Caibideil 22
Darth Serpeness eradicated the bandits with ease, slaughtering her way through their camp with merciless efficiency. Blasting away the "baron's" tent with the Force, he lay back quivering, shielding his face with his hands, "Please! Don't kill me! I'll give you whatever you want! Money, power, men, anything!"
Serpeness looked at his bedroll, a bruised woman, who she recognized as a kidnapped girl from Lothian, lay nude in his bedroll, utterly terrified. She looked back at the man and relieved the bandit of his arms and legs; as he lay screaming, she replied, "I will take what I want, I've won that. I won't kill you though," she deactivated her darksaber and handed it to the girl, "She will."
The girl hesitantly took the weapon, covering herself in the sheets. Gràinne held her hands and reactivated the blade. The woman stood still, gazing at the weapon in her hands, then glancing down at her captor, her rapist, the man who had beaten and broken her for weeks. For the first time she could remember, she smiled.
"P-Please!" the bandit continued to beg, "I'll do anything! Please just don't kill me!"
"Anything?" the woman asked.
"Anything!"
She held the blade above his throat, "Give me back the past seven weeks!" with that, she beheaded him. Gràinne clapped behind her, taking her weapon back with the Force.
"Such fire, a thirst for righteous justice, I like that," she remarked. "Tell me your name."
"Ailsa," she answered, bowing to her rescuer, "I owe you my life."
"Hmm, tell me what you know about a Waldensian cult."
"The bandits were handing any members they kidnapped over to the Inquisition for payment, that's all I know."
"That's all I need. And you? Since you are not with the Inquisitors, I assume that you are not a Waldensian cultist."
"I am not, but I am in your debt," Ailsa declared, "Where you go, I follow."
"I have no need of a maid," Gràinne replied, turning to have her two followers plunder the ruins of the camp, "dress yourself and return home."
"But, Milady. I know where the bandits kept their treasure."
"Oh?"
Luminara washed the bowl she had eaten out of, Obi-Wan was supposed to be coming by today, so everything had to be cleaned. Barriss's pajamas were currently in the dryer, freshly cleaned. She heard the door chime and put the bowl back in the cabinet, dried her hands, and went to open it, stopping for a moment. She looked in a mirror in the foyer, conceit was hardly a normal trait for her, but she stopped to inspect her face for any blemishes and straightened her hair, floofing it out, and straightening it back down again. When she wasn't wearing her headdress it fell freely to her shoulders. She held her shoulders back, chest out, and pushed her hair back again. She felt so stupid allowing herself to be vain in such a manner. Feelings for Kenobi or not, she was a Jedi Master! Well… not anymore. At least not unless she officially joined the Reformists. Either way, perhaps she could be able to explore her feelings for once in her life, having been emotionally stunted for 35 years couldn't be healthy. She nodded and opened the door to reveal the ginger Jedi himself.
"Master Unduli," he bowed respectfully.
"Master Kenobi," she smiled.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Almost, I'm washing Barriss's laundry right now, after that everything should be ready to go."
"In that case, may I come in?" Kenobi asked.
"Absolutely," she suppressed the instinct to giggle.
"Great! I'll help you with getting anything else ready."
Obi-Wan shared stories about the new Reformist Temple on Teth, an abandoned monastery that Skywalker and his Padawan had fought a battle at early in the war. Apparently, there had already been over seventy Jedi weddings there in the first few days and people were bringing in families they had retained in secret. As such Anakin and a few other more technically skilled Jedi were attempting to reconstruct some of the demolished droids to be used as a workforce to construct additional living structures to accommodate the extra people currently residing there and soon to arrive, be it by ship or by birth. She shook her head in disbelief, were so many Jedi that repressed? Had so many thrown the Code out before the split? There was so much to think on, so much to relearn. Like any good Jedi she'd have to meditate on this. Later though, for now she'd put away the freshly folded laundry.
"Allow me," Obi-Wan offered, taking the stack from her and opening the bottom right drawer.
"No! Wait not that-!" It was too late, Obi-Wan's face was nearly as red as his beard. "Yeah," Luminara explained, "I made the same mistake."
"Is that a shock collar? Used for slaves?"
"I think so yes."
"Aren't those illegal?"
"Yep."
"How did she even get it? And why does it have the word 'Kitten' bedazzled on it?"
"I don't want to know how she got it and do you really need me to tell you?"
"Good point."
"I say we never speak of that drawer again," Luminara proposed, pushing it closed.
"Agreed."
Upon looting the camp and taking their hidden treasure trove for her own, it was well conquered after all, she had her new acolyte Ailsa wait for her at the Waldensian cave, showing her how to use a holocommunicator and instructed her to notify her when the cultists arrived. She wasn't Force sensitive, but she was loyal without doubt. She owed her life to the Sith before her, and she would see that debt repaid. "Milady," she asked, "What will you do when you get inside?"
"I don't plan to kill them if that's what you're thinking." Serpeness answered, "Well, aside from the priest."
"Yes, Milady. Forgive my intrusion."
"It is forgiven, for now."
"Thank you," Ailsa replied with a curtsy.
In Edinburgh, William the Lion was interrupted in his meeting with the clan leaders by a squire running in, "Sire! Sire"
"What is it? Where is clan Frasier?"
"Dead, milord."
"Dead?" he turned to the other clans, "What treachery is this?!"
"none of the clans, milord. A witch and a warlock have seized Frasier lands for their own. Reports indicate that she has eradicated robber bands in Lothian and the McGuffin lands."
"Eliminated robber bands? And brought the meddlesome Frasiers to waste? Hmm… leave her be for now. She's more useful alive than dead for the time being."
"Y-Yes, milord."
Padmé sighed in relief, Bail Organa had been elected Chancellor of the Republic, the last election held within the Senate. All elections from here on out would be voted upon by the Republic's citizens. She listened to the applause for him and had K3v1n push the button down to project her voice across the vast room. This would be her last speech as acting Chancellor, tomorrow Bail would step up to lead the Republic and she would leave for Teth. She had had her droids dress her in her finest Senatorial robes and polish her hoverchair. She wanted to provide a shining beacon of hope to the galaxy as power transferred peacefully once more.
"Senators and people of the Republic, today marks the beginning of a new era of peace, stability, and unity among the Republic. Three years of vicious war, brought about by an evil lunatic bent on empowering himself, has come to an end. Corrupt elements within our Republic have been flushed out and imprisoned for their crimes. The tyranny of the Trade Federation and Techno Union to freely terrorize the Mid and Outer Rim worlds is no more. Hope for the future, for our children, is possible again. New precautions and election procedures, designed to give the people of the Republic greater say in who runs their government, will ensure that such evil madmen will never return to such a high state of power again."
She paused to allow Senators to applaud. She opened her mouth to speak again but was interrupted by an explosion. As Senators and ambassadors began screaming in a panic, more explosions sounded throughout the building. "Kevin! Get us down!"
"Yes Mistress Padmé!" the repurposed battle droid replied in panic, quickly pressing buttons to lower the platform back down to her office. Then the bomb placed in the platform blew up.
Anakin was speechless. He had been watching her speech as it was broadcast across the galaxy, although signal was difficult to get on Teth. Ahsoka covered her mouth in shock. Other Council members placed hands on Anakin's shoulders to comfort him, or to support themselves from their shock. Jinn and Leia cried as Barriss and Aayla tried to soothe them. Padmé… was dead. Thousands of Senators, were dead. A terrorist attack had bombed out half the Senate, killing and injuring thousands. Chaos would continue to reign in the Republic. There were reports of Chancellor-elect Bail Organa being rushed to an undisclosed hospital for emergency surgery. They could not find the body of Padmé Skywalker but could neither confirm nor deny that it was among the hundreds rendered unidentifiable by the explosions and would have to wait for DNA or RNA testing to conclude.
Sidious dropped his cup and it shattered on the ground, spilling tea everywhere. "What… did… you… do…" he growled.
Joseline Bombast beamed, utterly proud of her latest explosive adventure working perfectly to her plan. "Didn't I do a great job wiping out those traitors? Huh? Didn't I?"
Sidious immediately shocked her with Force Lightning. "YOU WORTHLESS IDIOT!" he shouted, "I still had agents in there! Not only that, now the Republic will do everything in its power to hunt us down! WE WERE NOT YET READY TO STRIKE AGAINST THE SENATE!" he unleashed another torrential storm upon the poor woman, "DIE!" Joseline died pained by her Chancellor's words, tortured with his apparent Jedi magic, and confused at what she did wrong.
Serpeness finally received her holocall and made her way into cave, hooded as all other cultists were. She sat towards the back as the preacher, James stood at the head of the congregants and began speaking.
"Brothers and sisters in Christ! The Catholic oppressors have robbed us of our freedom to worship G-d as we see fit! They have stolen the souls of our brother Scots! They have robbed us of our wealth, of our property, of our lives!"
The crowd cheered.
"Their hired thugs have stopped their relentless attacks upon us! All due to G-d's favor upon me!"
"You mean me?" Gràinne called.
"Deceiver! You are sent from Satan to throw our flock into havoc!"
"Fool, I have the wealth of the bandits in my possession," the chests of gold were brought in by her acolytes.
The congregants began to mutter among themselves in wonder at the stranger who brought in vast amounts of wealth. James had a look of panic in his eyes, "False gold! An idol! These coins are worthless! Head not the deceiver!"
"Idiot," Serpeness retorted, grabbing large rock pillars with the Force, "the very ground we stand upon answers to my beck and call." With that, she crumbled the columns and made the entire cave system shudder as if in an earthquake. The cultists were terrified, and a few even bowed to her in fear for their lives.
James fell in the quake and slid back in panic, "P-Please!" he begged, "I'll confess! I'm a fraud! I don't speak for G-d! I'm not even a Waldensian! Please don't kill me!"
"You want to live?"
"Yes! I'll do anything!"
"You once preached apostolic poverty, now live it. Give the cult your every possession, your money, your lands, your goods, your home, your servants, everything."
"It is done! J-Just, please! Let me live!"
"I expect several cartloads of your stuff here by dawn." Serpeness commanded. James fled the cave as the cultists bowed, some in awe and others in terror.
"Please, Guardian Angel," one old woman said.
"Teach us," a man called.
"We are your flock." A young woman echoed.
Gràinne looked at her new cult, a cult ready to serve her master. "Listen closely, I do not like to repeat myself. When I am not here," she gestured towards her contacts, "They shall be my mouthpieces. I bring you a new code, and it's meaning. Peace is a Lie, there is only Passion. Through Passion, I gain Strength. Through Strength, I gain Power. Through Power, I gain Victory. Through Victory, my Chains are Broken. The Force shall Free Me. Peace, while a noble goal, is not a means to an end. You must use your passions, your hatred, your love, your joy and sorrow, to fuel yourself in your endeavors. Become in tune with your base nature and use it to empower yourself and your fellows. With your newfound strength, you will take on any challenge the Catholics or anyone else can ever hope to throw at you. Through this you shall break the bonds which hold you down. This is the essence of what it means to be Sith, you are the key to your own power, and your fellow man alongside you. Be kind and gracious to one another, but do not let any injustice go unpunished. Mercy is limited to those deserving of it by virtue of their actions, not their bloodline. I am Darth Serpeness, Dark Lady of the Sith and servant to none but my one Master, Darth Tyrannus. His word is law, and my word after him."
The crowd was shocked, they had never heard of such a philosophy before. Empowered peasants? Inner strength? Be in tune with their base nature? Some were skeptical, Gràinne sensed it, but they were too afraid to question her. One-by-one, row-by-row, they kneeled before her. She had earned it.
Anakin was slowly brought out of his stupor by his crying twins; they were all he had left now. He was a single father of two infant children, had to essentially build an entire new Jedi Order from scratch, construct an army of construction droids from rusted scrap metal, and he had no idea what he was doing. He was more than willing to admit that. He needed Obi-Wan's guidance more than ever before, but he knew that Obi-Wan would be just as clueless as he was. He bounced Jinn on his leg to try and soothe him and cuddled Leia closer to him, trying to avoid crying himself. All this time, he had had nothing but Padmé at the forefront of his mind, now he was lost without her. He had no idea what to do with his life, where to go from here. Anakin was a broken man.