Chapter Twelve
"Who are you?" Xendor demanded. "My name is Athena, I was once the Queen of a great warrior-society and a concubine of a Jedi Knight. I have more than enough military experience to lead any army into battle even if not always to victory and besides, you need me to prove myself somehow. Perhaps, this will be my chance," the woman said.
"You do make a good point, you came under the cloak of darkness into our camp and demanded a position of authority. If you emerge victorious at Brentaal IV, you could have that position of power that you requested," Xendor admitted. "I will not fail you Xendor, I promise you that much," Athena stated with a bow. "There's one for Brentaal IV, I think I'll ask Tun and Sethul to lead the Chandrila and Metellos battles respectively," Xendor said after she left.
"Which leaves only Lettow, which I'll defend and Columus which you'll undoubtedly reveal yourself for," Arden guessed. "Correct, I'll need someone to defend Lettow but at the same time I can't afford to just sit by and let others take all the glory from me. I'm sure you understand my need for it, Arden," he replied. "I don't agree with it but I understand it, my love," she said as she kissed him.
Both of them decided to get some rest, knowing that the military preparations would be taken care of and it might possibly be the last time they saw each other again. Any one of the battles, had Xendor or Arden participated, would have seen to their death with a bad hand of luck on them. "Arden, I think it's time I told you something, something I should have told you after I hit you," Xendor said. They were in their room which meant that no one would see Arden flinch and feel the sting of the hit on her cheek as though he had done it again.
"You're right, the Talisman does destroy members of the Kashi Mer Royalty. After all, the very first of my line was the one who sealed the spirit of the god Kashi Mer in that little prism. Which is why, before I leave, I'm going to entrust you with it so that it doesn't fall into the hands of someone evil. Someone like Tiberius, for example," he explained.
"You would entrust me with your one true key to the past of your people and the history of the galaxy?" she asked. "Even with it, I doubt even I would be a match for you without it. After all, I did use its power to win our wedding duel and ensure my marriage to you, remember?" he answered. She nodding, having indeed remembered how he had used it against her which brought a smile to her face.
"Yes, I do remember when you used the Talisman to cheat in the duel for my hand in marriage. I never called you out on it because you were the only man I wanted to marry," she said. "I'm glad you didn't, otherwise I don't think anyone of your suitors would have proven worthy of you," he replied. They kissed and Arden cuddled next to Xendor before both decided to get some sleep for the night before Xendor had to head out in the morning.
However, in the middle of the darkest hours of the night, the Talisman began to stir and it took possession of Xendor once more. "Hey Arden, care to have a little fun before I go?" the possessed man asked his wife. "What do you mean by fun, darling?" she replied sleepily. "You know exactly what I mean, don't play tricks with me, love," he said immediately.
Arden woke up in full to see the power of the Talisman coursing through Xendor, as was symbolized by his eyes glowing ruby red with the aura of his race. "Xendor, please get off. We've tried too many times to have children and have it fail," she begged. "Perhaps, this time will be the time to work," he demanded.
There was a struggle as Xendor tried to maneuver himself in position for intercourse and Arden resisted. "Fight the Talisman, Xendor! Fight its hold over your mind!" she exclaimed. "Shut up!" he ordered.
Finally, he managed to part her legs and expose her female flower before driving the shaft of manhood in. Normally, this would not have hurt Arden much seeing as she had willingly done this with him and romantically. Now however, she could feel every thrust as he slid in and out of her for several minutes until he had finally managed to sow his seed within her. Then the Talisman lost its hold over Xendor and he rolled onto his back, panting as he recovered from what had happened.
Meanwhile, Arden remained wide awake and on her belly, clutching her pillow for several hours before finally getting some sleep. When she did fall asleep, she fell so hard that Xendor had to leave without saying goodbye to her though he left a letter beside her as well as the Talisman. She read it and smiled that he had apologized and confessed that the Talisman could force him to terrible deeds. I was not even done with that brat, perhaps it's wise of him to have done this a foreign voice said.
"Who's there?" Arden asked. Look down at the prism tied around your neck for your answer the voice answered. Arden did just that and observed the Talisman glowing and telling her that she need not speak aloud but talk telepathically.
You are under my control and mark my words when I say that I intend to make you pay for what you've possessed Xendor to do to me she vowed to it. I would be most disappointed about being at your disposal if that weren't the case. Nonetheless, I must inform you that Xendor is making a grave mistake by going to Columus without me or sending you instead it replied. What in the universe do you mean by that? she asked.
I foresee Xendor's death at the hand of an old enemy, a certain nine-foot-two-inch tall individual wielding a hammer and an ax it answered. Loki the Destroyer but how? she demanded. Trust me when I say that when Loki the Destroyer enters the fray, all hope will be lost on Columus the Talisman replied. Then I have to go there, I have to warn him about Loki! she mentally screamed.
No, you're better off staying here until one of the Generals can take your place such as Athena. She has launched her campaign in Brentaal IV which will be over within a couple weeks the Talisman told her. Much as she hated it, she had to admit that it was right: if she left now then it meant leaving Lettow with no leader in the event of an attack. She had to stay until Athena could take her place since Tun and Sethul had orders to join Xendor on Columus when they finished their work.
But she had to wonder what it was about that woman that made her stand out so much from even Tun and Sethul who were the most loyal companions Xendor could possibly ask for. Not to mention, she was older than all four of them and thus not part of their Initiate group. When she first arrived, she had said that she had come for her own reasons. Then, in private, she had said to Arden Lyn that she had known who her father was and could tell her about him.
She vowed that she would tell her after the Brentaal IV battle, should she return victorious. On the one hand, she felt extremely happy to finally answer the questions of her life especially her father. But on the other hand, she was afraid for Xendor and she had to wonder what she would choose when Athena returned. Luckily for her, she had three weeks before Xendor attacked Columus and two before Athena returned under the assumption that she was victorious.
However, Arden had long come to the conclusion that it was best to assume nothing would go to plan even if it did. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst as Xendor would put it and that philosophy had served them well even with the shadow of the Jedi Order lurking upon them. Now there was war and even though Coruscant and Ossus were both defeats, Athena reported victory at Brentaal. Best part about that: she wasn't due to have an outcome for another half-week or so which was great news to Arden since she wanted more time to know who her father was before saving Xendor.
Two days passed by as Athena settled back down into her place at Lettow and then Arden went to ask her in private. Working up the courage, she decided that she would start with a simple request that would get things on the roll. "Tell me about my father," she asked when they were finally alone. "I had hoped you'd ask that as soon as you did," Athena replied before starting.
Arriving at Bunduki, Loki had to admit that he was fairly impressed with the scale and beauty of the Palawa Temple. My father was always tidy and clean in his creations, this is definitely a place that would be up his alley. Mother on the other hand? She'd want to destroy this in a heartbeat, for certain he thought with a smile as he compared his godly parents' personalities.
But that thought made him shake his head at the realization that it had been nearly ten thousand years to the day since he was banished by his parents from the realm of the gods as a disappointment. Ten thousand years since Arkanus, the god of justice and order, had looked on him with pity and Stygia, his direct contrast, looked on him with disgust before they both agreed to banish him. Now, however, he reverted his focus onto the guards that were blocking his way and he merely shrugged. "Fear me not for I come with a message from Jedi Grandmaster Tiberius for the Seconds of the Priests of Palawa!" Loki said.
"Why would the Grandmaster of the Jedi have an interest with an enemy nearly destroyed by his Order?" one guard asked. "Because he has an interesting proposition for your leaders. I am not supposed to release the details to anyone but them," Loki answered. "Sorry but we can't let you in unless you share some of the details with us!" the second guard warned.
"You can and you will," Loki replied, grabbing their heads with each hand as he stated his reply. Then he rapidly applied enough pressure to each hand as to smash their skulls and pop their brains out. All this happened so fast that the guards were dead before they even felt what Loki was doing to them. "Your guards are dead and I can break down the door with my ax and hammer if you make it necessary.
"Either give me an audience with your leaders or else I will see to my consultation with them by force!" Loki shouted to the gatekeepers. "They have not been expecting you but we will let you in so as to avoid conflict," one gatekeeper said. The order was barked and the gates were soon opened to reveal the sparring area in which the training occurred and the dojo in which trainers and students lived. Hm, the structure is impressive and considering its age by mortal standards it does hold out quite well Loki observed silently.
Students continued to train despite the nervousness that Loki's size presented to many of the younger students as well as to some of the less experienced Masters. However, an escort arrived to pick up Loki the Destroyer and he was soon on his way to see the Priests and their Seconds. Only then did it seem that those who were nervous earlier would be settling down despite his ominous presence. He couldn't say he blamed them as people had always been intimidated of his gigantic size from the first time that they saw him and thus, this was no surprise.
When he arrived to see the Seconds and their Masters, however, he was genuinely surprised that the Seconds didn't flinch in his presence. At least not visibly but he wondered how long it would be before he rectified that bravado within these mortal individuals. Perhaps a little skull-smashing like with the guards, should they turn out to be hard dealers, would do the trick. Maybe ripping one of them in half by hand would do the trick as well but then, who would know until he had to try it?
"We have been informed that you come with a proposition from Jedi Grandmaster Tiberius that you would like to share with us?" Ranmaru, Second of the High Priest Zeus, asked immediately. "Yes and before I spill the beans, I must ask you to dismiss your guards for privacy sake," Loki answered. "Very well," Ranmaru said before delivering the order for the guards to leave them. "Grandmaster Tiberius is prepared to offer you and the Bunduki government ten thousand credits, the reason?
"He would like you to accept these credits in exchange for you shutting down all operations related to helping the Legions of Lettow. Tiberius is aware that Arden Lyn was trained and raised by your people but you must be persuaded to forsake her in favor of the greater good," Loki explained. Ranmaru paused, perhaps having a history with Arden Lyn like most of the students who were presently residing in the dojo and ten of the Seconds who were present. "Normally, we would consult our Priests about this but the decision falls unto the Seconds of the Priests instead," Ranmaru stated after a while.
"Take your time, I am in no rush but the longer you wait then the longer the galaxy suffers as Tiberius would put it," Loki replied. "In the meantime, we are going to have to ask you to leave while we come to a decision," said an unnamed Second closer to Loki's position in the chamber. He made to escort Loki out but Loki grabbed his head with a single hand and prepared to crush his skull. Suddenly, however, he had a change of heart and let the man go as if feeling no honor in his death.
"I will escort myself out if you need to be alone to make a decision, count on that," Loki warned. Then he proved it by walking through the door despite its comparatively small size and standing in wait for their decision. How long is it going to take them to decide, I wonder? They made it clear that they are not going to consult their Masters on this matter Loki asked himself silently.
Of all the weaknesses Loki had hoped to overcome in the time since his banishment at the hand of his divine parents, impatience was hardly one he thought would give him trouble. He was used to having hunted rancors over the course of weeks with his old wolf pack, used to trailing it down. His patience was nearly infinite when his mortality forced him to kill his pets one at a time. After all, they had followed a fallen god before but the moment they sensed his mortality, they went on the offensive.
Starting with the omega wolf and ending with the alpha wolf, he had to practice the patience of a snake when dealing with them and the constrictive strength of one too. Now he was living only for the demise of Xendor and that was going to have to require patience in order to be done. However, something about waiting for these inferior mortal men to make their decision truly unsettled him. Perhaps, it was because he wasn't making this delivery of his own accord but as part of the exchange that Tiberius had demanded: that Loki serve his needs where necessary in return for killing Xendor.
An hour and a half passed before he heard anything related to the decision, a Second asking him to come in being the first sign of progress. "Well gentlemen, I trust that you have come to a decision?" Loki asked immediately. "Yes: it is the decision of the Council that Tiberius' terms and reward are to be accepted, support to Arden Lyn will be withdrawn within the next three days. However, we ask that we may be allowed to transfer the credits over to the Bunduki government as financial compensation for the losses we've taken during our alliance," Ranmaru answered.
"You can spend the credits on wine and whores for all I care, Tiberius just wanted you to accept it and withdraw support," Loki replied. "Then your business with us is concluded, I presume?" Ranmaru inquired. "Yes, very much so. Thank you for your cooperation and sorry about popping the brains of those guards at the front door, you can replace them right?" Loki replied, smiling.
"Those guards are more expendable than any other unit we have in the Followers of Palawa. I presume you'll be wanting information as to where Xendor intends to strike next?" Ranmaru stated. "That would be most helpful," Loki admitted. "He's sent a General named Athena to Brentaal IV and she has emerged victorious.
"Not too long after that, Tun Bohoi and Sethul Asiage to Chandrila and Metellos respectively. Both emerged victorious in their battles and managed to conquer the outlying systems but of course, this is not the most important bit of news. The most important bit of news is that Xendor intends to strike at Columus next and has already begun assembling forces for that attack," Ranmaru explained. "Tiberius suspected that Xendor would attack Columus and sent a sizable force there under Danzigorro Potts.
"Once again, I thank you for your cooperation and hope that you use those credits for whatever purpose you deem beneficial to your culture and to Bunduki society," Loki said with a bow. Of course, he didn't mean it but he wanted it to sound like he did so as to quell their doubts about his integrity. Integrity has always been useless to me, why be honest with the creature you're about to kill for dinner if it's only going to get away from you when you are or attack you? he reminded himself. Once again, he encountered the escort but he told them he was leaving and proved it by dropping off the chest with the credits and walking away from it.
"For your Masters, they'll know what to do with it better than you will," he said. While the guards were distracted with that, Loki the Destroyer slipped out to leave the Palawa school forever. Smiling as he did so, he rubbed a fist gleefully as he thought about how he would slowly and painfully kill Xendor when they met again. He thought about the possibility of ripping his spine and head off his body or beating him to death with his hammer.
Then he thought about combinations such as beating him with the hammer and then ripping his head off with his spinal cord. Or better yet, perhaps slicing his head in two with his ax after beating him with the hammer or perhaps even just grabbing his head and popping his brains out like the guards. Actually, I think I'll settle for bashing him in with the hammer: he has no honor and dignity and deserves such a death as that for his crime against me Loki told himself silently. Once he finished imagining, he decided to report to Tiberius first and then request permission to go to Columus.
After securing his passage there, he would be done with that pesky little Jedi maniac and maybe even done with this war soon enough. But there was the matter of Arden Lyn being taken care of by her father, Master Awdrysta Pina. Could he do it or would he hesitate at the moment of truth and allow her to kill him instead? Would they both fight to a draw and kill each other in which case, Tiberius would solve two problems for the price of one?
Loki slapped himself upside the head for caring about the father-daughter dilemma that would come after Xendor's death. His revenge, and his revenge alone, were all that mattered to him without any regard for what reward Tiberius offered. The ship that he arrived in, unlike most ships used in the Jedi Order, was outfitted with a hyperspace engine so he arrived to Ossus within a couple hours. During that time, he thought some more about how he would get his revenge on Xendor and how he'd enjoy it.
But he came to the same conclusion as before despite his desire for something even more gruesome than he had concluded. He would beat Xendor to death and perhaps even crush his head with the hammer and would beat him hard enough for him to prolong the punishment. Shrugging, he decided it was good enough and that he would make do with it as best he could for now. "Did they accept my terms?" Tiberius asked.
"Yes and they also let me in on the fall of Brentaal IV, Chandrila, and Metellos by the hands of Generals Athena, Tun Bohoi, and Sethul Asiage respectively. They also added that Xendor would be attacking Columus as you anticipated when you sent Danzigorro there with thirty thousand troops. Does that satisfy or do you need more?" Loki asked. "That won't be necessary however I think now you know where your next destination is, right?" Tiberius answered.
Loki smiled and stated that it had been an honor to help Tiberius save the Jedi Order and the Republic. "No it hasn't, I can see it in your eyes," Tiberius said. "Yeah but so what? You can't help it anymore than I can," Loki replied, shrugging. Their final exchange of words ended like that and Loki was once more on flight to another world only this time, he would be off to the site of his vengeance.