A Comedy of Encounters: The Watcher in the Deep

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

Balmorra

The Balmorran Sea

She watched. And waited.

For years; centuries; eons she'd watched. Down in the depths of the water, she'd waited. She was once known as an old fishermans tale, scaring Balmorra's fishermen from the deepest part of its sea, and later, turned into myth and legend. She was the one devastating storms were blamed on; and the one praised when crops were abundant.

Birthed when the Book of Records first appeared, she was what could only be called an Ancient. An Elemental to some. She was the Watcher.

She observed Balmorra grow; from warring tribes to the Empire it now was... from simple farmers and warriors to elite businessmen and military officers. In some ways it was fascinating, to watch a world grow and develop over hundreds of thousands of years, and sometimes even she would resurface from the deep to spend time with those living on her world. The body she'd assumed the first time was the body she used indefinately, surfacing to pay the inhabitants a visit every now and then..

But mostly she stayed to herself, watching from a distance, guarding that which was meant for only one man; a weapon that she guarded with her very being; a weapon that could act as a conductor for the one man able to wield it.

Others had come, demanding the weapon, and each one had died. There was even a starship buried in the sea, its owner coming to claim the weapon for his own, and like all the others, he failed.

Tai Maki Ori, the Watcher, waited.

[Wargrave]

From the Balmorran Book of Records-

And one of 'The Nine' will be a hammer bearer, a man who uses his weapon to destroy Balmorra's enemies. And he will defeat the water bringer to gain entry into Faramouth and find Brenwyyd, the hammer of Haldir.

He will take it as his own, and the Watcher...the one who defeated Yanos will come forth to test him and find him worthy.

And she will find her own mission, her own destiny, only beginning with the arrival of the Hammerbearer...

It had been bothering him every since he'd left Rivendel (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29860).

The hammer was on a remote planet. But where?

Wherever the hammer was...he had to find it.

He'd seen the map in his mind and strangely...it was of Balmorra. But why Balmorra? The place was of bastion of technology and the center of an Empire. It'd never been on the outskirts of anything...

And then he remembered...the hammer was probably ancient...and artifact of some sort.

Balmorra had been on the edge of a Republic, a galaxy before. Back when ancestors fought for domination of the planet and the land around Bin Prime. When men like Zadok Hans-Millard and Gham Kiterix fought, then united to fight more dangerous foes. When the Kiett Order visitted and made Balmorra a hideaway...and when Ulic Razkal-Millard attempted to form an empire with just a few planets.

Balmorra had been remote then and it was even more remote now (even if the Balmorran Empire made it home). The only contact with the New Republic was the Ambassador Fel Tarkenton- a man trusted by the leaders of Balmorra, but not the New Republic.

It had achieved Ulic Razkal-Millard's dream of becoming an empire. And at the same time alienated itself from others.

And now the Dark Jedi stood at the edge of the Balmorran Sea, staring out on the waves as they crashed against his boat. He'd only spent a few times out, mainly splashing with his brother in the water or learning to surf on waves close enough to the shore so his mother never got worried.

But he'd never been out this far. He was a bit nervous, but he knew his goal...his mission. The hammer he sought was here. And it called to him.

Without questioning any further...as to why the hammer wanted him and not someone else...Wargrave dove into the water heading down towards the wreck near the ocean's floor.

The wreck...some fisherman said held a ghost...a siren....a goddess...something inside.

Wargrave would meet her, whatever form she took...and he'd get what he was told to.

The hammer...the hammer Brenwyyd...called to him.

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

Through eyes of cerulean blue, she watched from a depth; a depth that not even light could penetrate. She waited in the dark waters for the next challenger; for the next fool. It'd become somewhat tiresome however... to have a man come only to kill. Each time they came, she'd hoped that he be the one, and yet each time it had not come to pass.

Tai Maki Ori, the Ancient, still waited.

Blue orbs of light watched the man as he dove, watched his descent into the ocean towards the ship. She knew it was considered haunted now... and rightly so. It was her ship now. Her domain, and those that trespassed were killed without thought or mercy. The ship itself was mangled by years spent beneath the ocean's surface; rusted and encrusted in carbunkles. Bathed in the pitch black of the deep, it held a menacing air about it, and it was within this air that the Ancient dwelled. It fed the local horror stories.



She sat like a statue atop the corroded aft gunport, her normal blue energies dimmed to nothingness; only the blue of her eyes were visible.

As he neared the sunken craft, he looked in her direction - brilliant blue eyes met his, then disappeared as she herself vanished into the water; her essence seeming to ebb away with the underwater tides.

She waited for him inside.

[Wargrave]

Wargrave wasn't always one for thought about impressive sights or sounds. He was taught to accept beings who glowed or had extraordinary powers were normal (considering his own abilities) and should be treated as such.

But he'd never seen anyone disappear before his eyes in water. That was new.

There was something familiar about the figure's presence though. He recognized it from somewhere. As if it called to him like Brenwyyd, the Hammer, did. A beacon of power facing him for some sort of goal.

He hovered in the water still staring at where the image had been, then dove deeper towards the ship. He had to find air soon or else his quest would be for not.

It was here he found the place where Millard said it'd be...an unlocked compartment door big enough for a man to get in. The Dark Jedi pressed the lit button, and it slowly opened into the interior.

Lungs almost bursting, Wargrave dove into and out of the water onto the cold damp of the floor of the ship.

He was in and Brenwyyd called to him.

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

The interior of the ship was dark. Dank. Musty. It reeked of death and dying. It pulsed with unseen life. It was the home of Tai Maki Ori. And she watched the stranger with boredom. Too many times men like him had come to her world, only to join the bone garden. She had no pity for him. For anyone.

In the pitch black of the corridor Wargrave knelt in, her essence stirred. Her body was on the bridge, in the pilot's chair resting, but her spirit moved with a restless nature; prowling the halls and corridors of the ship. She would test this stranger. And find him unworthy. He would die like the rest.

A sound. No... nothing. Silence. A soft echo travelled the length of the ship... a vitality, albeit archaic in its very feeling as it washed over the Dark Jedi, and was all that could be felt within the ship. He knelt on hands and knees, taking in lungfuls of the dank air; the ancient air. She moved around him still unseen, and with smooth, swift motions, let ethereal hands caress the sides of his face while her voice whispered in the silence of the dark... weaving in and out of the blackness...

"Who... are you... "

[Wargrave]

The bowels of the ship echoed with the question.

"Who...are you..."

As Wargrave's eyes circled around the interior hull of the dead Dark Jedi Yanos' craft, he took pause to consider the question.

He'd had more than a few names...a few lives...his real name he couldn't use lest those he protected lose their protection. So who was he?

A seeker. He wanted knowledge...power...honor...and the extinction of his enemies.

The Dark Jedi's hand brushed his eyes and forehead, wiping away dripping water from his blond hair.

Who was he?

"I am Wargrave. I seek Brenwyyd."

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

"A mask..."

... came the gentle answer, floating in the darkness. It was one voice, yet many voices entwined together; weaving among the one another. A hint of indignity laced the words as well, and the Watcher circled the man who'd trespassed in her domain. She studied him; scrutinized him to the last detail. He radiated confidence; drive. But so had many others, and each one had faltered.

"You are a mask; many masks. Tell me who you are - "

- a ghost of a hand shot out then, pinning Wargrave to the rusted bulkhead with a firm yet unseen grip around his neck, and two glowing eyes materialized from the dark, pulling in close to his face... looking over his features with cautious curiosity; malicious curiosity. He could feel a faint breath of air wash over his exposed skin as she let her intense gaze move back up to his eyes...

"... and do not lie to me."

[Wargrave]

His face was impassive as he was slammed up against the wall. Wargrave faced many dangers before, but knowing the myths about this place were true made him want even more about this creature.

"My name..." would he be allowed to let his name be used? Could he give it and trust this creature wouldn't let it go?

"My name is of no consequence. I am here because I received a vision of the hammer Brenwyyd. I have come take it into the known world so it can destroy Balmorra's enemies."

He didn't lie...he wanted the hammer to destroy the enemies of Balmorra. It gave him the opportunity to serve an Empire which he believed was righteous and honorable. Now it was time for the Watcher to decide what she thought.

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

The being threw him like a rag doll across the corridor, rage building in those glowing orbs of blue. No consequence?! Her essence swelled with anger as the entire ship seemed to pulse with her temper. Lights flickered weakly in response to her power; a power that rippled through the ship, altering the very material make-up of the craft, causing the age old metal to roll in waves towards and around Wargrave.

"You insult me!

Malevolence seemed to drip from the very pores of the ship as the lights blinked on, their dull blue light bathing everything in the hall with a dull illumination. And it was in that illumination that Tai Maki Ori took shape. At first there was nothing, then her body seemed to coalesce into being; gradually with each passing second.

Only...

... instead of her ethereal body standing over him, it was that of Wargrave's own wife... naked and inviting to the eye... vulnerable. She was beautiful; as beautiful as the day he met her; and yet, when he looked up to meet her eyes, he found himself staring into only empty sockets. Empty sockets with small rivlets of blood seeping down her porcelein cheeks like tears, dark red in stark contrast to alabaster white.

"Do not take me for a fool, Trespasser. The Hammer has called many men.

"And each one has died by my hands.

[Wargrave]

He rose to his feet, staggared to the ground by the blow from the myth and legend. He almost reached for his sword...then the image appeared before him.

His wife.

Wargrave's eyes stared at the empty sockets of his wife. His face straightened and his eyes then glared.

"You wish to confuse me with tricks and images? The truth is my name is Wargrave. It is not my birth name, but I choose not to use my birth name. That name is of no consequence to me.

"My true name is Wargrave and if you continue to use the image I see now, I will defeat you. Even if it means my own death as well."

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

The illusion rocked him back against the hull with a simple upraised hand, holding him immobile as she strode forward, hair flowing behind her in an unseen wind. She sneered at him, her face close to his; those empty eye sockets staring into his own eyes. She sniffed him. He smelled of sweat, of the ocean.

"I strive not to confuse you, Trespasser. I strive to consume you...?

She blew on him ever so lightly, watching his reaction. A slender finger reached up then, wiping a bit of the blood from her cheek, and with smooth, controlled motions, ran her bloodied finger over his lips.

The Ancient stepped away then, releasing her invisible hold on him as the lights flickered breifly once. When they came back on, she was gone.

And then once more the ship was drowned in blackness, only a voice remaining, and even that faded into nothingness.

"You are mine..."

[Wargrave]

Wargrave wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes flaring.

"You wish to know who I am?" he said to the darkness.

My name...

Wargrave looked around the corridor for whoever it was who'd met him.

"My name...

"...is Millard."

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

The lights flickered back on, once more coating everything around Wargrave; including himself, in a sheen of muted blue light. It wasn't often that anyone could startle the Watcher with words. Never in fact had it ever happened. But this man, Millard, had.

Her voice reached his ears from what seemed a great distance; that voice of one and a thousand, each one vying for control of the other, crying to be heard over the rest.

"Millard... an old name... an ancient name... I watched your ancestors grow from squabbling tribes to assert their power over this planet. I only hope you are as mighty as they once were... "

A breeze wafted from behind him, leaving him alone once more with parting words.

"...an ancient name forged in blood... "

[Wargrave]

Wargrave gave a small nod. The name was forged in blood...the family had fought each other for control of Balmorra and now it had it. But at a price of many enemies. It was his job to defeat those enemies. And that was why he wanted Brenwyyd.

"I protect my family by defending it. I protect my Empire by defending it. That is why I have come for the hammer. I have seen the visions...I am here for the weapon."

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

"Your visions are nothing but your imagination playing with you. Illusions to to cloud your mind... "

In the dim light, a figure could barely be made made out in the distance; a monolith robed in black. It was like a wraith; cloak cascading down to pool on the deck at its feet. For a few seconds the figure stood still, unmoving except for the soft rustle of fabric.

And then it moved. Swiftly, strides long and heavy as it closed the distance between itself and Wargrave, and reaching a hand up, closed black gloved fingers around the Dark Jedi's throat, pushing him back to thud against the bulkhead. With its free hand, it pulled back the hood.

Glaring at Wargrave with fierce blue eyes was Taylor Millard, his face a contorted mix of rage and excitement. He sneered at his younger brother, and his voice lashed out angrily.

"I, however, am not... Brother."

[Wargrave]

Wargrave's face didn't change, even at the sight of Millard.

"If you are...why are you not wet?"

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

"I've been waiting for you," was the simple reply.

The hand constricted for a moment, then abruptly released its hold, letting Wargrave drop to the deck.

"Tell me, what makes you think you're worthy enough to be the Hammerbearer."

[Wargrave]

Wargrave hit the metal deck with a *thump* then rose from his position.

"I fight for Balmorra and my family. I honor them in my life."

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

"You fight for Balmorra and your family? Tell me, o brother mine, where have you been all your life? For it certainly was not here, on the planet and with the family you say you honor with your life."

'Millard' cast a disdained look at Wargrave, the crows feet at the corners of his eyes crinkling in disgust.

"You don't deserve anything - "

'Millard was interrupted by a child's laugh, and turned to stare behind him. Peeking around the corner of the corridor was the face of a child; a young boy - at least 4 years of age. Alexander Millard. The boy gave an innocent smile at the two men, the disappeared back around the corner, and the sound of pattering feet could be heard slowly diminishing.

'Millard' turned back to his brother, his gaze cruel and unforgiving. " - not even your own child."

[Wargrave]

"That's where you prove you're not Millard," Wargrave replied.

"He knew why I left and why Alexander and Ophelia were left alone. Because I died for him, not for my own gain."

Wargrave's gaze remained stone-like as he gazed at his 'brother'.

"I left him to you because I trusted Millard."

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

The image of Millard ebbed away then, to reveal the Watcher once more; though this time as a manifestation of how her host body appeared. A young woman - no more than 20 - with locks of white hair that draped over her shoulders and down her back; in stark contrast to her bronzed skin. Her clothing was scant at best, yet had the look of regality none the less, and her eyes shone in the near dark as she glared up at Wargrave. Her features were exotic, hailing back to a day when the tribes of Balmorra were less civilized, and their women much more fierce.

"Take heed, Millard; your honor and selflessness will kill you again if youa re not cautious."

And then the lights went out, shrouding all in a blanket of black, the only light remaining coming from the glowing orbs that were the Watcher's eyes, and soon, even those faded.

[Wargrave]

"That might be so..." Wargrave replied, pulling out his lightsaber and igniting it so he could see.

"But atleast I would have died serving a cause I believe in. What is it you do? Outside of torment those who come in here?

"I am here for Brenwyyd and I will take it upon my task to bear the hammer as a testament of my beliefs and abilities."

[Tai Maki O.R.I.]

His answer came like the wind, soft, subtle, and haunting in the depth of the abandoned ship which Wargrave had entered.

"I am the Watcher - one of the first of the Ancients. I've watched your world grow, and I've seen your people build up massive civilizations. I've even seen your family, Millard. Seen them through generations upon generations. I watch this planet - and wait for the One to come to me... the One who is worthy enough. Beliefs and abilities are not enough to base anything on - one must also have strength of both body and mind, and a faith that is unwavering even in the face of certain death.

"Many have come for the hammer, Millard - none have returned to the world above."

[Wargrave]

"But I am here to use it to serve Balmorra," Wargrave's reply was stalwart and firm.

"I do not plan to use it for my own power...I will use it to make Balmorran even more powerful and more of a force in the galaxy.

"I will take Brenwyyd as my penance for not being for Balmorra, when Millard was fighting for it. I will take Brenwyyd to serve my planet as well as I can.

"If, though, Brenwyyd will allow me."