Chương 18: EVEN STARS BURN OUT
When Leena and Vette came back to the citadel that evening, the apprentice instructed her friend to stay outside as they both heard the master's scream when the door opened. "I CANNOT BREAK HIM!"
From the mere sound of it, the master wasn't all pleased as Leena entered his chambers. "Nice lungs you got there." The apprentice complimented.
"Mind your tongue or I will cut it out!" With that response, she confirmed that he's already too angry to even make a joke around. "This is impossible. An unknown power must be shielding this man! Which only confirms my suspicions! This republic agent is the key to unlocking the threat we face. I must harness my rage and frustration. They will lead me to an answer."
"Wake me when you figure it out."
"Your insolence will one day be your undoing, Sern. I would punish you if I wasn't so pleased with your progress." The master was honest with the apprentice. "The word has spread that Lord Grathan is incensed at the slaying of his secret son. I take it that was your handwork."
"I did as I was told, Master."
"My confidence in you is growing," the Darth praised. "I haven't heard from Dri'kill Ba'al. My agent in Grathan's camp. He's missed a scheduled communication. Let me guess, he gave you trouble, did he?"
"He gave me no trouble at all." The sarcasm was strong in this one.
Baras laughed. "Ha! I can sense the truth behind your words, apprentice. Ba'al can be replaced. Now back to my prisoner. There's one last possibility to break him. I thought it impossible, but perhaps there's a small chance you could pull it off. Because of your performance, I will be sending you more missions these next coming months – we'll squeeze them all into a span of weeks. The longer this goes, the more that my spy network will crumble."
Leena could sense dark intentions with her Master. She was slowly unraveling her Force abilities, and see pass what she has learned and will learn more in the future. "Over a millennium past, the Emperor claimed Dromand Kaas and made the Dark Temple in the epicenter of the dark Force energy. In the bowels of the temple, he conducted horrifying experiments that drained the knowledge and life essence from the greatest Sith Lords of the time."
"He destroyed his own Lords?" Leena questioned.
"They existed to serve their master – and that they did." Baras was slowly giving history lessons to his apprentice. "He siphoned them to make himself immortal and all-knowing. The Emperor created a device called "the Ravage" that ate his victims' minds and delivered to him their greatest secrets. No one could withstand the Revager's intrusion—even the strongest Sith Lords of the Empire confessed whatever the Emperor craved."
"Where can the Ravager be found?" Leena took an interest in learning this. Of course, it would be difficult if it was in the tomb, and she doubts that it was only Baras who has an eye on this artifact.
"The Emperor keeps the Ravager hidden in the Dark Temple, which has, in his absence, become a death trap. There's a good chance the horrors that await you will be too severe. But it's worth your life to me." He was willing to kill her off for such a thing. She knew she was replaceable. "The legends describe the secret chamber in the depths of the Dark Temple where the Ravager was encased. You'll know the device by its inscription. Be swift apprentice."
"Give me three days."
Baras nodded, but he didn't dismiss the girl just yet. "About your engagement with Lord Zaine."
Leena didn't want to guess where this conversation would be going. The apprentice had eye contact with Baras even behind that mask of his. He wouldn't let her go, she knew that much – spending years training her and molding her to be the weapon he needed, marrying her off was not an option for now.
"I'm turning twenty-five in a few months, Master. I don't think marriage is not out of the question for women my age."
"No, it is not," Baras spoke calmly in front of the Republic agent. Not caring about what he hears, he later guided the girl to his chambers. Having this conversation be in private and see what her plans would be in the future. Occlus was a woman who has always stood in his way, much like Zylas. "Do you know, why I chose you over Vemrin all those years ago?"
"Because I am strong with the Force. It was simple." It was the only reason he chose her over him. It was a simple decision, he said – it made Vemrin furious and pushed him to make the decision; kill her and become the apprentice he was trained to be for Baras.
"I will not stop you from marrying Lord Zaine."
Leena's eyes widen, shocked at the words of her Master. No plans, no punishments, no motives. Nothing at all. "You… won't stop me, Master?"
"When I first found you, you were an acolyte with a strong potential to be a Sith and I took you in. I gave you a future. Naturally, you know very well where your loyalties lie, apprentice. I will spare him for you, but not at the expense of you."
"Yes, Master." She bowed. It was all good to be true, some sort of comforting illusion.
Baras sat down, looking at the woman in front of him. He smiled. "If it pleases you, I will make sure that your wedding preparations are met by tomorrow."
"Some elaboration is required, Master." She became even more confused at his statement. He wants something, and she didn't know what he wanted – that scared her the most.
Being Sith has always dangerous, the whole galaxy knew that. But no one knew it better than the children who were forced to embrace the dark side. They learned how to love their chains until they become the Master themselves.
Sometimes there isn't a way out.
Leena didn't feel like going out that night, nor did she even remember to contact Arrun that she wouldn't be becoming. The worry inside of her mind, she couldn't shake it out especially when she felt the smile creeping behind that mask of his. Knowing her Master, there were wheels spinning in his head. She had to know and at the same time, she didn't.
She stayed in her chambers, while Vette remained outside cleaning her blaster. She wasn't Sith but, she could feel Leena's troublesome vibe from the living room alone. It was as if they were connected in some way that even the Force couldn't explain.
The doors of Leena's chambers opened; she didn't even bother turning around. She knew who came in. "Baras is persistent on having the wedding tomorrow, I'm assuming that this is your doing?"
"He wants something," Leena said, still in deep thought. "I need to know what he wants."
"Dark Lords are always planning something," Arrun spoke softly as he wrapped his arms around her waist when he sat down on the bed. "He can't kill both of us."
"If he kills you, he would be declaring war on Darth Occlus. Quarrels like that make the Dark Council restless. If he kills me, he won't have his weapon."
"Exactly." He kissed the top of her head with a small smile. "He won't move his pieces… not yet. He has plans for you."
"And he has plans for you." Arrun could feel her worry. Possibly, his mother was right. He's digging up his grave by being too involved with her. But the heart wants what the heart wants and he believes, that the Force gave this to him for a reason. "You feed my passion, Leena Sern. If you could see what I see, you outshine all the stars in the galaxy."
She smiled, placing her hand onto hers – having her eyes met his. "But even stars burn out."
"As long as I walk across this galaxy, you will never burn out."
"Will Darth Occlus attend?" Leena asked, wondering what she would think about this whole arrangement. Surely, even a woman like her would sense something wrong about this. Perhaps the apprentice couldn't simply believe in it because of all the horrible things he did to her.
"Mother is off-world. She had to personally deal with a Jedi that has been foiling her plans for some time now. I offered her assistance but, she said that the groom shouldn't be absent from his own wedding." With his arms still around her, he felt at peace and yet the bride felt the troubles of the galaxy from the Force.
"Shouldn't we wait?" Leena asked with concern. "I feel a disturbance in the Force."
"I don't think your Master would even take no for an answer, Leena. For my mother and him to agree, terms must have been agreed on. Rest… you deserve it." Kissing her forehead once more, the Sith Lord left his bride's chambers.
The apprentice was happy that she was given the chance and the approval to marry him, but something was wrong – and the Force even screamed about it from the stars across the galaxy. If Baras kills him, he would be declaring war on Darth Occlus – foolish move on a Dark Lord like her. And if Baras kills her, it would take him years to find another force-user with strength such as hers.
That morning, Leena took a deep breath and opened the Holocron, revealing her mother.
"Troubled already, child?"
"Baras seems to have approved my engagement with a Sith Lord, Darth Occlus's adopted son."
Zylas was in thought. "Occlus has always sneered at Baras for years, even when I was alive. Both of them have one thing in common, self-made Dark Lords with so many songs to sing. I've known them both a long, long time ago – and Baras learned something from when I challenged him to duel. He learned that he will never win, not in this game because it's my rules. He won't be foolish enough to go against Occlus even in death, he won't be fighting her, he's going to play her."
"Do you know what he wants?"
"Everything." Zylas had a simple and blunt answer for her daughter. "Everything there is. Is there someone in your service who you trust completely?"
"Yes." Leena didn't have any problem or hesitation with the answer. The only person she could trust would be Vette.
"The wiser answer is no, Leena. Distrusting Baras is the wisest thing you've done since he laid his eyes on your back on Korriban."
"You must despise him so much if you trusted Darth Occlus to undermine him."
Zylas smirked. "Perhaps I do. A man like him has only loyalty for himself."
"And who would you have me be loyal to?" Leena asked, wondering if there was a side to choose from all of this chaos.
"The Emperor. Always for the Emperor, Leena… a man with no motive is a man no one suspects. Try and keep your enemies confused, if they don't know who you really are or what you want – they will never know what you are going to do next."
"And what is the Empire to you, mother?"
"The Empire is the millions or even billions of corpses of Emperor Vitiate's enemies. A story we all agreed to tell each other over and over until we forget that it's a lie. When you play the game you have to assume the worst about your enemies. What's the worst reason could they possibly have? To say what they say, and do what they do – and ask yourself: how well does that reason explain… for their actions?"
Leena didn't say a word or ask any more questions. When the Holocron closed, the apprentice took out the holoprojector she got from Lady Grathan. Opening it to find a projection of her family – her mother, her father, her two brothers, her and baby Azal.
She would be married that evening, to a man who loves her, have a family with her – perhaps she would trust Baras's words and marry the Sith Lord. But at the same time, she took Zylas's words into consideration.
What is the worst thing Baras would do to her after all of this?
Leena was being prepared for the celebration, servants attending to her by the command of her Master, Darth Baras. The celebration wasn't all grand, it was rather simple and only a few people were around – mostly the acolytes and apprentices of Darth Occlus, for the Dark Lord herself was off-world at the time.
Leena's long white hair gently brushed and elegantly styled with a couple of ornaments attached. Accompanied with a simple white v-neck gown and slit-long sleeves, one could say that she's truly a white bride – but despite the idea of marrying the man she loves, the lingering thought of Baras's approval haunted her mind and soul.
She couldn't even give a genuine smile as she stood in front of her guest and her groom. "In all of the galaxy, there is no greater force than true love. Love sustains, nourishes, and protects. Without love, the galaxy would be cold and empty. Your bond lends fire to the stars dissolving the darkness. Do you take this man as your husband, to cherish for the rest of your days?"
Leena tried to muster her best smile, as she releases the words I do. Then the droid turned to the Sith Lord, "Do you take this woman as your wife, to honor in word and deed?"
"I do." Answered the Sith Lord.
"May your love transcend time, distance and all borders between." Arrun smiled, placing his hands onto her cheeks with his lips meeting hers. Applause from the small audience was given to them, although the bride was happy there was still the feeling of uncertainty deep down inside of her.
Even the servants of Baras seemed happy when the apprentice wed, but the happiness devoured by the sound of a bomb going off. Killing servants who served Baras and Occlus both. Blasters began to fire towards anyone, apprentices drew out their lightsabers to defend themselves and acolytes were being slaughtered by the firepower of a typical slave revolt in Dromand Kaas.
Vette did her best to hold off on her own, and fire at the slaves who dared to disturb the wedding. Baras on the other hand –did nothing. Leena saw him stand by the sides, feeling that smile from behind that metallic mask of his. Arrun was holding out his lightsaber, taking down every fire to defend his wife. But even the blaster fires were too much for him, but the one that delivered the final kill was the force lighting that struck him down.
Leena's eyes widened as she watched Arrun fall down on the ground. The apprentice rushed to him, looking into his eyes and he looked at her. With little life he had left – he mustered a smile, it was a pity but he knew what the Force wanted him to do and he fulfilled it with a terrible price.
"You said he could live." Leena turned to Baras. With eyes of hate, he couldn't help but smile. He needed those eyes, that look on her face.
"I said I will spare him for you, but not at the expense of you. Even if he had lived, what life could you have with him?" Baras asked as he walked towards his apprentice, Vette stood by the side, being surrounded by slaves under Baras's command. She watched the exchange in horror and frightened about what the Master would do to her.
"He was different." Was all Leena could muster.
"He turned his back on the Sith teachings to be a traitorous Revanite, and even so – he would have turned you into a victim of an endless line of betrayal."
Leena raised her hand, grabbing his lightsaber from the ground with the Force. Turning it on, she dared pointed it to her Master. "You are one to speak! YOU ARE BLOOD-SOAKED IN BETRAYAL!"
"Watch your tongue apprentice." The Dark Lord warned.
The apprentice stood up, holding Arrun's lightsaber. Her heavy heart had more holes than before. The comforting illusion that was once there finally vanished to the dark. "If I had to do it all over, I would have shouted to the galaxy: TRUST NOT THE MONSTER DARTH BARAS, HE IS MAD WITH POWER!"
"Silence!" One of the new apprentices of Darth Baras spoke out of line as he fired force lightning onto the Sern apprentice. The girl stood her ground, standing on the defensive having the lightsaber take the power. With the right trick, she managed to push him off against the wall with the Force – crushing his body in the process.
Baras stood there, not having a sense of pity for those few who remained alive to serve him. "You can still redeem yourself, child." When he found her, he saw what all Masters live to see. Raw and untamed power and beyond that, something truly special.
Turning off her husband's lightsaber, the apprentice knelt down with a heavy heart. It is such a quiet thing to fall. Far more terrible is to admit it. "I will continue to study at your feet, Master. I will learn from your wisdom." 'I will learn all of your secrets, unlocking them one by one until everything you know, all your knowledge and all your power is mine. And once you are no longer of use to me, I will destroy you.'
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, strength.
Through strength, power. 'That power is my right and my weapon.' She claims it. Though she should take caution, power such as these weighs heavily on those who wielded them.
you feel anger in your every connection to the Force. When you accept that a woman must use any means necessary to prove her strength, then she would have discovered the dark side. The dark side is no trick. That is true power that will gain her victory.
'I won't hold back, never again'. She thought to herself, looking up at her Master with hateful eyes. She will destroy him one day and his shattered body will fuel her craving for vengeance. His ambition will be his downfall, she will bring him to death. The death the galaxy owed.
Through victory, her chains will be broken – and in the end, she will be broken.
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