Legacy of the End Pt 2

[FallenNightAngel]

Chapter Three

Azryel opened his eyes, his head still hurt from yesterday’s fight. He sat himself up and shook his head from side to side to try and wake himself up. It was then he noticed that he wasn’t alone; Ayliena was sitting in his chair. Her face was looking a lot better than it did after Selaphiel’s attack.

“Morning,” she said smiling at him, “I brought you breakfast.”

“You didn’t have too,” Azryel laughed, “I am more than capable of getting it.”

“Not from what I saw last night. Do you even know how you got into bed last night?” she said giving him a sideways glance.

Azryel thought back, he left the dining room early, for several reasons he hated looking at his Father especially after the training session; the other was that he had been feeling really sick and dizzy. He had seen his door and wanted to go in. That was where it went blank. He looked at Ayliena. “Did you put me into bed?”

Ayliena laughed, “Me and Ehno. You are heavier than you look.” She gave him a wink and brought his breakfast over. She then donned a more concerned face, “You were talking in your sleep. I got Lady Arabella to come and take a look at you. She said you would be fine but I could stay and keep an eye on you.” She gave a brief smile, “You were talking in your sleep.”

“What was I talking about?” Azryel said,

“Don’t worry,” she said, “it’s nothing important.” She quickly got up and headed for the door, before adding, “Just the mad ramblings of a Sith,” she gave him a quick smile and left.

Azryel had no idea what he had mumbled in his sleep, but now he was no longer feeling sick he was going to go talk to his Mother like Sariel had suggested.

After having got himself dressed in some comfortable and yet oddly smart clothes for Azryel’s taste he went to the family library. If Mother was anywhere it was there. The Library as huge, full of historical documents, there was a pleasant musty smell, which just made the whole place feel alive and rich. He walked further into the library until he could see his Mothers desk. There she was sitting writing something; probably solving some ancient secret of the Farrens. He already knew she was aware of his presence; she was very good at using the Force. In fact she would rarely draw her lightsaber choosing instead to attack with the full power of the Force. He had seen her send a bolt of lightning from her hand and split a training dummy; without doubt that would have killed any living being.

“Hello sweetheart,” Arabella started, “It is nice seeing you looking a lot better than last night. I take it Ayliena stayed with you?”

Azryel took a few more steps closer, “I feel a lot better thank you. And yes she did watch over me, at the very least she was there when I woke up.” He stood there for a moment, “Mother, I.” he stopped, not really sure on what the right thing to say.

She walked from behind her desk and gave him a hug, holding him close. “I know Azryel. I know.” She pulled away and looked at his green eyes. “Come, I think there may be something that can help.” She led him to the back of the library and felt out with the Force; there was a hidden panel behind the far bookcase that only a Force user could activate. With the switch activated the bookcase rolled back slightly revealing a descending stair case.

“What is that?” Azryel asked confused, he didn’t know about this place.

“It is the stair well to the sealed catacombs.” She said in a matter of fact way.

“We have a sealed one? I know about the main catacomb where we will all be buried but,”

Arabella laughed, “Stop asking so many questions and follow me.” She led him down the stairs picking up one of the lanterns on the way down. There was a very damp smell, with a cold chill that made her spine shudder. She looked over her shoulder to see Azryel taking everything in seemingly unaffected by the cold. She took the left turning at the fork at the end of the passage. There were doors all along the passages with numbers above. They came at last to one door; above there was a number one. “We are here Azryel.” She opened the door and stepped in with him following suite. It was a well sized room with a bookcase on one side and in the centre a sealed tomb.

“Okay Mother, I am a little freaked out. What exactly is this place?” Azryel said, his heart speeding up with the rising fear.

“This is the final resting places of the Farren members who are not to be buried with the main family.”

“I gathered that but why?”

“Many reasons; sometimes it is shame, sometimes it is secrets. In the case of this one it is the past.” Her eyes were focused on the coffin.

“Mother I,” Azryel started,

“Azryel, you need to stay here. Learn what you can from this ancestor and maybe, just maybe things will make more sense to you.” She placed the lantern on a small table in the corner.

Azryel was going to say something but his mother just walked out. He looked around once more; he was in a secret tomb with a dead person. That wasn’t creepy at all he thought. On top of the tomb was a holocron. Holocrons were devices that had been used to store vast amounts of data. The user would navigate his or her way through the information by a holographic representation of the person who recorded the information. He moved close to it, his heart raced as he outstretched his hand and touched the device. The small cube started glowing from within. The light got brighter, and then with a few flashes it went out.

He looked at the cube, “Well that was anticlimactic,” he said trying to fight the eeriness with humour. He set it back down and turned to the book case, it was while turning that he noticed something that made his heart stop. He stopped still; then slowly he turned back around. By the desk, there was a woman. She had long hair and a sharp face. The most obvious feature was her being translucent and being surrounded by a faint glow. She was a ghost. Azryel had heard of Force ghosts before; spirits of deceased Force users that had found a way to come back to communicate with the living.

“You did not seriously expect it to work after all these years? It was sabotaged over two hundred years ago.” The apparition said,

Azryel didn’t know what to say, “Um… are you the, erh…” he pointed at the tomb. “um… person,”

“Yes.” She said sounding a little irritated, “It is my body encased inside.”

“Who are you?” Azryel said, his curiosity now greater than his fear,

“Well you should know who I am, but generations ago they tried to hide it. I am Tamzin Farren. It was I who was expelled from the Jedi, and I who set the Farren family up on Korriban.”

Azryel was actually talking to the first of his Farren lineage. She had once been a Jedi; and this was who Mother thought might be able to help him?

“So you are clearly in my Tomb for a reason, what is it?”

Tamzin was also clearly quite a straight talker. “I am here because I don’t know what I believe, it sounds stupid but that’s it.” He braced himself for some kind of mockery, but was surprised when none came. Instead she just looked at him, after a moment she arose and moved over to the tomb and perched on the corner in front of him.

“I know what that feels like. I had given up wondering if any of my descendants would ever feel the same, and yet here you stand.” She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, “In the end it is all about what you think is right not what everyone else tells you. Not even your own family. Over there,” she said pointing at the bookshelf, “one from the end, top shelf. Yes that’s it; that is my diary. It covers my departure from the Jedi; you may even feel it resonate with you. When you want to know more come back and see me; I am not going anywhere,” she flashed him a smile and disappeared.

“But I, wanted to ask some more questions,” Azryel said into the emptiness. He looked down at the book in his hands, her diary she had said; maybe his questions were answered in here. With that he left the room.

Ayliena had finished her various duties for the day and decided to check in on Azryel. She knocked on his door and waited for a reply. The door opened and she entered finding him on his bed reading some dusty old book. “What are you reading Azryel?” she asked as she drew closer. His head came up and he quickly looked past her to the door. Whatever he had been looking for he was evidently happy with the answer; as he sat up with a look of amazement on his face.

“Ayliena you can’t tell anyone this but something amazing happened this morning.”

“Okay,” she said taking a seat on his bed, “Spit it out,” Azryel then recounted the most interesting account of seeing a ghost of the first Farren and then being given her diary. She had never really understood anything about the Force but she knew it was responsible for some strange things. Her eyes fell on the diary and noticed that he had gotten over a third of the way through it. “So what does it say?”

He looked down. “It is fascinating, the Jedi believed that they should protect a group of star systems and there fledgling government at their behest. In this process the Jedi decided that there philosophies about the Force needed to become uniform. It was during this time that they felt that emotions led to selfishness and destruction and as such feelings and attachments should be controlled and suppressed in favour of a kind of inner peace. It was felt that this inner peace provided more power than any emotion could. The decision was made that this would become a baseline for Jedi teaching. There was uproar from certain factions, some of which was extreme and resulted in the deaths of some Jedi. They called this kind of behaviour the result of the Dark side of the Force. Ironically the Jedi themselves were using fear to control their own people. Tamzin and others were moderates who did not believe that emotions were evil let alone that suppressing them was a good idea. In response from these, well, as far as the Jedi were concerned dissidents; something had to be done. When one of these ‘dissidents’ ended up in a fight and killing another Jedi in a public place it was all the excuse they needed to start a purge. Overnight the Jedi tried to clean house, many friends were pitted against each other and in the end there was a large evacuation in which those that objected to the path the Jedi were going down, which unfortunately included some ruthless and evil people as Tamzin recounts, took on self-imposed exile to avoid execution.” He took a deep breath, “The rest seems to be what happens between exile and what took place on Korriban when the exiled Jedi met the original Sith species.”

“Wow, that sounds amazing,” Ayliena couldn’t think of anything else to say. It was clear from his face that he had found something’s helpful in what he had already read. “So have you had any thoughts on what you are going to do?”

He had thought about that, and if anything he realised he had a lot to learn but maybe he could learn what he needed to from Tamzin as she seemed to make more sense, than listening to his father. “I think I will go and see her again tomorrow and maybe when I come back I will have a better idea.”

“I am so pleased that you are finding some answers, you look a lot more like your old self.” She gave him a warm smile. It had been about a year ago when Azryel had suffered some kind of crisis of purpose. He didn’t feel that he fitted in with the traditions of the Sith and in many ways objected them. His biggest fear became that if he aspired towards being powerful, as was the norm, he would lose himself to the intoxicating nature of power. She had been trying to be strong and supportive of him, but in the end she didn’t understand; all she could do was be his friend, not just his slave.

Azryel chuckled, “Well yeah I guess I do feel better than I did a while ago,” he paused, “Thank you Ayliena.”

“For what?”

“Being there for me; you have been more supportive than others in my family, so thank you.” He looked at her and started seeing her in a different light; she had always been his friend. He had never seen her as a slave and whenever people called her one it made him feel frustrated and a little guilty. The joy of it all is that when it was just the two of them she would talk to him like a friend but as they got older it felt, well, different.

She put her hand on his fore arm, “It is a pleasure, I mean in the end you have helped me far more then I have ever helped you. In the end though Azryel if I can help you I will.”

Azryel was about to say something when there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” he said hiding the book under his pillow. And Ayliena pulled away to stand by the wall. The door opened and Arabella walked in, her aide, as she referred to her slaves; David was staying in the hallway.

“Ayliena,” She smiled, “Would you be a dear and give me and my son a moment.”

“Of course my Lady,” she bowed once and left the room giving Azryel one last glance and a quick smile.

With the door closed, Arabella looked at her son. “You never told me how it went in the tomb.”

“I think you know how it went mother,” he gave her a knowing look,

She laughed, “Well I certainly wasn’t going to let any Force ghost kill my only son.” She went serious, “I take it you found what you needed?”

“Not quite, I am going back tomorrow. I think there is something to her that makes sense, maybe I can learn from her.” He said thinking of what their conversation might be like,

“Azryel, under no circumstance tell your Father that you have been in that tomb, let alone that you have communed with her spirit.”

“Why?”

“She is locked in there for a reason Azryel. She has killed a few Farrens that have gone in their in search of her secrets.”

Azryel thought for a moment, “So there was a chance she would kill me?”

“Yes, but I was fairly certain you would be okay. I do research these things and if she had tried I would have shown her my angry side.” A smile came to her lips,

Azryel knew full well that when his Mother was angry everyone stayed out of her way, even his Father. “Okay.” He said smirking, and then it was gone replaced by a cold feeling. Why would Mother say to never tell Father? It’s not like they have a relationship past the fact they were Father and son, in fact relationship was a strong word, mutual dislike summed it up better. “What would he do if he found out?”

“I don’t know sweet heart.” She moved close and gave him a kiss on the forehead, “It would be best you learn from her fast, I think.”

“What are the secrets she knows, that are so desirable?” Trying to get one last question in before she left,

“I don’t know sweetie, all that information was destroyed hundreds of years ago. Anyone who might know is dead, what’s left is in the tomb guarded by her.” She headed for the door, “Good night Azryel.”

 

 

Chapter Four

The beginning of the week had been slightly heated with the family training battle, the Selaphiel and Ayliena incident, which had brought Azryel out fighting. Things though had been fairly quite the rest of the week; it was by no means a bad thing. Selaphiel was working harder on her lightsaber forms, Azryel had been a little mysterious in his studies; but he was taking a much greater interest in learning than he had before which was a good thing. Sariel bless her had been trying to use the Force in some fascinating ways. She would be a formidable Sith; stronger than even Arabella.

Tyler lay in bed thinking over all of this when a red arm slithered out of the sheets and found its way onto his bare chest, “Good morning” he said turning over pulling close to his wife giving her a kiss.

Arabella moved into her husband’s form and returned the kiss with passion; she then pulled away and looked at him. He looked as handsome as the day they had first met. “What were you thinking about?”

He looked down for a moment, “I was thinking about the family and how everything has been improving the last week. I think Selaphiel is all fired up due to Azryel’s show of strength. I think he might have had her if I hadn’t intervened.”

“Then why didn’t you tell him that?” She asked

“He needs to know without being told. Wasn’t it you who said I should let him find himself?”

“Yes, but you do bring him down when you see him. You let your disappointment show, bury it and you might see your boy shine.”

Tyler thought for a second, she was right he was disappointed in his son. But he was changing and maybe he had to allow that change. “What do you know?”

Arabella leaned in once more lightly pressing her lips to his before saying, “Nothing, but he is changing is he not,” she winked,

Tyler wasn’t stupid, and she knew he wasn’t. It was her way of saying ‘leave him to me, back off and you will be proud of what your son will become’. It was with that he thought about the one thing that they had been withholding from their children. “We are going to need to tell them Bella.”

Neither moved and they allowed the silence to fill the room, “Okay; you are right; I know but let’s wait until we return from Korriban.”

“That sounds like a great idea.” He said with a serious smile.

 

Sariel had enjoyed the quiet week, in the end there was only so much bickering any being can take. She was curled up on the main sofa in the family lounge. It was a large beautiful room, with chairs some book cases and a traditional open fire place. She was waiting for the others to turn up as Mother and Father had asked to speak to them all this morning. Ehno was sitting on a chair in the corner reading a book about murder mysteries; he was always very professional at all times, but some days she could get him to recount one of the mysteries he had read, and he was so good at it too. She lifted her hand and a mug of hot tea floated smoothly from the table to her waiting hand. She enjoyed the aroma of hot tea. She took a quick sip, suddenly noticing that Azryel had quietly slipped into the room; taking a chair in the corner. He looked exhausted. What had he been up to the last week? This time she heard the door open and Selaphiel entered, giving Sariel a big smile and Azryel; well Sariel would have expected a scowl but she gave him a half smile. That fight between the two of them had really changed things. Father walked in, turned and held the door open for Mother. It was one of the things that Father did that always impressed Sariel; she hoped that there would be a Sith out there who would treat her like that.

“Okay, you’re Mother and I will be going to Korriban for two weeks. While we are away we will be leaving Selaphiel in charge.” Tyler stated,

“What?” Azryel called,

“Azryel,” this came from Arabella, “Your Sister has much to learn and this is how she learns. I think she has learned her lessons from earlier in the week,” she glanced towards Selaphiel to make sure her words go through, “Support each other and there will be no problems,” She finished with a smile.

Sariel couldn’t help but always be impressed by the way their Mother spoke, so elegant and strong but positive. Sariel still had much to learn, but one day maybe.

“Yes Mother,” Azryel resigned himself,

“As your Mother said,” Tyler added, “You are Farrens, work together and there will not be any problems you cannot overcome.” He gave each of his children a firm look, “You can call us if there are any problems you need help with.”

“Don’t worry Father we can do this,” Selaphiel piped, clearly trying to show that Tyler had made a good choice in leaving her in charge.

“I have no doubt. We will be leaving tonight so take care and we will see you when we return.”

 

* * *

One week had gone by already and to Selaphiel’s credit as far as Sariel was concerned had done a very good job in taking care of the estate. Azryel had carried on his mysterious endeavours, but he was happy and content. Sariel was enjoying being out of the estate and was wandering around Ulor City; the capitol of Uloriden. It had great buildings, with amazing architecture, the shops were colourful and the city was alive. There were various statues about of past and present notable Sith; they had wanted one up of Tyler Farren but he had refused. There was a cold wind this morning with a slight drizzle; Ehno was standing by her holding an barrierbrella over the two of them. They walked past Tamers Square; where they sold slaves. Sariel recognised that this was a practice that the Sith had practised for Centuries but still, that didn’t mean that she had to like it. There was a small child; he had a slave collar on. If he tried to run the collar would shock him into unconsciousness. The boy had long messy hair, he was a Mirialan. They had green skin and tattoos that covered the face but spread as they got older as a rite of passage. The boy’s blue eyes were probably alive once but now they were dead. He would live and die as a slave, no family, and no love just an entrapped life. In the most likely case he would be dead by twenty. It was this thought that really hit Sariel and she just stood there and watched him marched further into the square. It was Ehno’s hand on her shoulder that pulled her out of her daze.

“Maybe we should move on my Lady,” He said,

She didn’t say anything she just allowed him to direct her away from the square, and the feelings of fear that emanated there. The rain picked up as did the wind, when she felt something. She stretched out with her feelings past the frightened slaves and found some people taking an interest in her and Ehno, particularly her; they were trying so hard to keep their intentions buried. “Ehno,” she said, “I think we are being followed.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t know. We had better be a bit careful just in case.”

Ehno didn’t argue with Sariel. He knew the girl was special; he had been in her parent’s service long before the children had come around. It was when Sariel was born that Tyler Farren had asked him as a personal service to make sure she was safe. Ehno agreed and had learned to love the girl as if she was his own. He moved ahead of her and took the lead, they headed down various back ally’s trying to loose there possible pursuers. “Sariel are they still following?”

Sariel expanded her feelings and to her horror, there were being pursued and they wanted her. Fear filled her being, “Ehno they are after me,” see looked into his eyes, looking for anything that might tell them it will be okay,

“How many?” he asked holding her eyes,

“Ten,” she struggled to keep herself calm, what did they want with her? What would they do with her when they got her?”

“Sariel, look at me!” Ehno dropped to his knees and held her by the shoulders, “Stay calm and we will be okay,” he knew she could feel his fear but he tried to show her that succumbing to that fear would not help then in their current predicament.

“Okay,” she tried to take a few deep breaths, her tears blended with the rain now streaking down her face,

“Let’s go, let me know where they are coming from.” He dropped the barrierbrella, his hands going to his lower back behind his coat where his knife was sitting. His right hand moved up his left side and touched the blaster pistol there. He knew the moment he used that the chase would become a blaster fight. He led her down the back of a particular building and proceeded to break the back door open. Once inside he quickly ran a hand through his sodden greying hair. It was some kind of storage area; there were boxes all over the place, with cupboards mounting the walls. He noticed a good possible hiding spot in the back.

“There are two coming up behind us,” she whispered,

“Get over there,” he said pointing to the back of the room.

“But I can fight!” she argued,

“The moment you use the Force, it will become even more complicated. Sariel you will have to fight, but not right here. Now do as I say.”

She had never heard him talk to her like that, and obeyed him.

Ehno dropped down low by the door; listening intently for the sound of footsteps. The rain was getting heavy making sound unreliable, but shadows were. We saw a shadow appear in the door way, and then a foot stepped over the threshold. Ehno let him move his whole body forward when he made his move. In a fluid action, that looked like it had been honed over many years of training, Ehno stepped closer to the first man striking with his right hand aiming at his throat, while he drew his knife with his left. The right hand struck its mark, dropping the target to his knees as he struggled to breath, the knife came forward and slashed through the second pursuers throat; arterial fluid sprayed over the walls. Ehno returned his attention to the first man, who was trying to move himself away; towards the boxes. He descended on the man killing him with a quick thrust from his knife. “Sariel, we have to move!” he ran to the back of the room to collect her,

“Ehno I…” She started,

“There is no time, move it!” He took her hand and moved through the back door, leading into a food shop. He manoeuvred them past the crowds and started out through the front. Once out, he quickly looking left to right, everything seemed normal except a Blue coloured Twi-Lek who was moving by them, there was something strange about her. He then noticed she didn’t have a slave collar. There was no way a Twi-Lek like that was free; she caught his eye and gave a disarming smile. Ehno’s eyes moved past it to her side where her right hand slipped into her bag. She stopped then started moving towards them, he readied himself to kill her quick, when she just stopped. Her hands lifted to her throat like she was struggling to breathe. Ehno turned to look at Sariel who was focusing on the Twi-Lek; she had clearly felt that the she was part of the group hunting for them. Blue Twi-Lek dropped to her knees as her body was suffocating before her eyes rolled back as she expired. There was a shout as one of the shoppers saw the Twi-Lek die, people; curious more than anything, went to take a look.

Sariel looked at the Blue form in front of her; she had never killed anyone before. She had felt the life leave her body and it was making her feel sick, everything was starting to spin. She felt her body being pulled away, her eyes hung on to the body. She heard her name called she started to turn, when she felt her body being shaken,

“Sariel! Sariel! Come on, we need to move; now!” Ehno, pulled her with him, he could see people coming out of the crowd, looking for them. He led Sariel down another street, hoping he could lose line of sight.

“Ehno; no!” Sariel cried out,

He could feel Sariel pulling on his arm, out of the shadows of the street emerged a man around six feet tall wearing a robe. He had a lightsaber in his hand powered down. The scar that ran across his face from side to side identified him as Gabriel Spruce. He was in the service of the Jeshor family; they were a very powerful and influential clan on Uloriden and had clearly decided to move against the Farrens while Tyler and Arabella were off world. Ehno straightened himself, his clothes were drenched and the water was running down his face.

“Ah Lady Sariel,” Gabriel mocked “and your faithful servant,” his smile grew as he turned to look at Ehno.

“Well, Lord Spruce. It is always a pleasure to see a second rate Sith Lord about the city,” Ehno smiled looking straight into Gabriel’s brown eyes. He watched the Sith Lords fury rise. He looked at Sariel, “Stay strong Sariel and know that I love you.” He gave her a heartfelt smile and he braced himself for what was to come. He heard Gabriel move closer to him. Ehno turned to look at him for one last insult, with a smile on his face he said, “Gabriel I wish I could be there when Arabella and Tyler come for you, you will be on the floor wetting yourself with fear and,”

Sariel watched in horror as Gabriel ignited his lightsaber and ran its red blade through Ehno’s neck. It was like the whole world had slowed down as his head fell to the floor and rolled along. Time sped up and with it her anger and fear, she gave a feral scream and allowed lightning to flow from her killing the men that now surrounded her, she drew her lightsaber and the snap-hiss of the red blade she brought it to bare on Gabriel who quickly parried her attack, she started attacking wildly; she struck out for him once again pushing her assault only to watch him slide out of the way and strike at her head with his hilt. She felt the world spin and as the blackness came she welcomed it to escape from her reality.

Edited July 10, 2013 by FallenNightAngel