Star Wars: Power of the Dark Side
Chapter VIII: Old Friends and Older Enemies

Mortis had to admit, it was rather unpleasant and she did not like overextending her work day. She spent the last few hours having her way with her prisoners and feeding off of their emotions. Their delicious screams of mercy and pain, begging her to take their lives and let the other set free. Those last few moments of their final goodbyes were priceless and one that she will never forget. She had forgotten how much fun torture could be, so easily she could end a pony's life. She held the pony's death in her hooves and it filled her with great power.

Mortis moved a twig out of her way, traveling along one of the fields just outside of Ponyville. The grass growing exceptionally tall, the yellow colored wheat grass almost rising to the ridges of her nose. Her hood pulled over her head and her cloak gently fluttering in the wind. The sun was secreted behind a wall of grey clouds, offering a slight improvement to her vision. Mortis continued along, glancing back not looking at the environment behind her but noticing the familiar weight that was on her back. The ever comfortable weight of her lightpike, the simple and yet archaic design of the hilt was a comfort to her.

Turning her gaze back ahead of her, she focused more on the path and fields ahead of her. Trudging along, her hoof falls connecting with the earth beneath her. Those of normal heritage would feel nothing as they walked, but Mortis felt different with each step. She had almost nearly forgotten that with each and every step the earth itself reacted to her heavy footsteps. Her boots smashing and conforming into the soft earth, the feeling reminded her of her conquests when she was apart of the Dark Blessing.

The cities they raised in the name of the dark side. The innocents they killed for the betterment of their order. Their leader at the time, Darth Venator, loathed such killings of those that are defenseless claiming that it would not inspire true fear. 'They are followers and therefore have a purpose to our cause, those with a purpose to us do not deserve death.' Mortis believed otherwise, they were loyal to Celestia's empire, they had no purpose to the Dark Empire. And what was more fear inducing than seeing their loved ones die before them? IT was a reverie unlike anything Mortis has felt before. And nothing could be more prosperous than a victory that inspires fear. A celebration after the battle.

Her thoughts however moved to what was most pressing in her mind. Who might have taken the holocron? She felt it, she felt the shift of energy. Like a magnet attracting another, she felt the small pull. Whoever it is, it is somepony powerful. She remembered back to the construction of the holocron. Venator had told her and the rest of them that the right time to awaken was when the new Dark Lord of the Sith would take up the holocron.

In truth however, Mortis never slept. She never wanted to forget what she had done and the lives she has destroyed, both living and dead. She could never learn to adjust to the way of life filled with magic and friendship. She could lie in wait and see who would once again take up the mantle of Emperor/Empress. And in the mean time, raising followers and keeping the Dark Empire still in check and drawing followers to their cause. And taking up an apprentice.

Mortis halted in her trek at the disturbance she felt in the Force. She halted and moved her hoof behind her and grip the cold hilt of her lightpike. Though it was smaller in dimensions of a normal lightpike, the weight was more evenly distributed. Taking it out, a breeze rustling the tall grass and her cloak. The breeze halting before her lightweight Sith armor, the lamellar dark plate armor was heavy but it was utterly weightless to the strong dark lord.

Her lightpike lied in her hoof at her side, as she scanned the field looking for the source of the disturbance. Analyzing who would be her first victim of her lightpike, her mind focused on her ever prevalent fighting style. Wild and chaotic it was, and she loved it. Especially when facing another wielder of a lightsaber. The dark plated hilt she held was firm in her grip, deep breaths inhaling and exhaling the air of yet another battlefield. And the air that will be filled with the scent of blood, Mortis smiled cruelly and licked her lips at the familiar smell.

She felt the ebb and flow explode as jumping seemingly out of nowhere was a timber wolf. Pierce and determined to claim her as his prey. In swift pounce, it jumped towards her. Mortis prepared the tackle of the wolf, as he hit and tackled her to the ground she dodged his gaping maw filled with rows of jagged twigs and rocks for its teeth. Grabbing and wrapping her hooves over its neck. Clenching tight and expertly placing her enwrapped hooves over the timber wolf's air pipe.

Using the dark side to increase her strength and resolve she squeezed tight and a deep rumbling and sudden yip escaped the fearsome creature. She waited for the wolf's head to explode and feel the rush as it's throat collapsed. The death of the wolf drawing ever, it weaseled its way out of her crushing grip and bit down on her hoof. Mortis was slightly stunned at this, usually nothing could escape her when she was crushing it. Mortis was glad she had worn bracers, taking her free hoof she bashed the wolf's head. Dazing the creature, it stumbled back but quickly recovered.

The timber wolf, made from strong oak growled at her with fierce and determined yellow glowing eyes. It snarled at her as it paced a few feet away from her. Mortis pulled her hoof down to show her own fierce gaze. With a cruel grin on her face she flicked her lightpike and the black blade ignited with a harsh and ear stunning sound. The wolf reared back at the sharp and intense sound, Mortis took this time and charged at a blinding speed to the wolf.

Holding it with two hooves, her lightpike struck hard ina wide arc that cut directly down the top of the hunched wolf's neck and severed the head of the oaken wolf. Before she could properly recover from her killing blow, she felt a force bash against her back and attempt to tackle her to the ground. Mortis simply duck and not having a firm grip on her, the second timber wolf fell to the ground and slammed hard against the ground. As the wolf rolled off of her back, Mortis turned around quickly deactivating her lightpike and raising it to the wolf's stomach. She reactivated the blade, stabbing right into the wolf's stomach. Guiding along the path it would normally take, Mortis threw the injured timber wolf off her blade and sent it sailing faster towards the ground.

The wolf yipped and a roar of pain erupted across the silence of the plain. It fell to the ground, slamming hard on its side. Leading with her left hoof in front of her, she brought herself in a defensive stance. Both of her hooves gripping her light pike at different points, one at the top and one at the bottom. The loud thrum of the blade growing louder as she raised the blade closer to her ear. Her grin was wild and filled with a predatorial look that was unmistakably primitive and fierce. She loved battle, she loved the sight the smell. Her eyes not leaving the second wolf.

This one was much smaller and more lean than the first, a female by Mortis' guess. Clearly formed from a lighter ashen grey wood, birch perhaps, and lighter but fiercer eyes. There was something youthful about this wolf, she was younger compared to the other timber wolf but not by much. The she-wolf shook her head, clearing her ears from the sonic and loud strike that had impaled her stomach. Mortis looked at the wound and saw that it bled a white foam that was likely chlorophyll. Staining the ground and spilling out as if it was a normally formed animal that was bleeding. The she-wolf refocused and held a hateful gaze upon the dark lord, dark blue eyes that did not move. Mortis chuckled as she likely killed the pup's brother or father. Priceless.

She stood defiantly against the open wound on her belly. Baring her smaller but sharper fangs, she readied to pounce. Mortis said to the wolf, "Come then and join the same fate as your pack mate."

Before she could fully pounce, she stopped and stopped getting out of her offensive stance and walked back never losing her gaze on the Dark Lord of the Sith. A light voice rang out, "Heel Pandora, you will fight a losing battle."

Mortis knew the voice quite well, she looked up and saw her hover down. In her normal life her name is Fluttershy, but to Mortis her name was Darth Koselig. Her long wings flapping as she came into view, the paler wings almost invisible against the grey and bleak sky. She wore a light open robe of a light ebony and studded leather armor underneath. Hints of dark wood roamed over some of the armor refurbished for protection against lightsabers. Mortis' gaze moved to her weapon.

A longer lightpike made from a dark mahogany wood, matching the wood around her armor. The light maroon blade ignited and ready, the hilt was nothing too flashy but as well held inlays of silver and gold metal. Making the weapon lighter, and capable of being protected from blows of a lightsaber. Underneath the wood be kortosis, just in case a lightsaber would try to break through the Force reinforced wood.

Koselig held a paler complexion than what she normally had and her eyes more of a dark orange, they held a lighthearted and warm feeling behind them with a hidden and quiet fierceness. Her mane done in a well combed ponytail, her thin robe lightly flowing as she hovered in the air.

Pandora hobbled over to her caretaker and waited for her to land. Koselig spoke in a friendly and very light hearted and yet powerful tone, "Darth Mortis, you could have at least injured my dear Lupus instead of killing him. I am short my fiercest hunter now."

Mortis loosened her suspended smile at the comment and stated equally sarcastic as her former apprentice's, "I'm tremendously apologize, Darth Koselig, I had thought that a foolish lone wolf had tried to make an easy meal out of me. I could not give him the satisfaction."

A smile crossed the beastmaster's face as she inclined her head, "So it would seem."

Mortis sheathed her lightsaber with a loud hiss and watched as Koselig knelt down to Pandora and brought her face close to the open wound. Sheathing her blade as well a more silent hiss broke the silence, the lightpike appearing now as a wooden staff. As if she used magic, she blew a light breath through pursed lips on the open wound and Mortis watched as the wound sealed and the pseudo blood stopped flowing as the ashen wood healed. Pandora's breathing calmed at Koselig's soft touch, she calmly soothed the huntress with the tone of a mother, "Shhh, calm Pandora...save your strength young one, there will be more prey to catch."

Pandora listened to her caretaker and stood back up, nuzzling Koselig's outstretched hoof. Koselig scratched the huntress' chin and stood back up. She turned to the lying heap of what remained of Lupus. Koselig raised a hoof wrapped in a sickly green aura, towards the dead hunter. A beacon of bright green light swallowed Lupus and life revived in the timber wolf, his head returning to the stump it once was. The good thing about timber wolves is that they can be easily revived through the power of the dark side. This meant that Koselig had been studying up more on Sith rituals. She as well carried more power within herself, bringing a very soft ping of pride in Morti's chest.

Lupus stood back up stretching and carrying a medium gaze as it briefly flashed a quick glance to his mistress and walked over to his sister. The two nuzzled happily in their reunion and Lupus joined Koselig's other side. Waiting and attentive for any further orders.

Mortis smiled slyly and mocked Pandora, "What a drama queen."

Koselig chuckled at the comment, glancing down at the huntress and said, "Yes well, Pandora is very protective of her brother. Do not let her light demeanor fool you, she is a fierce huntress."

She returned her gaze up to Mortis and her tone grew more serious, "With all formalities aside, there was a reason you called me here. What is it?"

Mortis walked closer, offering a slight growl from Pandora and Lupus' protective gaze on her, Mortis ignored them and informed, losing her smile after a brief pause in her steps, "It would appear that the holocron has been found."

Leaning against her lightpike, Koselig smiled, "There are many holocrons in Equestria, could you be more specific?"

Mortis merely smirked at the sarcastic comment, "All humor aside, we must meet this pony."

Koselig raised an eyebrow, "Not so hopeful that his pony will bring our salvation?"

Mortis scoffed, "Please...Venator was fool to think that the only one to find it was this new fated Sith Lord. Especially if it's one of...them."

Koselig tried to reassure her, folding her wings, "Come now, Mortis, the Harmony Knights and the Jedi were disbanded years ago."

Mortis turned and glanced over her shoulder as she faced Ponyville, "I'd rather be safe than sorry."

The beastmaster raised her eyes in surprise and said, "Who are you and what have you done to Darth Mortis?"

Darth Mortis grit her teeth briefly and answered snidely, "I didn't wait a thousand years just to be weeded out and destroyed by one simpleton who happened to stumble on one of Equestria's strongest weapons."

Koselig sighed as she leant next to Lupus and Pandora, speaking to them in their native tongue. The two siblings walked off towards the direction of her cabin. Koselig then whistled on the wind, answering a distant call of a bird and joined next to Mortis and stamped the bottom of her staff, "I know I know...It is just odd to see you so calm and collected. I never thought of you as a mastermind, more of an intelligent brute."

Mortis decided to accept her left hoofed comment and took it to heart. Darth Koselig did not understand the network she had spent a thousand years to set up. She hears the rumors of the Jedi that kept themselves in reserve next to Solinara, the one and only Princess Celestia. Even the Harmony Knights of Master Lunara, now known as Princess Luna, she could not trust their duel morality ways. They mainly fight with the Jedi anyways. She could appease to the Harmony Knights and ask for a truce, but it was too risky as she takes up residence in the one place that she can never set hoof in again.

She was caught in the middle. Mortis could not stand idle but she could not be hesitant to make a move either. This weapon and its pieces are the only way that she could have an advantage on the Jedi. It was a long shot and it risked a lot of resources to attempt. Mortis spoke, "We need assurance that this pony to find the holocron is truly a Sith."

Koselig gripped her lightpike harder and asked, "What would you suggest?"

Mortis tapped her chin with her gloved hoof, "Hmm......"

After pondering her decision she finally added, "Send your weakest pack of wolves to them. Your orders are to not kill and you personally are not to engage the wielder of the holocron. Use caution, again they hold the holocron so be careful. I will leave the way that you will learn if they are Sith up to you."

Koselig nodded and Mortis saw a figure swoop down and perch on Koselig's lightpike. Perched upon her lightsaber was a large crow, whose name is Sabath, if her memory serves correctly. The dark raven resting on the lightpike and spoke to his master, Koselig responded in its own tongue. Sabath flew off and Mortis asked, hooves crossed over her chestpiece, "What is it?"

Mortis turned to her former apprentice and saw that she held fierceness and determination, clicking her tongue loudly and Lupus and Pandora rushing to their master's side. Koselig lifted her lightpike and ignited the maroon blade, a loud hiss erupting the silence. She spoke coldly, "We have company arriving."

Mortis opened her mouth to speak but she was knocked back by a powerful force. From the sound and the feeling, she knew that it was a Force push. Mortis tumbled hard against the ground and drawing herself back to her hooves, crouched, she quickly drew her lightpike. She refrained from igniting the blade until she engaged the combatant that pushed her.

Koselig lifted off and hovered next to Darth Mortis. The combatants were none other than the Sky Sentinels, or as the general public knows them as the Wonderbolts. Each dressed in bright white and gold battle armor and their lightpikes drawn, all of them having yellow tinted sabers. Their armor very lightly used, a few battlescars on the spaulders and chest plates but other than that the armor is unscathed. Most of them having their hoods up, lightpikes raised against the two Dark Lords of the Sith.

The only one that did not have their hoods pulled up was the one known as Master Zephyron. Spitfire, as she is known as by the public. A fierce face and green ignited lightpike pointed at Mortis. She acclaimed on the crosswinds in a powerful voice, "By the will of the Jedi Order, I hereby demand that you lay down your weapons and surrender yourself to us. If you refuse then you will feel the weight of our blades!"

Mortis spat, rolled her shoulder plates and spoke coldly to Koselig, Lupus and Pandora snarling next to her, "Take your hounds and run. Prepare the wielder."

Koselig objected defiantly, "I am not your-"

Mortis barked, "I know!...I know, just prepare the wielder. You need to be alive to know whose side this wielder is on. Run, go!"

Holding her tongue, Koselig clicked once more and ordered Pandora and Lupus to follow her. They ran off towards the cabin a few miles away. The Sentinels did not flinch as they remained determined against Darth Mortis. Zephyron ordered, "Follow the beastmaser."

Two of them nodded peeling off from the rest of the stone faced Sentinels. Before Mortis could do anything about it, they were gone. Mortis did not worry anyhow, Koselig was not called beastmaster for nothing. She could defend herself, her grip on her lightpike grew harder and she mentally readied for the coming fight.

Mortis mocked, "So...the Warmaster sends her flock of petty robins to try and capture me? Truly, this is an insult to my ability."

Mortis punched the air and a strong and intense wave burst forth, making it impossible for them to react properly, and smashed into the five remaining Sentinels. They came crashing to the ground, a few of them merely dazed. Bashing into each other and falling hard onto the ground. The ones that still flew, Mortis flicked her hoof and a strong slicing wind came from nowhere and smashed into their wings. Wrapping around like a lasso, Mortis yanked down and quickly joined their brethren on the ground, Mortis felt adrenaline rush through her. Her blade still cold and silent, waiting for the first fool to charge her.

The Sentinels were likely going to swoop in and overwhelm her, but they could not do that without their wings. Sky Sentinels are trained only in Taspzest Aerial Combat, very limiting if they are suddenly pulled from the sky. They were lambs to the slaughter now, with that fact she smiled cruelly. They stood up, a few with bruises and still gathering their wits. Zephyron, blood trickling down her brow, barked, "Kill the Sith Lord!"

One was ready and charged towards her, Mortis studied him and already found three points of entry that he left himself open. With a deafening hiss, she ignited her void colored blade and slightly dazed the Sentinel. He came in with a swing and Mortis moved as if she was about to clash sabers but she quickly deactivated her blade, the Sentinel falling forward with no force acting against him. In an ear splitting clap, she reactivated her blade as he fell into her blade. Impaling him through the shoulder and in a downward stroke she sliced cut across his chest and severed his lung.

He choked and gasped for air, falling to the ground with a thud. Mortis brandished the long handled lightsaber and held it next to her and proclaimed with a smile, "So, who is next?"

Author's Note

Yes! Finally a fight scene! I have been waiting long and patiently to write one for this fic. And finally you have it.

Everyone thank Forgefan123456 for the name of Darth Koselig the Beastmaster. I thought of the next Sith to join the ranks of Darth Mortis.