A Look to the Past
AN: Hello my dear readers! I finally upload this story after a while. Now I know this one is on the shorter side but I promise you it's worth it. And I must say I'm happy with how much this story is growing with you, I appreciate it.
Now to reviews.
keybladelight: Well, he wasn't a Sith lord during that time but yeah, she was.
They definitely will.
Guest: I thank you so much for the appreciation you show to this story. It means a lot to me. And don't worry, I don't plan on abandoning this story in any way. I have an ending in mind and I promise I will finish it. But I do agree that some good stories are unfortunately never finished so I hope I don't end up like that. And that is a pretty good scenario you thought of but I can't promise it will go like that. You'll just have to wait and see.
12 Save the Hero of the North
To say that the atmosphere within Revolutionary Army HQ was uneasy would be an understatement. After the loss they suffered in their invasion of the Imperial Capital everyone felt all sorts of negative emotions. Anger, fear, shame, sorrow, rage, despair, regret, everything from the negative spectrum permeated the entire hideout.
After they thought they had their moment of victory, it was suddenly wrenched from their grasp. Their time of triumph of which they could finally tell their loved ones and assure them the time of corruption and tyranny would finally end turned out to be non-existent and all they had to show for it were losses they suffered. Many even considered giving up on the Revolutionary Army altogether, not seeing the point in continuing to fight for an impossible cause.
At the meeting room, the chain of command wasn't faring much better.
"This is a disaster!" one of the commanders said after slamming his fist on the table.
"I couldn't agree more," a female commander spoke. "We barely have half of our troops still alive, and with morale as low as it is, we might lose even more."
"All the years of work, recruitment, and training, all gone to waste! And why?! Because we trusted that Partas bastard!"
Najenda decided to chime in. "Commander Marco, your accusations are unnecessary. I'm sure he was unaware of the Sith being there."
"Oh, really? So just because you're smitten with him we have good reason to trust him."
Najenda's eye narrowed. "He told us that he would bring Esdeath away from the capital, and he did. If he really tricked us then Esdeath would have surely returned while we were attacking the capital."
"Everyone, calm down!" Lorag said with his commanding voice. "We should focus on how to proceed from here, not argue."
"And what exactly can we do?" Marco asked. "We are half as strong as before, two of Night Raid members dead or captured, and our most powerful warrior was outmatched by only one of those 'Sith', and he can't certainly fight two?"
Before anyone could voice their thoughts they suddenly heard some commotion coming from down the hall, along with some sort of whirling sound, as if something was flying through the air. They could also make out several sentences like 'What is that thing?!' or 'By the gods!'
Then they hurried to see what was going on. After coming to the docking bay, they were met with a strange sight, a metallic object floating in mid-air picking up wind around it before taking out small legs and landing on the rocky ground. Everyone gathered around kept their distance, careful about how to react.
With a sharp hiss, the hatch opened and Danek walked out of his shuttle with an even pace. He noticed the people here and even Najenda and the other leaders of the revolution.
The moment Najenda saw who it was she felt all her worries go away before walking up to him. "Where is Esdeath?" she simply asked.
"Gone. A Sith Lord came to help her and he was able to distract me, which led to her escape," Danek explained.
"I see," Najenda said before taking a smoke. "We also fought Sith at the capital, we lost."
Danek was shocked to hear that but he couldn't say that he was all that surprised. Of course, that Sith wasn't alone and considering his power his allies should have also been powerful enough. He then glanced over the other commanders and saw that they weren't too pleased with his arrival. He couldn't blame them, he himself wasn't feeling all that pleased.
"I'm… sorry, all of you," he said, not just talking to the commanders but Najenda and everyone who was here. "I gave you hope, I convinced you that you would be able to bring the end to this Empire. I defeated Esdeath but I couldn't capture her. I'm sorry for any loss you suffered. I promise you, I'll make this right."
Marco scoffed. "Yeah, like one apology is going-" he was interrupted by an elbow to the chest by Lorag.
"That's enough already," he said before putting his arms behind his back. He approached Danek while motioning to Najenda to give them some space which she did. Lorag looked Danek straight in the eyes. "Son, I have had plenty of experiences in wartime and from what I've seen, so did you. And there was one constant thing that I've been able to see in my many years. Every time a mission didn't go as planned and someone dies, the survivors felt guilt, blaming themselves for what happened to their comrades. But the times the mission failed were due to unforeseen circumstances, something that wasn't their fault yet still they seemed to think they should have seen it coming." He then put a hand on Lorag's shoulder. "You have no reason to blame yourself, it's war, and unexpected scenarios happen, they hardly never do. And my spies reported to me what happened several days after the invasion, I know you speak the truth. You kept your end of the bargain, no need to feel ashamed for someone else throwing a wrench in the plans."
Danek stood silently for a moment, only staring at the aged general before giving him a smile. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate it." In a way, this man reminded Danek of General Var Suthra and felt like the Mon Calamari could have been giving that speech to him.
Lorag smiled back. "You're welcome," he said before retracting his hand. "But you must not despair. Despite Esdeath escaping and those 'Sith' defeating us, we still earned a measure of victory." Those words got a lot of people's attention. "Word has already begun to spread, of a hero who liberated the North from the Empire and defeated its strongest warrior, a word that I help to spread. Our loss is great, but your victory was greater.
"You, my boy, have done something thought impossible by many. We may have lost in our assault but if I'm being honest many people expected it to happen. But what you did was completely unexpected." A wide smile spread on his lips. "You were able to liberate the North singlehandedly, and defeated general Esdeath and forced her to retreat. While some people may lose faith in us, that faith will be more than regained if we have you on our side. You said you gave us hope, but you don't know you didn't give it to just us, because Esdeath's defeat speaks more than our own."
The general then extended his hand for a handshake.
"So I ask you, Hero of the North, will you join us once again as an official member of the Revolutionary Army? If people hear that you fight beside us then our defeat won't matter, more will join us and show us their support." His voice was strong, making the atmosphere of the room brighten, the soldiers who felt despair seemed to regain their vigor. "I ask you again, Danek of the Partas clan, will you join us?"
Danek then stared at the general's hand, some of that brightness returning to him as well. His answer was clear.
He quickly grabbed the general's hand and shook it.
"You have my full support."
Cheers began chanting from the soldiers of the room, Najenda even smiling as she looked at the two.
The female commander from before leaned into Marco's ear. "I think his apology is more than enough," she whispered.
"I, uh… yeah," was the only thing he could say.
Esdeath slowly began gaining consciousness. After a while of spending time in pure blackness, her eyes began slowly flutter open. Her sight was blurry but she noticed that whatever room she was in wasn't lit, signifying that it was dark outside.
She groaned as she felt a splitting headache at the back of her skull, her hand quickly going there to nurse it. She rose up while still rubbing her head, tiredness slowly leaving her. Her ears picked up several quick steps going away from her but she didn't pay attention to them too much.
She then looked around and saw that she was in her own room, sleeping in her own queen-sized bed. She looked at the glass double doors that led to her balcony to confirm that it was dark outside, the half-moon shining in the sky among the endless stars.
Looking at her attire Esdeath noticed she wasn't dressed in her General garb but her white button-up blouse and white shorts. Pushing the covers away she got up from her bed and walked barefoot on the floor. Looking at the mirror in her room Esdeath noticed several patches on her face and a bandage on her nose. Frustratingly, she ripped the bandage off and those patches, seeing some small wounds on around her left eye, her cheek and upper lip, along with some bruises on her chin.
The door to her room then opened, letting some light from the hall in. "Nice to see you up and running," came a familiar voice as she looked at the yellow eyes of Loten Kallig who walked in calmly with his hands behind his back. "You were out for a few days if that's what you're wondering. I suppose my strike to your head and the exhaustion were the main factors. Sorry about that by the way."
Her mind then recollected the previous events. Meeting her older brother after so many years, fighting him and losing. Badly at that. Her fists clenched, her eyes narrowed, mouth forming into a snarl as it all came back to her. The entire fight she was losing, none of her attacks worked, her subverting tactics all countered, her powers useless. Only her Mahapadma, her trump card, was effective but only briefly before failing as well.
That wasn't a simple defeat but pure humiliation, especially after she learned he was holding back and later just pushed her aside like she was insignificant.
"I see that you're frustrated," Loten commented. "Do you want to talk about it?"
With a rough sigh, she answered. "I just… I just want to be alone for a while," she said.
Loten stared at her for a moment before replying. "Very well." There was an understanding of her situation in his voice. He knew that her emotional wounds dug deeper than her physical ones even when they were fresh. "You should also take some time to sleep. It will be good for you to regain your strength." And with that, he exited her room, giving her time to think.
Esdeath sighed again though calmly this time. She knew that those words didn't mean her physical strength as she felt she regained it. She decided to get some fresh air and walked out on the balcony. She undid her blouse halfway, letting the cool air hit her with a relaxing feeling. Thanks to her clan's natural resilience to cold, the chilly air only felt pleasant.
She put her forearms on the railings and leaned on it. Oh, how she wished Tatsumi was here again, to see his bright smile which brought great warmth to her heart. It would at least purge those lingering thoughts in her head.
She once again began mulling over the past few events, letting every scene play out in her head; she could still hardly believe it. All her years of being on top of the food chain in this world, so many times of crushing her enemies under her boot, and now she suffered her first real defeat.
Esdeath felt something she never thought she would feel… being weak. The mere thought of it made her blood boil. But after being toyed around by her brother as she was she couldn't help but think over things. How was he so strong? Was it simply this Force that made him so much more powerful than her? But then again the same line of logic could be applied to her Demon Extract.
But with all the things her father taught her, she spent her life to make sure she never became weak. Yet just a little while ago Esdeath found herself at Danek's mercy, despite thinking such a thing would be ludicrous. He was weak, her father taught her that people with his characteristics end up weak.
"Your mind is in turmoil, my child," a voice came behind, surprising her since she couldn't hear anyone walk in and her senses were the most attuned in the world. She quickly turned around and the moment she laid eyes on what that person her surprise quadrupled.
In front of her stood… her mother. Except, she was glowing blue and her body was transparent. A ghost?
"What… what kind of a trick is this?" Esdeath said ready to tear someone apart with her bare hands if necessary.
"There is no trick, my daughter. I'm here," her mother spoke in a soft comforting tone, a warm smile appearing on her face.
"You're dead. You aren't here," Esdeath stated as she stared at her mother's apparition.
"I am dead, yes," Marena said. "But I'm definitely here." Her ethereal hand began inching closer to Esdeath's cheek. "Oh, you don't know how much it saddens me to see you like this, my little snowflake."
"Go away!" Esdeath said frustratingly as she swiped at her mother's hand only for it to pass through.
Marena just walked up, and looked down at her daughter, her hand near Esdeath's cheek but not touching her.
"Why do you continue living like this? Why do you reject your brother's words?"
"I said go away!" Esdeath then walked through Marena's spiritual body. "My brother is weak, and so were you. The fact that you're here doesn't change the fact that you're dead."
Marena just turned back to her daughter with a sad look on her face. "Why do you continue listening to your father, even after he is dead as well?"
"Because unlike you, he knew how the world worked? He was weak and so died, even acknowledging that fact."
"Did he really know the world worked? Didn't you think through his ideals?" Marena asked as if she was scolding Esdeath. "Wouldn't that make anyone below you weak since you could kill them?"
"Enough, I already had enough lectures given to me by Danek! I don't need them from some dead woman!"
"You mean the dead woman who is still here and your father isn't?" Marena asked making Esdeath look at her surprised. "I may have died but I was still able to live through my physical death. Has your father ever achieved it?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Esdeath asked.
"I was attuned with the Force, the same way your brother is," Marena said, shocking Esdeath. "We were able to draw upon the energy of the universe and gained a broader understanding of it. And Danek was able to defeat you pretty easily."
Esdeath scoffed at what her mother said. But then she thought about it and smiled. "Very well then, I'll just have to ask Loten to teach me about it. We'll see how powerful he is then."
Marena sighed before shaking her head. "You don't understand the ways of the Sith. Treachery follows them wherever they go, and believe me, my daughter, he will end up betraying you in the end." She walked up to Esdeath again. "Please, I'm telling you this for your own good. You'll only end up hurt."
"Oh, is that so?" Esdeath asked, dismissing her mother's concern. "Or maybe you're afraid that I'll end up proving you wrong once Loten begins teaching me."
"Esdeath, even if he teaches you he won't let you become more powerful than he is. He sees you as a tool and will discard you when you cease being useful in his eyes. He has done so before. Loten doesn't think highly of you, that's just a ruse and a lie. He thinks you're unhinged, a weapon that goes too much out of control."
"I think it's time for you to disappear. I heard enough," Esdeath said dismissively as she crossed her arms.
"Is that kind of attitude you're planning to have with Tatsumi?" Marena asked, knowing that it was a subject that will make Esdeath still want to speak to her, even for a little bit.
That question caught off guard.
"What are you talking about? What does he have to do with this?"
"He won't accept you as you are now, especially since you refuse to listen to him. He doesn't hold the same beliefs as you do and completely opposes them."
"I'll make him see it my way. I'll bring him back to me, and eventually, he will agree with me."
Much to Esdeath's surprise, Marena chuckled. "It's kind of ironic. Varen told me the same thing."
That actually got Esdeath's curiosity though she didn't voice it.
"He told me that once I was married to him I would eventually see things his way, in time I would grow to accept it. And I'm sure you're aware how that turned out," Marena said. "Is that how you want your relationship with Tatsumi to be, the same as I and your father had?" Esdeath's fist was beginning to clench. "Please, join your brother. He will show you where true strength lies, and you will be reunited with Tatsumi. He will accept you then." She then reached for Esdeath's chin. "Please, listen to your mother."
Esdeath just moved away, glaring at her mother. "Get out of here! NOW!"
Marena stood there with her mouth open. She honestly expected something like this would happen, that her daughter wouldn't listen to her. But she still had to at least try. Tears would have welled up in her eyes but none appeared.
"If that is what you wish, then I'll leave," she said as she began disappearing. "But keep my words in your mind, Esdeath. You'll see the truth one day. Farewell, my little snowflake."
And with those words, Marena was completely gone.
Esdeath groaned and went to sit on her bed, her hands grasping her head. She honestly wasn't sure what to make of this. Was her mother really here or was she just going insane? But her words still lingered in her head, and doubt was put where certainty lay before.
Right now, Esdeath was more confused than she ever was.
AN: And that is the end of this chapter. It was mostly just some character interaction but I hope I made it meaningful. I'm afraid we won't get some proper action in a while so I hope that you are patient until then.
Again, I implore you to check out my other stories, I even recently finished one so you don't have to wait on updates for it. And leave a review. They are great motivators.
See you next time!
