Pretazeneu
by TJPart 1
The full moon peaked out from behind the sparse clouds casting a shimmering light on the ancient glade. The gently blowing wind rustled the leafy branches of the trees and the tranquil melody they created drifted throughout, hypnotic and soothing. The aroma from the hyacinth blossoms was almost intoxicating in its strength as it floated on the evening breeze. A young eladu, sleek brown fur shining in the moonlight, moved into the peaceful clearing. The lush grass silenced her graceful footfalls as she grazed on the surround foliage.
Slowly, the soft wind died down, filling the area with an unnatural silence. The young eladu stopped its careful journey, then sprinted away, its short white tail raised high in alarm. A steady rumbling sound began somewhere deep underground, slowly raising in volume, as something seemed to force its way up from the bowels of the planet. The ground began to vibrate, rustling the tree branches together once more and sending the small residents of the glade scurrying for cover. As the rumbling grew to a crescendo, a loud cracking like a clap of thunder, shattered the night and a small fissure appeared in the once smooth ground. Slowly, the wind began again as acrid smoke wafted up from the newly formed crevice. And as the clouds moved to cover the moon once more, a single word floated on the breeze.
Pretazeneu...
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi walked down the ramp of the Druhan, the small craft that had brought them from Coruscant, grateful to once more be on solid ground. It had been a rather harrowing flight as the small craft seemed to be plagued by all manner of mechanical difficulties, some quite severe. The two Jedi had decided to seek other means of transport back to Coruscant once their mission was complete. They had endured quite enough of the Druhan.
They had come to Veygra at the request of the Veygran government. Something very disturbing was happening on their planet, something they were a bit unwilling to discuss over a long distance. Due to this, the two Jedi found themselves wondering exactly what it was they were to do here on this rather peaceful planet.
And peaceful Veygra was. Or at least it had been according to all the records back at the Temple. They had not had any sort of civil dispute in several hundred years. They also had a sizeable military presence, making outside disputes few and far between as well. But something was wrong now. It was a very worried High Minister who had contacted the Jedi for help.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan gazed about the small space dock as they waited for their government escort to arrive. They scanned the crowds of people in the area, looking for the High Minister. For some reason, all of the young people seemed to be dressed up as different creatures. Obi-Wan made a mental note to ask the High Minister about the seemingly strange custom. After a minute of searching Obi-Wan spotted the man quietly making his way toward them. He touched his master lightly on the arm and directed Qui-Gon's attention to the approaching man.
"Welcome, Honored Jedi," the High Minister said when he reached them. He bowed low, as was the custom of his people. "I am High Minister Calvin."
"I am Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Qui-Gon said as he and Obi-Wan bowed to the High Minister. "We have come to help you."
"Thank you. We are much in need, Master Jedi. But please, let us not speak of it here. I have a transport waiting to take us to the Chancellery." With that, the High Minister turned and began making his way back through the crowds. Obi-Wan cast a quick glance at his master, but there was as much confusion on Qui-Gon's face as his own.
The two men quickly followed Calvin to the transport and were quickly on their way to the Chancellery building. The High Minister did not speak as they rode through the streets and the Jedi took their lead from him. Obi-Wan could feel the unease that poured off of the man. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and he was sure his master could feel it as well.
It took very little time to reach their destination. As they exited the transport, they were surprised by the number of growing, living things that seemed to thrive even in the heart of the city. It was quite a contrast to the stark lifelessness of Coruscant.
Calvin quickly led them inside the building and to his private offices. He waited for the Jedi to enter then closed the door behind them, locking it. He then moved swiftly around to his desk and sat down, motioning for the two men to sit as well.
"Again, let me thank you for coming," he began once they were all seated.
"You are quite welcome, High Minister," Qui-Gon said smoothly. "But perhaps you could tell us why we are here?"
"You are here because the Pretazeneu has returned," he stated, then went on to explain. "The Pretazeneu is an...evil spirit...if you will. It is millennia old and has been banished for centuries."
"Yet you say it has returned," Qui-Gon prompted when the man fell silent.
"Yes," he replied. "Two weeks ago, during the beginning of our Samhain festival, there was a realignment of our moons and sun. This realignment of the heavens, during this particular time, released the Pretazeneu. It is now free to reek death and destruction on our planet once more."
"So you wish our help in destroying this spirit?" Obi-Wan ventured.
"No. There is no way to destroy the Pretazeneu. The most that can be done is to imprison it once more. And that must be done before it breeds."
"Breeds?" Qui-Gon asked, liking this less and less.
"Yes. Once the Pretazeneu is free it can choose a host and breed. I believe you Jedi are familiar with its offspring. You call them Sith."
The two Jedi barely managed to keep the surprise off of their faces. Surely this man was mistaken. But then again, so little was known about the Sith. It was entirely possible that a centuries old spirit was responsible for their origins.
"If the Pretazeneu is looking to breed, how will it attempt to do this?" Obi-Wan asked, hoping to find a weakness they could exploit.
"It will look for a young man of great beauty. Strong both physically and mentally. If he is a Force user, so much the better."
"A man?" Qui-Gon broke in, surprised.
"Yes. It will take possession of the man's body and use him to sire his offspring. It will impregnate a female and in but a single lunar cycle, she will give birth to a Sith spirit. Once that happens, the Pretazeneu will find another female to impregnate and the cycle will repeat itself."
"How many offspring can this thing produce?" Qui-Gon asked, suddenly wishing his padawan was anywhere but here right now.
"Legion."
"Does the female survive giving birth?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No. She does not."
"I sense there is more," Qui-Gon said. He noticed the High Minister hesitate for a moment.
"While the Pretazeneu is within the host body, it will attempt all manner of evil. The control over the host body is complete, yet the host remains aware of all that he is being forced to do. Or that he is allowing to be done to him. I must tell you, Mater Jinn, had I known of your apprentice I would have recommended he not come."
"What's done is done." Qui-Gon said, thinking the same thing himself. "There is no time to bring in another team. And I assure you, my apprentice is more than capable of taking care of himself. Now, you say it gives birth to a Sith spirit? Can you explain what you mean?"
"Just what I said," Calvin replied. "The woman gives birth to the spirit and then the spirit seeks out a host body. That is how the Sith are born."
"Is this single creature then responsible for all of the Sith?" Obi-Wan could not keep the incredulity from his voice.
"Were that it were so," Calvin answered. "There are others of its kind on various planets scattered about the galaxy. Each creates Sith spirits in its own way. Each has its own name. That name, by the way, is very important. Only if you know its true name, can you hope to imprison it."
"Forgive me, High Minister, but exactly how are we to assist you?" Qui-Gon asked. It seemed as though, dangerous as it was, these people had things well in hand.
"We can not bind the spirit," Calvin replied. "Only a Jedi can do that. And only during the Equinox which takes place in six days. It was a Jedi pair that imprisoned it 600 years ago. It must be Jedi that imprison it now."
"Can you tell us more of what happened back then?" Qui-Gon prompted.
"Yes," Calvin hesitated again. "But it is not a pretty story."
"We need all of the information we can get," Obi-Wan put in. The High Minister looked at the young Jedi apprentice for long moments before speaking again.
"Very well. Six hundred years ago the Pretazeneu was freed. A Jedi master and his apprentice were here at the time, on personal business I believe. The records are a bit vague about that. At the time, everyone was completely unaware of the danger. Until the Pretazeneu took the apprentice as it's host. Over a score of Sith spirits were born. There was more death and destruction during those twenty-three months than in our entire history. What the Pretazeneu did not cause, the Sith did. Finally, the Jedi master was able to free his apprentice and imprison the spirit once more."
"What happened to the apprentice?" Obi-Wan asked, needing to know.
"It was too much for him. The things he had done, people he had tortured, especially his own master. He could not live with it. So he did not. In the end, he hung himself. His master found him in their rooms." Calvin could see the pain and fear in the younger man's eyes. But he could be nothing but honest to the two Jedi before him.
"His...his own master?" Obi-Wan managed, his voice barely a whisper.
"Yes," Calvin continued, understanding that the young man needed to know. "He captured his master and tortured him continually over a three day period. The Jedi knew how to defeat the creature but had to wait until the Equinox. In that time, he was abused mentally, physically, and...sexually. All the while, his apprentice was aware of what he was being forced to do. He...he removed his master's eyes and three of the fingers from his left hand. The creature repeatedly beat and raped him, sometimes letting the apprentice come back fully into his body to feel his master writhing in pain around him. He even removed one of the man's testicles and forced him to consume it."
A strangled sound forced its way from Obi-Wan's throat causing Calvin to fall silent. Qui-Gon whipped around to face his padawan. The color had drained almost completely from the young man's face and he was shaking. Quickly, Qui-Gon moved to pull his distraught padawan into his arms. After a moment, the shaking subsided and he pulled back to look at the younger man. Obi-Wan offered a faint smile, both reassurance and apology.
"Forgive me, High Minister," Obi-Wan said once Qui-Gon had returned to his seat. "The image you painted was...distressing."
"No apology is necessary, young Jedi," Calvin replied sincerely, then looked pointedly at Qui-Gon. "I understand."
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