[1. The Sith Space Station near Tatooine]
Raging Iron Thunder
Member
Twenty years into the Great Galactic War, maverick Jedi Knight Korian Nightstrider and servant of the Republic, is convinced that his Nemesis DARTH TEMPORIS has completed a Time Machine.
His belief endures despite the fatigued skepticism from the Jedi High Council. Playing factions of the SITH EMPIRE against each other, Korian has unearthed the location of the Time Machine near TATOOINE. Now, he engages on an unsanctioned and clandestine mission, determined to preserve the galaxy's past.
Chapter 1:
"Join me, Korian," commands Darth Temporis, my friend from another world. The sparkling hiss of our lightsabers crackles, we bare our teeth at each other behind our armor. Him in his Sith plated Dark Armor, me in my golden Jedi battle armor.
A rumble went through the floor of vast internal laboratory on Darth Temporis' Sith space station. The diversion created by my crew had worked, and still worked to keep Sith Troopers and Apprentices busy so I could confront my foe directly.
Leaning into the physical tension of our lightsabers, I used it like a spring, along with the force to backflip in my heavy armor to top the large electrical equipment dais in Darth Temporis' lab.
Resigned, I said, "We were best friends once, in another time, another place."
Surveying the large array of whirling Rakatan machinery for a weak point, the force guided my eyes, even my nose. The smells were an odd fusion of cinnamon and synthetic oils. The strange force enhanced living stone moved in sync with the mutant hybrid of Sith Alchemy bubbling through tubes like a steampunk villain's laboratory.
"Together, we will be more powerful than ANY Sith, or Jedi ever," Darth Temporis clutches his left fist up at me, lowering his red lightsaber to the ground. "You and I, Korian. With my machine, we will be immortal, rewrite history and live as GODS."
The folds in the force almost whisper in my ear. There — the key area appeared to be a miniature Sith Lightning Tesla Coil. I threw my blue lightsaber at the item, guiding it with the force, not hesitating at all to take advantage of my nemesis' monologue.
"No," I say a moment after, enjoying the confused glare of Darth Temporis, the monstrous version of my old friend.
Darth Temporis hesitates a flicker of a second. In our past duels, he favored throwing his own lightsaber to block my thrown saber, and tried to use Telekinesis to pull it up.
"Too late," I quip.
"What have you —" Darth Temporis tried to finish, and…
No explosion, no fireworks.
Time simply broke.
~~~~
It is the past. I am back speaking with Lord Zash, a rival of his over holocom just a few cycles ago. "How do I know," the attractive older woman states plainly, "This isn't a trick."
"Jedi are poor liars," I kept my tone even. In this time period, Jedi are so honest that the Sith find the concept of a scheming Jedi unsettling. Even Darth Baras let information slip about Darth Temporis.
There are the Sith, who want to conquer the Galaxy. That is bad. Then there is Darth Temporis, using ideas from another world, cheating with knowledge no actual person in this galaxy should know. He will go back to kill the nascent Jedi in ancient times, then supplant them with the Sith from modern times. That is much, much worse.
"This tablet," Lord Zash has it in her hands, holding it up, "truly does have insight into Rakatan sorcery."
Flatly, I said, "That it does." Not mentioning that I had copies, and even other artifacts from Lehon. If the Jedi Council knew, they would have questions.
"You have given me blackmail material over you." Lord Zash almost makes it a question, because it is.
"That is assuming I care you kiss and tell," I said with a wry smile, letting her consider the implications.
"Are you… defecting?" She asks, coy.
The Sith savor the opportunity to turn a Jedi, they try often and it rarely works on Knights like myself.
"Is the information on Darth Temporis solid?" I ask, allowing gentle irritation in my voice. Sith like that. It means losing my control, which means I could be on the path to the Dark Side.
"Yes." Lord Zash is offended, frowning. "My word is good."
Oh wow, that's rich from a Sith. Lord Zash isn't as known as other Sith Lords for her spy network. But, Darth Temporis killed a few of her archaeological teams and took items she wanted for her own research. Zash wants payback.
A Jedi Knight with a known vendetta killing Temporis? A Sith Lord with a tendency for making enemies of his own? When I killed him, I doubted the Sith hierarchy would do more that make cursory investigations, if that.
Revenge is such an easy emotion to appeal to a Sith. Their infighting and disunity will always be their downfall.
"Excellent," I clapped my hands together, then said, "Pleasure doing business with you, Lord Zash."
~~~~
I blink.
~~~~
I am landing the Praetorian Eagle, a heavily modified defender class light corvette into Darth Temporis' space station's landing bay. A hundred Republic commandos deploy, as my Arkanian copilot, Adan, lays heavy suppressive fire.
The fighting is fierce on the way to Darth Temporis' lab, we are overwhelmed by vast numbers of battle droids, Sith Apprentices, troopers, and we all die.
~~~~
Darth Temporis' lab is quiet and black. I stab the silent, unmoving machines with my lightsaber, my lightsaber cutting a hole into reality. I am sucked into the vortex, and die.
~~~~
"I remember," Darth Temporis stands over me, his red lightsaber boiling my guts. "You betrayed me in our last life. This is payback."
~~~~
My flying blue bladed lightsaber misses, intercepted by Darth Temporis' own red lightsaber. We duel long enough for me to kill him, the whole space station explodes, and I die.
~~~~
Another blink, my eyes wet with what, I cannot say.
~~~~
The fusion of Rakatan and Sith technology falls silent, a single sad, pathetic spark followed by abrupt silence. Darth Temporis falls to his knees, his life's work destroyed. I chop his head off. The space station explodes, and I die.
~~~~
It is the more distant past this time. Darth Temporis and I are on the floating building of Nar Shadaa, several years ago. Lightsabers out, we have dueled for an hour in a stalemate.
"YOU WERE MY FRIEND," he shouts over the howling wind, "WHY? WHY WON'T YOU JOIN ME?"
Between us is his dead Sith lover, Lord Zerketta in pieces. Lower legs, hands and head separated from her body by my blade.
I cannot say his original name, for I no longer remember it. "Zerketta experimented on children, Temporis, children!"
Temporis shakes his armored head, sad. "You cannot defeat me. Even in our old life I was the better student."
Vague memories of karate lessons flit by me. High school. He was, and is the better student. Faster, stronger, taller, smarter. Somehow it didn't matter then, we were best friends. The stray thought of rebellious pride, the girls always liked me more than him.
We have dueled for an hour because my old friend refuses to kill me. His anger is strong, fuelling a cold, shivering attachment to the dark side that has drained me dry.
"We were fathers once. Children? This isnt you!" I said, appealing to him. "Come back, join me!" I begged.
"No, Korian," Temporis says, rueful, like I am the foolish one, and have failed him.
In the past I had jumped off at this point, landing on a hover car. Instead, this time I fall, fall, falling…
~~~~
Now, back in the Praetorian Eagle, behind me Temporis' space station explodes. I have pre-programmed coordinates to Tatooine for refueling, and launch into hyperspace.
~~~~
Time rewinds. Now, back in the Praetorian Eagle. Behind me, Temporis' space station fails to explode. I have pre-programmed coordinates to Tatooine for refueling, and my ships deflectors give out from the Sith space station's turbo laser fire before I launch into hyperspace. I die.
~~~~
A third blink, in a moment between time.
~~~~
The Praetorian Eagle launches into hyperspace, and I make it to Tatooine, minus a crew, all lost in the battle to stop Temporis. Wait, did I kill Temporis? Did the station explode? I cannot recall. But I see some kind of naval engagement between Republic and Sith Empire and —
~~~~
A fourth blink.
~~~~
The fleet battle is long gone, no wreckage. Strange, I fly to Mos Espa, having a favorite supplier for my ship. Strange, no movement on the ground, nor any air traffic as I approach. Flipping a few switches… Nothing, no chatter at all, like no one is on the goddamn planet —
~~~~
A fifth blink.
~~~~
Barrel rolling out of the way, my communication light up with a vast array of Huttese curses that I only cursorily understand, from a ship I don't recognize at all. Scanners tell me the area filled with various ships coming and going from Mos Espa.
~~~~
A six blink.
~~~~
The Praetorian Eagle shudders, a strange whining moan erupting from the engines and several stabilizers. Wonderful. I was going to land in the space sport and what are these blinks? Is time jumping forward? Backward?
~~~~
A seventh blink.
~~~~
I'm hunched over my pilot's console, pushing myself up and unstrapped myself. The Praetorian Eagle isn't even flying, it's crashed on the ground.
~~~~
An eighth blink.
~~~~
What, what is going on?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
First time to post a fic here. Open to feedback, hope the writing is clear about what's going on. Also do not have a beta, and am open to anyone interested.
Hope to post a small chapter (1k to 2k) once a week, time permitting. Bigger chapters are nice, at the same time as a writer I find a 4k chapter doesn't take twice as long as a 2k chapter, it can take 4 times as long.
Please ask questions and as I read all comments! If something isn't clear, or folks want more information up front let me know.
I won't be strictly adhering to any one canon, using mostly legacy and the Old Republic MMO as a base. I own all Star Wars Saga Edition books, with a couple FFG and WEG supplements thrown in too, with bits of new canon that I thought were neat.
His belief endures despite the fatigued skepticism from the Jedi High Council. Playing factions of the SITH EMPIRE against each other, Korian has unearthed the location of the Time Machine near TATOOINE. Now, he engages on an unsanctioned and clandestine mission, determined to preserve the galaxy's past.
Chapter 1:
"Join me, Korian," commands Darth Temporis, my friend from another world. The sparkling hiss of our lightsabers crackles, we bare our teeth at each other behind our armor. Him in his Sith plated Dark Armor, me in my golden Jedi battle armor.
A rumble went through the floor of vast internal laboratory on Darth Temporis' Sith space station. The diversion created by my crew had worked, and still worked to keep Sith Troopers and Apprentices busy so I could confront my foe directly.
Leaning into the physical tension of our lightsabers, I used it like a spring, along with the force to backflip in my heavy armor to top the large electrical equipment dais in Darth Temporis' lab.
Resigned, I said, "We were best friends once, in another time, another place."
Surveying the large array of whirling Rakatan machinery for a weak point, the force guided my eyes, even my nose. The smells were an odd fusion of cinnamon and synthetic oils. The strange force enhanced living stone moved in sync with the mutant hybrid of Sith Alchemy bubbling through tubes like a steampunk villain's laboratory.
"Together, we will be more powerful than ANY Sith, or Jedi ever," Darth Temporis clutches his left fist up at me, lowering his red lightsaber to the ground. "You and I, Korian. With my machine, we will be immortal, rewrite history and live as GODS."
The folds in the force almost whisper in my ear. There — the key area appeared to be a miniature Sith Lightning Tesla Coil. I threw my blue lightsaber at the item, guiding it with the force, not hesitating at all to take advantage of my nemesis' monologue.
"No," I say a moment after, enjoying the confused glare of Darth Temporis, the monstrous version of my old friend.
Darth Temporis hesitates a flicker of a second. In our past duels, he favored throwing his own lightsaber to block my thrown saber, and tried to use Telekinesis to pull it up.
"Too late," I quip.
"What have you —" Darth Temporis tried to finish, and…
No explosion, no fireworks.
Time simply broke.
~~~~
It is the past. I am back speaking with Lord Zash, a rival of his over holocom just a few cycles ago. "How do I know," the attractive older woman states plainly, "This isn't a trick."
"Jedi are poor liars," I kept my tone even. In this time period, Jedi are so honest that the Sith find the concept of a scheming Jedi unsettling. Even Darth Baras let information slip about Darth Temporis.
There are the Sith, who want to conquer the Galaxy. That is bad. Then there is Darth Temporis, using ideas from another world, cheating with knowledge no actual person in this galaxy should know. He will go back to kill the nascent Jedi in ancient times, then supplant them with the Sith from modern times. That is much, much worse.
"This tablet," Lord Zash has it in her hands, holding it up, "truly does have insight into Rakatan sorcery."
Flatly, I said, "That it does." Not mentioning that I had copies, and even other artifacts from Lehon. If the Jedi Council knew, they would have questions.
"You have given me blackmail material over you." Lord Zash almost makes it a question, because it is.
"That is assuming I care you kiss and tell," I said with a wry smile, letting her consider the implications.
"Are you… defecting?" She asks, coy.
The Sith savor the opportunity to turn a Jedi, they try often and it rarely works on Knights like myself.
"Is the information on Darth Temporis solid?" I ask, allowing gentle irritation in my voice. Sith like that. It means losing my control, which means I could be on the path to the Dark Side.
"Yes." Lord Zash is offended, frowning. "My word is good."
Oh wow, that's rich from a Sith. Lord Zash isn't as known as other Sith Lords for her spy network. But, Darth Temporis killed a few of her archaeological teams and took items she wanted for her own research. Zash wants payback.
A Jedi Knight with a known vendetta killing Temporis? A Sith Lord with a tendency for making enemies of his own? When I killed him, I doubted the Sith hierarchy would do more that make cursory investigations, if that.
Revenge is such an easy emotion to appeal to a Sith. Their infighting and disunity will always be their downfall.
"Excellent," I clapped my hands together, then said, "Pleasure doing business with you, Lord Zash."
~~~~
I blink.
~~~~
I am landing the Praetorian Eagle, a heavily modified defender class light corvette into Darth Temporis' space station's landing bay. A hundred Republic commandos deploy, as my Arkanian copilot, Adan, lays heavy suppressive fire.
The fighting is fierce on the way to Darth Temporis' lab, we are overwhelmed by vast numbers of battle droids, Sith Apprentices, troopers, and we all die.
~~~~
Darth Temporis' lab is quiet and black. I stab the silent, unmoving machines with my lightsaber, my lightsaber cutting a hole into reality. I am sucked into the vortex, and die.
~~~~
"I remember," Darth Temporis stands over me, his red lightsaber boiling my guts. "You betrayed me in our last life. This is payback."
~~~~
My flying blue bladed lightsaber misses, intercepted by Darth Temporis' own red lightsaber. We duel long enough for me to kill him, the whole space station explodes, and I die.
~~~~
Another blink, my eyes wet with what, I cannot say.
~~~~
The fusion of Rakatan and Sith technology falls silent, a single sad, pathetic spark followed by abrupt silence. Darth Temporis falls to his knees, his life's work destroyed. I chop his head off. The space station explodes, and I die.
~~~~
It is the more distant past this time. Darth Temporis and I are on the floating building of Nar Shadaa, several years ago. Lightsabers out, we have dueled for an hour in a stalemate.
"YOU WERE MY FRIEND," he shouts over the howling wind, "WHY? WHY WON'T YOU JOIN ME?"
Between us is his dead Sith lover, Lord Zerketta in pieces. Lower legs, hands and head separated from her body by my blade.
I cannot say his original name, for I no longer remember it. "Zerketta experimented on children, Temporis, children!"
Temporis shakes his armored head, sad. "You cannot defeat me. Even in our old life I was the better student."
Vague memories of karate lessons flit by me. High school. He was, and is the better student. Faster, stronger, taller, smarter. Somehow it didn't matter then, we were best friends. The stray thought of rebellious pride, the girls always liked me more than him.
We have dueled for an hour because my old friend refuses to kill me. His anger is strong, fuelling a cold, shivering attachment to the dark side that has drained me dry.
"We were fathers once. Children? This isnt you!" I said, appealing to him. "Come back, join me!" I begged.
"No, Korian," Temporis says, rueful, like I am the foolish one, and have failed him.
In the past I had jumped off at this point, landing on a hover car. Instead, this time I fall, fall, falling…
~~~~
Now, back in the Praetorian Eagle, behind me Temporis' space station explodes. I have pre-programmed coordinates to Tatooine for refueling, and launch into hyperspace.
~~~~
Time rewinds. Now, back in the Praetorian Eagle. Behind me, Temporis' space station fails to explode. I have pre-programmed coordinates to Tatooine for refueling, and my ships deflectors give out from the Sith space station's turbo laser fire before I launch into hyperspace. I die.
~~~~
A third blink, in a moment between time.
~~~~
The Praetorian Eagle launches into hyperspace, and I make it to Tatooine, minus a crew, all lost in the battle to stop Temporis. Wait, did I kill Temporis? Did the station explode? I cannot recall. But I see some kind of naval engagement between Republic and Sith Empire and —
~~~~
A fourth blink.
~~~~
The fleet battle is long gone, no wreckage. Strange, I fly to Mos Espa, having a favorite supplier for my ship. Strange, no movement on the ground, nor any air traffic as I approach. Flipping a few switches… Nothing, no chatter at all, like no one is on the goddamn planet —
~~~~
A fifth blink.
~~~~
Barrel rolling out of the way, my communication light up with a vast array of Huttese curses that I only cursorily understand, from a ship I don't recognize at all. Scanners tell me the area filled with various ships coming and going from Mos Espa.
~~~~
A six blink.
~~~~
The Praetorian Eagle shudders, a strange whining moan erupting from the engines and several stabilizers. Wonderful. I was going to land in the space sport and what are these blinks? Is time jumping forward? Backward?
~~~~
A seventh blink.
~~~~
I'm hunched over my pilot's console, pushing myself up and unstrapped myself. The Praetorian Eagle isn't even flying, it's crashed on the ground.
~~~~
An eighth blink.
~~~~
What, what is going on?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
First time to post a fic here. Open to feedback, hope the writing is clear about what's going on. Also do not have a beta, and am open to anyone interested.
Hope to post a small chapter (1k to 2k) once a week, time permitting. Bigger chapters are nice, at the same time as a writer I find a 4k chapter doesn't take twice as long as a 2k chapter, it can take 4 times as long.
Please ask questions and as I read all comments! If something isn't clear, or folks want more information up front let me know.
I won't be strictly adhering to any one canon, using mostly legacy and the Old Republic MMO as a base. I own all Star Wars Saga Edition books, with a couple FFG and WEG supplements thrown in too, with bits of new canon that I thought were neat.