LOTF: Ganner Slarwalker/Chapters 23-24

The Mother
Ganner

Dathomir

Like Felucia, I could sense the general energy of the planet from orbit. Lots of life, but there was something far more sinister here. Rather, there was someone far more sinister. Indeed, I could feel the Nightsisters collectively prepare themselves as my stole freighter landed. I shrouded myself in the Force, leaving nothing visible but just my raw energy. Knowing they could sense my power and would make no moves to provoke me until they knew what I was dealing with, I began to work as my ship touched down. As I constructed my lightsaber, I examined the crystal floating in front of me. It was the orange one Galen had given me. As much as I liked it, orange wasn't my color anymore. I grabbed it and filled it with the power of the Force. Slowly, it turned silver. Fitting, given the new white robes and armor I wore. Finally, I stepped out onto the surface.

Clinging like shadows to the edges of the fog, Nightsisters watched my every movement. Leave, they whispered. You don't belong here, outsider. However, they made no move to stop me. Focusing on Talzin, I walked through the forest, stalked by the inhabitants. The darkness only thickened, rivaling that of the Sith Academy. Slowly but surely, I approached the fortress of the Nightsisters. As I came towards the entrance, they finally decided to do something. Lightsabers activated and bows flashed to life, arrows trained at my heart. "Leave here, now." I couldn't find a face to the voice. It was time to show them what I really was. As one unit, they fired their arrows, which all stopped inches away from me. I let the cloak down as the arrows harmlessly disintegrated. Now, the Nightsisters backed away in either fear, awe, or a combination of both. Now, the shadows made way for me.

''He bears the mark. The mark of the Binding.'' With each step, they seemed to only grow more interested in me. ''The man in gray! The one the Mother spoke of!'' Right on cue, as if emerging from part of the fog itself, Talzin appeared.

"At last," she whispered almost joyfully, "Come." She beckoned, and I followed.

For what felt like forever we simply walked amongst the shadows in silence. I wasn't sure if she was examining me or trying to unnerve me, and I got the feeling that was the point. Finally, we reached a small room, lit only by torches. The wall behind us suddenly closed. "Ganner Slarwalker. Let us meditate." She put her hands on my shoulders and closed her eyes, which I repeated.

"You come here seeking the Sith who escaped the Temple."

"I come here seeking Darth Massikus."

"Then the one you seek is not the one you seek."

"Talzin, I felt him out there."

"Varad looked for him in the Force, but Massikus was not there. He was already back, Ganner."

"Then who?"

Another memory flashed before me.

The floor was made of a purplish-gray stone, which also composed most of the walls. Along the walls were also intricately carved creases of red, running throughout. It was my Jedi Trials. I watched as my younger self hesitantly approached the Umbaran Sith.

"There is no passion...there is solely obsession."

I- that is, past me- continued walking.

"There is no knowledge. There is solely conviction."

I marched forward. All things considered, I had handled this trail pretty well.

"There is no purpose. There is solely will."

I continued.

"There is nothing."

He turned to reveal himself. With a menacing glare in his eyes he activated a ruby blade, and I lit mine, its green shimmering as we faced each other.

"Only me."

"Darth Ruin," Talzin said. "The creator of the Sith Academy."

"Where's Massikus?"

After waiting a moment, she replied. "You must defeat Ruin first. Only then will the answer appear."

I sighed. "And Ruin?"

Together, we reached out in the Force, looking for him. Reaching to the outer regions of the Galaxy, we found him on Korriban.

I opened my eyes. Talzin did the same.

"You have your target, Ganner."

"Indeed. Before I go, I need one more thing."

"What would that be?"

"Teach me the Binding."

Ashes to Ashes
Ganner

Korriban

I wasn't even close to orbit before I could sense him. Ruin was making no effort to hide himself. His presence in the Force was wild and uncontrolled, nothing like in the Trials- perhaps an effect of the Binding? I would have to go down and see. I flew towards the orange planet reeking of evil. For a moment, I couldn't help but wonder how Hans, Ranulph, and Cade were doing. Maybe I could find them when this was all over.

The ship touched down on the uneven surface. This wasn't a landing pad, really, more of a clearing that just happened to be the closest I could get to Ruin. I stepped out onto the surface of the planet, taking in all the statues and crypts adorning the valley. In the middle, a figure in torn, bloody Death Watch armor sat meditating. His helmet was on the ground next to him, leaving his bald, tattooed head visible. The very air around him seemed to be shimmering with his pure Dark Side energy. It was like I was near the singularity of a black hole in the Force. He didn't move as I approached slowly, holding my saber.

"Two thousand years," he uttered, "And this is what it came to. Two thousand years, and we are nothing but bones and dust." He began to rise, anger entering his voice. "Two thousand years and all that is left of what I started was a filthy Academy, that YOU DESTROYED!" As the earth began to shake, he activated a deep red lightsaber, and I reciprocated. He turned to see me, and in his scarred face I saw eyes of pure red. "YOU DESTROYED EVERYTHING!"

He lashed out with a barrage of lightning, which I barely blocked with my lightsaber. He pushed harder and harder, making it more difficult for me to contain until finally my saber flew into the distance, leaving me defenseless for a moment. Immediately, the lightning connected with my body and a million nerves screamed out in pain along with the rest of me as I fell to the ground spastically. He kept pouring it out harder and harder, and for the first time since Mandalore I felt death's hand slowly enclose on me. Then, without warning, the onslaught stopped and I regained my senses as best I could.

I pulled my lightsaber towards me and stumbled towards him, using the Force to guide my movements. At the last moment, he deflected my blade and pushed me into a cliffside, which I impacted hard with my back, knocking out what little breath I had. My vision returned as I tried to build my composure again and I immediately saw Ruin, with lightning coursing all around him, make a spinning lunge towards me. I barely sidestepped it, and his blade sank into the rocks next to me. This close to him, I could feel what was happening- he was destabilizing from overusage of the Force in a host body, like Massikus had been when I first met him. This was impressive, considering Xux had undergone the ritual that was supposed to prevent that from happening.

Ruin pulled his saber out and quickly launched a wild series of attacks I was barely able to parry and dodge in time. Seemingly not caring about the laws of physics, he actually flew straight towards me with the Force, grabbing for my neck. Instead, I jumped over him, grabbed his, and threw him back to where he came from. As he hit the ground, I leapt towards him in a large slash he stopped by grabbing me with the Force halfway. I watched, suspended in the air, as he rose up. As his extended left hand slowly closed, my throat tightened more and more. Now, he pulled me closer as he drew his saber again.

"There is no passion. There is solely obsession.

''There is no knowledge. There is solely conviction.''

''There is no purpose. There is solely will."''

He pulled me in closer, trying to plunge his lightsaber into my chest. My left hand, exerting all the power I could in the other direction, was the only thing that stopped him.

"There is nothing..." His voice suddenly stopped. I fell to the ground as he let go, and he too fell. Pouring out of his eyes was a bright light unlike any other I had seen before. The singularity was collapsing. Rapidly, more dots of light shot out randomly from his body. "No..." He whispered. I grabbed his red saber off the ground, and raised it. "Please," he begged, "Make it stop." I swung at his neck, and as the blade connected it was quickly sucked, as was Ruin, into an actual Force singularity. As I looked into the singularity, I saw my fate once more.

''The wind howled around me, in a raging snowstorm. A world of white, of snow, seemingly empty. I trudged through the frost of the planet where I would die. Somewhere in the distance, out of the storm, another shadow walked towards me. A shadow I had not seen for a long, long time. Darth Massikus activated two red lightsabers. Standing my ground, I drew mine. The final battle was at hand.''

Suddenly coming back to my senses, I grabbed my lightsaber and ran amongst the destruction to my ship and quickly took off as the area was torn apart from the collapse. As I left the planet and Ruin behind, I realized that perhaps for the first time since that eventful day on Umbara, I was actually in control of my destiny. Yes, I had to go to that planet at some point, but nothing dictated when. I knew I couldn't keep fate hanging for too long, but before I died I wanted to make some side stops.