The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 88
The Tomb of the Dark Lord
Darkness shrouded Morgan's quarters aboard the Emperor's personal Yacht. Not a single speck of light from the outside infiltrated the shadows around her. The only light emanated from the open holocron floating in front of her face. It cast an ominous glow over her pale face. Her eyes were closed as she knelt quietly in the dark.
Whispers. Soft, quiet, voices. Sweet temptations of power that slipped into her mind with each passing moment. Knowledge that had been passed down through hundreds of generations. Knowledge she craved. With each passing second, her sharp mind absorbed more. Understood more. And yet, produced even more questions that she would ask her master.
A small shudder ran down her spine as the dark side of the force raked its fingers through her mind. Followed by more whispers of knowledge and power. More advice. None of it freely given.
Her master warned her about the price that came with studying an ancient holocron. The ancient Sith did not give away their knowledge in life. They certainly would not do so in death. The price for such knowledge was absolute surrender to the darkness. A concept she still struggled to put into practice.
For some reason, there was a nagging thought at the back of her mind. She did not know where it came from. She just knew that it was there. A faint whisper that shouted back at the darkness wrapping around her thoughts. Telling her this was wrong. That this was dangerous. This path would lead to her downfall.
Just self doubt. Nothing more. She brought this feeling up to her master before embarking on this expedition with him. It was just the part of her mind that resisted change. Resisted the power she could command. He told her to silence that voice in her mind. Break it. Self doubt was a weakness that could be exploited by the Jedi, as well as by the dangerous nature of the Dark Side. If she was to master the power that rested at her fingertips, she would need complete confidence in her abilities and her decisions. She would have to feel no fear when it came to what she was capable of, or what she was doing. It was a hurdle that proved difficult to get by.
Still, despite this clear price, Morgan tried to learn the secrets of the holocron. But it only revealed basic things. Stuff she could have asked her Master about. Techniques and teachings that her master had already begun instructing her in. The holocron only added small tidbits of information. Nothing significant. It frustrated her a little bit.
A knock sounded on her door. The warbling voice of one of her Death Trooper guards sounded from the other side.
Morgan let out a long breath. The holocron whined then closed. The red light it emanated faded into a dull glow. Barely able to light up her hand as it floated down into her waiting palm.
The voice of her guard warbled again.
"The Emperor summons you, Lady Morgan."
Morgan flicked her eyes open. With a small motion of her finger, a switch flicked up near the door. Soft, yellow light lit up the room from a pair of lanterns on the ceiling.
She tucked the holocron away in a drawer near her bed, threw her coat over her shoulders once again, then marched out the door.
Her Death Troopers flanked her as she strode down the short corridor towards her Master's personal quarters. Royal guards stood beside the Emperor's door. Deadly pikes rested in their hands as they stood at attention. Morgan paused in front of them.
"How's it going today, boys?"
The two Imperial guards glanced at each other. Neither saying a word back to her. The door hissed open.
"Good talk."
Morgan strode by them and entered her Master's lavish quarters.
Emperor Palpatine stood in front of a vast window that gave him a grand view of space. He faced away from her. Not bothering to turn around as she walked to his side.
His hooded head glanced over at her for a brief moment.
"We are about to drop out of hyperspace." The Emperor said, his voice croaking as he spoke. Still damaged by what the Jedi had done to him only a short four years ago.
Morgan nodded, "And what is our destination?"
Palpatine gave her a smirk, "You are about to see."
They hyperdrive generator powered down. It's loud whir faded to nothing as the main engines roared back to life. The ship lurched and the streaks of light outside became small pin points in an inky void.
At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just a bunch of stars suspended in space. Then Morgan caught the faint glow of something massive drifting into view. Her green eyes widened in shock as an immense planet lumbered into view.
A red and orange behemoth. Bigger than Coruscant. Lightning storms and enormous clouds of dust swirled over the rust colored surface. Morgan stared in awe as she gazed upon an entire planet for the first time.
"Incredible." She breathed.
"Close your eyes." Palpatine ordered.
Morgan closed them.
"Sink into the force. Feel its currents."
Morgan dove headfirst. Cold slammed into her body. Goosebumps formed on her skin. Chills rushed up and down her spine. The Dark Side of the Force swirled on this planet. Penetrated this world to its core. An overwhelming nexus of power that felt both terrifying and intoxicating to the young apprentice.
Morgan cracked her eyes open once again, breathless from the experience.
"We're going down there, aren't we?"
Palpatine nodded.
"Alone?"
"Yes." Palpatine heard her gulp, "Are you afraid, my apprentice?"
Morgan closed her eyes again. She could not lie to him. He would know. She nodded her head. He did not reply. Although, out of the corner of her eye, Morgan could see his scarred lips drop into a displeased scowl.
Rust colored dust swirled in great plumes along the red ground. What little rocky surface that poked through the piles of ash and dust was crimson. Hostile and harsh.
Morgan pulled her hood tighter over her head as a hot wind whipped more dust over her and her Master. Coughs wracked her lungs. The air felt so hot. Each breath brought grains of ash and sand into her mouth. Morgan clasped a hand over her lips. Smearing more dust on her pale face.
Her Master strode unflinching through the clouds of dust. Not a single grain of rusted sand bothered him. It was as if an invisible shield enveloped his hooded and cloaked form. As decrepit as he seemed, he strode through the loose ground with far more strength and purpose than Morgan could muster.
She stumbled through a large bank of dust and rock. The Emperor glided over that same spot. Not a single toe sinking into the loose ash.
"Where," Morgan coughed as more dust rushed into her lungs, "are we going?"
He did not answer her. Which frustrated Morgan to no end. Normally, her Master answered her questions immediately. Often both impressed and surprised by her continued enthusiasm for every single concept. For some reason, he decided to be enigmatic today. Whatever answers he did give her were hidden in riddles that she struggled to decipher.
Palpatine paused and looked back at her as a storm of red dust swirled up around them. At first it felt like a small dust devil. Nothing concerning. As it continued, Morgan noticed the intensity of the dust cloud swirling around her growing. It cut her master off from her sight. The last thing she saw of her Master were yellow dots of light from his blazing eyes.
Morgan cried out and fell to her knees. She threw her coat's over-sized sleeves over her face. Doing her best to shield her face from the dust storm.
"Give yourself to the dark side."
Her Master's voice croaked in her mind. Morgan squeezed her eyes shut as more dust and wind blasted her.
The dust felt like shards of glass against her bare skin. Morgan hissed and shielded her face. She tried to peak out of her arms in order to see in front of her. Through the swirling ash and sand, she saw a small, dark opening into some stone building buried in the rust colored earth.
She scrambled towards the shelter. The dust rose up to her shins, then her knees. It felt like quicksand. The more she struggled towards the opening, the more she sank down into the planet's jaws.
She trudged through the dust. It rose to her thighs. The opening grew clearer. She was nearly there.
She could see her master standing in the opening's dark shadow. His burning eyes were pin pricks of saving light in the dust storm. He appeared calm, composed, and… amused. Her struggling entertained him. He did not reach out to help her. Did not call upon the force to pull her through furious dust. She saw yellow teeth peeking out from his lips. A cruel smile.
"Will you survive?"
The ground gave out beneath her feet. Morgan cried out as she slipped further into the planet's waiting jaws. Her arms smacked against the loose dust and ash. She clawed at the surface. Tried to find any sort of handhold to grab onto. A loose rock, a piece of crimson colored earth, anything to stop her descent.
She cried out against as her hands failed to find anything. Ash filled her mouth. She choked. Panic filled her. Fear coursed through her veins as what little sunlight that penetrated the ash filled atmosphere disappeared from her sight.
She sank swiftly through layers of ash and dust for what seemed like forever. She could not breath. Could not see. Could only hear the shifting earth around her. She did not dare inhale, lest she choke on the dust around her.
The dust suddenly stopped. Darkness surrounded her. Morgan gasped for breath as she fell into free fall through a dark, rocky cavern.
She landed in a heap on a pile of loose dust. The dust cushioned her fall. Sparing her from any broken bones. But she could feel the bruises growing as she rolled down the dust pile and onto a cold, rocky floor.
Morgan scrambled to her feet. Dust choked her mouth still. She spat out as much as she could before taking a dirty hand and swiping at her eyes. It took a few moments before she could see clearly again. When she could, she quickly assessed her surroundings.
Unlike the surface, this cavern felt cold. The surface of this planet (which her master had yet to tell her the name of) had been blazing. She considered removing her coat while walking on the surface at one point. Now that she had fallen into a mysterious cavern and been separated from her Master, she was glad she did not. This coat, given to her by a father she did not remember, provided some measure of comfort during this already terrifying ordeal.
She shook her head and closed her eyes.
A sith does not feel fear. She reminded herself, A sith creates fear.
Anyone who claimed to be a sith and felt fear, was no sith at all. Fear broke a sith. Fear marked the end of a sith. For it usually came before a swift death blow. Her Master taught her that. Fear paralyzed the fearful. A sith was never paralyzed. A sith always moved, always adapted, always survived.
She took a deep breath and reached out with the force. A tentative gesture at first. She still was getting used to the feeling of the dark side. When she touched that dark well inside of her, her eyes shot open in shock.
It felt so powerful. Vast, unfathomable. A well of power so tremendous it made her shudder. This planet, it had to be amplifying her powers. But how? She blinked around her dark surroundings in shock. Could the Force inhabit planets? And if it could, were Force Sensitives able to draw on that power? So far, her hypothesis was proven by her observations. She never felt this powerful on Coruscant.
She cautiously tested the waters again, remembering her Master's warnings. The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities and many gifts. But those abilities, those powers, came at a price. The price being the sheer danger such a realm of the force posed. The Dark Side was not like the powers the Jedi possessed. It was raw, untamed, primal. The Force in its natural, chaotic state. It needed to be dominated. Or else, it would dominate her.
She sucked in a sharp breath and called upon the force. The Dark Side swirled around her. She could feel it growling and snarling. Daring her to try and command it. Sweat beaded on her brow. With a final gasp of effort, she brought the enormous powers to heel. Demanded that the dark side comply to her will. And reluctantly, it did.
Calm swept over her. The fear she felt when plummeting through the ash and dust subsided. Focus filled her mind. And a twinge of anger. Her Master let her fall down here. Why? For what purpose?
A test. She concluded, And a stupid one at that. I don't even know what he is testing.
She rose to her feet and patted dust from her coat and pants. She clicked her boots heels together. Shedding even more dust in the process.
It's going to take a long shower to get all this crap off.
She furrowed her brow. The darkness was deep in this place. The only sound she could hear was the sound of dust slowly trickling onto the pile behind her. She frowned and tapped her foot.
The floor felt smooth.
I'm not in a natural cavern.
She reached into her coat pocket, dug through a pile of dust, and grabbed her spell book. The one weapon she had during her training. The only weapon she was allowed to have. A rule that puzzled her still.
She had asked her Master why she could not wield a lightsaber like the inquisitors. They appeared to be extremely effective tools that even the dastardly Jedi used to great effect. If she was going to fight Jedi, she would need such a weapon. Right?
Her Master's simple reply was: "A Sith's last resort is their lightsaber. They should be able to crush an opponent without ever having to stoop to such a level."
Morgan frowned. That still made little sense to her. How could resorting to lightsaber combat be frowned upon. It almost looked like fun during the few holovids she watched on the subject.
She cracked her spellbook open and channeled the strange magic that flowed in her blood through the pages. Her lips muttered a quiet word. A small, orange flame flickered to life in her right palm.
"Hm…" She muttered out loud as she took in the small room she had stumbled into, "Not as big as I thought."
She noticed a rickety, metal doorway indented into the red, stone walls. Her only exit.
Morgan strode over and tapped the metal door. No response. She rolled her eyes.
Broken, of course. She placed her left hand against the chilled metal, It is never easy, is it?
She sent a pulse through the metal. The door groaned and slid to the side. Beyond the ancient, rusted door was a long, dark corridor. Sconces long ago extinguished by time lined the stone walls.
Morgan furrowed her brow.
Seriously, what is this place? Where am I?
She got halfway down the corridor when a chill crawled up her spin. She flicked her head back to the room she had just left. Nothing. No lights. No one following her. And yet, she could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. Morgan gulped and returned her attention to the corridor before it.
She took another step forward.
The sconces burst to life. Morgan let out a startled yelp and pressed her back against the cold wall. Her chest heaved up and down as her green eyes flicked up and down the dimly lit corridor.
It's just… old tech. Yeah… old, rickety tech that just decided to start working again. No big deal. Happens all the time. I think?
She gulped. The Dark Side gnashed its teeth at her. A warning. She was letting her control slip. Letting fear take over again. If it consumed her, the dark side would devour her. Then she would be nothing but a slave to the force. A sith was not a slave to the force. They were masters of the force.
She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, stealing her racing heart. With mild caution, she continued through the corridor.
When she reached the end, she encountered another cramped chamber with nothing inside of it except piles of dust and stale, cold air. Morgan frowned and looked around. There was no obvious exit.
"Am I seriously trapped in here?"
That chill returned. It crept under her skin. Ran icy fingers along her neck and shoulder. Traced a line down her spine to the small of her back. Forcing a shudder out of her.
"You are but a child." A sneering voice said.
Morgan spun around. The doorway to the corridor was gone.
"Yes, a mere child. Pretending to be brave in the face of something she cannot comprehend." A lower, darker voice chided.
Morgan thrust the flickering flame in her palm out in front of her.
"Show yourself!" She demanded.
The air laughed at her. Morgan grit her teeth. Was it just her, or were the walls starting to close in?
A lump formed her throat as two, shadowy apparitions peeled themselves from the stones in front of her. Heavy, torn robes and hoods hung over invisible bodies. The only body part she could distinguish, were their hands. Hidden behind black, metal gauntlets.
They floated before her. Standing over her like two adults stooping over a small child. Morgan took a step back, keeping her flame out in front of her now shivering body. The temperature continued to drop in the room.
A shadowy finger pointed at her. One sharp clawing nearly touching the flame in her hand.
"You are not welcome in the tomb of our Master."
Morgan's breath hitched.
"T-tomb?" She bobbed her head, "That… would explain the musty smell. Um, well," She slowly backed away from the two floating figures in front of her, "if I am not welcome than I will happily leave. Just um… which way is out?"
"There is no leaving." The shriller voice hissed.
"You have entered our Master's tomb. Desecrated it with your presence." The lower voice growled.
Morgan jumped as they both moved faster than she could blink. They were by her sides now. Despite their faceless forms, she could feel icy breath kissing her neck. Making the hairs on her body stand on end.
"You shall die!" The two wraiths declared in unison.
Morgan cursed and ducked as two clawed hands swiped at her head. She rolled away. But they were in front of her when she returned to her feet.
One black hand grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air. The flame in her left hand started to flicker. She tried using that small fire to bash away the monsters. But they simply laughed at her.
"Simple tricks cannot save you."
Morgan struggled for air as another clawed hand reached for her chest. Aiming for her heart.
They were going to kill her. She was going to die, underground. In a lost tomb, on a planet she did not know. She would never gain the power she so eagerly sought. Never grow into a Sith as her Master wanted.
Never regain the memories she longed to see again.
Fury filled her. She would not be denied her greatest desire! The Dark Side of the Force roared in her ears. The flame died in her hand. Pale, blue lightning crackled in its place. She shoved her hand into the first monster's cowl and unleashed a storm of lightning.
The wraith shrieked. Its grip on her throat released. More power filled her body. She turned onto the second monster and, through the pitch black, extended an open palm. A powerful force push barreled into the second wraith. She heard stone crack as it slammed into the wall. The crack became a shudder in the walls around her as something fell away.
She ran to the sound. Discovering a small opening in the cramped room. A little corridor. Barely wide enough for her to fit through.
Morgan did not look back as she rushed through the small space. The wraiths shrieked and snarled behind her. She could not see them. But she could feel them pursuing. Could sense them drawing closer.
Her shoulder bumped against one side of the narrow corridor. Her other shoulder slid against the other side. Her eyes widened in horror. Her little escape route turned into a trap. A squeezing snare. It continued to narrow as she struggled to shove her body towards the small opening that was her salvation.
The walls clung to her. Morgan gasped for breath. Panic seized her. She felt stuck. Caught. Unable to move. She squirmed and flailed. A claw swiped at her. She sensed it coming and ducked her head. She heard the metal claw scrape against stone. Sparks flashed across her eyes.
I will not die here!
A pulse rocketed out of her body. The walls shuddered and she slipped through the gap.
Pain shot through her back as a claw dug into her skin. Hot blood ran down her body as she fell forward. She did not even cry out. Instead, she spun around to face the gap in the wall behind her. The wraiths claws and shrieked at her. The Dark Side of the Force snarled and gnashed its teeth. But they could not get through.
A smirk crossed her lips. She stuck her tongue out at the two wraiths.
"Not today." She said with a small smile.
Then the pain registered. Morgan hissed. One hand reached for her back. Her fingers dug through the shredded remains of her coat before making contact with the deep gouges in her skin. She retracted her hand. It felt wet.
That's not good.
One drop of blood fell from her fingertips to the dust covered floor. Then another. Morgan gulped. She could hear them falling to the ground in soft plops. It made her feel sick.
The cold she felt in the previous room did not fade away. It grew even more intense. Morgan winced as her back throbbed. She did her best to ignore the burning pain. With a trembling hand, she grabbed her spellbook and ignited a small flame in her open palm once again.
Her pupils shrank. A great stone sarcophagus rested in the center of the massive chamber she accidentally ran into. Four pillars guarded each corner of the plain looking centerpiece. Morgan gulped and inched forward.
Upon closer inspection, the sarcophagus was not as plain as she thought. Various strange markings littered the sides and lid. Each marking carved meticulously into the smooth stone. Embedded in the lid, was a familiar pyramid shaped object. But it was missing it's distinctive red glow.
She felt… drawn to the sarcophagus for some reason. Could not tear her eyes away from it. A faint, unintelligible voice spoke softly in her mind. It called to her. Beckoned her to approach. And if she did not, she felt like it threatened her with something worse than death. Though what that could be, she did not know.
Morgan's green eyes roved over the sarcophagus's lid. She recognized some of the markings as ancient Sith script. But she had only begun her for fun studies into that lost language. She figured learning it would help her understand Sith teachings more easily. But it proved to be an enigmatic, puzzling language to decipher. So much so, that she struggled to read any of the markings. In fact, she could only make out one phrase.
"Here lies the Dark Lord of the Sith." She muttered. Morgan arched an eyebrow, "Which one though?"
"My servants are correct." Morgan spun around as a crisp, commanding voice echoed through the tomb, "You are but a child."
A dark presence filled the room. One that made Morgan shiver like never before. With a nervous touch, she reached for the force. And through it, she felt a presence that sent her to her knees. Fear rocketed through her heart.
"But you are not pretending to be unafraid before me."
Something swirled over the sarcophagus. A form started to manifest. The holocron on the lid began to glow a brilliant crimson. Morgan pressed her hands into the stone tiles on the ground. Trying her best to steady herself as she faced a being of unimaginable power.
"You sense my power. You sense what I am. But you know not who I am."
Morgan raised her gaze. Swirling in a pool of red light and fire, was a being unlike any she had ever seen before.
He wore a piece on his head resembling great horns. Through the fiery red light, she noticed his skin appeared to be ghost pale. Burning yellow eyes glared down at her. Heavy robes flowed over its nebulous form that resembled rolling shadows and burning coals in the darkness.
The being seemingly took a breath. It closed its eyes. Morgan gasped as a pressure crashed against her mind. She threw up what meager defenses she could. But they crumbled in an instant. Dark tendrils combed through her mind. Prying at her thoughts. Stoking her fear.
"You are no mere wanderer, are you?" The ghost above her mused, "You have been brought her for a reason, Child of Time."
Morgan gasped as the dark tendrils left her mind. She groaned as she writhed on the ground. Hissed as dust scraped against the bloody wound on her back.
"You know not the reason. Only your master knows why." The being chuckled, "A test it seems. To deem if you are really worthy of his instruction. And a dangerous test as well, for he has brought you to my resting place."
Morgan rolled over onto her belly. With a trembling head, she lifted her eyes once again to gaze upon the ghost before her.
"Wh-who are you?" She gasped.
The ghost chuckled at her, "That is something you must discover, child."
Morgan felt some confusion replace her fear, "You aren't just going to kill me?"
It laughed again, "I certainly could. But what is the point of that?"
"Because," Morgan winced as she lay prone on the ground, "According to your friends back there, I am a fearful child that dared to desecrate your tomb."
The ghost waved a hand, "Words of mindless guards bound to their final orders." He swept away from the sarcophagus and swirled around her, "I am glad they were unable to kill you. You intrigue me, Child of Time. You have strange powers indeed. You do not wield a lightsaber or a sword. You wield a magic unknown even to me. A sorcerer more than a warrior." The ghost hummed to himself, "Not only that, your presence is unique. Strange even. You are both meant to be here, and not meant to be here as well. Your existence in this place is a contradiction. A defiant cry against both fate and the will of the force. For that, you have earned my curiosity, and perhaps, a bit of my admiration." The ghost hummed to himself, "The last child to earn such a distinction became my successor."
Morgan furrowed her brow. She still could not figure out just who exactly this guy was. Clearly the man was an ancient Sith Lord. His sarcophagus said as much. If she recalled what little history she managed to cram into her studies correctly, the Sith once ruled a vast empire thousands upon thousands of years ago. The Dark Lord of the Sith ruled over said empire. Often by tyrannical means. Through blood and terror.
Something wormed through her mind still. Planted strange thoughts in her head that did not feel entirely like her own. Morgan shook her head and hissed.
"You still resist?" The ghost hummed, "You are resilient. Most mere mortals would have succumbed to my influence by now. Most would have fallen to my will. But you continue to be defiant. Continue to believe that you can match me?"
She grit her teeth as the fingers in her mind pried away at her mental defenses once again. Only this time, instead of shattering them with brute force, it slipped by them. And when it slipped by, something flashed in her mind.
A house in a little forest. White walls stood nearby. A medieval looking city. An enormous, shining palace dominated the city. It felt like home.
A brown haired man with her coat over his shoulders and a kind smile on his face. A heavy tomb rested in one hand. His other reached out to her. Her heart leaped in her chest at the sight of him. In an instant, she recognized the face of her father.
Fire burned around the house now. The warm, blue sky replaced with an evil night sky. A woman sobbed on her knees. Another man stood beside her. She could not make out what the woman looked like. But she could see the color of her dress. A pretty red color. She did not recognize the woman. But Morgan knew she was significant to her in some way.
The unknown man wore leather armor over her shoulders and arms. Beaten and well worn. He had a hand placed on the woman's shoulder as she sobbed. A lightsaber rested on his belt. And she could sense the force in him. Calm, but sorrowful. They both lost someone close to them that night. And Morgan could feel pain in her heart as well.
War. Monsters. They flashed in rapid succession. Fire and blood. Friends she did not recognize falling away. Consumed by masked, shambling corpses with an unquenchable thirst for blood. A great dragon with massive black wings roared in red skies above her. Six blood red eyes stared down at her.
And suddenly, she was back in the tomb. Chest heaving up and down. She saw her father, she wanted to keep seeing him.
Give him back!
The specter laughed, "I sense great sorrow in you, child. And with that sorrow comes potent rage." It swept around her again. Ghostly trails brushed past her face as the ghost lowered its eyes to hers, "Great power can be found in that sorrow. In that pain. But that power remains locked away. It is kept from you. The power to become a true force in the galaxy. The power to regain your memories." The ghost drew back from her, "Yes, you are intriguing. A child of time, and of a god. Perhaps, as Tenebrae was once my successor, so shall you carry on my legacy."
Morgan sucked in heavy breaths even as the dark fingers left her mind. Relief flooded her as the pressure in her skull faded away.
"You are weak now. But you will grow strong. Stronger than even your Master could imagine. The path the Sith follow now is finished. The order will need someone like you to rise and take the mantle. To rule the galaxy we have spent millennia conquering. Learn from your master. But most of all, learn from me."
The glowing holocron lifted from the sarcophagus. It slowly floated towards Morgan and hovered in front of her eyes.
"You were bold to think you could survive this, Morgan." The dark lord's ghost said, "But that boldness has paid off. I will grant you my knowledge and power. For the survival of the order depends upon you, and the actions you will take going forward. Treachery marches in lockstep with the power your master commands. Whether that treachery is his own, or another's I cannot say. But it will lead to his downfall. And your rise."
Power flooded into Morgan. The Dark Side of the force obeyed the ghost's every command. And it bowed to him. The Force entered Morgan. Cold unlike any she felt before rushed through her veins. Her green eyes began to burn. Morgan hissed and squeezed her eyes shut.
The sorrow she felt from the sudden barrage of memories rebounded in her mind. And they played alongside another memory. Her interrogation of the Jedi. The Grand Inquisitor's merciless slaughter of unknowing prisoners despite her own promise to them that they would be spared. She grit her teeth. The sorrow and pain she felt morphed into rage. She grabbed hold of that anger as a quiet whisper in her mind instructed her to do so.
That other whisper from before, on the ship, faded away. Beaten to nothing by this new presence in her mind. The name Morgan felt like venom in her thoughts. It did not fit her now. Did not fit this power she felt in her body. She needed a new name. The voices whispered one to her.
"Leave my tomb." Light poured in from an opening in the far wall, "Lady Ragana, Witch of the Sith Order."
Her eyes opened. The green was gone. Replaced by a burning yellow color as the dark side coursed through her veins. It did not feel hostile anymore. It felt like an old friend. Comforting. A feeling that allowed her to focus. To draw in more power. To grow stronger.
She liked it. It felt… natural.
The holocron fell into her waiting hands as the ghost faded back into the sarcophagus. She rose to her feet and slowly marched towards the light.
When she stepped out of the tomb, she was greeted with a sight that nearly took her breath away. The world was no longer clouds of ash and dust. Great, crumbling pyramids rose all around her. Paved crimson streets lined her path. And standing before the tomb, waiting patiently, was Darth Sidious.
His eyes brightened with delight as she emerged from the tomb.
"You survived." He said with a pleased grin.
She paused before him. Sidious's sharp eyes flicked down at the holocron in her hands.
"Not only did you survive, you received a reward." Sidious's eyes gleamed as he looked down at the holocron in her hands, "Do you know whose holocron this is?"
She gave him a small smirk.
"The Dark Lord of the Sith's, Lord Marka Ragnos." She replied as the answer was whispered in her mind.
Sidious's mouth twitched, "Your presence feels different, my apprentice. I sensed something stirring within the tomb, but I could not see everything within."
Her lips curled into a smirk, "I have been baptized in power, my Master." Her grin widened, "I am excited to continue my training."
Sidious eyed her suspiciously. Something felt very different about Morgan now. He prodded at her mind. What was once a jumbled mess now felt like a steel trap. Waiting to snap its jaws shut on him. His lips pressed into a thin line.
"You have indeed." He croaked, "Then perhaps it is time for you to begin more intensive training my young apprentice."
He turned on his heel and started walking back to the ship. He paused when he noticed Morgan not following but instead staring at the world around her with curious eyes. Something he did not anticipate. He thought she would want to run away from this world as quickly as possible. Moraband was a harsh place. It devoured many an acolyte not ready for its deadly trials. Yet Morgan seemed unperturbed by this nexus in the dark side. And the wonder in her eyes did not seem to come from the newness of her surroundings. It seemed to come from something else. As if she had seen this place once before and was now reintroduced to it all for the first time in ages.
"Morgan?" He croaked at her.
She snapped her gaze back to him.
"That is not my name, Master."
"Oh? And what is it?" Sidious asked.
Her lips parted into a mad smile, "Call me Lady Ragana."
Sidious looked at her in surprise. Lady Ragana, the title of a Sith Lord? But he had not knighted her. And if he did not give her that name, then who did? His eyes drifted to the tomb of Marka Ragnos. A sick feeling entered his stomach as his apprentice walked up to him. In the shadows of the tomb, Sidious thought he saw the ghostly specter of the ancient Sith Lord staring back at him.
"Are we going, Master?" Ragana asked.
Sidious flicked his gaze away from the tomb, "Yes." He glanced back at the tomb. The ghost was gone, "We are."
He wanted to get away from this place.
And chapter! A smaller chapter, but very character heavy for Morgan. Or as she is now known, Lady Ragana, Dark Lady of the Sith. And it appears that how she came about that title has rattled Sidious a little bit. But is this really Morgan that is walking around as Lady Ragana, or has her encounter with Marka Ragnos done something to her that she does not realize yet? We shall see. But Morgan's story really has me excited! I can't wait for it to keep going.
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!