Blood of Heroes, Part IX
Posted: 2004-09-15 05:37pm
Annika took a deep breath to steady herself before she walked up the ramp. Everything exhausted her these days, even the short trip back through the Borg settlement. Sure that she would present the least decrepit image, she walked up the ramp into the Millennium Falcon. Han and Bashir were waiting with the expressions of men who had done a great deal of waiting under tense situations throughout the years, and knew how to sit on the balance between apathy and focus that prevented cracking or death. "Well?" Han asked
"Nothing’s changed," Annika said. "There's only one thing they want."
"And I assume we're still refusing?" Bashir asked. He caught the looks of the others. "I just wanted to be sure," the old physician remarked.
"We could try breaking in," Han said.
"We could, but chances are they'd kill us or destroy the cure before we got the chance. We don't even know what we're looking for, or even if it's here. They might have it buried on an asteroid somewhere, waiting for the moment when they need it."
Han knocked on the dejarik table a few times while he thought. "What if we infected them?" he asked. "That'd force them to bring out the cure, and then we'd know where it was."
"No," Bashir said. "We can't do that."
"Why not? They did it to Annika, and it's not like we'd be killing anyone. They have a cure."
"Yes, but not necessarily the right cure. If you're wrong, we'd be guilty of mass murder."
"Look, these people have the ability to stop this thing," Han said rather hotly. "And all they're interested in is trying to blackmail us rather than helping anybody. These people deserve whatever they get."
"No, they don't," Annika said. Han turned to her in surprise. "You don't know what they've been through."
Han was trying to say something, but he still seemed stymied by her remark. "These people have infected you with a fatal disease," he finally got out. "How can you defend them?"
"I'm not," Annika said. "But you've no idea the suffering they've been through."
"It's a tough universe," Han said. "We've all suffered, but I've never used that as an excuse for anything."
Annika couldn't look at him. "You are now," she said. "Take me to Earth."
Han looked even more confused. "What?"
"Take me to Earth, please," she said. "I'll check in to the hospital, I'll let the Doctor do what he can. Just leave these people alone, Han."
"Annika-"
"I love you too, Han," Annika said. "You're the brother I never had. But I can't let you do this to them, or yourself, because you want to protect me. Chewbacca, Luke, they wouldn't have wanted you to do this either. So, I’ll accept the situation Han, so long as you’ll do the same.”
Han stewed in silence for a moment, then got to his feet. He pointed at her and adopted his command tone. “I’m not going to stop looking,” he told her.
“I’m counting on it,” she said.
“I’ll stay with the Falcon,” Bashir said, getting up. “I can do more good helping find the cure out here than in the hospital. I’d just be one more doctor offering an opinion.”
“I’d get started packing now,” Han said as he headed for the cockpit. “Earth is just a quick jump away.”
“I will,” she said, although there was little to get. A few keepsakes of her husband and son, and that was it. She had tons of junk back home, but when she hit the lanes with Han it was just a few changes of clothes and a small bag. This ship had been her home now for years... she’d come to expect she would die on board it. But part of being a family was knowing when you had to compromise for everyone’s good. Han was getting too emotional about her condition; she needed to get away from him so he could think clearly, without worry. She knew how resourceful he was; if anyone could find a cure, or a way to bring down Nom Anor, she had every faith it’d be him. She just wished she could have come along for the ride.
--------------------------------------------------------------
It hadn’t been a straight journey back for the renegades for obvious reasons. Ben Skywalker had to keep his existence a secret to further the deception, and Garak had one of the most recognizable faces in the galaxy. Security at the wormhole would be tight, so they had to bide their time with the Mistral until things dropped enough that the group could be smuggled back through to the Milky Way. Garak’s incessant chattering had made Skywalker almost regret saving his life, but for the moment he was still necessary.
The shuttle set them down on the Oracle’s planet, which had come to serve as a makeshift base of sorts for the Sith and his plans. Garak, on the other hand, stayed not more than ten minutes before taking another shuttle back towards the Alpha Quadrant to get his own plans under way. Traffic to this world had to be kept to a minimum to avoid attracting attention, but besides that, Ben could tell Garak was uncomfortable around the Oracle. That a spy and a murderer would feel that way about an old woman would have been amusing, if not for the fact Ben found her rather off-putting as well. It was fortunate she served him so well, so that he wasn’t inclined to kill her.
"Welcome home, Lord Skywalker," the Oracle said. “I trust things have gone well?”
Ben nodded. "The Emperor's dead, and Alixus has all but convinced the Senate that Sebastian is to blame for it."
"Good," she said. "Everything is going as planned." She returned to her work. Eventually she glanced back over to Ben. "Was there something else, my lord?"
"No," Ben said, snapping out of his trance.
"You're haunted by the words of the Emperor," the Oracle said. "They are merely the mad ramblings of a being facing his own oblivion. Do not dwell on them."
"Of course not," Ben said with visible irritation. "I don't need you to tell me that."
"Of course, my lord," but it was clear she was just humoring him. "As expected the young Jedi are planning to begin training Force potentials to rebuild their order."
"That should prove difficult," Ben remarked.
"Thanks to your intervention, yes," the Oracle said. "But still, they will find them. You'll have to be prepared."
"I can handle them," he said. It wasn't even said with pride, just the rock solid sound of belief, as if he'd been asked if he could stomp on cockroaches. If he could kill Luke Skywalker, some half-ass Force user would be simple.
"Yes, my lord, but why waste your time on the little fish? Our plans are bearing fruit, and you'll no doubt want to take a more active role in the events of the galaxy. There's no sense in you having to take time out to crush a few arrogant upstarts."
Ben looked at her with the distrustful curiosity he usually sent in her direction. He approached discussions with the Oracle in much the same way he might cautiously poke an insect hive, wary of what might come out of it. "What do you have in mind?"
Hardly pausing in her work, the Oracle grabbed a datapad off a stack and handed it towards him, still looking at her instruments. "I took the liberty of assembling a list of Force potentials who would be inclined to join the ranks of the Sith."
Ben yanked the datapad out of her hand and looked it over. "I have an apprentice already," he said even as he read the names. He recognized two as the Mistral he'd brought back with him from their assignment.
"Yes, my lord, but I think you might wish to consider breaking with tradition."
"That 'tradition' exists to preserve the Sith," he replied, still reading through the names. "It ensures that we won't let our ambition cloud our judgment by turning on each other."
"Yes, but even the Emperor took your mother in to serve as his hand," the Oracle said. "The rule existed when the Jedi were strong. These few trainees are weak and their followers will be even weaker. Your disciples would be more than sufficient in overrunning them and serving as your agents throughout the galaxies while you seized ultimate control yourself."
"You are trying to appeal to my ego," Ben said with a hint of anger in his voice. "Do not think I am a fool, Janeway."
"Of course not, my lord."
"Still, there is some merit in what you propose," Ben admitted. "And my power is more than sufficient to eliminate any student with ambitions above their station. Training them would be time consuming..."
"At first, perhaps. But with your apprentice assisting you, they should soon learn all they would need to aid you in your conquest of the galaxies. After that you could train them at your leisure or simply eliminate them."
Ben nodded thoughtfully. As was often the case the witch’s madness contained a certain wisdom. “In the future, you will discuss matters with me before taking liberties,” he said, just to make things clear where he stood. Still he tucked the datapad into his pocket for later.
“Of course, my lord. I am merely a servant of the Sith.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
The detention officer checked over the visitor request form with a frown, then handed it back to Jorri. He punched up the image of the cell; Sebastian was sitting on the floor in meditation. The image was switched off and he nodded to the stormtrooper, who escorted Jorri down the cell block and opened the door for her. It was quickly sealed behind her.
Jorri's presence must have triggered something, because Sebastian blinked his eyes opened and looked up at her with excitement and relief before springing to his feet and embracing her. "Jorri," he sighed, squeezing her even tighter, "it's been longer than I thought."
"I know," she said. She let the moment last longer than it probably needed. Still, eventually they released one another and took their seats in the cell.
"I didn't do it," he said emphatically.
"You don't have to convince me," she said as she took his hand. "Who do you think it was?"
"The Sith, although why he looks so similar to me is a mystery. And it's going to be difficult to prove it wasn't me who killed the Emperor, especially after the disaster in the Senate."
Jorri nodded a little. "Could we use the same kind of trick to prove your innocence?"
"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.
"Like, had a hologram or something appear while you were locked up. That would prove there was someone else-"
"Too risky," Sebastian said. "We tried duplicity once, and look where it landed us. If we tried again, it would only further demonstrate to our enemies that we have something to hide."
"But without proof, they might execute you."
"I don't think so, although with Alixus poisoning the well it might come down to that." Sebastian caught Jorri's expression. "There's nothing to worry about," he added. "The Sith is going to come up for air one way or another, and when he does they'll see the truth, and I'll be out of here."
"I hope so," Jorri said, "for the three of us."
Sebastian wondered what she meant by that for a second. Was she talking about his mother's condition? Then he realized the two of them weren't alone in the cell, not exactly. He reached out and pulled her close. "I had no idea," he whispered.
"I've been waiting for you to come home so I could tell you," she said as she gripped him as tightly as she had when she'd first entered.
"How far along?" Sebastian asked.
"Three months," Jorri said. "It's a girl."
Sebastian shook his head as he tried to take this in. In the last minute he'd undergone a mental transformation. He was going to be a father... and for the rest of his life, that's what he'd be. It was a terrifying thought to have this new life suddenly become his responsibility, far beyond what he'd prepared himself for. Sure he'd saved the lives of many children over the years, but that was simple by comparison. Disarming a bomb may be harder than teaching someone how to walk, but it was a short experience... very short if you weren't good at it. The latter required constant vigilance, along with a host of thousands of responsibilities. The fact the child would no doubt be strong in the Force made that even more daunting.
And what kind of galaxy am I creating for her? he asked himself. Civilization teeters on the edge of collapse, the Vong stand at the gates, ready to sweep through the undefended systems. Old rivals stand ready to turn their weapons on one another once again. And a Sith ran in their midst, sowing chaos and murdering people. Is this what he was going to bring his daughter into?
There was a look of grim resolution on Sebastian's face. Not if I have anything to say about it, he thought. "Tell Terraine to get me out of here," he said with steel in his voice. "I've got work to do."
Jorri took hold of his arm and held him close again. "I asked Leia, actually, but there's nothing they can do right now. If they let you go free the divisions could spread."
Politics! Sebastian thought, hopping off the bench and pacing in frustration. "I don't suppose you smuggled in my lightsaber," he muttered, frustrated at the situation.
"Gorren still has it," Jorri said. "Although he's wanted to break you out ever since you were locked up," she added with a laugh.
"Yeah, well, if I thought he had a chance I'd let him try," Sebastian said. He kicked the wall in frustration, then caught Jorri's expression. "What?"
"I'm just-" she stammered. "I've never seen you like this. You're usually so restrained."
"I just feel so useless!" he said. "I'm not doing anyone any good in here."
"Well then, should we try the hologram idea?" Jorri asked.
Sebastian stopped his furious pacing. "No," he said, but there was no mistaking the fact he hated saying the word. "There's too great a chance someone could see through it... no pun intended, of course. What convinced everyone was that the Sith moved like a Jedi, and that's because he is a Jedi, a dark one anyway. A hologram, a shapeshifter, none of them would be able to put on as convincing a performance. As much as I hate to admit it, it'd probably only make things worse."
"Then what are you going to do?" Jorri asked.
Sebastian threw up his arms. "I wish I knew," he said. "But I can't stay in here, not now."
"Bastian," Jorri said, getting up and embracing him again, "I'm sorry. I didn't think telling you about the baby would upset you like this."
"It hasn't," Sebastian said. "It's given me the kick in the pants I've needed." He finally seemed to have calmed down. "It's put things in perspective. All my work has been to preserve the galaxies because of obligation. Now I've got a personal stake in it, and I realize that staying locked up and letting them sort this mess out is a luxury I don't have." He gave her a quick kiss. "I won't do anything stupid," he promised.
"Good, because we both need you," she said. "More than the galaxies do." They spent two hours together, making up for the time they'd lost as best they could under the circumstances. When the time was up, Jorri activated the call button inside the cell. Sebastian stood well back to indicate he wasn't going to try anything, and the stormtrooper opened the door and let Jorri out. Sebastian returned to the spot on the floor and resumed his meditation. He needed to think clearly if he was going to find a way out of this mess.
--------------------------------------------------------------
It was a nondescript ship, but then, Nom Anor would have it no other way. He slipped through the wormhole protocols with a skill that had been honed by years of experience, so much so that it was second nature to him now. The coordinates came up on the navicomputer and he slipped into hyperspace. He’d made up his mind; the time was ripe now. It was time for him to take a more active hand in shaping the fate of the galaxies.
"Nothing’s changed," Annika said. "There's only one thing they want."
"And I assume we're still refusing?" Bashir asked. He caught the looks of the others. "I just wanted to be sure," the old physician remarked.
"We could try breaking in," Han said.
"We could, but chances are they'd kill us or destroy the cure before we got the chance. We don't even know what we're looking for, or even if it's here. They might have it buried on an asteroid somewhere, waiting for the moment when they need it."
Han knocked on the dejarik table a few times while he thought. "What if we infected them?" he asked. "That'd force them to bring out the cure, and then we'd know where it was."
"No," Bashir said. "We can't do that."
"Why not? They did it to Annika, and it's not like we'd be killing anyone. They have a cure."
"Yes, but not necessarily the right cure. If you're wrong, we'd be guilty of mass murder."
"Look, these people have the ability to stop this thing," Han said rather hotly. "And all they're interested in is trying to blackmail us rather than helping anybody. These people deserve whatever they get."
"No, they don't," Annika said. Han turned to her in surprise. "You don't know what they've been through."
Han was trying to say something, but he still seemed stymied by her remark. "These people have infected you with a fatal disease," he finally got out. "How can you defend them?"
"I'm not," Annika said. "But you've no idea the suffering they've been through."
"It's a tough universe," Han said. "We've all suffered, but I've never used that as an excuse for anything."
Annika couldn't look at him. "You are now," she said. "Take me to Earth."
Han looked even more confused. "What?"
"Take me to Earth, please," she said. "I'll check in to the hospital, I'll let the Doctor do what he can. Just leave these people alone, Han."
"Annika-"
"I love you too, Han," Annika said. "You're the brother I never had. But I can't let you do this to them, or yourself, because you want to protect me. Chewbacca, Luke, they wouldn't have wanted you to do this either. So, I’ll accept the situation Han, so long as you’ll do the same.”
Han stewed in silence for a moment, then got to his feet. He pointed at her and adopted his command tone. “I’m not going to stop looking,” he told her.
“I’m counting on it,” she said.
“I’ll stay with the Falcon,” Bashir said, getting up. “I can do more good helping find the cure out here than in the hospital. I’d just be one more doctor offering an opinion.”
“I’d get started packing now,” Han said as he headed for the cockpit. “Earth is just a quick jump away.”
“I will,” she said, although there was little to get. A few keepsakes of her husband and son, and that was it. She had tons of junk back home, but when she hit the lanes with Han it was just a few changes of clothes and a small bag. This ship had been her home now for years... she’d come to expect she would die on board it. But part of being a family was knowing when you had to compromise for everyone’s good. Han was getting too emotional about her condition; she needed to get away from him so he could think clearly, without worry. She knew how resourceful he was; if anyone could find a cure, or a way to bring down Nom Anor, she had every faith it’d be him. She just wished she could have come along for the ride.
--------------------------------------------------------------
It hadn’t been a straight journey back for the renegades for obvious reasons. Ben Skywalker had to keep his existence a secret to further the deception, and Garak had one of the most recognizable faces in the galaxy. Security at the wormhole would be tight, so they had to bide their time with the Mistral until things dropped enough that the group could be smuggled back through to the Milky Way. Garak’s incessant chattering had made Skywalker almost regret saving his life, but for the moment he was still necessary.
The shuttle set them down on the Oracle’s planet, which had come to serve as a makeshift base of sorts for the Sith and his plans. Garak, on the other hand, stayed not more than ten minutes before taking another shuttle back towards the Alpha Quadrant to get his own plans under way. Traffic to this world had to be kept to a minimum to avoid attracting attention, but besides that, Ben could tell Garak was uncomfortable around the Oracle. That a spy and a murderer would feel that way about an old woman would have been amusing, if not for the fact Ben found her rather off-putting as well. It was fortunate she served him so well, so that he wasn’t inclined to kill her.
"Welcome home, Lord Skywalker," the Oracle said. “I trust things have gone well?”
Ben nodded. "The Emperor's dead, and Alixus has all but convinced the Senate that Sebastian is to blame for it."
"Good," she said. "Everything is going as planned." She returned to her work. Eventually she glanced back over to Ben. "Was there something else, my lord?"
"No," Ben said, snapping out of his trance.
"You're haunted by the words of the Emperor," the Oracle said. "They are merely the mad ramblings of a being facing his own oblivion. Do not dwell on them."
"Of course not," Ben said with visible irritation. "I don't need you to tell me that."
"Of course, my lord," but it was clear she was just humoring him. "As expected the young Jedi are planning to begin training Force potentials to rebuild their order."
"That should prove difficult," Ben remarked.
"Thanks to your intervention, yes," the Oracle said. "But still, they will find them. You'll have to be prepared."
"I can handle them," he said. It wasn't even said with pride, just the rock solid sound of belief, as if he'd been asked if he could stomp on cockroaches. If he could kill Luke Skywalker, some half-ass Force user would be simple.
"Yes, my lord, but why waste your time on the little fish? Our plans are bearing fruit, and you'll no doubt want to take a more active role in the events of the galaxy. There's no sense in you having to take time out to crush a few arrogant upstarts."
Ben looked at her with the distrustful curiosity he usually sent in her direction. He approached discussions with the Oracle in much the same way he might cautiously poke an insect hive, wary of what might come out of it. "What do you have in mind?"
Hardly pausing in her work, the Oracle grabbed a datapad off a stack and handed it towards him, still looking at her instruments. "I took the liberty of assembling a list of Force potentials who would be inclined to join the ranks of the Sith."
Ben yanked the datapad out of her hand and looked it over. "I have an apprentice already," he said even as he read the names. He recognized two as the Mistral he'd brought back with him from their assignment.
"Yes, my lord, but I think you might wish to consider breaking with tradition."
"That 'tradition' exists to preserve the Sith," he replied, still reading through the names. "It ensures that we won't let our ambition cloud our judgment by turning on each other."
"Yes, but even the Emperor took your mother in to serve as his hand," the Oracle said. "The rule existed when the Jedi were strong. These few trainees are weak and their followers will be even weaker. Your disciples would be more than sufficient in overrunning them and serving as your agents throughout the galaxies while you seized ultimate control yourself."
"You are trying to appeal to my ego," Ben said with a hint of anger in his voice. "Do not think I am a fool, Janeway."
"Of course not, my lord."
"Still, there is some merit in what you propose," Ben admitted. "And my power is more than sufficient to eliminate any student with ambitions above their station. Training them would be time consuming..."
"At first, perhaps. But with your apprentice assisting you, they should soon learn all they would need to aid you in your conquest of the galaxies. After that you could train them at your leisure or simply eliminate them."
Ben nodded thoughtfully. As was often the case the witch’s madness contained a certain wisdom. “In the future, you will discuss matters with me before taking liberties,” he said, just to make things clear where he stood. Still he tucked the datapad into his pocket for later.
“Of course, my lord. I am merely a servant of the Sith.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
The detention officer checked over the visitor request form with a frown, then handed it back to Jorri. He punched up the image of the cell; Sebastian was sitting on the floor in meditation. The image was switched off and he nodded to the stormtrooper, who escorted Jorri down the cell block and opened the door for her. It was quickly sealed behind her.
Jorri's presence must have triggered something, because Sebastian blinked his eyes opened and looked up at her with excitement and relief before springing to his feet and embracing her. "Jorri," he sighed, squeezing her even tighter, "it's been longer than I thought."
"I know," she said. She let the moment last longer than it probably needed. Still, eventually they released one another and took their seats in the cell.
"I didn't do it," he said emphatically.
"You don't have to convince me," she said as she took his hand. "Who do you think it was?"
"The Sith, although why he looks so similar to me is a mystery. And it's going to be difficult to prove it wasn't me who killed the Emperor, especially after the disaster in the Senate."
Jorri nodded a little. "Could we use the same kind of trick to prove your innocence?"
"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.
"Like, had a hologram or something appear while you were locked up. That would prove there was someone else-"
"Too risky," Sebastian said. "We tried duplicity once, and look where it landed us. If we tried again, it would only further demonstrate to our enemies that we have something to hide."
"But without proof, they might execute you."
"I don't think so, although with Alixus poisoning the well it might come down to that." Sebastian caught Jorri's expression. "There's nothing to worry about," he added. "The Sith is going to come up for air one way or another, and when he does they'll see the truth, and I'll be out of here."
"I hope so," Jorri said, "for the three of us."
Sebastian wondered what she meant by that for a second. Was she talking about his mother's condition? Then he realized the two of them weren't alone in the cell, not exactly. He reached out and pulled her close. "I had no idea," he whispered.
"I've been waiting for you to come home so I could tell you," she said as she gripped him as tightly as she had when she'd first entered.
"How far along?" Sebastian asked.
"Three months," Jorri said. "It's a girl."
Sebastian shook his head as he tried to take this in. In the last minute he'd undergone a mental transformation. He was going to be a father... and for the rest of his life, that's what he'd be. It was a terrifying thought to have this new life suddenly become his responsibility, far beyond what he'd prepared himself for. Sure he'd saved the lives of many children over the years, but that was simple by comparison. Disarming a bomb may be harder than teaching someone how to walk, but it was a short experience... very short if you weren't good at it. The latter required constant vigilance, along with a host of thousands of responsibilities. The fact the child would no doubt be strong in the Force made that even more daunting.
And what kind of galaxy am I creating for her? he asked himself. Civilization teeters on the edge of collapse, the Vong stand at the gates, ready to sweep through the undefended systems. Old rivals stand ready to turn their weapons on one another once again. And a Sith ran in their midst, sowing chaos and murdering people. Is this what he was going to bring his daughter into?
There was a look of grim resolution on Sebastian's face. Not if I have anything to say about it, he thought. "Tell Terraine to get me out of here," he said with steel in his voice. "I've got work to do."
Jorri took hold of his arm and held him close again. "I asked Leia, actually, but there's nothing they can do right now. If they let you go free the divisions could spread."
Politics! Sebastian thought, hopping off the bench and pacing in frustration. "I don't suppose you smuggled in my lightsaber," he muttered, frustrated at the situation.
"Gorren still has it," Jorri said. "Although he's wanted to break you out ever since you were locked up," she added with a laugh.
"Yeah, well, if I thought he had a chance I'd let him try," Sebastian said. He kicked the wall in frustration, then caught Jorri's expression. "What?"
"I'm just-" she stammered. "I've never seen you like this. You're usually so restrained."
"I just feel so useless!" he said. "I'm not doing anyone any good in here."
"Well then, should we try the hologram idea?" Jorri asked.
Sebastian stopped his furious pacing. "No," he said, but there was no mistaking the fact he hated saying the word. "There's too great a chance someone could see through it... no pun intended, of course. What convinced everyone was that the Sith moved like a Jedi, and that's because he is a Jedi, a dark one anyway. A hologram, a shapeshifter, none of them would be able to put on as convincing a performance. As much as I hate to admit it, it'd probably only make things worse."
"Then what are you going to do?" Jorri asked.
Sebastian threw up his arms. "I wish I knew," he said. "But I can't stay in here, not now."
"Bastian," Jorri said, getting up and embracing him again, "I'm sorry. I didn't think telling you about the baby would upset you like this."
"It hasn't," Sebastian said. "It's given me the kick in the pants I've needed." He finally seemed to have calmed down. "It's put things in perspective. All my work has been to preserve the galaxies because of obligation. Now I've got a personal stake in it, and I realize that staying locked up and letting them sort this mess out is a luxury I don't have." He gave her a quick kiss. "I won't do anything stupid," he promised.
"Good, because we both need you," she said. "More than the galaxies do." They spent two hours together, making up for the time they'd lost as best they could under the circumstances. When the time was up, Jorri activated the call button inside the cell. Sebastian stood well back to indicate he wasn't going to try anything, and the stormtrooper opened the door and let Jorri out. Sebastian returned to the spot on the floor and resumed his meditation. He needed to think clearly if he was going to find a way out of this mess.
--------------------------------------------------------------
It was a nondescript ship, but then, Nom Anor would have it no other way. He slipped through the wormhole protocols with a skill that had been honed by years of experience, so much so that it was second nature to him now. The coordinates came up on the navicomputer and he slipped into hyperspace. He’d made up his mind; the time was ripe now. It was time for him to take a more active hand in shaping the fate of the galaxies.
