Sorry for the delay. I was updating my fanfics. :)

*.*.*

Maranguan made his way down the ship's ramp, determined to meet with the natives. If there were shapeshifters on this planet, just as the star charts said, then he would attempt to appease them – and make some pay. But honestly, why did everything have to end in violence? There were other ways to be evil without slaying someone, wasn't there?

He cocked his head at Qua'ra and her family, determined to get this done.

"How far is it to the shapeshifter's village?" Maranguan asked, shrewdly.

"According to this map," Qua'ra pulled up a holographic map, "the village should be a kilometer away." She turned off the holographic map. She shrugged, following the dirt road. "Come on. We should get there before nightfall."

Maranguan raised an eyebrow. Qua'ra was smart. There was no denying it, and yet there was something off about her. Whether she would betray him remained to be seen. For now, he would follow her to the village and hope she didn't betray him. If she did, then he was in trouble.

~o~

The village was made up of thatched houses, grouped together in a wide circle. There was also a platform inside a thatched gazebo that stood in the center of the circle. It was here the scarred red dragonoid found the chieftain shapeshifting into a man wearing a grass hat, as well as red armor. He seemed menacing, but so did his queen, who had a green skin and was dressed in a blue gown. She looked at him curiously, wondering what secrets he kept locked in his heart.

"Who are you?" the queen asked, standing up and facing Maranguan and Qua'ra. "We have not seen your kind before."

"We're shapeshifters!" Maranguan announced. "My name is Maranguan." Lots of hushed whispers protruded among the villagers. They knew who he was. "I've come to bring you news. I'm forming an empire. I need your help. If this village will become the empire's base, I can guarantee you that your kind will be safe."

"Travelers come to and fro, begging to turn this rock into something more than it already is." The queen said, annoyed. "You are different." She smirked. "We heard about your little endeavor with Vitiate. We are not impressed with your talents, broken as you are. There is evil in your heart Maranguan, or should we call you Parker Dooley." Maranguan sneered. How did she know? The queen spoke again, "You are not the first to conceal your true name, but you need not fear it nor have any reason to dismiss it. One day, you will find the light, if it's not already there."

The red dragonoid checked his hand. Two more scars vanished, revealing clean scaly skin. "No." He snarled, not enjoying this moment. "How can that be? I was guaranteed that evil would be locked inside my heart. The Emperor said so."

"Do you really wish to become evil?" The queen asked, curious. "The only way you'll revert to your old self, your true self, is if you do a good deed. That good deed will restore your body and your eyes completely. You will be changed, but I hope you learn a lesson."

"What should I do?" He asked, calmly.

"Maranguan?" Qua'ra asked, stunned. She admitted, "You were always weak. I think your true self made a better dark lord than you did."

He growled.

"It's true." She said, admitting freely, "You'll never were truly a true dark lord. You might as well accept it."

"We will build this empire for you, but it must be a balance between the light and the dark," the queen suggested to the scarred red dragonoid.

Maranguan thought it over. Vitiate did betray him. Everything he knew was wrong. Oh, what could he do? Should he accept his true name, his true self? Or was he always evil? He'd done evil deeds, killed… but then, so did the heroes. He sighed in angst. None of it made sense!

The yellow in his eyes flashed against the red. If he understood one thing, while using his new name, it was that he could turn to the light and the dark. He'd be powerful, as he already said. But was it all worth it? Try as he might, he simply couldn't ignore the queen's wishes, nor did he feel the need to waste a life. Maybe there was a reason to move on.

His yellow eyes stopped flashing in and out, joining with the red at the edges of the irises. He nodded, finally understanding the true point of good and evil.

"I was trying so hard to be evil," Maranguan said, feeling his old self returning.

"That's the spirit!" Parker Dooley said in his thoughts. "We're not good and we're not evil. We're changed into something more. You know who you truly are."

Maranguan smirked. "I guess I'll have to thank my brother for this lesson, once I've found him."

"We'll bring you a ship. We'll find your family, Qua'ra." The queen said with ease. "You and your husband are allowed to stay with us in one of our homes, which is all ready for you."

"Thank you," Qua'ra bowed, following the soldiers towards the speeder bikes.

The queen wasn't finished yet with the scarred red dragonoid. "Maranguan, see me tomorrow. We'll discuss your new training. It'll be a grey test to see if you can truly embrace the light and the darkness."

Maranguan nodded.

"You'll spend the night in one of our temporary homes; at least, until arrangements are made for you to stay in one of the grander homes." The queen smirked. "You're our leader now, training under my watch. I am Matriarch and Queen of this village." She added, "We need you here."

"After my betrayal, and Vitiate's, it seems I have no choice," Maranguan said, calming down. The yellow moved into one eye, making him have one yellow eye and one red eye.

"Ah. See? You're changing already," The queen said, nodding to a soldier to lead the scarred red dragonoid to his temporary home. Maranguan looked back at the queen one last time, before finding his way into the house, where he already felt at home.

~o~

Maranguan's temporary home had all the necessities. A bathroom, bedroom with a queen-sized bed up against the wall, a few pictures of the shapeshifters moving to and fro, a kitchen with plenty of appliances, a dining room with its own wooden dining table and chairs, and a living room with his own furnishings.

"Here you are! Will you need anything?" one of the soldiers in blue armor asked, promptly.

"No. Thank you," Maranguan said, his eyes now yellow.

"Whatever you need, we can assist you," the same soldier said, curtly.

"No, really, I'm good," the scarred red dragonoid said, feeling warmth inside his heart. It felt nice to be good again.

"We'll leave you alone," the soldier said, bowing and leaving the house. Once the door was closed, and the soldiers all outside, the same soldier closed the door behind him.

Maranguan was now alone.

~o~

Maranguan huffed. He looked about the house. It was still, quiet. Exactly what he needed, for a moment. He moved to the couch and sat down, pondering over everything he learned. Vitiate betrayed him, he nearly betrayed his friends and his wife. His wife?

He checked his hands. How could he do this to himself? Now, he was taking a step towards the light. He hadn't tapped into the darkness that long. Was it worth it?

He closed his eyes, thinking of nothing else, except Eliza. Perhaps she was all right. Perhaps she could help him. He opened his eyes, surprised to see a soft, blue light emitting from his hands. There was Eliza, entering his temporary home from the bedroom doorway. She was fair-faced with pale skin, curly locks of brunette hair, and green eyes. She was dressed in a black gown. She approached him now, stunned by his appearance.

Maranguan walked towards her, delighted to see her. He placed a hand against the side of her face and the other on her waist. If only he could kiss her, then he would be complete.

"I miss you so much," he said, softly.

"Parker, what have you done?" Eliza said moments before she vanished.

Maranguan stared at the spot where his wife had been. A tear trickled down his face. He collapsed on the couch, frozen. Oh, what had he done?

~o~

Mordru was a red dragonoid with a young dragon-like face. He had similar features to Maranguan, except for the scars. There weren't any scars on his body, but his eyes were red. The moment he stopped his speeder bike in front of the cave, at the Land of Dragons, he half-expected not to come here. Something drew him here, nonetheless. It was his home, his place. His true family. It was something Parker didn't understand when Turen's dragonoid family wiped out most of Parker's family.

Now, here he was, embracing his destiny. He jumped upon seeing a woman dressed in gold approach him. She was so beautiful.

"Stop!" the woman warned him. "Don't go in there."

"You're a Celestial?" Mordru asked, curtly.

"I am. I'm the Daughter." The Celestial said in introduction. "I warn you not to go in there. Your brother has done something treacherous."

"Maranguan is my brother. My foster brother, but my brother. Nothing he does will surprise me." Mordru went into the cave, not looking back at the Daughter as she followed him. He stopped upon seeing the dead. He sighed in relief upon seeing the survivors. They were still alive, but the replacement chieftain was dead. Dead? How could that be? Mordru seethed in rage. "Oh, Maranguan is going to pay for this!"

"Not yet," the Daughter spoke. "Let your brother go. You will forgive him in time."

"Time is something I cannot afford!" Mordru hissed. "This was not meant to be!"

"An eye for an eye, as they say," the Daughter said.

Mordru huffed. What to do? "One day, Parker Dooley will pay." He added, curtly, "When Parker returns to the light, I will find a way to make that happen. I'll go into hiding. I'll stop at Dragon's Hallow when he's not looking and get him to confess. I will have my revenge for what he's done. Mark my words, it will happen."

"And how do you plan on doing that? He's far away. In another galaxy," the Daughter said.

"Oh, believe me, I will find a way," Mordru said, seething. He looked around, shaking his head. "Maranguan, you are about to get everything you deserve! I'm still loyal to the Emperor. You are not. When I get back to Dromund Kaas, we'll see whose on top!"

"Wise words, Turen. You're improving," the Daughter said.

"Don't wait up on me," Mordru said, heading out of the cave and towards his speeder bike. By the time he looked back at the Daughter, he waved to her and sped off. It wouldn't be the last time he met her, but it would be the last time he would return to his true family's cave. At least for a while.

*.*.*

References:

The Daughter comes from the "Star Wars" universe.