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| < Writer's Guild ~ Tragedy of Darth Nefarious, Part 1 of 3 |
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Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:00 pm
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Dark Lord of the Sith
Joined: 09 Aug 2007
Posts: 700
Location: Korriban
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CHAPTER 15:
The fight was intense, and while Qui Mai Juun was certainly more experienced, Anzen was pure power unleashed. He continued to become faster, more intense, and more powerful as the duel went on. But Darth Raziel could handle him. It would be little effort on his part. Besides, this fight was more of a diversion, for his comrade had the true prize…Vic Malreaux. If Darth Groznii was correct, and Darth Raziel did not doubt for a moment that he was, Vic had vast potential not yet tapped, and would be one of the most powerful Sith in Groznii’s order. But this one he dueled now…he too was extremely powerful and was growing stronger every minute. There was a well of anger in this young man. Darth Raziel would see just how deep that well was.
Anzen was obviously studying Vaapad, but was a Master of Form V, and one of the finest Darth Raziel had ever seen. A slight disturbance in the Force caught Raziel’s attention. Another Knight had joined the fight or would shortly. It was time to do away with these two. He would humiliate them and then he would kill them.
The Sith Lord was supple and quick, appearing as a dark blur surrounded by red light, and he worked his way between the Jedi with confidence and ease, whipping his two ended lightsaber back and forth between them, more than holding his own against the onslaught of his opponents.
They fought and gradually made their way to an opening that was 30 meters in length, and beyond its rim, was a kilometer long drop. That is of course, assuming you didn’t get hit by the flying traffic first. Above this opening were a series of catwalks and scaffolding. Out there, the Jedi intensified their assault. The Sith Lord leapt from the bridge on which they fought to the one above. The Jedi followed, one coming from the front, the other, from the rear.
Down the length of the catwalk the 3 warriors fought. Then Darth Raziel caught Anzen off balance and with a powerful kick to the chin, sending the Knight over the rim and plummeting 50 ft down onto the platform. He used the Force to soften his fall, but he was so surprised by the kick, that he almost forgot that he was falling. So when he did hit, the air was knocked from his lungs. He looked upward and watched his Master frantically attempt to keep the Sith Lord at bay.
Taking advantage of the Sith’s assault on Anzen, Qui Mai Juun forced Darth Raziel over the railing as well. Down the Sith tumbled, followed by Qui Mai Juun. Master Juun could tell that the blow itself was indeed unexpected, and left the Sith visibly stunned. Sensing a chance to end the fight, Qui Mai Juun angled his blade for a killing blow. Raziel struggled to his feet, struck Qui Mai Juun in the chest with a masterfully placed knee kick, and simultaneously brought his blade up to spit the Jedi Master from groin to head. It would have succeeded had Master Juun not barely raise his blade to parry, but as if anticipating the block, Darth Raziel revealed his true attack. Master Juun suddenly found himself hurled back, crashing into his charging apprentice, hitting with a loud smack.
By the time Anzen recovered, Qui Mai Juun was already in pursuit of Darth Raziel. He was worn and exhausted, but he had finally put the Sith Lord on the defensive, and he was not giving him a chance to regroup.
“Master Juun!” shouted Anzen Crusnik, frantically struggling to his feet and following his Master and the dark assassin. They rush the Sith down and began to seem to break down the Sith Lord’s defense, but a powerful Force push sent Anzen flying back. He was saved from being pushed to far by Qui Mai Juun using the Force to pull him back. There was no mistaking the fact that the Sith Lord was definitely stronger in the Force. The effort of Qui Mai Juun’s exertion shown on his face, but he did not take his eyes of Raziel, nor did his lightsaber ever cease moving. Another gesture of his fingers, and the Sith Lord was now protected by wall of deadly light. The alley was rigged with ray shields!
Anzen barely stopped himself before he ran smack into one of the deadly shields. Qui Mai Juun wasted no time and immediately meditated and healed his wounds. The Sith Lord merely smiled at the two Jedi. He seemed to be taunting them. Wait, the Sith was even breathing hard, nor even sweating! Then why was he…stalling? Yes! That must be it! But why would he…suddenly it struck Anzen…someone else was coming…but who? Anzen sunk into the flow of the Force and discovered that Zhan was running to them. Had he sensed…of course he had! The power this Sith radiated could be felt anywhere in system. Did this Sith truly believe he could handle 3 Jedi!?!
Qui Mai Juun’s eyes shot open with new reserves. He was invigorated with renewed strength, and no sooner did he ignite his saber, were the ray shields turned off, and Qui Mai Juun was on the attack. Anzen recalled the stories he had read about Obi Wan Kenobi…how he and his Master, Qui Gon Jinn, fought the Sith Lord, Darth Maul. Was it the Sith’s intent to reenact that famous battle? If so, Anzen promised himself, that it would not succeed.
The ray shields activated once more and once more Anzen nearly ran into the walls of death before him. Qui Mai Juun also seemed to realize what Anzen had discovered, but he was prepared. He began executing odd and unorthodox maneuvers in combat, but it didn’t really seem to slow the Sith Lord.
He knew that Qui Mai Juun, as skilled as he was, was not good enough to pit himself against a Sith Lord, who was seasoned way beyond either than them in combat, and had skill that was years ahead of his age. Whoever trained him had done a splendid job. Through the corridor was another opening to a platform, this one had a deep, circular shaft in the center. It could be some sort of exhaust port, but that was not important. What was at stake was the life of Master Juun, and Anzen would not allow the Sith to be victorious.
Stroke for stroke the Jedi Master barely held his own, but the Sith Lord grew only stronger and faster. Anzen began to imagine his beloved Master being impaled upon the Sith Lord’s blade. It was his only emotion right now…the cold feeling of fear…and what was worse was that he could not help him. He could just stand and watch the man who trained him and believed in him, die at the hands of evil. It was frustrating! He wished he could reach out and crush every bone in the Sith’s body. He began to grind his teeth, fuming with anger. He had been told that anger was not the Jedi way, but what was anger, other than a natural reaction to unfairness and injustice? Isn’t that what drove the Jedi in the first place? Righteous anger…justifiable…and Anzen had always had a temper, and it was the one barrier he had to overcome in order for him to achieve the rank of Master. But was it not selfish for him to put his own progress in the Jedi Order above saving the life of a friend? Was that not the purpose of being a Jedi? To preserve and honor life; How could he let his master die? That was heinous and wicked! That would make him no better than the murderer himself. No, he would not allow this to happen! His anger began to burn through him, and so to, did his power, but he only noticed that when his outrage was expressed in a massive wave of Force energy that shattered the corridors and provided Anzen with all the projectiles he needed to send the Sith Lord over the edge and plummeting to his deserved death. Yes…it was incredible…and he was doing it all in the name of peace and justice. He was using it for the greater good…for preserving life…and with that belief; he felt a sudden rush of excitement flow through him. All that power…all the power he needed…and it was his! Power such as what he was wielding now could fix all the injustices in the galaxy. If he were in charge, all outlaws and immoral beings would be brought to justice and he would administer it today, personally!
The debris thrown at Raziel, nearly took his head off, but he spun away at the last minute, avoiding the projectiles tossed at him. He looked directly at the enraged Knight, stunned at first, but then a confident smirk replaced his astonishment. The Sith seemed to be amused by this display of anger.
Free at last, Anzen charged out of the wreckage he had caused, abandoning any pretense of observing even the slightest amount of caution, he barreled into Darth Raziel with such fury that he almost knocked both himself and Raziel over the edge of the exhaust port. He struck at the Sith Lord with his blade as if he had no concern of his own personal safety. Anzen was no longer there, for he was lost in a red haze of rage and frustration.
The Sith Lord was borne backward by the Jedi’s initial rush, caught completely off guard by the sudden increase in the Jedi’s power and strength. His wild assault was far more impressive than the skill he had demonstrated before. He struggled to keep the younger human at bay, trying to put some space between him and the wild Knight.
Lightsabers scraped and grated against each other, lunging and twisting, Darth Raziel regained the offensive and counter attacked, using his double bladed saber in an effort to cut the Jedi Knights legs off. Anticipating each blow, he was able to elude his antagonist’s efforts to bring him down, but was kind enough to let them know it was a nice try by giving them a mocking smirk and a round house kick to the face.
Once, Darth Raziel hammered at him with such determination that he scorched the young Jedi’s tunic, shoulder to waist, and it was only a desperate up thrust counterstrike to the Sith’s mid section, was Anzen able to quickly roll away and escape.
“So, the young brat has some power after all,” said Darth Raziel. “I was beginning to think I had wasted my time on you.”
The remark didn’t even phase Anzen, who was about to unleash a full onslaught on the Sith Lord. Qui Mai Juun was very troubled by the remark, but even more concerned by Anzen’s rage. If he didn’t stop him...no…he had to stop him and he had to do it now!
“Anzen no, do not fight with anger, it will lead to the dark side!” he shouted.
Darth Raziel merely laughed and in a vaguely contemptuous voice said:
“Yes Anzen, deny your new source of power! Go back to be a weak pawn of the Jedi Council.”
This remark really got Anzen’s blood boiling.
“I am not weak and I am nobody’s pawn!”
Despite Master Juun’s pleads, Anzen charged forth in a fit of rage, lightsaber drawn, and ready to deliver a killing stroke. Darth Raziel began to use his command of the Force to fling heavy objects at Anzen, in an attempt to throw him off balance, to disable him, and to disrupt the flow of his attack. Anzen responded in kind, and soon the platform was a shooting range where the deadly projectiles were being dodged and sliced by lightsabers.
The battle wore on, but Darth Raziel was the stronger of the two and was driven by a savage frenzy that surpassed the rage that drove and fueled Anzen’s assault. Eventually, the Sith began to wear the young Jedi down. Bit by bit, he pressed him back, carrying the attack to Anzen, looking to catch him off guard with his free wheeling moves and staccato strikes.
Anzen could sense that his body was weakening, and his fear of what that meant began to consume him. No! He banished it, turning his fear to anger and his anger to hate, and that hate gave him the power to continue. Darth Raziel leapt up and over, blocking the upward strike from Anzen, Force shoving Qui Mai Juun back, kicked Anzen’s feet from beneath him, and used the Force to hurl Anzen back into the mess of debris. Anzen quickly recovered, shouting in rage, and charged the Sith Lord.
“Anzen no!” shouted Qui Mai Juun. To his horror, the Sith Lord raised one hand and from it came a barrage of dark side lightning. It’s intensity was as such that it blasted away Anzen’s lightsaber, and racked the Knight’s body with pain. He was sent back into a remaining wall, hitting with his head with a loud thud. He was out cold. The Sith Lord then returned his gaze to the Jedi Master, and that confident smirk never left his face.
“As you can see, my strength and powers in the Force are far beyond yours…now…back down,” he said, blasting another torrent of Force Lightning, but this time at the Jedi Master. Qui Mai Juun raised his blade and caught the bolts with his weapon. He smiled at the Sith’s brief moment of irritation at having his attack thwarted.
“I don’t think so darksider!” exclaimed Qui Mai Juun.
Master Juun stepped slowly at first, and then came on in a sudden burst of speed, his saber coming in fast and hard. He was wrapped in a swirl of blue light, showing greater speed and skill than he had during the entire duration of the duel.
With only a slight movement, the Sith’s red blade stabbed under the blue, lifted up, and Qui Mai Juun’s blade was thrown harmlessly to the side. Another slight twist of his wrist, Raziel stabbed strait ahead, and Qui Mai Juun had to throw himself backward to avoid an impaling thrust. He brought his lightsaber up and across as he did, trying to parry, but Raziel had already retracted his blade, and then settled back into a more defensive posture.
Against it, Qui Mai Juun’s flurry of attacks seemed exaggerated and inefficient, for Raziel defeated each, one after the other, with a slight parry or dodge, seeming barely to move. While Qui Mai Juun and most Jedi were sword fighters, Darth Raziel was a Blademaster of the highest caliber. As the battle progressed, it became all to clear that this opponent was way out of his league. He was fast, ferocious, graceful, and far more efficient. He was always moving, dodging, blocking, and pressing an attack. He was in perfect balance as he retreated then suddenly came on with devastating thrusts that had the Jedi Master stumbling backward, struggling to hold the powerful strikes at bay.
“Master Juun, you disappoint me,” said Darth Raziel. “Lord Groznii holds you in such high esteem.”
His taunt puzzled the Jedi Master, but he would not allow it to distract him from the battle at hand. His strikes were knocked away by the slight parries of Raziel’s blade. Then the Jedi Master exploded into motion, coming on fiercely, his blade flashing all about. He kept a better measure of his cuts, reversing his angle often, the spinning into wild slashes, and sudden thrusts, and soon he had the Sith Lord backing, the red blades working furiously to keep Qui Mai Juun’s blade at bay.
Then it was suddenly Raziel suddenly pressing the attack, his blade stabbing and retracting so quickly that most Qui Mai Juun’s cutting parries hit nothing but ionized air. Qui Mai Juun had to jump back, and then back again, and again, as those thrusts moved ever closer to hitting home.
The two locked blades, both fighters striving to over power the other. Qui Mai Juun’s brow was covered in sweat, but Darth Raziel had barely begun breathing harder and smiled. “And so it ends,” said Raziel, breaking the lock and quickly blocking Master Juun’s strike with the other blade, causing him to bend backwards, shoot up, only to meet the other end heading toward him. He blocked it and leapt back. Raziel stepped forward stabbing low for Qui Mai Juun’s thigh. Down went the blue blade to intercept, but to Master Juun’s horror, the Sith Lord retracted his blade and thrusted it right back out, up high and across the other way. The Jedi Master could not bring his weapon up fast enough to block, nor could he slide back fast enough.
The red blade stabbed hard into his left shoulder, and as he lurched back, the Sith Lord retracted his blade and stabbed along its original course, digging into the Jedi Master’s thigh. Down he went. The Sith Lord kicked the Jedi’s weapon away and raised his blade above his head, smiling with a sadistic look in his eyes, and brought it down for a killing strike.
“NOOOOOOOO!!!”
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"Their strength became my own. Their minds became my own. All flesh is my flesh. None move, save I will it. This is the rule the Sith were promised, and I have made it real!"
"Everything I tell you is a lie. Every question I ask you is a trick. You will find no truth in me."
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Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:13 pm
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Dark Lord of the Sith
Joined: 09 Aug 2007
Posts: 700
Location: Korriban
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CHAPTER 16:
Lugzan, Alliana, and Zhan made there way through the deepest sections under the Jedi Temple. Surely Darth Krayt’s Sith Order, while they occupied it, left something behind. Most of the Sith artifacts had been confiscated and was put away in a secure vault inside the Jedi Temple. But what if they missed something? Darth Krayt was once a Jedi and he would know what the Jedi would do should he fail in his plans. The most important Sith relics would not be allowed to be found. Only Lugzan had even considered that a remote possibility.
“Do you sense anything Master Zendrikk?” asked Alliana.
“Only that we are fighting something unseen. Each time we draw close to identifying our adversary, it subverts and evades us.”
“It knows it is being followed,” said Alliana.
“Yes,” said Master Zendrikk, “it does.”
There was something in his tone that Alliana found unsettling. It sounded like he had something he wanted to say, but couldn’t bring himself to divulge it. His face had a somber and a concerned look. Only once before had she seen Lugzan actually worried, but in this case, an impending sense of doom. Something threatening, not yet present, far off, yet it was present at the same time. The perplexed look on Master Zendrikk’s face now made sense! She knew who he thought it was!
“Not yet,” said Master Zendrikk, as if reading her mind. “I have to be sure.”
Alliana nodded, signaled Zhan to follow, and the three Jedi made their way ever deeper into the catacombs. The lingering dark side energies clung to their robes. Memories of death, torture, deception, and revenge whispered to them. The seductive nature of power was there, but the three had the will and resolve to resist. Zhan wondered if the Masters could ever rid the Temple of the taint that Darth Krayt and his minions left behind.
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Ossus…
Deep in a healing trance, Illic allowed himself to be swept away in the current of the Force, allowing it’s infinite energy flow through him. Illic had been struggling to heal himself from Vong spores, implanted in him by Darth Maladi. He had been purging himself of this affliction, along with the aide of Master K’Kruhk, and even his own student; Shukur.
Times were uncertain, and he has been having visions. Ominous visions, visions of impending doom and approaching darkness. Most would have forced their healing by now, but not Illic. He surrendered himself to the will of the Force. He asked if the Force willed him to be healed. He waited patiently for the answer.
“There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no death; there is the Force.”
The Jedi Code…and never had the words rang more true to him than at this moment. Suddenly, he felt an immense warmth fill his body. It was unnerving at first, but the life giving energies banished the spores that had afflicted Illic for so long. His body was purged of the spores and poisons; he felt renewed strength. He had never felt more alive, more peaceful, than he did at that moment. The Force had healed him. It was not his time to die, for the Force still had a purpose for him.
Happiness, love, joy, and serenity were all embodied in Illic as he dropped out of his healing trance. He opened his eyes, noticing that he was emitting a faint glow. It was such an intense experience that it had swept up all the other Jedi on Ossus, and the uneasiness that was in the air, was now nothing but a distant memory. They were calm and at peace.
He could perceive clearly, that which was hidden from him before. He had pierced the veil of the dark side, and what he found was a disturbing plot and conspiracy that had been in effect, even during Darth Krayt’s reign. It was sinister and menacing and, for some strange reason, a sense of a familiar presence.
Something was causing a disturbance in the Force. A dark side user of immense strength was raising the veil once more, trying to extinguish the light. He felt the malevolent energies mount, as if it were threatening the intruder. The dark energy lashed out at him, knocking him to the floor.
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Coruscant…
Lugzan broke stride, coming to a halt. He looked over his shoulder to Alliana. “I sense something…”
“I feel it to,” said Alliana.
“Someone is watching us…” said Lugzan.
“Next move?” asked Alliana.
After a brief moment, Lugzan was resolved in his decision.
“We press forward,” he said.
Alliana smiled and shot Zhan a glance that he need not worry, that they would be safe. Zhan was not so convinced. He was still sore over his embarrassment by Vic. Had his Master lost faith in him? Did she no longer trust Zhan with her safety? Zhan felt he needed to be elsewhere. He felt as though he should be off on his own, doing his own investigations. He was a Jedi Knight! Not some young and dumb padawan! All they did was walk and whisper. They should be out with Vic, doing the REAL investigation. Not exploring the underbelly of the Temple. What did they expect to find?
Lugzan was distracted by the impatience that Zhan poured into the Force. Alliana was trying her best to calm him but to no avail. Lugzan halted and turned to face the Jedi Knight.
“Zhan, I want you to find the others. Don’t argue, just do as I say.” Lugzan turned to Alliana and said, “Alliana, return to the surface and see to it that Zhan obeys and be there to call the others back.”
She didn’t understand Lugzan’s reasoning, but she obeyed, and Zhan begrudgingly did as well. Lugzan waited till they were out of sight before he continued his investigation. He hoped he hadn’t pushed his luck, and forced himself to a strange and perilous predicament. It’d be his luck, if such a thing existed. But Lugzan Zendrikk trusted the Force and if willed him to continued, and so he did, but not without prudence.
He pressed forward dauntlessly, perusing any artifact or object that he passed along the way. A chill in the Force caught Lugzan’s attention. The thick sense of foreboding was almost suffocating. He was getting close to something infused with the dark side. It was whispering to him...enticing him with promises of adventure and power…but there was no shaking the Jedi Master’s resolve. He had made his choice long ago…he would serve the Force, and not submit to the twisted, perverted use of the Force…the dark side.
“Dark or light is not a feeling, but a choice. A choice I made a long time ago. I serve the Force, the light, and not it’s cheap imitation.”
Whatever was here, it didn’t want to be found and tried to keep the Jedi Master away.
“In a dark place I find myself…” he said to himself, “but a little more knowledge might light my way.”
He commed Master Illic Vamos and after half an hour of comparing evidence and sharing theories, the two Jedi Master’s decided that Lugzan was about to discover the shatterpoint, but neither could guess if it was one that would be favorably shattered, or one that they would later regret uncovering.
“I have a bad feeling about this…” he said.
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“We’re wasting our time Alliana!” exclaimed Zhan. He was furious and frustrated. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t gain control over his emotions. All the taunts from Vic came back in a wave of emotional distress. Vic had always made him feel inadequate and that he was a failure. He was angry and jealous of Vic, for Zhan knew that Vic was more powerful, more skilled, and more seasoned than he would ever be. He was angry that he couldn’t prove himself to his Master, for his first Master had died. He felt as if he were letting Alliana down. All these emotions and he simply couldn’t find away to cast them aside. She was beautiful and pure of heart. She was gentle, compassionate, and kind. She was as powerful and as skilled as the legendary Jedi Master, Shaak Ti, and Zhan was grateful that she had given him the chance to be the Jedi he knew he should be.
"Your mind is like the winds of Tatooine, flying in every direction at once. The essence of the Jedi's art is control—control of the body, control of the mind, control of anger, fear, and greed. You must learn to reign in all your passions, even the passion for knowledge, or you will destroy yourself."
"We don't get to question. We don't get to pick the mission. Our job is to complete the mission, whatever it takes, no matter the cost. That's what we do." Zhan protested but he knew he was getting nowhere. Alliana sighed and decided that Zhan was still ashamed of himself.
“There is no shame in falling Zhan. There is only shame if you refuse to rise once again. You do not fear your own death, but the death of others is hard for you to accept. It has never been easy for you to let others close; feelings can mean pain.”
Zhan laughed…his mind finally at ease.
“You got that right! But I still need to master my emotions and not be a slave to them. I struck my Master’s killer down in anger and I have been walking that line of light or dark for far too long. I need serenity, not passion!”
Zhan was a capable fighter, but it was Allianas' calm voice that prevented him from giving into hate and falling to the dark side just prior to his Master’s death. She was his savior, his angel, his guide, and his friend. Somehow, someway, though he never mentioned it to Alliana, Vic would hurt her, and he would hurt her badly.
She had guessed some of his feelings, but she concluded that Zhan was jealous of Vic. He was jealous of Vic but not in the manner that Alliana believed. Vic was more powerful, more skilled, and received a lot of attention from his Master and the Jedi Council. Zhan felt Vic was too arrogant, and hated the mocking tone Vic addressed him with.
“We know that the Sith are responsible! We should be searching for a dark side nexus!” exclaimed Zhan.
Alliana smiled and she understood Zhan’s frustration, and that it was a reaction to the loss of his Master.
“I know that if I showed more tact that perhaps I could convince the Masters of the merit of my cause, but I shouldn’t have to convince them! We’re fighting the Sith! The dark side and it’s followers all need to be destroyed! We have the opportunity now! Instead we spread our forces thin, off looking in too many directions, when together, meditating on the will of the Force, we could pierce the shroud of the dark side and discover where the masterminds of this plot are hiding.”
Zhan had surprised her before, and that was true on this occasion. She knew he was right, but she felt that what they were doing was the Will of the Force. Yet it did seem odd that they did not first gather and consult the Force about the appropriate course of action.
“Is that vengeance I detect in your voice?” she asked.
“No,” he said harshly.
Alliana gave him a skeptical look. After a brief moment of awkward silence, he sighed, and relented.
“Yes.”
There was still something else. She could feel it.
“There is something else, Zhan. What is it?” she asked.
Zhan hardened his heart, refusing to make himself vulnerable, or too open up any further, for this was a more personal feeling, and one he knew was senseless and immature.
“It’s Vic isn’t it?” she asked blunty. “You don’t like him do you?”
“Doesn’t require Force senses to perceive that. I don’t like him nor do I trust him,” said Zhan sourly.
Alliana decided to ignore his rudeness and press Zhan further. She knew why he did not like Vic, but she wanted to hear him say it.
“What is it Zhan? What about him worries you?” she asked.
“What worries me is his will. His power is so great that he thinks his judgment is as well. He sees something is right, so therefore he must do it. He argues against you without hearing you. He thinks he can change situations and even individual beings!” he exclaimed. Zhan let out an exasperated sigh and stared at the ground.
“Maybe he can't do it alone, or at least not yet. But someday he will. Should we trust someone who always believes he speaks with the voice of absolute right? As I recall, Palpatine, Anakin Skywalker, and Jacen Solo all believed the same about themselves, and I don’t need to remind you what they became,” said Zhan.
For the first time, and you must understand that Alliana never showed any emotion that would be considered negative. He had apparently touched a nerve.
“How dare you? You just compared a superior of yours to some of the worst monsters the galaxy has ever seen! What are you trying to say? You think Vic will become like them! A force of evil and mayhem. Another harbinger of destruction!” she spat out.
Zhan had never seen her ever lose her cool like this.
“No, that is not what I meant…I was merely giving my…”
“I don’t want to hear it!” she cut him off.
“But…”
“No Zhan! I believe it is best that you stop talking about things that you do not understand. End of discussion!” she said, firmly, and with a hint of a threat in her voice.
Silence.
It stretched on for an uncomfortable length of time.
“I am sorry,” said Zhan.
He meant it to.
Alliana’s expression softened, and the familiar radiance and compassionate women he had found such a comfort in, returned. She smiled at him. It was an assuring smile, letting him know that it was ok, and that she bore no ill will towards him. He found himself smiling back at her, and the two began to laugh.
Still, in the back of Zhan’s mind, he had to wonder: “What was that all about?”
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He made his way the tenebrous caverns. The Sith had really done a number to these levels. Illic Vamos had found Darth Krayt’s holocron in this chamber. That holocron had gone missing and no explanation was satisfactory until now…the Sith. The Sith took back what was there’s.
Lugzan had never been this deep into the underbelly of the Temple. It appeared to have taken quite a number of blasts and, what appeared to be, lightsaber damage to the walls. The floor, well not the actual floor, the garbage that covered the floor, had a scent that no sentient would soon forget.
Every now and again, Lugzan caught a sense of the dark side, but it was a distant presence. He quieted his mind, knowing the darkside would beckon him. He would follow it’s call, he would find what it was trying to lead him to. It was trying to tempt him, but it would not succeed.
He came to a corner, stepping on a tile, revealing a hidden passage way that led to a room, lit only by a crimson emergency light. It was some sort of ancient bunker, but he sensed that someone had been in there recently. Whoever that person was, obviously left in a hurry, but had accidently left something.
Lugzan looked to his left and found a small transmitter. From it’s design, Lugzan knew that it was from a company that had special interest groups, bribing and extorting credits to corrupt senators. He knelt down, feeling in the Force for any traps or hidden explosives. When he was convinced he was safe, Lugzan picked up the device.
Examining it, he found a black diamond that would occasionally pulse with a violet energy. Lugzan felt it push at his mind through the Force, as if it were trying to ente his mind. He felt the dark side behind it. Lugzan pushed back with his mind, and in response, the device lit up with a flash of bright, blinding light, and bolts of electricity.
Lugzan guessed he had caused something to overload, but as his vision returned to him, he saw a projection, highly encrypted, and very poor quality. He supposed that he had accidently short circuited a self destruct mechanism.
As the recording started to come into focus. The sound, no longer garbled, became more distinct.
“Yes, it shall be done as you ask Lord Groznii,” said a voice.
All he had hoped for was to procure some information, but this discovery would more than answer his questions. What a discovery! At last, proof that the Sith did not die out with Darth Krayt. No they lived on in an even more powerful form under this new Dark Lord, Darth Groznii. Lugzan watched as the hooded figure draw back his hood. At last he would see the face of the Dark Lord!
“Impossible!” exclaimed Lugzan. He recognized the new Dark Lord!
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_________________
"Their strength became my own. Their minds became my own. All flesh is my flesh. None move, save I will it. This is the rule the Sith were promised, and I have made it real!"
"Everything I tell you is a lie. Every question I ask you is a trick. You will find no truth in me."
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Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:12 pm
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Dark Lord of the Sith
Joined: 09 Aug 2007
Posts: 700
Location: Korriban
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CHAPTER 17:
With a frantic dash, Lugzan raced his way to the surface, already sensing a disturbance in the Force. He knew the others felt it as well, and some were already on their way. Lugzan couldn’t feel Vic in the Force, but he knew Vic was alive.
In the Force Lugzan could see the one’s in trouble: Qui Mai Juun and Anzen Crusnik. They were doing battle with…
Lugzan froze as the current of the Force became arctic. A presence of tangible menace was in the air. A dark sider of immense power was attacking. He sensed also a ploy at work. He was luring the Jedi out into a trap, but for what purpose. There was an intent to kill but there was an even more insidious agenda at work.
Lugzan doubled his pace, using the Force to increase his speed. He sensed that Zhan and Alliana were not far from the two Jedi. He could sense their exhaustion and the unrelenting speed and fury of the dark sider. Whoever this was, they were not only powerful, but skilled as well.
There was no fear in the Sith Lord, only malice, rage, cunning, and arrogance. By all rights, this Sith had a reason for his arrogance. His power and skill were unseen in recent times. Lugzan knew it would take an all out, surprise assault on the Sith to knock him off balance, and open the opportunity for victory.
He sensed growing fury in Anzen, and knew the Sith was goading him on. Qui Mai Juun was exhausted and badly hurt. It was coming down to the end, and it appeared that they were both going to die.
As he reached the surface, Lugzan sensed surprise coming from the two Jedi. Alliana and Zhan had arrived. They could not hope to hold of the Sith Lord. Looking around, Lugzan found an abandoned speeder. He used the Force to disarm the security devices, and activated the speeder.
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Darth Raziel was triumphant. Just one quick thrust and Qui Mai Juun would be out of the way, and it would bring Anzen to the dark side. All he had to do was stab, but some sort of presence, followed by a loud noise and blazing green light had stopped him. The sound he heard was not a sound at all, but a voice. A shout, from one who was also dangerously close to the dark side; crying out in anger the word: no.
Darth Raziel averted his eyes and in one movement, stepped up, over, kicked the downed Jedi Master in the throat, nearly crushing the Jedi’s windpipe, and engaged then new comer with deadly, spinning crimson fan of lethal energy. The Jedi stumbled back but was determined to hold his ground. Suddenly, he spun away, throwing chunks of debris at Raziel, and called Anzen’s saber into his hands, and attacked with unrelenting fury and vigor with duel blades slashing and flashing.
Darth Raziel countered, deciding on simply dominating his opponent with saber skills, such was his preference, and decided that he would humiliate this Jedi, then kill him, but only after forcing the Jedi to watch the execution of his friends.
The Jedi Knight, Zhan Tymn, now armed with duel sabers, slashed away at his opponent with a variety of combinations, and using the offense/defense/offensively defensive technique against the doubled bladed red storm of his enemy’s weapon. However, the Sith quickly parried and thwarted each attempt Zhan made. Only several swift contacts later, and Raziel’s blade swept down and shattered one of Zhan’s sabers, nearly taking off the Jedi’s fingers, but retracted, and deactivated one side of his saber.
Despite this, Zhan still had Anzen’s saber, the duel continued across the ledge. Zhan locked eyes with the Sith, believing that the Force would guide him to victory against this opponent, but the Sith’s condescending look caused Zhan’s anger to rise, and his vain efforts to suppress it, only frustrated him more.
And then, Darth Raziel made his move. He swept his blade inside of Zhan’s defenses, then swept upward, severing Zhan’s right arm just above the elbow. Before Zhan could shout, he felt his throat constrict as Raziel used the Force to not only choke him, but levitate him, and shoved him back with great force. Zhan hit the wall, but before he hit the ground, Raziel blasted the young Jedi with savage Force lightning.
This is how the scene appears. Wreckage, three downed Jedi, and a Sith Lord who had only now begun to breath faster. Darth Raziel looked around, admiring his handiwork. He never had the chance or opportunity before to revel in his victories, but as Groznii had told him, the time was now to reveal their existence. Darth Raziel smiled and activated his second blade. Qui Mai Juun lay helpless and could only watch as his adversary would brutally execute him and the other Jedi. It was over and they had lost.
No! Despair was of the dark side, and Qui Mai Juun stretched out with a battle meld, sending calming and comforting energies and thoughts to the others. Apparently the Sith sensed it because the sadistic pleasure he seemed to be experiencing, turned to one of indignation and rage. His pace quickened and he raised his blade, preparing to end it all, when suddenly Darth Raziel was hurled into the debris, and barely grabbed onto the edge of the ledge. He pulled himself back on to the ledge and was greeted by the sight of a boot smashing his face. Both he and the Jedi who had kicked him, plummeted into Coruscanti traffic.
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Down they went, falling like stones, the lights of various floors and swirving sky cars flashed past them as they dropped. About the 300 ft. mark, Lugzan suddenly had a realization: he had only thought of saving the others, now what was he going to do? He hadn’t thought that far ahead. He glanced down past the stunned Sith Lord, to see the teeming city far far below.
Plummeting at astonishing speeds, Darth Raziel, while at first stunned by such an unexpected move, was now smiling. Lugzan had only a hint of what the Sith intended to do next. The Sith extended his left hand outward, using the Force to pull himself to a passing speeder.
The driver was shocked, but the momentary surprise was swiftly ended as Raziel ignited his lightsaber and removed the head of the unfortunate driver. Lugzan could only watch in horror as it transpired. He caught glimpse of a speeder bike, parked at a docking bay below. He quickly extended his awareness and reached to the controls, triggering the ignition, and he guided the bike toward himself. He quickly landed on the speeder bike and swiftly speed his way through traffic all in pursuit of the Sith Assassin.
The Sith Lord began using the Force to hurl speeders at the Jedi Master, diverting his attention to saving them, and making savage lunges at the Jedi Master. Lugzan fought him off with a desperate one hand style.
He knew that this couldn’t continue. He had to turn the tables. The Sith was using civilians as shields and as weapons. In his youth, such a display of disrespect for the sanctity of life would have infuriated Lugzan. Now, he merely pitied not only the civilians, but the Sith himself.
What sort of evil could have warped and twisted the man’s mind to the extent that he viewed life, aside from his own, as expendable and even useful. Lugzan used the Force to summon abandoned speeders from upper levels, down upon the Sith Lord.
Darth Raziel merely gestured and threw into public areas and once again, attempted to kill Lugzan, but not only did the Jedi fend him off, he even left a burnt cut in aziel’s sleeve.
Darth Raziel smiled, falling into the thrill of battle and the anticipation of winning. He became aware that his heart rate rose in excitement. He allowed the dark side to take him and evelope him in hatred and anger. The Force flowed through him, filling him, and it fueled his rage. He was not the vessel for the dark side, but the conduit of the dark power.
Lugzan felt the shift in the Force, his blood ran cold as he felt a gathering oppressive force with malign intent. He readied himself, calling his saber to his hand, and ignited the blue blade. He gave himself over to the Force, channeling it through his being, calming him, and bringing him to a state of tranquility.
Darth Raziel held out his hands and the crates on the unsteady platform, levitated and now Lugzan found himself dodging projectiles, slashing a few, and used the Force to barely alter the course of the missles, as the Sith’s command of the Force was superior to his own.
During this, the Jedi Master reach out with his mind, piercing and probing the dark side the clouded his perceptions. He could make it through unless…Quickly Lugzan reach out with the Force and grasped a holoscreen on the nearby building and yanked it loose. He came at the Sith Lord, still standing on the speeder bike, at rapid speed. The Sith sensed the threat, turned and pushed the screen away. That was all Lugzan needed because by the time Raziel turned around, Lugzan’s foot had made contact with the Sith’s face.
The distraction allowed the Jedi Master to pierce the veil of the dark side. The Sith’s mind was a cauldron of seething anger, hatred, and contempt. It was now, mostly directed at Lugzan himself.
Lugzan Force shoved Raziel onto a passing mag-lev, and nearly decapitated the Sith Lord with a horizontal slash. The Sith was too quick and blocked the strike, and delivered a near fatal kick in the gut to the Jedi.
Lugzan quickly regained his balance and watched as the Sith Lord righted himself. No surprise attacks now…the Sith was fully alert now, and in a way, daring him to try something. Both warriors shared something in common: the love of combat, and at last they could engage in it.
At last they found a somewhat suitable ground for continuing the duel. They used the Force to soften their landing onto a mag-lev. The two immediately charged one another and began to spar once more. Blades flashed, fists and legs collided, and all thoughts of form were erased. This was no longer a duel, this was a down and dirty brawl, no rules; and this is what Lugzan liked.
He was obviously fast enough and unpredictable enough because the Sith Lord had looks of surprise and sometimes disbelief on his face. He would force the Sith to leap up, and the Sith would try to kick him, but he forced the Sith to change tactics in mid air by moving his blade at lightning speed to the Sith’s leg.
The two combatants locked blades, the Sith began pushing Lugzan back, but the Jedi Master had summoned a droid with the Force and threw it at the Sith, striking him in the head. Lugzan tried to jab, but he was kicked in the ribs by the Sith. They both fell to a mag-lev below them and both nearly lost their sabers.
Darth Raziel was the first to recover, summoned his lightsaber, and ignited his blades. Even as he did this and faced the direction of the Jedi Master, Lugzan was already on him, batting away at the saberstaff, swinging low at Raziel’s legs, then thrusting at his face, all while guiding the Sith’s blade away from the intended targets.
The Jedi Master never remained in one place for very long. Time and again they locked blades, Raziel still on the defensive. Lugzan recognized a familiar hand in the Sith’s technique, however minute it was, but was taken aback by the sheer power that the Sith’s strikes delivered.
Lugzan knew that the only reason he was able to match the Sith was due to the element of surprise. Apparently it had been so unexpected that it shook the Sith’s confidence. Apparently, something didn’t go as planned.
Another slash and parry, and Lugzan found himself losing ground. The speed of the Sith’s bladework was astonishing. He was so fast, quick, clean, and unpredictable. There was no discernable form or style in the bladework, and that was the sign of a true blademaster.
Lugzan then realized that the opponent he faced may be a match for Illic Vamos. He was just that good. In addition to his unrivaled skills with a lightsaber, this Sith Lord had a mastery of the Force, and Lugzan also knew that this Sith was far more powerful than he was.
No matter though, as Master Zendrikk knew that while he was not the more skilled or the more powerful, he was good enough. He smiled and the reaction from his opponent indicated surprise. Lugzan had engaged this Sith, threw him off balance, and he had not relented in making sure the Sith remained off balance.
From what he could tell, being unprepared and uncertain was not something the Sith experienced. In fact, the Sith had been so victorious in all his past endeavors, that this may have been the first time he had ever been surprised.
“I must say…I had always heard that the Sith have no fear…yet I sense much fear in you,” said Master Zendrikk.
A black haze crossed Raziel’s face, his heart, soul, and eyes burned with a hatred that could obliterate entire star systems. It was a hatred so clear that even a non-Force user would have been taken aback by it. The hatred emanating for the Sith now made Lugzan sick to his stomach.
He braced himself again for the coming assault, but the dark knot in the Force, the Sith, made no motion. Why? Then Lugzan saw something quite disturbing. The Sith began smiling, but his smile promised deceit, death, pain, and misery. He knew something was amiss. Something that Lugzan may have missed. Perhaps it was another trap. He couldn’t say, but he knew he needed to end this, and quickly.
The Jedi Master, blue saber in hand, charged full force into his foe, slashing, dodging, parrying, and stabbing, but not one attempt met with any level of success. The Sith Lord merely blocked them in an obviously insulting, over the top, acrobatic performance. If Lugzan were a lesser man, he would have been angry, but he had chosen his allegiance a long time ago.
He was a Jedi and the Jedi serve the Force, and are not controlled by their petty vices and emotions. He did not deny that the temptation to submit was there, but he would not allow himself to be taken in a rush of vengeful feelings. He would become what he was fighting, and that was unacceptable to Lugzan. He pressed on, allowing the Force to guide his blade.
The Sith, on the other hand, commanded and willed the Force to reveal to him the best way to kill his opponent, thus clouding the Jedi’s mind and dulling his perceptions. Raziel was a master of the blade. Few, if any, could rival his skill and cunning. He regained his offensive and pressed the Jedi Master back and nearly off the edge of the mag-lev. Victory was at hand.
To Lugzan’s surprise, the Sith, in the moment he could have delivered a killing stroke, broke off the attack, and leapt into a nearby waste tunnel. Lugzan had no time to ponder the strange action, but quickly he scrambled to his feet, saber in hand, and leapt to where the Sith had been. Both warriors, using the Force to stick to the walls, scaled the steep, rounded building. Lugzan was sure that this place was familiar, and then, suddenly he realized why.
“He led us in a circle!” Lugzan said to himself. That also meant that this Sith had used the Force to override the pre set destination of the mag-lev, and had been steering it back to where they had originally plummeted from. But why?
A new presence was in the Force. Another dark sider, and two Force users. One was D’Lac Sirh, and the other, more powerful presence was Vic. Alliana was there, tending to the wounded, but why would the Sith Lord be excited about another powerful Force user entering the mix. Vic, Qui Mai Juun, Anzen Crusnik, and himself would be more than a match for him and his dark side apprentice.
Lugzan leapt after the Sith Lord, sending a warning through the Force to the other Jedi. They had to end this and they had to do so now.
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"Their strength became my own. Their minds became my own. All flesh is my flesh. None move, save I will it. This is the rule the Sith were promised, and I have made it real!"
"Everything I tell you is a lie. Every question I ask you is a trick. You will find no truth in me."
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