Skygge watched from the trees as Ithron refused the request of the surviving Apprentices. Her eyes narrowed at his callousness, anger flaming within her. She hated him. With a passion. Her innards still burned with the memory of his lightsaber in her side on Korriban, and her mind ached when she thought of the total darkness to which he had given himself. His day would come. It would come.
As his shuttle lifted off the planet, Skygge stepped out of the woods. Her eyes took in the panorama of death, the carnage that had been wrought while she and the Huntress were playing cat-and-mouse in the depths of the forest. The incredible amount of waste threatened to overwhelm her, but for now she needed to show strength. She was the senior Apprentice, though something inside her told her that title was no longer applicable. Recon Klain had other business to see to; she could feel him moving away already. Lupercus could not be trusted with the training of these; he was more likely to kill them to fuel his own power than to put them to use. Vance was dead. Necros was dead. Ithron had left. Hyfe had the Empire to run. Descartes, though the closest to Skygge in perspective, was too connected with the Empire to do what needed to be done.
So the task would fall to her. She would be the leader of the remaining Sith, she would use their specific skills and abilities as needed to fight back against this Dacien, against all those who would oppose...
That presented an interesting question. She was a bit taken aback by it. The thought had not occurred to her before; what exactly was it that she opposed? Certainly not the 'Light Side' of the Force, though she did see the deficiencies in using only the Light. It was chaos she hated, and it was the Huntress, her Knights, and her master who embodied that chaos. She would strike them down, but she would do so in an orderly way, a way that would not only defeat them but would also strike fear into the lawless elements of the galaxy.
"Skygge?" came the query that brought her back from her reverie. "Where were you during the battle?"
It was Ruan, one of the Apprentices, his face suspicious. She glared at him, her eyes full of fire, giving not a hint of caving to his accusations. "That is no business of yours. But just for your own sake, I will tell you. I killed six Knights and the Huntress, the head of the Knights. With all the death here, I did more than any of you."
"I think you ran," he said, hand twitching towards his lightsaber hilt. "I think you left us here to die because you were scared. I accuse you, Skygge."
Several other apprentices had gathered, watching Ruan's power play. He had been one of Vance's prime students before this attack. Now, with Vance gone and the other Sith dispersing, it seemed that he was trying to eliminate his only rival.
"You do not know what you are dealing with, Ruan," Skygge responded in an even tone. "I have learned much since the last time I was here. I have traveled the galaxy and learned some secrets that even you could not know. I will give you one chance to retract your accusation."
Ruan smiled. "I don't think so, Skygge. You are a coward and a traitor, and it is time that the Apprentices had a new leader among them." His hand shot to his lightsaber hilt.
But it never made it. Blue-white lightning rent the air between the two Sith, a display of power no Apprentice was permitted. Force Lightning sprang from the female's fingers, penetrating the meager defenses that Ruan attempted to raise and wracking his body with pain. He screamed as he flew backwards, landing on the ground several feet away. The lightning stopped, and Skygge strode forward to where he lay in pain.
Twin lightsabers flew from her belt, igniting as they touched her hands. "I declare today, before all of you, that by right of contest and power I am assuming control of the Apprentices. No longer am I to be known as Mira or Skygge. From this day forward," she stopped overtop of Ruan's trembling form, sabers crossed just above his neck, "I am Darth Skygge, Knight of the Sith Order." With a flash of red, Ruan was dead and the sabers were back at her belt.
"Kneel, Apprentices, and listen to what I say," she continued. They followed instructions. "A new power has dawned on this galaxy. It is chaos in its purest form. This force has attacked us here, in our home. It is ready to burn the galaxy to the ground, and then what will be left for us? If the galaxy burns, even if we can defeat it what will there be to rule?
"I say no." Her voice was calm, but it projected so that all could hear distinctly. "I say we do not allow chaos to claim this galaxy. Some have said that the Sith are meant to cause chaos to all but themselves. Some of you may have listened to Ithron or Lupercus when they talked of the ultimate Dark Side. I say that you have just seen the result of the ultimate Dark Side, and can one of you say that what you have seen is desirable? Do you want to be mindless tools, used only for the good of the one who has the most power?
"You have seen what has happened here this day. When Vance Jas died, he left behind a power vaccuum that others would seek to fill. They would do anything to claim that title. You saw what Ruan did here, and you saw its results. You may challenge me, if you so desire. That is entirely your choice. But I say that we can all grow more powerful together, by combining our strength to throw off the menace that threatens to drown us all in a sea of fire. Stand with me, Apprentices! We will see the galaxy remain whole, and at the end it will be in our hands!"
It was more words than she had spoken since she joined the Sith, and she was pleased to see its effect. Sith Apprentices were rising in silent approval, others bowing their heads to Skygge. She smiled. "Thank you, Apprentices. Now, we have work to do."
As his shuttle lifted off the planet, Skygge stepped out of the woods. Her eyes took in the panorama of death, the carnage that had been wrought while she and the Huntress were playing cat-and-mouse in the depths of the forest. The incredible amount of waste threatened to overwhelm her, but for now she needed to show strength. She was the senior Apprentice, though something inside her told her that title was no longer applicable. Recon Klain had other business to see to; she could feel him moving away already. Lupercus could not be trusted with the training of these; he was more likely to kill them to fuel his own power than to put them to use. Vance was dead. Necros was dead. Ithron had left. Hyfe had the Empire to run. Descartes, though the closest to Skygge in perspective, was too connected with the Empire to do what needed to be done.
So the task would fall to her. She would be the leader of the remaining Sith, she would use their specific skills and abilities as needed to fight back against this Dacien, against all those who would oppose...
That presented an interesting question. She was a bit taken aback by it. The thought had not occurred to her before; what exactly was it that she opposed? Certainly not the 'Light Side' of the Force, though she did see the deficiencies in using only the Light. It was chaos she hated, and it was the Huntress, her Knights, and her master who embodied that chaos. She would strike them down, but she would do so in an orderly way, a way that would not only defeat them but would also strike fear into the lawless elements of the galaxy.
"Skygge?" came the query that brought her back from her reverie. "Where were you during the battle?"
It was Ruan, one of the Apprentices, his face suspicious. She glared at him, her eyes full of fire, giving not a hint of caving to his accusations. "That is no business of yours. But just for your own sake, I will tell you. I killed six Knights and the Huntress, the head of the Knights. With all the death here, I did more than any of you."
"I think you ran," he said, hand twitching towards his lightsaber hilt. "I think you left us here to die because you were scared. I accuse you, Skygge."
Several other apprentices had gathered, watching Ruan's power play. He had been one of Vance's prime students before this attack. Now, with Vance gone and the other Sith dispersing, it seemed that he was trying to eliminate his only rival.
"You do not know what you are dealing with, Ruan," Skygge responded in an even tone. "I have learned much since the last time I was here. I have traveled the galaxy and learned some secrets that even you could not know. I will give you one chance to retract your accusation."
Ruan smiled. "I don't think so, Skygge. You are a coward and a traitor, and it is time that the Apprentices had a new leader among them." His hand shot to his lightsaber hilt.
But it never made it. Blue-white lightning rent the air between the two Sith, a display of power no Apprentice was permitted. Force Lightning sprang from the female's fingers, penetrating the meager defenses that Ruan attempted to raise and wracking his body with pain. He screamed as he flew backwards, landing on the ground several feet away. The lightning stopped, and Skygge strode forward to where he lay in pain.
Twin lightsabers flew from her belt, igniting as they touched her hands. "I declare today, before all of you, that by right of contest and power I am assuming control of the Apprentices. No longer am I to be known as Mira or Skygge. From this day forward," she stopped overtop of Ruan's trembling form, sabers crossed just above his neck, "I am Darth Skygge, Knight of the Sith Order." With a flash of red, Ruan was dead and the sabers were back at her belt.
"Kneel, Apprentices, and listen to what I say," she continued. They followed instructions. "A new power has dawned on this galaxy. It is chaos in its purest form. This force has attacked us here, in our home. It is ready to burn the galaxy to the ground, and then what will be left for us? If the galaxy burns, even if we can defeat it what will there be to rule?
"I say no." Her voice was calm, but it projected so that all could hear distinctly. "I say we do not allow chaos to claim this galaxy. Some have said that the Sith are meant to cause chaos to all but themselves. Some of you may have listened to Ithron or Lupercus when they talked of the ultimate Dark Side. I say that you have just seen the result of the ultimate Dark Side, and can one of you say that what you have seen is desirable? Do you want to be mindless tools, used only for the good of the one who has the most power?
"You have seen what has happened here this day. When Vance Jas died, he left behind a power vaccuum that others would seek to fill. They would do anything to claim that title. You saw what Ruan did here, and you saw its results. You may challenge me, if you so desire. That is entirely your choice. But I say that we can all grow more powerful together, by combining our strength to throw off the menace that threatens to drown us all in a sea of fire. Stand with me, Apprentices! We will see the galaxy remain whole, and at the end it will be in our hands!"
It was more words than she had spoken since she joined the Sith, and she was pleased to see its effect. Sith Apprentices were rising in silent approval, others bowing their heads to Skygge. She smiled. "Thank you, Apprentices. Now, we have work to do."