| Author |
Topic:
The Wise
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1Yodimus_Prime
Registered:
Mar '04
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Date Posted:
1/21 10:12pm
Subject:
RE: The Wise - CH 14: THE SHADOW BEAST (part 1)
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Oh! Well, apology accepted 
This chapter has a nice place to cut, but I don't want to drag it out, so I'm going to post the first half today and then post the second half on Thursday. The break will be more for the sake of readability than anything. Because the updates will be so close together, I will send only one PM, so as to not clutter people'ses inboxes.
Chapter 14: The Shadow Beast (Part 1)
“So you defeated her without any weapon at all, is this what you’re saying? Are you telling me that you were able to kill someone older, stronger, bigger, and better trained than you – you, a soft, scrawny little brat – and you did this…with your bare hands? Is this what you’re saying?”
“It is, L-…Lord Averus.”
“And you expect me to believe this?” she asked, trying to act as skeptical as possible under the circumstances. In other words, not every skeptical at all. Averus couldn’t help it. She was excited. It was exactly the outcome she had been hoping for. After so many failures, she would soon have an apprentice who would truly be Her Apprentice, to carry on the Sith Order.
The boy responded to her in monotone, “We…we could hike down the Western Canyon if you want to…if, I don’t know, you want to see it. Her. Her body, I mean, I guess. Or I guess I could go get it for you. Her. Get her, I mean.”
She regarded the pitiful boy, his unsteady balance, and the thin stripe of blood stained against his face, running from his head all the way down to his collar. That little concussion must be making rational thought very difficult for him. He should have seen through my ruse of suspicion by now.
Then again, why was she doing this anyway? What purpose would it serve, except to extend his torment just a tiny bit longer? Clearly he had done the deed. He wore the girl’s blood on his chest like a ragged sash. If he was lying about anything, it was the claim that he had not stabbed her with the blade. Obviously he had. Perhaps even mortally. In fact, that explained a lot. Wounded, the girl would not be able to put up a fight, no matter her ferocity or her strength.
“I could…could bring you back something. Her hair? Her shoes? I could…do something like that…” the boy went on, unabated, like a robot.
This was the question: did she really need to string him along? Well, she might. It was hard to say. This was a bold experiment, after all, setting up two potentials on two different paths and then loosing them upon each other. More than that, it was unique, as there was no record of any other Sith Lord ever trying something like this. Perhaps there were undocumented failures, but that was irrelevent. Who knew what you were supposed to do, afterward? Nobody. So who had the right to tell her she was wrong? Exactly.
After sixty years of failure upon failure…after watching every girl and every woman she ever believed in drop out of the galaxy in spirit or will or both…after all that work done in vain…Darth Averus deserved this.
Finding two children who merited this sort of test was, now that she thought about it, the hardest part. Everything else seemed to fall into place after that. It was…
The boy was looking at her expectantly. Wearily. Of course, “No need for all that, boy. I’ll verify the kill in due time. That is not so important right now. Step forward, please. Let me have a look at you. Let me have a look at the boy who shall be my Apprentice.”
The boy stepped forward, as she ordered. He had to. There wasn’t much left of him, inside that little head of his, except the ability to obey, and a smoldering rage waiting to be reignited. He stepped forward. Of course he stepped forward. It was all that was left.
Will this be all I’m left with forever, though? Is this hate all I’ll ever be from now on? Or will I go back to normal one day, go back to being…me? the questions melted away as quickly as they formed, forgotten in the white noise. The snow of his mind. While above him, the night sky remained impeccably clear.
Lady Averus – who would be called Master Averus from now on, and for real, not just as some meaningless affectation to win her approval – put a hand on his chin to help her examine his face.
What on my face are you looking for, that wasn’t already there before? Looking for that one bruise that tells you I’m a Sith Lord now? Maybe those scratches that girl put on my cheek have something to say? No? What then, waiting for my eyes to turn yellow or something? This is ridiculous and a waste of time.
“You are a truly remarkable child, boy.” She said.
And you are an idiot. he thought in reply. Her eyes narrowed, and he quickly closed his mind to her. They stood there in silence. Was he too late? Had he gone too far? Did she feel his disdain for her? His disgust? His hate?
Averus felt the waves of prideful anger bombard her almost as though he was projecting it physically. The boy didn’t just mistrust her, he despised her. His Force Presence was thick with it. She couldn’t have been more pleased. She told him so. This was the culmination of years, after all. She could afford to be giddy for a few minutes, right?
All thanks to a bored trip through Coruscant, this was. One walk, a little too far, a little too deep. One overheard rumor, too absurd to be anything but true. Could a little girl that young really be such a force in the underworld? It had to be witnessed. Baroness Tira…no, Darth Averus, had to know.
And oh did she learn. Stumbling upon her was a stroke of luck that could only have been the Will of the Force, for that little girl, that so-called “Mouse” was incredible. A diamond in the rough. Her ability to hide herself was uncanny. She seemed to become nothing when she hid. Like a fixture of the environment. Nonexistent. Even in the Force. Especially in the Force. Many Sensitives misled, fooled you into believing they were somewhere they were not. Nobody just disappeared. But that’s exactly what little Mouse could do: disappear without disappearing. Just like the tiny poisonous mutant lifeforms she named herself after. What was a Coruscant mouse, after all, but a remarkable exception to the rule?
Mouse, she walked next to hardened criminals, next to merciless crime bosses who would torture and kill you for so much as glancing their way, next to killers and psychopaths and rapists, right beside them, whenever she wished. They never noticed. The ultimate spy.
No.
The ultimate hunter. Tira learned quickly that Mouse wasn’t reporting anything she saw to the gang members she’d return to each night. The people this Mouse was following, she was setting them up on her own. She would trick them into taking the wrong street, controlled by the wrong gang. Or she would tip off someone with a vendetta. She was too unsure of herself to murder anyone directly, though. That would have to be Tira’s first project. Seeing Mouse in action, Tira’s…no, Darth Averus’s grand plan appeared fully formed in her head. She would be a weapon; a tool. A dowsing rod to be used to best measure other, more Force-powerful Sensitives against. Finally, after such a long, fruitless life, Averus had a goal to strive for. Had ambition.
All thanks to a suspicious suicide, this was. One death, a little too strange to be normal. A tiny long-shot hunch that revealed exactly what she hoped it would and more. The boy. Another diamond in another rough. Not just strong in the Force, but a titan. With potential that nearly matched that ancient stalwart Yoda, up in the horrid Jedi Council. And a genius to boot.
This was the mind that would carry her Order onward, would maintain it long after she had passed. Hell, long after he had passed, and his children had passed, and their children had passed, if all went right. Someone completely unlike Darth Venge in every concievable way except gender. Someone who cared about the future and who cared about the people close to him, all at the same time, and had a mind to hold it all together with an unmatched precision. And the girl would be the perfect test. A test of his skill, of his intelligence under stress (for his intelligence under all other conditions was unquestioned), of his endurance, of his drive, his need, his desire for greatness beyond status quo. No, was the perfect test. Averus had anticipated the outcome, even amidst the danger and the doubt, and her anticipation had been correct. It worked. The crazy plan had worked.
After all that, Averus could easily afford a few minutes of giddiness. She deserved it.
The boy had been staring at nothing, at the ground, unfocused, blurry. He lifted his head in response to the laughter, and was now looking at Averus. Staring. The focus was back, the blur gone. Vanished with the winds of awe. He’d never seen her like this before, dressed in this way. It was indescribable. He wanted to shrink away, just disappear. It reminded him of something she once wore back when they first met. She wore it into the orchard, where she knelt to say some sort of prayer. It made her look like a god, and it made him wonder to whom gods prayed.
He remembered going out to her and, feeling bold, asking what made her come to this place. She mistook his meaning, thinking he wanted to know why she had come to his aide. She had said, ”Because I have plans for you, boy.”
“What kinds of plans?”
“Big ones. You’re my second project.” and that phrase rattled around in his head now. Second project. A perfect place to begin. He spoke up, “Lord Averus, has your courtesy been overextended?”
“My courtesy?”
“You told me, at the beginning of the week, that you would allow me to ask you any question, whenever I wished. You said you’d extend it for the duration” he ran out of breath, took another, “of the week.”
“Well is the week over, boy?”
“There are two days left, still.”
“Then what do you think.”
“Who was your first project?”
“My first what? Boy, that bump on your head seems to have turned you obtuse. Speak plainly or do not speak at all.”
“You’ve told me before that” he took a breath, “I’m your second project –“
“Once. I told you once.”
“- and I would like to know who your first is.”
“I hoped such an answer would be too obvious to ask. Did I not say at the beginning of this inquiry that the girl was older than you? Were you not able to see that yourself? And do you think she became so skilled through natural gifts? I have higher expectations of you than this, boy. I intend to hold you to them, no matter what state you’re in.”
“But did” breath, “you choose me because of her,” breath, “or did you choose her because of me?”
“Is this what you ask? This is really what you want to know? ‘Who was more important?’ Please! I entered this test looking for a child who was smart and ruthless like you, and a child who was strong and brutal like her. I found them. Who I favored at first does not change the fact that you are alive and she is dead. There is nothing more to it.”
He noted that she wasn’t asking him to do something distracting while he asked his questions. This was important, “No, there is more to it.”
“Do you contradict me for sport, or is your wisdom truly beyond my scope? I would not kill you, but I am not above permanently maiming you for this transgression. Surely you know that. Recall the stakes of your test.”
“You wanted a girl.”
“The girl was strong, but not so gifted. Be logical for once tonight and reason it out. I wanted you.”
“I know.” he said, making an effort to mirror her intensity, “…But,” breath, “you would have preferred me to have been a girl.”
The silence seemed to heat the whole field.
-----signature-----
Rule 12: A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head. --- http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/26481069 - The Wise http://boards.theforce.net/B/b1/21283317 - Planet Hopping
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1Yodimus_Prime
Registered:
Mar '04
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Date Posted:
1/26 2:22pm
Subject:
RE: The Wise - CH 14: THE SHADOW BEAST (part 1)
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(part 2)
Note 1: "Boonta," if you recall, is a Rodian religious slur for other Rodians that choose to worship Corellian gods. On Coruscant, it can also subjectively apply to someone who is stupid or naïve, which is the definition Mouse was originally taught. She picked it up, appropriately enough, from the Kryat gang member known as "The Rodian".
Note 2: this went over the formating limit. Words or phrases bracketed with *s are meant to be italicized.
Chapter 14: The Shadow Beast
Averus was not ready for this. She had expected him to be grateful. She had expected him to be hungry for her approval, so she could withhold it from him, dangle it before him like a prize. Instead she found herself searching for *his* approval. How did he gain such control of the conversation? He was twelve! This was ridiculous.
He took a few shallow breaths, “You’re disappointed in me.”
“Nonsense.” No! Agree! Don’t bluff him, you old fool, you’ll look weak. He figured out who you are, he understood you better than you understood yourself. Roll with it. Roll with it or he’ll destroy your influence before it has even manifested. Roll with it! “No, forget it. You’re right. I am disappointed. But finding young women who fit your profile is harder than you think. You are truly special.” I bank on flattery now. Am I really stooping that low? Incredible.
She could imagine what he was thinking, ”Oh, so what you mean is, you aren’t perceptive enough to find someone similar to me, even when you have trillions of possibilities at your disposal? Good to know, ‘Master’.” Oh, this was not going well.
Suddenly, the boy seemed to drop his insubordinate attitude, “Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am special. I did kill her, after all.”
That was enough of this game. Playtime was over, and the big kids had business to get on with. Averus reassumed an air of authority and beckoned him closer, “Boy, orphan of Dolus, leader of children, slave to no one, step forward.”
He did so.
“…kneel.”
He did so.
She put a hand on his forehead, touching the sweat and the blood, possessing it and all it meant. All at once, the weight of the whole astronomical galaxy entered her, and she grabbed it with all her spiritual strength, made herself to control every ebb and every flow, became drunk in its grandeur, all to pick out the name he would take. He *would* take it, too. The moment she found it, the boy would know it as well. Its existence in Averus’ mind would live or die based entirely on whether or not he accepted it. But she was distracted. She had wanted to be completely in control, had wanted the victor to be completely at her command, at her mercy when she went into this short, intense meditation. It was distracting, not being utterly in control.
A name appeared in her mind. She did not like it, but without the influence she was used to during this point in the ceremony (if it could be called that) – an influence she’d had since her first Apprentice – there was nothing she could do to change it. It was entirely his decision. For the first time in Averus’ life, her Apprentice would decide without any influence from her whatsoever, and there was nothing she could do. Very distracting.
Adding weight to her words, so that the very ground rumbled, and nothing mattered anywhere except for him and her, and without the least bit of the displeasure Averus felt, she said, “Rise, D –“
That’s funny…
He looked at her, so calm, so innocent. His eyes blinked, but not in confusion. Perhaps sympathy? Pity? She wasn’t so sure, but she tried again, “Rise, -“ the words were stolen from her throat, replaced with something that tasted bitter like…iron. “R-“ she nearly doubled over. Breathing was no longer working. Was this what a heart attack felt like?
She could no longer feel her legs, found herself kneeling on the ground, facing the boy. In response, he stood up. The gall! When they returned, he would be punished for not helping her. He would be…blood. The bitter taste, it was blood. She coughed up more, and saw it glisten dreadfully on the sleeve she wiped her mouth with. This was no heart attack. She looked down.
There was a stick poking through her stomach.
A voice whispered in her ear, “Caught you distracted. I thought you practiced what you preached.”
“I will kill you where you stand,” she whispered back to Mouse.
But Mouse was her Hunter Self now, and idle threats were meaningless. All the girl did was stare at her, unimpressed.
“The way I killed your family.” Averus finished.
Mouse did not seem phased. Perhaps the girl thought she meant something else. Averus clarified, “The way I killed your little Gang friends.”
“Boonta.” She spat fiercely, yet without raising her voice. Her eyes flashed bright with fury and she twisted the spear. Averus could feel every tiny divot and splinter as it rotated inside her. It was more disgusting than painful, but only because she was using the Force to anasthetize herself, something Averus could do so easily she didn’t even have to think about it. Mostly it was demeaning, to be put in this position by children. Children! The anger built up into a great rage. The snow felt warm in her hands as she made fists and used the Force to shove Mouse away. The sticks and debris of the forest rose with a false wind.
“How dare you! How *dare* you!” she shouted as the wind picked up into a roar, “You think you can just do this? You think this is your right?! Then you are fools! I would have given you everything! I would have given you EVERYTHING, and you do this!” the sticks and stones flew like blasterbolts, cutting and slicing all they touched, “I could have created an Order that meant something! But instead, I end up with a stupid girl and a deceitful boy! This boy. You. I gave everything I had to make you great, and this is how you thank me you worthless nothing. All that trust we shared; all that trust we worked so long to build…I should have known better. You probably masterminded this whole plan, didn’t you. *Didn’t* you. Look at him, Mouse. Look at him!” she pointed and it seemed as though every twig on the planet launched at him at once. He closed his eyes and did nothing else, seemingly determined to stand firm. It only served to enrage Averus more, “Look at what he’s done. He’s led you astray, he’s whispered lies into your ears, he’s killed your only chance to become great, because that’s what they do! They promise to be good and they promise to be faithful, but they lie! Don’t let him become a Sith Lord, Mouse!”
Now she turned to the girl, grabbing her sleeve, looking almost conspiratorial, "Listen to me! Nothing useful was don in our Order for almost a thousand years. Almost a *thousand years* of waste. Then Darth Enimitar had the sense to induct his wife as Darth Animus, who had the sense to kill him, that she might do something productive. We've grown by leaps and bounds ever since. We've made *headway!* Our rise to galactic control is practically inevitable now, because of what she did, and what my Master Darth Pyre did, and what I did. Kill him or he'll ruin everything we've done, because that's all they're good for! WE do all the work, WE build up the towers, WE maintain the knowledge, WE hold together the world, and they break it all down! Like the Jedi, stealing credit for every damn positive thing that happens, but never lifting a finger themselves. THEY will make our Order fail. Even a Mouse could see that. Right? Am I right Mouse? Am I right, my child, my beautiful child? My little Mouse?" she tried to caress her, but the girl brushed her away.
Mouse stared at nothing, acknowledged nothing, didn’t even move. For all Averus knew, the girl hadn’t even heard her.
She turned then, to the boy, “Are you going to stand there and allow this psychopath to kill me, boy?! Or do you no longer trust your instincts? Tell me you sensed her insanity, her murder lust! Tell me you aren’t ignoring what I know you’ve felt! Tell me you have more sense in your head than that! I know you do! You are a mild, reasonable person; you are a *good* person! You know right from wrong, and it’s because of me, is it not? But SHE doesn’t know right from anything! SHE is unteachable! See her even now: ignoring my cries for mercy! She will kill me without pity and she will laugh as I die! Why would you allow this...this...sick...this-” she caught her breath, nearly sobbing. She coughed and blood was flung into the gale. The boy looked unmoved. She clung to the sentence, “This...mindless killer to do what she wishes! Is it out of fear? Are you weak? You are not! Believe me, you are not! Do you willingly turn a blind eye to this? To this needless destruction! Understand this is not how things are supposed to happen! We are the Sith. The SITH! US!. We are not butchers, and we must destroy all those who are! We must destroy those who ruin...who ruin lives needlessly, who torment needlessly, who...who...who ki--“
***
The ranting stopped. The false wind stopped. The projectiles stopped. The debris returned to the earth. Darth Averus fell down in front of them, dropping heavily, gracelessly. Her head fell down elsewhere.
The red lightsaber hummed in the boy’s hands. It was a deeper, more solid hum than the vibroblade, but he still didn’t like it. A seam in Averus’s cloak was freshly torn, where the saber had been Force-pulled out. He turned the thing off and tossed it back to her body, to lie with her.
A larger, yet far gentler wind started its push from the east. The boy’s eyes stung; he had to force himself to even blink. His fingers twitched, but involuntarily, to remind him they were still there.
The boy spoke in quiet monotone. Almost distant, “Needless destruction. She named herself. She said to destroy tormentors. I was only doing what she said.” He felt numb.
The sun began to rise from the north. Finally, late but not forgotten, the snow began. The body would be covered by midday. They watched the lifeless black cloak ripple in a fresh breeze. Steam seemed to rise from the wounds, ignited by the cold air. Even now, the boy could feel the creeping Shadow in his mind’s eye fading away.
Fading but not gone. The boy’s eyes flicked to the girl. She was already staring at him, suspicious, ready to strike. Her fists clenched. He glanced at the spear and wondered how quickly he could remove it. His eyes roamed to the saber and wondered if it was within range. They maintained a safe distance from each other.
She shifted her weight. He tensed.
The Beast was dead, but this was not over yet.
-----signature-----
Rule 12: A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head. --- http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/26481069 - The Wise http://boards.theforce.net/B/b1/21283317 - Planet Hopping
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NYCitygurl
Title: Manager of SFFBC, C&G, and NSWFF
Registered:
Jul '02
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Date Posted:
1/26 8:11pm
Subject:
RE: The Wise - CH 14: THE SHADOW BEAST
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Woah. Just woah.
The first chapter was wowing. I love the way you went back and forth between 50 years ago and the boy. And the second was my favorite; I love that the boy and Mouse decided to join forces. Sad end to A, but she sort of deserved it.
And I'm hanging on the edge of my seat for the end 
Post now! Post now! 
~Nat
-----signature-----
"Not till the moon falls. Not till the world ends."
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Healer_Leona
Registered:
Jul '00
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Date Posted:
1/29 2:30am
Subject:
RE: The Wise - CH 14: THE SHADOW BEAST
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Not confusing at all, I'm just slow.
Part one seems to reveal so much. Can't blame the boy for his despising Averus, it is the nature of the Sith.
Whoa!!!!  Mouse is alive?? How? Is this intentional? Did the children plan this or is it some strange mockery of the Force that she survived?
I look forward to the next post to find out.
-----signature-----
Any way youll never know
The many ways I've tried
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BigE
Registered:
Jul '02
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Date Posted:
1/31 5:32am
Subject:
RE: The Wise - CH 14: THE SHADOW BEAST
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Yodimus – it’s nigh impossible to pick out little bits and pieces to quote from – the whole body is a work of art: a marvelous tale well told.
I had hoped they’d team up, but even though they’ve defeated Averus, tension remains. This cliffie is unavoidable. After everything they’ve been put through, how could the children’s reaction after their success be any different? (At least initially.)
I’m still holding out hope that a peaceful resolution can happen, but even if it does not come out that way, I know that I’ll enjoy the ride!
-----signature-----
Aha! That's it. Hold it right there.
Pronoun trouble.
It's not "he doesn't have to shoot YOU now," it's "he doens't have to shoot ME now."
Well I say he DOES have to shoot me now!! So shoot me now!
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MsLanna
Title: CR GSFF Central
Registered:
Jul '05
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Date Posted:
2/1 8:06am
Subject:
RE: The Wise - CH 14: THE SHADOW BEAST
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Those two updates are just - wow.
I hoped Mouse was not dead and that this would happen but - wow.
Don't aks my why I had the feeling he was lying. Might just have been my hopes.
And all so very well written. I can't quote anything, or I'd have to quote it all.
1Yodimus_Prime posted:
The Last Two Updates
This just blew me away, so I had to quote it. 
I wonder how those to work together now, or not. 
-----signature-----
Padawan owned by Corellian_Ale Master of CloneCaptainRex. Proud FanFic Master of Darth_Sathanos Why so serious?  Master of baritonejedi
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1Yodimus_Prime
Registered:
Mar '04
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Date Posted:
2/1 8:56pm
Subject:
RE: The Wise - CH 14: THE SHADOW BEAST
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NYCitygurl posted:
Woah. Just woah.
The first chapter was wowing. I love the way you went back and forth between 50 years ago and the boy. And the second was my favorite; I love that the boy and Mouse decided to join forces. Sad end to A, but she sort of deserved it.
I'm glad you liked it. Bouncing back and forth in time is almost as fun as bouncing back and forth between POV. As for Averus, well, karma.
Healer_Leona posted:
Part one seems to reveal so much. Can't blame the boy for his despising Averus, it is the nature of the Sith.
Whoa!!!! Mouse is alive?? How? Is this intentional? Did the children plan this or is it some strange mockery of the Force that she survived?
Yes, part one sure does seem to reveal a lot. All will be explained in the final chapter, my dear.
BigE posted:
I had hoped they’d team up, but even though they’ve defeated Averus, tension remains. This cliffie is unavoidable. After everything they’ve been put through, how could the children’s reaction after their success be any different? (At least initially.)
I’m still holding out hope that a peaceful resolution can happen, but even if it does not come out that way, I know that I’ll enjoy the ride!
I'm certain you will, Big. 
When you've settled into the idea that you have to kill a certain person to survive, it can be very difficult to simply drop it, even if a new solution is found. This can lead to tragedy.
I suppose we'll see what happens for ourselves.
By the way, thank you for calling this 'Art'. I'm flattered! (does that victorian fluttery thing with his hand against his chest)
MsLanna posted:
Those two updates are just - wow.
I hoped Mouse was not dead and that this would happen but - wow.
Don't aks my why I had the feeling he was lying. Might just have been my hopes.
And all so very well written. I can't quote anything, or I'd have to quote it all.
1Yodimus_Prime posted:
The Last Two Updates
This just blew me away, so I had to quote it.
I wonder how those to work together now, or not.
Ah, Lanna, always the clever one How they work together is completely up to them now.
Thanks for the compliments!
In the upcoming week, expect the big final chapter.
It will shock you.
Count on it.
...and if it doesn't shock you, I will. With a taser.
And don't think I'm joking - I got enough frequent flier miles to get me around the world twice, folks.
-----signature-----
Rule 12: A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head. --- http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/26481069 - The Wise http://boards.theforce.net/B/b1/21283317 - Planet Hopping
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1Yodimus_Prime
Registered:
Mar '04
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Date Posted:
2/10 3:06pm
Subject:
RE: The Wise - CH 15: ...Answer
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Chapter 15: …Answer
As snowflakes danced lazily about, on their carefree and convoluted way toward the frozen ground, two children stood in a field, still as ice. Or they seemed to be. Mouse, the child facing south, knew better. She was acute to begin with, but right now her mind was on overdrive. It would take some time to step down from the high of success, the adrenaline thrill that violence imparts. Once it was gone though, Mouse would surely collapse in a useless heap of exhaustion.
This was not a frivolous assumption. She was keenly aware of where her limits were. At the moment, she was hours past them. The only thing keeping her up, keeping her thinking, keeping her moving, keeping her conscious, were a couple biochemicals rushing through her bloodstream, activated by fear and by anger. There was absolutely nothing else supporting her beyond that. She gave herself ten, maybe fifteen minutes before the tunnel vision and the blackout. In the meantime, every motion, not matter how minute, was noticed and tracked, and would be acted upon instantly if necessary.
Thanks to that heightened sense, she knew the boy was not truly perfectly still. His fingers twitched, itchy. They wanted to do that again. Killing was a hard thing to give up, once started, as Mouse well knew. Had he thrown the lightsaber away against his own will, then? Or was he really stupid enough to think now, what he had claimed a few hours before: that he could kill her with his bare hands. And did he actually think he could learn her tricks on his own? Or maybe the twitching was just involuntary. That made more sense.
His eyes cheated to the peripherals. He was watching her too, but less blatantly. Why? Did he still think he had a chance? …Maybe he did. Ten to fifteen minutes, I said. Probably more like five. she blinked away spots for a second.
No, look again. See how his neck seems to barely support the weight of his head. See how his knees have locked in place; how his feet rock unsteadily, like they’re the only things left for him to keep balance. How his upper body seems to loll, ever so slightly. I’ve seen this before. I’ve seen this before in myself. He’s dead where he stands. The kid’s using every ounce of strength just to keep from collapsing. He’s worse-off than me.
Well, you better suck it up, kid. We’re gonna need to be in hyperspace before noon. My ship doesn’t hold two people, and I can’t fly the hag’s ship alone. She suddenly felt like Lock: being callous for the sake of the group. And for once, she let herself remember them. The boy glanced over again. He looked away and blinked. Every time he blinked, he visibly shuddered.
She changed her mind. He wasn’t watching her sideways because he was planning something. He probably couldn’t plan something, even if he tried. And in the off-chance that he had, it would surely fail. No, he was watching because he was afraid of her.
Did he really not trust her? That wouldn’t do. They had an agreement. They had a Trust. It was new, but it had to be real now or it would collapse later. It was time to test this companionship, and see what the bonds were really made of. Now, while their deeds were still fresh, and not old wounds left to smolder forever, the way Darth Averus The Hag, had allowed.
She faced him, beckoned him with a hand, “Hey.”
He turned to her, his face empty of expression. Shock. That soul-draining pain in your gut, that self-condemnation that echoes through your brain even when you sleep, that desensitizing, humor-killing Shock. She knew exactly how he felt. There was no excited, giddy adrenaline running through those veins.
But this had to be done, or it might never happen. She beckoned him again, and he stepped forward. She put herself on guard. Tired or not, the boy was capable of anything. But it had to be done. They had to trust each other. It was all they had left – each other. Me first. You’ll never forgive me if I act like the Master before you, after what you did.
She nodded to him, and waited.
It took him a moment to process it. Decide what to do. There was a lightsaber within reaching distance. The spear was close enough to pull free. Or…he could just think the right thought and snap her spine like a toothpick. Or he might not do anything at all.
“Kneel,” he requested – there was not enough strength in his voice to make it sound like a command. A gust of wind from the morning storm brushed his hair as he said it.
She knelt, and braced herself. This was it.
***
earlier…
The fire in his eyes was glowing, hellish and terrifying. Eyes of Death. The hairs on her head and on her brow and above her eyes and in her nose were frozen and sticky with ice. Her teeth were chattering. She set her jaw, but they kept on working. The chattering and the shivering made her tense, and tired her out even further, dragging her ever closer to exhaustion. Because of the wet snow and because of the sweat from her chase, she was drenched with ice. She felt frozen, was frozen. Now still, she could feel the searing cold in every pore and crevice of her skin. With this excruciating new cold, came a sense of something much worse. Of something she hated and despised and feared.
Vulnerability. The reality that she was about to be a victim: a title she had fought her entire young life to avoid.
She was in the middle of a fight, with no weapon, and she was on the ground. Most of all, she was on the ground. And the ground was Death. Mouse had failed, and now she was going to die. Probably slowly. A victim’s death.
Then like the crack of a twig, he said, “There. Fair fight.”
The boy’s vibroblade went sailing over the cliff into the night’s oblivion.
Mouse couldn’t believe it, but she wasted no time staring slack-jawed. This was an opening. A gaping wound of an opening. She flailed out and kicked him to the ground along side herself. What was his angle, surrendering such a clear advantage? She could beat him to death right now, pinning him at his chest, his arms locked behind his back. And that’s exactly how they ended up, after a few minutes of struggle. The boy was predictable in combat, just as she had expected. Now it was just a matter of having the stamina to keep hitting him until he died.
“Stop!”
She lowered her fist, but kept it ready. What was up his sleeve? Or was he really giving up? Surely he understood that was impossible.
“Stop. I quit,” he said, and repeated it, quieter and quieter.
She shook her head no.
“I don’t love her. Not any more. I promise I don’t. You can have her if you want.”
Mouse was taken aback. What was all this about? “I…don’t love her either. I just want her knowledge,” she started hitting again.
“I- hrk! - I don’t care, I don’t care! I don’t…” the good arm was wrenched free and he shielded himself, “…don’t care about this! I don’t want anything. I promise,” he didn’t sound pathetic; he sounded sincere, resolute. His mind was made up about something, and he wasn’t ready to die for whatever it was.
“You must have wanted something. The hag wouldn’t have brought you here if you didn’t, so don’t give me none of that shavit.”
“Just physical stuff. The stuff she never taught me, like how to fight. But I don’t care any more.”
“…Really?”
“Please stop pressing on my shoulder. It really hurts,” his voice broke saying it.
She didn’t, “So you want to know what I know?”
“Please.”
“And I want to know what you know…”
Tears formed in his eyes, “Please, please stop…”
She thought for a second, “Okay.” She said, and got up. He heaved a sigh and rolled onto his healthy shoulder. He laid there for a moment, seemingly trying her patience.
“I could kill you right now, you know. This is very nice of me.” said Mouse, looking at him on the ground like that.
“I could kill you right now, too.” He replied.
She laughed, “Oh, how, Mr. cripple?”
“Hold out your hand.”
She did as she was asked, putting her right hand out, smirking the whole time. He was several feet away and on the ground. What harm could it do? Her left ring finger bent sideways.
She screamed.
“I…” he rolled to his knees, “With enough concentration, I can make the little things inside you do whatever I want. Lady Averus says it’s a powerful gift. I’ve been concentrating on you for a long time. So…” he took a breath – she was still screaming – and forced himself up, “…so don’t think I’m not also holding back, cuz I am…” he thought for a second, “Ms. Lefty.”
“FIX IT!” she lunged at him.
He stumbled backwards and collapsed pathetically to the ground, the impact forcing a sob from his throat.
She stood there and cradled her hand. Painful lessons. So the boy was no better or more innocent than anyone else on this planet, after all.
He dropped his head, ashamed, “Sorry. I didn’t mean that. I should have used a stick I guess, or something. I’m sorry. I can’t fix it. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry, I’m used to it,” she said, wincing.
“We should kill her.”
“I have another spear, but she’ll see me. I have a gift too, but I think she’s figured out a way around it.” Mouse couldn’t believe how quickly she was going along with this. Not even a second to think it over. Did she really want Averus dead that badly?
“If I ask the right kind of question, maybe she won’t see you. Maybe it’ll distract her, if it’s the right kind of question.”
That was out of left field. Kriff, remind myself of my hand again, why don’t I? “How can a question do that?” she cradled her finger under her other arm, doubling over, trying to control herself, keep from screaming.
“I don’t know…what do you know about her?”
“That she’s an evil, sick hag who deserves to die.” She was really putting all her support behind this boy. She was really doing this. This was crazy. He could kill her any time he wished. A thought, and her entire network of arteries might explode at once. Who knew what he was capable of. Who knew how long during this lengthy ordeal he’d been focusing on her and the things inside her, zeroing in, locking on, like a salvo of a trillion tiny missiles, waiting for their cue to liquefy her.. I don’t know what I’m doing…
“What about…well what do you know about me?” he leaned raggedly against a tree, giving it his weight to bear. She needed to do that too, but in a different way, didn’t she? Is that why I’m going along with this?
“I just met you, didn’t I? All I know is you have the Force, and you scream like a girl.” Yeah. What the hell was she doing? I’m talking to someone…as a friend. THAT’S what I’m doing. I think. Maybe? Well, this is how I imagine it would go, so I guess it’s real for me. Does this mean I have a friend?
“I don’t scream like a girl.”
“No, really, you do.” She shakily tied a splint onto her finger using a pair of sticks and thread from her flight suit. The cold would give it the relief of throbbing numbness soon, with patience.
He smiled, “I do not.”
Mouse returned his smile, but only because she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say next. ”Do not…” It sounded like something Mouse should know a response to, but she seemed to be missing the script. She imagined that most kids would know this routine by heart, probably. But all she could do was smile back. ”Do too?” Is that it? Would that make any sense? It doesn’t sound right. I’d sound stupid if I said that. I’d sound weak.
The boy went on, “I mean, I must have come up. Don’t tell me you went all this time with Lady Averus, and she never gave a hint. It’s really important. If we’re to do this, I have to know.”
“Why, to blackmail her? And don’t call her ‘Lady’ or I’ll punch you in the head again.”
“To distract her.”
She sat down. Was there? Was there some hint, some slip of the tongue, that Mouse had missed along the road? All that time, convinced that Averus was an infallible demon, it blinded her to mistakes she could have used. Was there?
Eureka, “Where were you four years ago?”
“I think…yeah. That was when La… Averus found me. Why? What?”
“That’s when her Wayland stronghold was completed. When it was finished, I remember her telling me how impressed she was that it’d been built so fast, and that it had been all thanks to a ‘clever little boy on a stupid little planet.’ Why did I never…?”
“What else?” he slid down to the ground, resting his head on the tree trunk.
“I asked her about it, because I thought that was a strange thing to say, and she told me about this really devious kid who got a bunch of other children to band together and take over a factory…”
“That’s not exactly how it happened.”
“…So she was called in to take care of it. She had the whole factory shut down, and then she rounded up all the workers and all the children, and shipped them to Wayland as slaves.”
The boy’s face was going pale.
“They were made to work on her fortress. But I guess the adult workers –“
“Overseers.” He snarled.
“Hm. …I guess they started getting mean. Vicious. Started punishing them, even for stupid little mistakes. Fed them almost nothing. Stopped giving them breaks. And eventually they worked a lot of the kids to death. Literally, to death. Made the survivors bury them in the foundation.”
The boy was quiet for a moment, looking at nothing, “I made them angry.” He whispered, “They were angry at me, and they killed them instead.”
“When Averus found out she was furious.”
“Poodoo.”
“No, she was. She said she’d wanted those kids alive to be servants. To Averus, those children had been priceless. Priceless objects.”
“What did she do. What did she do next.” It was no question. She could see the boy needed this information. But more importantly, as much as it hurt her to see how badly he was reacting to the details, she nevertheless really wanted to see his response. Mouse needed information too. Information about him.
“She had me gather up the uh, the overseers. I formally executed each of them.”
“Good for you.”
“I’ve never been proud of killing anything.” She shot back, “I’m not gonna start now, boy. I don’t enjoy it, and I’ll never enjoy it. I hate it.”
He turned away, stared at the ground. His thoughts turned to the Overseer – his Overseer, the one he killed – and how that act had plagued him. How even now he felt a jab of guilt for having done it, even to a monster like him. He shuddered to think what this girl’s mind must be like, so populated as it was by angry accusing ghosts.
Hell. It would be like Hell. Gingerly, he touched his shoulder. It replied with a burst of near-crippling pain, “Were there…were there any kids left? Who survived?”
Mouse sighed, and now she looked away too, “Averus had the few surviving children bury the overseers’ bodies as one last task before we left. She explained to me that she was mad because now she would have to go out and get people she didn’t even know to serve at the fortress. There would be no way to know if those people could be trusted.
Eventually she had an idea to make me a servant there, so that they would have someone to trust.” Get to the point Mouse, he doesn’t care. “But the leftover kids… she said they were useless now, because they were broken down from what the overseers had done to them. She…so she kicked them out into the deep wilderness, and left them to their fate. I don’t know what happened to them. I never saw any of them again.”
“Okay.” he said.
He seemed content; seemed to be taking it well.
“I’m gonna go kill her now.” he said, voice breaking, and got up.
“HEY!” she limped after him and stopped him, grabbing his good arm, “What the kriff? You’ll die you moron.” And then I won’t have anyone to teach me how to use the Force right. Stay alive so I can use you. Please. You can use me too if you want, but you NEED to stay alive. Please don’t be stupid. Please.
“She told me she saved them.” He whispered, and leaned on her, put his head against her shoulder, “She told me she fired the overseers and that my…that they…she told me…she told me – “ his voice fell to pieces against her.
“She’s a liar.” Mouse whispered back. There were fresh tears in his eyes, but he couldn’t wipe them because she was holding his good arm, and the one with the broken shoulder was frozen stiff. He’d be going into this tear-blind, and that would do no good. So she wiped them away for him. It seemed like a friendly thing to do. Or big sister thing? Hopefully one of those.
“She also told me about her other Apprentices who failed. I guess to scare me.” Mouse explained. Just to keep talking, to keep herself sane, to keep from being swept up in the boy’s emotions, to calm him down. Emotions lead to panic and panic is weakness. Emotions will kill us. I need to calm him down, I need to make him stop feeling and start thinking, “She told me that I reminded her most of this woman named Darth Ferros. Most of the stories were about her. I actually trained on the planet she named herself after.”
He nodded in understanding. The boy was managing to gather himself back together well. That was a good sign. Maybe this insane plan would work. If their heads stayed level, it would work. Level. You always had a plan for everything…
He took a few breaths, to calm himself, “I didn’t know there’d been anyone else. What do you know about the other Apprentices?”
Mouse shrugged, “They all ended up being useless. It seemed like every girl Averus found was doomed to fail. Any time I did something wrong, she’d bring that up.”
“Wait. Every…girl?”
“Yeah, every one of them.”
“What about boys?”
“Um…”
“I always just assumed, if there had ever been Apprentices before me, that they would be boys like me.”
“Oh.” it dawned on Mouse, probably at the same time, “Oh wow. I never thought about it. Every single one was a girl. Every single one. They all failed, but she still kept looking for girls…”
“So if I called her out on it…”
There was a pause. It took Mouse a second to realize he was waiting for her to finish his thought. Does he really have that much faith in me? Wow. No one ever had that much faith in me. “…you would hit a sore spot. Yeah.” It felt good, doing that. Like they were linked, “Can you get to her okay on your own?” Now I care about his health all of the sudden.
“I…I think so.”
“Here,” she rubbed the cut on her arm across his chest. She stood back. A neck wound. I would have splashed his face too. If I remember… “And here,” it looks like this. Perfect. “Now you look the part.” God, what kind of person am I, that I know from experience what the blood splatter from a neck wound looks like?
She brushed dark thoughts aside. Things needed to happen, and they needed to be carefully timed. They went over the simple plan and split. There was a second spear that needed retrieving on the edge of that clearing. If she ignored the pain in her leg, the acid in her muscles, the sting in her arm, the tiny agony of her ring finger, she might get there and back to them fast enough.
And she did. She actually lapped the boy, she ran so fast. He came into view on the far end of the woods a whole couple of seconds after she arrived. Mouse began her calming meditation. Separation. She would become nothing. A ghost. A phantom. A living, breathing, walking nothing. Her body heat gone; her Force presence lost; her footsteps silent – and she wouldn’t even have to take off her boots. This was how she hunted humans. How she killed them.
This was how she would kill her…
My…
Darth Averus. For Darth Averus was the woman who had forced Mouse into the most torturous, pointless lessons of her life…
She was the woman who saved me from Coruscant.
…and Darth Averus put her through miserable hells, sometimes for no reason at all…
She made me strong. She taught me how to defend myself, and she taught me how to fight back.
…and when Mouse made a mistake, Darth Averus was brutal and merciless…
I wake up every night. Every single night, I wake up screaming. Every night, I have a nightmare. Every single night. About my parents. I see them die in front of me, every. Single. Night. I tie shirt sleeves over my mouth to wake up quiet, because it happens every night. Every single kriffing night. When I was younger, I would see it even when I wasn’t sleeping.
Sometimes, I still do. Or other things…
Out of every person who ever said they cared about me – even Level – Mistress Averus was the only one who came into my room when I woke up, who held me, who whispered that it would be okay, that I’ll be okay, that everything’s okay. Who she was in the day meant nothing in that darkness. When I needed her, she was there.
And now I’m going to kill her? I’m really going to do this?
…but most of all, Darth Averus wanted the boy to win. Wanted him to have all the Power.
Yeah. I’m really going to do this.
You hear that?
I’m going to kill you, Darth Averus.
I’m gonna creep into the clearing as you speak, as the boy stalls you with questions, and then I’m going to impale you through the back and watch you die. I’m going to watch as you scream and rant about things you don’t believe in, as your ignorant blood spills from your selfish chest. And when you look to me with despair in your eyes, I will not laugh, I will not put you down, I will not hurt you; I will do nothing. Because I am better than you.
And that’s exactly what she did.
***
“Rise, Darth Aeon,” said he.
His newly booming voice knocked her back into the here and now.
The first thing she thought was, BASTARD! You little brat! This deal is off; how DARE you use that… which was about the moment she remembered that the boy didn’t know that name, nor did he know what it meant to her. He didn’t know any of Mouse’s names, in fact. But especially not “Aeona” He couldn’t. So this wasn’t his doing.
This was the real deal. Mouse stood up.
Not one to waste time, she commanded: “Kneel.”
He knelt as she had. How did this work? She puts her hand on the top his head and then…? Poof? She tried it. At first, it was just what she expected it to be – an empty, meaningless, dumb-looking gesture.
Then a Star Cruiser slammed into her mind.
She nearly passed out. Her eyes rolled back, she hunched. Her jaw clenched as she tried to fight it. Tears streamed down her cheeks; it felt like every living creature in the universe was sacrificing their lives for her, right now. It felt terrible; it felt beautiful; it was Power. This was Power. NOW she knew what it was like, and she would want it again. The moment she realized what it was, she knew she would want this again. She quit fighting it. It was her’s now. The Force was her’s.
I am Darth Aeon. I am forever, and I am now. The thought was so strong, she could taste it. It tasted sweet. She didn’t care where it came from, it was her’s now.
“Rise,” the word spilled from every direction toward the focal point of her voice, where it sprang to life, “Darth – ” this one flashed in front of her as she said it, as though it were a solid thing to be touched…to be worshipped. Perhaps it was. Then, then a rumble, far off, flying fast towards everything everywhere, unseen, untasted, unheard, unnoticed, infiltrating Life from the inside out. Then, then a blast, a supernova, a gamma burst, a star collapsing, a black hole, a war, a genocide, the death of a planet, the herald, the catalyst, the stormbringer, the cleanser, the doorway of judgment, the poisoned wind before devastating change, the greatest most terrible cure for stagnation ever spawned, the “ – Plagueis.”
He rose.
And they stood there, as long as their strength allowed them, facing each other: Master to Master, Apprentice to Apprentice. Not too long from now, after a period of recuperation, they would begin teaching each other everything they knew. The sharing would begin. They would easily become the most powerful Sith Lords in history. Easily. Because they were equals, and were okay with that. Here was something else no Sith Lord had ever tried. And unlike the previous experiment, this time, it would work.
No matter what happened, they were definitely going to be leaving the galaxy in a dramatically different state than they found it. Their actions would be remembered for millennia to come, whatever they were. That was just how it was going to be. What those actions specifically were was unimportant. What mattered was that, because of this day, those galaxy-changing actions would surely happen.
Of course, one of them was bound to run out of things to teach first. That was in the back of each of their minds, as an inevitable truth. But they would never, ever bring it up. Because it would be admitting that they were in competition, were opponents as long as they live. That’s not the sort of thing you bring up to a friend.
There was another thing in their minds, at that moment.
So, this is how it starts. Soon I will rule the world. Thought Aeon. Thought Plagueis. They thought it in tandem – a shared secret left unshared, hidden within the veil of the glistening morn, frozen in place forever like the body before them. The two joined hands – dried blood sticking them together like glue – and together they left that nameless planet.
Together, at least for a fleeting moment as their hands clasped, the two of them felt like a single perfect being, knowing everything and fearing nothing.
Together, they boarded a dead woman’s ship and flew toward the waiting stars, wondering if those stars trembled at their approach.
Together, Darth Aeon and Darth Plagueis went off to meet their destiny.
“My candle burns at both ends
It will not last the night.
But Ah! My foes and Oh! My friends,
It gives a lovely light!”
- Edna St. Vincent Millay
fin.
Remember: Everyone’s obligated to help clean up the blood once you’re all finished reading.
-----signature-----
Rule 12: A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head. --- http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/26481069 - The Wise http://boards.theforce.net/B/b1/21283317 - Planet Hopping
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MsLanna
Title: CR GSFF Central
Registered:
Jul '05
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Date Posted:
2/16 12:34pm
Subject:
RE: The Wise - FINAL CHAPTER: ...Answer
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You let them both live! 
Now I wonder what the epilogue brings.
I, for my part, got just the answer I wanted.
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Padawan owned by Corellian_Ale Master of CloneCaptainRex. Proud FanFic Master of Darth_Sathanos Why so serious? Master of baritonejedi
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NYCitygurl
Title: Manager of SFFBC, C&G, and NSWFF
Registered:
Jul '02
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Date Posted:
2/17 2:56pm
Subject:
RE: The Wise - FINAL CHAPTER: ...Answer
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Woooooooooaaaaahhhh.
That was so cool. My favorite. The story gets better every post, IMO, and this was the best. So cool. I don't even know how to say it any other way that that, and only one part really sticks out to me as a specific wowing moment, but it was just so awesome.
That moment, by the way, was finding out that the boy is Plagueis. Though I thought that the quote at the end was pretty fitting, too.
Awesome, awesome story 
And by the way, whatever story you start next, would you mind putting me on the PM list please?
*grabs a mop*
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"Not till the moon falls. Not till the world ends."
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Persephone_Kore
Registered:
Jan '06
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Date Posted:
2/20 12:25pm
Subject:
RE: The Wise - FINAL CHAPTER: ...Answer
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I do not feel I have the time or mental energy to supply the kind of comment this story deserves.
Please take this incoherent flailing in the spirit in which it is intended:
*flail!*
(That's a compliment, by the way. This ought to be obvious, as negative flailing would be forbidden by the rules of the Fanfic subdivision of the JC, but it seemed advisable to clarify.)
I really liked that ending. You definitely gave me the feeling earlier that the fair fight had not necessarily ended in Mouse's death -- I think you did a good job of telegraphing that suspicion without making it too obvious. On the other hand, while I gathered from the buildup around it that the boy's Sith name would be something of significance, I didn't seriously consider that he'd be Plagueis.
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Healer_Leona
Registered:
Jul '00
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Date Posted:
2/23 6:08pm
Subject:
RE: The Wise - FINAL CHAPTER: ...Answer
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I have to admit being the end I lagged with reading it. I love the journey in a good story.
Together, Darth Aeon and Darth Plagueis went off to meet their destiny.
Brilliant story. Thanks for sharing it Yodi.
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Any way youll never know
The many ways I've tried
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oqidaun
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jul '05
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Date Posted:
2/24 6:44pm
Subject:
RE: The Wise - FINAL CHAPTER: ...Answer
- Date Edited:
2/24 6:46pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
oqidaun
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utterly brilliant!
or maybe  udderly brilliant!
that, my friend, was a hell of a story.
and you get extra bonus points for the Edna St. Vincent Millay quote.
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BigE
Registered:
Jul '02
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Date Posted:
3/3 10:26am
Subject:
RE: The Wise - FINAL CHAPTER: ...Answer
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Okay, first of all, I’m not gonna call anymore of your writing ‘art’ if you’re going to go all “victorian fluttery thing with his hand against his chest”.
Next you’ll expect a bouquet of flowers or something.
That said…wow. The birth of Plagueis: Nice, very nice indeed.
A dual-Darth ceremony. That was also very original, clever, and well executed.
It was a pleasure reading The Wise. Thank you!
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Aha! That's it. Hold it right there.
Pronoun trouble.
It's not "he doesn't have to shoot YOU now," it's "he doens't have to shoot ME now."
Well I say he DOES have to shoot me now!! So shoot me now!
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Corellian_Ale
Registered:
Mar '08
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Date Posted:
3/4 8:11am
Subject:
RE: The Wise - FINAL CHAPTER: ...Answer
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Tira, she prayed each and every night for the animals she’d killed so long ago. And every night she promised to never again do that to any living creature, no matter how big or small. Not with her own hands. Never with her own hands, or with her own Force. She would never break another living thing that way, ever again. But…to bend it as far as it could go…now that...
She lived for that.
What a brilliant way to paint Averus' personality.
****
“Because, Master, I don’t want your worthless genes in my child.”
holy ____!
I liked the injection of multiple apprenticeships, Ferros being my favorite thus far. Although ten's position on fighting fair left me scratching my head...
****
Okay, I've read it all now Yod, and I'm floored and shocked; and bloody well impressed. All I am left with is a sense of wow. From the smooth flashbacks, to the unholy matrimony in the snow. A white snow burying the Dark Lady Averous, letting the Sith begin anew...damn!
So, this is how it starts. Soon I will rule the world. Thought Aeon. Thought Plagueis. They thought it in tandem – a shared secret left unshared...
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"They're dying Artoo, what are gonna' do?" "Only one thing to do man. You still got that bag I gave you?" Proud owner of a shiny '08 MsLanna ...
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