Dagobah Slip Stream
Part Eight
"Remember Padawans. Motive and Intentions. Those are the key to determining the side one is serving." Cas spoke to Syn and Nii in the 'Jedi Hangar'. She sat on her Fighter's Port Wing while they sat cross-legged on the ground.
She saw her Padawans sit straighter as the finally noticed Master Skywalker eavesdropping. She was secretly pleased to see Syn, the older of the two, straighten first.
"If you use a Sith Amulet to kill one person, you would think it evil, wouldn't you? But if my intention is to save a planet of people, but I must kill one person, it's the side of the Light. So says our council," She stood and moved around some. "If I use that same Amulet to kill that same person, my intention is still to save a planet of people, but my motive to become a hero and gain status, gain more power. Then it is the side of Darkness I serve."
She began to stretch and they took the queue that the lecture was ending and stood, too. "But remember, my Padawans, the decision is not always clear cut. Dark Paths can have Light results, though mostly as side effects. At the same time the Light Path will always appear Sith to someone."
"Still, until you reach the level of Knight watch those of higher rank around you. And even after, seek wise council." She motioned to the captain of her guard. Kir came over with practice sabers.
They were, when activated, light filled plasteel tubes with little balls on the end. If the tips make contact with any surface they give small stinging charges. Not enough to kill, but you know when your hit. Allowing realistic practice without real injury.
The confusion on Nii's face told her he hadn't seen them before. But he didn't question as she strapped her sword on. Instead he silently followed her example.
"These are Agamarian BlastSwords."
His eyebrows went up questioningly. "We're doing live practice dueling? I mean, not with droids?"
"Yes. If Kyl has not begun you yet there has been reason, but she didn't send any practice droids with you. Thus I must conclude she wants you to begin live practice."
She drew her sword and showed him how to activate his. "We will begin slowly." She lunged at him with an aching lack of speed, allowing him to anticipate her.
He blocked it back and forced it away. Not very graceful, but he would only gain skill with practice. She tried a few different things, testing him slightly, letting him know she was evaluating him. She stopped. "That was a good warm up. Now I will each you a few basic drills. One." She moved to the first position.
She looked at Nii. He wore his hair short with a small tail in back and a small braid coming down behind his right ear. Yoda's male apprentices and his apprentices' male apprentices wore their hair like that while they were being trained. Kyl had been one of Yoda's few female trainees.
Yoda's line, as it was refereed to even though it had a proper-discipline name, was known for its Boldness and greatness. Producing Masters like Qui-Gon Jin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and countless others. The loyal, strong too, but disobedient or stubborn.
His hair. His Master. His clothes. His lineage. It was all clear. He would be strong and respected.
Her bloodline would never enjoy the clarity or respectability like Nii's. She was 'unnatural'…
Palpatine's pet Kaminoan cloners had engineered her mother. They had taken samples from Mace Windu and Nejaa Halcyon to give a Force-strong, made-to-order female apprentice for the Dark Lord.
-The Halcyon line had been known for its Mind tricks, courage and lack of telekinesis. Many- except the descendants of the line- had forgotten their other gift. The ability to take power from someone else's Force attacks and channel it for Telekinesis. Unfortunately she hadn't inherited that gift.
-Mace Windu had been the first of his family to have a high enough midi-chlorian concentration to enter training. He was strong in the Force and had been known only for his loyalty, power, wisdom and fast thinking. Not bad traits.
So, obviously Her mother had been one of the best, most powerful of the Emperor's trainees.
Her mother often killed her lesser apprentices when they lost to her in practice. This, her cunning and ruthlessness, had gained her the Emperor's notice. Once she had his eye, she seduced him. To bring herself greater power and favor she had bore him twins. But not just any twins, Jedi twins.
The Emperor had basically dismissed her mother after that. Giving her systems to terrorize. He raised and trained her and her brother. Teaching them different languages, some -like that of the Sith- that hadn't been used in generations, they gained technical skills, mechanical and weapons systems experience, advanced Math courses, ship piloting, any thing the old man could think of.
(This had inspired the Academy's Masters to instill the breeding program. Jedi are not allowed to Love, but they have to continue their lines. They would mix bloodlines to give future generations traits they would need to succeed. Though, secretly, she though it had occurred to the Masters long ago and she had just been the excuse they needed.)
He had them fight often in practice. She had always been the victor. But that was expected. Her gifts were those of Force-combat and his of Force-negotiation.
And when her mother returned. Made her connections to Cas and her intentions clear, Cas had agreed to go with her mother. But on their way to fetch her mysterious brother, the boy that she had trained against stood up to them.
He threatened her mother. But Cas, being Cas, couldn't let anyone take her mother without a fight. So she had challenged and killed her brother.
When her brother died she had felt his spirit brush past. The blood on her hands had burned. That day she had fallen into a comma no one could explain.
But when she had woken up the world had taken a larger scale of perception. She had absorbed some of her brother, giving him some of her self, forming their bond. He still whispered in her ear. It wasn't as bad as it had once been, though. But that didn't matter now. Now, She was dueling Nii, with a fake blade.
"Your good at this, Master." The glee in his voice, the smile on his face, reminded her how much younger Nii was than her. She was almost twenty-six years old. Her father had died on the Second Death Star on her eighth birthday.
Nii had been part of the subsequent baby-boom.
"Of Course." She said as she parried and spun gracefully. "I've had to be."
"Gee. Was your brother that much of a challenge?"
That froze her in her tracks. That had been over fifteen years ago, would she never live it down? And the causality with which he said it!
"Padawan." She said. Her voice was low and even, something between a purr and a growl. It was the voice she used when she killed.
She was secretly pleased when he jumped. She heard more than saw Syn and Kir stop their practice. Kir didn't turn his Blastsword off, probably afraid she'd attack her Padawan.
But she didn't go for easy targets; He should know that by now. The old, familiar Dark smirk she had worn well into her early teen years crossed her face. She quickly hid the expression.
She had learned quickly just how far she could creep-out her bodyguard before he took action. And that smile was over the line.
Go figure.
"Young Padawan," Her voice came out low and forceful again, she was pleased. Until it cracked and betrayed what she was feeling.
"Do you think there hasn't been a day that I haven't wondered: What if I had lost? Would he have been better that I am? How would he do this? How would he do that?"
"Or what about the fight, hm? What if I had been the weaker twin? What if I had recognized the strong foreign light inside me was his? What if I had realized the familiarity I was feeling was with him, as my twin, and not with my Lightsaber?"
"What if we had formed the bond, before he died, despite Palpatine's efforts? Or, how about my favorite, when all is said and done, was I really the stronger twin?"
"I could go on. There are a thousand different questions with a thousand different answers. But if you stop to ponder them you'll get left behind. Especially in this the time of war, where if you are left behind when aggressive negotiations are called for, you'll get killed."
"It boils down simply, Padawan. I am here and he is not. And nothing, nothing, happens without a purpose."
"Not in the Force." She picked her head up and let him get a good look at the tears glistening in her eyes, the pain his comment had caused. "My father taught me that."
Kir snorted and took a ready position. The others did, too.