Chapter 10
Murra's breath was knocked from her as she landed on Sil's recovering body. Within seconds, both sisters were on their feet, dueling again. Bodies spun and flipped as blades met and insults were exchanged, but neither sister gained advantage over the other for hours. The duel progressed and damages surmounted to millions of credits, but neither sister seemed to care about anything other than besting her sparring opponent, not bothering to take their gazes off of each other for more than one second. The duel flowed artistically from one end of the basement to the other, with the hum of the lightsabers matching the beat of the robes' swirls and the occasional rips. Sweat dripped from Murra's clothes, but neither sister noticed in the dark.
Murra raised her lightsaber to decapitate her sister and asked the Force to forgive her for her actions, but the need for that forgiveness diminished when Sil blocked and twisted the parry into a series of fast-paced assaults, each of which drove Murra further and further back until the younger sister slammed into the locked door that led to Tenel Ka's secret sanctuary. The redheaded sister sensed a source of energy beyond the door, but did not let on as she drew from the well and turned Sil's blade away from the sweat-soaked shoulder with a forceful twist and then launched a series of blows and slashes, each meant to neutralize Sil. However, both sisters were evenly matched and Murra only found herself damaging centuries-old artwork in her attempts to stop her sister. As dawn neared, Sil finally was able to find a strength to use against the worn-out, human sister. With a few twists, kicks, and flips, Sil literally had Murra cornered and defenseless.
Both sweat and tears dripped from the tired Murra's face as she landed in the corner of the basement like a rag doll. She could feel her sister's fatigue, but apparently, Sil was using a strange technique to hold it off.
"Kill me, then." Murra closed her emerald eyes and prepared for death to come. This time, she had nothing to use against her sister. Her lightsaber was in Sil's hands as a result of a foolish mistake and her husband was unconscious after resisting Sil's guards. The Jedi Master saw light and assumed that it was the light of death. However, her curiosity was aroused when she felt the familiar swirling of a cloak, driving her to open her eyes and gasp. In her sister's place stood a feminine figure wrapped from head to toe in black. She guessed that Sil had changed, but she could not see past the black veil that completely covered the figure's face. Just as soon as Murra spotted the figure, it disappeared from sight and the cylinder that the Jedi Master recognized as her lightsaber stud was rolled toward the corner in which Murra was trapped.
Was that Sil? If that was Sil, then what had happened? Why did she leave and veil? Murra asked herself without receiving even one answer to her questions.
"Escort me out of this palace, please. She has had the mercy not to kill me." Murra stood up and raised her hands in surrender to her sister's guards. She did not mention that she had to report a darksider to the Jedi Council and perhaps take the seat offered to her.
"Take your weapon, Princess. I trust Jedi to be honorable enough not to use it after losing a fair fight." A pale, thin guard picked up the weapon and offered it to its owner.
"Lose? But she left. I assume she surrendered. I am merely leaving." Protested Murred, but to no avail.
"She would have impaled you had she not shown you mercy. Your normal sentence would be death, but the Unequaled Woman granted you pardon. I expect you to honor your sister's show of faith and accept your exile. Come with me." Explained one of the guards.
Murra struggled not to slump into her escort as she was marched out of the palace and toward the building that she recognized as one of the Hapan temples. Most did not believe it, but the Hapans, despite all their treachery, were as pious as they were matriarchal. She could see the rising sun behind the cityscape, but to her, it resembled a setting sun, for she could not help but feel as if that would be her last glance at any form of sunlight. She could see elegant people rising for a busy day, but none of it seemed to matter as long as she foresaw darkness. The woman wanted to cry more, but no more tears would stream from her dry, expended eyes.
"Princess, it is a shame that we do not meet under better circumstances. Come in." A man whom Murra recognized as High Priest Maryl Piyus, the intercessor between the Hapan angels and the common people, greeted the glimmering but weary princess at the gate of the temple. When she stepped inside the building, the priest continued. "Kneel before the altar, please."
Murra gladly obeyed and shifted her weight off of her overtaxed legs. She cast her face down and closed her once lively, green eyes. The high priest tapped Murra lightly on the shoulder with a special, stone staff, which was rumored to have been used by Anjretur eons ago. The princess winced as it narrowly missed one of the many saber burns she had received from her treacherous sister, but wiped the priest's immediate memory so that he would know nothing of her weakness.
"Entrahe matriae ae fiyae sevari s'conplie." Between motherland and daughter the separation completes itself. The priest spoke in high Basic, the language that the Hapan and the rest of the galaxy shared five thousand years ago. Even though Princess Murra was not proficient in ancient languages, each powerful word hit her like a block of stone that weighed at least as much as she did. Even though she was never truly Hapan, she could not help but feel angry at the injustice of her exile. The priest had not the slightest clue that he was exiling the woman who was attempting to save the sixty-three worlds from years of darkness under a Sith queen.
That's just one more reason to hate Hapans. Mura thought as her escorts led her to the spaceport. She had accomplished what Ben had asked her to do, but she had lost herself in the process. Whatever. It's just the price for being a Jedi. At least good, honest people are still allowed in front of the Jedi Council, if not in that empty seat. I just hope my people won't brand me as an enemy for leading an army against Sil.
End of Part II: Return of the Royals
I'm hoping this worked.