Chapter Ten

Arden Lyn wasn't much for sleep nor did she think she would ever need such nourishment again considering how long she had already been in hibernation. I highly doubt I would've needed that much time to remain mentally nourished as Depa is demonstrating to me she said to herself. Whenever she thought about this matter, she reminded herself that Depa had been in the same sort of trance for only a year and yet she was equally restless. Arden wondered if it had anything to do with the circumstances of how they got there or the power of the one who put them in it in the first place.

It mattered not to Arden what happened to Depa to land herself in the coma but she did have to wonder about the sorts of things that could happen to anyone who had been in such a powerful trance. But during her long slumber, Arden had sensed fundamental changes to the environment around her domain but had in no way sensed the changes around the galaxy. Depa, on the other hand, had had a keen awareness of what may yet happen in the future of the galaxy and somewhat keenness of the present. However, neither of them had sensed the past nor felt the entirety of the presence until after they had been awakened from their Force energy-fueled hibernations.

It sometimes gave Arden a headache and she oftentimes took to caressing the painted face of her husband in the portrait she created for him. So brave and full of life was Xendor, it was hard to see him as really anything short of a kind but sometimes brash youth. Was I that much different and if not, could that have been what attracted us to one another besides our powers? Or did I feel the need to find someone stronger than me and felt that he fit the bill? she asked herself.

She remembered the first time the two of them had displayed affections for one another as though it were yesterday though now it was nearly twenty-six millenniums before. Xendor had just slain a rancor that was pestering the Jedi by himself and had returned with several slabs of its cooked meat. While everyone else, including Arden's weak-minded father, had been impressed and bestowed many blessings, Arden had looked at him suspiciously. "Did you really kill that rancor by yourself or did you have help from native tribesmen in doing it?" she had asked him as she raised an eyebrow.

"Since there's no lying to you, my dearest friend, I had a little help in the form of guidance but the actual slaying was left up to me. Does that answer your question or do I need to show you step by step as well?" he asked. For eleven years, the two of them had been best friends and Arden could admit she honestly took a shine towards Xendor about halfway in. If boyfriends and girlfriends had existed at that time, she would have asked him on such a relationship right then.
Unfortunately, there was only being good friends or being married and once married, a woman had to surrender all her rights to her husband. In addition, she had no right to request a divorce from him but a Jedi Master could forcibly conduct such the sad process should she be failing her husband.

Reasons for failure included the husband being abusive, the wife being defiant, or failure to produce children in a normal time frame or failing to adopt one if they could not reproduce on their own. To think that the Jedi would never condone such heinous actions in marriage now is unbelievable she thought silently.

The husband also had the right to take on concubines who would become surrogate mothers should his wife be failing to have children. For Arden, however, marriage (despite these circumstances) would only tie the knot in her feelings for Xendor, once and for all time. And it was after the slaying of the rancor that Xendor surprised Arden with something she would never forget: a date. Though a relatively new concept back then, many youngsters of both the Jedi Order and others practiced it.

But the date that Xendor took Arden on revealed a whole universe of possibilities not just in the Force as the Order wished but in their own lives. In those days, both the Jedi and the regular people had their superstitious nonsense about the night that Xendor proved was nonsense. So when Arden came out, the law-abiding servant all this time until just then, the night sky was unfathomable. Xendor showed her the stars and told her which bright lights were actually planets beside their own and the moons orbiting around them.

"It's so beautiful!" Arden had said, squealing like a little girl when she saw this. "Multiply the beauty factor by a thousand and you have the way I see you," Xendor had said. She looked at him in shock, unbelieving that he had just called her more beautiful than what she was seeing in the sky. "How could I possibly be more than this to you?" she had asked, perhaps thinking aloud as she did back then.

"Because I love you," he had replied. Arden had nothing to say, the shock of hearing those words bring tears to her eyes both then and now. The peoples of this time take love and dates for granted now, their power diminishing in my absence she thought as she observed this memory. But the best part about that night was yet to come: after telling his feelings, he asked if he could marry her.

"I already have your father's blessing, all you need do is say yes or no, depending on how you feel about this," he added. She couldn't help but begin to cry like a baby when he proposed to her with the ring she still wore now and he even rose up from his knees to hold her as she wept. "What do you think I've been waiting nearly seven years for, dumbass?" she had asked at last. Then he slipped the engagement ring on and they kissed for their first time in either of their very different lives.

The funny thing about that whole arrangement is that he didn't even have to ask her once he had her father's blessing but chose to do so from the kindness of his heart. But the peace and happiness of their marriage was short-lived as Xendor stumbled upon the powers that would be dubbed "too dark". In a diplomatic attempt to satisfy his own curiosities, Xendor had consulted the Jedi Council about exploring these new and strange powers. However, fearing what could not be understood without further study and unwilling to bend their ways at least temporarily, the Council had forbidden research.

Nonetheless, Xendor and Arden explored these powers together in secret but the Council learned when agents of theirs tortured one of their mutual friends into confession. This new face of the Jedi Order has changed so much from what I had fought before. The forbidding of attachments, the ban on torture as a means of interrogation, so much that I couldn't begin to list she thought. Several months after the revelation of their secret findings, the Schism began and by its end, Xendor was killed in battle and Arden was placed in her now-broken slumber.

Angered yet again by how things had turned out, Arden punched an unimportant area of the portrait almost hard enough to break through the wall, hot tears leaking from her beautiful green eyes. "As you can imagine, the Jedi are not without their reasons to forbid attachments of your sort to Xendor," Depa interjected almost rudely. "Yes my apprentice, you are right to speak of justification in the rules of the Jedi though I know that's not what brought you here," Arden replied. "Your insights do not deceive you Mistress, I came because I was wondering if there was anything you would like to begin my training with," Depa said.

Arden smiled though she made sure Depa couldn't see it and thought about it for a good moment or two. Then she said, "Perhaps we shall begin with how you can use your innermost feelings to channel and fuel your strength for greater ability. As Vaapad has already taught you to do, you can skate across the edge of the Darkness but never actually fall into it if you can control yourself. But I will ask that you go over the edge, not just skate around it and you will fall many times before we're done."

"I am prepared for it Mistress though I assure you I am by no means without my fears," Depa replied rather calmly. "Good, the first lesson of courage is not to make fear absent but to embrace it and accept it as a fueling source of power rather than a detriment to your overall success if at all possible. If there's one thing about the Jedi that hasn't changed in my absence, it's their reservations about fear, anger, and aggression. Each serves a unique purpose when channeled properly and without reservation on the part of the user," Arden explained.

"The Jedi say that once you start down the Dark path, via these things, it will forever dominate your fate. I presume you and your husband discovered the truth of that when you two delved into the forbidden powers the first times you did?" Depa inquired. "No, we already knew that either side of the Force would dominate your destiny to equal effect. Just as the Dark Side has a sheer influence in daily life, so too does the Light equally affect all aspects of life to its greatest degree," Arden replied.

So the idea of the Dark Side affecting your destiny is not to be as greatly feared as the Jedi would have you believe Depa thought. "Tell me, what are some of the core principles of the Sith? Our enemies in the Light Side must have a really good reason to make the domination of the darkness something to be feared more than it should be," Arden asked. "The Sith rely on their innermost passions for their strength, thinking inwards (only about themselves) except to ask what others have to offer the fulfillment of their end goal," Depa answered.

"Neither extreme is justified by the actions that the Jedi and the Sith take to destroy each other; if anything, they are both far more wrong about the ways of the Force than not," Arden stated. "So what do we do to instill the righteousness that you seek to restore the Force's balance?" Depa asked. "The only thing that can be done to restore the balance: destroy both Jedi and Sith," Arden answered. While I knew she was vengeful towards the Jedi but could including the Sith make this extreme? Depa asked herself silently.

"Then teach me the true balance if not how to be a true wielder of the Light or Dark Sides. I already have some experience in both but it is probably nothing in comparison to your own," Depa said aloud. Arden smiled and admired her new apprentice's passion but she was not about to start without pointing out one thing to her. "In order to begin, you must purge yourself of the understanding that there is Light and Dark down to the idea of there being one without the other; the Force is much more vast than that as you will soon discover," she stated to which Depa nodded in response.

Xizor had to admit he was severely disappointed in Hephaestus and his decision to turn against Black Sun. But for what it's worth, Xizor was one of the few people who knew how to override Kuat controls and take them long enough to forcibly remove Hephaestus and his guards from the facility. When he returned, he immediately put out a military petition that he had put before the Council which, if approved, gave Xizor full authority over Black Sun's army. At this point, he could state martial law when he pleased and could even dissolve the Council in favor of military dictation.

Just the ample opportunity I've needed to dispose of this weakling group of fools for years on end. Perhaps they will be blind to the fact that I can dissolve them enough to allow me the authority, something they will pay for with their lives Xizor thought with glee. He was going back before the Council today to see if they approved of his new petition after two weeks of debate. His luck turned out for the better: the Council had given him full military jurisdiction and would await whatever commands he would have to give them.

At last, these fools will pay for just getting Black Sun by without restoring it to its full glory. Much as I would like to destroy them, it is not within my power to kill them even if I can dissipate the Council as an organization. I will do neither just yet but I do intend to do it all the same; perhaps some independent agent will come along and help me out Xizor thought to himself. "As my first act of military command, I will mobilize an army that will be ordered to take the Kuat droid foundry by force from its current owner who will then be tried and convicted under Black Sun Law," he vowed immediately so as to appease his political enemies.

Of course, there was more to it than military mobilization and coming up with a strategy to take the factory which were the easiest pieces but he did not let them know that. They didn't need anything that would encourage them to attempt the revocation of the very power to end them he had been given. He knew they would be counting on just that sort of thing seeing as they were presently at his mercy and could be dissolved and exiled within any moment. Instead, he would simply tell them what they wished to hear and make sure that none questioned his motives as he had once question theirs.

It is hypocrisy indeed but it is of the sort that will make the Councilmen realize the stupidity of having granted me as much lenience and power as they have Xizor said silently. "Out of curiosity Prince Xizor, do you intend to spare the factory and execute its owner? Or do you intend to freeze all assets and make sure that all reaped profits go to paying off Hephaestus' debts?" a military official named Odysseus asked him. "You're a clever man and you know full well what my options are, however, I will not freeze their assets nor will I leave the factory in Hephaestus' leadership," Xizor answered.

"Then what do you intend to do, milord?" Odysseus inquired. "I will take ownership of the factory for myself and I will use it for the intent of restoring the lost credits. It will also be used for channeling profit elsewhere in Black Sun as well as any other purposes that may be presented," Xizor explained calmly. This officer was annoying with his questions but the Falleen prince knew he had to tolerate him so long as martial dictation was his.

"So when do we move out to seal Hephaestus' fate and take his factory?" Odysseus asked rather excitedly. "We move out in three days, during which time we will rally enough resources to wipe out the security force already there and execute Hephaestus. Now quit asking me questions and go about the jobs you have that will help this rather than hinder it," Xizor ordered. With that Odysseus left and Xizor was left alone to ponder how he would take the factory strategically speaking.

Thrawn was surprised by the efficiency, diplomacy, chivalry, and speed with which Maul and Savage had convinced Death Watch to join their cause. Those two will have an army great enough to conquer all their enemies in no time whatsoever if they keep this up he thought to himself. He smiled and knew that while the notion of it was entertaining, it was not without its limits. An army that was rallied up quickly would be made up of soldiers and officials hoping to start their jobs quickly.

He knew Maul and Savage would have difficulty keeping their allies in line until the right time to strike came which was why he considered sending out Depa or Arden. A mind that could calm the bloodthirsty and wasn't too authoritative would work in the favor of the brothers more than not. But Arden had made it clear that she would not be leaving Irkalla just yet nor would her apprentice. "She is not yet ready to play a part on behalf of our Sith allies," Arden had warned him.

"Depa Billaba was once one of the most powerful Jedi Masters of the Order. How could she not be ready for aiding the brothers, may I ask?" Thrawn had inquired. "If she left now, she would go out thinking like one of the Sith or as a fallen Jedi as I did during the First Great Schism of the Jedi. Before either of us can ever hope to aid Maul and Savage, we must both be thinking of ourselves as missionaries intent on restoring the balance of the Force," Arden explained.

I like this woman's trend of thought, it is certainly far more advanced than that of any Jedi I have met before. And it certainly displays an underlying wisdom- or maybe higher intelligence- than Lord Maul has shown so far Thrawn silently observed. Arden was a mad woman and did sometimes display that whenever she thought of her long-deceased husband Xendor. However, unlike most madwomen or madmen, she was not without her wits or her ability to use logic and reason.

She was a dangerous one and Thrawn would have to watch her so long as she remained on Irkalla from now on. That is, if he hoped to keep his life and make sure that she didn't one day decide to betray him in favor of taking leadership for herself. Though she didn't look like the type who would do such a thing as the Sith did, he didn't look like a Grand Admiral either. Appearances were very deceiving in that aspect and Thrawn was not about to allow it be his undoing.

"When do you think Depa will be ready to be of assistance to the brothers alongside you?" he asked when he visited her chambers again. "She has some difficulty grasping certain aspects of what I teach her but even so, she is learning fast. I have a feeling she may be ready within a few months and though I know the brothers are limited on time, I doubt they're that limited," Arden answered. Thrawn agreed with her, knowing full well that the Jedi still believed the brothers dead and thus, would not be chasing them again for months if at all.

"Where are we going now brother?" Savage asked. "Yes, I also would like to know where we are headed and why," Pre Vizsla agreed. "We are headed for Mustafar to meet the leaders of Black Sun, hopefully we will be capable of persuading them without much bloodshed," Maul answered. "What makes you think they'll be as easily persuaded as I was or even easier?" Vizsla inquired.

"I killed the man who, in life, prevented them from obtaining their present positions as per the requirements of a mission Lord Sidious demanded of me. If they value their lives, they would do good to remember what happened to their predecessor and desire not to share his fate," Maul replied. Then he turned away from Vizsla and asked Savage if he had confidence in his new "powers".

"I have perfected them, brother. This new arm has made it much easier to do a lot of things both physically and in relation to Force usage," Savage answered. "Good, because we may need those new powers but do tell me, do you know from practice?" Maul asked. Savage nodded and added that Thrawn had provided several Chiss-designed battle training droids that made practicing excellent.

Thrawn is proving himself a greater asset by the day, I will do my best to keep up my alliance with him as much as possible. Besides, with a mind like his, it'll be no wonder that I will emerge ruler of the galaxy with vengeance completed and all Maul said to himself. Taking a moment to see his presence in the Force, Maul sensed a growing storm taking its shape from within him. A shroud of darkness born from this treaty was on the rise and soon, it would overshadow even his former master's powers.

Soon, there would be no more Kenobi, no more Jedi, no more Sidious and no more apprentices from Sidious' branch of the line of Darth Bane. The Rule of Two would once again be sanctified and secured when Maul destroyed the old man and his allies with Savage's powerful help. Then together, the brother's would rule the galaxy and wipe the common Jedi enemy from the face of the galaxy. At that time, perhaps he would also take the liberty of disposing of Pre Vizsla, Black Sun's leaders, and any other powerful figures that might stand in the way of Maul's envisioned perfect rule.

But perhaps I will keep some of my weaker enemies around as slaves so that I can toy with them on my free will. It would most certainly be fun to see how they adapt to it when forced to do so he thought with malicious desire. And since there were fates worse than death, perhaps Maul would make Kenobi one of those he kept alive just so that the Jedi could endure one such fate. It would make his revenge all the more enjoyable in the face of what happened all those years ago.

And Savage would also delight in delivering that fate to Kenobi seeing as his left arm was lost because of that scum. Both would see Kenobi, both would see the fall of the Separatists, and both would be responsible for the birth of an empire forged by blood and hardened by pain, glorious pain.