#orbalisks

[nika6q]

Darth Bane destroyed and rebuilt the Sith by harnessing the power of reading.

#darth bane #Rule of Two #unleash your true potential with a library card #sith #orbalisk #my art #star wars

[limeflavoredlobotomizer]

Me explaining Orbalisks to my sister: They're about... uh... this long, and this wide.

Jay: But... they're not orbs?

Me: Yeah?

Jay: Then why are they called Orbalisks?

Me: This is Star Wars, Jay. Stupid names are as integral as stupid hats.

#Jay can talk :0 #@KilljoyJay #Me and my sister #Star wars #Star Wars legends #Orbalisks #Star Wars Review

[sirotras]

saw black/white dyes on the gtn going for waaaay lower than usual (at least i think??) so i went ahead and got one for rila and she looks so good....

#ill never be satisfied with the pale gray/dark gray dye again #rila vesyr #meredith plays swtor #spent all day doing gsi dailies and wow... never doing THAT again #i mean i do sorta want the dye schematic you can get from the reputation vendor but that requires LEGEND status and ... woof... #thats a lot of dailies #and for relatively little credits/cxp compared to other dailies #not worth it #oh fuck i forgot to check for the orbalisk belt

[thefoilguy]

Darth Bane from Star Wars: The Old Republic - Aluminum Foil Sculpture

#darth bane #bane #dark lord #sith #rule of two #dark side #ancient sith #ancient #old republic #star wars #aluminum #foil #sculpture #fanart #art #orbalisk

[time-to-shirtless-blog]

Season 3 Episode 10

TTS: 47 seconds. thats a record folks.

Starwars fact of the day: Darth Bane once was covered by Orbalisks that made him impervious to Lightsaber and Blaster Fire.

#samurai jack #aku #cartoon network #Genndy Tartakovsky #starwars #darth bane #orbalisk #lightsaber #adult swim

[darth-laeka]

Chapter 3

Finally Chapter 3 of my Fanfiction is here. It’s also available on Wattpad now (just follow this link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/285100478-the-apprentice%27s-mission-a-star-wars-fanfiction ) 

Of course I will always update her. Have fun: // Please workZannah thought, as she ignited the lightsaber. // 

The blades ignited in the dawn which made the dark shade of glowing red that Zannah had always associated with blood way more aesthetic. The lightsaber radiated pure power, the young apprentice was almost hypnoticed by it.When Zannah finally looked at Bane he seemed almost proud. "Well done, Zannah." he said pleased. "Thank you." Zannah hestiated for a second. "Master I have read so much about lightsaber fighting and already trained with a stick. Would you give me the honor of a sparring duel?" Bane nooded while he took his lightsaber from his belt. "I hoped that you'd ask." Zannah started with throwing herself forward, trying to cut off his right arm. It was an attempt that was guaranteed to fail. Without effort Bane could block his apprentice and step after her. Although Zannah wasn't completely trained in the force, she could still feel his intention and was able to make a flick-flack to avoid his kick that could have broken at least some of her ribs. Bane followed her step by step. When she tried to swing her lightsaber to meet his, he pressed it back with the force, so she couldn't hurt him and he would have time to defeat her.  The dark lord could have fought his apprentice with way more aggression, but he didn't. It was not his intention to hurt or kill her. This was sparring, and it was there for training. And it was Zannah's first fight. No need to scare her off.  Zannah was currently very busy, trying to get rid of his force grip around her lightsaber. With an aggressive scream she kicked after his foot. It didn't hurt him, or even infiltrate his orbalisk armor, but it distracted him long enough that Zannah could break free from the invisible force grip around her lightsaber and bring it above her head to strike. But Bane was faster.Now it was a fight for his dignity and the orbalisks helped him to make it personally. He threw himself onto his student who could only avoid physical contact with a swing of her lightsaber. But now he had her where he wanted her. Arm streched, with the lightsaber in it. No protection- she wouldn't be able to use her double saber fast enough, if she didn't want to hurt herself. Time seemed to slow down. He grabbed her coarse on her wrist, which made her squirm. He felt the fear that flooded threw her, when he turned it and forced her to drop the lightsaber. In a fluent motion he let go of her wrist, turned her body until her back was pressd against his upper body- his ignited lightsaber only inches away from her neck. Zannah didn't move. She breathed heavily and Bane could still feel her fear. He turned off his lightsaber and let her go. Her fear calmed rapidly, and she grabed her lightsaber from the ground. "You either need to hide your fear, or control it more. Every Jedi would have felt it immediately, I don't want to imagine how fast Lyl Nox would find you if you acted like that when you are in the city." Zannah pressed her lips together, she hated it when her master talked to her like that. Like she was still a child. "You are a child, Zannah. Just because you are a Sith apprentice doesn't mean that you are special in any kind." Zannah hung her lightsaber on her belt. She had made an extra clew on it so she could put it everywhere she wanted. "Yes master," she finally answered, after she felt Bane's impatience- he barely tried to hide it. "Now come on. Before you decided that you have to feel special, I wanted you to send you on a mission. I still plan that, but now we have to hurry up with our planning." Zannah's head snapped up. "A mission?," everything Bane had said was forgotten. A mission. A mission. A mission!He had never send her on a real mission before. "What will it be about?," she aksed excited."Tomorrow on Centaxday I want you to go to the town and look up reservations for ship flights out of here. In one year you'll go to Dantooine," he hesitated for a moment, "In the Jedi Enclave, you will search for the plans which will lead you to an old Sith relict. It won't be easy for you, but it's not impossible. You'll have the name of a Padawan who you impersonate for the time you are there. But I need to warn you. The plans won't just lie there like normal information. They are all hidden in archieves which can only be opened by Jedi Masters. So you probably have to stay there for some time and wait until they open it. We are going to train harder than we ever have. You need to be 100 per cent able to hide your thoughts and your Sith aura. If not, it will probably end deadly. For both of us." "Yes master. If I may ask. What Sith relict?" Bane looked at her. Then he went to his tent. A bit lost Zannah looked around, not sure what to do. A moment later he came out again, a book in his hand. "It's not a Sith Holocron, but it's also not not a Sith Holocron. It's a rectangle and in it is an alternative version of the Sith teachings. I decided to search for it and let you bring me all the books about it. And now I am sure it that the only map to find it, is on Dantooine. Now, something else. You will be completely alone as soon as you leave Ambria. It's to dangerous to make contatct. I can't help you. If you fail, it will be final."  "I am aware of that."  Bane nooded. "Alright then. Let the training begin."

A/N: I am so sorry babes, I know that I promised, that this chapter will be longer :/ But now the action starts! I have already started to write Chapter Four and it will be really cool, I promise! And again sorry that this is so long, the knew Chapter is already longer so it will be longer. I still hope that you liked this one.

#Darth Zannah #i am in a darth bane phase again #Darth Bane #fanfiction #fanfic #star wars

[oh-no-eu-didnt]

Darth Bane was a human Sith Lord whose survival of the New Sith Wars ensured the survival of the Sith. A tough and intelligent man, Bane created the Rule of Two, determining that there should never be more than two Sith in the galaxy. Bane was covered in orbalisk spores, which grew an organic shell over his skin that protected him. His actions allowed the Sith to survive for a millennium before their victory over the Jedi.

Source: Legacy 5 - Broken, Part 4 (2006)

First Appearance: Star Wars Gamer 3 - Bane of the Sith (2001)

#darth bane #sith #new sith wars #rule of two #jedi #star wars comics #dark horse comics #star wars #expanded universe #star wars canon #star wars legends

[lorerunner]

Would you rather jump into a sarlaac pit our have an orbalisk parasite (the ones darth bane had attached to him) attached to your chest?

I mean those both sound horrible but I’d take the orbalisk.

[blackkatmagic]

There's always the probably-created-by-sith-alchemy Orbalisks, but parasitic killer insects really isn't something I like to contemplate for too long. On the other hand something like a fog that dampens the force a bit could be cool. Not block it entirely but make it shrink to the immediate area and prevent impressions from being left, so a jedi is suddenly as clueless about the horrors that might occur as anyone else. Worst enemy is their own imagination then, and possibly whatever is out there

That’s definitely a good one to go with. 

#roedusk #kat answers

[inyri]

@swtorpadawan said: Orbalisk armor??? Damn. She's hard core!

There’s a story there: my very first 501st Legion costume was a Nightsister, and my first troop after the convention where I got approved was a Fourth of July parade. I was new to the group and didn’t really know anyone, but I show up in kit and facepaint at the muster area and start looking around for what to do- and there’s this guy standing in the tent doing a costume repair on a suit of orbalisk armor.

Yup. The first person I met at that troop was Thomas, the “original” Darth Bane costumer. So Vasha’s outfit is a bit of a shout out to him.

#swtor #star wars costuming #that kit is so cool in person

[vincentvallo]

The Rule of Two" Manifested: 4/18/2017 Medium: India Ink& Brush Artist's Note: If you're familiar with Darth Bane and Darth Zannah, then you can see why the Dark Lord himself installs the Rule of Two: one Master and one apprentice. This reformed tradition have ensured its survival compare to the previous Sith Order. I don't know what to expect once Disney's touches the Old Republic, but I think they will do justice. At any rate, I had fun drawing Darth Bane's helm. I also tried to be a little creative his Darth Zannah's Vambrace to slightly reflect her master's Orbalisks Armor. It could be better, but I have to move on to the next art. I might draw these pairs again, though. "Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it."―Darth Bane

#star wars #star wars legends #sith #sith order #the rule of two #darth bane #darth zannah #orbalisks armor #art #my art #drawing #ink #india ink #lightsaber

[legendsofthegffa]

Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil Review

By Z.H. Brown

Darth Bane’s time as Dark Lord of the Sith is drawing to a close; his body has begun to decay from a life-time of abuse and dark side usage but his apprentice, Darth Zannah seems reluctant to challenge her master for the title of Sith Master. In an attempt to find some way to extend his own life, Darth Bane will become caught up in a web of revenge decades in the making and come face-to-face with his past and his destiny. This Sith trilogy concludes with Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil.

After his near death experience, being removed of his orbalisk armor, and nearly being revealed to the Jedi, Darth Bane and his apprentice Darth Zannah have once again retreated into hiding, this time posing as a wealthy pair of reclusive siblings. Bane has noticed that his body has begun to show signs of weakening due to his hard life and reliance upon the dark side. While Zannah has noticed her master’s deteriorating condition, she is unsure if he is actually weak, or merely trying to lull her into a false sense of security to see if she will step up and attempt to claim the mantel of Sith Lord for herself; in the meantime, she is content to continue waiting. Bane, however, fears for the future of his order if his first apprentice is apparently unwilling to challenge him; as such, he has been searching for a Holocron belonging to an ancient Sith Lord rumored to posses the secret to eternal life.

Bane gets a lead on the Holocron, and sends Zannah off on a mission to keep her busy while he goes to retrieve his prize; Zannah is sent to find someone who killed a Jedi on a distant world. By the will of the Force, this world is also home to the daughter of Caleb, the healer who saved Bane’s life twice before and was butchered by Zannah. The girl is now the royal princess, and after she learns about the possibility of the Sith surviving, has her bodyguard hire an assassin to track him down and bring him to her. Zannah meanwhile locates a Dark Jedi named Set, who while far from an ideal candidate for an apprentice, does posses enough power and ambition to make Zannah believe that she might have found someone to train so that she can finally replace Bane as Dark Lord of the Sith.

Bane retrieves the Holocron and forces the secret of essence transfer from it, giving him the ability to shed his physical form in order to posses another. However, upon his return home he is ambushed by the hired assassin, a Force-sensitive known simply as The Huntress. Bane is taken alive back to the princess so she can exact vengeance for her father’s death and ensure the Sith are permanently destroyed. Zannah and her would-be-apprentice discover a clue to Bane’s location and go to find him so Zannah can eliminate him, though along the way she begins to have doubts about her apprentice’s worthiness. 

As the princess begins to torture Bane, her bodyguard becomes aware that they served together in the Sith army before Bane discovered he could control the Force. Torn between her loyalties, she slips Bane an antidote that will allow him to recover enough of his sense to escape, though hopefully after she has gotten the princess to safety. The Huntress, meanwhile, has become infatuated with Bane’s power, and wishes to become a true Sith. Zannah and Set also locate Bane’s prison and split up so that Zannah can face her Master alone, while Set watches their ship; however, Set senses the presence of a Holocron and sneaks away to acquire it for himself before abandoning his would-be Master.

Bane manages to break free (though without his lightsaber) and the princess triggers the prison to self-destruct in a final attempt to kill him before she escapes. Her bodyguard and Bane’s former comrade confronts the Dark Lord and tries to get him to swear of killing the princess before she is struck down by Zannah as she attempts to kill her master. Their battle is cut short however by the exploding prison, forcing Zannah and Bane to find separate means of escape. Bane comes across The Huntress, who returns his lightsaber and his personal Holocron to him and submits herself as his new student; in an effort to prevent his exsitance from being discovered, his first task is for The Hunbtress to find the princess, who is hiding in her old home on Ambria. After her death, Bane commands the assassin to stay out of the fight that is to come, and to swear to serve whoever emerges victorious, which she agrees to. 

Zannah arrives and agrees to accept The Huntress as her apprentice if she wins. Darth Bane and Darth Zannah then begin their final battle, with Bane unleashing dark side energy and a furious barrage of lightsaber strikes while Zannah holds him off in an effort to strike him down with Sith sorcery. Zannah manages to weaken Bane with magic just enough to strike at his mind, which Bane takes as an opportunity to attempt to posses Zannah. After their battle of wills, Zannah emerges as Dark Lord of the Sith and takes The Huntress, now known as Darth Cognus as her apprentice; and so, a new era in the Rule of Two begins.

When I first read Dynasty of Evil, it was my least favorite of the trilogy; I missed the inter-Sith and Jedi/Sith politics of the previous two, not to mention all the lightsaber fighting that went on. While I enjoyed it more this time around, it still feels like more of a wrap-up then a conclusion, if that makes any sense. Of course, since this is just one small piece of the Sith saga, I suppose it is more appropriate for it to tie up loose ends rather than serve as a grand finale to a long-running story. Still, the final battle between Bane and Zannah did give me vibes of Obi-Wan and Maul’s last battle, in which two masters are trying to find the quickest means of winning the fight, as opposed to Obi-Wan and Anakin’s duel, which was more a case of unstoppable force meets immovable object. 

Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil is a satisfying conclusion to one of the best trilogies in the Star Wars Legends library. Anyone looking to find out more about the history of the Sith prior to the films, anyone looking to get into Legends stories for the first time, or really anyone looking for a good story about a villain protagonist need to pick up the Darth Bane trilogy. Next time, we continue our look at the Sith with another of the most lauded works in Legends, and one that I have been looking forward to reading for a very long time: Darth Plagueis.

 Connections to the GFFA

The Holocron Bane pursued belonged to Darth Andeddu, who was supposedly the first Sith to use the ‘Darth’ title; this Holocron later winds up in Darth Tyranus’ possession.

Doan, the planet where Bane is held prisoner, gets spice supplies from Kessel.

Jedi Master Thon and his attempt to purify the planet Ambria by concentrating the dark side into a single lake prior to the Great Sith War is mentioned.

Bane notes that he recorded his own Holocron’s avatar while he was still bonded with his orbalisk armor, something we do indeed see when it is used by Darth Krayt over a thousand years later. 

This is more of a personal irritant, but post-Ruusan Reformation the Jedi believe the Sith only care about conquest and destroying their enemies, where as Dark Jedi are only concerned with their own power and desires; this seems like an distinction to me, as plenty of Sith have pursued both power and pleasure.

Another aside, but this line really stuck out to me in our current day and age: “It was always easier to make people accept a lie that they hoped and wished for.” A-fucking-men.

Final Score: 7.5/10

#star wars #star wars legends #star wars novels

[roedusk]

Maalraas Pt 1 (Knol and Savage)

So... yeah, this isn’t near done yet, but here’s the first bit of my idea for Knol that turned out to fit Knol picking up Savage as a decent guardian.  Inspired by a comment by pretzel-log1c over on blackkatmagic’s tumblr.  All spelling and grammar errors are mine.

Edit: I realized I should probably put a warning here for the existence of the parasitic Orbalisks and my attempts at medical care, including blood. I didn't go far enough into either to freak myself out but they are involved.

- - - - - - - - - -

There’s a hostility in the air on Onderon that Knol hasn’t felt anywhere else.  A part of it is the people, already vicious in their city’s endless fight against encroaching nature, now faced with a droid army poised to wipe them out in turn.  Another source is the world itself, where all nature outside of Iziz’s carefully slashed borders is violent and full of predators that can take down men with modern weapons.  Not exactly an environment that breeds conservationists.  Even the separatist droids, capable of standing against Iziz’s militias, find themselves repeatedly overwhelmed by the planet’s native inhabitants.

And then there’s Dxun.

There have always been rumors about Onderon’s moon, locked into the history of the planet as it is and home to all of Onderon’s worst monsters.  The Temple archives have oblique references to it in the oldest files.  Mentions of an assault from Onderon's moon, and the many Jedi who died preventing it.  There’s more in the restricted archives.  Sith holocrons speak of it as a site of potent dark side energy, and breeding ground of monsters perfectly predisposed for use in sith alchemy.

Knol is here chasing rumors of an ancient Sith stronghold, long since fallen into ruin.  A tomb perhaps, or maybe a temple, but definitely an ancient stronghold of the Sith.  It’s the real reason for the Seperatist presence on Onderon, and they’ve been preparing all spring for an assault on the moon, just as soon as the two spheres shifted into alignment.

Threads discovered by Clan Nari spies have led her here, too late to stop the assault, but not late enough that she can’t infiltrate the fortress first and remove anything they might be after.  Thankfully the local wildlife and the droids have been taking each other out, leaving her to make her way towards the fortress more or less unimpeded.  Even more than Onderon this moon makes her fur itch, instincts constantly warning that the jungle is hiding millions of predators of all sizes, plant and animal alike, sizing up an easy bothan meal.  And while she’ll never be an easy meal she’s learned long ago not to dismiss her instincts.  Many Jedi might see fight-or-flight as a chemical bias factor but for her the force works though instinct the same as it does everything else.

Knol would have died long ago if she stopped heeding it.

There’s an itch at the base of her skull that follows her but for once leaning on the force doesn’t reveal her watchers, just a squadron of droids sweeping the jungle nearby.  They’re wielding blasters and flamethrowers, hardly a threat of the kind to make her hair stand on end, and not close enough to stumble on her by accident.

There’s a search pattern they’re following, however, and if she uses that she can guess where she needs to go.  

It's good enough for a start at least.  Only three quarters of the moon left to rule out.  The eyes on her back fade as she makes her way around the droids, eventually disappearing entirely.  One less predator after her on a moon where even the plants try to eat you.

- - - - - - - - - -

As she scales low-lying branches, making her way through the least hostile trees, Knol slowly learns the force presences of the predators around her.

Bloodsap she learns first, needing to make sure she doesn't lean too long on a plant whose leaves and bark will try to drain her through her skin.  The Sugarleaves are safer, their sweet-smelling leaves the true trap, leaving their stone-hardened bark a safe landing zone.  Among fauna are the herds of Cannoks, terrorizing anything they can overwhelm and dying to everything else.  She can easily outwit them with a force trick easily enough, the herd would rushing off together after prey only one of them even saw.  The oversized Boma aren't so easily distracted but far simpler to simply spot and avoid.  The airborne Skreev circle the upper branches, looking for clearings with Bomu or Cannoks where they can dive down and spear themselves a meal before fleeing.  Sticking to the treeline kept her out of their way, and the single Drexl that flew overhead was happy to snatch up the Skreev eyeing her rather than the significantly smaller bothan meal.

And yet, every now and then the fur at the base of her skull will stand up, though there's nothing she cand sense in the force.  Her silent watchers are wary, never venturing close or closing in for the kill, and they always remain behind when she moves on.  

There'd been rumors in the ancient archives of Force-hunters, beasts who cloaked themselves with the Force and used it to sense their prey.  Presumed to be a sith bioweapon gone native then extinct in the pressures of the Dxun environment.  Knol was beginning to suspect they weren't nearly as extinct as she'd like.

Still, cloaked watchers or not, she was getting closer.  While the droids scout every square inch of the jungle, fighting strangling vines and varyingly deep pools of water the whole way, Knol turns her steps towards the faint increase of darkness in the distance.

But she needed to hurry.  Even without any ability to sense the Force the battledroids will eventually find the temple themselves.  It just might take longer than they'd like to navigate the jungle on the way there.

A search unit is stalled at the edge of a mini-swamp when Knol lands in their midst.  Before the droids can react the bothan is spinning into battle. The two guard units with blasters going down first, taking just enough time for the rest of the droids to level their flamethrowers at her.  After that it's a simple matter of spinning the fire out of her way with one hand while using the other to strike down each droid in turn.

In the silence that follows the feeling of eyes intensifies.  The force swirls around her still, the last of the fire dissipating in her palm, but revealing nothing of her newest watcher.  And reaching out with a more direct pulse does nothing but make the feeling peak.  Knol eyes her surroundings for a moment longer, still seeing nothing out of place, before deciding an attack still isn't imminent and sheathing her lightsaber.  This time, however, the watcher follows her when she sets out.  Every now and then she thibjs she can hear a paw hitting water, or claws digging into bark for purchase, but the monster stalking her steps remaines otherwise undetectable.

The next group of droids she funds between her and the growing darkness falls like the first.  The third group is larger and more concentrated in flamethrower droids.  A few moments into the fight there's a low snarl and one of the blaster droids around the edge goes down before it can shoot her in the back.  There are massive teeth marks on the droid's head, and clawmarks where the invisible beast tore the chassis open to finally lay it low.

Still, the creature has yet to make a move against her.  And it probably doesn't prefer droids for food over Bothan.  Knol stretches her senses again, considering every corner of the clearing.  But the monster remains hidden and all she gets for her troubles is a headache and a vague sense of motion that quickly slips away from her again.

There's something following her, she's certain of it now.  And yet, trying to lean into that primal part of the force, the one making the fur on the back of her neck stand up, proves fruitless.  

With a huff Knol turns to continue towards the growing shadow, when there's suddenly a low growl and a sizeable presense behind her.  She spins, lightsaber already activating, then looks up.  The creature is a third again her height and easily five times her length, but it's standing out of range of her blade, teeth bared as it rumbles, but making no other move to attack.

Cautiously she reaches out with the Force, and is startled when the monster pushes back.  A tug on her force presence, and she can see flickering images of a monsterois beast, covered in glittering armor and radiating pure dark.  One living in exactly the dirrection she was headed.

Knol blinks, reaching out to the beast before her again, studying it even as it prods her in return.  There's a force bond there, recently torn, and running mental fingers over it gives her flashes of fire, a cub's death scream and glittering black droids.  The droids, while not radiating the force, had the same disquieting feeling in the beast's imoressions as the glittering armor of the dark mountain she'd been heading for.  Prodding that thought with a question gets her a huff and a series of impressions of a parasitic beetle, to be killed as soon as they were discovered near the den lest they multiply and take over, devouring tree and animal alike.

Knol grimmaces at the dark side radiating from the insects in the monster's memories.  Reaching out to her surroundings she finds she can sense them now, slowly overwhelming the monster she had been heading towards.  A Zakkeg, from what she had researched, but one slowly being devoured from the outside in, and as such wearing an impenetrable hide not even lightsabers could cut through.  And she'd thought the records of Orbalisks were creepy before she bumped into them.  An Orbalisks encased Zakkeg, definitely something to avoid.

Warning successfully delivered, the monster cloaks again, but this time Knol finds she can sense just a sliver of its presence, make out just a hint of its outline.  Prodding at it with the force reveals nothing more, but it occasionally prods her back.  There's an echo in it's attention of a curious cub, always prodding it for answers, and Knol finds herself carefully separating the monster's desire to handle-the-threat, kill-droids from her own.

No longer tracing the Orbalisk's darkside presence, Knol finds she still has some idea of where to go.  There are two smaller darkside presences not much further on.  Ones she had previously dismissed due to the strength and proximity of the Obalisk infected Zakkeg.  Both are smoother, less piercing of a call,  and at the same time more disguised, distinct from the scattered Orbalisks she can sense now that she knows what to look for.

But to get to them she'll need to pass through a bog teeming with the parasitic beetles.  Knol frowns, studying the scattered pillbug shells arrayed before her, not wanting to risk the water, seeing them scuttle through it at concerning speed.  But the Bloodsaps ahead of her have hints of darkness sheltered in their withering leaves, Orbalisks happy to drain the plants trying to drain them in turn.

The Sweetsap beneath her feet is unaffected, though, dead beetles littering the ground below, clearly incompatible with its acidic sap.  And an impatient tug on her force presence means her stalker would much rather her take the long way around, sticking to safe trees, rather than contemplating racing with death.

Knol chuckles under her breath at the admonishment, surprisingly similar to the complaints of her fellow Jedi on the rare occasions she had to work together.

Following the Sweetsap around the clearing leads them through a lighter patch, trees swaying ahead of her as her stalker moves invisibly from tree to tree.  Then Knol turns away from the prescribed path, forcing her watcher to shift into following again, the waters below grew more and more deadly as dormant Orbalisks sense her force presence and beging waking in a sea of dark stars around her.  All very interested in sinking their teeth into that beconing life.  But the trail of Sweetsaps continue, happily devouring the insects that devour everything else, allowing so Knol and her stalker to make it to the far side of the bog without incident.

The trees are thinner here, interrupted by unforgiving rock and intense winds.  Ahead of them is both the towering Sith Mausoleum Knol has been searching for, and the Sith Apprentice that has been searching for it.

The Zabrak clearly senses her, head jerking towards her as he struggles against his own limbs.  On the com by his head Dooku follows the movement, eyes widening slightly as he spots her.  Then he tilts his head in greeting.

"Master Ven'nari. It would appear the rumors of your untimely death were greatly exaggerated."

"Not everyone loves the spotlight as much as you do, Count." Knol rolls her eyes, just to see the proper bastard's eyebrow twitch.  Her cover's truly blown now, might as well make the most of it.

Dooku scoffs at her grin, "I suppose some are happy to settle for obscurity."  Then he frowns.  "I suppose I must consider that the others on your mission might have survived as well."

Knol shrugs dismissively. "Wouldn't know, I wasn't there to make friends, Count.  Saw my chance to sneak away - while still buying those reckless bastards a little time to complete the mission - so I took it."

"And no doubt stripped whatever information you could find on the base's computers for your home planet's paltry spy network.  Perhaps the Separatist cause would be better served taking your people down before any more damage can come of it."

"Shouldn't you be more worried about your own people?" Knol asks, giving the Zabrak on the ground a pointed glance. "Sunshiny Stripes isn't looking so good there."

Dooku scoffs, "I have no intention to bargain for the life of a mere apprentice. Under normal circumstances were he unable to defeat you and return to me he would be unworthy of my continued tutelage.  However, he recently fell afoul of the native Orbalisks insects. Once attached any means of killing the insect in question releases a fatal dose of an incurable toxin into the host's bloodstream."  Dooku sighs, shaking his head at the broken insectoid remains laying beside the still struggling Zabrak. "He'll be dead within the hour.  A pity, I had great hopes he would prove more obedient than my previous padawan."

"Whoever let you be a teacher clearly never saw you with kids," Knol muses acidly.  "They always end up dying in some horrible way."

Dooku's eyes flash. "You would do well to watch your mouth, Jedi."

But Knol isn't paying attention to him anymore.  Instead entire attention is locked onto the rapidly approaching shadow of a Drexl.

"Know what? Call you back sometime," the bothan quips, using the Force to snap the holo-disk into the drexl's eyes and sending it careening into the trees at the clearing's edge, only a short ways beyond the Sith's ship.

Before she can finish snatching up her lightsaber there's a snarl and the stalker lunges past.  Still cloaked, she can only spot it as it smashes into the Draxl's side, knocking the oversized I sect back to the ground as it tries to stand.  

There's a split second where Knol's only impulse is to run, just leave the Sith to die and the monsters to fight it out.  She's dismissing it before it even finishes forming, however.  Not like she'd be a very good Jedi if she couldn't be a better person than Dooku.

Her lightsaber's heavy in her hand, but the stalker is winning without her hekp, and beside her the Zabrak is still struggling to rise in spite of Dooku's words to the contrary, the force singing his frustration and pain.  Fear too, but buried by something like resignation even as he keeps fighting for breath.

Knol pulls him off the ground, with the help of a force pull, and all but throws the taller sentient over her shoulders to keep him upright.  The pain radiating off him intensifies, but there's a surge of startled gratitude as well, so she figures it's fine.

"Come on, big guy, let's get you somewhere a little safer."

Which, really, can only mean the ship.  She'll have to put searching the temple on hold for now.  But seeing as she's leaving with a Sith in custody Knol's pretty sure she has time for a detour.

The Drexl is wailing now, bleeding from several gouges and only able to track the smaller monster when it lands a blow.  A part of Knol's still tempted to step in, help the monster that's been following her this whole time.  But she knows this is the only chance she'll have to get the Sith to safety, and that makes sealing the loading ramp shut easier..

It's clearly one of Dooku's personal crafts, with real wood paneling and fancy upholstery on the pilot seat.  Knol tosses the injured apprentice onto the fancy bed and doesn't regret the bloodstains for a moment.

"Stay calm and stay put," she orders when he seems ready to start struggling again. "Try to keep the poison from spreading any faster while I get us out of here."

Then she activates the anti-turbulence field on the bed and sprints over to the ship controls.  Only, there's no armaments she can find, only a handful of micro tractor/repulsor beam generators along the nosecone.  An unarmed ship? For a mission to Dxun? Really?

At least the tractor beam generators meant the nosecones were reinforced.  Firing up the engine Knol takes a moment to reach out into the Force where her stalker should be and project her intent.  Then she lifts off just far enough to spin the ship and ram the Drexl in the side.  

Fed up with this assault the airborne predator turns and throws itself airborne, limping away and skyward as it retreats into the sunset.  There's a rush of satisfaction from below, at overcoming the predator and protecting the cubs.  And for a moment Knol can almost place the stalker's outline through the viewport.

Then the trees sway and it's gone.

Probably off to hunt some Cannoks in the post-battle high, she figures.  She wishes her monster quick success, turns the ship skyward, and lifts off.

Once safely out of the shared Onderon/Dxun atmosphere Knol weighs her options.  There's no telling how much of the ship is bugged, or even how Dooku is tracking it.  Any hyperspace coordinates she types in might well have an armada waiting for them when they arrive, but it can't be helped.  Not like she can trade favors for a half-priced cabin on a spacer's ship with a near-dead Zabrak slung over her shoulder.

Medical attention has to come first, though.  So she leaves the ship orbiting Dxun and wanders back into the cabin.  The Zabrak isn't responding anymore, his force presence staying pained and unconscious when she tries poking at his mind to make sure.

There's some just-as-likely-to-kill-you-as-help antitoxin in the fold-out medical suite.  And one of those expensive nutrition replacers for rich folks who don't want to worry about what they're eating.  Knol reads the instructions on the side, then shrugs and gives him the maximum 2 doses.  If he's lucky the degradable nanites will rewrite some of the toxin into nutrients before dissipating, and if not they'll at least clean up some of the cell-damage byproducts.  By the time she needs to worry about if the nanites are really biodegradable he should either be dead or recovering.

Beyond that she needs to find the injury and see if there's anything left she can drain before it gets into the bloodstream.  Easier than she expected to find, too, from the spreading black spot on the duvet below Sunshine's shoulder.  Rolling him onto his side for a better look she finds torn armor and flesh, including a bite wound and a separate injection wound wound.  Fortunately neither the mandibles nor the stinger were left in the injuries, so hopefully the poison sack was removed when the beetle was ripped out.  Plus she doesn't have to dig them out with her bootknife, win-win.

But other than that it looks like there isn't much left for her to do.  The bite has stopped bleeding, being mostly torn flesh, and the stinger wound has shifted from black ichor to red blood.  Knol doesn't actually know if black striped Zabrak bleed some other color but red is standard for Zabrak that she's aware of.

There's a blood bag in the medical cabinet, but it's labeled human male, and Knol doesn't know enough to feel like risking it yet.  Still, the bleeding could kill her guest even if the poison doesn't.   So she wipes down the shoulder as best she can then pads it with bacta and gause before securing the arm to the Sith's chest and immobilizeing the shoulder.

As an afterthought she shifts the Sith up off the soiled duvet, stripping it off the bed before arranging him more comfortably on the sheets below.  Next she decides to strip the armor, piling it in a corner of the droid recharging station along with anything else in the cabin she wanted out of the Sith's reach.

He doesn't appear to have a lightsaber, or any weapon at all really.  Knol wonders idly if she left it behind in Dxun or if he'd lost it somewhere before she arrived.  Not like she was going to go looking for it either way, as long as it's not in some secret compartment on the ship where he can grab it and try a sneak attack.

Right after he wakes up from being near-fatally poisoned feeling like he likes his odds.

Knol finishes up by tossing the spare duvet in the closet over her guest, then heads back towards the cockpit. Sitting back in the padded pilot's chair Knol revisits the question of where to go.  The ship is almost certainly traceable, a locator beacon at minimum.  As Sith Dooku likely trusts his apprentice about as far he can throw him, and then only because using the force proves he can still overcome the younger man.

So she can't risk taking the ship to any op-fronts, not to mention the complications the Sith himself brings up.  Sunshine needs medical attention, the sooner the better.  But there's a chance he might also kill everyone involved in helping him when he wakes up, if Dooku doesn't show up to massacre them first.

Knol wants him to live in spite of Dooku's predictions.  Wants to snatch him out from under the former Jedi's nose and rub it in that he survived after Dooku decided to abandon him.  But she wasn't willing to risk a hundred lives or more to saving a single enemy.

So, no op-fronts.  Or any of the safehouses.  And no medical stations or facilities in major cities.

With a sigh she selects Manaan, hoping one of the floating spaceports will have an offworlder medical facility.  Then if the Sith tries anything he can just drown.

The glow of the universe streaming by mocks her.  It will be hours before they arrive. The Zabrak might well be dead before they even land.  And if Dooku follows them to Manaan she'll be putting the entire planet at risk just by being there.

The jungle was simple compared to this, at least there the worst that could happen was an agonizing death.  Not the destruction of millions by a petty warlord seeking retribution on a single Jedi.  She faked her death for a reason, and now that anonymity was all down the drain.

Reaching out she gingerly tapped the ball of agony that was Sunshine's force presence.  Still unconscious but he was alive, and still breathing.  A faded impression of a stalker cub, screaming in pain as it dies to flamethrower droids, refuses to leave her mind.

Knol sighes and moves to the loading chamber to work through some katas.  She needs to get her thoughts back under control before the Sith wakes up.

- - - - - - - - - -

They're a little over halfway to Manaan when a flash of terror stabs through the ship.  Anger follows it, bordering on fury, and a bitter sense of confusion.

Rolling her eyes the Bothan lowers her saber and heads for the cabin, wanting to cut that train of thought off before any revenge plots can get off the ground.  But when she steps inside the anger fades slightly, Sunshine blinking up at her as though he expected someone else.

Probably Dooku, actually, what with this being his ship and all.

Knol stalks up beside the bed with a teeth-baring stage smile.  "Nope, no self importance Counts here.  You remember who I am, Sunshine?"

The Zabrak's brow wrinkles as he squints at her.  Then he manages a jerky nod.

"You're the Jedi," He decides.  "The one on Dxun.  Where…?"

"On the way to Manaan to find you a medical facility.  You remember getting poisoned?"

A grunt, then the Sith nods again.  "Yes.  The Orbalisks.  The temple was empty and overrun.  I managed to avoid all but one, yet that was enough." He meets her gaze steadily. "You should have left me to die."

"What?" Knol demands, fur ruffling at the thought. "Because you would have, or something?" There's no self-recrimination in the injured Sith, no hatred that would mean he would rather have died than be rescued by her, just a smooth sort of certainty.

"I am your enemy," he replies. "I killed Jedi on Devaron on Dooku's orders.  Preserving an enemy life will only cause more death."

"And you're a good apprentice who always follows orders," Knol rolls her eyes at the thought.

"Yes," the Sith agrees, the honesty in the force starting her.  "The Nightsisters did not wish for me to question once they empowered me."

Knol's eyes narrow in the silence that follows, not liking the implications.  The Sith seems to sense her discomfort, regarding her unblinkingly through glowing yellow eyes.

"And if the Nightsisters ordered you to betray Dooku?" Knol asks, her ears curling back.

"I would obey," the Sith replies.  A hesitation, then he continues, "When she ordered me to kill my little brother I obeyed."

Well, shit.

There's a hollow in the force at that admittance.  And echo where there should be an emotion but nothing comes of it.  It's terrifying, unnatural, and Knol would bet that Sunshine knows it as well.

She reaches towards him on impulse, hesitates, then rests a hand on his uninjured shoulder.

"I know some people who might be able to help with that." She tells him firmly.  "Let's get you to Manaan, then I'll see what I can do to track them down."

There's gratitude at that, and a faint, fragile hope.  But the Sith still meets her eyes squarely.

"Should Dooku wish to take me back I will go with him."

And, scrap.  That means there's something bigger going on, some plan of the Nightsisters' involving a pawn bound to Dooku's service.  Knol is suddenly grateful the Zabrak's communicator never made it off Dxun.  As it is she's going to have to deconstruct the holotable in the lounge in case, no point making the Count's job any easier.

But she gives the kid her most unbothered stage-smile and a pat on the shoulder.  "We'll be on our way before he can catch up to us, no worries.  I'll handle the details, so you just focus on staying alive until we get to Manaan.  Maybe get some rest."

A nod, then Sunshine's eyes slide shut as he passes out.  Knol can already tell the stubbornness on this one is going to be intense.

She leaves him to his beauty sleep and wanders back to the loading bay.  There she sinks to her knees, gingerly rubbing her temples as she carefully raises her shields again.  Keeping herself wide open for so long was giving her a headache, but she needed to know what the force was sensing from him.  And she'd gotten everything she could have wished for and more.

What a mess.

Knol shifts back to lean against the bulkhead, closing her eyes and relaxing into the Force.

She'd need to reach out to the others for help.  Not that they'd kept in touch since Queyta.  She'd only even heard of Fay or Antilles before the mission, and only worked with Diath once.

Or, well, twice if that surprise cantina brawl counted, though it had been his attempted infiltration gone wrong and she'd only been there for a drink.

They'd talked when they met up, though.  Had to convince the cryptids to wait long enough for the temple brat the Council decided to send when Diath put in the mission request.

But they'd realized, after they finally had the mission details out of the way, that they agreed on the fundamentals.  On things the Temple seemed to have forgotten, or simply started taking for granted.  And that this mission might give them a chance to slip the noose that the Senate was slowly closing around their necks.

She hadn't lied when she told Dooku she didn't know if the others had survived.  There'd been a plan, Diath helped her death scene along, then left her there to do his part.  Knol had been the first, and when she woke up she set out to sink the fortress and make her escape.  She didn't look for the others and they didn't look for her.  For all she knows they died when the factory went down, but somehow she doubts it.

And now Knol hopes she's right because Sunshine could really use their help.

Nightsister magic, from a force cult on Dathomir she'd only read vage rumors about in the same restricted records that described Dxun.  Something that could warp and control the mind and will to such an extent…  

Master Diath might have read more of the relevant passages, obscure archives research being a hobby of his.  And he may be able to tease apart the mind altering aspects even if he hasn't studied anything like it before.  Little Tae would know where he was, if she's willing to risk the telepath around Sunshine's broken mind.  In the best case scenario he might even be able to help with the Zabrak's recovery somehow.

Fay would be better, but on a level where Knol isn't even entirely certain what she would do.  The ancient Jedi could reach in and rearrange the Zabrak's mind with no trouble at all, but what she would leave behind when she was done...?

And Knol hasn't the slightest clue where she'd even find the older Jedi, constantly wandering the furthest eddies of the Force in a way the Bothan's not sure anyone else will ever really understand.

So… leaving elder cryptid as an emergency backup plan, that makes finding Diath plan A.  And who knows, if they really need her she's sure Fay will just show up.

So, Manaan, ditch the ship, find another ride, then go grab Tae.  Kid knew enough to back out of the way during the barfight, then offered to hold her drink, even with Nico presumed dead he's probably doing alright.  He didn't even drink it, just gave it back once they were done.  No matter how bad Sunshine seems to her Tae'll probably be able to handle it.  And if he can't they'll just leave.

Course decided, Knol let herself slip fully into meditation, slowly bleeding her headache away as the stars race by.

#my fanfiction #Star Wars #Maalraas #Knol Ven'nari #Savage Opress #Dxun

[awwchive]

""She took the midnight train going anywhere"" https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/92z2gb/she_took_the_midnight_train_going_anywhere/?utm_source=ifttt

#aww #cute #adorable #reddit #Orbalisks

[jedimordsith]

Things that caught my eye: 

Orbalisks are an incredible Catch-22. They cause pain (which increases dark side energy) and feed on their host while also offering protection against Force electrical shocks and lightsabers... both of which are pretty serious and common threats for a dark sider.  

They're essentially permanent. Orbalisks release a potent toxin into the host’s body when they are removed. Which means that, theoretically, if you wanted to get rid of them you’d have to do it extremely slowly over time in a controlled environment to avoid dying...and somehow keep them from multiplying in the meantime.  

Orbalisks can inject adrenaline and other substances into host’s bodies, particularly during times of threat. Almost like having a +1 magical item in a tabletop or video game! At the same time, those chemicals could cause the host to lose control and become insane...

Also, the more world-building stuff I read the more floored I am that Mara Jade was able to hang out in a cave for like two weeks in VotF... GFFA caves are canonically STUFFED with horrible, horrible things just waiting to kill you in the nastiest ways possible!! 

#sw #gffa #world building #insects #dark side #caves #catch-22 #armor

[trendingfunnygifs]

MRW I dropped my phone in the toilet via reddit by Orbalisks

#reddit #gifs #reaction gifs #tumblr #tumplr gifs