LIVING HISTORY

by ardavenport

= = = Part 15

The light in the room changed, growing brighter in the middle where Sebo took her place. The others withdrew to the shadowed edges of the floor pattern and Qui-Gon did as well.

Sebo spread her arms out, her palms upward, a priestess calling down her gods and goddesses.

"I am the Lady of the Tower, whose name was so dangerous it was taken from her, who grew old and died there before Cloras the First united this world again from the chaos after the fall of the Sith Lord. I am the keeper of her name. I hold the Mystery. I live her life.

"She was Nirid, daughter of a servant of this Fortress and a herder, but destined to be more than the life her ancestors gave her. She was smart and quick, a pretty girl who was loved well by family and friends and she loved them with the pure innocence of the young. But above all those, she loved a boy; he was handsome and smart, but gentle and he listened to her and poured his own heart out to her in return as they went on long walks together. And with the flowering of their youth, one long walk inevitably turned into physical love. Sweaty and clumsy, but intense and passionate. And it was the first time for both of them.

"But the next day, a Jedi, Master Orkut Zim came and recognized the boy, Keth Neem-Dolahkos, as one who could be trained in the Jedi ways. In those times, those with potential were trained, no matter what their age, if they were deemed worthy. And even amidst the vast distances of space, among the uncounted individuals on uncounted worlds, the special powers of the Jedi led them to find their initiates.

"Keth was eager. The life of a Jedi was much better than that of the son of cook and a crafter. He impetuously committed himself to be an apprentice of the Jedi. Only later did he think to tell Nirid and then ask Master Orkut to take her with them. His new Master was dismayed, for he saw that she also had potential to be a Jedi, a potential he had initially failed to see. The only two from this world for generations, and they had found each other and were in love. But he said nothing of this to the girl, who was also excited to leave and see the galaxy."

Qui-Gon remained expressionless during the narration, his arms folded into the broad sleeves of his robe.

"She could not go. The Jedi even then held their vows to their order above those to any friend, lover or family. She could not be trained by the Jedi for that would put her near Keth. And he foresaw that Keth would farsake his Jedi vows for her if she was near at hand.

"So, he gave Keth Neem-Dolahkos a cruel choice. He could come or go as he willed. But if he chose to go, he would go alone. As a Jedi.

"Heart aching, he sat up all night, in a place where he and Nirid used to go and talk. But it was Nirid who made the choice and told him to go. It was better that at least one of them go out to see the center of the galaxy, than both stay to their plain lives. And she told him that if the Jedi could find him among all the planets and systems in the galaxy, then she believed that she would find him again.

"So, Keth left Nirid behind, to become a Jedi Knight. But she did not lead an ordinary plain life. For the same power that drew Jedi together also drew the dark powers as well. And when the Dark Lord, Darth Baras came to this world, seeking power and conquest; it was not long before Nirid caught his attention.

"He was old and corrupt and she despised him at first sight. That was her first lesson on the dark path, how to hate. He captured her and killed her family. And killed their allies, including Keth's kin, but that was unknown to him since he had abandoned family and home along with Nirid to follow the Jedi.

"With her as his prisoner, Darth Baras taught her the Sith ways through abuse and cruelty. She learned to desire power, first to destroy him, but that very quickly turned to a lust for power itself. And when it did, he stripped her of her old life and took her as his apprentice, naming her Darth Yarr."

Sebo lifted her chin, her calm face turned upward to the light above, her body in shadow, her story paused in the echoless room. Qui-Gon closed his eyes, feeling the Force, close around him, the others in the room as still as he. The facts generally agreed with the Jedi Archives, but Qui-Gon had seen nothing about any early connection between Keth and Yarr save that they came from the same planet. Since Yarr's holocron had been destroyed, there were few personal details and nothing about her origins. He sensed that Sebo was telling the truth, so far as she knew it, that her life's work was to be the living embodiment of a woman who became a Sith Lord, defeated eight-thousand years ago.

"But the student exceeded the Master."

Qui-Gon saw Sebo through the Force as a pillar of faint light, with no darkness or evil in her, linked to the Force as all living things were, but no more or less than the others in the room.

"Darth Yarr knew how to love as passionately as Nirid had. And she saw the power in it. She kept her old name, secret from her Sith Master, and as Nirid she learned all the things that could not be gained through fear and conquest. As Darth Yarr, she grew strong and powerful, and desirable to her Master. She made him want her. She made him need her. And when she killed him to become the Master herself, as was the way of Sith Lords, he died from loving her."

The air in the chamber grew heavy with the breath of the gathered people as if it thickened with the history Sebo told them.

"Yarr grew strong, acquiring followers, admirers who willingly supported her conquests that engulfed the planet. Her successes drew the attention of other Sith. This world was too distant to be of any strategic gain, but a worthy Sith apprentice came to Maarzim, Hulus, a Turidni young man. He was ambitious and strong, but had been raised in a harsh and cruel land and was an easy target for Yarr's passions."

Qui-Gon saw blackness behind his eyelids. No images, no power came to him from Sebo's story. It was as lifeless to him as data in a computer.

"Through conquest and seduction, Darth Yarr's rule expanded to consume all of Maarzim. She grew powerful enough to draw the attention of the Jedi. And the Jedi Order sent one who already knew this world. Keth, a full Jedi Knight who no longer used his old family name. And Minigan, a young Knight, the former apprentice of Master Trioni, a friend and age-mate of Keth. And who had been killed by the Sith.

That part of the story matched what Qui-Gon knew from the Jedi Archives, but it was still cold facts, stirring no extra insight in the Force.

"The Sith knew that the Jedi were there as soon as they landed and Hulus, eager to please his Master, went out to meet them. But he had more initiative than skill; Keth and Minigan cut him down and they evaded the soldiers who attacked. When Hulus's body was found, the death of the favorite of their beloved Lord raised the passion of the people to hunt down and capture the Jedi, who were completely surprised by it. They had expected violence and opposition the soldiers of the Sith, not devotion and fanaticism from the people for their Sith Overlord."

The story diverged again from the Jedi Archives. Keth and Minigan had killed Yarr's apprentice soon after arriving and were forced to hide from Yarr's troops. But there were no reports of unusual 'devotion and fanaticism'.

"Yarr went out as Nirid, to find the Jedi. And was herself captured by her own passion and desire, when she recognized Keth. Decades had passed, but he was still slim and strong. And now a powerful Jedi and she wanted him as much as she had when they first coupled so many years ago."

Qui-Gon straightened, head high, as if trying to recapture a scent. The Force was utterly still and unresponsive to Sebo's liturgy.

"Nirid appeared to them and under the guise of helping them, she led them to her fortress, this castle, where they were attacked and separated. The Sith Lord herself walked the floor of this very room when she conquered it. Hulus was captured and taken as Yarr's prisoner. But Nirid led Keth, who was injured, to a secret room. To Keth, Nirid was his long lost love and a lowly Castle servant who conspires to help him escape. To Mimigan, the Dark Lord came to deliver her cruel torture and seduction.

"Minigan had the confidence of youth and little experience. Darth Yarr enjoyed breaking him and she poured all of her lust into dominating him. But to Keth, Nirid only showed gentle compassion. She planned to reveal her Sith nature to him, to coerce him to the Darkness, but when they were alone, Keth only reminded her, Nirid, of a time when she was young and just Nirid, with a family and a boy who returned her love."

The story had diverged considerably from the Jedi Archives. Minigan and Keth were captured; Minigan was more seriously injured, and Keth was able to escape with the help of a Castle servant who wished to be freed from the Sith. Keth then confronted Yarr who was killed in a duel of lightsabers that also left Keth mortally wounded. Minigan was the only survivor to return and report their success to the Jedi Council. Qui-Gon knew all of this from the Archives, but he felt no insight at all, either supporting the Archives or Sebo's narrative.

"Nirid never felt more distant from her Darth Yarr self than when she lay with Keth. But her lust poured out from Darth Yarr into Minigan. She broke him too well. While she planned her seduction of Keth, Minigan, full of rage and Darkness, escaped. And he confronted Yarr with murderous intent. They fought. They would have killed each other, but Keth, having found his own escape called to Nirid.

"He had known all along who she was. She had deceived herself into thinking that she could conceal her Dark Lord identity to a man who loved her so much. Tears, running down his face, he renounced his vows to the Jedi, because they had led him to leave her behind to fall into Darkness so long ago. He swore to never use the power of the Force again, if she would only forgive him for so coldly leaving her behind. Yarr dropped her weapon, her heart pierced by the purity of his love for her. It far outshined her passion, a swelling sun enfolding her." Sebo's voice roughened with emotion and she drew a breath before going on.

"But Minigan was enraged. He struck with blind fury. Keth threw Nirid aside and took the blow. Minigan's lightsaber plunged through his body, a mortal blow. Screaming, Yarr caught him, cradling him in her arms, her own tears flowing freely, she asked why he did not defend himself.

"Completely at peace, Keth smiled up at her, his eyes joyous. He had vowed to renounce all use of the Force, if she would forgive him.

"And so, Keth broke Darth Yarr, and she became Nirid for the last moment of his life." Sebo paused again, her voice gone high and weak. "She held him. And she vowed to never use the power of the Force ever again for the rest of her days, for love of him.

"But Keth also broke Minigan, too. When he saw the two lovers at his feet and realized what he had done, his rage left him. Dropping his weapon, he fell to his knees and begged for Keth's forgiveness.

"Keth granted it willingly. But he extracted a promise from Minigan. That he would leave that world as a Jedi Knight and report that Darth Yarr died. Because the Jedi Council would never believe that Nirid was no longer a Dark Lord and they would send others to hunt her down to kill her.

Sebo's voice grew firm again. Qui-Gon heard movement, footsteps, stone moving against stone.

"Minigan promised. And Keth died. His body was burned in the Jedi way, the ashes scattered on the hills beyond this Castle. And Nirid renounced all claim to power, accepting her fate. She had made many enemies, but she cared not if they killed her.

"One of her lieutenants claimed her throne. He had no special powers, but he was strong and ambitious, enough to be a war lord. He had learned about cruelty from Darth Yarr. So, he sentenced her to live; to die of old age, imprisoned in this fortress. He stripped her of her name, because it was too dangerous; a word from her could ignite her followers' passions to rise up against him. And he took the symbols of the Sith, claimed their power by sealing them up here."

Qui-Gon's vision suddenly flared bright red, a star exploding, expanding into fiery, crimson plasma, filling the room with fear, anger, heat, rushing at him. He gasped and it filled his lungs with a dizzying fever, going down his whole body to his loins. It was the Force, boiling through him with strength and power. Electricity danced on his fingertips; he could so easily close his hand and squeeze hard for more and sieze the ecstasy of it. The heat increased, rising from him, shifting from red to orange to yellow and white.

His lightsaber flew to his hand and the green blade hissed out, an extension of his hand, arm, body. Leaping forward, he grasped the hilt tightly with both hands and exhaled, pushing out the hot greedy power and breathing in the cool balance of of body and blade. The Force felt strong and sure and he pulled his arms back to strike.

He froze.

The sudden storm vanished as if it had been swept out into vacuum through an open airlock. The muted lighting in the circular stone room looked dark and gloomy compared to the red nova an instant ago, Except for the bright red light of the lightsaber blade, held up vertically by Sebo, her eyes closed, expression calm, head tilted back. A finger moved and the red blade vanished. She fell to her knees before him, her body sweeping forward, and lay the black and silver hilt on the ground. Then she spread her arms out, tilting her head back, exposing her neck.

Shocked by what her gesture implied, he drew back, extinguishing his own blade. Behind her, Custodian Tykon gaped at him in near terror. She held a tray of objects, crystalline shards, shiny black lumps, a white and black mask with a red triangle.

And nestled among them was a dark, whole and quite intact Sith holocron.

= = = End Part 15