Chapter Two
Having been anesthetized for the trip to Imperial Center, Arden Lyn had not felt the arrival to the planet nor her body being lifted into a stretcher and carried to the infirmary. However, she could faintly hear the voices of Torbin and Tremayne barking orders, the latter more reluctantly to do so. Who could blame him? He wants vengeance against me for the injuries that I did him and was unable to do it because of his superior's orders Arden thought to herself drowsily.
"Get her the replacement!" she faintly heard Torbin command. "Yes sir!" said an equally faint voice. Tremayne said something to Torbin and due to the fact that he had likely whispered it, she couldn't hear him. However, Torbin's tone in his reply indicated that it was something that would benefit her more than it would harm her. Within minutes, she felt a prick on her arm as well as the effects of what seemed to be a stimulant of sorts that she didn't recognize and almost purged from her body.
However, it worked its way into her and she was soon on her way to being fully awake despite the headache that her revival brought with it. "Slow down Arden, you're safe here," Torbin said gently. "No worries, I'm used to going out cold and reviving with a headache. It's the way it was when I first awoke only that had been worse than even the worst migraine you could have," Arden replied.
"I could imagine and in case you're wondering, the stimulant I injected you with was a concoction of several different preexisting stimulants you may know well. Normally, it's used to heighten the heartbeat of our prisoners so that when they give into their fear, their hearts overload. However, it does have a medicinal purpose as you have beared witness to, yourself," Torbin explained. "Why go to all the trouble to use this drug to torture somebody?" she asked.
"In this time and under this Empire, desperate times call for desperate measures and many of our prisoners force us no choice but to find new ways to make them talk. This is not one of my favorites due to its simplicity to decipher but it is very effective when it is used. In addition, it is one of the few methods that has a zero-percent failure rate as of right now," he answered. "Not bad but what did you revive me for, aren't you going to need to knock me back out when you apply the prosthesis?" she said.
"No, you're much more useful awake for a perfect test of its connectivity to your leftover nerve tissues than you are while passed out. True that we could do it but your reactivity at post-insertion would be all the more helpful," he explained. "So in layman's terms, you need me awake and well to tell you whether I feel anything in the arm or if it feels like a damned piece of coal," she suggested. Chuckling, he admitted that she could put it that way and she smiled, having surprised herself as far as how her personality came across to people of the alien age of the galaxy just in time to see her new arm.
"Ah, here it is now: a pre-Old Sith War Juggernaut war droid arm to serve as your prosthetic replacement. Quite a formidable improvement from your flesh and bone if you ask me," he stated. "If you're so sure, cut my other arm off and get me another one, would you?" she joked sarcastically. "That can be very easily arranged, my dear," he retorted with a wink.
The distraction was all Arden needed to almost completely overlook the attachment of the arm to her stump. Looking back, she was amazed at how natural it felt despite being made of metal and wires. And when the droids tested the feeling in her hands, she was quick to shout her protest at their poking. "So soon and the arm is already working for you, I must say that I am impressed," he said calmly. "I've always been able to adapt to circumstance in a matter of several seconds, a few minutes at most," she admitted. Smiling, he was glad to see that that was the case especially considering what she had been through already.
The thought provoked memories of what had happened to her apprentice, Depa Billaba, while she was in the Void of the Universe. It was a sad time that she had hoped would be overlooked after her meditation trance where she exercised her grief as fully as she could. But she took it as a sign that her friendship with the old woman had been greatly valued in her heart and always would be. "Now that my new arm has been outfitted, perhaps we can turn our attention to seeing your Master?" she asked.
"He has already arranged to see you alone at your earliest convenience. You have only to ask me for directions to his Palace and the Throne Room and the rest is history," he answered. "What about you?" she inquired. "I have other duties that I must attend to but before I go, I will confess that you are one of the few opponents I have faced that has earned my genuine respect as a fighter," he explained.
"Glad a big name such as yours is on my side in a galaxy I don't even know," she said after pausing to think about how to respond to his statement. Or am I? He doesn't seem like the type I would want to attach my name to even if I had no other choice she asked herself quietly. "The datapad with the instructions is here if you do wish to see him now," Torbin said before she could ask.
"Thank you Torbin, I shall commend your generosity and your wisdom to the Emperor," she said before slowly rising from her bed. It took her a little bit of adjusting to do but after a while, her feet felt natural to her again which was a feeling she suspected was lacking during her duel on Irkalla. Immediately, she began following the datapad as faithfully as she could with occasional mishaps in which she was forced to turn back and retrace her steps. However, she arrived in less than an hour despite the inconvenience of some of the residents living on this planet
Legend has it that this planet is all one huge city. Is that really necessary? Arden asked herself without saying. It was here, for the first time in millennia, that she could hear Xendor's voice saying that it depended on her perception of necessity. Giggling, it was good for her to have a flashback of the man she loved even if she did suspect she would be paying for it later.
"Lord Vader, do you sense her?" Palpatine asked his apprentice. Vader paused for a moment before responding to that question, letting his connection to the Force strengthen. Then he nodded, stating that it was a strong presence unlike any he had sensed before. "That, my friend, is the power we could wield if we persuade Arden Lyn to join our evergrowing Empire," Palpatine stated.
By the pace of his breathe, this thought seemed to excite his apprentice and he almost had to wonder why Vader was so eager. But then yet again, it had been a long time since either of them had had a decent chance at a new recruit and the thought of having one like this was indeed exciting. However, Palpatine had to inform his apprentice that he was to observe when possible and only offer comments when needed. "She is an ancient being and we don't know what her customs are when it comes to speaking with someone: for all we know, she may want you to leave," he added.
"I understand, Master," Vader replied, somewhat disappointed. "Do not feel too bad, my apprentice. People like her will always need time to adjust to the new oddities that our galaxy can throw at them for certain," Palpatine said reassuringly. As the two Sith Lords wait, they found it surprisingly longer than anticipated for Arden to find her way to the Throne Room. However, when she finally did, her presence was like a massive beacon gone completely out of control.
"Your power is tremendous, young woman. Any greater and you might have given me a heartattack with your mere presence in the Force," the Emperor joked. "So old men attuned to the Force are as weak as ever?" she asked. "That depends on your perception of strength and weakness: physically, I admit I am relatively frail but connect me to the Dark Side and I am very dangerous," he answered with a smile.
"I can imagine, I was the one who married the man that pioneered the beginnings of the modern Sith," she admitted. "So Xendor was more than in love with you as the texts got?" he inquired. "Yes, far more: as I said, I was his wife when he was alive and beared witness to his death on Columus. I've fiercely hated the Jedi ever since as your Grand Inquisitor can attest," she replied with a nod.
"Indeed Torbin made mention that you had called him and his subordinates Jedi in his final report to me. A mistake that was very easily remedied despite the extremity required, I trust?" the Emperor asked curiously. Arden nodded and told him that Torbin had said that the Emperor would make her an offer that would have her at least considering an alliance with him. "Yes, he does not deceive you on that matter for I do have an offer you may like," the Emperor confessed.
"Then let's hear it, if it doesn't even have me considering an alliance then I shall wish for transportation to the nearest spaceport planet," Arden demanded. Palpatine chuckled, admiring her fiery passion and knowing that it would take a little more to break her into servitude than he had thought. If he wasn't careful, he could lose his chance to form the Emperor's Hand organization through her. However, he was at no loss for words as he informed her of the offer that he was willing to make for her.
"Become my 'Emperor's Hand' and I shall conjure Xendor from the netherworld of Chaos. Imagine what it would be like for you to have the man you love holding you in his embrace once more," he said. "No one can resurrect the dead, thank you for your time but you've wasted mine," she said immediately and turned to walk away. "I can and I have done it before, Arden Lyn; I can be most generous to my allies if I wish," he countered.
Arden stopped in her tracks, clenching her fists as she thought over the implications of his offer and what he said he could do. Good, I have broken through her defense and called out to the hopeless romantic in her he thought with a smirk. He heard her heave a heavy sigh and it was obvious that her attachment to Xendor was greater than she had already revealed. Vader looked like he wanted to say something to her as he extended his hand out towards in that matter but stopped himself short.
"Give me some time to think about it, your majesty. Where is your training room for fighters like myself?" she said at last. Palpatine knew she would need to blow off steam as she thought about this offer and stated that his guards would escort her there. Then she excused herself to which he replied by bidding her a good day of thought before returning his attention to tightening his grip on his holdings.
He knew he had called upon the lover within her and it would only be a matter of time before she accepted his generous proposal. True that he did not intend to go through with the offer nor could he if he had wanted to but still, it was a fun trick to play on an innocent mind like hers. Innocent but still very dangerous as is the mark of one who was once insane with anger and hate he thought. He would tread carefully, that much was for sure but he couldn't help but get excited about having fun with her feelings for a long-dead warrior of the Dark Side to the point of a visible smile.
Returning from the Outer Rim, leaving Thrawn to his data-related expansions into the Unknown Regions, Demetrius Zaarin missed the sessions he would have in the Emperor's sparring chambers. In fact, arranging a time for one was one of the first things he did when he returned to Imperial Center. Smiling, he was glad that the speed and efficiency with which a session was reserved was still present after a long time away near the Unknown Regions. However, after changing into attire more suiting of exercise and grabbing a towel for his sweat, he was surprised to see a woman already there.
Judging by the strength and power with which she hit the punching bag before her, she was angry about something or at least, conflicted. A further look indicated the precision of martial arts in each of her punches onto the bag and he admired her form. There were few curves on her body which indicated she was more of the active type than most of the women that he had met, the only curve being her waist. But even that was relatively minimal though he admitted he found her shoulder-length, flowing black hair to be the most charming thing about her.
And just when he had finished assessing her from behind, she turned so he could assess her from the front. If he had thought that her long flowing hair was the most charming thing about her, then her golden eyes were like jewels created by the gods. "Indeed, you are an angelic source of inspiration for any young man looking for a night of nudity with a beautiful woman," he said. "And you are?" the woman asked him.
"My name is Demetrius Zaarin though you may call me 'Admiral' or 'Zaarin', I'm a Grand Admiral of the Imperial Fleet. What might your name be, your ladyship?" he replied. "Arden Lyn, but you can call me Arden," she said as she extended her hand to him. He took it with one of his own and stated that it was a pleasure for him to meet her, asking if she was new to conclude it.
"Just arrived today," she admitted. "Always a burst of excitement upon first arriving to this place, is it not?" he asked. "I guess that depends on your perception of first time arrivals," she answered. Though he didn't understand, he shrugged to move on to the next matter for she looked like a woman that didn't want to explain herself to someone she hardly knew.
Besides that, she needed to clean up the punching bag that she had knocked down in a series of methodical, powerful punches before his arrival. "You aren't by any chance a Master of any martial arts, are you?" he asked after silence for several moments. "Terras Kasi, it was one of the first things I learned as a child," she answered with a nod beforehand. "You bear the decisive mark of a champion of Terras Kasi... has the Emperor requested that you train future disciples of his in it?" he inquired.
"Not yet but I have the feeling it will be one of the terms he lays down for me should I accept his offer," Arden said as she repaired the bag and hooked it back up on its ceiling mount. "One thing's for sure, you're already used to that big mechanical arm of yours unless you've had it awhile," he stated. "I've only had it today, I've always been able to adapt quickly under any circumstances thrown at me," she replied. "Very quick considering such a short amount of time but do tell me, were you another rogue Force-sensitive before this or a fallen Jedi?" he asked.
He was eager to know this mysterious woman calling herself Arden Lyn much better. After all, he began to get the feeling as though his destiny would somehow be intertwined with hers. "Fallen Jedi with a longer history than any fallen Jedi here," she answered. Really, is this just a boast or is this true? he asked himself silently.
As it was, the name Arden Lyn sounded familiar to him like something he had read during his studies of Republic history. He would have to go back into the texts he read to find out how it struck out to him as familiar and why. Watching as she returned to punching the punching bag repeatedly, he felt an aura of confidence born out of despair and sadness about her, sadness thick as the stench of her sweat. What had happened to her to antagonize her so much and was it the fault of the Jedi as she had indicated in her answer to his question of whether or not she was a fallen Jedi?
"You know, you're not at your full beauty when you're angry or sweaty," he said rather suddenly. This stopped her in her tracks and slowly, she turned around to face him, her gaze sending shivers down his spine and almost making him wish it had turned him to stone. "I could replace the punching bag with you if you don't watch how you speak to me. And I could make your pain last as long as I wish should I choose to subjugate you to that kind of torment," she warned.
"But you wouldn't subject me to it when I am currently of superior rank to you, now would you?" he asked calmly. Inside, he was about ready to wet himself and scream like a five-year-old girl at the intimidating tone that her voice took. "No but I have the feeling I will be the superior one if I take Palpatine's offer," she replied. Then she turned her attention back to the punching bag and exercising her anger out on it though not before telling the Grand Admiral that she wished to be alone now.
"I shall comply with that wish but not before I say one thing. Be careful what you do should you choose to accept the Emperor's offer for in the end, you are expendable to him. True that you might be unique and you might have his interest for his time but you are not the only rogue Force-sensitive here. There are others who will interest him almost as greatly if not surpassing you in his favor," he warned.
"If you're so sure of that, why do you still serve him?" she asked as she kept punching the bag. "Perhaps because I need a boost of inspiration, somebody who can show me that I don't need to fear being outside his shadow," he admitted. Why am I admitting this to her? he asked himself quietly. "So the galaxy now operates mostly on fear and mistrust... pathetic," she hissed disgustedly.
The increased intensity of her precise, powerful punches indicated that she didn't want to talk anymore and he wisely complied. He decided it was best not to have a session for himself the rest of that day and instead, to postpone it until the following day. The last thing he needed to do was aggravate this woman further and becoming her new punching bag. Even when he was several meters away with the door to the chambers closed, he could still hear the smack of her fists against the inanimate object.
On his way back to his chambers, Vader passed by a hurried Admiral Zaarin and he sensed that the coward had met Arden Lyn already. She does leave an impression on weak minds like his. He might be a brilliant and innovative engineer but he is still a timid nitwit when it comes to socializing with anyone Vader thought with a smile inside his helmet. He decided to see what she was doing and it wasn't hard to find her even if he hadn't been following her presence in the Force.
After a little while, he began to hear the smacks of her fists collided with a punching bag in the sparring chambers. Following the sound to the source, he chuckled to see that she was so intent on destroying the bag that she didn't notice him coming in. When she finally did, by splitting it in half down the middle with her mechanical arm, she turned slowly to face him. "Is it me or do men really seem to idolize this widow today?" she asked.
"Just you, I came to see what your decision was on the Emperor's offer is," he answered. "And why would the Emperor's apprentice be concerned with a lowly servant like me?" she inquired. "You would not be lowly, actually you would answer only to me and the Emperor in authority. Nonetheless, I am concerned with you because you are indeed a most fascinating work of art," he explained.
"I think my portrait of Xendor in one of his final victories during the Schism is more the artwork than I am," she stated. "You underestimate and berate yourself far more than you need to. So what is your answer to the offer that my Master has proposed for you?" he asked. Arden Lyn went silent at that point and had to think real carefully about the implications of the offer if she took it.
She could have Xendor back if he really could resurrect the dead from Chaos itself. Or she could be destroyed like most of the wouldbe servants of Lord Sidious. Like he almost did fourteen and a half years ago on Mustafar, thanks to his former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He hated the man to death and would find him before the end of his life, enjoying his vengeance as he struck the man down.
But his vengeance was not the subject of his discussion with Arden Lyn much as he might have desired it to be. "Lord Vader... does he really have the power of resurrection?" she asked at last. Vader paused, thinking about how to answer that as he knew that whatever he said could deter her or ensnare her. However, he immediately conjured the right words and the right tone to state them in.
"He wasn't true in having done it before but that doesn't mean that he can't do it. If he puts his power and commit to something, it can be done," he said. It was an elaborate lie that he hoped she wouldn't see through but her reply relieved him of that fear. "Then you have yourself another warrior," she said with a smile.