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(7.11) The Darkness Which We Face
(7.11) The Darkness Which We Face
Master Visst's Quarters
The Republic Marauder
Mid Rim World of Lorta
July 16th 1938
Master Visst set in the center of his quarters in deep meditation. The highly skilled Knight Rose from the Church, Canny, sits across from him. He could feel her struggling over focusing her mind to maintain the set of meditation. He remembered their conversation on the way from Bothanwui to Lorta. He had asked her that if she had considered what they had talked about before. If she had a change of heart or not. Her answer was exactly what he had expected, “No, I have not had a change of heart. I am willing to listen and learn more of what you are willing to teach me. I do not know where the will of the Lord will take me. I do think this is important.” She had explained her feelings to him and why she traveled to him now. She told him that this journey for her could change her life for every or ruin it. But she trusted in her heart and followed it where it led. For Master Visst, following ones emotions seemed dangerous. All too often, he had personally seen the horrors of emotions out of control. She told him of her conversation with her former Master and the story he told to her. She expressed that she saw this as a opportunity to learn and grow as both a person and as a Knight. When he looked at her, he saw more than the Church's Holy Warrior. She was something more than that. In Canny he saw something much more. He could sense her emotions as they flowed through her. Unlike the Sabbat, who suppressed their emotions so completely that some managed to not feel any of them. Canny had been taught to have control over her emotions. She was able to have control over her actions without suppress or ignore her emotions. There was something else to her as well. He had seen this before in another Jedi Master.
Master Falynn Drease had deep emotional ties to Jedi Master Urias Chun. It was these emotional bounds that saved Master Chun from the dark side. The two even bore a child together. A love affair and child which was kept secret from the Jedi Order and the Republic. Master Chun had become a Galactic Hero and Master Drease ended up leaving the Order to save guard her child. In the end, Master Chun gave his life to bring down the Sith Queen Rose Sheridan. But it would not be the last time emotions helped save a Jedi from the path of darkness. There was Biggs Saar and Lysire. It was their emotions which furthered their descent down the path of darkness. But it was Biggs lover for Lysire that helped them both pull back. After talking with Master Saar's personality within the Holocron, he realized how important emotions can play in the live of a Jedi. It was his love for Lysire that helped him become the Jedi leader that he did. It was his compassion for others that helped him guide the Sabbat to being the Order that they are today. While they have taken a much more extreme path in dealing with emotions than Master Saar had wanted, they did follow his core principles about helping those in need. He could see wisdom in a life with emotions that are faced and controlled rather than ignored or suppressed. Canny would offer Master Visst a chance to see first hand what Biggs was talking about. Though he knew that there would be dangers. He would have to ask Master Heartman to watch him carefully to ensure that his own emotions did not take hold of his actions as he had seen in the past.
There were volumes of information he would love to share with Canny, but right now, his heart was centered on a more pressing matter. He centered his mind and focused, “Canny, focus on your breathing. Let it flow and listen to your lungs fill and release the air” he said helping her calm her mind as focus on meditating. As a Knight she was taught to seek calm through prayer. While it was calming, Visst wanted to teach her a method of reaching calm through self meditation and not by seeking divine influence. All her life, she had been trained by the Church to use your connection to the Force to hunt down and combat enemies of the Church. Or at least that is how just about ever member of the Galaxy saw the Church's Order of the Rose. During his time with her, Canny explained to Visst that there were many different groups within the Order of the Rose. That not all of them were the same. She explained how the one that she belonged to were well known within and outside of the Church as being healers as well as warriors. Visst was enlightened by her skill and knowledge with the arts of healing, both through the Force and without it. Master Visst also learned that her group known as the Order of St. John were not as devoted to the idea of killing force users for simply not believing in the Church. He was even more surprised to hear that a small group of Caamasi were part of her Order. They were the only Caamasi that ever actively joined the Church and all were part of the Order of St John.
There was so much more he wanted to know about her and her way of life. It was almost a surprise once more to speak his native language. He couldn't help but smiled when she first spoke to him in it. For the first time in a very long time, he was actually speechless. The moment would become a fond memory despite the life and death struggle the two of them shared on that adventure together. During those ordeals, she earned his respect and trust and he earned hers. The parting was one of the hardest things he had to do. He didn't want to lie to himself, he knew that he had duties and responsibilities here. Still her offer to go with her was temping. Looking back on the past two weeks, he almost wished he had taken her offer. But he couldn't take it. Rather he liked it or not, he was locked in a life or death struggle with Daz Murl. It was a struggle that for the longest time, he refused to accept. With the last shots fired could no longer be ignored. The murder of Knight Murl and the events on Lorta. It was clear that Daz had laid a trap for them and meant for them to be killed. Master knew that had it not been for the keystone of Daz's plan being the insane criminal Mythis Creel, the past two weeks could have been very different. Instead of those around him being dead, it was Daz's own lieutenants who were found dead. All of them had been poisoned by Mr. Creel. While the reasons behind Mythis' betrayal of Daz's plan are still unknown, it was very clear that the poisoning and deaths were meant for them. Mythis Creel was another issue but right now, Master Visst focused it mind on Daz.
He couldn't help but wonder why Daz took the road he did. It was something that bothered Master Visst for a long time. Coming to this time in this universe had it own problems and issues but he never thought that he would see own of those he trusted so much become so dark. There was no part of his mind that was not confused by what Daz had become. Nothing seemed to make sense but still the facts of what was happening was around him. Master Visst could not deny the facts as they were before him. Canny had told him when they were alone in that hotel room, that she had been trained to look only at the fact which she had before her and nothing else. While normally Master Visst would disagree with this philosophy. He could not deny that in the act of digging for better understanding in Daz's actions, he had missed opportunities to oppose Daz's actions. While on Korriban, Master Visst had a chance to even put an end to him once and for all. In hind sight, that act would have saved the life of Knight Murl. Once more another fact which was resting heavily on Visst's shoulder. Her life was not just ended, it was ripped from her in such a way that he knew she would not rejoin with the Force. He sensed that her death was so traumatic that the suffering echoed in her long dead body. 'Was it that echo that Mythis discovered which caused him to turn on Daz's plan?' Master Visst question. His thoughts wondered to the Jedi Knight that Daz had murdered. She was a promising Jedi that gave of herself. Instead of going with the rest of her people in to hiding, she decided to lead a small group of healers. They set out to bring comfort to those suffering from the war. 'Truly a needless killing' Master Visst thought.
His eyes shot open as if he realized something critical, “Non magis acus occidentiae” Master Visst said softly as his looked up.
“No more needles killings” Lysire said softly to him. She was dressed in her traditional royal blue Jedi Hunter uniform. Her half cloak hung low and covered her crossed legs as she set across from him. He noticed that her lightsaber was this attached to her belt. He also knew that everything he saw was only a figment of his imagination. Even though she was not real to him, she still welded powers that he was only starting to understand and cope with.
Visst noticed that it was only he and the entity known as Lysire. “you came” he said more as a statement than a question. He knew that she would come. It was one of the things that he actually learned to appreciate, her ability to be there when he needed a higher understanding of what was going on around him. “Was that you?” he asked if she had influenced Mythis Creel.
She shook her head, “No, Master Visst.” she answered plainly. “I have not had any contact with your group.” Her answers were truthful but that didn't make much difference to Master Visst as he knew her words were chosen very carefully. She did add, “Though a Council of Me had visited a member of your group recently. That visit was sanctioned by the Council.”
Master Visst nodded his head in understanding, “Sha?” Lysire nodded her head. He had his suspicions as to way that visit took place. “There is something I need to ask of you.” Master Visst paused to collect his thoughts as she nodded once more for him to continue, “Creel left us a message. He told one of his victims that 'it started in the escape pod'. I know this message is linked to Daz and his fall to the dark side. But there is something I am missing. I can not see through the clouds of darkness to see it. Can you please help?”
As Master Visst's eyes blinked, Lysire went from a sitting position to a standing position. “Each crime has a point in which all actions can be linked. A break point so to speak. The crime before you is not that of Daz Murl.” she said as she waved her arm over the space before them and the walls of Visst's quarters melted away. Visst could see they were on another ship and it was in hyperspace. The first thing he noticed was that they were standing in the center of a great Church. There was yelling and screaming and Visst could easily make out the smaller form of Daz. He was in an argument with a high ranking Priest of some kind. From the flanks unseen by Daz were Knight Roses slowly closing the gap on Daz. Visst went to call out a warning to Daz but stopped himself. His reaction happened as his mind wrap its self around that this was only an illusion. Lysire's powers could bind his reality to be what ever she wanted him to see. Master Visst knew that these events had happened, but they happened years ago. Master Visst sighed as he lowered his hand and watched the argument. He knew that Daz didn't know when to stop or walk away. He had always been too eager to argue with those around him. Master Visst made a effort to think of a time when Daz's eagerness to argue helped them. He shook his head as the verbal argument turned more heated and then to conflict. Daz was out numbered and based off of what Canny explained to him, Daz was out matched by the Knight Roses.
Still, true to Daz's own fashion, Daz fought with honor and pride. Even if it was a losing battle. It was something Master Visst had forgotten that he liked about Daz. That no matter the odds, Daz was still brave at heart. Even if not wise of mind at the time, Daz was still brave. Master Visst watched as Daz and his beloved dog like creature, Kell, fought side by side against the odds. It was Kell that fell first to the Knight Roses. Daz let out a scream of anguish as Kell's body fell to the floor of the Church. Daz fought a bit longer but with the odds even harder against him, it was only a matter of time. With a blow to the back of Daz's neck, he fell right next to the body of Kell. Master Visst couldn't help but noticed Daz's arm which laid across Kell's body as if both were merely sleeping. Master Visst knew that Kell was dead and Daz wasn't. The Priest walked up and knelled next to Daz and picked up Daz's lightsaber. “This will be the last time you will ever defy our Church” the Priest said as he activated the lightsaber and its beam burned through Daz's chest. Master Visst grabbed his own chest as he felt the pain. Daz was near death and Master Visst could feel the heart of Daz beating ever so slowly with each new beat. “Take this garbage of this ship!” the Priest said as he slowly stood up and added, “We will inform the galaxy that the Sabbat murdered him and his lover while they slept.” the man said coldly as he looked down at Daz's face, “Your Republic will be born. Under the soft guidance of the Church and through the hand of God. Not through your ways of blasphemy.” he waved his hand to the Knight Roses, “Go now, before anyone finds out what happened here. GO!”
Master Visst and Lysire didn't have to move as the scene just changed around them. The scene of the Church shifted away as the corridors of the ship took its place. The Knights were dragging Daz while he slowly slipped from the world of the living to the world of the dead. Out of no where came Swip's attack. Master Visst could sense the rage and pain in her heart. There was no level of pain that Master Visst could relate to, which he sensed in her. She moved through the Knights as a true Weapon's Master could have. Anger drove her actions and her refusal to let go drove her deeper in to the dark side. It was in that moment that Visst realized what he had been sensing all along. It was the darkness within Swip that confused what he saw. Her darkness ran much deeper than he had ever imagined. As the last Knight fell before Swip's rage, she rushed to Daz's body. His life was hanging in the balance. She tried to summon up the light side to heal him, but her own dark tainting made that all but impossible. She let out a cry as she reached out with the dark side of the Force. In that second Master Visst watched the blood from the fallen Knights sweep from their bodies and hover over Daz's own body.
It was nothing short of a Blood Ritual in action. The Darkness flowed about the corridor as Swip channeled all of her emotions in to this dark act. Just as Daz's spirit was slipping from the body and starting to make its journey to the Force, Swip's actions barred it from leaving the body. The blood spun over head releasing the energy of the spirits which belonged to the Knights. Swip channeled that energy in to Daz's body. Master Visst recognized some of what Swip was saying and understand that she was using some kind of holding power over Daz's energy. “Her own skills and abilities do not match what is needed to restore life. She is gifted, but not as knowledgeable as she needs to be to finish what she is starting.” Lysire said as she explained what Swip was attempting to do.
Before Swip could finish her ritual, voices came from down the Corridor, “STOP IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!” yelled a Knight as he rushed towards Swip with his sword ready to cut her down.
She actually hissed at him as she waved her hand in his direction. Powerful shards of blood crystals fired from the pool of blood above her. The shards hit the Knight knocking him back and off his feet. Her time was running out and the look on her face told this truth. She reached down and pulled on Daz's shoulders. She painfully dragged him from the corridor to an escape pod. The sounds of more Knights closing echoed down the Corridor. Just as she was about to get away a Knight lunged at her. “Don't let the witch escape!” one yelled as the two battled. Swip fought back the Knight with blind fury. The two fought in the access of the escape pod while the others tried to force her back on to the ship. They were yelling out warnings of her darkness and that her evil had to be stopped. It was a life or death struggle that would create a future that could be completely different depending on which side won. In the end, it was Swip who killed Knight by calling on the Dark side of the Force. Even with all of its powers, the Blood rituals that she casts freely troubled Master Visst. Swip fell back in to the escape pod with the man's sword. She kicked the button to trigger the pod. It rocked from the ship, but she was not out of trouble yet.
Once more the scene shifted and Master Visst and Lysire were right there in the pod with Swip and the body of Daz Murl. Master Visst could feel the pure spirit of Daz trapped in the dead vessel that was once his body. Swip's ritual had summoned back the spirit, but Lysire was right. Swip lacked the ability to finish what she started. Daz's spirit was dying within the vessel and Swip could feel it as well. She cried out as she tried everything to bring life back to the lifeless. Nothing that she knew would work. She could undo her ritual and let Daz go, but she couldn't let him go. She cried out once more, this time through the Force. “I know you can hear me. You possessed me before! Invaded my body and nearly killed me. NOW I SUMMON YOU!” She yelled out through the Force. Her mind filled with rage and her heart filled with pain. Even though the summoning took time, Master Visst knew that any darksider could have felt her calling. So it was not a surprise when Makarov arrived.
“Oh little one, it would appear that your love has passed away” Makarov said coldly about Daz's condition.
“SAVE HIM!” she demanded.
“I can not, but someone can” Makarov explained, “But the cost will be high little one”
She cut him off, “I don't care of the cost. SAVE HIM!”
“You will care of the cost.” He threatened, “Very well open the hatch to the pod. Someone wishes to meet you.”
Visst could feel the darkness around them. There was something common about this darkness. He had felt it before. He turned to Lysire, “Lord Murl is Ascended!”
Lysire nodded, “We knew this a long time ago. It was the reason why you were brought here. Since our first contact with him, he has found a way to hide himself from us. We can not oppose him unless he exposes himself to us once more.”
“Were you going to tell us of this threat” Master Visst asked.
She nodded, “When the time was right and you were ready to know” She motioned back to the scene as Swip pulled Daz's body from the pod. Instead of floating in space, the pod now rested on the deck of some large ship. A side from Swip, Daz and Makarov, Master Visst could not sense any other life forms on the ship. He knew that Lord Murl was near but could not locate him. “He has grown very clever in the use of his powers. We did not notice his ascension till it was too late to stop him. When we moved to tomorrow and attempted to stop him there, he had planned for this and protected his real self.”
Master Visst's comment was interrupted by the voice of Lord Murl, “I can do what you ask. But there is a price you will pay to Makarov. When it is the time of my choosing, we will collect your energy and you shall be no more.”
Swip looked down at Daz, “Will he survive and see his dream of rebuilding the Republic come true?”
Lord Murl's voice was cold and filled with hate, “Yes, he will survive and he will build the most powerful Republic that has ever stretched its hands across the galaxy.” There was an eerie red glow about Daz as a small orb that seemed to pulsate with a blackish red glow hovered ever so closer to Daz's body. “As the days pass, he will grow in power and influence. He will bring the Galaxy to its knees and raise the most powerful empire there ever was. Not even the great Sith would be able to challenge it.” The orb hovered over Daz's body. It was clear to Master Visst that the Orb was nothing less then a part of Lord Murl. Much the same way Lysire had split herself in to parts, this is very similar. Unlike Lysire where each of her splits share the equal parts of the whole, This was much smaller and weaker than the whole. “He will be unaware of this, but I will always be in his thoughts and actions” The orb of light passed in to Daz's chest. Daz's body reacted instantly as he grasped for air.
The moment of darkness had descended upon Daz Murl. The light that had once made the man who he was, was for ever diminished. Darkness flowed through his body bringing to life the body and imprisoning the very soul that Swip loved so deeply. There was no more good inside Daz, no more light. Only the darkness that gave him life. Only the touch of Lord Murl which had imprisoned the spirit. For all of his missteps and flirting with darkside, this was never what Daz had ever wanted. This was nothing Daz ever wanted. Swip held Daz close as the body once more took in breaths, “Wait” she said sensing his darkness within. “Visst and the others will never accept Daz now. They will kill him. I know it, I have seen it before with another one who was close to them. They will never allow Daz to survive.”
Daz reached up and touched Swip's face. The action caught her by surprise as she turned and looked down at him. His voice was that of Lord Murl's, “Do not fear that. The others will sense nothing till I am ready for them to sense it” he said coldly. Master Visst could sense so much darkness in Daz that it was not avoidable. However, with that statement said the darkness faded to a point where even Master Visst realized what had happened. Daz turned to where Makarov was hovering about, “The ship must never reach its destination. Ensure this”
Makarov's voice was cold, “Yes My Lord.” As soon as the statement was made, the presence of Makarov was gone.
Swip helped the possessed Daz to his feet. She looked closely in to his eyes, “Are you still there?” she asked.
Daz's voice returned to normal, “What a strange question. Where else would I be?”
Swip nodded, “Come we have to get back in the pod.” She guided a very confused Daz back in to the pod.
Lysire turned to Master Visst who said, “All this time and you knew.”
Lysire nodded, “Yes”
Master Visst felt betrayed over the secret, “Why didn't you tell us?” he looked back as the ship started to fade and all that remained was the life pod, “Why didn't you warn us?”
“Because you were not ready to face Lord Murl” Lysire explained. “If you went after him too soon, he would have destroyed you. We would have to begin a new.”
Master Visst turned and looked over the vast reaches of space. He knew, “I was not the first.”
“No, you were not” she looked at him in surprise, “you can feel the echoes”
He nodded, “Yes, it was Master Damaya Weirn.”
Once more Lysire nodded, “Yes. Lord Murl had grown too powerful for the forces of your realm to contain. We contacted Master Weirn and sought her help. We gave her the full training that we had received. But we had forgotten something.”
He nodded, “The second scroll.”
She nodded again, “Yes. Within it are the secrets that can undo what Lord Murl had done. Because of what we are missing, we lost sight of it. We feared it was lost forever. That was till you found it once more. With the knowledge you have from the first scroll, and soon from the second scroll, you will be able to defeat Lord Murl.”
Master Visst turned to her, “Why can't you do it? He is after all, in your realm. This should be a issue for the Council of Me”
There was a hint of sadness in her eyes, “There was once six on the Council of Me. Lysire was bold and filled with courage. When Lord Murl first made his showing, she was the only one of us that could hunt him down. We did not realize at the time in dividing us, we divided our power as well. When she was destroyed, our powers were forever limited against his. But that did not mean we were powerless to oppose him. When Damaya Weirn was ready, we added her in her battle against him. She was able to weaken him greatly, but the cost to her was near complete. The Council ruled that she should not be asked to give all to this cause. We pulled her before he could destroy her liked he had Lysire.”
He looked back away from her and thought hard, “Now what? When do we stop him?”
She shifted her gaze to the stars, “when you are ready to defeat him. Your learning even now, but not strong enough to oppose this darkness you are.” She said softly than shifted her stance to look at his small frame, “Not yet, but soon.”
He nodded his understanding, “I remember seeing a crystal for a lightsaber, it is meant for Angel I feel, but it is incomplete, will you tell me what the process for uniting the pieces is”
She nodded, “A beacon of light created by the teacher to oppose the creature you know as the Chaos Creature. Bring the pieces together” she said pulling her own lightsaber and hovered it before them. Slowly it came apart, “Much the same way we were all taught as padawans to give our own life to the crystals, as such she must imbue the crystal with her own life.” Lysire's crystal spun and pulsated with life as she spoke. “This way, both crystal and Jedi will become one of heart. The Crystal is not mindless, it will rebel against the darkness that tries to yield it. It will only choose those of pure hearts.”
Visst watched Lysire bring her own lightsaber back together. “I think I have found a way to finally help you to rest. Is there anything you feel you should share before you go?”
She looked out over the galaxy, “When we leave here and go beyond the great boundary, we will wait for you. When you are ready to make the same journey, we will great you. For us, it has been too long of a journey. We miss the company of others. We miss not knowing what will happen yesterday. We miss surprises.” she turned to him with a very serous face, “never under appreciate surprises.”
Master Visst looked up from his meditation and saw Canny still meditating. Her mind had found a place where it could be calm. He could sense her feelings and knew she was at a state of peace. He had only known her for such a short time but he was sure that she was honest in her desire to learn and pursue a new view point on the churches harsh convictions. His movements caused her to look up at him. He nodded to her as he moved for the dresser. She asked, “are we going somewhere?”
He nodded, “Yes” he replied in his native language. “There is much more I need to learn for my final battle.” He saw the scroll and picked it up. He carefully placed it in his cloak, “But first we need to free an old friend.” There was no more conversations to be had. Their course was set and it was time for them to set sail for points unknown.
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