The Versai Chronicles  : Echoes of The Future

INTRODUCTION

Deep in the lush forests of Alpha Xeridia, lies a place few know of. Surrounded by lush green foliage and rising and falling hills, rivers…yet peeking from the very center of the lush Ithorian forest lies a structure. A structure that is nestled neatly behind a row of distinctly positioned trees that from the air, form a “V” a symbol that starts from the base, spreading out in two directions, of equal length they arch up at two twin angles, back down once again, the formation not just any “v” but the distinct and precise recreation of the Versai, a family wiped out at one time, endangered and hunted for years, now standing strong by the one who reformed them, the man many know but truly have only seen on surface of a muti-faceted past, Valaryc Versai, the Master of these domains….

Looking through the chain of trees, if you glanced just right and the light shone at the exact moment of its full brilliance, the massive structure would glisten like precious gemstones, from the rising twin pillars to the etched features along the top of them, sliding back to a higher level, then another till they rose high above the forest, jutting to the sides again the same massive buildings moving up and down in elegant designs, till they covered a vast area. The massive structure highlighted with rich architectural art and a era of what can only be described as exhilarating, highlighted by the hedge maze shaped exactly like the crest he made for his current lover Kate, the structure well known only to those whom truly know the designer and creator, the rich landscape of bushes, trees, flowers and pure beauty make no mistake the structure is known as the Versai Mansion.

It is here brave adventurer that again as the “Ashes of The Past” were blown in the winds of time, to the Master Val within his mind, are trapped memories he has kept hidden from those around him, giving sketchy information but never a crisp clear picture as to what really happened to him, events he’s mentioned but never really spent time to explain except in his chronicles…his Versai Chronicles.

Here is within these chapters held inside, to we venture once more, This time to a moment where two warriors clashed in a titanic battle where one would fall for a greater race to rise up, where an Empire would be dealt a crushing blow, only to turn and threaten the ones who resist them once, more with an even deadlier device, a time where the fate of one man’s life shifted all caused by a death, a truth, and a decision…here is where we now can explore and uncover the “Echoes of The Future”.
 

The Versai Chronicles: Echoes of The Future

We open deep within the halls of the Versai Mansion, passing rooms as our view moves along, gazing to pictures along the wall of battles, honors long forgotten, of statues along the aisles, then from one closed door to another, up a flight of stairs. The stairs are golden with a high luster, exquisitely carved with luxurious curves along the end of the stairs, crawling along each multifaceted wooden pole along them, high to a area where the room extends within two directions, one the East Wing where guest of The Versai stay with exquisitely decorated guest rooms, for those who know Val must be close to him and he does not spare his attention to detail in their comfort. Ahh but the West Wing is for the Versai whom rule this domain, Val and his trust assistant Sacul 456. A HRD replicant droid recovered and restored upon Val’s many travels.

Stretching along past the doors of the other rooms, we move to a more massive structure, the doors are huge at least 9 to 10 ft from the ground, the crest on them a golden “V” that stretches from one side to the other, down the middle a crease divides the massive doors…for as we move beyond them there on the terrace lies the outline of a man….

His hair is blowing softly in the breeze, the gently winds of Ithor caressing his cheek, along his attire lies a jet black robe, snaking down from it his legs, slender yet very toned…firm. Moving along from his bare feet back towards his chest, his toned abs protrude but to him nothing matters of being built physically it is your knowledge and determination that severs him well…Traveling from his abs along his chest, bore upon his robe lies the Versai Crest.  Val forged such a symbol to prove that as long as he lived, the events of the past would NEVER occur again, as long as he lived and breathed. Slowly we pass beyond the crest to his face, his eyes of the deepest brown, for most do not get to see this splendor, always he is on guard and his eyes typically irradiate a red crimson fire, like the fires that rage within his soul constantly trying to take over him fully, yet his Versai Creed holds them from doing so…

The figure which we see is that of Val himself, his gaze looking to the beautiful landscape of Alpha Xeridia, the Master Bedroom from where he views the landscape of his own planet, the Mansion raised high above the rainforests and waterfalls, cascading down below…Looking to the cascading hills jetting along the Ithorian ground below, Val looks to the floor. Along the floor lies his belt, filled with compartments and things among the white and blue hues of it…there clipped along the left and right are his lightsabers.

The two sabers are very significant to his life, we all know of how he acquired the razor sharp, menacing mockery of the rebel alliance symbol that is Gen Zeridian’s blade, but along the other side, the worn out silver luster of black and copper jetting from the top down, to a cylinder disc, curving in under it, then again protruding to a series of circular discs, coupled by a along slender silver cylinder, along down past the grove forged in the metal to little tiny raised surfaces along the base of the saber, under them the traditional ring that is used to clip the ancient weapon to his belt, the weapon of course has its own past and few know how it came into the possession of Val or even the weapon even exists anymore…and until now very little has been revealed of how the weapon found it’s way to Val, the lost warrior. doomed from birth, how such an elegant weapon for a more civilized age could have survived it, the weapon’s owner known throughout the echoes of the future…Ben Kenobie…

(As with the first chapter, this story will switch from a play setting to a story structure and such as I see need to do so, if you loved the first chapter get ready to sit back and discover the origin of how Val gained possession of Obi-Wan’s second lightsaber, revealed at last…)
 

EXTERIOR: VERSAI MANSION –BALCONY TERRACE

Val walks from the balcony, to the bed, picking up his belt, unclipping Obi-Wan’s second lightsaber, closing his eyes…remembering the time when his answers to his pain were revealed to him, the time he confronted Commander Krevlin and as such his mind drifts back to that realm, and in turn so then the story begins…
 

~THE PAST~
 

INTERIOR: DEATH STAR – IMPERIAL ARMORY EXHIBIT

He gazes down the narrow hall of The rare Armory exhibit, where the high ranking officials of The Empire flaunt their collections of priceless antiques, weapons, armor, and various equipment from long ago during the Clone War Era, the days of the Old Republic, and so on and so forth. As he passes by various transparasteel cases, he spots a peculiar suit of armor…Mandalorian.

The sleek gray under suit, covered in metallic plates attached along the body glove is well preserved within, a shiny black and brass plaque reads:

PROPERTY OF ADMIRAL KREVLIN – REMOVAL IS SUBJECT TO SEVERE IMPERIAL PUNISHMENT

Val is intriguing looking closer, setting his Scout Trooper helmet down on the floor, having put it back over his head before leaving Krevlin alone to deal with his “game”. He can see the yellow-orange hue of the shoulder pads, the light gray armor along the breastplate, dinged and chipped with slight rings of silver metal glistening in the light as he moved around the holo-case, the suit itself hovering from behind a clear dura-steel plastic like substance. The markings along the pads, a skull fractured at the head, red as blood were a wondrous sight, but more so the helmet.

The helmet is very menacing in it’s design, the red sleek metal running along the visor, then straight down, jetting back, a antenna along the side lowered in a docile position and the yellow stripes along the brow most wondrous to observe, the red material along the center of the visor, flickered in the dimly lit room. Val knows of this armor, he knows of the tales of a bounty hunter whom went by the name of Boba Fett, that wore this armor. Yet oddly enough the high traces of gray over the signature green makes this armor different…Val looks down reading the plate below which reads :

 “Mandalorian Armor – Clone Era”

Val’s attention is peeked once again. Thinking  how odd this suit was then decides with Krevlin dead, he won’t be needing this possession any longer

Val glances to a the numbered pad Val needing a way to access the armor. Calling the Force within him evoking a technique Gen had showed him, a way to master not only people but devices as well, druids…electronics. His mind fills with the hate, anger and rage he felt from Krevlin, then the carnal lusts of hearing Krevlin scream, focusing all this anger and rage after a time, fine tuning the Force he gathered from around him he pictures what he wished to do, and unleashes his concentration upon the keypad…in a flash the keypad’s screen light up with numbers spinning fast and swift cycling like a computer screen gone mad, till the combination was reached, the holo-door slide open swiftly.

Val’s lips smirk with a silent thank you to his lost love Gen. Having trained with her, learning how to manipulate electronic machinery. Quickly moving his hands over the armor. Knowing that if by some small chance of luck Krevlin survived the detonation of the blast, its possible when they found what was left of him, he could alert his staff, which would make the entire Death Star floor was buzz with troops heading in his direction.

Valaryc looked along the holo-case, then he spots a container, a storage unit that can hover and attain massive weight, making travel much more convenient as the container merely followed the DNA pattern of the owner of it. A  gamble but Val slides his finger along the program switch and as fate would have it and luck it would seen the container registers his DNA. With a slight hiss the device hovers to Val’s feet. He moves quickly to grab everything from the case, laying the boots, and chest plate down inside the hovering bag carefully, then the armor pieces and so on, Until last, but not least the helmet itself…but as he reaches for it, the room echoes with an alert, Something had triggered the alarm!

Quickly , Val dashes out of  Armory, having grabbed all of the armor but the helmet He races down the halls of the imperial wings, watching the sea of white and gray pass by him, with the floating storage unit following right behind him.. As he rounds a corner, he looks down.
 

INTERIOR: DEATH STAR – ABOVE HANGER BAY

There is the same massive ship he has noticed when he arrived, the ship was a Corrilain vessel, a massive circular shaped monster with two prongs jetting out from the center, then back down at an angle, to Val it is a thing of beauty, to others a piece of junk, but from the legion of Stormtroopers surrounding the transport, it was very valuable to The Empire. In current time it is known as The “Millennium Falcon” the ship would later be instrumental in the destruction of the Empire just weeks later. With another admiring glance, Val turns to another hall, where there appears to be flashes of pink and blue lights followed by hissing sounds, crackling like thunder…

He gazes down the hall, walking slow sticking along the side, turning his head for signs of any danger that might befall him, as justified or not he was now an imperial fugitive. Walking further, he watched as the sound and lights grew stronger, rounding another bend in the hallway, he saw what could only be described as a clash of the fates, good vs. evil in the ultimate battle, emanating from a man wrapped in darkness from head to toe, and another older wiser man wrapped in the traditional tunics, his father once wore…the tunic of a Jedi Knight. He knew whom was involved in the battle, well one of them. From his long black cape that surrounded his form, to the muti-stitched pants, and clamshell tipped shiny black boots that adorned his costume, Val knew of the one called Lord Vader. Never had he seen him this way though, at his prime it might seem, his pink lightsaber blade, whisping way the advances of the older man’s shimmering blue blade again and again, the crack and hiss of each impact echoing though the halls. Truly this was a wondrous sight, but then in an instant as fate changes one moment to another, it began with the old man, the fool looking out the window, Val’s gaze traveling to a battle that has broken out, streaks of red fire ripping though the white and gray shuttle bay, ah yes there was a commotion, a young man with brown hair firing a DL-44 with extreme accuracy, and a girl, with an odd hairstyle along side a boy, an young boy with blonde hair and a typical farmer attire.

Why would such people be here? That of course has it’s own story, but all this taking place in seconds, Val’s eyes race back to the hexagon shaped window as the old man, fearlessly almost assured of himself raised his lightsaber blade straight up into the air, almost as it praying as his eyes closed. Vader of course looking though his cold polarized lenses had no mercy, no compassion…one could tell as the Dark Lord reared his deadly pink blade blade back, and in an instant a small hiss and sparkle of light, the man disappeared as Vader’s lightsaber traveled through the Jedi tunic! Val was shocked to see such a event occur in such fashion, I mean to see the man be struck down, not even resisting, begging for death and then be there one second and disappear the next, without as much as a burn mark on his clothing was amazing!

However again Val has little time to play around, he knew the minute they discovered Krevlin’s office they would be look for answers, ASAP and if not for Krevlin, then surely for the missing armor. Val made his way forward, but was halted as the Dark Lord himself, with his saber ignited rushed from the window, and Val knew Vader was going to cross his path if he did not figure out a way to move, with Vader’s rage he may be cut down the same as the old man. Val quickly gathers his thoughts, sending the hover-container across the way, to blend in with some others; pressing his body up against the wall, almost blending in with it. As he suspects, Darth Vader’s breathing emerges within the halls, his saber hums with a pink fury that matches its wielder’s own rage inside him. The confrontation was short, Vader DID see Val, but perhaps he did not care, perhaps he had more important matters, merely his black helmet raced past Val, the white lights of the cylinder shaped walls traveling like white streaks across the Dark Lord’s cranium. Val felt the touch of death, cold and heatless breeze by him, pass over him as Vader’s jet black cloak brushed his body, the Dark Lord’s pace set in one direction, the hanger bay where the others were, where the old man looked out…the clang of his boots along the floor, filling Val with chills as the dark man behind the mask rarely ever let things slide around him.
 

INTERIOR: DEATH STAR HALLWAY – VADER’S FINAL DUEL WITH KENOBIE

Something yearns inside Val though, as his breathing returns to normal, an odd sensation of curiosity within him, beckons. He wants to actually see the old man’s tunic…to see with his own eyes what became of him. Carefully, looking to his left and right, Val knew there was a window in full view, he had to move fast…After taking a few breaths, Val dashed into the room, looking out the window he noticed that the fight was concluding below, the stormtroopers were swarming, red fire ripping though the shuttle bay started to subside a bit…odd it would seem, for if they had the upper hand in the battle why then would they start to diminish their efforts? Of course Val had little time to care, yet the roaring engines of the massive ship demanded his attention, the ship he had seen before was taking off from the pad. Impossible he thought, he figures now that the Empire WANTED them to escape, as the streaming blue fire from the engines of the massive ship roar out of the bay, Val looks down along the black floor glistening from the lights along the wall. There he saw the tunic of the old man, the one who fell or so it would seem vanished, robbing Vader of his ultimate victory…but the cylinder shaped object along the top of the tattered brown robe, interested Val he most. He knew what the weapon was, as ancient as the owner whom recently had it; yes it was a lightsaber. Val had built one in the academy with ease…losing it in the battle with Cire…Val saw a chance to replace that missing gap in his destiny.

Reasoning if the man was dead, and Vader was occupied, he might as well take the weapon, the Empire would no doubt cast it out with the rest of the garbage, the fools having no interests in the ways of the Jedi, light or dark. Val quickly fells along the cylinder discs, the heat still apparent from the battle drifting from the metal around it. Blinking his eyes, he refocuses his goals, coming out of the trancelike awe he was in picking up the weapon, moving from the room with great speed. Calling the hover-container to him, he quickly runs his finger over the scanner, dropping the weapon inside, sealing the container once again.

Val starts to race down the halls, but he hears the breathing again. The distinctive sound of Darth Vader’s breathing apparatus. The echoes of his respirator brought chills to everyone who heard it…and death to those who experienced it head on. The breathing was getting louder and louder, Val’s eyes widen a bit but he evokes Force of Will to calm himself, needing to think fast. There was no way out and he would have to face Vader once more…

Vader paces around the bend, his lightsaber the sleek black and silver melee weapon is clipped to his electronic belt, clanging alongside him. The sound of rustling cloth grows like thunder inside Val’s ears as he slips on his Scout Trooper helmet to cloud his looks and his voice within the speaker units inside it. Val’s attire is that of a typical Scout Trooper from head to toe, but the massive blaster hole in his shoulder ached with much pain, he had made sure to clean the blood off the white surface, using his force power of control pain to numb, the throbbing injury, Vader was closer now, the silhouette of his black helmet grew in shape along the halls and the rustling of his long black cape grew more apparent. Time had drawn this moment together, fate had willed it, and before Val now stood the Dark Lord

Vader himself…
 

INTERIOR: DEATH STAR – OUTER HALLWAY

Val’s gaze through the micro-vision units of his helmet is steady as his heart races. Vader on the other hand is not in good spirits, his body is tense with anger, clearly visible, as his arms were not settled with his hands along his belt now, there were along his side, ready to strike should he feel the desire to do so.

Vader looks to Val though his polarized ruby-red lenses, his gaze locked on a single worthless Scout Trooper out of place with any squad, let alone not on Endor.

VADER – (breathing calm and controlled) What are you doing here…?

the words rip though Val, as the mechanical voice of Vader is able to unsettle even the strongest of wills as he tries to focus his mind to reply with the words that will either kill him, or spare him.

Val – I am looking for my unit, with the commotion around here, I have been separated from my detachment.

VADER – I do not care for such…incompetence, if you have your unit to find…I suggest you leave my sight and move along…

Vader’s words though stern are not of purely focused thoughts, he feels robbed of his great victory over Obi-Wan. to see the man beg for his life, only to have him die nobly, as a hero should. Vader perhaps weakened as well would have killed the foolish trooper without a second thought, but in this day and age fate allowed Val to live for a more useful purpose…

VADER – What are you waiting for…(his hand gestures for Val to go down the hall)

VAL – (Val nods gracefully, and swiftly moves along with the hovering box)

VADER – WAIT…..what is in that box…….

The words knock Val’s feet to a crashing halt, He wonders if Vader detected the saber within the unit. If Vader were to know of the box’s contents he would be outraged….

VAL – Repair units for the tractor beam that was shut down…nothing more.

Vader’s helmet dips down, looking along the box, then inches closer, his jet-black gloved hand tracing the box slowly, the mighty Dark Lord of The Sith, moves down almost to one knee…then his helmet looks up to Val…

VADER – I sense something…who are you…

Val shivers at the thought, quivering in his armor, as he knows its too late…the dark one knows of what is in the box, and either way Val is going to try to avoid any major battle. He has no weapon he can present, and even so if he even attempted to reach for the old man’s lightsaber, Vader’s blade would take off his head in seconds before he could even ignite the blue blade.

VAL – My name is Valaryc Winters

Vader stands to his feet, seemingly uninterested I the box anymore, more to the person behind the helmet, one helmet to another…something irks the Dark Lord

VADER – remove your helmet…

VAL – (nods) As you wish m’lord…

Val unfastens the securing latches to his helmet, his long brown hair spills across his shoulder, the black glove of the suit along his neck…his brown eyes look down from Vader’s red lenses not wanting to be equal to him, his mind races with questions or why but says nothing.

Vader gets to his feet, his full height looming over Val, towering over him. He draws back his hands to rest along his belt, eyeing Val, from behind his helmet…this boy has something that few know, a dark energy that Vader embraces…the Dark Side…

Vader gazes through his red lenses directly to Val’s eyes

VADER – I sense you know the Emperor’s dark ways…

VAL – (nods) Indeed m’lord, nothing compared to you…

VADER – Then why are you merely a pawn…

VAL – I do what m’lord wishes of me.

VADER – There is something else…something I haven’t felt since…

Vader starts to think, but he is cut off, by a holo image of an imperial officer along the screen set into the wall. The officer nods to Vader and tells him, “M’lord the tracking device is operational and in place, we have them.” Vader looks back to Val, and then decides to weigh the importance of his time…

VADER – Go now Val…leave me…

Val takes a last look in awe of the Dark Lord of The Sith as few ever get close enough to gaze to him, then with a nod, rushes off with the box following his movements, streaking down the hallways to another shuttle bay opposite to the one where the massive ship took off with the farm boy, the smuggler and the girl…

As this scene emerges, the image of Val dashing off with the equipment, among it, Obi-Wan’s second lightsaber the whole scene blurs.
 

CLOSING

~PRESENT TIME~
 

EXTERIOR: VERSAI MANSION – BALCONY TERRACE

Val’s eyes flicker into reality…the present as something invades his concentration, looking fully ahead, his eyes gaze deep into the purple pools of beauty known as Gen Zeridian’s eyes, her face seeming to emerge from various patterns of color in the landscape. Thought just a vision to Val, knowing full well that she’s not really there, it is a daily reminder to himself, that as long as he remains living, fighting the challenges that fall his way, she would be there in spirit. Watching over him…lending him the strength he needed to press on and…

"Defy his destiny…"