Silverlight Rising Part I: ForceFall

Chapter Three: Seeker of The Sentience

Master Dan’Dak Urv and the Jedi Council were silent, while Xyon-Kray stood with his arms out. I could hear my blood rushing through my veins and I could feel my pulse throbbing in my throat.

Xyon clears his throat causing a noticeable flinch from the masters. “Please.” He starts “I can sense your apprehension, my presences in this cycle has been rather…energetic thus far. But I assure you I come with out malice in my soul.” He continues “I can read each of you…we all want the same thing. The only thing that matters is the VulDuun.”

Xyon places his hands behind his back and waits patiently. Bim Seto hesitantly rises from his stool “Excuse me?” He says slowly. “But where are you from exactly?”

Xyon gazes at Master Seto. “From? Look all around you, Je’daii” he says mockingly “All that there is, all that there was, all that there will be, and will soon be again exists because of the VulDuun. I exist because the VulDuun and as such I am from everywhere and everything. In truth your question shouldn’t be from where but rather…from when.”

“When then?” Master Jarabus almost shouts with curiosity.

“The words necessary do not exist…but I can show you.” He holds his arms out, summoning the all too familiar silver mist out of thin air filling the room. Darkness descends on the chamber and in an instance I feel as though I’m floating in a black space. “Eons before the galaxy you now know was formed there existed only darkness and oblivion.” Xyon’s voice echoes through the vacuum. “Then within the void something was born. It was pure unadulterated sentience and in that moment, the very second this sentience realized its own existence, light was made a reality.” A blinding light emits from the center of the void illuminating the furthest reaches of space forming the beginnings of the galaxy we call home. “As time passed this sentience took a name…the VulDuun and in its infinite grace my people were born the Alu’VulDuun.” I zoom in on a planet within the unmapped recesses of the galaxy, where an entire civilization of creatures similar to Xyon built massive gorgeous cities all over the planet. “This was more than three and a half billion years ago. Since then my people have become one with the VulDuun.” The room returns to normal with Xyon still holding his arms out.

“This VulDuun you speak of…it’s what we call the Force is it not?” Master Jarabus asks.

“I am familiar with this…correlation, however in my presence you will only refer to it as the VulDuun.” Xyon says coldly. “I have satisfied your request, you now know who and what I am. But my purpose here is far more important.”

Halish clears his throat, gaining Xyon’s attention. “You said that you’re here to reclaim the gift we squandered, while also saying that we want the same thing. Forgive me for being blunt but, could you get to the point…you’ve dealt with the greatest threat already. The Sith Inquisitors have been defeated the remaining members of the dark side have been scattered. Peace and light will finally reign without threats. What is left for you to do?”

Xyon grimaces. “Light and Dark…feeble notions of a lesser minded civilization. On one hand you have diplomacy, peace and discipline. But it’s as hard to maintain as it is to attain, a fragile ideal that only leads to failure. While on the other hand is passion, strength and freedom. What everyone wants but is easily corrupted and abused, a principle destined to consume itself.” He stares at Halish Qin. “The truth of the VulDuun is neither light nor dark but a balance between the two. You cannot have peace without passion, no strength without knowledge, no power without serenity, and no victory without harmony. In the end there is only the VulDuun…nothing else matters.”

Halish launches from his chair. “This is heresy! You come here and spout your teachings as if they’re law. The Jedi order has stood guard over peace for thousands of years! What authority gives you the right to dictate to us!?”

Xyon-Kray tilts his head lifting his hand causing Halish’s body to become rigid. “Authority?” Xyon utters with a growl, lifting Halish off the ground and pulling him toward the center of the room. “My authority comes from a place you could never understand. I have witness things entirely unconceivable to your underdeveloped conciseness and you have the audacity to question me. You claim your authority comes from thousands of years of poor practice and bad habits, while I stand here…Seeker of the VulDuun…Harbinger of reform; my authority trumps your measly thousands of year by billions more.”

Halish squirms in the grasp of Xyon’s anger. “Let me go!” he demands between gasps. “I am a master of the Jedi order!”

Xyon begins closing his fist causing Halish a great deal of pain. A sight I take great pleasure in witnessing. The other masters quickly stand and prepare to defend their brother when Master Urv holds up his hand. “Enough!” Dan’Dak shouts drawing his emerald saber from beneath his robe and pointing it at Xyon.

Xyon-Kray smiles, releasing Halish and faces Master Urv, “You’re different from the rest.” He says pulling the stone and metal hilt from his waistband and activating the silver blade with a flick.

Dan’dak Urv takes several steps toward Xyon, raising his arms above his head as if to strike but instead he falls to his knees. “I am your humble servant.” Master Urv says. “The VulDuun has granted me a vision of your arrival; I will follow your teachings.”

I feel my jaw fall open as an audible gasp escapes my mouth. The rest of the council remains silent at the unexpected surrender of their long time mentor.

Xyon takes Master Urv’s saber and places it on the ground in front of him and looks at the rest of the council. “You are about to witness the truth of the VulDuun.” He slams his hand onto Dan’Dak Urv’s elongated head. A moment later the room fills with mist and lightening, circling and encompassing both Xyon and Dan’Dak.

The rest of the council slowly moves away from the swirling mass, grabbing their lightsabers and preparing for whatever comes out of the veil. Master Reeva Alix activates her double sided lightsaber. The yellow hue of her blades reminded me of same one I had when I was just a Padawan almost eight years earlier. She glances at me then at my saber hilt still lying on the chamber floor. I had completely forgotten I disarmed myself when I first arrived. The churning mist begins to dissipate causing me to panic, I need my lightsaber. Alix scowls and with a swipe of her arm slides the hilt toward me. I quickly grab it and active the blade gaining the scrutiny of the other masters. But none said anything because they understood who the real enemy was now.

The mist bursts revealing Master Urv’s unconscious body on the ground with Xyon-Kray stooped over him. With little hesitation the remaining four masters attack Xyon, but he was already a step ahead of them bouncing around the chamber similar to how he started with the Inquisitors. And I don’t know why it didn’t dawn on me earlier but I finally understood why, he was measuring them, learning their strengths and weaknesses. But he was more reserved than before like he was holding back his brutality…but why?

Xyon-Kray lands with enough force causing the ground to shatter around him. He easily deflects the masters’ attacks with his silver blade, throwing Halish and Alix across the chamber with a single wave of his arm. My hand tightens around the hilt of my saber causing my hand to ache, I knew I needed to help but I couldn’t move. I was afraid and powerless…and I hated myself for it. Xyon grabs Vis Jarabus by the head emiting a light from his hand causing her to scream. Bim Seto rushes forward recklessly. He lunges for Xyon but his attack was unfocused, a mistake he paid for when Xyon severd Seto’s main hand with a simple sweep of his sword.

Bim collapses to the ground letting out an agonizing shout, cradling his stump. Master Alix and Qin grab and pull him near me as Master Jarabus’s unconscious body collapses at Xyon’s feet. He turns to face us letting a confident smile creep onto his face. He lifts his free hand and waves for us to begin our assault again.

I lift my sword, assuming an aggressive Juyo stance when Master Alix grabs my arm. “No.” she says calmly.

“Why!?” I respond.

“We’re just a distraction, do you feel it?” she whispers. “Focus, why hasn’t the rest of the conclave come to our aid?”

I hadn’t thought about that, the Jedi would never allow their masters’ to be subjected to this without helping them. “The Initiates!”

Master Alix nods her head. “Take Seto and get as many out of the conclave as you can, we will hold off Xyon as long as possible.”

I’m ordered to run again…to escape, but this time I have to save the ones I swore to defeat. I nod my head and lift the barely conscious Seto, wrapping his arm around my neck. We shuffle toward the massive double doors and I blast them open. Master Alix’s fear were a reality the conclave was in ruins, Xyon brought something with him and somehow masked the assault from our senses. I drag Bim through the corridor lined with unconscious Initiates, Padawans, and Jedi Knights alike. There were obvious signs of battle but no evidence of the assaulting force, leaving me completely troubled.

Bim and I make it to the hangar door I hit the switch and they begin to open when I sense someone behind me. I drop Bim and draw my lightsaber, the three young Jedi were afraid and confused.

The closest one to me noticed the color on my blade and drew his sword in response. “Stay back…Sith!” he shouts.

His stance was on point but he was shaking wildly. “Listen.” I start to say, deactivating my lightsaber. “We have to get out of here.”

“Why would we trust you!?” he shouts.

“Knock it off Tome, we have to get out of here.” The lavender skinned padawan says grabbing his arm and pulling “He’s not one of them and he has Master Seto with him.” She adds.

“What do you mean by, one of them?” I ask.

She opens her mouth to answer when the third and youngest of the three shouts “There they are!”

I quickly turn and feel my heart drop. The ship I had arrived in was destroyed along with every other ship that was docked. There was no way to escape, but the worst of it was the three looming silver shadows standing in front of the wreckage. I recognized them and at the same time I didn’t. “Ka…Kavin…Axum…Malitrix!?”

They notice us and immediately begin running our direction. The younger Jedi grabs Master Seto and begins rushing in the opposite direction. I was frozen in a state of shock, my brother and the rest of the Inquisitors died on Yavin 4 I was sure of it and as my brother got closer I could tell he wasn’t himself. His skin was a pale blue with a silver shimmer and he was carrying a silver lightsaber similar to Xyon’s. But the most disturbing thing was his eye. There was no life in them, no iris they were just silver orbs and nothing more.

I feel a yank on my sleeve, pulling me from my shock. “We have to go!” The female padawan shouts.

The three wraths were almost on us when I began following her and the other Jedi through a series of doors. I could sense the three beings chasing us through every corridor licking at our heels with every step. We barely make it through a large set of blast doors slamming them closed behind us.

“That’s not going to hold long.” I say surveying the room.

The three Jedi begin moving towards a stair case leading to the roof of the conclave. “Bartle better be here!” one of them shouts, dragging Master Seto up the steps as one of the silver blades pierce that this metal door sending sparks in all directions.

I run up the stairs stepping out onto the roof where a large ship had just landed and a man was standing in front with a quizzical look on his face. “What happened!?” he asks running to Master Seto’s aid.

The younger Jedi grabs the man “Quomas…we have to leave now!”

“But I just got here…” Quomas says while the Jedi drag Seto aboard his ship. “I have supplies to unload first.”

I draw my saber placing it near Quomas’s throat. “There’s been a change of plans, get on the ship!”

The man looks at me for a second and begins running up the ship’s ramp. A moment later the craft begins lifting off the ground as the three wraths reach the roof. Their stare was just as disturbing at their lifeless postures almost like they were force sensitive corpses.

We circle the conclave several times looking for anybody else that might have escaped the assault. For the most part no one was hurt or killed they were all just unconscious. At least two-hundred Jedi lived here and only three not including Master Seto made it out.

I get ready to close the ship’s ramp when I see a flare several hundred feet from the main chamber. “There, in the field!” I yell.

The craft pitches around gracefully hovering several feet above the ground where Halish Qin and Master Reeva Alix reside. Halish was beaten and bloody with his robe torn, beside him was Reeva’s unconscious body. The three Jedi and I quickly help them onto the ship, taking Reeva to the medical bay and strapping her onto the bed next to Master Seto.

Halish stumbles into the cockpit. “We need to jump…Now!” he demands.

“I can’t jump without coordinates!” Bartle yells.

Halish walks over and slams his finger on a random planet. “There now let’s go.” He swings around and faces me.

“What happened?” I asked, but he pushes past me without an answer.

I go to follow Halish to demand an explanation but the sound of buzzing coming for the ship’s instruments catches my attention. “Something massive just came out of hyperspace!” Quomas Bartle yells.

I look out the window at a massive ship hovering above the conclave. It looked more like a sculpted piece of rock and stone with patches of metal and thrusters dotting its surface. “What in the world is that!?” I gasp

“Jump now!” Halish’s voice echoes through the ship.

Quomas slams his hand on the Hyper Drive throwing me against the ship’s bulkhead as the atmosphere of Dantooine disappears in a flash of light, replaced by the familiar blue and white streaks of hyperspace.

The inertia dampeners equalize and I slide down to the ground letting out a needed sigh of relief. We had escaped the conclave, but I knew we were far from being safe. The enemy now had a name and a mission and he was stronger than anything we had ever seen before. The situation was dire but not hopeless we still had the Jedi High Council and Galatic Senate on Coruscant not to mention the rest of the Jedi Conclaves all over the galaxy. And I bet with the right leadership the remaining pockets of the Sith would fight this new threat.

I push myself off the floor and walk over to the starmap. We were heading towards Dathomir, a popular place for Sith to hide. I click on the image of the ship and the designation Cardinal Phoenix appears beside it. I laugh at the irony of naming a ship after a creature that is only known for dying and being reborn from the ashes, but now that I think of it…is that not what we are doing now?