Private Full Spectrum

[Darth Nwul]

Location: Xuaquarres

There were many dark places across the galaxy, places where the ancient sith hid many secrets. Among them were worlds that were better left forgotten, places beyond imagining where the Dark Side congregated in ways that were frightful and otherworldly. This was one of those places, unholy beyond comprehension. Where the lingering emotions of those who suffered in this place clung to it like ichor. A world lost. A world found only by the combination of minds, a world only he could find. A world that he set out to, knowing that the Jedi would try to stop him. He had departed Mon Calamari after a brief stop in their space to refuel. There was no way to hide it from everyone, so he didn't, he welcomed the pursuers. Curious about their intentions. He was more curious, though, about the other presence following him in the shadows.

He arrived on Xuaquarres as his destination was bathed in shadow. The Aftermath moved light a bolt of lightning through the air over the eerie surface. Dark trees spread across a vast landscape filled with life and teeming with darkness. He landed on a small plateau made of darkened rock just outside the valley that was his target and did not wait long before descending the side of the high rise, racing down to the prize below. He was accompanied only by his daughters, the twins Darya and Yjome. The other cultists remained behind to safeguard the vessel. There he found what he was looking for. The secreted away entrance to a long forgotten place. A storehouse belonging to none other than Darth Sidious.

It was at the clearing that surrounded the gates pressed firmly into the walls of the valley that the first Jedi Shadow darted out of the darkness. The stealthy warrior brandishing a saberstaff the instant they seemed to materialize out of the air. There was no warning or hesitation, only the sudden threat of death. Nwul's smile didn't falter as he shifted his foot, letting out a breath that turned white in the air. The ground beneath his feet froze over and the shadow slipped, their eyes going wide behind the mask. They stumbled just in time for Nwul to turn and release a concussive blast of telekinetic force from his palm, sending the man hurtling back into the trees and overgrowth.

"Father!" Darya gasped, the sudden contest had only lasted a second, and their minds had only now caught up to what had happened. Yjome activated her lightsaber and formed up alongside her sister, both of them looking left and right as Nwul stood in the middle. His lip twitched.

"So this is how the Council does things, now, is it?" He called out.

"Wake Nayne, your crimes continue to mount. You are an abomination and a source of dishonor for the Jedi Council. Before you become something inhuman, we have no choice but to put you down," A voice came from the trees. "Be at rest knowing that your attendants will be spared if they surrender."

Nwul's smile broke into a toothy grin, "How very kind!" He laughed, as the shadows darted from the trees, a dozen double-blades igniting in the air. He activated his own weapon and the white blade soundlessly appeared at the end of the hilt. One of the Jedi noted the strange weapon and glanced at the others. He drew on the dark side, letting the emotions fill him. A full spectrum of sensation, thought, feeling, and emotion. Joy, hate, love, rage, everything blossomed at once as he drew on the memories of hundreds of lives. He drank deep of the power as his daughters blocked the initial assault. One jedi swept down at each, forcing them away from their father. They called out to him but he'd already been engaged. Ten men landing in a cirlce around him, blue blades glowing in the darkness. He sniffed, "Well this is unfortunate."

Miri Nimdok

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Whispers of the Force had drawn her to this place. This was a new experience for her. She wasn’t used to being led around by cosmic forces she didn’t understand. Usually the cosmic airways seemed silent. Now it seemed that she had simply been deaf to them.

It was frightening at first, a little like the “voices” or impulses that madmen spoke of. But these whispers weren’t like that. They were more gentle, nudging her along rather than dragging her kicking and screaming. Surely that was a sign that she was still sane, right?

As she approached the entrance, she mused over what she had read about the world of Xuaquarres. It was rumored to be the Graveyard of Dragons, but she hadn’t seen any so far. Another source claimed there was a storehouse of the long-dead Emperor Palpatine hidden somewhere on this planet. That could be interesting, though it also increased the threat level. She was likely to encounter far more nefarious characters than your typical greedy adventurer looking for loot.

Voices drifted toward her. She stopped to listen.

"...You are an abomination and a source of dishonor for the Jedi Council. Before you become something inhuman, we have no choice but to put you down. Be at rest knowing that your attendants will be spared if they surrender."

"How very kind!"

Her eyes widened as she recognized the latter voice. Wake Nayne?

But of course he would be here. He had been after artifacts and knowledge, after all. This was no doubt a prime target on his list of places full of Sith secrets to plunder—and she clearly wasn’t the only person to have figured that out, as he was now locked into a confrontation with some Jedi.

A lot of Jedi, judging from the glow of dozens of lightsabers igniting ahead of her.

Part of her didn’t want to get involved. After all, Wake was a Sith. The galaxy was better off without him and those like him. And yet…

Miri strode into the clearing, emerging from the dark silhouettes of the trees surrounding it. She quickly took in the scene before her—Yjone and Darya crying out the name of their master, while Wake was surrounded by figures wielding burning blades. These were Jedi Shadows. She recognized their fighting styles. Her father had given her the same training while he was head of the Silver Shadows.

The odds were stacked against Wake and his “daughters”. He didn’t stand much of a chance against this many Shadows. If she didn’t intervene, he would likely die by their hands. Probably for the best.

And yet…

Miri took a step forward, and then another, until she was right in the thick of things. She drew her pistols and fired. The slugs struck one distracted Jedi in the back, while another tried to block it with his blade, only for it to explode on impact, a piece of metal embedding in her chest. The Shadow collapsed with a scream of agony as the molten shrapnel burned through her flesh.

The others quickly took notice of the gunslinging woman in their midst. They turned on Miri, forcing her to back away as they advanced upon her, slashing with their blades. One tried to pull her towards him with telekinesis, but she dug her heels in and resisted. Her connection to the Force was stronger than it had been. Not since she was an untrained child, full of untapped potential, had she felt this way.

It was… invigorating.

@Wake Nayne​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Nwul felt her presence before she arrived in full. Perhaps it was a connection brought on by the ritual of reflection. Or perhaps it was something else. But the force had warned him, told him, assured him. She would come. His smile widened into a wide, toothy smile as she strode into the clearing, invisible in the shadows cast by the ethereal glow of lightsabers. His own ghostly blade angled, ready to fight. He would probably die here, probably, though it wouldn't come without a price.

Two shots from pistols rendered two jedi out of the fight. Nwul watched one of the shadows whip towards her, holding out a hand to draw her in. She resisted, and Nwul felt the surge of strength inside of her as she defended herself against the force. Her power was blossoming, her connection to the force restored in a way that the Jedi had tried to weaken in her youth. He closed his eyes and reveled in the sense of accomplishment. He had helped her, truly helped her, and his work had been rewarded.

Ten men had been reduced to eight, two were down. Four for each of them then.

"Miri Nimdok? The padawan?" One of the jedi questioned, surprised. "Why are you assisting this creature, Padawan Nimdok? Are you not aware of the kind of threat he poses to the galaxy? If he continues on his path he could be a threat to life."

The other three that had turned to face Miri advanced while the four who had chosen to stay behind to deal with Nwul angled their weapons at him. Nwul tapped his the tip of his boot against the ground. Darya and Yjome looked at him and he waved them towards the doors to the storehouse, they needn't involve themselves in a situation like this. They had a job to do. He looked back at the Jedi and gestured casually with his ghostly weapon.

"That blade is foul, what have you done to that crystal?" One of the Jedi demanded.

"Take it and find out," Nwul laughed, two of the Jedi rushed him and he dove into his emotions. Reveling in them. He let out an overjoyed laugh, swinging his lightsaber up to meet one of the blades while whipping his free hand aside and drawing on the force. The other saber was batted away with a series of strange sparks. The shadow holding the weapon darted back as Nwul slid his foot forward with unnatural speed, they couldn't see the ice that formed beneath his foot, reducing friction. He kicked the leg out of the other Jedi and before they could recover, he touched him in the chest.

The Jedi stumbled, his eyes distorting as vertigo blinded him for a moment. The Jedi who had stepped away frowned, "Tutaminis, Vertigo, you grow more dangerous by the day."

Nwul didn't bother to answer him, letting his emotions sweep him away as he held the rudder. The control he had learned in isolation had given him focus. He darted towards the second Jedi as the other two rushed in to assist and the battle was truly joined. Nwul glanced one last time in Miri's direction. He'd have to thank her properly later.

Miri Nimdok

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Two men were killed by her bullets, dropping to the ground like flies. Miri ended their lives with the same coldness she had slaughtered dozens of others with, her face expressionless save for her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Why are you assisting this creature, Padawan Nimdok? Are you not aware of the kind of threat he poses to the galaxy? If he continues on his path he could be a threat to life."

“I’m not a Jedi anymore,” Miri snapped, with an annoyance that surprised even her. “Dark and Light, there is never one without the other. The Jedi would die out without the Sith to fight.”

She shot at another man, incendiary ammo catching his cloak aflame. While he focused on trying to put out the fire threatening to engulf him, another metal slug pierced his heart, ending his life. The remaining two forced her into a retreat as she ran out of ammo. One of their lightsabers sliced through the barrel of the gun in her left hand, destroying it. She tossed it aside, still backing away as she began to reload.

One Jedi slashed at her chest. She narrowly avoided being cut in half, but the tip of the blade burned a gash across her breast. White hot rage bubbled up in her at the searing pain. She was angry that any of this was even happening, angry that there was always some conflict in the universe, angry that life was so unfair…

Before she knew it, the pair of Jedi assailing her were dying. They fell to the ground, making strange choking sounds as red soaked their robes and trickled from their noses and mouths. She had killed them, boiling their blood in their veins.

@Wake Nayne​

 

[Darth Nwul]

The music seemed to build as Nwul continued his own portion of the battle. The Jedi that had been disoriented was rapidly recovering, scrambing back and out of reach of his attacks. The other two were rushing to engage, but hadn't found an opening to strike yet. Nwul didn't allow it, he ducked beneath a arcing strike and thrust out his palm, a wall of force forming ahead of him as the Jedi moved to defend himself from telekinesis. Nwul sneered at him and twisted his fingers, a gout of flame erupting from his fingertips and catching the man aflame. He let out a cry of pain, thrashing about as Nwul darted out of reach.

The other two, noting the growing danger, engaged him with more caution while the one who had recovered from the vertigo was beginning to see past their delusion of victory. He watched Nwul's face, the smile widening on it. He felt the emotions rippling through the force, Nwul was having fun! He was toying with them.

Nwul deflected a blow with an overhand parry, letting it slide past him before he kicked one Jedi into the other. The third let out a roar and charged forward. He whipped his hand in their direction and instead of a gout of flame a bolt of lightning arced from his fingertip. The Jedi barely managed to catch it on his blade before he noticed that his feet had frozen over. Nwul moved back towards the other two who were coming back to apply pressure. Sweeping strikes and tricks kept them at a distance. His lightsaber technique wasn't perfected yet.

Instead, he drew on the force like a sorcerer, slinging it about like a wizard of myth. The pressure was building, harder and harder, the thrum of something in the air becoming almost audible. Only then did the Jedi notice, only then did they realize, Nwul had been muttering the entire time.

Tendrils of black ichor erupted from the ground at their feet, tentacles of cold pain that wrapped around them in an instant. The jedi screamed as Nwul stood still, three men writhing in pain as the strange black substance seared against their skin. His fingers coiling and writhing around his palm, simulating the movements of the dark material.

He did not prolong their suffering.

A crunch echoed through the clearing.

Miri Nimdok

 

[Miri Nimdok]

"Ugh," Miri muttered as the bodies fell, mangled and crushed. She had killed plenty, even set people on fire, yet something about the visceral sound of crunching bone and splattering viscera got under her skin like nothing else could.

With the Jedi dead, she turned to face Wake. His two "daughters" had left on his orders, hiding or going to get help, she didn't know. The two of them were alone, surrounded by dead Jedi.

"Fancy seeing you here," she said. "Seems you've made a name for yourself, if even the Shadows are coming after you. What have you been up to?"

Darth Nwul​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Nwul stared at the bodies for a moment as they crumpled to the ground. The writhing masses of shadow retracting into his own. His shoulders relaxed and he brushed his hair out of his face, a smile blossoming as she approached him. He held out a hand and with a flick of his wrist used telekinesis to rip their lightsabers from their corpses and settle them in a stack off to the side. He'd figure out what to do with the weapons later. With that done, he crossed his arms behind his back and resumed his signature posture.

"Very fancy, almost like someone's been looking for me," he teased, locking eyes with her, his expression and tone seemed to imply that he found the Jedi Shadows to be nothing more than a novelty now that they were dead, "I've been following a trail of breadcrumbs that started with that first clue of yours, from one tomb to the next. It's been a blast," He chuckled.

He stepped towards her and examined her face, "You've gotten more comfortable, good, I'm happy for you," He said honestly.

The aura he gave off was different than before. The myriad spectrum of emotions that whirled around him was still there, but it was more controlled. The fibers of madness behind his eyes were honed as well. It was as if he had gone through an evolution, a transformation. He was more than Wake now. As if on cue, his daughters returned from where they'd moved to. Their eyes fixed on Miri as they approached.

Darya was overjoyed, "Miri! I'm so glad you're here!"

Yjome bowed, "Thank you for assisting Master Nwul."

Nwul glanced at them, pleased, before turning back to her, "What about you? How have you been?"

Miri Nimdok

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Miri’s dark eyes followed the lightsabers as they were torn from the hands of the dead and tossed in a pile before she glanced back at Wake. He was smiling at her.

“I wasn’t looking for you,” she said. “But the Force led me here all the same. What a rascal it is.”

Or a cruel bastard, she thought.

“Well, at least someone is exploring these old ruins,” she muttered. “The galaxy seems to have a shortage of independent archaeologists these days.” Too much conflict. People were expected to take sides and resort to tribalism.

"You've gotten more comfortable, good, I'm happy for you."

“Not comfortable enough,” she murmured. She was acutely aware of her lack of a reaction to finding Wake here. There was no hatred, loathing, or anger in her towards him now—just a sad, mournful feeling. She almost pitied him.

She was taken aback by the warm reception she received from Wake’s “daughters”. Darya seemed genuine happy to see her, while Yjome expressed gratitude for her help. She called Wake “Master Nwul”. Miri nodded to them vaguely, not sure what to make of it. “Is that what you’re calling yourself now? ‘Peace’?” she asked with a scoff.

"What about you? How have you been?"

“Awful,” she said, feeling oddly candid. “Nothing’s changed. I’m still an aimless wanderer with a pair of pistols on my hip and a lot of regrets. I can’t even take revenge on those who have wronged me. I have no purpose in life.”

Darth Nwul​

 

[Darth Nwul]

He snorted out a laugh, "A rascal indeed, God, Slave and mischief maker I suppose," he shook his head and glanced towards the ruins, resting his hands at his sides and relaxing a little bit. He shrugged at her point, "I'm not exactly doing it for history's sake, it's more of a side-effect of my cataloguing the ruins," He let the matter rest as they moved the conversation along.

His eyes narrowed a little as he began to pick up on the emotions roiling inside of her, was that... pity? Interesting. He wondered from what perspective she arrived at that emotion. He didn't press her about it though, her emotions were her own and he wasn't here to toy with her or play her enemy. Not today.

He looked away as his daughters approached, pleased by their reception. His lips curled into a smile when she called him out for his name. That was exactly the kind of reaction he was hoping to get out of others. He feasted momentarily on her derision before asking how she was, a wry smile on his face. His eyebrows raised a little as she gave her candid response and he nodded.

"I'm glad you're facing how you feel and the reality of your life, it's a good first step," he said, turning away to walk towards the forgotten storehouse of Emperor Palpatine. He didn't stop walking until he was in front of it, but he did keep talking, "Would you consider me one of those people who wronged you? Or am I someone who can offer you a purpose again?" He asked evenly, casting his gaze in her direction as he came to a stop. His daughters moving to either side of the doors to the storehouse.

He smiled, "Ah, Sidious, you were one hell of a Sith. I wonder what you have in here waiting for me..."

Miri Nimdok

 

[Miri Nimdok]

His description of the Force was cute, but she wasn't in the mood to discuss theology with him. “There’s nothing peaceful about you, so I don’t know why you picked that name. You’d be better off calling yourself Shâsot.” Passion. “Or Kanasazi.” The same word, but in High Sith.

Yes, she was flexing. She spoke both languages fluently.

"I'm glad you're facing how you feel and the reality of your life, it's a good first step."

She did glare at him then, but it was a short-lived reaction. “You didn’t wrong me,” she muttered. “But you didn’t exactly help me very much either. Not as much as you seem to think, anyway. If anything, your temporary care merely prolonged the inevitable.” She was spiraling off into self-destruction, overwhelmed by her frustrations.

The mention of Sidious, arguably the most infamous Sith in galactic history, caused her to stiffen. Normally she would’ve been horrified at the thought of artifacts belonging to the former Emperor Palpatine falling into Wake’s hands, but now… Now, she found that she couldn’t even bring herself to care. She was depressed and apathetic, even to the point where she didn’t even feel curious about what he might find inside the storehouse. It was nothing to her. Just more junk.

Darth Nwul​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Nwul raised an eyebrow at her when she countered his point, his smile widening, "But if I went by that name, I wouldn't get these delightful reactions, now would I?" He teased, he glanced her up and down, "You're well read, I like that," He continued before he paused and made an amused face, tilting his head to the left thoughtfully before glancing her way. His eyes fell on her face, "Is that what you think of, when you see me? Passion?" He cracked a grin, "I wouldn't mind it if you called me Shasot."

Her following words drew a laugh out of him.

"It's not my fault you didn't want to finish the process. Learning to wield the full spectrum of your emotions takes time, Miri, it is not something you can embrace in an evening," He said calmly, running his fingers over the door. He let the force flow through his fingertips as he worked over the mechanisms. His eyes fell shut as his concentration deepened.

"Apathy... now that is one emotion..." he murmured as his power began to swell, he felt his emotions burn through him, the feelings of not only his own memories but tens of hundres of lives that he'd consumed. The ground shook and he reached out with the force, the door that resisted all but it's master began to shudder. He formed a claw like gesture with both hands and mimed ripping the door open. He bore his teeth as power began to radiate from his body, effort being put forward. He would not be denied.

"I detest!" he roared, wrenching his arms apart and forcing the door to the storehouse open with a terrible boom.

His arms fell to his side and he glanced her way, panting, "You're just afraid to feel," He said with sadness in his voice, "Even after all I gave you. You're too weak to embrace your true strength. I admired your pride, Miri, that's why I helped you."

He turned away and started towards the shadowy interior.

Nearby, though, two figures sprung into action. One darted away from the spot, racing away from the storehouse and into the trees. The other stepped out with his weapon drawn, pointing a glowing blue lightsaber at Miri. "I've heard enough!" The blonde jedi shadow that stepped out of the darkness said, his face stony and his heart swirling with emotion. "The council will know very soon about your crimes, Miri Nimdok, to think you've fallen so far. You disgust me." The jedi spat, anger plain in his voice.

Miri Nimdok

 

[Miri Nimdok]

“It’s your whole philosophy, isn’t it? Reveling in your passions.” She crossed her arms over her chest as she followed him to the storehouse. “I would prefer to call you by your real name, Wake. No matter what titles you give yourself, or that other people give you, you will always be Wake to me.”

What? It was a nice name. Easier to pronounce, too.

“I didn’t want to finish because I was ashamed of myself,” she muttered. “Ashamed that I… wanted you. Alderaanian girls aren’t supposed to be that easy.” Let alone Alderaanian girls with as much baggage as she carried.

Kyell was gone. If not dead, then certainly dead to her. The twins were with the Jedi Order, being raised to act like the people who had tried to kill her and Wake just now. Maybe they were better off without her, and she them.

She appeared unfazed by Wake’s outburst as he tore off the door to the storehouse. The arrival of the last of the Jedi, on the other hand, brought a furrow to her brow. Her brown eyes grew sad at his condemnation, and her lip quivered as if she were on the verge of crying. But no tears ever fell.

"Who are you to judge me?" she asked with a scoff. "You're not without sin."

She wormed her way into the Jedi's mind using the Benandanti Force techniques her father had taught her. While the Jedi fought back against this mental intrusion, she drew her pistols and fired a salvo of slugs at him. He tried to deflect the bullets with his lightsaber, but the molten shrapnel bounced off the blade and burned through his flesh.

As his body fell, she turned to Darya and Yjone. "Would you girls like to catch the other one?" she asked. Then her gaze slide over to Wake. He said he admired her pride, but considered her weak. She raised her hand to her lips, blowing him a kiss, before she broke into a run, heading inside the storehouse ahead of him.

Darth Nwul​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Nwul chuckled and shook his head at her defiant approach to his name. Frankly, he didn't care. If she chose to call him by the name he had left behind, well, so be it. A wake was something left behind anyway. He snorted at the humor in that. He relaxed a little as she faced the feelings that had blocked her from continuing in her awakening before, his expression easing. He didn't say anything even as the Jedi approached.

Instead, he watched her back, his eyes fixed on her.

Those weren't the eyes of the youthful playboy who had been toying with the ways of the force, testing out the technique to release one's emotions. No, Nwul looked at her with the eyes of someone in deep thought. Someone with a plan. Someone who saw potential in front of him, potential that just needed to be freed in the right way. He didn't so much as blink as Miri gunned down the Jedi.

Good.

He turned away as the body fell, stepping towards the inside. He heard Miri give an order to the daughters, the two rattataki blinking in surprise at the command. Nwul didn't say anything for a moment as Miri turned back to enter the storehouse. His smile hidden by the shadows. "You heard her. Bring the Jedi to me alive," Nwul said, just as Miri passed him.

He blinked at her gusto, the sudden flirtation drawing a look of mixed suprise and amusement out of him. He grinned at her, "Hah! That's more like it!" He barked out in a laugh, darting forward just as the defenses screamed to life. He drew out the chilling blade of his lightsaber as a pair of turrets dropped down to snuff him from existance only to be bisected by his weapon.

Ahead of him, more traps began to engage, ready to deal with both him and his playful companion.

Miri Nimdok

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Miri skidded to a halt just shy of a laser tripwire, firing her pistols at the sensor. It exploded in a shower of sparks and metal shrapnel. She continued on, shooting at or in some cases avoiding the traps entirely. But she didn’t leave them for Wake to trigger. “There’s a pressure plate here,” she called back over her shoulder in warning, even as she moved on ahead of him.

It was a race, not a competition. Miri may not have known what she wanted, but she did know she didn’t want to see him dead.

Eventually she came upon a chamber of the storehouse which was large and suspiciously empty, even though the Force didn’t offer a warning as it had with the other traps. As a test, she tore off a strip from the hem of her shirt and tossed it forward to see if it would trigger anything. The cloth fluttered in the air... and fell to the ground in pieces, having been sliced to ribbons.

"Invisible wiring," she murmured as she heard Wake catching up with her. "I can't sense it, so it's probably been alchemized to make it undetectable to Force Users." Quite the deterrent for unworthy robbers.

They needed something which would expose the thin, razor-sharp strands so they would know where they were. "I don’t suppose you have any fine powder?" she asked. Hopefully the powder would coat the metal, making it visible to them. Then they could find a way across...

Darth Nwul​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Nwul grinned wildly as he watched what she was doing, hurrying to catch up with her without hesitation. He darted over traps she left behind with a warning, slipping past them as they raced through the entry hall of the facility. He pushed his body further, moving to fall into step with her and even inch forward a few times. He cast a wicked grin in her direction and winked before he sensed something building up ahead of them. His eyes flicked in that direction. What was that? He didn't sense danger, per se.

They came to a new chamber that appeared empty and slid to a stop. He watched the cloth she'd torn from her clothing fall and be torn to ribbons. He snorted and let out a sigh, "It was a nice shirt too, I'll buy you some outfits after this," He said with a chuckle, scratching his head. His eyes narrowed at the space, trying to see if she was correct. No, he couldn't sense the wiring either. His lip twitched, fascinating.

"I'd like some of this for myself," Nwul said plainly, "But I assume cutting the wires will probably trigger another trap put in place, given they have enough tension to cut like that."

He scratched his neck and then turned his head towards the passage they'd just come from. He reached out with the force and grabbed hold of one of the blocks of stone that made up the walls around them. Without even flexing a muscle the block came free of the wall and slammed into the ground at his feet. He drew his lightsaber off his waist and ignited the silent blade, not a sound coming as the thin ghostly weapon appeared. He whipped it down in a few broad strokes, cutting the large block of stone into pieces. After that, he lifted one up with the force and clenched his fist. It crumbled, imploded, and was pulverized into a fine powder.

He glanced her way, "Is that enough?" He asked.

Miri Nimdok