[IC] A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

[Zarkun]

Zar'kun Je'and

"It wasn't so simple Salazar. In the end, he had hunted down and captured Darth Nox, even if he couldn't kill the bastard. He had, for all intents and purposes, won. Kreia had simply offered him a means to protect what he held dear and then it was down hill from there once she was in his head." I glance at the Pureblood. "No one's fall or redemption is ever so simple. You should understand that better than anyone."

[Lord Greshh]

Salazar Greshh

"Should I? I've seen a lot of complicated falls, yes, but I have also seen very simple falls. Some people don't even fall at all; they simply are what they are from the beginning. And redemption? That's... something else entirely." I look to the sky. "Is there a point to this debate? Time is short. Sucal is no more, but Kreia still has one move yet to make. We must hurry if we are to foil it."

HJ Twilight

Meanwhile, up on the Genesis Engine, Hank and I are battling against Ursa Lyn. She isn't overly powerful, but she is fast, allowing her to easily avoid Hank's attempts to bring her down with his arsenal of weapons. I can't help but feel like she is stalling for something. In the far end of the room, I can see Hayden is still unconscious, though she radiates a power unlike anything I have felt before.

[Zarkun]

HK-49 "Hank"

Charging my circuits again, I close at high speed with the Sith between us and Mistress Hayden and catch her with an elbow to the gut. "Suggestion: I will hold her attention while you get Hayden, Master HJ."

Zar'kun Je'and

"Indeed, time is short, though I don't believe we can get up there in time. But still, let us try."

[Lord Greshh]

HJ Twilight

I run over to Hayden and try to gently rouse her awake. "Hey, come on. Please wake up. We need to get out of here before things get worse." As I say that, a bright flash of light bursts up from the floor, separating Hank and Ursa. After a moment, the light materializes into an ugly old woman. "Oh, now it's worse."

Ursa Lyn

"Bright Lady!" I bow. "They have come to take Hayden Twilight away from us! Please, give me the power to stop them in your name! I beg of you!"

Kreia

"You shall have it." My power flows into Ursa, and through her, I say, "Fools! A mere boy and a crude machine are nothing compared to me!"

[Zarkun]

HK-49 "Hank"

"Confident Statement: You seem to forget that your power couldn't kill Master Zar'kun or any of the others. Confident Query: What makes you so sure you can take us?"

[Lord Greshh]

Kreia

I ignore the chattering machine. It is of no threat to me. I turn my attention instead the boy. “Get away from her!” With a wave of my hand, I toss the boy across the room and into the wall.

HJ Twilight

The air is knocked out of my lungs, and I crumble to the floor. I have never faced anything so powerful as this ghost possessing Ursa. “Oof! No fair...”

[Zarkun]

Jerus Je'and

A blast of blue lightning flew out of the elevators as they opened, blasting the Ursa/Kreia thing back a couple of feet. "We're not leaving without my niece, you undead piece of filth. I am fully prepared to bring this station down on our heads to do it." I glance at Hank. "There will be more of our friends coming up on the lifts soon. Mind entertaining them?"

HK-49 "Hank"

"Joyful acknowledgement: Of course, Master Jerus."

[Lord Greshh]

Kreia

The lightning blast burns Ursa, but I pay little mind to the attack. This body was just a temporary host until I could take Hayden Twilight. It only had to last a few minutes. I turn to Jerus Je’and, casually lifting HJ by his throat through the Force. “You overestimate your abilities. I will not allow you to remove Hayden Twilight from this place. Destroying the station will destroy her and yourself, but I will remain.” Outside, the space battle can be clearly seen. “Perhaps this machine’s destruction is already inevitable.”

[Zarkun]

Jerus Je'and

"That's my niece, you bitch." Combining a burst of Force Speed with short burst from my Jetpack, my lightsabers activate as I close with Ursa. "And if this place is doomed anyways..." I use the Force to simultaneously tear one of the control panels from it's setting and hurl it at the girl at the same time.

[Lord Greshh]

Kreia

I raise a hand, freezing both Jerus and the panel he has lifted. “You cannot content with the infinite power I wield.” At the same time, I slam HJ to the ground and pin him there. The body of Ursa begins to crack in places, and pale light seeps through. My spirit is too much for her to handle, and she will expire soon.

HJ Twilight

I can’t even fight back. I am complete useless in this fight, and my body aches all over.

Hayden Twilight

My eyes begin to open, and I look up groggily at the fight happening before me. I feel very tired, yet deep down inside, there is an untapped energy swirling. “Wha...?”

[Zarkun]

Jerus Je'and

Remembering a trick my mom had taught me, I step through the Force to more or less teleport to another location on the bridge. "I don't have to face it directly, witch." I see Hayden moving and grimace. "Hayden! Close your mind!"

[Lord Greshh]

Hayden Twilight

I don't process his words right away. "What? Jerus, how...?"

Kreia

"No! You will not interfere!" I lash out, sending a bolt of deadly lightning towards Jerus.

Hayden Twilight

"Look out!" Instinctively, I throw up a hand to defend. The lightning comes to within an inch of us, then blasts apart at the last minute, as if hitting a shield. yellow energy radiates from my palm, and I feel a wave of power wash over me. "Whoa... How did I...?"

Kreia

A wave of fury ripples through the air, and Ursa's face cracks like porcelain. With hands raised, I blast full power lightning towards the two. In doing so, Ursa's finger tips blacken and shrivel.

Hayden Twilight

I raise both my hands and Kriea's lightning is absorbed effortlessly. "I... I have her. Get HJ, I have her!"

[Zarkun]

Jerus Je'and

Loathe to leave my niece on here own, but knowing I couldn't do much to help, I rush over to HJ and help him up. "Breathe son, breathe. Your cousin's bought us a moment to relax."

HK-49 "Hank"

Meanwhile, down on the level we'd come up from, I zip between the Void imbued zombies that most of Sucal's remaining loyalists had ended up, my fists readily breaking bones and skulls. However, there were limits to what I could do, and even I would soon need to find a place to recoup and recharge some of my energy.

[Lord Greshh]

Caalin Daemon

From a side hall near Hank, I jump towards the nearest Void soldier, cutting him down before landing in a roll and coming up to impale another. "I'm here to help, Hank!"

Hayden Twilight

I raise to a knee, pushing back at Kreia's energy. The power inside me is rising up, and I allow it to flow through me. The power inside me is almost alive, and it wants me to use it. "You've lived too long, old lady!"

Kreia

I focus all of my dark power into subduing Hayden. "Foolish girl! You are nothing but a tool to be used! Your power is mine to command!"

Hayden Twilight

"You want this power? Take it!" I channeling the power of a thousand Jedi into Kreia, like a concentrated blast of sunlight. Ursa's body is forced back a step, and the flesh of her hands tears away to bone.

[Zarkun]

Jerus Je'and

"Come on, son, come around. Your cousin needs us!"

[Lord Greshh]

HJ Twilight

With Kreia's full attention on Hayden, I am able to get to my feet with the help of Jerus. I am amazed by the raw power she displays. "Are you sure she needs help?"

Kreia

As waves of Hayden's power wash over Ursa, more and more of her flesh is torn away. "No! You alone will not stop me!"

Hayden Twilight

Nearby, I can see the Orb resting on it's pedestal. I reach out and pull it to my free hand, then direct it towards Kreia. "I alone can't... but WE can!" I focus my power into the Orb. Much like how I'd been forced to drain Tython of life, I am now doing the opposite: channeling the life force of an entire planet into Kreia. In my mind, I can see thousands of Jedi lending me their power. I can also see the more obscure energies of Flesh Raiders, Twi'lek settlers, and even the animals and planets. All of it channeling into a body too weak to contain even one spirit. Ursa Lyn is torn apart in seconds, leaving the malevolent spirit of Kreia floating caught before me. I continue to pour every bit of my power into destroying the old woman for good, and with a finally grunt of effort, I blast Kreia's spirit apart, causing ripples of energy that knocks everyone away.

Caalin Daemon

The Void soldiers suddenly stop their attack. They stagger away, as if all reason for fighting had been completely forgotten. At the same time, I can sense a great darkness in the Force suddenly lift. "What happened?"

HJ Twilight

I push myself to my hands and knees, looking up at the mess that remained of the observation deck. Nothing remains of Ursa, and there is no trace of Kreia's spirit. Across the room, Hayden lays in a heap. Blood trickles from her nose and ears. "Hayden!"

[Zarkun]

Jerus Je'and

Hurrying over to Hayden, I start checking her vitals to make sure we could move her. I wouldn't let all the work we put into saving her go to waste.

HK-49 "Hank"

"Suggestion: Who ever was commanding them has been eliminated."

[Lord Greshh]

Caalin Daemon

"Then... we won?" An explosion rattles the floor, and I remember the battle outside. "If all enemy forces are standing down, then there is nothing stopping our allied fleet from tearing this station apart!"

HJ Twilight

I look from Jerus to Hayden. She was alive, but barely. "Hayden..."

Hayden Twilight

I can hear HJ from far away, but I cannot summon the strength to reply. The power I'd absorbed from Tython was leaving me. The essence of all those lives lost were returning to the Force, and despite how weak it made me feel to lose them, there was an odd sense of relief. They were never mine to control. In my mind's eye, I can see their faces, each of them finally able to let go and join the currents of the universe... and I can feel a strong pull for me to join them.

"HJ..." I manage. "I... I'm sorry..."

HJ Twilight

"Don't be. We're getting out of here. ALL of us." I look at Jerus. "Right?"

[Zarkun]

Jerus Je'and

"Let's just worry about getting out of here in one piece then, huh?" Gently picking Hayden up, I beckon with a nod of my head towards the elevators. "Come on." Stay with us, Hayden. You still have a future ahead of you.

HK-49 "Hank"

"Agreement: There is, indeed, nothing to stop the fleet. Suggestion: Let us get off of this station."

[Lord Greshh]

Lydi Viszla

Sitting in my command chair, I open a channel to the rest of the fleet. "Enemy resistance has ceased. Let us press the advantage. All weapons target that station."

Koraline Okarr

I bring the Redshifter around, puzzing past the station. "Alright, but remember there are still friends on that station! Let's not blow this thing too soon, huh?"

HJ Twilight

Jerus and I carry Hayden into the elevator and ride it down to the level where Hank and Caalin are waiting. "To the hangers! Quickly!"

Caalin Daemon

My eyes widen in shock as I see Hayden's current state. "On no. There is a Republic medical frigate with the fleet. Take her there!"