Dead Ends!(Aria)

[Blade Bacquin]

The ship was at a full stop somewhere in the black between stars. Blade hit a few switches on the control panel shutting off the lights in the cockpit. Then he just sat there staring out at the stars in front of him. The only light left in the cockpit was the glow of the control panel. The only sound he could here for the moment was the ships occasionally creaking as it floated in the empty space between stars.

"Dead ends all of them!"

Blade whispered quietly to himself as drifted deeper into thought. He wanted to fight but she still wanted to hide. Blade wanted revenge on the past; she wanted him to forget it. She was a survivor and Blade was a warrior. Blade then pulled his new saber and began spinning in his hands as he continued to think.

"We make war that we may live in peace."

Blade quoted some obscure sith passage he remembered from long ago. He said it to the darkness as he stared continually at the distant stars. Peace, former sith masters would say it was a concept devised by the Jedi. There was no such thing as peace only chaos mattered.

“Chaos is a friend of mine.”

Yet there was more to think about then just himself and Aria now. Soon they would be three instead of two. This made things even more complicated, Blade couldn't be a family man and a warrior. Last time around he had abandoned his child to those that could care for her rather than taking the responsibility. He was able to be a warrior and forget about the family. Fight and only worry about numeral Uno. He then spoke to the stars.

"Tegan if you are out there in the chaos of stars which dead end do I take?"

[Aria Sihin]

"Was Teagan your child?" Abilus had quietly entered the cockpit and chose to lean against the side of the hatchway for support. Over eight months with child had winded her so easily, and the Sith Master did not want to continuously use the Dark Side around her unborn baby. The effects of the Force on a child were unknown to her.

What she did know is that Lucid had hinted several months prior that he had fathered a daughter in his other life. Her instincts brought her to the conclusion that this name he had spoken was her's.

[Blade Bacquin]

"Was, you speak as if she is dead?"

He didn't mention that tegan was cursed like him. He didn't want her to worry that their child would more than likely suffer the same fate.

"She was my first child. My daughter back when I was Bladious Bacquin a very long time ago."

Blade didn't turn back to look at Aria. He couldn't he was talking about a part of his life he never told anyone. He was ashamed of what he had done back then.

"Her mother, my wife Julia was murdered by my brother. Tegan was then given to a nearby tribe and I left her there. I abandoned her because I was too bent on revenge and war. I became a solitary figure after that forgetting my past and just wondering the stars fighting whatever war I could find. I was looking for something I lost, destroyed, and abandoned that was a family."

Blade gulped back a lump in his throat. Now Aria just about new everything about Blade. A man that destroyed everything, even his own family. Something he now had again but threatened to destroy because he couldn't control his warrior urges.

"Family something I have again but I don't think I can hold together."

[Aria Sihin]

Stealing herself, Abilus inhaled a deep breath so she may answer. "You promised me that you would never leave me."

[Blade Bacquin]

"My word is my bond. I won't leave you but..."

Blade cut himself short, he just couldn't think of a way to put what needed to be said forth. This family was bound by Bane's sith law. A law that meant Blade wouldn't leave but he would be one day forced to destroy.

"I will not abandon you but you know what’s supposed to happen in the end. Either you destroy me or I destroy you. That's the rule isn't it?"

[Aria Sihin]

"Yes..." she admitted, shying away from his gaze. "But that isn't the same as leaving of your own accord."

Since Lucid, the Rule of Two dictated by Bane had become ... complicated. Abilus had found love, which created a child. How could her wants mesh with her own beliefs? It was impossible.

[Blade Bacquin]

"To me it's the past repeating itself. The wife killed and the child abandoned same thing."

Blade watched as her gaze shied away from him. He knew how deep her beliefs where and it would take more than talk to get them to change. Blade unlike her believed in the rule of numbers over just two. It was an older sith philosophy that most sith didn't follow anymore.

"With the exception that this time if the wife dies she dies at my hands. Then Blade goes on being Blade, that’s if Blade even remembers how to be Blade anymore. I need you to make me a promise Aria?"

[Aria Sihin]

"It depends on what it is you ask of me...." she answered, her spirit breaking with each word shared between them.

[Blade Bacquin]

"When it comes to that point, promise me you will win."

Blade didn't want to experience death again but he would do it if it meant holding everything together. Blade would start all over again as long as he knew everything he left behind was still there.

"Then when you destroy me I want you to train are child in my place. At least then what ever legacy I had will still be in tact in are child. Can you promise me that?"

[Aria Sihin]

Even this request torn her beliefs asunder. "But if you are stronger then I then I have forsaken my duty. To train someone to take my place, regardless of the consequences."

Abilus hit the side of the doorway and lobbed her head forward in despair. Lucid was trouble since the moment she had found him, and by the Dark Side, why had he become the most exhilarating and confusing being to ever cross her path! All he does is make her heart ache with desire and disgust at challenging her beliefs.

[Blade Bacquin]

Blade laughed slightly at her words almost mockingly. He wasn't trying to be an ass but the ignorance of her words made the man come out of his somber mood for a moment.

"I never said I would throw the fight. All I'm saying is I will put everything I have forth but you promise me that you will put a better effort forth. When the time comes and I challenge you, you prove to me that I was not ready."

His tone of voice got a little loud and he nearly stood up from his seat. Yet in the end he slinked back into his somber attitude. It was clear his outburst was only because Aria had insinuated that he was taking about throwing the fight.

"I'm sorry Aria for that. I'm just lost as to what direction we should head from here."

Blade changed the subject hoping not to draw her wrath for his outburst. Then again he quietly thought to himself maybe she would end him now and be done with this entire mess he had caused.

[Aria Sihin]

Brown and white strands of hair slipped off her shoulder as she raised her head. "I did not insinuate you loosing on purpose. Only that you should have the right to take my place."

She sighed and slowly made her way to the co-pilot's chair. Her thoughts drifted, like the ship. Not able to pick up a single coherent strand of thought that could help illuminate which direction to take. Their tumultuous feelings were too chaotic to glean insight, even from the Dark Side. Even it needed something to latch onto, a specific feeling to ride within its power. But their shared frailties had caused them to fracture considerably.

[Blade Bacquin]

He said nothing to her last statement just staring out at the stars. He had no direction to take his family in. The dark side wasn't even being helpful in picking a direction. It seemed fate left them a great big choice and they had better make the right one.

"You got any suggestions Aria?"

Blade about reached up and pointed to a star but pulled back. He just shook his head knowing what more than likely waited for them there. Trouble followed Blade like the plague and it went where ever he was.

"We could... never mind."

[Aria Sihin]

Her nostrils flared at the use of her given name. If it were anyone but Lucid ... sighing, dark thoughts passed. Their situation called from constructive notions, not unfounded insecurities about their namesakes.

"Tell me," she coaxed, placing a hand upon his shoulder.

[Blade Bacquin]

"I was just going to say..."

Blade stopped again but this time it was to notice that cute little nostril flare thing she did every time he insisted on calling her Aria. She had to know Blade did it just to annoy her by now. If she didn't all the better for him he thought.

"Anyway I was thinking maybe we should try and find a planet currently under the control of the rebels. That's if there are any and the empire hasn't sent them packing for another Galaxy yet. "

It wasn't a great plan because even the rebels spelled as much trouble as the Empire. Then again since neither he nor Aria had heard even a single rumor of Jedi maybe the rebels would be a safe bet for now.

"At least until the child is born and then we can go on our way?"

[Aria Sihin]

It started as a throaty chuckle, the more pronounced snippets of chortling occurred until Abilus burst into laughter. Lucid was beside him. She rarely acted this way, and not when there was a time of great seriousness. Perhaps the pregnancy was making her daft?

"It's brilliant," she said, coming down from her high. "And unexpected. Regardless of our principals, we share a common enemy. If we remain hidden, then our family can be safe. At least for a time."

[Blade Bacquin]

"What?"

Blade shook his head not believing the words he heard. Did she just say his Idea was brilliant and was she giggling wildly? He was starting to wonder if she had inhaled some spice lately.

"Wait you actually..."

He just didn't have the words to say, he was dumbfounded. Then again maybe she was finally starting to see Blade true brilliance. No that couldn't be, even if Aria thought he was brilliant she would never have admitted it.

"Are you possessed?"

[Aria Sihin]

"Yes I am. It's called a baby, Lucid." In all seriousness, she turned to look at him. The humor had vanished. "It would be the last place that the Empire would come looking for us. If our paths crossed the Rebellion, we could simply pass ourselves off as Vagabonds ravaged by the Empire's tyranny."

Thoughtful her gaze became as she looked past Lucid, "Even if our paths came across Jedi, they would leave us be."

[Blade Bacquin]

"In my experience Jedi never leave things be. Always trying to stir up trouble in the name of saving the god damned galaxy."

At least that was what the Jedi were like that Blade had once known. Yet now that the galaxy really needed to be saved they were nowhere to be seen. Just like the Jedi to run from a fight cause it might force them to show some sense of emotion. Then again the sith that never backed down from a fight were hiding and doing nothing either. Times had changed and none of the so called hero's where around to save the day.

"Alright then we will go in search of a rebel planet to hide."

Those words sounded strange coming out of his mouth. If Aria wasn't around pregnant with his child he never would have said those words. If Blade was still Blade he would be fighting to the bitter end. He would have died to bring this galaxy to its true glory. He would have been that Hero the galaxy desperately needed. Yet that Blade died with his past and now he was nothing more than a dreamer.

"Now where should we start looking?"

[Aria Sihin]

Abilus flipped opened the holonet to GNN, the Galactic News Network.

"I'm quite certain the propaganda that the Empire creates to befuddle its people has some truth to which it was created from. There has to be a general warning given to the Galactic Citizens of possible Rebel movement or areas that are containing sympathizers. Since they are being monitored, we work in the neighboring systems. It's probably where they are falling back to avoid scrutiny."

[Blade Bacquin]

"Not if that's true."

He agreed with Aria up until they came across headline that was saying something about an Empress Miranda Tarkin. He pointed at the headline because at that moment he realized they might be even more screwed then he thought. With a Dalethria in office it might be harder to determine what was lies and what was truth. Then again Miranda wasn't exactly as bright as Dalethria was.

"It seems no matter where the hell I am that woman has some sort of power. At least here she doesn't have any over me, well except may be a fleet of star destroyers."

[Aria Sihin]

"It does not surprise me this has happened. Her family is powerful and she has as much support as dissidence from her colleagues," she said, continuing to scroll through the news feeds.

She came across an interesting headline. 'Rebel Terrorist Flee from Capture. 9 Imperials Kill in the Crossfire'. This occurred on Azterri.

Abilus cued it up and pointed it out to Lucid, "Perhaps this could work. The Imperials have given up and believe the Rebels involved have long since gone. There are rumors Jedi were involved, however."

[Blade Bacquin]

"Where I'm from her grandfather was some old fool blinded by his own arrogance so much he got his ass blown up. Here they herald him and his family as some kind of hero's giving them power and influence."

The more he read or heard of this Miranda the less he respected her. At least her twin from Blade's hometown didn't ride on the coat tells of her dead descendants. Then again Dale wasn't exactly full blooded Tarkin anymore by the time he met her. At least if he ever got the chance to kill this one he wouldn't have to worry about the acid bath.

"Jedi you say? Hmm it seems the old sith enemy might not be so fictional after all."

Blade read what was on the screen over Aria's shoulder. Blade read it as carefully as possible but his mind couldn't help but highlight all the propaganda parts. So he really didn't glean much from what he saw.

"Where was that?"

[Aria Sihin]

"Azterri. It's a vulgar planet. A seed of smugglers and criminals for the most part." She pondered the notion with the edge of her finger under her lip. "It should be fairly easy to blend in if one's impulses remain in check."

Abilus was referring to Lucid's knack for impetuousness.