Chapter Nine
Gilgamesh saw Aeacus through the window long before the knock on the door but it was Verinia who answered the door. The older man had been out drinking again and was half unconscious on the couch thus, he would not answer the door even if he could. "Aeacus, it's so good to see you again! How is the new rank treating you?" Verinia asked cheerfully.
"Well aside from the news I have to give you, it's treating me quite well," Aeacus answered. "Oh no, what news? Are Minos and Rhadamanthus all right?" she asked right away. Just like Mom to ask about my brothers even if she is just doing it on my Dad's behalf Aeacus thought silently.
"Rhadamanthus tried to break out of prison to warn me about Minos taking the Ring but he was shot and killed in the process. But as he was trying to warn, Minos took the Ring and now has fallen down the path of Bogan. He killed Seti on his way out and destroyed my sword but I'm already formulating a plan to counter his indulgence in the Bogan ways with my own delve into Ashla," he said. "What plan is that?" Verinia asked.
Aeacus made to tell but at that moment, Gilgamesh sobered up and apparently reacted to all that Aeacus just said. "You're going to kill Minos, aren't you!?" he asked. "If I can, I will try only to destroy the Ring and help purify him but he is becoming a great threat nonetheless," Aeacus answered. "Don't you dare kill Minos, don't you dare do anything in that line to my son!" Gilgamesh shouted.
"I'm your son too, father, one of three just like Minos," Aeacus replied. "No, not just like Minos or even like Rhadamanthus for that matter! You were always away but they were there when I needed them! Where were you except across the stars, fighting Rakata when necessary and protecting swooning women from their cranky husbands?" Gilgamesh yelled.
"I have never shared a bed with a woman in my life, father. You know I never would share a bed with a woman other than the one I'm married to," Aeacus told him calmly. "Boy... that's even worse than waving around your manhood for all women and sodomites to enjoy!" Gilgamesh said. "Gilgamesh, love, do not be so harsh on the boy; Seti's been our friend for as long as we can remember and now he is dead," Verinia begged.
"If Seti was killed by Minos then it means only one thing: that now that Minos is under the influence of the Ring, he must die," Sek'nos interjected. "You stay out of this!" Gilgamesh hissed at his Sith father. "Or what? By default of age, I am the man of the house and not you," Sek'nos countered.
"No he's right, grandfather. There's nothing you can do to change his mind on this matter," Aeacus admitted. "Which is precisely why I'm going to go ahead and say it: I disown you, Aeacus! I disown you and if you kill Minos, I'll come after you myself even if my father pursues!" Gilgamesh said.
"You really want to chance me hurting you, son? I have at least a century before my youthful strength starts to fade from me, you got that kind of time?" Sek'nos asked. "Enough grandfather, Gilgamesh is within the right to disown me if he wishes. Besides, I feel more at home with the Je'daii anyway but not to worry: if he does come after me for Minos, I might also be dead," Aeacus said.
"So this is the last time that we'll see you?" Verinia asked. "If it's to be war between Followers of Bogan and Ashla, most likely," Aeacus answered. "Good riddance!" Gilgamesh snapped. Sek'nos made a chopping motion to the back of his son's neck and knocked him cold instantly.
"The more time I spend with him, the more I get disgraced to call him my son. None of my Pureblood children were ever so disrespectful," Sek'nos said. "So he isn't your only child?" Aeacus asked. "One of my first but not the only one, however, that's beside the point," Sek'nos confessed.
"Don't go, Aeacus! Let someone else destroy Minos, let someone else put an end to this threat from the Ring just don't go!" Verinia begged. "Mother, I have to: Minos is my brother and Rhadamanthus gave his life in an attempt to warn me about him. Besides, I was there with Minos on the day we took Rhadamanthus to jail and saw how he attempted to kill him," Aeacus said.
"Minos tried to kill Rhadamanthus?" Sek'nos asked. Aeacus nodded and told him that his guess was that the Ring had picked Minos out the moment that Rhadamanthus had failed it. "I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, artifacts like that tend to have an intelligence of their own. But if this one is destroyed, it could stem the tide of our dealings with the Rakata quite a bit," Sek'nos stated.
"Precisely why I'm going before the Council to propose my idea of how to counter Minos' Bogan power," Aeacus replied. "You do that, then. The fate of the galaxy may just depend on the success of your idea," Sek'nos agreed. "I will and Mother... tell Father that I'm so sorry it had to come to this," Aeacus said, nodding to Sek'nos.
Then he walked out of the house in which he had been raised without more than a goodbye kiss to his mother. Closing the door as he left, he thought about his future and how he would be remembered as he continued to descend the steps that led to his former home. Minos, if only you hadn't taken the Ring and if only Rhadamanthus hadn't found it in the mines Aeacus thought quietly. But he shook his head in shame for even thinking that, he was a Je'daii for Force sake.
Escaping Tython had been one of the most difficult things that Minos had ever done. However, after killing several Je'daii Padawans and their Master, he finally managed to get offworld. Better yet, he had gotten himself on an express ship to the moon of Ashla where Je'daii went to contemplate Bogan. You want Bogan, I will bring it to you he had promised to himself.
Now he had arrived and, disguised as a prisoner, he snuck off the ship that carried the exiles to their destiny and snuck his way to where he could get as many listening as possible. Hiking up the peak of Mount Enlightenment, Minos had to fight a prisoner already there before he could gather attention. "Prisoners of Ashla, you were sent here to contemplate Bogan! You were sent here to restore the Balance within yourself and yet the Je'daii Order has left you to rot!" he began.
"And who the hell are you supposed to be?" a warrior nearby demanded of him. "I am Minos Rath, son of Gilgamesh and newest bearer of the Ring of Xesh! Allow me to show you the power of Bogan, you want it more than you realize!" Minos replied. Then he rose his sword into the air, its blood-red glow enticing the Je'daii surrounding him.
And from it sprung forth an ink-black fog that engulfed the warriors surrounding Minos and even taking possession of those assigned to watch them. By the time Minos was finished, the mist that the Ring created (as evidenced by its silver glow) engulfed half the moon. Then it subsided to reveal nearly four-hundred thousand black-robed warriors wielding red blades in the name of mighty Bogan. "You came desiring the power of Bogan but now, you shall leave this moon in the knowledge that you have successfully obtained it!" Minos promised.
The other warriors of Bogan turned in Minos' direction and rose their swords in his honor, shouting out utterances of encouragement and acceptance of Minos as their leader. "Now, you are children of Bogan and will soon be ready to wage war on the Je'daii who betrayed you! We will destroy them all, eat their hearts, lay waste to Tython! Then we will turn our eyes to the rest of the galaxy, to the Rakata Infinite Empire itself!" Minos declared.
Weapons clattered against armor once again and cheers of glory poured upon Minos like raindrops on his head. Smiling, he knew at last that he was ready to wage war against not only the Je'daii who had used him as their pawn but also the brother that always despised him. Good Minos, good. Think only thoughts of destroying Aeacus and deposing the petty Order the Ring told him, enthusiastically.
It will only be a matter of time, we will wait until the Je'daii challenge us to war and then we will show them the full might of Bogan. We will make them pay for what they have done to us! Minos said to the Ring and aloud to his soldiers. With his victory sealed, Minos decided it was best to meditate and restore the strength of the Ring whilst waiting for the Je'daii to challenge his power. It would be the last mistake they ever made, that much would be for certain now.
The Council was unnerved by the deep tremor of Bogan that they detected on the moon of Ashla. However, Aeacus already had a fairly good idea as to what it meant and explained as much aloud. "Minos knows the way our Orders works: he knows that those who think about Ashla too much are sent to the moon named Ashla to contemplate Bogan and vice versa. Thus, he has used the desire of the Ashla prisoners to contemplate Bogan as a means to corrupt them to his cause," he said.
"Then what do you propose that we do about this? The prisoners of Ashla number nearly four-hundred thousand while we're a pitiful fourth of that!" asked Councilman Ketu. Ketu was the Je'daii Master assigned to replace Seti but Aeacus had to admit he couldn't see why him. However, he answered the man's question as calmly and collectively as he possibly could.
"We must first become beacons of Ashla ourselves to counter the overwhelming presence of Bogan. Then the Masters' Council must go to the moon of Bogan and persuade the prisoners there to become beacons of Ashla there. If there is to be Balance even as war is waged, then we must become Followers of Ashla to counter the increasing threat of the Followers of Bogan. Not a shred of Bogan power must exist within us lest we be corrupted to its power too," Aeacus stated.
"He makes an excellent point, Balance is a must in order for any war to be truly fought. That is, should it come to war," Kora Ryo stated. I think Kora should have replaced Seti, not Ketu Aeacus thought quietly. "Very well, let's say that we accept your proposal to become beacons of Ashla in order to counter the Bogan presence nearby; how do you propose to destroy the Ring?" Miarta Sek asked.
"The Ring of Xesh-in my humble opinion, we should rename it the Ring of Bogan-was created from the deepest wells of Bogan power that its original Rakata Master could conjure. More than likely, he himself fell so far into it that he literally gave a piece of his soul to creating the Ring. I will do what I can to create a sword of pure Ashla energy by the same means in order to counter it," Aeacus said.
"Then one last question for you boy, how do you propose to delve so far into Ashla that you could create a sword of that sort of power with a piece of your soul?" demanded Ruhr. "First, the Council must do something to buy me the time to do that: challenge Minos to war on Tython. He'll take the bait even with his respect for customs telling him that it will take years to destroy us, if at all. I will meditate on nothing but Ashla for up to eight years as it took eight months for Minos to fall.
"Then, when I sense it within me and am absolutely sure I am a beacon of Ashla, I will begin forging the sword," Aeacus explained. "A normal sword can take up to a year to a year and a half to forge then add your meditation years on top of that. We're talking about having to hold out for up to ten years while you create the weapon to defeat your brother and his followers!" Quan-Jang shouted. "If we're all beacons of Ashla before then, you'll make it," Aeacus said, sparking some laughter.
"If you're taking questions still, Aeacus, I've got one for you," Calleh said. "You have but to ask, Master," Aeacus replied. "A weapon of the power you're talking about might truly be able to destroy the Ring but let's say it does for argument's sake. Since a great power like that always demands an equally great price, what happens if you die when the weapon is used?" Calleh asked.
"Then the Order is to take the weapon and store it under heavy guard until such time as Bogan manifests itself again and requires a beacon of Ashla to be destroyed. As for my body, I request a simple cremation in the Je'daii custom if I should die when I use the sword," Aeacus answered. "You're a brave boy, Aeacus. May the Force be with you," Ketu said.
"I'm just simply a Je'daii Ranger with nothing left to lose, no family to return to, a brother who's out to kill me, and both my Master and my mentor are dead. How hard can it be to rake up a little courage to undergo something like this with all that said?" Aeacus replied. As he left, the Council voted for an evacuation of all non-Je'daii people into the mountains within the hour or so. Good idea to get as many of the people who need our protection safe from my brother as possible he agreed quietly.
"If you make the sword, you'll only come back to your death," said a voice that was all too familiar to Aeacus. "Daegon, I'm surprised that they managed to redeem you after your time with Xesh," Aeacus replied. "Don't be, kiddo. I've survived a lot worse than that on Bogan and in the Despot War," Daegon Lok snapped. "You were the one who laid the killing blow to Queen Hadiya, how did you become corrupted to the Dark Side soon after?" Aeacus asked.
"My fascination with Bogan combined with my recklessness in my ventures to places festering with its power, to put it lightly, got the better of me. That's all I want to say except for one thing: if you're really intending to do what you say you'll do, may the Force be with you," Daegon answered. "Stay with the people, Daegon. They'll need someone to guide them to the mountains and no one knows them better than you," Aeacus said.
"Of course, nothing like helping thousands of people escape into an area that's hopefully out of the way of a big war to redeem myself even more," Daegon joked. "I'm serious, Daegon," Aeacus snapped. "I know you, boy, I know and not to worry: I will guide them," Daegon replied. Aeacus smiled, thanked the elder Je'daii, then left to make one last goodbye stop before his quest started.
Belle and her father had been asked to go into the mountains by the Je'daii Order only once and that was because of the upcoming war with Queen Hadiya, several years ago. Now it seemed as though the Order was asking them to leave again because yet another war was on the horizon. Her father, obedient to the Order as always, had already taken her son and fled there with their servants. As they carried everything they possessed away from their home, Belle stayed a while to aid people elsewhere.
But now, everyone in the city was almost completely evacuated and she would need to be with them if she hoped to meet up with her father and son again. Despite that, something compelled her to remain in the village just a little longer than was probably wise. Then it hit her: Aeacus was likely to be coming this way as well and in need of a lift out of the village on his way back to the Temple of Balance. When he finally did arrive, she gave the okay for the last cart to leave while she and Aeacus sat at the rear and watching as the village slowly faded from view.
"We'll receive our instructions as to where in the mountains we should go when we arrive at the Temple, yes?" Belle asked. "Your father's already waiting for you with your son at the Temple, anyone of the aristocracy will be given separate assignments in the mountains from the rest of the people. However, it doesn't mean that the classes can't mingle if they don't wish so long as no one leaves the mountains until you're sent for," Aeacus answered after nodding. "You don't sound too excited, are you all right?" Belle inquired.
"I'll admit I'm a little scared, this is my brother that I'm going to have to destroy inevitably. Who wouldn't get a jolt out of that in my place?" he replied. "But that's not bothering you nearly as much as it should, something else is troubling you," she said. There was no lying, much as Aeacus might try, and the moment he accepted that was the moment that he was actually willing to come forward and say it.
"I have been thinking about what Calleh said, about great power requiring an equally great price to be wielded. If I actually succeed in forging this sword, I wonder what price will be extracted from my using it," he confessed. "No price is too great if it means overcoming evil and you should know that," she told him. "That's what I thought when Minos and I were fighting Rhadamanthus in a vain attempt to take the Ring from him and deprive him of its power; now I'm not so sure," he said.
"You're just a little scared you'll die without having loved a woman, aren't you?" she inquired, jokingly. "What? I... no, I... uh, um..." he said, trying to reply but shaking his head to give up. She giggled at his frantic efforts and lifted his chin up when he proceeded to look down to the ground.
"Hey, even though Rhadamanthus was my husband and the father of my child, you were always the one who had my heart," she told him. "What... what are you talking about?" he asked. "I love you, I always have," she answered. Heaving a heavy breath, he admitted that he was a little surprised by the revelation.
"Don't be, I'm surprised I even had the courage to tell you that I love you. But yes, every day that you were gone was a day that I spent looking up at the stars and praying for your safe return. Yes Aeacus, Rhadamanthus was my husband but you were my obsession," she confessed. "I thought a woman was supposed to give her husband all the love, not his older brother," he stated.
"Supposed to but when your marriage is arranged from the time you're a baby, it's not exactly easy to fall in love for the spouse. Add on the trouble of meeting them only when you're getting married and you really don't stand much of a chance of ever loving them," she admitted. "Your mind was set on the marriage, thanks to your father, but your heart never was," he said, realizing the truth. "The day people like our fathers realize that is the day I have a heart attack," she said, giggling.
"I can arrange for the heart attack, if you like," he joked back. "No thanks, I got enough on my plate with my son and my father hounding on me without that," she snapped. Both started breaking into laughter after that one and it lasted for several minutes, a good time for the two of them. "Hey Belle, Aeacus, we're only about ten kilometers out from the Temple now!" the cart driver announced.
"Thanks Galahad!" Belle replied. "You know him?" Aeacus asked. "Yes and you should too, he's the village butcher when he isn't also the baker," she answered. "Ah, that explains the animal smell and the loaves of bread," he said.
"There you go, you're getting it!" she exclaimed excitedly. He smirked slightly and even chuckled though he returned to his original grim look from his thoughts about Minos. "Why are you so worried about this? You have more time than the rest of us before you need to face him," she asked.
"It's not the time that bothers me, it's the fact that I will probably have to destroy my own brother when I do return. I didn't get to know him as well as you and Rhadamanthus did but in the months since my reassignment to Tython, I have grown fond of him. He shattered my sword when we last met by simply deflecting a blow, I wonder if I'll have the strength to face him again," he answered. "Don't just wonder, keep telling yourself that you do have the strength and you will find out how to use it during your meditation on Bogan," she told him, playing with a lock of his hair as she spoke.
"For all our sakes, I hope you're right," he said. "Then how about a kiss before you leave?" she asked. "Not meaning to burst the bubble but Galahad and his wife could spot us if we did," he answered. "So what if they do; I can simply order them not to report it, if I have to," she replied.
"I hear that! But I ain't the one to stand in the way of love so go ahead, you two! My wife and I won't mind and we won't tell," Galahad promised. "See, no sweat," she told Aeacus.
"If that's so then what are you waiting for?" he inquired. Giggling, she raised her lips to meet his gently and caressed his face as she did it. For several seconds, their lips locked and they shared the kiss of the eternity of love. When they finally parted lips, Aeacus wished Belle happiness and she wished him the best while on the moon of Bogan when he had to go.