The Empress and the Outlander
The air of Odessen was thick with the pungent scent of charred debris and ionized plasma, the aftermath of a brutal assault led by Vaylin, the Empress of the Eternal Empire. Her forces had descended upon the world of the Alliance with a fury that was as swift as it was merciless. Amidst the chaos, two formidable figures, Vaylin and Darth Angmus, stood like polar points of a catastrophic storm, their destinies entwined, and a duel of fates imminent.
Vaylin, a portrait of seething rage and immense power, towered on the battlefield. Her yellow eyes reflected a chilling, sadistic pleasure. She seemed a statue chiseled in obsidian, a goddess of death, her every movement brimming with lethal intent.
Angmus, the once-Sith who had defied his dark heritage, stood firm with measured calmness. He was a figure of rugged handsomeness, his icy blue eyes filled with a solemn, contemplative expression. His dark brown hair, styled in messy curls that fell to his shoulders, moved gently with the wind, and his heavy black cloak and armor gave him an imposing presence. He held his twin yellow lightsabers in his hands, their blades humming softly in the tense silence that had fallen over the battlefield.
The air between them was thick with tension, a silent standoff before the inevitable clash. They had fought before, many times. But this was different. As a quiet and grim understanding, they knew this would be their last. The climax of the war between the Alliance and the Eternal Empire would meet its conclusion.
Vaylin activated her lightsaber, equal in color to the Sith before her. She took a step forward, her voice ringing out cold and clear. "So, the great Darth Angmus has come to face me," she sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "You'll die here, in the ashes of your pathetic Alliance."
Angmus returned her advance, his voice low and steady. "You don't have to do this, Vaylin."
Her laughter rang out. "Oh, but I do. You and your Alliance have become a nuisance. And nuisances need to be eradicated."
With a sudden burst of speed, Vaylin lunged at Angmus, her lightsaber slashing through the air with deadly intent. Angmus parried her attacks with calculated precision. His movements were fluid and graceful as he defended against her relentless assault.
"Vaylin, I don't want to fight you!" Angmus implored, his voice strained as he deflected another vicious strike. "You don't have to let your past define you! You can choose a different path!"
Vaylin sneered, her eyes blazing with fury. "You think I want your pity? Your empathy? You think I want to be like you? Weak? Pathetic? I don't need saving!"
Angmus staggered under her onslaught, his muscles trembling with the effort of defending himself. He could feel her raw power and immense strength in the Force, and he knew he was outmatched. Yet, he refused to give in.
This was not just a battle for Odessen. It was a battle for Vaylin's soul.
With a sudden surge of strength, Angmus pushed Vaylin back, his twin blades dancing around her, seeking an opening.
"Vaylin," Angmus said, his voice steady, even as he parried a series of blows. His eyes bore into hers, his gaze full of an empathy that was jarring against the backdrop of their duel. "I know what you went through on Nathema."
Vaylin's attacks faltered for a moment, her eyes widening in surprise. "What are you talking about?" she hissed, "You know nothing!"
But Angmus was undeterred. "Valkorion's spirit is connected to me. Through his mind, I've felt your agony. The torture you endured, the pain you suffered. None of it was your fault."
Her assault faltered, and for a moment, something akin to vulnerability flickered in her gaze. A raw, naked emotion, swallowed almost immediately by her fury. Angmus had seen a crack in the armor of the woman who had been forced to become a weapon. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by a dark resolve.
"Your lies mean nothing to me!" Vaylin hissed, her anger flaring. "I am beyond your pathetic attempts at manipulation!"
"I'm not trying to manipulate you," Angmus replied, meeting her gaze sincerely. "I'm trying to help you. You don't have to be the product of your torment, Vaylin. You can break away from it."
For a heartbeat, the only sound was the hum of their lightsabers, their glow reflecting in each other's eyes. Angmus could see the battle waging within Vaylin, the storm of emotions that raged beneath her hardened exterior. She was a victim, just as he had once been, a puppet dancing on the strings of the Sith's dark machinations.
"You can still choose a different path," Angmus pressed, his voice soft yet resolute. "Let me help you, Vaylin. Let me show you that there's more than just pain and anger. Let me show you the way to the light."
But his words were only met with another attack, Vaylin screaming in a fury. But despite it, Angmus could see the faint spark of hope that flickered in her gaze. It was a spark he had seen before, a spark he had nurtured in himself. It was a spark that told him he was getting through to her, even if she refused to admit it.
Vaylin's thoughts were a storm, a whirlwind of emotions she had long thought buried. This man, this Sith who now fought to save her, had shown her a level of compassion and understanding she had not known since her childhood. Each time they had crossed blades before, she had felt a flicker of something – a curiosity, a reluctant admiration – but she had forced it down, unwilling to entertain the notion that this Sith could ever be anything but an enemy.
Yet now, as they fought, that flicker had grown into a flame that burned away at her hatred and bitterness, leaving her uncertain and exposed. It was a feeling she couldn't name, and it terrified her.
As the duel intensified, Vaylin's emotions boiled over, her attacks becoming more ferocious, more desperate. With a final, vicious swing, she disarmed Angmus, clattering his lightsabers to the ground. The moment was hers, and she raised her weapon to deliver the killing blow, her lightsaber hovering just inches from his neck. And in that moment of victory… she stopped. She hesitated.
He didn't flinch, didn't try to defend himself. He simply looked at her, his gaze saying what his words could not - "It's okay."
Tears welled up in Vaylin's eyes, her grip on her lightsaber trembling. With a shuddering breath, she deactivated her weapon, the sudden absence of its hum echoing in the silence.
"I've been where you are, Vaylin," Angmus said gently. "I've felt the same pain, the same fear. I'm not here to fight you. I don't want to claim a throne or to conquer the galaxy. I just... I want you to be okay. That's all I've ever wanted for you."
His words hung in the air, a balm to her wounded soul. For a moment, the battlefield seemed to fade away, the chaos of war replaced by the quiet understanding shared between them. Something in Vaylin shattered, a dam that had held back a flood of emotions she had long suppressed. Angmus didn't know what to expect next. Would she lash out and reject his words as she had before? Or would she accept his offer and take the first steps toward redemption?
But then, Vaylin did something that surprised even him. She stepped forward, closing the gap between them, her lips finding his in a desperate, yearning kiss.
The world around them fell away, the battle fading to a distant murmur as they clung to each other, two broken souls finding solace amidst the storm. With that kiss, the war met its end.
Author's Note
While working on Foundling, I was struck with some inspiration. Of all the people that were redeemable in SWTOR, I've never understood why Vaylin wasn't one of them. She was put through so much pain and suffering that wasn't her fault, but the writers were like, "Nah, she's gotta die." I thought I'd take a stab at a possible redemption short story. In the words of George Lucas, "Hopefully it'll work."
It's meant to stray a little bit from the events of the MMO. Maybe I'll write something about Darth Angmus someday, our badass light side Sith Warrior who's just a big ole' softy.
I'm still working on Foundling, and I'm hoping to get the next chapter out soon. I've been busy with a lot of things in my personal life, but I'm dedicated to get it finished.