The Art of Chaos and Darkness

Chapter Nine

The shot whistled by Din, passing his helmet by centimeters.

There was a thud and groan behind him. He spun around to see a bounty hunter falling to his knees, a neat blaster hole in his chest. His eyes were glazing over but he looked at Valda. "They will come for you, Aslyran. No where... left to run." His eyes slipped shut.

Din spun to face Valda but she'd already re-aimed the blaster at his head. She grimaced and then lowered the weapon. "I can't shoot through the beskar anyways." She tossed the blaster at his feet. He kept his eyes trained on her as he holstered it. Apparently he would be needing new holsters if this blaster had fallen out when she'd flipped the table on him and she had somehow gotten her hands on it.

She watched him, those strange eyes near glowing in the dark.

"Who is coming for you?" he asked.

Valda just shrugged.

Din repressed his frustrated growl. "You really have no idea."

She held out her wrists. "Better cuff me so we can go back to the ship."

He eyed the broken ones still around her wrists. Then his gaze shifted to the shock collar and she could have sworn she flinched, hand tentatively reaching to touch the device. Din shook his head, remembering the club and the rage that had literally shaken her. How she had risked her life just to set the two females free. "I won't use it on you," he told her.

Valda didn't relax at all. She didn't trust him but given her history, he didn't blame her. "And I won't cuff you. But you can't stay here. Your best chance is with me. I'm taking you to Moraband."

She opened her mouth seemingly to argue but then froze. Her posture shifted and the air in the clearing changed.

"What?" Din took a step forward.

"Get out of the way." Her voice was low and her eyes were focused past his shoulder. "Get behind me and run."

"What?" Din stopped when he was level with her and turned to follow where she was looking. But it was nothing but dark forest.

"This is not your fight, Mandalorian." Her eyes were still on the trees. "And he will kill you. Run."

"Who?"

"Him." Valda jerked her chin to the edge of the clearing where a hooded figure stepped from the dark.

In his hand he held a lightsaber and the crimson blade exploded to life.

Din breathed out. "A Jedi?"

"That's no Jedi." Valda slid her feet into a fighting stance. "Get out of here before he kills you."

"He'll kill you!"  Din snapped.

"Valda Aslyran," the hooded figure spoke.  "The Emperor has been searching for you for a long time." 

Valda raised her palms.  "Pity that finding me will result in his death. And yours." 

"There is no emperor," Din hissed. "He was killed along with the Empire."

The hooded figure chuckled. "How ignorant you are. The Emperor can never truly be gone. He is much to strong for that."

Valda backed up a step as the hooded figure advanced. "The Emperor will fall as all of the New Order will."

The figure's lightsaber hummed as he flipped it in his hand. "And who will do that? You? And this Mandalorian? The Ancient Sith are weak and foolish, clinging to old ideals and religion."

"What the hell is he talking about?" Din drew both his blasters.

"Not now, Mandalorian." Valda snapped. "I told you to get out of here."

"You're my bounty. Why the hell would I leave you for someone else to find?"

The hooded figure was still talking.  "The New Order is the future of the galaxy. Of the Sith. Look at you, weak and weaponless and running from fate. The Ancient Sith have neared their end. Your death will be the start of their downfall, Darth Kchaos."

Din's head snapped to Valda. "You're a Sith?"

Her jaw clenched and she didn't answer, eyes focused on the man in front of them.

The figure paused and cocked his head to the side. "You didn't tell him? Interesting."

"Tell me what?" Din spat. "What did you not tell me?"

The lightsaber hummed in the silence. "She is the Chaosbringer. The right hand to the King of the Ancient Sith. She is Darth Kchaos."

Din couldn't fully comprehend the full weight of her title but he understood well enough. "You told me there were no Sith. You told me they were nothing but legend."

Finally Valda turned her full gaze on him. Her eyes blazed like burning embers. "I lied."

Din was speechless from both her cold and dead tone and the silent rage on her face. Before he could react, Valda had reached over his back and taken the pure beskar staff from his back. She shoved him away with more strength that should have been possible, sending him stumbling.

Valda spun the staff in her hand and faced the figure. He drew back his hood revealing a strikingly young face. His mouth stretched into a wicked grin. The lightsaber hummed and he leapt through the air, bringing it down for a strike to kill. Valda pivoted, batting away the blow with the staff. The lightsaber struck the beskar, heating the metal a brilliant gold and red.  Valda shoved him off, swinging the staff around.

Across the clearing they fought, while Din could do nothing but watch. It was an intricate dance, one wrong move could cost either their life. Din had never seen anything like it.. They leapt higher than humanly possible, the swift acrobatics and strength in their strikes was breath-taking. And then there was the way they moved objects with their minds. The same way Grogu had but this was different. It didn't seem to drain either warrior and every time they did, Din could literally feel the effect. It was as darkness had taken form and would rush through the clearing, destroying everything in it's path.

Both opponents appeared to be tiring, and Valda stumble slightly. The lightsaber hummed as it swung, the hooded figure seeing his opened. Valda cried out as it cut deep into her bicep. She sent a wave of energy, hurling the figure back. He struck a tree, hitting the ground with a thud. He reached for his fallen lightsaber but it flew from his fingertips and into Valda's waiting hand. She ignited the blade. "You are a disgrace to the Sith order. There will be no honor in your death."

"The New Order will find you," the figure hissed.  "He finds everyone.  You can't hide forever, Darth Kchaos."

Valda raised the lightsaber and the hooded figure grinned. He flung out his hand. Rock shattered and broke and then exploded. Din only had time to look up before he saw the shower of stone and debris raining down on him.

Then the darkness closed in.