Star Wars Invasion: Episode X, Chapter Ten

THINGS FALL APART

   "The charges are set!"

   Toah Jarsan barely heard Anakin as he parried another attack from Darth Scythe. The Sith Lord was very skilled in the seventh form of lightsaber combat, and Toah found it difficult to counter his ferocious attacks. However, when the Twi'lek raised his blade for a diving slash, Toah saw an opportunity and seized it, using the Force to push his opponent away.

   With Scythe momentarily distracted, Toah reached into his pocket and brought out the device which would detonate the charges. To Anakin, he said, "Get to an escape pod and go. Hurry!"

   "But what about you?" Anakin called back.

   "Don't worry about me! Just go!"

   Knowing that it was useless to argue, Anakin fled from the chamber while Toah turned back to the Star Forge's reactor, aiming the remote control at it.

   This is for everything, he thought. For everything we've fought for.

   He waited until he heard the sound of an escape pod launching from its pad. He then lifted a finger over the detonator and-

   -Let out a scream of pain as a crimson blade of light cut though his arm. As he collapsed to his knees, he heard the sound of crunching metal as a booted foot crushed the remote.

   His eyes bleary with pain, Toah looked up to see Darth Scythe standing over him. The Twi'lek's normally yellow eyes were glowing red, almost the same shade as his lightsaber.

   "I won't have it," Scythe growled in a voice that was not his own. "I won't let a mere mortal- a Jedi, at that- put a stop to my vendetta.

   Using the Force to make the pain of his severed arm subside enough for him to speak, Toah said, "Vendetta? What did anyone do to you to cause galactic havoc?"

   The possessed Sith Lord glowered. "I am not of this galaxy. My brothers and I come from another realm; one far older one, and far more advanced. Alas, it was ruined by a race from this galaxy, a race you call Celestials.

   "Since then, my brethren have sought for ways to avenge our home and found an opportunity in the primitive Sith, influencing their beliefs so that they would soon rise to conquer."

   "And the Glorians?" Toah asked, beginning to recognize the spirit's story as that of the Sith gods'.

   "I only recently made contact with them after Vorath failed," the possessed Sith said. "Again, I saw an opportunity and seized it."

   "Funny. So do I."

   At the sound of the voice, Darth Scythe turned around to see Jedi Master Plun Kil standing before him.

   The Besalisk cracked all four of his knuckles. "Stand still, tentacle head. You and I have unfinished business."

*  *  *

   What was going on?

   Standing on the highest platform on the Star Forge's viewing deck, Necros watched both Waru and Animus' conflict and the Battle of Coruscant. While the former seemed to be a match, the latter was turning in the enemy's favor. Glorian ships were scrambling, crashing into one another. The only thing that could possibly explain this this disarray was-

   Necros snarled. Starka. The Supreme Commander was dead. And to make matters worse, the computers were indicating that one of the Star Forge's prisoners had escaped.

   And yet... he could not muster the drive to do anything about it. The destruction of the Glorian Fleet was inevitable and the enemy would then focus on attacking the Star Forge. And since Valtheran had seemed to divert his attention to possible saboteurs....

   All of his plans and machinations had been for nothing. The only thing he could do was simply wait for them to end.

*  *  *

   Darth Scythe, possessed by the Sith god, staggered back, recoiling from Plun Kil's initial attack. Snarling, the Sith Lord raised his hands and barraged the Jedi Master with Force lightning. To Toah's surprise, the Besalisk did not back down, instead holding his ground and continuing to approach the Sith.

   "Fall!" Scythe bellowed. "Why won't you fall?"

   "Because unlike you," Plun Kil growled, "I have a will."

   Raising his four arms, the Jedi Master began to absorb the Sith's lightning until it formed orbs of energy in his palms. Then, with all of his might, he pushed outwards and sent the lightning back at the man who had unleashed it.

   With a wail, Darth Scythe was launched through the air. His flight was abruptly ended when his body crashed into the reactor, breaking through its spherical shell. As a shrapnel of metal pierced through the Sith Lord's chest, energy began to leak from the gap he had created.

   Turning to Toah, Plun Kil smirked. "I think it's by time we left this place."

   Toah nodded. "Couldn't agree more."

*  *  *

   Everything was falling apart. Literally.

   Breaking away from his fight with Animus, Waru stared in horror as fire began to tear apart at the Star Forge's walls.

   No. After everything I've worked on... I won't let this happen!

   Reverting to his human form, Animus grinned at him. "So much for your plans."

   Ignoring him, Waru charged towards the viewport, which Emperor Necros solemnly stood before.

   "It's over," the Emperor was murmuring. "We've failed."

   "Silence!" Waru barked as he grabbed him by the collar and tossed him at the viewport, breaking the glass. As the deck began to empty of air, Waru turned back to Animus and grinned. "Salutations."

   With that, he jumped through the gap and morphed into a mynock. As he fled from the crumbling station, he began to wonder why Animus had not taken pursuit. He soon stood corrected when a massive exogorth burst through where he had escaped.

   Ah, Waru thought. I suppose size does matter.