Chapter Twelve
The floating city of Shimrra's Glory was moving closer and closer to Zonama Sekot and its landing point below the atmosphere, each day bringing Thrawn more anxiety. True that this festival they came to celebrate was one that he had seen before and one he enjoyed very much. But still, something told him that things were going to take a dark turn once the city touched down on Zonama Sekot. Despite his constant reassurance via keeping Arden Lyn's portrait clean and undamaged, the artistry still possessing his appreciation despite recent additions to his collection of cultural art.
Those didn't have the same joy and passion that he had seen in Arden's painting and as if that wasn't good enough, he had come to appreciate that each artwork he collected came with a code. The fact that he had not been able to crack the code Arden imprinted into this paint said something about his joy. It also said something about how the true meaning, even with what he had already discovered, still eluded him. Was it a memo for her to not use the Talisman too much or else suffer Xendor's fate?
Could it be something that he had indirectly told her to write in when he told her to paint a certain stroke on the pink background or another on the Jedi corpses at the bottom of the portrait? He had yet to understand the culture that she had lived under and needed her firsthand experience in this. Perhaps, something she might say to him would clue him in on what to do when deciphering the code of the painting that he had only obtained portions of. But he also began to wonder if he was meant to decipher the whole thing even with Arden's help via hints and clues.
Was this supposed to be the one problem that his calculating, unstoppable mind would not be able to solve? If so, it would be the greatest irony of his life: he could decode other works of art as well as any and all messages they came with except for this. In fact, he breached that once you understood a culture, you understood the enemy you would be facing and how they fought. But if he couldn't understand this, how could he expect to be prepared for her fighting him if she returned and chose to?
Sure that he was trying his best to find her and rescue her in order to restore the alliance they had but it had been fifteen long years since he had begun. What if she thought that he had forsaken her now and hated him with the dark, fiery passion she hated the Jedi for the death of her husband? Arden Lyn was always the woman with few friends and plenty of enemies. Perhaps, it was her destiny to always stand alone in the end... or was it?
Smug in his victory of having used Quoreal to disgrace Shimrra in single combat, Nom Anor now had some political leverage with which to win some Elite fervor for the revolution that was to come. "Friends of old, strangers from new parts, you have been summoned here to answer a growing threat. Shimrra's predecessor Quoreal, it seems, has been revived and intends to take revenge," he explained. "But Quoreal was killed in single combat by Overlord Shimrra nearly thirty years ago, how could it be possible for him to return now!?" a traditionalist named Goliath demanded.
"Shimrra is devious and deceptive, perhaps he was under the influence of the Deception Goddess?" Nom Anor suggested. "How dare you suggest that of a Supreme Overlord!" Goliath exclaimed. "Why not? It has happened before has it not?" Nom inquired.
"He makes an excellent point: Supreme Overlords have been manipulated into serving the Goddess of Deception and in turn, have almost led our people to ruin. If Quoreal has survived the duel, it is proof of one of two things: either Shimrra won through cheating or Quoreal went easy on him," another traditionalist named Judas interjected. "But why would Quoreal hand over rulership of our people to a lowly man like Shimrra and his even lowlier jester Onimi?" Goliath asked. "Perhaps it was to go on a mission to find the salvation of our people and Shimrra filled the vacant seat," Nom replied.
Fools, they do not realize the truth as I do but no matter. The longer they remain blind the more I can build up momentum for the revolution Nom told himself silently. "I would assume that would be right: Shimrra has always been less honest a man than his predecessor. The Domain of my father and his father shall assist Quoreal in his restoration to the throne," Judas stated.
Seventeen more Domains of the Elite, which also commanded several Warmaster domains and several thousand soldiers each, followed the ancient Judas' example. Even Goliath submitted to the fervor that Judas and Nom Anor were stirring in the chamber of the Elite. "Then I propose this deal for Shimrra: if he overcomes Quoreal this time, we shall return under his fold without quarrel. That is assuming we're all still alive by then however, our descendants shall remember this deal," Nom began.
"And if Shimrra fails?" Goliath asked. "Then we lop off his head and reinstate Quoreal, of course. And those who do not return fealty to Quoreal will also have their heads lopped off and crushed by those who become or remain loyal," Nom answered. "Either way, we have no more massive a stake in this than our lives... I like this little game that you wish to play already," Goliath stated.
"You flatter me sir, is there any other who wishes to send their Domains to the cause of reinstating Quoreal? It is already clear that Shimrra has deceived us somehow on the details of what happened in that duel," Nom asked the rest of the Elite in the chamber. "We shall stand by him to the end!" shouted an anonymous Elite who rallied the others surrounding him. In fact, the whole northern part of their chamber was against joining the return of Quoreal to power but Nom supposed it was fine.
Regardless of who wins, many in here will be dead before the end of the fight Nom told himself sinisterly. "Before we get into a massive debate, let us all put it into a vote. All in favor of joining Quoreal's revolution, say aye and those who are against say nay," he suggested aloud. Of the forty-two Elite members that there were, the vote actually ended up being 21-21, perfectly even including his clan.
The more the merrier but Nom was content and said that those who were in favor would meet Quoreal outside the city once it landed on Zonama and prepare for war. To his surprise, of all the Domains that were against Shimrra's deposition, Domain Lah was the most powerful. On top of that, he was also surprised to see that Tsavong was now leading it instead of his father. Nom wondered what that could mean but decided not to worry about it just yet for Czulkang remained no threat.
After all, why worry about someone who was not a threat to your plans unless they were setting up to be. For all their sakes, he was hoping that Czulkang was not wishing to be the threat that could undo his operations but he could never be sure. He watched Tsavong carefully, seeing if anything he said or did would indicate a plan but to his surprise, the boy gave nothing away. Truly, he is becoming more like his father every day that I see him Nom thought but didn't say before leaving the chamber.
"Where are my major targets?" Quoreal asked. "Your best ones to hit on the city would be the Citadel, the power plant, and the armory. On top of that, you would have to hit it in precisely that order," Czulkang answered. "I will have spies do that job, perhaps some fanatic kamikazes eager to prove themselves to me to the point of death," Quoreal stated.
"That might be your best bet but I wouldn't place all my hopes in that if I were you. By now, Nom Anor has made your existence known to the Elite and there are those who'd defy you. Though my Domain is an ally of ours, I have ordered my son to have it side with Shimrra," Czulkang replied. "And why is that, old friend?" Quoreal inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"We could use some ears on the inside that are non-military in nature, could we not? In order to best fight against them, we need to know what their patterns will be. Will they adhere to the tradition of the Revival of our people or will they seek to destroy us before having the festival?" Czulkang said. "You always were one step ahead of our enemies in the wars that we fought together," Quoreal said with a smile.
"I am just doing what I can to help a friend, besides, my son needs to learn how to accept the reality of any enemy he faces in his career. Some will be as personal as his own family and others will be too far distant for him to notice or care if he did," Czulkang replied. "A good trial, I must admit, it's sad that no other Warmaster Domain does it anymore. I wonder why yours, of all of them, would be the one to stick to that ancient tradition?" Quoreal asked.
"We are an ancient family, we only change enough to adapt but we still attempt to cling to our old traditions wherever and whenever possible. It's part of how we have managed to outlive many Domains and see the rise of new ones though they too would fall soon enough," Czulkang answered. "Then perhaps you won't mind eliminating a certain factor from the equation or at least, attempting to," Quoreal said.
"Nom Anor?" Czulkang guessed. When Quoreal nodded in his reply, Czulkang was initially puzzled but he could see why he wanted him out. If allowed to live long enough, Nom would become a threat to their design with only his own benefit being his sight the whole time. "I have a better idea in mind than elimination: a challenge of sorts that Nom would be more than willing to accept," Czulkang said.
"And what would that be?" Quoreal inquired. Czulkang turned the video imagery before them to a viewer that had eyes on Arden Lyn and her apprentice Depa. "Nom Anor has an unusual interest in those two humans though why he has it, I can't imagine. When I challenge him to single combat, the stakes will be that if he wins, they remain here but if he loses then I have the power to let them go," Czulkang explained.
"Interesting contest but if he values his honor, he will not deny you," Quoreal observed. "Yes and despite his combat experience, he is unlikely to match a Warmaster. Unless someone had been giving him illegal training before he seized power from his father and took over the Anor Domain," Czulkang agreed. "Go ahead then and add his defection to Shimrra's side as a stake in the duel while you're at it as well as your defection if you lose," Quoreal ordered.
Czulkang hesitated, not necessarily sure if that was wise but he supposed he had to keep things even and interesting. The duel with Nom Anor would have to be like that in order for their to be any honor in it from Czulkang's end. Besides, if he lost, he would be reunited with his son and Quoreal would then have the power to release or trap the human women. But Czulkang Lah was not about to let their door back home close on them without a fight: he would honor the truce at all costs.
"Didn't your son already disown you in the public or does that still need to be done?" Quoreal asked suddenly. "Still needs to be done but we're on top of that, the duel will take place afterwards. That way it looks like I'm trying to redeem myself in my son's eyes," Czulkang answered. Quoreal's smile was all the old man needed to know his satisfaction.
"The revolution is forming at last, dissent is in the air, and Shimrra feels the heat of the pressure to defeat his old enemy forevermore. It is almost time for us to make ourselves known but perhaps we could use the religious fervor to our advantage," Depa stated. "And prove ourselves no better than Nom Anor or Quoreal?" Arden asked. Depa had no reply for that, how could she when she realized the bitterness of her own words after hearing that remark?
"No Depa, we will not manipulate the psychology of the religious fanatics anymore than our allies already have. If we did that, then Shimrra and Onimi would know where we were and seek to destroy us. We would lose the element of surprise and fulfilling our part in Onimi's destruction would be next to impossible. As Xendor taught me, it is sometimes better to catch your enemy unprepared and unawares than to reveal your part in the formation of an army, assuming you aren't the leader," Arden added.
As it is, we are technically the true face of this revolution and Quoreal is our puppet anyway. Nom Anor is the dangerous loose end that I worry about however Arden thought. "Then will we be ready to strike against Onimi soon?" Depa asked. Arden nodded and said that it was a matter of letting the revolution stall his forces before returning to the city and attacking.
"I will have the Talisman conceal our presence in the Force so that Onimi cannot see us that way. Via Vongsense, he may mistaken us for two more citizens of his Overlord's vast empire and that's an advantage we can very easily exploit," Arden stated. "But what if the Vongsense does not mistaken us for Yuuzhan Vong and identifies us as humans?" Depa asked. "Then we just have to hope that he doesn't have something that can help him defeating him," Arden answered.
"That's the best that the great Arden Lyn can conjure?" Depa demanded. "It's not great but it's better than nothing," Arden admitted. "Maybe you're right but once we're home, then what? Do we find Thrawn and make him pay for abandoning us?" Depa inquired.
"No, he didn't have a choice in that and I'm pretty sure he couldn't expend a lot to searching for us without the scrutiny of our Supreme Overlord here. Besides, Thrawn never works outside his own bounds unless he absolutely has to and expending a great deal to find us would've done that. He didn't betray us but there wasn't a lot that he could do to help us out anyway," Arden explained. "So dense yet so certain that you can trust him, he reeked of deception from day one!" Depa exclaimed.
"Maybe so but what choice did we have at the time we joined him? Who would have accepted us as freely and openly as he did? Surely not the man called Darth Sidious that you mentioned as one who destroys anyone that interfere with his plans, even if they're just fallen Jedi. Would you rather have taken your chances with him?" Arden snapped.
"No but we could have helped Maul and Savage a little more than we did. We were mostly here, helping Thrawn play his game with the Yuuzhan Vong!" Depa shouted. "By doing that, we did help Maul out because we prevented these people from becoming a factor that ruined his plans. Sidious did that for them when he went to Mandalore to destroy Maul as I'm sure he did," Arden calmly said.
Depa, you are beginning to push me and remember that I don't need the Talisman to defeat you Arden warned mentally. "With a little more active a role on our part, Maul and Savage could have overcome Sidious and taken the galaxy. Instead, we had to go wandering into territories that we didn't know and get ourselves into this. We're in over our heads and going home means going to a place that might not welcome the likes of us anymore than it did fifteen years ago," Depa warned aloud.
"Maybe so but it's the only chance we have at any solace from our past sins," Arden said. "How do you know?" Depa asked. "I awoke to find that twenty-five thousand years had gone by—all I knew and all I loved curdled into history then dismissed as myth. Not even dust remains of those who were dear to me.
"I have outlived planets, and the very constellations are scrambled and strange. I am alone in a way you could never imagine. Despite that, I am human Depa, I have to hope that there is some path to forgiveness for what I did and redemption from what I've become. The galaxy from whence we came is the only place where I feel like there is hope to finding that way, the only place that has the knowledge," Arden explained pleadingly. "You've grown soft in your ways since you've arrived here, Arden Lyn," Depa stated.
"What does that mean?" Arden demanded. "It means that it's no wonder why you were only the prototype for what would develop into the Dark Side. That it's time for me to take the crown of Mistress from you and help these people without regard to going back there. I already feel more at home amongst these freaks and monsters than I ever did over there," Depa replied.
"We are not Sith, Depa! You don't have to attack me and besides, you would die before your stroke fell anyway," Arden begged. "Let's see about that," Depa said as she ignited her lightsaber and Arden unsheathed some of her sword in warning. "Without me, you would still have been in a fucking coma unaware and uncaring of who came to carve up your body into pieces!" Arden screamed.
At first, Arden thought that saying that provoked her apprentice into attack but instead, something else happened. Depa seemed to actually hesitate, to remember what her Mistress had done for her and wonder what she was doing with her lightsaber pointed at her. "It's all right Depa, I understand why you feel this way. I tried rebelling against Xendor in a similar manner towards the end of his life and the life of the Legions," Arden said.
"What was the result of those rebellions?" Depa asked. "Since most of them were in the marriage bed, it ended with him taking me like some animal in rut. He'd regret it later but sometimes I wonder if he did that because he was possessed by this cursed artifact around my neck," Arden answered, gesturing to the Talisman as she spoke. "It was the price he paid for using its power as much as he did," Depa said, the statement not being a question this time.
Arden nodded and she began to wonder, if the Talisman was ultimately the thing responsible for all her misery. In the back of her mind, she was beginning to consider ways to eliminate it from the equation. All the while, she was unaware that the Intendant known as Nom Anor had his eyes on it as though it were some common jewel. Looking at the prism-shaped artifact that had saved her and then tried to possess her too, she began to wonder if things would improve without it around.
The floating city of the Yuuzhan Vong had landed on Zonama Sekot at last and the festival would take place in another week after that. But what he wondered was if this would be his best chance to find Arden Lyn and Depa Billaba and reconcile with them. He wondered if fifteen years of fruitless search and countless ships being accidentally destroyed, it was finally about to pay off. True that he was partly worried due to Sidious expressing an interest in their power but that was far from the main point.
He didn't fear Lord Sidious nearly as much as he feared what Arden and Depa could do if they remained rogue. They could destroy both Thrawn's personal empire and the Empire he sought to take from Palpatine's control. "Captain will everything be ready in time for our travel to the festival on Zonama Sekot?" Thrawn asked. "Yes sir, the arrangements that you have ordered should be no problem in making," his Captain answered.
Good, at least my troops and their officials have not grown lazy in the absence of battle unlike some members of the Council that I wish to eliminate. I think Moses is worse without his goiter than he is with it hanging from his neck Thrawn thought but didn't say. The thought provoked a smile at the irony of it: five years ago, Moses had ordered his goiter surgically removed. His reasoning was that it made him too unattractive but who would love a grotesquely fat man like him anyhow?
Thrawn's sister, Moses' reluctant wife, certainly didn't nor did any in Thrawn's family for that matter. Actually, Moses was the reject of even his own family and he knew it all too well thanks to their lack of acceptance of his party invitations. And as Thrawn observed, one had to wonder if that was because of his gluttonous, greedy nature or just that he was fat in general. It wasn't normal for a Chiss to fall so far and perhaps that's what made Moses stand out from the rest of the crowd.
But now, it was time to be rid of him and Thrawn knew that his sister would help in that. She had, after all, grown to hate his advances as well as his taking of other women in front of her.
