The Lesson of All War

[Rhea]

"Do you wish to feel the teachings born of the Great War? Of all wars? Of all tragedies that scream across the galaxy?
— Unknown​

She had waited for him. He had been off for some time, gathering followers. She had sensed him for the first time when he had come to Prakith. His presence in the dark side of the Force was unique... strong. In the Deep Core, such presences were rare, save for Tython, lost three decades ago to war; and, so, she had inevitably been drawn to him... to Prakith.

At first, she had been content to observe from the shadows. She had to be absolutely certain that he was worthy, for all of his power in the Force. She had not been disappointed. His power grew with every mission, as did his following. He had acquired resources and a place hidden away from the Jedi Order. All the hallmarks of a leader, and yet, she could sense his intent... he wanted nothing to do with leadership. He wanted to kill Jedi. And while this might have been a disappointing trait to some, she found it desirable. It suited her ends.

So, Rhea had gone to Prakith and, through the Force, called out to him. She wondered where he might have heard it first? When he was scouring the abandoned temple searching for one of his disciples? Perhaps he heard it on Cularin, with the Anzati... Or, perhaps her voice had echoed across the Outer Rim, reaching him all the way on Rishi. She could not be sure. But call to him, she did... and he came. So, now it was time for her to personally test him and see if he was as worthy as she suspected.

"Have you had fun, scouring the galaxy for the like and weak-minded?" she said to him when at last he was before her, just outside the cave where he and the one called Valerian had discovered the cache of kyber crystals they so desperately craved. "You do not seem satisfied. But, perhaps, that is simply the nature of the dark side within you. Untamed and craving more."

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

The Force was calling to him. Not the light, which had long plagued his mind since his renunciation of the Jedi Order, but the dark side. It was not a bizarre, cold demand or some warm embrace. The call was too distant, too faint, but at the same time, it was like a whisper from behind his ear. He recognized the words when he laid secure beneath his sheets, weathering another nightmare from his past. The voice uprooted him from his sleep, and rubbing his eyes, he saw nothing— but he heard everything. A hazy silhouette; a woman with her legs crossed over a stone floor. The chamber was dark, and the stranger unrevealed, but that only piqued his interest. A terrible trap, a potential ally, or even one of the Warlords he had heard so much about?

Leviticus didn’t know, but he was going to find out. So, he collected his belongings, slithered into his personal ship, and made his way to this stranger. While he knew nothing of the woman, he was familiar with the cavern she laid within. He had been in that same cave during his odyssey with Valerian, which he couldn’t help but wonder: was there a reason she chose to remain there? Perhaps, like any other Exile, the woman was roped in by the enthralling power of the crystals deep beneath the surface of Prakith. Or, Levi’s own machinations had drawn her attention. For good or for bad, it didn’t matter. By the time he could resolve her intentions, he was already on the verge of the cavern, ready to piece together the puzzle—

—Or break it entirely. Leviticus knew not to trust strangers, Dark Jedi or otherwise. The Jedi despised him for leaving, and he was still a relative newcomer to the Exiles. There was nobody he could trust, save for those he had already encountered. This strange woman would be no different. It was from that reasoning that Levi made sure to keep his primary lightsaber within grasp at all times, as well as his eyes peeled on his surroundings. After all of his experiences on Onderon to Geonosis, the Exile knew better than to get caught off guard again or tossed around like some rag doll. However, to his own surprise, his caution was uncalled for. Because in the shadow of the cavern entrance, the woman stood patiently, a blank face mixed with the wrinkles and creases of her skin. She was old— a sign of experience, of respect. But Leviticus knew no respect.

“Indeed. Is that why I am here too? To butt heads with the like and weak-minded?” His eyes narrowed onto her. He could not ascertain the full strength of her abilities, but she was bound to be powerful. Or remarkably weak. He would have to wait and find out to be sure, though. “If not, why did you call me? I have better things to do than to commune with the dead— or the decrepit. Same thing.”

@Malon

 

[Rhea]

"Spare me your insults, Exile. I have no patience for them." Rhea replied. Her arms crossed over her chest and she wore a hood that barely revealed her eyes, a dim blue in the low-lighting.

She paused a moment to size him up. Yes... it was as she thought. His journey had not been in vain. He had gained followers, resources, a home, even; but his journey had also yielded him something far greater. She could see it on his person even as she felt it in the Force. His hatred, his resolve, had been fortified. And yet... she sensed something more. Something hidden underneath.

"You have grown strong in the Force. Can you feel it? I can. I can feel its mark upon you. The journey you have just embarked upon has taught you much, young one." Then her voice became higher, slightly, as though amused, though what could be seen of her face did not show it. "And yet, strip away your faux confidence — your arrogance — and underneath lies conflict. You hate the Jedi Order, yet you struggle with the light. You have found followers, servants, but you do not wish to lead them. Your thoughts burn with questions that lack answers. Alas, I do not have those answers for you, save one. The rest, you must find for yourself."

She uncrossed her arms and drew back her hood, revealing the face of a thirty-five year old Echani woman. Her robes were clearly Jedi, yet, if he had any perception at all, he would see that she was no Jedi. Her presence was unclear in the Force. She was good at concealing her true nature, but what leaked from underneath was clearly not of the light side of the Force. Not in the slightest. "We are alike, you and I. Victims of the Jedi Order's hubris. Victims of the Force's will. Perhaps that is why we are drawn to each other from across the stars. Kindred spirits have a funny way of finding one another despite the vastness of the universe, wouldn't you say?" She paused. "Do you grasp what I am saying, Exile? You seek direction. Your band — if that is what they can truly be called — of Exiles is little more than a wooden sword in a child's hand with you at their helm, and yet, they flock to you anyways. Have you given thought to what you might use them for? For what you might use the kyber crystals you have stumbled upon?"

"To be sure killing Jedi would be therapeutic for the lot of you, but will it truly exact the damage you seek?" She crooked a white eyebrow. "And how long will meaningless slaughter keep the others in line? Answer me these things and I will answer you, though I think you are beginning to grasp the nature of my line of questions."

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

Who was this woman to lecture him so? Like the old archivists, her words and elaborate metaphors seemed to go on and on, an endless conundrum that would have put Leviticus to sleep. As a matter of fact, she was the spitting image of his last master, another cloying member of the Jedi Order with nothing more to offer than some vapid discourse. For all the wisdom they seemed to uphold and foster, his master was but a weak speck against the tide of the war. In their ramblings, they were swept away by its pressure. Preaching peace, only to die by the sword. Words meant nothing in this galaxy. Only the initiative to take action, only an unyielding willpower. Leviticus already had both, so that also begged the question—

—What was this woman getting at? She was not wrong about him, and like an open book, she revealed the flaws rooted deep beneath his surface. Indeed, he was being torn apart between the light and the dark side, or at least, he had yet to fully embrace the darkness. Neither was the Exile willing to lead his makeshift cult forward, but instead relegated duties and responsibilities to others such as Valerian with little care or credit. Questions also lit his mind afire: over his tattered past, on how to take revenge on the Jedi, or what to do after or if he had come to fail. They gnawed at his mind, threatening to consume him whole. just like the dark side. For all his power and strength, Leviticus might fight his enemies with ease, but even he struggled when he fought himself.

“One way or another, I will eradicate the Jedi. This small band of Exiles will grow into a legion, and a legion into an empire. The crystals beneath the surface will be uncovered, refined, and used to bring about destruction their destruction.” His fingers tightened on the hilt of his blade. “I don’t just plan to kill some Jedi— I plan to kill them all. And if the others choose to step out of line, then they will join their rival brothers in the grave.” His answer was vague, unfounded. The woman was right, he had almost no intricate, future plans. Only to kill Jedi, and to do it well. And unsurprisingly, it upset him— to know that he was being lectured to by some foolish woman.

One eye twitched, and he instantly ignited his lightsaber. He raised it over his chest with both hands, as if he was about to fight the strange woman. “Who are you to question me? You offer no name, no answers. If you’re only here to lecture, then there’s no point in me listening.”

@Malon

 

[Rhea]

"And, yet, you will listen, until I have given you leave to do otherwise," the dark woman said, her voice dripping with venom. "Who I am is of little concern to you, Exile. You are owned neither names nor answers, save those which you can answer for yourself—or those which I deem appropriate to answer. For the sake of our conversations, however, you may refer to me as Arke."

The turmoil within the young Dark Jedi was beginning to surface, making his mind more open... his thoughts more apparent. Had he not learned to shield his mind during his training as a Jedi? Had he not realized that conflict and powerful emotions opened the mind to any who might be willing to peer within? He was either being careless or his training was incomplete. Nevertheless, Rhea saw the potential within him. He was a blunt instrument in need of hand to guide him. And, though he would never submit himself to her as a proper apprentice, she could still be the guiding hand he needed. But, first, there was more she required to drudge up and bring to the surface.

"There is disquiet in you. Unrest. Such things erode your strength and your will. Your plans lack direction. Purpose. You recognize the problem—the Jedi Order is broken... diseased... in need of eradication—but you fail to grasp the solution. The Jedi will never be destroyed by you and your band of misfits." In the dim lighting of the cave's mouth, her eyes almost seemed to twinkle with amusement. "Ah, but it is the conquerer's life you truly seek. Yes, a legion, an empire indeed. But empires have never been built off the backs of men unwilling to lead."

She paused a moment. "Very well, Exile. You have asked why I have summoned you here, to this place, and so I suppose I will answer you that question. The rest of the answers to the questions within you, you must find on your journey, or be destroyed in the process." Her pale lips curled into a sinister smirk. "I have summoned you here because you are powerful, because you are a natural leader despite your proclivity for avoiding leadership, and because you are resourceful as well. In you, I see a chance for revenge against the Jedi—for you are not the only one who hates them."

"To that end," she continued, "I would offer you this advice: the Jedi Order is as scattered as the ones they exiled. They squabble amongst themselves, all the while a shadow war splinters them further, and the Hutt bounties on their lightsabers push them farther towards the brink of extinction—yet, obviously, not far enough. As a result, they are difficult to hunt and even more so to eradicate. Simply gathering followers to launch another war will not bring an end to them."

"Have you figured it out? The Jedi must be made to reveal themselves and, in doing so, destroy themselves. Your strikes upon them must not come through flashy weaponry, the likes of which kyber crystals would permit you to create, or the raw and murderous slaughter your masked companion seeks. They must be surgical. They must inspire fear. For only then, will the fragmented Jedi Order reunite in order to preserve itself; and, once it is back together, what remains of it can be obliterated in a single, last stroke."

She paused for a long while, allowing all of this to sink in for him. It had been some time since she had mentored another, especially one so hostile to her teachings. But, if he learned from what she said, then the Jedi Order was doomed to finally die. "Now that you understand my purpose in calling you here," she said, drawing up her cowl to its former position, "you must have other questions. Ask, and I will answer."

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

The strange woman was right, yet again. Like the Exiles, the Jedi Order were fractured, split apart. After the catastrophe on Ilum, they had splintered into various pieces. Guardians, gathered together by the hopeless Cadef Sige, were rumored to have shut themselves behind the sanctuary of Jedha, desperate to rebuild the broken Order. Crusaders, bunched into various gangs and devoid of a true leader. Sentinels, weak-willed and too interwoven in society to recognize. Consulars, their noses too buried in books to care for the war. Jedi Shadows, lurking behind any corner and impossible to catch.

Leviticus could pursue each and every one for years, but the campaign would end only in failure. As long as they were divided, and therefore smaller targets, the Jedi could slip through the cracks of his iron grip. Like insects, a few might survive, but they would only breed back into a swarm before devouring him whole. If he wanted to truly end the Order, the Exiles would need to force them to come together once more. They didn’t just need to inspire fear, but they needed to give them hope. Not too much, not too little. Rather, just enough hope to control their every move. Every Jedi would instantly cling to it like a moth to light, and it was there that he could wipe them out. With either a full-fledged empire or an all-powerful weapon, Leviticus could swap them away in one foul swoop.

The Exile turned his eyes from the woman and brushed past her. The thoughts burned throughout his mind, and an endless outpour of ideas and schemes burst ahead.He paced around at the verge of the cavern, lightsaber flourishing in his hand. Then, with a hiss, Leviticus would deactivate the blade and looked to the woman. A sinister grin had now taken hold, painting his face with a baneful presence. “Yes, yes,” he said, almost ready to clap for the woman’s unexpected wisdom. “Place enough pressure on the Jedi, and they will squeeze together— all into one target. That is when I can strike. That is when the Jedi will end.”

The Jedi may have torn into a dozen different threads, making it next to impossible to destroy every single one, but if Leviticus somehow weaved it back together, then he could truly cut them clean. However, his mind reeled back into reality. These machinations and thoughts carried him away, but there was still other questions that had to be answered. The woman gave him a name, and perhaps an explanation, but that didn’t mean he could entirely trust her. Keeping the hilt of his lightsaber in hand, Levi stared down the stranger— Arke. “Why are you really here, then? You couldn’t have come all the way to Prakith before summoning me here just to tell me this. You want something, don’t you?” Credits, compensation. She couldn’t have come simply out of hatred for the Jedi.

“Or, there is something more?”

 

[Rhea]

"Ah, I'm afraid you have selected a question that I cannot yet answer," Rhea replied. "Not for you. Not yet. The true complexities of what I want must remain with me, for a time." A malicious smirk. "A true master does not reveal her hand all at once, you see."

Her expression returned to normal. "Do not fret, Exile. All will become clear in time. Rest assured that you were right about one thing. I did not come here, to Prakith, simply to point out the errors in your plans. Were matters as simple as that, I would have merely left you to fail as so many an Exile has done before you." She placed one hand on her hip and tilted her head aside. "I have a proposal for you. You will permit me to join your band of Exiles. None of what we have spoken here this day will be aired to them. I will be as invisible to them as the air they breathe. In the shadows, I shall advise you. I shall be the hand that makes your wooden sword one of durasteel—its edges sharp, poised to kill."

"But I shall not ask this of you without proof of my worth, for if I did, nothing I said here would have any meaning." For the first time, she laughed, and it was a vile, wicked thing. "Continue with your machinations here. Build your base. Cement your rule of this world. Scour the galaxy for the knowledge of the Force that you need to calm your inner disquiet. In the meantime, I shall procure for you a gift. One that can accelerate your plans considerably, I think. If I return with it, you shall have your proof that I am trustworthy; and, if I do not, you can forget me with all the other failures that have come and gone." But she would not fail. She could not.

Then, with a voice which sounded vaguely amused, she added, "And because your thoughts are so open and trusting, I shall spare you the task of asking the question 'Why?' Because your machinations shall further my own, and that is all you need to know.... for now. So, what do you say to that, Exile?"

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

The mystery that shrouded the woman was not unnerving, but rather frustrating. While she certainly posed no threat and neither sought to manipulate him, Arke was not to be trusted. She was willing to answer his questions, but not any that involved the truth or the full extent of her purpose. All Leviticus received was an elaborate aversion, veiled beneath a half-hearted justification and a malicious smirk. Still, the honesty and sincerity in her voice was clear. Likewise, her offer to join at his side didn’t carry a catch or vague conundrum. She simply wished to stand at his side, to advise him in his many machinations, and to temper the steel of his blade and heart— all so long as he kept her presence a secret. A small price to pay.

Her offer even extended out to a gift. There was no promise or suspicious contract he had to make on his own end, just to follow in the steps of his previous plan: to subjugate Prakith to his own will. And Leviticus was left to wonder what she could mean. An ancient holocron replete with knowledge and techniques from Exiles long lost to time? More men and women to join his cause, to further expand his influence in the sector? Whatever it was, perhaps it would no doubt prove to be a vital piece to his plans. And this woman— Arke— was an opportunity he could not so easily pass up. He needed allies, advisors. Now more than ever.

Still, he hid his conviction behind the surface of an expressionless guise. Pressing his fingers to his chin, he seemed to consider her proposal for a moment. Except, there was nothing else to consider. He wanted her at his side, and that was that. Keeping that in mind, he paused for another moment before answering, “So be it, then. You may freely join my side, and as invisible as the air around me. Just know that if you dare think to betray me, and believe me, I will know— then I will strike you down before you can even blink.” His grip stiffened on his blade as he mirrored her own words. “So, what do you say to that, Exile?”

 

[Rhea]

Rhea's lips curled into a sinister grin. His choice of words was poetic, really. It was almost as if he had plucked her thoughts as easily as she had been plucking his, but she knew such things were impossible. She was unreadable. If she were not, this encounter would have gone dire for her. She was not yet strong enough to face him in one-on-one combat, but there were other ways of besting one intent to harm her, and she had silently proven that with this entire exchange. She was pleased with herself. His assumptions about her were based upon rudimentary understandings of strength and power. And, because of that, he did not yet comprehend what danger she could pose to him if she so wished.

Rather than revealing all of this, she simply said, in a tone as sinister as her grin, "'Betrayal.' An amusing word-choice. There must always be someone who holds the knowledge of betrayal, musn't there, Exile? One who has been betrayed in their heart, and shall betray in turn." A smug cackle. "Save your idle threats for someone who fears you, Leviticus." There. She'd revealed a piece of her hand. A name he had never given her—spoken venomously to drive home the point. "You will have your gift and my counsel... and much more if you mind what you have learned here."

The dark woman turned to leave—curiously, she wandered further into the cave, rather than through its mouth, which might have seemed the obvious exit—but stopped before she disappeared entirely within the maw of darkness. Turning slightly, her eyes seemed to glimmer within the cowl of her hood. To Levi, perhaps, they would appear much like a viper's eyes sizing up their prey. "I shall leave you with this, another gift, not to be taken lightly. The disquiet within you dulls your powers; but there are techniques within the Force, methods by which the dark side can be used to funnel such disquiet into raw power." She paused. "It is an old secret, yes, and perhaps hard for one such as yourself to find. But, perhaps if you were to learn such a secret, then, when we cross paths again, you will be ready for what is to come."

And with that, she waited for him to say nothing. Instead, she slithered into the shadows as though they were her home and seemed to disappear entirely within the maw of the cave.

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

Amusing word choice? Ironic, coming from her. With every word and elaborate metaphor that slipped out from her lips, Leviticus seemed to understand her less and less. Yet still, he listened intently. There was something about this strange woman that caught his attention, his awareness. Be it the golden, pale glow of her eyes, the sinister grin plastered across her features, the way her words weaved through the space between them. It wasn’t until the woman, Arke, revealed his proclaimed name, despite having never heard it. Levi had only ever told those within the circle of his trust, and it was clear the woman knew nothing of them and neither wished to know them at all. And strangely, it unnerved him.

Her last remark was likewise just as mysterious. He knew of the dissonance and range of emotions boiling inside him. He understood the conflict between light and dark had slowly been tearing him apart, festering into volatility. Leviticus knew it made him weaker, more prone to vulnerability. However, if what this woman was implying was true, then was there a way he could turn that imbalance into power? Now, his mind began to rupture with even more thoughts. Of what step he should take next, or if he should search within himself, or within this world, for such a secret. By the time he turned toward the woman, intent on interrogating her further, he saw only the ghoulish light of her gaze, then nothing.

She had disappeared into the cavern, leaving Leviticus almost to wonder if she was just a figment of his imagination. He shook his head. “Creepy bitch,” he whispered to himself before leaving the cavern. There was work to be done, after all.