The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 75
The Dawn of War
Kage's eyes flicked open. A long groan escaped his lips as he stretched his arms over his head. The sheets over his body shifted as he stretched his legs as well. A satisfied sigh escaped his lungs as he felt any tension in his muscles fade away.
The sheets shifted beside him. Kage glanced over at the mess of blue hair lying on the pillow beside him. With a small smile, he reached over and brushed his finger along Cynthia's bare shoulder. She barely moved at his touch. Nothing could wake her up in the morning. Not even the gentle kiss Kage placed on her forehead.
He smiled some more as he saw a slight, happy smirk forming on her lips. The past few months have been some of the most peaceful of his entire life. Peace had been a feeling he lost for a long time. He had not felt such serenity since he was a child living in Chon'sin. A lot of it had to do with Cynthia. She managed to temper a lot of his own anger and anxiety. Her general happiness always brightened the mood in the palace.
Kage gave her shoulder another gentle rub before he threw the sheets from his body and rose to his feet. He quietly made his way across his room and threw on a thick morning robe. He could already feel a chill creeping in from outside. Could smell the moisture in the air. The rainy season had returned to Chon'sin. Many massive storms were going to hammer Koto during the next few months. But that was a good thing. They would replenish the city's water supply. Flood the rice fields so that the crops could grow properly.
Yen'fay and Say'ri both took great pains to prepare the city and country for the rainy season. Yen'fay marshaled a small battalion of soldiers to be prepared at all times for an emergency anywhere in the country. Some of the rivers that flowed from the Kiba Mountains would flood during this season. Villages along those rivers would need the military to help bring in supplies. If the flooding grew worse, then the military would have to evacuate those isolated villages.
While Kage was interested by such matters, he did not involve himself in them. He let Yen'fay and Say'ri be the decision makers. This land was their land. And while he called Chon'sin home, he did not want any hand in running it. He preferred his guise as a mercenary named Luke. Such a guise allowed him to live a much quieter life in the palace. He acted as a guard assigned to protect the palace. Nothing more. Which led to a rather uneventful time after he and Cynthia successfully hunted down the slavers.
Boring was a nice change of pace. Kage enjoyed being able to just spend time with those he cared about. His relationship with Yen'fay had grown strong. His older brother even offered him instruction in more traditional Chon'sin martial arts in exchange for Kage instructing him in Juyo. He greatly enjoyed those training sessions. The traditional Chon'sin martial arts were much more focused on self discipline and defense than the brutal aggression of Juyo that Maul taught him. Fighting in the traditional Chon'sin style caused a change in combat mindset for him. He became less aggressive in battle. Less erratic. More focused and precise. Even Yen'fay noticed the visible change over the months.
Kage glanced back at the snoring Cynthia as he reached the door. She was another reason for his change in mindset. He was determined to better himself. To be a better man than what Maul had turned him into. It had been months since he truly wielded the dark side of the force. Partially because he did not have a need to. The palace in Chon'sin was one of the most secure places in Valm. But also because he did not want to use the dark side of the force. The more he distanced himself from Maul's teachings, the more horrified by them he became.
He had lived a large majority of his life in fear, anger, and pain. It exhausted him just thinking about it. Those emotions granted him great power. But he started to realize that such power was fleeting. The body and mind could only maintain such emotions for so long until it started to break down. He found greater strength and healthiness in Chon'sin's martial arts than he ever did in Maul's teachings.
Kage slid the door open and quietly slid it shut behind him. He could smell fish cooking from the nearby palace kitchens. Breakfast would be served soon. He had a feeling both Say'ri and Yen'fay were already in the dining room. Both enjoying a hot cup of tea as they waited for their food to be prepared.
Kage slowly strolled towards the dining room. His relationship with Say'ri had not blossomed like his relationship with Yen'fay. Say'ri still gave him a cold shoulder in most of their interactions. Her attitude towards him slowly improved as the months passed. It helped that he was not as angry or grouchy all the time. But she still saw him as someone who wielded great and dangerous power. A corruption of her little brother. And as long as she saw him that way, he would never hold her trust.
He shrugged to himself. That was Say'ri's decision in the end. He could do nothing to change her mind. All Kage could do now was to continue down the path he had started. Continue to better himself. To purge Maul's evil corruption from his heart and mind. It would be a slow, difficult process with many setbacks. But so far, he was off to a good start.
He slid the door to the dining room open.
Yen'fay sat at the head of the table. Legs folded on a soft cushion. A cup of hot tea cradled in his hands. His sharp eyes flicked over to Kage. His version of a silent greeting. One Kage returned with a small nod.
Say'ri sat to her brother's right. She never talked to him much either. It was impossible to miss the animosity she held towards him. Say'ri and Yen'fay's relationship had broken down to the point where they treated each other more as professional colleagues than brother and sister. Say'ri still blamed Yen'fay for Chon'sin living under the Conqueror's tyranny. Still viewed him as a dishonorable coward for bending the knee after the death of their parents. The only reason she had not left Koto was because of the toddler prince sitting to Yen'fay's left.
Brady and Noire were both sitting at the table as well. Noire had her legs crossed. Her posture perfect. Her blue eyes flicked over to Kage before settling back down on her own cup of tea. Brady meanwhile, leaned back on his cushion and kept his legs out straight. The gruff priest refused to completely adopt Chon'sin customs. He gave Kage a sharp stare as well before taking a sip out of his flask. Which now contained sake instead of firewine.
"How's it going kid?" Kage- Luke- ruffled the prince's long blonde hair as he moved to his seat.
"Good morning, Sir Luke!" Prince Kage chirped as he bounced in his seat. A big smile on his face.
Luke smiled back at the kid as he took a seat beside him.
"Kage sit still while at the table." Yen'fay gently admonished the young Prince as he squirmed a little more.
"Yes sir." Prince Kage muttered back before reaching for the cup of water in front of him, "How did you sleep, Sir Luke?"
Brady started to silently chuckle for a minute as Luke was about to answer.
"From what I heard, pretty well." Brady chuckled as Noire threw him a dark glance.
"Brady." She warned.
Brady shrugged, "What? I'm not wrong. He looks like he slept pretty well."
Luke rolled his eyes and shook his head as a servant poured him a cup of tea. He quietly thanked the servant before bringing the tea to his lips.
"So you and Cynthia hit new high notes last night." Brady smirked.
Luke choked on his tea. He spit some of it back out into his cup as his face turned a deep scarlet color.
"Brady, there is a child at the table." Noire warned.
"Oh relax, Noire. The kid doesn't know what the hell I'm talking about." Brady remarked with a smirk, "What do ya'll think it was? I know Cynthia managed to hit a middle 'C'."
Luke's cheeks heated up even hotter as he quickly buried his nose into his teacup.
"I'm pretty sure Luke hit an 'A'." Yen'fay muttered with a quiet chuckle, earning a sharp glare from Say'ri.
Brady started howling as the two men laughed at Luke's embarrassed expression.
"You're just jealous, Brady." Kage muttered.
"Oh yeah." Brady wiped a tear from his face as he continued chuckling, "I'm totally jealous. You managed to let the airhead put you on a leash. Yup, I'm so jealous."
"Leash?" Luke questioned, "What do you mean?"
"You sleeping with Cynthia?"
Luke gulped as his cheek went red again.
"Then she has you on a leash." Brady smirked, "All you can do now is go to the end of it and bark."
Luke blinked in confusion, "What?"
"Aw damn it. Work with me, Luke."
"For Naga's sake Brady, you are starting to sound like Inigo." Noire muttered as the servants entered with breakfast.
"Hey, I'm not that bad."
"Yet." Luke pointed out as breakfast was placed in front of him, "And keep talking and I might be the one to introduce you to your mother when we run into her."
Brady paled as Noire stopped eating and snickered.
"Please don't do that." Brady gulped, "Ma already doesn't like how I talk."
"She really won't like your current table manners then." Luke gave Brady a mischievous look, "Oh the blackmail material I have on you after living with you the past few months. I'm sure I'll have her beating you over the head with her parasol eventually."
Brady swallowed hard as he quickly corrected his sitting position. Legs neatly folded on his cushion. Posture straight and proper. He fumbled with his chopsticks for a moment.
"Could really use a fork." He muttered under his breath before finally managing to snag a piece of fish from his plate.
Luke chuckled to himself as he expertly used his chopsticks to pluck a large hung of rice from his plate. As he munched on his food, Yen'fay cleared his throat and addressed him.
"Is Cynthia still asleep, Luke?"
Luke nodded, "She is."
"That good huh?" Brady snickered as he sipped his sake.
It took all of Luke's willpower not to lunge across the table at the priest and beat him to a pulp. He did allow some of his raw power to leak out of him in that moment. Noire visibly tensed. Brady gulped anxiously.
"He's planning on killing me now, ain't he?"
Noire nodded.
"You'll stop him right?"
Noire shrugged.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Brady cried.
A knock on the dining room door drew all of their attention. Yen'fay arched an eyebrow as one of the servants quickly shuffled into the room. The servant leaned into Yen'fay's ear. Yen'fays face hardened significantly as the servant whispered to him.
"Thank you." Yen'fay nodded as the servant backed way and rushed back out of the dining room, "I apologize everyone, but I am going to exit early. You as well Say'ri."
Say'ri furrowed her brow, "Why?"
"A messenger from the Capitol." Yen'fay answered, "The servants have him waiting for us in my study. And I do not want to keep him waiting."
Say'ri frowned but nodded.
"Kage stay with Sir Luke, Brady, and Noire."
"Yes, Say Say." Prince Kage replied as he continued munching on his breakfast.
Luke watched as Yen'fay and Say'ri both exited the dining room. As soon as the door slid shut behind them, he reached out with the force.
They were both tense. A messenger from the Empire's capital was never a good thing. Luke had a feeling Yen'fay would be ordered to go put down a rebellion somewhere in the Empire. That would be the biggest reason for the Conqueror to send an urgent message.
He reached out further with the force. He could feel the messenger in Yen'fay's study. The poor sod was extremely nervous. Rightfully so. Yen'fay was perhaps the most respected General in the Conqueror's armies. Such a distinction was earned, not given.
While he could not hear the messenger speak, he could sense Yen'fay and Say'ri's reactions to the message. And the reactions were startling. Say'ri felt shocked and furious. Yen'fay felt dour and worried.
"Something's up." Noire muttered as she finished eating her breakfast.
Luke nodded in agreement.
"I vote we go find out." Luke said.
Noire gave him a skeptical look.
"You were sensing them out as well. You're just as curious as I am." Luke pointed out.
Noire's eyes shifted back and forth.
"Maybe."
Luke rose from his seat and nodded for the archer to follow him. As the pair reached the door, Brady moved to get up as well.
"Kage stay with Brady."
"Okay." The Prince smiled back.
"Buh wuh!?" Brady exclaimed. He flopped back down in his seat and rested his head on his hand, "I'm not the best choice for a babysitter." He sipped his flask and glanced over at the young Prince. The little boy stared at him with curious wide eyes.
Brady choked on his sake when he heard what the Prince said next.
"So what did you and brother mean by high notes?"
Yen'fay grimaced as he heard the message from the Capitol.
War. Once again, war had come into his life. And this conflict was not some petty rebellion that needed to be put down.
No, the Conqueror's ambition had grown once again. He was no longer satisfied with Valm. He wanted the world now. Wanted to bring all under the rule of his massive empire. According to the messenger, the Conqueror wished to share the peace and prosperity of his Empire by unifying all kingdoms in the world. Both in Valm and in Archanea. He would rule the world. Bring peace to all peoples.
And all who resist will be destroyed. Yen'fay thought grimly.
"Do you wish for me to carry a reply, General?" The messenger asked Yen'fay.
Yen'fay drew in a deep breath as he walked around his desk and sank into his chair. Say'ri stared holes into his soul as she stood in the doorway. Arms folded over her chest.
She did not want war with Arhanea. He already knew that. Say'ri and Cynthia had become close friends. Cynthia was Ylissean. True, the girl was technically not even born yet. But her heritage still mattered. Yen'fay and Say'ri had both thrown their lot with the Ylisseans over Excellus over a year ago. The worm will not have forgotten such a slight. And he did not want war with those people either. With the exception of a very bad misunderstanding, he found Ylisseans to be a generally enjoyable folk.
A bad feeling sank into Yen'fay's stomach. It was one thing to wage war against neighboring nations or rebels. You could move soldiers easily across land. The Valm cavalry was the best in the world. It was how Walhart managed to conquer such a vast amount of territory so quickly.
Ships rendered horses useless. Their greatest asset in this war would be in the most danger crossing the sea between Valm and Archanea. Yen'fay had already seen what the Ylisseans were capable of in battle. Just eight of them managed to evade his entire army in Charlet. While at the same time they dealt an alarming number of casualties to his forces for how small their company was. Ylisse did not have Valm's might in sheer numbers. But they were a battle hardened nation. Fresh off of a resounding victory over neighboring Plegia. And staunch allies with the barbaric warriors of Regna Ferox. Such a conquest would not be easy.
And they would never bend the knee to an invader.
"How soon must my men be mobilized?" Yen'fay asked the messenger.
"Within the next three weeks, General. The Conqueror has already sent a Vanguard towards Regna Ferox. They will be arriving at those barbarians' doorstep within the week."
Yen'fay drew in a deep breath. If he refused, he would be viewed as a traitor. Excellus would spin it as Yen'fay turning into a craven commander. A rebellious one even. The Conqueror would not stand for such a dissidence. Saying no would endanger his family. Say'ri, Kage, his entire household would be put to the sword.
"Very well." Yen'fay nodded, "Inform the Emperor that my armies will be marshaled along Chon'sin's northern border within three weeks time."
"Yes sir!"
The messenger bowed to Yen'fay then quickly exited his study. As he marched out, Say'ri's eyes followed him. Once he was gone, Say'ri whipped her furious gaze over to her weary brother.
"Why?"
"The Emperor commands it." Yen'fay breathed.
"Damn the Emperor!" Say'ri barked, "You command the most well trained army in the entire continent. Challenge the Emperor already! Free our people! Don't follow his madness!"
"Say'ri…" Yen'fay ran a hand over his eyes, "It is not that simple."
"It is that simple." Say'ri scowled, "But you are too much of a coward to realize it."
A knock rang out from the door. Say'ri shook her head. She did not even bother to see who was knocking. She stormed out of Yen'fay's study. Shoving her way past both Luke and Noire. The pair took a step back in surprise as Say'ri marched towards her room.
Yen'fay uttered a weary sigh as he raked his fingers over his scalp.
"Something bad?" Luke asked as he carefully inched his way into the study. Noire followed him.
Yen'fay nodded.
"The conqueror has claimed Archanea as his own." Both Noire and Luke stared at Yen'fay wide eyed, "He has already sent a vanguard to Regna Ferox. If the Feroxi do not surrender outright, then there will be war."
"Hate to break it to you." Luke muttered, "But Khan Flavia is way too stubborn to bend the knee to anyone. She barely even listens to her own fellow West Khan."
"I am aware." Yen'fay breathed, "I have done my research regarding the nations of Archanea." He took a deep breath, "The Conqueror has never been defeated in battle before. I doubt he ever will be. But I already know this campaign will be a long, bloody affair." He stared back at Noire and Luke, "I won't be able to shelter you here once war begins. As Ylisseans, you will be targeted by Walhart's military. Excellus especially will be after you. Right now, I have managed to keep him from trying to harm you." His eyes focused on Luke, "But now he will have an excuse to barge through the palace doors and come after you and Cynthia." He turned his gaze to Noire, "And he will not show mercy to you and Brady either. He will know both of you are Ylissean."
"What do we do then?" Noire asked.
Yen'fay pressed his lips together, "You need to continue in your original mission. Prepare for the arrival of Grima. I will provide you with whatever resources I can. But it won't be much. Excellus and the Conqueror will have their eyes on me."
Luke nodded, "When must we leave?"
"Tonight." Yen'fay breathed.
"And where can we go?" Noire asked, worry filling voice.
"For now, go west. Into the mountains." Yen'fay advised, "The military does not have a strong presence there. You should be able to find a remote village to take shelter in. Away from Excellus's prying eyes." Yen'fay tapped his fingers on his desk, "And take Say'ri and Kage with you."
Luke's drew back in surprise.
Yen'fay noticed his shocked look, "I can already tell Say'ri is going to leave. Marshaling my armies for a war against good people is the last straw for her. I would feel much more comfortable knowing that she was with you than with a random group of rebels doing gods know what."
"Why can't you force her to stay here?" Noire asked.
"Excellus already tried assassinating her near the city once." Luke answered. He caught Yen'fay's nod as he started explaining why Say'ri had to leave, "Once Yen'fay leaves for war, Chon'sin will not be safe for any of us." Luke pursed his lips, "It will take some convincing to get her to come with us instead of joining a rebel faction."
"Then convince her." Yen'fay said, his voice sharp and firm, "If anyone can, it is you."
Yen'fay rose from his seat and walked over to a shelf against the wall. He reached for a familiar box and pulled it off of the shelf.
Luke's eyes widened, "You want me to take that as well?"
Yen'fay nodded as he opened the box and withdrew the lightsaber within it. As soon as Noire laid eyes on the hilt, a loud gasp left her lips.
"You know what this is?" Yen'fay asked her, surprised.
"Know what it is!?" Noire exclaimed, "How do you have my father's lightsaber?"
Luke froze.
Noire pointed at the hilt, "My father drew me a picture of his original blade when I was a little girl. I remember that picture. It looked exactly like that." Noire hardened her gaze on both Yen'fay and Luke, "So I will ask again. How do you have my father's lightsaber?"
Yen'fay glanced at Luke, "You have the same blade as well."
Noire's blue eyes raced over to Luke, "You-" She shook her head in disbelief, "You had it and-" She resisted the urge to punch him in the gut, "How could you keep that?"
"Kenobi already had a lightsaber."
"So did you!?"
"And I decided to be smart and keep it as a backup in case my own was destroyed." Luke shot back, "Besides, Maul told me to keep it. As a subtle way to spite Kenobi if he ever discovered I had it."
Noire grit her teeth, "Luke, I demand to have my father's blade back."
"No."
Noire's eyes flashed.
"No?"
"You have no training with a lightsaber. You barely have any training in the force. In your hands, the weapon will be more dangerous to you than to any enemies." Luke reasoned.
"Bullshit! That is my father's weapon! I-" Noire choked up a little bit, "I don't have anything to remember him by."
"Perhaps a compromise?" Yen'fay interrupted as he held Obi Wan Kenobi's lightsaber lightly in his fingers, "Luke will keep the weapon until you are trained to wield it." Yen'fay nodded at Luke, "And you will train her to wield it."
Luke could hear the order in his brother's voice. This matter was not up for debate. Yen'fay was not about to keep a family heirloom from Noire. Such an action would be most dishonorable in his eyes. Noire helped save both Cynthia and Luke's lives. He had repaid her by allowing her to stay in the Chon'sin palace. And now, he will pay off the debt completely buy giving her the strange blade back. He held the hilt out to Luke. The young man snatched the weapon.
Noire eyes followed the hilt of the strange weapon. She gave Luke a very dangerous look.
"I think that is a fair compromise." Luke nodded reluctantly.
"I will never learn anything from you, bastard." Noire hissed before storming out of the study.
Yen'fay blinked in surprise at Noire's sudden outburst. The girl had been very quiet and polite since she started staying in the palace. He sensed some cold feelings towards Kage but never anything overtly hostile. Yen'fay furrowed his brow.
"I'll go pack." Luke gulped.
"Sit." Yen'fay ordered sharply.
Luke gulped and quickly sat down.
Yen'fay took a deep breath. He folded his hands on his desk and stared hard at Luke.
"Care to explain the ill feelings both Noire and Brady hold towards you?" Yen'fay asked, "I never got an explanation from them. And Cynthia hasn't explained it to me either. Before you go, you will tell me the truth. The entire truth."
Luke swallowed hard, "The truth hurts."
"That pain is necessary." Yen'fay said as he waited for Luke to start talking.
Luke took a deep breath. A long inhale. A long exhale. His hands folded in his lap as he sat nervously beneath his older brother's sharp gaze.
"You already know I was not the best person in the world before arriving in Valm."
"I am aware of that. Say'ri gave me an abbreviated version. But I want to know why people you told me were friends hate you so much."
Luke hung his head, "I betrayed them."
Yen'fay furrowed his brow.
"I betrayed them by following Maul into his time portal." Luke raised a guilty face up to his brother, "Together, Maul and Noire's father, Kenobi, were an unstoppable force in the battle against Grima. They both despised each other for very personal reasons thought. Which made it difficult for them to work together. My master held a grudge against Kenobi for a very long time. He managed to put aside that grudge for a while as Grima started his campaign against the world. But-"
"He never forgave or forgot." Yen'fay concluded.
Luke shook his head, "No he did not. My master saw the war going badly for us. And, being the sniveling cretin he was, desired only to survive. Not actually win. His only true goal in life was to destroy Kenobi."
"So why did he not try to kill him?" Yen'fay asked.
"There are worse ways to destroy a man than death." Luke replied.
Yen'fay furrowed his brow, "That is why you and Maul went back in time before the others." He saw more guilt wash over Luke's face, "You wished to completely destroy Noire's father. Break him. Then kill him. You had no way of breaking him in the future so you chose to do so in the past."
Luke gulped and nodded as he hung his head in shame.
"And we very nearly succeeded." Luke shook his head, "By leaving early, we left Kenobi and Lucina to fend for themselves against Grima. It sounds like they managed to hold out for three more years before the tide became too much." Luke rested his arms on his knees, "Kenobi died giving Lucina time to complete the ritual. Noire likely blames me for that. And the others probably blame me for the war going south as well."
"Cynthia does not." Yen'fay pointed out.
"Cynthia is…" He wanted to say naive. Borderline foolish. But he could not bring himself to call her that, "Different. In a lot of ways she is much more forgiving than the others." Luke drew in a deep breath, "I'm just thankful one person has given me a second chance."
Yen'fay rose from his seat, "More than one person, Kage."
Luke glanced up at his older brother.
"Kage," Yen'fay began, "The more I speak to you, the more I see that you are a good man. Misled by evil, but good. You will turn your life around. You have already started." Yen'fay smirked, "Why do you think I started teaching you traditional martial arts? To master such things requires a change of mindset that would help you."
Luke nodded, "I figured as much. And… I have noticed a change."
"Then don't stray from the path you have started on." Yen'fay said, "You may never earn Noire's or the others' forgiveness. But you can still earn their acceptance. Regain their respect. You managed to do that with Cynthia. I know you can do that with the rest of your companions."
Luke shook his head as he listened to his brother's words with mild disbelief, "You have way too much faith in me."
"You are family." Yen'fay smiled, "What else am I supposed to have faith in?" Yen'fay took a deep breath, "Now, you need to gather what belongings you can and leave as soon as possible. Walhart and Excellus will have spies here in a few hours to brief me on the war plans. They cannot be allowed to see you."
Luke nodded, "I understand."
He rose to his feet. Yen'fay walked around the table and embraced his little brother. He patted Luke on the back.
"Take care of the others." Yen'fay breathed as he held his brother tight, "And take care of yourself."
Luke gulped as he fought back some tears, "Don't do anything stupid, Yen'fay."
Yen'fay chuckled, "No promises, brother. Now get going."
Luke took a shaky breath as Yen'fay let him go. He nodded, turned on his heel, and marched out of the study. As he emerged from the study, Prince Kage came rushing out the dining room. A mess of laughter. A wide, mischievous grin all over his face.
"You little shit!" Brady roared as he emerged from the dining room. Soy sauce and rise covered his face, "Get back here and answer to the gods!"
Brady paused as he rushed past Luke. He uttered a disgruntled grunt at Luke before giving chase to the laughing little prince. As he marched down the corridor he spun around and pointed at Luke.
"I'm going to catch that little shit! And when I do-"
"Pack your things." Luke cut him off, "We need to leave."
He did not give Brady time to reply. Luke swiftly crossed the courtyard and made his way towards Say'ri's room. If she was not there, then he would go to the stables next.
Luckily the Chon'sin Princess had not left her room yet. But she was almost done packing. Luke saw that she had changed out of her traditional kimono. Now she wore riding gear and leather armor over her torso. She kept her long, dark hair out of her face with a white headband. Two swords were strapped to her hips as she shouldered her travel gear.
Luke leaned against the door.
"Going somewhere?"
Say'ri narrowed her eyes at him as she stopped her march towards the door, "I cannot stand by anymore. I-" Say'ri exhaled, "Yen'fay has betrayed this family by siding with that tyrant. I will not do the same."
"You can't go joining rebels." Luke replied.
"I can. And I will." Say'ri said, "And if it was not for… for you," She said referring to the little Prince being chased by Brady across the courtyard, "I would have left years ago. Now my baby brother has Yen'fay, Cynthia, and you to look out for him. I can go and do what I should have done years ago."
"We are leaving as well." Luke said, surprising Say'ri as she took a step towards the door, "You and Kage are coming with us."
Say'ri gave Luke a puzzled look.
"Four of us are Ylissean. As soon as this war starts, we will be deemed enemies of the state or spies by Walhart and Excellus." Luke explained, "Yen'fay wants us to finish our mission. Grima needs to be stopped. And we need to prepare to do that." Luke sighed, "He wants you to come with us. He feels like you and Kage will be safer with us than some random rebels."
"He cannot dictate where I will and will not be safe."
"That may be true. But these rebels might not accept your help." Luke pointed out, "They will know you are Chon'sin royalty. They might use you as a bargaining chip."
"Fie! They have more honor than that!"
"Do they?" Luke remarked as his words started to sink in for Say'ri, "Think about it. The little sister of the Conqueror's most powerful general comes to you. She does not have any information regarding his older brother's army. She just wants to help. If I were the rebel leader I would hold you hostage. A guarantee in case Yen'fay is ordered to hunt down the rebel cell." Say'ri swallowed hard as Luke spoke, "You go that route, you will be nothing more than a bargaining chip. You will not have freedom. And Walhart will turn his gaze on you and destroy you. What good does that do anyone?"
Say'ri glanced over at Luke. She did not say a word in reply. Her mind too busy mulling through Luke's logic.
"I'm going to go wake Cynthia." Luke breathed, "We will pack and be at the stables in an hour. I expect you to be there."
He turned on his heel and marched away from Say'ri's room. Say'ri remained in the doorway. A hard, contemplative look on her face. Her hesitance was all Luke needed to see. She would not be joining any rebels. She would be coming with them. Especially now that Prince Kage would be leaving the palace.
Luke rubbed the back of his neck. He could already feel the aches and pains of travel coming on. It would be a long ride to the mountains in western Chon'sin. With a toddler as part of their company, it would be even longer.
He slid the door to his room open. Just in time to see Cynthia standing up from the mat. Not a stitch of clothing on her.
Luke's face turned a dark red color as she faced away from him and stretched her arms over her head. A happy sigh left her lips. She glanced over her shoulder and smirked at Luke.
"You're blushing again." She snickered.
Luke gulped and quickly closed the door behind him, "Hard not to when dealing with someone as shameless as you."
Cynthia rolled her eyes, "I'm comfortable around you. Not shameless."
"Mhmm, sure." Luke replied as she sauntered up to him and placed a kiss on his lips.
"Did I miss breakfast?" Cynthia asked.
"Yes."
"Argh!" Cynthia pouted, "You should have woke me up!" She folded her arms over her chest.
Luke chuckled, "But you are so adorable when you are sleeping. Besides, you are going to be grateful for the rest."
"Why?" Cynthia asked innocently.
"Because," Luke sighed, "We are leaving."
"What!?" Cynthia cried, "Why!? I like it here."
"Because the Valm War is about to begin."
Cynthia blinked is shock, "But- but that isn't supposed to happen for-"
"It is happening now. And we need to leave before the Emperor's forces deem us threats. Say'ri and Prince Kage will be coming with us."
"And Yen'fay?" Cynthia asked as Luke stepped around her and grabbed their empty travel packs from a shelf.
"Leading his army against Archanea. He has no choice. Walhart's eyes are on him. This way, he can have a little more freedom to act since Say'ri will not be in the Conqueror's sights." Luke peeled off his morning robe and grabbed a fresh set of black robes from a drawer. He could see Cynthia's worry.
"How is the war starting already?" Cynthia breathed.
"I don't know." Luke replied as he slipped on the black robes, "Someone is forcing events to move faster in this timeline than our own. Or maybe, just our presence has caused the timeline to shift. Either way, we need to leave Koto. It is no longer safe here. Especially with Yen'fay having to leave to lead his armies against Archanea."
Cynthia gulped as Luke tossed her some clothes. She quickly dressed herself.
"Where are we going?" Cynthia asked as she pulled her shirt on.
"West, into the Kiba Mountains. There we will lay low and train until the Shepherds arrive to defeat Walhart."
Cynthia gave Luke a worried look.
"With how much the timeline has shifted, do you think they will still be able to win?" Cynthia asked him.
Luke paused as he shoved a spare set of clothes into his travel pack, "I'm not sure." He answered honestly, "But all we can do is hope now at this point. Hope and prepare. Because if the Shepherds fail then we will be the ones to have to face down Grima. And this time, we will be ready for him."
Cynthia nodded. She pulled on her pants and skipped across the room to Luke. Her arms wrapped around his waist as she pressed her body into his back. Letting her head rest against his shoulder blades.
"What is this all about?" Luke laughed a little as she placed a hand over her hands.
"I know you'll keep us safe." Cynthia mumbled as she rested her head against him, "If you and Yen'fay think this is our best option, then I trust you." Luke turned around to face her. Letting her arms remain wrapped around his waist, "But," She let her chin rest against his chest now as her bright eyes looked up at his face, "When the others get here to kick Walhart's butt, we're going to help out."
Luke snickered. He nodded and placed a light kiss on her lips.
"Of course."
He scowled as he watched the weaklings train. His wrinkled, yellow eyes burned like flames beneath the deep hood.
This room he stood in was once one of the main training halls for the now extinct Jedi Order. When the Order came crashing down, this place held the bodies of many Jedi. Sidious ordered the place repaired. The Jedi atmosphere in the room changed with the repairs. The light side of the force had been purged away from this room. If Sidious were to train an effective fighting force of dark side acolytes, then it needed to feel like a Sith temple. Now, this room served a new purpose.
The room dripped with dark side energy as a group of five acolytes meditated inside. Weaving between the five acolytes was the senior of their group. A Pau'an male who was once a Jedi. But this Jedi was wise. He bent the knee to Sidious and pledged his life to the Sith Lord. Choosing life over death. A coward's choice. Something Sidious did detest in the Pau'an. But his experience in training force sensitives proved to be invaluable. So he tolerated the fallen Jedi.
Especially since Sidious did not think these acolytes were worth his personal time and attention. Giving any of them that treatment would make them think they were legitimate apprentices. In reality, not a single one of these acolytes would ever rise to the power of a Sith Apprentice. Let alone a Master.
As loath as Sidious was to admit it, Vader would crush any of these acolytes. His new apprentice, while disappointing given his physical limitations, had more than proven that he still possessed tremendous amounts of raw power. Power like that could not be taught.
He did hold out hope that one day, he would find a proper replacement for Lord Vader. His failure on Mustafar destroyed whatever plans Sidious had for the young Sith Lord. The enormous potential Vader once possessed burned in the lava river he was found beside. Vader could have become the most powerful Sith Lord to ever live. Even more powerful than himself, Sidious mused. But now, with how catastrophic Vader's failure had been, Sidious did not deem him worthy of such a title.
He had been scouring the galaxy for a potential replacement since the day he found Vader's charred body on Mustafar. So far, nothing. Not a single being in the galaxy possessed even a fraction of Vader's power.
And… Vader had proven himself capable so far. Every test Sidious threw at Vader, Vader seemed to triumph. Every trap Sidious set in order to make Vader prove his power, Vader survived. No matter the obstacles in front of him, Vader lived and carried out every order to perfection.
Perhaps he did not have a need to find a new apprentice right away. Perhaps he should exercise some Jedi patience on the matter. A new, more powerful apprentice would come eventually.
For now, he needed to focus on structuring the Empire. The last few Separatist strongholds needed to be crushed. Jedi that survived the initial purged had to be wiped out. That was why he needed dark side acolytes. That was why he needed his new inquisitors. They would fill Vader's role as Jedi hunters until Sidious's apprentice returned from his mission.
Sidious pressed his lips into a fine line as he observed the acolytes meditate in the dark side of the force. He wondered about Vader's progress. He and Thrawn were convinced that the woman named Lucina was hiding in the deep core. That impossible maze of asteroid fields, star clusters, and black holes. A fortunate coincidence. Sidious had sensed some disturbances from that section of the galaxy for some time now. During his days as Chancellor, he even commissioned multiple probes to be sent into the deep core in order to investigate it's habitability.
None of those probes ever returned. But it was nice to know that his senses were not betraying him on the matter. Something lurked in the deep core. An unknown entity that eluded his sight.
But it will not stay hidden for long.
Sidious frowned as he heard some startled cries coming from the corridor behind him. His imperial guards were alarmed by something. Which was odd. His guards were the best trained soldiers in the galaxy. They were trained to not show any fear.
So something either very strange or very deadly must be occurring in my palace.
The acolytes stirred in their meditations. Their leader paused in his pacing and gave the Emperor a nervous glance.
"Continue, Grand Inquisitor." Sidious folded his hands into his dark robes, "I will deal with this disturbance myself."
The Pau'an nodded then snapped at the acolytes to focus on their training. Sidious grinned. The Grand Inquisitor was ruthless. Good. That will keep his underlings in line.
The Dark Lord of the Sith stepped out the main hall of the Jedi Temple. Many repairs had been finished since the Order's destruction. The destroyed columns had been replaced. Scorch marks from blaster fire erased. Rubble removed. Red and black Imperial banners hung from ceiling high overhead.
A hall fit for an emperor if there ever was one. Sidious chuckled to himself. How ironic that the Jedi Temple became his place of residence once they were destroyed. He reveled in such irony.
A pulse rang out in the force. Sidious paused as he saw his guards sprint past him. His yellow eyes narrowed when he saw strange humanoid creatures chasing them.
They appeared mindless. Ash colored humans with strange black masks and glowing, ruby red eyes. Their movements were erratic, but swift. Their garb and weaponry extremely primitive. It had been many years since Sidious had seen an ax made of iron. Usually such things were decoration in the galaxy.
He noticed some slash marks in the strange creatures charging at him. Evidence of vibroblades slashing into their bodies. They did not seem disturbed by the deadly wounds. In fact, they seemed infuriated by them.
Sidious sniffed as they drew closer. He could smell death and decay coming from the shambling creatures. Could sense the dark side of the force wrapped around them like a thin blanket. Which puzzled him. What sort of creatures were these?
Before they could reach him, Sidious sent a massive force push out. The small group of creatures flew backwards through the air. As they flew back, Sidious's eyes widened.
A bright, blue light appeared in the air above him. A portal of some sort, shaped like a great glowing eye, opened up. Several more of those strange creatures came falling out of it.
Then something else came through the portal. A young girl. She landed hard by Sidious's side.
The Dark Lord glanced down at her as she groaned and pushed herself up to her hands and knees.
A human girl. Jet black hair. Pale skin. A strange, purple and gold coat wrapped around her small body. A tome of some sort in her right hand. And a very confused, troubled look in her green eyes.
"Wha- Where-" She hissed and pressed a hand to the side of her head, "Argh! My head!"
The strange creatures wailed as they caught sight of the girl. Her eyes snapped open. He sensed primal fear rushing through her veins. And as that fear surfaced, the dark side of the force burst to life inside of her.
He watched with great interest as she scrambled to her feet. Chest heaving up and down as she stared down the monsters charging at him and her. On instinct, the girl raised a hand.
Sidious's eyes widened as Force Lightning erupted from her outstretched hand. The thin bolts slammed into the nearest monster then chained into the next three. Roasting them to ash. As the black ash scattered across the ground, the other monsters drew closer. One raised it's crude weapon to strike Sidious down.
Sidious did not move. He smirked a little as the young girl dashed in front of him.
"Look out, geezer!"
The girl blasted the monster back with a powerful force push. She blinked and looked at her hand. Somehow surprised that she managed to wield such a power. Sidious felt the force continue to build up inside of her.
His excitement grew as she faced down the last three monsters. Above Sidious, the portal winked closed. The girl gulped and opened up her tome.
"I-" She shook her head in confusion, "I can't remember exactly how to do this, but here goes nothing!"
She extended a hand as she landed on a specific page in her book. A blast of fire jumped from her hand and plowed into one of the monsters. The monster wailed as a small inferno burnt it to ash. Sidious's curiosity grew as he actively sensed the girl's power.
She utilized the force for that strange spell. Almost in the same way the Nightsister utilized the force to perform their witchcraft. Sidious's cracked lips parted into a sinister smile.
This girl had potential.
He flicked his wrist. The last two monsters floated up in the air. With a slight twitch of his fingers, Sidious crushed the monsters. They wailed out a death cry before crumbling into black ash in the air.
The girl took a step back in surprise. She seemingly forgot Sidious was behind her. Because when she stepped back, she bumped into him
"Oh!" The girl cried in alarm as she dashed forward and spun around, ready to attack again. She lowered her hands when she saw him. An embarrassed look spread over her face, "S-sorry geezer. I didn't mean to bump into you."
"There is nothing to apologize for." Sidious smirked, "You defended me today. I am grateful for that."
Before the girl could reply, Sidious sensed stormtroopers rushing into the main hall. Commander Fox, one of the last Clone commanders in service, ordered his men to take aim on the girl.
Sidious quickly raised a hand. The soldiers lowered their weapons.
"This one is not an enemy, Commander. I dare say, she may in fact be an ally." Sidious looked down at girl. She did not look at him. Instead, she stared wide eyed at the old Jedi Temple around her.
"Whoa." She breathed, "Where?" Sidious sensed pain in her as she winced and rubbed her head again, "Gah! My head!" She shook her head in an effort to make the pain go away, "I'm- I'm trying to think where I'm at." She thought out loud, "But for the life of me I can't remember anything. I don't recognize this place at all."
Sidious arched an eyebrow. He quickly sensed the child's thoughts. And he found them strangely hidden. Locked away intentionally. No matter how hard he pried at the cage surrounding her memories, he could not get through.
Peculiar.
"Do not try to strain your mind." Sidious said, keeping his voice soft. He did not want to drive this one away. The dark side of the force filled this girl to her core. The power she displayed was great. Perhaps he had no need for patience after all, "Try to recall one thing at a time. Let's start with your name."
"My-my name?" The girl hummed to herself. She blinked, "I- I think it's Morgan?"
"Morgan." An interesting name. Sidious had no idea what culture a name like that would come from. This mystery continued to grow. And it fascinated him. "You have been through quite the ordeal it seems. Do you know what those creatures attacking you are?"
Morgan furrowed her brow as she strained her mind, "The only word that comes to mind is Risen."
"Risen?"
He had never heard of such a creature before. Never seen such a creature before either. Sidious furrowed his brow. This would require intense study. He had a feeling this strange event connected with his vision of Lucina. Hopefully he could get into contact with Lord Vader again soon in order to check his progress.
Of course, he would not inform him of this little one. Lord Vader would remain unaware of Morgan. Her potential in the force was great. Sidious could sense tremendous power inside of her. If trained properly, perhaps she could rival Lord Vader.
Perhaps I have found his replacement.
"Hey, um, geezer?" Morgan said, ripping Sidious from his thoughts, "You asked for my name. Shouldn't you give me yours?"
Sidious snorted a little bit. The girl had a bold tongue on her. That would need to be tempered in her training.
"Palpatine." Sidious replied.
"Palpa-what?" Morgan frowned, "Too long. I'm going to call you Palps, okay?"
Sidious frowned at her.
"Not okay?" Morgan cringed, "Sorry. My brain is still mushy right now. It is a bit hard to process what is going on at the moment. By the way, where am I exactly?"
Sidious folded his hands, "You are in my palace on the Planet of Coruscant, the Capital of my Galactic Empire."
Morgan's green eyes bugged out of her skull, "Y-your palace? Your Galactic Empire?" She swallowed hard as her face lost some color, "Heh! So… you're a pretty big deal then, huh Palps?"
"Palpatine." Sidious corrected.
"I know. But Palps is so much fun to say." Morgan smiled back, "So Palps, you saved my life. I guess I should thank you!" She bowed, "So thanks!"
Palpatine smirked, "You are most welcome, child." He looked down at her, "Morgan."
"Yes?"
"Where are you from?"
Morgan furrowed her brow. Palpatine could practically see the wheels in her mind turning as she struggled to remember.
"I-I can't remember." A frustrated snarl left her lips, "This is terrible! I can't remember anything!"
Palpatine frowned. This girl was an enigma indeed. He would need to keep her close by. Not only to potentially train her, but also to unravel the mystery of her mind. Something blocked him from learning the truth about this girl. He would not be impeded in such a way.
"Well, Morgan," Sidious began, "Since you saved my life as well, I believe I should thank you. And repay you as well." Sidious snapped his fingers, "Commander, have someone prepare a room for Morgan. She is my honored guest now."
"Yes sir." Commander Fox said with absolute obedience.
A happy gasp left Morgan's lips, "I'm the honored guest to an Emperor! That's so cool!"
Sidious actually chuckled a little bit. Mostly due to her sheer naivete.
"Yes," Sidious beckoned for her to walk beside him as they followed Commander Fox to the Palace's residential wing.
"Can I say something, Palps." Morgan said as she strolled leisurely beside him.
"You may."
"You should look into losing the whole dark robe thing." Morgan said an innocent grin, "I can't really see your face. And to be honest, it makes you look a little creepy."
Sidious eyed the girl.
"N-not that creepy is a bad thing. Clearly you're not a bad guy if you saved my life." Morgan stammered, "You're actually my first friend since I can't really remember anything."
Friend? Was this child that open to strangers? Sidious sensed her intentions once again and found them to be completely innocent. As he sensed her presence, he once again felt her enormous power in the force.
"Yes," Sidious smiled back at her. His face shadowed out by the hood over his head. Morgan gave him a bright smile back.
"I have a feeling you and I will be quite good friends."
And chapter! The war with Valm is now underway. The first pieces are moving. Kage and his friends are on the run once again while Yen'fay marshals his armies for the Conqueror. And across the galaxy, a mysterious girl with a bad case of amnesia arrives in the ruined Jedi Temple. And Sidious has taken a great interest in her. This will be very interesting indeed.
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!