Star Wars: Skywalker

Chapter 9: V.1-C.9│Dathomir I│



Dathomir, nicknamed the 'rancor planet,' is a remote, neutral and obscure planet in the Quelli sector and the home of the Nightsisters, Nightbrothers, Blue Coral Divers Clan, Singing Mountain, and the Howling Crag. The planet, bathed in blood-red light by its central star, had numerous continents that were overrun with vegetation, forests, and swamplands.

The dark side of the Force had an immensely strong presence on Dathomir, which allowed for the nurturing of many malevolent Force wielders native to the planet. The Nightsisters, also known as the Dathomir witches, made their home in the swamps, and wielded magicks fueled by Dathomir's own power.

Dathomir was also home to the Nightbrothers, Zabrak's who were ruled by the Nightsisters. It was also the homeworld of the semi-sentient rancor species.

Dathomir was a remote and uninviting world, although it was temperate and verdant, with a comfortable atmosphere despite its challenging ecosystem and dangerous predators. Perpetually bathed in a red mist, its terrain was one of contrasts, ranging from the murky swamps the Nightsisters lived in, to the harsh, barren rocks where the Nightbrothers found residence.

Dathomir's natural inhabitants were well-adapted to the planet's harsh conditions and some, such as the rancor were famed for their combative skill.

Other native creatures included bane back spiders, large and aggressive arachnids that spat corrosive acid, and nydaks, bipedal predators with powerful arms that allowed them to easily traverse the landscape.

Among the most distinctive creatures native to Dathomir, however, was the chirodactyl, a gargantuan bat-like creature that used its massive wings to fly to dizzying heights and swoop down on unwary prey.

Dathomir also had aquatic life, such as the Burra fish. Fishing families on the planet Batuu cooked and cultivated the foreign Burra fish for consumption. Another aquatic creature, the Sleeper, was an ancient mollusk with two large lavender eyes, a carapace-covered body, antennae, and four appendages, and lived deep in the murky blue water within the Nightsister lair.

The Sleeper was very important in Nightsister tradition as it had an ingredient vital in the Water of Life.

[]

Dathomir.

Two years after freeing himself Anakin had boarded one of his many 'acquired' ships and had taken himself taking with him and leaving some droids behind. Ahead of time he had also sent many other droids to arrive at the planet before he did, to give himself an easier time once he got there.

'I have taken a calculated risk coming here to Dathomir, what with its many dangers and the strong influence of the Dark side on this planet. One of the main risks was the possibility of Sidious coming here even after he had taken everything he had wanted from the planet.'

'I doubt that would happen though.'

Prior to the Battle of Naboo, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious went to Dathomir who was at the time plotting his rise to galactic supremacy, then he traded secrets of the dark side of the Force with the Nightsisters' leader, Mother Talzin. He took Talzin's son, the Nightbrother Maul as his apprentice.

Talzin's relevance here is that she is the current shaman and the Clan Mother of the Nightsisters; a coven of Force-sensitive witches who used magicks to manipulate the wilderness around them and rule their male counterparts, the Nightbrothers.

Talzin's expertise in magicks was significant enough to attract the attention of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious, whom when he came to Dathomir ostensibly and wanted to trade dark side Force teachings with Talzin and take her as his own Sith apprentice.

Their relationship brought Sidious to proclaim that he would make Talzin his Sith apprentice and right hand, but was ultimately unfulfilled. Instead, the Dark Lord sensed the potential of the young Maul and abducted him from Talzin, taking the child away from his kinsmen and heritage on Dathomir.

Years later, Maul would be presumed dead at the Battle of Naboo after sustaining mortal injuries, but his strength in the dark side allowed him to remain just barely alive.

In canon she would be aware of Maul's incredible survival, she was unable to rescue him and thus remained on Dathomir to plot her revenge against Sidious and his Sith, with her ultimate goal being galactic domination.

'I could use these facts to my advantage and the multiple other factors to persuade her into doing the special ritual the Dathomir Zabrak that get to become a member of either the Darksisters or Darkbrothers on myself.'

'At the same time I realize the difficulty in trying to convince her because of the multiple betrayals she has experienced.'

'So one of the methods to make sure everything is within my control is to leverage my position with the ability to overpower them. The droid army I have been accumulating has grown significantly with control of Sienar Technologies.'

Mother Talzin's main loyalties laid with the Nightsisters and with her son Maul, and her primary goals were to exact revenge against Darth Sidious and eventually rule the galaxy alongside her son.

In service to these grander aims she was duplicitous and manipulative, able to control various different factions in a puppetmaster-like fashion to achieve her goals, all while maintaining a facade of loyalty to her various underlings who were none the wiser to her true intentions.

Being a powerful Force-sensitive in her own right and having delved deep into the Dark side, it was not enough and she was ultimately overcome and defeated by Sidious, she possessed a shrewd and tactical mind and was able to go toe-to-toe with the Sith Lord for a time, accurately predicting his movements and adjusting her own strategies accordingly.

Despite the Dark side used predominantly by this group, the Darksisters and Darkbrothers would not consider themselves apart of the Sith despite similarities in powers and teachings. They had their own culture and background influencing what is important and not important for them.

As the leader of her Nightsisters, Talzin taught them to be loyal to nobody except each other and to only focus on themselves and their sisters. As their leader and shaman, the Nightsisters obeyed her orders without question, as did her other followers such as the Frangawl Cult.

While she did care for the Nightsisters, Talzin's greatest attachment was to her 'beloved son,' Maul, which ran contrary to her culture that viewed males as expendable tools for breeding.

After losing Maul to her former partner Darth Sidious, Talzin wished to rescue him.

'Yet another fact that could be used to manipulate her, as when the original plot of the story begins I could have a hand in saving Maul from having his body cut in two by Obi-Won.'

Talzin's regard for Nightbrothers other than Maul seemed more in line with the Nightsisters' matriarchal tendencies; despite this, males under her command respected her leadership and showed concern for her well-being, and were trusted with guarding the heart of her power at the Nightbrother village.

The most important aspect of her importance was her knowledge in the Force in general, the knowledge in the special rituals using Sith magicks and her position as the leader of her people.

'Roping her in to my side will be difficult as she has her own ambitions which include in favorite child. Anyway the primary reason and objective being on such a dangerous planet is to take advantage of the dark side rituals and magicks for myself.'

[]

Talzin, a Dathomirian female with white colored skin and silver eyes stood at 2.23 meters tall. Given that the average height of dathomarian's vary greatly, it is not weird seeing one so tall. Even so among her pairs and various subordinates not many would reach her height both within the females and males of her species and of those Darksisters and Darkbrothers enhanced by the ritual.

'What is going on outside?' Thought the shaman as some noises are heard from outside her living quarters.

On the planet of Dathomir at a specific location within a cave like structure was what is known as the Nightsisters fortress. The Nightsisters fortress is the settlement of which the Nightsisters, led by Talzin, makes their home.

Hidden away from most visitors and inhabitants the caves provide warmth and appropriate spots to make home with building built into grand pillars extending upwards and holding the roof of the cave. Various constructed stone pathways spiraling around and across the lake at the bottom of the cave.

Currently a commotion was happening from within, and the residents are unsettled by the approaching small army of droids just outside the periphery of the encampment. Most Nightsisters located here are warriors and are housed here from their birth and into the foreseeable future as well.

What could be documented was the lack of males within, pointing towards this settlement being a matriarchy.

While the droids set up outside the Nightsisters are confused, slightly distraught and panicked about the situation, but ever the semi trained combatants they quickly arm themselves ready for combat.

Those who live on Dathomir know to stay away from the Nightsisters and most residents and frequent visitors on the planet try not to associate with them.

Going outside Talzin assesses the situation while her personal escorts are just outside ready to report what's going on. Some may be confused as to why no one had just entered her house, but without her permission one simply cannot enter without her say and one must wait until she is done with whatever she is doing.

Most of the time she would be using her unnatural connection to the Force, through her magicks and special enchanted crystal orb that allows her to peer into the future, but she didn't foresee this incoming invasion.

"Mother Shaman, there appears to be intruders upon our sacred home. There are no other beings in sight but multiple metal constructs." Replies one the many sisters.

Something within the Force was telling her that this intruder was not as simple as they seem, but employing canon fodder instead of oneself at risk on the battlefield is a very smart move against multiple semi trained Force sensitive individuals.

"Spread out on my command, I will announce myself to this threat and see what they have come here for. The planet and the Force is warning me of something and it is unsettling." Talzin speaks and sends out multiple commands throughout her ranks while making sure she would be safe for she still has not completed her ambition.

"At your command Mother Shaman." Spoke in unison the several armed Dathomirian females around her.

Slowly approaching while at the same time proactively trying to sense the outcome of the situation and what keeping an eye out for anything resembling a presence within the Force whether it one she is familiar with or not, she speaks outs looking for a response.

"Intruders, you have come into our sacred home. I demand you make yourself known!" Amplifying her voice through the Force to get her point across.

[]

"I demand you make yourself known!"

A distance away from the main buildings of the Darksisters fortress is the young human boy known as Anakin.

'I was not expecting such a welcoming, or maybe I was.' Anakin thought as he was surrounded in a formation by several modified combat droids whom were prepared to defend their master.

Getting ready to respond Anakin instead of amplifying his voice through the voice does not have the proper technique or training in being able to pull off such a trick, uses a device instead to not only slightly mask his voice but make sure he is heard.

"My name is Anakin Skywalker, a human child that has come in search for the infamous power gifted by the special rituals of your people!" His voice resounds throughout and echo's within the cave.

"Anakin Skywalker? A human child has come to seek us out for our power. To use our traditional rituals for himself, this sounds like a trick of the Sith!" Talzin speaks but she can not help but respond with some venom in her tone vocalizing some of her thoughts.

"I am aware of your hostile attitude with the Sith Lord known as Darth Sidious. I also wish to discuss about some revenge I would like to take against the Sith and would like to destroy them." Still talking Anakin, uses some basic alignment tactics in his speech to have the Darksisters as a whole regard him as an ally. If only a temporary one.

"O? And what can you provide in helping me? My clan and the people I lead, revenge for what?" Talzin not falling into the temptation while maintaining she is unconcerned by the kidnapping of her child.

"I only ask we speak on peaceful terms, as my main goal for coming here is to participate in the ritual that I have heard is to begin soon." Anakin replies leaving the earlier topic of revenge knowing Talzin would not speak about it in the open.

"I had come here before, and have lost faith in like-minded individuals from outside my people. Tell me why we should not engage in combat right now?" Of course this is but a bluff, especially since the Force is warning her to not engage in combat, that ominous feeling is something she would trust given the nature of her powers.

"I wish to gain power myself, but I am also willing to trade some things in exchange. I also will say I will leave myself at your mercy with no protection if that will mollify your intent for battle, but be aware if I am unable to return safely it will come at at cost to yourself."

A minute passes by, but eventually trusting in her powers, Talzin decides to agree and take this chance to see what the human child has to offer while at the same time ordering her members around to take some precaution.

'Can't be having a similar instance as with Sidious.'

"Ok, your conditions are acceptable."


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