A Farewell to Those You Love, Part II

[Sreeya]

Shae knew Taryn and Corvo were both annoyed with her rash decision. However, it was either this or taking a year to climb up. Privately she thought about how easy it was for them. 'Try going through pushing out a kid in the middle of a temple under attack, why don’t you?' With a glare, she dropped down into the turbolift with the others.

Taryn had already taken care of the figure inside, and her heart almost stopped as she realized what was coming next. She pressed herself against the back of the elevator, feeling uneasiness come over her. The ride up to the top floor seemed to take an eternity, and every second was torture. She looked at Corvo, tense with both sabers in hand, and then she looked at Taryn. Taryn was going to face his former lover, a man he once trusted that now became a complete monster.

Her thoughts went to Ciri, wondering if she would see the little girl again. Shae glanced at Corvo, wondering if thoughts of his family went through his mind. He was usually very binary when it came to on or off the battlefield. Before Shae could vocalize anything, the doors opened before them.

She spotted the figure right away, and she almost wanted to frantically press the button to go back down. Suddenly, there was a chill all around them, goosebumps lining her skin. Shae’s heart began to pound, and she saw the face of terror. She heard the breathing, the same haunting sound she heard on the Holonet address.

She knew they had just walked in on judgment day.

 

[Malon]

The looming figure of the Emperor stood at the far end of the chamber as the turbolift hissed open. In an instant, crimson fire spat from his right fist and extended into a blade the color of blood, which he then held aloft.

"Welcome," Malon said in a mechanical bass. "I've been expecting you."

The dark figure stepped forward. He kept his pace casual. There was an unnerving fearlessness to his stride. The Shadow was devoid of fear, even as he grew close enough to discern his visitors. He had been right. One of them was Taryn Briggs, virtually unchanged since that fateful moment on Coruscant. The other two were Shae and Corvo Vis. His enemies — which he had thought he would have to hunt — had delivered themselves into his home, as if gifting him with their murders.

Taryn, in the meantime, was beside himself for the second time in a standard year. He could now feel Malon fully through his newfound connection to the Force. The cold. The hate. The anger. The Jedi fledgling had never had a chance to truly feel the dark side through the Force. He had sensed its imprint when Tython was destroyed, and, before that, in the catacombs on Jedha. But this... Nothing compared to it.

Nothing even came close.

In many religions throughout the galaxy, it is espoused that one has control over a thing (or a person) if one knows its true name. Taryn didn't know if the Jedi subscribed to such a view, but he felt a certain authority as he stepped up, passed Shae and Corvo, and faced the man who had once been Kelan Nomar long ago and said, "This is it, Kelan. We've come to end this madness once and for all."

His hand instinctively traveled to his belt, where he unfastened his lightsaber and ignited it. Green contrasted the red in his former lover's hand and skewed the room in opposing hues; and, for a long moment, Darth Malon was silent, his mask hiding whatever reaction had taken place the moment the blade had ignited.

Then: "So be it. Let it end."

[Mood music]​

The Emperor was deceptively fast despite his hulking armor. Taryn barely had enough time to raise his blade to block the dark figure's powerful downward slash. Resisting it was even harder. Kelan was strong. Physically strong, as if his body had absorbed his strength with the Force and magnified his physical presence to match it. Whatever the case, Taryn now knew he was no longer facing the scrawny boy he had known on Taris. This Sith Lord was a machine built to kill.

Slash

Parry. Slash. Stab. Parry.

Their blades danced and Taryn was taken back to places in his past that he had buried. Images he had refused to entertain even when he recounted his story to Shae. It was almost as if the Force was showing him all the moments leading up to this. All the moments where he failed to stop the transformation into the monstrosity that was now fighting to kill him.

The Shadow, in the meantime, conserved his strength by remaining on the defense. Though he was dueling Taryn now, he knew Corvo and Shae wouldn't just hang back. Perhaps they did so now to size him up; he did not know. But the second they entered the fray, he wanted to be prepared—not caught off guard. And so his mind and senses remained stretched out, probing the room for danger. Taryn was right about one thing: this was the end of "madness."

Finally, the Emperor was done entertaining his former love interest. Taryn stabbed forward with his weapon and Malon merely stepped aside, catching the younger man's wrists and lifting him up off the ground. His grip was tight enough that Taryn lost his own on his lightsaber—its green blade winked out and clattered uselessly to the floor. Malon knew he only had a split second before Corvo and Shae attempted to help their friend, so he made a knee jerk reaction: he tossed Taryn.

Hard.

The younger man hit the durasteel floor and went rolling into the side of the Emperor's desk some distance away, face first. If he wasn't knocked out, he would certainly be dazed and weaponless. The black mask turned towards the Jedi couple that held the galaxy's attention.

At long last, the stage was set and the bleachers stacked. He angled his blade to intercept whatever attack they might try on him. One-handed, in case there was need to use the Force. At that same moment, he released his pent up Force energy, allowing the room to fill with the coldness of his very presence.

"Hello, Corvo — Shae," a dark voice barked out from behind the helmet. "Come. Make this a duel worthy of your deaths."

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Phoenix]

As both of Corvo's arms hung at his sides, his fingers moved ever so slightly and the blades of plasma shot out of both hilts. Behind the mask his face fell into complete neutrality. It is often said that the eyes are the window to the soul but in that moment Corvo's eyes were empty. No pity, empathy, or joy, there was nothing but singleminded focus. He watched every movement that the Emperor made, taking in the feeling of his presence, his power, and dissecting any potential weakness he could find.

As Taryn moved to attack, Corvo counted off in his head as he waited. One... two... three... While he knew that every second that their ally fought alone was a danger to the former-Jedi, every second that he could observe his opponent's combat ability was a massive tactical advantage. His movements were strong and powerful. He used his armor to work with his attacks rather than fighting it and despite the encumbering armor, he seemed to be relatively mobile.

As the tides turned against Taryn that alone was an indicator that perhaps Corvo had tarried too long. In an instant, he lunged forward toward his opponent, even as the man spoke. As he did, there was no mistaking the shift in the Force. It was as if the warmth of his blood had been stolen away and everything outside became like the swirling vortex inside that Corvo had kept caged up.

The energies he'd been building were pulsing around him prepared to deflect off any incoming attacks from his opponent or to be rapidly redirected into an attack of his own. As he came to within range, he swung down with both sabers from his own right shoulder to left hip. The Force was guiding every movement and - in some warped way that was ingrained from his years as a Sith - he relished the chaos, fluidity, and rhythm of the battle.

I've heard it all before. The words were reminiscent of those he'd said to the very same man back on Coruscant during their first battle. He'd faced - and once been - the worst the Empire had to offer and though he had the scars to remember it all by, he'd survived.

 

[Malon]

Malon stepped to the side and held out his own lightsaber, catching both of Corvo's blades along the length of his own, and sending a shower of sparks across the darkened floor. He briefly considered the Force energies that built around Corvo, but chose to disregard them. They did not concern him; the unbridled power of the dark side was more than a match for Corvo's facsimile. Likewise, his physical strength was ample enough to hold Corvo in the blade-lock.

"Good," the Creature said from beneath his mask. "I sense you remember what true power tastes like. But you hide from it. You fear what unleashing it fully would do to you—to your wife, to your child. Such attachments are weaknesses. Chains. You know the words. You lived them once: 'through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.'"

The Dark Lord broke their blade-lock. He immediately positioned his blade between them at an angle, leaving as few openings in his poise and form as possible. Should Corvo choose to unleash the fountain of darkness begging to be freed from within him, the Emperor could not risk presenting the Sith-turned-Jedi an opening by which to exploit. But there was more, as Malon prepared for another attack from Corvo, he reached out with the Force — shaping its energies, mentally, into a spear — and stabbed out at Corvo's mind.

"Let us see if we cannot find some of that old darkness," the Emperor taunted. "And then, together, we'll bring it to the surface."

Of course, Malon knew that finding Corvo's darkness would hardly be a challenge. It wasn't concealed. The Jedi had practically already dived into the dark side's malevolent energies. Just a subtle push would bring Darth Venator, Dark Lord of the Sith, roaring back to the surface. Whatever Jedi image Corvo had worked on producing was quickly crumbling like ash; but all was well, no matter the result. Corvo would be forced to defend his mind, which would take his focus away from the duel. After all, he could hardly protect Shae, Taryn, his mind, and himself.

Not even the most powerful Sith Lords could accomplish that.

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Phoenix]

Theme​

Corvo measured every block and strike from the Emperor, weighing his strength both physical and meta-physical as their blade lock came to a close. The other man's words fell on deaf ears, though, as Corvo leapt backwards and momentarily out of blade's reach. Whatever darkness Corvo was keeping below the surface wasn't particularly hidden. In fact, it had been a source of contention with other Jedi because he harnessed something dangerous for positive ends. It seemed to be the story of his life.

Even more abruptly than their fight had started, Corvo felt his mind explode. It was an all too familiar feeling and one he had never enjoyed. His mind was his own sanctuary and one that others were most certainly not invited into. Having been Dark Lord for years, though, he was no stranger to mental assaults and attempted possessions by Sith spirits. Such was the nature of communing with them and part of the reason he'd never enjoyed it. He was only caught off guard by the abruptness of it all and for a moment, Malon's spearhead would catch a glimpse of that darkness he was looking for.

Locked away and buried at the deepest corners of Corvo's mind was the Dark Lady. She'd been all but banished from his mind, but even so tiny pieces remained. In fractions of a second, the cave seemed to come back to his mind. Unparalleled power washed over him and a glint of pure rage erupted as yellow eyes flashed across his mind. Were it anyone but the Emperor himself they would have seen nothing, and even with his power it was only a slight glimpse before his mind was locked down like a prison gate. But he'd seen it. While the memories dissipated, the rage that they produced remained.

Darth Venator was uncaged.​

His eyes snapped to the Emperor as the energies of the Force channeled through both of his hands. A kinetic blast mixed with tendrils of blue lightning leapt outward to slam into the Emperor and send him flying back to the wall, pure disgust fueling his attempt to char the Sith Emperor where he stood.

He knew he was a match for the Sith Lord and vice versa, and while he knew the reasons for what the Emperor did, he still knew it was foolish of the other man. He'd sought the monster that actually had the potential to destroy all of them, and for what? The perpetuation of darkness? No, it was a path to greater for himself power that he sought; a powerful guide from days gone by that he wanted to find. What a worthless prize to the dead.

 

[Malon]

As the chaos of the exchange unfolded, Taryn groggily picked himself up off the ground. He was only vaguely aware of what was going on just a few feet away from him. His head hurt from the impact caused by Kelan's throw and, as he became more conscious, he also noticed that there was blood trickling from his forehead. He hissed as the injury caused a fresh jab of pain to stab at his head. Soon, the Force reoriented his senses and he could feel the cold, dark presence of Kelan—

—and then was buffeted from a second, equally cold, wave of darkness. His head snapped up and suddenly he wished that the Emperor's attack had killed him. Corvo Vis was the source of the second wave of darkness—but the man standing in Corvo's skin wasn't really Corvo. Not anymore. Taryn could sense the similarities between the two, just as he could also sense that this new man, this man of darkness, was something else entirely. And then a ghostly voice — perhaps belonging to the Force itself — whispered the man's deadly truth.

Darth Venator...

"Corvo..." he breathed. His gaze shifted to Shae, who seemed frozen in her spot near the entrance to the turbolift. Her expression was unreadable, as was her heart.

It was then that Taryn realized his mistake. It was his fault. Corvo and Shae had both warned him, but he didn't want to believe them. He wanted to think that everything was going to be okay; that, together, they would bring an end to this menace to the galaxy. Instead, he found himself in a blood-match: a battle of revenge between two Sith, rather than a Sith Lord and a redeemed Jedi Master. He wondered, briefly, if Shae might follow suit and allow her inner darkness out to take a crack at the Emperor — if he would be the only "Jedi" left in the room.

And he made his decision in that moment. Clenching his eyes shut, Taryn ignored the pain throbbing in his head and shouted, "Fight it, Corvo! If you go over — back over — to the dark side, only he wins! Only him..."

Meanwhile, Malon was, for the first time, faced with a truly dangerous foe. No one else compared. Not Darth Cain. Not Darth Vanus. No one. Darth Venator was the ultimate opponent, and Malon was determined to prove that even he was no match for the full power of the Emperor. As Corvo unleashed his electrical blast, the Emperor dropped his restraints and fell fully into the ink-black river of cold dark side power. He answered Corvo's offensive with a blast of his own—one that seemed to dim what artificial light lit the dark chamber as it traveled outward from his being.

The collision of the two blasts was explosive; as both canceled each other out, the resulting shockwave caused Malon's black cape to flutter violently, and also cracked the surrounding durasteel floor. The nearby walls also cracked and distorted, and a pair of nearby transparisteel windows (the only ones in the room) shattered, sending shards showering across the floor. In that instant, a series of images flashed through Malon's mind; in them, he saw a cave on Moraband... and a spirit of unfathomable power.

"I see," the Emperor's voice remained calm, despite the sudden upgrade of danger. "So she is the source of your dark power. Now — you die."

The Emperor held up his free, left, gloved hand. In his right, his lightsaber remained angled and ready to strike. But the left unleashed what could only be described as a storm of lightning. So much dark, electrical power was unleashed that the room was temporarily filled with light as seemingly hundreds of bolts of electricity were unleashed from the hand of the Dark Lord. Such a torrent of lightning had no hope of being deflected back to its source, leaving Corvo with limited options for dealing with it — and dodging it would also be out of the question, as Shae was the next target it would strike if he moved out of the way.

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Sreeya]

Shae had been behind the others as they burst in. In truth, she had lost her courage then. Her thoughts went right to everything that was at stake, everything that was in jeopardy. She thought about her daughter. She saw Corvo burst in, saw the Emperor address him. Who would be left for Ciri? She realized at that moment that perhaps she didn’t deserve to be a General, perhaps she didn’t have it in her to be Jedi at all. She was broken, weak and crushed under the weight of self doubt.

She saw Taryn get cast aside like a rag doll and still was rooted in place. There was darkness in the room, tantalizing and intoxicating. It beckoned and called to her, seduced her mind and thoughts, poisoned her psyche. She was drowning in it, tendrils of it going into her nose, mouth and ears like toxic gas. Through it all, she saw Corvo face off against the emperor, everything moving as if she were in a different plane of existence.

And that was when she felt it.

She was back in the cave all over again, back when she felt that icy chill and power that almost took a choking hold of her. It was crushing, and it came not from Malon, but from Corvo. Her heart almost stopped at the realization, “No…” she gasped the words, the haunting face of the dark lady surfacing in her mind as if it were only yesterday. Shae knew she couldn’t focus on that now.

Finally picking up her feet, she darted into the room, right past Corvo- no, Venator and Malon. She went right for Taryn, crouching down next to him as he was coming to. There was panic in her voice, her eyes wide with terror, “You need to get out of here, now! I told you you shouldn’t have gotten involved! Please go before this destroys you!” If he looked, he would notice that there were flecks of gold in her eyes, more prominent now than ever. She hastily worked to help him up to his feet before standing in front of him, saber drawn. Shae nodded at Taryn to find a way out, turning her attention to Malon.

As she looked towards Corvo, she saw a man she couldn’t recognize. With horror, she realized his eyes were entirely gold now, the same animalistic eyes of the demonic woman in the cave. His face looked different, more gaunt as if life were being sucked out of him right then and there. Shae looked down to notice that her saber was quivering in her hand, fear gripping her, “Corvo…come back Corvo….” It was hopeless, even Malon recognized it as he referenced the dark lady.

The room grew chilly, their breaths becoming wisps of frosty air. There was darkness that made the hairs on the back of necks stand. Without warning, there was a shrill, high pitched laughter that would resound within their minds. It was a woman’s voice, and with it came goosebumps and the unmistakable feeling of dread. Shae had to fight back the urge to vomit, “I….can’t let this happen…”

As the laughter echoed within their minds and the darkness grew almost suffocating, Shae dashed forth with her saber, right at Malon from behind. She swung her saber horizontally, aiming to cleave him in half right as he fired the blast of lightning at Corvo. As she moved, with a sinking feeling she wondered if Corvo was still there somewhere or if he was finally lost and Venator had prevailed.

@Phoenix @Malon

 

[Phoenix]

The voices of his allies seemed so distant in his mind, as if they were in a completely separate room. He was vaguely aware of Taryn's voice calling out to him, shouting for him to fight but at this point, he was far more focused on fighting the monster in front of him than the monster within. If he had to destroy himself to save others that was worth it. The danger he knew he skirted along, though, was that he wouldn't just destroy himself but become the very thing he was so bent on destroying.

For all his self-control and determination, Corvo was, for the second time in his life, on the brink of plunging over the precipice of darkness. It was an edge that once crossed, he knew he would never be able to come back from, and one that he had last time only narrowly managed to escape from because of Shae. She had always been his anchor, keeping him grounded in his humanity. In stark contrast to the cold nothingness that was Venator, a warm and sweet noise pierced through to his mind.

“Corvo…come back Corvo….”​

There was no single individual in the galaxy that held sway over him the way that she did and were it not for the pleading in her voice, he may well have been lost forever. He realized that he threatened to destroy not only himself and the Emperor but those he cared about most. There were those in the Jedi that cursed over-attachment as being dangerous and misleading, but were it not for "over-attachment" Corvo no doubt would have lost himself long ago.

Almost as if rousing from a petit mal, Corvo blinked. His eyes were yellow and bloodshot, blood vessels were visible just under his skin, and his mind seemed split as to his next course, but the beast was no longer in control. At least not completely.

He could hear that accursed cackling as if it surrounded the entire room and even as it rang out, he felt the call back to darkness. The voice whispered in his ear for him to end the Emperor. To take the plunge, fully embrace the darkness, and reclaim his throne and title. But looking past the Emperor, he saw Shae. Her eyes glowed with the same golden hues as his own but she was still there with him to the end. For a moment, his mind stole away to think of Ciri and what would happen to his little angel if both of her parents were destroyed bringing down the Emperor and with that he knew that they needed to get out. Today, the cost of destroying the Emperor was too great.

Come back and bring no one with you. Destroy him and yourself but take no one else along. He wasn't sure where the thought came from. It wasn't Venator and it certainly wasn't the Dark Lady. In fact, he thought it may even have come from himself. It was self-sacrificial in the truest sense which wasn't something you'd find in the Sith.

In an instant, Corvo's offense turned to defense and a wall of pure energy flew up against the attack. The lightning smashed into it, driving Corvo's boots backward along the ground as he held up under the barrage, completely unwilling to let go. He'd lost enough people in his life that he was not going to let his friends or family be destroyed by this monster.

No doubt such an attack would tax the Emperor as well and as Shae's attack drew his attention away, Corvo was finally able to drop his defenses and realized that he had little left to give to a counter attack. His muscles were quivering, his mind was torn, and it was all he could do to keep his own darkness at bay. His breathing was shallow and rapid but everything in him reeled against the idea of retreat. His saber snapped back to life as he prepared to return to the fray, fairly certain someone was going to have to nearly drag him out of here.

 

[Malon]

Meanwhile, Malon found himself faced with the most challenging duel of his life. Corvo had managed to bring himself back from the brink at the last moment and—though he was struggling against his own darkness—he was able to throw up a shield strong enough to intercept the Emperor's blast. At the same time, Shae Vis had snuck around behind him and was charging, aiming to cleave him in two. The Emperor pivoted, extending his lightsaber hand towards her, and stretched two of his gloved fingers away from the hilt of his blazing weapon.

The Force flowed out of him in a telekinetic blast. It required him to divert power away from his lightning blast, and certainly wouldn't be enough to do real harm to Shae, but it packed more than enough punch to throw her backwards towards the durasteel wall behind her. As both blasts ended, Malon noted that Corvo was at his limits. His struggle with Venator and his exertion of power had exhausted him; though his weapon was still lit, the Emperor doubt he could maintain a duel for very long.

And it was at that moment that, nearby, Taryn saw an opportunity.

Shae had begged with him to leave. He had seen the darkness clouding her eyes just as it had clouded Corvo's. He had considered running like she said—after all, he had barely been trained in the Jedi arts. He wasn't strong like them. Against a power like Kelan's, he didn't stand a chance. But looking at Corvo, weakened severely, but defiant; and Shae, who was fighting her own fear to protect her husband; Taryn was moved with compassion for the couple. He had only known them a short while, but he had come to like the both of them. In another life, in more peaceful times, perhaps they might have even become friends.

But now... Now was the time for action.

Taryn's lightsaber blazed to life and lit the room like an emerald torch. His fixed his gaze on Kelan. In that moment, he connected with Shae more than anyone in the room. She was able to bring Corvo back from the darkness with a few simple words, and pain stabbed at his chest that he couldn't do the same for Kelan. But he could find for the man that had become the Emperor. If he was able to destroy the Emperor, then the part of Kelan he had known so long ago would be free. Only, he knew he was deluding himself to believe he could stop the Emperor, so instead, when he faced Kelan, he did it for the one thing that he could do.

He came to a stop between Kelan and Corvo, raising his lightsaber offensively, like a kath hound ready to strike. "Shae, Corvo is in bad shape... He won't make it out of here if we're both dead. You need to get him... and you need to go. The galaxy needs Corvo to defeat the Sith. It needs you to defeat the Sith. If we continue this fight, one or all of us is going to die; but I can give you a moment, maybe even a few, to get away."

He realized the words he spoke were a death sentence. Perhaps Shae and Corvo would realize that too. But, in his mind, there was no other way. Continuing to fight would result in a death, and losing either Shae or Corvo had drastic implications to the future of the galaxy. But losing him... there was no implication to that at all. He had come to stop Kelan, and if that meant stopping him from killing one of the galaxy's greatest hopes for survival—well—then so be it.

With conviction in his voice, he bellowed, "Get moving!"

Registering the new challenger with more disdain than he had ever shown Corvo, Malon adjusted his posture and angled his crimson blade to counter Taryn's own offensive stance.

"You have interfered for the last time," the Emperor scowled. "You should have never come back."

"On the contrary, Kelan, this is precisely where I need to be," Taryn retorted.

And with that, he lunged.

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Sreeya]

Shae felt the force behind the concussive wave that exploded out from Malon from his defense. She was thrown back and angled her saber down, the tip digging into the ground and sending up sparks. There was a long, burnt trail left behind as she halted her momentum, drawing her saber up for a second attack. That was when Taryn addressed her, still not having left.

She was beyond angry at the man, and she moved to express that. However, that was when she saw him rush towards Malon and get between him and Corvo. Shae’s eyes widened in shock, the weight of his words finally hitting her. Taryn meant to die here, and he was willing to go to any length to ensure their safety. That was when it hit her—if Taryn was already ready to do this, why couldn’t she?

Ciri would grow up knowing her parents fought for what they believed in till the end. Her fears began to dissolve as she saw Taryn there, saw the courage he expressed. He stood against Malon, no darkness threatening to take over him. Shae was rooted in place, feeling anger whirl within her once more. But this time, the anger was not to embrace the darkness, but it was all the love and devotion she had to her family and friends. In it, she found a strength she didn’t feel before, a support that she didn’t think existed.

“No,” Shae spoke flatly, coming up next to Taryn, “We leave no one behind,” She looked at Corvo then, nodding at him in assurance. Without another word, she charged forth again, timing it right with Taryn’s approach. Unlike him, she came in from the side, renewed energy and power in her movements. From her left hand she released a powerful push at Malon’s legs to throw him off balance, while her right swung at him from his right flank. With the combination of attacks, she hoped they would be able to weaken him.

Or they would die trying.

@Phoenix @Malon

 

[Phoenix]

Everything seemed as if it were happening so quickly. From the time the fight had started until now was mere flashes, but critical ones. From one second to the next it was swirls of darkness on every front to something entirely different. There was a willingness to sacrifice and a fight for something greater in the words that Taryn spoke. He was, perhaps, exactly the kind of man that needed to remain in the galaxy. There would always be bad men, but the galaxy needed more men willing to make that ultimate sacrifice.

He saw Shae nod in his direction and knew exactly what was on her mind. The couple were two of the most obstinate individuals in the galaxy and there was no way they would leave a friend - and yes, that was what he had proven himself to be - to die. Drawing on what little reserves of the Force he had left, Corvo poured it into his own body. pushing himself past the brink of exhaustion and driving toward Malon, standing with his allies.

Even in this frazzled state, the Emperor was no match for all three of them at the same time but if by some miracle he held up under their assault without retreat then they would simply die and take the Emperor with them. Either way, Corvo knew that they weren't leaving Taryn behind on his own. No, we stay together! his voice was resolute and very much his own despite everything that had happened.

Every muscle seemed to scream in defiance of his movements, but it was the same thing he'd felt a thousand times in training and it was precisely why he would often spar until he collapsed. Knowing your limits and pushing them in training was of the utmost importance when everything was actually on the line. As he hit stride, his sabers moved in a scissor formation - right high and left low - to attack Malon's left side. Even currently, he was careful not to tangle with the attacks of his allies.

Much as a darksider could pull from the fear and anger of his opponent's Corvo felt - for the first time in his tenure as a Jedi - a feeling of strength and unity pulling from his allies - friends and family. The energy they shared empowered him and drove him to endure.

 

[Malon]

Malon was briefly taken aback by the united front before him, though his mask hid his reaction. As quickly as the darkness in Corvo (and, subsequently, Shae) had appeared, it had receded in response to Taryn's sudden act of selfless bravery. The Sith Emperor immediately regretted his decision not to kill the weaker Jedi earlier when he had the chance. That Taryn had the Force was little surprise to him, but that he was able to stay within the light after all the both of them had seen...

His thought process was cut off—first by Taryn, who lunged at him with surprising conviction. Malon's red blade caught Taryn's green blade, but, by then, Shae had declared her intentions and began to charge into the fray as well. Unlike Taryn, who attacked from the front, Shae attacked from the side—first unleashing a Force push at his feet, and then attacking with her own lightsaber.

With a thought and a slight gesture of his free hand, Malon used the Force to trigger the magnetic cores in his boots, essentially welding him to the ground and preventing the Force push from throwing off his balance. He used the last of the energy still within his hand to project a Force push of his own; his diverted focus would ensure that it was a far less forceful push, but one that might stagger her, and, should it, force her to reevaluate her attack trajectory.

By then, however, Corvo had also found his resolve and joined his comrades on the offensive. Whereas Shae had come around from the right, Corvo swung in from the left, scissoring his swords in a manner reminiscent to the attack pattern Malon himself had used to kill Darth Vanus in their duel. But, unlike his wife, Corvo's every moment was sending fresh waves of pain and exhaustion rippling out through his exhausted body.

There was some advantage to that.

Lifting two gloved fingers off of the hilt of his weapon, the Dark Lord unleashed two fine bolts of electricity directly into Taryn's chest. The attack caused the less-experienced Jedi to shriek and stagger backwards, granting the Sith plenty of time to whirl on Corvo. He caught the first blade with his own, sparing him a fatal blow to the chest, but the second, coming in low, slashed at his side, cutting through armor and skin to leave a sizzling gash. The wound sent a fresh, new wave of pain screaming through the Emperor's side.

But that pain was almost instantly numbed by the freezing river of dark side power that Malon currently found himself awash in; his pain was immediately transformed into a blinding rage, which he used to unleash another torrent of Force lightning upon Corvo—this time, from a much closer range. "It's not enough," the Sith menace growled. "Only your hatred can destroy me!"

Despite his bravado, though, Malon sensed the climax of their duel coming to a head. He sensed the renewed conviction to defeat him (or die) in all three of his opponents; so, in an act of dark defiance, he resolved to do the same—kill them all, even if it meant he had to bring this whole palace down on their heads in the process.

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Phoenix]

It was folly. Destroying the Emperor in his own place had gone severely wrong and in an instant, the realization dawned on him that this was pointless. Not because they couldn't destroy him but because doing so would cost the Order two of it's highest ranking members: individuals who could do so much more for the galaxy. Destroying the Emperor would force submission to the very thing that they were attempting to destroy and although Corvo had done it before, he wasn't willing to let Ciri grow up as an orphan just so that he could kill one man.

Guards were on their way up and soon it would be too late to escape so Corvo did the only thing left. He brought a wave of Force energy smashing down onto the floor of the room, crashing through it and sending the whole room into disarray. The building strained and groaned under the assault and the rending of metal rang out moments later. Smoke and debris obscured sight and the two sides were lost to one another as pieces of the floor tore away and fell far below. With a shove, Corvo moved the group toward their exit: the elevator shaft. From lift top to lift top they dropped, quickly and silently, leaving no trace of their exit.