The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 18
Darkness Rising
Validar awoke with a gasp. He was lying on the floor. No wait, there was no floor. Was there? There was clearly something beneath him. A solid object he was laying on top of. But he saw nothing. Just a swirling portrait of black and purple shadows beneath his still form. A pit that seemed endless and without any form.
The air around him was cold. Freezing even. Goosebumps formed along his flesh as his body attempted to fend off the chilled air. The shadow around him were pitch black. Even the shades of purple he did see appeared to be completely opaque. Not a single light could penetrate them. He swallowed hard and ran a hand over his chest.
There was no wound. No gouge in his flesh. No sword piercing through his heart. His eyes searched around him as he quickly jumped to his feet.
Where am I? He thought.
Was this the afterlife? No, it could not be. This seemed like something different. An in between of some sorts. The plane of existence that laid between life and death. A sort of limbo that his mind could hardly comprehend.
He looked around and saw the same inky portrait. The world was endless and formless save for the shadows. Shadows cast by no objects.
"Curious." He muttered to himself.
He froze. In front of him, a group of shadows appeared to coelesce. They formed into the shape of a man. Validar's glowing eyes grew wide.
"It can't be!" He gasped, nearly falling backwards in shock, "You-you-"
"My faithful servant." The shadowy being grinned.
Validar felt his mouth fall open. Then, without any command of any sort, he dropped to the floor and bowed low to the shadowy figure.
"My lord, Grima." He breathed. His voice filled with both fear and reverence.
"Grima?" The shadowy figure mused, "Is that the name I am known by on this world? Yes… it is. Isn't it? It has been so long since I have followed the Force's currents to this planet. I seem to have grown somewhat unfamiliar with the world of Archanea. But I digress."
Validar arched an eyebrow in confusion. Currents of the Force? What did his Lord Grima mean by that? Did he mean magic?
"You may rise, Validar. And fear not. For I am the one who brought you to this place."
If you could call it a place. Validar thought to himself.
"Do you judge my home? My plane of existence?"
Validar swallowed hard. He should have known better than to think that. Grima was the all powerful fell dragon. Destined to bring an end to the known world and to reshape it in his perfect image. To destroy the blight that was Naga and all of her followers.
"I thank you for thinking so kindly of me."
Damn it! His mind was an open book for his Lord.
"Validar, do not be disturbed. As a loyal follower of my religion," the shadow of Grima gave a small, dark chuckle, "you should be honored by my actions. Have full trust in me. Yes?"
Validar gulped. Grima, his actual form, it was nothing like what Validar had studied. The great fell dragon was always portrayed as exactly that. An evil, black dragon of mammoth proportions. Towering over any building constructed by man. A massive head and maw with six blood red eyes that hungrily looked down on its prey. A monster of nightmares.
But in this realm, he was just a man. Though his smaller stature did nothing to hide the sheer power that radiated from him. Validar took a moment to touch the magic, the mana, in the air. He nearly crumpled to his knees. Overwhelmed by the darkness and power around him.
Grima's avatar chuckled again. Amused by Validar's obvious weakness.
"Yes, for a non immortal such as yourself, it would be overwhelming. The powers granted to me eons ago by my Father and the Force are still hardly comprehensible to lowly humans." He noticed Validar's confusion, "Magic, if you wish for that term to be used instead."
Validar gave a small nod.
Grima's avatar flashed a wicked smirk, "So primitive in your understanding of the universe. Of course your ancestors would tell stories of me being a wicked, bloodthirsty monster. And while some of that may be a little true, not all of it is. The most compelling stories are lies with hints of truth in them after all. Am I the Fell Dragon Grima. Yes, but I am also so much more. I am darkness. The dark side of magic is my domain. I exist to dominate. To destroy. To enslave the weak and elevate the mighty." Validar felt entranced as he listened. The yellow eyes of Grima's avatar continued to look at him in amusement, "And the elevation of dark magic is almost complete. Save for this little, lowly world we now exist in."
Validar looked at his lord puzzled, "World?"
"You seriously cannot believe that you are the only intelligent life forms in the universe?" Grima's avatar asked, "Oh no, there are much more. And another of my faithful servants has already cast my shadow upon the rest of the galaxy. Though he is sadly unaware of of his success in doing my bidding. This world however, stands beyond his reach. For now at least. But I cannot simply wait for him to get here. No no, that will take to long. So I call upon you now, Validar, high priest of my Grimleal."
"What is thy bidding, my master?" Validar asked as he fell to his knees.
This being before him, it was awe inspiring. Power incarnate. Untamed and furious. The perfect being to destroy Naga and her followers. The perfect lord to reshape the world.
"Your time has not come. You will return to the world of the living. When you awaken, gather my followers. Then bide your time until that fool Gangrel falls. He will only impede our progress. From there, take over Plegia. Return me to physical form, Validar. And I will bestow power on you unlike any you have ever possessed before." Grima's avatar extended a hand, "Another vessel of mine will be meeting you in the wilderness, he possesses some of my power. The more primal nature of it at least. The Grima you know of from your histories and stories is within him. A Hierophant for your new order. Seek him out. Then await my word."
Validar saw the shadows of Grima disperse. The purple and black void around him began to lighten. A blinding light filled his vision. And the breath returned to his body.
…..
Ben frowned then rubbed his chin. He could not help but narrow his eyes in confusion as he looked at the woman in front of him.
He had seen many strange beings during his travels throughout the galaxy. He counted some beasts such as the ackley among them. As for beings, the strangest still had to be whatever creature the Hutts were. They also still were the most revolting to him.
But this woman gnawing on a bowl of vegetables in front of him, was something else entirely. She had small tufts of fur near her joints and on her rear. A strange, fur and leather armor covered her torso. Her feet were bare and her hands were dainty but possessed nails sharpened into claws. There were markings on her face that seemed to be ingrained in her skin. A sharp, animal instinct to her eyes that made Ben think that there was something both intelligent yet primitive behind them. Then there were the ears. Bunny ears, that's how Robin described them. Much to the chagrin of the woman.
Ben's other hand tapped against the table. The bowl of stew in front of him was untouched. He was not very hungry anyways. His mind both occupied with figuring out what creature this woman was as well as the impending meeting regarding the assassination attempt. Chrom wanted Ben and Robin with him at the war council. Which was in… Ben glanced at a small clock that hung above the bar on the barracks wall. Fifteen minutes.
"Are you going to continue staring, man-spawn?" The woman snarled between bites of lettuce and tomato.
Ben drew back, "No, no I just… I am unfamiliar with you kind, ma'am."
The woman raised an eyebrow, "That is something I have never been called before. Your ignorance does not surprise me Man-spawn. The Taguel… we are," Sadness entered her eyes for a moment. Then they hardened with anger, "I am the only one left."
"I am sorry to hear that."
"Why should you be?" The taguel woman replied, "Your kind are the reason mine no longer exist. My warren was hunted to extinction by humans."
Ben could not help but notice the venom behind her words. The hatred in her tone. It did not surprise him. A lone survivor of a species among the very species that drove her own to extinction must be rather traumatizing. And curious.
"You are still staring, Man-spawn." She snarled.
"What is your name?" Ben asked.
The taguel woman drew back a little bit. As if she was surprise by the sudden question.
"Why do you wish to know?"
Ben folded his hands onto the table, "Because I am not one of the humans that drove your kind to extinction. I abhor the fact that such a thing happened to your people. And I refuse to view you as a different being. I choose to view you as an equal to me. In order to do that, I need to know your name."
She blinked in shock, "You humans… are a strange brood. Many are violent sacks of meat wanting nothing but blood and destruction. Yet, being among these Shepherds, even if for only a few bours, has shown me that there are some who are not that way. Your Exalt is among them. I spoke with her upon the end of the battle last night. And she gave me just the same amount of encouragement and reassurance as you did. As well as an apology, for what that is worth."
"Hardly anything at this point. Words cannot bring back your people, unfortunately." Ben replied.
She swallowed hard, "Truly said, Man-spawn." She sniffed the air, "You are different from the other squabbling humans as well. Like the Exalt. You seek to understand my kind. Not destroy me." She leaned forward in her seat, "And your prowess in battle did not escape my eyes. You defended the Exalt with honor and ferocity. If a human can defend someone as just as her, than they must be just as honorable as she is. Very well, I shall tell you my name. You may call me Panne."
Ben nearly spat out the name Obi Wan Kenobi on instinct. He had been so engrossed in his conversation with Panne that he forgot he was operating under a different name now. He smiled and held out a hand to Panne.
"Ben." He said.
Panne eyed his hand with suspsicion. Then she gripped it with her own.
"And it is a pleasure to meet you, Panne."
Panne snorted, "We will see." Her dark eyes darted up to the clock, "That device you humans use to tell the position of the sun-"
"A clock?" Ben chuckled.
"It says it is time for you to go to your pack meeting."
Ben looked up at the clock, "It is." He stepped out of his chair and threw his cloak over his shoulders. He turned on his heel and was about to leave the barracks when a thought occurred to him, "Panne, if possible, and I do not mean to intrude in any way, but could you tell me more about the Taguel sometime?"
Panne sat straigter in her seat, "You, a human, wish to know about my people? You are a strange Man-spawn, Ben. Perhaps we can talk of my kind. But not now."
"Thank you." Ben said with a slight bow.
If Panne was the last of her kind, then she was technically their leader. Their matriarch in a way. And such a position deserved respect. The Jedi taught him that, and he wanted to keep some semblance of normalcy in his actions.
As he stepped out of the barracks, he caught sight of Gaius stepping out from the pantry. An armful of cakes in his hands.
"How's it going, Ears?"
"Do not call me that." Ben heard Panne snap as he shut the barracks door behind him.
He stepped into the yard. Virion was already awake. The archer was firing arrow after arrow into a target. Sharpening his skills so that he would not miss a single shot in the war. He loosed another arrow and buried it in the target's center mass.
"Good shot." Ben complimented.
"And I'll need to make a hundred more before the day is over." Virion replied, "My performance last night made that apparent. A missed arrow of mine allowed one assassin to escape. I cannot allow such a mistake to occur again."
Ben shook his head, "Do not be too hard on yourself. Mistakes happen. All we can do is learn from them."
"And that is what I am doing now." Virion replied with a smile.
"Then I shall leave you to it."
"Have fun at the council!" Virion called after him as he walked to the palace.
Ben snorted. Yes, council meetings. Droll things. When he had been appointed to the Jedi High Council he graciciously accepted the offer. Then after several meetings, he came to understand why Qui Gon did not wish to sit on the council. Sessions were tedious, long, drawn out affairs. The Clone War did not help in that regard. Surprisingly, he ended up preferring strategy sessions with Commander Cody and Captain Rex.
Ben chuckled to himself. If Anakin ever found out about that, he would never hear the end of it.
He swallowed hard as the image of his old padawan burning alive on a lave bank rushed through his thoughts. The screams. He could still hear those blood curdling screams.
"Ben!" Robin called as he entered the main hall. The tactician strode up to him. A broad smile on his face, "How's it going?"
"Hm?" Ben snapped himself out of his memories, "Fine. Just thinking."
"You too?" Robin scratched the back of his head as he fell in step with Ben, "I've been wracking my brain about last night. Hardly slept a wink."
Ben raised his brow, "Then how are you so energetic right now?"
"Coffee." Robin replied, "I drank like… maybe seven, no.. eight cups of it."
Coffee? A stimulant of some sort, perhaps. Ben enjoyed this world's cuisine tremendously. But there were still some mysteries for him. Maybe it's like Caf?
"Did you get any rest?" Robin asked as they left the main hall and entered the hall that led to the council chambers.
"Some." Ben replied.
That was a lie. He felt exhausted. The battle last night had sapped a lot of his energy. He, Emmeryn, and Gaius had made it to the council chambers without any conflict. But when they were discovered, he and Gaius had to fend off a wave of assassins that had seemed endless at the time. His sword arm was still a little sore from the battle.
All of that bloodshed had only managed to reopen old scars. Memories of the Clone War plagued Ben's sleep last night. Battles such as the first and second Geonosis, Christophsis, Coruscant, it was more than enough to keep him awake at night. In the end, he had resorted to meditating near the fireplace. And that was where Panne had found him. Her arrival provided a wonderful distraction for his worried mind.
"Don't lie to the Exalt when she asks." Robin advised, "She's been worried about you. Chrom and Lissa too. But your name kept coming up."
Ben felt his cheeks heat up. He wanted to smack himself. Curse these hormones running through his body. He felt like he had far less control of his feelings as a twenty year old than he did as an older Jedi Master. And that bothered him. He did not want to make any mistakes right now. The last thing he needed was a romantic attachment. Especially to the ruler of Ylisse during a crisis. That would only end in disaster.
Still, the thought of Emmeryn made his heart leap in his chest. They had become strangely close during his time with the Shepherds. So close in fact, that he had nearly told her everything about him last night. Before the assassins attacked.
He was much more hesitant about telling her the truth now. His past should be the Emmeryn's last concern. Not only was her nation at war, but her own life was directly threatened by an assassination attempt. An attempt that had nearly succeeded. It had ended with her escaping death, Sumia being seriously injured, and Emmeryn's entire contingent of palace guards dead.
He nodded to himself. He would wait in telling her the truth for now. It could wait. One day, she will know everything. Then… well, Ben would see where the Force took him at that point.
As he and Robin entered the council chambers, Chrom greeted them.
"You two look like hell." Chrom laughed.
"You don't look any better Prince Charming." Robin retorted before flopping back in his seat beside Chrom, "Did you get any sleep? Or were you too busy holding Sumia's hand to get any rest?"
Chrom's face pink then bright red at Robin's teasing.
"Come on, Chrom." Robin chuckled, "There is no way we did not notice."
Ben gave Robin a puzzled look, "I didn't notice anything."
Robin smacked Ben's chest as the swordsman took his seat, "Let me have my fun."
"Alright you two. That's enough." Chrom chuckled, "And for the record, I did sit with Sumia for a little bit." His smile faded a bit, "Whatever Kage did to her, the healers describe it as a miracle. She should have died from her wounds. Whatever spell that fiend hit her with was devastating." He exhaled, "According to Lissa, that spell was supposed to hit her. But Sumia jumped in the way. She's taking it pretty hard."
"I don't doubt it." Ben said, "I'm sure once Sumia wakes up, Lissa will feel better."
"We can only hope." Chrom replied.
Frederick entered with Commander Phila and Commander Edward. Then Emmeryn entered the room.
Ben had to blink. Even though a battle had taken place in her palace and she had nearly been killed, Emmeryn still looked absolutely radiant. Her robes were flawless. Hair kept neat and tidy. There was weariness in her eyes. But she did her best to hide that. She took her seat at the head of the council table.
"I declare this council to be in session." She said while her two commanders sat to her right and left. Frederick took a spot near the door. The knight acting as the Exalt's bodyguard until a new royal guard could be trained and outfitted.
"First, I think we need to discuss our newest allies in this war."
"You mean the two thieves and the rabbit?" Edward replied.
"Taguel, not rabbit." Ben corrected.
Edward shrugged, "They're the same thing."
A hard stare from Emmeryn sent the Knight Commander shrinking for a moment.
"Apologies your highness. Old prejudices die hard." He said.
Robin raised his hand. Chrom hung his head.
"Robin, you don't have to raise your hand to speak."
"Right, sorry, just… felt it was necessary. Didn't want to interrupt anything." He said rapidly. Ben snorted a little. That coffee was giving the tactician the jitters, "Panne was instrumental in our defense. She saved my life and helped me reach the palace fast enough to save Sumia and Lissa's lives as well. Without her, we'd have more bodies to bury."
Emmeryn nodded, "She did so in order to pay off some debt her Warren owed us. Now that it is paid, I wonder about her fate."
"Hunters will pay a high price for her head. She won't be safe in the wild." Edward noted.
Phila frowned but Edward shrugged.
"I'm not wrong."
"Unfortunately, you are not." Phila begrudgingly agreed, "Besides, no debt can be so great that it required her saving your life to repay, your highness. I feel a reward is due."
"She will just reject it." Robin replied, "What use are human trinkets to a Taguel?"
Edward nodded in agreement.
"We could offer her sanctuary." Ben suggested, "She can stay with the Shepherds."
Chrom smiled, "Not a bad idea, Ben. I'd be happy to extend that offer."
"Then do so." Emmeryn gave her brother a gentle smile, "Panne has more than earned such an honor."
"Now…" Phila cleared her throat, "On to the two thieves."
"Gaius and Kage." Chrom nodded his head, "Ben, Robin, you two interacted with them the most. What are your impressions?"
Ben pursed his lips, "I don't know much about Kage. By all accounts, he seems to be a boy caught in the wrong crowd. That is what Gaius said. They consider each other friends. Although they only met recently."
"Kage seems like a good guy." Robin leaned back in his seat, "He saved my life. He saved Lissa's. And whatever he did to Sumia worked. If he has healing knowledge then he'd be a tremendous asset to our forces." Robin rubbed his jaw, "That, and he's stealthy as hell. I did not see him until he drove his blade through Validar's body."
"What do you suggest for him if he were to join us?" Chrom asked.
"Scout?" Robin suggested, "Gaius too. No offense to the rest of us Shepherds, but none of us are the stealthy type. Naga help us if we need to send someone like Vaike on a stealth mission."
Chrom and Ben both uttered light chuckles.
"Gaius," Ben paused, "He's a rogue type. His loyalty appears to be easily bought. That concerns me."
"But you cannot deny, without him, we would not have survived last night." Emmeryn noted.
Ben nodded, "That's true. It is a red flag to keep an eye on."
Robin leaned over, "How did you get his loyalty?" He whispered.
"Candy."
Robin's jaw fell open, "Seriously?"
"I do not hear a no from you, Ben." Chrom continued.
Ben sighed, "Beyond that one concern, I don't have any. He proved his abilities in battle. And Robin is correct, we need good scouts and spies among our numbers. Gaius and Kage could prove to be invaluable."
If there was one thing he learned during the Clone War, intelligence was everything. And an army could not gather intelligence without skilled scouts and spies.
Still, he felt some unease about the pair. The fact that they changed their loyalties so readily unsettled him. If they did join the Shepherds, then he would keep an eye on them. He locked eyes with Frederick and saw the knight nod at him. The man was thinking the exact same thing.
"I'll offer them a place among the Shepherds." Chrom said firmly, "They saved your life Emm. Lissa and Sumia's too. If they return to Plegia they could be executed as traitors. I say we give them sanctuary as well."
Emmeryn nodded in agreement, "Then that matter is settled."
"Now onto a more pressing concern." Phila began, "Your Highness's safety."
Emmeryn frowned a little.
"Your highness, assassins infiltrated the palace. And they did so with ease. If not for the actions of the Shepherds and the unaccounted for mercenary named Marth, you would be dead." Phila noted.
Ben nodded in agreement. His mind lingered a little on Marth. The girl had vanished as soon as the battle ended. He could not sense her presence nearby at all. Wherever she went, she was making sure that no one could find her. Not even him.
"Ylisstol is no longer safe." Edward concurred, "I have received reports that the Plegian army has cut a bloody swath through our countryside. They could be at the city gates in few weeks." The knight commander grit his teeth, "I don't understand their progress. It's as if their forces are moved by some unholy force. Our armies put up effective resistance. They cut down Plegians by the thousands. And yet they gain victory at every battle. Whoever is presiding over the Plegian tactics is a cunning genius."
"Good thing we have one of our own." Chrom clasped a hand on Robin's shoulder, "I propose we name Robin as our army's general tactician."
Phila and Edward stared incredulously at Chrom.
"I think thats a no." Robin muttered.
"Why not?" Chrom asked, "Everytime he has faced the Plegians, we have claimed victory."
"By the skin of our teeth." Phila countered, "Need I remind you of the skirmish outside of Themis."
"But we won!" Chrom exclaimed, "We beat back the Plegians."
"Then were promptly stomped by their main army." Edward replied, "I admire Robin's skills, but he has no experience leading a full army. His true skill is guiding small strike forces, in my opinion. As evidenced by the effectiveness of the Shepherds. With time, he'll grow to be a great battlefield commander. But talent matters not in the face of experience. And whoever is the architect behind the Plegian strategy possesses both."
"Experience outranks everything." Ben said, echoing an old proverb that Captain Rex said often. Usually to little Ahsoka Tano.
A sad pang raced through Ben's heart. That girl had been wrong in so many ways. He wondered if she was out there in the galaxy still. She would have avoided the initial Jedi purge since she left the Jedi just before that disaster. Hopefully she was alive. Maybe one day, they would meet again.
"My point exactly." Edward agreed.
Chrom sighed, "What is our current strategy?"
Phila grimaced, "Right now, delay. Our armies are not fully marshaled. And Regna Ferox is still arming themselves. It will be a few more weeks before we will recive their direct aid."
"It would be good if we sent an envoy to oversee them." Edward said, "Perhaps provide advice."
"If they are the best warriors on the continent, I doubt they need our advice." Robin said.
"Best does not mean most disciplined." Edward retorted, "They fight like barbarians."
"Maybe that's what we need. The Plegians meet us with savagery. Maybe we fight them with savagery." Phila mused, "Fight fire with fire so to speak."
"It'd be a change in direction from what we are doing now." Chrom nodded.
"Shouldn't we be discussing how they managed to get into the palace?" Ben interjected, "Tactics are all well and good, but if the entire head of an army is cut off then there is no army at all."
Robin grimaced. Chrom sighed.
"You're right, Ben. We may not be able to learn how the Plegians infiltrated the palace, but we know that you are not safe here Sis." Chrom reached for Emm's hand, "We need to get you out of the city."
"I cannot leave my people. They need me to lead them. To stand with them."
"You cannot stand with them if you are dead!" Ben suddenly a said. His tone much sharper than he intended.
Frederick arched an eyebrow at his outburst. Chrom gave him a silent stare of surprise. Robin sank in his seat. And Emmeryn looked at him, dumbfounded.
Ben swallowed, "Sorry. It was a long night. I'm still rather tired."
"We all are." Phila said, "And this course of action isn't up for negotiation. Your highness, I swore to your father when he passed that I would protect you. And right now that means getting you to safety. Away from the approaching enemy army."
"And to where?" Emmeryn asked, her own frustration growing, "Regna Ferox? My people need me here. They need to know that I stand beside them in this trying time."
"Perhaps you could take shelter in the Eastern Palace for now?" Edward suggested, "The mountains will make it difficult for any army to pursue. And that palace is much more fortified than this one."
Chrom nodded in agreement, "And once we drop you off there, the Shepherds will make our way to Regna Ferox and await Khan Falvia's forces. With any luck, we will be driving the Plegians back in the coming weeks."
Ben sighed. There was no such thing as luck. But in this case, he did not fault Chrom for his choice of words. It did look like they would need all of the luck in the world in order to defeat Plegia at this point.
Emmeryn closed her eyes and sighed. Ben could tell that she really did not want to leave. It was the same expression he had seen on Satine's face all those years ago. Back when he and Qui Gon were her Jedi protectors. She had been adamant about not leaving Sundari during the civil war. But the violence and near death experiences forced his and Qui Gon's hand. Even Padme Amidala was frustrated by the need to leave her homeworld. But that was the nature of warfare. Capture the queen, and the army would crumble.
Just like chess. Ben thought.
"I need to think for a bit." Emmeryn breathed, "Leave me for now. I'll inform all of you of my decision in a bit."
Phila and Edward seemed taken aback by Emmeryn's orders. Nevertheless, they rose, bowed, and exited the room with Frederick. Chrom gave his sister a pleading look before rising and exiting with Robin. Ben was the last to rise. But as he got to his feet, Emmeryn raised her hand.
"Please stay." She said as she got out of her seat and walked over to the one window that was in the council chambers.
Ben froze for a moment. Unsure of what to do. Eventually he east back down into his seat.
He heard Emmeryn utter a loud sigh as she hung her head.
"I cannot just leave them."
Ben's lips pressed into a thin line, "You cannot die for them either." He replied.
Emmeryn looked back at him, "Isn't that what a leader is supposed to do? Put their life before their peoples's."
Ben's fingers tapped on the table, "Maybe. But I think the best option is to live for you people instead of dying for them." He got up from his seat and walked over to her, "Emmeryn, you are a strong leader. A kind and good woman. If you were to fall to the Plegians, it would not do the people any good. It would crush them. Then what?"
Emmeryn swallowed hard. Ben could see some tears forming in her eyes. Ben hardly noticed when he gently wiped them away.
"Don't throw your life away out of some sense of duty." He advised, "Your duty is to lead your people. Not die for them. If that means going to the Eastern Palace, then that is what that means."
Emmeryn sniffled, "You can be just as blunt as Chrom, you know that?"
"You just listen to me because I'm not your little brother." Ben chuckled.
Emmeryn let out a small laugh, "Maybe." Wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "I can't help but feel like a failure for all of this. If… if I had suspected Gangrel's true intentions, if I had just known what he wanted to do to my people, I would have been ready. I would have kept our armies at the ready. I would have-"
Ben lightly touched her chin and lifted it so her eyes stared into his own.
"Do not dwell on that. Focus on the here and now. That is all you can do. Do what is best for your people right now."
He could feel his heart thumping in his chest. Force, what was he doing!? He should have excused himself with Chrom and Robin. Now he was getting himself into a situation he really should not be in.
Yet, it felt…. right. It felt right to be here for Emmeryn. To stand by here when she needed him. To comfort her and give her advice. It was a strange feeling. And as he stared down into her eyes, he could not help but feel his heart jump to his throat.
Emmeryn reached up and placed a hand over Ben's, "Thank you." She said softly.
Ben did not know what happened next. But he suddenly found himself leaning forward. His eyes closed and he felt Emmeryn's lips lightly touch his own. They both drew back, surprised that they had both done such a thing. Ben uttered an awkward chuckle.
"I'm not sure if my advice is any good. I mean… conflicts of interests and-"
She silenced him with another kiss. And Ben's eyes widened for the briefest of moments. Then he melted into her embrace. And she huddled closer into his arms. They finally pulled away from each other. Both lost for breath.
"I um…" Emmeryn exhaled loudly, "Um… I think I've made up my mind. But on one condition."
"That-um-" Ben swallowed hard. Force, was he always this awkward when he was young? Now he knew why Satine despised him at first. "That would be?"
Emmeryn's lips parted into a soft smile, "You stay with me at the Palace."
Ben's heart jumped in his chest. He shifted his weight from side to side and exhaled.
"If you want to of course." Emmeryn followed up quickly, "I did not meant to make things seem to-"
"You didn't just-" Ben exhaled. The words of his old Master rang in his mind. Live in the moment. The Force would guide him. "I'd be happy to."
Emmeryn's lips parted into an even wider grin. She threw her arms over him and wrapped him in a warm hug. A hug Ben returned. She did not move to kiss him again. Both were still reeling from that action before.
"I trust you, Ben." Emmeryn said, "I hope you know that."
Ben was silent as he held Emmeryn in the council chambers. In that moment, she was no longer the Exalt of Ylisse. She was just a scared, worried woman. Terrified of the horrors her people were experiencing. Worried for her brother and her sister. Scared for all those she held dear. The aura of the Exalt disappeared as Ben held her.
A part of him was screaming in frustration. Another part was jumping with joy. And a third was feeling apprehensive about the whole affair. He could not shake the sense that there was something bad bound to happen. But he forced the feeling down. Qui Gon wanted him to live in the moment. To let the Force guide his actions. The more he was around Emmeryn, the more convinced he was that he was supposed to be there.
But still, he could not shake the guilt of not trusting her in turn. The pair ended their embrace and made their way towards the council doors.
"I will let Phila and Edward know of your decision. You should go check on Lissa, Chrom, and Sumia."
Emmeryn nodded then raised an eyebrow, "I already checked on Sumia. Is there something else wrong with her?"
Ben uttered a light, mischievous chuckle, "Just ask Robin."
As they walked out, a single set of eyes watched them from the window sill. A man dropped his defenses and re-emerged from his hiding place in the Force. As the door shut behind Ben and Emmeryn, a wicked grin parted over his lips.
His Master will be most please
And Chapter! A small break before we get back to the action. Just a chance to catch out breaths. One thing I would like to note (not sure I have before but I am just going to say it just in case), when I write fanfictions one of my goals is to craft an original story or exprience. That means I aim to not follow the original works to closely. I doubt anyone wants to read a copy paste o the original works (I know i don't when I look for stories to read) but that is just my opinon and thats how I operate.
But enough about that, this was a fun chapter to write. we learn a little bit about a major villan in this story. is he Grima? Is he a form of Grima? Or somethign more? An enigma for sure. I'Ve got someting very fun in mind for that part of the story. I can't wait to write it. But I am not gonna spoil it! We get to see Ben and Panne meet (as well as Gaius). We get to see a bit of a war council and the panic that some of the leaders in Ylisse seem to be in. And is that ROMANCE i see blossoming! Lucky Ben! *evil grin and devliish laughter*
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chatper! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!