Chapter 12: The Nightsisters
This is wrong.
Obi-Wan sat in the pilot's seat of the cruiser, flying low over the red planet, but the Jedi's mind was elsewhere. At first it was nothing to him. Luminara was gone, and the only thing that mattered was finding her, and if the Nightbrothers decided to stand in his way, they would regret it. The Dark Side coiled around him like a snake, and once in its clutches, it wouldn't let Kenobi go. And he didn't want it to. It felt good to make the Zabraks cower, to make them bend to his will. He had used Force suggestion before, but it had always been more of a redirect. This time, it was a command, the Force entering the mind of his target and crushing their will, their morals, their desire, and replacing the pieces with his own.
But now that the edge of the moment had worn off, the Dark Side's grip relaxed, and Obi-Wan could feel the Jedi Code creeping back into him, a small, incessant voice at the back of his mind that couldn't quite be drowned out by the oppressive darkness of Dathomir.
This is wrong.
And he knew it was. All of it was wrong. Letting the Dark Side in was a mistake, coming here was a mistake, letting the darkness fuel his power was a mistake. The Jedi were right. The Dark Side could not be controlled. It was seductive, just like they always said, and now that he had it, he wanted more. It felt so good to be so powerful, to feel the darkness roiling within him and stroking at his mind, his entire being warm with the promise of power.
The Dark Side owns you.
And it was true. Even now, when he knew how wrong it all felt, he wanted more, felt the pull within him drawing him back to the Dark Side. He needed it. He needed it...
You are a Jedi.
He was, wasn't he? He was a Jedi, and his was the order of the truly strong. Not powerful, not like the Dark Side, but strong. Resolve, resistance, patience, steadfast dedication, all these things made him a Jedi, and Obi-Wan had these things. The Dark Side was in him, like a drug, and he had willingly invited it in. This was his new reality, he knew it, but he was a Jedi. He had patience and the control of a Jedi Knight that was tempered by being the constantly frustrated Padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn. He would control it. If anyone could, it was a Jedi, and Obi-Wan Kenobi was a true Jedi Knight. Maybe not now, maybe not today, but he had patience, and he would learn.
"There it is." He snapped out of his revere and looked at Viscus, his thin hand tightly gripping the armrest of the co-pilot's chair, standing behind it and refusing to sit down. He was afraid. He should be. Kenobi eased up on the controls, setting the ship down in a clearing not far from the temple where the Nightsisters resided. The forest was thick with dark blue trees, tall and twisted and warped by the Dark Side. The entire area felt off, wrong, as if the nature of the Dark Side here was different than the sort that Kenobi had grown used to.
"You should stay here," Obi-Wan mumbled, and the Zabrak flinched, nodded, gripped the chair tighter.
"The Nightsisters will kill you."
"They will not."
"You might be able to use your Jedi tricks on us, but the Nightsisters won't be swayed by you."
"Believe me, I haven't used any Jedi tricks today." He got out of his chair, grabbed the backpack he packed for the mission and rummaged through it.
"When you're dead, I'm going to steal your ship."
"You will do no such thing." Obi-Wan pulled out a lightsaber from his pack, observed it for a long moment, and clipped it on his belt opposite of his and Luminara's weapons.
"More weapons won't help you, Jedi!" Viscus snarled, glaring at Kenobi, but still frightened.
"I suspect this one will." He stood up, sighing softly as he slid his mental defenses into place, trying to leash the Dark Side within him. "Don't. Steal. My. Ship. I'm going to bring Luminara back here, and she's going to need it to get back to Coruscant."
Viscus scoffed. "You talk like you won't be going with her."
"I'd like to. I hope to. Just...sit tight." Kenobi left the ship, focusing against the Dark Side as he stepped into the woods and began the walk to the temple.
The Force shifted, felt different and foreign as he came upon the temple, massive statues of native Dathomirian women guarding the entrance. The entire area felt unsettling, like a forbidden power was laying in wait, and Obi-Wan couldn't shake the feeling that this was a terrible idea. The Dark Side surrounded him, but he pushed it away, trapped it behind his defenses. He didn't want to lose himself in there; he came here a Jedi, and he lost Luminara when he was lost in the Dark Side, but he would leave here a Jedi Knight. A real one.
Kenobi took a deep breath and stepped within the temple, and the lights seemed to extinguish completely. He could see nothing; even when he closed his eyes and reached out with the Force, he could feel nothing. This place wasn't just blocking out the light, it was blocking the Force. He inched forward slowly, and his eyes began to adjust to pools that seemed to glow with eerie green light. It wasn't enough to see well, and Obi-Wan nearly tripped over steps that appeared before him. With a growl, he took his lightsaber in his hand and ignited it, the humming blue light illuminating the area just enough to see the long flights of steps before him.
He took the steps two at a time, his urgency for finding his friend making the Jedi focused, ignoring the Nightsisters observing him from the stone huts that lined the hill he was ascending. As he climbed higher, the temple became bathed in a ghostly green light, the thick, hazy mist from the Nightbrother village hanging low in the air and spilling down the steps from the top of the hill.
As Obi-Wan climbed the final flight, he came upon a sinister alter at the top of the ancient subterranean hill. The mist came pouring from a glowing green pool that surrounded a stone alter, and Kenobi shivered, his blue eyes focusing through the mist on the green skinned woman that lay on the black stone slab.
Obi-Wan whimpered, his legs nearly giving out from under him. "Luminara..." He moved toward her, but something gripped him, freezing him in place and he could barely breathe for the freeze in his lungs.
"Welcome, Jedi." The voice wasn't just a voice. He heard it, felt it through the Force even through his limited connection, could have sworn that it wasn't just one voice. And it shook him. With a groan, Kenobi dropped to his knees, gripping his head and trying to will the voice away, trying futilely to strengthen his defenses. He looked up when he felt the presence before him, and he trembled, unable to tell if it was in fear or in awe. She was white-skinned, dressed in elaborate red robes, the black markings on her face making it look like a skull. She regarded him curiously, amusement in her cold, silver eyes.
He tried to speak, but found he couldn't. Her power was oppressive. Instead, his blue eyes fell on Luminara's body, and he felt cold rage grip him.
She laughed at him, the rich, female tone mixing with the undercurrent of something much darker, more sinister. "Do you worry for your friend, Jedi? Don't, she's alive. For now."
He glared at her, jaw clenched and hand clutching tight around his lightsaber, his anger giving him the strength to rise to his feet. "Don't mock me."
"Or, are you Jedi?" She regarded him carefully. "When you landed on my world, I had thought you were the Sith Lord, returned for a new apprentice." She smirked cruelly when the rage dropped from the Knight's face. "Don't be surprised, Jedi. I know what you seek."
The Sith Lord. He shook his head. Not now, Luminara came first. "That much should be obvious," Kenobi growled. "My friend. Give her to me."
She laughed again, the two tones of her voice mixing sinisterly and sending chills down Obi-Wan's spine. "I need a Jedi," she purred.
There was a moment when he thought he'd lash out at the witch, take his saber and strike her down. He held out the weapon, pointed it at her, and deactivated it. "Take me."
Those silver eyes narrowed at that, darting across Kenobi and taking in every detail. "You don't even know why."
"I don't care."
The witch grinned sinisterly, but Obi-Wan stood taller, glaring defiantly at the powerful woman. He couldn't beat her, he knew that. She was stronger by far. "I could have sworn you were Sith," she growled. "Self-sacrifice is not their way." She moved out of the way, not seeming to walk at all, but float, and indicated toward the alter. "Go, Jedi. Take your friend. But, you are mine if you do."
Obi-Wan didn't hesitate. He rushed forward and took Luminara's hand.
She was freezing, but she was alive, groaning softly as Obi-Wan sat her up, strong hand supporting her back. He thought the witch would have been pleased, but he sensed she was more curious than anything.
"What have you done to her."
"Nothing you would disapprove of, Jedi," she drawled, endlessly amused by the mortals in her realm. "I suppressed her consciousness. She is...sleeping. Her mind is not used to the darkness. Not like you."
Kenobi glared at her, looped an arm under her legs and picked her up, holding her close as if he could warm her. He didn't say a word to the witch as he strode past her and started down the numerous flights of stairs. The Nightsister silently followed, floating after him.
When the dying light of the forest outside the temple could be seen, the witch whispered in his ear, "Not so fast, Jedi. You are mine."
"I am no such thing until she is safe on my ship." That seemed to placate the witch, as she was silent the rest of the way, following him out of the temple and through the woods, green mist running low and hazy after them. He strode up the ship's ramp without hesitation, Viscus pacing like a caged animal.
"I told you," he snarled, green eyes angry. "I told you they would kill her, you can't hurt my people!"
"She's not dead." he said softly as he carefully placed Luminara in the pilot's seat. The Nightbrother opened his mouth to speak when the witch entered the ship, and the man let out a choked cry as he dropped to his knees, cowering.
The witch laid her hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Jedi."
"I know!" He laid Luminara's lightsaber on her lap, long fingers brushing her cheek, and he reeled on the Nightbrother. "Listen up. When she wakes up, you have her bring you back to your village, and tell her to get back to Coruscant. There's nothing here for us."
"...I will."
Kenobi nodded, and the witch grabbed his shoulder again, this time her sharp nails digging into his shoulder, and the world seemed to lurch around him, his vision filling with green mist, and then darkness.
He felt as though his body was jumping to the hyperspace lanes, the tremendous pressure on his chest and the rush in his ears making him instantly nauseous. And then it suddenly stopped, and he dropped to his hands and knees, coughing and trying not to retch. Slowly, his vision returned to him, the oppressive black fading to the pale green glow of the pool around the alter. He was back, but...how?
Obi-Wan slowly climbed to his feet. His legs shook as he looked around and saw the witch standing next to the alter, her pale hand stroking the smooth surface. "Come," she purred, the dark growl of her voice sending chills up his spine, but he did as he was told, coming to stand opposite her and laying both hands on the cold black surface.
"Why do you need Jedi?" he demanded, and the witch simply laughed.
"You may find out soon enough." Her silver eyes narrowed. "I am Mother Talzin. The Nightsisters are mine. The Nightbrothers are mine. The magic of Dathomir is mine as well."
"Magic," Kenobi scoffed. "This planet is strong in the Force, specifically the Dark Side of it."
"I have no natural connection with the Force, young one. But I do have a connection with Dathomir, and it is from the planet I draw my magic."
"Right, the Force."
She laughed at this, her own tones and the darker undertone mixing eerily. "You know so little, Jedi. Are you so certain you know all the mysteries of this galaxy?"
"No, but I know the Force when I see it."
"If it was simply the Force at work, the Sith Lord himself would not have come here to exchange dark secrets with me."
Kenobi shut up, looked at the woman as best as he could in the low light. He tried again to reach out with the Force, but found it still blocked to him. This place could have been magic, as she said. He examined her skull-like features for a time, and then slowly reached out his hand. "Obi-Wan Kenobi."
She took his hand, grinning. "We have much to discuss, Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"I suspect you're right. How are you blocking the Force."
Talzin laughed deeply, and Obi-Wan lurched forward, catching himself on the alter as a rush of air filled his lungs and his head cleared, his connection to the Force re-established. "The last time I had a trained Force wielder here, he abducted my son. You will forgive my caution."
His blue eyes widened. "...Maul."
"Yes."
Obi-Wan bit his lip as he looked at the woman. Even with the Force returned to him, he couldn't read her mind, see her thoughts, feel what she was feeling, anything. He could be in serious danger. "You didn't answer my question. How did you block the Force."
She waggled her fingers, smirking at the young man's confusion. "Magic, Jedi. Dathomir comes from the Dark Side, yes, but my powers do not. They are beyond your understanding.
Kenobi nodded. "I'll accept that." He unclipped the lightsaber on his right him and laid it on the alter. Talzin said she needed a Jedi. He didn't know why, not yet, but that decreased his chance of dying within the next few moments by...five percent, he suspected. Grasping the hilt, he activated the weapon, and the blade extended with a deep thrum of energy, glowing red and eerie in the pale green mist. "This is Maul's lightsaber. I killed him."
Kenobi couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction as he watched Talzin's face drop with shock, disbelief, and then rage, and he could feel the power gathering around her. He knew nothing of her magic, but he did know the Force, and in that moment, he felt the Dark Side roar to life. Talzin picked up the lightsaber, examining it carefully for a moment, before swinging it at the Jedi, the blade stopping an inch from his neck. Kenobi did not flinch, just glared at her with proud blue eyes.
"You defeated my son?" He nodded, and the witch hissed, eyes narrowing in anger. "How. How could a Jedi vanquish a Sith Lord? My son is strong. You are nothing in comparison."
"He was strong in the Dark Side." Kenobi smirked, his soft features made cruel by the red glow of the lightsaber. "But I am stronger."
Talzin was silent for a long while, observing the young Jedi with interest. Finally, she retracted the blade and laid the hilt back on the alter. "You are unusual for a Jedi. Perhaps you are what I needed."
"And what am I needed for? Why did you need a Jedi?"
"To take down the Sith."
That, he was not expecting. He drummed his long fingers on the alter. "...tell me about this Sith Lord."
"He came to me to exchange Dark Side teachings," she said softly. "Our communion was beneficial, and he said he would take me as his apprentice, that we would rule the galaxy together."
Rule the galaxy? That wasn't good. Kenobi frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "What was he called?"
"He did not say." Her face did not change, but Obi-Wan knew she was lying, could feel her deception in the Force, and he couldn't help but feel that she didn't learn nearly as much from the Sith Lord as he did from her. A true practitioner of the Dark Side could hide a simple deception. And that wasn't it, he could feel something else. Had she lied earlier? He would need to keep his guard up, this woman was dangerous.
"Well, you obviously didn't become his apprentice, so what happened?"
"He sensed the potential in my son, and he abducted him from me." Her face contorted with rage, and Kenobi knew she was telling the truth. "He took my first son, and my boy became Sith as well. Darth Maul. The Sith led him down the path to his destruction, and I will have my revenge. I will destroy the Sith and retrieve my lost son."
"...Talzin, Maul is dead. I'm sorry, but you can't get him back."
Her silver eyes flashed dangerously, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel she was hiding something. What did she know that he didn't? His stomach twisted into knots, and in the back of his mind, he felt the chill creep in, knew that she had not made a mistake. Maul was dead. He was. Right?
"Don't underestimate me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I do not lose."
He nodded. "So this is why you needed a Jedi? To exact revenge on the Sith?"
"It is." He was getting a clearer picture, but there were so many pieces missing, and he knew he would not be getting them. "You know," Talzin purred, "when you first landed here, I could have sworn you were Sith." Her long-fingered pale hand stroked his cheek, holding his chin as she forced him to look in those pale eyes. "So much darkness in you, young one..."
He grit his teeth. "I am a Jedi."
"Yes, and you are filled with the Dark Side." She smirked, running her hand over his shoulder and down his chest. "How do your Jedi even let you outside of the Temple? Everything inside you is screaming for the darkness."
"I can control it!" He nearly shouted, his heart speeding up as those long, sharp fingers scratched over his chest. The witch laughed.
"Come now, you are so far from the Council. Show me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Show me the Dark Side."
"I...I-I can't, I...I need to control it."
"And you will. I can teach you. Your Jedi aren't here, so what are you afraid of? Let go."
And nothing seemed like a better idea to the Jedi. She was right. There were no Jedi here, and if he wanted it, well...
With a deep breath, he let his defenses down, and he felt the darkness rush into him. It was overwhelming, and he needed to grip the alter for support, his knuckles turning white and his shoulders shaking as he moaned, the Dark Side filling him with power and passion and pleasure and rage. Talzin laughed deeply as Kenobi laid his forehead against the cool, black alter, his death grip on the stone slab keeping him up as his knees buckled out from under him.
"Let it in, Obi-Wan Kenobi, that's it..." She put a pale hand on the man's back and he tensed, shaking as the darkness wrapped around him, coaxed by the witch and moaning loudly as he let go completely. "I know, Jedi, it's so difficult to deal with the passion of the Dark Side, especially when you have been trained to have no passions."
As the darkness wrapped around him, he slowly eased into the feelings, his pulse slowing as he settled into the Dark Side. It was stronger here than ever before, his careful defenses blinding him to how powerful it was in the home of the Nightsisters. With a deep breath, he regained the strength in his legs and pushed himself slowly off the alter, the trembling in his body stopping as his mind accepted the darkness he had been fighting. He looked at Talzin, his eyes seeming to glow slightly in the dark with pale yellow fire.
The witch laughed loudly. "Look at you! A Dark Jedi." Talzin smirked as the glowing eyes narrowed in the dark. "Don't be angry. It's rare. Magnificent."
"You make it sound like the Jedi can use the Dark Side and still be Jedi. I've been told that the Dark Side always leads to the Sith."
"If that were true, there would be thousands of Sith, and you Jedi would be extinct." Talzin smirked. "The Jedi fear the darkness and it makes them weak. There is control over the Dark Side, young one. Your Masters will not teach you, but others can. The Sith do not become powerful by allowing the Dark Side to rule them. No, they master the Dark Side." The witch smiled dangerously. "Is that what you want?"
"Yes." He didn't even need to think about it, deep within him, he knew this is what he wanted. Complete mastery of the Dark Side was the only thing he wanted.
"You are in luck then." She stroked his face, and the man just accepted it. "Jedi make the best Dark Side practitioners. Your control and focus gives you the ability to tame it." Her voice lowered. "I cannot teach you the Dark Side, but you could learn from the Sith. Go to their planets, find their holocrons, and use their power against them."
It was so simple, he wasn't sure why he hadn't thought of it before. Of course he would learn the ways of the Dark Side from the holocrons. Nothing else made sense. Nothing else mattered. "So...are we working together to take down the Sith Lord?"
Talzin smirked. "Oh yes, little Jedi. We shall. You defeated one Sith, so perhaps you are the one to destroy the other. Consider me...your ally. Until my son's revenge must be paid to you." Obi-Wan's eyes flashed, and he was just about to ask what she meant when the sound of the Nightsisters' screaming could be heard through the Temple. Talzin chuckled. "It seems you are no longer mine, Obi-Wan Kenobi. But we will meet again." And with that, Mother Talzin disappeared into the green mist, and Kenobi didn't know what to think. He closed his eyes, his mind swimming with rage and passion and darkness as he slowly put up his defenses, leashing the Dark Side to his will and containing it.
The Nightsisters continued to shout, and within a moment, Luminara Unduli, green lightsaber blazing, leapt up the hill. "Obi-Wan!"
He turned and smiled at her. "Saving me, Master?"
"Just returning the favor." The Nightsisters slowly appeared, bows drawn and surrounding the two Jedi and they stood back to back, Kenobi activating his own saber as he put Maul's weapon back on his belt. "Unfortunately, we may have to fight our way out of this. Again..."
"It is becoming a pattern, dear. You are nothing but trouble."
"What? Me?!"
"Sisters," the rich voice of Talzin cut through the air, and the Nightsisters stopped. "Let them go."
Nobody moved, the Jedi staring down the Nightsisters, and then Kenobi's blue blade retracted. "Well? You heard her." The women backed off, the purple energy of their bows dissipating as they retreated into the darkness. As soon as they were gone, Obi-Wan took Luminara's hand. "Quick, before they change their minds."
The two ran hand in hand down the flights of stairs and out of the temple, stopping only when they could see their ship through the trees in the forest. Both Jedi were panting and out of breath, their hands clutched tightly together.
"Are you alright?" Luminara asked, breathless, and Obi-Wan kissed her hand, smiling as the woman flushed not just from the exertion.
"Fine now."
"What happened in there?"
"I talked with their leader. She...had a lot to say. Come on, I'll fill you in on the way back home. I am sick of this planet."
They walked up the ramp of the ship, quietly talking and laughing, relieved to have survived their ordeal, when an outraged cry shocked them silent.
"You Jedi are crazy," Viscus snarled, hands tightly gripping both sides of the entrance to the cockpit. "You just...run off everywhere!"
"Oh, Kriffing hell, I forgot about him."
"I...did run off rather quickly," the Mirialan said softly, a sheepish smile on her face.
"...well, what are you doing, hiding out on my ship?" Obi-Wan said swiftly, irritation in his clipped accent as he pushed past the outraged Zabrak and settled into the pilot's seat, swift hands powering up the ship. "Honestly, now we have to take you all the way back. I wish you would have spoken up sooner."
The two Jedi had to listen to the furious sputtering of the indignant Nightbrother all the way back to the village.
