The Art of Chaos and Darkness

Chapter Thirty-Three

The lightsaber froze, midair, centimeters from the Sith King's throat. 

The hall was dead silent, every single Sith not daring to move or breath or blink.  Valda straightened, panting.  Her eyes burned with rage.  

Din glanced up from the ground and quickly rose to his feet.  He had little understanding aside from the fact that Valda had just challenged the King and probably sealed both of their fates.  

Darth Krayt rose slowly from his throne.  The lightsaber deactivated and dropped from the ground.  "I knew the time would come."  His voice chilled Valda's bones.  "But not so soon."

Valda's shoulders heaved.  "I will not kill him."

Darth Krayt shook his head.  "You have so much power and yet you waste it.  You, stupid, foolish and ignorant girl."  He spread his hands to the hall.  "Look at what you could have had.  What we could have accomplished."  He pointed to Din.  "And it is wasted because of him!" 

Valda snarled.  "I am not wasting my power."

"Your bond with him makes you weak!  Vulnerable!"    

"No," Valda answered.  "It makes me strong."  Her eyes glowed.  "And that is why you fear it.  Because you will never understand it."

Darth Krayt laughed at her.  He withdrew his lightsaber from the depths of his robe.  "You are no Sith.  You never will be."

Valda dropped her outer robes to the floor.  Her fallen lightsaber flew to her waiting hand and she ignited both her blades.  "I think have sat on that throne for far too long, Master." 

Darth Krayt bared his teeth at his apprentice and leapt.  Their blades crossed in an explosion of heat and white light.  "You will die today, Chaosbringer.  And then I will kill your precious Mandalorian once I extract every bit of useful knowledge from his head." 

Valda spun, sweeping low with her left blade and high with the other.  Darth Krayt batted the first away and flipped over the other.  He landed in a crouch, yanking the torches from the walls with the Force and flinging them at Valda.  She leapt over them and sent a wave of the Force flinging the rest back at her Master.  They disintegrated harmlessly against the shield he created. 

He stalked toward him, blade humming.  "You truly believe you can defeat me?"

Valda flipped her lightsabers in her hands.  "You've grown weak.  Comfortable in your luxury."

Darth Krayt's eye glowed in rage.  "Let's see what you've truly learned, my apprentice."  Force energy exploded from him in crackling waves.  Valda threw up a black shield, her knees nearly buckling from the effort.  Darth Krayt leapt at her and she parried the blow with her blades. 

Across the throne room they fought, Sith scrambling out of the way as master and apprentice battled.  Lightening cracked the air, objects flew and blades crashed against one another over and over again.  Flashes of light exploded and the air hummed with power.  Valda gritted her teeth against the strength of Darth Krayt's blows.  His strength was easily double hers.

"Are you worried about his fate, my apprentice?"  Darth Karyt slammed his lightsaber against Valda's.  "You should be."  He smiled cruelly.  "And the fate of that child he thinks he can protect." 

Valda froze.  "How did you-"

Her master struck, so fast she didn't have time to react.  A wave of the Force slammed into her, sending her sliding back and Darth Krayt rushed at her, a flurry of blows so fast she barely had time to parry.  His saber brushed her shoulder and she hissed in pain, the flesh burning.  He swept a kick at her midsection and she spun, bringing her lightsabers down at once. 

Darth Krayt anticipated her attack, ducking low and thrusting his blade through her stomach. 

"Valda!" 

It was Din's voice.  The pain shot through her all at once, agony searing her bones.  She gasped, dropping to her knees.  She pressed a hand against her wound.  

Darth Krayt rose to his full height, panting.  A burn wound had sliced the leg of his pants and he looked at it with distaste.  He gripped Valda by her hair, dragging her head back.  "Look at what you've done."  His jaw clenched.  "Wasted power.  Wasted opportunities.  Look!"  He shoved her so she was facing Din, physically restrained by the Kings Guard and on his knees.  "He will watch you die and then I will torture him.  No Jedi will be safe when I am through.  Including that child."

"No," Din growled, struggling against the guards.  "You will not touch him-"

Darth Krayt laughed.  "I can do whatever I want, Mandalorian.  I am King!"  

Lightening exploded from his finger tips, shocking Valda's body.  She cried out, muscles spasming as the electricity jolted through her.  

Din was screaming- roaring something in the background but Valda couldn't hear.  The onslaught of electricity stopped and she fell forward gasping.  Her lightsabers lay discarded by her hands.  

"You are weak.  Just as weak as when I found you on Nar Shaddaa."  Darth Krayt shook his head.  "Think of how disappointed your father would be."  

Valda's blood froze and the ringing in her ears faded.  "What?"

Darth Krayt paced around her.  "Your father.  You didn't really think you were simply born with such a powerful affinity to the Darkside, did you?"  He laughed. 

Valda grasped her stomach and shoved herself into a kneeling position.  "You- you knew my father?"  She shook her head.  "But I went looking-" she coughed. "I went to Dromund Kass, there was nothing there- no records-."

Darth Krayt turned his gaze to his apprentice.  "Because I made sure there were none."  

Valda blinked and the roaring in her head returned.  "Why?"  She whispered.  

He gave her a smile that made every hair on her body stand on end.  "Because your father was Darth Bane.  And I killed him."