A voice from the past (closed)

[Laran Katern]

Tucked away in a far corner of the galaxy, at the secret TSE headquarters, a restless soul paces around his room. The thoughts would not leave his head and echoed over and over. He sat down on his bed, his hands running through his hair, the fustration easily apparent. Sighing loudly, he stands and walks over to the sink in his room. He turns the cold water on, and puts his hands under the stream, letting the cold filter through his fingers, before cupping his hands and applying the cold liquid to his face, and running his hands through his hair once more. He lifts his head and looks at himself in the mirror, his eyes bloodshot and dark rings under his eyes from the lack of sleep. He sighs audibly once more and then shuts the water off. Walking back to his bed slowly, his mind rampant with thoughts...

This is crazy....sleep...i need sleep....can't go on like this anymore....help i need help..sleep. .yeah..sleep will help...yeah..

His thoughts no longer coherent, the lack of sleep completely randomizing his thought process. Sitting down on the bed once more, he tilts his head to the left. A loud crack follows, ad he proceeds to do the same with the other side. He reaches over to the nightstand and takes a quick drink of water. Downing the water, he looks at the glass and sees his distorted reflection in it. Letting out a yell, he throws it across the room, where is smashes against the wall, shattering loudly.

Why me?? What did I do to deserve this? Where did my drink go? Why am I wet? God I need some sleep....

This continued on for a few more minutes before finally the restless soul stood up and walked over to a pouch that was hanging on the a hanger in the corner.

This had better work..they said it would work..who was they? Can't stand this anymore

He reached inside and pulled out a syringe filled with a yellow liquid. Holding it up in front of his face, he stared at it for a long second, contemplating what he should do. The anger at his situation finally over took him and he jabbed it violently into his arm, a trickle of blood oozing from the prick. Closing his eyes and tilting his head to the ceiling, he emptied the contents into his system. He then pulled the syringe out of his arm, as the liquid began to take affect. The syringe falls to the floor, his hand no longer capable of holding it any longer. Stumbling, he tries to make it back to his bed, but collapses to the floor unconscious.

[Laran Katern]

By the time his unconscious body hit the floor, the Sith Knight was already fast asleep, the powerful drugs having taken affect. As it corsed through his veins, he fell deeper and deeper into his slumber, until finally reaching REM sleep. Time passed by, minutes flew by and hours, the drugs showing no sign of letting him escape sleep. Then finally it happened once more....

Laran awoke to find himself in the desert. He had no idea of where he was. He looked around, scanning the horizon, trying to find a landmark of some sort to help him place himself. The hot sun shone down upon him, the sweat on his brow trickling down his face.

Where am I? What am I doing here? What am I in this God forsaken place?

He began walking, dragging his feet through the sand, as the sun sapped up any energy that he had. His body temperature steadily rose, the heat unbearable. He first cast off his cloak, then his shirt. He continued walking, not knowing where he was, or for that matter not knowing where he was going. He traversed dune after dune, no end in sight. There was nothing anywheres. No sign that there ever was any life here. No bones, no cacti, no insect life, no birds in the sky...nothing at all. Something just didn't seem right about this. Things were too surreal. The weary Sith Knight stopped in his tracks. He looked around once more, and then wiped his brow in vain. His hands fell to his sides, where he found he had a knife attached to his thigh. Grabbing the knife, he began to cut his pants, making small little cuts. He replaced the knife and began to rip the material. And that's when it hit him. That was the first sound he had heard since he remembered waking up in this place. Something definitely was amiss. Putting the thought in the back of his mind, he ripped the rest of the material off and tied it around his head, making a makeshift headband. He trudged on, trying to figure his predicament out.

Another hour went by, and the Sith's steps could hardly even be considered steps anymore. His mind had begun to play tricks on him, his eyes deceiving him. Faces of people in the past continually flashed in front of him. His father....his mother....His master Sumor....past relationships... It was driving him closer to the brink on insanity. And then finally, when his body could take no more, he collapsed into the sand. No sooner then he had collapsed, he started to dream. This time an unfamiliar face and voice playing in his head....

The Sith Knight has made a perilous journey, but alas he has arrived. Perhaps you do have more promise then I've anticipated.

A figure began to appear in his mind, too fuzzy to make anything out There was a faint light eminating from behind the figure, further distorting the figure.

The first part of your journey is complete. More shall be learned later

Laran awoke with a start, to find himself still on his bed room floor, clad in only his torn pants, his body cold with sweat. . Looking around the room, the confusion easily visible on his face. He tired to speak, his voice dry and cracked.

" Computer, what time is it?"

It is now 05:17

He lifted himself to his feet slowly, his body responding, but barely as if with no strength. He turned his head, looking around his room, and happened to notice his time display. The computer was right, it was 05:17, but 3 days later then he remembered.

[Dyne Darkforce]

In the midst of the TSE headquarters, it was quiet, as it was that time of the day. Dyne was in the training area, awaiting for his friend and comrade, Laran. He was dressed in his normal fighting gear, nothing too out of the ordinary as usual. Having nothing else to do anytime soon, he had accepted the offer given by Laran. It was meant to be a training spar between the two Sith knights. The time that he had given had long since past, and now he was pacing back and forth in the training room. Not one to be impatient, Dyne was still rather anxious for Laran to arrive. With nothing else to do, he decided to get into a meditative state and focus on the Dark Side until Laran arrived finally. Dyne would have to settle with this for now before sparring with the Sith Knight. His awareness would still be intact with the surroundings even during the meditation state.

"I suppose I should concentrate on the Dark Side before getting too impatient."

He sits down on the ground, closing his eyes as his body releaxes somewhat. Dyne was the only one in the whole training arena. After awhile, his whole body had tuned into the Dark Side, keeping his mind off everything else. Tapping into the powers of the Dark Side, he let the forces seep into his mind, body and soul. The adrenaline began to flow nonetheless, it wasnt noticeable, but it was there, slowly moving through his veins. Dyne's breathing slowed down as knowledge of the Sith was circulating in his mind. He continued to await for Laran, while concentrating. The odd fact was that Laran was hardly ever late like this in events such as these. He wasnt one to make others wait for him. Laran was one to be there ahead of others on occasion. It was a rather interesting yet confusing situation indeed.

[Laran Katern]

Sitting down on his bed, he let his head fall into his hands. He could not comprehend what was happening or what this recurring dream meant. All he knew was that it was slowly killing him. The serious lack of sleep was catching up to him quickly, and he didn't know how much longer he could last out. That was why he went to the drugs, he was desperate. And that was nothing something easy for a Sith to admit.

Rising slowly from the bed, he made his way over to the sink. He ran the water, and put his head right under the tap. The cold water ran through his hair and over his face, refreshing him and waking him up further. Sure the drugs put him out quickly, but waking up after a night of taking them was hell. Finally content that the water could do no more, he grabbed the nearby towel and dried himself off. And that's when it occurred to him.

"Damnit!! I was supposed to meet Dyne hours ago!! F*ck! "

Grabbing his lightsaber, he ran towards the door and stopped suddenly. Looking down at his arm, the track marks easily visible, he sighed heavily. He didn't want anyone to know about this. On the corner of his bed, was a sweater. Grabbing it, he hastily put it on and ran out the door, his weapon in hand.

His boots echoed loudly through the halls, as he ran through the halls of the TSE headquarters.

" Dyne is going to kill me. Why the hell am I taking those damn things?"

A few of the TSE soldiers were wandering the halls. Pushing his way past them causing them to fall to floor cursing. It was of no concern to the Sith Knight. It had been long since he had trained. And in his present state, this might do him some good. Give him something to focus on. Or so he hoped....

Finally, Laran arrived at the door to the training chamber. Stopping in his track, he leaned over and breathed heavily, trying to regain his breath, and not appear winded. Just then the doors opened as Dyne was leaving, his gear all packed. Apparently he was tired of waiting.

"I am sorry. There were some......unforeseen events"

He knew that Dyne could tell he was lying, and the dark rings around his eyes and semi sunken cheeks did nothing to aid his story.

[i]"Shall we? "</i

The two Sith warriors turned and reentered the chamber, ready to fight.

[Dyne Darkforce]

He was almost done with his meditation anyway as Laran had arrived. It was good timing on his part, even though he was a tad bit late overall. Dyne looked at Laran and noticed that he didnt look so well. Of course he knew that his friend was hiding something, but its best not to pry into things. As they walked to the sparring location, Dyne examined Laran closely. He looked ahead of him and to the ground before speaking.

"Are you sure you want to spar right now Laran. You dont look so well, we can always fight at a later date."

Dyne was expecting Laran to say no, he wasnt one to back off either. Though, it was good to ask him nonetheless, he was Dyne's friend after all. He was still wondering what in the world had happened to Laran. The fellow knight looked like he just came out of a hell hole. Still, he was sure that whatever it was, Laran would handle it well. He patiently awaited for Laran to answer while walking on.

[Laran Katern]

With everything that had happened as of late, Laran could not handle it anymore. His mood changed immediately and something snapped deep inside of this troubled soul.

Throwing off his cloak. Laran stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes narrowed to a small slit, filled with rage and fire. With a singular deft motion, Laran's hand went to his side and came up with his beloved and deadly blade. Coming up quickly, it sliced the diturbed figure's shirt open.

"No, we'll do this now. That is unless you are afraid of the unkown"

Words flowed from him that he would not have normally said to his comrade. Something was wrong, yet he could not quite pinpoint what it was.

The unarmed hand of the Sith came up quickly and tore off his ruined shirt, fully exposing his upper body. The well chiseled figure that once was the pride of the Knight, was nore more. Laran had lost much of his body mass and had become very lean over the past while. His arms bore the telltale signs of needles, the same needles that had become necessary for the Knight to rest at night without any dreams. The problem was that, their desired affect was wearing off and it was taking more and more of the powerful drug to keep him asleep

A sneer formed upon his lip, as Laran could see that his opponent and comrade was staring at him and at what he had become. His wrist quickly twirled the knife around before throwing it at the feet of Dyne.

"Well what is it going to be young one? Shall you step forward and face fear or shall you turn you tail and run like any Jedi scum woul do?"

[Dyne Darkforce]

Dyne looked at the knife petruding from the ground below. It was moving back and forth rapidly as half of the blade was sunk into the floor. The knife slowly came to a halt as Dyne stepped over it. He shifted his attention to Laran, slowly unclipping the lightsabre along his weapons belt. Dyne brought it up, igniting it with a snap-hiss. The silver sabre was pulsating slowly as he tightened the grip upon the hilt. He gave the sabre a spin before smirking slightly. Blood rushed to his knuckles from the grip while bringing the sabre to his side.

"Well, I am taking your answer to the question as a no."

He was silent for a moment, both of the men looking at each other square in the eye. Dyne started to speak again, to answer Laran's question this time.

"You know damn well that I am not going to flee."

As he was speaking, Dyne didnt ignore the fact that Laran had changed. It wasnt just physically that the knight changed, but mentally as well. What was wrong with his friend, he had no clue. Maybe after this spar, he would find the answers he wanted. Dyne had to be careful as Laran was even more volatile then usual, like an explosive bomb ready to go off. Mixing that with the fact that he was already a good combatant, made for a dangerous combo. He started to circle around Laran, their eyes never leaving the other. Some dirt was being lifting off the ground while Dyne moved along. Both knights were waiting for an opportune time to strike.

[Laran Katern]

The sound of Dyne's saber was the only sound that filled the room. And it stayed that way for a long moment or two until the faint sound of knuckles cracking could be heard. Laran wasn't even aware that he was doing it.

The depraved Sith Knight began speaking in a tone barely audible, but seething with hatred.

"You are all alike. Using people for what you want, then discarding them aside. "

Laran began to focus solely on Dyne's eyes, as if trying to pierce them with his gaze as he continued speaking.

"Useless am I ? We shall see how false that very statement is. Heed the warning of the discarded warrior before his saber is at your throat, or through it"

From the upper parts of the room, one of the shadows seemed to move, catching Laran's eye. His nerves were shot, but his reflexes were still deadly. A knife seemed to explode from Laran's hand towards the shadow. It hit the ceiling with a loud thud, and remained there, embedded in the wood.

"STOP FOLLOWING ME! GET AWAY!!'

His breathing began to pick up, as his head moved from one corner of the room to the next, looking for the shadow that troubled him so

"WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!"

He continued scanning the room until his eyes met the face of the warrior in front of him. Laran's eyes became daggers, as his battle hardened face transformed into an evil scowl, filled with hatred usually reserved for mortal enemies. Perhaps he had found his.

"It's you. It all makes sense now. You are the one. No longer shall you trouble my mind. For your time is up. Now is the time for you to give up that which you so dearly love........your life"

One of the twin sabers which hung at his side leaped off his belt and sprang to life before it reached the hand of the Sith Knight.
The dark and insane warrior jumped at Dyne, using the force to accelerate both his leap and the height of it. As he passed his comrade, he grabbed his head, throwing him hard to the ground. As Laran fell to the ground with his comrade slammed his elbow into the forehead of his enemy, creating a bloody abrasion. He then lifted his yellow blade of death, and prepared to bring it down in an arc that would easily lop of the head of the antagonist that lay beneath him.

[Dyne Darkforce]

Dyne widened his eyes as the pulsating sabre came down swiftly. He brought his arms up, gripping his own sabre. It clashed with Laran's, not knowing where his animal like instincts came from all of a sudden. The knight pushed upwards, trying to hold Laran's sabre back from slicing at him. He could see his teeth as they were grinding together. The knight had to quickly think of something before his head was seperated from his body. Dyne swung his leg around on the ground as his back was against it and contacted Laran on the knee cap. He went backwards enough for Dyne to flip to his feet. Laran groaned slightly, his breathing was heavier now. He stepped back, beginning to circle around his friend again.

"Damn....what the hell got into you?!"

He didnt think there would be a normal response. Dyne felt a sharp pain in his forehead as a trickle of blood dripped down to the ground. Shaking his head, he focused his eyes onto Laran again as some erie feeling was in the room. It was almost as if someone else or thing was in the room along with them. He quickly looked around with his eyes, not exactly seeing anything. Dyne bent at the knees slightly, getting into a defensive position with Laran still looking at him with intensity. Narrowing his eyes, he continued to circle around Laran while he just stood there looking at him. Dyne couldnt initiate combat right now with Laran in such a condition. He had to find out what was going on first before making a move.

"You going to answer Laran?!"

[Laran Katern]

The Sith Knight stood silent there staring deep into the eyes of his antagonist. His breaths were short, but they quickly returned to normal.

His face scrunched up, and his eyes seemed to burn with a fire so intensely fueled by hatred. Laran turned his head slightly, his eyes continuously making contact with Dyne's, and he spat on the ground in the direction of the Sith Knight.

"You are not worth my time maggot. Be thankful that i let you leave with your life and your limbs intact, for next time will not be a pleasant experience....for yourself"

With that, he turned to leave the room, his light saber still ignited; for turning your back to any Sith and not being prepared for the consequences would be a fatal mistake and not one that Laran was ready to commit today. He took a few brisk steps and that's when it happened to him. His vision began to go fuzzy, and a distinct tunnel began to form. His hands could no longer grasp his saber. It fell to the floor with a loud clank, as his hands went to his head as if trying to hold his thoughts in...or keep others out.

"NOOOOO! YOU CANNOT CONTROL ME! I WILL NOT BE YOUR PAWN!"

Laran fell to his knees, screaming out in agony.

"AHHHHHHHH! YOU BASTARD!"

A vision began to form in the mind of Laran Katern. He found himself on his knees as a figure began walking towards him, a cape billowing in the wind. The figure had a hood pulled over his head, casting shadows across his face, distorting it enough so that Laran could not see who it was. Laran tried to get up, but found that he couldn't move. Some unseen force was keeping him in place. He had never encountered something so powerful, save for a few of the council members. The figure advanced, taking another step, before stopping in front of the Knight. The figure's hands went to his head and removed the hood.

Back in the training chamber, Dyne watched on, as Laran kneeled on the floor. He was breathing quite heavily, and was obviously recoiling in horror, but to what he coudln't see. Dyne coudln't figure out what was going on, and as he tried, his thoughts were interrupted by one word coming from laran, which was no more then a whisper

"you......."

Back inside Laran's head, the figure pulled out a lightsaber and ignited it. A purple blade sprang to life. The figure held it, letting the blade sway back and forth dangerously in front of Laran. He then spoke but only one word.

"Ossus"

A small smile then formed across the figure, right be fore he plunged the lightsaber through Laran's chest. The figure then dissipated, as Laran's hands went to his chest, trying to cover his imaginary wounds. He screamed out loudly and shook his head.

"NOOOOOo!"

He picked up his saber and left the room, running out of the doors, screaming like a banshee.

[Dyne Darkforce]

Regaining his composure, Dyne wasnt sure as to what he just experienced with Laran. It was as if he was going crazy right then and there. He deactivated the lightsabre in his hand, and clipped it while running after Laran. The knight had to see what his friend was up to and didnt get into some grave danger in this situation he was in. It wasnt normal for Dyne to let a comrade just be in such a predicament and not to anything about it. Dyne simply followed Laran as he was out the training compound. The way Laran was going around, acting insane, he had no clue as to what the knight what do next. He was cautious as to not let him know that he was following close by...

[Laran Katern]

The same word kept repeating in his head like a broken record. It echoed through the depts of his mind, almost as if mocking him, driving him further to the brink of insanity.

Ossus....Ossus

He continued running through the halls of the TSE headquarters as fast as his feet could take him, screaming the whole time. He was sure that he had woken up other members but he didn't care. All he cared about was getting this voice out of his head.

The figure in the vision had finally been unmasked, and with that, it only made things worse for it did not make any sense at all.

Why me??!?!? I am nothing special. It does not make sense.....

His thoughts were cut off by the same word pounding stronger and stronger, like a heartbeat inside his head

ossus...OSSUS

Another loud scream pierced the halls of the TSE, scaring even Laran, until he realized that it was coming from himself. He woudln't be able to take much more of this.

This ends now....

The troubled Sith Knight found himself at one of the many computer terminals which littered the TSE. His fingers tapped the keys, although he did not know what he was doing. He was barely conscious of what he was doing.

The display screeen flashed, as the results of his queery came up........the coordinates of the planet Ossus. He stared at the screen long and hard, not really suprised at what he had just found. Laran now knew what he must do.

Slowly the Knight turned around, but something was now troubling him further. He had grown accustomed to the other presence which had been with him for weeks, but now another was close by. This one bore a sense of familiarity, but at the same time was a stranger to him. He didn't have time to worry about it however, his path was now clear to him. With a couple of quick strides, he was at full speed making his way to the shuttle bay which housed the Fallen Angel.

[Laran Katern]

The Fallen Angel's engine's roared to life, shaking the ship and propelling it out of the hangar bay. The officers in the hangar control towers must have been having fits with this unauthorized launch, but it was of no concern to Laran. WIth expert hands, he guided the ship higher and higher until it shot out of the atmosphere and into the cold blackness of space. His hands deftly ran over a few more of the controls, setting the ocoordinates he found at the computer, and then finally activating the lightspeed. His beloved ship shot forward in a bright burst of light into the depts of space.

At last for the first time in a while, the voices in his head seemed to subside. He leaned back into his chair and could finally relax. It seemed like weeks before he actually could sit back and do nothing, without some other presence invading his mind.. It didn't last long however, before he flet something with the force. This time a fmailiar presence. A loud sigh escaped him.

"Dyne, you can come out from back there"

[Laran Katern]

Laran turned the chair so that he could face his comrade. The look on Dyne's face said it all. The concern for his friend was easily visible, as was the surprise at having been caught stowing aboard.

Smiling in his chair, Laran wasn't fully aware of the recent events that he had put his friend through. Only partial memories remained. However the constant pounding in his head started again, and grew stronger and stronger as the ship neared it's destination.

Dyne looked like he was about to say something, but as if on cue with Laran's headaches, an alarm went off signaling that the Fallen Angel was coming out of hyperspace. The stars in the view screen became long bright lines as the ship slowed and immediately went into orbit around the large planet.

"You should probably take a seat there, you know, going through the atmosphere and all"

The pilot chair pivoted around back to face the view screen, as Laran set the ship back to manual, taking the controls and easing her through the atmosphere. He closed his eyes, the pounding in his head getting stronger and stronger. He could see a colony, and then a landing strip. Something or someone was pulling him along, seemingly herding him somewhere. The controls were maneuvered deftly, the ship eased further and further into the atmosphere, until finally it broke through the clouds.

The communication system came to life, a voice cackling loudly over the static. They must be using archaic equipment Laran thought. He opened his eyes to find himself above the landing strip that he had just seen in his vision.

"Unidentified craft, we have you on our scopes now. Please identify yourself."

"This is the Fallen Angel, requesting permission to land. I've got some trading I would like to do, if you're interested"

How was the traffic operator to know he was dealing with a deadly Sith. There should be no problem hiding behind this ruse. Better not to arouse suspicion and trouble anyway he thought.

"Roger that. We would definitely welcome your goods. Landing pad 98 Zulu is cleared for your arrival. We'll have a landing party meet you there."

"Control, that's not necessary. I'll be able to manage. I've a good guide awaiting me"

"Roger Fallen Angel. Welcome to Ossus. Control out."

[Dyne Darkforce]

"You know how I am...."

He had taken a seat as suggested by his friend Laran. Dyne was still trying to figure out what the hell had happened to Laran. The knight normally didnt say as many words as he said when Laran attacked him. He was trying to say something but obviously it seemed like Laran didnt even know what had transpired. Even when he did try to speak, something cut him off. It was probably a better idea just to wait and see to it later. The ship was given clearance to land at a specified location. It came down to a smooth halt upon the ground. He was rather quiet for now, just trying to figure the whole situation out.

Dyne's mind had a traffic jam of thoughts, making him even more confused. He did notice that Laran's breathing was rather abnormal. It was probably because of what had happened earlier between the two at the HQ. For now he decided just to push everything to the side and figure out where they were and what were they doing there. Even if he had heard where they were, Dyne wasnt paying attention because he had his attention fixed upon Laran's actions. It was like he became another person, one more darker and evil then him now. It was either that or the fact that someone or something was controling him. He looked at Laran then outside the cockpit as they had landed and the engines were cooling off.

"Care to tell me where we are exactly Laran and why?"

[Laran Katern]

Laran ignored his friend's question and went about shutting down the ship, and at the same time activating all the security programs and alarm systems for his beloved ship. There was no way that someone was going to be able to tamper with her.

The main control panel seemed to go dead for a second, then the upper right side lit up, confirming that everything was activated.

Towards the back of the ship, was a locker. It's contents were all of Laran's personal items and some other goodies that he liked to take with him from place to place. You never knew when you would need them. Laran made his way to the locker, and punched in his access code. The door swished open, revealing a few lightsabers hanging inside, along with various knives- throwing and others for concealing. Also in the locker was a blaster. it wasn't normal for Laran to carry such a weapon, but on this planet, he did not want anyone to suspect him of being a force user, let alone a Sith. The blaster would help conceal his true identity to the public.

He took both of his lightsabers and put them in a pouch on his belt, then quickly put on the web belt that had the blaster's holster on it, along with a few places for the blades. When finally satisfied that he was prepared, he took out a sweater, not unlike that of a merchant, and pulled it over his head.

Dyne had followed him to the back of the ship, and was now watching Laran intently. Laran paid him only the no mind, only smiling as he got ready.

"My friend, this is Ossus. Why we are here though, you'll have to trust me"

Laran turned and exited the ship, Dyne followed shortly thereafter. Laran typed a code into something that looked like a watch, and the door to the Falen Angel closed behind them, completely securing the ship. The becon call was a wise investment. Had saved him on a number of occasions. He hoped this woudln't be another one of those occasions.

The pair walked slowly, but extremely confidently through the streets of Ossus, not even slightly aware that their presence was secretly being monitored.

[Dyne Darkforce]

Dyne did find out the answer to his question....partially. He still didnt know why they were there, but trusted Laran with his life. They had been friends for a long time and the only choice he had was to follow his lead. He hadnt been to Ossus before, so wherever his friend went, the knight followed. Even though they were walking the streets rather confidently, something didnt feel right. Whenever he had these sort of feelings, something went wrong most of the time. Nonetheless, the two continued to proceed. Dyne was confident enough to believe that the two can handle any situation if the focus was there.

He quietly glanced around the streets from under his hood. There was an erie feeling in the air, something he was already used to anyway. It didnt phase Dyne, nor did it phase Laran. This didnt mean that he wasnt fully cautious of his surroundings. The knight concealed his body, not to give away himself. It was better to stay low-key when you didnt know exactly what can happen at any given period of time. Dyne just figured he would find out what was going on fairly soon and if it was needed, that he could help Laran out. The knight still had the previous events at the back of his mind. He stayed rather quiet, not saying anything at all.

"...."

[The hooded figure]

The street wasn't a particulalry a busy one, but the presence of the two Sith had certainly caught the attention of this one. Mind you he know they would be here, and more importantly, he knew where they were going. They were like cattle to him, and he was hearding them exactly where he wanted them to go.

The figure kept his distance, following behind the two warriors. It woudln't be long now, the trap would be sprung, and the beginning of the end woudl occur. everything was going according to plan.

[Laran Katern]

"Dyne, the reason why I'm being so vague is that I really don't know where we are going. I've never been here before. I'm only following my heart. The only thing that I do know, is this is important."

They continued walking through the streets, not entirely sure where their final destination was. Laran was starting to get a little worried. He didn't like the fact that he was following a vision, but it couldn't be helped. The vision was so powerful, and so controlling.

"If you have any concerns or anything at all to say Dyne, I need to know."

The street up ahead came to a frok. They started to go down the right side, until the pounding in Laran's head forced him to stop. His hand went to his head, as if trying to keep his brains from falling out.

Laran stumbled into the direction of the left path, and with each step he took towards it, the pounding seemed to subside.

"I guess we go this way."

The pounding didn't go away completely, but seemed to stay in the back of his head, as a reminder to continue onwards. The street they were on now, was completely empty of people except for the two Sith. They had no idea that that was about to change.

[Dyne Darkforce]

He thought for a few moments as to what to say in reply to his friend's question to him. Dyne walked for a brief period of time before actually saying something. He felt what he was going to say was the most appropriate thing for this situation, there wasnt much else to say or do. Patience is what Dyne needed right now at the most, which wouldnt be much of a problem for him to accomplish.

"I got your back if it calls for it."

Thats all Dyne had said in reply to his friend Laran. There wasnt much else he could say. Of couse he had questions on his mind, but obviously it wasnt the time to get those answers. From what Laran said, it seemed he was not so sure either. It was rather easy to notice that Laran was having some type of pain within himself. Dyne figured it was maybe something dealing with where they were going, probably a guide. For the time being, the two continued to walk on down the pathway.

[Laran Katern]

The two continued on down the street, the pounding in Laran's head serving as a guide. Laran hoped that their journey would end soon, for he was growing tired of both being manipulated and of this incessant pounding in his head. A good night's sleep was something that he looked forward too, and it was something that he had not experienced in a long long time. And then, all of the sudden, as if whoever was manipulating him heard his thoughts about the pounding, the throbbing in his head stopped. Laran stopped in his tracks, Dyne took a couple of more steps, before turning to face his friend.

"Something is wrong. Either that or this is the end of our trip. The pounding in my head......it stopped. Be ready."

Lightsabers were drawn, as the Sith looked all around, scanning for any movement or anything or anyone that might be stupid enough to try something. But that's when Laran in particular noticed that something else was amiss. He couldn't sense anything anymore, not even his comrade who stood beside him. Either he was all of the sudden blind to the force, or there was something blocking it to him. Either way, this was not shaping up to be good.

" Dyne....there's something else..I can't........"

The sentence never got a chance to be finished. A bright blue beam struck out, hitting Laran first then Dyne. The two warriors slumped to the floor, unconscious.

[The hooded figure]

The figure had moved across the street from the figures, hiding amist some garbage recepticals. He watched the two Sith slump to the floor through the crosshairs of his rifle.

Excellent. That was far too easy.

Jumping out from his hiding place, he made his way over to the figures. He leaned down to check to the pulses of the two men. Dead was not his intention. He still had use for them. Each of them would serve him in one way or another.

On his belt was a small hand held item. Unclipping it, he began to play with the controls, and immediately a speeder emerged from it's hiding place, it's engine whining, ready to go. The figure began to load the two bodies aboard it. He struggled slightly with their weight, he wasn't as strong as he once was. Soon that would change as well, and he would be powerful again. Finally the task at hand was completed, he leaned against the speeder and caught his breath.

Who would've thought, that I would be using ysalarmi. heh, ironic.

He then hopped in the speeder and sped off into the city, making his way back to his secret lair where he would complete his plan, and return to his former glory.

[Laran Katern]

Laran awoke and found himself propped up against a wall, his hands and feet both bound in chains. The pounding in his head was still there, but for a very different reason now. The stun blast had done it's job well, and now the after affects were still lingering.

Scanning all around the room, Laran tried to get his bearing, or at least try to determine where he was. He knew it was hopeless though. First off, he didn't know how long he had been out, and secondly with this being his first time to the planet, he would hardly know anything of it. The only thing that did come of his scanning the room was that he found Dyne. He was ninety degrees off to his right, and he was also bound against the wall. He was still unconscious, but his head was moving slightly, so the affects must be wearing off.

The only plus to this situation was that the force was now back to him. Slightly anyways. Hhe could feel presences, but he was not strong enough to do anything with it. Right now all he could do was sit and wait, and be at the mercy of whoever had brought him here.

Quite sometime seemed to pass, and finally a door opened, and a hooded figured entered the room. He had a couple of syringes in his hand, and an evil smirk on his face. That was all that Laran could see though, as the hood still concealed pretty much of his face. Laran's throat was dry and parched, but he tried speaking to the man anyways.

"Who are you? And what do you want with us?"

[Dyne Darkforce]

Dyne barely was able to open his eyes to see anything at all. It actually seemed to be worse then the darkness he was seeing. Now, everything was in a blur as he was hit by the stun. The knight shook his head slightly to get rid of the blur, but it didnt help much. Her saw what seemed to be a figure of a person in front of him. Dyne also heard his friends voice speaking to the person. He immediately knew that the person in front of him had something to do with the sudden arrival of the two at this location.

He quickly figured out the fact that his body was bound to the wall behind him. Dyne was rather limited in his movement and was slightly weak still from the stun. The knight was gaining his composure back slowly, but it was still a bit difficult. Dyne listened to Laran try to question the person as to where they were. He looked at Laran's blurry figure then back at the mysterious person. The knight tried to muster out something from his mouth to the person.

"Wh..ere...th..e...hel...l ..a..re ...we?"

[The hooded figure]

"Ah, sleeping beauty has come around. And just in time for the resurection of power and hope for Sith. The time is now."

Around the room, there were several large candles casting their glow around the room. With each flicker of the flames, the shadows seemed to dance against the wall. Light was normally a comforting thing to people, however this was not the case here. The figure had deliberately set things up, almost as if to emphasize his evil power through the atmosphere of the room. Clearly careful planning had been done.

The figure walked slowly over to where Dyne was restrained against the wall. He stood in front of the Sith warrior, running his hand down his cheek mockingly. His hand snaked out and grabbed a hold of Dyne by his hair, and pulled Dyne's face close to his.

"Be thankful I still have a need for you, young one. You'll be alive a while longer, to not only witness the rebirth, but also the repercussions of the rebirth. Count yourself to be lucky."

He slammed Dyne's head into the back of the wall, the sickening thud echoing through the room. Dyne's head slumped and rolled from side to side, as he tried to clear his head and gather his senses.

Out of the corner of his eyes, the figure could see Laran moving, struggling against the chains in a vain effort to help out his comrade. The figure made his way back over to the key to his plan.

"Ah, my little songbird has decided he would like to play? Not this time. I've other plans for you. Plans that may involve a shortened life span for yourself. But that's not my worry now is it?"

Turning his back, the figure made his way back to the middle of the room, the candles casting shadows on his cloak. The shadows seemed to have deformed faces, as they danced over him, before falling back to the wall. The flames suddenly jumped higher, flickering all over the place, as if being controlled somehow by someone. The shadows glared menacingly at the two captives, seemingly inching closer and closer to them.

"And to whom to you owe this honor, you ask?"

[Vengence]

From the middle of the room, the two captives could see him perfectly, the candles casting sufficient light to make out every detail of his cloak, every wrinkle, every fold.

"For a long time I've waited in silence and in hiding. Waited until this day and this opportunity would present itself. I knew it would come. Although I've grown weak with age, the dark side still speaks to me, and it foretold of this."

He turned on his heels to face the captives.

"You two are prisoners of war. My own personal war against the universe. Without a presence to cast fear into the hearts of men, the universe has grown overconfident and with that, the Sith weak. Now is the time for one such presence to step forward, and that presence will be myself."

The dark person in the middle of the room remained calm and cool as he spoke, although his hatred for the world and everyone in it could easily be heard in his voice.

"The power of evil will return as the dominant force throughout the universe. The tide is slowly turning as it is, and now my plan has come to an end with this rebirth. The rebirth of the universe, the rebirth of the Sith, and the rebirth of Kater Phyre, the rebirth of Vengence!"

Although his hands remained at his sides, the hood of his cloak began to lower slowly, and then all at once lowered all together, exposing his face and his identity to his prisoners for the first time.

His face was much harder then previous, having been hardened with years of hatred and rage. His hair bore the same telltale signs of aging, as grey streaked it. He looked nothing like the man of old, but yet was much more dangerous. His powers, although weaker were still great, although that wasn't his strength. His strength could be seen by the determination in his face, and by the fire that burned in his eyes. Time had given him the opportunity to think and to plan his revenge. Now it had also given him the keys to exact his revenge. And now the time was here.

[Laran Katern]

When the figure revealed himself to the two Sith, Laran tried hard to hide his facial expression, but to no avail. So this was the powerful force that had been inside his head controllong him. But he looked nothing like what Laran had envisioned. This person was much older, and he looked much like Emperor Palpatine did before he had passed on.

"So that explains who you are, but you've still yet to explain why we are here"

Laran wasn't so sure that he wanted to know the answer to that question though, for right after posing it, Vengence began to make his way over towards him, and the smile on his face was not one to instill a lot of confidence in Laran that he would be leaving alive.

[Vengence]

The sneer on his face was a very distinct one. His plan would finally be complete, and to think he it would be complete with the aid of these two fools. No matter though, the important thing was that it would be complete.

"Why Laran, you wish to know why you are here? That is simple. You be the key part of my rebirth."

Another couple of steps and he was right in front of the Sith Knight now. Vengence raised his hand, and it began to glow. The light surrounding his hand wasn't very bright at first, but slowly but steadily grew brighter and brighter.

"I may be old, but my powers are still with me. With your help, I shall be as I once was."

The light around Vengence's had was so bright now that it was no longer possible to see his hand, or his forearm.

"Your time is now."

From the ball of light, a beam shot out and into the chest of Laran. The SIth Knight cried out in pain, his back arching as much as it could against the restraints. The scream echoed loudly through the chamber, but it was not alone. There was another sound with it. This was one much different, in fact on the other end of the spectrum. This was the unmistakable sound of laughter. Maniacal at that.

Vengence turned his head to look at Dyne, but already it wasn't the same face that had been revealed only a few short minutes ago. This one was already much younger, the wrinkles almost gone, but his eyes...his eyes hadn't changed. They still were hard and possesed the same look of evil in them. Vengence smiled at Dyne, before tossing his head back, laughing loudly again. With each passing second he gained his youth back, and with it, he became more powerful.

The ball of light grew larger and larger so that it became large enough to swell over the two figures. Nothing could be seen anymore, but the sounds of the laughter and the painful cries of terror were still heard. Sparks seemed to be shooting out of the light now, as the end neared.

Then in one split second the light exploded and a shock wave shook the room, and then it was all dark. The torches that had once lit the room eerily, were now out, and there was no sound at all anymore. It was pitch black, and so quiet that the sound of a needle dropping could be heard.

[Dyne Darkforce]

Dyne slowly lifted his head up, not seeing a single thing. He was still rather dizzy from the move Vengence had pulled on him. Shaking his head slightly, he still noticed being bound to the wall. All he heard was some conversing then a rather bright light. It was all pretty blurry but now he was coming into focus, which didnt help much since it was pitch black. The Sith Knight could only pick up pieces of the conversation Vengence and Laran had. It didnt make much sense to him because he hadnt listened to the whole conversation. Now he was wondering what the hell had happened to the two of them. Some force was holding him back from using his Force abilities to break free. Dyne decided to call out for Laran to see if he was around anywhere.

"Laran..?"

[Vengence]

The sound of Dyne's voice echoed throughout the room, bouncing off the walls until dissipating into nothingness. Then out of no where, the torches in the room all lit up, the flames shooting a few feet into the air, before returning to their normal height. The room was again illuminated, shadows being cast everywhere. However Vengence was no where to be seen. The limp body of Laran Katern was still there, the restraints the only thing keeping him standing.

Laughter then filled the room. Dyne looked all around but could not discover it's source. It was that of Vengece, but where was he?

"SUCCESS!! It worked! I am REBORN!!!"

A hand shot out of the shadows, reaching out to Dyne's facing, squeezing it and lifting it so he would be forced to look into the eyes of it's owner.

Standing before Dyne was not the old man from before. That person had been transformed somehow. His youth had been regained, and more importantly his force powers had been revitalized. He was the Vengence of old again.

"Look into my face, look into the face of the future. I have returned, and now it's time to make my full return. "

Vengence squeezed Dyne's face a little more, their eyes locked in what seemed like mortal combat.

"Now my little tourist guide. You'll notice that there is a needle mark on your arm. You must be wondering what it is. Well you'll also notice that you cannot sense me, or the force for that matter. Where has it gone? Alone in the universe you are again. Nothing more then a peasant in royalty's presence."

He let go of his head, letting the Sith Knight hold it up on his own.

"You will take me to the new TSE headquarters peasant. Attempt to betray me, and you will be lost to the force forever."

[Dyne Darkforce]

Dyne looked at Vengence, and arched his eyebrow slightly. The light was a bit sudden and took him a moment to get adjusted to. Through the teachings of the Dark Side, he still maintained his composure. At least he knew what was the reason for him not being able to use his Force abilities at all. He had heard a lot of this Sith Master and read up on him in the database as well. It was rather odd to meet him in a place like this. The Sith knight wasnt given much choice so he had to comply with the rujuvenated Sith Master. He looked over at the limped over Laran and then back at Vengence."

"What did you do to Laran?"