Learning the Art (part3) : The Cold and the Wolf

[Lord DarkStar]

The beeping of the comm caused DarkStar to start, he had no idea how long he had been in the state of unknowing. Groggily he looked up and opened the door. A officer, DarkStar's sight was still too blurred to determine the rank, entered and saluted.

"We are in orbit around Terran, as per your instructions sir,"

DarkStar tried to digest the information, Terran was almost three days travel from their last possition and he didn't remember those last three days, that was disturbing, Force Vampyres were incable of shutting down the concious part of their brain. The couldn't fall unconcious and they couldn't sleep. So too loose three days was inconcivable to DarkStar.

"Very well,"

He said at last, to show weakness infront of the troops was bad for moral and loyalty.

"Prepare my shuttle for decent to the planet,"

He began to stand, having dismissed the officer from his thoughts but when he failed to hear the door hiss he looked up irritated, the officer was still there, looking somewhat nervous.

"What!"

Hissed DarkStar through clenched teeth,

"Err you ordered to have your shuttle preped for landing on Terra..."

The officer stammered off and DarkStar just stared at him, what was going on he thought to himself, he had lost three days and it seemed he had issued orders in that time, though for the life of him he couldn't figure out why.

While DarkStar was deep in thought the officer quickly slipped out, unnoticed, sweat dripping from him as he ran as fast as he could away from the quarters of the Sith Lord, what he had seen in the Force Vampyre's eyes would haunt him till his dying day. There had been a darkness behind his eyes like the pits of the void its self.

[Lord DarkStar]

DarKStar sat in the passenger seat of his shuttle a space suit, his arms were folded and his face was set in a grim expression. Why was he going back to his dead world, there was nothing here for him but memories and most of them weren't good.

Patience, trust us/me

DarkStar's expression darkened, luckily his face was hidden from the view of the shuttle's captain by his viser, had the captain seen his face, the man would most likely have had a heart attack and the shuttle would have crashed.

At last the shuttle touched down and DarkStar activated his air suply before stepping outside.

So, where do I go now?

He silently spoke to the Cold within him. All he got was one word in reply.

Home

DarkStar snarled something unplesant in his native tongue and began the long trudge to his old home, a small "cottage" on the outskirts of the capital, under the shadow the Death Guard Imperial Palace. It was all ruins now, thanks to Thrawn, he was the reason DarkStar was wearing a space suit and not walking through green fields. He pushed his rage aside, this was not the time for it.

Finally he reached the burn out shell that had been his home nearly five centuries ago. He kicked some sinders and the wind carried them in a small cyclone away from him.

Now what?

He asked silently again.

Be patient

Was the only reply he recieved.

[Lord DarkStar]

As the minutes ticked by DarkStar's patience drained away with his air but he knew it was no use rushing the Cold, it would reveal its plans in its own time.

After a long time the Sith Lord felt the Cold stiring within him, trying to break free of the bonds he had forged around it, inner termoil raged within the Force Vampyre. The Cold was now his mentor but was also his enemy, sould he release it or keep it captive.

Long moments passed before the ancient Sith finally decided, with a sigh he broke the chains that bound the Cold. He looked down and saw the ground around him begin to frost over.

The correct choice Dark One

Came the voice of the Cold inside him and DarkStar knew he had choosen correctly. He felt the Cold reaching out from within him as a cold wind rushed past him. This was when DarkStar got the first glimpse of the true, awsome power of the Cold. The blasted waste of the world he had once called home began to heal, plant began to grow again.

DarkStar's mouth dropped open wide as he watched the world be reborn around him. The power of the Cold was staggering, even to the seasoned Sith Lord.

You will live here for the time being, it is more...pleasant than the desert you call a home now

DarkStar couldn't speak, his suprise was so great, slowly he reached up and removed his helmet. He took a deep breath, it tasted and smelt just how he remembered it. A single tear appeared in the corner of each eye as he murmured.

"Home"

[Lord DarkStar]

Several days passed and DarkStar had resourses shipped from Terran though he alowed no one to asist him or even stay on the planet while he fixed up the old cottage he had once and now again called home.

Lovingly DarkStar restored the walls and rethatched the roof. He repainted the insides and refurnished it, carving everything by hand with total care.

To anyone looking on he would not have seemed a Sith Lord but rather a young man who had just moved into his first house. At last the cottage was restored to a cozy setting and for the first time in nearly four hundred years DarkStar sat in a chair.

He looked round the cottage then closed his eyes with a smile, home at last.

Well done Sith Lord, home truely is where the heart is and yours has always been here,

DarkStar was growing used to the voice of the Cold, almost fond of it, his smile broadened.

I wondered when I was going to hear from you again, thought you had abbandoned me

The still unplesant but now tolerable cacaphony of laugher echoed through his thoughts.

We/I have been here, watching, we/I are/am always here

DarkStar laughed out loud for some reason he found he had missed the Cold, the reasurance of such power so close was imence and he felt wrong without it.

Good, I was starting to miss you,

The Cold's cacophony laughter echoed again, this time though, DarkStar found himself welcoming the sound. The Cold was there for him, it would help him till he could free it, the thought gave DarkStar a confidence and inner strength. He would be powerful again, the Cold would see to that.

[Lord DarkStar]

As morning came it found the Sith Lord going through a series of sabre moves, both crimson blades cut complex arcs in the air as The Cold guided DarkStar through some of the most difficult and devisating moves he had ever performed. Slowly the Force Vampyre began to sit more comfortably in the unfamiliar rhythms.

Good

Thankyou,

We/I feel you growing stronger all the time Sith but we/I sense we/I am not alone inside you...there is another

Another? I am not sure I understand,

There is another presence inside you, powerful, but feral,

The Cold's words disturbed DarkStar, to have one other pressence inside you was bad enough but to have two? It was almost unbarable. If this other pressence existed why hadn't he felt it, then it hit him. The howling wolf, Vega's medichlorines, suddenly it all became clear and the ancient Sith Lord wondered how he could have been so stupid as to miss it for this long.

[Lord DarkStar]

"The wolf,"

DarkStar breathed the words almost in awe, Vega's medichlorines had done more than the ancient Sith Lord had first realised. At first the thought of this second pressence worried him, then slowly a grin spread across his face.

I think I may have found a solution to our body sharing problems

We/I am listening

What if I were to use this Garou spirit to create a new body and put you in it,

We/I could easily over power this feral spirit, that is acceptable,

DarkStar nodded slowly to himself, this would not be easy. Turning his powers inwards the Force Vampyre sought out the spirit of the wolf. The feral beast paced endlessly in the confines of the prison DarStar had built for the Cold, that was why he had not felt it, it was trapped inside the prison.

Moving down to it DarkStar faced the wolf, it howled and prepared to attack. Silently DarkStar called on the Cold and it came, the freezing wind left the wolf stunned, it had never felt this in its native home. With a single bound DarkStar lept behind the creature and grabbed it, pinning it where it couldn't attack him.

Drawing power from the Cold DarkStar pushed on the spirit of the wolf, pushing it out of his body. He felt its resistance crumble under the incredible power of the Cold, with a final heave DarkStar pushed it from him.

Outside his body a mist began to form, slowly coelessing into the form of a wolf, it bared its teeth and prepared to attack the still figire of the Sith.

Inside DarkStar turned to the Cold,

Your turn

The Cold did not reply but DarkStar felt a general sense of agreement. Drawing on its own power and his own DarkStar pushedwith everything he had, forcing the imence power from his body.

The wolf lept but even as it did it was hit by a stunning force in mid air that sent it tumbling back to the ground. It howled and prepared to leap again, but it was too late, the Cold was already inside it, with a single swipe the Cold crushed its will and bend it to its own. The wolf sat perfectly still, it was no longer the feral beast but the Cold in a body of its own.