Chapter Nine
Quan had to admit that sneaking out a forged letter with Daegen was the most difficult part. But once he managed to do it, he wiped his hands clean of any sin as a result of the affair. It was the least he could do to entertain the notion that Daegen was playing the part of the hero and saving all Tython. Now, all he needed to do was reacquire the attention lost to that and channel it back into dealing with the Nox crisis that was on his hands.
For the second time in a row, he was writing a formal letter on behalf of the Council that ordered the people to stand down. Already, in his heart, Quan-Jang knew that they would refuse to follow the orders of the Je'daii Council; Hadiya had aroused them beyond that reasonable request. Jealousy, resentment, and self-disgrace guided their every move and a desire to redeem themselves was promised in return for service. It was something that Quan-Jang could not deny was powerful even amongst the common rabble of the galaxy who were perhaps the greatest stock of people there was.
Who better to sway to your cause than a crowd of thousands (if not millions) who all had not much to lose, were all resentful of the Je'daii, and all admired Hadiya's bravado? This was a question Quan-Jang raised to the Council, only to hear dead silence from the men and women in its body. However, they later told him to make sure that he was prepared to use the Black Firestone once more in the event that they should fail to heed the Council's warnings enough times. Sadly, "enough times" was defined as only two and Quan-Jang felt like he was writing a death-sentence to these people.
The moment they told him to go to hell again only for him to report it to the Council again was the moment he knew was going to seal their fate. Come on people, the least you can do is call it rain when you're pissing on me Quan told himself silently. Returning from another day of cataloguing history scrolls, shelving old books, and other such activities, Quan-Jang received the reply. Opening up the scroll, it was exactly as he had expected: they told him to go to hell again.
Sighing, he knew now that he had no choice but to show this to the Council and await their verdict as to what was to be done now. It was just his hope that he was not asked to use the stone again and sweep Nox's cities clean off the face of the galaxy with its power. "Counselors, I have their response: they have refused to cooperate and stand down," he said, right after arriving to their chamber. A long pause ensued as the Council members just looked at each other and mentally discussed what to do next.
Then on behalf of the rest, the head of the Council spoke and her words were precisely what Quan-Jang expected. "Go to Anil Kesh and draw on the power of the Black Firestone, destroying them in the process. They cannot be lead to believe that all they'll get from us is a slap on the wrist, that we follow through with our promises. Go and make sure that our promise is delivered to them in the form of the Firestone's black comet!" she ordered.
"With due respect sir, do we really need the power of the Firestone in order to teach them an example?" Quan asked. "Nothing else will see to the end of their supplies and their ability to meet Hadiya's demand for weaponry," the Counselor said. "But what if she's counting on that? What if she's counting us destroying them with the stone to make a martyr out of them?" Quan asked.
"Regardless, they should have known better than to follow her lead and defy us. They should have adhered to even our first warning, never mind our second," the Counselor answered. "Don't you guys get it? Hadiya's playing us for fools: she wants us to look like tyrants so that her cause seems more virtuous!" Quan exclaimed.
"That's a risk we'll all have to take," the Counselor told him. Quan thought carefully about what to say next, he knew that any word he said now would be ignored by the Council. "Very well, I'll use it but on two conditions," he said. The Council told him to name them and he thought carefully about how he would word it.
"First, I want it known that once the Firestone is used, it will never again be used for all time. Second, once it is used then I'd like a formal request to resign from the Je'daii Order. I will not be a part of any organization that reduces itself to the level of its enemies in order to win," Quan said. "Tell me, Quan-Jang: you have been loyal to the Je'daii Order for years, why stop now?" the Council asked.
"The whole basis for my departure is that Hadiya's cause is to prove that we Je'daii abuse our abilities with the Force. She wishes to call us out as tyrannical due to her jealousy for our power and by the Force, we are about to prove her right if we go through with this! Are we becoming the tyrants she accuses us of being or are we to be true Je'daii?" Quan-Jang demanded. "Quan-Jang, now is not the time for diplomacy: we have given them two chances and we never give more than that.
"Surely you must realize that we have thought about diplomatic courses before," the head of the Council began. "Yeah and you came with this because it gave you the best means to quickly obtain an excuse for preventable war! That's how you've operated for years!" Quan-Jang shouted. The Council went silent at that remark and some began to even ponder whether or not Quan-Jang was right.
But when one of them spoke again, it was one of Quan-Jang's old friends with whom he had gone separate ways after the older man obtain Council membership. "Quan-Jang, I have always admired your passion for the sciences and for diplomacy, of that make no mistake. And while I hope that you and I will be friends until we are both in the grave, but please understand this is a concern. Whether or not we approach this diplomatically, Hadiya will not let her ambition to destroy us be denied.
"Even if we proved her wrong and her allies abandoned her, she would not stop. The threat of death to her and her soldiers will not deter her, the promise of a thrashing doesn't scare her. Only the act of killing her will stop her from her ambition and her vow to defeat us all. Your passion has always been the subject of my admiration but in this instance, we cannot rely on it.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say that I would love to have a peaceful conclusion to this conflict nonetheless, war is on the horizon and all we can do is postpone it. I'm sorry old friend but you may yet be forced to comply with our wish and use the Firestone's power again. Somehow, it always seems that you are the only one who can," he said. "Then if that is the will of the Council, it shall be done.
"Just allow me to drop by my room and pick up some flimiplast and a pen. In case I die this time around, I want to leave Daegen with a confession or two. I'd also like to request permission to leave my sword with him in the event that that is the case," Quan-Jang said. "Granted, Master Je'daii; may the Force be with you," the Council told him.
"And if there are no other matters to attend to, I think it's safe to call this meeting adjourned," Quan's friend suggested. All the heads of the Council nodded and the official meeting was adjourned by order of the head of the Council. Outside though, Quan was pulled over by his old friend and interrogated as to why he put in his requests. "Because the price of my ability to use the stone has always meant costing me someone's life, be it my children or my wife.
"They didn't just die of disease or of hunger: the stone claimed them through those means and I was both powerless and blind until the third time I used the stone. Ever since then, I've been reluctant to ever do it again but now... Now I think I'll offer my life so that it does not claim Daegen as it claimed my wife and two children before I met him," Quan answered. "I intend no disrespect or selfishness when I ask this but why do you care about that young boy, so much?" his friend asked.
Quan-Jang confessed that it wasn't inappropriate to ask that question of him, after all, he had come to care about Daegen more than he had anticipated when he took responsibility for him. But something within him-was it fatherly love for Daegen?-brought clarity to the answer he was to give. "Because I see much of what I once was and could have been in Daegen: I see that the trauma of having survived a Rakatan attack at as young an age as he did made him stronger than most of us. Though he himself doesn't believe this to be true, I have faith that he may yet prove to be our greatest hero.
"He did that for me in our time together, bringing me to the point where I now consider him a son and Rose a daughter-in-law," Quan replied. "And why do you have so much faith in him?" his friend inquired. "Because he still believes in the principles that our Order was founded upon, he still believes in seeing the good as well as the bad in every sentient being in the galaxy and measuring them equally. What greater reason do I need to believe in him than that?" Quan explained.
No more questions were channeled Quan-Jang's way though there were probably lots of questions left unanswered. It didn't matter to him anymore nor did it matter that very soon, he could possibly die in place of someone he deeply cared about. Just then, his first apprentice named Shae Koda appeared and she asked him where he was headed. "Quite possibly to my death, the Council has asked me to use the Black Firestone to destroy the people of the Nox system," Quan told her.
"What!? But don't they know that the stone is the reason all of your family is gone?" she asked. "They do, they just care more about making sure that the Nox people don't give their support to Hadiya anymore than they already have," he answered. "Hypocrites, all of them: we're taught to resist the temptation of such powerful items as that in favor of the common good!" she shouted.
"True but remember what I taught you: that sometimes, one must give into temptation in order to find the answer that is hidden with the beckoning of the tempter or temptress," Quan said. "That's one of the few mottos of yours I still haven't managed to place meaning on yet," Shae admitted. "Perhaps, that's because the time has not yet come for you to do so: even Daegen hasn't done it yet," he said. "So are you going to do as they ask and use it?" she asked.
He nodded and added that he was just going to get material to write a letter to Daegen with. A letter that Rose would, hopefully, hold on to until he got back and then have him read it. "Then in that case, may the Force be with you as you prepare yourself for the final price that may need payment. Knowing the nature of the stone, it isn't going to start demanding lightly now," she told him.
He bowed, thank her and then was finally allowed to have the honor of walking alone to ponder what he had to do. For years, he did what he could to make the galaxy as safer place, heeding the words of the Je'daii Council even as he became part of it. But now, he was being asked to use the weapon he was most reluctant to use and was always the most costly on him. Would he do it or would he hesitate at the moment of truth; that was the question he asked himself every day.
"Let me ask you this then, would you rather show up and be wrong about the threat of Hadiya arriving or would you rather stay here and be right about it if you were in my place? Remember that choosing the second means failing the Je'daii cause and disgracing yourself and your family. You don't wish to do that, don't you?" Daegen asked to the one Ranger that had refused to go with him so far. "I don't have much in the way of a family or even much pride to disgrace," the Ranger told him.
"Then treasure what you do have and fight for that rather than ponder what you don't have or wish to have. Isn't that worth fighting for?" Daegen asked. "But is it worth killing for? Fighting for something doesn't always mean destroying everything in your path.
"It can be as simple as saying, 'no, you will not take what I love from me' or as intricate as a series of mass-riots throughout the entirety of a system," the Ranger, called Brutus, answered. "But in this instance, perhaps it is worth killing for. Once Hadiya is finished with your Tythan comrades, do you think she's going to overlook that people like yourself still exist?
"She intends to kill every single Je'daii she can find and make sure that our memory fades into oblivion in favor of her tyranny," Daegen told the Je'daii. "Perhaps, you're right but it will take more than the threat of a system-wide war to persuade me to join you. I made a solemn vow to only use my blade in the protection of those I love which means remaining here to do so," Brutus countered. "But what if you could better protect them by coming with me, would you?" Daegen asked.
"You forget that Hadiya is not the only peril that my planet faces. There are pirates, bandits, brigands, the scum of the universe like to come by and raid this place. If I simply waltz out for even a day-trip they will ruin everything I've strode to create. Besides, what use would I be to the Order at this point in my life?" Brutus answered.
"You are a great swordsman, one of the finest in the whole Order. Your skill would be more than rewarded if you offered it to helping the Order repel Hadiya," Daegen said. "Exactly why I left the Order: my skills were rewarded but I myself did not feel rewarded. I did not feel as though the Je'daii treated me any better than an expendable hitman and as such, I used my privileges to my advantage.
"When the Council assigned me my last mission, I had my servants declare me dead after being out for a month and all my assets equally willed to my three children. I vowed to start again with naught but my sword and the clothes on my back and look what I've done here," Brutus explained. "So I guess you won't be coming out of hiding now, you'll continue to deceive the Order?" Daegen asked. "I am sorry my dear boy but my time for fighting anything other than brigands has long past.
"As it is, I can barely keep my edge against those scumbags anyway," Brutus answered grimly. "Very well then, it was a pleasure to meet you and speak with you, Master Brutus," Daegen said. "Likewise, Quan-Jang always spoke very highly of you whenever we crossed paths as Rangers," Brutus replied. "You knew Quan-Jang?" Daegen inquired.
"Of course, we grew up together and even fought together for a time. When it turned out he would be a scientist and I would be a warrior, I was naturally disappointed but soon overlooked it. However, I can honestly say I understand why Quan-Jang always spoke as highly of you as he did," Brutus replied. "And why is that?" Daegen asked.
"Because you have the strength of a hero where the Council had only the strength and weight of their title. Where they were lacking, you are a beacon and a powerful one that may yet sway the minds of the Order in a new and brighter future. But do not lose faith nor lose sight of who you truly are or else you may never see that destiny," Brutus answered. You too, eh? Daegen thought silently.
"Thank you sir," he said aloud. "My pleasure, dear lad. But do not be disappointed in your failure with me, you have a natural ability to persuade that may yet entice thousands others. Seek them out and you may yet have the army you need to save Tython from Hadiya's schemes," Brutus replied.
Daegen nodded and promised that he would do that as he couldn't get an army by giving up on the first try. "Clever boy, may the Force be with you on your travels," Brutus told him. "Likewise," Daegen replied. Then the younger Je'daii Ranger stepped out of the bar where he and the old man had been talking for five hours, the former attempting to persuade the latter to join him in fighting Hadiya.
As Arden finished with her daily chores at a restaurant known for obtaining planetary officials as its primary customers, she spied one of the young ones eyeing her, following her every movement. When it was time for the young man to collect on his payment for his food, she did the best she could to ignore his desires but when he reached out to grab her, she swatted his hand away. "How dare you cast me aside, do you know who I am?" he demanded, booze infecting his breath as he spoke. "The man who's going to pay up and go before I throw you out; I have a daughter, you moron!" she snapped.
"Nobody calls me moron and gets away with it missie, even if they do have a child at home!" he shouted. "Well I'm different," Arden replied. To prove it, she called upon the Force for the first time in a long while and threw him against the wall, crushing him after he made contact. "Now are you going to pay up and go or am I going to have to get nasty?" she asked.
"Here's the balance, just put me down," he answered when he wasn't gurgling from the surge of power she placed atop his lungs and neck. She let him go and took the balance from him, allowing him to limp and swerve his way out, his drunken stupor sated by his fright of her. "That took guts, little miss. No one's stood up to him in my restaurant and actually followed through on it like that," her boss said.
"I didn't mean to hurt him, I just wanted to set an example that I wasn't going to be seeing anyone while my daughter still needs me," she told him. "Very admirable and very selfless, miss Lyn. There may yet be a place for you here on Ossus after all, just not here in this restaurant," he said. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"I once caught you practicing martial arts out in the back during your break. Perhaps I could contact someone I know and see if she can oversee the expenses to build you a school to teach in. That was what you were saving up to do in case you failed to contact anyone, right?" he replied. "Would this person help?" she demanded.
"Of course, she's got a son who's so fat and lazy that anything that gets him moving is a miracle in its own right. I'll see about having her help you since you weren't able to get help from any of those snobs you spoke with before you came here," he replied. "Thank you so much, mister. I don't know how to repay you!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Now, now, you've already done more than enough to where I should be repaying you. This restaurant looks four times better than it did before you came, after all. It's the least that I can do to help you get started on your dream career. Just phase out when you're done and go home to your daughter while I settle things with my friend," he assured her.
She gladly did just that and thanked him for everything before running back home to get to her speeder and in turn, pick up Cassandra from her first real day of school. But during that time, she was surprised to see that she had been led astray from her thoughts about her ancestor, Daegen. She continued recalling the story in her head just as much as she continued telling it to Cassandra. The story of our ancestors intrigues my little girl more than any kid I've met so far.
I highly doubt I could get such attention out of even the children of the planetary officials here on Ossus Arden thought to herself silently. Running by her apartment and getting into her speeder, Arden was surprised at how quickly her speeder, which she bought from her waitress money, sped up. By the time Arden gained any real control over it, she had already covered four of the seven standard miles of the drive needed to be made in order to pick up Cassandra. "Mommy!" was the first thing Arden heard when Cassandra arrived.
"Oh how's my baby doing after her first day at school?" Arden asked right after embracing her daughter tightly. "Miss Lyn, may I speak with you?" interjected an elder man. "And you would be?" Arden asked. "I'm the dean of this school, employer of Cassandra's teachers, my name's Edward," the man answered.
"Call me Arden, 'Miss Lyn' sounds like I'm old. And I'd love to speak with you but as it is, I'm already running late for a couple appointments. Could you just call me on my comm frequency at your earliest convenience?" she said. "But Arden!" the man exclaimed.
"Not now, seriously! We are almost late for three appointments, including Cassandra's first dental checkup!" she snapped. Then they both plopped down into their speeder and took off before Edward could get another word out of her. "Mom, are we really running late for a couple appointments?" Cassandra asked after enough distance was established from the school.
"No, I just had a long day at work and didn't want to have the headache of hearing a principle talk about you in patronizing terms," Arden admitted. "But he wanted to talk about my school performance, he said I was excelling," Cassandra stated. "Really? In that case, I'll need to get with him and learn the details but for now, how about some more about Daegen Lok?" Arden offered.
"Oh yes please Mom, you left off at him persuading Rangers to join him and Quan-Jang about to use the Black Firestone!" Cassandra exclaimed. "I did? Well of course, you'd remember that better than I would... let's see, what happens next?" Arden teased.
It took a second for Arden to recollect but when she did, she continued the story as best she could without crashing them into another speeder. Difficult as it occasionally was, she pulled it off.