Legacy of Darkness - A Fanfiction trilogy

[ssppeeiirr]

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!

 

not at all, in fact i am eager for more, and I wasn't just referring to Nox.

I also agree that to have your main character devolve into a raging mass of stupidity would detract from who he is as a character, I am not saying that is what I want to see, but it seems that his interactions with others could be slightly more cruel, nor is he coming off as weak, far from it, I just feel that his interactions are a bit too light side.

[De-mu-noki]

Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying your weekend! It figures that immediately after I post two of the longest segments I've ever written, I'd have to post my shortest one. Still, I hope you guys enjoy this all the same. I plan to have the next segment focus solely on Xalek, so that should give any Xalek fans out there something to really look forward to next weekend! Enjoy!

 

 

 

Xalek descended the boarding ramp of his ship, feeling the hot, foul-smelling atmosphere of Vlestakk sting his lungs and throat. The lack of oxygen in the nitrogen and xenon-rich atmosphere was unhealthy for most humanoids, but not fatal, merely painful, and he could use the Force to counteract the most harmful effects for long enough to leave the planet without permanent damage. Looking out over the plain in which he had landed, Xalek took in the alien landscape. A carpet of blue, grass-like plants covered the ground for as far as the eye could see. In the green sky, the system's three suns illuminated the foreign landscape in vibrant color. At various points, tall, thin, tree-like plants sprouted from among the grass, their red stems contrasting sharply with the vibrant ocean blue of their own leaves and the grass from which they sprang. Far off to the west, Xalek could see a mountain range that stretched for hundreds of miles, only to seemingly vanish over the horizon. To the east, north, and south, the plain seemed to go on forever, but Xalek knew from the planetary survey carried out by the Expeditionary Fleet that this was merely an expansive flatland, and that a large body of liquid lay to the east.

 

 

He knelt on the ground and summoned the Force to do his bidding. He stretched his awareness out across the planet, invisible tendrils of thought covering miles in mere moments. He could definitely feel something, a kind of intuitive sensation of distant disturbance, like feeling the beating of drums long before you heard them, soft waves of dark power emanating from a source far distant. The radiation of the system's three stars, while not toxic, played havoc with ship sensors and navigation computers, it had been hard enough getting the ship through entry into the atmosphere, so Xalek wasn't eager to risk a crash by tracking down the relic in his ship, despite the vast distance. After a moment of consideration, he decided on what to do.

 

 

Positioning himself so that he faced away from the setting suns, Xalek stared into the distance, assuming a running stance, furrowing his brow, and narrowing his eyes as he summoned the power of the Dark Side. He felt the energy crackling through his limbs and his predatory instincts rising to the surface. Every muscle in his body coiled, then released. He flew across the plain like a thunderbolt, moving so fast he appeared as a blur to everything but the wind. The featureless landscape whizzed past him as if he were a ship in hyperspace. He saw the daylight begin to slowly fade as he crossed into the next time zone, and though he felt his energy reserves dropping, he ran on. In a flash he reached a vast expanse of black, oily-looking liquid, and continued at his current pace without stopping. The pain in his lungs from breathing the alien atmosphere drove him on, and his feet carried him across the strange ocean, never breaking the surface tension.

 

 

As he ran, he saw a dot appear on the horizon, directly in front of him. As he got closer, he saw it change from a dot to a group of shapes, then from a group of shapes to a herd of large animals. His enhanced vision allowed him to see them despite the vast distance between them that was rapidly closing, and he was able to analyze them briefly. The creatures were large mammals with round, wide bodies, flat heads, and three, long, thick tentacles sprouting around the openings in their faces that were most likely their mouths. The tentacles hung down almost to the surface of the sea, and seemed almost as long as the legs of the strange creatures, which were thicker than the tentacles but still seemed thin due to the bulk of the animal's bodies and the length of the limbs compared to their circumference. The beasts plodded along the surface of the viscous ocean on incredibly large, flat, circular feet that evenly distributed their weight to allow them to traverse the body of liquid as if it were solid ground. The sight was awe-inspiring, even to a born and bred predator like Xalek, who would have preferred to taste their flesh rather than admire their design, but he took only a moment to ponder them as he raced through the herd, stirring haunting moans of panic and surprise from the creatures that were snatched away from his ears by the wind.

 

 

After a few minutes more of running, Xalek felt a subtle disturbance in the Force. It seemed far away, but was drawing closer with each passing second. It wasn't the artifact, he was certain, as the disturbance wasn't aligned to either the light nor the dark. It grew stronger as he raced across the black sea, until suddenly, like a symphonic transition, it spiked. Xalek slipped to the side without breaking stride as a large, hideous, eyeless mouth full of impossibly sharp fangs emerged from the oily mire, huge jaws agape to swallow him whole. The creature missed completely, but Xalek wasn't even concerned with it anymore as the flat surface of the sea suddenly became a minefield of identical, monstrous black serpents. They sprung from beneath the surface in and around his path, all trying to swallow the Kaleesh whole. With each failed attempt their long, thick, scaly black bodies would follow the arc of their heads until the tail emerged and then vanished, but Xalek hardly cared as all his attention was focused on dodging this miles-long trap these creatures had obviously laid to catch prey, such as the strange herd of sea walkers he'd encountered not minutes before.

 

 

Xalek was so busy dodging left and right that he almost didn't see the creature that sprung from the muck right in front of him, the black, stinking void of its mouth opened wide enough to swallow a fully grown Syrox. Xalek leaped up into the air, the monsters jaws snapping closed around the thin air where he had been moments before. His Force leap propelled him along the length of the serpentine body and past where it was still emerging from the tar of the alien ocean. Using the Force, Xalek slowed his descent enough to avoid breaking the surface upon impact, and hit the sea running. No more serpents emerged to attack him, and he realized that he had escaped their trap, but there was one problem; he was growing tired. His legs were becoming sore and numb, and his energy reserves were dangerously low, cropped up only by the power of the Dark Side. If he didn't find land soon he would be in serious trouble.

 

 

Digging deep down into himself, he dredged up painful and violent memories to strengthen his anger and hatred and renew his resolve. He felt his stamina rise and the numbness in his limbs fade, but only partially, he had delayed the crisis not averted it. As the tension in his muscles began to mount, he saw land emerge on the horizon. His body burned with pain, and he fed on his agony to increase his speed. The land rushed closer and closer and closer until it filled his view and, suddenly, his feet touched solid ground.

 

 

Skidding to a momentum-defying stop on the rust-colored sand, Xalek knelt down and entered a deep meditation trance. He channeled the powers of corruption to repair his physical body while the Dark Side restored his strength. He felt his aching muscles heal quickly, but the drain on his power that the journey had inflicted was not so easily recovered from. He spent a good ten standard minutes calling on the Dark Side, channeling it through him and renewing his power. When he finally felt whole again, he rose to his feet and examined the area.

 

 

He was standing on a beach which gave way to blue grass a few meters away. Beyond the end of the sand were pleasant, rolling hills, a small lake, and a thick jungle of red-trunked, azure-leafed "trees". Behind the jungle, a solemn mountain range loomed. Reaching out with his senses, Xalek could feel a deep resonance in the fabric of the Dark Side, like waves emanating from a source. It was coming from the jungle's heart, booming like the war drum of a warrior's heartbeat. With his sense of direction now more acutely focused on the location of his target, he set off at a full sprint for the jungle.

 

 

____________

 

 

Nox was leaning back in his chair, typing orders into his datapad when Ashara came storming down the hall and entered his office abruptly.

 

 

"I don't believe them! The nerve!"

 

 

Smiling behind his helm, Nox looked up and pretended to sound marginally surprised: "What? What is it?"

 

 

"Darth Salrivek blocked my team that I dispatched to Vemrianna, he said my privileges are suspended pending an investigation by the Ministry!"

 

 

"Well," Nox said, disguising his self-satisfaction behind a veil of false sympathy, "that's quite the statement."

 

 

"They're deliberately sabotaging us!" Ashara raged. "They must have some idea of what's going on, no one could be this racist!"

 

 

Nox didn't even attempt to hide his amusement at the remark. "Because we all know the Empire is a pillar of acceptance and tolerance." He added glibly. His gleefully sarcastic remark seemed to go unnoticed, however.

 

 

"If they know what's going on, then we have to deal with them!" Ashara said, the fires of her passion as sweet as incense in Nox's proverbial nostrils.

 

 

"Now, now." He said authoritatively. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves talreh."

 

 

At the sound of the word Ashara seemed to calm down somewhat. "You can't deny this is unfair." She challenged him, "this is just unprecedented!"

 

 

"Of course it is." Nox assured her. "Aruk is pulling out all the stops to keep us in line, he'll take advantage of every opportunity we give him to discredit and weaken us."

 

 

"It's just frustrating," Ashara complained, seating herself on the edge of his desk. "I feel so helpless."

 

 

"I know." Nox said in a seductive tone. "But this is a perfect opportunity to put your knowledge to good use."

 

 

Ashara looked at him askance. "What do you mean?"

 

 

"It's time you demonstrated your ability to practice deceit and apply violence in appropriate measure." Nox said, reaching out with the Force to subtly influence her emotions through his innate Force presence, bypassing her ability to detect mental manipulation. "In the depths of the Citadel is the Archive of the Ministry of Sith Philosophy." He continued, "if you get the access codes from an archivist, you can access the archives. From there, slice into the ministry database and delete registration forms CX9 through to 17 along with Dispatch and Assignment order 10K58G39 and the attached Use of force Authorization. Aruk and Salrivek will have no legal jurisdiction over you until they realize the files are missing. If you cover your tracks well enough, they won't ever be able to bring any accusations against you."

 

 

Ashara looked a little stunned for a moment, then asked: "Where did you get all this information?" Nox smiled.

 

 

"We have eyes and ears everywhere my dear, you know what I always say about friends and enemies." A pleased and eager smile was spreading across Ashara's smooth, brightly colored face.

 

 

"You never cease to amaze my lord."

 

 

"Neither do you." Nox replied suggestively. "Now you should hurry, Aruk is offworld, but Salrivek is in a meeting with several other Darths and Lords. It would be best to strike while you can be certain he is occupied."

 

 

"I could kiss you right now." Ashara said gleefully.

 

 

"Save it for later," Nox said cheekily, "We can celebrate after your diplomatic team gets off-planet."

 

 

"I like the sound of that." Ashara replied sweetly as she reluctantly slid off the desk. "I'll be back soon, gilrah." She turned, walked out of the office, and down the hall.

 

 

Nox watched her go until she turned the corner, then turned towards the holoprojector in the corner of the room. Getting up from behind his desk we walked over to it and switched it on, and the image of Darth Nalik appeared before him. The young man looked anything but youthful. The Dark Side and his many scientific experiments on himself had shriveled and warped his body until he looked almost as ugly as some of the less human-looking aliens.

 

 

"Darth Nox." Nalik said, an almost imperceptible undertone of seething hatred and menace entering his hollow voice. "What is it you want?"

 

 

"The apprentice," Nox said, wasting no time with cordiality. "What is your report?"

 

 

"He is developing quickly." Darth Nalik said, "just as you predicated."

 

 

"And his talent matches my specifications?" Nox asked in an exacting tone.

 

 

"Your extrapolations were uncannily precise." The Sith admitted. "I admit he is a promising candidate, your assistance in bringing him to me is...appreciated."

 

 

"I hope that appreciation will not fade with time." Nox said menacingly. "You owe me for this Nalik."

 

 

"That was the understanding." Nalik admitted. "Although I am curious as to why you did not seek to take him on yourself."

 

 

"I already have an apprentice to train," Nox said "and I prefer to have as few distractions as possible. In our line of work we cannot afford to split our attention too many ways, can we?"

 

 

"Are you threatening me?" Nalik asked, his growl barely contained.

 

 

"Advising." Nox corrected.

 

 

"Your advice is not necessary." Nalik said gruffly.

 

 

"True," Nox admitted. "I simply thought you might wish to keep your position, and your head." Nalik snarled.

 

 

"I owe you for bringing Nemin to me, but after that, we're through!" and the signal abruptly cut out.

 

[De-mu-noki]

Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying your weekend! I'm sorry this one is late but I had trouble getting it just the way I wanted it, especially getting the vision just the way I wanted it with regards to diction, pacing ect. It's hard to write an authentic sounding dream/vision sequence, and I can only hope I've done a convincing job!

 

On a side note with regards to the dream sequence; I used a technique I call "soundscaping" to create the dream, and here is the music I used: http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=b6IFk4EWOec#Dragonfable_Soundtrack_-_As_you_Lie_Dreaming___

 

You can use the music as background music while reading the dream sequence if you wish, or simply ignore it. Whatever works for you. Personally I would read the sequence in silence first a few times to memorize it and get the "movie" of what happens in my head, then play the music while "playing the movie" in my head...but that's just me. Use it any way you like or don't use it all, its all good to me! I just wanted to share a part of my creative process with you guys so you can get a small window into my mind. Just a small window, we wouldn't you to run away screaming now would we?

 

Please, enjoy the show!

 

 

 

Xalek made his way through the alien jungle, tracking the source of the dark energy radiating through the Force, relying on his physical senses to keep him alert to his surroundings. He could detect the presence of several predatory organisms stalking him, but they made no move to attack, nor did they reveal themselves, so Xalek simply monitored their movements with his olfactory and auditory senses and continued to draw closer to the source of the disturbance in the Dark Side.

 

 

Suddenly a strong odor, even more foul than the latent toxicity of Vlestak's atmosphere, permeated his nostrils. He immediately became lightheaded, and in response he called upon the training his master had given him on how to purge poisons and toxins from his body. He held his breath as the fog in his brain faded, his stalkers however, weren't so lucky. With several loud thumps, the small group of Akk dog-sized predators dropped from their perches in the trees and hit the ground. Xalek's hand drifted towards his lightsaber as he scanned the surroundings through the vibrating air. He was so busy looking for sharp, fast movements in the underbrush that he didn't notice the strange aliens with tiny, snail-like bodies, thin heads with eyes mounted on stalks, short, thin arms that ended in large, four-fingered hands, and with large, inflated glands on their backs, descending from the upper canopy.

 

 

Xalek whirled around to see the four creatures descending on their unconscious prey and removed his lightsaber from his belt, but did not activate it. If these creatures were responsible for the knockout gas, they might have more on them that they could use against him, so fighting them should be a last resort. The creatures seemingly took no notice of him, and they descended on the fallen animals and began to choose which ones they would take. The air was filled with vibrant and foreign smells that quickly nullified the threat of the knockout gas, and Xalek realized that these beings communicated through generating and releasing different combinations of gases, that was probably how they produced the knockout gas as well, making them a deadly enemy to almost any life form on their world.. Examining them closer, he could now see the tubules on the rear of their balloon glands that no doubt gave them propulsion and allowed them to manage their ballast, as well as communicate with each other. The "conversation" appeared to be over, as the four aliens had chosen their prey and were carrying off two of the sleeping creatures by their limbs. Xalek waited until they had gone on ahead of him a ways and then cloaked himself in the Force. He no longer needed to focus on tracking the artifact as he was close enough now that he could perceive its effects without concentrating, and the aliens were heading towards the artifact anyway.

 

 

After only a few minutes of stalking the alien floaters, Xalek sensed a great many more of the odd creatures up ahead and above. He looked up and could see that many of the thick-trunked tree-like plants that composed the jungle had been carved out to create multi-level dwellings for the planet's native sentients. Xalek wandered under the village as he watched for anything out of the ordinary, anything that might give him some hint of the artifact's location. He could feel the item's power permeating this place, but he could not sense it's exact location. He suddenly got the sense that he was being watched and, concerned that he might have underestimated the olfactory senses of the natives, he frantically scanned his surroundings until his eyes settled on the small Floater hovering only two meters away. This specimen was smaller than the others Xalek had followed, likely an adolescent, and it seemed to be staring right at him with its black, soulless eyes. A faint scent wafted over Xalek and he recognized it as being similar to the Kaleesh pheromones released by a member of the species when they were possessed of an intense curiosity or interest.

 

 

Deciding to test whether the creature could actually perceive him, Xalek took a step to the right, the creature's eyes followed him. He stepped to the left, and again the Floater's oculi tracked his movements. Struck by paranoia, Xalek was seized by an almost insuppressible urge to kill the creature, but he quickly thought the better of it. If the others had truly detected his presence below the village and they were the kind of sentients to attack without provocation, then they would have used their knockout gas on him already. They either didn't know he was here, or they didn't care. Comforted by this, Xalek turned away from the young Floater and resumed his search of the ground surrounding the village, after some time he noticed that the little creature was still following him, watching his every move with such naive curiosity that it made Xalek's stomach churn.

 

 

After some more time spent searching the area, Xalek was about ready to give up when a smell similar to the Kaleesh pheromone for attracting attention reached his nostrils. He turned towards the little sprite still following him and saw it turn and head part way towards the center of the village before turning back to him, the universal body language for: "Follow me!" Xalek obliged, but only because he suspected that the creature might have realized he was looking for something and put two and two together. They arrived at the base of the thickest tree in the village, and into its red trunk was carved an entrance surrounded by rune carvings in a language wholly separate from Galactic Basic or any derivative of it. The creature paused beside the doorway and looked back at him, as if waiting for him to go first. "Of course you would send the stranger in first." Xalek murmured as he took over the lead and the Floater followed him into the darkness.

 

 

Discovering a flight of steps descending into the ground, Xalek took the steps cautiously, expanding his awareness through the Force to keep from being ambushed or springing an ancient trap. He reached the bottom without incident however, and was surprised to find himself in a spacious cavern that had been obviously created by the Rakata. Their stonework and statues decorated the space, which was dominated at its center by a pedestal upon which sat a smooth, semi-opaque sphere that glowed a deep crimson. Somewhat mesmerized by the sight and sensation of the object, Xalek approached without bothering to search the Force for signs of traps or guardians. It seemed his recklessness was to remain unpunished however, as he reached the orb without any incident. The swirling red of the orb, melted and mixed with black shadows moved in hypnotic, seductive patterns. Xalek extended a hand towards the orb, as if in a daze, and the moment his claws touched its surface, he lost all consciousness.

_____________

 

 

Dark.

 

 

So dark...and cold.

 

 

Something moved within the void, a shadow among shadows. Xalek looked but all he saw was black, then he saw it suddenly, without warning, and a chill went straight through him to his bones. It was a familiar shadow; his master. He felt like he was about to die, that hollow gaze would kill him. With a horrifying sound halfway between a screech and a roar, the shadow coalesced into a floating mass of darkness and flew away. Hardly knowing why, Xalek pursued. He found himself in a cave tunnel and despite not being able to see the shadow he could sense it and track it that way. Without warning, he burst out onto a cliff overlooking a vast plain and a distant sunset. Approaching the edge of the cliff he looked out at the setting sun, wondering what lay beyond the horizon.

 

 

"Beautiful, isn't it son?" He heard a very familiar voice say behind him, he whirled around.

 

 

"Father!" He exclaimed when he saw the image of the great warrior who had birthed him. He dropped to one knee, as he would before his master. "Father, I knew building your shrine was not in vain, you have become a god!" His father walked forward wordlessly to stand beside him.

 

 

"Rise, son." He said simply. "Look upon the end." Xalek rose to his feet and turned, walking towards the very edge of the cliff to look down. A great battle was being waged below him, but the combatants seemed to be frozen in time. There were the forces of the Empire and the Republic, locked in mortal combat as they had been for millennia past. Jedi and Sith, battling for supremacy. But something was different, there were strange, unfamiliar combatants mingled in with the opposing forces. Some were dressed in armor and robes of varying shades of red and silver, with lightsabers of yellow, pink, and purple, while the other combatants...Xalek froze as a wave of pure fear and foreboding seized his entire body. The other combatants, whether they wielded lightsabers, vibroknives, blasters, or vibroblades, all wore helms identical to his master's. His dread became abject terror as the head of every one of the skull-faced fighters turned to stare directly at him with their cold, black, empty eye sockets.

 

 

Xalek tried to move, but his body refused to obey him. Suddenly, his abdomen was pierced, and he looked down to see the blade of a purple lightsaber protruding from his stomach as he felt the familiar presence of his father change to become his master's. He felt an invisible hand press against his shoulder blades as the blade impaling him deactivated, and his limp body toppled over the edge of the cliff. He plummeted towards the ground, and he closed his eyes, praying that he had done enough to become a god. As he plummeted, he wondered who would build his shrine, who was left to do so? Who knew?

 

 

Realizing he should have struck the ground by now, he opened his eyes to see an impossible sight; He was falling through deep space. He looked up to see the galaxy in all its brilliant splendor, shining like a jewel against the backdrop of the void. Then he saw a dark spot, growing and consuming the stars one by one. The light of the galaxy seemed to dim for a moment, then it flared brightly and the dark spot shrank back to its former size. The dark orb suddenly swelled again, in defiance of the light seeking to destroy it by sheer luminance. The light of the galaxy responded by shining all the brighter, and Xalek watched as the dark orb suddenly shot up out of the galaxy's disk and into the void above. The light was pure and bright again...then Xalek noticed the edges. The edges of the glowing disk were disappearing, being eaten away by the ravenous shadows of the void. Tendrils of impossibly dark blackness swallowed one point of light after another, inch by inch the void was consuming the galaxy, eating away at the fringes. The light seemed to dim as the void began to devour the inner disk, and Xalek watched in morbid fascination as it crushed the light into a pinpoint at the center, and there was nothing left of the galaxy but that single, pinpr.ick of light.

 

 

Xalek stared at the light for what seemed like an eternity before he realized that it was getting bigger. It took a second for him to process what was happening but when he did, he realized that it was coming towards him. He tried to move, but found he couldn't, his body wasn't responding, as if it wasn't even there. The light grew bigger and brighter until it filled his vision...then quickly faded into darkness again. Alone in the empty black, Xalek floated, seemingly incapable of forming a complete thought no matter how much he tried. He tried to remember: Who am I? Where am I? How did I get here? What happened? What is this place? Am I alone? Am I all there is?

 

 

He saw a light appear in the distance, a bright, soft white light that beckoned and called to him. Without knowing how, he moved towards it, wondering what it was. Suddenly an incomprehensible mixture of horrifying sound, emotion, and sensation struck him all at once, and the light vanished to be replaced by a dark, infinite mass of bubbling, hideous flesh in which were growing thousands of profane eyes, tentacles, and mouths, all blasphemous to any form of sense or reality. In pure horror, Xalek turned and fled into the void to escape the abomination, trying to scream despite having no mouth to do it with. He fled for what was either hours or seconds when he saw the light again. He moved towards it as fast as he could, he had to reach the light, had to reach it before the thing found him again.

 

 

The light vanished and in incredible horror, Xalek once again faced the chaotic, grotesque tangle of prehensile appendages, monstrous oculi that saw in all dimensions, and blaspheming mouths that snarled and snapped and howled and cried and moaned. Once more Xalek turned and fled, but this time no matter how fast he tried to escape, the mass was there behind him, pursuing him without movement. He tried to scream as madness ate at his mind but nothing came. The roars of the monstrosity violated the very concepts of sound and telepathy, shaking him on all possible levels, seemingly swallowing his soul. He tried to go faster, but instead he felt the incomprehensible presence drawing closer. Madness entered him like water soaking through a leaf, and he felt all his senses abandon him. All he could perceive was the thing and its blasphemies against all that was sane and real.

 

 

He struggled to escape it but he could feel the pull of primal chaos drawing him back, the current of an invisible, insidious vortex in the fabric of the void that drew him back towards the atrocity. He dared not look back for fear of seeing it and being shattered to his soul by the knowledge of its existence. He continued to struggle, fighting the irresistible tide with everything he had. And it was then, that the thing fell on him.

 

____________

 

 

Xalek knelt on a small hill near the lake he had encountered earlier before entering the jungle. The artifact was safely attached to his belt and thankfully dormant, the last thing he wanted now was receive another vision from the cursed thing. He closed his eyes and began to meditate, focusing on his emotions. His fear and hatred rose up within him, creating a bubbling well of dark energy that spread from his core to the ends of his claw tips. He dwelt on the meaning of the horrifying vision the dark artifact had granted him, trying to pierce the veil that the Force used to obscure such things from the eyes of the unworthy.

 

 

What did it all mean? His father becoming his master and killing him, the frozen battle with the beings that wore his master's helm, the galaxy consumed by darkness again and again, it didn't make any sense. He stopped himself and brought his attention back to the first part of the vision, the shadow in the void, the shadow that had taken the form of his master. An involuntary chill ran down his spine and his flesh became covered in goose bumps as he remembered. The hollow, soulless gaze of the dark entity had been like the gaze of death itself, it had afflicted him with the cold, empty chill of the abyss. Then it had lead him, somehow, out of the darkness and to the cliff over the sunset, where it had disappeared, only to be replaced by his father. Unsure of the meaning, Xalek pressed his memory further; His father had shown him the battle, frozen in time, between the Empire, Republic, and the beings in red, with the skull-faced legions working amongst the chaos. Until that terrible moment when, seemingly in defiance of the power that held them petrified, they had seen him, staring at him with the same hollow gaze as the shadow in the void.

 

 

Then his father had killed him, betrayed him, only it wasn't his father but his master. Perhaps it had been all along. But still, what did it mean? He searched for the answer in his emotions, breaking down every whim and passing sensation within the vision. Finally he reluctantly came to the answer, his master was plotting to betray him. Darth Nox, the man he considered a second father, was orchestrating his downfall. The significance of the mysterious army and the battle between light and darkness for the galaxy still escaped him, but he already knew what he needed to know; his master was no longer his benefactor.

 

 

Still, that meant he had to decide what to do, how to handle this. He searched for the answer within himself, opening himself to the Dark Side and letting his passions lead him, it wasn't long before he reached a conclusion. There was nothing he could do for the moment, he would have to watch and wait, scrutinizing and analyzing his opponent's moves in secret, while he showed nothing but deference and submission outwardly. But he would remain vigilant, always watching for signs and hints of betrayal, he would not be taken by surprise or caught off-guard.

 

 

Sensing something behind him, he rose to his feet and turned around to see the Floater that had lead him to the artifact; the curious creature had followed him all the way out of the jungle. They gazed at each other for a long moment while Xalek's thoughts raced through his head. If he was going to be ready for his master's betrayal one day, he needed to grow, not just in power, but as a Sith as well. He would need to not just be a great warrior, but a great thinker and strategist, he needed to truly master the Dark Side. It would be a daunting task, his master would not teach him, of that he was now certain, so he would need to learn such things on his own, through experience. It would not be simple, but he remembered something his father once told him: "Victory over a thousand foes begins with first blood."

 

 

If he was going to ascend beyond his master, he needed to begin his ascension now. He extended a single claw towards the alien, and reached out to briefly touch the Floater's mind, beckoning it closer. The creature approached, cautiously at first, but it soon was close enough that Xalek could reach out and touch its thin, elongated head with his extended claw. Upon contact he seized the Floater's mind and began to pour the knowledge of the Dark Side into it. He showed how rage and hatred bring power, how to weaponize passion, and how to bend the Force to one's own will. He watched the creature's innocence and naiveté melt away, to be replaced by toxic malice.

 

 

He released the Floater's mind and withdrew his claw from its forehead. The creature looked a bit dazed, but Xalek only spared it one last glance as he turned and gathered his energy, taking off at impossible speed and racing out over the black ocean. The alien watched him go, then turned and floated back towards the jungle, a yellow gleam in its formerly black eye.

 

Edited March 19, 2017 by De-mu-noki

[De-mu-noki]

Hi everyone! Here's the newest addition to LoD, I hope you find it entertaining!

 

 

"So...we are fully prepared then." Darth Marr said, glancing at the rest of the original seven members of the Dark Council.

 

 

"Yes." Darth Mortis said in response, and the other five nodded in agreement.

 

 

"Vwhat about usss?" Darth Karrid asked, her accent elongating the "s", making her sound as reptilian as she looked. "You ssstill haven't told usss vwhat exactly isss going on Marrrr." The way she naturally rolled her r's made her sound almost like she was trying to seduce the Dark Lord, but it was simply an aspect of her Falleen biology, as the species of reptilian humanoids had evolved many sensual mannerisms to promote the propagation of their species.

 

 

"The seven of us are launching full-scale, coordinated assaults on Coruscant and Tython." Marr replied. The somewhat stunned silence from the four newest members of the Dark Council was again broken by Karrid.

 

 

"And you didn't think to include usss?" She questioned, her bottom lip protruding slightly in what might have been a pout.

 

 

"There was no time." Marr said firmly. "As it is it will take you four a while to reorganize your respective Spheres as you see fit, and this plan was approved and preparations were begun before any of you were appointed your seats." He paused briefly. "And besides, the Empire will need strong leadership in our absence, leadership you all have proven capable of providing."

 

 

"Your confidence in us is appreciated, Darth Marr." Nalik said, cutting off Karrid before she could respond. His eyes moved to Nox as he continued, "We will not disappoint you."

 

 

"With our newest members settled," Mortis spoke up, "I think we should get on with the business of this meeting."

 

 

"Yes," Marr agreed. "The Sphere of Intelligence should be reformed, and preferably soon."

 

 

"The first issue is who to elect as Darth Zhorrid's replacement." Ravage said. "I think Darth Malron would be a good choice." A snort of disbelief came from Rictus.

 

 

"You think that little bootlicker is fit to be on the Dark Council?" The old man could barely restrain his laughter. "Come now Ravage don't tell me you think a politician like Malron is fit to head Imperial Intelligence!"

 

 

"I don't hear you offering any candidates, Rictus." Ravage growled.

 

 

"Darth Emereen would be an excellent candidate." Rictus shot back. Aruk and Charnus nodded their agreement.

 

 

"Emereen?" Arkous asked politely. "You mean the one who uses aliens for cannon fodder?" Rictus glared at Arkous who, to his credit, easily maintained his composure.

 

 

"If Arkous is correct," Marr interjected, "Than Emereen would not be a suitable candidate for head of the Sphere of Intelligence. The Ministry of Intelligence is required to identify and make full use of any potential assets its encounters. Someone with as blatant disregard for asset value as Emereen would be a waste."

 

 

"I agree with Marrrr." Karrid said. "Vwe need sssomeone perrceptive with the ability to rrecognize talent."

 

 

"What about Darth Vedira?" Nalik asked.

 

 

"Vedira would be a good choice in a time of peace." Mortis replied. "But her paranoia and obsession with traitors would end up being a liability given our current situation. The next Councilor of Intelligence must be capable of always seeing the galactic situation, rather than just Republic or Empire."

 

 

"Darth Onakk has proven himself capable of orchestrating and managing several complex plots at once." Darth Vowrawn asserted. "And he is quite skilled at detecting them too."

 

 

"Yet he relegates himself to only hunting prey and orchestrating assassinations." Rictus replied. "He would not do well without some kind of oversight, of that I can assure you."

 

 

"Weren't you the one that taught him Rictus?" Nox asked, weathering the glare of rebuke he received in response.

 

 

"Yes." The old Sith admitted. "I taught him, but his potential proved to be far less than I imagined. He has proven to be useful only as a tool or weapon, however effective." A full hour of deliberations later, all the members of the Dark Council had reached the same conclusion.

 

 

"It would appear," Marr said, finally putting into words what all of them were thinking, "that there is no suitable candidate for the position."

 

 

"But surely we must elect someone?" Nalik asked.

 

 

"And have a repeat of Zhorrid?" Ravage asked incredulously. "No thank you. That petulant, ignorant child should have been strangled at birth. What use Jadus had for her I cannot fathom."

 

 

"Ravage is right." Mortis added. "If we are to elect another to take Jadus's place, they must be suitable for the position. Despite the continuing risk, we cannot rush this."

 

 

"Agreed." Marr said. "We will watch and wait for now, to see if a likely candidate distinguishes themselves."

 

 

"Is there any more business to be discussed before we embark?" Ravage asked.

 

 

"I'm promoting Lord Zavros to the rank of Darth." Nox replied. There was a moment of silence before Aruk exploded in outrage.

 

 

"Zavros? Have you lost your mind, Nox?" The Pureblood shouted.

 

 

"I too am skeptical as to your motivations, Lord Nox." Rictus acknowledged. "Lord Zavros's track record has proven to be...errant."

 

 

"Surely you can't be speaking of her results." Nox said sardonically. "She has one of the highest success ratings of any member of the Imperial Diplomatic service."

 

 

"It is her methods that concern me." Ravage said accusingly. "She is often too generous with the Empire's time and resources, choosing diplomacy when the simple application of deceit or brute force would work just as well, if not better."

 

 

"An understandable concern." Nox admitted. "But you must remember that she seduced several star systems that proved impervious to all other attempts at diplomacy and were too well-protected by the Republic to simply conquer. The reason Rictus enjoys a larger influx of Umbaran students into his Sphere is due to Zavros's acquisition of Umbara's pledge to join the Empire." The point didn't sit well with Aruk or Ravage, but Rictus seemed grudgingly convinced. "Lord Zavros's methods may be...unusual, to say the least, but I can personally vouch for her dedication to the Empire. As a Darth she will have access to even more ways to benefit us."

 

 

"Then let it be done." Marr said with finality. "Will you be performing the ceremony yourself?"

 

 

"Of course." Nox said with undisguised satisfaction.

 

 

"Then we will speak no more of it." Marr said, and Nox enjoyed seeing Aruk's fists tighten around his armrests.

 

 

"I believe it is time we adjourn to make our final preparations before the assault." Vowrawn said in a conclusive manner.

 

 

"Then by all means," Ravage said, standing to his feet. "Let us get on with it." One by one the other members of the Council stood and followed Ravage out the door. Nox was the last one to leave his seat and begin walking towards the exit. Soon after leaving the Council chambers and hearing the door shut behind him, he was pulled into a side hall by Karrid, who seemed to have been waiting for him.

 

 

"Darrrtth Nox." She said by way of greeting, her seductive tone possessing an extra layer of potency.

 

 

"Darth Karrid." Nox said in like tone. "What is it you desire?" Her eyes briefly flickered down and then back up to his hidden face.

 

 

"The Fatality." She purred.

 

 

"Ahh yes." Nox said, allowing a false undertone of resignation to seep into his words. "I knew this conversation would happen sooner or later."

 

 

"I'm told that the contentss of the cargo hold are the property of the Sssphere of Technology." She said, her eyes glittering. "My Sssphere."

 

 

"Of course." Nox said, attempting to placate her. His engineers weren't finished analyzing the droids so that they could reproduce them in secret, so he needed to stall for more time. "But you know how Imperial bureaucracy works." He said, faking sympathy. "I'll dispatch the order to turn it over to your engineers, but the paperwork will take a few days to unravel."

 

 

"You can't-" Karrid paused to sidle up to him, evoking equal feelings of amusement and disgust in Nox. "accelerate thisss processss?" Karrid's charms might have had even Nox in her sway before she accepted the cybernetic implants that now marred her once perfect features, but thanks to her lost beauty, Nox was largely unaffected. Still, he knew it could be useful to allow her to think she had him right where she wanted him. It was so much easier to manipulate people, especially women, when they thought they were the ones manipulating you.

 

 

"I could bypass several processing procedures and protocols." He offered, tilting his head slightly so as to pretend to be distracted by the outline of her figure in her form-fitting robes. "It would cut roughly twenty-four hours off of the turnover time." He hid his apprehension behind a mental wall as he prayed Karrid didn't decide to press her luck and try for more than that, otherwise he would have to resist, which would shatter her delusions that he was easy to manipulate. Thankfully, she didn't.

 

 

"Thank you." Karrid purred, gently caressing his arm. "I knew vwe could come to an...underssstanding. Usss outsiderrrsss have to ssstick togetherrr."

 

 

"I agree." Nox said, still feigning distraction. "There are many on the Dark Council who will conspire against us."

 

 

"All the more rrreasson to form an alliance, vwouldn't you agrree?" Karrid cooed. Nox had to restrain himself, physically and mentally, from recoiling in revulsion.

 

 

"Of course." He said, as it was only logical. "And what better gift to cement our allegiance than the Fatality?"

 

 

"My thoughtsss exactly." Karrid murmured in his ear. Nox was relieved when she released his arm and slipped away down the hall towards the elevator. He turned and watched her go, knowing she could feel his gaze on her, he made sure to place it on all the right spots until after she turned the corner, at which point he allowed himself to shudder in disgust. The things I do to deceive people...he ruminated to himself as he pulled out his now vibrating datapad to check the incoming notification; it was an encrypted message. Decrypting and opening it, he saw that it was from Xalek's alias; Raptor. The message simply read: The Gorvakah has returned to the nest with the Kakrin.

 

 

Excellent, Xalek had returned with the artifacts and was awaiting him in his apartment suite. Nox returned the datapad to its place and headed for the elevator. Minutes later he was speeding through the skies of Kaas City on his Nethian, heading for home. Upon arrival, he parked the speeder bike in the garage and traversed the length of the hall to enter the lounge, following the overwhelming concentration of Dark Side energy. Xalek was standing near the GTN terminal when Nox entered and he bowed respectfully.

 

 

"Master."

 

 

"Where are they?"

 

 

The Kaleesh wordlessly reached into the pack attached to his belt and removed two small objects: one a black cube carved with glowing red runes, and the other a crimson sphere shot through with moving shadows that curled and wound around each other inside.

 

 

Nox approached and seized the artifacts, one in each hand. "Yes...thank you apprentice, you have done well." Xalek's pride swelled at the praise. "But your work is not done yet."

 

 

"Master?" Xalek asked as his ears *****ed up in curiosity.

 

 

"Come, Moff Pyron's fleet awaits us in orbit. We are about to embark on a mission that will shape the galaxy for decades to come." Xalek bowed his head low as his bloodlust rose to a roar in his ears.

 

 

"I will follow you to the gates of oblivion, master."

 

 

"And I will lead you to the throne of godhood, my apprentice."

______________

 

 

With a thunderous boom, an Imperial fleet emerged from hyperspace over Tython and opened fire. Several of the smaller Defender-class ships, taken completely off-guard, were destroyed in seconds. The rest of the orbital defense fleet scrambled to organize a response as their shields took heavy damage from the surprise attack. Hundreds of troop transport shuttles with fighter escorts were dispatched from the Imperial capital ships, some headed for the enemy's capital ships, and others down to the planet's surface. The guns of several of the heavy cruisers turned and locked on, opening fire and destroying several shuttles in a hail of blaster bolts. Fighters swarmed out of launching bays on both sides.

 

 

A Fury-class Interceptor launched from the bay of one of the Star Destroyers and, weaving in and out of the tangle of ion blasts, blaster bolts, and fighters, headed down towards the planet's surface.

____________

 

 

Demise deflected a series of blaster bolts back at their sources, and watched with malicious pride as the soldiers were torn apart by their own weapons fire. He leaped thirty meters from behind the makeshift barricades the Imperial forces were using as cover to land in the center of the squad of Republic troops opposing them. He augmented the impact of his landing with the Force, causing the permacrete to crack and buckle under his unnaturally increased weight. The shockwave of the landing robbed his enemies of their balance and they staggered and stumbled, struggling to regain their composure. With wide, sweeping arcs of his lightsaber, he cut through the armor, weapons, and flesh of the disabled troops until they were all in pieces on the ground.

 

 

The squad of elite Imperial commandos assigned to him, with Lieutenant Pierce at leading them, scrambled to catch up with him. He led them through the city streets, hewing down the squads of soldiers, Coruscant Security officers, and the occasional roving groups of gangsters who were about as happy about the invasion as everyone else. They all fell to his blade and the blaster fire of his troops. They worked their way towards the Coruscant Military Command Center, the headquarters of the Republic Military on Coruscant and, according to Nox's intel, the de-facto Command center of the Republic military during an invasion, and the most likely place to find the newly appointed Supreme Commander Jace Malcom.

 

 

The com in Demise's ear chirped, and the voice of Darth Mortis came over the channel. "Wrath, what's your status?"

 

 

"We're carving our way to the Command Center." Demise replied. "We'll be knocking down their door in about ten standard minutes." The sound of blaster fire rang out and a sudden explosion off to his left staggered Demise for a second. He looked up to see a Republic troop carrier deposit a group of commandos on a nearby platform and peel off. His commandos responded in short order, with Peirce barking orders as both sides opened fire. "Better make that fifteen minutes." Demise said into his com.

 

 

"We've reached the Senate building and are encountering heavy resistance." Mortis replied. "We'll get through it eventually but by then the Supreme Chancellor is likely to escape."

 

 

"Don't worry." Demise said in response, as he hurled his lightsaber to cut one of the enemy soldiers in half. "We've got assassins and ambushes set up at every one of her little hidey-holes. She won't get away. All you have to do is make sure she runs, and kill her if she doesn't." He terminated the channel just as his blade returned to his hand, and he leapt across the empty space separating the two platforms to land among the enemy. These soldiers were much better trained than the last ones, as they had already started to disperse to avoid the impact zone by the time he was airborne, successfully avoiding being unbalanced by his augmented landing. Several of them opened fire on him and he was forced into a defensive position as the torrent of bolts came at him from all sides. His personal shield flared as it assisted his armor in absorbing most of the impact of the bolts he missed.

 

 

With sudden fury, Demise whirled on one of his attackers and Force Pushed the unfortunate woman right over the platform's railing. He began to Force Choke one of the other soldiers without even looking at him as he advanced on the two remaining attackers. They intensified their fire but Demise simply deflected the bolts back at them, driving them into their own personal shields, causing them to flare and spark. One of the soldiers stopped firing and reached for a plasma grenade on his belt, hurling it at the Sith. Demise gestured with his free hand, grabbing the grenade in his telekinetic grip and hurling it into the nearby group of commandos that were engaged in a shootout with his own troops. The grenade exploded and the thrower's unsuspecting allies screamed as the plasma explosion burned through armor and flesh and set them aflame. One of them, either lucky or unlucky depending on your point of view, was hurled over the edge of the platform by the explosion, and plummeted to his death far below, screaming all the way.

 

 

The commando who had thrown the grenade dropped his gun and reached behind his back, drawing a vibroblade as his partner did the same. Demise smiled behind his helm as he stopped his advance, raised one hand, and beckoned them to attack him. The taunt worked, and the two soldiers charged him in sync, attempting to overwhelm him with their slow and predictable style. Demise entertained himself by easily defending against their assaults, batting their blades away is if they were mere children. He landed a few blows on their limbs and torsos which the combination of their armor and personal shields deflected, but he remained untouched even as the power packs powering their shield generators were slowly drained of energy.

 

 

Then, with sudden ferocity, Demise switched from Soresu to Djem So, ravaging the two soldiers with an unstoppable flurry of blows that immediately put them on the defensive. Demise didn't let up however, and the female soldier's shield was the first to collapse. A single thrust pierced her armor and impaled her, causing her companion to unleash a battle cry and attack Demise with reckless abandon. Demise put him out of his misery with a series of heavy, overhand blows that brought him to his knees and drained his shield before Demise beheaded him with one sweep.

 

 

As an afterthought, he clenched his fist and the neck of the soldier who he had been choking during the battle snapped, the body dropping to floor. Peirce's voice crackled over the com, "Nicely done m'lord."

 

 

"We need to keep moving Pierce, we can't afford any more delays."

 

 

"Roger."

____________

 

 

HK-51 moved quickly and quietly through the backstreets of Coruscant. His motors whirred softly, muffled by the stealth field generator which hid his existence from the naked eye. Being a droid, Force users had to rely on their physical senses to detect him which made him one of the top assassins in the galaxy, a fact he was quite proud of.

 

 

His optical sensors took in the environment as he rounded corners and slunk along walls, heading towards his target's location. He was deep in Coruscant's lower levels, where even the invasion forces wouldn't reach, which made it the perfect place for someone like his target to hide. Reaching the building he was looking for, he found an entrance blocked by an archaic slab of metal on hinges with a handle to be turned in order to access the property. Gripping the handle, HK-51 turned it, allowing the door to swing open so he could enter. Once inside, he turned and closed the door again, hearing the ancient mechanics click as the door resealed itself.

 

 

He searched the floor and found a staircase leading up, he took it up four floors until he knew he was far enough up to have a good view of the street below. Searching the floor, he found the perfect vantage point and retrieved his sniper rifle from its magnetic holster, double and triple checking it to ensure it was in perfect working order, then he ran a diagnostic on all his systems, correcting all errors he encountered to ensure he was operating at peak efficiency. When he was ready, he positioned himself in the shadows of a corner and waited.

 

 

Within twenty minutes he heard the sound of speeder cars approaching. Leaning slightly out of his position to get a better view of the street, he saw the small flotilla of covered black speeders with tinted windows pulling up to the LiMerge building across the way. His subroutines indicating that his target would soon be appearing, HK performed one last, rapid self-diagnostic and took up position in the window, his cloaking device still active, his rifle primed for fire and aimed at the cars in the street.

 

 

The doors of some of the cars opened several members of his target's personal guard climbed out, dressed in blue and yellow armor and carrying assault rifles in their magnetic holsters. Most of them drew their weapons and took up positions on either side of an invisible path leading from the door of the center car to the entrance of the LiMerge building. The remaining soldiers entered the building and for a few minutes, nothing happened. HK stood patiently, waiting for the signal.

 

 

Suddenly, the first soldier on the left side of the door put his hand to his earpiece and listened to what was being said. When whoever was talking apparently finished, he leaned forward, reaching for the door handle. HK dropped his cloak, and initiated his assassination protocols. All sensory processing accelerated to maximum speed, causing time to seem to slow down. HK's optical sensors refocused slightly in preparation for target acquisition, and his entire body became as still as stone.

 

 

The door opened and a green-skinned Twi'lek woman emerged from the car. His optics narrowed to pinpoints as they locked onto her, and it seemed to take an eternity for her to leave the vehicle and begin walking towards the building's entrance. He began the charging sequence, even as the end of his rifle tracked her progress in perfect sync. She was halfway between the car and the building now, and HK could feel the minute vibrations of his weapon as it supercharged the plasma that was straining to launch itself from the barrel. The charge grew closer and closer to full capacity as the Twi'lek drew closer and closer to safety. The soldier on the left of the door leaned forward, seized the primitive handle, and opened the door for her even as she drew closer and closer to it. Then, when she was merely three steps from the threshold, HK's rifle clicked once, and he squeezed the trigger.

 

 

There was a loud crack as the supercharged blaster bolt burst from the barrel of the assassin droid's weapon and flew across the eighty meters of distance separating the barrel of the sniper rifle from Leontyne Saresh's cranium. It seemed to travel the distance instantaneously, like an arrow shot from the bow of Death itself. The bolt penetrated the Twi'lek's skull and seared through her cranial cavity, scorching tissue of every segment of the brain. The Supreme Chancellor collapsed in mid-stride, and for a brief instant, there was dead silence.

 

 

HK raised his cloaking field and retreated back into the shadows where he could still view events on the street. The soldiers suddenly came alive, orders were shouted, weapons were cocked and raised, and helmeted heads surveyed the area, searching for any evidence of the sniper's presence.

 

 

"Spread out!" One of the taller guards barked. "Find the assassin!" He rushed forward towards the body of the Supreme Chancellor, hastily removing his glove and placing two fingers on her dead pulse. When HK saw him lower his head in defeat and confirm the kill to the guard next to him. He whispered softly to himself; "Plus one to kill counter." and moved off to make his escape.

 

[De-mu-noki]

Hello everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story so far, we've got some more twists and turns to go through before this chapter is finished, but those twists and turns will be necessary to set up the future chapters, so they should be well worth the while! I hope nobody is miffed because of the recent altering of my usual release schedule. I used to release my stuff on Friday so that people could read it on the weekend, but lately I've been finding it easier to write when I a) haven't just woken up and have only a few precious hours before work and b) haven't just arrived home from a long day at work feeling physically and mentally exhausted. Thus my release schedule has shifted from Friday to Sunday/Monday, so if you want to get the story as it drops, those two days would be your best bet. Hopefully its something that makes your Monday better hmm? (#Ihatemondays )

 

 

Also, I've noticed what I think is a bunch of my readers delaying following the story regularly and then binge reading every so often after 3 or more updates have happened, with this in mind, I want to get a feel for how large this group is and thus determine whether it would be in the interest of my fans for me to release larger story segments every 2 or 3 weeks. For those who want to keep up weekly I could keep it so that Wattpad is updated weekly while the SWTOR forums are only updated every once in a while. I'm concerned that such a move might decrease my popularity so I'm eager to know if this idea has any support from the fanbase and if so how much. Silence will be interpreted as a "no", so if you like the idea, speak up! What I might recommend for binge readers is following the story on Fanfiction.com rather than on here or Wattpad, because on there I only upload one very long chapter at a time. There are usually a 2+ month period between each chapter release so that might only be for hardcore binge readers (lol). Personally I find its much easier disciplining myself to write episodic content on a weekly basis, but I recognize not all my readers may read my content this way, as the "episodes" are so short.

 

Anyway, now that all my person prattling is out of the way, please read and enjoy!

 

 

The Midnight Shadow, Nox's personal Interceptor, rotated 180 degrees as it slowly lowered itself onto the ground. Upon landing the boarding ramp lowered and Nox, followed by Xalek, descended to set foot on Tythonian soil. Nox grimaced as he felt the Light Side wash over him, making his skin burn and his stomach turn as he felt the presence of the planet's vibrant ecosystem through the Force. Pulling out his datapad, he checked the map of the area he had scanned while coming in to land. The Jedi Temple was a few klicks away, but there was more than enough time to get there as long as he hurried. Returning the datapad to its place, he waved his hand in an arcane motion, and he and Xalek vanished from sight.

 

 

Invisible, Nox and Xalek moved through the forests of Tython with swift urgency. After about ten minutes of navigating the trails, they reached the temple grounds. The courtyard was as still and quiet as the grave; the landing parties apparently hadn't reached the Temple yet. But as Nox and Xalek drew closer to the temple, they could sense faint vibrations in the Force, the result of many Force users in close proximity to one another cloaking themselves in the Force. Nox was very careful entering the Temple's main entrance, and had his suspicions confirmed when he saw the faint glimmer of a Light Side Force Cloak out of the corner of his eye.

 

 

Once inside he and Xalek hugged the walls, hoping to avoid detection by other Jedi lurking in stealth. They crept past multiple groups of Jedi who either stood in guard positions or patrolled the halls with meticulous vigilance as they wound their way deeper and deeper into the Jedi Temple. Nox knew where they were going, but despite this he still felt somewhat lost in the confusing maze of the Temple's lower halls. Finally reaching the spiral staircase he sought, he signaled to Xalek that the target was close and together they began descending the stairs.

 

 

The staircase seemed to go on forever, and Nox couldn't help wondering why there were no guards here. Having to battle their way down this staircase would have given the Jedi plenty of time to respond, but they didn't run across a single guard on the whole trip down. After a while, Nox realized that the probable reason was that the secret mediation chamber that was supposedly at the bottom of this staircase was not intended to be a bunker, but a hiding place. Guarding it would be akin to putting up signs to lead enemies directly to it. He allowed himself a small chuckle at the irony of the situation, the Jedi had intended to protect their Grandmaster by hiding her, and yet they had only succeeded in isolating her for Nox to prey upon.

 

 

Finally, they reached the bottom of the staircase and entered a large, open chamber that was decorated in typical Jedi fashion. The gold and whitewashed permacrete was illuminated by ambient light sources in the ceiling, and at the far end, seated cross-legged on a raised dais, was the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order: Satele Shan. Satele's bowed head raised as Nox crossed the threshold;

 

 

"I can sense you." She called out boldly. "Show yourself." Sensing the truth of her words, and realizing his advantage of surprise was gone, Nox dropped the Force Cloak and continued to walk towards Satele, who was getting to her feet and turning to face him. "You were foolish to come here Sith, The Republic is already on its way to reinforce us. Your fleet will be stopped, and you will be defeated."

 

 

"Now where have I heard that before?." Nox asked himself rhetorically. "Oh yes, the incident that ended with a dead Imperial general and Jedi Padawan, what was her name again? Yadira...something." Master Satele's face registered no surprise, but Nox sensed the brief wavering of her emotions at the mention of the name.

 

 

"So that was you." Satele said in a soft tone. "You haven't changed at all, you're still as reckless and foolish as you were then." Nox snorted.

 

 

"Are you Jedi really that blind? Do you not remember what I did to the Brentaal Star? Are you not aware of the planets I've razed and the foes I've destroyed? Have you no idea how many of your kind, that are now dead and gone, stood where you stand now? I am Darth Nox, a member of the Dark Council, and I've defeated countless foes who thought themselves stronger! Can you not feel my power?"

 

 

"Power is nothing without control."

 

 

Nox laughed, the harsh booming of his malicious guffaws echoing off the gilded walls. "Then let's just see how much control I have, shall we?" With that, Xalek drew his lightsaber and leaped forward, his master's presence granting him preternatural speed, dexterity, and strength beyond what the Force naturally imparted. In a flash, Satele's saberstaff was in her hand and she expertly deflected Xalek's overhead leaping strike. She attacked with supernatural focus and precision, expecting to run the stumbling Kaleesh through, only to find that he wasn't caught off-guard and easily slipped out of the way of her thrust, countering with his own spinning strike. She deflected the blow easily, only to find her counter strike was avoided again.

 

 

The Kaleesh's skills were raw and unfocused, but his power in the Force and ability to call upon it seemed to be another matter entirely. She could feel Darth Nox's unique Force Presence, like living darkness, roiling and crashing all around her, but her mental defenses were more than enough to resist the darkness that threatened to crush and consume her, devouring her strength, her will, and her connection to the Force. She attacked with a smooth, focused combination of swinging strikes, rapid jabs, and spinning assaults, calling on the Force to grant her speed and strength. The Kaleesh responded by defending himself, rather amateurishly, but with surprising speed and accuracy. Satele stepped up the frequency of her attacks, surrendering herself to the Force as she spun her blades in lightning-fast combinations of Ataru, leaping and darting with incredible speed, pelting the young Sith with a flurry of ferocious and masterful strikes. He held his own, barely, but valiantly. He was focused solely on defense and yet barely holding on, and Satele knew the end was near.

 

 

She ended her sequence and was about to launch another, final series of attacks when she felt her strength and life force beginning to drain from her body. She cried out in pain and Nox laughed in malevolent triumph. He was standing in a summoning posture with a black cube carved all over with glowing red Sith runes hovering, tumbling in midair between his hands. Satele could sense her life essence being ripped from her body and drawn into the dark artifact, where it was converted into Force power and absorbed by Nox. She saw the apprentice approach her, raising his lightsaber to perform an executioner's swing, and she summoned the will to resist the drain on her strength. She felt the vacuum of the siphoning spell slow from an open flow to a trickle as the Light Side shrouded her body and spirit. She brought her saberstaff up in time to block his killing blow and they locked eyes as their sabers crossed.

 

 

With a sudden burst of energy, Satele sprang to her feet, putting all her unnatural strength into thrusting off the young Sith's crushing attack. He staggered back, temporarily unbalanced, his guard lowered, and she took the opportunity to reach out with the Force, using his moment of weakness to lift him up off the ground and toss him straight up into the air. Stunned by the odd tactic, the apprentice could only watch as Satele took a running start and leaped up towards the falling Kaleesh. She put her forward momentum into a two-footed kick that sent her opponent flying into the far wall and allowed her to perform a backwards somersault that saw her land on one knee in the same spot she had taken off from.

 

 

Despite his impact with the wall, the Kaleesh seemed stunned but not harmed. Satele once again reached out with the Force, seizing a piece of one of the supporting pillars and ripping it out of its place. She hurled it at her foe and the impact caused the entire room to shudder. The room seemed to be silent for a moment. Then, Satele's heart quivered with a slight tremor of disbelief when she heard the sound of a lightsaber re-activating and saw the purple glow of her enemy's blade through the thick cloud of dust. A disturbance in the Force caused her to turn and see Nox facing in the Kaleesh's direction, his arms outstretched, his fingers splayed, with tendrils of dark energy erupting from their tips and spiraling towards his apprentice. Seizing the opportunity, she charged him, blade raised high, only to find her strike blocked by the apprentice, who seemed to have crossed the distance from the far end of the room in mere seconds.

 

 

Satele could already sense the young Sith's power, burgeoning from his Master's support through the Force, rising to meet her own. She could feel his hatred and rage rising within him, and she knew if she didn't end this quickly, she might find herself in a very undesirable position at the end of this battle. She couldn't call for backup with her comlink, she'd be cut down the moment her guard relaxed, and she couldn't defeat the apprentice with his master augmenting his powers and healing him of any injury. She needed to cut off the head. It was then that Nox adopted a focusing posture, positioning his hands if he were holding something spherical, and Satele saw dark energy gathering in the empty space between, writhing and growing. With desperate speed, she darted past the apprentice and made a beeline for the seemingly vulnerable Nox, her blade poised to impale him.

 

____________

 

 

Demise clenched his fists, summoning all his strength in the Force, then lashed out with violent exertion. The thick, reinforced durasteel door of the Command Center exploded inward, unfortunately killing no one, as the commanding officers had been smart enough to place their soldiers on either side of the door rather than in front of it. The blaster bolts began flying, and Demise drew his lightsaber, leaping into the fray with the fury of a vornskr.

 

 

He hewed apart soldier after soldier, deflecting their blaster bolts before he cleaved them in two or impaled them on his violet blade. He crushed some of their windpipes with the Force or hurled them into walls, he was a hypnotic blur of death and violence. Torn between attacking him and defending themselves from the onslaught of bolts raining down on them from the Imperial commandos outside, the soldiers quickly became disorganized and divided. They were easily torn apart by Demise and his squad, after which Demise continued deeper into the base, hewing and hacking apart all resistance as the commandos struggled to bring up the rear.

 

 

Eventually they reached the command bunker, and with a gesture Demise sent the door flying inward to crash into the screens on the opposite wall. He stormed into the room and brought his lightsaber up, barely in time to deflect the steady stream of bolts that were aimed at his upper torso. He felt the strain of resisting the constant pelting of the bolts creeping up his arms but he summoned the Force to renew his strength and he held fast. The man firing on him was obviously the new Supreme Commander: Jace Malcom. His face was horrifically scarred on one side, and he wore a battle scarred but sturdy-looking suit of white and red armor. He wielded a red and white Besh assault cannon which was even now belching a stream of plasmatic death at the Emperor's Wrath. His mouth was open in a battlecry that was drowned out by the roar of the cannon and the scream of the bolts striking Demise's blade.

 

 

Just then, Pierce and the squad of commandos burst in and, seeing Demise otherwise occupied, they turned and opened fire on his attacker. Their bolts struck the personal shield protecting the commander, causing it to flash and waver. Ceasing his barrage, Jace released the front grip of his weapon and reached for his other wrist, Demise leaped forward, blade raised, to try to put an end to the soldier, but Jace's finger reached the button first and the blue energy shield hummed to life around him. Demise hit the shield hard, and only his personal shield and the Force protected him from serious injury as his momentum crushed his body against the unbreakable barrier. He staggered back, and Jace reached to his belt, seized a plasma grenade, and lobbed it at the Pierce's squad. The commandos dived in all directions trying to avoid the projectile, but not all of them were lucky enough. The screams of those caught in the blast brought Demise back to full awareness, and through the Force, he felt their flesh burning off their bones, their armor melting and fusing to their skin, their dying brains exploding with transcendent pain, then the rage came.

 

 

He felt it rising up from deep within him, an unstoppable crimson tide that consumed him, filling every last inch of his body. The very air around him began to tremble, and his eyes glowed red behind the lenses of his helm. Jace unleashed a spray of bolts across the chamber, aiming to spread death to the survivors of the blast, his bolts struck many of the remaining soldiers, first piercing their shields, then their armor, then their bodies. Pierce managed to activate his energy shield in time, but his comrades were falling, one by one, under the hail of bolts. Demise however, stood as still as stone. None of the bolts even so much as hit his personal shield, they simply evaporated upon entering the trembling aura of power the surrounded him. Jace's energy shield began to stutter and waver, and there was a vibration in the Force that caused everyone left alive in the chamber to pause in sudden fear or awe to process what was happening. Jace looked in shock at his wavering shield, and his eyes darted around, looking at thin air, as if the atmosphere itself was conspiring against him. Realizing what was happening, he dropped his cannon and, with a hidden motion, grabbed a plasma grenade from his belt and charged Demise with a roar. Suddenly, as if by divine intervention, he was thrown to the floor. He struggled to move but his limbs were pinned by an invisible hand. Demise began to walk slowly towards his helpless foe, his body a nexus of Dark Side energy as he channeled his awesome rage into an unstoppable weapon. Jace grimaced and shifted the fingers of his hand so that his thumb hovered over the trigger of the grenade, if he was going down, he wasn't going alone.

 

 

Demise slowly approached his helpless prey, savoring every step, tightening his grip on his blade as he prepared to impale the human. A jangle of foreboding suddenly ripped through his skull, and his eyes were drawn to the commander's right hand just as the man's thumb pressed the trigger. Without even thinking, Demise used the Force to rip the grenade from the commander's hand and send it flying across the room, where it exploded against the far wall, creating a miniature nova that Demise had to shield himself from with the Force. By the time he recovered his senses, Jace was on his feet and charging towards him, a bowie knife clutched in his upraised hand. Demise took a step forward towards the charging soldier and leaned in, extending his lightsaber to impale Jace in the gut. The purple plasma blade, its penetration power amplified by Jace's own momentum and Demise's unnatural might, pierced Jace's personal shield, then his armor, and continued travelling through his body until it emerged out the other side.

 

 

Despite his imminent death, Jace actually ignored the blade in his gut, allowing his momentum to carry him down the blade's length to the hilt, where he reared back his knife and drove it through the lens of Demise's helm and into his left eye. Pain shot through Demise's skull, not nearly as severe as it would have been had his eyes still been organic, but it was still intense. Growling in anger and pain, he used the Force to send Jace flying against the far wall. The commander slumped to the ground, managing a weak chuckle.

 

 

"Something to remember me by, Sith."

 

 

Demise approached him, reaching up to his neck to trigger the collapse of his helm into its place inside the small container on the back of his neck. He reached the dying man and leaned down on one knee so his enemy could see the extent of the damage. Jace's foggy eyes widened slightly as he saw the sparking wires and shredded metal and glass of Demise's artificial oculi.

 

 

"You're just another body on the pile." Demise said, his voice hollow and cold, yet filled with hatred and rage.

 

 

The dying man seemed to be struggling to say something, but his dying body refused to move his lips to form the words. With a last, strangled gasp, the light faded from his eyes...and he was gone.

 

____________

 

 

Satele felt the pain and sense of loss overtake her, even as she closed in on her target. The sudden, overwhelming grief that struck her as she felt Jace die made her hesitate, as disbelief and anger warred within her for dominance.

 

 

Sensing her hesitation, Nox ceased his channel and, in a blur of motion, outstretched one of his hands towards her. She saw it coming too late to avoid it. A bolt of lightning leaped from his outstretched fingers and penetrated her chest, overloading her nervous system in an instant. She spasmed and tripped over her own feet as the spike of electricity made her body unable to coordinate her movements. Pain suddenly overwhelmed her body as a storm of lightning launched from Nox's fingers enveloped her like a pack of vipers, stinging her with their voltaic venom. She screamed as thousands of volts ravaged her nervous system, desperately fighting to stay conscious. Behind her, Xalek outstretched his own clawed hands, letting the energy erupt from the tips of his claws, piling his own, amplified dark powers onto those of his master. Satele didn't even notice, her body was already in too much pain to detect the increase in voltage.

 

 

She felt like she was dying, and with the sensation came a sudden clarity, an eye in the midst of the storm. She felt as if she was liberated from all physical constraints, and the pain while still present, was severely dulled. She opened her eyes to see Darth Nox through the haze of electricity flashing across her vision. He was standing with his arms outstretched, leaning forward, both hands belching lightning like twin dragons breathing fire. The sheer amount of electrical energy he was unleashing was astounding, it looked almost like a stream of raw power, yet Satele felt nothing. She began to walk towards him, slowly, surely, putting one foot steadily in front of the other. To his credit, Nox noted the change with surprise, causing his stream of Force Lightning to waver briefly, but he hunched his shoulders, and the stream suddenly exploded into a raging river.

 

 

Satele was stopped short by the burst of energy, and she felt the pain beginning to return, but she called upon her discipline, harnessing the Force to bring her mind back into that state of intense focus. She continued her slow and deliberate approach, she was only six steps away now...four...three...two...she reached down to call her lightsaber to her hand, struggling, not against pain, but against the exhaustion that was sweeping over her body, mind and spirit. She sensed, rather than felt, the hilt of her blade sink into her palm and her fingers reflexively closed around it. She thumbed the activation switch as she took her next step towards Nox, who had stopped channeling his lightning and was reaching to his belt, where his silver saberstaff rested. Satele pivoted ninety degrees on her next step, bringing her lightsaber around so that she could grip the hilt in both hands. her next step she took backwards as she continued pivoting, Nox's supernatural speed still leaving him behind now that she was no longer encumbered by the intensity of the two Sith's Force lightning. Xalek was charging towards her, drawing his own lightsaber, about to hurl it in a spinning arc that would cleave her in two and leave Nox unharmed, but he wasn't fast enough either. Satele pivoted again on her next step, bringing her blade around and up to crash into Nox's personal shield. While the shield protected him from being sliced in two, the impact of her blade on the shield acted like the impact of a full-body uppercut with the strength to lift him high into the air and send him flying back to crash into the ground several yards away.

 

 

Satele was moving in to drive her lightsaber through his chest and into the floor when she was forced to duck and slip quickly to the left to avoid being beheaded by Xalek's sweep. She brought her lightsaber around to slice off half of the Kaleesh's head, which he blocked. She followed up with a set of fast and furious Ataru sequences, her lightsaber in constant motion as she easily backed the apprentice into a corner. Despite his amplified Force reflexes and awareness, the Kaleesh was once again struggling just to stay alive against the Jedi Grandmaster's focused onslaught. Satele felt the darkness of Nox's presence growing stronger, and in a whirling back flip that vaulted her over her opponent, she caught a glimpse of what he was doing. Darth Nox stood with feet spread wide, one artifact in each of his hands. The one in his right was the same red-black cube she had seen before, but the other was a crimson sphere shot through with shadowy wisps that moved and coiled as if they were alive. Satele landed, and threw herself back into the fight with Xalek, Every time she tried to make a move on Nox, the Kaleesh would interpose himself in her way, defending not just himself, but his master too. Try as she might she could not get to Nox, and despite his lack of skill and finesse, the Kaleesh was no amateur, he knew how to preserve his life against a superior combatant.

 

 

Nox's head fell back, and the artifacts were levitated out of his hands by the power of the Force and began rotating around him like planets around a star, their orbits polar opposites of each other. Nox's hands were now raised to shoulder height, his palms upturned. The artifacts began to rotate faster as his feet left the ground, and he ascended into the air, his body bathed in an aura of pure darkness. Satele felt the Kaleesh's speed, strength, and reflexes increase as the darkness grew, and she could swear the chamber itself was becoming dimmer. Her opponent was no longer struggling to keep up with her in order to defend himself, rather his strength increased while hers simultaneously diminished. Despite her best efforts, she felt the darkness of Nox's Force presence beginning to gnaw at the edges of her mind, eroding her resistance and mental fortitude, while sapping her physical strength. She tried to summon the power of the Force to give her strength and resolve, but instead of the cleansing rush of renewed focus and peace, she received only a thin, small trickle of the Light Side's power.

 

 

She felt her limbs grow sluggish and her thoughts become foggy and diffuse. She could no longer execute her sequences with the smooth, focused efficiency that she was used to and she found herself falling back on the defensive. Soon she was the one struggling to keep up with the Kaleesh's heavy-handed blows and brutish aggression. Her limbs felt weak and numb, her mind could barely stay conscious, and she began to lose track of where she was and what was going on. She was in a fight for her life, that much she knew, but she couldn't remember why, or who exactly her enemies were. She wanted to just lay down and sleep, her body was so tired, and her mind was drifting slowly into darkness and absence. She felt a strange, almost foreign presence inside her mind, and a chorus of voices began whispering to her, telling her dark and mutinous things. Even as she continued to struggle to defend herself from her enemy's vicious offense, the voices became more and more obstreperous.

 

 

She suddenly lost her footing, stumbling back and falling flat on her backside, her lightsaber skittering out of her hand and across the floor. Her enemy approached, with no mercy in his blazing, slitted yellow eyes. She tried to force her body to move and propel her away from the approaching predator, but her limbs, completely robbed of their strength, only thrashed uselessly. Her upper body fell back onto the cold, hard floor, her muscles no longer able to even keep her upright. The last thing she saw before everything went black was the pointy-eared, violet-skinned, skull-faced demon standing over her, his demonic gaze searing itself into her nightmares.

 

 

[FlameYOL]

Hello everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story so far, we've got some more twists and turns to go through before this chapter is finished, but those twists and turns will be necessary to set up the future chapters, so they should be well worth the while! I hope nobody is miffed because of the recent altering of my usual release schedule. I used to release my stuff on Friday so that people could read it on the weekend, but lately I've been finding it easier to write when I a) haven't just woken up and have only a few precious hours before work and b) haven't just arrived home from a long day at work feeling physically and mentally exhausted. Thus my release schedule has shifted from Friday to Sunday/Monday, so if you want to get the story as it drops, those two days would be your best bet. Hopefully its something that makes your Monday better hmm? (#Ihatemondays )

 

 

Also, I've noticed what I think is a bunch of my readers delaying following the story regularly and then binge reading every so often after 3 or more updates have happened, with this in mind, I want to get a feel for how large this group is and thus determine whether it would be in the interest of my fans for me to release larger story segments every 2 or 3 weeks. For those who want to keep up weekly I could keep it so that Wattpad is updated weekly while the SWTOR forums are only updated every once in a while. I'm concerned that such a move might decrease my popularity so I'm eager to know if this idea has any support from the fanbase and if so how much. Silence will be interpreted as a "no", so if you like the idea, speak up! What I might recommend for binge readers is following the story on Fanfiction.com rather than on here or Wattpad, because on there I only upload one very long chapter at a time. There are usually a 2+ month period between each chapter release so that might only be for hardcore binge readers (lol). Personally I find its much easier disciplining myself to write episodic content on a weekly basis, but I recognize not all my readers may read my content this way, as the "episodes" are so short.

 

Anyway, now that all my person prattling is out of the way, please read and enjoy!

 

 

The Midnight Shadow, Nox's personal Interceptor, rotated 180 degrees as it slowly lowered itself onto the ground. Upon landing the boarding ramp lowered and Nox, followed by Xalek, descended to set foot on Tythonian soil. Nox grimaced as he felt the Light Side wash over him, making his skin burn and his stomach turn as he felt the presence of the planet's vibrant ecosystem through the Force. Pulling out his datapad, he checked the map of the area he had scanned while coming in to land. The Jedi Temple was a few klicks away, but there was more than enough time to get there as long as he hurried. Returning the datapad to its place, he waved his hand in an arcane motion, and he and Xalek vanished from sight.

 

 

Invisible, Nox and Xalek moved through the forests of Tython with swift urgency. After about ten minutes of navigating the trails, they reached the temple grounds. The courtyard was as still and quiet as the grave; the landing parties apparently hadn't reached the Temple yet. But as Nox and Xalek drew closer to the temple, they could sense faint vibrations in the Force, the result of many Force users in close proximity to one another cloaking themselves in the Force. Nox was very careful entering the Temple's main entrance, and had his suspicions confirmed when he saw the faint glimmer of a Light Side Force Cloak out of the corner of his eye.

 

 

Once inside he and Xalek hugged the walls, hoping to avoid detection by other Jedi lurking in stealth. They crept past multiple groups of Jedi who either stood in guard positions or patrolled the halls with meticulous vigilance as they wound their way deeper and deeper into the Jedi Temple. Nox knew where they were going, but despite this he still felt somewhat lost in the confusing maze of the Temple's lower halls. Finally reaching the spiral staircase he sought, he signaled to Xalek that the target was close and together they began descending the stairs.

 

 

The staircase seemed to go on forever, and Nox couldn't help wondering why there were no guards here. Having to battle their way down this staircase would have given the Jedi plenty of time to respond, but they didn't run across a single guard on the whole trip down. After a while, Nox realized that the probable reason was that the secret mediation chamber that was supposedly at the bottom of this staircase was not intended to be a bunker, but a hiding place. Guarding it would be akin to putting up signs to lead enemies directly to it. He allowed himself a small chuckle at the irony of the situation, the Jedi had intended to protect their Grandmaster by hiding her, and yet they had only succeeded in isolating her for Nox to prey upon.

 

 

Finally, they reached the bottom of the staircase and entered a large, open chamber that was decorated in typical Jedi fashion. The gold and whitewashed permacrete was illuminated by ambient light sources in the ceiling, and at the far end, seated cross-legged on a raised dais, was the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order: Satele Shan. Satele's bowed head raised as Nox crossed the threshold;

 

 

"I can sense you." She called out boldly. "Show yourself." Sensing the truth of her words, and realizing his advantage of surprise was gone, Nox dropped the Force Cloak and continued to walk towards Satele, who was getting to her feet and turning to face him. "You were foolish to come here Sith, The Republic is already on its way to reinforce us. Your fleet will be stopped, and you will be defeated."

 

 

"Now where have I heard that before?." Nox asked himself rhetorically. "Oh yes, the incident that ended with a dead Imperial general and Jedi Padawan, what was her name again? Yadira...something." Master Satele's face registered no surprise, but Nox sensed the brief wavering of her emotions at the mention of the name.

 

 

"So that was you." Satele said in a soft tone. "You haven't changed at all, you're still as reckless and foolish as you were then." Nox snorted.

 

 

"Are you Jedi really that blind? Do you not remember what I did to the Brentaal Star? Are you not aware of the planets I've razed and the foes I've destroyed? Have you no idea how many of your kind, that are now dead and gone, stood where you stand now? I am Darth Nox, a member of the Dark Council, and I've defeated countless foes who thought themselves stronger! Can you not feel my power?"

 

 

"Power is nothing without control."

 

 

Nox laughed, the harsh booming of his malicious guffaws echoing off the gilded walls. "Then let's just see how much control I have, shall we?" With that, Xalek drew his lightsaber and leaped forward, his master's presence granting him preternatural speed, dexterity, and strength beyond what the Force naturally imparted. In a flash, Satele's saberstaff was in her hand and she expertly deflected Xalek's overhead leaping strike. She attacked with supernatural focus and precision, expecting to run the stumbling Kaleesh through, only to find that he wasn't caught off-guard and easily slipped out of the way of her thrust, countering with his own spinning strike. She deflected the blow easily, only to find her counter strike was avoided again.

 

 

The Kaleesh's skills were raw and unfocused, but his power in the Force and ability to call upon it seemed to be another matter entirely. She could feel Darth Nox's unique Force Presence, like living darkness, roiling and crashing all around her, but her mental defenses were more than enough to resist the darkness that threatened to crush and consume her, devouring her strength, her will, and her connection to the Force. She attacked with a smooth, focused combination of swinging strikes, rapid jabs, and spinning assaults, calling on the Force to grant her speed and strength. The Kaleesh responded by defending himself, rather amateurishly, but with surprising speed and accuracy. Satele stepped up the frequency of her attacks, surrendering herself to the Force as she spun her blades in lightning-fast combinations of Ataru, leaping and darting with incredible speed, pelting the young Sith with a flurry of ferocious and masterful strikes. He held his own, barely, but valiantly. He was focused solely on defense and yet barely holding on, and Satele knew the end was near.

 

 

She ended her sequence and was about to launch another, final series of attacks when she felt her strength and life force beginning to drain from her body. She cried out in pain and Nox laughed in malevolent triumph. He was standing in a summoning posture with a black cube carved all over with glowing red Sith runes hovering, tumbling in midair between his hands. Satele could sense her life essence being ripped from her body and drawn into the dark artifact, where it was converted into Force power and absorbed by Nox. She saw the apprentice approach her, raising his lightsaber to perform an executioner's swing, and she summoned the will to resist the drain on her strength. She felt the vacuum of the siphoning spell slow from an open flow to a trickle as the Light Side shrouded her body and spirit. She brought her saberstaff up in time to block his killing blow and they locked eyes as their sabers crossed.

 

 

With a sudden burst of energy, Satele sprang to her feet, putting all her unnatural strength into thrusting off the young Sith's crushing attack. He staggered back, temporarily unbalanced, his guard lowered, and she took the opportunity to reach out with the Force, using his moment of weakness to lift him up off the ground and toss him straight up into the air. Stunned by the odd tactic, the apprentice could only watch as Satele took a running start and leaped up towards the falling Kaleesh. She put her forward momentum into a two-footed kick that sent her opponent flying into the far wall and allowed her to perform a backwards somersault that saw her land on one knee in the same spot she had taken off from.

 

 

Despite his impact with the wall, the Kaleesh seemed stunned but not harmed. Satele once again reached out with the Force, seizing a piece of one of the supporting pillars and ripping it out of its place. She hurled it at her foe and the impact caused the entire room to shudder. The room seemed to be silent for a moment. Then, Satele's heart quivered with a slight tremor of disbelief when she heard the sound of a lightsaber re-activating and saw the purple glow of her enemy's blade through the thick cloud of dust. A disturbance in the Force caused her to turn and see Nox facing in the Kaleesh's direction, his arms outstretched, his fingers splayed, with tendrils of dark energy erupting from their tips and spiraling towards his apprentice. Seizing the opportunity, she charged him, blade raised high, only to find her strike blocked by the apprentice, who seemed to have crossed the distance from the far end of the room in mere seconds.

 

 

Satele could already sense the young Sith's power, burgeoning from his Master's support through the Force, rising to meet her own. She could feel his hatred and rage rising within him, and she knew if she didn't end this quickly, she might find herself in a very undesirable position at the end of this battle. She couldn't call for backup with her comlink, she'd be cut down the moment her guard relaxed, and she couldn't defeat the apprentice with his master augmenting his powers and healing him of any injury. She needed to cut off the head. It was then that Nox adopted a focusing posture, positioning his hands if he were holding something spherical, and Satele saw dark energy gathering in the empty space between, writhing and growing. With desperate speed, she darted past the apprentice and made a beeline for the seemingly vulnerable Nox, her blade poised to impale him.

 

____________

 

 

Demise clenched his fists, summoning all his strength in the Force, then lashed out with violent exertion. The thick, reinforced durasteel door of the Command Center exploded inward, unfortunately killing no one, as the commanding officers had been smart enough to place their soldiers on either side of the door rather than in front of it. The blaster bolts began flying, and Demise drew his lightsaber, leaping into the fray with the fury of a vornskr.

 

 

He hewed apart soldier after soldier, deflecting their blaster bolts before he cleaved them in two or impaled them on his violet blade. He crushed some of their windpipes with the Force or hurled them into walls, he was a hypnotic blur of death and violence. Torn between attacking him and defending themselves from the onslaught of bolts raining down on them from the Imperial commandos outside, the soldiers quickly became disorganized and divided. They were easily torn apart by Demise and his squad, after which Demise continued deeper into the base, hewing and hacking apart all resistance as the commandos struggled to bring up the rear.

 

 

Eventually they reached the command bunker, and with a gesture Demise sent the door flying inward to crash into the screens on the opposite wall. He stormed into the room and brought his lightsaber up, barely in time to deflect the steady stream of bolts that were aimed at his upper torso. He felt the strain of resisting the constant pelting of the bolts creeping up his arms but he summoned the Force to renew his strength and he held fast. The man firing on him was obviously the new Supreme Commander: Jace Malcom. His face was horrifically scarred on one side, and he wore a battle scarred but sturdy-looking suit of white and red armor. He wielded a red and white Besh assault cannon which was even now belching a stream of plasmatic death at the Emperor's Wrath. His mouth was open in a battlecry that was drowned out by the roar of the cannon and the scream of the bolts striking Demise's blade.

 

 

Just then, Pierce and the squad of commandos burst in and, seeing Demise otherwise occupied, they turned and opened fire on his attacker. Their bolts struck the personal shield protecting the commander, causing it to flash and waver. Ceasing his barrage, Jace released the front grip of his weapon and reached for his other wrist, Demise leaped forward, blade raised, to try to put an end to the soldier, but Jace's finger reached the button first and the blue energy shield hummed to life around him. Demise hit the shield hard, and only his personal shield and the Force protected him from serious injury as his momentum crushed his body against the unbreakable barrier. He staggered back, and Jace reached to his belt, seized a plasma grenade, and lobbed it at the Pierce's squad. The commandos dived in all directions trying to avoid the projectile, but not all of them were lucky enough. The screams of those caught in the blast brought Demise back to full awareness, and through the Force, he felt their flesh burning off their bones, their armor melting and fusing to their skin, their dying brains exploding with transcendent pain, then the rage came.

 

 

He felt it rising up from deep within him, an unstoppable crimson tide that consumed him, filling every last inch of his body. The very air around him began to tremble, and his eyes glowed red behind the lenses of his helm. Jace unleashed a spray of bolts across the chamber, aiming to spread death to the survivors of the blast, his bolts struck many of the remaining soldiers, first piercing their shields, then their armor, then their bodies. Pierce managed to activate his energy shield in time, but his comrades were falling, one by one, under the hail of bolts. Demise however, stood as still as stone. None of the bolts even so much as hit his personal shield, they simply evaporated upon entering the trembling aura of power the surrounded him. Jace's energy shield began to stutter and waver, and there was a vibration in the Force that caused everyone left alive in the chamber to pause in sudden fear or awe to process what was happening. Jace looked in shock at his wavering shield, and his eyes darted around, looking at thin air, as if the atmosphere itself was conspiring against him. Realizing what was happening, he dropped his cannon and, with a hidden motion, grabbed a plasma grenade from his belt and charged Demise with a roar. Suddenly, as if by divine intervention, he was thrown to the floor. He struggled to move but his limbs were pinned by an invisible hand. Demise began to walk slowly towards his helpless foe, his body a nexus of Dark Side energy as he channeled his awesome rage into an unstoppable weapon. Jace grimaced and shifted the fingers of his hand so that his thumb hovered over the trigger of the grenade, if he was going down, he wasn't going alone.

 

 

Demise slowly approached his helpless prey, savoring every step, tightening his grip on his blade as he prepared to impale the human. A jangle of foreboding suddenly ripped through his skull, and his eyes were drawn to the commander's right hand just as the man's thumb pressed the trigger. Without even thinking, Demise used the Force to rip the grenade from the commander's hand and send it flying across the room, where it exploded against the far wall, creating a miniature nova that Demise had to shield himself from with the Force. By the time he recovered his senses, Jace was on his feet and charging towards him, a bowie knife clutched in his upraised hand. Demise took a step forward towards the charging soldier and leaned in, extending his lightsaber to impale Jace in the gut. The purple plasma blade, its penetration power amplified by Jace's own momentum and Demise's unnatural might, pierced Jace's personal shield, then his armor, and continued travelling through his body until it emerged out the other side.

 

 

Despite his imminent death, Jace actually ignored the blade in his gut, allowing his momentum to carry him down the blade's length to the hilt, where he reared back his knife and drove it through the lens of Demise's helm and into his left eye. Pain shot through Demise's skull, not nearly as severe as it would have been had his eyes still been organic, but it was still intense. Growling in anger and pain, he used the Force to send Jace flying against the far wall. The commander slumped to the ground, managing a weak chuckle.

 

 

"Something to remember me by, Sith."

 

 

Demise approached him, reaching up to his neck to trigger the collapse of his helm into its place inside the small container on the back of his neck. He reached the dying man and leaned down on one knee so his enemy could see the extent of the damage. Jace's foggy eyes widened slightly as he saw the sparking wires and shredded metal and glass of Demise's artificial oculi.

 

 

"You're just another body on the pile." Demise said, his voice hollow and cold, yet filled with hatred and rage.

 

 

The dying man seemed to be struggling to say something, but his dying body refused to move his lips to form the words. With a last, strangled gasp, the light faded from his eyes...and he was gone.

 

____________

 

 

Satele felt the pain and sense of loss overtake her, even as she closed in on her target. The sudden, overwhelming grief that struck her as she felt Jace die made her hesitate, as disbelief and anger warred within her for dominance.

 

 

Sensing her hesitation, Nox ceased his channel and, in a blur of motion, outstretched one of his hands towards her. She saw it coming too late to avoid it. A bolt of lightning leaped from his outstretched fingers and penetrated her chest, overloading her nervous system in an instant. She spasmed and tripped over her own feet as the spike of electricity made her body unable to coordinate her movements. Pain suddenly overwhelmed her body as a storm of lightning launched from Nox's fingers enveloped her like a pack of vipers, stinging her with their voltaic venom. She screamed as thousands of volts ravaged her nervous system, desperately fighting to stay conscious. Behind her, Xalek outstretched his own clawed hands, letting the energy erupt from the tips of his claws, piling his own, amplified dark powers onto those of his master. Satele didn't even notice, her body was already in too much pain to detect the increase in voltage.

 

 

She felt like she was dying, and with the sensation came a sudden clarity, an eye in the midst of the storm. She felt as if she was liberated from all physical constraints, and the pain while still present, was severely dulled. She opened her eyes to see Darth Nox through the haze of electricity flashing across her vision. He was standing with his arms outstretched, leaning forward, both hands belching lightning like twin dragons breathing fire. The sheer amount of electrical energy he was unleashing was astounding, it looked almost like a stream of raw power, yet Satele felt nothing. She began to walk towards him, slowly, surely, putting one foot steadily in front of the other. To his credit, Nox noted the change with surprise, causing his stream of Force Lightning to waver briefly, but he hunched his shoulders, and the stream suddenly exploded into a raging river.

 

 

Satele was stopped short by the burst of energy, and she felt the pain beginning to return, but she called upon her discipline, harnessing the Force to bring her mind back into that state of intense focus. She continued her slow and deliberate approach, she was only six steps away now...four...three...two...she reached down to call her lightsaber to her hand, struggling, not against pain, but against the exhaustion that was sweeping over her body, mind and spirit. She sensed, rather than felt, the hilt of her blade sink into her palm and her fingers reflexively closed around it. She thumbed the activation switch as she took her next step towards Nox, who had stopped channeling his lightning and was reaching to his belt, where his silver saberstaff rested. Satele pivoted ninety degrees on her next step, bringing her lightsaber around so that she could grip the hilt in both hands. her next step she took backwards as she continued pivoting, Nox's supernatural speed still leaving him behind now that she was no longer encumbered by the intensity of the two Sith's Force lightning. Xalek was charging towards her, drawing his own lightsaber, about to hurl it in a spinning arc that would cleave her in two and leave Nox unharmed, but he wasn't fast enough either. Satele pivoted again on her next step, bringing her blade around and up to crash into Nox's personal shield. While the shield protected him from being sliced in two, the impact of her blade on the shield acted like the impact of a full-body uppercut with the strength to lift him high into the air and send him flying back to crash into the ground several yards away.

 

 

Satele was moving in to drive her lightsaber through his chest and into the floor when she was forced to duck and slip quickly to the left to avoid being beheaded by Xalek's sweep. She brought her lightsaber around to slice off half of the Kaleesh's head, which he blocked. She followed up with a set of fast and furious Ataru sequences, her lightsaber in constant motion as she easily backed the apprentice into a corner. Despite his amplified Force reflexes and awareness, the Kaleesh was once again struggling just to stay alive against the Jedi Grandmaster's focused onslaught. Satele felt the darkness of Nox's presence growing stronger, and in a whirling back flip that vaulted her over her opponent, she caught a glimpse of what he was doing. Darth Nox stood with feet spread wide, one artifact in each of his hands. The one in his right was the same red-black cube she had seen before, but the other was a crimson sphere shot through with shadowy wisps that moved and coiled as if they were alive. Satele landed, and threw herself back into the fight with Xalek, Every time she tried to make a move on Nox, the Kaleesh would interpose himself in her way, defending not just himself, but his master too. Try as she might she could not get to Nox, and despite his lack of skill and finesse, the Kaleesh was no amateur, he knew how to preserve his life against a superior combatant.

 

 

Nox's head fell back, and the artifacts were levitated out of his hands by the power of the Force and began rotating around him like planets around a star, their orbits polar opposites of each other. Nox's hands were now raised to shoulder height, his palms upturned. The artifacts began to rotate faster as his feet left the ground, and he ascended into the air, his body bathed in an aura of pure darkness. Satele felt the Kaleesh's speed, strength, and reflexes increase as the darkness grew, and she could swear the chamber itself was becoming dimmer. Her opponent was no longer struggling to keep up with her in order to defend himself, rather his strength increased while hers simultaneously diminished. Despite her best efforts, she felt the darkness of Nox's Force presence beginning to gnaw at the edges of her mind, eroding her resistance and mental fortitude, while sapping her physical strength. She tried to summon the power of the Force to give her strength and resolve, but instead of the cleansing rush of renewed focus and peace, she received only a thin, small trickle of the Light Side's power.

 

 

She felt her limbs grow sluggish and her thoughts become foggy and diffuse. She could no longer execute her sequences with the smooth, focused efficiency that she was used to and she found herself falling back on the defensive. Soon she was the one struggling to keep up with the Kaleesh's heavy-handed blows and brutish aggression. Her limbs felt weak and numb, her mind could barely stay conscious, and she began to lose track of where she was and what was going on. She was in a fight for her life, that much she knew, but she couldn't remember why, or who exactly her enemies were. She wanted to just lay down and sleep, her body was so tired, and her mind was drifting slowly into darkness and absence. She felt a strange, almost foreign presence inside her mind, and a chorus of voices began whispering to her, telling her dark and mutinous things. Even as she continued to struggle to defend herself from her enemy's vicious offense, the voices became more and more obstreperous.

 

 

She suddenly lost her footing, stumbling back and falling flat on her backside, her lightsaber skittering out of her hand and across the floor. Her enemy approached, with no mercy in his blazing, slitted yellow eyes. She tried to force her body to move and propel her away from the approaching predator, but her limbs, completely robbed of their strength, only thrashed uselessly. Her upper body fell back onto the cold, hard floor, her muscles no longer able to even keep her upright. The last thing she saw before everything went black was the pointy-eared, violet-skinned, skull-faced demon standing over her, his demonic gaze searing itself into her nightmares.

 

 

Wow, I quite enjoyed how you took down Malcom and Satele. Also I enjoyed that black talon reference since we never get to say to Satele how wrong she was about it in case we're imperial.

[De-mu-noki]

Hi guys! Guess what! Looks like some of you completely misjudged the cliffhanger last week, boy are you guna be surprised! XD

 

This segment will introduce a new PC of mine, I'm currently thinking about uploading screenshots of all the PC's that feature in this story, at the very least I might start listing off, item by item, the outfits all my PC's use in each segment in this "foreword" section to assist you guys with imagining what my characters look like.

 

EDIT: Also, some background music that goes with the first and last scene:

Enjoy the show!

 

 

 

Satele woke to find everything was dark, cold, and wet. The air felt moist and stale, and the darkness was seemingly pitch black. She tried to move, only to find that her wrists and ankles were secured in some kind of shackles that pinned her spread-eagled to a metal slab. She tried to form a coherent thought and focus on the Force, only to find that she couldn't. Her thoughts didn't stay gathered for longer than a moment or two before they scattered in all directions, like vermin fleeing a light source. She realized, despite the mental fog occupying her brain, that she'd been drugged. The drugs would prevent her from calling on the Force to free her from her prison and had the unfortunate side effect of preventing her from forming a plan complex enough to escape.

 

 

As she looked around in the darkness, her eyes began to grow adjusted to the deep blackness that surrounded her. She was able to barely make out the cell walls, and could see darker splotches where moss or some similar form of plant life was presumably growing. Just as she came to that conclusion however, the thought slipped away, and she found herself wondering what she had just been thinking about. Her gaze fell on another dark patch, but this one was too square and well-defined to be some kind of growth, of course Satele didn't remember the moss, and thus spent a good long moment staring at the shape before she realized it was probably a door. The thought vanished though, and she stared at the unfamiliar, rectangular shape in the darkness, wondering what it was. Suddenly, a loud screech pierced her ears, and she attempted to recoil in terror, as a sliver of light appeared to the side of the dark shape. The sliver grew wider, and Satele realized that she had been staring at the door to her cell, and that it was now opening.

 

 

A dark shadow appeared in the pool of light spilling out from behind the opening door, and a shiver went down Satele's spine. She turned her head and closed her eyes, as the door opened fully, allowing the light of the hallway outside to blast into the small, dark cell. She heard footsteps as the being who had cast the shadow walked into the room, and she sensed another kind of darkness fall over her despite the physical light coming in from the corridor. Hesitantly, she turned her head back towards the door, her heart pounding, and cracked open one eyelid. The light seemed to sear her cornea, but she reluctantly held it open, glimpsing the silhouette of her captor through the blinding light. Slowly, she opened her other eye, and as they began to adjust to the glare, she began to see her enemy in detail, illuminated by the light streaming from behind him.

 

 

The first thing she noticed released a tremor of fear, the being before had a skull for a face. It's empty eye sockets as black as the darkness that had preceded the light. After a few moments though, she realized it wasn't an actual human skull, but rather her abductor's helm. She noticed too, the semi-armoured robes he wore, and he struck her as familiar somehow. Then, suddenly, the memories came to her, her parched and trembling lips struggled to form the word.

 

 

"You..."

 

 

"Yes Satele, it's me."

 

 

"What? Where am I? What have you done Sith?" She asked, her words slurred by the drugs coursing through her system.

 

 

"I've made you my property." Came the cold and menacing reply.

 

 

"What-"

 

 

"Never mind that now." Nox cut her off. "You will understand soon enough." He clasped his hands in front of him, and Satele could feel the power building within him.

 

 

"No!" She said pleadingly, confused and afraid. "Don't-" She was cut off by a sharp pain in her head that drove her to thrash in her restraints, crying out with discomfort. The pain faded, but Nox remained as he was. Satele opened her mouth to speak again, but another wave of pain hit her, and only a gasp came out.

 

 

The pain came in waves after that, and she soon realized that Nox was causing it. He was releasing dark energy in bursts, bursts that slowly wore down Satele's mental defenses, and caused her to feel even weaker than before, and somehow more hollow inside, as if bits and pieces of her were being stripped away, like pieces of sediment being eroded from a rock exposed to the tide. Soon Nox began performing arcane and obscure movements with his hands, then his feet too, and finally his whole body. He moved around the chamber with an eerie grace, his movements dramatic and flowing. Now and then he would gesture in her direction or perform a certain movement and Satele would feel another sharp spike of pain. She could feel the darkness growing, it was as if the very shadows of the cell came alive and began closing in on her. Suddenly the light of the outside seemed very, very far away.

 

 

Nox stopped in between her and the light, his silhouette appearing much larger than it should have been. He placed both feet in a firm stance, and leaned forward, extending both his hands in a channeling pose. Satele screamed as she felt a foreign presence pierce, not just her mind, but her entire being. She felt wholly violated, is if her very soul was laid bare, exposed. The pain was unlike anything she'd ever felt before, it wasn't just intense, it was an otherworldly pain, a pain borne of ethereal suffering rather than physical or mental torment. In an attempt to hide from the agony and shame, she retreated deep into the darkest crevices of her mind. With no ability to form a coherent thought or coalesce her own memories, she repeated one simple phrase over and over and over. Clinging to it like a drowning woman to a lifeline: Theron, help me. Theron, help me. Theron, help me. Theron, help me...

 

____________

 

 

Jay-Li walked to his ship's holoterminal and turned it on. The ringing notifying him of the incoming call stopped, and the image of Vice Chancellor Madon flickered into existence.

 

 

"Vice Chancellor." Jay said, inclining his head in respect. "What is it I can do for you?"

 

 

"Master Kenobi! I've been trying to reach you for the past several hours!"

 

 

"We were passing through a nebula, Vice Chancellor, the background radiation interfered with our communications arrays. What's going on?" Jay-Li had seen the fear and concern in Madon's face and was trying to contain his own apprehension.

 

 

"Coruscant and Tython have been attacked." Madon replied, and Jay-Li felt his blood grow cold.

 

 

"When?"

 

 

"Roughly six standard hours ago." Jay-Li paused for a moment as a thought suddenly came to him.

 

 

"Vice Chancellor, is there a reason you're contacting me instead of the Supreme Chancellor?" The older man nodded, a sad expression taking over his features.

 

 

"Yes. I am now the acting Supreme Chancellor. I'm afraid, master Jedi, that the former Supreme Chancellor is dead." Jay-Li turned his head away and closed his eyes, observing a moment of silent sorrow for her passing. "She's not the only one either." Jay-Li's eyes snapped open and his gaze shot up to the Vice Chancellor.

 

 

"Who else?"

 

 

"The Supreme Commander of the Republic Forces has also been reported as dead," Madon said mournfully. "and..." Jay-Li bristled at the man's hesitation to say what he had been about to say.

 

 

"What? Who else was killed Madon?"

 

 

"And I'm afraid that Grandmaster Satele is reported missing."

 

 

"Missing?"

 

 

"She is presumed to be dead." Jay-Li shook his head in vehement disagreement with the statement.

 

 

"If she was dead Supreme Chancellor, I would have sensed it, as would every Jedi Master in the order. I'm assuming you didn't find a body."

 

 

"No." Madon replied with certainty.

 

 

"Then mark my words, Satele Shan is not dead."

 

 

"I believe you, Master Jedi." Madon said in agreement. "That is a relief to hear, however, it does not change our current situation."

 

 

"And what situation is that precisely?" Jay asked.

 

 

"That every leader of the Republic has either been killed or cut off from us. I'm afraid that as of this moment, you, me, and acting Supreme Commander Maxxor are the new leaders of the Republic." Jay stood in stunned silence for a moment, as he processed what Madon had said. As he stood deep in thought, the holoprojector buzzed and a second eidolon flickered into existence. The newcomer was clad in high-quality white and gold trooper armor. A strap across his chest held several power packs, and a utility belt around his waist held more ammo and even a few plasma grenades. On his left shoulder was a protruding shoulder pad with the insignia of Havoc Squad emblazoned on it in gold. On his head he wore a bucket helmet with a T-shaped visor, the bottom of which was cut off by an air filter which doubtless allowed the man to breathe under even the harshest conditions. The thing that really drew Jay's eye however, was the massive assault cannon attached to the large man's back, it looked like it weighed as much as he did.

 

 

"Master Jedi." Supreme Commander Maxxor said, bowing slightly at the waist. "It's an honor to make your acquaintance."

 

 

"Ah." Said Madon as he turned and noticed the new addition to the call. "Supreme Commander, we were just talking about you."

 

 

"We're holding together on the western front." Maxxor told Madon, and Jay thought he heard a distant explosion in the background. "The imps are starting to pull back, I've sent a few scouts out to survey the landing sites."

 

 

"You think it's over?" The Supreme Chancellor asked, a note of relief and hope creeping into his voice. The Supreme Commander nodded.

 

 

"They don't have the numbers for a full-on occupation, and my predecessor already summoned every Republic fleet in the Core to descend on Coruscant. It'll be hours before they get here but the imps aren't stupid, they know were not just guna sit here and take it."

 

 

"How did this happen?" Jay asked Madon.

 

 

"Reports are sketchy," Maxxor replied in the Supreme Chancellor's stead, "but apparently the Empire seized Alderaan without us knowing about it."

 

 

"How is that possible? Last I heard Organa and her allies were winning the war." Jay said, still confounded by the magnitude of the disaster.

 

 

"It was a trap set by the imps," The Supreme Commander supplied, "They let Organa think they were winning to lure them into a trap, then right before they sprung it, they took out all planetary and exo-planetary communications. It threw Organa's forces into complete chaos, but the Thuls all knew what to do, and the planet was theirs within a matter of hours. With the communications blackout nobody on-world could tell us what was going on, and with Thul restricting all travel off-world, nobody in orbit knew anything until the Thuls took over our space station and faked the all-clear signal. From there, they used Alderaan as a staging point to launch their fleets."

 

 

A third image suddenly shimmered into view next to the Maxxor. "Supreme Commander, we have an emergency!"

 

 

"Director?" Maxxor asked incredulously. "What is it?"

 

 

"Is this connection secure?" The Director asked hurriedly, Madon nodded.

 

 

"I'm using my personal encryption key, we're as secure as can be."

 

 

"We've intercepted Imperial transmissions, the attacks are just the beginning, they're planning a full scale invasion of every major system in the Core!"

 

 

"WHAT!!!" Maxxor roared.

 

 

"It's true, I'd stake my life on this." The Director replied.

 

 

"That may be what you've just done, but not just your life either. If what you say is true trillions will die!" The Supreme Chancellor exclaimed.

 

 

"I suggest we focus on protecting the most critical systems, starting with Duro."

 

 

"Duro?" The Supreme Commander asked incredulously. "I thought you just said we should focus on protecting critical systems. Duro is heavily populated, but it's not Kuat or Muunilinst." The Director shifted uncomfortably.

 

 

"A report from one of my field agents indicates that the Ascendant Spear is on its way to Duro to raze it to the ground as we speak. We-that is I and the previous Supreme Commander-had planned to ambush the Spear at Duro and destroy it, it's called Operation Endgame." Jay sensed the man was covering something up, but considering the man was the Director of SIS, Jay decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

 

"And now the whole operation is about to fall apart if you can't get a big enough fleet together." Supreme Commander Maxxor said, finishing the thought.

 

 

"Yes." The Director replied solemnly.

 

 

"Well we can't very well throw away an operation in progress that could be so critical to the Republic war effort, especially at this juncture." Maxxor said affirmatively.

 

 

"Now hold on just a minute!" Madon spoke up. "We can't very well abandon all the other worlds that are being invaded!"

 

 

"We can afford to lose a few key worlds if we destroy the Spear." The Director countered.

 

 

"Director!" Madon exclaimed, horrified.

 

 

"The Director is correct sir," Maxxor assured him, "If the Ascendant Spear is taken down we will be in a far better strategic position than we would be if we focused on protecting the targeted worlds."

 

 

"But all those people..." The Supreme Chancellor seemed shell-shocked. "Surely you don't agree with this master Jedi?" Jay was quiet for a long moment as the three awaited his answer.

 

 

"Supreme Chancellor," He said, finally speaking, "You are correct in stating that we cannot simply allow the Empire to invade our worlds as they choose." A look of relief crossed the Chancellor's face, only to quickly morph back into apprehension when Jay continued; "However, we also cannot walk away from the threat of the Ascendant Spear."

 

 

"So what do you suggest, Master Jedi?" Maxxor asked.

 

 

"That you contact every Republic ship in the navy commander, and allocate the largest fleet to Duro, while dividing the remainder of available ships as they are needed among the ailing worlds."

 

 

"We'll still be shorthanded for the battle against the Spear." The Director protested. "You don't know how dangerous this ship is Master Jedi, it has dispatched entire planetary defense fleets on its own!"

 

 

"They won't be shorthanded." Jay said firmly, "Because I'm going with them."

 

 

"With all due respect," The Director said, "I'm not sure one Jedi, however powerful, is enough to turn the tide." Jay smiled.

 

 

"True, but I won't be the only Jedi there."

 

 

"What do you mean?" Maxxor asked.

 

 

"I'm going to send you the coordinates for the rendezvous point," Jay said, typing them into the holoprojector's input pad. "Have the fleet bound for Duros meet me there, me and ten other Jedi ships."

 

 

"Just what are you planning?" Madon asked curiously.

 

 

"Have faith in the Force." Jay responded cryptically. "The Spear will be broken, the Republic will survive."

 

 

"Then may the Force be with us all." The Supreme Chancellor said, as one by one the three beings terminated their connections.

 

___________

 

 

Nox brought his saber up to block Satele's attempted decapitation, he responded preemptively to her rapid series of blows and strikes with a smooth and efficient defensive sequence from Soresu, responding to a brief hesitation on her part with a blast of Force lightning that staggered her. She growled in pain and anger, glaring at him with a mixture of bloodlust and hatred. She came at him again, her impossibly fast sequences easily blocked by Nox, who seemed to know her every move before she even made it. Her guard dropped for an instant and Nox struck her temple with the hilt of his saberstaff, causing her to lose her balance, stumble, and fall, her own saberstaff clattering out of her hand. Nox approached her, but she made no move to flee. Upon reaching her, he extended a hand. She took it and he hauled her to her feet.

 

 

"Well done my child." He said, his cadence deliberately slow and drawn out. "You are truly worthy of being my firstborn."

 

 

Satele knelt down on one knee and bowed her head. "I live to serve you, father."

 

 

"And so you shall." Nox said, and Satele rose to her feet. "There is one last test for you to complete." Nox continued. "You will create your own synthetic crystal using the power I have given you. It will be a reflection of your true nature."

 

 

"As you command, master."

 

 

"Come." Nox turned and walked towards the elevator that lead up to the secret stronghold's ground floor. Satele followed him, and in minutes they were stepping out into the ancient ruins of Taris. They continued walking in silence for half a standard hour until they reached the entrance to the Rakghoul tunnels that lead into the abandoned transport system of the former ecumenopolis. "Descend into the depths, child. Take this," He held out his hand, revealing that he was holding a rare, white lightsaber crystal, an ultimate expression of the Force's purity. "Take the crystal into the depths of the tunnels, and perform the ritual. I will guide you from here, then you will return to me with the crystal, your rebirth complete."

 

 

"I understand master."

 

 

"Then go." Satele reached out and took the crystal from her master's hand, then headed into the darkness of the caves. As she went deeper and deeper into the network of tunnels carved by the foul creatures that dominated the ruined planet, she began to sense more and more rakghouls, and the miasma of death and decay became thicker and stronger. In her past life, Satele might have balked at the assault on her senses or tried to stabilize her emotions by connecting with the Force, now however, she drank it in. She fed off of the atmosphere of entropy that permeated the underworld, drawing strength from it, using the power it gave her to stave off the hungry, eyeless predators lurking in the shadows, starving for a taste of flesh.

 

 

She felt her master guiding her, felt his presence in the back of her mind, directing her steps and steering her sense of direction. He lead her to a large, open cavern with one other passage leading to it, besides the one she had emerged from. She could feel his will and knew that this was place where she was to conduct the ritual. She walked to the center of the cavern and placed the crystal and her lightsaber on the ground. Then she sat down cross-legged, closed her eyes, and entered a meditative trance.

 

 

The crystal began to levitate off the ground, tumbling end over end. Satele could hear the darkness whispering to her, guiding her thoughts as she felt it enter her and attach itself to the pure Force crystal. The dark energy in the cavern began to grow, and Satele felt the beautiful darkness beginning to consume and corrupt the crystal through her mind. Internally, she rejoiced as the dark tide swelled within her and she felt the light of purity fade to nothing more than a faint glimmer, then vanish.

 

 

She levitated her lightsaber next, disassembling it in midair to reveal the blue crystal inside. She let the crystal drop to the ground, and moved the newly corrupted purple crystal into its place, reassembling the lightsaber around it. Having finished the ritual, she felt a surge of depraved joy and reveled in the dark energies her weapon was now exuding.

 

 

Suddenly she heard an ear-splitting roar that jerked her from her trance, and the far wall of the cavern exploded in a storm of rock, dirt, and filth. Out of the cloud charged a sanguine rakghoul as big as a rancor, howling and snarling as it bore down on her. She leapt to her feet and activated her new lightsaber, the violet blade shining brightly in the darkness as she charged forward to meet her foe.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2017 by De-mu-noki

[ssppeeiirr]

did not see that coming, well done, to turn the grandmaster to the darkside, what a feat Nox! can't wait for more

[De-mu-noki]

Hi guys! Here's the next part, I wrote it especially for all my Theron fans out there! *teeheeheehee*

 

 

 

The Republic fleet that emerged from hyperspace over Duro quickly discovered they had flown straight into a one-sided battle. The Imperial invasion fleet attacking the planet, while small, still far outgunned the world's emergency defense flotilla, which was in a very bad way. Only two of the five capital ships remained, and most of the fighter and interceptor-class vessels had been crippled or destroyed. Imperial forces had already begun bombardment of the orbital cities and shipyards, and the fighters, boarding shuttles and interceptors launched from the bays of the newly arrived Republic ships hurried to run them off.

 

 

The battle remained one-sided, the only thing that changed was the side that was winning. The Imperial fleet quickly found itself fully on the defensive, as the sheer number of Republic vessels and the magnitude of their firepower overwhelmed them. In the depths of the flagship, the Star Aegis, Jay-Li gathered with ten other Jedi knights and masters he had specifically chosen for this mission.

 

 

"Are we ready?" he asked.

 

 

"As ready as we could ever be." Master Lor'ek replied.

 

 

"Are we certain this is the correct course of action?" Jedi Knight Gerdon inquired. "I understand times are desperate, but surely no ship can stand against the might of the fleet assembled here."

 

 

"We're here to make certain of that." Jay responded with calm assurance. "We won't begin until we receive the signal from Commander Prake."

 

 

"I think you underestimate the power of the Ascendant Spear Gerdon," Jedi Knight Ferek spoke up. "it has taken down fleets more than half the size of this one on its own."

 

 

"I sympathize with Gerdon's sentiment." Master Jee-ra said. "This is not a casual undertaking and it should be taken very seriously."

 

 

"Which it is." Jay affirmed. "I would not have called you all here to do this if I did not believe that it was entirely necessary."

 

 

Outside, the battle was beginning to end as the Imperial Forces tried desperately to retreat. One group of ships, a Star Destroyer and a few frigate-class cruisers managed to break away from the battle and began firing up their hyperdrives, dropping their shields to do so. In a flash, The Ascendant Spear appeared from hyperspace not far from them and, in the space of a mere second, unleashed a barrage of perfectly-aimed shots that struck every ship in the escape group, ripping through their shields and causing them to explode in one massive nova. On the bridge of The Star Aegis Fleet Commander Prake turned his head towards the young Selkath seated at navigation when she exclaimed: "The Spear has arrived!"

 

 

"More power to weapons!" Prake barked, then he spoke into the channel connecting him with the rest of the fleet. "This is Fleet Commander Prake, all vessels converge on the Ascendant Spear and prepare for battle!" He switched over to the private channel that gave him a direct line to Jay-Li. "It's time Master Jedi." He said grimly, "We're moving in on the Spear as we speak."

 

 

"Roger." Jay said, and he closed the connection. He and the others would need complete privacy and solitude to perform what they were about to. He sat down in a cross-legged meditative pose and, taking the hint, his colleagues followed suit. They were sitting in a circle, each one relinquishing his thoughts and focusing solely on the Force. Their minds began to overlap, their wills merging into one as they surrendered themselves to the Force. Then their combined consciousness began to extend outward, expanding like an invisible bubble over the entirety of the Republic fleet. The minds of every crewman on every ship in the Republic fleet became linked, from the pilots of the fighters and crewmen of the light corvettes to the commanders of the massive Star Destroyers, every mind became synchronized to each other. The vessels moved with organic unity, each crew member operating in perfect sync with every other crewman in every other ship on the fleet.

 

 

The fleet moved in on the Ascendant Spear like a single organism, an amoeba encircling its prey. With its longer range giving it the initiative, the Spear opened fire first, unleashing multiple salvos and utilizing much of its arsenal in wild destruction. Some of the shots struck their targets, annihilating countless fighters, destroying the smaller capital ships in one shot, and heavily draining the larger vessel's shields. But many of the shots simply went wide, missing their targets and most other vessels by miles. The result was that the Republic fleet only suffered minor losses and managed to get in close enough to return the favor. As one the ships began to open fire, pelting the Spear from all sides. Even with the extraordinary vessel's exemplary shielding capabilities, the sheer scale of the bombardment was enough to make the shields waver for a few moments.

 

 

The Spear peeled off and began to charge for an opening in the fleet's encirclement left by some of the ships it had successfully destroyed. The Republic ships couldn't keep pace with the seemingly fleeing vessel as its superior speed allowed it to slip through the gap before the surrounding ships could close it. Immediately after passing through the gap, the Spear unleashed another barrage at the ships surrounding the hole. Some of the shots struck their intended targets, destroying them with sheer firepower, but again, many of the attacks went wide. Regardless, the ship continued fleeing the Republic fleet, firing back at them in retreat. The escape from the three dimensional encirclement trap the Republic had attempted had effectively cut the pressure from enemy attacks down by two thirds or so and relegated the attacks to the aft shields, which Darth Karrid was obviously shunting power to.

 

 

The ships on the other side of the half-spherical formation were beginning to relocate around their allies, even as the ships firing on the Spear tightened their formation to allow for more of the ships behind them to release their firepower in shorter order. The synchronicity with which the maneuvers were performed was eerie yet deadly, being reminiscent of the presence of a hive mind or some other collective consciousness. The maneuver proved to be detrimental however, when the Spear suddenly turned hard to port and unleashed a devastating salvo that decimated the central formation. This time, each shot hit its mark directly, with an accuracy as uncanny as the unity with which the Republic fleet acted. The central formation began to disperse, as the remaining ships took evasive action.

 

 

The Spear continued its course, coming about in a full 180 degree rotation and seizing on the advantage, raining fire down on the ships as they attempted to escape its weapons and regroup. Two more capital ships exploded, taking thousands of fighters with them. The Spear's shields continued to take a beating from many of the remaining ships but they showed no sign of failing yet. Suddenly, the shields vanished, and the plasma bolts and ion blasts sank into the hull of the Ascendant Spear, causing thousands of tiny explosions and creating hundreds of hull breaches. The vessel seemingly began to fire wildly, as if it were shooting blind, but it seemed to quickly regain control, its attacks became focused and direct. Two of the Hammerheads got caught in the ship's salvo and had their shields torn apart by the intense barrage, leaving them crippled and limping. The Republic fleet returned fire, but their attacks were once again deflected by the Spear's shields, which were back in operation.

 

 

The ships that had escaped the carnage reformed and began focusing their fire on the upper starboard bow. The deflector shields flared as they repelled the attack, with a significant power drain. Suddenly a second salvo of fire struck the bilge amidships, as a two corvettes and a legion of fighters took advantage of the power reallocation to severely weaken the lower shields. Other ships began to join in pelting the Spear from random directions, moving erratically yet in perfect conjunction. The Spear's guns tried to keep up with all the moving targets, but it soon relegated itself to attacking and focusing on individual ships, eliminating them one at a time.

 

 

In the middle of chasing down a Corvette, the Spear suddenly slowed, and its shields weakened noticeably, as lone blasts began to strike the hull in the more vulnerable areas. With the timely intervention of another Corvette and a Hammerhead, the Spear's prey managed to escape. Turning to assault the ships who had robbed it of its target, the ship revealed the extent of its lost speed. The deflectors suffered an unusual amount of strain before it managed to get off a salvo that drove off the two capital ships. Despite the loss of response time, the Ascendant Spear still held a tremendous amount of firepower, more than enough to engage the Republic fleet.

 

 

Out of nowhere however, the Spear suddenly stopped attacking. It slowed to a crawl and simply took the incoming fire from the remains of the Republic fleet. The deflectors began to waver, then collapsed under the pressure, thousands of explosions rocked the vessel, and it began to list under the constant bombardment. Escape pods jettisoned from every side of the vessel, even as the ship began to fragment and fall apart. The fleet continued to bombard the Spear even after the escape pods stopped launching, and after a few full minutes of the constant onslaught, the ship's now unstable power core began to overload. The ship suddenly erupted in a fireworks display of explosions, each one seemingly brighter and larger than the last, and then, the vessel was consumed in a brilliant white flash punctuated by the rapidly expanding ring of glowing energy that characterized a massive hypermatter explosion.

 

 

A spirit of jubilation spread across the remainder of the Republic fleet, as the Battle Meditation of the ten Jedi faded, it was replaced by an intense feeling of inspiration and outright joy. Crew members hugged each other, high-fived, or jumped up and down, pumping their fists in the air and whistling. The euphoria of victory filled the atmosphere of every vessel, momentarily unfettered by the pain of the losses they had suffered. On the bridge of the Star Aegis, the scene was no different than anywhere else in the fleet. Commander Prake enjoyed the atmosphere of triumph as he watched his subordinates celebrate. By chance, his eyes happened to glance over at a nearby, abandoned terminal, they were being hailed. Patching the ship's comms into his own personal communicator, he answered the hail.

 

 

"Hey Aegis," A strange voice said in his ear. "Any chance me and my Jedi friend here can hitch a ride?"

 

 

"Who is this?" Commander Prake asked with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. There was a pause that went on for a while, then:

 

 

"This is SIS agent Theron Shan, I'm here with Jedi Master Gnost-Dural. We were on board the Ascendant Spear trying to sabotage it, and we got away in an escape pod"

 

 

"Sabotage? Was that you that messed with their shields and targeting systems?"

 

 

"You can thank us for it later, preferably in person." Commander Prake smiled.

 

 

"Son, I'll do a lot more than that. I'm putting you in for as many commendations as I can, our losses would have been far more severe without your help."

 

 

"Always a pleasure to serve the Republic, Commander."

 

 

"Make for launch bay eight, welcome home heroes, welcome home."

 

___________

 

 

Ten minutes later, Commander Prake and Jedi Masters Jay-Li, Lor'ek, and Miina stood in the launch bay in front of the escape pod, along with another 20 members of the Star Aegis crew. The escape pod door popped open, and Theron and Gnost-Dural exited the craft as everyone assembled broke into a spontaneous round of applause and cheers. Even Jay joined in, clapping his gloved hands together rather enthusiastically for a Jedi.

 

 

"Welcome back." Commander Prake said when the two heroes reached him, snapping off a sharp salute.

 

 

"Looks like everyone showed up to say hi." Theron commented as he looked around at the assembled crew. It was Jedi Master Miina, giggling softly, who finally asked what everyone was thinking but didn't have the courage to say.

 

 

"Why are you two naked?"

 

 

"It's a long story." Theron said as the cheers and applause were interrupted by raucous laughter. Commander Prake signaled for the crew members to leave, which they did, but not without leaving Theron and Gnost-Dural with some hearty backslaps and handshakes. Prake indicated to one officer that he should fetch the two heroes some clothes to wear, and the man scurried off to do just that.

 

 

"Theron Shan..." Jay-Li mused as he clasped the young man's hand in a firm handshake, "Any relation to Satele Shan?" Theron sighed and shook his head.

 

 

"I told them I needed a codename." He muttered under his breath.

 

 

"Master Gnost-Dural." Master Miina said, bowing in greeting. "I didn't realize you found clothing uncomfortable." She teased.

 

 

"Less uncomfortable than dying." Gnost-Dural said, trying to ignore the jest, even though his cheeks were flushing a deeper orange. "I didn't have the time to grab anything on my way out."

 

 

"So..." Theron said hesitantly. "Where's my- I mean, where's the Supreme Commander?"

 

 

"What?" Commander Prake asked in bewilderment. "What do you mean?"

 

 

"Nothing," Theron corrected himself, shaking his head in what seemed like anger. "Nothing, forget I said anything."

 

 

"The Supreme Commander is on Coruscant, Theron." Jay-Li informed him, "He's fighting off an Imperial invasion."

 

 

"What?" Theron exclaimed. Gnost-Dural looked equally shocked. "I spoke to him only eight hours ago, when did this happen?"

 

 

"Ah." Master Lor'ek spoke up, shaking his head, making his lekku sway. "Then you spoke to the previous Supreme Commander before he died."

 

 

"Died?" Theron asked, his eyes glazing over, making him look like he was in a daze.

 

 

"Yes, truly a tragedy." Jay-Li continued, "But I'm afraid that's not the only bad news Theron."

 

 

"There's more?" Gnost-Dural asked with notes of dread and exasperation in his voice.

 

 

"Yes." Jay replied. "The Jedi Grandmaster Satele Shan...I'm afraid she's gone missing."

 

 

"Missing?" Theron asked. "Do you mean dead?" Jay shook his head.

 

 

"No. She's alive, just hidden from us. If she had died we would have sensed it."

 

 

"Get me a ship." Theron said, his tone indicating that he wasn't going to be talked out of it. "I'm going after her."

 

 

"Hold on a moment Theron." Jay said, slightly puzzled at the man's apparent overreaction.

 

 

"No. Get me a ship, I have to get out there."

 

 

"And just how do you expect to find her?" Jay asked.

 

 

"I'll think of something." Theron replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

 

"She went missing during a time of crisis with no evidence to go on." Master Miina pointed out. "How do you expect to find her without a trail to follow?"

 

 

"I-" Theron paused as he reluctantly came to the logical conclusion. "I guess you're right. Forget about it."

 

 

"We don't have to." Jay said, and Theron gave a sigh of exasperation. "Will you make up your mind?"

 

 

"My mind is irrelevant." Jay-Li said. "Yours on the other hand could lead us straight to her."

 

 

"What do you mean?" Theron asked suspiciously.

 

 

"I mean if you have some sort of personal connection to her, a special bond of some sort-"

 

 

"No." Theron said, a little more abruptly and firmly than he intended. "The Grandmaster and I know each other that's all. There's no special bond or anything like that."

 

 

"Still," Gnost-Dural said. "Your expertise could prove valuable in the search for her."

 

 

"Like you guys said." Theron replied. "If you can't find her how am I supposed to help?"

 

 

"That is exactly the point." Jay-Li said. "We cannot locate her through the Force, and while Master Miina is correct about there being a lack of evidence, We know what her last location was, and there were signs of a struggle, so it is reasonable to believe she did not go willingly, in which case-"

 

 

"-there's likely to be some clues left behind." Theron finished the thought. "Alright, so when do we leave?"

 

 

"As soon as you two get dressed." Jay said, as the officer returned with their change of clothes.

 

____________

 

 

Satele sat cross-legged in the center of the circle of light filtering down from above. All around she was surrounded by pitch-black darkness that was as deep as the void. She was attired in the same robes she always wore, only now they were black with purple trim. Her hair, once pulled back in a tight bun, now flowed freely down the back of her neck, its silver color reflecting the light coming down from overhead. Her brow creased in concentration as she tried to expand her awareness, then suddenly she leaped to her feet, igniting her lightsaber just in time to block the incoming blow. Nox had struck at her from the darkness, seemingly emerging from it as if he had been formed of it. Their blades clashed, violet against violet, then, as fast as he had appeared, Nox vanished into the darkness again, seemingly melting into it.

 

 

Satele stood in ready stance, waiting for the next blow to come. She barely sensed it in time to parry it as it came from behind her, and her counterattack came too little too late, as Nox was already retreating, fading into the shadows.

 

 

"Do not trust your eyes, child." Came his disembodied voice out of the black. It seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once, perhaps it was just in her head. "They are too easy for the darkness to deceive." She almost didn't catch the next attack in time, because it came quickly after he finished speaking, too quickly. "Do not trust your ears," he admonished her, "the silence of the void will whisper lies to you if you listen too closely." She managed to dodge his next attack, an eerily noiseless overhand leaping strike, and attempted a counter attack, only to find him already gone, having vanished back into the darkness. "Do not trust your mind, for it will conspire against you with the dark." She waited for the attack this time, steeling herself for it, but it never came, there was only darkness and silence.

 

 

She heard the hiss of a lightsaber activating, looking down, she saw the purple blade had impaled her abdomen. She gasped in horror, preparing herself for the pain. Then the lightsaber blade vanished, the hum of the magnetic field disappeared without an deactivation sound, and she saw that her body was whole and uninjured. She realized it had been an illusion. Suddenly the hiss of a real lightsaber blade reached her ears, and she looked back up to see Nox standing in front of her, pointing the tip of his blade directly at her face. This was no illusion, she could feel the heat of the plasma and see the currents of energy roiling beneath the weapon's magnetic wall. She stared into the cold, black eye sockets of her master's helm for a long moment, then he deactivated his lightsaber and she bowed in acquiescence.

 

 

"You are not trying, daughter." He accused.

 

 

"I am father, please believe me!" She said as earnestly as she could.

 

 

"Did you think that replacing your lightsaber crystal and changing your robes made you worthy?" Nox hissed.

 

 

"No master, I do not!" She protested, attempting to placate him.

 

 

"That rite of First Blood was merely the final step in your initiation. If you are to carry out my will, you must be strong enough, fast enough, cunning enough..." he paused. "and ruthless enough." He nodded his head at something behind her. Satele turned her head and saw, to her shock, her son. Theron was kneeling at the very edge of the circle of light, his face was bruised, cut, and scorched, and there were many places where his clothes were torn or seared through, revealing burns and bleeding wounds. He looked up at her, his eyes full of pain and questions.

 

 

"Why mom?" He asked in a gasping, breathless voice. "Why did you do it?" Satele stood perfectly still, staring at her son.

 

 

"I had him abducted especially for you." Nox said from behind her, his tone deceptively soft despite the underlying hint of malice to it. "I tortured him to soften him up for you."

 

 

"WHY?!" Theron yelled at her. "Why did you do it!? Why did you leave me?! You abandoned me!" He looked at her lightsaber. "And now you're about to do it again, for good this time."

 

 

"Kill him." Her master demanded. She hesitated. "KILL HIM!" Nox bellowed, his voice echoing in the darkness. Satele began to slowly walk towards her helpless son, gripping her saberstaff tightly. When she reached him, she reared it back in an executioner's swing. She caught his gaze, and she saw everything in his eyes; his resentment, his pain, his long-dead affection for her, his fear of death, and she understood. He hated her, for leaving him as an infant, for never being a mother to him, even when she had the chance, for denying them the close relationship they should have had. He would never forgive her, ever. She swung, the blade sliced through flesh, and Theron's headless, now lifeless body toppled to the floor, the head rolling away out of the light.

 

 

"Good." Her master praised her, as he slowly stepped back into the darkness, vanishing into it. "You are learning."

 

 

[Lunafox]

Interesting take on Annihilation, I enjoyed the part about the Ascendant Spear very much and seeing Gnost-Dural and Theron is always great.

 

That said, I can't believe you did that. I'm not sure I'm buying into it.

 

 

I think it must be a vision that Nox is inflicting on Satele. I'm hoping because I don't want to see Theron dead, and killed by his own mother no less. But if that's the direction you've gone with it, it's certainly unexpected, Mayhem. And thank you to De-mu-noki for posting in Mayhem's stead. Looking forward to the next to see if you really did it or not lol.

 

Edited April 10, 2017 by Lunafox

[De-mu-noki]

 

I think it must be a vision that Nox is inflicting on Satele. I'm hoping because I don't want to see Theron dead, and killed by his own mother no less. But if that's the direction you've gone with it, it's certainly unexpected, Mayhem. And thank you to De-mu-noki for posting in Mayhem's stead. Looking forward to the next to see if you really did it or not lol.

muahahaha you'll see (soon™) - Demunoki

 

 

[De-mu-noki]

 

 

Jay-Li, Gnost-Dural, and Theron made their way through the wilds of Tython, following a trail that had been forged very recently, leading from the Jedi Temple up into the mountains. They'd only been following the trail for twelve minutes when Theron called to the two Jedi from up ahead. Rushing to catch up, they burst into a large clearing to see Theron squatting on the ground, looking at something. He spoke to them as they approached, standing to his feet.

 

 

"The trail ends here." He said. "There was a starship parked here, big, heavy, almost capital ship size." Jay looked around. The clearing was only large enough to accommodate a ship shorter than 120 meters, there weren't that many ship models in the either the Imperial or Republic fleets in that size range, and considering that at least one, if not more, of the ship's crew members defeated the Jedi Grandmaster in combat, there were very few ship models that were potential suspects.

 

 

"We're looking for an Imp VIP." Theron said, giving voice to Jay's thoughts. "Most likely Sith."

 

 

"So the Sith have the Grandmaster." Gnost-Dural said, an unusual amount of discomfort and concern underlying his voice. "That isn't good."

 

 

"So we know it was a Sith." Jay said, "The question is, which one?"

 

 

"They'd have to be powerful enough to take on Grandmaster Satele," Gnost-Dural mused. "Either in single combat or with some assistance."

 

 

"What about multiple attackers?" Theron asked. "It could have been an entire squad of commandos, this could have been an Imperial military operation."

 

 

"Unlikely." Gnost-Dural said. "I sensed the residual Dark Side energy along the trail, if the Sith weren't directly responsible, then they were at least involved. They also couldn't have gotten a large number of combatants into the Temple and down to the secret meditation chamber without at least one of them being discovered, so there must have been no more than three or four combatants."

 

 

"So we're looking for one or more powerful, high-ranking Sith who could possibly defeat the Grandmaster." Jay-Li affirmed.

 

 

"My first guess would be Darth Rictus." Gnost-Dural said. "As the head of the Sith's official order of assassins, he would be our most likely culprit."

 

 

"But Darth Rictus would have killed her, not kidnapped her." Jay-Li pointed out. "The Sith who took her had a reason for doing so, he likely has plans in the works, and he needs her for some reason."

 

 

"That's actually a good point." Theron said, and Gnost-Dural relented.

 

 

"Then who else could it be?" He asked, partly to himself.

 

 

"What about Darth Vowrawn?" Jay-Li asked. "He's supposed to be in charge of the vast majority of the Empire's slave trade."

 

 

"But why go to all this trouble just to kidnap the Grandmaster?" Gnost-Dural rebutted. "It's a waste of time and resources for what could only be a vain trophy. From my studies of the Dark Council I can assure you that Darth Vowrawn is many things, but he is not vain to the point of insanity."

 

 

"Maybe we should return to the Temple," Theron suggested. "We can research the SIS database and Jedi archives to try and determine who the culprit might be."

 

 

The two Jedi exchanged glances, then nodded their assent, and the three of them headed back down the mountain.

 

___________

 

 

Satele stood naked, covered head to toe in rakghoul pheromones, and unarmed, watching in rage as a small horde of rakghouls scrambled across the main chamber of the complex, snarling and growling. She reached out with her mind, and summoned the power of the Dark Side, seizing the minds of the simple creatures, crushing their wills, until they all finally stopped and awaited her mental commands. She turned her gaze on her master, and sent the creatures rushing to assault him.

 

 

Her master stood perfectly still, until they got within ten meters of him, then he held his left hand out as it crackled with raw energy. He suddenly moved it in a large, exaggerated sweeping motion, creating a wave of electricity that instantly fried the rakghouls and struck her. If she hadn't shielded herself, it would have injured her too, instead it sent her flying back a few meters to land on her backside, the filthy durasteel floor sc****** against her slime-covered skin.

 

 

She scrambled to her feet, preparing herself for the next round. Her master held up a single-button remote, and pressed it. The next group of cages opened, and a fresh wave of rakghouls attacked.

 

___________

 

 

The two Jedi hovered over Theron's shoulders as the three of them examined the SIS and Jedi profiles on the current members of the Dark Council at one of the few terminals in the Jedi Archives that was still functioning. The Archives themselves had been protected well enough, but the Sith had been able to disable most of the power lines, leaving only the emergency terminals, which ran on battery power, working. The newest members, of which Darth Karrid had been one, had rather scant amount of information on them. They hadn't been on the Dark Council nearly long enough to be accurately profiled, and they had been in the upper ranks of the Sith long enough to have avoided close examination by the various SIS and Jedi "assets" within the Empire's ranks. Sith, especially Darths, were entitled to privacy and secrecy, so it took time to gather even small amounts of information on high-ranking members of the order.

 

 

"What about Darth Nalik?" Gnost-Dural asked. "I've seen his kind before, perhaps he plans to attempt to study Grandmaster Shan in an attempt to further his knowledge of the Dark Side."

 

 

"Nah, his whereabouts are accounted for during the battle." Theron pointed out. "As are the whereabouts of the other two besides Nalik and Karrid."

 

 

"Which ones were seen during the attacks?" Jay-Li asked.

 

 

"Umm..." Theron said, scrolling down to find the list. "Ah, here we go; Darth Mortis, Darth Ravage, Darth Aruk, Darth Marr..."

 

 

"Look at the ones that were unaccounted for," Gnost-Dural said, pointing at the spot. "Darth Vowrawn, and Darth Nox." Jay felt his blood grow cold.

 

 

"Nox?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

 

 

"It says his personal flagship, the Black Hole, was present during the attack on Tython," Theron said, reading from the page. "But the transmissions intercepted during the battle show no sign of him personally communicating with anyone." It took a moment, but the same realization that had descended on Jay settled on Theron and Gnost-Dural, as they started to put the last pieces of the puzzle into place.

 

 

"Theron, was Darth Vowrawn's flagship seen in either of the battles?" Gnost-Dural asked.

 

 

"No." Theron said blankly, staring at the screen with a hollow look in his eye. "All intel from the Black Cipher indicates he was held in reserve for the follow-up invasions."

 

 

"Then we have our culprit." Master Gnost-Dural said, his voice hardening with resolve.

 

 

"We can't waste any time." Theron said with sudden conviction. "We have to find out where he's keeping her."

 

 

"Then let's start by locating his nearest known hideout." Gnost-Dural suggested. He glanced over at Jay, who was staring ahead like he was in a daze. "Master Jay-Li, are you alright?" Jay shook his head to clear it, then he pulled a data stick out of a pocket in his robes, handing it to Theron.

 

 

"Here," he said, "use this."

 

 

"What is it?"

 

 

"It contains a profile of Darth Nox I downloaded from the Jedi Archives several months ago." Gnost-Dural and Theron turned to regard him.

 

 

"You have some experience with this Sith?" Gnost-Dural asked hesitantly.

 

 

"Yes." Jay replied gloomily. "And rest assured that if he has Satele, she is in danger of suffering a fate far worse than death."

 

___________

 

 

Satele screamed as the lightning enveloped her, searing her clothes, burning her flesh, and overloading her nervous system. Her master ceased his persecution of her, not even allowing her a moment to catch her breath before he continued speaking.

 

 

"So if you one day hope to utilize true Sith lightning, you must first be a victim of it." He unleashed another stream of the torturous bolts and she screamed again as the pain exploded in her skull, but she hung on. Every time she had passed out during the previous attempts at this lesson he had forced her to take a few hours of rest before they would do it all over again from the beginning. The stream lapsed and Nox began speaking again.

 

 

"It will change you, in both body and mind." He said, punctuating the statement with another round of the painful volts. "But remember..." he said when he allowed it to subside, "that Sith lightning, like the Dark Side, does not debilitate the practitioner as much as it debilitates those who lack it." Satele gasping for breath, took his hesitation in renewing her torture as a possible indication that she had completed the lesson.

 

 

"I-understand, master." she gulped.

 

 

"Gooood." He replied, before unleashing his power on her again.

 

___________

 

 

Jay-Li's personal starship, the Beacon, dropped out of hyperspace near Taris. For days the three men had been locating and infiltrating the various hideouts of Nox's that were known to the Jedi and the SIS. They were about halfway done, and tensions were beginning to wear thin. They slept in shifts, taking turns having one person pilot the ship through hyperspace to the next planet while the other two slept. Then on the next two trips, that person would get to sleep while the others took their turns piloting. They'd been able to go on this way for almost a week but the exhaustion was starting to get to even the Jedi.

 

 

Theron took the ship into an approach vector, careful to keep the planet situated as much between him and the two Imperial space stations in orbit, one of which had once belonged to the Republic, as possible. Master Jay-Li walked into the cockpit a few minutes after they started breaking atmo, and Gnost-Dural followed soon after. Together, they watched as Theron took the ship into a low-flying position to avoid detection, until they found a place big enough to land the 94 meter-long ship relatively near the target coordinates.

 

 

After several minutes of creeping through the jungle, cloaked with the Force and stealth technology, they arrived at the entrance to the enemy's hideout. There were no guards or detectable traps of any kind, nonetheless they moved carefully. Finally reaching the passage leading into the underground fortress, they continued their cautious progress. Chamber by chamber they searched the premises, finding nothing but the signs of recent habitation and the aroma of the Dark Side. Following the scent, the two Jedi lead Theron deeper into the complex, until they arrived at the deepest chamber. As soon as they turned the corner, they saw what was causing the disturbance in the Force. A lone figure, wearing a long, black robe and shrouded in a visible aura of darkness, kneeled in a meditative pose facing away from the door. The being was on a platform on the other side of a metal bridge that passed over what seemed to have once been a track for the old transport system, which was now completely covered in dirt, with both of the tunnels on either end of the room blocked by ancient cave-ins.

 

 

The three of them crossed the bridge and decloaked once they reached the platform on the other side, Theron was the first to train his weapon on the figure. "Hands where I can see 'em, now!" He barked.

 

 

"Is that any way to treat your mother?" A voice he recognized asked in a tone that he didn't.

 

 

"What?" Theron gasped, staggered by the remark. The figure stood up and removed its hood, revealing shoulder-length silvery hair. She turned around and Theron nearly dropped his blaster when he saw who it was who was standing before them. "Mother..." he whispered, his voice shot through with shock and horror.

 

 

"Grandmaster Shan," Master Gnost-Dural said, his voice a mixture of sadness and dread, "What did he do to you?"

 

 

"He showed me the way." Satele said.

 

 

"Where is he?" Jay-Li asked, a hint of eagerness and desperation in his voice.

 

 

"You won't stop him." Satele said matter-of-factly. "He controls everything, has a contingency for every failure, a plan for every situation. He's already gone, he'll escape this planet and you will never see him until it's too late."

 

 

"Is "he" Darth Nox?" Master Gnost-Dural asked.

 

 

"Of course." Satele said, as if it was a stupid question. "My master is darkness incarnate," she said, drawing her lightsaber, "and I am his loyal servant." She activated the blade, revealing the violet color. "Now, Republic filth," she said, gripping her lightsaber in a ready stance, "defend yourselves!"

 

___________

 

 

Theron watched as Satele Shan, his mother, attacked Jedi Masters Gnost-Dural and Jay-Li. Despite the skills of the two men, Satele managed to stand her ground with a combination of Force-assisted acrobatics, defensive lightsaber sequences, and potent shots of Force lightning. Theron made a break for cover, taking a few shots at her lightsaber and limbs, hoping to disarm her or, at the very worst, cripple her. But she easily deflected his bolts right back at him, and they scorched the ground moments after his boots left it as he dived behind a set of crates. She leaped up and backflipped over the two Jedi to land squarely on the railing of the bridge. The two Jedi Masters followed suit, each one leaping onto the railing to stand on either side of her, and they continued the battle on the virtual tightrope of the railing top.

 

 

Satele managed to land a kick to Gnost-Dural's chest, and he staggered back, losing his footing and falling into the dirt-filled track hole below. She leaped off the railing, her lightsaber poised to impale him, but he rolled to the side at the last minute, used the momentum to propel himself to his feet, and engaged her once again. Jay-Li leaped off of the railing, somersaulting over Satele's head, the spinning green blades of his saberstaff threatening to split her skull. She deflected the airborne attack and continued to engage the two Jedi, while deflecting Theron's shots back at the crates he was using for cover.

 

 

Theron kept taking shots, ducking behind cover whenever Satele managed to deflect a few back in his direction. The two Jedi Masters were keeping her busy, but she more than held her own, leaping, somersaulting, and darting in circles around them like a ghost. Jay-Li held a steady, Soresu defense that focused on harrying Satele with entangling sequences and burdening her through the Force, while Master Gnost-Dural utilized the semi-defensive patterns of Djem So to turn the Grandmaster's strength against her and take advantage of openings with immediate counter-attacks. Satele somehow managed to stay ahead of them both, despite Ataru's inherent weakness against multiple opponents, she was simply too fast and nimble for them to seize any real advantage.

 

 

She landed a Force Kick on Gnost-Dural that sent him flying several meters backward to roll and unceremoniously come up on one knee. She turned on Jay-Li with inexorable fury and astonishing speed, unleashing an impossible barrage of attacks that only Jay's efficient and unnaturally accurate parries and blocks managed to stop. She came in with a sweeping decapitation slash, and Jay parried it with a spinning motion. She followed it up immediately with a jagged double strike at his shoulder and thigh, which he blocked with astounding foresight. She executed a front flip over his head, striking with her lightsaber even as she sailed over top of him, and deflecting a few shots from Theron, but Jay still managed to defend himself from her airborne assault.

 

 

She landed, and extended her hand, palm outward. A wave of Force power slammed into Jay with the power of a starship. He managed a brief moment of resistance before the sheer power of the attack sent him flying back just as Gnost-Dural leaped at Satele, his lightsaber poised to cleave her saberstaff in half if she tried to block his strike. Instead, she moved with preternatural speed, slipping under him and charging straight for Jay. The Jedi Master barely managed to get his own saberstaff into position in time to deflect the incoming flurry of blows, even so, he was driven backward by the sheer intensity of the attack. Gnost-Dural rejoined the battle with a set of twin strikes meant to force her to defend herself, but instead she melded her attack with a series of acrobatic movements that allowed her to dodge his strikes while continuing the assault on Master Jay-Li.

 

 

The two Jedi Masters attacked her from both sides, forcing her to defend two fronts simultaneously, but she took to the situation in murderous stride. Her offensive sequences were not interrupted by their attacks, rather she melded defense and offense perfectly, every dodge became a counter-strike, and every attack forced the victim to defend themselves in such a way that a counterattack would expose a weakness in their technique. Theron watched the battle closely as he took shot after shot at Satele, despite the fact that all three Jedi were mostly a blur, even to his technologically enhanced vision, he could tell that the Jedi were more concerned with defending themselves and harrying the Grandmaster than actually winning the fight. He began to wonder if they had given up and were merely hoping to survive the encounter rather than succeed in the mission, but that didn't fit with what he knew about either of them, or about Jedi in general. Jedi had very little fear of dying in his experience, due to their belief that death wasn't an ending, but the beginning of a new kind of existence. If Gnost-Dural and Jay-Li were playing it safe, there had to be a reason for it, some strategy they were working on.

 

 

Theron racked his brain as he poked his head over the metal crate he was using for cover to take a few more shots at Satele, sifting through his knowledge of the various factors involved in Jedi strategy and tactics. Suddenly, his eye caught sight of an access terminal a few meters away, and he holstered his blaster and scurried over to it, slicing it in a matter of seconds and searching the ancient mainframe for the systems he was looking for. He couldn't hope to help the two Jedi subdue Satele with the peashooter on his hip, but he had other talents that could be far more useful, if only he could find the right network...

 

 

Satele pressed the attack on Master Jay-Li, forcing him to retreat, even as Gnost-Dural chased her, trying to attack her from behind. She skillfully turned her attacks on Jay into parries of Gnost-Dural's strikes by twisting and turning as she pursued her prey. She punctuated a mid-air half roll half spin with a Force shockwave upon landing that blasted both Jedi Masters back several feet, it was at that moment that Theron's voice came through both Jedi's earpieces in a loud, harsh command that prompted an instinctual response from both of them.

 

 

"Shield yourselves!" Theron said as he pressed one final button on the access console. Jay-Li raised his hands as if placing them on two pillars on either side of him, spreading his feet in a wide, immoveable stance, and a transparent, gold-tinged barrier of shimmering energy radiated out from his center until it surrounded him completely. Gnost-Dural placed his own hands against an invisible barrier that quickly materialized, and a second later, the entire chamber was filled with a storm of energy as the various hijacked systems of the ancient transit station unleashed every last bit of power that remained. Satele was immediately caught in the maelstrom and screamed as the electricity flowed through her. Were it not for her innate and unconscious Force defenses she likely would have been killed instantly, as it was she survived the brief flash of energy, but was momentarily stunned by the experience.

 

 

With a flourish, Gnost-Dural extended his hand, and the dazed Grandmaster was sent flying back into the rocks blocking the far entrance to the station. She growled, straining against his will, and slowly began to peel herself off of the makeshift wall. Jay-Li stepped forward, cupping his hands as he extended them out towards her, a white and gold aura of energy forming around them. A similar aura formed around Satele, and the twin energy fields glowed brighter and brighter in response to each other. Satele staggered, clutching her head, trembling uncontrollably, and crying out in pain. The auras faded, and because Master Gnost-Dural was no longer holding her back with his will, she stumbled freely forward. Theron, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, caught her before she could hit the ground.

 

 

"Will she be ok?" He asked Jay as the Jedi Master leaned over, supporting himself with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily and looking pale and weary.

 

 

"Yes." Jay managed to breathe the word.

 

 

"Let's get her back to the Beacon." Gnost-Dural said, "She needs rest and comfort, and possibly medical attention." Theron looked down at his mother's face as he reached down and swept up her legs, carrying her small body, which seemed all the more tiny and fragile now, into his arms.

 

 

"Yeah." He said. "Let's get out of here."

 

__________

 

 

Satele woke to a startlingly bright light glaring into her eyes. She bolted upright in the medbay bed, her eyes darting around the room, not landing on Theron before he seized her wrist. She reflexively moved to twist out of his grip and attack him when his familiar voice broke through her panic.

 

 

"Mom! It's me! Relax." Satele felt the fear and tension drain out of her body in an instant. She collapsed back onto the pillow, and turned to regard her son, who was now leaning over her.

 

 

"Theron," she breathed, "what happened? Where am I?"

 

 

"You're in the medbay of the Barsen'thor's personal starship." He said immediately, then he added, "The rest is...a rather long story." He shifted uncomfortably, as if trying to ward away a painful memory. It was then that Satele noticed the quiet hum of a hyperdrive and the distortion in the Force that always occupied her mind when she was in hyperspace.

 

 

"Theron I need to know what happened." She said, trying to keep her voice low and calm.

 

 

"You were kidnapped," He relented. "by a member of the Dark Council named Darth Nox. He...did things to you."

 

 

"What kind of things?" Satele's voice rose despite her best efforts.

 

 

"When we found you, you weren't yourself." Theron explained. "You were somebody else, a very dangerous somebody."

 

 

"What happened?"

 

 

"We subdued you, Master Jay-Li, Gnost-Dural, and I. Then we carried you back to the ship, and now we're heading back to Tython." Satele noted the slight tremor in the Force when he said that they had all carried her that suggested the statement was a partial lie. It only took her a few seconds to deduce that he must have been the one to carry her all the way to the ship, but she let the matter slide with only a slight, hidden smile passing across her lips.

 

 

"Thank you." She said, briefly placing a hand on Theron's own. A sudden realization came to her, "You called me mom." She said surprised.

 

 

"Yeah, about that." Theron said, his voice taking on a firm, determined tone. "I can't do this anymore."

 

 

"Do what?"

 

 

"This." he said, moving his index finger from pointing at himself to her and back again. "This weird relationship we have where treat each other like strangers or at best, colleagues."

 

 

"Theron, you know attachments are forbidden."

 

 

"And yet here I am." He said pointedly. Satele turned away.

 

 

"I lost my father before I even got the chance to get to know him better," Theron said. The statement brought the memories of Jace's death rushing back to her, and she closed her eyes in an attempt to stem the emotions welling up in her. "I'm not going to let that happen again with the only parent I have left."

 

 

"Theron..."

 

 

"No, don't, you are not shutting me down."

 

 

"This is-"

 

 

"I don't care what it is!" He said, rather loudly. "I'm done being angry, I'm done being aloof, I'm done being stoic." Realizing he was shouting, he paused and lowered his voice. "I want us to be the family we should have been." He took her hand in his own. Satele took a deep breath, withdrew her hand from his, and spoke cautiously.

 

 

"Theron, you know the Jedi, let alone the members of the High Council, are forbidden to have attachments."

 

 

"And yet here I am." Theron repeated his earlier statement.

 

 

"What happened with your father was-"

 

 

"Was what, a mistake?"

 

 

"No!" She protested. "It was in defiance of the Jedi Code, it was the result of my own rebellion and stubbornness."

 

 

"I don't believe that." Theron said softly. "You know what I think? I think it was the result of two people following their hearts, and doing what is only natural." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I think it was the result of one woman realizing that the Jedi Code wasn't right about everything, and that some parts of sentient nature are non-negotiable. Holding back your emotions? Denying yourself the right to feel? Suppressing your feelings every moment of every day? There's no way that's healthy and you know it."

 

 

"And what happens if I do die?" Satele asked, as calmly and coolly as she could, sitting up in the bed to look him directly in the eyes. "What will you do then?"

 

 

"I'll miss you." Theron said, with equal calm but firm conviction. "But I won't levy unnecessary punishment on any of those responsible for your death. I'll seek justice, not vengeance." Satele shook her head.

 

 

"You may think that now," she said, "but your mind will change when you're confronted with a real situation."

 

 

"Attachments aren't evil." Theron said with vigorous passion. "It's not about never becoming attached, it's about learning to let go when the time comes."

 

 

"But not everyone is strong enough to deal with the pain of loss." Satele rebutted, struggling to hide the emotion threatening to creep into her voice, as the conversation brought painful memories flooding back.

 

 

"Which is why you share that painful burden with others who care about you." Theron replied. "Besides," he reached for her hand again, sandwiching it between both of his, "you're one of the strongest people I know." Satele tried to hold back the passions welling up inside her, but the willpower she had used countless times over the decades to suppress her emotions was suddenly gone, as if it had deserted her. The cool detachment she normally felt had completely vanished, and she was now fighting alone against years and years of pent-up emotion, an unstoppable tide that crashed over like a tsunami.

 

 

"I'm sorry." She said, as a single tear, then another, and another, began to fall down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." Theron embraced her, and the moment her face touched his shoulder she felt the dam burst, and she wept for the first time in thirty years.

 

[De-mu-noki]

Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late, but that's due to my own tardiness and nothing else. Also, I'm moving this weekend, so I unfortunately won't have any time to write this week. Take a break and we'll see you all 2 weeks from now when my birthday (May 6th) comes around, when I'll have a present for you!

 

 

 

Jay walked down the aisle towards the stage that had been set up in the Avenue of the Core Founders, all around him were crowds of people, Jedi, military, and ordinary citizenry cheering loudly and boisterously. As he approached the stage he saw acting Supreme Chancellor Madon and Supreme Commander Maxxor standing with several members of the Jedi High Council. They were all applauding him and smiling. It had been one month since the attacks on Coruscant and Tython and the subsequent invasions of various planets in Republic space. What the Empire hadn't conquered and annexed they had ravaged and destroyed. Entire systems lay in ruins due to the Empire's merciless assaults on the Republic, and it had gorged itself on as much of their resources as possible, recouping its losses of the past year in matter of mere weeks. Because of this, it was almost alien to him to see Republic citizens so enthused and excited about anything.

 

 

He mounted the stage via a small set of steps and approached the podium, but upon reaching it he found he didn't know what to say. The cheering continued for quite a while, and he noticed his beloved wife Nadia applauding in the front row, with a smile as big as star system. He smiled at her before forcing himself to look away and scan the massive crowd that had gathered for the ceremony, it was much bigger than he anticipated. Finally he realized that the applause and cheers were beginning to die down, and so as not to seem prideful or full of himself, he signaled for quiet. When the crowd began to obey, he found himself racking his brain for what to say, when the words of Yuon Par came to him: The Force is our help in all things Padawan, not just in combat or pursuit. It can help us do with our words what we could never do with our lightsabers. He mentally steadied himself, forcing his mind to become calm, composed, and organized, then he let the Force flow through his thoughts, and the words came as smoothly and easily as a babbling brook.

 

 

"My friends, my colleagues, comrades, and fellow citizens of the Republic." He began. "We have been dealt a great blow by our enemies, of this there is no doubt. They sought to take away our homes, our families, our loved ones, and our belief in a better, freer future. I am here today to tell you that they have failed! The Empire's vicious attack on our home worlds may have broken buildings, destroyed livelihoods, and even hurt many of our friends, neighbours, and loved ones, but despite what they have taken from us, they have not, nor will they ever, take away the things which we value the most: our love, our unity, our hope, and our freedom. I come before you to ask who among you will stand with us, as we bear each other up, rebuild what has been broken, retake that which we have lost, and show our enemies that we will not be bowed, we will not be broken, and we will not surrender!" A great cheer rose up from the crowd as appendages of all sizes, colors, and shapes pumped the air or waved Republic banners. Jay-Li stepped to the side and turned to face Master Bela Kiwiiks as she approached the podium and stood on the opposite side of it, facing him as well.

 

 

"Jedi Master Jay-Li, Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order, and member of the Jedi high Council," She began. "Your service to the Order, the Council, and the Republic has been nothing short of exemplary over the past three years. You have proven yourself at every turn to be loyal to the Jedi Code, and a dutiful servant of the Republic. If not for you, The Jedi Order would be shrouded in darkness, and the Republic would be weakened and splintered. Your service to this council over the past year has been nothing short of astounding. Your leadership, your humility, your compassion, and your willingness to serve the greater good have been second to none. In light of this, the council has offered you the position of Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. Do you accept?" Jay felt time stop, and a disturbance in the Force penetrate his awareness. His eyes briefly flicked past Master Kiwiiks and spotted two men, both as pale as apparitions and rather translucent, standing at the far edge of the crowd. with a start he realized he was seeing Master Rajivari and Master Syo Bakarn, standing side by side, watching him with unmistakable looks of sorrow. Suddenly they vanished, and his eyes snapped back to Master Kiwiiks, who was still staring straight at him.

 

 

"Yes." He said, and the whole crowd erupted in cheers and celebration. Jay shook hands with everyone on the platform before taking a seat on the stage among the members of the council. The Supreme Chancellor and a few Senators spoke, but the ceremony ended not long after. As people began to approach the outdoor banquet prepared for the occasion, Jay went to the spot where he had seen his two teachers standing. As he stood there, staring at the spot, he felt a hand fall on his shoulder, and he whirled around in surprise to meet the kind, green eyes of Master Yuon Par.

 

 

"Hello, Grandmaster." She said, beaming with pride.

 

 

"Master Yuon!" Jay-Li exclaimed, embracing the slight elderly woman in a fierce hug. "It's so good to see you."

 

 

"Be careful young one." She said in a bemused tone, "I'm not as young as I used to be." Realizing she was talking about the intensity of the embrace, Jay released her and apologized profusely.

 

 

"I'm so sorry Master," he said apologetically, "today I'm just..."

 

 

"Yes, I can only imagine." She said empathetically. "There is a lot of responsibility on those broad shoulders now." She said placing her hands on the aforementioned shoulders. "But I know you are up to the task, my old padawan. Oh it seems like only yesterday we were seeking the First Blade on Tython." She sighed mournfully. "Why must you young ones always grow up so fast!"

 

 

Jay-Li chuckled softly. "So that we can make enough mistakes to become wise old Jedi Masters."

 

 

"Well I don't know about wise..." She said with self-deprecating humor, "but I certainly am old."

 

 

"And yet you are no less vibrant, energetic, or intelligent than you were in your youth." Jay said honestly. She gave him a playful slap on the shoulder.

 

 

"Come now, padawan, don't flatter me. I'm old not witless."

 

 

"It's not flattery if it's true Master." Jay said. "I will need your council in the coming years, so I need you to stay young enough to outlive me, otherwise I'll never been any good to the Jedi or the Republic as Grandmaster."

 

 

"Now see here!" Yuon Par declared emphatically. "You are every bit capable of being a fine Grandmaster on your own! You don't need someone, least of all me, to tell you what the right thing to do is, I trained you well enough to know that!" despite the scolding, Jay didn't want to concede the point just yet.

 

 

"I just don't think I can fill Satele's shoes." He protested. "She was a legend long before I even joined the order. I've only been a full-fledged Jedi for three years and a Jedi Master for two, how am I supposed to live up to the legacy her and her predecessors left behind."

 

 

"Jay," Yuon said in a soft, motherly voice, "you don't have to live up to a legacy, that isn't your job. It's not your fault Satele abdicated her position and left the Temple, and it's not your fault the Council chose you to succeed her. What is your job is to do the very best you know how to do. Don't try to live up to anyone's legacy, create your own legacy. Do what Grandmaster Jay would do, not what Grandmaster Satele or Grandmaster Zym would do." Realizing she was right, Jay conceded.

 

 

"You're right," he agreed, "but even so I want you to stick around a good long time Master Yuon."

 

 

"Ooooo, come here!" She said, embracing him in a hug as fierce as his own had been several minutes ago. "You'll do just fine." She said into his ear in a soft voice. They released each other and Yuon noticed Nadia waving them over to the celebration. "Now come on," she said, tugging on his hand. "We can't keep your wife waiting." Jay stopped dead in his tracks.

 

 

"You know about that?" He asked, fear and apprehension creeping into his voice.

 

 

"I'm old, not blind." Yuon said with a laugh. "You can't hide these things from me young one. I know how the Council would react so I'm not going to tell anyone," her face grew momentarily solemn and serious, "but I will warn you that if you don't learn how to let go of the people you love when the time comes, it will cause more suffering and pain than you could ever imagine." She spoke with the heaviness of someone who knew from experience what exactly she was talking about. Jay's mind was awhirl, but Yuon set it back on track. "Now come young one, introduce me to your wife and lets catch up, it's been so long since I've seen you and the Grandmaster has to make appearances at these things." She pulled him towards the celebration, linking her arm with his so he couldn't slip away, and they left the site of the apparition appearances, still vibrating softly in the Force, behind.

 

___________

 

 

"My lords." The young human female bowed before the Dark Council after the black-clothed pureblood standing beside her confirmed Nox's prior suspicions regarding the existence of the organization known as "The Emperor's Hand" by claiming to be a representative of the Emperor and introduced the young woman as Darth Acina, the Emperor's chosen candidate for the now empty seat of Darth Karrid.

 

 

"Darth Acina," Marr replied, "if the Emperor has tapped you to replace the late Darth Karrid I'm sure you will make a fine addition to the Council."

 

 

"Thank you, my lord." Acina said with what sounded like sincere gratitude.

 

 

"You may simply refer to me as Marr." The Dark Council member corrected. "We are peers now, as is everyone in these chambers."

 

 

"As you say, Darth Marr." Acina complied.

 

 

"You may take your seat." Darth Marr advised, nodding towards the empty chair, and Acina ascended the dais and took her seat with a remarkably restrained professionalism Nox found both enlightening and concerning. This one is composed, disciplined, he thought to himself. I won't be able to manipulate her as easily as I could have manipulated Karrid, and she might prove hard to conceal things from. I will have to watch her closely.

 

 

"The Emperor congratulates you on the significant progress you have made in humbling the Republic and restoring the glory of the Empire, members of the Dark Council." The representative said in what appeared to be his departing statement. "He knows you will capitalize on this success and turn it into the momentum necessary to finish this war."

 

 

"And what would he have us do about the rumors of his death that are spreading like a cancer through Imperial society?" Darth Aruk asked.

 

 

"As always," the servant replied, "do what is best for the Empire." Satisfied, Aruk sat back in his seat. Nox knew what Aruk's solution to the problem would be, no doubt he had only sought an answer from the Emperor as permission to do what he wanted to do. Nox also knew that Aruk would take that license way too far, using it as an excuse to further oppress and enslave any who posed a threat to him. Briefly, Nox was thankful his status made him immune to such programs and tactics, and that such behavior by Aruk would only make him less and less popular with Imperials at all levels of society, something that would help greatly when Nox eventually sought to remove Aruk from power.

 

 

The meeting moved on to other, important matters but Nox barely listened. He was too busy going over the events of the past month in his head. He had sensed the arrival of Satele's allies on Taris and had escaped in time, leaving Satele behind with orders to be "found" and "rescued." The bond between them, forged by the dark ritual he had conceived, had allowed him to monitor the situation through her eyes and ears, just by focusing on her. Even now, despite the vast distance between them he could sense her consciousness in the back of his mind, perceive her foremost thoughts, ideas, and emotions. She had no idea of course, at least her original personality didn't. There were now two Satele Shan's living inside her body, one ignorant, and one enlightened. The dark Satele could see, hear, and perceive the environment through the light Satele's senses and take over her body at will, forcing her light persona into a temporary coma. Once her dark persona relinquished control and she awakened however, her own mind, with help from the dark persona, would fabricate a series of false experiences to close the memory gap and leave her none the wiser.

 

 

Primarily, her light persona provided a cover for her true nature. It concealed the darkness that hid within her with remarkable effectiveness, largely because of how completely unaware she was of the second persona lurking within her. As long as her dark persona remained hidden in the back of her mind, no Force user would be the wiser. This somewhat limited Nox's ability to use her to manipulate others, but several experiments had shown that her dark persona, either acting on his orders or on its own, could subtly manipulate her thoughts and feelings by tapping directly into her subconscious. Given time and used sparingly with meticulous caution, this could be used to manipulate her into unwittingly manipulating others, although Nox was determined not to rely heavily on this to avoid alerting Satele to the existence of her second persona. Besides, it would only be a matter of time before he finished the ritual he was currently working on that would allow Satele to not only cloak her true nature while the dark persona was dominant, but to cloak others as well. The information had been a part of the data he had downloaded directly into his brain from the datacron in the Emperor's library on Yavin IV, but due to the already unstable nature of the Dark Child ritual, he had been forced to exclude it and was now formulating a separate ritual for the purpose. In the meantime, he would allow Satele to rest and recuperate from her ordeal and simply be his eyes and ears in the Jedi Order.

 

 

Considering the distance between them, Nox found it staggering how easily and naturally he could maintain the connection with her. Having another presence constantly lingering in the back of his mind was rather unsettling at first, as it reminded him too much of his experiences with the four Sith spirits before the Voss healing ritual, but with the presence at his command and under his control, the experience was much less disturbing and more palatable.

 

 

From discussions and conversations Satele had participated in within the past few months, Nox knew that the Jedi now believed that the crisis was over. He knew they had sensed his growing power and influence and, very vaguely, his role in future events, but now believed that Plan Omega had been the crisis point. They foolishly believed that the worst was over and that the rising darkness they had perceived in the Force was a symptom of the resurgence of the Empire and the Sith, they were only half right. Plan Omega had intentionally been a misnomer, it was not the end, merely the beginning.

 

 

Satele, or rather her light persona, wasn't making it easy on him, unintentionally of course. Recognizing her new, emotionally vulnerable state, she had abdicated her position as Grandmaster and left the Jedi Temple, retreating into the Tythonian wilderness to meditate and attempt to disconnect from her emotions. This had annoyed Nox, as he had enjoyed the thought of using her to lead the Jedi down the road to ruin, but he had quickly adapted his plans to fit the situation. Some Jedi, particularly old friends and young padawans undergoing their trials, still came to see her at her humble hut in the mountains, and Nox knew this would provide him with an opportunity to subtly influence and infiltrate the Jedi Order from a distance. As compelling as it was to have direct control over the leader of an organization, Nox knew that a skilled manipulator could do far more harm with far more impunity acting from a lower rank than a higher one.

 

 

Her successor, Jedi Master Jay-Li Kenobi, was of equivalent interest to Nox. His role in Satele's rescue had brought him up to see the former Grandmaster several times, looking for advice and inquiring as to her wellbeing. Nox knew that once he had managed to formulate the concealment ritual that would allow Satele's dark persona to remain undetected by even the most perceptive and powerful Force users while fully active, he would be able to use this link to push and prod the now newly appointed Grandmaster in the direction he wanted him to go, and this put Jay in the perfect position to be the counterbalance Nox had been seeking. If his true plans were to succeed, he needed a hero to stop the not-so-bogus threats to galactic security that he would create, and Master Jay-Li was now in the perfect position to fulfill that role, with Nox guiding him. With both sides of the conflict being managed, Nox could orchestrate a performance so astounding that it would draw the eyes of every being whether rich or poor, bond or free, Jedi or Sith, and distract them so thoroughly that they would never see the true threat. Moreover, these threats would lead their minds down the socio-political roads that Nox wanted them to travel, and make them ripe for his manipulation.

 

 

As the meeting was adjourned and Nox filed out into the hall with the rest of his confederates, he couldn't help but smile behind his helm. The future had never looked better.

 

Edited April 27, 2017 by De-mu-noki

[FlameYOL]

Wonderful chapter, from the nomination of Jay to Grandmaster to Nox making his own version of the children of the emperor. I'm looking forward to how Nox uses Satele now that she's no in the original position he intended, and what his ultimate plan will unravel.

 

Side note: Good to see the imperials are finally wrecking the republic.

[MayhemofChaonus]

I'm baaaaaaack! Surprise!!!

 

This is a very short part, but it's the last segment of chapter 4, starting next week we will be moving on to chapter 5: the final chapter in the prologue arc! Once that chapter is completed 90% of all content will be original. Thanks for sticking around this long guys!

 

 

 

Jaesa turned the corner of the passage and began to descend the large flight of stone stairs into the depths of Tulak Hord's tomb. Her master had instructed her to meet him in the tomb of the ancient Dark Lord for a private meeting, where they could converse freely without fear of being watched or eavesdropped on. Her blood rushing through her veins and her heart pounding, she allowed her wildest aspirations and deepest held desires to run wild through her imagination. Perhaps he had finally grown tired of that Twi'lek and wanted her back. The thought of being with him again gave her chills, and she quickened her pace. Perhaps he also wanted to reward her for her dutiful service and undying loyalty, perhaps with a powerful artifact or new weapon. Besides the lightsaber on her hip, she had an arsenal of melee weapons of all kinds from all across the galaxy, having become something of a collector once Lord Demise had presented her with her first protosteel blade years ago.

 

 

Her anticipation grew as she reached the bottom of the steps and saw Lord Demise standing on the raised platform at the far end of the chamber, his back to her and his hands clasped behind his back. Pieces of droids that had remained undisturbed for years lay scattered around the chamber, near the bones of what might have been their former controllers. Jaesa crossed the sand-covered floor to the steps of the platform and dropped to one knee before her master.

 

 

"My lord, I have come."

 

 

Demise said, turning slowly around to face her, his arms dropping to his sides and the seemingly hollow eye sockets of his skull-like helm, so much like Darth Nox's, boring into her with great intensity. "Lord Willsaam," he said solemnly "This has been a long time in coming."

 

 

Jaesa's heart raced, was this it? Were her desires about to be made manifest? Adrenaline surged through her and brought with it passions so intense they blurred the edges of her vision and made her breath come heavy.

 

 

"Jaesa Willsaam," Lord Demise said as he descended the steps towards her, "As of this moment, by the power and authority invested in me by the Sith Emperor and the Dark Council, I hereby proclaim you Darth Salis." He reached the bottom of the steps just as he finished his proclamation. "Rise, Darth Salis." He commanded. Her heart skipped a beat when she took in his familiar scent, and as she rose to her feet she felt the sensation of his proximity wash over her like a wave. The full impact of his words finally struck her, and she felt her excitement become amplified. She'd never expected to receive such an honor, and if he said what she hoped he was going to say next, that honor was only the door prize. His next words, however, dashed her hopes into a million pieces and brought the phoenix of her anger and hatred rising up inside her, filling her from head to foot with its burning fire.

 

 

"As of this moment you are also transferred into the Sphere of Sith Philosophy, and will now report directly to Darth Aruk."

 

 

Her mind screamed at her to bite her tongue, but the word burst out before she was able to stop it, full of shock and pain: "Why?"

 

 

As if he had been expecting the question, Demise answered almost immediately. "Because you cannot reach your full potential while you continue to serve in my shadow. You have a great gift, Jaesa, a gift I will not see squandered because you lack for opportunities to develop and cultivate it."

 

 

"But master-" she began to plead, the desperation apparent in her voice. Demise held up a hand to silence her.

 

 

"There is no debate, Darth Salis, everything has already been finalized. I am no longer your master."

 

 

Rage, betrayal, and pure, raw hatred coursed through her veins like liquid fire. Her outrage threatened to overwhelm her and spill out from her fingertips in a storm of fury, but she held it back...barely.

 

 

"As you say, Lord Demise." She said, bowing her head as every muscle in her body screamed for her to attack her betrayer. "I will report to Darth Aruk immediately."

 

 

"All your belongings and personal affects have been moved to your new ship, it is waiting for you in the orbital station, docking bay eight." Demise said, no hint of emotion in his tone. Jaesa wanted to rage at him, to scream and cry and batter him with her fists, cut him to pieces with her lightsaber. She wanted him to feel as broken and in pain as she did. But she did none of those things, instead, as if she was watching from outside her body while someone else was at the controls, she nodded in acknowledgement. Demise turned and walked back up the steps onto the platform, once more clasping his hands behind his back, she had been dismissed.

 

 

She turned as if in a daze and walked back towards the large flight of steps that would take her back onto the main level of the tomb and out into the courtyard, her mind set alight with the flames of anger and hate. How dare he, HOW DARE HE! How dare he reject her so completely, dismiss her so utterly, dispose of her so coldly and without regard or respect for the years of devotion and service she had given him. How dare he act like what they had shared didn't matter, what gave him the right? Seething with indignation, she left the dark passages and emerged into the scorching Korriban sun. She didn't even notice the heat bearing down on her, so intense was the boiling of her blood.

 

 

She would make him pay, she would make him suffer, this she swore. She would show him what pain he had inflicted upon her and then some, he would regret casting her aside, she would make certain of it. She didn't know exactly how she was going to accomplish this, but she knew that it would come to pass, Darth Salis would make it so.

 

____________

 

 

Nox walked into the vacant office that had once belonged to his former master Darth Zash, and before her, Darth Skotia. The expansive space occupied a place of honor in the citadel, mere steps from the offices of several members of the Dark Council. As his gaze travelled around the room, the memories of the battle he had fought here came rushing back to him. He remembered the sound of Khem's vibroblade clashing with Skotia's crimson lightsaber, he remembered feeling his simple black robes being burned through by the red plasma to scorch the skin beneath. He remembered the anger, the fury, the deep black hate that had roiled up within him. That had been his awakening, that battle had been the moment he realized the true scope of his destiny.

 

 

Zash hadn't believed he could defeat Skotia in and of himself, and had sent him to retrieve a device that would neutralize the cyborg's mechanical elements. Nox hadn't even bothered to use it. The rush of passion and exhilaration when he, under his own power, had felled Darth Skotia had been glorious. Ever since then Nox had experienced many pleasures, but none compared to the feeling he got from proving or increasing his power.

 

 

He stirred from his reminiscing as he felt Ashara's presence enter the room, he turned to see that it was indeed her. She approached him and genuflected, bowing one knee and tilting her head in a sign of respect.

 

 

"My lord."

 

 

"Lord Zavros, I'm glad you answered my summons."

 

 

"How could I do otherwise my lord?"

 

 

"Indeed. Kneel once more, Lord Zavros."

 

 

She did as instructed and Nox approached her until he was standing less than a meter in front of her, he extended his right hand in a blessing, and spoke in a loud voice that boomed off the walls of the expansive chamber.

 

 

"Lord Zavros, in the name of the Emperor, and by the power invested in me by the Dark Council, you shall forevermore be known as...Darth Skade."

 

 

Nox detected a surge of joy and pride in his lover that she barely contained, all that escaped her discipline and self-control was a twitching smile and a small shudder.

 

 

"Rise, Darth Skade." She rose to her full height and bowed her head in deference.

 

 

"Thank you my lord."

 

 

"Use your new power wisely." He cautioned her. "We must be as cunning as serpents if we are to succeed in our mission." A spark of ambition and zealotry ignited in her eyes.

 

 

"I will, master."

 

____________

 

 

Nox stood near the far wall of a large open cavern, bathing in the dark energies that permeated the place. In the distance he could sense his apprentice Xalek drawing closer, fighting his way through the hordes of beasts, twisted by Sith alchemy and the Dark Side, that populated the underground. In the center of the cavern stood a massive monstrosity, a Sithspawn that had once been a Rancor, but was now a thousand times stronger and more frightening. Hidden by his Force Cloak, Nox was safe from the beast, but it could sense his apprentice through the Force and it was hungry. There was a rush of fresh Dark Side energy as Xalek burst into the cavern, his purple blade glowing in the near-darkness. The Sithspawn roared a terrible roar and lunged.

 

 

The Kaleesh dashed through the monster's ravaging claws and in between its stubby legs, slashing at them as he went. The sithspawn howled in pain and tried to turn itself around to attack its slippery foe, but Xalek had already leaped onto its back and was scaling it with preternatural speed and agility. The sithspawn clawed at its back, trying to grab the pesky warrior and crush him in its grip, but Xalek was too fast. He even managed to carve deep gouges in the monster's back and arms with his lightsaber as he scaled the massive creature. Reaching its head he carved deep furrows into its scaly flesh and armored skull before plunging his blade to the hilt into a spot in its cranium right between its horns. The monster howled in agony and clawed at its head, this time managing to seize upon Xalek and toss him across the cavern. Instead of slamming into the wall, the Kaleesh bounded off of it and somersaulted several times before landing on his feet like a feline.

 

 

The raging monster fixed its bleary, hateful gaze on him and charged, loping across the cavern with astonishing speed and dexterity. Xalek unleashed a thick stream of Sith lightning that slowed the already dying beast, and when Xalek sensed that the monster was near death, he ceased to channel the lightning and instead built it into a ring of power that he unleashed in a thunderous blast that struck the creature dead center. The kinetic force of the attack sent the already staggering creature tumbling onto its back, its massive horns sticking straight up into the air, its bioluminescent skin patches still glowing a fiery orange. It's last dying breath left with a terrible shudder, and then it was still.

 

 

Nox dropped his Force Cloak, allowing Xalek to see and sense him, and he waited for the Kaleesh to approach him and sink to one knee.

 

 

"Master."

 

 

"Lord Xalek, once again you perform admirably."

 

 

"Only thanks to your teaching and guidance, my lord." Xalek replied sincerely.

 

 

"Indeed, and as your teacher, I recognize when my student has completed his education." Nox said, outstretching his right hand in blessing. "Lord Xalek, from this day forward you shall be known only as Darth Raze. Rise." Xalek did so, and Nox smiled at the rush of emotion that overwhelmed the young Sith. "You now have more authority than ever, it is a sign of your power. Use it to vanquish your enemies, destroy your rivals, and increase your might. Continue to serve me well, and you will not lack for fresh enemies, glorious battles, or honors of the highest order."

 

 

"I will serve you even unto death, Master." Xalek said.

 

 

"Indeed you will, Darth Raze. Indeed you will."

 

Edited June 18, 2018 by MayhemofChaonus

[FlameYOL]

All the 3 Sith apprentices are now Darth, I'm excited for the possibilities now, will they fight against ot amongst each other? Wait don't tell.

[MayhemofChaonus]

We made it to chapter 5 guys! I'm going to do my best to keep in mind the feedback you guys gave me on the previous chapters and add my own spin to "recycled" content to keep it interesting, I welcome criticism from you guys and hope my reader base is still out there, so they can give me feedback on what they like/didn't like and what/where I can improve!

 

 

Chapter 5: Dread

 

Nox strolled leisurely through the halls of the Aurora Cannon facility, surrounded by a full squad of Imperial black ops commandos. The sounds of blaster fire from the vanguard battling the forces of the Dread Guard occupying the cannon echoed from the halls ahead. The sound was almost therapeutic for Nox, bringing his mind into a meditative state, allowing him to focus and collect his most abstract thoughts.

 

 

His family had grown the past few months, through Satele he had managed to create many new "children" and seed them in the ranks of the Jedi, the Republic Military, and even the Senate. They were a small and disparate group...for now, but their numbers would grow as they brought more and more Force-sensitives from all walks of life to him. As long as he was patient, meticulous, and cautious his plans would continue to unfold exactly how he wanted them to, and none would be the wiser.

 

 

As he had intended, the ritual had not only made the children embodiments of his will but inextricably linked them to him with a bond stronger than any Nox knew of. He could not only communicate with them telepathically across thousands of light-years, but through the use of another ritual he had recently developed he could tap directly into their very essence through the bond, drawing on their power and even their very life force itself to feed his own strength in the Force, multiplying it many times over.

 

 

He had already used this power to accomplish feats of might and sorcery he might have once considered only the ancient Sith Lords to be capable of, and as a result his ambition had become a slavering beast, eager to consume more and more resources and throw caution to the winds in order to acquire more of this power.

 

 

But Nox held his own desires in check, knowing that a Sith who did not rule his passions would instead be ruled by them. He had instead turned that ambition and ravenous desire into creative energy which he harnessed to begin plotting the delicate intricacies of his plans, down to the last detail. He had spent many a sleepless night staring at the holoprojector in his sealed office, visualizing scenarios, simulating situations, experimenting with possibilities, trying to foresee and counter every eventuality. Thus far the simulations proved promising, even the initial failure of one phase of a plan could be steered towards the end goal with a proper course correction.

 

 

Before assaulting the Aurora Cannon, he had performed the ritual of Power Transfer in private to ensure that he could complete the mission himself even if all the troops he had brought with him were slaughtered. Thus far the casualties on the Empire's side were minimal compared to the enemy's casualties. Still, they were higher than expected. Based on reports of past conflicts between the Imperial forces and the Dread Guard in Section X, there should have been fewer if any casualties. It seemed the Dread Guard guarding the cannon were more focused and coordinated than their fellows out roaming the ruins of the shattered the prison world. Nox couldn't put his finger on it, but he swore he could sense a faint presence lingering in the air. It was similar to the unmistakable presence of the Dread Masters, but it was too faint to be anything but some kind of echo. But it couldn't be possible that the Dread Masters having been here could somehow amplify the abilities of their troops long after they were gone, at least, Nox hoped this wasn't the case.

 

 

As they drew closer and closer to the sounds of blaster fire, winding their way deeper and deeper into the cannon facility, Nox could feel the presence growing stronger. He now realized that it wasn't an echo, not in the traditional sense, but rather an echo of power bound to an object, or most likely, a being. The Dread Masters had instilled a portion of their power into one of their servants and left the being here to command their troops. It seemed the Dread Guard commander was using a lesser form of Battle Meditation to degrade and erode the abilities and wills of the Imperial troops, the most likely cause of the increased number of casualties and the definite cause of the presence Nox sensed in the atmosphere.

 

 

Nox and his escort soon caught up with the remaining members of the vanguard, who were battling valiantly against the guards protecting the Aurora Cannon's power core chamber, despite their losses. The guards were greater in number but their Imperial opponents were far better co-ordinated and trained. The presence was stronger here and Nox could sense it eroding the iron wills of his troops. He gave the order for his bodyguards to join in, and they immediately lined up and began raining fire down on the Dread Guards. With numbers and skill now on their side Nox's forces won the battle in under a minute, now the only thing standing in their way of getting inside the power core chamber was the force fields erected in the two doorways that led into the massive room.

 

 

Nox scanned the area around the doors for a moment, seeing nothing he closed his eyes and extended his Force awareness outward. He soon discovered the location of the generator, hidden behind a false stone in the wall, and blasted the spot with lightning. The generator exploded with a loud BANG and showered Nox and his troops with debris. The force fields vanished and Nox indicated that he should lead the way into the chamber. He strolled in confidently, spotting the Dread Guard commander almost immediately, and activated his lightsaber in a universal sign of aggression. His troops filed in after him, spreading themselves out around him, blasters aimed at the commander more than thirty meters away.

 

 

The commander didn't seem to move, it was as if he had not even registered them entering the room. Nox noticed that he wore a golden helm similar to the ones worn by the Dread Masters, but without the multiple crests theirs had that made them look more like crowns than mere battle gear.

 

 

Suddenly the commander turned around, fixing the gaze of his empty eye slits on Nox. When he spoke, his voice was not his own.

 

 

"So you have come," Nox recognized the voice of Dread Master Tyrans, the so-called "Tactician of the Masters". "Your power has grown much since we last met...what is it you seek here, dark lord?"

 

 

"What all Sith seek," Nox replied. "Knowledge, power, control..."

 

 

"You will find none of that here." Tyrans said cryptically, the red glow of his presence having fully manifested itself around his chosen mouthpiece. "You will find only questions where you sought answers."

 

 

"Then perhaps I should seek to take my answers by force, rather than by wit." Nox threatened. Tyrans laughed.

 

 

"You can try. You may defeat my game piece, but you will gain nothing of substance from it. You may attempt to extract information or knowledge from him, but you will find he knows only what I wish him to, as do all our servants."

 

 

"What are you and the Masters up to, Tyrans?" Nox said, his anger rising. "Whatever ambitions you have gained in the Emperor's absence will be short-lived should he return!" Tyrans laughed once more.

 

 

"How little you know, little Sith. Now DIE!" The red glow disappeared and the commander drew and ignited a yellow blade, charging at Nox with a roar. The commander was physically imposing, almost a full head taller than Nox with much larger body proportions and very obvious physical strength. Even so, Nox easily blocked the assault, erecting his Force armor just in time to combat his opponent's own Force powers which sought to penetrate both his physical and Force defenses. Whirling around, the commander swung his lightsaber in a savage upper cut that he amplified with Force kinetics. Every trooper surrounding Nox went flying, several crashed into walls, but most just flew like birds before their heavy armor brought them crashing down onto the hard stone floor. More than half of them didn't move, most knocked out cold, a few dead.

 

 

The commander swung his lightsaber in savage Juyo strikes, strikes which Nox easily repelled with an almost casual defense. Perceiving the ease with which his enemy defended himself, the Dread Guard commander made his attacks more ferocious and savage, but to no avail. Nox barely noticed, to him it was as if the man was moving in slow motion, he didn't even need his premonitions to see an attack coming, yet they happened all the same and blocking or deflecting each attack was as easy as swatting insects.

 

 

Quickly growing desperate, the commander summoned the Force and channeled the raw power of the Dark Side into an explosion of dark energy that detonated on Nox and spread outward like a nuclear dome. Nox however, saw the attack coming and cloaked himself in a Force Shroud moments before the Death Field burst to life. As quickly as it had come the field vanished, its owner unable to sustain it for longer than a moment, and even that moment of channeling it had drained him severely. Nox, on the other hand, was not any worse off than he had been before the attack. Shrouded in the Force, he had been completely sheltered from the ravaging power of the Death Field, which had the power to disintegrate mere mortals and unskilled Force sensitives in an instant and was still extremely taxing for skilled Force users to defend themselves from - unless they knew the best ways to counter it, which Nox did.

 

 

Taking advantage of his opponent's surprise over the failure of his attack, Nox launched into a series of aggressive Force attacks and lightsaber blows. He alternated between withering blasts of dark energy and bursts of lightning, punctuating them with complimentary lightsaber strikes. With Nox's powers magnified tenfold, the Dread Guard commander found his defenses falling rapidly against the series of impossibly strong attacks. Suddenly Nox felt the inky black darkness rising up from within him, and his hatred became pure power as he unleashed it in a series of powerful lightning bolts that depredated his opponent, the attack pierced his enemy's defenses, allowing Nox to land a sweeping blow to the man's abdomen. His lightsaber blade, amplified by the power of the Dark Side, penetrated his foe's personal shield and robes to leave a long scorch mark across the man's midsection. The commander howled in pain as the smell of his singed flesh reached Nox's nostrils.

 

 

Beginning to see the true power of his opponent, the commander responded with a tactic Nox had only half-expected: he turned and ran. Not towards any exit however, instead he dashed towards the one trooper who had regained consciousness first and was slowly getting to her feet. Upon reaching her he channeled his Force grip, lifting the trooper off her feet and a full meter into the air, beginning to siphon her life force directly from her body, Nox looking on in morbid fascination. Like a parasitic monster, the commander drained her body of all life until it was an empty husk, then released the corpse, letting it drop to the floor.

 

 

He turned and leaped at Nox, his lightsaber raised above his head to strike. Nox noticed that the long scorch mark on the man's gut had now been completely healed, leaving only the man's pale, sickly flesh where there had once been a grievous wound. Nox blocked the incoming blow and countered with another burst of dark energy and a blast of lightning. His superior speed and reflexes allowed him to land another barrage of lightsaber strikes and unleash another burst of lightning before the commander had an opportunity to counterattack. He followed up with another series of depredating volts that weakened his opponent all the more, even as the darkness unleashed by the attack enveloped Nox, adding even more potency to his Force armor. The Dread Guard commander responded by attempting to channel a second Death Field. Nox, unable to summon the strength to veil himself in the Force as of yet, chose to substitute metaphysical finesse with sheer force of will and raw power. The Death Field damaged his Force defenses considerably, but not nearly enough to change the course of the fight.

 

 

The commander fed on the Force energy stripped from Nox by the Death Field, converting it into life force in a desperate attempt to turn the tide of the battle. When he realized he had only delayed the inevitable, he began to channel his Force Siphon. Nox analyzed his opponent's Force defenses, prodding and poking at various points in his metaphysical armor. Finding the weak point he sought, he unleashed a tiny bolt of energy that has half electric, half telepathic. The jolt disrupted his foe's concentration and left him somewhat stunned for a moment. Nox seized the advantage, raising his weapon over his head in a Force-empowered spinning strike that beheaded the commander, cleanly cutting through shield, armor, and robes to separate his head and right shoulder from the rest of his body.

 

 

The two halves of the corpse toppled to the floor, and as Nox sheathed his lightsaber, he noticed that the rest of the troopers were getting slowly to their feet.

 

 

"On your feet soldiers!" He barked. "Let's finish the job and be done with it!"

 

Edited May 29, 2017 by MayhemofChaonus

[FlameYOL]

I really enjoy the way you translate game mechanics into a boon format, keep it up.

[MayhemofChaonus]

Thanks for the encouragement Flame, any criticisms?

 

I'll also extend that invitation to other readers as well, post any criticisms or concerns you have and I'll do my best to address them or provide justification if necessary.

 

The next part will be a bit late, as Demunoki has a life (unlike me ) and won't be able to edit the part right away, so just hold tight!

[FlameYOL]

Nothing so far.

[MayhemofChaonus]

Sorry it's late guys, but here it is!

 

 

Darth Raze stood quietly in the center of the bridge of the Starblade, savoring the atmosphere of disciplined apprehension that filled the room. The Starblade, along with the rest of the small fleet under his command, had been a gift from his master. Although he suspected might be a ploy or part of some larger plot by Darth Nox, he accepted it anyway - to refuse would have likely been an insult so grievous it would have convinced Nox to accelerate whatever plans he had to betray Raze. He needed more time to prepare himself for that betrayal. Besides, the warrior in him had long desired such a position, and he was ready to take full advantage of it.

 

 

The Starblade was the largest ship in Raze's new fleet. A Terminus-class Destroyer outfitted with as much armament as possible, the Starblade lacked troop carrying capacity but more than made it up for it with exceptional speed, defense and firepower. Also accompanying it were the Delta-class carrier Siege, three light Corvettes and five Gage-class transports, four of which had much of their cargo space replaced with additional armaments - allowing them to serve both as troop transports and battleships - while the remaining one served as full troop transport for the bulk of the fleet's ground forces.

 

 

The fleet was moving through hyperspace towards the Jymenian system, where the prominent Jedi Master Selimo Karr was posted in command of a sizable defense fleet to protect the system from Imperial attack. The system was close to Imperial territory but had only seen minor skirmishes throughout both galactic wars, as it was largely insignificant if you disregarded the royal family's connections to the Tion Hegemony. Many times the system's monarch had mediated disputes between the Hegemony and the Republic, saving both factions from costly conflicts that would have left both powers in a significantly weakened state regardless of the outcome.

 

 

That debt was being repaid by the posting of Selimo Karr and the accompanying defense fleet. Jymenia held enough power in the Senate to prove an effective hindrance to the Republic should they choose, so when the monarch had requested a Republic fleet to assist in defending the largely demilitarized system the Senate had relented.

 

 

Darth Raze however, was not interested in the system or whatever value it held in the eyes of the Republic, he was more interested in Master Karr. A veteran of the previous galactic war, the Twi'lek had risen through the ranks to become a master of the lightsaber, rivaling even some of the higher-ranking Jedi masters in his skills. Raze wanted to test those skills, and his own, and now with a fleet at his command that desire was in reach.

 

 

The fleet emerged from hyperspace just outside the system and Selimo's scanning range. Each ship began to check in, reporting their status and battle readiness. Raze gave the order, and the fleet began to close in on the system. Battle alarms sounded and boots rushed to battle stations as they neared the defense fleet's sensor range. Members of the sensor crew drew in sharp breaths as the first signals from the defense fleet came in.

 

 

"Nobody told us about TWO Valors!"

 

 

"Was Intel sleeping?"

 

 

"Silence!" Raze barked. "It doesn't matter what advantages the enemy has, we will prevail in spite of them."

 

 

The comms station near him chimed and the ensign reported;

 

 

"My lord, incoming transmission from the Republic fleet's flagship."

 

 

"Ignore it." He commanded gruffly. "Increase our sub-light speed to 70%." He barked at the officer minding the engines station. "Prepare us for battle, all power to forward shields and ion cannons!" He bellowed to the rest of the bridge crew as they rushed to fulfill his demands. "They've commed us again my lord." The communications ensign reported.

 

 

"Ignore it." Raze repeated. "Open fire on the lead ships, all forward cannons!"

 

 

The boom of the Starblade's forward ion cannons opening fire was heard even across the hundreds of meters from the bridge viewport to the forward batteries. Raze smiled behind his bone mask as the blasts sank into the shields of the lead ships of his opponent's fleet. The response was immediate, the turbolaser banks and ion cannons from the lead ships opened fire as the remaining ships repositioned themselves to either take on the rest of Raze's fleet or fall back into defensive positions.

 

 

The heavy Gage-class transports ravaged their mostly unsuspecting opponents with their unusual amount of firepower, while stray shots that made it through the shields simply bounced off their extra-thick armored hulls. Starfighters were unleashed on both sides and the already chaotic battle became infinitely more layered and confusing. The Corvettes ducked and weaved through the battle, engaging the bigger ships at opportune moments and then running circles around them when their bigger, slower opponents attempted to focus them. Occasionally, when there were no other opportunities, they would target a squad of starfighters, diverting their firepower back towards the larger vessels when an opportunity opened up.

 

 

Raze stood on the bridge of the Starblade, stretching out with the Force to attempt to gage the battle and dispatching orders as tactics changed. He perceived that he wasn't making any progress in the engagement, he was holding his own, but other than the initiative he'd gained by shooting first he could discern no way the battle would turn in his favor without direct intervention.

 

 

It wasn't even a decision, he turned around and marched down the steps of the captain's platform, heading towards the door. As he left he called back over his shoulder;

 

 

"Harkanous, take command, make sure the Jedi don't gain any advantage!"

 

 

"As you say, my lord." Came the reply as the second-in-command took Raze's former place on the platform. Within minutes, Raze had taken the turbolift and boarded his personal shuttle. The ship lifted up from the hanger floor and took off, heading for the enemy flagship.

 

_____________

 

 

Raze slipped silently and unseen through the corridors and rooms of the Guardian, the Jedi Master's flagship. He moved past Republic soldiers with careful but rapid movements, making sure to avoid coming within a few feet of them and burying himself deeper in the Force when he felt it was necessary to avoid detection. An eerie calm descended upon him, as it always did when he was engaged in this kind of infiltration. It was the kind of calm that came before a the lethal storm of combat, a repression of emotion and sensation that would burst forth with great energy and power in the heat of battle.

 

 

Reaching the engineering deck, he sought out the primary power control console, killing the guards with a blast of dark energy that radiated out from him like a nuclear explosion followed by a blindingly fast combination of lightsaber attacks that targeted the weak points in their armor. Too stunned and weakened by the explosion of dark energy he'd unleashed to react in time, the guards were killed in a matter of seconds, and the engineers nearby soon followed them into oblivion with a sequence of quick executions.

 

 

Slicing the console, Raze grinned as he found a glitch in the severely outdated console system and initiated a default reset to invalidate all the command codes for power allocation. Then he redirected all power from the ship's weapons to its shields, locking in the command so no-one could change it without a hard reset, and only through this console. Then he re-activated his lightsaber and proceeded to destroy the console by making deep gouges into its panels until it smoked and sparked.

 

 

Satisfied, he sheathed his blade, reattaching it to his hip as he cloaked himself in the Force once more and moved off towards the bridge.

 

_____________

 

 

Selimo Karr stood solemnly on the bridge of the Guardian, his eyes fixed on the battle outside the viewport, but his mind focused inward. The battle wasn't exceptional, the Imperial fleet was outnumbered and outgunned, but they held their own with admirable skill and perseverance. Still, something didn't seem quite right. The savagery and aggression that had marked the battle's beginning had faded and now the Imperials seemed dead-set on maintaining the defensive. Even when opportunities to aggress onto the Republic forces and seize the advantage had manifested the Imperials had simply used the time to consolidate their defense. It was as if they were stalling, waiting for something, or someone.

 

 

Quickly Selimo turned all his attention towards scanning the Guardian through the Force, searching it deck by deck with his mind for any disturbances, but he found none. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, it was the same intuition he got when someone was watching him, only more broad and more rooted in the Force than the physical world. He activated his earpiece and opened a channel, the voice of his padawan Reelin coming over the line.

 

 

"You feel it too master?"

 

 

"I do. Come to the bridge immediately, let no one see you."

 

 

"Understood." The link closed abruptly, and Selimo once more turned his senses towards scouring the ship for any disturbances or Dark Side signatures. He was almost certain that a Sith was on board, but he didn't know who, where, or why. Alerting the crew might help flush out the intruder, but not without bloodshed. No, it was better for him to let the Sith come to him, for Selimo was certainly what the assassin was after.

 

 

"Master Jedi," the bridge officer said, approaching him quickly. "Our weapons just went offline, all their power was diverted to the shields, and the system has been sliced to prevent us from diverting any more power."

 

 

"Can't you override it, Captain?"

 

 

"We tried that master Jedi but the intruder performed a hard reset, deleting all the override codes. We're attempting to find a backdoor now but it's going to be some time before we're operational again."

 

 

"At least we're not sitting ducks Captain." Selimo reminded him. "Pull back and go on the defensive, we'll maintain command posture for now."

 

 

The captain nodded and rushed off to perform his orders. Selimo turned his mind back to seeking out the intruder's Force signature, and discovered a vague sense of malice directed towards the bridge. If he wasn't sure the assassin was coming after him before, he was now. Resigning himself to the inevitable, he began preparing for the conflict, slipping into a light trance and releasing his hold on all his emotions. He began to draw more and more focus as the minutes passed, and when he felt he was fully prepared, he signaled for the Captain to come and speak with him.

 

 

"Captain," he said when the man was close enough to hear Selimo's lowered voice, "we have an infiltrator aboard. Prepare the bridge crew, they are not to attack the intruder when they arrive. I will handle it." The look on the Bothan's face suggested he had questions, but he wisely kept them to himself and began moving around the bridge, speaking softly and quickly to the crew.

 

 

The bridge doors flew open, revealing a Kaleesh Sith wielding a double-bladed purple lightsaber dressed in purple-white armored battle robes, no-one on the bridge reacted. Seemingly stunned by the lack of reaction, the Kaleesh advanced cautiously into the room, the doors slamming shut behind him. A burst of lightning from the Sith's clawed hand fried the door console, triggering the automatic lockdown, sealing everyone inside.

 

 

Selimo's lekku twitched as he felt the Dark Side energy emanating from his foe, his bright blue skin crawling briefly with goose bumps, but he suppressed his instinctual fear response and regained his focus, feeling the Light Side surround him once more. He felt the Sith approach, and decided to make one last effort at disarming his opponent with words.

 

 

"I've been waiting for you, Sith. I felt your presence since you boarded this ship."

 

 

"Yet you did nothing to stop me." The Sith sneered, hatred gleaming in his predatory yellow eyes. "Truly you Jedi are as foolish as you are weak."

 

 

"I calculated that allowing you to come to me unhindered would result in less bloodshed, a much more preferable option to the alternative. You would have to be insane to come aboard this ship alone without a boarding party unless you were capable of defeating all our security forces by yourself, so I chose to spare their lives and risk my own to stop you instead."

 

 

"Which is why the Sith will rule when the Jedi Order lies in ruins." Xalek spat. "The Sith honor and preserve strength, while the Jedi waste it in pointless self-sacrifice."

 

 

"Look around you Sith," Selimo countered, gesturing to the bridge crew surrounding them. "Not even you could defeat all these people at once, and especially not after somehow managing to slay me, give up now and I can promise you a comfortable prison sentence."

 

 

"You are going to regret underestimating me, Jedi." Xalek growled, adopting a ready stance. Selimo sighed.

 

 

"Then so be it."

 

 

In a flash, Raze whirled around and unleashed a stream of lightning at the nearby captain. The attack was about to hit him when the volts suddenly wrapped themselves around thin air. In moments the cloak protecting the female Chiss padawan vanished completely as she writhed and screamed in pain. Selimo descended on the Sith, lightsaber ready to strike him down, but he whirled just in time to deflect the blow with his own lightsaber. Selimo attempted a series of quick Ataru attacks designed to throw his enemy off-guard but the Sith managed to defend himself effectively in an excellent display of Soresu.

 

 

Reelin had just gotten to her feet and drawn her lightsaber, charging across the deck. Selimo went for a low strike while she came in high, but Raze managed to block both with his double blade, following the block with a blast of kinetic Force energy that sent Reelin staggering back and unbalanced Selimo for long enough for Raze to unleash a thunderous blast of power that slammed into Reelin, sending her flying into the navigation console.

 

 

Raze managed to turn and block Selimo's next incoming blow just in time, but the follow-up was too complex for him to counter. He took a hard strike to the shoulders, which his armor and personal shield insulated him from, followed by a series of blows to the abdomen and legs, straining his shield, weakening his Force armor and leaving him unbalanced. Selimo attempted to continue his dance of blades, but Xalek loosed a potent bolt of lightning that nearly electrocuted him, leaving him stunned and staggered.

 

 

Reelin wisely held back this time, defending herself as well as she could against Raze's brutal and deadly blows. Despite her best efforts he landed some good shots on her, significantly draining her shield and Force reserves and leaving light scorch marks on her robes. Selimo recovered, and the two Jedi threw themselves into the fight with intense co-ordination and renewed focus. Selimo lead the attack, and Reelin supported with both her lightsaber and the Force.

 

 

Selimo put Raze on the defensive again with a sequence of fast acrobatic attacks that nearly overwhelmed the Sith, he took more blows to the shoulders and torso, nearly taking one to the arm as well, but still his shield held. An opportunity presented itself, and Raze surged forward, driving the tip of his lightsaber directly into Selimo's gut. The Jedi master's shield, Force armor, and battle armor prevented the blow from being fatal, but it still made full contact with the cortosis breastplate and left a large scorch mark. Selimo responded with a co-ordinated attack that brought his lightsaber in with a chest slash and Reelin's with a leg slash from opposite sides. Raze backflipped up and over Reelin, putting as much Force strength as he could behind his next strike, which drove his lightsaber through Reelin's personal shield, Force armor, and body to emerge from her abdomen. She gasped in shock as Raze pulled his blade out and her failing body dropped to the floor.

 

 

Selimo had to fight hard to keep his emotions in check.

 

 

"You'll pay for that, Sith."

 

 

He reached out his hand and Reelin's lightsaber flew from her dying hand into his. He reactivated the weapon, and its green blade shone brightly alongside his own. He advanced on Raze, then sprang into action. His body became a blur of motion, his focus a laser point. He attacked with such intensity and speed that Raze's lightsaber defenses became of little use, only the Dark Side protected him from the Jedi master's storm of blows. He reinforced his Force armor, turning it into a tangible barrier that surrounded him in its protective field. He used the Dark Side to drain Selimo's willpower and connection to the Force, slowing his reactions and sapping his strength. The combination gave Raze the opportunity he needed to disrupt the Jedi's ferocious assault and turn the tide of battle back in his favor.

 

 

Deflecting what would have been a critical blow, Raze landed an immediate counter-attack that pierced Selimo's personal shield and struck armor, burning the robes covering it. He pressed the attack with a burst of lightning from one clawed hand that drained the weakening shield even more and drove Selimo into a defensive position. Raze continued his assault with ferocious Juyo strikes that pushed Selimo into a retreat. Suddenly Selimo unexpectedly countered a blow and turned the battle back in his favor, forcing Raze to retreat. With a well-timed dual saber toss Selimo annihilated Raze's shield and sent the Sith staggering, then he leaped into the air with both sabers held above his head, ready to bury them in the Kaleesh's exposed chest.

 

 

His face changed from one of intense focus to absolute shock when Raze dodged his attack and swung his lightsaber in a twisting, heavy, over-the-shoulder blow that beheaded the Twi'lek and sent his detached cranium rolling across the deck. Raze turned to face the crowd of shocked Republic officers, and a bloodthirsty smile spread across his hidden features. Then, he simply vanished, leaving the bridge crew's blaster bolts to pass through thin air.

 

Edited June 18, 2017 by MayhemofChaonus

[MayhemofChaonus]

Hi guys! Enjoy!

 

 

Darth Skade stepped out of the landing shuttle's open hatchway, descending the ramp to the landing pad where the Prime Minister of Felquarra waited to greet her, flanked by two guards in gold and green uniforms. At the base of the ramp, Skade's own escort of two Imperial soldiers were standing at attention. Skade's outfit was the same one she had always worn since becoming Nox's apprentice, only now it was dyed fully in black. Her lightsabers, whose crystals she had at that time exchanged for synthetic red ones at Nox's insistence, now held purple crystals directly from Ilum. As she approached the statuesque man dressed in splendid finery that served as the head of Felquarra's government, she realized she had never felt more comfortable and confident than she did now.

 

 

"Darth Skade." The Prime Minister said, bowing his head in what he no doubt believed to be a gesture of respect. Skade couldn't help but feel a little jab of anger at the deed, she was a Darth now, and if any title afforded a being respect other than Jedi Master, it was the Darth honorific. He, a mere political ruler of a largely irrelevant world, should have bowed the knee to her. She squashed her displeasure under a facade of calm cordiality and smiled gently.

 

 

"Prime Minister." She said gently, inclining her head slightly.

 

 

"May I be the first to say what an honor it is to have you here with us on Felquarra." The Prime Minister said with the soft and arrogant air of a man who had lived a life of privilege and wealth. "We are looking forward to hearing your case for why Felquarra should join the Empire." He turned and motioned for them to walk towards the speeder that awaited them at the other end of the landing pad. His voice is as soft and puffy as he is, Skade thought with some measure of disgust as she walked with him to the speeder and entered it first when the driver held the door open for her.

 

 

"I can assure you it will be highly persuasive, Prime Minister." She said aloud. "The reasons for Felquarra to join the Empire are many, and the reasons to remain independent are few."

 

 

The speeder whisked them away to a grand palace in the center of the city, "The People's Palace" the Prime Minister called it when she asked him about it. The speeder descended into a beautiful courtyard and released them. They walked to and fro through the beautifully paved paths that wound in between stunning displays of the local flora as they talked, their respective guards following closely behind them.

 

 

"When the Republic speaks of the Empire they speak of atrocities and tyranny." The Prime Minister said, "perhaps you might wish to defend yourself from their accusations?"

 

 

"In war both sides do what they feel they must to survive," Skade responded. "The Republic is no different. Neither the Empire nor the Republic are innocent with regards to the horrors of war."

 

 

"Yes, I understand you completely." The Prime Minister said, stroking his pointed white beard, "However, perhaps you might shed some light on the so-called propaganda machines of the Empire, and how they omit, obscure, or twist the truth in order to manipulate the masses?"

 

 

"The Empire only restricts and controls information for the betterment of the populace." Skade said confidently. "Not all beings are possessed of the same advanced mental faculties as the Empire's leaders, thus it is necessary to control what beings have access to which information to prevent chaos and discord. If there is a rebellion based on lies, for example, then without the intelligent control of information the rebellion would spread further and endanger the Empire as a whole."

 

 

"Isn't that rather restrictive?" The Prime Minister asked. "Do not all beings deserve access to all the information on a given subject?"

 

 

"You have media outlets here, do you not, Prime Minister?"

 

 

"Yes..."

 

 

"And how often have you or any of your fellow governors repressed or withheld information to prevent widespread panic, rioting, or issues of serious controversy?"

 

 

"Occasionally we must resort to such things but surely-"

 

 

"Does your administration have classified information, Prime Minister?"

 

 

"Yes we do."

 

 

"So by your own admission you also restrict and control information, rather than give all Felquarrans access to all the information on a given subject."

 

 

"I suppose when you put it that way..." The Prime Minister said slowly.

 

 

"The Empire simply believes in keeping a firmer grip on the flow of information in order to preserve order and thus reduce suffering and chaos throughout the galaxy." Skade pressed her advantage, subtly weaving the Force into her words to make them more persuasive. "You can see the consequences of freedom of information in the Republic, which is even now falling back on its heels after the Empire's recent campaigns. By allowing the free flow of information the Republic leaves itself and its member worlds vulnerable to Imperial attack, as the information it does not control often makes its way into Imperial battle plans."

 

 

"Yes but the Republic at least does not restrict as much information as the Empire." The Prime Minister countered. "It allows it citizens to make the choice for themselves."

 

 

"And how well has that worked out for them?" Skade asked. "The Republic has long been plagued by separatist movements, divisiveness, and bureaucracy. It has become so weighed down by laws and regulations designed to hold the patchwork of the Republic together that it is only a matter of time before the whole system collapses, with or without the Empire there to pick up the pieces."

 

 

"But surely propaganda is not the way." The Prime Minister objected.

 

 

"Prime Minister, do you truly believe that the Republic doesn't have its own propaganda machine?"

 

 

"Yes, I have seen no indication of such."

 

 

"Then allow me to enlighten you, did you know, Prime Minister, that the top three hundred media outlets in the Republic are all owned by the same seventeen people?"

 

 

"Really?" The Prime Minister looked curious now, she was getting through to him.

 

 

"Yes, and all seventeen of those people are extremely wealthy humans with an incredible number of ties to and influence in the Senate and nearly all regional governments within the Republic. Imperial Intelligence's archives have records of a multitude of different instances where these media outlets have repressed, twisted, or controlled information to directly influence public opinion, even sway elections."

 

 

"How is it I have never heard of this?" The Prime Minister questioned, his brow furrowed with anger and suspicion.

 

 

"There are many things the Republic will not tell you, Prime Minister." Skade said. "The Republic and the Empire are not so different, only the Republic is much more insidious and dishonest with its methods of control. If the Empire doesn't want you to do something, it will have the decency and respect to say so to your face. The Republic, on the other hand, will do everything but. They will manipulate you, lie to you, trick you, bait you, anything but approach you honestly and directly. Their entire power structure is based on willful, malicious deception and manipulation. They pretend to have morals and claim to adhere to certain principals only to attain a moral high ground from which they can shame and prod those they wish to enslave into obedience. But once it no longer suits them they abandon those morals and principles and then cover it up through a multitude of words and infinite amounts of procedure and red tape."

 

 

The Prime Minister's eyebrows raised and his eyes glowed in recognition. "Yes, I know exactly what you're talking about, but I thought nothing of it until you put it in those precise words."

 

 

At that moment Skade noticed a young man flanked by two guards, identical to the ones escorting the Prime Minister, approaching them. When the Prime Minister saw him, he turned to Skade and gestured towards the man. "My son; Governor of Felaq, our capital city."

 

 

The young man was handsome, but in an aristocratic way. His skin shone softly in the bright sunlight, his manicured hands and nails looked like they had never seen a day's work, and his robes were in the same style as his father, only less grand and embellished due to his lower station.

 

 

"My lord." He said as he approached, bowing to one knee before Skade. "Forgive my surprise, but when I was told a Sith was coming as the Empire's representative I was not expecting one so radiant."

 

 

Skade smiled slightly in amusement. "Perhaps you expected some twisted, monstrous-looking creature? Or a withered old mystic with a voice like nails scratching steel?"

 

 

Clearly flustered and embarrassed, the young man attempted to find his mental balance again. "Yes, no, that is...I mean-"

 

 

Skade waved a hand in light-hearted dismissal. "It's quite alright, I understand completely. I'm merely teasing you, governor."

 

 

The young man looked equal parts staggered and eager. "You are?"

 

 

Skade suppressed a laugh at his reaction."Of course, I'm used to the lies the Republic and especially the Jedi have spread about the Sith. You will find that many of the things you heard about the Sith range from embellishment and exaggeration of personality quirks to outright lies."

 

 

"Does that mean everything they say about the Sith is a lie?" The young governor asked with a note of disappointment in his voice.

 

 

Skade, discerning what the young man was implying, laughed, allowing a bit of her flirtatious mood to express itself in the act. "No, not everything." She said with a twinkle in her eye.

 

 

The Prime Minister opened his mouth to interject when suddenly a clamorous jangle of foreboding erupted in Skade's head and time slowed to a crawl. She whirled around, reaching her lightsabers and igniting the purple blades just as the bolt that would have bored through her head came roaring in towards her. She crossed the blades and flung them outward and apart with perfect timing, sending the bolt flying into the landing pad near the shuttle. She felt it through the Force as the guards on either side of the governor raised their blasters and pointed them at her. The Prime Minister's guards were still in the process of raising their weapons to scan the area for the sniper, they wouldn't see their comrades actions until it was too late.

 

 

Skade leaped forward, bringing her blades down on the left guard, splitting his upper body into three pieces in one quick motion. Too fast for the eye to see she moved on the right guard, swinging her blades through his midsection from opposite sides and bringing them up on either side of her head. Time returned to its normal pace and both bodies collapsed to the ground in scorched heaps. The governor and Prime Minister stared at the bodies in shock while one the Prime Minister's guards radioed the Captain of the Guard to inform him of the breach.

 

 

After a moment of processing what had just happened the Prime Minister sank to one knee and bowed his head in what Skade had no doubt was an uncharacteristic gesture of humility. "My lord, please accept my most humble apologies! This cowardly act will not go unpunished!"

 

 

The governor, who had also dropped to one knee, spoke as well. "My lord please do not let this reflect on your view of Felquarra or its people, these are the acts of traitors, not of the Felquarrans!"

 

 

"Then who has done this?" Skade demanded. "Who would do such a thing?"

 

 

"The only group who could have committed such a despicable act is the Gamaik Loyalists, rebels and vagabonds the lot of them!" He spat venomously. "In the past they stuck to covering areas of cities with graffiti or disseminating anti-government propaganda. They supported my rival in the last election."

 

 

"Why would they attempt to assassinate me?"

 

 

"They call themselves anti-fascists." The young governor replied. "They believe the Republic's lies about the Empire and the Sith without question, and that if Felquarra joins the Empire its people will all become slaves. They used to simply protest government decisions and try to stir up controversy and civil unrest, but after we announced that we were inviting a delegate from the Empire to come and discuss the possibility of joining they became rabid."

 

 

"We didn't believe they would stoop to such violence!" The Prime Minister interjected. "Please my lord, believe us!" Skade sensed no deception in his words, so she put on a kind smile and extended a hand to the surprised man to help him to his feet.

 

 

"Of course I believe you." She said. "You're an intelligent man who understands full well the consequences of orchestrating an assassination of an Imperial representative. You have nothing to gain by my death, and much to lose."

 

 

"Thank you." The Prime Minister said, looking noticeably relieved. Skade extended her hand to the young governor and helped him to his feet as well.

 

 

"I didn't catch your name." She said to him.

 

 

"Golys." He said, beaming despite his father's look of disapproval.

 

 

"Perhaps we should enter the palace." The Prime Minister said urgently as a group of guards exited the spaceport and rushed towards them at a light jog. "It might not be the best idea to remain here in the open, the sniper is still on the loose."

 

 

"Agreed." Golys said eagerly. "We don't want to put you in any more danger."

 

 

"I can handle myself." Skade said, "You needn't worry."

 

 

"All the same," The Prime Minister said soberly. "it might be better to continue our discussion at the ball tonight."

 

 

Skade sighed. "Very well, lead the way Prime Minister."

 

_____________

 

 

Nox stood quietly on the plateau overlooking a great forest in the valley below. He could feel the Dark Side welling up within him as he slipped deeper and deeper into a meditative trance, deeper into the well of black darkness in the very depths of his being, and as the darkness consumed him from head to toe, he began the ritual. The night sky filled with dark clouds and fierce wind swirled across the plateau, attempting to buffet Nox, but he stood firm, as still as stone. The air vibrated with each crack of lightning and each peal of thunder as a great tempest began to form in the sky above him.

 

 

Nox felt the power flowing through every inch of his being, and he felt the temperature drop as it overflowed from him, filling the air with a tangible energy. The darkness consumed him utterly, devouring his body and spirit and unleashing its full potency through its newfound vessel. Nox began to lose all awareness of the physical storm raging around him, he stood at the eye of the storm, drawing lightning bolts into himself, feeding on them, and then unleashing that power back into the air.

 

 

This was how it was supposed to be, all the power and fury and glory of the Dark Side focused in a single point, not diffused and disparate. A cocoon of lightning formed around him, creating a shield of crackling, vibrating energy. He shivered in anticipation and ecstasy before suddenly going rigid, his arms spread out at his sides. Slowly his body began to rise off the ground, levitating meters into the air. He felt the raw power of the Force surging through him, and for a moment he feared it might tear his mortal body to pieces. The lightning cocoon expanded to become a spherical field of energy, a sizzling cage of power, before it suddenly dispersed into the maelstrom.

 

 

The storm rolled down over the plateau and rumbled across the forest, a deluge of blistering lightning fell from the roiling clouds overhead and the forest erupted in a blaze. Trees burst into flames like tinder, the inferno spreading itself across the landscape like a ravenous, incorporeal beast intent only on devouring all that it touched. The wave of fire swept outward, consuming vast swathes of the woodland in seconds, and yet still the storm raged. Not a single drop of precipitation fell, yet the clouds looked as black as sin, and as heavy as if they were made of neuranium. Lightning flashed over and over, splitting the sky with a thousand cracks, as if reality itself were falling to pieces.

 

 

Nox was in the eye of the storm, not physically, for the storm had long since moved its fury from the plateau to the forest, but nonetheless he was its center. He could see without eyes and feel without sensation, he sensed the suffering and death of every single thing the storm destroyed, from the largest animals to the moss and the undergrowth that were being incinerated in mere moments by the thousands of hungry tongues of the blazing holocaust ravaging the landscape. The air was shaking, as if in terror of the sheer amount of energy being unleashed upon it. The intense heat of the fire felt like the core of a star, and the air was filled with ashes and sparks.

 

 

The storm raged for several hours, sweeping over the land with apocalyptic fury and an endless appetite for destruction. Even after it finally subsided, the flames still burned. Nox watched with fire in his own eyes as the hungry flames consumed every living thing for hundreds of kilometers in every direction. For any lesser force adept the heat would have been unbearable, but Nox warded off the heat and the flames with the Force, leaving the plateau he was standing on the only green place in a massive field of orange. Nox had no doubt his handiwork was visible from space, and the scars it would leave would remain so for years to come.

 

 

The planet was a remote world, lush but uninhabited by sentient life. It's discovery had been made by the Expeditionary Fleet, but the Empire had yet to settle it. Nox wondered what someone might make of the remnants of his experiment, he wondered if they could even conceive that all this glorious annihilation could be caused by one being. Perhaps they might even mistake his work for that of an orbital bombardment, so great was the destruction.

 

 

As Nox watched the flames, he was suddenly transported back to that place he saw only in his nightmares; the door. The face on the door, the horrifying, incomprehensible face of the Dark Side glared at him with the same hatred and malice he felt in the very core of his being, when suddenly it split open, the chains sealing it shut breaking like twigs as the gateway to godhood opened before him. He felt the power of the abyss rushing out like a tide, filling his being, trying to empty him out and replace him with itself.

 

 

He fought it with everything he had, but not to repel it, to subjugate it. He summoned all the power at his disposal and seized hold on the intangible essence that sought his soul. They grappled together, one being fighting the infinite power of the Void. Again and again it tried to consume him, again and again he fought to consume it. An eternity passed as they struggled, the Void filling Nox's ears with whispers of lies, half-truths, seductions, and promises. Nox ignored them, focusing all his energy, all his being into subduing it.

 

 

"You are not worthy." The voices hissed. "You are weak, mortal. You cannot fight ussss, you cannot resissst." And still he did.

 

 

"You will not conssume us. We are eternal, we are beyond you. We devour universess and conssume reality itself, you cannot fathom usssss." Nox summoned all his power, focusing it through the lens of his discipline and focus, directing the entirety of his might directly at his intangible foe.

 

 

The thing screamed, countless voices crying out in a horrible howl of pain and hatred formed one monstrous cacophony that would have shook Nox to his very core, were he still mortal enough to have such emotions. Instead he devoured the unspeakable abomination, consuming it utterly, ingesting it into his very essence, not merely bonding with it, but assimilating it. The darkness was now inextricably part of him, and he of it. They were one and the same.

 

 

Slowly, Nox began to come back to himself. He began to feel his robes on his skin, his armor weighing him down, the ground beneath his back. He opened his eyes and saw, through the one-way lenses of his helm, the bright blue sky. He shakily got to his feet, quickly quelling his body's unconscious tremors through a mere exercise of will. He checked his chrono, and was shocked when he saw how much time had passed.

 

 

"Four standard days?" He asked himself incredulously. "I was out for four days?" A small price to pay for opening the way to godhood, he supposed. He signaled his ship's autopilot to bring the vessel in to land, the fires had burned out within the past day or two, as he could still see the coals burning in the blackened landscape all around him. When the ship arrived, it landed and extended its boarding ramp, which Nox ascended, turning back one last time to look upon the world that had birthed a god.

 

 

Left ravaged by his expression of power, the planet would bear the scar of that birth for years, possibly decades to come. Somehow, Nox felt that of all the worlds in the galaxy, of all the places where he could have been born into his new life, it was fitting that the place of his second birth was a nameless little world far from anywhere touched by sentient life. As he ascended the rest of the ramp and entered the ship, he made a mental note to mandate the world's name when he returned to Dromund Kaas. He was going to name it Bogar, for it truly was "the beginning of darkness".

 

[MayhemofChaonus]

Hi guys, sorry the next part isn't finished yet. I'm suffering from a bout of writer's block so the new segments will be uploaded once its been finished and edited, thanks for your patience! :$

[MayhemofChaonus]

 

The Midnight Shadow landed in a clearing in the forests of Denova, the boarding ramp extending to touch the fertile-looking ground. The ship's engines shut down, and for a long time the ship remained there, seemingly vacant. If one could view it through the lens of the Force however, one could see that it was very much overflowing with power. The Dark Side was immensely strong inside that ship, and the power was growing by the minute.

 

Finally, after what seemed like a small eternity, Nox disembarked, the power leaving with him, surrounding him in a palpable aura. He looked out over the landscape, remembering the last time he had been here. Then he had fought the Republic as part of an elite commando squad assembled for the task, their goal to capture a series of turret emplacements set up between two bunkers. But that was history, this time he was going to make a much bigger, more memorable mark on this world. There was something else here as well, something new, a sinister but eerily familiar presence that hung in the air like a miasma. He shrugged it off scornfully, deciding to get to the bottom of it later.

 

Gathering his power, he summoned it in a whirlwind that shrouded him from view. Lightning flashed unnaturally within the miniature cyclone and in another moment the vortex took off at top speed, heading towards the far away sounds of battle.

 

____________

 

 

Some time later, the maelstrom that Nox had become slowed its pace and dissipated. He was pleased to see he had torn through the enemy lines easily. While he could have simply used his abilities in stealth and his newfound abilities in the realm of Force flight he wanted to experiment with more offensive applications of his new powers. Thus far they were shaping up to be everything he had hoped for.

 

The reason he had slowed was because he sensed a strong disturbance in the Force up ahead, emerging from the brush he saw that the disturbance was entirely warranted. In a large clearing, two massive Drouks with humungous electric shackles fastened around their wrists and ankles paced. Nox could feel them through the Force, he could sense their small but focused minds and the unnaturally immense amount of will each of the monstrous creatures possessed. Normally, he wouldn't even try what he was about to do, the chance of failure would be all but certain and the consequences of failure were fatal, but Nox knew he had long surpassed the need for caution.

 

He reached out through the Force, summoning the Dark Side to bolster his strength. He felt the full extent of his power flow through him, filling him with malevolent energy that threatened to erupt from under his skin and disperse his molecules across the planet. He unleashed his power in a telepathic wave that struck the Drouk's minds, their immense willpower bending beneath the strength of Nox's hurricane-force mental attack. They growled in near unison, a low, rumbling sound that would have made nearby listeners think a groundquake was imminent, and they turned to move in on Nox, ready to tear him to shreds. But while Nox's mental assault battered their psyches with telepathic energy, it also slowed their brain and nervous systems down significantly. As a result the beast's movements seemed slow and ponderous compared to the pace they were actually capable of.

 

Suddenly, the electric cuffs on their wrists and ankles unleashed a blast of energy into both Drouks, causing them to stand up straight and roar in pain. Nox smiled to himself, their tamer, obviously in hiding, had seen the Drouk's slow advance and interpreted it as some form of disobedience rather than recognizing the enemy was applying the Force against his pets. The pain and shock of the cuffs fulfilled its designed purpose, temporarily distracting and breaking the will of those suffering from it. Nox sensed the weakness that opened up in the armor of the monster's stubborn minds, and he pushed, hard.

 

The Drouks both roared again and clutched at their heads, trying to fight off the sudden intrusion, but in moments, it was over. Their eyes glowed a faint purple as the Dark Side seized their will and enslaved it to Nox's own. The tamer, a Nikto in full battle armor, came rushing out of his hiding spot, yelling and screaming at the beasts to attack. Nox looked down at him for a moment, then wordlessly pointed at the enraged being. In response the twin Drouks moved in on their now nervous-looking trainer, he turned and tried to run, but it was far too late for that. Zorn, for that was the beasts name, Nox now knew, leapt forward, closing his massive paws around the fleeing Nikto's body. Toth, the other beast, caught up to him just as he was about to drop the screaming tamer into his maw, and indicated that they should share. With an eerie ignorance of the man's cries, the two Drouks split their meal slowly in half, so as to be absolutely fair, and enjoyed the little snack.

 

Nox looked on with great pleasure, waiting for them to swallow before mentally instructing them to move on into the cave that would lead them further in the direction from which he could sense the Dark Side calling to him.

 

____________

 

 

Toth and Zorn charged out of the forest and across the open plain towards the two tanks raining fire and energy down on them. They pounded their massive fists on the thick armor of the combat vehicles, leaving more prominent impressions and indentations with each blow, even as their bodies were bombarded with extremely powerful and intense attacks. From a safe distance, Nox watched the battle with amusement, the two pilots controlling those tanks were so busy dealing with his two new pets that they would likely never notice him standing here, let alone piece together that simply destroying him would cause the Drouk's savage assault to cease. The irony was delicious, with only a few well-placed and well-timed missile barrages and energy bursts they could solve their problem, yet they remained incredibly ignorant to this despite the fact that Nox was merely eighty meters away, coolly watching the engagement as if it were a simple prizefight.

 

Within minutes Toth and Zorn had destroyed the guns of both tanks, and were proceeding to toss them around the battlefield like a pair of Zuuku birds trying to crack open some Welycima nuts. When they succeeded in breaking open the cockpits, they each grabbed the pilot of their chosen tank and swallowed the screaming, armored beings whole. Nox could feel the armor and flesh and bones of the pilots being ground between their teeth as if it were him chewing them. He could feel the blood and bodily fluids bursting from the mangled corpses like cream or juice from a tasty candy, and he found that the taste of sentient meat wasn't entirely unpleasant, or perhaps that was just a side effect of binding these monster's minds to his own. Either way, he decided not to take his new pets home, they would be too expensive to feed and too taxing to control in any case, but as long as they continued to be useful here he would use them.

 

The Drouks finished with their treats and stood awaiting further orders, he glanced at the nearby bunker, one thought echoing through his mind: break.

 

____________

 

 

Nox watched from the top of the wall surrounding Kephess's fortress as the two Drouks engaged the Trandoshan in the courtyard below. The lizardman was in a giant three-legged walker, from the top of which he had proclaimed the glory of his killing of Nox's pets belonged to a group called "the masters" before engaging the beasts. He was accompanied by a small squad of advanced Imperial battledroids, which Toth and Zorn had merely crushed underfoot in their charge. Kephess seemed was the leader of the Trandoshan forces Nox had been plowing through for the past hour or two, and he didn't seem very happy about the two Drouks running amok. He was unaware however, of Nox's presence or role, and was merely fighting what he thought to be two beasts who had killed their tamer and were rampaging across the battlefield, killing everything in sight.

 

That was about to change. The walker Kephess was in was no mere hovertank that the two Drouks could handle on their own. Turning his focus inward, Nox began to draw on the bottomless well of dark power that lay within him, he felt it rising, filling him with a blackness as dark as space without stars. His hatred became transcendent, and his ire so great he felt he could not contain it. The sky overhead darkened with thick, ominous clouds, and lightning began to flash.

 

Suddenly a storm of violet lightning bolts erupted from the clouds overhead, striking at the surrounding area with a frequency and fury that easily matched any orbital bombardment. Struck by several bolts of lightning in the space of a few seconds, the walker began to shudder and spark, its movements becoming jerkier and its limbs spasming periodically. The Drouks however, remained completely unaffected, the storm's fury seeming to bend itself around them in a way too unnatural to be coincidence.

 

The walker finally groaned its last as a massive explosion rocked it and sent it tumbling to the ground. From the wreckage burst a massive Trandoshan wielding twin techblades. Nox realized with some astonishment that he was easily twice as big as Khem Vaal. The last time Nox had seen a Trandoshan anywhere close to that size was on Darth Malgus's space station, and that creature had been the result of Imperial biogenetic experimentation in creating artificial gigantism, how this "Warlord Kephess" had achieved such size and ferocity without outside intervention was a mystery.

 

Still, despite his large size he was an insect compared to the Drouks, and they sought to use their size against him, ripping apart the walker and tossing large pieces at him, or attempting to seize and crush him. But Kephess knew how to use the size difference to his own advantage, he darted and leaped about like one of the bolts of the storm still raging around him, striking quickly at the Drouk's weak points and then retreating beyond their reach before they could get a hold on him. He even managed to dodge the bolts of lightning pouring down from the now pitch-black sky, his reflexes seeming to be unnaturally enhanced.

 

Still channeling the power of the storm, Nox noticed a door on the west side of the courtyard open and a large group of Trandoshan mercenaries flood out. He shifted the focus of the maelstrom towards the unlucky lizards and a storm of lightning bolts from the dark violet clouds incinerated their bodies, leaving only charred armor behind. The lightning appeared to have set off everything on them that was explosive, thus the totality of their disintegration. Shifting the focus of the storm back towards Kephess, the Trandoshan noticed the sudden change and disengaged from his Drouk opponents, scanning the area while remaining out of reach of the Drouks, who were taking up pursuit.

 

Spotting Nox perched atop the wall, he croaked something in his native language and made a seemingly impossible leap that sent him hurtling straight towards Nox in defiance of every law of physics. Combined with the oppressive presence that he had sensed upon arriving on Denova, Nox realized that there was only one way this Force-blind lizard could achieve something like that, even as he willed Zorn's hand to smack the Trandoshan back down onto the durasteel floor of the courtyard. His suspicions were confirmed a moment later when Kephess unleashed a horrifying half-roar half-screech and a familiar aura of dark energy erupted around him. The power was far, far stronger than Nox remembered it, but the intensity only made it more unmistakable, it was the power of the Dread Masters.

 

Nox watched as Kephess used the power of the Masters to ravage the large Drouks, battering and cowing them despite them being large enough to crush him with a well-placed stomp. Watching the battle play out, Nox knew it would not be long before the two Drouks fell completely to Kephess's power, and despite his recent practice with his new abilities, Nox was entirely unsure as to whether he could defeat Kephess in combat on his own.

 

There was, however, one way he could end this now and with absolute certainty, and with only a moment of hesitation, Nox took it. He released his hold on the unnatural lightning storm, allowing it to diminish and fade, even as he began to channel that power in a new direction. One by one, he began fulfilling the rites of an ancient ritual he had recently learned, amplifying its strength a thousand fold with his borrowed power. He felt the rites of the ritual lock into place one by one, and when he completed the final rite, he initiated the ceremony.

 

Toth and Zorn screamed in pain as every ounce of energy in their bodies was suddenly stripped from them and siphoned into Nox. Realizing what his opponent intended to do, the Kephess leaped at his foe once more, coming down on Nox just as the dark lord unleashed the ritual's power on him. The Trandoshan stopped in midair, and began to squirm and howl as the power was stripped forcefully from his mortal body. He began to shrink and weaken, his large techblades becoming too large and heavy for him to hold, causing them to clatter to the ground below.

 

The painful process burned the power right out of him, causing him to scream as the dark energies the Dread Masters had bound to his form were eradicated by the ritual. Suddenly, the ritual structure collapsed and Nox had to put up a solid wall of resistance to keep from being blown off the wall by the Force explosion that resulted. Kephess's seemingly lifeless body was thrown across the courtyard to bounce with several sickening crunches until it finally rolled to a stop, face-up.

 

Nox leaped off of his perch, levitating to the ground through Force flight and approached his enemy's corpse, reaching for his lightsaber hooked onto his belt. He suddenly noticed a surge in Dark Side energy in the surrounding area, and the light of the day suddenly became a lot dimmer.

 

"Insects interfere, they do not understand." An ominous voice rang out, appearing to be both in Nox's mind and his ears at the same time. In several flashes of dark energy the shadowy forms of the six Dread Masters appeared before him, their combined aura washing over him like a tide of fear and malice. A lesser being would have been cowed instantly, some might have even died of terror on the spot, but Nox knew darkness that very few had ever known, and he stood strong and defiant in their presence.

 

"We are the six. The Dread Masters. Heed our warning." The one Nox recognized as Dread Master Raptus said.

 

"I freed you on Belsavis," Nox reminded him, his tone that of a man speaking to a group of his overconfident, arrogant peers. "You will not tell me what to do, Dread Masters. You have yet to make good on your promise to teach me the ways of terror."

 

"We do not make promises." Dread Master Bestia hissed. "That which we do not rule we destroy."

 

"Imprisoned, our power faded." Dread Master Brontes said.

 

"Now we are free." Dread Master Raptus said threateningly. "Now we are strong."

 

"Denova was a test." Dread Master Styrak explained. "Weak minds twisted and turned."

 

"Why do you defy the Emperor?" Nox demanded suddenly. "Why have you turned against the Empire?"

 

"The Emperor was strong." Raptus said, with what might have been a note of respect. "He spoke to us, guided us."

 

"Now the Emperor is quiet." Brontes said, crossing her arms in front of her. "None who remain are worthy of our loyalty."

 

Nox snarled. "I'm a Lord of the Dark Council. I took everything I have through power and cunning, I now wield power equal to none that came before me nor any that will come after me. I'm easily your equal and my power is rivaled by only Vitiate himself, if there is any being in the galaxy you should answer to now, it's me!"

 

"You are not worthy." Calaphyus said matter-of-factly, and Nox recognized his voice as the one that had first spoken before any of the Masters had appeared.

 

"Then I will prove my power to you!" Nox hissed, leaning forward in a summoning posture. A burst of dark power emanated out from him, but the Masters extended their hands, palms outward, as one, and a shield enveloped their ethereal forms, the wave of dark power breaking over it like a wave over rocks on the shoreline.

 

"We care nothing for the Emperor or the Empire now." Calaphyus continued, as if nothing had happened. "We serve a higher purpose."

 

"Kephess was our tool, our vessel." Brontes extrapolated.

 

"The vessel is damaged." Styrak said with a hint of condemnation in his voice. "It must be repaired."

 

"Kephess is ours." Bestia said. "Heed this warning, do NOT interfere again."

 

"The Dread Masters have spoken." Raptus said with finality.

 

Then, just as quickly as they had appeared, they vanished, and the oppressive gloom that had gathered dispersed, allowing the sunlight to filter down through the clouds once more. Nox stood there for a long moment, pleased that his ploy had worked. The Dread Masters now saw him as nothing more than a nuisance, a gnat to be crushed whenever it became too bothersome. Thanks to his little outburst they thought him weak and unworthy of their notice, they were severely underestimating him, and that would allow him to continue investigating their activities largely unhindered, while his power grew.

 

He drew his lightsaber, activated it, and advanced on Kephess's lifeless corpse. Raising the weapon high above his head, he buried it in the Trandoshan's heart.

 

"Repair that." He spat, as the blade retracted into the hilt. Suddenly he heard a crackling over the comm and the unmistakable noise of an approaching squad of fighters. Using the Force, he cloaked himself and took off, shooting into the sky like a bolt from an anti-air cannon. He turned back to watch as the squad of bombers rained fire down upon the now empty fortress, and a malicious smile touched his lips.

 

Edited June 20, 2017 by MayhemofChaonus

[FlameYOL]

I LOVED the way you novelized Explosive Conflict, looking forward to how you do things like DF and DP.