The Backdrafts (Book 4)

[Akirapryde]

Cross Roads
The Nether Worlds
Beyond Life and Reason

Lysire's eyes went as wide as possible as she let out a loud burst of exhaled breath. Her arms were thrust forward as the motion carried her body backwards. Fighting for breath she looked around and saw General Graff laughing as he was moving backwards towards his air speeder. Just before him stood Biggs turned to face her with a look of terror frozen across his face. She remembered Graff's words, “Cordelia says enjoy your rat on a stick!” She remembered the projectile rushing towards her just moments before. Her hands went to her midsection and only felt her own body. Her eyes continued to search the scene slowly. First her vision fell upon Daz and Damaya laying safely in the grass where she had moved their bodies earlier. It was in that moment that the confusion set in. She saw her own body laying on the ground with a large piece of metal stuck covered in blood ripped through it. Laying in her lap she saw Visst under the bloody piece of metal.

She could see large droplets of blood hanging in the air over Visst's head. She remembered pulling Visst back in to her waiting lap. She opened her heart and mind to the powers that fueled her knowledge to hold Visst to this world. At the same time she gave her beloved husband all the power he needed to battle Graff. Then she remembered seeing the large piece of metal flying towards her. She pushed her powers more to save Visst and the others. She didn't waste her time, then it was over. She remembered feeling the metal ripping its way through her body as the pain surged through her body all over again. She let out a moan of pain as she fought to contain the pain. But she was not dead. She was still alive. 'Still alive' she thought looking around. But something was wrong, no one else moved. Even the fire from Biggs lightsaber seemed frozen in time.

Lysire walked towards the scene on unsteady legs. As she tilted her head to the side she blink over and over again and still the scene didn't change and her confusion still held strong to her mind. The entire scene had become locked in time somehow. “B....Biggs.....” she called out, “I am over here baby!” her voice was shaken and trembled. Biggs' vision was locked on the bloody body that couldn't possibly be hers.

“I have to admit, when I first met you I never dreamed you had this potential within you” the voice said behind her. “Though I did have my suspicions.”

Lysire turned to see the creature that she had come to know as the Teacher standing there next to a group of tombstones. “Wh...What do you mean? What potential?” Her mind started to think as the confusion faded rapidly. As fear subsided, she was able to think more clearly. Slowly her mind reached out and could understand why things are the way they are. It was all so fast and so sudden, her mind was confused still.

“This Lysire. Not many Force Users have this gift like you do. You did all of this. In that moment of your death, you called upon and drew upon all that you learned and made a critical choice. Where most would simply choose the most logical path, you craved something more and you made it happen.” He said walked up towards her through the battlefield. Lysire watched him move past a shot frozen in midair that had narrowly missed Visst, “In that moment your existence change forever. Search your mind and feel with your heart. You will start to understand what I am speaking of.”

Lysire shook her head as she looked around. She knew that her life was going to change this very day and that she felt her death about her during the coming hours before this moment. She had welcomed it because of what it offered her. Now as the event of her death faded in her mind, she could feel and understand much more than she ever dreamed possible. She could remember feeling that her work here was not done. That there was so much more for her to learn. So much more for her to do. She decided she wasn't ready to leave her life behind. She could feel beings that she had named the First Ones around her. She knew of their existence before but now, she could feel them and sensed their presence. “Am I dead?”

He nodded, “To them,” he said motioning to Visst, Biggs and the others, “you are. And this is how it must remain. Maybe in a million years or two, you might be granted permission to help guide the younger races like I do. But for now, you still have much to learn.” He reached her and placed a hand on her shoulder as he smiled softly at her. “You will have to learn to let go of your attachments here” he said as she turned and looked at Biggs. He could see the tears in her eyes as he nodded, “Love is a powerful energy that can cause great things to happen. But the hardest energy to let go. Others have walked this path you are on now and have faced what you are facing now. It will be hard for you, but you will succeed.”

“So I am not the only one to do this?” she asked as she turned while wiping the tears from her eyes.

“No” he replied while shaking his head, “Master Yoda and other powerful Jedi have managed to achieve this state under the right conditions. Though for them, it takes so much longer for them to learn the secrets to achieve this state. Even some non-force users have reached this state. But for them it is so much harder.” He smiled at her with pride, “though I have to admit you had something that I have never seen before. There is a special quality within you that set you apart. For as long as I have been mentoring the younger races I have never seen what someone like you have been able to achieve. It was that special quality that allowed you to do this without the life long experience that the others had.”

She nodded as she listened to his statement. She understood what it was that he was speaking about. Somehow she understood it perfectly, “so now what happens?” Her gaze turned once more back to Biggs. Her heart was torn between the existence she knew was her next step and the man she loved. Before she believed death and rejoining with the Force would free her of these feelings. But this is not what she had expected. This was something completely different then what she had expected. She didn't want to leave him behind.

“There is a place that has been created for creatures like you that have achieved this state too early. It is the rule, that we allow those how can achieve this state to remain as long as they abide by the rules. This world that you are used to,” he said waving his hand over the frozen scene, “has nothing more to do with you. What happens to them should no longer concern you” he said as he softly guided her face and eyes back to his. “Time to let it all go and join a completely different existence.”

“How.....how I can turn my back on them now? What about the Chaos?” and in that moment her eyes light up in surprise as she spun her head to look in to the Teacher's eyes. Her hair flowed behind her head as her gaze caught his. He was right, she was aware of all things. All she had to do was simply think about it. “No........” She move back from the Teacher, “They have been lied to from the beginning.”

The Teacher shook his head, “No they were not lied to. What they know of their own history is based on their own inability to understand what has been shown to them about the creature.”

“Not a creature!” she snapped as she continued to move away and looked around as if seeing beyond the moment. He was right, she could see it. They weren't lied to, just didn't see the truth for what it was. It didn't change her feelings nor her anger over it. “One of you! A criminal bent of darkness and evil. He refused to follow your rules!” she spun and jabbed a finger towards him, “You all imprisoned him! Locked him away for his crimes because you couldn't bring yourselves to destroy him. So your kind left him like a time bomb waiting to go off. How many died because of this!” She didn't need him to answer, as she asked the question she knew the answer. It was sickening to her to think about it.

The Teacher looked down as the truth of his races actions near the beginning of time was exposed. “We never expected the prison to be disturbed” he tried to explain.

Lysire was like a sponge soaking up all that she was becoming exposed to, “NO you yourself never expected Durna....”

“DON'T SPEAK THE NAME!” he snapped at her. The force in his voice commanded her silence and even caused her to jerk back.

She nodded at her near mistake. She took note that there was still so much to learn, “There is power even in his name. Unbelievable darkness even in speaking his name” she said as he nodded. “You never expected him to find a way to breech the prison. You never expected that his influence could shape events beyond his prison” She watched the Teacher shake his head.

“I tried to warn the others. So much time had past since the great war. It took the efforts of so many to stop his forces of darkness before. 'The Prison is prefect in creation, he couldn't possibly escape' would be their only arrogant reply.”

“But he was smarter than what they gave him credit for. He knew that if he escaped the prison, the others would rally to stop him once more. That was the pact you all took at the end of the great war” she said as she continued to walk around slowly taking in the events that happened millions of years ago.

“Yes, we all agreed that should he ever escape that we all would band together and stop him once and for all” the Teacher explained. There was a sense of remorse in his voice as he set on a tombstone near where Daz was laying.

Lysire walked by the air speeder where Graff's men were firing at Biggs, “He brought Master Chun and his team to that Galaxy and then they found the tomb where he was hidden” she explained then turned and looked with horror in her eyes, “He created the Chaos! Those aren't ships! Their his minions! They are living creatures of his own design. For all of his powers and influences could reach out beyond, he couldn't help his minions find the location where his prison was hidden. He needed help to be set free. That is why the Chaos ripped that Galaxy apart searching for his prison. That was why he needed Master Chun and his team” she turned in horror to look at Visst, “You knew all this time, why didn't you warn them!”

The Teacher looked down at Daz laying on the ground, “It was a violation of the rules. We are not allowed to directly interfere with the younger races. We had our time to walk among the stars, that time had past. We are not as unified as you would think. He had been planning these events for thousands of years. The timing for his moves had to be right and the others are too preoccupied with their own quest for knowledge to care what happens here any more. Before it was different. Before we were united and stood by helping the younger races. As the younger races like yours grew more and more arrogant in your own understandings, we grew more and more detached. Some of us still mentor, most simply don't care anymore.”

She turned to him with a different expression, “You have been trying to get the Jedi ready to face him” he nodded to her statement. “You can create force users?” There was a look of surprise and shock on her face.

Once more he nodded, “And one day you will learn to do the same, Lysire. Yes I missed the warning signs. But for us, hind sight does matter. Time does not have a hold control over us. But for him, trapped in the prison, it does. When I realized what a mistake I made, I did my best to save an entire galaxy. But I failed to consider the arrogance of the younger races I was working with. They didn't listen to my warnings. Sure a few of them did, but no where near enough of them. In time you will realize why I couldn't undo that mistake. But here, I slipped back and did everything possible within the rules to make this galaxy ready for the events that are coming. Here is where it started and here is where it must end.”

She nodded, “And if you broke the rules, the others would use that as reason not honor the pack when the time comes.” he nodded as she walked over by General Graff, “But why not tell them the truth? Rules?”

“I did, many times in the past. Yet, fear drove the younger races to distrust what I explained to them. It was a fear of not understanding what I was explaining to them. They are so young and so naive. Those who would listen, tried to help. It simply was not enough to test the hands to time. My teachings got lost in time and now time is running out.” He explained as he slowly stood up from the tombstone. “I pushed the rules as far as possible without the others taking notice. Did you think that the scrolls landed in your lap by chance? Or the mission that would place you where you were to meet me. My final acts are slowly coming to a head. If the children of this galaxy are to survive, then it is going to happen through their own actions. There is nothing more I can do to make them ready. They simply have no more time.”

She nodded as slowly walked around General Graff, “He will kill thousands before he is defeated. I could simply will him out of existence.” her mind drifted in the distraction of the man that had ended her life as she knew it. “I could end his distraction right here and right now” There was a look of stern determination in her eyes.

The Teacher nodded, “And you yourself would have never existed. Nothing would change for him, just those that you have touched and loved. There are those who take the Rules very serious. They watch closely for others to break them. It is the Rules that keep us from becoming overlords of the younger races. It is the Rules that keeps the balance between light and dark the way it is. And it is the Rules that ensure that the younger races will have that chance to reach this state or parish all on their own. So many others like you have been where you are right now. They felt the urges you have right now. To do such acts of greatness or darkness with simply an act of will. However, in that moment they cross the line and have broken the rules. This is why you have never heard of them. The others do not allow the Rules to be broken for any reason.”

She nodded as her mind got back on track once more, “You have to warn them. They are running head long in to a trap and don't know it.” she stepped back once more and bent over slightly. Bringing her hands up to her head, “this is maddening they have to be warned.” Turning she righted herself and slowly raised her hand up to the side of Biggs face. Her love for him was so strong and she knew his future and his death. His whole life was laid out before her mind. She allowed a moment to smile as she could see his life and understood his love for her would never die.

He shook his head, “As I have said, I am not allowed to interfere in this matter any further.”

“Because you have already been warned. Because of your past actions to make them ready.” She walked away from Biggs and General Graff, “My god, that was his plan from the beginning. The pact says nothing about if he was released by the younger races. The others would see this as the younger races bringing it upon themselves. He wants them to do what they believe will destroy him. It will only free him and unleash his powers completely.”

The Teacher shook his head, “Not completely. Something that even he doesn't know. Something that we did to him when the prison was create for him. He will never have the powers he had before. As well as a vulnerability to life energy.”

Lysire stopped in her tracks and snapped her head back at Biggs and stared at his lightsaber, “Lightsabers! You taught the Jedi and first Force Users how to create the weapons capable of destroying him! And they had been making them ever since the dawn of their history.”

The Teacher nodded, “I passed that knowledge on to them early on during their development.”

She turned back once more and looked at the Teacher, “You have to warn them of the trap!”

“I can't” he said sternly.

She turned to her beloved, “Then I will!”

He slowly raised his hand, “You have much to learn Lysire. This plan is beneath you and I wont have you throwing your own existence away for it.” He raised his hand and snapped his finger and in that moment they vanished.

Unaware of the events that just happened around them, the blood splattered across Visst's face as the large piece of the air speeder van ripped through Lysire's body. He could hear the cry from Biggs echoing in the back of his head. Visst flipped over as he moved quickly to do what he could. He reached out with the force and hold her own life from fading. He never felt anything like it before. She was just gone. There was no trace of her life left. He looked down in to her lifeless eyes. In that moment he knew she had died. He closed his eyes as he morned the loss. He heard Graff's air speeder speeding away as Biggs rushed over. Biggs took Lysire's lifeless body in to his arms and cried out in pain. Visst could help but place a hand on Biggs' shoulder as the man morned the loss of his wife.

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Daz walked in to the Temple on Coruscant with a feeling of defeat covering over him. It had been such a long day already and he felt as if it just started. He glanced over at the Hanger Manger who was standing with some other techs, they were all laughing. The story of how he was so foolish and allowed himself to be sabotaged was surely being told. 'I should have checked the battery cable before calling for help' he thought angry at his own lack of knowledge of mechanical repairs. He had left Carissa without asking permission and traveled all the way back to Coruscant. The letter had warned of his sister's pending death and now he felt like all he had done was wasted his time. He was worried for her safety and didn't feel like he had much else to do other than try to get someone to help him.

He had arrived late in the morning at the temple after five long and hard days in hyperspace. The trip was a marathon of endurance, but he knew he had to take it. Once at the temple, he had requested a air speeder from the hanger. With his trusty droid, Maven sitting next to him, they headed over to the Senate building. He knew that the person to speak to was Senator Nabrina. Her experience with the Azgards and her contacts might be able to get his sister released from their custody. There were others on his list, but sadly, he had burned so many bridges as he turned over his new leaf. She was the only one that he could think of that could help him. And he did trust Visst to have his back once all this was said and done. This was just something that simply couldn't wait, and Visst had his mission to the Outer Rim to contend with first.

Arriving at the Senate building was an eye opening experience for him. He knew there was going to be trouble even as he landed. He spotted a number of Rangers at security check points throughout the landing area. The sight truly bothered him and it was clear that the atmosphere had changed. Leaving Maven behind at the speeder, he walked up to the security check point. He noticed that there was long lines as Rangers were checking everyone for weapons and asking them questions before allowing them to enter the building. It was the same when it came to Daz. They scanned his ID and asked him basic questions, like, “What is your business at the Senate today, Sir?” and “Are you expected, Sir?” After passing their review, they directed Daz to a location where he could check his weapons. Once more, Daz, found a long lines and more Rangers standing guard over the area. The Weapon's Check area was actually run by a couple of older men who seemed to have the same attitude of the person who gave Daz his Air Speeder License. Daz tried to get some information from them, but they were more interested in collecting Daz's Weapons and then moving on to the next person in line.

Dissatisfied with the lack of answers and the short attitude of the workers, Daz left the check with his lightsaber still on him and returned to his speeder. His plan B was to meet Senator Nabrina at her apartment. He recalled that she lived in a rather dangerous section of Coruscant. He didn't like the idea but dealing with the Rangers seems more dangerous at the moment. As he returned to his speeder he met up with Ranger Saper. It was clear, that there was no love between the two and Daz was able to glean from the conversation that the increase in security was due to the assassination attempt on the Chancellor and the past other assassinations within the Senate building. Daz didn't buy it, and he left the conversation with Saper's warning “I am watching you closely Daz. Don't break any laws in my backyard.”

As Daz headed out for Senator Nabrina's apartment, he noticed that he was being followed. Not only that, he was being followed by a pair of Rangers that were with him on Kelore. He knew them to be a Weapon's Master and one of the Jedi Investigators. They had attempted to follow Daz undetected but Daz spotted them easily. Daz continued to Senator Nabrina's place. Once he got their he notice that his tail had landed where they could watch his actions. He had a short and slightly eventful run in with a local gang. With no sight of any law enforcement around and the street gang getting more aggressive, Daz decided to leave and meet up with Nabrina somewhere else. Once more he was able to spot that his tail continued to follow him. This time, they were holding back and trying to mask the fact that they are following him better. This time it was a bit harder for Daz to pick up on their actions, still though, he was able to spot them. He watched them turn away as landed back at the temple. While back at the temple, he contacted Nabrina and learned that she had a full night already planned. He was surprised to hear that she was attending the Chancellor's Ball tonight. He did manage to set up an appointment to speak with her back at the Senate building.

This time, leaving all of his gear behind, he made sure that they would have no reason to secure any of his items at the Senate building. On arrival once more, Daz found his ID was flagged and he was taken to a side room where he was stripped down to his underwear and searched for explosives. He was checked by a medical droid while Rangers searched his robs and pack for anything. Daz was slighted by the search but did his best to remain calm and didn't provoke any of the Rangers. As he walked through the building he took note to the large number of Rangers throughout the building. It bothered him deeply to see that they had replaced the normal security force that protected the building from attack. His mind was focused on seeing Nabrina and saving his sister at all costs.

Nabrina was surprisingly unhelpful and refused to provide even the slightly of information that could help him. She kept accusing Daz of being foolish in thinking that there was anything she could do to help him other then speak to the Azgardian Ambassador through official channels. When Daz tried to reason with her, she was evasive and kept derailing the conversation. Daz also didn't like the fact that she defending current situation in the Senate as, “A necessary evil to ensure that the Republic Government was safe.” Even from the beginning as Daz tried to explain the situation, she had interrupted him with, “Are you sure I am the best person to help you, Daz?” Daz's frustration grew even higher when she brushed him off when her secretary informed her of an incoming call. Daz leaned in as she looked away speaking to her secretary. He clearly hear the secretary say something about 'sandbox'. Though he couldn't hear anything else about it. He thought it strange that she didn't transfer the call to her desk comlink. Instead, Nabrina thanked the woman and picked up an independent comlink headset and stood up, “excuses me Daz. I have to take this.”

Daz watched her leave the office and step out on to a loud balcony and close the door behind her. Daz tried to listen in but couldn't hear any part of the conversation. Nabrina seemed upset during the call and ended it abruptly. She returned and informed Daz that she had to leave. She then canceled her appointments and bid Daz a good day and good luck with his sister's situation. Daz knew that there was something going on. He nodded and left the office without further comments. He rushed back down to his air speeder and got on just in time to follow Nabrina's air speeder for about an hour as they headed north. He knew that she was up to something and was meaning to find out what it was. He made sure to follow her well enough that she didn't have a clue that she was being tailed. He didn't notice if he was being tailed or not. He followed her to a very nasty and very run down dinner near a large northern spaceport.

The place was nasty on all new levels for Daz as he sneaked in to the dinner through a back door. Moving through the kitchen he saw Nabrina dressed completely different meeting with a humanoid female. He couldn't get a clear view of her but he could tell that the female seemed upset over something. Nabrina was trying to clam her down and both seemed to be rather concerned with who was able to over hear the conversation. Both took steps to keep their identities and voices as low profile as possible. The woman just keep shaking her head and speaking in whispers. No one else in the dinner seemed to care about the conversation between Nabrina and the female. Daz tried to sneak from the kitchen and in to the dining room to see if he could hear the conversation. However as he just got in to the dining room, he noticed the female had left and for a moment Nabrina seemed defeated or sad. She got up and left while talking on her comlink to someone. He rushed back to his speeder and found it not working. He tried to start it over and over again, but nothing happened. He watched Nabrina pull away and vanish in to the traffic. 'Damn battery cable!' Daz cursed.

Some one had removed one of the battery cables and Daz had not thought to check it. Instead he called for help and waited for an hour and a half for them to arrive. Now with his Speeder fixed he returned to the Temple and walked in to the library. He asked to borrow one of the terminals and set down. He uploaded the image of the Female that Nabrina was meeting with and leaned back as the computer searched. There were so many possible matches but none seemed to jump out at him. Then within the middle of the search Daz saw her. 'That's her!' he thought as he stopped the search. It was not a prefect match, being only forty seven percent positive. Daz however was sure the woman he saw at the dinner was this woman in the profile. Years of experience in being an investigator and trusting in his feelings all told him that this was her. There was simply no doubt in his mind about it. According to the Database, the woman was a Zeltron, named Tanai. She was a Jedi Knight trained on the remote Outer World Temple of Plaudis. During the Civil War she had joined the Rebel Jedi and was an mid level officer in the Midnight Raiders. After the war she disappeared from the radars. According to the records she is a suspected Flail sympathizer and her where abouts are still unknown. She was wanted by the Rangers and part of the Chancellor's Pyramid of Evil. Though she was a low priority target for the Rangers, it still spelled trouble for Nabrina and Daz was worried.

“Oh Nabrina what are you getting yourself in to?” Daz said as he leaned back in his chair reading over Tanai's file. He shook his head as he read the latest updates. According to the Rangers her involvement was suspected in the bombings on Kelore. He pulled out his comlink, “Doc, prep the fighter, we're leaving.” He got up as he turned off the computer. He walked past a padawan as he left the library and proceeded to the hanger. He knew this was all a mistake and had to return to Visst. He shouldn't have left, but now he had found something worthwhile.

The lift doors closed behind Daz, the padawan set down at the terminal that Daz had been working at. He was careful not to attract attention to himself as he entered Daz's own log in information. Daz was a threat to the Order and had to be watched. Agents of the Flail were everywhere and each and ever loyal member of the Republic had a duty to be on guard for any suspicious activity. Following Daz in the Temple was more then just a duty given to him. It was his moment to prove to his Master that he was loyal to the Republic. He pulled a small device and plugged it in to the terminal and entered a command on the keyboard. Within moments he nodded as the files were downloaded. He removed the device from the terminal and logged Daz off the terminal once more. He slowly rose up from the desk as he pulled out his comlink, “You were right, Master. I have all the information that Daz looked up. I will bring it to you at once.” he said in to the comlink as he left the Library.