Chapter 34

Darth Nexus was standing near a swirling mass of dark side energy when Darth Fier approached. The energy surge was situated near a moss grown crevice, with Nexus standing right by the edge. Fier bowed as he approached.

"I have come as ordered, my Master." Fier said.

"Did you deal with the Jedi?" Nexus asked.

"No, master, she escaped," Fier said. "And took me with her, but I managed to break free and return to you."

"Very good," Nexus said. "You want to take revenge on the Jedi, for making a fool of you, do you not?"
"Yes, master." Fier said.

"Good," Nexus said. "As our fleet destroys our enemies, we two shall move in on the planet and kill all in our way. I have not foreseen it coming. Perhaps my power is waning."
"Perhaps." Fier said. The Force slammed into him.

"You speak to your master this way?" Nexus said, snarling. "I can dispose of you if I so choose to."
"You are no master to me anymore." Fier said.

Despite his eyes being closed, Nexus eyes widened with shock. "You have betrayed me; you have joined the Jedi."

"If have finally seen through your deception," Ben said. "You used me, played off my fears, had me do your bidding."

"But I gave you what you desired: power." Nexus said.

"I don't need your kind of power anymore," Ben said. "And with the power I now have I will stop you."

"You can try," Nexus said. "Do you not realize why I summoned you here?"

Ben was silent.

"I knew you would return to me and together we would defeat the Jedi," Nexus said. "But in order to do so we would have had to become even more powerful. This spot here, were the dark side energy gathers, is were a dark Jedi fell, defeated by your father. His name was Lord Nyax. Though his physical body was destroyed, his spirit and energy remained. Now I shall use it to supplement my own power. I shall become the most powerful Sith there ever was." Nexus stepped back and fell into the crevice. Ben rushed over and peered into it but saw nothing. Suddenly a wave of energy erupted from the gap and threw Ben backward. Floating out of the crevice and onto the ground was Darth Nexus.

"I feel the power pulsating through me, the dark side energy combined with my own," Nexus said. "You have come to defeat me, my old apprentice. You may try, but you will fail." Nexus's eyes opened, revealing glowing orbs of darkness. Ben did not flinch or scream, he stared back at the eyes. A lightsaber emerged from Nexus's robes and it ignited, a blade of crimson emerging. Ben ignited his own red blade as well, and then the two struck.

Ben attacked, blocked, and parried, but none of his attacks got through. Nexus had become stronger with his new powers, the dark side flowed through him. Lightning erupted from Nexus's fingertips but Ben received the blast by gathering the energy in his hand and then shot it back at Nexus. The lightning struck the Sith lord but instead of doing any damage the attack disappeared.

"It will take more than my own attack to stop me." Nexus said. A charged for Ben, twirling his lightsaber around as he attacked. Ben blocked and repelled each attack and sent a Force push at Nexus, knocking him back. "I've had enough of this."

Lightning came surging at Ben again but this time, instead of coming from Nexus's fingertips, it surged from his eyes. Not expecting the attack the lightning struck Ben. Ben froze in place as the pain erupted across his body and smoke began to rise. The attack stopped and Ben fell to the ground.

"Now do you understand?" Nexus said. "I cannot be defeated. I have mastered new techniques that former Sith would never have dreamed. I need you no longer."

Lightning erupted from Nexus's eyes again.

"I gave you the chance for great things, Ben, but you gave up on them," Nexus said. "You eventually could have been the most powerful Sith, but instead that shall never happen." The lightning stopped. Ben gasped as he writhed on the floor.

"I don't need to be a Sith to have great power," Ben said. "Being a Jedi is all I have to be." Ben pushed Nexus with the Force, but with a mere flick of his hand Nexus sent Ben backward.

"Your pitiful attempts will not stop me," Nexus said. "I am all powerful."
"If you are so powerful," Ben said. "then how come you did not know I was no longer your servant when I arrived? Or that my mother was no longer serving as your Hand?"
Nexus scowled at Ben.

"You are not as all powerful as you believe," Ben said. "Your arrogance blinds you."

"Jedi scum." Nexus said and lightning emerged from both his eyes and fingertips. Ben was wracked in pain when the attack ended, smoke lifting from his body. The smell of burnt flesh was in the air. "Once more and you shall die." Nexus prepared for the strike.

Ben reached out but instead of pushing Nexus away he pulled him forward. Simultaneously Ben reached for his lightsaber and ignited it. In a twirl of red Ben cut off Nexus's left hand. Nexus fell back, grasping his severed appendage.

"Jedi filth." Nexus said. "You will pay for that."

"I shall not lose to you, Nexus," Ben said and began using the Force to attack Nexus. Ben used a Force push to throw Nexus back, then while off guard he pulled him forward, then finally threw him back again. "You are weakening."

"But I'm still powerful enough to defeat you," Nexus said. "Then the rest of the Jedi shall finally fall before me."

"You know something?" Ben said. "You talk too much." Ben reached out with the Force and pulled Nexus's lightsaber to him. He activated it and now held the two ignited lightsabers.

"I shall retrieve my lightsaber from your dead hand." Nexus said and reached out with his left hand, using the Force to grasp Ben's throat. Ben gasped as his air cut out and he threw Nexus's blade at him in an arc. Nexus released Ben and jumped out of the way as the blade spun towards him. However he did not jump soon enough and the blade cut him across his stomach, just barely. Nexus clutched the wound as the blade came back into Ben's hand. "I shall not lose to you. I am the most powerful Sith in the galaxy."

"You are the only Sith left in the galaxy," Ben said. "And soon there will be none." Ben attacked Nexus, wielding his two blades. Nexus used the Force to accelerate his reflexes, only barely escaping each deadly blow. A wave of the Force knocked Ben back but he was soon on his feet again and attacking Nexus. Lightning came at Ben, forcing him to jump away.

As he did so Ben through his blade at Nexus again. Nexus jumped out of the way, expecting the attack this time. But suddenly Ben was there, right under him. Nexus did not have time to jump out of the way as Ben's blade went through him. Nexus's eyes went wide with shock and the darkness within them disappeared, revealing for the first time normal human eyes.

"This can't be," Nexus said. "I am the most powerful there has ever been. I have known all that can and will happen. The plan was perfect."

"No one can ever know what will be," Ben said. "The future is ever changing. Your master should have known, as should have you. You have lost."

Nexus looked at Ben, and then closed his eyes as he fell backward and down into the abyss. Ben waited, to make sure he would not come back up, then tossed his red blade into the crevice as well. Then he walked away and back to the ship.