Chapter 4

(Coruscant, Imperial Palace)

Night had come and quickly gone and Exar found himself standing on his rooms balcony as he was unable to get even the slightest wink of rest in the night before. It was now midmorning and the star of Coruscant was rising decently high into the skyline of the ever lively capital of the galaxy. He stood silently recalling the night before, for it had been a night that he could not possibly forget if he wished to attain the power he craved in the near future. 'So many important people, or; at least; they think so of themselves anyways.' He chuckled off the self importance and arrogance of those he had mingled with in the Emperors little party. The Emperor himself being a member of that group.

Exar recalled meeting with men like one named Crueya Vandron. Apparently he was a founding member of some organization Exar assumed to be vitally important to Palpatine by the name of 'COMPNOR,' and apparently aided in the founding of another by the designation of the 'Imperial Security bureau.' An organization Exar also deduced to be a rival of Imperial intelligence, and at least to some degree larger than said intelligence ministry.

Besides meeting with the likes of Ysanne Isard, and Vandron, he had mingled with the likes of men like one worm named Janus Greejatus, a man Kun found completely useless, and found his very menial grasp of the force to be thoroughly laughable in all degrees. His hatred spilling off of him towards aliens was also interesting as Kun knew aliens to be inferior to humans in all possible manners, but the mans hatred for them was one of petty reasoning. Loss of wealth he deduced, Greejatus didn't even try to hide his thoughts and they broadcasted themselves loudly and even proudly through the force. It was enough to make Kun roll his eyes, 'What an imbecile that one is.'

Nonetheless, Kun was pleased that he had met with men and women from all across the galaxy. Nobles, ministry directors, dark side adepts, senators, and military men. All of whom Kun was sure he would need to either deal with or subjugate in future times. He was quite intrigued when he was introduced to dark side wielders by the designation of Inquisitors.

They were of course pitifully powerful in the force, and even attempted to break through his mental barriers and enter his mind oh so rudely. Kun laughed at the memory of sending a psychic scream through the force as one of them attempted to breach his mind for at least the this time that night. As such, he watched on with dark glee as all those who could feel the force in the room suddenly tensed up in sudden and sharp pain; save for the Emperor who merely chuckled his dark chuckle, and all the rest cast him a glare. To which he just smiled and looked at them all. It was all power play and he was the obvious victor as none would dare confront him.

Ah well; that long day was done and over with.

'Now all we need to do is wait for that blasted call, and this whole galaxy will awake to the drums of war!' Kun laughed out loud at the reminder and did not care in the least to hide his obvious elation. After all he was alone, after being provided his quarters that Palpatine had let him use the first time he was brought to Coruscant those many weeks ago.

'How long ago that seems to me.' He thought with an odd sense of nostalgia coming over him. 'It doesn't matter anymore I suppose though. I have attained power, and fame I couldn't have even begin to hope for in those early days! I truly am on my way up! Every day I get closer to finally grasping that power I have for too long been denied!' Exar said as he idly gripped one hand into a fist and looked blankly on towards the Coruscanti skyline. Images of grandeur, power, love, and adoration filling his mind.

Now all he need to attain this was the death of several billion at the least. Was that too much to ask for?

(Alderaan, Aldera palace)

Viathan idly twirled one crimson saber to his side and listened to the 'whooshing,' noise all sabers made when swung about. It had been about twenty minutes since he had confronted Leia in that random palace corridor and expected her any moment now. He had shed himself of his long flowing outer robes and now stood in a simple all black getup. A simple sleeveless black shirt, and long black pants that were tucked into large black boots that were typical of him to wear. Looking down towards himself Viathan briefly wondered why black or grey was always the norm of Imperial dark side adepts. But, then he considered the fact that everyone openly said they used the 'dark side,' of the force it was kind of obvious that everyone had a personality complex that practically required them to wear black.

Suddenly the door to the room slid open and none other than the Alderaanian princess herself walked in. Viathan cocked an eyebrow at the sight of her. She herself wore an; at this point stereotypical white short sleeved shirt, with similar but more ragged pants and even boots of her own. Her hair was propped up into a simple bun, but otherwise she looked normal, but for Viathan it was so casual it was almost odd to him.

"Uh, what?" She asked as she caught Viathan looking her over intensely. She herself looking down towards her shirt as if something might be there. He mentally slapped himself for his rudeness.

"Forgive me, my princess. I was just looking over you attire. It's fitting for what we're about to do today." He quickly informed her as he began to walk over to an adjacent table with several of his masters training sabers laid out. "Oh, well okay then, I guess." She responded as she followed him to the table.

"So, care to explain what exactly I'm going to be doing is? I mean I know what a lightsaber is. It's just that I never…well held one before." She told him with uncertainty in her voice.

Viathan wasn't looking at her and was instead placing his now deactivated saber hilts onto the table and picking several others up and testing their relative weight to the next. "Understandable milady." He responded casting a quick look and understanding nod to her as she came to stand at his side.

"I was uncertain myself when I had to use a lightsaber for the first time. I quickly got the hang of it, and I'm more than sure you will too."

"Really, and why is that?" She quickly asked him.

"Ah yes that is the question isn't it?" Viathan responded causing her to roll her eyes. He chuckled in turn.

"I and all those who use a lightsaber have to be at least rudimentarily powerful and learned in the ways of the force. Those blind to it would sooner cut off a limb or worse, kill themselves." Viathan informed as he finally found a saber to his liking. While Leia on the other hand grimaced.

"Sounds…fun." Trepidation was obvious in her voice.

"Indeed." Was all he said in retort, and held up the saber hilt to her. "Here use this one." She grabbed it and moved it back and forth through the air.

"It feels lighter than expected."

"Yes it is quite the difference from a regular vibrobade in terms of weight. This is one of the many reasons those who cannot feel the force are hard pressed to master a sophisticated weapon like the lightsaber." Viathan explained as he grabbed another hilt and pulled her over to the center of the rather large room.

"Don't worry my princess you'll be fine. After all these are just training sabers." He said trying to sooth her worries.

"Yeah and what can they do?"

Viathan shrugged in an easy going manner. "These particular models just cause small burning stings, or at the worst bruises or welts. I assure you milady you'll be absolutely safe." He said as he activated his own saber and a magnificent shade of bright red sprung forward. "After all without pain, how does one hope to learn from past mistakes?" Viathan said and twirled his new saber in large circles from one side of himself to the other, in a display he hoped impressed the princess. She in turn gave him a cocked brow of her own.

"Pain doesn't always lead one to learn anything, or more power Viathan." He gave her a sharp perplexed look.

"Oh really? How do you know this milady? I have been trained practically since birth in this manner, and it has brought me power unknown to many in the galaxy. Of course there are those who know pain greater than I and they have attained power you and I can only imagine." He declared to which she crossed her arms in a manner Viathan once again thought more fitting for someone much older than her.

"Pain does not substitute wisdom, and knowledge attained through years of patience and guidance from the elder and much wiser than oneself." She in retort declared firmly. Her nose held high in the air and giving the older boy a look as if she were the oldest one among them.

Viathan made a 'hmm," noise and stroked his chin. "Indeed that is a valid argument my dear, but forgive me for asking. Was your father the one who told you that?" He asked in a manner that he knew was a jab at her fragile emotions. So as expected she gave him a hard glare and her face contorted to a sneer.

"So what if he did?! That doesn't change anything that I said or makes it not right!" She angrily asked as her face burned red with immediate animosity at the mentioning. "Just because he has proven that he in fact knows absolutely nothing about wisdom himself doesn't mean the points he made are invalid." Viathan gave a small smile.

"Do you feel that anger you are experiencing right this moment milady? That is but another way to achieving power with the force." She seemingly calmed slightly and looked down to the floor in what seemed to be confusion.

"Pain, anger, hatred, rage, fear, and even lust. These are all emotions that are wrought with intense power in the force. One must learn to utilize their anger, their fear and hatred, their lust for greater power and knowledge and channel it into the force! For once they do they achieve power greater than the most powerful of Jedi or any stardestroyer!" He declared with a raised fist. "For through the force all things are possible, and nothing can contend with it's unlimited and unfathomable power!" He further declared.

She in turn sighed. "Well if that's true then how about you prove it to me and then I'll believe you." She said with a ghost of a smirk. To which he raise his hand in mock defeat. "So you're one of those I'll believe it when I see it eh? Okay than, let's get started." He said and quickly walked over to her side from his spot.

"Okay, to start off you need to learn basic form." He grabbed her arms and took to a standing position directly behind her, and brought his face over her right shoulder.

"Hold your saber hilt outstretched in front of you like this." He said as she clutched the hilt with both of her hands with his own hands directions and looked intently forward.

"Now this particular hilt uses a sliding switch to activate it, and therefore you don't need to hold onto it. Most however require a constant finger on a button for ones own safety purposes." He said and moved one of her hands up the hilt onto the switch. She flipped the switch forward and slightly jumped at the sight of the red beam bursting to life in front of her.

She chuckled nervously. "Wow, I thought it would be well at least a little bit hot."

Viathan nodded in understanding. "It would be were it not for a force containment field guarding you from the heat of the plasma. It does not, however, protect you, anything, or anyone from the plasma when contact is made directly with the beam. Of course that is for a normal saber. If you remember this one is but a training variant. The fields these create are far more intense and protect you, and anyone else from serious harm." He informed as he relaxed his hands off of hers and slowly backed away from her allowing her to slowly mover the saber about; still clutching the hilt with both hands.

She seemed transfixed and a smile even appeared upon her features as she got used to holding the near weightless weapon in front of her. Viathan nodded his approval silently to himself. 'Okay that went better than hoped for.' He felt relieved as he had not known what to expect from training another in things he was already well learned in.

"Alright now swing it around a bit and get a general feel for it, and then tell me when you feel used to it at least to some degree." He said with another small smile, and walked back over to his position some feet away from her. She nodded without really paying much attention to him as she danced around with the blade in a manner that let Viathan know she was absolutely enthralled with the weapon. 'This shouldn't be too hard.' He conceded and decided to let her have her fun for a short time longer.

She went from both hands to holding it with one and began waving it around for a small amount of time and then devolved into tossing it from one hand to the other. Finally Viathan interrupted her fun.

"Alright, alright enough fun. It's time for some real practice, my princess." She turned and looked towards him with an annoyed sideways look on her face before she conceded and walked over towards him. He lifted a hand up, "Stop there." He commanded to which she jerked to a quick stop. "I want you to charge at me and try to hit me now." A perplexed look immediately came over her face.

"Uh, you want me to just…run at you?"

He nodded with a smile on his face. "Yes I do. Don't worry princess you wont hurt me. These are after all just training saber remember?" He reminded her again as he activated his own saber and held it out in front of himself in the same manner he had her do moments ago.

She in turn did the same and looked slightly awkward and unsure of herself. He sent her a nod of approval and she shrugged to herself and then charged at him with saber still pointing directly outwards from her.

He quickly slammed his saber to her charging attack and twirled around and then behind her as she came to a sudden stop and flung herself around to face him. A look of annoyance was on her face and made Viathan laugh. "What? Did you think it would be that easy to hit me? I have been doing this for longer than a decade milady." She scoffed.

"Yeah, well what do you want me to do now?" She demanded of him, still looking annoyed.

"Okay come at me again and try and hit me. This time I'm going to stand completely still. Let us see if you can get through my defenses." She rolled her eyes and brought her saber forward once again and he did the same in turn.

She charged again, this time flinging her saber over her head instinctively and brought it down upon him with a grunt. He brought his own saber up and blocked her and brought them both to a momentary standstill. She slid her saber off of his and quickly sent hard and even violent attacks upon his saber. Each time he blocked it and she continued to wildly swing at him from side to side, over and over again. Suddenly Viathan sensed a ripple through the force and brought his saber to a hard stop at his left and met her saber as she swung around in place and tried to hit his side.

Their sabers clashed and small spark flew, and she made what almost sounded like a snarl. She was breathing hard and was looking intently at him.

"How did you block that!" She demanded. He lowered his saber and she brought hers back up to her, and he waved her off.

"The force is not merely a tool for us to simply move things, and control things with the power of levitation; or to put it simply, telekinesis. It can warn us when trouble is near, or about to happen. It can also form bonds between beings, and when another you have bonded with; say a child of yours, is in danger or even has died you can feel a ripple through the force." He explained and noticed her nodding in understanding.

"Your continuous feint would work upon an unsuspecting and untrained duelist, but against one with the force and skill in lightsaber combat it became easy to detect and block against." She huffed.

"Then how about you teach me how to use the force then! And not play with these sabers because I obviously cant get past you!" She exclaimed with great annoyance and anger rippling off her in the force. Viathan smiled in return however.

"I will milady, I assure you I will. However, what you don't understand yet is that you must unleash your untapped, your raw power in the force, and the best way to do this; I believe, is to let loose your anger and your frustrations. Via combat, I will not only teach you how to duel with a saber, but how to also let your power free, and as I said, only through your anger can that be done." She gripped her saber and held it out in front of her again. A look of determination in both her brown eyes as she did so.

"Very well than!" She cried out, and with quickness not expected by Viathan she slammed her saber in an upwards slash at his side, and he met her with his own saber. He sent her nod of approval and smirked as she scowled further and forcefully pushed his saber downwards to the metal floor below. Advancing on her target she attacked with a downward strike followed swiftly by twirling her body around and slamming her saber again into his saber, and then attempting a strike at his other side, and then back to the other, and over and over again several times. Each time she made contact she grew more and more intent on hitting him, and breaking through his defenses. To show him that she could easily break past his supposed "skill" and beat him down!

Viathan could feel the raw power within her being slowly called out from within. Every moment she grew more and more desperate to get past his defenses and he knew that she; whether she knew it or not, was channeling all the anger she had built up within her, all due to her father, and was pouring every once of that raw anger into her attacks. "Very good! Your resolve is indeed strong, but your strikes are weak, unfocused and wild! You may attack with all your might princess but you will not, and cannot defeat me!" He verbally goaded her causing a very audible and out of character snarl to erupt from her.

She brought her red saber down upon him from his left, and he quickly turned his saber onto its side and blocked it. But, then she came at him from the same spot again, and then again. Each strike more raw more angry and more violent. He actually found his saber being bounced back towards him as his strength waned and realized she was drawing more strength than her body had from the force, and it only made him more happy, and even eager to see her unleashed.

She out of nowhere ducked down and attempted to swipe the saber across his knees and forced him to back flip away from her. He landed about two feet away but found himself immediately having to bring his saber in front of himself as she ran at him with saber lazily at her side being dragged across the floor. She brought up in a long arch and then with raw anger backed strength immediately slammed it back down and forced him to block again.

She was wild, feral even in this moment. Viathan actually found himself getting surprised by her strikes, and move. She was by far no master in dueling but her pure rage was making her erratic and hard to follow. She flung herself back away from him and then quickly leapt back at him with a downward strike. She didn't notice just how high she jumped just now. Viathans eyes went wide as he rolled away from her strike and she ended up hitting the floor.

With the force, Viathan sent a strong wave of energy at her and sent her backwards and threw her roughly onto her back with a nasty sounding thud.

He slowly approached her and pointed his saber at her downed for. She just laid there for a moment not paying him any attention. She was staring to the ceiling and breathing heavily from all the stress she had just put upon her body.

"I do believe; my dear princess, that you have walked the very first steps of attaining true power in the force." Viathan said as he eased himself and began twirling his in saber nonchalantly about for no real reason. She finally looked at him with no a "far away" expression before pushing herself up off her back and into a sitting position and sighed deeply.

"I don't know what came over me." She announced as she deactivated her saber still in her hand, and looked downward at the floor. "On moment it was all fine. It was all clear, and I was attacking you, but not really attacking you to hurt you. I mean I didn't really mean to attack you" She said in self confusion. "Then I couldn't hit you, and then you started I guess goading me. Then I just got more and more frustrated." Her brow furrowed as she explained it all to him. She looked up at him, with a confused look still planted on her face. "Was that what was supposed to happen?"

Viathan gave a single confirming nod. "Indeed it was." She nodded slowly in response before he continued.

"The power I felt within you in our very first meeting was channeled through your anger at me in that moment when we were, I guess you could say arguing." Viathan pointed out as he deactivated his saber now.

"I learned long ago, as did my master, and my original master as well. That raw emotions are the trigger for your power to be set free. Your true unbridled power. Not the menial power provided by the quote, unquote light side of the force. As the Jedi of the olden order would have wanted you to believe." He said making quote signs with his fingers in the air. "Instead we all attain our power through what we call the dark side of the force. Yes, I know it sounds like something from a children's holobook and obviously evil. However, it is not evil my princess." He declared holding out a hand to her. Which she grabbed and let him help pull her to her feet.

"Instead it is simply a means for a being powerful in the force to free themselves of any and all constraints and chains that other would put upon you. To be able to protect yourself and those you desire to protect without the pacifistic and none caring codes of the old Jedi Order in your way. It is freedom to do with the your power what you please. The force is a tool, and has lead many people to greatness and power." He declared as she stood intently listening to him.

"What you felt was but the raw awakening of your dormant powers. You are far more powerful in the force than that little display of feral rage, milady. Now all you need is practice and training to be able to channel that rage, that anger, and your fears into a power that will ultimately lead you to do as you wish when you please!" He further declared with a balled fist to get his point across.

She still looked unsure. To Viathan she seemed even slightly fearful of whatever power she had felt in her moment of uncontrolled anger. 'She did not have the trainers I had. They would have wanted her to unleash this power long ago. My mast…I mean Palpatine would have forced her to unleash this kind of power long ago. Or she would have suffered. Like I suffered…' The Sith in training let his thoughts stray for a moment.

"So what you're telling me. Is that I can learn to control the force within me. Do with it as I wish, and that no one can tell me otherwise?" Inquisitively she asked him with a raised brow. He shook himself from his memories and tilted his head to a side and lifted his hand in an unsure manner.

"Well…you see that is the problem that not only you, but I and my master face." She crossed her arms in return with an annoyed look upon her face once again, and he shook his hands in front of himself quickly. "No, no I don't mean that I was lying to you. It's just that there is one man that seeks to control all life in the galaxy, and that includes us force sensitive's. For you see he is one himself. I'm sure you know of whom I'm talking about as well." She rolled her eyes and looked to her side in scorn.

"The Emperor." Viathan nodded with a smile.

"Exactly, my dear princess. He has for far too long tried to bend all the galaxy and those under him to his unbearable and nonsensical at times, will. He has almost an entire army of dark side adepts under his wing and is using them to root out and kill all his more powerful enemies." She cast him a sideways look.

"And you and your master are not?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"What my master seeks to do is revive the Sith Order to its former golden age of prosperity, and whatever you may have heard or read about the Sith I can assure you it is not as bad as you may believe. I will also bet you heard it from your father. Who; as of now we and everyone else in the galaxy knows, serves a Sith lord himself. "Viathan pointed out and she immediately sighed as anger shot through her very core again.

"The Emperor thinks himself a follower of the 'Order of the Sith Lords.' A code of the Sith that dictates there is to be but one Sith master and but one Sith apprentice. He claims to be the master, and lord Vader to be his apprentice. Yet he allows my master free reign and has hundred of force users at his beck and call. As powerful and fruitful as this code has been for the Sith Order in generations past it is now null and void because of the Emperor. Who I would challenge anyone that he rid himself of such numerical restrictions a long time ago, and instead ensured all force users under him were far too weak to ever challenge him head on. That includes lord Vader himself." He added and she seemed particularly intrigued by that.

"There is no room for growth within the Sith. No ability for the order to span outwards to rule the galaxy and bring at least a semblance of order to it."

She sighed with her arms still crossed. "You already know I don't agree with the Empire." She reminded him, but Viathan interestingly enough felt her spirit waning through the force. Her enthusiasm for such talk slowly be eaten away the more she was reminded of her fathers actions.

"Why milady? Because your 'loyal son of the Empire father' told you it was wrong? He lied to you all your life, and made you believe in something that he didn't even believe in himself! He gave you no warning, no power, and refused to ever let you help him. He knew you wouldn't agree with him so what did he do? He made sure you had no chance at power whatsoever, and he would have controlled you through nothing but sheer lies!" Viathan declared with anger creeping into his voice as he tried hammering the point further.

"Well now you have the chance at power Leia!" He declared saying her name in an out of character manner for himself. "You no longer need to listen to him or anyone like him! You have power that only force users can ever compete against! You can decide your own fate, your own future, it need not be the one he lied to you about. It will be the one that you wish to carve out for yourself, and this time as an apprentice in the ways of the force all the resources and power of the Empire will be laid out for you to use and dispose of as you wish and so please. You don't need to fight the Empire to change it princess. All you need to do is remove those who corrupt it from power, and then make the galaxy into your image!" He laid a hand on one of her shoulders which made her look dead at him.

"The Empire is what you make it my dear princess Leia Organa. You can either fight and kill millions in order to topple it, and destabilize it to fit your will, and more than likely fight decades just to keep it that way. Or you can aid me, and my master in ridding this galaxy of the Emperor and his influence entirely!" Her mouth slightly opened with shock at his declarative offer.

"I tell you that I and my master seek to destroy the Emperor for the benefit of all the galaxy and the Empire. Now I tell you a most guarded of secrets in hopes that you will aid us, and allow yourself to be trained in the ways of the force, in the ways of the dark side. So that you can and will one day change the galaxy for the better, and hopefully forever." Viathan finally finished his long winded speech and looked into her eyes attempting to gauge this young girls emotions.

She ran a small hand of hers over her hair, and across her neck in a tired fashion. She looked downwards which deeply worried Viathan. 'What if she were to say no you idiot! She will tell someone eventually and then what will you do?!' He chastised himself again for possibly the fourth time today. However, she looked up at him and with a small smile upon her young face.

"Alright I'll do it."

To that Viathan smiled. "You have just made this day one of the best in my life, milady!" He declared happily. To which she slightly giggled.

"On one condition my dear Viathan." She declared and he shot her a perplexed and even slightly worried look. "Yes, milady?"

She smirked. "Stop calling me milady. I want you to call me Leia. And just Leia." To that Viathan bowed his head to her.

"Very well my dear, Leia." He said and then chuckled, for in this moment Viathan felt happy.

It was an emotion he rarely knew, and perhaps would rarely ever know.

Phew here is a long Viathan and Leia chapter for you guys. These two are obviously very important to the story and I thought it only right to finally have a true understanding made between the both of them. Let us see what paths this leads our beloved Leia down eh? Read and review please! Thanks for reading again! :)