The Council of Balance: Chapter 4
-The Blockade of Naboo-
Place- The Wrath Darth Nihilus' command ship
Time- 13 days after the battle of the Star Forge
Hyperspace was a welcomed relief as his command ship, The Wrath, left Earth's orbit and headed to where his destiny lay. Nihilus looked out the viewport at the lines of space warped around his entire fleet, his ship was the largest and was made to hold the star forge in the middle of it, so it could continue making weapons, armor and other materials for his fleet. "Nihilus, here is the star forges weapons report." General McGonagall said as she handed him a datapad. Looking at it, Nihilus nodded and smiled. When he had found out that the department of mysteries had the star forge, Nihilus had went on a rampage and destroyed the 9th level of the ministry of magic, leaving no stone unturned.
"Where is it?! Where is the star forge, you incompetent fool!" Nihilus roared at the unspeakable, who was probably a new recruit and didn't take the oaths that shut him up. "I'll take you there! But, it was moved when I just signed up!" He shouted back and Nihilus calmed down a bit, before motioning for him to continue. "It was taken to Hogwarts and that's all I know! Please don't kill me." The last bit he whimpered, Nihilus put the new unspeakable down and placed a hand on his shoulder "You have done a great service, unspeakable, the star forge is an ancient device that wizards and witches should never have found." Nihilus brought himself from his memories and handed the datapad back to Minerva "Thank you, how is our little bookworm padawan holding up?"
"Hermione is still seeing nightmares, Nihilus, about you killing Ron on the bridge. We've had to put Master Sheldia in the same cell with her to keep her from having a 'episode'." Minerva said sadly and Nihilus sighed heavily. "I'm heading down there, you want to come?" He asked softly to the ex-professor general, who nodded and followed him to the lift. Nihilus remembered what happened well, Jedi Master Sheldia had gone to Hogwarts and trained his ex-friends in the ways of the force. But, the battle for the star forge had started, so Sheldia, Hermione, and Ron faced him one-on-one. Even after his defeat, Ron's jealousy got the better of him and he attack Nihilus from behind. Nihilus defended himself and grabbed Ron's neck. "I'm sorry, Ron, I wish their was another way but you will attack everyone close to me whenever you get the chance because of your jealousy." Nihilus then, with an audible 'CRACK', he snapped Ronald Weasley's neck, killing him.
The lift opened onto the prison level and the two stepped out. Ashley waited for him at the cell marked -A45-, giving Nihilus a weary smile. "She's asleep, the medical droids and healers finally were able to calm her down enough to administer the sleeping potion." Nihilus waved his hands, the cell door opened and he stepped inside. Sheldia had Hermione's head in her lap, brushing her hair with her hand, Nihilus walked up and lowered himself so he was able to see Hermione's face clearly. "She's in pain, constant pain that never ends." The young Jedi master told him as he looked his friend over. "This is no ordinary pain, it's pain that only a legilimens master would make so whoever they place it in would not be able to forgive because they relive the moment that hurt them to the core, over and over, until all they know is what that memory has shown them." Nihilus pulled Hermione into his arms, bridal style, and quickly headed to the lift. "Tell the medical bay that I need a clean, free space. I can heal Hermione completely." He told his apprentice, who told the healers on her com.
Nihilus snarled when the lift took so long and shadow-ported to the entrance of the medical bay, marching in and having the healers lead him to the space he had requested. Placing her on the medical bed in the center of the room, Nihilus pointed at the door, the unspoken order for everyone to get out and not come in until he had finished. After everyone left, Nihilus summoned a chair and sat in it. Placing his hand on her forehead, Nihilus entered Hermione's mind to remove this threat to her mental and physical health for good.
Nihilus was on his legendary dragon partner, Ripple, once more. Ripple got her name from the way her scales 'rippled' whenever she moved. "Nihilus, look on the bridge." She said in his mind, Nihilus looking at the bridge and saw himself holding Ron, draining him of his essence. "Get me over the bridge and help the others." Ripple nodded and with one powerful beat of her wings, she was over the bridge. Nihilus leaped off her back and landed with his lightsaber lite in his hand, hissing at the fake version of himself. Whoever did this had turned this memory into a nightmare, making him the evil dark lord, then it clicked. Dumbledore and Snape did this because Hermione wouldn't believe that he had turned dark, no matter what. Grabbing the memory Ronald, he pulled him away from the fake Nihilus and put him behind Hermione's quivering body, who was behind him.
"Harry? No your not the real-" Hermione began but stopped when the fake Nihilus blasted at her with force lightning. Nihilus stepped in front of the oncoming force attack, deflecting it with his lightsaber. The doppelganger cut off his attack and then hissed "You are not suppose to interfere with fate." Nihilus smirked before he replied, cooly, "Fate decided to let me off the hook today. He called me up and told me that I could do anything I want today so I decided to save my friend from this infernal torture that was placed upon her." Summoned Hermione's lightsaber to his hand, Nihilus deactivated his red one and return it to his belt. Hermione's lightsaber was the same design as Luke's second one, but the blade was pure. The faker roared, activating his own blade and charge Nihilus.
The faker didn't have a chance, Nihilus waited until the last moment then stepped out of the way and brought Hermione's blade around, decapitating the fake Nihilus. Nihilus muttered "Mediocre" in mandalorian under his breath before turning and raised his hand out to Hermione, she took it before running over to Ron's body. Nihilus deactivated his friends lightsaber before walking over, watching as Ron slowly died. Ron grinned one of his stupid grins as he said "Thanks for the save, mate. Sorry if I'm only a memory but I forgive you. Protect our bookworm alright, Harry?" Nihilus nodded before he placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder to comfort her as the memory Ron died a second time. "It's time to wake up now, 'mione." Nihilus said softly as she nodded before they returned to the physical world.
Nihilus regained his senses five minutes before a mess of very bushy hair collided with him, taking both of them to the floor in a heep. Nihilus pulled a broken, weeping Hermione tightly to his chest, rocking back and forth slowly. The medical door opened to reveal Sheldia, who then went to her remaining padawans side, comforting her as well. Nihilus didn't know how long the three of them stayed there and he didn't ask, Hermione was all that mattered at the moment and he wasn't going to let her go down that path of what the dark side really did to a person. She was one step away from going into the abyss that was the true terror of the dark side; hate, malice, and many other atrocities. Nihilus and the other magical force sensitives were in the grey of the force, the true balance between light and dark. He vowed as he comforted his friend that he would find the true darkness that shrouded the galaxy. 'The darkness may hide you for a while, but the light will come and the shadows can't protect you when it does. I am Darth Nihilus and I will utterly destroy your power of darkness, so I say it, so mote it BE!'
Place-Naboo
Time-moments after the Trade Federation captured the capital city of Naboo
Queen Padme Amidala sighed as battle droids lead her, her head of security, and several of her handmaidens down the steps of the royal palace. Naboo was a peaceful world but the Trade Federation had started a blockade because of some bill that raised trading taxes. The queen paused as she felt her instincts tell her to duck and pull her fellow prisoners down with her and she did. "What the-" The voice of a battle droid started to say before a lightsaber decapitated him and its fellow droids. Standing up, Padme saw their savior and paused, The being before them wore nothing but black, ok the mask wasn't black. "Your highness," The man bowed his head then lifted it again, "I am Darth Nihilus, and no I am not a sith before you start asking." She nodded, you couldn't make judgments on someone just by their clothing and sith like appearance.
"I thank you for saving us, but I must ask, what about the rest of my people?" Padme asked as she noticed armored troopers rush in to finish off the remaining droids in the palace. "They are being rescued as we speak, but I must ask that you come with me. It is of grave importance that you do." Nihilus said, lending his hand for the queen to take, only to have her head of security, Panaka, bark "You will not take the Queen anywhere, sith spawn, she will head to the royal yacht so we can head to the senate-" The rest of his words died in the back of his throat when a crimson lightsaber was only an inch away from cutting his head off his shoulders. "You may not realize this, but your queen is a very powerful force sensitive that, if the jedi found her, she would be taken away to be trained at their temple, to learn rubbish like "There is no emotion, only peace." So, unless you want your queen to become a emotionless time-wasting, chin-stroking 'jedi' then be-my-guest." This made Panaka shut his mouth and back off, realizing that this was not the time or the place to argue.
The lightsaber was deactivated and replaced on Nihilus' belt, Padme remembered something "Wait, Nihilus, don't you have an apprentice? How could you train me if you already have an apprentice?" Nihilus chuckled before he answered "I did have an apprentice, but she is has learned everything that I could teach here before we got here, but she still sees me as her master even though she now can take on an apprentice, herself." Nihilus paused before continuing, choosing his next words carefully, "My apprentice had a incident at the age of 8 that made her age but she didn't grown up mentally. My apprentice is my daughter, for all intents and purposes. She is my assistant trainer and will always be that." Nihilus finished then lead the group to the transport that brought him here.
Nihilus smiled as he saw the Aerial Troop Tanked Transporter or AT-TT, for short. This was his personal transport for himself and his 'family' onto the battlefield quickly. Standing to the right of the opened defence doors was his wife, Fleur, and her apprentice Ginny. On the left was Luna and her apprentice, Neville. "Mission was successful, is she ready to go?" Nihilus asked as he hugged his wife. "She's been waiting for you to get on." Ashley called from the cockpit of the AT-TT. Nihilus nodded before motioning for the others to help the 'royal package' stay unharmed. "Some ride, but is it safe?" Nihilus counted to 10 before he answered the overprotective Panaka. "Safer than your starfighters. The Queen and her handmaidens will be going but you will stay here and make sure the rest of the security is in fighting condition, am I clear?" Panaka nodded before beating a hasty retreat. "Out of everyone that was qualified, you picked the one that makes you want to hurt someone." Nihilus muttered to himself but the Queen's eyes were filled with mirth and she couldn't stop the smile forming on her face.
Place-The Wrath
Time-2 hours later
Nihilus walked over to his battle partner, Ripple, ready to turn the Trade Federation Lucrehulk-class battleships into space rubble. 'Someone is not happy and it's coming from you. Whats happening?' Ripple said in Nihilus' mind and he hissed softly "The Trade Federation is on strike and is blockading Naboo in protest to some new taxation bill. So, I've asked the Queen what she wants to do about it and she asked us to discreetly remove them so trade can resume." Leaping onto Ripple's space-fitted saddle, Nihilus grunted "Let us help them pack and then leave, shall we?" Ripple showed her sharp teeth that could rip a starfighter to shreds in a toothy grin, then bounded into the vacuum of space. Ripple, unlike normal dragons, was a legendary dragon. Legendary dragons were so powerful that their territory extended to the far reaches of space and would defend their territory to their final breath and then some.
Nihilus touched his comlink "All fighters, battle stations, this is not a drill. I will not repeat myself." It took a minute before the rest of the fighters to appear and he smiled as he and Ripple lead the charge. "I want this to be discreet, so standard procedure, boy's." Nihilus used the force to tell Ripple to take him to the biggest ship and then have some funny ruining the droids. Ripple speed through space as though she was flying back on earth, getting Nihilus quickly to the mothership so she could cause some havoc. Using the force, Nihilus stuck to hull of the mothership as if he was a magnet. The laser fire from the Vulture-droids was nothing compared to the oncoming wave of laser fire of the better armored, better armed starfighters made by the star forge. But he ignored that and concentrated on finding the hatch so he could get inside the blasted battleship.
The cut through Vulture-droid after Vulture-droid until he found the hatch. Nihilus ripped it open and leapt in. Battle droids came to investigate but were cut down quickly before moving deeper into the mothership, Nihilus knew he only had a few more minutes before Ripple tore the mothership in halve. He shadow-ported to the control room, scaring the neimoidians, before they could say anything, Nihilus cut the cowards down leaving the leader quaking in his ridiculous hat and robes. Grabbing the cowering alien, Nihilus shadow-ported them to The Wrath, right into the prison level. "Your staying here until we get to Coruscant, got it." The Trade Federation leader nodded, his hat falling off. Closing the cell, Nihilus shadow-ported to the bridge and watched as the mothership was torn in half by the Legendary Dragoness before exploding in a flash of light. The rest of the Trade Federation blockade beat a hasty retreat. "Good work, men. Now let's get you back for some r&r."
Place-Coruscant orbit
Time-4 Days after the blockade of the Naboo
Nihilus hated politics. For him to see the corruption of the great galactic senate, the very thing that started the blockade in the first place, it made him want to bombard the planet from orbit. "Harry, this is nothing to the ministries politics, but it could have been better…" Luna said in a low tone, though her anger was barely contained. After the initial welcoming party, the Queen was taken to her quarters in the senate, but her highness wouldn't go without her new acquaintances. "No, the ministry was tame compared to this. No wonder Naboo became separate from the Republic." Padma walked in at that moment, wearing a purple jacket, light brown pants, and knee high black boots. "That is the exact reason that Naboo separated itself from the Republic." She looked like she ate something sour when she said it.
"Lets get this over quickly or I might turn sith and destroy everything around me." Nihilus said, mirth dripping from his voice. Padma nodded and lead them to the hoverpod for Naboo. This would be an interesting senate meeting.
Place-Geonosis
Time-3 weeks after the senate meeting
The heat of Geonosis was nothing compared to what was happening in the Geonosian arena. Nihilus snarled as he slashed the head off of the Acklay that, stupidly, went in all arms and teeth blazing. "That all you got, Poggle? I've seen better creatures try and kill me!" Poggle the Lesser growled before telling the Geonosian warrior next to him to release the Nexu's. Nihilus raised his lightsaber as the cat-demons from the jungle sped towards him, only for them to be roasted by Ripple's black fire. The remaining Nexu stopped before slowly and meekly walking up to Nihilus, whimpering. Nihilus placed a hand on the Nexu, petting it, before he shadow-ported it to a training arena on The Wrath that he knew wouldn't have anyone in it. "That it?" Nihilus asked in a bored voice. Poggle was furious, he would not be mocked! "Release the rancor!" He barked at his underlings, who jumped and immediately went to release the most dangerous creature in the Geonosian arena.
Nihilus waited for Poggle to release a Reek or another Acklay. Boom, boom, boom, boom! Came a thunderous pounding from a massive gate, that slowly opened to reveal a massive rancor slowly walk the bright arena, it was blinking in the bright light. "You have got to be kidding me, now I'm impressed, I tip my hat to you Poggle. You have saved the best for last." Nihilus said and he swore that afterward that Poggle chuckled. The Rancor turned it's beady eyes onto Nihilus before roaring and charging, massive muscular arms swinging. Nihilus lept up and landed on the rancor's head, bringing his lightsaber to bare. When his lightsaber hit the head of the rancor, it bounced off without leaving a mark. "What the?" Nihilus hissed then lept away again as Ripple crashed into the Rancor, releasing her battle cry.
"You have got to be kidding me…" Nihilus snarled when he realized that Poggle had this Rancor experimented on, making it so its hide was impervious to lightsaber attacks. But it wasn't immune to Ripple's black flames, which burned the Rancors right arm off. "It's time to end this…" Nihilus jumped unto the Rancors head once more and started to drain the Rancor of its essence. The Rancor screamed as its life was ripped away and devoured. Nihilus drained the rancor completely before releasing all of the rancors power into a force lightning that blasted half of the arena away.
Place-The Wrath
Time-During and After the destruction of the Geonosian arena
Padma watched as Nihilus turned the arena into rubble. She was watching in the unused training arena when the Nexu appeared but it didn't attack her, it lay next to her and started purring. 'Well, at least it didn't attack me' She thought as she petted the Nexu absentmindedly. Her new master was even more powerful than Master Mace Windu and Yoda. This power was something that intrigued her to no end. If was to learn then she would start by watching Nihilus doing things like this and feel the power that was coming from the surface.
"So, what to name you, hmmm…" Padma looked at the Nexu, who looked back with a tilt to its head. "How about Nexus?" The Nexu seemed to ponder it for a moment before licking her face. "Ok, ok, Nexus it is then, down girl." Nexus sat and confirmed the nexu's gender. Padma smiled as she got up and told her new companion "We better start training, Nexus. So how about running around the the training room until Nihilus gets here?" Nexus growled her approval and they started running laps around the room.
Nihilus walked in on his new apprentice and the Nexu running laps around the training arena. Ashley smirked as she watched the massive alien jungle cat running around like their lives depended on it. "I see that you and the nexu are dedicated to the training." Nihilus said and this brought the two runners to a stop in front of him. "Please by all means don't stop on my account." Nihilus said, making Padma roll her eyes and gratefully took the water that Ashley handed her. "I'm just getting warmed up, so we can start your training, master." Padma said after she drank the entire glass of water down. Nihilus smiled as he said "You'll regret saying that because I don't hold back anything." This sent a shiver down Padma's spine and the doors shut behind Nihilus with a hiss.