Chapter Twenty-Five
Ventress came to the place where the bridge began but had been slowed down by her deep thought. What the hell was Savage saying mentioned she was bearing his "spawn" within her? Could it be true that he had somehow gotten the better of her and impregnated her while she was under Talzin's spell? Only that bitch had the answer to her questions and she could only hope she'd find her before anyone else.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for her to see someone falling from KaiSu Lak'Ton in the space bridge. It also took her not too long to recognize that instead of Savage or Maul, it was Talzin in grey battle armor. She fell so fast that by the time Ventress had backed away from the bridge, Talzin had already nearly hit the ground and when she did, she hit so hard that for several seconds she did not rise. The ground beneath her had been broken so that she nearly fell through the floor and when she finally rose, her armor broke off into several chunks and she coughed up blood.
In addition, she was so weak from the fall that she could barely crawl to a pole in order to raise herself to her own feet. "Well, well, what a surprise. Here I was looking for you and lo and behold, you come to me instead," Ventress said. "Ventress… help me please," Talzin whispered.
"Not until you tell me if you know what the hell Savage meant when he told me I was pregnant with his 'spawn'. Did he do something to me while I was under your spell?" she asked the ancient witch. It was then that Talzin admitted that Savage had indeed raped her while she was under her spell and was now carrying the result of that lust, besides KaiSu Lak'Ton's return, in her belly. Ventress' face reddened the color of Dathomir's sky with barely contained rage as she pulled out her lightsabers and nearly activated the fearsome blades.
"Wait Ventress, who would you be without me? Where in the universe would you be besides here right now were it not for me?" Talzin asked. Ventress paused for a moment, thinking about how to answer that before answering it in the only way she knew how as she ignited the blades. "Time to find out," she said.
Talzin replied by throwing a small sword at her but that was dodged with ease. Using the distraction, the witch picked up another just in time to defend against Ventress' first attack. But Ventress kept coming with the slashes from the left and right flank until she had disarmed Talzin then spun both blades so that they slashed her across the abdomen in opposite directions then formed an X on her chest when they came back down. The power of it was more than enough to finish the older witch, her heartbeat ceasing just seconds after her back made a hard thud on the cold floor of the tower they were on.
Ventress deactivated her lightsaber, sensing the absence of life in the body of Mother Talzin and turned to head off into a new life with a bright smile. After all these years, she was finally free of the woman who had been controlling her even before she met Count Dooku or Sidious. But she also realized that after millennia of her haunting presence, the galaxy was also free of Talzin. After more than thirty thousand years of striving to bring Order by harnessing Chaos, Talzin of the Nightsisters had died at last.
"Mother, let's get out of here," Maul said to Kycina. The older woman nodded her agreement and let Maul help her walk out of KaiSu Lak'Ton, not even bothering to call her staff back up at his offer of help. "Talzin may be dead but I still have business with you, brother," Savage blatantly called. "Not today Savage, there has been enough fighting and killing for one day," Maul replied, Kycina agreeing weakly.
"Tell that to the forces fighting the Clone Wars even as we speak! You and I finish this, here and now or there will be even more bloodshed than the Wars could ever conjure," Savage demanded. Though reluctant to admit it, Maul knew Savage was right about that and had Kycina conjure her staff before she slowly walked toward the portal, her accelerated age showing in how weakly she walked toward the portal while leaning on the staff. "Just so long as you leave mom alone, I don't mind dying," Maul said.
"I can't promise that but I know you're not bluffing about that last part. You wouldn't have minded dying seeing as you didn't mind being sliced in half nor mind going raving mad for the last twelve years! I gave you your life back in exchange for you teaching me the ways of the Sith and this is how you repay me?" Savage asked. "Yes you saved my life and for that, I am truly grateful but let me make it clear that you only did so on orders from Talzin and you attempted to betray and murder me Savage," Maul answered.
Savage asked what Maul's point in saying that was and Maul replied that if Savage was going to betray him, he had better learn how to be able to do it without failing to do it right. "Perhaps I was waiting for an ample time in which I could see you die by my hand, brother," Savage replied. Without further ado, Maul unclipped his lightsaber and ignited the blade whilst readying it into a Juyo stance. Savage turned around as if to ponder how he would attack his brother before leaping into the air in a way that told Maul immediately that he was going to use Djem So instead of both sides of his lightsaber.
The two of them fought savagely like beasts, Maul pressed the attack with his skill in Juyo and Savage trying to weigh him down with punishing blows from Djem So. "You are young and inexperienced Savage, I have years of training with a lightsaber and the ability to use the Force!" Maul said before really pushing his brother down. It was at that moment that Maul saw a glowing white portal and he recognized what it was from the texts he had read under Lord Sidious.
According to legend, these white lights would teleport whoever crossed them to another plane of time. Knowing he could never bring himself to kill his brother, he decided to banish him to another time. He pelted him with the full might of the most powerful form Juyo and though Savage gained some ground, Maul was quick to swallow it up until at last they came to a stalemate. It was during this that Savage combined forms almost flawlessly: switching off between his knowledge of Djem So as well as also activating another side of his lightsaber at moments that surprised Maul occasionally.
Maul knew that if he could somehow force Savage over the edge, he would win the duel for all time. At first, he had trouble finding a solution to his predicament since he knew that Savage would never give up. But in addition to Savage being inches away from the edge, Maul recalled something he remembered from the duel on Naboo. After he kicked Obi-Wan further down the reactor room, Qui-Gon had retaliated by slapping him with the side of his hand hard enough to also send him over the bridge on which they were fighting.
"You know Savage, I taught you well but did I teach you this?" Maul asked just as he performed the same trick. It worked to greater effect than he anticipated and Savage fell over the edge the same way Maul had once fallen off a bridge. I wondered when you'd be anything besides a number in my Jedi-killing career in Sidious' name Maul teased silently with a smile. He watched as Savage landed into the portal and Maul watched as it closed shortly after Savage went through it.
Then slowly, after deactivating his lightsaber, he walked away from the crater where the portal had once been and escaped KaiSu Lak'Ton through the portal that led into the space bridge back to Dathomir. This time though, it was mere seconds getting down to Dathomir again rather than the long minutes it had been last time. At first, he was confused by how that could have happened but he saw what had happened. The tower was crumbling thanks to repeated fire from the Republic gunships and the gem fueling the space bridge was exposed.
Kycina had been hustled into one of these gunships but was taken out at Maul's insistence. He took her arm over his shoulder and let her watch as Dooku, Ventress, and Kenobi joined powers to destroy the orb. When it was destroyed, the space bridge turned into a lethal laser that caused KaiSu Lak'Ton to implode. Then they watched as the city turned into sand and crumbled in simultaneity with the destruction of KaiSu Lak'Ton, making everyone present realize that the planet had been the source of this power and its destruction marked the end of a horrific legacy in the universe.
Dooku was the first to leave with his Separatist forces, Kenobi's Republic forces slowly following also. However, Ventress and Kenobi both stayed with Ventress desiring an audience with Kycina and Kenobi with Maul. "I don't know how we can thank you enough for your help Maul. You have truly come a long way from the murderer of my master that I met twelve years ago," Kenobi began.
"There is one way: tell the rest of the Republic space that I am dead. I asked Dooku to do the same before he left Dathomir for Separatist space. The last thing my weakened mother needs is the knowledge that her son is pursued by the two major sides of the Clone War my adoptive father planned," Maul replied. "I understand, I guess that means we're even," Obi-Wan said. "Not quite: though I no longer desire revenge against you, I still would like one last spar with you before we part ways," Maul told him.
Kenobi understood it was a duel meant as a respect for his skill with a lightsaber. "My pleasure as always," he said after igniting his lightsaber. The duel was short and sweet and once again, Kenobi won the fight since he had been mostly defensive and caught Maul by surprise. "Well done, my former enemy-turned-friend or is that not appropriate for the nature of our relationship?" Maul teased. "On the contrary, it's a more than perfect description of our relationship," Kenobi replied, following along with the teasing.
While the two men were doing that, Ventress revealed to Kycina that she was pregnant with Savage's kid and asked where he was. "Last I saw, he was on Lak'Ton with Maul but never returned after that. I doubt we're going to be seeing him again anytime soon even if he did survive its destruction somehow," Kycina told her. "Kycina, I'm telling you because I don't want this child: it would hinder the life I live too much and vice versa," Ventress explained.
"No Ventress, don't explain. I could use the chance to make amends for missing out on Maul and Savage's childhoods by raising at least one of their children before I pass away," Kycina replied, her tone soothing in a way Talzin's never was. Ventress liked that and asked where she and her son would be headed. "That's up to him since he's the only one with the strength to pilot the ship but I have a feeling it will be somewhere far from the conflict of the war," Kycina replied.
"Send word to me once you have secured a location, by then I may be very heavy or close to labor. Assuming Talzin was telling the truth about my pregnancy by Savage's hand," Ventress vowed. "I doubt she lied about that as much as it pains me to say it but come see us anyway even if you aren't indeed pregnant," Kycina told her with an innocent smile. "May the Force be with you and your son," Ventress said, then she walked away to find her ship and leave Dathomir once more.
It was then that Maul approached her, asked what Ventress wanted and Kycina told him. "I guess we'll have to let her know very soon where we are once we arrive at our new home. Let's get back to the Scimitar and get the hell out of here," he said as he kissed her cheek. "Watch your language kid or I'm washing your mouth out first chance I get," Kycina warned him.
"Save that for your grandson, I'm too old for it," Maul replied. Using the computer on his wrist, he typed in the code to deactivate the invisibility cloak to reveal the ship's location to them. After Kycina was boarded and settled into a bed, Maul took the controls and typed in the coordinates for their new home far from Sidious and his pathetic war. He smiled knowing that the Jedi had it covered for now but Kenobi was right about one thing.
Who would protect the galaxy when the Jedi could not protect themselves? Would there be anyone worthy of temporarily holding their place until their Order was restored? Then he realized what his new responsibility would eventually be: avenge what the Jedi could not protect. The thought of becoming a Black Avenger of the Night after a few years of peace with his mother put a smile on his face just as he put the ship into hyperspace for the duration of their short trip.
Savage landed hard into the red sand below him and at first could not rise back up. Then he used the Force to call his lightsaber back to him and dig his way out of the mess he got into. When he stood up, he saw only a desolate plain all around him of nothing but red sand everywhere. That was until he saw a face similar to one he had seen in the past: an apparent relative of Morley the snake who had helped him find his brother.
"Oh I know what you be thinking Savage and I am not relative of the junk-loving buffoon by any means," the snake said immediately. Savage knew it wasn't him from the female voice that it spoke with and was immediately set at ease by it. "Where am I?" Savage asked. "This is going to be hard for you to believe but… welcome to the future, three hundred and sixty-two years after your time to be precise," the snake answered.
"And how would you know this?" he asked her. "Easy enough, I am all that remains of your great-grandmother after that woman who birthed you destroyed me on KaiSu Lak'Ton," she answered. "If this is the future, how do I get back?" he inquired. "You don't which is the problem, I only got here because I'm immortal," she explained.
Then she urged him to follow him to a place where they would be safe from the sandstorms that ravaged this future desert. She added that this was all that remained of Dathomir after the Republic, the Separatists, the Galactic Empire, the Galactic Alliance and many others had been through it. "As you may have realized, you missed a lot from when Maul threw you into the time portal. All will be explained in due time while we also forge you a new legacy in this future world where no one you know lives any longer besides me," she concluded.
"Like I have a choice," Savage admitted in agreement. Though still very confused about all of this, Savage knew he would find a way to avenge his defeat at the hands of his brother nearly four hundred years ago. The Sith always came back to get revenge and now with his great-grandmother at his side, Savage knew he stood a chance of gaining his revenge. With nothing but his clothes and his lightsaber at his side, he followed his ancestor to a shelter where he could begin plotting both his revenge and the regaining of his family honor.
"There are many out there who have similar cunning to your brother. Would you like me to teach you how to recognize them from the stupid?" Hecate asked. Savage nodded, knowing full well that he was going to need as much help as possible; and with that his training resumed.