XXIII
Vader and Taria were closing in on Arthan, the Cerean grew tired, continuous attacks from both Vader and the Dark Jedi were slowly sapping D'Cord's energy.
They were now in an access tunnel, the pillars that kept the temple up surrounding them, Arthan was breathing heavily when Taria and Vader closed in. Vader laughed, "Jedi, did you really think that you and your forces ever had a chance against my Empire?"
Arthan coughed weakly and Vader laughed again, "come now, look at you, old and feeble, you are not Yoda, you are not nine-hundred years older than your time,"
Vader slowed as Arthan rose to his full height, "I have never come to defeat you Vader, the dark side has already taken you, I am just here to release you,"
Taria smiled, "such Jedi arrogance,"
Arthan turned to face her, with venom in his eyes, "Master Taria, you of all should know of being consumed by the dark side, was not your mother the Dark Mistress herself?"
Vader thought back, the Dark Mistress was a dark Jedi who had killed hundreds of Jedi in her time, her looks and charm deadlier than her blade, she was the one that Vader wished to defeat, her record of a Jedi Purge so many years ago.
Taria closed her eyes, "My mother has nothing to do with my decision, if the Jedi were willing to see how corrupt the Republic had become I would have remained with them but you did not,"
"And now you join the same leader of the Republic? In this new Empire?" questioned Arthan now breathing normally, "just like Skywalker, you made an oath to protect and defend freedom, civilization, peace and democracy, and joined in what? Mass murder, dictatorship, death,"
Vader laughed, "I heard enough of Kenobi's ranting on Mustafar, now you die Arthan? You leading us here was no trap, I sprung my own, to destroy the last of the Jedi! Now you die!"
Arthan smiled, "really? Did you really think that I led you here to kill you by my blade; to capture you?" the Jedi Master laughed again, "did you think I wanted you to let me live? Our fates are both sealed. The moment you entered this burial chamber you sealed your fate, the moment you doffed that mantleand title of Sith Lord you sealed your fate. The Force is always moving, always changing, every choice we make affects the entire galaxy, a Jwee Sting flapping its wings on Dantooine can cause a Nova in the Bralis system, did you not know? Did you not see Lord Vader?"
Arthan smiled again, "You have lost, and you are dead,"
Arthan spun on his heel his lightsaber flashing out, Vader raised his blade to block but the Dark Lord was not Arthan's target, the lightsaber cleaved the central pillar that Arthan had specially chosen in half and slowly began to slide out of place.
Arthan deactivated his lightsaber and returned it to his belt, "Come now Vader, how will you escape, you are so deeply consumed by the dark side, and by these caverns," the Cerean Jedi Master disappeared as the ground below him gave away and he spiraled into the depths of the real burial grounds. The Final Burial Grounds of Jedi Master Arthan D'Cord.