Altair and a woman of some other alien race are in a hall lit up in red, outside a door. From the other side of the door there's a man ranting.
"My lords, his Master was corrupt! He is corrupt! Without Sith tradition, we are nothing!"
Altair opened the door, and headed into the room, just as a heavily armored man on one of the thrones in the room spoke, "And what are you suggesting we do about it?"
"You know what the situation requires. Order must be preserved. Punishment meted out. If we are to conquer our enemies, Zash's former apprentice must die."
"I'm flattered you talk about me to all your friends, Darth Thanaton," Altair said, as he moved toward the older Sith, while the woman with him remained by the door, standing with her arms crossed, merely watching the situation.
"Our talk concerns the future of the Sith order! A future without you!" The older Sith- Thanaton said, as he turned to face Altair.
"Then why haven't you killed him yet?!" One of the men on the thrones called, sounding impatient.
"You know as well as I do, these things require the proper rites," Thanaton responded, looking toward the other Sith.
"The Kaggath is a playground game. Murder has no rules."
"The Kaggath is an honored tradition of the Sith! Tulak Hord competed! Marka Ragnos! Ludo Kressh!"
The heavily armored Sith spoke again, "The question stands: Why has this apprentice, this child, proved impossible for you to kill?"
"It's simple," Altair said, "I beat him at his own game."
"Don't mock me," Thanaton hissed, turning to Altair again, as the impatient Sith turned to one of his fellows to speak, "I swear, if you don't silence Thanaton, I will!"
"I will not be betrayed. I will not die. And when I've killed this slave, you will all answer for it."
Thanaton pulled his lightsaber then, and Altair pulled his pike from where it rested on his back. The battle between the two was fierce, both men fighting desperately, the blades clashing over and over, though it was obvious enough that Altair was gaining the upper hand. They were both fighting for their right to survive.
And it ended with Thanaton down on his knees, and Altair above him with his lightsaber.
"No," Thanaton said, "I won't be defeated. I can't be!"
A few of the watching Sith moved in their chairs. Some leaning back, others watching intently.
Thanaton got to his feet, sending a flash of Force lightning at Altair, who easily deflected it with a hand. Another zap, deflected just as easily, Altair approaching the old Sith again, and the man responded by conjuring up a Force storm, centered on Altair. The electricity surrounded him, and it was obviously painful if the way he cried out was anything to go by.
The electricity surrounded him, and for a moment, it almost seemed like Thanaton had gotten the upper hand- then the storm around him broke, as four ghostly figures appeared behind him, turning to smoke soon after, but as Thanaton conjured more electricity, this time Altair was prepared- he lashed out with the Force, flinging the old Sith clean across the room and into the wall hard enough to crack it, and the cracking noise that follows as Thanaton is pinned to his walls was the sound of him being choked as he clawed at his throat.
As he dropped to the floor, he pulled his lightsaber and ran at Altair with the blade raised- only to be stopped mid-strike.
Thanaton dropped his lightsaber, the blade flickering off, and the pressure Altair was putting on him through the Force forced him down on all fours- Altair letting up once he was down, thinking that he might have done enough, humiliated him enough in front of his Council buddies.
Not quite though, as Thanaton tried to draw up more power for another attack- only for the shock of lightning from Altair to beat him down again. Finally they were left with the old man trying to crawl away, whimpering, crying, and three other Sith have left their chairs- one spoke, "I'm sorry, Thanaton."
And with that, he snapped the old Darth's neck, and Thanaton laid dead on the Council chamber floor.
"Good riddance to him," The impatient Sith said, haughtily, and the heavily armored one snapped back; "He was a better Sith than you give him credit for, Ravage."
"Let's hope his successor is as worthy," The Sith who'd broken Thanaton's neck said, and moves to gesture at one of the thrones, looking at Altair, "My Lord. Your seat."
Altair looked genuinely surprised for a moment, and then put a hand to his chest and bowed and managed a "My Lords, I'm... I'm truly honored. I was not expecting this at all."
"You just killed a Dark Council member in fair combat. What did you expect?" The heavily armored one said, only for Ravage to speak again- or yell, rather.
"He's only a Lord! You can't put a Lord on the Dark Council!"
"Quiet, Ravage!" The armored one snapped, "He's earned his place."
The Sith the turned to Altair, and spoke, "By order of the Dark Council and in light of your reputation as a master of the Dark side, you are now Darth Nox!"
Altair bowed again, briefly, and moved to his throne, climbing up the few steps, and sitting down, as the others did the same.
The heavily armored Sith spoke once more, "You are head of the pyramid of Ancient Knowledge. You are charged with keeping the mystical knowledge of the Sith and guarding the secrets of our Order. With us, you are ruler of all the Sith, and answerable only to the Emperor himself."
"I will do my best to live up to my new position," Altair replied, shifting in his seat, which looked to be a few sizes too big for him- there was probably space enough for three of him to sit comfortably together, and the arm rests near reached midway up his upper arms. If he leaned back, the people sitting next to him probably wouldn't see him.
"Never trust the humble ones," Ravage commented.
"Our business here is concluded," The Sith who had first recognized Altair's right to be on the Council said, "You would do well to meet with your followers on Dromund Kaas and ensure their loyalty."
---
And then the memory faded away, leaving Tommy and Altair back in the space that was very much suited to Altair's personality.
"No matter how much time passes, I think I'll always remember that day well."
no subject
"My lords, his Master was corrupt! He is corrupt! Without Sith tradition, we are nothing!"
Altair opened the door, and headed into the room, just as a heavily armored man on one of the thrones in the room spoke, "And what are you suggesting we do about it?"
"You know what the situation requires. Order must be preserved. Punishment meted out. If we are to conquer our enemies, Zash's former apprentice must die."
"I'm flattered you talk about me to all your friends, Darth Thanaton," Altair said, as he moved toward the older Sith, while the woman with him remained by the door, standing with her arms crossed, merely watching the situation.
"Our talk concerns the future of the Sith order! A future without you!" The older Sith- Thanaton said, as he turned to face Altair.
"Then why haven't you killed him yet?!" One of the men on the thrones called, sounding impatient.
"You know as well as I do, these things require the proper rites," Thanaton responded, looking toward the other Sith.
"The Kaggath is a playground game. Murder has no rules."
"The Kaggath is an honored tradition of the Sith! Tulak Hord competed! Marka Ragnos! Ludo Kressh!"
The heavily armored Sith spoke again, "The question stands: Why has this apprentice, this child, proved impossible for you to kill?"
"It's simple," Altair said, "I beat him at his own game."
"Don't mock me," Thanaton hissed, turning to Altair again, as the impatient Sith turned to one of his fellows to speak, "I swear, if you don't silence Thanaton, I will!"
"I will not be betrayed. I will not die. And when I've killed this slave, you will all answer for it."
Thanaton pulled his lightsaber then, and Altair pulled his pike from where it rested on his back. The battle between the two was fierce, both men fighting desperately, the blades clashing over and over, though it was obvious enough that Altair was gaining the upper hand. They were both fighting for their right to survive.
And it ended with Thanaton down on his knees, and Altair above him with his lightsaber.
"No," Thanaton said, "I won't be defeated. I can't be!"
A few of the watching Sith moved in their chairs. Some leaning back, others watching intently.
Thanaton got to his feet, sending a flash of Force lightning at Altair, who easily deflected it with a hand. Another zap, deflected just as easily, Altair approaching the old Sith again, and the man responded by conjuring up a Force storm, centered on Altair. The electricity surrounded him, and it was obviously painful if the way he cried out was anything to go by.
The electricity surrounded him, and for a moment, it almost seemed like Thanaton had gotten the upper hand- then the storm around him broke, as four ghostly figures appeared behind him, turning to smoke soon after, but as Thanaton conjured more electricity, this time Altair was prepared- he lashed out with the Force, flinging the old Sith clean across the room and into the wall hard enough to crack it, and the cracking noise that follows as Thanaton is pinned to his walls was the sound of him being choked as he clawed at his throat.
As he dropped to the floor, he pulled his lightsaber and ran at Altair with the blade raised- only to be stopped mid-strike.
Thanaton dropped his lightsaber, the blade flickering off, and the pressure Altair was putting on him through the Force forced him down on all fours- Altair letting up once he was down, thinking that he might have done enough, humiliated him enough in front of his Council buddies.
Not quite though, as Thanaton tried to draw up more power for another attack- only for the shock of lightning from Altair to beat him down again. Finally they were left with the old man trying to crawl away, whimpering, crying, and three other Sith have left their chairs- one spoke, "I'm sorry, Thanaton."
And with that, he snapped the old Darth's neck, and Thanaton laid dead on the Council chamber floor.
"Good riddance to him," The impatient Sith said, haughtily, and the heavily armored one snapped back; "He was a better Sith than you give him credit for, Ravage."
"Let's hope his successor is as worthy," The Sith who'd broken Thanaton's neck said, and moves to gesture at one of the thrones, looking at Altair, "My Lord. Your seat."
Altair looked genuinely surprised for a moment, and then put a hand to his chest and bowed and managed a "My Lords, I'm... I'm truly honored. I was not expecting this at all."
"You just killed a Dark Council member in fair combat. What did you expect?" The heavily armored one said, only for Ravage to speak again- or yell, rather.
"He's only a Lord! You can't put a Lord on the Dark Council!"
"Quiet, Ravage!" The armored one snapped, "He's earned his place."
The Sith the turned to Altair, and spoke, "By order of the Dark Council and in light of your reputation as a master of the Dark side, you are now Darth Nox!"
Altair bowed again, briefly, and moved to his throne, climbing up the few steps, and sitting down, as the others did the same.
The heavily armored Sith spoke once more, "You are head of the pyramid of Ancient Knowledge. You are charged with keeping the mystical knowledge of the Sith and guarding the secrets of our Order. With us, you are ruler of all the Sith, and answerable only to the Emperor himself."
"I will do my best to live up to my new position," Altair replied, shifting in his seat, which looked to be a few sizes too big for him- there was probably space enough for three of him to sit comfortably together, and the arm rests near reached midway up his upper arms. If he leaned back, the people sitting next to him probably wouldn't see him.
"Never trust the humble ones," Ravage commented.
"Our business here is concluded," The Sith who had first recognized Altair's right to be on the Council said, "You would do well to meet with your followers on Dromund Kaas and ensure their loyalty."
---
And then the memory faded away, leaving Tommy and Altair back in the space that was very much suited to Altair's personality.
"No matter how much time passes, I think I'll always remember that day well."