Nhlar...Potential threat and future problem

"You are pathetic. The voice was calm, but filled with loathing. "You will never amount to anything and you will never be Sith." During this lecture, the man was continuously beating on the small boy in front of him. The boy tried to fight back, but he was no match for the man.

  Nhlar wakes suddenly, sitting up slowly as he collects himself. He had not had that dream in years, not since he killed his father. Seeing that he wouldn't be getting any more sleep, he got up and started meditating. He sat down, crossing his legs, and began to focus. He envisioned himself in a black void, nothing surrounding him. He was nothing and there was nothing. Suddenly, the universe appeared and seemed to orbit around him. His emotions rush forward, contained inside himself at first. They gradually expand, filling the universe he had created and increasing his power. He brought forth the idea of himself as a god and his power increasing to match. The beeping of his ship's holocomm station interrupted his focus. He opened his eyes, objects falling around him and a small lightning storm dissipating over his head.

  Nhlar punches a button and growls at the display. "What do you want!"

  The male voice trembles and he begins to stutter. "S...Sorry My Lord, but we have some new information."

  Nhlar glares at the man, not having put his mask on yet. "And...What is the news."

  The man is visibly shaking now, barely able to speak. "We have found her My Lord. Your sister is currently hiding out on Coruscant. She has been hiding with the underground, under the Temple ruins. She is trying to build up a gang to protect herself with. So far she is having pretty good success."

    "She can gather as many as she wants, it will not help her any." Nhlar begins getting ready, his mask hissing slightly as it is latched into place.

  The man fades from view and Nhlar heads to the cockpit. He sets a course for Coruscant and leans back in the chair. He closes his eyes and continues the meditation that had been interrupted. After several hours of flying and deep meditation, an alarm goes off. He looks up and notices he is getting close to his destination. He smiles to himself as he makes preparations to land.

  "NHLAR!!! GET OVER HERE NOW!!!" The voice shrieked and pierced his ears. "You stupid boy, what is taking so long?" He hurries into the room and looks up at his sister. Her raven hair contrasted perfectly with her pale skin and snow white eyes. Most considered her beautiful and she had many men falling over themselves to be with her. Nhlar knew better though, he knew how cruel she really was. She was currently looking at him as if he were the scum of the universe.

  "How hard is it to cook a decent meal and clean up a little. Just because you live like a slob, doesn't mean the rest of us have to."

  Nhlar looked around at the spotless room and to the, almost, gourmet meal he had prepared. It was true his room was a mess and he did not eat as well as the rest of them, but that was the price of being treated like a slave by the rest of his family. "You are one to talk about being a lazy slob." He mumbled this under his breath, not intending to be heard. Unfortunately, he was not so lucky this time. Her hand lashes out, nails leading the way. He recoils as he is hit, deep gashes appear across his face and blood starts to run down to his tunic. He retreats as she advances, trying desperately to fend her off. He knew he couldn't hit her, that would just make things worse. His father walks in and looks at them.

  "What is going on here?" His voice was stern, telling them he had no time for nonsense.

  "She started attacking me for no reason again." Nhlar spoke quickly, his sister glaring at him.

  "So you just let her attack you? What kind of Sith are you? You are pathetic and not worth the title of Sith."

  "But you said never to..." That was as far as Nhlar got. A full force kick from his father sent him flying across the room. He hit the ground with a sickening crunch, knowing that there was a good possibility his ribs were broken.

  "Don't talk back to your father. You have no respect for your betters." Nhlar groans and mumbles under his breath. "I would if I ever saw one." Unfortunately, once again, he was heard. The last thing he remembered, before blacking out, is his father repeatedly kicking him.

  Nhlar returns to himself, just in time to land. He smiles as the ship touches down on the landing dock. He reaches up and runs his hand along the place where the mask covered his scars. It was time to settle the score with her.

  He walks into the middle of the Temple ruins, sure of two things. First, he knew that she owned this area. The evidence was on the faces of the people he had already met. They were completely devoted to their "Goddess." Second, he knew that he was being watched. He had seen the movement in the shadows and knew there were at least two of them. He wasn't worried, they would lead him to her eventually. He stood in the middle and just waited for something to happen. A few moments later, he lets out a laugh. A small dart hovered in the air, at the perfect level to pierce his neck.

  "Leave it to her to resort to such underhanded tactics."

  A man appears from the shadows, a glare already set in lace. "How dare you talk about our Goddess like that. She is as fair and kind, as she is beautiful. She warned us about you. She said that you were coming to kill her. You will have to go through us first, but we have no intention of failing our Goddess." Two more men step out of the shadows and all three level their blasters at him.

  "Oh no...Whatever shall I do..." Nhlar raises his hands in mock surrender. They tense, right before streams of lightning arc towards two of them. They fall to the ground, writhing in pain. The third one somehow manages to pull the trigger though. The bolt cuts through the air, heading straight to where Nhlar had been. Unfortunately for the shooter, Nhlar was no longer standing there. He blinks and looks around, flinching when he sees Nhlar behind him. He is holding out his saberstaff and just standing there passively.

  "Here take me to her. I am sure your "Goddess" will reward you for your efforts. Especially since your two friends here perished." Nhlar motions to the two bodies ling still on the floor, their bodies still smoking slightly.

  "Very well, just don't try anything." The man sounded about as confident as he felt. His hands shaking slightly as he takes the weapon.

  Nhlar is lead down a maze of tunnels and through numerous twists and turns. They go through a few doors and finally reach a huge war room. There were consoles and tactical displays spread everywhere. Suddenly, a bright light fills the center.

  "Why are you here? I told you never to enter without permission. Why did you bring him? You were ordered to kill him on sight. Instead you get two people killed and fail to kill him in return. You are useless." A beam of light lances out and slams into his chest, leaving a good sized hole.

  "Same old temper sis. You can drop the Goddess act now. I know what you really are." He folds his arms across his chest and simply glares at the light.

  "How do you know that this is not what I have become? I was always better than you, you just never could admit it."

  Nhlar taps his mask. "I have made a few improvements, dear sister. I can see through your little light show."

  She huffs and ponders for a moment. "You are lying... You do not know for sure, otherwise you would have done something by now."

  "You mean, like this?" He raises his hands and the ceiling above her begins to crack. The device projecting the light cracks as well, the light flickering for a few moments and then dying out completely. "You see sister, you do not scare me anymore. Now...It is your turn to be scared."

  The force blasts through the room, sending his unexpected target flying. He smirks as her head slams hard against a console. It was a few hours later before she woke up again. She lets out a groan and then yelps in surprise, her arms and legs having been strapped to a nearby table. Nhlar stood over her, his mask cold and emotionless.

  "Good, you are awake now. It is time for you, dear sister, to feel the fear you instilled in me for so long." Her eyes suddenly roll back and she drifts into a trance.

  She is standing in a dark room, by herself. She calls out softly and a light pops on, her parents walk into the room and flinch at the sight of her. "We are going out now. You are to do your normal chores and we expect you to have dinner waiting for us when we return."

  Her eyes widen and she starts towards them. "What do you mean? Why are you not taking me with you? Nhlar can take care of everything like usual."

  They pull away from her and sneer. "Who are you talking about? Did your mind turn out as bad as the rest of you?"

  She looks at them in confusion and tries to move closer, trying to reach out for them. Her father lashes out and backhands her across the face, sending her sprawling across the floor. They laugh at her as they walk out the door. She sits up and rubs her cheek, Nhlar appearing next to her. A mechanical cackle escapes from his mask. "Now you see how it is to be unwanted. Your looks have betrayed you and nobody wants you anymore." Her followers appear and shun her, looking at her in disgust. A huge mirror takes their place, reflecting her beautiful features. Her sigh of relief, turns into a scream of horror. Before her eyes, her hair becomes dull and flat. All the color drains from her skin, leaving her extremely pale. Her eyes sink into their sockets and dark bags appear under them. Her skin started to wrinkle and blotch in places. Her perfect smile yellowed and the spacing became more random. Her form lost its curves, becoming skinny with sallow skin.

  "Look at yourself now...Look at the horror you have become. I am going to trap you in this moment. Your body will die, but your mind will forever be here. This is the only thing you will ever see again." With his final words, both the real and dream Nhlar plunge their activated sabers into her chest. Nhlar looked down at his sister, her face forever frozen in terror.

  "Well... Now to leave you for your precious followers to find. Since my business here is now finished, it is time to track down my dear mother." He walks out with a smile underneath his mask and more plans running through his twisted mind.

   Several days later, Nhlar was still trying to track his mother down. His informants had been having an unusual string of bad luck. They could not find any clues as to his mother's whereabouts. Nhlar was getting very frustrated. He knew she was alive, he could feel it. Something was wrong though, she should not be able to hide from his spies so well. He decided he needed to look himself, he would find her. As he was punching in the coordinates, several ships exited hyperspace right in front of him. There were several fighters and a couple of cruisers. He raises an eyebrow as the holocomm beeps at him. One of his own informants appears in the display. "You are requested to stand down my Lord, or we will destroy you. Stand down and prepare to be boarded."

  Nhlar looks at him for a moment, his mask giving nothing away. He suddenly bursts out laughing. "You honestly think you can stop me? Especially with the paltry force you have managed to gather. If you attack, I will destroy you." He cuts the transmission and just manages to get his shields up in time. Laser fire lances through space and impacts against his shields. He sits down and starts sending the ship through intricate maneuvers, powering up his weapons at the same time. He flinches as a few bolts slip past his shields, but the damage seemed to be minimal. He returns fire, aiming for their shield generators and weapons. The battle rages for a long time, Nhlar barely avoiding destruction several times. His piloting saved him from a lot of damage, but his ship was still in pretty bad shape. He managed to take out, or at least disable the fighters. The cruisers were not fairing much better. However, in the end, he was only one ship and could only do so much, even with the force. He threw the ship into a barrel roll, then angled it into a steep dive. One of the cruisers anticipated his move and several laser bolts slammed into his engine. The shield buckled and his engines stuttered, then died out completely. He cursed and prepared for them to board his ship. He flicks a few switches, activating the traps he had scattered throughout the ship.

  It took them several hours to get past all his traps and security measures. He knew they had lost many men in the process, relishing in the screams of the injured and dying. Once they finally broke through, they had a perfect view of their masked prey. Nhlar stood there calmly, the darkness seeming to gather around him and the only light coming from his activated saberstaff. His attackers hesitated for a moment, letting their fear take over them. Eventually their training kicked in and they started firing blaster bolts at him. Nhlar had strategically placed himself so he had enough room to move, but the approach made his attackers bottleneck. He started deflecting and sending bolts towards them. He had to give them credit, they were not backing down. After a few minutes of intense fighting, they started to swarm him with pure numbers. He kept fighting them until a stunning bolt slipped through and caught him. He woke up a few hours later to find his arms and legs tied down, several faces hovered over him. Based on his lack of connection with the force, he guessed there was a Ysalamiri cage somewhere nearby. He was about to demand what was going on, when the doors opened and his mother walked into the room. "You should choose your allies more carefully...or at least pay them more."

  Nhlar growls and struggles against his restraints. "So...You finally decided to show your face. Nice touch using my own forces against me. You always were a manipulative bitch though."

  His mother's eyes flash in anger and she raises her hand, slapping him hard across his face. "Watch your mouth!!! I am still your mother and you will show me respect."

  Nhlar laughs at her, he was intrigued to hear his natural laugh. They had removed his mask and he couldn't remember the last time he laughed without it. "You may have given birth to me, but you are not my mother."

  She reached back to slap him again, anger clearly etched across her face. The anger was quickly replace by surprise as his hand came up to grab her wrist. The surprise changed to momentary confusion, before the butt stock of a blaster rifle slammed into the back of her skull. A few hours later, it was her turn to look up at him in confusion. "What...How...What happened."

  Nhlar smiles down at her, victory clear in his eyes. "You fell for my trap. For all your cunning and manipulative ability, you were finally outsmarted and trapped. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist using my own men against me." He laughs and reaches for something that is out of her line of sight. His hand reappears, holding a syringe. He injects the liquid into her arm, surprising her when it appeared to have no effect.

  "They were with me though. They swore their loyalty to me and took the credits I offered. You fought them, killed many and caused massive damage. Your own ship was heavily damaged as well."

  Nhlar smiled condescendingly at her, as if she were a small child he was correcting. "It had to look real, otherwise you would have never risked coming out of hiding. Commander, are the credits you received enough to make repairs and her new crew?" A man by Nhlar nods his head, giving a small smile. "You see "Mother", ships can be repaired and men can be replaced."

  His mother stared at him with wide eyes. "You are a monster. I regret the day I brought you into this world."

  Nhlar interrupts her at this point. "I regret it too, but for different reasons. I regret having you as my family, a regret that I am working to correct. You see "Mother"... You created me. You are responsible for the monster I am."

  His mother looked at him, fear clear in her eyes. "Wha...What are you going to do to me now?"

  An evil smile spreads across his face. "Well...I believe we have given my little concoction enough time to take effect. You are going to be tortured, the pain magnified by the drug running through your veins." His mother gulped and started shaking. "But first, you will get to know what it is like to truly be alone."

  She began to struggle against her bindings, yelling for him to stop and let her go. Suddenly, her whole world went dark. She couldn't see anyone or anything, her cries for help went unanswered as well. She was beginning to panic, when she felt pain shoot up her left arm. She looked down to see her little finger bent at an awkward angle. The pain was so intense, she thought she would pass out. Another finger snapped before her eyes, increasing the pain exponentially. She could not comprehend how she was remaining conscious through the intense pain. Horror suddenly filled her mind as realization struck her. He was keeping her conscious somehow. She yelled out in pain as a small piece of her arm was cut away. It only got worse from there, as the small pieces moved up her arm. She closed her eyes tight and gritted her teeth, trying to block out the pain. All of a sudden, sharp pains emanated from first her right, then her left eyelid. She cried out and thought she was surely going to die from the pain. She realized that she could now see, but couldn't remember opening her eyes. She was having trouble keeping her sanity, due to the immense pain emanating from her body. She tried to close her eyes, but found she was unable to do so. Confusion gripped her as she kept desperately trying. Then it dawned on her, through the haze that was now filling her mind. He had removed her eyelids, making her unable to not watch the torture. A force pushed against her head, turning it towards her uninjured arm. She watched, and cried out, as her fingers were cut off one at a time. Then the invisible blade started up her arm again, cutting little pieces off at a time. Once that was done, the same procedure was repeated along each leg and along her torso. She didn't know how long it lasted for. At some point, she started having an out of body experience. She was looking down on herself, seeing parts of her skin coming off. She could also feel the pain, but it was no longer as sharp as it started out being. She was pulled back into herself, just as a voice whispered in her ear. "I could torture you like this for days and never get enough. Unfortunately, I have other things that demand my attention. Mow, I am sorry to say, it is your time to die. Do not rejoice yet thought. Oh no...I have a special surprise in store for you. Your connection to the force has been severed. When you die, you will remain all alone."

  She tries to scream and call out, but the pain is too much. She yells and her dried out eyes widen in terror. A cut starts at the base of her stomach and moves upwards, very slowly. A line starts to appear as blood spills out of the opening. Once the cutting stops, her entire center splits open and her insides spill out. She is alive long enough to see everything spill out and just stare at it for a few moments. That was the last thing she saw as the light leaves her eyes. She sighs in relief, knowing that she passed on and that the pain was over. Then the reality of her situation hits her. She was completely alone, with no chance of it ever changing. She cried out and screamed against the darkness. After a time, she simply curled up in the fetal position and wondered how long she would be able to keep her sanity.

  Nhlar looks down at the damage he inflicted on his mother, knowing how much pain it had caused her. His smile widened as he thought about her death and knew her true torture had just begun. He drops the small knife he had been using back onto the table and walked out the door. He had one last family member to track down. Once he had done that, he could be free of his past and move on to his plans concerning the future. He walks out the door and finds the commander again. "Get the repairs underway. I want the fleet, and my ship, operating as soon as possible. My dear brother has been able to live long enough already."