Star Wars: Slave Of Darkness

In the darkness, rhythmic tapping filled the silence. It echoed off ancient stone, carrying the sound in the stale air.

Ancient, gnarled fingers deftly maneuvered a chisel and hammer with each tap, not wasting a single strike as slivers of stone were shaved off.

Three figures, two of which were holograms, were seated around an aged table, topped with a well-worn dejarik board.

The first was a human male dressed in fine robes, his silver hair and eyes were tinged blue by the hologram. Despite his light hair, he still seemed to be in the prime of youth.

The second was dressed in a full-body cloak and hood, concealing all but part of their face, itself covered with a metal mask. The only indicator of gender was a deep, harsh voice that made itself known when providing commentary.

The third and final figure was another human, dressed in pitch-black hooded robes that swallowed his seemingly-frail form. His wrinkled face, illuminated by the holograms, was framed by a graying beard that only barely retained a hint of the black mane that it had once been.

"He is not one of the Eight." The silver-haired man stated, his tone lacking emotion, "He does not belong and should be eliminated before he can do more damage."

The tapping continued without interruption, the hands' owner keeping silent.

"Perhaps he does." The second figure spoke, his voice heavily distorted by the hologram transmission.

"Hundreds, possibly thousands or hundreds of thousands, will intersect with the Eight. He is but one of many. There are others that will influence them far more than he will."

The first man frowned, his displeasure clear, "He has already irrevocably altered the course of the First, the Fourth, and the Sixth. Their paths are no longer certain."

"We all know that only one of the Eight needs to succeed." The tapping stopped momentarily as the third voice joined the conversation, his voice cracked from age and disuse.

"Perhaps we should consider it fortunate that the Fourth's path is no longer viable. On the chance she fell to madness, it would have only brought turmoil and ruin."

The second voice hesitantly agreed, "The Fourth's destiny was always the most unstable and the most reliant on chance, with only a single point of divergence and very little way to influence it."

The first was visibly gritting his teeth as the other two spoke, "Mad or not, all of them were necessary. Without even one of them, there will be unplanned variables. Without three of them, everything we know will be thrown off."

"Indeed." The third smiled, revealing yellowed teeth. Beneath his hood, red eyes held a glint of amusement, "Won't that be interesting?"

The hologram of the first man abruptly winked out. The others looked at the spot where he had been.

The second man let out a long-suffering sigh, "Why do you insist on provoking him?"

"Because he is a hide-bound fool still new to his power, yet he seeks to force us to abide by his rules. Perhaps by angering him sufficiently, he will finally make a choice for himself instead of following blindly." The other scoffed, his mocking smile quickly fading, "Come now, don't tell me that you enjoy indulging him."

Uncomfortable silence was his answer, quickly broken by the tapping of the chisel.

"I thought so."

"He does what he believes is correct." The second spoke, choosing to neither justify nor condemn, "That is all we can expect from anyone."

"He does what he does because he is afraid to deviate from his visions, not because he believes that it is right. He fears the unknown. With each piece that is jarred loose from his carefully ordered visions, the more variables come into play, each spawning a thousand futures."

And thousands of futures were very difficult to keep track of.

"Can you claim to have not held similar views in your youth?" The hologram asked, "He is cautious because he once knew ignorance, but now he can see as we do. Did it not take time for you to settle into your role?"

The hammer hit the chisel's head slightly too hard, marring the stone. The sculptor paused and examined it, tilting his head slightly. The smile returned, if only a little, "How appropriate."

With that, he continued carving.

"To answer your question, my old foe: I did. But I also had my predecessor's guidance to disabuse me of such notions. As did you, no doubt." He pointed out.

"I quickly learned that fate was not carved in stone. No, rather it is scrawled in sand and easily dispersed by a strong gust of wind. That is a lesson our…compatriot has, as of yet, refused to acknowledge."

"…You believe he will end up like the others."

"Of course I do. Do you not?" The sculptor snorted, "There is Light and there is Dark. Then there are deluded fools like Heskal that try to be the "balance" between the two. They either go mad and fall…or do nothing at all because any action they take will give more power to one side or the other."

Red eyes flickered up for a moment.

"The only question is how long it will be before he breaks."

"Or how long it will be before he realizes his error." The cloaked figure replied.

A dry, rasping chuckle erupted from the old man's throat, "Ah, your eternal optimism rears its head once more. You know as well as I that it is the fools and fanatics that are drawn to such beliefs, not reasonable beings."

The hologram was silent for a long moment before he replied, "Perhaps. There is still time." There was a rustling of fabric as he leaned forward.

"But Heskal was right to be wary. Your meddling has extended beyond just the Eight. You have enacted several other prophecies, well ahead of their intended time."

"Bah," The sculptor snorted, "The rules of prophecies are not as ironclad as you and he seem to think. The when matters little, only that the terms are fulfilled. Many are worded to allow for differing circumstances."

"The Horned King has awoken millennia early to a much different galaxy, one not prepared to deal with him." The other man continued, "You know the destruction he will wreck before he is finally felled."

A hidden brow rose, "And?"

The old man's counterpart sat in stunned silence at the simple answer.

"That is the difference between us, my old foe: You would see your end rushing towards you and accept it if it means a greater purpose is achieved."

The tapping, which had continued unabated, finally ceased for good.

"But I am Sith!" He snarled a declaration, "I will not sit quietly as my doom comes screaming out of the blackness. I will grab for any weapon within reach-"

A wrinkled hand slammed down onto the table for a moment, rattling stone. As it moved away, it revealed a small stone figurine of a spider, the right side of its face scarred by a careless strike.

"-and any pawn I might seize, if it means that my death is pushed back but one more day."

For a long few seconds, the buzz of the hologram was the only noise in the dark chamber.

And then, the old man started chuckling.

"It is rather amusing. For all your principles, you are just as ruthless as I am."

The cloaked figure tilted his head but said nothing.

"You disagree?" The elder asked mockingly, "Which of us sent an assassin, but left him ignorant of his true target?"

His counterpart remained silent.

"You broke my first successor but left her alive all those years ago. Did you think that was a mercy?" He sneered.

"Ragate is a shell of her former self and utterly useless to me. Her talents in the Force and with her gift are but fragments of what they once were." He barked a laugh.

"And the Zabrak would have been magnificent had he fallen! But you snuffed out that light before it could dim."

Red eyes examined their foe.

"And yet, you never came for me. Do you intend to wait until I am too feeble from age to fight back? Or do you intend to drive me to further depths in the hopes that it backfires on me?"

The other man exuded a sense of calm, seemingly unperturbed by the scathing commentary.

"Ah, there is the coldness, that apathy that allows you to keep going." The old man praised, "You know, you would have made a fine Sith, if you would but dispense with the pretenses of morality."

"You speak the truth. And I remind myself of that every day that this war between us persists." The hologram quietly replied, "But it is my awareness of it that keeps me from becoming you."

He stood, allowing his frame to tower over the seated Sith.

"And there have been times where I had to harden my heart and do what must be done." The cloaked figure's voice rumbled, echoing in the empty room.

"But at the end of the day, I know there are lines that should never be crossed. That there is always another way."

Despite the mask, the old man could tell that his counterpart's face was not contorted in anger, but something far more infuriating.

"I pity you, Spindrall. I truly do." His voice almost sounded like he cared, but to the old man's ears, it was mocking, "I have friends and allies by my side to rely upon. I have a home. Respect."

A claw-tipped finger emerged from a sleeve of his robe to point at the Sith.

"But you? I know your reputation among the Sith. You are an outcast, hiding among the tombs rather than holding your head high. You are seen as little more than a madman, addled by Korriban's sun. You have no one by your side, no one to trust, as you see only treachery and cruelty around you."

"And when the darkness finally takes you, you will be alone."

In the silence that followed, one could have heard a pin drop.

"Go back to your "hidden" enclave, Master Jedi." Spindrall spat, "Hide your Padawan if you wish. We both know I will come for her in time, just as you took my apprentice from me."

Red eyes lowered to the table, to the figurine in its center.

"Prepare your forces, as I will prepare mine. The Emperor's war may have stalled, but a new one is on the horizon."

In the center of the table, the spider figurine was surrounded on all sides by the traditional dejarik pieces.

"The Weaver's War has only just begun."

As the hologram winked out, it took the sole light source in the chamber with it. Soon, the only points of light left in the gloom were Spindrall's glowing crimson eyes.

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Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know that I've started a new Star Wars fanfic. It would mean the world to me if you checked it out! This is more of a fun project for me, and I'd be thrilled if you enjoyed it too.

Name : 

Star Wars : New Jedi

Since the story is still new, I've got a little challenge — if it gets 10 reviews by tomorrow, I'll release another chapter both here and in the new fanfic. Thanks so much for your support!