Private Ashes of the Past

[Darth Saavage]

Lord Saavage had visited Dathomir in his youth. His Master Darth Rancus went there often. During their visits they met with Nightsister clans. Among them was a young girl of ninteen, named Mira, she and Savaage spent much time alone together.
One day she tried to teach him to ride a Rancor. Saavage mounted the monster which bucked and threw him. Mira ran to him, placing her pale grey hand on his chest.
“Are you alright?”
Saavage smiled, his long raven black hair framed his elogated head.
“I did that on purpose.”
Mira chuckled.
“Sure you did.”
Saavage took her hand.
“What other exuse could I create for us to touch hands.”
Mira pulled back. “You know its forbidden. I am to be betrothed to a Nightbrother. You are a Sith.”
Saavage stood up, his black robes swaying in the wind.
“Leave with me then. We can go far Way and create a new order where Sith and Nightsisters can be together.”
Mira ahook her grey haired head, her eyes forelorn.
“I cannot. I cannot disgrace the clan.”
Saavage lowered his head.
“So what becomes of us?”
Mira shook her head.
“I don’t know. On the eve of the full moon I am to be marked with ceremonial scars to mark my betrothal.”
Saavage sighed.
“I’d give up my apprenticeship if it means having you as my bride.”
Mira shook her head again.
“That’s impossible. They will never accept you.”
Saavage turned to view the setting sun.
“It could be a secret.. you could marry him and I..”
Mira placed her hand on bis shoulder.
“No. An affair would destroy us. You Sith do not share.”
Saavage turned and held both her arms, kissing her left hand.
“Then I die. For a galaxy without you is darkness perpetual.”
Mira leaned in her eyes closing aa they kissed.
There was a loud clanging of chains, a procession of Witches in Crimson headed for a pyre.
Mira stopped kissing.
“I have to go.”
Saavage nodded. He released her hand and watched as she ran to join her sisters in a ritual. Saavage felt anger rise like a storm inside him. To be denied his heart’s desire stoked the dark side.

 

[Darth Saavage]

Saavage rejoined his Master who stood cloaked in a Sith mask and black hood. He crossed his arms and watched the ritual of flame.
“Your feelings for her are strong, apprentice.”
Saavage nodded.
“Yes Master.”
Lord Rancus turned to Saavage.
“It is folly to court love, it is a madness that destroys all in involved, one way or another.”
Saavage nodded.
“I wish to be free of this pain, Master.”
Rancus turned.
“You lie.. you’d rather wallow in it. There is only one way to be free of it.”
Saavage replied,
“How?”
The Master peered through his lifeless holes in his mask.
“Kill it.”
Saavage shirked from his Master.
“You can’t mean..”
Lord Rancus nodded.
The Apprentice fled, his face contorted and full of sorrow. He ran to woods full of gnarled trees. There he leaned against a trunk, and sobbed. His heart felt like it was full of water, and his lungs heavy.
He turned and there was Mira.
“I saw you.. are you alright?”
Saavage shook his head.
“I can’t.. I can’t do what he asks.”
Mira placed her hand on his shoulder.
“What does he ask?”
Saavage looked at her, his eyes watery.
“I can’t.. I won’t..”
Mira kissed his forhead. The. His cheek and suddenly they were both locking mouths, their hands moving about each other’s bodies as they fell at the roots, and drank full the draught of amore beneath the trees. They had committed a transgression, little did they know the cost.

 

[Darth Saavage]

The next day Saavage was forced to joined his Master aboard his ship. On the way there he saw the Nightsisters talking with His Master, Mira stood there and winked. A smile on her face, she was glowing. Saavage joined his Master and the two shadows entered the Sith Infiltrator ship and took off. They would not return to Dathomir for many years. A fact that made Saavage ache inside.
They would go explore Moraband, the Tombs of the Dark Lords, there Saavage would study the dark powers and histories. But his mind drifted to Mira. He couldn’t focus.
One day at Naga Sadow’s Tomb, he dropped some scrolls and looked to see if His Master was occupied, he was no where to be seen. He sprinted for the ship and set coordinates for Dathomir. The Ship soared into sky and entered hyperspace.
Saavage wondered what he’d say after two years. His mind awash with Mira’s face.
He was completely unaware of a Shadow that lurked in the back of the ship.

 

[Darth Saavage]

The Sith Ship descended on Dathomir at the outskirts. Saavage exited the ramp in haste and looked for pyres of the Witches. He saw none, all was still, everything eerily quiet. Saavage walked some miles till he came to a circle of stones, they rose like grey monoliths of jaggid rock. There was a table of brass, with bonds, and dried blood. The place gave the Sith Apprentice the creeps. He turned to leave, when shadows comverged on all sides, semding to come from the stones but manifesting in green peridot light. The Nightsisters all arood in red dress, their faces painted white and crowns and hoods of crimson. One spoke, the Mother Zalisin.
“Defiler! You descrate this sacred place as you desecrated one of our fold!”
Mira was pulled from the shadows, she held a bundle in her arms.
Saavage shouted, “Mira!”
Her face was bruised and downcast, her eyes fixed on the bundle which stirred with noise, a baby’s cry.
Saavage face turned pale, his heart sank at the babe’s cries.
“A price is owed for sacriledge.”
Mira handed the child to another Nightsister and walked towards the table.
Saavage cried out.
“Mira! Mira!”
Mira strapped herself to the sacirfical altar with the help of her sober sisters.
Saavage reached for his saber and ignited the blade, its ruby light bathed him.
“Let her go!”
Mother Zalisin pointed her hand, a green bolt of Magick threw the Acolyte against a stone pillar. The saber rolled from his hand to a few feet away. Kindling was placed around Mira, and the Mother Zalisin raided a curved dagger, chanting.
Saavage tried to rise, but his body was limp, some trick of the Witch. He couldn’t even speak, his eyes alone filled with horror as the dagger danced above Mira. He didn’t see it land, a viel of green smoke surrounded The Mother and The Sacrifice. When it cleared there was only a flame. The body of Mira was cloaked in the lapping and crackling blaze.
Saavage felt the strength to rise and he ran to the fire.
“Mira! Mira! Nooooooo! Don’t leave me!”
He leapt into the flames, hus robes catching flame. A Nightsister holding the babe wept at this show of absolute devotion and love.
Saavage burned, screaming.
Emerging from the outer circle was Lord Rancus who stood beside Mother Zalisin, his arms crossed. He watched as his pupil became a pyre.
Then as Saavage lost consciousness, Lord Rancus waved his hand, putting out the flame. He raised Saavage with the Force, and placed him on a cloth. Two Night brothers, Zabraks carried Saavage back to the ship.
Lord Rancus walked over to the child, and looked at it with his Phantom Mask.
Mother Zalisin joined his side.
“What of the child?”
Lord Rancus eyed the babe, it had an aura of shadow, streams in The Force coming from Mira’s corpse and Saavage.
“Keep her alive. Raise her in your traditions.”
Mother Zalisin nodded.
“And if he returns to claim her?”
Darth Rancus shook his head.
“When I am finished with him, he’ll care nothing for her or anyone but himself.”
Mother Zalisin smiled.
“As is the Sith Way.”
She bowed, and rejoined her Coven.
Aboard the Ship, Saavage was hurried into a Becta Tank full of Kolto. His burnt body was dropped in tube and encased in fluid. A respirator attached to his charred mouth.
Lord Rancus entered and bud the Nightbrothers leave. He looked at his Apprentice, now ashen and broken in body and spirit.
“Now you are ready to begin your training.”

 

[Darth Saavage]

Saavage awoke in the murky liquid, the pain from hus wounds felt like needles all over and like flames in his bones. He removed the respirator, and the tank drained. He fell out in the liquid and gasped, the mere breath was agony. Lord Rancus sat in captain’s seat which turned from the viewer and to Saavage.
“Your pathways are damaged, as are your vocal cords. Speaking will be painful for the rest of your miserable life.”
Rancus rose.
“I warned you love would be your undoing, and yet you persisted!”
The Dark Master raised His Apprentice in The Force. Choking him.
“If you ever disregard my advice again, I will end your misery once and for all! You are my acolyte, my slave! You will obey or you will die!”
The Dark Lord released his Apprentice. Who collapsed unconcious and was placed back in the becta tank by a med droid of obsidian hue. With eight red glowing eyes.

 

[Darth Saavage]

Years later…

Lord Saavage had grown in power, he had cut down Jedi in battle. Though it did not thrill him the way it did his Master. Saavage found it all futile, the Force Wars, that such a wealth of knowledge was destroyed in purges on both sides. Saavage found his allegiance to the dark side more out of practicality, the darksiders always had advanced medical care, and the arcane offered him one hope, Ressurection, not for himself. He knew the souls of Nightsisters haunted Dathomir, even perhaps Mira. So he studied the dark arts with fervor, which made his Master pleased, albiet suprised at this keen interest.

The Dark Master was resting in his seat, all was quiet. Saavage approached from behind, and stood. His presence a shadow. Rancus’s limp gnarled hand knocked against a glass of red liquid. He wasn’t breathing. Saavage had learned his preference for certain Sith vintages. Now at last one was tainted with an untraceable toxin. The Master had died in his sleep induced coma, unaware anything was wrong. It was eery that one so strong in the Force could pass so unceremoniously. Saavage had a Med Droid take the Master and wrap him in a velvet sack. Saavage was redpectful in the post mortem, he did not defile or destroy, he preserved the body for burial. He had chosen to do be unlike his Lord, kind, even in death.
Saavage was now the Dark Lord, and he plotted a course for Dathomir.

 

[Darth Saavage]

The Sith ship dropped put of hyperspace over Amaranth Red sphere with its swirling white clouds.
Lord Saavage sat quietly as his ship penetrated the horizon. He had not been back to the cursed planet since the death of his beloved and his own burning. The ship made for a rocky precipice and landed near The Fortress of Rock. The ramp feel and the Dark Lord made his way through the cave entrance. Swirls of green lights trailed in the air and sparkled like diamonds that moved to and fro. The Sith Lord came to a hollowed out place of earth, there a claudron with black water that rippled without wind.
A voice came from waters..
“Defiler.. Defiler.. leave this place or be forever cursed!.
Saavage reached out his hand and shook the cauldron with the Force, suddenly sparks of green flame lapped out and a green spectra of a woman stood.
“Why have you come Dark Lord? Why do you disturb our slumber?”
Saavage placed his hand on his throat and spoke.
“Mira.”
The words burned in his throat.
The Nightspirit smiled.
“If you wish to call her forth from the cauldron, you shall need a vessel. One of the same blood, a Nightsister.”
Lord Saavage’s mind turned to Vehementi.
The Nightspirit continued.
“Be warned Lord of the Sith.. the vessel can break and the rite will leave you never the same!”
Saavage nodded. He cares only for one thing, to be reunited with his beloved.