Private Fractured.

[Elani Zambrano]

I

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The rain had just started to come down on Dathomir. It was a warm mid-afternoon. The smell of rainwater and flowers filled the air just above Neko Ilnayia Kanyon, but within the canyon, the air was still. Somehow, the rain did not even reach it's depths. Not even a small breeze made a cut into the obsidian ravine. No, the only thing that disturbed the otherwise deathly silent canyon was the soft sounds of bare soles hitting the ground. Sprinting pale legs sprouted from beneath a black robe. A hood covered must of her head, but those raven locks were still visible.

Elani Zambrano, mother of the Murakami and daughter of the disgraced Kaine Zambrano, moved with a purpose towards the end of a corridor. Ahead of her was a hole in the wall resembling a doorway. As she approached, the faint illumination of candlelight inside the doorway revealed a stairwell. It's rigid, winding staircase lead downwards into the Abyss. Down there was where the Murakami practiced their dark arts. Today, however, the Abyss was barren. The Murakami had largely disbanded since Elani had lead her crusade of vengeance against her father. The few that remained were scattered across the galaxy. Broke, alone, and stumbling through the darkness. Elani was not as she once was. She had become focused solely on killing her father for so long, she had forgotten her purpose. She even started ignoring His voice. She was growing desperate and tired. The Abyss was the only way.

Elani made her way down, sounds of rain growing quieter as she descended. The base of the stairs rested on on side of a large rectangular room. Braziers lit the room in a soft orange hue. Several markings were on the stone ground. Some chalk. Some scratches. Some dried blood. All from rituals in years past. Many of them her handiwork. She walked across the room slowly, reminiscing of her time there, giving guidance to the young Murakami witches. But those thoughts quickly faded away as she remembered her father's face. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She then remembered why she had come. She had one last ritual left before she was ready to take her father. First, she was going to call the smoke demon, Rashgarroth, to her. Once his summoning was complete, she would send it to Kaine to lie in wait for her to activate it and the right moment. When he was at his weakest moment, the demon would reveal itself and kill her father.

"Nu visita sh'jatau j'us, Rashgarroth! Nu buti zo qeyityr berniuk iv Erebos! J'us valia udai nuyak reiklauti!" Elani called out as she begun to move around the room with the grace of a snake. As sh emoved, drawings slowly appeared across the room. Ritual markings seemingly out of nowhere spawned beneath her very feet as she continued to chant. The markings were flat but appeared to descend into an inky black abyss. Her chants started melodic and soft but became more brutal as she went on. At the center of the room, a portal slowly opened. It was a menacing swirl of violet and black that opened up like a gaping maw of beautifully vile Sith sorcery. Elani could feel the intense aura of the dark side as she channeled it's power.

Her vengeance was soon going to be fulfilled. It was assured. Until, in the blink of an eye, Elani dropped to her knees. The braziers were snuffed out in an instant, the flames gone cold. Not even an ember remained. The markings across the room wiped away and the portal was gone. The air was cold. Not the kind of cold the loving embrace of Erebos was known for. No, this was different. This was nothing Elani had experienced before.

Something was wrong.

​

 

[Elani Zambrano]

II
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The cold stone scraped at her hands and knees as she dragged herself towards a wall. She felt so weak. All of her strength just gone from her in an instant. And it was more than just the flesh that was weak. Her thoughts were everywhere. Her memories, scrambled. Her head was spinning.

Her entire being was off. Her breath was heavy as what strength she had she used most of to get herself back to her feet. Darkness covered the Abyss. Moreso than normal. Shakily, she reached for her lightsaber beneath her robes. Once it was free of it's holster, she ignited it, lighting her immediate surroundings in a vicious crimson. Her face was sunken in. Her her a mangled mess. She was far gone from the youthful troublemaker she once was.

"I've got...get back t-...Emberwing." she breathed.

She shuffled through the darkness, encroaching upon the stairs. The rain had subsided. It's scent lingered in the air and the clouds were beginning to float away. Elani hobbled through the canyon. She was in no condition to move with the pace she had previously. The stone scraped at her soles, a feeling she had not felt in a long time. Everything was different.

Something had taken her power from her.

In the distance, Emberwing could be seen. She kept pushing herself closer and closer. It was the safest place for her at the moment. Without her strength, she was defenseless. Even moreso without her power.

The ship's entrance was already open from when she left before. The cold metal was slick from the rain. She managed to not slip on her way onto the shuttle. She found rest in the chair just behind the pilot's. A deep exhale escaped her lips as she was finally off her feet after the hike. Before her, a red flashing light could be seen on the console. It caught her attention. It was a message. Had to be important for it to even reach her.

What could it be? the Zambrano witch wondered. She forced herself out of the chair she was in and towards the front before plopping into the pilot's chair. She then reached forward, pressing the button adjacent to the flashing light. The holo illuminated, revealing the message.

"No..Oh no no.."

 

[Elani Zambrano]

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III

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Panatha had fallen. The planet was destroyed. Elani's true home was gone. Her heart sank. Her throat swelled. Breath was impossible in that moment. All she could do was stare at the hologram. Stare in silent grief. She clutched at her chest as she sunk into the chair. A breath had finally escaped her lips.

"It's gone.." she managed to whimper. "Panatha...is gone."

That is when the reality started to set in. Her powers? Her strength? All of it fueled by her connection to her homeworld. It was from there, the powerful dark side energies she bathed in all those years. It all empowered her to the great power she once had. but, in the blink of an eye, it was taken from her. She was so weak. So fragile now. The Murakami matron was no more.

Now, only Elani remained.

But, for how long? How long would she remain without her power? Could she be this husk until her last breath? She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen

As a single tear went down Elani's left cheek, the faint sound of footsteps on the metal of the ship's floor could be heard by Elani. She reignited her lightsaber and pointed it behind her. She peeked around the chair before letting out a sigh.

"You're back. Why?" Elani groaned. A blue eyed blonde wearing a black veiled hood on her head approached the end of Elani's lightsaber.

"Is it not obvious? You need me." She pulled down her hood and maneuvered around the lightsaber to the chair adjacent to her. Elani stared the blonde down before deactivating her lightsaber. Elani's eyes did not pull away from the blonde's. "Panatha is gone. And so are your powers. I tried to warn you about binding yourself to that place. Panatha's destruction was inevitable. Your father's iron grip on the planet made it an obvious target. It is unfortunate that it has come at a time such as this."

Elani's eyes squinted at the woman. "Why is that?"

The blonde sighed. "I have an answer for your plight. It is not an answer you are going to particularly enjoy." Elani raised an eyebrow at her.

"Darth Carnifex. He is the key." she answered.

 

[Elani Zambrano]

IV
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A weak cackle creeped from Elani's mouth, her head thrown back in joy. Once she composed herself, her gaze was met by the serious look of the other witch. She realized that she meant what she said.

"You're serious?" Elani questioned. "I could take your head before you could utter another foolish word. You know that."

"Yes, I know. I would not even attempt to to stop you regardless. Have you ever known me to speak a lie to you, mother?"

Elani was taken aback at the mention of the word 'mother'. It had been so long since she heard that word. So long since her followers referred to her as such. Her children. So few of them remained.

"What must I do?" Elani sighed.

"The message was not clear. As most from Erebos are. I was able to decipher it as your father is the next closest thing to Panatha. Your connection to your homeworld was so strong and unique that to find such a font of power would be impossible normally. However, your father-"

"Do not call that creature my father." Elani interjected.

"Apologies, mother. Darth Carnifex has the same power signature as Panatha. His is so engrained with the world that binding yourself to him will grant you your power back. If I am correct, just being in his presence will lead to your powers returning." the witch explained.

Elani initially thought she was delusional. That the words she was hearing sounded near insanity. She could hear the truth in them, though. Despite the gut wrenching feeling she felt within her, Elani knew her daughter was right.

"I will go to him then." Elani breathed. "I will not grovel at his feet as I am sure he is expecting, but I will go to him. Until I find an alternative solution, of course."

The blonde nodded and moved close to Elani, embracing her. " Go, mother. I will stay here and try to get the Murukami back together in your name." Elani returned the gesture in kind. They pulled back from one another and the blonde departed from the ship. She watched from afar as the ship activated and took off from the ground, disappearing into the rain clouds above. As Emberwing pierced the sky, the clouds parted, unveiling the sun behind them.

Elani set her course for Jutrand where she would finally confront her father and end her decades long feud with him.