Destiny Eclipse/Chapter V

-- 4 ABY - 2 and a half months after Endor --

Naboo – Keren
After touching down side-by-side, the two boys had asked for directions, and had purchased hiking gear. Xander knew the cave was somewhere in the mountainous regions, and was intent on finding it.

After several hours of marching, and un-ending complaining from Jysek, Xander stopped, also beginning to become short of breath, and took a small break, gazing in wonder at a spectacular waterfall. It always amazed him, coming from the arid planet Tatooine, how much water was taken for granted, but was guilty of the same crime, having slipped into the routine of expecting water, and not caring if he wasted a small bit on cooling the back of his neck.

The mountains were steamy, the humid air sending rolls of sweat down Xander’s neck, and the lack of oxygen in the air made it hard for him to breathe, his breaths coming in short, shallow gasps. The path was a perilous one, with small bits of shale falling away from where they placed their feet, and sometimes causing Jysek or Xander to stumble, perilously close to tipping over the edge and into oblivion.

The summit of the mountain, a few hundred meters above them, was pitted with a cave, and Xander knew in his heart that that was where his grand mother lay, eternally at peace with the world around her, here in this beautiful place of nature.

Pushing forward with the last reserves of his energy, despite Jysek’s protests, Xander clawed his way up towards the summit, finally making it, before rolling over and panting for breath. What had begun as a small break had deteriorated as the sun beat on, and now as he lay at the summit, he could feel the heat washed over him, and despite his resistance to it from growing up on Tatooine, he was still exhausted from it.

The cave felt like a yawning pit, drawing Xander in to find the truth, and to put his grand mother to rest properly. He shakily managed to find his feet as Jysek flopped onto his belly at the summit twitching as he lay there, his life of little exercise finally proving to be his downfall.

The cave was like an energy source, drawing Xander closer, as he peered in, blinking a few times to adjust his eyes to the dim light. Inside, a small headstone sat at the far end of the cave, rustic in its appearance, but the most powerful symbol Xander had ever seen; the small, quiet area and the humble headstone resonating a large amount of emotion in the young boy.

Kneeling by the head stone, his head dipped in respect, Xander removed material from his bag that he had brought, adorning the small tomb with flowers and a small plaque he had written, paying his own respects to his Grand Mother.

Jysek stood at the entry way, subtly clearing his throat as if to suggest they should leave soon. After all, Xander had less then six hours to leave Naboo under the terms dictated to him by the Space Control officer.

Sighing in disappointment that he didn’t have more time to spend with his grand mother, Xander slowly got to his feet, walking slowly back towards the entrance of the cave, and back to his adventure.

Kroprulu – Military Headquarters
The darkness was encroaching, and Darth Minious stood atop his Order’s bulb in the Sith Temple, allowing the soft wind to blow wisps of his hair out of his strictly tight arrangement as he soaked in the calmness of the evening.

He turned, as he sensed a young presence behind him, in the form of his Apprentice, Ackin, who was approaching her trials at which she would be named Darth Actir.

“My Lord, the Council requests an update on the repairs to your fleet,” She said, dutifully bowing before her age-old Master.

“Tell them my Super Star Destroyer has been repaired, and that I plan to leave in my personal craft for a while. It could be a month, it could be a year, it could be ten years, but continuously here I have felt alone, as if I have not a single friend in the world.”

Ackin shifted uncomfortably, knowing that as his Apprentice, she was his confidant, but still feeling unworthy of carrying such information, “But my Lord, the Empire loves you, the Council respects you greatly, the Empress is always happy to confide in you.”

Darth Minious turned to her in sadness, “But those are titles, you have mentioned, the Empire, the Council, the Empress, not people. I have been a part of this Empire for almost four thousand years, and have never felt the touch of a woman as a husband does of his wife. I have never felt joy in having a friend who is one not because of my position or my legend, but because of who I am. For that reason, I need to be alone, contemplate how I seem to be to the rest of the Empire, if I am doing my duty correctly. You must understand.”

Ackin nodded, her heart full of sympathy for her Master, “Of course I do. But what about my training?”

“It is taken care of,” Darth Minious said, turning once again to watch the sunset, as the three moons orbiting the wonderful world began to appear in the darkness, “I have suggested your trials be commenced, and Lord Tontie will be partaking them for you. I see you becoming a powerful Sith Lady, with far more respect from the individuals of the Empire then I ever could. Because you see what is truly important. It isn’t how much power you hold, or how much you try and help others, but your compassion for the individuals, your sympathy for their problems. With the Empire as your loyal friends, it is much easier to lead them into battle, then those who respect what you represent.”

“Thank you my Master,” Ackin said, her eyes almost spilling forth the tears that they concealed, “You have been wise to me, and I will always remember you, whether or not you return.”

Darth Minious nodded, “Thank you Ackin. And may the Dark Side be with you.”

Naboo – Keren Starport
Xander approached his craft again with loving care, as he examined it for scratches or any small signs of damage from the journey here from Theed. Jysek, at his own craft, was doing the same.

It was still hard for Xander to accept that he had once been just a small farmer boy. Now he felt like he had the biggest opportunity in the Galaxy. Nearly eighty percent of the Galaxy’s population were born and died never owning their own star ship, and Xander had been given one in the first ten years of his life.

The space controllers had given him permission to leave the world on his own accord, a little to eagerly for Xander to feel as if he had ever been wanted on the usually accepting world.

Jysek, his loyal friend, had been with him since he had been four, and Jysek eight, a young, street-smart kid, with a strong desire to show off for the young boy. Xander had first met him when Korto had taken him to the Talore workshop to show him how they repaired moisture vapourators, but Xander had gotten bored almost immediately, and had wondered off.

There he had been beholden to the most wondrous sight: a young boy programming his own translator, and checking every few seconds to see what words it could translate. The boy’s carefree attitude and disregard for his father, as Xander assumed George Talore to be, and what was going on around him.

The two had been friends ever since, with Xander gazing on in amazement as Jysek moved on from the translator to a small laser gun that fired harmless beams for a short distance, and from the gun to the astromech droid he had received a few months ago.

Xander couldn’t remember a time that he hadn’t had such a good friend and confident, someone he could be himself with, and at ease with the world around him. He couldn’t imagine the horrible life beholden to someone without a friend such as Jysek.

The craft checked out, and Xander clambered eagerly into the cock pit, willing to leave the world behind, though always wondering if he could somehow procure a fake I.D and return for a longer amount of time to see his Grand-Mother.

Naboo- Outer Atmosphere
Darth Minious’ craft, the Torturer, had made the journey quicker then he had expected. Leaving only hours after speaking with his Apprentice, Darth Minious had arrived at Naboo, hoping to find solitude in the mountainous regions, away from civilisation and the judging gazes of the people that accompanied it.

As his craft flew into the atmosphere, he watched in amusement as two X-Wings left the atmosphere from Keren, their jerky steering testament to the fact that Darth Minious could sense young boys in the cockpits of each.

“Amateurs,” he sneered under his breath, as he guided his craft gently and artistically into Keren, where the boys had just left, discarding them from his mind almost immediately as he thought of the excuse he could come up this time for the Sith Council as to why he killed the Customs Control Officers.