The cockpit of the Fury-class Interceptor lit up as it docked inside the much larger warships hanger. With a resounding clang the Wrath's personal starship made contact with the hanger floor.
"We have successfully docked, my lord" said the droid pilot. The Wrath rose from the captain's seat and made for the exit. "Shall I inform Darth Nox of our arrival?"
"No, she already senses me." The Wrath impatiently dismissed his pilot. He continued through his ship at a hurried pace and rushed to the exit. He wanted to avoid as much Imperial crewmen as he could as he made his way to Darth Nox's quarters. He had come for a purpose and would not be held back.
The man known only as the Empire's Wrath strode across the busy hanger clad head to toe in his full armor. He had only held his position for nearly a year but in that time he had made his presence known across most of the galaxy.
Citizens across the Empire knew the previous Wrath to be the Emperor's right hand, his choice murderer. Whenever the enemies of the immortal Sith Emperor needed to be hunted down, the Wrath was the one to do it. For nearly 300 years the current Wrath's predecessor had struck fear and awe into the galaxy at the Emperor's behest, but his time had passed. For inexplicable reasons, the Emperor's Wrath had turned traitor and had aided a lone Jedi Knight in assassinating the Emperor himself. Stripped of his title and labeled a traitor, the old Wrath had gone into hiding and to this day remains at the top of the Empire's wanted list.
Knowing that the Empire's foes would not stop at the Emperor's death the Dark Council had decided to find a new Wrath, one who was explicitly loyal to the Dark Side and would help keep the Empire safe. Thus they chose an apprentice of previous Dark Council member Darth Baras. This apprentice had proven to be unspeakably strong in the Force, strong enough to keep the feuding Dark Council members in check and more than a match for anyone who would dare strike at the Empire. And so this apprentice was christened the Empire's Wrath and given free rein to dispense Imperial justice. His currently mission was for more exciting than a simple assassination assignment.
One of the Wrath's least favorite tasks is keeping the various Sith lords from killing each other. Sith politics is rife with backstabbing and power grabbing even among the Dark Council. The Wrath had no interest in building a political or military power base. He was a man of action and was strong enough in the Force to overcome any obstacle. But other Sith lords weren't so lucky. They had to spend as much time gaining allies, maneuvering resources and showing off feats of strength as they did developing their Force talents. And as long as one Sith lord had a means of power over another, he would become a target. For centuries infighting has been commonplace among the Lords of the Sith, and the Empire has suffered for it. The Wrath believe that for as long as the Sith were distracted with each other the Empire will never win the war. And so he had taken it upon himself to keep the lords in line, especially Darth Nox.
As he continued across the larger hanger several troopers and crewman noticed the Wrath. Those who were close enough gave a reverent bow as he passed by, the rest double the pace on whatever piece of machinery they were working on. The Wrath never so much as glanced in any of their directions. His gazed was fixated on the rapidly approaching entrance to the rest of the warship and the lone Imperial officer manning the checkpoint. By the time the Wrath made it to the checkpoint he expected the officer to immediately open the door and allow the Lord to pass, but the officer did nothing.
"G-good day, my lord" The Officer gave a quick bow as he greeted the Wrath. "I-I'm very sorry, b-but your landing here w-was unscheduled. You'll have to r-remain here until you're a-a-approved to pass." The young officer stammered as he tried to justify denying the Wrath entrance. The Imperial military thrived on regulations and bureaucracy. Maintaining a strict order ensured that all the right pieces moved efficiently inside the Imperial machine, but the Sith were beyond regulation. Their word was law and refusing a Sith lord was suicide regardless of Imperial bylaws.
This officer clearly had little experience in dealing with Sith but he knew enough to be afraid. The Wrath could not fault the man for doing his job, but he had no patience for bureaucratic bullshit. He clenched his fists and glared at the officer. The face mask part of his helmet had been intentionally crafted to depict a grim, vaguely skull-like visage intending to intimidate foes before battle. It worked just as well on non-combatants too.
"P-p-please forgive me, m-m-m-my lord. It is j-just proto-"
"I have urgent business with Darth Nox. Open the door."
The voice modulator in the Wrath's helmet gave his voice a deep robotic tone. The young Imperial officer was sufficiently terrified now. He frantically typed a few commands into the terminal next to him and the door immediately disappeared.
"Y-you are cleared. D-Darth Nox is in a meeting with her fleet c-c-commanders but I'm sure…she'll see you…" Before the officer could finish the Wrath had already crossed the threshold and well on his way. He had intentionally told no one of his plans to meet Darth Nox and wanted to keep his interaction with the Imperial rabble to a minimum.
Darth Nox, member of the Dark Council was also relatively new to her position and rank. As opposed to the Wrath however she was no stranger to the complexities Sith politics. Sometime after graduating from the Sith Academy on Korriban she had usurped her master and gained a vast power base, which included a sizeable fleet and access to arcane Sith knowledge. Most recently she had earned her position on the Dark Council by defeating her predecessor, Darth Thanaton. She had done this through an ancient Sith rite called a Kaggath. The rite was a battle of Force power and political power and she had masterfully outmaneuvered the aging Sith lord and slew him in front of the Dark Council.
Since then the other members Dark Council agreed to set an example for the rest of the Empire. No more political infighting while the war with the Republic rages on. But the Wrath knew better. He knew the way of the Sith was conflict and as long as there was power to gain any respectable Sith would try and take it. This is what brought the Wrath to Nox's warship. He had been present during recent Dark Council meetings to keep them on task and had noticed Darth Nox and other Council members had repeatedly argued, almost coming to blows. She had proven to be a specific brand of feisty and antagonistic and the Wrath had made it a point to take a special interest in her.
The Wrath continued to traverse the many corridors and lifts, passing by various officers and crewmen scurrying about the hallways. He could sense Darth Nox's presence through the Force across the vastness of the gargantuan starship and used that as his compass to navigate. After finally reaching the command deck, he was short walk away from the meeting room occupied by the Dark Council member. In that time he collected himself, using his endless rage to fuel him and to keep him focused. Not because he was any sort of afraid of Darth Nox, but because he knew her to be incredibly devious and usually had ulterior motives.
As he approached the large entrance the door opened. Immediately the seven ship captains stood around the meeting table turned their heads. Their collective expression first appeared a mixture of sneers and scowls but quickly their eyes widened and their faces became paler when they recognized who he was. At the head of the table facing the door stood a woman with crimson red hair and black robes with a deep red trim and a single armored pauldron on her left shoulder. She stood up after the Wrath had come within reach of the table.
"Lord Wrath, what a surprise." Nox greeted the Wrath with a twinge of sarcasm.
"I'd be happy to speak with you but as you can see I am currently in the middle of a strategy meeting with my captains." The assortment of Imperial captions stood in silence while their Darth spoke. "We should only be another hour or so but you are more than welcome to wait in my quarters. I'll have an ensign escort you." The Wrath glared. She had a talent for snide remarks and always had a knack for pushing the Wrath's buttons. This time was no different. She spoke so casually and dismissively of him, like he was a child who had innocently wondered into the wrong place. He had come all this way for a reason and would not be denied. Before she could summon one of her peons he spoke up.
"Darth Nox, I am here to guarantee that you are following a pact agreed upon by all members of the Dark Council. Your captains are dismissed until our business is finished." He made no effort to hide his annoyance after Nox tried to push him aside and she noticed it. She gave a small grin seeing that her verbal jab had found its mark. She paused for a moment then waved the captains out of the room.
"Very well, my lord. Captains, we'll resume this meeting later by holo. Return to your ships." The seven Imperial captains stood up bowed to the two Sith lord and swiftly filed from the meeting room, seemingly push out by the sheer force of tension. Both Sith glared at each other, Nox still with her devilish grin and the Wrath still irked at her smugness, while the last of the captains passed the threshold and the door slid close behind them.
The two Sith lords stared at each other. Neither of them moved as they strategized internally. They were well acquainted with each other's behavior so the Wrath knew what to expect. But he hadn't spoken to Darth Nox in weeks. They had an audacious history, working together on a number of missions before the war began anew. They had proven to be quite a successful pair. However the last time they met in person they parted after a very heated, very forceful discussion.
At that time Nox had begun a feud with an aging Dark Council member, Darth Zildrog. The Wrath had hoped to give her a stern warning, a cautionary heads-up that would dissuade Nox from wasting time and resources fighting a fellow Sith Lord. But circumstances dashed those hopes. Now he was back to change those circumstances for good.
Nox finally folded her arms and spoke first, shattering the tenuous silence.
"So my Lord Wrath, what brings you to my flagship? What could be so important that you had to come all this way to speak to me directly?" Her words spilled from her mouth like ice water, with as much condescension as she could muster. The Wrath knew she was still trying to rile him up. He was in no mood for her games.
"I came to put an end to your quarrel with Darth Zildrog. It's gone too far and it needs to end."
Nox sighed. She dropped her open right hand to the table in front of her and wrapped her left hand around to her back. She began to circle the table, her fingers gliding along its surface. The Wrath matched her pace, keeping the table between them and never breaking eye contact.
"Come now, my lord. We all know Zildrog is an old fool. He's becoming less and less reliable." She stated smugly. "It's only a matter of time before he becomes a burden on the rest of us. Quite frankly, I'm doing the Dark Council a favor."
"I'm not here to argue that." The Wrath replied "But your armada openly attacked his ships over Balmorra, while they were engaged with Republic forces."
"If my armada hadn't acted we would've lost that planet and the weapons factories we need." Darth Nox snapped, finally losing her grin.
"You need to understand that-" the Wrath started to say but was instantly cut off.
"I understand that he was sloppy. He's distracted by something. He had completely botched the recovery effort on Quesh because of it, and then he nearly cost us control of Balmorra…"
By this point the two lords had switched ends of the meeting table. Nox had started ranting on her side with both hands flailing about to emphasize her tirade. Her defiance grated on the Wrath's last nerve. Again they had fallen into the same pattern. They argued like this last time. He knew he couldn't afford for things to be a repeat of their last intense meeting. What he had to say was monumentally important. The Wrath knew he had to stop things from escalating soon if he was going to resolve anything. He broke the last nerve himself, settling into a wellspring of anger.
"… Zildrog's ships were completely unorganized, they had no discipline. The Republic fleet would've bowled right through his forces. My ships successfully defended a major strategic resource AND dealt with his failure in one swift stroke!"
"Enough!" The Wrath bellowed as he slammed a gauntleted fist down on the table, cracking the glass surface. Nox flinch and raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the Wrath's display. The outburst finally gave him a moment to get a few words in. He settled for the direct ones.
"This argument solves nothing! I didn't come all this way to meet you in person to listen to you justify your treachery! I came to-"
"I know why you're here." Nox said with resolute certainty. She regained her previous posture. Her left hand had returned to the small of back, her right hand to the table. She leaned forward.
"I know exactly why you're here." Nox's grin came back, more devilish than ever. The Wrath recognized her coquettish tone. He had heard that specific of mixture playfulness and arrogance before. He only had a brief moment to defuse things before this got violent.
"Nox, listen to- ARRGGHH!" Too late. Before he could react, Nox flipped her hand and flung a jolt of Force lightning directly at the Wrath's head.
It wasn't nearly enough to hurt but it had more than enough force to knock his head back and short out the electronics in his helmet. The optics and the heads up display on the inside of his mask were dead. The Wrath was blind.
This could not have started off worse. Nox's proficiency with Force lightning rivaled his mastery of lightsaber combat. She could incinerate foes without even breaking a sweat. As long as she was out of arms reached she had the advantage. The Wrath had to change that quick.
He grabbed his helmet and tore it from his head. Now that he could see, he could fight. He reached for his lightsabers but hesitated at the last second. Killing her was the last thing he wanted, but he had to put a stop to this somehow. Rethinking his strategy he widened his stance and glanced up at Nox. She hadn't moved from her side of the room. She had dropped into her own combat stance with one significant difference from the Wrath's. Her arms were held out in front of her, palms up. Small sparks of electricity darted between her hands, growing in size and arcing faster and faster. Within moments she was holding a small vortex of pure dark side energy. The noise of the lightning ball echoed like a violent thunderstorm. Sparks leaped out randomly and scorched the metal walls encasing the two Sith. All the while Nox stared at the Wrath with the same grin, now hauntingly accented thanks to the flare of the tempest in her grasp.
Reacting on instinct the Wrath reached out with the Force and grabbed the meeting table in front of him. He pulled at the hulking slab of durasteel, its supports whining as metal tore from metal. Ripping it from its home, the Wrath spun the table forward in the air using the Force. He then slammed it back down, wedging it back into the floor. He now had a barrier between him and Nox. But that wasn't enough. He could sense the amount of Force power Nox was summoning. It was more than a lethal amount. He had to match it if he was going to survive the blast.
He began calling forth from his own well of Dark Side power. He took a step back, raised his hands and held them out in front of him. Fueled by his anger at Nox's impetuousness and his own blunder at letting her get off the first strike, he focused his power into a barrier of Force energy. As he fixated on his fury, the air in front of him began to heat up. A veil of red energy appeared before his hands stretching and wrapping around him. The Wrath radiated hatred and the air surrounding him boiled. In the span of moments he had turned himself into a near impenetrable barricade of hate energy.
There they stood. The Empire's Wrath and the dread Darth Nox. Both Sith Lords at the height of their power, about to come to blows. If Nox's captains hadn't been pushed out by the tension in the air before, they would've been disintegrated by it now.
Then floodgates opened.
Nox flipped her hands and thrust forward, channeling a single immense bolt of lightning at the center of the upright table. The thunderous sound of the bolt reverberated in the cramped room. It plowed through the upright table effortlessly, completely shattering the metal slab, and gunned towards its real target without slowing down. Like an ocean wave against shoreline rocks the blast slammed against the Wrath's wall of concentrated hatred, and stopped. Sparks plumed off the Force barrier at every direction. But still Darth Nox persisted, maintaining her assault, insisting to break through.
But the Wrath never gave in. For as much power as Nox fed her lightning, the Wrath nourished his barrier the same. The safeguard held. The deadly lightning bolt danced across his barrier just outside of arms reach. It darted from point to point trying to find a weak spot but found no purchase. For a moment they stood in silent as equals. The Wrath's channeled hatred holding strong against Nox's seething fury. The only sound was the lightning screeching through the air as it passed from Nox hands to the Wrath's.
It had seemed like an eternity had passed for the dueling lords, but it was only a few seconds. Neither Sith showed any sign budging. The whole time, the Wrath and Nox stared deep into each other's eyes. And soon, at the same time, they smiled. Not an evil grin or a callous smirk, but a genuine smile. They both knew that regardless of whatever happened before or after, they were right where they belonged now. They knew this was their way. To let your life be ruled by passion, and to let that passion fuel your power so that you may experience all that life has to offer, that was the way of the Sith. Passion and power. Their two favorite things.
And so they stood there, with their passion manifesting between them. Then everything went white.