STAR WARS: Fugitive

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Thera felt herself coiled, ready to spring with the power of the dark side, built up by her anger for her master’s fate, her lightsabers humming as a mere extension of her arms and her will. Cupera had recovered herself quickly from her severed toes and stood over A’pratti’ka poised to put her out of her misery. Thera could scarcely feel the agony of her master as her life began to slowly ebb away, but she also felt Cupera’s effort to harness her own pain.

She wanted to fight for her master, but she couldn’t bring herself to jeopardize her master’s life further. She knew that many a Sith had destroyed their masters, but sometimes they became allies, or merely escaped each others’ wrath. Though her master had challenged her usefulness more than once, they had been powerful allies, and she still had much to learn from her master.

“Your move, apprentice,” challenged Cupera, one blade over A’pratti’ka’s head, the other she wove in a figure-eight pattern to her side. “Your thoughts betray you, so choose wisely!”

Much of the blaster fire had subsided as the handful of survivors slowly realized what had been happening, now that both A’pratti’ka and Cupera were too preoccupied to sustain their Force illusions any longer. Shyk rolled over in the rubble that was once his throne. He groaned and then lay still for a moment before beginning to slowly work his way to his feet. His mind seemed dazed and terrified within the Force, probably not even seriously injured, a far cry from the ruthless confidence from earlier.

Thera looked around and found the Zeltron as he was forcing himself to stand at last despite his own lingering pain from his severed forearm. He waned a bit on his feet for a moment before he knelt to recover his blaster from the clutch of his other hand. She could feel much of his familiar fire gone out of him, survival being more prevalent in his mind than fighting. She felt caution and worry emanate from him through his telepathy. She looked back at her master. Her solid red eyes were closed, her mind still active in the Force, but she could not quite sense… wait…, I know what she is doing, she thought remembering her training, and immediately shut down her thoughts. She extinguished and carefully stowed her blades, and focused her mind directly on Cupera.

“Very wise, apprentice,” declared the Askajian, “and you will very soon be mine!”

“Answer it!” bellowed Oblivia. Subtyr’s holo-comlink had chimed and begun blinking. She glared down at him as he lay severely injured on the floor, her lightsaber humming as she pointed it down behind her leg as she contemplated second guessing this new line of thought spurned by new currents in the Force. Subtyr could only groan.

After battering his will to defend himself, which had been considerable, Oblivia had begun systematically destroying his biological systems. She could leave, and he would die, with the Force as his only hope for survival, or she could finish him off. But this incoming transmission could make everything a little more fascinating. She had intended on completely exterminating his will to live to match his withered formidability as a Sith Lord. Her disgust was growing over his growing depression due to his failure with both the catalyst and the saboteur.

The Sith Empire was prepared at last to press its domination of the galaxy into the Core worlds and break down the Jedi-led Galactic Republic. Thanks to the brilliant coordination of Darth Durus, many Sith Lords in this part of the galaxy, along with their resources and magic, had been polarized into an unstoppable offensive against the Republic.

With this catalyst, though, acting to suppress the inevitable destiny of the Sith like a deadly virus, Durus has lost men and valuable auxiliary resources trying to run down this plague, she thought, Durus’ time might also be due to expire. And Oblivia was prepared to act by whatever means would be necessary to inaugurate the true understanding of the Force over the entire galaxy. The time for waiting was past and gone.