CHAPTER 3: ANNIHILATION

As I regained consciousness, the first thing I noticed was the burning. I could hear it, I could feel the flames, and I could smell it. I opened my eyes, and I saw the source. Though I couldn't see the crater, a massive mushroom cloud hung over the sky. However, I didn't have time to worry about it.

I needed to know if my friends were safe. I let my mind dive into the Force.

I could sense thousands of beings on the planet, including Ranulph and Hans. I could sense Siri, and Varad, and Maricus, and I could sense the one the ritual was being performed on as I sensed him.

I could feel their fury as they sensed my presence back. They knew what was coming.

"To preserve the balance. There can be no Dark without the Light."

"I don't need to have amplified Force powers to know you aren't telling me everything."

The path to the Sith Temple, and likely the rest of Umbara, took the explosion hard. In many places, the ground was broken and lava had surfaced. If this place wasn't so remote, it would've been nearly impossible to cover this up.

"Indeed you don't. But, even now, you are not ready to learn the full truth."

"Then we'll meet again?"

"Of course."

Getting closer by the second, I sensed an Acolyte ahead. Obscuring myself with the Force, I quickly dispatched her with my lightsabers and moved on. The less Sith I had to deal with, the better. Finally, the temple was in view. It's definitely taken damage.

Dozens of Sith were gathered around as Maricus gave them the orders that sent them to their deaths.

"Acolytes, our finest hour is upon us. Even in the face of Death itself, the Force will carry us to victory. However, there remains one man who would have this victory ruined, have our years of study for naught. Ganner Slarwalker must die tonight."

Amongst the crowd I spotted Siri slipping away. As I began moving, a massive ripple flew across the entire Galaxy, and I halted.

I knew his presence in an instant. In the Force, he reached at me, full of the malice he had borne in the past. "Massikus," I whispered in disbelief. It was too late. From behind the temple, a shuttle took off into the night. He was gone.

For a second I stopped, unsure what to do. "Ganner," Ranulph's voice rang out over the comlink, "What happened?"

"He's back."

The link went silent. I'm pretty sure he was cursing.

"We'll figure something out. Take down the Academy."

"Copy that. Ganner out."

I slowly approached the Assassins from the front, dropping my camouflage and opening myself up to the Force again. Siri was scared, the others less so. They must not have known what I really was. They were in for a rude awakening.

They drew their weapons. I did the same. Both sides stopped for a brief moment, and I picked an Acolyte at random and charged them. The surprise, combined with my swiftness, was a lethal advantage. Briefly stunned by my attack, the other Acolytes froze and I took this time to knock off a couple more. They finally recovered, and two more jumped at me, one from in front and one from behind. Completely disregarding the one behind me, I lunged at the first, catching him in mid-jump. Really, it amazed me that these people were ever threats to me. Siri was still among them, though I was too caught in the fight to tell which one she is.

Obviously aware of the threat I posed to them at this point, the remaining Sith formed a circle around me, connecting themselves with purple lightning. I didn't know what the point of this was, and I was not sticking around to find out. I pulled the blade of my latest victim into my hand with the force and threw my lightsabers, one left and one right. As they hit and killed two more Sith (about 2 dozen left) I pounded the ground with the Force. The blast knocked all the Sith in the area off their feet, and their chain was broken. I pulled my lightsaber from the corpses and slowly looked around the fallen Sith as they regained their composure. "Who's next?" I asked. One Sith actually began to run away away, but I Force grabbed him and brought him back, slowly turning him back towards me. The Sith were all stunned with fear, I could feel it. It only made me stronger.

For a moment, there was absolute silence. They knew they'd lost. The question was, what now?

One by one, they dropped their sabers. Even Siri. I could sense her fear. I was not the man she was supposed to kill, the man she deceived. I was someone else. Something else. She knew what was coming. Tapping into the Force again, I feel each of their lightsabers. Gripping them but not yet moving them, I dropped the Sith and walked towards the Temple's entrance. As they watch in bewilderment, I activated all the sabers and sent them all hurtling toward their targets. As long as a single one of them lived, no one was safe. Siri and the other Sith became one with the Force.

I was in.

Immersing myself in the Force again, I felt everyone in the Sith Academy, most of them unimportant. It felt rather empty, probably because of the Eclipse and the fact that I just killed most of them. However, I could feel Maricus and Varad. They were way in the back of the temple. As I began walking towards them, I looked around. Lava was flowing everywhere, overflowing the trenches that had been laid for it. Just goes to show why you don't mess around with lava. Almost as if she wanted to further prove this point, another assassin leapt out of the shadows behind me. I didn't even both turning as I redirected her into the molten rock. Really, I was steeling myself for the fight ahead. Walking ahead more, I extended my senses out and listened to Maricus and Varad.

"...He ran?'"

"Talzin said he had amnesia, that he didn't know who she was and he ran off to try and remember. A side effect of taking so long to bring him back."

"Varad, we don't have time for this. I can't feel Siri."

"That's Master to you."

"Against Ganner, we're practically on the same level."

Turns out ancient Sith rituals to make you into a murderous superweapon are good for your self-esteem.

"...Do you think Xux can take him?"

"He has to."

"Then maybe our deaths have a purpose."

Finally, I found the room. It was partially destroyed by lava pouring in at the corners of the room. The rest was very dimly lit, to the point where I almost couldn't make out my targets. The details of the room didn't matter, though. My attention was on the two people responsible for the hell I'd gone through and back to make it this far. Varad Zagg stood before me, seemingly having not aged in almost two years. His face projected a sinister confidence, but I could sense his fear. Beside him was Arek Saris- Darth Maricus. He was tired, beaten. Still, like Varad, he was projecting nothing but power and readiness. Funny; that's what I should've been doing. Their lightsabers were already activated, their crimson glows illuminating the two Sith. A few training Magnaguards and higher Sith Acolytes stood behind them, ready to jump in and help them. I activated my sabers, turning the colors of the room into a battle between their own light and mine, as deep as autumn itself. Pretty metaphorical. For a second, like old times, we both examined the other. "Hello again. It's been a long time since we've last met, Varad."

"Ha! What would you remember?"

"I remember how Talzin knew that what you were planning would destroy everything. I remember her plan to stop you, and it seems to be working."

This caught him far off guard, and I lunged at him. He quickly dodged out of the way, and I too dodged just to the right of Maricus' blade. They were impressively in sync. So began the duel.

Varad threw his saber, and I kicked it at Maricus. While he was unarmed, I rushed Varad, but Maricus quickly Force pushed me off to the side. Though I was easily stronger than either of them, these two were very well coordinated and it was clear the easy part wouldn't come until one of them was dead. Or, maybe, until Battle Meditation was broken? I took a second to look at our spectators. Indeed, they were more than just watchers- they were helping Varad and Maricus. Maricus threw Varad his saber, and I pushed it out of the air again, directing it through the chain of Sith. Varad being disarmed and weakened was a massive advantage and I needed to capitalize on it. I jumped at him again, saber raised above my head but pointed downward to stab him. I sensed Maricus jump to intercept, and suddenly, I shoved my lightsaber back. Just like I expected, between the hilt and the ends of my saber, stood a stunned Maricus.

I deactivated the weapon, and turned towards him. With Maricus out of the way, I quickly unleashed a mental barrage on Varad, stunning him briefly enough for me to watch Maricus' demise. His yellow eyes were wide, and he looked down in shock just before collapsing. I activated the saber in my right hand, ready to end his misery, when he gasped, "Wait. Please..." I knelt down and he leaned in close and whispered weakly.

"Massikus was already gone."

Then Darth Maricus finally died in my arms.

I turned to Varad, who was gripping his head, and grabbed him by the throat. I throw him across the room into a wall, sprinting across with my lightsaber poised for the kill when he raised his hand and weakly slowed me. He coughed. "I could have saved the galaxy. No more wars, no more politicians, no more corruption."

"You're wrong. It was pure corruption."

He laughed. "From my point of view, the Jedi are pure corruption."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not a Jedi." I gave him a quick death, and his body and head toppled to the floor separately. As the adrenaline wore off, I stood there, catching my breath. The Sith Academy was destroyed. All that remained was Talzin and Massikus, and it would be over. Again I was reminded of my vision of the icy planet where it all would end. Where could it be?

I supposed I could die later. It was time to finish off Massikus. as I left the temple, I looked into the sky. At long last I had my revenge, but I felt a great darkness, and I knew that it was not over.