Chapter 23: Life Goes On.
Malekith sat down at his desk, gently. Schematics, blueprints and data pads were scattered across the Wroshyr wood, in the center lying a journal pad. It had been where he'd stored his log for the longest time, now it remained a symbol of his thoughts.
At the corners of his desk, pictures were placed with care, remaining the only non-molested piece of space in the clutter. Pictures of his family, of when he'd first adopted René, his wedding day. He smiled at them, then returned his attention to the massive windows overlooking Kaas city.
He hated it. He hadn't realized how…terrible he would handle city life, but it was unnatural to him. The highrises held little beauty to him, even less with the weight of bad memories. Shaking his head, he turned down to the data pad once more, and began to write.
'The banking clan is applying pressure on the republic to create a free trade zone in the outer rim, the economic potential of the area apparently became more alluring to the financial powerhouses the citizens of the Republic are beholden to. The trade zone will go through, knowing the Muun as I do, it will be interesting to see how this develops.
I've suggested to my allies that further investment-'
He wanted the continue to write, but words didn't come to him like they used to. Plans weren't forming in his head in the endless fashion, and his mind permanently remained distracted.
His wife was currently in the medical facilities on Kamino, the cloners were currently working on a way to revive her critical state, as right now she would just die should they remove her from her carbonite prison. Malekith had stayed on the planet for four years, morning a woman that technically still lived, yet he could not touch.
His trial was the thing that had finally dragged him away from his planet.
Mandalore, the planet, was uninhabitable. The Jedi hadn't known what he did, so it had fallen to the republic to theorize what he had done to the world. The crust had been cracked and the lithosphere had been raised to the surface, the only option to the republic was experimental weaponry. The actual casualty number had been in the 10's of thousands, as Malekith had let the world evacuate, their pain meaning more to him than their death, so the republic had settled on a compromise. He would not be punished for stopping the war, especially with so few casualties, but he would not be rewarded either.
Funnily enough, his most ardent defenders had been the Mandalorians themselves. He had defeated them, fairly, with his own might, there were no illusions in their mind as to *how* and *why*. His very name had caused a civil war within the people, between those that wanted him dead at all costs and those who accepted that he could have done so *so* much worse.
Malekith, was discontent. The deaths he'd caused were one thing, the desolation of a planet another, but the thing that truly bothered him was the *rage*. Fae Coven and Bane alike had confessed that they had felt it, his scream, from opposite ends of the galaxy. His mind had fractured, something he had thought not possible. His faculties had been completely removed and he had been reduced to a prime directive just demanding that he destroy, he would have made his masters at the academy truly proud.
"They'd be proud, then they would proceed to fucking end me.", he said aloud, smirking to himself.
Then his office buzzer rang, +Sir, one… lord Dessel is here to see you sir.+
"…Send him in…"
Close to a minute later, a hooded man entered his office, sitting in the chair across from him wordlessly.
"Hello, *Dessel*. I thought you left that name on Apatros."
Bane remained silent, for a precious moment. "You know? Not a soul alive today knows that fact other than us two. I always did hate conversations with you after Ruusan."
"I imagine. What can I do for you?"
Bane lifted his hood, revealing a body covered by countless thousands of oval shaped, chitinous parasites.
"Ah. Orbelisks."
"That quick, huh?", Bane seemed to reminisce for a moment, memories of a different time coming to the surface.
"Yeah, not fun, they were used to protect tombs by some of the more…whimsical Sith in the past."
"I want them off."
"Absolutely not."
"…why?"
Bane knew better than to be angry with him. He had been around Malekith as the Curator long enough to be used to his special brand of irritating.
"I know what you're about to offer in exchange."
That made Bane…pause.
"Not even to bring her back?"
"She's not gone.", Malekith responded almost reflexively.
"You truly believe that? I didn't know you for weakness-ah-"
Bane suddenly couldn't move. Pressure increased around him nearly unbearably.
"Don't mistake my loyalty to my wife's wishes with her mind and body for weakness…Bane.", Malekith dictated, releasing the pressure.
"How's Rain?"
Bane just shook his head at that particular reveal, as he knew Zannah had told no one that name.
"Powerful."
"Enough?"
"…that remains to be seen."
Malekith studied the man, pressing the button to call for Tea.
"She's in the Atraxium right now. I can feel her near the observatory."
"I figured you could. Are you going to stop her?", Bane was desperate, though calling him that felt…incorrect, even if he didn't show it. This was a gamble he had not been inclined to take.
"You tried the Jedi first?", Malekith looking at the small nod from the man and grinning.
In another world, Zannah had found what they needed at the Jedi temple. Malekith had made sure that wasn't an option.
"We have biochip scanners.", that actually seemed to shock Bane.
"So everyone in the Atraxium knows she's there."
"Yes."
"I don't suppose you'll forget this?"
"No."
Bane, the man himself now realizing as well, had foolishly assumed Zannah could handle anything in the Atraxium fine, Bane himself only recognizing Malekith as a threat.
"Still my better, even after two decades."
"I will never not be, Lord Bane."
"I'll hold you to that."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone