Legacy of Darkness - A Fanfiction trilogy

[De-mu-noki]

a few grammatical errors but not a bad chapter at all, as the saying goes, "the plot thickens"

 

can't wait for more.

 

Sorry for the semi-late reply, but could I (as the beta) ask you to point some of those out so that I know what to pay attention to in the future? Thanks!

[MayhemofChaonus]

Hi guys! So sad, its my last time I'll be able to post directly on this forum for a while...

 

I know the parts have seemed a little slow lately, both in release schedule and in pacing, but this is deliberate. I hope to make the crescendo a suitable payoff and am attempting to carefully and meticulously construct the backstory for it before I introduce it, in order to make it that much more impactful. I'm basically gambling that I'll be able to write something as tense, exciting, and engaging as the build-up I'm making implies, so lets hope I succeed!

 

That aside, I am going to miss you guys. I know I can sorta use Demunoki as a mouthpiece and I can still read the forums (at least as far as I am aware) as a preferred/F2P player, but communicating with you guys will be somewhat difficult and arduous, at least on this website. As such I likely won't reply much to your posts (or maybe I'm kidding myself and I'll be flooding Demunoki's inbox with replies on a daily basis lol), but don't let that discourage you from posting observations, opinions, hypotheses, or questions. I will undoubtedly read them all and make my best efforts to factor your input and criticisms into my considerations regarding plot, character development, or writing quality. Even though you may not receive a reply, please know that your post has been seen and is being taken seriously!

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, please enjoy the show!

 

 

Nox walked nonchalantly through the ruined courtyard of the Dark Temple. Around him, the fevered voices and shadowy forms of the possessed that haunted the Temple grounds flickered in and out of his awareness. He could feel the anger, hate, and rage of the forgotten wraiths that had armored themselves in the flesh of those sent to uncover the Dark Temple's secrets. They wanted to attack him, to overwhelm him and take his mind and body for their own, but they knew they couldn't succeed. They remembered the last time he had been here, how he had robbed them of perfectly good hosts with so little effort, and they knew to attack or even offend him might mean more punishment, so they stayed their ghostly hands.

 

Pleased that his previous visit had produced such a desirable effect on the ethereal parasites, Nox took the time to enjoy his surroundings. The aroma of the Dark Side was strong here, as strong as the sweet-smelling savor of a thick cloud of incense. It was tangible in the air around him, he could feel the dark whispering to him, subsuming him as it spoke of power, glory, and exultation. He allowed it to wrap around him, enjoying the experience more than any lover's embrace. He had enjoyed many women of many different species, but his one true love was the Dark Side of the Force.

 

After allowing himself a brief moment of reverie, Nox released his hold on the darkness and brought his focus back to the mundane realm. He was not here to bask in the Temple's dark glory, nor meditate on the Dark Side, he was here to find the HK droid piece that he needed. It's exact location was a mystery, but it was rumored to have been found here by one of Darth Hadra's expeditions before they all went insane and became possessed. All Nox knew was that it was somewhere in the courtyard, possibly even buried beneath it. But he wasn't about to scour every square foot of the entire courtyard to find it, he had a better idea. Removing a remote console from his belt, he tapped a button and waited a few minutes. His patience was rewarded when a small, disc-shaped droid, hovering a few meters off the ground, came flying up to him and beeped in acknowledgement upon reaching him. He entered the instructions into the remote, and the droid flew off towards the temple, rising high into the air to scan the area for anomalies like the ones he had instructed it to look for. Once it reached a certain height and position over the courtyard, the droid began scanning, streaming its results to the console screen. Nox followed the data as it unfolded, and soon enough his mind began to wander.

 

His recent good fortune in discovering the information he needed to continue perfecting his ritual was a sign that the Dark Side of the Force was working in concert with him, that his actions and plans were a part of its will. At the Battle of Ilum, he had been concerned that the Force was striking back at him through Malgus, attempting to take away the resources and influence he needed to conduct his plans without fear of interference or discovery. Of course he could have sided with Malgus, but for Nox an active Emperor and a united Empire were even more dangerous to his plans than a seemingly omniscient but apathetic Emperor and a fractured, feudal Empire. At least in the current Sith Empire, Nox could distract his rivals and pit them against each other. In any case, siding with Malgus was an idea that was only shown to be more foolish by the fact that the coup had failed.

 

Even before that, the Dark Side had been with him. His incursion into the Emperor's personal library seemed to go completely unnoticed by the Emperor or his Hand. If Nox didn't know better, he would swear Vitiate was completely absent, taking whatever amounted to a nap for an immortal. While he was confident that his machinations were in accordance with the will of the Dark Side, still, he had to be careful. Even for those who dwelled in the realm of the Force, the unforeseen could occur. He had to be ready for anything to happen, be ready to adapt and evolve to meet any unpredictable crisis or sudden changes to his plan. Failure to plan for the unexpected would be akin to inviting the unexpected in to wreak havoc and turn triumph into catastrophe.

 

The information scrolling by on the screen suddenly stopped. The droid had completed its scan, and Nox regarded the results: there were 6 locations that the data suggested to look. Calling the droid back to him, Nox approached the first area and, after a brief search around the general vicinity, instructed the droid to begin attempting to triangulate the position of the anomaly it had detected. Finding nothing, it requested further instruction. Nox told it to begin digging, placing signal boosters in the holes it created to enhance its scan results. While he watched the droid go about its work, Nox once more slipped back into the depths of his own thoughts.

 

Darth Aruk was becoming a problem, his audacious attempt to threaten Nox was typical of the Dark Council's head of the Sphere of Sith Philosophy. As staunch of a traditionalist as Thanaton had been, Aruk was also an adamant racist. He despised Nox simply for being neither human nor pureblood, and took every opportunity to undermine or discredit him. So far his efforts had all met with failure, but the most recent threat had been quite bold. Sending an emissary directly to Nox's place of residence bordered on being a both a personal insult and a threat on his life. Nox could see this one-sided feud quickly spiraling out of control, and he couldn't afford to run the risk of having his plans disrupted by some petty ronkworm. Of course, removing Aruk wouldn't necessarily solve the problem. His followers were just as prejudiced as he was, but any newly promoted member of the Dark Council would have to invest at least some time and effort into establishing their power base and asserting their authority over their sphere before they could turn their attention outward, and that might give Nox enough time to further his plans to the point where he could take care of the problem for good. If there was one thing Nox was good at, it was evading his enemies.

 

The droid returned to him, having found nothing. He instructed it to follow him and moved on to the next site, once more returning to the depths of his own mind once he had set the droid to work. The content of Aruk's threat hadn't escaped Nox's mind either, if Ashara truly was being too zealous in incorporating her ideas of a united and placid Empire, that could become a serious problem. Her desires were a part of Nox's plans, but that was exactly why he needed her to be covert and subtle about introducing these ideals to the Empire. If she was too open about them it would draw unwanted attention to him, and might lead to his true plans being uncovered. He could not allow that. He would have to talk to her about this, get her side of the story and convince her that her ideals would not take root in the Imperial subconscious unless they were planted there in secrecy. Of course, forcing her to use deception and manipulation, even for a noble cause, would only accelerate her slow and agonizing fall, which suited Nox just fine. Convincing her even more that the good she wished to accomplish could not be realized through the Light Side was the way to get her to give herself fully to the Dark, and when she finally turned from the light that blinded her and saw the truth, nothing would stop them. Together they would rule this galaxy and bring order to the chaos that the Jedi and their wretched Republic created.

 

The droid beeped as it approached him, carrying something in its claw. Holding out his hand, he waited for the mechanical assistant to drop what it had found into it. When it did, he examined it for only a moment before he recognized it as a motivator for an HK-series droid. Thanks to the backward compatibility of the HK-51 model, he knew this part, old as it was, would work as a replacement for the broken one, after he had it cleaned and examined that is. He was glad for the information about where Darth Hadra's team had been camped, without it he would have had to scour the entire temple grounds himself, which would have taken days of his valuable time, days he couldn't afford to lose. He doubted the Reclamation Service teams he had dispatched to Tattoine, Taris, and Hoth would be so lucky. They had far less information to go on, and a lot of ground to cover, but he knew they would come through. The loyalty of his underlings was born out of respect, but with a healthy level of fear. They knew Nox rewarded those who performed admirably, and that drove them to exceptionality far more effectively than fear of failure. They also knew that Nox punished those who failed him according to their failure, which had established his reputation as a far more fair-minded master than the others on the Dark Council.

 

That meant there was only a few places left in the galaxy where Nox might find what he needed, and as he pocketed the droid motivator and sent the flying remote droid back to its dispatch station, he had already decided which one he was going to next.

 

________________

 

 

Nox surveyed the ruins of the Foundry as he strolled through the wide corridors. The ancient space station had been gutted and stripped of almost everything of value, then left to orbit a dwarf star in the far reaches of the Outer Rim, and with each room Nox was beginning to feel concerned that whatever part he hoped to find here would be missing. Despite his worries, he felt old memories begin to surface as he walked and viewed the carcass of what had once been a one of the greatest threats to the Empire. He remembered tearing through these halls, a newly anointed Lord of the Sith, side by side with the Grand Champion of the Great Hunt, his fellow Sith Lord Galadius, and the mysterious Cipher Nine of Imperial Intelligence. In what had arguably been their greatest battle, and greatest triumph, the Imperial Vanguard had torn through the ancient droid factory's defenses one after the other. Jedi defenders had fallen in their hundreds, battle droids in their thousands. They had taken down HK-47 in the Foundry's core, and that was the reason Nox was here. While the chassis of the assassin droid had been recovered by the Imperial Reclamation Service under Thanaton's rule, it had been passed into the hands of Darth Hadra, head of the Empire's Sphere of Technology, who in turn allocated it to Darth Malgus, along with the Foundry itself, for repairs and use in the front lines. The Vanguard had defeated the droid once more in the Battle of Ilum on the Emperor's space station, but what had happened to the droid's remains after that was a mystery, a mystery Nox had set his growing network of spies and informants on unraveling.

 

But here, in the ruins of an old triumph, he hoped to find parts that had perhaps been missed by the Reclamation Service in the initial recovery, or even a secret stash of spare parts that Revan was rumored to have kept. The man himself had nearly said as much when the Imperial Vanguard had confronted him in the Foundry's control center, claiming he could simply rebuild the loyal assassin droid, a feat that would be nearly impossible unless he had at least handful of parts hidden somewhere. Given that the Foundry had been Revan's impromptu command center for his planned attack on the Empire, it stood to reason that he might keep those parts on hand. It's not like he had known he would be defeated and that Nox would need those parts, so the only way such a cache could have been removed is if it had been found by the I.R.S. or the Schism Collective. Reaching the Core room, Nox began to scour the place with a thorough intensity that belied his eagerness and impatience. After a full standard hour of searching, he came to the conclusion that any parts left here after the battle all those years ago were long gone. He supposed he should have expected as much, even before his ascension to power the Reclamation Service had been exemplary, and he should have known better than to believe they wouldn't scour and scan every square inch of the room for valuable or useful items. Still, that left Revan's stash to find, and as thorough as the I.R.S. was back then, Nox doubted that, even collectively, they could outsmart Revan.

 

Minutes later, upon reaching the Command Center, Nox was hit by an intense feeling of nostalgia. The sensation was quickly followed by a vision that overwhelmed his senses and transported him through space and time to the past. He saw Galadius and himself battling Revan, Galadius's crimson blade locking with Revan's violet one again and again as Nox, then known as Lord Kallig, tried to exploit the holes in the Jedi Master's defenses to land a killing blow. Turning his head to one side, Nox saw Nei'tiri and Cipher Nine alternating between firing blaster bolts and shoring up the two Sith with Kolto. Nox watched as the battle took a sudden turn, his own memories giving the vision clarity and focus. Revan lashed out in a Force push, sending Galadius tumbling off the platform on which the Command Center sat, and into the abyss, though with the asteroid's weak gravity, at a much slower rate and softer angle than he would have on an actual planet. Believing his most dangerous enemy to be gone, Revan turned on the younger Nox and began ferociously attacking him. Nox watched as his younger self desperately struggled to defend himself against the intense offensive. He managed to turn so that his back faced the Command Center Console, but despite the support from two kolto probes and covering fire laid down by the Cipher, Revan managed to catch the aspiring Sith off-guard with a dizzying array of attacks that made the conflict seem more like a dance than a battle.

 

His guard down, young Nox was slammed into the Command Center console with another Force push, and Revan whirled on the bounty hunter and Imperial agent. In a flash of Force speed, he seemed to instantly cross the meters of distance between them and came at Nei'tiri with his lightsaber swinging. The clever Mandolorian barely managed to dodge in time, but in doing so exposed herself to a kick from the Jedi master that knocked her to the ground. Revan raised his lightsaber to execute her, only to be sent sprawling by a full-blown body slam from Lord Galadius. The Sith warrior had leaped from one floating asteroid fragment to another, using the Force and the low gravity to his advantage. Leaping from the closest fragment floating by the exposed Command Center platform, he had aimed his leap to slam him right into the Jedi, sending the man staggering from the sheer shock of being hit by a large, solid object travelling at high speed while he was completely unaware. Nox glanced back to where the younger version of him had been slumped against the console. He was now standing, one hand raised in front of his face in a pose of concentration. He had been shrouding Galadius's presence from Revan, clouding the Jedi's mind to prevent him from seeing the future, and thus avoid Galadius's attack. But the Force drew Nox's attention past himself, to the console.

 

By shielding himself with the Force, the younger Nox had avoided becoming seriously injured, and the console he hit had instead suffered the damage. The dented and buckled metal had been broken open in some places, and through one of these holes Nox could see two wires of opposite colors running side by side. Having seen and studied similar consoles, Nox knew that these wires were the console's primary power lines, and thus were almost always unbroken. However, these particular wires had been divided in half, with each half ending in connectors that linked the two halves of each line together. Basically this did nothing and was a completely pointless exercise, but Nox doubted that Revan would have wasted any time better spent preparing for the inevitable battle with the Empire by amusing himself with a pointless activity. That meant the wires had been altered for a reason, and Nox was already positive he knew what the reason was.

 

The vision faded, and Nox approached the broken console. Reaching it, he looked for and found the warped panel that covered the wires he had seen in the vision. Removing it, he disconnected the wires, watching the dimly lit console go dark as it lost power. After checking for any other tampering, Nox connected the wires again, only this time each half of the wire was connected to the opposite half of its counterpart. The console blinked back on, but it wasn't what Nox saw that interested him, it was what he heard. The sound of a lock opening. Rising to his feet, he turned around and used his Force sight. Glancing at the floor of the command platform in the direction the sound had come from he saw exactly what he expected to see; a maintenance compartment with a custom lock, no doubt installed by Revan so that only he could have access to it. Approaching the hidden trap door, Nox used the Force to lift it open, as it had no other method of release, and climbed inside. The space was small, and it didn't take Nox long to find the toolbox hidden behind a radiator pipe and a mess of wires. He broke the lock and looked inside, a smile spreading across his face as he saw what it contained. He lifted the loyalty chip out of the box, holding it up to the light given off by the compartment's tiny illuminator, the chip was in mint condition, as if brand new.

 

This would do, this would do very nicely.

 

Edited May 21, 2017 by MayhemofChaonus

[Redsaynsixtysix]

This was definitely a good send off! I've really enjoyed this story- how it balances the game events (portrayed in an interesting way) with an original and imaginative storyline! Some points/questions though:

.I notice that you spent a significant amount of time on the Revan fight/flashback. That made me remember: didn't Nox have a vision from the events of SOR and beyond? If that's the case, then Revan should be recruiting and strengthening the Revanites right about now. As such, wouldn't they impact the story in a way that would be more prominent then just being a backdrop for the actual plot?

.As for the HK-hunt: as enjoyable as your writing is, unless you're going to use it to develop characters or to put your own twist on it, I'd advise putting the entire hunt into a single chapter. Mostly because we know what's going to happen, and it brings back memories of hours, upon hours, upon hours of finding those parts! That being, reading about it

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

 

In total: I'm looking forward to seeing where this progresses, but I am sad that you're not going to actively be here anymore. :(/:)

[MayhemofChaonus]

This was definitely a good send off! I've really enjoyed this story- how it balances the game events (portrayed in an interesting way) with an original and imaginative storyline! Some points/questions though:

.I notice that you spent a significant amount of time on the Revan fight/flashback. That made me remember: didn't Nox have a vision from the events of SOR and beyond? If that's the case, then Revan should be recruiting and strengthening the Revanites right about now. As such, wouldn't they impact the story in a way that would be more prominent then just being a backdrop for the actual plot?

.As for the HK-hunt: as enjoyable as your writing is, unless you're going to use it to develop characters or to put your own twist on it, I'd advise putting the entire hunt into a single chapter. Mostly because we know what's going to happen, and it brings back memories of hours, upon hours, upon hours of finding those parts! That being, reading about it

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

 

In total: I'm looking forward to seeing where this progresses, but I am sad that you're not going to actively be here anymore. :(/:)

 

I can sympathize, believe me. But I think you are overshooting the timeline here. The Makeb incident has yet to occur, the Battle of Ilum happened only a few weeks ago at this point. The hunt is confined to a single chapter: Chapter 3: Killer. Which will be a very long chapter, but believe me when I say that I have some surprises in store that did not happen in the HK-51 storyline, surprises that I hope will interest my readers. Basically yes, I am going to put my own sort of spin on it . There are of course, other characters whose stories I follow in this chapter, combined with Nox's hunt for the HK parts, they make this chapter very long. But like I said, surprises! Just hang in there for 1 or 2 more parts and you'll begin to see what I'm talking about

 

To answer your question about the Revanites, Nox's original vision was not intended to be a connection to the original storyline, but instead to be a breakaway from it. In that vision I basically said: "forget all of this garbage, let's take the path less traveled." As such, I will attempt to continue to break from the original story and forge my own unique path through it. Also, the Revanites are growing in power at this point as that is canon, however, they are still working in deep secrecy and with the timeline changing and warping as it splits more and more from the original timeline, its hard to say whether they will have the same effect or accomplish the same goals that they did in the OT... This chapter is primarily about Nox's development as a character and, on a more minor note, the development of a few other supporting characters, which is why it is necessary. This part in particular might have seemed rather inconsequential, but it contained some themes and birthed some plots which will become prominent later, trust me . The Revanites may well begin to have an effect on the story, but that will take time, and likely won't begin to occur until we get closer to the events of the Dread War, when the Revanite conspiracy reared its ugly head.

[De-mu-noki]

Hi Guys! Wow, this "possessing someone" thing feels really weird, how does the Emperor do it? Ahem, anyway, here's the next segment. I know, I know, it's short. I'm disappointed too. However, the next part (thus far) is shaping up to be really long, possibly longer than anything else thus far (we'll see :$) and I didn't want to burn myself out or make an already long segment even longer, so I posted this segment as a sort of in-between-er the keeps us informed on our other characters. BTW, for those who are interested, the next part will start to get into my "twist" involving the HK-51 questline, so I hope you guys are pleased with my little edition of what was (in-game) a mostly boring scavenger hunt.

 

We join the "hot" couple on Detrimos, where the war effort (and tensions) are heating up!

 

 

 

 

 

Xalek stalked the halls of the Semak building, cloaked in the dark embrace of the Force, hidden from all manner of detection. He slipped past the countless Republic guards patrolling the wide halls, their bright, self-righteous uniforms and armor at odds with the stalwart, functional gray of the building's utterly Imperial design. The headquarters of the Ministry of Logistics on Detrimos, the building was named after Dannis Semak, one-time Minister of Logistics and regarded as a hero among the Imperial populace for his reforms, which added additional shifts to formerly overstretched industries at no cost to the workers. These reforms had been made in the service of increasing efficiency, by reducing the number of workers who suffered burnout from being overworked and thus became less productive. They had also increased morale significantly, and resulted in a huge boom in the Imperial economy that had lasted for over fifty years.

 

 

 

That hardly mattered now though. The building was swarming with Republic wretches, ripe for the slaughter. Xalek was here for one wretch in particular. He always enjoyed these missions, though in a much different way from the battle lust he felt in open combat. As a warrior, Xalek took great pleasure in fighting on the battlefield, using nothing more than sheer power and skill to defeat his foes. But assassinations, they held a special, unique appeal to him. His interest in them had begun after becoming apprenticed to Darth Nox, while his master was still called Lord Kallig. They had fought on the great battlefields of Corellia, yes, but inexplicably Xalek had found the missions where he and his master infiltrated the enemy's greatest bastions and struck from the shadows, sowing fear and chaos, to be addictive.

 

 

 

He always savored the array of darker emotions their attacks instilled in the enemy, not even the Jedi were immune. When he and his master had infiltrated the headquarters of the Green Jedi, they had slain many Knights and Padawans as well as quite a few Jedi Masters, four of which were extraordinarily powerful in the Force and exceptionally trained. Nevertheless, they too had fallen before the combined might of the two Sith. They had fought them in pairs, with his master's Force presence invigorating and empowering him, and Darth Nox more than able to hamper the Force and martial abilities of the Jedi Masters, Xalek had been able to lay claim to many of the blows that spelled their end and had even succeeded in executing two of them. He looked back on those battles with pride, missions like those had been his shining glory. Compared to those days, this mission was child's play.

 

 

 

Rounding a corner, he nearly ran into the guards that were standing there, and managed to recover in time to prevent a collision. He cursed himself for not using the technique his master had taught him to meditate while in action, and slipped between the two sentinels, resolving to focus on the objective until it was complete. The objective was to assassinate General Fenharr, the leader of the Republic's ground forces. With him dead, the Republic forces would briefly be in a state of chaos, a state that the Empire could exploit to route them and send them scurrying back into orbit.

 

 

 

Ducking into a side corridor, Xalek followed the image of the building plans that he had burned into his brain before leaving the base. Another left, a right, then two more lefts brought him to the maintenance turbolifts. With a quick glance around and an extension of his awareness through the Force, he determined that he was momentarily safe and released his cloak. He was almost sad to feel the embrace of the Dark Side slip from him, but he wanted to perform full-blown meditation on the way to the subbasement that the general was using as a nerve center. He checked his chrono after pressing the button to summon the lift. There were only six minutes until the attack, if the general was still alive by then the battle's outcome would be uncertain. He needed to act quickly and decisively.

 

 

 

The lift reached his floor and he frowned, there was someone inside. He reached for his lightsaber as the doors opened and brandished it as the turbolift was revealed to contain Lord Willsaam. She was leaning nonchalantly against the lift's back wall and looked up at him standing in the doorway. He sheathed his lightsaber.

 

 

 

"Still following me I see." She said in a casual tone of mock exasperation. Xalek couldn't help but smile as he stepped into the lift. The doors closed and they began to descend.

 

 

 

"The stench of your weakness is overpowering, it's hard not to follow."

 

 

 

"Try me." She said in a low tone. "I'll show you overpowering."

 

 

 

"Your hygiene is not my concern."

 

 

 

"You're one to talk of hygiene, alien."

 

 

 

"I am indeed, after all I bathe in the blood of my enemies quite often."

 

 

 

"That was sarcasm."

 

 

 

"And my response wasn't."

 

 

 

They rode in silence for a few seconds, then Jaesa spoke again.

 

 

 

"Why are you here?"

 

 

 

"I have business with the general." Xalek replied vaguely.

 

 

 

"As do I." Jaesa replied evenly.

 

 

 

"I knew you were open-minded, but I didn't think you'd go that far with a Republic stooge." Xalek said with a wicked grin.

 

 

 

"Idiot!" Jaesa hissed. "I'm here for information, once I'm finished downloading what I need from his databanks I'm gone."

 

 

 

"I'm sure he'll be more than happy to empty the contents of his databanks into your database." Xalek teased, his glee rising with Jaesa's ire.

 

 

 

She whirled and swung a fist at him. He caught it in a single, clawed hand, moving the other to intercept her second shot at his gut. Once he had both her hands firmly in his grasp he twisted to the side to avoid receiving her knee in his groin, opting instead to take the blow on his thigh. She reared her head back to head-butt him, but he leaned his head to the side so that she struck his shoulder armor. Before she could attempt a second assault, he summoned the strength of the Force and whirled her around, still holding her fists in his claws. The result was that she ended up in position similar to wearing a straightjacket, her arms were crossed over her chest, held firmly in the Kaleesh's grip, with her back against his pectorals in a twisted version of a romantic embrace. She squirmed in his grip and screamed in frustration, but he held on tight. Behind his mask, his grin was as wide as a Nexu's, and he laughed boisterously as she struggled against his durasteel hold. Suddenly, she stopped struggling, and he felt her anger begin to build to a fever pitch as the air become charged with electricity. He realized she was about to retaliate with the Force, and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

 

 

 

"I wouldn't do that, Lord Willsaam, the blast will overload the power conduits for the turbolift and kill us both in the explosion."

 

 

 

He sensed the power begin to die away, not gone, but suppressed and contained for release later. He smiled, she was so riled up now that she would be more than eager to fight the general or anyone else they encountered, which was exactly what Xalek had wanted in the first place. Well...not just that. He focused on the feeling of having her body pressed against his, enjoyed it, reveled in it. He could feel her emotions raging within her; hatred, anger, disgust, and...something else, something more elusive, something she was desperately trying to suppress.

 

 

 

"Are you going to release me? Or do I have to start breaking limbs?" She asked, her tone brimming with barely contained rage.

 

 

 

"Only if you promise to be reasonable and save your bloodlust for our mutual foes." Xalek demanded. When she nodded in agreement her released her. She immediately leapt from his grasp and whirled around to face him. For a moment, Xalek thought she was going to attack him again, but she just stood there with her gloved fist clenched in tight fists, her voluptuous body trembling with fury.

 

 

 

"When I kill you," she seethed "I will make sure you have as slow and agonizing a death as possible." Xalek regarded her with deceptive calm, his own lust and rage melding into a perfect storm of passion that consumed him.

 

 

 

"You will try," He said "But I think you will find that I will always be your superior, Jaesa." He could almost feel her gritting her teeth.

 

 

 

"I will kill you, I swear it!"

 

 

 

"But first," Xalek said, motioning as the turbolift stopped and the doors slid open "these Republic dogs." The tall, bulky Twi'lek male wearing a general's armor, hunched over the holoprojector he was using as a strategy board, stood up and turned to face the open lift at the sound of Xalek's voice. Seeing the two Sith, he drew his blaster rifle and opened fire on them. Jaesa's lightsaber was out and deflecting bolts before Xalek even moved. The human female charged her blue-skinned foe, attacking with the ferocity of a rakghoul. Her lightsaber clashed uselessly against the general's combat shields, and she was forced to go on the defensive to prevent a steady stream of bolts from ripping her in two. Exiting the lift, Xalek drew his lightsaber, but instead of employing it against his enemy, he gestured with his free hand as if grabbing something. General Fenharr was levitated into the air, and he stopped firing as he struggled to process the situation. Xalek didn't give him a chance. With a swift, sidelong motion he hurled the general into the wall of the chamber.

 

 

 

The energy shield miraculously held, but began to shudder when Jaesa unleashed a sustained stream of lightning at the general, who was slowly climbing to his feet. The blue sphere had protected him from the impact, absorbing the kinetic energy that might normally have broken his bones. Xalek joined Jaesa in channeling lightning at their quarry. To his credit, even as the shield keeping him not just unscathed but alive, flickered, the man simply rose to his feet, grabbed a plasma grenade from his belt, activated it, and lobbed it at Jaesa. Xalek moved in a flash, intercepting the grenade in mid-air and hurling it at the holoprojector. Just as quickly, he deflected the subsequent blaster bolts the big Twi'lek had unleashed in an attempt to disrupt Jaesa's outpouring of liquid hatred. Just then, the energy shield flickered and died, the generator on his back sparking as it overloaded. Jaesa's volts enveloped the man like hungry vipers, snaking around him in an embrace that should have scorched his flesh and left him a burnt husk. Instead, they danced over the surface of an invisible barrier that clung to his form; his personal shield. Xalek moved in on the doomed soldier with a slow, methodical malice befitting the spectre of death. The general unleashed another burst of blaster bolts, and Xalek's lightsaber protected Jaesa from the barrage. The man lobbed a grenade at her, and Xalek caught it with the Force and sent it flying back towards the general. The Twi'lek dodged, placing himself with his back to the ruined holoprojector, now in flames, as Xalek continued his slow and intimidating approach.

 

 

 

Reaching out with the Force, Xalek felt the man's mind. It was disciplined, battle-hardened, and highly structured, but not for long. Xalek planted the seed of fear, and watched with increasing satisfaction as the man turned to him and began to focus all of his attacks on the Kaleesh warrior approaching him. But every salvo was deflected, every mortar round redirected with the Force. Xalek felt his power become a malevolent aura surrounding him as he drew closer and closer to the general, and the personal shield surrounding the man began to give way under the constant and intense power of Jaesa's lightning, which hadn't stopped since she had first begun to channel it. Xalek savored the terror that was beginning to grow in the man's eyes, as if Xalek were death itself, come to claim him.

 

 

 

When Xalek was a few meters from the man, he stopped and gathered his power, unleashing it in a single, thunderous blast upon the petrified soldier. The crack that was released when the wave of electricity struck the man's shield was ear-splitting, and Xalek could barely hear the man's screams as Jaesa's ravenous volts consumed his flesh where he stood. Blown backwards by the sheer impact of Xalek's attack, the screaming victim fell back into the inferno that had once been the holoprojector, and Xalek could swear his screams got louder, although that may have just been his own hearing coming back to him.

 

 

 

Xalek turned to Jaesa when he realized that the stream of lightning was still going. She stood, trembling, her eyes glowing with violet energy as the Dark Side manifested itself. Her hatred and rage was a storm of Force energy that electrified the air around her. He tasted it and it pleased him to have helped evoke such raw emotion in her. Xalek could sense her power beginning to wane as the former general's screams of agony died with him, and he moved to catch her, just in time as it turned out, when the Dark Side released her from its grip and her exhausted body gave out on her momentarily. Her slender frame felt limp and frail in his arms, and she leaned against him without caring what she was doing, completely and utterly drained. Her own fury had almost been greater than her body could take, which was how she had managed to channel her Force lightning longer than any Force user Xalek had ever heard of - aside his master, of course. Based on how it had affected her though, he doubted she would be able to do it again anytime soon.

 

 

 

He felt immensely pleased with himself that he had inspired such passion in her that she had been able to accomplish such a feat, but as he felt her struggle to stand and regain her strength, he felt a stab of remorse at manipulating her for his own gain to the point where she had quite possibly almost died from overexertion. He quickly swept the feeling away, regret was for the weak. The Sith didn't feel regret, they only acted and embraced the consequences. They did not reflect or second-guess themselves, they responded to their own self-determination.

 

 

 

He released her when she could stand, and she surveyed the scene with displeasure.

 

 

 

"I needed that holoprojector." She complained. Xalek gestured to the console against the far wall.

 

 

 

"Will that do for your information extraction?" She eyed the console with a critical gaze.

 

 

 

"I think so." She walked over and began entering commands. Moments later she inserted a data spike, and began a download. Xalek glanced over to the general's impromptu funeral pyre and extended a hand. Levitated by the Force, the scorched and burning belt of the corpse, with three intact grenades attached, rose above the flames and flew to Xalek's hand. Blowing out the fire still burning on the object, Xalek removed one grenade and tossed the belt into the corner. He stared at the small sphere for a moment, then, with surgical precision, created a miniscule crack in the durasteel shell that had prevented the grenade from exploding the moment it hit the fire. He felt Jaesa approach and turned to walk beside her as she headed towards the lift, the data spike firmly secured on her belt. Upon entering the lift, Xalek tossed the grenade across the large room and into the blaze. The lift doors closed and the lift began to rise. He looked at his chrono just as it turned to zero, and as he felt the explosion rumble up from below, he smiled.

 

Edited December 18, 2016 by De-mu-noki

[De-mu-noki]

Garr... What was that just now!?! Did I really post this? Anyways, the Table of Contents in my post will now be kept up to date and is accesible by clicking on "Table of Contents" in my signature!

[Redsaynsixtysix]

"I'm sure he'll be more than happy to empty the contents of his databanks into your database." Xalek teased, his glee rising with Jaesa's ire.

That had me in fits of giggles, I'm telling you

I'm really glad that, although you're subscription has ended, you're still able to get your updates here, even if it is by less than moral means. Nevertheless, this did not disappoint. I adore your interpretation of Jaesa and Xalek, and am a huge fan of how their equal bloodlust lends itself to a type of bizarre, fantastic comedy. I am most definitely a fan of your characters- they feel so real, especially when you consider that this is a fanfiction.

A bit of advice though: I've noticed that your action is usually in lumps. It would be much easier to read if you separated it more often, so that it's not overwhelming, and so that we can actually appreciate what is written and not just trying to read it.

[De-mu-noki]

Ho ho ho! Darth Santa is here with a gift for all you bad little girls and boys! XD

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of my fans! I'm sorry this isn't some Christmas/Life Day special, but the show must go on right? Since time is something I mess with often, I'm not sure we'll ever have seasonal segments, but we'll see!

 

As a sort of Christmas gift however, this segment introduces 2 brand-new characters, and some old, familiar ones. It also contains an Easter egg or two...so keep your eyes peeled!

 

 

 

 

Nox sat calmly on a couch in the main cabin of Rider. He had abandoned his usual battle armor and helm for a simple black cloak over a dark red vest and black pants. Where he was going, these garments would be more useful to him than a full suit of battle armor and a helm that looked like a skull. Of course, with his tattoos he would still stick out - Nightbrothers were rarely seen outside of Dathomir or slave pens, and thus were a rarity in the Republic. But Nox was confident that with some changes in his body language and some subtle mind control of observers, he could make himself seem entirely insignificant and unimportant.

 

 

 

The Rider was a freighter owned by a smuggler named Delriss Evik. A Twi'Lek, she was a former slave who escaped her brutal Hutt masters and managed to secure Republic citizenship. Despite the Republic saving her from being pursued by the Hutts for the rest of her life, she held no loyalty to them, and was somewhat well-known for working for anyone who paid enough - except for Hutts, obviously. Nox had hired her because he was confident she would be able to handle this job without issue, but he had kept his identity a secret, even from her. All she needed to know, was that he was wealthy.

 

 

 

Nox stiffened when he felt this ship come out of hyperspace. "We're here." Came a soft, feminine voice over the P.A. system. Nox got up from the couch and walked over to the nearby viewport, his heartbeat quickening with anticipation when he saw it, Coruscant, the heart of the Republic. "Our passenger might want to make his way to the cargo hold," Delriss's voice said over the speaker. "We'll be landing at the spaceport in a quarter of an hour, and we want the inspector to find everything in order, don't we?" Nox turned from the viewport and began to walk through the halls of the freighter towards the cargo hold. He wasn't going to enjoy this, but it was necessary. As he walked past the kitchen, he briefly saw two of the Rider's crew members; the Gen'dai and the Theelin, making themselves various meals from rather alien and disgusting looking ingredients. Continuing his march, he reached and entered the cargo hold, crossing the large room and arriving at a completely inconspicuous part of floor. When he found the hidden button on the wall and pressed it, the trap door popped open, revealing a smuggling compartment. He climbed into it and pulled the door shut after him.

 

 

 

After what felt like an hour of waiting, he felt the ship power down and assumed they had landed. All he had to do now was wait until after the cargo inspection, when Delriss would retrieve him and see him smuggled off the ship to avoid any unwelcome questions. His patience was rewarded soon enough, when he heard the sound of high-heeled footsteps approaching the cargo hold. His first instinct was to reach out with the Force, but he restrained himself. He needed to avoid using the Force as much as possible on this mission. Every use of the Force, especially the Dark Side, would increase his chances of being discovered by the Jedi. The Force movements of a Dark Side wielder as powerful as him could not be hidden on a planet so strong in the Light, not without altering the planet's entire aura at least.

 

 

 

He heard the footsteps descend the stairs into the cargo hold and stop, then a female voice: "This is all of your cargo, Captain?"

 

 

 

"Yeah, just like I told you." Came Delriss's response.

 

 

 

The footsteps began again and Nox felt them move throughout the cargo hold as the inspector examined each piece of cargo. Then the footsteps stopped.

 

 

 

"Open it." The female voice demanded. There was a pause, then footsteps as Delriss crossed the hold to open the cargo container the inspector had indicated. There was a soft hiss when the container was opened and Delriss's voice reached Nox's ears.

 

 

 

"Like I told ya, everything in here is on the manifest."

 

 

 

There was another pause, then the inspector's footsteps began again. There was a click as Delriss closed the container, but she didn't follow the inspector. Nox felt the inspector come closer and closer to his hiding place, and he forced himself to remain still and calm. Suddenly, the inspector stopped right over top of him, and she tapped the trap door with her foot.

 

 

 

Nox knew now was the time, it was now or never. He reached out with the Force and seized her mind. There is nothing here. Your inspection is complete, give the captain clearance and go about your business.

 

 

 

"My inspection is complete," the inspector said to Delriss. "I'll give you your clearance and leave you alone."

 

 

 

Delriss didn't say anything, no doubt she was speechless with shock that the inspector had seemingly failed to notice the hollow sound the trap door had made when she tapped it. Nox heard the sound of the inspector's footsteps leaving the cargo hold and disappearing down the hall. Delriss waited for the sound of the ship's hatch closing before she walked across the cargo hold and opened the trap door. Nox climbed out, stretching his cramped limbs.

 

 

 

"You'll need those stretches." Delriss remarked. Nox looked at her questioningly. She gestured towards the largest container in the hold. "Because that's your ride out."

 

_____________

 

 

 

Valkra watched the speeders zooming by overhead as he walked, with his wife Kira walking beside him. The big Iridonian was one of the Jedi Order's newest Masters, and the sole Jedi who had defeated the Sith Emperor. But that was not what he considered to be his greatest achievement. He looked sidelong at his partner, Kira. The two Jedi had been in this secret marriage just short of a year, and rather than submit their relationship to the rigorous and zealous oversight of the Jedi High Council, they had opted to keep their love a secret for as long as possible and enjoy it while it lasted. Valkra continued to watch Kira as she gazed out at the unnatural skyline. They were far from the Jedi Temple, and both dressed in clothes meant to help them mingle with the crowds, instead of their Jedi robes, so Valkra had no reservations about showing affection. Kira must have felt him watching because she turned and caught his gaze, "What?" But Valkra just smiled. "Stop grinning like an idiot." Kira said, enjoying the attention.

 

 

 

"You're cute when you're lost in thought." He said, his goofy grin staying plastered on his face. She punched his shoulder affectionately.

 

 

 

"You love-sick bantha." She accused jokingly. "I can't even burp without you finding it cute."

 

 

 

"Well it's not my fault you burp like a baby nerf." Valkra protested. He leaned in closer and kissed her on the forehead. "Nor is it my fault that I love you."

 

 

 

"Awww, don't go soft on me now." She said teasingly, wrapping her arms around him. "I need you to stay big and tough for me."

 

 

 

"I'm only soft with you." Valkra replied, smiling down at her. The waves of happiness that radiated off of her as they stared into each other's eyes crashed over him, and he couldn't help but share in it. She moved in and kissed him.

 

 

 

"I love you big guy, I mean it."

 

 

 

"I know you do," He said, tightening his arms around her waist and pulling her closer so her body was pressed against his. "and I love you too."

 

 

 

"Don't leave me, ever." She said softly. "I need you around a good long while, you hear me?"

 

 

 

"Same to you." Valkra whispered back. "When this war is over I want us to retire, together, to a secret mountain villa on Alderaan."

 

 

 

"Please," Kira begged, "I need to hear you say it." Valkra could hear the worry in her voice and sense her fear.

 

 

 

"I'm never leaving you Kira." The tall, broad-shouldered Iridonian said with firm conviction. "I'm going to be with you every day of your life, I promise." He felt her relax and her fear evaporate.

 

 

 

"What brought this on?" He asked as they began walking. "Has something troubled you lately?" Kira looked pensive for a moment, but Valkra put her at ease.

 

 

 

"Kira, if you're having visions you shouldn't bottle them up, that will only strengthen your fear, and that path leads into darkness. You know you can tell me, sweet one."

 

 

 

"It's not visions exactly just...impressions, feelings, a vague sense of foreboding and...dread." She paused and looked directly into his eyes. "I get them every time I think of our future together."

 

 

 

Valkra thought for a moment before he spoke. "Have you tried meditating on the future - our future - specifically?" She shook her head.

 

 

 

"No, I've been too afraid of what I might find."

 

 

 

"Could this maybe have something to do with the Emperor? Could the link to him somehow be passively clouding your mind? You were, after all, still able to hear his voice in your head after we killed him on Dromund Kaas." Kira considered it.

 

 

 

"I don't know, maybe." Her face relaxed somewhat and a small smile began to show. "Maybe you're right, maybe I'm just -" She stopped mid-sentence, and mid-stride, and stood completely rigid, as if paralyzed. A bolt of fear shot through Valkra's heart and it took only a sheer force of will to restrain it.

 

 

 

"Kira? Kira!" He looked into her seemingly sightless eyes and shook her. "Kira!" She snapped out of it, but the petrified look on her face remained.

 

 

 

"He's here." She breathed.

 

 

 

"Who? Who's here?"

 

 

 

"The Emperor." Her face grew pale, as if she was weakened by the very word.

 

 

 

"No, no that's impossible." Valkra said, barely restraining the rising panic that threatened to leap from his throat and spill out over his words. "We killed him Kira, I saw - no - felt him die!"

 

 

 

"He's here, on Coruscant." She said with terrified certainty now. "It was only for the briefest of moments but I felt him."

 

 

 

"Are you sure?" Valkra asked. It was taking every ounce of willpower he had to squash his fear and let reason guide him, but he was doing it. "If it was really him, why didn't I sense him too? Did you sense him through your link to him?" Kira paused, and her emotionally-charged mind began to slowly make its way back to logic.

 

 

 

"No," she said after a few moments of thought. "But it had to be him, it was like a...cold void in the Force, a complete absence. Nothing could be like that except him." Valkra's holocom suddenly chimed and he briefly checked the caller ID.

 

 

 

"It's Scourge." He grabbed Kira's arm and lead her off the street and into a vacant alley. He scanned the alley with his Force vision to determine if anyone could be listening. When he was certain they were alone he activated the holocom, and the small image of the bald, muscular, black-armored Sith Pureblood known as Lord Scourge materialized.

 

 

 

"Did you feel that Jedi?" He asked apprehensively, the urgency in his tone apparent.

 

 

 

"I didn't feel anything," Valkra replied "But Kira certainly felt something. She claims the Emperor is here, on Coruscant."

 

 

 

"I felt it too," Scourge said, nodding to Kira in affirmation. "But it is not the Emperor. The differences are subtle, difficult to distinguish, but having spent three hundred years by his side, I'm certain: it is not Vitiate."

 

 

 

"Are you sure?" Kira asked. "Like, completely? It felt the exact same to me." Scourge shook his head.

 

 

 

"Like I said, the differences are subtle. This Force signature was similar, but fundamentally unique."

 

 

 

"Then why were only you and me able to sense it?" Kira challenged. Scourge seemed to think about this for a moment.

 

 

 

"I believe that whatever sorcery is hiding the source of this Force aberration is powerful enough to conceal it from all but those beings most highly attuned to the Dark Side." Kira refused to give up.

 

 

 

"But Valkra was under the Emperor's control once, and he's been in his presence before, why didn't he feel anything?"

 

 

 

"Having your mind dominated by the Emperor and being attuned to the Dark Side are two different things." Scourge supplied with remarkable calm in the face of Kira's persistence. "Most likely we only sensed anything at all because of our respective connections to Vitiate, which persist despite his death." Kira opened her mouth to speak but Valkra cut her off with a gesture.

 

 

 

"Did either of you sense where the source was? Regardless of who or what it is we seem to be the only ones who know about it, so we need to find and capture it as soon as possible."

 

 

 

"I agree, we can argue about what it is after we contain it." Scourge added. Kira sighed.

 

 

 

"Alright, but I don't like this. We should be calling for backup."

 

 

 

"And what if it is the Emperor?" Valkra asked her. "Then all our backup will suddenly become his backup." He turned back to Scourge. "Where was the source?"

 

 

 

"I do not know." The pureblood admitted. "I could sense that it was on Coruscant, but nothing more."

 

 

 

"I didn't get any more than he did." Kira added. "It vanished as soon as it appeared." Valkra considered this for a moment.

 

 

 

"Scourge, meet us in the Senate Plaza." He ordered. "We'll be there within the hour."

 

 

 

"What are you planning to do Jedi?" Scourge asked with genuine curiosity.

 

 

 

"If this power won't reveal itself, perhaps the three of us can reveal it."

 

______________

 

 

 

Nox strode purposefully through the dark streets of Coruscant's lower levels. Around him, the various denizens of the planet's underworld congregated in the dim light of ancient illuminators. His desire to remain unnoticed was shared by most of the beings around him, and in a strange, unspoken social contract everyone simply seemed to ignore each other. Of course, this suited Nox just fine. Despite being shrouded in the mundane, his appearance was still something that would sear him into the memory of anyone who gave him a second glance. Becoming a vivid recollection in anyone's consciousness was something he could not afford. After taking a few side streets, he emerged from an alley across from a cantina called "the Pulsar". A gaudy establishment decorated with bright, flashing neons and aggressive advertisements, the Pulsar looked like it belonged in the Red Light Sector of Nar Shadda. Nox could hear the mingled roars of laughter, music, and loud conversation.

 

 

 

He crossed the street and entered the cantina, the sights, sounds, and smells overwhelmed him all at once. Everyone in the room was either too drunk, too self-absorbed, or too used to living in Galactic City's underbelly to notice the tattooed Zabrak wearing a long black cloak enter the cantina and make his way to a table in the middle distance from the door. Seating himself, Nox adopted a relaxed position while secretly scanning the simple minds of the room's occupants. Most of the patrons were criminals, thugs, bounty hunters, pickpockets or various other lowlifes, but there were a few interesting finds in the mix. There were two regional leaders of the Black Sun and the Exchange conducting a secret business meeting near the stage where the band was playing. At the bar, drowning himself in Corellian Ale, was a smuggler who had personally seen the Sith's reclamation of Korriban decades earlier. Peering a little deeper, Nox was surprised to find memories of meeting Satele Shan and Jace Malcom in the holo-album of the man's memory. Sensing the mental intrusion, the drunken smuggler jerked around and hazily scanned the crowd for whoever was invading his addled mind. Nox quickly pulled back into himself and focused on various locations around the room until the now-paranoid smuggler picked himself up off the barstool and stumbled out the door.

 

 

 

Nox turned his attention to the last target of interest; a Republic Senator. A small, slight human female of early middle age seated in the far back corner. Her eyes constantly darted furtively around the room as if looking for someone, and her fear was like a sweet-smelling savor to Nox. Amateur, he thought. Only a rookie would choose a spot so far back, the stereotypical spot in every cantina for a secret meeting. Only a rookie would display such naked emotion and vulnerability. Only a rookie would come dressed in low-quality but unworn clothing. It was obvious she had assembled her "disguise" earlier that day. Finished with his threat analysis, Nox signaled the Theelin waitress and ordered a Calamarian Solar Shower with extra poligita. When she brought him his order, he reclined in his chair and pretended to savor the drink while he kept his guard up. After a few minutes of waiting, Nox felt someone pass by him about one table over. He directed his gaze and identified the young Feeorin as being his contact. He watched the alien seat herself three tables away, facing the bar.

 

 

 

Nox bit down on the tooth implant he used to activate his secure comm, feeling the vibrations in his gums as the channel opened. A second vibration rattled his teeth as the channel opened on her end. The tooth implants would allow them to converse in the lowest whispers and hear each other without difficulty from any distance, the comms were even better for secrecy if you could speak without moving your lips, as the tooth implants picked up the vibrations of a beings vocal chords and tongue rather than the sounds issuing from the speaker's lips.

 

 

 

"Why did I have to meet you on Coruscant?" Nox asked immediately.

 

 

 

"I'm being watched by Security." Came the hushed reply. "I can't leave the planet without raising suspicion." Nox growled in mild anger.

 

 

 

"So that's why you couldn't just send me the location via secure holonet link, got involved in something you shouldn't have, did you?"

 

 

 

"Events were out of my control," was her response "Did you come to get your information or berate me for my bad luck?" Suppressing his anger, Nox responded in a low tone that indicated he was still angry, but was more interested in getting the information he came for.

 

 

 

"So what's the location?"

 

 

 

"The Temple." Nox was silent for a moment while he processed that particular bit of information.

 

 

 

"You're kidding."

 

 

 

"No." Another pause.

 

 

 

"Then why is it so hard to get a hold of? The Temple is deserted and in ruins, how hard can it be to retrieve one little droid part from some ruins?"

 

 

 

"It's not deserted." The Feeorin said. "It's home to Sith and some Imperial troops, remnants from the Sacking that were somehow abandoned and trapped here after the Empire packed up and went home."

 

 

 

"Interesting, so that's how you lost three men trying to retrieve it."

 

 

 

"Three good men." The Feeorin asserted. Nox snorted.

 

 

 

"If they were as good as you say, a small group of weathered Imps and some Sith weaklings wouldn't have posed a threat." He took a huge swig from his drink, finishing it. "But it hardly matters now. Thank you for the information, I'll be taking it from here."

 

 

 

"You're going in there alone?" Nox felt a sting of annoyance at the incredulous undertone of her voice.

 

 

 

"Yes, and you would do well not to underestimate me, or I will follow through on my temptation to use you as a meat shield." He hissed. He bit down to close the channel and stood to his feet. He was walking towards the entrance when a large Nikto came out of nowhere and bumped into him. Briefly stunned at being taken by surprise, Nox's shock quickly turned to anger when the big, leathery oaf got right in his face and growled;

 

 

 

"You got a problem buddy?" Nox could smell the Virulaga on his breath. A potent intoxicant, Virulaga heightened the senses, increasing blood flow and aggressive tendencies. This Nikto was so drunk he was looking for a fight, and he'd pegged Nox as a suitable victim. Were it not for Nox's desire to remain unnoticed, that would have been his last mistake.

 

 

 

"No problem." Nox replied in a calm, even tone. "My mistake." The thug snarled.

 

 

 

"Well then maybe you should watch where you're going!"

 

 

 

"I understand." Nox said, looking to get around him. "I'll be more careful next time."

 

 

 

"I don't think you will." The man sneered. "I think I need to teach you a lesson."

 

 

 

Kark. So much for staying under the radar, Nox thought to himself. He saw the alien rear back his fist to land a solid blow to his face. Suppressing the rising tide of dark energy welling up in him, Nox slipped to the side, using the bodily momentum of the swing to send the Nikto flying over his shoulder, straight into a table of four thugs playing cards. The flimsy table shattered like glass under the Nikto's weight and the angry card players leaped to their feet and stared daggers at Nox.

 

 

 

He dropped his hood, enjoying the expressions of surprise and fear that briefly flashed across the faces of all four men, and fell into a ready stance as the four gangsters attacked him. Nox dodged the first one's charge and landed two punches; one on his face, stunning him, the other in his abdomen, sending him flying into the empty table next to them. Without missing a beat, Nox blocked the second assailant's driving blow to his chest with a sweep of his left arm and landed a strong uppercut on his enemy's chin, making him stagger. The third assailant drew a vibroknife and the fourth drew a blaster. In a flash, Nox grabbed the third attacker by his forearms, preventing him from bringing the knife to bear or landing a punch to his gut. He lowered his head, exposing his horns and hairless cranium and drove his head upward into the man's face. The scream of pain and the sound of breaking cartilage filled Nox's ears, and he felt blood on his crown. The vibroknife dropped from the man's grasp and Nox pulled his screaming foe around to place him in between himself and the blaster-wielding criminal. The first rounds from the weapon's muzzle sank into the victim's chest, causing him to stiffen with paralysis. Nox shoved the man's failing body at his comrade, who tried to dodge but still ended up being toppled over by his friend and becoming trapped underneath the dead body.

 

 

 

The first attacker was now getting to his feet and hurled a bottle at the back of Nox's head. The Sith dodged it instinctually and it sailed past him to hit a large Wookie in the side of the head. Caught with his arm still extended, the gangster's look of rage became one of terror as the hulking, hairy giant barreled past Nox to tear his perceived foe limb from limb. The Nikto who had attacked first finished getting to his feet and attacked Nox with a roar, but the Dark Lord blocked his furious blows one by one before landing several strikes with his fists and elbows and driving the bulky criminal right into the Wookie's Meerian friend who was rushing to help out his buddy. Believing the Nikto to have attacked him, the scrappy little humanoid responded viciously, and it wasn't long before a poorly aimed chair beaned someone else in the head and the bar erupted into a sea of drunken violence and rage. Nobody noticed the tattooed Zabrak in a black cloak, expertly navigating the melee, slip out the door and disappear into the shadows as the sirens of the approaching Coruscant Security forces pierced the eternal night of the lower levels.

 

[ssppeeiirr]

oooooh!!, I liked that little bit, I think it would be a very interesting thing to see Nox get found by the hero of Tython and scourge i guess i'll have to wait and see.

 

keep it coming

[Redsaynsixtysix]

A)Sorry I'm late.

B)This was a really enjoyable chapter. It was an interesting continuation of the previous instalment, and I -like Speir- am excited to see the inevitable confrontation between the Knight and the Inquisitor. However, I do have some feedback for you:

Shorten the gap between your paragraphs. It's not a deal-breaker by any means, it's more-or-less a nitpick, but it is something that I feel would make your story appear more visually interesting. However, your format does allow for a more unique quality, so it is something that I would consider before changing anything.

C)Predictions:

 

I believe that there is a good chance that the Hero of Tython will die. The foreshadowing in this chapter with Kira is evidence of that, same with Vette and the Wrath. On that subject, anyone I've just mentioned is subject to this theory. Or it's just a false trail, and the Barsen'thor is going to be the one to die. Who knows?

 

TL;DR This was an awesome chapter, and I enjoy the characterisation of everyone here.

[Lunafox]

Hello all,

 

Mayhem just asked me to let you all know that the next chapter is up on Wattpad for all of you to enjoy. I'm sure when De-mu-noki has time again, he will post another installment here as well, but for now, on to Wattpad! Hope you all enjoy the chapter and Happy New Year on behalf of Mayhem.

[De-mu-noki]

Hi guys! This version of the segment (which is now up on Wattpad as well) has been edited by Demunoki and some things have been changed, so it might be worth it to read it again and see what changes have been made!

Also, Demunoki has promised to post the section at (approximately) the same time as I do on Wattpad, so it won't necessary for somebody to leave a link here (But thank you Luna for doing it this time)!

 

 

 

One standard hour later, Nox was slinking through the noisy darkness of the Works. All around him the hiss and hum of machinery and cries of local predators wafted through the near complete blackness of Coruscant's most infamous industrial sector. The Works seemed largely deserted, which wasn't surprising considering its condition and the time of day. According to Nox's chrono, it was the middle of the graveyard shift for what few industries still ran here, and with the place's reputation for being the hideout of smugglers, squatters, death stick runners, gangsters, and undocumented refugees, it wasn't all that shocking that he hadn't seen or encountered any other sentients.

 

 

Cloaked in the Dark Side, its embrace shrouding his existence from any being or animal who might otherwise see or sense him, Nox wound his way through the dark passages and narrow streets. After half an hour of travel he reached a taxi terminal guarded only by a obsolete protocol droid which was ludicrously easy to slice so that it could activate one of three ancient speeder taxis. Wiping the droid's memory of the encounter, Nox hopped in the taxi, switched it to manual, and took off into the cityscape, heading in the direction of the Jedi Temple ruins.

 

 

Reaching the Temple, it was only a few minutes of stealthy infiltration later when he stepped off of the turbolift and into the Temple's main chamber, which branched off into many different hallways and sections. The destruction he saw there was invigorating. The roof was now a large, gaping hole, and the center of the massive, circular space was completely occupied by a small mountain of rubble and refuse which reached almost to where the ceiling had been. The edges, too, were also covered in small, rolling hills of rubble and debris. Looking around, Nox could see small groups of ragged Imperial soldiers sitting around trash fires. The thought of Imperial troops using the former sanctuary and holy place of the Jedi as a squatting ground pleased him immensely. This was what the Jedi Order deserved, to have its holy place not only sacked, defiled, and destroyed, but denigrated. This was the revenge of the Sith against the Jedi, as they had defiled Korriban, so had the Sith defiled Coruscant. As the Jedi had denigrated the Sith, so had the Sith denigrated the Jedi. "There is no justice," Nox mused "there is only revenge."

 

 

Looking around at the sheer amount of work that would be required to recover the part, Nox decided it was time to give these soldiers a purpose again. He dropped his Force cloak and waited for the soldiers to notice him. When they did, Nox was surprised to see them reach for their blasters. The scattered camps of troopers suddenly became a mob, about fifty strong, that rushed within firing range of him and then stopped, all aiming their old and worn-out blaster rifles at him. It was then Nox remembered that these men and women had been out of contact with the Empire since the beginning of the Cold War, they were Imperials in a time when aliens were only slaves in the Empire. Cursing himself for forgetting such a troublesome detail, Nox decided he wouldn't accept ignorance as an excuse for disobedience. Unfortunately, bringing them into line would require him to use the Force, and that in turn meant risking revealing his presence to the Jedi, which could compromise the entire mission. But he had no choice now.

 

 

Without moving a finger, Nox summoned his power and reached out to touch their minds. "I am Darth Nox of the Dark Council." He declared in a loud voice. "You will now serve me and obey my every command!" He felt their collective consciousness weaken and heard the whispers of confusion and disbelief that surged through the crowd. The strain of trying to dominate so many minds at the same time was already beginning to give him an intense headache, but he simply grimaced and used the pain to strengthen his resolve. "I am Darth Nox of the Dark Council!" He said again, louder this time. "You now serve me!"

 

 

"You are not one of the Council!" An angry voice came from above and behind him. He turned and looked up to see a young, female Sith warrior standing atop the mountain of trash and rubble in the center of the massive room. She was dressed in the gray armor of a Sith Raider, and her red locks looked as wild as her fierce green eyes. The light pouring in from the large opening above her made her hair seem to shine like fire, and Nox couldn't help but admit she was remarkably beautiful. Were circumstances different, this woman would be an excellent candidate for one of his many casual affairs. She slid down the mountain of trash on her feet, approaching Nox with an arrogance and confidence born of ignorance once she reached the bottom. "You are no Sith!" She hissed, jabbing her finger in his face, "let alone one of the Dark Council. The Empire would never fall so far as to allow aliens to rule!"

 

 

Nox let her hateful, prideful words seep into his bones, releasing the oozing black tide of his hatred from its prison deep within him. His lust for her made a feeling of betrayal well up from deep inside him, and his outrage and emotional pain at being rejected so completely only amplified his anger. "You are nothing!" the Sith screeched, oblivious to the conspiratory whispers of the Force that were seeping into her mind. "You are a lowly alien Kath mutt who is not worthy to-" Her words were cut off as she suddenly clutched her head in both hands, bending fully over and unleashing a demonic howl of pain. In seconds she was rolling on the ground, clutching her head and screaming from the overload of her brain's pain receptors. Nox simply watched, his wrath burning in his eyes as the woman was seized by violent spasms that twisted her body in unnatural formations. After a few seconds of torment, and with a final scream, the woman's eyes rolled back in her head and her limp body fell still.

 

 

Nox slowly turned to the assembled troopers, savoring the terror, horror, and submission his demonstration had inspired. All the troopers had ceased to aim their rifles at him, and many had let them fall to their sides. This time when he spoke, Nox kept his voice only just loud enough for the troopers to hear; "I say again, I am Darth Nox of the Dark Council. You will all serve me." There was a brief moment where no sound was made and no one moved, then one trooper on the front line dropped to his knees, placed his rifle on the ground in front of him and bowed. One by one, the others began to follow suit, and soon the whole legion was bowing prostrate before the Dark Lord.

______________

 

Valkra's eyes snapped open, and he saw Kira and Scourge, both in similar meditative postures, doing the same. "You felt it too?" Kira asked, her voice laced with hope and eagerness.

 

 

"Yes." Valkra said, struggling to keep his fear in check. "Scourge is right, it isn't the Emperor. But whatever this dark presence is...it's just as dangerous."

 

 

"Did you sense where it was?" Kira asked. "For a moment I thought I had it but then it slipped away, like sand through my fingers."

 

 

"No." The disappointment in Valkra's voice was mirrored by the expression on Kira's face.

 

 

"I know where it is." The two Jedi turned to regard Scourge, who was sitting there with a smug look sitting comfortably on his crimson features. Despite his decision to stay with them after the Emperor's death, Valkra realized, Lord Scourge was still a Sith through and through.

 

 

"Where is it?" Kira demanded. "We have to stop whatever is happening, now!" Scourge turned to look directly into Valkra's eyes.

 

 

"He's in the Jedi Temple."

 

 

"He?" Kira practically squeaked. "Who is he?"

 

 

The red-skinned giant shook his head. "I don't know."

 

 

Valkra shot to his feet, startling the others. "We need to move. Kira, order a shuttle to take us directly to the Temple. Whatever is going on in there, we're going to stop it."

_____________

 

Darth Nox walked casually around the large chamber, supervising the impromptu project that was occurring. He'd distributed CZX-793 detectors among the highest-ranking officers of the remaining troops, and sent them to various locations throughout the Temple to search for the HK AI regulator, which he believed had been left here hundreds of years ago by Revan, after the Jedi Master had left the Republic and the Jedi to seek out the hidden Empire. The detectors would scan for working droid parts, then filter out the ones that were made by Czerka via a unique signal that all pieces of Czerka technology gave off. Of course, the detectors themselves could only scan within a limited area, which would have made Nox's search long and arduous had he been forced to do it by himself as he had expected to do. His good fortune at finding the Temple occupied by Imperial forces that he could commandeer, albeit with some resistance, was only one of many accumulating examples of his ascension being a matter of destiny.

 

 

Suddenly, the temporary, covert channel he had set up for the project buzzed and the voice of the lieutenant he had dispatched to the Archives came into his ear. "My lord, we've discovered something, we think you'll want to see it for yourself."

 

 

Nox wasted no time responding. "I'm on my way, don't do anything more until I get there, understood?"

 

 

"Yes, my lord." and the com cut out.

 

 

Despite having only seen the blueprints for the Jedi Temple a few times, Nox managed to find his way to the Archives with little issue. Upon entering, the lieutenant approached him and bowed respectfully, although Nox sensed it was more fearful respect than anything else. "My lord, we believe we've found the object you're looking for. It matches the description and the detectors confirm that is Czerka."

 

 

"Whether or not it is the exact item I need remains to be seen lieutenant. Take me to it."

 

 

"This way." The man said, turning and walking through the ruins of what had once been the galaxy's greatest library. Nox followed him, absorbing the pain and suffering of those who had died here. The sorrow and anguish felt by those few who had seen the state of the Archives since the Temple's demolition at the hands of Darth Malgus all those decades ago, before Nox was even born. They passed several places where other parts had been excavated by the team, and Nox was pleased to see they had correctly identified the parts as being not what he was looking for.

 

 

The lieutenant stopped when they arrived at a hole that had been dug with plasma torches in a huge mess of melted metal that had once been a storage unit. There, sitting in a warped compartment was a Czerka Corp. AI regulator, but not of the HK line, rather of the CX line. Nox whirled on the lieutenant, "you brought me here for this?" He questioned, motioning to the device. "Lieutenant, notice the lack of a C4V integrator chip, this is definitely not the specific regulator I require."

 

 

"Perhaps, my lord, if you were to tell us precisely what you-" the man started to say before Nox cut him off.

 

 

"Irrelevant. Even if I told you what I am seeking that information would not assist you in identifying it. I am not here to satiate your curiosity, lieutenant. I am here to accomplish my will, and you are here to assist me in that endeavor, do I make myself clear?"

 

 

"Crystal, my lord." The lieutenant bowed again, and even through his Force shroud Nox could perceive that the man was equally fearful and hateful of him. Turning, Nox left the archives, pleased to hear the men return to work once his departure signaled that the meeting was over.

 

 

As he was leaving the vicinity of the Archives, the channel opened once more and the voice of the leader of Team Surek addressed him; "Lord Nox, we've discovered something. It appears to be an AI regulator just like you described." Nox exercised skepticism this time and decided to determine the find's worth before heading to the team's location.

 

 

"Does it have a C4V integrator chip?"

 

 

"Apologies my lord, I don't know what that looks like." Nox sighed inwardly.

 

 

"It's a black and yellow chip with C4V engraved on the primer node."

 

 

"Let's see..." Nox waited with increasing impatience as the captain searched the device. "Ah! Found it! Yes, my lord it does have the C4V chip."

 

 

"Excellent." Nox said, his own hopes beginning to rise. "And what about the trimestal fillidrator?"

 

 

"That's that thing combat droids have in all their chips right?" The captain asked. "I saw the insides of a few droids during my academy training so I think I have a good idea what it looks like."

 

 

"Yes that's correct." Nox affirmed.

 

 

"Okay, yeah it's got a fillidrator." The captain said after a minute. Nox's face stretched in a smile of malicious glee. He had found it, all this trouble, all this effort, and he had succeeded. He had walked into the bowls of the enemy and would soon emerge with the treasure he had sought. He began to run, starting with a light jog and quickly picking up speed until he was bolting through the ruined halls at a full run. The Force replenished his strength and endurance, allowing him to maintain his pace with the same ease as if he were walking.

 

 

His comm buzzed and the channel opened, Nox's concern grew when he heard blaster fire over the comm. "Who is this, what's happening?"

 

 

"Jedi, my lord!" Came the voice of the Team Gresh leader. "We're holding the scum off as long as we can but they have a Sith with them, a pureblood." The thought gave Nox mental pause. Pureblood Sith were often some of the most racist, hateful, spiteful beings Nox had ever met. It made no sense that a Pureblood would be working with the Jedi, what with the latter's unfailing support of the Republic and its multicultural views. Then Nox remembered the rumors he had heard, the whispers that said Galadius's ascension to the position of Emperor's Wrath was due, not to the death of his predecessor, but rather his defection. The legends of a 300 year-old Pureblood Sith lord who served as Vitiate's personal executioner came back to him. So to, did how those "legends" had become seemingly much more real after Nox's ascension to the Dark Council with all the evidence beginning to stack in favor of the seemingly wild tale.

 

 

Kark, he swore, closing the channel. This situation was becoming extremely volatile now that the Jedi were onto him. It was likely they couldn't sense precisely where he was or they might have opted to adopt an infiltration strategy rather than a head-on assault, so as long as he kept his shroud up and kept moving, he could retrieve the HK part and escape the Jedi's clutches. He wasn't looking forward to facing Jedi without a lightsaber. Briefly, he regretted leaving his weapon behind, despite his Force talents and his great power in the Force, without it he always felt a little vulnerable. Still, if it came down to it he had no doubt he could defeat the Jedi without the aid of a weapon. After all, the Force was the ultimate weapon, and his mastery of it far surpassed that of any Jedi.

 

 

As he passed through the corridors towards the section of the Temple where Team Surek was assigned, his comm chimed again and the channel opened. This time the voice was different than the Team Gresh commander.

 

 

"Darth Nox, Team Brakk reporting in, a Jedi strike force has broken through Teams Gresh and Asallik and are assaulting our position. It appears they are being aided by a Sith."

 

 

"I'm aware of the threat, lieutenant." Nox replied with deceptive calm. "Continue your attempts to delay the Jedi."

 

 

"Understood, my lord." The channel closed. Reaching the chamber where Team Surek was waiting, the captain handed the regulator to Nox, who quickly appraised it before placing in a pouch on his belt.

 

 

"Captain, do you know of any Imperial assets nearby who are in possession of a suitable getaway craft?" The captain exchanged glances with the female trooper on his left before responding.

 

 

"We have someone in mind, although they won't be able to get you off-planet."

 

 

"Obviously." Nox agreed. "All I need to do is get out of here in a timely and direct manner."

 

 

"Is there something you're not telling us my lord?" The captain asked in as respectful of a tone he could muster.

 

 

"We're under attack captain, that is why you and your team are to accompany me to the main chamber, where my extraction will occur. I also want you to comm every team and order them to assemble themselves at all the entrances to the main chamber and impede the Jedi by any means necessary."

 

 

"Right away Darth Nox." The captain said obediently as he took point in the protective formation forming around the Zabrak, and they began to hurriedly march towards the Temple's center. A few comm calls and wrong turn later, they were once more in the central chamber. Nox quickly dispatched the team to cover one of the exits, and when the female trooper the captain had exchanged glances with stayed, he looked at her questioningly.

 

 

"The contact is mine, my lord." She said deferentially. "I'm here just to make sure he takes you." Nox nodded his permission and the two began to climb the mountain in the room's center.

_____________

 

Valkra, Kira, and Scourge hewed their way through the mobs of Imperial soldiers blocking their progress to the central chamber, where Scourge claimed the dark signature was emanating from. The presence of so many Imperial Troops defending all entrances to the place was a dead giveaway, but then again, secrecy might well be the last thing on their quarry's mind at the moment.

 

 

They finally reached the last squadron of defenders, and after slaughtering them to a man, they rushed through the arched entranceway. Looking up, they saw a mountain of rubble and debris from the Sacking that occupied the center of the circular chamber. Standing atop the mountain's peak, was a figure in a dark cloak and a female trooper who appeared to simply be waiting for them. As soon as she saw them, the woman began to speak into her helmet comm. The dark robed figure however, simply lifted his hood, revealing his demonic visage. A hard, cruel face that was a brighter, more lustrous red than even Scourge's skin tone. The crimson countenance was marked by jagged, primal designs tattooed in black. The body markings extended over his hairless scalp and interwove themselves around and between the many horns that crowned his head.

 

 

Valkra recognized him immediately as a Dathomirian Nightbrother, a member of the society that served as a dark reflection for Valkra's own people. Even before the Sith, for surely that's what he was, removed his long, black cloak and let it fall to the jagged "ground" behind him, exposing his extensively and gothically tattooed chest and arms, Valkra knew his tattoos extended over his entire body. The Sith's facial markings and chest markings gave him the appearance of a supernatural predator, a monstrosity whose only goal was to prey on all who crossed its path, subverting nature and the Force.

 

 

He was just about to launch himself in a leap for the mountaintop when the Sith spread his naked arms wide and immediately ascended off the ground, hovering in mid-air, his yellow eyes fixed on them, burning with hatred and malice. Valkra barely had time to register the lightning bolts spiraling down his foes arms, mimicking the tattoos that were engraved upon the skin of the appendages, before he was suddenly overwhelmed by pain. His skin felt as if it were on fire, his nerves wrenched and yanked themselves about in a dance of agony. Only by calling on the Force to protect and empower him did Valkra manage to regain some control over his body. His instincts took over and he beat as hasty a retreat as he could. He realized that the Sith had summoned a maelstrom of lightning to envelop them in a storm of energy that would have fried any unprotected, Force-blind being, perhaps even lesser Jedi or Sith. When he finally stumbled out of the storm's radius he noticed with relief that Kira had managed to escape the vortex as well. Looking back into the electrical tumult, he saw Lord Scourge standing in its center, glowing with the sheer power of the Dark Side. Valkra could feel his ally's pain, and he hoped Scourge was strong enough to withstand the unfathomable amount of power their enemy was pouring out on him. Instead of retreating, as the two Jedi had, Scourge's small, halted steps were taking him through the storm, towards the enemy.

 

 

Valkra looked up towards the mountaintop to see the Sith still levitating through the sheer exertion of power, eyes ablaze with the fires of hatred. He can't keep it up for long, Valkra reasoned, once he stops we can charge him and end this quickly. His hopes were soon dashed by a roar that drowned out even the loud crackling of the lightning storm. From all the chamber's other entrances, Imperial troops surged in, unleashing a united battle cry as they charged the group's position. The Sith ceased channeling the storm, but it was quickly replaced by a hail of blaster bolts that assailed the two Jedi and their weakened Sith companion. It was only Kira's quick reflexes that saved Scourge's life, as she leaped out in front of him and projected a Force shield until the Sith could summon his power to rejuvenate his scorched flesh and replenish his stamina. With the sheer amount of energy being launched against her barrier, Kira's will quickly began to evaporate. In response, Valkra leaped in front of her and began deflecting the bolts that came close to her. Scourge, now recovered, unleashed a battle cry of his own and leaped into the center of a the nearest squad of troopers. He began to carve them into pieces, deflecting their bolts when he could and simply absorbing them with the Force when he couldn't. More than once Valkra saw him absorb blaster bolts with only his gloved hand and the Force, before executing a swing with his lightsaber that ended his assailant's life.

 

 

When Kira had recovered her own strength, Valkra followed Scourge's lead and catapulted himself into the nearest group of troopers. Kira followed suit, and they made quick work of the soldiers, protecting each other and assisting with kills. Despite the overwhelming odds against them, they soon began to gain the upper hand. Suddenly, a loud whine came over the noise of battle, and Valkra once more looked up to the mountain's peak. He saw a large speedercar descend through the hole in the roof, and he realized what was happening. The Sith was going to escape! "No!" He yelled, tossing his lightsaber in an arc meant to slice into the speedercar's left stabilizer and send it tumbling down the mountain. Valkra saw the Sith, who had donned his black cloak once again, extend a hand towards the flying blue disk. Valkra felt a surge of horror as his telekinetic grasp on his own weapon weakened, but he gritted his teeth and focused solely on keeping a firm mental grip on the projectile. Then Valkra felt fear and doubt creep into his mind, he tried to quickly reassert control over his emotions but the distraction was enough. His lightsaber slipped from his mental grasp and he watched it fly harmlessly into the Sith's waiting hand. His disappointment and horror at the loss was immediately put in check however, when the Sith reacted to the bare skin of his palm touching the blade's hilt as if it had burned him, dropping the weapon with a hiss of pain. Seizing his opportunity, Valkra managed to seize the lightsaber in his mind's grip once more, and before the Sith could react, drew it back to his own waiting hand.

 

 

Seeing him unarmed, the nearby troopers focused their fire on him, believing him to be helpless. Kira came to his aid, deflecting every bolt back to its source with a fervor only a lover could possess. Extending his hand, Valkra snatched his lightsaber out of the air and glanced up at the mountain's peak, ready to launch another throw. His heart filled with fear, disappointment, and frustration when he saw the tail end of the speedercar vanish out of the jagged oculus in the ceiling.

 

Edited January 5, 2017 by De-mu-noki

[ssppeeiirr]

 

Seeing him unarmed the nearby troopers focused their fire on him, believing him to be helpless. Kira came to his aid, deflecting every bolt back to its source with a fervor only a lover could possess. Extending his hand, Valkra snatched his lightsaber out of the air and glanced up at the mountain's peak, ready to launch another throw. His heart filled with fear, disappointment, and frustration when he saw the tail end of the speedercar vanish out of the jagged oculus in the ceiling.

 

 

this particular sentence, at least the start of it doesn't match to the rest of the edited story, just pointing it out, otherwise, not how I expected the confrontation to pan out but, it is yet to be continued by the sound of it.

 

can't wait for more

[De-mu-noki]

Seeing him unarmed the nearby troopers focused their fire on him, believing him to be helpless. Kira came to his aid, deflecting every bolt back to its source with a fervor only a lover could possess. Extending his hand, Valkra snatched his lightsaber out of the air and glanced up at the mountain's peak, ready to launch another throw. His heart filled with fear, disappointment, and frustration when he saw the tail end of the speedercar vanish out of the jagged oculus in the ceiling.

 

 

this particular sentence, at least the start of it doesn't match to the rest of the edited story, just pointing it out, otherwise, not how I expected the confrontation to pan out but, it is yet to be continued by the sound of it.

 

can't wait for more

Whoops, fixed

Shorten the gap between your paragraphs. It's not a deal-breaker by any means, it's more-or-less a nitpick, but it is something that I feel would make your story appear more visually interesting. However, your format does allow for a more unique quality, so it is something that I would consider before changing anything.

 

Ok, no problem! How is it in the latest installment with two lines instead of three?

Edited January 5, 2017 by De-mu-noki

[De-mu-noki]

Hi guys! Guess what? This is the last part of Chapter 3! Wow this has been a long one... But its finally finished! I hope you guys have enjoyed the character and plot development I've done my best to cultivate in this chapter, as the developments here are a significant part of my foundation for future developments. I will say that there are quite a few things yet to come that are foreshadowed in Chapter 3, and they aren't always the most obvious things either! So keep your mind open to connections as we march ever forward with the passage of time.

 

 

I noticed some of your comments about this chapter seeming to drag on and feel boring, and while that is a disappointment for me, it is also encouragement of a sort. Keeping your feedback in mind, I can promise that the next chapter will be far more independent and distinct. We will begin to see events diverge more from their familiar path into the unknown territory that awaits us! Many more revelations await, but I think you might find that these revelations will bring with them more questions than answers...

 

Please enjoy!

 

 

Darth Nox slipped covertly through the bustling crowds filling the streets of Coruscant. In a sudden break from the flow of the pedestrian traffic, he slithered out of the crowds and entered a rather dismal-looking alleyway. He quickly approached a run-down holoterminal embedded in the wall and tapped a few buttons, glancing around furtively as it flickered to life. When the fuzzy, blue-tinged image of the already blue-skinned Twi'lek: Delriss Evik appeared, Nox wasted no time addressing it. "Change of plans, we need to move the pickup."

 

 

"Oh?" The attractive young woman said, a note of expectant curiosity creeping into her voice.

 

 

"I've rewired my chrono to emit a homing signal exclusive to the frequency I used when I first contacted you, do you remember?"

 

 

The young Twi'lek nodded before answering "I do."

 

 

"Good." Came Nox's hurried reply. "Monitor the frequency, locate my homing signal, and pick me up - hot."

 

 

"This is an awfully big risk," the captain admonished, "it's going to have an impact on the price. Landing this beauty just anywhere on Coruscant is highly illegal you know."

 

 

"Of course," Nox admitted "I would not have hired you if I did not have the credits to compensate you for all possible inconveniences, rest assured that your risk will be balanced."

 

 

"I should hope so." The captain sighed, her lekku twitching with the stress and uncertainty of the whole situation. Sensing something, Nox's eyes darted towards the alley's entrance and the street beyond. "Something wrong?" His lovely contact asked.

 

 

"I have to go." He said, before reaching out to shut the terminal off before she could reply. Turning on his heel, he moved swiftly down the alley, away from the street, just as a speeder pulled up. The beings that got out of it were a rather motley crew; there was a large Iridonian Zabrak, who was closely accompanied by a smaller, red-haired human female with a figure most models would be jealous of. Backing them up, and standing in sharp contrast, was a large and bald Sith Pureblood dressed in a set of black armor complete with a cape, his head being the only exposed part of his body.

____________

 

 

Spying the black-cloaked figure vanishing into the alley's depths, Kira pointed and shouted "There!"

 

 

"You, stop!" The voice of the large Zabrak boomed, causing many passersby to stop and stare at the trio as they took off at a full run into the alley, vanishing into the fog of Galactic City's backstreets.

____________

 

 

Nox raced through alleys and passageways, the Dark Side giving him speed and sight. He leaped over low walls and dumpster crates, ducked under low-hanging pipes and fire escape platforms. He weaved through the complex maze of narrow, shadowy avenues like a native, the Force blazing his trail. He was running towards the Flats, where he was sure he could outrun the Jedi. He doubted any of them had the same mastery of Force Speed that he had. The only problem was that in order to access the Flats, he had to move up one level.

 

 

Spying a building tall enough to suit his purpose, an abandoned warehouse that disappeared into the ceiling, Nox used a Force push to blow one of the doors off its hinges and enter the building. He was disappointed to find that the only way onto the Flats above him was a rectangular window stretching around the warehouse's top. Sensing his pursuers approaching, he turned to face the gaping doorway. The large Iridonian entered first, followed by the young woman and the bald Sith. All three activated their lightsabers in sequential order.

 

 

"Surrender Sith!" The tall Zabrak called out. "We have you cornered."

 

 

"Don't try anything stupid." The young female human chimed in, her eyes blazing with anger. There is more than a hint of the Dark Side in that one, Nox thought to himself, smiling. He raised his hands above his head in surrender...then leaned forward, gesturing as he lashed out with the Force. The blast of Force power sent his opponents flying into the wall behind them. As they dropped to the floor and scrambled to their feet, Nox unleashed a storm of wind and lightning from his fingertips that caught the Pureblood off guard and swept him off his feet and into the air. The roiling tornado of unnatural current kept the Sith Lord unable to even call upon the Force as he tumbled and bounced around within the vortex. Valkra was just about to hurl his blue lightsaber at Nox when he felt an oppressive darkness sweep over him. His mind filled with doubt, fear, and despair, and it was only through calling on the Light Side of the Force that he was able to regain his focus. But the dark persisted, roiling on the edges of his consciousness like a sea of murky shadows, ready to swallow him the moment the light inside him flickered or faltered. Beside him, he could see Kira was having a much harder time dealing with it. Her ether body was showing signs of corruption, and Valkra could sense her giving in to her anger and fear. Stretching out with his will, he used the Force bond between them to project calm and focus into her mind. He felt her emotion's grip on her begin to fade and he extended his own Light Side aura around her, sheltering her from the overwhelming gloom.

 

 

Too fast to follow, the dark-cloaked Zabrak moved between them and the door, cutting off any escape and gesturing with an outstretched hand as the two Jedi turned to face him. A burst of dark energy appeared in his extended palm, and Valkra suddenly felt sick, like the Dark Side had taken root in the pit of his stomach. He could feel his strength slowly being sapped like water from a bucket with a miniscule crack in it. The affliction was the least of his problems however, as he turned around to face the enemy, he was struck head on with a thunderous blast of power that caused him to stagger. Immediately following the blast was a wave of pure electricity that slammed into him and Kira, temporarily paralyzing them.

 

 

The shock to Kira's Force defenses from the paralysis left her vulnerable to the subsequent burst of lightning unleashed by Nox that nearly electrocuted her. She cried out as the deadly current struck her square in the abdomen and surged through her nervous system, causing her to spasm and convulse. Valkra, recovered from the temporary paralysis, charged Nox with a battlecry. The Sith quickly erected a Force Barrier that met Valkra's lightsaber with a bursting hiss, and although the Jedi slammed his blade on the barrier repeatedly, it bounced off each time. From behind the barrier, Nox raised his fist and a bolt of lightning, seeming to come from thin air, descended on the Jedi, smiting him like the fist of a god. Through the power of the Force, Valkra absorbed the lightning strike and continued to hack away at the barrier, only to be blown back by a blast of Force power. Nox followed the blast with a storm of lightning that enveloped Valkra in its sinister grip, and it was all the Jedi Master could do to keep putting one foot in front of the other, slowly making his way towards the dark figure.

 

 

Kira, having recovered from the assault on her nerves, attacked Nox ferociously, her green lightsaber resounding harmlessly off of Nox's erected Force Barrier. Finally letting the storm of lightning subside, Nox whirled on her, lifting her off her feet with the Force and sending her flying across the room into a pile of crates in the far corner. Nox turned just in time to see Valkra once more slam his blade into the Force Barrier protecting him, but he didn't flinch. Instead he stretched out his hand and Valkra felt the knot in the pit of his stomach again. The Dark Side seeded itself inside him, afflicting him with dark and subtle emotions. He almost didn't realize what was happening until the same ring of lightning-charged dark power slammed into him with the force of a speeder. The Force was the only thing that kept him from ending up sprawled on the floor. The familiar wave of lightning that followed once more paralyzed him, despite his best efforts to resist.

 

 

Nox stretched out his hand, waving his fingers in an eerie pattern and Valkra felt the dark affliction inside him sprout into a sinister terror that crept up his spine and into his brain. Fear cemented the paralysis already affecting him, rooting his feet to the ground. Then Nox clenched his outstretched hand in a fist, moving it towards him at the same time as if he were pulling something, and a nova of dark power burst in the Sith's clenched hand. Valkra felt the Dark Side explode around him, and he saw and felt his very life force being drawn out of him and into the dark star shining in Nox's fist. The Dark Lord absorbed it, and the orb of power in his hand faded as he consumed the life energy he had stolen. Etching a series of arcane symbols into the air with his fingers, Nox unleashed the Dark Side on Valkra again, this time piercing the Jedi's now weakened Force defenses to tap his life force directly. Valkra felt horror dawn on him as his very life was sapped from his body, drawn through the Force into Nox by the power of the Dark Side.

 

 

Calling on the Light Side, Valkra brought his roiling emotions back under control and charged Nox once more, but the Force attacks the Sith had unleashed upon him had all taken their toll, and the Dark Lord was all the stronger for it. His Force barrier, which had been starting to give way and bend beneath lightsaber blows, was now as rigid and impenetrable as it had been at the start of the fight, and Nox responded to the attack with a maelstrom of lightning that wrapped Valkra in its electric tendrils, even as he called on the Light Side to lend him focus and rejuvenate him under the supercharged assault. Valkra could feel the Sith's influence beginning to seep into his mind, the terrifying darkness eating away at his mental and Force defenses. What kind of power is this? Valkra wondered. The power to crush your foes with your very presence, to cow them without lifting a finger...the power of the Dark Side is truly horrifying. He didn't have time to ponder it any further, because the storm of lightning vanished to be replaced by a concussive blast that sent him flying. He managed to hit the ground in a roll and leaped to his feet just as Kira, having regained consciousness after landing in a pile of heavy crates when Nox tossed her, charged across the room with lightsaber in hand. Nearby, the storm Nox had unleashed on Lord Scourge had faded. Scourge, having recovered from the serious disorientation of spending a full minute in a swirling vortex of wind being zapped by lightning, had also drawn his blade and was bearing down on the other Sith with an incredible fury. The Dark Lord seemed to pause, taking in the situation for a moment, then in a blur of motion, he acted.

 

 

Running up the wall behind him on an angle, he leaped off the wall to a walkway hanging from the ceiling. He leaped an impossible distance from the walkway to grab onto a pipe halfway across the room, using his momentum to swing from the pipe directly towards the thin strip of window rimming the top of the building.

 

 

"No!" Valkra cried, feeling a terrifying sense of déjà vu when he threw his lightsaber in an attempt to slice the Sith in half before he could escape. But it was too late, Nox crashed through the window and Valkra's blade sailed out after him, spinning harmlessly into the air before returning through the hole to its owner's waiting hand. "C'mon!" Valkra shouted, already heading towards the door, "We've got to catch him!"

_____________

 

 

Nox tore across the Flats with amazing speed. The relatively level plain of metal and duracrete was perfect for exercising his full command over the power of Force speed. With no real obstacles to avoid, he could focus entirely on increasing his velocity. The whine of a speeder soon attracted his attention however. This was restricted airspace, so there could only be one answer to who was driving the vehicle. A glance to his right confirmed his suspicions, approaching on a diagonal was a speedercar piloted by the bald Sith with the two Jedi seated beside him. With a playful smile, Nox decided it was time for a true test of his abilities. Turning his attention back to the wide open expanse in front of him, he dug down deep. He dredged up every memory from his past that caused him fear, memories of beatings, escape attempts, of hiding, of being pursued by his enslavers. One memory suddenly bubbled to the surface. He was being taken from his mother's arms, her embrace replaced by the cold and calloused hands of the Sith who had first bought him. He cried and cried, desperately reaching, grasping for his mother, but she simply stood there, unfeeling, uncaring, a silent statue watching him be taken as the Sith placed the young Teridax on his shoulder and carried the mewling infant towards the small shuttle that would take them away from Dathomir. Teridax cried louder, hoping his mother would rush forward, taking him back into her arms. That she would comfort him with her soft touch and silky voice, that she would assure him that she would never part with him...but she never did. She stood there as the boarding ramp closed behind them, and the ships engines began to roar. And Teridax, still crying, was carried up into the heavens, to forever dwell in the void between the stars.

 

 

A powerful wave of emotion welled up in him, pain, sorrow, rage, hatred, fear, and he let it come, let it consume him. He felt the Dark Side surround him, and his feet seemed to leave the ground. The world around him began to stretch and distort, as if he was a ship about to enter hyperspace. He no longer felt the resistance of the wind holding him back, and he ran. The plains of the Flats stretched out before him, and the whine of the Jedi's speeder seemed to be swallowed up by the vacuum he found himself in, or perhaps he had simply outran it. The world seemed completely silent, as if he had left sound itself far behind him. His entire body was vibrating with an intense energy that made him feel like he was on the edge of shattering the veil of reality and breaking through into a new world.

 

 

In eerie silence, he looked up to see the Rider lowering itself down out of the sky, the boarding ramp extended. Holding on to one of the ramp's pneumatic extension bars was Delriss, her hand outstretched and her eyes wide with shock and fear, her mouth forming words that were swallowed up the vacuum surrounding him. After a moment of internal confusion, Nox came back to himself and realized she was trying to help him get on board. Moving towards the Twi'lek's outstretched hand, he began to perceive sounds, the deafening silence becoming slowly filled by a muffled roar that he realized was the Rider's engines. Feeling a light breeze on his cheek, he realized with some concern that the vacuum he had created in order to achieve such an incredible speed was beginning to disappear. In moments his speed would begin to decrease, possibly allowing the Jedi to catch up to them.

 

 

He moved closer to the boarding ramp and reached out to grasp the woman's surprisingly strong arm, and she did the same for him, with a nod from her indicating she was ready, he prepared himself and pushed off, using the Force to lift himself several feet off the ground as Delriss pulled him onto the ramp. They moved up into the ship with all haste as the ramp closed behind them.

 

 

Nox leaned over, supporting himself with his hands on his knees, breathing hard from the fatigue that was sweeping over his body. He looked up to see Delriss staring at him in naked wonder and fear.

 

 

"I realize you have many questions, captain." Nox said, his breaths still coming hard and ragged, forcing him to stop to take in a gulp of air. "But I'm afraid that the answers would be far more fatal than ignorance." After a moment of continuing to stare at him, the blue-skinned Twi'lek spoke;

 

 

"In my business, it's smart to not ask questions." She said, pausing to consider her next few words, "but do you realize how fast you were going?"

 

 

A small chuckle escaped Nox's lips. "No officer, enlighten me."

 

 

Unmoved by the jest, Delriss just continued to eye him with suspicion and fear as she spoke. "500 klicks per hour."

 

Nox blinked, not processing the implications of the statement. "Pardon?"

 

 

"500 klicks per hour." Delriss repeated, her tone indicating she had a hard time believing it herself.

 

 

Nox seemed to consider this for a long moment, when he finally spoke, he said;

 

 

"I trust that we are currently leaving the planet, and not heading to, say, Coruscant Penitentiary."

 

 

"I'm not that stupid." Delriss said shaking her head, her lekku swaying behind her. "We'll be out of atmo in a few minutes, hopefully your friends don't have a mind to follow us."

 

 

"Yes." Nox said distractedly, "Hopefully they don't." Delriss turned to go.

 

 

"Make yourself comfortable." She said over her shoulder. "It's a long flight back."

_____________

 

 

Snow crunched under Nox's boots as he made his way across the frozen lake towards the wreck of The Fatality. He was once more wearing his battle armor, and his skull-like helm protected his face from Belsavis's harsh polar winds. His saberstaff was once more clipped to his belt, and he never felt more relieved to have it there. Leaving it behind had been a mistake. He had believed that being discovered with it on him would attract to much attention and likely identify him as a Sith immediately, but in his fight with the two Jedi and their Sith companion, it had become clear to him that such a risk was worth it. As powerful as he was in the Force, a lack of a lightsaber still gave his enemies an advantage. That was why he had originally tried to steal the Iridonian Jedi's weapon. Unfortunately, the strong Light Side aura of the blade, a consequence of it being wielded by such a powerful Jedi for years, had reacted badly to the Dark Side energies lacing his body. The resulting effect had made it completely impractical to wield the lightsaber, as it drained Nox's own Force powers and was painful to touch. Normally he would simply turn the pain into anger, and anger into power, but the pain the Light Side energies inflicted wasn't that kind of suffering.

 

 

Approaching the open airlock, he cloaked himself in the Force and slipped into the ruined vessel. In the time he had been gone, the Dread Guard had routed his forces occupying the ship. An unfortunate turn of events and a clear demonstration that what the Imperial Guard captain had told Nox was true: The Dread Guard was a serious threat to Imperial control of Section X, and they would have to be dealt with. But right now Nox had bigger issues to contend with, the destruction of the Dread Guard would have to wait. Moving silently and unseen through the ship's various rooms and corridors, Nox quickly descended to the cargo bay level. Successfully avoiding detection by the scanner droids each patrol was accompanied by, he reached the cargo bay without incident.

 

 

Entering the room, he realized it was not as dark or cold as it had been on his first visit. The Dread Guard seemed to have not noticed or not cared that he had activated power to the cargo bay, and Nox noticed that the ice in the room was now mostly water. Moving to the control panel, he accessed the system again and input the command to lower the stasis unit in the center of the room to ground level. He heard the sounds of rusted and half-frozen machinery as the pod descended, and when it reached the bottom of its track and hissed open, Nox approached it with caution. There was no telling how the damaged assassin droid might react to its reactivation. He looked on with interest when he heard the whir of the droid's mechanical systems activating. The ice still glossing the HK unit's exterior melted away as defrosting systems registered the temperature and heated the droid's exterior.

 

 

"Warning: 7 critical systems damaged." The machine stated in a flat monotone that was nonetheless signatory of the HK-series droids. "Request: Repairs required immediately. Error. Error."

 

 

Nox approached the droid a little less warily, upon reaching it he quickly searched the unit and found it's deactivation switch, flipping it and watching the droid's eyes go dark again. Once he was certain the unit was inactive he set to work removing the parts that needed replacing. Once that was done, he installed the new parts, one at a time, taking care not to damage the rest of the droid while working. Once the new parts were installed, he set about finishing the repairs on the parts that were broken but didn't need to be replaced.

 

 

After nearly a half hour of crouching in front of the droid with his hands buried in its guts, Nox stepped back and examined his work. The droid looked much better, although it still needed a full on check-up from an expert mechanic and a thorough buffing. Satisfied with his efforts, Nox reactivated the droid and watched the light come into its cold, mechanical eyes with all the pride and eagerness of a parent watching their child being born. Suddenly, the droid stood up straight and drew its sniper rifle, aiming it around the room while its optics scanned for threats. Nox's hand flew to his lightsaber, his fingers curling around the hilt but he didn't draw it. He had just fixed the droid, the last thing he wanted to do was start a fight with it.

 

 

The droid's optical sensors fell on him and it relaxed its weapon into a ready position. "Declaration: Self-diagnostics complete, assassination protocols active, all systems go. Salutation: Greetings master! I am HK-51, I am armed, operational, and at your command." Nox resisted the urge to rub his hands together with glee.

 

 

"You belong to me now droid."

 

 

"Acknowledgement: I had assumed so master, seeing as you are the only organic here who is not frozen solid."

 

 

"Tell me HK," Nox said, a smile spreading behind his mask. "are you ready for an immediate massacre?"

 

 

"Assurance: I am always ready for a massacre master!" The droid said, his tone rising with excitement.

 

 

"Good." Nox said, finally drawing his lightsaber and activating it. "Then let the slaughter begin."

 

[Redsaynsixtysix]

I have to say that I really did enjoy that battle. However, you could have done with shortening the paragraphs, or -preferably- separating them so that they appear easier to read. It's little touches like that which would improve the readability of LoD.

Also, congratulations with how you show the personality of the characters in their fighting styles. For the next ones, I'd suggest for it to be entirely 1V1 rather than 1V2 or 1V3. This is because it would inherently lend itself to a more personal conflict, and I look forward to seeing what you do regardless of whether you follow my advice or not.

[De-mu-noki]

Hi guys! I'm sorry if this one feels both short and late, but I'm afraid things in my life are changing and I'm being confronted with reality more and more lately. This means I have lots of important things on my mind that demand much of my attention and brainpower which in turn means I have little time to meditate on my story as I usually do and thus this segment was harder to write. I hope you guys will be understanding if future segments end up coming less often than once a week, as that may end up becoming the reality.

 

But in lighter news; we made it to Chapter 4! In this chapter we will begin to enter more unfamiliar territory than the last few chapters, and I hope that this will produce more interest for those of you who felt the "recycled" but necessary content of the last two chapters was stale. So please, buckle up and enjoy the ride!

 

Chapter 4: Omega

 

 

 

 

Xalek walked down the hall to his master's office. He had been instructed to meet Darth Nox in his meditation chamber, which was connected to the Dark Lord's office by a side door. He was looking forward to the experience as he had never been in his master's meditation chamber before. Hundreds of the most powerful Sith in the Empire had mediated in those chambers over the Empire's history, and there was no doubt that each had left their mark on the Force in that particular area. Xalek could almost taste the overwhelming Dark Side power he was about to experience. He believed it would be similar to landing on Korriban for the first time, and combined with his master's presence he was certain the experience would be rapturous.

 

 

 

Entering the office, he turned to see that the door to the mediation chamber was open. He could sense the vestiges of the Dark Side energies contained within the chamber, as if they were the faint stirrings of the breeze before a storm. He entered through the door, finding that the energy currents grew more powerful with every step and before he even exited the hallway and entered the actual chamber, he found himself to be traversing through what felt like a hurricane in the Force. The Dark Side swirled around him, buffeting his spirit with its power. He felt like a leaf caught up in a tornado, but he steeled himself and hardened his resolve, reaching out and seizing the violent energies around him, bending them to his will, forcing the currents to change and warp themselves to his designs. They gave way easily. There was power here, yes, but it was diffuse and chaotic. Easily shaped and formed to the will of the strong. A Jedi entering these chambers would no doubt find themselves oppressed and ravaged by the intensity of the Dark Side here, not realizing that mastery of it would grant them safe passage. This, Xalek supposed, was far better security against Jedi infiltration or attack than any technology.

 

 

 

He crossed the bridge separating the entrance from the platform on which his master knelt in deep meditation. A black aura of visible darkness surrounded the Dark Lord, and Xalek was certain he could see the soft purple glow of his master's eldritch powers emanating from behind the lenses of his helm. The familiar darkness that surrounded his master washed over him as he drew closer, and he felt his passions rise, taking his strength with them. His body felt alive with power as the darkness filled him from head to toe. He approached his lord and bowed to one knee.

 

 

 

"My lord." At the sound Darth Nox appeared to awaken, although Xalek was certain his master had sensed his arrival, it was only now he seemed to take notice. His head raised from its bowed position of intense concentration, he stood to his feet and turned to regard his apprentice. The visible aura of darkness faded, but Xalek could still feel it in the Force. It surrounded them like an inky liquid that permeated the Kaleesh's body and soul.

 

 

 

"Lord Xalek." Darth Nox spoke, his voice creating ripples in the Dark Side. "I hear your liberation of Detrimos went well."

 

 

 

"Indeed master. You were wise to send me there. The Republic will not soon strike so close to us again."

 

 

 

A sinister chuckle escaped the grill of Darth Nox's mask.

 

 

 

"Indeed, although not for the reason you think apprentice."

 

 

 

"Master?"

 

 

 

"You are correct in assuming that the Republic will not strike so close to the heart of the Empire so soon, but it will not be because of your efforts on Detrimos." Xalek lowered his head, shame and confusion sweeping over him.

 

 

 

"I am sorry I failed to live up to your expectations master."

 

 

 

"On the contrary..." Xalek looked up, confused. Darth Nox continued: "You lived up to my expectations exactly, Lord Xalek." The Dark Lord reassured him. "You have proven your effectiveness in a leadership position on the battlefield, but Saresh is a warmonger, and she will not be cowed by failure, no matter how complete."

 

 

 

"But the Senate will be, master." Xalek offered.

 

 

 

"Yes," Nox conceded, "but Saresh is not without her supporters and puppets. She has spent almost a lifetime gathering connections and accumulating political favors in preparation for her chancellorship." His master paused, as if in thought. "I believe she does not intend to ever vacate the position."

 

 

 

Interested, Xalek asked: "What does this mean for us master?"

 

 

 

"It means that the Republic will continue to be a dangerous opponent. While the Jedi are always a problem, the Republic is not so dedicated to our destruction. With a zealot like Saresh in power, we face considerable opposition to our plans from inside and outside the Empire. This must not be." Xalek waited for his master to continue. "We must cripple them, apprentice." Darth Nox said, clenching his fist in front of him for emphasis. "We must leave them so broken and hurting that they will have no choice but to retreat and lick their wounds while the Empire keeps them on their toes, and we increase our power."

 

 

 

"Through power I gain victory." Xalek recited. Darth Nox nodded his approval.

 

 

 

"Many Sith, even some of the Lords of the Dark Council, erroneously perceive the Republic as a nuisance to be ignored until it becomes a threat. This is why the Empire is in the situation it is in today. The previous leaders of the Empire ignored the Republic and instead focused on each other. Thus we are severely weakened by infighting while the Republic stands united and focused on our complete annihilation." Xalek could hardly believe what he was hearing, his master was admitting the Empire was weak? Such words would have been thought treasonous by many, even Xalek himself, were the words not coming from his own master. Darth Nox must have sensed his turmoil because he addressed it immediately.

 

 

 

"Do not fool yourself apprentice. Arrogance and honor are chains just as surely as mercy and compassion are." Xalek found the truth hard to accept. Honor a chain? His honor gave him strength, it made him superior to an honorless opponent and gave him hatred of such foes. "Fool!" His master growled at him, and too late, Xalek realized his master was reading his thoughts. He tried to throw a up a Force shield to protect him but his master ripped through it like it wasn't even there, his dark presence shifting in an instant, becoming oppressive and stifling. Xalek felt it creep into his mind and begin to crush his spirit. He fell flat on the ground under the immense weight of the Dark Side.

 

 

 

"Master!" he cried. "Forgive me! Forgive my foolishness!" He felt the weight lift, and he rose to his hands and knees, bowing his head before the Dark Lord. "Master, I'm sorry, forgive my stubbornness."

 

 

 

"You must learn to put aside your pride apprentice, when it does not serve you it will hinder you. Do you understand?" For a moment, Xalek considered lying to ward off more possible punishment, but he caught himself as he felt the darkness begin to roil once again.

 

 

 

"No master, I do not."

 

 

 

"Gooood... You are learning." Darth Nox said with satisfaction. "The Sith are superior. We are the driving force that shapes the universe to the will of sentient life. We will one day be hailed as the saviours and champions of all life everywhere." Xalek felt inspired by the assertion but confused at the apparently contrary nature of his master's philosophy. No doubt sensing his confusion, Nox went on. "But this is not an excuse for weakness!" He declared, anger creeping in to his tone. "It may be true that we are superior, but that does not mean that we will simply crush every single enemy we encounter without effort!" Beginning to realize his error, and feeling ashamed at this new revelation, Xalek remained silent while his master continued to berate him.

 

 

 

"Many, many life forms and forces will resist us at every turn, for we bring change, and change is never welcome. We are not omnipotent. Even with the combined might of the Sith it is inevitable that our order will encounter enemies that will prove to be a match for us, or even..." his master paused, "stronger than us." Xalek felt like he was back at the academy on Korriban again. He felt lost and unsure of what was true and false. His master, the most powerful Sith he knew, was telling him one thing, while his warrior training and Sith training were both telling him another.

 

 

 

"Listen well, apprentice." Darth Nox said, his voice becoming softer but maintaining an undertone of menace. "The Sith are not perfect yet, it is perfection we strive for. We are closer to it than our enemies, that is true, but even so a Sith may find himself in a position where he is powerless when compared to his foes. If you have not experienced this yet, you will soon enough." Xalek remained silent and still. "But if you choose to cling to your pride in such circumstances, you will rob yourself of the chance to grow and become more powerful. If you are to become a truly powerful Sith you will eventually have to learn this lesson. If you do not learn it, you will die." The words were spoken with such finality and certainty that Xalek felt they were nothing less than prophecy. "It is a hard lesson to learn, but if you truly desire to break all the chains that bind you it is a necessary one."

 

 

 

"The entire universe, even the Force itself, conspires with our enemies against us, apprentice. Unwilling to accept it's place under our heel, the Force raises armies and champions to test us, to see if we are truly worthy of being called its masters. Those who hold on to their weakness will be found unworthy, and be judged thusly." Nox paused, causing Xalek to look up at him in expectation. "Honor is for the weak, apprentice. If you desire true strength, true power, you must be willing to put aside your pride when it does not serve you. Remember, you cannot give form and shape to the future, you cannot control and direct your own destiny, if you cannot see the present for what it is. For how can you change what you cannot perceive?"

 

 

 

Xalek nodded, his mind awhirl with thousands of questions and doubts. He'd been raised from birth to believe that honor was what bestowed him godhood upon his death, but now his master was forcing him to call all of his lifelong beliefs into question. Was honor truly a weakness? A chain that bound him as surely as mercy and compassion? How could his master be wrong? And yet, could thousands of years of Kaleesh tradition and belief also be wrong?

 

 

 

"I sense your turmoil." Darth Nox said, placing a hand on the young warrior's shoulder. "You doubt your beliefs. Remember, change is never welcome, because it is always uncomfortable and unpleasant at the first." He released his grip on Xalek's shoulder. "I continue to have high hopes for you apprentice, I will allow you time to consider what I have told you. Mediate on these truths I have shown you and on the Dark Side. In time I believe you will come to understand."

 

 

 

"And if I fail to understand?" Xalek asked, dreading the answer. Nox's voice hardened.

 

 

 

"Then you will die, shackled by your own weakness."

 

 

 

Xalek bowed his head in shame and submission.

 

 

 

"But in the meantime," Nox said suddenly. "I have a task for you to complete, it might help to illustrate the heart of the matter." Xalek waited expectantly, and his master continued. "As of this moment, I am enacting Plan Omega. This plan will culminate in the utter devastation of the Jedi and the Republic, and you, Lord Xalek, will be the head of the spear that the Empire will drive through the heart of its enemies."

 

 

 

"I am supremely honored, master." Xalek said with a mix of surprise and eagerness.

 

 

 

"As well you should be." Nox affirmed before walking past Xalek towards the door leading to his office. Xalek followed behind, listening as his master continued to discuss the plan. "I have been planning this for some time, and I believe now is the perfect time to strike. Reports from the front indicate that the Republic advance has been halted and that their forces are doubling down in an effort to regain their momentum. In response, the Empire is committing more and more of its resources into full confrontation. The confusion and large-scale conflict will provide you with a smokescreen in which to accomplish your end of the preparations for the execution of the final phase." They passed through the doorway leading to the hall to Darth Nox's office as the Sith Lord continued to speak. "Plan Omega will require the laying of extensive political groundwork and the timely accumulation of various resources in order to insure the full confidence of the Dark Council. In order to convince even the most stubborn of the Council, they must feel certain that the plan cannot fail."

 

 

 

They entered into Nox's office and stopped in the center of the room when he turned to face Xalek. "This is where you come in, apprentice."

 

 

 

"How can I serve you?" Xalek asked, his calm monotone disguising his mounting eagerness.

 

 

 

"I am dispatching you on a top-secret recovery mission." Darth Nox said, and Xalek's heart sunk.

 

 

 

"Master, would not my talents be better spent in other areas of the plan?"

 

 

 

"Surprisingly, no." Nox said with cold certainty. "There is no one I can entrust this task to other than you, Lord Xalek." Xalek's shoulders drooped ever so slightly.

 

 

 

"I can sense your disappointment apprentice," Nox assured the Kaleesh. "and I think you will find this mission to be far more challenging than it sounds. Trust that I would not send you on any mission that I did not feel would test you."

 

 

 

"I trust you, master." Nox still sensed doubt and disappointment in his apprentice, but that was understandable considering what had happened between them in the past few minutes. Still, if his apprentice didn't get his mind in order then his mission would quickly become perilous, perhaps fatal.

 

 

 

"The first artifact you will seek is on Deriada Minor." Nox said. "Speak to Commander Galen once you arrive, he will help set you on the trail. Go in strength, apprentice, and know that the Dark Side goes with you."

 

 

 

[De-mu-noki]

Hello everyone! Here's the next part of Chapter 4! It's a bit longer as compensation for last week's shorter part, 4500 words or so. I'm afraid I have some sad news to report though: events in my real life demand my immediate and focused attention, both physically and mentally. As such I am forced to take a 2-3 week hiatus from the story in order to put my affairs in proper order. I intend on returning after no more than 3 weeks, but hopefully it will be sooner than that. I also hope that none of my fans will lose interest during this time and will stay subbed to the thread, waiting patiently for more. There are a few easter eggs of sorts in this segment, so pay attention and see what you can determine about the progression and the changes to the timeline!

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Xalek descended the boarding ramp of his ship in Deriada Minor's principle spaceport. The planet occupied the tightest orbit of a red dwarf star, and thus was one of the more peculiar planets within the Empire. Locked in place, with one side always facing its star and the other always facing the void of space, extreme environmental conditions covered most of the planet. The dark side was perpetually frozen, as dead as an orphaned planet. The light side, however, wasn't too lucky either. A massive storm covered the area of the planet that directly faced the system's primary, creating a perpetual "storm zone" that was just as uninhabitable as the planet's dark side. However, between the storm and the frozen wastes lay a belt of habitable land and traversable ocean, and it was here that Imperial civilization flourished. As Xalek made his way towards the spaceport's main entrance, he wondered where on the planet his target could possibly be. The night side of the planet would be the obvious choice, but there was an impossible amount of ground to cover. The storm zone was the other likely option, but it too was nearly impossible to explore.

 

 

As he left the spaceport and entered the domed city of Kuris, he looked up in time to see the system's primary flare brightly, unleashing a wave of devastating radiation upon the world. The specialized dome surrounding the city immediately filtered out the radiation and tinted the light so as to keep the citizen's safe, but the sight was still a spectacle to behold. It lit up the city like a divine light, making the buildings shine and gleam proudly. Xalek felt like the gods were blessing the citizens of Kuris, then the light faded and he remembered that this would happen every few minutes. The only protection he could have would to be in a shielded vehicle, in the storm zone, or on the world's dark side. If he were caught out, there was no telling whether the Force could protect him from the radiation or from simply being cooked alive.

 

 

Moving through the streets towards Commander Galen's office, Xalek's path was obstructed by a human cyborg in red and silver armor. The man's eyes were mechanical optical sensors, and instead of hair his bald head was covered in vein-like implants that were no doubt implanted in his skull. The rest of his body appeared to be entirely encased in cybernetic armor. There was no telling whether his whole body was cybernetic, or if it was just the outside. Xalek felt disgusted by how thoroughly this man had defiled his own body. He hated him already.

 

 

"Well well." The man's voice was partially hollow, like a droid's. "Look who I found."

 

 

"You've found trouble if you don't get out of my way." Xalek said in a low, menacing tone. The man laughed, a horrible sound.

 

 

"That's funny coming from a soft-shell." The monstrosity fired back. He patted the lightsaber on his hip. "I'm superior to your kind in every way, especially in combat."

 

 

"Care to back up that boast?" Xalek challenged, his clawed hand drifting to the hilt of his own weapon. The man laughed again.

 

 

"I don't need to, not yet." With that, he brushed past Xalek, seeming to have decided that the conversation was over. Xalek's eyes narrowed as he watched the abomination leave. He never understood why any being who considered themselves a warrior would defile their body so utterly. The pride of a warrior was to use what the gods had given him to the greatest extent he was able. Pride. His master's words came back to him: "If you desire true strength, true power, you must be willing to put aside your pride when it does not serve you." Continuing to ponder his master's words, Xalek entered Commander Galen's office and found the commander bent over a holotable, apparently studying schematics of a large fortress with intense concentration. Xalek cleared his throat purposefully, and the startled commander turned to regard him.

 

 

"Oh, my lord!" The man bowed. "Forgive me, I was so wrapped up in my work I didn't notice you come in. We are honored to have one of your stature with us. How may I serve?"

 

 

"You can start by telling me everything you know about a powerful artifact called The Siphon."

 

 

"The Siphon eh?" The commander stroked his chin. "Come to think of it..." he turned and pressed a button on the holotable's control panel. The image changed to become a series of 3D renderings of ancient technology and stone carvings, all Rakatan in origin. "We conducted archeological expeditions several years ago, what we found indicated that there is a fortress of some sort in the center of the Storm Zone that was built by the Rakata." The image changed to display a massive, monolithic construction that was a hologram of the 2 and 3 dimensional images that had been depicted in the previous images of the recovered artifacts. The commander moved off to the side and Xalek approached, placing his hands on either side of the control panel for support while he leaned in to investigate the structure.

 

 

"Why have you not already gone there?"

 

 

"We did send a team but...they disappeared without a trace. Not even a final transmission to go on."

 

 

"What do you mean?"

 

 

"The storm is so violent you can't get a signal through anywhere inside it."

 

 

"What about in the eye?"

 

 

"Unfortunately, no. Not even there."

 

 

"Not even with a satellite directly above it?"

 

 

"The planet doesn't spin my lord like most do, this causes serious problems with satellite orbits and is why this world has no moon. I'm afraid we can't use satellites."

 

 

"So anyone that goes in there is on their own." Xalek murmured. "If they vanish no one will know what happened." He pushed off of the holotable and let his hands fall to his sides in mild frustration.

 

 

"It's still the best lead I have commander. I'm a lot closer to my goal than I was a few minutes ago."

 

 

"I'm sure that whatever this Siphon is, you'll at least find hints to its location in that fortress, if it is indeed there. Perhaps you'll even find the artifact itself."

 

 

"We can only hope, commander." Xalek turned and walked out of the office, determined to get the sturdiest, most well-shielded shuttle he could find.

____________

 

 

Darth Nox focused, feeling the energy gathering in his hand as he drew it back beside his head. He could see the glow as the purple and white ball of Force energy formed in the palm of his hand. Then he leaned forward, thrusting his hand down as if the throw the ball onto the ground in front of him. The sphere of mottled light hit the ground and spread like a liquid, creating a pool of purple-white energy on the ground. Nox relinquished his Force sight and the pool disappeared, although he could still feel the disturbance in the Force that he had created. he walked to the other end of his lab and summoned the Dark Side again. His fingers and hand moved in an arcane motion and as they passed in front of his face, he felt the universe around him shift, as if it were sliding and slipping into a new formation. With a rising sense of triumph he looked around him to find that he was now standing in the exact same spot where the center of the pool of energy had been.

 

 

He'd done it. He had really done it! He'd been working on this spell for weeks, studying ancient texts, researching techniques, reading accounts of its use. And now he had done it. He had unlocked the secret of the Phase Walk! An ancient Dark Side spell created by the Rakata, the Phase Walk allowed the user to mark a location by creating a gateway in the Force. In this way, it was a weaker, simpler version of the legendary Force Storm that was said to be able to tear a hole in the spacetime continuum. Then, with a subsequent spell, the user could access that gateway and thus return to that spot at any time provided they were within a certain range of the gateway that was limited only by the user's power and ability to call upon the Force.

 

 

Satisfied with his incredible success, he left the lab and began the trek back to his speeder parked outside the Temple. Within minutes he was racing through the mists towards Kaas City. His mind was alive with plans and predictions. Since he had dispatched Xalek on his mission a few days ago, he had thrown himself fully into his study of the Phase Walk. His success today marked the end of weeks of research and practice, but only the beginning of his political machinations regarding his plans for the future. Plan Omega was simply one of these plans. It would help him to accomplish two things in one fell swoop: cripple the Republic and distract the Sith by giving them prey to hunt. Smelling blood in the water, the Empire would likely strive to drive the Republic into the abyss, and Nox would encourage this. He would fuel their bloodlust while he secretly shaped the galaxy in his image.

 

 

He slowed down as he entered the garage of his apartment suite. Landing among various other speeders from many different companies with many different designs, he shut the Nethian off and dismounted, walking straight past the Rakatan stasis chambers he had procured from Belsavis for his personal use.

 

 

Entering the main hallway, he checked the rooms of the lower levels and found that nobody was there. Even Andronikos and Khem seemed to be absent. On his way up the flight of stairs, he saw HK-51 standing rigidly at attention in Khem's usual guard spot.

 

 

"HK." The droid turned to regard him.

 

 

"Acknowledgement: Greetings master! Query: How may I serve?"

 

 

"You can start by telling me where Khem Val is."

 

 

"Query: Who is this Khem Val, master?"

 

 

"He's a red-skinned Dashade. You've likely seen him around here."

 

 

"Epiphany: Ahh! Yes! I wondered what such a dangerous creature was doing in your household, master. I took the liberty of placing it in one of the stasis chambers I found in the vehicular storage area until I could apprise you of the apparent infestation." Nox froze, his fists clenched, and his limbs trembled slightly in anger.

 

 

"You what, droid?"

 

 

"Query: Were my actions undesirable master? Do you wish me to release the creature?"

 

 

"That would be a start, yes." Nox's voice was low with anger and he was working his jaw in an effort to contain his emotions. The droid didn't know any better, it had made a rather accurate threat assessment regarding Khem, but Khem would no doubt see it as mistreatment and would subsequently desire to destroy the droid out of revenge, something Nox couldn't allow, which would cause strife between him and Khem. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but Nox still needed his Shadow Killer. The last thing he needed was for Khem to be more likely to attack him than the enemy. An assassination mission or two would have to be arranged to put the monster in a good mood again. "When you release the Dashade, be sure to activate your stealth generator and refrain from engaging. Merely protect my personal property and the infrastructure itself from his temper without the use of lethal force. Do you understand?"

 

 

"Confirmation: Yes master." The droid bowed its head. "Apology: I am sorry for causing you so much trouble. I shall remedy my error with all haste!" The droid turned and walked down the steps to release the no doubt angry Khem. Nox just hoped they didn't end up breaking anything, least of all each other.

 

 

Sighing, he turned and ascended the short flight of steps into his chambers. The door hissed open and the subtle Lightside presence of Ashara trickled out. Looking towards the windows, he noticed she was sitting cross-legged in the loveseat facing the massive, floor-to-ceiling panes. With a smile tugging at the corner of his lips behind his helm, he reached back and undid the metal headgear, placing it on a nearby featureless bust made specifically for the purpose. He approached, noting she didn't seem to sense his presence as she was so lost in her own thoughts.

 

 

With sudden inspiration, he approached the seat from behind and leaned over to plant a kiss on her upper cheek. She jerked her head around, startled, but the surprise quickly changed into affection as she saw him round the loveseat to sit beside her and wrap an arm around her padded, armored shoulders. "And how is the loveliest woman in the Empire doing today?" He asked, his passions becoming a tangible presence. Ashara giggled and a large smile spread across her soft, smooth features.

 

 

"Enjoying the company of the wisest man in the galaxy." She replied in like passion.

 

 

"Oh come now, lover, you flatter me." Nox said in mock bashfulness.

 

 

"Absolutely not." She replied in pretend indignation. She reached out and tapped his nose with one finger as she spoke. "I'm a Jedi, I only speak the truth."

 

 

"Then all those things you said last night were true?" Nox asked playfully. Ashara's face took on a little color as she relived the previous night's activities.

 

 

"Every one." She said seductively, moving in to meet his lips in a fiery kiss. She appeared to want to take it further, but Nox broke it off gently. There would be time for passions later, there was a discussion they needed to have.

 

 

"Ashara, a messenger came to the suite a few weeks ago."

 

 

"Oh?" She questioned, still with a playful undertone. It was getting harder to get her to come out of this kind of mood lately, a good sign, but at times it was counter-productive.

 

 

"It was a representative of Darth Aruk."

 

 

"Aruk!?" Ashara wrinkled her nose. Nox resisted the urge to chuckle, she always looked cute when she did that, it was one of her many endearing features. "That red-skinned tyrant? What did he want?"

 

 

"To deliver a message." Nox said, his tone indicating the nature of the message.

 

 

"What about?" Ashara asked tentatively.

 

 

"Specifically? You."

 

 

"Me?"

 

 

"Yes. As the Dark Councilor responsible for maintaining the Empire's moral foundation and preserving the philosophy of the Sith, he is quite displeased with your conduct in the field lately." Seeing Ashara didn't fully understand, he simplified it for her. "You've drawn his attention my dear."

 

 

"That thug and his minions have opposed me at every juncture." Ashara complained. "I'm trying to help expand our group of sympathetic allies, and he and his kind have done nothing but oppose and undermine me without cause!"

 

 

"You must remember dearest, that this is the Empire, not the Republic. A man like Aruk doesn't need a reason to oppose the efforts of one of my apprentices." Ashara opened her mouth to say something but Nox put his finger in front of it. When she closed it again he continued, "You must also remember that his work is directly in opposition to ours. We seek to change the moral foundation of the Empire from within, to reform it through non-violent, political means. To transform the Empire's vast machinery into a force for peace and justice. Aruk seeks to keep it as it is. In the eyes of the Imperial people, the Sith, and the Emperor, he is in the right and we are in the wrong."

 

 

"But were not in the wrong!" Ashara insisted.

 

 

"I know that, love." Nox assured her. "But that doesn't matter if everyone thinks we are. We must change the Imperial subconscious to be more in line with our way of thinking before we can take overt action." Ashara got up and paced towards the window, turning back to face him to make her next statement.

 

 

"Is that why you didn't join Darth Malgus?" She said, an undertone of accusation entering her voice. "Is that why you lead the charge against him? Killed him and ended any hope of bringing his New Empire to life?"

 

 

"I made a hard decision." Nox said, exercising his discipline to remain calm. "I calculated Malgus would fail, and chose to side with the winners to preserve my own life and the lives of those who followed me."

 

 

"So you choose self-preservation over bringing about real change?" Ashara asked, flabbergasted and disgusted.

 

 

"No." Nox said, holding up a hand. "I didn't side against Malgus out of sheer selfishness, but as the result of logical deliberations and calculations made to determine the probability of Malgus's revolution succeeding. I knew that Malgus would fail."

 

 

Why?" Ashara demanded, hands on hips. "Prove it to me, what evidence do you have?"

 

 

"Because his method of bringing about lasting change was fundamentally flawed." Nox posited. "Violent revolution does not bring true and lasting change to a society, it only temporarily purges it of certain ideals and beliefs that inevitably return at some later date. Malgus, being a warrior and a soldier, did not understand this. He was as inept at politics and understanding the workings of the sentient mind as he was skilled in combat and battle strategy. He could not possibly bring about true societal change, only division, strife, and temporary unity. He created his Empire by unwittingly forming a cult of personality around himself. As soon as he died, his New Empire would have collapsed around his corpse and left the Empire in ruins. And he would have died, quite soon no doubt, as his own lust for combat and bloodshed would lead him unerringly into battle with his troops. Only the Emperor could possibly risk such a thing and never fall eventually, and Malgus doesn't have near the amount of power of Emperor Vitiate. Thus true and lasting change can only be brought about by subtly and slowly altering the viewpoint, beliefs, and goals of a society's citizens. This can, in turn, only be brought about through inconspicuous indoctrinization and deception carefully applied over an extended period of time."

 

 

Ashara looked equal parts chastened and downcast. "I'm sorry master, you are right as always. Violence is not the answer. I should know better."

 

 

"Violence is not always the answer." Nox corrected. "As you know, violence is a tool to be used towards an end, not an end in and of itself. We must hold our power to physically enforce our will in reserve, unless the ensuing violence serves some extraordinary purpose."

 

 

Ashara nodded, and Nox could sense she understood, although she harbored reservations towards his admonition that violence was necessary. Speaking to her inner thoughts, he said "As a Jedi, you no doubt learned that violence was to be used as a last resort, this is not so different. Only, in our situation, we must be prepared to use violence as a first resort in situations where we definitively know that no other course of action will furnish us with the results we require. We must be discerning of situations where violence is the only acceptable answer and apply it in appropriate measure."

 

 

"But how do we indentify such circumstances correctly?" Ashara questioned.

 

 

"That is where the Force comes in." Nox replied. "The Force brings beings together, either into alignment or into conflict, in order to service the best result for sentient life as a whole. We must deeply attune ourselves to the nature of every circumstance we find ourselves in and divine, through the visceral experiences arising within us at that time, the destiny which is a foregone conclusion."

 

 

Ashara looked somewhat confused. "So the true nature of a situation is to be found within us?"

 

 

"Yes, you're getting it." Nox praised, causing the tips of the beautiful young Togruta's head tails to twitch in delight. "When in need of guidance, look into yourself to find what passions are rising to the surface. It is these passions through which the Force communicates with us. The Force influences our passions in order to drive us to act in accordance with its will."

 

 

Ashara's face lit up. "I remember reading something similar in the Jedi Archives. An ancient Jedi master said that in order to divine the will of the Force, a Jedi must listen to their instincts in order to receive the answers they seek."

 

 

"And so you see why the Jedi of today are bound by apathy." Nox said. "They ignore their own instincts and trust in their own reasoning and logic, when our instincts and natural tendencies are the Force's way of communicating its will to us." Ashara walked back to the loveseat and settled into his arm once more. "The Force is within all living things, thus it would only make sense that when it communicates with us, it speaks from within us, rather than from without. You must trust your feelings, and have faith that the Force is leading you down the path that will ultimately produce the best end result for life everywhere, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time."

 

 

"Thus violence is sometimes a necessary first resort, rather than the last." Ashara concluded.

 

 

"Yes." Nox affirmed. "It is an uncomfortable truth for some, but it is indeed the truth. To deny it is to leave yourself vulnerable through ignorance."

 

 

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge." Ashara repeated by wrote.

 

 

"Perhaps the one line of the Jedi Code that can be used for unequivocal good." Nox admitted. "But you must also remember that knowledge is a form of power, and that through power you gain victory. Thus through ignorance you weaken yourself, allowing those with power to dominate you and any others you wish to protect. Therefore, the idea of forbidden knowledge is blasphemous, a blasphemy the Jedi embrace wholeheartedly."

 

 

"So if we hope to accomplish our goal..." Ashara started.

 

 

"...we must know more than our enemies." Nox finished. "For through knowing more than our enemies, we gain power over them. Through our power we will gain victory, and through victory..."

 

 

"Our chains are broken." Ashara said, a new appreciation for the words she would have once thought vile and evil, before she met Nox.

 

 

"Not just our chains." Nox added with a smile. "Once our chains are broken we can teach others to do the same, and liberate them from the bonds that those like the Jedi and the Republic would see them languish in."

 

 

"I never knew the Sith Code could be used to do good." Ashara admitted.

 

 

"Remember that the first Sith were not the red-skinned indigenes of Korriban, but Jedi Exiles who were cast out by those they once called their family. In discovering this truth, and the hypocrisy of the order, they sought to change it, only to be hated, reviled, accused of blasphemy and cast out."

 

 

Ashara's face took on an angry expression. "The hypocrisy of the Jedi Order is systemic." She asserted with vigor. "They are too bound by their own ancient dogma and narcissism to ever consider the possibility that they are wrong, let alone change."

 

 

"Which is why the Empire and the Sith are the galaxy's best hope for, not just peace, but continued evolution and advancement. The Jedi are stuck in the past, while the Sith look to the future, only learning from the past instead of dwelling in it."

 

 

"But not everyone among the Sith shares these views." Ashara pointed out, discouraged.

 

 

"Yes." Nox admitted. "The Sith have their own dogma. The traditions of the ancient past still hold a firm grip on the Sith and the Empire as a whole. Beings like Rictus, Thanaton, and Aruk are embodiments of the forces that strive to keep us chained to the past, just like the Jedi. But this is a perversion. The Sith are meant to be a force for change, like a forest fire that destroys a vast area of overcrowded forest so that a new generation can rise from the ashes without being choked and debilitated by the stifling influence of the decaying past. This does not mean we abandon all traditions however. Some traditions were created for a very good reason, reasons that are still relevant today. But there are others that are no longer relevant or never were, and it is these me must cast away, for they only burden us."

 

 

"Which is why beings like Aruk and Rictus must be destroyed, as Thanaton was." Ashara said vehemently. Nox chuckled.

 

 

"Patience, my sweet fulagh." He said affectionately. He could feel the buzz flooding Ashara's brain at the sound of the Togrutan term of endearment. "They will be destroyed, but first we must focus on shaping the Empire as an organism to be more accepting and partial to the truth we possess. This will not, cannot, happen through overt influence. We must be as wise and cunning as Sakash serpents in our re-education of the Imperial people. When beings like Aruk and Rictus are alone and without support, then we will have our opportunities to strike and rid the Empire of their cancerous influence. But until then, we must remain a silent and unseen force in the shadows, shaping, molding, forming. Our work must be done in secrecy, and that requires both wisdom and deception. You possess the former in abundance, but you must learn to use the latter as second nature if we are to succeed."

 

 

Slowly, Ashara nodded, then she tucked her legs up off the floor, curling them up on the loveseat and snuggling up to him. "I understand, my lord. I will try my best to practice benevolent deception in all my future endeavors. It's for the good of the Empire, and subsequently, the good of the galaxy."

 

 

Nox let his head fall sideways on top of hers. "Exactly. As embodiments of the Force's will, it is our duty to provide those who do not share our strong connection with the Force and the wisdom that comes with it with guidance and direction. They will not always accept this guidance if it is presented to them openly, so we must direct them like nerfherders tending their flock. The nerfherders know where the flock needs to go and why, but the nerfs are simply incapable of understanding the matters involved. Thus it is the moral duty of the nerfherder to direct the nerfs to safety, to lush pastures, and comfortable lodging. To not do so leaves the helpless nerfs exposed to predators, in danger of starvation and thirst, and of developing injuries or dying out in the cold. The nerfs may not understand, they may even stubbornly resist the nerfherder's guidance and direction, believing that they know better. It is then that the nerfherder's moral duty requires that he use whatever means necessary, even physical force, to ensure the nerf's safety and prosperity."

 

 

"It is necessary." Ashara said softly. "Our guidance is for their own good."

 

 

"You are indeed beautiful and intelligent." Nox said, lavishing her with praise. She had one hand on his lower abdomen, feeling the muscle through the armor-lined robes. Her hand drifted downward to rest on the large clasp of his thick, military quality, armored utility belt.

 

 

"How much force will it take to get you where I need you to go my little nerf?" She teased.

 

 

Nox smiled in response. "Only a minute application of the strongest force in the universe talreh." She smiled at him and they both moved into the kiss at the same time. Nox gently pushed her onto her back on the sofa, and they gave life to their passions as the cloud cover parted to reveal 2 full moons, locked in a lover's embrace.

 

Edited January 30, 2017 by De-mu-noki

[De-mu-noki]

Hi guys! I'm baaaaack! I hope Demunoki enjoyed 2 weeks of not being possessed because I'm back to my old tricks again!

 

As a gift to you guys, this segment is almost 6000 words long as a favor for being so patient! Well, that and the fact that I literally couldn't break it into smaller pieces without those pieces being below 2500 words...and I really didn't want to have you guys waiting for me for 2 weeks just to get a tiny little 2500 word update, that just didn't seem fair!

 

Good news for my Xalek lovers, this segment mainly features the adventures of everyone's favorite Kaleesh. I hope you enjoy the trials I put him through, because they are only a taste of his future! Please voice your criticisms and suggestions if you have them, I feel like I've been slipping lately (mostly because I'm paranoid and Demunoki literally can't find anything wrong with my work no matter how hard he tries lol) so the feedback of my devoted fanbase is very much appreciated!

 

With that out of the way, please enjoy the show!

 

 

 

Xalek banked the shuttle into a descending spiral, dropping towards the dark fortress in the center of the Storm Zone's eye. Around the large, gothic building, the perpetual storm raged with unending fury, but here, in the eye above the fortress, there was nothing but an eerie calm and the red-shifted light of the system's primary that filtered down through the dusty atmosphere of the eye. The reddish beams bathed the black citadel in a blood-red glow, making it seem as if the bastion were coated in the blood of past battles. Setting down on an obvious landing platform, Xalek shut off the ship and disembarked. The distant rolling thunder of the Storm Zone echoed off of the black walls of the fort, and the dark maw of the entrance loomed before him. Reaching out with the Force, Xalek could sense the power of the Dark Side that was present here. The builders of this fortress had obviously been skilled architects and force users, but Xalek couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong with the place. It seemed entirely unnatural, as if carved from the void itself. Even the aroma of the Dark Side that wafted off of it like the aroma of a well-cooked Kakrinah wasn't enough to hide the strange emanations coming from deep inside the fortress.

 

 

Putting his fears aside, Xalek entered the open portal into the darkness beyond. His predatory yellow eyes easily adjusted to the dark, and they glowed with sinister purpose as he walked through the darkened passages. Very little power remained in the dark bastion, and so the only lighting was from the red emergency lights that lined the bottom edges of the hallways, illuminating the floor and little else. The few windows that there were had lost their force field reinforcements long ago and now served only to let in some light from the primary and allow viewing of the barren and storm swept landscape. As Xalek explored the fortress, he found himself in the largest hallway yet. At either end was a large set of double doors, one incredibly more ornate than the other. Deciding to investigate the ornate door first, it took a surprisingly long time to reach the door. As Xalek walked down the massive hall, past many different doors and hallways leading to rooms or other parts of the fortress, he wondered why the teams hadn't returned. So far he'd encountered no resistance of any kind, no traps, foes, or beasts that could possibly kill armed Reclamation Service teams, there didn't even seem to be any vermin here.

 

 

The thought suddenly brought a wave of cold chills sweeping over him, and he suddenly realized that the door seemed to be moving farther away. Something moved in the shadows and with growing fear, Xalek realized he wasn't alone. His warrior instincts kicked in and he drew his lightsaber, its glow seemingly dulled and suffocated in the growing darkness. It was then Xalek realized that it wasn't something moving in the shadows...it was the shadows themselves. Terror shot up his spine and exploded in his brain in a burst of hormones and emotion that spread over his entire body. Turning his fear into hatred, Xalek felt the monster rising, and unleashed a blast of dark power that blossomed out from him in a dome of dark energy that briefly pushed the shadows into a retreat, but that quickly dissipated, allowing the shadows to resume their advance. The whispers of a thousand voices filled his mind. Threats, pleas, and seductions gnawed at his sanity, and he clutched his head as he tried to force the thoughts out. But they clung to his neurons like parasites, feeding off of his life energy as they devoured his mind. The shadows grew ever closer, but Xalek didn't even notice. His lightsaber fell from his grasp and deactivated, falling to the glossy black floor and rolling into the inky black fog that was closing in on the helpless warrior.

 

 

Struggling against the overwhelming tide of dark thoughts taking over his consciousness, the Kaleesh suddenly found himself isolated in the darkness of his own mind. He felt cold and alone, and he could sense the void closing in. No, he thought, I will not vanish into obscurity. I will not simply disappear! He could feel his anger, red and burning like fire rise up in him. I will ascend to the heavens, I will pass beyond this, I will become a god! The power rose up in him, and he began to feel sensation again. With brief horror that was swallowed up by vengeful rage, he felt the inky darkness, somehow material in form, surrounding him. He harnessed his rage and his hatred, feeling it burn in his heart with such bright intensity that he felt as if he was on fire, yet there was no pain. He reached out with the Force, and gripped the otherworldly consciousness of the black fog. He nearly recoiled when he felt the sheer torment and pain and hatred of the minds trapped within, all the victims of the insidious fog, from beasts to sentients, were still, somehow, alive within the monstrosity! Steadying his ethereal hand, the young Sith crushed their combined wills with the power of his rage and bent it to his. He drew their power into himself, feeling their newly enslaved wills submit to his own. He felt the darkness enter him and recognize his power, that he was worthy, that he was its own. He came back to the mundane world and saw the darkness retreat, vanishing into the shadows. It was then he looked up and noticed that he was not more than a few feet from the door which he had been trying to reach. Using the Force, he swung open the doors without touching them, and entered the massive room beyond.

 

 

It appeared to be a throne room, with ancient banners still hanging on the walls, a skylight letting the reddish light of the system's primary fall down upon the chamber, and a raised portion against the far wall on which sat a large, glossy black throne. Rows of pillars and archways lined the sides, supporting balconies likely accessible from various other parts of the citadel. Approaching the throne, Xalek paused to regard the ancient seat. It was made of the same glossy black material as the floor and the dais upon which it sat, and the style of the chair was identical to the rest of the fortress: a motif of sharpness, spikes, and hardness that were no doubt meant to intimidate the faint of heart. Checking for traps, and finding none, Xalek settled into the throne and allowed himself a moment to savor the feeling. He drifted into his own thoughts as he considered what to do next. He had yet to find any indication of computer access terminals or any clues to the location of the artifact. He couldn't sense the item through the Force so it was likely it wasn't here and the Dark Side aura of the place was simply a lingering effect of the presence of darksiders here in the ancient past. He drummed his fingers on one of the armrests as he considered his course of action. Without warning, a small, square section of the armrest glowed red when his claw tapped it accidentally and a red-tinted, transparent holographic display came to life in front of him. Startled by his discovery at first, Xalek processed what had happened and smiled to himself. When he had no answer, the Dark Side provided one, as it always did.

 

 

He studied the display in front of him, it appeared to be a control panel for the entire complex. Oddly enough, the language was similar to Galactic Basic, despite the fortress being incredibly ancient. Power levels were incredibly low, but the system was predicting it could run emergency power for another few decades or so on what was left. Xalek searched the system for a database or inventory, something that might possibly lead him to the Siphon. He had just found a promising drive when his pointed ears twitched at a sound, it took a second to process the noise and identify it as a high-pitched whistle before Xalek realized what it meant. He threw himself through the holographic display and to the ground just as a lightsaber hilt flew over his head and back. The red blade ignited and sliced through the thin air where Xalek's neck had been moments before, striking the back of the throne and bouncing off as if it were made of solid cortosis or beskar. Xalek hit the dais and rolled down the steps to the ground in front of the throne as the active lightsaber flew back to the balcony from which it had been launched, where it sank into the cybernetic hand of a shadowy figure illuminated only by the glow of his blade. The Sith Xalek had encountered outside Commander Galen's office stepped out of the darkness and into the red light falling from the throne room's skylight.

 

 

"So my master was right, you are looking for something important." He leaped from a standstill off the balcony and landed on the solid black floor with an echoing "boom", as if his feet and the floor were made of the same material. "How prudent of Darth Ravage to realize what you were up to and send me after you." He began to advance on Xalek, who was just getting to his feet, but stopped a few meters short. "But now we're curious, just who is your master, rogue?"

 

 

"I serve the Sith." Xalek replied, drawing his lightsaber and activating it, the purple blades shining brightly in contrast to the dark red sunlight coming down from the skylight. "That is all you need to know."

 

 

"I'm afraid you're wrong about the latter, and most likely the former too." The Sith said, pointing his lightsaber tip at Xalek's chest with an outstretched arm. "I am Lord Skalwaar, apprentice to Darth Ravage and your executioner. I will have the truth from you, or I will have your head!" With that, Skalwaar unleashed a war cry and charged. Xalek brought his saber up and blocked the first blow. When Skalwaar tried a sweeping strike at his knees, he blocked that too, then followed up with his own series of wide, sweeping attacks meant to put his enemy on the defensive. Instead, Skalwaar took to the blows to his chest and limbs, Xalek's purple blade bouncing off of the cortosis armor covering his cybernetic form. Xalek was forced to end his attack early, ducking and rolling to the right in order to avoid the counterattack Skalwaar unleashed, seemingly ignoring Xalek's own attacks.

 

 

Xalek was forced into a defensive position as Skalwaar descended on him with a sequence of ferocious Juyo attacks. Xalek found his options limited with regards to mounting his own offense, and instead fell back on his training in Niman and Soresu. He combined the defensive parries and blocks of Form III with the balanced blade work of Form VI and the use of Force abilities to drain his opponent's strength and will while he defended himself. Bursts of lightning launched at key points of weakness combined with light counterstrikes and the Kaleesh's seemingly tireless defense managed to chip away at some of the cyborg's endurance, but still his enemy persisted, his attacks remaining strong and focused.

 

 

It was only after a full minute of fighting that Xalek began to notice that Skalwaar was becoming frustrated. While his rising ire meant his strength would increase, it also meant he was more likely to make mistakes. Xalek began adopting elements of Djem So into his form, counter-attacking when he saw an opening. With each successful blow Skalwaar became more incensed and more offensive, trying to finish a fight that he felt had gone on long enough. When the cyborg came in for a blow with his elbow too far out, Xalek reacted perfectly. In a sideways twisting motion he ducked down and under the swing and managed to make a cut about an inch deep in the machine man's waist. A metallic howl of pain erupted from the man's cybernetic vocal chords just before he rounded on Xalek, who now stood behind him, and unleashed an intense volley of attacks. The pain seemed to give him focus, as he left no openings big enough for Xalek to exploit without risking exposing himself.

 

 

Xalek once again fell back on the defensive forms, relying on Force attacks to slow his enemies reactions and drain his strength, but it still wasn't enough. It seemed Skalwaar was getting angrier and angrier with each passing second, and Xalek was quickly finding himself being driven against the wall. In a flash of desperation, he unleashed a Force push that staggered his foe for a second, long enough to perform a leaping back flip that saw him land on the balcony behind and above him. He retreated as Skalwaar leaped up to pursue him, and the two Sith ran down the hall leading out of the throne room, both calling on the Force to grant them speed.

 

 

Within a few seconds, Xalek exited the hallway out onto a platform high up on the tallest spire of the fortress. Skalwaar followed an instant later, and when he saw where they were, he laughed maliciously.

 

 

"You fool." He said, mocking Xalek. "You have nowhere to run to now. I stand between you and the only exit that doesn't involve a drop of seventy klicks!"

 

 

Xalek adopted the Juyo ready stance. "We'll see about that."

 

 

Skalwaar charged again, but Xalek sidestepped him and brought his saberstaff around to cut the man's face off. The cyborg blocked it but Xalek followed up with a series of vicious strikes that forced Skalwaar to switch into Djem So. Knowing Juyo's greatest weakness was strong Force attacks and that Skalwaar had likely long since given up on using the Force for anything other than strength and perception enhancement, Xalek kept the pressure on. He dodged or deflected his foe's counterattacks without breaking his own attack combinations, choosing to even take a few glancing blows to his armor rather than sacrifice his offensive advantage. He couldn't afford to lose his offense now, not with such limited space.

 

 

Just then, Skalwaar seized an opening and initiated a counterattack that seared Xalek's cortosis-lined robes. Staggered by the attack, Xalek received another blow to his chest, which was more direct and sent heat through the armor lining to scorch his skin. Xalek fed on the pain and parried the next attack with uncanny foresight. He followed up with a ferocious riposte that penetrated a weak point in Skalwaar's armor and kicked up a shower of sparks and elicited an eerie howl of pain and rage from the abomination. As before, his enemy responded with savage fury and Xalek found himself on the defensive as his opponent ravaged him with sequence after sequence of overwhelming assaults.

 

 

Soon Xalek was backed up to the low wall surrounding the platform and Skalwaar loosed a salvo of blows followed by on overhead slash, the mere force of which bent Xalek backward over the wall in order to block it. Skalwaar summoned his rage and pushed harder, bringing the crossed blades closer to Xalek's masked face. The Kaleesh's head quickly turned to look down at the long distance below him, and Skalwaar grinned as he realized his prey was trapped. Then Xalek's eyes, already predatory by nature, narrowed and the edges of his grin poked out from behind his bone mask. A flicker of confusion passed across Skalwaar's features, then he felt the alien's feet impact his metallic codpiece and his confusion changed to terror. The strength of the Force in his legs, Xalek followed through on the kick to send Skalwaar flying a good few meters over the edge of the platform, sending both of them over the edge from the momentum. Skalwaar screamed as he plummeted to his death far below. Xalek managed to grab the edge of the wall at the last moment, leaving him hanging by one arm, watching the form of his enemy descend into the fog that had gathered around the tower's base.

 

 

Xalek deactivated his lightsaber and hooked it onto his belt. He took a second to enjoy the view before reaching up with his free hand to grasp the ledge and, summoning the Force to give him strength, pulled himself up and over the wall. He took a few minutes to assess his injuries and, after determining that the only serious wound was to his chest, he went to work healing the scorched, violet flesh using the few Corruption spells his master was currently teaching him. He was skilled enough to perform them with great concentration, but not yet skilled enough to perform them in combat while under attack, not without seriously exposing himself anyway.

 

 

After his wound was taken care of, he returned to the throne room and reactivated the holographic console. After half a standard hour, he had recovered all the information he needed to know and uploaded it remotely to his shuttle's onboard computer. Using the display, he accessed the shuttle's systems and turned it on so that it would be warmed up and ready to go when he got there.

 

 

Before leaving the throne room, Xalek stopped and looked around one last time. Someday, he thought, I will return and claim this fortress for my own, someday I will rule the Empire from this bastion in the eye of an eternal vortex, and no one will ever challenge me. With that thought, he turned and left, the Force closing the doors behind him.

____________

 

 

Demise was busy deflecting bolts from the end of Lieutenant Pierce's blaster rifle in the main cabin of his ship when the ring of the holoterminal broke his concentration. Vette, who had been sitting on the couch watching one of her favorite holonet programs immediately leaned forward and grabbed the remote to change to the calling line while Demise sheathed his saber and moved to stand in front of the projector's input camera. When the image of Darth Nox replaced the image of Belsakk the Bounty Hunter, Demise was more than a little surprised.

 

 

"Darth Nox." The Emperor's Wrath said in a questioning tone. "What is so important that you would contact me directly?"

 

 

"It's a matter of utmost importance," the Dark Lord replied, "the annihilation of the Republic."

 

 

"I'm listening." Lord Demise said, giving the Darth his entire focus. He rarely took claims like these at face value, but any chance to hurt the Republic was an opportunity to him, so he took them as they came.

 

 

"I have designed a plan to utterly cripple the Republic," Nox continued, "a plan which involves an attack on Coruscant." Startled, Demise immediately asked,

 

 

"Is this line secure?"

 

 

"Of course, I wouldn't have made such a statement if it wasn't."

 

 

"That's quite a bold statement, and a bold plan."

 

 

"I'm aware of that, in fact its audacity has me questioning whether the rest of the Dark Council will accept it."

 

 

"So why risk telling me about it?"

 

 

"Because I want your participation in the attack, and I think you will be able to sway them." Demise laughed out loud at the thought. He could sense Nox's anger through the connection but he couldn't help it, the thought just sounded so ridiculous. "And what makes you think I can convince them? You are a far better speaker than I."

 

 

"But that's just it." Nox replied. "You won't even have to speak, not really. All you have to do is show up at the council meeting during my proposal and support the plan. Any members of the Council who do not support it when it has the endorsement of the Emperor's Wrath will look petty and foolish, possibly even weak or cowardly." Demise stroked his chin.

 

 

"I'd be more than happy to participate in an attack of such magnitude."

 

 

"You can count me in too my lord." Pierce chimed in.

 

 

"And us!" Broonmark, the resident Talz, growled in its native language. "It has been too long since we bathed in blood and waded through carnage!"

 

 

"Motivating them to go along with this plan of yours will be beneficial for them and the Empire, opposing it would cast them in a bad light on two counts..." Demise mused. He looked up at Nox. "Of course even if they do refuse, you're position is advanced either way, provided this plan of yours works." Nox seemed slightly offended.

 

 

"It will work, everything is already falling into place and by the time the Republic realizes what's happening there will be Destroyers in orbit over Coruscant!"

 

 

"What is the goal of the plan?" Demise asked. "We can't defeat Coruscant's forces and raze the planet before the full force of the Republic fleet comes crashing down on us, so what is the purpose of the attack?"

 

 

"The assassinations of the Supreme Chancellor and the Supreme Commander of the Republic Military."

 

 

Behind his helm, so similar to Nox's own, Demise's eyebrows raised themselves up from their place atop his mechanical oculi.

 

 

"For a member of the Dark Council, you're one of the most audacious Sith I've ever met. I'll bet you're a real gambling man."

 

 

Nox chuckled. "I don't gamble, Wrath. Unless I know that the odds are in my favor."

 

 

Vette snorted. "That's not gambling!"

____________

 

 

Xalek landed the shuttle at the coordinates he had found in the ancient fortress, and lowered the boarding ramp. With nothing else to do, he'd repaired his robes during the flight from the fortress, making them look and function as good as new. With no other reason for further delay, he exited the warmth of the shuttle and entered the barren, frozen wasteland of Deriada's dark side. The icy landscape stretched to the horizon in every direction, and Xalek knew that the massive glacier on which he stood was just one of many glaciers that stretched across the dark side of the planet, moving and shifting like tectonic plates but at an even more excruciating pace. Above him, the clear sky giving him a perfect view of the galactic arm in which the planet resided and the nearby Boron Nebula. The sight was certainly beautiful, but he hadn't come here to sightsee, he was here to find and claim the artifact his master had sent him for: The Siphon.

 

 

An ancient, legendary artifact created by the Rakata, The Siphon was said to be capable of sapping the very life essence from its victims, similar to how the infamous Force power known as the Death Field was capable of utterly devouring the life force of beings that were weak in the Force. The artifact was said to passively increase its wielder's ability to easily and effectively use the wide array of various Force powers collectively referred to as Force Drain in addition to its use as a way to weaken one's opponent by direct application. On both counts, it was an extremely powerful weapon, one that shouldn't remain lost, or worse, be found and locked away by the Jedi.

 

 

Looking around, Xalek couldn't see anything particularly telling, nor could he sense anything through the Force. There was no active life here, and thus the Force was all but absent. Xalek himself would have frozen to death mere minutes after leaving the shuttle were it not for his use of the Force to counteract the effects of the extreme cold. Settling himself on the frozen snow, he kneeled in meditation and reached out with his mind. Slowly expanding his awareness over the landscape, he began to search under the frozen surface of the massive glacier, prying it's interior for anything that might lead him to his prize. He soon found it, a small cavern close to the surface with tunnels leading out from it, roughly half a klick west of him.

 

 

Rising to his feet, he walked to the spot where he knew the ice was thinnest and activated a single blade of his lightsaber, the purple plasma glowing brightly in the eternal night of the frozen wasteland. He buried his lightsaber to the hilt and rotated, cutting a circle in the ice. He immediately felt the makeshift platform drop into empty space and he leaped off of it, executing a spinning somersault and landing on his feet several meters away from where the icy platform crashed to the floor of the cavern and shattered. Deactivating his weapon, Xalek took a moment to analyze the space he was in. The grotto was pristine and immaculate, appearing to be artificial and likely undisturbed for thousands of years. There were three tunnels leading in different directions branching out from the hollow, and after reaching out the Force, Xalek sensed a very faint Dark Side aroma wafting from the northeast passage.

 

 

After a few minutes the tunnel began to slope downward, and the Dark Side emanations became stronger. Xalek was surprised to find himself entering another cavern with two passages, and he took to the western one when he detected the scent of the Dark Side floating out of it. After a long time of descending into the glacier through various caverns and passages carved in the ice, always following the trail of Dark Side power, Xalek found himself in the largest cavern he'd come across. Sitting on a raised pedestal carved from ice, which was itself protruding from a raised dais carved out of the icy floor, was the Siphon. A cube of red and black that gave off Dark Side energies as a corpse stinks of rot, death, and decay. Xalek felt like he was smelling sweet incense as his Force senses experienced a sensory overload. He had never touched spice, but he imagined this was how it felt to be high on such a substance. His brain was buzzing with all sorts of emotions and sensations all at once. His body felt like it was supercharged with electricity and power just waiting to be unleashed.

 

 

"Ahhh, I knew you were up to something!" A familiar voice said triumphantly from behind him. Xalek whirled around in shock and disbelief to see Lord Skalwaar, standing with his lightsaber drawn, in the entrance to the cavern's only passage. "I just didn't know what, but now that I do..." He stepped closer to Xalek as the Kaleesh drew and activated the twin blades of his own weapon. "I'll be taking that artifact."

 

 

"I killed you." Xalek said, as if Skalwaar's survival merely depended on the Sith Lord not realizing that he was dead and that reaching that conclusion himself would result in the immediate rectification of the apparent paradox. Skalwaar laughed, and Xalek felt his hackles rise at the haunting, empty sound.

 

 

"Is that what you think?" Skalwaar taunted him as they began to circle each other like predators facing off over a kill. "I don't die so easily, soft-shell." He sneered. "I've survived losing limbs and being impaled, a little fall won't kill me!"

 

 

"Then I'll be sure to take your head as a trophy, so that I'll always know where you are." Xalek countered as his hatred and rage gathered within him.

 

 

"I think you've got that mixed up soft-shell." Skalwaar said, "It's going to be your head on my wall!" and with a roar, he charged. Xalek met his crimson blade with one of his own, blocking the strike with Force-empowered strength and a solid stance. With a heave he threw his opponent off balance and sent him stumbling back a step. Xalek advanced on his foe and entered a sequence of Juyo attacks that Skalwaar countered with his own aggressive, Djem So sequences. Xalek masterfully deflected his opponent's counterattacks with his spinning saberstaff and responded in kind, their attacks building off of one another until they were a blur of motion and light. Xalek launched a sequence of attacks that successfully exhausted his opponent's defenses, then unleashed a burst of lightning that struck his foe straight in the chest, causing several of the cyborg Sith's systems to spark and sputter. With his enemy weakened and staggered, Xalek pressed the attack, and despite Skalwaar's desperate efforts to defend himself, Xalek managed to land several blows with his lightsaber on various portions of the Sith's armoured body, causing more damage to several systems.

 

 

With an enraged roar, Skalwaar retaliated brutally. The sudden ferocity from a foe he had thought weakened took Xalek by surprise, and he quickly mounted a defense. Skalwaar's power began to build, and Xalek could feel himself losing the advantage as his opponent's reflexes sped up, the strength of his blows increased, and his Force powers grew. Feeding off of his own adrenal-induced fury, granted by the complex injection systems in his cybernetic armor, Skalwaar was becoming increasingly dangerous with each passing second, and Xalek could already feel victory slipping away.

 

 

He redoubled his efforts, using his own mounting fear to feed his anger and hatred and increase his power in an attempt to match his opponent's rising strength. For a moment, it appeared to work, but Skalwaar's fury propelled him into a mindless savagery that accelerated the cycle of his increasing power and Xalek found himself on the defensive and giving ground, merely trying to stay alive against his foe's animalistic ferocity. A particularly advanced and well-executed sequence of attacks pierced his defenses, and a shower of blows rained down on him, striking and singing portions of his armoured robes. Xalek dodged several strikes aimed at his head and arms, struggling to regain the defensive, but Skalwaar, smelling blood in the water, pressed the advantage and drove him into full retreat.

 

 

Just then, faced with his opponent's overwhelming power and his own shrinking advantage, Xalek suddenly realized how to defeat his opponent. His master's words came rushing back to him: "If you desire true strength, true power, you must be willing to put aside your pride when it does not serve you." Xalek began to give more ground in the face of Skalwaar's assault, retreating in a circular pattern, slowly moving the fight around the chamber. Infuriated by his opponent's refusal to stand and fight, Skalwaar's attacks became more aggressive, violent and sloppy. Xalek continued to lead him by the nose, settling into the balanced rhythm of the Soresu-laced Niman variant his master had taught him, as he drew Skalwaar closer to the platform at the cavern's center. Skalwaar attacks were ragged and careless enough for Xalek to land several blows on his cortosis armor without lowering his own defenses, and the attacks seemed to enrage the monster further, making him increasingly less of a threat. Xalek backed up one last time, so that he was now on the steps of the dais with The Siphon's pedestal.

 

 

With sudden precision and speed, Xalek executed a series of maneuvers that disarmed his opponent, sending the cyborg's weapon skittering across the chamber. Before Skalwaar could call the weapon back to his hand, Xalek landed a Force kick in the center of his chest to send him sprawling to the floor. Raising his lightsaber above his head, Xalek brought it down, burying the tip in Skalwaar's abdomen until he felt it sear through the floor on the other side. His enemies screams filled his pointed ears, and he felt a rush of triumphant pride surge through him. He deactivated his lightsaber, returning it to his belt, the job was not done. He needed to make sure this time, and he knew just how he wanted to do it. Closing his eyes, he reached out with the Force. He felt the Dark Side all around him, a thousand whispers filling his ears, tempting him, calling to him, seducing him. He reached out with his will and touched the power at the center, the dark energy rushed into him like a dam had burst, and he felt it fill his body like a vessel.

 

 

He opened his eyes and saw the world through a red veil, he looked down at his feet to see Skalwaar, writhing in terrible pain, looking terrified. Xalek raised his hands towards the cyborg, and he saw the man's face, the only visible flesh there was, begin to turn pale and cyanotic. Skalwaar opened his mouth and gasped as it was became increasingly harder for him to breathe. His thrashing became twitches and minor convulsions, and his eyes grew vacant and staring. His cybernetic injection systems struggled to administer Kolto and Bacta into his veins as fast as they could, but even the potent regenerative properties of those chemicals couldn't save Skalwaar from the treachery of his own cells as they revolted against him. In fact, in a morbid, perverted version of poetic justice, they only prolonged his suffering to an unbearable length. For a full minute, Xalek channeled the power of The Siphon to drain Skalwaar of all his life force, and his own cybernetics fought back in a doomed effort to save him. When the last vestige of life left his body, the organic matter dissolved into ash, leaving the mechanical shell behind, like the exoskeleton of some humanoid insect.

 

 

Turning dismissively away from the remains, Xalek mounted the steps and approached the pedestal. The artifact seemed to glow brighter in response to his presence, or perhaps his perception changed as he got closer to it. When he reached it, he extended one clawed hand to seize it and gingerly remove it from the pedestal. When no traps were sprung, he held it in his hands and gazed at it for a long moment, savoring its power. Then he attached it to one of the magnetic clips on his belt, turned, and left the cavern. He'd already established a minor bond with the artifact, which allowed him to absorb its entire aura so that only he could benefit from its effects or tap into its abilities.

 

 

As he ascended through the various tunnels and caverns on his way back to the surface, Xalek pondered how best to report Skalwaar's death. Normally he would simply confess to being Skalwaar's killer with pride, but his master would likely frown upon this as Xalek's missions were often supposed to be kept secret, and this particular mission was part of one of his master's much larger plans. After a moment of deliberation, Xalek simply decided to not report Skalwaar's death at all. It was astronomically unlikely that anyone would ever discover what remained of the Sith Lord, and it seemed, for all intents and purposes, that Skalwaar had been working alone. Thus Darth Ravage would remain in the dark about Xalek and his mission, beyond what Skalwaar might have told him before following Xalek into the glacial caverns, which was most likely just how Darth Nox would have wanted it. When Xalek reached the final grotto and Force leaped through the oculus, he felt the sting of the cold through his damaged robes, and realized what he was going to spend the next hour or so doing.

 

 

He ascended the shuttle's boarding ramp, closing it behind him, and entered the cockpit to fire up the engines and begin the launch sequence. The shuttle rose from the frozen ground, its landing gear disappearing into its belly as it hovered into the air. Its nose turned and pointed towards the eastern sky, before the engines flared and the craft flew off into the pristine, starry night sky.

 

[De-mu-noki]

Let's see...he's got a dental appointment next Thursday, it'll be hilarious if he forgets that, and his girlfriend's birthday is in April, boy is that guna be a surprise...oh hello! You guys caught me rifling through Noki's brain, making him forget stuff! It's going to be a hilarious joke XD. Anyway, screwing with my host body aside, here's the next part. I'm happy to report it's the longest yet: more than 6000 words. I hope you guys find it interesting as I put a good deal of research into figuring who's who and when on the Dark Council. This part will set up a lot of future plot lines, so pay attention and get ready to extrapolate !

 

 

 

Lord Serjay Thul walked down the aisle of the massive throne room of the Thul Palace. The throne room was filled to the brim with Alderaanian nobles from every House, even representatives of House Organa and Alde were present, albeit in the very rear of the assembly. As he reached the front he could see the stalwart holograms of the members of the Dark Council, taking up the entirety of the right-side first row. The eidolons tracked him as he ascended the platform, about to take his seat on the throne of House Thul, now the Royal Throne of Alderaan. He turned before the assembled and awaited the Thul lord who was bearing the crown to approach him. Upon reaching him, the noble bowed and extended the crown in his hands. Serjay took it and placed it on his head, and a great cheer rose up from the section occupied by the representatives of House Thul and its vassal houses. A somewhat reluctant but fearful applause broke out among the rest, with only House Organa and Alde refraining from joining in.

 

 

Serjay took his seat on the throne, but only momentarily, as the noble who had offered the crown now placed a small, portable holoprojector at his feet and activated it. Darth Marr's hologram disappeared from the front row and appeared before the newly inaugurated King of Alderaan. Serjay rose to his feet and bent down on one knee before Darth Marr. Following him with his eyes, half a galaxy away, Marr waited until Serjay's knee touched the ground before he spoke.

 

 

"By the power invested in me by the Emperor, and by the authority of the Dark Council," he extended his hand as he spoke, "I proclaim you, Darth Imperious!" Another round of cheers, louder than the previous one, erupted from the section of Thul nobles. Applause from the rest of the assembly followed soon after, with only the Organa and Alde nobles remaining unmoved. The Imperial troopers posted as honor guards around the perimeter of the crowd cocked their rifles, and the applause soon turned into mustered cheers, although possibly less enthusiastic than the cries of the victorious houses. Organa and Alde reluctantly joined in, although many of their facial expressions did not match their actions.

 

 

Darth Imperious rose from the floor and waited for Darth Marr's hologram to return to the front row before he seated himself on the throne and House Thul's cheers became louder. Imperious motioned for quiet, and once the hall was silent, the same lord who had granted Imperious the crown spoke in a loud, clear, booming voice.

 

 

"People of Alderaan, bow before your new King!" House Thul's nobles were the first to bow, prostrating themselves on their hands and knees. Slowly, the rest of the congregation followed suit, until only House Organa and House Alde were left standing, their faces twisted in angry defiance. Darth Imperious rose to his feet and pointed at Duke Organa.

 

 

"Bring him to me!" The nearest soldiers obeyed. Lady Organa clutched at her husband's arm, but he gave her a sad look and indicated she should remain where she was. She reluctantly obeyed, her fear plastered to her face like a mask. When the soldiers brought Duke Organa to the foot of the throne, Darth Imperious spoke;

 

 

"Why do you not bow before your king, Duke Organa?"

 

 

"Because I refuse to bow my knee to any tyrant who takes the throne of Alderaan by force!"

 

 

"So you will not bow?" Imperious asked.

 

 

"Not now, not ever!" Charle Organa spat.

 

 

"Then it is with great sorrow" Imperious replied, his voice becoming louder so that everyone could hear his first royal decree "that I hereby banish House Organa and their allies; House Alde, from Alderaan." Gasps of shock rose up from the assembly. "All of your assets and property will be seized and allocated among House Thul and its allies, and all members of your royal houses will be scattered, creditless, among the stars, never to return to Alderaan!" Cries of sorrow and horror rose up from the nobles of the two newly banished houses. "Away with them!" Darth Imperious commanded, and as the guards moved to do his bidding, a chorus of Thul voices began to chant, with fists pumping in the air; "All hail Darth Imperious, all hail the King of Alderaan! All hail Darth Imperious, all hail the King of Alderaan!" Eventually, the remaining assembly joined in;

 

 

"All hail Darth Imperious, all hail the King of Alderaan! All hail Darth Imperious, all hail the King of Alderaan!"

 

 

The cheers continued as, one by one, the holograms of the members of the Dark Council vanished.

 

 

"All hail Darth Imperious, all hail the King of Alderaan!"

 

________________

 

 

Nox settled into his seat on the Dark Council. Today they had many items of interest to attend to, and attending the inauguration of Darth Imperious had just been the first. He could not help but feel raw excitement buzz through him as he surveyed the Dark Council Chambers. He remembered the day he had first set foot here, it seemed so long ago that he had struck Thanaton down in a hard-fought and well-earned victory and taken the old fool's seat on the Dark Council. Thanaton could not, and likely would not, have seen the potential in young Serjay Thul that Nox had. Thanaton, being so wrapped up in the past, would not have seen the future that Imperious could bring about. But Nox was about do what Thanaton could never have done, cross divides and shatter barriers his predecessor could never have dreamed of conquering, and it was at this meeting that he would rally the other members of the Dark Council to his cause. With words of blood and honey, he would draw them like prey into his inescapable web, and forever ensnare them in the bonds of his destiny.

 

 

"Now," Marr spoke with what sounded to be a mixture of triumph and eagerness "On to other matters." He turned his masked face towards Nox. "Darth Nox, perhaps you would like to begin?"

 

 

"I would." Nox replied, enjoying the slight tingle of dislike from Ravage and Mortis, and the outright hatred from Aruk and Rictus. "The Battle of Ilum, as I'm sure we are all aware, was the most costly campaign in recent Imperial history, surpassed only by the Battle of Corellia." Eyes went to the vacant seats of Decimas, Hadra, Acharon, and Arho. "Darth Malgus's betrayal, along with our heavy losses at Corellia, have left the Empire in an...undesirable state."

 

 

"Come to the point!" Rictus snapped. Nox glanced at him.

 

 

"The point, my fellow Councilors, is what are going to do about it?"

 

 

"What do you suggest we do?" Aruk all but sneered. "Propose another treaty? Maybe roll over for the Republic?"

 

 

"Hardly." Nox stated, his voice layered with an almost imperceptible undertone of derision.

 

 

"What Darth Nox is trying to say," Marr interrupted. "Is what are we going to do to rekindle the Empire's strength and secure the advantage?"

 

 

"We should be focusing on defending our assets and resources." Mortis asserted. "If we lose our resources we lose the war."

 

 

"True," Nox replied "But considering how limited our resources already are, especially when compared to the Republic, a defensive stratagem would only preserve us for so long. The Republic is in a far stronger position to win a war of attrition."

 

 

"Darth Nox is correct." Vowrawn chimed in. "Our enemy suffered far less punishment in the most recent battles. Perhaps a more aggressive strategy is needed if we hope to achieve any advantage."

 

 

"But by doing so we would expose ourselves to more devastating, possibly fatal offensives from our enemy!" Ravage protested. The Empire's subjugants are hard enough to corral when their cities aren't burning and their people aren't dying by the thousands."

 

 

"I never pegged you as one who cared for the "lesser" species, Ravage." Marr interjected. Ravage struggled to remain calm, but a slight tone of anger seeped into his voice.

 

 

"With the recent losses we have suffered we cannot afford to lose more resources than we already have." Behind his mask, Nox's face twisted in anger at the way Ravage referred to the millions of aliens on the Empire's conquered worlds as "resources". "In launching a full-on offensive we expose our flank."

 

 

"You think too highly of the Republic, Ravage." Nox responded with deceptive calm. "If we launch attacks at the Republic's most vulnerable points, they will trip over each other in a rush to defend their members. They foolishly protect those who are weak and worthless and will prioritize the lives of their citizens over destroying us."

 

 

"And you are sure of this?" Aruk said, challenging him. "Saresh is a warmonger who would cut off her nose to spite her face. She might well sacrifice millions or billions of lives to capitalize on an opportunity to bring us down!"

 

 

"Leontyne Saresh is not the Republic's dictator." Marr pointed out. "The Senate will undoubtedly overrule her on humanitarian grounds."

 

 

"Doesn't she have the power of veto?" Aruk asked. "She could simply use it to counter the overruling."

 

 

"Actually, I'm pleased to say that it doesn't quite work that way." Vowrawn said, pretending to address the entire council when he was really addressing, and embarrassing, Aruk. "In the Republic, the Supreme Chancellor's power of veto only allows them to stop legislation, not enact it. Furthermore, a seventy five percent Senate ruling in opposition to any veto overturns it. So even if Saresh could somehow use the power of veto to have her way, she would need to convince more than twenty five percent of the Republic Senate to abandon their beloved comrades to painful and violent deaths in order to strike blows against the Empire which may or may not be the end of us."

 

 

"Since when are you such an optimist Vowrawn?" Rictus shot back.

 

 

"Since the execution of Darth Baras." The ancient pureblood said with a mocking smile.

 

 

"His death was long overdue." Mortis said, his tone almost reminiscent.

 

 

"Speaking of the pretender," Ravage added, "Has anyone heard anything about the true Voice?" Heads shook and shoulders heaved all around the room.

 

 

"No one has heard anything from the Emperor since the attack on Dromund Kaas," Marr said, looking directly at Vowrawn "From his Hand or otherwise." Aruk looked around at the other members of the Council in disbelief.

 

 

"Have we simply forgotten about our discussion regarding the Empire's future?" He asked, incredulous.

 

 

"Let us table that for now, and come back to it later." Marr responded. "I think Ravage's line of thought merits some attention as well, especially if we wish to discuss the Empire's future." Several members of the Council raised their eyebrows in a mixture of interest and suspicion.

 

 

"My recent activities took me to Belsavis," Nox said, breaking the brief silence. "There I discovered that the Dread Masters seemed to be in direct competition with Imperials for lost resources."

 

 

"Meaning?" Marr demanded.

 

 

"That the directives of Imperial High Command ran completely counter to the apparent interests of the Dread Masters. I checked with High Command after the fact, and they assured me that the Masters had not attempted to contact or inform High Command of their objectives."

 

 

"That is their right." Rictus said, his mocking tone mimicking that of a parent speaking to an impaired child.

 

 

"As servants of the Emperor, yes." Nox agreed, "However, if they were acting on the Emperor's orders or in accordance with his wishes, the Hand would have informed High Command of the situation in order to avoid unnecessary conflict and wasted resources."

 

 

"That is the precedent." Marr agreed.

 

 

"What are you saying?" Mortis asked. "That the Dread Masters are disobeying the Emperor? That they have betrayed the Empire?"

 

 

"It is conceivable..." Marr said pensively. "With the Voice remaining silent, we cannot exclude the possibility that the Dread Masters might not be as loyal to the Empire as they once were."

 

 

"More enemies on every front." Ravage complained. "As if we didn't have enough problems"

 

 

"We don't know they have betrayed us." Marr reasoned. "The Hand could very well be busy assisting the Emperor with whatever recovery or reprisals he has planned. That would explain the recent lack of any form of guidance from him."

 

 

"Still, such aggressive actions from ones so powerful are reason enough to be on the alert." Mortis argued. He turned to Nox; "Did you investigate further?"

 

 

"I did indeed." Nox replied. "I discovered they had left a contingent of the Dread Host behind on the planet to secure the area of Belsavis Prison known as Section X, as well as some lost Imperial resources there."

 

 

"What resources?" Aruk drilled him.

 

 

"Specifically?" Nox replied. "The Fatality." The other members of the Dark Council exchanged blank glances.

 

 

"The Fatality?" Darth Marr asked.

 

 

"A lone warship stolen some years ago not long after the Dread Master's capture and imprisonment on Belsavis. The Sith who stole it was an apprentice of theirs, presumably he was attempting to rescue them."

 

 

 

"What made him think he could storm the most secure prison facility in the galaxy?" Ravage asked.

 

 

"Probably the small army of HK assassin droids in the hold." Nox replied. There was a long moment of silence as the other members of the Council processed what they had just been told.

 

 

"Is it secure?" Marr finally asked when the long moment had passed.

 

 

It is under the care and protection of the Imperial Reclamation Service." Nox said, leaning back in his seat, the picture of confidence. He knew the thought of him in control of an army of HK assassin droids was rushing with panicked haste through the minds of many in the room. He had just made sure everyone wanted to be on his good side, even if they only wanted to be there so they could stab him in the back.

 

 

"I seem to recall Darth Hadra mentioning the deal with Czerka in passing." Aruk said, leaning forward to challenge the nonchalant Nox. "Doesn't that ship fall under the jurisdiction of the Sphere of Technology?"

 

 

"In case you haven't noticed Aruk," Nox replied evenly, "The seat of the Sphere of Technology is still vacant after Hadra's death on Corellia. The Imperial Reclamation Service would normally hand the ship and its cargo off to the Councilor of Technology after processing, but since that Sphere of Influence is currently leaderless, the IRS has the most jurisdiction until we elect a new Councilor for that Sphere."

 

 

"Which brings us to our next issue for consideration," Darth Marr spoke up, "Our numbers have been severely decreased. Five seats stand vacant today, their Spheres of Influence largely leaderless. We must elect new candidates to serve on the Dark Council if we hope to regain the stability we have lost."

 

 

"And what of the Dread Masters?" Aruk pressed. "Stability or not they may well have the power to tear the Empire to shreds if we allow them to consolidate their power unabated."

 

 

"We do not know they have betrayed us yet, acting now would be rash and reckless." Marr nearly snarled. "We will remain on high alert for any movement and new information on that front and discuss any findings we have at the next meeting." Heads nodded in agreement around the room and Aruk settled back into his chair, seething.

 

 

"I have an ideal candidate to succeed Hadra." Marr continued his line of discussion, "the Falleen, Darth Karrid."

 

 

Rictus snorted. "You can't be serious Marr." he said dismissively. "She's an alien. We just got over dealing with Malgus and his mongrel hordes, and we already have our token outsider." He said, gesturing towards Nox. Nox could barely suppress the indignant rage that welled up in him.

 

 

"Marr is right." Vowrawn said in his usual, measured tone. "I've read the accounts of Karrid's victories and I see real potential."

 

 

"As do I." Nox concurred.

 

 

"A potential ally you mean." Aruk sneered at Nox.

 

 

"Enough!" Marr said firmly.

 

 

"I agree," Mortis said, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room. "I've heard enough about this Karrid, especially when there's a far better candidate right under our noses." Everyone continued to stare at him.

 

 

"And who would that be?" Marr asked with a note of exasperation.

 

 

"Gravus."

 

 

"You aren't serious I hope." Nox replied.

 

 

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Mortis responded, a cold anger entering his voice.

 

 

"I've met Gravus." Nox said. "He's politically astute and an intelligent commander, but that's all he is. I'd hesitate to even call him Sith."

 

 

"You're one to talk!" snarled Aruk, leaning all the way forward in his seat.

 

 

"Aruk," Marr said with an eerie calm, "you would do well to remember we are discussing future candidates for the Dark Council, not past ones."

 

 

"Now, now." Vowrawn interjected when Aruk's grip on the armrests of his throne tightened, "There's no need for this to devolve into violence," a twinkle appeared in his eye, "yet."

 

 

"You aren't helping." Marr said, sounding frustrated.

 

 

"Patience." Rictus said in an uncharacteristic display of rationality. "We cannot allow our differences to impede progress."

 

 

"Agreed." Marr said, sounding somewhat relieved. "I hereby nominate Darth Karrid for the position of Head of the Sphere of Technology."

 

 

"Seconded." Nox added.

 

 

"I support the nomination." Rictus said, causing many of the members of the Dark Council to turn their heads towards him surprise. Nox was as shocked as anyone. Rictus wasn't known for his fondness of alien species, or for any of the Council members supporting Karrid, making his choice to side against the interests of his usual allies all the more strange.

 

 

"I hereby nominate Darth Gravus for the position." Mortis countered.

 

 

"I support the nomination." Came Aruk's response.

 

 

"I as well." Ravage agreed.

 

 

All eyes turned to Vowrawn, who's steepled fingers didn't distract Nox from the distinct, mischievous twinkle in the Pureblood's eye.

 

 

"I can support Gravus's nomination to the Council." Vowrawn offered diplomatically. "But his greatest success was the recent rout of the Republic on Taris, all his previous victories are rather small, and his recent failure to defend the Leritor system is simply unacceptable."

 

 

"So what do you suggest?" Ravage asked.

 

 

"That we wait and see what unfolds. If Gravus regroups and reclaims Leritor, proving himself worthy of the Council, then we will elect him. If he fails..."

 

 

"Darth Karrid will be our choice." Nox finished the thought, hiding his relief behind a Force shroud and emotional barriers as effectively as his ghoulish mask hid his face. "What about the Sphere of Military Offense?"

 

 

"If I may," Vowrawn butted in, "There is a very promising candidate in that sphere by the name of Darth Arkous. He was the favorite to succeed Baras but Arho outdid him."

 

 

"What makes this Arkous worthy?" Rictus asked.

 

 

"Well for one thing he shares my complexion," Vowrawn said with a confidence born of stacking the deck in his favor, "and in addition to great power in the Force he is no stranger to inflicting defeat upon the Republic. He commanded the Fourth Fleet at the Battle of Soricys, and lead the charge in the Battle of Talinor Six. Both were very successful campaigns that utilized fear, manipulation, and surgical strikes in combination with well-coordinated and executed battle plans."

 

 

"I know Arkous well." Aruk said with undisguised satisfaction. "He will be a fine addition to the Dark Council."

 

 

"I may not know much about the man but his track record speaks for itself." Ravage agreed. "Soricys and Talinor weren't his only successful campaigns, just his most noticeable."

 

 

"Then I hereby nominate Darth Arkous as Head of the Sphere of Military Offense." Vowrawn stated. Aruk spoke before anyone else could;

 

 

"Seconded."

 

 

"I support the nomination." said Ravage.

 

 

"As do I." said Rictus.

 

 

"And I" Mortis chimed in, with Nox nodding his reluctant assent as well.

 

 

"Then it is finished." Marr said, signaling the passing of the nomination.

 

 

"The Spheres of Biotic Science, Military Strategy, and Imperial Intelligence still need to be filled." Nox pointed out.

 

 

"The Sphere of Military Strategy is easy enough." Marr replied. "Darth Charnus will replace his former master, Decimas. Any objections?" Heads shook in response. "Then Darth Charnus is the new head of the Sphere of Military Strategy."

 

 

"I think Darth Nalik would be an excellent successor for Acheron." Ravage supplied, "seeing as our former colleague lost all his apprentices along with his life." There were nods of agreement around the room. Only Aruk seemed averse to the nomination, but he, for once, kept his reservations to himself and gave his reluctant assent.

 

 

"Then Darth Nalik will take the seat of Biotic Science." Marr said, affirming the decision.

 

 

"And what of the Sphere of Imperial Intelligence?" Nox requested.

 

 

"At the moment, that Sphere no longer exists." Marr responded. "With Darth Zhorrid dead and Imperial Intelligence itself dissolved soon after, the remaining assets have been temporarily assigned to various aspects of the Imperial military. We will need to rebuild it at some point, but for now the Sphere is of more use to us reinforcing our martial resources."

 

 

"Then the reformation of the Sphere will be top priority at the next Council meeting." Nox replied.

 

 

"Yes." Marr affirmed.

 

 

"With that settled," Mortis suggested, "perhaps we should turn to the matter of nominations for Darth for the next meeting. My apprentice, Lord Zavrasha, has earned the title I believe."

 

 

"Indeed." Vowrawn said with a familiar twinkle in his eye. "Her sensibilities have become quite enjoyable for those under her." Mortis glared at him.

 

 

"I see no issue with that." Marr replied, and a nodding of heads around the room indicated that no one was opposed to the promotion of Mortis's apprentice.

 

 

"I'd like to recommend Lord Willsaam and Lord Gravuk." Came Aruk's voice out of the silence.

 

 

"Isn't Lord Willsaam technically not within your sphere?" Ravage asked out of curiosity.

 

 

"Her master, the Emperor's Wrath, has discussed her place in the Empire with me." Aruk said, somewhat haughtily. "He has deemed me to be the only one fit to oversee her."

 

 

"Madness to madness." Nox muttered the old Sith proverb under his breath, loud enough for Marr and Ravage to hear, but no one else.

 

 

"Very well." Mortis said solemnly. "Does anyone object to the promotions of Lord Willsaam and Lord Gravuk?" Silence. "Then they will be added to the agenda for our next meeting." Mortis concluded.

 

 

"Not Lord Willsaam." Aruk interrupted. "The Wrath specifically stated that he will be granting the promotion himself."

 

 

"One less thing for us to deal with." Marr answered. "Let it be done then."

 

 

"Is there any other business yet to be addressed?" Mortis asked.

 

 

"We still have our first topic of discussion on the table," Marr reminded him, "what strategy to adopt for the next stage of the war."

 

 

"I'm not sure what discussion needs to be had," Mortis insisted. "If we do not defend ourselves the war is over!"

 

 

"And yet if we simply defend and do not attack we will lose resources far faster than the Republic, and the war will, in all likelihood end with our defeat." Vowrawn countered. Nox rose from his chair and descended from the dais to the middle of the room. All eyes turned to watch him as he took center stage, some in interest, some in hatred, some even in amusement.

 

 

"Members of the Dark Council." Nox began. "At the beginning of this meeting we coronated a new king of Alderaan."

 

 

"Great, more grandstanding." Aruk whispered to himself, with only Rictus and Vowrawn able to hear him.

 

 

"In this, we now have a great opportunity," Nox said, clenching his fist for emphasis, "if we have the ambition to seize it! It will not be long before the Republic moves on Alderaan. We must act now and claim this advantage while we still have it. With the annexation of Alderaan we are now in possession of many hyperspace routes that lead directly to the heart of our enemy. If we act now, we can turn Alderaan into a staging point for full-on invasion of the Core, and..." he paused, "the completion of what the Sacking of Coruscant began all those decades ago." He paused to allow anyone who wished to speak the opportunity to do so. When he realized that he had the rapt attention of everyone in the room, he continued.

 

 

"With Alderaan and its hyperspace routes under our control, we have a chance to deal a death blow to the Republic, and spell out their doom for all the galaxy to see. We can launch direct attacks on Coruscant and Tython while the Republic scrambles to gather its forces, we can cut the heads off of these snakes and possibly even end the war here and now!" The door of the chamber opened, and all eyes went to the entrance, some startled, some curious. There, striding in through the open doorway, was seven feet of muscle, armor, and force power: The Emperor's Wrath.

 

 

"Lord Demise." Nox said, bowing his head in a gesture of respect.

 

 

"Darth Nox." Demise replied in acknowledgement. "Members of the Dark Council. I have come in support of Darth Nox's plans to take action against our enemy: the hated Republic." Looks of surprise showed on every visible face. "Too long has the Empire been held back by petty infighting and division. I have come here today to call upon the Dark Council to take hold of this opportunity to strike an incredible blow to our common enemy, providing new opportunities for conquest, resources, and the expansion of our influence."

 

 

"As Lord Demise so eloquently said," Nox continued, "This is a great opportunity for all of us."

 

 

"I'm beginning to wonder just what you have in mind, Darth Nox." Marr spoke up from his seat.

 

 

"Just this: "Nox said, smiling behind his helm, "I propose the execution of a plan I have been crafting since I took my place on this Council many months ago. Plan designate: Omega. Plan Omega involves a coordinated attack on both Coruscant and Tython." Ravage leaned forward in his seat, crossing one leg horizontally over the other and resting his elbow on it as he paid close attention to Nox's words. Mortis was leaning forward slightly in his seat in interest, and Marr and Vowrawn were both relaxing in their own seats, Vowrawn with his hands steepled in front of his face and a wicked smile in his eyes.

 

 

"These coordinated attacks," Nox continued, "are largely to serve as elaborate distractions, complementary to the plan's true purpose," He paused. "the assassinations of the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic and the Supreme Commander of the Republic's armed forces." Dead silence. Nox allowed it to stretch to just short of an uncomfortable length of time, but just as he was about to continue speaking, Marr spoke up.

 

 

"This plan is...bold, to say the least." He said in a slightly awed tone. "What information do you have regarding the republic's defenses? Their emergency protocols? Their contingencies?"

 

 

"All right here." Nox assured him, detaching a small holoprojector from his utility belt and tossing the device so that it hovered above the floor while going through a slide show of data and intel on all the various aspects of the plan. "Normally I would be content to carry out this plan myself and take all the credit, but the sheer scope of the plan requires far more resources and sources of expertise than I have at my disposal. Thus I bring this to you, my fellow councilors, and ask for your cooperation in orchestrating the downfall of the Republic."

 

 

"This plan is audacious but hardly a death knell for the Republic." Ravage cut in. "I think you are overstating the case."

 

 

"Ahh but you see, the attacks and assassinations are only phase one."

 

 

"Phase One?" Vowrawn asked, a youthful eagerness in his voice.

 

 

"The second phase involves a barrage of invasions of various other planets throughout Republic space, immediately following the attacks and successful assassinations."

 

 

"Why attack Tython too?" Mortis asked. "Isn't Coruscant good enough to serve our purposes?"

 

 

"I thought so at first." Nox said, nodding sagely. "But then I realized that if the Jedi are simply left to their own devices, they will reinforce the forces on Coruscant by surrounding the planet and trapping our forces between two fronts. Thus the attack on Tython to draw the main force of Jedi away from Coruscant so that they cannot interfere with our assassination attempts or turn the tide of the battle before we are ready and able to retreat."

 

 

"Divide and conquer." Marr mused absentmindedly.

 

 

"Precisely." Nox amended. "With the follow-up invasions, the Republic will be leaderless in nearly every capacity and the Jedi will be stretched thin, trying to keep both the Republic and their order from falling apart."

 

 

"What about the Jedi Council?" Rictus inquired. "Aren't we just creating a way for them to take over the Republic?"

 

 

"The Republic being run by the Jedi will only make our enemy more dangerous!" Aruk hissed at Nox. "You're trying to undermine us!"

 

 

"You know as well as I do how principled the Jedi are." Marr responded in Nox's place. "They may institute temporary leadership in a time of crisis such as the one this plan will create, but we will have the initiative, and even after they assume control they will still be stretched too thin trying to protect the innocent beings of the worlds we enslave to even think about launching an assault on our most vulnerable sectors."

 

 

"Marr is correct." Vowrawn chimed in. "We are dealing with an enemy which has extraordinary weaknesses. This plan takes full advantage of them to give us what we need while protecting and concealing our own weaknesses."

 

 

Rictus looked convinced, but Aruk's body language said he was still desperately clinging to his prejudices. Unfortunately, he had no support on which to stand, so even he conceded the point. Nox called the projector back to his hand and switched it off, returning it to his belt.

 

 

"I will be sending you all detailed copies of the plan in its entirety. The role of every Dark Council member is explicitly outlined within. Darth Marr and I will be commanding the assault on Tython, provided he has no objections. Darth Aruk and Darth Ravage will be commanding the fleet battle above Coruscant, again, provided they have no objections, and Lord Demise will be commanding the ground forces alongside Darth Mortis on the planet. Darth Vowrawn will be seeing to all the preparations for the subsequent invasions following the attacks, as well as coordinating efforts and resources in preparation for the attacks themselves. During the battles we will be holding some resources and troops in reserve in case backup is needed. The total sums of ships, troops, and resources required are listed as well, divided as evenly as possible. The remainder of our combined resources will, of course, be protecting the rest of the Empire while we cut out the Republic's heart." He looked around at the faces of his fellow council members. "I suggest we adjourn for a few hours to review the plan and consider our options before we take the vote." He suggested. "Some time to evaluate the plan with a more critical eye is a welcome prospect I'm sure."

 

 

"Agreed." Marr said. "we'll meet back here in three hours, then we will vote on the fate of the Republic."

 

____________

 

 

The members of the Dark Council filed out into the hallway after the vote on the enacting of Plan Omega. The vote had passed, much to Nox's pleasure, and the council members were even now departing to galvanize their various power bases to begin preparations for the assault, which was scheduled to begin in a standard week. Nox approached Marr as they neared the elevator and asked:

 

 

"How did she take it?"

 

 

"Who?"

 

 

"Karrid, who else?"

 

 

"I informed her of the situation." Marr said in what amounted to a hushed tone. "She took it better than expected."

 

 

"Do you think she has a plan?" Nox asked when the possibility suddenly crossed his mind.

 

 

"It would not surprise me." Marr conceded. "Let us hope that it is as well-thought out as yours."

 

 

"Speaking of well thought-out plans..." Vowrawn's voice cut in. The two Dark Lords turned to acknowledge the other Dark Councilor as he approached them. "This delightful scheme of yours is absolutely brazen, Darth Nox." The tall, lanky pureblood complimented him. "I'm surprised I didn't come up with it myself."

 

 

"It wouldn't be possible without Darth Imperious winning the war for Alderaan." Nox pointed out.

 

 

"Yes, and I'm sure that wouldn't have been possible without certain...shadowy benefactors." Vowrawn rebutted with a twinkle in his eye. Behind his helm, Nox's eyes narrowed. Just how much does he know?

 

 

"The boldness of the plan is its strength." Marr said with conviction. "We've been on the defensive for so long, and been so severely weakened by infighting and betrayal that the Republic will not be expecting such an aggressive maneuver from us. They will be caught off-guard by an opponent they believed was defeated."

 

 

"Indeed." Vowrawn complied. "Let us hope that the element of surprise will be enough to help disguise our true goal until it is too late. With chaos that the deaths of their leaders will sow in the ranks, we rely on them being too busy scrambling to defend themselves to notice our weaknesses elsewhere. If they do, this plan could easily backfire."

 

 

"I agree Vowrawn." Nox said, causing both of the other Sith to look directly at him in mild surprise. "Which is why I entrusted you with staying behind to ensure the safety of Alderaan and keep in touch with High Command to keep us informed of the state of skeleton defense of the Empire."

 

 

"The Republic might take notice of the mass retreats of our forces across the galaxy and divine it as a prelude to something bigger." Marr pointed out. "What if they are prepared for us?"

 

 

"They won't be." Nox assured him. "We're already in retreat from many sectors, unfortunately. I took that into account when I started conducting this plan. I believe that the massive withdrawal of our forces will be seen only as self-preservation, the actions of the desperate. With this plan we will feed their delusions of superiority so that they will not see this coming until it is too late."

 

 

"What about communications from Alderaan?" Marr inquired further. "Don't you think the conquest of the planet has already been leaked to the Republic?"

 

 

"Imperious's elite commando squads disabled communications for the entire planet right before he sprung his trap, when House Thul appeared to be in full retreat. All the Republic knows is that House Organa and her allies were winning the war when a communications blackout occurred. Thul now has total control over the communications systems and are faking the blackout to use as a smokescreen to conceal our impending attack." An evil grin split Vowrawn's face.

 

 

"I do so love blindsiding opponents!"

 

 

"It is such an exquisite pleasure isn't it?" Nox replied with an equally delighted expression spreading across his own hidden visage.

 

 

"Indeed!" Vowrawn said, rubbing his hands together in eager anticipation, "Well I'd best be off, these preparations aren't going to make themselves!" and with that, he turned and headed down the hall, turning the corner towards the elevator.

 

 

"Are you sure about this Nox?" Marr asked, genuine concern creeping into his voice. "Do you at least have a contingency plan in case this plan backfires?"

 

 

"Yes. There is a reason I did not involve The Ascendant Spear and my ships equipped with Silencers in these attacks." Nox replied.

 

 

Marr nodded. "I wondered about that. The plan made no mention of them."

 

 

"I've stationed each Silencer ship at key Imperial strongholds that must not fall." Nox stated, "And Darth Karrid will be more than willing to defend the Empire with The Spear should the Republic be so bold and well-organized as to counter-attack. With its highly advanced weaponry and unmatched speed, The Spear will be more than capable of defending multiple positions within short periods of time."

 

 

"The need for your ships to defend key strongholds was why you required the Council's help in executing this." Marr said in realization. "Thanks to the Silencers, your ships are powerful but you don't enough of them to take on Coruscant's and Tython's defenses by yourself."

 

 

"Exactly." Nox affirmed. "But they will serve perfectly fine in defending key strongholds against small Republic fleets with minimal support."

 

 

"Why have the Council members lead the attacks?" Marr asked. "I'm surprised no one accused you of setting us up."

 

 

Nox chuckled. "Possibly because I myself will be fighting the battle as well. I wouldn't be very intelligent if I set myself up to take the fall with the rest of you." He paused to consider the matter a moment, then spoke again. "But to reassure you, my intentions regarding having the Dark Council lead the attacks is simply because the Empire cannot afford to have this plan fail. We need the very best leading the charge to avoid incompetence and mistakes." Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Marr nodded.

 

 

"Understandable considering the recent events, although some might point to Corellia as an example of what happens when too many members of the Dark Council gather in one place."

 

 

"If you want my opinion, that was simply a tactical mistake." Nox replied with fervor. "We could afford to lose Corellia. There was no need to have so many members of the Dark Council present on-world." He paused. "This, however, is a gamble we can't afford to lose. Whether the Dark Council is wiped out or not, if we lose this battle, we lose the war." The two Sith stood in silence for a moment, letting the weight of the realization settle on them. The gravity of the actions they were about to take was suddenly very real. After a long moment, Marr reached out and placed a gloved hand on Nox's armoured shoulder.

 

 

"May the Dark Side ever serve you, Darth Nox."

 

 

"And you as well, Darth Marr."

 

[FlameYOL]

Let's see...he's got a dental appointment next Thursday, it'll be hilarious if he forgets that, and his girlfriend's birthday is in April, boy is that guna be a surprise...oh hello! You guys caught me rifling through Noki's brain, making him forget stuff! It's going to be a hilarious joke XD. Anyway, screwing with my host body aside, here's the next part. I'm happy to report it's the longest yet: more than 6000 words. I hope you guys find it interesting as I put a good deal of research into figuring who's who and when on the Dark Council. This part will set up a lot of future plot lines, so pay attention and get ready to extrapolate !

 

 

 

Lord Serjay Thul walked down the aisle of the massive throne room of the Thul Palace. The throne room was filled to the brim with Alderaanian nobles from every House, even representatives of House Organa and Alde were present, albeit in the very rear of the assembly. As he reached the front he could see the stalwart holograms of the members of the Dark Council, taking up the entirety of the right-side first row. The eidolons tracked him as he ascended the platform, about to take his seat on the throne of House Thul, now the Royal Throne of Alderaan. He turned before the assembled and awaited the Thul lord who was bearing the crown to approach him. Upon reaching him, the noble bowed and extended the crown in his hands. Serjay took it and placed it on his head, and a great cheer rose up from the section occupied by the representatives of House Thul and its vassal houses. A somewhat reluctant but fearful applause broke out among the rest, with only House Organa and Alde refraining from joining in.

 

 

Serjay took his seat on the throne, but only momentarily, as the noble who had offered the crown now placed a small, portable holoprojector at his feet and activated it. Darth Marr's hologram disappeared from the front row and appeared before the newly inaugurated King of Alderaan. Serjay rose to his feet and bent down on one knee before Darth Marr. Following him with his eyes, half a galaxy away, Marr waited until Serjay's knee touched the ground before he spoke.

 

 

"By the power invested in me by the Emperor, and by the authority of the Dark Council," he extended his hand as he spoke, "I proclaim you, Darth Imperious!" Another round of cheers, louder than the previous one, erupted from the section of Thul nobles. Applause from the rest of the assembly followed soon after, with only the Organa and Alde nobles remaining unmoved. The Imperial troopers posted as honor guards around the perimeter of the crowd cocked their rifles, and the applause soon turned into mustered cheers, although possibly less enthusiastic than the cries of the victorious houses. Organa and Alde reluctantly joined in, although many of their facial expressions did not match their actions.

 

 

Darth Imperious rose from the floor and waited for Darth Marr's hologram to return to the front row before he seated himself on the throne and House Thul's cheers became louder. Imperious motioned for quiet, and once the hall was silent, the same lord who had granted Imperious the crown spoke in a loud, clear, booming voice.

 

 

"People of Alderaan, bow before your new King!" House Thul's nobles were the first to bow, prostrating themselves on their hands and knees. Slowly, the rest of the congregation followed suit, until only House Organa and House Alde were left standing, their faces twisted in angry defiance. Darth Imperious rose to his feet and pointed at Duke Organa.

 

 

"Bring him to me!" The nearest soldiers obeyed. Lady Organa clutched at her husband's arm, but he gave her a sad look and indicated she should remain where she was. She reluctantly obeyed, her fear plastered to her face like a mask. When the soldiers brought Duke Organa to the foot of the throne, Darth Imperious spoke;

 

 

"Why do you not bow before your king, Duke Organa?"

 

 

"Because I refuse to bow my knee to any tyrant who takes the throne of Alderaan by force!"

 

 

"So you will not bow?" Imperious asked.

 

 

"Not now, not ever!" Charle Organa spat.

 

 

"Then it is with great sorrow" Imperious replied, his voice becoming louder so that everyone could hear his first royal decree "that I hereby banish House Organa and their allies; House Alde, from Alderaan." Gasps of shock rose up from the assembly. "All of your assets and property will be seized and allocated among House Thul and its allies, and all members of your royal houses will be scattered, creditless, among the stars, never to return to Alderaan!" Cries of sorrow and horror rose up from the nobles of the two newly banished houses. "Away with them!" Darth Imperious commanded, and as the guards moved to do his bidding, a chorus of Thul voices began to chant, with fists pumping in the air; "All hail Darth Imperious, all hail the King of Alderaan! All hail Darth Imperious, all hail the King of Alderaan!" Eventually, the remaining assembly joined in;

 

 

"All hail Darth Imperious, all hail the King of Alderaan! All hail Darth Imperious, all hail the King of Alderaan!"

 

 

The cheers continued as, one by one, the holograms of the members of the Dark Council vanished.

 

 

"All hail Darth Imperious, all hail the King of Alderaan!"

 

________________

 

 

Nox settled into his seat on the Dark Council. Today they had many items of interest to attend to, and attending the inauguration of Darth Imperious had just been the first. He could not help but feel raw excitement buzz through him as he surveyed the Dark Council Chambers. He remembered the day he had first set foot here, it seemed so long ago that he had struck Thanaton down in a hard-fought and well-earned victory and taken the old fool's seat on the Dark Council. Thanaton could not, and likely would not, have seen the potential in young Serjay Thul that Nox had. Thanaton, being so wrapped up in the past, would not have seen the future that Imperious could bring about. But Nox was about do what Thanaton could never have done, cross divides and shatter barriers his predecessor could never have dreamed of conquering, and it was at this meeting that he would rally the other members of the Dark Council to his cause. With words of blood and honey, he would draw them like prey into his inescapable web, and forever ensnare them in the bonds of his destiny.

 

 

"Now," Marr spoke with what sounded to be a mixture of triumph and eagerness "On to other matters." He turned his masked face towards Nox. "Darth Nox, perhaps you would like to begin?"

 

 

"I would." Nox replied, enjoying the slight tingle of dislike from Ravage and Mortis, and the outright hatred from Aruk and Rictus. "The Battle of Ilum, as I'm sure we are all aware, was the most costly campaign in recent Imperial history, surpassed only by the Battle of Corellia." Eyes went to the vacant seats of Decimas, Hadra, Acharon, and Arho. "Darth Malgus's betrayal, along with our heavy losses at Corellia, have left the Empire in an...undesirable state."

 

 

"Come to the point!" Rictus snapped. Nox glanced at him.

 

 

"The point, my fellow Councilors, is what are going to do about it?"

 

 

"What do you suggest we do?" Aruk all but sneered. "Propose another treaty? Maybe roll over for the Republic?"

 

 

"Hardly." Nox stated, his voice layered with an almost imperceptible undertone of derision.

 

 

"What Darth Nox is trying to say," Marr interrupted. "Is what are we going to do to rekindle the Empire's strength and secure the advantage?"

 

 

"We should be focusing on defending our assets and resources." Mortis asserted. "If we lose our resources we lose the war."

 

 

"True," Nox replied "But considering how limited our resources already are, especially when compared to the Republic, a defensive stratagem would only preserve us for so long. The Republic is in a far stronger position to win a war of attrition."

 

 

"Darth Nox is correct." Vowrawn chimed in. "Our enemy suffered far less punishment in the most recent battles. Perhaps a more aggressive strategy is needed if we hope to achieve any advantage."

 

 

"But by doing so we would expose ourselves to more devastating, possibly fatal offensives from our enemy!" Ravage protested. The Empire's subjugants are hard enough to corral when their cities aren't burning and their people aren't dying by the thousands."

 

 

"I never pegged you as one who cared for the "lesser" species, Ravage." Marr interjected. Ravage struggled to remain calm, but a slight tone of anger seeped into his voice.

 

 

"With the recent losses we have suffered we cannot afford to lose more resources than we already have." Behind his mask, Nox's face twisted in anger at the way Ravage referred to the millions of aliens on the Empire's conquered worlds as "resources". "In launching a full-on offensive we expose our flank."

 

 

"You think too highly of the Republic, Ravage." Nox responded with deceptive calm. "If we launch attacks at the Republic's most vulnerable points, they will trip over each other in a rush to defend their members. They foolishly protect those who are weak and worthless and will prioritize the lives of their citizens over destroying us."

 

 

"And you are sure of this?" Aruk said, challenging him. "Saresh is a warmonger who would cut off her nose to spite her face. She might well sacrifice millions or billions of lives to capitalize on an opportunity to bring us down!"

 

 

"Leontyne Saresh is not the Republic's dictator." Marr pointed out. "The Senate will undoubtedly overrule her on humanitarian grounds."

 

 

"Doesn't she have the power of veto?" Aruk asked. "She could simply use it to counter the overruling."

 

 

"Actually, I'm pleased to say that it doesn't quite work that way." Vowrawn said, pretending to address the entire council when he was really addressing, and embarrassing, Aruk. "In the Republic, the Supreme Chancellor's power of veto only allows them to stop legislation, not enact it. Furthermore, a seventy five percent Senate ruling in opposition to any veto overturns it. So even if Saresh could somehow use the power of veto to have her way, she would need to convince more than twenty five percent of the Republic Senate to abandon their beloved comrades to painful and violent deaths in order to strike blows against the Empire which may or may not be the end of us."

 

 

"Since when are you such an optimist Vowrawn?" Rictus shot back.

 

 

"Since the execution of Darth Baras." The ancient pureblood said with a mocking smile.

 

 

"His death was long overdue." Mortis said, his tone almost reminiscent.

 

 

"Speaking of the pretender," Ravage added, "Has anyone heard anything about the true Voice?" Heads shook and shoulders heaved all around the room.

 

 

"No one has heard anything from the Emperor since the attack on Dromund Kaas," Marr said, looking directly at Vowrawn "From his Hand or otherwise." Aruk looked around at the other members of the Council in disbelief.

 

 

"Have we simply forgotten about our discussion regarding the Empire's future?" He asked, incredulous.

 

 

"Let us table that for now, and come back to it later." Marr responded. "I think Ravage's line of thought merits some attention as well, especially if we wish to discuss the Empire's future." Several members of the Council raised their eyebrows in a mixture of interest and suspicion.

 

 

"My recent activities took me to Belsavis," Nox said, breaking the brief silence. "There I discovered that the Dread Masters seemed to be in direct competition with Imperials for lost resources."

 

 

"Meaning?" Marr demanded.

 

 

"That the directives of Imperial High Command ran completely counter to the apparent interests of the Dread Masters. I checked with High Command after the fact, and they assured me that the Masters had not attempted to contact or inform High Command of their objectives."

 

 

"That is their right." Rictus said, his mocking tone mimicking that of a parent speaking to an impaired child.

 

 

"As servants of the Emperor, yes." Nox agreed, "However, if they were acting on the Emperor's orders or in accordance with his wishes, the Hand would have informed High Command of the situation in order to avoid unnecessary conflict and wasted resources."

 

 

"That is the precedent." Marr agreed.

 

 

"What are you saying?" Mortis asked. "That the Dread Masters are disobeying the Emperor? That they have betrayed the Empire?"

 

 

"It is conceivable..." Marr said pensively. "With the Voice remaining silent, we cannot exclude the possibility that the Dread Masters might not be as loyal to the Empire as they once were."

 

 

"More enemies on every front." Ravage complained. "As if we didn't have enough problems"

 

 

"We don't know they have betrayed us." Marr reasoned. "The Hand could very well be busy assisting the Emperor with whatever recovery or reprisals he has planned. That would explain the recent lack of any form of guidance from him."

 

 

"Still, such aggressive actions from ones so powerful are reason enough to be on the alert." Mortis argued. He turned to Nox; "Did you investigate further?"

 

 

"I did indeed." Nox replied. "I discovered they had left a contingent of the Dread Host behind on the planet to secure the area of Belsavis Prison known as Section X, as well as some lost Imperial resources there."

 

 

"What resources?" Aruk drilled him.

 

 

"Specifically?" Nox replied. "The Fatality." The other members of the Dark Council exchanged blank glances.

 

 

"The Fatality?" Darth Marr asked.

 

 

"A lone warship stolen some years ago not long after the Dread Master's capture and imprisonment on Belsavis. The Sith who stole it was an apprentice of theirs, presumably he was attempting to rescue them."

 

 

 

"What made him think he could storm the most secure prison facility in the galaxy?" Ravage asked.

 

 

"Probably the small army of HK assassin droids in the hold." Nox replied. There was a long moment of silence as the other members of the Council processed what they had just been told.

 

 

"Is it secure?" Marr finally asked when the long moment had passed.

 

 

It is under the care and protection of the Imperial Reclamation Service." Nox said, leaning back in his seat, the picture of confidence. He knew the thought of him in control of an army of HK assassin droids was rushing with panicked haste through the minds of many in the room. He had just made sure everyone wanted to be on his good side, even if they only wanted to be there so they could stab him in the back.

 

 

"I seem to recall Darth Hadra mentioning the deal with Czerka in passing." Aruk said, leaning forward to challenge the nonchalant Nox. "Doesn't that ship fall under the jurisdiction of the Sphere of Technology?"

 

 

"In case you haven't noticed Aruk," Nox replied evenly, "The seat of the Sphere of Technology is still vacant after Hadra's death on Corellia. The Imperial Reclamation Service would normally hand the ship and its cargo off to the Councilor of Technology after processing, but since that Sphere of Influence is currently leaderless, the IRS has the most jurisdiction until we elect a new Councilor for that Sphere."

 

 

"Which brings us to our next issue for consideration," Darth Marr spoke up, "Our numbers have been severely decreased. Five seats stand vacant today, their Spheres of Influence largely leaderless. We must elect new candidates to serve on the Dark Council if we hope to regain the stability we have lost."

 

 

"And what of the Dread Masters?" Aruk pressed. "Stability or not they may well have the power to tear the Empire to shreds if we allow them to consolidate their power unabated."

 

 

"We do not know they have betrayed us yet, acting now would be rash and reckless." Marr nearly snarled. "We will remain on high alert for any movement and new information on that front and discuss any findings we have at the next meeting." Heads nodded in agreement around the room and Aruk settled back into his chair, seething.

 

 

"I have an ideal candidate to succeed Hadra." Marr continued his line of discussion, "the Falleen, Darth Karrid."

 

 

Rictus snorted. "You can't be serious Marr." he said dismissively. "She's an alien. We just got over dealing with Malgus and his mongrel hordes, and we already have our token outsider." He said, gesturing towards Nox. Nox could barely suppress the indignant rage that welled up in him.

 

 

"Marr is right." Vowrawn said in his usual, measured tone. "I've read the accounts of Karrid's victories and I see real potential."

 

 

"As do I." Nox concurred.

 

 

"A potential ally you mean." Aruk sneered at Nox.

 

 

"Enough!" Marr said firmly.

 

 

"I agree," Mortis said, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room. "I've heard enough about this Karrid, especially when there's a far better candidate right under our noses." Everyone continued to stare at him.

 

 

"And who would that be?" Marr asked with a note of exasperation.

 

 

"Gravus."

 

 

"You aren't serious I hope." Nox replied.

 

 

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Mortis responded, a cold anger entering his voice.

 

 

"I've met Gravus." Nox said. "He's politically astute and an intelligent commander, but that's all he is. I'd hesitate to even call him Sith."

 

 

"You're one to talk!" snarled Aruk, leaning all the way forward in his seat.

 

 

"Aruk," Marr said with an eerie calm, "you would do well to remember we are discussing future candidates for the Dark Council, not past ones."

 

 

"Now, now." Vowrawn interjected when Aruk's grip on the armrests of his throne tightened, "There's no need for this to devolve into violence," a twinkle appeared in his eye, "yet."

 

 

"You aren't helping." Marr said, sounding frustrated.

 

 

"Patience." Rictus said in an uncharacteristic display of rationality. "We cannot allow our differences to impede progress."

 

 

"Agreed." Marr said, sounding somewhat relieved. "I hereby nominate Darth Karrid for the position of Head of the Sphere of Technology."

 

 

"Seconded." Nox added.

 

 

"I support the nomination." Rictus said, causing many of the members of the Dark Council to turn their heads towards him surprise. Nox was as shocked as anyone. Rictus wasn't known for his fondness of alien species, or for any of the Council members supporting Karrid, making his choice to side against the interests of his usual allies all the more strange.

 

 

"I hereby nominate Darth Gravus for the position." Mortis countered.

 

 

"I support the nomination." Came Aruk's response.

 

 

"I as well." Ravage agreed.

 

 

All eyes turned to Vowrawn, who's steepled fingers didn't distract Nox from the distinct, mischievous twinkle in the Pureblood's eye.

 

 

"I can support Gravus's nomination to the Council." Vowrawn offered diplomatically. "But his greatest success was the recent rout of the Republic on Taris, all his previous victories are rather small, and his recent failure to defend the Leritor system is simply unacceptable."

 

 

"So what do you suggest?" Ravage asked.

 

 

"That we wait and see what unfolds. If Gravus regroups and reclaims Leritor, proving himself worthy of the Council, then we will elect him. If he fails..."

 

 

"Darth Karrid will be our choice." Nox finished the thought, hiding his relief behind a Force shroud and emotional barriers as effectively as his ghoulish mask hid his face. "What about the Sphere of Military Offense?"

 

 

"If I may," Vowrawn butted in, "There is a very promising candidate in that sphere by the name of Darth Arkous. He was the favorite to succeed Baras but Arho outdid him."

 

 

"What makes this Arkous worthy?" Rictus asked.

 

 

"Well for one thing he shares my complexion," Vowrawn said with a confidence born of stacking the deck in his favor, "and in addition to great power in the Force he is no stranger to inflicting defeat upon the Republic. He commanded the Fourth Fleet at the Battle of Soricys, and lead the charge in the Battle of Talinor Six. Both were very successful campaigns that utilized fear, manipulation, and surgical strikes in combination with well-coordinated and executed battle plans."

 

 

"I know Arkous well." Aruk said with undisguised satisfaction. "He will be a fine addition to the Dark Council."

 

 

"I may not know much about the man but his track record speaks for itself." Ravage agreed. "Soricys and Talinor weren't his only successful campaigns, just his most noticeable."

 

 

"Then I hereby nominate Darth Arkous as Head of the Sphere of Military Offense." Vowrawn stated. Aruk spoke before anyone else could;

 

 

"Seconded."

 

 

"I support the nomination." said Ravage.

 

 

"As do I." said Rictus.

 

 

"And I" Mortis chimed in, with Nox nodding his reluctant assent as well.

 

 

"Then it is finished." Marr said, signaling the passing of the nomination.

 

 

"The Spheres of Biotic Science, Military Strategy, and Imperial Intelligence still need to be filled." Nox pointed out.

 

 

"The Sphere of Military Strategy is easy enough." Marr replied. "Darth Charnus will replace his former master, Decimas. Any objections?" Heads shook in response. "Then Darth Charnus is the new head of the Sphere of Military Strategy."

 

 

"I think Darth Nalik would be an excellent successor for Acheron." Ravage supplied, "seeing as our former colleague lost all his apprentices along with his life." There were nods of agreement around the room. Only Aruk seemed averse to the nomination, but he, for once, kept his reservations to himself and gave his reluctant assent.

 

 

"Then Darth Nalik will take the seat of Biotic Science." Marr said, affirming the decision.

 

 

"And what of the Sphere of Imperial Intelligence?" Nox requested.

 

 

"At the moment, that Sphere no longer exists." Marr responded. "With Darth Zhorrid dead and Imperial Intelligence itself dissolved soon after, the remaining assets have been temporarily assigned to various aspects of the Imperial military. We will need to rebuild it at some point, but for now the Sphere is of more use to us reinforcing our martial resources."

 

 

"Then the reformation of the Sphere will be top priority at the next Council meeting." Nox replied.

 

 

"Yes." Marr affirmed.

 

 

"With that settled," Mortis suggested, "perhaps we should turn to the matter of nominations for Darth for the next meeting. My apprentice, Lord Zavrasha, has earned the title I believe."

 

 

"Indeed." Vowrawn said with a familiar twinkle in his eye. "Her sensibilities have become quite enjoyable for those under her." Mortis glared at him.

 

 

"I see no issue with that." Marr replied, and a nodding of heads around the room indicated that no one was opposed to the promotion of Mortis's apprentice.

 

 

"I'd like to recommend Lord Willsaam and Lord Gravuk." Came Aruk's voice out of the silence.

 

 

"Isn't Lord Willsaam technically not within your sphere?" Ravage asked out of curiosity.

 

 

"Her master, the Emperor's Wrath, has discussed her place in the Empire with me." Aruk said, somewhat haughtily. "He has deemed me to be the only one fit to oversee her."

 

 

"Madness to madness." Nox muttered the old Sith proverb under his breath, loud enough for Marr and Ravage to hear, but no one else.

 

 

"Very well." Mortis said solemnly. "Does anyone object to the promotions of Lord Willsaam and Lord Gravuk?" Silence. "Then they will be added to the agenda for our next meeting." Mortis concluded.

 

 

"Not Lord Willsaam." Aruk interrupted. "The Wrath specifically stated that he will be granting the promotion himself."

 

 

"One less thing for us to deal with." Marr answered. "Let it be done then."

 

 

"Is there any other business yet to be addressed?" Mortis asked.

 

 

"We still have our first topic of discussion on the table," Marr reminded him, "what strategy to adopt for the next stage of the war."

 

 

"I'm not sure what discussion needs to be had," Mortis insisted. "If we do not defend ourselves the war is over!"

 

 

"And yet if we simply defend and do not attack we will lose resources far faster than the Republic, and the war will, in all likelihood end with our defeat." Vowrawn countered. Nox rose from his chair and descended from the dais to the middle of the room. All eyes turned to watch him as he took center stage, some in interest, some in hatred, some even in amusement.

 

 

"Members of the Dark Council." Nox began. "At the beginning of this meeting we coronated a new king of Alderaan."

 

 

"Great, more grandstanding." Aruk whispered to himself, with only Rictus and Vowrawn able to hear him.

 

 

"In this, we now have a great opportunity," Nox said, clenching his fist for emphasis, "if we have the ambition to seize it! It will not be long before the Republic moves on Alderaan. We must act now and claim this advantage while we still have it. With the annexation of Alderaan we are now in possession of many hyperspace routes that lead directly to the heart of our enemy. If we act now, we can turn Alderaan into a staging point for full-on invasion of the Core, and..." he paused, "the completion of what the Sacking of Coruscant began all those decades ago." He paused to allow anyone who wished to speak the opportunity to do so. When he realized that he had the rapt attention of everyone in the room, he continued.

 

 

"With Alderaan and its hyperspace routes under our control, we have a chance to deal a death blow to the Republic, and spell out their doom for all the galaxy to see. We can launch direct attacks on Coruscant and Tython while the Republic scrambles to gather its forces, we can cut the heads off of these snakes and possibly even end the war here and now!" The door of the chamber opened, and all eyes went to the entrance, some startled, some curious. There, striding in through the open doorway, was seven feet of muscle, armor, and force power: The Emperor's Wrath.

 

 

"Lord Demise." Nox said, bowing his head in a gesture of respect.

 

 

"Darth Nox." Demise replied in acknowledgement. "Members of the Dark Council. I have come in support of Darth Nox's plans to take action against our enemy: the hated Republic." Looks of surprise showed on every visible face. "Too long has the Empire been held back by petty infighting and division. I have come here today to call upon the Dark Council to take hold of this opportunity to strike an incredible blow to our common enemy, providing new opportunities for conquest, resources, and the expansion of our influence."

 

 

"As Lord Demise so eloquently said," Nox continued, "This is a great opportunity for all of us."

 

 

"I'm beginning to wonder just what you have in mind, Darth Nox." Marr spoke up from his seat.

 

 

"Just this: "Nox said, smiling behind his helm, "I propose the execution of a plan I have been crafting since I took my place on this Council many months ago. Plan designate: Omega. Plan Omega involves a coordinated attack on both Coruscant and Tython." Ravage leaned forward in his seat, crossing one leg horizontally over the other and resting his elbow on it as he paid close attention to Nox's words. Mortis was leaning forward slightly in his seat in interest, and Marr and Vowrawn were both relaxing in their own seats, Vowrawn with his hands steepled in front of his face and a wicked smile in his eyes.

 

 

"These coordinated attacks," Nox continued, "are largely to serve as elaborate distractions, complementary to the plan's true purpose," He paused. "the assassinations of the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic and the Supreme Commander of the Republic's armed forces." Dead silence. Nox allowed it to stretch to just short of an uncomfortable length of time, but just as he was about to continue speaking, Marr spoke up.

 

 

"This plan is...bold, to say the least." He said in a slightly awed tone. "What information do you have regarding the republic's defenses? Their emergency protocols? Their contingencies?"

 

 

"All right here." Nox assured him, detaching a small holoprojector from his utility belt and tossing the device so that it hovered above the floor while going through a slide show of data and intel on all the various aspects of the plan. "Normally I would be content to carry out this plan myself and take all the credit, but the sheer scope of the plan requires far more resources and sources of expertise than I have at my disposal. Thus I bring this to you, my fellow councilors, and ask for your cooperation in orchestrating the downfall of the Republic."

 

 

"This plan is audacious but hardly a death knell for the Republic." Ravage cut in. "I think you are overstating the case."

 

 

"Ahh but you see, the attacks and assassinations are only phase one."

 

 

"Phase One?" Vowrawn asked, a youthful eagerness in his voice.

 

 

"The second phase involves a barrage of invasions of various other planets throughout Republic space, immediately following the attacks and successful assassinations."

 

 

"Why attack Tython too?" Mortis asked. "Isn't Coruscant good enough to serve our purposes?"

 

 

"I thought so at first." Nox said, nodding sagely. "But then I realized that if the Jedi are simply left to their own devices, they will reinforce the forces on Coruscant by surrounding the planet and trapping our forces between two fronts. Thus the attack on Tython to draw the main force of Jedi away from Coruscant so that they cannot interfere with our assassination attempts or turn the tide of the battle before we are ready and able to retreat."

 

 

"Divide and conquer." Marr mused absentmindedly.

 

 

"Precisely." Nox amended. "With the follow-up invasions, the Republic will be leaderless in nearly every capacity and the Jedi will be stretched thin, trying to keep both the Republic and their order from falling apart."

 

 

"What about the Jedi Council?" Rictus inquired. "Aren't we just creating a way for them to take over the Republic?"

 

 

"The Republic being run by the Jedi will only make our enemy more dangerous!" Aruk hissed at Nox. "You're trying to undermine us!"

 

 

"You know as well as I do how principled the Jedi are." Marr responded in Nox's place. "They may institute temporary leadership in a time of crisis such as the one this plan will create, but we will have the initiative, and even after they assume control they will still be stretched too thin trying to protect the innocent beings of the worlds we enslave to even think about launching an assault on our most vulnerable sectors."

 

 

"Marr is correct." Vowrawn chimed in. "We are dealing with an enemy which has extraordinary weaknesses. This plan takes full advantage of them to give us what we need while protecting and concealing our own weaknesses."

 

 

Rictus looked convinced, but Aruk's body language said he was still desperately clinging to his prejudices. Unfortunately, he had no support on which to stand, so even he conceded the point. Nox called the projector back to his hand and switched it off, returning it to his belt.

 

 

"I will be sending you all detailed copies of the plan in its entirety. The role of every Dark Council member is explicitly outlined within. Darth Marr and I will be commanding the assault on Tython, provided he has no objections. Darth Aruk and Darth Ravage will be commanding the fleet battle above Coruscant, again, provided they have no objections, and Lord Demise will be commanding the ground forces alongside Darth Mortis on the planet. Darth Vowrawn will be seeing to all the preparations for the subsequent invasions following the attacks, as well as coordinating efforts and resources in preparation for the attacks themselves. During the battles we will be holding some resources and troops in reserve in case backup is needed. The total sums of ships, troops, and resources required are listed as well, divided as evenly as possible. The remainder of our combined resources will, of course, be protecting the rest of the Empire while we cut out the Republic's heart." He looked around at the faces of his fellow council members. "I suggest we adjourn for a few hours to review the plan and consider our options before we take the vote." He suggested. "Some time to evaluate the plan with a more critical eye is a welcome prospect I'm sure."

 

 

"Agreed." Marr said. "we'll meet back here in three hours, then we will vote on the fate of the Republic."

 

____________

 

 

The members of the Dark Council filed out into the hallway after the vote on the enacting of Plan Omega. The vote had passed, much to Nox's pleasure, and the council members were even now departing to galvanize their various power bases to begin preparations for the assault, which was scheduled to begin in a standard week. Nox approached Marr as they neared the elevator and asked:

 

 

"How did she take it?"

 

 

"Who?"

 

 

"Karrid, who else?"

 

 

"I informed her of the situation." Marr said in what amounted to a hushed tone. "She took it better than expected."

 

 

"Do you think she has a plan?" Nox asked when the possibility suddenly crossed his mind.

 

 

"It would not surprise me." Marr conceded. "Let us hope that it is as well-thought out as yours."

 

 

"Speaking of well thought-out plans..." Vowrawn's voice cut in. The two Dark Lords turned to acknowledge the other Dark Councilor as he approached them. "This delightful scheme of yours is absolutely brazen, Darth Nox." The tall, lanky pureblood complimented him. "I'm surprised I didn't come up with it myself."

 

 

"It wouldn't be possible without Darth Imperious winning the war for Alderaan." Nox pointed out.

 

 

"Yes, and I'm sure that wouldn't have been possible without certain...shadowy benefactors." Vowrawn rebutted with a twinkle in his eye. Behind his helm, Nox's eyes narrowed. Just how much does he know?

 

 

"The boldness of the plan is its strength." Marr said with conviction. "We've been on the defensive for so long, and been so severely weakened by infighting and betrayal that the Republic will not be expecting such an aggressive maneuver from us. They will be caught off-guard by an opponent they believed was defeated."

 

 

"Indeed." Vowrawn complied. "Let us hope that the element of surprise will be enough to help disguise our true goal until it is too late. With chaos that the deaths of their leaders will sow in the ranks, we rely on them being too busy scrambling to defend themselves to notice our weaknesses elsewhere. If they do, this plan could easily backfire."

 

 

"I agree Vowrawn." Nox said, causing both of the other Sith to look directly at him in mild surprise. "Which is why I entrusted you with staying behind to ensure the safety of Alderaan and keep in touch with High Command to keep us informed of the state of skeleton defense of the Empire."

 

 

"The Republic might take notice of the mass retreats of our forces across the galaxy and divine it as a prelude to something bigger." Marr pointed out. "What if they are prepared for us?"

 

 

"They won't be." Nox assured him. "We're already in retreat from many sectors, unfortunately. I took that into account when I started conducting this plan. I believe that the massive withdrawal of our forces will be seen only as self-preservation, the actions of the desperate. With this plan we will feed their delusions of superiority so that they will not see this coming until it is too late."

 

 

"What about communications from Alderaan?" Marr inquired further. "Don't you think the conquest of the planet has already been leaked to the Republic?"

 

 

"Imperious's elite commando squads disabled communications for the entire planet right before he sprung his trap, when House Thul appeared to be in full retreat. All the Republic knows is that House Organa and her allies were winning the war when a communications blackout occurred. Thul now has total control over the communications systems and are faking the blackout to use as a smokescreen to conceal our impending attack." An evil grin split Vowrawn's face.

 

 

"I do so love blindsiding opponents!"

 

 

"It is such an exquisite pleasure isn't it?" Nox replied with an equally delighted expression spreading across his own hidden visage.

 

 

"Indeed!" Vowrawn said, rubbing his hands together in eager anticipation, "Well I'd best be off, these preparations aren't going to make themselves!" and with that, he turned and headed down the hall, turning the corner towards the elevator.

 

 

"Are you sure about this Nox?" Marr asked, genuine concern creeping into his voice. "Do you at least have a contingency plan in case this plan backfires?"

 

 

"Yes. There is a reason I did not involve The Ascendant Spear and my ships equipped with Silencers in these attacks." Nox replied.

 

 

Marr nodded. "I wondered about that. The plan made no mention of them."

 

 

"I've stationed each Silencer ship at key Imperial strongholds that must not fall." Nox stated, "And Darth Karrid will be more than willing to defend the Empire with The Spear should the Republic be so bold and well-organized as to counter-attack. With its highly advanced weaponry and unmatched speed, The Spear will be more than capable of defending multiple positions within short periods of time."

 

 

"The need for your ships to defend key strongholds was why you required the Council's help in executing this." Marr said in realization. "Thanks to the Silencers, your ships are powerful but you don't enough of them to take on Coruscant's and Tython's defenses by yourself."

 

 

"Exactly." Nox affirmed. "But they will serve perfectly fine in defending key strongholds against small Republic fleets with minimal support."

 

 

"Why have the Council members lead the attacks?" Marr asked. "I'm surprised no one accused you of setting us up."

 

 

Nox chuckled. "Possibly because I myself will be fighting the battle as well. I wouldn't be very intelligent if I set myself up to take the fall with the rest of you." He paused to consider the matter a moment, then spoke again. "But to reassure you, my intentions regarding having the Dark Council lead the attacks is simply because the Empire cannot afford to have this plan fail. We need the very best leading the charge to avoid incompetence and mistakes." Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Marr nodded.

 

 

"Understandable considering the recent events, although some might point to Corellia as an example of what happens when too many members of the Dark Council gather in one place."

 

 

"If you want my opinion, that was simply a tactical mistake." Nox replied with fervor. "We could afford to lose Corellia. There was no need to have so many members of the Dark Council present on-world." He paused. "This, however, is a gamble we can't afford to lose. Whether the Dark Council is wiped out or not, if we lose this battle, we lose the war." The two Sith stood in silence for a moment, letting the weight of the realization settle on them. The gravity of the actions they were about to take was suddenly very real. After a long moment, Marr reached out and placed a gloved hand on Nox's armoured shoulder.

 

 

"May the Dark Side ever serve you, Darth Nox."

 

 

"And you as well, Darth Marr."

 

I have to say,I really enjoyed this dark council meeting and the references toSWTOR Annihilation.

[Lunafox]

Finally caught up. I have to say I really enjoyed the latest chapters, and I agree with Flame, that the council meeting was entertaining and well done. I like that you're using both Nox and the newly elevated Imperious, and it makes sense who it is too. The nods to Annihilation and Darth Karrid were also quite enjoyable. Good work, Mayhem.

[De-mu-noki]

I have to say,I really enjoyed this dark council meeting and the references toSWTOR Annihilation.

 

Finally caught up. I have to say I really enjoyed the latest chapters, and I agree with Flame, that the council meeting was entertaining and well done. I like that you're using both Nox and the newly elevated Imperious, and it makes sense who it is too. The nods to Annihilation and Darth Karrid were also quite enjoyable. Good work, Mayhem.

 

 

Thanks you two! To all my other readers out there: Don't be shy! Criticize me! I love criticism because it shows people actually care about the story, so if you see something, say something! If you think my writing or the story might be improved somehow, offer up the idea! If you just want to say something like: "You suck", tell me why I suck! I want to hear it! Feedback feedback feedback! XD

[ssppeeiirr]

be careful what you wish for when it comes to that my friend, as to your story, another engaging chapter, though if I may point out, you are not capturing the cruelty of the darkside in your chapters, I am aware that just because one is entrenched in the darkside does not necessarily make them cruel but they do seem to go hand in hand

[De-mu-noki]

be careful what you wish for when it comes to that my friend, as to your story, another engaging chapter, though if I may point out, you are not capturing the cruelty of the darkside in your chapters, I am aware that just because one is entrenched in the darkside does not necessarily make them cruel but they do seem to go hand in hand

 

I know, and I hear/feel what you're saying. Believe me when I say that Nox's character as he is now is not the way he will stay. There are thing holding him back from fully embracing his dark gift. In terms of the in-game measurement, I'd say Nox right now is a Dark 3 or 4. Plus you do have to remember that Darth Sidious, the greatest Sith in canon, was not a full Dark 5 in that way either. Nox could just be insanely cruel and merciless to everyone he encounters, but he recognizes that such methods would only doom him to failure. If you feel Nox shouldn't be insanely cruel but that he's just coming off as weak I can understand that. Like I said, there are things holding him back...

 

However, let's give it some time and see if Nox's slow descent begins to pick up speed hmm? I will take what you suggested into account and do what I can to accentuate Nox's Dark Side qualities more without severely altering the character development or plot. I hope this issue hasn't made you lose interest!