21 The Force's Humor

{If you want to read ahead go to my https://www.(p)-(a)-(t)-(r)-(e)-(o)-(n).com/easyread}

~~~(POV: Adren Saydra)~~~

~~~(Location: Elevator, Heading to Spaceport of Sector 70, Denon)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 17 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 568 BBY)~~~

Sound falls away from the world as I sink myself into the Darkside. Fueling my connection with The Force with fury, hate, and fear. The clean and clear reflection on the metal elevator allows me to look at myself.

A calmness and conviction is what people will see on the outside. The only indication of what's going on below the surface is the red glow of my eyes.

Once upon a time, they were a brilliant blue. After my training began with Traya, those blue eyes were devoured by what I have now. Forever lost, just like the child that carried them. After all these years, it's hard not to believe in destiny.

In fate.

Most of me will always fight against the idea The Force has a plan for me. For what my life will carry.

The small part of me that knows The Force is bigger than everything, and anything I could imagine also feeds into my emotions.

Feeds my fear.

My powerlessness at my inability to change the fate of the only person I really loved.

Fuels my fury.

The torturous upbringing of my power. How The Force controls everyone's lives. How I can't seem to escape whatever will happen to me.

The origin of my hate.

Darth Traya is the creator of who I am; the only part of me still untainted and untouched by the Darkside is my name.

Adren Saydra.

The woman who raised me has long left me. Died saving my life, freeing me from the confines of slavery. Annabella Saydra. Someone who did her best for me but never knew when to quit. Always believing she could get a little more ahead.

All for the sake of her son.

Who wasn't even her own blood.

The elevator ascends from the underworld, and I can look out the windows to see Denon's buildings and busy lanes.

"Mother, what would you think of me now."

My voice is strong and uncompromising. I feel no sorrow or misery for what happened to my Mother. The child I destroyed long ago did, but I left all that behind.

Still, if she did see me. Knew what I was doing. She'd call me a monster. I've killed many who were deserving of death and pain. Many more who weren't. Annabella wanted a life for me beyond what she believed was fated.

Little did she know what was in store for me. The darkness that would blossom in my path. The tears of those who suffered me that follow in my tracks.

The only one I have I can call something akin to a friend is D4. Yet, I'd let him die in a heartbeat if it furthered or saved my own life.

Mother would weep if she saw me now.

All the thoughts going through my head are halted on the final approach to the spaceport. I can sense them. Their power in The Force is great; even I wouldn't survive a battle with them all at once. Fighting the very best of the Jedi Order together.

My plans don't involve any fighting or clashes of power. While I'm fully aware of how powerful I am and know I can take any of them in a one-on-one battle, That's not how they're looking to make this.

Not that I blame them. Forever the struggles of those of the Light and Dark. Pulling and pushing at each other.

The hands hanging at my sides raise, and I lift the hood over my head. Hiding my features from any cameras. I know they have my face; Corellia was a failure beyond losing my prize. It left me no choice but to reach out to the Jedi.

However, the power is heavily tipped in my favor here.

"Thanks to you."

My eyes turn to see the large chunk of carbonite floating at my side. Lymdor will be my ticket to what I want without any complications. The short time frame I've given the Jedi has likely created problems on their end.

It's not a guarantee.

The elevator starts to slow down, and it eventually comes to a stop. The doors open with a hiss. Revealing an empty corridor connected to a series of paths that lead to where I'm going. All are being watched by whoever hacked into the security.

The Jedi won't attack. They won't attempt to risk Lymdor's life any more than it already is, so I'm safe.

I can feel her.

She's waiting for me.

Beyond the door ahead. 

She's very powerful. Lots of untapped potential. It's safe to say she rivals even me in power, but I can also sense she's not beyond me. It's quite impressive.

And disappointing.

To allow one such self to be controlled. A true waste.

~~~(POV: Jedi Knight Taylor Azure)~~~

~~~(Location: Public Room, Spaceport of Sector 70, Denon)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 17 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 568 BBY)~~~

His power is overwhelming...

My breathing is heavy and becomes more unsteady the closer he gets to the door. It's like he's a beacon of pure Darkside power. I can see why Master Hendi fell to the Darksider, might such as this isn't something that someone can beat on their own.

I take a calming breath and let The Force flow through me. Easing my racing heart and allowing myself to calm down. 

All my focus is on the door. Watching for the moment, it'll open.

Any second now...

Any second...

HISS!!

I slightly jump at the sound of the door. Having forgotten such a sound in the tension of the approach.

My entire body tenses for a split second as I watch him take his first step through the door. He stops and turns his hooded head to look at me. All I can make out are his eyes in the darkness of the corridor and the area around him.

Crimson.

Another step, and he's entirely inside the room now. After a second, I watch a large slab of carbonite follow him in, and it hovers next to him as he stands across from me. The door to the room closes. The only light source is the few dim bulbs around the room.

[It's okay, Taylor. We're having foot traffic redirected to other areas of the spaceport.]

The voice from my earpiece does little to comfort me. We're actually in a very public area, but we're using Jedi authority to move people away from the location. Our own counter to his desire to meet in public.

Giving us some of the ground we've lost in this mission.

SLAM!!

It takes all my willpower not to react. The carbonite holding Master Lymdor hits the ground and falls backward. Causing the entire room to shake.

He was carrying that thing with The Force...

Incredible...

So much is wasted in him with the Darkside...

He lifts his right hand and holds out his palm. Indicating for the Holocron and Memory Crystal that goes with it. Not saying a word, I slowly and gently pull the Holocron out of my bag.

As soon as he sees it, it shoots out of my hand and into his. My head darts in his direction, and I watch him slowly inspect the Holocron. What happens next makes a lump in my throat appear.

He pulls out a Sith Holocron.

"What ar-!!"

VRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!

I instantly have to cover my eyes from the bright light the two Holocrons are making. He's combined them. A sickening sound is released at their grinding, but it only lasts for a second.

As the light dims and my sight returns. I watch the Jedi Holocron fall to the ground. Utterly devoid of any light or life. My vision drifts to the red pyramid in his left hand. The tips at the corners spin, and a figure appears.

"Do we have it."

The words leave the Darksider. You can hear the uncompromising certainty in his voice. How confident he is in everything he does.

"Yes."

As the word leaves the hologram, he immediately turns off the Sith Holocron. Placing it somewhere in his robe and turning his attention to me.

Our eyes meet.

His red irises stare into my blue ones. As if he's peering into my very soul. However, I don't feel any intrusions into my mind.

[Wait until he gives Master Lymdor. When that happens, we can make our move.]

I ignore Haden's voice in my ear. Knowing that whatever he's saying shouldn't be my focus right now.

"Our meeting has finally come, Knight Azure. Ever since our Force Bond appeared, I've wanted to get a measure of you. In person."

The pace of my heart instantly increases.

[What's he talking about? Do any of you know what he's talking about?]

Mom's voice comes over the comms next, but instead of further listening. I tune them out. If I survive this encounter, I know I'll have a lot of explaining to do.

"I'm sorry I can't say the same..."

I trail off, asking him for a name in a manner not using specific words to do so. All he does is stare at me and take a small breath.

"You can call me Darth Rendra."

It's not the type of name I was hoping for.

"Darth Rendra, can't say I've ever heard a Sith name like that."

I've studied that Sith extensively, and due to that. I know they're naming habits. The Master names the Apprentice, but it's clear that he's named himself. Meaning he's Masterless. He's likely self-taught or taught by whoever was in that Sith Holocron.

There is no amusement or change in his demeanor. All he's doing is watching me, focusing entirely on me.

"Interesting."

I can't help looking a little confused as the single word leaves his lips. I don't know what he's doing, but I'm getting nervous.

My curiosity gets the better of me.

"What is?"

I know it's against orders to entertain a conversation with him. The voices in my ear I'm trying to ignore remind me of that.

"The fact you believe me to be Sith."

There are several ways I could answer here, but the one where I keep him talking is what I should focus on.

"I don't know how else to describe someone so well-trained in the Darkside."

The more I can learn about him, the better it is for our mission here. He remains silent at my response and continues to stare at me.

"Why do you let them?"

This time, his voice is of a questioning nature. But the question itself confuses me.

"You'll have to be more speci-..."

"Why do you let them control you. You're powerful. More powerful than anyone in the Jedi Order. You're like me, yet you shackle yourself to dogma and narrow-mindedness."

The sheer absurdity of the question stuns me for a second. He's attempting to shake my relationship with the Jedi.

With the Light side of The Force. He's trying to unbalance me.

"What you believe to be shackles and dogma are discipline and dedication. But from the perspective of a Darksider, it's something you can't wrap your head around. Just like how I can't wrap mine around what you do."

The answer is longer than I want it to be, but I'm getting something from him.

"Where were you born, Knight Azure."

The question throws me for a loop. First, we're talking about our respective sides of The Force; now, we're talking about where I was born? What is happening?

~~~(POV: Adren Saydra)~~~

~~~(Location: Public Room, Spaceport of Sector 70, Denon)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 17 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 568 BBY)~~~

She does look like me.

The line of questioning we were on was only to buy time for her to get more information from me. However, my own questions are more important than hers. Especially about how similar we look. We could be misconstrued as family.

Brother and sister.

I don't know why, but my mind is circling back to this repeatedly. In one of Annabella's diaries, she wrote about how she found me, or where to be more specific.

A transport ship.

Endurance.

The ship was traveling on the Corellian Hyperroute when it got hit by a rouge cluster of asteroids. In her diary, she said a medical droid gave me to her.

"Why do you want to know?"

Her voice is guarded and cautious. My eyes look at the earpiece she's got, and I pull it out of her ear in a simple move. Crushing it in my hand as I do.

No more spying.

She holds the ear and stares at me.

"I don't like talking about it."

This time, however, her voice is full of pain and sadness. Marking the date of her birth as something to regret.

Interesting.

Instead of doing this in a way that would take too long, I hold out my hand, and my saber hilt flies into it. Immediately igniting as it does. She doesn't hesitate and pulls out her own. Her green blade lights up the room just as my purple one does.

But I don't turn my blade to her; instead, I turn it to Lymdor. Still stuck in the carbonite.

She instantly understands.

"Okay, okay. Just take it easy, alright?"

I give no answer or indication. She takes a calm and steady breath from the fast change of pace. She responds well to stress, to moments of high intensity.

She's been trained well.

"I was born on a transport ship..."

...

"My Mom went into labor on the way back from a mission..."

...

"She was having twins..."

...

"But rouge asteroids hit the ship we were in, and my twin was left behind to die on the ship..."

...

"Why do you want to know this..."

...

All I do is take a single breath. Knowing exactly what's going on and why this is all happening. Taylor looks guarded at being forced to reveal something too painful to a stranger.

It's ironic.

The Force has a sense of humor.

"Endurance."

I watch her eyes widen, and she takes a defensive step back.

"How do you know that name!!??"

The rise in anger pulses in The Force. She's very powerful. It explains why she's so powerful. Why we're connected in this way.

It's not a Force Bond that was formed.

It's a Force Bond that's been restored.

She's my sister.

My twin sister.

In Annabella's diaries, she wrote about how she tried to find my birth Mother after what happened on Endurance. But after a while of not getting anywhere, she took me instead. It makes sense now. Why she couldn't find my biological Mother.

Jedi records are classified and sealed.

Krayla Azure is my biological Mother.

"I SAID HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT NAME!??!"

There is no need or reason for me to reveal anything at this time. There is no reason for anything to progress further than this. I'm sure the Jedi will find out the truth soon enough, but that'll buy me time to get what I want.

Fading away and out of the galaxy for a time seems like the next smart move. Now that I have what I need, I can begin my mission for Revan's Holocron.

Instead of answering her, I lift the chunk of carbonite off the ground and throw it in her direction. Forcing her to jump out of the way. However, she's still caught.

"ARGH!!"

A sickening crunch originating from her leg causes the grunt of pain. She's pinned under the heavy object.

Allowing me to walk for the door.

Time for the challenging part of this encounter with the Jedi.