Beat the Retreat

[Armand Temi]

"I'll try," Abigail said under her breath. She focused on the first line of the Jedi code again. There is no emotion, only peace. But peace was kind of an emotion, wasn't it? What type of peace did the Jedi really mean? Galaxy peace or inner peace? Or something more ephemeral and fleeting?

Abi you aren't focusing now, nor remembering anything you were taught at the Yavin Academy! Why was this suddenly so hard?

Little did she know the Spirit was in there, twisting her thoughts as though tightening a loose screw. It was futile - the dark magic was embedded in her now, but it wasn't going to fully show itself. Not yet.

She could only watch as Draco inspected the sarcophagus, and with an eerie scraping sound, removed the lid. He dropped something inside and then ran back to Abigail, picking her up and running. As they rounded the corner, he set her down and covered her with his body. Holding her ears instinctively, she heard the massive explosion, and then debris raining down. Suddenly there was a rumbling sounds and shaking underneath their feet.

When she could finally hear again, Abigail asked, "Do you think the whole tunnel could collapse around us? Or is this another Sith illusion?"

[member="Darth Vulkan"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

He could hear laughing at the edges of his mind, informing him that the very simplistic plan did not work. His mind was turning, gears spinning, overclocking his advanced thought process trying to figure out what to do about the spirit. He wasn’t an expert when dealing with spirits and he wasn’t an expert in how to deal with them. He assumed there were a dozen or so Force abilities on how to deal with them. Force Light came to mind, but for a Dark Jedi, that was out of the question.

Think. Sith lords had been able to defeat each other and conqueror their spirits before. It would have been easy if Draco was the target. Trap the entity and then hammer its will with his own until it broke, but targeting Abigail was a different matter. Draco wasn’t able to see the thin line differentiating the two in the Force anymore, which meant trying to batter down the Spirit’s will might do the same to her, and that was something he could not do.

“Don’t worry about it. Everything is going to be fine.” He was lying, she could probably tell he was worried and unsure of the situation. He could feel the spirit around them, purposefully avoiding him and his presence.

“I have an idea, but you aren’t going to like it. Close your eyes, you don't need to see this.” Her sense were about to be assaulted and Draco didn’t want her first outing with her father to be remembered like this, but he also didn’t want her to remember having to see her darkest fear manifest.

“Woyunoks hadzuska koshûjontû.” His voice growling out as his presence expanded to fill the room, shining like a beacon in the Force as the Force rumbled and cracked as the incantation continued to flow from his mouth, filled with guttural growls that echoed through the Force. His mouth ran dry and he could feel the five new dark side presences forming, tearing into the Force, emanating fear and loathing around them. The insubstantial beings floated around Draco and Abigail, eyes like burning coals looking at them, “Kill the spirit here.” His orders were clear and the demons howled with inhuman noises as they faded into the walls and floors.

Through the Force Draco could feel them, feel them failing. Whatever it was the spirit’s knowledge of sith magic was formidable enough to conquer the demons Draco manifested.


[SIZE=14.6667px][member="Abigail Kallisto"][/SIZE]

 

[Armand Temi]

Draco never showed even a trace of apprehension around Abigail, but he did now, and this terrified her. But she listened to him and closed her eyes just the same. As she was listening to her father recite a creepy-sounding incantation, she remembered the amulet. She pulled on the chain and freed the amulet from where it lay inside her armor. Then she clutched it with her hand and applied some Force powers to it. According to Draco, this would mask her presence.

She could feel the darkside spirits that her father had conjured up, but somehow she knew she was safe from them. And the original spirit also seemed to be far away now, at least to Abi. It was as though she were invisible to them. She heard Draco’s command and closed her eyes tighter. She could tell the four spirits were not successful in their endeavor.

<I already have what I want. You can tell your father it’s futile.>

The spirit’s voice was so intrusive that it felt as though it were literally inside her head. This must be what madness feels like, she thought grimly.

“It’s not futile!” she shouted. “We will defeat you!”

Abigail jumped out of Draco’s arms and ignited her lightsaber. She was not going to go insane or let this thing - whatever it was - kill either of them without a fight. Alright the darkside was pooling around her, and she suddenly no longer felt afraid. She felt… angry and vengeful.

With her lightsaber high, the padawan rushed into the room with the sarcophagus and began swinging her blade wildly at the everything and anything.

The spirit only laughed, a rumbling, mocking sound.

[member="Darth Vulkan"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco's heart wrenched when Abigail shouted at the spirit. He hadn't heard anything or felt anything probe from outside his presence, which left him with a sinking feeling in his chest. Was he already too late? What else could he do?

His last resort was risky, and would be painful for Abigail which caused Draco pause, to hesitate and wish for more time. Anything to prevent him from causing an ounce of pain to his beloved daughter.

She cried out, tearing herself from his arms and leaping into the room saber drawn and flailing at shadows and smoke. "ABI!" He yelled, his voice frought with concern and fear as he surge behind her. He wanted nothing more than to grab her and whisk her away. Yavin would know what to do about this. Ember could help.

Her lightsaber flashed and sent small debris from the sarcophagus as she swung the weapon wildly. "We're leaving" he cried, the words resounding through the room as he grabbed her and spun her around. Pain erupted in his stomach and he clutched her arms, harder than he meant to as a result. The black in her eyes, the shadows that moved behind her once bright brown orbs that had brought him comfort and joy told the tale.

He let out a gasp and released her looking down at her lightsaber embedded in his gut and blinked. He had suffered worse physical wounds, but none so had he suffered to the mind. She was gone from him.

[member="Abigail Kallisto"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Abigail felt arms grab at her waist, but she only flailed around more wildly, picturing herself being gobbled up by a gaping shadowy maw. Soon enough she realized it was only Draco, trying to restrain her with his own body. And by the eternal core, she’d sliced him with her saber! All of that careful training on Yavin and at the Retreat seemed to just fly out the window with one burst of panic!

Her eyes became green again, the black slipping out of them. She pulled the saber out from wherever it was lodged in her father’s armor.

“Are you hurt? I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me…”

Yes, Abigail would have periods of normalcy, but the Sith Spirit would lie in wait, ready to pounce upon the next moment when she went to use the Force. For a while, she would be imbued with a mixture of Dark and Light powers, but eventually, like a burnout bulb, the light would go out, and she would be consumed by darkness.

How much time, the teenager had though was anyone’s guess.

[member="Darth Vulkan"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco drew in a breath. He might have been able to help unhurt, but with a serious wound he was going to be lucky to get to proper medical attention from having been impaled by Abigail's lightsaber. He didn't blame her in the slightest, he wasn't capable of believing his daughter had knowingly or willingly hurt him. But Draco saw the black seep from her eyes, returning to lurk in wait and knew, she was gone. It was only a matter of time. His mind raced, who could help? Ember could. Ember would.

"I'll be okay Abi, it wasn't your fault. I need to get you to Alit'buir Rekali as fast as possible." His voice was raspy and wet, as though fluid was in his mouth and throat as he spoke, and his face bore his worry and distress openly now as he focused on keeping himself mobile and upright. Perhaps the spirit wouldn't be able to survive being Force Lighted to oblivion. Even the likes of Exar Kun and Darth Bane's spirits had been banished by the old warlock like that. And some unknown probably wasn't going to be half as difficult for the man. "He will be able to help you." It had to happen fast, and without her leaving his sight. Alone with that spirit in her, Draco couldn't imagine what the thing would do given the chance.

He clutched his stomach trying to hold in whatever organs were injured and grabbed her hand pulling her towards the stairs and clicking the distress beacon he wore on his belt. There was his ship in system, there were medics and a doctor on board. And there was always an Ysalamiri and a Force Cage. Maybe, just maybe he could work this out.

[member="Abigail Kallisto"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Abigail's main concern was Draco. Every fiber of her being was focused on helping him get out of the ruins. As the Mandalorian slightly stumbled, appearing very distressed, she tried to support his weight and aid him in walking, but since she was much shorter and not as strong, it was futile. The padawan was more useful just making sure the corridor was clear and opening doors for him.

Once they were outside, the cold air blasted Abigail's exposed skin. Even with her armor and fur, she felt even colder than before, but it wasn't an uncomfortable cold. Overall Abigail knew she was different inside, but she couldn't pinpoint how.

"Do we even have time to get to the ships? Maybe we can find a hospital or medical center here on Ziost?"

Even though the Darkside cult, the Primeval won the planet over in a war against the Silver Jedi, there was still a relatively normal economy that flourished on the world and for sure this included infrastructure like banks, schools, local police and yes, doctors.

"Why do we need to visit Alit'buir Rekali?" she asked finally.

[member="Darth Vulkan"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

He winced going up the stairs, each breath was labored and raspy, but he walked nonetheless. The worry on Abigail's face was promising for her condition. Maybe she wasn't all the way gone. He supposed having to watch her fade away would be far worse than losing her all at once, but it did offer him a chance to saver her. He could feel the twinge of darkness within her that had never been there before, and that feeling was more painful to him than the wound in his chest.

"Ember is one of the best healers I know." Not for him. He needed Bacta, a long rest, and to go into a hibernation trance to rapidly heal his injuries. While serious a chest wound with modern medicine was not always fatal, and with the Force, there were a lot of injuries that could be overcome in a short time. At least enough that Draco could be mobile by the time they reached Yavin and Ember saw to her.

Draco couldn't tell if she knew what was wrong, but he also couldn't bring himself to keep lying to her, "Whatever was in this place has latched on to you. Ember has banished spirits from Yavin and has the contacts to help." He clutched at his wound tighter, some blood leaking out from the burnt flesh.

"I'm sorry Abigail. I wasn't strong enough to protect you, I'm sorry."

[member="Abigail Kallisto"]

 

[Armand Temi]

"Daddy, you don't have to be sorry. This is all my fault. All my fault," she repeated close to hysteria. But abruptly, the padawan stopped in her tracks and coughed, nearly like Draco now, a raspy, wet sound coming from deep inside her lungs. Her eyes bulged, and for a moment she appeared to be choking. But soon enough, Abigail hacked out a stream of foul blood and bile, mixed with serpents, arachnids and even maggots. Seeing what came from her stomach caused her to scream in an agonizing way as she simultaneously continued to eject all of that polluted gunk from her dry, chapped lips.

And as soon as her vomiting fit started, it stopped. As she looked down at the mess on the ground, it all disappeared in wisps of black smoke, but Draco could tell Abigail was thoroughly traumatized now. "By the maker, what is happening to me!" she shouted, her eyes stricken with terror, her face pale, body shaking uncontrollably. Yet she was so worried about her father too! Her own fear and her anxiety over his situation were at tug-of-war right now in her brain, and all Abigail could do was to stand there slack-jawed, wondering what to do next.

[member="Darth Vulkan"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco looked in horror at the mess Abi had vomited up. She was freezing up, and the spirit was tormenting her insides. His mind raced about what to do. He was almost dying, she was possessed and possibly dying, and he was getting angry. Very angry. He hauled her along roughly by the arm, pulling her in the direction of the ship. "I'll explain later. I need to get to the ship before I drown on my own blood." His voice was harsher than he had ever spoken to Abigail, but then again he wasn't just speaking to Abigail anymore. Even still he winced at the sound of his own voice towards his daughter.

He coughed, spitting blood and phlegm out of his mouth and cursing under his breath. He thought, the Spirit had waited until he talked about getting her cured to react, and it had reacted very, very violently, hurting her greatly. There was no way he was going to be able to take her to Ember now without the spirit killing her. "I don't have time to take you to Ember, it will have to wait." Part of him was hoping to curb the spirit's attacks on Abigail, but it was also true. His injuries were going to kill him if he didn't go to a good surgeon.

The ship loomed in front of them as he pulled on her, knowing there was a medical droid and bacta on board, and enough life support machines to keep him alive long enough to get to Concordia. It hurt him to treat her like this, but it was life or death right now. He already had a number of secrets hidden from her. This one could wait until he had a plan to help her.

[member="Abigail Kallisto"]