THE PAST - IOKATH
They were here ... he could feel it , Nox stopped his task of sorting through a datapad containing Letha's progress of recovery .
The woman floated in the next room in her bacta tank while her apprentice was kept unconscious in the next tank .
" Prepare to administer new compound " Nox announced to the medical droid within his lab as he pulled out two different coloured vials .
One purple in colour being injected into the diffuser before him , The liquid emptying from the vial as he poured in the second , A light blue vial inserted on the other side as the liquids were proceeded to be mixed .
In the centre of the diffuser was a third vial sticking out of the top of the machine , The new compound filling the vial before Nox removed it from the device .
" Your majesty , Subject is ready for administration of compound " The deep voice of the intimidating medical droid announced as Nox moved to the immobile woman's side , Pushing the compound into the console next to the bacta tank , Being administered into the bacta tank containing the miralukan .
" Keep me posted on how the transfusion goes ... I have matters to attend to " Nox ordered as he felt the intruders begin their assault on the command tower across the city .
" Of course your majesty " The droid replied as Nox made his way to his speeder before flying off towards the tower .
The hero of Tython was uneasy as he made his way through the hallways with the Jedi that accompanied him , Three of the council members stood by him along with republic commandos .
" Stay together , Be alert ... " Master lethris , The hero of tython rounded a corner with a leap only to find empty hallways .
" Scans say our destination is through there " The new technician of havoc squad announced as Lethris and the others moved with care .
Tol braga , The Jedi master Kel dor stood beside Gnost Dural , Another Kel dor followed the Jedi master that lead , The hero of tython as they moved to rescue the barsenthor from the greatest threat to the republic and empire since vitiate himself .
" I have an uneasy feeling about this ... it's like a ... shroud covering the planet ... cold and all encompassing ... it's almost ... familiar " Kira Carsen whispered beside her old master , Greatly troubled by what she could feel .
" There are three signatures within the room before us " Gnost whispered as they moved to attack them by surprise .
" And I recognise all of them " Lethris whispered as he motioned for the Jedi and havoc squad to prepare .
They attacked moments later with the intention of subduing those present .
The snap hiss of two lightsabers made them realise their presence was already known .
" There you are ... snakes hiding the grass under the eyes of the eagle " Arcann growled as his yellow blade was pointed at the Jedi council members while Lana's own red blade was pointed at havoc squad .
" It appears you got yourself some new ... fodder " Lana chuckled as Raxon grit his teeth .
" Where is she " Lethris hissed as he circled the room , Spying Theron Shan as the man crossed his arms , Obviously ready to grab his blaster .
" I assume you're talking about the Jedi master ... I'm afraid only the emperor knows their location " Lana smirked at the irritated look on the hero's face .
" Then where is He " Lethris growled as another group of jedi came into the room to back the first strike team .
" I'm sure he's on our way , Not that you'll last that long " Lana chuckled as she prepared to attack alongside Arcann .
" Subdue them " Lethris ordered as Raxon opened fire on beniko as the woman deflected the blaster fire from the new havoc squad .
" You're all pathetic " Arcann growled as he raised his right arm and let out a torrent of yellow lightning at the Jedi .
Nox simply waited beside the ship the two parties had used to get to Iokath .
Looking towards the ship , And with a simple meager push with his right hand , Sent the ship falling over the edge of the landing platform where it fell to the city below .
Turning back to the entryway , Nox shrugged off his cloak as he wore the armour of kallig , Pulling out his lightsaber as the red blade sprung from the hilt of the blade .
Hurried footsteps announced their failed capture on his underlings , Yellow lightning still surging from the windows far above as a body of a republic gunner was hurled from a broken window , Falling below with a high pitch scream .
" I was hoping they'd leave some for me " Nox droned as he let out a volley of lightning at Raxon and three of havoc squad , Gripping them with the force as they were shocked and tossed them back into the hallway as two of the council members and Lethris ducked , Kira being his by Raxon and sent to the ground in the process .
" Shit , This is not good " Lethris grumbled as he reignited his lightsaber alongside the council members .
" You would wise to surrender " Nox offered them a way out as his weapon dug into the ground while it was pointed straight down , Leaving a trail of molten metal as he began to walk forward .
" I'll ask you this once , Where is she " Lethris growled as the other council members followed suit .
" You're in no position to negotiate , Surrender ... or perish " Nox began to grow tired as he decided to disengage his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt .
" You're arrogant , Don't let it blind you , You cannot stand against us , Give us her location and we will allow you to become a prisoner of the republic ... you'll be safe " Gnost Dural offered Nox as the emperor laughed out loud .
" I am not arrogant ... master Jedi ...I am aware of my situation , unlike yourself . Tell me , What was your plan , You break into Iokath to rescue a single Jedi , Take Lana , Theron and Arcann hostage to goad me into handing her over ... and then what , You'll flee without casualties . You couldn't even land without us knowing , You were going to fail before you even left tython " Nox mocked as Kira joined the Jedi masters , The four surviving members of group B joining them with ragged breaths .
" This is going nowhere , We must subdue him at once " Lethris growled as he and the others prepared , The hero leaping forward with his lightsaber overhead .
Nox made no move to draw his weapon, Seeing it as unnecessary as he watched everything slow . The hero landed Infront of Nox and made to stab Nox in the stomach , The Emperor in response side stepped faster than the Jedi could see as Nox caught the blade with his hand in a vice grip .
" Still playing bury the pickle with your Padawan " Nox asked mockingly before he backhanded the hero across the chin , The strength of the strike flipping the Jedi across the walkway as he groaned on the ground .
Turning his attention to the rest of the Jedi , He could sense Arcann and Lana approaching from the hallway the Jedi had escaped through as lightning sparked in his hands .
" Let me show you just how pointless this farce is " Nox grumbled as he reared his arms back , The council members apon him as everything slowed down once more .
Lana and Arcann stopping as they saw the events through a nearby window , Their eyes widening as Nox was within slashing distance .
" Perish " Nox hissed as his arms surged forward , Blood red lightning forking forward in a torrential blast of lightning that obliterated the two council members instantaneously , Kira managed to leap to the side as the wave of lightning washed over the other Jedi .
Lana and Arcann stumbled as the building rest of the landing pads before them being turn asunder and obliterated by the surge .
" This is just like the docking clamps ... " Arcann whispered as he remembered the second fight he had with Nox in the docking clamp control bay long ago .
The command tower shook under the barrage as ash obliterated all but Kira and the hero .
" NO " Raxon yelled as Nox turned his head tot he rising trooper , Continuing the barrage of lightning , a simple thought from Nox forcing the man to his knees as he slowly stopped his barrage of lightning .
Lana and Arcann approached as Nox dragged raxon to his side through the force .
" As you can see , Lethris ... you stood no chance " Nox turned to the now standing hero as Lethris looked to the slowly rising Kira , The two exchanging minute glances .
" Let me guess , Our executions are at hand " Lethris let out slowly as he rose to his feet , Backing to the edge slowly as Lana and Arcann made their way to the emperor's side .
" You would be right " Nox appeared before the hero in a burst of force enhanced speed , Lightsaber igniting in hand .
" NOW KIRA " Lethris yelled out as Nox struck , The hero leaping over the edge in a scream of pain as his left arm was severed from his body , The hero falling over the edge .
" MASTER " Kira yelled as she leapt over the edge in pursuit to save her master and escape .
Nox watched the two of them fall with an apathetic gaze as Lana looked over the edge at his side .
" I'll put together a search " Arcann turned away as Nox accepted and nodded , The previous emperor loyally taking to pursue the infiltrators .
" That went better than expected " Lana enthusiastically stated as Nox looked to the severed arm to the side .
" Yes ...very , Let us ... go over damages while Arcann hunts them " Nox wrapped an arm around Lana's waist as he kissed her , Pulling the discarded arm to his free hand with the force .
" Always so sure " Lana chuckled as she ran a hand along his cheek .
" You love it " Nox replied as he took Lana back through the hallways towards the control tower .
" And you know it " Lana chuckled as they disappeared .
THE PRESENT
Anakin suffered in silence as Qui-gon stood by his side , Both wrapped in this clothing as snow and ice pelted at them , The small apes bustled around them slowly as waves of sadness resonated through the force .
The lurmen began their ceremony as Anakin simply watched , His eyes moist while the cold of the planet was simply forgotten to him .
Qui-gon gently placed a hand on the boys shoulder in an attempt to console him , A sob racked from Anakin as his shoulders shook .
" I'm sorry ... Anakin " Qui-gon rubbed the boys shoulder with his thumb as the boy watched the lurmen perform .
" Why ... why ... couldn't we do something , we could have saved her " Anakin swivelled to face the Jedi master as the man winced .
Kneeling down , The man took his Padawan's hand in his own as Anakin cried .
" My boy , I must apologise , I personally am not knowledgeable in the healing arts to have sufficiently sustained her , Had master yaddle or master fay been here , I believe Gettu would have lived " Qui-gon apologised to the boy whom continued to cry .
The force shook in anakin's sadness , Qui-gon felt moisture on the edges of his eyes .
" master ... the ship , could we not have used something on board to help her " Anakin tried to reason with his master .
" Knowts is... different than most diseases , It takes time and alot of preparation to combat successfully , It eats away at body tissues and is next to impossible to remove , Accelerates in some conditions ... and there is little someone can do to stop it regularly . If we had gotten here a week ago , Or a month , The result would have been the same . The best we could have done was make her happy and comfortable ... and you did that , better than anyone could have tried " Qui-gon spoke honestly as he spoke to the blonde haired boy .
" Master I ... this feeling , I don't want to feel like this ... I miss her " Anakin slowly reached forward to hug the Jedi master. The man rubbing the boys back .
" I know Anakin ... I know the feeling quite well . It is not pleasant , We mourn the loss of those close to us , We miss them and dwell on our memories , but we must try to find a semblance of acceptance , Nobody can tell you how to move on , But we can help , Some of the other master's may not understand , But I do , And I am here for you , I will help you as best as I can " Qui-gon promised Anakin as the boy shook in his arms .
" Come , They're beginning the final sequences , Let us honour her " Qui-gon lifted the boy in his arms and moved along with the lurmen as they moved to where they would be placing Gettu .
1 WEEK LAYER
Vaylin climbed the plateau cliff face , The winds of the world attempting to pry her from the side of the cliff .
The rocks occasionally crumbled , Falling from above as she shoved them to the side through the force .
Her cloak billowed , Buffeted by the winds of the red planet as her fair skin glistened under the red star .
The swamp canopy far below her as she rose higher and higher .
After what seemed like hours , Her hand found purchase on the surface of the plateau with her right hand as she dragged herself on-top .
She lay for a few moments before rising to her feet , The X-70b a few hundred paces away .
She walked the distance between her and the ship , within a few minutes , The ramp lowered as her feet clanged with each step .
The cool interior of the ship was soothing to her skin as she took in deep breaths of cool fresh air . The cargo hold was open before her while she made her way to a large container as large as she was .
Prying the latch to the crate open , She tore the lid off as she stared at the metallic form within .
Yellow eyes flickered on as the droid slowly rose from its laying position .
The feminine droid turned to regard Vaylin for a few moments as the high justice crossed her arms .
" High justice " The droid greeted as it stepped out of the crate .
" Scorpio " Vaylin replied to the proxy as the proxy of Scorpio looked around for a few moments .
" I suspect there is a reason for this units activation " Scorpio half asked as she went over the current forms systems .
" His majesty has acquired the location of a machine known as an Infinity gate , I am to escort you to its location covertly so you may study it and replicate it and its functions within the safety of Iokath " Vaylin announced as Scorpio listened to what Vaylin had been told by their emperor telepathically .
" Very well , This unit is at peak capacity and is ready for what we require , Let us depart " Scorpio replied as Vaylin slowly made her way to the bridge .
The ship rose from the dusty plateau as it began to become more and more translucent before simply vanishing all together .
The ship , Ever silent as it flew , Soared low over the lands towards where Nox had told her the star temple was said to be located .
Ros Lai followed what the rest of the tribe knew to be their sister Rol as she made it look like she was assisting the survivor .
" Atleast the rancor is good for something " One of their sisters named Leela sneered as she stood with Vonya and Yani .
Ros frowned at the nickname they mocked her sickly form with as she helped the entity masquerading as Rol hobble through the night sister village .
The cavern that a large portion of the village was apart of glowed with green pools of water and lime fires .
Guards stood high above them , Either on platforms or outcrops of rocks lining the walls of the cavern.
" Why do they call you the rancor " The sweet voice of Rol sounded in Ros's ears as she tried to face the entity , Curiosity playing on its features as it looked at her .
" When mother cast me out , She permit the sisters to treat me however they pleased , Allowing them to beat on me as she would mock me for my weakness , I used techniques to transform into this decrepit hag , They have me the name of the rancor because of how unsightly I am " Ros replied as they passed the huts and made their way towards the entrance to the cavern .
" That is ... disgusting " Rol's sweet voice belied her words as they made to cross a wooden bridge across the lime waters .
" It was less than stellar " Ros admitted honestly as she lamented how her own people would treat her .
And deep down , It irked her that they would treat Rol , A sister from a rival village , So much better than they would treat her .
" It rarely is , worry not though , you will have you revenge in time " Rol pat Ros Lai on the back as they neared the entrance to the cavern .
" They will pay " Ros affirmed as Rol smiled .
" But not until your mother tastes the steel of your blade " The entity replied as Ros nodded in agreement .
Landing the ship a certain distance away from the path to the star temple with the pyramid a fair distance away , Vaylin rose from the pilots chair as she lowered the ramp of the ship , The Scorpio proxy following her as she left the bridge and made her way out of the ship .
Ahead of them was a dark coloured pyramid , Night sister guards protecting the entrances to the temple .
Walking closer , Vaylin flicked her right arm as the woman and the droid became obscured by rising sands in their approach .
As they approached the temple seemed to rise higher and higher into the sky as the proxy scanned the perimeter of the temple .
Once close enough , The two stopped as not to draw attention from the night sisters guarding the temple as Scorpio began her scans .
" Interesting , It appears this structure was constructed at some point prior to the galactic republic itself , But is incredibly complex , I will begin scanning at once , Blueprints and schematics will be sent to Iokath to begin replication " The proxy stated as its back broke apart , Tiny machines smaller than the nail on a hand , Having eight legs , Each with clawed ends capable of grasping surfaces , Four arms alongside these legs , Using propulsion systems as their scanners looked at the entrance of the pyramid , These droids swarmed from the chassis of the Scorpio proxy in a metallic shroud of dark colour , Penetrating from the churning sand clouds as they swept low to the ground to avoid detection , The droids climbed the outside of the temple before sliding in between small cracks and into the rest of the structure unnoticed .
" How long do you think it'll take " Vaylin asked as she crossed her arms under her bust , What remained of the proxy being akin to a decomposing skeleton as the organisms that made its chassis continued to break apart from the larger structure , Half of its head remained as it turned to Vaylin to regard her , It's arms slowly peeling away as more and more of the droids flooded from it .
' She's composed entirely of them ' Vaylin thought as she looked closer at the droids form .
" It would typically take six hours to perform a rudimentary scan , However I wish to know it's exact specifications to the finest details before I attempt to recreate this structure and move to reverse engineering it , I suspect up to a day will be needed for complete understanding " The proxy replied as Vaylin nodded and turned away and made her departure , The proxy now breaking apart fully as the swarm went to work at full capacity.
" Alert me and his majesty to your progress , I'll be on the ship ... I need a shower " Vaylin moved through the churning sands as she opened a tunnel to the silver vessel with the force as she began the small walk back to the ramp .
Apon leaving the cavern entrance , The duo were permitted to venture from the village to scour the lands until nightfall when the night mother Khlan requested Rol to be back .
The two made their way from the entrance to the village as they disappeared into the foliage of the swamps . The two passed groups of night sisters tasks with protecting the perimeter of the village from the supposed wraith within , They watched the two go but made no moves to stop them , Some of them hoping to lose the rancor to the horrific monster scouring their lands .
" Tell me , Do you know what this is " Nox asked behind the sweet face of Rol as he pulled out a lime green husk from the illusionary robes of his form .
Ros looked at the green husk for a moment as surprise over took her . She looked at the partial creation .
" I believe one of our sisters tried to manifest and crystalise spirit ichor , It looks incomplete though " Ros replied as Nox handed the husk to the woman as she looked over it in her hands " It still seems to hold some semblance of power "
" What is this ... spirit ichor " Nox asked as Ros regarded the entity with a suspicious gaze .
" It serves as a conduit for our magicks to be performed , A great deal of our spells will not work if we were unable to use it " Ros told the entity that rubbed it's chin , Stepping over the roots of a grave thorn as they went deeper into the swamps .
" Is there a prerequisite to be able to use these ... magicks " Nox asked as Ros stopped and regarded the silver haired entity before her .
" Forgive me ... I was under the belief you were already knowledgeable of the spirit magicks " Ros , In all her time was still naive about the larger aspects of the force where the magicks originated from , Having never been formally trained or Informed the woman knew nothing else other than what was found on dathomir and knowledge gifted from slaves .
" I am knowledgeable in a great many things , But I do not pretend to know everything , I wish to learn " Nox informed the woman who looked uneasy .
" Then ... what are you , And how can you do this " Ros asked as she motioned to the form Nox wore .
" Follow ... and you may just find out ... and become strong enough to put an end to the one who has wronged you the most " Nox replied cryptically as the form of Rol disappeared into the undergrowth within a few steps .
The beautiful redheaded woman stood still for a few moments , She knew those words were an ultimatum , She could turn her back right now , Flee to the village , Tell them that Rol was dead and that whatever was wearing her skin was not one of them , The chances of the truth she kept hidden coming to light were high and she would once more be at the mercy of the tribe , Unable to be the master of her own destiny as she would be too weak to kill her mother .
On the other hand she could follow the liar of Rol , Deeper into he swamps wherever it was going , The thing capable of deceiving even Zalem in her immediate presence even whilst undertaking conversation with the beast of the woman . The sheer power of the illusion evident as not even they , The masters of deception could pick out the lie . It made her curious of what else it was capable of , Would it share it's knowledge with her if she followed , Would it rend the village a burning series of stumps .
The unease at her next action churned her stomach , It was laughable , There was no choice , She simply stepped into the undergrowth willingly to follow the liar , The potential benefits far outweighing the potential drawbacks in her mind .
Standing over the Holo projector in the central lounge , Vaylin watched as the projection of the star temple was slowly made , Raising her hands to the Holo , She zoomed in as she studied the bottom halls which were already scanned , The Holo showing a live feed as a nightsister stalked the corridors .
" I believe I have come across an interesting structure " The voice of Scorpio announced over the ships comms as the Holo immediately realigned itself to what Scorpio had found .
The Holo seemed to be void in the central as several lines of code ran jj the middle of the Holo .
" The central chamber of this ... star temple contains what is designated to be a star chamber " The Holo readjusted to show the inner chamber , Large and square in design while another chamber entrance was found in the centre , Guarded by more night sisters that stood around the only entrance " Some of my swarm units managed to get in , What they found was confusing , It appears some sort of pocket dimension is housed within this ... chamber , The droids have located a second building of an strange proportions within , It is believed to be larger than the pyramid itself . I am integrating with the Star temples technology and will soon connect with whatever the structure within is , I hope to find an explanation for what is the cause of this anomaly "
Vaylin watched as. a second Holo appeared next to the star temple , A smooth in design , A four sided upside down pyramid was suspended in space as it rotated .
" Interesting , Finish with the Star temple , Finish everything ... then move into this ... star chamber " Vaylin told the droid as it agreed with her course of action .
" Signal when the star temple scans are complete " Vaylin moved away from the projector and towards Nox's quarters , Simply shrugging off her robes and kicking them to the side of the room as she removed her top and leggings , Reaching down and unclipping her boots before standing in the nude .
She looked over herself , Caked in flaking blood that made her seem more demonic than human .
Walking towards the shower within Nox's chambers , She stepped in and activated the pressure jets , The streams of water running down her body as she stood , The collected her damp hair and ran it under the water , The blood fused with her hair leaving red trails down her supple body as it was drained at the bottom .
Soap was dispensed for her use as she lathered it over her arms , Torso and legs as she bent down , She ran her hands over her breasts as she made sure to clean every inch of her body , The blood mixing with the soap as it was removed from her form , More soap was provided at her request .
She used other cleaning compounds to finish cleaning her hair running her hands through the clumpy strands , Soon being cleansed of blood and becoming soft to the touch once more .
When all was said and done , Clean under the warm waters , She allowed herself a minutes rest as she leant against the wall , She was content as she relaxed , Her eyes flung open as she shook herself to wake herself , Turning off the shower as hot air dried her off at all angles .
Stepping out of the shower , She stared at the bed as the made her way to its soft and comfy surface . She and been awake for days on end now .
' I think I deserve I little bit of rest ' Vaylin thought as she pulled back the covers and layed herself down , The comfort given to her was heaven to her , She just wished her love was there at that moment to hold her ' Come back soon '
And before she knew it the was plunged into the realm of blissful sleep .
The on board AI activated it's droid body , The previous 2V-R8 model that came with the ship remade to be used by the AI should it need , The AI piloted the protocol unit as it dutifully moved to clean vaylin's discarded garments , Being as quiet as possible as not to disturb the high justice .
Zalem glared at the slaves Infront of the star temple , Unaware of the ship landed within a kilometre away as she sneered down at them .
" Pathetic existences " The pale skinned woman growled in her red robes as she turned to her newest lizard handlers .
" You have your orders , Don't disappoint me " The dathomirian sneered as she turned away from the Givin and human respectively and made her way into the star temple .
Quinlan Voss , Jedi Knight looked to his friend Yag as they followed a group of three night sisters as they moved two of the local kwi , Chains around their necks as the reptilians made no move to struggle against their binds , They were being guided through one do the smaller structures next to the star temple , Curious in what they would be doing .
Quinlan had been dispatched to investigate the destruction of a planet named ova , Following both the clues from his investigation and the will of the force , He had been guided to the planet of dathomir .
His observations led to him finding the planet controlled by clans of women whom dictated the male populous .
Thus the knight had posed as a slave to gain information on the night sisters and their plans , His plan had gone well for the most part , He had been taken in and forced to work but his was all part of the plan to gain their trust as well as learn .
He had kept his head low to avoid suspicion , He had drawn the attention of a hag at one point , Her evident curiosity making her converse and look after him as she kindly tended to the slaves as well as himself .
He could feel the force was with her in some capacity as she did all she could for them .
He had wondered what had become of her , within the last week the slaves of their group had been rounded up and kept together , Preparing to be transported to new pens for apparent use .
He hadn't caught the woman's name but felt for her , She was abused by the rest of the clans as they mocked her , Calling her a rancor and such before beating her .
She hadn't come by the last few days , And he had to admit he was worried for her safety as none of the sisters worried over her .
But for the large part his plan had succeeded . However be was discovered by his close friend Yag to be a Jedi as he had to defend the rest of the slaves from a giant worm like creature that had come up from underground .
He had used his lightsaber to defend both Yag and the slaves before slaying the beast by severing its head from its body .
And thus , For their shows of strength and protecting their fellow slaves , Both he and Yag had been promoted in some form , Allowed to become lizard handlers by the decree of the witch queen .
Speaking of Yag , Quinlan looked at the Givin with am appraising eye .
The white skull like exoskeleton of his friend showed now motion but a wailing look frozen in time , He originally hadn't thought much of the creature , the man was a smuggler whom had crashed into the planet and enslaved by their captors .
They had taken his ship and turned it into a subterine , Capable of drilling into the planet and carving out new paths for them to use .
By a rights he shouldn't have lived as long as he did , It showed a strength few held , Fortitude and a refusal to give in . Before long the two had gotten along , Even defending each other in some cases when called for , He had been there long before Vos arrived , But the Givin had yet to give up hope .
And now here they were holding two rods connected to chains , Guiding two kwi deep I to the star temple as they were followed by three night sisters .
" In there " One of the sisters ordered as they rounded a corner , A large room before them .
Both Vos and Yag entered and nearly emptied their stomachs .
Littered around the room were paws of evidently kwi origin , Many just discarded throughout the room while others were being gathered up by slave workers and carted out .
" Stick the rods into the ground over there " The lead sister ordered as Vos and Yag reluctantly unfed their rods into two holes in the floor before they were latched onto by the holes , Securing the poles in place .
" Now all you have to do it remove their paws , The workers will take them out afterwards before the next two are brought in for the same procedure , Simple , We will return shortly , Be done by then " Swiftly delivering her orders , The lead sister and her two lackeys left the room as Vos and Yag remained still , The kwi resigned to their fates .
" Blast it " Quinlan growled as he punched the stone wall as the wall cracked , Some for the slaves turning to him before continuing with cleaning the kwi appendages .
" W...what are we going to do , These creatures are innocent but ... " Yag stuttered as Quinlan turned to him .
" We won't be ... Enough is enough , How many have to suffer under their regime , No ... When they come back we're fixing this " Quinlan promised as Yag slowly nodded at the Jedi Knights words .
" Do you have a plan " Yag asked the man with the yellow streak on his face .
" I do " Vos replied as he leant in to tell the Givin what to do .
" We're being followed " Ros's eyes widened at what she had been alerted to .
" Are you sure " Ros asked as the silver eyed woman turned to the woman and nodded .
" I am , And I believe they have hostile intentions towards you ... this will be quite ... entertaining " Nox chuckled as Ros grit her teeth " Three of them ... from the cavern have followed us "
" I think I know who they are " Ros growled as she turned back to face the path they had come from .
" Well if it isn't the rancor " Leela spat as she stood atop a grave thorn while Yani and vonya arrived shortly after " Did you lead our dear sister out here to murder her because of your jealousy , Now now ... we can't let you harm her "
Leela pulled out her long curved blade as green whisps flowed along its steel surface .
" Defend yourself " The entity she followed ordered of her as Yani pulled out her bow , Taking out three arrows before shooting them all at once .
She leapt to the side in a show of speed a decrepit old woman shouldn't have , Vonya shooting a bolt of green energy at her that blasted her backwards into a grave thorn .
Her illusion gave way as she metamorphosised Into her true form as her concentration broke .
" You lying wench " Leela sneered as she studied Ros Lai , Bringing her weapon up as she leapt from the grave thorn she stood in a B-line to kill the redhead .
Yani and vonya stood watched as the decided to let Leela do her thing .
With her illusion broken she knew the gig was up , Leaping to her feet as she pulled out her own blade , The night sister weapons meeting in the middle .
Steel wrung against steel in sparks as Leela attempted to kill the queen's daughter .
A jab at her stomach was batted to the side while she tried to slice the woman stomach open .
Leela ducked and kicked at Ros knees , The woman losing her footing at the kick as she fell on her back .
Nox watched in amusement as Ros battled Leela , The redhead rolling from a downward stab from Leela , The redhead flipping back to her feet as she slammed the bottom of her foot into Leela's stomach .
Ducking to the right as Leela slashed again in her rage , Ros met their blades in the middle once more , The force of their strikes cracking the steel as they broke in half .
With a howl , Leela tackled Ros and began to beat on her ,Wailing on her with her clenched fists .
Ros tried to defend herself as she struggled under the stronger girl , The fear for her life all to real as her nose was crushed by one of Leela's fists .
Her eye was bruised as her jaw cracked under the barrage of punches .
Leela , Growing fed up , Grabbed the lochs of red hair in her fists as she dragged Ros through the mud , Kicking her in the stomach as she could all while Nox watched apatheticly .
Slamming Ros's head into the ground , Leela reached for the shattered hilt of her sword as she sat on Ros's back , Raising her head with her hair .
" You're so pathetic , Hiding behind a false face , I'm doing you a mercy " Leela sneered as she brought the broken blade to Ros's neck .
' are you simply going to allow yourself to die , Before you can avenge your father , All because you couldn't out the effort into defending yourself ' Nox's Voice assaulted Ros's mind as the redhead looked at him from the corner of her eye , Nox in the guise of Rol tilting his head slightly in question .
His words wrung in her head over and over as she clenched her fists , Her toes curling in anger as Leela moved to slit her throat .
' NO ' Ros yelled internally as she screamed out to the rest of the world , twisting and turning under Leela as she tossed the woman off , Leela fell to the side with a Yelp as she dropped the broken blade while Ros came to her feet , Raising her leg into the air before bringing it down onto Leela's screaming face .
The first stamp shattered the woman's nose as blood covered Leela's face , The second knocked teeth loose from her head but she continued to scream , The third ended her as Ros slammed down into the skull of the girl , Her foot sinking all the way through as the girls head exploded outwards in a spray of brain matter and Bone shards as the grips eyeballs popped under foot and teeth slowly floated away under the blood spillage .
Gurgling came from the neck of the girl as her body struggled and slowly died as Ros stood triumphant but shaken .
Vonya stood with Yani as the younger of the two shook in rage while anger soon courses through Vonya's veins .
" You ... dare " Yani growled as she and vonya took out their weapons , Ros remembering their presence but holding no weapon of her own .
" You killed her " Vonya hissed as the two dropped to the ground with two solid thuds and began to walk towards Ros .
The redhead backed up in fear as she fell on her arse and scampered back , Her back eventually hitting a grave thorn that stopped her from getting away .
" Good for nothing filth " Vonya hissed as she made to slash at Ros's face .
" That's enough of that " A male voice familiar to Ros sounded before the clearing was bathed in red light . A sudden boom and crackle was all that announced the things movements as red coloured lightning struck the backs of Vonya and Yani .
The duo weren't even able to let out a scream as they simple exploded outwards instantaneously apon impact with the red forks of death .
Ros was splattered with the insides of the two night sisters as she froze at the sudden deaths of the two , She barely noticed the approach of Rol , Now with seering molten yellow orbs as the woman knelt down to her .
" You fought well ... all things considered " Rol knelt down to her with a dark chuckle as she slapped Ros with her palm , Not caring for the blood on the redheads face " Now come along ... we have a trip to the star temple to undertake "
Ros simply stared ahead as Rol came to her feet and began to walk off , The sheer lack of care for the murder of the two sisters greatly unnerved her , But she could do nothing now ... she could not return for it was she that had killed Leela , And now she had to suffer the consequences of her actions .
Slowly she rose from the ground and followed the thing that looked like a woman .
The plan had worked well , Knocking out the three night sisters had proven to be significantly easier than he anticipated .
As they had reentered the ... surgery chamber ,Vos and Yag had taken cover beside both sides of the entryway , Yag hand managed to get the first nearest sister into a choke hold , Dragging her to the ground as he choked her out .
Vos had engaged the other two immediately after they entered , Literally disarming the first with his weapon as she fell to the ground with knubs for arms while he engaged the leader .
All in all it had gone perfectly , The leader now unconscious next to the entrance with her while the disarmed sister was racked with tears .
With a snap hiss , His lightsaber retracted as he clipped it to his belt , He moved towards the still restrained kwi as he removed their collars while Yag went about freeing the workers within the room .
With Vos making shushing motions to everyone within the room , Yag knocking the crying sister unconscious , The duo gathered everyone around them to bring them into the plan .
" We're getting you all out of here , Stay in here , Myself and Yag here will be clearing the hallways and rooms of the sisters , Be quiet in the meantime , We'll send anybody else we free in here , Keep yourselves safe until we return " Vos told the slaves who understood his demands .
Turning to the entrance , Vos motioned for Yag to follow as he stood over the incapacitated trio of sisters , Taking their weapons from him as he handed a blade to Yag and tossed the bows and blades to the slaves incase the sisters woke before they could return .
Creeping down the hallway of the stone building , Vos peered around the corner to spot a nightsister approaching .
Flattening himself against the wall while Yag did the same , The night sister walked by as Vos creeped behind , Sneaking up behind the woman before kicking her legs out from behind her , Reaching round to keep her mouth shut as she hit the ground on her knees , Vos wrestled her into Unconciousness within moments as her eyes rolled into the back of her head .
The next room they came across was filled with twelve kwi awaiting to be de-pawed , Yag had subdued the sole woman with a punch to the cranium while Vos made to free the kwi , The reptiles had followed Vos back to the original room without understanding him , However the two already within had communicated with them their plan while the twelve agreed to wait for Vos and Yag to finish .
The rest of the building went by in similar fashion , Subduing patrolling night sisters when they were encountered , Freeing Kwi workers and slaves and after a short while the building was free of hostiles .
The group of the free were gathered at the entrance as a kwi dragged the armless sister forward , Obviously awake as she struggled while being forced to kneel before Vos .
" Where can I get transport for them to get off world " Vos asked the nightsister as she glared at him openly .
" You can't , There is no way " The girl spat at the man who scowled at her .
Yag , Getting an idea tapped Vos on the shoulder , Drawing the man away from the group as the human looked at the Givin in curiosity .
" What's on your mind " Vos asked as Yag made sure nobody could hear .
" I think we may be able to get my ship working , It has enough room for everybody here , We just have to get to it " Yag informed Vos as the human placed his hand on his chin in thought .
" It's a good idea , We just have to find out where it is and get to it , Any idea where it could be " Vos asked as Yag shook his head .
" I don't ... but we have someone who should " Yag motioned to the now silent armless sister as Vos couldn't help the smile coming to his face .
" Let's find out " Vos turned back for the sister .
As he returned to the sister , Vos couldn't help but shiver as warnings begun to wring out to him through the force , Calling for his departure as soon as he could , Worry began to fill him as the kwi and slaves shivered , Their breaths visible in the rapid plummet of temperature.
" W...what " Yag shivers as Vos turned to the Shushin , The ghastly white man holding his arms and shaking .
" We need to leave , Let's hurry " Vos stammered through the sudden unexplainable cold , Deciding it be best to follow the will of the force .
The two had taken control of a nightsister speeder as they used the two person speeder to travel the vast distance they had to cover .
The rusted steel groaned as the wind buffeted them while Ros remained silent as she sat in the side cart of the night sister speeder .
She shivered as Nox glared straight ahead as he used his nigh unstoppable piloting skills to manoeuver the speeder through the swamps with use of the force on his surroundings and manipulating the capabilities of the vehicle , The speeder groaning as it reached speeds it should not typically be capable of .
Ros gripped the sides of the bike with white knuckles as the bike veered violently to the right and immediately left afterwards as it swivelled around a group of Grave thorns .
It took a few more minutes before they broke the canopy of the swamps as they passed over a chasm delving deep into the crust of dathomir . The speeder groaned and sputtered as it flew .
Ros dug into the side cart as gravity took affect on the speeder , Luckily the speeder was able to clear the chasm without much trouble , The bottom for the speeder slamming into the red stone , Miraculously staying together as the speeder released a hum before chugging forward across the rocky lands with insane speeds .
Ros breathed heavily as she clutched at the hull of the side cart for her life , Laying low as she buried herself into its safety .
Nox simply looked at her with a raised eyebrow before chuckling .
" Not too much long now " Nox mused as the rocky lands blurred around them .
Sneaking into a guarded overhang of rocks serving as a naturally made hanger , The Givin hiding behind large boulders as he snuck between patrols .
It took a decent amount of time for the Givin to make it to his ship but in the end he successfully managed to avoid detection ,Sneaking on board as the night sisters seemed distracted , Allowing him to easily slip past their members , The ship was exactly where the armless nightsister said it would be . It was vastly different than when he owned it , But more or less operational as it began to power on .
Powering on the Installed turrets on both sides of the ship , He set the targeting parameters as they opened fire on the night sister guards whom were caught unaware before being eradicated by the ship .
Guiding the ship out of the rocky hanger as it's thrusters roared as dust was churned under the the ship .
The cruiser approached the star temple and it's surrounding building , Most importantly the slave pens .
The kwi we're thankful , That much was certain as the lizards came together , Communicating with each other as Vos watched the dot in the distance approached .
" He made it " Vos sighed in relief as his eyes took notice of a rising storm behind the approaching ship from the direction of the swamp lands far away .
" The lizards wish to depart back to their brethren " A deep male voice of a released zabrak male of red skin , Small horns on the top of his head told the human .
Patting the zabrak on the shoulder in thanks , Vos made his way to the lizards that turned to him .
" I understand you wish to travel back to the safety of your lands , please allow us to shorten your trip and drop you off on the outskirts of your territory " Vos reasoned with the intelligent lizards as they each looked at one another .
" If you wish for our assistance we would gladly oblige you " The braided man turned to the now ship , Now much larger in it's looks as it's thrusters were heard by all , The kwi making their way into the stone building they were freed from in the meantime .
The arrival of the ship did not go unnoticed as the resident tribes women began their deviance from their guard posts to investigate .
Pulling out his lightsaber as the green blade sprung from its emitter , the cruiser beginning its final approach as Vos herded the slaves to prepare for their quick departure .
" Go , I'll fend them off " Vos yelled out as the ramp to the cruiser lowered as it turned and began to fly low to the ground .
A hail of arrows flew through the air towards them as Vos swung his weapon in arcs of green light , The trails of light drawing the attention for the first of the arriving witches .
The freed slaves and workers walked the ramp of the ship and Into the larger ship .
" Well this is going to be fun " Vos mused as he deflected arrows sent his way , Slicing them from the air as he let the force guide him .
More and more arrows joined the onslaught as more sisters arrived to the scene , Thai time from the opposite direction , Next to the entrance of the De-clawing zone as they took aim and let loose the first volley from their group .
The last of the workers had finally made their way up the ramp of the ship , The zabrak male from earlier turning and yelling for the Jedi Knight to board .
" COME ON " The zabrak yelled out as Vos looked around , Slowly beginning to be overwhelmed by the increasing numbers as he tried to make his way to the ships ramp , Using bursts of force speed and precognition to clear the distance between his target , He was forced to stop his path as a third group of Night sisters made their presence known atop do the De-clawing building as they took aim at the Jedi knight and the ship .
" You are strong , You would have made a good mate " A lead hunter of the third group aimed for Vos's head .
" Yea well ... I'm not to keen on being used for breeding so I don't think it would work out " Vos raised his lightsaber Infront of himself in preparation for his final stand .
" Mark " The lead yelled as all the nightsisters raised their weapons , Notching their arrows as they glowed with spiritual ichor .
Drawing their arms back in unition as the bowstrings became taunt .
Closing his eyes , Vos took a deep breath as the force flowed through him . The danger these hunters posed to him easily warning him against attempting to take them on ... It however kept warning him of an approaching danger , Far greater than any currently present as the force practically pounded into him the urgency of the need for him to leave .
He was saved from the sisters however , As several screeches drew the attention of the residents , The blue skinned lizards surging from within the De-clawing building as the first climbed the wall of the building , Grabbing at the lead hunter by the leg as he dragged her from the roof , Using the momentum of her fall as the kwi brought her down face first into the wall where her head exploded on the stone blocks .
The second and third kwi leapt from the building as they wielded some swords from within the building as they went to attack the three groups .
Making its way onto the roof , The first knocked another hunter from the roof with its tail as it tore the face from a third in their surprise .
As the last three kwi freed in the building ran from within to join the attack , Vos took this chance to depart , The warnings to him through the force now am endless screech , The Jedi knight leapt to the ramp for the cruiser , Turning back briefly to watched the hunters fend off the kwi as chaos ensued , Watching the slave pens they were unable to shut down in time shut down on their own , The slaves within bellowing cries as they joined the kwi in an attack on their captors .
Entering the ship as the ramp closed , Vos made his way to the bridge of the ship which Yag was seated in his pilots chair , Vos taking the seat next to the man with a sigh .
" Where to " Yag asked as Vos turned to him .
" Coruscant , The Jedi temple " Vos sighed into the chair as the freed people's moved throughout the cruiser to make themselves comfortable for the long haul .
The ship was soon assaulted by storm clouds as red lightning flashed violently across the view port as strong winds buffeted the ship , Forcing Yag to use more force in piloting the ship as the storm tried to force them to crash .
The ship eventually broke through the swirling cyclone , The warnings through the force slowly ebbing away the further they got away from whatever was on planet .
Looking back at the storm clouds as the ship began it's hyperspace startup sequence , Vos looked at the black cyclone riddled with red flashes of lightning as the swirling mass of vapour rose over a large portion of the hemisphere , In the eye of the storm was the star pyramid as it rose over its lands , Vos watched as tongues of red lightning struck the surface of the temple as torrential downpours mudded the lands .
" Ready " Yag asked as he drew the enraptured Quinlan Vos's attention from the beautiful , Almost unnatural storm and to the pale white man .
"Let's get out of here " Vos sighed as blue streaks obscured their sights as the ship leapt into hyperspace .
Lightning struck the sands around the star temple turning them to glass as the night sister speeder slowed to a stop , Heavy rains pelting at the temple , Trails and rivers of water flowing to the lowest point , The runoff eventually finding its way to the cliffs , Creating waterfalls that flowed deep into the darkness below .
Ros shivered at the cold that bit at her as the entity raised his hand in a grasping motion .
Rising from the side cart of the speeder , Ros noted the bodies of night sisters littering the lands while some of the local kwi were also amongst the victims .
Looking towards the entity with its right hand raised , She was about to asked what it was doing when she heard the billowing of clothing as a black streak soared from the west do the star temple right into the entities grasp .
" Oh " Ros didn't say anything further as she watched the entity slowly slide the black cloak onto the womanly form .
The smooth and feminine features of Rol turned to face Ros as the entity wearing the womanly form grabbed the hem of the hood and rose it over her head , Her head completely disappearing into black much to Ros's unease .
" Your mother has gathered the rest of her clan within the star chamber ... A skeleton crew is guarding the rest of the temple ... no doubt the majority of them were dealt with by the kwi ... come " The male voice of Nox rose from within the black shadows of the robes , The entity ignored the rain buffeting against the cloth .
Ros shivered as another strong gust of wind tossed her red hair into the air , The cold water running down her arms and legs as her corset she wore with her purple hood and shoulder cape were the only things in place to give her warmth .
Thunderous strikes of lightning and thunder rolled through the clouds as red flashes illuminated the view of the path to the temple , Lightning striking at one of the many corpses to their immediate right as the body exploded in a shower of blood and gore .
Ros remained hot on the entities heels , Suspecting the storm was the beings doing thus assuming the safest place to be from the rolling thunder and sand melting lightning would be near its source .
They passed by a group of recently deceased , Their blood still falling from their wounds as Nox made no moves to check for survivors .
" It's another of them monsters ... get em " The leader of the remaining released slaves bellowed as he came forward from the entrance of the star temple , Being followed close by by the rest of the escapees .
" I don't have time for this " Nox's eyes flashed molten yellow under his hood as every one of the escapees , The flesh of the escapees blistering faster than they could take another step before their extremities were completely vaporised , The bodies of the whole group fading away to the heavy winds as what remained collapsed and crumbled into ash that billowed away .
Ros watched all this and couldn't help the fright that clutched her soul , Small flakes from the now deceased slaves smudging into her skin .
" Wh...W...what was that " Ros asked as Nox and the woman began to ascend the stairs of the star temple .
" A technique employed by some of the most knowledgeable of my order , It is called deadly sight , I harness my fury ... my hatred and project it into a glare and cast it apon anybody in sight ... the results are ... spectacular " Nox told the woman as he stamped down on some remains , twisting his foot as he smudged the ash into the stone , The massive archway serving as the entrance was apon them .
Ros stared , Both frightened and amazed at what she had been told by the entity as she followed behind , Soon sighing in relief as they were no longer being pelted by rain .
" High justice , It appears as if his majesty had entered the star temple with a night sister who seems to be accompanying him " The scorpio proxy announced over comms as Vaylin studied the now complete Holo of the star temple .
The Holo of the star chamber well under way beside the first construct as Vaylin watched the live feed of Nox allowing the night sister to subdue her sisters , Watching as the woman more often than not used lethal force on the dathomirians as the emperor kept his pace the whole way through to the star chamber , Not slowing in the slightest as they rapidly approached the star chamber entrance .
Standing from her leaning position on the Holo display , Vaylin made her way to the bridge of the ship , Taking her seat as she made to move the X-70 directly to the entrance of the star temple knowing that only her lord would be departing from the temple alive .
" Not too much longer now " Vaylin mused as she guided the incredibly advanced ship through the lightning strikes and heavy winds , Eventually breaking through the wall of clouds and into the eye of the storm where she circled the temple twice to check for any potential threats before bringing the ship down Infront of the ascending steps of the temple , The landing gear digging into the ash covered sands as the ramp lowered onto the sands .
Closing her eyes as she felt the force , She decided to await for her lord to return as she left the bridge and made to entertain herself until his return .
The star chamber entrance was Infront of them , As large as a star ship as a sort of dimensional wall served as the doorway into the realm of infinity within .
Turning to face the wall behind them , Nox remarked the whole in the side of the star temple , Apparently drilled through by the witches with a large ship .
" Well now we know how they originally got in " Nox chuckled as he offered his slender hand for Ros to take .
" I'd recommend you exhale or your lungs are going to rupture " Nox mused as the woman took his hand , The two becoming enveloped in an electric barrier as well as a swirling shield of the force .
She managed to do as he said as she exhaled all the air in her lungs but was given no time to reply as Nox hurled them both through the dimensional barrier with no effort , His feet Cratering the steel beneath from the sheer power He exerted in his leap as she was caught off guard ,
Passing through the barrier was akin to passing through thick coagulated water , Not wet exactly but liquid in it's feel as they passed through
Open before them was a void of space known as a realm of infinity , Starless and infinite as the Kwa had aptly named .
Far ahead , A mere speck against the dark background was the star chamber , The control point for the infinity gate .
Looking to his right , He could see Ros , The air dragged out of her lungs as the void dragged the very oxygen from her body , Ice flakes began to form on her face as she looked towards his hood in desperation .
A smirk made its way to his illusionary face as he began to fold space around the two as a purple haze swallowed them .
A gasp escaped Ros as she slammed into the steel surface of a hallway within the star chamber , Drawing in previous air as Nox let go of her hand as she fell back and breathed .
" Get up ... your mother Is preparing to use the infinity gate " Nox ordered as Ros slowly rose to her feet " Do what you wish to your sisters ... I will meet you in the control chamber "
" And what will you be doing while I face my sister's " Ros asked as Nox began to walk away .
" Simply looking over some things " Nox all but disappeared into the darkness as Ros's face twitched .
" Time to go confront my mother " Ros grunted as she turned and went in the opposite direction .
This was her time , She muscled her way through her sisters , Often rendering them unconscious as she carved her way through to the control chamber .
She sprinted , Taking her sisters by surprise , As she used her knowledge to overcome them and pass onto the next group , Moving closer and closer to her mother .
All the while Nox simply stalked the hallways in the same manor Vaylin did throughout the swamps , A wraith that spooked all that saw as he made his way through to the control chamber , Examining everything he could on his way through .
He looked upward through the walls and ceilings of the floors of the star chamber , Looking directly at Zalem and Ros as the daughter was almost apon her mother.
A door lay before him , Closed as it had been for millenia ... A flick of his wrists tore the door from its hinges and crumbled the wall around it as the door impacted the steel with a solid thud .
' I have everything I need ' Nox thought as he entered the blue glowing room , Swarms of tiny droids suddenly entering the previously sealed room thanks to him Opening it .
" Finish quickly ... we do not have much time "Nox told the small droids that acknowledged what he had ordered but did not reply .
His cloak twisted as he turned to leave the room , Feeling th confrontation between mother and daughter about to commence .
Zalem lowered her hands as she turned her gaze to the entrance of the control chamber , Her red robes toasting and swaying as her white face glared down at her daughter with an apathetic gaze.
" So you're the one that's come to hinder my plans " Zalem sneered as she launched her attack on Coruscant , Turning back as the infinity gate shook around them " I'm surprised I pathetic weakling like you were able to get through your sisters "
" You shouldn't be worried about them , You have more pressing matters " Ros sneered as she pulled out two curved blades , Lowering closer to the ground as she prepared to attack .
What would occur between the two would decide what the future held for the night sister clans ...
Her blades sung as Zalem bent at an unnatural degree to side step her daughter's twin blades .
Green lightning burst from the night mother queen's hand in a green beam as Ros ducked , Locks of her red hair burning as she narrowly avoided the beam .
" Weak " Zalem growled as a green shield erupted from her , Launching Ros back across the chamber .
" Pathetic excuse for a witch " She continued as she conjured a blade into existence Infront of her , The woman used her pointed pale fingers to grab the hilt of the blade as she cackled , Leaping into the air to bring the blade down onto Ros's unguarded back .
Ros looked up as Zalem sailed through the air , Flowing robes billowing behind her as the mad gleam in her eye Shon , Her intention clear .
" Die heathen " Zalem roared as Ros brought her twin blades up to block , The sheer disparity between their skills and strengths clear as Zalem's Strike took her daughter off her feet , Propelling Ros across into another wall as the you fees blades became chipped .
" You dare raise your hand at the one to sire you " Zalem growled as another beam of green lightning leapt from her open palm and into Ros , Striking the girl in the chest , Forcing her to drop her weapons as she writhed in agony .
" Truly ... you are pathetic " Zalem hissed as she walked over to Ros , Rearing her right arm back before plunging the weapon into her own daughters heart , No care seen on her face as if she was dispensing with an annoyance .
Pulling her weapon from the girls chest , Ros slid down to the ground as blood poured form the gaping hole .
" I had hoped you would be atleast marginally stronger " Zalem dispelled her weapon as the light died in Ros's eyes , The girl falling to the side .
Turning from her daughter Zalem made her way back up towards the console to see the progress of her attack on Coruscant , Ignoring the deceased body of her daughter .
Standing Infront of the targetting console , Zalem focussed on the device as she closed her eyes .
Thus she was taken unaware as the chipped blade of her daughter tore through her back and out of her stomach , Her mouth open in both surprise and horror .
' How ... could ' Zalem thought as her eyes flickered to the entrance of the room , Standing there being a robed figure similar to the wraith , A chin showing a sinister smile with pearly white teeth visible under the shadows of the hood ' An ... illusion '
Ros tore her blade out of her mother's stomach as the woman fell to the side , Ragged breaths following as Zalem clutched at her stomach , Rolling in agony as the hole in her stomach spewed blood cross the steel floor .
Ros took absurd amount of pleasure and joy in watching the previous lifeblood flow from her mother's wound rapidly , Tears running down her cheeks as she finally took revenge for her father's murder .
A slow clap sounded from the entrance as Ros finally took notice of the entity that had unbeknownst to her , Interfered with her mother's senses .
" Well done " The pleasant female voice of Rol sounded from under the hood , A small glare made its way onto the nightsisters face as she looked to her second captor , Hiding the malice on her face hoping it didn't notice .
" You've finally gotten your revenge " The entity declared almost mockingly as it approached .
" That I have " Ros stood tall over her mother's dying body , The easy at which she had killed her mother bolstering her confidence .
" Then come ... there is much we must do " Nox beckoned for her to come , But grew interested as she made no move to budge from her spot .
With a shake of her head , Ros looked down on what she could still perceive to be a spirit or entity of some sort .
" No ... I don't think so , You see ... it is law amoungst the clans that the one to slay the last leader ... becomes the new one " Ros announced as she continued to glare down at the cloaked entity .
Nox turned his head slightly , Barely perceptible in his movement as he felt the presences of the night sister clans now under the order of Ros , Enter the room and surround Nox , No doubt Ros was aware of them herself as she smirked victoriously down at him .
" So you're reneging your vow " Nox tilted his head as Ros sneered .
" The night sisters do not serve " Ros decreed as her now underlings de-cloaked , Their bows pointed at Nox as the entity was nonchalant about the development .
" I see " Nox simply replied as he prepared unaware to the night sisters around him as he reached through the force to pull something back towards dathomir , Changing it's direction with a thought as everyone was unaware " It is regrettable ... but not unexpected "
" Silence this fiend " Ros ordered as The sisters drew their arrows and let them fly within a second .
" Bad move " Nox uttered as his arms shot out , Freezing the arrows in place before they blasted back at their sender's .
Most of the surrounding sisters managed to leap away from their own arrows , But Nox was already on the move as he flashed to the right , Plunging his hand through the chest of the nearest , The sister gurgling on her own blood as he flicked her body at another immediately to his left , The two bodies colliding , Shattering under the momentum as they died nearly instantly .
He ducked a sword swipe to his head from behind as he swivelled , Standing to full height within her guard as he reach up , Planting hands on the sides of the woman's head as he twisted , Her heads orientation reversing as she spewed up blood on a sister behind her .
And as Nox stood while the third dying sister fell , He screeched at them , It was both a physical assault as the room violently shook , Sending the occupants stumbling , And a mental assault as fear was forced into the women's minds , The sisters falling into chaos as they shook and cried all the while Nox brought carnage unto them .
Ros watched the carnage , Her previous confidence a fleeting spark against what it was before , She had made a lapse in judgement , A very big one .
Four ... now six of her sisters were dead , It had been barely three seconds . It had killed her sisters with its bare hands , Strength and speed alone . When it had moved it had forced instinctual fear to over come her , Running through her and stilling her where she stood .
Many would call her a coward , Her sisters would surely disown her , But they wouldn't understand , No ... she should have known it was impossibly powerful , A spirit of wrath and destruction incarnate .
So she fled , Running from the control chamber as tears streamed down her face as she slid into the wall trying to round a corner towards where a series of repurposed ships were kept .
Tripping slightly as she stumbled , The woman pushed herself to keep fleeing , As if the wraith was in hot pursuit of the woman .
Dark animal esk chuckles echoed down the hallways as the building began to shake .
They were dead , All of them , Their bodies lined the room in pieces or broken internally as they were stuck in perpetual agony .
His illusion receded as he lowered his hood , Now looking like his true self once more as he was alone , The star chamber was shaking in it's entirety as the building began to rattle itself to pieces .
" Structural integrity at thirty percent , Unknown anomaly detected in correspondence with commencement of event " The Scorpio proxy began to piece itself together piece by piece as the droid swarm flowed into the room like a swarm of locusts .
" I am aware , It is Afterall my doing " Nox dismissed as he turned to the now fully formed proxy " Have you completed you analysis and reconstruction"
" Structural reconstruction, Analysis and engineering has been completed and ready for construction should you permit on Iokath " Scorpio replied as she brought up a Holo of the star chamber for Nox to see .
Walking up to the controls of the star chamber , Nox followed a blood trail to the body of Zalem as she stared up at him , Hatred burning on her features as she layed against the wall .
" Don't look at me like that ... you were destined to fail before you even found the star temple " Nox knelt down to the woman as she followed his movements with her eyes , Unable to give herself the energy to even move her fingers .
" But take comfort in the fact that through me ... your knowledge passes on to another " Nox reached for the woman's forehead planting a thumb above her brow as they both arched , The woman unable to do anything but grunt in pure agony as her knowledge was torn from her mind and transfered to Nox .
It took moments , But she could attest this short moment for the most painful event she had ever been forced to endure , As Nox took his fingers from her head , The woman slumped as tears fell from her eyes while the man rose to his feet .
" Interesting ... most are turned into vegetables after such an event , Most interesting ... goodbye now " Nox turned and made his way back down to the Scorpio proxy whom awaited him , Zalem watched him depart as she resigned herself to her fate .
" Send a copy to my implants , I wish to study them myself. I believe it is time we got out of here don't you think " Nox offered his hand to the Scorpio unit .
" Agreed " Scorpio grabbed Nox's hand as he once more folded space around himself and another , The two disappearing from the control chamber leaving nothing but bodies in their wake as its structure began to fall apart entirely and crush where they were before hand .
She barely made it onto the only surviving ship , A small freighter brown in colour , She stumbled up the ramp before falling face first on the entryway as she broke down .
" Greetings I am D7-J8 " Ros turned to see an older model protocol droid , It's photoreceptors looked at her soulessly " How may I be of assistance"
" Just get us out of here ... please " Ros whispered as the droid tilted its head slightly .
" As you wish " The droid turned and made its way to the bridge , While Ros simply layed in her spot , Ignoring the closing of the ramp or the rattling of the freighter as it rose and exited the star chamber .
The vast void around the ship slowly taking a hue of blue as the ship flew to the dimensional gate .
She did nothing as they made it through , Just laying there stuck in her own agonising thoughts , She had killed the woman that had plagued her for the majority of her life ... inadvertently ordered the deaths of her clan and given herself in servitude of a vengeful spirit ... and now she was running , From all that she had known into the stars above ... simply to flee , she was a coward , A failure and she knew it .
And as the ship went through the dimensional gate , Flying straight the the hole in the side of the temple and into the wilds of Dathomir , The ship rapidly ascending in it's escape .
Nox simply stared from the steps leading into the star temple as the ship rose into the atmosphere in the distance .
He grunted as he turned to Vaylin who looked at him from the ramp .
" We're leaving " Nox announced as he walked up the steel ramp , Vaylin following as the Scorpio proxy had already placed itself back into its storage crate and shut down .
The ship soon rose from the dunes of dathomir , Rising from the temple that erupted into pure energy moments later , Nox having redirected the attack on coruscant back into he infinity gate itself , And as they rose a dome of energy obliterated what remained of the bodies , The buildings and everything within a kilometres radius .
" How did it go " Vaylin sat herself down next to Nox as he smirked and looked at her .
" Exactly as I foresaw " Nox replied as the woman herself smiled .
" What of the escapee " Vaylin asked in reference to the fleeing freighter .
" It is of no consequence , I saw her incoming betrayal , but she hasn't escaped ... no she is doing exactly as I wanted , She has no knowledge of what I or any of us look like , She doesn't know my signature and believes us to be vengeful spirits ... we will cross paths again ... I am sure of it " Nox answered as Vaylin readily accepted the answer , Comforted that the woman held know true knowledge of them .
" Where are we off to now " Vaylin sat back as Nox positioned the ship into the correct orientation.
" Home ... to Zakuul " Nox activated the hyperdrive , The ship being sent hurtling through the realm of hyperspace moments later .
CORUSCANT- JEDI TEMPLE
Qui-gon stood outside of anakin's quarters , Unsure of what to do ,He could feel the boys sadness through the force , No doubt simply laying on his bed , Head on his tear stained pillow .
Quite honestly the Jedi master did not know what to do , The boy was depressed that much was clear to anyone who knew him , Still the master was unsure exactly how to help the boy .
" Master " Qui-gon turned to Obi-Wan as the teen came down the hallway " What are you doing here "
Stepping away from the door to anakin's room , Qui-gon decided to confide in Obi-Wan .
" This last mission I partook with Anakin has affected him profoundly , I have drawn a blank on how to truly help him though this trying time for him " Obi-Wan looked critically at the lost Jedi master as the knight thought over what possibly could have occured " I must ask your help with this , I ... I don't know what to do "
Obi-Wan leant on his right leg as he ran a hand over his chin , Thinking hard on what he could do to assist the boy .
It took a few moments before an idea came to his head , The idea had some merit and would serve to slay two birds with one stone .
" Well I believe a certain queen is on world to talk with the senate about what happened on her homeworld ... I believe her angry assistant has accompanied her " Obi-Wan hinted as Qui-gon let out a breath , Gratitude playing on his features before he let out a large smile .
" Let us go collect young Kanya shall we " Qui-gon pat Obi-Wan on the shoulder .
" Yes master " The two chuckled as they went to get the woman as a surprise for Anakin .
MONTHS LATER - ZAKUUL
" Begin " Nox stated as the Holo call went out and was automatically answered .
Worldwide , Nox appeared on every Holo device across Zakuul , Garbed in his royal armour , Serious look on his features as he addressed his empire .
" Citizens of our glorious empire , It is I , Your mighty emperor " His words called for all attention as his people tuned in , Listening and hanging for every word .
" As you are all aware , Our great empire , our people , Our populations numbers are reaching numbers that soon will not be able to be sustained by our great city . Over the last few years I along with our Lady Scorpio have been looking into a solution to this problem .
I have seen planets , Over my long life where the population expands over their lands , They tear up the soil , destroy ecosystems , Pollute the lands . But I ... I will not allow this. Thus we have put all our time , All our resources into our solution.
Some of you are aware , Some of you are not , But our great fleet comes from another world , An impossibly large world of unimaginable beauty , Built around a star , It is safe , And the potential to be one of the greatest symbols of our empire .
Our gracious Lady Scorpio has made use of ancient hyper gate technology , Reverse engineered and remade to build a bridge between our two worlds . A new spaceport has been opened where commercial flights will take place daily between the two .Now many people I have spoken too say it cannot be done , That our people wouldn't try to save our glorious planet , That none of us have the spine to do what needs to be done .
But I've said otherwise , I know , that this is a daunting task , That we're asking for something that would change alot of lives drastically . But I know the people of our empire , Tenacious , Brave , Loyal , Each and every one of you has what it takes , To brave the unknown and come out on-top , We... are a strong people , We are united as one , And I implore you , You emperor , The one who guard and watches proudly , To take the first steps , to take a chance , To make an effort to save our precious home . Because I know , As much as any of you , what we are made of , So I leave the decision in your hands , Make us proud , Leave our legacy in the stars themselves ... Our era of expansion is before us " Nox's Holo extended his arms as every single individual on Zakuul was incensed , Children ran home to their parents , Aging widows and couples once more had a goal , Students and graduates packed their things .
Everyone was ready to do what was needed , They could feel it in their very bones what had to happen .
Families met at the spaceport , Couples of all ages gathered , Workers looking for something more sat waiting . And before long the spaceport was full , At its total capacity for the loyal subjects whom wanted to take their steps , To pave a path for further generations .
All the while Nox stood in his throne room , Gazing out to the stars with his black eyes , Vaylin standing beside the throne as her lords guardian .He watched as the people that revered him akin to a god did his bidding , their devotion to both him and each other driving them forward as the first repurposed warship entered the spaceport .
Their minds were his as were their hearts , There was no need to warp the minds of everyone on the planet to obey him without question, Because they had already done it themselves , His word was holy scripture , Anyone whom said otherwise would be mauled by the population .
Yes this was his empire ... and they were his people .
CHAPTER COMPLETE