The Eternal Emperor

Chapter 34: Malachor V



A.N: Finished this in the middle of the night, hopefully i haven't forgotten to edit smth important, hope you enjoy :)... going to sleep.

The chamber hummed with quiet intensity, the dim lights casting deep shadows across the cold metal walls. Lelouch stood before Coleman Kcaj, his fingers delicately tracing the surface of the ornate chair in which the broken Jedi was bound. The air seemed to vibrate with the unseen presence of Tzeentch, a looming figure that now stood just behind Lelouch, their armored form shifting in the low light. Their expressions, though neither had noticed yet, mirrored each other—cold, calculating, and hungry for the next step in their carefully woven plans. 

 

Lelouch's Geass began to awaken, its violet glow edging his eyes. But something was different this time. There was a faint shimmer, a blue light at the periphery, like the faint glint of moonlight on the edge of a blade. It gleamed, not just with power, but with something deeper—a connection to forces beyond the physical world. 

 

Behind him, Tzeentch's smile widened. Watching with a predatory gaze, the form a looming presence of chaotic energy, feeding off Lelouch's ambition and power, subtly influencing the flow of events like an artist guiding a brush. 

 

Lelouch stepped closer, his Geass now fully activated, shining with a brilliance that pierced through the darkness. His voice came out soft but powerful, carrying with it an irresistible command. "Coleman Kcaj," Lelouch said, his voice wrapping around the Jedi's mind like an unbreakable chain, "you will be my slave. From now and forevermore, you will serve me—body, mind, and soul." 

 

The Jedi Master's body jerked violently against his restraints, his muscles straining as he fought against the invasive force gripping his consciousness. His eyes widened in sheer panic as he felt something alien, something unnatural, twisting its way into the very fabric of his mind. The Force, once a source of strength and serenity, was now a battleground where two forces clashed for dominance. 

 

Coleman thrashed against the restraints, his breaths growing ragged. "No... I... I am a Jedi... I—" 

But the words faltered, breaking apart as Lelouch's power seeped deeper into him. Coleman could feel it—his thoughts, his memories, his beliefs, all slowly shifting. Imperceptibly at first, like the faint pull of a tide, but soon it grew stronger, more forceful. Hatred bubbled up from within him, foreign and sickening, yet... it felt right. The righteousness of the Jedi that had once sustained him began to crack, then fracture completely, dissolving like sand under the force of a storm. 

 

Tzeentch circled slowly around Coleman's seated form, the armored gauntlet grazing the air just above his head. A soft, mocking laugh escaped the lips as it felt the Jedi's mind unravel. The gaze, sharp and gleaming, locked onto his form, feeling the change he was going through, the slow creeping... corrupting... way Lelouche's power was twisting the man, but at the same time focusing his willpower, making it stronger, directed, giving it an objective to dedicate its entire self towards. 

 

'It is as impressive as it was the first day I saw it. Soon... it will be powerful enough to break my shackles as well.' Tzeentch thought as he drifted off slowly before it was able to gather itself back together. 

 

Coleman's eyes began to change, the faintest glow of blue seeping into the irises. His mind, now being overwritten, struggled for clarity, for freedom—but it was too late. The thrashing ceased. The resistance faltered. Where there had once been defiance, there was now only the cold void of obedience. The blue light in his eyes flickered, a ring of brilliance flashing briefly before subsiding. 

 

Slowly, ever so slowly, Coleman's body slackened, his head bowing in submission. His eyes, once filled with hatred, now softened as a strange, unshakable devotion replaced his former beliefs. He looked up at Lelouch with reverence, as if seeing him in a new light, one of pure admiration and loyalty. 

 

"I... I'm sorry," Coleman muttered, his voice weak but sincere. His head dipped lower as he spoke, barely able to look Lelouch in the eye, the weight of his earlier actions now unbearable in the face of his newfound servitude. "I... I tried to kill you... I... I tried to—" 

 

Lelouch smiled, dismissing the apology with a wave of his hand. "It doesn't matter now. You are mine, and you will do as I command." 

 

Coleman Kcaj entire being radiated happiness as he looked at Lelouch, a crazed gleam in his eyes as he repeated after him. "As my lord commands." 

 

With that, Lelouch stepped back slightly, his gaze sharpening once more. "Now, tell me, Kcaj, why did you come for me? What could possibly be so important that you would risk everything to come here?" 

 

Coleman hesitated, his mind still adjusting to the new reality that had been imposed upon him. "I've been watching you... ever since you gained access to the Jedi archives. I feared..." His words came slowly, as though he were trying to grasp the fragments of a memory. "I feared you would find your way to Malachor V. I feared... you would find traces of... the artifact." 

 

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "An artifact? Go on." 

 

"The archives... they hold old records," Coleman continued, his voice growing weaker. "It was said... that long ago, during the time of Darth Revan, something was left behind. A gift... hidden by his most devoted servants. The lifeblood of my people..." He swallowed, his throat dry. "I didn't know if you had found traces of it yet, but... when I learned you were suddenly going to Malachor... I couldn't take the risk. I feared you had found some archive, a holocron, or perhaps mere whispers one way or another... I had to stop you... no matter the cost, even if i wasn't sure" 

 

Lelouch's interest was piqued. "And what exactly is this gift?" 

 

"I don't know its true nature... only fragments. It's said to be capable of creating anything... given enough raw material. Something... powerful, something ancient. But I don't know more than that." Coleman's voice trembled. "I had to protect my people. The ancient Jedi... those who once followed Revan... they left behind warnings. They feared what would happen if the artifact was ever uncovered." 

 

Lelouch's mind raced as the possibilities unfolded before him. The potential power of such an artifact—something capable of creation on such a scale—was immense. And the fact that it was hidden by a Sith he hadn't heard of before, only made it more intriguing. 

 

He leaned in closer, his eyes gleaming with a new excitement. "And what does it require? What is the this raw material?" 

 

Coleman seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking, as though dredging up an old, half-forgotten memory. "There's an old adage... something passed down by those who came before. It goes... 'give our dead... It takes back all that it gave them through the years and returns it to us.'" He finished with a smile as if proud to have provided the information. 

 

Lelouch's lips curled into a slow, calculated smile. "An artifact that can take the dead and turn them into something new... fascinating." 

 

A.N: Once again, this is from their POV given what they know at this time. Not necessarily correct. 

 

Tapping his fingers, he brought forth another question. 

 

"And what of this Darth Revan? Anything you can tell me about him?" 

 

Coleman's smile vanished as he lowered his head. "The information did not exist in the archive, likely had been removed long ago, since the days he was still active. Forgive me for I did not bother to look further into it at the time. All i have is his name, and that was passed down by my people." 

 

He stood upright, his smile unwavering as he regarded Coleman. "You've been useful, Master Kcaj. But now... I think it's time we welcome your comrades into our service." 

 

With a flick of his wrist, Lelouch signaled for the door to the cell to open. Two troopers stepped inside, their faces hidden behind their helmets. Lelouch turned toward them, his expression calm. 

 

"Bring me the surviving Jedi," he ordered. "We'll see if they can be as... useful as their leader." 

 

The troopers saluted before exiting the room, leaving Lelouch and Tzeentch alone with the now-submissive Jedi Master. 

 

Moments later, the door slid open once again, and the surviving Jedi—three out of the fifteen that had survived the initial contact and stormed Lelouch's ship—were brought in, bound and wounded. Their eyes flickered with fear and confusion as they were pushed to their knees before Lelouch. 

 

Lelouch's eyes gleamed as he looked down at them, his Geass still glowing faintly. 

 

"Welcome," Lelouch said softly, his voice carrying the weight of inevitability. "Today marks the beginning of your eternal servitude." Lelouch's Geass flared once more, its glow lighting up. 

 

Tzeentch's laughter echoed in the chamber as the transformation began, and soon, the Jedi's wills were wrapped, their minds bent to Lelouch's command, their resistance circumvented beneath the weight of the power standing before them. 

 

-------------------- 

 

As Lelouch stepped out of the cell, his sharp eyes shifted briefly toward the officer standing at attention nearby. Without breaking stride, he issued a calm, calculated command, his voice carrying a sense of authority that brooked no dissent. 

 

"Ensure their wounds are tended to. I have use for them, and I expect them in serviceable condition." 

 

The officer gave a sharp nod. "Yes, my Lord." 

 

With that, Lelouch left the dark confines of the holding area, his mind already turning toward the next phase of their journey. The ship's corridors were eerily quiet as he moved through them, his thoughts consumed by the revelations Coleman Kcaj had offered. 

 

The rest of the voyage passed uneventfully, though there was an undeniable tension aboard the ship. Malachor V loomed ahead of them—a dead planet, a graveyard of ancient battles, mere debris that stretched out in all directions. As the Excalibur emerged from hyperspace, the shattered remains of Malachor came into view, bathed in the distant light of a dying sun. 

 

Lelouch stood on the bridge, hands clasped behind his back, staring out at the desolation. Fragments of wrecked starships drifted among the asteroids, remnants of a war long since passed. A place of darkness, it's very presence in the Force unsettling. 

 

"There's nothing here," Lelouch remarked, his voice cool, almost indifferent. "Just debris... a wasteland." 

 

Yet even as he said it, the Force seemed to stir. He could feel it—restless, agitated, as if the very air around him was crackling with unseen tension. It gnawed at the edges of his perception, whispering of something hidden beneath the surface, something old and powerful. 

 

'You are not looking in the right place,' Tzeentch's voice intruded, the tone dripping with a cryptic amusement. The armored figure stood just behind Lelouch, its form twisting slightly in the ethereal dimness. 'You see only what lies before you, in the present. The Force is not bound by such limitations. Time here is... malleable.' 

 

Lelouch's eyes narrowed as he considered the words. He closed his eyes, opening himself to the deeper currents of the Force. He had learned to trust his instincts, and now he let them guide him, pushing beyond the material world, searching for the hidden threads that Tzeentch alluded to. 

 

As he meditated, his focus sharpening, something shifted. His senses screamed in warning, and without opening his eyes, Lelouch tilted his body just slightly to the left. A brilliant violet lightsaber sliced through the space where his head had been a moment before, the air hissing with its deadly energy. 

 

Lelouch's eyes snapped open, catching a glimpse of the figure that had attacked him—a robed and armored warrior, masked and shrouded in the dark aura of the Force. The assailant spun mid-air, landing gracefully on the ground, their lightsaber held in a duelist's stance. There was an elegance to their movements, a lethal precision born of training and experience. 

 

Without him even noticing, the enemy had chosen his battlefield, they were currently standing on Malachor V. It must have been a pivotal moment in the figure's life as the planet seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. 

 

But Lelouch was unperturbed. He met the figure's gaze with calm detachment, his face betraying no sign of alarm. 

 

As he observed the armored figure, he commented lightly "I can foresee it, much more clearly here than out there." 

 

"It's only natural. In here, there is only the force, as opposed to the material realm." Tzeentch responded as the god materialized beside him. 

 

The Force swirled around Lelouch, alive with possibilities. He could feel the weight of time itself pressing down on him, as if he stood at the nexus of past and present... and with a twist of his hand, he saw much, much more. The figure before him was no ordinary enemy. This was a remnant of Darth Revan—an echo left behind in the Force, bound to this place. 

 

As the specter lunged again, a shadow stirred beneath them. Lelouch didn't move. From the darkness of the planet's shattered surface, a tentacle erupted, slithering up from the ground to wrap around the armored figure's leg. 

 

The remnant's lightsaber flashed as it swung down to sever the tentacle, but before the blade could connect, the figure stiffened. A massive, invasive force pressing into the remnant's mind, a mental assault unlike any other. The specter reeled, the lightsaber flickering in its grasp as it struggled. It felt as though the very fabric of its existence was unraveling, its consciousness being torn apart by the unseen force. 

 

Another, larger tentacle whipped out from nowhere, creating a tear in the space in front of him, slamming into the remnant with a force that sent it hurtling across the ruined landscape. Lelouch raised his hand and the figure crashed against an invisible wall, its armored helmet cracking under the impact. The once-solid form began to flicker, becoming ethereal, cracks forming along its body as it began to dissolve into the Force itself. 

 

But just as it seemed the specter would dissipate entirely, Tzeentch's voice cut through the air once again, filled with gleeful malice. 'Oh no... it won't end so easily.' 

 

Another form of Tzeentch materialized behind the broken remnant, the armored hand reaching through the specter's flickering body. The hand passed through its armor, digging into the ether of its existence, the influence corrupting the already fragile form. The remnant convulsed as it was infused with the tainted power of Chaos, its essence warping under Tzeentch's touch. 

 

Lelouch watched silently as the specter writhed in agony, its form cracking further as Tzeentch's power spread through it. Whatever remained of the specter's identity was consumed, shattered completely. But as Tzeentch probed deeper, attempting to extract the knowledge buried within, she found only fragments—a handful of memories, fleeting glimpses of Darth Revan's past, nothing of true value. 

 

The specter dissolved into wisps of dark energy, scattering into the wind. 

 

'A pity,' Tzeentch mused, stepping back from the now-empty space where the remnant had once stood. 'Just a fragment, a shadow of what Revan once was. Interesting... but ultimately inconsequential.' 

 

"It matters little." Lelouch said as he twisted his hand once again, the collapsing planet slowly reverting, time starting to move backwards as the planet started to pull itself together, and on the distance, a temple was starting to take form, its damaged form starting to mend itself together with the planet as they started to make their way towards it. 

 

 


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