Dark Horizons

She was a tempest that most men would avoid. But those who were unfortunate to stand in the way of her fury seemed to be cast aside, consumed without a mere thought. She tore through the shimmering, sterile corridors like a bat out of hell. Lotus Xa was going to kill Vincent Baroque.

As some of the more wary Sith moved out of the way, she found that her quarry had waited for her at the end of the corridor, her seething rage unbeknownst to him.

"You," she hissed as she walked towards him, his expression remaining unfazed by her powerful presence.

"Yes, Lotus?" He looked at her, smiling politely, seemingly unaware of the impending death that awaited him.

"You ordered them to leave. There was no squad; there was only a group of failures who accompanied him."

"Ah, I see it is about our Mandalorian friend. I am sorry about the loss, Lotus. But I have no idea what you are talking about; perhaps you should ask Seth?" His expression continued to remain undaunted by the prospect of being killed by her. He wore an ebony suit that seemed to mimic Darth Bandon's own. The torso highlighted the signs of fibermesh armour as it traced his body.

"He had nothing to do with it!" She reached out with both arms, grabbing him by the chest and slamming the Acolyte against the wall, shoving the air out of his body. "You ordered the ship to leave moments after they left! You were told to send in a squadron of the best we had to offer!"

His expression became smug and irate at the same time; his eyes became piercing and very, very teasing. "Now, now," he tsked, "I think that being the Executive Officer on board has granted me some right to determine who gets to prove their worth to Lord Seth. After all," he smirked, "you were the one who put his life in danger."

Her eyes became slits. "What do you mean, Baroque?" She spat at the Acolyte.

"Well, you and your boyfriend threatened me. You should learn never to cross paths with me. Now you have learned your lesson—and I don't care if you are better at killing or if you are an apprentice. We're Sith and we do whatever it takes to stay on top. I've spared your life so far; don't make the assumption that I am doing it out of sympathy. As long as I can cause you pain, I will continue to let you live. Make no mistake, Lotus that I can— and one day I will— get rid of you without a moment's hesitation."

She continued to glare at him as he radiated a triumphant smile. He was right. She would have to fight back, and for the moment, he had her. He was an Executive Officer—they were both equals if only for a while. The thought to sever his head and hang it up as a trophy enticed her, but she ignored it. The ability to cause pain was more severe and so much more enjoyable. She would find a way to make him suffer for the loss of her friend—friend?

It dawned on her that there were some officers who were looking at the altercation. She let go of him and walked away, mulling over the thought that had caused her to realize two important things: she would have to find a way to stay at the top of her game and she would seek vengeance for the death of her friend.

He rolled the holocron around his palm. His gaze continued to be fixated on the object as the low hum of the vessel and the indistinct chatter continued to carry out around the Thunderbolt.

He hadn't spoken to anyone else for most of the day. His thoughts had been at the forefront of the day. He hadn't even spoken to her, knowing that she worried about him. He needed to be alone, if only for a little while. He continued to roll the holocron around his palm.

He wanted to open it, if only to see what the former Sith Lord had to say. He wanted to get rid of it, if only to prevent the dangers of reopening the power of a former Lord of the Sith.

He closed his eyes as he continued to reflect on the words of Tulak Hord. You must kill Phaete. He is one of the very things that profane this Galaxy. He should not be allowed to live. It is a travesty that he has continued to live, thus far. That was what the former Sith had said. It appeared that perhaps there was some merit to what he had said.

"He profanes this Galaxy," the young Jedi whispered, reciting the words of the former Sith. Do I kill him? Or do I let him live? What does he represent, if he is not a Sith nor Jedi? Wrapping his mind around the thought, he quickly dismissed it as he felt the subtle tremors in the Force—the tremors of only an Iktotchi Jedi.

"Will you play it?" Came Phaete's voice.

"Why? Are you curious?"

"Perhaps, but is it not logical that we understand the methods to our enemy's madness?"

"Is it not logical that the Council deserves to learn of this threat, first?"

"Intriguing. Would you treat this unknown variable as a threat, Dante?" The Iktotchi Jedi leered at the young Knight, his eyes moving avariciously towards the holocron that was held in the hands of the human.

"Would you treat this 'unknown variable' as a gift, Phaete?" The Jedi met the Master's stare. "No, I won't open it. And neither will you."

The finality of the Knight's tone struck a chord within the supposed Master. "You would dare to order me?"

"You have no power over me, Phaete. Don't try to trick me into thinking that you care about the outcome of this war."

"Ah, but that is where you are mistaken, Dante. I do care about the outcome of this war." He shifted slightly under his mahogany cloak. To the untrained eye, this would have gone unnoticed. To Dante, it meant that the Jedi Master craved the holocron's infinite wisdom.

"Perhaps you do, Master," the young Jedi said, the last word rich in sarcasm, "but to learn of the teachings of a former Dark Lord of the Sith is hardly the means with which to end it." He smiled comfortably, feeling secure that three distinct tremors in the Force were coming towards them.

He knew that somewhere within him, a darkened soul had awoken. The urge to use the dark teachings to end the war—to rise above all others and reign down peace through his iron fist—seemed somehow much harder to resist than before. He so dearly desired the power that Tulak had promised within the holocron. Someway, somehow, the Sith Lord must have needed a legacy. His wandering soul seemed to reach out and tempt Dante. The power to wield his lightsaber in combat and become a virtual juggernaut had continued to reign within his mind. He could win the war single-handedly, crushing Malak and taking over where the fools had left off.

But then how did Tulak Hord end up in a tomb? His own voice echoed within his mind. Like all beings, he was mortal. No Sith Lord would have given up that much power—he was defeated

No, he wouldn't open the holocron, no matter how tempted he was.

"Dante," Rin said softly, "he won't relent when it comes to that holocron."

"I know," he answered, taking her hand in his, kissing it ever so softly. He just wanted this war to be over; he wanted to spend his life with her. If the Unifying Force is truly awaiting in the unknown sector, then the war could be over a lot sooner. He brought his face up, looking into her soft eyes. "We will finish this soon. I promise that when this is over, we will go far, far away."

She smiled. "While that is nice, I still think we need to see this through to the end before we make that commitment."

"I know."

"So what do we do about him?" She jerked her thumb back at Phaete, who seemed reluctant to leave, knowing the holocron was in the possession of those who could best protect its dark secrets.

"We will let him be. As much as he deserves to be imprisoned, he is also a skilled fighter—someone we need."

"For the moment," she said, hoping that was what he meant.

"For the moment," he agreed. Sighing, he took her other hand and rose, leaving the holocron on the cot. "For now," he said as a lopsided smirk crossed his face, "we should make use of our time."

Giggling, she kissed him as they sealed the door to the dormitory.

He continued to peer out at the blue vortex. A sadistic smile had continued to play across his face as he entertained the ideas of the power he would soon wield. He knew that so much he desired rested on his brother's shoulders as much as it rested on himself. After all, they would soon be reunited, brothers who would rule the Galaxy, side by side.

Lotus and Vincent were nothing to him. They were merely the means with which he could do his bidding. They provided entertainment to him as well. He enjoyed the ideas of two vicious creatures pitted against one another, eager to serve their Master as well as themselves. He had no desire to let any of them succeed him.

Dante would join him, or Seth would see him destroyed.

"My Lord," the good and loyal captain said gently, behind the Sith.

"Yes, my friend?" Seth turned around, resting his right hand on the shoulder of one of his most trustworthy commanders. When he took power, he would make certain that Stormov would be the General of the might of the Sith Armada.

"We are approaching the secluded sector. Should I inform the squadrons to disembark and have your shuttle ready for you?"

"In time, in time." He breathed a sigh of relief. At least his trump card paid off. Now he would see to it that nothing else will stop his gain. And as for using Alec's spectre, well, it mattered not. Dante would come to him, one way or another. "When that freighter drops out of hyperspace, I want you to intercept it and have it boarded. I want the crew brought to me alive. In the meanwhile, I want you to hide us in the asteroid field, so we lie in wait. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Good." He let go of his grip and he left the bridge, eager to meditate in his chambers until he was ready to take his shuttle. He would take Lotus and the remaining Dark Jedi to the artifact. He would leave Vincent on board—lulling the Acolyte into believing that he had any sense of control over Lotus and Seth's fate as they were interacting with the artifact. It was there he would kill Lotus and crush anyone and anything that interfered with his plans to take his younger brother into the fold.

He smiled masochistically. This would be over before it even began, but he would certainly enjoy it.

Author's Notes: This is the first time I've ever written something this long and I am seeing this out to the end. For that matter, this is the first time I've ever done author's notes. I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this fanfic, even if there was little mention of the characters we know and love from KOTOR. Seeing how this is my first major fanfic, I really appreciate the attention some of you have made and the helpful points that have been pointed out to me. I hope that in the future, you will read more of what I have to write, as I will undoubtedly do the same, regardless of what you choose to do. I want to thank you all again for the support and taking the time out of your busy lives to read this fanfic. There will be a handful of chapters left, since the story is coming to a close, however I will continue this as a trilogy, of a sort.I intend towork on other fanfics in the foreseeable future.Thanks again,

Sincerely,

Dante-Raven