Chapter 109: 109. Chapter

A shadow suddenly appeared on the other side of Nizzal, and with a quick movement took off the not functioning lightsaber hilt from Nizzal’s belt and threw it towards the shadowy form of that Sith.

The Sith cautiously caught the thrown saber hilt and looked at the form of Lily, who interrupted the current stalemate.

-It was that thing that brought us here. I tried to activate it and then the next thing we knew was standing here. If you want to punish someone, do it with me, and let my friends go peacefully.

She stated this in a clear, mostly neutral voice, which was eerily similar to the one that the HK-47 models tended to favor.

The man now looked at the glinting saber hilt with an uninterested gaze. He seemed to be confused.

-… Are you mocking me? I have stated that my master was the one who brought you here… this saber was merely a tool in the process, a lure…

Sounded the apathetic voice.

-…

-…

-…

-… Ah! I… ugh I see… sorry…

Stated Lily while shrinking back a bit, in discomfort. She must have really missed that part…

-…

-…

-…

The man suddenly turned off his saber stuff and started to move backwards towards the shadows while speaking.

-Still, I admire your self sacrifice, foolish little one; it is a mark of a true Jedi. To suffer so willingly in place of your friends. In the end it is a vain effort, but I admire your courage none the less. You remind me of someone from my past. Someone that I will eventually crush along with you.

There was an eery silence as the man finally disappeared into the darkness. His voice was the only thing that we could hear, and it always came from different directions. As if he became one with the darkness itself which was filling this place to the brim.

-Let’s see how far your loyalty goes towards a friend that was willing to die in your place.

Sounded the sadistic voice.

-I promise you, on my name as Darth Maul, that the one that kills this pitiful existence will be allowed to leave this cave alive, without any harm.

Hearing this, Lily seemed to blink, then turned towards us with a conflicted expression.

Kalifa was enraged by the very idea. Thanks to her fury, she now managed to come back from her initial shock. And screamed at the bastard hiding in the shadows.

-YOU! You fucking coward; I hope you die! We would never turn against our own friends, so you can stick up that idea in your ass! Humph!

The shadows seemed to move around us as the darkness grew thicker.

Then the man’s voice appeared again.

-Ah, the feisty one speaks once again… good, let your anger grow, it will allow you to strike me down… but it is not enough yet, no… far from it.

Silence filled the cave for a short time, then the voice appeared from a different direction.

-Do you know why I didn’t aim that earlier lighting at you, even when you were the insolent one? Hmm?

Kalifa didn’t answer, she could only ground her teeth in silence, while standing next to us, still holding onto Barriss, as if trying to defend her.

-It was because I wanted to see you despair, to witness your own weakness and the result of your stupidity, which caused the death of your friend.

-SHUT UP YOU SICK BASTARD!

Shouted Kalifa, with growing anger.

-Hahaha… You know what, I won’t kill you… I will make you my personal slave. Master surely will allow me to have a pet of my own… Especially if I bring one that it has sought for so long. First I will break your mind, then your body will follow, and when you will beg me to let you serve, I will discard you deserving to the trash that you truly are. That is… if you don’t kill your friend before I get to you… hehe…

The effects of those words have visibly shaken Kalifa. Her body was now shaking with both fury and fear. Following the spoken words, she glanced towards Lily, who immediately stepped back a few times. Distancing herself instinctively.

Witnessing this reaction awoke Kalifa from the terrible images that were already haunting her mind, and she reached out with her hand saying…

-Wait, it’s not what I…

-FOOL!

Sounded the deep voice, as a red blade ignited behind Lily who had stepped away from our small circle towards the edge of darkness that surrounded us on all parts.

She turned around, sensing the danger coming from her blind spot. Alas, there was no more time. She could only raise her arm and one of her strange appendages in self defence.

Surprisingly, the hot red beam of molten plasma didn’t cut through the blade of the appendage. As Barriss and the others expected, it bounced off of it in a cloud of sparks, as if it met with a saber blade.

It was immediately followed by an instinctive attack from Lily, utilizing her other appendage piercing into the darkness, but it was countered by the evidently surprised yet still much superior opponent.

Lily quickly moved back towards us, as she now realized where the true danger lied.

-Hmmm… such a curious being you are… To have a pair of limbs that can even repel lightsabers… I might still keep your body in the end, it might provide useful ingredients in alchemical rituals. Thoughts to entertain, for later…

The mention of being used as some mere ingredient in some ritual had struck Lily where it hurt. She glared at the darkness, while her blades started to vibrate, creating a high frequency noise around her.

-Unfortunately, I am not in a mood to entertain you, still I will admit that you have at least one formidable warrior among yourself even if she is a bit soft in the head... Jedi are not entirely pathetic, after all. Who would have thought?

He chuckled loudly.

-And there is one, from the aloof Grey Order… but that shouldn’t be surprising. Isn’t that the truth, Grand-mas-ter?

He spoke the last word while stretching out every syllable.

-Should I welcome you with a bow of my head? After all, it is not an everyday occurrence that you gift us with the presence of your esteemed self. Are you surprised? Did you really think that we didn’t notice your putrid existence crawling around our ancient tombs? It was merely an unexpected surprise that you actually did something. After all, you have been docile hidden in your secret tombs, or using those belonging to the Sith for so many years now. What happened with your cockroach like mentality? No matter... I guess it is time to remind your kind of where your interest lies.

The man paused for dramatic effect, then continued. His voice disappearing, then reappearing in a different place once more.

-I could kill you right now, but it would be a lot more amusing to see you despair, struggling to survive. It will be a treat to enjoy, and siphon upon your tender fear, and slowly raising terror, which you will surely develop soon enough. I look forward, witnessing the slow erosion of such pure spirits as yours, and when you are about to succumb to the manifestation of your deepest terrors, I will come to reap your souls and feast upon your tender flesh.

With that, the dark presence disappeared from the hall. Only leaving a weak, whispering echo traveling through the tunnels.

-Go now, my sweet little jedi, run, fight, scream, then tremble all you want. You will never leave this cursed planet alive. You will find nothing more than unending despair in a garden filled with long forgotten tombs, surrounded by red sand in an endless desert and dry rocks. Tombs of the long dead yet powerful lords who once ruled this land, now degenerated to mere shadows, stretched over the span of thousands of years spent in their stubborn silence, tombs which you will be a part of soon enough. Let me welcome you to Korriban, Korriban, Korriban… riban... ban... an...

The last word echoed across the thousand year old dark halls, like a terrible knowledge whispered into the ears of those who existed without hope.

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The abrupt and deadly encounter came to an end with that sentence, and left every single one of us trembling in our boots. Each of us was deeply disturbed, each for a different reason. As we were left in a dark chamber, glancing at each-other with a suspicious gaze.

Nizzal immediately realized that the cursed Sith, had successfully managed to plant the seeds of doubt between them… as he told some of their secrets, while also playing with their minds, that if they kill one of their own, they will be freed.

It was a ridiculous assumption that the Sith Lord would let any of them leave, on his own accord… She know that, alas she couldn’t be sure, that her mentally less experienced and clearly terrified friends know this as well…

After all, desperate people tended to commit stupid acts, and the bastard even told them that she was a Grandmaster… showing that she had already mislead them once…

But that wasn't what troubled her the most… she couldn't help but worry, what did he mean by reminding us where our interest lies? Did they really know of our existence? I guess it would be arrogant to think otherwise, especially after all of this…

The other thing… are we really in Korriban? It seems possible, based on the immense dark energies surrounding this place… But if we are on Korriban… then the only way out of this place will be by using that Sith ship… I mean, he must have a ship that brought him here, otherwise there is no civilization on this planet. It is a tomb, as he said…

If the bastard decides to leave us here, then we will be as good as dead. At least without some serious miracle going off. Luckily he wants me alive... So it is unlikely that he will leave, not without me.

Suddenly, I have become aware of a strange noise. I looked up and reached out with the force. After doing that, my scalp became numb.

I gulped loudly, gaining the attention of the rest of my impromptu company.

-What is it?

Asked Kalifa… with deep worry in her eyes…

I blinked a few times and said with a slight trembling in my voice.

-Tuk’atas… more than a few.

Kalifa’s jaw seemed to drop to the ground. Lily only tilted her head, and Barriss turned towards me with an expression that was pleading for me to wake her up from this bad dream.

I growled to myself.

-… Damn you Darth Maul… you will pay for this…

I heard Barriss’ hesitant voice speak in a whisper… she was still shaking from her near death experience.

-Isn’t that the name of the Sith that killed Master Obi’Wan’s Master? Wasn’t he supposed to be dead? I heard that he was cut in two… then how could he be alive!?

Kalifa paled at hearing the revelation. Her eyes widened as she stated.

-You are right, Barriss! Is… is he an immortal? How could he survive that?

I looked at them while urging them to take a position back against a wall. While saying.

-He could be someone using the same name, or maybe he really survived. It is possible… If a bit unlikely.

-How would that be possible?

Kalifa demanded an answer.

I looked at her and said.

-Do not underestimate the power of the dark side… Strong emotions, especially pain and anger, could achieve results that would seem out of this world. I know of a man whose body had been ripped to thousands of pieces, yet his anger harnessing his pain still managed to keep him alive. Such outcomes are unlikely, but none the less possible.

-You… you must be pulling my leg!? Right… right? And anyway, why would I believe that to you!? Grandmaster!? What the hell those that even mean, in what world would a kid like you be considered a grandmaster?

Barriss sighed and said, finally pulling herself away from Kalifa’s support.

-You saw how she fought, one on one with that monster… If that isn’t enough to prove her position, I don’t know what is.

-But, Barriss! Why are you defending her all of the sudden…

-Obviously, because she saved my life… and yours too. You shouldn’t trust in the words of someone that just tried to kill you, at least not more than your comrades and friends.

-But, she… ugh… I mean… ARGH! Fine, I guess, she isn’t a Sith after all… now that I met with the real thing; the difference seems painfully obvious… Sorry for your leks… I mean… last time…

With that, she blushed and turned away. While leaving a very confused twi’lek behind… Who could only say awkwardly.

-…Thanks… I guess…

With that Kalifa turned back to Barriss and asked.

-Remind me, why don’t we just run away? Right about now?

The sounds of the incoming tuk’atas have grown a lot stronger in the meantime.

Barriss turned towards Kalifa with a frown.

-Hadn’t you learned anything in the temple? You can’t outrun tuk’atas definitely not on feet. We would tire ourselves out, and would be eaten without the energy to fight back… those things are created by Sith alchemy with the intention of hunting down force sensitives… Your force abilities won’t work that effectively against them, so try to rely on your blade.

Kalifa managed to pale further, hearing the new information, which was quite a challenge to achieve at her current level of paleness. Then she cursed, while kicking a rock.

-Fucking hell, thanks Barriss, now I feel a lot better!

-...

There was a silent snicker coming from Kalifa’s left. She immediately turned towards that direction and saw Lily smirking with a stupid grin.

This seemed to cause existential crises inside Kalifa. Which lasted for about five seconds, until she burst.

-YOU! Stop laughing at me you sneaky little bitch! You hear me? Stop it before I decide to screw you over! That way at least I could get off this damned rock!

Nizzal sighed, and said.

-You can't seriously believe that he would let you go... especially after what you said to him...

-... Shut it... just shut it for once you tailhead!

-... Didn't you just ask me to forgive you a few seconds ago? 

-That... and this are completely different things!

This argument seemed to cause Lily to giggle even more. Which surprised even Barriss, who clearly didn’t expect this outcome either…

She stated as she watched their growing argument.

- Ahh… it turns out Lily has a very gross sense of humor after all…

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