Chapter Six

Barely arriving at the Palace, Quan-Jang had to admit that he was surprised that it wasn't bigger than he imagined it being. It wasn't that he wanted it bigger, it's just that he figured Hadiya for someone that would go for all the glamour she could get. Guess that's one more place where the Je'daii are going to have to fix their records on the people in the Tython system he thought grimly. It was a disappointment to him for the reason that he was the head of the Anil Kesh's Information Department.

As such, it looked bad on him whenever one of his detectives or inspectors failed to bring him correct and accurate information on the individuals living on Tython at any one time. Shrugging, he searched for a way in and found it in a most convenient fashion: guards marching through the front door. Sneaking around them, Quan-Jang launched for the opening and took the opportunity while the taking was still good. Now to find Daegen and get him out of here... there's no telling what the Queen will do when she finds me here Quan-Jang thought quietly.

However, he was shocked to see Daegen with his hair trimmed, most of his beard shaved, and his Je'daii clothes replaced by fancy bathrobes. What the blazes is he doing? Why is he associating himself with Queen Hadiya when he should be looking for a way to escape? he asked mentally. But then it occurred to him: Daegen was distracting her from noticing his entrance into her palace.

He was stalling her so that Quan-Jang could get past the castle defenses undetected and rescue him from the outside. Clever boy, dangerous move you're making considering your engagement to Rose but clever Quan-Jang thought but didn't say. Making sure to dodge guards when he could and kill those that he didn't evade, he crept and crawled his way under the nose of the palace defenses. Finally, he entered the Main Chambers and was only detected by a few maids who he seduced to silence with the threat of killing them too if they said anything.

It was a bluff but a very good one since they walked off without a word to the guards that were near their chambers. Finally, he arrived just in time to see the Queen about to make love to Daegen, who undoubtedly sensed Quan-Jang's approach by now and was likely attempting to distract her. Delving into his telekinetic skills, Quan-Jang passed Daegen's sword back to him and the boy replied with a mouthed "thank you" before putting the sword aside to prepare for his escape. "Daegen, why don't you show me the strength of the thrust of a Je'daii's manhood into my flower?" Hadiya asked.

"Cause it's already time for me to go and I haven't even dropped a pump chump of my seed, Majesty," he answered. Then he threw her off him and withdrew the blade of his sword from its scabbard at which point, Quan-Jang leapt from the shadows to accompany him. "Sorry milady but I'm going to be needing my apprentice back before the Council decides to expel me," Quan-Jang said. Daegen grabbed the robe he had been given and used the Force to put it on before running with his master out and over the window that served as part of their escape route.

Levitating themselves over the length of the Queen's capital, they managed to land themselves just outside of her gates and make a mad dash for the forest where they would lose any pursuers. From there, their strategy was simply to find their way back to the shuttle that was awaiting them several hundred kilometers away from their current position. This is going to be excruciating: now that I'm free, I'm gonna have to hear Quan-Jang complain about being lost. Forests have never failed to stump his navigational skills, many times over Daegen thought to himself worriedly.

"How dare you, Daegen Lok! How dare you use me to help yourself escape! You and your precious order will pay dearly for what you have done today!" Hadiya vowed aloud. "Milady, with due respect, you took your own feelings too far and allowed him to control them," her maiden said.

Deep down, she knew she was right but Queen Hadiya couldn't allow her honor to be so heavily insulted without having the man who insulted her pay the price. First, she vowed to pay a visit to the Baron and then to the Rakatan Predor Skal'nas. Perhaps the latter would help her avenge her insult at the hands of Daegen Lok and restore her honor as a result. "Prepare a carriage for my visitation of the Baron of Clan Ryo: he was the last one to speak with the Je'daii," she ordered.

"Yes milday," the maiden replied and the order was relayed to her guards who prepared a carriage and an escort for her trip to the Baron. He will pay and then the Je'daii will follow in his place. The path of vengenace, so I'm told, is destructive and pricy but I will traverse it even if it kills me the Queen vowed to herself silently. Her lust for Daegen would not go unsatisfied unless she was meant to die by his hand.

Arden Lyn's reflection on what she knew of her ancestor's story, and her telling it to Cassandra, caused quite a stir on board the ship they used for travel. In fact, so much so that they were asked to either stop the story or get off the ship at the next stop that the ship made. It seemed that talk of the days of the Je'daii upset the people who worshipped the present-day Jedi Order. Why should it?

The Order was never as clean cut and goodie two-shoes as it pretends to be. Why should the idea of a new Order be any different even with that boy Skywalker creating it? Guess I should expect the naive to be so defensive of what they love Arden thought to herself silently. Arriving at Ossus, several hours after being told to silence her story, Arden picked up Cassandra and carried out of the ship before debating where to bunker down for the night.

Though Cassandra piggybacked on Arden's shoulders, it didn't take a genius to know she was soon becoming tired from the long trip. "You're sleepier than anyone I've ever known but I guess that's to be expected. Sleep is more entertaining than being awake for trips like this when I can't even occupy you with your favorite stories," Arden stated, thinking aloud. "Mommy, I'm also hungry," Cassandra retorted.

"Ah yes, we need to get you some fuel for that incredible brain of yours," Arden replied with a giggle. "Yeah and make it the most sugary, sweet-tasting stuff in the galaxy or make it the biggest slabs of steak you can find here!" Cassandra joked. Arden laughed, loving her daughter's parody on her own appetite but she had to admit she herself was getting hungry for that kind of food. It was funny to think about considering that had been one of her biggest cravings while pregnant with her daughter.

Compelled by her daughter's gluttonous greed as well as her own desires, Arden purchases four slabs of Tauntaun steak with a big garden salad for them both to share. Then they purchased the room they would be staying at until they could secure a more permanent home and gorged themselves. By the time mother and daughter had finished with the food of their indulgence, Cassandra had eaten the greater portion of the salad in addition to her two steaks while Arden had mellowed out a little. "I have never seen a four-year-old eat as much as you have in my life!" Arden exclaimed happily.

"But mama, you have me on a diet of nutrient sticks and Jawa juice for two months, how could I help myself with something this good?" Cassandra asked. "Has it really been two months since the last time we had anything this good?" Arden inquired. When Cassandra nodded yes, Arden rolled her eyes and shook her head in surprise. "Well when we finally find a place on this planet to call our own, I promise we won't be eating many more nutrient sticks and drinking much more Jawa juice.

"I've come to hate both items anyway," Arden said with a wink to her daughter. "Oh hey mommy, we're not on the transport. You can continue telling me the story!" Cassandra exclaimed. "Oh yes but first you brush your teeth, little miss," Arden countered.

"Seriously? All right," Cassandra grumbled. "And do a good job too or I'll whip your butt good, little miss," Arden said, smiling as she watched her daughter go to the bathroom. Arden waited for her daughter to complete the nightly ritual of brushing her teeth and walk over to the bed. Then she sat on her mother's lap to hear her ask where she had left off in the story of Daegen Lok.

"Queen Hadiya just vowed vengeance against Daegen and the Je'daii and is going to have an audience with the Baron of Clan Ryo," Cassandra said. "Oh yes, always my favorite part of the story," Arden replied. "Why?" Cassandra asked. "You'll find out, real soon," Arden answered assuringly.

The Baron was most surprised to see a non-military party arriving from Queen Hadiya's fortress but he was not entirely disappointed. In fact, if anything, he was a little amused that she would come after the Je'daii had left his fortress and gone back to Tython or so he thought had happened. "Queen Hadiya, it is a most unexpected pleasure to have you here," the Baron told her. However, he didn't mean it: he loathed Hadiya and what she did to Shikaakwa with a fiery passion inside.

"Dispence with the formalities Baron, you made a truce with the Je'daii before I captured Daegen Lok only to lose him to his Master, didn't you?" Hadiya asked. The Baron had not expected her to be so direct that he forgot to offer refreshments for her to use for recovery from the journey. Nonetheless, even if he had, she looked like she could really have cared less if she had traveled from the other side of the galaxy to see him. "Yes, I did make a pact with the Je'daii and it was a pact meant to ensure that you did not grow in strength beyond your ability to control," the Baron admitted.

"So you are still one of the traditionalist scumbags who fail to see that what I am doing is for the benefit of Shikaakwa and all the Tython system, eh? Very well, answer me this question: what have the Je'daii ever done for you besides win your admiration to encourage your alliance?" she demanded.

The Baron had to admit that he was stuck at a loss for words since what she said was indeed true. The Je'daii had done almost nothing for him other than win his admiration of their power and their ability to protect the entirety of the Tython system by themselves. And until Quan-Jang and his apprentice arrived, he had never even met a Je'daii for business or for pleasure. But he didn't let her have her victory in stumping him for words though he wouldn't be dishonest either.

"I'll admit that the Je'daii have never done much for me but I have never needed them to do much for me either. They do the difficult tasks that are required to keep this system safe so that I can do my job and do it well. That is all the reason I need to admire their strength and power besides the fact that their code of honor has always enthralled and fascinated me," the Baron said. There was no deception in that: every word was sincere as to be more powerful than any of the Queen's comebacks.

However, she seemed to have a different approach that she demonstrated by looking around to see the living conditions of his people and ask him to do the same. "Have the Je'daii done anything to improve their livlihood, have they done anything to keep them from starving? Or have you been the one who's made sure that as few people as possible died of starvation or poverty?" she taunted. "It is my job to protect my people anyway and as I told you, the Je'daii make that job easier than it could be.

"What reason do I need to admire them and their passionate work beyond that?" the Baron countered. "The Je'daii say, 'There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.' But they are ignorant of your lives, your struggles, and their superiority blinds them. They say, 'There is no fear; there is power.'
"Yet in their power they are smug. And I will make them fear me. Before I die, I swear to make them know that there are those who do not tolerate their use of their power over the rest of us! And you, dear Baron, admire them because you fear their power, not because of their code!" she shouted.

"You wish to make them fear you yet they will not for the simple reason that they know that the price of your ambition is higher than any they pay to deny you that ambition. I think you wish to make them fear you so that you do not have to fear them. You wish to hide the rancid scent of your cowardice but you will tremble and fall before the might of the Je'daii before you die! I never joined you for that reason and if you're here to persuade me to renounce my ties to the Je'daii, I won't!" he said.

"I was hoping you'd say that so I could make you the very first victim of my next conquest. Shikaakwa will fall to me within a matter of days and now it is time to think about expanding beyond it," she told him. Before he could ask her what the blazes she was talking about, she produced a knife and plunged it into kidney area, sending him into shock almost instantly. "What have you done!?" shouted the Baron's firstborn son.

"What your father won't," Hadiya replied before throwing the same knife into the boy's throat. "None of you will be able to stop me now! Bow before me or the full might of my army destroys you! Kill me and they destroy you anyway," Hadiya replied.

The people knew better than to rebel against her when she had them set to lose either way and bowed before her. Good, now to set my sights on destroying the Je'daii and have control of the entire Tython system. But first, I think Predor Skal'nas is owed a visit she thought to herself silently. "Guards, prepare my ship to meet the Predor Skal'nas of the Rakatan Empire at the coordinates he provided me," she ordered.

Some of the people gasped at the mention of the Predor since they had heard about the things the Rakatan Empire did to those it conquered but Hadiya paid no heed. She only wanted to know if Skal'nas could help her in her path to vengeance or if he too was an enemy to crush. Power would be hers without regard to the cost to life and limb on her part or the part of any of her servants. And Daegen Lok would be made to bow before her and serve her for the rest of his days before she died.

"Glad to be out of that hellhole!" Daegen shouted after they boarded the ship that would take them back to Tython. "So am I apprentice, so am I. But that detour did present its advantages: you have only a couple weeks of time left before you're promoted to Je'daii Ranger. When we arrive, we'll be two days short of that mark so I suggest you rest and brush up while you can," Quan-Jang said.

"Yes Master, I shall indeed clean up and rest while waiting for the inevitable promotion," Daegen replied. "Are you excited, apprentice?" Quan-Jang asked. "To be finally out from under you? Absolutely!" Daegen teased.

Quan laughed and admitted that he could be a handful even to his own students sometimes. "But I've learned more about people from being with you than I ever did before. Wherever you go from the promotion, Daegen, always know that you have an amazing gift you shouldn't waste," he added. "And what is that?" Daegen asked.

"You have the gift of a leader, the qualities of charisma, courage, and strategy come to you naturally even more than it does to the Council. Ingenuity is your specialty and intuition is a miraculous talent of yours, never waste any part of your gift for any reason," Quan answered. The words cut deep into Daegen's soul since he had never heard such things from Quan before. He had heard compliments about his strategy before and had even heard insulting comments about what he did wrong.

But to be told that he had the natural abilities of a great leader from the man who trained and raised him was more than Daegen had ever imagined. And with the victory of both escaping Queen Hadiya and hearing that, an equally powerful emptiness came over Daegen. For the first time in his life, he sincerely wanted to not leave his Master's side, to not be conducting his journeys alone. Rose and Quan-Jang were one of only five people who had gained Daegen's trust, respect, and even love.

To think that he would forever be bereft of the life he had with Quan-Jang unless the Council said otherwise was hardly something Daegen was prepared for. Indeed, Quan-Jang had taught him the skills that he'd need to be function independently in every aspect of his life and even a little more. It just didn't feel right that he was soon to close the only chapter of his life that he had known so far. And to think that the Council would order this of me... Daegen thought, the thought trailing off to be lost.

When they arrived in the depths of space, Daegen almost considered voicing his concerns but decided against it. He figured that if Quan-Jang was just as concerned with it as he was, he would bring up the issue himself. Besides, the Je'daii were not supposed to worry about the sort of attachments that Daegen was concerned with except for when it benefited the Je'daii or even the Force. It certainly did explain why he was allowed to have his interest for Rose, the woman he looked forward to seeing.

And after what happened with Queen Hadiya, who wouldn't have been eager to see their future wives again? Sighing heavily in disappointment at having come so close to having an affair, he really couldn't say for certain whether or not he should tell her about it. Should he include it in his final report in which case she'd know anyway or should he tell her off the record? "Something wrong, Daegen?" Quan asked.

"Just the fact that I nearly made love to the Queen just to distract her long enough for you to arrive. I guess my love for Rose is powerful, otherwise I wouldn't mind this so much," Daegen admitted. "Despite what the Order will tell you, love can be great thing for a warrior to have in their life. You will learn someday that your love for Rose makes you stronger than us all, not weaker," Quan said.

"But what about the dangers that the Je'daii preach will happen if we fall in love?" Daegen asked. "Those dangers come not from love but from lust for the subject of your feelings. True, undying love such as you feel for Rose allows one to gain greater power but lust weakens you. Lust eats at your sanity, eats your strength and deteriorates your ability to do what is right.

"Someday, you will understand the difference between the strength of love and the weakness brought by lust," Quan answered. In that moment, Daegen received the vision of his blade being the one to end Hadiya's life again and it bothered him. Was this when he would understand what Quan meant about the difference between the strength of love and the weakness of lust? Would this be the final trial before he became a true warrior of the Je'daii warrior or would he transcend even that?

Unknowns always bothered him and the Je'daii code of conduct did nothing to help him calm from the fact that he couldn't know this for certain. At times, he wished he didn't have the gift of premonition or his love for Rose. He knew his life would not be as unique as it was without either of those things but even so, he felt lonely because of those things. There were times when he felt like this life was not worth living for the simple reason that he was the only man who lived it.

He even went as far as to wish that the village of his birth had never been attacked so he could live a more peaceful life. But he mentally slapped himself in the face and told himself that the life he lived was the one he lived because he could deal with the burdens of it. He just didn't know for certain when he would be able to use the strength that he had for overcoming the burdens of his present life. But then, yet again, perhaps the Force would find him an opportunity to do so when the time was right.

"How do you know so much about the differences between love and lust?" Daegen asked. Quan-Jang wheeled back around to look at him and hesitated before speaking but when he did, it cleared up any doubts Daegen had about his wisdom. "Because I was once married and had two children, one of whom became a victim of lust and the other a murder victim. My wife's suicide afterward is the reason why I was holed up in my labs and experiments until I found you," he said.

"And when you found me, what made you change?" Daegen inquired. "I was raising a child, how could be holed up when your life could be on the line?" Quan replied, ending the conversation.