Mical smiled gleefully as the fifth handmaiden fell to his green lightsaber. His joy at the slaughter was cut off, though, as he felt a surge through the Force. He looked at the closed meditation chamber. He could feel the battle between the two masters, but he was helpless to back Ilza up. The door would not open. He shared a resigned look with Visas and Mira. Whatever happened now was between Ilza and Atris...

----

The holocrons were obviously hoping she'd fail. Oh yes. She could feel them, trying to plant doubt in her mind. But she turned that doubt back towards them, and against Atris.

The older master was definitely stronger for her delving into the forbidden teachings of the Sith. The Dark Side swirled around her like a cyclone, enhancing her every movement. It was beautiful, in a way. Yes, Atris was very strong.

Too bad for her, Ilza was stronger. A hurricane of strikes fell upon Atris, the superior technique of the Jar'Kai form attacking from both sides of the Jedi Master-turned-Sith wannabe. Atris had a hard enough time avoid getting her head cleaved off, never mind actually attacking. It took all the preicision of Soresu's defensive style to keep the silver sabers away from the white haired Jedi.

Still, as had happened with all the rest, Ilza was able to triumph. She caught Atris in an iron Force Grip, squeezing her insides and causing her to collapse, choking and wheezing, to the floor.

"So...i-it is done. What shall you...do now?" The crystal blue eyes did not ask for mercy or pity.

"Tell me where the Sith are striking from." Ilza's voice had gone calm, no trace of the fury of battle left in her.

Atris only gave a derisive snort. "You always knew where they were, you always knew. She has gone there, you know, to that place. I had thought...had thought that she was waiting for me there, but I see now that she lied. Sh-she always meant for you to follow her. And if you don't, she will murder herself at the heart of Malachor, and you with her. So what know? Will you kill me, as I would have killed you?"

Ilza's face softened for a moment as she knelt before Atris' sprawled form. "Oh, Atris..." She gave a sad sigh, which melted into a sadistic grin "Yes." And with that, she ignited her saber, pluging it through Atris's heart. The woman died instantly.

"Well done." Kriea's voice echoed ominously through the chamber.

"What the-? Show yourself old woman!" Ilza said furiously.

"I am not here. Not in the flesh, and not in your mind. These holocrons are powerful things indeed. But this is no time for questions. One of the Sith Lords has come here to Telos. You must deal with him. After that, you know where you must go. And if you do not, then all will be for nothing, and I will sacrifice myself to keep you in check."

With that, the presence receeded. The door to the chamber opened. She crossed the catwalk into the council room, which was litered with the bodies of the Echani sisters. Mical, Visas, and Mira were waiting for her there. She passed them wordlessly, not caring to dwell in the academy for longer than she needed to. There was still Nihilus to deal with, and that was the only thing that mattered at the moment.

----

Brianna cried out as she looked at the carnage in the council chamber. Her sisters, all of them...dead.

She hadn't been there. She'd gone to the lower level to check a mechanical failure in the power system when she'd felt it: That sick sense of ominous dread filling her mind.

Abandoning all sense of propriety, she ran toward the open meditation room. She let out a sob as she saw the broken body of her mistress. There was a single hole in her chest, and a trickle of blood coming from her mouth.

It...it couldn't be. No, not Atris. She was a master, nothing could kill her. She was too great. It was...it was impossible.

Brianna stumbled back down the catwalk in horror. She sank to her knees among the bodies of her sisters, and for the first time since the death of her father, she wept. She wept for herself, for Atris, for her sisters. For everything.

'...It's over. It's all over...'

----

A/N: Jeez! That was...bad. I gotta tell you, I really hate this chapter. I'm suckage personified when it comes to writing prose. But I did enjoy writing Brianna, and I think I kept her fairly in character. Also, I did major paraphrasing with the dialogue, since I can't remember it verbatim. What do you peeps think?