CHAPTER 11
The Emperor's Wrath
"The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse."
Coruscant, 14 BBY
Imperial Palace
Trilla was surrounded by ghosts.
The Jedi Temple, now the formal residence of Emperor Sheev Palpatine, echoed the voices of countless dead Jedi, despite the Imperial drapes and restructuring. Everywhere she stepped, just behind the pace of the Sith Lord Darth Vader, was a step closer to what she once was…a knight of the Jedi Order. While she may have never formally achieved that rank, to come here again only fueled her internal imbalance.
That enticed her hatred once again…how every place she walked reminded her of a life that had been stolen from her…the continuing reminder that there was still love in her heart.
All love had ever granted her was pain…unending suffering. She let herself care about her men for one moment, and in an instant, they had all been taken away. An unforeseen menace had grown within her, reminding her that love was death, and if she ever let it back into her heart, that menace would return to remind her again.
But that menace was not the mechanical and soulless monster that had plagued her dreams, and now lead her to his master.
That menace was herself.
Part of her just wanted to die. There was nothing left in the galaxy for her anymore, and it was almost continued torture to persist down the path before her.
If the Emperor simply wished to kill her now, she would welcome it…but she knew better than that. The Admiral had been right…if she was going to die, it would've happened quickly, and in the hangar bay…her neck snapped with the closing of a fist.
Vader stopped at the central turbolift, which was guarded by two red-armored Imperial sentries at each side. Armed with force pikes, their free hands were raised in a halting command, and Trilla complied.
"The Emperor is expecting us," Vader said, his voice a low rumble.
Neither of them replied to his remark, and their helmeted heads slowly turned to her, in which she experienced a chill down her spine. From what she could detect, they simply observed her, until one signaled the other to activate the turbolift. As the door opened, they remained mute, and Vader took it upon himself to enter, Trilla being smart to follow in his wake.
Their ascent was agonizingly slow. The Dark Lord's persistent breathing deeply unsettled her in the enclosed space, and it was a constant struggle not to shiver in fear. However, what kept her going was the obvious but yet stunning realization that her tormenter answered to someone else. It was…an oddly comforting thought that such a deity in her mind had a master…and it was the only thing keeping her alive.
As the turbolift slowed, the low whirr of machinery signified its stop, and the doors slowly opened. Two identical guards from before were there to meet them, taking only one glance at Vader and stepping aside, forging a path forward. Trilla couldn't recognize this place, but she knew where it was located. Atop the central spire was the Emperor's Throne Room, looking over the Coruscant skyline, decorated with many dark colors and a perilous pit beneath the elevated walkway to the throne.
Trilla's HUD displayed it all, but in the Force, she felt the presence of the Emperor. An elevated platform connected by a majestic stairway supported the Emperor's throne…and his hooded figure only revealed the bottom portion of his face.
Halfway down the path, Vader knelt and bowed his head, Trilla following with equal haste. Never did she expect to meet the Emperor…and her nerves only added to her growing fear.
"Very good, Lord Vader," he sneered from atop his throne, his voice just as, if not more unsettling than the thing beside her. "You did well on Mygeeto. Congratulations are in order."
"Thank you, my master," Vader replied, and his submissive tone sounded alien to her. "The insurgents have scattered."
Palpatine smiled, emitting a small chuckle. "Another enemy falls," he began, and rose to his feet. "Another asset rises."
Vader's head perked up, and Trilla didn't dare raise her eyes.
"Return to your ship, and await my orders," the Emperor commanded as he descended the stairs, black cane in hand. "That will be all. Guards, leave us."
Trilla was confused, and that was when her guard slipped enough for her to look up. Palpatine's crimson guards turned down pathways that exited the throne room, and Vader himself rose to his full height, his optics panning to her as he turned away.
"As you wish," he bitterly complied.
She jerked her head back down, her eyes focusing on the floor as sweat poured down her face. Her anxiety only worsened the more alone she felt, and by now she could only see the Emperor's boots beneath his robe.
"Rise, my child," he commanded with an upwards motion of his free hand.
It took a moment for his command to register within her, but she slowly rose to her full height, bowing her head as to not appear taller than her superior.
Palpatine chuckled again. "The sinister Second Sister. I have heard much of your exploits in service of my Empire, Inquisitor. Your efforts in the inquisition of the Jedi Order have not gone unnoticed."
Trilla swallowed, her throat feeling like sandpaper. "Thank you…your majesty. It is a…honor to meet you in person."
He did not answer right away, and she could feel his superior senses prying at her like leeches on skin. "I sense great doubt within you…your feelings are…troubled. I hope this is not a result of your mission to Zakuul…"
She said nothing. There wasn't much choice in the matter anyhow…as she found herself paralyzed in place.
"Let go of your fear, my dear," the Emperor eased, but still as if it was an order. "My apprentice is gone. He cannot torment you here."
Her head raised, finding the gaze of his piercing yellow eyes, covered by a sickly glow. The Emperor's face was the literal definition of a plague…and yet…he was trying to comfort her?
Trilla took the chance to reassert herself. "My Emperor…I have failed in capturing the Jedi Cal Kestis. I am prepared to receive whatever-."
"Remove your helmet," he cut her off, and her head fell again, silencing herself. "I wish to see your face."
Trilla took a moment before shakily reaching for the sides of her helmet, unlocking it, and pulling it from her head. Out of respect, she did not drop it; only held it before her with two hands. Her hair was slick from the sweat that ravaged her face, but the cooling effect of new airflow calmed her somewhat.
The Emperor smiled. "Trilla Suduri…former padawan to one Jedi Master Cere Junda, am I correct?"
Trilla tipped her head in acknowledgement, stifling the spark of anger that rose from hearing her name. "Yes, your majesty."
He chuckled again, and this time it unsettled her far more than anything she had ever experienced. "Your mission to Zakuul was not a failure…far from it."
Her eyes panned down as he gestured, leading her to walk beside him.
"Come, my child. Let us take a walk."
Stinger Mantis, 14 BBY
Hyperspace
Cere was alone, her eyes flashing open as she lay on the durasteel floor. She flinched, her surroundings dark and unrecognizable, unable to remember how she got where she was. Hesitantly, with her eyes scanning with blurred vision, she rose to her feet, every sound an endless echo.
"Hello?" she called out, and her voice projected through the area. Lights flashed, revealing a grated hallway…reminiscent of a traumatic experience she couldn't place anymore.
Nowhere else to go, she walked down the path.
Distant sounds reached her ears; torture devices activating, followed by anguished screams. Cere stopped, trying to cover her ears, but her arms no longer obeyed her commands, and soon her legs followed, forcing her to progress through the hall.
Her foot kicked into something, and to her horror, a teenaged boy's body was sprawled at her feet, his eyes devoid of all life…but with no mortal injuries. She was carried further, still recovering from the last vision, until she was graced with an array of bodies with the same look in their eyes: civilians, soldiers, stormtroopers…all killed by this unseen power.
A door slammed behind her, cutting all lights.
Cere trembled in the darkness…until a vision blared through her senses. Before here was the Interrogation Chamber, the same where she had been broken, the same where she had given the Empire Trilla.
"Cere…" gasped a faint, weak voice, and she looked down to see Cal Kestis crawling to her feet, his eyes gray. "Why did you…why did you betray…her?"
"Cal!" Cere gasped, reaching to him, only to watch him be engulfed in energy of sickly purple…and drop to his face before her.
"This…is all…on you," he wheezed, until finally dying. There was nothing she could've done to save him…whatever had taken his life…it was beyond her defense.
"Cere…at last."
She was ripped off her feet and dragged forward, her arms bound behind by a strong energy in the Force. When her vision focused…she gasped.
Trilla's hand was outstretched, suspending her in the air with a devious grin. "You left me to die…now watch as countless die for your transgression."
"Trilla…" she wheezed, unable to move in her former padawan's strong grip. "I'm so-," Trilla's hand squeezed around her neck as she was pulled in, and Cere could only watch as she suspended her free one above her head.
"It's far too late for that now," Trilla growled.
That purple energy poured from her fingers, and Cere screamed, squirming desperately as Trilla pulled her life force from her soul.
"Everything…all you ever cared about will die!" Trilla proclaimed, and Cere saw it all. Entire cities falling silent, inhabitants devoid of life force, fleeing Jedi suffering the same fate…and a planet…a planet she had seen before…barren and dead…devoid of the Force itself.
"Trilla…!"
"No!" Cere exclaimed, her eyes funneling in the cockpit of the Mantis, greeted to the blue void of hyperspace through the blast shield. After a few calming breaths, she covered her face with her hands.
She had her worries since Zakuul…Trilla sapping the life from both she and Cal without control; her rage and despair exploding from within her. From what Cal had described, and what Cere had felt with her connection to the Force slowly returning to her, Trilla had pursued him with a vicious fervor that could not have been her sane desire. Why she had moved her attention to Cal so violently was beyond her knowledge, especially after what Xur had described as the Second Brother.
Even considering what Cere had subsequently put her former padawan through, something inside Trilla wasn't right. It was a haunting menace that would surely consume her in time…transforming her into a monster beyond redemption.
When Cere had chosen Trilla as her padawan, all those years ago, Master Yoda had warned her: the power to heal, save many it can…but if abused, destroy many…it will. The first time she had witnessed her close a mortal wound, it evoked a level of pride within her that she had never been able to recreate. For the first time as a Jedi, she felt special because of what Trilla could do. Spending many years with Cordova, scouring ancient tombs and collecting relics, while good experience, didn't separate her from the rest of the Jedi. Training a girl who could achieve miracles…it was what any master lived to see.
In that moment, she wondered why a more prominent Jedi Master did not train her. Perhaps, since her kind were not as desperately thinned out, they saw no issue in granting Cere her request…and had taken her for granted.
Then again, if she had been padawan to a council member, she'd probably be dead…killed by her own men.
Cere didn't want to think it…but it was there…subtly wishing that Trilla had died during the Purge. While the grief would've surely ravaged her, it couldn't possibly be as bad as the responsibility she felt now. She felt so powerless…filled with so much rage at not only the Empire, but at herself.
She shook the thought away. The holocron had to come first. If she couldn't save Trilla, she would certainly save those children on that list.
There was a scent of food that wafted in the cockpit, and Cere turned her head to spot Greez walking in.
"Hey. You okay?" he asked. "Thought I heard you over here."
Cere shook her head, turning in her chair. "It's nothing. Just a bad dream," she downplayed, and then let her eyes wander to the kitchen.
"Oh. I'm just putting together a little something…you know, a last supper before something on Dathomir eats me alive," Greez answered, his sarcastic tone as radiant as ever. "Still can't believe we have to go to that place."
Cere smirked. "Well, if it were up to me, we wouldn't be, but we lost the Astrium on Zakuul, so now we have little choice."
"Yeah…the astro-thingy," Greez acknowledged, crossing two of his four arms. "The kid hasn't left his room since we went into hyperspace. I mean, I'd like to think he and BD-1 are fixing up that droid they found, but I don't think so."
"We just need to give him space. He's taking what went on between him and Eon…pretty hard."
"Yeah, I feel like I'm missing something from that."
Cere's eyes panned away in reverie. "Cal said he knew him, and at such a young age it was easy for him to become enamored with a Jedi always at the front of the fight. He looked up to him…and I think Xur let him down."
Greez scoffed. "I know what that's like. I tried talking to him, but because of our previous conversation I don't think he wants much to do with me."
"We need to let him walk his own path," she suggested. "I have a feeling there will be things he sees on Dathomir that may redefine him forever…and reveal bitter truths he may not want to know."
The lateron nodded but turned his head to the smell of burning food. "Shit…hold that thought, Cere."
As Greez ran off to rescue his meal, Cere returned her gaze to the console before her…wondering if she had truly spoken of Cal…or herself.
Coruscant, 14 BBY
Imperial Palace
"Tell me," Palpatine inquired. "What is it that drives you?"
Trilla kept pace beside his slow walk, long relinquished of her helmet. While her anxiety was far from gone from her, the extended period had allowed her to adopt a bit of comfort with their interactions. Much to the disagreement of the Force itself, the Emperor was far more pleasant than she initially believed, his tone understanding…his statements eased. Instead of a reserved walk, she found herself opening up to his questions.
"The thrill of the hunt, your majesty," she answered. "I enjoy the…challenges of hunting Jedi, and the reward in capturing them."
Palpatine chuckled lightly. "Spoken like a true inquisitor. How…disappointing."
Trilla's throat dried, and no words found their way through.
"I will ask you again. What is it that drives you?"
She felt herself at a precipice…a test within a conversation, and with Vader's resolve, she felt her life hanging on her passage. To succeed…she felt she needed to be truthful, all the way to the personal foundation.
"My hatred for my former master drives me," she corrected. "In every Jedi I hunt, I feel her, and when I end their lives, I see her face. I wish nothing more than to end her miserable life and make her suffer for eternity."
Palpatine turned his head, and he grinned her way. "Do not relinquish that hatred. It gives you focus, and it can only make you stronger."
Trilla took that to heart, feeling her anger rise as the image of Cere reappeared in her mind, and it translated to the twitching of her lip as she walked.
"You suffer from imbalance, Trilla Suduri," he noted as they continued through the halls of the palace. "But your power…" he closed his eyes, his smile widening. "You have unlocked something within you truly special."
She instinctually reached for her palm, but caught herself, attempting to assert her control over involuntary reactions.
"Do not fear what you are capable of," he insisted. "It has been many thousands of years since one could drain the life force of living beings tenfold. The Jedi wasted these gifted individuals on compassion, restricting them to consulars and healers…ignoring their greatest strength."
Palpatine stopped and faced her, she being quick to do the same. "I will not allow Lord Vader to waste such an…asset."
Trilla was quick to bow her head. "Thank you…my Emperor."
"But you must first prove yourself to me," he interrupted, and then gestured, opening the door at the end of the hall. Trilla slowly turned…and her eyes widened.
Through the door, crimson guards held Effa with electrified bonds, two of them with their force pikes pointed her direction…poised for the killing blow. Her face had been cut in multiple spots, blood ruining her neigh-perfect outlook. Despite her situation, she looked up to Trilla and smiled.
"Trilla! You came to rescue me!" she joyously exclaimed, and then her personality flipped. "These fine men and I have been having fun! I can't wait to stretch them until they snap! Won't you help me?"
She was frozen in place, unmoving at the sight, and Palpatine merely kept his eyes on her, seemingly waiting for her to act.
"What is this?" Trilla asked.
He did not smile nor laugh. "I have ordered my men to kill her. You cannot reach her in time, and there is only one method that may save her life."
Trilla grit her teeth and turned towards the men. She tried to take a step, but one guard activated his arm control, and Effa was seized by electrocution, her eyes bulging as she screamed, only ending when Trilla ended her approach.
"Kill them all!" Palpatine ordered. "Or she dies!"
She grit her teeth and reached out, searching for the hum of their life force, but found nothing. It was gagged, just as before, and it felt like listening for sound with deaf ears. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't conjure the field she had before.
"I…I can't!" she cried.
Palpatine turned to his guards. "Kill her."
Faster than Trilla could perceive, both force pikes were thrusted through Effa's chest, and blood pooled beneath her as she collapsed…and died.
The world went silent for Trilla…her senses deafened, and her vision tinting red in a slowed fashion. Her hatred spiked, and suddenly she could hear it all; the life forces of each of the crimson guards screaming to her…goading her to rip them from their miserable owners.
Trilla obliged them.
Purple energy erupted from her hand, tendrils that latched onto the hearts of the armored men, engulfing them in sheer agony, their very souls torn from their crude shells. Screams bellowed from each of them, falling to their knees as their bodies spasmed and died, splashing into the poll of Effa's blood that had manifested.
Trilla relinquished the attack, but she was not finished, purposely keeping one alive for the final act. He could not rise, but she helped him up, ripping him off the floor with the flick of her hand as she slowly walked his direction. Still with enough energy to struggle, he squirmed in her grip.
Palpatine laughed. "Good! Use your hatred! Kill him…kill him as you see fit!"
She growled, pushing her hands together in a crushing motion, and the man screamed in absolute agony as his bones crushed themselves. Trilla twisted her left hand, and his left arm and leg were ripped from his torso, splatting horrific gore across the rugged carpet. Her anger escalated, and she could feel the pool of power that had grown within her…rising up into her chest…and seeping into her arms.
Lightning poured from her fingers as she unleashed it, cooking him alive until it finally graced him with the death he certainly had prayed for. Once her torrent had run its course, the lightning stopped, and his dead and mutilated body dropped to the floor.
Trilla breathed, her hatred, pain and anger running its course through her mind…only leaving despair. She fell to her knees and uncontrollably wept, soaking her gloves in her tears, ignoring the blood that had tarnished her face. It was not advised to do so in front of the Emperor, but she couldn't stop herself, no matter how hard she tried.
All she heard was Palpatine's chuckle behind her. "Very good, Trilla. I see my faith was not misplaced. You will prove to be a great investment."
In that moment, her tears ceased, and her despair gave way to resolve.
"I am…" she sniffled, repositioning herself to kneel before her sire. "I pledge myself…to you, my Emperor."
Palpatine smiled down upon her, his eyes closing. "Your power…it is a blistering cauldron…just waiting to be tipped in the right direction."
She looked up; her eyeshadow smeared down her cheeks. "I will do…as you command."
He sneered. "Henceforth, you will relinquish the title of Second Sister, and your ties to the Inquisitorious. You will no longer answer to their summons or their commands. You shall answer directly to your Emperor, and only your Emperor."
Trilla bowed her head once more. "I shall carry out your will as you see fit."
Palpatine gestured for her to rise. "Rise, Trilla Suduri," he commanded, and she met his height.
"Emperor's Wrath."
Ziost, 14 BBY
Sister's Estate
Xur winced and tried to ease the sudden pain with his hand to his head. While the pain was quick to disappear, the Force continued, and he suddenly felt lightheaded and ill.
"You must ignore all distractions," the First Sister insisted, until she too reached for her head, grunting slightly.
"Did you feel that?" Xur asked.
"Yes," she confirmed. "A disturbance…something…sinister."
Just as quickly as it had disappeared, Xur felt it again, this time much more vividly. That dark leviathan he had experienced on Zakuul had returned, this time consuming whole cities…an entire planet. Wherever it went, it left nothing behind.
"It's…it's her," Xur recognized, a sadness welling up within him. "Something terrible has happened."
"You must not let despair control you," she urged, sitting cross-legged across from him. "It is a crippling weakness than can be easily used in your enemy's favor."
The zabrak rubbed his eyes. He couldn't take it anymore. Never before had he sat around while someone important to him suffered, and he certainly never backed down when there was a war on. It was against his nature, and he was done letting himself give in to fear.
"I have to help her," he rose to his feet.
"If you go now, you will only worsen her. She is in a fragile state, and if you present yourself before you are ready, she will kill you, and all of this will be for nothing."
"I can't leave her!" he resisted, his emotions exploding at last. "This is on me; I should've pulled her out when I had the chance."
The First Sister sprung to her superior height. "Do not allow your personal feelings to jeopardize your destiny!" she growled. "There is nothing you can do!"
"You said it yourself, I can beat the Sith!"
"You can't beat him!" she shouted him down, reducing him to silence. "You can't…"
Xur's eyes narrowed. This was the first time she had a crack in her demeanor, which had progressively weakened the longer he had stayed here. She had devolved from a diabolical teacher to an old woman growing attached to him, and it only perplexed him further.
Fed up, he swiped his hand through the air. "Enough masks. Tell me who you really are."
The First Sister paused, her mask optics pointing beyond him, but they eventually focused on his face, seemingly returning from a lost memory. "You must face your past first. If you do so, I will tell you who I am."
He seethed. "Why are you so obsessed with this?"
She simply turned away, reclaiming her spot on the rug. "Because if you succeed, you will already know."
More cryptic blurrg-shit. Fucking hell.
The First Sister seemed to notice his annoyance, but instead of dragging him to the floor with the wave of her hand, she held her hand out, presenting the seat across from her. "Please."
Xur grumbled as his curiosity got the better of him, positioning himself cross-legged on the rug. Deep down, he truly did not wish to go back to that moment she so desperately wanted him to visit, but he knew it had only held him back…and he wanted to solve the constant mystery his instructor was hinting at.
If it was the only way to save Trilla…then so be it.
He took a deep breath. "I'm ready."
She nodded, and this time her voice came out soothing. "When you see what you need to see, don't look away."
Xur focused, his mind reaching back…back to that moment.
He is strong. We cannot allow…
Coruscant, 36 BBY
Undercity Level 13-13
"…him to be wasted with the likes of the Jedi Order," Valeria insisted, her arms crossed and posture straight, while her Jedi husband, Osiris Eon, allowed his voice to rise with each word.
"All you've ever cared about is power! He doesn't need to be a weapon! The Jedi can teach him how to control the darkness within him," he argued, and she only scoffed in dismissal, turning away.
"Control the darkness?" she mocked. "You are a fool, Osiris…blind and stupid! The Jedi either run from or ignore darkness, they do not face it."
Small footsteps could be heard coming from a side room, and the male tan-skinned zabrak made a shushing gesture. "Shhh. He's coming."
Xur Eon, only two years old, peeked from behind the door at his parents, who had at last ceased their yelling. Valeria noticed him, and with a tested glance towards her husband, she knelt before her son, trying to smile for him. She was nearly his spitting image, aside from the tattoos that he had never earned at birth.
"Mama…Dad?" he asked, shivering in fear as a result of the anger he could sense from both his parents, threatening to spill over. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, my beautiful child," his mother eased, caressing his face with her gloved hand. "Your father and I are just having a discussion."
"Go back to bed, son," Osiris said, his arms crossed.
Xur couldn't…his fear was too great, and the young boy buried himself in his mother's embrace, and she comforted him as best she could. "I'm scared, Mama."
"Don't be scared," she soothed. "You'll be strong one day," she promised, and then looked up to her husband. "Stronger than everyone."
"Valeria…" he trailed off, and then fear was apparent. "We can't hide forever."
"There's no time," she retorted. "I'll take him."
"Absolutely not!" Osiris yelled. "He's going to the Jedi Order. It's the safest place for him!"
Xur's eyes widened in his mother's arms as anger reached a fever pitch, and a crimson blade was ignited, pointed at his father. However, just when the emotions exploded, Xur felt himself dizzy…his senses blurred.
Another blade sparked, and Xur was dropped to the floor, red and green blades clashing in the middle. The child rolled over; his eyes wide with terror as the blinding lights terrified him…rage projected through the Force like a terrifying demon he could only perceive as a monster.
"Stay back, son! I have to do this!" his father shouted.
The horrific light displays continued, until green spun and plunged itself into his mother, expunging the red…and the life force within her.
Xur let out a high-pitched scream. "Mamaaaaa!"
Osiris left the body of Valeria behind, a smoldering hole through her abdomen, her eyes dulled and lifeless, and reached out to Xur, who tried to crawl away.
"Come with me! I have to get you someplace safe!" his father urged, and grabbed ahold of his leg, while Xur tried to punch his father's arm free. Eventually, Osiris waved his hand before his son…and his vision fell to black.
"…who left you here, little one?"
Xur awoke, his head heavy and senses foggy, blinded by the light of the Coruscant sun. All he saw was white, until a shadow relieved his eyes of the glare…and a figure came into focus. He was a dark-skinned male human, dressed in tan Jedi Robes, perhaps no older than his father.
The young zabrak tried to back away, but the human merely raised his hands. "Easy…I'm a friend," he said. "My name is Mace…I'm a Jedi."
Xur sniffled, his eyes welling up with tears as he could no longer sense either of his parents. "A J-Jedi?"
"Yes," he nodded, smiling. "What's your name?"
"Xur," the young boy answered, ending his fleeing movement.
Mace nodded. "Xur…do you know how you got here?"
He shook his head, drooping. There was an energy to the human before him, similar to that of both his parents…something he could feel.
Mace held out his hand. "Come now, let's find you a home."
Ziost, 14 BBY
Sister's Estate
Xur wiped the tear from his face as his senses returned to the present moment, shaking off the traumatic pain of watching his mother murdered before his eyes…someone he had loved more than anything in the universe. Most Jedi never saw death until their teenaged years…he'd seen it when he was merely a toddler, and the energy that erupted in the Force was more than his mind could handle.
And yet, seeing it again with a new perspective helped him. He had never forgiven his father, and perhaps never truly would, but he was knowledgeable enough now to accept that he didn't have all the answers…and that there was something going on beyond his own view.
Knowing that…he accepted it…and his sorrow dissipated.
The First Sister grasped his hand gently, much to his surprise, but with his new vision…he realized something else.
She pulled back her hood and used both hands to unclip her mask with a hiss. When she revealed her face, the surprise was gone.
"My beautiful child," Valeria Eon cried, her eyes as blue as his…beautiful black hair tied and clipped behind her head. "Now you see."
Xur's eyes couldn't stay dry, his chin shuddering with emotion. "M…Mom?"
Valeria nodded, her eyes watered. "I wanted to tell you…you have no idea how long-," she was cut off by his wholesome embrace. "I'm so sorry I had to deceive you."
He sobbed into her hair. "How?"
"It's a…long story," she answered. "I made you see what you needed to see…it broke my heart."
Xur's arms crushed her in his grip, but she didn't stop him. She allowed his tears to flow, his emotions to run their course, and once he was finished, he pulled away. His eyes were sullied red, but she could feel his happiness, despite all of it.
After a few breaths, he smiled. "Hell of a way to treat me," he joked. "Lightning and all."
"I…I had to," she replied. "As to why, you will see in time…but know that everything I have done, and have yet to do is all for your benefit. Of all things in this galaxy, you are the pinnacle of my machinations."
He nodded, but eventually his expression changed as the euphoria of her reveal faded. "What about Dad?"
Valeria paused…and shook her head. "Xur…I…deceived him as well."
The zabrak's eyes widened.
"He thought he had killed me, and after he left you at the Temple…he could no longer live with himself…so he wandered off…and took his own life," she revealed, her head drooping. "But I'm sure you've assumed as much by now."
His eyes narrowed, and his joy began to give way. "You…let him die?! Why?" he erupted, rage pouring over. "Why fool us in the first place?!"
"Xur…"
"Why?! We had everything! Why did you take it all away?!"
"To hide you from him!" she shut him down, her voice returning to the harsh master that had found him on Zakuul. "Darth Sidious."
His rage capped, but he backed away. "The Emperor?"
Valeria nodded. "I used to be his personal assassin…before the Naboo Blockade…before you were born. When I left him to be with your father, he tried desperately to find me, but I had learned how to hide myself, and I used his own strategies against him," she explained. "But we didn't last long. That day…when you saw me die…there were multiple assassins coming our way. While your father took you to the Jedi, I killed them all, and I've been hiding out across the galaxy, until finally settling here."
"So…so it is possible…" Xur trailed off, his eyes shifting in thought.
"What is?"
"To turn away from the dark," he explained. "Like you."
Valeria's eyes shut, and she shook her head. "The Dark Side never leaves you. Embrace it once, and it embraces you forever, no matter how hard you try to push it away. I tried for decades…but I've accepted it now as a part of me…as you have."
Xur's eyes panned down, and she could feel where his thoughts were going.
"As a mother, I am…happy that you love someone," she admitted. "But as your teacher, I must warn you…she will be the death of you, if you let her."
"I know," Xur grumbled.
"Do you? You could've killed her any number of ways while you were the Second Brother. Instead you allowed her to live, and as we've experienced, she has begun her descent into madness and destruction."
"I know."
Valeria's eyes narrowed. "I just hope that you understand what's at stake…because I promise you, the time will come where you will have to make a choice…and I want you to make the right one."
Xur met her gaze, his assurance projected in his response. "I will, I promise."
She smiled. "Good…now, let us continue."
"More training?" Xur scoffed. "Mom…I just found out you're alive. This moment…let's feel it…"
"…for as long as it will last," she filled in for him, reminding her of a lesson she had learned long ago, one she would never forget. "A meal then."
Xur nodded. "A meal."
Coruscant, 14 BBY
Undisclosed Medical Facility
"Rise."
Effa desperately gasped, her breath refilling her stagnant lungs as life returned to her body. Instinctually reaching for her head, she discovered that her wrists were bound at her sides, and immediately her mind went into a whirl. Terror infected her mind first, preparing for the harsh embrace she had felt for so long…but it gave way to sweet, perverse desire, ready to drink in her own pain once again.
"Oh, how I've missed you," she chuckled, her vision still blurred, but relaxing herself. "Those glowing tendrils…my friends!"
"Silence yourself, Inquisitor," the bone chilling voice came next. Effa's head turned towards a dark blob in her vision, and after squinting her eyes, it came into focus.
"My savior…" she smiled blissfully as her eyes fell upon Darth Vader, his arms crossed over his chest. From her medical bed, he was the only other being in the room, and she was surprised to find herself merely strapped to it, and not another torture device.
Effa chuckled. "Did I die well?"
"Indeed."
Surreptitiously, her eyes darted around, before leaning towards him, her voice to a whisper. "Did Trilla cry…did she scream? Did she kill them all?"
Vader pointed sternly. "Do not forget your purpose…and where your true loyalties lie. You will continue as planned. No alterations."
Effa let her head fall back onto her pillow, and she smiled. "I…as always…am eternally yours…
"Anakin."
A lot happened there…I know.
Before you ask me why Trilla would suddenly grab the attention of the Emperor, just think about the stakes…how many people have her power. Then ask yourself…would he really let something like that go to waste, especially if he could use it to his advantage?
Cal's role has been reduced, as I'm sure you've noticed, but he's not gone, I promise. Merrin's name isn't in the description for fun…
Other characters will be coming back soon, but that is the end of Act II, so next is the second interlude, which is shaping up to be the longest chapter (yes, even longer than The Revenant), so it will be some time before that drops. It's going to be insane…and a collab with one of my fellow writers.
See you then. If you've enjoyed (or not), let me know your thoughts so far through two acts! Also, feel free to check out the poll on my profile!
Thanks for reading!
