Et Nox Facta Est

[Emperor Shimi]

Leave us.

Shimi's raspy but terse tone chafed the steely nerves of the guardsmen who protected his life. They tightened their grips on their vibro-pikes.

Guard: My Emperor...

Shimi didn't have time to prattle with his sycophants' need for valor.

You have your orders. You must board my shuttle and return to the command ship. I want him to face me, and me alone.

Guard: What if he is not alone?

Under his deep midnight veil of shadow, Shimi's twisted form smiled.

Whether he is alone or not makes no difference. Numbers will not save him. Now go. I command it.

The reluctant guardsmen relented, returning to the Lambda shuttle. Within moments, the craft was plying skyward, returning to their ship, which would maneuver behind the mass shadow of a nearby moon and await for the end of Shimi's confrontation.

On the planet Dagobah below, the dark Emperor cackled, as his stooped body walked slowly towards a cave. Yes, he knew exactly what he was doing. Fighting a Jedi such as the knight Akrabbim was different than most of the other lackeys of the light. It was a mental battle, not one of bodily attrition and brute force. The prospect intrigued him greatly.

For if Akrabbim could be turned or destroyed...

...truly nobody was safe.

[imported_Akrabbim]

Akrabbim lands on the swamp planet, finding one of the few solid patches of earth to land on. He exits the shuttle, searching out the cave Shimi had indicated. It was the presence of this cave that allowed the ancient Jedi Master Yoda to hide from the Empire, its Dark Side presence strong enough to mask the Light Siders soul. That fact alone gives him pause.

But he will not be daunted. Though Darkness may be all around him, the Light will still shine forth. Not to mention, this battle is to be fought mentally. It is unlikely that Shimi will cheat, as such a victory would be hollow even for one such as he. Akrabbim begins preparing himself for the battle as he walks, calming himself and concentrating on the Force. This battle will test him in ways that no ordinary fight ever has. It will rely on his strength, but it will pit him against at least his mental equal.

But no matter what the outcome of this battle, the Light will ultimately prevail. It always has. It always will. Akrabbim enters the cave before him, preparing himself for the battle.

[Emperor Shimi]

Ah, I have been waiting for you, Jedi. I am suprised you came at all.

Though his actual form could not be seen due to unnatural darkness, Shimi allowed Akrabbim to sense his presence.

Why I bother with you eludes even my better judgment in the first place. I could have you killed on a whim...but I suppose there is some solace in a chivalric duel of wits.

[imported_Akrabbim]

Be not suprised at my presence, Dark Sider. I have no fear for you or your ilk, no matter the location. And do not be overconfident in your so-called "Dark Powers". They will fail you in the end.

As I previously promised, you may have the first attack. Prepare your illusion, Shimi.

[Emperor Shimi]

The Dark One expands his powers, embracing the Dark Essence of the cave, and using it to fuel his own illusionary powers. To Akrabbim's left, a child screams in the distance...a cry of pain. A wash of heat can be felt across the Jedi's left side, and as he turns in the direction of the scream, he feels needles of sharp pain burning under his skin. To the Jedi's right...complete silence. A chill can be felt as the Jedi turns away from the child's cries, and Akrabbim feels a sense of exhaustion and tiredness.

Go and serve the weak, benevolent one.

[imported_Akrabbim]

Akrabbim weighs his options before replying to the Dark Emperor.

So, you attempt to trap me with two options. I can either help the one I hear, perhaps leaving another who cannot speak in pain. Or, I could turn away from the cries in search of one who may be in more desperate need.

The answer is simple. I turn to the one who cries. Because there, I know there is a need. The one I cannot hear may be too far gone to help. If I turn away, the one I can hear may degenerate as well. Therefore, I must help the one I can, so that by all means I might save some.

[Emperor Shimi]

Shimi chuckled to himself

Such assumptions indeed! You are more reckless than I could have ever hoped. Perhaps you are right...or perhaps you are not. Only your destiny shall reveal the truth, young Jedi.

He made a faint gesture, and the illusion passed.

Very well, proceed then.

OOC: Just kick me in the head if I forget to post :)

[Artemis Ventrai]

EDIT

[imported_Akrabbim]

Akrabbim mockingly bows to Shimi. The audacity of these Dark Siders sometimes...

Very well. Your puzzle is this:

Following a gesture from Akrabbim's hand, Shimi sees four men in front of him, each holding a blaster. Each one wears a different cloak: red, green, blue, and gold. Otherwise, they are identical. Each one speaks in turn.

Red: The man in gold is an illusion.
Green: The man in red is an illusion.
Blue: The man in gold is real.
Gold: The man in green is an illusion.

After each man has spoken, Akrabbim tosses Shimi a blaster.

Three of the men are illusions. One is not. The blaster in your hand is only good for one shot. The men who are illusions spoke the truth. The one who is real lies. Shoot the liar, and you will hit the real man. Shoot an illusion, and the real man will fire on you. Make you choice.

[Emperor Shimi]

The Dark Emperor pondered for a moment before firing. The man in blue fell with the shot, a smoking hole in his chest.

The man in red and the man in blue disagreed on the same man. One therefore must be the liar, and therefore, real. The other men should speak true. The man in green sayeth the man in red is an illusion. Since the red and blue men are suspect, he tells the truth by default. The man in blue is real. Was real. No longer.

Shimi returned the blaster.

[imported_Akrabbim]

The images fade away as Akrabbim banishes them. He turns to the Emperor.

Very good, Dark One. It appears there may be more than bluster under that cloak of yours. Very well, on with the contest. I await your illusion.

[imported_Akrabbim]

ttt

[Emperor Shimi]

Then prepare yourself, for you shall soon be attacked by an unknown force. Only through your own insight, shall you be saved.

Shimi cackled, as an inhuman voice spoke, somewhere in the blackness.

I have but one eye, and nary the sight....

A huge glowing red eye watched Akrabbim from the distance.

Care not for hunger, but with one tooth bite...

A fang appeared below the eye, glistening and ready to strike.

You fear my predation, my bloodthirsty sting...Yet in my jaws, I set asunder right.

[imported_Akrabbim]

With a burst of realization, Akrabbim understands his attacker. His katana flashes up in front of him, sending the needle careening off to his right. The needle, no doubt, would have been poisoned, had it been real. In this case, he would have lost the contest. He turns to face his opponent.

Very good. You almost had me. But not quite. Now it is my turn.

Akrabbim makes a gesture, as if creating an illusion. Shimi, however, can see no noticible change in the dark recess of the cave. A voice speaks from the general direction in which Akrabbim gestured.

"I am always present. I cannot be totally destroyed. I never fail. I brighten your darkest day. I bring sight to the blind. With me, the colorless gains color. Though I may be bent, I can never be broken. I am what this area is not. What am I?"

Tell me, oh arrogant Dark Sider, what am I thinking of?

[Emperor Shimi]

Shimi began to open his mouth to respond. The answer was obvious...light. Yet...to do so, he would have to concede that the light could not be broken or fail.

What manner of folly is this riddle, Jedi? You wish to entrap me! To choose between answering your riddle or preserving my faith in the dark side!

Very well, you fool! This game ends here!!! You decieve well, Jedi...and your reward now cometh!

The black of the cave wrapped around Shimi in slithering tendrils, as the form of a hideous shadow dragon shot upwards, roaring and full of dark intent. Its midnight jaws gapting, it dove upon Akkrabim.

[imported_Akrabbim]

The sudden assault suprises Akrabbim, allowing the shadow dragon to descend upon him. He is immediately swallowed up by immense darkness. He begins to despair, surrounded by fear and the suffocating darkness. It would be so easy to slip away, just give in to the dark...

NO!!!

The Jedi yells, suddenly coming to his senses. His body explodes in light, shattering the darkness around him.

You shall not defeat me so easily, Dark One! But if you wish to enter oblivion so soon, I am glad to oblige you. But know this... this night, you will see the true power of the Light.

[Emperor Shimi]

I'll cast you into eternal darkness, braggart!

Shimi's spindly fingernails of his little fingers cross, as he sticks his thumbs out to either side. Once again, a large dragon of shadow emerges around him.

[imported_Akrabbim]

And I will draw your black soul into the Light, evil one.

Placing his right hand in front of him, Akrabbim draws his other near his chest in a half-open position. A great dragon of light appears from his hand, curling around his outstretched arm, and rising in front of him. The light dragon prepares to do battle with its dark double.

[Emperor Shimi]

Shimi's thumbs move rapidly as his little fingers remain crossed. He seems to be controlling the monstrosity of shadow, which lunges viciously, striking out at the light apparition of Akkrabim's creation. The serpent of shadow launches forward, slashing and biting, as an ethereal grappling match begins.

[imported_Akrabbim]

As the Shadow Dragon moves, the Light Dragon flows with it. It pulls back at the lunge, then darts forward. The Light Dragon darts low, coiling around its dark brother. It begins to wrap around the Shadow, attempting to get constrict the pure darkness in coils of radiant light.

[Emperor Shimi]

Coiled together in mortal combat, the intangible beasts continued to struggle for several minutes. Finally, the dragon of shadow ducked a swiping claw from the light dragon, and saw an opening. Contorting its form to strike, the dark serpent went for its enemy's throat, inflicting a fatal bite. In a flash, the two dragons dissipated into vapor. Shimi cackled in his triumphs.

Ah-ha! You lightsiders were never very good at that!

[imported_Akrabbim]

As the Light Dragon shatters, Akrabbim is rocked back on his heels, dazed. The sudden recoil from the destruction of his construct leaves him momentarily stunned, unable to summon up any sort of concentration. Distantly, he hears the Dark Emperor's cackle, and struggles vainly to regain his composure.

[Emperor Shimi]

Slowly, Shimi's grotesque laughter dies away in a hoarse rasp.

You see, despite your wishes, it is impossible to resist the grip of darkness.

As he speaks, Akkrabim's own shadow begins to grow unnaturally

You only destroy yourself in resisting...what you already are!

In a quick movement, the shadow rises upward, becoming a tangible sheath of black, enveloping the Jedi completely in its utterly dark grasp.

Embrace the darkness...or you will die.

Shimi's eyes flicker with malice as his hands contort, amplifying the power of the shadow ensnaring his enemy.

[imported_Akrabbim]

No... too dark... can't see...

Akrabbim is engulfed in what seems to be a universe of darkness. He can feel nothing, see nothing, hear nothing. All around him, there is only emptiness and desolation. Nothing worth fighting for. Nothing at all. He curls up in a fetal position, his hands curling into his midsection.

But just as he begins to fall to the despair, his hand brushes something metal. A cylinder... a lightsaber! With his last ounce of resolve, he ignites the pure white blade, holding it aloft as if it were a beacon. He pours his strength into the blade, amplifying its light. The light spreads outward in an ever widening field.

With a shout, Akrabbim's saber releases a burst of light, shattering the darkness around him.

Never will you defeat me, Shimi! NEVER!

[Emperor Shimi]

The wispy remnants of shadow exploded outward, torn to oblivion by piercing beams of vibrant white light. The Emperor of Shadow shrieked, his wretched hands feebly reaching in front of his face, to block the powerful light.

No!! It cannot be!! IMPOSSIBLE!!!!

[imported_Akrabbim]

Do you finally believe, O dreaded Emperor? Have you finally seen your highly vaunted Dark Side crumble? Or will your black heart never accept the truth?

With each sentence, the light from the saber grows in radiance. The light engulfs Akrabbim. Nothing can be seen but a sun-like brilliance and a cloaked sillhouette in its center.

Now you see, Shimi, why the Dark Side will never win.

With a mighty shout, Akrabbim raises the saber above his head.

"THE LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS..."

Akrabbim hurls his saber, directing it into Shimi's dark heart. The blade pierces him, penetrating his chest and emerging from his back. The still-shining blade floods his body with light. Beams of light pour from his wounds, mouth, and eyes as the Force-generated brillance obliterates Shimi's soul. He falls to the ground, lifeless, and the light from the blade fades. The intense illumination from mere moments ago is replaced with natural darkness.

Akrabbim walks to Shimi's body and retrieves his saber. With a sigh, he finishes the quote.

"... but the darkness has not understood it."

His mission accomplished, Akrabbim turns to leave the cave.

[Darth Vader]

hohhhhh...pahhhhhhh..............hohhhhhhh...pahhh hhhhhh............hohhhhhhh...pahhhhhhh

:: Akrabbim could sense an unseen presence near him. One of darkness that dwarfed that of the now-slain Emperor of Shadows. The sound of cold, mechanical breathing chilled his very soul, like the hand of a wraith rising from a long-sealed and forgotten grave. ::

[imported_Akrabbim]

No... not possible...
[i]
Akrabbim turns and sees the face from the past. This cave has been known for creating illusions, but this one is real. However, whether or not this is the real Vader is unknown. For some strange reason, this man's Force signature seems... familiar. Akrabbim raises his katana.
<i/>
Who are you, ghost?

[Darth Vader]

You are mistaken, Jedi Akrabbim.

:: The Dark Lord stepped forward from a darkened alcove, his obsidian visage illuminated only by the lighting on his suit's power supply ::

Ghosts are dead. I...am very much alive.

[imported_Akrabbim]

LIAR!

Raising his hand palm forward, Akrabbim releases a large blast of Force Blindness. He holds the attack for several seconds, then slowly lowers his hand.

You may be alive, but you are not the original Vader. So I ask again, who are you?

[Darth Vader]

:: The blindness is effective...although the Dark Lord is disciplined. Releasing the trust of his eyes, Vader expands his senses, seeing the Jedi all the same. ::

You are so eager to disprove me. Did the Jedi teach you nothing of controlling your fear?

[imported_Akrabbim]

I do not fear you, but neither do I trust you. The main reason I distrust you is that you seem very familiar. Your Force signature seems very close to another I know. I have never met Darth Vader. How, then, do you seem familiar to me?

[Darth Vader]

You are mistaken. Your thoughts betray you.

:: Vader pointed a finger menacingly at the Jedi ::

But perhaps I can give you a demonstration to commit to memory.

[imported_Akrabbim]

Akrabbim raises his sword, preparing to strike down the Dark Lord.

[Darth Vader]

Snap-hiss

:: A solitary shaft of blood-red light extended from the Dark Lord's lightsaber hilt, held unmovingly at his side. Vader remained as a statue, awaiting to see the show of strength from Akrabbim ::

[imported_Akrabbim]

There can be no time for a drawn out fight. Akrabbim is tired from the fight with Shimi. Any test of endurance will defeat him. So, all that is left is to act. Akrabbim shields himself in the Force, making his signature vanish. The side effect is that he moves like a normal man. But no matter... if the illusion works, he has no need of finesse. If it fails... he fails.

Akrabbim begins slowly rotating his sword, spinning the blade with both hands. The sword spins languidly in front of him, as if to ward off an attacker.

Then, he splits into two mirror images, moving to either side of the Dark Lord. The one to his left appears perfect, moving with the speed of an average swordsman. The one to the right seems almost hazy. The two swordsmen stop the blades simultaneously, drawing back for a stabbing movement.

[Darth Vader]

:: The blood-red saber moved with dark purpose, rushing to meet the figure to his left. One of these was an illusion, and Vader would divine which was real, though he could not defend against such advanced illusion. His blade seared toward his target... ::

[imported_Akrabbim]

Both blades strike in as Vader slashes to his left. His blade slices through air. Vader feels a blade pierce him... but it is not from behind. Instead, a dark metal blade appears out of nowhere, stabbing the chest plate of his armor. The blade penetrates a few inches through, but without his Force enhanced strength, the blade stops there. Hopefully, it is enough to persuade the Dark One that this fight is too much trouble to continue.

[Darth Vader]

:: A gloved hand reaches out, fingers spread wide. Akrabbim feels his body being drug away, the sword pulling clean from the Dark Lord's armor plate. ::

Your skills are impressive, Jedi. But all without results. Now you shall fail.

:: Akrabbim's sword hand slings hard to the left, throwing his blade into the nearby rock face against his will. His body rises into the air, hands and legs spread apart. Vader deactivates his lightsaber, keeping his off-hand raised towards Akrabbim ::

[imported_Akrabbim]

Akrabbim feels the pressure in his body as he is pulled in so many directions at once. If he had only been able to stab more deeply. With no physical control whatsoever, Akrabbim has no chance to resist Vader's attack. His only option is to strike back with everything he has left.

Releasing a scream from deep within this body, Akrabbim directs every ounce of strength he has left in a blast of Force Blindness. He aims the light directly into his mind, attempting to disrupt his control.

But Akrabbim doesn't get to see the effects of his labors. As the Force Blindness dies out with his yell, Akrabbim's eyes roll back and his body goes limp.

[Darth Vader]

AAAAAGH!!!

:: The Dark Lord's gloved hands reach upward, clawing at his armored mask in fury. The light, drawing its origins in the force, seared at his mind, its blinding effect rendering Vader's sight to a hazy blank. Quickly, Vader removed his mask and helmet, and showed a face that was decidedly shocking to any who knew of the Dark Lord's origins. Although his sight was temporarily deprived, Vader could reach out with his feelings and percieve his environment well enough. He knew Akrabbim's fate, and knew he had won. Slowing his breathing, Anbiraa sneered, staring blankly into space. ::

We shall meet again, Jedi. Now, I give you scars, and lay a seed of hatred. ::

:: The mad clone's gloved hand reaches outward, and Akrabbim's body is hurled from his resting spot on the ground, smacking into the far rocky wall. Anbiraa gestures again, and the Jedi smashes into another edifice with a sickening velocity. Rebounding, the Jedi once again is hung in the air, appendages splayed wide. Wet snapping can be heard as his shins, then forearms are each in turn broken, snapping clean the double bones in each. With a final shove, Akrabbim's unconcious body slams to the ground, skidding to a halt several meters away. His sight slowly returning to him, Anbiraa takes his leave of the cave, leaving Akrabbim to endure his agony, and to hate the man who is Darth Vader. ::

[imported_Akrabbim]

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Akrabbim awakes to a world of pain. Nothing he has ever experienced compares to this. Without even looking, he can tell that he has more broken bones than whole. Regardless of the pain, he has to make it to his ship. Calling his sword to him with the Force, Akrabbim weakly makes a splint for his left arm, using his sword's hilt and cloth from his cloak. Blocking the pain as best he can, he begins the slow crawl to his ship. After several hours, he climbs inside and sets the autopilot for home.

...

After painfully setting his bones and entering Jedi sleep, he dreams... dreams of the evil he vanquished and the new evil that took its place. He may be broken now... even with the Jedi sleep, he will still require a bacta tank. But above all else, he is sure of one thing.

Darth Vader must die.