One of the chapters I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.
Another thing I’ve been listening to while I write is Crypt of the NecroDancer.
I know a lot of artists including me make the face they’re drawing, but I do it as a writer as well. Is that weird?
Chapter 9: Turning Tide
“Has our mysterious problem been solved? Are we active?”
“Sir, best guess is yes. All systems appear to be online. Your detonator should be live.”
“Then let’s pack up. We’ll blow this cavern and the Imperial Command Centre sky high.”
She sauntered up to the Republic soldiers clustered around the bomb, lightsabers dangling casually from her fingers as she placed her fists on her hips. “Having trouble, cowards?”
“Too late,” cried the sergeant, “we’ve been discovered!”
“Stow it!” ordered the captain, and turned to her with arrogant confidence. “We knew this was a possibility. Sith, I’m prepared to detonate even if it means we all die. You’ve just wandered into your own funeral! Throwing the switch!” His thumb went down on the button.
His men, and Pierce and even Quinn, braced themselves, but Akuliina simply stared at him. And stared some more, with arched eyebrow, as nothing happened. The others, both Republic and Imperial, looked about in confusion.
The captain pushed the button a few more times, shook the detonator, pushed it again. “What? No! Come on, detonate! Detonate! Argh!”
She sneered and drew her lightsabers. “If you want to die so badly, I’ll gladly oblige you.” Let’s put the fun in that funeral.
With Quinn and Pierce already in covering positions behind her, it did not take long to destroy all the Republic soldiers except the captain.
The captain had backed away towards the back wall of the cavern, and his only attempt at defense was to keep pushing the button on his detonator. “Uh… ah… must… detonate! Work, blast it… work!”
She coughed an exasperated sigh. “This is a mercy killing.” She flung out her hand, smashing him into the back wall, then pulled her fingers back in to her outstretched hand, choking him.
“F-for… the Republic…” he gasped, before she snapped his neck with a twist of her wrist and let him fall limp to the ground.
Quinn and Pierce left their cover and stepped towards her as she surveyed the Republic’s handiwork. “This expedition seemed unusually ill-equipped, even for the Republic. Could they really have taken down the Command Centre overhead?”
“I think they simply were not prepared for a foe of your caliber,” Quinn said to her.
She was interrupted by her commlink beeping in her pocket. She pulled it out. “Hello?”
Draahg’s smooth, handsome voice came through clearly. “Well, well, well. Well done. Mission accomplished, eh?”
Akuliina laughed merrily. “You should have seen the look on his face.”
“There never was a threat, Akuliina dear. Captain Trey-yen was sent here by one of Baras’s Republic moles. The explosives he set up were not wired to the captain’s detonator.” There was a pause, and she heard the rustle of fabric and a slight rattle of plastoid. “I have the real detonator.”
Akuliina laughed even harder, not seeing how Quinn’s eyes widened or how Pierce took a step back. “That’s wonderful. That makes his plight even more pathetic.” Draahg was silent, and there was a pause before she put the pieces together and her face grew hard. When she spoke again, her voice was cold. “Very clever.”
He sounded insufferably smug. “Yes, it’s all an elaborate trap, just for you, Akuliina dear.”
She hissed between her teeth. “I’m going to kill you, Draahg dear.”
Her former ally chuckled. “That would be an amazing trick. Our master prides himself on being one step ahead of everyone. That includes you. He knew someday you would rise against him. You were his fiercest… but you would never submit fully to the rule of another. I consider it a privilege that’s he’s allowed me to pull the trigger.”
She snarled, rage and hate twisting her face and voice. “Be a man and face me in the flesh.”
“While the thought of personally beheading you is a delight, and it would be nice to acquire your companions, we’re leaving nothing to chance. Baras sends his regards. Goodbye.” She heard a click over the commlink… and the wall behind her exploded.
She bolted, sprinting as fast as she could go, hopping over mining equipment. She noted that Pierce had already begun running, sensible man. Quinn was right with her, but he didn’t have the Force with him; she was going to outstrip him easily. The cave was rumbling; the charges hadn’t exploded everything, only key supports. If the Republic had used more explosives, she wouldn’t even have had this chance; she would have been blown apart in the detonation before she could react.
She heard Quinn cry out and turned her head, saw in an instant that he was about to be swallowed up by the collapsing cave. “Quinn!!” She reached out with the Force, hurling him forward with all of her strength, then stumbled and fell as the world shattered around her, throwing her into darkness.
She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming, but there were definitely two figures leaning over her, two strangers, two hallucinations.
“Interest justified,” said one, in a high-pitched male voice. “Shall I revive?”
“Offer no help,” said the other, standing; his voice grew more distant. “We must be sure. If she survives the trek to safety, then her worth will be established. We will wait at the command centre exactly one day for our proof.”
She had no idea what that meant, and her grip on consciousness was slipping away again.
When she woke fully, it was to see two familiar concerned male faces gazing down at her. “My lady,” said one, and she blinked a few times before focusing on Quinn’s face.
Her body hurt. All over. She felt like one big bruise… and in her ankle, her shoulder, her side, there were sharper pains that did not bode well. But she had not been buried under boulders, so that was a plus.
She stirred and slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position. “You’re unhurt?”
“Yes, my lady. You pushed me clear. Lieutenant Pierce is also uninjured. Are you hurt?”
“Just… bruised. And tired. And betrayed.” He reached for her, but she put his hands away from her – at least until she tried to stand and agony shot through her ankle and she collapsed again with a cry. Quinn knelt beside her instantly, letting her lean on him. “Ah- my ankle- I think… my ankle is broken.” She could have cried from the culmination of what had suddenly turned out to be a really terrible day, but she had more pride than that. Still, she prayed that nothing else went against her in the next twenty minutes, or she wouldn’t be able to control herself.
“Help me up,” she mumbled to him, swallowing her pride, and obediently he put an arm about her shoulders and helped her to stand. Half-leaning on him, she limped towards the cave entrance, suppressing a hiss every time she put any sort of weight on her ankle. It was going to be a very, very long way.
“My lady,” she heard him murmur, stopping after only a few steps. “Don’t injure yourself further. Let Pierce carry you.”
“I-” she began, but she couldn’t think of a good reason not to do as he said. Only her stubborn pride.
“Akuliina,” he whispered, and her head sagged and she capitulated. Pierce came to her and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her easily. And not without a smug look at Quinn.
It was all wrong, he thought, piloting the Amzab Glory back towards the Imperial base, Akuliina leaning against his back with her arms wrapped around him, the third speeder slaved to Pierce’s. She’d survived, she’d saved him – so why did she rest her head on his shoulder like she’d been completely defeated? Why was she so silent and still, wrapped up in her own thoughts? He’d never seen her like this, never. Was it shock?
He was a bit in shock himself. She had said that all Sith turned on each other eventually, but why now? Akuliina hadn’t been actively plotting against Baras that he knew of. Why would he strike this pre-emptively against her?
He felt a shiver run through her, and her arms tightened around him. “How dare he?” she muttered, though he almost couldn’t hear her over the engine and the wind.
It was a few hours until they reached the base, and he pulled up in front of the med centre. It seemed the bomb had contained less power than previously thought; a few buildings looked shaken, equipment had fallen over, some windows smashed, but most of the base looked untouched.
She roused herself when she saw they’d stopped. “I have to find those Sith.”
“What Sith, my lady?”
“When I was still… mostly unconscious… two Sith appeared to me. They said they’d wait here one day for proof of my worth. I want to know what they want.”
Pierce looked at Quinn, clearly not buying it. Quinn did, but there were more important things.
“If they’re here for a whole day, you have time to get your ankle splinted,” he said to her, stepping off the speeder bike and putting a supportive arm around her shoulders again. “Come, my lady.”
Normally she might have made some innuendo, but now she only frowned even as she followed him.
“Unless you’d rather Pierce carry you to meet with these Sith,” he added, knowing that she would hate that idea.
She glared. “Absolutely not. I want to stand on my own two feet if at all possible.”
She was rather upset when the cast on her ankle precluded putting her boot back on and pretending that she’d never been injured in the first place. But he saw her swallow it with an effort, with a mutter of “good leaders adapt to adverse circumstances”. She still wouldn’t be able to fight – at least not well, but she seemed to think these Sith were not her enemy.
Properly she ought to rest before looking for these mysterious Sith, but he knew time would run backwards before she did that. Besides, she’d found a message on her datapad informing her of where to go. They’d been observed entering the base, it seemed.
She had to use crutches to get across the base to the designated hut, and he and Pierce followed with measured pace. Somehow, despite the hindrance, she still managed to storm into the main room of the hut. Perhaps it was the fury and the physical pain showing in her eyes.
The two Sith – pure-blood Sith, he saw now, in black robes – rose at her entrance. “You are here. Good. You are worthy to be the Emperor’s Wrath.”
Akuliina glared at them. If looks could set things on fire, this hut would be a conflagration. He could see their logic. “You’ve got until the count of three to explain yourself.”
The taller Sith spread his hands peaceably. “We are your ally, friend. Look on me. I am Servant One; this is Servant Two. We are the Emperor’s Hand. The Dark Council runs blind. We alone oversee the Emperor’s will in the galaxy.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Akuliina demanded.
“You have been called,” said the smaller one, his face invisible within the depths of his hood.
“The Emperor tasks the Hand with a great undertaking, and you are to become his Wrath. Darth Baras seizes power against the Emperor’s wishes. He must be stopped.”
Akuliina drew herself up. “Very well. All of my resources are dedicated the Baras’s destruction.”
“The betrayer has motivated the Wrath,” said Servant Two in his soft voice.
“Since the Treaty of Coruscant, the Emperor has withdrawn from the known galaxy, preparing for a great calling,” explained Servant One. “The Emperor chooses one being to physically embody his will. This being is the Voice. It is obeyed as the Emperor himself. If the Dark Council declares Baras the Voice of the Emperor, he will have supreme power over the Empire.”
“The betrayer plays emperor,” said Servant Two. Quinn was starting to hate him. What was wrong with the Sith? Was he necessary?
“Scary thought,” Akuliina said sardonically. “Why would the Dark Council give Baras that power? How could the Dark Council give Baras that power?”
“The ring of the Sith is tarnished.”
Servant One nodded. “The Dark Council has been waiting for word from the Voice. Many are desperate for it to speak again. But the true Voice has been silenced. And in its absence, there is nothing to deny Baras’s claim. Some on the Council truly believe; others see an advantage in supporting him; and Baras plots against those who oppose him.”
“The threat dies when Baras dies,” Akuliina snarled. Everything about her was raw; even he could feel the energy in her about to boil over. She wouldn’t snap now, would she?
“He is too powerful to confront now,” Servant One cautioned her; her nostrils flared in irritation.
“The Wrath must build before reaching pitch,” Servant Two said.
“Baras means to force the Council to bow. But he believes you to be dead. That is our advantage.”
She took a deep breath, raising her head proudly, regaining some control over her heat. “Very well. I accept this task. Where shall I begin?”
“For now, recuperate from your injuries. We shall contact you once you leave this planet. Do not wait too long.”
“You have my word on that,” Akuliina said, and headed for the door.
She stubbornly made it back to the visiting officers’ quarters, where they were staying, on foot, but the stairs to their second-level apartment were too narrow for her crutches, so she let him support her up the stairs and into the room. She didn’t stop there, but directed him out to the balcony. “I’m not sitting inside right now.”
“Yes, my lady.” As they headed for the door, he nodded to Pierce. “Contact the others. Inform them what has occurred.” Jaesa was hunting weak Sith with Broonmark, and Vette was working on one of the Fury’s engines. They ought to know.
On the balcony, she sank into a chair, though her posture was still painfully straight, and stared out at Quesh’s evening landscape. And he saw her finally relax for the first time all day. Her face eased, and she looked very young and melancholy as she looked into the distance.
Then suddenly she smiled, and then she laughed. She laughed, wildly, estatically.
“My lady?” He stared at her, startled. Hadn’t she been depressed all day?
“This betrayal is the best thing that possibly could have happened!” she exclaimed, and turned to look at him, eyes figuratively glowing with confidence, her smile beaming with hope and even… triumph?
“I don’t understand. To be named the Emperor’s Wrath is a great honour, yes, but-”
She cut him off with a short shake of her head. “No! Don’t you see? I did not expect it so soon, but I should have. Baras has achieved his goal to be on the Dark Council; clearly he thinks he has no more need of me now that he’s one of the thirteen most powerful people in the galaxy. And I’ve been beginning to realize that I’ve never actually seen him do anything to earn his power. Like Lord Vengean said, since I met him, I’ve been the one to do all the work.”
“Never cared for old man Baras anyway,” Pierce called through the open door.
But Lord Vengean was dead… “You don’t believe him, do you?”
“I don’t have to believe some Sith Lord who couldn’t defeat me. All I have to do is see. I know Baras’s record, and he once did deeds of his own, but now he’s just an old man who needs proxies to do everything. Which would be fine except that he’s a Sith past his prime. So.” She leaned forward, her eyes burning with glee. “Now he has cast me loose, at the exact moment I’m ready to stand on my own two feet. It couldn’t be better if he’d done it on purpose for my benefit. And now I can find out just how strong I really am.”
He stared at her. “I… would not have thought of it that way.”
She smirked at him. “Is it not the same with you and Broysc, in a way? Broysc has put you through much adversity. Where would you be, had he not had his little fit?”
Much higher up the ranks, probably… but he also would never have had the opportunity to work for her. He wouldn’t have been challenged so. “You may have a point. …What will you do now?”
“I’m going to take them up on their offer. I don’t think they’d lie about being the Emperor’s Hand, but even if they are… they’ll give me the resources to take Baras down. I’ll take it. And if they betray me, too, I’ll strike them down.” She tilted her head at him. “The real question is… what will you do?”
His heart jumped nervously. “I… I’m going to go make dinner. You must be hungry, my lady.” Not the answer to her question. He didn’t want to answer.
She gave him a vaguely sympathetic look. “Think long and hard on it, Captain. And consider that Baras was perfectly willing to sacrifice you to get to me.” Captain. Not Quinn. If he returned to Baras now, he would be her enemy. Her hatred and fury were implacable; she would never relent. Neither would Baras. This would never, ever be reconciled.
But to be her enemy… to abandon her now… he wouldn’t be able to bear such a state.
As he stood and made for the door to the interior, Vette appeared and flew through it. “Linaaaa! Pierce called and told me everything! Are you all right? How’s your leg?” She threw her arms around Akuliina’s neck and hugged her. “We’re fighting Baras now, right? I’ve already updated my score-card.”
After a startled moment, Akuliina hugged Vette back briefly and pushed her back, making her sit in the chair Quinn had just vacated. “I’ve never been better, actually, and let me tell you why…”
He watched her through the window as he prepared food. She seemed to glow in the light of the ruddy setting sun, eyes filled with an indomitable light, a beatific smile on her face as she gazed into the distance, mind undoubtedly filled with plans for vengeance and domination.
His stomach twisted within him. He knew where his loyalty ultimately lay. She was right, more right than she would ever know. But he couldn’t leave her. He was trapped, and torn, and one day soon, he would pay for it, one way or another.