Tremors of the Ancient Past 6

  … …

  My eyes scanned the consoles in the cockpit of the Vhett as it raced through the atmosphere of Dromund Kaas. It had been about a month and a half since we’d first entered the system, and it was almost time to depart. In the end, four Inner Sanctums had been investigated sufficiently that the Interface considered them explored. Add in that all six of the locations marked as classified shipyards or weapons manufacturing facilities had been scouted, that I’d already opened one of the routes out of Sith Space that would allow us to bypass Korriban, and that seven academies had been searched, and there was just one major objective left on the linked quest to handle, there would be no way I was ever mentioning this operation to Sidious or Plagueis.

  The subjugation or destruction of the Prophets of the Darkside.

  Currently, the Vhett, which was carrying Maul, Dooku, Anakin, and HK. along with myself, was racing towards the Dark Side Nexus that somehow existed on Dromund Kaas when the planet itself was a Dark Side Nexus. Since none of us had sensed any hint of other sentients on the planet and the Interface had not generated a new quest relating to this Nexus, I was almost certain the Prophets would be located at this inner Nexus. I had no proof of that, however, but the closer we got to this Nexus, the more assured I was of my assumption.

  Since defeating the lingering echo of Vitiate and assuming his throne in the Imperial Palace, wherever I had gone on Dromund Kaas, I’d felt as if I commanded the Dark Side. Yet the closer we got to this inner Nexus, the less influence over the Force I had. Perhaps it was more accurate to say that the Force was less willing to obey my demands.

  We were still several hours away, but already I could sense a growing resistance to my control over the Dark Side. Not anywhere near enough to suggest that it would turn against me, but enough that it was easy to feel the resistance.

  “The Force is growing more uncertain the closer we get to this Nexus.”

  “Yes. It’s as if it is the only place on the planet where the shadow of Vitiate has not extended,” Maul agreed with Dooku from the co-pilot’s seat while my former Master sat at one of the rear stations in the cockpit. “Or perhaps a place where his influence was removed long before we arrived.”

  “You believe that we are not the first to land on this world in hundreds or thousands of years?” I could sense the interest in Dooku’s presence even if the tone he used was devoid of any emotion; my former Master was able to hide his opinions with grace and experience.

  “Others would have come here after this Empire fell,” Maul replied as my focus remained on the controls, tracking any shift the machine detected, even as my mind focused heavily on what lay ahead. “That Vitiate’s spectre remained, and none were deemed worthy before to claim his mantle, would be enough that many would be wary. Even my former Master, if he came here, would be cautious around what remained of Vitiate’s presence, though I have no doubt he would be capable of destroying the shadow and forcibly claiming any knowledge that he wished to take.”

  “Then it is good that we travelled here before either Sidious or Plagueis attempted to gain the knowledge we have discovered.” I didn’t have to move to know that Dooku’s eyes were upon me even as he continued. “Was that a concern of yours, Cameron?”

  “I admit that the threat that the Banite Sith might attempt to take whatever was here was one that had concerned me for many years. However, the idea to come here so soon after leaving the Order, or with Maul as an ally, wasn’t one that I had considered until I did. However, I knew that it was the right choice to make at the right time, so I made it.”

  “Hmm,” I swore I heard the gears in Dooku’s head turning as he no doubt stroked his beard while my eyes remained on the consoles before me. “I can see now how you came to such a conclusion. While I had reservations about the nature of this venture, you have routinely found your own solutions to matters beyond my initial considerations. I find myself most pleased by the results of our efforts combined. I would not be surprised if this, too, was something you might have been hoping to achieve.”

  “So long as we don’t find something at this Nexus that’s beyond us, yes,” I replied with a smirk that he couldn’t see, but I was sure he could sense. “But I think heavy discussions on our alliance should wait until we have left Dromund Kaas and discovered what, if any, reaction the Order has taken to our leaving and the possibility that they have learnt of my actions on Kiffex.”

  “As you have left the Order, you are technically free of the rulings of the High Council. However, officially, they maintain dominion over all Force users within the galaxy, with a focus on the Republic. If they truly feel you are a danger to the Jedi or the Republic, they will consider it within their rights to request your presence in the Temple. Once there, regardless of the power you wield, they would overwhelm your defences and learn of your choice to use the Dark Side for personal gain. At that point, they would either seek to imprison you in one of several locations designed to contain dangerous Force users or, failing that, be forced to terminate your existence.”

  “Which is pretty much why, if they requested my return, I’d deny it,” I countered. “Or seek protection from the Co-Chancellors.”

  “You would risk siding with my former Master?” Maul growled, his rage rising slowly, though he kept it tempered.

  “No. I would use his status, and that of Plagueis, along with my connection to both, to seek protection from the Order. Not as a minion, though they would no doubt seek to have me become one and feel that helping me would push me further into their clutches, but as a barrier to buy me time to grow more powerful and ready to engage, not just the Jedi, but the Banite Sith as well.”

  “A dangerous plan, but there is logic in it,” Dooku commented even as I felt Maul’s anger ease. “However, I feel that seeking protection from the Co-Chancellors would do little. All matters relating to the Force fall under the jurisdiction of the Jedi, and the Sith are still too newly embedded in their office to have the influence to override the High Council on such a matter.”

  “You believe that the moment we leave this sector, the Jedi will seek his head?”

  “Nothing so blunt, but they will almost assuredly request a return to the Temple. When Cameron rejects that, the Council will have two choices to take. The first is to wait and see what actions Cameron takes in the coming months and years. They will monitor you as best they can, wary that you have fallen, but so long as you do not attempt to become a dictator, or engage in acts expected of a Dark Sider, they will likely allow you the freedom to do as you please.”

  “That would be ideal,” I commented with a smirk, “though I suspect that if my plans for the Mandalorians become known, their concerns will grow further.”

  “Yes. While the Mandalorians are not the mindless thugs many believe them to be, nor have I seen much indication from my interactions with them that they wish to return to their ways from before the New Sith Wars, they are still regarded by many who understand such things as something of a sleeping dragon. United under a true leader, they have the potential to match or exceed any army in the Republic.”

  I caught Dooku’s hidden message that it was the lack of a space force that held them back. While, given time, the Infinite Engine would rapidly be able to produce starships, it was far from being able to do that currently. At a guess, it would take around five years to get it to a size where it would be comparable to a decent-sized shipyard complex seen in many systems. To match the output of Kuat or other such worlds, however, would take decades of concentrated growth, if not centuries.

  “Assuming that the Council does not wish to grant him the benefit of the doubt, how would they proceed?” Maul asked, seemingly curious about the behaviour of the Order. That made sense, as while he had been told much about the Order from Sidious, he questioned everything about his past. Hearing the honest assessment from someone such as Dooku would help him form a far clearer understanding of another group of enemies.

  There was a short pause before Dooku replied, no doubt so he could consider his response. “In such a case, the High Council would dispatch Jedi to locate him to deliver the request – by this time a demand – in person.”

  “Who might they send for such a mission?” I asked, curious for some insight into how the Jedi were likely to behave in the coming months, if not years, in their behaviour towards me.

  “On that, I cannot say for certain. It will depend on whether the High Council decides you are a threat that needs to be dealt with quickly, or simply someone in need of guidance.” Dooku paused for a few moments as he considered something. “In the few cases where such an event has happened before, they would generally ask the Jedi’s former Master to locate and speak with them. Since I have already left the Order, then unless Master Fay has returned from her mission to locate Tython, that option is unavailable to them.

  “Working under the assumption that Master Fay has not returned by the time the Council reaches consensus on approaching you, they would send another Jedi, one that you are familiar with.”

  “Master Ti,” I suggested quickly.

  “Indeed. While she had not formally trained you, she oversaw some of your education while you were an Initiate, and then served alongside you as a mentor during the negotiations on Zygerria. Considering that, and the fact her current Padawan is one you consider a friend, she would be the logical choice.”

  Dooku paused there, and as he did, I focused for a moment on the consoles. Strange temperature fluctuations were coming from close to our destination. The Vhett’s systems were unable to understand what was happening, but I knew. Even at the current distance, I could sense the Dark Side around the Temple. It swirled with seemingly no purpose, raging chaotically around the target in a way designed to terrify any creatures or keep any fool stupid enough to attempt to approach from doing so.

  Yet beneath that chaos, I felt the faintest hint of purpose. As if someone or something was manipulating the Force to control and direct it. A Dark Sider of decent potential, perhaps. However, until we were closer, and I reached out to break the chaos at my feet, I couldn’t say for certain.

  “If we assume that Master Ti is unavailable, which, given her tendency to depart from Coruscant to train her Padawans, is probable, then the Council would seek to send a Jedi skilled in diplomacy but with sufficient skill that they should be capable of defeating you if you turned against them. Given that I trained you, they would either send one skilled with Makashi, such as Master Unduli, or someone skilled with Soresu or even Djem So. Perhaps Master Trebor,” I bit my tongue, aware of that particular Master, and his rather spectacular failure against Jango Fett in the other timeline, “or Master Bulq.”

  “I assume that so long as I don’t engage them, they will leave peacefully?”

  “They should. Without cause, and if your position of command was approved and legal by local customs, they could not demand your removal without approaching the Senate. There, perhaps ironically, the Sith would work to delay such a request, seeking to both draw you further into their web and broaden the divide between you, your allies, and the Order, though they would, as I mentioned earlier, only be able to delay such a request for a short time.” I nodded, remembering that we’d touched on this a moment ago. “If the Council chose to pursue a more aggressive path, or you failed to heed their warnings and concerns, they would consider dispatching a Strike Team to take you down. The strength of that would depend heavily on the circumstance, but at a minimum, I would believe four Jedi of at least Knight rank would be dispatched, Padawans as well if their Masters felt they were ready for such an assignment.”

  “Based on what I have seen of the Jedi, such a group would not pose a challenge to any of us.”

  I smirked at Maul’s comment even as Dooku responded. “If they were dispatched without an understanding of our abilities, and simply randomly selected from within the Order, then I would concur. However, the Council are aware of what Cameron is capable of, at least up until you fought him on Naboo, and that I had overseen his training. As such, the team they deployed would be above the standard level of most Jedi. Even so, I feel confident that Cameron would emerge from such a confrontation victorious and in sufficient condition to prepare for the Council’s next strike team.”

  “I’d prefer not to have to worry about Jedi Strike Teams for at least a few more years,” I commented with a dry chuckle, “but I’m glad to see you have faith in me, Master.”

  “You have several failings, Cameron. However, your ability to adapt and overcome a challenge when placed before you is not one of them. A fact we are all aware of. After we have departed this world, your knowledge and power will only continue to grow, and the Order will remain unaware of that until their hypothetical Strike Team is defeated. Perhaps longer if you could ensure that none survived to report back to the High Council.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  In the depths of my mind, I had already known that the Council would eventually seek to remove me from the board. Hearing it from Dooku only made it more certain that eventually I would be forced into direct opposition with the Order. However, I found myself hoping that of those sent to face me, neither Shaak Ti nor Mace Windu were sent. Not because I feared fighting either, or that I felt I couldn’t survive such a confrontation, but because of their Padawans.

  Tedra was someone I considered something akin to a little sister or cousin, and I didn’t want to find myself placed in a situation where I was forced to choose between killing her or protecting my plans and what I’d become. As for Serra… I didn’t even know if I could raise my blade against her, and hoped to never discover if I could.

  … …

  … …

  As I stepped out into the air of Dromund Kaas again, I could feel the Dark Side swirling around me. Unlike at any other point since we’d first landed on the planet, the Force here lacked definition. It did not lack control, as I could sense the presence of others directing the Force around and before me, a refinement of the otherwise chaotic energy. It was as if those here, while strong with the Force, were not worthy of their domination of the Force, or that the Dark Side understood that it would soon be brought to heel by a more powerful and suitable master.

  The HUD on my armour was going mad, struggling to process the various shifts in temperature, pressure, and moisture of the air around me. Faint, indistinguishable sounds were tracked for the fleeting moments they existed by the audio receptors in the armour, though the HUD couldn’t make any sense of what was being said. The programming of the systems was unable to comprehend what was happening, as they couldn’t sense or process the Force in any meaningful way to allow for any understanding.

  “Anakin, I want you to remain with the ship for now,” I said, knowing that the boy would seek to follow me when it wasn’t safe for him to do so. “HK, remain with him,” I added quickly before my Apprentice could challenge my authority.

  “Affirmative: Yes, Master. However, I am disappointed to not test my skills against Force users without having to be concerned about the local environment.”

  I chuckled under my helmet, amused at the droid’s response. It was exactly what I’d expected him to say, but I was glad he would obey. “If there are any who are wise enough to seek mercy, you might get your chance,” I commented before turning my full attention to the structure before me.

  My primary focus was on the Force as it shifted around me, centred on the imposing structure before us in challenge to my presence. There were none of the oppressive restrictions and weight I’d felt in Kaas City before I’d assumed the Imperial Throne, nor any hint that Vitiate had any influence over this place. The control and precision that had signified the strength of Vitiate’s echo were long gone, replaced by a seemingly raging mass of chaos that sought to hinder my approach to the temple before us.

  I turned off the HUD’s sensors. They were useless to me now, little more than distractions from the truth. All that remained was a visual feed of what was around me as I trusted the Force and the Interface to provide me with the information I demanded.

  Within the insanity that the Force was projecting, I could feel the presence of others; their minds working in support of their leader to enhance the fury of the Dark Side, seeking to drive us away or shatter our minds to dust. Yet for all the danger it projected, for all the looming threat of annihilation that I sensed, I found myself entirely unafraid and at ease. The Prophets were strong, yes, but against me, they were but specks of dust in the wind. Add in my allies, and I already knew the looming confrontation was a foregone conclusion.

  “They are skilled at using the Dark Side,” Maul commented as he moved to stand at my left. “I can feel their attempts at manipulating my mind as they use the Force. Not that it is sufficient to affect me,” He added as I felt a spike of anger in him for a moment, one he used to metaphorically slap away a tendril of the Dark Side that seemed to be trying to influence him.

  That tendril recoiled as if burnt, and I smirked as I felt some of those controlling its madness shudder through the induced chaos of the Dark Side. In that moment, they understood that Maul was no mere adventurer, or some lost Jedi seeking to understand the Force. No, what they faced was a Master of the Dark Side and one that did not stand alone.

  “They have potential if they can be brought to heel,” Dooku offered from my right. “However, I suspect that the stronger members of this group will not realise they are inferior before we exterminate their existence.”

  “Even those with a weak potential can be put to use,” I replied as I stepped forward. “We will need an army of Force users to take on the Jedi and Banite Sith, and while the three of us are powerful, we cannot be everywhere at once.”

  “Is that why you have allowed the Twi’lek and Kiffar to remain on Mandalore?”

  “Perhaps,” I said as a way of answering Maul’s question, even as I raised my hand and extended my presence into the Force.

  The Dark Side shuddered as I pushed my domination forward, seeking to shatter the control the Prophets held over it and take it for my own. I could feel it shifting, recoiling back and then expanding forward as if seeking a flaw in my presence to exploit. It would find none of that, I was certain. My control was absolute, and with seven weeks to accept the truth of who I was and begin forging my legacy free of any doubt over my ancestry, I would not allow this group of misguided fools and challengers to stop me at the first hurdle thrown into my path.

  In the moments I fought for domination of the Force, I could feel the power that was centred on the temple and the Nexus within. It was exhilarating, offering me power freely if I would only let it merge with me, yet also deceiving, as the very same offer carried with it the insanity that submission to the worst parts of myself and the Force would bring.

  A grunt slipped from my lips as I felt the minds of the Prophets strengthen. They pushed their power into a central figure – their leader, of that I was certain – and attempted to destroy my barriers and control with a tidal wave of power. It was impressive to be sure, but what good was a mere tidal wave against one who had the power to bend space to his will?

  Allowing the well within me to open, I reached down, drawing on that permanent source of emotions and pulling it outwards. I could see within the eyes of my mind my rage over a dozen different events and moments swirling around each other, forming into ever-tighter spirals. Then, once I was ready, I drove that power forward; the bit of the drill crashing into the wave that challenged me.

  I held back the amusement I felt as the wave shattered, as my power tore through it as if it were little more than durasteel under assault from a turbolaser. For a moment, I felt a swell of fear from the minds of the Prophets, and while it was quickly extinguished, the fact that it now resided in their hearts meant this battle for control was already over.

  With a mere thought, I had the drill of my power expand, shredding more of the wave these fools had dared to use against me. They had potential in that Dooku had been correct, but they lacked the conviction and training to stand against me on this battlefield, to say nothing of the power my allies could command.

  As if by fate, I felt Maul and Dooku add their authority to mine, and what remained of the wave of Dark Side energy the Prophets had dared to throw against us was obliterated. The cold, almost mechanical precision of Dooku’s Force signature, working alongside mine and the focused inferno that was Maul to consume the challengers to our supremacy.

  “Perhaps they are not as worthwhile as I had believed,” Dooku commented as we pulled back from the mental battle. “I had expected better from those who were seemingly part of a Nexus.”

  “They have not faced a challenge worthy of them since they came here,” Maul countered with odd insight. “I grasped from the mind of one of them that they have been here unopposed by outsiders for generations.”

  Under my helmet, I grinned. “It seems the time of their isolation is now over,” I stated as I walked forward slowly, my hand summoning my hilt to my grasp. “Let us see if they are worthy of finding new purpose in what is to come.”

  The faint but familiar howl of my lightsaber igniting was accompanied by that of Maul’s twin blades and then Dooku’s single blade. As we moved closer, my eyes scanned the building before me, impressed at the construction, even if those who dwelled within it had yet to prove worthy of being anything more than lambs to the slaughter.

  The building stood tall above the jungle that surrounded it as if it were a bastion of defined civilisation amongst the chaos of nature. The walls rose high and straight, the lines of the place concise and defined sharply. It was impressive in scale, yet brutal and minimalist in design; a logical and perfect symmetry of what the Dark Side could be when properly controlled and manipulated.

  There were none of the statues or displays of importance for Vitiate that existed in almost every other location I’d visited on the world. That suggested that this Temple was one that had risen either after the Empire had fallen, or something from a time before Vitiate brought the survivors of the Great Hyperspace War here to rule over them.

  At the front of the temple was a large door, one that even if we stood on each other’s shoulders, none of us could touch the top of. Before that was a large, open pavilion lacking in decoration of any form, bar the slick black stone it was crafted of.

  When my foot reached the edge of that pavilion, the massive doors opened and from within, a group of shadowy figures could just be seen within the confines of the temple itself.

  Summoning the Force to me, I spoke. “My name is Cameron Shan. This world is mine. Surrender and serve, or stand and die.” The air around us seemed to shudder as I spoke; my words carried through the Force so that all within the Temple would hear me. I knew that the figures just inside the doors were not all there was. The Force, in service to me, revealed the presence of over a hundred figures within, and that the leader of these so-called prophets was deeper inside.

  From deep within the Temple, there came a snarl of fury, one that vibrated within the Force. The roar that raced through the Force carried with it the threat of death, yet as it reached me, I raised my free hand. Within the confines of the Force, the roar simply ceased to be. Any danger it might have held was vapourised in an instant by my power.

  “There was a time,” I said more to myself than anyone else, though my voice still echoed through the Force to all within the Temple, “that I might have offered you a second chance. That I might have shown mercy to all those who stood before me and my allies. However, that time has passed. All that remains is for you to either die or submit.”

  The Force bent to my demands, flowing through every fibre of my body, enhancing and empowering me. I could’ve raced forward, charged into the temple and obliterated those who stood at its threshold; however, I didn’t. Instead of showing such fury, I chose to walk calmly towards the giant doors, my steps slow, precise and measured. A display that made clear I knew those standing in my path weren’t worthy of seeing me unleash the full breadth of my power.

  From those shadows, I smirked as I saw shafts of red slide into being, and then watched as the figures stepped into the light – such as it was – of the early evening on Dromund Kaas. Each figure wore robes that were as dark as the void of space and seemed to radiate nothing but despair and danger. Or at least that was the impression they would generate in those weak enough to be affected by such feeble attempts.

  “It appears they wish to die,” Dooku commented, his meticulously controlled resolve seemingly unmoved by the display of intent from the twenty beings that had exited the temple by the time he spoke.

  “Good. I have missed the pleasure of seeing fear on my enemies' faces,” Maul stated from my left, his Force signature bristling with desire to unleash his abilities. “However, I can tell that even if every pitiful fool before us chose to attack one of us, it would still be a slaughter.”

  “Perhaps their leader and his closest figures might be more of a challenge,” I suggested. I already knew from how easily I had stomped out the wave of fury that had emanated from within the temple that the challenge here was less than what Karkko had generated, but I hoped he would provide some form of entertainment.

  As one, we rushed forward, the Force empowering us to move at speeds that few sentients could track, let alone match. Those at the entrance to the temple moved to prepare, their actions slow as if stuck in treacle or quicksand. Before the first had even shifted fully into a defensive stance, I had moved past him, my blade slicing through his arm and chest with ease.

  The next fell as quickly, their eyes unflinching as they failed to realise just how outclassed they were. The third and fourth began to fall as well, and only then did the first flickers of fear emanate from those that remained. The flickers died a fraction of a second later, as I found myself standing at the entrance to the temple, Dooku and Maul still at my side.

  Behind us, the HUD registered eighteen bodies now beaten and dead on the steps. Their lightsabers were still powering down or clattering with the remains of their former wielders down the steps and onto the pavilion. Our assault had been so rapid that only a scant few seconds had passed, but already the first wave was gone.

  “I would assume those were their lowest-skilled members,” Dooku remarked as I stepped over the threshold and into the temple proper. “However, the lack of skill displayed was pitiful. Even your apprentice would be capable of taking on most of them at once without concern.”

  “Perhaps, but I’m not going to allow him the chance to test that theory. Unearned arrogance is a trait I won’t tolerate in Anakin.” I didn’t need to see him to sense Dooku nodding in approval.

  The corridor we found ourselves now moving down was as tall as the main doors yet narrow, barely wide enough for five sentients to travel side by side. The walls, according to the HUD of my armour, were made of blackened durasteel, though not to the same impressive refinement as those within the Imperial Citadel or the Palace.

  Around us, I could feel the Force watching us. The eyes of whoever led this cult sought to examine us for weakness and undermine our intentions. With a flick of my wrist, the presence this leader projected was driven back, snarling in fury at the ease of my dismissal.

  The corridor quickly opened up into a large chamber. The ceiling rose higher than the corridor, held up by a dozen great columns. Upon the closest column, etchings of warriors battling were shown, though details of who they were or what they were fighting over were unclear. Each column also had torches high on it, about halfway to the ceiling, far overhead. The flickering light from them failed to fully illuminate the chamber, and shadows danced around the floor and columns as if seeking to hide the defenders from our presence.

  I moved forward slowly but with purpose, alert to the potential for an ambush but unconcerned about the threat such an event might pose. As we strode deeper into the chamber, corridors leading into the darkness appeared at regular intervals along the walls of the chamber, while before us was a large set of double doors. While nowhere near as massive as those that granted access to the temple from the outside, the engravings around those doors, along with the Sith script above them, made clear these were the doors that led towards the more important sections of the temple, and thus where we would discover the leader of this cult.

  As we neared the doors ahead of us, they slowly slid open. The gears groaned as if in protest, but the sound echoed within the Force, suggesting it was another defensive measure of the place. One that, like those encountered before, failed to affect the three of us. The ten figures that strode through the doors, each carrying a red-bladed lightsaber, were at least able to make me stop. Not because I felt they posed any great threat to myself, Dooku, and Maul, but because the Force offered up a warning.

  Reaching out into the Force, bending the air around me to my will, I sent out tendrils seeking to discern where the threat came from. I chuckled as I understood what was happening, even as those who had slipped from the passageways along either side of this first chamber sought to cloak themselves in shadows: ones borne of both the light of the torches and the Force.

  “You stand before the Prophets of the Darkside, outsiders.” The words came from the central figure of the group before us, even as I tracked the movements of those trying to flank us with ease. “Surrender and prepare to face High Prophet Cronal’s judgement, or die where you stand.”

  I tsked, though the sound never made it beyond the Beskar of my armour. Unless the figure before me and those with him were able to fully cloak their abilities from the Force and me, then the threat was about as dangerous as a paper cut to HK.

  At my sides, Maul and Dooku readied themselves, our plan already set without a word spoken or thought exchanged. In an instant, I was before the ten in front of us, close enough that I saw their eyes beneath their robes widen in shock. A grunt slipped from the one who had spoken, my blade buried to the hilt in his chest.

  “Weak.”

  The single word I muttered was followed by my blade withdrawing as I pivoted. The blades of those with him began to lift, their bodies breaking free of the moment of terror at seeing how fast I’d moved and how quickly their leader had fallen.

  It did them no good, however, and with a few quick shifts of my feet and movements of my arm, my blade had sliced through four more. Three fell to the ground dead, their blades clattering off the stone beneath our feet. The other, lucky or not, screamed as he moved his remaining hand to the other shoulder, clasping the burnt flesh where I’d severed the limb and with it his weapon.

  That figure fell to his knees, roaring in pain, though by the time he reached the ground, three more of his cohort had been dispatched. The final three, showing a hint of intelligence, had managed to move closer to each other. They sought protection in the act, yet as I turned to face them, my free hand flicking out to slam the Force into the wounded figure and render him unconscious, we all knew it would do them no good. They were as outclassed against me as a Bantha was against a Krayt Dragon.

  The one on the right moved to attack, only to stop in a feint. My blade was already up to block the attack from the one on the left while my free hand drove forward, slamming my armoured fist into the centre figure’s chest. As that one stumbled back, shock radiating from him at the strength of my strike, my blade shifted with my wrist, and I slashed the one to my left across the chest.

  The figure on the right turned, attempting to take advantage of my seemingly exposed side. Yet as his blade moved slowly, my arm came out, slapping away the blade even as my lightsaber slashed deep across the gut of the central robed figure. As that one fell to the ground, I drove the point of my blade into his side, smirking as the HUD confirmed I’d stuck his kidney if he were human.

  Before the figure could even recover, my arm lifted, dragging my blade up, and I sliced until his arm was removed, adding more to the scent of burnt flesh that would be lingering in the air. A shifting of my feet, using the Ataru I’d incorporated into my style, had my blade sweep back around, striking the other two in a move that ensured they were dead. Perhaps it was unnecessary, as both had received fatal wounds, but even though neither felt like a threat nor had lasted more than a few moments against me, I was taking no chances.

  With these ten down, I turned to see Dooku and Maul moving towards me from their respective sides. The figures that had tried to flank us were dead to a man behind them.

  “A prisoner for interrogation?” Dooku asked, gesturing at the single member of the cult I’d rendered unconscious instead of outright killing.

  “It’s unlikely there’s much of worth here, but better to keep a few around until we’re sure,” I confirmed with my reply. A small nod of agreement was his response, and we turned as one, the three of us moving deeper into the temple.

  It took only a few minutes before we arrived at the next chamber. This one was circular; the walls covered in intricate carvings and Sith glyphs. The HUD worked to record everything seen; the program devised by R2 from the ancient language was able to provide decent yet incomplete translations.

  “Prophecies,” I stated to the other two. “Not sure exactly of what, but the way they’re phrased makes clear that’s what they’re meant to be.”

  The pair nodded, though Dooku had already moved deeper into the room, heading towards a pool at the centre. It was about five metres across, the edge marked by square stones that I understood easily were meant for kneeling upon.

  “A meditation chamber of some form,” Dooku remarked as he gazed at the water. I watched as it began to bubble, and my former Master lifted his free hand to his chin. “Intriguing.”

  I stayed back, not having spent much of my time as an Initiate or Padawan training to understand prophecies, nor placing much faith in them if I could avoid it. Not after Naboo. The only vision I placed any certainty in was the one I had shared with Anakin that made clear that whatever path we walked, if the galaxy was to emerge from the darkness generated by the Banite Sith and other threats, we had to walk it as allies and brothers.

  As Dooku observed the pool, I felt a faint shifting in the Force around us. Almost as if the air was growing thicker and heavier. I ignored it, as this wasn’t the time to focus on such things, a sentiment Dooku must’ve shared as he turned and moved away from the pool.

  As a group, we moved forward and headed towards the exit from this meditation chamber. Beyond the doors that we were about to head through, I could sense the presence of the leader of this cult. The minimap displayed a little over forty beings anywhere from ten to thirty metres ahead of us, and before the doors opened, I knew all were in the next area. This would be where either the remains of the Prophets of the Darkside bent the knee, or where I shattered their cult and reduced it to ash.

  With a gesture, I had the Force open the doors before me. As they swung inward, I stepped through, my blade ignited but relaxed at my side. Maul and Dooku followed a step behind and then came to stand at my sides as my equals.

  We found ourselves in a large natural-appearing cavern, one that the HUD reported was perhaps a hundred metres across. The cavern was generally devoid of features, save for a set of stairs that led to a raised seat. On that seat, at what felt like the centre of the nexus that radiated through this temple, sat a single figure. I could sense his presence with ease and knew this was the one who had tried to use the Force to confront and break me after I’d made my statement before we’d entered the temple.

  That figure was High Prophet Cronal, and while his power was impressive, boosted as it was by the nexus that he seemed to have control over, I knew my power was beyond his, and based on the performance of the members of this cult we’d encountered so far, so was my skill with a lightsaber.

  “You are the ones who dare disturb our worship?” Cronal asked as he sat on his pathetic throne. Below him and between us, forty-four robed figures stood. They all had their lightsabers ignited and looked ready to attack the moment Cronal gave the order.

  I ignored those figures and looked at Cronal, though I chose not to respond. The silence stretched out, and I could sense the unease of those under his command. A few even shifted slightly as they stood awaiting their leader’s command.

  “Why have you come here?” Cronal asked, moving on from my lack of response to the earlier question. I suspected he hoped to draw me into a conversation – to find a weakness in our group or delay long enough for others to arrive to help him – but I had no interest in engaging in such things with him. I’d made clear my intentions before entering the temple.

  Once more, I ignored his question, choosing instead to move forward slowly. Those before us tensed. Well, all save the six that were directly between Cronal and me. Those six stayed still even as their leader’s expression started to darken. Curious as to the threat he posed, I used Observe.

  High Prophet Cronal (Perek)

  Race: Human

  Level: 32

  Health: 100%

  Age: 45

  Force Potential: High

  Threat Potential: High

  Reputation: Hated

  Affiliation Loyalty: Cronal (100%) Prophets of the Dark Side (95%)

  Emotional State: Angered/Expectant

  The man once known as Perek is angered that not only have you arrived at his temple, but that you have killed many of his disciples.

  However, he is excited to see if you are the one he has seen in his visions. The one who will remake the galaxy into an Empire of the Sith. An Empire in which he will serve and wield power to help bring darkness to the pitiful existence of others.

  …

  I smirked under my armour, pleased that at least this Cronal would seemingly present a challenge. Quickly using Observe on those between us, I discovered that only one other had High Force Potential, though that man’s Threat Potential was only Intermediate. Still, while even Cronal by himself was only a decent threat, there was strength in numbers, in theory.

  “Stop!” Cronal growled as I continued to move forward slowly. When I failed to obey, I felt a swell of anger from him, followed a moment later by his rising from his pitiful throne. Around him, the Dark Side swirled, and I could acknowledge that he had some skill in controlling the Force. However, it wasn’t enough to concern me.

  Rolling the wrist of my free hand, I reached out into the Force, not just taking control of it, but demanding its obedience as I brought it to heel. Cronal stayed still, but I felt the flickers of unease from his followers at the small display of strength I’d just given.

  “Kill them.”

  At Cronal’s order, thirty-eight members of the Prophets moved, calling the Force into themselves as they advanced on us. The majority chose to come at me, which, while amusing, was a mistake as Maul and Dooku were not to be ignored. However, with me having taken all of Cronal’s attention, and thus made the Prophets focus on me, they had dismissed the other two as nothing more than my pawns. A blunder I already knew would prove fatal.

  Leaning to one side as I took a step forward to meet the first challenger, I lifted my free hand. The closest Prophets were pushed backwards by the wave that erupted from my palm, slamming into those close by. Even as they struck the ground, Maul was amongst the ranks of those who had chosen to face him, his twin blades blazing with fury at the choice of the Prophets to ignore him.

  My blade danced up, guiding away the attack of one Prophet, only to then flick to the other side, tapping down another attack. Before that figure had time to recover, my armoured fist slammed into his side, and I unleashed my fury.

  The Prophet screamed as a concentrated blast of the Force struck him. The defences every Force user created to prevent themselves from being influenced or attacked by another using the Force were so feeble that they were little more than paper against my might.

  As the man’s guts exploded out of his other side, soaking the black robes of other members of the cult, my blade came back around, slicing the already defeated man across the chest. As he fell, his body broken and his life fading, he fell into the path of another Prophet, knocking away his attack and allowing my armoured fist to slam into the skull of the first Prophet to have attacked me in this chamber.

  That figure had brought up their blade, and for a fraction of a second, they had delighted in the idea that they would remove my limb. The shock that flashed through his mind as my armour not only resisted the strike of his lightsaber but pushed the blade away and exposed his face was enjoyable. Though not as much as the sound of bone breaking, as I struck his jaw.

  As that target fell away, I caught a glimpse of Dooku. My former Master moved gracefully through the crowd of Prophets trying to surround him. His blade flicked out only as needed; the faintest touch of it against that of an opponent’s blade ensured their strikes missed by just enough while exposing an opening into which he struck, taking down one of the challengers. Already one lay on the ground near him, the second joining even as I returned my full attention to those engaging me.

  As my blade danced through the air, diverting and redirecting any attack aimed at me away, my gaze fell on Cronal as I continued advancing towards him. The leader of the Prophets had stepped down from his throne, and as I downed two more of his followers, he waved his hand.

  While I leaned to one side, avoiding the thrust of a Prophet, I saw the six who had remained still – no doubt Cronal’s senior guard – advance. A grin spread over my face even as I unsheathed my Beskad, using the razor-sharp edge to slice through the side of the minor Prophet I’d just avoided an attack from. A grunt was all the Prophet gave in response to my blade sinking deep and lacerating several of his organs. Yet even as he stumbled back, I moved away, intent on advancing towards my true target.

  The others who had first attempted to kill me backed off, shifting to either Maul or Dooku as the six senior Prophets advanced upon me. They spread out, seeking to half-encircle me. Their blades raised, ready to strike me down. Yet I moved forward, savouring the chance to cut loose and engage Force-wielding opponents. I enjoyed my spars with Dooku and looked forward to the next time Maul challenged me, but those had limits. Yes, Maul would strike me down if it meant it granted him victory, just as I would do with him, but we held back. I understood that killing Maul weakened my plans while Maul knew that, at least for now, he needed my help to strike down his former Master. In time, I hoped that his intentions would shift beyond revenge and that we would consider each other allies in the truest sense of the word, but for now, it was sufficient.

  With these Prophets, there was no need for me to hold back. I had no intention of subjugating them. Not while Cronal remained alive. I would have liked them to recognise my power and understand that they should follow me. However, if I were forced to kill them all and bring an end to whatever they were up to here, then I would do so. I would not allow any Force user who might be used by Sidious or Plagueis against me to remain alive if I couldn’t bring them to my side.

  My lightsaber flicked up, tapping away a probing thrust from one of the six before me. The Beskad moved a moment later to angle another attack towards the blade of another Prophet. Each attack was slow, pitiful even, but I knew these six were simply testing me, trying to determine my skill. While I had struck down several Prophets already, I had yet to fully display my abilities.

  Their attacks continued, each Prophet moving in sync with the other five, defending, attacking, feinting, and probing in an attempt to locate an opening in my stance. Nothing slipped through in that rapid opening exchange, and I felt the Force around me shift.

  Aware of what was coming, I called on more of my power, my blades dancing in the air to push back each attack that seemingly came at random. Each Prophet moved at their own speed while working as a greater whole. Yet already I had seen the flaw in their style and was preparing my response.

  Every Prophet used the same velocities. Each moved with powerful intent to strike me down, and I could feel them drawing on their anger as their speed increased; irritation creeping in as I easily countered the group while the air around us slowed the faster we moved.

  My Beskad swept the air, dancing around a thrust from one Prophet. The one beside them attempted a slash, but my arm was already angled in anticipation. As their attack missed even touching my armour, the Beskad came down and guided the blade away, taking them off-balance.

  I didn’t push the opening. Instead, my body moved as my lightsaber came up to parry an attack from my other side. My feet danced over the ground, using the Ataru footwork I’d adapted to counter Makashi’s base issue with multiple opponents. Perhaps I should be trying harder to take these six down, but for at least a few moments, I was testing myself to see how well my style worked against multiple opponents who could wield the Force. This would be, more than likely, the only chance I would get until the Jedi decided to send teams to apprehend me.

  Still, as I slipped back, avoiding a low slash aimed at my thighs, I knew I couldn’t dally too long. Not only might these six create an opening that might see them strike my armour, but they weren’t my true target. Only Cronal mattered.

  My Beskad clipped away an overhead strike, and then I spun back to avoid a strike from my other side. As I finished the spin, I dropped low. While a lightsaber slashed through the air where my chest had been, that wasn’t my intention, and I drove my fist into the ground at my feet.

  The six Prophets before me were driven back and taken from their feet as the Force did as I demanded and caused a shockwave to erupt from where I struck the ground. While the group was in the air, I leapt forward. My legs swung out, striking those closest to me and knocking them into their allies. The action cleared them from my surroundings and opened a path to Cronal.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  As I landed before his throne, I looked up at him, a wide grin that he couldn’t see burning on my face. I could sense his anger, both at me challenging him and at his bodyguards not just failing to land a strike against me, but being knocked aside with such ease.

  “Kneel,” Cronal growled as he moved towards me, his blade at his side and his fury focused and ready.

  “Die,” I countered as I sheathed my Beskad. I could already sense I wouldn’t need the blade against Cronal, nor did I wish to use it. This duel, for however long it lasted, would be fought between warriors of the Force.

  As he came closer, I caught a snarl on his face from my words. The Force surged to him as he raised his blade and roared as he moved to attack. I stayed still, waiting for his strike, the Force flowing through and around me under my domination.

  My lightsaber came up, parrying his strike. My feet shifted the moment our blades met, and I felt the rage in his strike. Instead of trying to counter the power of the Djem So strike, I used precision to guide it aside.

  As he moved past, carried by his momentum, I pivoted and drove my free fist into his side. He stumbled past, snarling with anger at how easily I’d countered his attack, which only made my grin grow.

  His body snapped around, his blade sweeping towards me with malicious intent. My blade came out, guiding his strike high as I dropped low, ensuring the attack sailed over my head. I angled my lightsaber, intending to slash his leg as he moved past, but I was forced to abort. The Force alerted me to him already shifting and redirecting the momentum of his missed attack into a new assault.

  With grace, I slid back, letting the counterstrike miss and then parrying his blade away with as little effort as I needed when he again angled his weapon around, conserving its momentum and redirecting it into his next attack. I would admit that Cronal had some skill, but already I saw the openings I needed.

  His next attack came in, aiming to sever my head from my body. Even ignoring the fact that I was wearing my armour, I had no intention of letting the strike land. My blade came up, angling his attack away. There was a flicker in his eyes as if he hoped to exploit my move, but it gave way to a splash of fear when, instead of stepping back, I moved to meet his strike.

  I stepped past him, my blade trailing behind me and looked around the chamber. Dooku and Maul had downed the majority of the Prophets with bodies littering the ground around them. As the thump of Cronal falling behind was detected by the HUD, I could tell which Prophets had fallen to which of my allies.

  Those that remained standing, eight in all, seemed to freeze as they, almost as one, turned to look at me. Or more accurately, at the fatally wounded and soon-to-die figure of Cronal as he knelt on the ground.

  As I turned, I sensed the build-up of rage and prepared my blade. A moment later, blue tendrils of energy erupted from Cronal’s fingertips. “YOU!” He snarled as the lightning crashed against the plasma of my blade. “You are not the one!”

  I stood there, letting him vent the embers of his life and rage into the attack, feeble as it was. Once it died, I flicked my blade to the side as if dismissing the attempted assault with contempt. “Was that all you could muster?” I asked as I looked down at him. “A few sparks of power as your life slowly ebbs away. To think I had considered you Prophets perhaps useful.”

  I lifted my free hand and summoned my power. “Wait!” Cronal shouted, his eyes widening as he and those who had followed him felt the full extent of my power for the first time. “Pleaargh!”

  His words were cut off as I showed him what true power looked like. His body shuddered and contorted as purple vines of Force Lightning danced around and engulfed his body. His choked screams, no doubt for mercy, filled the natural chamber, echoing off the stone walls around us.

  Once the irritating sound of his voice ended, I ceased my display. Smoke rose from what remained of his robes, and the HUD reported that his body had suffered fourth-degree burns over its entirety. That, however, was all unimportant.

  Turning, I looked at those left in the chamber. Dooku had one eyebrow raised, and I could sense the question in his gaze. Still, he offered me a nod, understanding that I would explain my choice to burn Cronal after his defeat to him later. Maul looked calm, but there was a slight flicker in his Force signature. Almost as if he was remembering times when Sidious might have done something similar, though not to the same extent, to him as I had done to Cronal.

  The Prophets who remained, at least those able to move, had fallen to their knees and lowered their heads. Five of the eight were bowing before me, yet while I found their servitude amusing, it served no purpose. “Stand.”

  Almost as one, the seven stood. Two others joined them, each missing a limb, and if not for the wound coming from a lightsaber would have already died of blood loss. Each of them looked close to passing out from pain, and if they did so, be it.

  “Gather any that remain in the temple and bring them here,” I ordered. “I want every remaining member of your sect here within half an hour, or all will perish.”

  All seven remaining Prophets shifted to move, though one who was missing his leg below the right knee struggled. “You,” I said, pointing at him, “stay.” Beyond the fact that he would simply slow down the gathering of the others, I could use him for questioning.

  Dooku moved closer, a look in his eyes. “We will ensure they obey the order,” he said calmly. I nodded my thanks before he and Maul moved off.

  Turning to the remaining Prophet, who had already fallen back to the ground. “Now,” I began as I approached him, powering down my blade, though making sure to stay back in case this man displayed a desire to die, “tell me about this cult.”

  As I waited for him to reply, I opened the Battlenet, letting HK and Anakin know that it was safe for them to enter. While the Dark Side here was calmer as it understood I now ruled this temple, it was still strong. Making it to me without issue would be a nice test to see how Anakin had adapted during his time on Dromund Kaas to the presence of the Dark Side against his senses and thoughts.

  … …

  “Explain this,” I growled at the member of the Prophets of the Darkside that stood before me, my fist clenched as I tried to maintain control of my rising temper, as I fixed the senior Prophet remaining, Coodev, with a glare that might well reduce him to ash if I failed to maintain control of myself.

  In front of me, cowering on the ground like little more than pathetic beasts ready to be slaughtered, was what remained of the Prophets of the Dark Side. These six that knelt before me were those who had survived the battles against me, Dooku, and Maul, or at least those who hadn’t needed medical treatment. Another three, each missing part or all of a limb, had been taken to the Vhett for treatment under the watchful eyes of Maul. None of them should die from their wounds, but I hoped they might serve some purpose to me in the coming years. Or at least that had been my hope before another matter was brought to my attention, one that had brought forth my anger.

  “Hi… My Lord,” Coodev began slowly, fear radiating from him and the other five like a dam about to burst, even as he slowly rose to his feet, keeping his eyes on the ground. “It was the orders of High Prophet Cronal that there be no family association within our ranks.” He gestured at the huddled group that Dooku had brought into the hall, a slight tick on my former Master’s brow as he did so. “Those capable of birthing the next generation of Prophets were to be used freely by those inducted into our ranks.”

  My glare intensified so much that he took a shuffled step back, his eyes falling to the ground at my feet as if fearful that I might strike him down where he stood; something that I found mighty tempting in the moment. Those behind him, including the dozen women and half that again of young children that Dooku had brought here, all shifted, seeking to protect themselves from my fury. For Dooku, all he did was raise a single eyebrow, and taking the unspoken hint, I reigned in – as best I could – the fury that was burning within me.

  I growled loudly and shook my head, taking the moment to compose myself as best I could. Given the state those women were in, and what Coodev had just confirmed had happened to them, it didn’t take a genius to understand what they had endured, and I found myself sickened with the Prophets and the way they treated others.

  “And that meant that it was fine for any Prophet to… take liberties with a woman when the mood struck?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper yet carrying to every corner of the chamber with violent intent.

  “I-it was P-prophet C-cronal’s orders,” Coodev managed to get out as the other Prophets seemed to sink in on themselves. “W-we c-could not disobey.”

  The image of Coodev and the other remaining Prophets screaming for mercy as I burnt them to ash with the Force flashed through my thoughts. The idea held appeal, as these pathetic fools were no better than slavers and other filth that inhabited the galaxy. The very people that, when I’d encountered them before, if given the chance, I’d exterminated with prejudice.

  At another time, I’d have let that idea become prevalent in my mind and acted upon it. However, I knew that I needed Force users to fight for me in the coming years and decades. Those before me were weak, with only one, a boy a few years younger than me named Perzan, who had High Force Potential. The rest, including Coodev, had Intermediate Potential. Still, even that could be harnessed to make them powerful figures. Obi-Wan was only at that level of Potential yet, in the other timeline, had been considered one of the Order’s foremost Jedi and the master of Soresu.

  Yet for all the potential this lot held, the actions of raping and abusing any woman in the cult, even their mothers if they hadn’t realised it, filled me with such rage that I was glad I was maintaining my distance. If I had been closer to any of the defeated Prophets, I’d have ripped their throats out with my bare hands.

  “Cronal is dead,” I snarled, my rage slipping into my voice as it seemed to make the chamber shudder. “The next time any of you feel such an urge, do not approach any of these women. If you do, your death will b–”

  My head snapped to one side as, within the Force, I felt an ominous wave of unrestrained and unrefined fury wash over the temple. The cultists and their victims all cowered deeply, some wailing in terror at the power they felt. For me, it was not fear that rushed through me but concern. I knew Anakin’s force signature intrinsically, yet I had never seen or felt him this angry.

  “It appears young Anakin has discovered something.”

  I snapped a glance at Dooku, irritated at him for the unneeded comment, though all I got in return for my glance was the usual cool, dignified expression he always wore. That said, the tightness at the corners of his lips and the slight narrowing of his eyes made clear he was, like me, curious as to what had enraged Anakin and caused him to lose control for a moment.

  Even as I turned my focus back from my former Master, my mind reached out to my Apprentice. [Anakin?] I asked through our bond. In his current fury, there was no point in offering calming vibes or drawing out questions. While I certainly wanted to, not least as I could feel the chaotic nature of the Force in the temple reacting to Anakin’s eruption and seeking to tempt him to act on his rage, I knew that if I did, I risked turning that anger towards me. Anakin was no threat to me, not as he was now nor, I hoped, would he ever be, but trying to soothe his wrath now only risked damaging our bond. It was better for him to learn to control and temper it himself, drawing on all that I had taught him, and all that he’d learnt in our nearly two-year pilgrimage across the galaxy.

  [Cam! I… I found another,] Anakin’s voice echoed in my head; the righteous fury he radiated was impressive and slightly concerning. [S-she’s…] His mental voice trailed off, and through his mind, I saw the image of a girl. One younger than me and perhaps a little older than him.

  [Do you need help?] Even as I sent the question, I was looking at the minimap, noting where HK was in relation to myself and Anakin.

  [No. I… I can bring her to you,] he replied, his rage barely settling. [B-but… I…]

  At this point, as his fury slipped away and the shimmer of compassion and his desire to help emerged, I offered him a burst of support. [Bring her here, then. I will wait here with the others.] My eyes darted to the spot where the charred remains of Cronal lay. For the first time, I wished that the data we had taken from the Imperial Citadel and Vitiate’s former palace contained a method to bring back those who had died. Allowing his followers to rape and abuse women simply to ensure a new generation was a heinous crime, but the abuse of children…

  My hand stretched out and, with a snarl of anger that made the chamber vibrate, I bent the Force to my will. The chair that Cronal had ruled from shuddered before it exploded. The remaining Prophets and their victims trembled in terror as I reduced the symbol of their former ways to ash before their eyes.

  “My son,” I began slowly, a small fraction of my need for vengeance for what had happened here quenched, “has found a girl with blonde hair.” Several of the Prophets glanced at each other, waves of fear flowing from them. Coodev was one of those. However, my focus was on the women, in particular an older woman with blonde hair, the shade similar to that of the girl I’d seen through Anakin’s eyes. “Until she arrives, no one is to move.”

  My gaze shifted from the Prophets and their victims to Dooku. A single eyebrow rose as he met my gaze before he offered a small inclination of his head. A sign that he approved of what I was considering. I hadn’t spoken to him through the Force, but I wasn’t trying to hide the torrent of rage that was rising within me, and thus he could easily sense my intentions.

  Time faded away as I awaited the arrival of my son and the girl he had found. As I tracked their movements via the Battlenet and the Force, HK came towards them. Once he did, the trio moved more quickly, and when they emerged into the chamber, stepping out from a small side passage, I saw that the girl was being carried by HK. A rather unexpected event, but I already knew why it had happened. For all that he hated meatbags, HK was sworn to me, and Anakin was my adopted son, so he would obey him even if the order was one he disliked.

  My eyes fell on the girl, or more accurately, the fact that she was covered in what appeared to be only a sheet that looked filthy. What I could see of her legs bore signs of bruising from where she had either been struck or held, and it didn’t take a doctor to see she was malnourished and likely suffering from other issues. Wanting a fuller idea of her condition, I used Observe on the girl, and as I read what was revealed, I swore I heard the servos in my mechanical hand creaking as I clenched my fists.

  Sariss

  Race: Human

  Level: 10

  Health: 50% (Malnourished, Abused, Post-Traumatic Stress, Mental Regression, Cracked Ribs, Bruised Left Femur, Broken Right Radius, Fractured Right Ulna)

  Age: 14 (mentally 10)

  Force Potential: Very High

  Threat Potential: None

  Reputation: None

  Affiliation Loyalty: None

  Emotional State: None

  Sariss had no emotional state as her mind has been shattered because of what she has been forced to endure over the last eighteen months.

  She barely has any sense of self or idea of what she is other than something to be used by males to relieve themselves upon.

  …

  My mind slowed as I re-read what Observe had revealed, trying to process what it was stating. I’d seen many horrible things in my time, in this life and my previous one, and had things I’d rather not learn about uncovered by this power. However, what I was reading here, and what it was implying, this girl had endured…

  I closed my eyes, looked deep within myself and sought a sliver of calm in the inferno of enraged wrath that surged through every fibre of my being. My body, my mind, and the Force all screamed at me to destroy the remaining Prophets, to turn them into nothing more than ash and consign this farce of a cult to the forgotten pages of history. They needed to be punished, each and every one of them. Slowly, painfully, for days and days upon end until they understood the depths of their depravity and the horror it had inflicted on a child, one the same age as Tedra.

  Time lost meaning as I fought to retain my control; memories of seeing girls and women with similar looks in their eyes as Sariss bore. Those broken and shattered to a point that made me wish all they felt was some form of Stockholm Syndrome, as at least then they could feel something. Those broken, lost eyes of one who’d had their very sense of self stripped away and destroyed by creatures so vile that the only recompense was pain and death.

  I could feel the urge to strike down the remaining Prophets; to reduce this temple and the depravities it spawned to rubble. The Dark Side called to me to take my vengeance, to use its power to grant this girl and the other women whom we’d discovered some small measure of justice. It was hard to find anything wrong with doing that, and yet…

  My eyes opened, and I looked at Sariss again, seeing that she had been placed with the other women. The blonde I’d seen earlier, a woman named Karia, was now holding Sariss tightly, the other women having shifted to provide protection. Anakin stood next to Karia, his hand still holding Sariss’ tightly as the girl rested numbly, no hint of understanding flashing through her eyes.

  “Explain.”

  “M-my Lor-agh!” Coodev’s voice stilled as I lifted a hand, grasping his throat with the Force and silencing him.

  “Not you,” I snarled during the brief moment my eyes found his. “Ladies,” I continued, trying to keep every ounce of anger from my tone, as I spoke to the women we’d found in the temple, “this girl… Sariss… who is she that this was allowed to happen to her?”

  I stayed quiet, waiting for one of them to respond. Each of the women looked at Sariss and the others. I could sense they knew who she was, as did the remaining Prophets, with two – Coodev and another – trying and failing to hide their slowly growing fear. I already had a good idea why they were so scared; however, as much as I wished to inflict punishment upon them, I would reserve judgment until I heard details. For all its uses, Observe wasn’t something I considered infallible, nor all-knowing and all-revealing.

  “H-High Prophet Cronal believed that things like knowledge, family, and morality had no meaning.” The words came from Karia as she ran a hand down Sariss’ head, trying to soothe her, though her voice was weak. “All that mattered was chaos and the Dark. For him to bear a child…”

  “THI...” I stopped myself as Karia and the other women, and the handful of children with them, cowered as my voice rose and my fury engulfed the Force. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, taking several deep breaths to drive my fury down. These were the victims of what had happened, not the perpetrators. They deserved none of my anger.

  “She was his daughter?” I asked once I felt ready to speak again. Karia nodded slowly, tears slipping from her eyes as she failed to find the courage to speak. “Do you know which of these… men… touched her?” I asked slowly, mindful of my words. “Which of them touched any of you?”

  “My lord!” Coodev began only to shrink in on himself as my head snapped in his direction. I made no effort to control my Force presence, though I made sure to direct the entirety of my fury at him. As pitiful as it was, I enjoyed the way he shivered as he tried to hide himself from my rage.

  “You will speak only when I command,” I said quietly, my voice as cold and devoid of emotion as I’d ever heard it. Even taking into account when I’d used Player’s Mind, I don’t think I was ever this unemotional. “If you or any of those with you make any sound without permission, you will join your former master.”

  Coodev’s head dropped to the floor, and I watched as he began shaking. My gauntlet beeped, no doubt to alert me that the temperature around me had dropped several degrees in a few seconds. I paid that no heed even as I cancelled the alert, and as I restrained my presence and turned back to the women.

  Almost all of them were looking down as well, several shielding children protectively. Only Karia met my gaze, and I offered her a small smile that I knew wouldn’t bring her any comfort in recognition of her courage. “How many times have…”

  “More than I can count,” Karia replied slowly. She took a moment and looked away, lifting the sleeve of the tattered rag she wore – one that the other women and children had – to wipe her face. “Time had no meaning in our chambers. However, Sariss,” her arm tightened around the younger girl. “She was the one favoured by High Prophet Cronal along with his closest men.”

  I felt a whimper echo into the Force, one coming from where Coodev knelt, and I had to fight the maelstrom of wrath that rose within me, demanding I strike this depraved lunatic down where he kneeled. That he deserved a death a million times worse than what I had unleashed on Cronal. That he...

  “Schutta!”

  I blinked, caught out by the shouted curse, and as the fire within me pulled back and my vision cleared, I watched as Anakin raced towards Coodev. For a moment, I considered stopping him; however, as I felt the way his presence in the Force burned like the brightest star as it was enriched by his anger, I chose not to. Instead, I watched as he drove a fist, one empowered by the Force, into the face of the senior remaining Prophet, making the man’s head snap back with a sickening and slightly amusing crack that seemed to fill the air of the chamber.

  “shabuir!” Anakin screamed as he threw another punch, which caused both him and Coodev to fall over. The action caused Anakin to growl, his rage flooding into the Force, while Coodev groaned, and I felt a prickle of anger swell within him.

  “Anakin,” I said firmly as I moved towards the boy. My tone was firm but controlled, yet it failed to get through to Anakin as he turned and started striking Coodev again and again. As I reached them, Coodev raised his hand and brought a fist towards my Apprentice. “Don’t,” I snarled as I caught the fist in mine and then used the servos of the limb to crush it.

  “Agh!”

  “Do not dare to raise a hand towards my son,” I stated as I kept the pressure on, hearing the bones in the man’s hand shatter under the pressure I was applying. “Not when your punishment is deserved.”

  Coodev’s face hardened, but as I kept crushing, twitches of pain spread across his features. I, however, ignored those and turned to Anakin, who had just managed to right himself. “An’ika! Enough!” My voice was empowered by the Force as I allowed my presence to flood outwards. Nearby, I felt the women, children, and remaining Prophets all cower, but I kept my focus on my adopted son.

  “He attacked her!” Anakin snarled, his anger threatening to consume him. “He… He…”

  “I know,” I shot back firmly, Coodev whimpering again as I increased the pressure, working slowly to turn his hand into pulp even as I kept speaking. “And he will be punished, I assure you. However, I will not allow you to behave like a mad kath hound in your need for some false sense of aggrieved justice.”

  “But…”

  “No buts, Anakin!” I cut in, staring directly into the young boy’s eyes. “You are not a beast enthralled by your instincts and emotions, so do not act like one!” I paused and took a breath, settling myself once more. “Rage and righteous fury are fine, but you must learn to temper them. I trained you better than this, and I expect you to remember that otherwise the next time I’m forced to intervene in such a manner, you will be punished.”

  I understood his motives and agreed with them entirely. His methods, however, were not acceptable. Yes, it was rich of me to scold him for behaving as I had at times, but I expected him to learn from his and my mistakes and be better.

  Coodev whimpered as I pushed him away and released my hold on his hand. The other hand came up to grasp the wrist, his eyes filling with pain as he saw the state of the limb, or more accurately, what remained. Several of the women cowered as the gruesome sight was revealed, shielding the handful of children from seeing the damage I’d inflicted so casually. While that happened, I moved closer to Anakin and knelt.

  “For two years you’ve been learning to harness and control your emotions,” I said to him softly, “so that you can seek vengeance. This… man will get what is deserved, but I will not allow you to do that like some wild animal lacking any semblance of your control. Beyond being my son, your mother would never have wanted you to behave like this.” Perhaps it was a low blow to invoke Shmi, but as expected, it worked, and I felt his rage vanish within a few heartbeats.

  “I… I’m sorry,” he said slowly, his head dropping as his shoulders drooped. “It’s just…”

  “Again, I know, An’ika,” I countered as I placed my flesh and blood hand on his shoulder. “To seek justice for those who are wronged is an honourable thing. However, if you dispense that justice without thought, then you are no better than the scum that are being judged.” My hand moved to his chin, and I lifted his head so he could see my eyes. “Now, shall we continue hearing what happened, or do you need to leave?”

  Anakin blinked, catching the reprimand in my tone. “I… I’m good,” he responded after a few moments. “But… I want to be the one to dispense justice.” I looked deep into his eyes and reached for his presence in the Force. His need for vengeance – or justice, depending on how one wished to see it – remained, but it was now, if not settled, then at least cooled. Hopefully, enough that he wouldn’t lash out again.

  “If you can maintain your composure until I pass a verdict, and I think you are capable, then you shall do so,” I replied, yet inside, I was curious how this would affect him. Anakin had killed before, but each time it had been in combat, defending the lives of others. This would be, deserved as it was, an execution, and that was an entirely different method of killing.

  He nodded, and after smiling at him, I stood and turned. As I did, I glanced at Coodev. The former Prophet alternated between cradling his ruined hand and glaring at me from the corner of his eye. I could sense the growing flames within him. The need for revenge was acute and focused. Yet I knew that, for the time being, he would not act on that desire. Already, I could see that he would use the Force, as well as he could, to harness his pain and ready himself for the trial that awaited him. The question that floated in the air was whether it would be enough.

  Against me, it wouldn’t be. Even uninjured, I had breezed through the group Coodev had been a part of to reach Cronal. That group had then been decimated by Dooku and Maul, as had the others in the chamber. Yet I already knew that justice for Sariss and the others wouldn’t come from my hand, but Anakin’s. This was a moment in which he would be tested. By the Force and by himself.

  “Karia,” I began slowly, removing all hint of emotion and empathy from my tone, “were you saying that Cronal and his closest followers… enjoyed themselves with Sariss?” She nodded slowly, tears in the corner of her eyes. “For how long?”

  “With both High Prophet Cronal and High Prophet Herac before him, as soon as any woman matured, they were to be made freely available to the Prophets.” My fists tightened as I listened, but otherwise, I tried to keep my body calm. “H-however, for Sariss, High Prophet Cronal… he took her before she had begun to mature.”

  I closed my eyes and worked to restrain my emotions. I’d already expected much of what Karia had said, and some was even a repeat of what was revealed before Anakin’s outburst. However, learning that Cronal had abused his daughter, starting before her body had begun to prepare for such things…

  My head turned, and I stared at the charred remains of Cronal. Once again, I wished that I knew how to resurrect the dead. Cronal had died painfully, engulfed in the agony of Force Lightning. Yet, learning what I was now, it was clear that death had been too quick and merciful for such a foul creature.

  I moved closer to Karia as she cradled Sariss. “I cannot grant you the vengeance you deserve to experience because of what that vile monster did. However, I swear to you that I will do everything I can to ensure that such things never happen to you or the others here ever again.” My words were spoken to Karia, though they were meant for Sariss. The issue was that the young girl, one who had seen her innocence not just stolen, but corrupted and obliterated, might never recover from what she’d been made to experience.

  Karia closed her eyes and began lightly sobbing. I considered placing a hand on her shoulder as several of the other women started to do likewise, but I decided against it. The touch of a man, any man, after what had happened to them, wouldn’t bring them comfort.

  My head shifted, and I looked at the remains of Cronal again. Lifting my arm, I had those remains rise into the air, drawing the attention of everyone in the chamber. Well, almost everyone, as I saw Anakin glaring with murderous intent at Coodev, while the senior remaining Prophet worked to harness the suffering I’d inflicted on him to prepare for what he knew was coming. HK stood silently nearby, standing guard over the women and children, while Dooku had moved back, leaving this matter to me. I met his eyes for a moment, and received a faint nod; a hint of approval for my actions so far, and what he knew I was planning to do.

  As almost everyone watched, I closed my fist, and the corpse of their former leader began to shake as it floated. I focused every ounce of rage I felt towards the man, adding in the pain I felt radiating from the women and children present and thought of nothing else but removing everything that had made this monster from existence.

  As I concentrated, the force gathered around my hand, swirling in ever-darkening tendrils of purple shimmers. This wasn’t Force Lightning, as there was no point in inflicting the pain of such an attack on a corpse. No, this was something I had heard hinted at in the records from my father’s private journals. A method to obliterate a challenger so that nothing remained.

  Once I felt ready, I pushed the tendrils out, driving them towards the corpse. As we all watched, the blackened body shuddered in the air as it was engulfed by the tendrils. It took only a few moments for those tendrils to swirl around and through the dead flesh before they, along with the corpse, ceased to be.

  I lowered my hand as slowly as I could, working to hide just how drained I felt after what I’d done. Using the Force to turn a target into nothing more than atoms was far harder to manage than I’d expected. More so, I’d managed to ensure that only the corpse of the last High Prophet of the Darkside was the only thing engulfed in the attack.

  I turned my attention back to the others in the chamber, calling on the Force to hide my weariness from what I’d just done. “Cronal is gone and with him the rules he had enforced,” I said firmly, making sure everyone in the chamber could hear me clearly. “I cannot ask you to simply forget what you were forced to endure, nor will I expect you to. All I can promise is that when we leave this place, where we are heading, you do not need to fear such things happening to you ever again.” I let my eyes move over everyone in the chamber. “I give you this vow as a warrior and a father.”

  Before anyone could respond, I turned to Coodev, letting my emotions rise and focusing them on the former Prophet. “You are accused of not only assaulting a child but abusing her as well,” I growled as I stalked towards him. “What defence can you offer for your actions?”

  “I-it was the w-wish of H-high Pro-prophet Cr-cronal,” Coodev muttered, whatever strength he had thought he had gathered from his pain snuffed out in an instant by my focused fury. “I… I was just fo-following his or-orders.”

  I snarled, the sound echoing around the generally silent chamber. “Who else?” Before he could answer or offer some other pathetic excuse for his actions, I lifted my hand and focused the Force on him.

  He shuddered, his eyes rolling back into his head as I drove into his mind, seeking the faces of the others who had carried out those acts. As memories of him and others taking liberties with Sariss came to the forefront of his thoughts, dragged there by my power as I shredded his mind, I fought down the bile that rose in my throat. The moment I had the faces of the others; I dropped my hand and took a few stumbling steps back.

  Feeling someone at my side, I looked down and smiled, sliding a hand through Anakin’s hair. “Thank you,” I managed to get out, my throat dry and my voice hoarse from what I’d endured seeing, so I knew the faces of those needing to be punished.

  Of the faces, only two remained alive, and after moving my hand from Anakin’s head, I opened a commlink. “Maul, is the Prophet with a missing forearm still on the Vhett?”

  “He is.” I could sense curiosity from the Zabrak. He’d have sensed the rage emanating from Anakin and me, and would likely be wondering why it had happened.

  I nodded. “Bring him here quickly. I don’t care if it hurts him, but make sure he’s conscious when he arrives.”

  There was a short pause before Maul responded. “Understood.” With that done, I closed the channel and returned my focus to Coodev.

  “Stand.” The word was more than just a command or a demand. One laced with the Force to ensure he obeyed.

  Coodev obeyed, albeit slower than I’d have liked. I could see a fire in his eyes; rage directed at me. No matter how aggrieved he felt for the destruction of his hand, it was a single drop in the raging typhoon of the fury I was directing at him or a flick of foam in the tsunami that was flooding from Anakin.

  “Do you have anything to offer in your defence?” I asked again, offering him one final chance to give a response that was something more than the ‘just following orders’ excuse. That was never a valid defence when taking any action as vile as the ones he and others had.

  “I followed High Prophet Cronal’s orders.” The response was firm and direct. At any other time, I might offer him a hint of respect for his convictions, but not today. Not when his actions had been so hideous.

  “You don’t deny what you did?”

  “No.”

  I grunted and then started moving towards him, my hand drifting to the hilt of my lightsaber. “Then your fate is…”

  “I want to do it!”

  I stopped mid-step at Anakin’s proclamation. Slowly, not entirely taking my gaze from Coodev and ensuring the Force was at my command if he tried anything, I turned to face my Apprentice. “Are you certain of this, Anakin?” I asked slowly, reading his expression along with the way his signature radiated within the Force. I might have already told him that he could do this, but to have him cut in suggested he wasn’t in control of himself enough to be ready for such an action.

  The rage of earlier was there, burning so brightly that if unleashed, it could consume a star system. Yet it was restrained, and in something that would’ve made me smile in any other situation, focused. A sign that he had taken on my earlier words about his outburst and was harnessing his fury to empower himself.

  “Yes. And I want him to have his blade.”

  That made me blink. When I had thought that Anakin simply wished to execute the one responsible for raping a child, I had no issue. Yes, to take the life of another was a hard thing to do directly outside of combat, but I sensed it was something Anakin needed to learn. That those who wished to pass a sentence should be able to carry it out. However, the idea that he wished to fight Coodev, who, while not even close to my level, wasn’t unskilled, was another matter entirely.

  I could understand his reasoning, or what I suspected was his reasoning. Outright executing someone for a crime was a harsh choice, and perhaps he didn’t feel he could do that. However, to offer Coodev a blade and thus risk his life when the man had already admitted to his crime was an odd choice.

  [Why do you wish to arm him?] I asked through our Force bond, wishing to hear the boy’s answer. [He has admitted his guilt.]

  [Yes, but he was forced to do it,] Anakin replied slowly. [I… I remember people on Tatooine who were good but had to do bad things. They were often forced to do so by those they worked for or who owned them. At the time, I hated that, but I think I understand it a bit better now. They’re not always bad people, just forced to do bad things. They should still be punished, but they should have a way to defend themselves and their actions.]

  [The excuse of just following orders is a weak one. Many use the barbarity of their superiors to hide their failings and desires to cause harm. It cannot be deemed a viable reason for an action as severe as rape.] My mind flashed to events I’d seen in both lives, either that I’d directly witnessed or ones I had learnt of. Many were, as disgusting as it was, worse than raping a child, but such monsters deserved their punishment.

  I felt a shudder of emotion from Anakin, a wave of sorrow, pain, and regret. Part of me wanted to delve into that, to see what memories he was drawing on, but I resisted. Such things were personal and shouldn’t be examined without consent. [I know, but if we go around killing people for doing what they were told, how long will it be before others see you as the same kind of monster?]

  I blinked, caught out by Anakin’s reasoning, and the concern I felt for him. Concern that wasn’t directed at Saris or the other women and children, but at me. [I’m happy you’re concerned about what others might think of me, An’ika, but the only people whose opinions matter are those I consider family. The majority of the galaxy is filled with little more than mewling fools who will simply believe what they’re told to believe and never question it.]

  [Then how can we change them if we never show them we can be better?] His eyes met mine even as he continued to speak directly to my mind. [That vision… the one we had of us shattering the galaxy. If that is what we have to do to save everyone, then okay. But after it's shattered, how can we make things better for everyone if no one sees us, no one sees you as anything but a monster?]

  [Executing a rapist isn’t something many would complain about, Anakin.]

  [I know! But…] He paused, and I felt him gathering his thoughts. He sighed audibly before continuing, [I don’t want you to shoulder the weight of this by yourself. And… and when it comes time to kill Decca, I need to know I can kill those who served him, just as that man served here.]

  I blinked, better understanding his reasoning. While he was concerned about me earning a bad reputation, which was something I knew would happen once I moved past the stage of becoming Mand'alor and leading the united Clans into the coming war, even if most of it would likely be undeserved, it seemed he wanted to do this to prove something to himself.

  [Coodev is skilled with a lightsaber, Anakin,] I said slowly, mindful of my words so it didn’t seem as if I was speaking down to him, [While you have improved well over the last few years, I don’t know if you’re ready to defeat someone with that much more training than yourself.]

  [I know, but I want to try.]

  I closed my eyes and reached into the Force, demanding a hint of what to do. Normally, I was fairly certain of what I wanted and how I would claim it. But with Anakin, I often found myself hesitant. His role in the coming decades had the potential to be greater than mine, perhaps even being the critical factor in stopping the Banite Sith. Yet I had promised to Shmi’s spirit that I would look after him, and there were times when I felt I’d been too soft or laid back in his training; likely not pushing him as hard as I should.

  His defeating Coodev was something I wasn’t certain of, yet as I felt the conviction radiating from him and as the Force offered up enough of a hint that I could be satisfied with a way to handle the matter, I sighed loudly. “There is another who stands accused of the same crimes, Anakin,” I said loudly so that everyone could hear. “I shall permit you to defeat and execute that one. This one, however,” I said as I turned my focus to Coodev, “is beyond your current abilities. I will not let you throw away your life against a challenge you’re not ready for.”

  “But…”

  “An’ika, enough!” I snapped, though with little anger in my tone, cutting Anakin’s response out before it could form. [I trust you, Anakin, but you’re not ready for someone at that level. Not just yet.]

  For a moment, as he held my gaze, I thought Anakin might challenge my decision. His shoulders drooped as he grunted. “Fine.”

  Offering him a nod, I moved closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. [I’m proud of you for wishing to defend the honour of Sariss and seeking justice for her, and that you understand the danger that awaits us once we move against Decca. However, you have to be mindful of your abilities. You’re strong, my boy, and will only grow stronger, but you’re not at the point where you can take Coodev. Or perhaps it’s fairer to say I’m not at the point where I’d be able to stand idly by and watch if you failed against him,] I added with a smirk.

  Anakin lifted his head and looked up at me, some of his disappointment and anger slipping away. “I… I understand,” he said quietly.

  “Good,” I commented, squeezing his shoulder. “Go to Dooku and speak with him about how best to prepare for the challenge you’ve accepted.” I let him go and watched as he walked away. Once he was a dozen steps away, I turned back and faced Coodev and the others. “The remaining Prophets will be questioned at length regarding their actions towards the women and children here. If I am unsatisfied with what I hear, you shall be punished accordingly.” I walked towards Coodev, my hand going to the hilt of my lightsaber even as the other remaining prophets cowered and scuttled to stay clear of me as I allowed my Force presence to spread over the chamber. “As for you,” my lightsaber ignited, “let us see how well you handle your fate.”

  … …

  About thirty minutes later, while still in the chamber from where Cronal had once ruled the Prophets of the Darkside, I watched as Anakin approached the defeated one-armed Prophet he had just fought. Well, formerly one-armed as now, after the short duel, he was on the floor in a heap with his remaining arm at his side.

  Anakin moved towards the armless Prophet, his lightsaber held firmly in one hand, and while I couldn’t see his face, along with everyone here, I could sense his emotions. He wasn’t bothering to hide them, instead focusing on the hatred and rage he felt towards the downed Prophet.

  “Please,” the disarmed man begged pathetically, “Mercy!”

  I scoffed at the pleading, and to my left, I heard Maul grunt in irritation. Neither of us spoke, however, as the execution wasn’t over.

  “Mercy?” Anakin shot back, his voice an octave lower than it normally would be and filled with malice. “Is that what she asked for?” He gestured with his free hand towards the group of women and children, unerringly picking out Sariss who remained cloistered against Karia. “When you and those other monsters went to her cell, did she beg?” My brow rose as I felt the fury radiating from Anakin, impressed that even though it threatened to engulf the chamber, he was keeping it focused, if not fully under control.

  “Y-yes.”

  The weak, whispered reply from the Prophet had me growling even as Anakin snarled. “Did they all beg whenever you went to them? Did they ask for forgiveness before you… Before you fucked them?!”

  “Y-yes.”

  “Did you grant it?”

  “N-no.”

  Anakin stopped, no more than a metre from the broken fool before him, as the faint but unmistakable smell of urine reached my nose. “Then what right do you have to ask for it when you never granted it to them?”

  Before the man could answer, Anakin swung his blade. The man screamed, his voice higher-pitched than Anakin’s, and even though I felt no sympathy for him, I winced. My son had driven his blade into the Prophet’s groin, and judging by the man’s reaction, had found the intended target.

  “You’re trash! You’re a vile, sickening schutta!” Anakin drove the point of his blade into the man’s side, making the pitiful excuse for a sentient whimper, and as my son pulled his blade clear, fell to one side. “You’re going to die, but I won’t be the one to do it.”

  My brow rose at hearing that, as Anakin had been insistent only a short while ago about wanting to be the one to strike down Coodev. I’d denied him that request and instead given him the pleasure of punishing the defeated Prophet before him. Coodev, or at least what remained of his corpse, lay in the corner with the other dead Prophets, his body slowly cooling after I’d summoned flames and ravaged it until the body had stopped twitching and screaming.

  The women had cowered at my display, with many shielding the eyes and ears of the children with them, though Karia had watched. That woman still wore the pleased yet twisted smile on her face that had formed as I’d tortured Coodev to death, yet it was the way Sariss watched on impassively, unable to understand what was happening, that continued to gnaw at my soul. There was nothing in her gaze, nor within her Force signature, that suggested she either understood or cared about what was happening. That Cronal could reduce his daughter to such a state continued to have me wishing I hadn’t been as merciful in his death as I had been, and that not executing the remaining Prophets was the right choice.

  I needed Force-wielding soldiers for the wars to come, even ones as weak as those that remained here. Yet, to allow those who had raped and abused the women here alive… it gnawed at my soul. As if I were, by letting them live, somehow condoning and accepting their actions as acceptable. I’d just have to make sure their deaths served a purpose so they might in some way pay for their actions as Prophets of the Darkside.

  I watched silently as Anakin turned and walked away, heading towards the women. The armless fool stayed where he was, whimpering in pity as the smell of urine grew stronger. Once he reached the huddled women, Anakin knelt before Karia. I couldn’t make out what was said, nor did I attempt to use the Force or the Battlenet to listen in. Karia shifted and looked down at Sariss. The teenage girl remained motionless in her arms.

  My brow rose as Karia shifted Sariss, guiding her hand to Anakin’s. For the first time since she’d been carried into the chamber, Sariss’ gaze rose, and while I couldn’t see her eyes, I felt a flicker of something in the Force. Whatever it was, it seemed centred around the girl and Anakin, growing stronger as Anakin reached out a palm towards her and she, after a nod of support from Karia, moved to take the offered hand.

  “Interesting,” Dooku commented quietly, making clear he and Maul could also sense what was happening. I stayed still, watching as Anakin seemingly drew, at least for a few moments, Sariss out of her shell. I couldn’t be certain, but it appeared that he had formed a bond with her, first by being the one to free her from her cell – the images recorded by Anakin’s armour and HK made clear that calling it anything less would be an insult – and now with what he was planning.

  As Sariss slowly stood, Anakin shifted closer, sliding an arm around her waist. He spoke to her again, the words still too gentle for me to hear, but whatever he said drew a barely perceivable nod from the girl. As she leaned against Anakin, he led her towards the armless Prophet.

  “Very interesting.”

  This time, the comment came from Maul. While there was a hint of annoyance from him, probably at Anakin showing mercy to someone weaker than him, it seemed he was as curious about what was happening as Dooku and I were.

  As we watched, Anakin moved Sariss in front of the armless Prophet, who had thankfully stopped screaming out pained curses and was now simply whimpering, almost as if he accepted his fate. I felt my lips twitch upwards as Anakin moved his lightsaber into Sariss’ hands. It didn’t take a genius to understand what he was planning, and I found myself approving of his choice.

  The Prophet needed to die, but simply executing him wouldn’t ease any of Sariss’ pain, nor the suffering of the other women. Letting her deliver the final blow and send one of her abusers to the darkest corners of the Force might well be the first step in beginning her recovery. It wasn’t an action many would consider; the Jedi would see it as murder, while the Sith would regard it as a useless gesture for the weak. I wasn’t sure of Anakin’s motivations for doing this, though I had some ideas, but to me, it was a wise choice.

  Not only was it a small sliver of justice for Sariss and the others, but she was the only person still living here who held a Very High Force Potential. The same level as Maul and Dooku, and above that of Quinlan and Aayla. If she could recover from her ordeal, then with the right training, not only did she have the potential to be a great warrior, but she would be an ally of Anakin’s in his quest for vengeance against Decca and justice for other slaves throughout the galaxy.

  Outside of Sariss and Perzan, a young Prophet about the same age as Sariss, none of the other teenagers or adults had anything above Intermediate Force Potential. Those two would be added to the training I intended for Quinlan and Aayla, though I hoped Aayla remained loyal as her memories slowly returned.

  There was still the chance she might recover enough of them that she would prefer to return to the Order, and if she left, so would Quinlan. The pair might have agreed to have me retrain them, but until I had them moving down the path I wished, and the quest A Change in Path was completed with a new quest spun off from it that I assumed involved turning them into useful agents, the chance they might abandon my cause remained.

  Sariss stayed still for a long while, her hands held on the hilt of Anakin’s blade by his hands, though that did nothing to calm her nerves as the blade was shaking quite prominently. I didn’t need to see her face to be aware of what was happening. Either she was still too far gone to fully understand what was being offered to her, or she was terrified to find herself standing over one of her abusers.

  Around us, bar the whimpers of the armless Prophet, the chamber was silent, everyone waiting and watching to see what Sariss would do. Anakin leaned closer and whispered something to the girl. I didn’t know what was said, but I felt the faint tremor of power that his words invoked in Sariss.

  “Good girl,” I muttered to myself as she tensed, Anakin’s blade steadying in her hands. “Have your righteous vengeance.”

  “NO!”

  The scream of the armless Prophet echoed around the chamber as Sariss raised the blade high. Her form was atrocious, but the swelling fury that powered her weak arms and the status of her unarmed target were enough to ensure that her strike was true.

  The Prophet slumped over, smoke rising from his chest as he fell. Yet Sariss wasn’t done, and she pulled free of Anakin and moved closer to the downed man. The blade in her hands swung around again and again as I felt her rage growing, hopefully breaking some of the mental trauma she’d endured over the years.

  Anakin stayed back, letting her swing herself out, displaying intelligence and sympathy for her condition and situation. His gaze stayed stuck on Sariss as the girl unleashed her pent-up anger, a few of the women present starting to cheer as everyone watched. I allowed a small smile to creep onto my face, pleased at my son’s choice and actions.

  “If a guardian cannot be there to defend those in need, he can help them seek justice and closure,” I stated quietly.

  “Perhaps not how the Order or Republic would regard things, but an apt description,” Dooku remarked from my side. “It appears young Anakin has found himself a young lady to help and teach. Not unlike his Master.”

  I ignored the comment, preferring to focus on Anakin rather than wondering who Dooku was referring to. I assumed it was Aayla, but I couldn’t be certain. Still, Dooku was right. Even as Sariss’ rage began to fade and her body weakened, I could sense the beginnings of a bond between her and my son. Anakin moved closer to her, sliding an arm around her waist while the other hand went to her hands, easing the lightsaber from her grasp.

  As he whispered more words of encouragement to her, I offered him a nod in recognition of his actions. With this death, the mission to Dromund Kaas was all but over. Yes, one hyperspace route remained to be reopened, but otherwise, everything that was linked to the quest was handled. I knew there was a good chance I would return to this world in the future, along with the rest of Sith Space. I did, after all, have a quest for exploring Korriban that had the potential to rival the quest for Dormund Kaas in value. Both in terms of XP and what might be discovered or acquired from the former Sith homeworld.

  That, however, was for the future. What I had to focus on was the present, and as Anakin led Sariss slowly back to Karia, my mind turned to thoughts of what to do with the survivors of the fallen cult.

  … …

  … …

  “Hey there, boy,” I said as Fenrir came running up to me, appearing for the first time since we’d landed on the planet. “Enjoy yourself?”

  The massive tuk’ata, bearing a few more scars on his hide along with damage to some of the crests along his spine, though none appeared debilitating or painful, snorted as he came closer, pushing himself against me.

  “Force!” I muttered, my face wrinkling in disgust, “Just what the hell have you been up to?” I asked. He smelt like garbage, muck, and dried blood. Hardly a surprise given he’d been off for nearly two months in the jungle around Kaas City, but the smell was so powerful that I needed to use the Force to inhibit my sense of smell.

  Fenrir growled happily, and through our bond, I saw flashes of what he’d been up to. Fighting with various beasts, marking out territory around the Imperial Complex where I’d made my base, and scouting areas I’d never bothered to explore as they held nothing of interest to me. At least for this expedition.

  I blinked as his thoughts settled on one particular group of animals. “You found others of your kind?” I said slowly, amazed and concerned at the revelation. Fenrir flicked his head up and down, imitating a nod even as he radiated pleasure into the Force. “And I assume they’re your pack now?” Once more, he nodded.

  “Are they okay with you leaving?” I inquired slowly, my mind turning over ideas in my head. Fenrir turned away, and as he lifted his head, I braced myself as I knew what was coming.

  A howl that rattled my bones radiated out from him, echoing off every building around us. As the howl ended, I saw that some of the buildings had taken damage from the intensity of his howl, though that was likely just due to the erosion that the buildings had suffered over the millennia.

  He turned his head towards where he had come from, and I reached out with the Force as I looked in the same direction. A small gasp slipped from me as I sensed the presence of a small group of creatures, powerful in the Force, moving closer.

  From around the same building from where Fenrir had emerged, I watched as five new tuk’ata came forward. None was as large as Fenrir, and unlike him, all had the red eyes one would expect of the creatures. Reaching out into the Force, I examined the five beasts, noting the fact that none were larger than Fenrir, or spinal spikes as prominent as Fenrir’s. Three of the beasts looked to be adults or close to it, while the final two, which moved in the middle with the others around them as protection, reminded me of Fenrir not long after I’d first found and rescued him.

  “I see you’ve found yourself a family,” I said with a smile, even as I wondered what this meant for him and me. I didn’t want to make him leave his pack behind, but I wouldn’t make him come with me if he wanted to stay.

  He turned to face me, what amounted to a grin spreading over his face, before he leaned forward.

  “FENRIR!” I snarled, trying to push him back as his tongue dragged itself over my face. “Stop it!”

  The great beast pulled back, what amounted to laughter erupting from his maw. As I wiped my face as best I could to clear his drool, I felt the amusement of the new tuk’ata and even heard one of the little ones seemingly laugh as well. By the time I could see clearly again, the five tuk’ata had come to a stop before Fenrir, each lowering their heads to him, making clear their submission to their pack alpha.

  I smiled, pleased at seeing the display even if I feared I was about to lose my companion.

  Fenrir turned to me and then repeated the gesture the other tuk’ata had done for him to me. I moved closer to him, placing my hand on his skull just above his eyes. “Thank you, my friend,” I said softly, lowering my head to touch his. “My brother.”

  We stayed like that for a few moments before I lifted my head and pulled back. As I did so, Fenrir copied the gesture and looked me in the eyes. I stayed silent, accepting that I was losing a friend but knowing that he would protect Kaas City for me until I returned.

  My eyes widened as he let out a growl of amusement and then moved past me, heading towards the Vhett, which was parked about ten metres behind me. My eyes widened further as the other tuk’ata followed.

  “Fenrir, are they okay with this?” I asked as I moved to my friend’s side.

  He leaned into me, pushing his massive head under my arm so that I could scratch him where he liked. As my fingers ran over his skin, I smiled and leaned into him as well. “Thank you,” I said gently.

  Even as we moved towards the Vhett, my mind was turning, trying to determine where in the Seven Hells of Corellia I was going to place a pack of tuk’ata. Yes, there were only five of them, six if you included Fenrir, but they’d still need room to run, play, and hunt.

  A grunt from Fenrir snapped me from those thoughts. “Yes, you’re right. We can handle that later,” I said as I stepped onto the ramp. “I should warn you, however, that you’re not the only one with followers,” I added as I led him and his new family onto the Vhett.

  Already, I suspected that Anakin would want to adopt one of the younger tuk’ata, but that could wait until we were all gone from this world, and once I’d found somewhere to settle them. It would also depend on the younger beasts, but that could be sorted out later. For now, I would just enjoy the fact that I was not only not losing a friend, but I was gaining, even if they weren’t the conventional sort, more allies.

  … …

  … …

  “Very well, Captain Rex, you’re free to depart the Korriban system.”

  “Like you could stop me,” I snapped back before closing the holo-link. The look of shock that flashed over the Republic officer’s face as his hologram vanished made me chuckle. “Moron.”

  “He’s only doing his job,” Simvyl remarked from the co-pilot’s chair to my right. “Still, it would help if he removed the monkey-lizard from his ass.”

  I grunted in amusement at the image. “Probably prefers it there to be honest,” I countered, making the Cathar laugh. “Anyway, hyperspace coordinates are inputted, let’s get out of here.”

  A moment later, the Vhett entered the swirling energies of hyperspace, racing away from Sith Space. Dooku and Maul had already departed, taking their ships out under guidance along one of the hyperspace routes I’d reopened to avoid attention. With Maul went the few remaining men of the fallen Prophets of the Darkside cult, the group sealed in one of the Starblade’s cargo holds with HK along to ensure they remained compliant while Maul flew the Sith starship. The women and children were aboard the Ascendant Spear with Dooku and R2 as it towed the Fearless Slicer. Or at least most of them were.

  Anakin had been insistent, even with Fenrir’s new pack on board, that Sariss remained close to him. Because of that, Karia was also travelling in the Vhett; the older woman having taken to watching over the younger girl. The two females looked similar, and I had wondered if they might be related. Karia suspected that was the case, but she was uncertain of how. There was no way they were full sisters, as Cronal would’ve abused her as badly as he had Sariss, but I suspected that the pair shared the same mother at least.

  Once we met up with Dooku and Maul in a system away from the major hyperspace lanes, I planned to examine the DNA of those we’d taken with us, which we’d gathered during their medical checks in the Imperial Complex, and see what if any familial links might exist. It was unlikely that I’d be revealing any of that to the former Prophets, as they didn’t deserve to know whether any of the women or children were their family. I would, however, let the women and children know so that they might find some comfort in each other.

  One thing I had done was examine all the women and children with Observe, as unlike Cronal, I had no issues with training women to be warriors. All but four of the group had at least Intermediate potential, with Karia and a young seven-year-old girl named Edre having High Potential. The other two had Low Potential, so wouldn’t be suitable for Force training to the level I wanted, but if they desired it, I would see that they received training with the Lokella or Mando’ade.

  For now, I was leaning towards having all of them, along with Fenrir’s pack, stay on Gaia. It was isolated enough that they wouldn’t be discovered easily, nor would the Lokella betray them to others. It would also, I assumed, be where Dooku would be returning as Vosa remained there.

  I wasn’t sure what Maul would do, nor how I would handle the retraining of Quinlan and Aalya, but I knew my path lay, at least for the next few years, on and around Mandalore. Rising to become Mand'alor was my next major goal, something made clear by The Dragon of Mandalore quest. I wasn’t a huge fan of that name, but it was what it was.

  The other major thing I had to do was determine what to do with the Infinite Engine. Like Force crystals, it seemed it held allegiances. Currently, most of that was towards Revan, though it was only thirty-three per cent. The rest of the device was unaligned, save for the three per cent that I’d managed to align with myself. Those three percentage points had taken me several weeks of nightly meditation focusing on nothing but the Engine to achieve. As much as I wanted to simply drop it somewhere with orders to grow, I wouldn’t do that until it was aligned entirely with me, or at least enough that no one else could ever truly claim control of it from me.

  I was considering allowing Anakin to have some alignment with it, as he was as important to the future as I was, but he wasn’t ready for that. As for Dooku and Maul, I was reluctant to do so. Not because I didn’t trust them, but because of the chance someone might find a way to learn of the Engine’s existence, and once it was deployed, location, from them.

  Where I would be deploying it was another major issue. I needed a system out of the way so much that the odds of anyone stumbling across the developing Engine, even once it grew to the size of the Star Forge was slim. Yet it needed to be a system that was decently rich in material that the Engine could use to accelerate its growth.

  Perhaps there were a few such systems in the Mandalore sector, but I was reluctant to deploy them there. If anyone learnt I had some sort of hidden station, that sector would be the first place they would look, so as a long-term solution, it wasn’t a viable option. At least not if I wanted the station the Engine would grow into to remain hidden until I was ready to unveil the power it had crafted for me.

  I’d obviously be giving that matter, along with many others, a lot of thought on the return to Mandalore, but as the Interface alerted me to a quest completion message – something I’d been waiting on since we’d left Dromund Kaas behind several days ago – my thoughts went elsewhere. Opening the notice, a broad smile spread over my face.

  Quest Completed!

  Tremors of the Ancient Sith Empire

  Objectives:

  :a: Investigate Kaas City [Yes]

  :b: Investigate Kaas Station [Yes]

  :c: Subjugate or destroy the Prophets of the Darkside [Destroy]

  :d: Explore the Main Palace of the Emperor and Inner Sanctums of the Dark Council members. [5 Explored sufficiently]

  :e: Either hide your expedition to the planet from the Banite Sith, or reveal it to Sidious and Plagueis [Hide]

  :f: Investigate locations hidden within Sith Space [6]

  :g: Re-establish lost hyperspace routes from Sith Space to neighbouring sectors [4]

  :h: Investigate Sith Academies on the surface of Dromund Kaas [7]

  :i: Complete before the start of the Clone Wars [Yes]

  Rewards:

  :a: 8000XP (+1600XP)

  :b: 5500XP (+1100XP)

  :c: 4000XP (+800XP)

  :d: 40000XP (+8000XP)

  :e: 5000XP (+1000XP)

  :f: 6000XP (+1200XP)

  :g: 12000XP (+2400XP)

  :h: 7000XP (+1400XP)

  :i: Double XP from Quest = 87500XP (+17500XP)

  ...

  LEVEL UP!

  33 -> 37

  PerkP: +1

  PPP: +1

  STAM: +272

  SP: +16

  SKP: +180

  ...

  I blinked in shock. While I’d known the XP gain for this quest was going to be high, insanely so because of that last objective for clearing the quest before the outbreak of the Clone Wars – or at least whatever its replacement was going to be called in this timeline, seeing the four-level jump was just insane.

  Wanting to get a better handle on things, I called up my STATUS screen, and again blinked in shock as it showed the updated information.

  Cameron Shan

  Species: Human

  Title: The Player

  Age: 19

  Level 37

  HP: 280/280

  FE: 6%

  PP: 74/74

  XP [21956/54000]

  STAM [2516/2516]

  Hunger [23/100]

  STR: 22 +

  VIT: 23 +

  AGI: 23 +

  INT: 45 +

  WIS: 35 +

  CHA: 40 +

  Luck: 15 + [+10]

  SP: 28

  SKP: 385

  PerkP: 1

  PPP: 1

  Tier Boosts: 1

  Credits: 818436835

  ...

  That was an impressive change, and now I had a lot of thinking to do regarding not just a new Perk and Player Power, but also on how to distribute my Skill Points and Stat Points. For the latter, my physical limit was 75 combined, and it currently stood at 68. For each of those stats, I was only about five to ten per cent of the way towards an increase, with all three having jumped up within days of taking Stat Boost after saving Aayla and completing the quest linked to her. I might well drop a single point into each physical stat and then use the remaining 25 Stat Points across the mental stats and LUCK, though most would end up in INT, as that was the one that affected Skill Points.

  Regarding those, I’d have to spend some time going through my various stats and see which I wanted to lift, but even though it was the most obvious, I didn’t feel I’d be dropping many into Makashi. While it, along with Lightsaber [Standard], was my highest skill, were in the Legendary seventh tier, and for Makashi, I was capable of reaching the top of the Mythic ninth tier, I wanted to earn that skill and not just have it inserted into my head.

  One possible place to use the Skill Points was towards Warfare [Space]. Warfare [Ground] had split into three separate skills once it reached Professional:1, with each focusing on different sizes of ground-based combat operations. Assuming the same happened for Warfare [Space], then it made sense to focus there.

  Most of my battles to first assume and then consolidate my position as Mand'alor were going to be focused on small-scale or personal combat. However, in the coming years, I had to prepare for war on a galactic scale. Using the nearly four hundred Skill Points there to get a quick boost so I’d not be a total newbie at such operations made sense.

  Other skills might make sense to push points into, such as the various combat styles I’d learnt, or social-based skills such as Persuasion, Intimidation/Taunting, and Lie Detection, but each of those naturally increased simply by going about my daily life. Thus, I’d wait for a while, at least until everything related to the quest for Dromund Kaas was settled before making a choice there.

  The same was true for how to spend my Perk and Player Power points. The obvious candidates were Shatterpoint Familiarisation – the second level of that Force power pathway – or Stat Level Boost Mark 2, which had appeared after I took Stat Level Boost Mark 1, for Perks or Level Boost for Player Powers. However, all three were locked. Shatterpoint and Level Boost were locked until Level 40, while Stat Level Boost Mark 2 was locked until Level 42. Something I considered irritating, but I could, to a degree, see the logic for.

  That meant I’d have to make different choices for those special abilities, but there was no rush on sorting it out right now. It was going to take at least two weeks to reach the Mandalore sector and planet Mandalore. First, I had to meet up with Dooku and Maul, and then we’d need to move slowly through back-alley hyperspace routes to avoid attention. The three ships taken from Dromund Kaas were relics or collector’s items, and I wanted to avoid drawing too much attention to them.

  Still, for all the danger that quest had presented, particularly towards losing myself during the revelations of who I was and where I came from, Tremors of the Ancient Sith Empire had gone as close to perfect as it could. Now it was time to relax and recuperate afterwards before moving on to the next step in my plans.

  … …

  … …

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  ...

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