They entered the room soundlessly, and lifted up the corpse before her. As
they were carrying him out, she spoke.
"What was his name?"
"He doesn't have one. Your master is well pleased with you." They replied in hissing tones.
Master! She fervently hoped that he had not sensed her thoughts, her brief moment of weakness and regret after her triumph. She concentrated on other matters, trying as best she could to push that instant further into the back of her mind. In doing so, she felt the need to grasp onto something firm but that remained the one thing she lacked. All she had were questions...
Determined, she walked back down the corridor, into the main hallway, up a lift platform and into the chambers of Darth Sidious. His guards stood in front of the massive door, cloaked in fiery red.
"I need to speak to my master." She growled.
"He is engaged."
No longer hesitant and doubtful of her abilities, she used her anger and the Force to throw the two guards aside and entered the room. Darth Sidious stood facing the window, gazing out into the night with his back turned to her.
"You need to learn patience, my apprentice. How fortunate for you that I foresaw your coming. For if you had interrupted me at an inopportune moment, my wrath would be greater than you could bear."
"You wouldn't have me killed, not now. Not now that you know how powerful my anger has made me."
"Do not place so much faith in your abilities, initiate! Do you not realize that I had instructed my guards not to hold you back, not to harm you?"
"If they did, they would have paid the price for their boldness."
He cackled to himself knowingly. It was true that this girl could overpower his own personal guards. And in time, she may even be able to do so with ease. But it would not do for her arrogance to get ahead of her - that would lead to her downfall, and his failure.
"That's how everything is, isn't it? A test? You want me to realize the need for my anger to drive me, but you will not accept pride. Pride is secondary. I have learned the lesson, my master. But I am here for other reasons. I wish to know what you meant when you spoke of my brother's death in which my mother had her hand in. You spoke of her greed but it had nothing to do with -" she was suddenly interrupted.
"Wealth. Or greed for money." He let out a heavy sigh and continued.
"I believe it is time for you to hear more about her. Your mother was a very powerful woman. She accomplished almost every act she attempted - and success for her meant accomplishment. In other words, social status meant more to her than the lives of her own offspring. Come, sit." He said, gesturing towards a curved metallic chair.
"It saddens me, to bring such a burden down upon you. But you must know the truth. For nothing like the truth will set you free, don't you agree? Unless, of course, you would prefer a later time -"
"Now would be best..." she interrupted. Her voice sounded small.
"If you insist. Your mother was - as I said before - a woman bent on success. It wasn't long after your brother Aidan turned three that she fell into trouble. Trouble by engaging in business with the wrong sort of people. They made threats to ruin her, her factories, her customers, but most importantly - her reputation. She became a desperate woman, searching frantically for a way out of her situation. Her "associates" offered her one. They had hired bounty hunters to kill a Jedi Knight, but if she could bring this Jedi to them first, all the damage caused could be undone.
It must have been at this time that she noticed that both you and Aidan possessed extraordinary abilities - you were Force sensitive. She came up with a plan to lure this Jedi Knight out with the pretence that you and your brother would both be given up to be trained as Jedi. Her associates agreed to set up the trap, the plan was falling into place. It seemed as if destiny was smiling down at her.
On the eve of the meeting though, things went wrong. The Jedi must have sensed trouble and had arrived a day earlier. On entering your home they discovered your mother's plans and the people she was in league with. A tragic encounter ensued. The Jedi used their lightsabers to fight while the other men used their blasters. Young Aidan was caught in this crossfire and was struck twice. Once in the head and once in the throat, I believe. Such a pity...his death.
You however, had the sense to hide, while your mother - coward that she was - fled. Leaving both her children for dead.
One of my servants found you days later - quite by accident, wandering the alleys. You had been muttering that "they" were hunting you...you were truly in a pitiful state. The rest is already known to you." He ended there.
"You took me in, into your...care." She said, almost as if she was reciting something.
She did not expect her past to come hurtling towards her like a mighty hurricane. She would have expected it to unfold slowly, allowing for time to let it all sink in. But this, this was all too much. But it was true then. There was nothing left but to embrace the Dark side.
"Your thoughts echo my words, Elori. Leave me now - you know all that you need." Said Darth Sidious.
She turned and left the room, head bowed in defeat with her past, but eyes determinedly fixated on what was to come.
"What was his name?"
"He doesn't have one. Your master is well pleased with you." They replied in hissing tones.
Master! She fervently hoped that he had not sensed her thoughts, her brief moment of weakness and regret after her triumph. She concentrated on other matters, trying as best she could to push that instant further into the back of her mind. In doing so, she felt the need to grasp onto something firm but that remained the one thing she lacked. All she had were questions...
Determined, she walked back down the corridor, into the main hallway, up a lift platform and into the chambers of Darth Sidious. His guards stood in front of the massive door, cloaked in fiery red.
"I need to speak to my master." She growled.
"He is engaged."
No longer hesitant and doubtful of her abilities, she used her anger and the Force to throw the two guards aside and entered the room. Darth Sidious stood facing the window, gazing out into the night with his back turned to her.
"You need to learn patience, my apprentice. How fortunate for you that I foresaw your coming. For if you had interrupted me at an inopportune moment, my wrath would be greater than you could bear."
"You wouldn't have me killed, not now. Not now that you know how powerful my anger has made me."
"Do not place so much faith in your abilities, initiate! Do you not realize that I had instructed my guards not to hold you back, not to harm you?"
"If they did, they would have paid the price for their boldness."
He cackled to himself knowingly. It was true that this girl could overpower his own personal guards. And in time, she may even be able to do so with ease. But it would not do for her arrogance to get ahead of her - that would lead to her downfall, and his failure.
"That's how everything is, isn't it? A test? You want me to realize the need for my anger to drive me, but you will not accept pride. Pride is secondary. I have learned the lesson, my master. But I am here for other reasons. I wish to know what you meant when you spoke of my brother's death in which my mother had her hand in. You spoke of her greed but it had nothing to do with -" she was suddenly interrupted.
"Wealth. Or greed for money." He let out a heavy sigh and continued.
"I believe it is time for you to hear more about her. Your mother was a very powerful woman. She accomplished almost every act she attempted - and success for her meant accomplishment. In other words, social status meant more to her than the lives of her own offspring. Come, sit." He said, gesturing towards a curved metallic chair.
"It saddens me, to bring such a burden down upon you. But you must know the truth. For nothing like the truth will set you free, don't you agree? Unless, of course, you would prefer a later time -"
"Now would be best..." she interrupted. Her voice sounded small.
"If you insist. Your mother was - as I said before - a woman bent on success. It wasn't long after your brother Aidan turned three that she fell into trouble. Trouble by engaging in business with the wrong sort of people. They made threats to ruin her, her factories, her customers, but most importantly - her reputation. She became a desperate woman, searching frantically for a way out of her situation. Her "associates" offered her one. They had hired bounty hunters to kill a Jedi Knight, but if she could bring this Jedi to them first, all the damage caused could be undone.
It must have been at this time that she noticed that both you and Aidan possessed extraordinary abilities - you were Force sensitive. She came up with a plan to lure this Jedi Knight out with the pretence that you and your brother would both be given up to be trained as Jedi. Her associates agreed to set up the trap, the plan was falling into place. It seemed as if destiny was smiling down at her.
On the eve of the meeting though, things went wrong. The Jedi must have sensed trouble and had arrived a day earlier. On entering your home they discovered your mother's plans and the people she was in league with. A tragic encounter ensued. The Jedi used their lightsabers to fight while the other men used their blasters. Young Aidan was caught in this crossfire and was struck twice. Once in the head and once in the throat, I believe. Such a pity...his death.
You however, had the sense to hide, while your mother - coward that she was - fled. Leaving both her children for dead.
One of my servants found you days later - quite by accident, wandering the alleys. You had been muttering that "they" were hunting you...you were truly in a pitiful state. The rest is already known to you." He ended there.
"You took me in, into your...care." She said, almost as if she was reciting something.
She did not expect her past to come hurtling towards her like a mighty hurricane. She would have expected it to unfold slowly, allowing for time to let it all sink in. But this, this was all too much. But it was true then. There was nothing left but to embrace the Dark side.
"Your thoughts echo my words, Elori. Leave me now - you know all that you need." Said Darth Sidious.
She turned and left the room, head bowed in defeat with her past, but eyes determinedly fixated on what was to come.
