Evil Dark Lords and Pretty Pony Princesses

Maelstrom of the Force

Book 1: Prologue

The Jedi have their Code, and the Sith theirs... Both speak of passions and Peace. But, what if you decide that both are broken, and both are right? What then? Well, you fix it, that's what!

Though Peace, Passion lives
Passion gives me strength
when all else fails.
Strength gives me Power
to Achieve Victory
Through Victory, I gain Freedom
Through Freedom, I gain Peace

Darth Marr on the Tenents of the Sith - A talk with Luke Skywalker

The Atgier-Class Battlecruiser, Malevolence Rising, shook under the onslaught from the three Alliance-Class Star Destroyers arrayed against it. The rest of the Seventh fleet waged war around them, red and green turbolaser fire lanced back and forth in continuous waves of death across the empty.

Darth Marr’s forces consisted of three Atgier-Class Battlecruisers, seventeen Sith Destroyers, nineteen Guardian Cruisers, and seven Sith Interdictor-Class Cruisers from the age of Revan. Dozens of support craft littered the area around these massive ships of legend, scores of fighter wings blazed around the ships under Marr’s control as they fought off the increasingly suicidal forces of Head of State Jacen Solo.

Jacen Solo’s fleet consisted of several dozen Alliance and Imperial-Class Star Destroyers, a dozen cruisers, and several hundred support craft. at the back of Solo’s armada stood a single massive vessel; the Super Star Destroyer Magog. Modeled after Darth Vader’s own personal SSD the massive wedge-shaped vessel poured heavy fire down upon the large vessels of Marr’s fleet. Marr’s personal ship, Malevolence Rising, took the brunt of the fire as it cut a jagged swath through Solo’s front lines. Six of the seventeen destroyers and five of the Guardian Cruisers flanked it in a mock fighter screen type pattern.

Jacen Solo’s flagship, Anakin Solo, sat in the middle of the enemy formation, its long-range turbolaser batteries pounding the shields of smaller vessels in an attempt to thin the herd. What none of the GA had ever realized, though, was that Marr and his Admirals had unanimously decided to retrofit every ship in the fleet, that had the room, with higher quality shields made by the scientists of Marr’s Empire.

Between both the GA and the NSE nine ships had been lost. Most of which came from the Galactic Alliance’s side. Two Imperial-Class Star Destroyers from Marr’s fleet drifted among the nine, while three Star Destroyers and four Broadside Cruisers broke apart under the weight of Elom’s gravitational pull. Fires broke out across the ships and burned even brighter as they got closer to the planet below.

Marr’s flagship, Malevolence Rising, strode forward across the inky-blackness of space and rained red fire down upon the enemy vessels trying to make it into his Kingdom. Another Star Destroyer fell to his ships overwhelming power, just as two Guardian Cruisers exploded under the weight of the SSD’s long Range Turbolaser fire.

Thousands upon thousands of fighters dueled in the void, their personal shields flaring every-so-often when a laser bolt slammed into them. Explosions of every color bloomed in the darkness, their sizes differing on what ship, and what side fired them. Marr, if he were any other man, would have been mesmerized by the colors and the awesome destruction being wrought around him. Thankfully though he was not like other men, he was a Sith, an ancient Sith no less. Eight hundred plus years of warfare and death sat under his belt. He built a Kingdom on the backs of his friends and subordinates that has lasted almost a millennia, he would not let an upstart like Jacen Solo encroach onto his Kingdom and take of it what he would. At least, not while he still walked the galaxy.

"Lieutenant, report!" The Captain of the Malevolence shouted. The vessel rocked under a salvo from the Anakin Solo but held strong as it pushed farther into the enemy Armada.

"Reports of hull breaches on the lower levels, sir! Nothing major, no casualties!"

"Good. Reroute power from the engines to the shields, we aren't going anywhere from here!" the Captain ordered.

Marr sat on his command throne with an impassive air about himself. Those that knew him though would realize that he was furious with the turn of events taking place. The Darkside corruption in his eyes glowed slightly as an indicator of his mood; the more anger he felt the brighter his eyes became.

"I will be taking the Eloi out, Captain. You have the Bridge," Lord Marr stated with indifference before he suddenly strode from the room. No one had even noticed him rise from his chair, neither had they seen him move before he was suddenly at the back of the bridge.

Marr stepped out of the turbolift and strode out onto the flight deck of the Malevolence Rising. His cloak billowed out around him and his lightsabers glinted in the bright white lights of the hanger. His cowl slipped back and fell across his long brown locks. His Yellow eyes dimmed somewhat when he looked upon the visage of his personal starship - The Eloi.

The Eloi was an ancient Sith Interceptor from the First Great Galactic War. It had several modifications done to it, but most of the ship was simply refurbished and buffed. The ancient armor that held the craft together was far superior to any other starship of similar make save the Corellian Freighters.

Marr walked right up to it, his long legs doubling the stride of a normal man. He pressed his hand against the fuselage of the ship and closed his eyes. He concentrated his will within the Force and unlocked the boarding ramp. This modification was one that Luke Skywalker had gifted him as a sign of prolonged friendship between their Orders.

"Sire, it is good to see you again!" A voice buzzed from within the confines of the ship. When the lights turned on, they revealed who it was that had spoken along with the insides. A tall droid that looked like a cross between a Protocol Droid and a Hunter Killer Assassin Droid stood off to the right of the boarding ramp. The inside of the Interceptor was white and muted grey with black and red accents. The central room was circular with a beveled pillar in the center. There were six rooms that shot off in all the cardinal directions from the center of the ship. One was the mess with its chrome covered appliances. Another was the ship's sleeping quarters. Beside it was the Captain's quarters. Last was the engine room and the workroom. The last room was not a room per say, but the small bridge for the Interceptor.

"Is the ship ready for launch TC?" Marr asked his ancient companion.

"As ready as a war vessel can be, Sire. Shall I warm up the weapons?"

Marr nodded. He swept by his droid ally, his cloak billowed behind him and barged on into the Bridge. He pulled his cloak off and tossed it across the back of his Captains chair before he plopped down into it. TC rushed after him, his much shorter legs reducing his travel time by half.

"This is Eloi actual, Hanger Bay three, respond - over," Marr toggled the comm.

"This is Hanger Bay three, how can we serve Sire - Over?"

"Ready for insertion, T-minus ten. Do I have a rendezvous?" Marr asked as he double checked his controls.

"Tempest Wing has been designated as your insertion point, Sire. They are directly off our bow. They are engaging the Alliance ship Anakin and its fighter escort, they say they can get you on the ship, Sire - Over," the Hanger crew informed him. Marr sent his acknowledgment and disembarked from the ship. The Eloi bucked for a split second before it leveled out. He then turned it around towards the large blue glowing expanse that led to the void.

"Ready when clear - Over," Marr relayed.

"Clear!"

The Eloi shot off like a rocket and swerved when an I4 Ionizer Starfighter came streaking out of nowhere and slammed into the energy field for the Hanger bay. Marr spat out a litany of curses and growled. He leveled the Eloi and searched for his RP.

"Sire, portside, thirty degrees up from two'o'clock!" Marr acknowledged his co-pilots words with a grunt and flipped the ship on its side to avoid a stream of green laser cannon fire from their aft.

"We got you, Sire!" A voice shouted over the Wing Comm. Suddenly there was no more fire coming from the rear.

"My thanks!" Marr shouted into the mic. He depressed the activation studs on his controller and let loose a barrage of red laser fire upon a squadron of Tie Fighters. Seven of them were utterly obliterated before they could even figure out where the fire was coming from. The rest of the squadron was dispatched by the duo of Z-05 headhunters that had seemingly come out of nowhere to aid him.

"Tempest, this is the Eloi, status report!" Marr shouted. He juked the ship and let off another stream of laser fire at a pair of Tie Defenders. The left one exploded in a shower of flames and smoke, the right rolled to the starboard side and let loose a pair of proton torpedoes.

"We're at half strength, Sire! The Anakin Solo pounded our escorts into dust, now it's just us, the fighters, and our bombers!" A shaky voice shouted over the comm. Marr could hear shouting in the background and a lot of screaming.

"Get those bombers on the Anakin! I want those shields down so we can board!" Marr growled. Marr cut out his engines all of a sudden and flipped his ship around using the maneuvering thrusters. He then set it in a spin and depressed the activation studs on his controls. In a matter of seconds, a trio of Tie Advance's exploded into a giant fireball a dozen meters behind him. He vaguely heard the shouts from his wingmates but paid them no mind as he let the Force guide him.

"Sire, Blue Squadron, and Daniel's Claws have begun their attack run. Pheonix wing has moved in to support!" Marr recalled that Pheonix consisted of six fighter Squadrons, two Tartan Cruisers, and a complement of three Sith Interceptors. Three squadrons were made of Sith FIghters, two were a mix of old X-wings and B-wings, and the sixth was made up of all A-wings.

"Have Arcturus squadron and the Interceptors form up on me. The rest are to aid in bringing down those shields. I want the Tartans to perform overwatch, don't let anything creep up on us!" Commanded Marr, he put the ship into a rising corkscrew and dodged a hail of blue laser fire. He got a lock on a Xj-12 series X-wing before he realized who it was.

"Hows it goin' Marr!" A cocky voice broke over the Interceptors internal speakers. Marr sighed and unconsciously smiled wanly.

"As well as can be expected from Solo," Marr snarked.

"At least it's not boring!" Kyp Durron snarked right back. His X-wing cut to port and unleashed a hell upon an unsuspecting Tie Fighter. Marr barely even noticed a small black object then get propelled from Kyp's fighter in the general direction of the massive Star Destroyer.

"Nice shooting ... For a Cadet!" Marr sniped. He jerked hard to Starboard and slammed his thrusters into the red. "All Tempest and Pheonix Forces! Break!" Marr ordered his forces to break off their attack run. Something much bigger than a few Ion torpedoes was about to crack the Anakin Solo's shields wide open. A chorus of affirmatives rang out as dozens of friendly IFF's broke away from the massive ship.

Mar and his allies watched with baited breath. Then, with a blinding light, a massive explosion enveloped the angular nose of the Star Destroyer. The shields that enveloped the ship then shimmered for a split second before they dissolved like gossamer in the sun. Marr marveled at the sight for a second before he was interrupted by Kyp's voice.

"What do you think!?" He asked, amusement and awe in his voice.

"Spectacular! But what was that!?" Marr asked; he was already zooming towards the Star Destroyer with his men in toe behind him. He could feel Kyp and his Dozen right on their tales, not even a second away.

"A little gift from Han and Leia... I'll tell you about it later!" Kyp laughed.

Marr blinked. Instead of questioning it, he simply grunted and twisted his ship to the left to avoid a strafe from a trio of X-wings running Alliance colors.

"TC, what is the status of the Anakin's Turbolasers?"

"Unresponsive, Sire. It seems that Master Durron's weapon did indeed knock out most of the systems aboard the Star Destroyer. We are clear to board."

"Attention Tempest, Pheonix, and Kyp's Dozen! Boarding Action on the Solo! All other forces are to cover our approach! Keep those other ships occupied!" A stream of affirmatives and acknowledgments buzzed across the comms not a moment later.

Over a hundred ships now assailed the Anakin Solo, Fighters, Bombers, Interceptors, and Small Cruisers littered the space around its Hanger Bays. Everyone apart of the boarding party had donned EVA suits just for that moment. With a barrage of laser fire, the forces under Marr and Kyp's command brought down the emergency shields protecting the Hangers. Within moments a host of ships filled the port and starboard side Hangers while the Tartan Cruisers pushed into the belly of the beast to unload their complement of soldiers.

"Marr!" Kyp's voice rang out from across the Hanger. The Dark Lord looked up from his datapad and shot Kyp a questioning look. "How many Sith did you manage to bring with you?"

"About a hundred all told. There is ten with us on this side," Mar showed Kyp a diagram of the ship and pointed to the Portside Hanger Bay. "And seventeen on the starboard side. The rest are aboard the Tartan's and are currently fighting their way free of the Hanger. I've sectioned us off into three strike groups. We're Alpha, Starboard is Bravo, and the ones below are Charlie."

Kyp nodded, he motioned for the pad with a nod of his head and a motion of his hand. Marr lent it to him easily.

"I have three other Jedi with me here, the rest of the Dozen are non-Jedi... I see you have Charlie going after the Main targeting computers along the fringes of the ship. Hmm, Bravo is going after the reactors?" Kyp asked.

"Aye, I plan on sending this Chutta back into Alliance lines and redlining the reactors... Should be a pleasant gift for our friends outside," Marr shot Kyp a grim grin. Kyp shot him a nasty smile and nodded along with the plan.

"What are we going to do about Jacen?"

"Either capture him... Or kill him. There's not much else we can do," Marr pulled back the pad and issued his orders. A trio of green lights appeared in the top hand corner of the small screen letting him know they had been acknowledged. Kyp nodded slowly to Marr's assessment, the Sith Lord knew that many of the Jedi agreed with him, including the last of the male Skywalkers. But neither of them wanted to kill a young man that had once been apart of their lives not so long ago.

"Sad, but true. I assume we are going to fight our way to the bridge?" Kyp asked.

"As best we can, yes. Granted, Jacen might try and cut us off. I would not be surprised if he tries venting the oxygen before he lets us get any further."

Kyp growled at the prospect of that happening. It would do nothing to anyone apart from the strike force, but any of the crew that did not have an EVA suit would surely die within minutes.

"How many hostiles do you think we'll deal with?" Kyp asked. The two of them looked over at the rest of their forces as they formed up on the turbolifts leading out of the Hanger bay.

"If memory serves, roughly forty thousand crewmen, and around ten thousand possible extras... SO anywhere between thirty and sixty thousand enemies lay between us and our prize," Marr growled and placed a hand upon one of the many lightsaber hilts that lined his belts. Kyp whistled at the estimates. Neither was too happy at the prospect of facing so many combatants in such confined spaces, but thankfully they would be spread throughout the ship. That also happened to be one of the many problems they faced. They would have to leave almost half of their forces behind to defend their avenues of retreat. This would allow Jacen to cut them off and just throw bodies at them until they all died. SO they had to act accordingly.

"We can bring the Astromechs and my personal Droid with us to help lock down parts of the vessel ... This should allow us an easy way out. Do you think?"

Kyp nodded slowly, his gaze locked on the turbolift doors.

"I have a bad-" He was cut off as two of the Turbolift doors opened up and unleashed massive gouts of flame from within. The white-hot flames incinerated a dozen of Marr's men before they suddenly stopped and started back up again. Marr and Kyp unknowingly shared equal looks of horror and dread at the sight of such brutality.

"Kill them!" Kyp shouted. The shorter man ignited his violet saber and vaulted into the action. He used the Force to guide the flames away from their intended targets and up into the air to be harmlessly dissipated. Marr unclipped two of his sabers and thumbed the activation studs with his thumbs. the saber in his left hand ignited with a blade of the deepest crimson while the blade in his right came to life with a blade of the most virulent of greens.

"Don't stand still!" Marr shouted while he vaulted through the air towards his target. He crashed down with an audible thud of heavy metal against the thick deck plating. His heavy boots made a click-clack noise when he stepped. He made two strides and brought both sabers across himself in a horizontal slash. The fire suddenly stopped and the sound of two metal clad things hitting the floor followed. His men cheered from behind him, a second cheer went out when Kyp dispatched his own adversary.

Both the Sith Lord and Jedi Master froze when they heard the tell-tale sound of machinery moving from within the Turbolifts. They and the rest of the strike force looked on in slight fear as a dozen YVH hunter-killer droids marched out of the lifts. Marr took an involuntary step back in surprise when he realized how close they were.

"Orders?" an anonymous soldier asked. Their voice shook with fear and adrenalin, that much Marr could tell.

"Fire!" Marr shouted; he charged into the ranks of the droids, the rest of his Sith and Kyp's Jedi joined in a moment later. Greens, Blues, Reds, Oranges, and Purples flashed about like massive, deadly, glowsticks as the twenty or so Force users fought the Vong killers. Blades met and sparkes lept as the two forces clashed in hectic close melee. A chromatic array of colors danced around the YVH droids, just as the black cortosis covered swords of those same droids danced along to their unbidden dance.

Cries of rage and death were soon heard over the clash of weapons. Marr felt the pang of loss within the Force as his soldiers died and the battle raged on. He felt every death, every mutilating blow, and every hint of rage that began to envelop the ship. The Sith fought Harder, and the Jedi became ferocious. Swings became faster, deadlier, and the droids were being driven back by the overwhelming force.

Marr sidestepped an overhead swing from his left, he stepped into the droids side which threw it off balance and carved through its body with a simple upward swing. He threw the bifurcated droid into one of its brethren. The droid fell over and was quickly dispatched by a fellow sith who simply decapitated it.

Kyp and his last remaining Jedi pilot finished off two other YVH droids on their own. Both were slightly suffused with the Darkside but thought nothing of it. Marr shot them a worried glance, but thought better of saying anything should they not be in complete control of themselves. He knew the power that lurked in the Darkside, it was what had sustained him on many a perilous occasion during events long past. It was a long time companion of his, and he knew the limits of its power, small they may be.

"Into the lifts everyone! TC, direct the Astromechs, I want these taking us as close as possible to Jacen!" Marr ordered his personal droid. TC snapped off a mock salute and hurried to follow his master's orders. Quicker than most had expected, the little droids got the turbolifts under their strict control.

Within minutes the lifts were manned and sent on their way. Marr and Kyp joined their troops and ascended with the first wave. Almost thirty seconds later the lifts opened up and expelled them out into an open corridor, at either end was a well-established blockade of GA troopers and Special Forces. The Dark Lord sighed and stepped out into the hall with both sabers in hand lit. He was put on the defensive almost immediately. Kyp and the rest of their saber wielding men joined him. Their blades batted aside hundreds of bolts a minute as the regular troopers moved out into the hall and returned fire. The lifts shot off, back down to pick up more men.

Marr growled and grunted as the hail of blaster fire rose and fell with the loss and replacement of bodies. Marr finally annoyed enough with the firestorm around him shoved his hand forward and blasted apart the enemy barricade. Bodies and bits of plasteel flew down the corridor. Many a man, woman, and alien, were rent asunder in the storm of moving things. Blood and gore littered the hall after the storm of Force energies had subsided.

At the opposite end, Kyp and a few of Marr's Sith did the exact same thing, though not as spectacularly. The might of their enemies were broken upon the obstacles they had erected to stop them, none survived the onslaught for long.

Marr and his forces marched purposefully down the corridor towards the next set of levels turbolift junction. Kyp had made off in the opposite direction with several of his men and a hand full of Sith Sabers. Now, left with only ten Sabers to his name and two squads of soldiers, Marr felt that he was severely undermanned.

Out of the ranks of his remaining Sith walked one man he had thought gone with Kyp. He stood at six foot three and was almost two and a half feet wide at the shoulders. He struck a very imposing figure against the stark white walls of the Star Destroyer's halls.

"Why did you let Kyp drag off so many of our men, Father?" Dromas Karr asked. Dromas was one of the last surviving children that Marr had adopted several hundred years earlier. Dromas was a member of the Feeorin species, a race of long-lived aliens that looked similar to Nautolan's in physical looks, though most Feeorin's grew to be much taller than any Nautolan. Dromas was the generic blue-green color his race usually displayed, though his skin was weathered and wrinkled from his long life. He wore similar armor to his Father; black Beskar with red trimming and gold piping. He, on the other hand, did not ware the same type of Warriors mask that their ancestors used when going into battle. He wore a mask modeled after the Eternal Warrior Malgus. The rebreather wrapped around his neck and traveled up the back of his head, it then changed from a hard metal to a fabric type material that spread out and covered his many montrals to the tip. The eye sockets on his mask shined red with Darkside energies and power derived directly from the depths of evil.

As much as Dromas' dealings with the Darkside worried Darth Marr, he knew that his son would be more than capable of dealing with the temptations. Especially after three hundred years of delving into its depths. Marr smiled behind his mask and sent a wave of tainted appreciation towards his last living son.

"I sent them with him because he will need them more than we will. Without Kyp here to taint with the darkness, we can unleash more of our power on Jacen's lackeys. I want all sabers in front, Pilots and Troopers are to hold this intersection and keep it under our control!" Marr informed his son. He turned to the rest of his people and issued a few commands. Every one of them jumped-to to defend the evac point.

"As you wish Father," Dromas bowed his head. He stowed his saber, one with a green-white blade, and pulled out a knarled fleshy hilt. It was the remnants of a Sith Basilisk that he and his siblings had killed a few centuries ago in his youth. The blade that lanced forth when he thumbed the activation stud was a sickly orange with a crimson core. The hateful blade seemed to warp reality around it as if it had been forged from the Force itself and not by the hand of a mortal man. "I am ready Father."

"All Sabers, Battle Formation Zion. We are killing Darth Caedus tonight, whether the Skywalkers wish us to or not."

Lord Marr and what was left of his entourage arrived at the last turbolift junction leading to the bridge. Several of his Sabers had been killed in the ensuing firefights, but Dromas and a few others had made it. Dromas had lost his rebreather and knew that if Caedus wished to vent the atmosphere, he would surely die. But, instead of being consumed by fear and terror, Dromas used it to push himself forward with the Darkside of the Force.

"I want three of you to stay here and watch the lifts if anything comes down here that isn't us, I want you to Slash and Burn," Marr solemnly ordered his remaining men. Marr knew in his heart that Dromas would most likely die in their coming battle with the insane Dark Lord. So, rather than take all his forces and risk them all dying, he opted to take the best with them and assure that those that did die, at least had a fighting chance.

"Father, we both know what will happen in there," Dromas grunted through slightly labored breaths. Without his breather, his lungs could barely stand the ionized air in the corridor. Dromas looked into his father's eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We both know who is going to make it out of there in one piece," Dromas smiled wanly to his Father.

"I know Dro'... But I will not be able to defeat him without you, and that is what hurts the most," Marr let out a shuddering sigh as he looked upon his son. He placed a hand on the Feeorin's shoulder. Without a second thought, he pulled him into a tight embrace; Marr's chin rested atop the crown of Dromas' head easily. With barely any hesitation the younger alien embraced his lord Father and returned it twice over.

"I will be with you, always, Father," Dromas whispered before he pulled away.

"And I with you Dromas."

The two Sith, a Liege-Lord and a Master, walked into the Turbolift. AS the lift ascended towards the Bridge, they felt a searing pain shoot through the force. Dromas and Marr both felt the painful death throws of their subordinates. After what felt like hours, they felt the last of their soldiers that had gone with Kyp die. All that was left was Kyp and his fellow Jedi. But that was also shortened when they felt the life force of the Jedi snuffed out as well. Marr and Dromas shot each other worried looks of concern. Both had trained with Jacen when he was younger, and Marr had even trained him in some of the Sith ways. But neither had ever known someone so strong as to take on so many Sith at once singlehandedly. The only ones that had ever gotten that strong were few and far between. Marr, Yoda, Anakin Solo, Luke, Ben Skywalker, and Anakin Skywalker, were the only ones that came to mind when thinking of those strong enough to take on more than one Sith at once.

"Be ready Dro' we will have to end this quickly if we wish to survive."

"Aye, Father, we will."

Kyp danced away from Jacen's red black blade, his blue saber having batted it aside in the process. He swung back and clashed overhand with Jacen, their blades hissed and sparked before they backed off and struck once more. Kyp jabbed at the Fallen Jedi's chest, but Jacen leaned out of the way and tagged Kyp's thigh with the tip of his saber. A hiss of burnt flesh and a scream Kyp flinched back.

Jacen cackled and smirked insanely at the Jedi Master. His skin seemed pale and taught against his bones as if it didn't quite fit right. Kyp had to repress shudders whenever he looked upon the man he thought he once knew.

Jacen parried a slash from Kyp that was aimed at his shoulder and slashed along his arm. The smell of burnt flesh got even stronger; Kyp yanked back and screamed at the pain. He lashed out with his free hand and blasted Jacen with a massive wave of Force energy. The younger man flew back several feet but managed to catch himself with the Force and land safely. Kyp, no longer able to grip his saber any longer, dropped the lightsaber. He knelt down and tried to pick it up as fast as he could, but Jacen was already on him.

Massive forks of purple sith lightning arced from Jacen's fingertips with impunity and raced across the Jedi's body. The tan robes that once hung primly from his shoulders were now baked, burnt, and bloodied from their fight. The right side was missing from the waist up and the sleeve on the left side was gone from mid-bicep down. Now they were smoking from the power burning away at them. Kyp thrashed and howled at the pain Jacen inflicted upon him.

Just as Kyp thought he was going to die at the hands of his best friend's son, the turbolift doors opened and admitted Lord Marr and his Eldest Son to the bridge. They immediately brought their sabers to bare and charged at Jacen.

"JACEN!" Marr shouted hate and loathing at the young man. Kyp silently wept at the look of hate on Marr's face. He knew how the man felt, to have such a close friend and ally betray them all like Jacen had. Jacen turned towards Marr and his approaching son with hate-filled yellow eyes. He raised a hand and launched a wave of shadowy black energy at the two men. Marr, who had gained a slight lead over his son, was immediately thrown back by the wave. Dromas, on the other hand, braced himself against the wave and ushed through it with little trouble. He did end up falling short though and landed in a crouch. When he stood up though, Kyp managed to catch a glimpse of the ancient man's eyes.

Black. Pitch black with a single white dot in the center; power radiated from their unknowable depths. It made even his pain riddled body still with fear. Though it seemed Jacen was not even phased by the sight of Dromas' alien-looking eyes.

"Hellow Dro', it has been a while!" Jacen smirked at the Feeorin. The taunting way in which the creature with Jacen's skin said the Feeorin's name just seemed to set the Sith Master off even more. The Dark Jedi lifted his corrupted blade up and saluted the Sith. A sickly sweet grin slowly spread across his face when it was obvious that the Feeorin was not going to acknowledge his show of 'respect'. "I think it is appropriate that those here know my true name now...," Jacen turned an eye upon Kyp, which made said man cringe in disgust at how vile the young man looked in that moment.

"Oh? And what is that Jacen, what is your true name now?" Dromas asked with a raised brow. A dark greenish aura began to form around Jacen and Dromas' eyes the longer they talked. It unnerved Kyp to such a degree he had to force himself not to puke. "We've heard of Caedus, what more could you think of yourself - Traitor," Dromas scowled at the young man. Dromas' weathered skin crinkled around the eyes when he sneered at Jacen. Kyp shivered at the sound of Jacen's Sith name. He knew the language it was derived from, it was apt. Slaughter... and slaughter Jacen had.

"I am Caedus Iator... The Harbinger of Slaughter!" Jacen, Caedus... Caedus Iator ... Whatever the hell he wanted his name to be, cackled with insane laughter. He snapped a mock bow off towards Dromas and waved his saber off to his side in a flurry of movement before keeping it still.

"And you will die," Dromas snapped. He stepped forward and brought his alien looking saber up in a classic Sai Cha strike. Jacen easily ducked underneath the strike thanks to his smaller stature. The Feeorin shot his knee up towards Jacen's face but missed. The younger Sith Lord weaved around the strike and aimed for the five hundred and thirty-two-year-old Sith brought his other hand forward and punch Iator in the face with the Force.

Before the warped Sith's blade could even make contact with Dromas' body he was propelled backward and slammed into the far side of the bridge where he collided with the plexiglass viewports. The mentally unstable Sith got to his feet after a moment's hesitation and spat on the floor. A large glob of blood and mucus, more black than red, plopped onto the deck.

At the other side of the room, Marr struggled to get to his feet. His hands slipped on a bit of blood that had fallen from a wound on his forehead he had gotten when Jacen threw him. THe dazed Anzat hybrid stumbled to his feet after a second try. He looked around the room. Everything to him was a haze. He could barely make out the glow of some lightsabers at the other end, but with what little blood had gotten in his eyes, it was almost impossible to see.

From his spot on the floor, Kyp could see that Marr was having a rough time. But, with how beaten his body felt, the Jedi Master knew he was not going to be able to help the Sith Lord.

Marr looked over and watched the fight between the deranged thing that used to be Jacen and his son. He can see the red and orange blades clash in quick succession before they break and distance themselves. He stumbled forward at a slow pace but quickly picked speed as the Darkside picked up in its intensity. He roared out in anguish and hate as he flew through the air at the darkly armored Jacen.

"MARR!" THe young man laughs with hate and twisted glee.

Marr brought his sword down with all his might and clashed against Jacen's sword. All were surprised though when Marr was held aloft for a moment before his weight began to pull him down to the floor. The entire time, neither of their blades ceased their connection. Marr, Dromas, and Kyp are all stunned at the physical strength Jacen had just shown off in a single instant.

Just as Marr and Dromas were about to engage Jacen, or Caedus Iastor as he now called himself, the entire ship rocked violently from side to side. Kyp felt himself roll across the floor as almost unimaginable pain shot through his body. The pain receptors in his skin fired in overdrive after having been subjected to the torturous whiles of Sith Lightning. He came to a stop at the unstable feet of Marr and Dromas.

The ship rumbled with great tremors as explosions could be felt from far beneath in the reactor room. Jacen, or at least the twisted facsimile that now inhabited his body, laughed with unrestrained glee.

"You bring death upon me by trying to sabotage my ship?!" He cried with a cackle. "How quaint!" Marr and Dromas both took a step back as Jacen's more deranged side came to the fore. Marr pulled Kyp along with the Force, not having wanted to leave the tortured man anywhere near the corrupted thing that used to be Jacen Solo.

Just as Marr was about to suggest that they run, Dromas was yanked away and brought before Caedus. Caedus grabbed hold of Dromas' arm and twisted it at a vicious angle that it made the Feeorin scream in pain. Caedus brought his other hand up and smashed it against Dromas' chest. It caved easily under the Force-enhanced punch. Dromas tried to scream, but couldn't under the assault. Caedus brought his fist down on the Feeorin's elbow and shattered it; he let go of the arm and grabbed it at the bicep and with his free hand he punched Dormas in the shoulder. The force of the punch and the strength of Caedus' grip tore Dromas' arm right out of its socket. Blood and bits of gore flew from the devastating wound as Dromas flew back toward Marr and Kyp. Caedus was having none of that though and caught the aged Feeorin in the Force and brought him back. The downed Jedi Master gapped in disgusted awe at what his one-time friend had done to the ancient Sith Master.

Marr screamed in anguish at the sight of his son being mutilated but could not get his body to move. It was paralyzed with indecision. Marr could only watch on in paralyzed fear as his son tried to fight back.

Dromas tried to punch and Caedus with his only remaining hand, but this was an attempt in futility as Caedus caught the offending appendage in his hand. With a sick grin, he tightened the grip he had on Dromas' hand ... ANd shoved an inordinate amount of energy back into the Sith's body. The Feeorin Sith screamed in extreme agony as his arm suddenly ballooned up from the pressure. WIth a sickening pop the arm exploded. There was nothing left of the limb below the elbow, save for the gore-ridden remains of his flesh.

"NOOOOOOOoooo!" Marr shouted with animalistic rage. The giant of a Sith launched himself at Caedus and interposed himself between his wounded son and the deranged monster. He cut off Caedus left arm at the elbow and his left at the wrist. The deranged thing that once was Jacen Solo, and possibly once a Sith, howled with rage and pain. It flinched back and curled in on itself to get away from the pain and the one who caused it.

Marr did not press his advantage as his only concern was his last surviving son. He picked the Feeorin up in his arms, cradled him like one would a newborn, and dashed over to Kyp. The Jedi Master was finally able to get to his feet, even though his spasming muscles left him more than a little shaky. The Star Destroyer rocked heavily as another explosion went off in the bowels of the ship, Kyp and Marr struggled to stay upright but managed all the same. Both sprinted towards the turbolifts and quickly got inside. Only Marr spared a second glance at the seething form of Caedus.

It was at that moment that Kyp Durron truly looked at the bridge, truly looked and saw what had become of the crew. Bodies strewn about, many cut down by the blade of a lightsaber, and much more were battered and burnt. The Jedi shivered at the sight and prayed to the Force that whatever it was that Jacen had become would die with the Star Destroyer. As the lift doors close, neither Jedi nor Sith share a word. There is nothing to say how terribly wrong their venture had gone. Dromas - mortally wounded and dying in his father's arms, Kyp - tortured and almost unable to stand, Marr - beaten and bloodied though still somewhat able to fight.

Marr and Kyp arrive at the junction where Marr left a few of his Sabers. With a quick word, Marr instructed them to follow. The group of Force users ran down the long hallway and quickly arrived at the next Lift junction. The three sabers boarded one lift while Marr, still holding Dromas, and Kyp boarded the other. Within a minute they were at the last juncture leading to their fortified position.

When they disembarked, they were assaulted by the sounds of battle. Marr and Kyp looked out and saw that their position in front of the other lifts was under heavy assault from GA troopers armed with concussion rifles and blaster repeaters. The men they had stationed there barely seemed to be holding out under the massive onslaught. Marr looked to the growing offensive and then back down to his dying son. He could either make a run for it and take the lifts down to the Hanger bay, or he could help his men and evacuate the rest of them post haste.

With a determined grunt, Marr made up his mind.

"You three, take Dromas and head for the Eloi! I want him in the ships bacta tank and the cloning tools already working on replacements! Kyp, you go and get in your fighter, you're too injured for this fight! I'll pull our guys out of the fire and meet you down below! May the Force be with you!" Marr handed Dromas off and quickly dashed over to his men. The Dark Lord brought out his lightsabers and ignited the two blades with a flurry of movement. He leaped over his soldiers and right into the enemy lines. He came up in a running dance and cut through the GA soldiers.

With the enemy now suitably distracted, Kyp and the other Sith made a break for it.

Marr deflected a trio of bolts from his right and sent them right back at his attackers. He brought one blade overhand and struck out sideways with the other to cleave one soldier in half vertically and to relieve another of their legs. He then spun around and used his cape to obscure his attackers while he literally disarmed a group of GA Concussion troopers. Marr was then struck in the side which brought his dance of death to a sudden halt. He cried out in pain, his ribs and side throbbed from the concussive blast. His head shot over to a frightened-looking GA trooper; Marr snapped his hand out at the soldier and balled it into a fist. In almost the blink of an eye, the soldier was a ball of gored meat and plasteel plates. The mass of gore twitched once and fell still.

The rest of the assaulting force looked at Marr with abject horror and disgust. The men under Marr's command shouted a rallying cry and charged the GA position. Marr wasted little time in dealing out more death. He tossed the ball of gore at his enemies and started tearing them apart by the dozens. Within moments, the entire corridor was bathed in blood and gore; bits of flesh hung from the ceiling panels and the stench was overwhelming.

"All soldiers back to the ships! We are leaving!" Marr used his sabers to move them towards the lifts. The fifty or so soldiers that still stood quickly embarked onto the lifts and began the short transition to the Hanger. Marr stayed behind and helped move the wounded onto the lifts as well. One man was missing both legs and Marr had to pass him off to a couple of troopers that had hobbled into the closest lift. Marr then ran back and picked up a woman who had lost both her left leg and arm. He carried her gently into the lift and motioned for one of the men to get the controls.

As the moments slowly ticked by, the woman in Marr's arms passed on. The last thing she did was smile up at her Lord before the Force finally took her. She had thanked Marr for his efforts in saving her and had even told him that her family had been one of the original ones to come with him on his original voyage in 427 ABY. At her passing, Marr lets a single tear trail down his bloodstained cheek.

The lift door then opened and the dim lights of the Hanger billowed into the dimly lit lift. The occupants swiftly left and made for their respective ships. Marr took the body of the woman he had tried to save and carried her onto the Eloi. Once inside he put her in one of the three free Medical beds. The fourth bed, occupied by Dromas, was covered in blood and surrounded by a varied host of medical equipment.

"TC! I want this bucket up and att'em ASAP! We are first in last out!" Marr shouted to his eternal companion.

Marr reverently strapped his son into the bed with crash webbing. Marr waved his hands over the woman's corpse and chanted a few words in Ancient Sith. The room then filled with dark purple light that quickly gathered over the body. The miasma then collected around Marr's hands and seeped into his skin through his armor. The Corpse that once laid on the med

"The last ship is away Sire!" Marr blinked and shook his head. He knew that the ritual usually took a few minutes to perform on a single body, but he did not think it had taken longer than usual.

"Then get us out of here TC, The Solo is sure to explode soon enough as it is."

Just as the Eloi was about to lift off, a wave of energy surged through the ship. Marr ran to the fore and gazed out of the Forward viewports. What he saw left him perplexed and a little afraid. Massive tendrils of light, that looked eerily like the inside of a Hyperspace tunnel, had wrapped around the exterior of the Anakin Solo and had now reached into the ships Hanger bay. The massive tendrils spread out like an invasive root system and latched onto anything and everything it could reach.

Just as Marr was about to slam the Eloi's engines into overdrive to try and escape, the entirety of the Anakin, and everything inside it, was sucked into a massive Hyperspace anomaly. Both the GA and Sith forces were gobsmacked at the event that had just transpired. But were quickly knocked out of their shock when they noticed a massive wave of energy rushing towards them. The first ship it reached was torn apart and twisted beyond recognition. All ships in the sector rushed away from the blue wave of death.

So begins the end of an Era and the beginning of one man's journey to self-enlightenment. Love once lost can be found, all in the unlikeliest of places.

40 ABY: The Galactic Alliance loses a tenth of its entire fleet in one of the bloodiest space operations since the Yuuzhan Vong war. Close to a million sentients are lost - Only the Neo-Sith Empire is left without a leader. The Anakin Solo and the Eloi are lost when Hyperspace anomaly opens up and swallows the Anakin Solo whole. The Star Destroyer and all hands are lost. It is later determined that the Eloi was still aboard the infamous ship when the anomaly struck. The Sith Empire mourns the loss of its First, and greatest, Ruler.

41 ABY: Luke Skywalker and his Son Ben Skywalker, as per Darth Marr's testament via Holocron, are instated as the new Royal Family. The Galaxy shakes at the thought of a Force Sensitive Empire.