Private Shadows of Eclipse

[Elias Edo]

Location: Kazarak | Soundtrack: The Commonwealth

​

The trail led him back to the source. He should have known. Rumors of Sith collusion during the Sanrafsix Crisis spread like wildfire throughout League Space, but the Council and its politicians preferred to avoid acknowledgement of their dark order. Especially when the Eclipse Consortium posed such an excellent front. But Elias and the rest of the Rimward Jedi knew better. They could see the writing on the wall.

He'd been following leads picked up on Kirdo III, where he and a small taskforce liberated the Kitonak slaves from Eclipse. It was where they first learned of the guild's potential backers. The intel that surfaced in the months since then had taken him throughout the Outer Rim, eventually forking between two worlds: Sluis Van, where a civil war brews over the influx of refugees - and Kazarak, the former headquarters of Eclipse.

Without any form of official political passage to Sluis Van, Elias elected to try his luck on the desert world instead. His search is backdropped against another civil conflict, between the reluctant slavers and the newly occupying Trade League.

Elias' ship, the Tempest, cut through the sandy winds. Through the storm that was brewing outside the viewport, he could make out the crumbled husk that once stood as a might fortress for the slavers. If he never had to lay eyes on this place again, it would still be too soon. He put his ship down on one of the more sturdy landing pads, one that was buttressed to the cliff face on the east side of the plateau. He wrapped his arms with thin cloth, donned a comfortable poncho, and pulled the hood over his head. Then, with goggles tight over his eyes and a rebreather to filter the sandstorm, Elias stepped down the landing ramp and out into the shadowed sun.

He wasn't sure what he would find here, but it was the last place to look for information on the Sith's involvement with Eclipse.

---

Tags: Darth Nwul ​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Wake, frankly, could not care less about the previous inhabitants of this place. He knew that there were some sith active here according to records, but beyond that it was largely inconsequential to him. No, it was their archives and materials that he cared about. What had been left behind and what spirits he could commune with to get a bit more information. The movements of the past sith were scattered and difficult to follow. Still, there were plenty of opportunities to be made even if he didn't find intelligence.

His ship, the Aftermath sat near the fortress, a few of the cultists that had come with him to the world were scattered about ensuring that the space was secure and comfortable. The twins on the other hand followed Wake through the structure, stopping at one of the doors leading out into the windy exterior. Wake threw the door open and waved his hand, concentrating a burst of raw emotion into telekinesis which shoved away the sandy winds. A bubble formed around him and the two young women as they stepped out and he crossed his arms behind his back, his cassock hanging still in the windless space.

A shift out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, a presence, the force, still and controlled. Jedi. He narrowed his eyes and his lips formed into a frown that blossomed into an exaspirated sigh. He threw his head back and nearly moaned his displeasure. "Oh come on I just got here!" He whined, kicking a bit of sand away from his boot and pouting in the direction of the twins. The two of them smiled nervously at him before looking towards the tarp set up around the base camp that they were erecting.

"Father, we are still getting a measure for the refugees in the building. A few of them might be willing converts and at least one or two are force sensitive," Darya said, "We aren't leaving already, are we?"

Wake made an amused sound, "Pfft! No! I'll see what this visitor wants, you two keep things under control down below, have fun~" he laughed and hopped off the side of the fortress, landing on the sandy dune between the approaching figure and the fortress, a bright smile on his face. "Hello! Welcome to Kazarak my wandering friend, how can I help you this fine er... morning? Evening? It's hard to tell with all the sand," He called over the winds.

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

Location: Kazarak | Soundtrack: The Commonwealth

​

Elias sensed the presence before he saw its source, but the sudden appearance of a man before him still caught the Jedi off guard. He halted in his stead, standing firmly against the sandy winds that blew past. One could almost hear the grains scraping against the goggle lenses. From behind the tinted glass, Elias stared hard at the young man. He could sense the darkness in him, just as he suspected his own presence in the Force was discernible. His suspicions were conveniently well-founded. The Sith were active on Kazarak.

Whether this one was a straggler, part of a recovery team, or simply crossing paths with his fallen kin, Elias could not say. But if a Sith agent were here, there would certainly be something worth finding within the fortress.

"Just sightseeing," Elias offered, not trying to hide his deception. "I saw this place in the distance and decided to chance a lookabout."

Chances are, he was here for the same reason Elias was: Sith intelligence left behind by Eclipse's conspirators.

---

Tags: Darth Nwul ​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Wake rubbed the side of his head and glanced at the guy, he was well garbed up for a Jedi and there was no obvious evidence that he was a member of that order. Besides reeking of the power of the force and walking around like a stars-blasted beacon of the light. Wake sighed and tilted his head to the right, "Well, I'm afraid to say that this used to be an old Sith outpost my wandering friend, and they don't take too kindly to people poking about in their business, you know how it is, yeah?"

Wake snapped his fingers, "Tell you what though, I'll leave the key under the doormat when I leave and you can have the run of the place. I don't plan on being here all that long anyway, sand and all that, not a fan," Wake said, brushing his shoulder off.

He put a lazy hand on the clip locking his lightsaber to his sash and smiled broadly, "What do you say? I'm sure we can work something out, I'm not much of a fan of violence myself after all," Wake admitted. Though he also knew when he was potentially outmached. This guy had the same bearing as his old master.

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

Location: Kazarak | Soundtrack: The Commonwealth

​

"That's a generous offer," Elias said with a grin beneath his rebreather, "but I prefer not to pick through the leftovers."

He couldn't tell who this Sith was working for - or against, for that matter - but whatever the arrangement may be, Elias wasn't going to give him free run of the fortress. There was too much at stake, too many unanswered questions and open-ended leads to let go of. He noticed the man's hand lower to his saber hilt, and Elias did the same. He wasn't one to strike first, but he would do what he must to ensure the data he came for wasn't lost.

"This isn't a fight you want," the Master warned genuinely. He wasn't being cocky, just honest. A life lost is still a life, no matter which side.

"I've come for something that I cannot leave here without."

---

Tags: Darth Nwul ​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Wake put his hands on his hips and raised his eyebrows, the force pushing away the snowstorm around him. He tilted his head to the right and grinned, "I guess that's fair, I don't begrudge you mister Jedi, sir jedi, do you have a name I could use?" Wake asked abruptly, squinting at his guest.

Wake tilted his head to the left and tapped his foot a few times on the sand, he stretched his legs out and let out a low groan, "Man, you have no idea how not interested I am in fighting you. Why can't we just take turns, you know? I'm not gonna destroy any of the data left behind, couldn't care less about the idiots who last worked here," Wake grunted as he thumbed back over his shoulder. "Hell, I'll give you a copy of my findings if you lay off."

"But..." Wake trailed off as his lightsaber leaped into his hand, the off-white blade of Derriphan practically appeared on the hilt, the usual snap-hiss nonexistant. The ghostly blade bathed itself in white mist that seemed to singe the air angrily. Wake drew himself up into a standard shii-cho stance, Form I was his best form, he knew the others intellectually but his body couldn't keep up with them yet. "I'm afraid that my daughters are in there, as are my followers."

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

Location: Kazarak | Soundtrack: The Commonwealth

​

Daughters? The Sith looked like an overgrown teenager. Elias deduced it must have been some form of Sith titling that gave them the name. But regardless of who - or what - they were, Darth Nwul had played an important hand. There were others inside, searching for something in the ruined fortress. This just got complicated.

He gave the Sith a quick tilt of the head, answering with a simple "Edo," but the time for niceties and name exchanges were over; The man's ghastly blade made sure of that. Elias had never seen a lightsaber with such a spectral aura, like a living spirit bound to the blade. He wasn't eager to feel its chilling touch, but if a duel stood between him and the data he'd come for, then he had no other choice...

His own saber ignited, coming alive with emerald-green light that shined against the pale sand beneath his boots. Behind the goggles, his eyes squinted.

"Turn away, Sith. It doesn't have to go down like this."

---

Tags: Darth Nwul ​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Wake let out a sligh and tapped his temple in a delicate salute to the man who had introduced himself, stepping back and entering a lazy fencing posture. "A pleasure, Edo. Wake. Sort of. Maybe?" He shrugged, "Thats what the Jedi called me anyway," He offered half heartedly, pointing the misty blade at his opponent. He was absolutely outmatched as far as raw power was concerned, but that wasn't the point here. He clicked his tongue and shrugged, "Of course it doesn't have to go like this. But you seem pretty intent on not waiting so what am I supposed to do?"

Wake's comlink chimed and he licked his lips, it chimed again and he activated it with a thought. Father? We've found the database you're looking for, we're downloading it now. What should we do about the rest that the Eclipse left behind?

He didn't respond, just cleared his throat, that was enough, Yes father, I understand.

A grin spread across his face as he took a step to the right, watching his opponent. He didn't make the first move, rather he kept his eyes fixed as he slowly shifted his position, gathering the dark side. He allowed the full spectrum of emotions to blossom out into the air before dragging it back in and working it like a smith. He hammered his feelings until they became hard as steel, his mental image growing sharper and sharper. His body on its own was literally no match for this man, but with the strength agumentation power he had learned in that tomb when he met Miri Nimdok . He could temporarily boost himself to where he needed to be.

It wasn't much, but it would buy them time...

Wake let out a breath, white mist billowing from his lips as his eyes turned gold. His muscles tensed and his body seemed to grow just a bit larger. The unnatural power literally modifying his physique temporarily. "I won't let you past, nor will I let you hurt my people, Jedi," Wake warned and finally entered the only stance he knew well enough to confidently use. Shii-cho, the first and most basic form. It was the best he could do.

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

Location: Kazarak | Soundtrack: The Commonwealth

​

Elias preferred to remain on the defensive, and the unnerving way Wake's body inflated with power didn't inspire him to change that now. He maintained a passive pose, ready to slip into whichever form he needed when they came to blows. For now, Elias kept his breathing steady as he crossed the sandy space between them.

"I won't let you past, nor will I let you hurt my people, Jedi,"

"There are secrets here that the Sith cannot be allowed to tamper with."

It was a half-truth he did well to conceal from any mind-reading techniques Wake may be employing. There had to be something inside the stronghold, though what it was Elias wasn't sure. Clues, leads, data - something inside could fill the gap. The missing link he needed to connect Eclipse to the Sith Order was here. He could sense it.

When he finally got withing striking distance of the Sith, Elias stopped and held firm.

"The Force is with me," he said, then dashed forward, poised with a powerful overhead strike.

---

Tags: Darth Nwul ​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Wake kept his jaw set, determination being the sole emotion he drew on, matching the first form of lightsaber combat. His entire body became a conduit for the various emotions that supported determination, love for his daughters, hate for the jedi, fear of a powerful enemy, all of them were fuel for the inner crucible that gave him strength. He gripped his weapon as he prepared his next few steps of attacks, a shadow wound down his left leg, as telepathic force built up in his temples.

The Jedi made his declaration, Wake looked him in the eyes, "Slave and God," He declared.

The next moment was a flash, Wake's senses picked up on the overhead strike. He whipped his weapon up to catch it. Shii-cho wasn't designed for elegant deflections. Instead he put his back into the sweeping upward arc to deflect the attack. Normally he'd be no match, his arms breaking under the assault, but using the self-enhancement technique he should be able to push it out of the way. He followed up the sweep with a grunt of concentration, looking the Jedi square in the eyes.

He projected an intense surge of emotions at the man, mind-trick did not work on Jedi he'd learned. Not easily. But emotions were far more easily translated. Some emotions like hate and rage, Jedi had natural protections against. But the intense love, joy, excitement, and euphoria that were mixed in with the negative emotions had stunned if not temporarily broken lesser jedi. He would make the Jedi feel something before following up with a snap kick to the chest.

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

Location: Kazarak | Soundtrack: The Commonwealth

​

It was always in the Outer Rim that Elias found himself trading blows with Sith in the desert. It didn't make him miss the Jedi Coalition, that was for sure. But he had a duty to his people, his brothers and sisters in the Force, to snuff out any Sith collusion in League space.

Darth Nwul deflected the Jedi's first strike successfully, albeit without the typical suave finesse that most young Sith add to their dueling style. Elias wondered if he was self-taught or simply chose not to rely on theatrics to bolster his presence in combat. Either way, it didn't matter - - Elias' thoughts were broken from the matter when the two reached something of a spiritual stalemate. At first, it felt like Wake was attempting some sort of mind trick. But the intensity in his eyes, followed by the stream of confusing, conflicting emotions put that into question.

"What?-" he groaned, trying not to let the sudden surge of emotions throw him off.

"This is trickery-" he accused, "-meant to distract- you will not- sway me- so easily-"

He felt a surge of Force energy flow through his legs, propelling him in a backward dash just in time to miss the kick that flew at him. Elias rebounded with another swing of his blade, coming in fast from the side to disarm Wake. He didn't want to kill him, but he wouldn't let the Sith have free run of the ruins either.

---

Tags: Darth Nwul ​

 

[Darth Nwul]

The moment of telepathic sensory overload had proven that the Jedi was still succeptable to pure emotion rather than thought projection. Good to know. In the immediate moment after the Jedi darted backwards to avoid the kick, Wake entered a defensive stance to protect himself from what came next. As he did, he shifted his right leg a bit further to that side, anticipating a horizontal blow of some kind. He wasn't sure what direction it would come from but-

The Jedi's weapon arced toward his saber arm. Wake smiled. Perfect.

He bore his teeth as the shadow that had worked its way down his leg before erupted from the ground in a trio of thin, writhing tendrils. The horrific sith power fueled by his wound in the force. His eyes went wide and manic, the madness of using such an eldritch power washing over him for a moment as he tried to wrest control back of himself. He pivoted, swinging his weapon to block the disarming attack but felt the pressure grow. He was strong like this, but not infallible. He felt himself move back an entire foot in the sand when the impact came.

"How did it feel, to feel something other than that hollow void in your chest, Jedi?" Wake snarled as the tendrils coiled up behind the jedi, attempting to force him to shift left or right rather than backwards before they lanced forward to spear at him. Physical contact with skin would be excruciating.

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

Location: Kazarak | Soundtrack: The Commonwealth

​

Elias' eyes widened as the eldritch tendrils rushed for his back, their hungry masses eager for his flesh. The coolness of their presence in the Force was startling. He hadn't faced such wild darkness in years, since his first - and final - foray into Wild Space. Elias was a headstrong Knight back then, bold and unwavering in the face of evil. A powerful lesson was learned that day, and it came vividly to mind as he made to avoid the writhing projectiles behind him.

Two of them missed their mark, but Elias was a moment too shy to doge the third. It struck his flesh, lacerating muscle like a hot knife through butter. The Jedi arched his back as the pain surged through his body, groaning beneath the rebreather over his face. His muffled cries must have been symphonic to Darth Nwul but Elias wasn't prepared to give in or lay down.

"You've become something far worse than a Sith," he goaded. "You're a monster, Wake."

He didn't expect the young warrior to care. Something inside him must have broken long ago for him to amass this much power and control. This wasn't a new acquisition or some unexpected volatile reaction; Wake had clearly procured this dark gift with care.

But he couldn't help but try to strike a nerve. There was good in everyone, Elias truly believed that. And while he could admit that all Sith weren't inherently evil for their beliefs, there was no denying that Wake had either sought out or plainly accepted the vile source of these powers.

"Why are you protecting this place?"

Elias thrusted his hand forward, palm open, to deliver a powerful rush of Force energy meant to send the Sith back.

"What do the Sith hide that you want so desperately to find?"

---

Tags: Darth Nwul ​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Wake's expression did not shift much as the tendril struck home, rather allowed them to return to his body after they'd done the damage intended. The cry of pain that he'd drawn out of Elias only made him shake his head. He'd warned the man that he didn't want to fight him, but here they were. Wake's golden eyes gleamed a bit in the storm around them, his expression growing tense as he goaded Wake. Wake let anger flow out of him, a ripple of hate that blossomed before... stopping. The sudden flash of pure rage in the air just vanished without a trace, as if Wake had artificially created a balloon of cold just to make it seem like he had been enraged by the words.

He snorted, then laughed, he shook his head and sighed, "Wow, of all people, so you figured it out first. Not even the other Sith have realized it yet," Wake breathed out, casting his golden gaze towards Elias. Looking into those eyes, a twisting, writhing, wrongness hid beneath the surface. As if an eldritch horror had tangled together thousands of threads of madness to make a scaffolding that appeared sane. He cocked his head to the right like a bird looking at prey.

"I did this to myself, I have no one to blame for it," He shrugged, waving his lightsaber carelessly before letting out a sigh when the palm strike of force power blasted him backwards. He let himself flop through the air, doing several backflips and laughing uproariously. He landed and slid to a stop, now that he'd been pushed just up to the edge of the wall of the fortress. He let out a sigh, trying not to draw attention to the ribs that had cracked under the pressure. "I told you already! My daughters are in there, I thought you Jedi were good at listening!" He mocked the man.

"This is just another reason why I pity you tragic creatures," He sighed, "You can't possibly understand connections and relationships. As for what I want to find, coordinates to historical sites, I'm a historian!" He barked, shaking his head, "I couldn't care less what you do with the rest!"

A crackling in his ear drew his attention and he paused a moment before breaking into a smile. A moment later, the sound of engines flared to life.

"Uh oh!" Wake laughed.

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

Location: Kazarak | Soundtrack: The Commonwealth

​

The Jedi held his composure, but the darkness that danced behind Wake's eyes was a vileness he couldn't bear to stare down. Not now. He instead trained his gaze on the Sith's form as a whole, turning to his Force senses to see what he couldn't bring his eyes to witness.

"I understand more than you know, Wake," Elias said, daring to close the distance with slow steps toward his opponent. "It is the Sith who lack understanding. Where you bend and twist, manipulate and falsify, I find only genuine connections to those I know and love."

He wanted to go on, to challenge Wake further. Even doubt the legitimacy of these 'daughters' he was so fond of. But the sudden oncoming of engines nearby shattered that. Elias' brows furrowed as he stared down the Sith, no longer afraid of the eldritch horrors within him.

"I can't let you leave this place," he threatened. "I don't have to kill you, but I can't let you go."

---

Tags: Darth Nwul ​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Wake's mischevious eyes glinted with the reflection of his lightsaber, the eldritch nightmare in them roiling to life as he pushed himself harder. He needed to last just a bit longer against this significantly more powerful foe. Yet, despite himself, he couldn't help but toy with the man a little. Was it madness? Perhaps. But he'd accepted that part of himself a long time ago. He'd accepted everything. That was what it meant, to wield the full spectrum of the Dark Side.

He bore his teeth, "The Dark Side is nature itself in all its beauty and horror," He corrected him, "God and Slave." The three words sounding almost like a prayer rather than a statement. He whipped derriphan to point at Elias.

"Can't let me leave? I almost hope you do it! You'll be saving the galaxy a lot of pain," Wake laughed out loud, "I know not my future, but I know that if you let me leave this place, this monster you see will only grow stronger by the day until one day..." His voice fell, mockingly sad, his eyes wide with pretend pain, "...I will make the Jedi feel something it has not felt in almost a millenia."

The roar of engines anounced the appearance of the Aftermath the black corvette rising up from within the walls of the fortress. Standing on one of the boarding ramps that were still descended, two Rattataki women were crouched, blasters in their hands.

"FATHER!" They shouted, and opened fire.

Wake roared with laughter, "COME ON JEDI! SAVE THE GALAXY! RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW! DO IT! BEFORE THOSE TWO PRECIOUS GIRLS KILL IT!"

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

Kazarak
Eclipse Stronghold

​

It was clear, now, that Wake was little more than eldritch madness wearing his skin and bones.

Elias had tried reason, he’d tried appealing to what goodness still resided in Wake, but none of it made it through the darkness. Perhaps, then, a lightsaber blade would.

The sisters he doted on so much made their inevitable appearance overhead, followed by a cacophony of blasterfire and Wake’s vile cackling. He was practically begging for Elias to strike him down, but the Jedi knew better than to fall for such bait.

His emerald blade whipped back and forth as he deflected the hail of bolts. He sent some flying wantonly, others directed back to the daughters, but none of them aimed to kill; Elias wanted to draw Wake closer with the threat of injuring his minions. But all he did was laugh.

Elias would have to make the move, and Wake wanted nothing less than his aggression.

With a swift spin of his torso, Elias twisted through the air. The smell of burning tibanna filled his nose as he passed over the bolts. He landed with surprising grace for a man of his build, but Wake wouldn’t have long to notice before the Jedi’s blade jabbed into his abdomen.

Elias was quick with the stabbing blow. He pulled his blade back cleanly, relishing none of what he had done.

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Tags: Darth Nwul​