-Darin-
I walked into Grand Master Sorsee's office again. I was getting really tired of this.
Grand Master Sorsee was seated, a solemn expression on his face.
"Please, sit," he said.
I sat, trying to anticipate what was going on. He looked at his hands awkwardly and said "I don't know if you know this, but Grand Masters Margos, Flick, and Tun were deployed on a diplomatic mission to Ryloth. On the ride there, they were ambushed by an Alliance vessel. They all died." He looked at me, hoping to get a reaction from me.
"That's horrible," I said, refusing to break my emotionless facade. Truthfully, I wasn't sure what the point of this meeting was. Sure, I knew them, but I wasn't close to any of them.
"Indeed it is. Due to the gravity of the situation and the immediate need for replacements, I was chosen to take over all of their previous roles."
Now the pieces were falling into place.
"The real reason that I called you here is to right a mistake by Grand Master Flick."
Oh, kriff.
"There are specific rules that are in place for specific reasons, and he completely disregarded them when he assigned your padawan to you. Your padawan has been reassigned-"
"NO!" I yelled, standing suddenly, discarding the facade completely. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"
He was clearly surprised by the sudden outburst, but quickly regained his composure and said "You didn't let me finish. I understand that you took an oath, swore to protect and train her. And I understand that a friendship grows between master and apprentice. I also understand that she is familiar with you, has become comfortable around you, and a sudden separation could derail her progress. But rules must be followed. I have assigned her to become the apprentice of General Joren. He is your former master, has more experience, and is more than capable. It will also allow you to help work with her, and for her to become more comfortable. You will still see each other."
I was seething, but Sorsee seemed to put a lot of effort into trying to follow the rules and appease all sides. I asked "When will she transfer?"
"She's already been transferred. All of her belongings are on his ship, and she is as well. She knows what happened and didn't put up a fight at all. You trained her well."
I wanted to punch him, but I resisted the urge. "Thank you Grand Master," I said through gritted teeth before leaving the room.
Immediately after leaving, I dashed to my room. What he said couldn't be true. She wasn't gone. I woke up early today and went to Bebo's arena to work with the guys. They couldn't just clear all of her stuff in a few hours.
I unlocked the door and dashed inside. Instantly, I could tell something was wrong. I sprinted into the bedroom and found… nothing. I frantically searched the drawers, closet, even under the bed. Nothing. Nothing in the bathroom either. I scoured the entire place. Not a single trace of her was there. It was as if she had never lived here.
-0000-
Sylvia walked into Lord Terrias' throne room with a satisfied grin on her face.
"I have succeeded, my Lord," she exclaimed, relishing the sweet taste of victory.
Lord Terrias got up and opened the back door, holding it open for Sylvia as she went inside. He then led her to a room with a massive holoprojector in the middle. Darth Grellan was being displayed on the projector, and next to the hologram stood Lysis and Charybdis, his massive battle-axe leaning on the wall next to him. She took a seat by the holoprojector and kicked her feet up as Lord Terrias took a spot where everybody could see him.
"Alright everybody. I called you here earlier because Sylvia messaged me with news. Sylvia, if you please."
"I spent the night drinking with Than and some other Seyley. Never caught his name. He was piss drunk towards the end, and I was able to glean some information from his mind. I couldn't get much since he was rather suspicious and you trained him a little too well," she nodded at Darth Grellan before continuing, "but I did get that he was paranoid and was doubting you and you." When she said 'you' she pointed at Lysis and Lord Terrias, respectively. "He also thinks that the Alliance is a sham and has information that can potentially tear the Seyley apart by telling them."
The room was silent as the weight of her words hit them all.
"I… I can't believe it" said Grellan. "I never would have guessed…"
"It appears that your visions have come true," said Charybdis.
Terrias nodded. He had told these four about all the visions he had had that pertained to Than Valum.
Well, not his visions. The visions his Master had told him he had been having. The visions he was very particularly told to share as his own visions. And to follow the plans and actions laid out exactly as his Master ordered. Because when Master Nerosi gave you orders and steps to follow, you did them to the letter.
"Then our course of action is clear," Terrias said, and all eyes turned to him.
"How so?" asked Darth Grellan.
"The way I see it, the Junel and Seyley are very similar in what role they play in the Alliance, and this has caused plenty of skirmishes. And now, the Seyley are no longer safe. Who knows how many Than has told. They must be replaced by the Junel."
A ripple of unease spread through the room, and Charybdis asked "What of the Vindicator?"
"He has served well, and become a dear friend to Grellan, Lysis, and myself, but our emotions do not matter here. He must be eliminated."
"I can do that," growled Charybdis. "Save you from being put in that kind of position."
"Sylvia will assist you." Charybdis was going to argue, but Lord Terrias quickly said "I don't doubt you. You have done well. But I want this to be done quickly and cleanly. I want to be sure. Than Valum has proven himself to be quite capable of surviving the impossible."
"We cannot just kill him. He is the Vindicator. He could easily become a martyr, a figurehead of rebellion," Lysis said slowly.
"So what's the plan?" asked Charybdis.
"Treason," Terrias said. "We kill him for treason. If he's found socializing with traitors, us killing him would be the expected outcome. But it must be done in a secluded village, a village that can be slaughtered for treachery without anybody batting an eye. One very few would know about, and even less would question. And it must be done before the exchange of power. The Seyley are very honour bound, and are a very tight knit group. If one is called a traitor, the family suffers. That's how they think. Now, if somebody like the Vindicator is a traitor, then by their logic it can be explained as understandable why they are getting demoted. The Vindicator is a hero for them, the title being the highest accolade one can get. He represents them. In this way, his fall will lead to minimal resistance from the Seyley as a whole."
"Minimal? As in there will still be some?" asked Darth Grellan.
"Yes. They are a very proud race. For some, a demotion will be disgraceful and insulting, and they would rather die than suffer that sort of injustice. But those individuals will be in the minority. Charybdis, is your mission completed?"
"Perfectly. Both Jedi tasted my axe."
Lord Terrias' eye twitched as he slowly turned to Charybdis. Slowly, he asked "Both?"
"Yes sir. A Kaminoan and a Mon Cala. No other life forms were on the ship."
Lysis fought back a smile. Lord Terrias's mysterious informant had promised three Jedi would be on the ship.
Terrias took a pause before saying "Alright then. We have one more issue to deal with. This Jedi that's riled up so many of the Seyley, this Wort, I want him eliminated. His very presence created the rumors from those Seyley on Noreno, and we are now forced to eliminate them for attempting to destabilize the Alliance. As long as he is alive, we won't be able to trust fully in the Seyley. Now, an informant has provided me with a report on the Jedi. Notably, he is prone to creating attachments, and his padawan has been reassigned recently."
"Perfect. So we use her to lure him to us," said Charybdis.
"Sylvia will handle it," Lord Terrias said. "She is the most qualified for the job, and excels at psychological manipulation."
"Sounds good. When is this going into action?" asked Grellan.
"Immediately."