The Rebel Faction

Power. Unlimited power. That was what any Sith sought. Hell, that was what any human being sought, whether they consciously realized it or not. The most challenging aspect in this quest was that there were many different forms of power, each of them very difficult to attain. Physical power, mental power, power through connections, power through control...

Above all, at least in his mind, was the power of knowledge. Whoever had the power of knowledge could outwit those with physical power, could outthink those with mental power, could find ways to sever connections, could break control. All you had to be was intelligent enough, in his mind.

He lived on Naboo, in some darker corner of the city of Theed. The peace helped his concentration. He owned a book shop there, not necessarily the prime local for a throne of power. But that didn't matter. It was only a way to pay the bills. It was only a way to keep him living comfortable in his search for true power.

The children of the neighborhood called him Zarko the Mad. The adults did as well, though they never said it out loud. Nobody called him anything to his face except for ‘mister’ or ‘sir’. He preferred it that way. He didn’t use his name anyway. At times he often forgot it. Zarko the Mad would do…for now.

Zarko was not a bad man. He did not kill innocents. He was not a murderer. He used the darkside in his never-ending quest for knowledge and power. He did not intend to use the power for evil works, but he was not a fool either. He knew that the darkside had ways of turning you against yourself. He knew it would devour him…eventually. He knew it was likely feeding his desire for knowledge, and without it he would likely have given up a long time ago.

Zarko could only hope that, when the time came, he would have learned enough to find a way to defeat the darkside within him. It was a long shot, of course, but it was the only chance he had. It would be the ultimate test of his knowledge. He would think and overcome or he would fail and destroy himself. It was a macabre prospect at best, with full knowledge of his chances, but it was all he had.

He was by no means a Jedi, but Zarko could not truly be called a Sith either. Dark Jedi would be the term he would use if he had to. Dark Jedi Knight, or at the level of a Dark Jedi Knight. The idea behind the word ‘Knight’ in no way described who he really was. He was a Dark Jedi Mage. A Dark Jedi Sorcerer. He dealt in the arts of magic and mental powers, both light and dark. No restrictions held him back. No Order kept him in line. He was a Dark Jedi. He was Zarko.


************


It was the third time in the past few weeks he had visited these hollowed grounds. It was truly a paradox to him, having grown up knowing only the never-ending quest for power. There was so much power here. He could feel it; he didn’t even have to concentrate. It emanated from the very walls, flowing over him and around him. The purity of it, it flabbergasted him.

So much power, and yet they use it not for any measure of importance, Zarko thought to himself, staring at the Jedi Temple, They use the Force for parlor tricks and minor displays of their power, to keep the people in line. But what about the greater powers in the galaxy? The powers they proclaim to oppose. Powers such as the Empire, or the terrorist faction lead by the infamous Brutus Nogoth. What do they do to defend their people from them? Nothing. They sit on their hands, spreading false messages of peace. There will be no peace, there never has been in the history of the galaxy. There will be only dead, and those who attempt to circumvent it.

He did not exactly fit in with the crowd. A lone figure, shrouded in a black cowl, surrounded by a sea of passersby, but no one would see him. He had made sure of that. Zarko’s skill lay within all forms of the mystical arts of Force magic, including, no, especially the art of illusion. No one would see him unless he chose to reveal himself. Not even a Jedi Master.

Hah, Jedi Master, Zarko chuckled to himself silently, I have hid myself under there very noses for how many years now? Were I to reveal myself in their midst, they would strike me down where I stood, but you can’t kill what you can’t catch.

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]They are weak. They do not deserve the power they have. Kill them.[/SIZE][/FONT]

The thought came from within his mind, but Zarko was certain it was not his own. Who then? It mattered not.

Kill them? Are you mad, whoever you are? They could strike me down without breaking a sweat. And what purpose would it serve, even if I could? I’m not a murderer.

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]To kill them all would be futile, yes. Lure one away…lure a puppy away from the pack, and when you are far enough…strike him down.[/SIZE][/FONT]

No, I don’t believe I will. Even if I did manage to get one in a secluded area, I wouldn’t want to kill him. It would serve no greater purpose. They are not my enemy.

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Consider it an…experiment. To see how far your knowledge has come. Just one, just once.[/SIZE][/FONT]

Now that you mention it…I do have a few spells I’ve been meaning to try out, Zarko mused, seemingly completely unaware that he was talking to himself, But how to lure one away?

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]We will worry about that later. For now, finding one is all you need concern yourself with.[/SIZE][/FONT]

Shouldn’t be too difficult, Zarko grinned.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Zarko reached out with the Force, creeping along at a slug’s pace as he reached out to his surroundings. Such things were dangerous, mortally dangerous. He had never until now used the Force so close to the Jedi Temple. Most efforts in improving his knowledge that required the wielding of the Force were carried out deep in the Nabooinian jungles, far away from prying eyes.

Fortunately for him, he did not have to go very far. He hadn’t expected to anyway. Standing only a few hundred yards away from the Temple itself, it was safe for him to assume that he would not have to go far to find a Jedi. The problem, he knew, was finding a suitable candidate to ‘test’ on.

A congregation of Force attuned souls passed close by. Padawans, all of them, it seemed. They were far too weak. Zarko knew he would not get to test much on them before their pathetic little bodies were engulfed in his power. He needed someone worthy to test on. He needed a Jedi Knight. Yes…but that, he knew, would likely prove to be easier said than done. The ratio of Knight to Padawan was vastly disproportionate.

But the fates seemed to smile upon Zarko this day, for almost immediately after he stretched his influence out a few meters more he came into contact with a presence…a presence, it seemed, that showed much promise. This could only be a Jedi Knight. The discipline, the skill, the harmony with the Force. And there was something else too…something vaguely…

Could he be a Sith? Zarko asked himself, Is it possible that I’ve found one of the ancient order so close to their mortal foes?

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]No, not a Sith,[/FONT][/SIZE] it was the voice again. The voice that came from within but was not his own, [FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]One who once was a Sith, perhaps. But not a Sith. This one is Jedi.[/FONT][/SIZE]

Perfect, Zark thought to himself.

He zeroed in on the presence, grinning devilishly to himself, and severed his ties to everything else around him. There was no use for it anymore, and it was already much too risky. But if he was successful…if he could lure the Knight away. It would be worth the risk…it would be most interesting.

As Zarko converged on his Knight’s course, he was surprised to find that the man was not wearing the traditional robes of the Jedi, but rather he was garbed as a civilian, almost perfectly fitting in with the crowd. Almost. This one, this possible former Sith, commanded a sense of respect and reverence. Zarko pondered probing his mind, but realized it would be too much of a risk.

Assuming position, Zarko counted down until when he would pull off, hopefully, the plan that had quickly formed in his mind. It was definitely a risk. If the Jedi Knight went to fetch aid from the Order instead of following him right out, Zarko would have to find some dark corner of the planet to hole up for a while, or possibly jump ship altogether and pick up temporary residence in some other portion of the galaxy. But if the man followed, if he could properly lure him away far enough…

Zarko grinned. It was time.

By now he had managed to place himself twenty yards in front of the Jedi Knight, who was looking right through him. And then, quite suddenly, he lifted the veil. Well, lifted the veil to the Jedi. Seeing someone appear in the middle of a street wasn’t exactly a commonplace on Naboo, and he wanted no outsiders mucking about in his business.

Jedi, he projected his thoughts into the man’s mind, You have been chosen. You will follow me. You will bring no other Jedi into this. You will not run away. If you do not comply, innocent lives will be lost this day.

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Perfect,[/FONT][/SIZE], the voice echoed in his mind, and Zarko had to agree with it.

If it was anything Zarko the Mad was good at, it was showing off.

Person upon person, street upon street, block upon block, the city of Theed spanned quite a distance. It would have been easy to lose Silus in the gargantuan crowd. Shaking his head, Zarko remembered he was not trying to lose him. He wanted the Jedi to follow him.

Amongst all the minds, it was almost enough to overwhelm those unskilled in the Force arts of the mind, but Zarko had faith in Silus’s skill. There he was, always on the edge of the man’s senses. Always close enough to follow, but far away enough to prevent an in-depth mind probing. Not that Zarko would have let him, even if he was.

This was not the first time he had encountered Jedi during his time here, though of course the Jedi then had known not his true identity, for good reason. One had to protect oneself if one was to live in the wolves’ den. Zarko had adapted to protect himself quite well over the years.

Where are we going? Silus had asked. Zarko had ignored the question at first, but then realized that it would be impolite not to respond. If anything, Zarko was polite. Of course, it wouldn’t do to tell the Jedi where they were going just yet. That would ruin the surprise.

Someplace…out of the way, Zarko finally responded, forming his words with slow precision, Beneficial for the both of us. No citizens of Naboo shall get caught in the crossfire, as I am sure would hurt you oh so deeply, and…nobody to interrupt our private little conversation, as would hurt me oh so deeply.

Zarko couldn’t help but grin to himself. He was definitely playing the part of the bad guy to the fullest. Evil was not in his nature. Zarko did not like violence. He was not a murderer, a killer. He was not a fighter. But for today, just for today, in the interest of knowledge, he was willing to make an exception…and to do that he would have to pretend to be the bad guy, even if just for a while.

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Are you quite certain you’re playing the part of the bad guy?[/SIZE][/FONT]

What kind of question is that? Zarko shot back at the voice that wasn’t really there, Of course I am. What am I doing, talking to myself anyway?

And then there was another voice. Very faint.

[FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=1]What are you doing?[/SIZE][/FONT] it asked, its tone very shy-sounding, [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=1]What are you doing? About to kill a completely innocent man? You are no murderer. You are better than this.[/SIZE][/FONT]

It is in the name of knowledge! Zarko countered harshly, I am not comfortable with it, but it must be done! It must!

[FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=1]No it doesn’t,[/SIZE][/FONT] the voice responded after a few seconds, [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=1]You know that…somewhere deep inside you. Murder is never necessary. Stop now, before its too late![/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]No! Do not listen! Do not listen![/SIZE][/FONT] the other voice from before screamed inside his head, [FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]That is the voice of hesitation! Of uncertainty! To falter now would lead to your downfall! You have already threatened this man’s life. What would you do? Tell him ‘never mind, I’ve changed my mind’? He would kill you. You must kill him first. Your presence on this planet must never been learned by the Jedi Order.[/SIZE][/FONT]

No…no, Zarko whispered, You are right. What has begun must be finished. This man…this Jedi…he must die. There is no way around that. He must die or I must. That is how it shall be.

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]We are here.[/SIZE][/FONT]

Looking up, Zarko grinned. Before him, the rain forests of Naboo.

The forests of Naboo.

How many times had he taken walks amongst these trees? Many of them spanning days, weeks even. The book store could electronically manage itself while he was gone. It usually managed itself even when he wasn’t. Yes, there was another reason he had brought them to this portion of the planet. A better reason.

Zarko knew this ground better than most citizens of Theed could even begin to fathom. It was true, the Jedi claimed to be one with their environment. But the Jedi claimed a lot of things, and Zarko had found many of them to be untrue. No, in this scenario Zarko definitely had the advantage, even more so than he normally would have.

The advantage… Zarko repeated in his mind.

And then it finally hit him, harder than any punch could have. This was no test of his abilities. The man he was about to fight to the death was a Jedi Knight. A Jedi Knight that could, quite possibly, defeat him. Zarko was sure he could take any saber wielding Jedi of equal power to him down, but how could he be sure this man was a melee fighter? He had sensed that the man was once a Sith, maybe he had a knowledge of the arcane arts of Force magick as well.

No, Zarko hissed inside his own mind, Nobody, no Jedi, knows as much as I do of the ancient Force arts of dark and arcane magic. Nobody. But…how can I be sure? How can I be completely sure? I should have planned this longer. I should have thought it through. I should have studied-

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Should have, could have, would have…[/SIZE][/FONT], the voice in his head once again came to life, [FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]There is nothing you can do about it now. This man knows you are here. He knows what you are. He may very well discover who you are. He must not be allowed to live. He is the enemy. There is nothing you can do about that now, nothing you can do but fight. Fight and win.[/FONT][/SIZE]

And if I don’t? Zarko snapped back, If he defeats me? I am as good as dead, if he does not kill me then and there. What a good use you have been. Its your fault I’m in this mess! I should have listened. I should have listened to-

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]To whom? To him? Whom?[/FONT][/SIZE] the voice snarled, quite obviously very angry, [FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]That is the voice of uncertainty. Of doubt. Of folly. Of death. You must not listen to it! It will be your demise![/FONT][/SIZE]

And you will not?! Zarko snapped in response, He didn’t get me into this mess, you did! He warned me against it! This is all your fault! I know what I must do. This Jedi. He will not survive. But after that I shall not listen to you again! You are the voice of death, my own!

Caught up in the conversation he had been having with himself, Zarko had not been paying attention to where he had been going. Realizing it only now, he found he had been wandering aimlessly through the rain forest. The Jedi would be getting curious by now. Zarko did not want to lose any of the fear he had instilled in the man he would have to kill.

Fear was his ally. Begrudgingly.

At last they came to a clearing Zarko deemed worthy of hosting their little skirmish. Hosting, that is, if all went well. If all did not…well, the rain forest itself would be their host. Zarko hoped it would not come to that, but he had the itching fear that it might. Inhaling that doubt as if it were air, he used it to strengthen him, to bolster his power in dark magick.

As the Jedi Knight Silus entered the clearing, Zarko was waiting, his back turned.

We are here, Jedi, Zarko still spoke mentally. The sound of his real voice was not something he wanted to give away so easily, just in case.

Just in case.

“Good. Now that we are here, what happens next?”

Zarko was caught slightly off guard by the question. As he thought about it, he realized he had half-expected the man to launch immediately into some long, drawn out, heart felt, and ultimately flawed speech about the wrongs of the Darkside and how he should ‘repent’, or whatever the Jedi equivalent for the word was. As he thought about it, he realized he had half-expected the man to try his best to look as if he sincerely cared about Zarko.

And as he thought about it, he realized that that was not in his character. No, not this one.

“A very good question,” Zarko smiled broadly, even giving a sincerely cordial chuckle, “A very good question indeed. Straight to the point, although you no doubt know, or have guessed at, the truth to our little rendezvous. I like you…”

Closing his eyes, Zarko tilted his head upward, breathing in through his nostrils very audibly and spreading his arms out to his sides slightly. It was all for show, of course. He could have done it just as effectively without blinking, but it was all about appearance.

“Silus…” Zarko whispered, then repeated, louder, “Yes. I like you, Silus.”

His hands moved swiftly up toward his head, but Zarko paused and then lifted them more slowly, berating himself internally for making a move that might look threatening so early on. No, not yet. There would be plenty of time for fighting, he knew. But that could come later. Now was time for talking, and there was no need to be rude.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he pulled back his hood…

…to reveal a completely normal face. Lightish blonde hair, trimmed down thinly and neatly. The simple beginnings of a beard and moustache were present, but obviously something he took relatively good care of. He had a pale complexion, paler than most. But the most striking feature he held was his eyes; deep, piercing dark blue eyes. His head betrayed just how thin he really was. The robes did a good job of hiding it, but it was now visible. He was by no a towering brute.

In other words, Zarko was everything you wouldn’t expect from a man casually speaking with a Jedi after threatening the lives of innocents and having lived for so long under the very nose of the Jedi Order itself.

Smirking to himself more than to Silus, he gave a dramatic low bow, sweeping an imaginary hat off of his head as he did so.

“Introductions introductions introductions,” Zarko smiled, “I seem to know your name, but you have no idea what mine is. That just won’t do. But…in our current situation, I’m obviously in no position to give you my actual name. I hope you’ll understand. I can, however, give you something to call me. Zarko is my alias. My given aliens. That’s what they call me you know, those bloody children. Zarko the Mad. Do I look mad to you? Never mind, don’t answer that. I have a feeling I know what your answer would be.”

“Ah, but I’m getting side tracked. I hope you’ll forgive me. I do tend to go off on tangents like that…well…I don’t really. Ever. So I hope you’ll understand why I would right now. It is so great to try new things. Wouldn’t you agree? Of course you would. You’re here right now, aren’t you? This is new. This is fresh. This is exciting, don’t you think? Don’t answer that either.”

“Where was I? Oh yes. Why are we here. Scholars have been asking that question for quite some time, don’t you know. Only, I imagine, in a much broader sense than yours. Unless, of course, you’d like to talk about philosophy? Would you? Of course you wouldn’t. Devilishly boring stuff, philosophy is. I sense you’re a man of action more than thought. Forgive me if I’m mistaken.”

“But to answer your question, not the one the scholar’s pose…its quite simple. We’re here, in all honestly, as a test. Simple, yes? Well, not really. Its not simple at all, now that I think about it. I won’t bore you with the details. Suffice it to say, one of us is going to die today.”

The smile slowly, but surely, faded from Zarko’s face. His expression contorted, not into one of anger, but of sorrow.

“I wish you hadn’t been the one to step outside into the courtyard today, Silus,” Zarko spoke once more, much more softly, “But you did, and that can’t be help. You really do seem like a nice guy.”