Chapter 333: (Empire) (2/2)
”Where were you?” Darth Harmonus growled out.
”I was right there,” Jon snapped, pushing back as sparks showered around them.
Darth Harmonus was too strong. Jon knew it was obviously the armor enhancing Victor's strength. He jumped back and pushed his free hand out, hand back, palm forward. Two of the orbs aimed tractor beams at the black armored figure and screamed in effort as they pushed against Darth Harmonus.
The black armored figure slid back less than five feet, bracing himself. Lightning snarled around his feet and crackled on his calves.
Darth Harmonus slowly straightened up, extending his forceblade out at a 45 degree angle, letting it crackle and hum.
BREAKING NEWS: TERRORIST ATTEMPTS ASSASSINATION OF DARTH HARMONUS scrolled by on the bottom of billions of Tri-Vees, watching by billions of Imperial citizens.
”Your powers are weak,” Darth Harmonus sneered. ”You lack conviction.”
Darth Harmonus pushed out with his hand and Jon flew back, slamming into an intact car, the side of the car caving in.
Alarms were wailing in Jon's head as he shook his head. He wasn't getting any warning, no drone powering up, no armor system coming online. His kinetic shields were already fading. Two of his drones were out of power.
”Where were you when they forced Melody against the wall, forced your children against the wall, and shot them while they laughed and recorded it for everyone to watch on the Tri-Vee?” Darth Harmonus snarled, walking toward, his cape swirling around him.
Billions of being nodded. They could believe it.
They had seen things like that happen before the Empire came.
”I was there,” Jon said, climbing out of the wreckage, shaking his head. ”Watching from the crowd.”
”Then why didn't you do anything?” Darth Harmonus asked.
”They would have killed me too!” Jon said.
”THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED WITH THEM!” Darth Harmonus roared. ”YOU WERE SUDS'D!”
Jon barely got his force blade around in time to slice the empty car in two as it whipped at him from the side. It felt like a furnace was blasting him with heat from where Victor was walking forward. A pounding heat full of rage and agony.
”You weren't there, you don't understand,” Jon gasped, barely deflecting another two cars and a statue of a Lanaktallan. He was down to two drones, the others out of power, and he'd pulled a muscle in his shoulder getting the force blade into position.
”I understand you let them kill Melody and the children,” Darth Harmonus snarled. ”You watched them!” The black armored figure closed the distance in three long steps, swinging the red plasma blade.
”I had no choice!” Jon said, desperately parrying his brother-in-law's attacks. ”I would have died. I dind't have a choice.”
”YOU WERE SUDS'D!”
COWARD ADMITS TO LETTING HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN DIE appeared on the chyron.
Billions leaned forward and watched as the robed Terran desperately parried the attacks of Darth Harmonus, his face sweating.
Jon jumped back, wiping his brow, holding his forceblade out in front of him. Victor was a lot better with that weapon than he'd thought, was a lot more aggressive than he had thought.
He'd paid for the best muscle memory and wired reflexes that money could buy! He should have already beaten Victor!
”Still pay to win, I see,” Darth Hamonus wheezed, slowly walking forward. ”You'll spend a fortune to try to stop me, as if we were still children, but wouldn't even risk a respawn to die next to my sister and your children.”
”You don't understand,” Jon tried.
”No, I don't,” Darth Harmonus said.
Billions of beings nodded. Darth Harmonus wouldn't understand cowardice.
”When I put you down, I'll have you taken care of, have the neural techs try to help you, Victor,” Jon gasped, backing up from Darth Harmonus's advance.
”The SUDS has been broken for months,” Harmonus wheezed, laughing at the end. A low, malevolent laugh.
Freezing, Jon checked.
LOCAL BACKUP ONLY appeared in his vision.
”Vic, wait...” Jon said, holding his hand out.
His drones followed their instructions, lashing out at Victor with the last of their power, pushing at him with pressor beams.
The armored figure made a fist and the pavement around his feet shattered.
The drones whined louder, smoke starting to seep from them.
Darth Harmonus took a step forward.
The drones began to sputter and grind.
The armored boots took another step.
”These aren't the LARP worlds,” Darth Harmonus wheezed, taking another step.
”Don't kill me!” Jon pleaded. He turned and took two steps.
A fast motion threw him against one of the destroyed cars.
Darth Harmonus kept walking forward. ”Here, in the Empire, I have learned the true power of the Dark Side,” the armored figure intoned.
Jon used the last of his last drone's power to pull himself free of the wreckage, going into a guard stance.
”You watched her die. You talked her into giving up the SUDS,” Victor growled, moving forward slowly. ”You convinced her to give up SUDS, and kept yours. You watched them execute her.”
”I SUDS'd up when I joined the resistance. They might have found out if I'd spoken up,” Jon tried. ”You used to be a Rebel! You know! They might have found out I was the one who bombed the police station!”
”YOU CAUSED HER DEATH!” Victor roared, shoving Jon back again with another motion. ”THEY KILLED A HUNDRED WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN REPRISAL!”
”You don't understand, Vic,” Jon tried again, backpedaling.
Still he didn't see any drones, any armor system powering up.
He's going to really kill me, Jon thought, sweat running down his face. I have no choice.
Jon lunged forward, swinging the force blade. Darth Harmonus deflected it with his own blade, blocking it in a shower of sparks at times.
”YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!” Jon screamed, swinging with both hands from over his head.
Darth Harmonus caught the blade in his free hand, lightning crackling around his fist, wreathing his forearm with snarling red and purple electricity. The lightning coursed down the green blade.
With a cry of pain Jon let go, jumping back a half step, squealing in fright.
Darth Harmonus cut him in half.
Billions watched in their Tri-Vee as Darth Harmonus stood over the smoking body.
”No. I don't understand cowardice,” he said.
He turned away with a swirl of his cloak. ”If the robot is an eVI or better, release him. Otherwise, sell the ship,” he told the two storm troopers with orange shoulder pauldrons.
”Are you all right, milord?” one asked.
”Yes, I am,” Darth Harmonus said. He paused on the first step. ”Now.”