IC DARTH CATALYST
Underdelve, Sith Temple, Korriban
Dust rained down from above as the battle raged through the temple. The fear in the air was a palpable field of Dark Side potential just waiting to be unleashed. From the younglings, guided by their crone of an instructor and hiding in the center of the massed Sith, to some of the Knights and Masters guarding them from the Shadow Slayers emerging from the portal. Even from above, where Catalyst had sealed his makeshift portcullis, more were fleeing down the cascading stairs to find shelter in the underdelve. The familiar presence of Lord Nathemus among the retreating body, however much Catalyst detested the man-ape experiment gone wrong, provided a small measure of comfort.
The enthusiasm of Samael behind him brought a small grin to Catalyst's face. Even amidst the chaos and carnage, the young Devaronian maintained a hope that Catalyst was sure nothing in the 'verse could quench. He chuckled a bit, perfectly willing to egg on the fiery warrior as he tore away at the slayers alongside the likes of Lord Xxys and Lady Apollyon. Thankfully, it seemed that the gate that was summoning their reinforcements had been rendered inactive. He wasn't going to be so ignorant to thank Volshe for its sudden deactivation; he could plainly see the droid standing next to her concentrating on dissassembling packets of data as it analyzed the electronics. He silently thanked Apollyon for keeping I-Ron around. The Shard was proving itself most useful.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, he cursed Xarxes for not responding to him. There were others delving into the gaping mouth of the statue, the Butcher of Coruscant among them. The image of them trodding upon his corpse distracted him from what he imagined could be preventing the self-proclaimed Nightfather from answering his query. His imagination was interrupted by an intense flare of Force power nearly overpowering his senses. And then, in an instant, it vanished, leaving behind an emptiness that could only be described as a solar system missing its star. Catalyst was all too familiar with the aura that had winked from existence.
Kain...
---
Vitae
156 ABY
"Tell me, Lord Catalyst - have you ever dealt with children before?"
"I try to avoid to, if possible," Catalyst said with a smirk. "I'm gifted in the art of creation, not so much the nurturing. Besides, they remind me too much of my former apprentice."
"I wasn't aware you had a child apprentice," said Kain. "Was it… difficult?"
"He wasn't a child so much," reminisced Catalyst, "just... acted like one. He couldn't comprehend the fact that nobody really wanted to put up with him, and it ended up being his downfall." He shrugged. "Why, are you looking for a surrogate?"
Kain chuckled. "No, no. Just some… advice."
"Advice... sure," the elder Dark Lord nodded knowingly. "I'll offer what I can but in my opinion you're better off not having one. They're messy, loud and can't do anything useful while you're stuck taking care of them. There's no place in the Empire for a daycare."
The ship suddenly jolted, a sign that they had exited hyperspace. It was a blessing that this ship had already braved the Maw numerous times before; Kain didn't want to imagine how it would feel to go lightspeed into a black hole. A transparisteel viewport allowed a clear view of the planet, once marred with a scourge of desolate ships in orbit. Now it was as if the planet was under reconstruction, with the debris cleared away and new foundations being laid for the home of Darth Kain.
"I just have to drop off some excess cargo, and then we can make our way to the rebels."
Catalyst looked out into the construction, a slight haze of distraction adorning his eyes. His attention may have been here, but there was definitely something else occupying his mind. After a brief silence, he turned back to Kain. "As long as we're here, can I make use of a lightsaber workshop?" Catalyst inquired. "I feel woefully naked without a weapon, and mine is on the Cunning Stunt, back on Korriban."
"Don't have one just yet," said Kain, referring to the saber workshop. "But I've collected a few over the years that I keep in, well, the beginnings of my trophy room. You can feel free to choose from my little collection when we make planetside." In truth, Kain did not have much intention of building a lightsaber workshop of any sort - unless Eva asked for one, of course. The sword he forged on Dathomir recently was more than enough for him, and while he used to be passionate about lightsabers and the dance of combat, it simply wasn't practical anymore.
So he had instead created his blade, created from the spirit ichor of The Mother - his mother. Conforming his knowledge of the lightsaber combat forms to his newfound bladework had been a bit tricky, but not as much as Kain had expected. The only major hurdle had been the weight of the blade, which was significantly heavier than that of a lightsaber. Beyond that, the principles remained the same. He would simply have to start learning new techniques from actual sword-wielders to cement his ability.
"But you're right in any regard; the Empire is certainly no place for a child."
Blacksmoke soon broke through the clouds of Vitae, revealing now the scope of Kain's home. Much of it was still under construction, as Catalyst had seen, but what had been built was quite beautiful. There were many inspirations in this architectural work. Naboo, the temple back on Korriban, even a tower that resembled a wroshyr tree from Kashyyyk. The ship touched down on the landing pad, which seemed large enough to house even a Star Destroyer. Future plans, perhaps? "I have a droid in the cockpit that will escort you to my trophy room," said Kain. "I'll take care of some quick business while you make your decision."
Catalyst shrugged and turned back to the viewport. The progress that Kain was making in his homestead was impressive indeed but Catalyst wondered where his true priorities lay. He seemed rather fixated on the child thing. Catalyst chuckled to himself as he thought of Kain rearing a child. The young man would make a fine caretaker but Catalyst doubted he could balance that with being an intimidating Sith Lord.
Unless the baby was on fire.
The Dark Lord snorted and pushed the thought from his head as the ship found its destination. As requested, he would follow the droid that would lead him to Kain's trophy room. He wondered just what other business Kain was referring to. What kind of secrets he was hiding away here. Perhaps he would investigate it later.
Perhaps shaking him from his thoughts was the droid, which stepped out of the cockpit and gave a politeful bow to the Dark Lords as Kain scowled. It was of the RWW-series, very feminine - including its voice.
"Greetings, sir," said the droid. "I am Unit T-1-F-A, though I go by 'Tifa'. Kain has instruceted me to escort you to his trophy room." The boarding ramp descended to the permacrete ground below. "Shall we proceed, sir?"
"Thank you Tifa," Catalyst responded with some forced politeness. He still had a bit of a sore spot for droids but this one seemed less than malicious. "Let's go."
The droid and the Sith ventured off of the vessel, making their way from the serene landing pad into the eerily quiet estate. Perhaps the silence was due to the obvious lack of servants around the manor. Where were the maids cleaning everything, or the butlers preparing a welcome-home meal?
As if sensing the incoming question, the droid spoke, "Lord Kain has made a point of not making use of the Sith Empire's pool of slaves to maintain his home. He has said that, upon completion of the estate, that I will be but the first of the droids he buys to do such work instead. I believe it may be because of his past."
Catalyst had barely noticed the lack of activity. In fact the silence helped him focus more clearly on his thoughts. He was mostly lost in his own mind trying to figure out why Kain was suddenly interested in children, and here of all places. Was the hothead looking to start a cozy family of his own? It almost made Catalyst laugh, the man he had known to summon infernal gouts that left little of his enemies holding a little bundle of crying cloth or towing a pram behind him while doing business on Korriban. He would have paid good credits to see such a spectacle.
"I'm not surprised," Catalyst absently responded to the droid's exposition. "Droids are nothing if not efficient. I recall he has some aversion to the Empire's steady selection of employed prisoners."
"He says it is because he does not trust prisoners around his… valuables," said T1-FA. "But my psychological processors determine that is in large part because of his childhood, when his adoptive father was killed by slavers." It was unusual for a droid to talk about its master so freely, especially as small talk.
The pair soon reached a gallery the size of a small stadium, and with good reason it seemed. Though the trophy room seemed largely empty, with plenty of room to expand, the few prizes Kain had were rather deserving of the space. A gigantic wyyyschokk spider was perched upon the wall, eternally frozen in death, yet possessing the menacing stare of a living predator. Near it was the skull of a Krayt Dragon, large enough that it could snap up both Catalyst and T1-FA in a single gulp were it still alive.
But on the wall at the end of the room was what Lord Catalyst had come for. A wall adorned with the lightsabers of Kain's fallen foes - some Jedi, some traitorous Sith, and some were beings in between. There had to be at least a dozen here; it appeared Kain had been rather busy in his off-time.
"As my master made clear, you are free to choose any of the lightsabers here," said the droid. "Feel free to browse. I will give you room to… try them out, if you wish."
Catalyst looked over the collection carefully, impressed by the sheer amount that Kain had managed to collect. He picked up a few, getting a feel for their weight, until his eyes fell upon a hilt that looked to be folded over onto itself. He picked up the saber and spun it on its hinge, locking it into a long saberstaff. He ignited one blade, a fiery lance of deep crimson, then the other. The plasma sputtered and popped as he waved the weapon about, performing a few orbits to test its balance and reach. The hinge did not impede his hand motions at all and Catalyst was moderately pleased with the dexterity of the hilt. He could think of a few creative applications for a weapon that could fold in half at the push of a button. Catalyst deactivated the blades and folded the hilt to hang on his belt. "I think this will do," he mused aloud before addressing the droid. "Let's go back to the ship Tifa."
"Yes, sir," the droid answered sharply. It turned on its heel, spinning around and leading the Dark Lord from the massive room. As they traversed the halls, intent on returning to the landing pad, a small, dark creature darted towards the legs of Darth Catalyst. Corvar the Loth-cat rubbed against the side of the Sith Lord's leg, purring calmly.
A jump of surprise caused the Dark Lord to stumble and pause. The loth-cat had snuck up on him; there weren't many in the galaxy capable of that feat. "Well hello there, little one." He smiled a bit and reached his hand down to let Corvar sniff it. "You're quite the little scamp aren't you?" He ran his hand along Corvar's back before attempting to scoop the furry creature into his arms.
The cat resisted the Dark Lord's grip, but only for a moment. Its purr never wavered, and its eyes finally found those of the man who was holding it. Catalyst would no doubt see the scar on the Loth-cat's face, stretching across from the top of its right eye down to the bottom of its left cheek.
"Lord Kain found this animal on Kashyyyk," said the droid. "Odds are it was abandoned by offworlders, left to fend for itself in the infamous Shadowlands. It had survived long enough to meet Kain, who had gone there on holiday."
Another set of footsteps echoed from around the corner of the hall, the sound causing Corvar's ears to perk up. "Corvar!" called a young voice. "Pspspspsp, where are you?"
The cat leaped from Catalyst's arms, somehow not leaving a scratch on him as it jumped. It bolted around the corner, moving like a shadow across the white marble.
Catalyst cocked his head at the unfamiliar voice. Tifa had insisted there weren't any prisoners with jobs here, noting Kain's distaste for them, so he was curious just who else the Sith Lord was allowing to inhabit his little homestead. "Fond of strays, are you Kain?" Catalyst muttered under his breath. His curiosity got the better of him, and he stepped around the corner to see who was calling to Corvar.
He saw the girl the moment the cat leapt into her arms, and she saw him as well. She was young, very young; no older than ten years old. But there was a certain weariness to her eyes, as if she'd seen more than enough tragedy for someone twice her age. She had been crying recently as well, if the red, puffy eyes were any indicator. Corvar seemed to pick up on her sadness, nuzzling his head against her neck.
She recognized Catalyst from the holofeed as the Sith that had accompanied Kain at the gala, causing her to freeze in her tracks. Eva had never come this close to a Sith Lord, not including Kain. Even being near someone like Count Dooku back in her day was far from possible. But now here she was, staring down one by accident.
And something about him seemed awfully familiar…
Catalyst stopped in surprise when he saw the young girl standing in front of him. A strange, dumb look played across his face. He should have known better but when Kain had asked him about a child, Catalyst didn't think that he'd already got one. There was something familiar about her though, and Catalyst wanted to get a closer look at her face. The Dark Lord lowered himself onto a knee, in an attempt to make himself seem less threatening to the obviously scared girl. "Hello young one," he said calmly. "Kain didn't tell me anyone else was going to be wandering around here. Don't be afraid, come closer." He smiled, putting on as warm a facade as he could manage. "Corvar didn't bite me, so I don't have rabies. I think he likes you more though." He held out his hand, beckoning her to him.
She paused. It was true that Corvar didn't attack this stranger - what was his name, Darth Lord Reaper? But if this Loth-cat had taken a liking to a Sith like Kain, it was obvious its standards were not too high.
Then again, what did that say about Eva?
She looked towards the droid with a glare, silently pleading T1-FA to protect her should this man try something dastardly. "You're a Sith," she said. "People die because of you."
Catalyst was taken aback at her directness. He withdrew his hand and stood back up. "People die every day." His tone had taken a playful turn. "I don't have to be a Sith to have anything to do with it." The conviction in her tone brought to his mind the teachings of the Jedi Order. They were the primary teachers of such a narrow viewpoint. "I bet you'd be surprised if I told you how many people the Jedi kill. At least the Sith have the decency to be upfront about it."
Eva cocked her head to the side. Something about this man mentioning the Jedi, something in his eyes… she could swear she had seen him before. But she hadn't seen many people since Kain awoke her from the carbonite, no. Was he from before?
"How old are you?" she asked.
A burst of laughter leapt from Catalyst's throat. "That's not a polite question to ask people," he chided with a chuckle. "I'm older than Kain, if that's what you're wondering."
"Old enough to remember the Clone Wars?" she asked, becoming all the more certain with every word he spoke. Each utterance was like a piece to the puzzle, triggering her memory with every piece laid. "Kain said a friend of his named Cal once survived carbonite freezing. Was that you?"
There was a distinct wince as Catalyst closed his eyes. Memories of the war came flooding back to him, including the death of his Master, and the crushing weight of grief surrounding the rise of the Empire. "Nobody has called me that name since Order 66," he spoke somberly, any trace of playfulness lost from his voice. He leveled a glare at the girl, no longer holding any pretense of being nice. "Who are you?"
"I'm Eva," she said. "My master was Shi'nok, Jedi Knight." Her posture had noticeably straightened, even with Corvar still in her arms. "I watched him die because of that Order. Why are you fighting for the people that killed us?"
Shi'nok. That name rang a bell. In a moment, years of conditioned training and hatred welled up in the Dark Lord. Twenty five years of experience hunting the hated enemy of the Sith caused his muscles to tense almost reflexively.
She was a Jedi.
Before he could stop himself, the saberstaff he had borrowed was unfolded in his hand and the blades ignited with a hiss. Emotions that hadn't been touched in years were now welling up within the Dark Lord. "The Jedi left me for dead," he snapped uncharacteristically. "Abandoned me while the galaxy burned. I did what I needed to survive, no matter how many I had to kill. The Dark Side did more for me than the Jedi ever could." His features softened barely and a small smile cracked across his scowl. "And now, you're in the same position it looks like. Under the care of a Sith. Forced to accept his hospitality or perish. I wonder just how long he'll let you keep up this self righteous posturing, Padawan." He spat the honorific like it was a Huttese treat.
Eva backed away a step. Two. Three.
The crimson plasma of the Sith's lightsaber hummed with malicious intent. She could feel the darkness swelling in him, churning like a whirlpool of tar. Every fiber of his being seemed to be filled with the desire to destroy the Jedi, to finish the mission of the Sith. What could they have done to him to make him this way? But there was no time to spare on pity. All she had in arm's reach was Corvar, who was now hissing angrily at the threatening Sith Lord. "Tifa!" pleaded Eva. "Do something!"
"I am not equipped for combat," the droid spoke. "But sir, I must implore you to see reason. The girl poses no threat."
Catalyst ignored the protocol droid's plea and continued to stare down Eva. Every thought was telling him to strike down this little Jedi. And yet he held his attack. She was a survivor of the Purge. She must have been hibernating for nearly 200 years. And now she was in Kain's care.
The crimson blades deactivated and Catalyst folded the hilt back onto his belt. "Tell me, Eva," his voice was quiet now, but filled with malice, "if you're a Jedi, what are you doing out here being cared for by a Sith? He wouldn't have taken you in if you were a real Jedi. He would have killed you on the spot. Just like the Sith killed your master." The Dark Lord looked down at the floor, raw emotion welling in his voice. "And mine. My Master, Klar Ka-lel, was struck down by the very troops he led in battle. The Sith planned that from the beginning. That's why I joined them, child. The Dark Side always overpowers the light."
"He never told me!" she boomed. "I woke up in a different galaxy than the one I left and he was the only one who cared about me!"
Corvar's ears perked up and he leaped from her arms, running past her down the hallway. But she cared not. "You betrayed everything you stood for to live through Order 66, but you didn't survive. The good person you could've been died back then. Now you're just a monster that thinks power matters more than what's right."
"And yet, here I am," the Dark Lord stated simply. "I'd rather be alive and perceived a monster by someone who doesn't know better, than rotting in an unmarked hole on some backwater world. Good is a point of view, and an annoyingly narrow one at that." He smirked a little. "Think about the news report that you no doubt saw myself and your caretaker in. Did we kill anyone? Did we even draw a weapon? Who are the real monsters?"
She began to protest. "I--"
"What are you doing here?" a voice asked her from behind.
She turned, finding a familiar face standing behind her. Kain stared down at her, and she could hear the soft purring of Corvar as the cat rubbed against Kain's legs.
"I was trying to find Corvar and he threatened me with a lightsaber!" Eva cried.
Kain's eyes flicked towards Catalyst, but only for a moment.
"T1-FA," said Kain. "Take Eva and Corvar to her room. Lord Catalyst and I will be underway shortly and we can't have any more delays."
"Of course, sir," said the droid. "Come along, Eva."
She tried to argue again. "What about--"
"Go," Kain demanded.
Despite her protests, Eva realized that she had been caught between two Sith Lords - one far less likely to kill her than the other. The protocol droid guided her along, and Corvar followed in tow. Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to allow either of the Sith see her weakness. She may have not been a Jedi any longer, but she would never become a monster like Cal did.
Of that, she was certain.
Catalyst waited until Eva was well out of earshot before snorting in laughter. "You adopted the littlest Jedi?" he guffawed. "I wondered why you were asking about kids, but it's a surprise that you up and stole a youngling." His mind clicked as he registered what he had just said. "A youngling from the Clone Wars. Where in boboqueequee did you find her? She knew my name Kain. She knew I was one of them."
"She was in carbonite ever since her master was killed," Kain explained, exasperated. "A Senator had her hanging on the wall like an art piece, so I decided to free her." He crossed his arms. "She has no one else left. Even her biological family is long dead."
"She's still a Jedi," Catalyst said bluntly. "She's lucky to be alive. Any other day and I wouldn't have hesitated, but we're in your home, and I didn't want to make a mess." He looked back over his shoulder, almost nervously. "I take it she's here because you haven't gotten the nerve to bring her to Korriban? If Intelligence found out you were harboring the little lightsider..." he let the implication hang in the air between them.
"It's a good thing they won't find out," said Kain, his jaw twitching slightly. "It's also a good thing that she's not being trained by the Jedi any longer. The Son of Abeloth has a new apprentice, Lord Catalyst. It would be a shame if anyone tried to interfere in the new apprentice's training, wouldn't it?"
Catalyst smirked at Kain's thinly veiled threat. "A real shame. I'm sure she'll turn out to be a fine little distraction until you decide that she doesn't fill that void in your chest." He stared hard, looking for further reaction from Kain. "Do you take after your Mother in that respect as well? So desperate for admiration that you'll kidnap a child under the guise of rescue just so she'll have nobody to look up to but yourself? Face it, the longer you keep her here, hidden away from the rest of the galaxy, the more helpless she'll become. But I suppose that suits you just fine, doesn't it?"
Kain's eyes remained unwavering, but it would become quite clear that Catalyst had flustered him. The temperature in the room seemed to rise a few degrees, increasing with each passing second.
"You're right," he said. "I have sheltered her from the galaxy, from the Sith. And you want to know why?"
He turned towards the nearby window, his eyes finding the setting sun on the horizon.
"We train apprentices to abide by our codes, our laws. We forge them into weapons to be used in our Emperor's war. But I joined the Sith to break my chains, not to forge new ones. So I began to study the most powerful Sith in history. Darth Vitiate, Darth Sidious, Darth Dreadwar. And do you know what they all have in common?"
He turned back to Catalyst.
"They do not follow any code but their own. And I have no intentions of this girl being anyone's weapon, least of all my own."
Kain paused, trying to find the words.
"Volacius, Bril'Kairn - they don't have the potential that she does. The Sith are naught but a means to an end, and she deserves more than that. If you want to disparage my methods, I do not care. We have more pressing matters to attend to than this."
An excessively broad smile adorned Catalyst's face. It was easy to tell he was more entertained by the verbal spar than he was interested in the philosophy behind Kain's words. He did respect the man though, for pointing out an inherent fallacy in the Sith order. "You're right." Catalyst replied, content to continue their conversation. "Codes are little more than mantras repeated by those who lack the conviction to forge their own path. A way to guide the weak minded, and shape them into a tool that can be directed. The Jedi Code and Sith Code are more similar in that way than either party cares to acknowledge." He turned to walk back towards the ship. "That's perhaps the reason I was able to stay my hand. I'm not so single-minded as to devote myself to a string of words. I wonder if she'll be able to look past those restrictive codes as well."
"She's young; she has time."
Kain and Catalyst had finally returned to the ship after the sun had set, their preparations complete. Darth Catalyst had his lightsaber, and Kain was hardly surprised at his choice. There were only a couple of double-bladed lightsabers in his collection, and only one had belonged to a Sith. Kain recalled the previous owner of the lightsaber well - some uppity apprentice that dared to insult the Empress. It was only fitting her Vengeance take the life of the pitiful creature.
The nebulous blue of hyperspace enveloped the ship. Catalyst stared out into the mesmerizing kaleidoscope for a few seconds before the silence grew uncomfortable. "So," he piped up, "what persuaded you to unfreeze and raise the littlest Jedi? Seems awfully benevolent of you to set things aside for a young girl you don't know." He thought about Kain's motives for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "And perhaps a little cruel to thrust her into the world we live in. The Sith Order is certainly not the place to have a little idyllic family."
Kain nodded. It was a fair question, especially now that a cooler head was asking it.
"That's why I've kept her away from Korriban," he said, keeping his eyes focused on the instruments in front of him rather than meeting Catalyst's stare. "Maybe I saw something in her that reminded me of the old me. A kid robbed of their childhood, subject to the whims of sadists and apathetic art dealers." He paused, flaring his nostrils as he recalled his past, and how it was holding him hostage even today.
"I want to do what I can to make sure she doesn't end up like me. Broken and reforged and broken again by tragedy. It's no way for anyone to live. Especially someone that won't have an eternity to forget it."
Catalyst suppressed a chuckle. "I don't think you know just how accurate your appraisal of being raised as a Jedi is." He shrugged and relaxed against the bulkhead. "She's seen a lot for her age, that much is true. That's what happens when you're trained to be a child soldier in a galaxy-wide war being run by someone whose ultimate goal ends with your extinction. I wouldn't even count her lucky to have survived. Mercy would have been to kill her and be done with it." Catalyst paused, shaking his head in amusement. "For all your effort, every moment you let her survive, you're reminding her that everyone she knew didn't. You're molding her into a fine little copy of yourself already, whether you like it or not."
Kain shook his head. "Death isn't any kind of mercy. In life she'll have the opportunity to overcome the failure of the Jedi, at least. She won't have to be defined by it."
"That's about the most sentimental pile of bantha poodoo I've ever heard," Catalyst couldn't help but mock Kain. "Not all of us get the son of a demigod to keep us safe. You can coddle her all you like though, doesn't change the fact that reality is going to have some harsh revelations for her. Don't delude yourself into thinking you're making her better sheltering her from it all." He turned to walk from the cockpit to get a little rest before their destination. "Wake me up when we reach Anoat. I need to recharge my power cells."
"Perhaps your empathy could use some recharging as well," Kain chuckled. "Though I have a feeling that died when you did over a hundred years ago." It was folly to assume Catalyst would care, Kain assumed. After all, the Sith were often proud about their lack of empathy. It was one of the many things that Kain never understood, even when he tried to become apathetic as a means of achieving power. Empathy may have seemed like sentimental bantha poodoo to beings like Catalyst, but the lack of it was equally idiotic to Kain.
After all, how does one know what hurts another most if they don't put themselves in their enemy's shoes?
---
Kain...
The recognition of his good friend suddenly being reduced to nothingness left the Lord of Linguistics in a catatonic state. His concentration faltered, and his hands dropped to his sides, his mind no longer maintaining the barrier in the tunnel above. The delegated orders of Apollyon became muffled echoes, fading out to a high-pitched whine as Catalyst struggled to process what had just happened. He was no stranger to death, to loss. He had felt his Master die in the final days of the Clone Wars. He felt the fading of the Light while hiding in the swamps of Drommund Kaas, driven mad by the whispers of the Dark Side. But that was when he had been taught to eschew attachment, when he maintained a level of asceticism that would make Xarxes blush. Now older, wiser, and much less restricted by dogma, Catalyst felt a wrenching in his heart that came from the dark side of attachment. There were few that could claim to know Catalyst as intimately as Kain did, though their friendship was purely platonic. There were secrets, in-jokes, years of camaraderie and experience that he would now have to carry alone.
And what of the girl? Catalyst couldn't be sure how many knew she existed. Abbadon would, of course, which meant there was a distinct possibility that Apollyon was aware. Catalyst, true to his word, had never mentioned her to any others. He was certainly not prepared to be the one to tell her about the disappearance of her adoptive father and mentor. But someone had to be there to take care of her.
Catalyst couldn't feel the hot tears that were collecting in his beard as he processed the thoughts and emotions welling up inside him. There was no time for blame, and he could mourn when they weren't all in danger of dying. It was clear now there was no standing up to the malevolent forces descending upon the planet. His only goal now was to escape. He had to get to Vitae. Ignoring everything happening around them now, he turned and broke into a run, making his way into the mouth of the tunnel that Hesper and Xarxes were scouting.
I'm coming Eva.
TAGS:
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OOC: The time-skip exerpt was a collaboration between Lord Kain and myself from last year entitled The Prince and The Improper. If you want to read the rest of the wacky hijinks from that particular convoluted combo, it's here.
