III
Ragnos and Kun both shared a smile as they finally made Ulic Qel-Droma finally concede to their rule. They now had a truly willing apprentice who would be the first of many generation of Sith that will be the future of their Golden Age. Kun and Ragnos both kneeled in front of their apprentice, keeping eye contact with Ulic as they were now both dangerously close to each other. Ulic can feel the breath of his master blowing across his cheeks, his eyes looking upon the lips of his master. Kun and Ragnos could feel the gaze of their now flustered apprentice, letting out a chuckle of approval. He now cupped the sides of Ulics faces with both of their hands.
"Ulic, would you die for the Sith, our cause, and finally for me?"
The sound of that chaotic voice made Ulic shudder. His answer came to no surprise to the Dark Lords, Ulic gladly saying he would do that in his current life and if he had a choice for a next life. Kun and Ragnos pushed the younger man until his back was now lying on the floor. Kun and Ragnod were on top of Ulic, his knees resting underneath Qel-Droma's arms while their hands rested on his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his apprentices heart. They both stayed at this position for a good minute or so, Ulic surprised at his masters actions yet not uncomftorable in the slightest.
"Masters, what are you doing?"
What an idiotic question. Of course he knew what they were doing, him asking that was sheer stupidity. Kun and Ragnos sensed the embarrassment of Ulic, letting out a light laugh. They lowered their face near the young Lord's left ear, allowing their teeth to lightly brush Ulic's earlobe. Of course they agreed with Ulic's reasoning of how stupid of a question that was, the young Lord needs to feel some sort of humility. However, right now neither of the Dark Lords could come up with a sort of punishment for Ulic, their desires overtaking their senses. They took the earlobe in their mouths and lightly nipped it, drawing blood. This feeling stung Qel-Droma but showed no visible reaction to it. His hands went towards Kun's waist were impeded by the hands that were previously on his chest.
"Now don't get too excited my young apprentice. As of now only I can have the pleasure of admiring the flesh. Do not worry, I will signal your touch when I crave it."
The Lords of the Sith gave a slight kiss to Ulic's Mark that branded his as a fellow Lord, then had his lips hover above Ulic's own. But to Ulic's surprise his Lords did not give him what he desired, instead they opted to bring their mouth to Ulic's neck. Their jaws bit Ulic's neck, slowly but surely putting pressure until bleeding occurred. Like leeches craving blood, they proceeded to suck the thick liquid that they drew from Ulic's neck. Kun and Ragnos both had to will themselves from simply ripping their apprentices throat apart and devouring him until they had to focus on another aspect of their young Sith's body, or else Ulic's being would have been violated and partially cannibalized by the Elder Sith Lords. They brought their attention to the taut stomach of Qel-Droma, Kun digging his nails into the belly until just like Ulic's neck they were able to shed blood once more. Ulic did not mind the pain, in fact this enticed him, made him excited then when he was with Aleema Keto or Nomi Sunrider.
Nomi, how would she react if he saw him like this? Not only did he allow himself to be seduced by the Dark side of the Force but now by not one but two other men.
"Enough thinking thoughts of the past Ulic. You promised yourself to me. That women is a Jedi, she is now an enemy of mine and by that extent yours."
Ulic quickly snapped back into reality from hearing his masters words. He looked at the elder Dark Lords, who's stare was vacant yet held a hidden venom that was ready to strike at Ulic's very core.
"Forgive me my masters. You're right, the thought of that Jedi should be expelled from my mind. I no longer love her now."
That was not a true revelation, and both Kun and Ragnos knew it. That female that was swimming in Ulic's brain, Nomi Sunrider. From what Kun knew about her, she was a Jedi that accompanied Ulic during the campaign on Onderon. She was considered famous thanks to her extraordinary feats, such as defeating Onderon's Dark ruler, King Ommin. Probing through Ulic's mind, he discovered the revelation that Ulic and Nomi were brief lovers. Despite the hardened battlefields of war, their love was able to blossom. However this was no obstacle to Kun's and Ragnos's own desires. They will quell the image of Nomi Sunrider from their apprentice's mind one way or the other. They had all the time in the Galaxy to do so.
"No need for an apology Ulic Qel-Droma. Yes, the scars of previous lovers still befell upon your soul. Do not worry, we will make them vanish away in a short period of time by delivering my own scars upon both your flesh and soul."
With this exclamation calmly rested his right hand back upon Ulic's chest. He then pushed forward, until Ulic's chest started to cave in. Horrified, Ulic's immediate reaction was to get away. But the Dark Lords presence froze him from trying to fight him off from his body.
"Calm my apprentice, what I am about to do will have no immediate danger if you do not struggle."
To further strenghthen Ulic's horror, the next sight froze him completely. Kun's entire hand was now inside his chest. He could feel Kun's fingers prodding his ribs and then encircling his heart. Yet somehow there was no blood, and no pain coming from the wound his master made. Or was this somehow the work of Sith Magick?
"Correct my apprentice. The works of the dark side allows me to do things that normally would have been fatal."
Kun's grip around Ulic's heart started to tighten, the constriction forcing the heart to work harder in order to pump the blood that kept Kun's little apprentice alive. He and Ragnos chuckled. How easily the both could tear the heart from Ulic's chest and crush it in front of his horrified face. How tempting it would be to keep him alive by allowing Ragnos to use his body as a vessel. But no, not now. Now all they wanted to do was scare their little Dark Lord. They both then raised the other hand and put it on top of Ulic's skull, and slowly but surely now were able to grab the soft matter that was Ulic's brain in the same hold that they had on his heart.
"Masters, if I may as-"
Then a sudden jolt pierced Ulic's body. All of a sudden he was back with Nomi Sunrider, about to share the moment that he considered a precious memory in his life. Her arms wrapped around his head and their lips connected. However, unlike the warmth that he felt the first time he had this experience, all he felt was coldness. He opened his eyes, but their closeness could not allow him to see her. He tried to push away from Sunrider, but somehow her strength seemed to triple from his own and kept him glued. He could see squirming tentacles come out from the corners of her mouth, wrapping around his head and to his horror felt multiple go down his throat, defying his gag reflex.
"Don't panic my apprentice. You must fight off this witch before she devours you. Use the Dark side of the Force to purge this stain on your soul!"
The voices of Ragnos and Kun echoed in his head. Yes, he will not allow himself to be consumed by this disgusting apparition. He gathered the energies of the Force in the pit of his stomach, and sent them out at Nomi Sunrider in the form of a scream that can match the destructive power of a hurricane.
He fell on his knees, gagging and throwing up bile thanks to the harsh treatment that his throat had to endure against Sundrider. He looked up at her, and now her original form was barely lingering in this monstrous appearance she has taken. Swirling tentacles came from her mouth, which was now Vertical and was lined with jagged teeth on both sides. Her arms resemble that of an Acklay, and her legs had the form of Krath hound's hind legs. Her eyes are now black sunken pits. The tone of her skin was akin to the color of silver, except dirtier rather than having a clean glow to it.
"This Qel-Droma, is what your precious Sunrider truly is. That pathetic image of feminity was but a mere toy to lure you into a false sense of security. How can you possibly love something as horrific as this?"
The voices of his masters was heard by Ulic. No, that's not her and he knew it. This was but another of their Sith Sorcery. But why? What was the point of any of this? Before he could ask any questions to his masters, the creature that took Nomi Sunrider's name leapt forward, allowing her tentacles to strike first towards Qel-Droma. Ulic jumped over the impending tendrils and reached for his saber. To his surprise the usual reassuring saber was now absent from his side, throwing him into disarray. Within that split second the creature leaped towards the flying Ulic and stabbed through his form with its razor-like creature then landed, with Ulic now pierced and hanging as though he was some sort of pig. His screams were accompanied with coughs of blood, the pain being unbearable to the point that his body simply wished for him to knock out so that he does not experience it. But he couldn't, willing himself to stay awake so that at the very least he could see his death at the creatures hands.
"How dissappointing Ulic. Your feelings for that vile thing clouded your judgement, and now you're going to pay the price with your life. Seems I have to find an apprentice that is more capable and doesn't allow sick puppy love to askew his senses."
Ulic was now becoming annoyed with his masters little speeches. This is not Nomi Sunrider, the woman he came to love. This, this was just some abomination that was created in order to test him. Ragnos and Kun calling it Sunrider will not change that fact. The monster brought Ulic towards its gaping maw, preparing to devour him. Ulic quickly had to find a way to escape the creature's clutches. He couldn't simply muscle his way out of the situation, so he thought of something that could still be potentially worse than death.
"Drain."
The words that escaped from his mouth correlated the same moment when he activated it to attack the monster. As the name suggests from the techniques title, he drained the life energies of the Monsters spirit and feeding it unto his own. The monster felt weakened, and shuddered as it was slowly dying from the technique. Thanks to its failing strength, Ulic was able to dislodge himself from the piercing limb and fell on to the floor, keeping up his drain. With the life energies from the false Nomi, his wounds were starting to heal itself and he himself was becoming much stronger. However, the sweet energies from the creature was spiking his hunger for more. He simply wanted to drain away until it was nothing but a husk, and keep doing that being after being, city after city, world after world! No, no he had to stop and gather his senses. This was enough. Quickly he stopped the technique and ran from the creature towards a rock formation to gather his strength.
"Hmm, smart but risky. You could have won if you completely ate Nomi away my apprentice, but with completing that you could have been reborn into a monster that hungered nothing but the Force and became an abomination yourself."
Ulic was stung by hearing her name in that statement. He already knew the affects of what Drain could do, however that was merely an excuse for them to mention her again. No, this was not Nomi. This thing was just that, a monster. And he will slay it with his bare hands for ever using the image of Nomi Sunrider. He could see the creature searching for him, its movements have become more sluggish and its attention to its surroundings dull. This was now or never, he had to strike it down before it could rest and gather its strength again The creature being a creation from the Dark side of the Force, it could easily do a similar technique to the residual energies that surround us and use it to refuel its own. Ulic was now building up the power inside of him, his hands starting to spark with crackles of dark energy until his hands were surrounded by electricity that had a dark blue coloring to it. In one swift motion he unleashed the oldest but strongest technique of the Sith, Lightning from the Dark side itself. His hatred crashed upon the creatures form, causing it to wail in pain, the smell of burning ozone and flesh filled the air. Ulic continued to rain electrical fire upon the creature, increasing its intensity every passing second. Finally he relented for a short moment to see the creature, its body partially melted and whatever was intact completely charred from the power of Ulic. He was about to deliver one final jolt of energy until he heard a familiar and heart-breaking voice.
"Ulic, please I beg of you. Stop what you're doing. They're lying to you Ulic, casting a shadow over your eyes. Please try and remove the veil that obstructs me from you."
Ulic concentrated and closed his eyes, tears started to drop and hazing his vision when he opened them again. To his horror he saw Nomi Sunrider, the woman that he truly loved and cherished in his life, scarred and dying from his attack. Her once scarlet and long hair was nearly gone, the few remaining strands left seemed like burnt spider-webs after experiencing a raging inferno. The majority of her body was literally bubbling from the heat of the Sith Lightning, her flesh was melting and her bones revealed in an ashy blackness. Her face was completely ravaged, sunken in and half of her left cheeks skin was completely gone, showing teared muscle and melted teeth. Ulic simply felt as though the weight of a planet fell on his shoulder, collapsing unto his knees and crawling towards Nomi. He tried to touch her, but the faintest brush made her scream a cry he couldn't bear to listen. He heard a mocking laughter approach him, knowing fool well were it's emanating from.
"Good my apprentice. Your hate makes you powerful. Oh how demoralizing the pitiful Jedi will be when they see their precious star pupil in this state. Sadly the homes of the Jedi, Coruscant, Tython, and Ossus are lightyears away from where we are, so we cannot show them this glorious image. But the knowledge of her death and the grief that will befall upon them will ease our hearts. Now finish her, Ulic Qel-Droma. Rid yourself of this pitiful scar that is etched in your heart and your journey towards the Dark Side will be complete."
Ulic can't believe this is happening. The monster that he was fighting was Nomi all along? How could it be? Did his masters transform her for a brief instance? Did they simply cause an illusion to make her appear that way? But the sharp limbs that pierced him felt too real to be a simple illusion, so transmutation could have been the case. Another cry from her brought him back into reality, her sight something that breaks his heart a thousand times over.
"Why did you do this to her? Why did you make her into some monster and made her attack me?"
Ulic's question brought no reaction to Kun or Ragnos. They simply looked at their apprentice and sighed.
"I did nothing to her. The Jedi used an archaic dark side technique to allow her body to change form and strike you down when you were most vulnerable. This only shows their hypocrisy, vowing to never use the Dark Side. Unless of course it benefits them one way or another."
Ulic can't believe what he heard. No, not Nomi. The image of an an angelic presence radiated from her. Simply put, she was too pure for her to flirt with anything that is of the Dark Side. He refuesed to believe in Kun and Ragnos, they're nothing but lying dogs who are simply trying to break him, to be not an apprentice but a mere puppet for their twisted wants and plans.
"You liars! You're simply using me to strike at my fellow Jedi! I refuse to work with either of you anymore. Just leave me be!"
Kun's face that was shared by two beings was simply blank, and as he started to dissappear, he replied with but one response.
"Do as you wish."
Ulic looked back at Nomi, wanting to hold her but knowing he can't thanks to her wounds. She looked at him with a happy gleam to her eyes, no malice or hate for him even after what he did to her.
"Thank you Ulic. Even though it causes me pain, please, I want to at least die in your arms."
Ulic refused to believe that she will die but knew it to be true. At the very least he could comfort her in her final moments. And once she dies he too will join her. He slowly put her arms underneath her, pulling her close to her as gently as possible hearing her winces in pain. But she continued to gesture to put her head near his chest so that she may rest upon it.
"Don't worry Nomi, after all this we would no longer have to worry about anything anymore."
Nomi let out a small laugh, and simply looked at Ulic.
"I love you Ulic."
Ulic, with his eys still stained with tears let out a small laugh himself.
"I kno-"
Something pierced into his Ulic Qel-Droma's heart. He looked down and it was the Acklay limb from before. He looked back at Nomi's eyes but was then sent flying and landed on the ground with a sickening plop. His lower half felt incredibly numb, and as he looked back towards Nomi he saw his lower half still in her arms. In one swift motion Nomi devoured his lower torso. He looked at where the other half of him was, instead he saw intestines and blood mixed with dirt. He saw Nomi Sunrider approach him, transforming back to her true form.
"Nomi, why did you do this? Why did you lie to me that you where hurt? We could have left together and away from the Sith."
Nomi Sunrider let out a howl of laughter that rocked Ulic's soul down to the core.
"Ulic, you're nothing but a wretched fool. The Sith are nothing to the might of the Jedi. Soon, we will make sure that you and your people will be wiped clean from the face of the Galaxy. The Jedi will rule forever! We don't need weak fools like yourself hindering our progress!"
Ulic couldn't believe what he was hearing. However, this was the truth. This is what Nomi Sundrider truly is. No, this is what all Jedi truly are. Monsters that simply desire to control over all in their false sense of a utopian rule.
"Exar Kun and Marka Ragnos are right. I'm such a fool."
Another laugh came from Nomi Sunrider.
"Of course they where right about my true form. But the poor little pup was too in love with me. Oh, how sad. 'I love you my dear, please hold me' you fool!"
Her laughter continued to echo throughout the planet, with Ulic being its sole audience. No, this is not happening. This had to be another trick. He would wake up and find himself back on Korriban, this he knew. No, that's but a delusion, all he had left to do was die. No, he would not die. He was a Sith! A noble warrior of the Dark Side! No, he would not let this creature have the last laugh! And as Nomi Sunrider brought out its tentacles to grab Ulic and bring his remains to her maw, Ulic has gathered dark side energies that were amplified by his hatred a thousand times over, and unleashed it.
In a blinding flash, the monster was vaporized. In that same attack Ulic too was vaporized. A blinding light filled Ulic's vision, and then his sight was set upon a familiar figure. It was Exar Kun, alongside him was Marka Ragnos's spirit. He couldn't believe that the two people he originally hated the most was a sight that brought him such happiness. He would have leapt off from his back and hugged Exar Kun if it weren't for that experience he had leaving him completely drained.
"Relax my apprentice, relax. You have passed the trials Ragnos and I set out for you. You deserve a rest."
Ulic was still slightly confused to what happened, so he asked his master on the experience and what it was supposed to symbolize.
"That experience my friend was to show your loyalty to our cause Ulic. Nomi Sunrider is a Jedi, a monster that despises all those who are not apart of their ancient cult. She would destroy you simply because you're now Sith, just like any and all Jedi who you would call a friend. That form that she turned too was to show how they truly are in a symbolic sense. Trust us, the decision you made truly is what makes you a great warrior Ulic."
"What would have happened if I died without knowing the truth?"
"Then you would have died in the physical realm as well my apprentice."
After all this, Ulic truly felt secured about his position in life. He knows that his destiny lies with the Sith. He will destroy any and all who dares to try and destroy the Golden Age he and Exar Kun will built for the Galaxy. Not even that wretch Nomi Sunrider would stop them. For Exar Kun was his master, his ally, his friend. All these things that Nomi Sunrider was before him. Then he felt lips pressed upon his own. At first he was shocked by Kun's actions, as he deepened the kiss by pressing his head closer to him. As much as he wanted to return the action back he was simply too tired to do so. Kun broke the kiss and simply stared at Ulic for a brief moment in time.
"Don't worry about your performance so far. Allow your energy reserves to replenish. I expect a much better performance after a few days of rest."
And now his lover. Truly Exar Kun was everything that was Nomi Sunrider. Now he seemed to realize how saying her name has no significance to him. He had to stop thinking too much, and for now sleep.
He had a Galaxy to rule and a Master to please.
And there's the conclusion to Exar Kun X Ulic Qel-Droma folks! I truly love the idea of this pairing yet for Tales of the Jedi being some of the better EU stuff in the Mythos there's pretty much nothing about them! No stories, fanart, etc. If there's any stuff out there between the two I would love to know, but as for now I would love to be the first to attempt in making this pairing a reality. Well, a reality in my version of Star Wars. Anyways the next pairing will be Darth Zannah X Darth Cognus, and later I will try my hand on Emperor Palpatine and Ysanne Isard. So until then, farewell my fellow readers and writers!