Galactic Domination Chapter 4: Dark Blade Of Mercy

## GALACTIC DOMINATION

### { Chapter 4: Dark Blade of Mercy }

162 ABY, approximately six months before the Darksider invasion on Grand Master Bathors New Je’daii order.

Location: Ryo District, Planet Shikaakwa, Tython System, The Deep Core

{{ Prologue : Pirate Cass Gemini, Captain of the galaxy’s best espionage starship “The Midnight Runner” and her crew have now reluctantly found themselves in the employ of the Darksider Regimes Lord Falkors own personal fleet.

Their first mission, to contact the Darkside regime's Master of Shadows at a back ally tavern in the slums of Planet Shikaakwas Ryo District. From there they are to launch a raid on the New Je’daii orders’ recently discovered Temple of unknown origins on the nearby planet of Ska Gora.

After gaining access to the Flame Tyga Tavern in Ryo, the dark woman was indeed waiting for Cass, her Nautolan first mate Anmetei M’lo. Her charismatic pilot Redman Reed on the other hand was forced to join the Cloddogran doorwoman upstairs for drinks as payment for their entry into the tavern. Below, in a corner booth of the Tavern The Darth, a lightly framed Sarkhai woman shrouded all in black clothing, quickly introduced herself as Darth Caecus and outlined her plan to get access to Ska Gora undetected.

A plan that instead of using the Midnight Runners unique capabilities, involved stealing a Je’daii starship to sneak through outer planetary security. Using a fake Sith artefact sale as bait, Darth Caecus lured a young female Je’daii Ranger named Sigrid Ironstrike who had been patrolling on Shikaakwa for several days to the tavern.

Sigrid did as expected and followed the rumour but before she could interfere in the mocked exchange of ownership, a sudden darkness from a tavern room above overwhelmed her senses. Taking her focus from the transaction happening in the corner, the Ranger then sees the pilot Redman Reed looking very worse for wear descending the steps leading to the rooms above.

Bound to investigation by Je’daii code Sigrid leaves her stakeout and leaps into the room above. There, the young ranger finds the bodies of both the greyskinned door woman and what looks like Redman Reed both brutally murdered and naked.

Sigrid quickly leaves the murder room only to find the dark woman and all three of the Midnight Runners crew had already left the Tavern. However, through her Je’daii training Sigrid picks up on Captain Gemini’s unique life signature and thus the hunt to catch the killer and the Sith artefact through the fog blanketed streets of the slum district begins.

Our Story Continues……. ))

~~\*~~

“Geez, I hope you got her personal com signature Reed, looks like she really put you through your paces”. Said the large white skinned Nautolan first mate, his red tattooed face looking back over his shoulder to the still flushed and sweaty looking human man who laboured along behind him. The pilot was trying his best to keep up but was looking ill and highly uncomfortable as though he was wearing clothes that were several sizes too small for him while he hobbled along as quickly as he could.

“I told you.. I don’t want to talk about it!” Snapped back Redman from the rear of the group. “Sure thing Pee Wee, whatever you say. “Anmetei retorted mockingly and with a smirk. Another prod regarding the pilot's private drinks upstairs with the female Cloddogran doorman to which the human Redman Reed only scowled and grunted in response.

“Quiet you two” Said Cas from several steps ahead as the sound of a hound barking began somewhere off in the near distance. “She said to lead her here.. to the ruins.. so she better be here or else we’re all gonna be dead out in the open like this.” The Captain warned through her electronic rebreather as she pressed on in the cool night air, blaster pistol in her right hand and the now unwrapped Sith chill dagger in her left. Her cybernetic eyes scanning the empty street desperate to find any indication that Darth Caecus, Darth Falkors own Master of Shadows would keep her word.

Within moments the three crewmen of the Midnight Runner as instructed had stopped at what used to be the main gates of the now ruined Ryo fortress. Its once impressive and near impenetrable four metre high double iron gates were now rusted and permanently adjar to anyone who dared enter the dilapidated ruins’ overgrown courtyard beyond.

“That’s quite far enough!” called out a woman's voice from inside the misty cover of the foggy and otherwise empty street behind them. Her words echoed several times in the darkness of the looming structure before finally fading off into the night.

“Show yourself coward!” called back Cass as she turned to face the direction of the voice. The fog was so thick even her technologically advanced sight failed to locate the one stalking them, although Cass already knew who she was talking to. All she was waiting for was an opening.. And she didn't have to wait long.

\*Szzck!\* Suddenly, a metre and a half long beam of solid green energy sprung into life and sprouted from seemingly thin air inside the alleyway. Its force powered light beam cutting its way easily through the heavy fog and validating Cass’s assumption. “It's over.. That thing you carry, that is an illegal darkside object. A Sith object. In the name of the New Je’daii Order I demand you surrender it and yourselfs!” The woman's voice again echoed out from the cobblestoned alleyway, but this time, along with it also appeared the face and then body of its owner. She was a tall woman, broad shouldered and had long golden blond hair plaited on each side of her face. She wore brown Je’daii robes and held out her ignited green bladed lightsaber in front of her with both hands.

This was the woman from the Flame Tygah Tavern, the one who had been watching them. The Darths' plan to lure her had worked it seemed, however the Je’daii seemed surprised to see there were actually three of them at the gate. The blond woman's sapphire blue eyes darted from Anmetei M'lo who had now turned to face her, to the back of Redman Reed who was still looking the worse for wear and that was when Captain Cas Gemini of the Famous Midnight Runner took her opportunity.

\*BLAM! BLAM!.....BLAM!\* raising her blaster pistol, Cass shot off three quick blasts directly at the Je’daii woman. The Captains several loose fitting bracelets that permanently dangled from her wrist clinked together as her forearm jerked back with the force of the weapons recoil from each blast. “Quick! In here!” Cass ordered and then sidestepping, she weaved her way through the opened gap between the large iron doors. The Je’daii woman shifted her footing with surprising speed and then parried the 3 blaster shots with the expected defensive ease of a fully trained Je’daii Ranger. Yet even just the small delay it cost in defending herself was enough time for the other two crew mates to follow their captain off the streets and into the old abandoned Ryo fortress’s courtyard.

“Whenever you're ready Caecus.. and that better be soon.. We’re no match for a karking Je’daii.” Cass whispered nervously to herself as she quickly led the other two men through the courtyard. “Capn’ where are you taking us? This place is a dump.” said her Nautolan first mate as he looked around and then back over his shoulder. “You sure we're’ goin’ the right way? I'm not seein’ that Sith lady anywhere.”

And he was right. The courtyard they found themselves in was once a high security checkpoint during its peak nearly twenty millenia ago, but the space was also quite cleverly utilised by clan Ryo as a spacious beautiful entryway filled with decorative statues, water features and flowering plants imported from all across the system. But now, whatever statues or fountains that had remained were weatherworn, broken and heavily vandalised. And the only plant life that lived here were the large bunches of noxious red leafed thorn weeds that had seemingly overgrown half of the entire space. Thick grime covered the stone flooring and was heavily littered with empty and broken alcoholic beverage canisters, discarded food wrappers and used death stick tubes. Once the pride of the entire region, it was now just a place for junkies to load themselves up and others escaping the law to hide out until sunset.

“It better be. But be ready to fight our way out just in case.” Cass responded to her first mate and as she looked upwards to the huge fortresses crumbling walls and smashed transparisteel windows she felt a cold shiver run up her spine and gasped as she heard the sound of the two giant seized iron gates being force shoved further apart.

~~\*\*~~

Without so much as breaking a sweat Sigrid, on seeing the raised blaster took a standard defensive Soresu position she had learned at her time at Stav Kesh, the Je’daii temple of martial arts and deflected the three incoming blaster shots with ease. Two of the blaster pistol bolts careening harmlessly off into the thick stone perimeter wall next to her and the third into the open doorway of an abandoned, burnt out building across the street. They were sloppy, careless attempts and the move reeked of desperation. “It's gonna take a lot more than that to get me off your tail” Sigrid said quietly to herself but then paused a moment as she looked past her raised lightsaber, her eyes locked towards the position where her attackers had stood just a few seconds earlier. All three were now gone, but she did manage to get the slightest glimpse of a boot heel disappearing between two large, slightly opened iron doors.

Before moving to follow, the ranger quickly took stock. She had followed the unique life signature of the one who had shot at her to this spot. The dark haired woman who had been party to the exchanging of a Sith object's ownership back on the Tavern was a pained soul, her life force called out to Sigrid through the force like a bright beacon in the night. It was no surprise that as Sigrid had gained ground, the dark haired woman's presence became stronger as did the life force of her large accomplice who had also been at the Tavern that night.

What the Ranger didn't understand was the third person who joined them, the one who she couldn't sense through the force actually looked like it was wearing the clothes of the man who escaped the murder room, not the darkly dressed female who had handed over the object back at the Flame Tygah and who Sigrid had fully expected to be here. The very woman who Sigrid now had a great interest in capturing and returning to Tython for questioning.

There were still so many questions left unanswered, but there was no time for properly brainstorming theories on how she had seen the same person alive and yet dead at the same time. Identical Twins? An illusion perhaps? Some expertly created mask designed to throw her or anyone else who may have been investigating off the sale? All she knew was the two dead bodies were real enough, and so was the artefact. She could sense its darkness growing stronger as she neared its location, the force energy that surrounded her and penetrated her became colder somehow as she neared it and those things alone were all she needed to know. She had lost the dark woman it seemed, but she would not leave empty handed. She has the artefact, its buyer and a potential killer caught behind those gates and she would not hesitate to bring them to justice.

With these thoughts fresh in her mind and without waiting another second, ignited lightsaber in hand, Sigrid Ironstrike approached the two gates. Then with a flick of her left wrist she force shoved the two huge iron gates apart with a violent screeching and metallic snapping sound. Announcing to anyone inside the courtyard of her arrival, her power and the soon to be failure of their plans.

~\*~

“Quick, get to cover” said Cass as she ducked left and behind a broken statue that resembled two thirds of a naked Twi’lek woman holding a baby. “Seems we’ve been duped Capn’.” said Anmetei M'lo as he and Redman went right, turning and crouching behind a heavily vandalised fountain that was almost as tall as the first mate was when standing at his full height. “No sign of the Sith woman…and that Je’daii has us trapped in here like space rats.”

“Seems that way Mr M’lo” Cass responded looking past the stone Twi’lek statues foot that was missing several toes and had only half of its heel remaining. She pointed her blaster from behind her cover at the iron gate that had sprung open. “You remember Nal Nutta right?” She asked without taking her eyes off the opened door. Anmetei M’lo smiled and reached his hands underneath his long jacket to pull out two heavy T6 blaster pistols. “How could I forget?” he replied and raised his weapons, aiming both barrels in the same direction as his Captain. Next to him, Redman Reed slumped down onto his backside, his back against the fountain and was looking in no condition to join in the fight. “Don’t go soft on me now Reed.” Anmetei said to him without so much as a glance. But that was all the First mate managed to say as that same green light beam from the ally now suddenly appeared in the entrance, as did the Je’daii Ranger wielding it.

“I’m only going to give you one more chance to turn the item and yourselves in! We can do this either the easy way, or the hard way.. It’s up to you. But I’m not leaving without the artefact or you!” The blond haired Je’daii woman shouted into the foggy darkness of the rubbish littered courtyard. Her eyes flicked around taking in her surroundings and she spotted a place to take cover should she need it. All the while the Ranger was drawing on the force to fuel her muscles and guide her senses, preparing for what was to come.

“You're not taking me alive Je’daii!” Shouted back Cass. “I’ve been a prisoner to your kind before… and I’d rather die than go back to that!”

“Then you’ve made your choice. The hard way it is!” Shouted back the Ranger as she took several steps forwards. The response from Cass had given away her location, but it was a divisive manoeuvre by her. Purposeful, drawing her opponent closer to where she and her crew were waiting.

“NOW!” Cas shouts and breaks cover to her left, shooting her blaster at the Ranger as she ran across the courtyard. At the same time, Anmetei M’Lo unloaded a barrage of his own from both T6 heavy blasters pistols also aimed at the blond Je’daii woman from his position behind the stone fountain. It was a classic flanking move, forcing their single opponent to defend two sides at the same time. They may not have the force, but they did have a small numbers advantage. They could only hope it would be enough.

~\*~

Sigrid raised her left hand and deflected the first of the attacks with a defensive force manoeuvre, during which she turned side on to reduce her body's target size, letting several shots whistle harmlessly past her. She saw the dark haired woman with the face mask, their leader she now realised, running from her cover off into her peripheral and Sigrid quickly pushed out with the force, sending a shockwave of telekinetic energy in her direction that sent the raven haired Captain flying. But the attack didn’t stop there.

Within a split second a follow-up barrage of multiple blaster shots were sent her way from behind a large stone fountain to her side and Sigrid was pressed backwards, skillfully parrying the oncoming heavy blaster fire with her lightsaber and force skill, but still unable to advance and further. Right, left, left,force deflection, right, right, left, her green lightsaber blade danced in the darkness picking off the incoming fire until she saw an opening and then using the force that was surging through her to augment her body, cartwheeled to the right and out of the direct line of fire. The destructive sounds of blaster bolts slamming into and shattering dozens of several thousand year-old stone sculptures and fortifications echoed out into the cool, moonlit Shikaakwan night.

~\*~

Grunting in frustration Anmetei M’lo turned his back and crouched back behind his cover. His T6 blasters raised in the air either side of him at face height and both barrel ends still glowing orange/red from the intense exchange.

He looked over at Cass’s position and found her slowly trying to pick herself up off the stone floor. Her blaster was missing but she had Dark Lady Kevala’s Sith dagger still gripped in her off hand.

The large white skinned Nautolan then shifted from his position, craning his neck to try and see the Je’daii girl. “Common Reed, what the hell's wrong with you…? This Je’daii shutta is trying to kill us!” he said to the pilot slouched next to him, the cloud of small tentacles sprouting from the back of Anmetei’s head twitched and crawled with the increased adrenaline as well as the increased frustration.

\*VOOM!\* A sudden surge of force energy slammed into the fountain that the two males had taken shelter behind.. knocking both of them to the ground and sending the stone structure tumbling end over end across the courtyard before smashing into the side of the ruins. \*WHAM!\* the ancient wall shook as the fountain shattered into a million pieces taking a decent size chunk of the building along with it.

“You may as well give up now… if that's the best you got then you're lucky I'm not one of the Sith coming fo…. Oohhgg… What in the name of..?” the Je’daii exclaimed surprised, stopping short in mid sentence, twisting her head and raising her free hand to her neck.

~\*~

Lightsaber held defensively in front of her Sigrid and off hand still outstretched the Ranger reached up to feel what had stung her. It felt like a powerful insect bite but as she touched the area on the side of her neck her fingers found a small, metal vial of around 5 centimetres long and 2 centimetres round that was attached to her by a thin needle that had punctured into her white skin. Sigrid winced as she pulled out the small object and quickly looked at it, doing her best to still keep her attention on the three criminals further down the courtyard. The skin on her neck felt hot where it had hit her, pulsating even, but for now she felt nothing more than that.

It was a dart she realised as she held the needle in her open palm, but she had only a general direction to tell her from where it had originated. She felt no one else’s presence, only the two ahead and she already was aware of their unknown third.. but it was a question that was soon answered as her attention was immediately pulled toward the direction the dart was fired by a woman’s voice.

"Lucky you're not a Sith indeed, because a Sith would not dare to fall so easily into such a snare, Ranger!" said the sinister female voice from within the shadows.

Looking over towards the direction of the mysterious voice Sigrid gasped as she saw what seemed to be a dozen long tendrils made of pure shadow emerging from darkness. They morphed and twisted, rising up from a heavily shaded corner of the courtyard, advancing quickly and then joining as one then materialising into a humanoid shaped woman… but not just any woman... THE woman! The woman she had been pursuing for the last week, the one from the tavern dressed entirely in black. Her gaunt pale face was tattooed with the tribal marking of the Sarkhai people, her eyes were black with glowing red irises and in her hand was a black hilted lightsaber. “DARKSIDER!” Shouted Sigrid as she turned, throwing the now empty dart onto the ground and assuming an offensive Niman stance.

“Yesss….” You are right Je’daii…. you’ve waited patiently for me haven’t you?.. Now here I am…. Why don’t you come and get me!?” Darth Caecus taunted, igniting her lightsaber, its crackling hiss of the kyber crystals focused energy coming to life in her hand. The crimson blade sprouted from the black hilt and cast an eerie red glow on the Siths face as she raised it and readied herself for combat.

“I can feel you now, through the force..” Said Sigrid, her right foot planted behind her and shoulders rounded forwards, keeping her centre of gravity low.. she didn’t dare even blink. “Your connection to Bogan is strong.. the hate.. the rage.. but it blinds you. You are overconfident…unbalanced ...and no one can fight without balance!” Sigrid spits the words like venom from a viper then lunges forwards, expertly swinging her lightsaber and hoping to get the quick advantage but Darth Caecus defends with the experience and precision of one who has spent almost a decade at the Sith Academy on Korriban.

Sparks fly and lightsabers sizzle as the two sworn enemies duel in the night, however the Master of shadows refuses to press with any true attack herself. Instead only deploying defensive tactics of well calculated parry’s and counter strikes designed only to keep the Ranger at bay. In the distance Anmetei M’lo and Redman Reed had both moved to their Captain and were helping her up from the ground.

“Fight me you coward! Or do you fear Ashla’s light that much?” Demanded Sigrid.. sweat from the prolonged exertion now sticking several strands of golden hair to her face and turning her cheeks to a rosey pink colour.

“Fear you? No child…. I merely wait……” replied the Darth cooly, barely out of breath. “You wait only for your death!” Snapped back Sigrid and stepped forwards once more, but instead of her usual flawless footwork her feet faltered under her weight and she slipped forwards, only barely able to retain her footing before falling over. Her eyes now too suddenly began to lose their focus and she shook her head, trying to clear her senses..

“Ohhh….. you’re feeling more than just my presence in the force now.. aren't you child….?” Said Caecus quietly…. The dark woman was like a bird of prey circling above a meal to come as she slowly rounded to the left of her opponent..

“Whaaa…..what did you do to me?” Demanded Sigrid as she turned slowly, keeping Caecus infront of her, lightsaber still raised but inexplicably unsteady on her own two feet. She reached again for her neck, the puncture wound felt like fire and she pulled back a yellow ooze on her fingertips that burned her like a hydroacid.

“Oh… just a little concoction of mine… a neurotoxin.. in its base it’s primarily Zolall venom, but with some special \*added\* touches.. so it won’t kill you before you can tell me what I want to know..”

“I’ll not tell you anything Devil!” Spat Sigrid as her vision continued to blur even after she rubbed eye eyes with her sleeve, the one darth infront of her turning into four more blurred ones. Sigrid reached out with the force, trying to morph it into some kind of defence or strike to give herself some time to recover but she couldn’t focus her mind at all, her senses felt dulled and before she knew it Darth Caecus sprang forwards with the speed and ferocity of a hungry Nexu.

Sigrid swung her lightsaber clumsily at the four Sith women she could see in a desperate final move to end the fight but woefully missed her mark, her lightsaber blade passing through nothing but the cool night air and Sigrid felt herself almost tripping over her own feet with the overarching motion. Then, with a brief flurry of intense heat and deep crimson light the young Ranger Sigrid Ironstrike was brutally mutilated.

“Aaaarrrrrrhhhhhhhh” Screamed the Je’daii, falling to her knees in agony as her severed left hand, still holding onto her ignited lightsaber, fell limply to the dirty stone floor of the courtyard next to her. Her left shoulder was slashed and her right upper leg was cut all the way down to her very bone exposing blackened muscle and cartilage.

Darth Caecus stood before her unharmed, a devilish smile spread across her cracked lips and the smell of burnt flesh, ozone and scorched cloth filling her nostrils. Behind her, the three figures who had been in the fight earlier now began to approach.

“I’ll…. I’ll……” stammered Sigrid, her head bowed, blond hair hiding her face and her right hand holding what remained of her left forearm to her chest.

The Master of Shadows switched off her weapon and reached down, grabbing a handful of golden hair she jerked the rangers head back with a violent disregard so that she could look directly into the Je’daii’s teary eyes as her life began to slip away. Darth Caecus licked her lips and paused before speaking. Taking in the details of Sigrids face, gorging herself in the Je’daii’s pain and savouring every last moment of her suffering.

“I’ll… I…..” babbled Sigrid, her senses quickly succumbing to the neurotoxin making her unable to speak clearly.. “Shhhhh…shhhh…“ said Caecus leaning in even closer to her fallen opponent. Her voice was now like a mothers comforting a small child.. “Shhh….it will all be over soon… but first, open your mind to me… tell me what the codes are to your ship and then your security clearance...… then I promise I will end your suffering…”

“Nnnn…nnn….nnnnno” defied Sigrid through a thick haze of sensory fog caused by the fast acting toxin. Her breathing now was becoming much shallower.. every expansion of her lungs felt like she was breathing in liquid fire and the best she could hope for now was letting the venom bring a quick end to her suffering.

“Yeeesssssssssss…” hissed the Sith woman and still holding Sigrids hair Caecus clipped her saber hilt to her belt then opened her hand, and with fingers splayed out she pressed her palm hard into the Je’daii’s wet face. Using the force to attack the Rangers mind, the Dark woman now attempted to pull the information straight from Sigrids head.

“Uurrgggghh… nnnnn…uduuhhhhh” mumbled Sigrid, drool, tears and snot leaked uncontrollably from her eyes, nose and mouth as she attempted to resist yet Caecus only pressed down even harder, both with her hand and with her mind.

“Yesss……… you cannot resist me child… it is useless to try…. I feel it…. I see your thoughts… show me… show me the codes!… S-9401332.. yesss….yesss now your Je’daii clearance….give it to me… 886… there are such depths….HA!” Caecus sharply released her mind and hands at the same time, shoving the Je’daii’s face back again one last time as Caecus straightened and turned her back on the dying woman. Sigrid, exhausted and scarcely holding onto life, slumped sideways onto the floor in a messy heap. Her consciousness slipping in and out as she struggled to take breath.

“Your pathetic excuse for an order is a disgrace, as was your ability to defend it against a true Sith. If this is what passes as a Ranger of the Je’daii then it is a surprise that any of you have been able to resist us thus far.. but not for much longer. Come Commander Gemini, we have a mission to complete…” said the Darth coldly as she stepped past Cass, Anmetei M’lo and Redman Reed who had been standing right behind for several moments.

“But…. What about her?” Said Cass.. looking down to the suffering and dying woman, inside she felt herself feeling sorry for the Je’daii and she felt her hand wanting to touch her own scared neck as she remembered how she too had suffered at the hands of the Sith. The ranger girl was here to arrest her, but she did not deserve a death like that, to be made to suffer so before the end. No one did.

“Leave her.. the toxin will end her life in several minutes as she slowly suffocates. Then the rats can have her. I presume it’s been some time since they had such a large meal.” Said Caecus as casually as one would speak when discussing the weather. “Now come… we've a ship to commandeer”.

~\*~

Struggling with each agonising breath and wishing for each would be her last, Sigrid opened her swollen eyes and looked up from the ground at those who had lured her into the trap. They had poisoned her and amputated her only to steal her ship and her security codes.. She couldn’t hear them anymore now.. only muffled sounds like trying to listen through a set of industrial sound dampeners. Her eyes had followed suit as well, the world now was only a blurry confusion of pain and unfocused, burry sideways shapes as she looked up at it from the ground. Three of the shapes turned and walked off into the distance until they were no longer in view…however one had stayed behind. Sigrid tried to speak but couldn’t, she tried to move but again…. Nothing. The shape approached and said something to her, but she couldn’t hear what it was.

It came closer… and knelt down beside Sigrid's face. The person wore dark coloured pants and boots and something shiny flashed in front of her then was gone... The ranger felt what she swore was hand on her head but she couldn’t move to even flinch.. all she could do was take the same short, shallow and immeasurably painful breaths as she lay there helpless and deathly wounded on the stone ground. The hand on her head caressed her for a moment, running its fingers through her golden hair several times as though trying to calm her, there was a sound too… not words but a low humming.. soft and gentle even through the near deafness..… Then something sharp, metallic and freezing cold hit hard into the side of Sigrid's skull, penetrating her temple and sending a flash of burning cold electricity throughout her system…Sigrid Ironstrikes body kicked out straight with both legs as it shook her nervous system to its very foundations.. she then convulsed twice before finally relaxing....then all went finally black………