He convulses, dropping to a knee in agony, but - nope, still not dead.

He snarls and summons another lightning storm, fueled by his rage and grief and hatred and pain, blasting Occlus with it.

Occlus absorbs this one without visibly doing anything, storing it up inside herself.

Thanaton attempts to stand! He is very wobbly about it.

Every minute of suffering she has experienced has been because of this man. He is the embodiment of everything wrong with the Sith, he is the reason she was born into a family that had been slaves for generations. He is the reason the overseer despised her at the academy. He is the reason her first master used her to further their own search for immortality. He is the reason her body nearly ripped itself apart and her mind was almost torn to shreds. He wants to subjugate her, to stomp her back down into the dirt.. He wants to kill her.

She's going to kill him first.

Occlus summons every ounce of feeling she possesses and unleashes all her energy at once, all directed at this vile, loathsome symbol of everything wrong in the galaxy.

If this duel went sideways, he'd planned to retreat, flee to Dromund Kaas, try to get the Dark Council on his side. It would be cowardly, and wouldn't be at all likely to work, but he can't help but take any chance he can to survive.

As it happens, he does not get his chance to retreat.

Now he dies.

Occlus feels his death reverberate in the Force. She takes a moment to savor it.

 Finally.

And then she recomposes herself, and scans the crowd for reactions.

Several people are shocked! Several people are awed!

Darth Vowrawn is smiling broadly and fondly. He's glad to see such a (comparatively) young sith get such a nice, solid start as that. Really makes him feel all warm and murdery inside. He might want to choke the life out of some jedi padawans later, just to celebrate.

As the only Dark Councilor present, he is the one to step forward and address Lord Occlus. ... He'll applaud first. Because no, really, he did enjoy watching that.

"I do believe it's time to call a Dark Council meeting," he says, once he feels he's clapped enough. "Please make your way to Korriban as soon as you get the chance."

Occlus nods to him in acknowledgement, this was something they had gone over. She motions for her apprentice to follow, and heads for the shuttle.

Nariveth follows, giving Thanaton's corpse a final look.

When they're on the shuttle:

"Congratulations," she says, quietly relieved.

Occlus smiles.

"Thank you. Though it is not quite over. The Council must still confirm my elevation."

"If they decide not to, what happens instead? ... You wouldn't be in trouble for killing him, would you, he was the one to declare the Kaggath, you just won it."

"With the Council, anything is theoretically possible. I do not anticipate any great difficulty. The remnants of Thanaton's faction may make some noise, but I have my own allies already, and I expect Marr will back me. I have not made any enemies so great that they will seriously contest my appointment faced with that."

Nod. "Why do you expect Marr to back you?"

"Marr is pragmatic, he respects deeds over words and believes in strength and loyalty to the Empire. By my actions, I have proven I have both. Not only here on Corellia where my personal intervention turned the tide of two key battles, but earlier. On Balmorra I broke the back of the resistance and exposed their illegal ties to the Republic. I was instrumental in driving the Cathar settlers off Taris and set reconstruction efforts there back by months, if not years."

Nod.

"... And that was one of the reasons why you chose the loyalty to the Empire direction with Thanaton? To win over Marr?"

"Yes. In principle, all Council members are equal. In practice any such structure will have gradations of power. Marr stands as one of the most, or perhaps simply the most influential voice among them. He is a good ally to have, and a worse enemy."

"Good to know. Uh, I won't have to go in front of the Dark Council, right...?"

She very much does not want to be in front of the Dark Council.

"No, you can wait outside."

Here is the ship, right where they left it. Andronikos and Talos have been kept apprised of the situation, and they can depart in short order.

Nariveth is so pleased to now be flying away from the warzone.

She's just going to find a reasonably seat-like surface and flop there and not do things for a little while. Augh. Warzones.

The trip back to Korriban takes just as long as it did when they came to Corellia, only a few days ago. Occlus spends some time meditating and some time collating what information she already has about the Council and Thanaton's place on it.

Nariveth's just. Going to be out of commission for the trip. Doing things? Hard.

They reach Korriban without incident.

The Dark Council's expecting Occlus. Surely she knows where the council chambers are.

Of course. Occlus enters the chamber confidently, with her head high. She is the equal of any present, and knows it. She flicks her gaze around the room, taking a mental attendance.

Darth Marr, Mortis, Ravage, and Vowrawn are here in person. Everyone else is attending in holo - Darth Decimus, Acharon, and Hadra from what can be assumed to be Corellia, but the others must be elsewhere. Dromund Kaas, maybe.

There are a number of empty chairs besides Thanaton's. Apparently they've taken some losses, lately.

"Lord Occlus," says Darth Mortis, after Occlus has entered. "Welcome. You know why you have been called here today."

"By order of the Dark Council," says Darth Marr, "and in light of your cunning and power in your victory over Darth Thanaton, you are now Darth Occlus."