Chapter 19. The Rise of Darth Severuss

Darth Severuss was on the roof of the temple of Two in deep meditation. He sat with his legs folded over each other his hands rested on his knees. Severuss could lift heavy objects with ease, rip things apart. He could conjure force lightening and he was a master of mind domination. He had the unique ability to take apart Sith spells. He was a master of all seven saber forms, he could also drain and consume the force energy of his enemies. He could create world winds and influence animals with his mind. Severuss was capable of creating thought bombs with little to no help and creating massive force waves. He could also perform the force essence technique, not that he would need it. He could also use force shout the one power his master was unaware off. The one power he could use to overthrow her.

As he meditated Severuss compared his power to Cognus'. They were both equals in strength and raw power. She had one advantage over him and that was her ability to suppress the force in others. Cognus had used it on him in many practice sessions and he did not fear this, the only doubt in his mind was whether or not Cognus had a hidden vessel. Someone she could jump into the body of if she felt she was about to die.

"Before I face my master I must learn this…" He left the temple without Cognus' permission.

As his ship flew off Cognus stood in the window of her suit watching him leave. "So it begins…Darth Severuss has left the temple without my permission…The next time we meet one of us will die…" She says whispering to herself.

Severuss travels to Czerka's corporate headquarters on M'rin. He then has all stock in the company and accounts transferred to his alter ego name, Pane Hok. Severuss is now CEO and President of Czerka. The doors open and in walks Bisohn Cognus' top aid. "Where is Lady Cognus…"

A great pressure builds up in Bisohn's head, "Sit down!" Severuss commands using force domination on him. "Now! Tell me everything Darth Cognus has been up to since you became her top agent…" For the next several hours Severuss listens to Bisohn. Then they take a trip to her home world of Iktotch. "So she doesn't have a new body waiting for her…" He points a clawed hand at Bisohn, "You have outlived your usefulness…" He force chokes him to death.

Rakata Home World

Cognus is looking at a hologram of Darth Severuss, "Lord Severuss…did you transfer all the accounts into your name at Czerka?"

"I am on Ciutric IV…We have business to discuss…"

"I asked you…" The hologram switched off. She smiles summoning a Twi'lek by the name of Ryhere.

He bows, "Yes mistress…"

"Prepare my ship I am leaving for Ciutric IV…"

"Yes milady…"

Ciutric IV – Sith Fortress

Severuss is waiting in the main hangar as Cognus' ship lands. He stares up at her on the bridge through the view glass. She vanishes and the ramp lowers. Severuss takes a deep breath as Cognus walks down the ramp and stands ten feet away from him.

"An apprentice should bow to his Master…"

"Yes an apprentice should bow…But I am no longer your apprentice…I am Darth Severuss…Lord of the Sith."

"You cannot be Lord of the Sith if I am still alive…"

"That is why I called you here…To kill you and take what is mine!"

He unleashed force lightening on her, but the bolts of lightening quickly became electricity, and then the electricity became sparks jumping between his fingers as she suppressed his power. He tried to unleash a force wave but that power slipped through his fingers as well. A tool box was grabbed off the wall and thrown at her, but Cognus threw her right saber at the flying box destroying it, then she leaps at Severuss who draws his saber. They lock blades as Cognus' left saber flies into her waiting hand.

She pins around into an attack with low and high swings. Severuss tries to wrench her blade from her right hand but she counters and swings the left. Severuss leaps over her head and lands five feet from Cognus. He rushes forward swinging for her midsection, but at the last minute redirects his swing for head steeping forward as Cognus swings her left. He grabs her left wrist and they lock swords. He pulls her down raising his legs and flips her over. With a hard thump Cognus hits her back, then the ship she lands by is pulled down to crush her.

When he hit his back Severuss leaps back up to his feet and spins around. He smiles as Cognus is standing on the side of the ship. He leaps up towards her and they fight on the side of the overturned shuttle. Severuss raises his foot as Cognus tries to cut it off. Cognus blocks right and brings her left sword across knocking his saber from his hand. Then she kicks Severuss in the side, he hits the ground hard, he tries to summon his saber, but Cognus cuts off his right hand. He howls in pain as she stands over him.

"All that training wasted…I am the Lord of the Sith!"

As she raises her blade to finish him off Severuss unleashes his force shout and screams hitting Cognus at point blank range. Cognus drops both swords covering her ears which are bleeding now. Every bone in her body feels like its on fire along with her nerves. Her left eye bursts as she stumbles backwards. Severuss slowly gets up and summons his blade to his left hand. He staggers toward Cognus who is on her back.

"WELL DONE LORD SVERUSS…" She yells looking up.

He plunges his sword into her chest and consumes her force essence. Severuss falls to his knees and remains that way for the next few minutes. Then the server droids wrap Cognus' body and take Severuss to the med center in the fortress. They restore his cybernetic hand, then he jumps into his ship and returns to Lohan. Severuss has his Master's statue erected then he places her shrouded body in the sarcophagus along with her lightsabers.

"You did well Lord Severuss…"

He spins around to find her ghost behind him, "Impressive!"

"Thank you…I have one last gift for you…"

"What is that?"

"You can find your apprentice on Trandosha…" Then Cognus' ghost faded away.

Severuss immediately gets on his ship and leaves for the planet Trandosha.