{"id":17006,"date":"2021-04-25T22:07:18","date_gmt":"2021-04-26T05:07:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swtorista.com\/articles\/?p=17006"},"modified":"2021-05-07T20:34:31","modified_gmt":"2021-05-08T03:34:31","slug":"quite-a-story-to-tell-official-swtor-short-story-audio-reading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swtorista.com\/articles\/quite-a-story-to-tell-official-swtor-short-story-audio-reading\/","title":{"rendered":"Quite A Story To Tell – SWTOR Short Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bioware writer Caitlin Sullivan Kelly has released a short story related to the Secrets of the Enclave Dantooine Flashpoint!<\/p>\n SPOILERS! \u26a0\ufe0f This short story called \u201cQuite A Story To Tell\u201d takes place after the SWTOR Onslaught expansion, and there are spoilers inside you will want to have finished Ossus before you watch, even better on both Imperial and Republic side. The story takes place after all content at the time of posting this story, which includes the entire Onslaught expansion and the Echoes of Oblivion storylines, though there are almost no Echoes spoilers in it. <\/span>\n

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If you prefer to listen to stories over reading, I have done a dramatic reading of the story and added some fun video editing to show the story’s characters.<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/a>Watch Video<\/a><\/div>\n
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\u201cQuite A Story To Tell\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Caitlin Sullivan Kelly, writer at bioware<\/em><\/p>\n

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The silence in the room was heavy, until Master Satele placed a worn cup on the table with a soft thud. Steam rose in steady wisps from the fragrant liquid inside. Aryn Leneer sat awkwardly, her hands in her lap as she stared at the drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis tea comes highly recommended from General Daeruun,\u201d Master Satele offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Aryn warmed her hands on the sides of the cup. \u201cI take it that means it\u2019s good?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery.\u201d<\/p>\n

The quiet returned, and the former Jedi Grand Master remained standing, her eyes slowly searching Aryn\u2019s face. It made her nervous.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can sit too, you know,\u201d Aryn said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI prefer to stand,\u201d Master Satele countered. \u201cBut,\u201d she continued as Aryn frowned, \u201cif it makes you feel more comfortable, I will sit.\u201d
\nMaster Satele pulled out a chair, and Aryn took a sip of the tea she\u2019d been offered. It was good; really good. And, unexpectedly, it soothed her nerves a bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou probably don\u2019t know much about what I\u2019ve been up to after\u2026 after I left the order,\u201d Aryn began.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have heard a few things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Aryn took another long sip of tea. \u201cWe live on Dantooine–Zeerid, Arra, and I. We have a farm. It\u2019s peaceful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sounds wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is,\u201d Aryn replied. \u201cWe don\u2019t see a lot of trouble. So when something is wrong\u2026 you notice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another sip of tea; if nothing else, it gave her time to steel herself. Now or never. She had to say it.<\/p>\n

\u201cDarth Malgus came to Dantooine.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jedi\u2019s steady gaze didn\u2019t so much as waver. Aryn didn\u2019t expect the notoriously calm Master Satele Shan to cause a scene, but it was unnerving to see no reaction at all. She might as well have said it was starting to rain.<\/p>\n

Aryn continued, \u201cI could sense that he was coming, so we got ready. Zeerid locked down the farm, took Arra somewhere safe–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n

After Master Satele\u2019s long silence, her question was so sudden that Aryn thought she might fall out of her chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026 I went looking for him. Followed his trail to the only place on Dantooine a Sith Lord would be interested in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe enclave\u2026\u201d Master Satele said, barely above a whisper.<\/p>\n

Aryn downed the rest of the tea. She wasn\u2019t sure if it was the drink\u2019s calming effects, or that Master Satele\u2019s stoic veneer seemed to be cracking, but she finally started to feel some confidence in reliving what had happened.<\/p>\n

—————-<\/p>\n

In the same way she could sense Malgus approaching Dantooine before he arrived, Aryn could feel the powerful Force energy radiating from the abandoned Jedi Enclave before it came into view. But as her speeder raced across the grassy plains toward the crumbling ruins, she could sense something else coming from within, a strong presence, entwined with the enclave\u2019s aura, corrupting it\u2026<\/p>\n

Malgus.<\/p>\n

Aryn maneuvered the old bucket of bolts behind the biggest blba tree she could find and parked it in the shade of the leafy canopy. She thanked the stars for Zeerid, who had put a brand new power cell in it the day before. No chance of getting stranded out there.<\/p>\n

She kept her eyes on the entrance to the ruins as she fixed her lightsaber to her belt. The weight of the weapon–and of what it meant to carry it–had become unfamiliar in the many years since she last wielded it. Fending off unruly kath hounds and the occasional thief on the farm didn\u2019t require such a sophisticated weapon. And honestly, she expected–hoped–to never need the lightsaber again.<\/p>\n

As she watched the ruins, minutes passed without any sign of movement. Whether Malgus had already accomplished what he came for and fled, or whether he was still inside, Aryn couldn\u2019t be sure. There was only one way to find out.<\/p>\n

There were many ways to get into the old enclave, but Malgus, brazen as he was, probably wouldn\u2019t hesitate to stroll right through the front door. Aryn didn\u2019t feel particularly brazen, but she would do the same.<\/p>\n

She stumbled into the shadowy enclave from the brightness of midday. Her eyes adjusted to the enclave\u2019s dark hallways quickly enough, but she still kept her hand close to her lightsaber\u2019s hilt while everything around her came into focus. If she was going to do this, she\u2019d do it carefully. She reached out through the Force, but she couldn\u2019t sense anything out of the ordinary–at least, nothing felt different from what she\u2019d been feeling so far. And if an ambush was coming, it would\u2019ve happened by now.<\/p>\n

Aryn turned and surveyed the area around her. From the few points of light that filtered through the cracks in the ceiling, she could make out great hulking chunks of fractured stone. Who knew what they might have once protected in here, before they came crashing down centuries ago; now, they only blocked intruders from reaching many forgotten areas of the enclave.<\/p>\n

Her gaze settled on one end of the gloomy hallway. A curtain of dust, dancing in a sliver of sunlight, hung in front of an opening so dark, it could only mean that it led further inside.<\/p>\n

As Aryn carefully picked her way over the debris littered across the stone floor, she couldn\u2019t stop thinking about the irony of what was happening. How many Jedi would have given their dueling arm for the chance to be here? And here she was–an outcast, a failure–stumbling through the darkness of one of the Jedi\u2019s best kept secrets.<\/p>\n

She kept her pace slow. No telling what sorts of things decided to make their homes in here, and from the rustling she heard when she got too close to the walls, she didn\u2019t want to find out. As for what the Jedi left behind, traps, alarms\u2026 that was an even bigger mystery.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long before the steady, but faint, sense of Malgus\u2019s proximity suddenly flared up and hit her like a wave. It was almost unbearable as it knocked the air from her lungs. Not only was Malgus still inside the ruins, he was close.<\/p>\n

In the murky dark, she heard him before she saw him. The telltale sound of a crystal sparking, igniting a lightsaber\u2019s blade. She slammed her eyes shut and raised her arms over her head, summoning the strongest Force shield she could muster in the little time she had. But the blow never landed\u2026<\/p>\n

And there was nothing there when she opened her eyes, only brief flashes of red lighting up the walls in the distance. Whatever Malgus was fighting down there, it wasn\u2019t going down easy.<\/p>\n

Aryn picked up the pace. Each of her echoing footsteps was drowned out more and more by the sounds of Malgus in combat. Metal crashing against stone. Humming energy slicing through circuitry. She pulled her own lightsaber from her belt and held the pad of her thumb against the activation switch.<\/p>\n

She reached the end of the hallway, where the mouth opened up into a cavernous stone room. She could see the entrances to other corridors scattered around the outer wall. And in the center of the chamber, a commanding tower of might, a shadowed silhouette shrouded by the dark side of the Force\u2026 Darth Malgus.<\/p>\n

His back was turned, and Aryn ducked behind a jagged section of the tunnel wall before Malgus had the opportunity to spot her. Crouched down in her hiding place, she watched as formidable combat droids–the Jedi\u2019s defenses were still active, after all these years–crumpled like they were made of sackcloth. The droids were swift and brutal, and she couldn\u2019t tell where they were coming from, but it didn\u2019t matter. He ruthlessly cut each of them down just as fast as they came online.<\/p>\n

Nothing was slowing Malgus down. With each effortless swing of his lightsaber, each crushing blow from his fist, she could feel it: he was just as powerful today as he had been when she last saw him, decades ago. Back then, she could hold her own against him, but now\u2026 there was no way she could defeat him. Not alone.<\/p>\n

Slowly, Aryn moved to head back the way she came, bent low and out of sight. But when the small rock she disturbed with her foot clattered loudly–too loudly–across the stone floor, she realized that Malgus\u2019s battle was over. The echo of stone bouncing against stone was deafening, but not as much as the silence that followed.<\/p>\n

Aryn froze, except for her hand twitching around the hilt of her lightsaber. She shut her eyes and willed every muscle in her body to be as still as the rock that surrounded her. Her ears strained, but she couldn\u2019t hear anything over her pounding heart.<\/p>\n

The sound of searing electricity tore through the air as Malgus\u2019s lightsaber blazed to life. Aryn waited, shallow breaths ticking the seconds by as she weighed her options. If she attacked from this position, the surprise could give her the upper hand. It\u2019d be the hardest fight of her life, but she would be damned if she just let the Sith Lord take her down.<\/p>\n

Aryn pushed the breath she\u2019d been holding through her teeth and tightened her grip on her lightsaber until her weathered knuckles turned white. She pushed the soles of her boots firmly into the dirt\u2026
\nAnd she ran.<\/p>\n

Without looking back, Aryn sliced her arm in an arc behind her, knocking several of the larger stones down into something that resembled a barricade. She thrust her lightsaber\u2019s hilt in front of her as she ran and hit the activation switch, and the blade illuminated the darkened space.<\/p>\n

Fighting Malgus would always be a gamble. There was a small–but almost negligible–chance she might win, but Aryn learned from a very young age to trust in her own feelings. And with every fiber of her being, she could feel that if she faced Malgus now, she would never see the sunlight again.<\/p>\n

The same sunlight that shone like a beacon at the end of the tunnel.<\/p>\n

She stopped suddenly when her feet hit the soil outside the enclave ruins. In the distance, next to the tree where she\u2019d hidden her speeder, a figure was jumping off his own vehicle. Aryn sheathed her lightsaber and ran toward the tree with every bit of strength she had left.<\/p>\n

\u201cAryn!\u201d the figure called out as she entered the shade of the blba tree.<\/p>\n

Before she could stop herself, her body collided with Zeerid\u2019s, her arms wrapping tightly around his shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d Aryn asked through her attempts to catch her breath.<\/p>\n

Zeerid\u2019s bearded face softened into worry at Aryn\u2019s urgency. \u201cI came to help you. Not like I needed much convincing, but Arra said she\u2019d never forgive me if I let you do this alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019d you know where I was?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a hunch Malgus might be after something in this place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s in there. I think\u2026\u201d Aryn swallowed. \u201cI think he knew I was in there, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? Is he following you?\u201d Zeerid\u2019s hand flew to the blaster at his hip as he scanned the entrance to the ruins.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Aryn replied. \u201cBut we\u2019re not sticking around to find out.\u201d She swung a leg over her speeder and started it up, its engine rumbling to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what do we do?\u201d Zeerid asked as he climbed onto his own speeder.<\/p>\n

Aryn faced the ruins. Malgus\u2019s presence, his pain, his anger, his power\u2026 she could still feel all of it so strongly outside the sturdy walls of the abandoned enclave. To defeat him, they would need the only people strong enough to oppose such a force. Unfortunately, the people they needed probably wouldn\u2019t be too happy to see Aryn.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe go to the Jedi. They\u2019ll know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d Zeerid asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. But what other choice do we have?\u201d<\/p>\n

—————-<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to fight him.\u201d Aryn tilted the empty cup back and forth, rolling the bottom along the wooden tabletop. \u201cMaybe I should have. But deep down, I knew–it was going to take more than one ex-Jedi to stop a monster like Malgus. So, once I got Zeerid and Arra somewhere safe, I came here. I came to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Master Satele\u2019s bright blue gaze remained steady throughout Aryn\u2019s story, but now, just for a moment, Aryn thought she saw something like amusement as the Jedi narrowed her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am glad to see that as you\u2019ve matured, you\u2019ve learned to let a cooler head prevail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aryn folded her hands in her lap and gave a curt nod. Whether Master Satele was offering good-natured ribbing or genuine criticism, Aryn had no desire to be reminded of why she withdrew from the Jedi Order.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could feel Malgus\u2019s anger, his frustration, but there was more. It almost felt like he was\u2026 confused. Like he knew what he was searching for, but he couldn\u2019t find it.\u201d Aryn sighed. \u201cThat\u2019s all I know. I would tell you more if I could.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right. You\u2019ve done well, Aryn. Thank you.\u201d Master Satele stood and crossed to the opposite wall, her back to the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo,\u201d Master Satele began. \u201cHow should we handle this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aryn furrowed her brow. \u201cWhy are you asking me?\u201d she replied to Master Satele\u2019s back. \u201cThis is Jedi business now, and you\u2019re the last person I need to remind that I\u2019m not a Jedi anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Master Satele turned to face her, her passive expression easing into understanding. \u201cYou\u2019re not the only one who relinquished their ties to the Jedi. My role–my place–in the order isn\u2019t what it used to be. If I am being truthful, it\u2019s been different for years, really. But we will all have our parts to play in this, regardless of our standing in the Jedi Order.\u201d<\/p>\n

A wordless moment passed, but before Aryn could respond, a cool, clear voice rang out from the door to their meeting room. A young woman with bright red hair leaned against the door\u2019s frame, arms crossed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSatele, Sal-Deron asked to see you. When you can spare a moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat fortunate timing,\u201d Master Satele replied. \u201cThere is someone I would like her to speak with.\u201d<\/p>\n

The young woman barely spared a glance at Aryn before she turned and left the room.<\/p>\n

Master Satele gestured toward the door, her gaze on Aryn once again. \u201cLet\u2019s go together. I know Master Sal-Deron would be very interested in hearing what you have to say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aryn stood and walked a few paces toward the door. \u201cJust \u2018Satele?\u2019 Since when are you so informal with other Jedi?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSyl is\u2026 a complicated student. I try to choose my battles wisely when it comes to her. It seems to help…\u201d Master Satele ushered Aryn into the hallway, closing the door behind them. She walked to the right and motioned for Aryn to follow.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean it when I say things have changed, Aryn, the Jedi Order and many of us with it. Others hold the responsibility that once was mine, and I need you to tell them your story before you return to your family.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two walked on. \u201cI understand that the Jedi aren\u2019t what they used to be,\u201d Aryn began. \u201cBut things\u2026 can\u2019t be that different, can they?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes,\u201d Master Satele replied, serenely. \u201cBut change is one thing that the Jedi have always been familiar with, no matter how hard we fight it. And after all that you\u2019ve shared with me today, I feel that more change is yet to come\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

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Want to tell the author you enjoyed her story? Reply to this Twitter message!<\/em><\/p>\n

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I loved writing Secrets of the Enclave for #SWTOR<\/a> so much that I just kept on writing!<\/p>\n

Hope you all enjoy the extra time with Aryn Leneer in my new short story. https:\/\/t.co\/16NYk5UQCB<\/a><\/p>\n

— Caitlin Sullivan Kelly \ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf49 (@akacaitlin) April 13, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n