Adult-FanFiction.org : Movies

Legends of Darkover	By : SWOTBWOT Category: Star Wars (All) > Crossovers Views: 3428 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, Star Trek, or Darkover. I am not making any money off this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Legends of Darkover
- 2-Chapter 2
- 3-Chapter 3
- 4-Chapter 4
- 5-Chapter 5
- 6-Chapter 6
- 7-Chapter 7
- 8-Chapter 8
- 9-9
- 10-10
- 11-11
- 12-12
- 13-13
- 14-14
- 15-15
- 16-16
- 17-17
- 18-18
- 19-19
- 20-20
- 21-21
- 22-22
- 23-23
- 24-24
- 25-25
- 26-26
- 27-27
- 28-28
- 29-29 & The End
- 25
- 26
- 27
Chapter 26
-oOo-
Qui-gon struck out with the Force and folded space, drawing himself and Catriona into the void—along with Obi-wan. The trio reappeared near Hali tower. Keeping an eye on his apprentice, the Jedi Master let Catriona slide to the grass. He'd already placed her inside a Jedi recovery trance, but it would only keep her alive as long as he survived to generate it.
Then he attacked, knowing he had only seconds before they were traced and followed by Inculcare. The Force exploded from his hand, stunning Obi-wan and spinning the apprentice to the ground. Corrupted or not, Obi-wan was no match for Qui-gon's skill.
He caught up his apprentice's lightsaber and touched his broken arm to Obi-wan's forehead to induce Force stasis. Then he Folded Space again, and reappeared by the shattered planetary shield, facing a man inside a boiling cloud.
He had no idea what that thing was that had melded with the High Inquisitor, but he prayed its dark powers were weak. Who inside that body was in charge? Inculcare had the training, but not the powers. The other mind had the powers, but not the training. Was it possible to--
Pieces of metal rattled. The broken remains of the planetary shield danced like a skeleton's bones, then flew at Qui-gon.
The Jedi Master created a Force barrier, and metal pieces banged as they struck it, disintegrating. Qui-gon gestured to the air, drawing all the Light Side energy he could summon to himself. This would be tricky. The technique was akin to the one used by Domna Ysabet as she faced the darkness. Pure Force Light gathered on his fingertips, soothing the pain in his broken arm for a moment, but he had to let it leave him. He dropped his barrier, sending the Light surging out like a tsunami. Would it break the nexus between the cloud and Inculcare? Would it purge the Dark completely?
Inculcare staggered, and the cloud around him stretched out as if it had struck a hard wind. Yet the fingers of Light slipped right through the Dark mass, doing little more than dragging at it.
The Jedi Master's expression did not alter, but he was taken aback. He wasn't facing the Dark Side. He was facing Grey. Sometimes aliens with the Force had minds that did not align themselves on a dark-light axis, or even understand it, but they could still behave as if they were melded with the Dark. The mind that held Inculcare appeared to be one of those.
Off in the distance dust rose and billowed closer. Stones and broken tiles lifted high into the air and began to undulate along with the scouring windstorm like flotsam. The entire mass was moving towards the Jedi. Qui-gon was impressed. This was no small feet of telekinesis. He was going to have quite a job deflecting it.
-oOo-
Next to Lake Hali, Regis gave a startled cry. Danilo followed his gaze.
“The voices are back,” said Regis. “Can you hear them? Something's disturbed the lake. Look. It's seething.”
“It's become its old self again,” replied Danilo.
“It's more than its old self. I don't recall the lake ever simmering like a pot of soup before.”
-oOo-
Qui-gon struck before the telekinetic mass could come any closer, sending a short Force burst right at Inculcare's face. He'd intended the sucker punch to be a distraction before his next assault.
Instead, the blue sphere knocked the High Inquisitor flying. Off in the distance the dust and debris halted and showered harmlessly to the ground. Qui-gon was surprised. Inculcare had no Force Barrier? Were the cloud's powers limited to mind control and telekinesis? Qui-gon did not smile, but his spirits lifted. He was well-protected against the former, and well-trained against the latter.
-Smug little human,- said another mind to his own. Inculcare raised his head, wiping away blood and glaring at Qui-gon. -I am not so weak. Nor do I repeat mistakes.- Out of Inculcare's hand came a set of rapidly expanding Force threads. They spun themselves around the Jedi Master, dark and web-like. Instantly Qui-gon recognized a Force net, and knew if the strands touched him, they would sever his connection with the Force.
He phased his body as the net shrank, sending his essence right between the dark strands of Force, and reemerged outside it.
Inculcare drew more energy from the cloud and Qui-gon recognized the forming of a Force shockwave. The instant it discharged towards him, he created a protection bubble, cyst-hard.
But he wove it around Inculcare's body.
The shockwave struck the walls of the protection bubble and exploded, ricocheting inward. Then the sphere turned black, and about a minute later the dark cloud dissipated. Inculcare was lying on the ground, eyes shut, bleeding from nose and ears.
It did not seem the dark cloud had access to Inculcare's intelligence, Qui-gon reflected. It wasn't fighting very well.
Something flickered in Qui-gon's mind, blinding his Force vision for a moment.
A violent blow knocked all the breath out of him, and he hit the melted pavement hard. His clothes stank of charcoal, and his back was on fire with horrible pain. Pieces of cooked flesh and droplets of blood were scattered in a spray-like pattern next to his face, and he knew they came from himself. He felt like he'd just been gored.
Lying off to one side, Tyranus was clutching a blaster with a grin.
-Link with me,- Tyranus said to the cloud. -Give me your powers. Heal me, and I'll show you how to destroy your enemies properly. Inculcare has only caused your humiliation.-
-As the witch caused yours?- the Voice replied silkily. -You are of no use to me as a vessel. You are too badly injured.-
-Inculcare's not exactly in great shape either,- replied Tyranus with sarcasm.
-He is merely stunned. I summoned a Force barrier just in time.- The cloud foamed around the body of the High Inquisitor, and Inculcare sat up.
Sweating, bleeding, using all his self-command to control the pain, Qui-gon knew he was too badly injured to fight any longer. He could escape by Folding space. He could heal himself--given enough time. But by then, Darkover's cities would be destroyed. He chose to stay.
“Sever,” he whispered, but he sent the Force command not to the High Inquisitor, but to the cloud itself.
Then Qui-gon's consciousness fled.
-oOo-
“Look, something's happened,” said Danilo. “The voices are gone.” The lake's agitation had ceased.
“I'm contacting Obi-wan.” Regis concentrated, then made a wordless noise. “Nothing. Let me try Qui-gon. I hope I don't interrupt something important.” After another moment he gave his paxman a worried look. -I can't contact either of them. That is too many coincidences. Something is wrong.-
Danilo tapped a finger on the back of Regis' hand. -We'll scan together.-
-Neither of us is particularly good at telepathy, you realize.-
-Then we'll ask those in the tower to help us.-
Their minds leapt across the distance to the tower, and Regis saw some of the women outside, crouching over two figures. He recognized the starlike blaze of a matrix being used, and saw the faint outline of Marisa's body.
-Domna, we need your aid.-
Marisa looked at them sharply. -Dom Regis? Is that you? We need aid ourselves. Catriona is on the verge of death, and we do not have telepaths capable of healing injuries so critical. The Jedi Obi-wan is also here, but we cannot wake him. His body is intact, but his mind refuses to respond.-
Regis gazed at the two unconscious figures in dismay. -I must find his master. Can you help us?- he begged the monitor. -I think something is wrong with him, too.-
-I will help,- said a new voice. -Stay and preserve the lives of the wounded, Marisa.-
-Yes, Domna.-
-Eep,- thought Regis.
A woman formed before their eyes, her body nearly solid. It was the projection of a very powerful talent. Danilo sent a question to Regis, but the newcomer introduced herself first.
-Callina Aillard, leronis of Arilinn Tower. I bring the power of my circle with me. We received warning earlier from Hali. Regis, enter the link. You should remember all those in my circle from your stay with us. As Danilo has not linked with my circle before, he must stay out, but he may accompany us as we search.-
-Yes, vai leronis,- replied Regis.
Regis' instant obedience amused his paxman. Domna Callina had been Regis' teacher at Arilinn, and Hastur held her in adolescent awe. She was a strong telepath even by Darkovan standards.
-Let us go.- The leronis swept up the minds of the two young men, and bore them off to the Forbidden City.
-oOo-
Inculcare rose to his knees. Normally he would have assisted his injured body with the Force, but his connection was still severed. Blood coated the High Inquisitor's gloved hand when he touched his face, and he could barely hear through his ruptured eardrums. The dark cloud had left. During the fight with Qui-gon, the High Inquisitor had watched as a captive inside his own head, annoyed and disgusted. He'd expected his own death at any moment.
An ampule from his medikit dealt with the shock, and another injection gave him a surge of energy. He could still detect a very slight connection with the dark Voice. It seemed to be babbling to itself in unhinged reaction to its own severing. -Do you have any Force powers left at all?- the High Inquisitor asked the Voice tactlessly.
The replying surge of anger would have frightened most men, but the High Inquisitor was unmoved. -I sense you do, though you are much weakened. Qui-gon was too badly injured to do the job properly. Join me again, and I will show you how to win. But this time, we do it on my terms. I will make the decisions. You have proved to me you cannot plot strategy on your own. Do you agree?-
The cloud frothed with fury, then subsided. A cold calculation rose from it. -You would agree to join me of your own will, after such treatment?-
-I still desire to attain my goal. But I must make all the decisions. Do you understand?-
-I do not bargain. I am a God.-
-Then you need to start learning how,- Inculcare shot back. -Do you wish to face another millennium of silence underground, counting pebbles? Or do you wish to conquer a galaxy? You need my expertise. The decision would be obvious to a Sith.-
-I agree,- said the Voice, but too quickly.
Inculcare knew he could not trust it, but weak, it needed him. “Join me, then, and I will offer you your first lesson in dealing with such a setback. You have almost no strength left, but I need only a slight amount of the Force from you to begin the work.”
-Go on, I know what you intend. The technique is one I have perfected myself.-
Inculcare glanced at Tyranus, but the Sith Warrior had fainted again. Wounded, all Tyranus' available Force energies had sunk to a very low level. He would be of little use to Inculcare.
Walking stiffly, Inculcare approached the Jedi Master. Qui-gon was still alive, though he didn't have much longer. Tyranus' shot had drilled right into his back. Inculcare knelt and peeled off a glove. Then he wiggled his metal hand into Qui-gon's wound with spider-like motions. The claws spring-ejected, and were driven deep into Qui-gon with a crude, hard, jab. Qui-gon convulsed, his blood-spattered form writhing slowly from an agony not even unconsciousness could preserve him from.
Inculcare smiled. The first stage of his revenge had been corrupting Obi-wan. The next stage was the slow, vicious torture of Qui-gon. Inculcare yearned to spread his claws and begin ripping.
But not quite yet.
The High Inquisitor placed his other hand on the back of Qui-gon's head. -Drain,- he commanded silently. Force energy flew out of the Jedi's body as Inculcare sucked it up. “Wake,” he whispered to the Jedi. “I command you to feel this. All of it.”
The Jedi's eyes opened.   They were dull with shock and pain.
Slowly, Inculcare spread his claws out, squeezing them together repeatedly, working them deeper into the raw mass of the bloody wound with a wet squishing.   “Howl for me,” said Inculcare. “I want to hear your pain. Please me. Please your torturer.”
With effort that must have been superhuman, Qui-gon stayed silent.
-Give me your strength, yes, exactly like that. You've given me your apprentice, you've given me this world, your life, your Force-energy, everything. Now give me your offering of pain. Howl for me, Qui-gon.-
Inculcare pushed his hand in further. “Interesting. I'm buried inside you all the way to the wrist.”
Qui-gon made a violent, wordless noise. His face had turned completely white with agony.
Inculcare laughed. “Shall I make the pain last an hour? A day, a lifetime? Maybe I'll save your life just to torture you further. It's a year's travel home, with you trapped on my ship, in my hands. But give me more of yourself, first. Give me all of your Force strength, and feel everything I do to you.” Inculcare leaned in hard on the metal hand and rocked it.
Qui-gon's control gave way. He screamed.
-oOo-
Ghostly minds noticed the wreckage of the planetary shield.
-Zandru's Hells,- Regis said when he saw the shattered remains. -This is a disaster. Our world no longer has any protection.-
-Regis! Domna, look, the Jedi Master is hurt. That Sith is doing something to Qui-gon, Danilo warned. We must rescue him immediately!-
-Danilo,- said Callina, -I need your Ardais gift to save him. Link directly with me when I give the signal. I'm stepping out of the circle. Regis, I know you've never done the work of a keeper before, but you must now. Hold the energon rings as long as you can. If you feel yourself beginning to lose control, drop the others out immediately.-
-Yes, Domna,- said Regis with trepidation.
-Danilo, I will start the link.-
The keeper pulled Regis into her own mental space, and Regis felt Arilinn's matrix appear between his hands. Then Callina stepped away, handing control of the circle over to him, and sank into Danilo's mind. Danilo had to fight the urge to flinch away from her strangeness, and he made himself cooperate, letting the leronis draw on his gift.
Callina was staring intently down at Qui-gon.
-Drain,- said a distant mental voice.
The type of energy Callina was summoning was familiar to Danilo, and he fed the leronis all of the Ardais gift he could, knowing the urgency of this particular teleport.
Energy flared around Qui-gon, and the Jedi vanished.
Surprised and wary, Inculcare sprang back, trying to locate the interference.
In the shadow of Hali Tower, the Jedi Master reappeared, laying face down on tufts of grass. The tower workers gave a start of surprise, then cautiously approached the injured man.
-Regis, how are you managing the circle?- Callina asked.
-Fine, Domna. Holding the rings is not as difficult as I feared.-
-Good. Marisa? Who do you have for healers? We have another here who is gravely hurt.-
-No one!- Marisa wailed. -Domna, this is why we sent for aid. Catriona was our chief healer, and she's dying! We must have help. You have great skill in the art.-
But Callina was concentrating on the Forbidden City. Danilo could feel her pondering the Sith lord, and the dark presence.
-All Darkover needs my help,- Callina replied. -I am sorry, but our enemies must come first. Do what you can for the wounded.-
-Domna, I have an idea, said Regis. Let me see to the Sith while you help the injured. I think I can distract him long enough to give you time to save our friends here. All you have to do is get them stabilized.-
-And how would you do this?-
Regis showed her the image of Marius Hastur's matrix. He mentioned its province, and both Danilo and Regis could feel Callina suck in a mental breath.
-I should say no,- the keeper replied. -But I have some precognition, and it tells me you can use it. Do not go beyond a level where you feel comfortable, and use your intelligence more than your laran. Be careful!--
-Thank you, Domna. Dani? Let's head back to the lake for a moment.-
-oOo-
Inculcare turned slowly, probing. The energy-burst had felt like Jedi folding, but there was no way Qui-gon could have managed it. He gave Tyranus' body a suspicious look, but the other Sith lord was still unconscious. Inculcare snorted.
No matter. The High Inquisitor thought he had stolen enough Force from Qui-gon for the next stage.
-No! We must defeat Hastur,- the Voice cried.
-We already have the means, Inculcare replied coldly. Watch and learn.- The High Inquisitor glanced skywards, and sent his thoughts shooting into outer space.
The bridge of the Nihilus formed around him. He heard startled intakes of breath as crewmen noticed his Force phantom appearing on deck. His body was see-through for a moment, then it solidified.
General Nerilles saluted, and Inculcare noticed the strain on his face. Medics were loading Admiral Kopis on a stretcher.
“What's happened?” Inculcare asked.
“My lord, the Admiral is dead of a heart attack. I have assumed command.”
Suspicious of the timing, Inculcare said, “Prepare to fire the superlaser at the city of Thendara. Wait for my signal.” His attention was drawn to the viewscreens, to the lines of ships heading in towards the Nihilus. A chatter of warnings was coming from the consoles of Commander Tolkus, the Nihilus' chief of security.
“Tolkus,” said Inculcare, “give me a situation report.” The High Inquisitor's eyes continued to roam the bridge, and he noticed the red 'disarmed' button was lit on the console controlling the superlaser.
“A small group of invaders have forced their way into Lord Plagueis' quarters, my lord,” said Tolkus. “I've sent troopers there to recapture the area, but the invaders have barricaded themselves inside. I've tried to contact Lord Plagueis, but cannot reach him. I do not think the Dark Lord can be in his quarters or he would have killed them already.”
“Nerilles, why did you not tell me this?” said Inculcare.
“I was about to, my lord,” Nerilles replied quickly.
“And why are the Nihilus' shields down?” asked Inculcare in even tones.
Nerilles' answer was to whip out his blaster and shoot the High Inquisitor. The shot sped right through the phantom, and blew out one of the viewscreens beyond.
The phantom's hand gestured, and the Force wrapped around the General's neck and strangled him, snapping his neck with a crunch. His body thudded to the deck even as Inculcare fired off his next set of orders.
“Commander Tolkus, you're in charge of the bridge. Turn the shields back on immediately. Halt the fleet and have them return to assault formation. Rearm the superlaser and target the city of Thendara. I will take care of the intruders myself.”
The phantom vanished.
-oOo-
“We're discovered,” Dyan warned the others. “One of the Sith has returned and killed the Admiral. He's countermanded my orders and is heading here.”
“Captain?” said Uhura's voice over Kirk's communicator. “Darkover has reappeared and all communication signals are going through. The planetary shield must have been disabled.”
“Acknowledged,” said Kirk briefly. They were in deep shit. “Crew, prepare for assault. Make sure life support belts are active. Lord Ardais, take over the man next in command and have him shoot up the superlaser and the shielding consoles.”
That was all the time they had.
Inculcare appeared, assessing, reacting with incredible speed. He sent Chekov flying with a telekinetic punch, clearing his way to Spock. Kirk, Scotty, Sulu, and Spock all opened fire with phasers. The beams sped harmlessly through the phantom. /Deeper shit,/ thought Kirk. They were facing some sort of thought projection. It could attack them, but they couldn't injure it in return.
An invisible fist wrapped around Spock's neck and lifted him in the air, shaking him with convulsive, angry jerks. It shorted out the life support belt. Spock's body shook sickeningly, bouncing like a man in a hangman's noose, his face reddening as the pressure bore in on the veins in his neck.
Inculcare's face lit up with a hard smile as he watched the Commander's face distort. “Death can be the greatest pleasure a man can experience,” Inculcare said to his victim. “Don't you agree, Spock? At least, your death is to me.”
“Captain!” Dyan called.
“No,” said Kirk. “Continue!” Only Lord Ardais had a chance to stop Inculcare, but sabotaging the bridge was more important. “Kyle, beam Spock back over,” Kirk hissed into his communicator, fast.
The grimacing Spock glowed blue and vanished. A hint of surprise crossed Inculcare's face. Then he glared at Kirk.
“It is done!” Lord Ardais blurted. He sprang across the room, swinging his lightsaber at the Sith lord. Whether he could have connected was a moot point. The phantom phased right through the red lightsaber flash.
“Kyle, can you lock onto the alien life force here and beam it out into space?” Kirk said into his communicator.
“No, Captain. It doesn't show up on my sensors.”
Inculcare was rubbing a ghostly fist against a hand, summoning energy. He threw it like a ball. Scotty and Sulu sprang aside.
A Force grenade exploded inside the room, sending burning corrosiveness in all directions. Everything flammable caught fire. Inculcare made a sweep of his hand, and their life support belts overloaded and failed. The Enterprise crew held their breath against the harsh, savage air to keep from suffocating. Only the battle armor kept their clothes from going up in flames, as well.
Phaser beams died and communicators failed as Inculcare sucked the power from them. “You've failed,” said Inculcare. “Utterly. Your deaths will be swift, but maybe you won't think so.”
Kirk caught Lord Ardais' shoulder. “Get Kyle,” he rasped.
Dyan sent his thoughts directly into Lieutenant Kyle's mind back on board the Enterprise. -Beam us back over. Hurry, dammit.-
The crew of the Enterprise began to fade out. Inculcare caught his unbreath, and fought the transporter beam with the Force. Kirk saw the faint outlines of the transporter room appearing, then fading again. They were back on board the Nihilus.
“Captain, you can't leave so soon,” said Inculcare with a charming smile. “I'm not done with you, yet.”
Sulu collapsed, unable to breathe. Chekov was slumped, still dazed from the Force

grenade. Scotty was crouched on the floor where the thin oxygen still lingered. An invisible hand locked around Kirk's throat, and began to strangle.
-Leave him alone.-
“And who might you be?” said Inculcare.
Lord Ardais tried to speak, but found himself coughing too hard to manage it. -The one who compels you, FOOL.- He clamped down on the High Inquisitor with his Alton gift. For a second, two coercive minds fought over the body of Inculcare, but Dyan had another goal besides winning—distraction.
The crew of the Enterprise vanished.
Kyle's worried face was the first thing they saw after they beamed over. “Christ, I didn't think I was going to get you.”
“Jim! Are you all right?” Bones asked. McCoy and his medics were already waiting, and they hurried forwards to examine the men.
Spock was being taken out on a stretcher. “I am—not seriously injured, Captain,” he managed to say.
“Shut up and lie down,” Bones called to him. “You've got a badly sprained neck.”
Kirk was coughing too hard to reply to the Commander. He waved a hand instead. Struggling to get his vocal cords moving, he said to Lord Ardais, “Did you do it?”
“Temporarily,” Dyan managed to say after swallowing a cup of water offered by one of the medics. “I used their Commander's mind—and his gun—to shoot the superlaser's controls, as well as those of the shields, but my laran tells me they are already heading for their backup systems. The estimate is that they have about fifteen to twenty minutes before their superlaser is working again.”
Kirk made a brief, emphatic sound, and staggered out of the room to the turbolift. He was almost down to his last resort.
-oOo-
- 25
- 26
- 27
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Legends of Darkover