Val held the small metal cylinder tightly, still unable to believe he was now its owner. Ben had been reduced to an utterly childlike state when their uncle had revealed their gifts. Val had not seen his brother since. He'd retreated down into the training room for the majority of the day, swinging away his enthusiasm against any droid or sparring partner he could find. Val was equally excited, but his mind had fixated on questions about the lightsaber's origin. Jae had been frustratingly vague when asked, telling Val that he'd collected it in his travels. This was not a lie, but it was deceptive, Val had sensed that. His uncle had not revealed anything further and so Val decided to try other means.
He held the lightsaber in front of him, his thumb hovered above the activation switch. With a deft motion and a hiss of energy, the blade sparked into being in front of him. Crimson light bathed over him, a dull heat radiating from the pulsing energy beam. It rippled viciously, though as he watched he noted that beneath that was a strong and stable current at the core. Val found this interesting, as Ben's own saber blade was pure and calm in comparison. He was a bit jealous of his brother's gift, as it was clear that the weapon was better constructed. When the excited young man had activated it seconds after grabbing it from his uncle's hand, the bright sky-blue beam had nearly decapitated Val.
I am the second son, Val thought, I'm lucky to have received this. He held the blade in front of him at an angle, then gave it a few swings. The red light danced across the leaves of the darkened garden, long shadows danced across the ground as he recited one of the basic swordsmanship forms Korta had taught him. The weight of the weapon surprised him, it was heavy in a strange way, most of the weight concentrated in the hilt. When he swung the blade it was as if swinging in water, as if the blade itself resisted him. Within a few minutes he had grown used to it and attempted a few of the more acrobatic maneuvers Korta had trained him in. A poorly executed spinning slash almost went awry, causing the boy to reconsider further attempts, he was not prepared for that yet.
He sat beneath the Venell pine at the center of the grove. He lay the weapon before him for a moment, catching his breath. The air smelled of pine needles and sweet alien flowers of a thousand Imperial worlds. His mind drifted to his mother, before settling back on the weapon before him. I wonder... he thought. His eyes closed of their own volition and before he had truly thought it through, he was reaching out through the force. The weapon rose and activated, the red light fell across his face, far too close. He stumbled back, slamming into something immovable behind him. A woman stood before him, hand grasping the blade tightly.
Val felt overwhelming fear in her presence. She radiated malice and hatred. A blue light rose to meet the crimson, from her shadow appeared a second figure. They were both shadows, all was shadow, as Val sooned realized. He was surrounded by it, inky darkness that cloyed and crawled around them. Bolts of energy raced around them as they were joined by figures, thousands of men and women, a city of shades, more silhouette than being. They were at war, he realized.
The woman struck first, lashing out in a beautiful spinning slash that drove the man back. The blades flashed together like lightning in a storm, painting them in flashes of white, blue and red as they contended. So fast... was all Val could comprehend, they were hardly visible in motion, his mind only registering them in the moments between furious clashes. Their voices washed over him, distant and unintelligible, but filled with rage and pain. There was something else there, something beneath the rage and fury.
The shadows danced together, the light of their blades flashing and sparking as those around them fought and died in vicious close combat. The sound was otherworldly, screams of a million dying beings, of pain and desperation. Then something changed, as if the wind had suddenly shifted. It was a feeling, fleeting but intense. No, not a feeling Val thought, his mind searching for its source. He realized then that he'd lost the pair among the maelstrom. They stood opposed, gasping for breath as the world came undone around them.
The man stood first, leveling his blade. Fury overwhelmed Val, wracking his body in waves of confused sympathy. It was all encompassing, white-hot behind his eyes. He screamed, she screamed as she leapt forward spinning in a vicious attack aimed at the heart of her foe. She would overpower his guard and pin him to...
The fury was gone as she realized what she had done. His blade lay at his feet, the blue light dead and forgotten. His arms hung limply at his side, offering no defense. She recoiled as the realization washed through her. No no no no their mind repeated. I didn't mean it, they thought. She withdrew the blade, deactivating it, pouring her power into him, but he would not let her. Too much she thought, though it was not her own, Too late the voice said. She was beyond tears, beyond rationality and all awareness. The moment lingered as she tried vainly to repair what she had done.
Val awoke with a start, his heart racing, his mind in a panic. He wiped sweat from his face and tears from his eyes. The saber remained where he had placed it. It took a long time for him to dare touching it, fearing to see the horrific scene repeated. Eventually he ventured to do so, happy that the vision did not return.
He lingered there until his heart slowed and calmed. Finally he stood, putting himself together for the walk back to his room. Something stirred behind him, crashing down from above. Zeya's bare feet crashed into his shoulder, sending him reeling down the path. He only barely managed to stay standing. His sister landed gracefully, her diminutive frame flashing toward him in a hail of kicks and punches. He laughed as she tried in vain to inflict her frustration on him.
"It's not fair!" she yelled repeatedly as she wailed on him viciously. She attempted a few strikes at his face but her arms fell short of their target. His fit of laughter was making it difficult to restrain her, though ineffectual, she was quick.
"A stupid necklace!" she screamed. Val had hardly contained his laughter when Jae had greeted her with the gift. It was a small jeweled lace of great value, but Jae Siddall did not know Zeya. The girl had stared daggers at her brothers, green with envy.
Val tried to speak between gasps of laughter, "If you... stop... I'll let you... hold it!" he wheezed. The deluge of blows ceased an instant later. "Give me!" she yelled, flailing her arms in front of him. He extended her arm, pushing her back a step. "Promise me you will be careful." he said seriously.
"OfcourseI'llbecarefulnowgiveithere!" she squealed. Val held the weapon out slowly, pointing with his free hand toward the emitter, "The blade will extend from here when you activate it, point it away from me and hold it firmly." he stated with growing seriousness. She calmed a bit, though she still radiated excitement and glee. She took hold of the saber slowly, then turned away from him. A moment later, with some effort, she activated the weapon. Red light flashed into being ahead of her, eliciting an enraptured, "Wooooooah" from the girl.
Val couldn't help but smirk, "Give it a few swings, slowly and carefully." he said. She did so with great care, deliberately tracing a path ahead of her. She took a few steps, swinging as she did so. Val's smile only grew wider, he had a soft spot for his younger sister.
"Ben chased me out of the training room when I asked him." Zeya said. Val figured that would be his reaction. For all of his merits, Ben had little patience for their sister. Actually, Val thought, Ben just doesn't have patience. Zeya laughed as she began the beginner forms that Korta had begun teaching her only weeks before. Val noted that she was far more advanced than he had been at her age. She twisted once, aiming at a fallen branch and slicing it in two with a swing, it came apart neatly and glowed with rapidly dissipating heat where the blade had touched.
Zeya turned and smiled at her brother, then deactivated the weapon. A devious look came over her face, then disappeared as Val frowned down at her. The brat had momentarily thought of stealing the weapon and hiding it for herself. "I hate it when you do that." She said glumly, then held the saber out to him. He took it gingerly, then placed it on his belt. "Do what?" he said mockingly. This response was met with an immediate punch to the hip that he oversold as excruciating.
"Thank you." she said sadly, "Ben wouldn't even let me watch him."
"He's not angry at you Zey, he's got... things on his mind." he said.
"Miri?" Zeya asked, "What happened to her? Noone will tell me!"
Val considered this for a moment, "Somebody hurt her to get to Uncle Sharr." he responded, knowing that she would see through any lie he concocted in the moment.
"Who? Ben keeps talking about the Adrass! Is it them? The lecturer won't let me sit by Gyrael anymore." she blurted out in rapid succession.
"Chiko Suvan." Val replied bluntly.
"Who's that?" Zeya asked.
Val's smile was gone by then, "Grom Adrass' daughter, Gyrael's eldest sister. Well... half sister." he explained.
"Oh." Zeya replied, not fully understanding why that was important but realizing that from Val's tone that it was indeed so. Val swiped at her hair, knocking loose a few pine needles that fell to the ground below.
"Time for bed I think." He said, not bothering to check, explaining their feud with Adrass was not a task he was up to at the moment.
"Nooooooo..." Zeya said desperately, begging her brother not to make her. Val just smiled and turned toward the entrance.
"You know I heard that there was a kath hound pup loose in here somewhere..." he said with some menace. It was just a rumor of course, but the Kidann garden could easily have held such a creature. The scale of the place was more like that of a small forest than a garden.
"Not anymore..." Zeya said distantly. Val spared her a confused glance, wondering what she meant by that before resuming his stride toward the distant gate. He heard her padding up behind him, matching his pace with some effort. Together the two left the garden, entering the palace. Minutes later, as he prepared himself for sleep, Val laid the lightsaber upon the workbench.
For a moment he considered it, then curiosity got the better of his good sense. He reached out again, trying to see again the shadow world and the battle. He was unable to regain the vision. As he lay down to sleep he recounted every detail he could remember. Eventually, as his eyes grew heavy and his mind drifted away, the vision slipped and was forgotten.
Sharr Kidann was generally the most kind and joyful of Val's four uncles. As he watched the man from his father's side he was no longer so certain of the man's nature. This was a side he'd not seen, the hatred that rolled off the patrician was sickeningly intense to Val's senses. Sharr was consumed with a desire for vengeance. Miri was confined to the hospital, her wounds superficial but painful and debilitating.
Sharr had remained at his seat for as long as he could, his skin glowing red with the heat of his fury. He'd endured three days of fruitless investigation and argumentation without any motion toward recompense for his daughter's suffering. When he broke, it was total and violent. Grom Adrass was seated to Tae's left, only a meter away from Val's position to his father's rear left. The man's face held a smirk of glee that Val found utterly infuriating, he could only imagine what his uncle felt.
Sharr Kidann clawed his way to the barrier separating the high council from the rest of the noble assembly, his eyes holding tears of desperation and rage. "As a senior councilman I demand justice for my daughter and my house!" Sharr yelled, his voice cracking on the latter half. This only deepened Grom's smirk, causing Val to repress a violent impulse, the saber at his side called to him. It would have been so easy to... what was he thinking? Was that thought even his own?
Those kinds of thoughts had been coming easier than before. Val had begun to recognize this change slowly, wondering if this was related to the weapon at his side. The months since the attack on Miri had not been easy for the family. Though she would be okay physically, Miri was not the same person she had been before. It infuriated Val to see her that way. Nobody could have said a bad word about her, she was truly gentle in a way that defied reasonable expectations of a person. The pain she had endured, so deliberate and indiscriminate as it had been...
Grom's voice rose to meet Sharr's, his face twisting into a vicious sneer of contempt, "I have told you Kidann. House Adrass had no knowledge or culpability of the attack on young Miri'Bael..."
Sharr erupted as Miri's name rolled off of the Adrass Patriarch's tongue. "I denied your betrothal proposition and suddenly, without other cause my daughter is attacked?" Sharr's anger was pointed, his next accusation drawing vicious hissing and shouts from the Adrass loyalists among the council. "Your bitch of a daughter is responsible! Miri herself identified her as the attacker!"
Grom's sneer soured, his face twisting into pure anger at the accusation. Val noted that it was not genuine, the man was acting and doing so convincingly, were it not for the energy that radiated from him, Val May have believed his performance. "You will speak of my daughter with respect! She is not responsible for the attack on..."
Sharr could not contain his fury further, "I know who is responsible you bastard! She was merely the willing puppet of the decrepit reptile that fathered her!" The response from the Adrass loyalists was immediate and proportionate to the accusation. The entire floor rose from their seats, blows were exchanged as the council of nobles descended into momentary anarchy. Val's hand rested on the saber at his side. Draw now while you still have the chance... strike down Grom and... His father's voice commanded his attention.
Tae Kidann was standing now, speaking in a soft but firm tone into the projector. "Sharr Kidann, you have leveled an accusation against a member of the high council, what evidence do you offer?" The room was suddenly quiet again, the growing conflict stifled by the unexpected question. Sharr Kidann was silent for a moment, dumbstruck by his brother's inquest.
"Brother, Miri identified Chiko Suvan as..." Tae waved his hand, silencing him. "A single witness is not reliable enough on their own to support a charge of this severity councilman Kidann." Tae Kidann said, eschewing the familiarity speaking to one's brother should usually elicit. Val felt suddenly ill, pity for his uncle mixed with hopeless anger as the scene unfolded before him. Val knew, everyone knew that the Adrass were responsible, but there was not enough evidence to hold them as such.
Sharr floundered, sputtering as he spoke. "I'll kill you for this Grom! You'll not get away with it!" The words hung in the air. Val suppressed another violent impulse as Grom relaxed, his smirk returning. He'd gotten what he wanted and this battle was now finished. "Is that a threat councilman Kidann?" Grom asked with barely restrained glee. "Guards, please detain the councilman, he is to be..." Tae Kidann was standing again, his hand raised, halting the already approaching guards. "No Grom, my brother was not threatening you, he was merely caught up in his passions."
Tae's eyes fell heavily upon his brother, disapproval and frustration evident. Sharr's own were downturned, the shame of his previous actions now evident in the silence of the chamber. Grom did not challenge Tae in this, though he performed outrage well in the wake of it. Tae's voice broke the silence moments later.
"This matter is contentious, but vital. Further quarrels of this kind cannot be allowed, we have a responsibility to the common good and to ourselves to prevent this from spiraling into conflict." The room murmured some ascent to this. Tae turned to Val, his eyes boring into the boy for a moment, a minuscule smile crept onto his face before he turned back to the assembly.
"I believe it is in the best interest of the common good and in the pursuit of justice that this matter be investigated fully, to discover the culprits and absolution to the innocent among us." He began, drawing soft cheers across the room. He held up his hand again, silencing them, his face utterly serious now. "In this pursuit I elect to turn this investigation over to the order of the Imperial Knights..."
Chaos erupted instantly, Grom stood for the first time, his veneer of serene indifference now broken. "This is improper! The Imperial Charter disallows the order from interfering in matters unless directly ordered by..." Korta strode to Tae's side, handing a datapad to Grom. The man took it, his hands shaking with rage as he read the message upon it. He tossed the machine back into Korta's chest as he turned and stalked away. Following their leader, the Adrass loyalists stormed out of the chambers, causing as much damage as they could on their way out, spitting and yelling at their opponents.
Val relaxed, he'd felt Grom's rage at the moment of his father's announcement. The look in the man's eyes had been murderous, as if he were an instant away from ripping the Kidann patriarch's throat out. Tae had been serene and passive, allowing the out-maneuvered Grom to make the next move, daring him to make such an attempt. The presence of Korta had dissuaded Adrass, he was not so foolish as to try something direct in the presence of a Knight. Korta looked disappointed, perhaps he'd hoped it would have been that simple, but it had only been a hope.
The council dissolved a few minutes later. Val watched from the doorway as Tae comforted his younger brother. Their conversation was brief and devolved quickly into the same disagreement that had shown earlier on the floor. Sharr would not allow the Knights to take vengeance for him, this was a personal matter that should be resolved as such. Tae argued elsewise, but even Tae Kidann, Governor of Taris could not dissuade an angry father from seeking revenge.
Val's jaw dropped as the ultimatum was leveled, "I will strip you of your name, brother." Tae stated coldly, not threatening, but promising. Sharr's eyes widened, his bearded face setting into a scowl of disbelief.
"You don't mean that." Sharr said dismissively, though his eyes were filled with concern.
Tae Kidann stood resolutely before him, nodding once, "I do Sharr, I will take it from you before I allow you to shame it." He said, anger leaking into his voice. He placed a hand on Sharr's shoulder, relenting a bit and casting his eyes downward. "We are above this, we have to be." He said.
Sharr pulled away, his chest heaving with rage, only with great effort did he restrain himself. "You don't understand, she's not your daughter. I'll kill him Tae, I swear it."
Tae Kidann nodded, stepping back from his brother, "You will not strike the first blow, but we will strike the final, brother." Tae said. Val's heart hammered as the realization fell on him. We're going to war. His father's mind had been made up, it had been all along. He'd lured Grom into an honor trap, investigation of his house by Imperial authority would strike a terrible blow to his prestige. Now, with that sword looming above him the only option was to strike back.
It was unfair how much better Ben was than him. Val tried, he really did, but Ben was on another level when it came to blades. Val rubbed the sting from his arm, the low-energy setting of Ben's saber hurt, but did not do lasting harm. Val was frustrated and that was causing him to be sloppy, he knew that somewhere deep within, but realizing it didn't keep him from spiraling. Val looked up from where he sat on the wooden floor of the training room. Ben deactivates his lightsaber and placed it on his belt, his face creased with lines of annoyance.
Ben has refrained from taunting him today. That was abnormal, everything about Ben's demeanor was abnormal. With every subsequent failure on Val's part, Ben grew more frustrated with him. There had been many failures since they had begun sparring two days before, after Val had begged his brother to help. He was scared, he'd admitted that much to Ben. Not just scared but unprepared as well.
"Would you please try to make this difficult?" Ben asked, rubbing frustration from his brow. The elder brother was not even breathing heavily. Val was ashamed, he had no excuse to be this awful, it was neglect of his duty that had led him here.
He looked to the floor,ashamed to face his brother. "I am trying." Val replied, anger bubbling in his throat, choking him enough to break his voice. He was tired, his body ached horribly from the rigors and exertion of their bouts.
"I know you are." Ben said, Val looked up to see his brother closer now and moving toward him. Ben's face was serious but reassuring, "I'm glad you want to learn, but I wish you'd have asked earlier." Ben said, kneeling and offering a hand to help Val to his feet.
Val was stunned, Ben wasn't so gracious in victory. He took his brother's hand carefully, expecting some sort of punishment for being so trusting. Ben merely pulled him up, dusted him off and placed Val's saber back into its owner's hand. "This is not an easy thing to learn, it requires devotion." Ben said, no doubt repeating something Korta had said. "Devotion Val, that's the difference between us, you are playing at this." His brother said, holding his own saber up, his eyes looking down toward Val.
Val nodded, unsure what to say to that. He wasn't wrong, as much as Val wanted him to be. "That's okay Val." Ben said, pulling his younger brother back, "You don't have to choose this, the galaxy is bigger than that." Ben added, stepping back. Val was filled with fresh annoyance at that, his brother didn't think he had what it took, that this was a waste of time. Show him...
Val ignited his lightsaber, Ben spun to face him on reflex, his own weapon roaring to life. Val was already running, his weapon lashed out wildly, sudden strength lending him a heavy hand that pushed Ben onto the defensive for the first time. Val was a blur of energy, moving in a manner he'd never managed on his best day. He could win, he could beat his brother if he just persisted.
Experience slowly allowed Ben to regain his footing, years of training and devotion lent the older brother the endurance to weather the storm. Eventually, Val realized that he couldn't break Ben this way, that even with this unnatural strength and speed, he was not strong enough. Desperation drove him, it was not permitted to use the force against your opponent directly unless a trainer was overseeing the bout. Win... the voice said.
Ben grasped at his throat, panic crossing his face as Val lifted him from his feet. Ben dropped his saber, surrendering but Val didn't recognize that. Val saw only the shadows, the world burned around him. A cry rang out from below, it was Zeya. As he looked to the source the flames rose below him, black flames that clung and slithered as if they had a design. It wasn't just Zeya, but Miri and Ben as well, his father and mother, Sharr, Korta and a million others. He wanted to scream but the black flames choked them back, his flesh burned as he watched and the agony tore his mind apart.
Something hit him across the cheek, sending him stumbling back. Ben's saber clattered to the floor next to him as he fell heavily onto the floor. Val realized that Ben had used the force to toss the weapon at him. Ben gasped desperately across from him, his face red and eyes wide with pain. The two sat for a long moment, eyes locked as they considered what had occurred. Ben's face turned from anger to worry as he stared into Val's.
"H... How did you... do that?" Ben asked between gasps of breath. Val wasn't sure, not sure of any of it. He wanted to run, wanted to get away from what he'd just done. He stood, moving for the doorway to escape but Ben caught him, still gasping. Val prepared himself for the beating that would follow, he wouldn't fight back, he deserved it. Ben wrapped him in an embrace, as Val opened his eyes he realized that Ben was laughing through the pain. "That was amazing!" he would have yelled, but it came out more like a wheeze. "You have to teach me that!" Ben said with uncontained excitement, his voice still croaking.
Val was dumbstruck, "I... don't know if I can..." Val said, his mind still remembering the flames, or if I want to, he thought. He still felt a small amount of that power, the overwhelming impulse that had guided him. Was that mine? He wondered to himself. He had felt like a passenger in his own body. Ben shook him a bit, "Hey! You alright?" he asked, his voice returning to normal slowly. Val wasn't, but he was well enough to pretend that he was. "I'm fine... are you okay?"
Ben took a step back, "I'm fine." he stated, clearing his throat. "Where did you learn that? Korta hasn't taught me anything like that, I need to pass selection first." Ben said with some frustration. Val relished this moment, Ben was jealous of him, probably for the first time in their lives. He smiled at his brother, "Well, I could show you but I'm not sure if you're up to it." he said viciously. Ben's face twisted in recognition of his brother's words, the same sentiment he had expressed to Val only a few minutes before.
"That's not what I meant Val." Ben looked stymied for a moment, then held out his hands defensively, "If you want to do this, to really learn what it means to be a Knight, then you need to ask Korta." Ben said with some exasperation. Val had considered it, but had not gone through with it as of yet. Asking Korta for training would mean taking the selection trials, committing himself toward the life of an Imperial Knight. Val wasn't yet certain that was the life he wanted, not certain if he was even capable of starting down that road. He remembered the power he had felt in surrendering to the force, giving in to his emotions.
"He's too busy now, when the fight with the Adrass is over I'll ask him." Val said reluctantly, his heart making a leap his mind hadn't yet. Ben smiled, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "Great! We'll go in together! The brothers Kidann, Knights of the Empire." Ben said, his mind already imagining it. Val's own thoughts strayed back to the flames. Ben grabbed Val and pulled him back toward the center of the room.
"Come on, just a few more bouts and we'll call it a day, I'll take it easy on you so you can keep up." he said, his heart in the right place. Val grimaced at that, then ignited his saber. Ben quickly discovered that Val had been learning, and rapidly. Though he could not mount an offense to drive his older brother back, Val found that he could defend himself. With some time and a devoted effort, Val knew that he would one day match his brother. When they finished their final bout, Ben wrapped one arm around his brother's shoulder reassuringly before leading their way out of the training room. Val smiled the entire way back to his room, the brother he'd lost with their mother had returned and the future was full of possibility.