CHAPTER FIFTY TWO
SPACE – KORRIBAN
The sith fury starship dropped from hyperspace, slowing down as it was steered towards its destination of Korriban. Within the cockpit, Necrolis Darkstar looked out the viewport noting the planets ahead. He had intentionally come out of hyperspace on the edge of the system intentionally. He knew the closer he got the more likely he was going to run into the Imperial Dreadnaughts that would be on patrol and about. The staging point of the Imperial Fleet, there was a need to be cautious. Marr controlled the military might of the Empire, and he knew Necrolis was coming.
"2V, initiate stealth procedure." Necrolis ordered of the robot, the only other person aboard the Wraith beside himself.
Necrolis crossed his fingers as he sat watching ahead out the viewport. He had picked up the technology while on Ilum. That had been when he had faced off against the false Emperor Malgus. He could only hope what he had gotten out of that battle would prove the difference in getting to Korriban. He had no desire to end up there in shackles, marched before Marr.
The ship would put out a minimal electronic and heat signature, and with the stealth technology creating an enveloping refractive shield, it would render him invisible to the eye of any patrols. It did not take long for the Wraith's sensors to pick up the squad of fighters as they made their run about the outer perimeter of the sector. Necrolis waited, patient and unmoving, hand poised above the weapons console in case the fighters made a quick turn towards him. When they passed and kept going, Necrolis let out a long slow breath he had not realized he had been holding. Necrolis waited until the ships were well off before turning his attention to the duffle bag and his armour. Even as he dressed for battle, Necrolis called out to the robot he had inherited along with the ship.
"2V, transfer protocol Necrolis-1. Transmit now."
"Right away Master, I live to serve." The droid intoned in its cold static voice.
"And give me an update on the StarWolf. Where is she?" Necrolis asked.
He had planned things down to the minute details. That had included putting a tracking node on the hull of his brother's ship. He might have detected it after he had taken off, but at that point he was in flight and would not likely stop to remove it. If he had gotten it beforehand, Necrolis knew he would know right away.
"Master I have a reading that the ship is in transit, however I cannot get an exact fix." 2V-R8 advised.
Necrolis nodded in reply as he shifted into his gree chest armour. The ship was moving, likely in hyperspace by now, which accounted for the inability to get a good lock on where they were. With the head start, Necrolis knew they likely would not catch him before he was planet side. With any luck it would all be over before they arrived. I can only hope, Necrolis thought.
Strapping on the bracers and then pulling on the gloves, Necrolis moved back to settle into the chair. Looking about the cockpit of his ship, he gave a very faint smile as his mind wandered to memories of days past. He could still remember the first day aboard the ship, having received it from Baras so he could be loosed upon the galaxy on his behalf. The ship had become home over time, not just for him, but for those of his crew as well. Quinn had joined, escaping the hole he had been shoved down into on Balmorra. Jaesa had been freed from the Jedi to revel in her power and emotions, living her life fully to become more than she could have hoped to be. Pierce had found new resolve and life as a soldier here within the ship. Even the exiled lethal talz Broonmark had made his nest in the confines of the ship and found a new lease on life free of the frozen waste of Hoth.
"She's served me well." Necrolis murmured.
"I'm sorry, Master?" 2V questioned and Necrolis could only chuckle and shake his head.
"Nothing 2V, merely talking to myself."
"A peculiar thing, master, if you do not mind my saying." 2V responded. "I find no relevance to comment further on such."
Necrolis shook his head at the droid. Sometimes he was glad he had never disassembled the robot, other times he could only get exasperated by it. In the end it had served a purpose, would still serve a purpose now too. Necrolis knew it was most likely going to be at the most inopportune and strangest moment he would come to miss the droid.
Looking back out the viewport, Necrolis slowly powered the engines up a bit, giving the Wraith a bit more speed as it headed through the system towards the sith home world. It would not take long to reach, and then land. Once that was done, then it would be time to face Marr. It would be time to find out just who and what he was, and what Marr was as well.
Settling back into the chair, despite his best efforts, Necrolis could not help but think about Vette. They had met on Korriban after all so long ago it seemed. A captured thief on the sith home world. He had never told her such, but she had looked beautiful back then even if she had been caged and a shock collar fitted on her slender neck. He remembered quite well he had been hard pressed not to laugh at her quick mouth and wit, and despite being shocked repeatedly, she had never been broken by her state or captors. Hard to believe I have Baras to thank for knowing and having her as my wife, Necrolis thought. He was sure Baras had likely hoped he would kill her. No you just married her instead, the thought making Necrolis grin.
Shaking his head, Necrolis knew he had to stop such. He could not afford to lose focus at all. Thinking of Vette was as much a weakness as it was strength. Knowing what was coming, what he faced, he could not help but think of how it might well affect her. With the added knowledge she was with child, it made such all the harder for him. Shaking his head and taking a long deep breath, Necrolis steeled himself and pushed aside the thoughts and emotions. Bury them deep, he reminded himself, keep them locked away. He knew if Marr was as powerful as he suspected he might well sense such and use it against him. Better to use the anger over Marr attacking them and trying to kill them, Necrolis reminded himself, just don't give the bastard any advantage at all.
KORRIBAN
"So did she kill you, or bring you back to life?"
Raistlis heard the question and tried to rouse himself out of sleep. Opening one eye he peered over to see Blackheart standing just a few steps from the edge of the bed. It took a few moments to come back to him, but Raistlis finally remembered where he was. A quick glance about showed he was alone in the bed, Pyrannus already having woken and left him. It was for the best he knew. How had she put it? It was a stress relief for both of them, with no strings or commitments between them. It changed nothing as far as their mutual dislike and rivalry went.
Blackheart chuckled as he watched the pure blooded sith wake and clear his head. Did I look as much like a wamp rat caught in a speeder's front lights as he does, the zabrak wondered. Then again he knew just how rough Pyrannus could be first hand. At least he appears none the worse for wear, Blackheart noted. Moving over he slapped the man on the shoulder lightly.
"Wake up." Blackheart said with a smirk. "You've slept long enough. Seems Marr wants us gathered up. Looks like things are happening."
Raistlis looked to the zabrak and arched an eyebrow even as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. He could feel the stiffness, as well as the burn in his back where Pyrannus had dug in her claws. Glancing at his shoulders he could see where she had clung onto him and scratched as well. The thought of what they had done woke him further and he made sure the sheets covered his growing arousal that accompanied those thoughts. Yeah, you really showed her, he thought and wanted to groan.
"You okay?' Blackheart asked as he watched the sith, noting his silence.
"Fine." Raistlis grumbled. "I'm blaming the brandy."
Pyrannus stretched and looked about the chambers. They had been summoned along with most of the troops stationed on Korriban. Waiting for Pumirra, it gave her the chance to try and work out the tightness of her muscles. Raistlis had proven more than a mere pleasant distraction. He had given right back as hard as she had, and she had liked it and found she craved more. Careful girl, she reminded herself, don't go getting all sentimental even if he is a good fuck. She was sith, and she knew all too well attachments left you vulnerable. The fact her sister had clearly fallen for the zabrak, Blackheart spoke all too well how easy such could happen if you were not careful.
"You look like the cathar who swallowed the orokeet." Pumirra commented as she emerged, changed into her red and black armour.
The cathar sisters had taken a fancy to the same armour, though the colouring between their gear were opposite of one another. Even their lightsabers were the same. It was something they had done when younger, something that bonded and was shared between them. Pumirra did not mind such, in fact she knew they both looked quite appealing in it. The beige eyes had turned to Pyrannus and she right away noticed the energy that she seemed to have, that certain preen to her.
"Please." Pyrannus shot back and rolled her eyes.
"Oh you don't get off that easy, sister." Pumirra winked and purred at her sibling. "How was he?"
"Wouldn't you like to know." Pyrannus shot back with a smirk. "Maybe I will let you borrow him."
"We do share well. I won't break him, I promise." Pumirra answered back before laughing.
Pumirra remained watchful of her sister. It was strange to see her take such an interest. Raistlis was handsome enough, and seemed like he could be fun to play with. That said her sister was not one for attachments at all. To see her even remotely thinking about such, and having enjoyed such enough to do so, made Pumirra wonder if she had finally succumbed to the charms of a man. Time would tell, but she was fascinated enough to now be curious.
"Marr is waiting, sister." Pyrannus cut off any further questioning. "Lets go."
The sisters had barely left the room and gotten to the large elevator to head down into the academy proper, when they were joined by Blackheart and Raistlis. Blackheart immediately grabbed Pumirra, drawing her against him and kissing the cathar hard and deep. Growling back, Pumirra nipped his lower lip before laughing.
"Well I see someone has a good amount of energy." Pumirra growled out and winked.
Raistlis watched the two together before casting a glance at Pyrannus. The cathar looked back, arms crossing and tapping a foot. Raistlis shook his head and rolled his eyes stepping in beside the woman without a word. He knew such was not going to happen between them. They had a nice little romp and that was all there was to it.
Pyrannus looked at the pure blooded sith, irritated he had not even had the decency to say a mere hello. Catching herself, Pyrannus wanted to scream. What in the name of the Emperor am I thinking, she wondered? What did it matter if the man even smiled your way? Growling low and quiet, Pyrannus avoided looking further at the man and fumed over even having such thoughts as the elevator descended.
SPACE – KORRIBAN
Necrolis stared at the reddish world out the viewport as it drew ever closer. Korriban, ancient home of the sith. Back to where it all began, he mused. Glancing ahead he could already make out the Imperial Dreadnaught class star cruisers that were in orbit about the planet. He had gotten past the rings of patrols, and while fairly certain the cloaked ship would get through past the larger ships, it still was enough to make Necrolis nervous. Watching the sensors closely he kept an eye for any telltale signs of weapons powering up or fighters suddenly launching.
The Wraith slipped under and past the large dreadnaught with no sign at all he had even been sighted. Angling the ship down and away from the goliath, Necrolis prepared to enter the planet's atmosphere, the Wraith rolling to put the hull with its heat shielding down to face the planet. Eyeing the trajectory, Necrolis let the auto pilot handle the entry, rising from his chair to get his lightsabers and clip them to his belt, making a final check that his armour was fastened and in place.
Moving back to stand behind the chair, hands grasping it, he watched the fiery orange glow that rose up from under the ship as it descended down towards the planet surface. Somewhere down there Marr is waiting for me, he thought. Somewhere down there I am going to march right into the academy grounds and call out one of the longstanding members of the Dark Council. I'm going to go pick a fight, Necrolis thought and the realization made him laugh for a moment. When did I turn into Teffa, he questioned?
Seeing the ship had dropped down into the lower atmosphere, Necrolis moved back into the command chair, taking control of the ship and turning the stealth off. He would be visible he knew, and that was what he wanted. Come find me you bastards, he thought even as he guided the ship down past the academy onto the upper tier of the rock that ringed the academy grounds. Marr was not stupid, Necrolis knew, he would have patrols up here waiting and watching.
Let the moment and the fight begin, he thought and once more Necrolis smiled fully.
THE FOUNDRY
Mako had waited until the others had all left. She had seen Teffa talking to Shadelis before he had boarded the StarWolf and headed after Necrolis. She had not been at all surprised when shortly after Shadelis and Kaliyo had boarded her own ship, the sleek silver craft lifting off and flying out after the others. Shadelis and Necrolis were very close, Mako had already come to realize. Had she stayed, Mako knew she would have questioned things far more. Whatever Teffa and she had talked about, there was at least some sort of plan in place she knew. Knowing that big oaf, it's probably asinine and suicidal too, she thought with a shake of her head.
Alone within the control center, Mako had made sure she would not be disturbed, sealing off the entryway and locking it from the inside. Sure no one might walk in, she had settled herself behind the controls at the communications station. Teffa would not approve of this, he might understand and agree to do such, but he wouldn't approve of such being done, Mako knew. Still, she had the ability and she had kept her word to the man already. Hacking into the system and pulling up the calls he had made, well that just seemed too easy not to do. I have to know, she thought even as fingers flew over the controls making it happen.
In moments the two small holo displays came to life, one showing Necrolis, the other the armoured and masked visage of Darth Marr. Mako bit her lip even as she hit play and turned up the volume, working on fixing up the audio to match with the playback images.
"This is an unexpected surprise, Wrath." Marr said.
"This isn't a social call." Necrolis' visage stated in that annoyingly calm and focused way he had. "You and I are going to end this, Marr."
"And just what do you think we are going to do?"
"You and I, we settle this. The longer this goes on the more this has the potential to blow up, and we wouldn't want that now would we? You and I both want the Empire strong and whole. It's time to put a stop to this."
"I'm listening." Marr's image said, hand waving in emphasis to his words.
"Korriban. Just you and I. Lets just see who's left standing."
"Trial by combat then? You would have the temerity and gall to challenge me, Wrath?" Marr said back in response, Mako thinking the man sounded surprised and taken aback by the challenge. "Very well. When shall I expect you?"
"Two days." Necrolis answered back. "And no more lapdogs sent out either. Just you, and just me. No tricks or games, Marr."
"I can say the same back to you, Necrolis. I agree to your terms. Let's end this once and for all." Marr remarked in agreement. "For the good of the Empire."
The call ended and Mako could only stare at the terminal, her thoughts scattering with everything she had heard. Damn the man, she finally thought. Necrolis was going after Marr to end things. Of course he was, she thought. She knew all too well he had always watched over those who he considered his family. She almost pitied Marr for agreeing to such given the strength, and resolve of her brother-in-law. Still, Mako knew this was no mere sith to overcome, this was a member of the Dark Council, the head of the Imperial forces no less. Necrolis what have you done, Mako wondered suddenly getting a bad feeling about all of it?