Conflict in Solitude

[Minna]

Morellia​

​

Upon the edge of one of Morellia's floating cities hung a balcony, protruding from a small house recently constructed to house those with more money than the planet's ground-surface populace. Stood upon this balcony was the house's owner, not the usual merchant or politician who found retirement or leisure here, but instead a Jedi. A Master at that, but not one who showed it in her attire. In contrast to the ultrachrome armor and robes she had once worn, she instead donned a plain blue silk dress, nothing lavish enough for it to be a special occasion. No, this had become her usual attire ever since her arrival, and with that change of appearance came the lack of a lightsaber. Her weapon, along with her robes, had long been locked away in the basement.

Remembering those items brought a heavy sadness upon her, one she could only dispel by grasping the marble barrier that separated her from the ground miles below tightly with both hands. Eyes closed and mind centered on the force, she constantly tried to maintain the silence inside her head. An easy feat for one trained in such a gentle application of the force, but not when something else was bent on making noise. The voice of her past never ceased to pull at her conscience, hoping she would give in and hand over all control. It taunted and mocked her, a constant reminder of the darkness' temptation which could only be silenced by deep concentration on the Light. It had been silenced once, quelled by her devotion to the Light and her love for [member="Krest"], but now it had returned with vengeance. Set free in her mind by a Sith she had faced on Toola, [member="Darth Kentarch"], Valtryx was keen to reclaim the body she once controlled.

Either that, or find a new one...

 

[Minna]

"It's getting out of control and you know it..." The red haired woman smirked cruelly behind her, a visage of her former self. There was no possibility of it being real, merely another hallucination brought upon her by the lingering darkness, but it never faltered in it's illusion. All around her the marble and metal seemed to be ripping itself apart slowly, as if material existence itself was fading away in the mere presence of Valtryx. "What kind of Jedi Master sees the darkness this clearly?" She moved closer to Minna, her mouth still bent in that wretched grin. There was no backing away from the illusion, the barrier behind her prevented that. It wasn't like there was need to, since it was all in her head the illusion couldn't harm her but that was never it's intention.

"You're ashamed, afraid, guilty. You left your Jedi friends. This is why you're weak... A Jedi can not fight when the darkness tears away at it's very soul..." Every word was spoken with pure malice, worsened by the familiarity in it's tone. After all, it was her own voice she heard. It spoke the truth too, Minna was no use to her friends anymore. Not while Valtryx threatened to unleash herself, especially when fighting battles could put her dangerously close to losing her grip. She had to distance herself, fight her own internal conflict before joining the galaxy's. But how long would it take? Weeks had passed and still the voice remained, growing now into visions and nightmares. Nothing seemed to work, nothing was getting better, but still she had hope.

"There is no emotion... there is peace..." Minna spoke softly, pressing herself into calmness despite the oblivion surrounding her.

"It won't be long, Jedi... Soon you will give yourself to the darkness... You will be truly powerful once again..."

"There is no chaos... there is harmony..." She gulped; was that a tremble in her voice?

 

[Minna]

"Give in to the darkness!" Valtryx was shouting now, impatience and anger swirling throughout the visage. It may have been a false image, but it's presence could certainly be felt. A strong, heavy aura of dark energy hung in the air, so pungent it made Minna feel physically sick. "Surely you don't think you can resist for much longer? You have fallen once already, it will be no more difficult for you to fall again..." The Sith's words were met with the calmest gaze Minna could manage. One weakness in her expression and she might give it all away. She couldn't risk losing control now, not after so long. There was still so much to do, her husband and daughter were out there. Krest could be searching for her right now, and every day she wasted her daughter was no doubt slipping further and further into Ferus' wretched grasp. "Your thoughts lie with the girl... Yes... She is to be a Sith, that you can not stop, so why not join her? Have the family you wanted on Coruscant!" Now Valtryx wore a fake smile, her hand extending as if to hold Minna's chin. "Let me help you..."

"Minna?" The voice of a confused man drilled through that of the fake Sith, breaking her illusion and returning the world to it's reality. Still half-lost to the realm of illusion, Minna simply stared at the man for a few moments, unable to shake the words of her inner darkness. "Minna, is that really you?"
"William... Yes... Yes, it's me." She forced a smile; although genuinely happy to see her old friend her current state left no room for feeling anything more than empty. Still she kept her outward positivity, hoping not to further confuse the already bewildered man. "I... Made some mistakes, as you can see..." Her gaze gestured down to her body, completely different to her original one that she had met William in. "I'm glad you could make it."
"I won't lie, I was surprised to hear you alive, or atleast mostly your good self. Last I heard you'd fallen to the dark side, joined the Sith. Was it true?"
"Poor man, he actually believed in you. Better tell him the truth, that you were weak. Tell him how you became your true self..." She was there again, stood beside William with a goading stare. Choosing to ignore the taunts of the darkness, she focused her own gaze on her friend.
"It's true, I fell and Krest did shortly after. It was a horrible time, and if you don't mind I'd... rather not talk about it..." A deep breath allowed her to remain visibly calm.
"Alright, I understand. But you've gotta tell me why I'm here, this can't just be a reunion. It's not, is it?"

 

[Minna]

"No, it's not. Hopefully it's going to be a parting." Her words were chosen carefully, shedding some light on the matter but keeping it cryptic enough to make sure Valtryx took no interest in their talk. "I need your help William, I don't have many others I can trust to be close to me right now. There's something terrible, something dark, deep inside me. It's trying to escape and destroy everything I hold dear, it needs to be destroyed..." The usual calm and innocent tone was no more, for once Minna's voice held a hint of fear. She feared for her friends, and for those Valtryx would harm if she were to take control. Fear only made it harder to keep her at bay, so something had to be done.

"I sense it... It doesn't look good, not at all." William looked worried, his gaze lowered on her as if staring into her very soul. He could see it too, the looming darkness that was Valtryx. "As always Minna, you have my aid. Although I'm hoping you have a plan after bringing me here."

"Of course I do," She smiled, able to relax with the assured help of her old friend. "Killing it inside of me will do more harm than good, it needs it's own body before we can destroy it for good."
"You trust it in a body of it's own?" He questioned immediately, concerned at where the plan was heading.
"No, of course not. I need to lure it out of myself and into a new body, and I need you ready to destroy it; once and for all." Minna's eyes met his. They had aged since they last met, but they still carried the signature of William. Part of her was sad that he couldn't say the same for her eyes, an even smaller part longed for her old body back. "Can you do that for me?"
"Of course, Minna. Anything for a friend."
With a nod she moved, beckoning him to follow. For Valtryx to come out she would need another body, but for that she was prepared.

"You have a body?" He asked, frowning slightly with his head tilted.
"Yes, a clone. It's always easier to transfer an essence to a clone. Oh, and don't worry, it was a volunteer's DNA." Flashing a reassuring smile quickly, Minna turned back towards the basement door. Running her hand along a panel beside it and listening for the beep that soon followed, a dark room greeted them below. A wave of her hand soon activated the lights, revealing the body that would briefly hold Valtryx...

 

[Minna]

As light revealed the clone before them, William froze. His eyes fixated on the body, one which was much smaller than he had assumed it would be. "Minna," He spoke through clenched teeth, holding in the pain of what he would have to do should he partake in her plan. "That's a small girl... I can't- I won't..." Finally he managed to move, turning to face his friend with a look of pain.
"I couldn't wait for it to grow older, even with acceleration." Her eyes met his, a hand reaching his shoulder for reassurance. "We have to do this now, and there can be no hesitation. This thing... It is powerful, and if it gets enough time in it's own body it will be too late." For a moment they merely looked at each other, William being too busy processing what she was asking him to do. The thought of using his blade on a small child, even if it were a vessel for something far more sinister, shook him to his core.

Nevertheless, he returned his gaze to the clone.
"Okay..." A half-sigh escaped his lips, allowing him to relax only slightly in an attempt to alleviate his fear. It was for the greater good, he told himself. Not only to help his friend, but to rid the galaxy of a potential Sith.
"Thank you." Minna's arm dropped back to her side, allowing her to move over to the clone which lay inside a glass chamber. Wires and tubes kept it alive but unconscious, in a state where it's conscience had yet to develop; making it easier for the transfer of one's essence. "No pressure but, this is all down to you. Once Valtryx senses my guard lowering and the presence of a nearby vessel she will take over and begin her transfer. There's no knowing what could happen after, I'm guessing it'll take alot of my energy, maybe even my..." Her gaze diverted for a second, holding back the words. She never said them, but William knew what she meant. Losing her force power, maybe even for good this time, was a fear she could not dispel.

"Are you ready?" She breathed deeply, calling upon all the courage she could for the task ahead.
"I'm ready." William replied with a hint of reluctance in his voice, which he hoped Minna wouldn't notice...

 

[Minna]

Kneeling beside the glass chamber, Minna closed her eyes. The force flowed through her, empowering her will to hold back the darkness within. Instead of reinforcing her defenses, she began bringing them down. A shift in her aura signalled William to ready himself, taking his lightsaber into his hand. With a deep breath he moved around the clone, positioning himself beside it. All seemed calm to him so far, but the reality was far from it. Having sensed opportunity, Valtryx was writhing within Minna, tearing her way through the lessened defenses in an attempt to escape. The two consciences constantly battled, with Minna's drawing backwards more and more until finally the darkness saw it's prize. With enough hatred to fuel itself, Valtryx channeled herself towards the clone. A fresh, empty vessel for her to command, from which she could kill Minna.

It was at this point Minna's face distorted in pain, her conscience being torn apart and forced into being split between two bodies. She could almost hear Valtryx's laughter, manic in assuming victory. Nothing deterred Minna's concentration, as she had faith that her friend would fulfill his part. William had ignited the yellow blade of his lightsaber, holding it high above the clone. His face too was in pain, struggling to even look at what he was about to do. Soon enough the clone began to move slightly, with Minna slowly slumping to the ground.

There came seconds of silence that felt like hours, until finally something moved. The clone; the small child. It's eyes opened and looked up at William. Full of innocence as with any young girl's, they widened at the sight of his blade. His mouth dropped slightly, brows furrowing as he doubted the judgement of his Jedi friend. He couldn't do this, there had to be another way. They could wipe her memory, send her away. All viable plans in hindsight, but it was too late now. William's hesitation had sealed his fate. Suddenly the girl's arm shot out, sending a powerful blast of energy which shattered the glass around her. Shards flung outwards, piercing William's chest and arms until he fell writhing onto the ground.

His senses went into shock, and the only sound that came was two small feet landing lightly on the metallic floor. As he strained his neck to look up, he saw the young girl looming over him, her fingers spread out and extended towards him.

The last thing William Tarin saw before dying was a blinding flash of lightning.

 

[Minna]

Minna awoke to the sound of lightning and laughter. A child's laughter to be precise. It sent a chill down her spine, as straight away she knew their plan had failed. Through blurred vision she saw William's corpse, painted half-red and riddled with shards. Electricity danced across his body, originating from the fingertips of a small girl. Her laughter was the worst part, resembling the giggle of a child at playtime. Soon enough the lightning stopped, and the seemingly innocent form that now held Valtryx turned to face Minna.
"Well isn't this interesting?" She laughed out her words, flexing her fingers as if preparing them for another attack. Slowly she walked towards Minna, her footsteps making the lightest noise against the metal. There was nothing innocent about her eyes anymore, as they glowed a fierce red, making the dark side's taint clear. "Don't worry, I made it clear to your friend that it was his fault. That he failed you." The cruelest grin painted itself across the girl's face, minute due to her size but no less menacing.

In desperation Minna's arm shot out, hoping to send a blast of force at the girl. Instead there came nothing, an awkward silence interupted by more childish giggling. "Well, well, well!" Valtryx had reached her now, and leaned down to examine her old vessel. "Looks like you're useless now. Not like you were useful anyway..." She straightened herself back up, smirking slyly downwards. "We spent a long time together, Minna, but I'm afraid this is where it ends." Small, thin fingers extended towards Minna, the dark side gathering at their ends. All Minna could do was stare up helplessly, knowing that Valtryx had already grown stronger in the dark side with William's death, and was about to reclaim her long-lost power by finally fulfilling her goal. She would finally kill the Jedi who had imprisoned her within her own mind.

"I hope your friends feel your death, so that they will come, and they too will die." Her words ended with emphasis, as lightning shot from her fingers once more. Minna convulsed and twisted, her form tormented by the electricity. It was a horrifying sight for the faint of heart, but for Valtryx it was art. The beauty of her pain, the reward of fulfilling her destiny. Once again the dark side was victorious.

Once again Valtryx was alive.