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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Beyond - Legends Dark Currents: AU, OC's, 400 ABY Now at Chapter 28 - COMPLETED

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Darth_Furio , Jul 15, 2014.

  1. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    Now I have difficulties to decide what I like more. The update or the music going-with-it. ;)

    Darius is indeed strong.
     
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  2. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008
    Thanks for reading ladies. ^:)^

    I'll have an update this weekend. :D
     
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  3. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008
    Nyota's Heart
    The_Zeltron
    AzureAngel2
    earlybird-obi-wan

    Here's a short conclusion to Chapter 12. Thank you all. Enjoy. :)

    Warehouse level - Coruscant

    Cyrax came off an elevator at a warehouse level and had finally made it to one his many complexes that hid a large amount of his battle droids and their housing vehicles. From the last count he had accumulated about sixty thousand droids from his dealers on Fondor who he paid handsomely to keep quiet about his existence. Cyrax’s connections in the Banking Clan and Techno Union had kept their promises and Cyrax had to promise them that when he took control from the Emperor that their corporations within their respective groups would be the ones to benefit the most. Those contacts would have to sway their people to follow Cyrax of course, but they were powerful enough that they felt the risk was worth the promise of power. They had already begun planting the seeds of dissension that a change of leadership was needed as the Empire had become stagnant. As always war would bring profits and Cyrax was the man to give them their war. What they weren’t privy to was that Cyrax wanted to make a grand example of Coruscant with his virus.

    The key to Cyrax’s plan was that he would lead a military strike first against Coruscant’s planetary defences which consisted mostly of planetary shields and battle platforms just outside the atmosphere. During these times of peace The Imperial Navy had a few ships on Coruscant but the bulk of the fleet, the smaller Ninth Fleet was stationed at Fondor’s orbital shipyards, the Kuat Drive Yards, and in the Outer Rim the larger Fifth Fleet patrolled there. The vastness of the Empire meant more vessels were posted to mid and outer rim systems because of the larger presence of pirate and raider activity. The core worlds were left with a small amount of ships for its defence because there had not been an attack on the galactic core systems in centuries.

    While this attack was going on above Cyrax would personally lead an attack on the surface with his battle droids and wipe out the CSF and Jedi. His numbers would be overwhelming against the small number of Jedi. His other droids would be sent up against military targets on Coruscant armed with explosives. After the destruction of the Jedi Temple, Cyrax wanted a massive public display and would personally find the Emperor and kill him over the holonet declaring himself the new ruler of the Empire. With the support of some powerful senators that Cyrax had made loyal to him with a few generous promises, he would have control over the rest of the senate.

    Cyrax had small but powerful sections of the Imperial Navy under his control. These officers would influence a small section of the fleet to follow Cyrax and he had prepared another arrangement that would give him the advantage. The Empire had built a massive Eclipse Class Super Star Destroyer called the Tiber. Cyrax planned to hijack the ship and use it against the Empire during his invasion of Coruscant. When he had won, with the might of the Empire behind him and more importantly his connection to the Dark Side of the Force, Cyrax would start a new Sith Empire, recruit Force users that would follow him and destroy any Force user that stood against him.

    Cyrax’s final preparations were to pay a visit to Targo the Hutt and see about the pirate navy that would make the attack runs against Coruscant’s orbital defences. He also had to go to his lab in Corellia and bring the virus with him. They were the last pieces of his plan that needed to be tended to. Targo had been paid to amass a fleet of ships for Cyrax that he would take possession of on Nar Shaddaa. The Hutt planet would be the staging point for his invasion. Now that Cyrax was free he could check on his plans and make certain that all was in order. He had designed it so that even if he was not present, the assets he paid for would still be accumulated. Targo would make sure of it as the Hutt and his Blood Rocks stood to profit a great deal with Cyrax as head of the Empire. The Sith Lord had promised to rid the galaxy of Targo’s stiffest competition. The one place where Cyrax had fallen short was that he expected Darius to be his second in command. The loss of his powerful apprentice was a major blow to his plans but he had to move on. The Dark Side was his to control now and a new apprentice would most likely be presented to him soon enough.

    Cyrax sat in his meditation room and concentrated on the Force. Now that he was in his own surroundings he could concentrate better. In the darkest part of his mind, his visions were of him standing in Imperial Centre with legions of troops standing before him and an army of Dark Side followers behind him. It was his lifelong goal realized until suddenly a fire came over them and he was lying dead on the ground engulfed in flames with a massive shadowy figure standing over him. It was the Dark Sider that the he and the Jedi had sensed during his incarceration. Cyrax knew that he had to expedite his plans and get to Nar Shaddaa for his ships, but first he had to arrange for his virus to get to Coruscant.

    ***

    Jedi Temple

    Master Brun Sarro entered the council chamber and found his wife standing in front of a window with her eyes closed. He was about to explain that Cyrax had gotten away but he knew Master Joy would have already known. Sarro approached her from behind and put his hands on her shoulders and tried to massage them. He started to whisper in Joy’s ear about leaving for a sunny vacation spot and enjoying the rest of their days together in the quiet of a peaceful planet and in each other’s company. Sarro started to picture it himself until finally he knew it was only a dream and that he had to forget it and concentrate on the situation before him.

    Joy started to enjoy their exchange until reality hit her as well and she felt Sarro’s change in demeanour because they both knew that they had to deal with finding Cyrax. Through the Force she felt the dark current that was approaching Coruscant and for some strange reason she felt powerless. Darius Baron was fighting for his life in the medical centre and a new darkness was coming for all of them. At that very moment Joy had decided that the Jedi would be proactive and take the battle to the Sith. She opened her eyes, turned and looked directly at her love with a determined glare.

    Sarro looked back and asked her “Where do you want to start?”

    “We will help CSF with their investigation as I’m sure they will not be pleased with us keeping Cyrax a secret from them. I have the perfect pair to help with that too.” Joy said seeing that her husband had something else on his mind.
    “You’ve felt the disturbances in the Force I’m sure and you haven’t said anything about it.” Sarro said changing the subject.
    “I’ve been dealing with that myself Brun.” Joy said. “I know you always had a suspicion as to who it was centred around and so I went with that.”
    “What do you mean Joy, what did you learn?” Brun asked while watching her pull out a datapad.
    “Jedi Knight Arianna Dern as you know was placed into a Cor-Sec investigation to bring down Targo the Hutt’s Blood Rocks. The man you chased through Coronet and who had supposedly died was named Marcus Dal Colle.” Joy read.
    “I remember him. He was devastated and heart broken because of Knight Dern’s death.”
    “A back ground check revealed he was born on Corellia,” Joy continued. “His mother died when she gave birth to him. His father was a working class man that from Marcus’ school records, was neglectful and did not take much of an interest in his son.”
    “Where is the father now?”
    “Missing. There was no trace of him and according to Marcus’ Cor-Sec records and he did not care as he listed himself as an orphan.” Joy said.
    “Cor-Sec accepted this?” Brun asked.
    “Yes, there was no evidence to the contrary. According to Marcus his father ran off.”
    “Fine, what else?”
    “Marcus went to numerous schools because of violent behaviour and finally was expelled from the education system totally. He joined Cor-Sec and this is where I think he discovered his abilities. Marcus accomplished tremendous feats while again being reprimanded for violent behaviour numerous times. The files suggest that he and Knight Dern worked together for a significant amount of time.”
    “She must have discovered his abilities and tried to nurture them.” Brun began. “Why wouldn’t she notify the Council about someone like that?”
    “She must have seen his dark tendencies and feared that we would arrest him.” Joy replied. “His powers would have only manifested through instinct and were probably reactionary. Arianna was a loyal and dedicated Jedi Knight Brun; she must have truly loved Marcus. He did not have anymore complaints against him after she came to Cor-Sec.” Joy replied with a sudden edge in her voice.
    “What I always found odd was that she was not even at the Cor-Sec barracks when the attacked happened. She was kidnapped in transit. It was almost as if the Blood Rocks knew she was not there.”
    “It doesn’t matter Brun.” Joy said dismissively. “She died and he fell.”
    “Joy, what’s wrong? It isn’t like you to be this dismissive. Arianna was a capable Knight and I fear her only mistake led to her death. It’s sad more than anything else.”
    “I missed it. I did not see him coming.” Joy said disregarding her husband’s observation. “To make such a ripple in the Force means that he was training for some time. His power has been harnessed and polished. There was someone else involved as well. I should have sensed her involvement when I felt her signature die.”
    “Who? Arianna’s?” Sarro asked.

    Suddenly Master Joy’s comm started to buzz and when she answered it the concerned voice of Commander Dalporte came over it. She waved at her husband who said that he would be right back after he had found Knights Vikka Gratua and Trip Vrand.

    “Hello Commander Dalporte, how are you?” Joy began to say knowing that this might not be a pleasant conversation.
    “I am not happy Master Jedi.” He replied. “You understand my concern when my planet is being threatened by a biological weapon and a droid army. Even worse, these threats are from a Sith Lord.”
    “I do understand Commander and the Jedi are fully committed to helping CSF with this. Master Sarro is en-route to notifying two of my knights that they are to help with your investigation in any way possible.” Joy said hoping this would lighten the commander up somewhat.
    “That’s fine Master Joy. Have them report to CSF headquarters and to meet with Captain Taric Raywood.” Dalporte responded.
    “Very well Commander. Is that all?” Joy said already knowing the answer.
    “Of course that isn’t it. Why did you hide this from us?” Dalporte asked.
    “We needed to know more about his plans.” Master Joy said. “There was no way he would respond to CSF interrogators. I thought by cutting him off from the Force it would weaken his resolve but it didn’t. On top of that he fooled us by keeping his Force powers dormant until he could escape. Cyrax also injured Master Darius Baron.”
    “I heard about that Master Joy, I’m sorry. Will he live?”
    “Yes he will thank you. Darius is actually in recovery now. The Sword of the Jedi will be ready.”
    “That’s good news.” Dalporte said. “We will deal with this betrayal later Master Joy. For now, let’s hope with our combined efforts we can catch this Sith.”
    “Yes Commander, let’s hope. May the Force be with you.” Joy said signing off.

    Master Joy was not comfortable lying to the commander but their concern had to stay on Cyrax as he was the immediate threat. She thought about the other great secret that she had been keeping for such a long time and now it was going to reveal itself. No secret could stay buried forever and Joy knew this. She had to tell her husband about her sister, Erin. Joy had not thought about Erin in many years until about a year ago when she did not feel her sister’s presence anymore and she had been having visions through the Force of Erin dying since then. Joy could not escape the feeling that Marcus Dal Colle was somehow involved. The Jedi Grand Master felt that Erin may have been the one that was training Marcus and helping him ascend to the mastery that she had felt. She had not even met him yet, but Joy knew his hate for the Jedi ran deep from what Brun had described.

    Joy and Erin grew up together on Coruscant as the children of two powerful Jedi masters that were both on the High Council. Erin was always the more aggressive of the two while Joy was the more reflective and studious one, but she was just as powerful as Erin. It was soon deemed that Joy was the more respectful and worthy of the Jedi teachings and Erin had started to resent her for it. This lead to a sibling rivalry that Erin took much more seriously than Joy and finally Erin left her family and the Order after an argument with her parents about their insistence that she cease her training because she was deemed dangerous. Erin refused and ran away from the Order and her family.

    After months of searching the planet and other nearby systems Joy and her family came to the realization that Erin was gone. Through the Force Joy could sometimes feel her sister and that was how she knew Erin had fallen to the Dark Side. Who had seduced Erin to fall was always a mystery and Joy never told her parents or anyone else. Joy’s parents did not share the same connection to Erin as she did and so that was why they could not sense her as Joy could. Suddenly on one random evening Erin was found and captured on Coruscant using Dark Side powers but Joy was off planet on a mission and could not see Erin for herself. While in transit back to Coruscant Joy found out that her sister had died on the transport back to the Jedi Temple and her remains had been incinerated in the explosion. Joy was heart broken that she would never see her sister again and that she could never tell her sister how much she wanted her back with their family.

    Through the years Joy would sometimes feel her sister’s presence in the Force but it had been infused with the Dark Side. She suspected that perhaps her sister lived but she never knew for sure. Joy never tried to investigate her feelings either, for fear that she was right and the Jedi Order would try to hunt Erin down. Now something had happened to Erin and she could feel it, she knew it. Now it seemed the secret of Erin was to be revealed to all.

    Joy had always felt a certain responsibility for Erin’s departure and now that her visions started becoming more frequent Joy felt like she needed closure. She focused in her meditations and let the Force guide her. Joy’s connection to the Force was powerful enough that she could sense beings from long distances. Erin was Joy’s blood and this would make it easier to find her if she was still alive. Joy would not be deterred as she focused intensively on her sister and suddenly she was bombarded with images of a desert with tall statues. She then saw a dual between two beings with lightsabres. One being was a large human male, extremely powerful and skilled. The other was a human female, it was Erin and she was fighting at full speed which was amazing to witness again. Joy remembered Erin was always the better swordsman of the two of them but she was being matched blow for blow by the bigger man. The next vision was the horror in Erin’s face as she was cut down by the faceless man.

    Joy tried to maintain the visions of the large man but right after Erin died Joy was losing the vision. The Grand Master strained to keep focus until a pitch black featureless face with blazing red eyes confronted Joy and she was snapped back into her room. She was breathing heavily and what was even more worrisome was that for the first time in years Master Joy had felt fear. She sprang to her feet and went to her quarters where she changed her clothes; put her silver bladed lightsabre, a survival kit and a few more supplies in a bag. She hid herself within the Force so that Brun could not sense her but she wrote her husband a note by hand.


    There was a private passage that led Master Joy straight to the docking bay where she boarded her personal yacht and started the launch sequence. She punched coordinates into the navigational computer and took off from the temple bay. Master Joy was going to see what happened to her sister, she was going to Korriban. There was very little information about the planet in the Jedi Archives but from the holo vids she had seen there was no question it was the planet she had seen in her visions. Few places radiated the Dark Side like Korriban except for maybe the nexuses of Dromund Kaas. Kaas City had been long destroyed but the planet was vast, the swamps were never fully investigated due to disappearance of investigative teams that had gone there. Joy felt the Force was telling her to go Korriban and seek out her sister. Not only to have her closure but to see if she could learn anything about this new threat.
     
  4. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Ooh, cool stuff with Cyrax's plans coming to a head, Joy's talk with Brun about Marcus and Arianna and then Joy's abrupt decision to go to Korriban. Never ever a safe place! [face_nail_biting] I'm glad she at least wrote Brun a note. Hope that's enough. [face_thinking]
     
  5. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    Cyrax had small but powerful sections of the Imperial Navy under his control. These officers would influence a small section of the fleet to follow Cyrax and he had prepared another arrangement that would give him the advantage. The Empire had built a massive Eclipse Class Super Star Destroyer called the Tiber. Cyrax planned to hijack the ship and use it against the Empire during his invasion of Coruscant. When he had won, with the might of the Empire behind him and more importantly his connection to the Dark Side of the Force, Cyrax would start a new Sith Empire, recruit Force users that would follow him and destroy any Force user that stood against him.


    Via the persona of Cyrax show very nicely here, that the Dark Side craves power above all in order for total dominion of others. There is no place/ space for real feelings like love and friendship.


    Through the years Joy would sometimes feel her sister’s presence in the Force but it had been infused with the Dark Side. She suspected that perhaps her sister lived but she never knew for sure. Joy never tried to investigate her feelings either, for fear that she was right and the Jedi Order would try to hunt Erin down. Now something had happened to Erin and she could feel it, she knew it. Now it seemed the secret of Erin was to be revealed to all.

    And via Erin you manage to reveal the devastating effect of estrangement that the dark side also brings. Between family members, friends or lovers. Jolly good writing!

    *listens to the French singer Indila while writing this
     
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  6. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    More and more is revealed in a gripping chapter
     
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  7. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008
    Thanks so much for the comments!. Yes the Dark Side takes away these elements of humanity and causes people to be alone and isolated for the most part. That might change though...

    It wouldn;t be enough for me. :p Thank you for the comment Nyota


    It's all coming to head soon enough. Thank you for the comment Early.

    Here's the next chapter. :)

    Chapter 13 Part 1: Jedi Temple, Coruscant 400 ABY

    Brun Sarro sped through halls of the Jedi Temple on his way to the training level where he found Vikka Gratua and Trip Vrand battling each other with a fair amount of intensity. After watching Vikka take down her partner Brun stepped forward revealing his presence to the Jedi Knights. They immediately stopped with Vikka giving Trip a celebratory smirk over her win. Since their assignment to the Jedi Temple they had repaired their relationship and had become even closer. Their love for each other had been cemented with Vikka’s willingness to express herself more often to Trip. Although there were still certain things she would not discuss with him, Trip respected her privacy and felt that Vikka would reveal those secrets in her own time. With their transfer to Coruscant and Master Exas staying on Dantooine they had to rely on each other more and more. This is was more of the case for Trip who had been with his master for some time.

    Brun motioned them to follow him to a briefing room where he would give his mission rundown. Over their bond Trip said to Vikka “He looks pretty serious. I wonder if this has anything to do with the escape.”
    “He always looks serious and what else could it be about Trip? Master Baron is still in recovery and no one is saying anything about that. I hope we’re going after whoever it was.”

    They entered the briefing room and Master Sarro punched a few buttons on the console in the middle of the room. An image of a man came up along with other vids of him battling Master Baron and stealing the Jedi star fighter during his escape. “This is Cyrax.” Master Sarro began. “He is the Sith that hurt Master Baron and he has a chemical weapon hidden somewhere on Coruscant that could potentially kill billions.”
    “And you want us to find him and his weapon?” Trip said. “Where do we start?”
    “You will find his weapon and report back to me. You will not engage Cyrax unless absolutely necessary.” Master Sarro said sternly. “Is that understood?”
    “Of course Master.” Vikka replied before asking “What if we he attacks us?”
    “You have your orders.” Sarro replied harshly as he left the room and leaving the datapads for the Knights to look over.

    Vikka went after the Jedi master and motioned to Trip to stay behind which he did hesitantly. When she caught up Vikka tried not to grab Master Sarro’s arm forcibly but just enough to get his attention. Master Sarro was focused on getting back to Joy because he felt they had not finished their conversation but he realized he had to deal with the overzealous knight. “I don’t want you and Trip to engage Cyrax.” Brun said.

    “But Master Sa…” Vikka tried to say before Brun started speaking again.
    “But if you have no choice you will defend yourself. Is that understood Knight Gratua?” Brun said with a smirk.
    “Yes Master Sarro.” Vikka replied understanding what the Jedi Master meant.

    Brun entered his chambers looking for Joy and was surprised that she was not there. He noticed the robes she had been wearing on the bed and then that items were missing from her open and messy closet. Brun became even more concerned when he saw that the container that she kept her lightsabre in was empty. He immediately reached out with the Force but he could not feel his wife. Brun then noticed a leaflet of paper on the desk and saw it was a short message from Joy.

    Brun,

    Please do not worry about me. There is somewhere that I need to go alone and I promise I will explain everything when I return. I’ve kept things from you and I am not proud of that but it was necessary. All you need to know is that I mean to return to your loving arms because I will need your strength more than ever. Stay the course and find Cyrax and his weapon. I love you with all my heart.

    Joy.

    The note was short and sweet but it made Brun nervous that Joy would leave Coruscant at a time like this. He had always trusted her but this disappearance was unlike her and disturbing. There must have been something terribly wrong for Joy to leave and not say anything about it to him. Brun made his way to the docking bay and checked with the deck officer to see of Joy had said anything. The Jedi Master had even used a mind trick to make sure the young man had not lied to him. Brun replayed their final conversation together in his head but could not recall if there was anything that he had noted that could have triggered such reckless behaviour by his wife. He finally came to the realization that there was nothing he could do and that he had to lead the Order as per Joy’s wishes.

    Brun’s comm buzzed and he responded to the message from the medical centre that Master Baron had awoken. He was happy that he had finally received good news for a change. The Order needed a boost and their sword being up and around was good news. Brun exited the turbo lift on the medical level and walked into Darius’ room and found him eating as if he had not seen food in years. “I always found the nerf a little tough here. I know a wonderful steak house that we should go to.” Brun said with a smile.

    “When you haven’t eaten in a while you don’t care. I’m famished.” Darius responded.
    “It’s good to see you up Darius. How do you feel?”
    “Like a caged beast Master; I’m ready to leave here and find Cyrax.” Darius said.
    “You’ll get your chance; just make sure you’re cleared first.” Brun replied. “We need you fully healed. I have two of our best already looking; you should join them and take the lead if you’re able Darius.”
    “I’ll do that Master.” Darius said while noticing that something about Brun was off. “Are you alright Master?”
    Brun moved in closer to Darius and said quietly, “Joy has left the temple. I don’t know where she’s gone and for the first time in a long while I’m worried about her.”
    “Of course Master.” Darius said with concern in his voice. “Any idea as to where she went?”
    “No. I can’t even feel her In the Force which is very strange. She doesn’t want me to know where she’s is.”
    “Are you going to go after her?” Darius asked.
    “No. I’ll respect her privacy for now. Besides, we have to find Cyrax. There is so much noise in the Force; the Dark Side is growing stronger every day.”

    ***

    Coruscant Streets

    Trip and Vikka flew to the site where Cyrax had crashed his stolen Jedi star fighter. They parked their speeder and walked around the area on foot. They had worn plain brown robes as to not attract any attention to the fact that they were Jedi. The crash site was still quartered off so they could investigate further without interruption. CSF had combed the area but the trail went cold in the sewer network that Cyrax had escaped in. The datapads that Master Sarro had given them brought them up to speed on everything about Cyrax from the history with Master Baron, to the droid attack by General Singard, and finally his capture that resulted in the death of Master Jenner. There was not much to go on in regards to a location of Cyrax’s supplies and facilities. Coruscant had hundreds of levels and many of them were industrial centres that could house his droid troops. Hiding vehicles would be a bigger issue that Cyrax had to consider and maybe something the Jedi could look into. Vikka had another idea though.

    “We aren’t getting anywhere out here Trip. We need to find someone in the undercity that has connections.” Vikka said.
    “Right, let me just get on my comm and call the local information broker.” Trip said rolling his eyes. “We’ve only been here for a few months, we don’t have any connections.”
    “Speak for yourself pretty boy.” Vikka said.

    She took out her comm and spoke a random number into it as she walked away from Trip who looked on in surprise. From his perspective Vikka was speaking with someone and he was wondering who could she possibly be speaking to? Suddenly she turned and came back towards him. “I’ve got a name.” She said proudly. “We’re going to a cantina near the Works district.”

    “I’m not even going to ask.” Trip said knowing that even if he did ask her, she wouldn’t tell him anything.

    ***

    The Works District

    The Works district was not on the lower levels of Coruscant but it might as well have been. The pollution from the carbon stacks blocked most of the sun that tried to peak through. It was a busy area that had factories and power facilities but little in the way of entertainment. Finding the cantina that Vikka’s source was going to meet them at was not difficult as it was one of the few places in the area that workers could get a decent drink. The information was given to her by the Twi’lek senator that she had done a mission for a few years back. He was surprised to hear from her and became curious as to why Vikka was calling him. She would only tell him it was Jedi business and it did not concern him. The senator accepted the fact and gave her the name of a contact that he employed in the warehouse districts.

    When Trip and Vikka arrived they walked into the cantina and were met by many gazes of curiosity. They both had their hoods covering their heads and stood their waiting for the patrons to stop their staring. After a few seconds and Trip receiving winks from a pair of Kiffar females, they walked to a table and sat down. A server droid approached and Trip ordered ale and Vikka ordered water. “Do you know what they’ll look like?” Trip asked.

    “No, but they should know us.” Vikka replied.
    “How do you know that?”
    “Because we’re the only beings in here that look like Jedi, look at our robes.”
    Trip looked down at his robes and said “Right.”

    As the two Jedi enjoyed their beverages Vikka noticed that a human patron was looking at her and then looked out the window and then back at her. Through the Force she quickly felt feelings of nervousness and fear in the cantina. Over their bond Trip felt the same feelings and both of them rose to go to the front window of the cantina. They looked out and saw rows of battle droids in formation with their weapons drawn. Vikka noticed a cargo freighter leaving the scene in the background wondering if that was the Twi’lek senator’s contact. Trip nudged Vikka and said “Shall we?”

    “Call it in Trip.” She replied.

    After pulling out his comm Trip gave Master Sarro a quick rundown of the situation. Both Jedi stepped outside and activated their green lightsabres. The droids wasted no time and fired a barrage of blaster bolts that the Jedi batted back at them picking off numerous droids. Over their bond Trip told Vikka to cover him while he fired a Force push that broke the middle column of the droids as the immediately affected ones were pushed into the ones behind them. When Trip tried to reignite his lightsabre a blaster bolt caught him in the left shoulder leaving it somewhat useless as he could not raise that arm. Trip ignited his blade with his right arm but over the bond Vikka had told him that they needed to retreat because of his injury. He quickly agreed and they made Force propelled leaps onto the short cantina roof and made their way behind the building.

    The droids quickly went into pursuit mode after the Jedi. Trip and Vikka entered into a field of massive pipelines that carried gases and fuels. On one side of the field were the storage tanks that the pipes originated from and on the other side were the large transports that carried the gases and fuel. The droids most likely were programmed to pursue and either destroy or capture the Jedi at any cost which meant that they would fire their blaster rifles anywhere. There was incredible danger in that the shots would destroy the pipe field, the droids themselves, and the Jedi. The droids broke off into smaller groups to cover more ground in the pipe field which gave Vikka and Trip places to hide and strike quickly at the droids. They struck from high and low making sure that they deflected the blaster bolts into the sky and the Jedi had begun to thin the number of droids walking around the facility.

    After a few more skirmishes they suddenly heard the unmistakable humming of a lightsabre and droids falling to the ground. Trip and Vikka assumed that Master Sarro had a few Jedi Knights come to back them up but they were surprised to see only one Jedi. He was a larger man with a deep blue blade that struck with power. The Force reverberated off of him and it seemed he used it effortlessly. Jedi Master Darius Baron struck the final droid down and looked up at the two Jedi Knights. “How bad is your injury Master Vrand?” Darius asked.

    “I’m fine Master Baron.” Trip responded with surprise in his voice. “Thanks for the assistance.”
    “Good to see you back up and fighting Master Baron.” Vikka said.
    “Thank you, it’s good to be back and in the fight. I asked Master Sarro to send me to help you, I’m thankful he agreed.” Darius said while placing his lightsabre back on his belt. “What of your contact Vikka? Do you suspect he set you up?”
    “If he did, I’m going to follow up with him to see why he did or better yet, who made him.” Vikka responded. “I can’t see him doing this to me.”
    “Cyrax has many spies and connections everywhere. It is possible your contact was influenced by him.” Darius said.
    “Who was your contact Vikka?” Trip asked.
    She looked at the both men and knew that there was no use keeping a secret any longer. “He was one of the senators from Ryloth.”
    “Perhaps it is time we visited Ryloth’s embassy.” Darius said.

    Darius programmed his speeder to return to the temple and boarded Vikka’s ship. He then updated Master Sarro as to what had happened and what they were currently doing. He was not surprised when Master Sarro had informed the three Jedi that there was an incident in the Senate concerning the congregation from Ryloth. There were not many details as CSF had the area secured and locked down. Darius was certain that this was not a coincidence and Vikka seemed to be upset by the news that someone she knew may have been killed because of what she had started. Darius could sense her frustration and he was suddenly hit with Trip’s feelings of frustration as well. It was as if he and Vikka were mentally connected, now Darius realized the Force bond. He had not been aware of such attachments in the current Jedi Order but being so close to one was interesting. Darius had heard that Trip and Vikka were a couple and had been for quite some time. He just did not realize that their attachment went beyond normal circumstances.

    “What are you worried about?” Trip said to Vikka over the bond.
    “That Twi’lek died because of me Trip.” Vikka replied. “I want this Sith Lord.”
    “I’ve got a feeling that Master Baron wants a piece of him too Vikka. They have more of a history. I wouldn’t get in his way.”
    “We’ll see.” Vikka said grimly.
    “You never make things easy Vikka. Don’t get in Master Baron’s way. He isn’t considered the Sword of the Jedi because he’s weak.”

    Darius knew the two Knights were speaking to each other over their bond and decided to interrupt. “When we reach the Senate keep your eyes open for anyone that is watching us.”
    “Yes Master.” Trip answered while looking at Vikka making sure she did not speak up again.

    The CSF had quartered off the area as the Jedi’s freighter had arrived at the Senate building. As they disembarked the Jedi were met by a CSF lieutenant that explained that one of the Twi’lek senators had been assassinated in the offices of Ryloth. The Jedi passed through the security checkpoints and up a lift to the embassy offices. Darius had inquired about any security holo cams in the office and the lieutenant looked at his boots. “What did you see on that footage Lieutenant?” Darius asked.

    “A black mist Master Jedi,” The Lieutenant replied. “That’s all we saw. One second the senator was working at his desk, the next second he was face down into his datapads.”
    “Cyrax” Darius snarled. “I want to see the footage now Lieutenant.”
    “Yes Master Jedi.”

    Trip and Vikka looked at each other and did not need the Force to feel Master Darius’ rage. They knew that Darius had already fallen to the Dark Side once when Cyrax had saved him from slavers many years before. There was always the possibility that Master Baron still had the capacity to become angry and vengeful if pushed too far by Cyrax. It was something that they needed to keep an eye on. In Trip’s case he had to watch over Vikka too who had become angry that her contact had died.

    When they arrived at the Ryloth embassy offices in the Senate building, Darius looked over the room and saw that the body had been moved by the investigators. The obvious slashes of a lightsabre blade across the Twi’leks body all but confirmed that Cyrax had been here. Darius could sense his former master’s taint in the room and reasoned that if Cyrax carried out this assassination himself then this senator’s information was valuable. He took his fellow Jedi to the corner and looked at Trip saying “We need to find out what this Twi’lek knew Trip. Please scan the office and look for anything that might be able to help us.”

    “Yes Master Baron.” Trip replied. “Where are you going?”
    “To see the security footage, I need to be sure.” Darius replied while turning to Vikka. “Vikka, you must speak to the other senators from Ryloth. They may know what this senator knew.”
    “Not likely Master.” Vikka answered. “When I met with him there were no other Twi’leks.”
    “Then speak to assistants, anyone.” Darius said with urgency in his voice. “Even if they were holding the information to use against him, ask them.”
    “Yes Master.” Vikka replied.

    Vikka walked out into the hallway and looked around for other Twi’leks. She saw along the wall signage that pointed to more offices in the area. There was a barrier that made a perimeter around the crime scene and kept prying eyes at bay. Vikka looked for the Twi’lek senators but she suddenly saw a human face that she recognized. It was the other man that she had met with the Twi’lek senator. He motioned to her with his head to follow him and Vikka passed through the on looking beings to the man. They walked to the lift and went up a few floors without saying a word to each other. Through the Force Vikka could feel that this senator was nervous but did well in not showing it on his face. He led her into an office that was lavishly decorated with a massive desk that had multiple monitors built in around it. The senator sat down. “Master Jedi” he began. “It’s good to see you again.”

    “Is that how you mourn your colleague?” Vikka replied not really being surprised with the senator’s response.
    “Make no mistake; I am talking to you right now because I respected him.” He said sternly. “There is a layer of corruption in the senate that has not been seen in some time. There is a faction that has bought, paid and threatened their way into many of the most influential senators.”
    “Do you know who leads this faction?” Vikka asked him thinking that he might not have known that a Sith Lord was behind the murder.
    “No Master Jedi I don’t know, which is why I am coming to you.” The senator said with fear coming through his voice now. “My colleague died trying to tell you after you contacted him. I felt it was necessary to carry out that objective.”
    “Why? What do you gain?” Vikka asked
    “Order, Master Jedi, order in the galaxy. This faction wants to create another civil war that will have devastating effects on the galaxy. That isn’t good for anyone.”
    “What information do you have senator?”
    “We only have a list of known associates from the techno union and a few beings from the banking clan. The list is incomplete as we don’t know just how large the sphere of influence is but we had a rough idea. We even had a location of where many meetings were happening.”
    “Where were these members meeting senator” Vikka asked.
    “They were meeting on Nar Shaddaa months ago with various criminal syndicate leaders.”
    “It isn’t a faction senator.” Vikka said starting to feel compelled to give some information back realizing that the situation was worse than the Jedi had originally thought. “It’s a Dark Lord of the Sith.”
    “Sith?” The senator said with obvious surprise. “There hasn’t been a Dark Lord of the Sith in almost three hundred years Master Jedi. They were wiped out with Darth Krayt, dark side practitioners have been outlawed. How could the Jedi have let this happen?”
    “The Jedi?” Vikka questioned. “The Force is strong with many beings in the galaxy senator. The Jedi can’t control the all of them. Those that choose the embrace of the dark side don’t always become power hungry despots.”
    “The Empire has safe guards and laws preventing this.” The senator said. “How could this pass unnoticed?”
    “There are many beings that have passed unnoticed by the Jedi.” Vikka said thinking about Lorn Nyeb. “We plan on dealing with this Sith just as the Jedi always have senator.”
    “How is that Vikka? He has an army of droids and who knows what else.”
    “We’re going to hunt him.”

    ***

    Darius knew that he would see Cyrax in the security recordings but he was still angered by the sight of his former master. Seeing the arrogance and total disrespect for life by the Sith was a reminder that Cyrax had to be stopped. He mercilessly cut down the Twi’lek senator and Cyrax even looked directly at the camera in another act of defiance. Cyrax would have known that the Jedi would be in on an investigation of this type and he made his presence felt again. The direct taunts and boldness of his actions suggested that Cyrax was even more confident than usual. Darius recalled that his former master preached subtlety and working behind the scenes so that when they struck back at the Empire it would be a surprise and catch them off guard. Perhaps Cyrax’s behaviour showed that he was ready to strike.

    Darius tried to extend himself through the Force and sense his master. To his surprise he found Cyrax, along with images flooding his mind of a docking bay and a ship. Cyrax was possibly fleeing the planet and Darius knew that if the Jedi lost Cyrax now there would be no telling what he could come back with or what he was leaving behind.

    Darius quickly called CSF so he could have them watch any suspicious departures from the system. He was quickly handed over to another agent that said. “This is Captain Taric Raywood from CSF, with whom am I speaking?”

    “This is Jedi Master Darius Baron. I have a request for the CSF planetary departure team.” He said with urgency in his voice. “I need them to track any suspicious departures from the system. Old ship clearance codes or ones that have not been used on Coruscant before. Do you have the authority to do that Captain?”
    “Is this regarding Cyrax Master Jedi?” Taric asked.
    “Yes it does. How do you know about him Captain?”
    “Master Sarro has briefed me on the situation and CSF has instructed me to help the Jedi in any way. I will alert the stations in orbit Master Jedi. Is there a destination that Cyrax would travel to that you are aware of?”
    “Corellia possibly” Darius thought off the top his head knowing that Cyrax had operated there before. “Look for small freighters or personal luxury star ships.” He knew that Cyrax always liked space travel to be comfortable.
    “Very well Master Jedi. Anything matching that description travelling to Corellia will be tagged and I will have you alerted.”
    “Thank You Captain. I will collect my team and head up to one of the orbital stations.”

    ***

    Hyperspace

    The Jedi had boarded Vikka’s personal ship and they were on their way to Corellia. In a private room Darius sorted through the information CSF had given him about ships that Cyrax could have been piloting. There were hundreds of reports to sort through but only a few that jumped out at Darius. He realized that they would have to find Cyrax by themselves and a good place to start was a lab on Corellia that Darius recalled Cyrax had during their time together. He felt that his former master was putting the pieces of his plan in place. It was either Corellia or Nar Shaddaa and Darius was hopeful that he had chosen correctly.

    Darius closed his eyes and pictured Cyrax from their time together as master and apprentice. He saw quick images of the Kashyyyk, Telos, and finally Coruscant. Darius focused on one thing in particular and that was Cyrax’s face. As time went on Cyrax’s face had become more ashen and drained of colour. His eyes became a mixture of orange and yellow as the continued use of the Dark Side was taking its toll on him over time. Another feeling that Darius had sensed was hesitation on his part. When he fought his old master at the Jedi Temple Darius felt he had held something back and suddenly guilt came over him. Darius believed that because he did not do everything in his power to defeat Cyrax, there was now a possibility of millions suffering.

    The chime at the door rang and Darius was forced to break his link to the visions and refocus to the moment at hand. He asked whoever was at the door to come in and Vikka walked into the room. Darius noticed that she had quickly scanned the room and then turned her attention to him again. He motioned to a chair for her to sit down. “How are we doing?” Darius asked.

    Vikka could see that Darius was deep into whatever he was doing. The subject of his former master would always bring about a grim demeanour on Master Baron’s face. In the limited time that she had known the Jedi Master she had never seen him so intense. “Master, I think we should investigate the lead that the other senator told me about.” Vikka responded. “Nar Shaddaa seems like a good spot to pick up the investigation.”
    “We will Vikka, I promise you.” He said while looking straight in her eyes. “The Force is telling me that we have to go to Corellia first.”
    “Of course Master.” Vikka said “What have you felt?”
    Darius closed his eyes for a moment and thought on Cyrax again but this time he saw his old master in a hanger and engaged in a battle. The person Cyrax was fighting was a face he had seen before. Darius then said to Vikka “A disturbance in the Force. Either someone else is hunting Cyrax or he has recruited another to his cause. The result is same, our enemies have multiplied.”
    “Master Baron, who did you see with Cyrax?” Vikka asked.
    Darius gave Vikka an odd look and then his face changed as he said to her “We need to Inform Cor-Sec that Cyrax is coming their way and to look for a personal freighter along with a holo image of Cyrax himself.” Darius said. “This is where we finally end this. I’ll inform Master Sarro.”
    “Master, please, who did you see?” Vikka said once more.
    “Vikka, I think it was your old master.” Darius admitted. “The Force is bringing them together.”
    Vikka was surprised that she had not felt the same disturbance that Darius had. “Master, I should have seen it.” She said with frustration and disbelief in her voice. “I have always been able to sense Master Nyeb.”
    “Perhaps your connection to him has diminished.” Darius replied. “It has been quite some time since you have been with him. He has been in hiding which may have also diminished the connection. Please, now go and update Cor-Sec.”

    Vikka had left and now Darius called up files from the Jedi Temple about Lorn Nyeb. The Force had shown him Lorn, Darius was sure of it. Nyeb had become another piece of the puzzle involving Cyrax. The other part of that puzzle was Cyrax’s forces and if he was going to Nar Shaddaa to consolidate them there. The system was Hutt controlled and he asked himself how much did the Hutts have that Cyrax could afford to purchase? If Cyrax was going to take Coruscant he would need capital ships, hundreds of fighters, as well as dreadnaughts. He would need a whole navy at his disposal. Darius knew Cyrax had amassed millions of credits but he asked himself, would that be enough to hire an entire fleet? It was the only logical conclusion that he could come up with. Cyrax had hired mercenaries and ships to help him take Coruscant. He must have thousands of battle droids already hidden on Coruscant and with these mercenaries; Darius concluded that Cyrax must have amassed his navy and army.

    The plan had taken Cyrax decades and Darius sensed that now was the time that his former master was going to execute his mission. Where his virus came into play and where Lorn Nyeb fit in his plan, Darius did not know but he was determined to find out. Darius knew that his former master would not miss the opportunity to end him as well and so he felt he may have to make himself the bait to draw Cyrax out. He would put out his signature in the Force and hope that Cyrax would seek him out and the rivalry between them could finally come to an end.

    ***


    Vikka went to her private quarters where she kept her belongings that she did not want to keep at the Jedi Temple. Her ship was her refuge and a place she could be alone. She thought about the Jedi Master’s words but did not want to believe them. Vikka wondered how she could have lost a connection that at one time may have been just as strong as her connection with Trip. At that moment Vikka promised herself that she would find him and defeat the man that had terrorized her childhood and had been in her nightmares ever since. She was confused as to why Master Baron had felt that Nyeb would join Cyrax. Her former master was never one to take orders from anyone. No, Lorn Nyeb would kill Cyrax and take everything the Sith had for his own machinations. Nyeb only respected power and if he felt he could kill Cyrax then he would. If he could not, then he would die trying, unless something had changed.

    @Nyota's Heart AzureAngel2 earlybird-obi-wan The_Zeltron
     
  8. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    Vikka went to her private quarters where she kept her belongings that she did not want to keep at the Jedi Temple. Her ship was her refuge and a place she could be alone. She thought about the Jedi Master’s words but did not want to believe them. Vikka wondered how she could have lost a connection that at one time may have been just as strong as her connection with Trip. At that moment Vikka promised herself that she would find him and defeat the man that had terrorized her childhood and had been in her nightmares ever since. She was confused as to why Master Baron had felt that Nyeb would join Cyrax. Her former master was never one to take orders from anyone. No, Lorn Nyeb would kill Cyrax and take everything the Sith had for his own machinations. Nyeb only respected power and if he felt he could kill Cyrax then he would. If he could not, then he would die trying, unless something had changed.

    I fear revenge will not solve all her problems and save her soul. That gets her even closer towards the dark side.
     
    Darth_Furio and Nyota's Heart like this.
  9. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008

    Vikka's my "line walker" she can stray but she won't fall over. Maybe... ;)

    My next update should come tomorrow or Sunday. Thank You all for your likes and comments. :)
     
    AzureAngel2 likes this.
  10. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008
    The_Zeltron
    Nyota's Heart
    AzureAngel2
    earlybird-obi-wan

    Cyrax sat in meditation and through the Force he felt a familiar presence. The mere thought of this being enraged him to the point that he clenched his teeth so hard that his gums started to bleed. Darius had contacted him and Cyrax wanted nothing more than to pierce the heart of his former apprentice with his lightsabre. “Soon” Cyrax said quietly to himself. However, Darius had never gone out of his way to contact him and suddenly Cyrax had become suspicious of his former apprentice’s motives for making such blatant contact through the Force.

    Cyrax felt his ship come out of hyperspace and when he came into the cockpit he was immediately greeted with a message regarding three Jedi coming to the Senate and investigating the murder of the Twi’lek senator he had killed. Cyrax had to act fast when he heard the Twi’lek senator was going to speak to the Jedi. At this stage of his plan, Cyrax could not take any chances and so he had performed the assassination himself. He was then told by his spy that one of the Jedi went to speak to another senator from Corellia as well. This made Cyrax uneasy as he was on Corellia now and he could not afford interference from the Jedi. He was there to pick up his virus and leave immediately for Nar Shaddaa to meet with Targo the Hutt. Cyrax was not aware who the Twi’lek and Corellian senators were and where they had got their information from but he was determined to find out as he had already put out a message over his private network to get some answers.

    Cyrax was hailed by one of Cor-Sec’s orbital defence stations and asked for his personal credentials and ship information. He transmitted the fake codes and ship data which easily got him by the planetary defences. Cyrax had made the codes transmit that his freighter was transporting medical supplies. He landed at his private docking bay at the Coronet City space sport where he was greeted by a droid that never spoke and only maintained his ship which was how he preferred most beings. In the corner was his speeder which he used to get around the city.

    Cyrax took to the air into the sky lane traffic of Coronet City and found his way to his lab. He landed on the roof of the lab and entered into the building. Cyrax had purchased the whole building so no one would interrupt his experiments and only Darius had seen the inside of his lab. The air had become stale as he had not been there since he was arrested by the Jedi. Nothing had been moved and Cyrax sensed no other presences in the building which was a good sign that no one had found out where he was conducting his affairs. The sensors on the refrigerated safe all showed that everything was in order. He opened the safe with a retinal scan and a seven digit code. He took the two vials of the virus and placed them in a secure carrying case. Cyrax’s comm buzzed again and he answered the incoming call. “Yes?”

    “Lord Cyrax.” A holo projection of a Muun appeared. “I have some information for you. I know who leaked the information about us.”
    “Oh?” Cyrax said while licking his thin lips. “Who is this traitor and where can I find him?”
    “He is here on Muunilinst in Harnaidan. Benso Jarrask” The Muun said.
    “Jarrask?” Cyrax said noticing the name. “Isn’t that your family name Forlor?”
    “Yes Lord Cyrax. He is my brother.” The Muun admitted. “He doesn’t believe in our vision and what we’re trying to accomplish.”
    “Well then, it seems we will have to remedy the situation. Tell me Forlor, you don’t share your brother’s views?”
    “No my Lord” Forlor said quickly. “I am about to become the head of the Galactic Bank. I had hoped he would follow me, but I understand what must be done.”
    “I am happy to see that traitors to the cause will not be tolerated. I will have him dealt with by a professional.” Cyrax said while already thinking about a list of bounty hunters that he could hire.
    “Yes my Lord.” The Muun said as Cyrax closed down the channel.

    With the informant about to be dealt with, Cyrax thought about the speed in which his information network had produced a name. Perhaps it was too convenient he thought to himself. Cyrax had a pair of Verpine assassins that he would use in cases like this when he could not perform the assassination himself. The insect like creatures were not only tech experts, but they were masters at infiltration and subterfuge. Cyrax took out his comm and sent them a dossier with detailed information on both the Jarrask brothers. The Sith Lord confirmed the contract on both bothers because he could not risk being betrayed on Muunilinst as the support of the banking clan was absolutely necessary to take over the Empire. Thankfully for Cyrax, the Jarrask brothers were not his only supporters in the Muun government.

    Cyrax could now head for Nar Shaddaa and Targo the Hutt. He boarded his speeder to head back to the Coronet space port. When he arrived at his docking bay he sensed a presence in the Force that was unfamiliar to him. Cyrax opened the door and standing in front of his ship was a man wearing a black flight suit and holding a lightsabre. The man had a strong presence in the Force and for a moment Cyrax thought this may be the source of the dark currents he had sensed before. Something told Cyrax that this was not the source, no; this man had a different feel about him.

    “You have kept your plans well hidden for a long time.” The man said. “Killing a senator in the senate was a high profile event though. That senator was a contact of mine and the manner of his death was what attracted me to you.”

    “Ah, you’re the Jedi then.” Cyrax said as he was now convinced that this was the Jedi that the Corellian senator was betraying him to. “You cannot stop what is coming Jedi. I will have my revenge and take my rightful place.”

    Lorn Nyeb felt a strong and dark presence from this man and he realized that the threat to the galaxy was most likely standing before him. Since his defeat at Dathomir, Lorn had kept a low profile while staying unnoticed on Corellia. When his old senate connection had been murdered, Lorn felt the time to resurface had come. The opportunity to stabilize the Empire by ridding the galaxy of this Sith was within his grasp now. The only thing that bothered Lorn was what the Sith had said about him being “the Jedi.”

    “I am no Jedi, Sith. I only seek to further the cause of Force users.” Nyeb said.
    Cyrax paused for a moment before answering, “I too wanted to further our cause but I now know the truth. The Empire will never allow Force users to flourish to their rightful place. The days of the vast Jedi Order and the One Sith of Darth Krayt are gone.” Cyrax said sounding disgusted. “I used to think that the Rule of Two, the line of Darth Bane to Darth Caedus, was how the Sith would survive. I see now that the Dark Side needs an army and I will be the one to lead it. Would you like to follow my path or is your corpse going to be another building block in the foundation of my empire?”
    “I don’t follow those that are inferior to me.” Nyeb snarled.

    Nyeb activated his lightsabre and flew at Cyrax with a Force enhanced leap. Cyrax flooded the air with Force Lightning and caught Nyeb head on. Nyeb fell to the ground realizing that he had underestimated the Sith’s power and now he was being devastated internally. His lightsabre fell to the ground and was rolling away until Cyrax took it with the Force and brought it to his hand. The Sith stopped the lightning attack and waited for Nyeb to stand up. The former Jedi Knights stared at each other with hatred and the Force was filled with it. The Dark Side ran through both men, and Nyeb, who always tried to maintain a balance between both sides of the Force, was coming to the realization that he would have to further tap into the Dark Side to compete with this man.

    Cyrax on the other hand, could feel the division of the Force within his opponent. It was evident that he was not a Jedi at all. He could feel that this confused Force user was powerful but he was not as powerful as Darius in terms of raw Force ability. This being was perfectly set to be manipulated and turned over to Cyrax’s cause. He would be a formidable apprentice and all Cyrax had to do was push him over the edge and into the abyss of the Dark Side.

    “Do you still think I am inferior to you?” Cyrax mocked. “Don’t make me destroy you.”

    Nyeb raised his head to look at his opponent and noticed that there were cargo containers stacked behind the Sith. In a desperate attempt he grasped them with the Force and launched them at Cyrax. The first container caught Cyrax in the back and Nyeb wasted no time in pressing his advantage as he called his lightsabre back from Cyrax’s hand. Cyrax made an attempt to keep the weapon but Nyeb maintained the grip and quickly ignited the blade. Cyrax had to go on the defensive as Nyeb charged forward swiping his blade wildly for a kill strike. Cyrax had no time to ignite his own lightsabre but he could see his adversary was in a rush to defeat him, which meant that he may have lost his focus in his rage.

    Cyrax reached out and caught Nyeb with the Force by his throat. Nyeb absorbed and blocked the initial attack. He charged at Cyrax again thinking he had the kill in his sights until through the Force he felt the true power of the Dark Side from his adversary. Cyrax had been holding back but now he called the Dark Side to him and reapplied the Force choke. Nyeb clawed at his own neck trying to stop the phantom hands. He was surprised at how powerful the Sith was and now to save himself, Nyeb knew he would have to choose one side of the Force. He had to focus on the one side that would give him the best chance of living through this. Nyeb had never been challenged like this in his life and he always could balance both sides of the Force but he had never come across a being like this before.

    “You have power and you have hate.” Cyrax began to say while closing his grip on Nyeb’s throat further. “Yet you don’t fully embrace it. The Dark Side of the Force does not serve the weak or the ambivalent. What is it that you cling on to? What is it that makes you weak?”
    “No.” Nyeb muttered with what little breath he could use to speak.

    Cyrax probed the weakening mind of Lorn Nyeb and saw visions of the countless kills this man committed and an image of the Emperor himself. He saw a standing army with Republic banners with this man at the head of it.

    “So you’re a patriot then?” Cyrax said with disgust. “I thought you wanted to advance the cause of Force users? Regardless, you can still lead that army if you choose to. The only difference would be that those banners would be mine. I will make you more powerful than your wildest dreams. Embrace the Dark Side and become my right hand and the leader of the New Cyrian Empire.”

    Nyeb felt the choke increase and he was powerless to resist it. This Dark Lord had overwhelmed him so easily causing him to realize that he was not as powerful as he thought. It was sobering in those few seconds he had left to live. Lorn Nyeb had never conceded defeat but he realized that under his current circumstances, the Emperor would never trust him again. The evidence was in the ascension of Vikka Gratua. Lorn Nyeb needed a place in the galaxy and perhaps this Dark Lord could provide him with it.

    “I will bend the knee.” Nyeb croaked.
    “I’m sorry, what did you say?” Cyrax mocked.
    “I wish to become your apprentice.”
    “What is your name?”
    “I am Lorn Nyeb.”
    “I am Cyrax; you may call me ‘My Lord.’”
    “Yes my Lord.”

    Cyrax released the choke and watched Nyeb crash to the ground. Cyrax had done it. He did not think that he could find an apprentice this powerful and already trained in the arts. All he had to do was show him the true power of the Dark Side and how to make it become his tool and how to bend it to his will.

    “Rise Lord Nyeb. You will learn to embrace the Sith and soon take a place amongst us.” Cyrax said helping Nyeb up. “We will have this galaxy and together rule it so that those powerful in the Force can take their rightful place.”
    “I understand that this is only way to bring balance to the Force and the galaxy Lord Cyrax.”
    “Good, then let us begin.” Through the Force Cyrax felt his former apprentice approaching and so he made certain that his signature in the Force was prevalent.

    Lorn Nyeb could feel the Dark Side’s current rising through him. Cyrax was a focal point in the Force that Nyeb could now feed off from. Cyrax had clearly been holding back during their duel. The last time he had felt this kind of presence was when he had met Master Joy, the Jedi Grand Master.

    “Come Nyeb, we have an appointment on Nar Shaddaa.” Cyrax said boarding his ship.

    Nyeb followed and suddenly he realized that there was a very familiar presence coming closer. Vikka was coming to Corellia. “Master, the Jedi have come. My former Padawan is with them.”

    “As is my former apprentice, I felt them approaching some time ago. Now is not the time to confront them.” Cyrax dismissed. “You are not ready.”
    “Very well Mas…” Nyeb said before he was launched against a bulkhead of Cyrax’s ship by a Force push.
    “You will learn to access your hate Lord Nyeb and your lesson begins now.” Cyrax said to his unconscious apprentice.

    Cyrax levitated Nyeb’s body onto a bunk with the Force and went to the cockpit. He fired the ship’s engines and lifted off and out of his private hanger. He made for space and was quickly hailed by Cor-Sec.

    “Freighter 4533, verify credentials and destination.” The Cor-Sec officer asked over the comm.
    “I am carrying supplies for VMA Haulage on Nar Shaddaa.”
    “We require visual identification. Please dock with Flotilla 7C for inspection. The tractor beam has been activated.

    Cyrax became concerned as he powered down his ship. The tractor beam had started to rein in his ship into the Flotilla. He then realized that the increase in security had to be the work of Darius. Cyrax could sense his former apprentice approaching but he was not in the Corellian system. Cyrax felt that he may still be able to endure the security check and make an escape before the Jedi arrived. Just then through the Force Cyrax sensed Darius entering Corellian space. Cyrax shielded his presence in the Force in hopes of avoiding an encounter with the Jedi. His apprentice was not ready yet. Nyeb had to endure great pain to access the Dark Side within him. It was the only way Nyeb could truly embrace it. Cyrax knew it would not take long for Nyeb to fulfill his role as he was powerful and advanced in terms of ability and connection to the Force. He was not ready, but he would be soon.

    While the ship was being tracked into the Flotilla Cyrax changed into normal clothing and put Nyeb into a compartment. There was a squad of seven guards carrying scanning equipment and a hooded figure in brown robes waiting for him in the docking bay. Cyrax used the Force to hide his Force sensitivity along with Nyeb’s presence. He lowered the loading ramp and let the scanning team up while he walked by the Jedi who turned to get a better look at him. Cyrax ignored the male Devaronian and asked one of the guards where the refresher was. He went the direction that was pointed out to him and could hear footsteps behind him while walking.

    “Excuse me citizen.” The Jedi called out while Cyrax turned. “I am required to see your credentials.”
    “May I use the refresher first Master Jedi?”
    “Of course, I’m sorry. Please go ahead.” The Jedi said embarrassingly.

    Before Cyrax entered the room he looked for security cameras and saw that the hallway was covered. He needed to dispatch the Jedi and collect his ship. Cyrax knew the scanning crew would not find anything odd about the ship because he had prepared for such events but the Jedi could be a problem. He looked around the refresher and noticed nothing out of the ordinary and then decided to take action. Cyrax took the waste canister and threw it on the ground and made a grunting sound. The Devaronian Jedi called and Cyrax did not respond but he did take out his lightsabre from his inner clothing. When the Jedi entered the room Cyrax enhanced his strength with the Force and pulled the Jedi’s arm making him stumble forward. Cyrax saw the Jedi’s exposed neck and ignited his lightsabre and with a swift swipe decapitated the Jedi with almost no sound. He slid the body into a stall and put the head in the waste container.

    Cyrax casually walked out and went down the hall to his ship. He looked around noticing that no one was approaching him which he took as a good sign. Cyrax walked past the two guards posted at the bottom of the loading ramp and went up into the ship. He asked the scanning crew if they had finished performing their search and they confirmed that they had done so. They exited the ship and Cyrax immediately started the launch sequence and lifted the ship off and out of the flotilla’s docking bay. As he got away he plotted the hyperspace coordinates for Nar Shaddaa and engaged the hyperdrive. The stars blurred in the view-port and Cyrax was gone.

    ***

    Vikka’s ship came out of hyperspace and she passed along her credentials to Cor-Sec’s space flotilla. The Jedi were cleared quickly and made their way to flotilla’s docking bay where they could meet with Cor-Sec agents and acquire the information that they had asked them to collect on incoming and out going vessels. Darius Baron sensed a disturbance in the Force and felt a chill up his spine. Something had occurred that was not good for the Jedi as he could sense the Dark Side coming to the fore. As they approached the docking bay he was intrigued that the feeling was becoming stronger. Darius turned to his two companions. “They are here.” He said while looking out of the view port.

    “Is Master Nyeb here?” Vikka asked quickly.
    “Yes, I am almost positive but his presence is faint and Cyrax’s has suddenly disappeared. He knows we’re here.” Darius replied knowing that his master would hide himself in the Force.
    “We’ll find them Master Baron” Trip answered with enthusiasm. “We can finally end this for Vikka and for you. It couldn’t have worked out better that these two found each other.”
    “Knight Vrand. If Cyrax has taken Lorn Nyeb as his apprentice then they will be quite formidable.” Darius warned. “Do not be over confident with your abilities. The Dark Side is becoming stronger and these two fallen are at the forefront of the coming storm.”
    “Yes Master. We can just finish it. That’s all I meant.”
    “One way or another it must end, I will not let Lorn Nyeb get away from me this time.” Vikka responded.
    “If we face both of them, you two will take Nyeb, while I take Cyrax.” Darius looked out of the view port again. “I can feel that he has become stronger. The Dark Side has grown within him.” “You can take him Master Baron. There isn’t anything to distract you here.” Trip said. “Vikka and I will take Nyeb. No problem.”

    The ship landed and the Jedi were met by a landing crew and a unit of Cor-Sec officers. The three Jedi came down the loading ramp and Darius was approached by a Twi’lek male who was a Cor-Sec Lieutenant. “Master Baron?” He asked. “I’ve been assigned to you to help you locate the criminals.”
    “These are no criminals Lieutenant; they are Force users that have embraced the Dark Side. Be wary and warn your men not to engage them, we will deal with the Sith.” Darius said as the Twi’lek’s mood changed instantly when he heard the term ‘Sith.’
    “We’ll do our best Master Jedi.”
    “Don’t do your best, just listen.” Darius replied

    The Twi’lek Lieutenant became a darker shade of blue after Darius snapped at him and the Jedi Master could feel it in the Force. Darius did not care for it, but it was for their own protection because Cyrax would not hesitate to kill them all. “Are these more fallen Jedi?” The Twi’lek asked with a mocking tone.
    Darius stopped, turned, and went face to face with his massive frame creating a shadow over the Cor-Sec Lieutenant. “What do you know Lieutenant?”
    The Twi’lek swallowed hard and replied “I know that the last time I was involved with a Jedi, she got herself killed along with most of our unit. Then there were even rumours she feel in love with our Commander and that he was actually a Force sensitive hiding among us. Trouble always follows the Jedi around.”
    “Unfortunately that has recently become a popular opinion.” Darius said. “We are here to remedy that and you are here to help. I suggest you speak less and listen more.”

    Darius turned and walked away before the Twi’lek could respond. He had heard enough criticism and he was not in the mood for anymore. Darius had to focus on Cyrax and Lorn Nyeb. The Jedi had a few leads that Cor-Sec had provided through planet wide surveillance and the assistance of the Jedi Archives for possible locations where Cyrax may have housed his operations. They would start at those places and hopefully work their way to Cyrax.

    An alarm started to blare and the Twi’lek Lieutenant took out a comm link and walked towards an office seemingly for some privacy. Darius walked over as well with Vikka and Trip in tow. The Cor-Sec Lieutenant looked Darius in the face with a grim look signalling that something had gone wrong.

    “I’m sorry Master Jedi. One of your Order was found murdered on C deck in the docking bay.”
    “What? A Jedi was already here?” Darius asked.
    “Yes, it seems the Jedi Temple had ordered Knight Orland to assist in the vessel searches.”
    “Do they know who did this, what happened?” Vikka questioned.
    “They have surveillance footage of a freighter that was brought in and searched. The pilot and the ship checked out. Here is a holo of him.”

    The Twi’lek produced a holo-imager and showed the Jedi what they already knew. The holo-vid was of Cyrax descending from the ship and going into a hallway with Knight Orland following. A few moments later, only Cyrax remerged from the hallway. The Sith then boarded his ship and flew away from the station as if nothing had happened. Darius became angry because they had missed Cyrax again, and someone else had died for their incompetence. “Where did that ship go Lieutenant?” Darius asked.

    “The ship’s navigation computer and the pilot said they were headed for Nar Shaddaa. Transport of some kind.” The Lieutenant replied.
    “Did they see anyone else with him?” Vikka asked referring to Nyeb.
    “There were no other passengers Master Jedi.”
    “Maybe Cyrax and Master Nyeb did not join forces after all Master Baron.” Trip chimed in.
    “No Knight Vrand. The Dark Side has swelled up here. I can sense it. Cyrax has indeed become powerful. Lorn Nyeb will become a Dark Lord of the Sith.”
    “Then let’s not waste anymore time Master Baron, Nar Shaddaa awaits.” Vikka said.

    “Not yet Knight Gratua, we have a stop to make.” Darius said while walking back to their ship. “We need to take care of Knight Orland’s body. We’re going to call the Jedi Temple and have him picked up. After that we will go to Nar Shaddaa.”

    Again, Thanks for reading ladies. @};- This is for my maternal Nonna and paternal Nonno who both passed away this week. I'm sad. :(
     
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  11. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Gracious, Furio! [:D] [:D] Then triple thanks for the post. =D= Much happened with Cyrax and Nyeb together, :eek: & at least that fact isn't gonna be a huge unwelcome surprise. So hopefully the Jedi can prepare. [face_thinking]
     
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  12. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Strength with your loss@};- And great post with now Cyrax and Nyeb together. Will the Jedi defeat them?
     
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  13. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008
    Thank You Early.
     
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  14. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    "The Rule of Two, the line of Darth Bane to Darth Caedus, was how the Sith would survive. I see now that the Dark Side needs an army and I will be the one to lead it. Would you like to follow my path or is your corpse going to be another building block in the foundation of my empire?"


    The Dark Side needs an army? Somebody is in ´conquest mood´.

    Anyway, a good multi-level confrontation between Nyeb & Cyrax. The truce will not be for long. The Dark Side is not known for honesty & reliability.
     
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  15. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    So, so true! Absolutely the opposite, deceit and treachery! [face_thinking]
     
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  16. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008
    Hi all, I'm hoping to get an update up this weekend.

    M.
     
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  17. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008
    Nyota's Heart
    AzureAngel2
    earlybird-obi-wan
    The_Zeltron

    As always Thanks for reading ladies. :D

    Chapter 14: Valley of the Dark Lords, Korriban 400 ABY

    During her journey to the Sith world of Korriban, Grand Master Joy had consulted the Jedi Archives from her ship and unfortunately she did not come across much information that could help her. It was a dead world to the living and a burial ground to the millions of dead combatants that lay beneath the planet’s surface. Dark Lords of the Sith had tombs of honour here, but they were dead all the same and only their voices whispered to the living now. Master Joy could hear their echoes and feel their dark power in the Force. The darkness surrounding her actually made the Jedi Grand Master wince as she approached the surface and started the landing cycle on her ship. Joy looked out of the cockpit and all she saw was sand and half buried statues. However, this particular area of the planet spoke to her through the Force and that was why she had touched down here.

    As Joy came off the loading ramp she felt how the air itself was thick and humid. The journey to Korriban was long enough but being on the dessert surface made the outing worse. She reached out through the Force sensing numerous life forms and all of them were infused with the Dark Side. Master Joy was a servant of the Light Side and she was confident her Force abilities would be more than sufficient to help her survive Korriban’s dark energies. She could feel beasts approaching her and yet they did not attack her. Joy allowed herself a small smile as she assumed they knew that they would not be able to destroy her. It was not that she was full of herself or over confident, it was that Master Joy knew that she was considered the most powerful Force user in the galaxy. She liked the weight that her reputation carried with it because it was a deterrent to those that would try and unsettle the peace in the galaxy that she helped create. It was a message to think twice about standing against the Jedi Order. Although Joy had endured much criticism from those around her in the Order and anti-Jedi factions in the Senate, she carried on for the sake of peace the best way she knew how.

    Master Joy followed her senses and walked the barren wastes for about an hour before finally sensing a fading presence and now her fears were confirmed. She saw a pair of tuk’atas fighting over a corpse and to Joy’s horror; she knew it was her sister Erin. She used the Force to mind trick the beasts into fleeing the area leaving the corpse alone. The Jedi Grand Master looked down as she realized that Erin’s body was in pieces and her first thought was that it was the tuk’ata beasts. Upon further inspection she saw the cauterized lines of lightsabre swipes. Her visions and feelings of the Cor-sec agent that Arianna Dern had encountered had been realized. He had trained with Erin and as all Sith eventually do they turned on each other.

    A faint spark of anger rushed through the Jedi’s mind but Joy quickly suppressed it and recited the Jedi Code to herself. The anger turned to sadness and guilt as Joy knew she was not responsible for the path her sister had walked but she should have known the familiar dark currents in the Force must have had something to do with Erin’s death. Her sister’s choices were her own and her fate was caused by those choices. Joy had found it hard to believe that her sister would not be able to sense the darkness swirling inside of that man. Joy thought that perhaps the Dark Side had corrupted Erin’s own vision of herself. She may have believed herself to be a match for Knight Dern’s lover. Erin did not know that she had a caged monster in her mists and now that monster had betrayed her. Joy had to find this man and stop him.

    Joy had never thought she would ever dig a grave, especially on a Sith planet, but she felt the need to do so for Erin. She would have preferred to bring the remains back to the Jedi Temple and cremate them in the traditional way of the Jedi but Erin was not a Jedi. She would remain in the sands of Korriban for eternity with her fellow Sith. After she had finished Joy stood in front of her sister quietly and recollected about their childhood. She remembered Erin’s anger and how much she wanted to be the best at everything until that ambition turned into anger and finally hatred. Joy on some level was thankful she never had to confront Erin after her transformation into a follower of the Dark Side.

    Through the Force Joy felt beings approaching her. For a moment she thought maybe Korriban’s beasts had changed their previous ideas, but Joy quickly felt that these were no beasts approaching. The winds started to rise around her as a ship had made a sonic boom when it entered the atmosphere and flew by her. Joy put out her presence in the Force in hopes of getting their attention and she noticed that she had succeeded in doing so. The ship turned around in the air and quickly landed close to her. Joy sensed two beings onboard and that they were Force users. Their power was nothing out of the ordinary; but they were clearly dark side practitioners. Joy closed her robes and concealed that she was holding her lightsabre in case these beings attacked her. She sense confusion rather than malicious intent from her visitors.

    The loaded ramp lowered and a young female Zeltron and an even younger male Iridonian came down the ramp with their lightsabres drawn but not activated. They were both young adults of their species and were most likely close to the full potential of their abilities. The two dark siders looked at Master Joy and then at each other before the Zeltron spoke first.

    “Where are Darth Erebus and Marcus?”
    “Erebus?” Joy said before realizing that was the name Erin had taken. “Who was she to you?”
    “We will not cooperate with a Jedi. Answer us or be prepared to die.” The Iridonian quickly replied.

    Joy was not amused with the threat and so she decided to show them just who they were dealing with. She used the Force to pull away their lightsabres from their grasps and then Joy raised them both into the air with the Force and kept them suspended in the air. “I am the Jedi Grand Master Joy Tenor. You would be wise to answer my questions so we can avoid any violence. So I’ll ask again, who was Darth Erebus to you.”

    “The Jedi has become emotional.” The Zeltron said. “What was she to you Master Jedi?”
    “Very perceptive young one, but I’m asking the questions. Unless you want me to take your ship and leave you in this vast desert, I suggest answering me.”
    “She was the head mistress of our academy.” The Iridonian answered quickly. “We were on a scouting mission and when we returned to our temple we found only bodies.”
    “It was a massacre. I had never seen so much death. I didn’t know that someone was capable of such acts.” The Zeltron said now resigned to the fact that Joy was in charge.
    “You were apart of an academy that was designed to destroy the Jedi. This was strange to you?” Joy asked.
    “This was not what I truly wanted. I just wanted to be apart of something bigger. Darth Erebus said she would take the Empire without a shot fired.” The Iridonian said realizing his naivety.
    “The Jedi are sworn to protect the existing peace. We are here to stop anyone from doing exactly what you’re talking about.” Joy said while lowering the two students. “The Empire is stable.”
    “Yes, but your stability is built upon the countless Force users that you have incarcerated and killed.” The Zeltron female said.
    “Only those that abuse the Force for their own purposes are detained child. We have countless beings that have been extemporary citizens once they were shown that the Force was not to be manipulated for evil purposes. We have made many of them Jedi as well.”
    “Darth Erebus said the Force was out of balance, the Light Side has dominated for centuries. She sought the balance.” The Iridonian said.
    “That balance will cost us the galaxy. Erin did not want balance, she wanted revenge.” Joy said quietly.
    “Who is Erin?” The Zeltron said.
    “She was my sister.” Joy replied with tears welling up in her eyes. “Your master has been slain and I’m assuming it is this Marcus you seek, who did it.”
    “It’s over then Forge.” The Zeltron said to her companion. “With the master dead, Mila missing, and the temple in ruins there is no academy, no future for us.”
    “Yes there is Forge.” Joy said with purpose in her voice again. “You two can join the Jedi Order and become Padawans and help us maintain peace in the galaxy. That can be your purpose.”

    The two students looked at each other and then back at Joy. They saw the conviction in her eyes and knew that this woman was not lying. She had given them a path that they could follow. They were both shaken by the encounter with the Jedi Grand Master and their exposure to such a positive influence was overwhelming. In her they could see hope and a promise of a better future that was not dominated by war and suffering. Perhaps it was their own wishes or maybe it was the Grand Master projecting it through the Force but there was truth in her words. For one of them it was too good an opportunity to pass up, for the other it was a chance at a new beginning.

    Forge stepped forward and stood at Master Joy’s side. “I don’t want to hate anymore, Master.”
    “You won’t have to child.” Joy replied.
    “I’m not coming Master Jedi.” The Zeltron said.
    “Jesa, please come with me.” Forge pleaded.
    “Forge, this is your path. You have mechanical skills that can help them. I’m done following Force users. Your wars have brought enough misery and all I want is to go home. I didn’t have the courage to stand up to Master Erebus but now I’m going home to my family. Maybe they will take me back; I need to ask them for forgiveness.” Jesa explained.
    “If that is your choice I will not stand in your way Jesa. May the Force be with you.”
    “And also with you, Grand Master.” Jesa said before she turned to board her ship.
    “Good luck Jessy.” Forge called out and watched as Jesa simply nodded.
    “Do you want your lightsabre back Jesa?” Master Joy asked.
    “I don’t need a weapon anymore Master Jedi. I’ve seen enough violence and I wouldn’t want to cause anymore suffering.” The Zeltron replied.
    “I understand. Farewell Jesa.” Joy said

    ***

    Master Joy plotted a course for Coruscant and put her ship into hyperspace on auto pilot. She had done what she had set out to do. Joy had confirmed the feelings and visions she had from the Force about Erin. Her sister’s presence in the Force had indeed gone out and after seeing the condition of her remains Joy had a new purpose, a renewed sense of passion. Her search for Marcus would have to wait because the threat that Cyrax posed was the more imminent threat. Joy would not forget what Marcus had done to Erin, She intended on bringing him into the justice system and if he did not come of his own will she would force him. That would be the one fight that Joy would not restrain herself in.

    Joy felt that Information about Marcus would be helpful and perhaps her new Padawan candidate would be able to provide her with some. She found Forge with his hands immersed in an electrical panel and taking pieces out. Joy came in behind him and tapped the Iridonian on the shoulder. “Is everything ok Forge?”

    “Yes Master, I heard a humming from inside this panel; it’s just some wiring that needed replacing. I found some in a supplies cache over there.”
    “Thank you. Come, I’d like to talk to you.” Joy said while motioning him to sit at a table.
    “You want to know about Darth Erebus don’t you?”
    “Yes Forge. I’d like to know more about my sister.”
    “She was the head mistress of the academy; she was the most powerful Force user I had ever seen until he came.” Forge trailed off and then he asked “How does one sister become the Grand Master of the Jedi Order and the other the head mistress of a Sith Academy?”
    “The Force has a plan for all of us and Erin and I had been on different paths from the moment we were born.” Joy said while staring off in the distance. “I loved my sister, but I could never show it because of the oath I took. She left and I did nothing. It’s my one biggest regret.”

    Tears formed in Joy’s eyes and this time she did not suppress her feelings. The more she thought about Erin the more pain Joy felt. She knew that Erin had made her own choices and that she was not responsible for them but the thought of her sister being butchered that way made her feel angry. Joy did not want blood for blood, but she did want Marcus brought to justice.

    “You mentioned Marcus and his power, tell me about him please.” Joy requested while clearing the tears from her eyes.
    “I felt it whenever I was close to him. The longer he was there the more powerful he became. Marcus only faltered once against Mila, she was Erebus’ best pupil, and then he never looked back. The Dark Side felt like a tidal wave around him and when he called on it any Force sensitive could feel it from quite a distance when he was fully enraged and immersed.”
    “Did you ever associate with Marcus or Erin?” Joy asked. “Did Erin ever share any plans?”
    “Only with her inner circle, I never heard anything. Sorry Master Joy.”
    “It is fine Forge. Was Marcus apart of this inner circle?” Joy asked already assuming he was not.
    “No, I don’t think so. Marcus kept to himself; he didn’t have many allies at the academy. I think he liked it that way. The only person that both Erebus and Marcus associated with was Master Praxis, the academy’s archivist”

    Joy thought for a moment and felt she had heard the name before. “I know this name.” she said while her superior memory recalled that Erin had supposedly died in an accident with a Dark Side user named Praxis. “Oh Erin, you were so lost.”
    “I’m sorry Master Joy. We can stop if you’d like.” Forge offered.
    “No, no. Please continue about Marcus and Praxis.”
    “Well, as I said Marcus would usually only speak to Praxis above anyone else. Jesa and I were surprised to see that Master Praxis was among the dead at the academy.”
    “It’s the way of the Sith. They are treacherous by nature and competitive to a fault. The Dark Side corrupts and eventually destroys everything it touches.” Joy said. “Marcus will be coming for the Jedi next. Evil is relentless in its pursuits.”

    ***

    New Vertica, Nar Shaddaa

    The Furious Rancor came out of hyperspace and started to make its approach for New Vertica’s space port. Darth Nephros brought the ship to a private docking bay and landed it inside without even considering whom the bay belonged to. All he cared about was that it was close to the Blood Rock’s base and that it was in a place where it would not attract attention. During the weeks long voyage to Nar Shaddaa, the newly minted Dark Lord used Darth Erebus’ files on Targo the Hutt to find his base of operations. He had also been putting the finishing touches on his new lightsabres and meditating deeply on what he had been taught by Tulak Hord. Nephros had also practiced during his journey without rest until he had the manoeuvres memorized and he performed them perfectly. Hord had made Nephros set his standards very high and so the practicing regime was meticulous, thorough and never ending. Nevertheless, Nephros felt he was ready to exact his revenge on all those that he deemed deserving of it. To him, his time had come.

    Nephros had armed himself with his lightsabres and lowered the boarding ramp to exit the ship. Through the Force he felt multiple beings approaching him. None of them were Force sensitive and when Nephros saw them he realized they were members of the Blood Rocks. They were all wearing armour with a logo branded on the chest plate. A human male took the lead of the five beings and approached Nephros very cautiously as all he could see were the burning red eyes under the black hood. “Master Jedi,” the human said incorrectly. “You should know not to dock your ship where it doesn’t belong.”

    “Do I look like a Jedi?” Nephros asked as he grabbed the man with the Force in a choke hold and with his other hand he blasted Force lightning at the other four making them fall to their knees. Combined, all their fear and pain could be sensed in the Force and Nephros basked in it. He realized that death followed him everywhere and it was becoming his art. With the choke still applied Nephros threw the man into the Force lightning storm he was creating and he doubled the surge with his other hand. They all cried out in pain while Nephros ravaged them. The Dark Lord ceased the attack and ignited his lightsabre. He walked towards the five fallen Blood Rock thugs and finished them all. Casually, Nephros deactivated his blade and replaced it on his belt.

    A Weequay watched everything from an office and was hiding behind smoked glass. Nephros walked into the office and with the Force flipped a desk over and looked at the cowering being. “This is my docking bay now. Make sure my ship is taken care of and tell no one of this. Do you understand?” The Weequay nodded that he understood and then Nephros turned back to say. “Clean up the mess.”

    ***

    The Hutts had cut out a portion of the outer rim territories with lethal precision after the death of Darth Krayt and with the galaxy in a state of change the Hutts wasted little time in expanding and strengthening their position. The new empire could do little while their military re-organizing under the new regime and so the Hutts began to expand but not the way they had done so in the past. At their peak during the Clone Wars there were five families that controlled the Hutt’s criminal organizations; they were called Kajidic by the Hutts. In this age there was no structure to the leadership hierarchy of the cartels. There were however individual warlords who all had some degree of power in their respective regions but none came close to Targo the Hutt’s Blood Rocks in this era.

    The Blood Rocks took that name because they were said to be able to get blood from a stone when carrying out their businesses. Targo ruled with brutal efficiency over a number of cells throughout the Outer Rim and the Galactic Core. His main headquarters was in New Vertica City in the warehouse district. The various front companies he owned did an adequate job covering up Targo’s activities and where he conducted those activities. The Hutt’s companies and dummy corporations spanned the galaxy and many beings made credits off of the vices of others. Slave trading, loan sharking, prostitution, gambling ships, spice rings and assassinations of anyone that the Blood Rocks deemed as threats. Targo’s businesses were all organized by a Hapan named Lorota Dahlia. She had left the Hapan Consortium after being disgraced in a corporate disaster that her superiors had triggered because they were in league with Targo and he had ruined them for crossing him. Targo had recognized her talent from afar and when Lorota had lost her job he quickly put her back to work for him. She soon made adjustments and streamlined his businesses making the Hutt richer and more importantly Lorota had hidden his front companies all over the galactic core in plain sight.

    After Targo had consolidated power within the Hutt cartels he began to acquire and accumulate vast resources of personnel, ships, weapons, and equipment. Those that opposed Targo feared why he had amassed such an armed force. Even the Empire had taken notice as they had dispatched the Fifth Fleet to Bothawui which was the closest they could get to Hutt Space without starting a war in the Outer Rim. They were dispatched to only observe Targo’s military build up and what they saw began to be noticed by some members of the Imperial Senate. Some senators opposed this and while others also knew, they thought it normal that an alleged Hutt gangster was accumulating weapons and war ships.

    Intelligence agencies like Cor-Sec and the Coruscant Security Force had monitored the situation but it was not until the appearance of the Sith Lord Cyrax and his escape from the Jedi Temple that these agencies started paying even more attention to Targo. Too many coincidences occurred that pointed to a possible alliance between the Sith and the Hutt. All those involved feared what the end game was. Cor-Sec had whole squads dedicated to certain cells of the Hutts operation and the results were mixed to say the least. Even the CSF had commissioned spies to gain access into the Blood Rocks with little success. Ever since an incident with a Cor-Sec agent and a Jedi woman years before, the Blood Rocks did not take any new members unless they were known quantities in the underworld. Lorota had her own stable of mercenaries that she trusted with sensitive assignments and she never hired from outside of that circle.

    A holo-image of Cyrax appeared on the holo-projector in Targo’s office. The Hutt had his usual entourage of Lorota and bodyguards surrounding him because privately Targo was intimidated by the Sith, even the holo-image of a Sith. Targo was wary of Cyrax and feared his power because the first time he encountered him Cyrax killed all his security, infiltrated his base and threatened his life. The Hutt could replace his security easily enough but to have his base infiltrated so easily was disturbing. On that visit Cyrax laid out his plan with Targo and made him an offer that was too good to pass up. When Cyrax came into power he would eliminate all of Targo’s competition thus making the Hutt extremely powerful and extremely wealthy. Their combined resources in the financial sectors and political arenas of the galaxy would make their transition into power much easier when the time came.

    “Lord Cyrax, it’s good to see you have escaped from the Jedi. I was beginning to wonder whether our plans were in jeopardy.”
    “After these past few years Targo that is refreshing to hear. I assumed you would have been content either way. You would have all of our resources to yourself and be the ultimate power in the Mid and Outer Rims.”
    “With you I will have everything I…” Targo started to say before being interrupted by Cyrax
    “No you worm, I will have everything and you will exist because I have allowed your life to continue.” Cyrax said with an edge in his voice. “Never presume to be my partner. You are my underling and nothing more.”
    “You grow Bold Sith.” Targo said now enraged. “You are one man with financial resources that you stole from someone else. I have all the manpower and all the vessels in my docking…”

    Suddenly Targo could not speak as his throat was being crushed by an unseen force. “

    I need you Targo, but know your place.” Cyrax said. “My new apprentice and I are coming to Nar Shaddaa to collect the fleet. Our plans must be accelerated. There is a new threat that I have foreseen through the Force.”
    “Perhaps your exploits on Coruscant have attracted too much attention from the Jedi.”
    “It couldn’t be helped.” Cyrax replied. “You realize that my former apprentice has become a Jedi Master since I last saw him years ago. He is incredibly powerful and worst of all he is set on capturing me.”
    “You fear this man?”
    “I fear no one. With my new apprentice I am unstoppable. You, the Jedi, not even the Force itself, will be able to stop me.”


    The transmission ended and Targo sat their silently considering what Cyrax had meant about a ‘new threat.’ The Hutt agreed that the time had come to execute their plans and to begin the invasion on Coruscant. Targo had planned to start moving his smaller corvettes and freighters to a private port Lorota had purchased through a front company on the Fondorian naval yards. It was capital ships that Targo and Cyrax were in need of but that was something that would be remedied when the invasion was ready. A certain admiral that had his issues with the Empire would secure the most powerful Star Destroyer in the galaxy and other Star Destroyers would be taken at the ships yards as well. The plan was massive and it required many hired hands and those willing to betray their oaths to the Empire to work. Fortunately, credits and promises of positions of power made many beings believe in Cyrax.
     
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  18. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    I enjoyed the scenes with Joy & Forge and Jessa; I believe each made the correct choice for themselves. [face_thinking] It is good that Joy has more information about Erin, but it doesn't make the loss any easier. Marcus does need to be dealt with. :eek: Cyrax's plans do seem to be moving along.
     
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  19. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Forge should be a nice new member of the Jedi. Love to see more. They have to deal with Marcus and Cyrax
     
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  20. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008

    The Jedi will have their hands full for sure, in terms of the Cyrax's plan and Marcus' ascension. I'll have an update today or tomorrow. Thank you for reading as always ladies. ^:)^
     
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  21. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008
    Nyota's Heart
    AzureAngel2
    earlybird-obi-wan
    The_Zeltron
    Ewok Poet

    Thank You for reading. :)

    Chapter 14 Part 2

    Darth Nephros walked through an ugly lower level of one of the many entertainment districts on Nar Shaddaa. His heavy black robes flowed behind him and an oversized hood covered his head. The Dark Lord had found that this was one of the clubs that Targo controlled. Lights from neon signage blinked on and off advertising various bars, clubs and pleasure houses in this particular sector. Nephros had seen places like this before on Corellia but not as decayed and repulsive as this place. He walked into the club and a bouncer asked for ten credits as an entrance fee. Nephros turned his head and started to choke the breath out of the Weequay’s lungs with the Force. He released the worm before he was about to expire and left him gasping for air while he walked into the club.

    The establishment was a disgusting display of what Nar Shaddaa’s under city had had always been as there were hundreds of beings from thousands of systems in all shapes and sizes. There was a massive round bar in the middle of the main room with patrons draped over the sides throwing credits on a centre stage where Twi’lek, Human, and Zeltronian females were slowly moving in the nude to thunderous music. Tables, patrons and other dancers looking for a customers littered the outside of the main bar. There were other private rooms where the dancers would take their companions for extra attention.

    Nephros walked to a corner and sat at a round table that had a sign with a Blood Rocks logo on it. He scanned the room and noticed a very young human female coming towards him and so Nephros raised his head and made sure to make eye contact with her. Nephros’ scarlet eyes must have made the desired impression because the female made a quick ninety degree turn into another direction and left him alone. He lowered his head again and waited for his unknowing victims to arrive. Sure enough three males in Blood Rock armour entered the club and went into their private room. Before they entered they called over a waitress droid and were promptly given their bottles of alcohol. Nephros could see on their faces that they felt like they were the supreme authority here and it made him angry.

    The door then closed until the same female human that was approaching him before was now being called to the private room. She entered and after a few moments Nephros reached through the Force and felt a panic in the room that was obviously coming from the young girl. He started for the door and swung it open surprising all the beings inside. A Twi’lek rose to his feet and was about to draw his blaster. Nephros calmly pulled the weapon out of its holster with the Force and threw it across the room. The young girl was sitting between two humans and was in obvious pain and discomfort.

    ”Can I help you with something?” The man in the middle said.
    ”Release her, we have business to conduct.” Nephros said.
    ”Who the kriff do you think you are? Do you know who I am; who we are with?” Now the man was standing glaring at Nephros.
    ”You should leave, they’re not hurting me” The girl said while she was trembling in the arms of the seated man.”

    The Dark Lord turned his head towards the woman who in the Force was incredibly scared of these men and of him. “Your fear says otherwise. You have nothing to fear from me.” Nephros turned to the standing leader of the fools and said to him. “I only need one of you.”

    The man then smiled and looked at both of his companions. His hand was reaching for one of the numerous weapons on his belt until Nephros took his lightsabre and stabbed the man in the bulge of his throat in the blink of an eye. He quickly cut down the Twi’lek and left the two humans sitting at the table. Nephros looked at the girl and without a word she left the room.

    “What do you want?” The remaining human sitting at the table said in a trembling and terrified voice.
    “I want to know where Targo is.” Nephros said.
    “He’ll have my head if I tell you.”
    Nephros took his lightsabre and placed it at the side of the human’s neck. The mercenary could hear the hum and feel the heat coming off of the blade. “I’ll take your head right now if you don’t tell me.”
    “Even if I did tell you, it would be crazy to attack that base. There are motorized blaster turrets on the roof and guards all over the grounds. Inside, Targo has many of his best men guarding him.” The man paused and looked at the lightsabre and back into Nephros’ eyes.
    “What is it?” Nephros demanded while singeing the man’s neck with his blade.
    “I heard that he had dealings with a Jedi. They’re probably working together on Targo’s bigger plans.”
    “Have you seen this Jedi or heard about these plans?”
    “I don’t know all the details. All I know is that more and more mercenaries and ex-military are joining us. No one knows all the details anymore.”
    “Where is the Hutt hiding?”
    “The West sector alleys, the bunker is fortified, you can’t miss it.”
    Nephros pushed the man farther back and placed the lightsabre at his chin. The man quickly took out a datapad and passed it over to Nephros.

    “There’s sixty thousand credits on that pad, take it” He pleaded. “Please don’t kill me.”
    “You’ve served your purpose.”

    Nephros drove the blade into the man’s chest and watched his last movements until the body stopped squirming. He extinguished his blade and exited the room to find the young girl standing close to the door.

    “There’s a datapad in the room, take it and leave this place of filth behind.” The Sith said.
    “Thank you.” The girl said meekly while looking at the floor.

    As Nephros was leaving the club two Force signatures walked through the doors. “Pretenders” Nephros snarled aware that he had said it loud enough for them to hear him. Both men were wearing the black robes of Darth Erebus’ academy. Nephros recalled they were a level below him in the training at the academy, which meant that they had no idea what he had become in the previous year. One was a Mirialan and the other was an Iktotchi. The two black hooded men walked towards him and the Mirialan removed his hood and calmly stood opposite Nephros.

    ”We’ve been watching you Marcus.” The Mirialan started. “We felt the Force signature hours ago and you’ve done well hiding yourself but you got careless and put yourself out.”
    “We’re going to destroy you for what you have done to the academy.” The Iktotchi said. “After you’re dead we will be the only Sith left.”
    Nephros could only raise a mock eye brow. ‘Which one of you is the master?’’ He said as his voice dripped with contempt.
    “We will rule as two, equally.” The Iktotchi said while exposing his lightsabre hilt.
    “Your foolishness will expose us for all to see. I have a private room that we can speak in.”

    Nephros turned and walked back into the room he had killed the Blood Rocks in. He watched as the two students noticed their surroundings. Nephros waited until the door closed and in an instant he flew across the room and slammed his elbow into the Mirialan’s throat and crushing it. He then grabbed the Iktotchi’s lightsabre and ignited it under his chin so the blade went right into his head. With his massive hand Nephros grabbed the struggling Mirialan’s face and crushed it with Force enhanced strength. The Sith looked at the pretenders and the Blood Rock mercenaries with satisfaction as there was nothing left to stop him from pursuing Targo and this Jedi.

    The Dark Side was ever present and his eyes became clouded with what could only be described as a red mist. He felt himself becoming more powerful as each day passed. With each act of vengeance Nephros left behind his past life and the memories and dreams of Arianna that would torment him were slowly fading into the darkness. She had haunted him regularly but he was seeing less and less of her. Nephros had supreme confidence in himself and he had no doubt that he would meet all of his objectives now that he had allowed his destiny to unfold and become the Dark Lord of the Sith. There had been no other choice as he reflected upon the past years at Cor-Sec, Erebus’ Academy and his time in the crypts of Korriban. Darth Nephros had a purpose and his enemies were merely obstacles.

    ***

    Darth Nephros confiscated a speeder and flew to the location that the Blood Rock mercenary had told him was Targo’s headquarters. He approached the building and through a pair of electro-binoculars he saw a formidable defensive perimeter. Armed guards manned every exit and there were blaster turrets and snipers on the roof top. He decided that a frontal assault would not be ideal so Nephros thought it better to use the rear entrance and work his way to the front and inside the building.

    Nephros leaped the rear gate and was immediately confronted by two guards who he dispatched of quickly with a Force push that knocked them into a wall. Blaster turrets from the roof unleashed a bombardment of shots that he avoided by getting out of their range with a Force enhanced roll to cover. Nephros then scaled the wall with a leap and landed right beside one turret and kicked it heavily to destroy it. He rolled to the other turret and when he stood up he had ignited his lightsabre and slashed the turret. Three snipers were set to fire on Nephros and they took their initial shots which the Sith deflected right back at them. One survived to take another shot but was quickly cut down by Nephros. The guards on the ground looked up and they instinctively started firing their weapons up to the roof. When they realized there was nothing to shoot at they were suddenly greeted with the snap hiss of a lightsabre coming to life. A Zabrak opened fire and had his shot deflected back at his chest. A Weequay attacked with a vibro-sword and the shadow figure reached out and decapitated the mercenary. The other three Blood Rocks looked upon the Dark Warrior and fled as they decided this would not be the day they died.

    Darth Nephros extinguished his lightsabre and took a moment to appreciate his small victory. He loved the aggression, the fear he induced in the mercenaries, and above all the power. To him, to be feared this way was true power. Nephros opened the door to the stronghold and walked in as he gazed around a large room. Through the Force he sensed numerous beings on two catwalks that ran over the space he was in. Nephros concentrated his power on the supports in the ceiling and started to pull down the metal catwalks. The supports gave way and before the mercenaries could fire on him they all fell to the ground where he was waiting to finish off any survivors.

    Nephros approached the main office that had a reinforced blast door and he watched as it opened to reveal three Trandoshans holding two vibroblades each. The Dark Lord looked at the cold eyes of his enemies and then at their dark grey blades. Nephros noticed their swords were dipped in cortosis. His lightsabre wouldn’t cut through their blades and it meant that these beasts would be competent warriors. The three Trandoshans attacked in unison and Nephros dipped and evaded their attacks until he made it through them without being touched.

    “You have shown a touch more skill then the others but in your hearts I can feel that you all know you have no chance of survival.” Nephros mocked using Don Moch, which was the method of disheartening an opponent during combat with words. The Trandoshans looked at other and then attacked him again. Nephros pulled his dual bladed lightsabre from his back and parried the blows of all three attackers. He could move his dual sabre quickly because the hilt was shorter in length than a standard double blade hilt like that of the ancient Sith Lord Exar Kun. Tulak Hord had taught him that Exar Kun was the blade master of his time and the reason was that his blade speed was unmatched. The short hilt dual blade was the reason and Nephros had taken the same approach.

    The Dark Lord went on the offensive and was surprised at how proficient the defence that the three Trandoshans had put up. Nephros sped up his own offensive movements which started to plant the seed within the Trandoshans that he was holding back. He Force pushed one of his opponents and left himself with two for a moment. In that moment Nephros used the Force again to pull one of the Trandoshans off his feet and into his partner causing them both to fall down. The Sith quickly moved in and cut down both of them with two strikes of his lightsabre. The last mercenary watched Nephros kill his comrades and then he charged until he was suddenly caught by the throat with the Force. The darkness started to seep from the corners of his eyes as the life was squeezed out of him until he could not fight any longer.

    Nephros dropped the body and approached the massive blast door again. He could not sense anything on the other side of the door which meant that Targo may have fled the room through a passage. Nephros smashed his fist through the door’s wall console pulling out the numerous wires and watching the door open slightly. He then used the Force to rip the doors open wider so he could enter the main office. As expected there was no one there and Nephros then scanned the room to find the exit. Behind Targo’s seating area there was a passage way that was approximately fifty metres. Nephros passed through it and into a small garage that housed a few speeders and some supplies. Suddenly Nephros was hit with the idea that Targo would most likely be heading for the docking bay where a ship would be waiting. The Sith took the nearest speeder and flew off to the docking bays.

    As Nephros approached he noticed a slow moving ship entering the Blood Rock’s dock. He used his electro-binoculars and saw that after the vessel landed Targo slithered out along with a beautiful woman who Nephros did not recognize. The Hutt and the woman were being escorted to a larger yacht that looked ready for take off. Nephros increased his speed and headed straight towards Targo’s yacht until he leaped out of the speeder and watched as it struck the side of the larger star ship. The impact caused an explosion that littered the docking bay with debris and Nephros landed with both feet firmly. He ignited his lightsabre and quickly cut down five mercenaries and then the loading ramp lowered on Targo’s ship and three Bith ran past the Dark Lord without giving him a second look.

    As Darth Nephros walked up the open ramp he heard a mechanical whining and he turned to see in the corner of the docking bay a cargo container that opened on its own. Approximately two dozen metal cubes hit the floor and turned into armed battle droids. Nephros wasted little time and walked towards the droids as they all started to fire upon him. He deflected most of the accurate blasts back at their origin with his lightsabre and he let loose a massive wave of Force energy that destroyed a number of the droids. Nephros cut down the rest and looked around to finally see that there were no more distractions, no more road blocks, only Targo.

    When he entered the yacht he climbed to the top level and he ripped open the door with the Force to find Targo holding a blaster. Nephros snatched it away with the Force and flung it away. The Dark Lord walked towards him until he was inches away from the Hutt.

    “Cyrax advised me you were coming.” Targo said trying to buy time for some reason. “He fears your power young one.”
    “Whoever you’re speaking of should fear me. More importantly you should as well.” Nephros said as he ignited his blade.
    “Are you a Sith as well?” Targo said before coming up with a trademark Hutt laugh. “There hasn’t been a Sith in centuries and now there are three. Would you like to become the Emperor too?”
    “I don’t delude myself with petty politics and the whims of beings that are beneath me. Death and vengeance is all I seek. There is only one Dark Lord of the Sith and he stands before you.” Nephros snarled as his anger started to erupt and he then sliced off the Hutts left arm.
    Targo squealed like a pig. “What do you want? What is this?”
    “You killed the brightest star in the galaxy, the one thing I ever loved, the only thing I wanted to love.”
    “I don’t even know who you are. The Blood Rocks have killed beings for decades. I couldn’t possibly know all of them. Who are you?” Targo yelled.
    “I was an undercover Cor-Sec agent who used to be in love with a Jedi that you and Tak had killed to get to me and my team. I destroyed your cell on Coronet and now I have returned to finish what I started with them.”
    The Hutts eyes narrowed as he breathed heavily and pondered the dark warrior’s words. “I remember. I remember, I recall Tak. He was incompetent but effective when he needed to be. I also remember you Marcus. You were a rising star in my organization. I was told you died that day.”
    “I did. Marcus Dal Colle died that day and Darth Nephros was born.”

    Nephros punched Targo in the neck with Force enhanced speed and strength. When Targo hunched over Nephros deactivated his lightsabre and used his bare hands to strangle the Hutt fiercely. Targo struggled but Nephros grip was dauntless and lethal as he squeezed harder and harder. Targo’s fear filled the Dark Side of the Force and in turn Nephros drank it willingly. His eyes blazed with anger, hatred and all of his feelings of Arianna welled up inside of him and it drove Nephros to squeeze harder until his fingers were cutting through Targo’s flesh. He roared as he took the Hutt’s life and oddly, all Nephros could see was Arianna’s beautiful face.

    With the deed done, Nephros began to breathe heavily as he tried to rid himself of her image. He knew it had been the Force causing the images of Arianna to appear in his eyes. Nephros guessed that perhaps it was Arianna communicating through the Force with him to not let the light go out inside of him. It was too late though, he was a Dark Lord of the Sith now and that place in his heart where Arianna had been had now closed. Darth Nephros already lived with too many ghosts but he could accept the idea of living with Arianna haunting his thoughts.

    Nephros sat beside Targo’s corpse and closed his eyes to calm his mind and let his rage subside. Suddenly he felt a frightened presence in the Force. He went to a closet where he found the beautiful woman that was escorting Targo. Her eyes were moist with tears and Nephros could not help but recall the dancer that he had met in the club. He simply nodded to the exit and in doing so he told the woman to leave as there was no purpose in killing her. Nephros then stopped her with the Force and turned her around.

    “Tell them what happened here. Tell them all I am coming for them.” Nephros said menacingly. “Now leave.”


    As Nephros watched the woman leave the room he sat back down again to meditate in the silence. He reached out in the Force and wanted to track down the dark siders that Targo was working with. Although the signatures were faint he could sense dark presences approaching the system. These beings were tainted with the Dark Side and not fully enveloped in it like he was. He was learning something about his newest enemies with simple thoughts and Nephros was content that he could finish this new threat quickly. All he had to do was wait for them to come to him.
     
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  22. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    Nephros sat beside Targo’s corpse and closed his eyes to calm his mind and let his rage subside. Suddenly he felt a frightened presence in the Force. He went to a closet where he found the beautiful woman that was escorting Targo. Her eyes were moist with tears and Nephros could not help but recall the dancer that he had met in the club. He simply nodded to the exit and in doing so he told the woman to leave as there was no purpose in killing her. Nephros then stopped her with the Force and turned her around.

    “Tell them what happened here. Tell them all I am coming for them.” Nephros said menacingly. “Now leave.”


    As Nephros watched the woman leave the room he sat back down again to meditate in the silence. He reached out in the Force and wanted to track down the dark siders that Targo was working with. Although the signatures were faint he could sense dark presences approaching the system. These beings were tainted with the Dark Side and not fully enveloped in it like he was. He was learning something about his newest enemies with simple thoughts and Nephros was content that he could finish this new threat quickly. All he had to do was wait for them to come to him.

    Delusions of grandeur & feeling superior to others. I wonder if traces of Marcus are still left inside Darth Nephros. [face_thinking]
     
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  23. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Is there still a core of light in Nephros. He sure is busy
     
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  24. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008
    I don't think all Sith suffer from delusions of grandeur, Nephros is simply mad at everyone :p He's of the belief he's right and although as outsiders we see he's committing acts we deem as evil, he feels he is justified. As for any light in him, well if Vader can be redeemed, anyone can. you just need the right motivation...

    I'll have the next part this weekend. It gets hairy from here. [face_mischief]

    Thank You for reading. ^:)^
     
  25. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008
    Nyota's Heart
    earlybird-obi-wan
    AzureAngel2
    The_Zeltron
    Ewok Poet

    Chapter 15 Part One: Jedi Temple, Coruscant 400 ABY

    Brun Sarro tried to exhibit the patience a Jedi was supposed to have as he waited for his beloved Joy to land. He had been waiting by the comm for her to reply to his messages and tell him she was coming home. When that moment had finally happened he was relieved nothing had happened to her. Master Joy’s ship landed and when the loading ramp opened Master Sarro watched his wife came down the ramp and pause for a moment as she looked at him. They came together and crashed into each other with hard embraces. Sarro ran his hands through Joy’s blonde hair and kissed her on the lips for a few seconds before he felt another presence in her ship. As he raised his eyes to see who it was, Sarro watched a Zabrak come down the ramp and he immediately felt that he was Force sensitive that was tainted with the Dark Side.

    “Who’s this?” Master Sarro asked.
    “It’s good to see you too Brun.” Joy said with a wry smile.
    “Of course it’s good to see you too Joy.” Sarro said correcting himself.
    “His name is Forge and he will be a new Padawan learner Brun.”
    “He’s a little old to begin the training.” Sarro said stating the obvious.
    “Forge has already trained in our arts and is a formidable star ship mechanic. He will be trained.
    Sarro looked Forge over and through the Force he felt a faint whisper of the Dark Side on the Zabrak. “He’s used the Dark Side of the Force Joy.” Sarro said in a heated voice.
    “Follow me Brun.” Joy said sternly while walking away into a corridor. “Yes he was a Sith apprentice and yes he used the Dark Side but that boy needs guidance, he needs to see the Light Side of the Force and make a decision for himself. I believe he will make the right one as he was not totally corrupted.”
    “What if he chooses the wrong one Joy, what will you do then? The law is black and white on this issue.”
    Joy became upset. “The law is wrong Brun in some cases. If the Jedi had fought this law after Darth Krayt died she might have lived. We gave up too easily and I won’t let another Force user be rounded up before we get a chance to make them see the Light Side of the Force if they deserve our attention.”
    “Joy why are you so upset, what happened out there? Where did you go?”
    “Korriban” Joy said forebodingly. “I found my sister there. She was cut into pieces by Marcus Dal Colle. He was an apprentice of hers like Forge was.”
    “You have a sister? Why haven’t you told me about her before?” Sarro asked.
    “It’s not a story my family is proud of Brun.” Joy said as she lowered her voice and her head into Master Sarro’s chest. “She became a Sith and started an academy right under us. How could we have been so blind?”
    “An academy?” Sarro said suddenly realizing the enormity of the idea. “How many Sith are out there Joy?”
    “As far as I know, just Forge and another young girl that I let go. Marcus killed the rest of them.”
    Brun stayed silent for a moment before he said “We have to become aggressive Joy. We can’t just wait for this Sith to come to us. He might be more dangerous than Cyrax and Nyeb combined.”
    “He is” Forge cut in. “He is the most lethal being that had ever come through the academy. I heard Master Praxis say so. His power was unrivalled and anyone who came close he killed.”
    “I want this Sith.” Sarro said.
    “We will need help Brun.” Joy said while putting her hand on Sarro’s face. “We can’t let this get the best of us. I was letting my anger take control of me when I found Erin’s remains. I scared myself with the thoughts I was having. We will defeat them all, the right way.”
    “Did you touch the Dark Side Joy?” Brun asked.
    “No I did not. I won’t let my fear and anger bring me to a place I know I can’t go to. I have the Light to guide me.” Joy took Brun’s hand. “I’m fine.” She said and then she kissed her husband’s lips softly. “Come Forge, let me show you to your quarters.”
    “Thank You Master.” Forge said while following her to the turbo lift.

    Master Sarro watched as his wife walked away from him with her new pupil. The news that Marcus Dal Colle was still alive was troubling to him as he was the one that said the boy had died many years ago. Now there seemed to be the possibility that this Sith could tip the balance of power towards the Dark Side after centuries of the Jedi prospering. With his three best Jedi after Cyrax and Lorn Nyeb, Sarro felt it had to be him that would have to face Marcus. He felt that Joy might be compromised regardless of what she had said. Sarro knew she was not fine at all. He had felt it through the Force that Joy was angry and that this anger could cloud her judgement and lead her down a path that could destroy her. He would never let that happen, he loved her too much.

    Like any Sith, Marcus obviously craved power above all else and Sarro felt that Marcus would most likely continue the tradition of infighting among the Sith. The logical targets for Marcus would be Cyrax and his new apprentice if he wanted to consolidate the power of the Dark Side of the Force. Master Baron and his team were on route to Nar Shaddaa and could be in danger if all the Sith converged on the Smuggler’s Moon. Master Sarro assembled his own team of the best Knights that were left in the temple. The losses on Dathomir and those lost pursuing Cyrax had crippled the Jedi’s ability to man multiple fronts across the galaxy and that was exactly what the Jedi were facing. Therefore, Sarro believed it was time to take the fight to the Sith.

    Sarro went to a communications array room and contacted Master Darius Baron. A small holo-image of the Jedi Master appeared. “Master Baron, have you reached Nar Shaddaa yet?”

    “We have Master Sarro; we have been investigating the space ports for Cyrax’s ship. We’ll probably have to move to private docks soon.”
    “He’ll probably use the Blood Rock’s docking bay Darius. Do we have an idea where that is?”
    “We do Brun. Knight Gratua is persuading someone right now to give us the location.”
    “Good, I’m on my way there Darius. There is more that’s about to happen on that rock and I’m bringing a team of Jedi with me.”
    “We’ll look forward to your arrival Master Sarro, I sense that the Dark Side is converging on this place as well.”
    “I’ll see you soon, Sarro out.”

    Master Sarro went up to his room, changed his clothes, prepared his equipment and went to find Joy in her office chambers. “Where are you going?” She asked as soon as he walked through the door with a bag.
    “I’m calling a Jedi strike team up. We’re going to Nar Shaddaa to support Darius’ team. The Sith will all be there. I can feel it in the Force.”
    “I’ve sensed it too. I want to go with you.”
    “Joy, you’re suffering from your sister’s death. The Sith could exploit that and if you fall all is lost my love. Darius and I can handle it. We have Vikka Gratua and Trip Vrand there as well.”
    “There isn’t much left in the temple then.” Joy stood up. “If you fall Brun there won’t be many Jedi left.”
    “You have the Imperial Navy and the Emperor behind you. There will be hope even if the worst should happen to me. We need this Joy, we need to be proactive and lower the number of enemies against us.”
    “I understand Brun.” She walked up to him and kissed him deeply. “I love you Brun. Come back to me.”
    “I always have.” Sarro said with a wink of his eye.
    “May the Force be with you my love.” Joy said quietly as he left the room.

    Sarro gathered up his strike team of six more Jedi Knights and loaded them onto a freighter in the docking bay. He put the ship in orbit, gave his credentials and said his farewells to the Coruscanti orbital station. He plugged in the hyperspace coordinates for Nar Shaddaa and as the ship took off for hyperspace Sarro took another look at Coruscant and then watched the stars around him blur into white lines.

    ***

    New Vertica City, Nar Shaddaa

    Lorn Nyeb woke up to a spinning room and a massive headache. The last thing he could remember was his final decent into becoming a Sith apprentice. He could feel that he was in a star ship but the ship was not travelling through hyperspace. When he tried to rub his head Nyeb realized that he was hanging off of a strange device that suddenly pulled back his arms and legs simultaneously. The restraints dug into his flesh and Nyeb’s blood started to run down his arms. He called on the Force to help free himself until he was pushed back with an invisible shove. As Nyeb looked up he saw Cyrax standing before him and watching.

    “Why have you done this to me?” Nyeb asked.
    “You must channel your hate Lord Nyeb, embrace the pain, and focus them into the currents of the Dark Side. From this, your power will grow. Tell me, what do you hate?”
    Nyeb could only think of one person. “Vikka,” he snarled. “She is my former apprentice.”
    “It seems we have much in common.” Cyrax said referring to Darius Baron. “You must feel the anger at the core of your being and acknowledge that your hate will drive your power.”

    Nyeb did as his master instructed and focused his hate on Vikka and everything that she had stolen from him. He recalled Master Exas and his disparaging words about him. With the Dark Side swirling around him Nyeb pulled harder but this time there was no physical pain despite the new lacerations on his wrists. He only felt his anger and finally his chains were broken.

    Cyrax smiled and said “Prepare yourself Lord Nyeb, we are taking control of my fleet and then we attack the shipyards at Fondor to pick up my capital ship.”
    “The Tiber.” Nyeb said knowing the ship from intelligence packages he received when he still worked for the Emperor.
    “You know it? You’re well connected my apprentice. It will be the key to taking Coruscant and fortifying our Empire.
    “How do plan on stealing a capital star ship from the Empire. It will be heavily guarded.”
    “All in good time my apprentice.” Cyrax said while handing Nyeb a new robe. “This is the most critical stage of our plans. Targo has already placed my ships at the ready. All we have to do is meet with the slug and collect the strike teams he has at his base. Then we leave for Fondor.”

    Cyrax brought his ship into Nar Shaddaa’s orbit and flew to the Blood Rocks docking bay which to his surprise was on fire. Plumes of smoke rose from the bay and Cyrax brought his ship into the docking bay’s main doors. Suddenly he and Nyeb were overwhelmed with a rush of the Dark Side as they both winced at the shock and shear magnitude of the presence. They knew the Sith had truly come. A lone large man draped in a black robe and hood stood at the loading ramp of Targo’s yacht with the bodies of numerous Blood Rock mercenaries and damaged droids lying around him. Cyrax and Nyeb could not see his face and as they landed their ship the dark warrior did not move an inch. “Who is that?” Nyeb asked Cyrax.

    “That, my apprentice, might be our replacement if we fail to slay him.”

    The two men came down the loading ramp and walked towards the stranger until they stood across from him. Nyeb placed his hand on his lightsabre’s hilt. Cyrax then looked at him with a scowl but Nyeb would not take any chances. The air was on fire around the Sith and the two men could feel it encroaching on their respective personal spaces. Waves of heat came against their faces as they were not sure whether it was coming from the Sith Lord or the actual fires around them.

    “We’ve felt your presence for sometime.” Cyrax began to say. “It was only a matter of time before our paths crossed.”
    “What are you intentions?” Nyeb asked feeling that cutting to the chase was the more prudent course of action.

    Nephros said nothing and did nothing but watch the two men in front of him until he finally said in a low raspy voice. “I mean to destroy all those that followed Targo and then I mean to destroy the Jedi. Where does that leave you two pretenders?” The Dark Side’s currents rose around Darth Nephros as he was about to state his exact intentions.

    “There is no need for us to fight” Cyrax spoke out when he realized what was happening. “It is my intention to destroy the Jedi as well. Targo was a pawn in my plan to gain the necessary military strength to take down Coruscant and start my take over from here.”
    “You plan to plunge the galaxy into another war?” Nephros snarled. “You are no better than any other Sith pretender.”
    “Galactic domination is the way of the Sith.” Nyeb said. “What makes you a higher authority?”
    Nephros stuck out his arm and Nyeb was thrown violently into the hull of Targo’s yacht. “My power is my authority.”
    “I’ve sensed this day for years.” Cyrax said as he watched Nyeb try to stand. “I hoped to encounter you and bring you to our cause. You could tip the balance against the Jedi and we can rule the galaxy.”
    “As I told Targo, I’m not looking to rule the galaxy. I have no need to feed my ego by becoming an emperor. I want my revenge and I will eliminate any pretenders that stand in my way. I seek dominion over the Dark Side of the Force.” Nephros said as he revealed his blood red eyes from under his hood. “I already started with Darth Erebus and now I intend to finish you Cyrax and your apprentice Lorn Nyeb.”
    “Who is Darth Erebus” Cyrax said pleasantly surprised. “And did you raid Targo’s information network for our names?”
    “Erebus is now a ghost and I found your names in her databases. I don’t go anywhere without being informed. I control her information networks which span every intelligence agency in the galaxy.” Nephros clarified. “Nyeb is an infamous fool that tried and failed to take the Jedi on Dathomir. You were harder to trace. The Jedi Temple archives and your arrest information was how I found out about you.”
    “So you know what I’m capable of then.” Cyrax said.
    “I’m not impressed of your capabilities.” Nephros almost spat.
    “What do I call you Sith?”
    “I am Darth Nephros.”

    Lorn Nyeb decided to take his best shot as he leaped at Nephros with his lightsabre activated to chop the Sith Lord in half. Unfortunately for him, Nephros moved out of way and at the same time conjured a ball of Sith Lightning and threw it at Nyeb. Nephros had complete control over his manifestation and detonated it on Nyeb’s chest. The explosion caused Nyeb’s body to convulse in agony as the electricity spread throughout it. He fell to the ground with a thud and his lightsabre dropped beside him. Nephros looked over at Cyrax with a severe stare as he waited for him to make a move. Both men considered their lightsabres but neither took them from their belts. This would be a battle would start with a demonstration of Force powers.

    Cyrax fired his own barrage of Sith Lightning at Nephros but the younger man brought his hands up to absorb the attack. Cyrax maintained the pressure and watched as the Sith Lord created another ball of lightning in his hands. Cyrax abandoned the attack when he realized what his opponent was doing. Nephros then let the ball in his hands go as it forced Cyrax to roll to the side and he evade the attack. With the Force augmenting his power, Cyrax slammed his foot against the ground causing the permacrete to break and put Nephros on uneven ground. Cyrax took his lightsabre and attacked Nephros as he hoped that forcing the issue would give him an advantage. Nephros leaped away and with the opportunity he ignited his own lightsabre.

    Cyrax studied the blade and noticed that Nephros’ lightsabre blade was a darker shade of red and it radiated differently than his blade. Cyrax could only guess that the Sith’s blade had different focusing crystals than a standard blade. Nephros stood and spun his lightsabre in the air and around his body as if he was stretching out his arms. In a quick instant the larger man threw his lightsabre with Force augmented strength like a spear at Cyrax’s heart. Nephros ran in behind it and tackled Cyrax who had evaded the blade as Nephros had thought he would. On the ground Nephros mounted Cyrax and grabbed his throat with his left hand and rammed his right fist into Cyrax’s face. Cyrax was quickly at the mercy of the larger man’s physicality.

    Lorn Nyeb had finally awoken and when he realized that Cyrax was being beaten into a pulp he took his lightsabre and made another charge at Nephros. The Sith realized that Nyeb was on the move and got off Cyrax to call his lightsabre back to his hand just in time to lock blades with Nyeb. The two men disengaged their blades only to bash them together again and this time start a rhythmic sequence of blows. Nephros was impressed with Lorn Nyeb’s lightsabre skills. What he lacked in Force power he made up in blade work. He knew Nyeb was a battle master within the Jedi and so this was not a surprise. Nephros incorporated Force pushes and pulls in their battle trying to get Nyeb off balance but the fallen Jedi was up to the challenge.

    Lorn started to press the Sith as he started to understand that despite the larger man’s raw power his lightsabre skills still needed polishing. “Your form is sloppy Sith Lord.” Nyeb mocked. “Is that supposed to be Juyo or Makashi? I couldn’t tell.”

    Nephros said nothing and all that Nyeb accomplished was making Nephros angrier. His lightsabre slashes become more infused with the Force making them increasingly powerful. Out of the corner of Nephros’ eye he saw Cyrax approaching the battle and suddenly he became concerned. Nephros leapt backwards and looked as Nyeb and Cyrax stood side by side with their red bladed lightsabres at the ready. The Sith Lord replaced his lightsabre on his belt and from the back of his belt he took his double bladed lightsabre. The hilt looked like it was for a single blade but a double snap hiss of two crimson blades confirmed it. Nephros wasted no time and rushed at his enemies and engaged them with a new ferocity.

    Cyrax thought to himself after finally meeting Darth Nephros and now fighting him that he would have been the perfect apprentice. He had a raw natural ability for combat, he was the most ferocious man he had ever come across and his connection to the Force was unfathomable. It was evident that using the Force came naturally to this young man. He recalled that Darius had a similar ability, but this beast was on another level. Unfortunately, Nephros did not have the same vision that Cyrax had and he was not interested in anything other than destruction. As the three dark side users traded blows they were suddenly brought to a standstill when they heard three more snap hisses from new lightsabres. The Jedi had arrived.

    ***

    Darius Baron had waited for a long time for the moment to duel his former master but again, there were other circumstances at play. Lorn Nyeb had become his apprentice and then there was the beast. The dark warrior was just two or three inches taller and wider than Darius was but he was infused with the Dark Side of the Force like no other being he had ever encountered. He must have been the one that the Jedi had sensed was approaching these past years. Darius had cloaked Vikka, Trip and himself in the Force so their signatures would be hidden to the three dark siders. He felt that they should watch and learn something from their enemies first before engaging them. Master Sarro had warned Darius of all three Sith coming together and he was correct in his assumption. The dark tide had come in and it had brought a new beast with it.

    “Sith never play nice, do they?” Trip Vrand said breaking the silence. “Since Master Baron will want Cyrax and Vikka will take Nyeb, I guess you’re mine big guy.”

    After Nephros scanned the Jedi he understood how he had not sensed their arrival. The answer was the larger male Jedi because he could feel that he was the most powerful of these three. The female was also formidable though but there was something about her that Nephros was intrigued by. She was hiding something in the Force. There was an underlying current of something darker within her Force signature. Her face betrayed nothing until their eyes met and after staring right back at Nephros she turned her attention to Nyeb. Nephros looked back to the larger Jedi and he then recalled who the man was. It was the Sword of the Jedi himself, Darius Baron and Cyrax’s former apprentice. He was a new challenge.

    “Darius, welcome.” Cyrax said dripping with contempt. “You have brought reinforcements with you this time, a wise move.”
    “Is that because you brought your own?” Darius responded. “A fallen Jedi and a new lost soul? I’ll take my chances with my Knights.”
    “I am no lost soul.” Nephros snarled “and I am no one’s accomplice. It’s you I came for Jedi. The Sword of the Jedi is the Order’s most formidable warrior are they not?”
    “We are all formidable Sith.” Darius replied. “If it’s me you want, you’ll have to wait. Cyrax is my primary concern.”
    “You’re all going to die.” Nephros declared.

    Nephros threw caution away and leaped right at Darius with his dual bladed lightsabre twirling like a buzz saw. Darius parried the initial attack and was forced to go on the defensive as Nephros’ attacks came swiftly and with an unnatural strength. Darius tried to time the swings and find an opening for a counterattack against the wild swinging Sith. When he saw his chance he stabbed his lightsabre out downward and he stopped the Nephros’ blade. Darius quickly unleashed a Force push that flipped the unsuspecting Sith backwards. Nephros landed on his feet and quickly fired himself at Darius again.

    Vikka was caught off guard with the aggressiveness of the new Sith’s attacks. Her natural instinct was to help Master Baron but Lorn Nyeb was staring right at her and she knew she couldn’t avoid him any longer and she did not want to either. She wanted to arrest Nyeb on Dathomir before he had become Cyrax’s Sith apprentice. Nyeb’s hate had been amplified since the last time they had met and Vikka had no doubt that the reason for his darker thoughts was his acceptance of the Dark Side. Even his face had become paler from his usual tanned complexion because of the Dark Side corruption.

    “I’ve craved this moment Vikka. I will relish destroying you and everything you hold dear.” Nyeb said while approaching her slowly with his lightsabre at the ready in a high guard.
    “It seems you’ve lost your way Master Nyeb. You’re contradicting yourself.” Vikka said. “You’ve succumbed to the Dark Side? What happened to maintaining a balance?”
    “There is no right side anymore Vikka. There is only survival and the Dark Side has begun its eclipse.”
    “So you’ll forsake everything you used to stand for? You’ll be Cyrax’s pawn. You have to see this for what it really is.”
    “The Jedi gave up on me a long time ago because I had my own ideas for peace. If you’ve learned anything from me, it’s that their teachings will eventually turn on you as well. Cyrax will rule the empire soon enough.” Nyeb warned.
    “And that one?” Vikka nodded to Nephros.
    “That is Darth Nephros. For all our sakes let us hope that your master can stop him.”
    “You’ll never get out of here with your freedom master.” Vikka said. “Surrender.”
    “Never.” Nyeb replied.

    Lorn Nyeb and Vikka Gratua had finally come together in combat. Nyeb pressed early as he tried to overwhelm her with power strikes and blows meant to end the engagement quickly. Vikka had seen Nyeb’s moves already and was prepared. She had improved exponentially and Nyeb could see and feel it. Vikka had become formidable under the tutelage of her new Jedi masters. She used her speed and craftiness to her advantage and Vikka had quickly impressed her former master. Nyeb decided to raise his physicality and turn the tide of the duel and so he kicked her in the stomach taking the wind out of her. When he pressed on her again her parries were weaker and Nyeb could smell blood.

    Trip Vrand could not have been more pleased with how this battle had taken shape. Vikka had taken Nyeb as predicted but Master Baron had been rushed by the newest Sith. Trip was pleased because he could finally prove to himself to the Jedi and more importantly Vikka. He wanted to prove that he could hold his own against powerful Force users. He attacked Cyrax at full speed by starting with the falling leaf technique and as Cyrax parried the overhand strike he then went on the attack. Trip parried the Sith’s blows and was surprised by Cyrax’s speed. He had assumed the older man would not be this impressive. Trip adjusted and he opened himself up to the Force and let it guide his counter strikes and parries until he caught Cyrax on his leg with a horizontal slash.

    Cyrax became enraged and fought back ferociously and his aggressiveness was rewarded as he backed Trip up against a wall. Trip leaped over Cyrax and tried to back him up against the wall but Cyrax leapt up to meet Trip and they swung at each other wildly in the air. When they both came to the ground Trip prepared to attack again but instead of Cyrax’s lightsabre coming at him, he was met by a blast of Force power that sent him into a speeder. Trip lost his lightsabre and Cyrax took full advantage with a wild downward slash that cut the speeder in half as the Jedi rolled out of the way just in time.

    From the corner of her eye Vikka realised that Trip was in danger. She disengaged from Nyeb and attempted a Force push to get away from him to help Trip. Nyeb noticed what Vikka was doing and absorbed the push. As she turned away Nyeb then dropped Vikka on her back with a surprise pull from the Force. Nyeb moved in quickly and slashed downwards but Vikka rolled out of way and when she came around facing Nyeb she fired a shiv from her wrist mounted launcher. The blade shot up and dug itself into Nyeb’s left arm as he was about to come down again for a third attempt to decapitate Vikka. He roared with pain and turned away to try and pull out the shiv. Vikka realized that she had an opportunity to end Nyeb once and for all but she turned her attention to Trip. Thankfully he had regained his footing and his lightsabre to continue his own fight against Cyrax.

    “Give up Master.” Vikka said. As she could see that Nyeb was not finished. By sheer hate and will he kept his composure and with only his right arm functional he continued to challenge her.
    “There will be no surrender, only a death.”

    Nyeb had a renewed fierceness about him and with one handed strikes he put Vikka back under pressure. With numerous feints and quick footwork Nyeb had worked his way inside of Vikka’s guard and slammed the fist of his wounded arm into her stomach. When she stepped backwards he quickly tried to drive his lightsabre into her stomach but Vikka moved and instead caught the blade in her thigh. She was now the one in pain as Nyeb drove the lightsabre deeper and then extinguished it so he could start a fresh attack.

    Vikka hobbled on her wounded leg and brought her lightsabre to a defensive stance. Years ago Nyeb had taught Vikka during their training to compartmentalize pain and put it into the back of her mind. She did so but Vikka knew her speed and strength would be compromised now. She needed help. Trip felt Vikka’s pain over their bond as she had let it pass through her mental shields to him. Trip and Cyrax had been exchanging their own blows and Trip had been dealt the most damage. Cyrax was very powerful in the Force and used his telekinesis to his advantage. Even with small little pushes and pulls, Cyrax disrupted Trip’s movements and tactics. Trip was simply not as strong in the Force and could not stop Cyrax’s attacks.

    With Vikka now in danger, Trip dug deep into himself and with the Force augmenting his speed he whaled away at Cyrax and finally created an opportunity to create space. He caught Cyrax over extending his stroke and Trip dipped beneath the swipe and came across with his own lightsabre at Cyrax’s midsection. The Sith had realized the danger and almost dodged Trip’s strike but he was caught. The strike grazed Cyrax’s ribs as Trip’s lightsabre seared into the area leaving Cyrax vulnerable again. Trip took the opportunity to help Vikka and so he threw his lightsabre at Nyeb’s head.

    Nyeb felt the danger coming and stopped the lightsabre in the air with the Force. He took it into his hand and in those same moments Vikka used the Force heavily and brought herself in front of Nyeb without him noticing. She slammed her fist into Nyeb’s cheek and through their bond she told Trip to take back his lightsabre. Trip did so with the Force and he moved beside Vikka and they now were standing across from Nyeb. Cyrax held the side where Trip had struck him and Nyeb got up and stood beside his master. Both men re-ignited their sabres while Trip and Vikka did the same.

    “Stay behind me Vikka.” Trip said to her over their mental bond. “Your leg, you’re too badly hurt.”
    “There’s two of them Trip, we’ll take them together.” Vikka replied. “Please. You can’t do it alone.”
    “Watch me Vikka.”

    Trip became uneasy when he looked at Cyrax and saw the Sith smile. Numerous small explosions happened above them in the catwalks hanging over the hanger bay and dozens of small ropes feel onto the hanger floor. Blood Rock mercenaries rode the ropes down and opened fire on the Jedi and Nephros. Lightsabres sent blaster bolts back but these beings were highly trained as Cyrax had demanded it of Targo. Once the first team hit the ground they charged at Vikka and Trip. Vikka had to call on the Force to help her move and defend herself against the oncoming troops. Trip could not say anything now because he knew he needed Vikka to help repel the attack.

    Darth Nephros and Darius Baron had exchanged enough blows that each man had begun to respect the other’s abilities. After fighting with Cyrax, Nyeb and now Master Baron, Nephros put the Jedi Master above the two Sith in terms of power and skills. After the attack by the Blood Rocks the Jedi and the Sith had to defend themselves and put their duel on hold. Cyrax and Nyeb had escaped the area in the commotion.

    Master Baron had seen that Vikka was injured and so he rejoined his Jedi Knights and the three of them defended each other’s backs while Nephros was left on his own. The Dark Lord enhanced his speed with the Force and became a black and red blur as he cut down Blood Rocks two at a time. When he finished off the mercenaries in his area Nephros watched as the Jedi had taken on a fairly larger mercenary force than he did. The Jedi were doing well as the Sith watched them defend themselves. Nephros was intrigued by the female and somehow drawn to her. He saw that even though she was wounded she still moved quickly which spoke to her pain threshold and her connection to the Force. The Jedi Master was correct in calling his knights formidable despite their allegiance to the Light Side of the Force.


    From the hanger door two large vehicles entered the area and opened their cargo doors. Out of the doors came dozens of battle droids to add to everyone’s misery. Cyrax and Nyeb had suddenly orchestrated an ambush and had trapped them all. Nephros leaped into action again but his aggressiveness had resulted in being grazed by a blaster bolt in the back of his left shoulder. The Sith Concentrated on self preservation rather than offence as he knew that he and the Jedi would eventually defeat the droids and mercenaries and would have to re-engage in battle again.

    Thanks all for reading.
     
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