Silverlight Rising Part I: ForceFall

Prologue: Before The Council

“I know my presence here is far from welcome.” My tone boasts more anxiety then I intended. “Please understand that I wouldn’t have risked my life coming here if it wasn’t of the utmost importance.”

I look up at the Council; their collective glare was overwhelming, making me to question whether it was a good idea to come here in the first place. “We don’t have to listen to a thing you say, murderer!” A wave of anger flows over me as I turn to meet the particularly caustic stare of Master Halish Qin.

“I have come here to deliver a warning…nothing more.” I remove my lightsaber from my waist band. Several of the masters quickly brandish theirs with trained precision. I re-actively lift my hand forestalling my impending demised, slowly placing the saber’s hilt on the marble floor force pushing away from me. “Please just here me out.” I beg.

The room falls quiet with only subtle whispers echoing through the chamber. “I can sense fear on you child, but it’s not of us?” Master Reeva Alix’s voice shatters the silence. She looks at the other council members quizzically. “I for one would like to hear what the young Sith has to say.”

“Oh give me a break!” Master Qin scoffs. “This is just what they want!”

“Calm yourself Master Qin!” another master snips. “The boy came here for help and as Jedi we are upheld to do so.” He gestures towards me. “I’m with Master Alix, let the boy speak.”

Where do I begin? These people…the Jedi are or were my enemy and yet I came here willingly. I take a deep breathe shaking away the numbing feeling in my hands.

“Several hours ago my master and I attended a secret gathering of the Sith Lords on Yavin 4. The intent of this meeting was to determine what our next move was after the Jedi…you destroyed our sacred home world Korriban.” I rattle off nervously.

“That strike was a decisive victory for the Galactic Republic as well as a victory for the light side!” Master Qin interrupts.

“We have already established that the Grand Council was split on the decision to destroy an entire planet whether it is dark side or light.” Master Alix responds looking towards me. “The final decision was made by the Senate outside of our knowledge please understand.”

Master Alix’s kindness was unexpected given my history with the conclave. For the most part she looked the exact same as before with maybe a few more wrinkles scattered across her dark skin and strikes of gray hair waving through her long black dreads, but nonetheless she still commanded respect. Her auburn eyes don’t hide a bit of dislike towards Halish, not much has changed at all.

I simply nod my head and continue. “We found an ancient ruin deep within the moon, at first we assumed it was created by Naga Sadow but further investigation indicated that it was built by something far more…Fascinating.”

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“What was it?” Master Alix asks.

I can feel myself hesitate “I Inquisitors learned of legends about the beginning of all things, when the galaxy was without shape. It never occurred to me until now but I believe what we found was an ancient device from the time before the galaxy took form.”

“What are you saying, boy!?” Master Qin demands.

I glare at Halish Qin, this is the first time I’ve directly looked at him since I arrived. I don’t know what I was expecting, but the same feeling of burning hatred from years of repressed memories filled me as I stared at his cold gray eyes. He is a mediocre as they come, like Reeva, the signs of the years have not ignored him, but unlike Reeva, age is not becoming of him. His long sandy brown hair shows more gray in it than he probably likes to admit while his beard is almost completely white. Despite all this he is still brutish and large and undoubtedly still a force to be reckoned with.

“What I’m saying is we found a means to destroy the Republic…and possibly everything else.” I respond calmly. “My master along with the Inquisitors wished to destroy the core worlds including Coruscant while I wished to destroy the device and pray that we forget about it.”

“This is a complete charade!” Master Qin shouts. “I refuse to believe this…you would have us think you all of a sudden grew a conscience!?” he says taking several steps forward and turning to the rest of the council “I wouldn’t be surprised if he was sent here just as a distraction so his master and the rest of the Sith Lords can attack us!”

“That’s not true!” I yell.

Master Qin turns towards me. “Excuse me!?”

“You don’t know anything! You never have.”

“Hold your tongue Sith!” he responds squaring off with me.

“That is quite enough Master Qin!” Master Alix’s voice echoes but Halish Qin wasn’t dissuaded.

“When you and your brother left the conclave I should have stopped you!” Halish says in a low voice.

“We left because of you!” I look around the room. “The rest of you may not know that one of your own is nothing more than a child abuser.”

Halish Qin lunges forward grabbing me by the collar. “Tell me where your brother is!” he shouts as the other masters run to intervene. “Tell me where your master is!”

The anger and sadness overwhelms me. “Kavin is dead!” I scream slamming my forehead into Halish’s face making blood spurt from his nose. Halish stumbles and glares at me drawing his lightsaber from underneath his robe and activating the blue plasma with a simple motion.

“I said that is quite enough!” Master Reeva Alix’s voice was serious but her double-sided lightsaber was unrelenting with one end pointed at both Halish and I. she looks at me. “Your master was Kavin, your own brother!?”

I look at the ground and nod my head repressing the flood of emotions. “He was always stronger than I.”

She grimaces and retracts her blades. “Tell us everything, Atlas.”