Interludes: The galaxy Turns Darker
[Nightsister's Temple, Dathomir]
Mother Talzin
One of the greatest joys of being a mother is watching him grow old, become a man, share your life with him. Love him unconditionally.
That is something that a nightsister cannot do. Our culture views males as expendable tools for breeding.
I am a mother, the mother of them all… yet, I can't act like a proper one.
I've been playing this character all these years, Mother Talzin…
Have I been consumed by you, Mother Talzin?
What are your real feelings, Mother Talzin?
Remember...
Your eldest child, the light of your life, Maul.
Your heart ached at the thought of your son.
You can feel him, can't you?
Your son. Sad, in pain and howling in desperate rage just to keep himself alive.
You can feel it, can't you?
Rage. Unbearable rage burned in your breast at the thought of them.
The Sith
A silent wail of shame was thrown into the force.
Once you trusted the honeyed words of Darth Sidious.
His promises of power and knowledge, the days you both learned from each other.
Of the pledge he made to you of ruling the galaxy as Master and Apprentice.
LIES
The wretched Sith stole your first born and left... But now things are in motion again.
Revenge will be mine
Dooku will die for the sins of his master. The plan the Sith made a millennium ago will die alongside him!
That will be the ultimate revenge. The collapse of a thousand-year-old scheme.
But I will not rest until Sidious joins his brethren in whatever hell the force has for the Sith.
Savage, what a curious child he is, sentimental like you and very clever. Stronger than expected too.
I will not lie to myself, after losing Maul I could not love the other two the same way I loved him, it hurts too much. It hurts too much.
And yet I cannot stop the feeling of pride that grows within me as I feel him too. The regret at having him kill the least talented of my children assails, even if it's just a passing feeling.
It was better this way, Feral was too weak to survive the trials that the galaxy in this state would bring. He would only have slowed his brother down.
Savage has grown stronger very rapidly, which is good. I don't want to lose another son so quickly, even if I can now deal with the pain better.
Perhaps, given time I could come to love him like I love Maul.
Maul. even his name was taken, and she could only bear to call him by what Sidious had given him.
...
An echo…? Where is that laughter coming from?
"The Time is approaching I can feel it"
"Mother?... What do you mean?"
"The future has been broken beyond repair; old prophecies must be buried. We face an uncertain future"
"We must prepare! Gather the rest of the sister, we must intensify our training"
"Yes, mother. It will be done."
[Chancellor's Office, Coruscant]
Darth Sidious
Something has changed, the force feels wilder than ever.
Chaotic…
I have not felt anything like this, not since my dearly departed master and I tried to manipulate the force together.
Plagueis…
Even after so long has passed, the thought of him makes fear grow deep inside my soul, just like when I was his apprentice…
I never felt any change in the force as Plagueis died… I felt our bond break and I thought I felt him die, but the force never acted as if he had.
What if he didn't...
He was a master illusionist, and his work with the midi-chlorians gave him power I could not replicate.
Power I cannot replicate even now.
NO, HE IS DEAD!
And I am the master now, I must dispense with this line of thought. If he was alive, he would have acted before.
I need to leave this place, locating the source of this disturbance is pivotal.
The wild movements in the force will make foreseeing the future harder than ever.
I cannot be blinded like the Jedi...
Once I have located it, there will surely be benefits to be gained. And if that's not possible, removing it as soon as I can will not be a problem.
I need to focus, focus…
Focus on a hint. Expand your reach, look for the origin. Move throughout the galaxy, to the edges, and beyond normal space. Beyond…
Feel the answers within the force…
An image… A monster bigger than a human, with red eyes, kneeling before a gray figure… watching something blurry.
Was that a vision of the future? What was the creature? Was that a waking dream?
A mockery of the time I kneeled at my masters' feet?!
My growing fury only threatens to break the shadows in which I conceal my power from the Jedi…
Focus!
Investigating this has become a priority.
I need to leave my work as chancellor for later. I'm tired of these useless Senate debates.
Soon, I will be rid of it! and all the incompetent pawns that waste my time.
Looking for answers in the force is more important... and vastly more rewarding.
"Amedda, I need time to investigate some matters. Clear my schedule, and only contact me if an emergency happens"
"Of course, master. It will be as you desire"
My temper must remain controlled.
Once I find myself in the underbelly of coruscant, the tight leash I have on my power can be loosened.
[Unknown Sector, Mortis]
The Father
My son has been acting strange since he returned from his cathedral. He is back, and for the first time in a long while, I can recognize him.
The corruption of the dark no longer seems to cloud his vision.
It's been a while since I felt a spring of hope in my chest.
Perhaps, the chosen one is unneeded...
Perhaps, my son will not fall to his darker urges...
It's a lie… I know it's a lie.
I'm dying and my children will wreak havoc upon the galaxy if left unattended.
The chosen one is the answer… I can feel it.
My son is approaching...
"Father, I have a question"
Curious... very curious. He is not usually this cautious.
"Speak, son. I shall answer what I can"
"Is… is the chosen one meant to kill us? Have you already called for our executioner and do… DO NOT LIE TO ME"
"What are you even talking about"
He is becoming more deranged... I knew hope was lost.
"DO NOT PATRONISE! I AM NO LONGER A CHILD".
"I HAVE SEEN MY DEATH AND YOURS"
"I HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN YOU LOVE MY SISTER MORE… BUT I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO LEAD ME INTO MY DEAD. WHERE IS YOUR BALANCE IN LETTING HER OUT BUT KILLING ME?"
As he finishes screaming, I can't help but to notice his intentions... he lunges at me reckless and driven by the dark.
"Foolish Son of mine, you cannot defeat me"
I grab him with the force as he thrashes trying to break free.
"See into my mind, Father. Watch and recognize I speak the truth"
Yes, I shall peer into your mind...
Death… my death.
Impossible! The chosen one is killing us…
Is this true balance? Will he kill my children instead of imprisoning them here? Is this the will of the force?
"You… are shocked! But you are strong… the strongest being in the universe. You know everything!"
A Smile comes to my face with those words... truly children believe their fathers are all knowing. But he is not wrong. Even now, dying as I am, my strength has no equal.
"My Son, my foolish Son. No being knows everything, but your vision rings of truth. Perhaps it is our destiny to die"
"BUT MY SISTER GETS TO LIVE… How… How is that fair? I cannot change who I am... what I am! Why should I be punished for being me?"
The image in front of me, nostalgic... My son is kneeling in front of me, almost like in prayer. His crying eyes looking up to me...
"Son… I believe, in your vision, her death has already come to pass… I love you both, and the only way I would allow it to happen as it did in this future, it's only if you were set to escape alone."
A hug… it is all I can do for the time being.
"Father, what are we going to do? I…I don't want to die."
How long has it been since I patted my son's head?
"Death is not the end. There are things beyond, but perhaps we can make our end less painful."
"What do you mean?"
"If we are fated to die, if that is what the force requires, we will pass on together."
"You…You will not leave me alone? Even after all I have done, all I could yet do."
"Never, Son. Now, call for your sister. I will retrieve the dagger "
"Yes, Father."
"My children, today we join the force. Today, we leave the isolation we've had to endure for so long."
My voice is calm. Today I can finally rest knowing the galaxy is safe, and my family will live on in the force.
"Remember"
EMOTION, YET PEACE.
IGNORANCE, YET KNOWLEDGE.
PASSION, YET SERENITY.
CHAOS, YET HARMONY.
DEATH, YET THE FORCE.
"We do not end today. We will live on forever in the force and finally be free."
"Come, embrace your sister, Son."
Timidly and with hesitation, he walks forward. My children hug.
I can see my Daughter whisper words of encouragement and bravery to him.
"I will join you soon"
With those words, I impale them both as quickly as possible. I don't want to make them suffer.
I can feel the moment they join the force. The joyous laugh of my son, his dream of freedom accomplished. The quiet feeling of accomplishment from my daughter at joining the light everywhere.
The force thrums with something, perhaps happiness.
HUH! Maybe that is the hope of a tired old man.
I see their bodies dissipate. I would have liked to bury them properly. A monument to their sacrifice. Enduring solitude for so long...
But this is fine as well. Now, nobody who enters this place will disturb their rest.
This is the end, my end, our end.
I will take my life in the exact same place I took theirs.
The floor is cold, my knees are tired.
A swift stock…
*Ugh*
Peace… Peace at last.
A well-deserved rest.
[Jedi Temple, Coruscant]
Mace Windu
"Obi-Wan, I'm glad you are here. Yesterday, we received a message from Master Halsey. His last message"
Mourning the loss of another one of our kind. Something that has, unfortunately, become more common for us. Regardless, I must continue.
"A mission will be sent to collect his remains. It will be carried out by clone commandos"
Halsey deserves this much for his service to the Republic.
"But it's the message what has grabbed our attention. In it was his confrontation with Count Dooku's new apprentice. He shall be very familiar to you, I want you to look at this."
"¡Darth Maul! Impossible, I am sure he was dead"
The hologram really is disconcerting to all of us.
"You are right. What you see here is a being of the same species. We will send you to investigate more later, but this is the important part"
And, it starts... the shouting. The feral lashing of an animal denying his nature, and his grand declaration. The future has been shrouded by a dark mist for so long.
Blinded as we were, I didn't think it possible for the Sith to be able to see the future. Dooku, the traitor must have shown his students how to see past the dark combining his Jedi training with Sith teachings.
"I find it hard to believe that a brute like him could see the future"
The voice of Obi-Wan has that tone of superiority. That privately amuses me when he uses it on Skywalker.
"Perhaps, but Master Halsey was there. Him sending the message tell us that he felt no deception"
"So…the republic wins. We all are working towards that goal, nothing in the message is important"
He hasn't noticed the message I am trying to send.
"The importance is not in our future victory. This being believes he can alter and see the future accurately enough to change it to his desired outcome. He must be eliminated and the future must stay its course."
"So, my mission is…to kill him?"
"Normally, the council would prefer to capture him and use his knowledge for the benefit of the Republic; but he is too dangerous to be left alive."
"I understand. I will get Anakin and start investigating this new threat. Any ideas where to begin?"
"You will start your search on Dathomir, where he is native from. Go to the Nightsisters. They may know more about him as they are dominant on the planet. Be careful with the Witches, Obi-Wan. May the force be with you"
"Yes Master. May the force be with you"
After such deplorable events like Master Hayley's death I can't help but to feel a kind of relief.
The choices we've made were the right ones. If we continue as we are we will win. The Republic will once more be unchallenged and this time peace will be eternal.
I almost feel happy that the Sith revealed themselves this time. It will be the last try they have.
But even after the end of the war, there are various issues we will have to address.
Skywalker will surely be a problem. Even if I cannot see into the future to be sure, his personality and actions bring nothing but trouble. The so-called chosen one is a disappointment and further proof that blindingly following prophecies is nothing but a waste of time.
His friendship with the chancellor is dangerous. A politician that has been granted powers beyond any other in republic history. Maybe he seeks to use Skywalker to remain in office.
His popularity and guile should not be underestimated by anyone. Skywalker is also popular for some reason. Together they could influence the public opinion in dangerous ways.
If he doesn't comply and step down, eventually, he, his aides and supporters may need to be removed permanently to ensure another abuse of power doesn't happen.
All in the name of the Republic.
I need to prepare for my mediation. I must center myself after dealing with the deaths of so many clones.
I must be vigilant about the state of my connection. Any change could spell disaster when using Vaapad.
Sora Bulq has proven that. His fall was… unfortunate, to say the least. But, with the lessons learned from his failure, I am now sure that Vaapad is going to be the key to defeating Dooku once and for all.