The mask.
It hovered above the pedestal now, suspended by nothing, glowing red, humming as the fforve warped around it. The hum grew louder with each second. The acolyte stopped shouting at the grandmaster as he turned and saw the mask. He reached up.
"No," Jaden muttered.
The mask settled into his hands. He stared into it like it was speaking to him.
Then he placed it over his face.
Jaden shouted, "NO!"
The second the mask locked in place, the Force detonated.
A shockwave ripped through the temple. Jedi were thrown like leaves in a storm. The few Masters who remained standing were knocked flat. Scout hit the ground beside Jaden with a sharp cry. Aubrie was flung into a column. Zule barely caught herself with her cybernetic hand.
The acolyte stood untouched in the center. Except this time he wore a long dark cloak along with the mask of Darth Nihilus. The force seemed to bend and warp around him; the air in the temple was suffocating, it was as if a mountain was being pressed on everyone inside the room. "I can feel it," he whispered. "The Force... it's mine."
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!" He laughed maniacally.
"I am a god!!!" He screamed.
Master Windu rolled to his feet, his purple saber igniting with a sharp snap-hiss. He charged and behind him, three more Masters followed.
The air twisted around him, then detonated outward in a concussive shockwave that rippled like a thunderclap through the chamber. The floor cracked beneath his feet. Columns groaned and split as the wave tore through the room. Windu was hurled backward, his boots scraping a long trench through the stone before he slammed into a pillar. Others fared worse, one Jedi crashed through a support beam, snapping stone and bone alike, while another hit the far wall with a sickening crunch and crumpled motionless to the floor.
Only the strongest stood firm. Yoda braced against the force with both hands raised, his robes flaring behind him. Fay leaned into the blast with her arms spread, as she used the force to push forward as well as anchor herself to the ground r. Plo Koon slid half a step but planted his heels, weathering the storm with his fists clenched and his muscles tightened.
"You can't stop me!" the acolyte roared, and the Force twisted around him like a storm trapped inside flesh. Lightning bled from his finger, arcing through the air without direction or mercy. His eyes were wide, energy was irradatiating from them, his veins were pulsing with raw energy that didn't belong in any living body.
"I am beyond death!" he screamed. His voice cracked with madness. "Beyond all of you!"
Jaden dragged himself upright, one hand pressed to his knee to stop the trembling in his legs. Every nerve in his body screamed. The last hit had knocked the air from his lungs and nearly shattered his already broken ribs, but that wasn't what shook him. It was the presence in front of him. The thing the acolyte had become. This wasn't just a dark side user pushed past his limit like he had done. This was someone who had given up everything to become something else entirely.
A wound.
He glanced sideways. Zule had both hands on her saber, her knuckles were white from holding it too tightly. Her stance was strong, but her mouth was tight and she was shaking. Aubrie and Scout were behind him, just starting to rise from where the last blast had thrown them. Their movements were sluggish. Scout's cheek was cut open. Aubrie's arm hung at her side, limp.
They were all afraid.
Jaden swallowed. The copper taste of blood clung to his tongue. His chest ached with every breath. But he wasn't going to let this end here.
"When I say run, you run," he said quietly.
They all looked to him shock on their face. "What?" Aubrie asked.
He didn't look at her. He kept his eyes on the acolyte, who was nkw walking forward, letting arcs of lightning dance across the stone floor scorching it and even shocking the less powerful Jedi.
"I said run," Jaden repeated leaving no room for argument. If they argued, they'd lose time. If they hesitated, they'd die. He had seen enough battles to know when an enemy couldn't be outmatched, and this was one of those times.
The Force around the acolyte wasn't just dark. It was fractured. Violent. Unstable. Jaden could feel it vibrating through his bones. "He's not human anymore," Jaden whispered.
A voice echoed from the far side of the chamber.
"VOX!"
All heads turned.
Collan Eislo stood at the archway, barely upright. His tunic was soaked in blood, and he held his side with one trembling hand. He stumbled forward desperately trying to reach the acolyte.
"Vox! Please!" he cried. "You know me! I brought you here! Heal me! Finish this with me! We can rule them—"
He took a step forward.
"We can kill them all."
The figure turned. The mask shifted slightly as he tilted his head.
Then he laughed.
"You?" Vox said. "You're obsolete."
He raised a hand and clenched his fist.
Collan twisted midair. Bones shattered. Limbs bent the wrong way. A wet crunch echoed. His body hit the ground, unrecognizable.
Jaden stared. His lips parted slightly.
"Shit," he muttered.
Vox turned to him.
"You should thank me," he said. "As my first edict as the new ruler of everything I shall allow you all to die quickly."
Jaden stepped forward. His lightsaber ignited.
"No. You won't."
Vox raised a hand, but before he could release the wave, Yoda appeared beside Jaden.
"Fight him, we must," the old Master said. "Together."
Master Fay stepped up beside them. Windu returned, dragging a limp arm but still ready. Other Jedi Masters began regrouping, forming a line. All of their lightsabers ignited forming a sea of blue and green—with the odd splash of purple. The Padawans were placed at the rear with the Knights after them and then the Masters. Stood at the very front was the Jedi Council and Jaden, as they were the only ones capable of protecting themselves against the sheer anger and hatred that rolled off of the acolyte.
Vox laughed. "Very well, if you wish to all die together than I shan't deny you that," he then lifted his palm and closed it. Immediately waves of pressure began to pulse off of him; each way blew so hard that the Jedi could barely hold onto the ground.
Yoda pushed back against the wave, his calm expression being replaced with a fierce one. "Together!" He said loudly as he signalled the rest of the council. All together they pushed back against the waves and managed to overpower Vox and send him stumbling.
Vox tilted his head back and laughed. The sound echoed through the temple like metal dragging across stone. "Very well," he said. "If you wish to die together, then I shall grant it."
He lifted his right arm, extending his palm toward the gathered Jedi. Then he closed his hand into a tight fist.
Waves of pressure pulsed from his body. The air distorted visibly. Each wave struck the Jedi lines with brutal force. The floor vibrated. Robes snapped like sails in a storm. Even the most seasoned Masters struggled to keep their footing. Yoda stepped forward. He held both hands in front of him and pushed into the pressure. His expression, usually serene, hardened into one of fierce intent. "Together!" he shouted, and his voice rang through the chamber.
The Jedi Council moved in unison. All at once, they extended their power forward. The wave of Force energy surged from their outstretched hands and met Vox's pressure head-on. The chamber shook. Stone cracked beneath their feet. The two waves collided with an ear-shattering boom. For a moment, it seemed like the energy might tear the room apart.
Then Vox stumbled back.
He gritted his teeth and steadied himself. The blow hadn't harmed him, but it had forced him to retreat.
(AN: Sup guys, sorry for the no uploads, tbh sometimes I forget and other times idek. Anyway I'll try keep it more consistent.)
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