Chapter Seventeen
"Soon we will be reaching the one place in this tower where we can ascend the tower unopposed. It is a massive shaft that takes us up about halfway and ends when we have come to the worst of this tower's evils. But compared to KaiSu Lak'Ton, this will be nothing. Once I activate the bridge connecting the two planets, this tower will truly come to life as will the power within this city as KaiSu Lak'Ton fills it with dark energy," Talzin said.
"Finally, some peace after all those demons we confronted getting up to this point and I thought the fun was getting started," Ventress stated. "You're not far from the truth my slave: the party has not even begun," Savage replied. "Better trust him on this one, dear Ventress. He may not know this place as well as I do but he knows enough not to underestimate its significance to us," Talzin agreed.
She typed in a code next to the door and watched as it opened for them to use it for their purposes. "And once we arrive at the tower's top, what will Ventress and I do?" Savage asked. "You two will keep guard and fight Maul, Kycina, and whatever else may be following us if necessary. I must have unbroken concentration to complete the incantation that will channel the energy of the Sith souls into fully reviving the city's power. It will also create a magical bridge that will cut through the atmosphere of our planet until it touches that of KaiSu Lak'Ton and create a portal by which once can travel to and from it as they ascend the bridge," Talzin answered.
"Can you travel inside the bridge through space without feeling the effects of the vacuum?" Savage inquired. "The bridge was never used to transport anything besides ships and soldiers on KaiSu's end but considering how well those survived, I don't see why not," Talzin replied. "Space travel should be interesting with that kind of bridge surrounding us to protect against the space vacuum," Ventress stated. "Though considerably primitive now, it was a very effective means of transportation seeing as our ships would never get through the atmosphere without combusting and imploding," Talzin agreed.
"Magic is magic, it doesn't change with the times its wielders live in. Thus, the technology created by it is never primitive seeing as it can always function even when modern science does not," Ventress snapped. "That is somewhat true but why do you think mortals created their technology?" Talzin asked her. "Jealousy of what wielders of magic could create compelled them to attempt rivaling them and truly, their attempts were rather phenomenal for having no power of their own," Savage answered, remembering the histories the Nightbrothers were taught in what little education they actually received.
"Very good Savage, envy can be a powerful ally or a painful enemy at its very own whim. Just like any other emotion such as love, hate, anger, greed, and most definitely lust," Talzin complimented. "But in this case, lust is our ally seeing as it aided KaiSu Lak'Ton in finding its way back home where it belongs," Savage reminded. Talzin nodded and watched as they ascended the shaft at a decent rate though it began to make her impatient to reach the top.
She just had to get there before Kycina and Maul caught up with her then their attempts to end her life wouldn't matter anymore. After that, she would be restored to the immortal and invincible deity she once had been before her mother sent her into this galaxy to restore KaiSu Lak'Ton and its people to the glory they lost. And if the Goddess felt truly rewarding, perhaps she would let Talzin rule over the galaxy as its queen while the rest of the universe was strictly for the Goddess herself and no other. Smiling at the foreseeable completion of her desires, Talzin silently thanked Savage and Ventress for being the best pawns she ever had.
Kycina and Maul reached an elevator shaft after dealing with several demons Talzin sent to confront them from damned souls to monstrous flesh-eating giants that had no sentience whatsoever. Most were soothed to peace by her voice and her healing magic but Maul did have to use his lightsaber to put a few out of their misery. "I really wish they'd let us heal them, it's all I mean to do after all," Kycina stated after he brought down three bloodthirsty giants. "Some evil beings in this galaxy can never be purified by the goodness of a mother's heart; I ought to know, you gave me to one of them," Maul replied.
"You know, I can never forgive myself for doing that for as long as I am alive," Kycina said. Maul hugged her and reminded her not to blame herself about what happened to him after she gave him away. Then he typed in a code to activate the elevator and stepped through the door when it opened. "Hopefully Talzin is not too far ahead of us, I'd hate to fight any more creatures she can conjure from mere wall paintings and pictures of ancient times," Maul said.
"And I think I'm running out of patience to sooth the bulk of them and put them to rest forever," Kycina agreed. "Hopefully it won't be too much longer before we encounter her and beat their asses to the hell they want to bring back here. Especially that treacherous brother of mine and our grandmother Talzin," Maul vowed. "Let's hope we're not too late before we reach them, my son," Kycina said after pausing in silence for a long moment.
They boarded the elevator and ascended the shaft that took them halfway up the tower without threat or peril from the dangers lurking within. "So who was this Darth Vitiate character that destroyed the woman you loved?" Kycina asked Maul. "A very powerful Sith Lord whose lifespan has lasted nearly five thousand years and had cunning to match," Maul answered. "Did you manage to actually kill him seeing as no one in that five millennia did?" she asked to which he nodded in reply.
"Soon we will reach the Sisters of Judgment who will test our worthiness to enter. If we all are worthy, we will pass but if even one of us proves unworthy then we will have to fight," Talzin said. "And if we prove ourselves, isn't there something they will give us?" Savage asked. "Yes: their axes which will help us access the rest of the tower as keys rather than weapons," Talzin answered.
She also added that if they didn't prove worthy, they would attempt to give them their deaths at the wrong end of those axes. "They will fall beneath my lightsaber if they dare try anything of that sort," Savage stated. "Though they are not immune to its painful effects, these soldiers of the Goddess cannot be killed or stopped for long by any weapon you know how to wield. Only my magic will subdue them into submission long enough for you and Ventress to steal their axes away and then kill them," Talzin replied.
"Excellent strategy Mother, we will do our best not to fail you," Ventress said. "No, we won't fail you even if we don't do our best," Savage interjected. "I admire your passion, now let us begin. Look at the statues ahead for they are the entombment of these two warriors," Talzin stated. Those who trespass on sacred ground must feel the wrath of Pain and Sorrow said a female voice that seemed to come from the statue on the right.
You are right sister, our job is to guard the final levels of this tower and the gateway to KaiSu Lak'Ton. We cannot let these intruders pass through this door another voice said in agreement with the first. "Are they that quick to pass judgment upon us, Mother?" Savage asked in a hushed voice. "They sensed our combined presences long before we even entered this room," Talzin answered with the same whisper.
Ventress was the first to activate her lightsabers, followed by Savage while Talzin used her magic to create a weapon for herself. When Savage looked at it, she was wielding an ax that matched the one she gave him before he met Count Dooku and became his apprentice. In addition, she also changed her regular robes for battle armor that was crossed with rows of spikes across all plates from her gauntlets to her shin guards. She even had some on the knuckles of her already deadly gauntlets.
The shoulder attachments she bore in her regular robes were also replaced by more lethal mounts on her shoulders that would cut anything they touched. "You impudent judges of the Goddess, bow down before her daughter!" she shouted. We know who you are Talzin but the Goddess has decreed that not even a child of hers may pass these gates without proving themselves first. For how can we know that a child of hers has returned to free our mistress even when she says she has a kinship to the Goddess? the first voice asked her.
"You will be made to submit before me Pain as will you Sorrow if you do not do so now," Talzin hissed. If that is the will of the Goddess Pain replied too calmly for Savage to remain at ease. "Ventress, take the one called Sorrow while I deal with the one called Pain," he said to Ventress. They broke off to directly confront each of the assigned terror so Talzin could flank either one of the creatures made from ancient stone.
From there, it was easy to destroy the two Judges of the Goddess when Talzin's ax was soon discovered to cut through the stone with ease. "Now sisters, bow before the daughter of the Goddess for I do not even need to fight you myself in order to destroy you. For what it's worth, I don't think you could destroy my companions let alone me, Talzin of the Goddess," she said when the two stone figures were on their knees. Very well, we will not defy the daughter of the Goddess in her journey to resurrect our world Pain said.
Then both handed over their axes to Ventress and Savage before disintegrating into dust. All who carry your blood will be allowed to pass but no one else unless they are in your company like the woman you call Ventress Sorrow said, indicating a curse before they disappeared. "Thank you servants of the Goddess for your service even if it was somewhat troubling," Savage said out of respect. "You pay respect to anyone who puts up a good fight don't you?" Talzin asked him.
"Why not? I paid respects to the bounty hunters Embo and Sugi after I mutilated them. The only one I didn't pay respects for was my first Jedi kill: that annoying Togruta bitch who always accompanied Kenobi and his friend Skywalker," Savage answered, surprised she would ask this of him. He added that the only reason he didn't was because she was the one who distracted him when Kenobi cut off his left arm.
"Shall we continue now that I have collected the weapons I need for the continuation of our journey?" Talzin asked after changing out of her battle armor and collecting the fallen blades. Savage nodded as did Ventress shortly before they saw the once-guarded gate open for them as if beckoning them to continue on. Talzin smiled and was the first to step through with Savage and Ventress both following on her heel and willing to aid her whenever it was absolutely necessary.
Dooku had just barely arrived to the elevator shaft after admiring the hieroglyphs on the walls around him. Any history he could see with his own eyes was one he enjoyed but he found it disappointing that some of the figures meant to be souls were missing. Perhaps it was damage from being underground for so long, perhaps it was something else but who knew? "Sidious would be most interested by what I have seen here if I could show him," he thought aloud since there was no one around to hear him.
But having his mental fill of the history of Dathomir for the moment, he typed in a code and opened the door to the elevator. Then he ascended like everyone else who had come this way before him. Keeping his lightsaber close at hand, he made sure to be prepared for any trap; after all, he was going after the woman who once attempted to assassinate him through her witchcraft.