And so the prolonged stasis began.
It was a peculiar feeling, and Arcann realized that it would take a while before he would get used to it. He was neither asleep nor awake, spending most of his time on the edge between the two states. He closed his eyes, sensing the echoing flow of the force outside this mindscape. He could feel time passing; it was rarely silent. Arcann heard the voices of others, mostly nothing more than a few echoing words or sentences, some he couldn't even distinguish. Those he could were of the Outlander's closest allies, the ones that discussed a future course, brought their concerns, reflected on their past experiences…It was soothing to an extent, seeing others feeling comforted.
But this was not the only presence Arcann felt. There was another. A very distant presence of darkness that did not allow him to rest. A small stain of void that slowly grew in both size and power, always yearning for more. At first, Arcann could tolerate it; he was no stranger to living amidst darkness and void. But then it started to resemble a man…
"Come with me, son."
Arcann could no longer find comfort in dreams. As the dark prince awakened, he was still in the middle of a cold, remote isle. The fires of battle ceased, and the only presence Arcann still felt was Vaylin's. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but perhaps it was enough for her to calm down, at least slightly. The only upside to this purgatory was the indefinite amount of time they had by each other's side, neither being able to expunge the other.
As he followed Vaylin's trail, Arcann saw her on the stone seat that arose at the top of the podium. Surprisingly enough, she didn't pay any attention to Arcann. Vaylin stared into the endless void of the mindscape with clear curiosity in her eyes. After a moment of doubt, Arcann decided to walk up to her.
"I thought you despised 'uncomfortable chairs.'" He said as he made his way to the podium, after which Vaylin finally turned towards him, letting out a demonstratively annoyed sigh.
"I still do, but I thought that you might be tempted to claim anything that looked even remotely like a throne." She chuckled. "You don't think I'm going to allow you that kind of satisfaction, do you?"
"This is no throne…Just a barren reminder of what we lost."
"And here comes the gloomy brooding…Were you always so predictable? Ah, what am I saying, of course, you were." Vaylin looked away while displaying the most glaringly obvious frown she could muster.
"You aren't here just for the seat." Arcann ignored her remarks. "There's something different about this spot. I can feel it…"
"So you haven't entirely lost your touch? Nice to know, I suppose…See anything?" Vaylin said with curiosity as Arcann closed his eyes once again. He could see through the Sith Lord's eyes, and witness the echoes of the journey he undertook.
"I see the Outlander…On a strange world made purely of metal and energy, no signs of life. He battles through the hordes of droids, though they are unlike anything I have ever seen before."
"Incredible, every single thing you said was wrong. Seems like your connection to the Outlander is so weak that you can only see whatever your own mind imagines." She said in a mocking tone.
"Don't lie to me. I am more than capable of distinguishing truth from illusion." Arcann looked towards his sister; this time, his voice sounded far more stern, causing her to back down slightly.
"Did father purposefully raise you to be so boring? Couldn't be that…Otherwise, Thexan would've been the same."
"Leave Thexan out of this!" Arcann snapped with rage, finally taking hold of his voice. "There is much and more I can take, but…"
"What? Are you telling me I can't talk about the brother who was always able to bring a smile to my face? What else can't I do now?" Vaylin crossed her arms.
"He was my brother, too…And I loved him just as much."
"Oh, I am not questioning that. But there is a small difference between us, isn't there…One of us killed him; the other did not."
"I…" Arcann took a deep breath. There was nothing to be gained out of this conversation, nothing but rubbing their old wounds. "I don't want to talk about it."
"I can't say I do, either."
"Let's focus on our task, then…"
"Our task?" Vaylin giggled. "I'm sorry…Was that an implication that we're some sort of team or that we're in this together? Because I've got some bad news for you."
"Enough of this." Arcann cut her off. "Whether you like it or not, we share the same problem of being confined to this place and unable to leave. To not work together would be idiotic."
"And what can you provide that's of any use?"
"Perhaps if you tell me more about what's going on outside, I'll come up with something."
"Hm…" Vaylin pondered for a moment. "There isn't much to tell. I've been looking through Outlander's eyes for a while now…Waiting to catch him in a moment of weakness to take over his body, of course. Today is the first time something actually fun is happening…" Vaylin smiled. "This is Iokath, a metal wasteland I was unfortunate enough to visit when that pile of scrap, SCORPIO, tricked me into it. There was a fun toy there that could blow up planets or something to that effect…I didn't learn too much about it. Apparently, it got destroyed…A pity. But anyway, seems like both the Republic and the Empire send their men here to seize control of what remains. Maybe it's the resources, maybe it's another weapon. Surely, there couldn't have been just one."
"Interesting." Arcann stood by Vaylin's side and tried to attune himself to Outlander's senses. "He should've expected that. Now that the Eternal Empire is gone, it's a perfect time for both the Republic and the Sith to remind the galaxy that they still have power…It's good to see that we were able to wound their pride that much."
"Something we can agree on, at least." Vaylin nodded. "I'm more curious as to how the Outlander will deal with this insolent swine," Vaylin said with disgust. "If that happened while I was in charge, I would've slaughtered every single one of them, made them pay tribute…Oh, and I would've bombarded a couple of worlds into submission just to make the message abundantly clear."
"We already tried that…" Arcann said quietly with a shade of regret in his voice. "Look where it got us."
"Did you really become that utterly weak and pathetic? Must be mother's influence. She ruins everything she touches."
"Unlike some others here, I can acknowledge the mistakes we made with our tactics. They may work in the short term, forcing others to obey out of fear…But they will backfire one day, the day when this fear turns into a blind rage, a desire for vengeance. That's how father treated us, and that's why he isn't here anymore." At least Arcann desperately hoped for it to be the case. "But I don't blame you, sister. I truly don't. I know some things are difficult to accept considering what you've been through…"
"Don't," Vaylin said coldly. "Unless you want me to inhale you again and toss you straight into the abyss afterward."
"Fine, forget I said it." Arcann sighed. "Let's just watch the Outlander. It's about to get quite interesting."
…
Arcann did not miss the tension of seeing such political negotiations unfold. The Outlander was put into a complicated situation, as he was forced to make a choice between two superpowers, both fighting for the super weapon on this mysterious world. Arcann regretted never discovering it while he was the Emperor, but it was too late for Zakuul to claim. He thought back to the time representatives of both the Republic and the Empire kneeled before him in the throne room. They were scared. They were powerless against the power of the eternal fleet, terrified of the unlimited potential of both Arcann and Vaylin. Now, they demanded more as they felt freedom finally reign upon them. Not to mention that Cassian's most trusted advisors hailed from both the Republic and the Empire. They would all have different opinions on this matter. However, his choice was unsurprising.
"We will ally with the Sith Empire."
"A wise choice." Empress Acina's delighted voice echoed from the holoternimal.
"Sith never listen to reason!" Commander Malcolm was far less satisfied. "Dorne, do it!"
"For the Republic!" His loyal soldier was ready to attack at any moment. Arcann watched her escape, covering the retreat with a flash grenade.
"Impressive…" The prince said to himself quietly.
"We will deal with her later!" Cassian took charge of the situation.
"Commander, the Republic forces are launching a full-scale assault on our base!" Acina spoke up as her hologram began to fight away.
"Hold them back with everything you've got; we're coming," Cassian reassured her before turning to his subordinates. "Lana, Quinn, I'll need your aid against the Republic. Theron, Jac, ensure that there aren't any bombs they placed at our base, then rejoin me."
"Yes…You can count on us." Jac nodded, immediately catching Vaylin's attention.
"Ooh…He didn't like that at all." She chuckled. "Serves this self-righteous weakling right, having to work with his sworn enemies."
"He's got a conflict of loyalties on his hands…" Arcann added. "I wonder what choice will he make."
"Maybe he will understand that Sith are simply a more fun company to be in…"
"Jedi rarely change their ways."
"True, but who knows." Vaylin shrugged. "He isn't you, so maybe he is not hopeless."
"Your jabs are getting predictable and repetitive…"
"Good. Now you know the pain of feeling bored by your company." Vaylin giggled, causing Arcann to shake his head in disapproval. His sister was acting like a petulant child sometimes, and he lied if he said it never annoyed him. "To be fair, it would be fun if he chose the Republic…Imagine the shock on the blondie's face."
"Hm…It was always going to be the Empire. From what I've seen of the Outlander, he still maintains loyalty and a degree of patriotism towards his homeland, even though he suffered a lot at the hands of imperials and the Sith…I can understand him; I feel the same about Zakuul."
"Come on, this is too soft even for you!" Vaylin scoffed. "They probably threw a party on the day you died and are still mocking you even after death. I have no doubt they treat me the same…" Vaylin closed her eyes. "The crazy psycho empress…Oh, I can feel them spitting on my grave; they'll never have enough."
"We brought it upon ourselves…"
"Pathetic."
"But we could've redeemed ourselves in their eyes. That's one of the reasons why I returned."
"Don't pretend like you cared about anything except for the eternal chair."
"Believe what you will, but I cared about the people…And I cared about you." Arcann forced himself to say those words, imagining the response that would follow. Vaylin turned towards him and let out a simultaneously amused and almost sadistic laugh.
"I think you got things mixed up, big brother…I am the funny one here, not you."
…
It wasn't long before Iokath turned into a war zone. The Alliance Cassian made with the Empire made Jace Malcolm and his troops the enemy, and Arcann knew that the Chiss Sith Lord was not the one to show mercy to his enemies. It was only a matter of time before the Republic would be crushed, but they acted bolder than Arcann expected. Malcolm decided to take control of the superweapon they found as quickly as possible, allowing himself an opportunity to outdo Cassian and Acina, at least for a while.
As expected, his opponents would not let it slide. Cassian charged forth into the heart of the Republic's base on Iokath in a walker that the Sith Empress provided. He became an unstoppable force, annihilating endless opponents on his path. This intrigued Arcann, but the same couldn't be said for his sister. She looked outright exhausted.
"How boring…"
"Not enjoying yourself?"
"I prefer a hands-on approach, without any stupid machines to make it too quick. Look at this: he crushes them in seconds and probably doesn't even see the result of his work. Where's the fun in that?" Vaylin shook her head in disappointment.
"Powerful weapons like this can be a useful tool when enacting a large-scale assault…And it seems this world is full of them."
"That's true…" Vaylin sighed. "I should've seized control of Iokath and then used whatever the ancients built here to blow up Odessen. Wouldn't have been as satisfying, but at least they all would've been dead. I suppose I made a few mistakes…"
"More than a few…
"None as big as you barging into my palace just to die less than an hour later." Vaylin hissed back at him. Arcann felt the temptation to argue, but it was better to keep away from it for now.
The two of them watched the battle between the Outlander and Jace Malcolm unfold; the Republican commander grew desperate and decided to use the seat to unleash the superweapon. However, the power it emitted consumed him and forced the man into unending pain and suffering; his body was engulfed in flames as he screamed in terror and pain.
"So that's what people mean that they say power corrupts…" Vaylin chuckled. "Now, this is more like it."
"And his son has to see it…" Arcann added, deciding to focus on Theron. The moment the security droids were down, he rushed to a dying Malcolm on the metal floor. He thought about Voss, about how he cowardly ran away instead of remaining to fight along with his mother, who gave his life to defend him…It was his treachery that spared him from seeing Senya die, but Theron Shan wasn't afforded such mercy,
"You were right, son. I'm so…Sorry." Malcolm let out in a quiet, fading voice. "Tell your mother I'm sorry…" Those were the man's last words before he collapsed on the ground, extinguishing his last breath.
"Another one with parental issues…We can't escape them even in death, can we?" Vaylin groaned in annoyance while Arcann continued to watch, thinking what Senya's last words would have been to him. Would she apologize? Would she beg for his forgiveness? She probably would, and it would be undeserved. It was Arcann that failed her, that left her and cast her out of his life many times before. Theron went against his parent, too, but unlike Arcann, this was not his decision to make, and it still pained him. Cassian must have understood the struggle. He was silent, as well.
"You always put the Republic first…I hated you for that." Theron spoke quietly; Arcann could see tears emerge in his eyes. "I hated you for that. But now you're gone, and I couldn't save you…"
"Whatever you need, anything at all, just say a word." The Sith Lord behind him spoke up, once again showing kindness in his voice, just like when he freed Arcann and Vaylin.
"Hm…" Vaylin sounded genuinely puzzled. "It sounds like he wasn't too different from Senya. Didn't care for his son…Maybe pretended to, but never cared." She said with a glimpse of quiet sadness in her voice. Arcann wanted to argue and vehemently deny Vaylin's accusations, to tell Vaylin that their mother never stopped caring for them and would do everything to help them. But then, he remembered the nightmarish halls of the sanitarium he walked that day and decided that it was simply not his place to speak about it, not to her. "But he clearly regrets it…It makes no sense!" Vaylin said with surprising investment in her voice. "This should be a pleasant moment. He played a part in killing his father, who abandoned him and never cared for him?! What a fool…"
"You know, Vaylin, relationships aren't as simple as they sometimes seem to be." Arcann sighed. "There might have been bad blood between them, but they still were father and son; they never forgot each other…And their last words are enough to show it."
"Or maybe it is that simple and Theron is simply a slave to his feelings…You know, like a certain sentimental big brother of mine."
"And what would you call your desire to kill Senya, then? Cold logic? Pragmatic reason? You shouldn't be the one to speak of letting feelings control you."
"Speaking of feelings…How did you feel when your mother died?" Vaylin asked out of the blue, making Arcann freeze and reflexively clench his fist. The dark prince took a deep breath and looked away.
"Listen…I understand there are some subjects that you would rather not talk about. I respect that." He said sternly. "I have some of my own…And you will respect them, too."
…
"Tyth, the God of rage himself…"
Arcann did not expect to see such revelations emerge on the Outlander's path, especially not in the form of a mechanical creature that claimed to be a member of the old Zakuulan pantheon. Valkorion never cared for teaching his children much history, but everyone knew something about the pantheon. Arcann remembered his mother singing him old songs from the times when those gods were still worshipped. The question of what those gods truly were remained open, but there was something important that the creature told Cassian, something that he was quick to note when he finally woke up.
"Someone betrayed me. They lured me into that death trap and sabotaged the throne, just like they tricked us all into fighting a war on Iokath."
"As I expected," Arcann said with confidence. "He attempted to be a dictator, thought that an iron fist would keep the galaxy at bay…But he already has traitors in his midst. Something tells me that his end won't be any different from ours."
"Don't jump to conclusions, brother." Vaylin shook her head. "He will do everything to root out this traitor. They can't be a threat as dangerous as us…Though I have to say, he isn't doing a very good job so far." The woman giggled. "There's one pathological traitor in this room, and he doesn't even know he's there!"
"How do…Ah, of course." Arcann said in a dry and unamused voice.
"Growing tired, are you?" Vaylin smiled. "Well, bad luck, because I am not planning to stop any time soon…You are a traitor, brother. And I will never let you forget that."