The Dark Son of Mortis (Star Wars) (Patreon)

AN: You guys know me, always tinkering with something... I tried to resist the urge, but I'm too weak. At least, I hope this is somewhat enjoyable.

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On an average planet, orbiting an unassuming yellow sun, four individuals lived—a Father and his two Children, and a single female Servant.

They would have seemed like simple people, living a primitive, simplistic lifestyle. That is, if any wandering travelers ever stumbled across them.

Yet, their world was a vast wilderness. It was completely uninhabited, except for themselves. Indeed, even to the galaxy at large, its location was unknown.

The family didn’t mind. Rather, they preferred it that way—though they were isolated, they had each other, and although there was strife between them, it didn't drive them apart.

Alas, change comes for all, and peace never lasts. The aged Father, being wise and knowledgeable, knew the time had come.

One day, he went to his Children and laid his hands on their shoulders.

“Son, Daughter—you are almost grown. I cannot keep you from your Destiny, even if it were my wish.”

His eyes, deep blue like a calm ocean, glanced from one to the other. Though he kept it off his face, a vague aura of worry clung to him.

The Daughter, an angelic girl with a halo of golden hair, gently lifted his hand from her shoulder, clasping it in her own. Being a kind and sensitive person, she knew her Father’s feelings.

“Father, you have always been good to me. I have learned at your feet since I was a child, and I know you are wise and know many things. Whatever you think is right, I will do.”

Her smile was calm and reassuring, and the look in her gilded eyes reflected her confidence in him.

Feeling touched in his heart, the Father withdrew his hand from between hers, softly stroking her hair.

“So be it. I cannot oppose your will, in any case.”

Suddenly, the Son, having dourly watched the interaction between his Father and Sister, voiced his acceptance as well. Yet, his tone, as well as his crossed arms and set-apart feet made his true feelings abundantly clear.

The Father met his Son’s eyes, gazing deeply into them.

“Was this not your wish from the very beginning? Or do you reject your Destiny because I am giving it, and you could not take it for yourself?”

The Father’s voice was stony and his expression stern, not at all like the tenderness he showed his Daughter.

“…”

The Son refused to answer, setting his jaw stubbornly and turning his head aside.

The Father, realizing his Son’s foolishness would persist until the end, could only sigh.

“Very well. If you are both ready, I will take you there.”

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The Father and Son walked side-by-side quietly, having left the Daughter behind. Though both wished to be by her side, the Son could not be allowed near the Pool of Knowledge.

“Are you truly cautious of me to this extent, that you would have the Servant oversee my Sister’s fate?”

The Son, although keeping his expression even, didn’t conceal the sneer in his tone.

The Father did not become outwardly upset, nor did he react in any way. For the entirety of their journey, the Son had been trying to stoke the conflict between them.

Instead, he gazed intently into the distance, observing the dark, roiling clouds, brewing above a massive, black mountain.

“The rest is for you to walk by yourself. When you are done, come find me here.”

The Father then went to a spot by the roadside before sitting down cross-legged and closing his eyes.

For a brief moment, the Son seemed uncertain, perhaps even fearful. However, he soon squared his shoulders before walking off, not sparing his Father a glance.

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It was a frightening experience, even for the Son who’d seen many dangerous and unexplainable things. As the distance between him and the mountain narrowed, the environment grew darker and more bleak, and oppressiveness hung in the air.

Soon, the Son struggled to find his way, often stumbling over thorny roots and tripping over sharp branches. Only the fierce, red glow in the distance lit the way, like a flame on top of a black tower.

‘There, a path!’

After long fumbling in the darkness, he found the way at last—a stone-tiled road. It was eerie and ominous, illuminated by strange, ghostly lanterns.

Suppressing the uneasy feeling in his chest, the Son straightened his back and set his feet. Despite his state, scratched and bleeding, and having his clothes torn, he didn’t think to rest.

‘I can feel it—the Font calls to me!’

Inside of himself, already something was changing. Like a drop of ink inside a glass of clear water, he was being dyed by the Dark Side of the Force.

Terrified yet excited, the Son hurried toward the bowls of the mountain where his Destiny lay waiting.

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It was there, on top of an obsidian platform, engraved with many esoteric runes, that the Son stood. In front of him, a basin rose, growing out of the gleaming, black floor like a living thing.

Carefully, he made his way toward it, the soles of his boots clicking against the hard surface.

“Is this… it?”

A question slipped involuntarily from between his lips. Surely, this clear liquid, appearing no different from water, couldn’t be the legendary ‘Font of Power’?

Frowning, he clasped the sides of the basin, bringing his face closer until he could see his own reflection. Pale, chalky skin, black hair and dark, brooding eyes stared back at him—so dissimilar from those of his Father or Sister.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he slowly dipped one hand beneath the surface and waited.

Yet, as one second turned into two, then ten, then thirty, nothing happened—the only thing he felt was the liquid chilling his fingers.

After chewing on his lip for a while, he abruptly came to a decision. In a swift motion, not giving himself a chance to back out, he scooped a handful of the liquid and brought it to his mouth.

He swallowed.

For a moment, nothing happened, but then it hit him all at once. It was like a barrier being broken, or a valve being forced open. The dark-side energy surrounding him, as pervasive as the air he breathed, infiltrated his body, infusing his organs, penetrating his bones and flooding his veins.

Unable to breathe or even scream, the Son collapsed to the ground, his hands clutching his throat. Inside him, a thick, viscous something rose up like bile, reaching greedily toward that energy.

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The dark clouds above the mountain started churning violently, whipping powerful gale-force winds into existence. The air became charged, like the moment before a thunderstorm, arcs of violet electricity sparking into existence.

It was to the extent that even the Father, far-away as he was, noticed the disturbance. Yet, even before such signs appeared, he already noticed the Force’s turmoil.

After gazing upon the supernatural phenomena for a short while, he wearily closed his eyes. If it was at all possible, he never would have allowed such a thing to happen.

However, this much was already written in fate. Rather than fighting the current, perhaps he could attempt to channel it in a different direction.

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It was unknown how much time passed.

The Son, transformed by the Font of Power, pressed his clammy palms against the floor. Still, due to his disorientation and exhaustion, he couldn’t get his feet under him. Grabbing the basin for leverage, he was eventually able to stand.

Now hanging over the familiar clear liquid, he once again came face-to-face with his reflection. This time, a pair of burning eyes stared back at him, as if mirroring the fire below.

“It can’t be…”

For some reason, the Son’s voice was forlorn. Releasing the basin, his hands went to his face. However, with nothing to stabilize himself, he soon laid sprawling on the ground.

He tried to stand again, but immediately slipped and fell.

“I do NOT accept this!”

This time, his voice was furious and unwilling.

Turning his mind inward, the Son examined the source of his rage. Yet, no matter how he angled his sight, the truth didn’t change.

His newly-gained power, no matter how tremendous, was absolutely worthless!

“You… actually DARE!”

A shout filled with pure fury rang inside the force, echoing outward past the planet’s boundaries. It was to the extent that force-sensitive individuals light-years away were suddenly experienced bouts of irrational murderousness.

Silence followed the Son’s outburst, but then a message came to him through the Force—a voice filled with helplessness.

“It’s not my doing, Child. Your source lies within me. Thus, we share a connection that cannot be severed.”

It was the Father. Having suspected such a reaction, he already prepared an answer. Though he knew his Son wouldn’t believe him, his words were truthful.

“…”

Hate throttling him into silence, the Son could only vent his emotions by lashing out. An invisible wave of Force surged from his body, cracking the obsidian platform around him.

Yet, despite his newly-found strength, the liquid inside the Font didn’t even ripple.

“Why must I live as a prisoner? Is there no way to escape my shackles…?”

His voice rang inside the chamber, bitter and helpless.

“Why must my life and death be determined by you, Father? Why must my strength or weakness be determined by Her?”

Feeling a sense of profound unfairness, he shouted through the shared Force-link between his Father, Sister and himself.

“…your Sister is still undergoing her trial and cannot be disturbed. I closed off her bond, so she cannot hear you.”

The Father, although knowing his Son’s question was rhetorical, still provided an answer.

“It is the way of the cosmos—to pursue balance. For every weight, there is a counterweight, and for every Force, a counter Force. If a mortal were to seek strength from the Font or Pool, they would surely die. However, as the Ones, we may draw power from those things. Yet…”

His aged voice trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. However, the Father’s meaning was clear—there was no such thing as a free lunch.

For a long time, the Son remained silent, but then he slowly got to his feet.

“…we have had our disagreements in the past, but know that your Sister loves you dearly, as do I. Let us forge ahead as a family, as we have done until now.”

The Father tried to soothe his Son.

Yet, the Son did not listen to his Father’s words. Instead, he slowly shuffled over to the precipice, peering over the platform’s edge.

Below, he could sense an outpouring of the Dark Side. Compared to it, the Font of Power seemed only like a tiny drop in a vast ocean.

“You will surely die.”

The Father, understanding what his Son intended, delivered a warning. Yet, he did not believe his Child would truly choose death, greedy for power and immortality as he knew him to be.

“To fulfill my desires, there's nothing I wouldn't risk.”

Unlike before, the Son’s tone wasn’t angry, petulant or self-pitying. Instead, he sounded completely calm.

That, more than anything else, caused the Father’s eyes to widen.

“Do not…!”

Yet, before he could finish his force-transmission, the Son had already stepped off the edge, plummeting toward the Dark Side.

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