Darth Nox: The Master of the Force (ON HOLD)

Chapter 13: Shadows of the Past

Darth Nox sat in his meditation chamber aboard the Sith Interceptor, a vessel that had served him for centuries—perhaps millennia now. The hum of the ship's engines was a faint thrum in the background, barely registering in his mind as he focused inward, letting the Force wash over him like a storm. He had left Lehon behind, the planet that had imprisoned him in time for three thousand years. The mystery of his awakening gnawed at him, driving him deeper into the Force, seeking answers to the dark whispers that had plagued him since he had opened his eyes.

HK-51 and HK-55 were in control of the ship, piloting it through the vast stretches of space toward Odessen. It was a destination that once held meaning for Nox. Odessen had been the beating heart of the Eternal Alliance, a place of power where the great factions of the galaxy had once been united under a single banner. But as with everything else, time had devoured the Alliance, erasing its existence from history. Now, Odessen was little more than a ghost of the past.

As the ship hurtled through hyperspace, Nox knelt on the floor of his chamber, his mind deep in meditation. His connection to the Force had grown sharper, more refined during his time in stasis. His senses stretched out across the void, seeking clarity, seeking purpose. The Force, however, had other plans.

The vision came suddenly, as if it had been waiting for him to let down his guard. In an instant, the familiar sensation of hyperspace melted away, replaced by something far darker.

He stood in a cave, the air cold and thick with a dampness that clung to his skin. Shadows danced along the rocky walls, twisting and writhing as though alive. In the distance, just barely within his sight, stood a figure cloaked in black, hiding behind a jagged rock. The figure's presence was barely noticeable, like a whisper carried on the wind—yet Nox felt it distinctly. Whoever this figure was, they were steeped in darkness, though they concealed themselves well.

Nox's gaze shifted past the hidden figure to two other silhouettes walking away from a cliffside, their forms obscured by the gloom. He could sense them, too. Their auras were dark, full of anger and hate, but their power was raw, unrefined. They reminded him of the acolytes on Korriban, the ones who barely survived their first few days of training before being culled by their own lack of control. These two beings, though suffused with the dark side, were weak. They felt incomplete, as though they lacked the discipline and focus needed to truly wield the power they held.

The vision shifted, and for a moment, Nox caught a glimpse of the cliff's edge. It dropped off into an abyss, endless and foreboding. Beyond it, a strange, unfamiliar planet stretched into the distance, its landscape rocky and harsh, shrouded in mist.

The scene changed again, faster this time.

Nox found himself standing in a different place entirely. The air here was warm and humid, the ground beneath him soft with lush grass. Trees, tall and vibrant, swayed gently in the breeze. It was a peaceful world, seemingly untouched by conflict, but something was wrong. Nox could feel it.

Before him stood a boy, no older than twenty-five, his eyes wild and filled with rage. The boy's family lay at his feet—lifeless. Blood stained the ground, seeping into the earth like poison. The boy trembled with fury, his breath coming in ragged gasps, and the dark side clung to him like a shadow. He was powerful, but there was an arrogance about him, a recklessness that reminded Nox of Ffon Althe, one of his early rivals during his rise to power. Ffon had been too consumed by his own hubris to realize his shortcomings—a fatal mistake that had sealed his doom. This boy... he was no different.

As Nox watched, the same cloaked figure from the earlier vision appeared again, this time lurking at the edge of the treeline, watching the boy from afar. Silent. Hidden. But present.