Chapter Two: Worlds Colliding

[Akirapryde]

(OOC: Warning to the reader! This intermission contains material that could be considered offensive and of adult nature. Reader’s discretion is advised.)

In the Shadows of Darkness (Part Three)
City of Jaoppolis
Outer Rim World of Olivan
Date: 2919 AOK (Eight months, one week after Auro’s Birthday)

Jenna wave her hand, “enough” she ordered as she walked towards the pole. She slowly lowered herself close to Trysta and pulled on Trysta’s ponytail. She forced Trysta to look at her. “You still have two to go. I can end this, if you wish. Just renounce the Lord of Darkness. Reject his love and his family. Do this and I will free you from your suffering.”

Trysta tried to stand back up, but the tops of her legs had been too badly damaged by the whip. Her muscles simply couldn't support her weight anymore. A bluish bubble grew from her mouth as she opened it in an effort to speak. It popped spreading her blood across her lower jaw, “whip me if you want.” Her voice horsed and broken. Her eyes lost their ability to focus. The rain washing down her face mixed with the blood from her hair giving her these long blue blood lines down her face.

Trysta’s body convulsed for a moment as a wave of neurological energy washed through her. The echo of pain was still being felt across her body. Her eyes glazed over as she coughed up blood. Her body continued to convulse as she continued to try to speak. Her voice simply failed her. She shook her head to clear her mind and swallowed hard. Her horsed voice finally broke the silence, “I will never renounce him,” she paused a moment as a wave of energy washed through her. “or you,” she finally managed to say.

Jenn let her ponytail go, allowing Trysta’s head to drop. She stood up and waved a hand at Aelyn and Tern, “Cut her down and get her to medical” Jenna commanded. She then turned her attention to the crowds watching the punishment take place. Her flowing black robe moved gracefully as she scanned the audience. “Trysta has openly and willingly accepted her penance. In doing so, she has earned our mercy. We forgive her, for her transgressions against our King of the Heavens. As I have said it, so shall it be our law.”

Lost in a pain induced delusion, Trysta looked out over the empty tables and chairs. She had heard the call of the dark side. Felt it’s pull upon her. The desire to call upon it was great. As great as the pain was. But as she stood there in that empty bar, she rejected it. She looked out from the stage holding the microphone and it’s stand she scanned the bar for any sign of life. The music around her had faced and she started to realize that she was alone. Her heart sank a bit till she saw him.

No, not the clone he had been disguised as. There at that table, where he set, she saw him. The man he really was. Since that fateful day, Master Amerex summoned her, had she felt like she couldn’t give herself willingly to any man. That no one was worthy of her. It is why she continued to where the exposing outfits that she did. She wanted them to lust after her and know that they could never have her. For it was her choice and no one else’s. Now, she wanted only one man. And he was sitting at that table over there. She smiled to him as he lifted a glass to her.

While Trysta was lost in her own delusion, Aelyn and Tern were removing the binds that held her to the post. With the greatest of ease, they carefully lowered her down. Tern carefully stabilize her using a medpack. At the same time, Aelyn drew upon the force while he laid his hands on her back. The healing powers of the force pulsated through Trysta and her bleeding stopped. A few of her more deeper wounds started to close up.

Once she was stabilized and the pair were sure that she wasn’t in any immediate danger of death the moved and repositioned themselves so that they could lift her up. Reaching down, they took her arms and pulled her up towards them. Carefully they pulled her arms over their shoulders so that they could more easily share her weight between them. As they drug her away, her feet dragged in the dirt behind her. A third hooded saber picked up her bloody shirt and rushed behind them.

Jenna turned her attention to Nayla as Trysta was dragged away. She slowly walked towards Nayla so to allow her anger to build. She let her eyes reflect what her emotions were experiencing. Her black robe flowed around her with each step. Jenna drew upon the darkside and felt its power answering her commands. ‘Trysta had faced her punishment with courage, now it was time for Nayla,’ Jenna thought as her rage built.

Jenna watched as she slowly walked towards Nayla. She felt Nayla’s fear and savored it. In Nayla’s eyes, Jenna saw fear. The kind of fear that a prey has when it realizes that a predator is upon it. Jenna may be pregnant with Graff’s child, but she was no less a predator. She watched Nayla back up out of fear, ‘wrong answer, little mouse’ Jenna thought licking her lips. She watched Nayla back right up in to a waiting Frija. Jenna saw that Frija had her fan at the ready behind her back.

Nayla was trapped and she knew it. Using her free hand, she reached for her Lightsaber as her other hand gripped the whip. ‘If battle is what they want,’ Nayla thought but her thought was cut off. Panic filled Nayla's mind as she felt Frija's razor sharp fan tips pressed up against her throat.

Frija placed her free and on Nayla’s hand and her Lightsaber. “Let’s not do anything foolish, Nayla,” Frija said as she moved Nayla’s hand away. She carefully removed the lightsaber from its hook and held on to it.

Before Nayla could react, Jenna grabbed Nayla's other hand that held the whip. Darkness flowed around her in such a degree that it couldn't be missed. Jenna was drawing upon the darkside as she pulled and forced Nayla’s arm up between them. “Two loyalties were tested today,” Jenna said. Her voice corrupted by the darkside. Her eyes had turned more yellow with red trim, or more commonly known as Sith Eyes.

Nayla grunted as she tried to fight Jenna’s grip. She struggled to keep her arm lowered between them. The more she struggled, the more it hurt her. There was a determined look in Jenna’s eyes as she forced Nayla to raise her arm up. Nayla knew that Jenna had called upon the darkside to enhance her own strength. Slowly Nayla was losing the battle of wills with Jenna and her arm rose still holding the whip.

Nayla's faced twisted in pain as she tried to fight Jenna. She attempted to summon up the darkside to serve her in this moment. However, to her surprise it failed to answer her call. Nayla couldn't explain it, she suddenly felt disconnected from its power. She looked and saw Jenna’s face smiling back at her. “How!” she asked

“The Lord of Darkness, is the Lord of all darkness,” Jenna said coldly with a smile.

Nayla’s hand and whip were between Jenna and Nayla, while Frija’s fan pressed up against Nayla’s throat. The slightest of move and Nayla would be dead before she realized it. Jenna’s eyes drifted to the whip as she forced Nayla’s hand to open. The control setting was set at twenty. Nayla had no choice but to drop the whip or her wrist would be shattered.

As the whip fell to the ground Jenna’s eyes moved back to Nayla as she cocked her head to the side, “you were told,” Jenna said coldly. Then added, “no more than five” Nayla let out a short scream as Jenna continued to twist and squeeze her wrist. “Defy me again, and I’ll kill you.”

On that note, Jenna summoned up the darkside as she reached out and held Nayla’s arm. Her hand continued to turn over while holding Nayla’s wrist tight. The motion forced Nayla's right wrist completely over. The sound of twin bones breaking could easily be heard. Both her ulna and radius bones ripped and tore through the skin of her arm. Jenna pushed Nayla wrist all the way over till it touched the backside of her arm. Nayla let out a scream that got the attention of many who still lingered.

She used Nayla’s broken wrist as a means to pull Nayla close to her. Her flesh ripped from the action, “Do I make myself clear!”

Nayla was in terrible pain from the broken arm, as she looked up at Jenna with pain across her face. “Y…..yes…..Jenna,” Nayla said.

Jenna nodded and let the broken limb go, “go get it patched up, you will be on the vanguard of tonight’s battle.”

Nayla looked up in horror, “my….my arm won’t be healed by then!”

Frija pushed Nayla away from them as she said, “you should have thought of that before you defied Jenna.”

As Nayla made her way from them, Jenna pulled up her communicator. “My Lord, are you pleased?”

A bluish image of a man wearing a wolf’s head came to life. His identity obscured by the head, “I am most pleased. Knowing where Trysta’s loyalties stand will help further my plans.”

Frija remained silent as Jenna spoke, “Yes My Lord. Our spies have reported that the Twenty Seventh plan to launch a final attack on the Jedi Temple.”

“Yes, My Queen,” the image said, “Move your forces to the Temple, and help secure it.”

“When can we expect reinforcements,” Jenna asked.

“As you had suspected, My Queen, I am still tied down and will be delayed for another week,” he explained.

“My Lord, now that we have blooded their nose,” Jenna said in concern, “Auro will surely aid the Twenty Seventh.”

The figured shook his head, “Auro is a good man, but he is no soldier. We gave him a choice, and he will choose to leave this world. The Twenty Seventh is broken, and the Fifteenth doesn’t have the personal to support the rest of the Jedi Forces on Olivan. Without Auro and his battalion, the war is all but lost for the Jedi,” he said coldly. He raised a finger, “Auro or his battalion won’t be a factor on Olivan. You make sure your forces are in place for the final battle.”

Jenna bowered her head, “yes My Lord.”

On that the image faded as the link was turned off. Jenna turned to Frija and smiled. Using the force to communicate, Jenna explained that ‘the Lord of Darkness had arrived and the finally battle is upon us.’ Using telepathy like this was a drain on her. But it was important to relay the right information in such a way that Master Milani’s spy wouldn’t know. In that moment, Jenna only said, “we have our orders.”

Frija reached out and took Jenna by the arm, “My Queen, I know you will be upset with me.” The tone and action got Jenna’s attention. She turned as Frija released her arm, “Our Lord has commanded me to carry out a mission.”

Jenna appeared confused, “what is, this mission,” she asked.

“My Queen,” Frija said softly, “the Lord of Darkness has commanded me to led this final mission. You are to remain here.”

Anger crossed her face, “That bastard!” Jenna felt her rage building again, “I have planned the down fall of Master Milani for months. Moved the pieces around the board with care and precision. Now when the moment to kill the Twenty Seventh is upon us, he robs me of the honor!”

“My Queen,” Frija said once more, “please understand. You are so close to giving birth. He only means to protect you from harm.”

“I know why he has done this,” Jenna said harshly, “because I didn’t tell him about my plan to allow myself to be captured. This is pay back for that.” Her anger started to bleed over in to her speech, “tell me Frija, I am right.”

“No, My Queen,” Frija said truthfully, “I was given my orders before we landed on Olivan.”

On that Jenna’s face softened, “oh” was all she could say.

“Please, My Queen,” Frija said softly, “he loves you. We all love you. No one wishes to see you harmed. Please, follow this order,” she begged. “Please obey, our Lord.”

Jenna felt defeated as she nodded, “fine,” she finally said. “Come, I have much to explain to you about my thoughts on this final battle.”

---

High above them, a lone figure dressed in dirty clothes carefully moved the holocorder back to his pocket. He had been snooping around the complex ever since they learned the Partisans were using it. Vital information that a spy aboard the Vengeance reported to Master Milani. Being one of very few Olivanese who were still loyal to the Republic made him a vital asset on world. The fact that he was a highly trained Republic ARC Trooper meant that he was irreplaceable.

Once Master Milani learned of this place, she hand picked him for this critical mission. It took almost no effort to walk in with another refugee group. For the first few hours, he snooped around hoping to find something interesting. Unfortunately, he didn’t find anything useful. However, he finally has something important to report. The Partisans are going to support the Rogue Jedi at the Temple. Their only hope for reinforcements are over a week out. It was the perfect time to crush two of the major factions on Olivan. He had to get this information back to Master Milani.