Chapter Thirty-Six review responses are in my forums. Thanks for reading.
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Force Blessed Princess
Mariha woke up with a gasp. Her nightmare had been vivid—her father stood looking at her through the glass wall while her step-mother locked her hands and feet into place in the death chair.
"And to think he loved you so much," the Empress Satchana said with a cluck of her tongue.
She left the room while Duke Dorstry, wearing magisterial robes, stepped into the room. "Princess Mariha Jana Fel, you have been found to carry genetic abnormalities which are detrimental to the well being of the Empire. To ensure the peace, you have been condemned to death."
The door opened, and HE came in. The man the whole Empire wanted dead; the man who threatened the crown itself. Tobin S'Artin stood with his arms crossed over his chest and stared at her for the longest time. "If only you had come with me," he whispered.
She tried to yell that she had gone with him, but no sound emerged. Her voice was stuck in a fear-swollen throat. Her father nodded, but not to her. He was nodding to Dorstry, who with a leering smile, leaned over and pressed the kill switch.
The last thing she felt in the dream were the hyposprays against her neck.
When she sat up after waking from the dream, she found Slana sleeping on a mattress on the floor by her bed. The handmaiden sat up at once and was by the princess's side almost immediately. "Are you all right?"
"Just a nightmare."
The other handmaidens entered the luxurious suite, one of a handful that had been retained on the converted luxury liner the rebel ship called the Sword of Stars. Slana smiled at them to let them know the princess was all right, and one by one they went back to their adjoining room.
Mariha for her part slid back against the headrest of the four-poster bed.
"Do you wish to speak of it, Mariha?"
The princess took a long, shaky breath. "Just my mind making me question what I've done. For myself, it would not be so bad. But because of me, you and the girls are now outlaws. Outcasts. I've ruined all of your lives by taking that blasted test."
"You gave us the choice to follow. We chose."
Mariha looked long at her closest friend and confidant. "Do you think I've done the right thing, Slana?"
"As Hershied said, he's a damned sight better than Dorstry, if you don't mind me being honest."
"You're not saying anything we both haven't said in the past about the Grand Duke. The man is not fit to rule. But we've thrown our lot in with a criminal, a…"
"You believe him."
It was not a question, but rather the statement of someone who knew the princess as well as she knew herself. Slowly, Mariha nodded. "I do. Father would not have been as worried about him as he was if there wasn't truth in his claim, and you saw the signet ring yourself. It was legitimate. He really is a royal cousin."
The door chimed. The handmaidens once against emerged with their hands on their weapons. Slana walked to the door and thumbed the lock. It opened to reveal S'Artin himself, now dressed in a ceremonial black uniform with dressings similar to those of a Grand Moff.
"Good morning, Slana," he said with a nod. "I was going to invite the princess and all her retinue to join me for breakfast, if she wished it. We should be arriving at our destination this afternoon."
Though he could clearly see the princess, he stuck to protocol and instead focused solely on Slana. The prime handmaiden turned to look at her mistress, who nodded. "The princess would be delighted…I'm unsure of your honorific."
"For the moment, you may refer to me as Grand Moff. I'll admit it's self-bestowed, but I've decided to follow Imperial hierarchy for my organization for now."
"Very well, Grand Moff. Is one hour sufficient time?"
"We will be ready. I'll have a staff member escort you to the dining room. Good day."
When he was gone, some of the handmaids, at least the younger ones, giggled. Slana scowled at them before walking back to Mariha. "At least he's following the protocol. All things considered, that could have gone much different."
"You're right. Well, we only have an hour, and frankly I'm not sure if we have any clothes at all. We'll have to see what we can do."
Tobin, however, surprised them by having a seamstress droid attend them, and by the time the Princess and her retinue finished their morning toiletries, new dresses made of the finest shimmersilks and satins were waiting for them.
A young girl wearing an Imperial ensign's uniform with a blue stripe down her pants legging led them through the massive craft, until they arrived at what most likely was a formal captain's dining room in the ship's previous life. Tobin stood at the far end of the table and welcomed them with a calm smile and intense scrutiny. He was the only one in the room aside from several servitor droids.
Mariha took her position at the other end of the table while the handmaidens assumed their standing positions in a semi-circle around them.
Tobin looked at the princess in silence, then at her servants. "I've been taking protocol lessons from a droid," he admitted, "but as you might imagine I've not had time to learn everything. So when I ask for your companions to sit and join us, please blame it on my ignorance of proper custom. I don't like to eat while others stand."
"If you have claim for the throne, you must learn," Mariha said.
"That, my dear princess, is entirely dependent upon what kind of Emperor I wish to be. For now, if you please, I would like your companions to join us for breakfast. If nothing else, their courage should accord them that much."
Mariha would not help but smile at his skilled derailment of potential arguments. "Yes, their courage is definitely something we agree on. Very well, Slana, Dalaia, all of you, please join us."
Looking nervous but also pleased, the handmaidens very carefully assumed places at the table, though they were careful to stay at the Princess's side. Moments later droids emerged carrying trays of delicate pastries, eggs and nausages. Goblets of citric juice were provided, as well as several steaming carafes of caf.
"I wasn't sure what you would like, so I had them bring a little of everything," Tobin said with a smile.
"Thank you, it all looks delicious."
"The weapons expert I kidnapped convinced me to keep the ship's kitchens intact."
"Kidnapped?"
"Yes. I took this ship because it was carrying three people—Hendt Reindel, Sana Fieliel and Askad Dekarta. Sana has come to accept employment and is doing quite well. Askad…well, let's just say that for all his linguistic skills and weapons expertise, he is still thoroughly Gungan. However, I did find a pair of Gungan females willing for a small price to keep him entertained. They've grown quite fond of him from what I understand."
"You kidnapped the Empire's foremost weapons development expert? Not to mention kidnapping Uncle Hendt…. For the signet ring." Mariha closed her eyes. "He died because of you, didn't he?"
"He died because he knew a truth your father did not want known. For that, I am sorry. He seemed a good man, which is why I let him go unharmed. But I knew based on the visions of your father's actions to protect you that I had placed the man's life in danger."
"Visions?" Slana asked. "You've said that before. How did you…"
"Through the Force, many things are possible." He raised a hand and Slana's plate floated gently into the air. "This is how most people viewed the Force. As a means of moving objects with our minds." The plate floated down. "But the Force is much more than that. It can empower and heal our bodies. It can give us speed beyond that of normal people. More importantly, it can let us view things beyond our mere perception."
"And in this perception, you saw me?" Mariha said.
"Princess, I've been dreaming of you my whole life, though I never knew it was you. But a few years ago, as I was completing my training, I was tested by the Sith."
"The Sith?" Mariha asked. "I thought you were supposedly a Jedi."
"My mother was Jedi—the last Jedi. She trained me in her arts. Her lover was Sith—also the last of his kind. He trained me in his. I've learned both, and the Sith training was…harsh. Before I was allowed to learn more, the Sith spirit of Emperor Palpatine took me on a vision. He took me under the city, into the palace proper, and showed me you. He showed me how your father slaughtered those who conducted your midi-chlorian test. I saw your tutoring session when you Force-pushed your tutor. The man died just feet beyond your door. I saw that you were a remarkable young woman with the potential to be a great Empress, and a powerful leader in the Force."
"What else did you see?" Mariha said. She spoke softly, caught in the spell of his vision, for she remembered the tutor vividly.
"I saw you standing atop a mountain of slaughtered children, asking for help."
The princess blinked. "What does…"
"It was when I realized you would discover what you were for yourself. When I was captured, I was afraid. Not for myself, but for the possibility that I would fail. But I knew when you came to me that the Force meant for me to be captured. I was meant to be there. To save you."
"I took the test because of you!"
"That was part of the saving."
"And if you failed?"
"Then I would die, and another would be born of the Force like I was. Somehow, they would learn. Even if the ghosts of the Jedi and Sith were their only teachers, they would learn. The Force will not be denied."
The handmaidens were looking…spooked, if there was a word for it. Mariah, though, was staring at him intently. "So what is it you see of us?"
"We will wed. I will declare myself Emperor and you Empress. And make no mistake—you will be a true ruler. If I have succeeded at anything so far, it is because I know enough to let those more able than myself do their jobs. And in that regard, you are by far my superior. I was raised a warrior—I will be busy training a new generation of Force-users their place in the galaxy. It is quite likely that the day-to-day business of the Empire will fall to you. But then again, that's how it should be, isn't it? The Empire is only patriarchal now because of an attempt to invalidate my ancestral line."
"And if I don't agree to be your wife?"
"Madame, with all due respect, you agreed when you came with me."
"And damn any further choice in the matter? Would you kill me if I refused?"
The question seemed to truly confuse him, and for the first time she was pleased to note his composure cracked a little. "No," he finally said. "No, I'll not kill you. I'll never hurt you. There just…" His eyes lost focus and his voice dropped. "Klinti showed me. The other path is filled with so much blood. The whole galaxy would burn. Trillions would die. I…you're the only way. Even she saw that."
"She?" Mariha said archly. "A concubine for the future Emperor?"
The sudden flash of rage and pain made not just Mariha, but all the handmaidens rear back in alarm, though the expression lasted only for a moment. Tobin took a deep breath, but did not bother attempting to smile. "Not a concubine. A teacher. Someone I cared for, whom I lost. She saw the future more clearly even than I do. She saw you, and knew I would choose you over the other path. If she were alive today, then yes, she would be my concubine. But she is not, and no other will ever replace her, so have no worries."
He made a show of wiping his mouth. "Thank you for joining me, princess. I understand we should be reaching our destination in four hours. There is an observation room on deck forty-three if you wish to see what you've mixed yourself up in. Until then, I ask that you and your ladies remain in your quarters. Good day." He stood and walked quickly out of the room.
In Coruscan terms, the meal had been a success. Mariha had successfully cracked the composure of a potential enemy and learned far more about him than he most likely had intended her to know. And yet, for all that politically she was victorious, the princess felt somehow as if she had lost something.
~~Last Jedi~~
~~Last Jedi~~
Mariha and Slana made their way to the observation lounge while the rest of the handmaidens enjoyed some private time. The princess almost had to beg them to take a break, explaining that they were essentially at the mercy of S'Artin no matter what.
Finally, it took an order from Slana, but at last the other girls took the richly deserved break, especially when they discovered a holonet suite nearby with a whole library of distractions. So it was the princess and her closest companion made their way unescorted through the converted ship.
They could see clearly the difference between the last vestiges of the luxury cruiser and the converted war ship as soon as they left their deck. The next deck up was stripped down and repainted with gray sound-dampening polymers designed to help soften the concussive force of explosions should the hull be breached; and to provide some minimal shielding in the event of inter-ship combat.
The crew observed the two women closely; Mariha was curious as to why so many seemed to be of Baroli descent, with blue or green hair and the distinctive facial tattoos that marked their culture. However, she also saw many other beings of various races, including a healthy number of Wookiees lumbering through the halls.
She was surprised when one group of younger Baroli actually stopped when she and Slana emerged from a lift onto the proper deck to find the lounge and bowed. "Good day, Force Blessed," one of them said with a deep bow.
Ever the princess, Mariha hid her discomfort with her best smile and nodded. "Good day, my friends."
That caused the Baroli to twitter a little before they all went on about their duty. The two ladies were almost to their destination when they were intercepted by a balding man in an imperial captain's uniform, this time with red stripes on his pants.
"Your Highness," he said with a clumsy bow. "Grand Moff S'Artin wished me to express his regrets. An issue required him to go on ahead of us."
"Is it something we need to be concerned about?" she asked.
"Not at all," the captain said. "In fact it is very good news. I'm sure he'll tell you later. In the meantime, I would recommend you continue to the lounge. I'll have refreshments available there for you."
"Thank you, Captain…"
"Bard, Your Highness. Shindo Bard."
"Thank you, Captain Bard."
He nodded pleasantly and started to go, but stopped at the Princess's urging. "Captain, before you go, can I ask what the term 'Force Blessed' means? I've not heard it before."
His cheeks pinked a little. "I apologize if any of the crew have made you uncomfortable, Princess. But… Tobin told us all almost a year ago that you were Force Blessed. He told us that you would be joining us. None of us believed him, save Admiral Silmari. Even those of us who had faith doubted him. But here you are—every thing he said came to pass. You are… your pardon, Highness. In a way, you are living confirmation of our faith. But that said, if any of the crew bother you, please let me know."
With that, he left them.
"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take that," Mariha finally said.
Slana shrugged. "Just proves my theory that everyone in the galaxy is insane."
They finally made it to the lounge to find a boy of seven or eight years of age devouring the refreshments tray. The boy had short-cropped, dirty blond hair and warm brown eyes. Those eyes widened when he saw the princess and handmaiden.
"Wow!" he said between a mouthful of food. "Oo rrr oootiful!"
"What?" Slana asked.
The boy struggled to swallow, then grabbed a fizzy drink to wash it down. "Sorry. Master says I need to have better manners. He was right, you are beautiful!"
The term master threw Mariha off for a moment, until she noticed what he was wearing. A plain white shirt held together by ties on each far corner, tan-colored slacks, and a white belt from which hung a lightsaber.
"Are you a Jedi, little one?" Mariha asked.
"Jedi? No, I'm Tobin's apprentice. My name is Aaris! I'm eight now. Captain Bard and his wife are my foster parents, but I spend as much time as I can with Tobin. Although I guess I'm gonna have to share now that Dantila and Delton are here."
"And who are they?"
"Couple of kids Tobin saved on Bespin before he got caught. Fact, he got caught saving them. The real mission was to take the hypermatter production platform, but Papa Shindo says that Tobin cared more about the kids. So now they'll be three apprentices." Suddenly the boy's eyes widened and he hopped in place. "Say, are you going to be an apprentice too? You got the Force, I can feel in on you."
"I…I'm not sure. It's complicated."
"Yeah, that's what Tobin said last night. I asked him why he just couldn't love you like he did Klinti, but that was stupid of me and made him sad. Shouldn'a mentioned her. Take my advice—don't talk about Klinti. Papa Shindo said that Tobin killed the whole crew of the ship that killed her, took the whole thing by himself."
The talkative boy continued to sip his fizzy drink even as he told her the tragic end to Tobin's first love. Though the boy's words were light, the story he told was anything but. "So he loved Klinti?" Mariha finally asked.
"Oh yeah. I didn't meet him until after she died. I tried to steal his credit chits, but he caught me. I thought I could sneak up on him while he was crying, you know? But you can't sneak up on Tobin, no matter how bad off he is. But he's got you now, right? You guys have to get married so the Empire won't keep trying to kill me, Sandal and Danton, and kids like us, right?"
That last statement rocked Mariha out of her pensive mood. She realized then that under law, this friendly, talkative boy would have been sentenced to death at birth. "So does he know you're here?" Mariha asked.
The boy's eyes widened. "Stars no, he'd kill me if he knew I was telling you all this stuff. I'm young but not stupid. If he asks I'll tell him the Force made me come."
"Is that true?"
"No, I smelled the hashi cakes. I REALLY like hashi cakes. I just followed the droid from the galley. But really, if you're going to marry him, you should know about Klinti. Just don't talk about her, but he'll never tell you, so this way you won't have to ask and hurt him."
"Too late," Slana muttered.
The boy shrugged. "All I can do is try." The ship shuddered faintly as they dropped out of hyperspace. "Hey, come on! I bet they have the newest ships done!"
Glad for the odd conversation to be over, the two women joined Aaris by the floor-to-ceiling transparisteel window. The world they emerged over was green with vegetation and massive oceans. It looked new and unspoiled. "What world is that?" Slana asked.
"Dubrillion," Aaris said.
"That can't be," Mariha said. "Dubrillion is classified as a dead and hazardous world."
"Oh, it was. Tobin made friends with the Sekotan Vong and they fixed it really fast. They're growing a new forest for the Wookiees. Wookiees really like trees. Did you know they have these really wizard claws? They don't fight with them 'cause they think that'd be bad, but they're really neat when you see them climb."
As the ship approached orbit, she and Slana caught their first sight of the ship yards, and the ships hanging in loose formation over the planet. The princess's breath caught in her throat. "How many capital ships does Tobin have?"
"Right now? Probably twenty or so, but he's going to get more. We just found out the Grand Moff in the Ulicia sector has tried to blockade the planet so no one finds out he's trying to kill them all. Tobin's gone to save them, and when he comes back, we'll have a whole planet full of Baroli to help the cause. The whole galaxy will know Tobin's a savior."
"And me?" Mariha could help but ask.
"You're going to be the Empress," the boy said with wide-eyed innocence.