for a young woman. She’d be about 23. Human, average height. A flighty look, and a light step.”
   
A few men grumbled at this, but they held their piece. “We have seen no one out of the ordinary.” The Twith man said. “We will help the Empire in any way that we can.”
   
“Good. First, there was another ship that arrived a few moments before me. I would like you to get me any information about the ship and crew. Second, I need all the records of ships coming or leaving this area in the last week or so.” Rowahn said.
   
“It may take a little while, but we will see what we can do to accommodate you.” The lead officer said with a bow. “Would you like us to give you a ride back to the city?”
   
“No. But upon arrival find me a landing bay for my ship. One that is out of sight if possible.” He replied. “I fear the ship that came in before me may know I am here.”
   
“It will be done my lord.” The man said as he signaled his men to mount up and return to the city.

YES! 8)

TR, I LOVE the scene at Byss!!  The undercurrent of antagonism between Rowahn and Ja'ce was perfect! I LOVE Rowahn castigating Gaetana and the subtle fear from her (and Ja'ce) knowing that they face a superior opponent  ;). That was SUCH an enjoyable Easter egg to read that; and might I say, you got her arrogance down to a "T" my friend!  Hmmm Caedon is in for a shock, methinks  ;D

Infighting in the Inquisitorious always makes for good tension and you just upped the ante with Vader's presence  ;). And now that he's on Twith, I am really wondering what Rowahn's next step will be  :D

Nice reference to Twith (I had to Wookiepedia it  ;)).  It's details like this that really immerse me in the SW universe.  You know, the narrative that you've created is better than many of the books I've read; that's not hyperbole or embellishment.  These stories (yours, LSG's, Karm's) are that enjoyable!

Until next installment friends  :)

Thanks. I was hoping that you'd like it. Gaetana was kind of hard to write, because I knew she had to stay in character from/for your own story. I used the scene where she was talking to Zearic about him being a puppet kind of as my reference point as to her arrogance, and it seems like it worked. You might be surprised at what I have planned for Caedon. He will be an important character in this story, but you won't really know that much about him.

I tried to write this so that it took place at least 2 days before the scene in your story where it said Vader left 2 days ago. And I think it worked out there as well. I was going to make another reference to the Cortosis plant, but I wasn't sure how well it fit with the rest of the timeline.

Twith. Yes. I originally inteded to use Scipio, but then I saw that it was not in the Core, but the Outer Rim, so that kind of threw me off. I know as much about Twith as Rowahn did before he saw it. Virtually nothing. I Wookieepediad it as well, and there was not info on what it looked like, what kind of people lived there, atmosphere, environment, nothing. So I just made it up. I'm hoping that it works out, but who knows.

I thank you for the support, but I really think you should go back and reread your own story, so that you see how great it actually was.

I just randomly found this thread and have really enjoyed what you’ve wrote so far. Nice work Taegin.

Thanks Calon. You should also check out the threads by TD, Karmack, LSG and HB1. Some great stuff there. Karmack has three so far, starting with "We Are Gray...", then "Hide and Seek", and he is just starting on "Wind Chimes" (they take place in that order). TD's "Tarnished night is very good too. He just finished it up. "Children of the Aether" but LSG is quite a bit different, but still very very good. I haven't yet finished HB1's "Rogue One: Resurrection", but so far it has been good too. Check them out, you will probably enjoy them as well. Thanks again. It's cool to see other people I hang out with (on here) reading my stories and enjoying them.

Nice thing about these places - if there isn't already canon information, you can in fact just make it up.  :-)  I love using places like that when I need freedom to create something new.   And I loved the easter egg!  WOOT!  :-) 

I have to echo Dutchman on the readability and enjoyment of the plotline.  I've read books that were not as well laid out and enjoyable.  To bad its so hard to get SW fiction published.  LOL  They'd go ape over all of these new characters!  But if my daughter ever gets to the point of making an indi film, I know what I'm going to pitch - and where I'm getting my writing teammate!  ;-)

An excellent installment and I am greatly looking forward to more!  :-)

Ok, I’ll check those out too. And await your next instalment.

Thanks. I would love for Rowahn to be canon, though I doubt LucasFilms and Disney would go for it. :'(

I hadn't thought of it in this way, but I actually been giving Easter Eggs to your stories as well. My use of the Force as a "Song" is in it's own way an Easter Egg. So thank you.


Alright. I usually get one up about every week or two.

Welcome Calon!  Enjoy!  We've kicked out a fair bit of writing in the last few weeks.  :-)  Hopefully its worth reading!

Welcome Calon!  Glad to see you here  :)

I completely agree with TR: please check out the other entries^^  The stories and writing are disparate but all are thoroughly enjoyable  :). And, should you feel compelled, you could submit your own unique story  ;)

Thanks guys. I’m not sure if I have the time or the skill to write my own right now. I’m not a bad writer, but I don’t know much about writing books. I’d have no idea where to start and I’d never come up with a good plot.

This story literally came to me when I was out playing with my lightsaber. I had my Dominix V4 coupled to two Yari extensions, and the idea for Rowahn came to me. I have an ending, and know exactly where I am going with the story, but I had absolutely no idea how to get there. I wrote the prologue, and the first chapter, and then I was stuck. I had nothing. At all. Then my sister (who wants to be an author, and has started multiple books) gave me some information on how to get started, and mostly what I got from it was make an outline. I did, and even though I am changing stuff as I go, and studying each thing before I write it, and even though I don't have hardly any time to write, I still know what I am going for, and eventually will get there. Like I said in the first post in this thread, this is the first draft, and things are subject to change, but for now I am working, and hoping that it all works out. Other than the fact that I have read quite a few books, I know next to nothing about writing them, so this is completely new to me. As to where to start, think of a character, and then build an adventure around them. Then, develop that adventure into something grander, and finally, just write it. It doesn't have to be in book form. Karm's first two, and TD's weren't. Even LSG's is not completely chapter by chapter like mine is. If you want to write, do it on you own time, do it in a way that you can, and most importantly, have fun with it. I've seen you write, and I know you aren't a bad writer, so if you want to do it, just do it. However, if you don't want to, and you are content just reading what others have placed before you, that is just fine too. I did not originally intend to post this story here, that just kind of came when I started writing.  

Anyways, that was kind of a bit longer than I had planned. Oh well.  ::)

No no, I appreciate the advice. I may even save it. Thanks.

Calon, TR's advice is pitch-perfect.  And look what he was able to write!  He's produced an excellent narrative that has (and I feel confident in including my fellow writers Karmak and Lord_S_Gray as well as) me wanting to read more  :)

Speaking of Karmack, he got it started.  And every installment that I read, I couldn't wait for more!  Thankfully, he CONTINUED the narrative with his next story!  And then something incredible occurred: LSG submitted his story.  It's different than Karm's, TR's, and mine but by no means should that dissuade you from reading it: LSG's world building is top-notch and fantastic!  All three authors, disparate writing and truly enjoyable reading. 

I say this again, without hyperbole or embellishment: the writing here is better than most of the SW books published.

These three have opened a truly rich and entertaining window into the SW universe with completely unique characters, situations, and settings while flawlessly incorporating canon!  And it is inspiring.  Which brings me to my own writing.  Calon, like you I didn't know where to begin, who to write about, or even have a basic plot; I had only one character and a fascination with Gray Jedi.  So, I visited SWFanon and Wookiepedia and began reading.  Shortly afterwards, I had a beginning and an end, but nothing between.  I developed a mental roadmap with generalized plot points but really no details, not until I started typing each installment.  But I also got A LOT of help from the feedback of Karm, LSG, and TR!  On more than one occasion, I utilized what they had mentioned in a comment and it made my writing AND my story better!  Looking back, I am proud of my writing BUT more importantly because I had GREAT help along the way; I am humbled by my friends and fellow writers who were instrumental in me being able to pursue this passion of writing.

Now, I said ALL of that to say this: if you even THINK that you will enjoy writing about your hobby, respectfully: GO FOR IT!  Honestly, you're in the best of company with these writers and friends^^  Furthermore, it's exciting to have another unique perspective of the SW universe to read!  Frankly, I would invite the entire forum to read these most excellent stories; that's how good they are  :)

I think y'all give me to much credit, but ... thank you. 

Calon: I just wanted to echo these guys.  GO FOR IT!  If nothing else, you're among friends here.  We don't care if you post every day, just toss out what you can when you can.  I think the only thing we'd as is that you finish!  As much as we hate coming to the end of a story, its better than getting 3/4 done and then never getting the end at all!  LOL

But no pressure.  Feel free to read and enjoy what's here now and toss out a comment or two.  If you really want to write ... you won't be able to resist.  EVENTUALLY you'll do it.  LOL

As for my own method...  Its actually pretty haphazard.  I usually have a specific scene in mind that kicks everything off and a general idea of where I want to go.  I've done more work on this last one than the others because ...  well, you'll see.  :-)   But I usually just sit down and write with a general idea of where I want to end up.  Its gotten me into a couple of interesting side-trails, actually.

Anyway, welcome (again) and feel free to jump in!  Even if its just to comment, we love the feedback!  Nothing encourages an author like knowing someone is reading his stuff and liking it!  :-)

*feels head inflating*  Uh oh....  *goes looking for a pin*

You guys are too encouraging. :P   I really appreciate all the advice, thanks. For writing my own, I’ll see what I think of it once I’ve read a bit more of your stuff.

They really are. It is kind of annoying.  :D :D

Lol. That's us alright  ;D

BUT Calon: you really should give it a try  ;)

Do, or do not.  There is no try....  ;-)

   
Rowahn stood looking over the data that the Twith man, who he now knew to be Lieutenant Koln, had provided him. Just like all data sheets, it was incredibly boring, but he could not do anything about that. He was not seeing anything resembling the Sheathepede-class transport that T’Risha flew, but there was a YT-2400 freighter that had landed a ways away from the city.
   
“Why has no one been sent out to see what this ship is doing?” He asked the lieutenant.

“Because that ship landed in an area we cannot get too.” Said the man.
   
“Why not? Surely you have craft that can maneuver around and through the gorges.”
   
“It’s not that my lord. Those are not simply pits and gorges. Nobody is allowed out there.” He replied.
   
“Why not? Aren’t they just old battle scars from you time fighting with Hyabb?”
   
“Heh, no. Those are the wildlands. Nobody goes out there, because nobody ever returns. They are inhabited by gorogs you see. Massive, highly dangerous creatures they are.”
   
“I have heard of them” Rowahn stated. “I didn’t know this was their planet of origin though. Why have you not found a way to deal with these . . . creatures?”
   
“Well, the last time someone tried, about three years ago I believe, they barely made it out alive, and that is only because they had a way to neutralize the beast.” Koln said
   
“Who was this person?” asked Rowahn.
   
“I’m not entirely sure. Someone had paid him to bring a gorog to Cato Neimoidia. I have no idea why.” Came the reply of the Twith man. “All I know is that they did capture one, but I have no information on how or why.”
   
“Do you have any form of a map of any of the territory out there that I may use?”
   
“Yes, we have some holomaps that should help. I do not recommend going out there though. The odds are very high against your survival.” Lieutenant Koln said.
   
“In my experience, odds and luck do not exist. Only training and strength.” Came Rowahns haughty reply “I am done here. Have the landing bay doors open and ready for my departure.”
   
“Yes my lord.” Koln said as he quickly left.

---

Rowahn piloted his ship towards the gorge supposedly concealing Caedon’s ship. Once he was near his location, he carefully set down and exited the ship. Slowly, he began walking towards the coordinates of the Jedi Hunters ship, being to stay out of sight, and not make too much noise. There had to be lookouts around the ship. If not for Rowahn, than definitely for gorogs.
   
After moving for about five minutes, he came over a rise. Quickly stopping and laying down, he felt his heart beat a little faster. A few meters away sat the ship. There was no one in sight, but he could hear work going on inside.
   
I should attack now. He thought as he watched the ship. They are unsuspecting, and will be easily dealt with. As he carefully stood up to begin moving towards the ship, he heard something, or maybe he had felt it. Something was coming. It sounded like two trumpets playing two single notes. Never changing, but ever present. Just a constant hum. Just then, he saw two men hurrying back towards the ship. Quickly going prone again, he watched as the men entered the ship, and it took off.
   
What was that?  He wondered. Just then he heard something else. A stronger, louder sound. Not by any means like what he had just heard. This one was dangerous. Full of fury and rage, but with no constraint. Then he felt it. The ground was trembling. It was coming from the direction of his ship. Then it registered. Gorog! He thought as he stood up, and began running back the way he came. As he ran, he removed his saber from his back. He could move faster with it in hand, and he also needed to be ready if he did not reach his ship in time.
   
As he rounded the final bend before his ship, he saw the beast coming. That thing is huge. He thought as he continued to run. Quickly opening the hatch with the Force, he leaped, and landed inside the cockpit. As fast as he could, he fired up the engines, and lifted off. The gorog had seen him now, and he had to get out fast. However, he had nearly blocked himself in. He could not go up because he was under an overhang. He could go back because of the gorog, and there were walls on either side of him. Of course the only way was forward, but even that was a tight fit. They saw me coming, and those two men were sent to attract a gorog to my position. He thought with annoyance. I should have realized Caedon would know I was following. Because of its size, the Gorog could not keep directly behind him. Even with that one advantage, Rowahn needed to hurry. It took all of his piloting skills to get him to a place where he could fly out of the gorge. As he quickly climbed to the top of the crevice, he checked his scanners. He realized too late that the monster was almost directly above him. As he shot out the opening, a massive hand came flying down at him. Spinning to avoid a head on collision, he thought he made it just out of reach of the thing. He had not been so lucky. As the titan swung its other hand at the ship. He was almost out of range, but not quite. The tip of his gigantic finger smashed into Rowahn’s ship sending him spinning towards the ground. Rowahn managed to keep himself from crashing and killing himself, but the damage done to the ship was considerable.
   
As he hit the ground, he could see that one wing had completely snapped off, while the other was dented and bent. He got the hatch open, and made it out of the ship. However, he was still disorientated from the crash. As his mind began to clear, he realized that he no longer had his saber. He didn’t have time to go back for it though. The gorog was nearly upon him. Quickly surveying his surroundings, he headed off in the opposite direction. He knew he couldn’t outrun the creature for long, but hopefully he could find something useful. He saw the shadow even before he sensed the danger. Force dashing to the side, he barely made it out of the way of the giant monsters hand as it came smashing down. The shock from the impact threw him forwards even more, but he managed to keep his balance, and stay upright when he landed. Quickly turning around and assessing the situation, he took off running back towards the gorog. There was no confusion in the creature, it was not that smart. All he saw was an annoyance that he could eat, and it was coming right towards him.
   
The gorog swept his hand down towards Rowahn, but just at the last moment, Rowahn jumped. Launching himself into the air, and landing on top of the gigantic creature’s hand. Then he proceeded to run up his arm. Once passing the creature’s immense elbow, he dropped to the lower section of his arm, and continued running. The creature’s skin was slick, but there was still enough traction to let Rowahn run. There was nothing the gorog could do other than bellow its rage. That alone was enough to knock Rowahn off though. As he fell towards the ground, the unleashed a massive blast of Force lighting towards the monster. It was something he had been practicing whenever he could train alone, and away from others. He could not really control it, so it just came out in an extremely powerful blast. It did hit the gorog, and even though it did not do hardly any damage, it was enough to slow it down for a few seconds. Just long enough for Rowahn to Force dash back towards his Starfighter. He knew he would never reach the ship before the gorog caught up to him again, let alone get inside and retrieve his saber. So as he approached the ship, he threw as powerful of a Force blast at the cockpit window as he could, creating a hairline fracture on the window. Then used the Force to activate his saber, and pull it to himself through the window. The crack, activated blade, and small diameter of the hilt working together was enough to completely shatter the window, and bring his saber to himself.
   
He quickly turned around, just in time to see the monster swinging both his hands together in a clapping motion, hoping to catch his prey in between. The beast was fast, but with the Force, Rowahn was faster. Leaping over one hand as it came near, and then landing on the other side, with his saber activated. As the two massive hands slammed together, Rowahn was running towards them. Before the gorog could respond, he swung his saber at the beast’s exposed hand, and cut a deep gash in it. As the gorog cried out in pain, he swung his hand back, and swatted Rowahn through the air. The hit itself had not broken any bones, but he was still flying, and falling fast towards the ground. Using the Force to strengthen his bones, he hit the ground. Rowahn groaned inside the small plume of dust that he had just raised. Again, there was no broken bones, just a large bruise. As he staggered to his feet, he realized that he no longer had his saber. Must have flown out of my hand. He thought as he looked around.
   
Searching the ground around him, he found it near the gorog. “Great” he mumbled as he looked at the beast. Slowly moving towards the creature, he took the time to quickly study it and look for any weaknesses it might have. It did not have scales, or any other type of armor other than its thick, leathery skin. For the most part, it was fairly simple. Humanoid except for its unusually short legs, just much, much bigger and uglier. The multiple tusks jutting out around its mouth were not a pleasant sight. He could see no particular strength nor weakness to the thing, he would just have to try multiple things till he got it to work.
   
By the time the gorog had found him again, he was almost close enough to get his lightsaber again. As soon as the beast had spotted him, it had begun to run towards Rowahn. Realizing quickly that he would not have enough time to reach his saber before the monstrosity was upon him, Rowahn called it too him with the Force. The blade was flying towards him fast, and the gorog was getting closer. Then the saber stopped, and Rowahn lurched towards it. It had hit the ankle of the colossus, causing it to freeze in place, and pull Rowahn towards both it and the gorog. Releasing his pull on the saber, Rowahn landed on the ground tumbling. Gaining his feet again quickly, he saw that the gorog was trying to reach for him, and pick him up. Waiting till the last second, Rowahn jumped. Clearing the gorog’s hand, and landing near its foot. Lifting his foot, the creature tried to stomp on Rowahn. With a quick dive roll, he made it out of range just as the foot smashed into the ground. As he rolled, he grabbed his saber, and then leapt up. The tremors from the impact of the gorog’s foot threw Rowahn higher into the sky than he had planned. However, he made the best of it, maneuvering himself so that he landed at about the giant’s, and plunging his saber in up to the emitter. The creature screamed in pain, and anger his palm towards Rowahn, like one would an annoying insect. Before it reached him however, Rowahn jumped up higher, and did it again. He quickly worked his way up the behemoth’s leg, and was soon stabbing his saber in between the ribs of the monster. The damage being caused was not great in comparison to the overall size of the beast, but it was enough to anger the thing.
   
Eventually, after many close calls with the gorog’s hand, he made it to his shoulder, from where he launched himself onto the head of the titan. Plunging his blade in deep, and pulling it backwards. Rowahn wasn’t even sure if his blade would penetrate the bone, but from to reaction the gorog gave him, he figured it must have. The beast shook his head furiously, causing Rowahn to lose his balance, and begin sliding down the monsters face. Carefully, Rowahn used the Force to angle his decent away from the gorog’s mouth, and onto one of its tusks. After a quick slice at the behemoth’s face, the monster began to roar, and stagger back away from the blow. The sudden movement and small diameter of the platform caused Rowahn to rock back and forth trying to regain his balance. When the rocking finally subsided enough for Rowahn to make a plan, he quickly saw how he could defeat the beast. He immediately jumped to another tusk, and as he flew, swung his saber in a crimson arc, slicing the tusk he had just been standing on off. Then, jumping back onto the head of the gorog, he threw his saber, cutting off another tusk. Once his saber was back in his hand, he slammed the pommel into the hole he had made earlier to provide him with support. Picking up the two fallen tusks off the ground with the Force, Rowahn raised them up in front of the massive head, and before the creature could swat them out of the air, Rowahn pulled the tusks into the two ebony black eyes of the gorog with all the strength and Force he could muster. Then, running and jumping off the front of the beast, he spun in midair, and then channeling all his rage, fury, and pain into two incredibly strong Force blasts, mingled with Force lightning, and a cry from the deepest part of the living Force, he hurled them at the tusks now protruding from the gorog’s gruesome face, lodging them even deeper into the giant’s eye sockets, and brain. The lightning frying organ and system in its body. As he fell to the ground, Rowahn maneuvered his body so that he could land and quickly roll out of the way of the falling colossus. The beasts teetered for a long moment, and then slowly began to fall. The sound of the wind rushing around the gorog’s body as he fell, and then the crash as his body connected with the earth was deafening.
   
It was dead. He, Darth Rowahn of the Inquisitorius, and apprentice to Darth Vader had defeated one of the most powerful creatures in the entire galaxy. As he walked towards the gorog to retrieve his saber still stuck inside the massive beasts head, he could feel the fatigue coming on. He needed to get back to his ship, and to the city if he could. He needed to rest, heal and meditate. For as he was fighting, he could feel and sense the Force much stronger than he ever had before. He had been hearing that strange song, but this time it was full of energy and anticipation as if it were some sort of song specifically for fighting. A battle song. While the power it had given him was enticing, he knew that it was the same type of thing he heard and felt whenever he was around Jord, and that was something he could not allow to flourish inside of himself.
   
Tugging the saber out, he used it as a crutch to support his increasingly tiring body, then stood back and surveyed his work. He had done well. This was no simple vorynx, this was something else entirely. Something bigger, and far deadlier. And he had killed it.
   
It was time for him to head back. He could feel the pain growing unbearable. Reaching inside himself, he felt for the Force. He needed it to dampen the pain, and strengthen his limbs. However, no matter how hard he searched. He could not find it. The Force was gone. He had used up every ounce of power he had trying to defeat this monstrosity, and now he had nothing left to pull from. Even the land around him felt empty of everything. He could still feel the presence of the Force, but there was no way for him to access it. It was as if he had a reserve of power inside of him, and once it was used up, there was no more. As he struggled to wrap his mind around this thought, he slowly drifted into unconsciousness. Everything went black.

Sorry it took so long for me to get this one up. I meant to have it up Sunday, but I didn't have a chance to finish writing it. Hope you enjoyed it.

Wow, his ... batteries died?  HE'S THE ENERGIZER BUNNY!  I KNEW IT!  SITH BUNNY FROM... 

Ahem.  Yeah.  Sorry....

Seriously, intense scene.  This guy has a real issue with being the biggest and baddest dude around.  Looks like it is going to cost him this time.  :-)  And the song is there... And he refuses it, because SHE apparently uses it.  LOL
Serious ego problem!  Again, costly...

Can't wait for more!  Keep going!  :-)

He's back!

I never knew that a gorog existed (in the SW universe  ;)) but when I looked it up on Wookiepedia...that is one savage beast!  Speaks volumes that Rowahn was able to kill it.  However, I like that even in doing so, the endeavor exhausted him.  But now he's in hostile territory, surrounded by wildlife wanting to kill him, and a powerful adversary.  Oh, and his ship is so much scrap  ::)

And that was one intense battle!  The imperfect use of Force-Lightning brings up a point: knowing Palpatine and Vader like we do, we know that they keep the most powerful weapons in their personal arsenal to themselves.  It would figure that someone basically teaching themselves would have a bit of trouble with precision and fine tuning.  Reminds me of the "Strong but unskilled" trope...well, for the Force-Lightning that is  ;). Can't wait for the next chapter!

Until next installment friends  :)

I can only echo what Karmack and Dutchman have said, brutal combat and what a finish...it own tusks into its eyes...and great ending, he really pulled out everything he had to win that fight, and now has nothing left...such intense use of the force in such a small period of time in most of the EU seems to have two effect, into he short term it leaves them utterly drained, but when they recover they tend to be able to handle it better and go even further...its like a muscle for such intense use you should build up your strength/tolerance over time, otherwise if you push too hard it will break just like Rowahn has just found out. 

I wonder though, if someone were to find him now who would he be safer with, Jord, or Caedon?

*whispers* Caedon....  ;-)

Thanks guys. I wasn't sure how you'd take this entry. It is a little different, but worked out way better than I had originally planned (for Caedon to disable the ship, and that's all. So much better getting smashed by a gorog.). Then I started thinking about Force Unleashed II, and I remembered fighting the Gorog in there. Looking at Wookieepedia, I saw that their origin planet was unknown, so I figured hey, why not, I already did a lot of other stuff with Twith, so why not just add one more thing. I am still trying to decide it Hyabb sent them there as war machines during the war between them, or if Twith sent them to Hyabb. Anyways, that is just a tangent for me to explore sometime.


A good question, but the answer is definitely not Caedon. He'd kill him in a heartbeat, then pretend he had never been alive. But Jord is a Jedi (of sorts). They (generally) don't kill unless they have too. Whether or not she would help him heal, I'm not sure, but she definitely would not kill him.

You guys have given me an idea for a possible interlude. Might have to explore it, though I don't know how well it would work. The more I think about it, the more I think it would work. I guess I may have to work on that next. We'll see.

Again, thanks for the comments. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

EDIT: Did any of you catch my attempt at a nod to Obi-Wan in ANH, or did I completely fail with it?

It was dark. No light could be seen. All Rowahn could think of was how blind and vulnerable he is. As he waded through the murky blackness, he could felt as though he himself was starting to fade. To turn into the black nothingness that surrounded him. Then he saw it. A brightly lit corridor, clean, and beautiful. Absolutely pristine in every way shape and form. The massive pillars, the brown and purple carpet, even the men and women of many different races that walked the hall. Their robes flapping behind them as they walked, their conversations about training and control. Every one of the many young children were well behaved, and everyone seemed to be kind. He recognized some of them. Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker. Luminara Unduli and her padawan Barris Offee. Depa Billaba and her apprentice Caleb Dume. Dume was one of the few people to ever think to include him. He was always nice to him, even with the age difference between them. This was how he remembered it. The Jedi Temple. That was before the Clone Wars. Before Order 66. Before the men and women who were once peace keepers became something else. It was a time when he was weak. A time when he could feel pain. A time before the Empire.

Those days where gone. As was the memory. Once again in the deep blackness, he wandered. Looking around, he once again saw a light, though this time it was not the halls of the Jedi Temple. It was a planet. Why it was lit he couldn’t say, because though he knew there was life on the surface, there was no star to be seen. As he watched, the planet began to move. Not as a normal planet would, orbiting around a star, but in a straight line. Off into space. It wasn’t getting any further away from him though, so he decided to get a closer look. Swimming freely through the darkness now, he quickly came into easy view of the surface. Beams of like dancing around. Blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, pink, and even a few red. He instantly knew what they were. Lightsabers. These were no Jedi, but neither were they Sith. They were something else, something in the middle. As he watched, he saw that they were not fighting, they were practicing. It was beautiful to watch them practice. Some, he saw, acted like water. Always on the move, yet nothing ever happening, until they built themselves up enough, and crashed like a wave into a beach. Others would summon flames through the Force, and they acted just like the flame. Dancing playfully around, all the while wheedling away at their opponent until they were entirely consumed. He could here strange music, but it was not audible. Not even music really. He did not know what it was, but he had heard it before. Heard it recently, felt it recently. He wanted to see more of these people, but before long, this vision too faded, and the darkness returned.
   
Once more he began to wander. The darkness pressing against him until he thought he could no longer stand it. He was suffocating, there was nothing he could do to bring himself out of it. He was dying, he knew it now. He had spent everything he had to kill that beast, and now there was nothing left. He could feel himself floating now. Just floating, no longer even trying to struggle. He caught random glimpses of people, strong in the Force. A whole society of them, yet their view of the galaxy was disturbed. They only saw themselves as people, no one else mattered, only themselves. Then he saw her. It was a women dressed in red, with fiery red hair. Flawless she seemed to her people, but to him he could see only pain. The vision started to fade, he could hear someone or something around him. No! He thought, I must get back! I must find out what the source of her pain is! She seemed so lonely. All she needed was a friend, someone to stay with her, talk to her. He began to sink back down into the darkness. He was getting closer to her, then she saw him. “No, this is not your place. I must exist here alone. Only one other is allowed, and it is not you. I must wait for him.” That was all she said, but he instantly knew she was right. There was nothing for him there. If he went, he could never come back, and Caedon would win.
   
Caedon would win.
   
Caedon would win.
   
No! He could not let that happen. Jord was a Jedi, and one much too powerful for Caedon to deal with. Even if he could, Rowahn would not let him. Besides that, there was something he needed to know from her. He began to see cracks in the darkness. Everything was leading to a single point, Rowahn touched it, and the darkness shattered. He could see again, he could feel again. All his senses were working, and he could feel a fire within. It was like having a song in his heart. He could hear it clear as day, and he could feel it strengthening his bones. It was power, and it was his. Focusing the Force on the gash on his chest that he could feel was just barely starting to heal, he waited. Waited as the listened to the sounds of healing. Not a song like when he had fought Jord, but still something similar. He did not know what it was, but he saw now that it was nothing to be afraid of.
   
As he slowly began to rise, he looked around him for the first time. Standing off to the side with a blaster pointed at his head was a man. The man was tall, wearing random pieces of armor from various eras and groups. The blaster was something akin to the E-22 double barreled blaster rifle that was most commonly used by the Imperial Shoretroopers.
   
“Hello there!” He said before moving again. “Don’t worry, I won’t try anything.”
   
“Who are you?” The man asked.
   
“No one of consequence.” He said joking smirk on his face. After the man relaxed a little, he spoke again. “My name is Rowahn.”
   
“Ethan Playn.” The man replied. "Sorry about the. . . rude awakening.” He added with a bit of sarcasm in his voice. “I didn’t know who you were, or what you would do when you woke up.”
   
Rowahn started to stand, but grunted, and let himself back down.
   
“The wound on your chest has just barely started to heal. Be careful or you will open it up again.”
   
“Thanks for the advice, but I don’t have time to rest.” Rowahn said as he slowly began to rise again, grimacing at the pain. “Ti-Rell isn’t going to stop and give me time to recov--”
   
“Ti-Rell? Like Caedon Ti-Rell?” The other man interrupted.
   
“Yes. He has contract with the Empire you hunt a young Jedi name T’Risha Jord. He stole the job from me, lured me here, than unleashed a gorog on me.” Rowahn said with disgust. “I’m gonna find him, and when I do, I’m going to kill him.”
   
“So you’re Imperial. I figured you might be after seeing your gear and outfit. What are you, some sort of Special Forces?
   
“Something like that. We are specialized in hunting remaining Jedi, and any other Force wielders who defy the Empire.” He replied. “My ship crashed and is in need of repairs. But I don’t have the mechanical knowledge to work on it myself. You think you could help me back into the city?”
   
“Sure thing. After that though I’m going to go after Caedon for you. You’re not the only one who has a score to settle with him. I haven’t heard a word about him in the past few years, so I gave up following him.” He said, then after a few moments started again. “He killed my sister a few years back. I wasn’t anything more than a simple scholar back then. I was teaching at the University of Bar’leth at the time, and for some reason Caedon killed her. He had no reason, no contract, he just wanted to. I followed him for a while after that, but still never caught up with him. They wouldn’t take me back at the university, so I became a bounty hunter. Nothing else would pay enough for me to live on. Eventually I made enough to get my own ship, but I’ve been searching for traces or rumors of Caedon since. Never found anything until today when you talked about him. I’ll help you get back to the city, but then I’m going after Ti-Rell. Any information you can give me would be appreciated.”
   
“There is not too much I can tell you, other than that he is flying a Corillian YT-2400 light freighter, and has at least two other crew members, probably more. He is following the same person as I am, and using the same tracking beacon. I can get that to you before you leave if you want it.” Rowahn replied after thinking about what this Ethan had said. “I’ll gladly accept your help. I’m going to need a few days to repair my ship and heal.” Then as an afterthought he said “Thank you. I probably would not have made it if it weren’t for you.”
   
“No problem. I wouldn’t have gotten a lead on Ti-Rell if I hadn’t helped, so I should be the one thanking you.” Playn replied. “But enough of this talk, we should probably get you and your ship to the city.”

---

   
It had taken them a while to gather the pieces that were scattered around, but eventually they had most of the salvageable parts, and were headed back to the city. It was a short flight, and they were soon docked. As soon as the pieces of the ship were unloaded, and Rowahn had given Ethan the transponder codes, he had taken off heading in the direction of the planet Belassar. It was another small planet that Rowahn did not know much about, other than it was just off the Namadii Corridor. Jord tracking beacon had been on the planet since Rowahn woke up, and hadn’t moved yet. Assuming that Caedon had followed her there, Playn had left seeking revenge for his sister. While Rowahn wanted to kill Caedon himself, he was okay with Ethan doing it. It would save him time and frustration. He needed to be able to completely focus on Jord. He needed to know what she was doing that made her be able to beat him so easily each time they had fought. It wasn’t that she was a better warrior or Force wielder, she just knew something that he didn’t, and it was that something that was a weakness within himself. He needed to discover what it was so he could be prepared during the next battle.
   
After Ethan had left, Rowahn quickly went and found Lieutenant Koln, telling him to order his best mechanics to get to work putting his ship back together. He needed to leave as soon as possible, but he also needed some rest. While he had been unconscious for nearly a 24 hours, it had not been restful. He hadn’t realized how long he’d be asleep, or how close he’d come to death on multiple occasions until Playn had told him. Playn had asked him how he killed the gorog, but Rowahn had wheedled his way around the question. He did not want Playn to know who or what he really was. It was enough that he knew he was Imperial. The Inquisitors, though they had been sent of multiple missions, were a well-guarded secret of the Empire. He did not want to make Yiaso, Vader and the Emperor even angrier with him by letting the secret about the Inquisitorious out to the rest of the galaxy. So instead he had just lead Ethan to believe that he was some sort of elite Special Forces. Which was true, just not in the way Playn was thinking.
   
After a few hours, Rowahn was awoken by the sound of his comlink. When he answered it, it was Koln saying that his ships repairs were just about finished. They had not been as extensive as they looked, and all they really had to do to get it operational again was install a new hyperdrive, and reattach the wing. These had both taken several hours apiece, but the repairs were nearly complete.
   
“Good, I’ll be down to the landing bay in a few minutes.” Rowahn replied before leaving. On the way to the landing bay he stopped at a fast food diner. He hadn’t eaten since before his fight with the gorog, and it was beginning to catch up to him. The food wasn’t great, but it was better than his standard issued imperial rations.
   
They hyperdrive that had been installed was not as powerful as the original, but it would do for now. As he took off, he checked the beacon from Jord’s ship, noting that it was still on Belassar. Strange. He thought. I’d have thought she would have fled by now if Caedon had caught up to her. Setting the coordinates for the Belassar system, he entered lightspeed.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist those two little references ;D ::).

Hatred makes for unusual allies...interesting to see how Playn fits into the Inquisitors battle in the future.
Interesting comparing this vision to Jorya's witht he night sister in Shadow Etude...this has a darker...sinking feel no doubt as Rowahn is on the edge of death, but similar in that there are echoes of things out in the force that intrude on their dying visions.

The first part was very fun to write. Very different than what I'm used to, (partly because it is so much darker, which in an of itself is different), but also because I've never done a "dream" scene like this. But it also gave me a chance to do a few references to you guys' stories that I don't know how I could have done without it. Maybe now you can see what I meant when I said that you did successfully did something similar in your last interlude to what I was trying to do here. Also glad I got that sinking feeling across. That was a big part of what I was trying to do. Get a bit of a look into what goes on in the head of what is essentially one of the darkest, evilest kind of person in the SW universe. Not quite as twisted as that of maybe Vader or Palpatine, but still one who thinks evil is good. It was different, but I think it was good to tone it down a little, even though there was quite a bit of playfulness when he woke up. I think much of that was due to the fact that he had just survived something most people would not have, and was extremely thankful. It also gives a bit of a segway into the future of SotO.

TR I think that this was your best chapter yet!  You took a chance getting out of your comfort zone with something new...and hit it out of the park!  You really had the duality in Rowahn take the stage: he hears the (S)ong but intentionally ignores it.  That pathos makes GOOD writing!  You really gave us a good look into Rowahn's head.

And I LOVE the references to the Gray Jedi, Zonama Sekot, and especially the Water & Fire Warrior sects!  Sorry, fanboy moment  ;D. Then tying it in to Rebels (Kanen->Caleb) and even Playn's past at Bar'leth; THIS is what makes writing so much fun  :)

And Caedon's a busy guy...I think we'll see more of him...

Keep it up TR!  Great chapter   :D

Until next installment friends  :)

Echoing!  I caught the nod.  :-)  And the rebuttal!  LOL

Nicely written.  "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."  Ethan will be showing up again, I think.  Nice character!  :-)  I am finding that some of the peripheral characters can be the most fun, and occasionally take on a life of their own.

*cough* Coleson *cough*  ;-)

Thanks TD. I tried to use this chapter as a bridge between our multiple stories, more so just as a way to solidify them into one universe than to actually crossover, but it was fun to work out the details of how to fit them in. I really hope I portrayed the two different sect of grays right. I basically just used what I knew of the Water Warriors from Zearic, and put it into the perspective of someone watching with no knowledge of what it was, but the Fire Warriors was different. You hadn't really touched on that much, so I kind of just deducted what they might(?) be like, based on how the WW are like water, so I assumed the FW would be like fire. Anyways, it was fun to do.

I don't know if you all caught it, but in the Interlude, the things that Rowahn was mumbling were all important parts of this in some way or another.

And Bar'leth, all the credit for that goes to TD. I needed a past for Playn, and when TD posted about the University, I knew that it would be perfect, especially seeing that Playn's ship is called the Scholar's Revenge. So thanks for that.


Thanks Karm. I agree. peripheral characters are awesome, because you have so many places you can go with them. Coleson is a great example, as is Boba Fett.

Hey guys, this is my Christmas present to you all.

---

   

As Rowahn came out of hyperspace, he checked again the tracker. It was still on the planet. Over the course of the flight, he had checked it multiple times, and is still said it was in the same place. It had been over three days, and the tracker had not moved off the planet. Something’s not right. I’m sure she knows by now that she is being followed, and even if she doesn’t, there is no way I made it here before Caedon did. She has to be gone by now. Rowahn thought to himself as he surveyed the planet below him. It was a sub-arctic planet covered in thick evergreen forests. There was a stretch of forest that looked to have been bombed fairly recently, all the trees were burnt, and many were laying down or completely destroyed. He didn’t need a large area to land his ship in, so he set it down in a little nook away from the bomb site.
   
As he exited the ship, and began walking towards the site, he noticed other signs of battle. Blaster fire, explosions, and more. It looks like Ethan made it here. I wonder if he succeeded. As he continued to walk, he gradually came to suspect that Playn had failed. He could see visions of battle. Hear the shots being fired, and grenades exploding. Finally he came to the edge of the destroyed swath, and saw a charred body. He instantly knew it was Playn’s.
   
“So Caedon killed him.” He muttered with a shake of his head. Ethan Playn had been a good man. Angry, full of hate, but many were these days.
   
Suddenly he heard some sounds. They sounded like they came from an astromech droid. Spinning around, he saw an R4 unit back in the trees. Quickly moving towards it, he saw that there was a ship in a clearing back behind it a little ways. Soon he was close enough to get a good look at it, and he saw that it was Caedon’s Lancer-Class pursuit craft.
   
Once he caught up to the little droid, he asked, “Were you Ethan’s droid?”
   
The droid beeped his reply.
   
“Yes, I knew Ethan, he helped me recover from my wounds a few days ago.”
   
More beeps and whistles.
   
“Ethan is dead. Can I use his ship?”
   
Angry and annoyed beeps came this time.
   
“No, I didn’t kill Ethan, a bounty hunter named Caedon did. If you allow me to use your ship, you can help me get revenge on him.”
   
The droid seemed to like this idea, and replied in the affirmative.
   
“Good, I have to check something else out first, but you can have the ship ready for me when I get back.” Rowahn said. Once the droid went back into the ship, he returned to his search of Jord’s ship.
   
As he continued in the direction of the tracker’s signal, he slowly began to notice a bit of change in the landscape. Soon it was a very steep incline, and led down into a valley. As soon as he saw this, he knew then exactly what had happened. Caedon had removed the tracker, and thrown it into the valley. Probably replaced it with his own as well. So now Rowahn had no way of following Jord. His anger was growing, but he knew he still needed to remain in control for the moment. Walking around, he soon located the tracker. Caedon was far too good at this game, and he knew exactly how to beat Rowahn. As his anger and frustration began to boil over, he sensed a presence. At first he thought it was Jord, but then he noticed something. There was no song. It was as if they did not know about it, or could not access it. They? How did I know it was a they? Rowahn thought as he stood up. They were coming behind him. He could feel their presence in the Force now. They were powerful, and he was sure they could feel him. They were coming.
   
He heard the whoosh of blades as they activated, and the two people jumped towards him. Waiting till the last second, and then quickly reaching over his shoulder, and grabbed his saber. Snapping the crimson blade into existence, and spun. The blue and silver blades of the large man connected with my own. I could see the surprise in his face as he must have realized I was not who, or what, he thought. Quickly, the smaller women tried to flank me, her purple blade coming towards me at the same time as the man’s two sabers attacked. With a smile on my face invisible because of my mask, I simultaneously blocked both of the man’s blades, and quickly back flipped out of the way of the woman’s saber.
   
Landing on an upturned tree root, Rowahn pulled on the ground. The dirt came flying up into the eyes of the two attackers. Just as I was swinging towards them, the woman recovered, and leapt in front of the man, deflecting my strike as she did so. These two were good, and Rowahn liked a challenge, but he would see just how good they really were. As Rowahn swung his blade in a high arc, coming down towards the small woman, he saw the man reignite his silver blade. The flash of light momentarily distracted him, and allowed for the woman to knock his blade out of the way. Neither of them was close enough to get in under his guard soon enough, but out of seemingly nowhere, a Force blast threw Rowahn back against a tree. As he slumped to the ground, and landed on one knee with his hand placed on the ground for balance, he looked up, and his smile broadened. This was fun. It had been a while since he had faced multiple highly trained Jedi.
   
Before they had even made it up to where he had landed, Rowahn was already recovered, and he could see the uncertainty and disbelief in their faces at his speedy recovery. As they both simultaneously attacked, the large man came barreling towards him, while the woman went off to try and set up a pincer. These two have worked together for a while. Rowahn thought. They are too coordinated not to have.
   
The man attacked fast, but not fast enough. Rowahn quickly blocked them, and then swiftly kicked the woman. It was a surprise more than anything else, and gave Rowahn a chance to move. Spinning his saber to keep both sides protected, Rowahn moved forwards. He could sense the man moving into position to attack again. Rowahn headed deeper into the valley. It would give the man the high ground, but Rowahn liked a challenge. The man attacked again with renewed vigor, but Rowahn blocked all the attacks coming his direction. After blocking a high strike, Rowahn flipped his saber over his back, and brought the blade out in front, thrusting at the man. He avoided it, but it caused him to break off his attack.
   
Rowahn had taken his eye off the women for a split second, and she had managed to get in under his guard. She quickly kneed Rowahn in the ribs, causing him to stumble backwards. Before Rowahn could recover, she once again attacked with her blade. Rowahn barely raised his saber in time to block the woman’s blade. Though he successfully kept it from decapitating him, it did strike his shoulder. The one place that they had not put the cortosis weave, though it was a little bit thicker material. Rowahn felt the pain, but it was so dimmed from the adrenaline coursing through his vanes he barely noticed it.
   
Trying to take advantage of the wound, the man struck out. The three blades spun in beautiful arcs and clashes. Reminds me of a Wookiee Life-Day tree. Rowahn thought as he watched the colors. Every strike Rowahn made, the man parried or blocked. Every strike the man made, Rowahn parried or blocked. There was not flaw in either of their guards. No opening, no way to take the other down without being wounded themselves. The woman was trying to attack again, but Rowahn was smart enough to keep some obstacle between him and either the man or the woman, so they would not have the advantage of numbers.
   
The woman tried to strike, but Rowahn’s blade parried it easily. Using the momentum from the swing, Rowahn reached out, and Force blasted the man a ways away. He didn’t see where he landed, but he knew he would be out of the fight for a little bit. The thought saddened Rowahn a bit, it wasn’t often that someone, or some two rather, could successfully keep him engaged in battle for this long.
   
Rowahn could sense the despair in the woman as she saw the man fly away, but she recovered quickly, and began a fierce attack. She was much better than the man was, and the attack was strong enough to give Rowahn a good challenge. She fought hard, and then with an opening he had not noticed in himself, she lunged. Quickly sidestepping, he parried the blow. However, he realized his mistake too late. There were many things saberpikes were good for, but close range was not one of them.
   
Quickly punching him twice in the stomach, the Force lending strength to her blows, Rowahn bent forwards, causing the woman’s hand to brush his skin. Instantly he could feel memories being pulled to the surface. It was as if she were stealing them from him. Pulling back away from her, Rowahn stumbled back. He could hear her speaking to him, but he couldn’t tell what she was saying. All he could hear was a single word out of everything. “Song”.
   
The song? What about the song? Do others know of it? Can she hear it? Can she sing is? WHAT DOES SHE KNOW? The thoughts echoed through his mind, deafening him to everything else. As he again took a step back, he struggled to clear his mind.
   
“What . . . the . . . Song?” He stammered. Then his mind began to clear. “No. NO!” he shouted.
   
His anger, and hate, and fury, and distrust, and fear, and every other emotion suddenly filling his heart, he attacked. Before he had just been fighting for the challenge, and because it was fun. Now, it was for another reason. His strikes were strength themselves, his swings were almost faster than the eye could perceive, and in his eyes, though unseen through his mask were on fire. The hate, the rage, burning within them. He was unstoppable.
   
Around them the air grew hot, the snow melting where their feet had touched. Swinging wide, his blade grazed her thigh, and her defense began to fail. There was no longer a smile on his face. This battle was no longer something ‘fun’ or ‘challenging’, he no longer had a challenger worthy of his skill. There was nothing that could defeat the berserker now.
   
Stopping now and raising his hands, a flurry of dirt and stones flew towards the woman. Some she knocked away or did little damage, but they were a distraction. Rowahn unleashed a powerful blast of Force lightning towards the blade of his saber, and then slamming the tip of the blade into the ground, he mingled the energy with a powerful Force blast, and released the shockwave outward.
   
The ground around him erupted. The once living plants now dissolved, and the woman was thrown back into the air with such force that when she hit a tree, there were sounds of breaking. Whether it was bones or branches, Rowahn didn’t know, but he didn’t care. Slowly walking towards her slumped body, Rowahn reached out his hand, ready to snap the neck of the woman.
   
Then Rowahn felt it. It was a disturbance in the Force unlike any he had ever felt before. He could almost feel the waves of anger coming off the large man as he wordlessly barreled towards him in an attack. So fierce was his wrath that Rowahn was driven backwards. Within moments, Rowahn could feel his arm burning from where the man had scored a hit, and there was a hole in his helmet where he had nearly taken off Rowahn’s head.
   
The attack had been raging for a while now, never breaking off, and still the brutal strikes struck hard. As their blades connected in a clash, Rowahn found himself staring into the eyes of the man. This is when he realized that he would not defeat this man with anger, for the man’s fury was greater even than his own. While it could be a useful force if controlled, this man did not have the experience or practice channeling his anger, and this made it a weakness. He could see the man struggling under his newfound determination. He was big, bigger by far than Rowahn was, but Rowahn had something the man didn’t. He had the song. Reaching into it, he could feel power coming through it. He could feel it lending strength to his limbs. Soon the man made a mistake. Jumping backwards, he left himself open to a kick from Rowahn. As Rowahn channeled strength and speed into his kick, he let it fly. The kick connected with the man’s hip, causing him to stumble backwards, and his silver saber to fly into the brush.
   
As he took on a defensive stance, Rowahn attacked. The man held his own, but only enough to keep himself from losing any limbs. Slowly, gradually, the man began to accumulate nicks and cuts. Then he seemed to realize something, and jumped in close, once again locking blades with Rowahn. As Rowahn again stared into the man’s eyes, he noticed something. A thin line. He didn’t know what it was, but he followed it down, and then saw that there were others. All leading to a single spot on the man’s cybernetic gauntlet. Letting go of his hilt with one hand, Rowahn reached up and grasped the gauntlet, applying pressure and the Force to the space where the cracks came together. As he did so, the gauntlet crumbled. As soon as it did, Rowahn saw something else. It was as if a memory from the man had come to him. He saw the planet. The one that seemed to fly on its own. He saw the warriors, and he saw a girl. A young togruta, the name flashed into his mind. Jorya! Who was she, and what connection did she have to this man. Looking into the man’s eyes, Rowahn knew then and there that she was something special to him. Then the pieces of hand completely crumbled, and fell to the ground.
   
When the other man saw this, the terror was evident in his eyes. He quickly stepped away, and repositioned himself into a left-hand defensive stance. But as soon as Rowahn attacked, he knew that the battle was almost over. This man was good with his left, but not nearly good enough.
   
Rowahn saw that though the man was concentrating on keeping himself alive, his mind was also elsewhere. And as he watched, he once again saw the man’s anger flare, tears threatened to fall as the man stood there, then he charged. Straight towards Rowahn as fast and hard as he could. He saw the strike coming, and effortlessly knocked it out of the way. Again and again he tried to strike Rowahn, until finally Rowahn parried a strike, and quickly spun, planting the pommel of his lengthy hilt in to stomach of the man. As the man stumbled backwards, two things happened at once. Rowahn quickly lunged at the man, but because of the hastily aimed strike, the blade to almost miss the man, and barely hit him in the eye, while at the same time the man launched a Force attack at Rowahn. One Rowahn had never seen before. It was like a mixture of solid Lighting and Force blast, but had different properties. Once again, cracks appeared in Rowahn’s vision, and out of something akin to instinct, he filled the cracks with the Force. And the attack exploded throwing both Rowahn and the man backwards.
   
After a fairly quick recovery, Rowahn rose walked forward towards the man, it was then that he noticed that the man had been impaled by a branch. However, he didn’t care, he just wanted to know.
   
“Why did you attack me?” his voice sounded weird. Almost as if his breathing filter had been damaged, and was causing his voice to sound more like that of the Dark Lord himself. However, Rowahn was no longer angry. He genuinely wanted to know what reason they had for attacking him.
   
“. . . Thought you . . . were . . . Gaeta . . . someone else.” The man replied in a pained voice.
   
“Gaetana.” Rowahn mumbled quietly. It all made sense now. Gaetana had hired Caedon to set a trap for both these people and himself. She was scared of him, and she knew he could easily take her place as High Inquisitor, making her expendable.
   
As these thoughts went through his head, another one also came. The song.
   
“. . . What, do you know . . . of the . . . Song?” he asked. Than thinking differently, he raised his saberpike over the man’s head. Jorya. He thought. Then standing there for a few moments more, battling within himself as to what to do, he deactivated his saber, turned and began to walk away. Then almost without thinking, he stopped. Turning, Rowahn realized what it was that had cause the man to let loose to his anger, then once again beginning to speak, “. . . I . . . I’m sorry. About your . . . woman. But she’s alive.” Than after a brief pause, he continued. “. . . Tell her . . . that Rowahn sends his apologize . . .” And in a quieter voice, but still loud enough to be heard by the man he added, “. . . and go home to Jorya.”
   
Then turning, Rowahn walked away, back towards Ethan’s ship.
   
Wordlessly, he made his journey, only stopping once to tell the R4 unit to get the ship flying. After making his way to the ships cabin, he flopped down. He needed to think. There had been so much that had just happened. So much that was revealed.

I just wanted to say, TR contacted me awhile ago and had this great idea: disparate POVs from the the same scene.  So after some back-and-forth, we both came up with what follows.  Hope you all enjoy reading as much as it was to write  :).  And special props to TR for suggesting this  ;D

BTW, this takes place immediately after my "Misdirection" Interlude.
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Interlude-Conflagration in the Snow

With the information given to us by Caedon that Gaetana was on Belessar, supposedly looking for a Sith artifact, we’d made the most direct jump there.  And while D’Aylanna and I didn’t trust Caedon, he knew things about Gaetana that most did not.  Still, we also knew that Gaetana was probably expecting us…or at least something.  So, instead of confronting her at the Sith Temple in the Viridias Forest, I had planned to scout out the landscape, looking for the best route.  And my diligence had paid off: D’Aylanna and I had found a part of the woodlands that would work to funnel Gaetana into a shallow-sloped valley with fewer trees and less snowfall.  Well, fewer relative to the rest of the forest.  For the most part, the entire canopy was as dense as ground below.  Still: D’Aylanna and I were able to find an excellent ambush site.

And as the time approached, I went over my mental checklist for the hundredth time.  My lightsaber and shoto were ready, my cortosis glove already on my left hand.  I had been practicing first primarily left-handed saber combat and then Jar’Kai.  I was now as good with both hands as I had been previously with only my right.  I also had several concussive discs in my belt.  This time, I would not fall to Gaetana.  Especially not with D’Aylanna at my side.

Soon, our vigilance was rewarded and we could sense a…dark-side presence.  Even though the underbrush was thick, she had made very little noise.  Interesting.  This…felt…different.  Granted, it had been sometime since I’d last seen Gaetana but… My contemplations were cut short.

Gaetana had stopped.  Peering from my vantage, I could see a tall, cloaked figure all in black, head cocked slightly to the side.  I knew that the time was now.  While Gaetana’s head was turned away, I leapt, surrounding myself in the Force, igniting both of my lightsabers.  Simultaneously, D’Aylanna nimbly somersaulted opposite me, flanking Gaetana, her purple blade springing into existence.

With speed that defied description, Gaetana reached over her shoulder.  But what happened next caused me to pause.  Expecting Gaetana’s signature orange lightsaber, the dark figure instead wielded a red saberpike, black metal extending several feet below where a normal lightsaber hilt would end in a pommel.  It was a large weapon; its presence usually meant one of two things: the user was going to hunt large game or—more likely—the practitioner was a master.

I had my answer as soon as my lightsaber connected with the saberpike blade.  D’Aylanna and I were facing a master.  Thinking I’d see Gaetana’s face looking back at me underneath the black hood, I had my second shock: a black and red mask covered the face of a man.  What the hell…?  I saw that D’Aylanna had the same realization.  Instantly, we both responded accordingly.  

Circling around his flank, D’Aylanna attacked while I went in for a two-bladed assault to distract.  Incredibly, the man not only blocked both of my sabers, but then he backflipped out of D’Aylanna’s strike.  Coming to rest on an upturned ancient tree root, the man called forth a great gust of dirt, momentarily blinding us.

D’Aylanna recovered first, jumping in front of me while I was still trying to clean my eyes.  Her purple blade intercepted the red saberpike just in time.  Falling to the side while D’Aylanna began a ferocious attack, I reignited my shoto.  Looking for any opening to exploit, I saw an opportunity before I could get into saber range.  Instead, I projected a powerful Force Push just as D’Aylanna’s saber knocked the man’s saberpike aside.  Before he could properly defend, my Force Push battered at him, knocking him back against another tree and down to a knee.  Incredibly, he had already recovered as D’Aylanna and I both re-engaged him.  How..?

Using the unspoken rapport that we’d had for years, D’Aylanna and I pressed our attack.  This time I engaged while my wife set up for a pincer.  But even my lightning-quick double attack was parried, setting up the man’s defense against D’Aylanna.  Before she could get into position, he shot a quick kick that halted her.  While it did little damage, it caught her off guard, forcing her to retreat as the man followed up with a spinning defense that covered him on both sides.  But, it did allow me to find a strong position.

As the man had spun out to kick, he’d been slowly heading towards the trough of the forest floor, giving me the high ground.  Using my advantage, I renewed my attack.  After a flurry of swings, first low then high and each one parried, the man responded.  Somehow he was able to riposte from his high parry.  Again, I was forced to break off.  However, D’Aylanna had been busy.  Before the man could recover from his attack at me, she was within close-quarters to him.  Kneeing his ribs, my wife knocked him back.  Simultaneously, she attacked with her blade.  But even as he was reeling from D’Aylanna’s kick, he was able to get his saberpike up, intercepting my wife’s blade.  And while it struck, hitting his shoulder, it did little damage.  Still, I could see that D’Aylanna couldn’t believe it either.  

Trying to take advantage of the man’s pain and—at least I hoped—his preoccupation, I re-engaged him.  Our blades made a flurry of color: blue, red, silver; a plasma cloud that was as beautiful as it was dangerous.  But even as I met him strike for strike, I could not find any hole in his defense.  Worse, he’d been maneuvering deliberately, keeping a tree between himself and either D’Aylanna or myself, mitigating our numerical advantage.  Damn he’s good, I thought.

Then, as his saberpike turned D’Aylanna’s blade away, he used his physical momentum to project a powerful Force Push at me.  Unprepared, it hit me full force, throwing me several meters into the air…and right into the cavernous hole of a taiga cenote.  Landing hard on my back, I momentarily had the wind knocked out of me.  I was out of the fight, at least for a short time.

            <<<<< >>>>>

Seeing her husband fall, D’Aylanna felt her heart in her throat.  Reaching out with the Force, she was able to immediately determine that he was alive, if slightly injured.  She knew that she could not afford any distractions, and D’Aylanna was up to the task.  Switching from Ataru to Juyo, she attacked fiercely.  Even the man in black seemed taken aback, so intense was her assault.  And as she pressed, she saw an opening…but it was risky.  Calculating the risks, she committed.  Lunging forward, her blade targeted the man’s leg.  And a split-second before she impaled it, he parried, knocking both blades wide also causing a shallow cut on D’Aylanna’s arm.  But it was costly…for the man in black.  D’Aylanna was now inside his defenses, the saberpike too long at such close quarters.  She threw two quick strikes with her knuckles, connecting both times, causing the man to bow forward.  And in doing so, his skin touched D’Aylanna’s fingers.

Instantly, her Gift—her curse—took hold of her.  Through the Force, she could see within him the inner conflict.  Fragmented visions flew past, a deluge threatening to overwhelm her.  But, she was a master at Force Precognition.  Compartmentalizing, she was able to scrutinize the individual visions without being distracted.  And she knew that that was the key to this fight: she had to distract the man in black.  Even when her husband was with her, the man was a superior saber practitioner.  What was it that she had seen…music?  No, not music.  A…song?  No, the Song.  She knew what she had to do.

“Why do you reject the Song?  What makes you abjure it?” Her lightsaber was a purple defense against the man’s powerful saberpike strikes.  “I can sense the conflict within you.”  Quickly, she had an insightful thought.  “Do you even know why you fight the Song?”  But even as she asked the questions, she could tell that they hit their target, and hard.  The man stopped momentarily, literally stepping back.

“What…the…Song?”  However even as he spoke, he shook his head.  “No.  NO!”  And with renewed vigor, he attacked.  And if his assault had been assertive before, it was savage now.  D’Aylanna was a master at Juyo but even her defenses were being tested.  Losing ground, she kept retreating before the onslaught of the man’s violent strikes.  Working her saber hard, steam began to rise from her shoulders, the cold of the forest banished with the literal heat of battle.  He was able to score another shallow cut on her thigh but, worse, she knew that her defense was beginning to falter.

Before she could spare another thought concerning her retreat, the man called forth with the Force a gale of stones that struck D’Aylanna.  One cut her chin bad enough that blood ran freely while the others only caused a momentary distraction.  But it was enough for the man in black.  Lightning, bright as a star, began to coalesce around his red blade, flowing downward, arcing with the black metal of his saberpike.  Simultaneously, the man stabbed the tip of his weapon into the forest floor, an enormous shockwave detonating outward in an expansive electric surge, destroying much of the surrounding fauna as well as propelling D’Aylanna into the air.   With a bone-crunching hit, she connected with a tree, sliding down onto the ground unconscious.

Slowly, the man in black walked towards her.  He reached a hand out tentatively towards her…

            <<<<< >>>>>

Shaking my head to clear the cobwebs, I was finally able to stand without any vertigo.  Using a Force technique to augment my injured body, I felt better.  Somewhat.

It took me a few moments to find a solid platform in the cenote.  From there, it still took me two Force Jumps before I was able to escape the cenote.  Quickly regaining my footing, I ignited both of my lightsabers, opening myself to the Force, searching for D’Aylanna.  That way... Running, I closed the distance quickly.

I felt it before I saw anything.  D’Aylanna’s presence in the Force erupted with pain.  Almost hitting me like a physical blow, I staggered.  Panic began to well up.  Run.  RUN!

And as I crested a hill, I saw the man in black towering over D’Aylanna’s prone body, his hand stretched out to her…

And something…snapped.  I saw red; anger, no FURY that I hadn’t felt in awhile washed over me like a collapsing avalanche.  Wordlessly, I attacked.

My offensive was brutal, ferocious.  The man in black lost ground as he retreated before my assault.  Within a minute, I’d scored two hits; one on the back of his forearm and a more serious strike that cut into his helmet, exposing his brown (hazel?) eye.  And still, I attacked.  The fury of my assault was such that I was able to drive him back, the snow on the ground steaming from the heat in the air.

Sadly, heart can only take one so far.  In a battle such as this one, power was the only capital that mattered.  The man in black was able to recover enough that he stalled out my attack.  Once again, we locked blades.  He was slightly taller than me but I outweighed him by almost 40 kilograms.  And he was overpowering me.  Soon, I was forced to jump back.

That was a mistake.  Faster than anyone I’d ever seen, the man’s leg kicked out connecting just above my hip, causing my shoto to go spinning off into the entangled underbrush of the forest floor, lost.  Grabbing my lightsaber with both hands, I fell into a defensive posture as I adopted Soresu.  And it was all that I could do to keep the man’s red blade from striking home.  Time and again I was able to parry…only to realize that he’d found another miniscule opening to exploit.  He was working away at me and in this war of attrition, it would be a death by 1000 cuts.

Breathing heavily, I forced myself into close quarters, locking blades with him.  For a moment, we stared at one another, his brown eye (so close in color to my own…) and my hazel.  Suddenly, with speed born of Force-enhanced reflexes, he grabbed my cybernetic right hand.  And—somehow—his hand clamped down on it, shattering the servos, positronics, and biomechanical components.  

Once again bereft of my right hand, I fell into a left-handed defensive posture, one that I’d been practicing since Gaetana had taken my right hand before.  But I knew that it was a futile attempt.  If I could not best the man in black with all of my faculties about me and D’Aylanna’s help, what chance did I have now?  Thinking about my wife, my anger flared again.  Fighting back tears of loss, I charged.  But even with my rage fueling me, it was only a matter of time.

On one of my passes, the man followed up his parry with a quick, spinning lunge, the butt of his saberpike connecting solidly to my solar plexus.  Using his momentum, his red blade knocked my blue blade low, leaving me substantially open.  I knew that I had a split second.  I called forth Kinetite, hoping to hit my opponent before he could strike.  But he was too quick.

A searing pain drilled into my head as his saberpike stabbed into my left eye, while at the same time I released the Kinetite.  Exploding prematurely, I was thrown back several meters.  Feeling as if I were swimming in mud, I fought to regain my senses.  Looking down, I noticed—with almost detached interest—that I had been impaled by the tree branch that I’d landed on.  Pain was a constant.  But all that really mattered was D’Aylanna.  My Ereneda.  Looking up, I saw the man approach.

“Why did you attack me?”  The man’s voice sounded…off.  Almost as if I was hearing it through a mechanical filter.  The lone brown (…hazel...) eye that I could see was…inquisitive.  Not angry.  Not contemptuous.  Merely curious.

“…Thought you…were…Gaeta…someone else.”  My right eye was able to focus on the man, even if the rest of my body was…distant.  Almost as if it were happening to someone else.

I thought I heard him grimly mutter “Gaetana” under his breath, but I was probably wrong.  Instead, he raised his eyes, saying “…What,” he began, barely audible, “...do you know of the…Song?”

I wasn’t sure if I’d heard correctly.  The…Song?

But even as I contemplated what he’d asked, I could tell that the man had disregarded his own question.  

Standing, the man raised his saberpike, looking like the executioner that I thought him to be.  But as I sat unblinking, impaled upon the branch, he stood, motionless.  And then he did something that I couldn’t believe: he extinguished his saberpike, calmly replacing the weapon in the holster on his back.  His eyes met mine once more, looking as if he was going to speak.  But then his face hardened and he turned to walk away.

Suddenly, slowly, he stopped.  Without facing me, he cocked his head to the side.  “…I…I’m sorry.  About your…woman.  But, she’s alive.”  He paused.  “…Tell her…that Rowahn sends his apologies…”  He was quiet for a length of time.  And just when I thought he was going to walk away, he spoke in a quiet voice, just loud enough for me to hear, “…and go home to Jorya.”  As he walked away, part of my mind thought Jorya?...But…how?

And beyond everything else, the pain, the sorrow, the exhaustion, one item rang through my head like a clarion bell.

ROWAHN.

Great story so far. Keep up the good work. You have me wanting more.

Thanks. You should (if you haven't already) check out some of the other stories here. Karmack, TheDutchman and Lord_S_Gray all have great stories.

Great Stuff Guys! 

TR loved the little Christmas Reference with Wookie Tree Day and the sabre colours, and yikes Rowahn is powerful, integrating a shattepoint like technique whilst also 'siphoning' (for want of a better word) memories of Jorya from Zearic.  And most interesting the distinction between Zearics use of his anger becoming a weakness in the battle but Rowahn who is more used to using such emotions not only sensing this but using his own far better loved this sentence
- "He could see the man struggling under his newfound determination. " so ironic to be so determined yet so unable to use that feeling to do anything effective.

Dutchman good alternate view too...for both of them to get beaten up like that by one man...that gonna dent the pride especially considering one of the opening sentences - "This time, I would not fall to Gaetana.  Especially not with D’Aylanna at my side." umm yeah...a little over confident there...

I think if i were doing it i might have just had one fight scene alternating perspectives paragraph by paragraph rather than a repeat, but yeah good cross over overall in terms of story. 

Yes, you got it LSG!  From the Shatterpoint (which is what Rowahn did) to Zearic's overconfidence to the impotence of his anger, those were key elements that TR and I had incorporated to influence both characters' trajectories.

Special mention: that last bit with Jorya was all TR.  When he wrote that, I knew that he'd hit on a key development for Zearic and just loved it. Again: this fantastic idea was TR's and it was a blast writing it  :D

Thanks LSG. Like TD said, you hit it just right. Originally I had not intended Rowahn to be as powerful as he has become, but in A Tarnished Knight TD had Gaetana talk about how even Yiaso wasn't as powerful as Rowahn even though he was the Grand Inquisitor, and I figured I'd run with it. That Easter Egg was really what got us started on this crossover. But I will say that Zearic and D'Aylanna held their own quite well against him, even getting quite a few hits in on him.

Glad you caught the Wookiee Life Day Tree thing. That was the only way I could think of to include Christmas in this chapter.

Another point that I was trying to get across was that even though Rowahn is powerful, he does not have the experience or practice to use some technique. I touched on this in the gorog chapter, but I really tried hard to flesh it out here.

I definitely get you on the how you would have worked the battle, but part of the reason we did it this was was so that you could see some things that one side noticed but the other didn't. Things like how Zearic found a connection when seeing that Rowahn's eyes were almost the same color as his own. That type thing. The other reason I wanted to do it this way was because if anyone ever reads my story without TD's interlude, it will still make sense. They won't need to know the history behind Zearic and D'Aylanna, or Jorya or Gaetana. They are just characters that fought Rowahn and successfully held their own for a while, but in the end lost, but still taught Rowahn a lesson he needed to learn.

But yeah, this was an extremely fun chapter to write, and I hope that I'll get to do more of this type of thing with the rest of you guys.

   
Rowahn sat as the ship flew through space with no specific destination, he had failed to deal with Caedon, he had no way of following Jord, and he hadn’t even been able to perform a simple execution. There were only two Jedi, and he had beaten them both. But he had just left them there. True, they were wounded, and helpless, but they were also Jedi. Strange Jedi to be sure, but still Jedi. They needed to die, but he had left them alive. Why? Why would he leave them alive? What was it about them that had left him feeling so lonely and helpless? What had happened to him since he began this search for Jord? It have been a long time since he had felt pain like this. It wasn’t physical, he didn’t know how to handle it. For the past 13 years, he had been merciless. Nothing could phase him. But then Jord and these two Jedi had. They had done something to him that he couldn’t understand.
   
As these thoughts tortured him, Rowahn suddenly had an idea. The tracker! It was a long shot, but he needed something to distract him from what had happened. Rising and finding R4-T3, he spoke.
   
“Forty-Three, see if there are any signals on this frequency.” He said as he handed to droid the tracker from Jord’s ship. After plugging into the ships computer and searching for a few moments, the droid blipped excitedly. There was a signal. It still seemed to be on the Namadii Corridor, at least for now.
   
“Plot a course for the signals last transmitted coordinates.” Rowahn said, the excitement noticeable in his voice. Within minutes, they were flying through hyperspace. It was a fairly short jump till reached their destination, but it would still be a while before they emerged from lightspeed. While he waited, Rowahn went through the ship, learning where or what everything was. He needed to keep his mind on something else if he was going to be able to find Caedon or Jord. Eventually he found a closet with some medical supplies, and when he saw them, the pain from his wounds began to come to the surface. He hadn't even remembered that he had been wounded for a while, but now that he had seen the supplies, the pain grew evident.

As he cleaned and dressed his wounds, he thought about his helmet. There was a hole in it now, defeating the purpose of wearing one. He either needed to find a way to fix it, or else get another one. After he finished dressing his wound, he went and found his helmet, noticing for the first time how much damage had been done to it. The saber had taken a pretty good chunk out of it, completely revealing one eye, and part of his face. It’s a wonder I managed to avoid losing my head with that strike. He thought as he looked it over. I probably won’t be able to repair it, but I might be able to modify it a bit. Then thinking about the different supplies and objects he had seen in the ship, he remembered a storage cabinet that was full of armor from all different periods and people. He needed something the same color as his own, maybe a Deathtrooper or TIE Fighter pilot helmet.
   
Going back and searching through the mess of armor, he found many helmets. None of them were right, but a few had the correct style he needed for it to fit. He finally found an Imperial combat driver helmet that had been darkened quite a bit to be a dark gray rather than the normal white. It wasn’t perfect, but it would be better than nothing. Soon he had switched the visors, and had put the helmet back on. It didn’t fit right, but he would have to make due.
   
Just then, the ship came out of hyperspace. The coordinates had led them to the planet Dorin, but the signal from the ship was no longer coming from these coordinates. After plotting a new course, the once again make the jump to lightspeed. They emerged twice more before catching up to the tracking beacon. Once at Vaced, and then the second time at Glee Anselm, which is where Rowahn located the beacon.
   
After gaining permission to land, Rowahn piloted the shuttle down. Putting his rebuilt helmet on, he walked down the ramp, and out onto the one of the few land masses on the planet. Even through the helmets filters, he could smell the air. It was fresh and smelled like saltwater. R4-T3 quickly located the beacon, and after a few blips, headed off in the direction of it. Rowahn followed cautiously. Caedon had most likely just come to fuel up, and then be on his way, but he would still be posting lookouts. If he had the beacon going, then he probably knew that Rowahn hadn’t been killed on Belassar, and was expecting him to show up again.
   
As he walked, he noticed many of the natives staring at him. There were other off-worlders, but a man in dressed almost completely in black following a droid from a light freighter didn’t look at all suspicious. For the most part he ignored them, even when the women would grab their children, and run off, he still didn’t pay any attention. If they got in his way, he would do what needed to be done, but for the most part he didn’t care. Soon he found the landing pad he was looking for. It was on the outskirts of the city, and it was empty.
   
The beacon was no longer here, and neither were the mercenaries. Looking around, he stared at the empty platform.
   
“Come on Forty-Three, let’s get back to the ship and see where the beacon is now.” Rowahn said as he began to turn around. Something didn’t feel right, but he could feel no presence whatsoever in the Force. All he could hear was the stupid song. It was always ringing in his head now. It was becoming more than a simple annoyance. It was becoming a distraction. Even through that, Rowahn could tell that Caedon wasn’t here.
   
“Blip blip bloop, squee-bleep” the droid spoke frantically.
   
“Wait? Why? There isn’t anything here.” Rowahn replied getting annoyed.
   
After another series of tweets and whistles, the droid turned and droved as fast as he could towards some crates over in the corner. Before Rowahn had time to responds, the platform erupted. There were explosions everywhere. Rowahn was launched backwards into the air as one went off nearby. They quickly subsided, and though dazed, Rowahn slowly got up and looked around. Warry of what else might be waiting for him. There didn’t seem to be any other surprises at the moment, but the explosions had completely destroyed the entrance. He would have to find another way out. Carefully he began to look around for a way out. There wasn’t much, but he might be able to climb over the top of the bay walls.
   
“There!” he shouted to the droid, pointing to a lower portion of the wall. He could probably get up there fairly easily, but he didn’t know what type of rocket boosters the droid had. As soon as the droid figured out what Rowahn wanted, he displayed that he did indeed have rockets capable of doing what he needed done. After flying up to the top of the wall, he turned around and looked back down at Rowahn, his beeps making it clear that he didn’t know what Rowahn was waiting for. Shaking his head in disbelief, Rowahn backed up, and then ran. When he reached the wall, he clambered up a few meters, and then leaped, using the Force to launch himself far further than he should have been able to jump.
   
As he easily cleared the lip, he adjusted himself so that he would fall back towards the ledge, rather than the ground. His landing was a bit off due to the explosions, but he made it to the top without hurting himself too bad. However, his landing was the least of his worries at the moment. Before he had looked up, he sensed the danger, and then heard the blasters going off in the song a split second before they happened. It was weird, the song was constantly battering at him, causing him to lose focus, yet at the same time, he was much more adept to his surroundings, and none of the blasters bolts came near him. Dodging the first few volleys, and reaching for his saber, he hit the activation button. It didn’t work. Pressing it again to make sure as he continued to dodge. Must’ve been damaged in the explosions. He thought as he focused on the incoming blaster fire. Still holding it in his hand, he ran towards the nearest source of incoming fire. It was hiding behind some boxes, and when he jumped over, the automated turret followed his path of trajectory, and continued firing right until Rowahn ripped it apart with the Force.
   
Looking for the location of the next turret, he spotted it, this time sitting on top of the boxes. He was still pinned down by two different locations. Reaching out and finding the remaining gun, Rowahn lifted a crate with the Force, and threw it at the first one. Then grabbing the final gun, he reached inside himself, and fueled by the song, he squeezed. The turret crumpled under his power, twisted and crushed far more than it should have been.
   
Standing up and looking around, he spotted Forty-Three driving down a ramp a little ways off, acting as though nothing had happened. Taking one more look around, Rowahn headed off after him. He sensed the shot too late. Dropping and rolling to the side as the blast flew into his shoulder. Again, he found himself thanking the song, if not for it, the blast would have found his heart, and he’d have been dead instantly. Even so, his should flared with pain as he flopped out of his roll. Three more blasts followed as he crawled into cover, but they were hastily aimed, and none of them hit Rowahn.
   
After a few minutes, Rowahn heard something moving towards him. Calming himself, he waited, gathering the Force and trying to push away the music so he could actually focus, readying himself for whoever or whatever it was. Then he heard the beeping, and Forty-Three came around the corner.
   
“I’m alright.” Rowahn said grunting as he stood, leaning on the droid for support. He didn’t want to move so Forty-Three pulled out his electro-shock prod, and zapped Rowahn.
   
“Ouch! What was that for?” he asked angrily.
   
The droid just made some laughing tweets, and threatened to zap Rowahn again.
   
“If you do, I will dismantle you and remove your electro shock, and wipe your memory.” Rowahn threatened, completely serious. The droid stopped after this, but continued beeping grumpily.
   
They were soon back to the freighter, and Forty-Three was searching for the tracking beacon. They had intentionally set a trap for Rowahn, and this made him angry. Angry that he hadn’t sensed it, and angry that it had nearly succeeded. Caedon was good. He was ruthless and experienced, and this made him dangerous. Rowahn was finally starting to understand some of the titles he had been given. ‘Jedi Hunter’ wasn’t surprising, but the ‘Empire’s Vornskr’ and some of the others he was starting to realize that there was good reason for them.
   
Rowahn’s shoulder was throbbing from the shot. It had only grazed him, and it had not done a lot of damage, but it still hurt. After applying some bacta and bandages to the wound, Rowahn sat down to meditate. The sounds were once again becoming too great. He couldn’t ignore them any longer, he had to completely banish them if he were to have any control while fighting. Calming his body, and opening his mind. He could feel the pulsing, unlike anything he was used too. The crescendoing scales and chords wound together into a melodic tune. It was immaculate. The power, the majesty, the beauty that could be seen in it, yet at the same time, it was slow, methodical, and gentle. A mixture of brillante* and risoluto.*
   
It was unacceptable.
   
Taking one last look, hearing for the last time, Rowahn pounded. He beat the song back. He couldn’t listen any longer. If he did, there would be no coming back. He would immerse himself so deeply that nothing could draw him out again. As he beat against the various threads of the song, eventually beating them back down into a constant hammering. The beating was what he needed. It helped him focus. Reminded him of where he came from. Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud. They were heavy blows. Martellato* and simple. None of the complexity from before was left over. It was a simple constant. Nothing changing, nothing fluctuating. Always the same, but always powerful.
   
As he brought himself back out of his meditation, he realized that the ship was again flying through hyperspace.
   
“How long has it been?” he asked the droid, which replied in a series of beeps and whistles. Four hours. Rowahn thought. Has it really been that long? R4-T3 had already calculated and repositioned the ship twice. In a few minutes they would again emerge and then recalculate once again, this time heading up the Celanon Spur. Rising, Rowahn went over and picked up his lightsaber. It was dented up pretty bad, and still wasn’t working. Slowly he began deconstructing it. Many of the outer pieces were dented beyond repair, and would need completely replaced. Once it was finally completely deconstructed, he could see that the crystal chamber and emitter matrix both had minor damage to them. It took very little time to repair them, and he quickly had them operational once again.
   
Moving on to the casing of the hilt, he removed the dented pieces. Most of them were on the lower half of the hilt, but there was one right below the primary power cell that had it been any higher would have made the saber self-destruct. Removing that piece as well, he replaced it with a coupler. It would give him a nice advantage, and allow him to deflect blaster bolts easier, yet remain the strength and sturdiness of a solid piece of metal. The hilt extension was then rebuilt, and ready to be installed.
   
Shutting his eyes and opening himself to the Force, he channeled it into the saber. Lifting the various parts and pieces off the ground, and slowly fitting them together. Everything was going great until it was time to install the crystal. Raising it from where he had left it on the ground, he opened and prepared the crystal chamber. Slowly guiding the crystal inside, he could see in his mind the first time he had done it. He had returned from the Gathering, but still hadn’t figured out how to properly install all of the pieces. The wiring was extremely hard to see how it went together. Huyang had told him that he would get it soon enough, and the various masters had just encouraged him and told him he was doing great. He had needed someone else to help him, but no one ever would. It had been days before he figured it out. Caleb had come in and helped him out. He had taken his own saber apart, and showed him how to put it together. Caleb hadn’t actually done anything other than show him what needed done from the perspective of a friend, rather than a teacher. It wasn’t anything that he didn’t already know, but he was able to connect better because of who taught him. After it was done he had run out to show his friends and Huyang. Thinking back to that day, he could remember seeing Jord as he ran through the hallways of the temple. He hadn’t paid any attention to her now, but the fact that she was there at such an important moment of his life obviously made an impression somehow.
   
The crystal fell into place, and he closed the hilt. Standing up, Rowahn took the hilt in his hand and pressed the activation switch. The crimson blade snapped open as he stared at it. There was something about it. It seemed to be pulsing more steadily than normal. Almost . . . almost as if it were beating in time with his heartbeat. Not only that, but the blade seemed lighter than before. A bit more pink than it had previously been. That’s odd. He thought as he sheathed the rebuilt saber, and headed towards the cockpit.

---

*
Brillante, risoluto and martellato are terms in music used to describe the emotion you are supposed to give a section in a piece of music.

brillante - "sparkling, brightly", or brilliant
risoluto - "resolutely, decisively"
martellato - "literally 'hammered'; a heavily accented staccato"

---

YES!  He's back! 

I really enjoyed this chapter.  In fact, this was my favorite: you really revealed a lot concerning Rowahn but still have that air of mystery to him!  And the nods to earlier characters: wonderful  ;)  But the best part was the conflict within him and the song (or is it the "Song?").  This was excellent writing my friend!  And is Rowahn's saber crystal pontite?!  I LIKE that development  ;). And the..."lightening" of the blade...beating in time... A Vitreous weapon perhaps?

Lol Don't keep us in suspense TR!  Can't wait for the next chapter!

Oh, I was asking my wife for the definitions to "brilliante" and "risoluto" before seeing them at the bottom; my wife plays the flute and piano. I LOVE the musical references!  My wife tried to teach me but...easier for a rock to fly  ;)

I like this trajectory that you have Rowahn on.  Looking forward to the destination as well as the journey  :D

Rowahn is just getting angrier and angrier...not just at Caedon but at himself i think, failing to sense a fairly obvious trap, his temptation to yield to the song is getting stronger and his resistance more violent..At some point i think he's going to go off at someone or something!

We will see. Lots of things happened in this chapter, and I'm not sure what is going to happen because of it. Honestly, this chapter was a pain to write. I had no idea how to get everything in that I wanted in, and I don't think it is exactly like I wanted it to be, but I am okay with the final product. I'm glad you liked it. One thing I did want to do was bring it a little more towards Karm's part of the universe, and I think that I succeeded in doing that.


You are so right, but I think you might be surprised at who or what he goes off on.

Rowahn's immersion into the Song is very interesting.  Particularly the way he's only hearing and being drawn to the Light.  Its just me, but that would seem to indicate that at his very core that's really where he wants to be, or he would seek out a darker melody.

Very interesting.  And I loved your inclusion of the musical terms!  I've avoided that because they don't tend to be "common knowledge"...  But maybe I can be more descriptive using your model...

Nice entry!  Don't fret about the speed of the postings my friend.  I suspect that Dutchman and I are just endowed at the moment with more free time.  :-)  As my sensei reminds me when I fret about lack of progress on my ranking - its a journey, not a race.  And its a long walk, not a sprint.  Thank you for being faithful!

Karm

Thanks. I was going to comment on this earlier, but I forgot too.

I think, because of your own use of the Song, that you have picked up on something that is kind of important, but not really something I had thought about. I think subconsciously it has always been there, but I just didn't realize it till now. I also think that though at his core he want the light as you suggested, he also doesn't realize that there is a darker faction of the song. Which is why if it came down to a battle between Rowahn and any other singer, he would lose. He still denies to song, and because he is fighting against it, it can't help him. He isn't a "Dark Singer" mostly because he doesn't realize that he could be one.

I was just looking through one of my music books, and saw those three words, and knew I had to find a way to include them. You are most welcome to do something similar in your own story if you wish.

Anyways, thanks to all you who have commented. It has been a fun journey for me so far, and I hope it has for you as well.

   
“How’s it going Forty-Three?” he asked the droid as he came in. The beeps and whistles again told him that he had been out for longer than he thought. They were now well down the Celanon Spur, and were nearing the planet Myomar.
   
“Good, do you think we have almost caught them?” Again, the beeps were very positive. They should be caught up with them by the time they reached the planet. If Caedon had come down this way, than it was safe to assume that Jord had as well. Of course it could just be another trap, but even if it was, Rowahn was close enough that Caedon wouldn’t be able to escape.
   
Rowahn changed the bandage, and applied more bacta as he waited. He needed a plan of some sort, more so than just “find and kill Caedon, then find Jord”. He needed a way to disable Caedon’s ship while he went and personally dealt with Caedon. Ethan’s ship had been modified with proton torpedoes, as well as some heavy guns. He could easily use them to deal with the ship, and then after the ship was disabled, kill Caedon. He was done worrying about what would happen to any bystanders. Caedon didn’t care about them, and the only way to beat someone who didn’t care was to be like them. Rowahn was strange. He had always been different than any other Imperial soldier. None of them cared what happened to the people, but to Rowahn, if there was a way to do something without hurting innocent people, than he would find it. Not anymore. Or not now at least. He had to be ruthless. As ruthless as Caedon.
   
The ship came out of hyperspace, and they were instantly headed for the planet. It was a bad choice for Caedon. Rowahn assumed that he knew how much of a presence the Empire had on Myomar, they even had an academy there. It was a perfect planet for Rowahn, because his status as Inquisitor would allow him to do just about anything, including bombing Caedon. Caedon’s signal was coming from the planet’s surface. Like many planets controlled by the Empire, Myomar had been strip mined, and was now pretty much desert. There were some mountainous regions with a bit of snow, but for the most part it was flatlands covered in a thick haze. The Imperial facilities were located at the base of one of the mountain ranges, quite a ways away from the landing zone that Caedon had chosen.
   
Readying the torpedoes, Rowahn took aim, and prepared to fire. The ship hadn’t landed yet, but Rowahn was locked on. Forty-Three was piloting, and they were quickly gaining on the YT-2400. As soon as they were in range, Rowahn fired. The torpedoes hit their mark, but the deflector shields must have been significantly upgraded, because all they did was rock the ship. No damage had been done whatsoever. The freighter was now taking evasive action, keeping Rowahn from getting another lock on it. As the ship came around, it made its own attack run on Rowahn’s ship. It was just turrets, but they would still do damage if they hit. Forty-Three bleeped excitedly as he dodge the blasts, and rerouted the power to the forward deflector shields.
   
In the meantime, Rowahn returned fire. The blasts still didn’t do anything, but Rowahn was just stalling till the torpedoes were ready to fire again.
   
“Get ready” Rowahn said to the droid who beeped back in annoyance. A second later the missiles were ready, and Rowahn fired. Just as he did so Caedon pulled up, and the missiles flew past their target. Caedon kept climbing, up and into the haze, and Forty-Three followed him all the while firing the turrets at his ship. Caedon was an exceptional pilot, and even though he had shields, he still managed to avoid most of the lasers. Almost immediately, Caedon’s ship could no longer be seen. The Scholar’s’ sensors were still picking up the signal from the other ship, but Forty-Three was flying virtually blind.
   
They still couldn’t see anything, but Rowahn could hear the Song getting faster, and more dramatic, and he knew something was about to happen. Just before the barrage hit, Rowahn sensed the incoming lasers. Too late to do anything about it, Rowahn hoped the deflector shields would be able to stop all the blasts. It did, but the beeping in the cockpit told him that the shield generators were just about fried. They could not withstand another bombardment like that. Somehow, Rowahn would have to get Caedon to the ground, and deal with him there.
   
“Fly as if our ship has been severely damaged, and set a course towards the Imperial facility.” Rowahn said to the droid. “I am going to try and get Caedon to the ground.”
   
After a series of acknowledging beeps, the astromech slowed the ship, and headed towards the facility and out of the haze. Luckily their ship was smoking a bit, so it added to the appearance of a ship damaged and in need of repair. Soon enough they were out of the haze, and Rowahn took over control. They were still keeping an eye on the sensor, making sure they had a location on Caedon. Soon his ship was directly above theirs, and he began to dive. Just as the blasts began flying, Rowahn hit the thrusters, and pulled up sharp. The result was that he was now above Caedon, and as he headed back towards the ground, he was not on Caedon’s tail. Firing the turrets, he watched as they again dissipated harmlessly against the ship’s deflectors. Caedon was too close to the ground now to successfully maneuver out of the way. Rowahn quickly fired the torpedoes, and though he tried to evade them, he was unsuccessful. The torpedoes hit the shields, again doing minimal damage, but the impact hurled the ship downwards, until it hit the ground.
   
The ship hadn’t moved again, so Rowahn set the Scholar’s Revenge down a little way away, and exited the ship. Quickly but cautiously, Rowahn moved across the open ground towards Caedon’s ship. He could see Caedon and his crew standing outside the ship. There were five of them total, and the only one Rowahn even slightly worried about was Caedon. Four others? Rowahn thought. He must have picked up some more crew on one of his stops. Still, even for him, five on one wasn’t great odds. He was still a ways away, and the mercenaries were tense. He would enjoy this battle.

Sorry for such a long wait between chapters. I was having a hard time trying to get this to work. It is also relatively short in comparison to the rest of my chapters, but I couldn't find a way to prolong it without stealing from the next chapter. Hopefully it wont be quite as long for my next chapter. ::)

Its the appetizer...down on the ground in the haze of the Empires abuse of the environment...two Imperials vying for prestige and power...can't wait but take your time so you're happy with it.

Well when you put it like that, I actually really like it. This is why I love having you guys comment. It gives me hope and confidence. Thank you.

LSG is right; you can't rush quality  ;)

And what you've given us was a tightly-packed, action-oriented, whirlwind chapter that started strong, delivered as promised, leaving us wanting more!  THAT'S good writing TR! 

And I've got to admit, Caedon is such a great villain, I hope that you do keep him around  :).  Although...given Rowahn's propensities, we might have to be ready to send flowers  :D

Looking forward to your next chapter!

Ditto!  Loved the chapter, its a nice entry into the next phase of this scene - down in the haze of the surface.  :-)

As LSG told me once - a short but well-written entry can be very effective.  This selection told its piece of the story vividly and well.  That's all you can ask.  And good to see you back in action!  WOOT!

Thanks guys. I have big plans for the next chapter, so I hope I can do it justice. I've got some twists in mind that I hope will keep you guys interested. We will have to see. Thanks again for all the encouraging words.

Just so you know that I am still working on this, and that I haven't forgotten about it, here is something to (hopefully) keep you interesting for the moment being.


Sneak-peak for Chapter 10 of Shadow of the Outcast

Looking up, he saw the grinning face of Caedon Ti-Rell, as well as the angry faces of the kiffar, the iktotchi, and the remaining human. Caedon had his sword tip at Rowahn’s throat, but instead of killing him instantly, he spoke.

“I had every intention for you not to make it this far.” He said in his silky, dangerous voice, “but now that you’re here, I thought, he’s done well so far, let’s see if he is really as powerful as they say he is.” Sheathing his sword, he turned and walked a few paces away, signaling for men to help Rowahn up. Leaving the human to guard Rowahn with his electrostaff, the other two went and began to set up crates around in a fairly large circle. It was an arena.

Has this guy never seen a James Bond Film!!! Looking forward to it TR.

Have you ever had an appetizer that was so delicious it was over too soon, leaving you wanting more?

THIS is like THAT

Good to see Rowahn (and you, TR) back!  Can't wait for the full installment!

LOL   Oh my....

CAN'T YOU HEAR THE MUSIC????   

Or, referencing one of my all-time favorite films...

"He's got me on a platter and what does he do?  He starts monologing!"

For the sake of understanding, I recommend rereading the ending of Chapter 9 due to length of time between chapters being posted.

---

   

Before attacking, Rowahn took the time to observe what his opponents were wielding. Caedon had his A280-CFE rifle configured as an Assault Rifle, along with a sword Rowahn assumed was made from either phrik or songsteel. Three of the crewmen wielded electrostaffs as well as a various assortment of blaster pistols. Rowahn could see at least three DH-17s, a SE-14C, and a X-8 Night Sniper. Besides the blaster pistols, the remaining two had both had vibro-blades, and one had a SWS-1013 projectile launcher. These men knew what they were about to fight, and had come prepared.
   
Too bad. Rowahn thought with a smile. All those fancy weapons, and it ain’t gonna do ‘em any good.
   
Slowly, Rowahn strode out of the shadows, and into the view of the mercenaries. As soon as they noticed him, they all moved into a battle stance, except Caedon. Caedon just stood there looking at Rowahn. Had he not had his helmet on, Caedon would have been able to see that their eyes were locked in a death stare. As it was, Rowahn could feel the anxiety start to rise as he continued to stalk towards them. Rowahn felt it before he saw anything. The mercenary with the projectile launcher – who he could now distinguish as a kiffar – gave in to his fear, and launched a missile at him. As soon as the other mercenaries saw this, they too began firing. Rowahn easily caught the projectile with the Force, and threw it away. Still walking towards them, though his speed was growing, Rowahn drew his saber, and began deflecting the bolts. There was no reason to deflect them back at the men directly, so Rowahn let them go wherever. Still, Caedon just stood there, waiting.
   
Rowahn barely heard the beeping over the sounds of blaster fire, and as it was, it was too late. The proximity mine went off. Shielding himself from the blast with the Force, he successfully avoided taking any damage, though he was still thrown to the side a ways. As he began moving once again, he reached out with the Force, and ripped the projectile launcher away from the man before he had a chance to fire it again. Finally Caedon moved. As Rowahn brought his saber up in from of his face to block a bolt, Caedon disappeared. Rowahn could still sense his presence, but he could no longer see the pantoran.
   
Still keeping an eye out for Caedon, Rowahn moved. Quickly closing the space through the Force between him and an iktotchi with an electrostaff. As the alien spun his staff, Rowahn swung his own saber. He wasn’t trying to kill the alien instantly, he wanted to lure at least one of the other two humans with an electrostaff closer. Unfortunately, the iktotchi was far more skilled with the staff than one would think, causing Rowahn to have to change tactics. Pressing the attack, Rowahn soon had the upper hand. After parrying a high strike from the mercenary, Rowahn used to momentum to continue the spin over his head, clipping the left cranial horn from the iktotchi’s head. As the alien staggered back in shock and pain, Rowahn began to advance. But in his overconfidence, he had failed to notice the human sneaking up behind him. Sensing him too late, Rowahn tried to spin, but the man had already struck. The electricity coursed through Rowahn’s body, and he let out a grunt of pain. However, Rowahn remained standing, and quickly moved out of the way.
   
Rowahn quickly checked the positions of the rest of the mercs, but still could not get a visual on Caedon. Turning his attention back to the three enemies advancing towards him warily. One pulled out his blaster and fired towards Rowahn. The blasts were hastily aimed, and easily deflected, but it allowed for the mercenaries to get closer to Rowahn. On a whim, Rowahn jumped, using the Force to push himself farther and higher than should be possible, landing in between the two remaining mercenaries, the kiffar and a cerean, the kiffar had already pulled out his vibro-blade in one hand, with his blaster in the other. The cerean now did the same, and they both began blasting at Rowahn. The other three mercenaries were still a ways away, so Rowahn began deflecting shots in their direction. The dodged them easily, but it did cause them to slow down.
   
Continuing to spin and deflect the fire, Rowahn slowly moved towards the kiffar. He noticed, and tried to fire more shots faster. Unfortunately for him, the blasts could not penetrate Rowahn’s saber wall, and Rowahn quickly reached out with the Force, and pulled the blaster away, knocking the man off balance, and providing the opening for Rowahn to come in for the kill. The merc made a wild slash that Rowahn easily sidestepped before lifting the man with the Force, and hurling him towards the cerean. Then jumping towards them both, Rowahn began swinging his saber in wide arcs, still avoiding or deflecting blaster fire. The cerean had managed to mostly avoid the flying kiffar, but Rowahn’s blade was now forcing him to retreat.
   
Suddenly, the cerean changed tactics, rolling forward under Rowahn’s swing, he came up close, and lashed out at Rowahn’s legs. Rowahn jumped back, right into the staff of one of the humans. Again, he felt the electricity coursing through him as he struggle to stay up. Leaping forward to get away from the electrostaff, he landed in the center of the two humans and the cerean. Beginning a series of spins, eclipsing his whole body, and keeping the mercenaries from getting too close. Standing now in the center of a whirling blade of death, he advanced towards the nearest human. The human tried to break the wall, but he could find no opening to exploit. Soon Rowahn stopped his blade, and swung towards the mercenary. He raised his staff to block, but Rowahn did the unexpected. He deactivated his saber, and once it passed the staff he activated it again, the blade emerging and neatly decapitated the man. Before the human even hit the ground, Rowahn was running towards the cerean. The cerean dropped his blaster, and raised his vibro-blade into a middle guard, and prepared for my attack. He didn’t however prepare for what I did next. He had no way too.
   
Reaching out, with the Force, I grabbed his blaster off the ground where he had just dropped it, and turned it on him. Gripping it with the Force as Rowahn was, it had no chance of recoil, and all five blasts flew into his chest. Looking down in shock at his blaster, and then at his chest, then backup towards Rowahn he finally fell forward face first onto the ground.
   
Spinning, Rowahn advanced on the remaining trio. However, the kiffar had picked his fallen SWS-1013 back up, and fired another projectile at Rowahn. The missile hit the ground in front of him, and as it exploded, Rowahn was thrown backwards. He lay on the ground stunned from the explosion. His ears ringing, the wound in his shoulder throbbing, even the wounds from his battles on Belassar and Twith were throbbing again.
   
Slowly his vision began to clear, as he channeled the Force for healing. It sounded different. Not the intense, dramatic music while battling, this was more along the lines of a slow and relaxed, but incredibly beautiful dance. It was strange seeing – or rather, hearing – the song in such a different manner. Who knew that it could be so beautiful, it was so similar to something he’d seen before. Something. . . Synyps! Rowahn thought with surprise, but his mind did not have the opportunity to dwell on the strange creatures, for he was brought back to reality with a jolt of electricity.

Looking up, he saw the grinning face of Caedon Ti-Rell, as well as the angry faces of the kiffar, the iktotchi, and the remaining human. Caedon had his sword tip at Rowahn’s throat, but instead of killing him instantly, he spoke.
   
“I had every intention for you not to make it this far.” He said in his silky, dangerous voice, “but now that you’re here, I thought, he’s done well so far, let’s see if he is really as powerful as they say he is.” Sheathing his sword, he turned and walked a few paces away, signaling for men to help Rowahn up. Leaving the human to guard Rowahn with his electrostaff, the other two went and began to set up crates around in a fairly large circle. It was an arena.
   
“What’s in the crates?” Rowahn asked, his new mask no longer had a voice changer, but his voice was still garbled as it came through the speaker. Man, he hated the new helmet. It was just annoying.
   
“You’ll find out soon enough.” Caedon said, then continued, “We know you have some skills with a Lightsaber, and with the “Force”, but how are you without the Force?” Just as he asked the question, the two mercenaries fired up the machines they had taken from the crates, creating a null-zone. Or “Force-Void” as he had heard some call it. Rowahn immediately tensed up. His wounds stopped healing, the pain was no longer being suppressed, and returned in full force. The intensity of pain’s return cleared his mind, and though it hurt, Rowahn channeled the pain into focus. He understood what Caedon was doing. He was challenging Rowahn to a duel, and thought that by taking away Rowahn’s connection to the Force, he would take away any advantage that Rowahn might have. Hah! Rowahn thought. Caedon couldn’t know that Rowahn had trained for this type of situation. He had deliberately practiced in rooms designed to negate any Force powers. While Rowahn did trust the Force with his life, he didn’t rely on it.
   
Rowahn’s saber had already been confiscated, and it didn’t seem that Caedon had any intention of letting him use it. Instead Caedon brought him the vibro-blade of the fallen cerean. “If you are really as powerful as they all say, you might stand a chance against me.” Caedon said confidant in his own abilities, and with that, Caedon attacked.
   
Caedon’s sword had the advantage of reach, and he used that advantage to keep Rowahn from getting too close. He swung diagonal, low to high, and Rowahn pretended to barely dodge the strike. He was smiling as he led Caedon on. The next swing came from the right, just below the shoulder. Again, Rowahn hopped backwards, barely avoiding the blade. Caedon moved quickly, never allowing an opening for Rowahn to exploit.
   
The battle continued with Rowahn occasionally blocking, but usually dodging the swings. He knew in order for him to actually beat Caedon, he would have to make him extremely overconfident. After a powerful downwards strike towards Rowahn’s head that Rowahn blocked as he sidestepped out of the way, Caedon spun around, and went for a series of blows. High left, low left, midriff right, right shoulder, neck, then just above the ankles. Rowahn dodged or parried them all until the swipe towards his legs. Caedon had overextended himself just slightly, and Rowahn threw himself into a dive roll, over the blade, and coming up behind Caedon. Rowahn was already up when Caedon spun around, dealing him a kick to the chest, and knocking him backwards. Caedon, though off balance, kept himself standing, and renewed his attack.
   
Another series of strikes came as Rowahn slowly began turning the battle against Caedon. Caedon was still winning, but he was having a much harder time of it. As with most things Caedon did, he was a master swordsman, never keeping the same rhythm, constantly changing and never developing a pattern. He did not want to become predictable, and thus changed styles and forms often. Sometimes going only for shoulder and higher strikes, sometimes varying heights. This time he went for the right shoulder, the neck, the right shoulder again, then switched and struck at Rowahn’s left hip twice. The final strike in the series Rowahn parried, turning the blade outwards. Using the opportunity, Rowahn spun inside Caedon’s guard, elbowing him in the face, and then kneed him in the stomach, and kicked him backwards. This time Caedon fell.
   
Rowahn backed up and let Caedon rise. Blood dripped from the blue man’s nose, and he quickly wiped it away. Caedon was angry now, but he didn’t allow it to take control of himself. Moving back towards Rowahn he swung. Rowahn sidestepped, letting the blade fly past him. He was baiting Caedon, trying to make him lose control. Caedon swung again, and Rowahn sidestepped once more. The third swing from Caedon, Rowahn blocked out of the way as he sidestepped, grabbing Caedon’s arm, and throwing him away from himself, and into one of the Force dampening generators. The blade of Caedon’s sword pierced into the generator, causing it to sputter and crackle before dying. As Caedon extracted the blade from the now destroyed generator, he turned around to face Rowahn once again, but instead of charging Rowahn, he stopped. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Rowahn and said.
   
“Let’s try this again.”
   
Rowahn didn’t know what he was talking about until Caedon attacked. He channeled his fury into his blows, though he did not succumb to it. The speed of the attacks caught Rowahn off guard, and he was hard pressed for a few moments while trying to recover. In that time, Caedon managed to successfully strike Rowahn, though it was just a glancing blow to the shoulder. Same shoulder as that women hit the other day! Rowahn thought with a grimace of pain. As Caedon swung, both hands on the sword, Rowahn did a backwards roll, coming up a little ways away, and completely avoiding the strike. However, Caedon was back on him almost faster than Rowahn could recover. Barely bringing his blade up to block fast enough, he was sent reeling backwards again trying to regain his balance. Rowahn stumbled into another of the generators, allowing him to balance against it.
   
Rowahn crouched waiting for Caedon’s next strike. When Caedon swung, Rowahn dove to the side, out of the reach of Caedon’s blade. The blade struck the generator, and it sputtered and sparked before finally dying. That’s two. Rowahn thought as he stood. He waited till Caedon had extracted his sword from the generator before he attacked. Caedon was off balance, and he had a hard time recovering as Rowahn struck. However, Caedon’s swordsmanship prowess once again shone through, as he quickly turned the battle back against Rowahn. Their blades clashed, but instead of holding it there, Caedon instantly took a step back, causeing Rowahn to stumble forwards, and then kicked him in the face. The helmet protected his face, but still Rowahn stumbled backwards, reeling from the kick until he lost his balance and landed on his back. Rowahn tried to crawl away, but he couldn’t move fast enough to get far enough away from Caedon to stand back up. As Caedon began swinging his blade at Rowahn, he was forced to dodge as best as he could. He tried to block a strike, but Caedon twisted the blade out of his hands. It landed behind Caedon, out of reach of Rowahn. Rowahn rolled bacwards, coming up on his feet, then when Caedon swung, Rowahn dove over the top of the blade, rolling behind Caedon, and grabbing the vibro-blade as he came back up.
   
“Nicely done.” Caedon said,  “I can honestly say I did not expect that.”
   
The he attacked again. Again, he showed his mastery as he constantly changed his technique. The battle had been going for long enough now that Rowahn could see some weaknesses in his skill. Ceadon favored powerful torso strikes from the left, but was much more delicate when attacking from the right. And even though he rarely used flourishes, whenever Rowahn was off balance, he would do either a full body spin to add some momentum to his swing, or else reposition his blade with an eclipse spin. Rowahn would have to be careful about exploiting these weaknesses, because he would probably only get one chance to do so with each, before Caedon caught on, and modified his attacks.
   
Rowahn let himself be pushed back till they were almost near the edge of the arena, then started attacking, and turning Caedon towards the third generator. He did want to beat Caedon without the Force, but he did want to be able to access it should something go wrong. Slowly he gained some ground against Caedon, but then the culmination of his wounds, and the extended battle caused him to miss a step. As he stumbled forward he reached his hand out to catch himself as he fell towards the ground. Caedon took the opportunity to sidestep, and grab Rowahn’s arm, throwing him to the ground. Rowahn rolled with the fall, but could not get up instantly. As he climbed to his feet, he noticed the generator on his right. Slowly he raised his vibro-blade into a defensive stance. Caedon charged forwards, and swung from the left. Here we go. Rowahn thought as the wide, powerful blow came towards him. stepping backwards and dodging the blade, he also caught it with his own blade, then redirected it right into the generator.

The generator turned the blade aside with only minimal damage, but Rowahn left it as it was trying not to look like he was purposely destroying the generators. As the battle continued, he could see that even Caedon was beginning to tire. Slowly the fought back and forth around the arena until they were near the final generator. Then with a burst of reserve energy, Rowahn  turned and slammed his blade into the forth generator. Then quickly wrenching it free, he didn’t wait to make sure that the generator died. He instantly used his adrenaline to disarm Caedon, striking him across the face with the hilt of his own vibro-blade as Caedon’s sword flew out of his hands. Caedon fell backwards, and tried to scramble for his sword. Rowahn let him recover it, and stand up again, but then he attacked again. Quickly Caedon lost ground. His strength and energy rapidly depleting against the Inquisitor’s onslaught. All he could really do was retreat and try and stay out of Rowahn’s reach.

Nothing he could do was enough, and Rowahn just kept pushing him back until he finally tripped and fell to the ground. Again he tried to crawl away, but he was too slow. Rowahn ran forward, and  kicked Caedon in the chest. Picking up Caedon fallen sword, he was about to kill Caedon. However, he stopped. Staring at Caedon, he looked into his eyes and saw the fear, but also the anger and defiance at being treated so terribly all his life. Beyond that, he saw the hate. The unquenchable rage of a man who thought himself the best, but had just been beaten. It was a disgrace worse than death. A punishment worse than anything the Empire could inflict. He had ruined his life forever.

Stepping backwards, Rowahn began to laugh. Not a laugh of joyfulness, but rather one of mockery. “All you wanted to do was prove that you could best one of the Empire’s greatest warriors, yet you failed. I could kill you now, but that would be a mercy. And you don’t understand mercy do you. You don’t understand the idea that it is okay for someone to not get what they deserve. And because of that, this moment will haunt you the rest of your miserable life.” Turning, Rowahn began to walk away, but then turned once more and said “The funny thing is, I still feel like I should kill you, if only so you don't keep following me.” Then he stabbed Caedon’s sword into the ground and started walking away.

Caedon’s men saw what was happening, and per instruction, they quickly raised their weapons about to fire. Rowahn spun, and threw his vibro-blade at the final Force Dampening Generator. The blade flew true, and hit the generator. At the same time, Rowahn began to run, barreling straight towards the mercenaries. As the generator began to sputter and the field began to drop. Rowahn immediately felt the pain of his wounds begin to heal as the Force flowed back through him. He could once again hear the song of battle flowing through and around him.

Caedon’s men began to fire, and with Force augmented speed and instincts, Rowahn easily began to dodge the flying plasma. Picking one of the mercenaries up with the Force, Rowahn threw him at the other two. They all collapsed in a heap, and laid there moaning. Rowahn stopped running, and looked back at Caedon as he lay upon the ground, considering one last time whether he should finish him off or not. As the song of battle faded in his mind, a more peaceful tune rose. A song of mercy this time. Turning away, Rowahn walked towards his ships landing zone.

---

It was a short walk back to the ship, and Rowahn was soon exiting Myomar’s atmosphere. Turning to Forty-Three, Rowahn asked, “have you been able to keep following Jord’s tracker?” After the droid blipped his reply, Rowahn continued, “Good. Plot a course for her last known location then.”

Soon the droid had entered the coordinates, and was engaging the hyperdrive. As the ship entered lightspeed, the blue walls spiraled around outside the cockpit. It was a bit disorientating sometimes, but after enough trips, you get used to the dizziness, and it no longer affects you. Or so they said. Rowahn still occasionally felt a bit queasy, but he didn’t always know what caused it.

Then he felt it. First in the Force, then in the ship itself. The ship shuddered, he felt an explosion. The blue walls where quickly torn away, and the ship hurled into real space. The ship was smoking, and barely controllable as it hurtled through the emptiness. Then they started picking up speed. The ship was caught in the gravitational pull of a planet they they had emerged next too. The ship’s engines had been damaged in the blast and did not have enough power to control their decent, so the Lancer-class pursuit craft freighter plummeted planetward almost without resistance.

R4-T3 was already trying to repair the damage enough to stabilize the thrusters, and get some power back to the engines, but they still wouldn’t have nearly enough time to get control of the ship before it hit the ground. The ship was about 150 meters above the surface when the engines came back online, and they were still falling fast. Rowahn quickly yanked up on the controls but he knew he wouldn’t be able to pull out of the dive fast enough. With the ground quickly approaching, Rowahn knew he would somehow have to soften the crash, but there was no way he would be able to prevent it.

“Prepare for impact!” he yelled back to the droid, then the dirt and debris covered the cockpit window.

---

A few minutes later Rowahn awoke. His ears were ringing, and his head was pounding. He tried to rise, but the dizziness almost kept him off his feet. Finally, he was able to stand enough to head to the rear of the ship looking for Forty-Three. He found him tangled in a mess of wires and parts. After he hadicked the droid up and removed him from his entanglements, Rowahn and Forty-Three headed for the entry ramp. It was jammed shut.

“We won’t be getting out that way” Rowahn commented offhandedly to which the droid replied with some fairly weak expletives -- for an Astromech anyways.
 
“Of course we’re gonna see if the docking hatch will open, but you don’t have to talk to me like that.” Rowahn replied a bit annoyed. They quickly made their way to the docking bay, but it too had been damaged by the crash.

“Blip blip squee bloop” R4-T3 stated.
   
“No, that’s a terrible idea.” Rowahn replied. “If you want to be ejected with that much force, you are free to go into an escape pod by yourself. But I already hit the ground hard enough once today.” The droid whined dejectedly, but didn’t push the matter any further.
   
After a moment Rowahn spoke, “I’ll cut the cockpit window out, and we can get out that way. We are going to have to go find a city or something to get repairs done. Are there even any cities nearby?” Then turning to the droid, “What planet are we even on?”
   
The droid quickly answered, and then headed for an escape pod. “Vicondor. I guess we didn’t end up too far out of the way then. Wait, why are you still going to the escape pod?” Rowahn said. Another series of beeps and whistles, then a grunt of satisfaction. “Cut our way out of an escape pod rather than waste the cockpit window. Good thinking droid. Or should I say processing.” He added for insult.
   
Soon they were outside the ship. The first things they noticed where the higher-than-standard gravity, and the fairly intense heat. “This is not going to be a fun walk.” Rowahn stated. Just then they heard the engines of another ship overhead. Looking up, Rowahn saw a YT-2400 light freighter. Caedon Ti-Rell’s freighter.

Wow...    Caedon just will NOT give up!   Rowahn's confusion about his motives, injecting mercy into a fight, are so un-Inquisitorious like.  He's obviously going through a weather-change in his own views and practices and doesn't quite realize it yet, but those changes are affecting his decision-making. 

And someone sabotaged his freighter.  Hmm.  Wonder who might have done that?  Maybe the guy who just showed up at the crash site?

"Wait a minute, there....  We're not done yet..."  LOL

Worth the wait, Taegin!  Looking forward to Ch11!  :-)

This chapter was a real treat!  Doubly long, it was the fight that you've been setting up for quite some time.  And you didn't disappoint!  Love the switch back from Rowahn vs. multiple targets, then Rowahn vs. Caedon, then back again  :).  And talk about "determinator:" both Rowahn and Caedon do NOT give up!!

What I like most is just how close the skills of both compare; there was real tension, not just the expectation that "Rowahn wins, Caedon dies."  Well done!

Besides, Caedon is almost OK good a bad guy to kill  ;D


And, amazingly, we still haven't caught up to Jord!

P.S. Love the reference to D'Aylanna  ;)

Started in hubris and eneded in disaster on both sides - Caedon though the had him caught, Rowhan thought he was too strong.  They both had good plans, but born of their confidence, Rowahn simply seemed to adapt to the situation better taking out the generators. The question is will Rowhans mercy come back to haunt him...well 'mercy' might not be the right word - and i think that was the best part of this, he spares him "Not a laugh of joyfulness, but rather one of mockery"  again that pride, mingled with budding feeling of mercy, its like he's justifying his 'good' actions with bad mocking reasons...or maybe he is performing mocking actions with a 'good' glaze?  either way it is a fascinating uncertain emotional state he's in...in between these competing feelings which we've seen in earlier chapters - perhaps that is the real battle of the series, not Rowahn vs Caedon but Rowahn vs. Rowahn.

You guys are good. I have subtly been trying to add in little themes, some of which are never even stated, but are kind of visible through actions, and you guys have caught on to them. I'm pretty sure that I am more excited to read you guys' replies than I am to read/write the story. I love the encouragement, but also reading your interpretations of what is happening. So far none of you are wrong, but (until this one anyways) you also haven't been completely right either. I am glad that you all picked up on the Mercy theme in this one. And the fact that even though he called it mercy that his intentions may not have been merciful, but rather prideful. I think you will see this come in to play starting in the next chapter. Again, thanks for reading, and I will definitely try and get Chapter 11 written faster than I have these last two. I look forward to getting to a point where I can maybe do some collaborations with you guys.

The subtle themes and character development are the best part!  And if we ever DO guess right ... just change the story.  ;-)  LOL

You're doing great, my friend.  And if you're anything like me you've grown from the feedback here.  Every writer really needs a group to work with to develop and grown and sometimes just to finish.  Just ask J.R.R. Tolkien and the "Inklings".  :-)

“Move!” Rowahn yelled to the droid as the freighter began blasting at them. There was no cover to be seen, but they did their best to avoid getting killed. After the first volley the ship did not come back for another. Rowahn could still hear engines, though they were much smaller, and sounded nothing like the engines of a freighter.  Looking up he saw what it was.

“Of course they have jetpacks.” he stated as they continued to run. Soon the mercenaries where close enough to begin firing. Rowahn stopped running, and activated his lightsaber, trying to deflect the blasts back at them, or at least away from himself. Once again he could hear the song of battle rising within him as he swung his saber. But even with the music, he could not concentrate, and Rowahn was barely able to anticipate where the blasts would land. What’s different? He thought as he struggled to keep himself alive.

Soon Caedon and the two mercenaries where on the ground. Both the kiffar and the human had electrostaves, and Caedon had a vibrosword. They quickly attacked, and again Rowahn had trouble keeping up with their attacks. They had surrounded him on three sides, and he was wearing down quickly.

The human hit him in the arm, successfully numbing it. Rowahn quickly channelled Force healing into the arm trying to regain its mobility, but in doing so, it took his attention off the kiffar for a split second too long, giving him the opportunity to smash him in the face. Rowahn stumbled backwards as the three mercenaries moved in again. His helmet was cracked from the hit, and he still wasn’t used to how it fit.

The human was a few steps behind Caedon and the kiffar, and as soon as they attacked, the human leaped into the air, using his jetpack to give him some height, trying to get a hit in from above. Rowahn reached out and ripped the jetpack off the man’s back with the Force, causing him to drop. The fall didn’t kill him, but it did stun the human. Once again, Rowahn’s divided attention had opened him up to attacks from the other two.

Barely he managed to block Caedon’s sword, but the kiffar’s low strike was unavoidable. The staff struck the back of his legs knocking them out from beneath him. Rowahn avoided hitting the ground by quickly doing a Force augmented backflip, but his legs still stung from the strike. He was still alive, but fighting hard to do so. Why is it so hard? He wondered as he felt the sweat slide down his face. He could feel his breathing begin to cause condensation inside his helmet. The sun was hot, and the extra gravity was interfering with his fighting. That must be it. But that couldn’t be it. He’d been trained for this this type of situation. He had been trained to be able to adapt to whatever the gravity was like in any given location. He’d also been trained to function and adapt in any temperature as well. It wasn’t like he’d never been on a warm planet before, or even on a warm planet with high gravity. That could not be the problem, but what was it.

Rowahn’s thoughts had caused him to miss the entrance of the iktotchi, giving Caedon and his crew another advantage. As the three attacked Rowahn, he was hard pressed to even focus on one, let alone three. Suddenly, there was a fourth. The human had recovered, and was back in the battle. Rowahn was just starting to get the feeling back in his arm when he missed blocking a strike from the kiffar, and it struck his leg. His leg deadened, and he almost dropped. Sending every ounce of Force energy into a single blast of healing directed towards his leg. The massive blast of healing rejuvenated his leg instantly causing Rowahn to be able to catch himself before he went down.

He had just switched his Force energy to healing, and no longer could rely on it for protection, so Rowahn quickly went full defensive mode, and began retreating step by step. Soon his leg was able to be used on its own, and so the Inquisitor switched back to attacking. This time he made sure he knew where all four of the mercenaries were, keeping an especially close eye on Ti-Rell. Spinning, Rowahn created a quick blade barrier, causing all four attackers to jump back out of the way. The kiffar had missed his footing as he tried to avoid Rowahn’s swing, and as he tripped, Rowahn took the opportunity to Force blast him back out of the battle. Once again, the pause in his defenses had been just long enough for the iktotchi to get another strike in. This time he bashed him in the back of the head with his electrostaff, causing Rowahn to fall forward.

Rohawn could feel cool air on the back on his head where the staff had cracked open his helmet. It was loose enough now that though it was still providing protection, it was no longer staying in one position, and blocking his vision off. Making a lightning fast decision, Rowahn leaped into the air, using the Force to lend power to his legs. As he flew into the air above the heads of the mercenaries, he ripped his helmet free, and threw it back down towards the human. Aided by strong gravity and the Force, the helmet flew almost too fast for the man to see. He raised his staff to block it, but the power with which it flew knocked the man back.

As Rowahn fell back to the ground, he could feel the wind in his face, whipping his hair around, and generally causing him to look awesome. The remaining mercenaries moved out of the way as Rowahn landed. Looking up with his eyes before raising his head and standing straight, Rowahn could see the iktotchi and pantoran watching him closely. Then Caedon spoke.

“Finally, the face of the traitor is revealed.”

Rowahn didn’t say anything, he just smiled, then threw himself back into the battle. Instantly he could feel a battle song rising upward inside him. He felt nearly invincible now. The mercenaries didn’t stand a chance. Out of the corner of his eye, Rowahn could see Forty-Three sitting beside the kiffar, electro-shock prodding him everytime he moved. The thought made him laugh inside as he flew into the two remaining mercs. The iktotchi fell to a quick uppercut, and then it was just Caedon versus Rowahn once again. Caedon tried hard to defend, and had it been against any other opponent, he probably would have succeeded. However, Rowahn wasn’t just any other opponent. He was a member of the Imperial Inquisitorius, and an apprentice to Darth Vader himself. True, he had been cast out, but he would be welcomed back when he finally caught up with Jord, and delivered her lightsaber safely to the Empire.

A quick left-handed forward strike, and then a neck wrap bringing his saber to his a reverse grip in his right hand, Rowahn turned once more, and with a eclypse spin, he disarmed Caedon, knocking him to the ground.

“Remember Ethan Playn?” Rowahn yelled at the pantoran. “Remember all the thousands of others that you have killed just for the money? You didn’t deserve to live before, but still I let you! But instead of fleeing when you had the chance, you tried to come back and kill the only person who has ever done anything kind to you!” Turning away with a scoff of disgust and disbelief. Turning his gaze back on Ti-Rell once more he began speaking again. “You don’t get . . .”

“And you think you are any different? You think that just because the ‘Empire’ told you to, you could kill? There is no difference between you and I.” Caedon returned. “No, that’s not true. The difference is that you are an outcast. Everything you have ever done you have either cast off, or been cast out of! And it’s not just the Empire. They may have been the latest, but they certainly weren’t the first! And another thing. You said you spared my life out of mercy. You said that I didn’t even understand mercy! Well you’re wrong! If that was mercy than I understand it all too well. According to you, mercy is doing something for yourself SO THAT YOU DON’T FEEL BAD! You didn’t spare my life because it was the right thing to do, you spared it because you hoped it would make you feel better. Well I hope it did, because it is the last time an outcast like yourself will ever feel go. . .”

Caedon didn’t get to finish his sentence as the crimson blade of Rowahn’s saber extruded through his chest. “No man can speak to me like that and live.” Rowahn whispered to Caedon before dropping his now limp form.

---

“R4-T3 see if you can get this ship running, and if the crew misbehaves, deal with them accordingly.” Rowahn said as he stalked off towards the captain’s chambers. His ship may have been destroyed, but he still had to catch T’Risha Jord.

As Rowahn sat down, he tried to calm his mind. To beat back into submission the Force. It was once again trying to take control of him, trying to draw him back to the side of weakness. That could not be allowed to happen.

Rowahn could feel the ship lift off as he drifted into meditation.

---

The planet was cold and dark. There didn’t seem to be any light that crept through the perpetually cloud filled skies. This is where he had completed his first solo mission. As he walked he could barely make out the trail in front of him. It was a perfect hiding place for someone who did not want to be found. If you could even find the planet to begin with, then you still had to search everywhere for some sign of habitation. There were plenty of large, fierce animals who would eat you given the chance. Luckily they only came out at night. How you could tell the difference between day and night here, he had no idea. It was the same brightness during both. There were also pitfalls, crevices and any number of other things invisible to the eye until right on top of them. If it weren’t for the Force, he’d have been dead long ago.
   
Eventually he had found the man he’d been looking for. It was a human. Tall and muscular with a huge bushy beard. Rumor was that he was a distant relative of the Crescentfall brothers, but nothing had ever been confirmed, though it was definitely possible. He had only ever seen the brothers once, and it was only very briefly as they boarded a ship to head off on their own mission. He hadn’t known what had happened to them, but could only hope they had been destroyed in the Purge, though somehow he found that doubtful.
   
As they faced off, the burly Jedi stared straight at the young Inquisitor as if searching his very soul. The man’s eyes made him uneasy, and he knew that he had to somehow take him by surprise. The human was more than likely a far superior swordsman than the Inquisitor.
   
In a deep voice the man spoke. “So you are the traitor. The outcast we have heard so much about. What a disappointment.” He said with the shake of his head. “So much wasted potential.” Then he charged.
   
Rowahn reached out with the Force, and channeled everything he could into a small wedge. He had heard about a Force ability where you could drive a man catatonic just by pushing into the man’s mind. That was what he was hoping to do. The Jedi was almost upon him when he released it. Driving home the thorne, hoping it would work like it was supposed to. The man stopped dead in his tracks, then fell to his knees. The young Inquisitor stooped down and whispered in the older Jedi’s ear. “No man can speak to me like that and live.” Then he activated his saber and decapitated the man. Taking his lightsaber he left the body for the beasts to devour.
   
That was probably his hardest mission. No one since that man had he allowed to speak. He found a way to shut them up before they could say anything. He had followed Vader’s advice, and had never let himself feel pain again.

WOW!

This was a fantastic chapter!  TR, your fight scenes are always dynamic but I think that this one is your best yet: non-stop action, excitement, and drama.  Rowahn's own convictions finally galvanized to razor-focus... Wow...

And...Caedon...killed?!  I guess that no ONE should talk to Rowahn like that...

On a more serious note, I think that this chapter demonstrates a marked departure for both Rowahn and yourself: Rowahn's self-convictions no longer seem to be in flux as they have been the last few chapters (excellent pathos, of course) and now he's a man with a singular objective: T'Risha.  But more importantly, for yourself, this chapter represents a dynamic shift.  You've found your "voice" within your narrative and it is prevalent ALL throughout this installment.  My compliments, my friend!  OUTSTANDING writing  :)

...And now...I have to wonder just what Rowahn's going to do now that he's utilizing the Song...but as a Sith... Oh this is going to be GOOD...

BTW: I LOVE the easter egg concerning Rackham and Heditt! 

I am looking forward to your next chapter!

_{...IS Caedon dead?!?!?!?!?} :o

Like Dutchman said this was really great

Caedon...what a way to go, also loved the image of a guy getting his jet pack ripped off with the force!  But even though Rowahn killed him, Caedon really dug the knife in with his last statement, undermined any moral high ground Rowahn thought he had, the fact Rowahn basically has an extended flash back is evidence of that - No one speaks to him like that, so he shuts them up, killing externally what is obviously a deep internal pain he wants to be rid of.

I think that has really triggered something in him again, can he really keep 'never let himself feel pain again', will Jord end up another object of his attempt to push pain out?  I couldn't guess, just super excited to see where this heads next!

Thank you much Dutchman. Honestly, I wrote the first half of the fight scene and then took about a 3 week break from writing. When I came back today (and yesterday) I knew exactly where I wanted to go and how I wanted to go about doing it. I don't much care for the first half of the fight, but the second half worked amazing. I tied up some of the loose ends, but left some open still. I didn't have any idea what to do with the meditation portion till I started, and then it just kind of came out. And I especially didn't have any intentions on throwing the little easter egg in there at the end, but again, it just worked out perfectly.

As to your "more serious note", once again, I thank you. So much of this story has been leading to this one battle. I have tried to make every single thing in this story be important and have tried to make them all tie together. This was one of those chapters where we begin to see the big picture, and honestly I am surprised it worked as well as it did. There are things in chapter one that are just now being addressed, and that is how I was trying to do it. Many of the authors that I read don't have a cut and dry hero adventure, and especially not one that you can guess everything that happens before it does. But that is another thing I am trying to and hoping to portray. This isn't a hero's adventure. Rowahn is not a hero. He isn't even a good guy. And because of that, it has been very interesting for me to write. Anyways, I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't say anymore, but be prepared to be shocked.


Oh LSG, you have hit the proverbial nail on the head, and I am SO glad that you did. Because it tells me that I have succeeded in at least one of the aspects that I was trying for.

Thank you guys so much for reading and continually giving feedback. It makes it so much more enjoyable when I see others enjoying what I have written, and being excited for what is to come. I can tell that my writing has improved, and it is definitely because of the comments from the readers, but also reading the stories from everyone else. Like I've told my sister many times (who is actually a writer), I'm not a writer. I just have a story that needs to be told, and the only way I can tell it is by writing it down.

Hey!  Late to the party!  :)

LSG's comments were spot on.  As Dutchman said, he's sharpening his focus, but its not out of conviction but rather out of pain avoidance.  And I suspect that he would view any return to the Light as a very painful experience indeed.  Any "repentance" we go through has pain involved.  So if you're all about avoiding pain, you avoid repentance like the plague!

Nice combat sequence as well.  And the song!  He's singing ... without really understanding what he's doing.  But somehow I suspect that he'll learn more about it as he goes.  :-)

Great Story TR!!! I feel like this isn't the end though. Guess I'll just have to keep slowly working my way through the forumverse to find out. ;)

ALSO! I thought it was great that you and Dutchman did a collaborative scene with your characters. It's very inter-dynamic to get to see both points of view of the battle.

No, it most definitely isn't the end. I'm still working on this one. It should be done by now, but unfortunately, I have been extremely busy this past summer and even though university has started back up, I didn't get much time back. You will definitely see more here whenever I get it done. I am not nearly as prolific a writer as Karm, TD or LSG, but I do try. You may have seen me say this somewhere else, but I am not a writer. I have a story that needs to be told, and the only way I can tell it is through writing. If I could tell it through film I would, but unfortunately I am not at that level yet. Glad you are enjoying it though, and thanks for the comments. :)

My pleasure (in regard to your thanks for the comments)!

And no worries about Uni slowing you down (heaven knows I know that feeling). I’m curious to see what happens when you have more time to tell your story. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Again, thank you. And if you have any comments on the writing itself, I would love to hear it. Constructive criticism has probably been the most useful tool I have received during this writing adventure.

My only constructive criticism comment would be to maybe try to break up your paragraphs a little more. When it gets to be big blocks of text, it becomes more difficult to read (especially on a screen rather than paper). Breaking your ideas into smaller paragraphs can also help to Organize your writing better.

I found it very helpful though that you chose to italicize any dialogue that wasn't Rowahn's. It made it very easy to be able to follow who was speaking that way. I also really like the way that you write your combat scenes! It's beautiful and they really come to life in your writing. That's personally a thing that I find myself struggling with, so extra Kudos to you!

Hmm, interesting. Maybe it is because I have a 17.3" screen, but the larger blocks of text don't bother me. Still, thank you for pointing it out. Without it, I wouldn't have had any idea. Will definitely try to do a bit smaller paragraphs.


Thank you. Italicizing other people's dialogue came from the little bit of RPing that I have done on here. And I agree, it makes it far easier to follow what is being said. As for fight scenes, that stems from reading the fights scenes of other great writers (J.R.R. Tolkien, Brandon Sanderson, etc.). Besides that, I have done quite a bit of "studying" of swordplay and fighting (though never really did any myself), so I know terms that really help to give the exact picture you are trying to paint. Also, usually while writing a fight scene, I actually visualize every stroke, every block and parry, every little movement down to the footwork. I really put myself into the scene to try and get a feel of how it would look on paper if that makes any sense. I'm sure with more practice you too will find a way to write them like you want. :)

Thanks for the suggestions! For me, I'm a combination visual/tactile-kinesthetic learner, so acting out scenes is what helps me the most in writing.... Unfortunately, this is highly impractical for very obvious reasons when it comes to more intense battle scenes, even with my stage combat experience and limited self-defense/martial arts skills, become a challenge >.< I'm already choreographing a scene that's taking place more than 30 chapters later than where I am for this reason XD (That one's particularly hard though because one of the characters uses staff, and I suck at staff).

I've done a lot of RP work, but most of the characters that I've played never end up in battle situations .-.

Hey guys, sorry it took so long for me to get this next chapter up. It was not an easy on for me to write for a ton of reasons. Hopefully the next ones won't be so long apart. Hope you enjoy.

---

   
As the ship flashed out of the twirling tunnel of blue hyperspace, Rowahn once again came to the cockpit. Forty-Three had set the ship on auto-pilot and had gone to plug himself in.Taking the controls, Rowahn check to make sure that the tracker still showed T’Risha’s position as on the surface. So far it seemed as if she still was. Maybe Rowahn would finally catch up to her, and end the chase that had been ongoing for over two years now. It was time for Rowahn to complete his task. Caedon was dead, so that distraction was gone forever. The Force was quiet for the time being but he didn’t know how long that would last. He wouldn’t let it turn him back to a weakened state as it had been trying so hard to do. Still, the edge it had given him during his battle with Caedon had been nice. He’d have to speak with Lord Vader after he returned to see if there was some way he could harness the power that it gave, rather than being a slave to it. He’d worry about that later.
   
The ship was soon in the upper atmosphere, and like always, it seemed to take far to little time to get to the surface. Or what could be considered the surface. Ithor was beautiful with filled with lush plant life and gorgeous waterfalls. However, according to the Ithorians, no one was allowed to go to the surface. Except on one condition, that they stay there forever. It was supposedly sacred, and as such, the Ithorians had built their cities in the air. Strange hammerheaded creatures to be sure. Rowahn thought to himself as he began his landing approach.
   
“YT-2400 model light freighter, identify yourself! and your business for requesting a landing.” an automated voice sounded over the radio. The Ithorians could not verbally speak Galactic basic, and as such were required to either have a translator droid or a voice translator. Some humans could understand Ithorese, but it was extremely difficult to learn.
   
“This is Darth Rowahn of the Imperial Inquisitorious. The Empire has sent me here in search of a dangerous criminal who has reportedly been seen in this quadrant last. I request permission to land.” Rowahn stated to the Ithorian.
   
After a brief pause, the radio sounded once again, “Inquisitor, you are clear for landing on Herdship three, landing-bay six. You may begin your landing approach”
   
Rowahn handed control of the ship over to Forty-Three than headed back towards the cabin. Within a few moments they had landed and Rowahn was heading out to meet the security officer. As a child, the ithroians had always frightened him, but he was now older and an Inquisitor. He wouldn’t allow his childhood fears to keep him from doing his duty to the Empire. He had come to catch a criminal, and that was what he was going to do.
   
After quickly outlining what he needed the Ithorians to do and giving them a description of Jord, Rowahn headed off in search of ‘landing-bay’ twelve. The officer had told Rowahn that a ship matching the description of a Sheathepede-class transport shuttle had docked there about two days ago and had not left yet. Nobody had exited or entered the landing-bay that they had seen.
   
As Rowahn strode through the streets of the Herdship, he noticed the street vendors and even the supermarkets seemed to be dedicated to the forest and nature. He also did not see any form of Law Enforcement though it had to be there somewhere. Everything, though busy, was relatively peaceful and the ithroians genuinely seemed to be a peaceful race. As the Inquisitor thought about this, he began to hear a simple harmony radiating from everything including the ithorians themselves. The sound was simple, yet beautiful. It seemed to be a single thread weaving its way through and around all the occupants of the Herdship, unbroken and complete. As he pondered this phenomena he noticed two things. First, the thread seemed to not only flow between each of the individuals, but also down to the surface of the planet and back with an even greater power than the connection between each of the aliens. And second, he noticed something else. A melody similar, but distinctly different. One that he recognized. One that he’d heard before. This one however was not on the Herdship, but coming completely from the surface.
   
After listening a bit longer, Rowahn realized why he recognized it. He had not noticed it the last time he had been in contact with it, but he did now. Jord! He thought. Why was it coming from the surface though? Surely Jord would know that the once on the planet’s surface the ithorians would prohibit you from ever leaving. She must not be expecting to leave the planet. Well, she is right.
   
By this time he was at the landing-bay, and inside was indeed a Sheathepede-class transport shuttle. There was no one on board, but Rowahn already knew that. There was nothing here for him. What he sought was on the surface. The ithorains wouldn’t like it, but it was necessary.

---

   
Once on the surface, Rowahn began listening to the Force. He hated relying on it to find his prey, but what other choice did he have? Slowly, gradually, he began to pick up the disparate threads. The tree, the forest as a whole seemed to be speaking to him. Whispering to give up the ways of darkness, and be at peace. Shaking off the effects of the forest and ignoring all that was not of use to him, he slowly found T’Risha’s thread.
   
Following the distinctly different thread, he quickly came to an opening. The opening was fairly large, and ringed with trees. In the very center of the circle sat T’Risha Jord.
   
“I’ve been waiting for you” she said, again without looking up. “I knew you’d catch up to me eventually, I just needed you to chase me till I had arrived at my destination, and you had defeated the bounty hunter. It seems you have succeeded based on the fact that you no longer wear a helmet and have modified your saber again.”
   
“You are very observant for one who will not even look at me.” Rowahn replied after a brief pause.
   
“There are other ways to see than with your eyes. I had hoped you would have discover this by now. It seems that you are not a true Sith. You are not willing to use any means to gain power. You are only willing to use those which will not show you something you are not willing to see. Maybe there is still a chance for you after all.” With that, Jord silently rose and unclipped her saber from her belt.
   
“It seems you also know why I am here than.” Rowahn stated, “Good. It will make my job easier.”
   
Taking his pike off his back, Rowahn activated his blade. The light crimson humming in time to his own thread. He noticed Jord’s green blade did the same when she activated hers. Interesting. He thought. “Shall we begin the final battle?” He asked with a glint of humor in his eye. They both knew it would be the last battle Jord and Rowahn ever face.
   
Leaping forward Rowahn struck. Once again, Jord moved faster than she should have, dodging the blade and keeping her defense up. Rowahn struck again, and again Jord dodged. He would not allow the anger and fury overcome his mind and make him a raging animal as it did to so many of the other Inquisitors he had trained alongside. No, Vader had trained him better, trained him personally. Only one other person had Vader ever taken on as an apprentice until he had been destroyed. Since then, Vader had made good on his promise to teach Rowahn, and he had quickly become the most powerful of the Inquisitors. More powerful than Yiaso, more powerful than Gaetana even. Yet still he had chosen not to take the title of Grand Inquisitor for himself. Instead, he dubbed himself Darth Rowahn. This had infuriated Yiaso, but it pleased Vader, so Rowahn kept the title.
   
He was angry, and he was furious, but he channeled that anger. His blows becoming faster and faster until Jord was forced to block the saber rather than just dodge. With a quick thrust Rowahn forced Jord to leap backwards. Just as before, the two warriors began to circle. And also just like before, Jord began to summon the dust and stones around her into a swirling vortex of debris. She was using it as a shield, but Rowahn knew how to dispel it now. Reaching into the melody she was using to summon the earth, he grabbed hold of it and twisted.
   
As the chords shattered, the dust whirlwind crumbled. T’Risha stumbled from her song being twisted, but she didn’t falter for long. As she continued to fight, she started weaving a subtle theme into her greater battle song. It was a defensive and protective melody. One that fought off the effects of outside influence upon her song.
   
She knows too much about this aspect of the Force! Rowahn thought as he tried his best to do what he could to get through her mental defenses. The battle continued, Rowahn virtually flying through the air with his speed and Jord doing the same, but rarely going for the attack.
   
“I see you have decided to use what you know to try to counteract my own song. I am by no means a Master of Song, but I can recognize growth in a Singer as much as the next. It is too bad Vader has corrupted your heart. You could be a useful ally with a bit of training.” Jord said smirking.
   
Rowahn knew she was aluding to something he had no knowledge of. Something the female Jedi he had fought had said. Something about the Song. It upset him greatly that he had didn’t know what this “Song” had to do with anything. And the way she had said “useful ally” sounded almost like she was not talking about an ally for herself, but for someone else. Perhaps there was more he could learn before he killed her. No! He thought. I will not give in to her taunts. I will not let her win. I will not allow myself the pain of losing yet again.
   
With that thought, he rushed forward in a flurry of motion. As he neared her he did something he had not yet had the chance to try out. Touching the modified coupler, he released the lower portion of his hilt into his left hand. With his saber in his right and the extension in his left he began to fight ferociously. The saber hilt itself could only take a few hits from Jord’s saber, but he could use it to strike any openings he found. With the two weapons he quickly started gaining ground.
   
Spinning his saber, he struck at Jord. She blocked the saber, but he quickly locked-up with it keeping her from escaping, then with his hilt extension, he brought it around and struck the Jedi, knocking her backwards and causing her to release her grip on her saber. As she stumbled back and fell to the ground, Rowahn deactivated her saber and clipped it to his belt. She was trying to rise, so the Inquisitor began to advance quickly. It was time to end this.
Suddenly he flew back across the clearing, landing on his back. Jord’s saber began rattling on his belt, and before he could grab it, it flew away. Reaching out her hand the Jedi caught the saber. With as snap, the blade sprang to life once again casting an emerald shean over the ground and young woman. However, she just stood there, waiting for Rowahn to rise again.

Then she spoke, “You have been given another chance to return to who you once were. I know you think I never paid you any attention at the temple, but that is not true. I remember when you came running through the halls, and ran straight into me. You didn’t even try to stop. Luckily for me, the Song warned me long before you collided with me, and I was able to anticipate it.”

Rowahn was on his feet now, shocked that she remember that as well. He quickly recovered however and shaking the haze from his mind Force leaped across the clearing towards the Jedi. As their sabers once again locked, Jord held her place this time, and spoke up once again.

“That was not the only time you were running through the halls. You would often get in trouble for it, but it never stopped you for long. You were stopped at least four different times for running after you had successfully built your lightsaber. I see you have kept a similar design even with the extension. For all your work to cut yourself off from everything in your past, and yet you carry around a constant reminder of what you were. Who you were.” She said then pushed out of the clash. As she stood a few steps away she continued. “The day you built your saber was a sad day for me. But seeing you overflowing with joy and excitement, I couldn’t help but smile.”

Rowahn knew he needed to shut Jord up, but he couldn’t. She was too powerful a Jedi, he could not get past her defenses. He would not let himself give in to the taunts though. She was trying to draw him back to the light. He couldn’t let that happen. Furiously he began to spin his saber. As the wall of light rose around him, the noise created mixed with his ever-increasing bellow of rage began to drown out the sound of her voice. Still it was not enough.
   
“You try to give the facade of a rough, tough, uncaring warrior, but that is not you. You are nothing more than the young traitor that everyone said you were. I always hoped it was not true, but I can see now that it is. What a disappointment.” Jord said in a saddened voice.
   
Rowahn stumbled back at her words. He had sworn to never allow someone to say that to him again, and yet he had. His anger and rage were starting to take over, and he lashed out with uncontrolled fury. Rowahn barrelled towards the young Jedi, but before he could get to her he flew backwards. His shoulder struck a tree, and he went twisting to the ground. He felt no pain though, and quickly got up and rushed towards her again. But again he was thrown away. His anger was still growing, but his curiosity was overtaking it. He couldn’t understand why he could not block the Force blasts. He couldn’t even anticipate them. There was nothing, then suddenly he would fly back. How could she muster that much power in so little time? The ‘song’! The thought occurred to him as he slowly began to rise. What that meant, he had no idea. He needed to figure out what the song was, and how to counter it. Perhaps there was a way to hide your intentions with this ‘song’. Maybe even hide your own presence with it.

No! He thought. I can’t let myself fall into her trap. This is exactly what she wants me to do. She wants me to let my guard down, and open myself up to her, which would give her the opportunity to either kill me or escape. I can’t let that happen.

Once again, he attacked, but this time when he charged her he had a Force shield up in front of him to keep her from being able to blast him back. He swung his saber high towards Jord’s neck, but she blocked it. Rowahn held the clash for a few seconds, just long enough for him to reach out and grab the hilt extension with the Force from where it had fallen and summon it to his hand. As soon as he gripped it in his palm, he pushed off with his saber, and struck with the hilt. Deliberately striking the saber out of her hand rather than going for a body blow. The saber flew away and Rowahn dropped the extension grabbing the saber with both hands and raising it above his head for a strong downwards strike. Once again, he flew backwards before he could strike. The time however, he noticed something. Jord hadn’t even lifted a hand before he flew back.

He knew that the Force didn’t require you to raise your hand in order for it to work, that was one of the first things they were taught at the Temple. But in battle everyone did it, because it took too much concentration to use the Force without a conduit of some form. So everyone used their hand. How was it possible that Jord was so strong that she could direct a Force blast with that much precision without raising her hand, and while in the midst of a battle? The ‘Song’! He didn’t know what all it could do, but if it could give that sort of advantage, it might just be worth looking into rather than suppressing it.

Rowahn closed his eyes and focused. He enhanced his senses, then slowly rose. He could hear Jord coming towards him, and he could almost see her as the Force sent images to his mind allowing him to build an image of his surroundings. He was on the edge of the clearing, and Jord was near the center once again. As he listened he could hear the song weaving through the forest and into the clearing. He could hear the trees whispering for him to turn towards peace. He could see the two seperate sides of the Force, one clearly light, the other dark. As he listened to them he heard the joyous playful sound of the lightside, though flawed, it was still beautiful. The he looked to the dark, it had a deep melodic sound, but at the same time it had a minor key, and was very chaotic as if it didn’t know where it was headed or what it was trying to do.

Finally he looked between them. For the first time he noticed something. Jord was not fully in the light, and he was not fully in the dark. Not only that, but there was not a definite line between light and dark. He had heard rumors about the so called “gray Jedi” but had never believed them. All his life he had been told there was the Dark side and the Light. The two never merged. Never met, and yet he could see now that this was wrong. There was a “gray” area. One that was not truly light nor dark.

Rowahn saw all this in a matter of seconds. As if time itself had slowed down. Opening his eyes he could see Jord running at him at full speed. However, she didn’t seem to be moving much faster than a slow walk. Rowahn began to reach out his hand. Then stopped, looked down at it, and let it drop back to his side. He didn’t need it. He had never needed it. It was just a lie he had been told his whole life.

He looked back at Jord and smiled. He could feel the power building up inside of him. Then he released it. Jord flew back across the clearing, and landed on the other side. She lay there stunned. Rowahn strode over toward her and looked down. He now had the upper hand. All other times he had fought T’Risha she had known things he hadn’t, and because of that had been able to beat him every time. This time however, she couldn’t win. She had shown him how to win, and he had run with it.

“T’Risha Jord, you have been found guilty but the Galactic Empire, and by its ruler Emperor Palpatine, and have been sentenced to deat-” Rowahn began, but was cut off.

“You may think you are doing the right thing. You may think that the Jedi were weak, were wrong. And you would probably be right. But there is one thing they were right about. The Sith and the Dark side will corrupt you given the chance. I have had years to come to this understanding. At first I was just like you. I was angry at the Jedi. They had failed me. They had failed to protect my master. They had failed to protect the Republic they were sworn to protect. But as I grew older, I realized something. They had never failed to uphold their vows. They were not warriors, yet when the Clone Wars began, they took it upon themselves to lead the clones into battle in order to try as hard as they could to uphold the vows they had made. You can kill me. You can fulfill your vows to the Empire, but if you do, make sure it is what it truly best. Not easiest, simplist, or whatever else you want. Is is truly what the One would have you to do?"

Rowahn didn’t understand her ramblings, but he couldn’t help feeling like he was doing something wrong. He looked T’Risha in the eyes for a brief moment and realized something: there was a deeper connection between them. One he would never admit, and one she would never have the chance too. He could hear Vader’s voice in the back of his mind Strike her down, and earn your rightful place at my side. For the first time in nearly ten years, something was not right. He felt wrong. The Jedi had taught him one thing, and the Empire another, but how was he supposed to know which was right? All around him the Force spun and struggled. Always fighting, never merging. He knew he should let her go, but if he did, he would also be a fugitive from the Empire. They would hunt him down wherever he went. There would be no escape.

Do it! The voice in his head was saying. What other choice did he have. He was Darth Rowahn. Member of the Impirial Inquisitorious, and apprentice the Lord Vader himself. If he failed in this one task, how could he continue.
   
Rowahn quickly raised his saber above his head, and with only the slightest hesitance, brought the blade down.
   
Jord was dead.

He had done it. The Force was quiet again. Only the rhythmic thumping that he was so used to. But what had he really accomplished by it? He didn’t feel empowered. He did not feel like he could rule the entire galaxy, or that he could stand at Lord Vader’s side. He felt weak. It was more than just guilt this time.

Rowahn nealt down to retrieve Jord’s saber. When he rose again, he no longer felt weak. He no longer felt anything. he had been completely numbed by the pain.

:'( That was a beautiful chapter, Taegin! It's so interesting to see how you've grown as a writer over the last several months! I can't wait to see what happens now that Rowahn has finally caught his prey... but is also stuck on the planet, no? Where does he go from here?

Hey Teagan!   Awesome chapter!  And easier to read with the smaller paragraphs!  :-)

But now poor Rowhan is stuck, in more ways than one.  I think he's crafty enough to get off the planet despite the Ithorians.  But that's the least of his problems!  He's caught and killed his prey at last and learned that there was nothing there for him.  He's dead inside.  Empty.

And the song.  It is still there.  It may be quiet for the moment, but that won't last.

And there's always a chance that T'Risha might just come back to haunt him....

Amazing stuff...once more the real battle is inside Rowahn, he's pushing and pulling, twisting and turning.  In the end it seemed like being who he was, and being who he could be were both too much for him...so he just cut it down, ended it, made himself numb - I think killing Jord had nothing to do with the Inquisitions orders, it was just to make the tension she had wakened in him go away, similar to Caedon...but the difference this time is now he doesn't have the fiery rage anymore...he's got nothing - he almost had so so much, he saw the gray in between felt the balance and...cut himself from it.

Where he goes from here...wow that will be interesting.   

I think that Rowahn is a poignant example of what an anti-villain SHOULD be.  Yes, his conflict is an ever-present part of his character, but more importantly, it shows that what should be Rowahn's greatest victory has left the ashes of defeat and the pain of despondency riddled throughout.

THIS is how an angst-ridden character should come across as.  But now: where will Rowahn go?  What experience will FINALLY grant him the catharsis that he so desperately is searching for?  And is Jord truly dead, or is she now One with the Song?

BTW: I LOVE how both you and Karm have the Song within your various narratives and how disparate they are.  Indeed, while the concept is similar, Rowahn sees the Song as something MUCH different than the Mak'Tor.  Further evidence of some great writing!

I can't wait for the next chapter, TR!

And once again, it has been a very very long time since I posted a chapter. I did not intend for it to be so long, but last semester was extremely busy for me. Since I started working again, I have slowly been working more on this. Hopefully I can finish the book before school starts again in August. I feel like I should be able to, but seeing how fast this year is going already, I don't know if I will. Anyways, here is the next chapter. It is a shorter chapter, but hopefully still enjoyable.

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Getting off the planet had been relatively easy. All he had had to do was signal Fourty-Three to come pick him up, and then leave before the ithorian authorities had been able to do anything. Despite the ease of exit, Rowahn did not enjoy the trip very much. With Caedon’s freighter, they only had to make one stop on their return journey to the Core worlds. And though the travel was not more than three days, it had felt like weeks. He had completed his mission, but what had he gained? The words that Jord had said haunted him the entire journey.
   
“You are nothing more than the young traitor that everyone said you were” his thoughts echoed, “What a disappointment”.
   
He found no joy or feeling of completion and pride in what he had done. “Is is truly what the One would have you to do?” That question haunted him perhaps the most. Who or what was this ‘One’? He felt like he should know, yet he had no idea. And was it truly what he had wanted? Rowahn didn’t know why, but he felt like this ‘One’ was a he.
   
The feeling of numbness had not subsided, so he had no way of searching his feelings. Like all Inquisitors, he had been trained to not give in to pain, but rather draw on it and to let it fuel you. However, he could not help but remember the promise Vader had made to him all those years ago. One that until now, he had not realized had not been kept.
   
The weakness was humiliating. The great Darth Rowahn, feared by even the High Inquisitor, and right now he was nothing. He was not a Sith, he was not an Inquisitor, he was not even a wayward Jedi. He was something else. Something he could not understand. That frightened him.

---

Rowahn arrived at the Prakith citadel, and strode through the halls. As normal, the other Imperials and Inquisitors avoided him. His reputation was too well known. None of them would be able to tell that things were not quite right within him. None of them except perhaps Gaetana. She did not seem to be in the citadel however. At least he could not sense her sickly presence. Though right now he could not sense much of anything.
   
Quickly he moved toward the lifts to the lower levels. He needed to deposit T’Risha’s saber in the vault before reporting back to Vader and Yiaso. They had already been alerted of his return, but he needed as much time as possible to collect himself before facing them again.
   
The saber vault was not much more than a storage and packing room where retrieved hilts were taken and stored until they could be transported away. Rowahn had never learned where they went or what happened to them. Nor did he ever care.
   
There was one guard standing outside the storage room and another two inside. Rowahn was known to them, and he was let in without hesitation. It seemed that they had removed a large number of hilts since the last time Rowahn had been in there. He set Jord’s saber down and turned to leave, but something caught his eye. It was an older hilt, cylindrical and fairly simple in design. A black and silver hilt with rings engraved in the body of the hilt to provide grip. Other than that there was a choke point and some more rings near the emitter, but nothing else. Simple, elegant, and beautiful in many ways. Rowahn did not know why it had caught his attention, but his pause had drawn the guards attention.
   
“Sir, it is time for you to leave.” They said as they started toward Rowahn.

Rowahn did not resist at first, then he realized why he recognized it.

“No, I’m not done here yet.” Rowahn replied passively.
   
The two guards stepped forward, one of them putting his hand on Rowahn’s shoulder.
   
“Do not resist, Inquisitor!” He spat out in disgust.
   
Rowahn was angry now. How dare they touch him. With a flick of his arm, he had caught the guards hand and removed it from himself. With a Force enhanced twist, he broke the man’s arm and threw him across the room.
   
The other guard attempted to Rowahn, but he was not close enough. Before he could cross the room, Rowahn grabbed him with the Force and slowly, angrily squeezed. He could feel the man’s bones cracking inside him as the Force overpowered his feeble body.
   
The guard outside heard the ruckus and burst into the room. Rowahn hurled the now limp guard into the new guard before he could figure out what was going on. All three guards were down, but the halls were blazing with the sounds of sirens, putting the entire citadel on high alert. They most likely did not know what or who the alert was about, but that would not stop them for long.
   
Rowahn pulled the saber to his hand and quickly left the room. It was now time for him to meet with Yiaso and Darth Vader. He moved easily through the halls until he reached the prescribed meeting place. He could sense the dark presences of the Sith Lord and High Inquisitor within. Rowahn barged into the room in a state of barely controlled fury.
   
“What are you doing?” He yelled at Vader, flashing the saber he had retrieved. “I need answers, NOW!”
   
Yiaso spoke in his stuck-up, nazaly voice. “This is your Lord and master, and you will show him the respect he deserves!”
   
“I don’t care who he is. He made me a promise, and now he needs to fulfill it!”
   
“Lord Vader needs do no such thing.” The Zabrak retorted.
   
“Silence, Inquisitor. The boy is right.” Vader said. “The Emperor is building a weapon using the Kyber from the fallen Jedi’s lightsabers. That is all you need to know.”
   
“It’s not enough! I need to know that what I am doing is right!. I need to have some purpose to my tasks, or else they are meaningless!” Rowahn replied in a desperate, pained voice. “I have nothing left.” he muttered.
   
“Your purpose is to serve the Empire and do the bidding of Lord Vader and the Emperor. Nothing else. And you do so without question and without hesitation. Your debriefing will begin shortly. Until then, perhaps you will explain to us why you attacked three guards and stole a possession from the vault.” The Grand Inquisitor lectured.
   
“No.”
   
“What? You dare disobey a direct order from your superior? Hand over the saber Inquisitor!”
   
“No.” Rowahn’s thoughts were becoming clearer now.
   
“Give me the saber now, or I will have you arrested and thrown in th. . .”
   
“No!” Rowahn replied with force.

He understood what was going on. He realized now what the Empire was. He realized what it was that T’Risha Jord had been trying to tell him. It wasn’t about blocking out all pain, or being a perfect soldier. It was about doing what was right. Doing what needed to be done no matter the cost. It was about accepting the pain, and letting go, not ignoring it in hopes that it would go away. He knew now that killing Ti’Rell, killing Jord, killing the countless others he had over the years was not done because the Empire had told him to, but rather so that he could hide. Run away and hide, and not face the decisions he had made, and the past that he had once lived. He just needed an excuse to run, and that is what the Empire and the Inquisitorius had provided.

Now, Jord had provided him with something else. Something he had long been searching for, though he did not know it. A reason to stand and face his fears. To face his worries, and to face his past.

As Rowahn opened himself back up to the Force, and to the Song, he realized that the Song was not something to be frightened of. Not something that would corrupt his soul. That had already been corrupted by Vader and the Dark Side. Through the Song he could cleanse his hands and purify his heart. No, not the Song, but rather the one who had created the Song. He could be rid of his hate, his anger, his rage. He could understand why someone like Jord could be at peace. He understood that the pain he had felt was a necessary part of life. Without it, it is impossible to know what the consequences of your actions might be.

Rowahn let the pain out. It had been bottled up for so many years that it came out on its own. Pain, guilt, sorrow, sadness, distress. Everything welled up inside him giving him strength. He felt the pain of Jords death more acutely than he had anything else in his entire life. But he didn’t suppress it. He listened and drew from it. The Song was one of mixed emotions. Good as well as bad, but not evil. He had thrown those aside. Never again would he return to them. His new life had began, and he knew what he was.

Standing up tall, Rowahn removed his saber from his back, and pressed the activation button.

First off TR: you take whatever time that you need.  After all, Real Life>writing  ;)   Having said that...

This chapter was a real prize!  Rowahn's conflict is a roiling sea of emotion, especially after what he's gone through.  Now that he's returned to Prakith, it seems that he can no longer avoid looking in the mirror and--especially&appropriately--into his own soul.  I have to say: I really enjoy how Rowahn finally listens (REALLY listens) to the Song.  And in doing so, is able to see the Dark Side for what it is, what it has molded him into, and what he can be once free from it.  After all, what person is beyond redemption?

And we've got two of the Big Bads in attendance: Grand Inquisitor Ja'ce Yiaso and the Dark Lord of the Sith himself: Darth Vader!  Not to mention the other Inquisitors (that Gaetana: GREAT descriptor for her, especially post "Dark Pheonix!"...although she's like a bad penny: ALWAYS turning up when you least want for her to  ;)).  I cannot WAIT to see what happens next, ESPECIALLY given this next and IMO one of the BEST lines in the Forumverse:

"Standing up tall, Rowahn removed his saber from his back, and pressed the activation button."

OK, when I read this, I swear that I could hear "Dual of the Fates" as the perfect accompaniment for that scene   ;D

Indeed, Rowahn is changing however painfully...though I doubt he's at the point of an profound change - the scene with the guards, his willingness to just toss them aside, at best he seems to have realised the Empires promises are hollow, and perhaps is looking for the Song he's found to replace it, and i wonder if the source of the Song (the 'One' he thinks about) isn't his past self, the part of him that was once a child with Jord and still exists somewhere beneath the fear...and by listening to said song he is reconciling who is is with who he was as a full person.
Still reminds me of the Scene with Caedon where he tried to claim he was showing him mercy, Rowahn seems to take two steps forward then one step back every time, exactly where he's headed I don't think Rowahn really knows yet, just trusting what he feels in the moment - though he may not live long enough to find out where that path leads.

Sweet!  That was a great chapter!  I won't re-hash the great comments from LSG and Dutchman except to say I am in full agreement.   Rowahn has a long way to go, but he took that critical first step.  I loved the imagery of that, btw.  Nicely done.  :-)

Now all he has to do is survive Grand Inquisitor Ja'ce Yiaso and Darth Vader...   

Well since this next week is going to be super busy, and the week after I will be fishing, I figured I'd post this now before I get too busy to post it. And I succeeded in doing what I was hoping too. I tried to not have so much time pass between posting chapters. So anyways, here you guys go.

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The light-red blade sprang into existence with a woosh and Rowahn launched himself towards the Grand Inquisitor. Ja’ce Yiaso barely had time to bring his own saber up before Rowahn was upon him.

Rowahn’s speed and skill was unrivaled within the Inquisitorius buy all except possibly Gaetana. Once upon a time Yiaso might have been able to compete with Rowahn in single combat, but since the Inquisitorius had grown, Ja’ce had not kept up his skill set. Though he had a brilliant mind for tactics, his abilities with a saber were nowhere near where they once were, and it showed. Within a few short strokes Yiaso would have been down had it not been for his quick thinking when Rowahn had disobeyed a direct order.

High Inquisitor Gaetana, the Eleventh brother and Fourteenth sister, along with a squad of stormtroopers burst through the door. Immediately the Stormtroopers started firing upon Rowahn causing him to break off his attack on the Grand Inquisitor. The momentary distraction was enough for Yiaso to regain his composer and get out of the way. Rowahn reached into the now flowing river of the Song, feeling each of the Stormtroopers, as well as the Inquisitors and Vader. His saber flashed through the air deflecting the blaster bolts back habitually while simultaneously splitting his consciousness between the physical and metaphysical realms.

As his saber launched the bolts back at the Stormtroopers, his mind was searching for a way to make them disable them without killing them. There! he thought, but it was too late. His skill with a lightsaber had already dispatched each one of the Stormtroopers. So fast had the troops fallen that the Inquisitors had not yet made their first attack. Gaetana led the charge as the other two followed closely behind.

The only one that Rowahn “feared” was Gaetana, but even then, the other two could provide an annoyance if not taken out of the picture. So Rowahn reached out and threw Gaetana across the room. She would be recovered in a moment, but that was all he needed to dispatch the other two. Bringing his saber up, he blocked the attack from the Eleventh Brother, then with a simple flourish of his blade simultaneously sliced the brother in half, shoulder to waist, and parried the strike of the Sister. She had obviously expected him to be unable to avert her attack , and the surprise was evident in both her face and the Force. With a quick slash, her head was rolling towards Ja’ce Yiaso. 
Rowahn spun just in time block Gaetana’s attack, and then the battle really began in earnest. Gaetana was fast and, like Rowahn, did not use the rotating saberstaff that most Inquisitors did. In the relatively close quarters this gave her a pretty strong advantage over Rowahn’s spear. However, over the past few weeks he had defeated two Jedi who were both excellent warriors as well as Caedon Ti-Rell and T’Risha Jord. All of whom had had some form of advantage over him. He was not worried too much about Gaetana’s advantage.

The conference room was relatively small, and was already littered with the bodies of the slain Stormtroopers and Inquisitors but Rowahn and Gaetana were not bothered by it. The easily matched each other stroke for stroke for a few minutes. Then as Rowahn had been trying to do the entire battle, he let the Song flow through him. Not just taking over his body and doing whatever it wanted to, but rather allowing him to use the knowledge and skills he had gained over the years to create an opening for him.

The opening was nothing more than Gaetana and himself being a few steps away from each other. Normally this would do nothing for him, but with the Song flowing through him, it was enough. Rowahn reached his hand out and did something he had never done before, and had only ever heard about it. He used Force Lightning. However, it was different than all the accounts he had heard of it. His lightning was not a blueish-purple color, but rather golden. It struck Gaetana and threw her into the wall. Rowahn could tell that it was not powerful enough to kill, but the effects of it were still noticeable. Gaetana writhed on the floor as he let her drop, then he turned back towards Vader and Yiaso.

“Your "protectors" have failed you Grand Inquisitor” He mocked. Even the great ‘High Inquisitor Gaetana’ has fallen. I think it is time we finished what they interrupted.”

“Silence, my apprentice.” Vader spoke, his voice resounding through the room. “These were your allies, it was wrong of you to destroy them.”

Fear and power emanated through his voice. So much so that Rowahn took a step back. There were stories about how “forgiving” Darth Vader was. Not that Rowahn was looking for his forgiveness. Not anymore. He no longer craved the attention and praise he had once been given by the Dark Lord. Now he needed answers, and it was plain to see that Vader would give him none. Still, the power in his voice was almost more than Rowahn could bare.

Slowly he deactivated his lightsaber, and started walking backwards towards the door. But then the Grand Inquisitor spoke for the last time.

“You have not been dismissed, coward!” He spat out. “Lord Vader is not don…”

Blood gurgled out of his open mouth. Rowahn had in the blink of an eye, pulled Yiaso towards himself and impaled him on his bright red blade. Grand Inquisitor Ja’ce Yiaso had annoyed him for the last time. Rowahn deactivated his saber again, and the once great Inquisitor flopped to the ground.

Rowahn turned to leave once more but this time Vader spoke. “You have changed.”

“Yes.” came his reply. He could feel Vader moving closer.

“You have forsaken that which once made you strong. Now you are weak!”

Vader’s saber sprang to life as he attacked. The ferocity in his attacks was stunning. Even though Rowahn had practiced with simulators many times, they did nothing to prepare him for actually facing Vader. Rowahn had never truly seen Vader fight, and he had never realized the full extent of his power.

Rowahn was pushed back at Darth Vader’s advance. He was barely able to defend against the mighty onslaught. It was said that there had never been an opponent who had stood against Vader and lived. Let alone won the battle.
They were soon out in the corridors of the Imperial Citadel, and even with more room to maneuver, Rowahn still had a hard time keeping up. None of his strikes made it through the Dark Lord’s defenses, and even his feeble Force attacks were anticipated and deflected with ease.

Vader reached out his hand and picked up Rowahn, then threw him across the corridor with the Force. Rowahn slammed into a wall and crumpled downwards, but before he could even make it to the floor Vader had picked him back up with the Force, and began choking him. Rowahn’s saber clattered to the ground as he reached up to grab at the non-existent hands. He could feel the life leaving his body as he desperately searched for an answer to his problem.

“You have failed for the last time. You failed your Emperor,” Vader said, his voice booming. “And you have failed me!”

Rowahn was still grasping at air when it came to him. The song. Closing his eyes, Rowahn listened. He relaxed at opened his mind. If ever he needed an advantage it was now. He had found it. Hidden within the song was something. Rowahn could not even describe what he felt. He enveloped himself in this “hole”, making him nearly invisible to Force users. Rowahn dropped and breathed in deeply. Though Vader could still physically see Rowahn, he was no longer able to manipulate him with the Force.

If Vader was surprised, there was no way of knowing. The black monolith just strode towards Rowahn as he regained his composure.

“You are nothing now. You are less than an outcast!” Darth Vader said.

“I know.” Rowahn replied coolly. “I am nothing but a shadow of what I used to be.”

Rowahn moved. He could not stay in his “hole” while fighitng or else he would be unable to use the Force, but he was ready for Vader. The Song was fueling him, but more than that, Rowahn was fueling the Song. He wrapped himself in it’s flowing embrace and attacked. Though he could still not break through Vader’s defenses, he could at least keep up with him. The battle had been balanced. Slowly they moved out into an opening, Rowahn could sense the presence of other Inquisitors and soldiers, but they all knew better than to interfere with a battle between the most powerful Inquisitor, and the Dark Lord.

As the battle continued stroke for stroke, Rowahn came to an understanding and realization of something. He may not know what or who he was, but he did know what he was not. So he spoke.

“I will not longer be Darth Rowahn,” He said the continued with the rest of his title,  “Member of the Imperial Inquisitorious and Apprentice to Darth Vader. That is not who I am.”

As he said this, he thought about the past few weeks. The battles he had fought, the foes he had faced. He started to understand Jord. Though the Jedi Order may have failed her, the Empire was even worse. More than this though, he thought about his fight with Jord. She had done things he had never thought possible. Broken traditions that he did not realize where just that. So he followed suit.

Reaching out with his mind he gathered the Force around him. He knew Vader could feel the swell in the Force, but he also knew that Darth Vader would expect him to give physical tells as to when and where the Force blast would be projected. It was almost too easy. Rowahn released the power, and Vader was thrown backwards.

The various Imperial troops began firing at him, but he stopped the blasts with his mind. They would not hurt him. They could not hurt him. He had unlocked something within himself and within the Force that he did not quite understand yet. But somehow, instinctively he used it. The blasts that were frozen in mid air disappeared, and the troops around him fell dead. No one else attempted to fire upon him after seeing their fellow soldiers drop inexplicably.

Vader had risen up again, and they were soon back at it. The Sith’s fighting style was not one of the Seven Forms that were taught to Jedi or Sith, but rather something of his own. It was said that he had created his own form because his armor did not allow him to fight like regular humans. It was probably true, but that did not matter. What mattered is that Rowahn did not know or understand the form. Though he could defend against it, it was not the most effective way possible. But it was the best he could do.

As he had heard said, the Force was a powerful ally. Rowahn understood this, and believed it to be powerful enough to help him defeat an opponent that had never been beaten. The two red sabers flashed in brilliant and mesmerizing patterns as the two warriors danced through the room. Had either of them been fighting any other opponent, the battle would have been long over. But Vader was the most powerful Force user alive, and Rowahn had access to things Vader did not understand.

Though many soldiers and a few Inquisitors pretended to be busy with other tasks, they were really watching the battle. This was something they had never seen before, and probably never would again. Then it happened. Rowahn found an opening. He spun and leaped over Vader’s head, disorienting the Sith, then running along a wall, opened Vader up for an attack. The thrust was quick a precise, and the Dark Lord fell.

Rowahn walked forward and toward Vader raising his saber above his head, but before he could bring it down, he gasped. An orange blade protruded out his chest. He felt no pain as he dropped. Rowahn was already dead.
Standing, Darth Vader spoke.

“Well done, my apprentice. It seems you have succeeded where many have failed.”

“Thank you my master. It is all because of your teachings.” Came the reply as Taegin Roan nealt before his Master.

Wow...what a twist! The assumption from the start is Taegin Roan in the prologue was Darth Rowahn...it was hinted at but never explicitly stated...of course those hints could be read two ways and readers like me chose to make that assumption...very clever writing TR, a brilliant twist at the end following the explosive final battle, Rowahn finally reaching his peak in power it seems, albeit still wrestling with his identity, what he might have become, how he would've resolved that will never be known, but perhaps he did find something in the end, knowing what he was not  -not an imperial or inquisitor was an achievement for him I think. Great story and brilliant final twist.

Yup, he had me, too.  Nice!  Now we get to find out more about who Teagan is!   :-)

WHAT

A

SURPRISE!!

Wow TR, that was an amazing conclusion to your story!!  That was truly an excellent narrative device, one that epitomizes how to PROPERLY do a "twist ending"  :)

It's true: Rowahn was never explicitly stated as being "Teagin Roan."  Of course, this is the perfect set up to (hopefully) answer this question:

"Who is Teagin Roan?!"

TR, I tip my hat to you my friend  :)  Wonderful writing!

Oops, looks like I posted the wrong Chapter 14. Here is the real one.

---

The light-red blade sprang into existence with a woosh and Rowahn launched himself towards the Grand Inquisitor. Ja’ce Yiaso barely had time to bring his own saber up before Rowahn was upon him.

Rowahn’s speed and skill was unrivaled within the Inquisitorius buy all except possibly Gaetana. Once upon a time Yiaso might have been able to compete with Rowahn in single combat, but since the Inquisitorius had grown, Ja’ce had not kept up his skill set. Though he had a brilliant mind for tactics, his abilities with a saber were nowhere near where they once were, and it showed. Within a few short strokes Yiaso would have been down had it not been for his quick thinking when Rowahn had disobeyed a direct order.

High Inquisitor Gaetana, the Eleventh brother and Fourteenth sister, along with a squad of stormtroopers burst through the door. Immediately the Stormtroopers started firing upon Rowahn causing him to break off his attack on the Grand Inquisitor. The momentary distraction was enough for Yiaso to regain his composer and get out of the way. Rowahn reached into the now flowing river of the Song, feeling each of the Stormtroopers, as well as the Inquisitors and Vader. His saber flashed through the air deflecting the blaster bolts back habitually while simultaneously splitting his consciousness between the physical and metaphysical realms.

As his saber launched the bolts back at the Stormtroopers, his mind was searching for a way to make them disable them without killing them. There! he thought, but it was too late. His skill with a lightsaber had already dispatched each one of the Stormtroopers. So fast had the troops fallen that the Inquisitors had not yet made their first attack. Gaetana led the charge as the other two followed closely behind.

The only one that Rowahn “feared” was Gaetana, but even then, the other two could provide an annoyance if not taken out of the picture. So Rowahn reached out and threw Gaetana across the room. She would be recovered in a moment, but that was all he needed to dispatch the other two. Bringing his saber up, he blocked the attack from the Eleventh Brother, then with a simple flourish of his blade simultaneously sliced the brother in half, shoulder to waist, and parried the strike of the Sister. She had obviously expected him to be unable to avert her attack , and the surprise was evident in both her face and the Force. With a quick slash, her head was rolling towards Ja’ce Yiaso. 
Rowahn spun just in time block Gaetana’s attack, and then the battle really began in earnest. Gaetana was fast and, like Rowahn, did not use the rotating saberstaff that most Inquisitors did. In the relatively close quarters this gave her a pretty strong advantage over Rowahn’s spear. However, over the past few weeks he had defeated two Jedi who were both excellent warriors as well as Caedon Ti-Rell and T’Risha Jord. All of whom had had some form of advantage over him. He was not worried too much about Gaetana’s advantage.

The conference room was relatively small, and was already littered with the bodies of the slain Stormtroopers and Inquisitors but Rowahn and Gaetana were not bothered by it. The easily matched each other stroke for stroke for a few minutes. Then as Rowahn had been trying to do the entire battle, he let the Song flow through him. Not just taking over his body and doing whatever it wanted to, but rather allowing him to use the knowledge and skills he had gained over the years to create an opening for him.

The opening was nothing more than Gaetana and himself being a few steps away from each other. Normally this would do nothing for him, but with the Song flowing through him, it was enough. Rowahn reached his hand out and did something he had never done before, and had only ever heard about it. He used Force Lightning. However, it was different than all the accounts he had heard of it. His lightning was not a blueish-purple color, but rather golden. It struck Gaetana and threw her into the wall. Rowahn could tell that it was not powerful enough to kill, but the effects of it were still noticeable. Gaetana writhed on the floor as he let her drop, then he turned back towards Vader and Yiaso.

“Your "protectors" have failed you Grand Inquisitor” He mocked. Even the great ‘High Inquisitor Gaetana’ has fallen. I think it is time we finished what they interrupted.”

“Silence, my apprentice.” Vader spoke, his voice resounding through the room. “These were your allies, it was wrong of you to destroy them.”

Fear and power emanated through his voice. So much so that Rowahn took a step back. There were stories about how “forgiving” Darth Vader was. Not that Rowahn was looking for his forgiveness. Not anymore. He no longer craved the attention and praise he had once been given by the Dark Lord. Now he needed answers, and it was plain to see that Vader would give him none. Still, the power in his voice was almost more than Rowahn could bare.

Slowly he deactivated his lightsaber, and started walking backwards towards the door. But then the Grand Inquisitor spoke for the last time.

“You have not been dismissed, coward!” He spat out. “Lord Vader is not don…”

Blood gurgled out of his open mouth. Rowahn had in the blink of an eye, pulled Yiaso towards himself and impaled him on his bright red blade. Grand Inquisitor Ja’ce Yiaso had annoyed him for the last time. Rowahn deactivated his saber again, and the once great Inquisitor flopped to the ground.

Rowahn turned to leave once more but this time Vader spoke. “You have changed.”

“Yes.” came his reply. He could feel Vader moving closer.

“You have forsaken that which once made you strong. Now you are weak!”

Vader’s saber sprang to life as he attacked. The ferocity in his attacks was stunning. Even though Rowahn had practiced with simulators many times, they did nothing to prepare him for actually facing Vader. Rowahn had never truly seen Vader fight, and he had never realized the full extent of his power.

Rowahn was pushed back at Darth Vader’s advance. He was barely able to defend against the mighty onslaught. It was said that there had never been an opponent who had stood against Vader and lived. Let alone won the battle.
They were soon out in the corridors of the Imperial Citadel, and even with more room to maneuver, Rowahn still had a hard time keeping up. None of his strikes made it through the Dark Lord’s defenses, and even his feeble Force attacks were anticipated and deflected with ease.

Vader reached out his hand and picked up Rowahn, then threw him across the corridor with the Force. Rowahn slammed into a wall and crumpled downwards, but before he could even make it to the floor Vader had picked him back up with the Force, and began choking him. Rowahn’s saber clattered to the ground as he reached up to grab at the non-existent hands. He could feel the life leaving his body as he desperately searched for an answer to his problem.

“You have failed for the last time. You failed your Emperor,” Vader said, his voice booming. “And you have failed me!”

Rowahn was still grasping at air when it came to him. The song. Closing his eyes, Rowahn listened. He relaxed at opened his mind. If ever he needed an advantage it was now. He had found it. Hidden within the song was something. Rowahn could not even describe what he felt. He enveloped himself in this “hole”, making him nearly invisible to Force users. Rowahn dropped and breathed in deeply. Though Vader could still physically see Rowahn, he was no longer able to manipulate him with the Force.

If Vader was surprised, there was no way of knowing. The black monolith just strode towards Rowahn as he regained his composure.

“You are nothing now. You are less than an outcast!” Darth Vader said.

“I know.” Rowahn replied coolly. “I am nothing but a shadow of what I used to be.”

Rowahn moved. He could not stay in his “hole” while fighitng or else he would be unable to use the Force, but he was ready for Vader. The Song was fueling him, but more than that, Rowahn was fueling the Song. He wrapped himself in it’s flowing embrace and attacked. Though he could still not break through Vader’s defenses, he could at least keep up with him. The battle had been balanced. Slowly they moved out into an opening, Rowahn could sense the presence of other Inquisitors and soldiers, but they all knew better than to interfere with a battle between the most powerful Inquisitor, and the Dark Lord.

As the battle continued stroke for stroke, Rowahn came to an understanding and realization of something. He may not know what or who he was, but he did know what he was not. So he spoke.

“I will not longer be Darth Rowahn,” He said the continued with the rest of his title,  “Member of the Imperial Inquisitorious and Apprentice to Darth Vader. That is not who I am.”

As he said this, he thought about the past few weeks. The battles he had fought, the foes he had faced. He started to understand Jord. Though the Jedi Order may have failed her, the Empire was even worse. More than this though, he thought about his fight with Jord. She had done things he had never thought possible. Broken traditions that he did not realize where just that. So he followed suit.

Reaching out with his mind he gathered the Force around him. He knew Vader could feel the swell in the Force, but he also knew that Darth Vader would expect him to give physical tells as to when and where the Force blast would be projected. It was almost too easy. Rowahn released the power, and Vader was thrown backwards.

The various Imperial troops began firing at him, but he stopped the blasts with his mind. They would not hurt him. They could not hurt him. He had unlocked something within himself and within the Force that he did not quite understand yet. But somehow, instinctively he used it. The blasts that were frozen in mid air disappeared, and the troops around him fell dead. No one else attempted to fire upon him after seeing their fellow soldiers drop inexplicably.

Vader had risen up again, and they were soon back at it. The Sith’s fighting style was not one of the Seven Forms that were taught to Jedi or Sith, but rather something of his own. It was said that he had created his own form because his armor did not allow him to fight like regular humans. It was probably true, but that did not matter. What mattered is that Rowahn did not know or understand the form. Though he could defend against it, it was not the most effective way possible. But it was the best he could do.

As he had heard said, the Force was a powerful ally. Rowahn understood this, and believed it to be powerful enough to help him defeat an opponent that had never been beaten. The two red sabers flashed in brilliant and mesmerizing patterns as the two warriors danced through the room. Had either of them been fighting any other opponent, the battle would have been long over. But Vader was the most powerful Force user alive, and Rowahn had access to things Vader did not understand.

Though many soldiers and a few Inquisitors pretended to be busy with other tasks, they were really watching the battle. This was something they had never seen before, and probably never would again. Then it happened. Rowahn found an opening. He spun and leaped over Vader’s head, disorienting the Sith, then running along a wall, opened Vader up for an attack. The thrust was quick a precise, and the Dark Lord fell.

Rowahn walked forward and toward Vader raising his saber above his head, than after a brief pause, decided against it. Turning he walked towards the docking bay. One Inquisitor, the Fifteenth Sister tried to attack him. Rowahn did not even raise his hand, and the Inquisitor fell to the ground. Her legs giving way to the Force’s grip.

Before leaving the room, Rowahn looked back at Vader, then detached the hilt extension from his saber, and dropped it on the ground.

---

Caedon’s ship was still in the docking bay when the young man arrived. No one had tried to stop him, though they had considered it. There were already rumors going around that he had killed Ja’ce Yiaso, High Inquisitor Gaetana, and nearly killed Lord Vader. With Gaetana and Rowahn gone, the title and rank of Grand Inquisitor would go to the First Brother, a Pau’an. For now, the young man did not care. He had things he needed to do, to learn, before he could take the fight back to the Empire. Someday he would be back, but that was not today.

The YT-2400 freighter took to the skies, and was soon traveling through hyperspace. The young man did not know where he was ultimately headed yet, but for now, he needed to get out of the Core. Maybe Hutt space until he got a lead. At least there the Empire might leave him alone for a little while.

---

Through the numbness he could hear voices. Many voices speaking at once, indistinguishable from each other. Slowly they faded and one stood out.

“Death and pain, a natural part of life they are. Hmm?” The wise Master said, “Wish to remove them we do, yet without them, grow we would not. Pleasant, they are not, but as necessary as the air we breathe they are."

It was an old lesson. One he had heard many times at the temple. One taught to each youngling, but never fully understood by any of them.

“Though pain is necessary for our growth, it should not rule our actions. When pain dictates our actions, we end up making the choices without paying heed to the consequences. We should, as much as possible, consider what reactions our actions will cause, and think through them before making a decision. The Jedi Code states that ‘There is no emotion, there is peace’. Though many interpret this to mean that the Jedi cannot and should not feel emotion, that is incorrect. Emotion is as much a part of life as anything else. What this means is that we should not let our emotions control us. They are indeed useful at times, but they can also cloud our judgment. As such, we must consider our actions from both the point of view of our emotions, and our logical mind.” Another master had once said.

His path was becoming clearer, and he was beginning to understand these lessons.

“Emotion, yet peace,
Ignorance, yet knowledge
Passion, yet serenity
Chaos, yet harmony
Death, yet the Force.”

As the younglings finished reciting, the master spoke.

“The Jedi code does not forbid the feeling of emotion, nor does it condemn it. Rather, it instructs us to look past our emotions about something and really think about what is going to happen. But, you will not always be able to think about something before you act. Sometimes an action is required immediately, and as such, emotions can be a great way to quickly make a decision. However, you must be prepared to take responsibility for your actions, and accept any consequences. Emotions should not be feared, but they also should not control your life.”

Another lesson. One designed to be understood by children, yet applied to even the eldest Jedi.

One last voice sounded before all was silent.

“Join me young padawan, and I will teach to never know pain again.”

It was the voice of another Master. But one that was far different, far darker than any of the others. One full of emotion. Rage, anger, guilt, despair, fear, and pain. Not just physical, but of a far more dangerous kind.

He understood now. Pain was an important part of life. Without it, there could be no joy. He had felt it many times. The first was during the purge, but most recently had been with the death of the only person he could have called a friend since his master had died. That of T’Risha Jord. He realized this now, and only now. Before, he never would have accepted it. Now, he realized he needed it. But unlike Vader, it would not . . . could not rule his life. He would feel pain again, of that he was certain. But now he was at peace. He did not need to fear it.

He now knew what he was. He was no longer Darth Rowahn. He had cast that off on Prakith. However, he did not then know who or what he was.

Now he did.

And just when I thought that "Shadow of the Outcast" couldn't get any better...

TR, I have to say that after your twist ending, I couldn't wait for what came next.  Once again, you surprised me...and I have to admit, I REALLY like the possibilities that this new Ch.14 opens.

Seeing Rowahn able to utilize the Song was a great moment, one that was perfectly organic in the narrative (especially after fighting himself for much of the story).  VERY cathartic, culminating in the fight against Vader... Excellent scene  :)

I really enjoy the trajectory of Rowahn and your interpretation of "the Hero's Journey."  But...

...I hope that you're able to write more  ;)  Maybe Rowahn's path (and eventual Jedi name?  :D).

Have to admit I kinda liked the first chapter 14 - it wrapped up Rowahns story and character trajectory nicely, there is a lot more impact to the sudden death of a character at the cusp of something new, had a more epic finale quality to it, and it provided a very strong and shocking (in a good way!) twist on all our expectations and assumptions since the prologue, it was the kind of emotional ending and jarring twist that so many movies and books try and fail to achieve.  Rowahn surviving opens up new possibilities for sure, so lets hope it can prove better than the other ending by acting as a new beginning. 

Honestly, I've been planning to do alternate endings since about chapter 3 or 4. And that is really what this is. If you follow the one path, Rowahn dies and is killed by Taegin Roan. If you follow the other path, Rowahn dies and is killed by Rowahn. Either way, Rowahn is gone. Though we will see hints of him in the future. Being something for 13 years is not easily changed. Especially when those are arguably his most formative years. But if you noticed, Chapter 14 (official) is not technically the end of the story. There is one more part to come before Shadow of the Outcast is finished.

I actually really like the twist ending as well, but there is more for this character in the future, but of course I can't say what it is. However, there is nothing wrong with preferring one version to the other. I specifically wrote this chapter to be similar to the (alternate) ending(s) of The Force Unleashed II, and much inspiration was taken from that game.

There is one passage in this chapter that is really really important, and is symbolic of something, but I want to see if you guys picked up on it or not. If not, I will add in a sentence that I purposely left out to see if it would be caught. Let me know if you found it.

Well, It has taken me a good long while to get this last part done, but here it is now. If you remember the "meditation" section at the end of chapter 14, you will notice it again here, though different. There is more to it than this, but they are not both supposed to exist, and this version I like better, so I'll probably remove the other version, or at least replace it with this version. Let me know what you guys think. Which one do you like better?

---

Journal Record

Since I left the Empire, just over five standard years ago now, a lot has happened. A new Grand Inquisitor was appointed, but rumor has it that he was killed but a Jedi. Not to mention many other Inquisitor’s have fallen. If my sources are true, that program has now shut down. That is definitely a positive thing for the galaxy. There have also been rumors of a Rebel Alliance growing. Well, up until recently they were only rumors. This past year their existence has been confirmed, though the Empire still refuses to acknowledge their existence with the public. The TIE Defender program on Lothal has been shut down, and from what I’ve heard, Lothal has been liberated from Imperial control. Everything I am now hearing is that the majority of Imperial finances have been funnelled towards a ‘Project Stardust’. I do not know what it is, but I will admit my focus has been more on my own task, and the occupation of Mandalore than much else.
   
So far, I have not attempted to contact or join the Rebellion. My work is far too important at the moment. With the amount I have collected, the Jedi Order could be reborn. Not by me, I can no longer be a Jedi, but by someone new. I am not sure who yet, neither Tano nor myself will ever tread that path again. Maybe this new Jedi who defeated the Grand Inquisitor could help. The galaxy is in a dark place right now, and it could use some Jedi. Looking back on the times of the Republic and the Jedi Order, I realize they were not perfect, but there was true happiness. With the Empire, it seems as if everyone is living in a state of constant fear. The Rebellion seems to be helping a bit. It is giving off a spark of hope, even if a dull one. Maybe it will grow into something truly powerful.
   
I have made good progress with the ‘collection’ so far. It was easy once, I managed to return to Octonotil, to find a cave suitable to my needs. The Force drew me to the place, but I do not believe many others could find it. I would not feel comfortable leaving the cave for a long trip such as this, without a guarantee of a speedy return, were it not for the synyps. I have grown fond of the creatures, and their connection to the Force and the ‘Song’ makes me comfortable enough to leave the ‘collection’ in their care. Each one has its own motif, but they wind together in perfect harmony. They seem to have taken a liking to the area, and seem almost protective of it. I have never seen this type of devotion in non-sentient beings before. I can only assume that it is their connection to the Force that causes them to watch over this place. It is interesting. I have learned more about the ‘Song’ by observing them both by sight, and by listening in the Force than anywhere else. When I return I will study them more, and if my lead pans out, I will know more about the ‘Song’, and why very few seem to hear it, and even fewer seem to be able to “Sing” as I have begun to call it. I cannot think of a more suitable term.
   
After I left the tower on Prakith, I ended up wandering. I did not stay in any one place for more than a few days, but I didn’t have a goal, and I didn’t know where I was going. I ended up on Coruscant, and sneaked into the Imperial Palace. I do not know why, but I was drawn to it. There was something there that I had to find, though I did not know what. Of course, it was once the Jedi Temple, so finding my way was easy enough. But it was different. While it looked as pristine as always, it was filled with the echoes of death and destruction. The Palace was steeped in the Dark Side of the Force. I knew, because I myself had been so only weeks prior. It was not a safe place for me to be, and I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could. First though, I had to find whatever the Force was trying to show me. It led me under the palace, and into the caves beneath. Caves that had not been found by the Empire and probably not even known to most the Jedi. There was not much for me to find except a few doors that I was unable to open and an extensive tunnel network. I could tell it was once an important place, but only skeletons remained of any people who had once been there.
   
I knew so little about the ‘Song’, but I knew I could hear it, so I listened. It was there of course, as it had been every day since I left the Empire, but this time it was different. It had an air of mystery, but also knowledge. It was moving as always, but it was also flowing. Directing me towards a place I knew not. Soon enough I found it. I do not know how it came to be there, but somehow he had hidden it for later retrieval. It was the holocron of Master Eem. That was an amazing discovery for me, but that was not all I found. There were also names. Odjina, Mak’Tor, Vahl’Dan, Zonoma Sekot, and Galtea. There were more that were obscured and unreadable, but even then, I did not know what any of these meant. Except Zonoma Sekot. Though I had never heard the name before I instantly knew what it was. It was the planet I’d seen In a vision while searching for T’Risha. Not only did I know what it meant, but I knew where I would find the planet. It was like the Force was showing me a star map to its location.
   
Unfortunately, I did not have access to a ship to take me there. As I worked and found ways to make enough credits to purchase my own ship, I realized the Force was showing me other paths. Different, but not in opposition. Whenever I got the chance, I would follow one of these other paths. I soon learned that they lead me towards other artifacts of the Force. Usually holocrons, but occasionally texts. Everything is now sitting in my collection, and only two days ago I managed to purchase my own ship. I am coming up on the destination that the Force has shown me. I should be scared that I will not find what I’m looking for, but somehow, I know I will. Or at least, I will be closer.

End of Record

---

The young man sat down and set the saber in front of him. The hilt was called the Shadow’s Bane, and had belonged to the Inquisitor known as Darth Rowahn. The man closed his eyes and reached out with the Force. Building a lightsaber was a difficult task, and one that required an immense amount of concentration, for if even one piece was slightly off, the entire hilt could explode on activation. The saber levitated off the floor, and slowly began to dismantle. The emitter and pommel both spun off, then the hand grip separated from the chassis, crystal chamber and power cell. It was a fairly simple hilt of dark metal, approximately 31.5 centimeters in length, and had few ornaments other than the activation switch.
   
The extra parts that had been lying on the floor then lifted into the air. The emitter was exchanged for a similar emitter with silver rings, and the hand grip as well, though the new grip was a bit shorter. The chassis also had to be changed for a shorter one, and some of the insides had to be rearranged in order to fit into this newer, shorter chassis, but it was doable.
   
Next came the crystal itself. Carefully the man removed it from the crystal chamber. It was a deep blood-red in color. That was no longer an acceptable color for this blade. Focusing all his energy into the crystal, he tried to as it was called “cleanse” the crystal. He could tell it was working, but he knew not how long it would take.

---

The feeling of floating through the past came to him, and though it was impossible to “know” what was going to be shown to you, he had a sense as to what it might be.

The Jedi temple rose before him out of the darkness, and he was whisked inside. It was late in the day, and the sun was starting to set. Its golden rays shone bright and warm through the many windows of the Temple. He was standing in a chamber with a group of nine other younglings. Master Yoda stood in front of them as he often did, this time with a small table and a potted plant. The plant was dry and brown, but he could tell it had once been a beautiful and luscious fern. Master Yoda’s strange voice slowly spoke as he taught the lesson.

“With the Force, reach out. Feel the plant. Feel the Force. To what they are saying, listen.”

After a few moments one of the younglings, a vuvrian, spoke. “It is crying.” he said.

“Good. Good. Seeing clearly, you are.”

Another spoke up. “I feel sadness, and . . . happiness. But the happiness is from you Master Yoda.”

“Right, you are. While sad and difficult the ending of a life can be, happiness, there can also be.” The wizened old Jedi said.

“How is this possible?” This time it was he who had spoken.

“A good question, I think. Yes, a good question. Death and pain, a natural part of life they are. Wish to remove them we do, yet without them, grow, we would not. Sad that this beautiful life has ended, I am, but rejoice, I do, for it has transformed into the Force.”

The vision of Yoda faded, and was replaced with a hospital somewhere on Coruscant. Him and his master were walking through the hospital on their way to meet with a civilian doctor. As they walked, they passed a young female gotal. She was crying next to a tooka. The nurse was trying to calm the young girl down, but she would not listen.

“Fix him!” the gotal demanded. But it was clear there was nothing that could be done about the dying cat.

He could feel the pain and anger radiating off the young girl. The feelings saddened him, but the memory of Master Yoda’s lesson came to his mind. It was okay to feel pain, but do not dwell on it. As they walked, he reached out with the Force and gently soothed the young girls anger.

Once again, the vision faded. This time to a forest in the early morning. He was staring at the ground crying. A dark shadow was looming over him, and a rasping sound was coming from behind him. His heart was aching, and he knew his master was gone. The monster behind him had made sure of that. He wanted to leap up and strike at the darkness, but he could not bring himself to rise. He just wanted to be done. Just wanted the hurt to leave him. Then
the darkness spoke.

“Join me young padawan, and I will teach you to never know pain again.”

At the time, he had been hurting beyond anything that anyone else could have felt. He had lost his friends, his life, his home, and now his Master. There was nothing he wanted more than to rid himself of the pain.

Slowly he spoke. “I . . .  will join you.”

There had been more times since then, and each time he believed that his new master still had more to teach him. For a while, it seemed that the Dark One had eventually succeeded. But even that was not true. The female target had fallen to the Inquisitor’s blade, but not before she had awoken something within him. An understanding. He understood what Master Yoda had been trying to teach all those years ago. But beyond that, he understood something that perhaps he was the only person to ever know.
Vader still felt pain.

What for, would perhaps remain a mystery forevermore, but it was there.

---

He had slipped into meditation without realizing it. As he had meditated, he had come to a realization. He knew he could no longer be who he was, nor could he go back to his original self. However, he also could not leave who he was behind. It was a part of him now. Now and forever.

For years, this crystal had yielded a red blade. While that could be changed, he realized that he did not want it to be. It could not stay the deep crimson that it had once been, but neither could it be the silvery white that a “cleansed” crystal was said to be. Something in between would be better. Both a better reflection of who he was now, and a reminder of who he had been. That was important.

Something in between. He thought.

He focused once more on the crystal. Its scarlet hue now slowly starting to fade.

There. A balance.

He let the Force guide him as he opened the chassis and slipped the crystal into its chamber, aligning it exactly, as he had been taught so long ago.

The hilt slid closed and he reached out with his hand to grab it from the air. While he knew the blade would no longer be a deep red, he did not know what its new color would be. A new hilt and a new blade. One that fit who he was now, but served as a reminder of who he had been.With his breath unknowingly held, he switched it on.

The pink glow lit the entire room. It made sense that it would be pink, but it was an unseen color until now.

There was still one more option to test. He unclipped the other saber from his belt. This one had belonged to his master once upon a time. He would keep it to honor the memory of his master, and he would wield it to honor the legacy of the Jedi. It had an orange blade, and was part of a larger saberstaff. The other side had clearly been destroyed already, but this one remained intact, and the coupler undamaged. He brought the two hilts together and created his own staff. The two sides of the hilt were different, and the blades did not match, but it felt right.

The orange saber had once been called Vlice. There was a legend of a Sith Lord called Vlice who had been known as The Veiled One. Or so his master had told him.

His new saber needed a name. Shadow’s Bane was no longer a fitting name.

Mayhaps Rowahn would be better. He thought.

So now he carried Rowahn and Vlice. But those were two seperate hilts.

The staff also needs a name. Memory, or . . .  Veiled Past maybe? Yes, Veiled Past seems fitting.

He separated the hilts and clipped them to his sides, then walked out the chamber towards the cockpit. He should be arriving at the destination soon.

The planet was exactly as he had envisioned it to be. Floating in space, and not orbiting any star, but clearly alive and clearly a planet. He had located a landing platform and set the ship down there. In front of him was the temple, and the courtyard he had seen in his visions. He had not been hailed when he came in to land, and he had seen no other ships, though they had to have been there.
   
The landing ramp closed behind him as he walked forward towards the gateway. As he got closer he could see two pillars on either side of the gate, hidden by shadows. The Force gave no indication that there was any life, but there was something. His vision had shown there to be life, and even a society here. If it existed his arrival could not have gone unnoticed.
   
The pillars were becoming more clear. They were shaped like humans. Very realistic sculptures for sure. Haunting, watching almost. He was nearly to the gate when they moved. Swift as a coursing river, they moved. A teal and a vermilion blade sprang into existence. The young man froze where he was. This was something he should have seen coming, but the Force had not warned him of it.
   
“You are the one they call Rowahn?” A deep voice from the right questioned.
   
“I was.” He said thinking it better to be truthful.
   
“Come with us. You are expected.” The voice on the right, a female, said.
   
Expected? How could he be expected? Who could be expecting him?
   
These questions would undoubtedly be answered, but not yet. The guards turned and began walking across the courtyard.
   
“Are you not going to take my weapons?” He asked, confused.
   
The woman spoke again. “You did not draw them when you saw ours, you are clearly not here for ill. And if you were to try anything, you would be dispatched before your blades could fully activate.”
   
Hard to argue with that logic. He thought as he followed them through the courtyard.
   
The temple was less pristine than the Jedi Temple on Coruscant had been, but it was by no means dirty. Just more homely. The two guards led him down a hallway and then up several floors. Finally they reached a sitting room where they left him alone. Soon thereafter, a huge man with a mechanical arm, leg, and eye walked in, followed by a smaller woman. Had it not been for the two being together, he would not have recognized the man. It was the Jedi that Inquisitor Rowahn had fought during the hunt for Jord. Memories of the battle flashed through his mind as he stared at the many obvious battle wounds of the man.
   
There was sadness and fury in the Jedi’s eyes, enough to make him look away in shame. He could hear a growl of recognition from the man, but there was no movement of greeting.
   
“I’m sorry for . . .” he started to speak, “for what happe-”
   
His apology was cut off by a massive metal hand clamped to his throat, and his body slammed against a wall. The other fist smashed into his helmetless head.

Once!

He did not try to fight back.

Twice!

He still did not raise a hand in protest.

Thrice!

He had resigned himself long ago to whatever form forgiveness might take. If it came.

The man’s hand froze before the forth strike could land. He could see the woman’s hand resting on the shoulder of the Jedi.

“Shakal, Kazic would want to hear him out.” A soft voice, that he barely recognized as coming from the woman, said.

He was dropped to his feet, and though no longer held against it, he used the wall for support. Blood was dripping down his face now and the man had taken a step back, though his rage had not dissipated.

He tried to speak again, “I know there is no reason to trust me, or believe me, but I wanted . . . needed to apologize. I humbly and sorrowfully as your forgiveness for any hurt I caused you.”

“No! You nearly killed her!” the man nearly screamed.

“There is nothing I can do to change that. I am sorry.”

“SHE WAS ALMOST DEAD, AND YOU SAY YOU’RE SORRY!” the Jedi’s bellows shook the room.

“Yes. It is all I can offer. Could I change the past, I would.” His voice sounded tiny and insignificant next to that of the huge man’s. A memory of the last thing that he had said during that fight came to his mind. “Nothing makes me happier than to see that she is alive and alright. I can only hope that the same goes for Jorya.”

A beautiful young togruta rushed in at that moment, having heard the yelling. The man spun to see who it was.

“Jorya!” He cried, his rage finally receding. He wrapped his arms around the young woman in a tearful embrace.

The small woman came over and reached out a hand of support. When he grabbed it, it seemed that for the briefest of moments, the woman was no longer paying attention. Then it was gone, and she spoke.

“Yes, I am well, as is Jorya. Zearic would not have reacted this way normally. His father just passed on into the Force, and my Zearic is having a hard time dealing with it. My name D’Aylanna, and I would like you to know that I accept your apology, and have long since forgiven you. Zearic will come around soon enough.”

He could hear the Togruta speaking to the man, Zearic, she was giving words of comfort, and speaking about “Kazic’s edicts”. He did not know what those were, but they must have worked because the Zearic soon turned around and faced him.

“I’m sorry.” He spoke, “I feel as if I must now ask for your forgiveness.”

“There is no need. I see nothing to forgive. But I accept your apology nonetheless.” Then he added “I hope that one day, you will accept mine as well.”

---

Journal Record
   
The days I spent on Zonama Sekot were extremely fulfilling. It took a few days for Zearic to come around, but even that was better that I was expecting. After our first encounter, Zearic and I met again multiple times. D’Aylanna or Jorya was always present as he said that he “didn’t trust himself around me without a chaperone”. Eventually it was no longer necessary, but I think he felt comforted having one of them near. He did not tell me many of his stories, but I could tell that he had been through a lot since we last met. His scars were a testament to that, and I see that he is one of the strongest beings I’ve ever met.
   
D’Aylanna as well. To go through everything that they have gone through, and not even think twice about forgiving me and offering advice. She has such a kind heart, and is one of the wisest people I’ve ever met. Possibly rivaling even Master Yoda.
   
Jorya is something else as well. She has the strength of will and personality of Zearic, but is just as sweet and loving as D’Aylanna. I did not know T’Risha very well, but I see a lot of similarities between Jorya and her. We occasionally sparred, and I could almost never win against her. She uses the Force in the same way T’Risha did, but to an even greater extent. It was really quite impressive, and I learned quite a bit from those matches.
   
When I was unable to spend time with the Vih’Torrs I would wander around the temple there. No one ever detained me or asked for my weapons, and the only times I was stopped was if someone wanted to talk to me. I learned quite a bit about the Vhal’Dan and how during the time of the Old Republic, they were excluded from the Jedi Order. Their history, what I learned of it at least, was very interesting. They have clearly been through a lot as an Order.
   
Before I left, I made it a point to ask Zearic, D’Aylanna, and their leader, Kage Oyuna Chan’dn about my “Song”. They told me that they knew what I spoke of and that it is indeed called the “Song”. Beyond that they did not have the answers I seeked, saying that “the Vhal’Dan have never been Singers”, but admonishing me that I was on the right path, and that one day I will find what I’m looking for. It was not the answer I was hoping for of course, but knowing I was not alone was definitely an encouragement.
   
I know the Vih’Torrs and I will cross paths again, and they have a way to contact me if it is ever necessary, but until then, I wish them the best. Their journey will be long and difficult, but if they stay together, they will be able to push through and come out stronger on the other side. I don’t know how or why I know this, but for some reason the Force deemed it necessary to show me. I only hope I will one day understand it all.
   
While this trip has been refreshing in many ways, it has also been exhausting. I am looking forward to being back on Octonotil for a few days before heading out on my next adventure. Over the past years I have come to the realization of many things. Because Vader told me that he could “teach me to never know pain again”, I now understand that he is hurting just as bad as myself. I also know that because of my allegiance with him and the Empire, I had already cast myself out, and that is something I can never recover from. I have done a lot of bad things during my time as an Inquisitor, and I have done a lot of good since. However, no matter what I do from now on, I can never change who I was, or am now. I realize now that whatever else I may be, for good or ill, I am the Outcast’s Shadow.

End of Record

The Outcasts Shadow indeed.  There is something, not sure the right term, almost waif like in how Rowahn, or whatever he now calls himself having divested himself of that identity, comes off, like he isn't fully there any more just like a shadow, he seems to be very floating like living in the shockwaves of his former life he can't get out of, so he wanders, tries to collect credits and things to help a future Jedi order (which he seems to know he can't be truly part of), follows where he senses things are leading him to but all the while he's not really the driving force anymore. Or at least that's how I read it, it's a very interesting change, and in the context of his struggles against himself across the whole series makes a lot of sense that there is not a 'clean' redemption arc.

The revelation he was involved in Gaetana's attack on the Vhal'Dan is also interesting, not surprising all thins considered, but of all the things he's done that seems to be what he was drawn to apologize in person for.

As to which meditation section is better, hmmm the original was shorter and a bit sharper, I kind of like that, having Yoda explain things out made it a bit less about self realisation and more a teaching moment.

Anyway one wonders what happens now, can he become more than a Shadow,  does he even need or want to...and what will his new path require of him...

You've pretty much hit the nail on the head again here LSG. While he absolutely is not longer Rowahn, he isn't really truly Taegin Roan either. He is a shadow of Taegin and the Jedi, and even if they would let him back in, I don´t think he would rejoin the "Jedi". Yes, he may be once again on the "right" path, but he still has 13 years (I believe, would have to go back and check) of indoctrination and muscle memory from the Empire, so yeah, he will struggle. He will make mistakes. He is kind of like Ahsoka in Rebels now. He is fighting for the "light", but he is no Jedi. I don't even know that he could be considered a "gray Jedi" like Karm and TD have explored. He is his own thing. A Shadow. For the Empire he could never be this person, but for the "light", he can be. I don't know if my ramblings are making any sense anymore. But yeah, he is in a very different place than he has been throughout any of the rest of this book.

I think I may need to do a bit of rewriting, because I was not intending it to seem like Rowahn was with Gaetana during the raid. that "you nearly killed her" was supposed to be in reference to D'Aylanna, not Jorya. It was supposed to be in relation to the battle in chapter 7 where Rowahn fights Zearic and D'Aylanna.

Also, thank you very much for your thoughts on the "meditation" part. I am currently thinking about finding a way to combine the two. Kind of take the best from both, and make something new and better.

And thank you for reading. I realize that is has been 3 years to the day since I started writing this, and even though I have not been consistent, I feel like my writing improved drastically from the prologue to the epilogue thanks to you, Karm, and TD constantly giving feedback. I'm also very glad to see that the story and the themes and ideas that I was trying to present successfully made it across.

Ha partially my mistake as well I forgot that section.

Yeah you can see he is in a very vague realm here, not holding strongly enough to my philosophy or ideology to be considered Jedi, Grey or anything, very much a drifter in the galaxy and in himself I think. It's a very interesting kind of character to have out there.

A long effort but you got there in the end!

Teagan, way to finish strong!   Wow.   Nicely done.   

Meditation: I think I like the second one better, in all honesty.   :-)   I love the reflective nature of it.  Within my own life, those times of reflection and memory (guided by Providence?  Hmmm) can be the most insightful and fulfilling.  Well written, my friend.

As for our Shadow...    Perhaps that's exactly where he needs to be.  in the shadows, helping from the dark, never really known or identified.   Sort of a force-sensitive version of the old radio drama character.   "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?   The Shadow knows...."   ;-)

And oh, so many cross-over opportunities....   

I remember when TR reached out and told me his idea concerning the fight between Rowahn and Zearic&D'Aylanna on Belessar and thinking "This is a great idea!"  Imagine my surprise when I'm reading the epilogue revisiting Rowahn/Taegin and Z&D years later, a changed man.  I love the resolution of that facet WITHOUT having dispersed with Rowahn/Taegin's conflict; indeed, I feel that he's an almost completely new character...one with excellent character development.  Speaking of which...

Both LSG and Karm have really hit on the fact that in the scheme of the galaxy, Taegin really is a "warrior without a master," or a "man without his purpose," although that isn't exactly correct either... This opens up the possibilities of self-introspection while also incorporating a perplexity concerning Taegin's entire existence.  Hmm...that would make for another excellent story itself  :)

The fact that Taegin has decided to eschew the duality of the "accepted" Sides of the Force is another future point that could be explored, ESPECIALLY as even a counter-point to our resident Gray Orders, the Mak'Tor and Vhal'Dan.  THIS is definitely a concept that I would absolutely enjoy seeing!

As to which I prefer, I really do prefer the latter, and not JUST for the awesome cross-over  ;)  As I said, I feel that this is a big "payoff" for the earlier chapter, really giving us a window into Taegin's motivation, going beyond the normal "Atoner" archtype; instead--and I like the nomenclature, for we really are dealing with a different character--the Shadow hasn't yet found himself fully.  Yet he has enough self-actualization to recognize that there is something that he his striving towards (as epitomized with the Song).  Yes...I could definitely see our Shadow finally coming across one of the Mak'Tor, realizing that they can help (at least somewhat) with his search...only to realize that such is only the second requisite step  ;)

Wonderful job again, TR!  I hope that your next story is forthcoming  :)

Thanks guys. I don't think Taegin is where I originally intended him to be when writing this outline, but I think he is in a better place. I always intended him to end up as something similar to a Jedi Assassin (a Jedi Shadow), but I really didn't know all the character growth that would be caused on his way there.

It has been a fun journey, and I do suspect that they journey will continue, though I may take a break from Taegin and follow a different character for my next story. I'm not entirely sure yet, and I've got about 4 or 5 other characters that would be fun to tell their stories, but I'm not sure which I want to do first. I may go with more of a novella style story before delving back into a full blown novel like this one. We'll see. I have to figure out what the actual story would be in that case. The characters are fun, and a story is starting to develop in my mind now. Maybe I'll go with that one.

I want to catch up on you guys' stories though, so I'll probably spend some time trying to read rather than write. Again, thank you all for reading, and sticking with me for the last 3 years.