The Fire on Honoghr

[Jake Daniels]

The Fire on Honoghr

-Preparations for War-


“Are you sure about this?” The Noghri Warrior asked.

I could see the beginnings of what appeared to be a smirk on the face of Run’ok. A smirk I wanted to smack off his cocky reptilian like face. Noghri were stout creatures. Most did not pass four and a half feet; this one being no exception. His eyes were as black as coal. His skin an almost darkened blue mixed with steel. The color so unique that I couldn’t quite name it. He was large though. Like most of the Noghri, he was pure muscle. His arms and legs were as thick as tree trunks. His frame chiseled. There was little mistake that he was a well-trained killing machine.

“Absolutely.” I replied.

I removed my shirt, revealing a plethora of scars from decades of combat. Some were newer, some older. All combined told the story of a man whom lived a long, hard, and brutal life. Like the Noghri, I had been raised and trained to fight, to kill, and to survive. There was another object I revealed with the removal of my shirt. An aged wedding band that rested on a silver chain around my neck. I stood just over six feet. Though I was fit, months of general neglect was apparent in my rather lean and tired appearance. My hair held held a short buzz but my face clean shaven. I hated body hair. Anything and everything below the top of my head was gone.

The sun was warmer than usual, even for a Honoghrian Summer. I wrapped my shirt around my head as a makeshift sweat band. The Noghri did not sweat. They were not as affected by the sun. I was and it showed as my skin almost immediately began to pink under the rays of a blazing light.

“A Noghri is trained from birth to fight. You were raised by Mal’ary’ush in much the same way. Fight and survive; lay over and die.” Run’ok spoke. “Noghri have family. We have clans. We have tribes. You do not. You are the last of your line on Honoghr. A relic from a time long since passed. That is how we are different. We fight as one. You are just one. There is a similarity between us though. You, I, and the Noghri people have a deep sense of honor. You now wish to fight to right a wrong you believe done to your family, ironically, by your own family. We respect that. That is why we have agreed to help you in your retraining.”

I simply stood as I was. He was right. I held firm in my belief that [member="Amorella Shamalain"] had truly wronged me. Her denial in her office on Byblos to my request of resurrecting my family. That denial and her subsequent silence had left me shattered, more so than I wanted to admit to myself. In the weeks that followed I wavered in my resolve; made mistakes I now regret. Not anymore. I was done being the galaxy’s b!tch. I was done being mistreated, neglected, and forgotten. The Darke’s and whatever Shamalains remained may have forgotten about me with the passage of time. Not anymore. I planned on bringing a pain to them the likes of which they never experienced before. I wanted them to feel the pain Amorella, whether on purpose or inadvertent, had put my already shattered heart.

“We have two objects that represent you, Darth Gravis.” Run’ok motioned to a table that set up behind him. On it were two objects. The first was the framed picture of my family; the only image I still had of the most beautiful people I had ever met. The second was the ceremonial blade of my Master, Lady Silencia. “However to truly be what you need to be to win this war you wish to start, you must first lose everything.”

I watched as Run’ok neared me. The Warrior reached up and grabbed the necklace that held my wedding band. My arm instinctively grabbed his wrist. My eyes narrowed as the icy blues gave way to a fiery combination of red and yellow blended together. The darkside flourished in me and I relished its power. This display did nothing to affect Run’ok. He cared little about my small display of the force.

“You wish for our help. You do as we say.” Run’ok said.

 

[Jake Daniels]

I removed my hand from him and the Warrior removed my silver chain. He also grabbed the lightsaber that had been clipped to the side of my pants. In the entire galaxy there were very few people I trusted to ever touch my possessions. My Master, my Wife, and my children obviously. I did also trust the Noghri. In all of my years on Honoghr I had never had issue with them. They did things for a purpose; not just because like humans would. My eyes followed the warrior as he placed the wedding band and the saber on the same small wooden table.

Then Run’ok waved a hand and from the forest around us several more Noghri emerged. Two neared the table and came to a stand on each side of it. One of the pair set a large sack on the ground. The other set down a collection of weapons that were covered with a leather skin wrap. The rest of the Noghri splintered off. Two guarded a path that would have led back to my home. The others surrounded us. All dressed the same; all carrying the same broadswords.

“A Noghri does not go to war without the proper mindset. You wish to fight for your family’s honor? Then honor them by reclaiming what we have taken from you.” Run’ok explained. “We will train you to be a true Warrior. We will train you to be as feared and respected as you once were. However to do that you must follow our rules.”

“Which are?” I asked. Why did I have a feeling I wouldn’t like where this was going.

“When we begin training you are not allowed to use the force. You will train to fight without it. Should you break this rule, the two Warriors guarding the table will destroy the possessions on it. That will be a dishonor done you can never undo. Only after we feel you have rebuilt your body properly will we allow you to use the force during our training.” Run’ok explained.

“Next.” I growled. I was right. I didn’t like this. Not one bit.

“If you try and leave at any point before I end the training, the Warriors will destroy the possessions on the table.” Run’ok said.

I gave a quick look towards the pathway to my home. It was now clear why they were there. They were going to deny me any reprieve I may want to find in the comfort of my own home.

“Should you give up, should you quit on me outright,” Run’oks voice suddenly turned cold, “I will kill you. Finish your training and you will have earned the right to be called a Warrior of the Noghri. You will earn the right to not just wear the crest of the family you served but to be branded by it. Fail and you will have dishonored your family and Mal’ary’ush. Do you accept these terms.”

I already had my mind made up. I wouldn’t have asked for this training if I wasn’t prepared to be treated like a grunt. I also didn’t like to fail. They now had deeply personal belongings of mine. I wanted them back. I couldn't go home. I couldn't quit. I had to survive whatever hell the Noghri were about to put me through.

“I accept these terms.” I replied.

 

[Jake Daniels]

Nothing in Run’oks gaze indicated surprise. The man knew I would accept. He, like me, was a prideful being. We would do what was necessary. I also could see that there would be no hesitation from him. Should I fail, Run’ok would have no problem ending me. I was going to succeed. I was going to do it for them. For the family I lost and wanted back. For the family that was dishonored by Amorella’s denial.

“Good.” Run’ok replied.

The sound of distant thunder echoed through the air. Our gazes turned towards the horizon as dark thunder clouds could be seen forming. The metaphor was not lost on me. There was an encroaching darkness, one that would most probably end me. If I was going to go down however, I sure as hell would be going down swinging.

“Do you recognize the clearing we stand in?” Run’ok asked.

“It is where I was trained.” I replied. “It is where I forged my true bond with my Master. It is where we bled together, struggled together, and ultimately united as one. This is the place I took an oath to forever serve her and her family.”

“Yet you wish to start a fight with Mal’ary’ushs family? Your family?” Run’ok asked.

I hated that question, “I was married into the family. At one time I thought I was a respected member of my Masters family. I even contemplated asking for the right to take on the family surname. Yet I was always too scared to ask. Even after decades of marriage to my Lady Reticea, I was fearful. When I was locked away and forgotten about, to ask for their help now and to be denied, that just confirmed the family I swore an oath to protect had no intention of recognizing me as the same. To turn down my request for help to save their own, that told me everything I needed to know. I am no family to this generation of Shamalain; they don't even want me. My family, the family that did accept me, passed on long ago.”

“You hold a lot of anger inside of you.” Run’ok said. “I don’t need to be able to use the force to sense it on your words. You also hold a lot of pain inside. That pain has done nothing but consume you. I will reteach you to use that as a weapon. Let is drive you. Let is focus you. Let it be what you feel when you exact whatever your will commands upon those that you feel have shamed your wife and son’s.”

Run’ok turned his attention from the distant storms and back to me. His eyes scanned my frame, focusing in particular on my knees. “When you returned to Honoghr, our people knew who you were immediately. We recognized your scent. We respected your name. We did not respect what you came back as. You are a frail shell of a human male whom sat in a tent and wept for months upon months.”

I let out a low rumbling growl from my chest. A warning to Run’ok to watch what words escaped his lips next.

“We saw how frail your body was and still is. We know you suffer from a sickness due to your cryosleep. We know you are weakened. We will rebuild you.” Slowly Run’ok began to circle me. He eyed my body like it was a prized catch on a fisherman’s line. “A Warrior is only as strong as his body allows. Exhaustion is an unfortunate trait of combat and one I can see will affect you more so than others. We must build up your endurance. To do so, we will start with the most basic of exercises, cardio.”

I perked a brow at the Noghri as he came to a stand before me.

“You want me to go jogging?”

The Noghri smirked, “Jog? Oh no Gravis. You are going to run. You will run as your life depends on it.”

 

[Jake Daniels]

A chill went up my spine at the way he phrased that. Then I heard a low rumble. The vibrations that noise made reverberated through the air. When Run’ok looked behind me, I did the same. To my surprise I spotted another Noghri Warrior appear, this time with a young Nexu on a chain. The Nexu's low growl was the rumble I heard; much like a warped cat’s purr.

“About two centuries ago, a cargo ship crashed in the distant south. On it was a collection of animals. Among those animals were a few breeding pairs of predatory felines called Nexu. They were not older than a few weeks. The Noghri that found them raised the animals, realizing they could be of great asset to our people. Over the generations certain clans have kept Nexu as protectors and hunting aids. This Nexu here is an adolescent. He has been tamed by his handler; the only person that is able to order the beast around.” Run’ok explained. He approached the creature who let out a warning growl.

It reminded me a lot of a falconer and their bird or even planetary police officers and their canine companions. Serving one and only one. I could honestly relate to it. The creature growled at the Noghri around, and even me, but did not dare once make a move towards it’s master. I watched as Run’ok waved a command. The Noghri warrior unhooked the chain leash from the collar than barked an order. The feline immediately lay in the grass; though its four red eyes stared at me, its forked tail slapping about in a sign of relaxation.

“On my command the handler will order his Nexu to chase you. I am giving you a thirty second head start. You are to run south and as fast as your legs carry you. About a quarter kilometer away is a creek. If you make it into the creek, you will have survived. Nexu hate water. If you do not, then we know the Nexu got you.” Run’ok explained.

“Oh this sounds fun. How insane are you?” I snorted sarcastically.

There wasn’t any way a human could outrun that creature. I had never encountered a Nexu personally. I had seen videos of them so I had a sense of what they could do. They were fast and agile with lightning reflexes. They were far superior in a chase than a human was.

“I am quite sane. The same cannot be said about you however.” Run’ok retorted. “You must know something before we start, Gravis. We will only be training you; nothing more. We will never raise arms against Mal’ary’ush’s family. This war you wish to fight? You are on your own. You must now survive on your own.”

I sneered at the Noghri. I had already anticipated that. There really was no need to state it.

“Remember this rule. The quickest way between two points is always a straight line but it isn’t always the best route. Now run.” Run’ok ordered.

The moment his eyes glanced towards the Nexu and it’s handler, I bolted. Past the table and the two warriors guarding it I aimed for the direction of the creek. As I vanished into the tree line around the clearing my senses went into overdrive. My eyes shot about, spotting anything that would affect my pace. Each step crushed the earth beneath it while the occasional leap avoided tripping over shrubs, small bushes, twigs and fallen dead trees. My knees began to scream at me; pleading for a slower pace. The pain was originating where the cartilage had long since worn down. Still I pushed myself. I had too.

Then I heard the rumble and felt the vibrations on the air. The Nexu had been released and it was already closing in.

 

[Jake Daniels]

I didn’t bother looking behind, I kept my focus forward. As each of my steps slapped the ground, my ears listened. The beast was closing in. For every meter I ran, it ran four. Just by its pacing and how fast it had caught up I knew I wasn’t going to make it to the creek. When I knew the creature was upon me, I juked left, faked right, then went left again. The Nexu followed my first two motions with ease.

It slashed at me as it went left; barely missing the flesh of my back. It snapped its jaws at my legs as I went right, a few teeth tearing a portion of my pants, but ultimately got itself turned around when I went left once more. Though the creature was faster, on a forest floor covered in leaves, the soft pads under each of its paws slid with the foliage. That gave me just enough time to continue on a downward angle.

In seconds I saw the creek. Behind me I heard the sound of its footsteps again, then nothing. I heard not a single padded foot slap the ground behind me. Where the hell did it go? In my ignorance I turned to see the beast was in mid leap. Both front paws were pointed at me. Its teeth barred. Its chest rumbling with a ferocious growl. I did what instinct dictated. I fell backwards. Just as the Nexu was on me, I shoved both feet upwards and into the chest of the beast. Using momentum I pushed up and away, sending the animal behind me. It’s forked tail grabbed one of my legs however. As it rolled down the small hill, I came with it. Both of our bodies soon splashed into the low creek.

The feline hissed and thrashed about, desperate to get out. One of its back feet clocking me a good one. I pushed away and watched as the creature finally made it to the bank of the creek. A quick shake of its body followed by a fluff of its fur helped to speed up the drying process. The quills on its back were at a nearly complete stand however. The beast salivated as it stared at me, all four eyes narrowed, its tail pulled in. It took a crouched position, preparing to leap upon me once more the moment I emerged from the creek.

I wasn’t stupid. I stayed where I was.

“You survived.” I spotted Run’ok and the Nexu’s handler come down towards the creek.

The Handler barked another order at the Nexu who obediently returned to its Master. As the Handler clipped the chain leash back onto its collar the beast hissed at me. I splashed water towards the animal.

“It hates you.” Run’ok remarked as he watched the beast, for a moment, pull against its handlers chains in an attempt to get at me.

“Feelings mutual.” I replied.

“You failed however.” Run’ok said.

I was livid, “Like hell I did. I made it to the creek.”

“You engaged the Nexu. That was not what you were told to do.” Run’ok replied.

“Your words were to run to the creek. I made it here.” I replied.

“Yes. Run. Not fight. If this Nexu had been an adult and not an adolescent you would be dead. A Warrior learns when to run and when to fight. That is a lesson you need to learn yourself. Not everything can be handled with quick whits. The point of this lesson was to illustrate that when in retreat, think of different routes of escape. Fall back. By turning to face the enemy you significantly reduce you chance of survival and if you’re already on the run? You’re chances were already pretty low to begin with.” Run’ok explained.

I slapped the water in irritation. He was right. I didn’t want to admit that but the Noghri Warrior had a point. In combat if forces were ordered to retreat it meant the battle was either lost or in the process of being so. Soldiers needed to fall back. By doing so they lived to fight another day.

“Get out of the water and meet me back at the clearing.” Run’ok ordered before following the handler back up the small hill.

 

[Jake Daniels]

By the time I made it up the hill and back onto the clearing Run’ok was in the process of emptying the contents of the large sack onto the grass. I recognized the objects he pulled from it. The majority were kettle-bell weights; large rocks with various steel handles embossed into them. The only other objects he pulled were a few pairs of leather gloves that looked like primitive boxing gloves. They were old, faded, and worn down. On some of the gloves the stitching's used were torn. The moment Run’ok spotted me, my hide fell to the grass. I extended my legs and began to vigorously rub at my knees.

“You are angry.” Run’ok said as he approached me.

“Of course I angry with you. I should be out there fighting. Not here playing around like I'm in ninth grade phys ed class!” I snapped back.

“Why are you angry at me when you are the one that failed.” Run’ok replied.

“I didn’t fail. Had you simply said not to engage then I would have just ran. You didn’t, did you? You simply said get to the creek. I had to ensure my own safety which meant dealing with the Nexu.” I replied.

Run’ok simply shook his head, “As I said before. Your attempted defense would have cost you your life if that were an adult. You do not see the flaw in your own logic. Not everything can be solved with trickery and sudden assaults. Sometimes there is no winning. Sometimes you must do nothing but fall back.”
Run’ok paused as he looked down at my legs, “Nature is as beautiful as it is cruel. The fittest survive. The lame die. You got lucky. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“If you say so.” I spat. My hands continued to rub my knees.

Run’ok knelt beside me. He rolled up both of my pants legs to give each knee a thorough glance. “You also tend to overthink everything. Look at what just happened. I gave you one simple command and you added onto it. I said run. That’s it. Your think too much. A hunter knows what they are going to do and they do it. Stop overthinking. Just listen then react. The greatest assets to any warrior is time and patience.”

Run’ok was right, again. My entire life my mind worked to always be ahead of my enemies. With the Jedi Order I had to think several moments ahead in time for potential outcomes and situations when dealing with their Council. That’s how I got the upper hand against Jesse Ariston, Marck Vallen, Mak Manto, and Hawk Hinata. It’s how I ensured Sith Lords never took me by surprise. It’s how I ensured my Master and my wife were safe. That’s how I lived my life. Think and rethink. Plan and replan. Always keep things in motion. Run’ok was telling me to do the opposite. He was simply saying to go with the flow.

I didn’t think I could do that.

“Your knees are not just weak, they are brittle.” Run’ok explained.

I glanced down. Over the years of constantly running, jumping, leaping, crouching, military drills, and general combat, the cartilage in them was beaten down to near nothingness. Even the thin tendon that held my knee cap in place was worn so much so that both caps were slightly off center.

“We cannot fix this but we can make it so that they work like normal.” Run’ok continued.

“How?” I asked.

“If we cannot rebuild what was lost in the knees then we can build what’s already around them.” Run’ok motioned towards the weights.

“Muscle.” I mumbled.

 

[Jake Daniels]

“Yes. Humans have weak bone. You’ve evolved to think, not fight. Your species uses brain first, brawn second. We will make you so that you use both equally. We build the muscles in the legs so that the knees remain as they should. You will still feel pain but your knees won’t give out on you.” Run’ok replied. “You will have a Noghri body by the time we are done with you.”

I rolled my eyes while pulling my pants legs back down. With a help of Run’oks hand I was brought back to my feet and we casually made our way towards the weights. I knew the routine of weight training. Depending on reps, speed, and length of exertion it determined the type of muscle that formed. Fast reps, heavy weights, with a few circuits meant muscles would build larger. Slower pacing, slightly lighter weights, and more reps meant leaner muscles would develop. I had developed both types of muscles throughout my life. For some missions I needed to be bulky. On others I had to be leaner and quicker.

Run’ok grabbed the boxing gloves which surprised me, “We’re not lifting?”

“No.” Run’ok replied. “We need to loosen your body. Your knees need a few moments to relax. We’ll spar to help work out the kinks in your knees.”

“Fine.” I replied.

I grabbed my own pair. They were created for a Noghri’s bulky hand which meant they were just a bit loose. Even with my hands holding firm inside, the wrist portion of the gloves bounced around slightly. No more than had I turned my attention back towards the Noghri Warrior than had a unblocked punched clocked me dead center in the chest. The weight and force behind the punch knocked me clean to the ground. Instinct took over and I shot myself to my feet.

“What the hell?” I shouted.

“I thought Sith were always alert.” Run’ok said. “Do you think the descendants of Mal’ary’ush would wait for you to be ready in a fight? No they would see an opening and they would take it. Had that been a lightsaber you would be dead.”

“I would have been prepared in an actual fight.” I spat. It’s true I would have. Run’oks point wasn’t lost on me however. I, the Eternal Apprentice to my Lady Silencia, was supposed to always be on alert. Already today this Noghri Warrior had now shown me multiple times that I was out of my game. “I won’t fall again.”

“Prove it.” Run’ok said as he came in for another attack.

 

[Jake Daniels]

We paced around in circles. Run'ok took the occasional jab at my body. Each hit knocked me back a few inches but I didn't fall. I kept at my word. In boxing the taller person were longer arms usually had he advantage. However boxers never fought Noghri. They may have been shorter but they were faster. Each jab Jake took was either completely avoided, missed, or had nearly no effect on Run'ok. The same was said for Jake.

When Run'ok came in, I popped him with a hit to the face. While most peoples heads would have snapped back, Run'ok was not phased. He, in fact, smiled at the attack, brushed it off, and came in for his own body shot. I tried to keep my frame tight. My arms close in to act as shields. The first shot sent me left, the second right, the third reached out and clocked me clean in the jaw. I stumbled away, cursing as I focused on keeping my legs from tumbling over.

"You fight like a brawler. No skill to your moves." Run'ok mocked.

"It served me well all this time." I snarled. I placed both of my gloved hands on my hips.

My blood boiled. My skin flushed. I wanted to hurt him. Truly hurt Run'ok. I wanted to punish him. To make him and every Noghri around just understand what I was going through, just what I was feeling.
"Raise your arms." Run'ok ordered.

"No."

"I said raise your arms and prepare your body."

"No."

"Fine. Be the failure Mal'ary'ush always knew you were."

I could feel my eyes shift from their icy blues to crimson. The surge of the darkside as my bIood pressure rose. I heard Run'ok stalk in behind him. Like me, the man didn't like being denied anything. Too bad. I was denied my family. He'd be denied me. The moment I knew he was close I spun and did a one-two combo to his face. Both hits smacked the Noghris left eye. This time he was phased. I didn't stop. I was on him in a flash landing shot after shot as the Noghri tried to raise his gloves to protect his face.

The two Noghri guarding the table removed me from Run'ok.

As I was pulled away, Run'ok came to a stand, "Let him go!"

The Noghri did as they commanded and I charged back in.

We exchanged shots. I hit his arms, shoulders, and face. He aimed for body punches. Back and forth we simply unloaded on one another. Each time I felt my ribs rattle, each time my knees screamed at me, flashes and images of my Master crossed my mind. Her betrayal of me. Her refusal to let me die. All of that contempt and pain was put out in each punch I set into Run'ok.

Our sparring match hit its climax when I again caught Run'ok with a lucky one-two combination to the same eye. He was down and I was on him again.

"She abandoned me!" I screamed as I landed my first punch.

"She did this to me!" I snarled as I landed my second.

"All I wanted was to be loved by her and her family. All I wanted was to be family and all they do," tears began to pour from my eyes as I continued to pound on Run'ok, "is hate me."

The same two Noghri again pulled me from Run'ok, whom rolled over and wiped at blood which dripped from a small tear in his leathery lips. He glanced at me as he pushed himself to his knees, "Do you really think Mal'ary'ush hated you?"

"Yes." I said as I came down to my own knees. The levity of my proclamation hitting me like a wrecking ball into a wooden house.

"Is that why you sent away all the others at your residence away? Did they hate you too?" Run'ok asked.

He referred to Evangeline, Rania, Umako, and Cody. "They were only using me. I'm just a convenient tool to be used by whomever can manipulate me."

"You believe that? You believe Ma'ary'ush simply used you as a tool?" Run'ok said in a shock. Nothing about his expression indicated anything else. The man floored by what I had just said.

It was the truth in my eyes. "Why freeze me? Why not let me die? Why not freeze my wife and sons too? Perhaps put them into cryosleep until a cure could be found? No. I failed Lady Reticea. I failed my sons. As the cruelist punishment for that I am forced to continue to live a tormented life. Forgotten and alone; my two biggest fears."

Run'ok removed his gloves, threw them on the ground in disgust. I did the same. Seemed training was over for the day. Good. I wasn't in the mood to throw punches with a walking crocodile anymore. When I glanced at my skin I could still see the crimson red from my boiling rage. It hadn't ceased; only gotten worse.

"None of this is working like I had planned. Of every human I ever met you are the most unusual. Come with me." Run'ok ordered.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Run'ok stopped his pace and glanced back at me, "To your first home on Honoghr. The place you first met Mal'ary'ush. I need to try a different way of fixing whatever the hell went wrong in that damn head of yours."

 

[Jake Daniels]

​

-Temple of Mal'ary'ush-​

​

Night had fallen by the time we made it to the ancient temple. It was massive and just as beautiful as I had remembered it. Nearly a dozen different domed buildings built from carved marble and stone rose from the landscape. Many built around the waterfalls that rushed through the area. I was honestly surprised it looked like it had after four centuries. The Noghri had taken great care. The moon was rising over the top of its largest domed roof, the white light reflecting magnificently off of the marble. In nearly every large window was a single candle. With so many windows it looked like a thousand little stars flickered close by. Still, I didn't deserve to be here. This was sacred ground and I was anything but.

"Why did you drag me here?" I asked as we slowly began to enter the first building.

Unlike the outside air, which was cold given the large waterfalls and rivers, the corridors of the Temple of Mal'ary'ush were warm. I could hear the sound of numerous Noghri walking around and the few I saw walked as though they were guards. It was odd seeing beings with such loyalty to a woman that had died centuries ago still act as though they served her. That hit me. I was the exact same way. I served a woman that died from a parasite; from a microscopic bacterial organism. A great Sith Lord brought down by something the eye couldn't see. Why did they protect this temple with such vigor?

Lit torches lined the walls every ten or so meters. Much like the outside, the interior of the Temple was exactly as I remembered. The marble was polished. Stone statures of various beings remained as they were. There were of course new additions. Flags of various Noghri clans were mounted to the walls. To me it was a display, a remembrance that showed just how a Sith Lord had unified the Noghri people. A symbol to her should she ever see it that this sentient species was truly unified as one. A symbol that they did not war among themselves like feeble humans did.

"To show you something. First though I have a question. When Mal'ary'ush and Lady Reticea commanded you to enter the cryotube the first time, why did you disobey them?" Run'ok asked.

I shook my head as we walked from one corridor and down another, "Because I hadn't found a cure for them yet."

"From what we have been told, there was no cure. The galaxy's best scientists couldn't figure one out. Obviously the Eternal Apprentice of Mal'ary'ush didn't. Why then refuse to enter the cryotube the second time you were commanded too?" Run'ok replied.

"I was not going to leave my family behind." I sneered.

"You disobeyed Mal'ary'ush, twice. That is two more times than any Noghri had ever. You did what no one dared before. If records are accurate and legends true, that was the first and second time you ever rebelled from her. It took your own men to bring you down." Run'ok replied.

Even though I rolled my eyes, he was right. In all of the old Sith Empire I was the only Apprentice my Lady Silencia ever trained that had not once disobeyed her; well not until the day she commanded me into a cryotube and refused.

"Why are you telling me something I already know?" I asked.

"Because anyone whom has ever disobeyed Mal'ary'ush has ended up on the receiving end of her punishment. You," Run'ok stopped and stared up at me, "were not punished. You were saved. She showed a mercy upon you that she has shown to very few; if any at all."

"Oh really?" I asked. What the hell was Run'ok rambling on about? "How do you know so much about her? You weren't even born when she walked on this planet."

Then I saw it. A slight waver in Run'oks coal black eyes. I couldn't put my finger on it but I struck some kind of nerve. He was hiding something. What though? I wanted to know. Just as I was about to press him for information Run'ok began walking away.
The Noghri extended his arm and pointed it down the corridor and towards a doorway that led to the Temples landing platforms.

I stopped dead in my tracks. My Lady Silencia always struck fear into me but there was only one time she maliciously assaulted me. One time where woman dominated over man. One time where she physically maimed me, forever altering my physical body in an irreparable manner.

"Come. Let us see the very spot where you first met Mal'ary'ush." Run'ok said.

 

[Jake Daniels]

The landing platforms for the Temple of Mal'ary'ush were not in the locations one would expect. Where as my home had them on ground level, many larger buildings had the platforms built near the roofs. That ensured there was little risk of damage to incoming ship or the buildings themselves. The Temple of Mal'ary'ush had been constructed differently. The roofs were beautifully constructed. Any portion of their dome structure removed to allow for landing platforms would have severely diminished the beautiful of the complex as a whole. Likewise, clearing away land for platforms on ground level would have either destroyed the water falls or destroyed the elegant gardens that dotted the area. The platforms were at mid-levels on two buildings. The building they stood in was for general purposes. This was the landing platform guests of my Master would have arrived. It's where I arrived.

Now the platforms were barren. Nothing but a large empty space that seemed more like an unused patio than anything else. The floors, like the rest of the Temple, were how I remembered. I led Run'ok quietly to the center of the room. I glanced at the walls then the stone floor and did a quick estimation.

"What are you doing?" Run'ok asked.

I ignored his question while I continued to look around. Every few seconds I took a step left, forward, right, then forward again. The memories of that fateful day flooded back into me. I could feel my fear. I could taste my sweat. More importantly I could recall everything I remembered seeing. That included the patters in the floor compared to the walls and where I had been handcuffed to a chair.

"I was right here." I said coming to a stand before looking at Run'ok.

"There? You remember the exact spot?"

I could see disbelief in his eyes.

"Like I Noghri with their nose, when it comes to my Master I never forget." I replied.

Run'ok came to stand beside me. He looked at the floor then to me, "Tell me, what happened on that day?"

"I was seventeen at the time. A Jedi Padawan. I had mouthed off to the wrong Sith Lord during a fight on Korriban. Sith Lord Rach Sullen beat me down then abducted me. She brought me here. I was placed in a small whicker chair. Both arms were handcuffed to each armrest." I looked at the floor, but focused on a spot that was slightly off to my left, "She gave me away, gifted me, as a prize to my Lady Silence. I mouthed off to her too."

"What did she do?" Run'ok asked.

My piercing blues turned towards Run'ok and I coldly stated, "She pulled down my pants and cut out one of my two personal globes. Just before I blacked out from the pain I watched her drop it to the floor right there." I pointed to the spot I had just been staring at.

I could still feel the pain from what my Lady Silencia had done to me. In my years in her service I had been tortured by other Sith and injured on battlefields yet nothing ever came close to hurting as much as when my Master maimed me.

"She had a very important reason for doing that."

I nodded.

"Tell me." The Noghri ordered.

"She was taming me." I mumbled. My eyes refused to leave the spot. I could still see the fleshy bulb laying there and the gobs of blood around it.

"Precisely. Mal'ary'ush could have simply ended you then and there. A Noghri would have. Yet she decided against that." Run'ok explained.

I nodded, "I can tell people my bond with my Master was forged in our training sessions in the clearing but it was here. In this spot. In that moment, when she not only claimed my body as her own. When she not only claimed my mind as her own. Its when she also claimed my soul as her own. This was when we bonded."

A single tear escaped from one of my eyes. I swiped it away quickly. "People didn't see the side of her I did. Even other Apprentices did not see every aspect of their Master. I did. I now see what I failed to see then. Her mercy. Yes she saw potential in me. Yes she had a purpose for me. It still comes back to the small amount of humanity she displayed with me. She spared me then..."

"...just as she spared you when you were put into cryosleep." Run'ok said finishing my sentence.

I saw it now. Everything. "She could have given that cryotube to anyone. A powerful Sith Lord, a more respected Knight, yet she gave it to me." I felt another tear fall free as the guilt of my recent actions began to over take me. There was a tight knot in my throat, one that made it visibly hard to speak. "And all I've done it b!tch and be ungrateful about it."

"Yes."

"But why me? Why did I live and Lady Reticea have to die? Why spare me and not my boys?" I asked in an almost pleading manner.

"That's just life. There was nothing anyone could do to spare your family." Run'ok replied.

I hated that answer. Despised it really. It was the truth though.

"Everyone dies. Mal'ary'ush wanted to save you. She showed you a mercy, again, that was very rarely shown."

"And I was just... ungrateful."

"You were and still are in pain."

I shook my head as I wiped away more of my tears, "Is this what you wanted to show me? This right here?"

"Of course not. Come. There's just one more place we're going to visit." Run'ok said.

I perked a suddenly tired eye, "Where?"

"Your old living quarters."

 

[Jake Daniels]

Run'ok led me through the many corridors of the Temple. From one building and to the next. For the majority of the walk we were silent. I glanced every now and again at an old statue or a stain glassed window. It truly was amazing that the Noghri had kept this place in such great shape. When we entered down what should have been our final corridor, I came to a stop. Halfway down the hall a wall blocked our path. From floor to ceiling, there was no way around it. I knew for a fact that wall wasn't there the last time I was in this Temple.

"When your men were taking you to Dantooine, a small unit stayed behind and worked with the Noghri. They sealed off all access points to the living area. Not since the time you were last awake has anyone walked the area behind this wall." Run'ok explained.

"So you're telling me that for four hundred years this wall has been here?" I asked.

"I am."

"If that's true then what about the plague?" I asked.

"It was sealed after confirming there were no pathogens. Even if there had been, they would have died off long ago. Bacteria can't survive long without a host." Run'ok explained.

I looked back at the wall. The marble stone which almost matched the rest of the temple. I said almost simply because the wall had a slightly more vibrant appearance. The stone wasn't as old as the rest of the temple which meant its coloring was slightly off.

"Break the wall." Run'ok ordered.

"What?" I asked.

"Break it." The Noghri repeated. "Reach out in the force and shatter the wall."

"I'm not allowed to use the force while we train. Your rule remember?" I asked.

Run'ok shook his head, "Consider that rule moot at this point." He glanced back at the wall. "Shatter it."

I glanced back at the wall, pointed a palm to it and reached out in the force. I tried to pull the wall towards me but the stones were simply too strong. My jaw clenched, my face reddened, and the veins in my hand bulged. I could feel the force, siphon it, control it yet my connection wouldn't allow me to gain enough to budge such a large wall.

"I can't." I said.

Run'ok turned his body so it faced me, "That wall is less than one meter thick. Held only together by a thing layer of cement between each stone. For centuries it has stood and aged. It has become strong. You are stronger. Remember what Mal'ary'ush taught you!"

I shut my eyes as a memory of a training session in the clearing came back. I stood beside my Master, who command to me to move a large boulder she had set out. I saw myself try and fail to pull the rock. Frustration. Anger. Resentment at my continued failure. In this memory I watched as my Master showed a trick; 'If you cannot move an object directly, then manipulate what's around it to make it budge.'

I narrowed my eyes at the wall then raised both hands. My mind didn't focus on the wall. It focused on the air around. I drew the air around it toward my hands. I felt as the warmth of the corridors atmosphere balled around, then between my palms. I brought my hands in towards my side, all while continuing to draw the surrounding air in.

Run'ok soon felt the effects of my ability. He let out a small cough, followed my a low gasp. I wasn't just taking the air around the wall, pulling it towards my hands with an unseen telekinetic ability, I was even taking it around us. When I felt I had enough of the air balled up, I sent it forth in a hellacious telekinetic burst. The ball of air smashed into the center of the wall. The marble cracked significantly but did not shatter.

At this I took several steps forward, raised a hand again and let out a small push through the air. The wall crumbled inward revealing the remainder of the corridor that only a select few were allowed to venture. My face remained reddened. Exhaustion was clear. That single ability had used up most of my strength with the force.

"Shall we?" Run'ok asked with an impressed smile on his face.

 

[Jake Daniels]

Run'ok and I quietly made our way through the darkened hallway. When Run’ok began pointing out aged flame pit lanterns attached to the walls in various spots, I used the flame of my torch to bring them ablaze.

“I do not feel comfortable being in here.” Run’ok said as he looked around. “No Noghri has dared stepped in this area since the time Mal’ary’ush was around. Even with your approval, it just isn’t right.”

I didn’t glance at the Noghri, who was just a few paces behind him. I simply looked around. From one small room and to the next; there was nothing here. It appeared as though everything of importance was gone. Yet for the aged mind of an aged warrior, memories came back to me. The majority of them being incredibly painful.

“What did they do with everything?” Run’ok asked. Even he was surprised at how barren the royal halls were.

“Either my Master or her surviving family at the time took it all.” I peeked into a room that had, at onetime, been the royal dining hall to the Governess’ of Honoghr. Like the rest of it; empty. To me though, I remembered a fateful dinner with Lady Reticea and Lord Dissero. A dinner that saw Dissero and I try our best to play nice with one another after a large squabble earlier in the day that nearly brought the two of us to blows.

“What is it?” Run’ok asked, noting my sudden silence.

I cleared my throat, showing an uneasiness with a memory that consumed my conscious being.

“I know what my people say about you. You had been nothing more than a Sith Apprentice. You brought a military contingent to Honoghr and assumed control over the safety of the family of Mal’ary’ush.” Run’ok said.

“That’s right.” I said as I suddenly stepped into another room. Holding the torch outward, my mind remembered the room as a private study. More importantly I remembered a hidden door. Coming up to the unlit fireplace, my fingers slid under the stone mantle until I found a small button. Pushing it, my attention turned to the wall beside it.

“What’s that lead too?” Run’ok asked.

I looked back, “My room.” Without another word, I vanished down the dark hallway. It branched off into several directions. Each leading to a different room. “When I took over control of my Masters family, I constructed my room to be accessible to every family member. Down these hallways you would be led to their private living quarters. My room is this way.”

“Wait. Don’t you want to look at theirs too?” Run’ok asked.

I stopped, shook my head, and let out a pain response, “No.”

“We’re here.” I stopped as I came to a small wooden door. The only artwork on it was the same as my robes; the Shamalain Family crest had been etched into the center. I turned the silver knob and pushed the door open with a slight bump of my shoulder. The door swung open revealing the most modest of all the rooms when it came to size.

 

[Jake Daniels]

“That’s your bed?” Run’ok asked as he stared at a small twin sized bed. A single black sheet and white pillow rested on it.

“Yes.” I replied.

“How’d you fit on it?”

“I didn’t. My feet used to hang over the end.”

“You never asked for a bigger bed.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I was grateful for what I was given. If my Master wanted me to have a bigger bed I would have had one.”

Run’ok understood the logic. Crude and archaic as it was, my response simply showed mylevel of loyalty to his peoples Mal’ary’ush. I didn’t whine. I didn’t complain. I accepted what was given and didn’t ask for more.

I came to sit on the bed and quietly reached under it. My worn and tired hands pulled a small wooden box out from under it. Run’ok meanwhile glanced around. There was a single dresser with only one drawer and a mirror on the wall. Taking the torch from me, he lit a small fire lantern on the wall. There wasn’t a window visible.

“You were like a rat in the walls.”

“Lord Dissero used to say that.” I replied as his eyes looked at the box that now rested on my lap.

“What is that?”

“Items I haven’t seen in a very long time.” I couldn’t hide the joy that crossed my face. The swelling of watery eyes showed the vast amount of emotion that now poured from me as my fingers fumbled with the lid. It was a few moments before it popped open. “This was the first and only birthday gift I had ever received in my life.” I set a small folded piece of paper to the side, a note that had not been read in four centuries. “The lightsaber of my Master.” I looked over the aged device. It hadn't been touched since I last set it here. This was the very blade I used from the day it was gifted until the day I constructed the one I now carried. Gently I pulled out the next object. “An Amulet that allowed her to know where I was at any moment.”

“Did you wear it?” Run’ok asked.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“It was truly for Shamalain and their Noghri Guards. I wasn’t Shamalain. I was a protector of them. It didn’t feel right.” I replied. I was being brutally honest.

Run’ok watched as I set the Amulet besides the lightsaber and pulled out a smaller trinket, “And that?”

“The first gift my Lady Reticea ever gave me.” I stuttered. The oval shaped emblem was as beautiful and brought a warmth to my cold soul.

“Did you wear that one?” Run’ok asked.

“Every time the Lady and I had a private meal.”

The final item I pulled was a tarot card. The card held a significance that had never been shared with anyone; even those closest to me. There was little secret that I was a clingy s.o.b. A man who thirsted for the attention and continued approval of his Master. The man who thrived on her words, wisdom, and insight. I also withered when I could not reach her. Even after marriage to Lady Reticea, I had to have access to my Lady Silencia. Such was the bond between my Master and I. This token allowed the two to of us to communicate at any moment should the need arise. A small but powerful gift.

I held the card in both hands and focused on my Master. I used to feel the energy the card gave off when it began its telepathic connection between the weak man I was and the mighty woman my Lady Silencia had been. I used to feel it as it coursed across vast amounts of space to bring us into the psyche of the other. Most importantly I used to feel her. Now?

I felt nothing. She truly was gone.

A whimper of disappointment was heard as I set it back in the box. Then I collected the other items and put them back neatly inside. My attention turned towards the folded note. The once white delicate paper was now browned and frail; its writing though remained ever present. Quietly I read the words of one of only two women I ever truly loved.

Gravis:

As your Master, it isn't proper of me to treat you with any deal of humanity. But as you may have come to learn over the years, my methods have not always been so orthodox. This is my bit of humanity to you, and in some way I hope what you receive today will help you on the rest of your journey.

Where I am I have no use for commodities like weapons. My lightsaber is now yours to keep - use it well, as it has always burned brightly for me, so shall it for you.

The amulet you find is a trinket that allows me to know where you are at any moment. There isn't a place you go that I won't know. Remember that.

The last item you will find enclosed in the envelope taped to the inside of the box cover. It is a tarot card, of sorts, and you can use it to communicate with me directly. All you need do is focus on the card and concentrate on my name. Use it sparingly, I'm not in a situation where I can stop to speak very often.

Live well, Darth Gravis, and remember your duties. Your sacrifices and efforts will be honored in time to come, and not how you expect it to be. You have my blessings.

Happy Birthday.

Silencia

With the emergence of now salty streams rolling down my cheeks, a throat so tight it pained, and a heart that once more ached, I folded the note back up and pressed it against my lips.

"I am unworthy now as I was then." My voice shook as I fought back a sob that wanted to burst from my lungs.

"I miss you all so much."​

Fin.​