Sighta curled her lips. How dare this man state she had join the wimp's order. There were far more important matters to see to. Such as finding Revan. Especially given it was clear her father was a coward. There was only Revan left she could turn to for aid. With him, she would be able to learn how to counter the emperor's control. It would prove vital in launching an attack from the shadows.
Yet before even that – her eyes narrowed as she looked at her twin – there was another matter she needed to see to.
The field around her cage flickered out.
"This way," Alvar gestured towards her and Jeri. "There is enough time before lunch I can show them to the ship." He turned his gaze to the older of the two women. "Meetra, head back to Justin's place. Swap with Darious so he and the commander have time prepare for this afternoon."
Alvar's back was to her.
Meetra frowned. "What's going on this afternoon outside of a family gathering for Jaspter?"
A smile curled Sighta's lips.
"Don't remind me," the lanky, sandy haired Jedi grumbled.
This was her chance. It was time to prove to her weak little brother what real strength was.
She flexed her fingers.
Lightning sparked between the tips.
There!
The Force Lightning surged out towards her brother.
Alvar whipped around.
"Sighta!" her mother's scream was drowned in the sound of the lightning.
It surged.
Sighta leapt forward.
The lightning shot towards her.
What?
She dove to the side.
Whack!
Air was knocked from her as she slammed into the wall.
What?
She groaned and gasped for air.
What had happened?
The hum of many lightsabers filled the air. Yellow lights mixed with one blue.
"You're far from the first to try such an attack on me."
Sighta blinked back the lights popping before her eyes to see Alvar. He stood as the only Jedi who hadn't drawn his blade. His arms were placed behind his back, brown gaze locked on her.
There was no sign of who was holding her with the Force.
Alvar blinked.
Sighta gasped as she struck the floor. She stood, growling. Whoever was helping her brother would pay. They were only trying to prove he wasn't as weak as he really was.
"Who did that?" Her gaze flickered between the other three Jedi. The Force was strong in all of them.
A shiver raced through Sighta.
Stronger than many of the Sith she had defeated and especially those foolish enough to challenge her. Especially in the two women.
It had to have been on them who had held her with the Force. There was no one else who could have done it. They much have deflected her lightning as well. Deflecting with bare hands was an extremely advanced technique. One not worth her time to learn. she had never been without her lightsaber…
Until now.
Tch.
Sighta didn't need her lightsaber if it was a one and one with her weak brother. But the other Jedi were interfering.
"Put away your lightsabers," Alvar instructed the other Jedi. He turned to Sighta. "If we must fight, save it for tomorrow." He gave her a small smile. "There is enough to do today as it is."
"Coward," Sighta hissed. "You have your lackies deflect the lightning and pin then run away."
Alvar burst out laughing.
"We didn't do that," Jasper informed her.
"It was master." Meetra tilted her head towards Alvar.
Yeah right! "You expect me to believe a weakling like him learned how to deflect lightning with his bare hands and pin someone without lifting a hand?" She snorted. "As if."
Alvar straightened, the laughter died from his eyes. "We don't expect you to believe anything. All I am asking is if we must have a duel, save it for tomorrow."
As if.
Alvar turned.
Sighta charged.
She wasn't about to let him escape with such a high and mighty view.
"Sighta!"
An arm pulled her back.
"Not here!" her mother snapped at her.
Sighta snarled, "Coward!"
Alvar looked over his shoulder. His dark eyes narrowed.
A shiver raced through her. Her skin crawled from the sudden chill. There was no way, no way at all her brother was stronger than her.
"This way to the ship. You had best behave." Alvar started for the door.
"Wait for tomorrow," her mother whispered to her. "You can prove yourself then, but for now," she tilted her head towards the commander and the rest of their family.
Alan's hand had slid down his cane so it rested just below the grip. The cane itself was normal save for a feature several inches below the hilt. Several metal pieces stuck out and there on either sight about it were light silvery pieces which could easily be hiding the switch for a lightsaber.
It was more than clear Alan would choose to protect Alvar long before herself. This was assuming his cane hid his lightsaber. Perhaps it didn't and he really was a coward who had abandoned everything he had once worked for.
For what?
Family?
What a stupid notion. Nothing mattered outside of the plan. Nothing. Especially their lives. As long as they could change the empire and she could achieve this, no one mattered.
Her gaze moved to her mother.
No one…
Her heart lurched.
No one!
She took a deep breath.
No one.
Fine! Someone mattered. Her mother, but only her mother.
"All right," Sighta conceded, "I'll wait for tomorrow, but then I'll put him in his place." Her gaze snapped back to the wimp.
Yes, tomorrow.
x – Darious – x
"Wait, what?" Nalin gaped, his brown eyes wide.
Darious smiled. All of Sasha's and Justin's children had moved around him when the others had left. They had wanted stories about his time in both wars. Instead, Darious had informed them of a matter he knew Alvar had been hesitating over.
Their Force sensitivity.
"I'm a Force sensitive?" Nalin smiled. His eyes glittered.
"What's a Force sensitive?" Hanna, their youngest, asked.
"Someone sensitive to the Force, duh." Nalin rolled his eyes at his sister. "The name says everything. He leaned forward. "Does this mean we could be Jedi?"
"It means you could be trained to be such," Darious informed him.
The boy's excitement radiated from him in waves. His face flushed with a grin and eyes getting wider by the second.
"You will have to discuss it with your parents, but we would welcome all three of you as apprentices."
"Apprentices?" Tina frowned. "I thought the lowest rank of Jedi were padawans."
"Apprentice is the adult term used for younglings." Darious folded his hands before him. "Only once you've mastered the basics would a master then be chosen for you."
"But there are only five of you." Tina held up five hands. "I've never heard of a Jedi Master taking on more than one padawan."
"Traditionally, no. Given the time we're in," Darious trailed off. Yes, given the times there was no choice. Otherwise it would take them centuries to rebuild the Order to stable numbers. Alvar meant to attempt it in their lifetime.
It was sound reasoning and Darious still agreed with it. This would just place more on the five of them. He would need to talk to Alvar over the matter and see if it was possible to only give a padawan to a knight after the knight had settled. Let the knight train one first then get two and move up from there/
He rubbed his eyes. It was something to think on later. For now, what mattered was these three.
Tina rubbed her chin. "It is another way to serve the Republic," she confessed. "I did want to follow Aunt Reca into being a soldier."
"This is important," the little Hanna pointed out. "Far more so than being a soldier, sis."
"Jedi are amazing!" Nalin shouted. He leapt to his feet. "I want to do it! No matter what, I want to be a Jedi. To really be there for the people," his tone and features darkened, "unlike him."
Ah, he meant Revan. It was a matter to watch the boy over. Such dark feelings of resentment and anger would have to worked through.
Tina shook her head. "He's not a bad person, Nalin." She frowned. "Jedi are vital for maintaining the peace and the Order does need to be rebuilt. Are we to never see our family again like it used to be?"
"No," Darious stated, "as you've noticed Alvar is speaking with all of you." And he was to meet those who were assumed to be his family today. "It is for the best to keep family ties this time around."
"Why?" Nalin asked.
"It will help prevent so many from falling," Darious explained. "Many who fell during the Civil War used their rage and resentment towards their family to do so. It is for the best to counter this as early on as possible."
"Did Alvar fall that way?" Sasha asked. She had been seated in the room, listening to them while also talking to little Vaner.
Vaner tilted his head to one side. "Alvar, daddy, right?" the boy asked.
"Yes." Sasha smiled and tapped the boy's nose.
"I doubt it," Darious stated. "Alvar never held resentment for being given to the Order. He was happy about being a Jedi we were children and determined to do what he could to protect the Republic." His heart ached. "This is what caused him to fall. His love of the Republic and the desire to protect it."
"That's stupid," Nalin huffed.
"How could that be a bad thing?" Tina shot a glare towards her brother. "Protecting the Republic is noble cause."
"It is," Darious agreed, "but not to the point Alvar took it to provide results during the Mandalorian Wars."
"Still stupid." Nalin rolled his eyes at the ceiling.
"Alvar wanted nothing more than to defend the Republic, he still does, but he took it to the point where he committed atrosities to do so, sacrificing worlds deemed unimportant in order to bolster the defenses of other worlds to even destroying Malachor Five." Darious looked at the boy. "It is far from stupid. In fact, it is far more foolish to disregard such lessons and think one's self above repeating them only to do so and fall to the Dark side as well."
Tina shuddered. "Thank you, I'll take that lesson to heart, but I still would love to defend the Republic. To help protect my family and all those who call the Republic home."
Sasha smiled.
"I want protech too!" Vaner exclaimed.
"Protect," Sasha corrected with a gentle smile.
"I say that!" Vaner huffed. "Daddy and mommy protech, right? I wants it too!"
Darious chuckled. "I'm certain you'll find you path, Young Vaner, but for now you're helping in your own way."
The boy brightened. "I help then!"
"You are." Darious bowed his head. Vaner could never be a Jedi. Yet, this didn't mean the boy had no future. He could still help his family, one way or another.
Tina's hand was on her chin once more, gaze uneasy. "Mother," – she turned to Sasha – "would you be upset if I joined the Jedi Order?"
Sasha blinked. "You had your heart set on being a soldier."
"I'm going as well!" Nalin exclaimed.
Hanna frowned. "I like the idea of helping people," she confessed.
"Hanna, you wanted to be a doctor," Sasha remined her.
"I can still be one," – Hanna's brow furled as she looked at Darious – "right?"
"The Order has a form of doctor called a healer," he informed her.
Hanna grinned. "I would like to hear more about being a healer. Please?" She clapped her hands together.
"Alvar would know more about it than I would." Granted this held true for the vast majority of Jedi history. If only they could repair his memory. Then they would have everything Alvar had ever read returned to them.
"I'll ask Uncle when he returns then," Hanna decided. "Then I'll decide if I want to join the Jedi or not."
Sasha closed her eyes. "We can discuss it with your father then as well."