CHAPTER 14

Legacy of Darkness

"Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people."

Korriban, 14 BBY

Cave

The echoes persisted as Xur paced through the cave, his senses rampant and fingers twitching for his hilt. Aside from the sporadic flying beasts that he found rather easy to dispose of, he was left alone, some critters even scuttering away as he passed. His mother's assessment had certainly been right, as the Dark Side of the Force was nearly blinding here. To feel was like sticking his hand through a thick cloud, unsure as to what lay on the other side.

The zabrak truly did not know what to expect. He had been to Korriban before, but only during an invasion, which silenced the plaguing whispers that infected him now. Darkness thickened…and soon he could barely see his palm before his eyes. Unable to see any longer, he stopped and turned back, only to noticed that the entrance was long gone.

No…the cave was long gone.

"Hey."

Xur jerked his head to the sound, and soon he found himself in an imperial shuttle, his vision augmented by the old HUD of his inquisitor helmet. Touching himself quickly as he realized he was back in the Second Brother's uniform, there was a firm grip on his shoulder.

"What's the matter with you?" the Second Sister asked, her mask projecting her voice.

Xur shook his head. "What?"

She cocked her head in confusion, and then chuckled. "Come on, love. Don't tell me you're getting nervous already."

He was dumbfounded, stuttering over his words as he failed to comprehend how he got here. "Trilla?"

The Second Sister faced him but didn't grace his confusion with a rough shove or violent threat. Instead, she gently let her gloved hand glide up his arm and to his neck, gently squeezing his muscles in a relaxing manner.

"Yes, Xur, it's me," she answered. "Are you sure you're alright?"

He blinked but fought off the instinct to breathe deeply to her touch, everything about what she did brining him pleasure, instead of fear. Relishing in the moment anyhow, he grasped her other hand, and she gipped his back without hesitation.

"Yeah…I'm great, actually," he replied, smiling.

Trilla's hand cradled the side of his neck, the last part of his body she could touch, before letting him go. "Good…we're almost there," she began to pull her hand away, but Xur gripped it tighter in protest.

"Wait…no," he almost begged. "Let me…just a little longer."

He couldn't see her face, but he could tell she was smiling back. "Alright," she accepted, allowing their fingers to lock together as she stood by his side. "Together then."

Xur nodded. "It's all I've ever wanted."

Trilla giggled with pleasure as the shuttle landed, decompression running through the cabin as the loading ramp slowly lowered. Together they walked into the large hangar, a line of stormtroopers on each side forming a pathway for them to follow. Xur smiled as he and Trilla expressed their feelings out in the open, no longer needing to hide in the shadows.

Her other hand grasped his upper arm, pulling herself closer. "I'm so proud of you, my love."

Xur blushed behind his helmet. "For what?"

Trilla grumbled positively. "You know…for bringing him in. You were the only one of us who could've done it."

They approached the trapezoid-shaped door at the end of the pathway, and Trilla gestured, prompting it to open. Xur seized…his legs locked in place. On the other side was an interrogation chamber…with Anakin Skywalker placed inside the chair.

Trilla chuckled deviously, which gained a sadistic edge the longer it persisted. "Look at him now. Not so terrifying anymore, is he?"

The poetic justice was too good to be true. All this time he had spent torturing all those Jedi, just to end up in the exact chair he had used. Xur's lips twitched into a smile, feeling the rising urge to put him through it all, just to see him scream…just to see him suffer.

Anakin's eyes were infected with that yellow Sith glow as he stared daggers into the zabrak, his fists clenching.

"You think…" Anakin gasped, audibly exhausted. "You think this somehow makes us even? You're wrong. I'll get out of here, and you'll all suffer."

"Bold words from a man trapped in his own home," Trilla pointed, letting go of Xur's arm. "Inside a week we'll have you crawling on your knees and fetching us caf."

His chest puffed as laughs began to surface, and soon Anakin sneered. "I remember when you were in this chair. You'd scream for hours on end, crying through the pain like a child. You were weak…and you snapped like a-."

The closing sound in the Force silenced Anakin as Xur raised his hand, choking the bound vermin before him. "And you're going to pay for every scar you left on her body."

He continued to choke him until his face turned blue, and eventually let go, allowing Anakin to gasp for air.

"Let's start it up," Trilla insisted. "Let's make him pay."

The control was right beside him, and Xur felt his hand twitch towards the button. He could imagine it now…watching Anakin's body seize and spasm as he suffered, inflicting every wound he had dared to inflict upon the woman beside him.

Xur's glove glossed over it…but he hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Trilla asked, her arms crossed. "Press it."

He tried, but he couldn't.

"This…this isn't me. This isn't how I do things," Xur shook his head, pulling his hand away.

Trilla stepped forward in a threatening manner. "You mean to tell me that after everything I suffered, you're going to let him get away with it?"

"No…"

She growled, grasping the neck of his clothing tightly. "Then press the fucking button."

It was now that Anakin laughed almost hysterically. "You think she loves you?! Ha! You're just as gullible as you always were. She never cared about what you wanted, it's always been about her, and her alone."

Xur shook his head. "That's not true…" he trailed off, and then looked into the stoic and threatening gaze of the Second Sister's mask, and as he continued to hesitate, her rage only intensified. "Trilla, we don't have to be like him!"

"We already are," Trilla denied. "Now either you press that button, or I'll put you in next."

He was taken aback, stunned by the turn of events. "Trilla…"

"HA!" Anakin shouted. "She's mine! She's always been mine, and I promise, you will never get her back!"

"No, she's stronger than that!" Xur denied, stepping forward, cupping her helmet into his hands. "Come with me, please! Let's leave all of this behind while we…!"

Fire blazed through his abdomen as Trilla impaled him with her crimson blade, and he gasped in stunned shock as his gaze fell to her, and his body limped to the ground. The blazing wound smoked as he covered it with his hand, looking up.

Trilla removed her mask and tossed it aside, and the expression on her face was that of disappointment…betrayal.

"It's treason…then," she spat, then laced with another voice he had known all to well. Emperor Palpatine paced from behind her, his potent laugh reverberating through the air.

"No…" Xur gasped, and then found himself falling through a trap door, his screams echoing through the shaft.


Dathomir, 14 BBY

Highlands

"Oh, Jedi…you're so baaaaad."

Cal pulled her close as she lifted her leg, letting what lay in between her hips rub up against him. With a madness to him, he grasped ahold of their knee and kissed their neck, relishing in the moans of pleasure that followed.

"I know," he said.

She chuckled. "But tell me this, Jedi…do all of you moan in your sleep…or just you?"

"What?"

"Cal."

His eyes flashed open again, but this time he was less violent in his awakening…mostly because this time he hadn't witnessed BD-1's head atop the woman he had dreamed with. Still, the sudden end of such a pleasurable moment was less than ideal.

"What?" he asked groggily, rubbing his eyes, unsure as to who called him.

"You did not answer my question."

Cal's green eyes focused and eventually made out the form of Merrin, standing above him with her arms crossed, while he rolled over to prop himself up. "What question?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "For a Jedi, your senses are quite sub-par."

"Ouch," Cal winced. "Jedi aren't immune to the issues of waking up."

The nightsister mulled his answer with the swaying of her head, her white bangs following her movements. "Fair enough. I asked if Jedi usually moan in their sleep, or if it was just something you do."

Moan in my…what?

Cal slicked back his red hair as he finally rose to his feet, trying to reassert himself. "I don't know what you mean."

BD-1 waddled over, beeping once or twice…saying that he had an audio recording. Knowing that Merrin couldn't understand the droid, Cal tried to play it off.

"No, BD, we're supposed to support each other, remember?" he urged, hinting at 'bro code' so to speak. Whether or not the droid cared about such a thing was a mystery, but he tried, nonetheless.

To his dismay, the droid situated itself, emulating the discrete sounds Cal made in his sleep. Flushing with embarrassment, Cal fought through the sound of his own voice with grit teeth, until BD finally relieved him of that burden.

Merrin giggled to herself. "I wish I had dreams as potent as yours."

Cal huffed, shaking his head. "Thanks a lot BD. You trying to impress the new girl or something?"

BD compacted himself and sprung upwards.

Deet-deet beep boop.

Cal revolted in disgust. "Why you little-."

Merrin crossed her arms in interest. "What did he say?"

While Cal wanted to take the little droid and strap on a restraining bolt just for a moment, he eventually caught himself before he reacted emotionally. This feelings crap was starting to become too overwhelming.

"Nothing important," he answered, finding it hard to look her in the eye, even with his emotions under better control. "We should get moving."

Merrin grasped his shoulder roughly before he set off down the path that led to an overgrown entrance to a fallen ruin, taken over by the freakish-looking plants that this planet adopted.

"Unless you wish to be overrun by bane back spiders, you will allow me to take the lead, Cal Kestis," she warned.

Cal's already emotional imbalance steered him to react rather harshly. "Take the lead? You've spent our entire journey teleporting from place to place, leaving every time we run into trouble. I think BD and I can handle ourselves."

Merrin had her hands on her hips. "Is that what you think? If I had never shown up that day, you would be long dead, Jedi."

Yeah, you would. Nice going, Cal.

He grimaced as he realized he had spoken out of place. "You're right," he admitted. "Sorry Merrin, I'm just…"

The nightsister cocked her head, leaning in for his answer. "What? Ever since I brought up your sleeping habits, you've become more nervous. It is strange. I've never experienced anyone become so guarded before."

"Well, your question was…" he trailed off, unsure how to explain it without going in depth. "…kind of personal."

Her eyes narrowed. "Personal? I am…unaware of your meaning."

Oh boy.

"You've never…had a conversation with someone else about their…tendencies?" Cal asked, puzzled, more than anything. When she still didn't seem to register his answer, he used an example. "Like…if you and I were talking, and I suddenly asked you about your dead sisters."

Her teeth grit and eyes glowed green. "You'd better…"

"See?" Cal pointed, shaking off her dual voice as he subtly backed away. "That's what I mean."

Merrin blinked a few times, and like a slow protocol droid, what he said seemed to translate within, allowing her eyes to cease their glow. "I see…I'm…sorry, Cal Kestis. I did not mean to ask you something…personal."

Her sincerity was there, unexpectedly. From their short time together, Merrin had come off as somewhat harsh and slow to trust, but he was seeing her waver ever further as each day passed. She reminded him of himself, on Bracca, unable to trust anyone after his own soldiers had tried to kill him.

They were more similar than he initially realized.

Cal reached up and patted her shoulder, to which her head jerked. "It's alright, Merrin," he assured, letting his hand fall back to his side. "No harm done."

She paused again, looking as if she was struggling to process what was happening, before clearing her throat. "Right…this way, Cal Kestis," she pointed, this time walking in front instead of teleporting away.

He felt an urge to ease their relationship even further as BD-1 leapt up on his back, kicking dirt over their fire to snuff it out. "You know, you can just call me Cal. You don't have to use my full name."

Merrin shrugged. "I feel like it is disrespect not to."

Cal snorted, catching up to match her pace. "Trust me, it doesn't hurt my feelings."

"If you insist, Cal," she said, as if trying to speak a new word. "This tomb you search for is not far."


Fury, 14 BBY

Adrift

Trilla had no idea how long she'd stared at the holomap, or how long it had been since her ship last moved. She'd spent most of it either crying, slamming her fist into something, or drinking profusely. The Emperor had truly spared no expense in her ship's deployment, so the liquor cabinet was plenty full.

It's almost as if he knew she'd tend to drink, even as a Jedi. Through her intoxication were spouts of shouting at Rava, talking to herself, or repeating over and over that she didn't love anyone anymore. Her Jedi self continued to insist that she was in a perpetual state of denial, using titles to justify her current 'superficial' role in the galaxy.

And that the Empire had abandoned her.

Abandoned me…? The Empire only casts aside what is useless. I am the most useful asset they have.

Her eyes kept probing holographic planets, trying to find some way to extrapolate Xur's travels through the galaxy. She'd called in every bit on information she had, beginning all the way back to nearly four years ago, when she had first started searching for him. As the Second Sister, all she could deduct was that he had found a way to ping his signal in multiple places at once…but the Empire had never been able to isolate and rectify this glitch. It was a frustrating endless trail of dead ends…until of course…

Until the Admiral found him.

It didn't surprise Trilla that Vorchenko could've overrode and saw past his methods of deception. She had proven quite adept at covering her bases, but that was what Trilla had been concerned about from the dawn of their relationship. There were only a sporadic few that knew how close she and Xur had been during the war, and they were all dead by now…all but one.

But she had no proof, just like in the elevator, and she could not act on this without a plan. The convenience of the events was just too great to be coincidental. While Xur was certainly devious enough to pull off what he had, Trilla found it impossible that he could've scrounged up the resources to complete his transformation.

Besides all that, how did he possibly hide his Force signature for that long? No matter how powerful in the Force he was, Trilla would've noticed he was hiding something, especially the one night he and she had shared a drink with the others.

The night he had killed an inquisitor for laying his hands on her.

How did I not see it?

Every time she looked back to their time working together, it seemed so painfully obvious that he was an imposter; the way he cared for his troops…the way he cared for her. At the time she had chalked it up to blatant lust, and in her arrogance, she felt she could exploit that to secure his loyalty under her…but she never knew that he had been the puppeteer all along. On Bracca, where he was subtly able to get a message to Cal Kestis, and in turn knock him out of her reach…his blatant defiance against everything she had been taught as the Second Sister…she was almost impressed, just as the Grand Inquisitor had been.

"And since then you've lost your way."

Trilla grimaced, finally shutting her eyes at the sound of her own voice. "I'd rather not do this now."

"The feeling is mutual."

When she looked across the holotable, she was surprised to see herself dressed in her inquisitor uniform, instead of her Jedi robes. In annoyance, she deactivated the holotable and turned away, pacing back to her quarters. "I'm done letting you plague my mind."

"So sure, are you?" her falsehood called, and she stopped, against her better judgment. "When given the opportunity to evolve beyond me, you squandered it, allowing the thought of some meaningless Jedi to control you."

She could hear her boots walking across the floor, and Trilla felt her hand twitch towards her lightsaber. "You're not even real," she seethed.

"I am more real than even you. Tell me: what happened to the ruthless hunter? Why have you allowed this to distract you from your obligation to bring in the Jedi Padawan?"

Trilla whirled around, facing her own spectre. "That Jedi Padawan is meaningless against the likes of Xur Eon. I vowed to kill that man the day I became you, and now it is the only key to freeing me from this cage."

"Cage," the Second Sister spat. "Those are his words influencing you, even now. You still think he'll come to free us, don't you?"

"There is no us," Trilla growled. "There is only me."

"You lost the right to me long ago," her reflection sneered. "There will always be us, because in the end, you can't kill me, just like you can't kill the part of you that still loves him."

She felt her hands seize, and soon Trilla was once again trying to crush her own skull, silencing the whispers of her own consciousness. "I do not love him! I am going to kill him!"

"You can't," another one of her voices echoed in her mind, and to her right was now standing her Jedi portrayal. "You don't want to."

"Yes you can!" the Second Sister denied. "Kill him! Kill her!"

"You still love him. You know it in your heart."

"He betrayed us, and he deserves to die!"

"He loves you back. You've seen it. You can't deny it."

"He loves that togruta more than he loves us. He's probably bedding with her right now, while we remain here and allow him to continue breathing."

Trilla fell to her knees trying to silence them both, drool pouring from her mouth as her teeth grit.

"He's always been there for you."

"He abandoned us."

For what it's worth, it was good to be with you again.

She could do nothing to make them stop, and eventually she had accepted this reality, falling back into a curled pose on the floor, letting tears soak her face.


Korriban, 14 BBY

Cave

Xur landed in a heap, plenty hard enough to break bones, but to his luck, he was completely unharmed. The vision he had just experienced…never before had he seen a falsehood so vivid, and he had nearly caught himself from believing it was real.

With Trilla's hand in his…the pet names she called him…sure, they were small, but to him they were precious.

He wanted her back. He wanted her back more than anything in the galaxy, but if what he had seen told him anything, it was that he would have to earn her back. There were so many strings attached to her now, and it would take much for him to sever them all. Part of him wanted to cry again, just as he had nearly every night his nightmares dissipated, but now was not the time for him to break down, not in a place such as this.

The zabrak picked himself up and pressed on through the darkness, his vision clouded once again, but his resolve kept him moving. Curling up and crying about Trilla's current state wouldn't bring her back, and he could feel the importance of his current journey to that goal.

As he walked, the darkness illuminated into a tomb of stone bricks, until he came into an open area…with his mother waiting there for him.

"You should be commended for making it this far," she greeted, turning to face him, looking proud.

"Mother," Xur greeted, not expecting to see her. "What are you doing here?"

She stepped forward, her hands falling behind her back. "You were given a chance to act on your darkest impulses, and you refused. That was a falsehood, and now you must face reality."

"Reality?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"It is natural to be confused," she eased, her hands pressing downwards. "The others will help you understand."

Others?

Behind him appeared Cal Kestis, his blue blade drawn as he jumped in between Xur and his mother, as if to protect him.

"Stay away from her! She's a Sith Lord!" Cal warned.

Xur grabbed ahold of his shoulder quickly, pulling him back. "Woah, hey kid! That's my mother you're pointing that saber at!"

Valeria growled. "Foolish boy. I've had enough of your meaningless existence," she threatened, drawing her own red blade.

"Hey, hey both of you!" Xur jumped in between. "Stop!"

"This boy is holding you back, Xur," she hissed. "Have you learned nothing?"

"She's a Sith!" Cal plead, sincerity in his eyes. "Can't you see that? She needs to be stopped!"

"She's my mother," Xur pointed sternly. "And you won't lay a finger on her…in fact neither of you will lay a finger on anyone!"

"General!" a familiar voice called, and soon an entire squad of 502nd troopers rushed in, all pointing their weapons at Valeria. Raven lead the charge, both his DC-17 pistols ready. "We came as fast as we could. We'll execute the Sith on your command."

"So…the boy Jedi and your legions have levied themselves against me, will you stand for this?" Valeria asked, her attention on him.

"No!" Xur shook his head frivolously. "Everyone! Stand down, now!"

"We can't, General!" Raven insisted. "This is our only chance! We've got to stop her!"

Cal made no movements to back down, and it was at that point that he felt the shift in the Force. Raven was no liar, and over the years he had served with the clone captain, he had been known to never be wrong when it came to his sense for danger. The red-haired Jedi was no different, as he would only attack if he felt there was a threat. He was a Jedi in that sense.

He faced his mother in that moment. "Is it true? Are you a Sith?"

"I have told you everything," she promised. "But know that I did once call myself Darth Hydra, but only out of necessity…to keep his eyes on me, and not you."

Xur could feel the truth in her words, and his love for her did not waver…but he couldn't bring himself to fight his own men.

"I will not stand against you, mother…but I will not stop them from attacking either," he answered, accepting his inability to act.

Her eyes blazed with rage. "You will do nothing? To do nothing is the equivalent of death, my son, and apathy will be the death of you for all time."

"Apathy is death," Cal echoed.

"Apathy is death," all his men followed.

"Apathy is death," Valeria spat, and reached out, unleashing a torrent of lightning upon him that he stopped with outstretched hands. While it protected him, it arched and spread, electrifying every living being in the room until they laid dead on the floor, Cal's body spasming out at his feet. Enraged, Xur pushed back, redirecting the lightning back at his mother until its power enveloped her, his own power intensifying the attack until she could no longer persist.

She dropped to the ground, her body sizzling and lifeless, and Xur's mouth gaped open once he realized what had happened.

"Mother…" he called, and received no response, rushing to her side. Looking down upon her as he fell to his knees, all he saw were a pair of dead eyes…and a cold, empty body. "No, no, no!" he screamed, cradling her in his arms as tears poured from his eyes. "I'm sorry…I lost control…I'm so sorry…"

All that training with her, and he had failed when she needed him most. It was such a cruel fate…to witness the woman he loved most killed by his own power.

His head fell to her breast as his tears soaked her robes. "I…I failed you. You warned me…and I failed you."

"Yes…you did."

Xur's lips twitched as his sadness manifested into anger, dropping his mother's limp body and vaulting to his feet, spinning on his heel with his blade ignited. Trilla stood there, dressed in black and purple, and a silver insignia of the Galactic Empire placed on her chest. The sneer across her face was the same one he remembered since he saw her last.

"Will you fuck off!" Xur growled.

Trilla laughed with a sadistic hysteria that only deepened his hatred. "Your mother was weak! I discovered her secret and turned her in," she revealed. "They put her in that chair, and she screamed, begging for me to end her suffering."

Xur's vision turned red. "You…"

"Yes," Trilla arched her back forward, her blade igniting. "I tortured her. Not because we needed any information, not for any reason, but because I knew it would hurt you! She cracked!"

The zabrak shut his eyes, trying to force it down, but there was no hiding from this reality.

"And now, her weakness has not only cost her life…but will now cost your own," she threatened, her blade held at the ready.

He snapped.

With an outreached hand, Trilla was suspended in the air, grasping for her throat as she dropped her hilt. In a fit of instinctual rage, he pulled her towards him and closed his fist, snapping her neck and driving his blade through her heart. Trilla's body flopped onto the floor, but despite her injuries, she still breathed, her dying eyes locked onto him from her contorted state.

"Congratulations…" she heaved. "You've won."

Trilla died in that moment, and before he could process what had happened, the environment changed, and as he looked up from Trilla's limp form…he saw a pathway to a throne…littered with bodies. When he looked back down for her, her body was gone, as well as those left behind in the previous room.

Shaking as his rage dissipated, Xur looked down in horror at the familiar bodies he passed. Kaidan, his chest a gaping hole. Effa, her hair scorched and eyes black. Raven, Mars and Lockdown, their bodies and armor blown to pieces. Blaze, his eyes lifeless. Brutis and Petro, both electrocuted to death. Cere, her body aged and drained of all color. Cal, his head severed, with BD-1 broken to pieces beside him.

Xur approached the throne, and the next body was the sparking remains of Darth Vader, the burned and battered face of Anakin Skywalker revealed through his shattered mask. On the other side…was Emperor Palpatine, his fingers still sparking as the last remnants of his life faded away.

All that pain of seeing those bodies…gave way to joy. He found himself smiling…and then subtle laughter followed at the sight of both Sith Lords dead at his feet. He'd…he'd won.

Someone coughed.

"Xur…please…help me…" he heard them beg, and to the side of the throne, he saw Trilla laid out on the floor, reaching for him.

"Trilla!" he yelled, rushing to her and propping her head up for support. "It's okay, it's okay! I've got you."

She coughed again, her face in visible pain. His eyes traced her body for any sign of injury…but he saw none. Trilla was just…dying.

"I thought I could…be strong like you…" she wheezed. "But then Cere betrayed me…"

"You are strong," Xur insisted, grasping her hand. "Your passion kept you forward."

"I thought my strength would give me power," she continued, on the verge of tears. "In hopes that victory would finally break these chains that have held me."

"But you did," he continued, pointing to Vader and Palpatine. "We won! Your chains are broken!"

A tear finally rolled down her face, and she weakly reached up, caressing his with what little strength she had left, while he could only watch in horror as she faded.

"And now…we are broken…"

Her arm fell limp as she died in his arms, her eyes staring aimlessly above. Xur shook her body, trying to deny what had played out before him. "Trilla…please! We've won! Don't go now…not when we're…" he sobbed. "Not when we're this close!"

There was nothing left now.

In victory, he had been broken, and there was nothing left but despair.


Dathomir, 14 BBY

Tomb of Kujet

As Cal walked through the majestic archway of the final Zeffo tomb on his list, he could feel the flickering light within him waver, clouding itself in the fog of darkness. Just walking on its grounds was like wading through a mob of tendrils, all vying to drag him under. He resisted, for now.

Merrin was just behind him, her pace slow and guarded, her eyes dancing over the fading stone structure. Cal could sense her fear rise, even if it was only for a moment until she hid it from view. "We…we shouldn't be here," Merrin warned, the shaking obvious in her voice. "This place is cursed."

He sighed, finally getting a grip over the rising darkness. "I have to, Merrin. Lives are at stake."

"Whose lives?" she asked, remaining at the entrance while Cal slowly pressed forward.

"Innocents," he answered. "Force sensitive children that will be hunted down by the Empire if I don't succeed. They'll all be exterminated."

Merrin paused, and when Cal looked back, her head drooped forward, thoughts distant and elsewhere, reminiscent of when he would speak to Cere about her own past. The nightsister sighed. "As we were…"

Empathetic, Cal reached out from where he stood, offering his hand to her. "I couldn't have made it this far without you. I trusted you to get me here…now I'm asking you to trust me."

She hesitated, her eyes locking on to his fingers with reservation, but eventually she stepped forward, reaching out. When her hand latched to his, there was an undeniable level of excitement that was aroused within him. The Force intertwined with them both, and even he felt a sense of joy rise with her. To have been alone so long, and now to have someone at her side…it must've been like unlocking one of the five senses again.

Merrin's eyes paced away in slight embarrassment. "I must admit, Cal. You are not what I expected…from a Jedi," she said, with no spite left in the last word. "It had been easy for me to believe that they had been the ones to exterminate my people…but after seeing you, and how you act…I may have been wrong."

Cal smiled bashfully, admittedly unsure as how to respond. For a woman of such…physique to compliment him was overwhelming. "Ah…th-thanks…Merrin. You know, you're not so bad yourself…" he trailed off, trying to find the words but only babbled like an idiot. "…for a…you know…"

Merrin smirked, raising her other hand for him to stop. "Just…quit while you're ahead, Cal."

He cleared his throat, heeding her advice. "Right…sorry. So uh…why don't we…" his eyes expanded for a moment as a dark presence in the Force manifested, and he saw a similar reaction in Merrin's expression.

"Did you feel that?" he asked her.

She looked back towards the entrance, pulling her hand away. "Dathomir has another visitor," she noted, and then teleported from view, leaving Cal alone.

"There she goes again," he rubbed his neck.

Deet-beep.

"Yeah, let's check it out," Cal agreed, jogging out of the tomb and back to the edge of the broken bridge. Looking out, he could not see anyone, just the empty pathway that they had traversed from one hilltop to the tomb entrance. Admittedly his vision was slightly skewed from here, despite the height, but the feeling was still present.

"Cal, come in," Cere chimed into his earpiece.

"Cere," Cal acknowledged. "What's going on?"

"The Empire is here, but only in small numbers. It might just be a patrol," she relayed. "But something in the Force tells me there's more to it."

Cal nodded. "Something doesn't feel right…like a feeling at the pit of my…" he paused, recognizing that same feeling from twice before.

"Come again, Cal?" she asked.

It was then that Merrin reappeared. "What have you brought to my world?" she growled; anger clearly present on her face.

"Who is that?"

Cal shook his head. "Cere, I'll get back to you," he replied, cutting the transmission while Merrin's expression only worsened. "Merrin, what are you talking about?"

Her teeth were almost borne. "Black and red armored alien carrying a lightsaber, as well as white-armored men. They're on the hill base."

"An inquisitor," Cal's eyes narrowed, while guilt followed. "It's the Empire, Merrin. They've come for me."

She shook her head, and he could sense turmoil finding its way within her again. "I should've never let you stay…" she huffed. "You must leave here at once!"

"If I leave, Merrin, they'll still be here, and if they see you, they'll hunt you down too!"

"Leave!" her eyes glowed green, and voice doubled over.

Cal had no idea why it was so difficult for him to do as she asked. Part of him thought it was the Astrium, but there was another emotional level to his desire. His attachment to this place was strong, even after only a short time spent here.

No. It wasn't the planet he didn't want to leave…it was her.

He stepped forward, and she readied her fist, but he didn't back down. "Merrin, let me help you, please. Let me take care of the inquisitor."

She hesitated for a moment, but she didn't lower her fist. "Don't make me…" she seethed, and Cal could hear the struggle in her voice.

"You've been waiting to avenge your sisters, Merrin," he reminded her. "Those people, they're here. Now is not the time to hide. Now is the time to fight."

The nightsister considered his words, and through pained grunts of her fighting off her own rage, she lowered her fist, and her magik dissipated. "Your persistence has been noted, Cal, and you speak the truth…" she admitted, crossing her arms in slight embarrassment. "Go, then."

Cal tipped his head, falling into focus. "Thank you," he said, turning to reactivate his comm. "Cere, we're going to fight them off."

"Who's we?" she asked.

He smirked to himself as he jumped from the ledge and landed below, while the sound of Merrin fading into her spectre form persisted behind.

"An unexpected ally."


Korriban, 14 BBY

Unnamed Shuttle

Xur stumbled up the loading ramp, his emotions bottled up as he finally had reached the ship he and his mother had flown in on. Those steps were tremendous efforts, and once he reached the top, he collapsed in a heap. Exhaustion, physical and emotional, had finally consumed him.

Footsteps rushed across the floor, and he was far too spent to sense who it was. "Xur!" his mother called, rolling him over, genuine concern in her voice. "What happened? I couldn't sense you."

His eyes fluttered open, barely making out his mother's face in his vision. Reaching out groggily, he could only muster a few words. "Are…you…real?" he asked.

"Yes," she soothed, her voice understanding as she gently picked him up from the floor. "Yes, I'm real, I promise."

He fell limp in her grip, and all he could make out was being laid down on a bed, perhaps the same he had arrived in. His mind was spinning, processing all the multiple realities he had just experienced, unsure which was real, and which were false. It was truly at the point in which he could not decipher one from the other.

Was this even reality?

Once his mother set him down, he reached out. "Don't go…please."

"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered into his ear, gripping his hand tightly, in which he took into a death grip.

"Tell me something only you would know about me," he said, staving off hyperventilation as relaxing chemicals spread through his body, ignited by his chance to finally lie down.

Her thumb rubbed the back of his hand, and he heard a slight giggle in amusement. "When you were an infant, you used to always reach for my hair when I held you. It was adorable."

Somehow, part of him could remember that. It was black hair he always liked…like his mother…

Xur sniffled. "Trilla has black hair…"

Now, he could sense his mother becoming impatient. "Xur…you need to focus. Tell me what you saw, and I can help you sort it."

The zabrak tried…but it was so much at once. All he could remember were distinct images…the vivid ones. "Have you ever had to watch the person you love most…die…over and over and over and over again?"

Valeria sighed.

"Because that's my reality," Xur answered. "Everyone I ever dare to care about ends up dead."

"That's life, Xur," she answered. "People live, and in time, they die. No one lives forever."

His head rolled to the side, and he finally felt the last vision come into focus. "I won," he said. "Victory…I'd done it."

She nodded. "And?"

"And…I'd killed everyone," he answered, looking at his own free hand. "Palpatine…Vader…they were dead at my feet…but I killed you. I killed Cal…I killed Cere, and I killed Trilla…" he said, his eyes watering, already bloodshot red. "Snapped her neck, and drove my blade through her heart."

She continued to listen.

"It's my fault. All of it," he sobbed. "If only I'd been stronger. I should've been there for her. I could've prevented all of this!"

Now his mother was frustrated, and it was expelled through a growl in annoyance. "You still have your mind in the past! It's over!" she insisted passionately. "There was nothing you could've done. Vader came after her personally, and if you were there, he would've had you as well."

Xur seethed. "Like hell…"

"He would," she shut him down. "But now…now you have grown. Through what you've learned, you may just stand a chance against him. Korriban has shown you the price of absolute victory, and now it is up to you whether or not to act upon it.

"The past is through, so now you must accept it, and move on."

He mulled her words as his senses slowly reconvened. There was truth in them, but the right thing to do was just on the tip of it…something she may not approve, but if he was to finally let the past die, then he had to face it.

"Then I'll find her," he said, facing her with focused vision. "We'll face each other, one to another. If she dies, then so does my past. If I die, then I wasn't worthy of it anyhow."

Valeria slowly nodded. "Yes…you must confront her for the last time. Only then will you be free of your burden, and perhaps your nightmares."

Xur inhaled deeply, letting the air seep from his nose in a calming fashion. "So it must be."

His mother rose to her feet, releasing his hand. "Better start your hunt."

Xur shook his head, revealing his transmitter. "Oh no. This fight is one holocall away."


Fury, 14 BBY

Adrift

"Wrath."

Trilla didn't bother to look up, sprawled out on her floor as she was finally relieved of the voices within her head. This time, it was Rava who called to her…which was at least a change in pace to spectres of her own personality.

"Admiral Vorchenko has a message for you," Rava relayed.

The Emperor's Wrath, in all her sullied glory, picked herself up slowly, fighting the urge to vomit as her body readjusted to the change in situation. "Play it."

She could barely make out the hologram from her sitting position as Rava projected it before her, but she knew enough for it to be the Admiral. "Wrath…I have news that I only wish to share with you," she said. "Vensori Sector, Katarr system. The dead planet of Katarr."

A planet she had never heard of wasn't much good to her, and she almost instructed Rava to end transmission…until she began to speak another language. "Xur Iatoke inex nouki Kuturr."

Trilla's slow mind sifted through the words, and immediately she probed the array of languages she could speak fluently…which were many.

"That's…Echani," she recognized by the various syllables, her eyes closed as she rubbed her forehead. "Xur Eon is…" her eyes bulged wide, and soon her focus was second to none. The transmission ended, and Trilla was up on her feet, activating the holomap and already charting a course.

"It appears the time has come, Wrath," Rava said.

"Yes," Trilla nodded, executing the plot and jogging to her pilot's chair. "His time has come."

Xur Eon was on Katarr.


Y'all know what happens next. See you then.