Saga - ST "Legends of the Force: book 3, 22 Ch. with fanart, FIN"

Touching details about her family. And Lucien helping or not?
BTW thanks for the nice card. It arrived yesterday

 

@Kahara: Yepp, Luc is a poor unfortunate soul who does not know that the road of well meant intentions leads straight to hell.

@earlybird-obi-wan: Well, Luc thought he helped but that makes matters worse as times. He is a bit unlucky in that.



Chapter 21:

Chéf Norn notices me at once. “Komdu rétt sem snöggvast til mín!” she commands me lovingly. Come quickly to me!

I make my way towards her, eyeing her raised cooking spoon.

“Barnið dó úr hungri. Hvernig fórstu að þessu?” With mild disapproval she pokes the clean end of the spoon against my ribs. The child is starved. How did you manage that?

I am given a place of honour next to the enormous stove.

The first bowl of vanilla custard is placed in front of me, while I am explaining how essential it is to keep Draň out of his chambers for the rest of the sun day.

Over the course of the second bowl, I ask if a bed could be set up in the nursery for my sister Caelestris. It is meant as a surprise for her.

Norn raises an eyebrow, holding on to the third bowl for me. “Stop beating around the bush! Say what is on your mind! You know that we will never break your trust.”

Gracefully, I stand up from the kitchen bench, knowing that they are all in love with me in some way or the other. I could demanded everything from them: lies, murder, mutilation, the thrown of Cunabula, but I do not. There are better things to say.

“There is cause for alarm in the marriage of Caelestris. I am the Main Seeker of the Holy Inquisition and found traces of misdeeds.”

The faces around me grow grave and concerned, but not hostile. I have given them nothing but the truth without the dirty details.

********************************************************************

True loyalty cannot be bought. And with the menial staff of Dùn Barr it is more than a sentiment, more than a practical disposition. It is a virtue, with which I have been blessed from the beginning.

I draw in a breath as I look around in the servants' dining-room that is also their workroom. My hearts starts to pound wildly.

Then I run my palms over the smooth wood of the dining table. The readings that I get give me the necessary strength to hold the speech that everybody present needs to hear.

There are movements in the entrance area. Aranea and Mora squeeze through the crowd. I nod at them friendly, before I start speaking.

“My family lost many beloved ones of late. It is hard to determine what will happen when my news comes to their ears. I do not wish a second Polysýndeton to happen. Nor do I wish anybody else to be tempted to fall for the dark side of the Force. Just outside in the yard even I gave in to temptation today. But my oldest friends were there for me. As usual.”

More than one person wipes a tear away.

“I am not afraid of the things that Luçien and Draň carry inside them. But the darkness that they could bring over my family must be stopped. Please support me! I cannot do this alone. Aranea, Mora and Luna made me realize that today.”

One by one, they bow to me, determined and grim.

Aranea moves forward as if to pull me back, but Mora stops her.

We need more allies, conspirators that are noble and loyal, who will not even betray me in their thoughts.

I nod at my two best friends, wondering what Luna is up to. She is not in the kitchen. Then another important detail comes into my mind.

“It might be very likely that Commander Taran Cú Síth will come looking for me at one point,” I say to my audience. “If I should not be around to answer his call, I want him to be treated with kindness and gratitude. He is...”

Suddenly, Luna runs in, taking us all by surprise. She is out of breath and will not accept a seat, but remains hunched over the dining table until the words come pouring out between gasps for air.

“Heulwen... has stolen the urn... of Narthex... and the star cruiser... of Agathos. Flight control... tells us... that her course... is set... for Amnion.”

********************************************************************

While I have been busy with my own feelings, time has slipped by. I did not even know that my young niece can fly a space ship.

“Where is Isa?” I want to know, pushing my bowl away from me.

“Already in the library with the flight control agents and the emergency landing team. She won’t let me in,” complains Luna. “My own people were ordered to shoot me down if I dare to disturb the briefing. The surveillance cameras in the library are turned off.”

All the comfort that the custard has given me is gone. “Then it’s extremely serious,” I conclude.

It is possible that Heulwen will have an involuntary burial at sea with Grandfather Narthex. I am sure that nobody had ever bothered to explain the tense political situation between Draconis and Amnion to the girl.

It is one thing to permit the Ambassador of Sapuhru clearance for a landing ’in despondent’. But to allow a member of the Tjiehenet family entry into the orbit of the water planet is something completely different.

********************************************************************

Caelestris is in our old nursery in the West Tower, having tea and ginger cookies on her own. Her hazy eyes are directed at the colourful glass windows. Golden light dances around, illuminating the room in a beautiful way.

Dazed, I step forward.

This used to be one of my happy places, despite the occasional entities that disturbed my childhood games.

To be a medium can be a heavy load. Due to Clementia, Luna’s mother, though, I have found ways to protect myself from the echoes of Dún Barr’s dark past.

All of a sudden, I hear my sister murmur something to herself. Her voice is so harsh, so broken.

“Το παιδί το ρούσσικο
Το ξανθομαλλούσικο.
Το παιδί το μάλαμμα
Τι το θέλει τ’άλλαμα”

It takes me a while to identify a popular lullaby from Amnion. A cold chill somersaults through my stomach.

My rosy child,
My fair-haired child,
A child all gold,
What need has he to change clothes?

I can hardly bear the grief that engulfs me.

Caelestris looks so gaunt and ill today. I should have recognized the signs sooner. My love for Luçien blinded me to the obvious in a daunting way.

********************************************************************

Nanny is about to enter Luçien’s star cruiser, when I reach the East Tower. “Let me handle this,” I call out. “I know ways to circuit the security protocol for this ship.”

“Then by all means, take charge.” She looks very impressed. “I want to be with Heulwen as quick as possible.”

My fingers move over the security lock, simply typing in the code that I have picked up within Cousin Sionnach’s memories.

“I did not know that you could do something like that,” Nanny comments, keeping a respectful distance.

“Found it out recently,” I lie and ad emphatically, “Let me also check the cockpit. You need to be able to fly that thing as well.”

********************************************************************

Not much later, I sink down in the pilot’s chair, the palm of my hand pressed against my face.

Heulwen has learned how to fly with this vessel. Her childish enthusiasm is echoing from everywhere in the cabin. I am able to read one of the latest incidents simply by leaning back in the high leather chair.

Luçien pats my head. “You are very gifted!”

“More than Éibhear and Garou?”

His hands wraps around the back of the chair. “They are not interested in flying. Or space travels.”

I make a face. “But space has so much to offer. One day I will fly away and explore other star systems.”

“Don’t try to grow up too fast!” he replies in a near-whisper.

“You could come with me when I am as old as Sionnach is now. Éibhear and Garou will have their own families then.”

He laughs heartily at my suggestion. “Do not tempt me, little one!”

“Imagine, all the new worlds we could see!” A smile splits from one side of my face to the other one. “Black holes and clouds and even stars being born! We could be like nomads, travelling from planet to planet. Instead of camels and falcons we would just have us to take care for.”

Suddenly, he turns very serious. “I am not much of a wanderer, Heulwen.”

“You could at least try to see if it suits you.”

He bends down to kiss my hair in a fatherly gesture. “We will see. For now you have other concerns. The cloud cover is heavier than it was in the morning.”

My cheeks flare in protest. “I can feel the castle and the landing platform! I do not need to see any of it.”

“You better try to get us down in one piece.” He chuckles. “Otherwise the staff of Dún Barr may start believing that I have a drinking problem.”

“You?” I gaze at him and find him grinning. “Never!”

His only problem is Aunt Grianán. Who is an evil witch. If he does not kill her at some point soon, I will do it for him. Even if this means that I have to land this ship right on her ugly body.

********************************************************************

Dizzy from the strong hatred that my niece has in stock for me, I walk through the ship. More whispers of the past bother me. I am not able to keep them at bay.

Once I walk down the ramp, I suggest towards the ruler of our planet, “I can come with you.”

My offer meets daft ears. Nanny just looks at me. It is the same aloof look that she has preserved for martial art training sessions.

“Then blessed be.”

I receive a hurried good-bye kiss in return.

Then Nanny reaches out for her wooden spear. She turns it around in her hands, her thoughts already focused on the rescue mission.

Éleos appears in our midst. “Isa, you do not need to do this on your own.”

“It is my call and my duty, and I will not drag you behind.”

Éleos has a very good argument. “But you are banished.”

“Then it will be the more fun for me to return and have a vendetta with Luçien about this errant of mine.”

A hot surge of oppressed violence undermines my brother’s voice. “I will not allow him to harm you in any way.”

Nanny has her back turned to him already. “My step-brother has every right to anticipate a duel to the death with me and I will not run from him. Especially not after your mother put me in charge of Draconis and your family. My life has not been my own since then, but this decision is.”

********************************************************************

“Get out of there, you lousy old cat! This is suicide! I will not allow you to die for Heulwen. Come back at once.”

Daná’s tantrum is drowned out by the engines.



When Boreas finally gets close enough to hold her and whisper sweet nonsense into her ears, I decide to leave the flight platform.

I give Éleos a curt nod and start walking off.

“Where do you think you’re going, Grianán?” he calls out. “How did you crack the security protocol of the ship? Since when are you good with machines?”

“Since you improved your hide and seek skills,” I suggest coolly. It makes me sad that my older brother and I have to part this way, but I have no choice. Time is of the essence. I did not want him to end up killed by the man I love.

“Grianán, I will not be ignored!” Éleos’ runs after me. His embrace is hard and solid. “What has been wrong with you since you came back?”

I make myself as stiff as a wooden plank and remain silent.

“What did Mórag do to you? Did she try to break you like Mother? Please make me understand what ails you these days.”

A soft rain shower sprays down on us, making our clothing damp. I do not mind. It reminds me of Cunabula. Reminds me of a childhood that was blissful and happy most of the time.

“Centuries ago one of Father’s favourite Terran philosophers wrote the following: The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil.” Éleos’ breath is warm and pleasant in my neck. “Be good, little sister, be good!”

********************************************************************

The entire staff of Dún Barr is gathered at the base of the staircase of the East Tower. I am deeply touched. My invisible army has come to pay me their tribute. They look at me with hope and love. Luçien and Draň will be spared their scorn because I wish it so.

“I meant to say this to you earlier, my dear princess, but there was no time,” the Grand Master of the Hunt Supreme says. “At dusk the Vicomte had asked me to arrange a fox hunt for him and the prince consort. They left the castle with just Mark and Harrison in tow. None of them are back yet.”

I smile. “So there is no way that any of them know that Heulwen is missing. Or that Isa is on her way to Sapuhru.”

He returns my smile. “Actually the hunting party is not expected to be back before dinner.”

“Thank you, Barn.” I clasp his hand.

The Premier Marshal of the Household bows to me. “I took care of bringing a spare canopy bed to the nursery. Caelestris is already tucked in bed. Your father is with her.”

I kiss his cheek. “That was very thoughtful of you.”

The Grand Chamberlain bends his greying head towards me. “It seems that your brother-in-law’s suitcase is packed for a very long journey. The Vicomte could come for the luggage any time.”

His twin brother adds, “Valiant waits for you in the West Tower. The path will be clear. Your siblings and the royal guards will be occupied elsewhere.”

My hands briefly brushes their bearded faces. I am not able to talk any longer, but there was no need.

Bricka, the housekeeper of Dún Barr, curtsies. “I suppose you had no opportunity to inform your godfather Taran of your plans.”

I shake my head in denial.

The widow winks at me. “We can dull the senses of the paladins and your family so that they cannot feel his presence on the premises. You do not need to know the details. Just let us say that Norn knows the local fauna well.”

********************************************************************

Valiant makes no attempt to mask his feelings when we finally meet up in one of the corridors. “Take at least my scimitar to defend yourself!” he begs and holds the weapon in front of him.

“That will not be necessary!” I say, managing a brave smile.

“They say that Ischáh, the Great Snake, has sacrificed parts of herself to create Draconis. In her wake, your ancestors practised humanoid sacrifice, believing it necessary for the world to continue.”

“I am ready. There will not be another chance like this. The fox hunt was just a manoeuvre of his to get Draň away from here.”

His expression changes from extreme annoyance to shock, then disbelief. “Why do you still want to be the teacher of my cousin’s heart? It is a greater waste land than the erg itself.”

“The desert is more alive than the people give it credit for.”

“Go on then,” he presses out in a sorrowful voice. “Perhaps your madness can protect you. The desert can be generous with a lost wanderer.”

********************************************************************

The last person that I have expected to find outside my room is Father. His brows are drawn together and he is frowning. “Do you know that security cameras have been installed in the nursery straight after the death of Areté?”

I bite my lip.

Modern technology is a thing that I always underestimate.

“Isabeau and I like to watch Heulwen and Sionnach’s boys from time to time.

They do wonderful stage plays, self-written.”

Despite all, I beam at him.

I would like to witness those plays. Take part in them even.

“But of late the nursery has been occupied by an adult visitor,” Father continues, his brown eyes glowering slightly. “Caelestris sits there for hours, drinking tea and staring ahead of her. Today, she was not alone.”

There is a ripple in the air between us.

“Are you a servant of the dark side now?” he gets out. “Like your mother before you? Like most Tjiehenet women throughout history? What did I do wrong?”

“You must trust me,” I beg him. “There are medical issues and even more at stake.”

“You are not done plotting yet?”

A spark of humour has been in Father’s open accusation. I might as well play along. He deserves the truth.

“No, I am not done for today,” I confess.

He places a kiss on my brow. “Be careful then! The love of a male Lidérc can be an unhealthy matter for a young, inexperienced woman like you.”

Sighing, I press myself against Father, nestling my head against his throat. “I can handle it,” I assure him, even though doubt nags at my tortured heart.

“If your siblings and Isabeau rally against you, you will be completely lost. And I am not sure what Sionnach will do.”

“I will take care of myself, my thoughts and action.”

“That will not be enough!” There is darkness in his gaze. “You need to use every dirty trick possible for your survival. Just as Isabeau must while on Sapuhru. I will pray for the two of you. Luçien can be a dreadful foe to his enemies.”

“S’agapo!” I cry out, blinded by tears. I love you!

He wipes away one of them, looking at it. “Remember these words from our ancestors from Terra: Love is patient, love is kind.”

“It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud,” I continue. “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

I swear to kill myself before the love of my life is able to sin. My blood won't be on his hands.


Sources:
A traditional Greek lullaby
A quote from Marcus Tullius Cicero
Corinthians 13:4-8 again
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

 

Warm and supportive encounters with Eleos and the estate staff ... Grianan wins the love and loyalty of many.

 

Grianan loves and gets love

 

Okay, because it´s Good Friday, I should post the last chapter of Grianan here.

Perhaps I also should inform some other readers, from whom I know they do not mind getting linked: @DarthUncle, @Kahara & @Darth_Furio.


Chapter 22:

Inside my room, I lie down on my bed. A stolen handkerchief of Luçien covers my face. I open up to the memories that are embedded in the cloth due to the bitter tears he cried into it.

There is only peace and order in my small universe. And, of course, my twin sister. Her friendly, cheerful presence in the Force is undeniable. I am used to it and am pleased to have her at my side. She echoes even the tiniest of my movements. It fills me with brotherly pride that I am her mirror and that she is mine.

Together, we float along in our mother’s womb, free from life’s sorrows and worries. It is a time of dreams and joy.

Life is as it should be, easy and clear. There is no haste to be born. We enjoy the soft semi-darkness in which we live. Our soundless dialogues are full of warm emotions. We do not know many words yet, even though they reach us from the outside world that our mother lives in. There are many other women around her. We hear their laughter. We hear their cries. And sometimes we hear their songs. There is so much beauty in them words.

But maman, our mother, never sings. She is brooding and nervous, and feels trapped inside the serail. The desert calls to her. She would rather hunt through the canyons of the hamada than suffer the experience of idly resting on brocade pillows. Her frustration filters down to us. She misses the hunt, the act of killing the prey.

Now and then, her hands stroke over her swelling womb, seeking contact with us and assurance that her suffering is worth it.

“Soon,” she whispers to us, “soon.”

During another occasion, maman says something else to us. “If you are a boy I will call you Luçien. That means 'light'. And if you happen to be a girl then your name will be Lisiére, 'selvedge'. The woven edge of beautiful fabric. A dream come true. The sky walker would be so proud of you.”

Our mother does not seem to realize that we are twins. Lisiére and I expect our birth will be a great surprise to her.

Outside our little world, the universe is humming with activity. The inhabitants of the serail serve maman, bearing her moods silently. No matter how strange her orders are, they are obeyed.

Though our mother is not allowed to hunt in her state, she still holds power over life and death. Lisiére is often worried about that, but I am not. She would never harm us in any way. We are her flesh and blood. She is bound to us. Mothers cannot help but love their children.

Lisiére notices that there are drastic changes on their way before I do.

Within several heartbeats, the peace and order that I am used to vanish. The place that hosted us for so long falls apart bit by bit.

But that is not the worst of it.

The lively presence that is my twin sister stops existing. Just like that.

Numb with shock, I face the person who murdered her on solemn purpose.

A shadow falls on my heart.

********************************************************************

Dizzily, I sit up. My brain seems to be on fire. All the bones that make up the cranium of my skull feel like being pierced by thorns. Or even worse, steel needles.

I did not have such a heavy migraine attack in years. Clementia, ever so wise, has taught me ways to deal with them. Due to all the recent stress I have been neglecting myself a lot. Always thinking about those around me and never giving in to my own needs. There has been also too much sensory input recently.

The bedroom starts turning around in wild loops.

I puke up.

So much for Luçien’s precious medicine. To have the potion out of my system gives me more though clarity, but at the same time more incoming pain. My left side starts hurting, as if there is a lance piercing into it.

When my hand moves towards the sore spot, I notice that my finger tips are bleeding.

So many stigmata at once! Journeys into the spirit world always come with a price.

I wonder what Helygen would make from it.

Taran certainly would be vexed and try to clean me up properly. Even lick the mess up, driven by his canine instincts.

As for Nanny, she would just rise one of her perfect brows and order me to continue to fight. And indeed, there is much to fight for. I must show Luçien the true face of love. A benevolent force, that connects and makes whole.

I sink back into my pillows, put the handkerchief back in place.

There must be a way to go deeper into this childhood trauma. I am very certain that this is not all. He must have seen more, witnessed more of his twin-sister’s death than he is aware of. It is only logical that he chose to forgot in order to move on. The brain does that. Sometimes the truth is too much to bear. Memories are skipped, but they are never deleted unless a highly talented telepath is messing around.

An ugly smirk crossed my lips, but soon makes room for forgiveness and understanding.

I breathe in and out, the way that many of my people - the Ophidea - do it since centuries. It’s called pranayama and translates to the control of life force.

First I go for nadhi sodhana, also known as alternative nostril breathing. This calm, soothing breath that can be done any time of day. I perform up to ten cycles and notice how my agonized body responds to it. Relaxation and calmness conquer every inch of me. My soul also settles into more peaceful terms.

Next on my to-do-list is kapalabhati, which means 'skull shining breath'. It’s an invigorating breath that can build heat in the body.

For this I need to get up and sit in my desk chair that has a tall, straight spine.

The exhalation is short and quick, but very active, while the inhalation is short and passive. I pull my navel in as I exhale and soften it immediately on the inhalation.

Now I am glad that my stomach is completely empty. For this special technique very demanding.

Not feeling chilled to the bones for the first time in weeks, I go for the third form of the ancient breathing techniques of the Holy Isle: ujjayi pranayama. It can be either called the victorious breath or ocean breath due to the sound it creates.

I remain being comfortably seated with a straight spine and execute what is necessary to the full expansion of my lungs. By focusing all my attention on the air streaming through breath system, peace comes forth and starts to conquer my mind.

Dutifully, I repeat the steps of the breathing cycle twenty times.

There is no need for me to leave the chair.

The sitali pranayama will give me more poise and purpose, literally cooling me down as it should.

Right in the middle of the exercise, I shed my physical skin; snake princess that I am. This way I can step into the world between worlds. Here the Cosmic Force resides. All energy from the Living Force, actually from all things that have ever lived, feed straight into it’s womb.

********************************************************************

It is not the first time I have been here, peaking around in door ways and listening to the things that were, that are and that will me. A multiverse of opportunities, of paths to choose from.

Suddenly, there they are, right within my grasp. All those the raw, unfiltered impressions of Luçien. His suppressed memories of the day he and his twin-sister were born.

Lisiére notices that there are drastic changes on their way before I do. Within several heartbeats, the peace and order that I am used to vanish. The place that hosted us for so long falls apart bit by bit. With each contraction it becomes smaller and even hostile.

I scream at the top of my tiny lungs, protesting.

“It is a boy, milady” I hear somebody say. It is the voice of a woman I have heard before.

“Bring him to me,” our mother orders. Her voice is weak, yet authority still underlines the voice that I already know so well.

I find myself on her chest, both of us exhausted and tired from the effort of birth. The serail is colder than I expected it to be. I shiver, snuggle closer, but am not yet as warm as I had hoped.

“A real prince of light,” our mother muses. “You could make angels weep with your beauty, Luçien.”

I do not know what angels are, but I get the sense that they are creatures of grace. It is a description that suits my sister well. I cannot wait to have her out here with me.

Fingers wander over my entire body. I can read from our mother’s mind that she is counting my limbs. She checks if I am really as perfect as she had hoped me to be. Patiently I suffer her investigation.

Suddenly, our mother freezes in shock. Her muscles tell her that Lisiére, curious from my calls and driven by the laws of nature, is approaching.

I pick up emotions from our mother that puzzle me. Rejection. Anger. They are directed at my sister. What has she done to deserve this? She is also perfect. There is no reason not to welcome her.

“Out!” our mother yells. “Everybody out. I want to be alone with my son.”

“Milady,” I hear the same voice from earlier on say, “We need to help you with the afterbirth.”

“Nonsense,” our mother booms. “I will manage. Send a messenger to the Brotherhood. Tell its grand maître that their Messie has arrived. I like to keep my promises to them. Go!”

Uncertain, the other women draw back. A door closes and the sound startles me. Something dreadful is going to happen. I send a warning to Lisiére.

Our mother stands up, ignoring the pain and agony that she is in. I wail in confusion while she starts walking. She should lie down. My sister cannot safely enter the world this way.

“Shush, Luçien!” she snaps at me. “Whatever is left inside me, I do not want it. One Messiah in the family is enough. I cannot see myself raising two of you. We should be grateful that Alezan allowed my pregnancy at all.

Our mother does something to the door. I hear a clicking sound. Not once but twice.

“You will be a single child. Be quiet.”

My cries increase. In my helplessness, I unleash my powers. Objects start floating around.

There is no way that Lisiére can stay where she is. She needs to come out, but that equally brings her life in danger.

I scream while I stop Lisiére from colliding with the stone floor. I almost fail.
“Don’t work against me, little fool!” my mother howls. “You do not need her. She will hold you back, distract you from your duties.”

I do not want duties. I want my sister to be safe. This is all that I want. And she is not safe. Not with our mother.

Then I hear a dreadful noise. The lively presence that is my sister stops existing as our minds are torn apart.

I black out.

This vexes me.

It cannot end there. I must see more. There needs to be much more.

********************************************************************

Floating through time and space, I get impatient. I stretch myself in each possible direction.

Finally, I find what I have been looking for. With great eagerness, I unwrap the baby memories like paper around a precious gift.

It is not my mother who holds me when I wake up from my unconsciousness, but a man. I know him. He is Comte Alezan Ankoù, my mother’s husband. But he is not my father. The sky walker is. I feel it in my bones.

“Luçien,” Alezan addresses me with such gentleness that my anxiety begins to fade.

There is nothing I can do but cry. I feel so alone and abandoned without Lisiére. There is not even an echo in the carpet of life. She is simply gone from my side. I wish I could follow her, wherever she went.

The Lidérc noble man cradles me. Through all my misery I can tell that he has experience with babies. Reading his mind, I come to know that he has many children with all his other wives. There are brothers and sisters out there for me, keen on making my acquaintance. But I want Lisiére.

“Flor does not deserve the right to nurse you. Not after what has happened. “We need to find another pair of lovely breasts, to feed you,” Alezan purrs. “There is a place in the heart of this city. You will like it. It is sacred to our people.”

I am wrapped in a warm blanket and find my face pressing against a massive chest. Rough cloth rubs against my cheeks.

The Comte is confident and full of love. “It is a short walk from here, Luçien. Do not worry.”

There is screaming in the distance, coming closer. I whimper and wet myself for I can tell that it is my mother, attacking the guards in her anger.

“There is nothing to fear from her.” Alezan strokes my head reassuringly.

“Where are you taking him?” my mother pants as she gets closer in her torn, bloodied garments.

The leather gloves that hold me intensify their grip without hurting me. “I cannot wait to show my heir his realm.”

“Your heir?” maman gets out.

“Yes, my heir, Flor.”

“But your other sons....”

“Will have to live with that fact,” Alezan concludes frostily. “Luçien is a Vicomte from now on, overshadowing their claims to my heritage.”

Glee and uncertainty radiate from my mother. “Thank you, milord.”

I feel more pressure building up in the tall Lidérc. “Small and vulnerable as my son is, I do not trust anybody in this homestead with him. Especially not you. Not after killing his twin sister.”

Maman growls softly.

A mantle of cold fury settles around Alezan. “You have forfeited the right to nurse Luçien. I cannot trust that he will not share his sister’s fate.”

“Milord, I assure you...”

The comte does not wish to hear her complaints. With his deep, rich voice he lashes out at her. “I will make you my main wife from now on, with all the rights and duties attached to it. You may even carry my family name. But do not delude yourself into thinking that there will be any more children from your womb. You acted like a Draconian wench. With no regard for life.”

“I...” she squeaks, but it achieves nothing.

“You will be put on a ship to Amnion. There is a fertility clinic. They will take care of my wishes concerning you.”

Realisation hits my mother hard. “You cannot do this to me!”

“I can and I will. Guards!” Alezan’s voice is calm with fury.

The ducal guards, which had been standing silently around him, come to attention.

“I want my honoured wife to be brought to the space port immediately. Sedate her if you must.”

“You monster!” my mother yells, filled with murderous thoughts.

I feel the tall Lidérc jumping backwards with me, while the guards deal with my mother. “Not all females are this like this, little Luçien,” he tells me, while he walks away with me. “I would like very much to introduce you to the honoured Minou Yeotenn.”

********************************************************************

I am fully aware that I should not see more. This should be it. The impact on my brain will be too much. But once more I reach out into the Cosmic Force, my thoughts wide open like a fisher net.

Papa’s old friend is nothing what I expected her to be. And certainly she is nothing like my mother. But the best thing about her is that she does not have any hidden agenda with me. There is only joy when she sets eyes on me. It quickens my heartbeat. I look into an ancient face with many wrinkles.

“Bonnuit, little Vicomte. I am so pleased to meet you.”

Alezan does not hesitate to hand me over to the beaton, a Force healer. His hands are steady and calm while he does so, but his soul is not. He is as stricken as I am. “Flor, she... she did something unexpected. I...” He turns away as his voice breaks. I sense that he is holding his tears back. “There was a twin...”

“Twins?” Minou breathes.

The Comte manages only a weak movement with his head.

“You should tell me all about it over a nice cup of tea,” suggests Minou, concerned but in control of her emotions. “Bring your son along to my tea parlour.”

Alezan murmurs under his breath, “He is not my son. You know that better than anybody else in this city.”

He speaks out what I already know. I continue to listen, keen on knowing more about the man who was not there for Lisiére and me in our hour of need. I want to know about the man who sired me.

“Officially he is yours. When you took Flor in, you claimed the fruit of her womb,” Minou reminds him softly.

“I do not mind calling him mine.”

The tall Lidérc gives me a warm smile that makes me happy and whole. I am wanted by somebody, even if it is not my real father.

“Dealg will be happy to hear that you love his child when he returns.”

“If the sky walker ever returns,” snorts Alezan. “He is like the desert nomads, always on the move. His hunger for wisdom drives him from quest to quest.”

We move again. Light flickers and colours pass by my eyes in quick succession.

I try to concentrate on Minou only. Her generosity and compassion are breathtaking. There is so much light and love. I do like this woman. Her calmness fills every fibre of my being.

“I wonder what will become of Luçien,” Alezan tells the elderly Lidérc female. There is a hint of a question in his words.

“Oh, Luçien is it?” I feel her focus fixing on me. “What a splendid and very promising name!”

I do not mind my name, nor its meaning. What I do mind is that my sister is gone. Her loss rips me up from the inside. I should not have gone first. If I would have stayed behind she would have lived.

“I can sense much light in you, but also darkness,” says Minou thoughtfully. “There will be difficult choices for you to make. The Force itself has no side. You give it a form and a purpose throughout your life. You alone shape your destiny with each decision you make.”

This is when I decide to let go, to simply stop with my quest. My body is in uproar and so is my own soul.

After more intense puking into my wash bowl, I turn to my night stand and pour myself some mountain water.

Pressing the cool surface of the glass against my hurting brow I decide to write my latest adventures down in my diary. They should not be forgotten like most events in Celestris’ life.

My quill flies over the paper, my tell-tale heart desperate to give everything away.

********************************************************************

When I am finished, I tuck my precious diary away. Actually, I place in one of the safest places within these castle walls: Isabeau’s office. But I do not stay there. For there is one place that I need to visit before my confused amore fou comes to get me.

A lonely basket-hilted sword hangs above Celestris’ bedroom door like a trophy. I give the heavy military weapon a thoughtful look. It’ s definitely of Elfin origin.

“I wonder where you came from and who had the honour to own you last,” I mutter to myself, looking up to it.

The fleeing afternoon light strokes lazily over the steel surface.

In the end I decide that it is but a cold case, not worth my limited time. There is other evidence I am looking for.

My palms and fingertips glide over surfaces, touching various objects to learn secrets no one in my family is aware of.

After gathering blueprints in the Force for a while, I feel sorry for Draň. Two persons exist in his chest. They act independently from one another and both love my sister; one tenderly and one violently.

At least Luçien and I share the same belief. We both believe in the healing power of love. He just has a very skewed view of it.

I shake in worried anticipation as I stand in front of the martial bed. It is a canopied, curtained one, typical for the period in which Dún Barr had been conquered by my ancestors.

My hands cup around the polished wood. I close my eyes for better concentration. I am almost immediately assaulted by the echoes of the past.

The nervousness of Caelestris washes over me. I cannot block it out while I lie helplessly under the bed.

Under no circumstances should my master find me right now. I try hard to cloak myself, to be invisible for Luçien. There is no way of telling how far he would go to hide his actions here.

********************************************************************



Aunt Adamah screams like a banshee, forcing me back into the present. Her warning from the spirit world saves me. Before Luçien’s scimitar can wound me, I lunge for the wall opposite to me in a series of acrobatic moves.

My hands clasp around the only available weapon for me: the trophy broadsword.

Luçien screams, and his blue cat eyes turned into an abyss of dark side fire. “You should have just accepted that death blow! It would have been painless and swift. Think of the battle you have instead forced us into!”

He flies at me like one of the mythical sword fighters.



Sources:
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

 

Rivetingly intense flashbacks

 

“I can sense much light in you, but also darkness,” says Minou thoughtfully. “There will be difficult choices for you to make. The Force itself has no side. You give it a form and a purpose throughout your life. You alone shape your destiny with each decision you make.”

I love this line because it is very true. The Force is balance, the user keeps it, or warps it.

 

intense flash-backs and no wonder he is like this

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: That is Gri´s life at times. Living the memories of others! Luckily, she makes more out of it.

@Darth_Furio: I am glad that those lines were to your full satisfaction and hope you had a happy Easter!

@earlybird-obi-wan: Let us hope that Luc can overcome himself and his ego plus inner hurt at one time.


Okay, everybody (including @Kahara, @DarthUncle, @Nehru_Amidala & @Cowgirl Jedi 1701) this story comes to an end with this epilogue already checked out by Ny.



Epilogue:

Flustered, Kylo Ren pumped air into his chest and let it out with a hiss. The dark warlord of the First Order looked at the Force ghost that had stopped speaking all of a sudden. “What about your duel?” he inquired. “Did you fight him? Did you fight Luçien?”

The female apparition said nothing, just looked at him in a calm and unnerving way.

“Do not tell me that you let yourself get slaughtered for a higher purpose,” the young man snarled. “There is no glory in self-sacrifice. No common sense. If you really gave up yourself for a foolish notion like love, then I have no pity for you. There is no lesson to be learned by somebody like you. A stupid girl that got slaughtered like a nerf at the slaughter house.”

Suddenly, a smile bloomed on her lips and her grey eyes shone like twin stars. “Did you know, Ben, that your mother was able to feel you inside her womb through the Force?”

He had not seen that coming and gaped at Princess Grianán Tjiehenet with his mouth slightly open.

“Leia described your embryo as ' a living band of light which was occasionally dimmed, even sometimes thrust through with a vein of darkness' . Poetic, don’t you think?”

He actually did not know what to think or to answer to this piece of unwanted information.

The Force ghost stepped between him and the prisoner from Jakku.

“Supreme Leader Snoke trained you to turn your fear and anger into power.” She tilted her head, her locks a river. “Oh, you have so much in common with Luçien that it hurts me. The pride, the hurt...”

“If you seek a conflict,” he offered acidly, “I must tell you there is none. Do not waste your time!”

The apparition dared to laugh straight into his face. “You are so wrong, Ben. This conflict between the light and the dark is there. You were told to strike against the light side. By no other than Snoke. But at the same time the teachings of your uncle...”

“Do not speak his name!” he roared at her, spitting the words out.

Boldly, she stepped forward and cupped his face with her blue ghost fingers. “You are much more than Supreme Leader Snoke’s puppet on a string. Old powerful bloodlines run through your veins. You are not only a scion of the Skywalker family.”

“Oh really?” Kylo barked.

Her smile widened, became unnervingly serene. “Darth Sidious, also better know to the universe as Sheev Palpatine from Naboo, and his master, Darth Plagueis, worked together for years. Not only did they carefully plant the seeds for the fall of the Galactic Republic. They tried to unlock the secrets to immortality.”

Kylo was beyond being annoyed with the chatty visitation. “I am the master of the Knights of Ren, woman! Not a Sith!”

“But you are the heir to to the Legacy of House Palpatine. The Emperor is, in a dark and twisted way, your grandfather.”

Amusement won over rage. “Really?”

She nodded.

Laughter bubbled up in him. “As if that old, lame skeleton has been able to sire...”

“The dark side of the Force is a pathway to to many abilities some consider to be unnatural,” she interrupted him. “Anakin Skywalker is indeed the son of Shmi, a shaman woman of the Whills. But he was conceived by no human being. It were midi-chlorians.”

He bit his underlip.

“And Sheev was the one who brought forth this miracle.”

With that Kylo turned his back on the lunatic, whose madness had survived her own death.

The prisoner was in the process of waking up and then he would have a guest to entertain.


Which leads us straight to Luc´s story!


Prologue:

Shmi Skywalker is in agonizing pain. Sweat trickled over her weary features. She convulses in her crude bonds over and over again. Her back is an open mess of flesh and blood. Her abductors almost severed the spinal cord with the whip.

When I was still alive, I used to know everything related to the art of pain. I felt its flaming embrace very early in life. It should have hardened me, but instead it had made me softer. Grianán knew that; as my true soul mate she always knew. Together we formed a so-called "dyad" in the Force. Perhaps this is why I was more cruel to her than I was with anybody else.

When I look back, aeons later, I can truly tell that love is a blessing. It is the only human heritage that is not loaded with negative energy. Unless one twists it and allows it to be a curse. Something self-destructive.

I float closer to Shmi Skywalker, slowly so as not to startle her.

She can feel me in the Force and lifts her chin in surprise. “Whoareyou?” she mutters softly between her swollen lips. They are encrusted with blood and vomit.

“A friend,” I state and cup her cheeks in a tender gesture. “I would like to spend some time with you while we both wait for Anakin to rescue you.”

The mentioning of her son’s name enlightens the flame of hope in her hollow eyes. “Ani?” she breezes.

I nod encouragingly. “He will come for you.”

We both know that she is dying; nothing in the universe can stop that now. Not even me. I am but a ghost of the past. My healing powers are long gone. I can only help those of my blood line make the passage into the Force vortex. While not every Skywalker is able to join us, this one will. And she will be a great asset.

As for Anakin, he needs to make his own choices, just as I did in life.

The future is always in motion, ready for each being’s ultimate decision. It is up to only them to choose the light or the dark. The Force itself has no sides, even though I ask myself if it has favourites. Such as Nagina, an unofficial offspring of the House Palpatine.

And this is why we are all here tonight. Because of Sheev and his choices. Concerning life and death. And the usage of the Force.

There will be an awakening. And it will be paid with a blood sacrifice, the oldest form of service throughout the universe.

Outside the tent, the Tusken tribe that abducted Shmi Skywalker from her husband’s farm goes about their nightly errands. From their point of view, they committed no crime. The ritual of claw and teeth is ancient. Heulwen once brought it to Tatooine while abducting my youngest daughter, Dawn.

The memory makes me shudder, but not for long.

My gentle companion here will not see another morning. But I will lend her some of my strength to set her eyes on her precious son for one last time. The child that was conceived without a father. A true off-spring of the Force.

“May I tell you a story?” I ask Shmi. “It will help you think of something other than the pain.”

A weak smile appears on her lovely face.

 

Amazing capture of Kylo's mindset and Grianan's luminous personality
Seamless flow into the prologue of the continuing saga

 

Geez, Palpatine has all the cards now, does he? At this rate, he and Rey are first cousins.

Wonderful story.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Palpatine and Plaqueiss had all

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Thanks for going on this journey with me! It was a pleasure.

@earlybird-obi-wan: Apart from women that loved them with true dedication. So they made their own children in dark sith laboratories with even darker magic. Even Doctor Frankenstein showed more passion and commitment when stitching his creature together.

At this point, I also would like to thank everybody again who has been on this long, stressful journey with me.

It it not a specialised book in the humanities and social sciences, such as "Dark Side of the Mind, Star Wars Psychology", edited by Travis Langley (2015), but I hope it was interesting enough to read, also for @Kahara and @Cowgirl Jedi 1701.

A special thanks goes to the man who won my love here on the JC boards in 2005 and to whom I am married to since October 2008: @DarthUncle. He is the right person to have at my side, also in times of a worldwide pandemic. But we are running out of "Exit Games" by Inka & Markus Brand, who work for the German publishing house "Kosmos". This means perhaps more writing time for me and more old Formula One races for him. (@Darth_Furio you both should talk about motor sports via PM at a point! )

 

Good story. Me lurkey. Lol.

 

To everybody who is interested - especially @Kahara, @Darth_Furio, @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, @earlybird-obi-wan, @Nehru_Amidala & @Cowgirl Jedi 1701 - I did put watercolour fanart into this story. Just in three chapters the art is still missing.

 

What a tense final(?) confrontation! All of Luc's memories add to the pain of the situation, but perhaps some understanding for Grianán of how far back his twisted view of the world goes. It's interesting that Heulwen has such a fear and resentment of her aunt -- it seems like she wants to think the best of Luçien and thus figures Gri must be bad somehow for them to have such a terrible history. (Think this may have been a thought I had for an earlier chapter, but here it is. ) Gri isn't willing to back down in her hopes for Luçien, but she's also thankfully not going to just stand there and be easily killed either.

I love that she doesn't tell Ben Solo the outcome of the battle. It matters, but for what she's trying to teach him maybe it doesn't matter so much. And of course, he's not so different from Luc in some ways and so the lack of concrete answers is a bane to him.

Congrats on completing and updating a truly epic story! Your ancient-Star Wars worldbuilding is always top notch, and I've really enjoyed getting Grianán's view of things. It's fun to see how the complexity and layers of not just her but the rest of the cast reveal themselves more and more -- and I'm finding the same thing with the Luc-POV "sequel".

 

Great to review (didn't actually read it all again this time I have to admit! ) your story with the added colour and detail and athmosphere your recently added artworks give to it!