Chapter 37
Kalee - Present
Grievous was dreaming again.
It was the same dream he'd had the previous night.
He was still being hoisted into space by a robed figure with strings protruding from his body.
He could still smell the smoke and hear the distant screams as Kalee burned beneath him.
Just like before, he looked up at the figure and tried to discern their identity.
And when he couldn't see their face, he shouted to them again.
"Who are you?! Tell me!"
But this time, the robed figure began to move.
They picked Grievous up higher and lowered their head to look at him.
As they did, the light of the fire below illuminated their face.
It was…Qymaen.
Before the accident.
Before the war.
Before everything.
It was Qymaen as a young, innocent child, looking down upon the monster he would eventually become.
And then, he woke up.
…
As Grievous awoke in his cell, he heard a beep.
And then a click.
And then suddenly, his chains were unlocked.
As he fell onto his hands and knees, he tried to make sense of what he'd just seen.
That was…me. But why? Why would I do that to myself? Why would I take myself away from Kalee? Why would I…?
Just then, Grievous remembered why he was there.
He remembered Pru Troc.
The Izvoshra.
Ronderu.
And after realizing that he'd been freed from his chains, he got back on his feet and ran for the cell door. He banged on the door for a few seconds and then heard a guard on the other side.
"Hey! What're you doing in there?!"
He continued to bang on the door until the guard finally opened it and attacked him with an electrostaff. Grievous quickly grabbed the guard's weapon and struck him in the head with it. As he fell to the floor unconscious, Grievous exited the cell with the electrostaff and headed for the prison's upper levels.
He remembered enough from his earlier visits to the prison to know where his weapons would be stored. After nearly half an hour of navigating hallways and killing guards, he finally reached the prison's armory.
He could hear a struggle going on just behind the entrance. And as soon as he stepped inside, he found Ronderu fighting off a group of Quarren guards. Ronderu looked over toward the door and noticed Grievous standing by the entrance.
"Qymaen!"
While fighting the guards, she quickly reached behind her back and took off her backpack.
"Catch!"
She then threw the backpack over the guards toward Grievous. Grievous caught the backpack in his hand and found his lightsabers inside of it. He immediately took out two of the lightsabers and activated them in his hands, attacking the Quarren guards from behind.
He and Ronderu easily managed to kill the remaining guards and secure the armory. Then once they were sure the coast was clear, they began to sort through their reclaimed weapons.
"How did you escape?"
"Till and I disguised ourselves as guards and took control of the prison's security. Now we just need to regroup with the Izvoshra and find a way out of here."
Grievous nodded.
"Alright then. Let's go."
As Grievous headed for the door, Ronderu called him back over.
"Qymaen, wait!"
Grievous stopped in his tracks and turned back to Ronderu.
"What?"
Ronderu closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she began.
"Back in our cell…Tillodei told me that, along with the Jedi Knights…you'd also been killing Padawans. Specifically…that you'd been killing children."
Grievous's eyes widened.
"And when I was gathering your lightsabers…I noticed that some of them had drawings on them. Children's drawings."
He looked down at the floor.
"Qymaen…is it true? Have you been killing kids?"
He looked back up at her.
"Ronderu…"
"Have you?!"
He was silent for a moment, and then he sighed.
"None of the Jedi are innocent, Ronderu. And if their Order is going to fall, then they all have to be eliminated."
"Oh my god…"
Ronderu's face went pale as she leaned back against a wall.
"You have been…"
Grievous began to approach her.
"Ronderu, I…"
"No."
She held out her hand, signaling him to stop.
"No. Just…don't say anything."
Grievous did as she said, remaining silent while she took a minute to breathe.
"I can't believe it…You actually…"
She began to shake her head.
"How could you…"
Then she shouted at him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Grievous said nothing as she stopped to take another breath.
"Qymaen...I stood by and watched as you killed that Jedi over Kalee. I stood by and watched as you left us to fend for ourselves so you could get your revenge. And I forgave you for it! I forgave you for leaving us! I forgave you for killing god-knows-how-many Jedi! I forgave you for choosing your vendetta over us! But this…I…"
Tears were forming in here eyes now.
"I can't, Qymaen…I can't…"
Grievous had never felt more ashamed in his life. Not for the Jedi he'd killed, but for the people he'd left behind. For the world he'd abandoned. For the life he'd wasted.
He felt hollow.
Empty.
Worthless.
Just as he had when he'd lost his father.
When he'd lost the war.
When he'd lost himself.
Minutes of silence passed until Ronderu finally spoke again.
"Look. We still have to find the Izvoshra and get out of here. But once we do, I want you out of my life. Forever. Understand?"
"Ronder…"
"Understand?"
She looked Grievous in the eyes for a few seconds before he finally responded.
"...Yes."
"Good. Now let's go and get this over with."