Emperor's Shadow 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars that belongs to George Lucas. Kroder, Baron Trascue and the Dark Avatar belong to me though.

The comm unit chimed, waking Kroder from his sleep. It was Master Jacen on the intercom wishing to see Jarec. "Come in," Kroder answered. Could Master Jacen be powerful enough to discover that I was the one who turned Mara and Luke into raving lunatics with the Force? The door slid open and Master Jacen entered as Kroder went in to wake his son.

"Perhaps you would like some refreshments?" Kroder offered as he pointed Jacen to the spacious couch which adorned his apartment.

"No thanks, Senator Dermayil, this is official business," Jacen replied. A cold feeling came over Kroder but he hid it well, Could he have found out so soon. Jarec entered the room and greeted Jacen warmly asking him what was the purpose of this visit in the middle of the night.

"Tonight, my aunt and uncle were attacked by someone who rendered them raving lunatics and then burned the words Justice Is Served into the wall with a lightsaber. By probing Master Luke's mind, I saw an image of the attack, I saw you, Jarec attacking him. I want to ask you why did you do it? Why did you attack Master Luke after all we have done for you," Jacen pleaded and demanded impassionedly.

"But I've done nothing," Jarec answered, "I've been home all night and in bed. Father will attest to that."

"Yes, he was home all night, he hasn't been out of his bed, so your Master Luke must have been wrong," Kroder backed his son's version of events. "I checked in on him before I went to bed and he was sound asleep." But I wasn't, I was out hunting, but you'll never find out. He grew more annoyed, he must usher Master Jacen out before he could discover the truth. "Master, you have heard all we have to say and I want to rest so perhaps you should visit another time."

Master Jacen however continued, "Perhaps this could be settled if you allow me to probe your mind, Jarec. That way I can prove your innocence."

"Yes Master, I would allow you to do so, that would only prove my innocence," Jarec assented to his Master's instruction. Kroder watching, felt the rage and fury build up, as he saw Jacen about to his son, what he had endured, what he had suffered at Luke and Mara's hands.

He felt the Force flow through him, he could not stop it, he flung a cushion at Jacen as he uttered a guttural, "No, you will not." The Force raged through his body, as a lightsaber flew across the room and came to rest in Kroder's hand, who activated it. "You will leave now," a command, as his shimmering blade of jet black illuminated the room slightly.

"Father, what are you doing?" the surprise showed on both Jarec's face as he spoke and Jacen's as he turned around.

"I did it, I made your Luke and Mara mad, for what they did to me years ago, now justice is served. I burned that into the wall, the Force roiled and bubbled, its intensity filling the room. Involuntarily, everyone was thrown headlong into a vision, Jarec and Jacen saw what had happened on the ship during the interrogation all those years ago, how Luke and Mara had violated him, how they had condemned him, how they had driven him to hate to twisted justice. "I will leave them as they are, they will be lunatics forever. You can never reverse the process without the correct knowledge." To his son, he said, "join me, join your father, we're family. We will go away, from these evil Jedi."

"I will find it," Jacen stated firm, as he drew his lightsaber and activated it, a shimmering green emerald blade, matching the jet black of Kroder's blade. He prepared to fight.

"No don't," tears flowed down Jarec's eyes as he saw his Master and his Father about to engage in deadly combat, "you cannot kill him, to do so will destroy me, he told Jacen. Is it worth so much?" He turned to plead to his father, "you cannot hurt my Master Jacen, he rescued me from the darkness, he gave me new life, I don't know what I would do if you harmed him, don't for my sake." He saw his father blink, as if coming out of a trance, he felt the storm of the Force subsiding, easing a little.

He continued to try to stop the fight, "And think of little Ben, you yourself said that a child should not be without his parents, I don't want what happened to him what I had to go through, not having parents to raise him. Don't do this to him. Don't make me choose between you and Master Jacen," he pleaded tears still rolling down his face. Jacen and his father just stood motionless, ready for a fight. "Father put the lightsaber away, otherwise I'll die" he got up and walked towards his father's lightsaber to impale himself to avoid the choice.

Kroder, almost trance-like watched his son walk towards him as the words that his son had just spoken reverberated in his mind, Don't make me choose, a child should always know his parents. The voices revolved around his head, argued with his other thoughts, his desire for justice or was it revenge? He saw his son approach to within lightsaber reach, he was going to walk straight into it. No you can't, I won't lose you. I have no choice. He hit the lightsaber's switch twice, a double-tap turning it off.

He collapsed on the floor, sank, crying. The lightsaber clattered on the floor. The weight of the world seemed to suddenly be on him and suddenly it was gone, when his son embraced him. Yes, my son, when it comes to family, everything must be sacrificed. I could not leave you without a father, after I already allowed your mother to be taken. Meanwhile, Master Jacen had switched his lightsaber off and approached, angry and pitiful at the same time.

"Your father will have to reverse what he did to Luke and Mara, and he will have to be punished for his actions," Jacen said.

"You can't, what they did to him is just as bad, he's been scarred all his life, he's been hurt by them. I won't let you, if he heals your uncle and aunt you must promise to keep this a secret to never tell anyone," Jarec replied, "They will forget what happened, move on, it will seem like a bad dream to them. I must have your silence, Master. I won't lose my father again. You showed me mercy, why can't you show him mercy as well." Jarec still sat on the floor, comforting his father, the weight all on his shoulders.

"I will heal your uncle and aunt, but that does not lessen what they did, they almost drove me insane, but they won't remember anything about it," Kroder said, the first time he spoke since the Force had dissipated from his body.

"Where did you learn to use the Force, who trained you?" Those questions expressed by Jacen, he was curious to know, and then he saw, an image of the Emperor Reborn formed in his mind, he saw, "Your aunt should know who I am, ask her when she regains her mind. And as for how I learned, my liege lord trained me, and this," Kroder explained, taking the Holocron off the chain which hung around his neck as he threw it at Jacen, "You can look but not keep, it is the last thing my lord ever gave me, so it is important to me. You have to understand, anything which is said here stays a secret forever."

"A holocron, those have been lost for years," Jacen activated the Holocron and the gatekeeper appeared, a youthful man appeared in projection, I am Jedi Master Herrit, gatekeeper of this Holocron, what do you wish to learn young one?"

"Show him how to reverse the power afflict insanity." Kroder spoke to the projection. The image of Jedi Master Herrit faded replaced by the image of a woman, proud and erect, with deep green eyes, "I am Jedi Master Lytall, to reverse the afflict insanity you must…" the image continued, outlining the process to Jacen. When it finished, Kroder took his Holocron back and said that he would accompany Jacen to heal Luke and Mara.

They left the apartment and went over to where Luke and Mara were, raving insane but sedated by the medical droid that Jacen had summoned. "Well, we should take one patient each," Kroder said, ready to do what was required of him, he let the Force flow through him, his hands at the side of Mara's head, he gathered the Force to him and gave one powerful Force-backed blow to her head, and saw Jacen do the same to Luke. Their patients crumpled and were put to bed by the medical droid, as Jarec and Kroder left, "Watch over your aunt and uncle, but remember what was said stays a secret," Kroder said, as they left for home. "It was his dead mother that was Force-sensitive, if anyone ever asks."

"Yes," the reply came. "It was Jarec's dead mother that was Force-sensitive."