A Farewell to Those You Love, Part II

[Malon]

[soundtrack music]​

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."
— Gates of Hell, Dante's Inferno​

Taryn Briggs got his first real look at Saleucami out of the viewport of the Icarus-class star yacht he was riding within. The planet was a cool, pale sphere against the infinite blackness of space. It almost looked as bare and inhospitable as Tatooine from space, but Taryn had studied the planet long enough to know that the surface was actually quite vibrant in most places. Unfortunately, where he was going, there was no vibrance or life.

Only death was waiting for him there.

He managed to peel his eyes away from the growing planet to glance across the cockpit. Corvo and Shae Vis were at the controls. The cockpit had become almost instantly silent the moment they dropped out of hyperspace, as if the three of them had, at the same time, sensed the darkness they were flying out to meet the moment they entered the planet's orbit. He had barely known the two Jedi a standard week—long enough for them to plan their move and prepare the stolen shuttle they flew now—and already they were making good on their promise.

Saleucami was easily within the Top 10 most dangerous places to be in the galaxy. It was made that way many rotations ago when a Sith calling himself "Malon" chose the planet as his abode. Now, that same Sith was the Emperor of the Sith Empire and the most powerful Sith alive. And they—the three of them—had come here to kill him. Kill him and end it once and for all.

Taryn waited in quiet suspense as the ship veered away from a trajectory that would take the three of them towards a major population center. Instead, based upon the intel Taryn had given to Corvo, it was headed for the equator. There, in the planet's wastelands, was an obsidian tower that could very well be the gates of Hell themselves. They wouldn't land at the tower—no. That was far too risky, even in a stolen ship.

Instead, they would land a short distance away and travel the rest on foot. No matter how impenetrable the Emperor thought his private abode was, there were always gaps and oversights. The hard part, it would seem, was finding and exploiting that oversight.

The ship broke through a cloud of dense volcanic ash and veered towards an equally black plateau a few klicks east of the Emperor's lair. Even there, Taryn didn't need a pair of electrobinoculars to see their destination. The tower rose, like an obsidian dagger, out of the ground in the distance. Next to it was a volcano actively spewing ash and smoke into the atmosphere.

Charming, Kelan, he thought bitterly as he set about preparing to depart the ship.

He turned to Corvo, "There's gotta be a supply hanger or depot somewhere up there where we can slip in. I'd say we could slip in through the plumbing but—" He glanced out the viewport again at the tower "—by the looks of that thing, it probably has lava running through the pipes."

@Phoenix @Sreeya
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[Phoenix]

The instant they dropped out of hyperspace, Corvo felt ill. It had been years since he'd come to this place in person but it had haunted more of his dreams over the years than he could count. He had personally assassinated the governor of the world and it had been the first world he'd unleashed Zanhra upon. It was one of the worlds that he had never wanted to come back to again and seeing it, feeling the lingering impressions of darkness that had been re-amplified by the presence of this dark fortress, was overwhelming.

He blinked once and bit his lip, shoving all of those thoughts back into the dark corners of his mind that produced the monsters that the whole galaxy had come to fear. Instead, he fixated upon the objective at hand as the ship set down away from the fortress. The world felt like he remembered it: dark and with the taint of death that clung to every stone like a disgusting stench. He knew his aura would blend in just fine.

As he stood from his chair his hand brushed along the handle of his short sword that hung at his belt. He'd not taken to using it as often since leaving the Sith as it was a... permanent solution to his problems. Today, though, he didn't care. He was here because he meant business and whoever they met was going to be dealt with decisively. He hated everything about this. He still wasn't convinced this wasn't a trap and to that end, he'd contacted Dak and Chaz to be on standby to get them out and suspected they may have even brought friends.

He looked over at Taryn as he spoke and nodded, following each of his words. Agreed, the supply depot is our best bet. He waited to see if anyone had other statements to make and, if not, would descend down the ramp of their ship and begin making his way toward the facility. The smoke gave them some form of cover against the naked eye and the entire facility looked completely uninviting. Down to their right he could make out a small hangar-like opening where all sorts of people were bustling about.

Our point of entry? @Malon @Sreeya

 

[Sreeya]

Shae felt sick to her stomach. Not only was this a planet of despair and atrocities, but it was very possible they would die here today. Her mind kept wandering back to Ciri. She and Corvo had been on many missions together, and many times they had been in tremendous amounts of danger. Each time she wondered if Ciri would see her parents the next day. Would it all be worth it? As she and Corvo lay on the battlefield, would they feel accomplished with their last thoughts?

The uneasy feeling told her no. She was going into the lion’s den, and she was bringing her other half with her. While Corvo was focused on the task at hand, she couldn’t help but feel the weight of dread. She rested her hand lightly above his, glancing over to give him a look that said a thousand words. It was a look that professed love, declared loyalty till the end, expressed fear, showed despair and everything in between. Her grip on his hand tightened as he eased them towards the facility.

She then looked over at Taryn. The same hint of terror was in his eyes, and his uneasiness was almost tangible. They were truly in this together, and it was too late to look back now. Shae closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, “We’ll come back, Ciri…. We’ll come back…” She muttered the words quietly under her breath.

As they eased into the hangar and came to a stop, Shae reached over to pop her helmet on. The emotions were curbed and she knew it was go time. Saberhilts were fastened at her hips, and she rose to stand, glancing at Taryn, “We’ll need to find a way to blend in. Do you know the way from here? I imagine we won’t have much cover.”

@Malon

 

[Malon]

"It's too bad we don't have any Imperial uniforms," Taryn bit out bitterly. He knew they were ill-prepared, but they had to use this opportunity. "Unless the Emperor himself is in charge of security, we could probably pass for a couple of off-loaders bringing supplies into the tower."

He took the opportunity to glance up at the looming specter of the lair. Despite the obvious heat of their volcanic surroundings, he felt extraordinarily cold. And he knew what that meant. Somewhere up there, perhaps already aware of their presence, Darth Malon was lurking in his abode. They hadn't been sure they would catch him while he was resting at his retreat, but it seemed they were about to have their lucky break.

He was definitely inside of there.

Taryn shook his head for a moment and tried to clear it of the cold. Allowing himself to be hindered by fear now would do none of them any good. The quicker they got in there and did what they had to do, the quicker they could get out and away from this wretched world. And so, stumped for a plan, he looked to Corvo for advice.

"You're the assassin," he said. "If anyone could find us a way in there, it would be you. Once we're in, we can slice a computer panel and download the building's schematics. That'll tell us where to start looking."

He glanced too at Shae. Her anxiety was again apparent through the Force, and her thoughts were easily readable. She was doing little to conceal them and Taryn felt the focus she had on her daughter. He thought about telling her to shield her thoughts—that the Dark Lord could use them against her—but decided against it. Instead, he sent gentle, soothing waves through the Force towards her. They would all need their heads screwed on right if they were to succeed in this mission.

Hell, he thought morbidly. We'll need them screwed on right just to survive.

@Sreeya @Phoenix

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo gave a quick nod and indicated with his head to follow him. Looking at the cargo hangar, he was reminded of one of his first missions, so many years ago. He had infiltrated a smuggler base and killed everyone inside by cutting off their oxygen supply. Something about this hangar reminded him of that, albeit the frozen wasteland of Rhen Var had been replaced with the burning wasteland of Saleucami.

He led the group along the base of a small hill to obscure them from the sight of their enemy. There was no foliage to protect them, but the ashen hills themselves provided cover from most prying eyes. Peering over the ridge he watched for a moment until the dock workers were inside before moving quickly and quietly - in a way that came with years of practice - in order to close the distance of open ground between he and the base of the fortress.

Well, there weren't any alarms blaring yet, so that was a positive. He reached down and gently eased his sword from its sheathe. It had bit into flesh many times before and would taste blood again today he was sure. Giving a quick glance back to make sure the others had kept up with him, he crouched down and made his way around the cornered base of the tower to the loading dock. He reached out with his senses to try to gain an impression of the occupants. From what he'd already seen, he guessed they were Legion troops but given their work here, this particular group lacked the armor and equipment of combatants, though he assumed that wouldn't be true of all the men and women they'd find.

By his estimate, there were four. That was more than he wanted to deal with at once so they would have to either skirt around them or manage to kill them all subsequent to one another. He knew the most likely outcome and it wasn't pretty.

In reality, this felt to him just like the olden days. He was back on Rhen Var - or even his first run at Saleucami - infiltrating and cutting down those he needed to. It was like riding a bike - you never forgot, even if you wanted to.

In fact, he was so used to operating alone and so deep into his old mindset that he nearly forgot he was working with a team now. You're not a solo act anymore, Corvo. He turned back, jerking his thumb toward the corner indicating for them to run inside on his count before raising three fingers and quickly using them to count down. He moved first, letting them follow close in his tracks.

Every one of his motions was one of fluid grace, like a ballet of death as he turned the corner seeing two of the workers side by side. His sword came jabbing down between the man's clavicle and his neck. The Force-forged blade pierced the flesh like a knife through butter, cutting down through the aorta and into the heart. Venator's forward movement didn't stop, though, and he used that momentum to rend the blade free of the man's chest and swing it in an arc across the throat of the other man who had just begun to backpedal. He opened his mouth to scream, but all that came out was a faint gurgling sound as he clutched at his neck, red liquid gushing out all over his clothes and the floor.

He glanced at his handiwork and realized it's heinousness might shock his compatriots and he clenched his jaw as he imagined their disgust at him. It certainly wasn't the typical Jedi means of operation, but they had needed to get inside and this got them there, though the other two men across the dock would need to be dealt with as well lest they find the bodies and raise the alarm. @Malon @Sreeya

 

[Sreeya]

As Taryn sent reassuring feelings through the Force to her, it helped calm her down instantly. She knew she was jeopardizing things. Being a mother had changed her entire world, and a lot of things she simply couldn’t control. She took in a few deep breaths and actively pushed everything aside, clearing her mind for the task at hand.

Shae almost interjected when Taryn asked Corvo to lead the charge, knowing exactly how that would end. Sure enough, as they entered the hangar, he got right to business, transforming into the brutal assassin he had been years ago. No matter which side of the war he was on, he was a cold blooded killer through and through. Shae only hoped Taryn wouldn’t have second thoughts about helping them.

She had no desire to look at Corvo’s handiwork, making her way towards the other two men. They had just perked up to investigate what was going on. By then it was too late, Shae was already on the move. Without drawing her sabers, she clutched both men through the Force. Power channeled through her as she pulled the men into one another, slamming their heads together and knocking them out cold. The three would be long gone by the time they came to.

Shae quickly pulled the outer worker jackets off the men, putting one on herself and tossing the other to Taryn. She turned to Corvo, “Why don’t you grab one of theirs?” She winked at him, pointing to the bloodied and dead men on the ground. Shae fished through their clothing to pull out ID badges and key cards, “These should give us access to a vehicle at least. We’ll probably be able to use it to get to the tower.”

@Malon

 

[Malon]

Taryn had to admit, these two were efficient. He noted the stark differences between how they operated and how the two Jedi he had worked with on Coruscant had operated. The difference was like night and day. Shae's work was more clean and he caught the jacket she tossed to him instinctively. After sliding into it, he turned and saw Corvo's work. The sight gave him gooseflesh and made every hair on his body stand up. He had heard stories about Corvo Vis, but it was another thing entirely to see it up close and personal.

While Shae fished for the workers' IDs and badges, Taryn searched the surroundings. There was a supply ship sitting in the depot hanger. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced over and saw several supply crates scattered about. Slowly, an idea dawned on him and, after ensuring the cost was clear, he sprinted over towards the crates.

After a quick examination, he managed a grin. Each crate had repulsors equipped. Tapping a few buttons on the nearest crate, it immediately floated up, making it easier to transport. "Come on," he said to them. "Let's get these on board. We've gotta act the part."

Pushing his crate onto the nearby supply ship, he sat it down once inside and immediately headed for the cockpit. While the other Jedi loaded their crates onboard, he brought the engines online and began doing a pre-flight check. With any luck, it'd be a short flight. Unfortunately, it also meant they would be in the den of their enemy.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he mumbled to himself.

@Sreeya @Phoenix

 

[Phoenix]

Well, it didn't look like he was going to be getting much of a disguise. Sure, he could put on a jacket but... they were covered in blood and his lovely wife was going to make sure that he felt bad about it. He rolled his eyes and instead of sliding into the most conspicuous "disguise" ever, he pushed one of the boxes into the transport, and climbed inside, putting it at the back, behind all of the other crates.

And you get relegated to a box... lovely. Perhaps there'd be a uniform later that he could apprehend from someone in a way that would be less bloody. Until then, it was the box for them. The box was dark. And somewhat dank. And cramped. It really just wasn't Corvo's best travel experience as they zipped off to meet their doom.

The same apprehension that Taryn felt, Corvo picked up on as well. They were flying directly into the lion's den in the heart of Sith space with only a few people. Great life decisions. And he was in a box.

For now, though, they were undiscovered. The ship ride was short and got them into the facility forthwith. At the entrance to the hangar where they would unload their "supplies" they were stopped by a stormtrooper that served as the quartermaster.

I'm going to need to see your IDs and your passes for unloading in this area. What are you bringing in today? The trooper's voice sounded somewhat monotonous. Despite guarding the Emperor's estate, he didn't manage to see too much "action" here on Saleucami since it had been annexed. He had no idea what was coming for him today. @Sreeya @Malon

 

[Sreeya]

Shae followed suit, rolling a crate onto the transport. She cast a sideways glance to see what Corvo was doing and almost fell over from laughter. She barely caught the sight of him climbing into a box, forever etched into her memory. Her face was red from trying not to laugh and she had to fight to keep it together as she made her way to sit next to Taryn.

She felt apprehensive about their arrival into the tower, her hands fidgeting. Shae had to remember to calm her mind, breathing in and out slowly. Admittedly, the image of her fierce husband cooped up in a crate was enough to lighten the mood. There were few words shared during the trip, each person there feeling the weight of dread on their shoulders.

As they pulled into the hangar and came out of the ship, they were immediately approached by a stormtrooper. As he asked a question, Shae moved her hand up as if to put a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the last two digits of her hand raising as she manipulated the Force. She dipped into the man’s mind for just a moment, making eye contact with him, “We are bringing very important supplies for Lord Malon. We need to get to him immediately.”

“Important…supplies… Malon….immediately,” The man repeated back before nodding, “Follow me,” He turned and began to walk. Shae quickly turned to Taryn, gesturing him to roll out the crate with Corvo in it. They had to play it cool as they walked past other troopers walking around in the hangar. So far no one cast them a second glance, but she doubted they would manage the entire way without incident.


@Phoenix @Malon

 

[Malon]

Taryn barely noticed the antics of his compatriots. He was too focused on flying the shuttle towards the hulking tower ahead of them. His thoughts were inward, where a Jedi's should never be, on memories of his past—on the person he used to be. On the person the man who owned the tower looming ahead used to be.

The moment their ship touched down in the hanger he fell into the persona of an Imperial pilot. While Shae moved to deal with the incoming stormtrooper, he activated the repulsor on the crate containing Corvo and pushed it down the loading ramp into the hanger. He made no move to acknowledge the trooper. Through the Force, he could sense Shae's subtle manipulation of his mind, but he had to keep up the act for anyone else who might be watching.

He deposited Corvo's crate alongside several others in the hanger and deactivated the repulsor—knocking gently on the crate's side to let Corvo know they were in. He then proceeded to the nearest wall terminal. Though it would appear he was simply checking his cargo in, he was really using the terminal to access the tower's floor layout and schematics, which he could access thanks to the security code cylinder in the uniform Shae had given to him. He downloaded the data into his datapad and immediately made his way over to Shae.

"Here," he whispered, handing her the pad. "This should tell us where we need to go. Looks like the stuff we're interested in is up in the main spire."

In his mind, it was simple. They would find Malon's lair and ambush him there. He would die; the galaxy would live. But, in Taryn's heart, he knew apart of himself would die here too...

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo had certainly not taken the scenic route in. In fact, as he was being pushed around inside his box, he didn't actually know where he was being taken, though he assumed he was being pushed by one of his partners. In light of having no eyes, he reached out with his senses to try to determine the surroundings. Footsteps, voices, impressions, and auras came to him from all over the building.

The people of this tower were on edge. The Emperor had nearly been killed and being this close to him made them nervous. The facility was filled with personnel of all types and there would no doubt be need to sneak past them as time went on but for now the group remained concealed.

As the knock came on the side of the crate Corvo did one final "sweep" to ensure it was more or less clear to exit before gently lifting the lid and peering out. The storage room seemed to be empty which made it safe for him to exit. He crept out of the box and over to Taryn's side. He was tense and his heart was pounding as he watched the door and waited for the schematics to download and transfer to his datapad as well.

Taking cover behind a crate in case anyone walked in, Corvo quickly scrolled through the layout. Getting to the elevator would be the comparably easy part, it was getting to the top floors that would be difficult. First things first, Corvo. Get to the lift.

To that end, he glanced through the layout of the building. The lift was in the center, of course, which would make it hard to get to but not impossible. He motioned with his head and added follow me.

He moved deeper into the storage room - sword in hand, though he was hoping not to use it - entered another doorway and went to the opposite wall.

There should be another storage room on the other side of this wall that'll put us one wall away from the lift. Then we just have to figure out how to get up. Corvo paused, letting one of them cut through it or come up with some other means of traveling through (he'd even seen a Jedi phase through a wall once, no lie) since there was no door.

That line of thought was quickly interrupted by the hiss of an opening door and a surprised looking dock worker. Hey, who are you? he asked, reaching for the comm clipped to his belt. @Sreeya @Malon

 

[Sreeya]

Shae followed Corvo as soon as the coast was seemingly clear. They were in the tower now, and suddenly it felt painfully real. They were surrounded on all fronts and it was too late to turn back now. She glanced over to see how Taryn was doing, knowing that this had extra weight on him than either her or Corvo.

She grimaced as they hit the wall, taking a peek at the schematics. Shae began to plot out alternative routes to get to the other side, spotting an exit, “Here, this door-“ There was a hiss as the exact door she pointed to opened and a dock worker stepped in. Ignoring his words, her eyes darted directly to the comm.

Shae called the Force to herself before he could act, swiftly yanking the comm and tossing it aside. The man was spooked right away, but he did something that could jeopardize the entire operation: he turned to run in the opposite direction. “No!” Shae gasped as she darted towards him, attempting to yank him back. A tug of the Force tripped him, but he was already screaming for help. They had been taken completely off guard and had to shut him up quick.

As Shae ran closer to the man, she could see the hall beyond him. There were workers walking across, one of them pausing abruptly. He had heard the noise but didn’t look directly just yet. Shae knew they were in trouble. Not only did they have to make it past this man, but he had effectively alerted others to walk down the same hall.

@Malon @Phoenix

 

[Malon]

To his credit, Taryn was quick on his feet. Years in the Republic Navy had made many of his actions instinctual—behavior that had only been strengthened during his brief Jedi training. The moment Shae tripped the scrambling worker, Taryn summoned the Force and applied it to the door, which swished shut. Then he was running — running until he was within range, at which point he kicked the worker as hard as he could in the back of the head. The worker fell lax, out cold, but Taryn didn't stop there.

In the next instant, he was at the door, using the panel to seal it shut. One path was now closed to them; they would have to find another.

"I jammed the door," he hissed hurriedly. "That should keep anyone who heard him occupied for a couple moments. We need to be gone by the time they call for reinforcements." He glanced back at the door. "Certainly before they un-jam the door."

Even as he finished saying that, he fished his lightsaber from within his stolen uniform. Corvo had said there was a storage room on the other side of the wall, and since the hallway was out of the question—

A brilliant blade of jade fire spat from the end of Taryn's lightsaber. He hoped the workers on the other end of the door were too occupied with their problem to hear its low hum. Regardless, he moved towards the wall and plunged his blade into it—beginning the process of cutting a hole big enough for the three of them to slip through. As he cut, he turned his head back over his shoulders.

"Cover me," he said. "This wall is thick. It'll take a moment to create a path."

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Phoenix]

As Taryn plunged his blade into the wall and asked for cover, Corvo's head swiveled back to the door to see if there was any need for cover but no one had made it inside yet. Instead, he decided to be a bit more helpful and plunge his saber into the wall at the other side of a circle and carve through to Taryn's more quickly.

After a few moments, the metal in the wall fell away, revealing another storage unit and beyond, an elevator up. The room was empty and Corvo let out a quiet sigh of relief. Now, of course, came the difficult part. They had to find a way to move this elevator up. Corvo had a couple ideas but one of them certainly wasn't his first choice.

He cut into the wall that held the elevator shaft beyond, allowing them to get to the top of the lift and down into the main chamber if necessary. Do either of you have... slicing or security bypass skills? Corvo's expertise in the area was a bit lacking but if they needed to, they could use all three of their strength in the Force to lift it to the top. That was not ideal but if they couldn't override the main controls and get it moving manually, it might be their only option. After all, people couldn't just waltz into the Emperor's personal meditation chamber whenever they wanted.

If none of us know how to bypass the security locks, we're going to have to find another way up.

 

[Sreeya]

Shae heaved a sigh of relief as Taryn was quick on the uptake to shut the door. She offered him a smile, “Are you sure you don’t want to remain Jedi? We would definitely benefit from having you around,” She knew at least one worker saw what happened, but he had also been distracted. Shae gazed at the door for a a few seconds, expecting it to be slammed on at any moment.

When that didn’t happen, she joined the others, activating her saber so the wall was cut in almost no time. As they pushed through and came across the elevator, she grimaced at the thought of slicing, “I’ve….done it before,” She shrugged helplessly at Corvo if he looked at her. As far as he knew, she never possessed any skills like this.

This was crunch time and she had no time to explain, walking over to the nearest console to work on it. However, before she could even make a move, there was a huge message displaying about the floor being under lockdown, “Shit!” Shae turned to the others, “We’re not moving at all with consoles. This floor’s locked down. We’ll have to find another way up…”

@Malon @Phoenix

 

[Malon]

Taryn sighed as yet again their plans were met with a wall of duracrete. He had no sooner than tucked his lightsaber back into his stolen uniform than Shae's attempts to hack the turbolift's control panel failed. Retrieving the weapon again, its shimmering emerald blade appeared with a snap-hiss and he immediately began cutting a hole in the top of the lift.

"If the floor's on lock down—" he grunted as he finished cutting the hole, then moved to the side as the panel fell away. "—then we've lost the element of surprise. We need to get gone before trouble gets here."

Without another word, he summoned the Force and leaped through the opening he had created onto the top of the lift car. The turbolift shaft was long and cavernous; Taryn certainly couldn't make out the top, but he could feel the evil presence they were searching for, and to reach it... they would have to climb.

If we survive this, he thought bitterly, I'm taking Shae up on her offer. This is Jedi business.

Shutting down his lightsaber, he clipped the weapon to his belt. There was no longer a point to hiding it. If they were discovered, they would be attacked without warning, and he would need the blade to keep himself — and his valiant compatriots — alive.

Reaching for the nearest foothold, Taryn began the irksome task of climbing the turbolift shaft. He prayed no one would call it to a higher floor as they climbed, or else they would soon be a lot thinner and weight much less. Once he was several reaches into the climb, he turned his head over his shoulder and looked down below at Corvo and Shae. Despite the abysmal conditions the trio found themselves in, Taryn managed to flash them a wicked grin.

"What? They don't teach rock-climbing in Jedi school anymore?"

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Phoenix]

The question about security locks was primarily directed at Taryn but his eyes went wide when he heard Shae mention that she knew how to work them. She had never told him that before, which was funny, but hey, if it worked, it worked.

She went to work on it but after a moment, everything locked down. He wasn't overly excited about free climbing it, but he figured he could probably do it. As Taryn looked back down with a smirk talking about "Jedi school" Corvo smirked back. Well, they did in Sith school. When I was younger, I free climbed all the time to get a height advantage. Now... I'm getting older.

Even in his "getting old" state, Corvo was still an adept climber. He had no trouble keeping up with Taryn as they made their way up, but the tower was quite tall and the last thing they needed was to lose their grip and fall to their deaths down that shaft. As they came to another lift door about halfway up, Corvo spoke up.

Think we should pull off here? Hold up for a minute and then continue? he asked. The question was not a moment too soon, either. In the distance, Corvo could see the elevator beginning to rise. He couldn't decide if they should try to jump on and ride to the top or wait for it to pass, though he was more inclined to the former.

 

[Sreeya]

Shae’s worst nightmares came true. She had been in countless battles, had slayed the last Sith Emperor. But one thing that was always consistent about her –Poor physical fitness. One of the first times she ever met her now husband, she had been huffing and puffing while they ran from authorities. She had sat down on top of a roof and had to lie down to catch her breath while he glared at her with brutal judgment. This time, she was once again facing one of her biggest foes.

As the other two began to climb and even have energy to make quips, Shae fell far behind. She struggled to haul herself up, half out of bad physical shape, mostly out of fear of heights, “So um…I suppose now is a bad time to discover I’m claustrophobic,” She attempted not to look down and felt queasy at the cramped space. She glared at the other two. Were all Jedi always so good at everything? She had never seen Corvo trip or fall, while she managed to consistently fall up the stairs or run into the same edge every single time. How the hell did virtually everyone else in the galaxy carry themselves so gracefully?

Shae was several feet below as they made conversation like complete weirdos. How they weren’t huffing and puffing was beyond her. She almost slipped a few times and grimaced, glancing down as she saw the elevator beginning to come up. Shae couldn’t hear what conversations were going on up above, but she made up her mind, “Kriff this, I’m too out of shape to keep climbing.”

With that, she released her hold on the cables, using the Force to cushion her fall. She landed on top of the elevator in a crouched position. Shae glanced up at the others, hoping they planned to join her in her idiotic plans, “Look out!”

@Malon @Phoenix

 

[Malon]

Taryn was planning to join Corvo. After all, the floor he had stopped on was likely a good place to catch his breath. Plus, if the lift was rising, that meant there was someone in it. But all of that forethought was blasted away when Shae let go and used the Force to bring herself onto the roof of the car.

"Oh, for the love of the Force," Taryn bit out as he too let go and followed her lead.

He landed a bit more gracefully, but there was no time to think about that. Glancing through the hole he had cut in the top of the car earlier, he saw that there was indeed someone inside. Someone robed, but not particularly strong in the Force.

A Sith cultist, perhaps, he thought.

A moment later, his lightsaber was out and on, and he descended into the car again with a leap. The hooded man didn't even see him coming before he was cleaved in two. Taryn's lightsaber winked out of existence as the man's lifeless corpse crumpled to the floor of the car. He glanced at the car's controls; it was set for the topmost chamber.

"Shae, Corvo," he called above the roar of the still-moving turbolift. "I hope you're ready for this..."

* * *​

With a hiss, the helmet of the Emperor's armor sealed around his head.

He was in his meditation chamber at the highest point of his tower: a place he was growing less and less fond of every day. Each time he came here, he was reminded of the blast that had ruined his physical form. Reminded that the legs that moved him weren't truly his legs—rather, they were machines built to replace them.

The rest of him had been damaged in that deadly bombing too. Shrapnel had bit at his skin, punctured his lungs, and slashed arteries. Everything hurt, but pain made him stronger. So did the anger that accompanied it. It was in this deep, dark meditation that he was interupted by the feeling of someone outside his chamber. With another hiss, the door to the chamber opened, and robed servant made his way inside.

"A thousand apologizes, my lord," the servant said, bowing. "There has been a breach in security. The lower levels of this tower have been shut down, but, I suspect the ones responsible are now elsewhere in the tower."

Underneath his mask, Malon's eyes opened and he stretched out with the Force. Yes, the disturbance was there. Death was in the Force; the death of his servants. Unfamiliar presences were close by—two of them. And one... One that was familiar.

"Shall I summon your apprentice?"

The Emperor's response was instantaneous: "No. I will deal with this myself. Go and use my personal turbolift to vacate this floor, and prepare the holding cells in the cellar."

The servant bowed. "As my lord decrees."

As soon as the cloaked cultist was gone, Malon rose from his meditation chamber, black cape billowing behind him, and moved towards his personal chambers—where the public turbolift would deposit the intruders.

"Now," he said to himself as he walked, "let's see who you've brought with you to destroy me, Taryn."

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Phoenix]

The decision seemed as if it had been made for them. Shae dropped to the top of the lift and Corvo followed suit, hitting the top of the lift as the Force slowed him down. While Taryn dealt with the unsuspecting occupant, Corvo dropped in behind him and glanced at the control panel. They were headed to the top and Corvo could feel himself tense. It was bad enough that they were sneaking through the Emperor's personal fortress, now they were about to meet the man himself. Again.

The last time the two had met he had just become a Sith Lord and he was a whole man. Corvo had robbed him of some of his body but at the same time, he'd risen to surpass his master and her master beyond that. He was the leader of the enemy and Corvo was here to eliminate him.

As they rose, his hands grasped both of his saber hilts and prepared them, glancing around to look at the other two and make sure they were ready. He centered himself in the Force and gathered his energies, doing his best to keep the darkness from breaking forth.

As the lift came to a stop, his eyes narrowed and his heart skipped a beat, knowing what was coming soon. The lift itself was potentially a killzone so he was ready to move since the last thing he wanted to do was be stuck in a crossfire. His senses were alert and the feel of darkness was intoxicating. There was a powerful presence that was unmistakable. As the doors slid open they were confronted with a dark figure, a set of armor that he recognized, though it was slightly altered now. There was no doubt that this was Darth Malon, Sith Emperor.