Private Clash of Shadows

[Darth Callidus]

Tags: Darth Imperius
Location: Dark Sepulcher

Within the Dark Sepulcher, where the Dark Side pulses like a living, breathing entity, the air is thick with the oppressive weight of raw power. The Heart of Shadows, a sanctum hidden deep within the labyrinthine depths, is a place of meditation and revelation for Darth Callidus. Here, the walls seem to whisper secrets, shadows writhe with purpose, and the very ground hums with ancient energy. A dim, crimson light filters through the chamber, casting eerie patterns across the cold obsidian floors.

Darth Callidus knelt in the center of the sanctum, her figure motionless as a statue. The heavy folds of her black and crimson robes pooled around her, her twin lightsabers resting on the dais before her like silent sentinels. Her amber eyes were closed, yet her presence reached far beyond the confines of her mortal form. Her mind swam in the currents of the Dark Side, a maelstrom of hatred, ambition, and power. Visions of conflict and conquest danced before her mind's eye, fragments of a future yet to be shaped by her hand.

The sudden sound of the chamber door hissing open broke her trance. A flicker of irritation flared within her as her senses snapped back to the present. Her amber eyes opened, their fiery intensity locking onto the robed figure who dared intrude upon her meditation.

The servant, a cowed and trembling figure, bowed low, avoiding her gaze. "My Lady Callidus," he stammered, his voice barely audible. "Darth Imperius requests an audience with you."

Callidus's eyes narrowed, the corners of her lips curling into a faint scowl. Of course, she thought, her annoyance bubbling to the surface. Imperius always chooses the most inopportune moments to pester me with his schemes and theatrics. Still, she allowed herself a moment to weigh the implications. Darth Imperius was no fool, and while his interruptions grated on her, she knew he would not disturb her unless the matter was of some significance—or so she hoped. Rising to her full height with deliberate grace, Callidus gestured dismissively toward the servant.

"Inform him I will see him," she said, her voice sharp and cold as durasteel. "And ensure he is brought to me directly. I have no patience for unnecessary delays."

The servant bowed even lower, scurrying out of the chamber as quickly as his legs could carry him. Alone once more, Callidus exhaled slowly, her irritation still simmering beneath the surface. She adjusted her twin lightsabers at her side and clasped her hands behind her back, turning her gaze toward the crimson-tinged shadows that filled the room.

"What is it you seek, Imperius," she whispered, her mind already calculating the possibilities. As the power of the Dark Side swirled around her, she prepared to meet her fellow Sith, determined to uncover the reason for his intrusion and, if necessary, remind him of her dominance. With a faint smirk, she turned toward the doorway, the swirling shadows seeming to close in behind her. The Heart of Shadows would soon bear witness to a meeting of dark minds, and she was prepared to ensure her own ambitions remained unshaken.

 

[Darth Imperius]

Darth Callidus

He had never visited Denab before, he heard of Rakata presence, but it was always of less significance to his studies than Rakata Prime or Belsavis. But now he was there, not to witness the presence of the achievements of a long gone civilisation, but to lay the foundation for a new one. Rather, for a rebirth, for an ascension. He had travelled along Darth Callidus and while it was not precisely a long time friendship or the strongest bond there was, he had seen enough to know that she shared what he saw.

Sith do not require much to fight each other, but equally so, they do not require the whole trust paradox to not fight each other and work together. Mutual benefit and a shared purpose are more than enough to make Sith focus their efforts together against an enemy and overcome them. For that it was important though that the enemy was clearly defined and that the direction given, was given without doubt and accepted without hesitation.

Darth Imperius came to Denab to make sure of that.

He did not need a guide or escort to find her. The place she was in, was more than just perfect. After he was announced, he passed the Black Gate and was striding into the darkness, his heavy metallic clank of footsteps was as foreboding as it was inevitable. And with each step forward, his senses expanded and were stimulated. It was a Nexus, strong in the Dark side and it appealed to every fibre of his body and soul. It charmed, betrayed, appealed, disgusted, hurt, cared, all at the same time. It was chaos, it was nature.

It was conflict.

While curious about the place, it was not enough to make him turn and stop to gaze at the wonders it had to offer. He marched forwards, unimpeded, unstoppable towards his calling. The doors opened, if by his making, hers or some ancient sorcery, was unknown, but it revealed her waiting for him. The Dark Lord of the Sith entered and gazed upon the maelstrom of the Dark side that manifested immaterially in her, him and between them. It fed them, the chamber bolstering both their powers in a destructive, terrible way.

"Darth Callidus. You have impressed me with your clarity and decisiveness and I am here to offer you a pact, a path to power. The Sith Empire needs rebirth and ascension, I can bring it to it, with your aid. We will reshape the Galaxy through fire and blood, purge weakness and bring a time of control rationality, tradition and purpose to our Order. But for that you have to submit - do you accept your place as my Shadow Hand?"

The words came sprawling forth like from a well. He had laid them out before in his mind and prepared to offer her a pact that would see about the beginning of a new order, but the words he spoke, were not the words he had prepared. He did not even realise it until they were spoken that it was not his mind uttering them, but his heart, his soul, completely engulfed by the Dark side of the place, was overriding his cold logic with fiery temper.

So be it.

 

[Darth Callidus]

Tags: Darth Imperius

The heavy clang of Darth Imperius's footsteps echoed through the Heart of Shadows, reverberating off the obsidian walls like a distant drumbeat of war. Each step carried an air of inevitability, a foreboding rhythm that cut through the oppressive silence. Darth Callidus stood motionless at the center of the chamber, her dark robes pooling around her like liquid night. Her presence within the Nexus of the Dark Side was almost palpable, an oppressive weight that seemed to press down on everything within the room.

The swirling shadows of the Heart of Shadows moved unnaturally, flickering and twisting as though alive, feeding on the tension in the air. The power of the place coursed through her, amplifying her senses and magnifying the depth of her connection to the Dark Side. She remained still, letting her silence become a weapon, daring Imperius to fill the void with something worthy of her attention.

When the doors creaked open, an unnatural chill swept through the chamber. She did not turn immediately, allowing the weight of her presence to greet him before her voice or gaze ever could. Finally, she shifted, her amber eyes glowing faintly in the dim crimson light. Her gaze locked onto him, sharp and unyielding, as if she could strip away every layer of pretense with a single glance.

"Darth Imperius," she said, her voice smooth yet laced with an undercurrent of command. "You arrive boldly, as always. Speak."

She listened as he began, his words heavy with purpose and ambition. He spoke of ascension, of reshaping the Sith Empire, of blood and fire that would purge weakness and rebuild strength. For a moment, she considered his tone, his fervor, and allowed him to weave the tapestry of his vision uninterrupted. But as the offer unfurled, as the key phrase struck the air like the tolling of a bell, her stillness shattered.

Submit.

The single word rippled through the chamber like a shockwave, igniting the oppressive darkness around her. Callidus's golden eyes flared with fury, and her presence swelled, pressing back against the Nexus's chaotic energy with a force that threatened to overwhelm even its ancient hunger. The shadows recoiled for a heartbeat, only to surge again, alive and writhing in tandem with her mounting ire.

"Submit?" she repeated, her voice low and venomous, carrying the weight of barely restrained power. The word dripped from her lips like poison, her tone a razor-edged whisper that seemed to strike at the very core of the chamber. She took a single step forward, deliberate and poised, her figure bathed in the dim crimson glow that flickered with her every movement.

"I had thought us allies, Imperius," she continued, her tone now carrying an icy sharpness. "Partners, bound by mutual purpose and the promise of what we might achieve together. But this—" She gestured sharply with one hand, as though casting the very notion aside. "This reeks of arrogance. You would deign to raise me to power only to chain me beneath your boot."

The words hung in the air like the strike of a blade, sharp and final. Her gaze never wavered, locking onto him with a predatory intensity that brooked no weakness. Her presence in the room swelled, the Nexus amplifying her power as though it were a living thing responding to her will.

"No," she said, her voice rising with finality. "I will not be your Shadow Hand. Nor will I ever bow to you. I will not submit, Imperius, for submission is the domain of the weak—and I am not weak."

Her tone sharpened further, each word laced with the promise of wrath. "If you seek obedience, you will find it nowhere in this galaxy—not from me. I will not follow where I was meant to lead."

She stepped closer, the distance between them narrowing as her presence pressed against his. The air in the chamber seemed to vibrate with unspent energy, the Dark Side coiling and writhing like a living entity in anticipation of the storm brewing between them.

"Now, Imperius," she said, her voice dripping with scorn, "tell me: was this boldness born of the Nexus's influence, or do you truly believe you are strong enough to make me kneel?"

The challenge was clear, her words daring him to test the limits of her resolve. The Heart of Shadows seemed to hold its breath, the flickering shadows and oppressive weight of the Dark Side a silent audience to the confrontation. The chamber itself seemed alive, anticipating the clash of wills that hung in the air like a storm waiting to break.

 

[Darth Imperius]

Darth Callidus

Her presence was imposing, it pulsated with the strength of a sun, magnified by the power of the Nexus. A sun that swallowed Light and stars alike, that would spit out the bare banes of what it consumed with a primordial fury and ancient strength that seemed impossible to harbor or even wield. One would not try to stop a sun from spitting out plasma by telling it to stop. Neither did Imperius believe that telling her to submit would result in anything than the purest of defiance.

His right hand reached over his shoulder and drew Anathema in a swift, untheatrical fashion, the sound echoing through the Heart of Darkness just like his steps had before. The sword hungered, in the forge of the Nexus it was even louder, its screams of desire and fury almost audible. Its black blade and golden edge broke the shady light in impossible ways, not reflecting, but literally breaking it.

"Do you believe that the Sith desire strength without action? Words without consequences? Power without proof? Leadership requires that one acts, as you have so wisely elaborated in the tomb of Terminus. Even united in purpose and goal, there is no such thing as a shared rule."

His words were accompanied by his sword being lowered to a perfect forty-five degree angle pointing away from him to the ground, the tip almost touching the floor but it was perfectly still in the air. Just as he turned into a perfect standstill, only the voice, that deep, measured tone, came from behind his helmet that had locked unto her like a targeting laser.

"You do not yield power. I do not yield power. Only through the conflict we were born to embrace we will find out who is meant to lead our vision. But I will not make you kneel - no servant or slave can ever be Sith. I will merely make you bow."

His challenge was spoken, the reason shared. It was more courtesy than he would offer to someone he did not regard as worthy of his time. The words rang true, they were directed by him, even though it was his inner self that spoke in a way that he did not feel ever. The Nexus was a cure for a mind clouded by meaningless business and errands, it washed away the useless and replaced it with purity.

The Dark Lord's aura usually was a direct storm with its core hidden behind waves of wrath and concentrated emotions, but here, there were no imaginary walls or limits. It was an impossibility laid bare, old, rotten and yet vibrant with the desire to devour everything. It was a wrath and fury so primordial that it seemed like it could annihilate the place with a snap of a talon. Darth Imperius was a nameless evil, shaped with wings, claws, teeth and scales that was pressed into the shape of man.

 

[Darth Callidus]

Tags: Darth Imperius

The Heart of Shadows pulsed with anticipation, the oppressive weight of the Dark Side swelling as if the chamber itself craved the conflict about to erupt. Darth Callidus stood motionless, her glowing amber eyes fixed on Darth Imperius as he drew his blade. The weapon's malevolent hunger echoed through the room, a song of destruction that resonated with the ancient power of the Nexus.

His words, measured and deliberate, were laced with the venom of challenge. The corners of Callidus's lips twitched in a faint smirk, but it was not one of amusement—it was the predatory expression of a hunter who had found its prey.

"You speak of strength, Imperius," she said, her voice sharp and resonant, slicing through the air like one of her twin blades. "Of conflict and the crucible it provides. But you misunderstand one thing."

Her hands moved with deliberate precision, and in an instant, the twin crimson blades of her lightsabers ignited, their hum resonating with a dangerous, almost melodic cadence. The room was bathed in their blood-red glow, the shadows retreating and recoiling as though they feared her fury.

"I do not bow to strength," she hissed, her voice low and venomous. "I am strength."

Without further warning, she moved. The stillness that had hung in the chamber shattered as Callidus launched herself forward with the speed and precision of a striking viper. Her twin lightsabers slashed through the air in a whirling arc, their crimson edges cutting trails of light through the darkened chamber.

The Nexus fed her, its power amplifying her speed, her reflexes, her very presence. Every movement was a calculated blend of aggression and control, a testament to her mastery of combat. The first strike came high and fast, a feint aimed at his shoulder, while her second blade twisted downward in an attempt to catch him at the hip—a vicious combination designed to test his defenses.

"You wish to measure me, Imperius?" she spat, her voice cutting through the din of their clash. "Then let the Dark Side itself bear witness to your folly."

The Force coiled around her like a living thing, her every movement deliberate and imbued with malice. The air between them grew thick with tension as their auras clashed, each feeding on the power of the Nexus. Sparks flew as her blades met his, the clash of crimson light and dark metal illuminating the chamber in flashes of chaotic brilliance.

"I will show you why the galaxy will remember my name long after yours has been forgotten," she snarled, driving her assault forward with relentless precision.

The Heart of Shadows trembled, the dark energies within the chamber responding to their battle. It was no longer just a clash of blades—it was a war of wills, a contest to determine who would rise and who would fall. And Callidus had no intention of yielding.

 

[Darth Imperius]

Darth Callidus

"Still obsessed with your legacy I see."

That was about the entirety of words he would speak before the clash of wills started.

It was not some spar or training duel which happened here, in the Heart of Darkness, it was in all but name a kaggath, an ancient struggle manifesting the Dark side in its purest form, a physical incarnation of the Sith Code and an embrace of everything either of the combatants stood for. They were not fighting for who was correct, but for who was right and only might makes right. They knew they were right, they were even agreeing on details, but nature did not permit complacency, it did not allow for dullness to set in. It required action.

Callidus was a menace, the nexus empowering her beyond what she had shown so far, even more if she had been holding back before. The Dark side favored her and she rode on the stream like an avatar bending it to her will, she was fully engulfed in it, her limbs empowered, her mind amplified, her senses magnified. He saw the danger she posed, he respected the strength she possessed.

Anathema was less than a shadow in his hands, an aftertaste of a flicker on the retina. The black sword immediately went into a two handed grip and was directed to the the incoming lightsabers. It were ages of swordfighting, generations of studying lightsaber combat and hundreds of duels that culminated into precise action and reaction. He had turned halfway, the blade imitating to block the feint while meeting the attack at the hip with his sword pointing downwards.

Darth Imperius stood as if she were waves crashing upon a rock, unyielding like the foundations of stone. But through his eyes it was a mere opening, a test to take measure and for him, that was enough. It was certainly impossible to catch it with the organic eyes of a non-Force user, and even difficult for one attuned to it, to see his movements. His speed, despite the armor and size, was beyond reason. His defence seamlessly transitioning into an attack as he would force the lightsaber to follow his blade while he slashed it towards her abdomen in an upward motion.

 

[Darth Callidus]

Darth Imperius

The Heart of Shadows thrummed with life, its oppressive energy surging through the air with every clash of lightsaber and blade. Darth Callidus moved with relentless precision, her twin crimson lightsabers weaving a deadly dance of power and fury. Every strike she unleashed was a calculated assault, a test of her will and mastery over the Dark Side. Yet every move was met with the unyielding defense of Darth Imperius, his blade Anathema moving with impossible speed and precision.

Her silence was her weapon. She gave no ground, no words to feed his arrogance, no acknowledgment of his taunts. The hum of her sabers and the crackling energy of the Nexus spoke for her, their discordant song a testament to her refusal to bow. But as their duel raged on, a shadow crept into the edges of her mind—a flicker of doubt she could not ignore.

He's too strong.

The thought struck her like a blow, its very presence an insult to her pride. Her amber eyes flared with renewed fury as she batted away his upward slash, countering with a vicious sweep aimed at his flank. The move was perfect—calculated, precise—but Imperius was ready. His blade twisted, deflecting her strike effortlessly before transitioning into a counter of his own, forcing her to pivot away.

The doubt deepened, gnawing at her resolve. Is this his strength… or my failure?

Her rage boiled over, fed by the power of the Nexus that pulsed through the chamber like a living heartbeat. No. I am Darth Callidus. I do not fail. I do not lose. The very thought of defeat was an affront to everything she stood for, a wound to her pride that burned hotter than any physical blow.

She drew on the Dark Side, letting its chaotic energy consume her. Her free hand snapped forward, unleashing a burst of crackling Force lightning that arced toward Imperius like a storm given form. The shadows around them writhed and twisted, feeding on her fury as she poured her power into the attack.

"I will not be beaten!" she hissed, her voice a venomous snarl that cut through the din of battle. Her sabers moved in perfect unison, one slashing high while the other swept low in a vicious attempt to overwhelm him. Each strike was faster, more aggressive, fueled by a combination of desperation and wrath.

But Imperius was like the stone he embodied—unyielding, immovable. His blade danced through her assault, deflecting and countering with a precision that only deepened her fury. Sparks flew as Anathema met her lightsabers, the force of their clash sending shockwaves through the chamber.

Am I losing? The thought roared back into her mind, louder this time, impossible to silence. It infuriated her, stoking the fires of her rage to a white-hot intensity. Her grip on her lightsabers tightened, and she pushed herself harder, faster, her movements a blur of crimson light and deadly precision.

The Nexus's power surged through her veins, amplifying her every movement, every strike. She felt like a force of nature, an avatar of the Dark Side itself. But even as she drew on its limitless energy, she couldn't shake the nagging doubt that gnawed at her core. For every strike she made, Imperius had a counter. For every burst of raw power, he remained standing, his defense unshaken.

"I am the storm!" she roared, her voice echoing through the chamber. The shadows seemed to recoil and surge at her command, coiling around her like living tendrils of darkness. She raised one hand, summoning the raw power of the Force to hurl a wave of telekinetic energy toward him, even as she lunged forward with both lightsabers in a whirling arc of destruction.

The chamber trembled under the weight of their duel, the clash of their wills and power threatening to tear the very fabric of the Heart of Shadows apart. And yet, in the midst of her fury and desperation, the doubt lingered, a shadow she could not escape. It was a battle not just of strength but of resolve, and Callidus was determined to prove that her will was stronger, no matter the cost.

 

[Darth Imperius]

Darth Callidus

She was ferocious. Her style and technique were excellent, the speed impressive. Fueled by their surroundings and by the mere fact how he had challenged her, she was a whirlwind of blades swung in furious purpose and order. He imagined that barely anyone would hold out against this onslaught that she was offering to him, a testament to her willpower.

His blade though was everywhere hers were. It moved so effortlessly through the air as if it was weightless, he moved in perfect footing and motions that it seemed like a preplanned dance. It was usually not his style to let someone take the initiative, but pragmatism overruled pride, even now when his inner self was at a boiling point. It was an even match so far, his experience and swordplay offering a stern resistance to her speed and aggression.

But there was a sudden shift, he felt it, it was like a ripple that went through the nexus and her fury, her ferocity increased manifold. One of her blades glanced off his shoulder armor, for a second and several clashes, he was surprised by her change. But it had a wildness, a defiance to it the Dark Lord required a moment to see through. Yet the taste was unmistakable: Desperation.

The unleashed lightning that exploded towards him was caught in his extended hand, that massive gauntleted hand that was extended as if it was catching a ball. He did not dare to absorb the massive energies and rather deflected and defused them, his hand lowering, smoking as sparks still danced around it.

Darth Imperius was adapting to this new development. A wild beast was far more predictable. And he charged towards her, melting with the shadows as his instant acceleration was unnatural. He either phased or jumped through her telekinetic shockwave, avoiding her lightsabers narrowly and appeared next to her. With his being barely bound in reality, he attacked her, not just with sword but he used his sword as a conduit, a foundation for unrelenting violence. It was in close combat that he excelled and dominated.

With blade, hilt, fists, elbow he moved around her, seemingly attacking from various directions at once.

 

[Darth Callidus]

Darth Imperius

Darth Callidus's twin crimson blades moved with furious purpose, each strike a testament to her mastery and determination. She was relentless, her aggression spurred by the Nexus's dark energies and the mounting pressure of Darth Imperius's unyielding defense.

Her mind was a maelstrom of thought and emotion, the flicker of doubt igniting her rage into a wildfire. Desperation? Perhaps. But she would never acknowledge it. Instead, she channeled that fire into her strikes, pushing herself harder, faster, with every move. She was a storm, uncontainable and destructive, yet Imperius weathered her onslaught with an almost maddening precision.

The glance of her blade against his shoulder had been a small victory, one that should have bolstered her confidence, yet his swift adaptation turned her triumph into ash. He moved like a shadow given form, his hulking figure belying a speed and grace that defied reason. As her lightning arced toward him, his gauntleted hand deflected it with infuriating ease, the residual sparks casting jagged shadows across the chamber.

And then he was upon her.

Callidus barely had time to react as Imperius charged through her telekinetic wave, his form melding with the shadows in a way that defied the physical. His sudden proximity sent a jolt of alarm through her, but she refused to falter. Her lightsabers twisted in a defensive arc, their crimson glow carving lines of fire through the darkened air.

But Imperius was relentless. His blade danced with terrifying speed, not just a weapon but an extension of his will. The hilt of his sword struck against her guard, forcing her back a step, followed by a sudden elbow that glanced off her shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through her. She pivoted, her sabers slashing in a wide arc to regain her space, but his assault was unrelenting.

Each strike was a hammer blow, his blade, fists, and elbows moving in a seamless rhythm that left her little room to breathe. She parried, blocked, and twisted, her focus narrowing to the immediacy of the fight. Yet his movements began to chip away at her composure, his sheer dominance in close combat forcing her onto the defensive.

This cannot be happening.

The thought burned in her mind, an ember of defiance that refused to be extinguished. The Dark Side surged within her, a desperate tide that she called upon to fuel her resistance. She spun low, her left blade sweeping toward his knees while her right hand extended, unleashing another surge of Force lightning aimed at his torso.

"I will not fall to you!" she snarled, her voice raw with fury.

Yet even as the words left her lips, a deeper truth gnawed at her resolve. Imperius's strength was undeniable, his mastery of close combat a skill she had underestimated. Each clash of their weapons felt like a weight pressing down on her, a reminder of the power he wielded and the possibility that she might not overcome it.

Her anger flared, drowning out the seed of doubt with a roar of defiance. She stepped into his assault, her lightsabers a whirlwind of motion as she matched his ferocity with her own. But for every strike she made, he seemed to anticipate, counter, and exploit her movements. The realization stung like a dagger in her mind.

I am losing.

The thought was unbearable, a wound to her pride that cut deeper than any physical strike. Her rage turned molten, and she called upon the Nexus once more, her presence swelling with the power of the Dark Side. Shadows coiled around her, amplifying her strength as she drove her assault forward.

But for all her fury, for all her power, Imperius remained an unrelenting storm, his attacks pushing her closer to the edge of defeat. And still, she fought, her silence now a shield for the turmoil raging within.

The Heart of Shadows trembled, the air thick with the weight of their conflict. Darth Callidus refused to fall, refused to yield, but the flicker of doubt remained—a shadow in her mind that even the blinding fury of the Dark Side could not entirely banish. Grimacing, Callidus leapt backwards from the melee, deactivating her lightsabers as she did so and began channeling the Dark Side of the Force. The moment her feet slammed into the ground, she released the contained energy, and a wall of Force Destruction hurtled towards Imperius.