A/N: After defeating the Dark Zakuul Knights on Alderaan and the destruction of the Zakuul city of Elelset, Arik and his friends head to the pirate world of Rishi to help the three governments of the galaxy discuss a public announcement of leadership of an alliance to destroy the threat posed by Tenebrae's forces. Unbeknownst to them, a new threat in the form of a Lethan Twi'lek Sith Lord Fross, whom Arik once trained as a Sith, is heading there to kill her former commander with a mysterious substance designed to kill him.
Chapter 13: Love's Undying Grace
3611 BBY, in a small city on Rishi
Arik and his team entered the room where his father many years ago gathered the best and brightest from the galaxy, Jedi and Sith. He was wearing the mask of Revan while wearing his black and white Jedi robes. Talia was walking hand in hand with him as he remembered full well of all the lives lost Elelset, he began to let go of his anger and rage toward Tenebrae.
"Dear, are you all right? You still feel troubled." She asked.
"I will be. I just have to remember that I am not alone in the fight against my former Sith Master. I need to remember how I did so on Brentaal IV." Arik said hold his hand tighter around hers.
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Arik sat in his meditative position on a gallows made by one of Tenebrae's helper known as Servant Seven. He stood there making the people watch as the Hero of Brentaal IV was to be executed for his treachery against Vitiate during Arik's self-imposed exile. He stated to the young man as Dark Zakuul Knights put a durasteel cable around his neck, "Deimos, for betraying your Master, I, Servant Seven sentence you to death. Do you have any last words?"
Arik stated with a smile, "Yeah, the end for him is coming. Be prepared."
Suddenly, the crowd then turned on the DZK as Tristan, one of Arik's older cousins, and his father Jarrod leading a division of Republic soldiers on a daring mission to overthrow the dark ruler of the village. The Dark Zakuul were overwhelmed also by the crowd that had grown fond and trustful of Arik after what he did for the planet. Arik was able to free himself and dueled Servant Seven with his purple lightsaber and the Sith Pureblood used his purple-black lightsaber to clash with the Jedi Knight. The duel was ferocious but short. As Arik was able to parry an overhead strike, hit him in the chest with Force Lightning and stabbed him in the heart killing him instantly.
The rest of the DZK took off realizing they were no match for Arik and his family's efforts to undo Deimos' work on the planet. Tasiele Shan then came with Linora and her mother coming to congratulate him for liberating the village from the DZK. It was then that the mayor of the town came to give him his thanks, along with other citizens there who helped him fight back. He then began to cry knowing that his work has just began as a redeemed Knight of the Jedi Order.
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"I now feel better to go into the room to let them know I am ready to help lead their forces. Let's go, dear." Arik said as he continued on.
Meanwhile…
Darth Fross then began to prepare the deadly solution of lacing a virus with deadly tarentatek poison to ensure her former commander would survive a trip for help if they tried. She laughed at the thought of the new Revanchist meeting his end by a disease designed to kill him. She cackled even more knowing that this particular strain of disease is the same one that destroyed most of the Elans during the period before the Great Galactic War. "Soon, you suffer the same horrible fate that your great grandparents did. Only this time, there will be no chance at saving you from death. You love will watch in horror as you die and take your last ragged breath Jedi."
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Arik and the heroes of both the Republic and the Empire had come looking at the new Revanchist as he entered the room. The some of the Sith nodded their heads at a fellow warrior of the Force, while the Jedi put their hands together and respectfully welcomed the new Revanchist.
"Master Jedi, at long last, we meet again. Might I say, that mask does show some authority. Welcome to Rishi." Darth Nox said.
"Thank you, Nox. Although I was here before, I was in my mother's womb. Though she had to take a brief week off until the final battle of Revan on Yavin 4." Arik said. "By the way, no hard feelings about my attack on you and your daughters?"
"None, I now know that he put my children and the Empire at risk for his own amusement." Darth Nox responded.
"Good to know. I wonder if the Wrath is here, yet." Arik said as he heard someone electronic voice.
"I am surprised that you did not mention me sooner, Jedi." The Empire's Wrath said towering over him. "In case, you are wondering if hold what you did against you. Yes and no. I can't fault you on wanting to die. But I can fault you on following a madman's call."
"Figure as much. I just hope we can work together for a time to stop an even greater evil out there." Arik said with acceptance.
"Hello, little one." Senya Tirall said as she and her son Arcann appeared.
"Master Senya, it has been a while. I hope you can forgive me for all that I put you through. I must have been a mess to deal with." Arik said with head bowed.
"I forgive you, my friend. I heard how you risked your life to save Talia from a grenade thrown by my former lover, Valkorian. I still can't believe that under my nose Vaylin had a daughter. Is she with you?" Senya said hugging him tenderly.
"She is. And thank you for the encouragement. Here she is." Arik said as he nodded to Trent to let Nilyav go see her grandmother. The two were reunited and at first she was confused, but she broke down in tears after Senya explained who she was and Nilyav explained how she was turned to evil by her grandfather. Arik then turned to Arcann and smiled that he learned to find balance within himself.
Arik's acquaintances and rivals showed up to greet him including the Wrath's son and daughter , Nox's twin girls, Indo Zal, Emperor Vowrawn, Satele Shan and the Jedi, Imperial, and Zakuulan forces. Tania also appeared to give her grandson support in his campaign to stop what she once considered a god growing up as a little girl.
"I thought you were at home, grandmother." Arik asked his grandmother as he went to hug and greet and her.
"I have Tristan and his wife to use the house to help with raising the baby. By the way, I am so proud of you." Tania said.
"What for?" Arik wondered.
"You helped people see the threat that Tenebrae presents to the galaxy. No matter what happens, I will be proud of you and the Elan family always. By the way, have you asked her to marry you yet?" Tania responded.
"No, Satele says to time it right. Besides, it wouldn't be safe with Malgus out there. He would kill her given the chance." Arik said.
"You know he is not a bad guy, he is just lost in his own darkness. He has not been the same since he lost Eleena Daru, a Twi'lek he traveled around with." Tania explained.
"Now I know why Satele said to not underestimate him. He has broken heart. He has nothing to hold him back. He didn't kill me because he saw in me, a son he never had." Arik said. "He didn't kill me because he sees in me a kindred spirit."
"I wouldn't jump to conclusions, but he did save my life when I was working with Angela when he saved my life indirectly. Lord Adraas sent an assassin when I was Ord Mantell observing the return of our troopers when he was trying to strengthen his connection to the dark side.
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Tania Elan was helping her friend Angela into the building when they saw an assassin heading towards them. Even with her skill in lightsaber combat and the Sith tactics, she was outsmarted by the assassin. She and Angela stood at the mercy of the Imperials and the Sith Assassin. When all of a sudden they saw a saw a dark-hooded Sith Warrior approaching the other Sith.
"Lord Malgus, how goes it? Still crying over your beloved Twi'lek?" The Sith assassin taunted.
Suddenly, he felt his throat constricted by the Force. He then looked in a wide-eyed expression at his error. He then was dropped gently on his knees. He then grabbed his lightsaber and proceeded to charge at him. "You will pay for your disrespect, you brute!"
Malgus then drew his and kill his support by breaking their necks and standing his ground against the assassin. The two exchanged fast and violent blows. The two women were shocked at the violent altercation. Suddenly, Malgus then went into a Force Maelstrom and proceeded to fully overpower his rival. He used Force Lightning to kill him and throw him aside. He then approached Tania who was visibly terrified to the point, that the stress made her sick. She vomited on the ground.
"Will you relax? I have no intention of killing a woman who once served with us, especially a Jedi Knight, whom I considered a proud warrior, despite being a traitor to the Empire. Don't take this as mercy. Think us of this as right time, right place." Malgus said as he turned around and began to walk away. "By the way, tell your husband he owes me one."
"I will be sure to tell my progeny to that after they come of age." Tania carefully retorted.
"Ah… The more the merrier." Malgus said after he chuckled softly then loudly laughing scaring the Republic troopers coming to Tania's aid.
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"Ah ha! Honor before death! Makes perfect sense now. He would rather fight with honor to the death than often strike down unarmed individuals." Arik responded.
"Yep, that's Malgus for you. He loves a good fight. Especially where the competition is strong at." Tania agreed. "Now,come on. They are waiting on you."
The Emperor, Zakuulan President, and the Supreme Chancellor all got together with the Jedi and the Sith in the room to decide who would lead the fight against Tenebrae and his army. They voted for thirty minutes before compromising that Arik was the best choice to the threat that the galaxy faced. Arik began meditating about what to do in the future. He suddenly heard a dangerous sound of a lightsaber hissing from a LethanTwi'lek.
"Ah, my old Master. We meet again, at last." Darth Fross said.
"Fross, long time, no see. Come to the mock me?" Arik said as he got up and activated his lightsabers. "Why do you harbor so much anger towards me?"
"It is because Peladius and Darth Nox's cult all took turns torturing and defiling me. You should have helped me. I went through so much pain because of it." Fross argued.
"I warned you to leave him to me." Arik stated. "I can never undo the damage done to you, but once Nox abandoned him for what he attempted to do against Talia, Bailyn, and I, his fate was sealed. He unleashed my full rage, when he announced plans to make Talia and Bailyn pleasure slaves. He had no idea that part of me still cared for them both. I showed him no mercy, but I did send a message to the rest of the Cult of the Screaming Blade."
"I find your peaceful message disturbing because you have gotten away from your ancestor's teachings." Darth Fross said.
"I gave it up because it would have eventually killed me. Come over to the light side. There is mercy and healing to those who reject the dark side." Arik pleaded from his position.
"You don't get it. 'Through victory, my chains are broken…'" Fross said.
"…The Force shall free me." Arik finished. "You will find that the standards I have are not chains but rather restraints of what I can and cannot do, Fross."
Just then Talia entered the room with the rest of Arik's crew with Senya Tirall and her family. Fross then smiled at the fact of a plan. "If you love this galaxy so much, you can mourn for it." Fross then shot her dart gun at Nilyav and Talia when Arik got up rapidly and move so fast he moved in front of the dart. It then began to inject its deadly package into his chest. Arik then began to feel ill from the poison and the virus that began progressing throughout his body. He then collapsed in front of Talia who caught him in her arms as began wheezing from the deadly cocktail.
"As the disease and poison consume you, its bite with destroy you. By the way, this is the same strain of disease that killed your great-grandparents in the Elan. Too bad, you grandfather survived the attack." Fross said as she fled.
Arik then began to have ragged breaths as the cocktail coursed its way through his veins. He also began to feel great pain in his chest as the disease began to attack his heart and other major organs. Talia began to cradle him as she knew he was dying. She removed his mask and began to caress his scarred left side.
"I must look really pale to you. Huh, princess." Arik said attempting to deflect his impending doom with humor.
"You do. But I don't want lose you." Talia said tearfully.
"Princess, please do not cry. I will be fine. I am stronger than I look." Arik said with a cough.
Just then Tania walked in and said, "What happened?"
"One of the Sith that belonged to Tenebrae gave Arik this." Talia answered tearfully. "He is dying."
Talia continued to cry hard as she remembered the good times that Arik and her shared. Holding him in her arms made Arik feel a little better. He then began to talk weakly to her saying, "Talia… In case, I do not live. I want you lead the galaxy to defeat Tenebrae."
"No, you are going to be alright. Please don't leave me. I don't want to be at anyone else's side but yours." Talia said as she went to kiss him.
Coughing hard from his chest, "Talia… I… I love you, now and always…" Arik said as he began to close his eyes in death. Talia refusing to give up on her beloved boyfriend began to heal him from the deadly cocktail. As she healed him, she began to see what his crimes were and how it mattered to his personality. "Take my hand, please. Don't you let go. I am here and still will be now and always. REACH!" Arik reach out and grabbed her and held her close as she and him came back from the dead. Emotionally, she shined with the Force as he began to breathe again.
She then told him, "I love you, too…Big guy." She then kissed him deeply as the leaders just walked in. "Ready Master Jedi?" Arik got up and nodded. When he walked into the room, he was greeted by the masses that were there with thunderous applause.
"Hello, for those unfamiliar with me. I am Arik Orgus Carsen-Elan. For four and a half years, I terrorized and tormented with my words and my actions. I humbly ask for your forgiveness for what I have done to each and every single one of you. I come to you, not as a conqueror, but as a liberator. Our enemy, Tenebrae, he needs to be stopped. Otherwise, he will feed off the deaths in war and attempt to retake the galaxy for himself. When that happens, he will destroy you all. I ask you as the new Revanchist of this galaxy to help me fight with a combined force to challenge his power. Not just for the sake of the Republic, but for the sake of other governments. For now, put aside your differences and come together for we will retake what was stolen by Tenebrae. For the Living Force!" Arik said as he raised his hands and the people began to stand and clapped loudly.
Arik began to smile as he knew Tenebrae would have a hard time challenging such courage in spite of the fear that he brought to the galaxy. Arik then walked to his ship to begin the mission of taking down his former Sith Master. He then felt slim arms wrap around his mechanical left arm. "So know you tell me you love me as you were dying? Hmmm…? What took you so long?"
"Everything has timing… min larel." Arik said as he spinned her around.
"What's next, a marriage proposal?" Talia asked with curiosity.
"Maybe, when it dies down." Arik said carefully.
"I am just joking, Arik. I love you, my dear." Talia said as she let go of him and gave him a wink to follow her to help continue his mission.
A/N: There you have it folks! Arik admitted his love for Talia! Now comes the difficult part of taking care of her in a war. Stay tuned for more. Thank you and God bless!