Chapter 37
The following begins at Zonama upon arrival of the Sith fleet just prior to Anhiel’s arrival at Korriban.
Within the ancient lone temple on Zonama’s surface, Rend sits in quiet meditation, opening himself to the power of the Force that ebbed around him. He exhales slowly, feeling the rush and heat of the raw energy that began to flow through him. It felt more comfortable each time he exposed himself to it, his usual anxiety lessening in equal amounts. A faint smile forms on his features as he thinks on his progress, “I believe even Master Anhiel will be impressed, at least pleased.” Having been involved in several discussions with the young Knight during this meditation session, Sekot adds his thoughts in a booming voice, “When you first set foot here your lack of confidence was prominent in your being. But now, you have confidence and deserved confidence at that. Your master will be proud, in her own way.” Rend responds out loud, his words echoing in the empty stone chamber, “Thank you, Sekot. Your role in my progression is no small matter and I will be eternally grateful.” The ancient being chuckles as the General’s communicator begins to beep. The sound pulls Rend’s attention as it had been set to silence any communications, save those on the priority channel. He rises, keying on the device and states shortly, “This is General Vega.” On the other end, Sun reports “Master, Master Athin has returned with a fleet of Sith vessels. The Grandmaster is not with them though.” Stunned, Rend asks quickly “Where did she go?” Unseen, Sun shrugs before responding quickly, “He indicated he was instructed to only provide that information to you directly. Her instructions placed you in command until she returns.” “Understood. I am returning now. Prepare the war room to receive their key officers. I will speak with Athin before then.” Sun acknowledges her instructions before the link is cut.
More than an hour later, Rend enters a small communications room near the war room. Athin already stands within and bows to the new arrival which Rend returns in kind and speaks with a pleasant voice, “Master Athin, I hear you have information you can only deliver to me?” The Miraluka nods in affirmation before responding, “First, the manner in which Anhiel acquired this fleet. She dueled the Darth that commanded these forces, to the death, while wagering our own fleet.” Athin pauses before continuing, “The Sith are aware of this as they witnessed it first hand but she felt this information should not be communicated to our forces until she returns, if at all.” Rend nods slowly, somewhat surprised at his lack of reaction to the information. After a few moments, he asks, “And where is the Grandmaster now?” The long exhale from the Miraluka is telling before Athin responds, “She has taken the Sith flagship to Korriban to bury the late Darth. Mirr has remained as her guard. ” This bit of detail does surprise the Knight and he looks down while contemplating it. Eventually, he adds in a somewhat exacerbated way “Even after all of this time, her actions still catch me off-guard. Thank you for informing me, Athin. Is there anything else I should know before we go in?” Athin thinks for many seconds before answering, “While her victory was absolute and most appear to honor their previous master’s word, I sense there are a few that will prove to be…difficult.” The General nods once in acknowledgement before straightening his darker robe over his armor and exiting the room.
A dozen meters down the hall, Rend stands at the entrance to the planetside war room and keys the door open. As he steps in, the Republic officers such as Jov’aine, Sun and the older Commander jump to attention. Most of the Sith follow suit, not knowing who exactly had entered but understood Rend’s approximate rank. Of note, a Rear Admiral in his early forties does not even look up from the report he was reviewing at his seat next to where Rend would eventually take his seat. As Rend gets settled, the man lifts his head and looks towards Jov’aine, asking in an indignant tone “When will the commanding officer arrive?” Irritated, but maintaining his composure Jov’aine responds flatly, “General Vega has arrived. If you are ready to join us we may begin.” Offense is clear on the Rear Admiral’s face as he turns to his left to look over Rend with an incredulous eye. Words are not needed to communicate his lack of faith in the young man before him and he simply huffs, thinking silently, “Merit is clearly not a requirement for Republic command structures.” The ordeal does not go unnoticed as no effort was put into concealing the Sith’s resentment at the current situation but Rend begins as though nothing happened, “Welcome, all of you. I am General Rend Vega. I understand that this change is sudden and came at the cost of an irreplaceable loss. However, you are welcome here and have my word that I will do all I can to make this integration as seamless as possible.” Several of the gathered officers nod slowly in gratitude, still working through their own emotions after the death of their master. The Rear Admiral to Rend’s right does nothing to hide his lack of confidence in the supposed General. Rend turns his gaze towards the man and asks in an even tone, “Do you have a concern, Rear Admiral?” The question hangs in the air as Rend does not know the man’s name. Not answering the question, the Sith looks around at those gathered with an expression of confusion. He particularly focuses on his fellow Sith officers as he queries, “This boy cannot seriously be in charge, right? I highly doubt he has the necessary experience and he is far too soft, which is apparent from the moment he began to speak.”
Jov’aine moves to speak but in his best impersonation of his Master, Rend raises his hand to halt the action. The General simply turns his head towards the Rear Admiral with a gaze that seems unaffected by the blatant disrespect. Flatly, he states, “You mistake my kindness for weakness. Your master commanded your undying loyalty to my Grandmaster should he be defeated. He was defeated, with ease I am sure, and your new master placed me as her second in command. Disrespect to me, I can handle. But disrespect to me is disrespect to my master, and that I will not tolerate.” With a light wave of his hand, two guards begin moving towards the now astounded Admiral. To his continually increasing surprise, the other Sith officers merely sit with solidified features turned towards him, acknowledging the General’s decision. He struggles as a pair of the guards drag him from his seat and another guard places cuffs upon his wrists before ushering him from the room towards a cell. After the struggling man’s protests fade away, Rend inclines his head to the remaining Sith officers and adds, “Your support is greatly appreciated.” A grizzled older Commander clears his throat and leans forward, “Sir, I served Darth Vyrrid for nearly two decades and was present for his duel with your Grandmaster. Her power was something to behold, her victory absolute and well earned. To dispute that fact or go against her wishes is to smear the name of our late master. True Sith would never suffer such an affront. Our loyalty is to Master Dulcinae and her allies until death releases us.” The other gathered officers nod slowly in agreement with the older man’s words. Rend offers a light smile and straightens, “You honor us with your words. Once our leader returns, I will petition to have the rear admiral’s fate determined by you all as he was once your comrade. Furthermore, I understand this transition is far from simple. I also am confident the High Admiral has already received a report on the fleet's forces and preparedness. As a result, your only orders at this time are to rest and get settled. Next steps will be discussed upon Master Dulcinae’s return.” Everyone seated around the table rose in unison and saluted prior to shuffling from the room.
Rend exhales a long sigh of relief, setting his forehead down upon the table and clasps his hands together to stop the slight shaking that had set in. He stays in this position for a couple minutes before becoming aware of the lone presence in the room. Athin clears his throat gently, “General?” Surprised, Rend straightens quickly in his seat and rubs his face for several moments before responding, “I am alright, Master Athin. Despite the appearance I have begun to put on recently, I am nowhere near as capable at handling these things as my master is.” Athin gives the younger man a reassuring look, “You do not give yourself enough credit. I have no doubt that she will find the way you handle things to be excellent.” The Miraluka’s expression falters some, which does not go unnoticed by the General who responds with a quizzical look. With a sigh, Athin answers the unspoken question, “I sense Anhiel dipped quite far into the darkside during their excursion on Korriban. Not intentionally, at least not completely.” Rend frowns, prompting Athin to continue quickly, “Her aura has returned to normal, General. I do not know what happened but we can assume Darth Vyrrid’s burial did not go smoothly and she took it personally.” Frowning, Rend sighs, “Do you think she will ever be able to live a peaceful existence, Athin?” The extended silence was as telling as Athin’s eventual answer, given in a saddened tone, “Conflict seems to be a part of her very being, unfortunately. But if anyone deserves it, she does. I hope one day she can find that.” The pair sits in silence for nearly a minute before Athin speaks once more, having turned away to look vaguely upwards, “They are preparing to leave the planet. Why don’t you get some rest? Things are under control for the time being. I am sure the excitement will increase when she returns. Until then, take some time for yourself.” Rend smiles slightly and nods, “Thank you, Athin. You are quite right. I’ll contact Sun now and turn in for a while. Please let me know if anything comes up.” Rend stands and clasps hands with the Miraluka before departing the room, heading to his planetside quarters.
Night passes without much activity. Rend collapsed upon arriving at his quarters and slept straight through the night and well into the morning. After rising, he spent time in the refresher then donned his newer armor before stepping out and making his way to the main command structure. The morning meeting consisted of the typical report review and the young man began to let his focus drift as an officer droned on about supplies. All those gathered around the table look towards Rend as he sits up quickly. A familiar presence pressed against his own and spoke with authority, “I have returned, General, and am en route to the planet.” Before he can form a statement, a young ensign enters the room and exclaims, “My apologies for interrupting. But the High Admiral has just returned.” Rend stands up quickly and surveys the room for a moment before commanding, “Assemble all personnel to receive her. Officers will join me on the landing pad.” Those gathered stand quickly and salute, the Sith rear admiral adds, “As you command, General.”
Within the better part of an hour, all personnel on the planet were standing in rank starting just off the landing pad. Along the edge of the pad stands Rend, flanked by the Republic and Sith officers. A shuttle settles down onto the pad with a hiss and as the ramp descends, all those gathered snap to attention. Steam rises around the ramp and Anhiel strides out confidently, clad in the same exquisite outfit she wore on Korriban, which elicited several somewhat shocked expressions, mostly from the Republic forces, and in particular, Rend. Joash chuckles and nudges Athin, “Do you see this?” If he was able to, the Miraluka would have rolled his eyes before responding, “I may not have eyes but I can see she is….different.” Joash laughs now in a hushed tone, “Sure, lover boy. You will likely have to fend off several suitors if she continues to wear that.” Both quickly look forward as Anhiel comes to a halt in front of Rend who stands at the head of the group. The General bows low, “Grandmaster, it is good to see you again. I hope your trip went well.” As he straightens, he somewhat averts his eyes after a quick glance over the woman, avoiding looking more at the provocative outfit. Noticing, but not addressing it, Anhiel states plainly, “It went as well as expected. More importantly, as you are well aware, we have bolstered our forces significantly.” Rend nods, “Yes ma’am. Integration has gone smoothly, for the most part. We only await your orders for next steps.” The Grandmaster appraises Rend, then the officers behind him for several seconds before speaking with a cool voice, “First, we must see to the final restructuring of our forces.” She beckons upwards to the newly arrived flagship that was in orbit, although not visible from the surface. “The x was Darth Vyrrid’s flagship. It is a Terminus class destroyer. It is now your’s, General, as is the selection of the officers that will serve aboard it.”
Rend bows once more, “I shall send my suggestions in the next solar day.” Anhiel waits for him to straighten before fixing her piercing eyes on the younger man, “You misunderstand, General. Your choices will determine your command structure. These are choices you will make alone. As of this moment, there is no one that outranks you, save for myself. Now begins your evaluation to become a master. This process usually occurs over decades but we do not live in peaceful times and your progress has been accelerated greatly.” Before Rend can respond, the Sith Vice Admiral approaches just behind Anhiel and salutes, “Ma’am, may I have leave to discuss how to deal with our current prisoner with the other Sith officers?” Rend adds without thinking, “We also very recently secured an officer that was…less than cooperative.” Anhiel grins with a hint of pride at the statement, “Yes, Vice Admiral. I leave the decision on how to deal with both in yours and your fellow officers hands. I expect a full report on the outcome.” Once more, the Vice Admiral salutes before turning sharply, waving to the soldiers just within the ramp who begin to move, dragging the now shackled and disheveled pilot from before. Without turning, Anhiel continues, “I have not rested in two standard days. I shall retire to my quarters for the time being. Prepare a meeting with leadership to take place in the next standard day. I will hear your selections then and any other relevant updates.” Rend bows once more, “As you command, Grandmaster. Rest well. We shall see you soon.” Her exhaustion can be felt through the Force and Athin moves to stand next to the woman as she begins walking. Once past the gather personnel, she looks her arm around Athin’s right arm and begins to lean on him. He remains quiet while supporting her weight, keeping the many concerned questions to himself as he knew the time was not right. Once they arrive at Anhiel’s quarters she sighs, beginning to shed the skin tight outfit, asking “Too much?” The Miraluka responds by stepping up to the woman and pulling her close, leaning down to lock their lips. Anhiel responds by pushing herself up into the embrace for the duration, until they eventually separate. Athin clears his throat before stating, “I will get some food, a change of clothes, and prepare the bed. Rinse off in the refresher as long as you want.” The wide and honest smile Anhiel gave him brought great joy to the man as he turned away to set to his tasks.
After spending nearly twenty minutes in the refresher, Anhiel emerged after drying off and pulling her hair back up in a ponytail. She wore a thin silvery robe and joined Athin at the table where a warm meal awaited her. The pair ate in near silence, Athin only summoning the courage to ask a question once his partner had eaten a healthy amount. “Are you going to tell me what happened on Korriban? I know you are aware I saw much of it.” Anhiel leans back after placing her utensils down and lets out a long, steady breath. She nods once, adding in a soft tone, “I did promise to tell you my history with Darth Vyrrid.” She pauses a moment before continuing, “During the early parts of the war, we crossed paths. He took a liking to me and frequently invited me to a facility he ran on Korriban to discuss potential peaceful resolutions to the war. Over time, his liking for me grew to more than platonic but I was already bound to Dulci and was unable to reciprocate the feelings.” Her voice trails off and she looks off to the side. After a few moments, Athin queries, “Did you feel the same towards him? If you were not bound or obligated, would you have accepted his advances?”
A darkness crosses the woman’s features as she ponders the question before she simply nods once in affirmation. Unsurprised and not taken aback, Athin continues, “He must have been an honorable man, then. From what little I saw of him, that much is clear. But to garner such feelings from you is no small feat.” The Miraluka looks to Anhiel’s right side, seeing a deep burgundy aura resonating from within the outfit she was previously wearing, now hanging on a rack nearby. “What is that in your outfit?” He beckons gently towards the wardrobe and Anhiel bites her lower lip slightly. “I believe it was a gift from Vyrrid that was meant for me during the last time we met. But that did not end in a way either of us expected. I found it in his chambers at the facility where he was laid to rest.” Athin nodded slowly several times, pondering the answer quietly. The usually stone-faced woman now seems to be nearly a decade younger, sporting a face of a young girl rather than a battle hardened warrior as worry rises up in her. Sensing the shift in her temperament and aura, Athin sits up quickly, reassuring her, “Anhiel, I do not harbor any ill will towards you for the care and respect you showed this honorable man. Nor do I have any resentment towards you for retrieving this gift. I sense it was forged for you, and you alone. It’s craftsmanship is exquisite and the Force echoes in line with your being. It will serve you well and honor Vyrrid.” The timid looks she gave him was so unique, Athin grinned with glee before rising from his seat. In a fluid motion he lifted the woman from her seat, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead before carrying her to the nearby bed. Upon arriving, he laid her down gently and pulled the covers over her. As he straightened, he added softly, “Rest, Love. I shall return shortly to join you.” Before he could step away, a strong hand grips his wrist, halting his motion.
Anhiel’s face is mostly buried in a pillow, her left arm reaching out to grip him. She says nothing and does not let go, the only sound is a shaky exhale so quiet it was almost missed. But to a Miraluka, emotions are seen more than heard and Athin’s features fall slightly. He removes his outer robe, letting it drop to the ground along with the remaining outer clothes and gear. Gently, he slides under the covers, moving the petite woman deeper into the bed until he settles and maneuvers his left arm under her, pulling her tight into his chest. There she sobbed quietly for many minutes, releasing a rare emotion that she had been suppressing from the moment her duel with Darth Vyrrid had begun. She continued until exhaustion finally overwhelmed her and she succumbed to sleep.