Nightmares and Darkness

He stalked the area, reaching out in a seemingly vain attempt to sense his prey. His normal senses couldn’t detect the enemy, and the Force was blind to him as well. Still, there were ways. He could focus on what he couldn’t sense, where a hole appeared in the Force. It felt like the hole behind him…

The man unclipped a 30-centimeter rod from his belt and pressed a button on it. A blood-red beam of plasma energy sprang forth, reflecting off his helmet and casting shadows all around. He glanced around, increasing his breathing so he’d have more oxygen available for him. After all, his opponent was right…there!

He swung around and brought up his lightsaber in a blocking position as a creature birthed from insanity leapt at him. What appeared to be living rope sprang from the creature’s arms and snapped at him with razor-sharp teeth. The creature rolled to the left and gripped his opponent’s shoulders, snarling. “You are good, infidel. But I shall triumph over Skywalker’s father!” He jumped back and stood tall, allowing ‘Skywalker’s father’ to shine his lightsaber over him and finally gauge his opponent. He stood almost as tall as him, covered from neck to ankles in dull brown armor. A variety of writhing weapons were attached to his belt, and a shimmering cloak hung from large hooks in his shoulders. Tsavong Lah, Warmaster of the Yuuzhan Vong, snorted and hurled a globule of spit onto Darth Vader’s obsidian-black armor.

Vader chuckled as he brought his lightsaber up to ready position, while Lah’s amphistaff snapped and hissed. “You really think you can defeat the Dark Side? Don’t make me laugh. I destroyed a millennia-old order and sent it’s most powerful leaders into hiding. You and your followers are nothing to me.” With that he called upon the Force, augmented his leg strength and leapt at the Warmaster. Lah readied himself, and when Vader collided with him, he hung on. The two rolled around, tussling for position. Vader got his right hand free and plunged his blade into Lah’s gut-or he tried to. The scarlet blade skidded across the Warmaster’s abdominal plates while the amphistaff clamped onto Vader’s helmet!

The dark lord snarled as the living staff scratched and gouged micrometer scars in his helmet. Lah clenched his fist, and the amphistaff uncoiled from his arm and became rigid. Vader quickly realized that, in such close quarters, it would be easy for this ‘warrior’ to strike and kill him. He channeled the Force through his arms and pushed, flinging himself back. He somersaulted before landing in a crouch. Lah snarled a curse and threw his amphistaff at Vader. “Die Jeedai!” The black staff flew at Vader, who brought up his lightsaber to parry it. Unfortunately that was what the Warmaster was expecting…

As soon as the amphistaff hit, it lost all rigidity. Vader realized his folly, but it was too late. It coiled around his right arm and dug in with its tail fins. Sparks flew from damaged servomotors as a faint trail of smoke began emanating from the gashes. Vader cried out-not from pain, but from anger. This Force-blind amateur dares to fight against the Chosen One? A deep red anger began building within him. He grabbed the amphistaff, tore him off his arm and flung it back at Lah, who caught it. “Now the games are over, Tsavong Lah. Now you will feel the Dark Side!”

Vader brought his lightsaber up to ready position and held it in front of him. Lah took a few steps forward-and fell flat on his face as a piece of burnt-out machinery hit him in the knee. He swore and looked back. Impossibly, a dozen similar pieces were floating! Lah quickly got to both feet-just in time to receive a chunk of armor to the face. Greenish blood flowed from his already smashed-in nose as he stumbled back. “What sorcery is this?” He yelled as the impromptu projectiles soon pelted him. He gripped his amphistaff and began twirling it about, trying to deflect them before they hit. Unfortunately that brought him closer and closer to Vader…

The Dark Lord wasn’t just waiting. He had been building up the energy necessary for his next offensive. Normally only his master Palpatine did this, but he was more than capable. The random sparks from his right arm became more intense. Lah turned around to face his adversary. “So, your infidel arm fails you? You and your entire galaxy shall fall, Jeedai!” Vader screamed. “I am no Jedi! I am Sith! And you are dead!” The Warmaster’s eyes grew wide as the sparks coalesced into a coherent form. They leapt across the short distance and impacted.

Tsavong Lah was a Yuuzhan Vong. His species thrived on pain. They worshipped it. However, nothing he had ever done could’ve prepared him for the agony of Sith lightning as it drained the very life from his body. His screams echoed as he felt the pain. After an eternity-or one minute, Vader stopped. The Warmaster fell to the ground, panting. Vader stood over him, ready to deliver the final blow, but Lah wasn’t ready to die that easily.

As Vader lifted his lightsaber, Lah screamed and threw his amphistaff with all his might. This will kill him! At this range I can’t miss! Vader chuckled and brought his blade low. The scarlet blade intercepted the living weapon-and went straight down the open mouth. Blood-red liquid spurted from its mouth as it died and slid off Vader’s blade. Lah gasped at that sight, eyes wide in disbelief. Then Vader shifted his lightsaber again, and plunged deep into the Warmaster’s skull. Lah’s eyes glazed over as he slumped over. Vader deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it back to his belt. He turned and walked off, not even glancing back at his opponent. “All too easy.”

The End

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HH