Categories > Movies > Star Wars > Rogue
-Jex moved through the Sith base as quickly as he could. He didn’t think about where he was going. He didn’t need to. He allowed the force to guide him to the dark presence up ahead. He had intended on fighting with Alera at his side, but if Darth Malice was a strong as Darkana was implying, the Jedi would only get in his way. Jex trusted Darkana to comply with his wishes. Not because he thought she was noble, but rather that it was in her own best interests. She was afraid of her master, and now Jex had given her a way out.
-Jex had never intended to ask Darkana to take his side in the fight. He knew she would not take that kind of risk for him. He had tried to ease her tension, but the truth was that Jex was nervous. He couldn’t even imagine someone so strong that they could manipulate a Jedi master and frighten Darkana so deeply. Just how strong was this guy?
-Jex suddenly fund himself before a large, round door. Jex could feel the power that was on the other side of that tempered metal, and it had him trembling. It wasn’t fear, exactly; it was a mixture of tension and excitement that was almost overwhelming. A bead of sweat made its way down to his chin, and Jex stepped forward.
-The door opened, and Jex stepped into a dimly lit room that looked completely different from the rest of the base. Every other room in the building had a military feel: cold, orderly, off the assembly line, and no-nonsense. This room had atmosphere. It was large, almost cavernous. There were actual candles lining the black walls, casting dancing shadows all around. Jex could not see the ceiling, but there was a ring of pillars surrounding a chair in the middle where a hooded figure sat.
-The man had his back to Jex and gave no indication that he knew he was there, but Jex wasn’t buying it. No one this strong would be caught unaware, but maybe Jex could use that to his advantage. Jex suppressed his power and moved into the room. He hoped that his host would think he was trying to sneak up on him, which was only half the truth. Jex quickly moved about and placed small charges on the pillars to the Sith’s back. He then took a deep breath. It was time to play.
-Jex ran at the back of the chair. He threw another charge at the back of the seat just before he lunged. Jex pulled out Justice and Vengeance from the folds of his robes, and struck the back of the Sith’s neck. Jex flipped in the air, spun around, and landed facing the Sith in a fighting stance. It had been a killing blow, and yet…
-The hooded figure remained seated with his head intact. He remained passive, as though nothing had happened. A glowing line around the base of the hood was the only indication that Jex had actually struck him. A low chuckle came from the blackness of the hood, and the figure slowly stood up. A hand reached up and pulled the hood off and discarded the it to the side. As the fabric fell to the ground, Jex’s eyes went wide with shock. His jaw fell open, and all he could say was, “no.”
-The man was ruggedly handsome, short sandy hair and deep blue eyes. Even the jagged scar that ran from the corner of his right eye down to his chin seemed to make him distinguished rather than deformed. The only thing that ruined the illusion was the smile. There was no kindness or warmth to it. It hinted of cruelty and madness.
-“Been a long time, Jexel.” The Sith’s words were cold, confident, and vaguely condescending. “ You certainly took your time getting here. Still the underachiever I see.” Jex only stood gawking with his mouth hanging open like an idiot. Malice frowned at him in a mocking display of pity. “Mynock got your tongue? Well if you don’t want to chit-chat, that’s fine with me. Just give me what I want, and you may go.”
-Jex hadn’t registered a word that had been said. He saw the man’s mouth moving, knew he was talking, but his brain just didn’t want to work. For a moment he forgot why he was there. The world just didn’t make sense to him anymore. All he could do was stare in slack-jawed amazement. It seemed to take him forever to find his voice, and even then all he managed to do was whisper, “Tionis.”
-A smile broke out over the man’s face, sparkling and joyful. “Ah so my little brother can speak,” he said. “Good, I was hoping we might catch up. I have gone to great lengths to bring you here, after all.”
-“Why?” was all Jex could ask. He felt sick to his stomach. The room seemed to spin around him as his mind refused to accept the obvious: his older brother, Tionis, was the Sith lord Darth Malice.
-Tionis laughed, loud and boisterous. “Oh come now, you above all shouldn’t need to ask me that question.” His expression changed so fast that Jex thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Tionis went from smiling and joyful, to down right frightening in a heartbeat. Jex found himself looking at a scowling glare as his brother explained. “The Jedi are filth. Pompous, arrogant, corrupt, and cowardly. They killed our mother and father, and I will see that they pay for their crimes. To do that I need power; the artifacts will grant me that. I also need an army; that I already have. All I need now, my little brother, is you.”
-Jex final snapped himself out of his trance and looked at his brother. “You need me?” Jex said, clearly puzzled. “Why?”
-“You’re my brother,” Tionis said as if that explained everything. When he saw that Jex didn‘t understand, he elaborated. “I need someone I can trust by my side as my second in command. Darkana has proven a disappointment, Frell was a tool from the beginning, but you are my flesh and blood. You are the only one who can understand me.”
-Tionis’s expression softened and looked at Jex almost pleadingly. “Brother, I have worked tirelessly to avenge our parents while you squandered your time on selfish exploits, but I forgive you. You’ve grown strong during your self-imposed exile. With you at my side, we can sweep away the taint of the Jedi, and bring true order to the galaxy.” Tionis held a hand out to Jex and said, “Jexel, join me. It is what out parents would have wanted, or are you going to strike their eldest son, your brother, down with their own weapons?”
-Jex deactivated his light sabers and lowered them to his sides. He didn’t have it in him to kill his own brother. “Tionis, you’ve hurt innocent people. I doubt our parents would have wanted that either.” Jex’s voice was soft, almost sorrowful.
-“That is why I need you at my side, dear brother,” Tionis said. His voice was charismatic and passionate; his eyes alive with a burning fire. “I need you to be my conscience, my self-restraint. Together, we will swipe the Jedi aside and bring order, true order to the universe. We will not sit idly by as innocent people suffer just because they aren’t under the republic’s jurisdiction. We will not fear new ideas or suppress new teachings. And we will not condemn any man or woman for falling in love and starting a family!”
-With that last remark, Jex felt a tightness in his chest as emotions began to swell up inside of him. He looked down and away from Tionis, unable to meet his eyes as he thought it over, trying to make sense of it all. Tionis was giving words to the thoughts and feelings that had festered in his own heart for years. The Jedi were corrupt, prudish, and treated anything out of the norm as taboo. Jex had always hated that. And now his long lost elder brother was offering him a chance to supplant them. Tionis admitted that his methods were too harsh, but that was why he wanted Jex’s help. How could he say no?
-“How are you planning to overthrow the Jedi, Tionis?” Jex asked. His voice was calm again. “Even with me and Darkana, we are impossibly outnumbered.”
-A smile formed on his brother’s face that sent a chill up Jex’s spine. “You’ve already run into the answer, dear brother,” Tionis said. “I have built up an army during my travels. People loyal to me for various reasons who will do my bidding. Mandalorians thirsting for battle, people whose lives I have saved, people who I have paid and promised power, and Weaker sith who call me Master. I will use this force to annihilate the Jedi, and to force the republic to recognize us as a power in the universe. In our new order, they will be used to carry our authority through the stars.”
-“And the artifacts?” Jex asked.
-“Ah yes,” Tionis said, smiling again. “The very item which brought about our reunion. It’s funny; I was planning to send for you in another month or so, but this situation seemed like such good opportunity to test your abilities, as if the force itself were conspiring to bring us back together.”
-“The artifacts are part of an ancient device used by the first Sith to increase their power. Then, as now, the Jedi outnumbered the Sith, and they knew that the only way for them to survive was to become powerful enough to take on several Jedi at once. Quality versus quantity. The artifacts, when assembled, give of an energy which increases a force user’s power ten fold.”
-Jex’ eyes widened in wonder. “Ten fold,” Jex whispered in disbelief. It was hard to even imagine someone as powerful as a master increasing their power by that much. Jex’s mind swam with the possibilities.
-“Yes brother,” Tionis said nodding his head, pleased with the look on Jex‘s face. “Even the individual artifacts retain a residue from that time which increases the powers of any Sith, or Jedi in close contact. I’m sure you noticed.”
-Jex thought of the space battle and how he had sabotaged an enemy ship for a great distance, and what he had done to Frell. He hadn’t realized that it had been the artifact effecting him. He had thought the thing had to be assembled in order to be dangerous. He had been a fool.
-“Yes brother,” Tionis said. “I will increase my power beyond belief. And with that power, I shall force all other Sith into submission, and use their strength to achieve our common goal: the destruction of the Jedi. And you, you!” Tionis pointed dramatically at Jex, “Shall share in that power. You shall be the strength in my arm, the conscience whispering in my ear. Brother, join me!” Tionis held out a hand to Jex.
-Jex slowly stepped forward. He believed in his brother, believed that together, they could make the universe a better place. Jex took another step, and put his light sabers away. It would be a sacrilege to kill his own brother with the weapons that once protected their parents. He flexed his fingers, eager to embrace his brother’s hand in friendship. One more step, and Jex would turn his back of the Jedi, the republic, and all that they stood for.
-“Stop!”
-Jex and Tionis both turned to see Alera leaping at them, light saber activated and swinging down, and a fierce determination on the young Zabrak’s face. Tionis raised his left arm, and Alera’s light saber struck it, but it did not cut through. Her surprise made her hesitate just long enough for Tionis to reach out with his right hand and grab her around the throat. He held her off the ground with one arm. He snatched her light saber away from her with his free hand, and the Jedi was helpless.
-Tionis’s face was twisted with anger and rage. He gritted his teeth and glared at the young Jedi with hatred so pure that it made Jex feel ill. “You filth!” Tionis screamed, and without another word, squeezed his fingers around Alera’s throat. She struggled in vain to try and pry the Sith’s hand off of her.
-Jex watched and didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know why alera was there, or how his brother could change so rapidly. Was this what Tionis really was? His brother couldn’t be this vicious. Jex’s memory flashed to the look on Darkana’s face when she ha thought of betraying her master. Jex realized that he was now seeing the source of that fear. His brother was a monster, and Jex had almost embraced him.
-“Tionis, let her go,” Jex said. “She’s with me.”
-“She’s a Jedi,” Tionis said. “They will all die at my hands!”
-Jex’s next words were cut off by the sound of loud crack. He watched in horror as Alera’s arms fall limply to her side. Her body hung from Tionis’s grip, unnaturally still. Jex felt a cold sensation in his stomach as he felt Alera’s life leave her body. His eyes went wide, and he screamed, “No!”
-Jex had never intended to ask Darkana to take his side in the fight. He knew she would not take that kind of risk for him. He had tried to ease her tension, but the truth was that Jex was nervous. He couldn’t even imagine someone so strong that they could manipulate a Jedi master and frighten Darkana so deeply. Just how strong was this guy?
-Jex suddenly fund himself before a large, round door. Jex could feel the power that was on the other side of that tempered metal, and it had him trembling. It wasn’t fear, exactly; it was a mixture of tension and excitement that was almost overwhelming. A bead of sweat made its way down to his chin, and Jex stepped forward.
-The door opened, and Jex stepped into a dimly lit room that looked completely different from the rest of the base. Every other room in the building had a military feel: cold, orderly, off the assembly line, and no-nonsense. This room had atmosphere. It was large, almost cavernous. There were actual candles lining the black walls, casting dancing shadows all around. Jex could not see the ceiling, but there was a ring of pillars surrounding a chair in the middle where a hooded figure sat.
-The man had his back to Jex and gave no indication that he knew he was there, but Jex wasn’t buying it. No one this strong would be caught unaware, but maybe Jex could use that to his advantage. Jex suppressed his power and moved into the room. He hoped that his host would think he was trying to sneak up on him, which was only half the truth. Jex quickly moved about and placed small charges on the pillars to the Sith’s back. He then took a deep breath. It was time to play.
-Jex ran at the back of the chair. He threw another charge at the back of the seat just before he lunged. Jex pulled out Justice and Vengeance from the folds of his robes, and struck the back of the Sith’s neck. Jex flipped in the air, spun around, and landed facing the Sith in a fighting stance. It had been a killing blow, and yet…
-The hooded figure remained seated with his head intact. He remained passive, as though nothing had happened. A glowing line around the base of the hood was the only indication that Jex had actually struck him. A low chuckle came from the blackness of the hood, and the figure slowly stood up. A hand reached up and pulled the hood off and discarded the it to the side. As the fabric fell to the ground, Jex’s eyes went wide with shock. His jaw fell open, and all he could say was, “no.”
-The man was ruggedly handsome, short sandy hair and deep blue eyes. Even the jagged scar that ran from the corner of his right eye down to his chin seemed to make him distinguished rather than deformed. The only thing that ruined the illusion was the smile. There was no kindness or warmth to it. It hinted of cruelty and madness.
-“Been a long time, Jexel.” The Sith’s words were cold, confident, and vaguely condescending. “ You certainly took your time getting here. Still the underachiever I see.” Jex only stood gawking with his mouth hanging open like an idiot. Malice frowned at him in a mocking display of pity. “Mynock got your tongue? Well if you don’t want to chit-chat, that’s fine with me. Just give me what I want, and you may go.”
-Jex hadn’t registered a word that had been said. He saw the man’s mouth moving, knew he was talking, but his brain just didn’t want to work. For a moment he forgot why he was there. The world just didn’t make sense to him anymore. All he could do was stare in slack-jawed amazement. It seemed to take him forever to find his voice, and even then all he managed to do was whisper, “Tionis.”
-A smile broke out over the man’s face, sparkling and joyful. “Ah so my little brother can speak,” he said. “Good, I was hoping we might catch up. I have gone to great lengths to bring you here, after all.”
-“Why?” was all Jex could ask. He felt sick to his stomach. The room seemed to spin around him as his mind refused to accept the obvious: his older brother, Tionis, was the Sith lord Darth Malice.
-Tionis laughed, loud and boisterous. “Oh come now, you above all shouldn’t need to ask me that question.” His expression changed so fast that Jex thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Tionis went from smiling and joyful, to down right frightening in a heartbeat. Jex found himself looking at a scowling glare as his brother explained. “The Jedi are filth. Pompous, arrogant, corrupt, and cowardly. They killed our mother and father, and I will see that they pay for their crimes. To do that I need power; the artifacts will grant me that. I also need an army; that I already have. All I need now, my little brother, is you.”
-Jex final snapped himself out of his trance and looked at his brother. “You need me?” Jex said, clearly puzzled. “Why?”
-“You’re my brother,” Tionis said as if that explained everything. When he saw that Jex didn‘t understand, he elaborated. “I need someone I can trust by my side as my second in command. Darkana has proven a disappointment, Frell was a tool from the beginning, but you are my flesh and blood. You are the only one who can understand me.”
-Tionis’s expression softened and looked at Jex almost pleadingly. “Brother, I have worked tirelessly to avenge our parents while you squandered your time on selfish exploits, but I forgive you. You’ve grown strong during your self-imposed exile. With you at my side, we can sweep away the taint of the Jedi, and bring true order to the galaxy.” Tionis held a hand out to Jex and said, “Jexel, join me. It is what out parents would have wanted, or are you going to strike their eldest son, your brother, down with their own weapons?”
-Jex deactivated his light sabers and lowered them to his sides. He didn’t have it in him to kill his own brother. “Tionis, you’ve hurt innocent people. I doubt our parents would have wanted that either.” Jex’s voice was soft, almost sorrowful.
-“That is why I need you at my side, dear brother,” Tionis said. His voice was charismatic and passionate; his eyes alive with a burning fire. “I need you to be my conscience, my self-restraint. Together, we will swipe the Jedi aside and bring order, true order to the universe. We will not sit idly by as innocent people suffer just because they aren’t under the republic’s jurisdiction. We will not fear new ideas or suppress new teachings. And we will not condemn any man or woman for falling in love and starting a family!”
-With that last remark, Jex felt a tightness in his chest as emotions began to swell up inside of him. He looked down and away from Tionis, unable to meet his eyes as he thought it over, trying to make sense of it all. Tionis was giving words to the thoughts and feelings that had festered in his own heart for years. The Jedi were corrupt, prudish, and treated anything out of the norm as taboo. Jex had always hated that. And now his long lost elder brother was offering him a chance to supplant them. Tionis admitted that his methods were too harsh, but that was why he wanted Jex’s help. How could he say no?
-“How are you planning to overthrow the Jedi, Tionis?” Jex asked. His voice was calm again. “Even with me and Darkana, we are impossibly outnumbered.”
-A smile formed on his brother’s face that sent a chill up Jex’s spine. “You’ve already run into the answer, dear brother,” Tionis said. “I have built up an army during my travels. People loyal to me for various reasons who will do my bidding. Mandalorians thirsting for battle, people whose lives I have saved, people who I have paid and promised power, and Weaker sith who call me Master. I will use this force to annihilate the Jedi, and to force the republic to recognize us as a power in the universe. In our new order, they will be used to carry our authority through the stars.”
-“And the artifacts?” Jex asked.
-“Ah yes,” Tionis said, smiling again. “The very item which brought about our reunion. It’s funny; I was planning to send for you in another month or so, but this situation seemed like such good opportunity to test your abilities, as if the force itself were conspiring to bring us back together.”
-“The artifacts are part of an ancient device used by the first Sith to increase their power. Then, as now, the Jedi outnumbered the Sith, and they knew that the only way for them to survive was to become powerful enough to take on several Jedi at once. Quality versus quantity. The artifacts, when assembled, give of an energy which increases a force user’s power ten fold.”
-Jex’ eyes widened in wonder. “Ten fold,” Jex whispered in disbelief. It was hard to even imagine someone as powerful as a master increasing their power by that much. Jex’s mind swam with the possibilities.
-“Yes brother,” Tionis said nodding his head, pleased with the look on Jex‘s face. “Even the individual artifacts retain a residue from that time which increases the powers of any Sith, or Jedi in close contact. I’m sure you noticed.”
-Jex thought of the space battle and how he had sabotaged an enemy ship for a great distance, and what he had done to Frell. He hadn’t realized that it had been the artifact effecting him. He had thought the thing had to be assembled in order to be dangerous. He had been a fool.
-“Yes brother,” Tionis said. “I will increase my power beyond belief. And with that power, I shall force all other Sith into submission, and use their strength to achieve our common goal: the destruction of the Jedi. And you, you!” Tionis pointed dramatically at Jex, “Shall share in that power. You shall be the strength in my arm, the conscience whispering in my ear. Brother, join me!” Tionis held out a hand to Jex.
-Jex slowly stepped forward. He believed in his brother, believed that together, they could make the universe a better place. Jex took another step, and put his light sabers away. It would be a sacrilege to kill his own brother with the weapons that once protected their parents. He flexed his fingers, eager to embrace his brother’s hand in friendship. One more step, and Jex would turn his back of the Jedi, the republic, and all that they stood for.
-“Stop!”
-Jex and Tionis both turned to see Alera leaping at them, light saber activated and swinging down, and a fierce determination on the young Zabrak’s face. Tionis raised his left arm, and Alera’s light saber struck it, but it did not cut through. Her surprise made her hesitate just long enough for Tionis to reach out with his right hand and grab her around the throat. He held her off the ground with one arm. He snatched her light saber away from her with his free hand, and the Jedi was helpless.
-Tionis’s face was twisted with anger and rage. He gritted his teeth and glared at the young Jedi with hatred so pure that it made Jex feel ill. “You filth!” Tionis screamed, and without another word, squeezed his fingers around Alera’s throat. She struggled in vain to try and pry the Sith’s hand off of her.
-Jex watched and didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know why alera was there, or how his brother could change so rapidly. Was this what Tionis really was? His brother couldn’t be this vicious. Jex’s memory flashed to the look on Darkana’s face when she ha thought of betraying her master. Jex realized that he was now seeing the source of that fear. His brother was a monster, and Jex had almost embraced him.
-“Tionis, let her go,” Jex said. “She’s with me.”
-“She’s a Jedi,” Tionis said. “They will all die at my hands!”
-Jex’s next words were cut off by the sound of loud crack. He watched in horror as Alera’s arms fall limply to her side. Her body hung from Tionis’s grip, unnaturally still. Jex felt a cold sensation in his stomach as he felt Alera’s life leave her body. His eyes went wide, and he screamed, “No!”
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