Chapter XXI: A World - Two Worlds
Ninth Sister - Day 7 - Synta
It seemed that with every step she took, the red glow emitted by the silver-like floor grew in intensity, seemingly increasing the heat that was thrown into her face as a result. She couldn't explain from where this peculiar warmth came from and right now, she couldn't care less. She felt strong, revitalized as she marched down the argent corridor, her feet only gaining in speed as the haunting images of the Second Sister followed her on her heel. Eventually, she made her way to a big chamber, host to a thick gate that stood in her way. There was a pair of some sort of altars - pedestals perhaps - standing guard in front of it, one visibly being consumed by strange blue-glowing veins that emitted a serene calm around it.
With a hellish scream, she brought her lightsaber down at it, cutting it in two as she used the Force to propel the rocky remnants at the closed gate. Right thereafter, she charged at it, throwing down both ignited ends of her weapon at it, making her way through the entrance by sheer ferocity. It took her some seconds until her enraged mind realized that a strange painting was blasted onto the surface. It was a thin and demonic-looking man with grey skin, red eyes and equally crimson markings dancing over his wrinkly visage. Somehow, he had a stunning resemblance with the Grand Inquisitor, a fact that infuriated her even more. With a final strike, the gate broke apart, the sound of her beating heart dampening everything else as she went deeper into the mysterious structure.
I can taste you, you blasted son of a bitch. You're mine. They'll all be mine. The Empire. Vader. Nothing will stand in my way. I will win this game, no matter the cost.
Ninth Sister didn't know long she walked. Minutes? Hours? It didn't matter. There was only the hunt, only her prey. And finally, she spotted what she was looking for. It was a man sitting on the silver floor a couple of meters in front of her. He looked relatively young, probably in his twenties if she was to wager. He claimed black hair his own, shortened cleanly into something akin to a buzzcut. Her target wore something resembling her own Inquisitorial armor, though his gloves were modified with long, sharp and thin talons growing out of them. He levitated the same model of lightsaber in her hand that she called her own, fully activated in disc mode as it was quickly ignited.
''He said that you'd come.'' He grabbed his saber and stood up, walking towards the Ninth Sister as the tib of his sword trailed along the floor.
''You are what's got the Empire in such a frenzy? Pathetic. What are you some, some sort of renegade Inquisitor? Wouldn't be the first time, loverboy.'' Ninth Sister spat with utter disgust, entering a defensive stance as her target came closer.
''No. I'm more.''
Ninth Sister probed his mind, hoping to find something that'd give her an advantage. But there was only one image, one that made her panic to her core. It was Vader, their dark master.
How?
The mysterious attacker guided his saber towards her, the speed of his attack probing the Ninth Sister's defense to its limits.
''Who are you ... you pathetic slap of meat?!''
Letting hatred fuel her every move, she jumped back, only to unleash an onslaught of attacks onto him, forcing him into the defense. Up. Up. Middle - her strikes were like lightning, one stronger than the other. Yet her target seemed to match her strength with his speed, either evading or blocking her attacks outright.
''It doesn't matter. You won't live to see it!'' he screamed at the top of his lungs, dashing back and running deeper into the darkness, his escape making the Inquisitor grunt in frustration.
She ran until her prey came to a sickening halt, leading them both in front of some marble arch. Once more, paintings darted the surface of the complex. There was the red-eyed man from before, his hateful gaze directed at a young woman with teal hair. Above them, an elderly man looked down at them with sadness, his hands put between the quarreling individuals like a father trying to keep fighting siblings apart.
''Come then.'' he said with underlying furry ere he jumped at her once more.
Blade met blade, primal strength trying to claim victory over swift agility. As their strikes exchanged hefty blows, neither of them noticed that a vortex of white energy began to shine brightly beneath the arch.
Trilla - Day 5 - Ordel, Mysterious Ruins
Ahead. Under the rubble.
Once more Trilla shivered as her ears heard the whispers of the Sith. To think that such a relict of time was lost under the hills of Ordel, a planet only known for its boredom. It was obvious that the Empire had no idea what treasures Ordel held, given their relative lackluster on the surface. Lucky for the people of Stone Town, Trilla mused. There was a certain irony to be had, given that the Empire had some serious mining operations going on in those regions, only for them to completely miss this underground maze that held the secrets of a time long past.
''What are we even doing, Trilla?'' Cal asked in a worried tone.
''First, we need to find the source of this presence I felt. Then we'll ensure that Stone Town won't suffer under it.''
''Just ... wait a second.''
He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around, sad eyes locked with hers.
''Trilla, I'm not trusting any of this. I ... damn it.'' he shook his head ''it wasn't that long ago that the Dark Side consumed you. You ... you tried to kill me so many times. My friend, Cere, Greez ... Merrin. What if ... what if it happens again?''
There it was. After everything that has transpired, after their escape from the Fortress and Nar Shaddaa, there was the proof that Trilla's mind desperately craved, if only to finally close that chapter of her life. The fact that no matter what would happen, they'd never trust her. And that realization hurt her far more than she wished. Greez nor Merrin would never trust her completely, that much was certain. But Cal? Cere? Was she doomed to always live in the shadows of their doubt, no matter how often she proved that her intentions were pure? Bitting down on her lower lip, she evaded Cal's well-meant glare.
''Don't do this to me now, Kestis. We talked about this - I'm not broken. Please.''
''Trilla I ... '' he closed his eyes ''I ... I trust you. But just try to be careful.''
He didn't. He didn't trust her, even if he himself didn't realize it. At that, she scoffed and pushed him away, walking down the hallway further until she heard the faint whispers of the voice once more.
On your right.
She hurried over to the pile of rubble, using the Force to throw off the dusty pebbles and stones that stood in her way. The more she removed, the more intense became the hushed red light that leaked out of the pile. With one final push, she unsheathed something she never thought she'd see in her life: it was a pyramid-shaped palm-sized Sith holocron.
Thank you...
The voice disappeared into nothingness, leaving only Cal's hectic rumbling behind that she didn't even hear at first.
''What ... what is that. That's dark Trilla. I can feel it ... it makes me uneasy. Just tell m-''
She was tired of this. With a snap of her fingers, she silenced the young Jedi immediately, pointing her finger in frustration at a stone arch behind him. Out of thin air, a whirlwind of white energy jumped into existence, bringing with it a wave of voices not unlike the one she has heard from the fallen Sith.
I feel it again. The pull to the Light.
In my experience, just when you think you understand the Force, you find out how little you actually know.
You want the impossible.
Don't be afraid. I feel it too.
Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin, they betray you.
Someone once told me rebellions are built on hate.
They call it the Death Star. It could be the end of us all. There's a way to defeat it.
Beneath the arch, an image started to anchor itself into existence. It was endless darkness penetrated by countless stars. Almost like the beat of a heart, red flashes of lightning jumped out of it, followed by grunts and voices - actual voices that reverberated in the physical world, not only in her head. Then a feeling, a presence of her past. Suddenly, a beam of red stuck out of the mysterious portal, followed by a hulky creature being thrown out of it. As she fell, the lightsaber of the Ninth Sister cut through the marble curve, resulting in a fiery flash of light that blinded her momentarily. Trusting the Force, she summoned her saber into her hand, keeping the holocron close to her chest as she pointed her weapon at her former ''sister.'' How? How was something like that possible? Was all of this a trap constructed by the Empire? But then, how did they know of this ruin? She knew how the Ninth Sister moved through the Force, it wasn't her that she felt. She was as confused as she was afraid, all of those questions bombarding her thoughts like a Star Destroyer during a siege. But then, there was something else. The holocron in her palm seemingly pulled her attention towards it, managing to block out anything except it and her own thoughts.
Trust me.
A thunderous clap made the ground beneath her feet shake, pulling her back into reality. The arch exploded in pure energy, a beam of white power jumping out of it and heading straight to the ceiling, burning through it as if it was made out of tissue paper. The beam grew in intensity, thicker and stronger with every second, as the world around Trilla was turned into chaos. Shortly, Trilla thought that she saw the moon and the sky of Ordel ere her eyes turned black. She felt nothing but the void clinging to her pores as something took command of her weary bones. The last thing she remembered was the bloodied body of Cal trembling beneath her fingers as she pulled him out of the ruin, her thoughts not her own as sleep claimed her.
Ninth Sister - ? - ?
Again his lightsaber managed to hit her, this time chopping off one of her facial horns as he kicked her square into her chest. She was quick to repay him in kind, however, as her sword penetrated his shoulder, making him scream in sudden agony before he pulled away from her. To her surprise, Ninth Sister spotted sparkles of white light jumping off of her shoulders, making her turn around in shook as she saw how the strange glow began to creep ever closer, originating from beneath the arch. She felt how her attacker used the Force to push her away, throwing her directly into the power's cold pulse.
KANAN!
We were on the verge of greatness.
You must unlearn what you have learned.
Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design.
She felt like a feather being carried away in the wind, every conception of mass and gravity lost as she levitated through the darkness. There were voices, so many voices that her head began to scream in pain, her confusion quelling the rage that filled her not even seconds ago. Out of instinct, her hands wandered to her throat, trying to defend herself from the suffocation that should've welcomed her amongst the void of space. Yet there was nothing that pained her except her treacherous thoughts. Below her, she could see how a bridge of white energy was formed in front of her eyes. Ninth Sister landed on it softly as numerous stone arches - just like the one in the temple - rose from the ground, each and every one of them projecting the same energies that brought her to this place.
''What ... what is this?'' she said under startled breath ere she stepped over to one of the arches.
It was Darth Vader. He stood in what had to be some sort of throne room, the Emperor himself closeby as cruel lightning left the tips of his fingers, burning a young blonde man with a lightsaber in front of him. Palpatine laughed in untold enjoyment, the pain that the boy felt bringing him delight to no end. Ninth Sister pushed herself away from it, her eyes almost automatically darting over to another arch. It was a woman dancing over the surface of a snowy planet, her blue lightsaber warding off attacks by another saber, this one crackling in unstable energy as an armored man assaulted her.
There.
She screamed in panic as the strange voice penetrated her skull, igniting her lightsaber once more as she spun around. It was an owl-like creature sitting in front of her feet, one of her wings pointed at something further ahead. She wanted to shout, to attack something in order to focus herself once more. But somehow, a never before a wave of calamity claimed her senses as she followed the owl in quiet contemplation. It led her to a final arch, one that was somehow different than the others. Not visually, but somehow, it managed to feel different for her. Behind the portal, she spotted the known appearance of the Second Sister, followed by the treasonable Jedi Cal Kestis. With bloodlust banishing her newfound serenity, she stepped through the gateway, eager for her kill.
Yet fate had a different thing in mind for her. As she left, an enormous explosion propelled her off of her feet, a beam of striking white light burning everything around her. Was that it? Was this the way she'd leave this soul-crushing game behind?
Cere - Day 5 - Ordel, the Mantis
''What do you mean they left the ship? Are they completely out of their mind? That thing is still out there and they'd endanger themselves like that?! Damn it!''
With frustration, she threw the palm of her hand towards her forehead, guilt beginning to spread through her body. It happened again. Because of nothing but minutes of unawareness, Trilla and Cal left the ship without her knowing, putting themselves into untold danger given that they still had no idea what attacked the ship shortly before. She could've stopped them, told them to stay put if only she saw them - but she didn't. Because once more, she failed at her job.
''It's not your fault, Cere. We talked about this.''
She looked at Merrin with a fake smile. How sweet this girl truly was. But in this case, she was wrong. Nar Shaddaa was chaotic, hectic. Perhaps her mistakes could be rationalized. They just escaped from the center of operations of the Inquisitorius - it took her some time, but she understood that Nar Shaddaa was out of her hands. But Ordel? It was as peaceful as a small painting made by a toddler, minus the winged beasts that just tried to kill them. Cere should've taken command of the situation, not trying to hide with Greez as they came up with a plan.
The last time I didn't, Trilla was captured. Force, what have I done?
''Right. So much about dinner. Can you raise them on their comlinks?'' Greez asked with dullness creeping between his words. He was tired of this and truth be told, so was she.
At his words, BD jumped up and down erratically, stating something that made her heart drop.
''They ... they left them here? What th - ''
''Oh damn it, Cere ... look!''
She didn't even have time to process the pilot's words as a brilliant ray enclosed the windows of the ship, making her eyes hurt in an instant. Throwing her fist down onto her console, a small rumble sprang to life, darkening the windows of the ship artificially. Even then her eyes remained teary as the powerful beacon of light buried the nearby mountains beneath its size, hurling masses of pure rock in all directions - including the Mantis.
''Watch out!'' Cere screamed in utter terror as she raised her hands, using the Force to push both Greez and Merrin away from the cockpit. She herself only managed to escape certain doom by mere seconds as a giant chunk of rock crushed the tip of the ship beneath it, bringing the metal floor under her to vibrate in a hellish rhythm.
Administrator Loche - Day 5- Ordel, Stone Town, Romesch district
''Try again. Those blasted guns for hire are still on my payroll. There's no excuse for them to miss a check-in, no matter how bored they might perceive the job I pay them to do. ''
His assistant only rocked his head as he failed to establish communications with the mercenaries anew, making Richard grunt in the process. They knew what dangers awaited them in the dark. Why would they leave their post during nightfall? No matter, he'd deal with them swiftly once he ensured the protection of their people.
''Alright, forget it. Call the garrison - I want everyone armed in uniform out there standing guard in the Heartland. If it has four legs, it gets shot. Am I clear?''
He didn't wait for a reply whilst he walked to the window, pressing his head against it once more as he sighed in disappointment. The Empire was starting to grow weary of Ordel's stability, there was no other explanation for the abnormally increased request for updates he had to give in the last hours. Damn it, Loche couldn't blame them. At this point, someone had to leak something concerning the animal population - and he had no troubles imaging who was to blame. There was only one man that would directly benefit from increased imperial presence.
''Go to hell, Milton.'' Richard spat without any empathy.
He was a fool yet sadly, he was a fool gifted with enough political ambition to compensate. Was it his fault? Partly. He made enough enemies in the Empire with his more soft approach to governance. The fact that Ordel even has something like elections, even if he regained his right to veto anything, was more than a thorn in the skin of some of his former friends. Add to that Katherine and he had enough on his plate. But this? This was pathetic, even for Milton.
Loche was about to leave the window as a wave of force threw him to the ground, the window breaking to pieces behind him as an unnatural storm swiped through his office, throwing copious amounts of paper around until it settled. Next, he could only hear screams from both inside and outside of the building as a bright light robbed him off of his sight, his thoughts drifting to his late wife and children as he put his hands over his head and began to scream.
AN: This was actually to be a part of the last chapter, but I honestly wanted to push something out yesterday. Just read it as an unofficial two-parter! Or don't. I'm not your supervisor!
Zenith:
I can confirm that Kreia didn't appear in that chapter, at least not directly.
I can also confirm that should she ever appear ( ;) ), I'd take this video as a guideline. watch?v=-Z0S0Z8lUTg&t=30s (If you ever wanted to dive deep into one of the best - if not THE best characters the old canon had to offer, watch!)
I can confirm that the Sith woman isn't an OC. Perhaps not as well known as other characters, but not OC. She isn't Disney Canon though. Just as that other male character on Synta isn't Disney Canon, but he used to be canon once.
Take from that what you want :P I love it that you analyzed it so much. Keep up the amazing work!
General: Also, you're probably a real SW fan if you know from where all of those quotes stem from. I think I got Rey, Iden, Jyn and many more in there.
Also, Battlefront has a new update! ISB Agents! Ewoks! Guns! A new ability for Leia! I can't even begin to tell you how much I've been looking forward to this.
