Cognus arrived home to the manor feeling elated. Her meeting with Queen Adira had gone smoothly, and the queen had provided her with valuable information about Prince Melech's whereabouts on Selonia. She was impressed by Adira's strategic prowess and was certain that with the queen's help, they could capture the prince and secure her ally's rule of Haruun Kal.
As she walked through the halls of the manor, she thought about the next steps in their plan. They needed to move quickly and capture the prince before he had a chance to flee the planet. She knew that the capture would not be easy, but with Adira's support, she felt confident that they could succeed.
As she approached her private chambers, she noticed a sense of unease in the air. The room felt different, as if something had been disturbed. She drew her lightsaber and slowly pushed the door open, ready for anything.
To her surprise, she found Millennial and Hanan waiting for her. Millennial had his lightsaber ignited and Hanan was standing behind him, her own lightsaber in hand.
"What is the meaning of this?" Cognus demanded, her voice cold and commanding.
"We have come to end this, Cognus," Millennial replied, his voice filled with determination.
Cognus looked at him with a mixture of anger and disbelief. She had trained him herself, and he was her apprentice. How could he betray her like this?
"What are you talking about, Millennial? Explain yourself," Cognus demanded, her lightsaber still raised and ready to strike.
Millennial took a deep breath and looked Cognus straight in the eye. "We have come to end your reign, Cognus. We have come to take control of the Sith and lead them down a new path, one that sees the Sith no longer hiding in fear of the jedi".
Cognus couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her own apprentice had turned against her, and he had brought Hanan with him who she realised must have been his own secret apprentice. She felt a surge of anger and betrayal, but she quickly regained her composure.
"You foolish children," she sneered. "You think you can take me down? You are nothing compared to me. I am the heir to the Sith's legacy. You are nothing but traitors and fools".
Millennial and Hanan both ignited their lightsabers, ready for the fight to come. Cognus knew that this was not going to end well, but she was not going to go down without a fight. She raised her lightsaber and prepared to face her former apprentice and his ally.
Without any hesitation, the three of them rushed towards each other, their lightsabers clashing in a flurry of sparks and energy.
Cognus, with her mastery of Djem So, used her lightsaber to deflect the attacks of Hanan and Millennial, and then launched powerful counter-attacks. Millennial, with his Juyo and Ataru techniques, danced around Cognus, attacking from multiple angles and using his agility to dodge her strikes. Hanan, with her Makashi style, relied on precision and finesse to outmanoeuvre her opponent.
The fight was intense, with all three of them displaying their unique fighting styles. The room was filled with the sound of clashing lightsabers, grunts, and heavy breathing as they pushed each other to their limits.
As the fight continued, it became clear that none of them was going to come out as a clear winner. They were all too evenly matched, and their fighting styles complemented each other in a way that prevented any one of them from gaining the upper hand.
Cognus managed to land a solid strike against Millennial, her lightsaber cutting through his defences and grazing his arm. But to her surprise, Millennial suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving behind nothing more than a faint afterimage. It was then that she realized he had employed his Force Shadow ability to create an apparition of himself, which had taken the brunt of her attack. Cognus gritted her teeth, frustrated that she had fallen for such a simple trick.
Hanan moved with lightning-fast speed, taking advantage of Cognus' momentary confusion to strike at her with her pink lightsaber. Cognus managed to dodge the fatal blow, but not without losing one of her horns in the process.
The pain was intense, and she cried out in agony, clutching at the bleeding, semi-cauterised stump that remained.
Cognus, with her horn severed and blood pouring down her face, was overcome with a wild rage. She charged at the two Sith apprentices, her lightsaber whirling furiously. Millennial dodged her strikes, blocking them with his own lightsaber while Hanan, with her pink lightsaber, attempted to flank Cognus. Cognus was relentless, striking with a fury that Millennial compared to the rabid vine cat he had fought earlier that day.
As they fought, Cognus spat out statement after statement, promising to make them pay for disfiguring her. "I will make you suffer!" she cried out. "You will beg for mercy before I'm through with you!"
Hanan dodged Cognus' strike and landed a glancing blow on her arm. Cognus howled in pain, but her fury only seemed to grow. She charged at Hanan again, forcing her to backpedal. Millennial stepped in, deflecting Cognus' attacks with his own lightsaber.
The fight continued for what seemed like hours, each of them getting more and more tired. Cognus seemed to be getting weaker, her movements slowing. But even in her weakened state, she was still dangerous. She landed a glancing blow on Millennial's arm, causing him to cry out in pain.
Hanan took advantage of the opening and launched herself at Cognus. Cognus tried to dodge, but Hanan's lightsaber caught her on the shoulder, slicing through her clothing. Cognus screamed in pain and fell to the ground.
Millennial and Hanan stood over her, their lightsabers still ignited. They looked down at Cognus, who was panting heavily. "You have lost, Cognus," Millennial said. "It is time for you to accept your defeat".
Cognus lay on the ground, panting and looking defeated. Her once proud demeanour had vanished, replaced by one of vulnerability and desperation. Hanan and Millennial stood over her, their lightsabers drawn and ready to strike. But Cognus was not done yet. She summoned all her strength and shot a powerful bolt of force lightning towards the pair, determined to take them down with her.
Millennial reacted quickly, using his lightsaber to absorb the oncoming blast. The energy crackled and hummed around the blade, threatening to overpower him. But he stood firm, channelling the power of the lightning back towards Cognus.
She screamed in agony as the blast hit her, leaving her at death's door. Hanan and Millennial lowered their weapons, watching as Cognus writhed on the ground in pain. They knew that they had won, that the Sith Order would be theirs to lead.
They knew that they would have to be ready for whatever challenges lay ahead. But for now, they were content in the knowledge that they had triumphed over their former master, and that they had secured their place in the galaxy.
Millennial's lightsaber was raised, ready to deliver the final blow, but then he sensed a presence through the Force. He could feel the approach of the Jedi, and he knew they had to leave.
"Hanan, we have to go. Now," he said urgently, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her towards the door.
Hanan stumbled slightly, her movements sluggish and uncoordinated after the intense fight with Cognus. She nodded, still gasping for breath, and followed Millennial out the back of the manor, her hand clasped tightly in his.
As they made their way through the dark, overgrown gardens, Millennial couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. He knew they couldn't stay and face the Jedi, not with their injuries and exhaustion. But he also knew that leaving Cognus would have consequences, as unless he saw her die in front of him, or dealt the killing blow there was always the chance that she might survive and hunt them down. In his mind, this wasn't a victory entirely but rather him potential fleeing from his former master.
They ran as fast as they could, their feet pounding against the ground, until they were far enough away to be safe from pursuit. Then, panting and sweating, they collapsed onto the ground, their backs against a nearby tree.
Millennial took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart, his mind whirling with conflicting emotions. He had never felt so conflicted before, torn between his loyalty to the Sith and his growing doubts about their way of life.
Hanan, too, seemed lost in thought, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon as she tried to process everything that had happened. They sat there in silence for a long time, until finally Millennial spoke.
"We have to keep moving," he said, his voice low and urgent. "We can't stay here. Not with the Jedi potential on our trail".
Hanan nodded, and they rose to their feet once again. Without another word, they disappeared into the darkness, leaving the manor and the dying Cognus behind them.
Cognus lay on the floor, feeling the life-force slowly slipping away from her. In her dying moments, she recalled the decisions that led her to this point. She wondered if she had been limited by Bane's rule and if she should have been more proactive in seizing power. She remembered the spectre of Darth Phobos and the warnings she had given about the limitations of the Rule of Two.
She wondered if she had made the right choices, and if her obsession with power had led her down this path of destruction. As her life slowly faded away, Cognus realised that she would never know the answer to these questions.
As she struggled to hold on to life, she heard the sound of footsteps in the distance. She knew that the Jedi had come for her, and she tried to push the dark side down as best she could. She called out to them, her voice weak and strained.
"Master Devron," she said, "Padawan Illyana. Please, help me."
The Jedi rushed into the room, their lightsabers ignited and at the ready. They saw Cognus lying on the floor, and Devron moved forward to check on her.
"What happened?" he asked.
Cognus struggled to speak, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"It was... Millennial and Hanan," she managed to say. "They... attacked me."
Devron looked at Illyana, concern etched on his face.
"We need to get her to a medcenter," he said. "She's badly injured".
Illyana bent down and reassured Cognus that she would be okay, but the Sith saw an opportunity and used her mental manipulation powers to control the young Padawan's mind. Cognus ordered Illyana to attack her own master, and the Padawan immediately rose to her feet, igniting her blue lightsaber and charging at Devron.
The two engaged in a fierce duel, master against apprentice, as Cognus watched on, a twisted smile on her face. The sound of clashing lightsabers filled the room as the fight continued, with neither side gaining the upper hand.
Cognus drew on the confusion, horror, and fear that her mental manipulation had caused Devron, using it to fuel her strength. She rose to her feet, still shaken from her earlier fight with Hanan and Millennial. Drawing on the dark side, she blasted a powerful bolt of Force lightning at Devron, catching him off guard and sending him crashing into a nearby wall.
What would have done most in, instead seemed to only momentarily affect the jedi master, as he found the strength to rise to his feet and continue the fight.
Illyana fought ferociously under Cognus' control, her movements quick and erratic as she swung her lightsaber wildly at her master. Devron was unable to bring himself to harm his padawan, giving Cognus the opportunity to use Illyana as a shield against him.
Devron tried to dodge her attacks, but in doing so, he was struck once again by Cognus' force lightning, causing him to cry out in pain as he was disarmed and left helpless on the ground.
Cognus stood over the fallen Jedi Master Devron with a cruel smirk on her face. "Do you have anything to say to me, Jedi?" she taunted him, relishing in his defeat.
Devron's eyes burned with a fierce intensity as he looked up at her from where he lay on the ground. "I realize now what you truly are," he said firmly, his voice laced with the pain of betrayal. "A monster, a Sith".
Cognus let out a mocking laugh. "You were weak, Devron," she spat, turning her attention to Illyana. "Kill him," she ordered the young Padawan.
Without hesitation, Illyana raised her lightsaber and struck down her own master. Devron's body went limp, and the room was filled with a chilling silence.
Cognus turned to the still possessed Illyana and asked her to tell her a bit about Devron so that she could plan her cover up carefully. Illyana began to speak, revealing that Devron had been an apprentice under the care of Grandmaster Kallura, a female of the Wookiee species for a period of two years following the death of his first master before being granted the title of Jedi Master.
Upon hearing this, Cognus sneered to herself, commenting on how the Jedi were so twisted they would allow something as wild as a Wookiee to lead them.
As she pondered this new information, she realized that she could use it to her advantage. She would order the Padawan to return to Coruscant and tell the Jedi Council that Devron had turned to the dark side and had been trying to convert Illyana and the young girl was forced to defend and slay her master as a result. With this fabricated story, she could turn the Jedi against each other and gain an advantage for the Sith.
She turned then and focused all her concentration and began to implant false memories into Illyana's mind. She implanted Illyana battling her former master, who had fallen to the dark side, and ultimately slaying him in self-defense.
She knew that this was the only way to ensure her own survival, as the Jedi would undoubtedly seek revenge for their fallen comrade if they knew a Sith was really responsible. She also knew that once Illyana left the planet's atmosphere, her control over the Padawan would break, but the implanted memories would remain.
With a final deep breath, the process ended, and she sent Illyana on her way, watching her disappear into the night, in the direction of the small landing site. She knew that Illyana would believe the false memories as if they had truly happened, and that her cover-up would be successful.
Cognus couldn't help but grin as she watched Illyana disappear into the night. The satisfaction of having successfully manipulated not one but two Jedi filled her with an intoxicating sense of power. She chuckled to herself and muttered under her breath, "These Jedi are so easy to fool". Her arrogance and pride swelled within her, making her feel invincible.
She knew that she had taken advantage of their trust, and she enjoyed it, anything to achieve the goals of the Sith. Cognus had always been a master of deception, and with the Jedi, it was no different. She had proved once again that the Force was a weapon, and she was its master.
Cognus leaned against the wall, her hand pressed against the stump where her horn used to be. She let out a low growl, feeling the pain pulsating through her body. She would not let this defeat define her, she promised herself. Tomorrow, she would seek out Adira. For now, she needed to make sure her injuries were tended to.
With a snarl, she ordered her protocol droid to contact a medcenter and have a medical droid assess the damage. She could only hope that her disfigurement was not permanent. As the droid scurried off to carry out her orders, Cognus stood there, silently watching it leave the room. Once she was alone, she dragged the remains out of sight for the time being, she would dispose of the body at a later state.