Mistaken Identity Chapter 75 - The Blood of the Outsiders

(AN: finally finished, here is another 8k words. I was considering adding it to the other chapter but thought this would be easier to read.)

To say that the Jedi were expecting more of a fight would be an understatement. The strike team dropped down onto the surface of Volik, fanning out as the Republic cruiser hovering above tore through the shield generator with pinpoint orbital fire. They had prepared for an entrenched enemy force. Coordinated resistance. Bloodshed. But what they found was a base already unraveling.

The sudden arrival of a Jedi battalion caused chaos. Mercenaries and droids ran confused orders over open comms. Defenses were only half-deployed. Barricades were abandoned. Several transports had already taken off without clearance. The Jedi tore through the gaps in their formations. Master Windu and Master Fay led the main force, pressing through to the upper causeway. Cin Drallig and Eeth Koth led the second team, cutting through the southern flank. Shaak Ti's detachment handled the communications tower.

When they reached the lower gates of the main temple, they were met by Padmè. Her tunic was torn, her hair was bloodied, but she was still standing. She led them up the steps without a word, doing as Jaden had told her and leading them to the main temple. Windu glanced at her, noting the bruises and cuts, but said nothing. There were more important matters at hand.

As the main force moved into position, Aubrie darted forward. Zule followed without hesitation, and Scout took off after them.

"Hold position," Windu said sharply, but they were already gone. Fay watched them go but didn't call after them.

"They've trained for this," she said quietly.

"They've trained, but I sense a great danger ahead, one that I believe Jaden is blinding them to," Windu replied. He clenched his fist, then gestured for the others to move. "Let's go."

...

A dozen lightsabers ignited around Jaden, forming a circle. He turned slowly, observing the acolytes approaching him, their faces concealed beneath hoods. Their movements were hesitant. Some held their sabers awkwardly. Many he sensed weren't even Force-sensitive; the rest had minimal training. They posed little danger, but considering his injuries and their ability to surround him and attack from all angles it would be more difficult than he thought.

Jaden adjusted his grip, adopting Form III, ready to defend himself.

He didn't need to.

The ceiling shattered suddenly, debris falling to the ground. Four figures dropped through the opening. Aubrie, Scout, and Zule landed first, their sabers already ignited. Master Fay followed, landing in the middle of them; though her lightsaber wasn't lit.

The fight began immediately.

Zule moved first. She swept an acolyte's legs and stabbed him before he hit the ground. Another attacked her recklessly. She deflected the strike, punched his throat with her prosthetic hand which nearly collapsed his throat, she then stabbed him.

Scout faced two acolytes. She ducked under one, kicked his shin, and drove her saber into his stomach. The second lunged forward. She sidestepped, broke his nose with her elbow, and ended him quickly.

Aubrie fought smoothly as always. She blocked a strike from the side, spun, and slashed the attacker's chest. Another attacked from behind. She sensed it, spun her saber through the air as she ducked, struck him down, then caught the returning weapon.

Master Fay didn't ignite her saber. She used the Force instead. An acolyte rose helplessly into the air before hitting a column. Another froze and collapsed. She waved her hand, sending three more flying backward.

Jaden watched with his eyebrows raised in shock.

The last acolyte tried to run, but Zule caught him, pinned him down, cut off his saber arm, and then stabbed him in the chest.

Aubrie ran to Jaden, extinguishing her saber. "Jaden, are you alright?"

Scout joined her, worried. Jaden's clothes were torn, blood covered his chest, and his arms had lightsaber injuries.

Jaden stayed silent, barely standing.

Then he smiled slightly.

"Thanks for coming," he said.

Aubrie exhaled, relief clear in her voice, and hugged him.

"You idiot," she whispered.

Scout hugged him too.

Zule stood back, her saber still in hand. She hesitated, looking at his injuries. She stepped forward slightly but stopped herself. "You did well," she said.

Jaden nodded, meeting her eyes.

Master Fay approached and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad to see you are well Jaden," she said. "I take it the destruction outside the base was you?"

Jaden nodded as he unwrapped himself from both girls. "Is the temple secured?" He asked.

She nodded. "Mostly, though there are likely some stragglers around that will be dealt with," she replied.

"But first..." she said as she turned to the ritual circle. There was one remaining acolyte and he stood within the now glowing red circle. All Jedi within could feel a pressure in the force building, it was one that made them all feel uneasy, the less experienced Jedi even felt frightened. Master Yoda and Master Windu who had been killing the remaining mercenaries and droids at the entrance felt it most.

"Stop the ritual now!" Master Windu shouted to all Jedi that could hear. Master Yoda hoped off the Jedi masters back and leaped across various people's shoulders as he tried to get towards the acolyte who kept on chanting in the Sith language.

Jaden and the others also rushed forward to the circle, using the force to enhance their bodies as they jumped across the dead acolytes. It only took a few seconds for all of them to reach there, but as they all reached out for the acolyte in the centre, red sparks of lightning danced across the lines of the ritual circle. The moment their hands crossed the border they erupted and hit each of them in the chest hitting them back.

Jaden was hit first. The bolt slammed into his chest and hurled him back ten feet. He crashed to the floor, skidding on his back before slamming against a pile of broken stone. Zule and Aubrie were at his side almost instantly, dropping to their knees.

"Jaden!" Aubrie shouted.

He sat up with a groan. His chest burned from the impact, the energy still crawling beneath his skin like fire trapped beneath the surface.

"I'm fine," he lied, teeth clenched against the pain.

"What do we do?!" Scout said, panic threading her voice. She looked from the ritual lines to the dying prisoners, then to the lone figure in the center.

Master Fay didn't answer. She stood motionless as she stared at the ritual; the waves of pain and hatred that had started to infect the environment around it like a plague was something she had never seen before.

"Break through to the prisoners, you must," Yoda said as he landed nearby on one of the broken pillars. "The fuel for the ritual, they are." The Masters moved without delay. They spread out toward the outer rings, where the prisoners had begun to convulse. Some were screaming now, others gasping as if their lungs were collapsing. The life force was draining out of them, siphoned through the runes that lit up with each pulse.

Yoda stepped forward, he extinguished his lightsaber and  lifted both hands and pressed into it using the force the Force. The red lightning responded immediately, lashing toward him like a whip. He stood firm, however using an extremely advanced form of Tutaminis. The lightning struck, arced across his arms, and then flew outwards as he deflected it.

"You can't stop it!" the acolyte in the center shouted, his voice echoing over the screams. "The ritual is complete!"

Yoda didn't reply. Another bolt struck him. He raised a hand, batted it aside, and took another step forward. He was getting closer to pushing through the field; it looked as if reality started to bend around him as shimmers and cracks started to form in the barrier.

"Stop! STOP!" the acolyte yelled, as fear started to grip his heart; seeing the Grandmaster getting so close to breaking through the barrier was terrifying in a way that almost made him soil himself.

Jaden tried to get up again. His body shook and he trembled, but he forced himself upright. He looked across the temple, saw the Masters failing to breach the barrier and rescue the prisoners. He turned back to the center... and then he saw it.

The mask.

It hovered above the pedestal now, suspended by nothing, glowing red, humming as the fforve warped around it. The hum grew louder with each second. The acolyte stopped shouting at the grandmaster as he turned and saw the mask. He reached up.

"No," Jaden muttered.

The mask settled into his hands. He stared into it like it was speaking to him.

Then he placed it over his face.

Jaden shouted, "NO!"

The second the mask locked in place, the Force detonated.

A shockwave ripped through the temple. Jedi were thrown like leaves in a storm. The few Masters who remained standing were knocked flat. Scout hit the ground beside Jaden with a sharp cry. Aubrie was flung into a column. Zule barely caught herself with her cybernetic hand.

The acolyte stood untouched in the center. Except this time he wore a long dark cloak along with the mask of Darth Nihilus. The force seemed to bend and warp around him; the air in the temple was suffocating, it was as if a mountain was being pressed on everyone inside the room. "I can feel it," he whispered. "The Force... it's mine."

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!" He laughed maniacally.

"I am a god!!!" He screamed.

Master Windu rolled to his feet, his purple saber igniting with a sharp snap-hiss. He charged and behind him, three more Masters followed.

The air twisted around him, then detonated outward in a concussive shockwave that rippled like a thunderclap through the chamber. The floor cracked beneath his feet. Columns groaned and split as the wave tore through the room. Windu was hurled backward, his boots scraping a long trench through the stone before he slammed into a pillar. Others fared worse, one Jedi crashed through a support beam, snapping stone and bone alike, while another hit the far wall with a sickening crunch and crumpled motionless to the floor.

Only the strongest stood firm. Yoda braced against the force with both hands raised, his robes flaring behind him. Fay leaned into the blast with her arms spread, as she used the force to push forward as well as anchor herself to the ground r. Plo Koon slid half a step but planted his heels, weathering the storm with his fists clenched and his muscles tightened.

"You can't stop me!" the acolyte roared, and the Force twisted around him like a storm trapped inside flesh. Lightning bled from his finger, arcing through the air without direction or mercy. His eyes were wide, energy was irradatiating from them, his veins were pulsing with raw energy that didn't belong in any living body.

"I am beyond death!" he screamed. His voice cracked with madness. "Beyond all of you!"

Jaden dragged himself upright, one hand pressed to his knee to stop the trembling in his legs. Every nerve in his body screamed. The last hit had knocked the air from his lungs and nearly shattered his already broken ribs, but that wasn't what shook him. It was the presence in front of him. The thing the acolyte had become. This wasn't just a dark side user pushed past his limit like he had done. This was someone who had given up everything to become something else entirely.

A wound.

He glanced sideways. Zule had both hands on her saber, her knuckles were white from holding it too tightly. Her stance was strong, but her mouth was tight and she was shaking. Aubrie and Scout were behind him, just starting to rise from where the last blast had thrown them. Their movements were sluggish. Scout's cheek was cut open. Aubrie's arm hung at her side, limp.

They were all afraid.

Jaden swallowed. The copper taste of blood clung to his tongue. His chest ached with every breath. But he wasn't going to let this end here.

"When I say run, you run," he said quietly.

They all looked to him shock on their face. "What?" Aubrie asked.

He didn't look at her. He kept his eyes on the acolyte, who was nkw walking forward, letting arcs of lightning dance across the stone floor scorching it and even shocking the less powerful Jedi.

"I said run," Jaden repeated leaving no room for argument. If they argued, they'd lose time. If they hesitated, they'd die. He had seen enough battles to know when an enemy couldn't be outmatched, and this was one of those times.

The Force around the acolyte wasn't just dark. It was fractured. Violent. Unstable. Jaden could feel it vibrating through his bones. "He's not human anymore," Jaden whispered.

A voice echoed from the far side of the chamber.

"VOX!"

All heads turned.

Collan Eislo stood at the archway, barely upright. His tunic was soaked in blood, and he held his side with one trembling hand. He stumbled forward desperately trying to reach the acolyte.

"Vox! Please!" he cried. "You know me! I brought you here! Heal me! Finish this with me! We can rule them—"

He took a step forward.

"We can kill them all."

The figure turned. The mask shifted slightly as he tilted his head.

Then he laughed.

"You?" Vox said. "You're obsolete."

He raised a hand and clenched his fist.

Collan twisted midair. Bones shattered. Limbs bent the wrong way. A wet crunch echoed. His body hit the ground, unrecognizable.

Jaden stared. His lips parted slightly.

"Shit," he muttered.

Vox turned to him.

"You should thank me," he said. "As my first edict as the new ruler of everything I shall allow you all to die quickly."

Jaden stepped forward. His lightsaber ignited.

"No. You won't."

Vox raised a hand, but before he could release the wave, Yoda appeared beside Jaden.

"Fight him, we must," the old Master said. "Together."

Master Fay stepped up beside them. Windu returned, dragging a limp arm but still ready. Other Jedi Masters began regrouping, forming a line. All of their lightsabers ignited forming a sea of blue and green—with the odd splash of purple. The Padawans were placed at the rear with the Knights after them and then the Masters. Stood at the very front was the Jedi Council and Jaden, as they were the only ones capable of protecting themselves against the sheer anger and hatred that rolled off of the acolyte.

Vox laughed. "Very well, if you wish to all die together than I shan't deny you that," he then lifted his palm and closed it. Immediately waves of pressure began to pulse off of him; each way blew so hard that the Jedi could barely hold onto the ground.

Yoda pushed back against the wave, his calm expression being replaced with a fierce one. "Together!" He said loudly as he signalled the rest of the council. All together they pushed back against the waves and managed to overpower Vox and send him stumbling. 

Vox tilted his head back and laughed. The sound echoed through the temple like metal dragging across stone. "Very well," he said. "If you wish to die together, then I shall grant it."

He lifted his right arm, extending his palm toward the gathered Jedi. Then he closed his hand into a tight fist.

Waves of pressure pulsed from his body. The air distorted visibly. Each wave struck the Jedi lines with brutal force. The floor vibrated. Robes snapped like sails in a storm. Even the most seasoned Masters struggled to keep their footing. Yoda stepped forward. He held both hands in front of him and pushed into the pressure. His expression, usually serene, hardened into one of fierce intent. "Together!" he shouted, and his voice rang through the chamber.

The Jedi Council moved in unison. All at once, they extended their power forward. The wave of Force energy surged from their outstretched hands and met Vox's pressure head-on. The chamber shook. Stone cracked beneath their feet. The two waves collided with an ear-shattering boom. For a moment, it seemed like the energy might tear the room apart.

Then Vox stumbled back.

He gritted his teeth and steadied himself. The blow hadn't harmed him, but it had forced him to retreat.

Yoda didn't wait. He jumped forward, his small body spinning through the air. His saber became a streak of green as he closed the distance. Vox raised his arm to counter, but Plo Koon was already moving from the left. He ran wiggly, his saber pointed upward as he angled in to catch Vox's side. Vox turned his body sharply and extended his hand toward Plo. A focused pulse of energy struck Plo in the chest and lifted him off the ground, throwing him back several dozen meters. He then caught Yoda in a force grip before throwing him back into the crowd of Jedi.

Ducking under the thrown grandmaster Jaden moved next. He sprinted forward and raised his saber with both hands. He reached Vox just as Yoda landed on Master Windu and pushed off his shoulder launching back at Vox. Vox stepped back and raised his forearm to block Jaden's blade. Sparks shot out as the saber collided with some kind of barrier—an invisible field that cracked on impact but didn't break. Yoda landed behind Vox and immediately turned, swinging his saber low toward Vox's ankles.

Vox jumped. He rose into the air with a burst of momentum that scattered dust from the floor. He flipped backward and landed hard, creating a small crater beneath his feet. He held both hands out as he landed, then thrust them forward. A wide shockwave blasted outward. The first line of Masters braced, but some were caught off guard. Luminara was knocked backward and hit the wall. Kit Fisto grabbed her arm and steadied her before she hit the ground.

Windu came in next. He moved in from the left side, his saber already in motion, for the first time in his life he struggled to use Vaapad; the sheer hate and power rolling off Vox was hard to accept and redirect back at him. He struck high with his left hand, forcing Vox to raise his own blade to intercept. The power in Windu's blow forced Vox back a step; Windu then launched into a series of slashes and thrusts that forced Vox back. The frustration and anger inside him started to build; he used it to try and thrash against him—even with his unrefined lightsaber form, but the angrier he got the faster the Jedi Master seemed to go. Jaden took the opportunity to advance. He came in low and slashed toward Vox's hip, while Windu came in high with a move to decapitate him.

"EAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" Vox roared as he let the force explode out of him sending both force wielders sailing backwards into the Padawans while cracking the storm around him. It was such a powerful burst of force that it managed to shake the temple and form cracks in the ceiling. Debris started to fall as the temple seemed to become unstable. Fay raised her hand and caught the debris in the air. She clenched her fist and crushed the stone to dust before it could reach the younger Jedi. Then she ran forward, her lightsaber drawn in front of her. She moved in a tight arc around Vox, waiting for his next attack.Vox turned and lashed out with a pulse of force that tore up the ground as it travelled towards her. Fay ducked and rolled to the side. She came up and launched herself forward struck at his ribs. He twisted his torso and caught her saber against his own, locking them briefly. Jaden joined the clash from the opposite side and swung hard at Vox's head. Vox turned and used his other hand to freeze Jadens blade in the air. Vox then surrounded Jaden with the force, and Jaden's body lifted off the ground and slammed into the wall behind him. He crumpled on impact but forced himself back to his feet.

Fisto entered the fray next. He darted around Vox's flank and stabbed forward with quick jabs. Vox swatted aside the strikes with bursts of energy. He lifted his foot and drove it into Fisto's stomach, sending him tumbling backward. Zule took his place immediately. She sprinted toward Vox and leapt into the air. Her saber struck downward. Vox raised both hands to catch her. He didn't use the Force. He caught her by the wrists and flung her sideways into a support column. Her saber clattered to the floor.

Vox looked around and began walking forward slowly. Each step sent tremors through the ground. He had his arms out to either side, and energy crackled across his fingers. His eyes burned with raw light. "This is what you bring against me?" he shouted.

The entire Jedi Council surged forward as one.

Jaden recovered his saber and joined them. The Masters pressed in from every direction. Plo Koon led the left side. Windu and Fay drove through the center. Yoda and Kit Fisto covered the right. They struck in patterns, one would feint, another would strike, a third would defend.

Vox blocked every blow. He didn't dodge. He didn't retreat. He absorbed each hit through sheer power. He caught one saber against his forearm and redirected it into another Jedi's attack path. He blasted Plo backward with a point-blank shockwave. He flung Fay into the air with a sharp upward strike of the Force. He spun and sent three Jedi crashing into the wall with a single burst of kinetic power.

Jaden slid between the attacks of two Jedi Masters before working with Fay to hold him in place. They both struggled, but they were able to hold him for a moment.

It was enough.

The rest of the Council struck as one. Shaak Ti drove her saber into Vox's back. Windu struck across his chest. Yoda leapt and drove his blade down into Vox's shoulder. Vox roared, then exploded outward with a Force burst that launched every Jedi away from him. Jaden hit the ground and rolled. He lay there for a second, gasping. He looked up.

Vox was still standing.

His expression turned from confusion to rage. He began screaming, throwing his arms around as violent waves of dark energy tore through the chamber. Columns shattered and walls split open. Large pieces of stone dropped from the ceiling and crashed onto the floor. The temple shook violently with each outburst as Vox continued shouting in fury. "You can't defy me!" Vox screamed. "I'm a god! All the power is mine I am the force!!!"

Suddenly, Vox stopped moving. His entire body went rigid as if frozen by an unseen force. He gasped and grabbed at his throat, eyes wide with panic. His veins turned black beneath his skin, spreading rapidly across his face and neck. He began choking, struggling desperately against whatever was happening to him.

The Jedi immediately stepped back, sensing something darker than Vox. A wave of cold terror spread through the chamber as red sparks of lightning began jumping across the ground and through the air. Sparks struck several Padawans and Knights, knocking them down or flinging them aside. One of the sparks hit Scout squarely in the chest. She flew backward and slammed hard against the opposite wall, then collapsed motionless to the ground.

"Scout!" Aubrie screamed, attempting to run toward her.

Zule grabbed Aubrie's arm, holding her back firmly. "It's too dangerous!" Zule shouted. "We can't help her right now!"

Scout remained unmoving on the far side of the chamber.

The Jedi Masters quickly formed a circle around Vox, attempting to suppress the growing storm of dark power. Vox screamed again, but this time in agony rather than anger. Blood dripped from his mouth and ears as his body violently convulsed. "Help me!" Vox cried. "Please!"

"I'm sorry!!!!"

"Help me please help me!!!!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHUH!!!"

The mask covering his face began glowing bright red. Lines of crimson energy surged from the mask, burning into Vox's skin. His screams intensified as the mask violently fused itself to him. A blinding flash of red light erupted from Vox's body, and he collapsed limply to the floor.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Slowly, Vox's body rose upright. The mask tilted upward, looking directly at the gathered Jedi.

"A new era," came a deep voice from behind the mask, echoing through the temple.

Yoda stumbled back, his eyes widening as he sensed the wound in the Force standing before him. Cold dread washed over him; his worst fears had been realised, Darth Nihilus had been incarnated.

He turned quickly to the Jedi Knights and Padawans behind him.

"Knights and Padawans, leave now, you must!" Yoda shouted.

Yoda then drew deeply upon the Force, surrounding himself with a glowing barrier of protective energy. Master Fay followed, quickly enveloping herself in the same shimmering protection. The rest of the Jedi Masters joined them, forming a luminous shield around their bodies as the younger Jedi ran toward the temple exit.

"No," Darth Nihilus said.

The temple exploded.

Massive waves of energy ripped outward, obliterating columns and walls in an instant. Stones broke apart and fell heavily onto the fleeing Jedi. The ceiling cracked and huge pieces collapsed into the chamber. Jaden sprinted through the collapsing debris toward Aubrie and Zule. He dodged falling stone, leaping over obstacles as he moved. When he reached them, he grabbed their arms and pulled them toward Scout's position.

Scout was still unconscious beneath the rubble. Jaden knelt quickly and felt for her pulse, relieved to find it faint but present.

Another explosion rocked the temple, sending debris raining down toward them. Jaden raised his hand and projected a shield of Force energy above their heads. He strained under the intense weight, holding desperately against the falling rocks.

Across the chamber, the Jedi Masters struggled to maintain their barrier. They stood firm, holding back the collapsing temple, giving the younger Jedi precious moments to escape.

A final blast from Darth Nihilus tore through the chamber, overwhelming their barriers. The ceiling gave way entirely. Stones fell everywhere, burying everything beneath them.

For several long moments, nothing moved beneath the rubble. Then, slowly, the Jedi Masters began to lift the fallen stones away. They used the Force carefully, shifting debris to uncover those who had been trapped. They managed to save most of the Jedi Knights and Padawans, but some bodies lay still, crushed beneath the collapsed temple. With the temple now reduced to ruins, daylight poured freely into the chamber. The Jedi squinted against the sudden brightness. Standing atop a large, shattered stone in the middle of what had been the atrium was Darth Nihilus, his back against the sun.

A cold fear took hold of the Jedi. Every instinct told them to flee from this figure that radiated pure terror.

Suddenly, Master Eeth Koth leapt from behind Nihilus, screaming with his lightsaber raised high above his head. "Master Koth wait!!!" Master Fay shouted for him to stop, but he didn't listen.

Darth Nihilus turned swiftly, grabbing Eeth Koth with the Force. He pulled the Jedi Master close and drained the life from his body. Within seconds, Eeth Koth's lifeless form fell to the ground.

The Jedi stood frozen in shock, witnessing the death of a Council member so quickly and effortlessly.

Darth Nihilus shuddered visibly as he absorbed Eeth Koth's life force. He then turned toward the Jedi survivors, reaching out with the Force to pull the weaker Jedi toward him. Padawans and Knights desperately struggled against his grip.

Yoda and the Council acted immediately. Yoda, Fay, Shaak Ti, and Kit Fisto focused together, projecting Force Stasis to immobilize Nihilus. Mace Windu and Cin Drallig rushed forward to attack directly with their lightsabers, even knowing how dangerous it was to get close.

Jaden had already moved Scout safely away, healing her injuries. As he looked up, he saw Nihilus easily resisting the combined attack of the entire Council. Nihilus unleashed a Force Scream followed by arcs of red lightning, overwhelming them all instantly. The Council members staggered under the assault, trying to shield themselves.

Yoda desperately used the Force to lift large chunks of debris, hurling them toward Nihilus. Nihilus simply waved them away.

Master Fay fell to the ground, injured by a blast of red lightning. Jaden cursed under his breath, turning quickly toward the girls.

"Run!" he shouted urgently to Aubrie, Scout, and Zule. "This time, I mean it—go!"

He rushed off immediately to reach Master Fay before Nihilus could finish her. Nihilus extended his hand toward Fay, dragging her body across the broken ground toward him. Jaden reached out desperately through the Force, trying to break Nihilus's grip. Although he couldn't stop Nihilus completely, he distracted him enough that Nihilus turned sharply, raising both hands toward Jaden instead.

Aubrie screamed "No!" as Nihilus unleashed red lightning directly at Jaden. Jaden was caught completely off guard and screamed in agony as the red lightning tore through his body. The force of the blast lifted him from his feet and threw him violently onto the ground.

Red lightning was the deadliest form of Force lightning, and its effects were immediate and brutal. Jaden's body lay still where it had landed.

Aubrie sprinted desperately toward Jaden, but she was caught by Nihilus's Force pull, which continued relentlessly drawing Jedi toward him. Aubrie struggled in panic, screaming helplessly as she saw Jaden lying motionless, unable to reach him.

Yoda moved forward, gathering every ounce of his strength. He halted Nihilus's pull on the Padawans and Knights, stopping Nihilus in his tracks. Yoda leapt onto a large boulder opposite Nihilus, facing him directly.

"Stop you, I will," Yoda said, projecting his full power. He fought directly against Nihilus's control, forcing a stalemate between them.

Master Fay regained consciousness, breaking free of Nihilus's weakened grip. She immediately saw Jaden lying nearby and rushed to his side. She dropped down beside him, quickly checking for signs of life. There was no pulse, and Jaden's body remained still and unresponsive.

"Jaden, wake up," Fay said urgently. She placed her hands on his chest, trying desperately to heal him. Healing wasn't her strength, but she poured every bit of her limited skill into the attempt.

It made no difference. Jaden didn't move.

...

"AHHH!!!" Jaden screamed as he sat up quickly, only to realise that the pain he was just in a moment ago wasn't there, he looked down at his body in confusion, his clothing was different too. He then looked up, there was no temple to be seen, the only thing he could see were endless rolling hills with beautiful swaying grass.

*BOOM*

Jaden looked up as he heard a loud echoing sound come from the sky; yet he saw nothing when he looked up, only a beautiful blue sky. "What is this place?" He muttered to himself.

"I'm sure you know by now," he heard a familiar voice say from behind him.

Jaden whipped his head around, his heart skipping a beat. The sound wasn't just familiar it was one that he'd never forget. One that was etched into his very soul. When he turned around his suspicions were confirmed when he saw a beautiful purple skinned Twi'lek with a massive smile on her face.

Jaden felt his heart clench. "Velea..." he said, his voice cracking as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

Jaden..." she said back. Never had he known he needed to hear something more than right at this moment. Her simply saying his name was something so simple and yet before he would've given everything he had to hear it again.

Jaden rushed over to her engulfing her in a hug, one that she gladly returned. With his emotions overwhelming him Jaden couldn't help but sob; he thought he'd never see her again. 'How are you here?' He wanted to ask, but before the words even left his mouth he realised he didn't care, it only mattered that he was here.

So instead. "I missed you so much," those were the words that came out instead, uttered with every bit of love that Jaden had for her.

"I never left," Velea said as she rubbed his back.

For a while Jaden just held her, he didn't know whether it was for minutes or for hours. He didn't care. He wanted this moment to last forever.

Eventually it was Velea who drew back, the beautiful smile still erected into her face. She ran her hands up his arms. "It brings me such joy to touch you again, to feel you, to hold you," she said.

Jaden smiled and pushed his head against hers. "I never want it to end."

"You've been through much since the last time we saw each other," Velea said as she looked up at him.

"At least it's over now," Jaden said as he looked around at the rolling hills.

"Is this it?" He said, having a suspicion of where he was.

Velea nodded. "The beyond," she said.

*BOOM*

Jaden heard the noise again, but he ignored it this time. It's beautiful," be said with a small smile. He then took Velea's hand. "How about you show me around?" He added with a grin.

Though when he tried to pull Velea didn't move. Jaden looked back, a frown forming on this face. "What's wrong?" He asked.

Velea smiled sadly at him.

Jaden instantly understood what that smile said, he'd never needed words with Velea.

He shook his head. "I don't want to go back," he said, his voice breaking slightly.

Velea stepped up to him and put her hands on his chest as she looked up at him.

Jaden looked down at her, his eyes tearing up. "I've done enough for them... I've given it my all, can't I rest now?" He asked.

*BOOM*

Jaden looked up again. "I want to stay with you..." he said.

Velea pushed up on her feet and kissed him on the lips. "I'll always be here waiting for you," she whispered.

Jaden didn't want to go, he wanted so much to stay here with Velea. But both of them knew that even if he could stay he wouldn't. Not when the others were in danger, in the end he wouldn't have been able to bring himself to do it.

"He's so strong..." Jaden said. "I don't know how I can injure, let alone defeat him."

Velea shook her head. "Jaden you are the only one who can defeat him."

Jaden looked at her with a confused expression on his face. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Velea ran her hands down his arm. "You're different Jaden, you've always known that." She then grabbed his hand and turned it around. "Your blood is special."

"Special?" Jaden said with a confused expression. He knew having black blood wasn't exactly normal, especially for someone who looked human, but he just assumed he was a hybrid.

Velea nodded. "You have the blood of the Far Outsiders."

"Who are they?" Jaden asked.

"They are also known as, the Yuuzhan Vong."

Jaden had never heard of such a race before; were they some obscure race from the outer rim?

"They aren't from your galaxy, they come from far far away," she said as if reading his thoughts.

Jaden nodded slowly. "Even so I'm not sure how this is supposed to help me beat Darth Nihilus."

Velea smiled. "The Vong live outside of the force, they are not affected by it, you could say they are immune."

Jadens eyes widened in shock. "How is that possible, I thought all living things had the force in them?"

"The universe is a lot bigger than you can imagine," Velea replied.

"But wait..." Jaden said as he thought for a moment. "I've been affected by the force before, I've been thrown around and I was just hit by force lightning."

Velea nodded. "You are a perfect hybrid, you're able to use the force while still maintaining outsider blood."

"However they cannot coexist at the same time," Velea stated.

"When you truly use your heritage it will cut you off from the force, rendering you unable to use it, but in return you become immune to its effects, even becoming invisible to a force users senses," she explained.

Jaden was having trouble believing it, but he knew Velea would never lie to him. "How do I do it?" He asked.

Velea smiled. "It's your body Jaden, you will know what to do."

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

The sky started to crack and the world starts to fall away around him.

"It's time Jaden..." Velea said with a sad smile.

Jaden looked up at the sky. "Will I ever see you again..." he asked.

Velea grabbed his cheeks in her palms. "We are connected by threads that go beyond our world," she whispered.

"Whether in this life or the next, we will find each other again..."

Jaden and Velea shared one more kiss before the world fell away and Jaden saw her for the last time.

...

Yoda felt his power start to drain away as Darth Nihilus focused his full attention on him. Every moment Darth Nihilus was incarnated he grew stronger, and he'd continue to grow stronger until he reached his original strength. A terrifying level of strength that allowed him to suck planets dry and to hold a starship together with his mind. Yoda continued to push against Nihilus but the latter was able to drain his energy through the stalemate that he'd forced.

He couldn't give up yet however. Not while the Padawans and knights weren't free. He continued to push forward for them, to try and break his hold on them. All while the other masters tried to attack him and kill the Sith Lord.

Darth Nihilus unleashed a Force Maelstrom that erupted from his body in a single violent pulse. The ground split beneath his feet as the shockwave expanded, tearing through the rubble and lifting the very air into a spinning vortex of red lightning and crushing pressure. The storm kept growing bigger, stronger—swallowing stone, metal, and bodies alike.

Jedi were caught mid-step and flung backward. Some were pulled from the ground entirely, dragged screaming into the swirling chaos as the Maelstrom roared outward in all directions. The Force itself felt like it was being pulled apart, bent toward him as if the planet couldn't resist. The force shields that the Jedi Council had engulfed themselves in started to grow dimmer as Nihlus drained them as he layered his force drain ability into the maelstrom.

He was too powerful.

They were all going to die.

Every Jedi was shocked when they saw Jaden appear and pass through the force Maelstrom. Fay who had needed to get away from Jadens body to help save other Jedi was more shocked than everyone else as she had believed he was dead. Aubrie, Zule and Scout all wanted to go towards him and save him but they could barely move as it was.

Jaden took slow steps forward as he walked towards Darth Nihilus, despite not being affected by the force the wind that was whipping about and the debris that was constantly thrashing around made it hard to walk. But he kept on walking and soon he stepped up to the same stone that Nihlus stood on.

The Sith Lord turned to him.

"It's over..." Jaden said as he stood there.

Nihilus tried to crush him with the force but found that he could not. Instead he raised his lightsaber and tried to strike him, but Jaden caught his wrist. Stepping closer towards him Jaden held the lightsaber at bay. A scream tore itself from Darth Nihilus who struggled in his grip; the force scream like everything else had no effect on him.

Yoda who was outside the Maelstrom felt Darth Nihilus release the grip on the Padawans. Wasting no time Yoda yanked them back. "Run now you must!" He shouted at them before falling into his knees, sweat continually beading at his forehead.

Aubrie, Zule and Scout rushed forward but Master Fay held them still in the force before they could get themselves killed. She then looked back to Jaden who was still struggling with the Sith Lord.

'How was he doing that?' She wondered to herself.

Meanwhile inside Jaden continued to struggle against the Sith Lord. Despite not being affected by direct force usage he was still able to be harmed by secondary things, such as the power Darth Nihilus was getting from force rage. If it wasn't for the fact he was in a weakened body Jaden would've been overpowered already.

'Come on! Come on!' Jaden thought. 'Use it!'

And as if by magic Darth Nihilus began to use Force drain on him and while the red arcs of electricity danced across his skin and ran through his body, they did not drain a single bit of life energy. Yet Darth Nihilus didn't stop, for he had no thought, he was only hunger made flesh. He kept on draining and draining despite the hole it was causing.

Jaden held strong but he could already feel his body failing; he couldn't use the force and that meant that the injuries he was holding together were now loose and they were getting worse with every moment.

But suddenly something changed.

The mask kf Nihilus tilted back slightly as the red energy began to twist, shifting in color and intensity. His own power started bleeding back into him, twisting, recoiling, poisoning. The Maelstrom around him faltered for a second as the drain deepened. His body began to shake violently. The fabric of his robes fluttered and snapped in the unnatural wind. His form flickered, solid one moment, hollow the next.

The ground beneath him cracked in wide, jagged lines. The Maelstrom buckled outward, collapsing on itself as his pull began warping gravity, light, and sound. His body started to distort—his limbs stretching and pulsing with waves of energy that weren't contained by flesh. His chest convulsed as invisible pressure fought to implode his form.

Darth Nihilus shuddered violently.

Chunks of armor peeled away from his body, pulled inward toward the void opening in his core. A deep groan echoed from somewhere inside him, as though the galaxy itself were cracking under the strain. The red arcs of lightning no longer lashed out, they snapped inward, spiraling into the black wound in his chest.

And still he drained.

Even as his essence began to fracture.

Even as his form collapsed inward like a dying star.

He couldn't stop.

He didn't know how.

Jaden let go of him and jumped off the boulder they were on. The moment he did an implosion rang out which quickly turned into an explosion, which launched Jaden further tossing him across the ground and slamming through boulders. He rolled a few more times before he hit his head on a rock and his vision turned white.

The Jedi looked in awe as the wind and smoke cleared and they saw that Darth Nihilus was gone, the only thing resting where he stood was his Mask.

Aubrie and the others rushed towards Jaden who was already succumbing to his previous injuries that had only now been worsened. "Jaden just hang on!" Aubrie said as she started to heal him.

Jaden lifted his hand as he tried to reach out for her but his hand collapsed and his vision fell into darkness.

___________________________

When Jaden woke up he immediately felt a large amount of pain coming from everywhere across his body. His vision was blurry and his head was throbbing. He turned around off the bed he was on and he threw up.

Slowly, the haze began to lift. His vision started to sharpen. The outlines of the room came into focus. Cold metal walls. The sound of distant machines. Sterile light above. A medical bay. More importantly it was his medical bay, on the Vengeance.

He was still alive. Somehow.

As he began to take in his surroundings the door opened and he saw a familiar face.

Vaylins eyes widened when she saw him and the puddle of sick that was at the bed. She rushed towards him "Jaden are you okay?!" She asked. "Shall I activate the medical droid?!"

"I've been better, and no it's fine," he replied as he pushed himself up onto the bed.

"Where are we?" Jaden asked.

"We are currently in orbit around Volik, it's been a week since you were brought onto the ship," Vaylin replied as she sat close to him.

Jaden rubbed his head. "Where are the others?" He asked.

"Aubrie and the rest?" Vaylin asked.

Jaden nodded.

"They are asleep currently, would you like me to wake them up," she asked.

Jaden shook his head. "No it's fine let them sleep." He took a deep breath.

"Does that mean that those damn prisoners from the Oberon were transferred over to the Jedi cruiser?" He asked feeling a little relief.

"I'm afraid not," Vaylin said with a sad expression. "After you left they tried to commandeer the ship, me and SD8 stayed in the cockpit and locked it, after that I guess they must've been frustrated as they left the ship..."

"What happened to them after that?" He asked.

"They were killed by some of the wildlife, at least that's what the Jedi concluded when they tracked them down," she said with an expression of genuine sadness.

Jaden looked at Vaylin for a moment. "Are you okay?" He asked. For some reason there was something off about her.

Vaylin easily smiled at him. "I'm absolutely perfect," she replied.

Jaden still felt something was off but he let it go as his mind had drifted to something more important. "Where are my clothes?!" He asked Vaylin urgently.

"The clothes you came in with?" She asked. "They're here," she said as she stood up and went to get them.

Jaden took them from her and began digging through the pockets, relief flooded through him as he found it. The Holocron was there.

"What's that?" Vaylin asked.

Jaden looked at it for a moment.

"It's a promise..."

"One I'm going to keep..."

(AN: So there we go, the end of the arc I hope you guys enjoyed it. Also I know that Darth Nihilus doesn't speak normally he has that weird force speech but I couldn't be arsed for that and so my explanation is that he has a body and can now speak. Anyway next arc we will be delving into Jadens history a bit more as well as Jaden trying to find a way to fix Satele. I think at this point we are gonna go into the clone wars tv show. Or maybe around that point idk I haven't decided. I'm making this all up. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it.)

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