Author: Zarko the Mad. Posted At: 01/31/2005 at 10:00 PM
Who is he anyway?
Zark Ekan was never an infamous figure in the galactic scale. He will never appear in the history books, and will never strike recognition throughout the galaxy. For a very long portion of his life, he was simply one of the many Jedi. Never famous. Never known. So what can really be said about a man that has never made such an impact upon people's lives as Andrew Rashanagok or Searthen 'Gash' Jiren? Plenty.
Zark Ekan was born, like quite a few Jedi it seems of the Order, without any knowledge of his parent's identities or his name. He was seperated from them at a very early age, given his name by who-knows. Its meaning was never fully understood, if it ever even had one, and as far as the Jedi who bears it is concerned, its just a name. Something that people call him.
That was Zark's attitude in his early years toward much of the history that surrounded him. He was entrusted in the hands of an Ossan orphanage not one year into his life. He managed to escape with other refugees during the planet's assault in the days of the Clone Wars, and was brought up in an Imperial Coruscant, the Jedi Order not yet having dissapeared into myth.
Politics never seemed to concern Zark Ekan, however. He simply did what was expected of him as an orphan child in his early days and, later on in life, did what was expected of him as a Jedi...well, for the most part. He did not view himself as an Imperial or a Rebel or any class of person because he grew up in a place where economical or political class was not something you wanted. It attracted attention.
It might be said that from these years as an 'orphan boy' Zark learned how to be strangely unconspicuous. He was involved in many major conflicts of the galaxy's past and present, but somehow never managed to play a central role in any of them. In fact, his single claim to fame was the defeat of a younger Malice Draclau, who in time would rise in the ranks of the Sith to become the Dark Lord on several occasions, and yet here we have a veteran Jedi Knight with no tales worth mentioning. Amazing.
Zark joined the Order in his late teenage years, eighteen to nineteen, as more and more people were doing seemingly more often every year. There he trained under the, at the time, Jedi Knight Amnde, later to be known as Jedi Knight and soon Jedi Master Amalia Azalin. It was during his trials to become a Jedi Knight that the hints of the Darkside in the back of his mind were first noticed by the Jedi Master Danster the Gangster.
Zark passed his Trials, by the skin of his teeth. Danster had been rather thrown off by the hints of darkness, and Danster had a very commanding presence, even in the faces of the other Jedi Masters of the Order, and went on to do exactly as he had done for long before. Remain unnoticed.
Zark was never a politician, but the galactic situation did not desire any neutrals. Decisions had to be made, sides had to be taken. Could it be said that Zark chose unwisely? Possible, but just as strong an argument could be made otherwise. Yet when the time came when Gash Jiren challenged the authority of Luke Skywalker and the Jedi Council, Zark Ekan was one of the first 'Pure' Jedi to follow him on his crusade to construct the Rogue Jedi Order.
It was during this time that Zark at first began to become curious about his genealogy. But the trail had long been cold, and answers were not as easy to come by as they once might have been. Dead ends littered every path, shadows clouded the truth. In the end, Zark was only able to find one, very cryptic, answer to the riddle. His first name, his real first name. Arix. And even that brought more answers.
For a while after the Rogue Jedi Order had been formed, peace had been restored to a turmoiled galaxy, and Zark had been given time to explore his roots, but the peace was doomed not to last for very long. The Order had been established on Ossus, but wherever there is a government, there is someone who doesn't like that government. And in this case that person turned out to be someone very important.
Grand Admiral Thrawn.
The Grand Admiral had returned, and with him was a fleet of Chiss. Their target? Ossus. Zark's first known, thus far, homeworld and current place of residence. He was one of very few Jedi present during the ground assault upon the planet. Going under the alias of Rogue Jedi Knight Arix, it is easy to understand how history could have overlooked him, but is it such a coincidenc e when compared to the rest of his life? Possibly.
With the help of Zark, Gash Jiren, and some very brave soldiers, the Chiss were pushed off of Ossus, and a political miniature cold war erupted, for which Zark was mysteriously missing throughout. In the end, Rogue Jedi Master Jiren defeated Thrawn at last, and peace once again reigned throughout the entire galaxy.
Perhaps too much peace.
The Rogue Jedi Order soon crumbled, its members somehow vanished, leaving behind a galaxy that no longer needed or cared about them. Zark himself was one of these Jedi. Absent he was for the rising of The New Order, the Republic's destruction, the terror and death of the Wrath Virus. Vanished. To where? Who knows?
What is very important was what happened next. Seeing no Rogue Jedi Order to return to, Zark once again returned to Naboo, taking residence for a short period of time with the Jedi Order, before taking a leave of absence. A vacation, he called it, although in the end it turned out to be anything but. Where was he going? More importantly is why. The name Arix was unsatisfying, he had already returned to using Zark, and he hungered for more.
Perhaps now you're wondering why is such a story is even being told? It has nothing to do with apparently anything else besides this one lone Jedi Knight. Well, not all stories involving the Jedi are talked about. The Jedi are emotionless. Zark Ekan is a human being. Questions are being asked about Jedi philosophy. Questions should be asked about Force philosophy. There are so many variables, it is impossible to tell what the Force can do to a person. Maybe one of the most important questions that should be asked is this:
What happens when a Jedi goes insane?
It was not long before Zark Ekan found a warm lead on the cold trail, and he took it, rushing blindly in where being cautious might have prevented what was about to happen. What was about to happen? There is no answer to that, not even Zark knows. What happened next is wholly unexplainable, except by one man. He is dead. His name was Roland.
Lead to a planet so obsolete people only bothered to name it with letters and numbers, JED-1 was not a place that Zark had exactly expected to find the answers to his family's dissapearance. Unfortunately for him and the citizens of Darj Ekdi City, he would.
It was there he met Jeremiah Bettis, who told him the half-truth. He said that his parents had been Jedi, murdered by the very Sith still trapped upon this backward planet with no means of escape. Jeremiah claimed to be his parents' butler, with a limited knowledge of the Force. Having no reason to disbelieve Bettis, other than a bad feeling, he took it for face value.
And proceeded to go on a killing spree.
In a sudden terrifying instant, the entire city of Darj Ekdi seemed to rise up against him, the occupants hellbent on ending his life. They would not accomplish their goal, but Zark would end up seeing a whole lot of bloodshed before the day ended, most of which he caused. And the entire time, in the background, there were whispers. Whispers of who had caused this. Who else could have? The Sith. The murderers.
Zark Ekan was a Jedi Knight, a warrior of justice, a keeper of peace. It is not necessarily his fault that what happened happened, but it happened, there is no mistake. After each kill, his sanity began to slip away, until there was barely anything left. For a very short time, he became a raving lunatic, only to be 'saved' by one man who didn't exist.
multiple personality: a very rare psychological disorder in which a person has two or more distinct personalities, each with its own thoughts, feelings, and patterns of behavior. The personalities often are direct opposites and dominate at different times, with abrupt transitions triggered by distressful events or memories. Each may be entirely unaware of the other but aware of unexplained gaps in remembered time. In psychiatry the condition is known as dissociative identity disorder.
Not rare enough, it seems. Roland Deschain, Zark Ekan's made up identity while living in the city of Darj Ekdi, came to life in a very terrifying moment. He was born into Zark's mind with a full knowledge of his past life, down to every detail. Along with that came a full knowledge of the complete workings and usage of the projectile weaponry used across JED-1.
In a span of one night, Zark Ekan and Roland Deschain managed to form one of the strongest friendships he had ever had, a fact that haunts him to this day. His best friend didn't exist, never would. Unfortunately, they had met under very bad circumstances, and between the two of them would kill their way into the lair of the Sith, at the end of a very ling complex of catacombs underneath the cathedral at the edge of the town.
There they would find the Sith. The corpses of the Sith. Dead, all of them. Killed by the hands of Jeremiah Bettis, a self-proclaimed Jedi Master, who, in secret even to himself, beared the monikor Darth Xoverus. There it was, in that cathedral, that he revealed to Zark the entire truth of his parents existance.
They had once been Sith, allies with the dead bodies that lay all around them, escaping from persecution at the hands of the Jedi. Jeremiah Xoverus, a Jedi Knight at the time, had been sent to hunt them down and kill them. Xoverus had managed to kill Zark's parents before he was flown off planet by someone who's identity will remain a mystery, and entrusted to the Ossans.
The other Sith quickly built up an underground empire in the city of Darj Ekdi, a force not so easily defeated by even one such as Jeremiah. So they waited. And they waited and they waited. Each one trying to wait each other out. And the contempt Xoverus held for the Sith turned quickly into hatred, and having no one else to be around, that hatred soon came to become his chief emotion, and in time, the darkness consumed him.
Zark Ekan had been played as a pawn, taking care of the empire while Xoverus took care of the emperors. Needless to say, Zark Ekan was very, very pissed off.
They dueled. For hours and hours and days they dueled. Throughout the Sith complex, through the catacombs, and eventually even back to the cathedral from where they had entered. Until at last victory seemed to be at hand for Darth Xoverus. Zark lay broken and battered at his feet, death quickly coming to consume him, and it wasn't long before Xoverus would be the last Force user left.
In a last moment sacrifice, Roland 'came forward', took full control of the body, and died. Zark remained alive, his body no longer crippled, death no longer near him, and for a short time it seemed that the duel would begin once more. Xoverus was exhausted from having fought for so long, and Zark was enraged at the loss of his friend, but the duel did not begin anew. The duel had been won by Xoverus. It was over.
Uholstering one of his revolvers, Zark shot Xoverus. Four times.
Leaving behind the atrocities that had taken place upon JED-1, Zark ran. He ran and ran. From what he did not know, but it always seemed to be right on his heels, and eventually it caught up.
Roland had died, and a part of Zark's mind had been left blank. The space needed to be filled, and the mind used whatever it could find to do so. What it found was the very darkness Jedi Master Danster had found so long ago. Pure darkness. Untamed darkness. Zark was no longer a normal human with a good side and a bad side. His two sides were two different people. Zark and Zark. One was a Jedi. One was a Sith. And the Sith had been dormant for too long.
Death seemed to follow wherever Zark went, until at last he found himself once more on the planet of Naboo. There, in the forests, there was one final battle between the two personalities, waged entirely inside his mind. In the end, the good Zark, the original Zark, emerged victorious, only to be found by Jedi Master Leia Organa Solo, toting a lot of questions that had to be answered.
Eventually, Solo offered Zark the chance to return to the Jedi Order, which he begrudgingly accepted, and for a time he returned at last to his old life, with the knowledge of his full name, Arix Askrima. And forever it would remain, locked up tight within the confines of his mind. Some things should not be shared with other people.
But the homecoming was to be short-lived, for a series of events were set into motion that would sever Zark's ties from the Jedi Order for the rest of his life. A dark enemy had arisen from the dead. Darth Xoverus once again walked the galaxy a living man.
Meanwhile, on Naboo, Zark was having problems of his own. Visions stemming from the planet he had left behind, JED-1, haunted him in his dreams. A woman, the husband of a man cruelly taken and warped into a host for Jeremiah Xoverus, attempted to warn him of what was to come to pass, an effort to save her husband's soul even after death.
Zark's friends of old, Aenix Namarni, Nathaniel Morrison, and Heather Thorin, were having trouble accepting the fact that Zark was not the same young man that they had trained with together. To the eyes of those who had not witnessed bloodshed, Zark was uncomprehendable as a good man.
After a mix of rejection from his old friends and more visions from Catherine, husband of Marcus, Zark left Naboo behind for the last time, searching out the man he had come to hate beyond what he had thought possible...Jeremiah Xoverus. But he did not go.
His friends, innocent as they were, followed him all the way to the planet Xoverus had twisted and damned, creating an empire of chaos and dissaray out of the ashes. It was the perfect battleground for two old enemies. A recreation of their confrontation in Darj Ekdi, only on a much larger scale.
Taking as much ammunition with him as he could, Zark set about fighting his way into the midst of Jeremiah's entire empire, desperately fighting his way through mass after mass of enemy. All the while followed by Aenix, Nathaniel, and Heather.
They finally managed to catch up with him for the second time at the end of it all. In the fallen city of Gilead, where Jeremiah Xoverus dwelt, they witnessed the trully terrifying and powerful duel between to bitter rivals. Surprisingly, Zark and Jeremiah went through almost the same motions of what had happened in their last duel, but without the help of Roland, things didn't look good for Zark.
Finally, in a last ditch effort, Zark harnessed the power of the Darkside that screamed within him, begging to be set loose. He struck down Xoverus, but it was too late. Once again, Jeremiah had fled his corporeal body, and took once more a new host. A most terrible host. Heather Thorin.
Through the bitter tears and screams of regret and denial, Zark managed to unholster his weapon and shoot the poor girl as she charged at him, unable to control herself and taken over by another, more powerful. Again Xoverus fled, but hardened by the bitterness of killing the woman he had come to love, Zark thrust Heather's corpse into Nathaniel's posession, and gave the two Jedi time to flee before...
In a final duel of minds as Xoverus entered Zark's body, Zark finally emerged triumphant. The victory, however, could hardly be called one. Seeing it as the only way to ensure his foe's destruction, Zark conjured a Spark of the Lightside, and fed all of his life force into it. He smote the energy against the street of Gilead, and the ensuing explosion was absolute in destroying everything Jeremiah Xoverus had created.
So ended the story of Zark Ekan, and the long asked question had been answered. Could a Jedi who had been twisted and tormented by insanity and the Darkside ever return to normal? In Zark's case, death was the only real final solution.
Zark Ekan was not mourned by thousands. He was not carried through cities and did not recieve any parade in his honor. He only recieved peace after far too long a time of nothing but anguish and despair. Life's questions don't always have answers. So...
Is that enough?
Author: Zarko the Mad. Posted At: 02/01/2005 at 11:17 PM
Pirates activities on Gash Jiren's homeworld of Asthentia. Authorities would no doubt be more than capable in handling it, but the Rogue Jedi Master sees this as a perfect opportunity for some hands on Rogue Jeid training. Zark, at this point still under the alias of Arix, goes along as one of the Knighrs accompanying them.
An ex-Naboo Sith Order member hijacks the Ackbar Space Station orbiting Corellia. Local authorities are unable to handle the situation, but luckily there are Jedi around. Although the mission is very serious and one false move could kill many, Gash Jiren sees how this could pay off in the way of experience. Zark, again as Arix, acts as an overseer.
In a time of peace throughout the galaxy, something happens upon the planet of Ossus that could reignite the spark of war that has been out for quite some time. Are these just some terrorists tired of peace throughout the galaxy, or is someone greater responsible? Arix (Zark) must aid Gash Jiren in finding out before it is too late.
The invasion of Ossus by the forces of the newly returned Grand Admiral Thrawn have been defeated, but the battle for the galaxy is far from over. The constant threat of Thrawn's forces still plagues the entire galaxy, and if things weren't bad enough, a political scandal comes into play. The survivors of the attack on Ossus are safe, but for how long?
A Republic Interdictor Cruiser pulls Darth Poreon's starfighter from hyperspace, only to be met by Zark, still under the alias of Arix, and the E-Wing he flies. The two engage in a dogfight for their lives, only to be joined by the Sith Apprentice Chikami, putting Arix at a disadvantage. Never finished.
News spreads like wildfire, a dueling Tournament like no other is going to take place! The Tournament attracts swordsmen from all over the galaxy, least of which certainly not the Jedi. Zark Ekan is among them. Never finished.
Lured with the promise of knowledge of where he came from and his family's whereabouts, Zark Ekan rushes blindly into a trap on the backward planet on JED-1. But his trapper did not count on any of the many amazing things that happened that fateful night. Least of which being that Zark would go insane.
Zark Ekan had escaped the incident on the planet JED-1 with his life, but he left many things behind. On the planet of Naboo, he finally defeats his inner demons and regains a recognition of what he once was, only to be found by the Jedi Master Leia Organa Solo.
Zark is cured, but he has been gone a long time, and questions have to be answered. But the only question Zark has is: does he have any of the answers?
Demons have been slain, and questions have been answered, but there are some things that cannot be forgotten, and the memories have to be dealt with before someone can move on. Unfortunately for Zark, his own memories are not the only ones he has to defeat.
And old enemy resurfaces against all odds, and to protect the ones he loves Zark must finish him, but things are never that easy, and this is the type of enemy who isn't so easily killed.
Zark Ekan is dead, and it seems he has finally found peace, but the Force doesn't seem to be finished with him.
On the planet of Naboo, a Dark Jedi who has hidden himself from the Jedi Order for decades lurks. With every moment his power increases, his ability to control the beast that is the Darkside weakens. Finally, Zarko the Mad gives his name credit.
The former Sith, now Jedi Master Silus is the first to fall into Zarko's sights, and as his control weakens, seeds are planted into Zarko's mind, convincing him that Silus is an enemy, one better dead than alive. As he is corrupted even more by the Darkside, Zarko leads Silus away from the city proper and into the middle of nowhere.
The two fight, and Zarko escapes only through ripping Zark Ekan from his place as one with the Force and back into the living plane of existance, only able to be seen by and communicate with Silus. Zarko flees the scene, leaving both the living and the dead to sort out the chaos he has left.
Together, Silus and Zark hunt down the Dark Jedi Zarko the Mad, eventually defeating him. Somehow, Silus opens a link between them, and Zark floods in, overpowering Zarko's mind and destroying him, taking over the Dark Jedi's body. Zark Ekan is alive once more, but at what cost? Never finished.
After his resurrection, Zark is still unable to find peace from now not only one, but two lifetimes of torment. Leaving behind Silus to return to his Jedi Order, Zark Ekan runs as far as he can in any direction. From what, even he does not know.
Finally ending up on the Astral Astoria, Zark Ekan is held captive not by the Sith or the Empire, but at the hands of an addictive narcoit known as Severe. One of the providers, a Sith Mistress by the name of Taja Loraan, recognizes Zark for what he truly is, and plots to bend him to her will.
Also, a man from Zark's not-so-distant past resurfaces in his life, although the reunion could have come at a better time... (In Progress)
The Jedi Master Gash Jiren is dead. Allies mourn him, and enemies rejoice. Hints of conflict in the future are aplenty. The Jedi have reunited in large numbers for the first time in years, and the Empire is on edge. Can one man's dead really change the galaxy more than his life did? (In Progress)