Destiny makes fools of us all
-Vandar
For the longest moment, Revan and Malleus simply stared at each other. This was it Revan thought, this was the source of all the carnage that had plagued him since his arrival on Darith, the man whose fate had intertwined with his. Despite his calm demeanor, the Jedi felt a tinge of unease standing in the presence of the Corrupter of Souls or the Butcher as he was better known to the rank and file of Aethon. To look upon Malleus was to look at a living piece of history itself. Decrepit, malformed and irredeemably corrupt the Renatus might be, but Revan couldn't deny the man had an indomitable presence, an aura of ancient wisdom that clung to him like rings on a tree stump. He was a tangible link to Jedi history after all. A very bleak period of history true, but history nonetheless.
"So.. you are the one that has been thwarting my plans since Darith," Said the withered man breaking the silence.
"And you are Ajunta Pall's experimental abortion." said Revan, forcing his voice to remain steady.
If Malleus gave any hint that he was insulted, the ancient being kept it well hidden. "I never saw you in my dreams." He said offhandedly. Instead of anger, the Renatus carried a tone of something that could be considered wonderment, like he couldn't quite believe what he was looking at.
"Then again... why would I? Dead things don't exist in dreams."
Wonderful...not only does he look like rotten cheese, but he's mad as well.
Before Revan could think of a suitable response, Malleus poured a foul looking liquid into one of his dining cups.
"But where are my manners? As your host, I must congratulate you." Malleus pushed the cup near Revan's side of the table while raising his own.
"To your victory. I have seldom seen such grand mastery over a battlefield. Consider myself humbled and privileged to have witnessed such tactical expertise."
When Revan just stared at the cup, Malleus shrugged and downed his glass instead.
"So...," The Renatus said slowly, sloshing the liquid and letting copious drops leak out from the side of his ruined face. "Here you stand before me, after a most turbulent few days of constantly ruining my plans. And now in the heart of my own sanctum no less. Tell me brother, do you think it is destiny that brought you here?"
The Jedi snorted disdainfully. "There's no such thing, just cause and effect. But if you want to call it that, I'd say destiny hasn't been very kind to you for the past hour. "
"Destiny is a fickle mistress," "Malleus conceded "It can caress you as tenderly as a lover one moment, then fuck you up the ass the next. Yet in the end, we are all subservient to its will...But I am getting ahead of myself."
The Renatus took a wriggling worm like creature from his plate and popped it in his mouth, chewing it slowly like a delicacy. Between swallows he asked.
"Judging by the symbol that you so proudly sport on your cloak, I assume you have thrown in your lot with Lucidae, my most hated foe. But to what end?"
"Yours," said Revan evenly, touching the hilt of his lightsaber.
"Hrnngh, I assumed that yes." said Malleus calmly, reaching for another worm. "Well if that is what the fates will today, than so be it."
Revan was somewhat taken aback. Despite the grievous losses he had inflicted on this fiend, Malleus didn't seem remotely bothered by them. The Jedi expected the Renatus to rave or hurl threats at him, promising a grisly death...that sort of thing. But the monster was surprisingly calm and well spoken, especially compared to his compatriots, albeit much more horrid in appearance.
"You don't seem overly upset by your imminent death," the Jedi remarked.
"Why would I? I am secure in the future that will come to pass. As impressive as your display of strength has been, nothing can alter the course of reality, the inevitable decline of your precious Republic. The Jedi Order will collapse with it and the galaxy will burn in the fires of war before emerging anew, moulded in our image. And no ghosts of the past will be able to thwart that eventuality. Not even you corpse thing."
Corpse thing...
Revan felt a shudder up his spine. In all his brief conversations with Victus and his brood, they had all used that macabre honorific to address him.
"Why do you call me that?" he demanded.
"Because you are a dead," affirmed Malleus "You just don't know it yet."
The Renatus propped a hand under his chin, locking the Jedi with his harrowing milky stare. "Yes... I see it now. When I first saw you in those tunnels, I could scarce believe it. Perhaps that is why I didn't kill you...and yet I see with perfect clarity at this moment the resemblance..."
"You're not making any sense." remarked Revan dryly, to which the Renatus merely shrugged.
"Before he passed away completely, Victus mentioned to me that he had encountered something very unusual, a ghost of the past you might say. My subordinate said this man was one among many, shackled in mortal flesh and stripped of their very identity, a pale shade of his former glory. When I first learned of your existence, I was impressed that such a procedure had been done successfully. But then again, the Jedi council has a habit of creating assets, draining them of all usefulness before casting them from their domain like so much excrement. So I guess we share that much in common."
"I am nothing like you Malleus," he snapped a little too quickly. No matter how many times people said it, the thought of being compared to such a vile being raised his ire.
"We are." affirmed Malleus "Both of us are both the product of very unnatural science. And my kindred were supplanted because of the council's selfish desires, while you...well can you tell me that their motives were pure?"
When Revan didn't reply, his host nodded to himself as if the answer was obvious.
"I thought not. It is only natural then that Lucidae would swoop down when you were at your most dejected state and wrap you around his little finger, just as surely as he did with the rest of his little band of misfits."
Malleus chuckled "Then again, he always had a knack for inspiring the dregs of society and making them his little puppets"
Revan bristled at the Reborn's insult. "Our goals are the same, but I am not beholden to him,"
The Renatus didn't have eyebrows, but the Jedi could still make out his bemused expression as he arched one side of his face. "You are here on his behalf are you not? You tried to thwart my plans on Darith. Then you lead his armies here and crushed my forces without nary a thought of parley, most likely under his orders. No Jedi, deny it all you want but you are a puppet that dances to his tune just as surely as everyone else that has crossed his path."
"This puppet is about end your madness once and for all,"
Malleus sighed.
"You actually believe that you are right don't you? That your goals are righteous and that we are the tyrants. But answer me this. Has Lucidae ever told you why he is so desperate to kill me? To see me and all the legacy of Ajunta Pall wiped from existence once and for all?"
"What is there to tell?" retorted Revan coldly "Your crimes speak for themselves. I saw firsthand what you were capable of on Darith. Or are you refuting the fact that those monsters who butchered those people on Darith were under your control? What about Thalia's death and the fate of her daughters? Do you deny these atrocities?"
"Not atrocities." said Malleus levelly. "Fate. Everything I have done is to secure the future I have foreseen. But yes, I admit I did want to hurt Lucidae. That man's punishment was just...and a long time coming."
"You are a madman Malleus." Revan spat in disgust. "A corrupt, twisted monster from a forgotten age in Jedi history that should never see the light of day again. The sooner your kind are extinguished completely, the better."
"You see what you want to see." replied Malleus dismissively. "But I'd wager you would change your tune if you knew the history between me and your puppet master. You know not of the pain Ajunta Pall's followers suffered. Of the crimes the Order inflicted upon the galaxy so many years ago, during the great sundering. And how they repeat their crimes today."
"You were cast out for following a madman that incited rebellion within the Order." Revan retorted "A narcissist who sought to supplant the Republic and turn the Jedi into his vile creations."
Malleus laughed at the Jedi's vitrol
"Ah yes, that old chestnut again. Let me guess. Lucidae told you that didn't he? I can almost hear his voice through your words. The lengths that the lackeys of the Order would go to promote their lies never ceases to amaze me."
The thing let out a whispery sigh that seemed to rattle through his ancient lungs.
"Then again history is written by the victors. And with every passing generation, those fiends that sit upon their lofty thrones promote and recycle the same vile slander on those they have oppressed." The Renatus' right fist clenched, shattering his goblet into ruin.
"Such a corrupt institution can and will no longer be allowed to exist."
"The conceit of your words astounds me" said Revan shaking his head. "Only someone as twisted as you would consider yourselves the victims of the civil war. If anyone is to blame, it is your wretched leader who used others for his selfish quest of immortality."
Malleus smiled thinly.
"Ajunta Pall experimented on his followers that is true. But with the Council's blessings and only those that volunteered. But would it surprise you to learn that when his research showed promise, the Order ordered his experiments on all recruits, whether they liked it or not? Ajunta Pall refused and the Council ordered his arrest. The great one tried to warn the Republic about the schemer's vile deeds, and in response, the Council's lackeys had many of his allies killed. That was when the so called 'civil war' broke out."
"Lies!" snapped Revan immediately. "Don't try to lay the bastard's crimes at the Council's feet."
"Oh it is very true corpse thing." replied Malleus with perfectly measured timbre. "I should know, for I was there when it happened...But I can see that you will need further convincing." Revan backed away warily, his lightsaber held in front of him like a ward as the Renatus stood from his iron chair.
"I am going tear down your presumptions brother...," said Malleus said slowly, inching ever closer to his guest
"...about what you think you know about the Jedi Order and what is actually true, for to die in ignorance is the greatest crime of all. If the fates decree that you should live, then you should at least live knowing the truth. What you do with these facts are up to you."
Everything Malleus says is ash and dust in his mouth.
Revan knew he shouldn't heed anything Malleus had to say, but the seeds of doubt had been planted in his mind long ago. At one point, the Jedi thought that the Masters of his Order could do no wrong. But after that travesty with Melara, his faith in them had wavered. And according to Malleus words, the rot had started a lot earlier than you expected. So after moments of internal struggling, Revan lowered his blade fractionally.
"Very well. Say what you will,"
"First I want you to answer the question I asked before…" said Malleus quietly. "Do you know how Lucidae's feud started with me? Whyhe makes it his lifelong goal to stop me?"
"Of course," replied Revan immediately "He discovered your existence decades ago on Darith during one of your raids. A battle ensued and he maimed Victus whilst thwarting your sick slave trade. Since then, both of you have been trying to destroy the other."
"Decades?" Malleus laughed. "You think my revenge stems from some skirmish that might as well have happened yesterday?"
"It makes sense." Said the Jedi, keeping his voice calm. "He ruined your carefully laid out plans and recovered two very valuable children in the process that eventually became his apprentices. So you sought to make a mockery of his gains. Reducing T'shere to a cadaver and corrupting Mysteel's spirit."
"You are partly right," admitted Malleus. "Like I said, I wanted to hurt Lucidae. And what better way to hurt him than to tear his apprentices from his grasp, especially the Twi'lek, his pride and joy? But there is a flaw in your logic corpse thing. Don't you think it is a little odd that he would develop such an obsession with me for something so trivial a few decades ago, when he didn't even find me on the planet?"
"You weren't, but others saw you. Thalia for one. She witnessed firsthand the slaughter you committed to the Republic army." Despite the confidence in his voice, Revan felt less sure. Technically, Lucidae had completed his mission when he discovered the fate of the Army and rescued what was left of them... so there was no reason to continue the pursuit for a man he had never met. And the Jedi Order didn't lack for enemies. Mandalorians, Sith and other foes hounded the Republic every day with slave trade, raids and other dastardly deeds, feeding on the their planets like carrion birds. As a Master, Lucidae would not have ignored these threats without good reason.
Could Lucidae have lied? Did he know of the Corrupter's existence before that incident?
His host tilted his head to the side.
"Think brother. There is a very simple reason why he hounds us. My unbridled hate for him, his obsessiveness...doesn't it all point to one answer?"
When Revan gave no answer, Malleus said. "I will give you a hint. You have likely never heard Lucidae's name uttered in the Jedi Order. Yet he likely would have told you he was part of them at one point. Why do you think that is?"
Revan had thought of that himself although he had no satisfactory answer. "The Order is a big place." He said doubtfully. "And I imagine the council would not be eager to harp on members that they lost."
Malleus gave an amused smile.
"No, probably not. But why did Lucidae leave the Order? Did he tell you that?"
"He...he didn't say." There was a lot he didn't say
"And why do you think he keeps it a secret?"
"...because he is ashamed. He said as much." Revan wondered where Malleus was going with these questions.
"Ashamed..." Malleus mused "yes I suppose he would be. After all, he is a damned twice over."
"Damned?" echoed Revan in surprise. "What are you babbling about?"
Malleus sighed, like he was trying to instruct a deaf child how to go through a maze with words alone. "Isn't it obvious? You do not lack for wits as your battlefield performance has shown me and the answer is right in front of you. Think. Why do you think you have never heard of him?"
"He kept a low profile..."
"Or?"
"...or his records were purged or confiscated."
Malleus nodded. "Good. And when would the council someone do that?"
"...When...when they committed a grievous crime."
"Exactly." replied Malleus approvingly. "So, you have a Master with no record in the Order, who ekes out an existence in the Outer Rim, like he is undergoing some sort of penance, hunting demons from the past. A man that seems to have unnaturally advanced knowledge of Ajunta Pall's followers and his research."
Revan's expression gradually changed from doubt to worry, something Malleus didn't fail to notice.
"You are close. I see it in you eyes."
The Jedi could feel the pieces coming together...just like the battlefield, the puzzle was gradually becoming whole in his mind. But he didn't want to believe it. Because that would mean he had made a terrible mistake in being here... Because...because that would mean...
"Your plan...what you did to Lucidae..." said Revan slowly. "You wouldn't go through so much trouble to bring him down...unless you knew him personally...unless you hated him enough to do it. Someone you thought an ally but eventually betrayed your trust."
"Go on," Coaxed Malleus.
"It could only be reserved for someone who was once like a brother to you. And since Lucidae knows so much about the arch traitor's works, it means..."
Malleus didn't say anything, simply waiting for Revan to complete the final piece of the puzzle.
"...it means...you and Lucidae were both followers of Ajunta Pall."
The Renatus smiled. "Welcome to end of the thought process,"
The frantic pitter patter of feet gave way to the Matarl's frenzied flight. He was tired now, fear and the constant exertion of running was taking its toll on his corrupted body. He needed to rest, to recuperate his strength.
Just a few more steps...a few more then I'll rest.
But he didn't. The Twi'lek didn't let himself collapse, just went on blind instinct, forcing his muscles to pull one leg up and then another. It didn't matter that his feet were red with blisters or that his muscles screamed in protest. His dogged need to keep running was a testament to the amount of his fear, the terror he felt that Matarl didn't simply collapse in a breathless heap.
Finally, he had to lean on the pillar, panting raggedly to catch his breath. The cramps in his stomach were getting worse, a sure indication that he needed to rest or at least eat something...someone. But not now...to stop now would mean a dagger in his back. Yet even as he scanned the corridor through sweat stained eyes, Matarl saw only darkness.
I...I think I'm finally alone.
Once he was sure that no homicidal maniacs were in the immediate vicinity, Matarl fell to his knees and coughed out ragged breathes of air. Adrenaline pounded through his head like a roiling thunderstorm and his blackened lungs felt like they were on fire. Still, these pains were a small price to pay to avoid being corpse flesh.
The hunt had been harrowing, especially since Mysteel had nearly caught him at one point. After a good ten minutes of cat and mouse, the angry Twi'lek had chased him into one of the fortress' prison rooms, which unfortunately for him had no other exits. But no sooner had she closed in on him, an Abomination had rushed out from the darkness and wrestled the surprised female to the floor. Matarl didn't stop to question his luck as the two combatants maimed and clawed at each other like two savage beasts. He fled the scene of carnage and ran as fast as his legs would take him down the labyrinthine corridors.
Then he had kept running, trying desperately to find a passage that would take him out of his hellhole and avoid any other hostiles. At first this proved surprisingly effective. Maybe it was his transformation, but Matarl found at his vision had been altered to the point that he could actually make out the tunnels in pitch blackness. Also, sounds seemed crisper, clearer. Even between his splashing feet and thundering heartbeat, Matarl could hear the buzzing of an insect hundreds of meters away and the subtle vibrations of footsteps, warning him of potential enemies well in advance.
These newfound abilities let him stay hidden from Aethon. But every time Matarl found something that resembled an exit, the sound of blaster fire or distant screaming would ward him away from escape, gradually making him more frustrated. It seemed like Aethon had blockaded every avenue of escape and was determined to keep him stuck in this hole until they killed every last living thing. Unwilling to take any risk of being discovered, he had fled back into the lower passages and into the cover of darkness, hoping against hope that he wouldn't be cornered to a point of no return.
As he stopped to catch his breath, Matarl tried to piece together something. How had Mysteel and her allies found him so quickly? Lucidae tracking him down to this planet was surprising enough, but the fact that the bitch could pin him down to the exact room? That could not be a coincidence.
A tracker...it must be some sort of tracker.
At some point, they must have bugged how? He did a quick pat down of his clothing and skin but could not find anything out of the ordinary. That likely meant whatever they were using to track him had been implanted. But how could they do that? Perhaps from some injury he sustained? A dart from a gun?
The Twi'lek replayed the events of the attack at Aethon's base. He had been punched and kicked by Thalia then stabbed in the thigh by that mongrel boy...but what if he had more than that? What if the youth wasn't so stupid after all and had managed to do more than wound him during the suicidal charge? Hurriedly, Matarl cut a tear into his trousers where the weapon had struck to reveal his palsied skin. The wound had scabbed over, but like a wounded animal trying to break free from its trap, Matarl clawed at his scab until he drew blood. Grimacing in pain, he plunged two nails into the flesh and dug around until he felt something sharp and solid just beneath the meat of his thigh.
This is going to feel like agony.
With a growl, Matarl clenched and ripped the offending object out with schlurrp. His leg felt like it was on fire but the Twi'lek ignored the pain for the moment and inspected the gadget. It was a tracker, just as he thought, a hunter probe. He remembered it best as one of Kynes' toys, a high yield subspace transmitter which the sniper had used back in the army to track assassination targets. In this case, him.
Cursing, the Twi'lek dropped the tiny thing onto the floor and crushed it under his boot, stomping it over and over again.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! This thing nearly got me killed.
After letting his rageplay out, Matarl realized the sound of battle had diminished significantly. Neither did he hear anymore sounds of pursuit and for a brief moment, Matarl's spirit brightened. With a tentative exhale, the Twi'lek resumed his hobbling gait down the corridor.
Maybe those monsters killed her." He thought, daring to hope. "Maybe I'm-
A fist hit him straight in the face with a thundering crack just as he tried to turn a corner.
Matarl reeled in agony as he felt his cheekbones crack. He looked up just in time to see another haymaker coming for him. Matarl blocked it frantically with his arms and let the force of the blow roll him away, desperate to put distance between him and his attacker. Blinking away blood from his eyes revealed a familiar scene.
Mysteel came stalking in, her sapphire eyes alight with fury and unbridled malice. She didn't say anything, but her movements were more than enough to convey her intent.
You are dead. They said with crystal clarity.
In a panic, Matarl unsheathed his dagger and flung the weapon at the female in an overhand swing. Mysteel simply sidestepped and the pathetic projectile flew harmlessly past. Quick as a snake, she covered the distance between them and kneed Matarl in the groin. T'shere had cut him from root to stem in their previous encounter but it felt like agony all the same. He crumpled onto the floor mewling like a pathetic baby.
While Matarl was moaning in pain, Mysteel kicked her victim's remaining weapons away and grabbed him by the collar, slamming him against the wall. Matarl weighed at least thirty pounds more than Mysteel, but she had no problem hoisting him off his feet.
"No-no!" he gurgled, trying feebly to break free. A stinging blow across the face reduced his pathetic pleas to a whimper.
"Shut up you bastard," Mysteel hissed. "Shut up so I can savor this moment."
Matarl heartbeat increased exponentially when he saw the glint of metal flash before his eyes. The Twi'lek had seen those flaying knives before...just as he remembered their lethal touch. Mysteel smiled coldly at his recognition.
"Just like old times isn't it?" There was no warmth when she said those words. Nothing resembling the cheerful, sing song voice the Twi'lek was famous for. Only bitterness and pain, like salt on a fresh wound. "My sister kept it for special occasions. Like cutting off your wretched manhood so you couldn't spill your seed into another helpless woman ever again. I thought it was only fitting I finish the job with it."
"L-listen!" Matarl stammered. "You don't have to kill me. I-"
He was interrupted with another stinging backhand. "What about my mother? Did you have to kill her?" Mysteel cut in angrily. Tears trailed down freely the side of her cheeks and her voice quavered with barely suppressed grief "Why did you do it bastard? Why couldn't you just have left her alone?"
Matarl felt his choler rise at the question.
"She-she deserved it! The whore stole my-" The knife flashed before Matarl's face, cutting off a sliver of flesh from his right cheek. Matarl screamed in agony as fire engulfed his face, but it was drowned out by his tormentor's voice.
"Don't call her that, you useless fuck!" Mysteel shrilled. Matarl tasted blood in the back of his mouth as she shook him. "Call her by her real name! Call her Thalia!"
"Th-Thalia," Matarl spat out a broken tooth. "She-she stole from me. My boy! She had no right to do that!"
Mysteel glare was unforgiving
"If she didn't, he would have grown up as wretched as you." she growled. "Although from what I've heard, he isn't that far off the mark,"
"Damn you! You know noth-" Matarl trailed off again when he felt the cold metal blade pressing painfully against the nape of his neck.
"I should have let T'shere kill you the first time." Mysteel said bitterly. "But no, I was too stupid and naïve, my head filled with all that nonsense Lucidae put in me about redemption and second chances."
She applied more pressure to the blade, drawing a gasp and blackened blood from her victim's neck. Matarl started hyperventilating.
"But there is no redemption for you Matarl." the Twi'lek's voice was chilling with its finality "There is no pit... no hell in this galaxy horrible enough to for the likes of you. That's why I'm going to make the last few minutes of your life as painful as possible."
"W-Wait! I can show you to your sist-"
"I told you to shut your fucking mouth!"
Another backhand slap silenced him abruptly, so strong that the Twi'lek felt a tooth fly away. It was followed by another kick to the stomach causing Matarl to collapse to the floor breathless. As he lay gasping for breath, Mysteel knelt down and yanked him up painfully by the lobe.
"When I'm done with you," she said in a low hiss "you'll tell me everything I want to know. But not until you're nothing more than a quivering lump of meat!"
"You-you don't understand!" rasped Matarl "If you kill me, the child dies as well! We-mpph!"
His begging was muffled as Mysteel shoved a wad of dirty cloth into his mouth and the female proceeded to tie his arms and wrists at knifepoint. When he was secure, Mysteel grabbed her prisoner by the back of his clothes and started dragging him back the way he came.
"What, what are you doing? Where are you taking me!" Matarl tried to say, but it all came out as a garbled mess. Mysteel seemed to get the gist of it however because she said. "Somewhere where we won't be disturbed."
Matarl screamed and tried to shout out for help, but all that came out was dull moan as the Twi'lek started dragging him to his death.
The conflict of emotions churning through Revan's head was almost too much to endure. Lucidae...to think that he was once one of Ajunta Pall's minions. A traitor to the Jedi Order and Republic. A man that had helped incite civil war. And I helped him...I helped him retrieve his precious weapon...and then he sent me to bring it back into his grasping hands.
The very thought brought a shudder through his spine. He felt soiled...used. Revan wanted to weep, to scream, to claw his skin in frustration but in end he just stood like a statue, unable to comprehend the enormity of his realization.
If Revan thought he was on the road to redemption when he met Lucidae, then he was gravely mistaken. It was not hard for Malleus to notice his distress.
"Do you see now corpse thing?" He said softly "Do you see irony of your self righteousness, the inherent hypocrisy of your goals? I imagine Lucidae convinced you to do his bidding by offering you glimpses of false hope. Filling your head with rhetoric about how noble the Jedi cause is and how they are the so called pillars of support for the Republic. That fiend always did have a gift for oratory I grant you and children like you lap it up like cheap swill."
Revan remained silent but his sword arm fell slackly to is side and the glowing blade disappeared back into its sheath. Malleus drew his arms to his back walked past Revan, admiring the macabre art around the dining hall as he spoke.
"Do you know the greatest failing of the False Order's followers is? Their blind devotion to absolutes. The Jedi have always believed that the council's words are some holy writ that must be followed to the letter. 'Fear leads to the Dark Side, so it must be a crime to feel fear.' 'Feel compassion for others but not love or lust for these emotions bestir darker urges from within.' 'Always be merciful.' and so on. In other words, initiates are conditioned to follow, obey and regurgitate mindless drivel so they can become more disciplined."
Malleus made a disgusted noise.
"But it isn't discipline they preach, is it? It's a recipe for creating a mindless automaton. And that's what the Council wants. Because as long as they add a clause that a Master's will is an embodiment of these rules, their followers will strive to do whatever they say, no matter the cost. The perfect cover up, beautiful in its simplicity. The perfect foil."
Malleus turned back to face his guest.
"As long as a people like you follows these rules, you will always remain pure…in mind and spirit so they would say. Never mind that their concepts of morality are hidebound and useless in almost any practical situation. It is easy to follow this code when there is no cost to oneself, but impractical to base an entire organization around it when reality cares nothing about such rules, wouldn't you say?"
Revan opened his mouth to speak but it felt like someone had poured sand into it. "The...the rules are what separates the Order from tyranny. It guides us, keeps the Jedi on from falling to the dark side. Rules that have...that have withstood the test of time," he croaked. Even he didn't believe it, and Malleus knew it.
"Oh really..."Malleus said quietly "Let me give you an example of how 'useful' your precious moral code is in a real life situation. A man you are pursuing has captured two prisoners. One of them has been forcefully implanted with an explosive powerful enough to level a fair sized city, but will detonate if someone tries to remove it. In sixty seconds, it will go off anyways but the man tells you he has also sewn the deactivation device deep into the of other prisoner's bodies. So the only way to deactivate the bomb is to forcibly remove it from this person, which will kill him from shock. But by not doing anything you will likely kill everybody in the immediate vicinity. What do you do?"
"I..." Revan hesitated, still reeling from the verbal assault. "...I would find a way to save us all," he finished somewhat pathetically.
Malleus laughed. "How? By wishing the problem away? Your precious Jedi code would never prepare you to make such a choice. There is no edict, no rule that will allow you to emerge from this scenario unscathed or your honor unsullied. That is why the Jedi Order will fail corpse thing, why it is failing now. It is so easy for their enemies to exploit their rigid and blind devotion to their so called morals. And while the Jedi cling to their scripture and dogma, Mandalorians, hostile aliens and Sith flock from all sides to feast on their wretched domain."
Malleus tapped the dining table idly as he looked at his guest. Revan really did look like a corpse now, the color having drained away from his face along with his convictions.
"Do you feel betrayed brother? Used? Don't worry, in that we are kindred spirits. The hate that I feel for him is no less than I feel for those despots that sit on their throne of bones."
Revan tried to swallow but found that his mouth was as parched and dead as his sense of self worth. He really had no idea what to do now so he did the next best thing. He stalled.
"Why...what happened between you two...between you and Lucidae?"
"Why did he turn away from Ajunta Palls cause you mean?" Malleus sneered at the memory. "Because he is a coward, or at the very least, an opportunist. When it looked like our cause was lost, Lucidae chose to betray his own side rather than stand and die. At a critical battle too, which reversed the tide of war in favor of your wretched council. Oh there was some issue with a loyalist Jedi that was being tortured but in the end, Lucidae did all that he did for self preservation. So you see corpse thing, he is damned twice over. In the eyes of Ajunta Pall and the Jedi Order."
"But...he...he looks..."
"Well preserved?" finished Malleus a chuckle "Yes. The wretched thing has found remarkable ways to cheat death hasn't he? But then again, Lucidae always had his secrets."
Revan remembered the words the former Master had said when he had remarked on Kynes youthfulness.
Those touched by the Force have a sense of timelessness to their features. The man had said cryptically. Revan should have picked up on the double meaning.
First Melara, now him...are no Masters trustworthy? I should have seen it. I should have been better prepared to see through his lies.
As his face contorted into deeper distress, Malleus remarked.
"So there you have the facts brother, and the reason why your cause is doomed to fail from the start. Nevertheless, you made a choice when you set foot onto my soil. Now you have to decide what is more important, your precious honor or your mission? Because even if you kill me, you will only be helping another traitor do his wet work. Either way, in the eyes of the Jedi Order you will be committing a grave heresy."
Revan did think. He thought about all the events that he had suffered throughout all this time. All the betrayals, half truths and horrors that had brought him to this place. But most of all, he thought of his honor. Could it still be salvaged? No, the Jedi thought. That was a dead shrivelled thing, as useless as a paper shield against an enemy that used his righteousness as toilet paper. What good were his convictions in the face of such unbridled faceless evil? Worst, what could he fight for now that his beliefs were once again torn in shambles? Help one traitor and kill the other or do nothing and let them pursue their agendas? It was truly a situation where he damned if you do, damned if you don't.
What should I do? Revan thought looked at his light saber, gripped tightly in his right hand.A blade without direction was a pitiful thing, his Master had said. His Master...what would he do in this winless scenario?
You never prepared me for this...he thought bitterly. You never prepared me for so much treachery...to be so helpless
Helpless... He was helpless, just like Myteel, someone who had drowned herself in a sea of despair and turned into a bitter, rage fuelled entity. The thought galvanized the Jedi. He knew that whatever happened, he did not want to become that. Then Revan belatedly remembered why she was here...why he was here. To stop a madman from unleashing death on the galaxy...and to save an innocent child.
Yes thought Revan suddenly. Thalia's daughter can still be rescued. I owe her that much at least.
If nothing else, the Jedi had to cling to the things he knew that were true. Malleus was a monstrous cannibal that meant to usher in a new age through billions of deaths. And his victims were legion. Children, parents, Thalia...they all deserved justice. And he was in the position to give it to them. Because in this uncaring galaxy, the only justice that existed was that which you made for yourself.
It was not perfect, Revan knew but it was real. As someone who had sworn to defend the Republic, he couldn't always make things right, but he could try to. Like Lucidae said, a measure of a true Jedi Knight was not in lying down and admitting to an inevitable defeat but one that stood against adversity. The man might have been a fount of lies, but at least that was true. So in his darkest hour, Revan came to his decision.
"You die Malleus." he said quietly.
Malleus did not seem surprised by his decision.
"You are committed to seeing me dead, I could see that from the start...even without my second sight. But do you do this for Lucidae, your precious Jedi Order...or for revenge?"
"None of them." said Revan quietly. "I'm doing this for me."
"You?"
The Jedi strode forth so he was almost chest to chest with the malevolent being and met Malleus' milky gaze.
"You are a cancer Malleus. Regardless of the truth of your words, the Reborn are a contagion upon this galaxy, moreso than any Sith or Mandalorian. I could no sooner tolerate your existence anymore than I could any plague roaming unchecked."
After a brief pause, he added
"But you are right...about the Jedi at least, for the more I see of the galaxy, the more I realize that nothing is truly black and white. The Order is a dying institution, tied down to its dogma. What's more, I have seen the fallacy in the code you speak of, how people use their rank and its teachings as a convenient excuse to hide their own hypocrisy. Such crimes should never go unpunished. But..." The Jedi trailed off
"Yes...?" pressed Malleus.
"But..." Revan continued. "I understand that is important for the concept of the Jedi to exist. Nobody from the Order is perfect, especially me. And even though they are as fallible as any other mortal, the Republic at large needs to believe that the Jedi Knights really are the paragons of virtue that are spouted in legend. For we are the Republic's pillars of support, the protectors that shield their people from the horrors of the galaxy...horrors like you. That illusion must never be broken, especially in these darkest of times. And in striving to be better despite our mistakes, we walk the proper path."
Malleus stared at Revan with his sightless gaze. The Jedi felt the weight of intense scrutiny, as if he was sifting through his mind, just like Victus had. What he saw must have given him pause because Malleus took a step back and assumed a pensive pose.
"So, you dispense justice upon one group yet look blindly away from the others. If you triumph today, will you ignore the sins of Lucidae and let his tainted legacy continue unpunished? What about the Council? Like I said, they are far from guiltless. And the Masters of today have many hidden crimes that the Republic at large doesn't know about."
"Such as?"
Malleus shrugged. "If you survive to see the next sunrise, go ask Lucidae about them. The traitor is intricately familiar with the darkness the Council hides. Or don't. Some things are probably best left unknown."
Revan shook his head.
"Lucidae is doing penance even as we speak...you saw to that. But if the council is guilty of the travesties as you say, then they will answer for them. I will see to it personally. But today...today I deal with you traitor."
Malleus laughed.
"You do not lack for gall corpse thing. Well, let it not be said that the Reborn was not a gracious host."
He made an 'after you' gesture to the empty part of the dining hall. Revan nodded solemnly and the pair walked slowly side by side for the inevitable.
"I admit brother, I did not see this fight coming." remarked Malleus, giving a sideways look to him. "I thought it was my destiny to lead the Reborn in the crucible of war against the false Jedi and their fiefdom. Then again, there were a great many things I have not seen."
"But know that even if you triumph today, the Jedi Order you know will not survive to see the next century, for its death warrant is written as assuredly as all our fates. One way or another, their temples will be burned down to the ground, cleansed from root to stem. Perhaps the Order will be rebuilt, because like you said the Republic will yearn for a symbol of protection. And I accept that...as long as the sins of the past be erased forever. My life is nothing compared to vindication."
As they came to stop at the designated positions, Malleus gave Revan something that could pass as a smile.
"Are you ready corpse thing to see what destiny holds in store for you?"
Revan looked back at him unsmiling.
"Draw your blade,"
With an slight bow, Malleus reached from under his loose torn sleeves and slowly drew out his lightsaber. The weapon had an ebon shaft that was utterly unreflective, like it was designed to suck up all the light around it. When the Renatus ignited it, the weapon seemed to sigh in satisfaction as the lethal blade was released from it's confines. Revan drew his own lightsaber and let it come to life, the hiss of its energy discharge a sign of the weapon's desire to cut into enemy flesh.
Both combatants fell into their fighting stance. Malleus widened his posture and lowered his center of gravity, like a predator that was ready to spring at a moment's notice. Revan crouched with one leading foot, letting his humming blade come up to his face and positioning it to plunge straight into Malleus' heart. Then they waited, waited for the right time strike.
As Revan looked at the monster he was going to kill, he felt a distant sadness. Not for Malleus of course, but for what they both represented...manpower. Revan had been elevated to Jedi Knight at a time when the Order had been reduced to such a shell of their former glory, shortly after the bloody war caused by Exar Kun. That man might have been the latest to turn traitor, but the Jedi's internal strife was a story that repeated itself over and over again. A few decades or three thousand years ago, it made no difference, the Jedi were constantly killing themselves in a self perpetuating cycle.
Madness, utter madness. How much has the Republic suffered because the Jedi couldn't set their differences aside?
Here they were, two of the deadliest warriors that this galaxy had produced, ready to beat each other to a bloody pulp. Both of them represented countless years of training and precious resources that the Republic and the Order had to offer. But now, they were going to kill each other because of some petty grievance that no one in the Order today even remembered.
No, if the Republic was to survive, the Jedi would need to end this vicious cycle, to rebuild its very foundation so that no one person could cause such a violent schism again. Revan vowed that if he survived this battle, he would do everything in his power to ensure that the Jedi would change for the better.
And so for the next few agonizing seconds, neither warrior spoke, remaining rigid like statues as they waited for the right moment to strike. Their unblinking stares mimicked that of Renatus' victims that were strewn across the wall. A pin could have dropped a hundred meters away and they would have still heard it. Finally, it was his opponent that broke the standstill, with a smile on his ruined face that seemed almost wistful.
"Good luck brother," Malleus said softly.
And with that, the Renatus attacked.
Author's note: Since Halloween is around the corner, I figured I would make something for the occasion. You can see what it is on my deviantart page. Enjoy.