CHAPTER FIFTY
KORRIBAN
Raistlis would have liked to have been able to pace more than a single step before having to turn around. He had even contemplated stepping corner to corner of his small holding cell just to take that extra step. He had been restless and agitated since Darth Marr had surprised him with a visit, their talk lingering in the fore of his thoughts. There was no escaping what he had told him, and even if Raistlis did not want to believe such or acknowledge it, Marr had spoken the truth to him.
Loun was his mother. The revelation had been worse than a punch to the stomach. All the time spent on Korriban, guided by her and pushed by her, thinking her an ally and as much a friend as sith ever had. She had hidden such well from him. How could I have been so blind and not seen such, he questioned of himself? Adding in that his father was one of the sith academy's most decorated and revered students, Necrolis Darkstar, that just seemed to make everything worse. How could his own father not even bother with him?
Raistlis took a deep breath, knowing he needed to be calm and focused even as he swung through the emotions of regret, loss, confusion, and anger. Use it, he reminded himself, let it turn to stored and nurtured power within. Marr had also confirmed his mother was alive, and that was news he could well use. Death would have been too easy an escape, he thought. Standing in his cell, shifting his weight from foot to foot, Raistlis began making a list in his head of just who he would confront and take his revenge on. It would start with his parents right at the very top. They had much to answer for.
The hiss of the door to the holding area caught Raistlis' attention, drawing his gaze to see Darth Marr enter, a couple steps behind and off to his right, the white furred cathar followed. Pyrannus, he remembered her name. She had been the one that had captured Blackheart. Seeing his hard, cold stare, the cathar grinned and winked at him.
"I can see you've been doing a lot of thinking." Marr commented as he and his apprentice moved up before his cell. "Tell me, would you consider getting out of there?"
"What's the catch and the cost?" Raistlis said, still keeping his guard up where the man was concerned. If his words had done anything, it had driven home well the adage of trusting no one but yourself.
"No games, enough of them have been played with you. I want you to stand with the Empire, to stand with me." Marr said calmly, unfazed by Raistlis' distrust. "Things are coming to a head, and the lines have been drawn. Understand if you are not with and for the Empire, you are against it. When the dust settles will you be standing. This is what I put before you. The choice is yours, Raistlis."
"How do I know I can trust you at all?" Raistlis looked at the sith questioningly.
"He is too weak. We would be better served in preparations, master." Pyrannus growled out, shaking her head.
"Straight on without the element of surprise, I'd kill you furball!" Raistlis shot back and Pyrannus grinned at the caged sith.
"Then perhaps my master should let you out and I can just kill you and be done with this."
"Enough, Pyrannus." Marr snarled, waving a hand out to the side and head turning so he could glare through the mask covering his face at his apprentice. "Such bickering and posturing is pointless."
Pyrannus nodded and drew silent, but the light beige eyes never left the pure blooded sith in the cell. She had to admit he had courage and guts. She would question is lack of intelligence, but not his backbone. Looking at him and studying him, Pyrannus had to admit he was rather handsome. Fighting him would prove good sport and a fun little distraction, however she couldn't help but think he might prove more fun in other physical aspects instead.
"So what will it be, Raistlis?" Marr asked pointedly, returning to the subject.
"I will stand with the Empire." Raistlis said, but held up a hand as he continued. "However, I want something in return."
"Oh, I really am beginning to like him." Pyrannus purred and smirked.
Marr cast Pyrannus a glance and had to fight the urge to deal with her right then and there. He needed her strength and focus, but she was becoming an irritation as her strength made her bolder. He knew at some point he would have to either break her, as he would a kath hound, or allow her to grow further and take her place as a sith. Was she truly ready for such? Marr was not at all sure she was.
"Name your stipulation, young one." Marr said, willing to hear out the young caged sith.
"I want to know what happened and where my mother is." Raistlis stated. "And I want my father. He is mine to deal with."
Behind the mask covering his face, Darth Marr grinned.
THE FOUNDRY
Necrolis felt the numbness and tingling through his arm and smiled in the almost near dark of his room. He had not slept at all, merely lain there enjoying the moment and knowing it would pass all too soon. Beside him, curled on her side, back against him, Vette lay sound asleep. He could feel the warmth of her, the way she seemed to just fit against him perfectly. He smiled to himself as he could feel her slow steady breathing. Necrolis could not tell the hour only that it had grown very late, or early if you viewed it as a new day. It's time, he told himself.
With his arm trapped under Vette's head and pillow, Necrolis had the sudden thought of that old cantina story. A guy would pick up a girl at the cantina after a night of heavy drinking only to find out when sober it was a very bad idea. The girl usually looked like the sister of a gammorean. Trapped with their arm pinned the choice was to wake them up, or chew your own arm off to escape. At least my wife is no gammorean, Necrolis thought and shook his head even as he began to slowly and carefully shift and roll to his side, sliding his arm free.
Once free, Necrolis slowly and quietly slipped from the bed and over to the table. He had left himself simply black clothing on the table, which he quickly donned. From behind and off the floor, he grabbed a large duffle bag then looked about slowly, making note of where his armour was. His eyes slid over to the bed and Vette's form, lit in dull soft light from a small nightlight on the wall nearby. Necrolis looked at her, studied the curves and lines of her lekku and face, down over her bare shoulder uncovered from the thin white sheet. Taking a deep breath and then letting it out slowly, Necrolis had to force his gaze away and steel his thoughts. He could not afford to go back now, there was no going back. He had to face the moment that he himself had orchestrated.
Not risking waking Vette, knowing there was no way she was going to go along with his plans, Necrolis reached out with the force to lift and float the pieces of his armour. Necrolis paused only a moment longer at the door to the room before cycling it open and closed as quickly as he could. He knew Vette would have railed against him, and with how she could talk it would have lasted for at least a day. Necrolis almost pitied those being left behind with her. They were sure to get an earful.
Kiting the pieces of his armour behind him by way of the force, Necrolis walked through the quiet and dim corridors of the foundry, making straight for the hanger. Once he knew he was well away from any rooms of the others, Necrolis pulled out the personal comm device.
"2V, prep the ship for take off." Necrolis said.
"I live to serve, master." The droid responded in it's annoying tinny voice that Necrolis had grown to just tune out over the years.
It took him mere minutes to traverse the corridors and reach the hanger bay. Even as he entered, he could hear the low hum emanating from the Wraith where it sat waiting. Necrolis made his way in quick steps to the lowered ramp of the ship before crouching down and opening the duffle bag. Looking up he brought each piece of gear to him, grabbing it and shoving it into the bag. When all that remained were his boots, Necrolis could not help himself. Bringing the boots towards him, he made them dance through the air. Laughter broke the quiet causing him to jump even as he snagged the boots in his hands. Shoving them into the bag, Necrolis turned to stare at the source of the laugh.
"A little late for travelling, isn't it?" Asha Lightstar said with a bemused little smile.
"Not when one is trying to make a surreptitious and silent exit." Necrolis stated back and shrugged, rising to his feet.
"What are you up to, Necrolis?" Asha said, moving closer, blue eyes darting between the man and the ship that was powering up for flight. "You're hardly the sneaking out kind."
Necrolis growled and shook his head. The last thing he wanted was to have to explain things. All he had wanted was a nice quiet exit. Of all the people to have to ruin his plans, it had to be Asha. I should have sensed her, Necrolis chided himself, knowing he had been far too focused on getting out of the Foundry he had missed the feeling of her created in the force.
"Necrolis." Asha said his name softly, frowning as she could feel something wrong suddenly. "What's going on? Where are you going?"
"I'm going to end this, once and for all." Necrolis decided the only thing he could do was tell the woman the truth. Damn jedi, they could always tell when someone was lying. "I can't stop you from telling the others, unless I wanted to kill you, but I am asking you just give me a head start before you wake them all."
Asha Lightstar let her eyes take in the man before her. She could see he was not going to be dissuaded from his course of action. His words made her uneasy however. They filled her with a lingering emptiness she could only say was wrong. She had no idea what he was up to, but if he was trying to end their being a target, then that meant he was going to face Marr. What have you gone and done, Asha wondered?
When Asha didn't answer him, Necrolis frowned. He had no desire to turn things into a confrontation. After everything they had endured he had come to see they were merely opposite sides of the same credit. He had come to actually respect Asha Lightstar, though he would hardly have outright admitted to such. When she turned her blue eyes on him, locking with his, he could see that she had pieced together enough of what was happening. It was clear she did not think too much of his plan.
"You're going to face Marr, aren't you?"
"There's no other way, Asha. This has to be done." Necrolis said, shrugging and sighing.
"Necrolis, that is suicide. He's too powerful, too well placed. You're going to die." Asha said, moving forward as she spoke to place a hand on his chest. "What makes you think Marr will even face you?"
"He has no choice." Necrolis stated and before Asha could ask him further, he headed off her next question that he knew was going to be why he had to do it.
"I have no choice."
Necrolis turned and crouched back, zipping up the duffle bag. He could hear her soft footfalls as she drew up behind him, leaning down to place a hand on his shoulder. Stopping what he was doing, Necrolis glanced back over his shoulder and up to see Asha looking down, her blue eyes filled with concern. She was actually upset and worried, Necrolis realized with a bit of surprise. A jedi feeling so about a sith, who would have thought he mused.
"You don't need to do this, Necrolis." Asha argued, "We can ride this out."
"No we can't." Necrolis snapped back at her, giving her a hard look as he rose back to his feet to face her. "We've already lost people, Asha. You want to just sit it out? Who's next? Who do you think is going to fall as they keep coming and pick us off one by one? You going to sit it out and watch Tormen get killed? What about Kira?"
Asha frowned as she heard his questions back to her and knew he was right. There was no end in sight to things. They would keep coming and trying to kill them. When he mentioned both Tormen and Kira, it hit home just how dire the position really was. She could not ignore it, or try and make it seem less than it was. Necrolis was right in that what they faced would wear them down and they would find themselves taken out one by one. We've been very lucky so far, Asha knew, despite the fact that they had already lost a few people and one of them was missing.
"Just tell me why you? Why do you have to do this alone and on your own?" Asha finally asked.
Necrolis frowned at the question but knew it was a fair one at that. Moving over to one of the storage crates that dotted about the hanger bay, Necrolis sat and then patted the container top in offer for Asha to join him. When she had settled Necrolis took a deep breath and spoke, staring away as if he could almost see the past.
"I knew a man once. Loyal as they come to the Empire, a family man, damn good and what he did. He saw a problem, knew what had to be done. A rival was going to damage the Empire, weaken it with his folly. This man knew he could fix the problem, but it would most certainly paint a target smack on his back. Despite facing danger, possibly death, the man chose to stand for what he believed in. He faced the moment and did what he could to protect and save the Empire."
"What happened to him?" Asha asked, intrigued by the story.
"The man positioned an acolyte to rise quickly, undoing the rival's plans. In order to do that the acolyte had to become the rival's apprentice. The only way to do that was to solidify his place at the rival's side and he was ordered to kill his own mentor. The man paid for saving the Empire with his life. He fell, believing one good Imperials life was worth the Empire. He fell and was forgotten, there was no honouring him, no records to speak of his deeds and life. He was simply gone."
Asha watched Necrolis as he spoke frowning as she could see something in the way he spoke, the look on his face that told her this was far from just a story. There was too much emotion from the sith, it was a personal story. When he dropped his head and went silent, Asha knew she had to ask the question that came to mind.
"What happened to the acolyte?"
"He lived, became the man's apprentice." Necrolis said, head rising and turning to face Asha. "He avenged his mentor, killed the rival, his new master, and would become the Emperor's wrath."
Asha smiled slightly and nodded. It was as she had suspected, the story was very personal. Still, despite hearing such she did not understand what that had to do with her original question. When she made to speak, Necrolis held up a hand stopping her.
"Tremel faced his fate, his moment. He knew who he was and he made the hard choices. Even when I killed him, Asha, he faced such." Necrolis said, voice low even as he looked straight ahead of him as if looking into the past once more. "Now it is my turn. I have to face the moment. I have to know… I need to answer who I am. I have to go."
"But you can't win." Asha half whispered the words, not liking them at all.
"Maybe, maybe not." Necrolis replied, "But Marr has to face me, he has no choice."
"But why, Necrolis? Why is there no other way?"
"Because I have no choice."
Asha shook her head and had to fight back the upset feeling that threatened to rise and take over her emotions. She was surprised by how she had come to view the pure blooded sith as an ally. He was simply Necrolis to her now, with all his faults. He had stopped being the Emperor's wrath, the deadly sith opponent. Sure, he had his faults, but in the end he was merely a man just on the other side of the conflict.
"At least stay and say goodbye to the others. What about Vette? You can't just go off to die like that." Asha tried to appeal to him, stall the inevitable she had come to know would pass.
"There is no reason to draw out things." Necrolis said, fighting against the urge to just return to his room and his wife. "I have my regrets, my skeletons in the closet, and there is no peace to be found for me. Staying and saying goodbye only makes things harder and worse."
"Necrolis…" Asha said his name softly, hand moving to grasp and hold his.
"It's my moment, Asha." Necrolis answered even as his other hand came to rest over hers, holding it lightly. "I have no intentions of dying. In fact quite the opposite."
"You could die." Asha said softly, and when Necrolis looked at her he could see the tears forming in those large blue eyes.
"I'm not going there to die, Asha." Necrolis said sternly. "I'm going there to kill Marr. When that is done I am going to walk into the academy cantina, grab a big bottle of brandy from Alderaan and drink it down like it was Marr's blood in toast to that son of a bitch."
Asha gave a small weak laugh at hearing such and shook her head. She knew despite such sentiment, that neither of them were fooled by the words. Marr on his own was a formidable opponent, one she was sure could kill Necrolis. Adding in his apprentice, any other forces, and the fact he controlled the might of the Empire's army, it spelled certain death. Fighting back the tears, Asha took her hand from his, reaching up to trace fingertips over his face as if to memorize and solidify the memory of him.
Necrolis watched Asha, saw the concern there and the water filled eyes. When she traced fingertips warm and soft over his face, the sith allowed such, remaining still and watching her. His sister was not so different from him, he knew. It had taken a bit to wrap his head about being related to those of the other faction, but in the end they were family. Asha was important to the Republic and Jedi as he was to the Empire and the Sith. They were mirror images of one another, he knew.
"I have to go."
"I know." Asha said softly and ducked her head to not have to look at Necrolis, red hair falling to hide her face.
Necrolis rose and then moved over to the duffle bag once more, drawing out a data pad from it. Moving back over to where the red headed jedi sat, he looked at her then to the data pad. When she looked up at him, he didn't hesitate any longer and handed the data pad over to her.
"Hang onto that for me. Do not let it out of your sight and do not share what is on it with anyone." Necrolis informed her. "When this is done, ensure it is given to Satele Shan and no one else. Do this for me, sister."
Asha nodded and took the data pad. Rising to her feet she threw her arms about the sith's neck and hugged him tightly. Necrolis could feel the cool wetness of tears against his neck as she cried. There was only a moment's hesitation before he hugged her back tightly and then drew her back from him and lifting up the duffle bag turned and walked to the ship. When he reached the bottom of the ramp, Necrolis turned to look back at Asha.
"May the force be with you… brother." Asha said seeing him look back.
"There is no death, my sister." Necrolis said, giving her a very rare smile. "There is only the force."
Asha smiled despite her tears and gave a small weak laugh again hearing her brother invoke part of the Jedi code. Tucking away the data pad she moved to a safe distance and stood waiting to watch as the ship departed, refusing to leave until he was really gone.
Necrolis walked up the ramp and hit the controls to cycle it closed. Heading up the short winding flights of stairs to the command deck, he entered the cockpit. Tossing the duffle bag aside, he moved over to the command chair and flopped down into it. Staring out the viewport, Necrolis took a couple deep breaths before leaning forward and taking the controls, guiding the Wraith up and out of the hanger bay and off into space.
"Master, it is good to see you once again. All was ready for you as instructed." 2V-R8 said, the robot clunking in to stand close by.
"It was indeed, 2V." Necrolis said as he guided the ship through the asteroid field. "Plot a course to Korriban. It's time to face the moment."
"Yes master." The droid answered and set about the task.
