Two years ago on the acid rain-drenched world of Vjun, the Dark Lord Maim had almost met his end. The spiritual embodiment of former Jedi Master Ren Janggar had intervened to prevent the needless slaughter of a fellow lightsider, only to be captured by the Sith Master and turned unwillingly to the Dark Side of the Force.
Placed in a fresh clone body and renewed by the powerful Somir bloodline, Janggar was born anew as Xion.
Maim had put a spell in place to ensure that the newly anointed Sith would be devoid of any connection to the light, instead a being dripping with pure darkside power.
For nearly two years Xion was fueled by wielded his power with twisted pleasure, delving deep into the dark arts and unravelling secret magic of unimaginable terror.
However, after two years immersed in pure darkside energy Xion had become drained, his mental and physical foundations steadily crumbling at an alarming rate. One footstep away from an emergency bacta immersion, Xion was essentially on life support. Imperial staff had exhausted all options of saving him medically and even his own sith brethren had written him off. Even his superior, the head of his order, Lupercus Darksword informed him personally that if he were to die, his spirit would not carry on as his presence in the force had fallen so far he barely registered as a Sith.
Rapidly expiring and excommunicated, disgraced through his own condition, Xion was dying.
.............................
Imperial Medical Frigate ISS Janus, outskirts of the Roon System
The ISS Janus was the only life for lightyears around yet it only served to encapsulate a being who was on the brink of existence. Bearing only a skeleton crew, half of which were medical staff, and even then the majority were droids, the imperial vessel served to be nothing more than a floating coffin of lord Xion.
Attached to the end of innumerable tubes pumping fluids both in and out, the former lord lay prostrate and helpless on a medical gurney surrounded by dozens of machines beeping and twinkling out various pieces of information on the man's condition. Of course, the objects in the room did little to improve his condition, the medical treatment itself was a final, if completely hollow, gesture on behalf of the remaining sith.
And what of them, his former allies? What of his cohorts that through every malicious deed, through every ounce of his malcontent had stood by him? Where were they now?
Where were they with their spells to bring him back from the brink?
Only his apprentice, Maxor Krath had remained by his side. Unable to do anything for his dying master's condition he remained out of loyalty for the man who had brought him new life through his guidance and teachings.
"Master."
Maxor's words were soft-spoken but still echoed through the empty wards of the ship. His hand which was leaning on the handrail of Xion's bed, quivered slightly as a look of concern grew in his eyes. Xion had become almost devoid of the force, even now Maxor, the apprentice was brimming with more power than his master.
"Maxor my boy, is that you." quietly rasped Xion probing outward with his long bony fingers. Hearing and touch were about the only senses Xion could afford in his degrading state.
He managed a chuckle under his breath, "at least . . . you're still . . . here my apprentice . . . my friend. The other's have gone . . . but you . . . you're still here.
Maxor sighed deeply before drawing in a breath, "That I am, I could never leave your side master."
"You needn't coddle me, I know it was the council that sent you here."
Slightly startled, Maxor replied, "but how, I thought you felt no part of the force . . ."
"Ha!" He wheezed, "my hearing is not entirely gone my boy, I still here these medical droids gossiping everything that happens around here.
Now, I know the 'how', I still do not know or understand the 'why'.
Would you care to enlighten me?"
"I . . ."
"Out with it boy!" he rasped again.
"The council wishes your immediate . . . termination . . . sir." said Maxor, the colour draining from his features.
"And you have have been assigned this task I assume?"
"You assume correctly master, but I-"
"If you are here to end my life then I must ask you to do so now. Death's shadow has hung over me for long enough, you need not delay its blade any longer with meaningless words."
"Master, I do not wish to kill you . . .I" he paused, stuttering slightly, "I know of something that will save you."
"Bah!" scoffed Xion who after all the false cures and hopes had become repulsed by the idea, "nothing can save me now, you know that as well as I do."
"That is untrue master, the council have discovered something that will save you. However they see it as a reason for you to be destroyed, immediately. I had to come and let you know, but it will not be easy for you to hear."
The oxygen mask over Xion's mouth hissed loudly in accordance with the man's deep breath, "Go on ?"
"It was around two months ago that I had become disgusted with the council's lack of effort to help you, so I took it upon myself to find a cure. With some hired help I hacked into the mainframe of the sith database to scour for clues on a cure however I was unsuccessful, though it was searching through the database that I came across this information.
After Lord Maim posted you to the Naboo Sith Order, a concerted effort was made to keep tabs on your 'growth' as it were. A number of Sith including Lupercus Darksword were concerned that through your inherent power might become a hazard in the future, so they sought a way to reduce your abilities through magics.
Anyway, it was only recently in your weakening state that they discovered something quite startling.
As your condition continued to spiral, your connection to the dark side of the force began to fall with it. It is now almost gone completely.
However as the layers of darkness were peeled away they began to see something else in you, something that until now had been all but completely encased by a crust of dark energy."
"What are you babbling on about Maxor?" spat Xion, in confusion.
"When you became Lord Xion, the Dark Lord Maim cast a spell to rid you of your connection to the light, however instead, he simply locked it away, and for two years, there it sat surrounded by darkness, but alive nonetheless."
"What are you saying?"
"What I'm saying master, is that somewhere in you, Ren Janggar is still alive."
Placed in a fresh clone body and renewed by the powerful Somir bloodline, Janggar was born anew as Xion.
Maim had put a spell in place to ensure that the newly anointed Sith would be devoid of any connection to the light, instead a being dripping with pure darkside power.
For nearly two years Xion was fueled by wielded his power with twisted pleasure, delving deep into the dark arts and unravelling secret magic of unimaginable terror.
However, after two years immersed in pure darkside energy Xion had become drained, his mental and physical foundations steadily crumbling at an alarming rate. One footstep away from an emergency bacta immersion, Xion was essentially on life support. Imperial staff had exhausted all options of saving him medically and even his own sith brethren had written him off. Even his superior, the head of his order, Lupercus Darksword informed him personally that if he were to die, his spirit would not carry on as his presence in the force had fallen so far he barely registered as a Sith.
Rapidly expiring and excommunicated, disgraced through his own condition, Xion was dying.
.............................
Imperial Medical Frigate ISS Janus, outskirts of the Roon System
The ISS Janus was the only life for lightyears around yet it only served to encapsulate a being who was on the brink of existence. Bearing only a skeleton crew, half of which were medical staff, and even then the majority were droids, the imperial vessel served to be nothing more than a floating coffin of lord Xion.
Attached to the end of innumerable tubes pumping fluids both in and out, the former lord lay prostrate and helpless on a medical gurney surrounded by dozens of machines beeping and twinkling out various pieces of information on the man's condition. Of course, the objects in the room did little to improve his condition, the medical treatment itself was a final, if completely hollow, gesture on behalf of the remaining sith.
And what of them, his former allies? What of his cohorts that through every malicious deed, through every ounce of his malcontent had stood by him? Where were they now?
Where were they with their spells to bring him back from the brink?
Only his apprentice, Maxor Krath had remained by his side. Unable to do anything for his dying master's condition he remained out of loyalty for the man who had brought him new life through his guidance and teachings.
"Master."
Maxor's words were soft-spoken but still echoed through the empty wards of the ship. His hand which was leaning on the handrail of Xion's bed, quivered slightly as a look of concern grew in his eyes. Xion had become almost devoid of the force, even now Maxor, the apprentice was brimming with more power than his master.
"Maxor my boy, is that you." quietly rasped Xion probing outward with his long bony fingers. Hearing and touch were about the only senses Xion could afford in his degrading state.
He managed a chuckle under his breath, "at least . . . you're still . . . here my apprentice . . . my friend. The other's have gone . . . but you . . . you're still here.
Maxor sighed deeply before drawing in a breath, "That I am, I could never leave your side master."
"You needn't coddle me, I know it was the council that sent you here."
Slightly startled, Maxor replied, "but how, I thought you felt no part of the force . . ."
"Ha!" He wheezed, "my hearing is not entirely gone my boy, I still here these medical droids gossiping everything that happens around here.
Now, I know the 'how', I still do not know or understand the 'why'.
Would you care to enlighten me?"
"I . . ."
"Out with it boy!" he rasped again.
"The council wishes your immediate . . . termination . . . sir." said Maxor, the colour draining from his features.
"And you have have been assigned this task I assume?"
"You assume correctly master, but I-"
"If you are here to end my life then I must ask you to do so now. Death's shadow has hung over me for long enough, you need not delay its blade any longer with meaningless words."
"Master, I do not wish to kill you . . .I" he paused, stuttering slightly, "I know of something that will save you."
"Bah!" scoffed Xion who after all the false cures and hopes had become repulsed by the idea, "nothing can save me now, you know that as well as I do."
"That is untrue master, the council have discovered something that will save you. However they see it as a reason for you to be destroyed, immediately. I had to come and let you know, but it will not be easy for you to hear."
The oxygen mask over Xion's mouth hissed loudly in accordance with the man's deep breath, "Go on ?"
"It was around two months ago that I had become disgusted with the council's lack of effort to help you, so I took it upon myself to find a cure. With some hired help I hacked into the mainframe of the sith database to scour for clues on a cure however I was unsuccessful, though it was searching through the database that I came across this information.
After Lord Maim posted you to the Naboo Sith Order, a concerted effort was made to keep tabs on your 'growth' as it were. A number of Sith including Lupercus Darksword were concerned that through your inherent power might become a hazard in the future, so they sought a way to reduce your abilities through magics.
Anyway, it was only recently in your weakening state that they discovered something quite startling.
As your condition continued to spiral, your connection to the dark side of the force began to fall with it. It is now almost gone completely.
However as the layers of darkness were peeled away they began to see something else in you, something that until now had been all but completely encased by a crust of dark energy."
"What are you babbling on about Maxor?" spat Xion, in confusion.
"When you became Lord Xion, the Dark Lord Maim cast a spell to rid you of your connection to the light, however instead, he simply locked it away, and for two years, there it sat surrounded by darkness, but alive nonetheless."
"What are you saying?"
"What I'm saying master, is that somewhere in you, Ren Janggar is still alive."