Arria got back to Odessen late at night and went straight home. She was grateful that nobody got to see her crying. The last four days on Manaan she had a fight with Arcann every day. They made up just as many times. To those memories she cried again. She even told him that their marriage was a fake, that she wasn't considering herself his wife. The hurt in his eyes was still following her. He was supposed to call her in the coming week and let her know where he stood about the peace treaty. Arria was holding her holo tight, close to her. She didn't want to miss the call.

After the best two weeks in her life nothing had color anymore. Everything around was dull, lifeless. Arria had to force herself to sleep that night, she knew that was a committee meeting next day. Everyone wanted to know how her efforts on convincing Arcann to consider negotiations went. What was she going to tell them? That she blackmailed him? That she threatened him to never see her again if he didn't? What if he really wasn't going to consider it? What will happen with her, with both of them? Will it come to the point where they will have to fight against each other after all? Arria hoped it won't, but Arcann wasn't easy to convince.

He was so close, so many times, of just taking her with him against her wish. She felt how hard he was trying to control himself. He loved her, she knew he won't hurt her. She loved him too, but she wasn't going to betray her family, her friends, and the people that put their hopes in the Alliance. Her own feelings had to take the back seat this time. She wished it would have been that easy and let out a deep sigh just before she entered the meeting room. Everyone was already there and after welcome smiles and hugs they started. For the first few minutes, in spite of her efforts Arria phased out. It was ten o'clock in the morning. They used to have breakfast together at that time.

"Arria?" She heard her name and startled, looking at her uncle. He was waiting for her answer. What was the question again?

"I am sorry, I was thinking of something…" she admitted out loud.

"I bet." Arria heard her brother's insinuating tone and threw one of her deadly looks his way. Nothing could touch him. His happiness was surrounding him like an invisible shield.

"Did Arcann agreed to negotiate?" asked Xander again hiding his smile. He knew exactly where her mind was.

"He is going to let me know this coming week. At least he is thinking about it." She found the composure to speak in a coherent manner. This is progress. I didn't think I could do it.

"What is your take on it? Do you think we stand a chance?" Arria heard next her father's question and looked at him. His mask reminded her of Arcann again.

"I am not sure. He is not exactly easy to manipulate. I tried all the tricks, but…He might, he might not. Just in case we should be prepared." Xollin's chuckle attracted her attention next and she looked at him. "Something funny?" she asked him directly.

"No. He must be one hell of a guy if he resisted your tricks." His answer brought smiles all around the room. Even Arria found it in her to smile.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

They continued the meeting and Arria did her best to stay focused. She heard the plans for attacking the Spire, the Eternal Fleet, to face Arcann and Vaylin. All the scenarios played in her mind ended with someone's death. She knew there will be casualties, it was war. Imagining any of the people she loved getting hurt or die brought tears to her eyes. She wiped them quickly hoping nobody noticed. Everyone was busy with the plans. They all tried to improve them somehow.

Arria couldn't stay in that room anymore. She darted to the door mumbling some sort of excuse. Right away Senya got up offering to go after her and without waiting for anyone's approval, ran after Arria. She found her in the opened area where they were usually training. Arria was sitting in the grass, crying. She didn't even noticed Senya's presence until she sat beside her and touched her shoulder lightly startling her.

"I am sorry, I didn't…"

"No need to apologize. I know exactly why you ran out of there."

Arria looked at her trying to wipe the tears. She hated that she was showing signs of weakness in front of everyone.

"I'll have to tell them that they can't win against him," she whispered.

"If you won't I will. I guess you saw him fighting then." Senya said and looked at Arria for a second, just to see her nod. She turned her eyes to the mountain tops she had been admiring. "I saw him train. I know what he can do. Vaylin can do quite a bit of damage as well. Not like Arcann, but she is very powerful and dangerous. At least Arcann will talk, she would just attack." Senya stopped for a few seconds. "If we go in all together we might stand a chance in front of them. Are you prepared for that eventuality?"

Arria shook her head. She wasn't. It was what she was afraid of. Either way, if they were to get to fighting, she was going to be broken hearted. If Arcann would defeat them, her family would be lost, if they were going to defeat him…She didn't want to finish that thought. She refused to think that two weeks was all she was going to have with the man she loved.

"Are you?" asked Arria with a tiny voice, afraid to even hear the answer.

"I made my choice when I joined the Alliance."

Arria heard Senya's answer almost whispered and she looked at the woman beside her. Her hair was as always gathered on top of her head, with the silver gray strands mixed between the dark brown ones. She was wearing it with elegance, she was after all royalty. One tear ran down her cheek and Arria realized for the first time how hard it was for her to fight against her own children. Even if she was refused the right to raise them, she gave them birth. They were her flesh, her blood.

~~#~~

Arcann ordered all the guards out. He was back for two days and missed her so much already. He stood beside the throne and crossed his arms over the wide chest. He remembered Arria's tiny hand always resting on top of him when she was asleep and let out a sigh. Her demands were high. She asked him to consider negotiating peace with the Alliance. She knew it was more than he could do. His father wouldn't allow it. The perspective of never seeing her again felt like a nightmare. He could hardly breathe away from her, never mind live a lifetime without her. He had to find a way. Fight against the control his father had over him, or convince him that it was the way they should proceed? One thing he knew for sure. He wasn't going to lose her.

He stood there, by the throne, for a while looking absently at the stars, way beyond the nearby ships. Arcann whished his wife would be there, with him, in his arms. Then he remembered that she wasn't considering herself his wife and pain stroke in his heart again. The fight they had come back in his mind. He could understand why she felt the way she did, he forced her to sign their marriage certificate. But things changed since, they loved one another. A weak smile tugged at the corners of his lips behind the mask.

Thin purple clouds appeared around him, becoming darker, denser, with every second. He knew it was his father. He could sense him. Even if he had been in his mind every day for years, he never showed himself since he died.

"You decided to show up. Must be fatherly love," growled Arcann and turned to face the silhouette forming in the dark clouds.

"Your wife's spirit is rubbing off on you. I always thought that you are just a mindless killing machine. I see now, you can be funny…"

"Am. I. Laughing?" interrupted Arcann confronting his father.

"You never did. Not even as a child."

"You are wrong. We always did when you were not around."

"You mean you and your brother? The brother that you killed in cold blood, with your own hands?" asked Valkorion knowing well what that did to his son.

Arcann's eyes lit up in a bright orange fire. His father knew how to torture him and never shied away from doing so. This time wasn't any different.

"What do you want? Why are you here?"

"If you think I am going to let you destroy what I have built you are mistaken. I will not allow you to negotiate…"

"And what are you going to do? Inflict more pain? Summon lightning? Torture me until I fall unconscious? You did all that already." Arcann yield at his father with anger and hate.

"I am going to kill you." Valkorion's calm answer did not have the desired effect. Arcann wasn't scared or impressed.

"And who is going to lead your precious empire? Who are you going to torture?"

"You are forgetting about your sister."

"She is not nearly as powerful as me. Your control over her is not giving you any satisfaction. You need me alive so you can have your fun."

Arcann spoke the last words and turned his back to his father, walking out of the throne room. He didn't care about his threats. There was nothing he could do to him that he didn't already. After a shower, Arcann wrapped himself in a robe and went back in the living room. Dinner was waiting for him. He glanced at the food, then looked away. Other dinners came into his mind, the ones he shared with Arria.

He was hungry, and sat to eat. The food was tasteless. He missed having her tiny body cuddled against his, feeding her every bite and stealing sweet kisses. Minutes passed by and Arcann barely eat any of his dinner. Lost in his memories, he didn't notice when he bent the knife to an almost ninety degrees angle. When he finally realized it, threw it across the room and walked away from the half eaten dinner. He rushed to the holoterminal ignoring the time and dialed Arria's frequency. He needed to see her, to hear her. After only a couple of rings, her bluish image filled the room and his heart.

"Ria."

"Arcann…" she whispered.

He loved the way she was saying his name, the sound of it on her lips.

"I miss you," he said noticing she had been crying. "I need to see you."

"You are seeing me right now. Have you taken a decision yet?" Arria asked him.

She fought her own need to feel his arms around her. Even if she wanted to see him too, Arria knew she had to be strong. She hated to be strong against him.

"I will tell you my decision when I see you. When can you meet me?" insisted Arcann. He knew that if she loved him just a fraction from what he hoped, she missed him too.

"Please understand that I can't just pick up and go every time I feel like, or you feel like. I have things to do, responsibilities…"

"Then come stay with me. You would not have to do that." His insistence was only making it harder for Arria and she looked away. "Ria, I need you with me."

"That depends on your decision."

Her answer was meant to sound firm, instead sounded like a plea and she continued to keep her head down.

Arcann felt his hand getting itchy, restless. A few strands of her hair slipped over her shoulders and partially covered her face. He wanted to touch them, to hold her close and tell her that everything will be all right. His right hand twitched, flexed in the need to touch her. A deep sigh made Arria look up, at him. It was killing her to talk to him like that. She wanted to be in his arms too. A few seconds they just looked in each other's eyes without a sound. Arcann was the first one to talk.

"I will negotiate…" he started, when suddenly Arria saw him collapse on his knees. His teeth grinding in pain, his eyes shut.

"Arcann." She yelled and grabbed the holo tighter. "What is going on?"

With visible effort, he managed to rise back on his feet.

"My father does not agree with my decision…"

A new wave of pain, greater than the last sent him to the floor again. She saw him crunched on one side, holding his head in his hands. He was fighting the pain. Tears filled Arria's eyes instantly. It was her fault that he was suffering. It was because of her that he was enduring all that.

"Please, come see me…" She heard him speak through the pain and the next second the connection was gone.

"Arcann." Arria yelled in the quiet room. She let herself fall on the floor and continued to cry holding the holo still in her hand.

Hours later she woke up with a scream. Another bad dream. Arria was afraid it was more than a dream, it was already the third time she had it in the last few days. She feared it was another one of her vague visions.

She was in a dark room, somewhere underground. The air was heavy, dense, and she could hardly breathe. All of her body was hurting, like a freighter had hit her. In the middle of the room was a holocron. It was a bright shade of purple. Around the room faces she knew started to show up. Her brother was the first one to come closer to her. Behind him, her parents, followed by Xol and his parents. They all were tired, and looked at her without a single word. Somewhere near the bright holocron, Vaylin's body laid on the ground, in dust. Only steps away she saw Arcann. Unconscious, on the hard floor. His white armor had visible burn marks on, and she ran to him. She wanted to scream his name, but no sound came out. An invisible claw tightened around her throat, squeezed all the air from her lungs. Tears ran down her cheeks and hugged him to her. There was no sign of life. She screamed again and she woke up, at the sound of her own desperation.

She felt sick and ran to the bathroom. Was it her family and herself that killed him? Where did that happen? It wasn't the throne room. A multitude of questions formed in her mind in a matter of seconds. With her whole body still shaking, she looked at her own image in the big mirror. Black circles under her eyes, shadowed the brilliant smile she used to have. With a deep sigh she looked back in the room, at the chrono on the wall. It was time to get ready for the day ahead.

The meeting room looked busy, like always, but beside the technicians, guards and other personnel, only Senya and her brother were there. She passed by Tara and Lyla on her way in, and exchanged a few words with them. Both women were intimidated by her, they always looked up to her, admired and respected her, but that morning there was something else too. An uneasy feel took over Arria and asked her brother quickly.

"Where is everyone?"

A short exchange of looks between him and Senya assured Arria that something was going on.

"Darvanis." His answer was short and lacked any intonation.

"Darvanis? Where is that? What is there?" Arria insisted asking the questions that came in her mind.

"While you have been away, an opportunity presented itself. The Mandalorians asked for our support in attacking Darvanis." Leo'Ren explained her and looked at Senya for help.

"Darvanis is one of the first worlds we conquered. The whole planet is a desert. It is where all the droids, ships, armament and munitions are made. A few factories operated by droids, are manufacturing anything the Eternal Empire needs."

"And the Mandos want those weapons, right?" asked Arria again.

"Correct, and we could use the opportunity to hit the Empire where it hurts. With their factories destroyed…"

"Why am I just finding out about this? How long have you been planning?" interrupted Arria this time with a strong shadow of doubt, and fear crippling inside her. Did her own family doubt her?

Again, Leo'Ren and Senya looked at each other.

"You have not been yourself lately. It would have not been safe for you to go. We all know you would have wanted to, but we are not going to put your life in danger."

"Or you don't trust me?" interrupted Arria her brother, and Senya intervened quickly.

"That is not true. Everyone knows where your loyalties are. It is enough that you have to fight with yourself every day. We just wanted to give you some time. Besides, you said Arcann will contact you this week. We didn't want to take any chance for him to find out about this."

Arria listened to Senya's explanation. It made sense. It also made sense that Tara and Lyla were acting weird, they knew she was about to find out and feared her reaction. She realized then that she had been distancing herself from her family and felt guilty. Those two women were already part of her family, were her friends. They should have not been afraid of her. Did she changed that much? She promised herself to talk to them later, and be more careful in the future.

"He will negotiate."

Senya and Leo'Ren looked at each other again and then to Arria.

"Did he already call you?" Leo'Ren asked and saw his sister nodding. "When will he?"

"I don't know. Last night when he called…We got interrupted." she finished her sentence in a whisper. Arcann's image, tortured by his father, was vivid in her mind. Her breath became shallow, she needed air.

"I will let everyone know. See if you can find out when he is willing to negotiate," added Leo'Ren and started to dial a frequency. Arria didn't wait around, she ran out of the room under her brother's surprised look.

~~#~~

Arcann was still in the throne room when his sister rushed on the long walkway to him. It was late, but he couldn't sleep anyways. A holo transmission allowed him to watch the fights on Darvanis as they were happening. He did that for hours. Their defenses were still holding, but the attacks didn't seem to slow down.

"Have you sent the Fleet?" asked him Vaylin with a sadistic smile on her face.

"Darvanis can defend itself. No need."

High Justice Vaylin sensed right away her brother's irascibility. He was definitely not in a good mood. She was right, he spent the previous night unconscious, on the hard floor. The servants found him in the morning and woke him up. It wasn't the first time. Unlike in his childhood, Arcann had same servants for years. They found him numerous times unconscious before. The rumors were that he was too powerful, that The Force was so strong with him that lead to those periods on complete blackout. Others hoped that one day they would find him dead. One thing they all knew for sure, it was always happening before something terrible. They would find him unconscious before each one of his decisions to attack a world, or destroy a planet. They were not looking forward to the next few days. None of them knew the truth.

"Those Mandos should be burned. Why do you keep letting them go away?" His sister's question interrupted Arcann from his thoughts.

"They never won, sister. Each time they attacked they only lost people and their supplies ran lower. Each of their attacks weakened them further. They will eventually get to the point where they will have nothing left."

"It seems to me they are doing quite well this time," she answered and pointed to the hologram they were both watching. A few chain explosions lit up and Arcann shifted uncomfortable in his throne. His fist tightened, and the skin on his knuckles turned white.

"They never fought like this. Something is not right." He rose on his feet and took a few steps in silence.

"How long is been since this started?" asked Vaylin and looked at her brother. The bright orange in his one eye was terrifying and she feared him that second.

"Hours. They should have been dead by now." His answer came in a low voice. "The Alliance. They are helping them. Dispatch the fleet." Arcann ordered next, but her sister stopped him.

"It is too late. By the time our ships get there it will be too late."

Without another word Arcann rushed out of the throne room. He needed to be alone and in the privacy of his chambers threw his mask across the room. For the next few minutes he paced in front of the low table. He would only stop to glance over to the holoterminal, in the other room. The thought that Arria would be involved in that attack was bothering him. He knew she would not stab him in the back. She would have rather fight him fair and square. Besides, the attack had to be planned. She was with him for the past two weeks. She couldn't be involved. He calmed himself down little by little. He knew the factories would be operational and back in production in a matter of days. He wasn't worried about Darvanis. He was worried about Arria.

If she wasn't involved, did her family kept their plans secret from her? Is he the reason her own family would distance from her? Is she going to hate him for that, lose her love? Tortured by questions without answers, he glanced at the empty, oversized bed. He wished she would have been there. At the thought of her in his arms, his whole body tensed, ached, and hurt. Her eyes, her smile, her scent, all invaded his mind at once. Arcann's breath became shallow, rushed, and he had to sit. The whole room started to spin around him. He was in physical pain and closed his eyes. 'You should have killed her when I told you to do so. She is weakening you. It is not too late. Kill her.' His father's voice echoed in his mind and Arcann growled in the silence of his room.

"Go away. I will never hurt her."

~~#~~

Days later, her family returned, victorious and with a new ally, the Mandalorians. Arria knew she had lost weight, and she looked exhausted. The sleepless nights were accumulating, and getting their mark on her. The vision she'd been having repeated every single night, every single time she would fell asleep. More and more details appeared in it, and Arria was more and more terrified. The blood on her hands, the burn marks on every single one of her family members, worried her. From her little experience with visions she didn't knew what to do with the information The Force was granting her. Every single time she was waking up sick, running to the bathroom. That morning was no exception and as always she looked in the mirror. One thought flashed through her mind so quick that she didn't even had a chance to register it. The next second it was gone. She decided to go and talk to her father about the vision, and only minutes later they were sitting down for breakfast. She told him everything, every terrifying detail, and waited for him to talk. Her mother was quiet too, waiting for an explanation.

"How accurate were your past visions?" his first question didn't surprise Arria.

"Not exactly accurate in details, but definitely accurate in resolve," answered Arria letting her head down. She went ahead and told her parents about the other visions she had and how they resolved.

"You said he is willing to negotiate, so his death would have no explanation…" hesitated Marr and looked at his daughter. Her pain was visible, the shadows under her eyes were more prominent, but he worried more about the shadows inside her eyes. "Perhaps it is not us who kills him. Or, there is a chance your vision ends like mine did, before the end."

Arria looked at her father and a tiny bit of hope appeared in her eyes.

"You really think so?"

Marr smiled at his daughter. He wanted to believe so, for her sake.

"You really love him, do you?"

His question took Arria by surprise. She didn't expect her father to be so direct.

"Yeah…But that's going to take the back seat for a while…"

"As much as you would like it, it is not the way it works," interrupted her Marr. "The matters of the heart always come first. They affect everything we do, the way we think, who and what we become. Ignored, they weaken us. "

"Did he say when he'll negotiate?" asked Cleo after a few seconds of deafening silence and Arria shook her head.

"No. He wants us to meet first. I don't think I can do this any longer."

Cleo and Marr looked at each other first, then at their daughter. Her dropped shoulders, the head low, looking down, were all signs of her giving up. Arria was the one changing the subject, and after she got them to tell her about Darvanis, it seemed her spirit was returning a little. She even got that sparkle she always had in her eyes when her mother told her about the fights they fought against the skytroopers and all the other droids. That day started better than most, and Arria was optimistic for the first time in a while. Later that day, just as the sun was setting behind the majestic mountains, she went to look for her aunt. Just as she hoped, she found her in the medical wing. A couple of soldiers were recovering after Darvanis and she was checking on them.

"Aunt Risse."

"Arria is good to see you," said Clarisse smiling, sensing her niece's discomfort.

"Can we talk? In private…" she added with hesitation and Clarisse rushed to take her in one of the empty rooms and closed the door behind them.

"What is it?" she asked turning to examine Arria.

"I need your help…And total discretion…" Arria was still hesitant.

"Of course." Clarisse rushed to assure her and they both sat on the edge of the two beds, facing each other. Clarisse already knew from Xollin that something was about to happen. His premonitions were strong, and she was restless, herself, in the past few days. There was something about her niece that was unsettling. She couldn't figure out what, but it was a connection between her and all brewing tension.

Just like in the morning Arria talked to her parents about her vision, she did it again with her aunt. She knew that beside her father, her aunt was the only one that had visions in the past. She wondered if she can bring more light in her own. Clarisse listened to her, and then she started to pace quietly, in visible deep thought.

"I am sure you already know that visions are granted to us as a glance into a possible future, not a certainty," started Clarisse to talk and looked at Arria in time to see her nod. "From my experience, visions always stop at the point we are most afraid of. Mines stopped right before I would have died, before your mother would have died…Even Marr's vision stopped to where he thought he would die. Maybe you are afraid to loose Arcann…"

"You really think so?" interrupted her Arria with all the hope gathered in her eyes. Clarisse smiled and sat in front of her.

"It is not a secret that you love him, Arria. With everything happening, is normal to be afraid that you would lose him. When your vision ends, and you wake up, how do you feel?" insisted Clarisse and Arria let her head down.

"Terrible. To be honest, I'm getting sick every time…I've been starting my days puking lately…" she explained, but Clarisse lost her smile the same second. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Arria with increased attention.

"Have you seen one of the medics?" she asked her quickly.

"No. I'm not going to see a medic for that. It's the vision that makes me…"

"Lay down," interrupted her Clarisse and almost forced her to lay in the bad.

"Why? I feel fine." Arria objected, but Clarisse seemed to ignore her.

"I want to make sure you are all right. You have lost weight, more than normal in the last few days…" explained Clarisse and Arria let out a deep sigh, letting her aunt to examine her.

Clarisse's warm and calming aura covered both of them in seconds. Arria didn't even attempt to reach to the force. She relaxed completely, and just let herself enjoy the calmness that took over her. She had no idea how long she laid there, in that comforting light, but suddenly it stopped and she opened her eyes. Her aunt was looking at her, her eyes wide opened and she covered her mouth the same instant. It was a reaction, and she couldn't hide it from Arria.

"What is it? Something wrong?" asked Arria and jumped right up, worried.

"It is not wrong. You are pregnant."