The Duel: A Legacy of the Force Story

[CSI]

This is a relatively long chapter. Good to have you back, though. The duel between light and dark had begun...Who will get the apprentice? Looking foward to see more!!!!!

 

[Victory, you say? No. Not Victory. Begun, the war has. --Yoda]

[Emperor Devon]

Listening through time was such an interesting concept. Devon's mind could travel anywhere at any time, while holding mutliple conversations at once. Right now, he was still projecting a vision to his future apprentice, despite being somewhere else. The event with her was still happening. It was like holding several conversations at once, but without any extra focus.

 

Ah, there I go, lost in thought again, mused the Sith Lord.

 

That girl - Jae, wasn't that her name? - underestimated him. He was perfectly aware that there were thoughts and valuable bits of infomration he had not siphoned out of her. But that had been done on purpose.

 

Let her think I can't see all her thoughts. She'll underestimate me all the more.

 

He felt her and her lover trying to find him, but the attempt was laughable. They thought that cloud of darkness was near his mind? Not even close. It could've taken days and maybe even weeks for them to find him. But that would only happen if he chose to permit it, and one little thought of his sent them scurrying away.

 

Devon moved ahead to the meeting with the Council. “Must have eaten all the ones he has in his present time," Jolee exclaimed. That old fool. So very strange that he was alive then. Revan's holocron has said otherwise. It had even showed Jolee's lightsaber on a trophy plaque.

 

Very interesting. Am I seeing in alternates? That would explain Visas.

 

No matter, the fact remained that the Jedi of old intended to pose a threat to him. How laughable! They had no idea how far his power had extended. Even the great Palpatine would have been envious.

 

Underestimation was valuable, but this was mockery! A demonstration was in order. Devon tore into the mind of the old Ithorian. The resistance was pitiful. Once inside, he repeated the technique he had used on Jae. Naturally, of course, it was to a much greater degree. But that wasn't enough of an example either. He reached into the alien's retina, and shut it down completely.

 

You can't heal if you're blind! he sneered. After what I've done, don't think the Force will compensate for you! I've left a few surprises.

 

But this had grown dull, and he withdrew. Let the Jedi sort out this little mess. His thoughts then difted over to what Jae had said about his disease.

 

She was right. He was entering the stage of it he should've experienced fifty-nine years ago. Just yesterday tests had indicated that his own blood was more harmful than helpful to him, so he had been forced to drain it in near-gallon sized guantities and replace it. He would have to do that again later on this evening. His organ replacements would likely have to go from yearly to weekly and possibly daily in the coming months.

 

But let her wonder. The cause of my disease is a secret I shall carry to the grave.

 

The meeting with the Council continued to proceed. Obviously these Jedi had no idea what they were talking about. Falsely accused of a crime, indeed! It didn't take a Gamorrean to know that once he died all his power-hungry subservients would tear the galaxy apart in their quest to rule it. Tysy could prevent all that, so she would be guilty of murder on an unspeakable scale if she refused him.

 

“Master Supat will work to find defenses against this Sith Lord and investigate whatever might be killing him."

 

Laughable. The only defense they had against him was his own mortaility. If it weren't for how the effort would kill him, he would have gladly reached into the past and sent the heads of all those Jedi rolling across the floor.

 

"Jae and Talin, the three of us will go to Li’adin—we’ll leave tomorrow."

 

Devon frowned. So the rumors were true that the species there could move through time. What a pity indeed that commander had bombed their world into slag during the war.

 

But this information was useful enough, and the Dark Lord broke away from the past. He left his meditation chamber, and headed for the laboratories.

 

"My lord?"

 

One of those new droids. So very useful how they could track him through the citadel to bear news.

 

"What is it?"

 

"Your latest batch of experiments, my lord. They're fresh from the vats and await your finishing touches."

 

Devon stroked his chin. "They are most likely not stable yet, but they should be sufficient for the task."

 

The thought was more addressed to himself than the droid. It hovered by him blankly, and he turned to face it. Irritation flashed across his mind. "Well? Take me there."

 

"At once, my lord."

[Tysyacha]

Tysy awoke with a sharp jolt. Not a painful one, but startling nonetheless.

Resting gently on her pillow was a glowing red pyramid--a Sith holocron.

Darth Traya. I knew that the Force would send you, but not so soon.

Silently and with a gentle smile, the Padawan cradled the artifact in her hands.

 

Chaos. Mind-bending, unyielding chaos overwhelmed her. Frightened

and confused, Tysy dropped the holocron, shivering. "What?" she

cried, her thoughts a jumble of various questions beginning with "why".

Lowering her voice to a whisper, she asked, "Why? Why kill the Force?"

 

This made no sense. It was even more maddening than when the

Presence (with a capital P in Tysy's mind) had questioned her in

the Meditation Garden. This archon, Darth Traya, her cold and

manipulative presence imbued in the holocron, had wanted to

destroy the very essence that made a Jedi a Jedi and a Sith

a Sith. The Force, the source of any true power, light or dark.

 

"It is said that the Force has a will. It has a destiny for us all.

It would seek to control us in order to achieve some measure

of balance. I wield it, but it uses us all, and that is abhorrent

to me." This was the voice of the betrayer, aged yet crisp.

 

"I see," shuddered Tysy, "but would you have me give it up?"

 

"The Exile did," hissed the holocron in the voice of the Master

once known as Kreia, "so you would not have to. Channel the

Force through your mind, your body, and your soul. Use it as

you would a source of nourishment or of drink. I used it as I

would a poison, but now I see that without the Force I so

despise, the galaxy would not exist in large part. Endure it."

 

"I will," the Padawan replied, still keeping her voice low. "What

of the Presence who sent you to me? What of the Jedi? Grand

Master Skywalker? Has Jacen Solo turned to the Dark Side, and

will I as well? Seeking your guidance may be a dire mistake, but

I'll make it!" Tysy's face glowed softly red in the holocron's light.

 

The holocron was silent for a moment. "A fool. Jacen is like a man

I once knew, a former Sith who remained as short-sighted as he

was before he came to know the Force. Young Solo believes that

through the ways of the Sith, he can bring order to the galaxy.

However, he has not learned that one cannot impose order unto

any situation unless he has first found order within himself.

 

"That will bring about Solo's downfall, but not yours. You are different."

 

"How?" asked Tysy. "I have not found order within myself, Mistress."

 

"Ask for help. Beg for it. Plead. Someone shall come to your side

out of strength and power, and someone else out of crude selfish ambition.

The ambition that destroyed my former apprentice, Darth Sion. You serve,

not conquer. You obey, and not lead. This is good, for it is your destiny."

 

"Aye?" asked Tysy. "Then I'll beg for help, but perhaps for yours above all!"

 

If she could have seen Traya's face at that moment, the Dark Lady would

have been smiling. The errors of four millennia shall at last be corrected.

 

As for the Padawan still in her Jedi-issue night garment, her hair sweaty,

she sent four staccato syllables through the Force, a plea for assistance:

 

Pozhaluysta. Pozhaluysta. Pozhaluysta. Pozhaluysta.

 

Not "Help", as would be more fitting in this situation, but rather: "Please!"

[Emperor Devon]

The Dark Lord entered her mind. Your plea is answered.

 

The shadowy vision extended its hand. Come with me. Ahead to my time. I have less than a year to train you.

[CSI]

ED, you cloned yourself or a whole army of minions?

 

Good chapters, ED and Jae and Tysy. Seriously, a conflict in the apprentice's head would be good. That's only my opinion.

[Emperor Devon]

ED, you cloned yourself or a whole army of minions?

 

The Dark Lord's batch of experiments is more original than that. Clones have been used more times than I can count.

 

The next chapter will say more. I'll write it once Jae and Tysy post a chapter, or if they don't do it within the next day.

[CSI]

OK. Looking forward to see more!

[Emperor Devon]

What magnificent creatures.

 

Devon's latest experiments were lined up in front him. They certainly were an original idea.

 

Though they had only been assembled and taken out of the vats mere minutes ago, their obedience was greater than most biological creatures the Dark Lord had ever met in his life.

 

Of course, I designed them that way. Creatures of flesh are so much more loyal when you've built their brains with your own hands.

 

The monsters in front of him were breakthoughs in field of Sith alchemy. They had been tedious to construct, but looked well worth the time it had taken.

 

Devon's concept of these things had been inspired from the Imperial Sentienls millenia ago. To build them, he had borrowed liberally from Yuuzhan Vong shaping techniques. A touch of his own genius, and they were some of the best Sithspawn to date.

 

The Dark Lord had started with the DNA of the fittest and strongest humanoids in all his empire. He had mixed the samples together with various animals too obscure to recall, and had begun building these nightmares.

 

The idea would have seemed laughable to a qualified scientist, but the dark side of the Force could make such thingd quite real. After creating the DNA of his monsters, Devon had set about growing their organs in nutrient baths. The vats had been almost brimming with the dark side energies he had infused. He had let each of their organs develop for several weeks, while doing various things to strengthen them. Lungs were so much less vulnerable when surrounded by bones.

 

When the organs had grown to a large enough size, Devon had skeletons made for them out of durasteel and enhanced with Sith alchemy. It was a much stronger substance than regular bones.

 

After that, he had grafted skin for them. Hides would have been a better word, though. Even lightsabers had to strike several times to break through.

 

Blood was soon sent, and the Dark Lord had assembled each one of these monsters. The dark side had enhanced their powerful bodies while he built them all the way through, culminating in what was now before him.

 

Amazing creatures.

 

They had a basic humanoid shape, but their features were entirely alien. Their faces were gnarled with their protective skins, and had small bead-like eyes without any whites. Their noses looked as if they'd been flattened onto their heads, which were devoid of any hair. Their jaws stood out of proportion to the rest of their faces, and had chins nearly the size of their hands. Lastly, multiple inch-long teeth resided in their mouths. Naturally, they were made of metal. They also had claws of the same material that could retract from their fingers. Their large shoulders were out of proportion to the rest of their bodies, and their chests were more like slabs of stone than flesh.

 

Their nightmarish faces were hidden under inch-thick helmets with visors, so that they could have an extra weapon to terrify opponents with during the midst of a battle. Black robes and capes were draped across their bodies, concealing their unnaturally muscular forms. Underestimation was always useful, though their size didn't help. Each one was almost three times as tall as a grown man, and had fists the size of mellons. Clasped in each one was a double-edged halberd perfectly capable of scewering a bantha.

 

Their brains were the only flaw. They had extraordinarily small intellects, no doubt a side effect of the enhancements Devon had given. Their thoughts were advanced enough to crush things at most. As such, their minds have been slaved to their evil creator, and were extensions of his will. He could make them do anything right now if he wanted.

 

"My good creations, you have exceeded my expectations for when I made you." Devon praised. Not a single one responded. They all dumbly stared at him awaiting orders. Speech would be wasted on them.

 

"Hmm, creating more intelligent versions in the future could be very useful. They would be perfect bodyguards and crack troops," Devon mused to himself.

 

The horrors continued to stare at him blankly.

 

"Very well, to the point, though I doubt your minds can understand the words I am saying. I want you each to kill these people -" Devon projected images of Jae, Talin and Jolee into their heads. "I don't care how. Sacrifice yourselves in the process, you are disposable. Better versions of you should finish growing in the next few days."

 

"And now the finishing touches." Devon pulled off the black gloves he'd just started wearing to reveal two wrinkled hands that looked like they were growing fungus on the ends. He went to their halberds, and rubbed his diseased fingers on them. One hit, no matter how slight and where it was, would guarantee death. Since the bacteria came from him, it could most likely rot most species away into ooze within days.

 

Devon signaled for the beasts to kneel, and motioned for the droids that had taken care of them to come forward. Needles extended from them, and each of the monsters were given enough strength-enhancing drugs to stun a Wookiee. Satisified at last, he whirled his hands about to create a vortex of swirling blue energies in the air.

 

A Force storm. During Operation Shadow Hand millenia ago, Palpatine had become the first Sith Lord to use this technique. It involved conjuring powerful storms of energy that obliderated all in their path, by the means of creating hyperspace wormholes. Anything sucked into them could be hurled into a star and obliderated, if the dark side energies hadn't destroyed them already.

 

Of course, the technique was not entirely lethal. It could be used to simply transport people to places lightyears away without causing any injuries. That, however, involved only the where of things. Devon had broken through the barrier of time, and applied his new powers to the storm. Of course, it wasn't completely stable. Either it would send these nightmares of flesh six thousand years back in time to assassinate the three Jedi who threatened him, or the atoms of their bodies would be torn into shreads and scattered to who knew where or when.

 

Devon maintained the storm, and glanced at the monsters him. The order he issued was very simple, but baffled their small brains. "When I give the signal, walk forward under it hurts."

 

The creatures glanced at him vacantly.

 

Devon scowled. "Just stand there until I force you into the big blue glow. I will catch our good Jedi friends off guard."

 

"With a bit of luck, this ambush will succeed. If not, I can always send more batches of you out into time. You are all disposable."

 

The beasts said nothing, and stared at the big blue glow. The swirling energies were practically hypnotizing them. Yes, more intelligent versions would be needed indeed.

 

"I doubt that Twi'lek's cantina has ever had visitors like these," Devon mused.

[CSI]

Looks like I can have some level ups...

 

[During Fighting, Solaris shouted through the force: "Emperor! Is this what you have? Ha! You need to do better than that!" Dodging a stab, Solaris jumped high and used his new feat, Blade Fury. He changed into a whirlwind of blades, shredding the aliens' bodies and tearing them apart..."You sure know how to throw a party! Emperor!" Solaris didn't forget to jeer through the force.--Just my idea. You may ignore it.]

[Jae Onasi]

Jae felt the attack coming on Master Supat. Not him!!

 

The Ithorian crumpled for a moment, head lolling to the side before the other Masters joined to repel the vicious attempt to blind him. Jae saw the Ithorian Master, bolstered by others, cradle the darkside energy much like one might hold a tiny baby. The ball of writhing energy grew, and then with a flick of his hand, it shot back towards the Sith Lord. The other masters multiplied the strength and it surged forward. Their combined power made it a very simple thing to find the Lord—Emperor Devon—6,000 years away on Vryss. The dark defenses built there were not block the light so much as to thwart other Sith pretenders to the throne. It took no effort to breach the walls to find him, to see the crumbling framework that was his body, to find his little ‘experiments’, and to deliver the return blow.

 

Supat released the shimmering malevolence, and it wriggled around Devon like thousands of tiny snakes, biting at the nerve endings. He howled and shriveled in on himself, then tried to send a plea to Tysyacha for help. Jae broke off from the attack to fly to the girl, hoping to stop the plea from affecting the girl.

 

Tysyacha was in her room meditating, the glow of the Traya holocron casting a dim red light on the walls of the darkened room.

 

What is a Padawan doing with a Sith holocron? Who could have given her such a thing? Jae wondered. Ah, Devon, very clever. And Darth Traya, no less—how ironic. Jae kneeled down next to the girl, gently touching the very edge of her mind.

 

Tysy, Tysy—it’s me, Jae Onasi. You called for me. I’d like to speak to you, if you’ll let me.

 

Tysyacha opened her eyes and looked at Jae’s shimmering figure in surprise briefly before regaining her control. “How did you get here? How did you find me?”

 

“You called out. I felt your need, your confusion. I came as soon as I could to help you. I’m a Jedi, just as you are.”

 

“I don’t know—am I truly a Jedi anymore?”

 

Jae looked over at the holocron for a moment. “Traya is making you question your beliefs, isn’t she?”

 

Tysy nodded.

 

“She was from my time. She was known as the great betrayer—she rebuilt a damaged Jedi, only to turn on her and try to destroy her in order to destroy the Force. And now she’s asking you to betray everything you’ve ever known, everyone who is your friend, everyone one you love, all in the name of control and dominance.”

 

“Emperor Devon showed me his empire—it’s huge, and it’s free of war. He’s dying. He needs an heir to keep the peace and control he’s built up.”

 

“Tysy, his form of peace is a façade. Total oppression is not the same as peace. The kind of peace he sees is simply a lack of war, and he will do anything to crush any resistance to his will and whim. That is the way of the dark side. Let me show you….”

 

Jae flew with Tysyacha to Devon’s empire. “So peaceful, isn’t it? But look—there’s a young Ithorian below. He wants to be a scientist who studies birds. Instead, he’s been conscripted to create biological weapons to suppress a rebelling world, something totally abhorrent to Ithorians. If he doesn’t comply, his entire family will be killed. There’s a mother over there. She’s not allowed to mourn for her daughter, who died defending the right to speak freely. If the mother mourns, she also will be accused of sedition in not accepting the will of the Emperor to kill her daughter. People can’t move freely, can’t pursue their desires and dreams, can’t speak opposing views, can’t decide their own destinies. They live in bondage to the Emperor’s singular will, Tysy. Every single one of them. Anyone who has the courage to seek freedom is executed. He may call himself benevolent. But a benevolent dictator is still a dictator.”

 

“He says quadrillions, quintillions, could die in a civil war if I don’t join him in the dark side and preserve his empire.”

 

“That many died when he crushed the opposition on a dozen planets to force them to join his empire. They were not given freedom to join the Empire, they were assimilated against their will. The future is always in motion, Tysy. A civil war might happen. It might not. What I do know is that those who fight would be the ones guilty of murder, not you. And if you go down the dark path and become his heir, you will easily destroy that many sentients and more to maintain your throne and your dominance over the galaxy. You may build the façade of safety, but you will never be safe yourself from those who would overthrow you. You may see the appearance of peace, but you will never again know peace in your heart. Master Skywalker can tell you from his own experience what that felt like—you have only to ask him, and I encourage you to seek his counsel on this matter.

You are a Force nexus, Tysy. Neither decision is going to be easy. If you choose the dark side, you maintain an empire that has killed untold numbers of sentients and oppressed every single living creature that is left. If you choose the light, you release every single being to a life of freedom. Many could die if a civil war breaks out, but war is by no means inevitable. Even if it did, everyone would at least have the freedom to choose what’s best for themselves, their families, their worlds and not have it forced upon them.”

 

“How do I know he’s as evil as you portray him to be? He’s never been anything like that to me.”

 

“The dark side is seductive. It lures you in with false appearances until you’re so far in you can’t get out again. But you ask about Devon specifically. Let me show you what he’s done to try to stop my fellow Jedi and me from trying to reach you simply to talk to you.” Jae shared the brutal images of Emperor Devon’s attacks.

 

“I don’t understand…it all looks so peaceful,” Tysy despaired.

 

“Please, come with me. With Talin and Jolee we can be a powerful team. We can bring a true peace to the galaxy, not something built on suppression of rights and oppression of everything else in the universe. I will respect your decision, Tysyacha, but I hope you will come with me just the same.”

[Emperor Devon]

Devon chuckled to himself.

 

So foolish!

 

Sith illusions were an acient trick, dating back to the time of Naga Sadow. But even he hadn't been the first one to use them.

 

Those Jedi were so overconfident. They actually thought they could harm him? Him? His power rivaled, if not surpassed, the mighty Palpatine's!

 

They always believed what their senses told them. That vision of him wirithing in pain was nothing more than a farce to make him underestimate them all the more. Besides, did they really think they could inflict harm across six thousand years? He had been the first Force-user to break across time, after all.

 

Devon gave a sigh, and held onto the dark power they had directed back at him. They wanted to play catch, now did they?

 

The Dark Lord smirked, and sent it back. It's always a bad idea to try and throw a ball at the person who made it.

 

Words would have been insufficient for what the Council experienced. They all fell onto the floor, and shrieked in agony while clutching themselves. The screams dragged on for several minutes, and Devon sighed to himself.

 

You have much yet to learn, Jedi. Did you know I once killed a whole Council of you by myself?

 

He chided them. Never play catch with the bigger boy. Let this be a lesson, and may you learn it well.

 

The example set, Devon withdrew. The next time would be worse.

 

So, his empire would kill more people than the civil war? It was a pretty little talk Jae had given, but it in no way explained how to prevent the largest possible war in galactic history. The stastics of the war he had started to unify the galaxy under one ruler were in the billions. And the deaths under his rule were the barest fraction of that number, too. Such lies - and denial! History had shown that the Sith would consume themselves without a leader. Granted, there were only a hundred Sith now, but he doubted the other Lords would follow his unusual tradition once he was gone.

 

"I have had enough." Devon said to himself. "Jedi always place themselves at risk to help others. My thralls!"

 

The horrors near Devon glanced up at him. "Walk forward until everything turns blue."

 

The walking nightmares gazed at the Force storm for a moment, and walked forward. All twenty of them were all swallowed up by the dark side energies, and sent to another time and place.

 

"I don't think they'll let that old Twi'lek friend of theirs die so casually." Devon muttered to humself. "They have little time to save him. What will you do, Jae?" He asked mockingly.

 

His mind was hurled across the cosmos, and broke into Jolee Bindo's.

 

Will you let your old friend die? My minions are sure to succeed without your intervention.

 

The Dark Lord broke away before there was a response, and started toward his throne room. Shortly later, he sat upon his chair and pressed a button to activate a viewscreen. The transmission was recorded to one of his admirals, who answered promptly.

 

"Don't ask any questions," Devon started. "Send the 194th fleet to Sector 1. I want it orbiting Braxis IX. Execution will be your penalty if this is not done within the hour."

 

The admiral scurried away without asking to be dismissed. How brave. Devon normally disliked such crude threats, but the need was dire.

 

The plans are falling well into place.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Tysy!

 

Jae had suddenly departed, and the girl was alone. His vision swirled before her, the same as before.

 

But this time it was in person.

 

I do not wish to force a decision upon you, but time passes us by. My body rots, and as it does, so do my powers. Transporting things through space is difficult enough, but through time even moreso. For all I know, I may not even be able to do so the next day!

 

Her face flashed with indecision. What to do?

 

Devon's ghostly hand extended to her.

 

Come with me! To the future! A far-off land of magic and wonder, the likes of which the universe has never before seen!

 

It will either be now, or it will be never. Will you take a risk, or stay safe in the present?

 

I have seen all your possible futures. Continue down your current road, and you will become a Jedi Knight. You will die on the planet Baghh, stopping those who sow terror and dissent across it.

 

It will make little difference. Within a century, your name will be forgotten by all. It will be like you never existed.

 

But here in the future, you can be a hero! Save the galaxy, and rule it as the Empress of the fourth Sith Empire! Maintain order, peace, and justic for eons! Do it through the light or the darkness, I don't care at this point!

 

Choose now. Will you risk all to gain all, or wallow in mediocrity and die unrecognized?

 

She paused.

 

Come, take my hand. To the future.

 

Tentatively, she extended it. Devon's shadow clasped her firmly.

 

Excellent. You won't regret this.

 

A swirl of dark side energies, and she and the holocron were transported to the Emperor's throne room on Vryss.

 

Jae would fail. Even if she survived the monsters he had sent out, what did it matter? He was on his throne world, secluded from the galaxy by great fleets, stars, and most importantly, the dark side.

 

May the Force be with you, he sneered.

 

And now for his new apprentice. There was much for her to learn, and little time to learn it.

 

An explosion of energy, and she was deposited on the floor by his throne. He swiveled it about to face her.

 

"Welcome," he smiled, "to the future. We must begin your training at once."

[CSI]

Oh, no...

 

Good chapters, Jae and ED. Looking forward to see more.

[Tysyacha]

Tysy blinked. "My training. Of course." It all seemed so surreal, so unreal,

so impossible to be happening at this very moment. Was this a dream? Had

she fallen asleep in the Meditation Garden at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant?

The young girl felt her Padawan Robe surrounding her body. Yes, same soft

cloth, same whitish hue. Same folds of material to allow her free movement.

 

"This is real," she said, utterly stunned. "I'm six thousand years in the future,

and I still can't believe it. How in space did you manage to transport me

here?" As soon as she asked the question, however, Tysy shook her head.

"It matters not. As soon as I say aye or nay to you, nothing will matter

except the future. The galaxy's future." She heard a voice in her mind's eye...

 

Vaapad. Vaapad. Vaapad. Vaapad. Now, you STRIKE!

 

Instinctually, Tysy Dvukh fell into a very difficult combat stance. "You

don't know Form VII," she said to the dark and menacing figure before her,

"or if you did, you would have not have told me to use it. Clumsy moves,

mine are, but I've certainly learned more than you credit me for by viewing

the holocrons of Master Mace Windu! I--don't know--could I strike you?"

 

She brandished her blue Padawan's lightsaber much as Darth Traya had

brandished her humble vibroblade aboard the Harbinger millennia ago.

[CSI]

One more Jedi is gone...

 

One more Sith is menacing...

[Emperor Devon]

"Vapaad?" said Devon casually. "I've studied that form. Very advanced." His tone sounded as if he was discussing the matter over drinks. He was completely oblivious to the lightsaber being brandished in front of him.

 

"However, I am afraid it won't do you the least bit of good without a lightsaber." Calmly, Devon extended his hand and flicked it upward. Tysys's lightsaber was torn from hers, and thrown into the air. As it was about to fall, it shattered into dozens of pieces.

 

Devon stared at the small fragments on the floor, and pressed a button on his chair. A small droid emerged from the shadows and vacuumed up the shards. Once the garbage was removed, it left.

 

"Figures. You would have had to build a new one soon enough in any event."

 

Devon's tone carried a trace of amusement. "Now that you are here, would you like something to eat? Technically, you have gone two millenia without a meal."

[Tysyacha]

"A meal?" asked Tysy, still half-feeling as if she were coming out of a

sedation stupor. "As long as it's not drugged or poisoned, I'd love one."

 

As if right on cue, highly-polished metal service droids soon prepared an

elegant banquet for two in the throne room of the Sith Emperor. Tysy

was astonished that the accoutrements of such a meal had not seemed

to change in six thousand years. Crystal goblets? Of course. Gleaming

silverware? Naturally. White tablecloth? Oddly (or perhaps not so much,)

this was the only item that had changed.

 

The tablecloth was black silk, not white linen. Very Dark Side, very Sith.

 

The entree was bantha tenderloin, marinated in the finest fruit sauce.

Tysy ate ravenously, her Jedi self-control all but gone. She had been

used to bland Temple commissary food, but such no-frills sustenance was

meant to teach her that "Jedi shall not live by freeze-dried bread alone."

 

"How do you like it?" asked the Emperor. "Is it to your taste, young one?"

 

What Tysy wanted to say was, "It's the most delicious meal I have had

in six thousand years", but instead she began to chew slowly and reply,

"I don't feel drugged, or in a stupor. I don't detect even the slightest

trace of mind-altering medications. This is good, because it shows me

that you might be true to your word. Thank you, Lord Emperor." She

bowed her head quickly before returning to the pasta and cream dish.

 

How can food be such an influence on me? she asked. I'm

supposed to endure it, not love it. I'm only supposed to eat to live,

to take it as a means to survive. What's wrong with me? I'm weak.

 

She looked to the hooded figure for any trace of a non-cryptic answer.

[Emperor Devon]

Naturally, there wasn't one. Every inch of skin on Devon's body had been concealed by his flowing black robes. Although the hood wasn't large enough, his face was hidden in shadows Tysy's gaze could not penetrate.

 

"Indulgence is no sin, young one. Has anyone been harmed in your enjoyment of this? Of course not. I hope you will enjoy the next course. Since the richest of Hutts of during Xim the Despot's days, I have been the only one to enjoy it."

 

The next part of the meal arrived, and true to Devon's word, it was enjoyable, whatever it was. Some type of a meat stewed with an exotiv honey.

 

"I am sure you find my food delicious, but I can sense curiosity within you. You must have many questions."

[Tysyacha]

"Yes," replied Tysy. "First of all, who are you truly? I know you only as the

Presence, which has a capital 'P' in my mind. When I stretch out through

the Force, I can sense desperation within you. I'm sorry that you're dying,

cell by cell and day by day. May I ask you why? What is the cause of your

disease? It's something I've never seen before--never felt before."

 

Sensing hesitation and defensiveness within the Presence opposite her,

the Padawan explained. "At the Temple, one of my specialties was treating

the wounds of the injured. I can do it with medpacs as well as the Force.

I sense decay in you, and I want to stop it. I want to have it cease, to

influence the midichlorians so they will heal you instead of--remain useless?

 

"I'm sorry if this makes you angry, causes you to fill with rage. Fury is

the greatest gift of yours, but I want to help. I want to know how to

channel the fury I feel at the way things are, the status quo, to help

both myself and you. How can I heal you, sir? How can I save your life?"

[Emperor Devon]

"Your efforts are appreciated, but I doubt they could heal me," admitted Devon. "I have been dying for sixty years. I have had Sith, Dark Jedi, doctors, and more people than I can count trying to heal me. I have tried more remedies and drugs than there are numbers for, and they have done little good."

 

"The Force is what has truly sustained me. It keeps my dying body strong. It binds my cells together, and staves off the inevitable rot that strikes at me."

 

He paused. "You are a nexus within the Force. Should you follow my teachings, my own power will double. At my current state, I should have thirty more years to live if you choose to do so. More than enough time to make you more powerful than the Skywalkers themselves."

 

"Why not try becoming my apprentice for now? Nothing permanent, just a week or two. Learn the basics of my teachings, both light and dark."

 

"If the power I can offer is not enough, this citadel contains more artifacts of the Force than all the libraries and temples combined of your own time."

 

"They are not limited to the darkness, either. I have many Jedi relics thought lost during the Great Purge, artifacts of the light that even Master Yoda could comprehend."

 

"Why not stay, at least for now? Both of us have so much to gain from each other."

[Tysyacha]

As Tysy took the last bite of the second course, she nodded. "I will stay.

One of the flaws that I see in the Jedi Order is their insistence that certain

Force knowlege is taboo. Forbidden. Never to be spoken of, much less used.

 

"You can help me see what I must, and wish to see to save the galaxy!"

[Emperor Devon]

Devon smiled. "Then your apprenticeship under me shall begin at once."

 

"Your first lesson shall be to experience both sides of the Force. You know of the light, but too much of it blinds you to the darkness. Just as too much of that clouds your percpetion of the light."

 

"You must learn to use the other side of the Force first. We have little time, so I must send you the place where the dark side is at its strongest. Follow me to my meditation chamber. There you shall tune yourself with the darkness that lies within you."

 

"My artifacts will aid you in this." Devon picked up the holocron of Traya that lay on the floor. "That relic is just a portion of what you could experience."

 

He stroked his chin. "Hmm, you'll need approriate attire before any of this. I wil send for tailor droids. I care not what you choose, as long as it shows you follow the darkness as well as the light."

[CSI]

Oh...No...

 

Tysy...You're the only hope of New breed of Jedi...

 

But ED, aren't you too kind to be a Sith? I never seen such a kind sith before.

[Emperor Devon]

But ED, aren't you too kind to be a Sith? I never seen such a kind sith before.

 

Subtlety. Palpatine practiced it, and so does Devon. He won't get an apprentice if he starts torturing her at random intervals. Brute force is something he and other more far-sighted Sith look down upon. Randomly killing people is not something he likes.

 

Other darksiders have acted like him. Revan and Xendor had lovers. Palpatine actually had someone (without a connection to the Force) he considered a genuine friend. Nope, he wasn't his master either.

[CSI]

Disagree. Remember KOTOR? Bastila was tortuned by Malak in order to be his Apprentice?

 

BTW, good chapters, ED and Tysy!

[Emperor Devon]

Disagree. Remember KOTOR? Bastila was tortuned by Malak in order to be his Apprentice?

 

And she betrayed him at the slightest sign of a better master.