Star Wars Legacy: Family Ties
A/N: I don't own Star Wars. It is owned by George Lucas. Star Wars Legacy Comics are written and illustrated by Jon Ostrander and Jan Duursema, respectively. All Original Characters belong to me.
A/N: This fanfiction is dedicated to ChildofWinds over at JCC. This is also dedicated to SOS Save Our Skywalker Thread Members on JCC Lit and now on EU.
A/N: I haven't been writing much on this fiction lately, due to my being busy, and also stuff going on at JCC which has sort of made me dislike being around Star Wars a lot. But hopefully now that things are solved I'll be able to write more. This chapter is a bit of a change of pace, slowing it down. Hope you guys like it. (especially the fusion)
Chapter 8
Late at night, on Bastion, as Emperor Fel rested, as best he could, for the night, his worries projected through the Force. His uncertainty about his daughter and Antares; was invisible to all even the Imperial Knights, but it was all just a tight mask. A ruler must appear to be in control, he thought, as he fell into fitful sleep. He dreamed of seven years ago, when he asked Nyna Calixte if she's pleased with the war. He remembered what had happened next, the tete-a-tete between the two, one the Emperor the other the ambitious head of Intelligence.
He remembers saying to Calixte that after the Yuuzhan Vong were forced into exile; the galaxy still continued to revile them, but the Jedi, believed the aliens could be productive members of galactic society, and in the Ossus Project asked the Vong shapers to help reclaim devastated worlds. But their efforts were sabotaged. Veed and other High Moffs screamed it was an act of war. The Empire issued an ultimatum which the GA rejected at the urging of the Jedi. Here his dream pauses, and the words fool…fool...seem to reverberate in the background. After a while, the montage continues to play out in his dream, So we are at war. The Vong were framed, just as the Jedi claimed. The Sith who just happened to show up a year into the war as our allies, were the ones who did it. And you and Grand Admiral Veed helped plan it. Veed was too prepared to manipulate the Moff Council and to force my hand to not have known about it beforehand. The words continued to reverberate in the background, except this time…he realized that it applied to all three of them, himself as Emperor, Veed as leader of the military, Calixte. All three of them were fools.
Which mean of course, that YOU were at the center of it. The Sith contated you first, didn't they? But instead of bringing them to me, you brought them to your lover, Veed. And then the Sith waited until the war actually began before emerging, offering an alliance which youy had already manipulated the other moffs into accepting. You betrayed me, Calixte. I am your emperor. Your first allegiance should have been to me. He remembers his tone accusatory, a voice full of hurt from betrayal, not of himself personally but of the Empire, the institution that they were all sworn to serve.
He remembers her weak claims of loyalty was to the Empire, so easily dismissed. Followed by her clumsy threat and his flippant reply. Her taunts, his own anger. The words continue to reverberate through his dream, now different...Sith…Jedi…finally it is too much and his eyes snap open, the bright morning sun shining through the window, bringing him back to consciousness, just as he remembers. Too much distrust here now to do anything. The Jedi don't trust the Empire, we have to do it alone. Bring down the Sith. With the return of consciousness, the return of all his worries…the Emperor realized that he's a troubled man.
Deziel's ship came out of hyperspace in the Fydir Prime system. Shooting off a recognition message, he got another order, to go to Fydir Three. He readjusted his heading, and then shot off again for a short hyperspace jump to the First's summer abode on Fydir Three. He remembered his last visit as a child; undoubtedly, he would be directed to the place by the lake, where the First had his summer dwelling.
At the same time, only a short hyperspace jump away, in the Fydir Two system, the Mynock shot out of hyperspace into the system. Out the viewport they saw the Fydirian Star Destroyers orbiting around the customs port. "Sorry for that shock, Fydir Two has very tight security," Tarak commented, "we have to join the out of system line to get into the docking port," gesturing to a spacelane to the left which was of a short length. "See the lane next to it, that's for people who don't already have clearance to land." Tarak told Cade to set the communications beacon to the local channels as they joined the line of ships. The comm. board beeped, as a message came in.
A voice appeared was heard on the bridge. "This is Captain Anton Jast, may I please have your clearance code. Your profile doesn't match any on the database."
Tarak replied, "Captain Jast, this is Tarak Dermayil, I'm passing through on a different ship, the Mynock. We just want to get down here for business. I'm sending you the recognition code now." He leant over the comm. board and typed in the code to be sent to the Fydirian Port Authority. He waited a while, the others seemed to be nervous. "Don't worry, he's just processing and entering the data on the Mynock. We'll get planetside soon," he reassured everyone.
Captain Jast's voice came back, "Your clearance code checks out, Mynock, please proceed through to docking bay 15-F-23. Tarak, come for a drink at the usual place, we should catch up." Tarak acknowledged, and let Cade take over piloting again. The Mynock slipped in system.
"Captain Jast and I know each other, how else do you think I get favourable treatment," Tarak replied, as the suspicious Imperial Knights voiced a question at the invitation for drinks. "And he probably gives us the best chance of finding where my ex-partner's gone." The Mynock continued along the set lane, and landed on bay 15-F-23, the repulsorlifts gently setting the ship down on the pad. Tarak gave a brief run-down of the best places to look for information on Fydir Two, and they all headed off, Cade, Deliah and the Imperial Knights to gather information in the cantinas and shops. Jariah and the Jedi left to explore amongst the local community and see what information they could gather. Tarak left to take care of business before meeting Anton for a drink. What they didn't know was that Captain Jast was in fact his third-uncle, they shared a common ancestor.
Back at the Port Authority, Anton sent a coded message to Fydir Prime, in effect saying, they are here. On the other side, The Eighth of the Council received the message and sent back an acknowledgment, before boarding his own private yacht, bound for Fydir Two. The plan was about to be executed. With him, he had one of the visitors from Ordo, who would be masquerading as his shipping partner. The Little Shadow flew into Fydir Two quietly settling down the in private Dermayil docking bay. Jarec Dermayil and his companion Fenn stepped out of the docking pad into the causeways of Fydir Two, to execute their mission. It involved tricking the crew of the Mynock into a meeting on the far side of the planet, where the FDF, the First of the Council and the other Wardens would trap the crew and 'rescue' Tarak.
On Fydir Three, the Shadow Drake glided down into the parking bay, next to the Ebon Falcon, as Deziel and the still drugged Princess Marasiah arrived at the First's summer abode. On the outside, it looked ancient with its primarily wooden construct, and sliding doors, covered with fibrous sheets of what looked like paper. He slid open the door to his great great grandfather's residence and turned left towards the main area of the residence, where he felt his ancestor's presence through the Force. He walked into a sitting room, and saw that his grandfather had guests, sitting there with him were four others, that he had played with when they visited from outside the Cluster when he was a child.
"Jaq, Brianna, Mira, Lya," he greeted, as they all acknowledged Deziel's entrance. A round of hugs and embraces followed, then the First spoke, "Deziel, I assume that she is here," he asked, undoubtedly referring to the Princess Marasiah who was onboard the Shadow Drake unconscious. When Deziel replied in the affirmative, the First stood up and left the room, ostensibly to tend to bringing Marasiah out of her unconscious state, leaving Deziel with his childhood friends.
"Where's Fenn gone," Deziel asked. Jaq informed Deziel that Fenn had left with the Eighth on a mission to bring the rest of the crew of the Mynock in, to make sure that no information leaked out to the Sith. Deziel informed his friends that Tarak was also with the crew, the parts of the plan now falling into place for all of them.
Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, the First applied a hypo-spray to the Princess, bringing her out of her unconscious state. Marasiah rubbed her eyes as she got up, last remembering that she was aboard the Mynock. Her first thought was that they had arrived at Bastion, but looking around this looked nothing like anything she had seen before. It was then she noticed the old man sitting next to her bed, "Don't be alarmed Princess, I'm not friend of the Sith," he said, "welcome to my humble abode. We have much to discuss." Marasiah drew on the Force, and perceived that the old man was telling the truth. She could also feel the Force power emanating off the man, he was Force sensitive, but not a Sith, not an Imperial Knight. "Are you a Jedi," she asked.
"No, I'm not, I'm a Fydiran Seer, I am known as the First of the Council of Seers," the old man replied, she saw that his blonde hair was now starting to lose its colour, a sure sign of age and wisdom. She could imagine that this man was telling the truth. She had read about the Fydiran Seers in her youth, she knew they were the leaders of the Fydir Star Cluster, home of Fydir Engineering Corporation, a leading manufacturer of spacecraft and weapons.
"Why am I here," the Princess asked. "And where are my companions?"
He avoided answering the question, instead, giving his proposal. "We are proposing an Alliance against the Sith, and you are one of the keys to our plan. It is much to ask of someone so young, but I feel that you will be up to the mission, as for your companions, we will meet them soon," the First replied. "But first, join me for some traditional Fydir Three tea, in my pagoda." Kroder gestured for Marasiah to get up and follow him. She followed him through a long series of doors, and then he slid a door open, and she saw the spectacular view outside. The First, walked down the walkway which stretched over the lake next to the house to the pagoda situated in the middle of the lake. He took a seat on one side of the pagoda, where there was a table in the middle, gesturing for Marasiah to sit on the other.
"Normally I'd just hop across the water," the First said, as he sat down, "means the staff can't follow, but I don't think you are quite ready to master that sort of technique yet."
He pressed a button and suddenly, the table opened and a pot of hot Fydir Three tea, and two cups came up through the hole. The First picked up the tea pot and took the two lids off the round cups, and poured tea for his guest and himself. He took the lid in his right and made a gentle wafting motion, filling the air with the sweet smell of the Fydir Three tea aroma. Marasiah followed, imitating her host. He then took a drink from his cup and put it down on the table.
"I assume that you can speak for the Fel loyalists, correct?" the First said, "those who stand against the Sith." He picked up his cup again, and took another sip, enjoying the sweet jasmine aroma of the tea.
"Yes, I suppose I could speak for the Fel loyalists," Marasiah replied, coyly, still not knowing whether or not she could fully trust the old man who on the other side of the table. He looked genial enough, she thought as she took another sip of the tea, and unthreatening, but still an aura of power emanated from the man.
"Good, good," the First replied, "Then you shall be able to formally enter the Alliance." He took another sip of his tea, and looked the Princess directly in the eyes, "On condition that your father step down as leader of the Empire at the end of the war, and pay reparations to the Jedi and the Alliance, of course." He gave her a wan smile, expecting some sort of protest.
"Perhaps, though I would like to give it more thought," Marasiah answered, phrasing an answer that said nothing, gave away nothing but was diplomatic.
"Of course," the First answered, after refilling his cup of Fydir Three tea, "I can understand that this a big decision for you," he said again, smiling genially, exuding an aura of calmness both through his body language and the Force. "Now that business is over, let my express my apologies for the manner of your getting here," he gestured for Marasiah to take another drink, "however, everything had to be done with the utmost secrecy, and we knew there was more than likely some Sith agent watching Corellia, hence the subterfuge.
Marasiah processed the revelation that had just been made, "But how did you know we were going to stop on Corellia," she asked, "it was a choice that we made after Vendaxa, certainly it wasn't planned. How could you know?"
"Princess, as a member of the Imperial Family, I'm sure that you should know why," the First answered, what he did not say spoke volumes, "I'm sure you have perceived my Force sensitivity, and thus should know the reason why."
Marasiah absorbed this in, "the Force showed you, so you have been having visions," she said, awed, she hadn't known that much about Force visions except that they came usually unbidden to other Jedi. It wasn't as if she could think to see a vision and then it would come. They had of course, as Imperial Knights more focused on the martial aspect of Jedi training.
"Yes, I have been, for a long while now," the First replied, confirming Marasiah's suspicion. "I'll introduce you to everyone else here, before we have to leave again, to meet your friends." The way he said it made it clear that she wouldn't have a choice to refuse but she was also worried about Ganner and Draco and as she didn't really like to admit it, Cade as well, the Skywalker who was so like her, yet so not. She finished her tea, and followed the First back over the wooden platforms that joined the pagoda in the middle of the lake to the main house. She looked back as she entered the main house, as the walkway retracted. Weaving again through the wooden corridors, Marasiah and the First went back into the main room, where the others were waiting.
As she approached the room she perceived four more Force-sensitives, she saw the First slide open the paper door, and walked in after him, "The Princess Marasiah Fel of House Fel," the First announced, then ushering the Princess through the door. She saw two males, and three females, all seemed to be in their twenties, making them around her age. The First pointed to the first male on the left, a tall man with gold-brown locks and blue eyes, "my great-great grandson, Deziel, otherwise known as your 'kidnapper'," he said, "and these are our four Ordoan allies," as he introduced the next down the line, a female with red-brown hair and deep hazel eyes, "this is Mira," she shook the hand that was proffered by the female. "Mira's cousin, Brianna," Brianna had snow white hair which seemed to reflect a white-blond under the light of the room. "Lyanna, and Jaq," the First finished his introductions. Marasiah observed that Lyanna had long dark blonde hair which was done into a single plait, Jaq had green eyes which seemed to laugh and fit with the grin he wore. The Princess exchanged pleasantries with the rest of the guests there.
The First turned around, and told them all to keep each other entertained, perhaps through watching a holomovie or something like that. He exited the room, leaving all the young adults together. Deziel and Lyanna settled down to a game of Tweeks and Ewoks, a game that they had both played for a long time, whenever they had visited each other on their respective star systems. That left Jaq, Mira and Brianna with the Princess, and she joined them in watching a holomovie, "It's an old holomovie, I hope you don't mind," Jaq said, as the holoprojector began the movie. "It's a local production though," Brianna interjected, as the projector began, the screen showing large robots duelling with each other. The Princess just watched, as she perceived the auras of the others through the Force. She found herself not paying that much attention to the movie, and in her own reverie, as she worried about those that had been left behind on the Mynock. Don't worry, Tarak will bring them here, a gentle voice sent through the Force, the First she realized. Enjoy yourself here, you'll be reunited with them soon. Marasiah shuddered involuntarily, the First was really powerful if he could perceive her thoughts from wherever he was. She had to be careful around him. Suddenly she felt herself being tapped on the shoulder, as Mira turned to her and said, "Are there any questions that you want to ask us about? I know those that call themselves the Sith have a large bounty placed on your head. Don't worry though; no one here will sell you to them."
Marasiah pondered for a moment, "Yes, there are so many of you, that are Force-sensitive, there were rumours about Jedi escaping the massacre at Ossus."
Mira laughed, "We aren't really Jedi, as the known galaxy defines them. We're not part of the Ossus Order. A separate Force tradition, like the Dathomiri sort of," the holoprojector showed one giant robot attacking another with a laser sword, catching Mira's attention for a moment, and then she turned back and continued, "Clan Ordo has been around for a long time since the True Sith, but it was only recently, that we entered into the treaty between Sekot, the Chiss, Fydir and us to co-ordinate our efforts against the creatures of the Unknown Regions."
Marasiah perked up at the mention of the home planet of the Yuuzhan Vong, who had been the cause of the last galactic civil war. "You would align with the Yuuzhan Vong, after all the damage they caused to the galaxy?"
"That was almost one hundred years ago, and the Unknown Regions were not heavily affected. Besides, since they have lived on Zonama Sekot they have been learning to be a peaceful people. I find it hard to believe that Sekot would allow its people to do something like that. Perhaps we should have argued more against the Project when Sekot discussed it with us. People forget too easily about the Sith and their teachings, we do not." Mira replied, seriously. She turned around, having said all that she wanted to say.
"Normally we would leave the rest of the galaxy alone, and concentrate on the threats here, but with the deaths of the two children of the Chosen One, the elders of Fydir and our own planet felt that a more proactive approach would be needed this time, there also being no Skywalker to lead the Jedi, it was felt that they were weaker than before." Brianna interjected, as the holomovie finished. Marasiah looked over and Deziel and Lyanna were still engaged in their game of Tweeks and Ewoks, or rather engaged with each other. Deziel yelped as Lyanna poked him in the side with her finger. She saw him retaliate by grabbing her and pulling her in for a kiss. "They're betrothed, have been for a couple of years now."
A golden droid came through the door, and said in its tinny voice, "Dinner is served, please join us in the dining room." It turned around and walked out again, leaving the sliding door open. Deziel disengaged himself from Lyanna for the moment, and gestured for them to follow him to the dining room. Moving down the carpeted floors, the guests moved into the large dining room. In the middle of the room, an ornate table filled with Fydiran food stood ready. The First took his chair at the head of the table. The protocol droid ushered the guests to their proper seats. After having seated the guests in the ornate wooden chair, the serving droids began to come in and serve the food to all the guests.