Note: In case anyone hasn't noticed a pattern I have started having, I am having interludes between each episode. The purpose of the interlude is to provide a small story, contained within a single chapter, that expresses in detail an aspect of the story outside of Varus' immediate perception. I do have scenes intermingled in the episodes that drift away from perception of Varus, but the difference between those scenes and the interludes is that the interludes are meant to be mostly self-contained independent episodes, while still having something to offer to the whole.

Bit complicated, and I may never get that purpose down every time, but it is still meant to step away from the primary story and tell another one to help give depth to the universe or characters.

If there is a specific aspect of the story, outside of the main plot, that people want explored, I can consider doing it as an interlude.

I am sorry this is short, but I wasn't trying to make the interlude longer than necessary to express it properly, yet not shorter than needed either. I wanted to stick to the plot of this chapter and not drift away.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, so no sue!

Remember to Review. I want to know what you think and how the chapter is to you. Is it good? Is it bad? Anything I need to know? Any ideas or things you want to see in the future?

Interlude - Abomination

Leland Marek was a man said to be born not of a mother and a father, but of a mother and a monster.

His tale began with Victoria Marek's pregnancy. She took a journey on a transport to seek peaceful trade negotiations with a nearby planet. It was then that Nihilus struck. Darth Nihilus wiped out the planet's population, all vegetation and life, and struck at the outlying ships that tried to fight back or find survivors. In the battle the Sith Lord touched Victoria, and while he did not kill her from the brief exposure, it left her permanently crippled at an early age.

The pregnancy survived. Leland was born… and the midwife nearly dropped him right there.

The left side of Leland's face, neck, shoulder, and left arm was skeletonized, his left eye was a black orb with a cross shape as the iris. Black mist surrounded his exposed bones like a steamy skin and burned away at anything he touched. The midwife lost her hand in the process.

Victoria loved him, despite the flaws, but that didn't change anything. The abomination had been born, and the doctors came to the conclusion that the child she had in her womb had been hurt by Nihilus as well, or was a demon spawn of the Destroyer. Victoria was pitied, and the people felt sorry for her, because of him.

Growing up was not any better. Leland grew up isolated, hated, spat upon, mocked, and chastised. He covered his body, but to his peers, that meant little. He was called monster, abomination, vile creature, spawn of Nihilus, son of the Sith Lord, demon, and many other instances of awful things. The adults made his life hell, turning him into a target on which to inflict their pain of loss. He returned home broken, injured, and bruised more times than not.

He was denied the Network, and therefore exiled his entire life within his heart.

The only three in his life who did not hate him were Rebhorn, his mother, and Ashley Marr. Rebhorn tutored him, gave him a private education, and acted as the boy's father figure. Victoria loved him no differently, and refused for him to wear his mask in the house. Ashley Marr, a girl they had rescued from Nihilus, became his older sister, and eventually girlfriend.

But they could not stop his fall, and in some ways only accelerated it. Victoria, being crippled, could do nothing against the abuse inflicted on him, and Rebhorn could not balance his responsibility as Admiral and father-figure properly. As much as Ashley was there for him, she was too weak-willed to say what needed to be said, nor the strength to stand up against the abuse. They did not take proper action against those on the ship who tried to kill the boy on a regular basis, rather believing in the Network to show the people how much Victoria was hurt by their actions.

But the people's hatred would not be deterred. The boy's innocent fears and rare smiles turned to hatred and hostility. In a short time he turned from a person to be hated to be one feared. He hated them. He hated Nihilus. He simply hated. His only smile was reserved for his small family. His power grew at a staggering rate.

Rocks and words continued to be thrown at him, but he ignored it, as he had his whole life. Then, when he was a teenager, one rock hit Ashley and he snapped. Blackness extended from his hand and consumed four people, while crippling another two.

Leland was put on trial. It was a mockery of justice. The jurors were rigged against him going past fifteen years, at least, and no truly neutral judge could be found. Rebhorn himself was forced to take up that responsibility, and seeing the murder done, and the released and open hatred in Leland's eyes, he found himself with no choice but to exile him.

It wasn't just the hatred, it was something else in his eyes. The boy had stopped reacting to pain as though he could not feel it. When he was apart from Ashley and Victoria, his emotional capacity was scary in how empty it had become. The boy had turned into a teenager with unbridled hatred, yes, but also a complete lack of anything else. Rebhorn saw the coldness and emptiness in his eyes of a psychopath, and try as he could to deny it, Leland was truly his father's son. He was the son of Nihilus as much as the son of the Keeper and Victoria Marek.

Leland was their ultimate failure, a sign in the Admiral's eyes of how weak they had become without true decisive action, how dependent they had become on a Network based on emotion to deter problems. They needed law. They needed order. If they did, Leland might have not become what he was.

In the end, even Victoria and Ashley feared him as much as they loved him.

So it was with great tension that Rebhorn found himself sitting in the Council proceedings with Leland in their center now, years later. Ashley Marr sat next to him for what little comfort he could provide, because, as tense as their relationship had become, the grief of Leland was one thing they shared.

In a way, Rebhorn hoped there was a chance this time. He had taken great measures with the Miraluka to root out the core of the hatred against the boy, and found staggering charges against the abusers. Evidence was locked away against him, but he found it. Information was hidden from him, but he dug for it. In the end, several hundred were found guilty of attempted murder on dozens of accounts of a child, and punished therein, and the people came to fear and respect their Admiral.

The people would still see Leland as an abomination, but now they would know Leland had an ally of sorts in the law. If only Leland would see it that way, and had regained some of his humanity in his journey beyond the fleet.

"Leland Marek." Admiral Rebhorn stood and spoke up, starting the meeting. "You were found guilty of manslaughter and exiled for seven years. You have paid out your sentence. However, there are some among the Council who wonder if your return is an apologetic one."

"Yes." The newly adult Leland responded from where he stood. He looked to be eighteen. "I make no excuse for what I did, and, while I am hesitant to be integrated into my people once more, considering my prior treatment, I can only hope that my people have had the time to reflect as I have."

'Good answer.' Rebhorn thought. 'Almost practiced.'

"They have. I assure you. We were nearing anarchy those years ago, but measures have been made to reverse that course. This Council is a step towards that end." While a few on the council would despise Leland, most were loyal to either Rebhorn or Victoria in their little political rivalry. The rivalry over the Keeper-line itself was nothing more than a byproduct of the larger problem he had been working to fix since Leland's exile.

Various members of the council spoke between themselves, and Leland and Rebhorn both fell into silence to allow it. Initial words had been spoken. It was at this time that the door opened and Varus Wynn and Visas Marr entered. Varus found his place with some minor confusion. His suddenly nakedly shocked expression made Rebhorn wonder how much he knew about Leland, or was learning. Had Victoria ever mentioned her youngest child?

Varus's shock was not a good sign. If Victoria had not brought up the subject of Leland, then there was a deeper emotion within her on that subject that could only damage the relationship Leland had with all of them.

The talking quieted down, and Leland took that as his opportunity to speak. "In a gesture of good will, I bring a peace offering."

"Oh?" Rebhorn couldn't help inquiring. This was much unlike him. He wasn't the gifting type. In truth, Rebhorn did know about it. Leland had brought onboard a capsule. It had been analyzed thoroughly for security purposes and was found with a body inside. (It wasn't plagued either, he checked.)

A couple guards brought in the capsule and laid it out on the floor before him. Leland gestured to it in an exaggerated and theatric manner that made Ashley giggle despite herself. The capsule opened, but unfortunately it wasn't close enough for anyone to peer directly inside.

"I give you the body of Starkiller, apprentice to Darth Nihilus."

And in one sentence Leland successfully sent the Council into chaos. Yells and arguing, and in it all, Rebhorn felt all the more troubled. Varus Wynn's repeated shock did not surprise him, the man did take on a look-alike and lose. Leland was not a fighter at all, so he must have obtained the body by other means. But it was not these things that troubled him most, it was the fact that the body existed to begin with.

Of course it would be checked and proven for accuracy, and Rebhorn knew that Leland was expecting that, and he also knew that Leland knew he knew that. Leland smirked in his direction, knowing he won. With the body, if proven right, they would be able to prove the existence of clones, free Varus of his bounty, and give the Miraluka a way to get out of the gun sights of all the major powers, and also get a lot of money from Starkiller's monumental bounty in the process. The money alone would pay for the Ravager's repairs, maintenance, full supplying, back-up supplies, allow an inner-ship economy to bloom, and possibly allow upgrades to hull and infrastructure or a major system.

It was a gesture toward Leland's enemies for them to redirect their hatred and to see him as an ally in their silent fight with the Sith Lord's still-present shadow over their history.

It was a gesture to his allies and enemies both of his skill, whether that skill lie in connections, scavenging, fighting, or whatever.

It was a gesture of a major victory against the arch-enemy of the Miraluka race, won single handedly.

It brought hope and favor and glory to the Marek House, undermining a good portion of Rebhorn's efforts to remove his people from that ancient system.

It was a move worthy of a true rival. It wasn't 'checkmate' for Rebhorn, nor 'check', but it was an unexpected strike that shifted the entire board on its head and left him scrambling to secure his defenses before returning to the offense.

Despite how much damage Leland did to his personal agenda, he couldn't help smiling, looking into Leland's eyes, and nodding in respect. He may wonder where Leland's emotions stood with his people, but it was not in his hands for the moment. Leland had successfully secured himself a place in the Miraluka.

In a way, that was probably all Leland Marek ever wanted.