Chapter 44 – Power and Knowledge part 3
"To be united by hatred, is a fragile alliance at best" – Darth Kriea
On Coruscant, capital of the Galactic Empire. Never had there been a world so full of life become so devoid. Ironic that the overlords who valued oppression, became oppressed so easily. One would think that this would bring joy to the great Emperor Palpatine, but it had the opposite effect. Alone and friendless, the Emperor's enforcers – Darth Vader and Mara Jade had left Coruscant a few rotations ago with assignments given by the Emperor himself. Now he saw what his greed had wrought, the faustian bargain he had made so many years ago to gain power and revenge. Suspended in a stasis field within the Imperial Palace, with the King of Hell sitting on his throne Sidious truly regretted this, truly regretted involving these powerful dark-siders.
In his new vessel, Lucifer tormented, twisted, tortured and killed all of Coruscant's inhabitants. His presence was anger, and Sidious felt that the being in his throne was nothing more than living fire. Lucifer said nothing, he merely snapped his fingers again and again. With each snap, a living being on Coruscant was killed and turned into one of the foul demons, a speck of infernal bile.
The door of the Imperial Palace opened and in stepped Michael. He walked up to Lucifer grimacing. Sidious felt his presence in the force, nearly as deadly as Lucifer's but instead of the fire he felt inside Lucifer, here he felt only lightning.
"How goes the hunt for your vessel, apprentice?", Lucifer asked Michael.
Michael sneered and shot lightning at Lucifer. Lucifer was shocked by the hit, because this actually hurt him for some reason. He retaliated, by breathing a column of fire at Michael, which only seemed to damage the younger archangel's already fragile vessel. The vessel erupted into fire and the archangel's spirit was released from it.
"You swore that Bor's life would be mine. Yet you ordered the attack on his life. You may have found a temporary vessel, but you had mine destroyed on the world of Zeltros, and for what – Bor still lives.", Michael's voice snarled from all around them.
Sidious found his ears to be bleeding, the unbridled voice of an archangel could easily destroy an individual of his level. 'It was only because Lucifer found him a source of entertainment that Sidious survived, or maybe he had died and was brought back by Lucifer again.' these thoughts crossed Sidious's mind.
Lucifer was taking deep breaths, still getting used to Baldur's vessel, and recovering from the damage Michael caused.
"As my apprentice, it is not your place to question my actions. You will do as I command.", Lucifer answered and returned to his throne, continuing his process of turning the inhabitants of Coruscant into demons.
In the palace of Mandalore's ruler, sat Bo Katan, on her side was Fenn Rau and two of his best protectors. In front of them were guardsmen of Clan Kryze. Each of them stood vigil and alert, with hands on their blasters. Bo Katan herself gripped the darksabre tightly. The day had begun oddly enough, with reports that the statue of Tarre Vizsla had been strangely glowing, followed by rumours of mysterious beings seen on the planet and heading towards the palace.
The door to the palace, along with the entire wall was suddenly pulled apart, and entered a man wearing a very old mask. Looking closely, Bo Katan realized that this was the mask worn by the Manda'lor. Behind him was his entourage, comprised of humanoid blue coloured giants, each nearly 20 feet in height and having red eyes and muscular bodies. Though all of them lacked armour and dressed in a more Neanderthal manner, with tusks-like objects at the sides of their necks.
"Who are you and how did you get here?", Bo Katan asked the lead man.
"Is this the hospitality of Mandalore?", the man asked.
"Answer the question.", Rau said his blasters pointed at the lead man.
The man laughed and said, "You, all of you are no match for my allies. But I have a proposition."
One of the protectors in the front shot s blaster bolt at the giant standing to the stranger's left. The bolt did not even damage the giant, who with astonishing speed bent down and picked up the protector. The protector screamed in pain as the Giant crushed him and threw him on the floor, horrifying the Mandalorians in the room.
"I hope that got your attention, Manda'lor.", the man said.
"What do you want?", Bo Katan said venomously standing up.
"I challenge you for the rule of this world and its people.", the man said.
"A challenger who doesn't even tell his name, why would I accept it?", Bo Katan replied. Her remaining guard were quickly coming in front of her, ready to protect their leader. Rau had even called for backup now.
"You misunderstand your position; my allies have already taken control of your backwater world. If you refuse, then they all die.", the man said in such a sympathetic tone, as if he was sorry about this. This only angered Bo Katan further, Rau looked at her and shook his head.
The man then pressed a button on his wrist comm, and an image appeared with Mandalorian people outside on their knees, bound in chains made of ice. There was another man in that image wielding a scythe made out of magma and wearing a red armour, with a flower on his chest armour. The shock was apparent, Bo Katan steadied her features and said, "I accept your challenge. If I win, you will die for your crimes and your allies will leave Mandalore and its people alone."
The man nodded, looked to the giant on his right and said, "Well King Laufey, are these terms acceptable to you?" The giant nodded his approval. The man then turned to Bo Katan and said, "We agree to your terms and will honour them, should you win. Now let us begin."
With that Bo Katan activated her jetpacks, the darksabre and launched herself in the air, shooting blaster bolts towards the man. The man just laughed in response, and walked slowly towards the seat Bo Katan had just vacated. He then raised his hand and used the force to bring Bo Katan to the ground. Bo Katan was surprised, but quickly recovered. As she fell to the ground, she swung the darksabre the minute she got in range, but to her even more surprise, the man blocked the swing with naught but his unarmoured finger. He then lightly pushed Bo Katan away from him. In response, a detonator landed on his feet and exploded, engulfing him completely. As the smoke and dust cleared though, Bo Katan saw the man absorbing the explosion, with the same finger he had used to block her previous attack.
"Is this the limit of your ability?", the man asked in a bored tone.
Taking a defensive stance, Bo Katan said nothing and readied herself for an attack. She knew by now that she was no match for the opponent and realized that this challenge was nothing more than her opponent toying with her. The man then sighed and conjured a sabre out of thin air and then seemingly disappeared and reappeared right in front of Bo Katan, swinging his sabre so masterfully that he disarmed his opponent and left a deep cut in her hand. He then raised the sabre towards her head.
"I win… against a pitiful resistance, and here I thought all mandalorians were as skilled as the creator of that weapon.", the man laughed.
As Bo Katan's guardsmen, led by Fenn Rau raised their blasters, they suddenly found that they couldn't move. The man then raised his hand towards the four clan Kryze guards, and a white mist came out of them and went towards the man's hand. Simultaneously the four guards had started to shrivel and yelled in pain.
"NO. Leave them. Take my life, but leave them.", Bo Katan said in desperation.
The man merely laughed and continued draining the life force from all of them. "Why would I kill you, when you can lead him here.", he said pointing to the darksabre. He then raised his hand towards Fenn Rau and shot red lightning towards him. Rau was unable to even scream being frozen in one place. It was as if he was trapped in a stasis field. Bo Katan watched helplessly as Rau was electrocuted repeatedly.
"Oh, my apologies.", the man suddenly said and let Rau drop on the ground. Rau was not moving and Bo Katan crawled towards him, removing his helmet and cradling his head with her good hand. She was on the verge of tears, but she wouldn't cry, she wouldn't give this monster any satisfaction.
The man then laughed and flicked his hand, making Bo Katan fly into the wall and held her there using the force. He then shot even more lightning at Rau, forcing him to consciousness. He screamed because of the lightning, and Bo Katan watched helplessly, while their tormentor laughed.
On Naboo, Samhain raised more dead and threw them towards Bor, to no effect as they vaporized before reaching their target. He then pointed towards Bor and commanded Tarre to attack him, again to no effect. Bor was in front of Tarre and with one quick strike at his head, he knocked him out cold.
His eyes glowing a fiery red, Bor walked towards Samhain who then shot white energy blasts at Bor. Bor let the first one hit him, to show how ineffective it was and then deflected each of them back towards Samhain, injuring him. He then swung his axe and chopped off both his hands, and legs. As a final act Bor placed his palm on Samhain's face, covering his nose and mouth and said, "Oblivion awaits you, infernal bile." He then smites the demon, so quickly and completely that not even a sound was heard and there was no trace of Samhain left.
Turning towards the injured, unconscious pagans, Bor saw Balthazar limp towards them and then suddenly collapse. Bor then groaned and placed his free hand at the still healing wound on his chest, before snapping his fingers and teleporting them all.