Deralia was... Something. It was a rather unremarkable planet, with little in the way of people. But at the same time, it did have enough of a population to simulate an actual life. Remote enough to ensure Jedi and Sith stay away, and yet just populated enough to live rather comfortably in. It was perfect.
And like this, the years passed. She went from feeding Icier (who smiled everytime she called him that) and changing him, to eventually tucking him in at night, and sending him off to learn during the day. She could feel him every moment while he was away, and Metai had to force down any feelings of nervousness.
After six years, it was obvious that neither Jedi nor Sith were going to find either of them. She, with her connection to The Force corrupted. And Icier, who, while having a tremendously powerful connection to The Force... Well, it seemed that something was stopping others from finding him. She wonders at times, if maybe her own connection to The Force was blocking his from view.
She couldn't know for sure, but that seemed a viable option for now. Metai sometimes has moments where she cannot believe where she is now. Just a few decades ago, she was a terror (yet also a myth) to most of the known galaxy. All feared Darth Fiendal. It had been some time since she dropped that name. Dropped all allegiances to every Sith, and disappeared completely.
And yet, she was still a Sith. A Sith, and here she is, playing the part of caretaker to a boy utterly blessed by the very thing that ruined her forever. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, she curses The Force. It may have ensured she suffered - will suffer forever - but she will not allow it to hurt Icier that way. The boy had... Grown on her somewhat over the last few years. Icier was so completely and totally trusting of her, that it baffled her to no end.
She can only assume that he doesn't realize what he's feeling when he senses her through The Force. It makes sense; he hasn't met another Sith, or even a Jedi. She is the only reference he has to a Force user. She wonders if he'll still feel safe once he learns the difference between the two. Metai could think of these things all day long, but thankfully the feeling of Icier getting closer to home stops her in her tracks. She lazily opens the door with The Force, as she can't be bothered to leave the confines of her couch. She takes a sip of tea, waiting for the young boy.
Just a few moments later, Icier's black hair slowly comes into her peripheral vision. She ignores it, letting him think that he was being sneaky. When he jumps in front of her, screaming, she only allows one of her eyebrows to raise.
"Icier, you understand that I can sense you, just like you can feel me, yes?" She asks. The young boy pouts for a moment, before climbing up on to the couch. "I know, I know." He grumbles, and Metai snickers softly before catching herself.
"Yes well, now that you know you cannot surprise me, you can instead work on your stealth. It was far too easy to see you trying to sneak your way in." Metai says, and the boy whips his head around to face her.
"You saw me!? I thought I was hidden!" He exclaims. Metai merely frowns. "Icier, you were in full view." She says simply. The boy shakes his head. "But today at school I was able to sneak right in front of people!" He says, and Metai's frown deepens. She looks to the front door, and uses The Force to close it. She then turns back to the boy.
"What do you mean?" She asks, making her voice hard and stern. As usual, Icier doesn't care. Instead, he starts waving his hands around erratically.
"Well I wanted to get Terii's necklace back. The teacher had taken it because she misve-misbe... Mis-"
"Misbehaved."
"Misbehaved yeah!" He says happily, but then quickly frowns himself. "I think the teacher doesn't like Terii though. I've heard him call her things when he thinks no one's listening." He then perks back up. "Anyway, I told her I'd get the necklace back for her, and then I used The Force to walk into his class and grab it from-" Metai quickly grabbed him by the shoulders, and glared right into his eyes.
For the first time, he actually seemed scared. Good. He should be.
"Icier..." Metai says, in a deathly tone that makes the young boy flinch. "What do you mean, 'You used The Force'?" The boy takes a shaky breath. "I've used it a few times. I can make people not see me, I can even hear thoughts sometimes, it's how I know about the teacher and- " Metai keeps her gaze on him, and he quiets himself. After a moment, she then narrows her eyes.
"How long have you used The Force?" She demands. The boy scrunches his face up. "Maybe a month?" He says questioningly. Metai inwardly curses. If he's been using it, it may make it easier for a Sith or Jedi to find them. That is the absolute last thing she needs. She takes a breath and then looks back into his eyes.
"Icier, no more. You are not to use The Force, understood?" He opens his mouth, and she glares hard. He lowers his head. "I just... I just want to be like you." She doesn't let her glare drop, but she does loosen her grip on his shoulders.
"There will be plenty of time for that when you are older. Until then, don't use it." She lifts his head up, and stares into his eyes. He nods slowly. "Ok. I won't. I promise." The young boy says softly. Metai gives him a solid pat on the head, and then stands up.
"I suppose I will need to fix dinner then. Is there anything you want?" She asks him. His eyes light back up, and he happily nods. He then frowns for just a moment.
"Can I do this?" He asks through The Force. Metai thinks for a moment. It won't hurt, not like an actual act of The Force. "Yes I suppose you can. Only around me though. You understand?" Icier nods multiple times excitedly. "In that case, can we have chicken?"
The days pass after she learns of what Icier had done. And as the days turn to weeks, she feels that maybe he could use The Force out here and not be detected. However, she was wrong...
It was a day just like any other. Icier had gone off to school and she had stayed at home, as she always has done before. TV and radio were pointless, and she couldn't find herself sitting still long enough to read a book. Just like always, she was stuck doing nothing but navigating her own mind. Trying to find her way out of the darkness.
And as always, it never works. Peace and balance may as well be unobtainable fairy tales to her. She is frustrated when she feels it. Metai turns her head upwards. Someone is entering the planet. Someone connected to The Force.
Whether a Jedi or Sith it does not matter. She cannot let them find Icier. She jumps upwards, heading down the hall into her room. Metai quickly changes into something more suitable for combat. She grabs a simple black tonic and beige trousers. She opens her drawers and finds her sabers. Metai almost grabs her red saber, but decides against it. She instead takes her other lightsaber. It's been awhile since she's used it, but as she turns it on, and the orange light envelopes the room, she smiles.
She may not be able to hide her dark, corrupted connection to a powerful Force user, but at least she can pretend she's not a Sith. If she meets a Sith, she can just kill them and be done with it. If the visitor is a Jedi however... She has to hope she can fool them. She'd rather not pick a fight with the Jedi, not now that she's successfully hidden herself away.
The Sith, if they wanted her, could find her. Of course the last few that tried have all died, so it does seem like they'd learned that lesson. Unless this visitor is a Sith, in which case she can teach them again. She's pretty good at teaching lessons, after all.
The bad news was, of course, that it was a Jedi. And a powerful one at that. He had arrived in a ship, and had landed it not far outside of town. The worse news was, she was pretty sure he could sense her. Ever since she got here, he was simply meditating.
(She wished she could meditate again. Everytime she's tried since... Since then, nothing but pain awaits her.)
It's been almost a half hour and the Jedi hasn't moved, at all. His graying hair was all that moved, and that was only when a strong gust of wind would blow. Metai finally grew tired of this charade, and pushed past the trees to walk towards him.
It started to rain. The drips of water was the only sound she could hear, besides her own footsteps as she got closer. When she was within a few feet, the Jedi's eyes snapped open, and locked on to her. The green orbs narrowed.
"I was wondering if you were ever going to attack, Fiendal." The old man says, with a gruff voice as he stands. The Jedi Robes he wore indicated that he was a master. Metai practally growled at him. Of course he knew who she was. Her hand hovered over her saber.
"As touched as I am that you came here for me, I'm afraid I'm busy. You have once chance to leave Jedi. I'd suggest you take it." The older man shook his head. He pulled his saber from his belt, and Metai gripped hers, ready to strike.
"It was not for you I came here. The council sent me. There was a presence that I was supposed to investigate. Someone strong in The Force it seems, if my feelings do not betray me." The Jedi says, and Metai curses inwardly. Of course the damn Jedi - the council themselves - would sense Icier. The Jedi eyes her for a moment before talking again.
"I'm not surprised you don't remember me. I was very young then." The Jedi says, as he tilts his head to the side. "Unfortunately, time does catch up to most of us, unlike abominations such as you." He turned his saber on, and Metai barely had a moment to do the same before he lunged. Metai brought the blade up and barely blocked his first attack before he started a barrage of moves. Blue and orange lights danced in the rain as it picked up around them.
He was fairly well trained. She smirked as she blocked each move with ease. Now that they were fighting, it was clear who was better.
"Your Makashi isn't bad old man. Mine is better, however." And it was true. She had mastered Makashi before she even became a Sith. The Jedi was no slouch, but she could still easily beat him. Said Jedi paused as the two clashed, and grit his teeth.
"It was almost fifty years to the day that we met." He backed off and switched from Makashi to Soresu. She decided to stay in Makashi. Really hammer home the point that she was better. "Hmm, I must say, I don't recognize you." She says in a mocking voice. The Jedi moved fast, but a true master of Soresu would be able to move faster. She blocked his numerous hits, and when he went for a sweep (and seemingly switched to Shii-Cho; amateur) she did a backflip and rushed him. It took everything he had to keep up with her speed, it seemed.
"I was barely a teen. My master and me were on a mission from the council. And we met you." He said those last words with so much disdain, she could feel it. She merely smiled, and watched as he became visibly uncomfortable.
"Oh, now I remember. You were the little crying child as I gutted your master." She says, and then titled her head. "Dagobah yes?" The man's eyes went wild, and he rushed his movements. He was trying to push himself. In fact, if this kept up... She nearly laughed. He'd not live long enough to do that.
He went for a rather pathetic attempt of Ataru. His body was not built for it, nor was he as well trained in it as he was in Makashi. She laughed cruely. "Aw, isn't that cute. Trying to imitate your master?" She gives him a sickingly sad look.
"I will kill you Fiendal. For my master. For everyone you've slain." He says, as he brings his blade down a few times. She swats away his attacks with ease, before dodging another downward slash. Metai then uses her momentum to cut his left hand - his dominant one - clean off. He screams as his blade drops, and Metai uses The Force to push him up hard against his ship. She stalks forward, her feet making splashes as she moves in the near soaked battlefield.
"Well, if only your beloved master could see you now." She says, and enjoys the rage trying to escape from him. Metai smiles wider. "Oh, be careful. The Dark Side may take advantage of that pesky rage." The man nearly growls.
"I am not like you. I'd rather die than serve the Sith." Metai's cruel smile drops, but only slightly. "Then we are more alike than you think Jedi." She says, before she thrusts her blade into his chest. The man's eyes grow wide, and she only shakes her head. Her cruel smile goes away, and she sighs softly.
"I told you to leave. This is on you. Not me, Jedi." She pulls her blade out, and lets his body fall to the ground. Metai then turns around and goes back to the man's lightsaber. It is still on, and she turns it off as she pilfers it. She's already got two, she doesn't need more. However, it could be worth something on the black market. Credits are exactly what she needs right now. Her and Icier need to find a new planet, preferably yesterday.
It's then that she feels eyes on her. She whips her head around hard, and there, standing where she hid earlier, is Icier. For the very first time, he's looking at her in abject horror, his hands covering his mouth.
(She's never felt more like a monster, as she sees the way he stares at her. Why did she even try to do this, he deserves better.)
At that moment, Icier runs. But not away. Instead, he runs to her.
"Metai! Metai!" He says her name shakily, as he rushes to her and practically leaps up into Metai's arms. She almost doesn't grabbed him; she's too stunned.
"I-i felt someone strong and then I ran as fast as I could and then I felt you and and the other person and I saw the fight and I was worried!" He babbles out through tears, as he hugs her tightly. It takes a moment before she can hug him back.
"I'm... I am fine. He was no match for me." She says, and then pulls him away somewhat. "You... Saw the fight?" She asks, and he shakily nods his head as he wipes away the wetness from his eyes.
"Yes I did. I thought he might... Hurt you." Metai chews on her cheek. "Jedi don't tend to hurt people unless they deserve it, Icier. I can't say that I wouldn't have deserved it." She says, her voice carefully neutral. Icier shakes his head wildly.
"I don't care if you deserve it! I don't - I don't want to lose you!" He hugs her again, and this time Metai rubs his back softly, careful to not cut through his shirt. She... She takes a deep breath. "Well... Ok then." She says, and decides she'll unpack how she's feeling about that later on. Instead, she pockets the Jedi's saber and then clips her own back on her belt. Metai starts the walk home, and breaks the news to Icier.
"The Jedi have found us. We will need to leave this planet, Icier." He nods his head, buried as it is in her neck. Icier then raises his head to look at her.
"Is this because I used The Force?" He says, voice still shaky. Metai considers lying, but quickly decides against it. "Almost certainly. But it's fine. We can find a new place to live." Icier bites his own lip. She can feel a... A feeling of anxiety from him, but he seems to work through it and hugs her tightly. Again.
"We're going home to pack and then leaving, understood?" She asks, and only a slight nod from him made her keep walking.
The packing was a quick, but quiet affair. They didn't have much; most of her saved up credits went to raising Icier. Metai finally put the last of their things in their ship. She wasn't exactly sure where they should go, but she knew that it was paramount to get as far away as she could. As Metai was thinking about where to hide out in, a tug at her cloak brought her out of her thoughts.
"Yes Icier?" She asks the young boy. He seems oddly... Determined. "Metai... The Jedi are going to try to find us again right?" He asks, and she almost laughs at how mature his young voice sounds. Instead, she raises an eyebrow.
"Yes. The Sith too, would be extremely interested in you as well." Icier nods, but the motion is so slight she barely notices it. "Then... Then either side would train me up right?" Metai is confused about where this is going, but again, she answers his question.
"Yes. The Jedi would want you to follow The Force, while the Sith would want you to kill the Jedi." Metai watches as Icier's face contorts slightly. He's thinking, she supposes.
"But what if you train me?" Metai had considered that early on. She quickly decided no. She wouldn't bring him over to the Dark Side. He didn't deserve it.
No one deserved it.
"Absolutely not. The Dark Side of The Force is never going to get its clutches into you." Icier tilts his head. "Why not train me in the light then?" She can't help it. Metai bursts into laughter.
"Icier," She says through the laughing. "There is no way a Sith could train you in the light." Icier shakes his head. "But I don't want a Sith to train me. I want you to do it." She gives him a pointed look.
"Icier, I AM a Sith." At that, Icier shakes his head so hard, she thinks it'd fly off if it wasn't attached to him. "No! Sith are evil and mean. You're not either Metai! You're... You're my Mom." The words register in her brain. She heard them, and then understood them. But... She just looks at him. Stares into his eyes. He does the same.
Again, black and red eyes, eyes so horrible and evil, scary to all who stare into them, meet eyes so blue, so inviting and kind. So uncharacteristically warm. Metai takes a deep breath.
"Well..." She says, already knowing she's going to regret this decision. "It is a good thing that we have a blue lightsaber." She watches as her words cause more confusion in Icier's face. She smiles (again, a smile that would make people cower in fear) and watches as his eyes light up. "You'll train me!?" He asks excited. She nods.
"Yes. And your first lesson; lightsaber colors are usually best used by people with the right emotions." A pondering look crosses Icier's face. "A blue lightsaber is given to those that are kind, loyal and trusting. And you, Icier, are far, far too trusting."
Icier pouts. And Metai can finally admit that her son is kind of adorable
(A/N Ok so! I'm gonna probably use some planets of my own making, but when I can, I'll use Canon planets. [Deralia is canon actually] As for the timeline? This can either be hundreds of thousands of years in the past or future of the movies. Or, conversely, the events of the movies never happened/will never happen in this universe. Whatever you want to choose is fine by me.
Also, I have no clue if it's possible to physically TALK with The Force. I know you can sense emotions, but uh, let's just say it's definitely possible to talk with The Force in someone else's head if both people have a connection.
Oh, and we've got one more prologue chapter and we're done with the first little arc. I know this sucks, but it'll get better after that. I promise!)