Chương 30: THE SANDS OF TATOOINE
"The sound of Tatooine awaits you, apprentice," Baras spoke through the holoterminal with Quinn standing by his Lord and Vette at the sides, as usual, wondering what will come of this task. "I have gained much since our interrogation of the Republic agent here on Dromand Kaas. I am certain Nomen Karr brought his gifted Padawan on Tatooine to train with a legendary Master named Yonlach. Years ago, I urged the Dark Council to hunt down and destroy this Jedi. They refused, and Yonlach went into hiding on Tatooine."
The apprentice was in thought. "As much as I would like to clean up the mistake the council made, what should I do with him once I track him down?"
"It won't be the last time. The Dark Council often lacks foresight. Yonlach is the one who brought the Padawan's powers into expression. Now, they share a special bond. Find him and destroy him."
"What do you hope to achieve by this, Master?"
"Nomen Karr shelters his prize, so we will draw her out by destroying everything she loves."
"Where do you suggest I begin?"
"My servant, Sharack Breeve will guide you – she's eccentric, an acquired taste – but give her the benefit of the doubt."
"As you decree, my Lord." The apprentice bowed. Keeping herself in line.
"That is all." Once the transmission ended, Leena gave out a small sigh as she turned to proceed into her quarters. When the two heard the closing of her door, Quinn proceeded to the bridge while Vette sat down on the couch. She couldn't help but feel worried about her friend like something was going to be wrong on this mission.
Leena appeared to be an even more obedient apprentice like she said before. Fight in a way that even Baras wouldn't notice. Her once grey eyes were slowly turning yellow, she was giving in to the corruption and at the same time, there's still good in her – a kind of conflict. She didn't pretend to understand how Sith do their work, all she knew was that Leena wanted revenge for herself and for her late husband.
The apprentice sat down on her bed, closing her eyes as she could feel the Force through the souls on Tatooine. There was this disturbance, she felt a dragon roaring through space from the planet. During their travel from Nar Shaddaa, Vette would tell her that children on Tatooine would tell stories of the dragons that live inside the planet's twin suns. Those that power everything from starships to pod racers, but what Leena felt was a different kind of dragon.
A ghost that would come back to haunt her from this forgotten past. The very same dragon that still sleeps inside of her.
Leena's eyes opened, turning her yellow glance to the holocrons resting on the table. One of Sith, the other of Jedi.
She didn't dare touch the Jedi Holocron after one attempt. Because calmness and serenity will not grant her the justice she craved for. Her mother advised her to overcome fear and face it – but as the apprentice and as her daughter, Leena didn't know-how. Things are changing – and she knows she can't stop the change, much like what Zabro told her. She wasn't strong enough to stand on her own two feet and walk through the path she wanted – instead, she allowed Baras to pull her strings.
Leaving 2V again on the ship, Quinn didn't like the blazing heat of Tatooine – it was one thing that he and Vette could agree on. Leena wore her black armor and her helmet, making the Twi'lek wonder if her friend wanted to become a portable oven. "The harsh sands of Tatooine welcome you, I am Sharack Breev. Our Lord and master Darth Baras bid me impart my knowledge of this planet and help you track down the Jedi Master Yonlach."
"It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." Greeted the apprentice.
"I will be your compass." Said Sharack. "You will find Master Yonlach by tracing the path the Padawan and her Master took. I can tell you where they started. I followed them to the forbidden lair of the ancient sand demon, a terrible beast. The Padawan left her weapon and entered alone. Impossibly, she returned unscathed."
"Maybe the demon was not in the lair," the apprentice assumed. "Then again, she brought the Force. And it is a powerful weapon."
"I have witnessed the power of the Force, but this goes beyond wonder. The sand demon is the fiercest creature on this planet. You don't just walk into its lair and return without a scratch. I investigated further. The beast was there, also undamaged—and what's most perplexing, its skin was glistening."
"Somehow, she avoided fighting the demon. How interesting." With those words, she caught the full attention of her captain. The apprentice was slowly becoming invested and curious about this troublesome Padawan, Baras is afraid of this one Padawan who can crumble his whole operational spy-network. Perhaps this Jaesa Willsaam could be of use to her.
"That appears to be the only conclusion." Sharack nodded in agreement. "What happened in that cave is a mystery, as it where the Padawan and her master went afterward. There is one man on Tatooine who might be able to explain. Izzeebowe Jeef. He's as old as the sand. Part mad man, part soothsayer."
"Better not be a waste of time." The apprentice sighed. "Tell me more about this… man."
"They say the planet talks to him. He predicts the sandstorms and directs search parties for lost children. It will not be easy to speak with Jeef. The small farming settlement where he lives is overrun by Exchange thugs. The Exchange hates the Empire for running them out of Mos Ila. They will allow me to pass, but they'll attack you on sight."
"Thank you for looking out for me, but they won't see me coming until it's too late."
"Then I will meet you at Izzeebowe Jeef's hut." The Sith agreed as she and her two companions proceeded on looking for an inn. Naturally, only an idiot would say no to a Sith if they knew what's good for them.
When she asked for three rooms, Vette slowly began to notice how often the apprentice wanted to be alone, especially during the evenings. That evening was no exception. The Twi'lek would proceed on her loud chatter during supper with Leena carefully listening to her tales in silence and with a smile upon her lips. Quinn also remained silent and didn't pay any attention at all.
The sands of Tatooine weren't exactly kind, Leena didn't know what was worse – the coldness of the rainy atmosphere of Dromand Kaas or the blazing heat of Tatooine.
'Come walk with me, Leena.' The apprentice shut her eyes, laying down on the bed with her heart pounding rapidly as she would remember those small moments with her late husband. Its what death is: forgetting or being forgotten. If it weren't for him, she would probably have thrown herself out of the highest point of her own balcony.
'You have touched the Force.' She remembered their conversation on that first stroll. 'Tell me of its absence.'
Arrun described it as standing on top of a summit of a great mountain, with the winds tearing about you and finding yourself buried alive. Feeling trapped, helpless and even alone. It is knowing what to say but never finding the words. A kind of chorus in a song that's replaced with silence, hearing teachings and knowledge without any meaning at all. He's a knowledgeable Sith who hasn't fully communed with the dark side of the Force but has also communed with the light.
With everything that happened between them – he still left her in such a cruel matter. There is no death, there is only the Force and it has a plan.
There will always be a price to peace as much as there is a price to vengeance.
As the apprentice drifted to sleep, there was always this heavy burden of guilt and sadness causing her to twist and turn. It went on for months since Lord Zaine died. Voices – the noise in her head would take advantage of her uneasy feeling, her overwhelming emotion.
She stood in the middle of the darkness, she would turn around and find nothing but the void. She took a couple of steps forward. For the apprentice, it felt like hours as she continued to find nothing.
'Peace is a lie.' She heard a familiar voice. The voice of her mother. 'There is only passion.'
Zylas stood there with her hands gently folded in front of her. She looked younger in comparison to the image that was always projected through the Holocron. Her black hair was neatly fixed and her robes were red of the Alderannian noble attire along with the sash. Her grey eyes reflected sadness at the same time, regret.
'Through passion, I gain strength.' Tremel stood there sternly. Holding the practice sabers he gave her during her first few years of training. From that look in his eyes, she knew that he was telling her to push forward. Something he always reminded her when she was young, she was meant to be someone – the Sith that everyone expected her to be.
'Through strength, I gain power'. The voice changed, finding Arrun standing in front of her with those same corrupted eyes. Her late husband wore the armor he would use when sent off-world, proceeding with missions and tasks for his mother and Master. He was her friend, her partner, and lover – and there he stood in the void as she tried to reach out to him. In hopes that she could feel his warmth one last time. Unlike her mother, his eyes spoke of disappointment and sorrow.
'Through power, victory.' She turned around again to find Darth Occlus standing there with her double-bladed lightsaber at hand. 'Through victory, my chains are broken.' A member of the Dark Council who rarely spoke to her at the same time claimed close relations with her mother Zylas. Occlus gripped onto the lightsaber tightly as she slowly removed her helmet – revealing an equally old woman with black hair and white strands, wrinkles on her face and eyes that shouted anger and vengeance. The true power of the Sith stood by her. She wielded it. She claimed it.
Leena turned her eyes to find herself, with the corrupted eyes of a Sith as the reflection held her lightsaber right through her. 'The Force shall set me free.' The reflection stated. The apprentice could feel the rage inside of her, the center core of hatred, anger, and vengeance.
She opened her eyes to find herself under a familiar ceiling. Her heart continued to beat rapidly and loudly. She could also hear the loud banging on her door. "Leena? Hey! This isn't funny! Open up!"
Vette's voice rang through the door, following with a couple of loud bangs. The apprentice sighed deeply, having to stand up from her bed wearing her robes, she opened the door.
"Wow, you look like a mess."
Leena blinked a few times. Even Quinn was shocked to find his Lord looking such a wreck, as he stood behind Vette. "A girl doesn't always have to look like a princess while sleeping, Vette."
"Okay, that's new." The Twi'lek cracked a smile. "We got breakfast for you. Quinn managed to find that tea you liked so much. You sure you want to do this? I mean… you can always rest for another day—"
"We're still going. Captain, Vette has my measurements – please get me some set of clothes in the local market. I can't stand this blazing heat." Leena said sternly as she turned her back on the Twi'lek and proceeded beck inside of her room. With the doors closing in front of her, Vette couldn't help but worry even more. The apprentice seemed to be losing more life as the months pass by, killing parts of herself until her heart becomes blind and deaf.
Quinn would observe the Twi'lek as she felt down by the Sith's rather cold response. He serves her and so, he did as he was told.
Under the heat, the Captain proceeded to the market buying some light clothing for his Master. Vette gave on exact measurements when the Sith commissioned armor back on Dromand Kaas. With the number of credits Leena had on her disposal, it wouldn't be so shocking that she would get the finest thing on the shelf.
After her breakfast, Quinn announced himself as he arrived into her chambers. He bowed before he could even look at her. Her eyes were even more lifeless than earlier as if life was literally slipping away from her body. The Captain placed the new set of clothing beside her, but she didn't say a single word – she didn't even acknowledge him when he entered.
Quinn wanted to buy something lighter colored so that the clothes would not infest on the heatwaves of the planet. As much as Vette would want him to buy what he thought was best, the Twi'lek gave in and told him to buy something black, to match the Sith's helmet. He didn't quite get the logic but he did it anyway.
He had his distance, waiting for his Lord's command.
But she said nothing and sighed once more. He knew that she had something troubling her mind, but it wasn't his place to ask a question.
"Are you going to say something clever, Captain?" The question rather caught him off guard. "Come on. Say something clever."
"Ah." Was all Quinn managed to say before he finally had the courage to speak up? "My Lord, I have been working on something in my spare time. You may be interested."
"Go ahead." She did tell him to say something interesting.
"Years ago, I was zeroing in on a notorious SIS agent called Voloren when Moff Broysc recalled me to the Battle of Druckenwell. I had the spy cornered. I briefed Broysc so that he could send someone else to take Voloren out. He ignored the opportunity."
"This sounds like a personal vendetta, Captain."
"I'll admit." Said the captain. "Knowing how close I was to ending his career made languishing on Balmorra even more frustrating. But I take this on only for the good of the Empire. This spy has caused immeasurable losses. I know Voloren's signature, and by tracking his accomplishments, I've picked up his scent."
"Well now, that is interesting, Captain." The Sith managed to muster a smile. Her eyes seemed to have glittered with curiosity as well as amusement. "It is imperative that you track him down once our task on Tatooine is complete."
"Very good my Lord. I'll keep you abreast of my progress. And if I may speak out of… work—"
"You have my permission." The Lord nodded as her glance landed on the clothing Quinn picked out for her.
The Captain cleared his throat. He couldn't help but have the need to watch over her, much like Vette. "You are my general, I shall back you up. But my Lord, I would like to advise you to look after your personal health. It has come to my attention that you haven't slept well in months."
The apprentice cracked a smile as she turned her attention back to him. "Is it that obvious?"
The Captain nodded. "You will become Lord Leena Sern of the Sith Empire, for your sake and the crew – you must be our strength to victory."
"As both of you are mine."
Quinn smiled in return. He had no regrets about serving her. "Very good, my Lord."
That afternoon, the three of them managed to arrive on the Hut in the middle of the desert. Leena proceeded to hate the sand as much as she hated mud. Her clothing was as light as Vette's, Quinn was rather stubborn on keeping his Imperial Uniform in check – after all, this was still the Empire business.
Killing the thugs in the area was rather a child's play, even for the apprentice herself.
When they went inside, Jeef immediately spoke. "The world is weeping. And the tears evaporating in the heat of our sins."
"I think you mean from the heat of our suns, Izzeebowe." Sharack corrected the old man.
"No child. There is a dark presence newly arrived on Tatooine."
"Ah Sith, you made it. The hostiles outside were no match for you, I see."
Leena crossed her arms, even with the heat – she persisted with the helmet. "They tried to stop me, and they failed."
"Failure can be contagious." The old man spoke as he stood in front of her. "And Hard to dispel once contracted. You are the seeker Sharack spoke of. You wish to understand the Jedi's purpose in the lair of the sand demon?"
"You see it correctly."
"My eyes may be aged and fading, but my mind sees." Vette and Quinn managed to exchange glances at each other. Not truly understanding what's going on in the old man's mind.
"Please, Izzeebowe, make haste. Tell my friends what you know. I will remain here after to hear your wisdom." Sharack seemed to want this done and over with as the Sith does.
Jeef sighed. "Fine. Gather close. Few are aware that Tatooine was once a place of positive Force energy. Jedi made pilgrimages here to renew and purify. The sands speak of a ritual called the Demon's Blood. This is likely what the Jedi that Sharack witnessed was engaged in."
"Explain this ritual." It piqued the Sith's curiosity.
"The Demon's blood: A Jedi seeking enlightenment would cover himself in fresh sand demon blood and enter the village of the savage ones. Cowering before the demon slayer, the savage ones would reveal the path to self-discovery and to that which the slayer seeks."
"But according to Sharack, the Padawan did not slay the beast."
"Then there must be another way to bathe in the beast's blood, but you will have to discover that yourself. If you care to. To know where this Jedi girl went, you will have to perform the ritual yourself, and then see if the savage one speaks."
"Then I appreciate your help and insights." The Sith bowed in thanks.
"Step lightly on my desert. It has been through so much in its life."
"Here are the coordinates you will need." Sharack took out her datapad and proceeded her transfer. Quinn nodded as he received it immediately. "After you face the sand demon, I will meet you at the Sand People compound. This journey might take you a couple of days. If the legend is true, and the Sand People have something to offer you, I wish to see it with my own eyes."
"Does this mean we're going camping?" Vette asked the question.
"Quinn, give me an estimation."
"Three days and two nights on our fastest pace, my Lord."
"Have you figured out what you hate more, Leena?" Vette grinned as she crossed her arms.
The Sith sighed. "I'm starting to hate sand."
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực