Memoirs and Recollection of a Fractured Heart - Sovernus Nova

[Lord Iezkon]

Entry #14 of Horuset Chronicles:
Eternal Rivalry

***A detailed experience regarding a confrontation between Morgus Gra'kahn and Sovernus Nova in Korriban.***

Reunion

Rivalry of strength advances power.

An old proverb purported to be said by my ancestor, Lord Kravig Nova “The Militant”. During an age of conflict and strife, he commanded fleets in border skirmishes and territorial conflicts with an iron grip. His views were diverging from his contemporaries, whereas those of us often held disdain and outright scorn for our enemies- in part due to our inherent genetic superiority, he respected his opposition for playing a part in strengthening the military by subjecting us through adversity.

Some believed him mad. Others admire his pragmatism. For me, he had a greater understanding in something people often overlook. And one of the few men that truly committed and applied his worldview into practice. Alas I digress in speaking what I initially intended.

Amidst the turmoil that plagued my days, I was reminded of an anticipated confrontation with an old foe underneath the statue of the Master of Gathering Darkness in Korriban. As such I intended to follow my ancestor’s path, and readily embrace the adversity that is upon me.

Truthfully the recovery of my broken body was not yet completed. Much more so the emotional and mental backlash I had to sustain in the last few weeks. In addition to even more stress my body accumulated whilst still confined to the bed. Apparently, I was strangled and nearly choked to death by Valkara during the blackouts I experience… It seems Sovereign brought her contemptuous side out from within, as no doubt with merely verbal wit he has made progress in engineering her descent into darkness.

Whilst my neck feels uncomfortably sore from the aftermath of whatever transpired, I was more concerned with the fact that she disregarded the distance needed to be maintained between us. Had she listened to me, she would not have been emotionally driven to act uncharacteristically of her.

Damn it all...Why won’t she listen to me for once? The risk involved- it’s completely and utterly irrational. Does she not care about herself?

…

I should not be one to talk. Much less diverge from the topic at hand.

Despite the incomplete recovery of the injury that Lord Sanguinis inflicted upon me, I was compelled to travel to Korriban even if I had to drag my worthless self there. Against an individual I vehemently fear and respect, I could not disappoint him any longer.

Under the ravenous gaze of the sun, I approached the ancient statue of the revered Tulak Hord. The dust and withering sands were obscuring my vision yet a familiar sense of dread overcame me, accompanied by a terrifying figure cladded in obsidian armour with void-like robes. Upon focusing these cloudy pupils at him, I was greeted by an infernal stare of destitute beyond the terror inducing mask he wore. One that utterly evoked a sensation of freezing chill sliding down my spine.

Morgus Gra'kahn.

His presence alone radiated in unison to the dark taint of the landscape. I have encountered many Sith that compels fear within me, yet a gnawing sensation of creeping terror was more prevalent in him than others. Though it was exceptionally unnatural than ever before.

Adrift fracturing memories, an amalgamation of terror resurfaced. Sweat drenched my cheeks in cold fervor, an underlying terror screaming in rippling vibrations caused my fingers to curl into a forceful fist- with nails desperately digging into my shivering palm.

This was true fear.

“Sovernus…”

“…My lord.”

From that brief exchange he narrowed those tainted eyes with disapproval- if not outright disappointment. Addressing him properly was formality, but it outlined the difference in our position and authority. As though the Arkanian he was waiting for was supposed to be a rival of respectable power, yet the memory of the aspirant that defeated him long ago was tarnished in place of a stagnant weakling that stood before him.

Without uttering another word, he allowed his actions to speak for him. A potent Force Wave blasted with contemptuous magnitude drove my physique into the dirt. Before I could recover, he immediately unsheathes an obsidian hilt from his belt, extending it to his side as though it were wings of annihilation. A crimson red beam of light projected to the side, carrying with it a sensation of imminent death.

A baleful gale adorned our battlefield, Morgus was taking decisive steps one after the other. He was exemplifying his dreadnought presence, neither hurrying nor slowing down- merely walking towards me. Yet by doing so, he commanded an image of an indestructible juggernaut, who will destroy anything in his path.

My body could not react, it was a tinge of underlying fear that consumed me and before I realized it, I was plunged deep into the traumatizing memories of being subjected to his ruthless cruelty. In that split moment I realized the frailty of my convictions and the desolate state of my resolve. For in the past I charged forward with zeal against this dreadful behemoth without hesitation. While others were consumed by their cowardice just by the mere mention of his name, I was unwavering in my desire to protect the one I loved.

…Protect.

I was fighting for something greater than myself in the past. Love overwhelmed my rationality and prevailed in driving forth this vessel, to place my life on the line if only to save hers. I had accepted the notion of death if only to keep it at bay- to safeguard her from being claimed by it.

I’ve lost her now. I became half the man I was- or not even a sliver of it. A mere hollow shell of my former self. There was no end to the self-inflicting loathing that became the perpetual thoughts that plagued me. Yet if I had nothing to fight for, I would lose the only thing I have now. My life.

Clenching the hilt of my training blade, fear quaked throughout my shivering palms. Before I could anchor my stance down, Morgus swung his crimson lightsaber downwards in a vertical arc- one that would have escorted me to the afterlife. I barely glanced it and changed its trajectory enough to stall my end, yet the fearsome strength behind it nearly caused me to drop my own blade.

I scrambled upwards up a sandy dune, the desperation would be visible by now exemplifying that it was less of a duel than it was survival situation. Above the sandy elevation, I immediately dispersed the sands downwards through Force Push, whether it succeeds in blinding or obscuring his vision it matters not- it served as a distraction nonetheless. I predicted that due to his innate nature he would scatter the veil through another use of Force Wave and thus I concentrated on creating a focused barrier whilst readying myself to lunge forth.

Soon enough he did what I anticipated, and I leaped above to avoid the telekinetic projection due to my high ground- yet the potent wave shattered my barrier regardless due to its ambient projection. I miscalculated in its raw power and found myself thrown a fair distance to the side. Yet I charged forth nonetheless aiming to perform a Sun Djem on his weapon hand, but the transition of his sequence was seamless and immediately after he launched the telekinetic wave he soon followed it with a horizontal parry that rippled with vigorous fortitude, enough to compel the blade to fly away from my hand.

Retreating, I sought to utilize environmental advantages and noted the broken pillar behind me. Digging deeper into my hatred and self-loathing I broke the lower end of the pillar through telekinetic rage as it toppled downwards. A split second later I would commit to dodging by means of rolling as I hear the pillar crashing down on where I last saw Morgus.

He would not have died simply due to that. I did not wait for the dust to settle as I Force Pulled my training blade to my hand, I immediately went behind a cover behind a stone debris and casted my blade with Force Push towards where he was. A split second afterwards I would utilize the built up anger and surge forth a Force Shock to overload the battery, and soon enough the metal exploded in shrapnel.

There was a furious scream that echoed within the scattering dusts, one that rang heavily in my ears and caused myself to involuntarily cover my ears. Soon after Morgus launched a telekinetic blast outwards to destroy the debris I was hiding behind. I flailed backwards, unable to defend against it, coughing vehemently as I stood up shaking.

Like an unstoppable juggernaut fueled by endless fury, he emerged from the scattered dusts as though unwavering from being subjected to pain. He was evidently injured from the pillar and shrapnel, yet his demeanour and act of simply trudging forward with his crimson lightsaber in hand showed nothing of him being affected at all. There was a tempered anger in his eyes, something that allowed him to control the pain.

With a swift movement of his wrist, a Force Grip was conjured which paralysed the autonomy of most of my movement. Dangling in the air, he smashed me downwards before him. With a titantic grasp clasping around my neck he brought me closer to the fear inducing expression of his mask.

“Bring. Him. Out.”

A sudden jolt ran through my spine. The fear compounded in agonizing symphony, as though a knife gutted me and twisted ever slowly if only to seek pleasure of the terror I was experiencing. I stared helplessly into his volcanic eyes and questioned him how he knows about Sovereign. He dismissed the name, stating that he knows nothing of it. But he understood that there was another side of me. One that was unrelentingly ruthless and had an unbendable will comparable to the undying stars. One that was worthy to be called his rival.

He spoke commandingly that I have ten seconds to break out of my helpless shell and become the Sith I ‘was meant to be’. He had already begun counting, and it was nearing five seconds as he was staring with intense scrutiny into my eyes as though he was waiting for something that was completely diverging from the fear that it reflects.

“Five…”

I struggled as hard as I could from his vicious grip. His grip was tightening and the searing sensation clogged my throat, I could feel his palm imprinting a bruise on my neck. No amount of words could describe the level of panic-

“Four…”

I wailed in excruciating pain. Death was approaching with each tightening motion of his clasp. Attempting to free from his grip was as daunting as splitting a mountain in two, each attempt of wrenching his hand apart was only met with futility.

“Three…”

I took breathing for granted… What was once something I was never truly conscious of, was now the sole fixation of my existence. I felt the throbbing in my eyes, as tears started streaming out in agonizing symphony.

“Two…”

There was that memory again.

The dream I had flashed before me. I was in a serene environment, walking through fields of tranquility wearing the trappings of a Jedi. There was peace to be found in my surroundings… Something that soothed me as I watched others in the garden. There was that right touch of smile painted on my face, as though I was in perfect harmony with the life I had chosen.

Did I walk the wrong path?

I only ever told Valkara of this dream when we were together in the waterfall, planning her escape to return to her Jedi Master. She thought that it was a sign that I was destined to become like her. A Jedi. I dismissed it as a strange dream, but she believed it was a vision…

…She wanted me to come with her.

In truth…. I never thought I would want something so badly in my life… but I did not want to admit it. I told her she should worry about herself first and focus on escaping. When she wanted to protest, I interjected and said that she should only worry about me once she was safe- and not anytime sooner. She begrudgingly accepted but promised that she would come back for me one day.

Perhaps in another life things would have been different.

“One…”

Each successive punch was as brutal as the next as blood spluttered out of my mouth. Coughing is too mild of a word, as I felt I was spilling out my guts. I was in between gasping for air but also choking at my own blood, the suffocation was excruciatingly painful.

Without uttering another word, Morgus lingered in his silence gazing at the failure I had become. He soon departed, leaving behind a remnant of his past, disappointed in how it all ended. I slumped against the withering sands underneath the devouring gaze of the sun. Crimson sands outlined my figure as I felt life ebbing away from me.

My consciousness was fading, the embrace of death was far more soothing than I imagined. Each breath I exhale were fragments of my soul, flowing gently away into the afterlife. I took what I felt were my final moments into heart and contemplated over the fact that it had to end.

Yet something deep within the recesses of my mind clung to life. The engines of my heart started to beat once more. A sudden exhilaration filled me with both terror and adrenaline. My consciousness was fading, but no longer was it slipping away into an obscure void- it was embracing abyssal emotions that were indescribable in its hatred and fury.

That was when I realized. Sovereign was not yet done with me.