Chapter 70: A Trial of Flesh
He is dead.
She stood over the body, still breathing hard from the battle, still drinking in all the emotions that slaying Terrog's apprentice had brought forth.
Anger, fear, grief, and doubt, they all rose up in her chest, and she let them all pass through her, let them fuel the darkness in her heart.
You had no choice, the darkness whispered.
You would have spent the rest of your days fearing his footsteps…and now…it is done.
You have rid yourself of your obsession, Fehl is dead.
She nodded.
It had needed to be done, but even still…
What might have been…what they might have had, it tried to rise up; it tried to choke her. Punish her.
She resisted those weak emotions, choosing to armor herself in ice and steel.
The apprentice was now gone, all that remained now…was to face the master.
They would face the master and end this.
She felt the presence of the two Jedi at her side. Did they understand why she had needed to do this? Fenn seemed to, but considering that he had nearly died at Fehl's hand, who could blame him for wanting Terrog's pet destroyed.
Shyra was…well…she was no longer sure what Shyra Viel was in the larger scheme of things.
She had shown her power, and Avaryss now found herself…envious.
I must grow stronger, she thought, when we finally meet, when we finally truly cross blades the mongrel and I, I must be ready.
I can afford no mistakes.
Speaking of the Jedi girl, Avaryss watched as her face returned to its more human shape, the large brown eyes did not blaze with the power as they had when she stood her ground against Fehl, but that power was there, none the less.
"Keera?"
Fenn was once again at her side, she could feel his concern radiating out through the Force. He fears what destroying Fehl has done to me, she realized. He doesn't understand that it was necessary, that it needed to be done.
"Are you okay," he asked her.
She thought of pushing him away or maybe some silly reassuring comment. Yet, as always with Fenn, she could not do it.
She could not lie to him.
"I hurt," she confessed, "It…it hurts."
She felt his hand on her shoulder; she could feel his worry, his desire to help her.
Part of her wanted to simply fall into his arms and sob, not just with grief, but also with joy.
She had freed herself, and she had freed Fehl.
Shyra sniffed the air; the damage that they had caused had started several fires.
"We should go," she said, "Lord Terrog is still up ahead."
Avaryss nodded, she wiped at her face and did her best to re-center herself, to set her nerves to cortosis.
He has no more tricks up his sleeve, she thought, at last we are free to confront him.
Be wary, the darkness whispered, a Darth is no mere opponent, he is death itself.
Never expect a battle with a Darth to go easy.
Fenn looked at her.
"You sure you can do this?" he asked.
She nodded, took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Once again she drew on her anger, what she had done to Fehl…it was all because of Darth Terrog, what rogue Sith had done to him.
It was the traitor that was truly to blame for Fehl's final death.
She would see him answer for it.
"I can do this," she informed the two Jedi, she let a cruel smile come to her lips.
"I'm ready."
As one of the three entered the turbolift, once again there was only a single button, the only way up or down.
Fenn pushed it and the door hissed closed, the elevator began to rise.
A shiver ran down Avaryss' spine, a feeling of anticipation washed over her.
Tonight, I kill a Darth, she thought.
It will be good practice.
The thought brought a smile to her face.
First Terrog, and then…Feer.
The thought excited her.
It would be another corpse for the fire.
The lift rose quickly, Avaryss continued to play the mental games she played before every battle. She willed herself to be strong, to stand tall in the face of this next great challenge.
The life began to slow and finally, it came to a stop.
The door hissed open.
The three had their lightsabers in hand, but did not ignite them.
They were greeted, by silence.
Avaryss took the lead as they stepped out of the elevator and onto what looked like a massive observation deck the massive dome seemed capped the tower in which the three found themselves. Stars and plumes of gas from the nebula in which the station sat swirled overhead.
They were walking up a long and slowly rising ramp, black unadorned walls starting at about two stories high grew increasingly lower as they made their way up.
Avaryss shook her head.
The Force was practically screaming now, it was from this chamber that the sense of foreboding she had felt earlier was being generated.
Fear, hopelessness and the desire to flee all bombarded her and her Jedi companions, but to their credit no one said anything, no one even suggested trying to run. It was here that their final battle would take place.
Here was where Darth Terrog's threat would be ended.
Avaryss watched the walls around them, had she been in command here she would have saved some troopers to shoot down on any invaders, those ledges offered perfect firing positions for anyone trying to hold this chamber, and yet, no guard emerged, no blaster shots rained down on them.
It was most…curious.
And still no Darth Terrog, she could not exactly sense the dark lord, but she knew that he was here…somewhere.
By now he had to know that his guards had failed. He had to know that his apprentice was dead.
Yet, he lets us enter without a single challenge, not a trooper, not a warrior, nothing.
What is going on, she wondered.
What type of game are you playing at, Terrog?
They finally reached the top of the ramp, the walls that protected the walkway now had become a plain obsidian-like floor, it had been polished to a mirror shine, and the three could see their reflections in it.
To look down on that reflection was to see yourself surrounded by the stars.
It was a beautiful sight to be sure.
The observation deck was large, encircled by two walkways interconnected by three sets of stairs. On each of these walkways sat four rather large spherical shaped machines, each topped with a single glass dome; a dome that pulsed with red angry light.
Avaryss reached out to one of them with the Force, and was nearly knocked down by the wave of despair that nearly overwhelmed her, that might have left her sobbing on the floor had she not been at least partially prepared.
The young Sith shook her head.
It seemed that they had found the source of Terrog's battle meditation, but…it made no sense.
No machine was capable of affecting the Force!
It was impossible.
Just across from the entrance ramp…sat a large coffin, or rather, something that looked like a cross between a coffin and an examination table.
The three went up to it, curious as to what Terrog might be keeping here, what the dark lord had chosen to keep here in what was likely his inner sanctum.
The sight that greeted them was…disturbing to say the least.
It was a body, of course, no real surprise there, but it was the condition of the body, that made what they were seeing so…disturbing.
It had been a Sith pure blood…once. His dark red skin had turned a dull pink in death; his golden eyes the flat yellow of dead grass. .
Fenn looked away quickly. He put his hand over his mouth, like he feared he was about to retch.
"I think I'm going to be sick," he gasped.
Avaryss did not blame him.
It was quite disturbing.
It was clear that someone had been…dissecting this body, parts were missing, organs removed; even pieces of the brain appeared to be missing. It was hard to say how long this pure blood had been dead the machine in which it was being kept seemed to be pumping fluids into the body, preserving what had not been removed yet.
It was a horrific sight to be sure.
The chest, the arms, the legs, even the head had been opened up.
She and Shyra both looked down on the body in the detached way of those use to seeing such sights. Avaryss had seen worse during her time on Dromund Kaas, and Shyra, who had been created in a place like this likely felt the same.
The female Jedi sniffed the body.
"I wonder who he was," she murmured thoughtfully.
Avaryss shrugged.
"Someone who pissed off the wrong person, I guess."
"You would be wrong, apprentice."
The three spun around, drawing their lightsabers.
Darth Terrog stood before them, as large and intimidating as he had looked during Avaryss' first meeting with him back at the gathering all those months ago. If their presence here surprised the dark lord he certainly did not show it, he looked neither worried nor concerned to find three enemy force users in his chambers.
If anything their presence seemed to amuse him more than anything else.
He chuckled.
"The one you see before you was Darth Questus, my master, and teacher," he informed them, "During the days before our return; he had been both a skilled warrior and general. He led the Empire to many victories, and had proven himself a champion of the Emperor."
Terrog chuckled.
"When he first took me as his apprentice, most thought that he had gone senile. I was neither strong nor intimidating, hardly the apprentice for one who had lived such and active life and won so many victories for our people."
Terrog shook his head.
"It was my curiosity that intrigued him, I had so many questions; there was so much to know. He used to joke that I would interrogate the Force if I could, that I would not be satisfied before I had learned all of life's mysteries."
Avaryss's eyes narrowed.
"Hence your Sith name…Terrog."
The Dark Lord smiled at her.
"Quite right, apprentice, quite right indeed."
Avaryss eyes narrowed, she was not sure what to make of this.
The Terrog she had met at the gathering had been a zealot; this one seemed almost…personable.
Fenn stayed close to her. He was ready to engage the dark lord at the first sign of danger.
Shyra was…she was like a loaded spring, ready to spring at her creator's throat, eager to do so.
If Terrog felt threatened, he did not acknowledge it.
He looked down upon the body fondly.
"He was very kind to me, not a trait often found in a master I know, but he was. My own family never understood my…curiosity; my siblings avoided me after they found that I dissected one of the family pets. My parents disowned me after I did the same to a servant girl.
Terrog shook his head.
They never did understand, but Lord Questus did, he not only understood, but he approved. He often took me on campaign with him, let me follow his exploits. Back then I was not as I am now, I was small and frail, but I was willing to try, to strive to be better.
"Lord Questus encouraged my experiments. He helped me locate both holocrons and texts that I desired. He would also give me subjects to work with. Animals, new plant life…even the occasional prisoner, if I was lucky, and he was in a generous mood. He saw value in my work; he thought it might hold the key to victory when the Emperor finally decided that our time had finally come. That we were finally ready to take the Republic. He understood, that life was an unguided mistake, and only through study and science could the Sith evolve beyond their shortcomings.
"Sounds like a real charmer," Avaryss said.
"Not really, "Terrog said with a shrug, "but he was my master."
"You sound quite fond of him," Fenn Shadowstone said.
"I was indeed," the dark lord admitted.
"So how did he die?"
Terrog's smiled turned sly.
I killed him, of course," he admitted, "I had learned all that I could at his feet, but some questions still remained unanswered; questions that I could only learn the answers to through surgery.
"My master had a very exacting appetite; his meals always had to be prepared a certain way. When on campaign he trusted me to see that his dinner was made just the way he liked it, and so I made sure that it was, and one day, I included something in it, something both odorless and tasteless."
He grinned at the three, those strange cyborg eyes of his seemed to glitter mischievously.
"The poison did not kill him, not right away, but it did paralyze his body and give the appearance of true death. I had him sent back to Dromund Kaas, by then, I had won all the servants over to my side, and those that had proved resistant the reprogrammed droids of our house made short work of."
Terrog gently touched his dead master's face.
"Lord Questus was a master of battle meditation you see. I had no talent with that skill myself, and wished to study it greater detail."
Avaryss shuddered; the realization of what the dark lord had done came to her.
"He was still alive when you started dissecting him, when you started cutting into his brain?"
Terrog shrugged, dismissively.
"Such is the way for one who desires knowledge."
Shyra had heard enough.
She leapt at her creator an angry snarl on her lips.
Terrog threw up his hand. The Force push caught the Jedi girl and flung her back, the back of her head slammed into the lower walkway behind her.
"NO!" Fenn said drawing his lightsaber.
Terrog drew his weapon and attacked.
Whether Fenn was still winded from his fight with Fehl, or the dark lord was just that fast, the outcome was never in contest.
Fenn's blade parried two of the dark lord's attacks before he got in close enough. The Darth brought his knee up into Fenn's belly with enough force to lift him bodily off the ground, and then reaching out with the Force he flung the Jedi Padawan across the chamber, he skidded to a halt at the edge of the ledge where the walkway began.
He lay there, coughing, unable to rise.
Avaryss blinked.
By the Emperor!
Darth Terrog had dealt with both Fenn and Shyra in a matter of seconds.
Her hand remained on her lightsaber, but she had not ignited it.
Terrog chuckled.
"Still the wise one, I see, good."
Terrog radiated with a dark pleasure.
"You will be most useful to me in my work, my dear. Of that I'm certain."
"And what does that mean exactly?" she asked.
He shrugged, pressing a button on the Sarcophagus, sealing the remains of Darth Questus back inside.
"I was not sure of you the first time we met, girl," he admitted, "You are on the arm of a rival, a constant thorn in my side, but at the same time, I sensed your…potential. You were like a block of stone waiting for an artist to chip away the outside and reveal the masterpiece inside."
"I take it that you are the artist?" she said dryly.
"I've been called that before," he said,
She sneered.
By whom, she wondered, his lap dogs, the slaves that he had put droid processors in their heads?
"When I saw you at the gathering, as we stood there talking, as Darth Marr came up to you and you put him at ease, I had a vision through the Force. It was as clear as day, and rang with both truth and destiny."
He stood taller, practically radiating triumph.
"I saw you kneeling before me. I saw that you had been improved, that you had accepted cybernetic parts. I knew in that moment that it was you that was destined to stand beside me. That you would be at my side as I remade the galaxy in my beautiful image."
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
Beautiful?
Him?
Really?
Another explosion rattled the station. She looked up concerned.
"Fear not, he assured her, "The enemy cannot breach my defenses; my master defends us even now."
Avaryss was not sure what he meant by that, but then she reached out with the Force. She touched both the corpse of Darth Questus and the devices that were scattered throughout the observation deck.
Her eyes flared.
"You found a way to preserve his talent didn't you? You found a way to artificially recreate your old masters abilities?"
"Recreate is not the right word," he said, "I found a way to preserve his gift, to spread it around. By harvesting tissue of his Force sensitive brain, I was able to grow a series of artificial minds, cybernetics blended with my master's own brain, to create a…artificial alternative to having to find a Force Sensitive skilled in the art of battle meditation."
The thought made Avaryss shudder.
It was horrifying, but at the same time, quite clever…quite clever indeed.
She smiled.
This confrontation was not going as she thought it would.
"Such a weapon would give your fleets an edge in battle, but not enough to make you Emperor."
Terrog laughed at that.
"I am now the Living Will of the Force, girl. Why would I wish to hold such a small title as Emperor?"
He crossed his arms over his chest.
"You have proven to be more skilled than I gave you credit for. You have passed the test I've set before you with flying colors. I'm most pleased."
"Test?" she said. "What test?"
"I needed to see if you were worthy of becoming my new apprentice. The plague on Fydon, the return of your former lover, your vaccination and survival, your invitation to join me here, were all part of my test, to see if you were ready."
"Ready for what?"
"To be Empress of course," he replied.
She shivered.
Empress?
He…he wanted her to be Empress!
Was it even possible?
"My Questus devices do more than just demoralize my enemies, child. They can also be set to cause an unreasoning rage in someone. They can literally be directed to making an enemy force destroy itself."
"Then why not use it at the start of the battle? Why wait? Why bother with the plague?"
"What you call a plague is the next step in my plan. It is a tool that I will use to purify the galaxy and remake the Force in my image. Once I've destroyed the Republic and Imperial fleets, the other lords will flock to my banner. I will be able to make the necessary repairs to this station, and my probes will spread throughout the galaxy. Dromund Kaas and Korriban will need to be given the gift that I gave Fydon, to ensure that our former Emperor does not cause us any trouble."
Avaryss winced.
To use such a weapon on the Emperor.
Would it even work on an Immortal being?"
"Once the Emperor is dead the Sith will need a new leader, one who accepts my place within the Force, and embraces me as its living will."
He put his large hands on her shoulders.
"You will be that leader, my dear. You will be Empress Darth Avaryss I.
Hearing him say those words, they excited her, far more than she had ever realized that they would.
Empress Darth Avaryss, the first of her name!
She felt the old hunger in her stomach.
She imagined herself sitting on the throne, all the Darths and Lords bowing to her, those that survived the plague anyway.
"And what of the Republic and Jedi?" she asked, what will become of them?"
"They will have the same choice that the Empire has, to bow down, or die."
Terrog's eyes seemed to glow brighter.
He looked down at where Shyra and Fenn had fallen.
"I thank you for returning experiment 5 tank 1-3-L to me apprentice, it has been long since she escaped, I'm eager to have her on my dissection table, figure out how she managed to survive this long."
Avaryss blinked.
Experiment 5…?
Oh!
Experiment V-1-3-l, Viel that was Shyra's experimental designation!
How amusing.
"Lord Marr will never accept this, my lord," she reminded him, "But at the same time, he has allies, he could make the transition of power easier for us."
Terrog laughed.
"Us?" he said, "Does that mean that you have accepted my offer, that you will join me?"
"What about Fehl?" she asked, "You seem to have forgotten him awfully quick."
"Those that fail are left behind and forgotten apprentice, you know that as well as anyone. You defeated Fehl, and now…his place is yours. You…!"
GRAAAAAAAAHG!
Shyra had somehow found her feet; she lunged at Lord Terrog again. This time she had her lightsaber in hand, its emerald blade flashing as she brought it up and around.
Avaryss stepped back as Terrog engaged his creation in single combat.
Terrog back pedaled as she pressed her attack raining down blows on the dark lord. He used Soresu to draw out their battle, her when her claws came up raking at his robes, they tore away cloth revealing cybernetic armor, similar to what she had seen been fitted to Fehl.
Avaryss watched the exchange with a cool and clinical eye.
She could have tried to help Terrog, but why? If he was strong enough he would surely defeat his creation. As for Shyra, she was looking for weakness.
She hoped to see some flaw in the dark lord's creation.
KEERA!" she turned to see Fenn back on his feet, he was running towards Terrog, looking to aid his fellow Jedi.
Avaryss struck out with the Force.
Fenn was flung back he went skidding back across the polished floor.
Avaryss ignited her weapon and went after him.
Fenn rolled to his feet, and was forced to defend himself.
Avaryss rained down blows on his defenses.
"Keep back," she shouted.
He looked into her eyes, they radiated horror and disbelief.
"Keera! No! You said you wouldn't turn against us!"
She smiled slyly.
"We have to help Shyra!"
"Not yet," she said.
"Keera!"
NOT YET!"
She parried his attack and fell back, staying between him and the fight between Shyra and Darth Terrog.
She reached out with the Force, trying to get a sense for what was going on outside. She could feel the tide of the battle shifting, a flight of extinction class bombers were inbound. They had managed to get past the blockade and were now driving hard for the station. She could feel their fear and the growing sense of hopelessness.
When they reached the station, it would be too late.
Keera," Fenn shouted again.
"NOT YET!"
Shyra leapt around Terrog, clawing biting and snapping at the dark lord, her blade parrying his attacks.
"You fight well, Experiment V-I-3-L, I'm most impressed.
"My name is Shyra," she spat, "Remember that!"
She and Terrog crossed blades despite his size, they were pretty evenly matched.
"Not yet," Avaryss murmured, she said holding Fenn back.
"Not yet!"
She reached out into the Force again, she could feel the bombers, the pilots inside of them, and they were slowing starting to break formation; Terrog fighters were closing in readying to blow the enemy craft to atoms.
"Wait for it," she murmured lowering her blade.
Fenn looked confused.
"Keera?"
"Trust me, darling," she purred.
"Trust me."
Shyra was down on her knees, her creator continued to push the blade farther and farther down, closer to her shoulder.
"You are nothing, nothing but an experiment, a failed experiment! I will.
The bombers were in range.
Avaryss smiled.
"Help Shyra," she told her dream friend.
"I got this!"
He blinked.
"Got what? What are you..?'
Avaryss sprinted towards the walkways, her scarlet blade whirling. She cut through the glass surface of the nearest the Questus machines, destroying the cybernetic brain inside. She leapt to the walkway above and slashed through a second and then and third…
That was when the world turned upside down!
That is when Terrog realized that she had betrayed him!
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
She was picked up by the Force and flung across the chamber!
She struck the dura-glass dome with enough force to break every bone in her body, had she not shielded herself, she would have.
A wave of Force energy blasted out from Darth Terrog, a storm of pure rage and hate.
"LIAR!" he howled.
"TRAITOR!"
"I know you are," Avaryss said as she flipped over and sprang off the wall, leaping towards the dark lord.
"NOW ANSWER FOR IT!"
Terrog whirled his blade flaring like a cutting torch.
He parried her blow and sent her flying again with the Force.
It was at that moment that Fenn and Shyra attacked him from behind. He turned and parried their attacks, giving Avaryss another opportunity to attack the so called Questus devices; she used the Force to raise up the dead dark lord's sarcophagus.
Here is a little chance for revenge, my lord, she thought.
Take it!
She sent it flying towards the walkway like a missile it crashed through two more of the infernal machines.
Terrog howled like a maddened animal. He raised his hands over his head. Broken machines and debris began to spin through the air like a tornado.
Avaryss cut away two before she was struck in the back and sent stumbling….
…Stumbling right into the path of Darth Terrog.
The Dark lord roared as he brought down his blade, he rained down the most savage strikes that Avaryss had ever seen.
He was faster than her master, and far faster than Fehl.
He is a Darth, the darkness whispered.
What do you expect!
"I offered you the galaxy," he shouted, "You stupid child, do you not realize what you have done?!"
Shyra sprinted towards him again, only to be caught in another Force grip, and flung away like she was nothing.
Terrog raised his hand and sent a maelstrom of Sith lightning crackling towards Avaryss. She was able to block only half of the attack.
She fell to her knees.
Terrog moved in for the kill.
He roared as he brought his blade down looking to cut her in half.
She rolled out of the way and tried to rise only to be kicked in the cut and struck in the jaw by a huge brutish fist.
Avaryss stagger back and spit out several teeth.
She laughed through the blood and saliva that fell from her mouth.
"You hit like a girl," she hissed and spit blood on his boots.
Terrog sent her flying again she struck the underside of one of the walkways.
She heard something snap inside of her.
Not good!
It was at that moment that extinction class bombers she had sensed finally closed to killer range. Having been freed of Battle meditation of Terrog's toys they were able to regain their focus even as their enemy lost some at the realization of how badly outnumbered they were.
The bombers dropped their payload.
The bombs fell through the energy shield fell through and detonated on the surface of the station.
The observation dome cracked, as explosions lit up the void outside the gases from the nebula igniting as the air inside the station rushed out feeding the proton fire.
"Terrog roared as his base tilted under his feet.
"NO!" he shouted.
"NOOOOO!"
Avaryss grinned and raised her arm the one that she wore the alchemist's bracer.
Time to make things at little worse for you, my lord, she thought.
She focused her anger and pain through the bracer, the crystal on her wrist flared.
A bolt of pure dark side energy flew from the bracer and struck the dark lord in the chest, burning both his robes, and damaging his cybernetics!
He was thrown back into Fenn and Shyra; the mongrel went low, while Fenn went high.
Terrog should have been cut in three pieces, but he managed to parry both of their attacks and flip back out of the way.
"GNATS!" he growled, "YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME!"
He seized Fenn in a Force grip straggling him.
Shyra slashed at the dark lord's arm, the cybernetics beneath his sleeve saved him from losing the appendage.
He grabbed his creation by the throat, lifted her up and flung her as hard as he could into Fenn, both went down hard.
The dark lord blasted them both with Force lightning! The two Jedi cried out in agony!
Avaryss managed to find her feet. She was injured, perhaps fatally so, but she would be damned if Terrog managed to escape her wrath.
He forced her hand, forced her to kill, Fehl.
HE would answer for that.
She raised her hands summoning a death field, its power destroying the remaining Questus devices destroying the last of Darth Terrog's protective shield.
The life energy within was just enough to get her in fighting shape again.
She dashed forward.
Terrog heard her coming and spun to meet her. Their blades clashed with an evil hiss."
Terrog glared at her, his silver droid eyes reflecting her damaged reflection back at her.
"You think you are pretty smart don't you?!" he snapped.
"Well I did end your reign, didn't I," she said dryly.
The dark side howled through Terrog! It built like volcano, and then…
…it exploded!
Terrog pushed her away and went on the attack, Soresu shielded her but he was too fast, way too fast. She blocked with her right hand while she raised her left to blast him back with Force lightning! He would…
AIIIIIEEEEEEEE!
Avaryss shrieked as Terrog breached her defenses. His blade lashed out.
Her left arm came away; it was severed in a vicious diagonal cut at the elbow!
She wailed in agony.
She had been cut by a lightsaber before, but nothing like this, her arm felt like it had been plunged into a river of liquid nitrogen!
Her red eyes widened in horror!
MY ARM!?
MY ARRRRRRRM!
Terrog kicked her lightsaber out of her hand.
He caught her in a Force grip and sent her flying, she struck the dome only to bounce off and go flying back across the dome to slam into the other side.
She struck again, and again, and again!
Finally, Terrog sent her flying back down to the deck. She hit with enough force to snap both her legs, and still the pain did not stop!
He blasted her with Force lightning! The bones in her remaining hand shone through her skin; that was how intense the lightning was. Her sonic bafflers popped and caught fire, she needed to rip them out before she was burned.
Avaryss lay on the deck, her legs broken her arm gone. She wheezed, unable to really catch her breath.
Terrog stood over her; he towered over her like a colossus, death itself given form.
This is it, she thought, this is how I die."
"Young fool," he hissed, "Only now do you understand."
Terrog raised his hands.
"I am Terrog! I AM THE LIVING WILL OF THE FORCE! I AM…!"
"DEAD!"
Fenn lunged out of the smoke and wreckage, his blue blade flashing towards the dark lord's head.
Again Terrog spun, and again he parried Fenn's attack. He elbowed the Jedi in the jaw and sent him crashing down next to Avaryss.
No, she murmured through the blood filling her lungs.
Not like this, she thought.
Not Fenn!
She tried to reach out to him, to let him know that she was still here, that she had not betrayed him, that she could never betray him.
"You…you are mine," she murmured.
"I…I love you."
Terrog sneered down at both of them, the cybernetics on his chest was breached, and blood ran down his left cheek.
He reached out with the Force and pulled an injured Shyra to him she flew to him as he wrapped his fingers around her throat, he held her up one handed. She gurgled, whimpered and struggled, her lightsaber was gone.
"It is over," he shouted, "I am victorious! I'm invincible, I'm immortal! I am a GOD! I am…"
Fenn roared; he raised his hands, his fingers stretching out for the mad Sith Lord.
Golden lightning exploded from his fingertips.
It struck Terrog in chest.
The dark lord began to convulse, the voltage burning his flesh and burning out his cybernetics.
Avaryss looked up in disbelief. Fenn was not angry, what he was unleashing had nothing to do with the dark side.
She tried to touch him a spark of the golden lightning travelled up her arm.
She wailed in agony.
Normal Force lightning she understood, but this was not normal Force lightning.
The Jedi did not usually use such a gift, but she had heard about it, the ability to transform courage and compassion into a lethal strike.
Force Judgment; that is what it had been called in the books she had found on Korriban.
She had never thought to see it used, but…
She whimpered.
Normal Force lightning just burned the body, Force Judgement did something else.
It scorched the spirit to a dark force user, it was even worse!
She felt a wave of crushing guilt wash over her. Guilt for the Jedi she had slain; guilt for people who had died on Myrnn 9 when she had blown up the neighborhood to hide her attack on the Jedi enclave. Shame for the death of the men on the mining guild station.
It was too much!
TOO MUCH!
NOOOOOOOOO!
She and Terrog wailed as one.
LET ME DIE, she wailed.
"PLEASE JUST LET ME DIE!"
She somehow managed to let go of Fenn, he continued to bombard Terrog.
She curled up into a ball and sobbed.
Her hand drifted down to the pouch on her leg, the pouch where she had hidden the crystal, the dark side energy rushed into her, pushing back the effect of the light side lightning.
He is vulnerable, the darkness whispered.
The Darth is vulnerable.
Do it
Strike now!
DO IT!
She pulled out the crystal, gripping it in her right arm, trying to not look at the burnt stump that had been her left one.
Fenn finally collapsed, exhausted by his final attack.
Terrog fell to his knees, his silver eyes were melted the wires that ran up his jaw were glowing white from the heat.
"Not over," he wheezed, "Not…over, my body…is perfect…it is healing itself, I will be back on my feet in…"
Avaryss snarled and lunged forward.
She buried the sharpened crystal into the Dark Lord's unarmored side. He wailed and stumbled back, trying to get away from...
Avaryss, despite the pain laughed.
Gotcha, she thought smiling thought broken teeth.
She began to chant, to speak the words she had learned from the scroll in the abandoned tomb.
For the briefest of moments, she got a glimpse of the Sith Sorceress, the one who had been buried in that tomb.
"You know the words," the long dead Sith whispered.
Use them.
Cast the spell.
The crystal began to glow; it flared with violet colored light. Terrog looked down at it and snarled.
"What is this," he spat, "A magic trick!"
Avaryss almost laughed, she would have if she was not in so much pain.
It is no trick, she thought, it is sorcery, the darkest of Sith sorcery, from the time before the Jedi hunted us to near extinction, back in the days of Tulak Hord, Marka Ragnos and Ajunta Pal. It is from the days when we were the sorcerer kings of a mighty Empire enjoying its golden age, back before the treacherous Daragon spies came, back before the Holocaust!
Terrog tried to pull the crystal out, and found out that he could not.
Avaryss reached out to it with her magic, she could feel the crystal doing its work, drawing away the dark lord's life force, his very essence.
Darth Terrog gasped and sank to his knees.
"WHAT IS THIS!" he gasped.
Avaryss grinned. She was connected to the crystal now, despite the pain of having her arm severed, she was drawing on the life energy that was flowing through the crystal.
Terrog's massive arms and legs began to shrink his thick neck and muscles started to melt away.
She glared at the dark lord; his body was melting away, like a snowman being hit by a flamethrower.
But he would not die, no he would not.
Avaryss' grin widened.
Death was too quick for traitors.
The fate she had condemned Terrog to was something far worse.
And far more delicious!
This can't be happening," Terrog said; he tried grabbing his lightsaber only to have the weight of it crumble his hand to ash.
He stared in horror.
He looked at Avaryss.
"Harlot!"
"Witch!"
Sorceress, actually," she said, his life energy pulling her back from the brink.
"But you may call me death."
Avaryss said the final words of the chant.
Terrog let out one final gurgling cry.
Then it was over, his flesh crumbled away leaving only his melted cybernetics to clatter to the floor.
She watched as his silver eyes fell from his head and landed before her, she watched as the light faded from the optics.
She grinned triumphantly.
"Behold the Living Will of the Force," she said.
She watched as his empty robes finally toppled over, empty of all but dust.
She reached out with the Force, she pulled.
The crystal emerged from the empty robes, it flew into her hand.
She looked down into its depth and felt a sense of grim satisfaction.
Terrog's soul had not entered the madness beyond death; she had not been feeling that kind.
It was now trapped within the crystal, trapped for all time! Terrog's spirit would spend the rest of eternity in torment, caught in a place between life and death.
She could feel his agony, his soul wailing silently.
"Enjoy, my lord," she said.
"Welcome to an ever living hell."
She lay back cradling the crystal in her remaining arm.
The station shook violently beneath them one of the walkways exploded violently.
Avaryss lay back and sighed contently.
It seemed that the Sith Fleet had finally breached Terrog's defenses.
It would not be long now, she thought.
This place was doomed.
Wonderful.
She tried to stagger to her feet, to begin the long journey back to her ship. Another explosion rocked the station flinging her back down. She struck her head hard.
No, she thought.
She tried to get up.
I must get up.
I can't die like this.
She felt arms around her lifting her up, carrying her away from the ramp, away from the exit.
No, she tried to cry.
I don't need help,
Leave me.
"This way," she heard Fenn shout, "Shyra hurry! This way!"
Avaryss blinked.
What way?
Where were the Jedi taking her?!
The deck pitched beneath them. Fenn stumbled as Avaryss heard the hiss of an airlock.
What is happening, she thought.
What was going on!
There was a blinding flash that hurt her eyes, she screamed and tried look away.
No, she thought.
No!
I won!
I'm a hero!
The world turned white around her.
She screamed.
I cannot die.
She screamed in fury.
I cannot die!
Light turned to darkness, and then…
…silence.