Chapter Five

"Why attack me if it was all just a test of my worth to you?" Savage asked. "Would you have considered it a Test if I didn't attack with men but with questions of your character instead?" Thrawn replied. Savage shrugged, admitting that it was probably for the better that he had been tested the way he had been mere hours ago. "Now I can provide my wealth to you and your brother from within and I can give you a list of organizations you can reach for soldiers.

"Beyond that, I can offer you nothing more as an ally even with the power of Arden Lyn and the Talisman," Thrawn stated. "My brother would probably say that that's enough anyway on your part. Enough to get us by anyway but may I ask if you have a ship we could use to get to the people you list?" Savage inquired. You notice the finer details that your brother sometimes leaves out, a well-rounded team indeed Thrawn said as he chuckled at Savage's inquiry.

"Sometimes, Savage, you are astonishingly perceptive even compared to your brother. Yes, I can provide you with a ship that is a minor formality of my resources. And I believe you will undoubtedly desire one with speed and agility on its side in case you get caught in a crossfire?" he said aloud. "That should suffice the both of us plenty so long as there is room for us to breath in and more," Savage replied.

"I can arrange that with ease and I can also arrange for you and your brother to be given the best accommodations of any outsider while you remain here. Does that suffice you, warrior of the Dark Side of the Force?" Thrawn asked. "It does satisfy me, your leadership. It truly does," Savage answered with a nod.

Maul had called for the return of the driver but decided he would help Arden get a feel for fighting against a lightsaber. "My style is one of most powerful: it is called Juyo, seventh and most aggressive form of lightsaber combat. If you will not wield a lightsaber, let me at least teach you how to defend against one," he said. Arden nodded and decided that it would be better than hoping every lightsaber duelist she encountered was as merciful as Maul had been down in the caves.

When instructed to do so, she did the best she could to parry the blows he sent her way. "The most defensive style of lightsaber combat, and probably the best one for you to know for now, is called Soresu. All who use this style have the singular goal of exhausting their opponent before striking them dead or immobilizing them beyond their ability to fight," he explained. Arden listened intently and observed as Maul demonstrated some of the basics of Soresu.

"For the most part, this style can defend against anything with my style being one of a few exceptions. Since you have enhancing magic, your blade can most likely deflect the bolts of energy that come from blasters as well as a lightsaber can," he said. Then they practiced again, Arden using Soresu and Maul using Juyo and the latter watched as the former grasped the concepts rapidly. Perhaps too rapidly for his own good or the good of anyone else who may confront Arden in the future.

"Be warned Arden, this style is not used strictly to counter the offensive power of Juyo. It can also be used to counter all five of the other forms," he said after a while. "And what are the names of the other forms, if I may ask?" Arden inquired. "The first and most basic is called Shii-Cho: it was created in the era where many Jedi and Sith were transferring from blades like yours to lightsabers.

"Shii-Cho is very raw and basic, so much so that whether you know it or not you wield it when you use your sword. Not that that's bad, it's actually a better start to understanding the lightsaber than my brother currently has as my apprentice. The next is also relatively basic but is incredible when wielded appropriately against someone who has just Shii-Cho or a sword like yours. It is called Makashi and bases itself heavily on the precision and accuracy of a blow for while the lightsaber is powerful, its point is as accurate as he who wields it," he explained.

When she said nothing but gestured that she was still interested in this, he continued. "You already know the defensive prowess of the style known as Soresu. However, I have not told you why it was created: both Shii-Cho and Makashi are heavily offensive. Those who created Soresu knew it would be wise to develop a style meant for defense against both of the first two and other weapons.

"The Jedi who sliced me in half, Kenobi, is a powerful wielder of this style and is one of the few who has ever managed to repel my use of Juyo. His skill in Soresu is so astounding that he managed to hold his own against me even as my brother used a double-sided lightsaber alongside me. The next, yet another offensive style but holds known of the precision of Makashi or focus of Shii-Cho, is Ataru. Based entirely in the acrobatic prowess of the warrior in question, it can be quite frantic in appearance and few wield it with true skill.

"Those who do however, are powerful only so long as they are not trapped in tight spaces. I once killed a Jedi Master by exploiting this weakness though this was unfortunately Kenobi's mentor. His death inspired many Jedi, including Kenobi himself, to turn away from Ataru in favor of the defensive capabilities of Soresu. Then there is Djem So, a direct opposite of Soresu and created from it when several Soresu wielders wanted an opposing form to counter its defensive properties.

"Generally, only those of incredibly physical girth and brawn wield this style proficiently unlike those of Soresu who must be quick and agile. The next is the style of Niman, known as the Diplomat's Style for the fact that it is nowhere near as aggressive or defensive as the others. Many who wielded this style at the Battle of Geonosis fell to blaster bolts pretty quickly and it is best to avoid this one. You already know of the style of Juyo but a counterpart to it was recently created: Vaapad is its name.

"The creator, Master Mace Windu of the Jedi Order, invented this style as a means of channeling his own inner darkness for the benefit of the Light. It is most likely because he originated the idea that he is the only user of Vaapad that did not succumb to the Dark Side while using it. There are always several other variants of other styles such as Shien for Djem So, which is characterized by the blade being pointed backwards while in use. There is also Jar'Kai, the useage of two blades at once, and other such variants that I will let you search for on your own time," he finished with that.

"In my day, there were variants of the style I wield with my sword. The Masters always told me that for everyone who used a blade like this, there was a unique style or group of styles that suited them. Does that hold true for lightsabers in this time?" Arden asked. Maul nodded and stated that he believed that Ataru and Soresu were most suited to Arden's sleek, agile build and her ability to defend with ease.

"Perhaps there is something with which I can start my training in both of those styles?" Arden asked. "I have copies of training modules I originally created for practice when I was Lord Sidious' servant. After my defeat on Naboo, I held onto them and then intended to use them with my brother for his training. However, he will not be needing the modules on Ataru and I can teach him Soresu myself," he answered.

Arden smiled and thanked Maul for giving her the new start on combat that she would need when facing the Jedi in this time. "Do you have any suggestions as to an emergency form that I can use? Say I'm cornered beyond the use of Ataru and I need to go on the offensive," she asked him. "If you wish I can give you the modules for Juyo as well or you can find a user of Vaapad," he answered.

That was when she sensed the presence in the Force that remained alien to her even now that she knew who Maul was and could recognize his aura. This was a power similar to her own but when he mentioned finding a user of Vaapad, she managed to see a face this time. It was the face of a woman who seemed a little more elderly in appearance than Arden did with black braided hair. She also had a strange jewel in the center of her forehead which probably suggested she was more spiritual than literal.

Could this be the one who Maul spoke of or did he not know who she was? Perhaps he didn't know considering how passively he mentioned it but she was quick to respond to his comment. She smiled and said that perhaps he would need to find someone who wielded Vaapad indeed. "It would certainly catch the Jedi off guard for an ancient being such as myself to know a rare style as that," she added.

He smirked and shrugged before looking in the distance and checking to see if the speeder was coming. To his impatient delight, the speeder was on its way and its shape was just barely appearing on the horizon. "Not much longer now before we get you introduced to Admiral Thrawn and on your way to assisting us in our new alliance. Tell me, do you have any particular Force talents I should know of now besides teleportation and Force Voice?" he asked.

"With the Talisman, I can do virtually anything but I can also conduct Battle Meditation from any distance with or without it. I also have a sympathy link to any powerful beings attuned to the Force who are currently comatose having been so myself for twenty-five millennia. Perhaps someday, I can use the Talisman's power to teleport to where they are (yes it can help me move across space and time) and revive them," she answered. When he asked for anything else, she told him she had probably all the same talents that he had beside those few she mentioned including manipulation of the Talisman.

In the dark recesses of her comatose mind, Depa Billaba sensed a presence unlike which she had sensed before. Unfortunately, in her immobile condition, she was in no position to even beg the presence to stay and comfort her. For comfort her it did despite the likeliness that this was someone who had followed a similar path to the one she had taken before she ended up here. The memories were still fresh as the daylight of the Coruscanti sun which gave a unique golden tinge to the skies as it rose.

She had once been considered one of the wisest spiritual figures of the Jedi Order. Whenever a youngling or a Padawan felt that something within them was at conflict with the Order, she was there. She was the friend and the guide they had towards the absolution of all their sins and the end of all their inner conflict. Once, she had even been a soothsaying adviser for the warrior known as Anakin Skywalker and his Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

But she followed her colleague Mace Windu's lead in accepting the usage of his unique style of Vaapad. That was when all of it went downhill for her: she had seen the truth of the Jedi Order. Through Windu's invention, she saw how she was the most blind of all the Jedi since these blind people considered one of the wisest of their flock. How could she possibly have allowed herself to live with it when she made the discovery and even after this enlightenment, why did Mace spare her?

Death would have been much better for her and more honorable than this eternal dream. This state of helplessness where her life hung between the edge of life's thin thread and death's limitless void. Why did he subject her to this horror instead of just letting her go? Did he love her or have feelings of affection, infectious desires even when compared to the indulgent desires of the Sith?

She would never know and no one understood the motives of that man except for Yoda. After all, it was Yoda who found Mace at a young age and practically raised him as his own. Both were mysterious men in their motives and the way they followed the Old Code of the Order. She did know this, however: if she were ever to be revived from this trance, she would take revenge against them.

Thrawn watched as Savage greedily and unquestioningly accepted the accommodations he provided. Had I still been testing him, he would have done very poorly at this point. After all, what would stop me from slipping a dagger amongst my maidens and ordering his death? he said to himself. He noted that of the two brothers, Maul was the far more intelligent one and made sure to remember to watch him and how he controlled both himself and Savage.

Though Maul was likely hardly any better in combat than his brother, at least the man would have more focus. In addition, it seemed like Maul was far more a man of words when he wished to be though he had the aggression to be a magnificent fighter when called to be one. Under the right circumstances, anything Maul says can rally thousands if not millions to his banner he noted. Indeed, he saw a rivaling mind but perhaps he didn't need to be on competition with Maul.

Perhaps this alliance could work to Thrawn's own convenience if instead, he manipulated Maul into trusting him. After that, he, Savage, and any forces they rally could shield Thrawn's hand from the sight of those who would destroy him if he was revealed to be in existence still. The Jedi would be especially quick to retaliate against the forces Thrawn commanded seeing as it was he who destroyed their Outbound Flight project. He had sent back two of their greatest Jedi, Kenobi and Skywalker, humbled and practically on their knees before the Council while the rest were destroyed.

Now, however, Kenobi and Skywalker had the advantage in that they could rally enough forces to destroy Thrawn entirely if they found out he was still in business. But how to solve this dilemma without Maul ever realizing that he and Savage were the pawns and not the masters? And that was when he came up with an excellent solution to the problem: an old Chiss idea that went "a servant is a master in disguise". Thrawn would indulge Maul's ego as he had done with Savage and provide guidance to resources in the galaxy under the pretense of serving their purposes for them alone.

He would turn them into his emissaries who would create wanton and anarchy, and leave a path of destruction in their wake. Only if their path was stopped by the powers that be would Thrawn decide that the time had not yet come to take dominion of the galaxy. But once he did have dominion though, he would channel all the wealth and power of the title to repel the extra-galactic invaders forever. They would not take what was his before he claimed it and they would pay for their vandalisms against his people at long last.

"Your leadership, reports have just come in that Lord Maul has returned. That's not all though: he's accompanied by the woman from the caves and it appears she has the Talisman in her possession," Creon reported. Ah, so he did manage to turn her power towards an ambitious mutual cause after all. A most impressive feat of cunning though no doubt it wasn't resolved without combat Thrawn thought silently.

"Then let's not keep the two of them waiting, we will greet them at the front door to my office. Prepare my formal wear and make sure I can put it on before they arrive," he ordered aloud. Bowing, Creon left his master in order to obey his orders as swiftly as possible. To think that Maul was cunning enough to succeed in swaying Arden into this alliance was astounding.

It would appear as though Thrawn would have to be even more careful in how he manipulated their campaign to his favor. After all, as ancient as she was, the woman was not stupid and would likely suspect treachery of some kind on his part. Beings of the Dark Side who were immense in their power did have trouble seeing through him because of his mind was wired. But he always made sure to be prepared to do what it took to keep it that way even if he had to use his Terras Kasi training.

"Even the most primitive cities in my day weren't anything like this. I wonder how the people stand to live through this bitter weather under these circumstances," Arden stated. "This is mostly a military facility, with few exceptions only soldiers live here," Maul replied. "That would explain a lot and is a convenient idea if that's the case," she said.

He nodded and asked the driver where they were going. "His leadership Thrawn wishes to see you both at his own personal estate on Irkalla. He wishes to commemorate you on your success in bringing back the Talisman and persuading the lady to join your alliance," the Chiss driver answered. "This Thrawn character sounds like a very interesting man, perhaps even one whose mental wheels are always turning," Arden said.

"When I first met him, he showed the makings of a mastermind like no other," Maul agreed. "Still what I can't understand is why Irkalla looks the way it does at all. When I was first imprisoned here, it was a beautiful tropical planet radiant with life. Now it's but a cold, barren wasteland and a broken shadow of its former glory," she added.

"Though natural phenomena had something to do with that, it was more likely your power amplified by the Talisman that killed off the wildlife. Sometimes a wielder of the Dark Side can kill flora and fauna with just their power even if they slumber," he retorted. She shrugged, not denying that she may have had something to do with it, and neither one said anything more as they arrived. "Here we are and if you need anything further I will not be as far away now as I was before," the driver stated.

Then he left them once again and Thrawn appeared in attire that he had not worn before. However, the formal nature of it did suggest a commemoration of Maul's success in its glamour. I will get used to this after a while though I wonder if Arden will he thought to himself. But to his surprise, she took in the sight of Thrawn as though she were a little child gazing at a healing angel.

Her eyes had shrunken and her mouth was hanging open, having never seen Chiss beauty in her life. "Do not be overwhelmed by the sight of me, my dear. I assure you that this insignificant compared to the glamour of the Chancellor of the Republic or Count Dooku of the Separatists," Thrawn stated. "Forgive me sir, I have never seen such dazzling beauty before even in the days of the First Schism," she replied.

You will be seeing much more, and likely destroying it, if you come with me and my brother back into the greater galaxy Maul thought to himself. And as if the thought prompted his appearance, Savage also came with a new mechanical arm attached to his body. Maul smiled, impressed by the technological achievements of these people and was forever thankful. Not too long ago, Savage had been on the verge of death by exhaustion but now he was fueled up and strong again.

"It is good to see you once more brother, the wait for your return was terribly long. What do we do now that you're back and we have gained a new ally?" Savage asked after briefly embracing his brother. "That remains to be decided but perhaps Thrawn and Arden can help us remedy that tonight," Maul replied. "Not by any chance Arden Lyn of the First Great Schism of the Jedi Order, is it?" Thrawn asked.

Arden nodded and stated that she was pleased to make his acquaintance as he introduced himself. Once pleasantries were aside, Thrawn suggested that they step out the cold to discuss business over a warm meal. "A meal does sound good now that I am awakened from a twenty-five thousand year trance induced by the Force," Arden agreed. After a brief chuckle from the men, all four of them walked back up the stairs and stepped inside the Great Hall of Feast.

Occasionally, whilst seating themselves, Savage caught himself looking up at the woman called Arden. When she returned his curiosity, he immediately looked back down to his steaming hot food. He felt no love for her and yet, he found himself looking up at her though he didn't know if it was in suspicion or in lust. She was beautiful but she had a dark aura about her that hinted seductive capability; only time would tell what her true character was around men.