Tiamat’s Burning Betrayal – Part 1

The following is a Scene that takes place right after the previous one and sets the scene for what will happen next in some future Follow-up Backstories.

Killian stood facing the cave walls as Tiamat approached him. He let her get close enough, then he spoke.
     ‘Things need to progress more quickly.’
     ‘I am doing the best I can.’
     ‘It’s not enough.’ His tone was steady, low, but angry. ‘I cannot bear to think of you when you are lying next to….him.’ He closed his eyes.
     ‘Are you jealous? You have nothing to fear. I do it out of necessity. We agreed to gather information and to plot in any way we could. He became attached to me, so I let him believe what he wanted.’

     ‘You also gave him what he wanted.’
     ‘Again, out of necessity. Besides, why would you fear I would betray you for him? What does he have that you do not?’
Killian turned around to face her in one abrupt move.
     ‘The Force!’ He stared at her a long time. ‘He has the Force.’
     There was a silence.
     ‘I will teach you what there is to know about how one severs another from the Force.’
     ‘How will that help me…’
     ‘Because you will need to do the very opposite.’
     ‘Killian.’ Tiamat walked up to him and put her hands on his face, leaning her forehead against his. She passed her hand on his scars. ‘I made you a promise. I will hold that promise for life.’
     She took him in her arms. His stiff body softened and he kissed her fiercely. He took out a datapad.
     ‘I’ve compiled what you need to know here. As well as everything I know about Shadiesse and her brothers. It’s her. I know for sure now. I have found them again.’
     ‘The same Chiss we tried to kill when we destroyed their ship.’ She smiled.
     ‘I have been hunting them down for so long. We have been hiding from those who follow us, from Maratel, the fact that I have no connection to the Force. But we will rectify that. We have delayed returning to our people long enough. Soon, reports and messages will not be enough. I will have to face Maratel if I want to be the sole ruler and have you by my side.’
     ‘I truly thought we had killed them all, the way their ship was destroyed. I knew it, I told you, I had sensed it, when we suspected Shayder and followed up with finding out more about him and his Dark Council sister. I knew that the third sibling still lived. And you found him. You found them all. You will have your revenge and all three of them will pay.’

     ‘The time will be soon, Tassanah.’ She put her finger on his mouth.
     ‘You mustn’t call me that here. No one must overhear.’
     ‘Who will hear?’
     ‘I will hear!’ cried Desmond, arriving at the scene, to witness Tiamat and Killian in their embrace. ‘Tiamat, how could you? I thought you loved me.’
     ‘Love is petty,’ she spat at him. ‘I need passion. You’re just a boy next to Killian.’
     ‘So, that is why you betray me?’
     Tiamat let out a hideous laugh.
     ‘You think I have betrayed you! The more fool you.I was never truly devoted to you or to your pitiful little alliance. I have always been with Killian. The order we follow is much more powerful than the Republic, Empire and Eternal Empire combined. I am not a Jedi, Desmond. I have betrayed no one. I have stayed true to who I am and who I serve.’
     ‘You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,’ added Killian. ‘Take my advice and leave before you get yourself killed. My quarrel is not with you.’
     ‘It is now!’

     Desmond leapt at him. Tiamat stepped in the way and blocked Desmond’s lightsaber. She pushed at him with the Force. He raged and tried to choke her. They dueled for a while. Killian quickly gathered what he needed. He made to escape.
     ‘We need to go, now!’ He called out to Tiamat.
     ‘I don’t think so.’
     ‘Medeusa.’
     She stood before him, the imposing figure that she was, the head horns from her armor slightly bent towards him. He took a step back.
     ‘I always suspected there was something about you. I told you to watch your step, that I would be watching you. We have eyes everywhere.’
     She ignited her lightsaber. T7 arrived. Killian tried to shoot at the droid, Medeusa blocked the shots, sending them back at Killian, injuring him.
     ‘Killian!’ cried Tiamat.
She hurled herself away from Desmond, who seemed  intent on killing her now, glowing with rage. She threw her lightsaber at Killian who caught it crudely just as Medeusa was about to attack. He blocked her lightsaber. They dueled a brief while.
     ‘You have skill with a blade, I’ll give you that, but you don’t have the Force.’

     Killian began to laugh, loud and hard, and he laughed for a long time, it almost stunned the others. That gave Tiamat enough time to incapacitate Desmond momentarily by hurling wind towards him. He bounced towards Medeusa as she sent a bolt of lightning at Killian, hitting Desmond instead. He cried in pain. In the confusion, T7 tried to zap at the pair who were escaping.
     ‘Let them go,’ Medeusa said. She helped Desmond to his feet. ‘You fool. I could have killed you. All because you hurried to ease your jealous pride.’
     ‘We have to go after them.’
     ‘It’s already taken care of,’ said Shadiesse arriving. ‘I informed Kalros and she is already in pursuit of them. No matter where they go, she will know.’
     ‘We need to regroup,’ said Medeusa. ‘Inform the others. We must gather as many as we can and stop them. If it comes down to it, we must all fight them.’
     Desmond pushed himself aside, leaning against the wall. He looked at Medeusa. He didn’t want her help. She was right though, even this, was because of his wounded pride. He’d been eager and foolish. He nodded at the Sith women. He would do things their way for once. Perhaps they would get more answers.
     ‘Ah!’ Desmond had a pang of pain and a flash of a vision.
     ‘Shadiesse!’ he cried. ‘I just saw… your brothers. They are in danger.’
     ‘What exactly did you see, Desmond?’
     ‘Tiamat and Killian fighting them.’
     ‘Then that’s where we will go,’ said Medeusa.
     Shadiesse took out her holoprojector and spoke into it.
     ‘Shayder, Shadereth, are you receiving this? I need to know your location and I need to know it now. Danger inbound, coming in hot. Kalros on their tail. I repeat, danger inbound, your way.’