CH. V – Infiltrate. Destroy. Be Deceived.
After my disturbing discovery in the scientists room I raised myself back into the ventilation shaft and went back to the security station to look at the feed from the camera in his room.
I found it occupied this time, a single soldier, who had foolishly sealed the door and thereby sealed his fate, for he had nowhere to run.
I slipped my hand through the grate and took aim for the back of his head.
A beam issued forth from by pistols, almost silently, and hit its mark sending the soldier forward onto the desk. I lowered myself into the room and used one of my computer spikes to jam the locking mechanism on the door and sat down to look at that camera footage.
I brought up the interface and looked for the only camera that wasn't sending a feed and rewinded it.
The footage was the same, camera panning back and forth, watching the room and its inhabitant.
A few seconds later I noticed a shadow in the picture, the shadow of a hand, then the hand became visible, along with the other hand...holding a lightsaber.
Then the feed went dead.
The hands were in gloves, black gloves holding a lightsaber, and the Jedi don't use assassins...I was truly not alone.
I went from camera to camera, looking for the Jedi I was sent to kill.
One of the feeds was designated "Jedi".
This looks promising I though with a smile and switched to the feed, and there before me eyes sat a Jedi, meditating.
He was young, probably no more than 16 or 17, and a human.
I matched the camera to the room it was in on the schematics and made my way into the ventilation shaft. What do I care if they find the feed open? I'll be long gone.
I went through the shaft, once again in stealth, for what seemed like days.
Another Jedi will fall to me I thought, more prestige, closer to becoming a true assassin.
I arrived over his room and heard a voice, a voice not his, a female voice.
"You're time has come Jedi, no more assassins will fall because of your sensitivity" she said in a mocking tone of voice.
This was my mark, and no one was going to take it from me, fellow Sith or no, this woman is dead.
I dropped through the grate and took aim for her head as she turned around, clearly taken completely off guard as her lightsaber clattered to the floor.
"No more to his sensitivity but one more to mine" I said as my fingers tensed on the triggers.
"R...Rane?" she stammered. Now it was my turn to be taken off guard.
"You know who I am? How? "
"You weren't supposed to make it this far, how did yo..."
I cut her off "What do you mean I wasn't supposed to make it this far? What the hell is this?"
I glanced around the room, behind me 3 Republic elites lay dead.
2 killed with a lightsaber, the other killed with a blast of lightening, issued from the hand of a force user.
Now things really weren't adding up, no force powers he said, but this one, clearly a Sith, had used one and remained undiscovered.
No lightsabers he said, they would be ineffective, but those guards had clearly been killed with a lightsaber, no sword cuts like that, not to mention that no sword cauterizes wounds like a lightsaber, there was no blood.
I saw her fingers move and said harshly "One move and your dead, now explain to me what is going on, and choose your words carefully, they may be your last."
"Rane' she said "you weren't supposed to make it this far, but you have, you have demonstrated prowess far beyond what Fenox expected."
"Fenox sent you?" I said in near disbelief.
"No, Master Velion sent me, to kill the lead scientist and this Jedi"
"That's what I was sent to do" I said.
She looked at me with a surprisingly compassionate look, "Without your saber, your best weapon, and without use of the Force? No Rane, you were sent here to die.
You are talented, very talented with a lightsaber, Fenox was afraid you would soon kill him for his position, Arkus was one of the few who had ever beaten Fenox in a duel, not to the death mind you, and he got lucky, but a duel nonetheless, when you defeated Arkus so easily he got worried. You were sent here to die, to secure his position."
The old feelings, the ones of hate, the ones of anger, were swelling inside me now.
What she said made sense, I knew of a duel between Arkus and Fenox, but the outcome was never told, I assumed it was because Arkus didn't want to be seen as weak...but it was Fenox who lost...
He sent me, his apprentice, to die.
I was the one who had been deceived...
I threw my pistols to the ground and drew my sword, shoved the Dark Jedi out of my way and executed the last order to kill.
I then turned my sword on her, but before I could speak, she broke in
"Fenox tried to have Morgana killed, Velion found out and sent some of his knights to protect her, they killed Fenox's assassin, but Master Velion's own apprentice was killed in battle.
He needs a new apprentice, he is willing to help you kill Fenox, he will take you as his apprentice, make you an assassin Rane"
Once again she was making sense, but at the moment I was far to angry to process rational thought, not only had he tried to have me killed, Morgana too, right now I would take anyones offer to kill Fenox.
Velion was a true assassin, Fenox was just a great swordsman, that is why I was given to him as an apprentice.
"Tell me how to contact him" I ordered her.
She complied, and brought him up on a holopad.
"Rane...you're alive...Arkus would be proud." He said.
"By now you must have figured out your master's plot?
He doesn't see your true potential, I do, I will help you defeat him"
I thought...this must be a trap, if I kill Fenox, if I could, Velion will just deal me off...but why? I thought about this more, Velion would have no motive, I could be assimilated, another knight to serve under him, and its not like Velion would become head of the academy, Uthar Wynn was still in power, and Lady Revan had him under heavy guard.
Arkus was only an apprentice, a damn good one, but just an apprentice.
The loss of one apprentice was no reason to kill another master.
Too much risk involved.
But to eliminate an old enemy and gain his apprentice, make him your apprentice, learn your old enemies secrets.
Velion was being truthful...he would help me, maybe only to help himself, but help me nonetheless.
"I will make you an assassin in our order Rane, I know you want that"
His voice brought me back.
"You can have your revenge, assure the safety of your dear Morgana, and become what you've wanted to become for so long, all in one night."
All this hate, all this anger, it empowered me, but I hated it all the same.
Morgana made the hate go away...if not for me, I would do this for her, she had done more for me than she could imagine.
"I accept, Master Velion." I said.
"Very well, I shall make preparations then."
One question remained in my mind. "How are we to kill him Master Velion?"
I asked "Fenox is one of the greatest swordsmen in the last half century, I cannot kill him, neither can you"
"A valid question young Rane, you think ahead, something that may very well save your life.
I shall have him poisoned, we will attack in a group, some may fall, but together we will overwhelm him".
"Very well" I said.
"Now before you I go, there is someone I imagine you would like to speak to..."
His image disappeared and Morgana's face came into view.
I saw it and I began to calm, my mind began to slow its racing pace.
Tender words were exchanged, and the hate faded, at least for now.
After we had said our goodbyes, Velion reappeared and told me he had aaranged for the poisoning, I had 3 days to return.
"I look forward to taking you as my apprentice, and making you the assassin you deserve to be"
With that he disappeared and I cast a glance at the Dark Jedi beside me.
"We should be leaving" she said.
"As soon as I set these beacons" I said as I kneeled to activate them.
Once the beacon was active I led the Dark Jedi out the way I had come in, used the rope to lower myself onto the ground and waited as she did the same, we activated our stealth units and went towards the forest.
Half an hour later I sat watching the fire burn the last remnants of the facility, the gunship strike had been quick and devastating, nothing living left to speak of.
It captivated me, the fire burning, must as the fire burned inside me, the fire of hate, fueled by the lust for revenge.
Fenox will pay I thought, I will make sure of this.
A gunship landed in the clearing and I stepped aboard along with the other Dark Jedi.
I sat and stared out at the night sky, I had 3 days until I was back to Korriban, the fire wouldn't die in 3 days, I could let it go for now.
I leaned back and rested my head on the back wall of the gunship and thought...to betrayals in the past, the first betrayal, by my father.
As always the thoughts of him were banished from my mind, and drifted off to the one who could calm my heart and mind, the one who I longed to hold again, the one who can take the hate from my heart...and fill it with something else...with something I thought I was no longer capable of feeling...it was time to quit lying to myself, its not something to be afraid of, it is powerful, and it sets me free...it has to be love.
After my disturbing discovery in the scientists room I raised myself back into the ventilation shaft and went back to the security station to look at the feed from the camera in his room.
I found it occupied this time, a single soldier, who had foolishly sealed the door and thereby sealed his fate, for he had nowhere to run.
I slipped my hand through the grate and took aim for the back of his head.
A beam issued forth from by pistols, almost silently, and hit its mark sending the soldier forward onto the desk. I lowered myself into the room and used one of my computer spikes to jam the locking mechanism on the door and sat down to look at that camera footage.
I brought up the interface and looked for the only camera that wasn't sending a feed and rewinded it.
The footage was the same, camera panning back and forth, watching the room and its inhabitant.
A few seconds later I noticed a shadow in the picture, the shadow of a hand, then the hand became visible, along with the other hand...holding a lightsaber.
Then the feed went dead.
The hands were in gloves, black gloves holding a lightsaber, and the Jedi don't use assassins...I was truly not alone.
I went from camera to camera, looking for the Jedi I was sent to kill.
One of the feeds was designated "Jedi".
This looks promising I though with a smile and switched to the feed, and there before me eyes sat a Jedi, meditating.
He was young, probably no more than 16 or 17, and a human.
I matched the camera to the room it was in on the schematics and made my way into the ventilation shaft. What do I care if they find the feed open? I'll be long gone.
I went through the shaft, once again in stealth, for what seemed like days.
Another Jedi will fall to me I thought, more prestige, closer to becoming a true assassin.
I arrived over his room and heard a voice, a voice not his, a female voice.
"You're time has come Jedi, no more assassins will fall because of your sensitivity" she said in a mocking tone of voice.
This was my mark, and no one was going to take it from me, fellow Sith or no, this woman is dead.
I dropped through the grate and took aim for her head as she turned around, clearly taken completely off guard as her lightsaber clattered to the floor.
"No more to his sensitivity but one more to mine" I said as my fingers tensed on the triggers.
"R...Rane?" she stammered. Now it was my turn to be taken off guard.
"You know who I am? How? "
"You weren't supposed to make it this far, how did yo..."
I cut her off "What do you mean I wasn't supposed to make it this far? What the hell is this?"
I glanced around the room, behind me 3 Republic elites lay dead.
2 killed with a lightsaber, the other killed with a blast of lightening, issued from the hand of a force user.
Now things really weren't adding up, no force powers he said, but this one, clearly a Sith, had used one and remained undiscovered.
No lightsabers he said, they would be ineffective, but those guards had clearly been killed with a lightsaber, no sword cuts like that, not to mention that no sword cauterizes wounds like a lightsaber, there was no blood.
I saw her fingers move and said harshly "One move and your dead, now explain to me what is going on, and choose your words carefully, they may be your last."
"Rane' she said "you weren't supposed to make it this far, but you have, you have demonstrated prowess far beyond what Fenox expected."
"Fenox sent you?" I said in near disbelief.
"No, Master Velion sent me, to kill the lead scientist and this Jedi"
"That's what I was sent to do" I said.
She looked at me with a surprisingly compassionate look, "Without your saber, your best weapon, and without use of the Force? No Rane, you were sent here to die.
You are talented, very talented with a lightsaber, Fenox was afraid you would soon kill him for his position, Arkus was one of the few who had ever beaten Fenox in a duel, not to the death mind you, and he got lucky, but a duel nonetheless, when you defeated Arkus so easily he got worried. You were sent here to die, to secure his position."
The old feelings, the ones of hate, the ones of anger, were swelling inside me now.
What she said made sense, I knew of a duel between Arkus and Fenox, but the outcome was never told, I assumed it was because Arkus didn't want to be seen as weak...but it was Fenox who lost...
He sent me, his apprentice, to die.
I was the one who had been deceived...
I threw my pistols to the ground and drew my sword, shoved the Dark Jedi out of my way and executed the last order to kill.
I then turned my sword on her, but before I could speak, she broke in
"Fenox tried to have Morgana killed, Velion found out and sent some of his knights to protect her, they killed Fenox's assassin, but Master Velion's own apprentice was killed in battle.
He needs a new apprentice, he is willing to help you kill Fenox, he will take you as his apprentice, make you an assassin Rane"
Once again she was making sense, but at the moment I was far to angry to process rational thought, not only had he tried to have me killed, Morgana too, right now I would take anyones offer to kill Fenox.
Velion was a true assassin, Fenox was just a great swordsman, that is why I was given to him as an apprentice.
"Tell me how to contact him" I ordered her.
She complied, and brought him up on a holopad.
"Rane...you're alive...Arkus would be proud." He said.
"By now you must have figured out your master's plot?
He doesn't see your true potential, I do, I will help you defeat him"
I thought...this must be a trap, if I kill Fenox, if I could, Velion will just deal me off...but why? I thought about this more, Velion would have no motive, I could be assimilated, another knight to serve under him, and its not like Velion would become head of the academy, Uthar Wynn was still in power, and Lady Revan had him under heavy guard.
Arkus was only an apprentice, a damn good one, but just an apprentice.
The loss of one apprentice was no reason to kill another master.
Too much risk involved.
But to eliminate an old enemy and gain his apprentice, make him your apprentice, learn your old enemies secrets.
Velion was being truthful...he would help me, maybe only to help himself, but help me nonetheless.
"I will make you an assassin in our order Rane, I know you want that"
His voice brought me back.
"You can have your revenge, assure the safety of your dear Morgana, and become what you've wanted to become for so long, all in one night."
All this hate, all this anger, it empowered me, but I hated it all the same.
Morgana made the hate go away...if not for me, I would do this for her, she had done more for me than she could imagine.
"I accept, Master Velion." I said.
"Very well, I shall make preparations then."
One question remained in my mind. "How are we to kill him Master Velion?"
I asked "Fenox is one of the greatest swordsmen in the last half century, I cannot kill him, neither can you"
"A valid question young Rane, you think ahead, something that may very well save your life.
I shall have him poisoned, we will attack in a group, some may fall, but together we will overwhelm him".
"Very well" I said.
"Now before you I go, there is someone I imagine you would like to speak to..."
His image disappeared and Morgana's face came into view.
I saw it and I began to calm, my mind began to slow its racing pace.
Tender words were exchanged, and the hate faded, at least for now.
After we had said our goodbyes, Velion reappeared and told me he had aaranged for the poisoning, I had 3 days to return.
"I look forward to taking you as my apprentice, and making you the assassin you deserve to be"
With that he disappeared and I cast a glance at the Dark Jedi beside me.
"We should be leaving" she said.
"As soon as I set these beacons" I said as I kneeled to activate them.
Once the beacon was active I led the Dark Jedi out the way I had come in, used the rope to lower myself onto the ground and waited as she did the same, we activated our stealth units and went towards the forest.
Half an hour later I sat watching the fire burn the last remnants of the facility, the gunship strike had been quick and devastating, nothing living left to speak of.
It captivated me, the fire burning, must as the fire burned inside me, the fire of hate, fueled by the lust for revenge.
Fenox will pay I thought, I will make sure of this.
A gunship landed in the clearing and I stepped aboard along with the other Dark Jedi.
I sat and stared out at the night sky, I had 3 days until I was back to Korriban, the fire wouldn't die in 3 days, I could let it go for now.
I leaned back and rested my head on the back wall of the gunship and thought...to betrayals in the past, the first betrayal, by my father.
As always the thoughts of him were banished from my mind, and drifted off to the one who could calm my heart and mind, the one who I longed to hold again, the one who can take the hate from my heart...and fill it with something else...with something I thought I was no longer capable of feeling...it was time to quit lying to myself, its not something to be afraid of, it is powerful, and it sets me free...it has to be love.