Chapter 43
“Vice Admiral Virkaen, do you endorse this plan?” Although the middle aged man had been paying attention, the question from Rend caught him off guard and he looked around the war room at the other assembled officers before responding, “I agree that further intelligence is most important as our knowledge of this Eternal Empire is limited, even more so when it comes to their combat strategies.” He takes a moment to breathe before adding with a hint of submission, “However, I would require the High Admiral’s input before committing a task force to such a mission.” A flash of Anhiel’s purple sabers flying through the air too quickly to follow fills the man’s mind. In the moment, he had failed to respect the opponent his late master was facing and having seen her strength, the Vice Admiral was in no hurry to make such decisions in her absence.
Rend offers a reassuring smile so fleeting the man nearly missed it before a commanding visage replaced it. “As you all know, High Admiral Dulcinae is recuperating from a particularly harrowing procedure. However, her judgment in these situations has never been exquisite and we continue to take measures to ensure she rests as is necessary so she may return to lead us. Asking for her input at this time is out of the question. She named you her second in command and thus the decision falls to you for the time being.” While still young, the air of command shown by Rend is a stark contrast to the man many months prior. Virkean was not aware of the growth though he bowed his head in response, “You are quite right, General Vega. Our leader’s health is of the utmost importance now. Forgive me for showing such hesitation; it is not like me. Your plan is sound and if we are to go on the offensive we must have more intel. I shall, and by proxy the High Admiral shall support this mission in any way possible.” Rend returns the gesture with a deviant grin, “I believe I know just the person to lead the mission. But he is currently engaged. He will be briefed later today. Virkean, I would like you to review the details of the mission and make any adjustments you feel are appropriate.”
The remainder of the meeting went by in a blur for all save one. From Sun’s perspective, time seemed to crawl and a seemingly unending onslaught of reports, tactics, and other items were discussed at great length. When dismissed, none departed as quickly as the young padawan as she nearly sprinted through the hallway towards her quarters. Only one thought occupied her mind; the now unbled crystal resting on her workbench next to the gifted Sith saber. Noting Sun had departed before he could ask, Rend sent a message via his datapad from the war room and the notification popped up as Sun opened the door to her room. Somewhat startled due to the focus she had, she read the message quickly.
“Commander,
Please inform Special Commander Joash that I need to speak with him when you relieve him this evening. We should have the main mission details prepared by then and I wish for the team to leave as quickly as possible. I will be aboard the Nephilim.
- General Vega”
After making a mental note, Sun sets the datapad down on the workbench and settles down on the short swivel stool. Immediately the young padawan becomes completely oblivious to anything other than her work bench, entrenched in thought as she assembles the final pieces of her newly constructed lightsaber over the next couple hours. After making final adjustments to the weapon’s hilt, Sun drops in the recently unbled crystal into the crystal refraction chamber then gently slides the chassis into the hilt. She picks up the modified Sith saber and ignites it; a snap-hiss confirming the weapon’s functionality. Sun smiles and nods slightly as the deep orange color illuminates the remainder of her quarters. A few turns on the blade adjustment control shortens the blade to approximately half that of a standard saber, similar to a shoto. There are two small buttons beside the blade adjustment, she depresses the closest of them which produces a muted tone acknowledging the action. She then adjusts the blade again to the same length of her original saber and depresses the other button. Again, the first button is pressed and the blade retracts to the preset length established moments prior. A wide grin is plastered on her face as she recognizes that all has worked flawlessly. Sun extinguishes the blade once more and retrieves her other saber hilt with a flick of her wrist, invisible strings pulling it to her palm from where it sat on the workbench. The hilts drastically differ from one another. In her right hand she holds a saber with diamond shaped emitter prongs. In her left hand she holds the matte silver colored saber with crimson inlay and an angled oval emitter. She takes the two sabers and presses their new connecting pomels together. A soft snap gives her the indication that they are connected. She gives them a quick press together, disengaging the detent, and a slight pull causing the sabers to once again be separated.
Sun stands up from her workstation and walks to the center of the room. Holding both sabers in front, she ignites them. Dark green and orange colors dance together on the walls of her quarters as she flips the shorter orange blade to a reverse grip. With focused eyes the Padawan crouches, lifting the short saber horizontally in front of her while lifting the other saber high and angled forward, mimicking her Grandmaster’s most common fighting stance. Satisfied and with a wide grin, Sun extinguishes the blades and places them on her hips before nearly jogging out of her room.
Joash looks up to see Sun bounding towards him with a shine to her features as a door slides shut behind him. Before she could speak, Joash stated more gruffly than usual, “I'm taking a break from that woman.” The question is unspoken, but the older Jedi continues walking past a now bewildered Padawan while pulling his T’Bac pipe from within his overcoat. Despite the brisk interaction, Sun’s features still sport most of the excitement she felt as she keyed the door open, nearly forgetting her master’s orders. Quickly, she spins around and calls out, “Master Joash!” which causes the man to halt before rolling his eyes in an exaggerated manner while turning around. “General Vega requested to see you once you were relieved. He should be aboard the Nephilim now.” Still attempting to sell the story that he did not enjoy his new position, Joash sighed and nodded before adjusting his course slightly to head towards the landing pad. Sun then stepped inside her Grandmaster’s quarters and looked around. Anhiel sat at the table with a particularly hard expression, which grew when she glanced at the shining Padawan approaching her. Without much caution, the master probes the young woman in the Force which only further increases her frustration when met with a very muted sensation. Nothing appears to be new or noteworthy in the Padawan’s appearance and Anhiel queries coldly, clearly irritated due to her inability to ascertain information from the Force still, “What has you in such a good mood?”
Despite the cold greeting, Sun smiles widely and presents the gifted Sith saber to Anhiel who takes it with a curious look. The object feels foreign as she attempts to examine it through the Force once more to no avail. She keys the weapon on and the deep orange blade erupts from the end, extending to the preset length established a couple hours prior. Silently, the Grandmaster evaluates the blade for nearly a minute before seeing the dark color at the center that was too faint to notice at the start. With skeptical eyes she looks up to the beaming Padawan and before she could form the question, Sun blurts out “I did it, Grandmaster! Dulci’s crystal. I was able to reverse the bleeding somewhat. It is not as it was before but I sense it is now as it is supposed to be. Never forgetting the past but moving on to the future with the guidance of the Force.” Sun pauses a moment, then adds as Anhiel processes the statement, “She loved you very much, Ma’am. Even at the end.” The look received pierced more effectively than any saber while Anhiel spoke with a voice Sun hopes she would never hear again, “Tread carefully, Miss Veruna. I do not tolerate those that speak about that which they do not understand.” Sun hesitates before continuing cautiously, “I saw Dulci’s final moments through the crystal, as well as you. The pain I felt from you was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I do not know how you survived.” Green eyes lock with the fearsome gaze of the Grandmaster before Sun finishes, “But if I may be so bold, I now see why she showed such devotion to you even at the end.”
It happened in a blur; before Sun could react the Admiral was upon her. Arms as strong as durasteel clamped around her in a desperate embrace that nearly suffocated the young woman. Both remain quiet for many moments before moisture begins to soak through the Commander’s collar. It’s source was the other woman’s tears that streaked down her cheeks although she did not sob. The only sound she made was a simple statement made in a whisper, “Thank you…Sun. For everything.” Shocked, Sun’s arms move on their own as they wrap around Anhiel, returning the embrace, the moment forever cementing itself in the Padawan’s mind. A sense of warmth began to form within the Padawan and it continued to grow as the embrace was held.
In the mess hall, Thea sat quietly watching a pair of pots bubbling with dark liquids with her head resting on the prep table. Silous roams around the woman’s feet, occasionally rubbing up against her leg until her head shoots up suddenly, causing the creature to shriek and hop backwards. A brief foray into the Force confirmed her fears which caused her to quickly squat down in front of a nearby cabinet and begin rummaging. As she does, she mumbles with worry tainting her tone, “No, no, no…things were going well. Why must she be so difficult?” A frustrated growl escapes her lips as she knocks over a flask, “Where is that kriffin potion?” Finally, a clear flask with a neon green liquid inside reveals itself and Thea snatches it up before sprinting from the room.
Moments before Thea became aware of the impending issue, Anhiel seemed to shift slightly and Sun’s brow furrowed as the internal sensation of warmth began to be overshadowed by much more heat coming from without. In another moment the heat became uncomfortable, edging its way towards painful as Sun moved to separate from the now apparent source. The Grandmaster’s fair skin was beginning to glow and her eyes rolled back in her head just before her body began to fall backwards. Instinctively, Sun lurched forward to grab her and yelped loudly when her bare hand clasped Anhiel’s bare arm. Before she could process what she saw, the door slid open and Thea rushed in. She barked loudly at the younger woman as she crouched by Anhiel’s side, “What did you do?” As Sun stammered, attempting to form a coherent response, Thea asked briskly, “Where is her bracelet?” Both lift their heads and look around the room but Sun is the first to spot it, resting on the stand next to the bed. She rushes over and grabs it, immediately tossing it to Thea. It is slid onto Anhiel’s right forearm in a fluid motion despite the burns Thea began to suffer.
The glowing begins to recede within a few moments and Thea shakes her hands in an attempt to dissipate the pain from the burns. She looks up at Sun and states quickly, “Help me move her to the bed. She should be safe to touch now.” The Padawan nods and kneels down while asking, “What happened?” In sync, they stand, grunting some as they lift the unconscious woman with a weight disproportionate to her size. Once they set her down, Thea exhales, “I will answer that once Athin arrives. Now lift her head, I need to get some of this potion down.” Sun complies, adding “Shall I call him?” Gently, Thea places the flask against Anhiel’s lips and lifts it ever so slightly to allow liquid to begin to flow. She shakes her head after a moment, “No. If I was able to sense what happened, I can guarantee he saw it with his Miraluka sight. I am sure he is already on a shuttle heading our way. You can fill me in on what happened just before she fell.” With a smirk, Thea added, “And pray Athin is as understanding as he seems.”
As Thea expected, Athin burst into the room like a storm just under twenty minutes later. Anhiel rests quietly, the bizarre symptoms having passed completely. The Miraluka approaches the bedside and looks over his lover for many moments before turning to face Thea without speaking. With as much care as she could muster, Thea states, “She is fine now, Athin.” Looking back, Athin queries with slight accusation in his voice, which he noted and grimaced in response to, “What happened?” Thea exhaled deeply and moved to stand beside the man before answering, “It is best to give background first in order to understand what occurred.” She places a hand on Athin’s shoulder and looks in Anhiel’s direction, “The wound I attempted to heal was the result of her Force bond with Dulci being forcibly cut. This left a large void within her being. However, a piece of Dulci’s Force presence remained when the bond was cut. This allowed her to draw on the Force in a manner similar to when the bond was fully functioning, allowing her to draw on more raw power than an average Force user could alone.” She pauses a moment before continuing, “I suspect this is the reason her skills in combat and Battle Meditation are so potent. But without the full bond, there are side effects as you are well aware. To heal her, I removed what remained of Dulci’s Force presence from the void in her being, although that void will always remain to some degree. The presence was bound to the bracelet from Darth Vyrrid; its craftsmanship and Force power were substantial and should be able to control the spirit.” Thea now moves to sit on the edge of the bed next to the resting master as she places a hand on her forehead to feel her temperature. “She survived the bond being broken because part of Dulci remained. Without it, she cannot wield the Force nearly as effectively as she used to. She attempted to draw on the Force in the same manner as normal when interacting with Sun but she was not wearing the bracelet. The end result was her body being overwhelmed with Force power which nearly burned her from the inside. Once the bracelet was placed upon her arm, the symptoms began to recede. I have also given her a potion much stronger than what she has been having to replenish Force affinity.”
Athin’s head tilts slightly as he mulls over Thea’s words until he settles on a single question, “So her connection to the Force has been effectively severed?” With pursed lips, Thea sways her head back and forth a few times before answering, “Not exactly. Think of it this way. She spent such a long time growing her power with the bond, she is now essentially as she was in her early days as a Padawan. However, that is only when she is not wearing the bracelet. When she is, Dulci’s essence and the power of the bracelet itself bring her to the peak of her power, if not a bit more. Without it…” her voice trails off as she moves a lock of Anhiel’s silver hair from her face before finishing the statement, “...she will not be as she was.” Pain is smeared on the Miraluka’s face as he gazes down at Anhiel but it pales in comparison to that which radiated through the Force. In a detached, unsettling tone, he asks Sun without turning towards her, “What were the two of you discussing?” The Padawan swallows and walks just past Athin before kneeling down to pick up the Sith made saber from where it had fallen. She presents it to Athin, adding timidly “I was showing her the saber I made from the Sith sabers she gave me and the…” Knowingly, Athin interjects with a simple statement, “Dulci’s Crystal.”
Sun opens her mouth to respond instinctively but Athin continues, “I became aware of the crystal just after joining the group.” He taps a finger from his left hand next to his headwrap, indicating he is referring to the unique properties of Miraluka sight. “The dark power that radiated from it was very distracting at times but I did not question it. And now…” Trailing off, the hilt is moved around in Athin’s hand as he examines it. The crystal seated within pulses steadily. Its power is no less than its bled form, perhaps a bit more now that the chains of oppression were released from it. A slight smile cracks on the man’s face, “To have been trusted with this crystal is not only a great honor but an indication of her faith in your abilities and a symbol of her trust in you, Miss Veruna. Maybe with this and Miss Tragonus’ efforts, she will finally be able to find some form of peace. I cannot thank both of you enough.” A crack in the man’s voice formed at the end and both women looked up, surprised but did not say anything, allowing silence to hang in the air until Athin clears his throat. He passes the weapon back to Sun with a smile to attempt to mask his emotions. “Miss Tragonus, will you remain here for a bit? I need to step away.” From the bedside where she sat, Thea nods, “Of course, Athin. Take as much time as you need.”