Star Wars : The New Sith Crisis

Second Encounter

Sev'rannce Tann darted down the corridor, running towards the presence of Slintronius. With Skywalker badly hurt, Jade Skywalker hopefully buried in the rubble, and the Itarni incapacitated, Slintronius was next to recieve a visit. With mild interest she felt Ric Gronard approaching through space. It's shaping up like old home week. Good thing I brought my annoying-Vong-mutant-cure with me. Now all we need is............ the thought trailed off as she walked through the passages of Byss, prepared to kill another of the galaxies worst villains.

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Hours later, as the sun began to peek over the horizon, Ul Duo limped back into the small clearing and collapsed to his knees, in front of his son's dead body. Hissing in grief for his species had no other way to show sadness, he gathered Ul fortul into his arms and and carried him toward a large boulder, that had been up-rooted during the battle. Laying him reverently beside it, Ul Duo began to gather wood and branches for his son's funeral pyre. Finally gathering enough for a decent blaze, Ul Duo gently set his son down on the wood covered boulder. He stepped back and gathered the Force around him and ignited a log in flames. The blaze soon caught the other wood and his son's body was reduced to ashes while Ul Duo sat in a trance.

Pain, the weak Jedi believe it is their body alerting them to the fact that they need to heal, they suppress it, extinguish it. Never realizing its true power. Sith for generations have know of the power of pain as used as a weapon, both in themselves and inserting it into the mind of an opponent.

Ul Duo concentrated on his wounds, the fiery pain making him clench his teeth in agony, but still he used it. Stroking and fanning the pain as a small fire, he began to heal, not because of the absence of pain, but because of the intensity of it, keeping infection away.

Pain increased awareness, heightened the senses, filled the coffers of rage, nothing was as powerful as pain, said the mind of Ul Duo Urshann, as he rose, twelve hours later, entirely healed and renewed by the force. His son's cremation flames had long since burned down, leaving cold dead ashes. Mixing the ashed with water from the pool that his lightsaber still rested in, Ul Duo created a paint, a paint of death. It was tradition with his people to paint themselves with the ashes of a loved one and wear them until the loved one's killer was dead. Ul Duo did this now, covering his body with strange designs and symbols. On his arm Ul Duo took a knife and cut the name "Sev'Rannce Tann," while muttering a well known curse of his people. When he killed Tann, the name would dis-appear, wiped clean by the Force. Walking over to the pool of water, Ul Duo raised his hand and his son's lightsaber erupted from the urface of the water and flew into his hand. His own came to his hand from the ground where Ul fortul had died, still stained with his son's blood. "This blade shall take your life, Tann, as it did my son's at you hand." he vowed, holding the weapon high, before plunging the scarlet blade deep into the planet's soil.

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Half a planet away, Slintronius felt Ul Duo's presence with a sinking heart. The Itarni blamed him partly for his son's death, for Slintronius had sent them on this mission without telling them of the quarry's being Sith. He stood and stepped toward the mirror on the wall, noting ruefully the shortness of his steps, old man's steps, as he walked up to the large mirror. His face on one side was blackened by his ill-fated encounter with Ric, the scar black and sunken with red lines running through at various intervals. His hand grasped the medallion hanging at his chest and summoned the energy to activate it. The medallion was the source of his Force abilities. From birth, Slintronius had been slightly Force sensitive, not enough to become a Jedi or Sith, but enough to do minor feats or parlor tricks, such as lift a tiny stone, or slightly influence a weak mind, but the true source of his power was this medallion. Created by a Sith lord of millenia past, the disk of metal had the ability to store and release Force energy. Slintronius had found it on one of his pirating expeditions, part of the collection of a extremely wealthy business man, who delighted in collecting memorabilia of past society's weapons and artifacts. Slintronius' slight Force senstivity had allowed him to activate the medallion, resulting in its stored Force power, draining into the pirate, and giving him power. He could use the Force in ways that he could not before, his new sensitivity allowing him to call upon greater amounts of the Force. He wore the medallion now, just as an ornament and because if it was destroyed, he would lose his powers.

All of his Sith belongings were stolen or bought. He had done nothing but kill and steal his way to his former power. It was hard to believe, he mused, that only weeks before, Tilshinotar Slintronius was the most powerful man in the universe . Now he was back to being a pirate. His fortress on the hidden moon was destroyed by Ric Gronard, That insolent whelp, he thought. It hadn't really been his anyways though, Slintronius had hired mercenary forces to wipe out the troops of the rich alien who built it, and then had killed the alien himself. Bane'Ous ? That fool alien had bestowed upon himself the rank of Sith lord, because he had a few minor abilities and had killed Jedi. Slitronius knew that the alien species of Ban'Ous could not touch the force, in fact, they couldn't even move around without their battle suits. Darth Rakar, Slintronius had found on Korriban, while trying to mulitply his power. The Sith lord had been put in stasis by his own kind, who feared him and his uncanny powers. His few Sith apprenitces, including STcomm, the arrogant stormtrooper commander, Slintronius had used the medallion to infuse them with Force sensitivity, and gave them lightsabers from the same collection he got the medallion from. Suddenly, the sound of metal creaking and tearing, forced him from his reverie. The blast doors guarding his santcum, flew over his head and struck the far wall. He felt her presence before he turned, and quaked in fear, knowing what it meant for him. "Greetings, Sev'rannce Tann. I trust you had a good journey?" Slintronius said quietly, trying to keep the manic fear out of his voice. Tann narrowed her eyes and said, "Whether I did or not, you shall die here today." Slintronius felt the hilt of his lightsaber beneath his tunic, but instead of drawing it, asked," Do you have a reason for killing me?" As he turned to face her, Tann looked surprised for an instant before snapping back her reply. "For to leave you alive represents chaos, for I have no way to be sure that you will not try to build another fleet and attack me. Also, you sent assasins after me, oh and by the way, the smaller is dead, and the father has probably succumbed to his wounds by now. But most of all, because you are a brute beast, a wreckage of a man. Your crimes against even the dark side outweigh anything you may have done. Your destruction of Lyth Aria, causing her to become what she is, ruining the beauty of her sight, are worthy of death." Slintronius felt his face bleach, "You killed Ul Duo's son and left him alive?" He shouted at Tann, forgetting his fear of her in the shock of this new revalation. " Itarni will never forget the death of a loved one and will hunt its killer until death. Ul Duo will not rest unitl your blood and mine stains his claws. "

"That is quite right, but in your case, I would not stoop to dirtying myself with the blood of such a mongerel." a new voice hissed. Both Tann and Slintronius turned slowly to see Ul Duo Urshann standing in the battered doorway. In one clawed hand was a lightsaber, in the other, the corpse of one of Slintronius' guards. His body was streaked and whorled with a dark paint and the smell of death emanated from him. Tann activated her lightsaber, facing Ul Duo and ignoring Slintronius, totally. Slintronius felt for his lightsaber and leaping at Tann swung it at her back while activating it. He felt an invisible force throw him back, back toward the open window. He twisted around in the air to see the ground rushing up at him, about two stories down but coming up fast. Slintronius hit hard, a rather large rock breaking his fall. Surprisingly, he was not dead, nor were bones broken, he was just bruised, But something was very wrong, Slintronius felt, or did not feel. The Force seemed to have almost totally left him, he could just barely feel it. He looked slowly down and saw the shattered remains of the Sith medallion that had given him his power. With its destruction, his abilities faded. "NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOoooooooooooo!" Slintronius screamed out, even as he saw a familiar face appear in the clearing.

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Ric Gronard had arrived in the Byss system, a mere thirty minutes ago, and now he was glad he had followed the Force's bidding to come here, for it had delivered his greatest enemy right into his hands. Tilshinotar Slintronius sat on a rock, forty metres away, shivering in fear. Ric wondered briefly why Slintronius's Force presence was so diminished, but dismissed the thought in his hunger for Slintronius's death. He gathered the Force into a small tenderil and reached out, closig Slintronius's wind pipe, constricting airways.

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Up in the huge room, Ul Duo lunged at Tann, his son's lightsaber in one hand, his own in the other. The crimson blades hacked at Tann's defenses, at seferal points, cutting through her long Sith Robe, until she dropped it, preferring to fight without the long cloak. The jewelled body armor sparkled in the light, nearly blinding Ul Duo. He shrank back from the shimmering figure, amazed at the beauty of it. Countless Corusca Jems mixed covered the flightsuit of thick woven arachnid silk, but what caused the most sparkling was what covered it. A full Quantum Press had been applied. The armor was nearly impregnable, the nost powerful materials the galaxy had to offer. The cortosis ore under the gems was not even seen, so brightly did Tann's raiment glimmer. Ul Duo bellowed and swept forwards, hacking wildly. Her yellow blade blocked his strikes, never having a chance to retaliate in his fury. In dismay, Ul Duo realized, that the energy pack in his son's lightsaber was nearly drained from its over-nighter in the pool of water, and clipped it to his belt, using only his own blade now. Tann began to press her advantage now, leaping on top of a large pile of crates and blasting at him with lightning. He stepped back, just in time as a a hard rock whipped by where his head had been seconds before.

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Ric dropped the Force choke, as Slintronius began to succumb to the lack of air, and the former Sith dropped to the ground, gasping for breath. As the old man began to recover, Ric slipped his multi-weapon out and let it go into its long and slender form, like a whip, which was exactly what Ric wanted it to be. The multi-weapon lashed out, guided by a twitch of Ric's fingers, and curled around Slintronius's torso, bringing the blood to the surface and quite neatly knocking the breath out of him again.

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Ul Duo constructed a large Force shield that strengthened as it drained the energy from Tann's lightning. Tann saw this and stopped, heaving a crate at him with the Force. Ul Duo sent a crushing wave of Force directly at the incoming crate, shattering it and then leaped up to Tann's level, where they began to duke it out, seeing who's Force powers were stronger. Tann fired lightning, which Ul Duo countered with a Force shield and thrown crates. She threw a crate, he would break it and send the shrapnel straight at her. The shrapnel clattered harmlessly off of the gleaming body armor. Finally, Tann leaped to the Crate he stood on, and they began to fight again with lightsabers. The blades moved quickly, but Ul Duo was at a decided disadvantage. The gleaming light from Tann's armor had a worse effect on his vision than he had first noticed. Now, he could barely see. The room moved around, the intense light was all he could see. Not even the brightest day on Itarn could compare to this brilliant gleaming.

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With a final shove, Sev'rannce Tann knocked Ul Duo from his perch on the crate. She poured more pwoer into the gleaming armor. Ul Duo was forced to look away, she shone now as brightly as the surface of a star. Ul Duo backed up, then whipped a crate at her. Not even worrying enough to block it, the wooden crate shattered on impact with her armor. Sweeping her weapon around, she drained some of the brightness to put force pwoer behind her blow. Ul Duo turned his head in time to block the swing as he squinted to see the yellow blade against the wite light. He lashed out at the center of the light, trying to end it, wishing he had not sliced the Sith robe from his foe. The yellow blade came flying from to smah into his and knock it away. Tann stabbed as his blade went down and Ul Duo had to step back to avoid being skewered. He brought his weapon back to en guarde and blocked two more strokes. Suddenly, a pebble smacked into his back, drawing blood. Roaring in pain, he stepped forward and struck. Tann dodged aside and with a sweep nearly decapitated him. it was wswift reflexes trhat saved his head. He stabbed in under her stroke and she brought her blade down on top of his, once again knocking it down. She stabbed and he stepped back, only to have her sweep up with her left hand. SCHLACK!!!!! A floor tile struck his back and he stumbled forwards. Tann blocked his wild swing and brought her weapon in an another stroke. She bounced it off his blade and swinging around, brought it up under his left arm . Ul Duo screamed in pain as the hot blade sliced up through his shoulder and severed it totally .. He had never been cut open with a lightsaber. His severed arm fell to the floor. This must be the pain my son felt when he was slain he thought. The thought gave him a fresh burst of anger. He rushed at the light and swung, cutting it in half, only to realize that it was an illusion. The real Tann landed from a flip, behind him, blade held ready to strike. He rushed at her, and promptly fell through the floor where she had removed the tile. rather than chase him, Tann felt the presence of Ric Gronard and the defeated Slintronius. That mutant will not live to see another day. he is the very chaos and perversion of Slintronius, and he will die!. She grabbed a spare Sith cloak from the room and ran out.

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Ric whipped,Slintronius again and again, the fool screaming in pain every time his lash landed. He raised his weapon to administer a killing blow when his attention was distracted. His head snapped around to See Sev'rannce Tann charging across the yard, weapon held high. her hood had fallen from her head and her long black hair streamed out behind her. Her eyes blazed red against her blue face as she rushed into battle. Kicking Slintronius aside, Ric never noticed his medallion, the identical match of Slintronius', fall from his pocket. Slintronius grabbed it but concealed his joy as he watched his two mortal enemies lock blades.

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Putting his multiweapon aside in favor of his more reliable lightsaber, Ric turned to meet Tann's charge. I have already won this fight, seeing as how she can't cut through my bones the disigured monster thought to himself as he brought his ewapon up and blocked Tann's first swing. He stepped several steps back from the forcem, surprised at her strength. He returned blow for blow as both warriors probed each others defenses. After several rounds of give-and-take, Ric tired of playing games and close in to Tann. holding her blade off with his, he punched her, fully expecting his claws to impale her and the force of his blow, smash her ribs. Instead, he broke three fingers in his hand on the impact with her armor. He cried out in surprise and pain. She must have one tough armor on if I can't smash it with incredible strength.

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Tann laughed in the mutants face as he broke his fingers trying to punch her. The fool. His mind is an open book. I needn't even break his bgones to kill him she thought as the two strove, blow for blow, across the palace lawn. The red of ric's blade and the yellow of Tann's made fiery orange sparks as they clashed again and again. Several time seach nicked the others garments, never even touching the armor or hide of their foe. The blades twirled faster than they eye could see as Vong Mutant and Chiss Sith fought across the lawn of Palpatine's old palace complex. Ric took three steps back and tried sweeping the turf up where Tann was standing, intending to knock her over. She crushed his force sweep as it moved. Counterattacking, her lightning was caught on his blade. As both warriors circled, waiting for an opening, a simple yet effective plan came to Tann's mind. present a slight weak ness to her left, she allowed Ric's mad dahs to drive her back. As it did, she dropped the syringe. Then, with a five step slash move, she drove him back until the syrige was right behind him. Locking blades, she allowed hers to move slightly. As Ric focused mnore attention on the lightsabers, Tann made a suden gesture with her left hand and the Syringe flew up, stabbing him in the middle of his neck, the razor-sharp needle piercing his hide in its only vulnerable spot. She pressed the end with the force and felt every last drop of the solution enter his body. Ric straightened as the liquid flowed into his bloodstream. He stepped back. "What is it?" he asked beginning to feel the liqiud fire spread throughout his veins ,
"It's a deadly virus, known as Alpha Red, which attacks anything made by the Yuiuzhan Vong." Tann said, raising her voice to be heard over Gronard's sudden scream of pain ." Seeing as they created you, it will slowly kill you. Your force powers will drop off bit by bit until you have nothing left, your invincible bones will soften within days of your infection, and you will lose everything the Yuuzhan Vong gave you. Finally, you will die. Enjoy." As she strode off, she gave him such a force-push that he fell to the ground, twitching in agony . When he got up, his muscles twitching in some sort of allergic reaction to the poison ,he noticed that Slintronius was gone, escaped during the battle to fight another day.

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With Gronard dealt with, Sev'rannce Tann entered the Byss catacombs to hunt Ul Duo and Darth Slintronius. They shall both feel my blade. Then my time on Byss will be complete

Posted by Nate at September 11, 2004 10:46 AM