Chapter 70 - Start of ARC 3
Within the Fire Nation Royal City sat the Sith Academy. One of many academies utilized by the Sith within their pursuit of great strength and power within this world. There were minor academies that stretched from the countryside, and there was even talk and rumors of constructing another academy within the Earth Kingdom.
The experimentation room was a dimly lit chamber located deep within the heart of the Sith Academy. The walls were lined with shelves filled with various chemicals, apparatus, and mysterious devices, some of which hummed softly with the energy of the Dark Side.
In the center of the room stood a large, metallic table, its surface scarred and stained from countless experiments. Above the table hung a bank of flickering lights, casting an eerie glow over the room.
Along one wall, there was a row of containment tanks, each filled with a different kind of creature, all captive and at the mercy of the Sith researchers who used them for their twisted experiments. The creatures inside the tanks varied greatly in size and shape, but they all shared a common quality: they were all mutated in some way, twisted, and distorted by the Dark Side.
In the far corner of the room, there was a row of workstations, each equipped with a variety of tools and instruments. At one of these stations, a robed Sith Apprentice worked furiously, her eyes locked on the data scrolling across the screen in front of her.
The air was thick with the scent of chemicals and the buzz of energy, and there was an underlying sense of dread that pervaded the room, a feeling of darkness and fear that was palpable to even the most insensitive of beings.
It was a place of horror, a laboratory where the twisted ambitions of the Sith were brought to life, where the Dark Side was harnessed and harnessed for the purposes of domination and control. It was a place where the most terrible experiments were conducted, where life was twisted and corrupted in the name of the Dark Side. And it was a place that was feared by all who knew of its existence.
Sith Lady Jax's expression was hidden underneath the heavy robe that was thrown over her face. The only true shimmer of light that came from them, was the deeply corrupted orange eyes of The Sith. She let out a sigh as her bony like hands drew the robe deeper around herself.
Her fingers tightening along the fabric as the veins bulged along her pale hand. Her eyes were directed towards the middle of the room. Her eyes went to the table, or rather to the person that was laying on it.
Her arms stiffened into a pair of fists. Her eyes wide now as her rapid breath was cold and visible as she heard the slamming of a door open. She didn't need to turn her head around to know who it was.
"Good evening, Lord Fowl."
Sith Lady Jax turned to the Dark Lord of The Sith. His eyes were wide, his gloved hands already formed into fist as his teeth were clenched like a rabbit dog.
He didn't speak to her first. Rather snapping his head to the Sith Apprentice that was helping the Sith Lady with her experiment. "Leave us, apprentice." He spoke.
The girl nodded. Making her way out the door without even the slightest of peeps as the Sith Lady and Lord Fowl both stared upon the other.
Usually, the Dark Lord would appear calm and collected. His greased hair would be gelled back and his features would be of either neutrality or confidence. The Sith Lady did not see that.
She felt it within the force. Self-righteousness, anger, and…
Her eyes slowly widened, but a sigh emptied from her lips. She felt the fear that had started off small when Benjamin was enrolled into the academy, but now it was practically a blazing wildfire of fear and rage that had erupted within the soul of The Dark Lord.
"Don't come at me with all that rage," The Sith Lady dared. Brushing past her robe as she revealed her double-bladed weapon. "Don't play games with me, Lord Fowl. You are not the only one feeling such a loss."
Jax knew deep down that she would die in a lightsaber fight against Lord Fowl. However, she hoped that if the time came for it, her alchemy may be able to help. Yet, she knew deep down that it would still be for naught.
Lord Fowl knew it too. His hands unclenching as he whirled towards the center of the room as the Sith Lady followed her.
"I warned you…"
His words came out cold as ice. However, she only nodded in response.
"I told you and that fool Ruin that letting him into the academy would do no good. We had him sleeping here, we could've slit his neck and could've," He hesitated. His eyes still brimming with dark power and held back rage as the Sith Lady knew how hard it must've been for him to hold back his emotions. "Now, we are losing and…"
"The Avatar is dead," The Sith Lady spoke. "Yes, things may be bad but Lord Fowl you must realize how desperate the nations are right now. This was what we have been searching for and…"
He snapped his neck towards her. "Don't play me as a fool. Yes, the Avatar may be dead but the Last of The Jedi still lives!" He screamed.
However, something shocking happened. The Sith Lady grabbed him by the throat, silencing him as their eyes both bore into the other.
"Don't fall pray into your emotions you damn fool," She nearly screamed into his face, only holding herself back by the thinnest of threads. Fowl could feel the way her fingernails pricked into his face. The way they dug into the flesh. "Don't fall prey to your emotions. Not here, not now. Have you not felt what has slowly happened to the students of this academy, the poison that has lingered within?"
Lord Fowl was silent. Wrenching his face away as he felt the marks of her nails still present. The Sith Lady took a breath as she took a step away from him.
"Don't play that game Lord Fowl," She spoke. "We cannot give into our emotions right now. The Avatar is dead, the Jedi and his students are on the run, and the world has lost hope. But the Sith Academy and many others like it have been…"
"Corrupted." Fowl finished the sentence.
Ever since the great battle that happened underneath Ba Sing Sai. The Academy has changed…there was something within the students that had not been there before. The academy felt much more livelier, and there was the feeling of the Light Side of The Force that used to be vacant here…but they could feel it.
"What do you think it is?" Fowl questioned.
The Sith Lady stared at him. "I do not know," She answered. "Possibly, there are hypothesis that can be raised. Our students, even the cruelest of them have never fully been ensnared by the dark side. Ruin and me always believed that due to taking them in at such younger ages, they have not been given a choice to give into the dark side."
Fowl nodded. "You believe that because all they've known was the Darkness and The Sith. They may have never been able to fully comprehend the dark side and our teachings."
"Possibly, during the earlier years of the Academy, the first lords never spoke of this. There students would bear the malignant eyes of the darkness, and they would be able to fully utilize there connection to the dark side. Yet, they have only grown fewer and fewer through the years."
The Dark Lord nodded slowly. "Yes, that is the reason why we made so many exceptions for Rowan, Arya, and even…Benjamin," He sneered as he spoke the boy's final name. However, his eyes lingered to the base of the table. His hands going to his face as he looked at the broken remains of what laid there. "Now, look at what we have. A fully trained Jedi Knight, technically master, that is most likely out for revenge, a dead student with such promise, and another one…crippeled and…"
"The boy was repaired with…"
Fowl vigorously shook his head. "An abomination you made the boy," He snapped back to her. "You might as well just put him out of his misery."
Yet, he saw something strange…something unpleasant. The Sith Lady had only smiled at the response.
"You really believe that the boy does not have his uses?" She questioned. Clicking her lips as she stared at the Dark Lord. "That is your failing, Darth Fowl. You fail to realize just how great an emotion hatred, jealousy, and anger can truly be. I feel that little Rowan is going to be far stronger than what he used to be."
Fowl only stared, unmoving as he ripped his gaze away from the remains of Rowan. Jax continued. "There will be a great battle soon. Me and you both know of this, and we know how imperative it is that we have not only our affairs, but ourselves in order."
Lord Fowl only stared at her in confusion. "Our affairs…and ourselves in order?" He repeated back the question.
"Ourselves, we cannot stay within the academy and watch from the sidelines anymore. That damn Jedi Apprentice has become a great nuisance that has slayed countless Sith Assassins and Dark Jedi. He's helped capture and destroy pivotal equipment for the fire nation war effort. We do not know what sort of fire power they are going to be utilizing on that day. On that day, the full power of The Darkside and The Fire Nation are going to fight together."
Lord Fowl was rendered near speechless. "You want to aid the fire nation on the frontlines."
Jax nodded. "What more can be done?" She asked. "You know the Fire Nation does not have the firepower necessary to deal with Benjamin and an army following behind him. They are going to need all the help they can get."
Sith Lady Jax could imagine it, the carnage such a day would bring. She heard rumors of defection within there ranks, and Ben's own trained apprentices…while one laid dead. The other was powerful and still very much alive. "This battle," Sith Lady Jax Began. "It's going to be decided by who has the strongest force sensitives and benders on each side."
Fowl nodded. "I can understand that. If we utilize alchemy, battle mediation, and other great powers of darkness. Who knows what we can accomplish," However, his eyes snapped back to her. "Our affairs, what do you mean by that?"
"You know what I am talking about. Legacy, if we were both to die…"
Fowl's eyes snapped wide open. However, his features softened as he rolled his hand through his hair. "Who do you think can take over. The Knights are not ready, and they lack the experience to learn what it truly means to be a master of The Dark Side. The eager apprentices like Thomas have been changed, and those like Kiara are…"
Jax didn't speak, only motioning to the boy on the table. Her piercing orange eyes impaling at what remained.
"Rowan, this will be his test," She spoke. Fowl walking over to her side as he stared at the remains of Rowan, or rather what the boy had become. "His skills with the blade and the force were already great."
Fowl shook his head. "You forget to realize that Rowan had lost to Benjamin many times. The only reason why Rowan is alive is due to Ben's mercy, even cleaving his arm in hopes to stop him."
However, as Fowl's words registered along his ears. He realized that Benjamin was not holding back anymore at this point.
Jax only replied with a faint smirk. Her hand going towards Rowan's chest as she felt the cool breast place that was now grafted onto his flesh and bone. That was not the only thing that was new about Rowan.
Rowan laid on the table. Despite his injuries, a sinister presence radiated from his comatose form, one that was unmistakably that of the Darkness…but now it had grown to something else. This was due to the armor of The Sith Stalker that now covered his broken body, making him stand out even in his unconscious state.
The armor was a black, metallic plate that was molded to fit Rowan's form, yet its design was both functional and intimidating. The chest plate was broad and encased Rowan's upper body, while the intricate engravings on it depicted the symbol of the Sith. The vambraces covered Rowan's arms, and the gauntlets protected his hands, their sharp edges a reminder of the power that the armor represented.
Over Rowan's broken and battered legs, the armor had been fitted with greaves, the metal plates overlapping each other to provide maximum protection. The boots were heavy and thick, the soles designed to absorb any impact that Rowan might encounter in battle. The armor was complete with a half-face helmet, the dark tinted visor hiding Rowan's right portion of his face from view.
However, as one looked closer, they would notice that some of Rowan's limbs were not what they appeared to be. Half of Rowan's face, his left eye, both of his arms, and his left leg had been replaced with limbs made of Sith Alchemy. These limbs were mutations, a testament to the power of the Dark Side, and their appearance was both chilling and mesmerizing.
The limbs were made of a black, metallic substance that appeared to be constantly shifting and moving, as if it were alive. The metal was infused with the Dark Side, and its presence was palpable, filling the room with an aura of evil. The limbs were covered in intricate engravings and sigils, each one a symbol of the power of the Sith.
The healers and alchemist of the Sith once hovered around him, monitoring his vital signs, but they were unable to comprehend the significance of the armor and the mutated limbs that now covered Rowan's body. To them, they were simply a reminder of the Dark Side, a symbol of evil that was present in the galaxy. But to those who understood their true meaning, they represented the pinnacle of power, a symbol of fear and domination that was not to be taken lightly.
"Can't you feel it, Lord Fowl. The true power that he excretes now?"
Fowl could feel it. Shocking even himself that he went this long without not feeling the boy's power and what he was capable of. "How?" He questioned. "How could he be holding all this back. Is it the armor and the limbs that were…"
The Sith Lady shook her head. "No, Fowl," She spoke his name as her foot clicked along the floor. Her features outstretched into a wide smirk as she stared at her greatest creation. "No, you fail to realize that just like Ben…he was holding himself back. Throughout Rowan's life there was always something holding him back. Something that stopped him and held him back from reaching his true potential within the Dark Side."
Lord Fowl could remember the change that occurred within Rowan after he lost his arm. He now bore the euphoric red of Sith eyes, something that very rarely occurred for students within this generation at the academy. He assumed that his anger for his limb was the change, but was he wrong?
"What was it?" Lord Fowl asked. "Was it the Jedi from his galaxy that stopped him from attaining his true greatness, or was it Benjamin and…"
"The girl, his emotions for her kept him chambered to the light in a way. His love for her, even though it was mingled with envy kept him from fully giving into the darkness. Now, the girl is gone…and there is nothing holding him back…and now he is ready to embrace the full potential of the Dark Side."
Lord Fowl dug into his connection to the force. His hand going to the boy's temple. He was nearly bald now; his once golden hair was now withered away. Falling in clumps as the Dark Side deterioration was quickly ensnaring the boy.
Lord Fowl was shocked. They were old and sure Dark Side Deterioration took root…but for it to be this fast, and especially on such a young man. However, it was the feelings that Lord Fowl felt along Rowan's connection to the force.
Hatred…
Raw unbridled hatred that streamed along his brow. Lord Fowl felt his heart skip a beat…almost like being at the center of a wild and harsh tornado. He had to keep himself steady, his palm outstretched as he had to fight against the maelstrom of emotions, or be sucked into the storm.
"What is this?"
Only to hear Sith Lady Jax laugh. "That is truth, that is the Dark Side…and that is his rage," She sighed as she approached. Her hand stroking along the side of his grey and horribly scared face. "He has fully been awakened. Like a spring he will slay Benjamin, and within him can offer us salvation. Rowan Tressal, he is now our weapon."
Fowl heard the words, but the words that streamed over his mind eye and occupied his vision. He could feel the cold voice press along his sides as he stared at the lone closed eye of the Dark Jedi.
Snapping open a second later as the disgusting eye of Sith Alchemy centered on him. His breath sparking to life as they heard his respirators wheeze. His eye snapping in fury as they heard his voice.
"I am going to kill you, Benji."