Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

9.13.2

"You shouldn't," Tyrannus snarled, his long fingers gripping the edge of the throne. "You failed my master when you were killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Your resurrection does not redeem your place among the Sith."

Barriss, who knew she ought to stay back, stood next to the door and hid in the shadows. She watched her master scoff and point the hilt of his lightsaber at Tyrannus. "And if I was here to redeem my place as an apprentice, I would agree, but I haven't come to be your apprentice! Oh, no, no, no! I've come to be the Master! The day has come, Darth Tyrannus! I, Maul, challenge you for the throne of the Sith!"

Dropping his cape, Tyrannus stood up and walked step by step down to the ground. "You think having an apprentice makes you more eligible to replace me? You are not the first to try and rise up to supplant me Maul, yet I invite you, challenge me. The last fool who tried to destroy me is dead."

"Yes, yes, the lowly little Inquisitor," Maul spat, beginning to circle with Tyrannus. "Yet I respect her, for at least she had the sense to destroy Sideous before she was killed. Even you with all your wisdom could not see that he meant ill for us all."

"I was loyal," Tyrannus growled, pulling his lightsaber from his belt but not igniting it. "That wretch only cared about Skywalker, and she received what she deserved for her treachery."

Maul's face scrunched quizzically, before realizing the truth and laughing. "You still don't see it? Even after all you have been made privy to, you still don't understand your dear master's true plan? Skywalker was his goal! The Chosen One was going to supplant you, not that silly little girl! She saved you from your destruction, she saved all of us!"

That was too far. Tyrannus ignited his blade, leveling it at Maul and ceasing to circle him. "I will not have such treacherous words spoken in my temple. The Inquisitor was a traitor and a liar, and if you dare honor her memory then you will join her beyond the grave!"

In turn, Maul ignited both ends of his weapon and held it out in front, grounding himself to the temple. The Dark Side was strong here, and his roots grew deep in this soil. He let the power flow into him, consuming all that he was and all that he would be. This was his path forward, he knew. He was exactly where he was supposed to be. This was his destiny, his purpose in the universe. 

As it was his challenge, Maul was the first to attack. He spun his saber and leaped forward, driving in towards Tyrannus. The old man sidestepped and deflected the strike, and from that moment there was no backing down. The challenge was active. For each man, this duel could either end in victory or death. That was the nature of the Sith. Only the best may reign. 

Try as she might, Barriss couldn't prevent her breath from being taken away as she watched her master fight his opponent. The red blades cut furiously through the air, and there was little to no honor in this battle. Unlike Jedi, no code held them back from making the fight personal. If anything, Barriss knew that the Sith code encouraged it. Being the academic she was, she couldn't help but analyze the fight as it progressed.

Maul's technique, she was more familiar with. Rage and strength fueled his strokes and he fed his soul into every movement of his body. Even his robotic legs seemed to be powered with the Dark Side, always pushing, pushing to fight forward, to overpower his enemy. Maul knew his abilities and his strengths and he owned them proudly. There was no fear in his face, no shame in his fight. This was everything he was, everything he had become. Barriss knew that if Maul was not enough to be the Lord of the Sith, then he didn't want to be anything. He wanted it all.

So instead she focused on Tyrannus's dueling style. It was a stark contrast to her master, and she grimaced as she saw some of herself in his strategy. Tyrannus's movements were poised and controlled, and Barriss could see remnants of a Jedi in him. His skill was prominent, but it couldn't completely erase or hide that he had been raised as a Jedi and taught by a Jedi. He didn't seem to try to abolish it like Barriss was, but he laced it with the Dark Side and broke the chains the Jedi had cast upon him. He didn't deny his past but used it against those who would seek to manipulate it. It had no control over him, Tyrannus had control over it. His chains had become the weapon he used on others.