Author's Notes: I'm back! At least, for a while, anyway. Apologies for the hiatus.

Star Wars and all related trademarks belong to Disney. The Old Republic is a Bioware production published by EA

Star Wars: Imperium

Chapter 2

A sickening crunch from underneath Kallig's boot broke his reverie, the Sith Lord looking down to see a crystalline shard crumbling under his heel. He knelt in the dust, brushing at the razor-sharp fragments with a tentative gloved finger. The black-hued crystal looked fairly out of place amidst the remains of a sundered starship, scraps of metal reaching out towards the horizon, shadowed talons looking to grasp the sky. Curious, Kallig picked up a fragment.

The vision struck him with brutal force, driving the air from his lungs in one fell gasp, his vision clouded, blood pounding through his veins as his mind flooded with a torrent of emotions, words, images and sensations, all at once. The world around him faded into the background, turning a muted grey colour as all the noise of the real world dulled. even the chill winds howling around him became a faint buzz in the back of his consciousness. No stranger to visions of this kind, Kallig gave himself over to it.

~o~0~o~

The tight helmet pinched at her head, a sensation she was unused to. Consoles exploded around her, showers of sparks and gouts of flame filling the corridor as she bolted towards the bridge. White-armoured Republic soldiers pushed past her, frantically running for the escape pods, but she knew that was a futile task. There was no escaping what lay ahead,

The bulkhead leading to the bridge was jammed open, the corridor around it twisted enough to warp the doorframe. She walked through, freezing mid-step as she caught sight of what was visible beyond the primary viewport.

The entire planet of Malachor V was dying, there was no mistaking it. Seas that had once gleamed blue now boiled white hot as the atmosphere burned away with resonant ire. Green grasslands blackened and died in moments, monumental fissures tearing apart entire continents to reveal the world's beating heart. As she looked on, the equatorial desert that girdled the planet glowed brighter and brighter, then flashed like a dying star before something gave and the entire region exploded, launching white-hot sand, glowing boulders and masses of magma out of the atmosphere and into space. All the while, the horrifying vision drew closer and closer, the ship accelerating towards the planet.

"Engage the hyperdrive!" The ship's Commander, a war-weary Mon Calamari, bellowed to his bridge crew. "We need to overcome the gravitational pull somehow!"

"It's no use, sir." The helmsman replied. "Hyperdrive is non-functional."

"Hull breaches on decks three through forty-eight." Another crewman droned, the shock and fear in his mind having broken his will. His fingers moved across his console slowly, woodenly, no conscious thought behind any of it as tears and sweat rolled down his face. "Oxygen systems offline, fuel lines ruptured. Casualties at twenty-eight per cent."

"Escape pods on deck fifteen have all been deployed." The first mate spoke out over the cacophony of the dying vessel. "Transponders report negative ignitions across the board."

The Commander and his second-in-command both turned to the viewport, able to catch a brief glimpse of a series of white flares that were the escape pods, ripped out of the sky and hurled down towards the dying world.

She closed her eyes, grimacing as the sensation of countless deaths surrounded her, the turbulent eddies of thousands of panicked souls meeting their end all at once almost drowning her sanity. With shaking hands, she drew her lightsaber, lifting it before her face. Set into the hilt, the crystal that gave the weapon it's violet blade vibrated wildly. She focused on the gemstone, remembering its origin, remembering the day Danos gave it to her, an heirloom of his family, a gift for her to remember him and the time they had spent together by. A shimmer of warmth pierced her soul, the comforting memories strengthening her mind.

She took a breath, strengthening her connection to the Force. She was ready to become one with the Living Force, to find peace and accept her fate. Drawing upon the reserves of her power she reached out to the rest of the crew, touching each and every one of their terrified minds, sending out waves of calming energy to help them, like her, to find peace in their fate.

Like ripples in a pool, the aura of peace flowed from the young Jedi, the crew around her slowing their pace and turning their thoughts inwards, to family and home, to loved ones and treasured memories.

She was about to allow herself a sigh of relief when a sudden feeling of wrongness washed over her. She opened her eyes, turning her gaze back to the planet ahead.

Malachor was changing. The water was all gone, the last wisps of atmosphere stripping away as she watched. In their place, nothing but blackened rock remained. The flaming wreckage of countless ships tumbling to the ground lit up the dark world as it writhed violently. Glowing magma shone from dozens of gaping chasms, but something else was happening. Ethereal green light glimmered across the surface of the world as more and more cracks appeared. As she looked on, a massive mountain range splintered into hundreds of pieces, more of the sickly green glow shining forth from its heart. a flare of green flame burst forth from a flat plain, engulfing a squadron of Republic frigates and instantly incinerating them.

As she looked on in horror, she felt a tremor in the Force. Neither light nor dark in nature, the disturbance was like nothing she had ever experienced. Then, with no warning, her connection to the Force shattered. She felt the power ripped away from her, an unseen, intangible wind tearing through her soul. She felt a scream tear through her heart, uncertain whether it was only in her mind or if it was tearing loose from her throat. In a blink, all of the lives around her became invisible to her mind, leaving her alone within the confines of her skull.

The young Jedi fell to her knees, clutching at her head. Around her, the rest of the crew all began writhing in agony, their minds wracked with a pain they could not understand, some descending into inane gibbering, others falling prey to unstoppable weeping, still others pawing at their skin with such fervour that they risked injuring themselves.

Looking about in terror as her comrades fell to the sundering, the Jedi clutched at her lightsaber once more, trying to find her centre. She looked to the gem again, trying to bring to mind Danos and his heart-warming presence, but to her horror the luminous violet glow of the crystal faded before her eyes, replaced with a blackness that flowed throughout the gem like smoke. In that moment, she realised what was happening. The planet was dying, sundered from the Force. It would pull the entire fleet into itself to try and feed the void at its core, and in doing so it would sever them all from the Living Force. When they died, their essence would not be allowed to pass on, instead simply ceasing to be.

With this revelation, the young Jedi suddenly knew what needed to be done. The crew couldn't be lost to the Force. She wouldn't allow that. She needed to take action, before they crashed down on Malachor's surface and were lost forever.

Her grip shifted on the lightsaber, fingers curling with different purpose. The blade roared to life, sputtering with uncertain energy. The violet hue of the weapon shone bright in her eyes, then burst in a bright flash, a bloody red tide washing across the energy blade. Red mist descended, courted by the screams of betrayal.

~o~0~o~

Kallig awoke from the vision with a start, his lungs bursting for air. The remorse, fear and fury that washed over him, remnants of the vision's creator, sent his mind spinning into panic. He spun, trying to flee the place, but his feet and legs twisted under him, tripping the Sith Lord. He caught himself just before he hit the dust, a single gloved hand clanging down on a metal plate with a thunderous crack that made the landscape for miles around shiver.

It took a few moments for the Dark Lord to centre himself, reaffirming his own identity over that of the Jedi whose body he had slipped into. He stayed crouched on one knee for a minute or two more, breathing deeply and forcing his body to calm, his pulse slowing as his breaths deepened.

"Through the Force, the Sith seek Freedom. The Jedi, Serenity. Both feed from it to sustain their entire nature. But what becomes of them when their connection is taken away? What monsters are revealed within?"

The voice was faint, ghostly, and when Kallig looked around to find the source, he could see nothing more than swirling dust clouds and skittering shadows.

"You search with blinded eyes. Power has become your downfall. What will you become once this husk of a world steals everything from you?"

Kallig spun as the voice drifted by his spine, whispering almost directly into his ear. His lightsaber leapt from his belt to his waiting hand, a sleek crimson blade cutting through the darkness. As he swung the weapon, all that greeted him was the gleeful chuckle of an unseen foe.

Carefully, the Dark Lord replaced his blade at his hip, eyes narrowing behind his mask as he tried to peer into the shadows. A tiny flicker of movement at the corner of his vision caught his attention, but vanished when he looked directly at it. He realised he was accomplishing nothing by jumping at ghosts, and tried to centre himself, calling upon the Force. Then, as if a light had been turned on, a veil pulled back, a great mystery revealed. the way shone out within his mind, a trail of emotion, thought and pain venturing deep into the ruined landscape ahead of him. Without a moment's hesitation, he took a step down the path.

A wave of power rolled over him, pushing back against the Sith Lord. He felt his will taxed by the resistance, an unseen presence fighting him on the deepest, most fundamental levels of his consciousness. Regardless, he pushed on, taking another step, and the power resisting him grew stronger. Grinding his teeth together, Kallig summoned the strength to take another step, then another, trudging off into the darkness.

Behind him, in the wreckage of the former Republic frigate, a host of shadowed figures appeared in the murk, indistinct shapes barely visible as the dust swirled around them. the leading figure looked out from beneath a deep, black hood, glowing white eyes shining as she watched the Sith Lord stride onwards. No other features could be seen, but an aura of equal parts malice and amusement ebbed out from that hidden visage. Then, with a faint gust of wind, the shapes vanished.

Author's Notes: And with those few words, I return! Hey guys, sorry for the long absence. Life problems. Anyway, here's another chapter to Imperium, which I can hopefully keep going. Let me know what you think!

I'd also appreciate it if you could check out my new YouTube channel (Channel name is Fainmaca, of course!), where I've uploaded a bunch of gameplay videos, including some Dragon Age and The Old Republic videos, and a few Vlogs talking about the new Star Wars movie! Please check it out, share it with friends, and help me to get this whole online persona off the ground!

In the meantime, I'll get back to writing some ITU now, hope to have it ready to publish in time for the 29th of this month (the 5-year anniversary of me starting writing on this site!). Until then, see you guys later!

Fainmaca Out.