Kreia's broken and shattered form lay still on the cold rocky ground of the Trayus Academy, Arathos stood over her, his blazing blue lightsaber glowing in the lingering darkness. Finally he had broke free and surpassed his master; the late Darth Traya. He was now the single most powerful force wielder in the galaxy, the remaining Jedi were dead, Atris was wallowing in self-pity and Revan had disappeared into the Unknown Regions, even so Revan was no longer unbeatable and it was probable that Arathos would be a even match for Revan if they ever met now, such was the power he wielded.
Although Kreia had deserved to die some part of him missed her, her unimaginable knowledge and wisdom; yet in the end she was right the Republic did deserve to die. It had become a stagnant beast due to its crippling need for the Jedi and Arathos would complete his mistress's work; he would destroy the Republic but not as Arathos no he was Angarr now, Darth Angarr. He would destroy the force and the chaos it brought and in its place he would establish order, he would strip the galaxy of Jeid hypocrisy and the Sith's mindless brutality; and their would be order.
On the Ravager he had learnt something important about himself, he and Darth Nihilus were one and the same person, it appeared that on Malachor V when he cut himself off from the force his anger, his hate and his thirst for power had manifested itself as Nihilus; while his influence and force bond with Sion had corrupted him. That is what had created his wound; and what Kreia had tried to teach him; that he was unwittingly and unwillingly damaging the force and the way it worked. He was like a black hole, sucking the force into himself and trapping it; harnessing it for himself and growing stronger because of it. By killing Nihilus he had regained all the blood lust and anger he had gathered throughout the war, while absorbing the force that made Nihilus unique; Sion had been the next stage on his path to darkness. By killing him he had absorbed yet more dark force energy and Kreia was the final piece; she had never intended of surviving till the end, she was the final catalyst that had consumed Arathos with the dark side. All her plans and schemes, had in the end worked; by twisting the Exiles goals and harnessing his wound she had purposely created a Sith Lord; one stronger than Sion, more powerful than Nihilus and as clever and insightful as Revan had been during her short reign.
Yet their was much work to be done, during the Exile's travels he had unwittingly uncovered information on a 'Star Forge', within T3-M4's vast memory core were plans, blueprints and detailed if somewhat incomplete documents listing some very interesting facts. One in particularly which HK-47 had revealed; when the Exile found out that HK, T3 and Mandalore had all once served with Revan and traveled with her to this 'Star Forge'. After uncovering such data Arathos had scoured the droids memory banks and data-logs, backing up all data and had slowly began formulating a plan to find the remains of this 'factory' and if possible salvage bits of it. After all any war effort requires troops, ships and power; the Mandalorians and Mandalore provided his troops, he provided his power yet the ships would be a problem. A problem he intended to fix by creating his own 'Star Forge', mostly from the salvageable pieces and data found from the old one, and with the aid of his 'technical and gifted' mechanic.
Kicking Kreia's corpse over the edge of the central platform he activated his wrist com and connected to GO-TO's energy signature, "GO-TO activate the Mass Shadow Generator, and make sure you leave no evidence of our presence here"
Walking back along the narrow metal bridge of the core he received a brief and somewhat smug response before the channel shut down, "With pleasure exile".
Exile, his nickname awarded to him by the surviving Jedi, funny how he embraced it; yet it would be even funnier when the Republic realized that the 'Exile' had destroyed the force and all of them with it, poetic liaison maybe? or maybe just irony.
Waiting at the end of the bridge was Mandalore and Visas, both of them battle worn and weary, but both unable to abandon him in the last hours, funny how much he inspired people like that.
"My Lord we've taken care of the main body of Sith but a few managed to escape our purge, the Ebon Hawk is also ready for launch should we need it", Visas mumbled shaking as Angarr brushed her cheek with his pale and long fingers. Watching her with a mix of delight and pity Angarr lent in closer whispering those words she so often told him, "My life for yours". Physically flinching at his words she continued to shake as Mandalore stepped forwards, "You seem different, you okay?"
"Never better Mandalore, never better but we have bigger things to worry about than how I feel. Tell me what do you about a Star Forge?" Angarr spoke smoothly walking past a frozen Mandalore, "Mandalore? I believe you know what I am talking about don't you?"
"Why? Why do you want know?" the Mandalorian whispered weakly, clearly caught off guard by the question.
"Because I intent to use it, or at what little is left of it; you see I've taken the mantle of Sith Lord for myself and with no other Jedi to stop me except for Revan I find myself in a dilemma. Do I kill the Mandalorian who she so favoured by bestowing the mantle of Mandalore? Or do I ally myself with him against Revan and the Republic. It's me or her Mandalore, make your choice, you wont get second chance"
For a moment Mandalore seemed to weigh his options before holding his head up high in a typical mandalorian fashion and replying in his gruff and annoyed voice, "Against Revan your crazy, nobody and I mean nobody ever beats Revan, we are the Mandalorians we serve Revan; the true Mandalore. Not you cowardly Sith, i thought you different; clearly i was wrong"
If Angarr was surprised he didn't show it, he simply smiled a mocking smile before crushing two of his two fingers together; causing Mandalore immense pain and agony, "Now now Mandalore, play nice, you'll find that you'll give me everything I need before I kill you; everything starting with knowledge of the Star Forge".
Mandalores body shook, his visor and armour began to crush down together on the body trapped inside, while his entire body began decompressing from the inside; his veins and arteries began to snap and blood cells burst as Angarr drove into the heart of the fallen Mandalorians mind; taking everything he deemed important.
Mandalores resistance was hopeless, his healing implants were useless as he felt the immense force waves crushing down on upon his body, tearing them to pieces. He saw Taris before his eyes, the swoop race, Dantoonie, Revan's revelation, the assault on the Star Forge; he saw all of it and so did Angarr; he tried desperately to stop the memories; to seal his mind from the 'Sith' in front of him to no avail.
Watching from the sidelines Visas watched as her master effortlessly crushed the life from Mandalore, he seemed to enjoy it but it wasn't always so, when she had first met him he had been kind, honourable yet disgraced by some unseen event. Alas killing off the Sith lords and with Kreia's influence he had fallen, far worse than Nihilus ever did; Nihilus was a monster but united with Arathos they were terror, pure terror. His once shaved head was now home to jet black hair spiked in all directions, his cleanly shaved chin now supported a neatly trimmed goatee and his ice blue eyes were now a sickly yellow colour; all in all Angarr was far worse than Arathos or Nihilus had ever been.
"Goodbye Mandalore", Angarr whispered lowering his hand in a gentle movement, all the while watching the battered, broken and blood soaked corpse smatter on the floor with splat. Visas was visibly shaking, a fact Angarr welcomed for it proved his power to her; and would quickly diminish any thoughts of betrayal from her.
Already the blood begins to flow, how far are you willing to go? Are you ready to sacrifice everything again?
Angarr swiftly jerked his head around, scrutinizing every wall, every stone for the source of the voice, "Who are you?"
Still the fool, did you really think that by killing me you could free yourself? You and I are still bound Angarr, even in death I guide you; you have become powerful, a direct challenge and threat to Revan, but unlike Revan you have a gift; a hunger, the same hunger that once consumed Nihilus. At first it will be subtle, but slowly it will consume you until at last you become the very thing Nihilus feared and tried to oppose; a black hole. Heed my words my apprentice for this is one battle you cannot fight or win; i have won and now you pay the price i warned you about so very long ago.
"My Lord?" Visas questioned suddenly snapping Angarr out of his current daze. Angarr shook his head and continued moving along the hallways, pondering each step of the way. How could Kreia could still be able to contact him, sure she was one with the force now but she couldn't still be linked to him could she?
The Ebon Hawk was waiting just outside the academy Bao Dur, Brianna and Atton waited silently each one knowing that something terrible had occurring within the Trayus Core; but neither one daring to disobey the exiles orders. It was like a lingering darkness had suddenly exploded and every ounce of light had suddenly been consumed by it. HK and T3 were hiding on board the Hawk and G0-T0 was missing in action, yet the sense of unbalance and chaos was felt by everything; everything even the temperature seemed to grow colder as the night grew closer.
"I don't like this Atton, something's not right; after we defeated the Sith I expected some tranquillity some sort of sign, but all I feel is a death", Bao Dur spoke quietly; watching two storm beasts fight each other in the distant.
"I hear you, personally I think it's something to do with the old witch; I hope Arathos spaced the old doosh bag", Atton replied wearily; mostly distressed over the fact that he'd lost half his pazzak deck during the crash.
"I don't like it, Atris always said their was something wrong with the exile and after defeating Nihilus and destroying the Ravager he's changed, and not for the better", Brianna replied firmly; hands clasped tightly around her lightsabers grip…
The first thing Angarr noticed was that the bulky looking robes Nihilus wore were in fact very restrictive and extremely ill-fitting, and he quickly made a mental note to create some new robes once on-board the Hawk. Speaking of which, he got the distinctive feeling that not everyone in his crew would be joining him for a second round around the galaxy. Atton, Mira and Brianna were definitely not going to back down and let Angarr take the centre stage after they'd risked life and limb to stop his predecessor's, Bao Dur would probably have to be knocked out or paralysed until he could be restrained and forced to work on Angarr's little 'project'. Yet the most pressing matter was in fact coming from Visas, who seemed to be growing extremely uneasy and confused around Angarr, a point he realized stemmed from her 'feelings' towards him. True he held some feelings for her, but should she gather the courage to stand against him; he would make her pay in the most degrading, and embarrassing way possible.
The trip to the hawk was an uneventful one, but as one would expect it set of a barrel of explosives when he arived with Visas in tow.
"What the hell are you doing dressed in that gear?"
"Where's Mandalore?"
"What Happened in there?"
Suddenly the voices faded as Angarr held up his hand and knocked them backwards, with a flick of his wrist Atton's lightsaber was crushed and in seconds the Jedi he had 'trained' were disarmed and groaning on the floor.
"Kreia is dead and from the ashes of one Sith lord rise another", Angarr spoke quietly, watching as Brianna and Mira looked at each other and Atton just looked plain dumbfounded.
"Irritated Explanation: I believe that the masters taking to wearing black and his change in bodily temperature means the master has taken the mantle of Sith Lord", HK-47 replied in response to Bao Durs utter look of betrayal as he waltzed down the hawks ramp; a mandalorian assault rifle in hand.
"Sith Lord, you can't have, I mean I thought that you were a Jedi", Atton stuttered noticing the remarkable lack of escape possibilities materializing. Angarr merely laughed as he clenched his right fist together and raised Atton into the air, held in suspense about two metres up in the air Atton's body began to shake and ripple furiously. Slowly his rib cage began to bend outwards, visibly pushing against his tissue and snapping as it pierced his flesh causing him to scream and howl in pain while he soared in the night sky. Blood began squirting from everywhere and within seconds Atton Rand was dead and laying first face in a puddle of his own blood.
"Stop, Stop, please stop", Mira cried as she was flung into a rock face by a surge of force energy. Surprisingly Angarr stopped, Brianna smashed into the floor stone cold dead and Mira who had been beaten black by Angarrs constant force attacks was left on the floor unconscious; only Bao Dur who was held is stasis was still awake and struggling against his former Generals power.
"You take the Zabrak and place him in the airlock; any attempt to escape and flush him. Now get on board", Angarr ordered pointing his finger at HK, his voice thunderous with rage.
"What about her my lord?" G0-T0 annoucned facing Visas, who had now clearly chosen to side with her friends over the man she supposedly loved. Her purple lightsaber pointed directly at Angarr and her mind directly closed to him; she was visibly shaking with fear and Angarr new it, "I can't let you continue, don't you see what you've become; stop this please"
"Bind, gag her and throw her in the storage area; she's coming with us", Angarr chuckled as he watched her attempt to charge him in a last desperate bid fail as he threw up his hands, releasing a force wave that sent her flying backwards into a rocky outcrop knocking her unconscious upon impact. The last thing Visas Marr remembered was the sound of deep chuckling and approaching footsteps…
"Intrigued Question: What are current plans master, my receptors indicate vast changes to your mind and physique and your treatment of your former companions is not in bounds with the Jedi code?" HK asked as he stood behind his seated master in the cockpit. For several moments HK believed his master was going to continue ignoring him until he received a deathly quiet response, so quiet that HK had turn up his receivers, "First I intend to visit Citadel Station to re-supply and gain a few favours from Czerka, following that communications will be sent to Vaklu and Azul to meet me on Duxn were I will claim the right of Mandalore and begin preparations. Speaking of which I believe dear Visas is going to need silencing for the time being, it would do us little favour to have the TSF discover a kidnapped Jedi on my ship and the moment she realizes we dock she'll undoubtedly try to scream for help. The Zabrak will also need keeping quiet; I give that pleasure to you HK, put him in the cargo hold and keep an eye on him; he tries anything beat him blue and black"
HK watched his master depart the cockpit and if droids could smile HK would be grinning like a fool, how he loved his new master.
Walking down the into the central hold of the hawk Angarr noticed the gloomy silence lingering in the ship, G0-T0 was busy 'educating' the Zabrak in the ways of the 'proper ethical behavior' while T-3 was riding around doing the odd jobs the Zabrak usually did.
Heading towards the storage room he had first encountered HK in he typed the security code into the access panel, the door shot open revealing a very unusual sight. Visas Marr was laid on the storage hold floor in a set of degrading and very embarrassing underwear, which left little to the imagination. Both her wrists and legs were tightly bound with bits of ripped fabric from Master Vrook's old Jedi robe, a fact Angarr was most pleased with considering he'd finally found a use for it after he'd called it useless when he'd first taken it. Her usual head garb was nowhere in sight and for the first time Angarr looked upon her face with slight surprise. Her dark red/mahogany hair flowed loosely around the upper reaches of her neck, before it was haggardly hacked just below her chin. Her high cheek bones pronounced her natural good looks and her full cherry lips complimented her hair perfectly. Upon sensing his entry she began pleading like a child fighting a losing battle against their parents, "Please Arathos, you don't have to do this. Come back to the light, come back to..".
Her pleading was quickly silenced with the stuffing of a thick black strip of fabric between her lips, which Angarr tied tightly behind her head, "Such a beautiful body, you know those robes didn't do you justice Visas. But this outfit, wow". Removing his mask and attaching it to his belt Angarr crouched down to her ear and whispered in a smooth yet chilling voice, "I need you to do something for me, in a matter of minutes we'll be docking on citadel station and I need you to keep quiet. After all we wouldn't want the Republic to lose one of their last precious Jedi now would we? But, if Hk or G0-T0 tell me that you've been screaming or banging i'm going to be very disappointed Visas, and we wouldn't want that would we darling?"
As expected from someone who didn't really have a choice she shook her head in between her choked sobs and muffled crying, wriggling backwards as Angarr kissed her cheek and gripped her thigh; taking all the advantage he could to break her resolve and crush her morale, "And when I return I promise you that me, you and that lovely little gag of yours are going to have some real fun"
Tears streamed down from her eyes as she struggled to back away from his icy cold grip, the man she had loved was dead and worse was the fact that he knew how she felt, and he was going to make her pay for her betrayal. Sealing the metal doors behind him, Visas was left alone sobbing and alone, all the while wondering how out of all the possible endings they could have achieved; it was this one that came about...