The Blossoming of Dead Flowers

Strong winds ripped across the face of Korriban, creating small whirlwinds of red dust in an elaborate dance-like motion. Seemingly chaotic, they were a subtle representation of the Galaxy; in that there were patterns in all things no matter how random they might appear. Learning to control – and manipulate – those patterns was a skill few understood or recognized and even less mastered.

Of those few, one such individual stood upon a mesa overlooking a long, deep canyon not unlike The Valley of The Sith Lords that the planet was so famous for. Draped in the elegantly sinister robes of a Sith Sorcerer, she gazed toward the sky protecting her face from the winds by way of a large hooded cowl which was adorned with the same intricate markings as her robes.
A wrinkled thin hand, covered in similarly ornate and heavily detailed tattoos held the cowl across the woman's face hiding all but the slight yellow glow of eyes from within the shrouded darkness of the hood.

Beside her hovered a Speeder painted in a deep blood-red colour so as to blend in with the surroundings. The constant and gentle hum of the engines was completely lost amid the strong winds that whipped against the soil and rocks. A sand-storm was coming in and it was a large one, but her timing was as accurate as ever. She would be away from this place before the main storm hit and it would serve to camouflage her against any who might be watching. Only one factor remained out of her control and that added a layer of uncertainty to her otherwise flawless plan: her visitor.

As if in answer to her concern the clouds shifted and she saw a speck of black making its way through the stratosphere, gaining shape as it descended. Within seconds its outline could be made out and beneath the cowl the woman smiled at the sight of it: with its short, squat body and large finned pylons surrounding the main hull, its silhouette was unmistakable.
The archaic form of the Sith Interceptor glided through the clouds toward her position, the same make of ship used in the last great war, the time of the Dark Lords Revan and Malak. Now a design over three hundred years old the ship nevertheless moved with stylish grace and shined as if it had rolled off the shipyards of Kuat mere weeks ago. Such was the potency of the Star Forge.

The sands were disturbed even further as the ship came into land, its manoeuvring thrusters spraying loose dirt in all directions as it approached the mesa, turning and getting into position as it did so. Pylons unfurled from beneath its metal belly and locked into position like sharp crabs claws, digging hungrily into the earth as the vessel came to a halt and the already quiet engines came to a silent stop.

Her golden eyes watched as the boarding ramp began to extend until it hit the soil with a noisome thump. As the door to the craft began to slide open the Sorceress became aware that the winds had suddenly died down since the ship's landing and she looked around her to see the winds were still slamming the earth, just not within ten or so feet of the ship. It was almost as if the winds were avoiding the craft.....or its inhabitant.

She raised an eyebrow curiously at the thought as the door opened fully and a figure stepped into view. Attired not unlike the Sorceress herself, the newcomer was wearing a hooded robe as well, though it was black and red in colour and possessed no markings, elaborate or otherwise. Hung open and attached at the neck by a clasp, the robe revealed the form of a shapely woman beneath who wore a practical yet feminine outfit, again in the two colours. Her skin was pale and unblemished, unnaturally so, and her hair was worn long and was a deep black. By far her most striking features were her eyes however which, like the Sorceress herself, glowed with a deep inner fire that made them hard to ignore. In contrast to her own, the newcomer had eyes of vibrant red.

As the new arrival walked down the ramp and stopped a foot or so away from the Sorceress, Dark Side energies hung in the air about them, almost tangible in their essence. Both individuals were strong in the Dark Side of the Force, that much was clear.

It was the Sorceress who spoke first, in a quiet but supremely confident voice.

“Welcome to Korriban, Miss Fel. I represent the Hands of Darkness, at your request.”

Identified, Fel bowed slowly and respectfully but did not take her eyes off the woman who had come to greet her.

“Thank-you for meeting me,” She replied in a dignified and diplomatic tone. “I appreciate your Order is taking a risk operating in the open like this, even on Korriban.”

The Sorceress nodded in response, letting her hand drop from her cowl in the absence of winds. Similarly pale to herself, Aleina Fel could see the woman greeting her looked younger than her hands suggested, though her fine hair seemed to be greying from a once deep black. Where others would assume an effect of ageing, her senses implied it was through considerable use of Dark Side powers. Their glowing eyes connected then, interlocked in a darker shadow of forbidden knowledge. Both knew then that the other was every bit as much a potential adversary as ally but neither showed a sign of weakness or outward aggression, as was befitting a pair of such careful predators.

“You are trained in the ways of the Sith and possess a strong connection to the Force, yet you show loyalty to neither the Sith nor the Jedi,” The woman responded as Fel stepped off the ramp onto the soil of the red world.
“It would be remiss of me to pass up the opportunity to find out more about you, and your motivations.” A smile then, and not an altogether friendly one either.
“You are no friend to the Sith, yet you request an audience with one of their most secretive and deadly sects in one of the Galaxy's most well defended bastions of Sith power. From that I can deduce you are not short on confidence, and you have shown respect by coming alone so I can assume you are either supremely overconfident, fatally arrogant or perhaps, genuine.”

This time it was Fel's turn to smile, her companion was shrewd to say the least.

“Your sources are well informed, to know such information about me considering I travel under the title of Darth Fel.”

“So they should be, I trained them myself. My network of 'contacts' know a fair bit about your Agency, miss Fel,” motioning toward the speeder the Sorceress walked around to the drivers side and offered Aleina to follow. “But I was hoping you could fill in a few blanks. Shall we?”

As the two climbed into the speeder and it set off at considerable speed across the sands, the winds suddenly wrapped in behind them and obscured the Interceptor from view, as if a huge flood-gate had just been opened, the wind rushing in to fill the gaps.

“As I said in my holo-comm I am on a mission from The Agency to secure a training ground for our Force Sensitive Agents here on Korriban. My employer is not looking for a recruitment drive here, we have no intention of head-hunting potentials from yourself or any other organisation, but rather somewhere our existing Force Adepts can come to train and expand their abilities.” She seemed matter-of-fact as she spoke and the Sorceress beside her sensed no blocking of her thoughts when she reached out with her own.

“Ah yes, your elusive 'Employer',” She retorted, seeming slightly amused.
“Now there is someone we'd like to get to know better... we know he is a Falleen and that he once had connections within The Galactic Trade Commission, but short of that are information is....sketchy.”

Fel didn't respond immediately, looking instead straight ahead through the windscreen of the speeder as her companion negotiated it around rocks, through valleys, over plains. Her expression was hard to read, somewhat distant. Eventually she lowered her gaze and said softly:

“With respect, that is not something I can discuss. Perhaps another time.”

The Sorceress watched her then, wondering what she had said that had caused this seemingly confident woman to show a sign of reluctance..the first she had seen in her. Realizing that perhaps she was pushing too hard too quickly, she decided to take another tact.

“Of course, I understand. With regards to a location for your Adepts, I know of one or two locations that would be suitable though they are quite isolated so I hope you value privacy.” When Fel looked up again and nodded in her direction, she continued. “That being said I think I have the perfect location for you, we're headed there now.”

A silence settled between them then as they made their way across the empty landscape, the hum of the speeder engines the only sound and the cloud of dust spraying up behind them the only real sign of movement to an observer, seeing as the speeder itself blended in so well with the scenery around them.

“You know, your own past is quite well hidden, Aleina.” The Sorceress said as they made their way to the location she'd suggested.
“It took a lot of my not inconsiderable resources to find the truth about you. We share a lot in common, did you know that?”

Fel was taken aback, looking at the woman with a curious look. Very few people even knew she was alive let alone anything about her past. The last person who knew a lot about her ended up becoming her employer.

“Is that so?” She replied, not wanting to give too much away in case the woman beside her was trying a bluff.

“ Definitely. We were both plucked from our lives at an early age, both exposed to the power of Dark Side and the strength we gained from it. Both left for dead to survive in a Galaxy that cared nothing for what happened to us, and I know that we've both done....questionable things to survive. Others would think us inhuman, even evil.” She paused then and looked at the raven-haired woman but saw from Fel's expression that she understood.

“But we know we did what we had to, to survive. You suffered at the hands of the debase on Balmorra and I faced my own demons on Anzat. We were both betrayed by our Masters who underestimated us, who paid the price for their short-sightedness.”

Aleina just looked at the woman in shock, she had always thought her past a well-protected secret.

“You could almost call us kindred spirits, of a sort.” She concluded.

Looking closely at the woman who had laid so many of her secrets bare before her, Aleina reached out with her feelings and felt the strong shadows that surrounded her companion as realization started to set in.

“Your sources are very well informed indeed,” Fel replied.
“I have had people killed for knowing far less. Your information is accurate yet I suspect it would have taken exceptional resources to acquire such information, and not just personal resources. With the power of the Hands of Darkness behind you that may have been possible, but it would take a member of the Shadow Council themselves to gather the sort of details you undoubtedly have.”

She grinned then, sure she had reached the correct conclusion.

“Which would make you....”

The Sorceress turned to her with a sinister smile then, a long and tattooed hand stretched out in greeting.

“Darth Derriphan. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, miss Fel.”

The speeder ride was long and arduous and it wasn't long before Aleina was struggling to keep her bearings on a world she'd barely visited in the past. Derriphan on the other hand seemed to know exactly where she was going, despite a lack of prominent landmarks or settlements. One red dune came to look much like another, but it was clear they were moving away from most forms of life and into the Deep Deserts.

Most of the journey had been done in silence, though there was no particular tension between the two travellers, just a lack of unnecessary small-talk. Occasionally Fel had would ask about their direction in relation to her ship so she could find the way back, and Derriphan would take the opportunity to press her for more information about herself, the Agency or her employer; all of which were met with typically cagey responses.

It was almost nightfall before they had reached their destination, a deep red sunset slowly creeping beneath the horizon and giving way to a vermilion sky dotted with slowly emerging stars. The speeder pulled up in front of a curious sight, the base of a large mountain which was part of a range that stretched into the distance. It seemed oddly out of place in the middle of such an expansive and desolate area, a sea of red sand that Aleina felt reminded her of a bloodied Tatooine.

Fel raised a slightly confused eyebrow as Derriphan began to climb out of the Speeder.

“A mountain? Why are we here exactly?” She questioned as she too exited the vehicle and landed with an elegant footfall upon the sand.

Derriphan just smiled at first, a knowing smile that belonged to someone with hidden truths wrapped in veiled misdirection.

“Watch.” She said as she motioned to the mountain.

Doing as was instructed of her Aleina watched the mountainside as the sun slowly set and grinned when she saw what the Lady of Corruption was waiting for. As the sun descended and shadows stretched across the rock, where the light retreated and was replaced with darkness, a pathway up between the stones became evident which led to an artificial entrance and landing pad she had not noticed when they first arrived. Well camouflaged in daylight, it could be found about quarter of the way up the face of the mountain.

“You wanted secluded,” Derriphan continued as Aleina looked on. “Welcome to The Temple of Odal.”

As the two reached the foot of the mountain it became clear that steps, though worn from age and neglect, had been carved into the rock allowing easy ascent to the entrance. Completely obscured by the daylight it would be neigh impossible to come across the temple by accident, not only due to its elaborate yet elegant camouflage but also its isolation.

“I've not heard of this place,” Aleina said as they reached the half-way point up the mountainside.
“I admit I don't know many of the various Sith Temples, but I certainly wasn't aware there was one this far out.”

“Not surprising,” came the reply.
“This temple is one of the older ones, forgotten and abandoned long ago. It was erected in honour of Varloss Odal, one of the first recorded Dark Lords of the Sith, even before the time of Exar Kun.” Stopping to briefly look down at the now shrinking speeder, Derriphan continued.
“Not all monuments to the Old Empire can be found in the Valley of The Dark Lords, miss Fel.”

As they approached the entrance it presented itself with an ancient grandeur not detectable from the ground. Intricate sigils and symbols written in the ancient Sith Language adorned the entire entranceway and two five-foot statues, one crumbling with age, stood guard. Seemingly carved right out of the rock-face itself they depicted two identical Massassi warriors clutching swords which dug into the earth at their feet.
Where once a doorway was now just an archway remained but the dust and sand had not been disturbed in a very long time.

Inside was much the same, everything carved out of the mountain itself. Even through all the dirt and sand however it was clear how magnificent the temple must have been, high ceilings decorated with murals of the Sith people and the arrival of the Fallen Jedi reached up into the shadows. Ornately carved stone benches lined the walls and similarly decorated pillars reached from the mosaic-covered floors to the decorated ceilings. Several archways were scattered about the room, showing exits from what appeared to be the entrance-hall that they had walked into.

“Magnificent, isn't it?” Derriphan commented half to herself as she looked around her.
“The ancient Sith were such a cultured people, our forefathers were indeed guided by the Force when they came to this world.”

Nodding in approval Aleina ran her finger along the top of one of the stone benches, forming a long line in the deep centuries' old dust.

“This is perfect for our needs, Derriphan. You have our thanks.” Pacing around and giving a few things a closer inspection, the Dark Jedi continued.
“It will need some....careful renovation of course, and we'll need to replace any computer systems here, the old ones will most likely not function.”

“You should find it more than adequate for your Force adepts,” The Shadow Councillor said in response, making her way across the entrance hall to one of the archways.
“The temple itself is very large and comprises several levels with many different rooms from sparring halls to meditation chambers. If you have time however, there is something quite special I would like to show you.”

Without waiting for a response from the Chief Operative of the Agency Derriphan disappeared through one of the archways and out of sight. Intrigued, Aleina followed and went through the archway just as the Lady of Corruption vanished around a corner up ahead. Picking up the pace she caught up with her, though her companion was walking in long, fast strides.

“You seem in a hurry, is there anything wrong?” Fel inquired, but Derriphan kept moving forward at speed and didn't even look back as she spoke.

“You'll see. Time is of the essence, we have only a limited window of opportunity.”

The two continued deeper into the temple, through labyrinthine corridors, old tunnels and down many flights of stairs and Aleina noticed that the stonework became more crudely cut and considerably older. Considering the temple showed signs of not being disturbed for several years, Derriphan seemed once again to know exactly where she was going.

Eventually they came across a large stone door with a deep recess on its left side. Reaching inside her robe Derriphan produced an odd amulet-like device about the size of a fist. Dark reddish-black in colour it vaguely resembled a skull of a human but not quite, it had more of an alien and distorted look to it. Placing the amulet carefully in the recess, she rotated it a quarter-turn anti-clockwise then half a turn clockwise and an audible 'click' was heard. Removing the amulet from the recess and placing it back into her robes, she turned to Aleina as the wall began to shake gently and the door slid open, an age of dust and dirt falling to the floor as it did so.

“Come.”

The room they entered was quite sparse and full of ominous shadows. More Massassi warrior statues were placed around the only real feature in the room: a large set of steps leading up to a podium and altar upon which sat a large sarcophagus, a carved representation of a humanoid similar to the Massassi laying upon its' lid, clasping a staff of some kind.

Before the two had fully taken in all the details of the room it began to shake as if the entire structure was suffering a seismic quake. Dust and rocks fell from the ceiling and Aleina had to move to avoid falling debris, some of which hit one of the statues, smashing it in half. Derriphan remained completely composed however, looking intently at the sarcophagus as if she'd witnessed all this before.

Almost as rapidly as it began the shaking stopped and the pair looked on as an eerie blue glow began to seep out of the sarcophagus like a sinister mist, enveloping it and giving off a vibrant light. The glow seemed to move and focus on the lid for a moment, before streaming upward rapidly and shifting its form until it resembled a humanoid holding a staff, identical to the one on the lid of the sarcophagus.

In an eerie, otherworldly voice it spoke. Aleina at once realized she didn't recognize the language of the being, but could understand it as if it were speaking directly into her mind.

“Who dares disturb the resting place of High Lord Varloss Odal?”

The Sorceress and Witch exchanged glances momentarily before fixing their gaze upon the Force Ghost that drifted above them, emanating an eerie blue glow which lit up the ancient room that had turned out to be the tomb of a 'High Lord'.
Though she had heard tell of those who could survive beyond death in a non-corporeal state, Aleina had never witnessed one first hand before. She had expected more of a fan-fare, something more impressive somehow.

With an arrogant sneer she scoffed at the spirit.

“This is what you wanted to show me, Derriphan? A pet ghost? I hardly think I'll need it here when my security is in place. It'll serve to keep the Shyrack at bay, but little else.”

The spirit fixated on her then, its eyes glowing red in anger. It seemed it had been some time since anyone had spoken to it, and certainly in never in such an insulting tone.

“Insolent Whelp!” The spirit cried out, enraged. With a whip of its hand a flash of Force Lightning arched outward, crackling toward Aleina in a sparkling purple haze.

Casually raising a hand and maintaining her unimpressed sneer the Darksider let loose a stream of lightning herself which collided with the ghost's, stopping it midway across the room in an painfully bright clash of light and energy.

“Please, don't strain yourself.” Aleina grinned evilly.
“Such parlour tricks won't impress me, dead one.”

Raising its other hand and letting fly with a second stream of energy, the spirit of Odal roared with murderous rage as the second arc of its lightning mixed with the first. Overpowering Aleina's own energies and shattering through her defences, the lightning hit her square in the chest and catapulted her across the room into the rear wall, shaking loose bits of rock as she slammed into it and slumped to the floor.

Though choosing not to intervene directly, Derriphan looked over at Aleina to see if she was conscious and saw the woman shake her head with a moan and begin getting back onto her feet.

“Well that was inhospitable.” The Lady of Corruption said as she turned back to the Force Ghost.

The sneer of arrogance had shifted onto the image of Odal's face now as he turned back to Derriphan.

“This companion is more overconfident than the entire group you came here with last time, Sorceress. Should I eliminate her as well? The others proved to be little in the way of a challenge...”

Keeping her eyes firmly on the spirit in case of another attack, Derriphan called out to Fel.

“Still with us, Aleina?”

“I'm fine.” Came the reply.
“It seems your guard-dog has some teeth left.”

“Excellent. Aleina Fel, may I present High Lord Varloss Odal, one of the early Emperors of the ancient Sith Empire, Master of the Dark Lord Marka Ragnos and ruler of this planet during his reign.”

The spirit nodded deeply in recognition of his true identity, though it was unclear whether the etiquette Derriphan showed would be enough to repair the disrespect Aleina had brought upon him.

“A pleasure,” Aleina responded as she spat blood and a tooth from the back of her mouth, checking her jaw line for further damage from the impact.

The sense of tension in the room was palpable, the feeling that any of the three of the Force Users could attack at any moment was very real. It was like watching a group of Nexu circling one another, looking for an opening from which to strike. One false move could create a chain-reaction that could only end in blood and destruction.

“Why are you here this time, Lady of Corruption?” The Spirit said, its voice once again back to its sinister yet calm tone.
“Your last expedition to my tomb saw you trying to destroy me, to take my essence for yourself. As I recall you were unsuccessful and your entourage paid the price for your efforts.” A wave of its ethereal hand lit up a collection of bones that Aleina had not noticed upon entering, but Derriphan seemed unphased by the comment.

“Hardly, Lord Odal.” She replied, still courteous but not backing down.
“I learn from my mistakes. I know that you are too powerful to destroy here. This place is your nexus of power, the energies here keep you sustained and allow you to resist the call of the Netherworld of the Force...”

“It is good to see you agree, at last.” The spirit of the Sith-Human hybrid grinned.

“.....which is why I intend to remove you.” Derriphan concluded in a flat, matter-of-fact tone.

Aleina looked to her then, suddenly aware of what The Lady was planning. She'd heard rumour that she possessed some rare abilities for a Sith, but the rumours were always unconfirmed; even for her network of informants. If they were to be believed however, it was said she had the ability to draw upon the very essence of Force Users, literally draining them of their power.

Even with such techniques Odal would be too strong for her to fend off while performing such as a task, which – Aleina suspected – was where she came in. Derriphan would need to concentrate and sustain a link even while the Ghost tried to fight her off. It would be up to Aleina to keep the thing busy.

It was an excellent stratagem: Derriphan would collect the power of the Spirit and Aleina would get the Temple she was after. A trade-off of sorts, one which worked in both their favour. Derriphan had no need for the temple but wished further mastery over the Force whereas Aleina cared nothing for the fate of some Sith Ghost, a lost relic of a dying people.

“Ha! Perhaps you didn't learn, after all!” Odal jeered as he turned the head of his staff, revealing a hollow interior. Pulling a long blade from within, it became evident the staff was actually an elaborate scabbard. Glowing and covered in Sith runes, the sword was held in front of Odal as the Spirit took up a defensive posture.
“You tried that once already, remember? You may have grown more powerful since last we met but I am still far stronger, Sorceress.”

Derriphan wasn't listening any more. Flipping back her hood she outstretched her hands in front of her as she began to chant. Odd ghostly tendrils began to manifest about her head as she muttered, normally invisible to the naked eye but glowing in the presence of the Spirit.

Spotting its chance to be rid of the troublesome trespasser once and for all, Odal glided forward at considerable speed, bringing its sword to bare on the vulnerable Sorceress. In its rage the ghost had forgotten Aleina who it perceived as no threat whatsoever.

Forgotten that is, until her lightsaber blocked the swing of his sword mere inches from Derriphan's face.

“You seem surprised 'your highness'?” The Hapan witch mocked.
“For you to harm Derriphan with that blade you would have to manifest, to become corporeal. A corporeal blade can be blocked.”

Snarling, Odal pushed Aleina back and turned to engage her in mêlée combat. Swinging his blade about in an intimidatory display, he glided toward her instead with a murderous look in his eyes.

“You are nothing to me, little one. I will end you and scatter your bones here to lie with my other trophies. Your anger and arrogance make you strong, but unfocused. You must know that you cannot beat me, and Derriphan for all her power cannot destroy me alone. Even facing you I have enough energy to fend her off. You throw your life away for nothing.”

Lunging forward Aleina swung at him then, causing him to duck the blade as she had predicted. Her feint worked to her advantage allowing her to quickly dart to the left of the spirit and get behind it, thrusting her blade toward its neck in what would be a killing blow to a mortal opponent. Odal was quick however, blocking her blow by catching her blade with his own as he brought it round behind him, turning his ghostly body as he did so.

“Impressive move, miss Fel.” The Spirit complimented as it backed away out of arms reach.
“Perhaps I judged you too quickly....your skills are exceptional but you still have a lot to learn. A lot which I could teach you,” It smirked.
“If you continue with this course of action you will die, it is inevitable. Derriphan has deceived you, using you as fodder while she tries to reap power for herself. She relies on your wish to have this place as leverage enough to sacrifice you.”

Floating momentarily upwards and locking its dark ghostly eyes with Aleina's own fiery red pupils, neither Witch nor Spirit noticed as Derriphan removed the small skull-like amulet which she had used to open the tomb - The amulet which was now faintly glowing as she placed it at her feet and continued to chant.

“You could disappoint her.... join me, Aleina. Strike her down while she cannot fight back! Take her power and learn my secrets.”

“You mistake me for a Sith, Odal,” Fel replied, keeping her focus tightly on the unpredictable spirit. “I do not follow your ways, except where convenient for my own ends.”

“You manipulate the Force. It matters not whether you are Sith or one of the Jedi,” It said, almost spitting out the words.
“We all desire further knowledge, greater understanding, more power. Through me you can reach levels you never even knew existed. I taught the great Marka Ragnos in our ways, and his legend continued through Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma. If you know these names then you know my power. Join with me and take your place among them, Aleina Fel.”

The offer was tempting, but Aleina was no stranger to the powers of Force Corruption and could recognize instantly when another was using it against her, even one as skilled in its use as Varloss Odal. Its promises were empty, full of deceit. Most likely her chances were not much better with the Lady of Corruption, but at least there was a real prize to be won.

She would not be swayed.

With the Spirit's attention fully on the Hapan woman, Derriphan's ethereal tendrils reached out, surging toward the distracted Odal and plunged into its head. The spirit roared in pain and anger, dropping its sword and turning toward the Sorceress. As it struggled against her will, the strain could be seen on Derriphan's face. Even as she was fueled by its energy it was still too strong for her, the creature's millennia of solitude had allowed it to hone its already impressive powers. Taking her eyes off the spirit for a split second, The Lady glanced at Aleina, drawing upon her reserves of will and strength.

“Now, Aleina!” She cried in urgency.
“I can't hold it for long!”

It seemed that Derriphan knew that Aleina possessed a few rare talents of her own, and now was the time to use one of them.
Outstretching her hands the Hapan Witch curled them into claws and tensed her bones, pulling the joints and muscles tight.

Buckling over in pain the Spirit of Odal turned at stared at her, a look of sheer horror on its face as Aleina began to close her grip, causing what represented the Spirit's left leg snapped and compressed, crunching into a tangled mess.

As she concentrated on Force Crushing the spirit, Derriphan drank deep of its energies, slowly severing the Spirits connection from their plane of existence. Screaming, Odal began to lose consistency and slowly became transparent. Its other leg snapped and crushed, forcing its way upward and utterly destroying the Spirit's lower half. Unable to move, trapped and in agony; Varloss Odal began to realize that he would at last succumb to the greatest treachery, of his descendants making.

Yet still it fought back, using whatever spite and evil it had at its disposal; waves of dark energy pulsing out of it causing Derriphan to wince in pain and Aleina to bleed from the nose and eyes.

“No!” It yelled.
“I will not yield to the likes of you worthless kine! I shall not be denied!”

Through the blood Aleina saw Derriphan's amulet, set upon the floor, beginning to glow brightly. The last puzzle-piece was in place, the Lady of Corruption's plan suddenly became crystal clear. She never intended to destroy Odal, she must have realized such a task was impossible, even for them both. She had looked to only weaken it, trap its essence within the amulet. It was a brilliant, incredibly risky idea.

It may even work, with a little help.

Pushing all her anger and hate into her energies, Aleina's eyes glowed like tiny suns as she stepped forward, exhaling and pushing against the power of the ghost with all her might. The things arms and torso buckled with a horrid crunching noise as the only remaining whole part of Odal – its head – cried out in agony.

“When....whenever.....you're ready.....Derriphan...” she managed through the haemorrhaging.

Taking her cue, The Lady of Corruption began to weave her arms and altered her chanting, the tendrils of energy that were connecting her to Odal began to shift, escaping from her and heading to the amulet and drawing the mangled form of Odal's Spirit with it. As his form began to distort and elongate, it stretched and twisted as it was literally sucked into the device which began to shake violently. The High Lords last word was drowned into a muffle but was suitably defiant to the end:

“NOOOOOOoooooooooo.....”

Suddenly it was over. The room went dark, the amulet lay still and ceased to glow as the two women collapsed to their knees, exhausted.

Aleina looked down at the puddle of blood in front of her face and she knelt slumped, facing the cold stone floor. Wiping her hand across her eyes she blinked and rubbed them until she could see again. They had long since stopped bleeding but they hurt like a rancor had tap-danced on her face. As she stumbled weakly to her feet she saw that Derriphan was also struggling painfully to stand, her prize – the amulet containing Odal's essence – clenched firmly in her hand. She smiled weakly at the Hapan woman.

“You neglected.....to mention we'd.... need to evict someone...” Aleina managed with a grin, her gums red and bloody.

Derriphan nodded at that, she would not hide her intent but neither was in a position to agitate the other, both were survivors and a conflict now would mean both their deaths.

“I apologize for the deception,” She replied, inhaling deeply.
“I needed a Force User who was powerful enough to aid me, someone not from within The Hands.”

“Can't trust the staff, is that it?” Aleina mocked gently as she stumbled across to the Sorceress and the two held each other up, using the other for support.

“Oh I trust them,” she said with a wry smile.
“I trust them to take the opportunity to usurp me any chance they get. It's what I would do.”

For the first time in years the chamber was filled with laughter as the two women slowly made their way back up to the temple.




An hour later and the two Darksiders stood at the temple entrance, looking out into the star-filled Korriban night sky. Recovered but still a little drained, a sort of unspoken peace had formed between the two Force weavers; at least for now. Derriphan had the skull-amulet around her neck, upon a heavy durasteel chain.

“So Odal's really in there, huh?” Aleina said, leaning forward.

“Contained and bound, yes.” came the answer as Derriphan ran a long finger across its surface.
“In time I will learn to tap its powers and the old Emperor will bend to my will.”

“Well good for you, I hope you'll both be very happy together.” Fel smirked in response.
“I take it our business is concluded then? This temple will henceforth belongs to the E.P.O.C.H. Agency?”

Derriphan nodded and slipped the amulet under her robe with a sigh.

“Of course, as we agreed. I will see to it that the Korribian Government recognizes your claim and also your privacy. Any unauthorized visitors will be at your Agency's mercy. Your Force Adepts are welcome here on Korriban, the Temple of Odal is now their home.”

“Excellent. Coruscant is not always the easiest place for us to train in our arts, this temple will be a welcome retreat for our kind.”

Pulling her hood back up Derriphan looked down the winding staircase that they had climbed to reach the temple. In the far distance she could see her speeder, awaiting her return. Turning to Aleina she held out her arm to her, which Fel took and clasped at the forearm; a simultaneous greeting and goodbye between veterans.

“Well then, I will take my leave. It was a pleasure to finally meet you Aleina.”

The Hapan woman nodded in response.

“It certainly wasn't dull. I hope all our dealings with The Hands of Darkness are so.....interesting.”

“You know, should you ever look to leave your Agency I'm sure we could find work for you...”

A slight chuckle escaped Aleina's lips despite her not meaning to do so.

“I appreciate the offer Derriphan but my place is with The Falleen. If I live it is by his whim, if I die it will be by his hand.”

“Such loyalty!” The Lady of Corruption said as she raised a curious eyebrow at Fel's comment. Releasing her arm she turned to leave and descend the steps down the mountain, stopping only to turn and say:

“Until next time, 'Darth' Fel.”

Then she was gone, her dark robed form making its way down the stone steps toward the speeder. Aleina watched until she was out of sight then removed a pad from her robe. Holding it out in front of her and pressing a few buttons, the familiar blue light of a hologram popped up, the spinning logo of the E.P.O.C.H. Agency coming into view.

“Agent Fel, calling The Agrippa.” She said aloud to nobody in particular. After a few seconds a voice could be heard coming from the image, yet it did not change in appearance.

“This is Malindrll Mdybo. Go ahead Chief Operative.” The Agency's administrator rarely showed her face, even over holo-transmission. Even Aleina herself had only met her once.

“Tell the droids to bring the ship out of orbit and home in on my co-ordinates. The location is secure and we can begin bringing the equipment in straight away. Contact The Falleen and let him know we now have a viable presence on Korriban.”

“Understood Ma'am. Mdybo out.”

The blue light flickered and went out as Aleina put the pad back into her robe and turned to look at the entrance with her hands on her hips, deep in thought.

“Home.”


fin

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