The observation room of the Sith warship Deliverer was silent as Darth Nydus meditated. His black robe floated around him, suspended by the force. The air around him crackled and buzzed with a sensational crimson electricity and although the lights had been set to full illumination, the room still seemed unusually dark. Nydus took deep breaths, channelling himself internally. He could feel the force around him, he twisted and manipulated it at his own will. He allowed himself a momentary grin of satisfaction, like a storm, his powers were reaching their peak.
He searched the force for his target. A Jedi Master by the name of Aras Venn. Venn and Nydus had come to blows previously, but a minor incident had allowed Venn an escape and cost Nydus an arm. He felt his bionic left arm pulse as he remembered how much he despised the augment. If only he had struck that final blow. If only.
After a moment's search he found his target. Hiding with the rest of his feeble kind at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. How Nydus wanted to scorch the Temple, to desecrate it's fickle libraries and erase the lies contained within. To slaughter the Jedi council and strike the council tower from it's very foundations, hurling it into the abyss below. He imagined the flash and hum of lightsabers, as they clashed inside the halls of the temple. The smell of burnt flesh and death, filling his nostrils. Nydus inhaled, he longed for the smell once more. His fists clenched and unclenched manically, his palm sweaty. He yearned for battle once more. He hated being sat here, awaiting the Emperor's order to attack. He was a Sith Lord, he should be free to make his own wars. Not wait for orders whilst diplomats and governors played around with words and diplomacy.
Nydus inhaled deeply and stood up. He calmed the raging storm that was his heart and composed himself once more. He drew back his hood and faced the door. He had anticipated the metallic bleep before it had happened and was already waiting by the window before it came.
"Enter" Nydus called, his authority clear in his tone, the door slid open and a group of six Sith warriors entered. They bowed and stood in a immaculate line, a few paces between each. Nydus stood before them, proud and stern. He noted how they looked, polished armour, perfected form, battle ready. He was proud of his ability to keep his men in check and maintain a level of discipline unseen by other Sith vessels. Nydus paced around the warriors. He could feel in the air that they wanted to strike, to begin their exercises of battle against one another. He halted before them once more. He stood silently. Waiting.
The group formed a circle around Nydus, again, only paces away from one another. He knew they would fight well. He knew they would test his resolve. Nydus pulled his hood up and placed his hands on the hilt of his lightsabers, his fingers fitting snugly into the grooves in their sides. He knelt on one knee. Inhaled. Focused and primed he awaited the first attack. He waited. Waited.
The first of the group sprang forward, double bladed lightsaber igniting as he leapt in the air. Nydus sprang to his feet igniting both his lightsabers. The air was filled with the very sounds he had longed for, for so long. Close, but not the same. This battle was against his own men. Not the pompous Jedi he wished to eradicate. Nydus kicked out at one of the warriors, the blow sending them back across the room. The others ignited their lightsabers now and joined the fray. A tempest of conflict raged on the observation deck, Nydus had resorted to using only one of his two lightsabers, tucking the other into his belt. he slashed at the side of one of his attackers, causing only a shallow flesh wound. The warrior was silent as he crashed to the ground and rolled away from the fight. One down. Another warrior came from the left, lightsaber held above, as if to slash. Nydus caught him in a force grip, lifting him into the air. The warrior flailed in the air, trying to find his feet. Nydus threw his across the room into the nearest wall, impacting with a distorted thud. Two. The next attack was much less fortunate. Nydus used both of his lightsabers to rend a large chasm-like gash down his back. He would need several weeks in the bacta tanks to heal these wounds. Three down, three to go.
Nydus could feel the next attack coming from above, he rolled forward as a lightsaber descended down, singeing the edge of his cloak. He countered by throwing one of his own lightsabers at the warrior, severing is right hand, no cry of pain erupted however. They had been raised to remain silent. Four, two to go. Nydus stood uneasily in the centre of the room. He could not feel the remaining two attackers, this concerned him greatly. He stood, lightsabers raised in an over-under pattern. Tension was heavy in the air, like a rope, wound to breaking point. Nydus deactivated and stowed both of his lightsabers. He sat crossed legged on the ground and sent himself into a state of meditation. For several minutes nothing happened, just a void of stillness. Then, the air began to crackle once more and his robes began to levitate around him. He breathed deep and slowly, channelling the immense power he had built up over the course of this sparring session. He could feel it rising inside of himself. He stretched his arms out and levitated, his body resembling a crucifix shape. The room darkened and buzzed with crimson electricity. Sooner of later, his attackers would strike. Silence hung across the room. His heart thundered and raged, running at the pace of a herd of stampeding bantha. Nydus felt something. He grabbed hold of it and pulled it before him, both of the remaining warriors tumbled and hung in the air before him. He coldly looked into each of their visors and smiled
"you should never hide" he growled, darkness taking his voice, he slowly moved his hands toward one-another, closing the gap between the two warriors. This moment would be their last.
Aras Venn awoke gently. He drew the covers from his body and stood up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He had not slept in a bed for months, having returned to Coruscant only the night before, he had savoured the comfort of his mattress and the cosy embrace of the bed sheets. He observed the frantic Coruscanti traffic from his high-rise window. He never understood the urgency of those who had no wars to fight or battles to prepare for. Venn drew his hair back, tying it into a low hanging ponytail for relative ease. He got dressed into his Jedi robes and exited his apartment. He made his way down, toward the ground level and into the busy streets. Crowds of pedestrians pushed and shunted their way through the streets. Going about their daily business with a very sheltered idea of the strain that this war with the Sith was putting on the Republic.
Aras Venn lived only a small walk away from the Jedi Temple, but it still took him a while to actually arrive at the foot of the steps leading to the door. He nodded at the three Republic troopers as they allowed him through, they never let their guard down and Venn respected them highly for it. No matter how many times he had been to the Jedi Temple, even when he was a young padawan the sheer scale of the place held him in a grip of absolute awe. The high-rise pillars, myriad of walkways and the countless, flawless marble statues of long past Jedi. it was all so, inspiring and motivating. Venn felt an enormous sense of duty whenever he set foot in the temple. He knew that he would forever be bound to service. He knew it and he liked it.
He made his way toward the council chambers, making his way past classes of younglings, padawan and even masters training together. He had yet to debrief his masters on the events that had occurred on Eriadu. Sith forces had attacked from nowhere, catching many of the Republic forces off guard. Within hours many of the Republic Fleet's ships had been destroyed and thousands had been lost to the merciless Sith attack. Once they were satisfied they had dealt enough damage to cripple the fleet above, the Sith began to land their forces and invade the planet, wiping out any and all they came across. Vann had been part of the defence of Eriadu City. He led his soldiers fearlessly against the onslaught of Sith troops. He took down several Sith warriors and nearly lost his life in a dual against a nameless Sith lord near one of the city's many landing pads. Had it not been for his troops managing to distract the Sith lord, he would never have found the window needed to escape. He also made sure the Sith would remember him by severing his left arm.
Vann took no delight in harming anyone, but the Sith had been his enemy and he had only done what was necessary to preserve his own life. Vann held back his disgust for the Sith, they were not present here and he had no need to think of them, but when did a moment go by in these dark days that they were not mentioned or seen? Vann longed for a time when this would be over and the Jedi could go back to being merely agents of peace, not knights of the Republic. He reached the doors of the council chambers in no time, his thoughts occupying him along the way. He took a moment to calm and compose himself before entering the chamber.
Darth Nydus entered the bridge of Deliverer, his boots clattering against the metal walkway. His cloak trailed behind him, metaphorically symbolising his dark influence in the room. The myriad of officers, crewmen and guards in the room simultaneously grew quieter as Nydus strode between them. The ship's captain stood before the window, his posture became immediately straight at the sight of his lord and master.
"Lord Nydus" the captain began "we have received a transmission from Lord Malgus of the Expeditionary Fleet, he wishes to speak to you personally lord" the captain bowed and moved away from Nydus. Nydus clicked a button on the display next to him and a mesmerising blue light buzzed before him. It pulsed and wavered until a clear likeness of Darth Malgus stood, full scale, before Nydus. Nydus bowed on one knee to greet the fellow Sith Lord. Malgus wore sturdy black armour, he wore a respirator and obscured his face with a large hood. Malgus was well renowned within the Sith armies and to be receiving a transmission from him worried Nydus greatly.
"Lord Malgus, you sent for me" Nydus held back the fear in his voice
"Yes, I am collecting troops for a 'special' mission to Coruscant" Malgus' voice filled the bridge and made Nydus' spine shiver "we are to strike at the feeble heart of the Jedi"
"Lord Malgus, I would be honoured to join this attack, I believe there is a place we must meet to discuss this?"
"Meet me in orbit above Eriadu, I'm sure you know your way there already" Malgus replied, malice in his voice, before the transmission fizzled out and ended, leaving Nydus alone with his thoughts. Nydus burned inside, Malgus' comment about Eriadu had cut him deep. How dare he insult Nydus after what had happened to him. He allowed the room around him to shake and rumble, making many of the crew uneasy. Nydus turned to them and bellowed for them to cease their quivering and continue working. He stormed out of the bridge, bound for the observation room. His mind was now dominated by thoughts of vengeance against Aras Vann.
Aras Vann stood silent as the council assessed his actions during the Battle of Eriadu. His vision switched frantically between each of member of the council. His palms sweated as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He gazed blankly at the cavalcade of speeders, freighters and modified fighters as they sped past the windows that lit the great chamber. He wondered for a minute, how many people lived on Coruscant, how many supported the war effort? How many actually knew just, how hard the Jedi had been fighting to ensure their safety. Vann snapped back to reality as one of the council addressed him. A female Twi'lek master of considerable age held him in her steely gaze, Vann felt as though he had been thrust into one of the lava rivers of Mustafar, he stood static, a lone bead of sweat trailing down his forehead. The Twi'lek Jedi sat, staring deeply into him, as if, reading his mind. She pondered for a moment and then rose
"Master Vann, you say that, during the defence of Eriadu City, you were subject to several targeted attacks by the same Sith Lord?" she seemed slightly concerned
"Yes Master, he seemed to singularly focus his attacks on me" Vann replied
"Could you describe this Sith to us?" a member of the council added
"Well, from memory, he would be about my height" Vann stopped a second to remember "He wore a black cloak, black hood and wore a suit of standard Sith battle armour" Vann nodded, satisfied with his answer, the council spoke amongst themselves for a moment
"would you say, his aura was powerful?" one of them asked him from nowhere
"I would Master, definitely." Vann replied, he shifted his weight onto his other leg "his aura was unlike anything, I've never felt, so much rage, so much hate, harnessed unlike anything I've felt before" Vann felt his heart pound as he remember back to the moment where the enigmatic Sith Lord has stood over him, prepared to deal the finishing blow. Vann felt the scars across his chest and leg burn as they remembered the heat of every lightsaber hit he had sustained at the hands of his new found nemesis.