Singer of the Dark Heart

by Muse of Scrolls

Kaia is the last being of a race thought to be completely extinct, and is forced to work in a bar. However, things start to look up when a mysterious dark stranger promises her freedom from bondage.

2. Singer of the Dark Heart Part II

Singer of the Dark Heart (Part II)

By: Muse of Scrolls

After nearly an hour had passed, Kaia felt something nudge her from her sleep, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes gently before looking up, expecting to see Maul. She was surprised to discover that he was sitting in the pilot's chair. Lifting her head up, she heard his voice inside her mind order,

'Get up and prepare for docking.'

Stretching her arms and neck rather quickly, Kaia saw that the ship had entered into a hangar for it was completely dark outside the metal walls. Unclipping the clasp of the harness, the Muse slowly rose to her feet as Maul strode over to her and handed her a black cloak that matched his own. Frowning at this, her eyes met his as he declared,

"Keep that on at all times that you are outside of the ship or this building."

"Why is it necessary?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"To insure that no one notices you," he answered, with a soft growl in his throat. "Not many people have ever seen a Muse, and we don't need to draw attention to your...appearance." Before she could ask another question, Maul ordered, "Follow me."

With quick strides, Maul had exited through the open ramp while Kaia rushed after him swiftly, trying to keep the hood over her head. Despite his fast past, Kaia caught up with Maul easily after he stopped in front of the elevator. Halting beside him, she glanced at Maul out of the corners of her eyes as he merely stood perfectly still. Lowering her eyes to the floor, Kaia's mind whirled with thoughts about what Maul had told her about Celiuun. She held the necklace tightly in her hands as it was all that remained of her family's heritage.

After the doors of the elevator slid open, Maul and Kaia strode inside before they closed and shot up the cylinder. Gazing outside the glassy part of the elevator, Kaia saw the skyline filled with nothing but perocrete skyscrapers, ships, and hover-vehicles. Widening her eyes, she was shocked by the smoky grey appearance of the atmosphere outside. As they rose higher, the skyline grew much bluer to her great relief.

"The buildings shock you," Maul said in his velvety voice as he turned to look at her.

Turning her head for her eyes to meet his, Kaia declared,

"Not just the buildings, but the fact that it seems that is all this planet is composed of...buildings."

"Coruscant is known as the man-made planet," Maul informed her. "You've never been here before?"

"Never in all my life," she replied as she swallowed a lump in her throat.

Chuckling slightly to himself, Maul stated,

"Don't let this place aggravate you. It's nothing that cannot be handled."

'Perhaps in your opinion, but you are familiar with this place,' she thought to herself with a frown.

'I may be familiar with the planet, but that doesn't mean I favor it,' his voice spoke sharply in her mind.

Widening her eyes in utter shock upon hearing this, Kaia turned her whole body to face Maul as she backed away from him a few steps in the elevator. His fiery eyes narrowed as they met her dark green spheres, and she felt the darkness about him once more. Swallowing again, Kaia felt a wave of fear pass through her body as the jagged red and black tattooed face of Darth Maul kept staring at her.

Flaring his nostrils slightly, Maul inhaled as he declared,

"You've no reason to fear me at this point. If I was going to harm you, I would have done it long ago. I am merely bringing you to my master and your kinsman, nothing more nothing less."

At these words, Kaia relaxed a little, but still remained standing on the side of the elevator opposite Darth Maul. Her heart beat rather fiercely within her body as she kept her eyes upon him. Maul was a powerful man, a warrior perhaps as strong as four or five Amusian warriors from her own planet. But, the true disturbance was the fact that all of his power seemed to come from darkness. His gaze never left her as his eyes seemed to bore into her soul, and for some reason, that terrified...and excited her.

xXx

Upon reaching their destination, Maul and Kaia left the elevator and strode down a long corridor which seemed to lead into nothing but darkness as the only light came from the small lights hanging along the sides of the hallway. Keeping her hood over her head, Kaia strode just behind Darth Maul as he led her towards the end of the corridor. The doors slid open as both strode inside the inner chamber where an elderly gentleman in long, flowing robes of blue and silver stood waiting. Smiling at Kaia as he looked at her, he declared,

"My lady, I bid you welcome to my complex. And I thank you, Lord Maul, for bringing her safely here."

Hearing these words, Maul bowed his head slightly before turning to face a chamber to the right and walked inside swiftly. Kaia watched with cautious eyes until she heard the elder gentleman before her say,

"I am Senator Palpatine, and it is a great honor to meet the empress of Amusia. Lord Maul was very swift in your return, and it is good that he brought you here so quickly, Kaia. I'm afraid that Celiuun will not last much longer."

Turning to face him quickly, Kaia inquired,

"Why? What is wrong with my cousin? Why did...Lord Maul have to be sent to find me instead?"

"Because, my lady, Celiuun is dying," Palpatine said with a sad sigh.

"What?" she asked barely above a whisper. "How...how can this be?"

"He contracted a virus deadly to your people, at least to the male half of your kind," Palpatine informed her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "At least you will be safe to see him now. It was his last wish that you be found and brought here to him."

"May...may I see him now?" she questioned softly as water began to fill her green eyes.

"Of course, my lady," Palpatine told her as he directed her into a chamber to the left of the room they were inside.

Entering through the sliding doors, Kaia's eyes wandered the room until she saw a bed in the far left corner where she saw Celiuun, the only other one of her kind remaining. His hair had faded from the rich forest green it once was before to a sickly green, and his skin had grown rather pale and wan. To see him like this in which he appeared so weak made more and more tears gather into Kaia's eyes. Celiuun, her eldest cousin and one of the most powerful warriors of Amusia, had been reduced to a bed-ridden man that rasped as he struggled to breathe.

Palpatine still stood at the entrance of the chamber and turned before saying,

"I'll let you have a moment with him."

Nodding as he left the room, Kaia strode towards the bed and stopped when she was on his right and removed her hood before whispering in Amusian,

"I am here, my cousin."

Slowly his breathing became a little more heavy as his eyes opened with a slight wince of pain, and he gave a small smile, asking,

"Is it really you, Kaia?"

"Yes, Celiuun," she whispered on the verge of releasing the growing flood in her eyes. His eyes had stayed the same dark green as hers were colored. That was one consolation that somewhat comforted, yet still hurt Kaia within her heart. "I was brought here for you."

"I am glad that you are safe, my empress," Celiuun rasped as he tried to breathe slower. "I am glad that the senator was able to find you so quickly."

"I, too, am overjoyed that I could find at least a familiar face," Kaia informed him as she slowly placed a hand upon his.

"Then, you know we are the last?" he inquired after taking a few small breaths.

Nodding, she bit her upper lip as she added,

"And I know that I will be alone in this world...rather soon."

Shaking his head slightly as he frowned, Celiuun sighed,

"I wish that I didn't have to leave you alone after finding me. I wish I did have more time, but unfortunately, I don't. After searching for you for the past two years once you were sent into space, I discovered I had contracted the virus that claimed nearly all of our people. It was then that I sought help from Senator Palpatine. He was the only one who would listen to my cause. None of the others believed me when I said I was an Amusian warrior. It had been so long since our people were wiped out, who could blame them?"

"They could have believed you if they wanted to," Kaia protested slightly. "They just didn't want to listen. I never did care for politics, Celiuun."

Smiling at her slightly, he pointed out,

"Yes, but you would have been involved in them on Amusia as our Empress."

Looking away from him, Kaia tried to stop her tears as they flowed slowly down her face, each one making a single musical note. The song of her tears was hard on her heart as Celiuun squeezed her hand, saying,

"Don't try to stop them. It is what you are, my cousin. They symbolize that you, a Muse, feel emotions just like any other person. Besides, the music is very soothing to me. Now, that I have heard a Muse's song, I can rest in peace."

"Is there anything more I can do?" Kaia asked as the soft, sad song of her tears resounded in the room.

"Nothing more than seeing you can help ease my mind," he replied as he closed his eyes. "Promise me, though, that you will be safe, Kaia. You are the last of our people, and that says a lot more than most would think. Live up to your full potential as the Amusian Empress. You are stronger than you think, Kaia, perhaps even stronger than our greatest warriors."

"Thank you, Celiuun, but I could never be stronger than you," she told him.

"Farewell, my cousin," he whispered. "Remain the strong and beautiful person I know you are."

"Lau shi'ene, kiotrun Celiuun," she whispered

"Lau shi'ene, kiatra Kaia," Celiuun answered as she released his hand and slowly strode outside the sliding doors.

Standing outside was Senator Palpatine as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and Kaia looked at him with red-rimmed eyes. He gave her a small smile as he walked inside the chamber as Kaia closed her eyes and fell to her knees.

xXx

Inside the chamber, Senator Palpatine went to Celiuun's side as the warrior lay dying. Clearing his throat, Palpatine asked,

"Is there anything more you would like to ask of me, Celiuun?"

"Yes," he rasped slowly. "Please, watch over Kaia. She has nowhere else to go, and I don't know of anyone else I could trust more than you, Senator. That is my last request to you."

"I will watch over her as if she were my own daughter," Palpatine declared with a noble bow of his head.

Within a matter of moments, Celiuun passed on from this world and into the next as Kaia remained sitting on the floor of the central chamber. Her heart felt as though a part of it had died along with him for now she was truly alone. She was the last of the race of Amusia, the last Muse of her people. Lifting her head as Palpatine entered the chamber with a look of sadness upon his face, Kaia sighed in her sorrow. Then, walking over to her, the senator took her hand and helped Kaia to her feet, saying,

"His final request was that you remain under my protection here on Coruscant."

"I have nowhere else I could go. What more could I do?" Kaia asked in a low voice.

"As he asked me beforehand, I have a gift for you, my lady, Kaia," Palpatine told her as he released her hand and turned to face another set of doors to the right of Celiuun's chambers.

Following the senator down the small corridor, Kaia entered another much larger, expansive room filled with green plants and a variety of colorful flowers. Not just any flowers, but those native to her own home world of Amusia. Several fountains gave forth the clearest waters as they poured out into many different sized founts as a few large waterfalls were the end of the water's journey.

Gasping at the sight, Kaia couldn't believe her eyes as she blinked in confusion. It was almost like being home again. Turning to face Senator Palpatine again, she asked,

"What...what is this place?"

"It is a garden made from plants, soil, and even the water from your own planet, Kaia," he answered with a smile. "When Celiuun first came to me, I immediately sent some of my subordinates to Amusia to transport as much as they could carry."

"Even the very waters of my planet?" she inquired as she strode towards a fountain and gazed into the crystal clear waters.

"Yes, Kaia," Palpatine replied with a reassuring nod. "I wanted to preserve as much of your planet as possible so that you would be happy here as well, and, as you can see, this garden has flourished. But, with your care, I feel it will prosper even more so."

Smiling as she bent down to smell the sweet scent of the pale blue, cone-shaped flowers of the Khuri plant, Kaia declared,

"I cannot thank you enough, Senator. You didn't have to do this for either me or Celiuun."

"It was my pleasure, my lady," Palpatine informed her. "Now, this garden will be yours to go about as you please, my lady, Kaia. Your chambers shall be on the level above. If you will follow me, I'll show you to your room."

Rising to her full height, Kaia was hesitant to leave the natural beauty of the garden made from plants and other elements from Amusia. Smiling to herself, she knew that it was here, and it would remain here for her. It would be her escape from what she knew was beyond the walls of the senator's complex. Sighing, Kaia followed Senator Palpatine outside the garden and into another elevator.

The room above the garden was fairly spacious as well. A large bed of extreme softness covered with sheets and feather quilts was positioned along the expansive window. Thick curtains were drawn across the windows as the room was lit by several lights high on the walls. Several pieces of furniture were placed into a living room-like area of the large room, and two sets of smaller doors marked where the closets of the room were located.

Widening her eyes as she scanned the entire room, Kaia turned and asked,

"Is this room...really mine?"

"Yes, Kaia," Palpatine replied with a nod.

"Isn't it...rather large for just me?" she inquired as she strode over to the bed and felt the cool, white quilt. "I mean, one could fit about half a dozen people inside here."

"That is one of the benefits of being a senator," he informed her, smiling at her amazement. "We are able to live rather comfortably as well as our guests."

"I cannot express my gratitude, Senator, but thank you again," Kaia declared as she bowed to him.

"It was no trouble at all, my lady," the senator told her. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have other matters I must deal with. If you require any nourishment at all, just press the button on the console and a droid will bring you whatever you request. You have the freedom to roam at your leisure about the complex, but I wouldn't recommend going outside without an escort such as Lord Maul or myself. For now, make yourself at home."

As he exited her chambers, Kaia stared around the room, trying to get a feel for it. Nearly everything in the room was white, a rather peaceful color, which eased Kaia's mind. 'Perhaps I could add a few choice plants into the room,' she thought to herself as she placed a hand on the table surrounded by the furniture. Stretching her arms, a yawn exited her mouth as Kaia noticed the light peeking out from beneath the curtains had faded. Going into one of the closets, Kaia changed into a lilac-colored, long night-dress, and then pulled back the quilt before lying down. Recovering her body, Kaia leaned back against the cool pillows, thinking, 'It will take some getting used to since I won't be sharing a room with anyone else. But, I'm so tired from what happened today, I need the rest. However, tomorrow, I will go to the garden and mourn for the loss of Celiuun. Then, I will just have to get on with my life...alone.'

Closing her eyes, different images of the past few days rushed through Kaia's mind as she thought of the Kiratua Rapture, then the mysterious lord, Darth Maul, coming out of the darkness to free her, and finally seeing Celiuun, her only remaining kinsman as he lay dying. It would have been too much for any of those Muses below the young empress, but Kaia knew she had to be strong and carry on with her life. She knew she had to obey one of her family's mottos, lau sha'ani, 'live and carry on life'. Lau sha'ani was the best way for Kaia to keep her focus on what she was supposed to do, and that was to continue her training in the ways of all those rulers before her...in the art of Ela'neit kuone, 'conquer or harness the power of the elements'.

xXx

The following morning, Kaia rose early and changed into a long, black dress with long, loose silver sleeves. Binding only half of her long, blue hair into a tail, Kaia immediately went down into the garden. It was the moment a slight breeze from the atmosphere took part of her hair up that she decided to unbind the rest of it and let it be free. As it settled against the rest of her long mane, the sound of bells entered the air for a brief moment before fading.

Striding towards the pools where the waterfalls emptied into, Kaia bent down and placed both of her hands, fingers out-stretched, into the water as more musical notes entered the air. Brushing her fingers through the water, each tiny ripple produced a note, and as the ripples collided with others, more and more notes were created until an entire symphony entered the atmosphere. Removing her fingers from the water, Kaia brushed past several large leaves of different plants, each of which made an entirely different sound from the water's music.

Opening her eyes, Kaia took in all of the surrounding beauty as the symphony seemed took over her, and Kaia opened her mouth to sing Dae'ine san'koro, 'the song of the passing soul'. Her soprano voice echoed along with the music as she sang these words in memory of her cousin:

'Dae'ine san'koro, imere kiotrun Celiuun'The song of the passing soul, remember my cousin, Celiuun

Kera montos mae jhertiaGive strength to my heart

Fuera ai mene luoneFor I am now alone

Kera montos hae jhertiaGive strength to his heart

Fuera hau kal'haneFor he has left me

Mae utre san'koro se fuera haemy only song is for him

Sa fuera nau, ai solud kouniteas for now, I should continue

Laeit lau sha'ani maenubeiMay it be and let life carry on

Dae'ine san'koro, imere kiotrun Celiuun' the song of the passing soul, remember my cousin, Celiuun.'

After mourning for Celiuun in the proper fashion of a Muse, Kaia sat down on a large, smooth stone, closed her eyes and thought of all that was life in Ela-neit, the elements. Water, air, earth, and fire were all those that composed the life of all royals before Kaia became the empress. Nearly all of these would be able to shield, if not avoid her altogether, for unlike most Muses, Kaia possessed a power that radiated off her in droves. Although she didn't always feel the power within her, Kaia knew that it must be there. It was like the aura of a planet that surrounded her, and Kaia would harness this skill in order to aid those who in turn aided her.

xXx

Watching the display screen as images of several Muses including Kaia appeared upon it, both Darth Maul and Darth Sidious seemed interested in nothing more. All of the Muses upon the screen were female royals, and Kaia was the last to be viewed by the two sith lords. Frowning at the statistics under each different Muse, Maul turned towards Sidious, asking,

"Master, what does all of this mean to us? I do not understand why we are viewing those rulers that are already dead...except the current one."

"My apprentice, don't you see?" Sidious inquired as he pointed to those Muses of the past. "Each and every one of these rulers was female, and according to sources of knowledge they were the true strength behind the throne of Amusia."

"How is that so, Master?" Maul questioned further, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Although the males of Amusia were the warriors and fighters of their race, it was the females, or a select few of them, that possessed what is known in their tongue as Ela'neit, the skills of the elements," Sidious hissed in pride. "It is said that all of those chosen as the empress were discovered to have this power, and if it is true, then Kaia will be the same. If she harnesses the power, there is no telling what she might be able to accomplish."

"And you would plan to have her aid us?" Maul suggested.

"Not necessarily," Sidious answered with a slight frown. "The battle against the Jedi is between we sith, not this Muse empress. However, she should prove useful in perhaps helping to further my other plans."

Gazing back at the screen, Maul couldn't help but stare at the image of Kaia as her long, dark blue hair wafted around her lower back. Shaking his head a little, the sith lord couldn't believe his thoughts were upon her still. He had brought her here and completed his master's orders. So, what was preventing him from continuing in his training to destroy the Jedi? Why did this Muse have such an effect upon him?

Apparently, Sidious sensed this about his apprentice for he asked, rather nonchalantly,

"Do you desire her, Apprentice?"

Blinking to hide his surprise, Maul swallowed as he replied,

"You would know the answer to that sooner than I would, my master."

"You didn't answer me, Apprentice," Sidious' calm voice declared. "Do you want her for your own?"

Closing his eyes, Maul knew he couldn't conceal his secrets from his master. It was a thing of great impossibility if not improbability. Focusing his fierce gaze upon Sidious, Maul sighed as he answered,

"I want her, Master. I cannot explain what she does to me, but her image never seems to leave my mind even while I am in meditation."

Nodding his head in satisfaction of forcing his apprentice to admit his weakness, Sidious declared,

"If you want her, you may have her. However," he stopped, holding up his hand. "However, you must make her come to you. You cannot take her unless she comes to you in her own desire."

"You would give her to me, Master?" Maul inquired in suspicion.

"Only if she comes to you, Lord Maul," Sidious reminded him. "If you try to take her, you will fail for she is very strong when it comes to all that combines to create the Force. She will slip from your grasp if you try to take her yourself. Instead, my apprentice, charm her...seduce her...make her come to you."

"Indeed, Master," Maul stated as thoughts already passed through the sith apprentice's mind.

xXx

Within the garden, Kaia could sense many and all things that composed the entire atmosphere surrounding her. The earth's energy was heavy and well-grounded while the energy from the very air was light and free. Although there was no flame for Kaia to use, she could somehow feel the key components of fire were the fierceness of the air. Water was the one element that was difficult to place its energy for it was always in constant motion, always changing and shifting. It was this element that was rather hard to control with ease. However, as she recalled, each element has its own level of difficulty for different Muses.

Since she began her training, Kaia could now control earth and air energy elements with ease. With fire, she had to concentrate and have the flames to control. She couldn't summon fire out of the very air, not yet at least. And water was the most challenging of all. It was told to all those empresses before her that none of them had ever harnessed the power of all the elements. Those of the past were always lacking when it came to strength and concentration. Unlike them, Kaia knew that there was a chance, rather slim, but a chance nonetheless to become a true harnesser of the elements. To be immersed within all of the elements at once would be one of the best ways to learn to use them together.

As she sat letting all of the energies of the various elements flow through her, Kaia heard a voice inside her mind. At first, she couldn't determine what it was trying to tell her. However, as she let her senses relax more, the voice became more distinct as she heard it whisper,

'In order to achieve what you want, you must let yourself go. Don't try to force the elements to your will; rather let them work with your will. You have all the power you need, all you must do is let the elements join with you as one. That is not the best way for Ela'neit kuone...it is the only way for Ela'neit lau sha'ani, to live within the elements and not conquer them.'

Opening her eyes in realization, Kaia couldn't believe what she felt and even saw as the voice vanished again. Surrounding her were the colors of all the elements. Dark green streaks of energy slowly seeped up from the earth as soft, silver wisps of air energy swirled about the air. However, as she widened her eyes further, Kaia noticed the thin red wisps of fire energy mixed in with the silver air energy. As her eyes moved to the pool in front of her, blue energy seemed to line the entire pool, like a shimmering layer of ice.

'Amazing,' she thought to herself. 'I've never seen anything like this before in any of my training.'

'That's because you are the one with the greatest potential among your people,' the voice returned in a calm whisper. 'Why do you think you were spared? It was Fate that decided you, potentially the most powerful Muse of your race, would be rescued from the destiny of your people. Although you are now alone, the skills and gifts bestowed upon you were destined to be yours.'

'You mean there is more than what my ancestors possessed?' she inquired in curiosity.

'So much more that you could make the very buildings outside this complex bend with your will,' the voice whispered in reply. 'However, with this gift comes an immense duty. It must be used carefully and not taken lightly. Your potential is so great that others would fear it. Beware what others may think of it.'

'I will do my best to use it wisely,' Kaia declared in honesty as the voice disappeared once more.

Rising to her feet, Kaia felt her hand brush against several Khuri flowers as the sounds of bells echoed in the air. Smiling to herself, the Muse bent once more over the pool of clear water and ran her fingers through it. However, bringing her hands up quickly, Kaia heard much higher notes as the drops of water hit the surface again. Her fingers touched the garden of reeds growing along the banks of the pool creating a sort of whistling, flute-like tone and sound that seemed to entwine her body.

Bringing her arms around, Kaia felt her feet move very softly along the ground in slow, then suddenly quick, steps of a Muse's dance. Another symphony filled the air around her as Kaia danced, allowing all of the energy of air to envelope her, sending her long, blue mane to the sky. More music seemed to rise from the wavy locks of hair while Kaia continued in her dance, shifting every few moments from a dance of joy to one of sorrow as she still mourned for Celiuun.

xXx

Within their hidden chamber, Maul and Sidious were still studying the images and information they had discovered about the Muses. However, every time the screen switched to Kaia's image and statistics, Maul's eyes would remain focused on her as he seemed mesmerized by her appearance. In his eyes, she was a creature, no a woman, of such intrigue, it pained him to even gaze upon her.

Suddenly, a small, quiet sound filtered inside the chamber as Maul blinked and tore his gaze from the display screen. Slowly, the sound grew as it turned into a soft song of joy and sorrow all in one. Closing his eyes, he focused upon the Force and let it guide him to the source of the song, even though he somehow knew where it would lead him. Within an instant, it seemed to wrap itself around Maul as the sith lord started upon feeling it. Taking a step towards the source, he couldn't help but want to follow it.

Almost instantly, Sidious called to his apprentice,

"I wouldn't follow it, Apprentice. It will only lead you to disaster."

Opening his golden eyes, Maul turned and stared at Sidious for a moment before the song closed about him again. He was allowing it to overtake him, not giving in completely to its will. This was like the strange strength he felt when he first heard Kaia sing, but this song was less intense, more inviting. Following the song down the corridor and up to the garden's level, Maul found himself standing in front of the doors leading into the Amusian garden.

Upon entering the garden, the song still seemed as soft as before which puzzled Maul. Since he had come to its source, he thought it would be much more overpowering to him. However, it remained in a very soft tone as he scanned the area filled with plants from the Muse's home planet. Then, he saw her. At first, Maul thought it was just a shifting of the plants, but as he continued in his gaze, he saw her long, blue mane floating within the air as she came into the clearing. Using the Force to shield himself from her, Maul watched as Kaia danced to the music that her very body and essence created.

As he kept his eyes upon her, Maul saw her eyes open into the wide, green orbs he had seen the first time she had looked at him. They seemed to flash and glow while Kaia continued in her dance...and mesmerized Maul. Not just her eyes, but her entire being seemed to amaze the sith lord as he watched her. It was all he could do to control himself from going to her. He remembered the words of his master, saying, 'She will slip from your grasp if you try to take her yourself.'

Stilling the urges to go to Kaia and join with her, Maul's thoughts shifted into studying her movements. The flexibility of these Muses was amazing, and the way Kaia carried herself through the dance was astonishing to the warrior. 'Never have I met a being like her,' Maul thought as images of pleasure rose into his mind. 'No, I cannot have her unless she comes to me. She is so lovely, so innocent. It will take time in making her come to me, but it should be worth the wait. Until next we meet face to face and not cloaked in the Force, my Muse, farewell.' Still hidden within the Force, Maul left Kaia and the garden.

xXx

As she finished her dance, Kaia bowed her head to the garden for giving her such great inspiration. However, a puzzled look crossed her face as she remembered the strange energy she sensed before. At first it appeared rather dark, but then it faded into a curious nothingness. Kaia almost had the feeling that she was being watched, but she knew this couldn't be helped since the complex did belong to Senator Palpatine. There had to be others living here as well beyond the senator...and Lord Maul.

Frowning, Kaia couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, she missed the presence of her dark rescuer. 'Bah! It's ridiculous!' she thought. 'He has done his task and I'm sure has already been sent out upon another errand. Still, despite the visage he puts forth, I thought I almost felt...loneliness within his being when we parted last. He may be very powerful, but underneath...perhaps he is...just as alone...as...as me?' Shaking her head, Kaia couldn't believe what she was thinking. 'That man compared to me? I think not.'

Despite what her mind thought, Kaia's heart seemed to remind her of the loneliness in his fiery golden eyes. Eyes that seemed to burn the very air about him, and sear into anything they looked upon. Why then was he so filled with that sense of darkness? One word came to Kaia's mind; pride. Lord Maul was far too proud to allow any sign of weakness show. That much she knew about him, yet it wasn't much at all. Sighing, Kaia returned her focus back onto the energies of the elements surrounding her, wrapping those of the air around her as those of earth warmed her lower body.