A Look to the Past
AN: Hello there, my dear readers! I hope I didn't have you wait too long for this. So I hope that you enjoy this new installment in A Look to the Past.
Now to reviews.
keybladelight: I'm not really planning on having them have visions of the future.
And I won't do that. Bane got inspired by Revan for the Rule of Two, and I won't take that spotlight off him.
Lonewanderer: I thank you very much for your input and I'm glad you like the characters. You'll have to see later how the events will unfold.
PoofyOhio: You act like he said something unforgivable. I'm surprised you wouldn't want to slap Loten for all the evil things he did and plans to do. Pretty sure he deserves it more.
RayZero: You may call them excuses, but the results are there. Everyone had their justifications for what they do, and despite how flawed the Jedi are, they are on the side of justice and it shows with their protection of the Republic and of the innocent. So they definitely aren't comparable to a bunch of genocidal maniacs like the Sith.
A Star Wars Fan: He keeps Syura just so he has some more people to fight against his enemies. You'll have to wait and see where Esdeath will end up.
And yeah, I don't like Mine and Tatsumi couple either, it just doesn't work. And I can't tell who he will end up with just yet.
And I think that the Triumvirate would probably be victorious if it came to that.
SCP Insurgency: I totally see where you're coming from, but you have to see that that is just how the Jedi would react. They aren't willing to risk having Dark Side objects corrupt anyone. True some would be very useful, but even Imperial Arms like the Grand Chariot works thanks to emotions, and you know Jedi philosophy on those. And they wouldn't exterminate the Danger Beasts, that would take too much time, just keep people from making Imperial Arms. Plus, Imperial Arms only work with people who are compatible, and if those turn out to be Force-sensitive that that would be a big No-No for them.
Guest: All those questions will be answered in the story.
Guest(2): Right now.
17 Save Our Histories
Leone's golden eyes slowly fluttered open as she stirred in the bed she was lying on. Noticing the complete change in comfort compared to the last few days her mind worked to connect what happened.
Rubbing her eyes, she noticed the room she was in was darkened, with the dark blue curtains covering the windows and ensuring light didn't disturb her.
Her memories of yesterday resurfaced, how her friend, if he can be referred as such now, Loten got her out of prison, brought her to a new room, went out for a moment before coming back and… Leone's eyes widened in realization.
She noticed that she wasn't wearing anything under the pure white sheets covering her, which wouldn't be an unusual thing since she slept nude from time to time, but remembering what happened just made her feel… strange. She remembered joking to Tatsumi about the time he was trapped on an isolated island with Esdeath, but here she was, in a bed after sleeping with a man who was pretty much an enemy of the people she held dear.
It honestly felt somewhat poetic.
But looking around, she saw that she was alone in the room, so Loten probably left some time ago. She noticed that her clothes were on the chair next to her so she got up and got herself dressed.
Then she saw something on a small wooden table, a piece of paper. Picking it up, she saw something written on it.
Leone,
I apologize for not being able to spend more time with you, but I have other things to do. Unlike Honest, I do my responsibilities with at least more competence and actual ability. And unfortunately, it means that your arrest is still in place, at least for the time being. I arranged for meals to be delivered to your room by some servants. I hope your favorites remained the same.
And please, don't cause any trouble, it's completely unnecessary and it won't get you anywhere. When this entire situation is finished, I promise to make it up to you a hundred, no a thousand-fold. We will live the free life we wanted from before but on even a grander scale.
I'm not sure when I'll be able to visit you, but I'll try to make time.
Sincerely yours,
Loten Kallig
The moment she finished reading it, Leone began feeling conflicted again. She could practically feel the sincerity in the words that were written. The care which he had shown her, a glimpse of what he was before and what he meant to her, they were there.
But… he was an enemy. She wasn't supposed to feel for the enemy. Personal attachments shouldn't hinder your mission, that's what she was told when she joined Night Raid.
Though that's probably an easy thing to say if you don't really have anyone on the other side to care about. After Loten died, what she thought at the time, she didn't really have anyone special connected to the enemy, but not he WAS the enemy.
She envied Akame for her determination to end her sister, just so she wouldn't have these thoughts.
Leone's teeth grit, both from anger, confusion, and sadness. She wasn't sure what to do. Normally the choice would be easy, but despite how Loten acted right now, he was still the person she cared about. And seeing him be so protective of her, not to mention her remembering his touch from last night, it was anything but an easy choice.
She sat back on the bed, her head hanging slightly as she gripped the letter and crumpled it. Just a few days ago, this dilemma would be non-existent. And she wasn't sure if this should be a dilemma now. Loten worked for the enemy, it's because of him that Lubbock was killed. She shouldn't feel conflicted yet she was.
So she just sat there, with heavy thoughts on her mind, as some sliver of light entered the room through the closed curtain.
Wave stood in front of Kurome's room, pondering if he should be doing this. After everything that happened he thought that maybe he could help her in some way, seeing how she was acting.
Making up his mind, he put his hand up and knocked on the door.
"Kurome, are you there?" he asked. After several moments of silence, he repeated the process. "Kurome, can I come in?"
"What do you want, Wave?" she asked.
"Just to talk," he answered.
Several more moments of silence followed.
"Come in."
Smiling, Wave entered the room and saw Kurome sitting on the bed. His smile dropped when he saw that she was still clutching Yatsufusa as if her life depended on it.
"Kurome…"
"Stop, I know what you want to say," Kurome said as her grip tightened. "But I can't just let it go. That moment when I lost it made me feel such despair. I just can't shake it off."
Wave then approached her sat next to her on the bed. "Please, Kurome, you can't continue like this."
Kurome shook her head. "I'm so sorry. But this is too important to me. I want to have my sister back, I miss her so much. Yatsufusa is the only thing that can make it happen and I can't lose it again. You have to understand, nothing else matters to me."
Wave turned his head away as he bit his lower lip. Hearing those words was beginning to break his heart as well. Her mindset wasn't in the right place, and when the next battle comes she will probably be one of the first people on the frontlines so she could get to Akame as quickly as she could.
And she would be among the first to be cut down, puppets or no puppets.
Wave's hands clenched at the thought. He wouldn't let that happen, ever. He would give his own life to ensure she was safe.
"Kurome," he said before looking at her straight in her dark eyes, making her look back curiously. He then gently grasped her hands. "I'm sorry." Then out of nowhere, he quickly wrenched Yatsufusa out of her hands and threw it on the floor.
Kurome's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "Wave, no!" she then quickly went for the sword but Wave grabbed her by the arm. She forgot the fact that he was supposed to be physically strong so the grasp made her gasp.
"Wave, what are you doing?!" she asked as she tried to pry him off.
Wave's blue bangs obscured his eyes for a moment, making him seem somewhat menacing. "I can't let you be like this Kurome. It isn't good for you, and it will only get you killed." His eyes were then revealed with a fiery determination. "And I won't let that happen."
Then in an even more surprising move, he pulled her towards him and quickly kissed her on the lips. Kurome couldn't properly process what was going on. After several minutes of this intense make-out session, Kurome moved away, flabbergasted by what just happened.
"W-Wave, what a-are you-?"
Wave didn't give her much time to speak before pulling her close. "I won't hide it. Not anymore."
He resumed kissing her, wrapping his hands around her, and pressing their bodies together. Kurome's mind was going a thousand kilometers per hour. Here was Wave, the fish boy, the country bumpkin, and the lighthearted one of their group kissing her with such roughness. It almost made her afraid.
Kurome was further shocked when he parted for breath, only to immediately resume and this time use his own tongue. The dark-eyed girl began to feel uncomfortable with all of this and went to push him away but he seemingly didn't notice. Then she could feel one his hands move away from her waist and under her shirt and grabbing unto her breast.
With a huge amount of strength that even surprised her, she pushed the young man off of her making him fall on the bed with a grunt.
"Wave! Why… why are you doing this?!" she asked with nervousness in her voice, with her arms wrapped around her.
Wave looked at her with his eyes wide, as if only now realizing what he was doing. "Oh dear gods, Kurome, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he said frantically. "I didn't realize you weren't enjoying it. I just- I don't know what came over me." He looked just about ready to shed a tear. "I'm sorry. You said… you said that only your sister mattered. But… but I wanted to also be the one who mattered. I wanted you to have someone else so that you wouldn't just chase after Akame and get yourself killed!" This time, he actually did shed a tear. "And I meant every word I said. You mean much to me Kurome. I don't want you to die. And I don't want to die before I can confess." He wiped his eyes before rising up.
He then turned to her for a moment. "But I messed up, didn't I? I'm so sorry, Kurome."
And he immediately left her room, leaving the shocked Kurome to look at the open door for a while. Her mind seemed to still be in a confused state. So Wave just confessed his love to her and wanted to… sleep with her?
Besides her sister, nobody showed her that much affection, and Wave even seemed to surpass that. The concern of his voice, the passion of his touch, that need to protect her by holding her close. She remembered Akame sometimes holding her tight because she was afraid of losing her, and Kurome could feel that same intent with Wave.
And to see him get so emotional… it hurt to see it. The hurt in Akame's eyes when Kurome said she wasn't joining her in leaving the Empire, Wave also had a similar heartbroken look.
Kurome glanced at her sword, having the need to once again hold it, but not as intensely as she once did.
It was middle of the night as Loten appeared from the lower levels of the palace, with some perspiration dripping down his forehead before he wiped it away and sighing. His progress on the Imperial Arm was almost complete. It just needed a few more finishing touches.
The battle is to come soon, he could feel it and he wanted to be prepared. His trump card would ensure victory over the Jedi Master that threw a huge wrench in his plans.
But right now he needed to stop momentarily. He decided to spend some of his time with study. Perhaps he could learn more about his family and what they were doing on this planet.
So he soon found himself in the library, trying to look anything on the history that began a thousand years ago. Reading through several books, he only found the information he already knew which frustrated him. There should be something about his family. How can Sith be pretty much unnoticed on this planet?
"Something troubles you, son of my sons," Loten heard the voice of his ancestor say before he turned to meet the apparition.
"I'm trying to find out just what was the involvement of my family. Maybe there is something I can learn from it," Loten explained.
The ghost of the ancient Kallig rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. "Perhaps there is a way I can be of assistance," he said gaining his descendant's curiosity. "I was able to feel something within this very palace. Something from an ancient time, sometime after my family moved to this planet."
"Where exactly?"
"The artifact is located behind the Emperor's throne," Aloysius Kallig said making Loten raise an eyebrow. "It would seem that it was hidden and stashed away there from the prying eyes. I'm sure that it will make the picture clearer for you."
The ancient Sith Lord then disappeared as he did before, leaving Loten alone.
A secret located behind the Emperor's throne? Talk about hiding right under your nose.
Loten then put all the books away and left the library. Entering the throneroom, he looked to see if the room was empty. The Emperor should currently be sleeping now so nobody was there.
He walked up to the throne and began examining it. Was there some sort of secret compartment, a button, or a switch of some kind? Finding nothing, he wondered if he should just move the throne.
Calling on the Force, the throne began sliding to the right, revealing, and actual opening behind it. Loten then entered the opening and moved the throne back to its previous position with the Force.
The place he was in was completely dark, but that was a minor problem and easily rectifiable. He put his hand up, and using the Force to manipulate the oxygen molecules, made some fire hover over his hand which lighted the way.
Pyrokinesis wasn't the most utilized of Force abilities but Loten thought that it might come in handy in some situations.
The Dark councilman saw that he was located in some sort of stone hallway, with tiles neatly put together in a well-organized fashion. And quite old considering how much dust and cobwebs were there.
Loten began walking through the dusty hallway but cringed when he felt come cobwebs stick to his hair. He decided to use his Force powers to push the dust out of his way, and give him a clearer path.
The walk wasn't that long before he reached the singular room that the hallway was leading towards. Brightening the flame, he saw that it was a room with a wooden table that was broken in several places, a crumpled-up wood pieced of what he assumed was a chair. Walking closer, noticed an ink container on the floor and picked it up, seeing that the ink was completely dry.
What was this place? Some sort of sanctuary? Maybe it was used so that some people could just be by themselves.
He saw something beneath the table. Moving it away, he saw that it was some sort of wooden box, in a better condition than you would think. He opened the top and saw two interesting things, a leather-bound book and… a red square holocron.
Loten's hand immediately went for the holocron, still sensing a great concentration of Dark Side energy in it. He pocketed the holocron before moving to the book. He opened it and saw the text was still readable, though written in a different language.
Not caring for anything else here, he left the room and whatever remained here.
Loten found himself back at the library and spent a good portion of the night deciphering the contents of the book. After a little while, he found that this book was actually a journal, belonging to none other than the first Emperor of this Empire, Mykan.
The moment Loten found that out, his determination to translate what was written increased, his curiosity not allowing him to just stop.
What he found was interesting.
It was the twenty-first of the eleventh month that this war was finally over. My new Empire has finally started, and I'm ready to accept all of its responsibilities as the Emperor. Emperor Mykan I. Not sure if that sounds catchy or just strange.
My wife also recently gave birth to my first child, a son. Heh, looks like I already have an heir for my throne. You would think that making your own Empire would be the time when you feel the greatest, but trust me, nothing beats seeing your newborn child and your wife holding it. Milah and Joor, the greatest treasures in the entire world.
The next several pages were of more personal nature, but things started to get interesting for Loten.
Thirteenth day of the fifth month as I'm writing this. I just can't believe how it went so downhill. Seven years after I began my rule, and now I have to deal with these… creatures that suddenly began infesting the land. I don't know what exactly happened, when did these beasts just appear from nowhere?
They seemed to be normal animals but were stronger, quite a few times they were bigger, and not to mention very hostile. They began terrorizing my lands and I was forced to act. Several battalions suffered heavy losses in trying to kill these things.
And to make things even worse, it would seem that the neighboring kingdoms are planning on attacking my Empire. They didn't think highly of me to begin with, and are now seeking for an opportunity when my forces were weak from these attacks.
Goodness sakes, my daughter's birthday is coming up, and I don't want these negative thoughts weighing on me.
After a few more pages, Loten finally got to the part he was waiting for.
It's the seventh day of the first month, and I can't believe my luck. After two years of combating these 'Danger Beasts' as people began calling them, I found myself an ally in a man named Delius and his family. He seemed to be a very powerful and knowledgeable warrior, and he and his family were able to effectively fight the Danger Beasts.
They wielded some incredible abilities, something I can only describe as magic. Moving things with their minds and using lightning, it was simply incredible. They showed up on one of the battlefields that I personally attended and offered me their service against those creatures. They proved themselves to me pretty quickly.
They explained that they from the lands located Far East, and were forced to leave after a betrayal. Delius is also traveling with his wife and son, so I can only imagine how painful for them this is. But after what they showed, they are more than welcome in my Empire.
So this is where his ancestors came in. They made a direct alliance with the First Emperor when they offered to help him take care of the Danger Beasts.
He was about to read further, but then something else came to mind. He took out the holocron from his pocket and began to activate it. A small hologram of a man appeared. He had short dark hair, black eyes, and he was dressed in a traditional Sith robe.
"This is the journal of lord Delius Kallig, Entry One," the hologram spoke, anger evident in his voice. "That cursed Tulak Hord betrayed us, he stabbed my father in the back and went after us. Of course, he could never take Aloysius Kalling in a fight. My brothers, sisters, cousins, dead at the hands of Tulak Hord and his followers."
"I took whoever I could. My pregnant wife, two of my sons and daughters, the rest are dead. We were forced to flee to the Unknown Regions and landed on this primitive planet away from both the Republic and the Sith Empire. And with no advanced technology to fix our ship we are stranded here."
"But we won't give up. I don't care if takes decades, or centuries, we are going to have our revenge. We will prepare, and we will endure. The illustrious family of Kallig won't be put down so easily. Tulak Hord shall feel our wrath."
This was most interesting indeed. So that is what one of his ancestors looked like. So far what Aloysius Kallig told him matched what he was seeing.
"Journal Entry Four: We were able to experiment on the local animals of this planet. The artifacts that we were able to salvage were of great help. The creatures are now far stronger, more vicious. Right now, we need a simple test run from them."
"Journal Entry Six: Today we were able to test some of the sea-dwelling life of this planet. Though it would seem that these mantas can't really be considered sea creatures anymore with their ability to fly and survive in the surface."
"However, our resources are dwindling. Our experimentations can't continue at the rate we are currently at. We won't be able to have any enhanced soldiers if our experiments aren't continued."
"Journal Entry Sixteen: It would seem that our creatures caused quite a stir among the local populace. They are currently fighting back against them. But I see an opportunity for this. The Emperor of this Empire here is in dire need of help with how much trouble our creations cause. I can't wait to show them just how effective we are against them."
As fascinating as that was, seeing how his ancestor was accomplishing all these things, Loten decided to check the journal again, to see how Emperor Mykan would react.
It is the eighth day of the fourth month. Six years after I met my friend Delius, he and his family were of great help. Their ability to fight Danger Beasts and their part in stopping the neighboring kingdoms was impressive. And I can't thank them enough for that.
Recently, they were able to successfully capture a particularly powerful Danger Beast, Tyrant as it was called, they requested to bring the most brilliant minds in my Empire to help in some project they had.
After a while, I found out what their project was. They were turning Tyrant into a weapon, a special armor that increases the physical power of the wearer by manifold. Delius offered the armor to me, seeing that I was compatible with it.
The power I felt was incredible, it was as if I could take on an entire army by myself. I was also able to stand against Delius himself. He said he might be able to make more of these weapons, which were dubbed Imperial Arms, so we could properly protect the Empire. It fills my heart with joy to have someone like him as a friend.
And it would seem that we would be connected in more than just friendship. I saw how my daughter and his youngest son look at each other. Pretty sure he does too. I'm sure those two wouldn't be opposed to the arranged marriage but I want them to come to the marriage part themselves. Don't want their parents to interfere with it. Man, I'm starting to feel old.
So this is where the Imperial Arms first appeared. And it would seem that the Incursio was the first one, and wielded by Emperor Mykan no less.
Loten then turned back to the holocron.
"Journal Entry Eighty-Five: Things are going better than expected. That fool Mykan is still under the impression that the two of us are friends. Such a fool. But his resources were more than valuable."
"We were able to create a weapon from the Tyrant, an incredibly powerful armor that would put many Force users to shame. This was a success, and it will only continue. With Mykan's resources and us secretly breeding Danger Beast, we won't have a shortage of experimental material anytime soon."
"Journal Entry Hundred Twenty: After years of experimentation, we were able to acquire forty-eight Imperial Arms. I had one specially made for Mykan and anyone in his family, further proof of our 'friendship'. That one took longer than most but it was worth it. And with each weapon we gain we are closer to enacting our revenge."
And the journal entries stopped there. Loten looked further but there was nothing else. Was Delius killed before he could record any more?
Loten turned to the Emperor's journal for answers.
Words cannot describe the sadness I feel. Delius, a friend that I trusted for years, a man who helped me through the most trying times, has betrayed me. I found out that he was manipulating me all these years.
It appeared that he and his family were the ones behind all of it. They pretended to be our friends, and used the Empire's resources to further their own gain. These weapons they made for me were secretly so they could end up using them in some sort of revenge scheme against the people who drove them away.
Delius and I ended up fighting, and I would have been killed, but his youngest son Karrus betrayed him and killed him. It would seem that he didn't agree with what his family was doing and how they were manipulating us. The rest of his family fled, presumably westward but I'm not sure. Karrus stayed behind, and despite the assist, I had to punish him with how much damage he helped cause. Because he helped I eased the sentence to life in prison.
But sometime later I found his cell empty, and my daughter, my sweet Mayla was also gone. Many people panicked, thought that he kidnapped her, but I knew better. Those two were in love, and Mayla knew that I wouldn't approve of her feelings for him, so she helped him escape.
I can only hope that the two of them are safe and that they live peacefully.
But I still need to remain focused on my duties. And my other children need me. Despite the betrayal, the weapons created by the Kalligs are invaluable and will be great help in the prosperity of this Empire.
I also found this strange device that belonged to Delius. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm not risking my family coming to contact with it so I'll hide it away.
I really need rest now. After everything that happened, a man can only take so much.
Loten stopped reading. So that's how it went down. Lord Delius' son ended up betraying him, which led to his family being driven away from the Empire and deprived of their revenge. And eventually, their bloodline ended up in slavery.
He wasn't sure if he should feel angry or impressed with Karrus for betraying his family because of love, but then again, if things didn't turn out the way they did, he wouldn't exist. Not to mention he succeeded in returning their families honor.
He decided that he had enough and picked up the two objects before heading to his sleeping quarters. After reading all that, he also felt like he needed a rest.
AN: And that's it for now! We got to see character interaction, and we got an origin story of how the Sith fit into this world. Hope I didn't make it too boring.
For those who may ask, yes, it is possible to control and create fire with the Force, it has been done before in the Star Wars lore. In the EU, at the very least.
And I implore you to check out my other stories, they're worth it. And leave a review, they are great motivators.
See you next time!